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IGEA is delighted to announce that the 2020 AGDAs will be hosted by Jordan Raskopoulos.
Jordan is a well known and loved comedian, singer, writer, film maker, public speaker, streamer and games fanatic who has kept many of us entertained both before, and during iso.
Raelene Knowles, COO of IGEA commented, “The Australian Game Developer Awards (AGDAs) are an important way for us to showcase the creative and talented Australian games industry. 2020 will see us deliver the AGDAs virtually for the first time. This means more of us can come together and celebrate all of those individuals and teams making fabulous games that are keeping people all over the world entertained and connected.
“Having been involved with many of the creators in our space, it’s a no brainer that Jordan should be our host. We are delighted that she will be bringing all her creative skills to the AGDA ensuring that the event will be fun and engaging for all of us.”
Jordan Raskopolous says ‘I’m very excited to be hosting the AGDAs this year. The Australian games industry is such a wonderfully creative and innovative space and it’s an honour to be able to be a part of recognising those whose creations have brought so much joy to many. It is unfortunate that the world is keeping us from celebrating in person, but it seems somewhat fitting that we all get to enjoy the awards, digitally, in the comfort of our giant racing car gamer chairs.”
You can watch the AGDAs on Wed 7 October at 7PM @ https://www.twitch.tv/igea_au
Check out the 2020 AGDAs finalists here
This year’s AGDAs are proudly presented by Epic Games, creator of Unreal Engine.
IGEA thanks them for their continual and generous support of the Australian games industry.
IGEA (Interactive Games & Entertainment Association) is the peak industry association representing the voice of Australian and New Zealand companies in the computer and video games industry. IGEA supports the business and public policy interests of the games industry through advocacy, research and education programs, and working with many stakeholders including all levels of government, agencies, media and other trade associations.
Through the provision of consistent and frequent industry research and data, along with communications programs, IGEA promotes the interactive games industry both locally and abroad.
2020 is the first year IGEA is responsible for delivering the AGDAs after its merger with the GDAA (Game Developers Association of Australia) in April 2020.
Further details are available at www.igea.net
About Unreal Engine
Epic Games’ Unreal Engine technology brings high-quality games to PC, console, mobile, AR and VR platforms. Creators also use Unreal for photorealistic visualization, interactive product design, film, virtual production, mixed reality TV broadcast and animated entertainment. Follow @UnrealEngine and download Unreal for free at unrealengine.com.


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“Correction does much, but encouragement does more” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe”
Even before the coronavirus pandemic, many supply chains were under pressure due to the proliferation of e-commerce, increasing shipping and consumer expectations in terms of availability as well as constant geopolitical battles, such as, for example, Brexit and the US-China trade war. Then came the pandemic, which created a doomsday scenario for supply chains driven by travel restrictions, stay-at-home orders, massive fluctuations in demand and uncertain prospects. Although the projections are still uncertain, we expect three main trends to emerge that will lead to a faster shift to online from offline: more flexible supply chains, greater diversification and contingency planning. In addition, we believe that senior executives in many companies attach greater importance to this area. In our view, this will accelerate investments in several key supply chain technology areas. These include fulfillment technologies, supply chain planning, warehouse automation, supply chain and logistics visibility and last mile technologies. Although not typically considered as supply chain technologies, e-commerce platforms should also see a significant benefit – and many already have.
The US and China showed signs of de-escalation of the trade tensions as both sides reaffirmed their commitment to the trade agreement signed earlier this year (source: Bloomberg.com). In the latest announcement, the US discussed the steps taken by China to comply with the terms of the agreement, which were depicted to be improving despite not being on pace with the year-end goals. This improved understanding led to a constructive view on US and Chinese stock markets, moving equity indices, such as the S&P 500 Index SPX, up to reach new all-time highs. Chinese stock prices went up as well, with a recent period of stagnation but showing short-term signs of ticking higher again.
The Chinese equity space is no stranger to the trends in 2020, after all, it was one of the first areas internationally to rebound from their COVID-induced economic downturns. There are a variety of names within the Chinese technology sector that have shown improvement, as evidenced by the strength of funds oriented toward that area. One of the most valuable companies in China, Alibaba Group Holding ADR BABA, has advanced in recent weeks which speaks for a broader improvement of the Chinese technology and internet industry.
The measures taken against the corona virus were accompanied by increased volatilities and downside risks within the markets. To manage these risks, we combine our in-house expertise with best-in-class technologies, including the Nowcast technology of OpenMetrics (an ETH Spin-Off), which strictly relies on regularly and frequently measuring the current state of the markets and reacting according to those measurements. This in contrast to predictive models, which work on well-defined and stationary states only. Real life systems, such as the weather, might show such states, but in most cases not for more than a couple of days, even though the physical principles for the weather are solid and well-defined. In financial markets, such states which could be exploited by predicting future states, do not seem to exist outside of the high frequency domain.
The Nowcast approach is not based on such assumptions but can deal with erratic systems by always adapting to the current state. Therefore, we are achieving similar risk profiles as passive hedging strategies while realizing more of the upside.
This approach is becoming increasingly popular in the pension fund industry and forms the basis of our modular framework, which offers customized solutions for different risk profiles. A new module, based on OpenMetrics’ Nowcast technology, will go live in the coming weeks.
Extremely low or even negative yields erode the risk-free foundation of earnings. As a result, investors will be more exposed to fluctuations in market prices. Fixed income instruments might no longer efficiently fulfill their diversification function. If this environment persists, new approaches will be required to generate income while preserving capital. To achieve consistent returns, strategies based on alternative sources of income could be considered.
As with the Nowcast approach, the objective of such strategies must be to achieve consistent returns, as only stable returns allow accurate long-term forecasts of investment results. Using a systematic, non-predictive technique based on volatility premiums, a defensive investment strategy was provided to our clients to complement their multi-asset portfolios:
Please challenge us with your ideas and comments.

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Manufacturers Group Expands Effort to Fill Industry Jobs
The National Association of Manufacturers launched its Creators Connect website to connect users to employers, and shift how the field is perceived.
A leading manufacturing association has launched a new website intended to address ongoing employment gaps in the industry.
Creators Connect, launched February 17, is a project of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and its charitable offshoot, the Manufacturing Institute, in partnership with manufacturing jobs website FactoryFix. Creators Connect itself is a spinoff of Creators Wanted, an initiative designed to attract more workers to the industry, according to Chrys Kefalas, managing vice president of brand strategy at NAM.
Creators Wanted began before the pandemic as a suite of online informational tools and roadshows on college campuses and similar locations to showcase the industry. In that time, NAM has collected contact information for more than a million people, Kefalas said.
It’s also gathered some wisdom about what might attract those people to manufacturing jobs. Though the site is a job bank and guide to credentialing and certification programs, it uses a persona-based structure to guide visitors to jobs, featuring categories such as “explore new frontiers,” “engineer and design the future,” and more.
“We’ve got the network, and we have the data,” Kefalas said. “The next step was providing more than just resources and shifting perceptions, but providing tangible rewards and opportunities for manufacturing careers.”
Shifting perceptions is critical because NAM’s research has found that negative attitudes still dog the industry. “What we saw often and repeated in our research among parents and students was that these were seen as dead-end careers and all the same kind of labor, and not as much about the purpose-driven work that manufacturers are dealing with,” Kefalas said. “So an essential part of our campaign was to reignite a focus on creativity.”
There’s some evidence that past efforts have made a dent in those perceptions—NAM research has found that in recent years positive perceptions of the industry among students has increased from the mid-20s to 40 percent. Kefalas said some of the credit for that is due to work NAM has done internally, using data science to gauge responses to its content and adjust its messaging. “We’ve been tracking how audiences react to our content and posts on our own media channels and then augmenting our targeting strategies based on that,” he said
Creators Wanted is part of an ambitious suite of goals that NAM has set for the manufacturing workforce: According to a press release, NAM wants to recruit 600,000 new workers for the industry, increase the number of students in training programs by 25 percent, and move the positive perception of the industry “among parents and career influencers” to 50 percent.
“We’re confident that we can take those million people in our data set and drive them to career opportunities to reach those goals,” Kefalas said. “We have the opportunities in manufacturing with 800,000 open jobs. Our goal is to get people who aren’t on the playing field on the surface, so they can take that next step to rewarding careers.”


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PATONG: Police raided two buildings in Rajpatanusorn Rd last night and seized imitation goods with a street value of about 5 million baht. One of the buildings was fitted with a closed-circuit security camera to check on visitors. Police from the Economic Crime Investigations Division in Bangkok, accompanied by representatives from Rolex, Gucci and Chanel, seized about 1,000 items, including bags, shoes, watches and leather goods. The raids on the warehouses was the culmination of a week of activities in which police arrested 26 dealers in the Patong and Karon areas and seized fake goods with a retail value estimated at 30 million baht.
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Behr Paints has taken innovation to the next level with a new paint can, which features a 100% recyclable design and Simple Pour lid. The special lid was developed to eliminate messy spills and rust while keeping the quality paint inside fresher for longer to cut down on waste.
“The current gallon paint can was long overdue for innovation,” said Jodi Allen, chief marketing officer at Behr, in a press release. “We’ve spent years experimenting to perfect this new design, making sure this revolutionary new can is both environmentally responsible and effective in alleviating common pain points in the painting process. This new design will ensure do-it-yourselfers and pros alike can easily use and preserve Behr’s high-quality products.”
This simple yet impactful innovation is set to be felt by homeowners, designers, builders, and beyond, who will experience ease of use and a more eco-friendly design.
“DIY and professional customers alike will appreciate this new design that ensures a perfectly clean pour and easy, secure storage every time,” added Chris Waits, merchandising vice president at The Home Depot, in a press announcement. “The new lid also saves time and effort for customers due to the easy-to-remove, plastic screw cap—helping shoppers get in and out of the store and back to ‘doing.'”
These Behr Simple Pour cans will begin rolling out in one gallon offerings, exclusively at Home Depot stores in the United States.
Want to see more trendsetting announcements from Behr? Catch up with the brand’s Color of the Year 2020 trend picks and more thoughtful analysis on the new decade ahead.


