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But somehow the Internet giant always manages to top itself.
Google's latest moonshot project will surely have tongues wagging for days -- or maybe opening some eyes to new possibilities would be a more apt expression in this case.
The latest project being hatched at the secretive Google X research unit is a smart contact lens.
But don't for a second confuse this project with the much flashier, soon-to-be consumer-friendly Glass.
While it doesn't stem from the Calico department, it is still a very niche project within the healthcare spectrum.
Designed specifically for people diagnosed with diabetes, the smart contact lens has been built to measure glucose levels in tears. The lens hosts a tiny wireless chip and miniaturized glucose sensor, both of which are embedded between two layers of soft contact lens material.
The project's co-founders, Brian Otis and Babak Parviz, explained further about these details in a blog post late on Thursday, highlighting the motivations for developing a contact lens of all things to treat a chronic disease cited to afflict one in every 19 people worldwide.
Glucose levels change frequently with normal activity like exercising or eating or even sweating. Sudden spikes or precipitous drops are dangerous and not uncommon, requiring round-the-clock monitoring. Although some people wear glucose monitors with a glucose sensor embedded under their skin, all people with diabetes must still prick their finger and test drops of blood throughout the day. It’s disruptive, and it’s painful. And, as a result, many people with diabetes check their blood glucose less often than they should.
Google is already moving forward into the testing phase, but it's still a long way off from mass production.
Otis and Parviz noted that Google is still in talks with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration while also seeking more partners and experts to eventually bring the smart contact lens to market.


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Weekday Wow Factor is pleased to announce that we have secured £4,850 in funding from Firstport.
The organisation supports social enterprises across Scotland and this year awarded nearly £50,000 to ten different social enterprises in Glasgow.
Karen McGregor, Chief Executive of Firstport said: “I’m delighted that Firstport is able to give these entrepreneurs the support they need to take their ideas forward.”
We look forward to using the funds to further support the community and expanding our operations.
Visit our Facebook page for all the latest on our exciting events.

domain: news


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Open letter to South Africa’s students‚ universities and government‚ represented by Minister in the .
The Polokwane Municipality has unveiled a new logo for the 2010 World Cup, which they hope will also help promote the city as a tourist destination.
Thabo Makunyane, Polokwane executive mayor, said the new brand identity is aimed at creating an enabling environment for growth and development.
"It will also ensure that we are not on the wrong side of history by encouraging the preservation of environment, culture and heritage of Polokwane," he said.
"Focused on the theme 'naturally progressive', the initiative aims to depict what is best about the city of Polokwane, its people, location, environment and vision.
"... Market research found that the main strength of the city of Polokwane was its location, people and environment. As a provincial capital, Polokwane is centrally located and equipped to serve the region.
"[It is] an ideal gateway to other African countries and surrounded by a natural ambience with modern amenities, delivering a unique quality of life."
Elaborating on the colours and meaning of the logo, Makunyane said: "Each of the colour stripes in every variation of the logo has a particular significance."


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But the U.S. government has a technology, called a printing press (or, today, its electronic equivalent), that allows it to produce as many U.S. dollars as it wishes at essentially no cost. By increasing the number of U.S. dollars in circulation, or even by credibly threatening to do so, the U.S. government can also reduce the value of a dollar in terms of goods and services, which is equivalent to raising the prices in dollars of those goods and services. We conclude that, under a paper-money system, a determined government can always generate higher spending and hence positive inflation.Of course, Bernanke was talking about ways to fight against deflation, not ways to avert debt ceiling catastrophe. But right now we're in a time with dangerously low inflation leading to ridiculously high unemployment. There's no better time to print some money.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Printing Press Beats Debt Ceiling
Suppose that debt ceiling Armageddon comes to pass. The government is barred from issuing debt and what it's legally required to spend exceeds what it's legally allowed to produce. But since it's the federal government, there's still a way to get money. Ben Bernanke in 2002:


