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Disney’s rush to re-open shuttered theme parks in Florida has run into the reality that is social distancing.
With all of the media giant’s domestic theme parks shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic, Disney had been taking reservations 180 days out for dining, behind-the-scenes tours and other events for a phased re-opening of Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla., on July 11.
With consumer demand escalating, Disney realized it could no longer accept reservations and still meet its own and CDC-recommended social distancing guidelines.
“As a result of the limited capacity, we have made the difficult decision to cancel all existing dining reservations and experience bookings, including Disney dining plans included in packages, through the end of the year,” Disney wrote on the DisneyWorld.com website.
Disney said it was switching from a 180-day booking window to 60-day to give consumers better control of planning for their visit. In addition, the park’s popular “FastPass” feature giving holders easier access to rides and attractions has been suspended.
“Our focus remains on the health and well being of the entire Disney community — including ‘cast members’ who are caring for and securing our parks and resorts during the closure,” Disney said.
The big subscription streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ aren’t the only ones that are benefiting from stay-at-home mandates instituted by governments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some of the smaller players in the SVOD space, such as San Diego’s VET Tv, also are seeing spikes in viewership. The 3-year-old service, aimed at the military with original series known for their dark, irreverent humor, has seen its subscription base — which as of November 2019 stood at about 43,000 monthly subscribers — grow by roughly 25% since the pandemic started. And with the exception of only a couple of weeks, the company’s numbers have grown steadily week-over-week.
That growth, however, has not come without a cost.
“We’ve been carefully monitoring and following the rules and recommendations that have been put forth by the governor of California and the CDC,” said VET Tv president John Acevedo. “They have forced us to halt our normal production schedules and kept us from creating most of our new content, but thankfully, we have a fantastic creative team, and despite these challenges, our writers and production staff have done a great job of keeping a well-stocked library so we can continue to deliver new content to our viewers every week.”
VET Tv founder and CEO Donny O’Malley has taken to the airwaves recently to talk about COVID-19 and its impact on members of the military, particularly veterans, for whom the stay-at-home and social isolation mandates can have a crippling and sometimes deadly effect.
“In the veteran community, social isolation leads to poor mental health, which can lead to suicide,” O’Malley said. “Now we’re being told that we need to stay at home, isolate and shelter in place, which is dangerous, so we, as a community have to combat social isolation. Everything we do at VET Tv is geared toward reducing social isolation. First, we get them to laugh at their military experience and then we encourage them to re-connect with people they served with. And beyond that, we also connect them to nonprofits and organizations that can help improve their quality of life.
“These connections to people and organizations build community, and the end result is better mental health and less suicide. But it all starts with laughter and the shot of dopamine associated with that laughter.”
That’s why VET Tv has continued to churn out content for its viewers despite the filming and production challenges that the pandemic has presented.
“Even though we’ve had to halt our normal production schedule, we still feel that it is our duty to do whatever we need to do to give our veterans and active-duty servicemen and women an escape from the depressing feelings that come from social isolation, even if it’s for just 15 minutes a week,” O’Malley said. “And if we can do that and improve mental health thru comedy, we know that we can bring the suicide numbers down as well.”
VET Tv’s team has become increasingly creative with content and production. Of late, that has even meant incorporating user-submitted pieces and green-screen sketches into its offerings.
VET Tv promises its subscribers one new show a week and it has a strong lineup of shows in the queue, including its first-ever foray into non-scripted television with a documentary series titled “Veterans Laughing Together,” and a sequel to “A Grunt’s Life,” VET Tv’s hit series that was re-released as a full-length feature film in 2019.
So far, VET Tv has released a total of 17 original series and a feature film. Monthly subscriptions are $5.
Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog debuted at No. 1 on the NPD VideoScan First Alert chart, which tracks combined DVD and Blu-ray Disc unit sales, and the dedicated Blu-ray Disc sales chart the week ended May 23.
The film, based on the SEGA video game, earned $146 million at the domestic box office before theaters shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic.
No. 2 on both charts was another new-to-disc title, Disney’s Onward. The latest Pixar animated film earned $61.6 million in a two-week theatrical run cut short by the pandemic. Disney made the film available for sale digitally March 20 and put it on the Disney+ streaming service April 3. It still sold 65% as many disc copies as Sonic despite an under-the-radar Disney release by Disney.
The previous week’s top seller, Warner’s Birds of Prey, dropped to No. 3 on the overall disc sales chart and No. 4 on the Blu-ray Disc chart.
The newly released direct-to-video animated superhero movie Justice League Dark: Apokolips War debuted at No. 4 on the overall chart and No. 3 on the Blu-ray chart.
No. 5 on both charts was Disney-owned Fox’s The Call of the Wild, down three spots from the previous week.
Other newcomers in the top 20 included Warner’s The Way Back at No. 10 overall (No. 11 on the Blu-ray chart); Universal’s Emma. at No. 14 (No. 17 Blu-ray); and the anime movie Promare from Shout! Factory at No. 15 (No. 8 Blu-ray).
Blu-ray Disc formats accounted for 62% of first-week Sonic sales, compared with 68% for Onward, 45% for The Way Back, 41% for Emma. and 93% for Promare. Apokolips War was available only in Blu-ray formats, either a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack or a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray combo pack.
The 4K edition accounted for 11% of total Apokolips War unit sales, compared with 14% for Sonic and 8% for Onward.
Ted Hope, co-head of movies at Amazon Studios, is reportedly transitioning back into content production after five years with the e-commerce giant. Hope, who began as head of Amazon Original Movies, leaves his position June 2 and will begin a first-look production deal with Amazon Studios, studio boss Jennifer Salke disclosed in a memo to staff.
“Ted approached me earlier this year and expressed his feelings about taking on a new challenge,” Salke wrote. “Over the course of several months and many conversations I came to realize Ted is a producer through and through and that now is the right time for both him and the studio to make a change.”
During his tenure, Hope was responsible for spearheading Amazon’s forays into feature films, including The Big Sick and Oscar winner Manchester By the Sea, among others. He was instrumental in Amazon greenlighting Spike Lee’s Chi-Raq, and Cafe Society and Wonder Wheel from Woody Allen.
More recent theatrical forays included Late Night, Brittany Runs a Marathon, Honey Boy, The Aeronauts and Troop Zero.
Amazon Studios’ other co-heads, Julia Rapaport and Matt Newman, will assume control of movie production, with senior executive Scott Foundas and Christian Davin, head of marketing, continuing in their positions — and all reporting to Salke.
Allied Vaughn also announced a few upcoming releases.
Due May 28:
Finder’s Keepers (DVD) — A thriller about five best friends who travel the country in search of the coolest and oldest buildings with the best history.
Due June 2:
Extra Ordinary (DVD and Blu-ray) — Rose, a mostly sweet and lonely small-town driving instructor, must use her supernatural talents to save the daughter of Martin (also mostly sweet and lonely) from a washed-up rock star who is using her in a Satanic pact to reignite his fame.
Extreme Rescues (DVD) — a National Geographic documentary.
Work In Progress: Season 1 — From Showtime, a 45-year-old deals with misfortune and despair that unexpectedly lead her to a vibrantly transformative relationship.
Due June 8:
The Break-Up Artist — A girl with a knack for easing the pain of break-ups moves into the matchmaking business in this romantic comedy starring Amanda Crew.
Due June 9:
Born in Evin (DVD and Blu-ray) — Filmmaker and actress Maryam Zaree does on a quest to find out the violent circumstances surrounding her birth inside one of the most notorious political prisons in the world in Iran.
Digital studio Giant Interactive is celebrating its 15th birthday with an ambitious diversification agenda into digital delivery, digital distribution and post-production.
Launched in May 2005 by Jeff Stabenau and David Anthony as a DVD authoring company, Giant Interactive quickly evolved into a digital services company focused on technology and emerging formats to fuel consumer content consumption and distribution.
Giant Interactive has grown into a major player in the entertainment technology market, from its managed and custom-created OTT platforms and apps, to video processing and content aggregation, and to its digital platform delivery services and DVD, Blu-ray Disc and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc authoring.
The company also has a longstanding relationship with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), initially creating DVD screeners of Oscar contenders and then building a digital screening site.
Today, with offices in New York City and Los Angeles and a total staff of 75, Giant Interactive is celebrating not only its birthday but also the expansion of its digital studio in Los Angeles that allows for increased quality control, file preparation and transcoding services that are crucial to streaming services. Giant has announced new strategic hires of seasoned media executives, including former Deluxe executives Greg Lea, now Giant’s VP of strategic partnerships, and Paula Kahlenberg, senior account director.
Giant has also forged several new business partnerships with companies such as Roku, for which Giant serves as an aggregator for the Roku Channel and content manager for Roku app channels, and the Whip Media Group, for whom Giant manages content delivery and fulfillment for Whip business partners.
Giant intends to build more sophisticated digital streaming capabilities to further its relationship with such high-profile customers as ViacomCBS, Paramount Pictures and Acorn TV.
“Fifteen years ago, Giant Interactive was founded with the goal of helping content creators propel entertainment content around the world regardless of the technology or platform,” Stabenau says. “Our recipe for success is living and breathing our connection to our customers with their evolving needs and delivering the highest quality services and the most innovative technology.”
Giant maintains close technical relationships delivering digital content to FandangoNow, Amazon Prime Video, Redbox on Demand, Tubi TV, iTunes and other leading digital platforms across TVOD, SVOD and AVOD.
The company also has developed distribution services including sales, marketing and promotion to support Giant’s customers as the independent film marketplace has matured. Giant Pictures, an independent film distribution division, was launched in 2017 and today has deals with more than 35 of the higher-end OTT platforms including Apple TV+, Netflix, Roku, Peacock, Prime Video/IMDb TV, Pluto TV, Tubi and Kanopy. In some cases, Giant is also acting as a preferred aggregator for the AVOD platforms. Giant Pictures clients include UTA, Endeavor, CAA, Participant Media, Tribeca Film Festival, Sundance Institute, Vulcan Productions, The Redford Institute and Impact Partners.
“With the rapid growth of digital media consumption continuing to rise, our supply chain products and our customers’ evolving needs, we realized a natural opportunity to expand our business,” Stabenau said. “We developed Giant Pictures in this time of digital growth to serve our customers and remain on the forefront of product innovation and digital distribution of content on a global scale.”
Paramount Home Entertainment July 21 will re-release the comedy Airplane! on Blu-ray as part of its Paramount Presents line to celebrate the film’s 40th anniversary. A limited-edition Steelbook Blu-ray also will be available.
Robert Hays stars as an ex-ﬁghter pilot forced to take over the controls of an airliner when the ﬂight crew succumbs to food poisoning. The all-star cast also includes Julie Hagerty, Robert Stack, Lloyd Bridges, Peter Graves, Leslie Nielsen, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The film spoofs airplane disaster flicks, religious zealots, television commercials and anything else the filmmakers want to take aim at.
The new Blu-ray will include the film newly remastered from a 4K transfer supervised by writers/directors Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker. Extras include a new “Filmmaker Focus” featurette on the directors, a new Q&A with the directors recorded at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood in January 2020, an isolated music score by Elmer Bernstein, and previously released audio commentary with the directors and producer Jon Davison.
Walmart’s U.S. e-commerce sales are expected to jump 44.2% in 2020 versus 2019, according to a report from eMarketer, which revised growth up from its January 2020 estimate of 27%.
The leap follows 36.8% growth in 2019 over 2018 and puts Walmart at No. 2 on eMarketer’s top 10 e-commerce companies list, far behind Amazon, but well ahead of eBay, which is expected to grow just 3% in 2020.
“Thanks to Walmart’s prior investments in online grocery delivery and pickup services, the retailer appears to be in a strong position as consumers have increasingly turned to e-commerce amid the pandemic,” according the eMarketer’s Cindy Lui.
eMarketer forecasts that the big-box retailer will grow its share of total U.S. retail e-commerce sales to 5.8% this year, up from 4.7% in 2019.
Shows about teen angst took the top spots on the TV Time anticipated series chart for June.
Hulu’s “Love, Victor” was the most anticipated new show, while Netflix’s “13 Reasons Why” was the top anticipated returning show for the month.
TV Time is a free TV viewership tracking app that tracks consumers’ viewing habits worldwide and is visited by more than 1 million consumers every day, according to the company. TV Time’s “Anticipation Report” is based on data from those users.
Inspired by the 2018 film Love, Simon, the romantic dramedy “Love, Victor” shares Victor’s challenges and self-discovery as he adjusts to a new high school and struggles with his sexual orientation. Taking the silver on the new show chart was HBO’s “Perry Mason,” about a down-and-out criminal defense lawyer in 1930s Los Angeles. Coming in third was the Italian fantasy thriller “Curon,” followed in fourth by Amazon Prime’s “Alex Rider,” about a reluctant London teenager who is recruited by the British MI6 to infiltrate a remote boarding school for the ultra-rich. Rounding out the anticipated new show chart at No. 5 was HBO’s “I May Destroy You,” a new series from “Chewing Gum” creator Michaela Coel.
The fourth and final season of “13 Reasons Why” hits Netflix June 5. In the top anticipated returning show, the senior class at Liberty High School is preparing for graduation, but before they can say goodbye, they’ll have to keep a dangerous secret buried. Netflix also swept the rest of the returning shows chart. The German drama “Dark,” at No. 2, debuts its third season June 27. The supernatural horror series “The Order,” at No. 3, launches season two June 18. Creator Ryan Murphy’s “The Politician,” at No. 4, bows season two June 19. Finally, season four of the animated series “F Is for Family,” at No. 5, debuts June 12.
Paramount Home Entertainment will release Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Season Two on Blu-ray Disc and DVD Aug. 4.
The show stars John Krasinski as the CIA analyst from the series of novels by Tom Clancy. In the second season, Jack investigates potentially illegal arms shipments in Venezuela. As Jack threatens to uncover a far-reaching conspiracy, the President of Venezuela launches a counter-attack that hits home for Jack, leading him and his fellow operatives on a global mission to unravel the President’s nefarious plot and bring stability to a country on the brink of chaos.
The cast also includes Wendell Pierce, Michael Kelly, Tom Wlaschiha, Noomi Rapace, Jordi Molla and Cristina Umaña.


