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Neira Jones is a well-known name in the world of payment security and risk management, making her the ideal person to ask some difficult questions of banks targeted in the recent KVM (Keyboard video mouse) attacks.
The last few weeks have seen headlines in the UK press about cybercriminal gangs targeting the likes of Santander and Barclays bank, using social engineering techniques to install KVMs (keyboard video mouse) to spy on staff computers and steal money.
As well as praising the cooperation between law enforcement and the banks for leading to the arrest of the suspected criminals involved, one has to consider the overall implications of such crimes…
In both instances, the organisations affected made it very clear that no customers would have suffered financial losses as a result of the crimes.
This is, of course, no surprise. Under UK law, consumers are protected from such fraudulent activity and if money was ever taken from their accounts, they wouldn’t have had to incur the losses.
In the case of Barclays, it was reported that the bank recovered most of the £1.3 million taken. But how much money was recovered? And what else was potentially siphoned off?
I have long been an advocate of convergence of information security, risk management and fraud protection, but it seems that with some notable exceptions, this is by no means standard practice yet.
The result is that these areas generally operate in silos and the real cost of fraud, or the real cost of cybercrime can never be truly assessed.
As an example, if we look at this year’s Annual Fraud Indicator by the National Fraud Authority June 2013, identity fraud is said to have totalled £3.3 billion in 2012 and affected 27% of the UK adult population.
Because of the overall cost of fraud in any country, we must ask the following questions to be able to determine the real impact of such crimes.
Questions for the banks
In the Barclays example, customer information was accessed for a period of time, after a bogus IT technician walked into a branch in Swiss Cottage, North London, and attached a hardware KVM device to a bank computer.
This means that fraudsters may have got hold of banking customers’ financial details (e.g. debit card details, bank account numbers, etc.). As a consequence, the bank may have had to re-issue debit cards to their customers. So what was the total cost of re-issue (how many cards, cost per card, etc.)?
In addition, how did the banks inform affected customers, and how much did that cost? And – most obviously – how much money wasn’t recovered?
The cost of fraud is not an insignificant matter and more transparency will raise awareness. There is, of course, the additional concern of customer churn, and whilst some – like Ponemon – have made valiant attempts to quantify this, apportionment is very difficult to achieve.
For banks specifically, switching your financial life has never been a pleasant experience. However, with the UK announcement that consumers are now able to switch bank accounts in just seven days this may become a real risk after a data breach.
The impact on individuals
Whilst individuals would have suffered no direct financial losses, it all comes down to what was accessed.
What information did the criminals get hold of? Names, emails, bank account numbers, addresses, balances, etc…?
If the criminals got hold of this valuable information, they could in fact sit on it for a while before committing identity theft (e.g. apply for financial services products, launder money) – something which could have a lasting affect on an individual’s credit rating without their knowledge.
It’s for this reason that breached organisations in the United States have to provide one year’s free ID Theft protection by law.
Going back to the UK breaches, have consumers been reassured that they will not be victims to identity theft as a result of this crime? The matter of liability is very unclear.
Let’s look at the official (and rather short) statement from Barclays:
Hmm… first of all, we don’t actually know what data was taken. We only know that consumers did not suffer financial losses as a result.
We also do not know that customers will not suffer any losses in the future as a result of their identities potentially being stolen. I think that consumers have been left in the dark in that respect.
And for those who’d like to know how to respond efficiently in the event of such crises, check out my previous advice about how to use social media effectively when responding to an incident.
So let’s ask the following questions:
- What information was potentially taken?
- What information have customers been given to help them monitor this?
- Is there a help line?
- What happens if a customer subsequently becomes a victim of ID Theft?
- Who can they talk to?
- What are the processes in place?
- Has this potential fraud been quantified?
And finally, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has been at pains to deny any bias against public sector organisations so one assumes that in both cases, the ICO was fully involved with the banks and law enforcement and that they have determined that private individuals and their PII are not at risk of say, future identity Theft.
It would be nice to know this for sure but detailed information is not forthcoming.
So, in the absence of advice to consumers from the banks and law enforcement, if you think you may have been personally affected by the breaches (even if you didn’t lose any money), here are a few pointers you could follow:
- Change the password on your email account (and don’t reuse it elsewhere).
- Change the password on your bank account and change your security questions.
- Monitor your credit rating and credit activity regularly to make sure no one is using your identity fraudulently.
After all, your digital identity is your life, so be good to yourself…


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Chicago Sun Times 14 June 2021
The nation’s highest prices for legal pot have kept illegal sales strong — and even raised the cost of a joint on the street in some cases. A lot of the underground bud is coming from California.
Even as legal weed sales in Illinois continue to shatter records nearly 18 months after they kicked off, the illicit pot trade is still dominating a total statewide market some experts have valued at over $4 billion.
New Frontier Data, a cannabis industry research firm headquartered in Washington, D.C. estimates that black market pot sales here will top $2.2 billion this year. Meanwhile, BDSA, another pot research firm based in Colorado predicts more than $1.7 billion in illegal sales.
Those numbers are expected to outpace the surging totals for recreational and medical marijuana sales — which surpassed $1 billion last year and reached nearly $680 million by the end of May — by hundreds of millions of dollars. New Frontier Data projects nearly $1.9 billion in legal sales by year’s end, while BDSA offered a more modest estimate of $1.2 billion.
Highest prices in the nation
Neighborhood dope dealers have continued to thrive by undercutting the sky-high prices found at dispensaries, where an eighth of an ounce of smokable cannabis flower can cost around $80 after hefty taxes on recreational pot are tacked on. Illinois’ pre-tax flower prices — which typically run around $60 an eighth — are “higher than every other state right now,” according to Kelly Nielson, vice president of insights and analytics at BDSA.
The high cost of legal weed has had a perhaps surprising benefit for the black market, said one dealer who operates in Chicago and asked to remain anonymous. Based on that legal price point, he was able to raises his own prices — especially for less informed customers.
“If you’re some dork who only learned about [pricing] from the $60 and I obviously know that your only other reference for weed is that, then cool,” said the dealer (who admits to offering more affordable deals to “starving artists, broke people, homies and pretty girls”). “You would happily pay that than stand in line and pay taxes.”
Legal sales could take over by late 2022 or 2023
Experts predict legal sellers will overtake the lion’s share of the state’s pot trade in the coming years, though illicit sales will likely continue to make up a billion-dollar underground market even longer.
Kacey Morrissey, senior director of industry analytics at New Frontier Data, predicts that total legal sales will surpass $2.3 billion by the end of next year, outpacing nearly $2 billion in projected black market sales. Nielson believes the shift will happen in 2023, when she predicts nearly $1.5 billion in legal receipts will outpace illegal sales to contribute to almost $2.8 billion in total sales.
Ultimately, Morrissey predicts many of Illinois’ roughly two million weed consumers will gravitate toward legal outlets.
How quickly that transition happens will largely depend on the cost of legal cannabis and how accessible it is, she noted. Should federal lawmakers enact legislation that removes cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, the process would likely be accelerated.
Felony cannabis arrests dipped in the first year of legalization, when COVID-19, civil unrest and spiking violence stretched police resources thin. But this year’s numbers are now on pace with those recorded in 2019, the source said. He noted that money, gangs and the relatively light penalties for pot-related crimes continue to drive illegal sales.
The dealer scoffed at the explanation for the continued pot-related enforcement. And while he acknowledged gangs are involved in the weed trade, he said many players like him are merely hustling to get by.
“Now that it’s legal, you should see that it’s not evil and that people just want to smoke some bud.”
READ MORE: https://chicago.suntimes.com/cannabis/2021/6/14/22534079/illinois-dispensaries-illegal-legal-marijuana-cannabis-pot-bud-sale

domain: news


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343 Industries has finally commented on Halo Infinite's cancelled co-op campaign, revealing that the team spent "years" working on it before scrapping it and that the glitched version that players managed to access was around 80 percent complete.
Just a few months ago, 343 revealed that the long-awaited campaign co-op mode for Halo Infinite was cancelled, sending the community into a fervour and acting as yet another blow to the game. This was made worse when players were able to glitch into an early version of the mode, which seemed to work well enough that the mode's removal was confusing for all.
As reported by Pure Xbox, the head of Halo Infinite live service, Sean Baron, appeared on IGN Live to discuss the game's Winter update. During Baron's appearance on the livestream, he mentions campaign co-op and goes into some detail on why the mode was cancelled, citing a lack of time and even the fact that all consoles have to be accounted for.
Baron said, "We of course were working on (local campaign co-op) for many, many months… years. There are a lot of challenges there from a technical perspective, and what people were able to glitch into is probably 80% (complete)]. But, the amount of work for us to get from an 80 percent quality to a 100 percent quality is significant. And the amount of effort that would take right now is not something that we can commit to, and I'm not even sure how long it would take to be honest."
Interestingly, Baron also brings up a topic that's been fairly hot over the past few months – having to make games work for "all platforms". Although the conversation around that has been centred on the Xbox Series S in recent months, in this case it seems likely that Baron means the Xbox One version of the game.
Baron said, "There are things where, even if we have just a few crashes — I'm not sure what platform those players were playing on, because we would have to support all platforms — that's not maybe even something we can even get through our certification passes."
Source: Read Full Article


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With a month left until Ant-Man and the Wasp comes out in the UK, fans are sure to be treading carefully on Twitter in case of spoilers.
Can you download Ant-Man and the Wasp online?
The Ant-Man sequel is unavailable for download.
However, you can watch the first Ant-Man movie online by purchasing it from YouTube and Google Play.
Disney's streaming service is set to come to fruition regardless of Solo: A Star Wars Story's disappointing box office performance and Disney's acquisition of Fox.
Disney CEO Bob Iger said Disney is committed to making the bulk of its film and TV library available exclusively on its proprietary streaming service.
R rated movies and TV shows, however, will remain on sites like Netflix and Hulu in the USA.
This means films including Deadpool and shows such as Jessica Jones will likely stay where they are.
Ant-Man and the Wasp should likely make its way to Disney's own streaming service in time.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Downloading the sequel is not available yet, fans will just have to wait
Disney's streaming service is expected to launch in autumn 2019, which means there could be several titles without a streaming home in the interim.
Additionally, the service will be US domestic only to start with, leaving Marvel titles on Netflix for international fans.
Ant-Man and the Wasp should be available for download via other platforms like YouTube and Google Play, while it will be streamable on Netflix along with other Marvel titles.
But for those wanting to remain spoiler free, steering clear of Twitter and Facebook may be their best bet.
Ant-Man and the Wasp won't be released until August in the UK, so as not to conflict with the FIFA World Cup finals.
Despite the e-petition hoping to move the release date up, it looks like Ant-Man and the Wasp fans will just have to wait.
Ant-Man and the Wasp is in UK cinemas Thursday, August 2, 2018.