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Brunswick Corp. and the Brunswick Foundation recently awarded $56,000 in scholarships to assist with college tuition fees for 28 sons and daughters of dealer employees who participate in Brunswick Dealer Advantage.
The number of awards increased from last year to accommodate the expansion of the Brunswick Dealer Advantage program, which qualifies marine dealers in the United States and Canada, as well as Brunswick Billiards dealers and Life Fitness dealers in both countries.
Students eligible for scholarships include those whose parents are employees of dealerships that sell qualified Brunswick brands and participate as Gold or Platinum dealers in Brunswick Dealer Advantage.
Scholarships were awarded based on the applicant’s academic record and leadership abilities as demonstrated by extracurricular activities. Recipients were selected by an impartial, external committee comprising academic professionals from Northwestern University, Notre Dame, and Marquette. The $2,000 scholarships apply toward achievement of baccalaureate degrees.
“For more than 50 years, the Brunswick Foundation has contributed to the charitable interests of its employees and the communities in which they live,” said Adrian Sakowicz, president of the Brunswick Foundation and Brunswick’s vice president of strategic partnerships, in a statement. “Our contribution to the Dealer Sons and Daughters scholarship program helps prepare our next generation of leaders.”


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Latest research report reveals Key Drive for ‘Accuracy’ Amongst Warehouse Operations
The importance of accuracy has doubled in two years; drive to adopt new technology in the warehouse to improve accuracy also increasing
The latest report from StayLinked, independently conducted by VDC Research, shows that the focus on accuracy within warehouse operations has reached new heights. The drive for accuracy, to achieve the ‘perfect order rate’, has almost doubled since StayLinked’s 2022 survey. Provided with a list of ten different areas of improvement, accuracy was listed as the most important area by 15.1% of respondents, rising from 8.7%.
“As market conditions continue to be volatile and unpredictable, this latest survey shows the importance of building accuracy into warehouse operations to drive resilience, flexibility and agility through accurate visibility of warehouse operations,” said Justin Griffith, StayLinked’s chief technology officer.
The latest research from StayLinked, conducted by VDC Research, is published here: Making Supply Chain Resilience Work: Keeping Up with Ever-Demanding Warehouse Operations. The research of warehouse operations technology decision makers, across multiple industries including retail, manufacturing, transportation/logistics, retail, and wholesale organizations was conducted in 2023 and the report is being published now.
“The 2022 survey was all about speed, with the focus being on-time shipments and getting orders out the door as quickly as possible,” continued Griffith. “That is still relevant now, but the focus on accuracy has leaped up.”
Increased accuracy is not a pipe dream as emerging technologies can dramatically improve the accuracy of warehouse operations. Technologies also exist that can meet the survey’s other top improvement initiatives: continuing to ensure that goods are shipped quickly and helping to significantly improve the warehouse worker’s experience.
However, to be adopted in the warehouse, these new technologies need to integrate with and ‘talk to’ the organizations’ warehouse management systems (WMS). This latest report highlights the link between the age of the underlying enterprise applications underpinning supply chain and warehouse operation and the ability to successfully deploy new technology. The report states:
“There is a strong correlation between the age and flexibility of the underlying enterprise applications supporting logistics operations – be it WMS, ERP, WCS or others – and the ability for organizations to streamline logistics technology evaluation and integration. Maximum system flexibility is required to be able to integrate the planned, growth-defined future adjustments in warehousing and to control them in a coordinated manner.”
The survey data showed that there has been an increased emphasis on the WMS – 61.1% of organizations were on the most current WMS or running just one or two years behind – a significant increase from 45% in 2022. This has seen a comparative increase in new technologies introduced into the warehouse.
Warehouses that haven’t been able to move to the latest WMS will fear that they are in danger of permanently losing ground on their competitors. That fear is often combined with frustration at the impossible task ahead of them to replace the WMS. However, for those running an older WMS, it’s not true that a complex, risky, and expensive ‘rip and replace’ option is always required.
“It’s like renovating your house. For most of us, we have to do it bit by bit, prioritizing different rooms as we go,” explained Griffith. “StayLinked can help warehouse operators similarly introduce new technologies. They don’t need to knock down the house – or rip out the WMS – in one go. They can simply adopt the new technology they need when they need it.”
StayLinked’s enterprise-grade terminal emulation (TE) software SmartTE and its no-code technology adoption platform, Evolve, allow warehouse operators to modernize their existing WMS so that they can deploy a mixture of new technologies. One emerging technology will not rule them all, so it is crucial that multiple new technologies can be integrated into the warehouse operations’ workflows where they best fit and can deliver the most benefit, and at a pace that works for the warehouse operator.
The research highlighted some of the emerging technologies that are most likely to be adopted by warehouses:
- Over 97% of warehouses plan to be using Locationing Systems and Predictive Analytics by 2027.
- Currently only in use by 20% of warehouses, nearly 85% of all warehouses plan to have deployed Person-to-Goods AMRs by 2027.
- Drones are the least popular of the emerging warehouse technologies. 36% of all surveyed said they had no plans to use drones at all.
StayLinked can help warehouses quickly and easily integrate all of these new technologies into their existing warehouse management system to help them improve productivity, increase efficiencies, and most importantly, according to the research, improve accuracy.
Download a copy of the report from StayLinked’s website: Making Supply Chain Resilience Work: Keeping Up with Ever-Demanding Warehouse Operations.


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Static’s big summer also includes more issues of ‘Static: Shadows of Dakota.’
Static will team up with Anansi, the Akan folktale character and the god of stories, wisdom, knowledge and trickery, in a new one-shot coming in June.
DC and Milestone have announced Static Team-Up: Anansi #1, which reunites the two characters who previously met in the Static Shock animated series. The special will be written by Evan Narcisse with art by Charles Stewart III, a graduate of the The Milestone Initiative Talent Development program.
Nikolas Draper-Ivey provides the cover:
Continue reading “Static teams with Anansi in a new special arriving in June”
With Milestone celebrating its 30th anniversary next year, DC will release several projects spanning both universes.
DC has announced their plans for next year’s Black History Month in February, which include not only a new anthology and variant covers, but also several projects coming out of Milestone as the imprint celebrates its 30th anniversary.
In addition, several creators coming out of the Milestone Initiative, a program launched last year “to identify, support and elevate emerging diverse writers and artists within the comic book industry,” will see their first work published during Black History Month.
Let’s take a look at the DCU projects first …
Continue reading “DC reveals their 2023 Black History Month plans”
The miniseries written by Reggie Hudlin and Leon Chills begins in February.
Two cornerstone of the Milestone universe will clash next year in Icon vs. Hardware, a five-issue miniseries coming from DC.
DC Publisher and CCO Jim Lee announced the new series during his Jim Lee & Friends Panel at New York Comic Con earlier today. The story spins out of the Milestones in History anthology from earlier this year and will be co-written by Reggie Hudlin and Leon Chills.
Continue reading “NYCC: DC + Milestone announce ‘Icon vs. Hardware’”
Check out preview pages from the new miniseries as well as the upcoming graphic novel ‘Static: Up All Night.’
During the Jim Lee & Friends panel in San Diego yesterday, DC’s publisher and CCO welcomed Milestone founder and legendary artist Denys Cowan to the stage to announce a second Static miniseries titled Static: Shadows of Dakota.
Vita Ayala and Nikolas Draper-Ivey will once again tell Virgil Hawkins’ story and introduce a villain called Ebon. Here’s a look at the cover:
Continue reading “Static returns for a second season in ‘Shadows of Dakota’”
New stories featuring Lois Lane, Harley Quinn and Static arrive next year.
DC has announced three new graphic novels aimed at the young adult market that will arrive next spring featuring new takes on Lois Lane, Harley Quinn and Static.
Coming in April of next year is Girl Taking Over: A Lois Lane Story by Sarah Kuhn and Arielle Jovellanos, set before Lois was the journalist we know today. She’s “an ambitious small town girl tackling summer in the big city with gusto,” according to the description. “Lois is excited about her internship, her cosmopolitan apartment, and the future she sees unfolding before her, only to find that things rarely go according to plan.”
Continue reading “DC announces three young adult graphic novels for next year”
Check out new comics this week from Tom King, Bilquis Evely, Jason Aaron, Aaron Kuder, Gerry Duggan, Pepe Larraz, Peach Momoko, Stan Sakai and more.
Welcome to Can’t Wait for Comics, your guide to what comics are arriving in comic book stores, bookstores and on digital this week. This week brings new comics and graphic novels from Marvel, DC, AfterShock Comics, Milestone Media, Fantagraphics and more.
Check out a few highlights below, or visit Diamond’s website for this week’s almost complete list of new comics arriving in stores — you can visit Lunar Distribution’s home page to see DC’s release — and the comiXology new releases page for what’s available digitally.
Continue reading “Can’t Wait for Comics | Milestone Media’s revival finally kicks off with ‘Static: Season One’ #1”
New comics and graphic novels arrive this week from Jason Aaron, Dale Keown, Lee Lai, Aminder Dhaliwal, Matt Lesniewski, Mike Mignola, Declan Shalvey and more.
Welcome to Can’t Wait for Comics, your guide to what comics are arriving in comic book stores, bookstores and on digital this week. This week brings new comics and graphic novels from Marvel, DC, Fantagraphics, Image, AfterShock, Drawn and Quarterly, and more.
Check out a few highlights below, or visit ComicList for this week’s full list of new comics arriving in stores, and the comiXology new releases page for what’s available digitally.
Continue reading “Can’t Wait for Comics | Return to Future State Gotham; X-Corp opens for business; Lee Lei’s ‘Stone Fruit’ debuts”
Catch up on news and announcements from Dark Horse, Vault Comics, DC, Z2 and more.
Mail Call is a roundup of the announcements we’ve received from comics publishers in our mailboxes recently that we haven’t already covered. Hit the links for more information.
Continue reading “Mail Call | New release dates for the Milestone revival”
DC Comics has modified their plans for the upcoming Milestone Media relaunch. The three launch titles — Static, Icon and Rocket, and Hardware — will no longer arrive digitally before they come out in print. Instead, they’ll be released in both formats on the same day, as well as on DC Universe Infinite. Both Static and Icon and Rocket will come out later, but Hardware will be published earlier than originally announced. The new dates (and creative teams for each title) are:
- Static: Season One, written by Vita Ayala, with layouts by CHRISCROSS, finishes by Nikolas Draper-Ivey with covers by Khary Randolph launches in print and digital on June 15.
- Icon and Rocket: Season One, co-written by Reggie Hudlin and Leon Chills, with art by Doug Braithwaite and covers by Taurin Clarke launches in print and digital on July 27.
- Hardware: Season One, written by Brandon Thomas, with art by Denys Cowan and Bill Sienkiewicz with covers by Mateus Mahanini, launches in print and digital on August 10.
‘Static,’ ‘Icon and Rocket,’ and ‘Hardware’ return later this year.
DC has revealed the creative teams for the three upcoming DC Digital First titles that were announced earlier this month.
The digital-first “extended cut” of the Milestone Returns #0 one-shot came out today, with plans for a print copy to debut in May. Milestone Returns: Infinite Edition #0 combines the original 17-page comic with an additional 24 pages of completely new material written by Reginald Hudlin and drawn by artists Denys Cowan, Nikolas Draper-Ivey, Bill Sienkiewicz and more. They also revealed the creative teams and first-issue covers:
Continue reading “Creative teams revealed for returning Milestone titles”
‘Static,’ ‘Icon & Rocket,’ and ‘Hardware’ will all return in 2021.
DC Comics has revealed more details on the planned Milestone Media relaunch, which includes plans to re-release the Milestone Returns #0 comic released during DC FanDome with additional material, as well as digital-first series featuring Static, Icon, Rocket and Hardware.
“Since the FanDome panel, Reggie , Denys , and our editorial team have been working incredibly hard to bring this new Milestone to life,” said Jim Lee, DC publisher and chief creative officer. “It’s been exciting to see fresh and contemporary takes on the Dakota universe coming together; I think that both new fans and old will be pleased with the results.”
Continue reading “DC announces three digital-first Milestone Media series”
New comics arrive this week from Larry Hama, Zac Thompson, Andy MacDonald, Peter David, Javier Pina, Donny Cates, Ryan Stegman, Saladin Ahmed, Matt Kindt, Matt Lesniewski and more.
Welcome to Can’t Wait for Comics, your guide each week to what comics are arriving in comic book stores, bookstores and on digital.
This week brings another wave of DC’s Future State and another issue of Marvel’s King in Black events series, as well as new titles from Dark Horse, Marvel, BOOM! Studios, Oni Press and AfterShock, among others.
You know the drill — check out a few recommendations below, or visit ComicList for this week’s full list of new comics arriving in stores, and the comiXology new releases page for what’s available digitally.
Continue reading “Can’t Wait for Comics | ‘Crimson Flower,’ Iron Fist and more”
Check out new comics this week by Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, Mark Russell, Richard Pace, Steve Skroce, Peter J. Tomasi and more.
Here’s a look at what’s arriving in comic shops, bookstores and on digital this week, from the newest graphic novel by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips to a sequel to the controversial Second Coming to a digital collection of the earliest issues featuring Milestone’s Static.
If you’re wondering what to get this week, check out a few recommendations below. ComicList has this week’s list of new comics arriving in stores, and the comiXology new releases page for what’s available digitally.
Continue reading “Can’t Wait for Comics | ‘Second Coming’ gets a second coming”