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July 15th, 2011
Mobile ad market gets more muscle
The mobile-ad market is scorching hot, in part because companies are getting more comfortable with using those ads to reach the third of American adults who own smartphones. That shift is coming despite consumer concerns about privacy and the amount of detailed data about themselves that they might be giving up.
This week, mobile-ad network Mojiva landed another $25 million in funding. DealNet, a new ad network for local merchants, debuted. And Target.com is pushing a major back-to-school mobile ad campaign via a Pandora application.
Money spent on mobile ads will soar nearly seven times, from an anticipated $3.3 billion this year to $20.6 billion in 2015, predicts Gartner.
Most of that revenue will come from the sale of ads for search and maps, which bodes well for companies like Google, which dominates in search, and check-in service Foursquare, a major player in mapping technology.
Until now, though, brands have been slow to “jump on” mobile ads despite dozens of mobile-ad networks, including Google acquisition AdMob, says Molly Garris, director of digital strategy at ad agency Leo Burnett.
The fate of mobile ads also rests largely on the acceptance of consumers, some of whom are becoming more confortable with the concept of viewing ads, such and movie trailers and auto promotions, from their phone. Others, however, find the ads an “annoyance” because they clutter small screens, get in the way of content and chew up bandwidth, says Kim Davidson, who works for a health-care vendor in Germany.
Still, corporations are showing more of an inclination to dabble in mobile ads before diving in, says Jonathan Weitz, a partner at IBB Consulting. He says 200 of the Fortune 500 companies ran mobile video campaigns in 2010, eight times the total in 2009.
Among them: Automakers like Ford, Toyota and Land Rover; and Bank of America, Garris says.
But for more brands to join the party, several things must change. Mobile ad networks don’t have the specific data available as in other forms of advertising research, says Toren Ajk, who is about to start a mobile marketing firm.
“It is reminiscent of Internet banner ads in the late 1990s before search, and granular data, came along,” Ajk says. “But there is a Big Brother-ish element now because check-in services” detail the actions of individuals on the go.
“I would argue this market is here and now,” says Walt Doyle, CEO of Where, the profitable check-in service that eBay acquired in April. “The opportunities, in terms of category, are across the board.”

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Bitcoin’s decentralized nature has been one of its biggest selling points, but imperfect storage methods have made millions of the tokens inaccessible.
aproximatelly twenty % of the 18.5 huge number of bitcoin in existence – worth about $140 billion – is actually predicted to be lost or even stuck in locked off digital wallets, The new York Times reported on Tuesday.
For today, those coins are successfully trapped behind extremely complicated encryption and forgotten passwords.
Remedies can still come from cryptocurrency reform, Jimmy Nguyen, president of the Bitcoin Association, told Business Insider.
Emergency mechanisms that can recover bitcoin in the event of forgotten wallet passwords or maybe estate transfers can certainly make it a more “open and user-friendly” cryptocurrency, Nguyen said.
Sign up here our day newsletter, ten Things Before the Opening Bell.
Cryptocurrency enthusiasts praise bitcoin’s decentralized nature. Nevertheless the imperfect methods utilized to secure the digital tokens are pulling millions of bitcoin out of circulation with little hope of restoration.
Bitcoin owners hold private keys required for spending or perhaps moving tokens. These keys occur as complex strings of information and are usually stored in protected digital wallets.
Those wallets are then typically protected with passwords or even authentication measures. While their complexities enable owners to more properly store the bitcoin of theirs, losing keys or maybe wallet passwords can be devastating. In situations which are a lot of, bitcoin owners are locked from the holdings of theirs indefinitely.
About 20 % of the 18.5 zillion bitcoin in existence is actually estimated to be lost or trapped in inaccessible wallets, The new York Times reported on Tuesday, citing information from Chainalysis. That value is now worth aproximatelly $140 billion. These bitcoin stay in the world’s supply and still hold value, although they’re properly maintained from circulation.
Put quite simply, those coins will stay trapped indefinitely, but their inaccessibility won’t replace the cost of the cryptocurrency.
Read more: The CIO of a $500 million crypto asset supervisor breaks down five techniques of valuing bitcoin and deciding whether to own it after the digital asset breached $40,000 for the first time “There’s this phrase the cryptocurrency community uses:’ not the keys of yours, not your coins ,'” Jimmy Nguyen, president of the Bitcoin Association, told Insider.
For now, the adage is true. Several exchanges such as Coinbase have some emergency recovery methods that could assist users regain access to forgotten passwords or keys. But exchanges are much less secure compared to wallets not to mention some have actually been hacked, Nguyen said.
The bitcoin society is currently at a crossroads, in which users are split on whether bitcoin ought to keep its rigid security techniques or even exchange several of the decentralization of its for user friendly safeguards.
Nguyen lands in the latter group. The cryptocurrency advocate argued that mechanisms should be produced to enable users to recover unavailable bitcoin of cases of forgotten passwords, estate transfers, and incorrectly tackled payments. The absence of such systems maintains a barrier between cryptocurrency enthusiasts as well as the population that has not yet warmed to bitcoin.
Read more: Julian Klymochko wakes up at 4:30 a.m. to control an ETF which seeks to profit from the SPAC boom. The investing chief breaks down how the strategy works, and shares 2 fresh SPACs on his radar.
“If I hold the keys to your house, it doesn’t mean I have the keys. I might’ve stolen the keys to your house. It’s likely you have lent me the keys,” Nguyen said. “It does not prove who has ownership of that property or that asset.”
Keeping the present method of storing bitcoin also cuts into the value of its, both as a brand new kind of payment and as a security, he added.
“There is an inconsistency, if not downright hypocrisy – among the bitcoin supporters, as they wish to progress this narrative that you must have the private keys for the coins to be yours,” Nguyen said. “If they would like the value of the coin to grow since it is growing in use, then you have to follow a significantly more open as well as user friendly approach to bitcoin.”