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Posted by Shirley Brady on February 9, 2015 12:27 PM
Last month L'Oréal Paris named British 1960's mod(el) icon Twiggy, now 65, as a brand ambassador, joining its rank of knockout older brand ambassadors such as Julianne Moore. Add Dame Helen Mirren, who turns 70 in July, to the brand's list of timeless beauties.
The Academy Award-winning actress can be seen in a new TV commercial for L'Oréal's Age Perfect skin care range. The ad follows other brands (such as Céline's print campaign with writer Joan Didion) celebrating older female icons with brains and beauty.
Check out Mirren's ad—described by the brand as "our first advert starring Helen Mirren as the true embodiment of The Perfect Age"—below: Continue reading...
Posted by Shirley Brady on February 5, 2015 12:39 PM
Old Spice has released its latest batch of wacky ads—tagline: "Smell as great as nature is" / hashtag: #naturefacts—as you can watch below.
The ads are promoting the new Fresher collection, which bears back-to-nature names such as Nest, Log, Roar, Woods and (evoking a more tropical forest) Coconut.
Old Spice brand director John Sebastian describes the desired effect on the Old Spice customer in a press release: Continue reading...
Posted by Mark J. Miller on January 27, 2015 12:01 PM
San Francisco-based car-riding service Lyft has been riding in the tire marks of industry leader Uber since it launched in 2012. The startup is eager to make its own way with the message that it's a new year and a new Lyft.
As part of taming the furry big pink mustache that once graced the front of its vehicles to a much smaller, glow-in-the-dark version that sits atop the dashboard, drivers this week received the new "glowstaches."
Lyft this week is also launching a peppy ad campaign—its first national effort—to showcase the new carstache as well as selling the company as a community builder.Continue reading...
Posted by Shirley Brady on January 20, 2015 02:34 PM
BP today debuted its first regular US ad campaign—meaning commercials that are not, for a change, aimed at repairing its image—since the 2010 Gulf Oil spill, a catastrophic event that it's still fighting in a legal battle as it faces the largest water pollution fine in US history.
The voiceover on the new commercials, both featuring bearded car-refuelers in plaid shirts: "You have places to go. Let us worry about getting you there. BP Gasoline with Invigorate®. Fuel the journey."
Watch the spots below and let us know what you think in the comments.Continue reading...
Posted by Shirley Brady on January 6, 2015 11:35 AM
Procter & Gamble's Gillette Venus line of shaving products is rewriting its classic "Venus: She's Got It" brand anthem with a new song that encourages women to embrace the "and" in "brand" and take a stand.
Rebooted as a female empowerment song by New York songwriter Leah Siegel, it's being promoted by Gillette in the Venus brand's new "Use Your And" campaign:Continue reading...
Posted by Shirley Brady on January 2, 2015 05:04 PM
It turns out McDonald's isn't dropping its iconic "I'm lovin' it" tagline in the US after all.
In fact, it's embracing it with a new ad campaign that starts rolling out this weekend, along with new in-store, point of sale, packaging and social messaging. It's all a bid to reinforce that it's listening to customers—and wants them to love its food as much as the company does.
Tasked with boosting sales and customer engagement, McDonald’s USA Chief Marketing Officer Deborah Wahl is kicking off the new year with a new marketing platform and brand vision that's based on the belief that "a little more lovin’ can change a lot."Continue reading...
Posted by Shirley Brady on December 22, 2014 11:36 AM
As noted here earlier this month, Unilever's AXE brand is launching a premium line—called White Label—in North America with a proprietary dry spray antiperspirant technology that it's also rolling out to its Super Bowl-ready Dove Men+Care brand and Degree brand, all under the hashtag: #TryDry.
The first series of AXE White Label ads were just released, featuring dashing hotel workers with Bond-like secret skills, with the tagline "How You Feel Says It All." They're not so much laugh-out-loud funny as (fittingly) bearing a dry wit; check them out below. Continue reading...
Posted by Shirley Brady on December 8, 2014 05:14 PM
MasterCard today kicks off a new campaign featuring Gwen Stefani promoting #PricelessSuprises, its year-end holiday campaign, to cardholders.
The surprises range from concert tickets to golf experiences to a chance to meet the singer/fashion designer, with Apple Pay getting a shout-out in the new TV commercial.
The spot (directed by Sophie Muller of Wondros) features Stefani's new song, "Spark The Fire," which also featured in a Fiat spot at the recent American Music Awards.Continue reading...


text: IFC partnered with CARD Pioneer Microinsurance Incorporated (CPMI) in the Philippines to design and launch a new crop-insurance product to protect farmers from typhoon-related losses. It will initially target CARD’s farmer clients. CARD is the Philippines’ largest micro-finance institution with four million clients. “This is the first private sector-led crop-insurance product in the Philippines and a ground-breaking initiative by our partners CPMI and CARD,” said country manager Yuan Xu. The agriculture sector contributes approximately 11 percent of the country’s GDP and provides employment...


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|05/27/16 - Lowe's Holds Annual Meeting Of Shareholders|
Board of Directors Declares 25.0% Percent Increase in Quarterly Cash Dividend
CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 27, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- At its annual meeting of shareholders today, Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) Chairman, President and CEO Robert A. Niblock informed shareholders that strategic investments focused on long-term growth and enhancing customer experiences enabled the company to deliver strong financial performance in 2015.
Niblock highlighted the company's continued emphasis on buil
|05/25/16 - Lowe's to Webcast Presentation from the RBC Capital Markets 2016 Consumer & Retail Conference|
MOORESVILLE, N.C., May 25, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) announces that Robert F. Hull, Jr., chief financial officer, and Michael A. Jones, chief customer officer, will present at the RBC Capital Markets 2016 Consumer & Retail Conference in Boston, MA.
Presentation by Bob Hull and Mike Jones at the RBC Capital Markets 2016 Consumer & Retail Conference in Boston, MA
10:40 a.m. Eastern Ti
|05/20/16 - Lowe's Completes Acquisition of RONA|
-Together, Lowe's Canada and RONA Have 539 Store Locations, Pro Forma Canadian Revenues of C$6 Billion
Companies are Well-Positioned for Growth in Canada's Over C$45 Billion Home Improvement Market-
MOORESVILLE, N.C. and BOUCHERVILLE, Quebec, May 20, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) ("Lowe's" or the "Company") today announced that it has completed its previously announced acquisition of RONA inc. ("RONA"), in a transaction valued at C$3.2 billion (US$2.4 billion)
|05/20/16 - Lowe's to Webcast Annual Meeting of Shareholders|
MOORESVILLE, N.C., May 20, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) invites you to listen to a live webcast of its 2016 Annual Meeting of Shareholders at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Friday, May 27, 2016.
What: Lowe's Annual Meeting of Shareholders
When: 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Friday, May 27, 2016
Where: Visit Lowe's Investor Relations website at http://www.Lowes.com/investor
Click Webcasts and then Lowe's


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Judge ruled March 11 that 16-ounce limit was arbitrary and health board lacked authority.
New York City on Thursday appealed a judge's ruling that struck down Mayor Michael Bloomberg's attempt to limit the size of sugary beverages.
The ban was halted before it could go into effect by state Supreme Court Justice Milton Tingling.
In his March 11 ruling, Tingling said the 16-ounce limit was arbitrary in terms of particular beverages and where they are sold. He also said the city's health board did not have the regulatory authority to limit or ban a legal product for purposes of "controlling a chronic disease." That power rests with the city council, he said.
The size limit pertained to sweetened bottled drinks and fountain beverages sold at restaurants, delis, movie theaters, sports venues and street carts. It covered drinks with more than 25 calories per 8 ounces, but exempted beverages with 100% juice or more than 50% milk.
In its appeal, which was expected, the city disputed Tingling's findings.
"The rule is designed to make consumption of large amounts of sugary drinks a conscious and informed choice by the consumer," it said. "Thus, although a consumer is free to consume more than 16 ounces by ordering a second drink, getting a refill, or going to another store, he or she will be making an informed choice."
The appeal also argued that the health board has the legislative authority to regulate beverage sales and and set public health standards.


