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Wishes help sick kids feel better, and sometimes even get better, meaning a cruise vacation can actually mark a turning point in wish kids’ battles against their life-threatening medical condition.
Wilmington, MA (PRWEB) July 08, 2014
The summer travel season is here and booking a cruise vacation with CruisesOnly in July provides customers with two important gifts — the gift of travel and the gift of giving back by helping grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.
Now through July 31, CruisesOnly, America’s Largest Cruise Agency, and flagship brand in the World Travel Holdings portfolio of brands, will donate $5 for every cruise vacation booked, up to $25,000, to Make-A-Wish and will also give customers the chance to make an additional $5 donation.
“Seventy-five percent of the wishes we grant involve travel and more than 1,000 of these are wishes to go on a cruise,” said David Williams, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish America. “Wishes help sick kids feel better, and sometimes even get better, meaning a cruise vacation can actually mark a turning point in wish kids’ battles against their life-threatening medical condition. For this reason, the alliance that we have built over the years with CruisesOnly and World Travel Holdings is meaningful.”
World Travel Holdings has also had the honor of sponsoring and hosting wish sendoff parties, including nine-year-old Santiago from Miami. Diagnosed with a heart defect, Santiago’s wish was to go on a cruise. Santiago and his family set sail on April 28, 2013, and it was a cruise vacation they’ll never forget. And, Hunter, 13, from Massachusetts … diagnosed with malignant melanoma, Hunter’s wish was to go on a cruise because he thought "cruises are cool!" Hunter set sail on April 14, 2012, and had a wonderful time.
“The CruisesOnly promotion is such an important part of our fundraising efforts for Make-A-Wish and we always look forward to exceeding our fundraising goals from year’s past,” said Jeff Sherota, senior vice president of House Brands for World Travel Holdings. “We are celebrating our fourth consecutive year and our customers really look forward to this promotion because it allows them to easily give back to such a worthwhile cause while booking their next vacation.”
Make-A-Wish has been the signature charity for World Travel Holdings since July 2011. World Travel Holdings and its employees are dedicated to donating a minimum of $100,000 every year.
Make-A-Wish® grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. According to a 2011 U.S. study of wish impact, most health professionals surveyed believe a wish-come-true can have positive impacts on the health of children. Kids say wishes give them renewed strength to fight their illnesses, and their parents say these experiences help strengthen the entire family. Based in Phoenix, Make-A-Wish is one of the world’s leading children’s charities, serving children in every community in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and more than 25,000 volunteers, Make-A-Wish grants a wish somewhere in the country every 38 minutes. It has granted more than 240,000 wishes since its inception in 1980; more than 14,000 in 2013 alone. Visit Make-A-Wish at wish.org to learn more.
CruisesOnly, America’s Largest Cruise Agency, is the premier cruise brand of World Travel Holdings. World Travel Holdings is the world's leading cruise agency and award-winning leisure travel company with a portfolio of more than 35 diverse brands. In addition to owning some of the largest brands distributing cruises, villas, hotels, resort vacations and luxury travel services, World Travel Holdings has a vast portfolio of licensed private label partnerships comprised of top leisure travel providers, almost every U.S. airline, leading hotel brands and prominent corporations. The company also operates a top-rated travel agency franchise and the country's original host agency. Its global presence in the United Kingdom includes operating two cruise agencies and multiple private-label brands. World Travel Holdings has offices in Long Island, NY, Wilmington, Mass., Ft. Lauderdale and Orlando, Fla., Virginia Beach, Va., and Chorley, United Kingdom. For more information, visit http://www.worldtravelholdings.com/.


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The South African alcohol industry says it will invest a minimum of R150m in harm-reduction programmes over the next year.
The industry’s members include the National Liquor Traders Council, the South African Liquor Brand Owners Association (Salba), the Beer Association of South Africa (Basa), Vinpro, and manufacturers.
“The industry will support legislative and enforcement measures to reduce drinking and driving/walking by capacitating law enforcement with resources to effectively enforce it, and by partnering with retailers regarding interventions in high-risk areas,” said industry spokesperson Sibani Mngadi.
“Alcohol evidence centres that will have the capacity to process breath alcohol testing and immediately make available results for prosecution purposes is one of the measures to be put in place.
“The industry will ramp up its consumer education campaigns on binge drinking, which will include responsible messaging as well as defining drinking guidelines to influence behaviour.
“Various brands have introduced reduced alcohol products and 0% alcohol products to encourage responsible drinking habits.”
Mngadi said the industry was in discussion with the retail sector to explore the implementation of an ID verification system in all retail outlets, as well as the extension of the underage drinking education programme.
“The industry is committed to partnering with government and civil society in addressing the issue of gender-based violence and femicide,” he said.
“One of the industry members, SAB, has launched a gender-based violence WhatsApp helpline through its GBV social awareness campaign #NoExcuse. This is a safe reporting platform for anyone who is a victim of GBV providing for referral to a counselling support service.
“Dialogues with tavern owners are currently under way to explore the best measures and the role that outlet owners can play in an effort to curb gender-based violence. This process will be used to facilitate dialogue with government on how the industry can provide support with the implementation of the national strategic plan on gender-based violence and femicide.”
The industry is making a further commitment of providing R15.5m worth of PPE to hospitals in the four worst affected provinces: the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape.
“We call on the traders and consumers alike to abide by all the lockdown rules and make sure that their drinking occasions do not contribute to the spread of infections and unnecessary burden on the health system,” added Mngadi.
“We have a collective responsibility to protect our livelihoods as various players in the alcohol value chain. Consumers equally have a responsibility to behave appropriately and not expose themselves and others to unnecessary harm and potential infections.”

domain: news


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ERBIL — Several Polish companies from different sectors are in Erbil to accompany the Polish National Chamber of Commerce and explore greater economic ties with the autonomous region.
At the invitation of Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Representation office in Poland, 12 entrepreneurs representing eight Polish companies have joined the Erbil International Fair which was opened on 29th September by Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani.
Danuta Sojka-Andrzejewska, Consular to Poland’s Ministry of Eaterpionership and Technology, told BasNews at the Polish Stand that different business, from energy, food, and machinery to agriculture and ICT, are in Erbil to establish partnerships with the Kurdish companies.
She explained that the initiative is the first of its kind, and that they are waiting for Kurdish businesses to visit Poland and establish the partnership in the nearest future.
It is also planned to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the National Chamber of Commerce and Kurdistan Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KFCCI) while in Kurdistan.
Ziyad Raoof, the KRG representative to Poland, is accompanying the delegation and is organizing a series of high-rank meetings for the Polish delegates.


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I wanted to update you on the latest performance of the Austin real estate market, looking at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and what has happened to sales. Before I talk about transactions, though, I think the real story right now is inventory and affordability.
Inventory overall is substantially lower than the last couple of years, and the difference is growing more extreme as we enter into the summer months. According to MLS data, Austin listings declined in June which is not the typical trend, where usually more homes come on the market as school ends.
This appears to be driven largely by far fewer listings in the sub-750K range, suggesting that (1) fewer people with homes in that price range are putting their house on the market, and (2) more houses are appreciating into the “luxury” price point range. Whatever the reason, there are far fewer options available in Austin for buyers looking for homes under 750K.
However, the luxury market has seen the number of listings decline only slightly, and as you’ll see later in my article, the sales numbers are stronger there as well.
In terms of transactions overall, ever since the beginning of May the numbers have been climbing back toward prior years’ performance. The data for the week of June 21-27 is still being tallied so it will come up some more, but what has been reported so far does represent a departure from the trend of the last few weeks, and a significant decline from the same time in 2019.
This is largely driven by the sub-750K market, which has far fewer listings than it did last year. In June, sub-750K transactions were down 24% vs. 2019, while luxury sales (750K+) were down 14%. In fact, year-to-date, sub-750K transactions are down roughly 17% vs. 2019, while luxury market sales are down about 12%.
Anecdotally, I have heard from another agent that tracks pending sales that the number of pending transactions is higher than the same time last year, so there is a lot of activity and a great many buyers actively looking for a home… they just have far fewer homes to chose from.
Note: All data comes from the Austin Board of Realtors’ MLS report, reflecting activity through June 30, 2020.


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Realme X2 Pro 50W charging gets a real life test
Oppo introduced the SuperVOOC charging back in June 2018 with the Find X Lamborghini Edition and we managed to test its as impressive in real life as it is on paper. Now the technology is reaching Realme and the X2 Pro will arrive with it in four days. In order to showcase how fast the charging actually is, the brand posted a neat video, showing the phone going from 1% to 100% in 30 minutes 53 seconds.
Previously, the company confirmed the Snapdragon 855+ chipset, the 90 Hz display and the 256 GB UFS3.0 storage.
This, combined with the quad-camera setup, featuring ultrawide, 64MP normal and telephoto units is shaping to be one of the most intriguing devices on the smartphone market. Even more so if Realme manages to retain the super aggressive pricing that helped it shoot to prominence.Realme X2 Pro live image, shared by Indian CEO Madhav Sheth
The Realme X2 Pro is debuting on October 15 and we will be on site to bring you our first hand impressions of it.
Source (in Chinese)
- 17 Sep 2020
Yes it is safe, because this phone is fabricated with 2 different batteries that charge simultaneously. On top of that the cooling on this phone is also good so it never gets too hot.
- 27 Dec 2019
Is it really safe to increase charging power like 50W or more? Laptops are different story. But, such a small and tightly packed smartphones with a laptop level power charger, is this good? It's like adding battery capacity and RAM without proper opt...
- 17 Oct 2019