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The world was already in an inflationary spiral before Russia invaded Ukraine. The sudden jump in demand for goods on the resumption of normal economic activity after the pandemic had pushed up prices. But the war stoked prices further by disrupting food and energy supplies. This aided the rouble as Russia demanded to be paid in its own currency instead of euros or dollars, to sidestep western sanctions. The dollar also gained as Europe was forced to shop for oil in markets that demand the US currency.
Why this story
Since Russia invaded Ukraine late in February, its currency, rouble, and the US dollar have gained in value against most other currencies of the world. Here's why


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Organic Consumers Pledges $50,000 to Colorado GMO Labeling Initiative
FINLAND, MINN - The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) today announced that it has pledged $50,000, through its 501(c) 4 lobbying arm (Organic Consumers Fund), to support Colorado’s Proposition 105, an initiative to require mandatory labeling of foods modified or treated with genetically modified materials.
“The hard-working activists at Colorado Right to Know have succeeded in getting this critical initiative on the ballot in November,” said Ronnie Cummins,international director of the Organic Consumers Association and its Mexico affiliate Via Organica. “This is great news for the GMO labeling movement—and bad news for Monsanto and Big Food, which will now have to battle consumers in two states in November—Colorado and Oregon.”
Oregon Right to Know succeeded earlier this summer in getting Ballot Measure 92 on the November ballot, prompting an influx of money from the biotech and processed food industries which have vowed to oppose GMO labeling laws in all states, and at the federal level.
Earlier this year, Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.) introduced a bill in Congress that would not only preempt state GMO labeling laws, but also legalize the use of the word “natural” on genetically engineered food products.
In May, Vermont passed a mandatory GMO labeling law. Industry, backed by the Grocery Manufacturers Association and the International Dairy Foods Association, has filed suit to overturn Vermont’s law. Maine and Connecticut passed similar laws in 2013, but those laws contain “trigger” clauses which prevent the laws from being enacted unless neighboring states also pass mandatory labeling laws.
FRIENDS: Now More Than Ever
Independent journalism has become the last firewall against government and corporate lies. Yet, with frightening regularity, independent media sources are losing funding, closing down or being blacked out by Google and Facebook. Never before has independent media been more endangered. If you believe in Common Dreams, if you believe in people-powered independent media, please support us now and help us fight—with truths—against the lies that would smother our democracy. Please help keep Common Dreams alive and growing. Thank you. -- Craig Brown, Co-founder
The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) is an online and grassroots non-profit 501(c)3 public interest organization campaigning for health, justice, and sustainability. The OCA deals with crucial issues of food safety, industrial agriculture, genetic engineering, children's health, corporate accountability, Fair Trade, environmental sustainability and other key topics. We are the only organization in the US focused exclusively on promoting the views and interests of the nation's estimated 50 million organic and socially responsible consumers.


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Blog: Marmite uses Oxford Street's Christmas lights for online campaign
Katy Askew | 15 October 2012
Marmite, Unilever's "love it or hate it" spread, will be sponsoring the Oxford Street Christmas lights, due to be switched on in a couple of weeks (1 November).
In a light-hearted interactive media campaign, shoppers will be able to upload photos of themselves pulling "love it" or "hate it" expressions via the Marmite website or a camera to be installed at a Bond Street bus stop. The pictures will then be projected on a screen above Selfridges, while a live stream of the screen will be available online.
Again demonstrating the importance of social networking to Marmite, the salty spread maker has also developed the "Marmife", a spatula-like implement designed to get Marmite out of those hard to reach places.
The Marmife was is Unilever's response to feedback on social media sites highlighting the difficulty of getting to the bottom of the jar, the company said. Available from this autumn at Debenhams, the Marmife comes in a gift pack including a 250g jar of Marmite and The Little Book of Marmite Tips. Undoubtedly, Unilever will be hoping that the set will be filling Marmite-lover stockings throughout the UK.
Over the years, Unilever has invested significantly in building up Marmite's brand equity and the company now claims that the distinctive product is the UK's "favourite spread". However, across the pond the company recently announced that it is "considering options" for another household name - Skippy.
The news raised some industry eyebrows and again prompted long-running speculation that the firm could, some day, sell-off its food interests to focus entirely on its faster-growing personal care and home business. Skippy is America's second-largest peanut butter brand and the peanut butter category itself is growing ahead of the rest of the US food market.
For more on the possible Skippy sale, visit our Deal or no deal M&A column here.
Some analysts might be breathing a sigh of relief at news Danone is rejecting speculation it is about to swoop for infant-formula giant Mead Johnson. ...
It is an unseasonably mild and bright morning here in Paris as this year's SIAL expo gets under away. Will the mood of exhibitors match the sunnier weather?...
Raisio, the Finland-based food group, is to lower the sugar content of UK cereal brand Sugar Puffs - and at the same time remove the ingredient from the product's name....
With sales under pressure and margins precarious, PepsiCo should sell off its Quaker North America business, Jefferies analysts argued today (16 October)....
- Comment: Paying the price for eating healthily
- Focus: Will Danone return to growth in dairy?
- Why Nestle is relaxed about the China "drag"
- Focus: Why French retail deals could hit suppliers
- M&A Watch: Emmi shareholders should consider sale
- Nestle organic sales fall on Asia, Europe
- Danone "eyes acquisition of Mead Johnson"
- Symington's acquires Tanfield Foods
- Heinz jobs in Australasia to go in restructuring
- Heinz silent over Polish factory expansion talk


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With a content-filled year already under their belt, PowerWash Simulator is continuing to offer exciting news in their 2023 roadmap. Here’s what we know so far.
The first few months of the year saw PowerWash Simulator head to Croft Manor and Midgar in their Tomb Raider and Final Fantasy 7 crossovers. Now, the hit-game shows no signs of slowing down with an unveiling of their roadmap for the second half of the year.
PowerWash Simulator Roadmap
The roadmap released by FuturLab is split into three of the year’s remaining quarters and each offers a combination of free and paid content. Although not all of the content has been released yet, we can still get a peek of some of the things we can expect.
For example, the first free update will arrive on April 18 – The Muckingham Files. This update will add new areas to the game’s base game map where we can assume most of the free content will take place.
This will see two new jobs available in the Mauka Aitu Desert area as well as trips to a Solar Water Plant and a Satellite Dish. In standard PowerWash Simulator fashion, these will all need a good clean in order to progress the game. The new free content will end with a trip to Muckingham’s recreation ground, home to a lot of grubby food trucks.
Improvements to base game
FuturLab have also assured fans of their dirt-busting game that there will be improvements to base game content. This includes improvements to existing jobs which will see them get new story content.
“Replay them for more tales and tit-bits from your favourite filthy town,” the studio commented.
PowerWash Simulator Physical Release
This news comes after it was revealed the popular title would be getting a physical release. After only being a digital download until now, it will be heading to PlayStation 5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch on April 13.
Until then, we can’t wait to see the roadmap fill up to see what other content we can look forward to.
Are you looking forward to a busy year of powerwashing? Let us know across our social media platforms.


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Nairobi-based blockchain accelerator BitHub.Africa has released its Blockchain Opportunity Report exploring the sector’s 16 most exciting opportunities for 2017, targeting blockchain entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, and enthusiasts.
The Blockchain Opportunity Report provides comprehensive reviews of 16 crypto-currencies and blockchain platforms BitHub believes will disrupt incumbents across the finance, technology and commerce sectors, among others, in 2017.
The organisation says the report is aimed at boosting the activities of Africa’s blockchain community – Africa being the region BitHub claims has the fastest expanding blockchain market in the world.
“People are beginning to bypass traditional centralized banking and payment systems in much of the developed world and beginning to feel the benefits of decentralized currency through increased adoption of mobile and internet-based blockchain technology,” BitHub says.
“African nations are catching up with this trend in a rapid pace to create a promising atmosphere for crypto-currency and blockchain initiatives.”
Proceeds from the sale of the report will be used to fund new incubator and partner hubs set to launch across Africa, BitHub said.
Disrupt Africa reported on the launch of the BitHub.Africa accelerator in January 2016. The programme is run by Space Kenya Networks, and brings together individuals and organisations in a bid to use blockchain to drive innovation and find solutions to global problems.


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Ferrari has had the World Première launch of the new 458 Italia at a private gathering this week in Maranello.
The Ferrari 458 Italia is due to be seen for the first time in public at the Frankfurt Motor Show this week. But that only applies to mere mortals. If you’re rich enough, or famous enough or preferably both, the normal rules don’t apply. Car makers have private launches – pre-public reveal – all the time (Rolls Royce did one for the Ghost in July and Bugatti are doing one next week for the Bordeaux / Royale Concept). But they don’t usually publicise them. But Ferrari has with the 458 Italia.
Wednesday evening saw gala presentation of the 458 Italia to an invited crowd, and Ferrari had every Ferrari-associated face on display, from Michael Schumacher to Piero Ferrari. It’s the usual glad-handing event, but we do get a few glimpses of the 458 in motion, and it’s a curtain raiser for the proper reveal next week at Frankfurt.
I’ll take the nice black one near the end of the video.