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On March 9, ’s regime for exports of non-military firearms and ammunition and will promote both U.S. businesses and national security. An effort to block implementation of the rules by the attorneys general of 20 states and the District of Columbia largely failed, with the judge suspending only a narrow portion of the State Department rule that pertains to so-called “3-D printed firearms.”officially got underway, as companion rules published by the and took effect. These rules are aimed at modernizing America
Under the new rules, exports of non-military firearms (including most semi-automatic firearms) and their ammunition, parts, and accessories have moved from the jurisdiction of the U.S. State Department to the U.S. Commerce Department. The Commerce Department has for many years regulated the exports of non-military shotguns and shotgun shells.
The main benefits of this change are twofold. First, it will free up the State Department’s oversight resources to tighten security around America’s most consequential and game-changing military technology. Meanwhile, the same sorts of firearms that can easily be obtained at big box retailers in the U.S. will be subject to a more business-friendly export climate that will allow U.S. manufacturers to compete on fairer footing in overseas markets.
These moves will ensure that foreign customers will have better access to America’s best-in-class products and that the whole international community will benefit from the professionalism and integrity of America’s export licensing and end-use verification protocols.
Simply put, there is no better safeguard against the diversion of firearms and ammunition into unlawful foreign markets than for the U.S. government to be overseeing the sales and transfers of small arms. This is only possible, however, if U.S. companies can realistically compete for foreign business. That was difficult when every commercial export of a firearm had to go through the same State Department vetting as the transfer to a foreign country of such sophisticated military technology as nuclear submarines or surface-to-air missiles. This was the case under the former regime.
To say the Commerce Department takes a more business-friendly approach to regulation, however, does not mean firearm exports will now be de-controlled or unregulated. Licensing – subject to inter-agency consultation on any risks posed by the potential customer – will still be required. All exports of firearms and ammunition will also have to comply with the laws of the destination country.
But instead of perhaps China or Russia selling firearms to a police department overseas with whatever haphazard scrutiny that might entail, it will now be more likely that a U.S. company can successfully compete for the same business.
Another benefit of Export Reform is that it will free non-exporting small businesses from the red tape and high fees of the State Department regulations. Every business that manufactures an item on the State Department’s “U.S. Munition’s List” (USML) is subject to an annual registration requirement, which includes a $2,250 registration fee. This requirement applies even to businesses that don’t export products and formerly included many gunsmiths whose only “manufacturing” was upgrading existing firearms. Commercial firearms and ammunition manufacturers, as well as gunsmiths, already must register with the ATF, however, which made this requirement not only burdensome and expensive but largely duplicative.
Despite (or perhaps because of) the obvious benefits of the rule change, anti-gun attorneys general in various states and the District of Columbia had sued in federal court in Washington State to block the rules from going into effect. They claimed the process by which the rules were formulated was procedurally defective because the proposed rules did not contain specific discussions of how the regulatory changes would affect access to so-called 3-D printed firearms. This, they insisted, meant that the public could not adequately comment on this aspect of the rules and that the rules were “arbitrary and capricious” and contrary to the underlying statutes.
In fact, the proposed rules were clear enough on how 3-D printing would be implicated to generate dozens, if not hundreds, of comments on that specific issue, including from those highly critical of how it would be handled.
And in response to those criticisms, the Commerce Department added a provision to its final rule to ensure that the online publication of code that could be used by a 3-D printer to produce a firearm or firearm frame or receiver would continue to be treated as a regulated transaction. This change essentially preserved the status quo of how the State Department regulates 3-D printing technology for firearms.
Nevertheless, the judge in the case employed some strenuous legal contortions to focus his consideration on the State Department’s removal of certain 3-D printing technology from the U.S. Munitions list and not on the effect of the remedial provisions within the Commerce rule.
The upshot of this was that the court dismissed the Commerce Department’s fix for the 3-D printing issue in a footnote and found that the State Department’s removal of 3-D printing technology for the affected firearms from the USML likely violated the Administrative Procedures Act.
Fortunately (and perhaps in tacit recognition of the decision’s questionable foundations), the court blocked the rules only as they applied to removal from the USML of “technical data and software directly related to the production of firearms or firearm parts using a 3D-printer or similar equipment.” This change, however, does not diminish the considerable good that the rules otherwise accomplish.
The NRA is grateful to President Trump for his leadership in this effort and is pleased to see a strongly pro-gun project that was years in the making finally come to fruition.


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The number of Ultra High Net Worth Individuals (UHNWI) in South Africa has increased 18% since 2007, according to the “South African Wealth Review 2016” published by New World Health in associated with MasterCard.
The report reveals that there are 620 UHNWIs in South Africa, each holding net assets of $30-million or more. The UHNWI population held $73-billion in wealth at the end of 2015, up by 40% from the $52-billion they had in 2007.
This is in contrast to South Africa’s High Net Worth Individuals (HNWI), each holding net assets of $1-million or more, who saw a decline in wealth from $168-billion in 2007 to $159-billion in 2015. The number of individuals in this category declined 10% from approximately 42 800 HNWI in 2007 to 38 500 in 2015.
The report explores the UHNWI and HNWI populations over an eight year period between the end of 2007 (the peak before the global financial crisis) and the end of 2015. It provides information on demographic trends and spending habits a based on a sample of 1 800 local HNWIs.
“Insights and trends from the report emphasize that affluent consumer values are evolving from the material to the experiential, and this drives new and different expectations,” says Mark Elliott, division president of MasterCard in South Africa. “Today, affluent consumers want their credit card to provide recognition and exclusivity, preferential access and treatment, as well as global acceptance and exceptional service.
“Our World MasterCard and World Elite MasterCard payment cards provide flexibility, security and convenience that brings consumers an enticing range of privileges, unique experiences and valuable offers to suit their lifestyle and business needs,” Elliott adds.
According to Andrew Amoils, head of research at New World Wealth, UHNWIs are usually big business owners, whereas HNWIs have typically built their wealth through professional careers, as attorneys, chartered accountants or doctors for example – or they own a family business.
“While many HNWIs are choosing to leave South Africa and have most of their assets tied up in local property and equities, UHNWIs are staying in the country, possibly because of their business interests in the country. The increase of this population can be attributed to the fact that they tend to hold more assets offshore, which acts as a currency hedge, and they are often involved in multiple businesses,” says Amoils.
When it comes to the spending habits of South Africa’s wealthy, the report found that collectables are growing in popularity, with classic cars, wine and art topping their investment preferences. For example, the most expensive car purchased by a South African collector during 2015 was a Ferrari 250 GTO from the 1960s that went for $24-million. Other popular collectables include top-end men’s watches and rare wild animals such as buffalo, roan- and sable antelope that can fetch over $20-million per animal.
A second home is another investment preferred by the wealthy. According to the report, Plettenberg Bay is the most popular location for the super-wealthy to own a holiday residence, closely followed by Umhlanga, La Lucia and Knysna. Up and coming hotspots are less well-known but as appealing, with Zinkwazi, Gretyon, Tulbagh and Keurbooms, which all offer more privacy than the traditional coastal holiday destinations.
When the wealthy are not visiting their second homes, their most preferred local holiday destinations include Cape Town, Umhlanga, Ballito, the Cape Winelands and the Kruger National Park. Internationally, Mauritius, the Seychelles, and the Okavango Delta are popular warm-weather destinations, while skiing in Switzerland tops the list for cold-weather recreation.
“Knowing where affluent individuals travel, understanding their spending habits and being aware of their preferences provides valuable insights into the wealth segment, allowing us to create new, differentiated payment card solutions to meet their needs,” says Elliott.


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You gotta love San Francisco, the city that forbid McDonald’s from giving away toys with Happy Meals that contain high levels of calories, sugar and fat. Now, along that same “obesity prevention” vein, the city has passed a law that requires health warnings on ads for sugary sodas and beverages. While the warning may go unnoticed by some, it’s definitely a step in the right direction.
Come this July, if you live in San Francisco, this is what you’ll now see each time you pass a billboard, bus, transit shelter or poster at a stadium within the city that advertises soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages: WARNING: Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, diabetes and tooth decay.
A federal court in Northern California recently rejected efforts to block a the city ordinance requiring the warnings. Of course, that didn’t stop The American Beverage Association and other groups from attempting to sue the city to overturn the law. U.S. District Court Judge Edward M. Chen denied an injunction and is keeping the measure on hold while the case proceeds.
Let’s talk sugar
Sugar is why obesity is on the rise around the world. In 2014 there were an estimated 600 million obese adults worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Sugar fills you up with calories but provides no nutrients and damages the metabolism. As well as gaining weight, sugar puts you at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Many people realize how bad added sugar is for health, but it’s just so darn sweet and tasty. But how much sugar is too much, and how much is safe to consume daily? Unfortunately, there’s no simple answer. Some people can eat some sugar without harm, while others absolutely need to avoid it as much as possible. The maximum amount of added sugar you should eat in a day according to the American Heart Association is 150 calories or 9 teaspoons (37.5 grams) for men and 100 calories or 6 teaspoons (25 grams) for women.
A 20-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola Classic contains 65 grams of sugar, which is equivalent to a little more than 13 teaspoons of sugar, and a 20-ounce bottle of Pepsi has 69 grams of sugar or almost 14 teaspoons of sugar. Unfortunately, juice is no better. One 15.2-ounce bottle of ordinary apple juice contains 49 grams of sugar or almost 10 teaspoons. Although sugar occurs naturally in fruit, the body still absorbs it the same way, which is why eating whole fruit is a healthier option, since the fiber slows absorption. Fruit juice has almost no fiber.
If only other cities followed suit
Soda and beverage manufacturers fear other cities will follow San Francisco’s example. Warnings on advertisements would remind consumers that too much sugar consumption puts their health at risk. It might even prompt parents to take away their child’s daily soda and replace it with a healthier beverage — and that negatively affects “Big Soda’s” bottom line.
“Requiring health warnings on soda ads also makes clear that these drinks aren’t harmless — indeed, quite the opposite — and that the puppies, unicorns, and rainbows depicted in soda ads aren’t reality,” said San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener, one of the 11-member board that unanimously approved the measure in 2015. “These drinks are making people sick, and we need to make that clear to the public.”
Personally, I never really understood the need for adding so much sugar to soda and other beverages. Heck, a healthier, less-sugary soda could mean more sales for beverage manufacturers. But they clearly want us addicted to their product. While we can no longer plead ignorance to the addictive qualities of sugar, a warning label acts as a gentle reminder. Let’s hope other cities, states and countries follow San Francisco’s lead.
— Katherine Marko