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This is ’19 RAM 1500, caught testing on public roads just outside of Detroit.
FCA is working overtime to get the next-generation RAM out, predicting a big sales bump for truck-hungry consumers. It will come to market with further innovations and refinements that have helped the current truck stand out.
The wheelbase provides a preview into a vastly roomier model, and therefore, more space inside for passengers and cargo. Chrysler is expected to upgrade the interior, especially on popular top-tier models, with the latest UConnect systems and other technologies previewed in the ’17 Pacifica minivan.
The new RAM should also have an innovative split tailgate as an option, based off the new tailgate seen in these images. The RAM 1500 will build on the current model’s technical traits. Expect air suspension and the RAM Boxes.
The V6 and V8 engines should carry on in the lineup, but with a few updates. The 3.0L V6 EcoDiesel should stay put, but FCA’s ongoing problem with the EPA over diesel emissions may alter those plans. The next RAM will also gain a mild hybrid system with a 48-volt electrical system, which sounds like the perfect place to put a turbocharged four in (which has already been spied).
The RAM will be more visible throughout the year, although its debut will likely be the 2018 Detroit Auto Show, with sales beginning shortly thereafter.
Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde


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NetConsultCo.com: Online Retailers Should Target Family Consumers
A recent report suggests that consumers coming from families are much savvier at online shopping, and more willing to make online purchases. Noting this trend, NetConsultCo.com explains why entrepreneurs should target this market.
Phoenix, Arizona (I-Newswire) September 10, 2012 - Online marketing is a vast, growing industry that has grown immensely in recent years due to its ability to offer businesses with a way to reach more consumers in a cost-effective manner. Whatever the need for expansion, NetConsultCo.com is a leading educator in online marketing, as it provides unique programs that help entrepreneurs learn how to adapt to the world of Internet-based sales. The company encourages small businesses to enter the online retail space as a way to improve branding, gain more consumers, and in turn, generate more revenue through increased sales. However, NetConsultCo.com adds that while virtually every demographic can be reached through the online marketplace, it is important for retailers to note which ones are most active.
A recent article from News.com.au reveals a new report from Getprice—a shopping comparison website—that suggests consumers coming from families may prove a more viable market than those who are currently single. The company’s research found that “71 percent of online shoppers were married or had partners, and 27 percent were single.” The article explains that the reasons behind this trend may be that mother’s—responsible for a majority of a household’s purchases—may be looking to shop in a way that saves time as they tend to other responsibilities. NetConsultCo.com adds that the Internet is all about convenience, and every business should take the opportunity to make shopping easier for busy families.
The article reports that the industries affected by this consumer trend are diverse, with clothing and electronics near the top of the list. NetConsultCo.com responds in a recent press statement, “Noting that families are more likely to make purchases, small business owners who operate online stores should find ways to brand their products in a way that are family-friendly.”
Although family-oriented consumers may be more responsive to online marketing campaigns,the article adds that they are intelligent about their purchasing decisions, often searching for the best price before they buy. While this may seem like an obstacle to small businesses, NetConsultCo.com explains that business owners should make it their responsibility to offer special deals and lower prices than competitors in order to stay relevant to family consumers. If a business cannot compete with lower prices, it must identify what sets it apart from other retailers in order to entice consumers. NetConsultCo.com concludes that families are often more likely to stick with brands that they find to be worthwhile, so by targeting these consumers small businesses are likely to tap into a loyal customer base that will continue to make purchases in following years.
In order to address the challenges presented by today’s unique online market, NetConsultCo has developed a series of programs designed to help small business owners and other clients tackle Internet-based sales. The company offers one-of-a-kind relationships with its students by providing one-on-one training that emphasizes the changing trends in online marketing. The coursework is crafted to meet the needs of both beginning and advanced students through innovative training tools and wide curriculum selection.
For more information on available courses, visit www.NetConsultCo.com
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Published On:September 10, 2012
Print Release:Print Release
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PlayStation recently announced the details for the upcoming State of Play this February 2023, the first this year. Learn more about the show’s date and time, as well as what to expect from it.
For starters, let’s talk about the show’s date and time. Players will be able to watch the PlayStation State of Play this Thursday, February 23, 2023, at 1:00 PM PST. The State of Play will air on PlayStation’s Twitch Channel, as well as on their YouTube Channel.
Now, let’s talk about the contents of the show. According to the post on the PlayStation Blog, the show will feature “new looks at some anticipated games from our third-party partners.” They will also be showing a first look at five games that will come out later this year for the recently released PSVR2. However, the highlight of the show seems to be the “more than 15 minutes of all-new gameplay details and updates” on their upcoming game Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League. The game, whose release date got delayed, is the next game from Rocksteady Studios and is another anticipated game.
The blog post from PlayStation Japan gives quite a few more details regarding the state of play. For starters, they mentioned that the show will be a 45-minute one, although chances are it could be longer than that. They also gave the number of games we will receive details about. They mentioned that we will get “information and gameplay for 16 new titles across PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation VR2”. As there are five games coming to PSVR2 in the announcement, we can guess that there will be 11 game split between the PS5 and PS4, one of which is the Suicide Squad game.
One of the other 10 games is most definitely Destiny 2, as they will be premiering the launch trailer for their upcoming expansion: Lightfall.
Tune into the @PlayStation State of Play, starting on Feb 23 @ 1PM PST, for an exclusive first look at the launch trailer for Destiny 2: Lightfall. pic.twitter.com/ByUeZN3k7a
— Destiny 2 (@DestinyTheGame) February 21, 2023
As for what the other games will be, we will just have to wait and see. Personally, I’m expecting more announcements regarding Final Fantasy XVI, as well as some news about Stellar Blade.
That’s all the details we have about the State of Play this February 2023. For more gaming news from us, you can check out our gaming news articles.