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Jadee Hanson has been hired as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Vanta. Hanson will oversee security, enterprise engineering, privacy and governance, risk and compliance.
Hanson has spent the past seven years at Code42, serving as both CISO and Chief Information Officer (CIO). In these roles, she led security and technology strategy, overseeing application security, detection and response, security operations and enterprise engineering teams.
Hanson played a significant role in enhancing Code42's security program, guiding technology strategy and contributing to the development of product features for customers. Her efforts resulted in improved risk management adoption, as well as increased capabilities in cyber detection, response and recovery for the company.
Prior to Code42, Hanson held a number of senior leadership roles in the security department of Target Corporation for over seven years including serving as the security leader for the acquisition of software development and online retail companies. Before joining Target, Hanson worked at Deloitte for nearly five years, where she served as a security consultant for companies across diverse industries such as healthcare, technology, manufacturing, energy, retail and more.


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My Photo Stream and iCloud Photo Library seem like they do the same thing, so why would Apple offer two similar services? Here's where you can find out the answer.
HBO has recently been hacked and the attackers have managed to steal the screenplay for a Game of Thrones episode among 1.5 terabytes of other data.
The iPhone X has some photo-related features that you won't find on other devices. Here are some of the most interesting ones:
Google is banning new cryptocurrency-mining extensions from the Chrome Web Store and existing add-ons with this purpose will be removed in late June.


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At CeBit 2009, taking place this week in Hannover, Germany, Asus showed off its Eee PCs, including touch-screen models. Our colleagues at ZDNet Germany provided this slideshow. (Captions translated from German.)
See also: Asus to nix 7-inch Eee PC Netbooks
The Eee PC Touch can be used like the iPhone, with finger gestures, but there's no Multitouch support.
3 March 2009 10:50 pm GMTUpdated: 3 March 2009 11:20 pm GMT
Photo by: ZDNet Germany
/ Caption by: ZDNet Germany staff
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News & Events
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COOL SEASON VEGETABLES READY FOR HARVEST, AVAILABLE TO LOCAL PARTNER AGENCIES
TALLAHASSEE, Florida (January 17, 2013)– America’s Second Harvest of the Big Bend, Inc. (ASHBB) announced today that fresh vegetables will be harvested from Lott’s Community Garden at 39 Lott’s Rd., in Monticello, FL between the hours of 8AM and 12PM. Agencies can begin picking up the harvest at 9:30 AM by appointment.
Dozens of volunteers are scheduled to help harvest fresh broccoli, turnips, cabbage, collards and kale directly from Lott’s Community Garden from which 13,000 lbs of produce was harvested in 2013—the equivalent of almost 22,000 meals.
“Our goal is to harvest 50,000 pounds of produce in a year,” said Dave Cox, food sourcing and transportation manager at the food bank. “This can be accomplished with the great amounts of community support we continue to receive.” The program makes produce available to all 11 counties in the Big Bend and with 2.5 acres planted, currently has its biggest crop ever in production.
The Lott’s Community Garden program began in January 2012 when local businessman Edwin Lott, a gardening enthusiast produced more greens than his family and friends could consume. Lott connected with Cox at ASHBB, who suggested working with the food bank’s volunteer program to harvest over 2,600 lbs. of produce grown on the family property.
The success of the venture prompted Lott and ASHBB to develop a program which now provides food, agricultural education and a substantial source of nutrition throughout the Big Bend.
The program typically makes nutritious vegetables available to ASHBB. The food is then distributed through partner agencies. On Sat., Jan. 25th agencies currently certified as partners with ASHBB will be able to pick up this produce directly from the garden.
Partner Agencies wishing to participate should contact Dave Cox at (850) 562-3033 ext. 214 to schedule a time to arrive at Saturday’s event. Timeslots for pickup are between 9:30 AM and 12 PM. To find out how you can contribute to the success of this program, how to volunteer, or how to become a partner agency, visit www.fightinghunger.org .


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Costco Wholesale Corp. bypassed the funk pervading the retail industry in the wake of Amazon.com Inc.’s deal for Whole Foods Market Inc., as its treasure-hunt shopping experience shows no sign of consumer fatigue.
Costco posted same-store sales for June that far exceeded analysts’ estimates, sending shares up as much as 2.1 percent to $161.35 in New York.
The company’s sales have outpaced big-box rivals like Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Target Corp. and the brick-and-mortar retail industry in general as foot traffic slows and consumers continue to migrate to digital alternatives, particularly Amazon. The online giant’s $13.7 billion acquisition of Whole Foods sent food retailers’ shares plummeting on concerns that Amazon would grab more of the $800 billion grocery market.
“The results indicate Costco can coexist with large hardline competitors like Wal-Mart and have limited cannibalization from Amazon,” said Mark Astrachan, an analyst at Stifel Nicolaus & Co., who has a buy rating on the company’s shares.
Excluding fuel and currency swings, U.S. same-store sales climbed 6.3 percent last month, the company said late Wednesday. That compares with analysts’ average 3.9 percent projection. Highlights during the month were sales of tires, jewelry, meat and candy, the company said, illustrating Costco’s broad assortment of low-priced goods.
Citing notable traffic growth, Wells Fargo & Co. analyst Zachary Fadem raised his same-store sales estimate for the fourth quarter. He has a market perform rating on Costco.
Shares of Issaquah, Washington-based Costco had declined 1.3 percent this year through Wednesday’s close.
© Copyright 2021 Bloomberg News. All rights reserved.


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The current head of the Department of Energy gave his alma mater a $2.5 billion gig, and they beat out rival UT’s bid.
Dallas, on the other hand, is interested.
A recent spate of closures of the iconic restaurant chain has left many communities in the lurch.
Kit Goldsbury made his fortune in Pace Picante sauce, and Graham Weston in the cloud computing company Rackspace. Now the billionaire philanthropists are leading ambitious urban renewal projects.
The venerable grocery chain purchased the food delivery startup for an undisclosed amount.
Abbott and Patrick are bringing the power of incumbency to bear against a Rebellion of educators, business leaders and moderate Republicans.
Probably not! But let’s read way too much into it anyway.
Newly released documents shed light on why the online giant snubbed the country’s fourth-largest city.
And why the company, started by Austin billionaire John Paul DeJoria might have been worth even more.
Today’s wildcatters find rich veins of opportunity in everything from tortillas to interplanetary travel. Meet the dreamers and risk-takers shaping our future.


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|Vietnamese textile products will have an opportunity to enter the Indian market. A Make in India campaign, launched by Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra in New Delhi on September 25, will start with an India-Viet Nam trade and investment programme. — Photo hanoimoi.com.vn
NAM DINH (VNS) — Textile industry representatives from Viet Nam and India gathered in Nam Dinh City yesterday to exchange information on opportunities for co-operation, especially the potential strengths of textiles in both countries.
About 160 businesses from the two countries took part in the seminar-workshop which the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) organised in collaboration with the Indian Embassy in Viet Nam, the People's Committee of Nam Dinh, the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Indian Business Association in Viet Nam.
Do Huu Huy, an official of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said diversification in the supply of textile materials and the sustainable development of the Vietnamese garments industry was not dependent on a particular market.
According to Pham Quang Thinh, VCCI deputy head of International Relations, Viet Nam's garments industry must meet the requirements of supply chains to gain at least 10 per cent of world market share.
Some textile-importing countries involved in the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) require the exporter to identify the origin of their products as well as the progress in the production of fabrics made in Viet Nam or TPP member countries. By doing so, they will enjoy a zero-per cent preferential tax rate.
Meanwhile, Viet Nam meets only 50 per cent of demand of locally-produced fiber materials. In such a situation, FDI and Indian businesses have quickly invested in Viet Nam to build paint, textile and dyeing factories.
Mohit, a representative of the Indian Business Chamber in Ha Noi, said that India was the world's second largest exporter of raw cotton, fabrics, yarn, and textile materials, accounting for 13.52 per cent of world market share and 24 per cent of world spinning capacity.
He added that Viet Nam was one of the world's leading countries in garment and textile exports but was too dependent on imports. India was now only exporting two per cent of its production to Viet Nam's textile industry.
According to Mohit, India is now the world's largest producer of natural and man-made fibers, and this would be a good area for future bilateral co-operation between the textile sectors of both countries.
India is now one of the country's 10 largest trade partners, with bilateral trade turnover last year reaching US$5.2 billion, a 30-per cent year-on-year increase. Viet Nam's exports to India reached nearly $ 2.3 billion and its imports from India reached $2.9 billion.
In the first eight months, bilateral trade between the two countries reached $3.78 billion.
Major exports to India include mobile phones, computers, electronics products and components, as well as coal, rubber, ore, plastic materials, chemicals and pepper.
Major imports from India include pharmaceuticals, animal feed, machinery and equipment, as well as raw materials for production.
As of August 2014, India has 83 investment projects in Viet Nam with a total registered capital of $256 million, mainly in manufacturing and mining. The two countries aim to increase their bilateral trade to $15 billion by 2020. — VNS


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Exclusive to streaming service Hulu, a time-travel thriller/drama created by Star Wars: The Force Awakens Director J.J. Adrams will be released later this year. Titled after and based on Stephen King novel 11.22.63, the eight-part series will star James Franco as a teacher who travels back in time to try and prevent the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
The full trailer for the series has been released today, and looks rather intense, indicating a few substantial changes from the book and giving us a glimpse at what looks to be a brilliantly produced period piece.
King will serve as co-producer alongside Bridget Carpenter (Friday Night Lights). You can watch the full trailer below.