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Dan Akerson, retired chief executive officer of General Motors Co., said Apple Inc. should steer clear of the business of making cars, though a push into automobile electronics would be a better move for the iPhone maker
The auto industry's first female CEO could get as much as $10-million more than the $4.4-million previously disclosed, allowing her compensation to top that of predecessor Dan Akerson.
How a telco executive with no previous automotive experience took GM from bailed-out car maker to a point where it need only fear its own complacency.
As General Motors Co. Chief Executive Officer Dan Akerson sees it, Tesla Motors Inc. has the potential to be a disruptive force to the automotive industry and he doesn’t want to be caught off guard
GM is looking much different than it did a few years ago, mostly because CEO Dan Akerson has been restructuring the company piecemeal since taking on the top job in 2010
GM has changed the way CEO Dan Akerson is paid his $11.1-compensation package to accommodate for the fact he may retire in three years.
A look at the auto industry's top executives, where and when they may go and who might be take the reins from them.
Located in the Northwest Territories, Gahcho Kué is the biggest diamond mine to come online, anywhere, in more than a decade at a time when global consumer demand for the gem is in flux
New data makes you wonder how the entrepreneurs behind all these firms ended up incorporating and growing their businesses in the first place
A U.S. law firm says it will serve the Canadian maker of the We-Vibe Rave with a proposed class-action lawsuit for allegedly collecting a little too much information
A world away from Canada’s glamorous, global cities, a bitter feud divides a tiny, dying village that has come to represent the grim underbelly of the country's economic outlook
World Cup of Hockey is expected to generate $130 million in revenue and $65 million in profit, from which the league and players will each take a 50/50 cut


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OnePlus has released the stable (i.e. final) version of Android 13 for its flagship OnePlus 10 Pro. The company did it very quickly: the premiere of OxygenOS 13 based on Android 13 took place in August, the first beta version appeared a week later, and now, after only a month and a half, the company has released stable OxygenOS 13 for OnePlus 10 Pro. The firmware is currently only available to participants in the open beta testing program, but soon all OnePlus 10 Pro users will receive the corresponding over-the-air update.
In terms of the release speed of Android 13 for its flagship, OnePlus bypassed both Xiaomi and Samsung – the corresponding firmware for Xiaomi 12S and Samsung Galaxy S22 are still in beta versions. True, OnePlus is known for the fact that it often releases problematic firmware, and this time the situation may repeat itself.
As for the innovations in the final OxygenOS 13, there are a lot of them: performance is optimized, the HyperBoost GPA 4.0 “game engine” has appeared, which allows you to “stabilize the frame rate and balance performance and power consumption in key scenarios”, the Always-on Display mode has been optimized, security has been improved.


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US imported beef prices supported by robust domestic demand
23 February 2017
US imported beef prices lifted this week, supported by growing demand in the domestic market but primarily as a result of ongoing supply constraints and higher offering prices from overseas packers.
In the weekly update commissioned by MLA, the Steiner Consulting Group reported that the imported 90CL beef indicator increased 3.5US¢ from week-ago levels, to 206US¢/lb CIF (up 10A¢, to 601.25A¢/kg CIF).
Steiner Consulting Group reports that a number of end users have re-entered the market this week, but continue to be challenged by firm prices due to the limited product available. The enduring shortage of supplies of imported beef on the spot market has ensured a premium still remains in place for imported beef over domestic product.
Total beef imports into the US for the first six weeks of the year were down 16% year-on-year. Steiner Consulting Group reports on data from the USDA/AMS showing that imports from Australia for the first six weeks of the calendar year were down 40% year-on-year and back an estimated 58% from 2015 figures – albeit 2015 was a record breaking year. Elsewhere, imports from Canada were back 13% compared to the same time last year and New Zealand tracked 20% lower year-on-year. The decline in imports has somewhat been cushioned by the increase of Mexican beef entering the market, up 28% compared with year-ago levels.
Steiner Consulting Group also notes that higher prices for US fed cattle has assisted in some capacity with driving demand for imported beef. Despite declining 10% year-on-year, the price for choice beef cut-out this week moved $6/cwt higher than last week. The demand for beef in the US remains robust, coming off the back of weaker demand seen in 2016, attributed to the lower price of competing proteins.
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Distributor Believe isn’t publishing its financial results for 2022 until mid-March, but it’s pulling a stat out early to trumpet its success last year.
The company says that it beat the milestone of €1bn of annual digital music sales (i.e. streaming and download revenues) in 2022.
Its press release did not offer further details in terms of figures, functioning more as a demonstration of clout, accompanied as it was by laudatory quotes from YouTube’s Lyor Cohen, Spotify’s Jeremy Erlich and Amazon Music’s Rishi Mirchandani.
We can look back to Believe’s annual results for 2021 however, when the combined digital music sales of its two divisions were €850.4m, to get a sense of the year-on-year growth in 2022: at least 17.6% depending on how far beyond €1bn Believe’s digital sales grew last year.
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A new study reveals that while American men are working harder than the generation before them, they are earning less. Families are keeping pace because two-income households are now the norm. Jeremy Hobson reports.
The global economy's in its best shape in years says the OECD, but the news isn't as good for the U.S. That balanced growth is thanks to other economies filling in where ours is sagging. Steve Tripoli has more.
For the first time in more than 25 years the Federal Reserve has proposed new rules about credit cards and how consumers can find out what they need to know. It's called Regulation Z, and Tess Vigeland has the details.
As Treasury Secy. Henry Paulson met with his China counterpart, more reports of unsafe Chinese products surfaced today. Kai Ryssdal talks with China expert Ted Fishman about the U.S.-China relationship.
Beijing has sent its biggest-ever trade delegation to Washington for a summit on the trade deficit, debt, tarriffs and money policy. But don't get your hopes up for sweeping changes. Jeremy Hobson reports.
It's been 26 years since gas prices, if put in today's dollars, were as high as they are today. And yet we're using it like it still cost $1.35 a gallon. Oil-price expert Tom Kloza talks with Kai Ryssdal about what's going on.
A group of lending industry leaders is hoping to forestall a Congressional fix with some solutions of its own. But growing impatience is likely to make it a tough sell on Capitol Hill. Jeremy Hobson reports.
Starting Monday, China will allow its currency to rise or fall 0.5% a day. The limit used to be 0.3%. The action comes amid pressure from the U.S. and Europe to remove such controls. Alisa Roth reports.