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It seems that it is never not campaign season in the world of fashion, and this week has seen the release of two very different types of ads.
First up is Saint Laurent, which is now up to its ninth installment of Anthony Vaccarello’s numbered campaign scheme. For the short clip, YSL09, Vaccarello has eschewed his normal ultra-hip models, and instead cast actress/singer Charlotte Gainsbourg to don his Fall 2017 collection in a vast concrete chamber. Once again, Nathalie Canguilhem is behind the camera for the video clip, although so far it is labeled a “preview.” Expect more to come from this particular series.
Photo: Courtesy of La Perla
In other news, La Perla has released its Pre-Fall campaign staring Kendall Jenner. Famed photography duo Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott were tapped to lens the flowery images, which feature items from the lingerie, ready-to-wear, and swimwear collections. The company has been doing its best to make a push into the ready-to-wear realm, also recently outfitting Jenner at the Met Gala, and hiring a slew of supermodels to walk the runway at its show during New York fashion week. It might help if there were more of a thematic separation between the three lines, but then again, the concept of “lingerie as daywear” seems to be what creative director Julia Haart is going for.


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Wednesday, January 13, 2016
By Kamal Swami
HCIL Reveals Its Plan For Indian Auto Expo 2016
Honda Cars India Ltd. (HCIL) today announced its lineup of production and concept-models to be exhibited at the Auto Expo 2016– The Motor Show that will be held at the India Expo Mart, Greater Noida (Press days: Feb 3-4, 2016, Public days: Feb 5-9, 2016).
The new generation Crossover Utility Vehicle Honda BR-V will make its India Premiere at the motor show. Honda BR-V features the combination of bold, sporty appearance and handling of an SUV and spacious cabin of a Utility Vehicle. Also on display will be the latest generation of premium sedan Honda Accord. The BR-V and Accord together would be the key models slated for launch in India in future.
With the booth concept of “Accelerate with Honda”, HCIL will showcase a wide range of exhibits including models that will be launched in India in future and racing machines that pursue excellence in driving performance. The much loved Honda ASIMO(Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility) is the world’s most advanced humanoid robot and will enthrall the audiences at the motor showshowcasing cutting-edge agility and intelligence technologies.
Cars to be showcased at 2016 Auto Expo:
National Premiere: Honda BR-V
Racing Machine: McLaren Honda MP4-30
1. Honda Project 2&4 powered by RC213V
2. Honda Jazz Racing Concept
1. Honda Accord


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Uber Eats was the most downloaded food delivery app worldwide for April 2020 with more than 9.4 million installs, which represented a 23.3 percent increase from April 2019. The countries with the most installs of the app during this period were Japan at 21 percent of its total downloads and the United States at 18.7 percent. The full top 10 ranking of food delivery apps worldwide by downloads for April 2020 is above. App download estimates are from Sensor Tower’s Store Intelligence platform.
McDonald’s was the second most installed food delivery app worldwide last month with more than 6.4 million installs. The countries with the largest number of McDonald’s installs were the U.S. at 16.4 percent, followed by Japan at 12.8 percent. DoorDash, Foodpanda, and Luckin Coffee rounded out the top five most installed food delivery apps worldwide for the month.
Store Intelligence users can see app download estimates for the above apps in addition to historical performance metrics on the Sensor Tower platform. Our estimates include downloads for the App Store and Google Play worldwide between April 1, 2019 and April 30, 2020. Apple apps and Google pre-installed apps are excluded. We report unique installs only. Android estimates do not include third-party stores. Figures represent aggregate installs of all app versions, ex: Facebook and Facebook Lite.
Sensor Tower's platform is an enterprise-level offering. Interested in learning more?