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Flying long-haul isn't the most enjoyable experience, let's be honest. Not only are you cramped into a tiny seat for hours on end (unless you're boujee enough to afford business class, of course), but you've paid hundreds, sometimes thousands for the pleasure.
But we do it for the *experience* of seeing the world, and it is pretty amazing to wake up in a whole new continent. You wouldn't be the only one keen to fly further afield, either; according to the latest flight data from Skyscanner, interest in long-haul travel has increased by 40% so far this year.
However, wouldn't flying for hours be so much sweeter if you knew you'd bagged a bargain flight? Luckily, the experts at Skyscanner have been busy crunching data to find the top ten long-haul destinations which have seen the biggest drop in flight prices in the past year... and you might want to take a look at the US for your next trip.
Austin tops the charts with a 33% drop in prices year-on-year, followed by Seattle and Denver which have both seen 18% drop in average flight prices based on return economy flight prices.
Chicago and San Francisco have also dropped 17% and 14% respectively, but if you're looking to go outside of North America, Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo flights are 9% cheaper than last year, with a return price of £791 or £721.
Lisa Tyndall, Senior Growth Manager at Skyscanner said: “With the interest in long-haul travel soaring we went through our extensive flight data to find out which further-afield destinations are offering the best value for money based on a drop in average flight prices.
"If a traveller’s dream destination isn’t listed in our top ten value destinations, there are many flight tips available to help travellers find the best flight deals, for example, setting price alerts, considering departing from a different airport nearby and just changing their departure day slightly can all help save money.”
'Scuse me, just setting up all the alerts as we speak.
Follow Abbi on Instagram.


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With digital villages, fintech firms hope to leverage more data to reach out to potential loan seekers.
“The initiative to build 100,000 digital villages would mean more money being transacted digitally as the finance minster said (in his budget speech) that we are possibly the lowest when it comes to mobile and data tariffs in the world. Digitally progressive would also mean better internet connectivity and hence, we expect the untapped rural consumers to start using digital payments. For us, this means more alternate data generated to assess loan seekers”, said Rohit Garg, co-founder and chief executive officer of SmartCoin, a Bengaluru-based fin tech startup in direct lending segment.
"For a fintech company in direct lending space like ours, this is a huge push to achieve our vision of bringing under-banked masses under a formal credit system," he added.
Venture capitalists are also hopeful that fintech and edutech can see it (digital villages) as a promising opportunity to tap the rural population.
“For start-ups, one of the key announcements were setting up of one lakh (100,000) digital villages. This initiative when rolled out will have multiplier effect on startups in segments like edtech, content-based companies, media tech and of course fintech and e-commerce. This will ensure faster financial inclusion of people who still continue to be outside of formal banking system and have no credit history. Jan Dhan accounts and Aadhar based identification will also accelerate government initiatives designed for poor. Startups working in fintech and edutech should see this as a promising opportunity to tap the unaddressed and under served rural population,” said Anil Joshi, Managing Partner at Unicorn India Ventures, an early stage venture capital firm.
“Our work in rural areas is already in massive progress and PayNearby campaign of Har Dukan Digital Pradhan is widely popular in rural areas. Budget announcement is an encouragement to us and assurance that we are on right track and aligned to vision of Government. Possibilities of offering to our FinTech services at first mile are immense. Our approach of digitising, sachetising and universalising high-end technology for use of common man is working well in assisted digital services format. Our easy to engage assisted user experience can help lakhs of villagers to borrow small money, get micro insurance, start making deposits in banks rather than almirah and also fulfil their aspirations to buy products which are not available in the village,” said Anand Kumar Bajaj, founder & chief executive officer of PayNearby.


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Carpetright enjoys strongest growth since 2004
Home improvement chain Carpetright said today it was back on track after its UK and Ireland arm enjoyed its best half year sales growth since 2004.
The group achieved pre-tax profits of £11million in the six months to October 31, an increase of 16 per cent on a year earlier as it benefited from signs of life in the housing market and the demise of competitor Allied Carpets.
It also attracted additional business from housebuilders and insurers.
Optimistic: Lord Harris, Carpetright's chairman and chief executive, said the company had the potential to secure further new business
Carpetright saw a sharp fall in like-for-like sales in early 2009, but this reversed to show growth of 3.9 per cent in the UK and Ireland over the half year.
Total revenues grew by 9.6 per cent to £213.3million in the UK and Ireland after the company opened 38 new stores and closed 15 sites during the six month period. It traded from 590 outlets at the end of October.
The rise in sales was predominately within carpet categories, with vinyl business also growing at the expense of laminate and wood coverings.
Operating profits for the division increased by 68 per cent to £14.1million, reflecting the stronger sales performance.
Lord Harris of Peckham, chairman and chief executive, said he believed the firm was growing more quickly than the market in all its trading areas, including Holland and Belgium.
He added: 'While we remain cautious about the retail market in the balance of the financial year and into 2010, we have made a good start to the second half and have the added potential to secure further new business from the insurers and housebuilders.'
Carpetright shares opened 2 per cent higher following today's interims.
Singer Capital Markets analyst Matthew McEachran said the results were ahead of expectations and could lead to profit upgrades in the City.
He added: 'Trading in the second half so far has got off to a good start, meaning the most important month of November has gone well, and they have the added potential to secure further contracts with the housebuilders and insurers.
'We believe progress on this front has been excellent to date and the year on year growth contribution from this new aspect of their business could be almost 10% next year alone.'
Meanwhile, Carpetright said it had decided to close its operations in Poland at a one-off cost of £2.5million. In May it had 12 stores in the country.
The company said: 'In the period since its launch four years ago, the business has failed to establish sufficient trading momentum and critical mass, and the resulting performance has been disappointing.'
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ST. LOUIS — A federal court in St. Louis has ordered Steak 'n Shake to pay nearly $3 million in damages after a jury trial involving claims that the fast food chain didn't pay managers for overtime work.
Two St. Louis-area Steak 'n Shake managers, Sandra Drake and Randy Smith, brought suit in 2014, alleging that corporate-owned restaurants in the company's "St. Louis region" did not pay managers for overtime work, in violation of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and Missouri wage laws. Kansas City lawyer Brendan Donelon represented the plaintiffs.
Steak 'n Shake, an Indiana firm represented by Ogletree Deakins of St. Louis, responded that, among other things, the plaintiffs were paid everything they were owed under the law. Steak 'n Shake is owned by Biglari Holdings Inc. of San Antonio (NYSE: BH).
U.S. District Judge John Ross affirmed the jury's verdict Feb. 28. Ogletree Deakins and Steak 'n Shake did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Donelon said he thought the company would appeal the verdict.
For more information, click here.


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The Tenants update is now rolling out on PC. According to the Tenants patch notes, the latest update added in-game phone app: Camera, quality of life improvements, and fixes.
Since the last patch, players are experiencing problems with the game. Today’s The Tenants patch will fix a few of these issues.
Check out more details below.
The Tenants Patch Notes – December 23, 2021
- Added a new in-game phone app: Camera.
- Added a time-limited Elite Contract: Toy Factory.
- Added a time-limited tenant request: Wonderful Time.
- Added a time-limited tenant event: Singing Carols.
- Decorated the main menu and the district maps for the time-limited Winter event.
- Added two new loading screens.
- Added an item set designed by the Halloween community contest winner, @vritto.
- Fixed an issue where overlapping furniture slotted on the shelves and similar spots wouldn’t detect collisions between each other.
- Fixed an issue with furniture being placed outside apartment boundaries in some cases.
- Fixed an issue with calculating agent work days in a given time period.
- Fixed a host of issues related to sound effects.
- Fixed a few issues with item placement.
- Fixed an issue that occurred when changing the target room mid-negotiation with a tenant.
- Fixed an issue with job clients rating items from a different room.
- Fixed an issue with the rendering of corners pieces for exterior walls.
- Fixed an issue with tenants getting stuck on certain actions.
- Fixed an issue with the missing game mode tooltip in the main menu.
- Hidden the duration of the tutorial Pedro babysitting task.
- Fixed an issue with displaying nearby item connections after leaving renovation.


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YANKTON, S.D. – Farmers across the U.S. have started collecting their Market Facilitation Program (MFP) payments. These were 50/50 split payments starting last fall based on production. Farmers are now receiving the second half of that payment.
“The MFP payment compensation was put out there to offset the price drop that we've seen in the market,” said Howard Kathol, a farmer and commodity broker with Midwest Market Solutions Inc., during a recent phone interview. “That was due mainly to the effect of, call it the trade war, call it the tariffs that we placed on the goods coming into the United States from China.”
Soybeans fell the hardest as a result of China’s retaliatory 25 percent tariff on many U.S. goods. With around 995 million bushels of soybeans on hand in the U.S. at the time that did not have a buyer anymore, soybean prices dropped fast.
Corn prices also dropped.
“You could make the argument that corn prices came down due to the fact soybeans were plummeting, back in September, October,” said Kathol.
As a result, producers can expect a $1.65 payment for every bushel of soybeans they produced last season. They will also receive a 1 cent payment for every bushel of corn.
“There is an argument there that maybe corn is off more than it should be, but the fact of the matter is corn prices today are currently higher than they were a year ago,” he said. “China does not import much corn, although they have started a little bit.”
“It is a big cash injection to the producers, no doubt about it,” he added.
Keep in mind, producers did not have to sell their grain to receive this payment. This money provides flexibility to their marketing plan that they did not have before.
“All eyes will be strictly on an agreement that the Trump administration and China can come together on,” he said. “That truce is in less than 60 days.”
With a little money in hand from the MFP payments, producers have an opportunity to hang onto their beans longer, and wait for the markets to possibly improve.
On the marketing side, there are two things Kathol wants growers to be aware of. First, there has not been much of an increase in soybean exports to China. The U.S. still has a large amount of soybean inventory that has not shipped out.
“Number two, we are getting into our main growing time period for South America, which seem to be off to a fairly decent start,” he said. “That production will be available for export very soon, if not already, to China.”
Between the U.S. and South America, the world is flush with soybeans right now.
“I would use rallies in soybeans to sell cash,” he said. “I really, sincerely think cash sales in the New Year on any price appreciation is warranted to dump that inventory.”