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3D Realms Drops Duke Nukem Lawsuit Against Gearbox
When Gearbox released Duke Nukem Forever back in 2011, the game studio hadn’t anticipated that it will be slammed with a massive lawsuit by the original creators of Duke Nukem, 3D Realms. The legendary studio sued Gearbox for skimping on paying royalties on Duke Nukem Forever. But after a long tug of money war, a new press release issued earlier today revealed that 3D Realms has officially dropped the lawsuit
In its lawsuit 3D Realms argued that Gearbox had “refused and failed to make substantial royalty payments” related to the deal and that Gearbox had failed to take over responsibility for a $2.9 million loan – which was also allegedly part of that same agreement.
It also included a statement from Scott Miller, the CEO of 3D Realms (also known as Apogee Software), who apologized for the damage it had done to its relationship with Gearbox.
“After reviewing evidence regarding our business affairs, and without any money exchanging hands, we have satisfactorily resolved any and all differences that we perceived against Gearbox,” Miller wrote. “In all sincerity, we regret the misunderstanding that instigated our lawsuit. Now that we better understand–and appreciate–the actual nature of our business matters, we have voluntarily withdrawn our claims against Gearbox, with genuine apologies to Randy [Pitchford, president of Gearbox] for any damage that our lawsuit may have caused to the relationship.”


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Digital Marketing Weekly Review 05 is a weekly recap of all the important campaigns & news from the digital marketing industry.
- Taco Bell is a US based fast-food chain. Within just 6 months into its breakfast launch, awareness levels reached those of Burger King, which had been in the breakfast category for about 10 years. On March 23rd, Taco Bell launched their newest campaign themed “Routine Republic”- a short film that mocks Taco Bells direct competitors- specifically Mcdonalds. However, its CEO has stated that sales had improved vastly due to last year’s campaign, which is quite similar to the current campaign. However, the “Routine Republic” campaign is much bigger and louder than the one that preceded it.
- This week’s most viral video is Durex’s newest campaign video ‘#Connect’. Durex claims that they have found a new piece of tech that can enhance the coitus experience with your loved one. The commercial highlights how we’re carried away by social media and how that’s affecting a relationship. It’s a beautiful video that sends out a strong message to all the couples around the world. The video was released on 11th March 2015, and it has recorded a staggering 20,215,180 YouTube views this week, becoming the ‘most viral video’.
(Data Courtesy: Visible measures, True Reach metric systems)
- KFC- Australia launched a new campaign called “Chase the taste”. They claim the creative idea was born from testimonials by KFC lovers who said they’ll travel kilometres to eat at a KFC restaurant when they are traveling. “Chase the taste” is a well executed campaign, that shows us the spirit of travelling and that feeling you get when you can experience something you know far far away from your home and still feel like home.
- Nestlé Thailand through the integrated ‘Choose Wellness’ campaign is encouraging all Thais to start the path to good health by gradually making small adjustments to their daily routine and diet. They are aggressively marketing the concept through Facebook, and they’re also using YouTube by publishing small animated motivational clips adhering to the campaign theme.
- Havas Media Group’s mobile marketing brand Mobext Singapore has partnered with WWF’s Earth Hour to develop a new Twitter-based campaign called #TweetMyPower to inspire Twitter users to use their power to make a difference. Through the Twitter campaign, Earth Hour combines the power of social media with a social cause to help people take action for the planet by donating to WWF.
— Earth Hour (@earthhour) March 23, 2015
Donate and tweet, support the cause;
Until next week !!
“You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus”


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Google India has introduced Product Listing Ads in India, a new ad format that will appear on shopping related queries on Google.co.in. When a user makes a shopping related search query, Google will now display these ads with product image, price of the product and links. Note that these results will appear in a box with "sponsored links" labeled over it. In May 2013, NDTV Gadgets had reported that Google had started displaying shopping results with search listings in India for select users. When we checked, the product listing ads were not available on my account, however, it was available on my colleague Vikas' account. It's quite possible as Google usually tends to roll out services like these in batches and that not many E-Commerce companies might be participating in the program yet. Current E-Commerce partners include Flipkart, Myntra, Jabong, Naaptol, among others. It appears that Google is testing multiple ad formats. Product Listing Ads doesn't seem to work on mobile browsers, at the time of writing this article. In May 2012, Google transitioned its Product Search to a new shopping system that required merchants to pay for the inclusion in the US. Besides this, free Google shopping listings ended for worldwide customers on June 11, 2013 and it had extended its product listing ads on smartphone globally, except for India. Prior to this, merchants could see their products listed on search queries for free. It's an interesting offering since customers use Google for researching a product before buying. Earlier, since Google…
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Fact Check Amendment will result in state-sponsored censorship: Kunal Kamra before the Bombay High Court
Satirist Kunal Kamra’s legal representative argues before the third referral judge that a fact-check unit will muzzle free speech online
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Views: Response to NPCI CEO’s comments that what is not written in regulations is a no-go for fintech entities
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GCHQ spy chiefs warn Microsoft’s ChatGPT and other AI chatbots pose a security risk – as City law firm bans workers from using it in case client data is leaked
- GCHQ says AI powered chatbots like ChatGPT are emerging security threats
- Mishcon de Reya has banned its lawyers from typing client data into ChatGPT
Spy organisation GCHQ says Artificial Intelligence powered chatbots like ChatGPT are emerging security threats.
In a blog post yesterday the National Cyber Security Centre says companies operating the technology – like Microsoft and Google – are able to read questions typed into the chatbots.
The centre admits that with any emerging technology, there is always concern around how secure it is.
And it advises users not to include sensitive information in queries or anything that could lead to issues if everyone saw them.
The blog points out: ‘The query be visible to the organisation providing the LLM (so in the case of ChatGPT, to OpenAI).
A Microsoft executive has revealed that the next version of ChatGPT will be able to turn text prompts into unique videos, and will be released this week
‘Those queries are stored and will almost certainly be used for developing the LLM service or model at some point.
The Telegraph reports City firm Mishcon de Reya has banned its lawyers from typing client data into ChatGPT over security fears, as has Accenture.
It was revealed on Monday that ChatGPT will soon be able to do much more than send human-like text messages.
In September, rival tech giant Meta unveiled its own AI system that generates videos from text prompts. ‘Make-A-Video’ was trained on images with captions to help it learn about the world and how it is described, and unlabeled videos to determine how the world moves
A Microsoft executive has revealed that the next version – set to be released this week – will be able to turn text prompts into unique videos.
The tech giant has invested heavily in ChatGPT, and has already unveiled a host of new products which incorporate it as an AI assistant, like search engine Bing.
But this updated version, dubbed GPT-4 and tipped to launch on Thursday, will have ‘multimodal models’, according to Microsoft Germany CTO Andreas Braun.
This means that it will be able to generate content in multiple formats, like audio clips, images and video clips, from a text prompt.
ChatGPT is a large language model that has been trained on a massive amount of text data, allowing it to generate human-like text responses to a given prompt.
The current version, released by start-up OpenAI in November, is known as GPT3.5, and has been found to have a huge range of capabilities.
For example, it has been used to pass exams, deliver a sermon, write software and give relationship advice.
It has been limited to providing responses as text, but Mr Braun revealed that that is about to change at the ‘AI in Focus – Digital Kickoff’ event last Thursday.
According to Heise, he said: ‘We will introduce GPT-4 next week, there we will have multimodal models that will offer completely different possibilities – for example videos.’
This isn’t a completely groundbreaking concept – in September, rival tech giant Meta unveiled its own AI system that generates videos from text prompts.
‘Make-A-Video’ was trained on images with captions to help it learn about the world and how it is described, and unlabeled videos to determine how the world moves.
However, the resulting clips, while impressive, tend to be blurry and lack sound.
Make-A-Video has yet to be made available to the public, but the release of GPT-4.0 has potential to change that.
Experts have said that the success of ChatGPT and OpenAI’s collaboration with Microsoft ‘rushed’ Google into releasing its own AI chatbot, Bard.
Read the full article here