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Microsoft Plans Windows 7 Beta for Mid-January
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Microsoft plans to start handing out the first beta copies of Windows 7 on January 13, according to recent postings on three of the software giant's blogs.
The company already handed out pre-beta copies of the pending replacement for Windows Vista at two major developer conferences it held in Los Angeles in late October and early November.
However, the beta copies to be given out beginning in January will be "feature complete," unlike the ones handed out this fall.
"I'm really excited about the first fully feature complete release of Windows 7," independent industry analyst, Peter O'Kelly, told InternetNews.com. He said he has been using the October pre-beta release almost daily and has been impressed with its stability.
Although the company will only say it plans final delivery of Windows 7 to come within three years of the consumer release of Windows Vista which was January 30, 2007 many analysts believe Microsoft's real target is actually six or seven months earlier.
At the two conferences earlier this fall, Steven Sinofsky, senior vice president of the Windows and Windows Live engineering group, told the audiences that Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) would begin beta testing Windows 7 in early 2009, although some observers had expect betas beginning this month. There has also been speculation that Microsoft will launch the beta in early January at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, although that seems unlikely now.
The first beta copies will go to attendees at a series of $99 events called MSDN Developer Conferences that Microsoft will begin holding around the country beginning next week. Although three of the events to be held in Houston, Orlando, and Atlanta are scheduled this month, those attendees will be mailed the beta DVDs when they are available, the blog posts said.
The MDC events will be day-long events meant to provide developers with much of the information that attendees at Microsoft's Professional Developers Conference in late October were provided.
Other stops on the so-called MDC tour include Chicago and Minneapolis (both on January 13), as well as Washington D.C., New York, Boston, Detroit, Dallas, and San Francisco. The last event is set for February 19.
But Microsoft remains mum on when it will broaden beta testing to include the full public -- the next step in the development process.
"We expect to deliver beta in early 2009 and we continue to be on track to deliver against that development milestone," was all a Microsoft spokesperson was willing to say in a statement e-mailed to InternetNews.com. However, the Web site for the MDC events refers to the release as "Beta 1," implying that there may be a second beta which would target end users.
Next Page: Crucial delivery dates


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The Carrier Wars continue to heat up as another major player joins the fray. Sprint has upgraded its unlimited plan in an effort to keep up with the other networks.
Sprint has an existing unlimited family plan which was introduced earlier in the month which was before Verizon and T-Mobile started marketing their own versions. With the two network carriers offering impressive unlimited plans, Sprint decided that it needed to sweeten up its deal a bit more. According to reports, Sprint will add HD video streaming as well as 10GB of hotspot data which is basically the same with the others. The difference is that Sprint will offer the updated unlimited plan, which includes unlimited talk, text and data, for only $50 each month. Those who wish to get two lines will only need to cough out $90 per month while additional lines up to a fourth member will be free. All these will be possible only if the user/s sign up for Sprint AutoPay. The icing on the cake is probably the free iPhone 7 that consumers can avail if they trade in their existing smartphones. The iPhone will be free for 18 months.
Before the upgrade, Sprint unlimited plan subscribers only had access to 480p resolution on its video streams. Business Insider noted that those who prefer real HD video streaming had to pay another $75 per month. Additionally, the cap for mobile hotspot use on Sprint's original unlimited plan was only 5GB of LTE each month. With the upgrades, unlimited data plan holders can now enjoy streaming videos, music and playing games much better.
The new Carrier Wars started when Verizon brought back its unlimited data plan now called as Verizon Unlimited. T-Mobile quickly fired some shots at its rival by upgrading its unlimited One plan to match Verizon's while lowering the price. The other major network carrier, AT&T, is also reportedly altering its unlimited data plans to provide the same features as the others and give customers another alternative. The problem with AT&T's Unlimited plan, however, is that it costs $100 for the first line making it the most expensive among the four carriers.


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Bmw i8 would be launching in india around not disclosed with the estimated price of rs 214 crore.
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Find bmw x7 reviews features colors images at cartrade.
It aims to sell 25 electrified cars by 2023 half of which will be pure evs.