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KYND, a cyber risk management company, has unveiled its latest innovation: a new Exposure Management solution.
In the rapidly evolving world of financial services, compliance and market dynamics are undergoing significant transformations, driven by macro trends that are reshaping the...
In the rapidly evolving sectors of finance and professional services, Client Lifecycle Management (CLM) plays a critical role in ensuring compliance and managing risk. Traditional CLM systems, however, often fall short in the face of expanding customer demographics, complex regulatory landscapes, and the growing demands of global compliance standards.
Silence Laboratories, a trailblazer in the realm of privacy-preserving collaborative computing, has successfully closed an additional funding round of $4.1m.
The EU is stepping up its game against money laundering and CTF, extending its regulatory net to include the high-stakes world of professional soccer. With...
The FCA has unveiled the outcomes of its in-depth study into the wholesale data market, focusing on the sectors of credit ratings data, benchmarks, and market data vendor services.
In an increasingly interconnected world, economic and trade sanctions serve as powerful tools wielded by governments and organisations.
In a recent post by Moody's Analytics, the firm outlined the five obligations firms have relating to the Digital Services Act.


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I’m very excited about tomorrow’s PS5 event; not as a gamer, but as a techie.
Lead architect of Sony’s newest console, Mark Cerny has made a meticulous effort to develop a gaming console specifically to the needs of developers and attracted a very large and unexpected following.
His technical presentation on PS5 hardware development “The Road to PS5” aimed at developers has earned nearly 16 million views and inspires both love and controversy.
Because of Cerny’s strong work interviewing, surveying, and working with developers, and no doubt others doing the same, Sony is set to revolutionize gaming performance at entry level console prices.
And if you were not already aware, know now that there has never been a console that combined such price for performance and ease of development as the PS5 is set to unveil tomorrow.
Why is PS5 such a huge step forward in gaming?
Exhaustive customer research to identify friction in the development process and relentless focus on killing that friction.
For the first time in my lifetime, the best gaming experiences possible will be on game consoles instead of PCs. That’s because unlike PCs, this generation of consoles has adopted a fundamental change in performance that developers can’t easily work around in the development process to work with lower-spec PCs.
This fundamental change is including optimized PCIe 4.0 SSDs and custom hardware to remove data bottlenecks in gaming that have never before been solved in the PC market.
To put it more bluntly, while the best PCs will have both better CPU and GPUs than consoles, the PS5 will have better minimum specs than any minimum size install base game developers would consider worth developing for.
What’s even more astonishing though isn’t that this situation is just expected to be true for a moment. It’s expected to be true for years.
The Next Generation of Gaming Consoles Will Transform PC, Display, and VR Markets
Gaming consoles’ sudden leap in performance has profound effects for computers, displays, and VR.
You might think this generation of console’s impact would be localized just to gamers, but this change is a catalyst for market separation and consolidation.
That’s because the PC gamer market while small is a profitable niche that subsidizes development of other PC hardware before it reaches wider consumer audiences in our laptops, tablets, and other devices.
PC gamers buy the highest-end CPUs, GPUs, and PC components like high-performance memory and hard drives.
PC gamers support innovation in display technologies by buying high-performance gaming monitors and accessories by a wide array of small consumer tech companies.
Console gaming’s rapid and unprecedented advance de-emphasizes PC gaming.
Display companies will see lower demand for their most profitable and highest cost monitors. TV manufacturers will see modest increases in purchasing volume mostly on products including console gaming-focused features like auto-low-latency and 4k/60 HDMI connections.
Intel, who’s already having a terrible year losing repeatedly to new, better, and cheaper products from AMD, stands to lose even more. Not only is Intel no longer considered the current market leader in PC gaming, but both next-gen consoles from Sony and Microsoft use AMD hardware.
VR as a market currently stands to gain the most. Despite being hyped for years, including by, of course, yours truly, VR has been roughly speaking a consumer failure. Millions of units sold. Millions of units not receiving much use.
VR’s been seen as a fad and for good reason: the minimum standard of VR user experiences for people to actually enjoy them is quite high. That’s because of a lot of reasons, but it’s easy to sum them up by saying that when you perceive inconsistencies between your sensory experiences and your body’s central nervous system, it makes you want to throw up because your body literally thinks you’ve been poisoned.
Sony’s set to launch a product that’s easily capable of powering the minimum standard positive VR user experiences that result in user adoption and it’s expecting to sell more than 7 million of them by this following March.
But while you might expect that the 7 million sales estimate would be the most important reason why PS5 would push VR user adoption, it’s instead because meeting that minimum standard VR user experience threshold and offering a much more social VR gaming experience in your living room instead of a mostly anti-social VR gaming experience that’s centered in your bedroom/office is such a powerful combination.
Social proof is and always will be key to mass user adoption.
If you’re interested to learn more about what’s captivated the tech community at large and started a number of controversies debating it, just watch the video that started it all, Mark Cerny’s presentation:
and if you want to hear the perspective of a game developer, just watch this one:
and watch the leading YouTube channel on game tech analysis give their thoughts:


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The PERCH team has a lot to be thankful for this holidays and had one more reason to celebrate this holidays - We were named one of the 15 Tech Companies to Watch in 2018 by Forbes, and we find ourselves in very good company.
Forbes recognized companies that are truly revolutionary and bringing about a new, reimagined and better future - bringing medical supplies to those in need (Zipline); curing type 2 diabetes with diet(Virta Health); encouraging new solutions to help the disabled among us (TOM), making self-driving cars safer and more efficient (Nauto); making the world of billions of Internet-connected devices manageable (OptimalPlus); tools for marketers to create more engaging websites (Concurra) and apps (Leanplum), understand their customers (StartApp), and apply AI to public relations marketing (Propel). Those are just a few. Many of them have raised tens or hundreds of millions of dollars.
As you can imagine, it’s pretty humbling for PERCH to be included in that list. As the article rightly points out, we are driven to reimagine the in-store experience by combining the exploration of physical products with digital experiences. You can call it augmented reality or mixed reality, interactive retail kiosks or in-store digital display – we call it a necessity. Brands already have realized that they are media companies, as they express on the web, in social media and in advertising. There is a huge, untapped potential to bring that digital storytelling and experience in-store – and consumers are responding to it in record numbers.
Any public recognition like this requires a bit of self-reflection on how we got here and where we are going to live up to the hype. We are more excited than ever about the future ahead and 2018 is poised to be a breakout year. We have a couple of big announcements to make in the Big Box and CPG space, proving that marrying digital to in-store products is an industry-wide imperative to deploy at scale. We have a couple new clients in Beverage that have built stunning interactive displays that we are going to share. And we have opened up a couple new industries with brand leaders we are excited about and our partner program is expanding rapidly.
We continue to invest in the PERCH platform and will have some great Q1 announcements about the evolution of our CMS, sensing technologies and new applications. We have more great case studies launching to share, proving 5-10x engagement and 30-80% sales lift across categories, and we will have some great announcements for CES and NRF in January.
We are a company in motion, and we thank Forbes for the recognition of our achievements in and industry undergoing a massive shift. But you haven’t seen anything yet. Retail is going to have a big year in 2018 that will dispel the criticisms of the naysayers. We are as excited as ever and proud to be a part of that transformation.
If you are reading this, chances are you are interested in being a part of that story too. Why not drop us a line at email@example.com and let's talk about projects that could transform your retail marketing?


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$WGO's revenue for 4Q16 grew to $263.25MM from $251.05MM in the previous year quarter. The increase was due primarily to higher shipments of 3% in motorized units and 57.5% in towables. The latest quarter revenue was negatively impacted by $5.4MM as $WGO exited the sale of aluminum extrusions to customers during the year.
I haven’t seen a drop in banks like this in a long time. Looks like $WFC is still facing pressures from its sales practices scandal..!!
Helping President-elect's America first focus, $WMT set to create 10,000 retail jobs in the US in 2017.
Looks like Trump has his eyes on the $MON and Bayer merger next. He had a meeting with the CEOs and apparently got job promises from them.
$FHN shares have dropped after its earnings missed analysts’ expectations. I’m worried whether the stock will slide further.


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"It's inspiring to see that in our fast-changing world, it is the younger generation that pays a lot of attention and interest to the issues of sustainable development," says Saed El-Achkar, regional manager, Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus, H&M. "We believe it is crucial to maintain such interest and promote environmental principles among children because our future is in their hands. Our joint collection with 'The Fixies' and a special edutaining episode of the series is a great initiative towards sustainability."
The collection is made of 100 percent sustainable cotton, organic and recycled. The boys' clothing range includes shorts, t-shirts and tank tops, while the girls' clothing features leggings and dresses. Garments are decorated with the
"Environment and sustainability have long been high on the agenda for 'The Fixies,'" says Mark Zavadskiy, chief executive officer, Riki Group and owner, "The Fixies." "We hope that the market will appreciate our unconventional collaboration with H&M, the fashion giants. This cooperation will allow us to convey relevant ideas to children, not only from the screen but literally through touch. Our special episode will introduce kids to the clothes production process and teach them how to take care of garments and dispose of them properly. The images of the Fixies on children's favorite pieces will remind them of these rules."
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Shimmy Beach Club, recently voted as Cape Town’s best club by Zomato, has revealed a line-up of parties for its winter season and as part of its ‘Winter Glow: Club Edition’ campaign. This ultimate lifestyle venue balances the style of international party life and the laid-back atmosphere of Cape Town rivalling the likes of Monaco and Ibiza’s beach club scene.
The Shimmy Club will host weekend parties every Friday and Saturday throughout winter featuring resident DJs and other local and national talents. They have partnered with brands such as Heineken, Ciroc and Bisquit to create exciting and entertaining nights out.
Tickets for the Club Edition will be available at the door each week. DJ line-ups and special guests will be announced weekly on the Shimmy Facebook Page and Shimmy App. Visit Shimmy’s Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/ShimmyBeachClub and new website http://www.Shimmybeachclub.com/ for more information.
Download the Shimmy Beach Club App
About Shimmy Beach Club
Shimmy Beach Club is South Africa’s premier lifestyle destination venue. Guests dine in a spectacular beachfront setting, idling away the hours in exclusive lounges, decks, VIP areas and a restaurant, with Table Mountain as a backdrop. Voted one of the world’s top ten beach venues, Shimmy is the perfect place for everything from a simple family get-together, to exclusive conferences and elaborate events, owing to its clever layout and versatile decks, breakaway rooms and lounges. During Shimmy’s summer campaign, “Summer Calling” weekends are filled with top DJ’s creating the best parties in Cape Town. www.shimmybeachclub.co.za
To view the new menu, Visit Shimmy Beach Club’s website http://www.Shimmybeachclub.com/