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As you may have heard by now, the latest issue of Famitsu unveils a new Nintendo 3DS peripheral, a shell that effectively gives the handheld a second analog pad along its right edge. If you track down scans of the magazine (we won't host them as a courtesy to Famitsu and its original content), you can see it's not pretty.
Of course, "It's not pretty" describes the current state of Nintendo just as well as it does the new peripheral. For years, the company has blithely done things The Nintendo Way, ignoring current trends and bucking conventional wisdom to produce both breakthrough hits like the Game Boy and ignoble failures like the Virtual Boy. As a result, when Nintendo's unconventional ways pay off, they pay off in a big way by cornering a market that maybe didn't exist previously.
It's the "blue ocean" strategy. By sailing into uncharted waters, Nintendo knows there won't be any competition waiting for it. Just look at the DS and the Wii for recent examples, or go back to the launch of the NES in the wake of the game industry crash. And even when Nintendo is completely, infuriatingly, stubbornly wrong--as it has been for a decade now with its halfhearted approach to online gaming--it's at least failing in its own inimitable way.
And this is what makes the revelation of an analog pad cradle for the 3DS so concerning, because the second analog stick is such an obvious improvement. It's like using a disc-based storage medium, letting third parties put blood in their games, or having a back light standard on portable hardware. Nintendo caved on all three issues, but it took its sweet time in caving. Not so with the 3DS.
Six months ago, Nintendo was rock solid on the system. It reasoned that a single analog pad was plenty, especially since the DS didn't even have that going for it. Even with a substandard launch lineup, the system would naturally fly off the shelves, much as the original DS had done in its first months on sale. Third-party publishers would then feel a need to create games for the hardware, giving people more reason to own the system, and Nintendo would have another DS-scale hit on its hands. Misguided though it might have been, that is emblematic of the confidence Nintendo has always had in its products and its processes.
The best examples of that confidence (and the benefits thereof) can be seen in Nintendo's not-too-distant past. The DS, Wii, and Wii Fit represented perhaps the greatest single stretch of game industry innovations to date. The initial reactions to all three ranged from "interesting" to "insane," but the financial fortunes of each were outright incredible.
The DS and the Wii have been Nintendo's best-selling hardware ever. Through June of this year, the DS family has sold 147.8 million systems, topping even the Game Boy's 118.7 million sold. Meanwhile, the Wii boasts an installed base of 87.6 million and counting, well ahead of the 61.9 million sold by Nintendo's next-best-selling console, the original NES.
Wii Fit sold nearly 22.7 million copies through March of 2011--not too shabby for a $90 game packed in with a glorified bathroom scale. Wii Fit Plus notched another 18.5 million sold. Together, they topped the unit sales of New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Super Mario Galaxy, and Super Mario Galaxy 2 combined, with several million to spare. (Historical sales pulled from Nintendo's 2010 and 2011 annual reports; lifetime-to-date DS and Wii sales pulled from the company's latest quarterly report.)
In each of those cases, Nintendo went out on a limb because it identified an underserved market and an appetite for nontraditional content. Fast-forward to today, and Nintendo behaves like a very different company, one more prone to knee-jerk reactions than confident contrarianism. The 3DS launched with a whimper, and the company reacted by drastically slashing the price, even more drastically cutting the paycheck of its top executive, and pledging to give early adopters a small library of emulated classics as an apology for gouging them at launch.
Despite the price cut, third-party support for the 3DS was a continuing concern. Ubisoft canceled its 3DS installment of Assassin's Creed. THQ canceled its Saints Row spin-off, one of the legs of its highly touted trans-media play to cross-promote games like Saints Row the Third. The system had a single North American retail game released for it in July (Pac-Man & Galaga Dimensions), the sort of postlaunch drought that one would have hoped was a thing of the past. Natsume reportedly delayed the release of two of its 3DS titles specifically to wait for the system's installed base to grow.
This second analog stick seems like a nod to third parties who would rather port versions of their console or Vita games to the 3DS than build new experiences from scratch, which was essentially a prerequisite for the DS editions of popular games. However, given that the 3DS installed base is already lacking in publishers' eyes, the inherently smaller installed base of the second analog pad attachment won't look much better. Consider that the bulky attachment ruins whatever aesthetic appeal the system has and will almost certainly make it incompatible with all but the most absurdly sized pockets, and that installed base will need a killer app to end all killer apps if it wants to make a dent in the system's financial fate.
At best, the 3DS controller attachment is a curiosity, a dead-end peripheral that is supported by one or two games and will be quickly forgotten by the market. Think of the GameCube modem, the Wii Speak, or, better yet, the never-actually-released Vitality Sensor, three more Nintendo hardware innovations that spent their brief lives in search of a reason to exist.
At worst, the right analog stick is a white flag for a company that has run out of ideas. It is an admission that Nintendo was wrong and shortsighted to ignore what has become an industry standard, wrong to pursue its own path with confidence. And if that's the case, Nintendo has lost the very quality that defines it, and the coming years could chronicle a fall from grace to surpass that of other onetime hardware titans, such as Atari and Sega.


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New Service Lets YouTubers Sell Swag From Video Pages
YouTube just took a big step into the promotional products industry – and boosted a competitor to traditional distributors in so doing. The San Bruno, CA-based company announced last week that creators with more than 10,000 fans can sell branded merchandise directly through their channel on the popular video sharing website. READ ARTICLE
Will 3-D Printing Upend Promo Supply Chain?
Voodoo Printing has the capability of producing high-volume 3-D printed products – up to 10,000 units so far – at prices competitive with injection molding. The two-year-old company has already worked with Top 40 distributors as it infiltrates the promotional market. READ ARTICLE
Trudeau Sets Official Pot Legalization Day
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has officially set the cannabis legalization day for October 17, 2018, giving the provinces, municipalities and marijuana businesses about four months to prepare. READ ARTICLE
Offer More Than a Product – Offer an Experience
When you work with a supplier that delivers great customer service, you can pass those benefits onto your clients. You’ll be a distributor that offers what others can’t, and you’ll capture their business again and again. Look for a supplier with the following traits and you can expect more orders. LEARN MORE
Five Ways Fashion Apparel Will Increase Your Business
Are your sales approaches so last season? Don’t be a fashion victim anymore. In this free fashion style guide, you’ll find out all the reasons why runway-ready styles can boost your business and line your pockets with additional orders. LEARN MORE
The Joe Show: Cool & Awesome Promo Products
In this episode of The Joe Show, Product Editor Joe Haley shows off a host of new promo items, including a water-resistant cooler, 2-oz. plastic mood shot glass, women’s moto jacket, conference pad and pennants. WATCH THE JOE SHOW
Rate the Power 50
Counselor is now compiling its Power 50 list for 2018 – our recognition of the industry’s most powerful individuals – and we’re looking for your feedback. Click here to see last year’s rankings and let us know whether you think members are more or less influential today. If you think someone new should be on the list, this is your chance to nominate.
Podcast: Chris Gomez Shares Combat-Proven Strategies
Chris Gomez of Afterburner discusses the biggest challenges facing today’s businesses, as well as the skills needed to survive and thrive in the complex marketplace. Gomez, a decorated former Navy SEAL, holds an MBA from the University of Texas. He will be the featured speaker at the ASI Show Chicago Motivational Breakfast on July 25.
Q&A: EverythingBranded USA Plans West Coast Expansion
EverythingBranded USA (asi/160791), the U.S. arm of U.K.-based Charles Alexander Distribution, will be expanding to the West Coast this year with an official opening scheduled for the first week of October. Counselor spoke with Paul Rowlett, CEO and founder of Charles Alexander Distribution, about his company’s rapid growth.
Child Prodigy Inspires T-Shirt Brand
From the tip of Walter Champion IV’s pencil a hippo roars to vibrant life. Juvenile Virtuoso, as the nascent line is called, features Walter’s hippo drawing on several styles of T-shirts. It’s just the beginning of a tee collection Walter’s parents say is aimed at revealing the hidden talents of child artists and supporting a worthy cause.
Pinnacle Promotions Wins Counselor’s Video Contest
After a heated back-and-forth battle, Pinnacle Promotions (asi/295986) has won the third annual Best Marketing Video contest as part of Counselor’s Promotional Campaign Awards. The Georgia distributor’s “How We Make The Right Impression” ran neck-and-neck with IDProductsource’s (asi/62088) “12 Days of Christmas,” ultimately winning the vote 49.5% to 43%.
In the News
The Vernon Company (asi/351700) recently recognized the winners of its annual Circle of Excellence Incentive Trip with an all-expenses paid trip to Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. As contest winners, the company’s top account executives were rewarded a vacation for two to the historic 5-star rated Four Seasons Resort in Whistler for exceeding their sales and management objectives during the 2017 sales year.
People on the Move
Cap America Inc. (asi/43792) has promoted Liz Capone to director of customer relations. Capone will oversee all aspects of the company’s policies, objectives and initiatives including monitoring client/company interactions, developing service level standards, response times and issue resolutions.
ETS Express (asi/51197) welcomes Kathryn Brewer as regional sales manager of the Southeast territory, which includes Georgia, Florida, Mississippi and Alabama.
JustinCase (asi/63698) welcomes Lee Pearson and Kevin Ridgeway as multi-line representatives of the Southeast territory, which includes Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.
ASI Mags Win 6 More Awards
ASI magazines won six more national Azbee Awards of Excellence and 12 regional awards, including six gold, in one of the nation’s largest and most competitive editorial contests. Find out more.
Marquis Jet Co-Founder Headlines Power Summit
Entrepreneur, best-selling author and ultra-marathon runner Jesse Itzler is the keynote speaker for the October ASI Power Summit. Find out more.
YOU NEED NEW PRODUCTS AND WE’VE GOT THEM AT ASI SHOW CHICAGO It just got easier to discover new products to meet your clients’ needs just in time for back-to-school and the holiday season!
Register for ASI Show® Chicago and while walking the show floor, July 25-26, look for the red exclamation point indicating exhibiting suppliers NEW products. Also, join us at the close of Education Day, July 24, from 5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. for the New Product Preview Reception and get a sneak peek of new items the night before the show opens.
For more information on ASI Show Chicago, July 24-26 at McCormick Place, visit www.asishow.com or call 800-546-3300.


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Uber and Costco have teamed up to launch a pilot delivery program across the state of Texas, enabling Costco members to have their groceries delivered via Uber and Uber Eats.
“Our mission statement at Costco is to take care of our members. By finding solutions to deliver merchandise quickly and efficiently, we continue to offer our members value, convenience and member service,” said Ron Vachris, Costco Executive Vice President, Merchandising.
As part of the pilot, members in Dallas, Austin and Houston can order through the Uber and Uber Eats mobile app for a fee from 25 Costco locations so long as the order is valued at $35 or more. Delivery is free for Uber Pass and Eats Pass holders, however.
The partnership marks Uber’s first pilot with a food wholesaler in the United States.
“One thing we know to be true is that people across the United States are looking for convenient and affordable ways to stock their pantries without leaving home-especially for last-minute must-have items,” said Raj Beri, Uber’s Head of Grocery Delivery. “Today’s announcement with Costco is an important step towards marrying the magic of wholesale retail with on-demand delivery in the palm of your hand, and I’m thrilled that Texans are getting a first look at what’s to come.”
The two companies plan to enable ordering from an additional seven locations over the coming weeks.
The news follows Uber’s first national grocery partnership in the U.S., with Albertson’s Co., which more than doubled the availability of Uber’s grocery offering with the addition of over 400 cities and towns, including San Francisco and Phoenix.