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Commonwealth Bank of Australia has partnered with CSIRO’s Data61 group to pilot a blackchain-based programmable money app.
The ‘smart money’ app – called Making Money Smart – is being tested within the context of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
The prototype app – enabled by a blockchain token solution – attaches conditions to money so that it “knows what it can be spent on, who it can be spent by and when it can be spent”.
The NDIS proved a fitting proof of concept as it involves highly personalised conditions around payments. In the NDIS, participants have individual plans that can contain multiple budget categories – each with different spending rules.
“Programmable money represents an opportunity to re-envisage how we think about money and how payments function across the economy,” said CBA’s Sophie Gilder, head of experimentation and blockchain. “The potential of this technology for the NDIS is exciting, ranging from greater empowerment for participants, reduced administration costs for businesses and greater visibility for Government.”
The use of blockchain technologies in government payments was highlighted by Data61 in its 2017 report Risks and Opportunities for Systems Using Blockchain and Smart Contracts.
Smart contracts “could automate the process coordination to apply for, decide on, and distribute payments for grants and social security,” the report states, adding that “with a sufficiently-sophisticated payment environment, a smart contract could automatically limit payments to approved suppliers or categories of expenses”.
“This has been a really interesting research project into how blockchain technology can integrate with new payments technologies to provide more choice, control and flexibility for conditional payments for NDIS participants and service providers,” said Dr Mark Staples, senior principal researcher in the software and computational systems program at Data61.
Dr Mark Staples
“We’re particularly interested in the broader research opportunity around programmable money, because it should reduce friction in business transactions, and enable companies to create new business models and innovative ways of delivering and paying for products and services. This would benefit customers and reduces the administrative burden involved in managing payments,” he added.
In the NDIS proof of concept – currently under testing from NDIS participants and carers – enables individuals to find, book and pay for services from service providers without the need for paperwork or receipts.
The Digital Transformation Agency, National Disability Insurance Agency, Department of Social Services, Department of Human Services, The Treasury, Reserve Bank of Australia, Disability Advocacy Network, Ability First Australia, National Disability Services, New Payments Platform Australia, Australian Digital Commerce Association and FinTech Australia have given their input and feedback to the project.
“Given the complexity with the subject matter, we knew we needed to collaborate with a diverse range of government and industry leaders,” Gilder said.
“We threw open the doors and the response has far exceeded our expectations. This has been a key factor to the success of the project thus far and we are very grateful for their input,” she added.
In May, Budget documents revealed the government’s Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) would “investigate areas where blockchain technology could offer the most value for government services”.
CBA and Data61 will release a co-authored Making Money Smart report next month, which will assess the benefits and limitations of the blockchain based system for the NDIS use case.
Find more: Ndis gets government app with blockchain – Krypto-NFTs


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Prime Minister Theresa May has given the green light for Huawei to supply 5G hardware for the UK's 5G mobile networks - but only for non-core components. According to the The Daily Telegraph, the decision follows a...
DNS over HTTPS encrypts DNS traffic - hiding users' web surfing from ISPs
Macy's claims that it discovered the Magecart compromise of its payment pages within seven days
Announcement of yet-another 90-day concession to Huawei expected to be announced by US government today
There are many good reasons why VPN services are booming in popularity


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First Swadlincote Makers Market set to add to town’s shopping offer
A specialist market selling unique handmade products and tasty treats is being held in Swadlincote for the first time.
The Makers Market will see a wide variety of arts, crafts, food and drink being sold along the High Street on Saturday, 25 March 2017.
It will sit alongside the traditional market, with visitors able to enjoy live entertainment while they shop.
The Sainsbury’s Waste less, Save more team will also be in town demonstrating recipe ideas for making jams and preserves, while offering tips for avoiding food waste.
Clare Chalmers, one of three entrepreneurs who runs the Curly Magpie and Friends store, in the High Street, is one of those supporting the event – and she can’t wait.
“We have a lot of independent traders in the shop and the High Street and the Makers Market will be a brilliant platform to showcase what they do.
“Having it on a Saturday means it is accessible to more people and we would encourage everyone to shop local and support their High Street.”
The Makers Market will run between 9am and 4pm on the last Saturday of the month and combines the popular farmers’ market, formerly held on a Thursday. Admission and car parking are free.
Cllr Bob Wheeler, Leader of South Derbyshire District Council, said:
“We want to further boost the appeal of Swadlincote as a shopping, leisure and events destination to attract even more visitors and shoppers to the town centre.
“As part of this we are supporting the development of independent businesses which help to make our town centre unique and markets like this are giving traders the opportunity to showcase and sell their wares.
“The Makers Market is another example of why Swadlincote has established itself as the market town of The National Forest.”
Forthcoming dates for the Makers Market are 25 March, 29 April, 27 May and 24 June 2017.
Anyone interested in booking an arts, crafts, vintage or antique stall can email: email@example.com, with food, drink and other stalls being co-ordinated by Simon Wardle. email: firstname.lastname@example.org
More information about this and other events in South Derbyshire is available by calling Swadlincote Tourist Information Centre on tel: 01283 222848.
24 March 2017


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In October 2015, thousands of Uber employees took a seat at the Axis Theater in Las Vegas & Planet 39, where they were introduced to "Professor Kalanick" —Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, wearing a white lab coat and thick black glasses and standing in front of a rickety school blackboard on wheels. Employees were in Vegas for Uber's "X to the x" retreat, celebrating the fact that the seemingly unstoppable ride-hailing juggernaut had hit $ 10 billion in revenue. (At that time, Uber was bleeding more than $ 2 billion a year on campaigns for drivers and riders to support the juggernaut.)
The trip was pretty much a good time. Between the surprise Beyonce concert, open bars, prepaid Visa cards and hotel rooms, Uber spent more than $ 25 million in cash on a week's party, more than double the company's Series A funding round. But back on Planet Hollywood, the professor wanted to get serious.
Kalanick was obsessed with Amazon, idolized Jeff Bezos and had carefully studied the tech giant's 14 core principles, such as Customer Obsession, Bias for Action and Think Big. Kalanick stood on the stage presenting his flock, many of whom had spent the day drinking beer in pools by pools, using 14 of their own core principles. The house lights shone down on a green board to reveal what Kalanick called "Uber's Values": Always Be Hustlin, Champions Mindset / Winning, and, of course, Super Pumped.
"The list looks like Amazon's corporate values run through a bridge-speak translation engine," writes journalist Mike Isaac in Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber . The book, out this week, traces Kalanick's path from flowing startup founders to the envy of Silicon Valley to the epitome of technical malice, and with him a decade of superfluous and self-confusing. Isaac's carefully reported story still finds new jaw openings, such as a Thailand leader pushing the face of a female employee in a pile of cocaine or Kalanick writhing on the floor of a meeting room at Le Meridien Hotel in downtown San Francisco after Bloomberg published a leaked video of the CEO berating a driver.
Kalanick was ejected from Uber in 2017, following a series of scandals surrounding sexual harassment, surveillance by government officials and privacy violations. Still, Super Pumped is an essential read, acting in a way like a reverse translation engine – techspeak to plainspeak – to decode the industry's staggering rise over the last decade, to points where decisions were made by A roomy men on Market Street now have the power to change the face of a city or dictate the salaries and tips (or lack thereof) of millions of drivers.
During Uber's rise, portraits of Kalanick or Uber dutiful parrot the company's rhetoric around strengthening entrepreneurship for drivers, to link "bites and atoms." But by this time, Uber's growth tactics had come to an end and released Isaac to focus on impact, rather than rhetoric or emotional intent. And less the hype around self-driving cars and efficient algorithms, Uber looks less like a thoroughbred, technical unicorn and more like a Wall Street boiler room Ponzi scheme.
By breaking down the actual mechanics of "regulatory arbitrage" or "strike teams," the book suggests that Uber's business model was based on a simple, brutal calculation: raise money, spend like crazy on incentives, drop prices for drivers or increase prices, repeat. The formula did not work without utilizing drivers, a demographic Kalanick refers to internally, notes Isaac, as "supply."
But Super Pumped avoids the easy alternative to scouring Kalanick. Many have pointed out that Uber's rule violation was made possible by the culture of basic worship. Isaac pushes the argument forward, charting Kalanick's behavior at the core of the anti-government, pro-hustle tech doctrine, suggesting that Kalanick was radicalized by Silicon Valley's core beliefs. Isaac's portrayal of Kalanick, who was not interviewed for the book, makes it clear that while the man was uniquely led to seek total domination and humble his enemies as "a master training a dog," as one source told him, he had "absorbed" Silicon Valley maximizes "that growth is good and founders should worship before Uber even launched.


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The latest findings from an Edmunds report have sent shockwaves through the automotive world, revealing a startling trend in the realm of EV payments. It appears that in 2023, a staggering 1 in 4 Americans are willingly parting with over US$1,000 each month to embrace the electrifying future of transportation. This revelation, while surprising to some, underscores the shifting dynamics in the automotive landscape and the burgeoning influence of News Technology.
Electric Vehicles (EVs) have long been hailed as the future of sustainable mobility, promising reduced emissions and decreased dependence on fossil fuels. However, the Edmunds report uncovers a substantial subset of Americans who are not just embracing this eco-conscious trend but also willingly investing a significant portion of their monthly income to do so.
The allure of EVs lies in their eco-friendliness, cutting-edge technology, and, of course, the promise of significantly lower operational costs over time. Yet, the fact that a quarter of Americans are committing to monthly payments exceeding the US$1,000 mark speaks to the premium nature of many electric vehicles currently on the market.
This trend is driven by several factors, including the availability of high-end EV models boasting cutting-edge features, exceptional driving ranges, and rapid charging capabilities. Furthermore, the growing network of charging infrastructure across the nation is making the transition to EVs more viable, assuaging range anxiety concerns.
However, it’s essential to note that the hefty monthly payments are not solely due to the purchase price of the EVs. They encompass various costs, such as financing, insurance, and, in some cases, home charging installations. This comprehensive approach to calculating ownership costs paints a more accurate picture of the financial commitment required to go electric.
The Edmunds report also highlights the evolving priorities of American consumers. As they increasingly prioritize sustainability and the integration of News Technology into their lives, the willingness to allocate a substantial portion of their monthly budget to EV ownership signifies a shift towards more eco-conscious and technologically advanced lifestyles.
In this rapidly evolving automotive landscape, the Edmunds report serves as a compelling indicator of changing consumer preferences and the willingness to invest in a greener, technologically advanced future. As EV technology continues to advance and becomes more accessible, it’s likely that the number of Americans willing to pay a premium for electric transportation will continue to rise, ushering in a new era of automotive innovation and sustainability.