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Growth By Design (GBD) — the independent marketing agency affiliated with the League of Southeastern Credit Unions & Affiliates (LSCU) — recently announced an exciting new partnership with Wave2, the next generation of branch & ATM locator services.
“We couldn’t be more excited to offer this innovative platform to our client credit unions,” said GBD Director Yolanda Lewis. “With Wave2, credit unions can promote all their branches and ATMs, including your surcharge-free ATMs and shared branch locations.”
Clients who opt into Wave2 will have the platform integrated into their credit union website. Members do not have to leave the website to search for locations of surcharge-free ATMs and shared branches. Wave2 can also be incorporated into credit union’s digital banking applications.
Wave2 also offers:
- ADA accessibility
- Mobile responsiveness
- Modern 3D mapping
- Real-time open/closed indicators
- Location photos
- GPS search and predictive text search
To help you learn about the tremendous advantages of the Wave2 location services platform, GBD will host a webinar March 24 at 10 a.m. ET. GBD will host with Jason Green, the co-founder of Wave2, to provide this overview and demo to clients.


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Yesterday, Visceral Games company revealed some details of the content, which will be included into the debut Battlefield Hardline DLC titled Criminal Activity. As it’s reported, the owners of the Premium subscription will be able to try the upcoming add-on first the next month, although the exact date of the new DLC’s release hasn’t been specified yet.
Electronic Arts company has presented a list of five bugs, which will be fixed by the next Battlefield Hardline patch. According to the studio’s representatives, the developers have listened to the gamers’ feedbacks and have chosen the most requested problems.
Yesterday, EA and Visceral Games studios announced the exclusive Battlefield Hardline Premium program and told which content will be available for its members in details. The subscription will cost $50 for a year.


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Savannah, Ga — To mark the opening, there was a grand opening celebration on March 20th which served to officially welcome the store to the community. During the ribbon cutting ceremony, members of the company’s executive team and community leaders commemorated the new store with a donation to The United Way of the Coastal Empire as support for the local community.
Like many of its stores, the Savannah South location is individually owned and operated by a large network of dealer owners. This particular store is owned by second-generation dealer, Chance Young, whose parents have been successful Badcock dealers in Florida for nearly 45 years. After years of helping run the operations of his family’s stores, Young is ready to run a store of his own. He says, “Growing up around my parents’ Badcock stores, I know firsthand the value of treating your customers right. I look forward to carrying on this tradition in Savannah.”
CEO and President, Rob Burnette comments, “We’re happy to welcome the second generation of dealers to carry on the Badcock tradition of exceptional service to our valued customers.”


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Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson has quietly recalled some of its popular personal lubricants in order to avert potentially expensive new regulatory reviews.
Johnson & Johnson has again recalled thousands of its hip implants, 2 1/2 years after the problem-plagued health care giant issued a recall of two other types of its artificial hips.
Johnson & Johnson has announced yet another Tylenol recall due to a musty moldy odor linked to a trace chemical.
Johnson & Johnson said Friday it is recalling nearly 47 million packages of Tylenol, Sudafed and other nonprescription drugs manufactured at a Pennsylvania facility.
Word of several hundred layoffs coming at the McNeil consumer health care unit of Johnson & Johnson in Ft. Washington, Pa. has Montgomery County officials ready to extend a helping hand to those losing their […]


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The Midland Business Alliance hosted the second Entrepreneurship Week (E-Week), April 1-5, 2019, highlighting community efforts, innovative ideas and issues facing business owners in Midland’s entrepreneurial event of the year.
The week featured a suite of forums and events geared toward entrepreneurs and those looking to further develop their business. Don Tocco, Founder of Tocco & Associates, Inc. a company that develops marketing efforts for the heavy industrial construction industry, kicked off the Midland Business Alliance Membership Luncheon.
Tocco spoke to the crowd about his experiences in the commercial construction and industrial development industry and his 10 principles for pursuing a dream. His book “Art of the Journey,” was available with all donated proceeds going to efforts to help Northwood University students make their way in the world of business.
“E-Week showcases the broad community efforts in innovation, entrepreneurship and startup activity. This event acts as a vibrant network of support for entrepreneurs and their efforts in Midland County,” says Tony Stamas, President and CEO of the Midland Business Alliance.
Tony Stamas, President and CEO of the Midland Business Alliance.
Forum events included a family business forum featuring three family-owned businesses and the challenges of tackling and balancing business and family across multiple generations. Ieuter Insurance Group, SPACE, Inc., and Great Lakes Home Care Unlimited discussed the intricacies of running a family business. There was also a Women in Entrepreneurship forum with stories with several women who shared their perspectives and entrepreneurial journeys.
Notably, the ‘Patent Camp’ session included guest speaker Cheong Choon Ng, inventor of Rainbow Loom to discuss his business and how he protects his patents.
“It’s an exciting time where the MBA had a chance to connect with the region’s entrepreneur community and offer a diverse set of events. From a family business forum to a ‘women in entrepreneurship’ panel and a luncheon featuring a world-renowned speaker for Detroit, we were able to appeal to anyone with an entrepreneurial spirit. With over 200 attendees throughout the week, it was a great success,” says Stamas.
Panelists speak to attendees about the rewards and challenges of running a family business.
Participants learned about the growing risks of cybersecurity threats at a luncheon featuring Dawn Luptowski, a cyber liability insurance agent with MCI, Mike Rule of CU Tech, Matt Space of MITCON and Scott Taber a specialist in cybersecurity with the SBDC. The panel gave insight on by best practices, real-world scenarios and action items participants can take in the digital age where risks have become a greater threat.
A Shark-Tank style pitch night was held for Northwood University’s Spring Pitch Competition, where teams of students had five minutes to pitch an idea to a panel of judges. The top three pitches will be awarded monetary prizes.
The week capped off with an exciting and special edition of the WakeUp! Midland monthly breakfast where the Midland Young Professionals group (MyPros) announced the first iteration of a crowdfunding effort for the favorite local food truck Pizza Baker.
“The excitement and focus on innovation and entrepreneurship that E-Week brings to Midland is something we look forward to,” says Stamas. “We were thrilled to have everyone attend each of the E-Week events and look forward to seeing how the knowledge and takeaways from these sessions are implemented within the business community in Midland County.”


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Ford Recalls About 550,000 Vehicles That May Roll Away When Parked
Ford says some Fusions and Escapes may indicate they're in park even when they're not.
Ford is recalling about 550,000 of its vehicles because they may roll away when they're suppose to be in park.
On Wednesday the company recalled 2013-2016 Ford Fusions and 2013-2014 Escapes.
The problem arises when a vehicle's shifter cable becomes detached from its transmission. That means the vehicle may still be in gear even if the driver puts it in park and the dashboard says that it's in park.
Ford reportedly hasn't received any notifications of accidents or injuries due to the problem. But in April, the company recalled 350,000 of its vehicles over a similar issue.
Drivers of the affected vehicles can have their shifter cable bushing replaced at Ford dealerships for free. Ford is advising they use the parking brake until the issue is fixed.
Is the fashion industry living up to promises of size inclusivity?
This edition of the "Better Beauty" explores why the fashion industry seems so slow to reflect a wider range of body types in clothing sizes.By AP
UK watchdog says Microsoft's Activision deal hurts gamers
Britain's Competition and Markets Authority says the deal could result in "harming U.K. gamers who cannot afford expensive consoles."By Swayne B. Hall / AP
AMC to charge more for good seats in movie theaters
As movie theaters have attempted to recover from the pandemic, exhibitors have increasingly looked at more variable pricing methods.By Evan Agostini / Invision / AP
AI-powered walking sticks could help those who are visually impaired
Researchers say the walking stick is still years away from being available to the public.By Scripps News
Tyre Nichols documents: Officer never explained stop to him
Emerging reports say the officers who pulled Tyre Nichols from his car never told him why he was being stopped.By City of Memphis / AP
A Syrian American couple helps with aid after deadly earthquake
A Syrian American couple are now leading relief efforts in the aftermath of one of the deadliest earthquakes of the century.By Emrah Gurel / AP


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Lumentum (LITE +11%) is trading higher after reporting a massive second quarter beat and guiding third quarter results below consensus.
Lumentum is a manufacturer of optical and photonic products enabling optical networking and commercial laser customers worldwide. Lumentum's commercial lasers enable advanced manufacturing techniques and diverse applications including next-generation 3D sensing capabilities. Lumentum is the key supplier for 3D sensing (3DS) components for Apple's iPhone X, which enables the Face ID.
Lumentum reported second quarter adjusted earnings of $1.67/share on revenue of $404.6 million (+53%). The company had guided for second quarter earnings of $1.05-1.25 on revenue of $345-375 million.
Chief executive Allen Lowe: "We achieved record revenue and profitability and exceeded our guidance for the second quarter driven by strong demand and execution in our 3D sensing, ROADM, industrial and telecom pump laser businesses.. Our proven capabilities position us well for the future as demand for our industrial lasers and ROADMs is strengthening, and 3D sensing opportunities are broadening to more customers and end markets."
However, like most Apple suppliers, Lumentum guided March quarter results below consensus.
On the call, management said there is clear momentum in 3D sensing, but the first half of the year is a seasonally slow period for the consumer end market. Management said it won some business on an android device but will be building inventory in the first half of the calendar year for the seasonal ramp and acceleration of demand in back half of the year.
Lumentum said the 3D sensing market is accelerating and will be a $1 billion annual market in the next year or two. Management said 3DS market unit volume should more than double this year.
When asked about the timing for auto adoption of 3DS, management said that end market won't see meaningful revenue until 2020.
Other 3D sensing players include II-VI (IIVI +2%) and Finisar (FNSR +6%).
Fellow optical stocks Fabrinet (FN +26%) and Oclaro (OCLR +19%) are also higher after both company's beat quarterly estimates but guided down the next quarter. The group is eagerly awaiting a recovery in demand from China, which still appears to be a couple of quarters away.