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Ties-up with Vijay Sales and MAGNET as a part of their business expansion plans for CY 2014
Asia Powercom has announced that they are foraying in LFR segment by a tie-up with Vijay Sales and MAGNET. The tie-up with Vijay Sales and MAGNET is a part of their business expansion plans for CY 2014, announced the release.
Asia Powercom also announced that they are coming up with a wide-range of products on the peripherals side such as keyboards, mice, Bluetooth speakers and earphones with mic, along with the AsiaPower UPS, AVRs, Laptop adapters, Powerbanks, surge protectors etc. These products will be sold by Vijay Sales and MAGNET as well as other LFRs who will be signed up in near future.
The release further informed that Asia Powercom is currently in process of identifying the LFRs in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. The after sales policy will remain the same and customers can directly contact the Asia Powercom technical support team for immediate support.
Tejas Sheth, Director, Asia Powercom, said, “Exploring opportunities for introducing Asia Powercom products in LFRs was on the cards for quite some time. We are very happy that we have firmly taken the second step in Asia Powercom’s business expansion in India. The retail strength of Vijay Sales and MAGNET will help ensure that our range of products is easily accessible to our customers. Launching new products with latest technology through organized retail channel will provide a perfect platform for Indian consumers to further associate with us as a trustworthy and dedicated brand.”


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By Peter Lloyd
A central-London branch of book shop Waterstone’s will become the first retailer to display the iconic UK AIDS quilt as part of its support for World AIDS Day 2011.
The bookshop, situated on Gower Street, will also support five major HIV/AIDS related UK charities throughout the week, allowing one charity per day to highlight their work within the HIV/AIDS community, with volunteers on hand for advice and to share information with the public.
Waterstones has been given the right to display a panel from the UK AIDS Quilt loaned by George House Trust in Manchester. It is the first retailer to have ever been given this privilege as it is one historically reserved for galleries, museums and national institutions.
There will be a visitors’ book for those wishing to show support for World AIDS Day.


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Do you have more phones and tablets than any one person should? Do you enjoy a good laugh? We’ve got the perfect show for you!
After suffering a series of layoffs, Twitter will be shutting down the popular video-sharing platform, Vine, which has been around since 2013.
Lenovo has put up an official shopping page for its Phab 2 mid-range phablet, which is releasing on November 1st. If the more high-end Phab 2 Pro is what you’re after, you’ve still got a wait ahead of you.
PushBullet has announced an update that makes the service compatible with Allo. You can now reply to your Allo messages on your desktop using the service. Nifty!
mobile gaming is dominated by simple arcade-style games. They may only require a few taps here and there, but their addictive nature is nothing to scoff at. We’re back with even more addictive games for you, but this time we’re focusing on newer games. You’ll be playing these games until your battery is screaming at you.
Chainfire has achieved root access on the Pixel, but due to issues surrounding the “dm-verity”, there’s still a bit of work left before it can be released.
LG Pay may be delayed even further after reports that the company is abandoning its “White Card” in favor of MST payment technology.
A new partnership between Facebook and PayPal will allow users to send and receive payments, as well as view receipts from the Facebook Messenger application.
After seeing a few rumblings and press renders, we now have the full spec sheet for the upcoming Motorola Moto M, which will likely be released as a mid-range device.
Popular automation service, IFTTT, now includes a channel for devices using Google Assistant and its various voice commands. These recipes work with either the Pixel or Google Home.
Despite rumors which claimed Samsung would be delaying the release of its latest smartwatch, the Gear S3, these rumors have seemingly been debunked.
Since there are so many different things you can do with an Android phone it’s inevitable to be unaware of some basic tricks. We’ve compiled a list of seven cool tricks that every Android user should know.
LG’s mobile division has shared its financial results for Q3 2016 and they don’t look good. In fact, Q3 marks LG Mobile’s worst ever quarterly loss and the sixth straight quarterly loss.
Starting tomorrow (10/28), you can bring your Pixel phone to T-Mobile and get up to 50% off the retail price you paid. That brings the price down to $325 when you sign up for the T-Mobile ONE plan.
T-Mobile’s CEO will be announcing “BIG news about @tmobile + @Google Pixel” later today. It looks like the Pixel may not be a Verizon exclusive for much longer.
With the amount of excitement generated by the Xiaomi Mi Mix and its borderless display, third-party retailers will likely jack up the price of the phone. How much would you be willing to pay for the new device?
The Xiaomi Mi Mix and ist borderless display may be short supply as low yield rates of the phone’s ceramic body could limit production to 10,000 units per month
The V20 has 16MP and 8MP cameras, the iPhone has two 12MP cameras. Just because both devices have dual-cameras doesn’t mean they do the same thing.
Swappa is a great place to buy and sell gently used Android and iOS devices, but starting in November a change is being made to the way Swappa calculates its fees. There’s no longer a flat $10 fee.
Google is slowly rolling out version 2.0 of Allo, but there aren’t any major changes other than the inclusion of a monochrome theme and a new splash screen.
The August edition of the list sees a new participant find a spot among the elite, but is it good enough to find a spot at the top? Be sure to hit the jump to find out!
We asked you to tell us which messaging apps you use. These apps could be used for SMS, instant messaging, video chat, or all three. After one full week we have tallied the votes. Here are your picks!
After announcing the Le Pro 3, LeEco revealed there would be a $100 instant rebate for a flash sale on November 2nd. However, it seems there may be a limited number of devices available.
Facebook’s video profile app designed for teens called Lifestage is now available on Android after launching on iOS back in August. No Facebook account is needed to sign up, but it’s designed for people 21 and younger.