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A blockchain-based project is vowing to do for supply chains what Uniswap did for DeFi — saving time, cutting costs and reducing waste in global trade.
Founded in 2004, Facebook serves as one of the world’s largest social media platforms. A public company tradable under the stock ticker FB, Facebook lets users post pictures, videos and updates, as well as chat and connect with people, among other functions on its platform. Users can also buy and sell things on Facebook Marketplace and chat on their mobile devices via the Facebook Messenger app.
Facebook has faced scrutiny for questionable practices. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has spoken in a number of U.S. government hearings.
In 2019, the company released a white paper detailing its Facebook Libra, a type of stablecoin cryptocurrency. The project met notable regulatory scrutiny and has since changed its name from Libra to Diem.
The crypto sector has an irresistible opportunity to be at the forefront of the next big social network — but there are a few issues that need to be ironed out first.9684
An anonymous source has told reporters that the first Diem pilot will focus on transactions between individual consumers.12331
From price volatility to becoming the most valuable U.S. exchange, here is how well Coinbase’s first day of trading tracks with other companies.9770
Attacks on digital asset exchanges and trading platforms have decreased drastically in recent years, but data leaks still leave users vulnerable.20847
"I have nothing to do with the platform," said Lee Hsien Loong. "It is misleading and done without my permission."22388
Leaked information includes phone number, Facebook ID, full name, location, past locations, birthdate, email address, relationship status, and bio.91685
A future digital euro wouldn't be a threat to savers, say officials from the European Central Bank.8272
Kevin Weil has previously said that the launch of the Facebook-backed stablecoin would be "a journey of years and decades."8304
A deep analysis of the proposed definition of digital token, which is likely to be far simpler than the Howey Test.11804
A fully regulated brokerage has unveiled a novel approach for attracting new users — and vows to put traders “on an equal footing with everyone else.”5695
Besides securing approval from Swiss regulators, Diem seems likely to face opposition from government regulators in many countries.14665
A French project says it is creating a “paradigm shift” in the security of our personal information through the launch of cutting-edge decentralized identifiers.9142
Meme master ‘Cheezburger’ is releasing a series of NFTs based on his website’s famous captioned ‘lolcat’ photos.14662
Fireblocks and First Digital Asset Group have developed a seamless connection to Diem, allowing financial institutions to access the emerging payment network. The platform is still awaiting regulatory approval before it can launch.14390


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A top executive at new PET maker Selenis Canada Inc. asked a pointed question at a recent industry event: Why would anyone enter the PET market with a plant in Montreal?
Giovanni Iadeluca explained why his company is taking that step, with plans to ship PET resin from a converted polytrimethyl terephthalate plant by the end of the year.
The plant was built to make PTT, Iadeluca said at the Packaging Conference, held Feb. 8-10 in Las Vegas. But there's a refinery, a paraxylene plant and a purified terephthalic acid plant nearby to supply feedstocks for PET.
Canada and the [U.S.] Northeast and Midwest corridor provides us with a geographic footprint, and we can be efficient in that supply chain. Our geographic situation will be an advantage.
ImatosGil Group a Portuguese investment firm bought the dormant plant from PTT Poly Canada LP in December. PTT Poly Canada a joint venture between Shell Chemicals Canada and the government of Quebec had opened the plant in 2004, but closed it in early 2009 because of global overcapacity and weak demand.
ImatosGil has experience with PET film dating all the way back to 1959, first with Neoplastica, and later under the Selenis name in Portugal, Italy and Greece. ImatosGil also operates PET plants as Selenis in Europe, owns a minority stake in Spanish PET maker La Seda de Barcelona and has invested in PET production in Saudi Arabia.
PTT is the building block, said Iadeluca, who will serve as CEO of the new business after holding that same role with the former PTT unit. We have the good fortune to be starting with a proven, functioning plant that exceeds PET's requirements. This plant is comparable with highest automation in the PET world.
Work to convert from PTT to PET began this month, and material will be ready to ship in November. The plant will open with about 330 million pounds of annual PET capacity, with the potential to add another 220 million pounds if needed in the future.
The plant will make grades for carbonated soft drink bottles, heat-set uses and general-purpose use, and will employ about 65, according to Iadeluca.
The plant's transition to PET is being made at a time when many market watchers believe there is already too much PET capacity in North America. Wellman Inc. and Invista closed three North American PET plants in late 2008, eliminating almost 1.5 billion pounds of annual capacity, and Eastman Chemical Co. temporarily idled a major PET site in Columbia, S.C., as well. (Eastman has since reopened that plant.)
But at the same time, Indorama Polymers Public Co. Ltd. is in the process of opening a billion-pound-per-year capacity plant in Decatur, Ala.
Selenis Canada officials previously said their plant's geographic location will be able to overcome the market's current imbalance.
Copyright 2010 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved.


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Live from the Los Angeles Auto Show
We couldn't let our coverage of the Los Angeles Auto Show come to an end without mentioning Audi. Sure, for the industry in general, 2013 should be the pivotal year in which auto-makers' financial statements turned from "red" to "black". But while the rest of the industry basks in financial recovery (albeit protracted), Audi recently achieved its 34th consecutive monthly sales record in October, with year-to-date sales up 13.4 percent. Audi has reinvigorated their brand, both domestically and abroad, with investments in vehicle fleet design and diversification, increased vehicle performance, and redesign of retail outlets, requiring dealerships to comply with the new aeronautic "Terminal" facility design. The numbers speak for themselves, and here are just a few of them:
- October 2013 sales increased by 11 percent, compared to the same month 2012.
- Overall sales year-to-date through October 2013 increased 13.4 percent.
- Sales of Audi A6, Audi A7, Audi A8, Audi Q7 (the premium category vehicles) increased 17 percent year-to-date.
- Certified pre-owned vehicles increased 30.9 percent for the month of October 2013, when compared to October 2012.
- October 2013 sales of Audi TT increased 62 percent compared to October 2012.
- Sales of Audi all-road models in October 2013 were 437, bringing year-to-date sales to 4,558 of the sport wagon, a 103.2% increase compared to previous period.
Keep a lookout for our next post where we will wrap up our last impressions from the LA Auto Show.
To learn more about Audi visit: www.audiusanews.com.


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A new survey of mobile users by Penguin Intelligence provides some insight on when and what China’s social media users are posting on social media platforms (Linked study is in Mandarin).
Some of the data, which was translated to English by China Internet Watch, shows there are two distinct types of social media users: 76.2 percent of China internet users actively share on social media while 21 percent are passive users, only reading shared content.
The survey included 6,680 mobile users in China and specifically looked at social media sharing platforms: WeChat Moments, Weibo and Qzone.
In terms of the types of content China’s internet users are sharing on social media, half (51 percent) post emotions and status and 35 percent share articles. About 12 percent share work-related posts.
Among those who share, about 10 percent of respondents share/post more than 3 times daily; 23.1 percent share/post 1-2 times. In total, more than 30 percent of users share/post at least once every day.
WeChat is the most popular social platform for about 75 percent of those who share on social media. Active users are sharing the same content across multiple social platforms.
Mobile Search Gaining Traction in China
As more people use their smartphone to access the internet and use social media, according to data released in July 2016, mobile search is also making significant strides. It’s on its way to matching the number of users and level of penetration of desktop search.
The China Internet Network Information Center released numbers showing there are 566 million desktop search engine users, an 82.3 percent utilization rate, and 478 million mobile search users, which represents a 77.1 percent utilization rate as of Dec. 2015.


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Industrial robotics and automation specialist Kuka has won an order from Ford Otosan in Turkey for the delivery and installation of a very large number of robots.
The two companies have signed a new framework contract for supplying more than 700 robots for Ford’s next generation electrical and connected commercial vehicle projects in Ford’s plants in Kocaeli, in the north-east of Turkey, just south of Istanbul.
Kuka says the contract marks a continuation of the companies’ partnership which has been in place for more than 20 years.
The Kuka products and solutions will be used for the production of “bodies-in-white” (car bodies just off the production line, before painting and other processes) and at other various locations and points over the next few years.
Among other aspects, Kuka’s services and the long-standing collaboration were important factors in the decision to award the contract.
Kagan Abidin, director Turkey and Middle East at Kuka, says: “Kuka is very pleased to further accompany Ford Otosan on its journey towards electromobility in the coming years.”
Ford Otosan was established in 1959 and produced of 455,000 commercial vehicles and 70,000 engines and 140,000 powertrains by the end of 2020.
It is the biggest commercial vehicle production center of Ford in Europe.