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In a recent interview, the CEO of EtherFi, a prominent blockchain platform, shed light on the company’s innovative NFT collection, which is uniquely backed by staked ETH.
However, this groundbreaking approach to non-fungible tokens (NFTs) has caught the attention of the crypto community, offering a new dimension of value and security to digital art and collectibles. The CEO’s explanations provide valuable insights into the platform’s vision and the potential impact of staked ETH on the NFT market.
Revolutionizing NFTs: Staked ETF Collateral
EtherFi’s CEO highlighted how the platform is revolutionizing the NFT landscape by introducing staked ETH as collateral for its NFT collection. Consequently, EtherFi aims to enhance the utility and longevity of NFTs by introducing a novel approach that intertwines ownership and financial investment.
Benefits for Artists and Collectors
The CEO emphasized the benefits that EtherFi’s staked ETH-backed NFTs offer to artists and collectors alike. Artists can receive ongoing royalties through smart contracts linked to the staked ETH. Consequently, this would enable them to continue benefiting from the success of their artwork beyond the initial sale.
Simultaneously, collectors gain the assurance of a stable and valuable asset, making the acquisition of NFTs a more viable long-term investment.
EtherFi’s Innovative NFT Collection: Bridging Ownership and Investment Through Staked ETH
EtherFi’s CEO has provided valuable insights into the platform’s innovative NFT collection, which leverages staked ETH to enhance value, stability, and longevity. Moreover, by intertwining ownership with financial investment, EtherFi aims to revolutionize the NFT market, attracting artists, collectors, and investors alike.
However, as the industry evolves, the introduction of staked ETH-backed NFTs may serve as a catalyst for the widespread adoption and integration of blockchain technology in the art and collectibles sector.


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Ludovic Subran, the chief economist at credit insurer Euler Hermes, talks why GCC companies should trade more with the Mediterranean and Africa and Turkey’s vulnerability to a current account crisis.
Why the Gulf should look more to Mediterranean and African trade
The world’s largest central bank, the US Federal Reserve, has hinted it may start slowly easing off its US$85 billion monthly bond-buying plan, a scheme that has flooded financial markets with cheap cash since 2009.
Here, Ludovic Subran, the chief economist at Euler Hermes, the world’s largest trade credit insurer, talks about the risks involved in tapering, why GCC companies should trade more with the Mediterranean and Africa and Turkey’s vulnerability to a current account crisis.
What will the impact likely be when the US Federal Reserve begins to taper quantitative easing?
The Fed will trigger a new phase in the global economy when it begins tapering. For a start, the dollar will become less expensive than it is now. Since the Fed announced it was considering tapering, some countries have already started tampering with their currencies, countries with large current account deficits like Turkey, Brazil and India. Large emerging markets have been through so many crises so I don’t expect countries to be stopping capital outflows or inflows. The only thing I expect is that there will be a higher risk for the private sector, which has been investing in these countries, and a higher risk for the banks that have been using cheap lending to finance their economies. We need to wait and see what the magnitude of the tapering will be and the magnitude will depend on the speed with which the Fed and other central banks start withdrawing cash.”
You’ve likened the world economy to a drug addict in recent years. What do you mean by that?
The world economy has been through many addictions. The financial crisis in 2008 and 2009 happened because the world economy was on one kind of drug, which was the financial market going far too fast for the real output gap of the world. Then came another type of addiction, which was the fiscal stimulus. We had the IMF touring the world and saying countries should start spending 5 per cent of their GDP to ensure they didn’t fall into a recession, that was another type of addiction. Then as a new response there was the idea to use monetary policy to stimulate the economy. The type of unorthodox monetary policy the size and magnitude we’re seeing now is unheard of. We’ve seen central banks like the Bank of England, the Bank of Japan and the Fed printing money. All central banks have paid approximately 30 per cent of GDP and have that in their liabilities on their balance sheet.
Top of global investor’s concerns recently has been the US debt standoff and the euro-zone crisis but you have suggested there are also potential risks relating to the high current account deficit in countries such as Turkey, Indonesia, India, Mexico, Colombia and Brazil. What do you mean?
A current account deficit is the sum of your trade deficit and fiscal deficit, so it is the import bill, plus the spending of the government. Therefore, it is a proxy of the needs of the economy. You can finance it through debt or through reserves. If you take the example of Turkey, it is a major emerging economy that has been vulnerable to shocks for years. In 2001, it had a huge credit bubble that pricked and policies since then have been focused on discipline in terms of monetary and fiscal management to make sure that the economy is more stable. Investment in infrastructure, education and jobs has been backed up with rigorous fiscal and monetary management. Turkey is not a risky country but it is a vulnerable country because of the 2001 crisis. If it goes to the international market to get cash to cover its short-term rolling debt it gets it at a high price because it is graded low by the ratings agencies and was below investment grade for years. It also gets very short-term repayments. So when Turkey issues bonds it does six months or one year maximum. It cannot do 15 years like some countries. As it has frequent repayments if you have one problem like an earthquake, unrest or more expensive dollar financing you become at risk.
Working for a trade credit insurer, you are keen to boost levels of global trade. What can be done to raise low levels of intra-regional trade in the Middle East and North Africa?
The GCC has strong trade links with Asia already but there are opportunities to extend ties within the Mediterranean region. The GCC could export approximately $20bn a year additionally to the Mediterranean region and import approximately the same. There is potential to weave GCC trade with a region that has been suffering but has huge needs of goods. Currently, exports to southern Europe from the GCC are somewhere around 2 per cent [of total exports] for the UAE, mostly being oil. If you add North Africa and Turkey it is maybe 4 per cent. This is an area to grow. There are 250 million people in countries around the Mediterranean, with wealth similar to the US and an area where there could be return on investment.”
You also believe there are huge opportunities for countries from the GCC to export more to Africa. Could you please elaborate?
If you look at a country like Egypt, with a population of 80 million people, it has the potential to import approximately $560 million more over the next 10 years. Even if you get a small portion of that it means huge profits for companies. It doesn’t happen overnight but the potential is huge for retailers and providers of household equipment and furniture, all of the things people start buying after food. Africa is not perfect but it is less risky than it was five or 10 years ago as it has sustained high growth rates and invested in lessening the corruption and business environment over the years. Change is happening from the bottom up. People want more of the goods they see on TV, they want better connectivity, so basically people are asking for less import bans and fewer monopolistic companies to make sure they get the right price for goods.”
Against the backdrop of the current turmoil, what is the biggest risk to overseas companies investing in Egypt?
In Egypt the biggest risk is that nobody will be held accountable for what they owe. If you have a sovereign buyer, a state-owned company, they may decide to not pay you now because nobody can be accountable for the non-payments down the road. In terms of private sector companies, the risk is that there’s very little cash in the country. Foreign reserves are at their lowest, import cover – a measure of cash in the economy to cover imports – is flirting with the three month level, which is really a record low. If you are a company in Egypt, first it’s very hard to get access to financing but secondly you cannot even be sure you can withdraw cash from your bank to pay what you owe. The other risks are that there is still massive looting in the economy, real purchasing power has plummeted as people are losing jobs and there are no tourists. We still insure risk in Egypt and monitor risk there but we advise against existing clients taking new risk in Egypt.”
You have warned about the risk of the “sun-setting” on industrialisation plans. Can you please elaborate?
A good example of this is South Africa. It is the fastest-growing economy in Africa and is a major emerging market, which has grown through commodities and services. But it didn’t build the industries necessary to give jobs to its people, to create innovation, diversify its exports or produce goods that it could supply local households with. To that extent, South Africa missed its industrial revolution, even though it had the cash from its commodities to invest. I do believe that every country has to go through some sort of industrial revolution at some point. For a country like the UAE or Saudi Arabia there is a need to build an industrial base to employ people but more importantly that gives the soundness that they can count as a big manufacturer in the world. This region needs to see which sectors they can specialise in. It also has positive spin-offs like innovation and financing. I would focus on chemicals, pharmaceuticals and anything else that is energy intensive.”


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Each year, Forte strives to help customers unleash their research potential, and 2018 was no exception. We had another remarkable year at Forte, with innovations and developments to our products and services, growth at our company and in our customer community, recognition within the clinical research technology industry, and in giving back to our community…
Forte’s Founder & CEO, Shree Kalluri, shares his vision for the future of information exchange in clinical research.
Hear Forte’s Founder, President, CEO & Chief Customer Officer discuss the stark disconnect between stakeholders in the clinical research industry and why it’s time to invert our thinking for more efficient and higher quality clinical trials.
Forte’s founder, President, CEO & Chief Customer Officer, Shree Kalluri shares highlights of the 2018 Spring Onsemble conference keynote where he and others announced new progress in Forte’s product roadmap.
Founder, CEO and Chief Customer Officer, Shree Kalluri, announces the new and exciting solutions Forte is offering this year to streamline clinical research operations.
Forte partners with the Scholarships for Superheroes Fund to raise money and awareness to help support childhood cancer survivors in remission.