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Boston, May 17, 2023 – Onepak, creator of ReturnCenter, the leading circular economy logistics platform, is pleased to announce the appointment of Tim Barton as its new strategic advisor. Tim is a noteworthy entrepreneur, investor, and creative leader with uniquely relevant experience in the logistics technology industry.
Prior to joining Onepak, Tim founded Freightquote in 1998 and transformed it into the largest online freight brokerage, before selling it to a Fortune 200 company in 2015. Since then, he founded Edison Factory, a firm that creates and invests in startups focused on solving complex global problems. He is recognized as an industry innovator and has received numerous awards and accolades from organizations such as Forbes Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, Ernst and Young, and more.
“We are thrilled to welcome Tim to our team as a strategic advisor,” said Steve Andon, Founder and CEO of Onepak. “Onepak’s mission is to solve the massive logistical challenge of the circular economy. We are committed to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, and as we continue to expand and innovate, Tim’s exceptional track record and industry expertise will be invaluable.”
Tim’s educational background includes an MS in Finance from Louisiana State University and a BS in Business from the University of Kansas. He is also a recipient of the KU School of Business Distinguished Alumni Award and currently serves on their board of advisors, as well as several additional boards as an advisor and strategist.
“Joining Onepak is a great opportunity to work with a dynamic team that is passionate about leveraging technology to enable a sustainable supply chain,” said Tim Barton. “I look forward to collaborating with the leadership team to drive growth and innovation, while having a positive impact on the industry and the world.”
As strategic advisor, Tim will provide guidance and insights to the Onepak leadership team to help drive the company’s strategic direction and growth.
Onepak bends the traditional linear supply chain into a sustainable circle. ReturnCenter, the company’s online carbon neutral logistics platform, connects shippers, receivers, carriers, and their enterprise management tools on one scalable system. The platform delivers complete visibility into chain of custody, access to a flexible network of more than 400 trained logistics partners covering every US zip code and offers numerous tracking and reporting capabilities. The company has sustainably executed more than two billion pounds of product returns for a global customer base that features leading organizations such as Dell Technologies, IBM, United Technologies, Carrier, Diebold, General Motors, Toyota, USBank and DLL Group. For more information, please visit www.onepak.com or contact us.


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Wormhole.cash is a project for the Bitcoin Cash (BCH) chain that provides any individual or organization the ability to create representative tokens. This means users can create tokens that can represent anything they choose like a commodity such as gold, silver, copper, and tobacco. The tokens could also be stocks, bonds, loyalty points, and even coins pegged to a fiat currency like the US dollar. Wormhole is a fork of the project Omni Layer which created and issued the very well known dollar-pegged token tether (USDT).
This week the Wormhole creators launched the project’s mainnet and a blockchain explorer for created tokens and the Wormhole Cash (WHC) generation list. At the moment there’s about 178 tokens listed on the website wh.blockabc.com. According to the WHC generation list it’s been about five days since the last burn for WHC. For every 1BCH burned, the protocol uses the OP_RETURN in the Wormhole burner and the transaction credits the receiving address 100WHC. Right now WHC tokens are being traded against BCH on the exchange Coinex, and at the moment 1WHC is worth 0.008742BCH ($4.85).
Developer Tools and Guides Are Now Available for the Wormhole Client
Additionally, on August 9, Gabriel Cardona the creator of the open source BCH software developer’s kit (SDK) called Bitbox created a Wormhole getting started guide. People can utilize Bitcoin.com’s developer’s tools to create tokens and launch a crowdsale using the Bitcoin Cash protocol.
Check out developer.Bitcoin.com/wormhole to get started with Wormhole.
- Token with a fixed number. (creators cap the number of coins created)
- Token with a managed number. (Create a token and grant new tokens to people or revoke tokens to increase/decrease the total amount.)
- Crowdsale/ICO. (Create a number of tokens and sell them for WHC in an ICO.)
WHC is needed to purchase a crowdsale token created with the Wormhole client, and all of the actions within the process are all on-chain bitcoin cash transactions with an OP_RETURN. The web portal developer.Bitcoin.com/wormhole gives programmers everything they need to get started with the Wormhole client. Cardona also details on Twitter how easy it is to create tokens on the BCH chain using his Bitcoin.com Wormhole developers guide.
Gabriel Cardona shows his Twitter followers how easy it is to create an ICO on the BCH chain.
Can Wormhole Replicate the ERC-20 Phenomenon?
Right now WHC has around $1.3M USD worth of trades taking place over the last 24-hours on the Coinex exchange. It will be interesting to see how well this project does over time and whether or not it can replicate the token creation and ICOs created with the ERC-20 protocol.
At press time on the exchange Coinex one WHC is trading for $4.85 per coin or 0.008742BCH at the time of publication.
At the moment the project is very much in need of a friendly GUI and a compatible SPV wallet that can read Wormhole created tokens. Even so with Bitmain behind the project, and the amount of focus on working with the protocol developers who brought these applications to the table, would likely be kindly rewarded.


text: Indian ride hailing aggregator Ola has plans to go public sometime next year, but a final date for the initial public offering (IPO) is yet to be decided, said chairman and group CEO Bhavish Aggarwal.Both Ola and Ola Electric, the electric mobility arm of the group, have adequate capital and balance sheets and will go public in due course, Aggarwal told CNBC, adding that the company has not announced any IPO plans as of yet.Aggarwal stated that Ola will be first to go public since it is a more mature business. This will happen sometime next year, but there isn't a final date to declare, he added.Earlier this week, Ola had begun talks with investment bankers to manage its upcoming IPO, Bloomberg had reported.Last month, Ola had started raising $500 million to find its initial share issue. This fundraising round saw participation from Temasek Holdings Pte, an affiliate of Warburg Pincus LLC and Fort Cannings Investment. A clutch of existing investors, including Tiger Global, had sold their shares. Earlier this month, Competition Commission of India (CCI) had approved these investments.Bangalore-based Ola, whose parent is ANI Technologies Pvt, was founded in 2011 by Aggarwal and his Indian Institute of Technology classmate Ankit Bhati. The company also offers services in Australia, the UK and New Zealand, and employs more than a million drivers in over 100 cities on its platform.Aggarwal’s electric venture , Ola Electric Mobility Pvt, launched its first offering - Ola S1 electric scooter - on August 15. The electric two-wheeler is being built at the company’s Futurefactory located just outside Bangalore, the largest manufacturing facility for scooters in the world.