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eSight® Corp was featured in an article “Advances in AI, tech may provide ‘limitless’ possibilities for people with disabilities” by Healio. To read the complete article on Healio, click here.
How Advancements in AI and Technology may offer People with Impairments Countless Opportunities
Accessibility is still a challenge for people with disabilities. Even though there are a lot of cutting-edge assistive technologies available, not everyone can use them. Accessibility will be prioritized by assistive technology companies over the next few years through advancements in Telehealth, payment methods, and other patient-first developments.
In order to assist users or even predict their needs, powerful machine learning can help objects emulate human cognitive function. While everyone can gain from AI, cutting-edge technology can give people the extra assistance they need to carry out regular tasks.
Since smaller and more sophisticated technology improves the quality of life for persons with or without disabilities, assistive technology has emerged as a significant focus of the annual convention.
Companies from all around the world displayed cutting-edge devices and technologies at CES 2023 – the annual trade exhibition put on by the Consumer Technology Association; eSight® Corp was one of them.
Advancements with eSight Go™ for the Visually Impaired
At the CES 2023, eSight® Corp introduced the upcoming eSight Go™ to the public. The updated device has an enhanced image stabilization module that improves clarity and lessens motion blur caused by user movements when utilizing increasing magnification settings.
eSight Go™ comes with a new battery pack that sits comfortably around the wearer’s neck, reducing the weight of eSight significantly. In addition, the eSight Go™ weighs just 170 grams, which is a massive reduction in weight compared to the current model, eSight 4™, which weighs 560 grams.
Wearing a significantly lighter frame on the nose and ears allows the wearer to move about more comfortably. eSight Go™ also comes with an improved image stabilization module – giving a clearer image & reducing motion blur due to movements users make while using increasing magnification settings.
eSight® Corp is still working to optimize the new software and planning to launch eSight Go™ in Q4 of 2023. To get new updates about our upcoming eSight Go™, join our exclusive waiting list on the eSight Go™ page.
If you or your loved one wants to try eSight® devices and go through the easy screening process, please use our Free Consultation to know if you’re the right candidate for eSight® electronic devices.


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Heroux-Devtek Inc. (HRX.T) said Tuesday it will sell substantially all of its aerostructure and industrial-products operations and focus on its core landing-gear operations, a move that sent the Quebec company's shares up 40% in early Toronto trading.
The aerospace company said it will sell the assets, including manufacturing sites in Quebec, Mexico, Texas and Ohio, to Precision Castparts Corp. PCP, +0.00% for net proceeds of about 230 million Canadian dollars (US$226.7 million).
The assets being purchased by the Oregon-based maker of metal castings had sales of about C$130 million in fiscal 2012, Heroux-Devtek said. Closing of the deal is expected in the second quarter.
National Bank Financial called the deal a "significantly accretive divestiture" which unlocks "significant" value for Heroux-Devtek shareholders.
In recent Toronto trading, shares of Heroux-Devtek were up C$2.90, or 37%, at C$10.75. Precision Castparts shares were off slightly in New York at $162.38.
Heroux-Devtek said it's evaluating various options for the sale proceeds, including a "significant" distribution to shareholders and certain debt repayment.
In a separate release, Precision Castparts said it expects the acquisition to be immediately accretive to earnings.


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[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]L[/dropcap]ike many states with recreational cannabis, Washington authorities use a database to record cannabis operations in the regulated market. Last month, however, the tracking software experienced major issues, causing businesses to take a hit of hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth in lost sales.
Because the state of Washington has a mandatory seed-to-sale tracking system for every business in the cannabis industry, no one was safe from the ongoing problems the failure caused. Unfortunately, this is not the first complication to arise for the required system. The software provider, MJ Freeway, has come under criticism as some urge the state to part ways with the company that provides the tracking system.
A Spokane, Washington lab’s cannabis sample numbers were severely miscounted by the software because of the glitch. In some cases, employees were temporarily released as a result of the money loss, and businesses were unable to transport their products.
The situation became so desperate that the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) gave the unprecedented green light for businesses to keep records for themselves on testing, sales and shipping. However, it did not require such records to be placed into a computer system and suggested the records would be reviewed at a future date.
“The board recognizes there are challenges and problems associated with this software release they want to be able to alleviate in the short term,” shared LCB spokesman Brian Smith.
Unsurprisingly, business owners expressed deep concern over the loss of revenue that will never be recovered. “Our small company lost four days of revenue-generating sales as a direct result of the state software system failure, and we’re just one of hundreds of companies that experienced similar results,” shared Andy Brassington of Evergreen Herbal, a company that produces cannabis-infused products, which was originally reported by Associated Press. Vicki Christophersen, executive director of the Washington CannaBusiness Association, described the event as, “crippling.”
“The board recognizes there are challenges and problems associated with this software release they want to be able to alleviate in the short term.”
The issue brought forth the discussion of doing away with the seed-to-sale tracking policy altogether. Created to promote transparency over the cannabis industry, some feel that this level of oversight is neither realistic nor practical. Given this latest frustration, the criticism is understandable.
The software provider, MJ Freeway, tracks regulated cannabis not just in Washington, but several other states as well. Two years ago, Nevada opted out of using MJ Freeway after the company was hacked. That incident left an estimated 1,000 retailers unexpectedly on their own, attempting to manage inventory and sales themselves.
Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, MJ Freeway has been given two extra months to develop a new software to amend the glitches that created the upsetting loss of revenue. While MJ Freeway began serving cannabis businesses in 2010, it’s clear that there is still room for improvement. Growth and more reliable systems across the board are obligatory for an industry with such rapid expansion.