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Pre-fabricated home manufacturer Modscape plans to double output with a new factory which began construction this week at Essendon Fields in Melbourne.
The project includes a purpose built 20,000 square metre manufacturing facility for Modscape which has designed and constructed over 500 projects in residential, health and aged care, education, infrastructure, retail, hospitality, sports and the community sector singe its founding in 2006.
The company will continue to operate from an office, display suite and factory at Brooklyn, Victoria (main picture) until the new factory is completed in 2024.
Modscape’s relocation will allow the company to significantly increase its current manufacturing capacity of prefabricated building modules – which are 90 percent complete in the factory before being transported to the building site for installation.
By moving the bulk of the construction process into a controlled and undercover factory environment, the company provides an efficient and sustainable alternative to traditional building methods for commercial and residential projects.
The new facility includes a 120-metre long roboticised production line for building elements.
Modscape CEO Jan Gyrn said: “The move will enable Modscape to triple its current manufacturing capacity and produce up to 2,000 modules per year.
“The new state of the art facility will be one of the largest offsite manufacturing facilities for modular construction in Australia, with close to 40,000 sqm of total space.”
Modscape boasts its company is design led, cost controlled, delivered on time but totally flexible in outcome.
“At Modscape, we believe in the power of offsite construction to drive efficiency, reduce waste, and enhance sustainability.”
The Essendon Fields facility is situated adjacent to Melbourne’s freeway network, facilitating road delivery anywhere in Australia.


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Barooga residents are eagerly awaiting a new IGA Xpress for Vermont Street.TONI BRIENT March 5, 2014 4:25am
Grocery greats: Daniel Rowe and Emma Ornberg will soon be stocking the shelves and opening the doors of Barooga's new IGA Xpress.
Barooga residents will soon be able to do their grocery shopping without crossing the bridge, with an IGA Xpress supermarket opening next month on Vermont St.
For new owners Daniel Rowe and fiancee Emma Ornberg, this is their first business venture — but not their first experience with supermarkets.
They last week moved to Barooga from Chiltern, where Mr Rowe was a sales consultant for Coca-Cola Amatil.
He said he started working in supermarkets as a teen growing up in Jerilderie, and dealt with supermarkets while with Coca-Cola Amatil.
‘‘When I saw the opportunity here, I thought it was actually something that was good for the town,’’ Mr Rowe said.
‘‘A town like Barooga needs a good, local, convenient supermarket.
‘‘If you’re going to enter the supermarket industry, it’s best (you) don’t get too far ahead of yourself. We just thought this was the right fit and the right size for us.’’
The opening follows the closure of the former IGA supermarket at the same Vermont St location last year.
Barooga Advancement Group spokeswoman Leanne May welcomed the announcement, saying it was a sign of the town’s strong economic development.
She said the supermarket would have a great impact on Barooga.
‘‘A lot of tourists camp down at the river over Christmas and usually immediately head to Cobram .
‘‘Hopefully this will bring them over our side a bit more.
‘‘And since IGA shut (last year), the elderly community suffered probably the most, so this will be a great convenience for them.’’
Mr Rowe said he and Ms Ornberg would run the store themselves to begin with, and employ some local staff once the business was established.
He said he hoped to build strong ties with the community, not only as an employer but also as a stockist.
‘‘We do have some good plans down the track to source local produce.
‘‘So we’re hoping that we’ll get some locals come by and drop off their cards and tell us what they can do.
‘‘It’s definitely one of our big plans — supporting local growers and farmers, and also local businesses, too.’’
Mr Rowe said it would be a big year for himself and Ms Ornberg: in addition to opening the store, the couple was expecting a baby in June.
He said they were excited about the move to Barooga.
‘‘We just liked the country lifestyle and thought this would be a really good place to raise a family,’’ he said.
‘‘We’re looking to settle in long-term and become part of the community.’’
Ms May urged Barooga residents to ‘shop local’.
‘‘A business is only going to go as well as the customers and community that support it,’’ she said.
A man in his 40s has been taken to hospital after being hit by a car in Shepparton late this afternoon. Police and emergency services are on scene.
The talent was truly amazing at this year’s Mulwala Water Ski Club’s Got Talent competition.
‘‘Time for reflection is rare in life and in business,’’ Tatura Milk Industries chairman Barry Irvin told suppliers when delivering his end-of-financial-year report.
St Joseph’s College principal Kate Fogarty will be Assumption College’s first female principal when she takes over the role next year.
Rochester athlete Morgan Dingwall won medals at an international athletics competitions last month.
If you thought it was cold yesterday morning, you weren’t wrong!
Brigade transforms station for Christmas in July.
Despite being scheduled to play at home this Saturday, Finley footballers and netballers will instead make the trip to Blighty.
Axedale student Zara Smith has created history, raising the single largest amount raised by a primary school student in the Jump Rope for Heart event’s 31-year history.
Mixed response from Cobram region politicians and businesses to the Commonwealth's removal of a price on carbon.
Ten Deniliquin athletes competed at the NSW All Schools Cross Country Championships last Friday.
Tackling salinity in the Goulburn-Broken basin was a key element of a presentation made to an international forum in the United States last month.
The Melbourne Scottish fiddlers return to Swanpool to raise money for local CFA brigades. Group officer Jim Ranken and fiddle player Kristin Marriott
Discover unbelievable local deals from local businesses every week in the Goulburn and Murray Valley area with Leapon.com.au!
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In an interesting turn of events, all legalized states in the US have agreed to adopt a new stimulus policy starting next month called the CAACS Act, which will allow residents of legal locations to use cannabis as an actual form of currency.
The ability to use cannabis as a legal currency could be a real game-changer in the US, especially as people struggle to deal with the personal economic fall outs of the corona pandemic. We’re dedicated to covering everything important and interesting in the cannabis field. Keep up-to-date by signing up for the THC Weekly Newsletter, and also gain direct access to deals on vapes, edibles, and lots of other paraphernalia! We’ve also got great offers on your favorite cannabinoid compounds like HHC-O, Delta 8, Delta 9 THC, Delta-10 THC, THCO, THCV, THCP & HHC, which you can find in our “Best-of” lists. Just remember… *If you are not comfortable using these products, we fundamentally advise that you only buy products you are comfortable with using.
What is a standard currency?
I think we’re all pretty aware what the idea of ‘currency’ is, but for those who like formal definitions, here’s one for you. A currency is “a medium of exchange for goods and services. In short, it’s money, in the form of paper or coins, usually issued by a government and generally accepted at its face value as a method of payment.”
Every country has its own form of currency. We use US dollars in the US. Mexico uses pesos, the UK uses the pound, and while some European countries hold on to their former currencies from pre-EU times, the EU in general uses the Euro. These different currencies have their own values in relation to one another, and it is illegal pretty much anywhere to make a currency outside of government regulation, though counterfeiting is certainly a black market industry.
Back in the day, when bartering was a thing, people didn’t necessarily need a currency directly. Often lives were lived via trading, with products worth a certain amount in currency, traded for other products deemed to be of the same value. Even in these times though, each of these objects still had a representative value in the currency of the location.
What’s the news?
According to reports surfacing from different states, the legalized locations of the US have decided in tandem to start allowing the use of cannabis as an actual currency, which can be used alongside physical money. While we are still waiting on formal guidelines to govern this new monetary use of cannabis, including exactly what amount of cannabis will count for what amount of money, insiders close to legislators, (who were only willing to speak on condition of anonymity), contend that the value of the plant in currency will be dependent both on the quantity and the quality. Said one representative:
“This used to be a thing, many people don’t know that, but it really used to be a thing to use cannabis as money. With so much cannabis now being grown, and so many issues with personal debt, we see no reason not to allow this cannabis to be used as an actual currency for the purchase of other goods.” He went on to say that this would not apply to every retail location, and that the formal law will stipulate where and when cannabis can be used as currency. He went on,
“Look, obviously no kid can pay for a school lunch with cannabis as that would go against so many other regulations. It’s not a full-sweeping law because we have to be mindful of many things. But it does mean that you might be able to pay for your groceries soon with cannabis.”
The anonymous representative went even further: “Let’s be honest, people are having a hard time these days, especially post corona. Allowing cannabis as currency means that residents can grow their own plants, thereby giving themselves an extra financial boost. I really think the country needs this right now, even if it can only apply to places where cannabis is already legal.”
This idea was put forth several months ago by lawmakers in Colorado as a bill called SB 33407 – or the CAACS Act (Cannabis As A Currency Stimulus), and the idea was quickly adopted by all other states which have legalized cannabis, including Washington DC, which technically doesn’t have a regulated market, though it allows the cultivation and use of cannabis. Alaska and Montana were the last to agree to participate, at first concerned over how this could affect local economies, but in both cases the legislature decided to go forth with it.
While the federal government has so far refused to respond directly on the matter, it did offer one statement saying: “The US dollar is the only federally recognized currency. No other product can be used as a currency on a federal level. It will be considered a federal crime to use anything other than government sanctioned money as any form of legal tender.” Of course, the federal government says the same about using the cannabis plant in general, so that there is a discrepancy between this new law of the states, and the federal government, is not surprising.
Cannabis as a currency in the past
The reason this came up at all, is because this is actually not new ground for cannabis, though certainly not ground which has been tread on recently. While most people understand that cannabis is federally illegal now, and that prior to this illegalization it was used in many medications, and for tons of industrial purposes, fewer understand the history of cannabis use as a currency in the US. But at one time it was, and this is why it’s being eyed again to take on this role.
For those unfamiliar with the history, cannabis was an extremely important cash crop in colonial America, though this was primarily in the form of hemp. It was so important, that in 1619, Virginia established a ‘grow law’ which required all farms to grow hemp. Not only that, but at that time, it could also be used as a currency – just like paper money and coins – in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. Even taxes could be paid using cannabis as currency.
Though this was never a policy of all colonies, it says quite a bit that three of them allowed the open use of cannabis as a currency. And it’s owing to this history that this practice will be used once again. According to state government documents leaked last week from California, “We understand that the practice of using cannabis as legal tender during colonial times was extremely beneficial, and we think it’s time to re-institute this policy, and on a much broader level.”
What should we expect?
The use of the CAACS Act is meant to help populations that have been financially damaged by corona. Obviously, it can only apply to residents in legalized places, so unfortunately, anyone residing in an illegal location will not be able to take part in this stimulus act. This has caused rising frustration among legislators in illegal states, who also see the benefit this could provide for cash-strapped citizens.
While cannabis will still be available for purchase in dispensaries, the CAACS Act will allow every resident who is of legal age to use cannabis in their state, to grow up to 10 plants for the purpose of currency, even if this is more than current limitations provide by particular state regulation. Residents must obtain a license for growing for this purpose, and they must have their plants certified as home grown by inspectors, to ensure that the cannabis is not being bought and resold. All cannabis grown on personal properties can then be used in approved monetary transactions.
How much pushback there will be by the federal government has not been made clear. In recent years, the federal government has had to back off of legal states, ending years of targeting users legally using by state policy. Though the original legislators who initially wrote the bill in Colorado are mindful of how much federal resistance there could be, its Senate Majority leader was quick to point out that “no change is being made to federal currency, which will continue to operate in the same way. SB 33407 simply allows for a secondary form of currency to be used in many places.”
Within the next couple weeks, more specific guidelines have been promised by a group of legislators which represent all states involved. And by the beginning of next month, residents will be able to start producing their very own cash crops. It’s expected that home cultivation will rise extensively in these locations, with a record-breaking amount of orders already placed to seed companies, as well as companies that provide paraphernalia for growing, since information of the stimulus act first leaked. Said shop owner Peter Almont, who owns a growing equipment store in Oregon, “I’m literally sold out at the moment, and that’s never happened before.”
Though more specific information regarding this is on the way, as stated, individuals who would like to access the CAACS Act will have to register as a ‘currency grower’, receive the proper license, and submit to all upcoming regulatory measures in order to legally partake in this process. Those who illegally grow cannabis for currency purposes, or who break regulation, could face administrative or criminal charges. This will be made more clear when the relevant guidelines are published.
Corona certainly hit many people very hard, with very little offered to the general population beyond stimulus payments that got used up quickly, and which not every person had access to. The new CAACS Act, which allows cannabis as a currency, might be the first step taken by local governments to really help their people recoup lost income from the pandemic.
Does this all sound a little hard to believe? Make sure to doublecheck that publication date 😉
Thanks for joining us at CBDtesters.co/Cannadelics.com, the best internet location for comprehensive coverage of the cannabis and psychedelics fields. Stop by frequently to keep updated on the exciting universe of cannabis and psychedelics, and check out The THC Weekly Newsletter, for your daily dose of drug-related news.
Disclaimer: Hi, I’m a researcher and writer. I’m not a doctor, lawyer, or businessperson. All information in my articles is sourced and referenced, and all opinions stated are mine. I am not giving anyone advice, and though I am more than happy to discuss topics, should someone have a further question or concern, they should seek guidance from a relevant professional.