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Investing.com - Here are the top five things you need to know in financial markets on Wednesday, March 14:
1. Stocks keeping tabs on Trump tariffs, Washington turmoil
U.S. President Donald Trump showed no sign of easing his stance on tariffs amid a Reuters report Tuesday that the president is seeking to impose tariffs on $60 billion of Chinese imports, targeting the technology and telecommunications sectors as part of his campaign to reduce trade deficits.
While the tariffs would be chiefly targeted at information technology, consumer electronics and telecoms, they could be much broader and the list could eventually run to 100 products, the news agency’s source said.
The threat of additional U.S. tariffs could stoke fears of a global trade war and weigh on investor appetite for risker assets at a time when investors are concerned over turmoil in Washington.
However, U.S. stock futures staged a recovery on Wednesday, pointing to a higher open on Wall Street. At 5:55AM ET (9:55GMT), the blue-chip Dow futures gained 91 points, or 0.36%, S&P 500 futures rose 8 points, or 0.30%, while the Nasdaq 100 futures traded up 30 points, or 0.42%.
European stocks were also trading mostly higher on Wednesday as investors kept an eye on politics. Apart from developments in Washington, Germany reelected Angela Merkel as Chancellor for a fourth term.
2. Focus on retail sales data
On the economic calendar, market participants will focus on the Commerce Department’s release of retail sales for February at 8:30AM ET (12:30GMT) Wednesday.
The consensus forecast is that the report will show retail sales rose 0.3% last month, snapping back after a decline of 0.3% in January.
Core sales are also forecast to inch up 0.3%, after holding flat a month earlier.
Rising retail sales over time correlate with stronger economic growth, while weaker sales signal a declining economy. Consumer spending accounts for as much as 70% of U.S. economic growth.
At the same time on Wednesday and ahead of the Federal Reserve’s decision on interest rates slated for March 21, investors will keep an eye on inflation at the wholesale level.
As measured by the producer price index, wholesale inflation is expected to have cooled to 0.1% in February from 0.4% in the prior month. The expected slowdown in wholesale inflation comes despite the latest ISM survey showing manufacturers saw input costs increase at the fastest pace in seven years.
3. Oil trades higher ahead of input on U.S. supply
OPEC is slated to release its monthly report Wednesday at 7:20AM ET (11:20GMT) which will outline its estimates on global oil demand growth and output.
Non-OPEC output is expected to garner added investor attention after the oil cartel its estimates for rivals outside the group in its previous report. The U.S. made up more than half of the non-OPEC upward revision.
Investors were also watching for signs that Trump's more "hardball" foreign policy tactics could influence oil markets.
A fresh batch of inventory data, meanwhile, from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) on Wednesday at 10:30AM ET (14:30 GMT) is expected to show that U.S. crude stockpiles rose for the third straight week.
Analysts forecast crude inventories rose by about 2.023 million barrels in the week ended March 9.
Late Tuesday, the American Petroleum Institute released its data showing that crude inventories had grown by 1.2 million barrels compared to expectations for a build of 1.5 million barrels.
4. ECB needs more evidence on inflation dynamics
European Central Bank president Mario Draghi said Wednesday that the euro zone monetary authority still needed to see more evidence that inflation was moving toward target before it would consider the removal of monetary stimulus.
“We currently see inflation converging toward our aim over the medium term, and we are more confident than in the past this convergence will come to pass,” Draghi told a conference on Wednesday. “But we still need to see further evidence that inflation dynamics are moving in the right direction,” he added.
Draghi made clear that it would it would be a “very clear condition for us to bring net asset purchases to an end”.
5. Google to ban crypto ads
Under the new policy, the tech giant explained that it will ban ads for unregulated or speculative financial products like binary options, cryptocurrency and financial spread betting among others.
The announcement added to downward pressure seen the in the cryptocurrency market on Wednesday.
At 5:58AM ET (9:58GMT), Bitcoin, the world's biggest virtual currency by market cap, was down around 1.1% to $9,097.50.
Other major cryptocurrencies were also lower, with Ethereum, the world’s second largest cryptocurrency by market cap, falling about 1.7% to $689.11.
The third largest cryptocurrency Ripple lost roughly 7% to trade at $0.77531.
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The Purchasing Managers’ Index, a gauge of factory conditions in China, is still in contraction (-)
Beijing (AFP) – China’s manufacturing activity contracted for a second consecutive month in January, official data showed Thursday, another sign of the country’s economic slowdown.
The Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), a gauge of factory conditions, came in at 49.5 for the month, up slightly from 49.4 in December, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Although this marks the first uptick in four months, it remained below the 50.0 mark separating expansion from contraction.
“The expansion of production in the manufacturing sector stepped up slightly,” NBS analyst Zhao Qinghe said in a statement.
Nie Wen, an economist at Huabao Trust in Shanghai, told Bloomberg that January activity was lifted by the front-loading of production before China’s Lunar New Year holiday next week and a “relatively big issuance of municipal bonds and corporate bonds, both of which helped maintain demand”.
But, Nie warned, “the rebound will be a short-lived one”.
Many businesses close for the Chinese New Year, with workers heading home to celebrate the week-long holiday.
“While the official manufacturing PMI didn’t weaken any further in January, it still suggests that the economy lost momentum at the start of the year,” Marcel Thieliant, senior economist at Capital Economics, wrote in a reasearch note.
China reported its slowest economy growth in almost three decades in 2018, losing more steam in the last quarter as it battles a massive debt pile and a US trade war.
Disclaimer: This story is published from a syndicated feed. Siliconeer does not assume any liability for the above story. Validity of the above story is for 7 Days from original date of publishing. Content copyright AFP.


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Oak Analytics bagged the top award for its low-cost technology to detect food adulteration at the World Food India event. It is a start-up that has been mentored and supported by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
The start-up awards which have been instituted by the Ministry of Food Processing in collaboration with CII and Yes Bank, attracted 150 applications. Oak Analytics received the first prize in the Start-Up Award at the valedictory function of the three-day conference.
While the current solutions to tackle food fraud rely on expensive and time-consuming laboratory testing, Oak Analytics aims to offer a low-cost, advanced and non-invasive technology in the form of a hand-held device to check on food adulteration.
It is based on the discovery by Indian Nobel laureate Dr. CV Raman. The start-up has combined spectral analysis with artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to move expensive laboratory testing into the field for instant molecular authentication.
The company conducted hundreds of verification tests at FSSAI-approved labs and major industry partners. Oak Analytics’ device named RAMAN, is expected to provide food safety inspectors and brands an instant method for testing of products for adulteration and counterfeiting.
FSSAI plans on collaborating with innovators in various areas of food safety to address key areas such as food testing, nutrition, food labelling among others.


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Last week, The New York Times shined its spotlight on Contegix as one of the key players in downtown St. Louis to be creating a regional hub for computer software and data-center companies.
We are still growing here at Contegix by leaps and bounds.
We have recently been hiring quite a few talented rock stars to join the Contegix team over the past several months, and we anticipate additional hiring for 2011.
As we continue to grow here at Contegix we also continue to add additional talented individuals to our staff.
Contegix has expanded its global reach! We are proud to announce our new, strategic partnership with Sonatype, the Maven company.
We are thrilled to announce that Contegix was recently recognized in Linux Journal, a leading trade magazine, as the 2010 Readers’ Choice Awards honorable mention/runner-up in the Best Linux-Friendly Web Hosting Company category.
The Contegix team is proud to announce that Jason Gutenschwager joined as senior vice president of Operations!
Contegix has come a long way since 2004, when co-founders Matthew Porter and Craig McElroy founded the company.
Jim Drewes, Contegix Vice President of Business Development, is featured in the October Small Business Monthly.
Our own Matthew Porter, Co-founder and CEO of Contegix, will be inducted into the Saint Louis University 2010 Smurfit-Stone Entrepreneurial Alumni Hall of Fame as the “Under 40 Entrepreneur” October 2nd.


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Family-owned haulier Shipley Transport Services has rewarded the first class service it receives from Volvo and extended its relationship with four new fuel-efficient FHs with I-Save tractor units. The Bradford full loads, part loads and pallets specialist specified the 460hp 6×2 tractors with Globetrotter XL cabs from Crossroads Truck and Bus and they join a 50-strong fleet of predominantly Volvos. David Clarke, Shipley MD, said: “We’ve been buying Volvos for more than 20 years, because we’ve always been pleased with […]
Daimler/Volvo joint venture reaches major milestone with launch of Daimler Truck Fuel Cell subsidiary
Daimler Truck has launched Daimler Truck Fuel Cell, marking a major milestone in its joint venture plans with Volvo Group to develop hydrogen fuel cells for commercial vehicles.
Heathrow-based Mixed Freight Services has joined Pallet-Track, making it the second new member to join the network this year.
Car transport business A1 Automotive has taken delivery of three new car transporters from Fraikin to support its transport services division in Livingston.


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Don't let Doha trade talks collapse: Anand Sharma
The struggling decade-old Doha Development Round of free-trade talks must not be allowed to collapse, the trade minister said on Monday.delhi Updated: Sep 05, 2011 21:27 IST
The struggling decade-old Doha Development Round of free-trade talks must not be allowed to collapse, the trade minister said on Monday.
The call came as failure threatens the negotiations on expanding the global free trade system by cutting subsidies and barriers for farm produce and reducing import tariffs on industrial goods and services.
"We must not allow this round to collapse," Anand Sharma told a trade gathering also attended by World Trade Organization (WTO) chief Pascal Lamy.
India has emerged as one of the leaders of the developing countries in the painstaking trade negotiations.
Lamy, who arrived in New Delhi on Monday for a two-day visit, told the conference that the 153 WTO members could not give up on the talks "because of a steep slope or long path."
The WTO chief is due to seek the help of India in bridging gaps on the negotiations ahead of a key ministerial meeting in Geneva in December and is expected to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi.
The talks round was launched in the Qatari capital Doha in 2001, mainly to aid developing countries that felt left out of the benefits of globalisation and the previous round of liberalisation which set up the WTO in 1995.
WTO member states have repeatedly missed deadlines to agree on a global free trade pact.
The December 15 to 17 regular ministerial conference is fast turning into a watershed for the Doha talks, observers say, amid efforts to lower ambitions for the round and clinch a downsized accord.
First Published: Sep 05, 2011 21:24 IST


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AMD will be launching its new Ryzen 8000G series processors in January 2024, with the next-gen desktop APU launching on the AM5 socket, and we know that because of our friends at GIGABYTE.
GIGABYTE has accidentally kinda confirmed AMD's new Ryzen 8000G series launching in late January 2024 through a recent update to AGESA for AMD 600 series motherboards. The update included a confirmation from GIGABYTE, which said that their new AGESA 22.214.171.124 beta BIOS supports AM5 next-gen APU, which the company says "will be launched at the end of January 2024".
Well, there you have it -- AMD is launching its new APU in late January 2024, which will be the new Ryzen 8000G series APU family. We should expect the Ryzen 7 8700G, Ryzen 5 8600G, Ryzen 5 8500G, and finally, the Ryzen 3 8300G. The flagship Ryzen 7 8700G APU will feature 8 cores and 16 threads, with an RDNA 3-based GPU with 12 Compute Units in total... the most amount of CUs we've had on a desktop APU yet.
AMD's new Ryzen 8000G series APUs will have an upgraded CPU and GPU, with the new "Phoenix" APUs on the AM5 socket will feature up to 12 Compute Units based on the RDNA 3 GPU architecture. Up until now, AMD has been using slower integrated graphics, so the upgrade to RDNA 3 will be great to see. A better CPU with far greater GPU power, and it all comes in the same 65W package.
- Read more: AMD's next-gen Strix Halo, Strix Point, Kraken Point APUs have 3x AI performance boost in 2025
AMD's previous-gen 5000G "Cezanne" APUs featured up to 8 cores and 16 threads based on the Zen 3 CPU architecture, with 8 Compute Units based on the far older Vega GPU architecture, with each of the Ryzen 5000G series with a 65W TDP. The same goes for the new Ryzen 8000G series APUs, and they're all 65W designs but feature improvements across the board. We don't know CPU clocks yet, but we should expect 4.0GHz+.
GIGABYTE PR explained in full: "November 10, 2023 -GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and hardware solutions, released the latest AGESA 126.96.36.199 beta BIOS for AM5 next gen APU support on X670, B650, A620 motherboards. The forthcoming AM5 next gen APU will be launched at the end of January 2024".
"The AGESA 188.8.131.52 beta BIOS for AM5 next gen APU is now ready on the GIGABYTE official website, and the formal release will be at the end of Nov. Users can easily update the BIOS using GIGABYTE's ＠BIOS, Q-Flash, or Q-Flash Plus technology".