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Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
Mission Produce continues it’s expansion with an agreement to distribute Columbian avocados, while Washington cherry shipments continue on its record setting marathon.
Mission Produce of Oxnard has entered into an agreement market and distribute for Colombian avocado grower-packer Cartama.
Washington cherry shipments are expected to be the largest one on record this season with an estimated 26 million-27 million 20-pound boxes being shipped, mostly by truck.
The record, set in 2014, was 23.2 million boxes. The Washington cherry industry has averaged 530,000 boxes per day for the previous 30 days. Previously, Washington had not come close to averaging even 500,000 boxes a day for that length of time.
This season the industry has already shipped 21 million boxes, and nearly a quarter of the crop remains to be shipped. While a couple of grower-shippers have finished shipping cherries, numerous others have several weeks remaining.
A new marketing agreement between two California produce companies should result in about one million cases of persimmons being shipping this season. Meanwhile, we take a final look at the recent Florida and Texas citrus shipping seasons, while giving a glimpse of what is to come on the West Coast.
MPG, Inc., one of the largest persimmon growers in the United States, and The Giumarra Companies of Los Angeles have announced an agreement that will kick off in late August. About one million cases of persimmon will be shipped starting at the end of August from California’s San Joaquin Valley. Fall persimmon shipments from California will conclude about December 1st. Then persimmons from Spain will be available from November through February arriving at Port of Philadelphia.
While persimmons are considerrd a niche commodity, great potential is seen by many for the fruit.
MPG was founded in 2002 as a family operation and has since grown to be among the most largest producers persimmons in the U.S. , extensive acreage of Fuyu and Hachiya persimmons in thes San Joaquin Valley. MPG is also a partnered grower of Spanish persimmons that will be imported following the conclusion of the domestic season, extending distribution for programs into February.
Fuyu persimmons will be offered in one-layer cartons or 2 lb high-graphic handle bags in a 31.5 lb master case and other specialized program packaging. Giumarra’s Nature’s Partner brand. Hachiya persimmons will be shipped in a one-layer carton or consumer packs in counts of 10, 11, or 12.
Citrus Shipping Round Up
Florida orange shipments totaled 68.7 million 90-pound boxes, down 16 percent from the 2015-16 season and down 29 percent from the 2014-15 season, according to the final USDA forecast for the 2016-17 season.
Florida orange shipments have declined significantly in the last decade as a result of rampant citrus greening disease.
The USDA projection for volume was up 200,000 boxes from its June estimate of 68.5 million boxes.
Florida tangerine and tangelo loadings were up 14.5 percent to 1.62 million boxes.
There were bout 7.8 million 85-pound boxes of Florida grapefruit down 27.8 percent from a year ago and down 39.5 percent from 2014-15. Shipments from California and Texas were relatively steady from last season, with 4 million and 4.8 million 80-pound boxes projected, respectively.
California orange shipments also were off, estimated at 48 million 80-pound boxes, down from 58.5 million in the 2015-16 season.
California, which accounts for most domestic lemon shipments, is expected to move about 19 million 80-pound boxes this season, down about 9 percent from 2015-16.
California tangerine and tangelo production grew 11 percent to 24 million boxes. Tangelos are shipped in 90-pound boxes, while tangerines go out in 80-pound boxes from California and in 95-pound boxes from Florida.
A visit by “Jack Frost” last spring suckered punch Michigan apple growers and the result will be fewer loading opportunities in the new season set to start soon.
Michigan apple shipments for the upcoming season have taken a significant hit due to a frost last May. It is expected to result in nearly 30 percent fewer truck loads from the from 2016 17-shipping season.
While the official USDA forecast will come out August 10th, the industry’s Premier 2017 Apple Production Estimate pegs the Michigan crop at 20 million (42-pound) cartons, off 29 percent from a year ago and 8 percent less than the five-year average.
Among the biggest losers from the spring cold were jonagolds and McIntosh, which suffered significant frost damage on May 8. Having much better luck were galas, Honeycrisp and fuji apples.
Riveridge Produce Marketing Inc. of Sparta, MI is among the state’s largest apple shippers. The company expects about three-quarters of a full crop.
Initially, the USDA estimates 27.98 million cartons of fresh and processed fruit for Michigan apples.
Total fresh Michigan apple shipments through early July were nearly 9 million cartons, with most of the fresh apples from the old shipped by mid-July.
First harvest of paulareds and gingergold apples is expected around the third week of August.
U.S. Apple Shipments
The USDA in its June forecast — the final one for the 2016-17 — the agency raised its 2016 estimate for Washington apple shipments by 8 percent compared with the August 2016 estimate. The USDA also raised its estimate for 2016 U.S. apple production from 248 million (42-pound) cartons in August 2016 to its final estimate of 268 million cartons.
The Premier estimate shows the 2017 U.S. apple crop at 255.57 million cartons, which is down 5 percent from the final USDA estimate for the 2016 crop of 268.4 million cartons.
The 2017 Premier production estimate for Washington state calls for production of 165 million cartons in 2017, down 5.3 percent from 174.3 million cartons produced in 2016 but 9 percent higher than the five-year average. About 80 percent of Washington apples are shipped fresh.
While New Jersey “blues” are entering the final leg of the blueberry shipping season, carrot loading opportunities out of Washington state will increase significantly this year.
Entering the second week of July, 2017 New Jersey blueberry shipments were about 65 percent completed. Grower-shippers here were already describing it as one of the better seasons in years. Jersey “blues” should wrap up during the first week of August.
This season is marked by more fresh market and fewer “blues” for processing than usual. Normally, about 80 percent of Jersey blueberries go to the fresh market, with the balance going to processors. Looking towards the end of the current season, some observers believe nearly 90 percent will end up in the fresh market .
Washington Carrot Shipments
By Grimmway Farms
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Grimmway Farms, a global produce leader and the world’s largest producer of carrots, July 18th announced it has activated its Pasco, WA., baby carrot processing facility to provide customers with freight savings and additional shipping options during the July – November harvesting season.
“We’re pleased to offer more shipping options to our customers in the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada. Providing access to our baby carrots through this additional resource allows these customers to better serve their markets,” said Jeff Huckaby, president of Grimmway Farms. “Our Pasco facility is a great option for customers and distribution centers that manage high volumes of both conventional and organic varieties of our baby carrots. We look forward to leveraging this facility to provide our customers with an outstanding experience throughout this busy harvest season.”
Grimmway’s Pasco facility was modeled after the company’s Malaga facility – its premier baby carrot processing facility located in Arvin, CA – which was designed for optimal efficiency and minimal waste.
Following two seasons of small runs, 2017 marks the first time that Grimmway’s Pasco facility is being operated at larger capacity to enhance customer shipping logistics of orange cut and peeled baby carrots – the company’s most popular item. Customers who obtain other types of produce from growers in the Pacific Northwest can combine Grimmway’s baby carrots with other commodities via the Pasco facility to reduce their transportation and logistical costs.
To contact the Grimmway Farms’ Pasco facility, call (661) 391-5290.
New York vegetable shipments are now moving to markets, while potato loads from the new crops for Washington and Oregon will be underway soon.
It was a drought in New York last year, but too much rain this year affecting vegetable shipments. For example, Turek Farms of King Ferry, NY has left a few hundred of its nearly 4,000 acres unplanted this year due to excessive rains. The company’s s corn harvest is just getting underway to be followed by cabbage, broccoli and Brussels spouts.
Torrey Farms Inc. of Elba, NY grows about 14,000 acres and faces similar issues. Torrey also grows cucumbers, green beans, yellow squash, cabbage, onions, potatoes and winter squash.
Meanwhile, Eden Valley Growers of Eden, NY, just got started with sweet corn, cabbage, squash, cucumbers and beans.
New York shipped sweet corn in 2016 off of 26,600 acres, amounting to 2.5 million cwt. Corn for the fresh market made up $44.6 million of a total crop value of $53 million. Green bean shipments last year came off of 28,300 acres, for a total of nearly 2 million cwt.
New York’s vegetable shipments extend into late November and even early December for some crops.
Washington Potato Shipments
In 2016 Washington growers planted 170,000 acres of potatoes, with acreage and volumes expected to be similar this season. The state typically ships about 10 billion pounds of potatoes each growing season.
Potandon Produce LLC of Idaho Falls, ID, will begin shipping russet and colored potatoes out of Osceola, WA later this month, while Norm Nelson Inc., of Burlington, WA expects to start loading spuds in September.
Washington’s Columbia Basin potato shipments – grossing about $3400 to Chicago.
Oregon Potato Shipments
Oregon potato shipments for the fresh market represents nearly 13 percent of total production in the U.S. Similar volume of about 2.5 billion pounds is seen for the upcoming season.
Strebin Farms LLC of Troutdale, OR will pack the old storage crop through the end of July, before starting with the new crop in early August. In similar fashion, Amstad Produce LLC, of Sherwood, OR also expects its new potato crop to be ready after the first week of August. The company will be shipping red and yellow potatoes August through the end of the year out of the Willamette Valley.
Stone fruit shipments, as well as melons are underway from California’s San Joaquin Valley. Plus, we take a look at South African citrus imports.
California stone fruit loadings are in steady volume from the Central and Southern San Joaquin Valley. Volume for a combination of peaches, plums and nectarines is averaging around 650 truc loads weekly.
Demand for California peaches has been boosted by a short crop on the East Coast. Georgia lost 70 percent of it peaches this season due to adverse spring weather. As of June 25, 81 percent of Georgia’s peach crop had been harvested, compared to 56 percent a year earlier and a five-year average of 55 percent.
Western cantaloupe and honeydew shipments in recent weeks have been slashed by as much as 60 percent due to triple digit temperatures. It has basically ended shipments from California’s Imperial Valley and parts of Arizona.
In the San Joaquin Valley, melon loadings are finally starting to return to normal following the excessive heat. One of those adversely affected was Couture Farms of Huron, CA, which grows and ships honeydew and specialty melons.
South African Citrus Imports
by Summer Citrus from South Africa
CITRUSDAL, South Africa – Kicking off the season strong, Summer Citgrus from South Africa (SCSA) recently announced the arrival of its first vessel of citrus – containing mostly Navel oranges and Easy Peelers – to the United States. Combining efforts with supply chain partners like Holt Logistics and the Port of Philadelphia enables SCSA to provide a steady supply of fresh citrus to the U.S. during the summer months when domestic supplies are not in season.
“We’re excited that Summer Citrus from South Africa producers have once again teamed up with Seatrade to bring dedicated shiploads of fresh and delicious citrus from sunny South Africa to eager consumers in the U.S.,” Howard Posner, general manager of Seatrade USA, said.
SCSA’s second vessel of South African citrus arrived July 5th.
A strong exchange rate is helping Quebec vegetable shippers increase their exports to the United States. Meanwhile, California pear shipments are underway.
With the incentive of a strong exchange rate, Quebec growers have been exporting vegetables ranging from radishes, leaf lettuce and asparagus..
Since 2012 members of the Quebec Produce Growers Association have been exporting nearly 50 percent of its vegetables and this is expected to increase on 2017. Most of those exports are to the U.S. including the East Coast, mid-west and Texas. Various types of lettuces (such as iceberg and leaf), as well as cucumbers, broccoli and cauliflower are now being shipped. Green peppers and cantaloupe should be starting any day now, followed by colored peppers in mid-August.
Produce cooperative Groupe Vegco Inc., in Sherrington, has been shipping carrots, colored beets and celery root since June.
Isabelle Inc. of Saint Michel started digging 1,000 acres of whites, reds, yellows and russets in early July. Last year, the company exported 15 percent of its product to the East Coast.
California Pear Shipments
California bartlett pear shipments should total about 2 million 36-pound box equivalents this season, which got underway around the Fourth of July. That is almost equal to last year’s loadings, although some other pear varieties will take a hit.
Lake and Mendocino counties will have significantly fewer pear shipments than last year, which had a bumper crop. Last year’s combined shipments for all California varieties was 3.1 million boxes.
Bosc and golden bosc are down about 30 percent from 2015, with most of the reduction in the early Sacramento River district.
Rivermaid Trading Co. of Lodi packs and ships more than half of California’s fresh pears, as consolidations have reduced the number of packers from a dozen or so a decade ago to only four today.
Rivermaid expects over 1 million boxes of bartletts, and about 200,000 boxes of bosc pears out of about 400,000 total. Scully Packing Co. of Finley, began with mountain bartletts in Lake and Mendocino counties, with boscs coming August 1st and all other varietal pears by mid- to late-August.
The latest California pear shipments will overlap with Pacific Northwest loadings, with bartletts available all the way into October from the Golden State while Yakima, Wash., starts the same variety typically in the second week of August.
One of the challenges of California pear shippers is the lack of extended storage like is available in the Northwest.
San Joaquin Valley stone fruit and pears – grossing about $6800 to New York City.
By the New Jersey Department of Agriculture
(TRENTON) – The New Jersey Department of Agriculture projects its peach crop to be one of its largest in years.
“New Jersey’s crop of peaches are shaping up and will be available in abundance throughout the state,” said New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher. “ We want produce retailers and buyers as well as consumers of Jersey Fresh produce to know that we anticipate having a plentiful supply of peaches.”
New Jersey is one of the nation’s top growers of peaches. In 2015, farmers grew 42.2 million pounds of peaches on 4,700 acres valued at $27.6 million. The 2017 peach crop is projected to produce between 55 and 60 million pounds of peaches on 5,500 acres, according to the New Jersey Peach Promotion Council.
“The New Jersey Peach crop is looking strong and healthy for all varieties within the fruit set,” said Francisco Allende, the general manager of Sunny Valley International, Inc., in Glassboro, N.J. “We expect this to be one of our better harvests in recent years.”
The beginning of peach season is expected to start in South Jersey in about week. It will gradually work its way northward. The first peach variety of New Jersey’s season is the Sentry. The crop then moves into the Gala and Flavorcrest varieties. The season finishes with the Loring and Red Haven varieties followed by the John Boy. New Jersey then moves into the Crest Haven variety season, which also includes the Gloria variety of peach, followed by Jersey Queen and Fayette varieties. The Encore and Laurol varieties will wrap up the season sometime in mid- to late-September, when the last of New Jersey’s peaches should be picked. White peaches are expected to begin shipping around the end of July and continue through mid-September.
“We are excited with the way our peaches look right now,” said Santo Maccherone, a peach grower who owns Circle M Farms in Salem, N.J. “Our crop has come along nicely and we have high expectations for quantity and quality.”
A half-cup sliced fresh peaches is just 30 calories and provides 10 percent of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C. Ripe peaches should be stored in the refrigerator in a plastic bag for up to five days. Rinse peaches in cool water and dry before eating.
Fowler Farms of Wolcott, NY is a grower/shipper of apples and is expanding the packing capacity it has for fruit coming from its 2,500-acre, six-farm operation. The company is now installing a new eight-lane grader/sorter system. The multimillion-dollar system should be operational in time for the start of Fowler’s apple harvest beginning August 1st.
Founded in 1856, family-owned Fowler Farms is one of the largest vertically integrated apple farms in the U.S., offering 23 varieties of fresh apples and a line of refrigerated ciders.
Sweet Corn Shipments
Uesugi Farms of Gilroy, CA shipped its first conventional crop of the season from the Coachella Valley before Memorial Day weekend, and the company is now harvesting in Brentwood, CA. That harvest will continue in Gilroy. The operation has added white, yellow and bi-color organic sweet corn to its list of products. The organic sweet corn will come in packages of four ears, and is being harvested in Wasco, CA., and harvests will then move to Northern California, the Coachella Valley and Mexico.
New Zealand kiwifruit imports by the U.S. should increase overall as the season is already underway for green conventional and organic kiwifruit, as well as SunGold conventional and organic fruit. Imports started last May and will continue through November. Kiwifruit is a rapidly growing in popularity and the SunGold in particular is expected to increase by 40 percent over last season.
It’s summertime in overdrive and here are some loading opportunities you might not have thought of including garlic, watermelons and sweet onions.
Nationally summertime watermelon shipments have been decent so far this season, with heavy volume available for shipments arriving at destinations in time for the Fourth of July holiday. Strong shipments will continue in the weeks ahead as several states are just starting, or will be soon getting underway.
Georgia is leading U.S. shipments averaging around 5,000 truck loads per week. Volume will start declining in a few weeks. However, South Carolina’s watermelons shipment are underway and increasing. Carolina moved nearly 400 truck loads in the past week, but volume will be higher with each passing week.
Texas is in a similar situation, particularly in the eastern part of the state. It shipped about 400 truck loads last week, but volume is rapidly picking up….While the desert areas of California are winding down with watermelon loadings, the San Joaquin Valley, particularly in the southern area around Bakersfield, is building. Around 500 truck loads were shipped a week ago.
Sweet onions shipments out of Walla Walla, WA started in mid June and this season there should be more normal conditions in terms of volume and and timing, at least compared to 2016.
Last year, Walla Walla sweet onions had an early start and finish to the season
California garlic shipments got underway in mid June and will continue until mid September. Christopher Ranch of Gilroy, CA, as well as other operations were off in volume 15 to 20 percent last year. However, shipments this year are expected to be more normal with fewer quality issues.
Christopher Ranch is celebrating its family owned farming heritage with colorful, new boxes for its 2 lb. and 3 lb. fresh garlic bags. The new box is in full color using custom artwork representing a California garlic field.
It is hoped by the shipper that the new look will make it easy for consumers to find fresh California Heirloom Garlic in the midst of all the other shipping boxes.
The company has the only garlic in the U.S. commercially grown from heirloom seed, the same seed discovered by Don Christopher in the 1960’s.
Salinas Valley vegetables – grossing about $5400 to Chicago.