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The next Celine Dion concert in Bucharest will take place on Sun, June 11, 2023 at National Arena.
Buy tickets for Celine Dion in Bucharest at National Arena on Sun, June 11, 2023.
Currently, Celine Dion tickets start at . We analyze the majority of ticket sites and show you only the best deals.
Celine Dion concert in Bucharest that was scheduled for Sun, July 25, 2021 is rescheduled to the new date — Sun, June 11, 2023 and will be held at National Arena at Bulevardul Basarabia 37, București 022103, Romania.


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Written byDwaipayan Roy
Kia Sonet will make its global debut in India on August 7 via a virtual event, according to carandbike. It will be positioned below the Seltos and go on sale a month after the launch.
To recall, the Sonet was unveiled at the 2020 Auto Expo and was supposed to be launched in May. However, the plans got delayed due to the COVID-19 crisis.
The Kia Sonet will have an eye-catching design, featuring a blacked-out honeycomb mesh grille, a muscular bonnet with sculpted lines, and sleek headlights.
On the sides, the sub-compact SUV will be flanked by roof rails, sporty alloy wheels, as well as blacked-out B-pillars, wheel arches, and ORVMs.
On the rear end, the tail lamps will be connected by a single strip of light.
The Kia Sonet will come with three BS6-compliant engine options: 1.2-liter petrol, 1.5-liter diesel, and 1.0-liter GDI turbo-petrol. Transmission duties will be handled either by a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 7-speed DCT unit. An intelligent manual transmission (IMT) unit will also be on offer.
Inside, the Kia Sonet will come with a five-seater cabin featuring a sunroof, automatic climate control, ventilated seats, key-less entry, and wireless phone charging facility.
The sub-compact SUV will also have a start-stop button and a touchscreen infotainment panel that will support Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and Kia's UVO connected car technology.
It should also offer multiple airbags, ABS with EBD, and parking sensors.
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Netflix continues to be by far the biggest source for residential internet traffic in North America, and the company is starting to have an impact on Europe’s ISPs as well. Read more »
This week’s IETF meeting in Vancouver has ended without a decision on a mandatory video codec for WebRTC, the proposed standard for real-time voice and video communication. Browser makers, videoconferencing equipment manufacturers and chipset vendors had hoped to finally agree on whether H.264 or VP8 should become the default codec for WebRTC, and Cisco had even mounted an eleventh-hour push, getting Mozilla to agree to implement H.264 — but in the end, no consensus was reached in what I’ve been told was an at times testy meeting.
Ex-Hulu CEO Jason Kilar must really miss his former co-workers. Why else would he keep hiring people away from Hulu? Read more »
Spotify is closing in on another $200 million in funding from Technology Crossover Ventures, a VC firm that previously backed Facebook, Netflix and Groupon, according to a report from Sky News. Spotify previously raised $288 million, and recent reports indicate that the new funding could value the company at $5.75 billion. Spotify said in March that it had 6 million paying subscribers and 24 million active users.
Simple.tv will start selling its second-generation DVR for cord cutters in December – but it’s getting competition from a similar device called Tablo. Read more »
Blockbuster going out of business isn’t just about Netflix winning over DVD rentals — it’s about the end of movies as a product. Read more »
Netflix teamed up with Disney for a super-powered original content deal that will bring more than four TV new exclusive TV shows to the service. Read more »
Samsung wants to provide services that connect its devices across the home. To do so, it’s taking a really close look at what people are really doing with its stuff. Read more »
Autodesk has invested $10 million in Deviantart, a digital art community that has been around for 13 years. Read more »
Second-screen startup i.TV has bought its better-known, but not that much more popular rival GetGlue. i.TV announced the transaction Wednesday, and Variety is reporting that the deal was all stock, and “far less than the $24 million GetGlue had raised from investors.” The acquisition continues a trend of consolidation in the second-screen space that now also has network executives question the value of these kinds of apps.
Comcast is offering broadband, local channels and HBO for $40 a month – but Time Warner’s CEO isn’t worried. Maybe because the sticker price isn’t what you end up paying. Read more »
Technologists tend to forget that normal people have a different take on technology. That’s why they should pay more attention to interfaces. Read more »
There are good movies, there are bad movies, and there’s Sharknado. Missed the trashiest but also most-tweeted-about movie of 2013 when it aired on Syfy in July? No worries, Netflix is giving you another chance to experience it on your own time. Just please, stop tweeting about it.
Cox plans to launch an internet-based TV service, which could compete with both established players as well as newcomers like Intel. Read more »
Google’s new Helpouts platform launches with real-time advice for cooking, home improvement and computer problems. Down the line, its biggest impact could be on health care. Read more »
Netflix is bringing the award-winning documentary film the Square, which chronicles the popular uprising in Egypt’s Tahrir Square, to all of its members in early 2014. The Square won audience awards at both the Sundance and Toronto film festivals. For Netflix, it’s the first of a number of documentary acquisitions as the company is looking to take original content beyond TV shows and stand-up comedy specials. Next up could be Hollywood movies, which Netflix would like to get earlier than HBO and other pay TV networks.
JumpCam is launching its Android version less than two months after debuting on iOS. The small startup took this step because for its app to go viral, it really needed to be on both platforms. Read more »
The FCC may finally get rid of its decades-old blackout rules for live sports broadcasts. Unfortunately, that still doesn’t mean that any of these games will be available online. Read more »
Netflix wants to become a major provider of 4K content next year. To prepare for that, it has already started to test 4K streaming. Read more »
There’s Valley celebrities, and then there’s real celebrities — and both don’t always get along. Case in point: Kim Kardashian is suing YouTube cofounder Chad Hurley, alleging that he illegally recorded Kanye West’s marriage proposal to her to promote his new video venture MixBit. Valleywag has the whole lawsuit, which doesn’t have a whole lot of nice tings to say about Hurley, while the Hollywood Reporter focuses on why Kim & Kanye wanted to keep their party private: to sell exclusive rights to TV.
Plair was doomed to fail when it tried to establish an expensive, Chromecast-like product three months before Chromecast came out. Now, it’s trying again with a different approach. Read more »
Don’t hold your breath for a Netflix app on your Comcast set-top box: Netflix has started to strike deals with pay TV operators abroad to run its app on their devices, and CEO Reed Hastings recently told investors that he would love to be on Comcast’s gear as well — but Comcast cable operations CEO Neil Smit said during the company’s earnings call that this is “not really a high priority” for Comcast, according to Home Media Magazine. On the same call, Comcast also announced that it lost 129,000 video subscribers in its most recent quarter, 12,000 more than during the same time period last year.
Google’s Nexus 5 launch came with few surprises, but Android 4.4 aka Kitkat shows off how Google wants to dominate international markets, and make everything searchable. Read more »
Pandora made it official Thursday and added Chromecast support to its mobile apps. Users can now launch personalized stations straight from their phone or tablet. Read more »
Cisco may have landed a surprise coup to push for H.264, but Google still thinks that VP8 is the best codec for real-time communication on the web. Read more »
Peter Chernin’s media company is buying a controlling interest in Crunchyroll, reports AllThingsD. The report puts the money spent at less than $100 million, noting that Crunchyroll has raised $5 million to date. Crunchyroll is specializing in the import of anime TV shows, and the company operates a growing subscription business. For more on Crunchyroll, check out my interview with the company’s CEO Kun Gao.
Is Intel looking to get rid of its TV project, or get a partner on board to finally get it launched? The company is talking to Verizon to explore either of those options. Read more »
After long resisting proprietary media formats, Mozilla has agreed to add H.264 to its browser. The move is made possible through a partnership with Cisco, which wants to press the industry to agree on the format for real-time communication. Read more »
Google is now automatically editing videos uploaded by Google+ users to turn shaky, fragmented camera phone clips into shareable videos with soundtracks and video effects. Read more »
Ever wanted to share a short video of the thing you just saw on TV? ConnecTV’s new app lets you do just than in a Vine-like fashion. Read more »
Automatic video editing app Magisto just got a whole lot of new cash, thanks in part to Qualcomm and SanDisk. Read more »
Smart appliances need friends too: Samsung wants to make it easier for your fridge, AC and washer to talk to your TV set. Read more »
Media center app maker Plex launched a feature Monday that allows users to store their videos in the cloud and then play them back on any device with a Plex app on it, including Android and iOS mobile devices. Cloud Sync, as the feature is called, was first shown off at CES, and is now available to paying PlexPass subscribers. Interestingly, Plex doesn’t offer its own storage locker, but instead hooks into Google Drive, Dropbox, Box and other cloud storage offerings, with the ability to spread your files across all of your lockers. Time to sign up for more free cloud storage accounts?
Samsung is taking a page out of the Chromecast playbook by allowing developers to launch media playback straight from a mobile device. But Samsung’s new multiscreen SDK also supports gaming and more. Read more »
Here’s a suggestion for Apple: Forget about building that long-rumored huge flatscreen TV for the living room, and make a small touch-screen TV for the kitchen instead. Read more »
Simple.tv’s new DVR for cord cutters will come with a sticker price of $250 and go on sale in mid-December, according to a product page on Newegg.com. Read more »
We all love binge viewing — but not everyone loves Netflix: FX and Turner are looking to get the rights to stream entire seasons of shows, as opposed to just the last five episodes, to allow their viewers more binging. Netflix is opposed to those demands, and studios have learned to love Netfix’s cash. But which role is cable playing in all of this? Vulture has a fascinating story about one of Hollywood’s next battle lines.
Google TV devices from LG are getting updated to a more recent version of Android. Next up: a new name for the TV platform. Read more »
HBO doesn’t want to sell you direct access to its programming online. But Comcast now came up with an offering that is intended to lure in all those who only want HBO. Read more »
Amazon’s long-rumored Roku killer may be facing delays, forcing the company to postpone a launch until next year, according to a Verge report. The device, which is based on Android, has been in the works at Amazon for more than a year, and the company hired a bunch of Google TV developers from Logitech to work on it after that company decided to get out of the connected TV space. Amazon’s TV box is going to have third-party apps, but obviously also feature Amazon’s own services — but now we might have to wait until after the holiday season to find out how it stacks up against Roku, Apple TV and Co.