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Affected players who have played Competitive Mode since the bug will have their skill rating recalculated based on that period of play, while those who haven't will have to replay their placement matches to have a new rating assigned.
Blizzard explains that items in loot boxes weren't actually lost due to this bug, but that some players can't see items they own in the Hero Gallery, and that a patch is on the way to remedy that.
"We can't guarantee we've been able to restore everything that was missing," says the post, "but we've done our best to get back as much as possible using the tools we have available. Moving forward, we're taking steps to improve our restoration processes as well as reduce the chance for issues like this to happen again." Some players on the Blizzard forums are reporting receiving extra credits and loot boxes as compensation, although Blizzard itself has made no mention of this.
ORIGINAL STORY: A bug on the PS4 version of Overwatch appears to be causing players to lose significant progress in the game, including the loss of in-game currency paid for with real-world money.
IGN has been contacted by players who have reported losing levels, competitive ranks, skins, loot boxes and the Credits, the in-game currency. Similar reports have emerged on Reddit and the Overwatch forums.
Last week, Blizzard said that the root cause for this problem had been fixed, and asked affected players to supply their PSN usernames. While no new reports of the problem seem to have emerged since that time, affected players are still reporting that the issues have not been reversed.Four days ago, Blizzard technical support contact, Xulkayci wrote: "Players that did lose progress, that is what's still being looked into by the Developers, and as of right now there's no new update to offer sadly." No statement has been made since that time.
However, a representative of Blizzard's Game Master customer support service today indicated to IGN that the problem appears to be one specific to the PS4 format, and indicated that Sony were involved with fixing the issue:
"I can confirm that we are having multiple reports regarding this issue and our Development Team and Quality Assurance Department are already working on a solution with Sony which will be available as soon as possible. Sadly, as of right now, there's no actual ETA on when it will be resolved."Understandably, players are anxious to know whether a fix will restore their progress, and whether such a fix would overwrite any progress they've made since the bug affected them. Some players have now begun requesting compensation for both their lost money and time lost.
We've contacted Blizzard for comment and will update you as soon as any statement's made.
In more upbeat Overwatch news, code-vestigators recently discovered clues to a potential 23rd character in the game, the long-rumoured Sombra.
Joe Skrebels is IGN's UK News Editor, and if he lost his Firefighter Mei skin, it would all be over for him. Follow him on Twitter.
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Influencer-focused content marketing company Collective Bias polled its stable of largely female influencers to get a sense of their preferred social networks.
Jun Group’s survey found that a slightly higher percentage of females named games as their favorite type of mobile app than did males.
New data suggests that females are playing mobile games at a higher frequency than males in the US.
There are some key differences in the demographic makeup of each site’s news users. Instagram and Snapchat news consumers are considerably more likely to be nonwhite and younger.
Teens in the US are split when it comes to trusting the advertisements they see, read or hear.
Faced with a marketing email from a brand they don’t want emails from, US adults are as likely to unsubscribe from the list (41%) as they are to ignore the email (41%).
The percentage of American adults who read books has remained relatively unchanged in the past few years.
64% of U.S. adults say fabricated news stories cause a great deal of confusion about the basic facts of current issues and events.
Some 56% of smartphone owners ages 18 to 29 use auto-delete apps, more than four times the share among those 30-49 (13%) and six times the share among those 50 or older (9%).
Roughly three-in-ten online Americans (31%) use Pinterest, identical to the 31% who used the platform in 2015.


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Just when it seems that Denver can’t possibly handle any more food halls, yet another one is announced.
Then, before anyone even has a chance to even digest that news (never mind visit the many other halls that have also recently opened), the next leading local culinary figure drops plans for their own new multi-stall monument to everything “artisan” and “homegrown.”
So goes life in the Mile High City of 2019, where the rent never stops rising and the whole food scene has seemingly become a hostage to the city’s most unstoppable culinary trend.
The newest (though surely not for long) kid on the increasingly-crowded food hall block will be Junction Food & Drink, a 12,000-square-foot hall that will open near the intersection of Interstate 25 and Colorado Boulevard next spring. This food hall, however, is not the brainchild of one chef or culinary group but rather a project of a partnership between two real estate companies: ASB Real Estate Investments and the Lincoln Property Company.
Junction Food & Drink, like most of the halls that have opened before it, will offer several food stalls as well as a coffee shop and a central bar.
Those stalls, which will number 10 according to a press release sent Monday, will, of course, feature a mix of restaurants from “renowned national and local chefs.” So far, only two of those restaurants have been confirmed.
The first is a Mediterranean stall called Shawarma Shack from Dallas chef and restaurateur Yaser Khalaf. The focus of that stall will be on wood-fired meats that will be roasted on spits that will be visible through a window. However, the release promises Shawarma Shack will also offer options for vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diners.
The release also mentions the other confirmed stall will be called Grind and Grill Burgers, though it doesn’t provide any more detail about what it will offer or who is behind it.
Restaurants are still being sought to fill the remaining eight remaining spaces. Restaurateurs (and would-be restaurateurs) can apply for a spot in the hall on the Junction Food & Drink website.
Although it is getting increasingly difficult to imagine how Denver is going to support so many food halls (there are already five in the city limits with several more spread throughout the metro area), Junction Food & Drink’s prime location just off a major interstate isn’t all it has going for it. It is also setting up shop in the center of several neighborhoods that have so far missed out on the food hall trend and in an area that has a large population of office workers.
- Junction Food & Drink [Official]
- Trinity Groves Restaurant Debuts New Name and Skewered Meats [EDALLAS]


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NewsChannel 9 is proud once again to present Dave's Diamond Darlings... one of the longest-running, most popular, award-winning franchises in Chattanooga television history.
Dave's Diamond Darlings was born in 1994. Since then Dave has racked up one award after another, including three national Edward R. Murrow Awards... an almost unprecedented feat.
Dan Shelley, RTNDA Chairman has said, "By design, it is not easy to win (a Murrow). Consecutive Murrows is an extraordinary feat indeed." In twenty years Dave has accumulated the following awards:
Business and economic reports scheduled for today
UNDATED (AP) -- This week could be a make-or-break period for investors as more than 150 companies in the S&P 500 report their quarterly financial results, including such market-moving names as Apple, Ford, Visa, Pfizer and Exxon Mobil.
WEST PALM BEACH, FL -- (Marketwired) -- 03/21/14 --
Companies that pride themselves on being eco-friendly may have conflicted
ideas between marketing with ad specialties and maintaining their green
BRUCE JENNER - RATINGS
NEW YORK (AP) -- He talked.
HOT DOG CONTEST-VEGAS
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Forty-eight hot dogs is just an appetizer for Matt Stonie.
IN THE NEWS: CABLEVISION OFFERS INTERNET PACKAGE ALTERNATIVE
NEW YORK (AP) -- Can a cable company appeal to cord-cutters?


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Jet2 has likely suspended its Turkey package tour program to meet the mid-term seekers.
Outbound flights will continue until the end of this week (Friday) but will then be suspended due to restrictions on coronavirus travel quarantine.
Turkey was added to the government’s no-go travel list last week. The decision has been described as a “major blow to the travel industry”.
Jet2 has announced that it will operate inbound flights from Izmir to the UK through October 10th and from Antalya, Bodrum and Dalaman through October 13th.
All holidays up to and including October 31st will be automatically canceled and refunded. Package holidaymakers receive £ 100 off alternative bookings for October and November.
The removal of Turkey from the list of safe travel destinations was a major blow to Jet2, which massively expanded its program for the country after it stopped traveling to other European hotspots.
Jet2 increased its vacation and flight capacity to the Greek islands, which are exempt from UK quarantine restrictions, when it suspended its Turkey vacation.
The islands of Zante / Zakynthos, Crete and Tinos should return to the safe travel list due to a drop in coronavirus infections.
It was stated that customers were still in demand for the autumn break.


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NetApp, the data storage company formerly known as Network Appliance, knows a thing or two about market downturns. After the dot-com crash nine years ago, the company, with a customer base skewed heavily toward tech outfits, saw sales plummet. "Seventy percent of our customer base disappeared," Chief Executive Tom Georgens told Forbes.
In the just-ended quarter, NetApp's revenue sank 4%. But it performed better than market leader
"We beat the Street; we beat the competition," he says. But growth was "still negative." Georgens is hesitant to call a bottom to the tech-spending drought. But he says customers are at least talking now about making changes and improvements to their data-storage systems, which could translate into sales soon.
Georgens, the company's former president and chief operating officer, took over from longtime chief Dan Warmenhoven last month.
Growth is an even bigger issue for NetApp in the face of its failed effort earlier this year to acquire fellow storage company Data Domain. NetApp cut a deal in May to acquire Data Domain for about $1.5 billion, or $25 a share, but ultimately lost a bidding war with EMC for the company. Data Domain took EMC's final offer of about $2.2 billion, or $33.50 a share.
Georgens notes that NetApp already offers Data Domain's much-touted "de-duplication" technology, which helps eliminate the storage of redundant data on computers. The bigger allure of Data Domain, he says, was its focus on "disk-to-disk backup," or backing up data from other vendors' machines.
Some other companies, like Quantum and smaller start-ups, offer that technology. But Georgens insists NetApp doesn't have to buy one of them to boost growth. "We could invest ourselves, we could find another opportunity, or we could look at another market" for growth, he says. Still, "if there was another disk-to-disk type opportunity out there, I think we would look at it." NetApp's revenue grew 36% in 2007 but just 3% in fiscal 2009, which ended Apr. 30. Georgens says the company's compound annual growth rate over the last several years has been about 25%.
Another possibility: NetApp could be takeover bait itself. With Silicon Valley's tech giants rapidly consolidating and building themselves into veritable IT conglomerates, some tech bankers and financiers speculate a big company like HP or
Either way, NetApp will have to stay one step ahead of the Goliaths if it wants to build its own growth story.