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Not out to destroy Syed Mokhtar's empire, Anwar says on rice import monopoly
The prime minister says he had a good discussion on the matter with Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary and that the situation should not be politicised.
Telco giants seeking majority stake in state 5G agency, document shows
Celcom Axiata Bhd, DiGi Telecommunications, Maxis Bhd and U Mobile also want a review of the pricing model and network access plan offered by Digital Nasional Bhd, according to the May 9 letter.
China fines food delivery giant Meituan for monopolistic behaviour
Meituan has been under fire since market regulators launched an investigation into the group in April, with particular scrutiny paid to the working conditions of its millions of delivery drivers.
‘Brick wall’: Deadlocked efforts to regulate Facebook
Reducing Facebook's economic power and overseeing its moderation policy are the two main issues for US elected officials keen on technology regulation.
South Korea bans app payment monopolies in world first
The Korean law will offer users a choice of app payment providers, allowing them to bypass charges set by the store owner.
Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi facing probe ahead of US market listing
In recent months, Beijing has been clamping down on the country's internet giants for wielding too much power.
China hits Alibaba with record US$2.78 billion fine for market abuses
Alibaba has accepted the penalty and pledged to outline plans for bringing its operations in compliance.
China’s tech titans face new anti-monopoly crackdown
Alibaba alone boasts nearly 900 million mobile monthly active users – more than half of China's population.
US suing Google in biggest antitrust case in decades
It could force changes in business practices or break off segments of the Google empire.
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A court in Beijing has rejected a lawsuit filed by basketball legend Michael Jordan over the use of his Chinese name Qiaodan, saying the name is neither distinctive nor unique.
The court, in refusing to accept the case, ruled that the name was a common one which could refer to a number of people and didn't specifically refer to the NBA superstar, the Securities Times reported yesterday. The report said Jordan was now planning to take the case to a court in Shanghai, but gave no further details.
A spokesman for Jordan's legal team told Shanghai Daily yesterday that so far they hadn't received notice of the rejection.
Jordan had accused Fujian Province-based Qiaodan Sports Co Ltd of building its business around his Chinese name and jersey number.
The lawsuit claimed that the company had made more than 100 trademark applications related to Jordan's name and alleged the company's logo was a silhouette of the former Chicago Bulls star in action.
The lawsuit claimed Qiaodan Sports "deliberately and aggressively" used his name without permission and misled customers into thinking he authorized its sportswear and footwear.


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Growers and shippers in the Pacific Northwest are looking to welcome a larger cherry crop compared to 2022, which saw 12.4 million boxes. “The initial estimates could be between 20 to 21 million case crop in the Northwest. Mother Nature has been good to us right now with 90-degree days and 60-degree nights so we’ve been having perfect weather of warm days and cool nights,” says Don Roper with Honeybear Brands. “We are through the risk period of the cold weather and now the only thing that would be an issue is the rain and wind throughout the season, which is typical of our cherry season. We are profiled to have a large crop out of Washington.”
Like many crops this year, the crop will start slightly later than normal. Dark Sweets (red cherries) should start between June 12th and the 15th. “Those are going to be the first pickings and then about a week later you start to get into the bigger volumes. We’ll have strong promotable volumes in July and we expect the season to go through the end of August,” says Roper. The season will start in the Tri City, Oregon area and the harvest will move its way up north.
Yellow cherries next
Rainier (yellow cherries) typically start 10 to 12 days later and this year are expected to begin around June 22/23. The six-week season should go until mid to late July.
“In general, we’re not sure about the fruit sizing yet meaning is it going to peak on the 10-row, 10.5-row, 11-row? We’re hopeful it’s bigger fruit but it’s too early to tell,” says Roper.
All of this is good news for growers and retailers given the last few years have been challenging cherry seasons. “This is exciting because it should give us good promotable volume with good strong retail price points to drive sell-through,” says Roper. “If we harvest a 20-21 million box crop, we’ll see aggressive cherry retail prices all summer long.”
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The network has partnered with Colorado-based digital marketing firm BombBomb to offer the Social Prompt for RE/MAX tool. It follows a recent poll which found that 59% of the network’s brokers wanted additional support for their social media marketing and 41% want enhanced CRM support.
“As a network, the most authentic voice we have is the voice of our agents,” says Brad Whitehouse, co-owner of RE/MAX Professionals, a multi-office brokerage in the Denver area. “BombBomb Social Prompt takes the exciting content that RE/MAX creates at the national level and delivers it to our consumers and recruits through the voice of our agents.”
Using the new tool, RE/MAX affiliates will be able to use timely and consistent brand-aligned posts from the network which can easily be shared with their Facebook communities.
“We’re excited to introduce a social media platform that provides posts to consumers and agents and, upon review, automatically posts on behalf of the RE/MAX affiliate— saving them time and resources,” said Steve Pacinelli, BombBomb Chief Marketing Officer.
More market update:
Affiliates of the RE/MAX real estate brokerage network can now supercharge their social media activity thanks to a new free resource.


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Retail Investors' Option Frenzy
Michael A. Gayed, a portfolio risk manager and a market analyst, points out that the volume of single stock options trading exceeded the volume of trading in the stock itself for the first time in market history.
The trading volume in single stock options has surpassed the volume of regular shares for the first time. Get ready for a volatile ride till the end of the year. #stocks #markets #economy #investing #financialservices #options #trading #volatility #stockoptions Michael A. Gayed via Twitter
Jim Bianco, the president of Bianco Research LLC, also emphasizes the danger of such behavior of retail investors, and clarifies another fact:
60% of options trading is in contracts with less than two weeks to expiration Jim Bianco via Twitter
The Vast Majority of Trades Are in Options of 7 Companies
Any lack of balance in the market is not a good sign, especially when the imbalance grows to this size. Among other things, it turns out that the vast majority of options that investors buy are options of 7 Big Tech companies: Tesla, Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft, Google and Netflix.
Well over 2,200 stocks have options contracts listed on an exchange. The VAST majority of trading is in just seven names. Jim Bianco via Twitter
Earlier, experts have repeatedly pointed out that such an increase in the number of retail investors trading options is one of the signs of an imminent fall in the market and the onset of a bearish phase. Retail investors with a help of their actions directly influence the growth of volatility in the market, thereby intensifying its fluctuations and approaching collapse.