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The stunning model left jaws on the floor earlier this month when she shared some sizzling hot throwback snaps.
Taking to her official Instagram account, Jodie Marsh took fans on a trip down memory lane as she served up cleavage galore in her iconic belt outfit.
And the 40-year-old babe was back at it again this weekend with yet another eye-boggling snap.
This time, the glamour model – who was regularly splashed across the front page in the noughties – showed off her cheeky side as she flaunted her bodacious behind for all to see.
The TV personality is known for her love of working out and regularly shares snaps and videos of her gym routine and healthy meals with her 440k Instagram followers.
Jodie also sells Jst nutrition supplements, which aims to help her fans achieve their lifestyle and fitness goals.
And the star proved to be her own best advertisement for her fitness brand, as she showcased her incredibly trim physique in the saucy snap.
Turning her back to the camera, Jodie slipped into a pair of tiny purple hot pants which barely covered her booty as she flexed her muscles.
She teamed the cheeky garment with a cropped sports bra of the same colour and some very 70s leg warmers.
The stunner, who is regularly spotted rocking a multicoloured mane, kept her luscious locks in keeping with the colour theme, dying them purple for the occasion.
She captioned the cheeky snap with the name of her website, where users can purchase her supplements.
But it appeared that her fans were more focused on her incredible booty instead as they raced to the comments section to admire her behind.
One user exclaimed: “Wow, that’s a peachy butt!”
A second chimed: “That’s hard work right there.”
While a third admirer quipped: “Buns of steel!”
And a final fan told the star: “Looking good Jodie.”


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An update to our previous article about pangolin scales and flesh for sale online.
Good news: As a result of our recent story about pangolin products being sold on China’s top eCommerce website, Alibaba, we were contacted by a representative of the company who informed us that the pangolin pages have now been removed from the site.
We have checked the URLs posted in our previous article — Pangolin and Other Endangered Species Products Openly for Sale on Major eCommerce Website — and they have been removed.
We are pleased to see quick action was taken. We will continue to monitor the website, and keep you updated on any further developments in this matter.


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Even though Black Friday was a success overall, there were many challenges and issues that retailers faced in 2021 stunting their success. We dive deeper into these issues and look at the learnings we can take going into Black Friday 2022.
Supply Chain Issues
One of the biggest concerns for retailers in the lead up to Black Friday were supply chain disruptions, leaving many with insufficient stock to meet demand due to the delays. Some retailers were left with empty shelves both in-store and online during the sale season, and it was a hot topic throughout the news and media outlets.
Investing in technology is one of the ways to improve supply chain resilience for when disruption inevitably strikes again. Dirk Holbach, chief supply chain officer at Henkel says “The real-time visibility along our supply chain, which is a result of deploying Industry 4.0 technologies, allowed us to focus on the right challenges and to make the best decisions.”
Even though it’s good to invest in improving supply chain resilience, we’re not expected to have the same issues this year so it isn’t something you should be too concerned about.
Higher Consumer Costs
Last year we saw household finances squeezed by inflation causing consumers to start shopping earlier than expected to help spread the cost of Christmas. This may continue to have an impact on Black Friday sales this year as inflation continues to rise with the cost of living becoming increasingly more expensive.
It’s likely that Black Friday will look slightly different this year, shoppers might see fewer deals and retailers may notice that heavily discounted items sell out faster than normal. Comparison shopping is becoming more popular and this could mean consumers shopping around for the best deals this sales season more often instead of flocking when they see the offers announced, as comparing prices has become more important than ever before. Google even added a new ‘deals’ section to the search results when people search for offers in particular, so competition could rise.
Earlier Search Interest
Last year shoppers were searching for deals even earlier according to Google Trends, and it’s expected to follow the same trajectory this year. This means that it’s even more important that you are prepared and understand the focus around your offers messaging to capture the consumers attention.
In-Store Shopping Made a Return
After Black Friday being predominantly online in 2020, last year consumers were eager to get back into physical stores to make their purchases and didn’t have to worry about shipping disruptions, wondering if they would receive their items or not. You need to take into account that shopping is a social occasion, therefore if a strong social experience can be offered it will help build connections, both in person and online.
Consumers in 2021 favoured for the best deals due to the rising cost of living, meaning brand loyalty wasn’t as strong as in previous years. With the rise in inflation this trend will continue, this creates opportunities for brands to bring in new customers with great offers and experiences.
Buy Now, Pay Later
You can’t visit any big retail website without having the option to ‘buy now, pay later’ which has grown over the past year. It’s a way to reach customers who may feel limited with their current finances and want to pay it back over the period of a couple of months, taking away the financial stress and bringing joy back into shopping. Smaller businesses are starting to jump on this trend too.
Despite the challenges faced, expectations amongst eCommerce retailers remained high and overall were a success. The global pandemic caused a huge shift in consumer behaviour and how we live our lives. Even though we don’t face the same issues as the previous year, the purchasing decisions consumers now make are here to stay and could continue for many years.
GA Agency is an independent, award-winning, full-service agency specialising in international growth. Our specialist international and multilingual team can take your business and digital marketing strategies to the next level with our SEO services. Feel free to get in touch today to find out how we can grow your business online.