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As usual, the two automakers that set the tone for October were Toyota and General Motors. The four Toyota Prius variants combined to move 15,623 vehicles, down 6.9 percent from a year earlier. While Prius Plug-in Hybrid sales rose 11 percent, the other three variants were all down from October 2012, while Lexus hybrid sales fell 7.5 percent. Despite 1,398 units sold of the new Toyota Avalon Hybrid, total Toyota green-car sales fell 1.3 percent from a year earlier to 23,762 units.
As usual, the two automakers that set the tone were Toyota and General Motors.
GM was even harder hit, as sales of the Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in plunged 32 percent from a year earlier to 2,022 units. Additionally, the 510 units sold of the new Chevrolet Cruze Diesel and the 87 Chevrolet Spark EVs sold were more than offset by plunges in demand for GM mild hybrids such as the Buick LaCrosse, Buick Regal and Chevrolet Malibu eAssist vehicles. Overall, GM's green-car sales dropped 26 percent from a year earlier to 4,232 vehicles.
Volkswagen didn't do much better, as VW diesel sales fell 17 percent from a year earlier. VW green-car sales declined 9.3 percent as the German automaker sold 666 Jetta Hybrids last month.
Such declines offset the gains from Ford, Nissan and Honda. While Ford's green-car growth slowed from previous months, its sales were still up 48 percent from a year earlier to 7,026 units. Notably, the C-Max and Fusion Energi Plug-in Hybrids each had a record sales months with 1,092 and 1,087 units sold, respectively, while Fusion Hybrid sales were more than doubled at 2,577 vehicles. Those gains were a bit of bright news in the face of a 53 percent drop in C-Max Hybrid sales. Ford, always ready to take a pot shot at Toyota, sent out a release (available below) saying its two plug-in vehicles outsold Toyota's single plug-in hybrid, the Prius Plug In Hybrid.
All these declines offset gains from Ford, Nissan and Honda.
Nissan also came up big last month, as sales of its battery-electric Leaf jumped 27 percent from a year earlier to 2,002 units. And Honda erased its year-over-year sales lag from earlier in the year by doubling October green-car sales to 2,217 units. Such numbers, bolstered by a near-doubling of Insight sales and a more-than-doubling of Civic Hybrid demand, should continue to improve since November will mark the first full month of Accord Hybrid sales.
Year-to-date, US green car sales for 2013 are still up 22 percent compared to 2012 to this point, hitting more than 545,000 units all told. Year-to-date plug-in vehicle sales have surged 68 percent to more than 62,000 units, not including the Tesla Model S, which we only find out about every three months, Thankfully, today is one of those days.
Ford C-MAX Energi and Ford Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid vehicles deliver best sales month ever, outpacing sales of the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid vehicle
Sales of Ford plug-in hybrid vehicles in October shatter previous record by 45 percent
Ford catapults from zero market share to 34 percent in 13 months in the plug-in hybrid vehicle market
Ford Motor Company took over the No. 1 spot in plug-in hybrid vehicle sales of the Ford Fusion Energi and Ford C-MAX Energi in October, outpacing sales of the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid vehicle.
Ford sold 2,179 Fusion Energi and C-MAX Energi vehicles last month, accounting for 34 percent of the total plug-in hybrid market. Toyota sold 2,095 units of its Prius plug-in hybrid vehicle.
It is Ford's best month ever for plug-in hybrid sales, shattering the previous record of 1,508 vehicles sold in September, a 45 percent increase. Ford's plug-in hybrid vehicles – Fusion Energi and C-MAX Energi – hit this sales milestone just one year after introduction of C-MAX Energi and less than a year since launch of Fusion Energi.
Plug-in hybrid sales are beginning to gain traction in some key growth markets for Ford across the United States.
California continues to account for 38 percent of all Ford plug-in hybrid vehicle sales, but plug-ins are strengthening in the midwestern and eastern regions. New York, Boston, Detroit, Chicago, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia combine to make up 32 percent of the C-MAX Energi market. Those same cities make up 34 percent of the market for Fusion Energi. New York alone comes close to unseating San Francisco as the second most popular market for Fusion Energi.
Fusion Energi sales in October doubled in New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. from the previous month.
Plug-in hybrid sales for the industry are up 32 percent year-to-date. The industry sold 39,083 vehicles through October, compared to 29,526 vehicles in 2012. October plug-in hybrid sales came within 40 units of setting an all-time monthly record for the segment.
Through September, aggregate data collected through MyFord® Mobile show Ford plug-in hybrids are being driven about 203,000 electric miles a day, enough to drive around the earth nearly eight times, or more than 8,400 electric-only miles an hour. These numbers are rapidly increasing as Ford continues investing in infrastructure while features exclusive to Ford plug-ins help improve driving habits.
Through MyFord Mobile and other features such as SmartGauge® with EcoGuide, data show how driving habits evolve and how electric-only miles rapidly accumulate. After six months of vehicle ownership, nearly 30 percent of all trips are taken gas-free, compared to about 20 percent at the beginning of ownership.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 180,000 employees and 65 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit corporate.ford.com.


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NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Gentex GNTX, -0.98% shares sank almost 4 percent to $44.42 after the Zeeland, Mich., maker of rearview mirror and commercial fire protection products posted first-quarter earnings of $29.8 million, or 38 cents per share, up from its year-ago profit of $25.9 million, or 34 cents per share, but a penny short of Wall Street's consensus estimate. Revenue rose 12 percent in the latest three months to $129.3 million from $115.3 million in the same period a year earlier. The average estimate of seven analysts polled by Thomson First Call was for revenue of $131.1 million in the quarter.
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Alibaba (BABA)is set to report quarterly results on Thursday, which should provide a closer look into the stability of China internet stocks and an economy that has shown some signs of weakness.
It was a rough period for China internet stocks this past week, with several companies reporting earnings that missed expectations on some key metrics. Internet streaming providers YY (YY) and Huya (HUYA) fell by double digits in reaction to a third-quarter outlook below expectations. Internet giant Tencent Holdings (TCEHY) fell 7% on an earnings report Wednesday that missed views, dragging down other internet stocks, including Momo (MOMO), Weibo (WB), Sina (SINA) and Baozun (BZUN).
Also hurting China internet stocks in the earnings reports was a lower-than-expected outlook for the third quarter. Altogether it has raised concerns of possible weakness in China's economic growth, as retail sales in the country for July slowed further. Currency weakness is also a concern.
Get exclusive IBD analysis and action news daily.
While the ongoing trade war between the U.S. and China has created some jitters it does not show up as a near-term concern among analysts that follow China internet stocks. Alibaba, as the largest e-commerce company in China, is likely to provide greater insight as to market direction.
Alibaba's Earnings Estimates
Alibaba reports fiscal first-quarter results before the market open Thursday.
The consensus is for Alibaba to report revenue of 81.3 billion yuan. That coverts to $11.8 billion, using Friday's exchange rate. The consensus on adjusted earnings is $1.22 per share.
Shares of Alibaba closed at 172.78, up 0.5% on the stock market today. Alibaba stock is down 18% since hitting a record high of 211.70 on June 5.
Raymond James analyst Aaron Kessler on Wednesday lowered his price target on Alibaba to 280 from 300, with macroeconomic and currency concerns being among the reasons for the reduction. But he maintained a strong buy rating on the stock.
Oppenheimer analyst Jason Helfstein, in a research report last week, maintained an outperform rating on Alibaba and price target of 230.
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Sweet Deal: Mars to Buy Wrigley
MELISSA BLOCK, host:
Mars, that's the candy bar company, wants to get into the chewing gum business. It's offering a rich premium to buy the Wrigley Company, the Chicago based firm that makes Juicy Fruit and Doublemint gum. Wrigley officials announced the deal today saying it could spur other companies in the candy business to think about mergers of their own.
NPR's Cheryl Corley reports.
CHERYL CORLEY: family-owned Mars is the world's largest chocolate seller and Wrigley is the number one manufacturer of chewing gum. Under the plan announced today, Mars will purchase Wrigley for $80 a share in a transaction valued at about $23 billion.
Bill Wrigley, the company's chairman says it's an unbeatable combination that will put brands like Snickers, M & M's, Orbit, and Skittles all under one umbrella.
Mr. BILL WRIGLEY (Executive Chairman, Wrigley Company): Together we'll be more than a $27 billion company. And the combined entity will be, among other things, the world's leading confectionary company with the resources and critical mass to explore new geographies and categories that might have been beyond our reach in the past.
CORLEY: Billionaire Warren Buffet will also have a minority stake in Wrigley, but the firm will continue to operate independently as a Mars subsidiary. In a company statement, Mars President Paul Michaels says, both firms have a strong cultural heritage and similar values. Both company's have been around for more than a century and Wrigley's President, Bill Perez, says the merger is a good fit.
Mr. WILLIAM PEREZ (President and CEO, William Wrigley Junior Company): Consider the following - family led culture and strong values; combined, about 200 years of consumer goods experience; long-term focus; a commitment to investing in brands; global expertise and a belief in empowering and developing people.
CORLEY: The Wrigley name has long been a part of Chicago history. The gum maker has a towering ornate headquarters along Chicago's Michigan Avenue and the Chicago Cubs historic ballpark, Wrigley Field was named after its former owners. Bill Wrigley says, while the name of the ballpark may change, the company that makes Lifesavers, Altoids, and Doublemint will continue to be called Wrigley. So, his focus now is on the merger. He says it's likely to make other companies in the confectionary industry re-think their options.
Mr. WRIGLEY: The folks at Hershey's, the folks at Cadbury, and folks maybe at Nestle have to think about what they want to do in this phase and will evaluate their opportunities.
CORLEY: The opportunities the merger will bring for Wrigley he says will include growth, and innovation, and new products - maybe something like chocolate chewing gum.
(Soundbite of laughter)
Mr. WRIGLEY: Who knows?
Mr. PEREZ: You'll never know.
CORLEY: The Mars acquisition of Wrigley goes to the company's shareholders and if approved, is expected to take six months to a year to complete.
Cheryl Corley, NPR News, Chicago.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.


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RYD Launches in Australia
Surf Accessories brand, RYD has officially opened its doors in Australia. After months of product delays due to the global pandemic, the fun-focussed brand is ready for trade just in time for the southern hemisphere summer.
Based out of Yamba in New South Wales (2 hours south of the Gold Coast), the new Australian website and online store opened its doors for business on December 1. In Australia the main sales focus will be direct to consumer, while looking to partner up with very limited, but strategic bricks and mortar partners in key regions.
Coinciding with the Australian launch is also the brands first integrated global marketing campaign, RYD WITH US, which sums up the heart of the brand – to impact people by positively spreading the stoke of surfing. The brand focuses on fun, family and broad participation – everyone is welcome.
Brand Founder, Barend Buys said the launch of the global campaign and the entry into the Australian market is a long-time dream come true. “Seeing the brand spread its wings globally and start to impact people in a positive way is something we always dreamed about. Seeing it all come to fruition now is a pretty surreal feeling.” Explains Buys.
Global Brand Director and Country Manager for Australia, Brad Bricknell said the culmination of hard work and patience had finally paid off. “2020 has presented so many challenges for everyone, so to see our first brand campaign released to the world and the doors to our online store in Australia swing open, it’s not only exciting, but also a huge relief.” Says Brad.
For Bricknell, the launch was cause for double celebration. “The RYD WITH US campaign is essentially an open invitation to join our tribe.” Brad explains the campaigns reason for being. “It really captures the heart of who we are and what we do, and that’s to spread the stoke of surfing and impact people positively along the way. We focus a lot on fun, family and every level of participation, not just the elite.” Says Bricknell.
“We think this message will also resonate with the Australian market, the existing brands in this space do a great job here in Aus, but we think we have a unique message and point of difference in terms of market position.”
The RYD brand will also entering the UK market in time for the northern Hemisphere Spring/Summer 21 and are currently working on plans to launch in the US market next year. Other territories that have seen success with the brand include New Zealand, Israel, Portugal.
View RYD’s new website and Australian store here: https://rydbrand.com.au
View RYD’s new brand campaign video, RYD WITH US here: https://youtu.be/DfahK_Q7uuI
View how RYD’s using their Instagram feed to communicate the RYD WITH US message here: https://www.instagram.com/rydbrand_global/
RYD is a surf accessories brand that exists to impact people for good by humbly spreading the stoke of surfing. We make quality products, proven by some of the world’s best surfers — while focusing on having the most fun we can in and around the ocean.
More about RYD here: https://rydbrand.com.au/pages/about-us


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Seat becomes UK’s fastest growing car brand: Here’s why…
With a 14% market growth so far in 2018, Seat has set the benchmark as the fastest-growing volume car brand in the UK. This equates to a 2.7% share of the overall UK market.
With 2,997 more units sold than at the same point last year, this stat is even more impressive when you factor in the overall market for UK car registrations is down 8.8% year-on-year.
On a global scale, Seat has seen its sales grow by a record-breaking 21% in April, having already completed the best first quarter in its history this year. In total it has sold 189,300 cars worldwide so far in 2018, a rise of 19.3% compared to the same period last year.
Commenting on this strong performance, Richard Harrison, Director, Seat UK, said: “Our latest sales success shows that we have created a truly desirable and accessible line-up of dynamic new cars that offers a great alternative to the traditional mainstream car brands.
“These award-winning products from Barcelona have really made an impact on UK customers, in particular the new Arona crossover. With a further new SUV to be unveiled later in the year, as well as the first Cupra Ateca, we are on track to maintain this record-breaking performance.”
Top five most popular Seat vehicles on ContractHireAndLeasing.com
This growth is no doubt due in part to the wild successful launch of the Seat Arona small crossover at the beginning of the year, but which Seat models are our readers looking to lease? Here’s the top five most popular models…
5. Seat Alhambra
Although it has been available in its current form for three years, the seven-seat MPV remains a class leader and shows no signs of slowing down in popularity.
Admittedly short on flair, and sticking out like a sore thumb compared to the rest of the Seat range, it is an extremely competent MPV that remains a go-to practical choice.
4. Seat Ibiza
As one of the Seat brand’s key pillars and with 5.4m sold since it was first launched in 1984, the Seat Ibiza remains hugely popular across a variety of demographics.
Sharper, edgier, and more complete than any of the previous models, the current Ibiza is one of the finest small hatchbacks on the market.
3. Seat Ateca
With a premiere mix of style, space, quality, driving enjoyment and value, the Seat Ateca hit the ground running from launch and has never slowed down, receiving plaudits and praise from everyone who has set foot in one.
Though admittedly late to the crossover party, the Ateca has proved to be one of those milestone models for Seat with unparalleled popularity. The only surprise is that it isn’t higher on the list.
2. Seat Arona
Just edging the Ateca to number two on this list, the Seat Arona appears to have done the impossible and beat the get-go popularity of its larger sibling.
Launching like a rocket at the beginning of 2018 and helping Seat reach their impressive growth this year, the Arona offers plenty of kit and a sportier ride than others in the class and is a car that is easy to recommend.
1. Seat Leon
The Seat Leon has always been the most popular model in the range and we can’t envision a day when that won’t hold true. As the sporty option across the range, it’s a car that offers drivers pedigree, power and practicality with no trade-offs.
When we were compiling our 2017 Leasing Report a few heads were scratched when we discovered that the Seat Leon had become one of the top ten most popular cars on ContractHireAndLeasing.com. But having been in one it’s easy to see why:


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America and China appear to be locked in a financial embrace turned toxic. If America is running perennial trade deficits and if American consumers are running dire savings deficits, then China appears to be wrestling with the opposite peril: a worsening inflationary spiral caused by a tsunami of incoming ever-cheaper dollars.
I won't pretend to be an expert on China's stock or bond market, but then again finding such discussion of financial conditions in China seems to be just about impossible. What I do know a little about is financial history, and what conditions in stock and even moreso bond markets can tell us about where an economy is going.
With that in mind, it is worthwhile to look at China's markets and ask ourselves, "If this was the US, where would the economy be heading?" The answer (while enviable compared to America's condition) ain't so pretty.
Inflation in the Chinese economy is rising, and rising at a faster clip as the dollar depreciates:
Until a year ago, inflation seemed well-contained at a rate of less than 4% a year. Recently inflation has exceeded 8% a year, bringing to mind the wage-price spirals of the US in the 1970s. And make no mistake, Chinese wages have been appreciating at a rapid clip as well, averaging $200 a month, doubling from just a few years ago (something that makes even poorer countries like Vietnam look appealing for global corporatists).
In the US, the normal way to rein in inflation was for the central bank to raise interest rates until the yield curve "inverts" that is, shorter term interest rates pay more than longer term interest rates. The result is a recession which acts to bring down inflation as consumers cut back their spending. No such prospect appears on the horizon in China. Why?
The reaction of the government in China to stresses in the economy appears to mirror that of authorities, especially the Alan Greenspan Fed in the US. Moral hazard be damned, big financial players must be bailed out! In China that peril is worsened by the fact that Chinese consumers, unlike Americans, are unable to vent themselves at the polls. At least in this country, American voters can vote out the GOP and vote in democrats if they are sufficiently unhappy with the economy. There is no such option avaiable to ordinary Chinese, and of course the highest priority of the Chinese Communist Party is to make sure there never is one! Thus a consumer recession is to be avoided at nearly all costs as explained here:
Rising inflation, just an economic nuisance a few months ago, could turn into a political problem for China’s leaders, whose legitimacy rests partly on delivering steady improvement in standards of living. Rising global energy prices and catastrophic snowstorms a month ago in China have caused food prices to shoot up.
Inflation in China hits particularly hard at urban residents on fixed incomes, such as retirees and factory workers, many of whom have seen a sudden erosion in their rising living standards.
In short, China faces a choice between an inflationary spiral that continues to erode workers' real incomes, or reining in exports, which will lead to more employment. Right now, it still appears to be plumping for more inflation:
Here are 2 graphs. The first compares the overnight rate with 2 year and 10 year interest returns. In this graph, overnight rates in China are lower than US Federal funds rates!
The second graph shows the yield curve in Chinese bonds from 1-30 years. While this curve is flatter than the US curve, it is nonetheless a positively sloped curve.
So there appears no rush by Chinese authorities to inflict enough pain on their economy to cause raging inglation to subside. Keep in mind that ALL of the interest rates shown above are well below the inflation rate of 8%+, making these interest rates strongly stimulative.
Out of control inflation will lead to asset bubbles, and there certainly was one in the Shanghai stock market, which quadrupled in value in the last couple of years, until it crashed 50% from its October 2007 high:
Last week the Chinese government directly intervened, cutting taxes on stock trades and possibly buying stocks directly. As a result, the Shanghai market gained more than 10% in just a couple of days at the end of last week! But the stock crash, like e.g. the Nasdaq crash from 5000 in 2000-2001, at very least presages a dramatic slowdown if not a recession in China as a result of this overheated inflation.
The worry that rising Chinese unemployment and unrest is to avoided at nearly all costs, explains a lot about the stories coming out of China in the last week or so. For example:
China may need to resume tax incentives for textiles exporters after the yuan's appreciation crimped profits and curbed production, an official with the top economic planning agency said.
``Many of those companies are on the verge of shutting down,'' Zhang Xiaoqiang, vice chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, said at a trade conference in Beijing today. ``We should consider resuming some tax incentives to help them survive.''
The strengthening yuan and weaker demand in the U.S., Europe and Japan, China's largest trade partners, curbed export growth of toys, textiles, shoes and garments in the first quarter, Zhang said. China won't further cut rebates in sectors that create a lot of employment, he said.
``Some exporters are idling half or even all of their production this year because they couldn't sign contracts while they are uncertain about how fast the yuan will rise,'' Zhang said. ``We should continue to support labor-intensive manufacturing to help boost jobs and farmers' income.''
China may limit new share sales and allow investors to borrow money to buy equities in an effort to boost the world's sixth worst-performing stock market, according to Citic Securities Co.
The CSI 300 rallied 16 percent last week after the government reduced the so-called stamp duty on stock transactions to encourage trading....
Shares slumped after the CSI 300 rose almost sixfold in 2006 and 2007 and stocks traded at an average 52.8 times earnings. They also fell on concern government steps to curb inflation would hurt corporate profit and new equity sales would overwhelm demand. This year's decline wiped out $1.14 trillion in market value.
.... China clamped down on unauthorized margin trading in 1997 and 2001, when banks were found to have illegally channeled money into the stock market.
But the more China tries to protect its capital enterprises and employment, the more it must get concerned about inflation:
“The price of everything has just gone mad,” griped Zhou Qiongfang, a housekeeper, as she looked over slabs of raw pork at a wholesale market.
“At every meal, I eat less,” she added.
China is the world’s biggest pork producer.... Pig production is expected to fall 10 percent this year, even as pork prices have risen nearly 60 percent in the past year.
It isn’t just meat that’s soared in price. Vegetables, rice and cooking oil all have climbed in recent months, and manufacturers in other sectors are eager to pass along increased energy costs to consumers.
But China’s inflation fears run deep – and extend beyond just energy. The big concern is soaring food prices,... In February, Chinese consumer prices leapt 8.7% over the same period last year, to their highest level in 12 years. Pork prices, hit by an epidemic of the deadly “blue-eared” virus, surged in some areas by as much as 65% - prompting waves of pig-jackings.
Many economists dismiss the fuss about global inflation as overdone. ... declares UBS economist John Anderson in a recent note to clients. “The evidence suggests the current spike in prices will be temporary, fading away by the second half of 2008.”
Anderson contends that, unlike the 1990s, when inflationary pressures were broadly based, the current price spike is almost entirely limited to food items, which make up less than a third of urban household expenditure. When food is excluded, China’s core inflation rate drops to 1.6%.
But Stephen Roach [says] “I’ve seen this movie before,” he writes in this piece in the Wall Street Journal. “It takes me back to the early 1970s” when Fed chairman Aurthur Burns dismissed the significance of rising food and energy prices as external shocks, and focused instead on core inflation with disastrous consequences. Roach’s conclusion: “China cannot afford to ignore the lessons of America’s most painful policy blunder on the inflation front.”
In short, the mutually parasitic embrace between Chinese mercantilists and American corporatists appears to be reaching a breaking point -- for both parties.