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.ITT senior management and its board of directors believe that these three businesses are well-positioned to create significant value for shareholders as standalone companies. ITT expects to finalize and execute the plan before the end of the year.
“For nearly a century, ITT has been known for transformative strategies that create value for customers and shareowners,” says Steve Loranger, chairman, president and chief executive officer of ITT. “In recent years, we have nurtured and grown our unique portfolio of businesses, which are now poised to emerge as three strong and focused standalone companies, with leading products and market positions, highly skilled employees and tremendous value-generating potential for shareowners. In today’s business environment, we believe this strategy is the best approach to unlock this value and position the three businesses to grow and serve customers as focused global companies. Each new company will be more nimble and able to build stronger, more intimate customer relationships to accelerate mutual success.”
Loranger continues, “We believe each of these future companies will be strategically well positioned for growth, nicely capitalized, with global capabilities, outstanding operating track records and world-class leadership. In addition, we believe the transformation plan will provide more focused opportunities for our employees, who will be instrumental in the future success of all three companies.”
Manufacturer of engineered industrial products and high-tech solutions:
Following completion of the spinoff, ITT Corp. will continue to be a diversified global manufacturer of highly engineered industrial products and high-tech solutions. Its global platform will include ITT’s current Industrial Process business, as well as its Motion Technologies, Interconnect Solutions and Control Technologies businesses. ITT Corp. will have leading market positions across an extensive portfolio of advanced technology industrial pumps, valves and control systems serving the oil and gas, mining, chemical, power generation, and pulp and paper markets.
A global water technology leader:
With the spinoff, a standalone water technology corporation with a new corporate brand name will be formed through the combination of three of ITT’s current businesses: Residential & Commercial Water, Flow Control and Water & Wastewater (including biological, filtration and disinfection treatment and analytics). These businesses already are known for solid operating results, leading market positions and strong product brand awareness, positioning the new water technology company for significant growth.
The portfolio will span the transport, testing and treatment of water – focusing on the residential, commercial, municipal, agricultural, construction, building services, dewatering, beverage and leisure marine markets, as well as analytical instrumentation for water and wastewater, environmental, medical and beverage applications. The company is expected to benefit from an already strong installed base, driving attractive aftermarket opportunities, as well as a diverse global footprint with approximately 55 percent of revenues coming from international markets and strong emerging market growth prospects.
Engineered defense technology and information solutions provider:
After the spinoff is completed, the existing Defense & Information Solutions segment will be renamed and rebranded as a new standalone company that will provide technologies and operational services to meet the enduring requirements of the global military, government and commercial customers.
Experienced Team Poised to LeadEffective upon the completion of the transaction, the new ITT Corp. will be led by ITT's current chief financial officer, Denise Ramos, who will serve as its future chief executive officer. Its chairman of the board will be Frank MacInnis, currently a director of ITT Corp. and the chairman and former chief executive officer of EMCOR Group Inc. The water technology businesses will become a new company to be led by Gretchen McClain, currently president of ITT Fluid and Motion Control, who will serve as its future chief executive officer. Its executive chairman of the board will be Steve Loranger, currently chairman, president and chief executive officer of ITT Corp. The Defense & Information Solutions business will become a new company to be led by David Melcher, currently president of ITT Defense & Information Solutions, serving as its future chief executive officer. Its chairman of the board will be Ralph Hake, currently a director of ITT Corp. and previously the chairman and chief executive officer of Maytag Corp.
Each corporation will have its own independent board of directors, and each of ITT’s current board members has committed to serve on one or more of the boards of these companies. Upon completion of the transaction, each company is expected to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange.


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A Stony Brook puppy store has filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against a nonprofit animal rescue organization that has been holding weekly protests outside its doors.
In the lawsuit, filed last week in State Supreme Court in Riverhead, The Perfect Puppy claims that protests by Save-A-Pet of Port Jefferson Station have been disrupting business and stealing customers.
Save-A-Pet has been protesting outside The Perfect Puppy on Stony Brook Road nearly every Saturday since the store opened in January.
Dori Scofield, founder of Save-A-Pet, said she and other animal-welfare activists have been picketing the store because, she said, such stores use so-called puppy mills, which mass breed dogs and often keep them in substandard conditions.
"It's not a problem to sell puppies," Scofield said. "It's a problem where they come from."
But Charles Demonte, weekend manager at The Perfect Puppy, said the store strives to use reputable breeders and if they learn a puppy does come from a puppy mill, "we would send it back."
Demonte said that Save-A-Pet's tactics have led to customers feeling harassed.
"Everyone has the right to assemble for protest," Demonte said. "But when it gets carried away . . . then it becomes a little silly and immature."
The suit also alleges that Save-A-Pet has been trying to direct potential store customers instead to adopt dogs from Save-A-Pet.
Scofield says she's not looking for business - she just wants customers to know where puppy-store dogs come from and urge them to adopt instead.
"I don't care where anybody adopts the pets from. Go to any animal shelter. Municipal shelters are in desperate need of homes for their dogs," she said.
At a court appearance Monday, the two sides agreed that the protesters would stick to lawful protest - something that Scofield says she already does.
Timothy Glynn, a Stony Brook attorney whose firm is representing Save-A-Pet, said the protesters' actions are protected by the First Amendment.
The lawsuit seeks $8 million in compensatory and punitive damages. The next court date is scheduled for April 9.


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The $26 billion mergers between T-Mobile and Sprint have been authorized, ending a years-lengthy try to mix the United States’ third- and fourth-largest wireless carriers.
A federal decide dominated Tuesday in favor of permitting the two telecom giants to mix, a choice that’s anticipated to change the panorama of America wireless market dramatically. US District Court Judge Victor Marrero stated in his ruling that he did not envision the businesses “would pursue anticompetitive habits” and rejected the lawsuit introduced by thirteen US states and the District of Columbia that sought to dam the deal.
The merger will create three equally sized opponents within the wireless enterprise: the “New” T-Mobile, Verizon (VZ), and AT&T (T) (CNN parent firm WarnerMedia is owned by AT&T). Satellite firm Dish Network plans to use the deal as a catalyst to change into a brand new wireless services supplier.
The judge mentioned that Sprint, by itself possible, could not “proceed to work as a robust nationwide competitor.” Sprint is at present in fourth place; however, the firm has been quickly shedding clients and claimed its path to deploying a nationwide 5G community without T-Mobile was unsure. Marrero added that he believes Dish will enter the market and supply important competitors to fill the gap left by Sprint.
States’ attorneys general argued that approving the merger would make wi-fi service and costs worse for Individuals. However, Marrero mentioned he was at the end unpersuaded by the states’ financial theories and analytical modeling, writing that the two sides’ claims finally got here right down to competing for crystal balls. He mentioned he was relying considerably on his personal “expertise and frontline expertise” to achieve a call.
Sprint’s inventory shot up a shocking 70% on the open. T-Mobile shares additionally spiked 12% early buying and selling Tuesday.
In the course of the two-week trial, Sprint and T-Mobile testified that combining would “supercharge” T-Mobile’s Uncarrier technique that has led to such perks for shoppers as the top of wireless contracts, and would enable them to be extra shortly roll out superfast nationwide 5G, the essential next-generation wireless community.


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Over the years, Amazon has created a sprawling empire with a hand in a range of pies, and much of that has been accomplished through strategic acquisitions. While it is true that it is often regarded as only an e-commerce company, it is necessary to the point that it is a tech company as well in its own right and has only become more aggressive over the past few years, with its Amazon Web Services product. In a new development, it has emerged that the company wants to acquire Boost Mobile from Spring Corp and T-Mobile, according to sources that are close to the situation. It is believed that when T-Mobile and Sprint complete their merger, then they might divest from Boost Mobile and Amazon are eager to acquire it, as they would then able to use the wireless network for around six years. In addition to that, it is believed that Amazon will also be eager to buy any spectrum from which the two companies might walk away after the merger.
However, no one is quite sure why Amazon actually wants to acquire a prepaid wireless service, and although people might have their doubts, this is the sort of acquisition that goes along with the company’s strategy over the last decades. They might have a long term plan which might not yet be clear to those who watch the company closely. For T-Mobile and Sprint, it is essential for them to sell the Boost Mobile brand to ensure that the anti-trust authorities do not take a dim view of their $26 billion mergers. It seems Amazon has managed to come in at a time when they could get the whole thing for an attractive price.
According to those, who are aware of the development with regards to the bidding process for Boost Mobile, the unit could be sold for around $3 billion and for a company like Amazon; it would not be a problem at all. However, if Amazon manages to pick some spectrum in the bargain, then it could be a different situation altogether and result in the company becoming an actual internet service provider.


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The biggest news from Elon Musk’s Tesla shareholder meeting
Wednesday, 12 June 2019 Horses were a somewhat unexpected theme at Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting. After CEO Elon Musk suggested that owning a gas car would be the equivalent of using a horse to get around, a Tesla shareholder asked Musk if the company’s announced pickup would have enough go power to haul her horse. “I didn’t mean to insult horses earlier,” Musk replied. “I love horses.” (Yes, the planned pickup could haul her horse.)
The shareholder meeting had some ups and downs — from a member of animal rights group PETA asking about vegan steering wheels to a discussion about Model 3 demand. The meeting comes at a time when Tesla’s stock price is at two-year low after falling almost continuously throughout 2019. The company suffered one of its worst...
Has Real Money Stock of the Day Tesla CEO Elon Musk grown up? Elon Musk, at Tesla's shareholder meeting Tuesday night, came off as 'grown up.' Here's why Jim Cramer thinks that Musk reassured investors. "He seemed grown up. Not Cynical, not snarky, not arrogant, but just look, we're going to do...
Elon Musk announced that his company Neuralink plans to link human brains directly to computers, saying the first prototype could be implanted in a person by the end of 2020. Veuer's Sam Berman has the..
Neuralink, the startup working on brain-computer interfaces in which Musk has sunk $100 million of his own money, publicly detailed the first steps it has made toward its goal of using tiny electrodes..
· *Tesla isn't planning to refresh its Model S or X, CEO Elon Musk said on Twitter. *
· *His comments contradict earlier reports by Electrek that said a... Business Insider Also reported by •TechCrunch