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Merrillville Town Council is tightening its purse strings after losing a tax appeal from Meijer totaling almost $2.3 million.
"We'll see a salary ordinance with no raises because of this and we may have to lay some people off," Town Manager Bruce Spires said during Tuesday's council meeting.
Spires said there are about 21 appeals facing Merrillville from big box retailers.
Mike Wieser, of the Lake County auditor's office, had notified Town Attorney John Bushemi that a final determination was made in Meijer's appeal of its property taxes from 2004 through 2016 that resulted in significant reductions in the big box store's assessed valuation for each year.
As a result, Wieser wrote, Meijer would receive a tax refund of $1,738,000 and a refund of $531,000 in interest. The money will be paid in a lump sum in December by reducing the town's property tax distribution by that amount.
Wieser stated that $2.13 million will come from the town's various tax increment financing district funds and the additional $139,000 will come from the general fund.
Spires said Lake County Auditor John Petalas made the decision that the amount owed to Meijer would be paid in one lump sum and that decision can't be changed.
Council President Richard Hardaway, D-2nd, pointed out that Petalas' decision saves the town money in additional interest that would have had to be paid under an installment agreement.
Spires said because Meijer is located in a TIF district, money to pay the amount due could come out of TIF district funds. However, he said if an appeal from a big box store located outside a TIF district is lost, the money would need to come out of the town's general fund, which pays employees' salaries among other expenses.
"The future chance of tax settlements with big box stores is why there will be no raises," said Spires, who pointed out that employees received raises for the last four years.
The threat of more big box store appeals also caused the council to drastically reduce its contribution to the Merrillville Pop Warner, Pee Wee and Junior Pee Wee football teams, whose players are going to Orlando for the national competition for the second time in three years.
Two years ago, the council donated $5,000 to the team to help pay for the trip. On Tuesday the council agreed to contribute $500.
"We're not in a financial situation to do that again," Spires said of the $5,000 contribution.
Large retail stores shaped like boxes, such as Meijer, Lowe's and Costco, have been appealing their property tax assessments and winning. The stores argue that they should be assessed according to the value of a vacant big box store located nearby.
Community leaders argue that they should continue to be assessed according to how much value the property is worth to its current owner.
Karen Caffarini is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.


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Road to 1 million: The Guardian has gone from 15,000 to 200,000 paying ‘members’ in the past year
The Guardian has made big strides in growing its membership revenue, with the number of paying supporters jumping from 15,000 to just under 200,000 in the past year.
The publisher launched the membership program in 2014 and began stepping up promotion last January in an effort to offset declining advertising revenues. In that time, it has also collected over 100,000 one-off contributions.
Now it’s setting its sights higher, seeking to bring in 1 million subscribers by April 2019.
“This is not just a paywall under another name,” said David Magliano, managing director, membership, marketing and consumer revenue. “People that become members don’t get extra or exclusive content; they sign up because they fundamentally agree and think it important that the Guardian’s journalism remains open.”
The Guardian offers three paying membership tiers: Supporters pay £5 ($6.32) a month; partners pay £15 ($19) a month and patrons pay £60 ($76) a month for benefits such as priority booking and discounts on events. The Guardian has been pushing the supporters tier, where the majority of the sign-ups have come from. The Guardian wouldn’t give specific revenue figures, though 200,000 people paying the minimum tier of £5 a month (£60/$76 a year) would generate £1 million ($1.3 million) a month. And 200,000 supporters paying £60 a year would result in £12 million ($15 million) a year. About 50 staffers work across memberships at any given time, whether it is in a data, developer, marketing, user experience or journalism capacity.
The publisher got to 200,000 after testing 30 different messages, with each altering the length and pitch of the messages and their placements on the site.
One early message drew on the Guardian’s history: “From phone hacking to the Panama Papers and Peterloo, we’ve been there: breaking stories for almost 200 years. Contribute to the Guardian today.”
This message drove up the average amount given in one-off donations but didn’t do so well driving memberships. When the publisher switched the message to highlight its unique ownership structure and independence and cost of producing quality journalism, however, conversion rates soared, according to the publisher.
The publisher also tested different placements for the messages, from at the bottom of articles to ad placements to links within editorial stories to pop-ups shown to visitors with ad blockers switched on, the last of which was particularly effective. The publisher has also used social networks to promote memberships and contributions, although the highest conversions have come via its own properties and email newsletters.
Paid membership sign-ups also spiked during three major news periods: The investigation of the Panama Papers, the EU Referendum and Trump’s election. The Guardian started rolling out membership appeal messages in Australia and the U.S. last summer, and the majority of visitors there now see the messages.
The Guardian’s Trump coverage has also driven contributions from its U.S. audience. “Research we have done with the U.S. audience has shown they value that outsider and global perspective we bring to the media landscape and our liberal values,” said Natalie Hanman, executive editor of membership at the Guardian.
The Guardian plans to grow memberships by building deeper relationships with its most loyal readers in the U.S. and U.K. So far, that has involved expanding coverage of what it considers underreported stories. For one series, “The Promise,” the Guardian’s U.S. reporters focused on specific areas in the U.S. such as Northampton County, Pennsylvania, which voted twice for Barack Obama before flipping to support Trump.
Ahead of the election, the Guardian also solicited feedback from readers about what they wanted correspondents to focus on. That effort resulted in stories like “The view from Middletown: join Garry Younge for a unique look at the U.S. election” and “Labour and Liverpool: the city that reveals the cracks in the party.”
Still, getting people to cough up money for online content is tough generally, so sustaining the momentum will be challenging.
That said, if the Guardian does reach its 1 million paying subscriber target by 2019, that would put it well within reach of its ambition of doubling the revenue generated from readers from £30 million to £68 million within three years, which it outlined last year. If the million paying supporters paid the minimum membership of £60 a year, that would create £60 million in revenue.
Douglas McCabe, CEO of media analysts Enders, said there is a clear increase in membership uptake for a range of quality news services, including The Times, and the Guardian in the U.K. and the New York Times in the U.S. “At some level consumers are increasingly aware of the value of quality news provision by trusted brands due to an acceleration in the momentum of national and international political and economic developments. Greater uncertainty has pushed people to engage and commit,” he added.
More in Media
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In this week’s Digiday+ Research Briefing, we examine BuzzFeed’s plans to pivot the business to an AI-driven tech and media company, how marketers’ use of X and ad spending has dropped dramatically, and how agency executives are fed up with Meta’s ad platform bugs and overcharges, as seen in recent data from Digiday+ Research.