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Protectionism and Tariffs
Gary Cohn’s resignation this week was likely related to the administration’s recent proposals to implement tariffs on steel and aluminum. According to media reports, Mr. Cohn was against this policy. He had tried to coordinate meetings with other executives outside of the aluminum and steel industry to lobby against tariff proposals and that meeting never occurred.
The economic argument being made by those against tariffs are that they cause significant economic challenges. A list of the arguments made by some economists against these policies include the following:
- Tariffs can lead to retaliatory action thereby impacting sales of US goods and services to countries outside of the United States;
- Tariffs on products imported may lead to price increases increasing the chance of higher inflation;
- Companies in the United States that rely on targeted items (in this case aluminum and steel) will likely pass on input commodities prices increases to consumers leading to potentially higher inflation;
- Increases in prices can impact economic growth.
There is already talk in Europe, Asia, Canada, and other countries that retaliation is likely. The specter of a trade war has impacted market psychology and likely will impact CEO and senior executive behavior. Concerns about protectionist policies can lead to inaction by senior executives relative to future business investment.
So why are tariffs even being considered in the first place? Technology and outsourcing of labor to lower cost production countries outside of the United States have devastated working-class jobs. I was in Buffalo, NY recently and the city is a shadow of what it once was. For example, in downtown one sees the shuttered stores and economic devastation. There is no disputing that employment trends have caused significant hardship for many working-class Americans. This hardship and the clamor for a return to the good old days is what makes tariff talk so appealing to a percentage of the American populace.
The reason why the markets have not reacted more strongly to tariff activity is that the tax cut package implemented in late December could offset in a significant way any negatives associated with higher prices. Higher GDP growth can be an economic positive and the tax cuts that have recently been implemented are designed to stimulate economic expansion. Tax cuts will provide some buffer against the outcomes associated with protectionist policies.
What is concerning, and something that we watch for, is if the expansion of protectionist policies trigger a global trade war. This could have significant effects on the US economy. Trade wars generally don’t work out well for anyone and this would include the United States. We believe the likelihood of a global trade war is probably small. There are many voices on both sides of the political spectrum against a full out trade war. Those voices likely will be a moderating influence on those focused on more protectionist tendencies. But we shall see.
Assessing headlines, including recently proposed tariffs, can impact our outlook on held and contemplated assets. It is important to assess these types of news headlines and the impact on securities earnings projections for companies that are tracked and held. Inflation also needs to be monitored as well.
It’s too early to say now what investment action might be necessitated by the proposed policies. It is fair to say, however, that significant protectionist policies from the United States government (and the resulting retaliatory action) could very well impact investment strategy going forward.
You can be assured we will be watching announcements carefully as well as assessing the potential fallout from any policy decisions. Our judgment and views will be reflected directly in portfolio strategies.
If you have any questions, please let me know!


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Dunbar is set to get a new boozy addition to its high street as Beer Zoo have revealed that they will be opening a second shop in the seaside town.
Beer Zoo, a specialist bottle shop, first opened in Portobello in 2016 and the world's best craft beers can be found on its shelves.
Don't expect your usual brews that you'll find in your local supermarket, Beer Zoo are the purveyors of unique beers - with a heavy focus on Scottish brews.
It's not just about the beers either - Beer Zoo also stocks ciders, organic wine and gins.
Everyone has been so welcoming and helpful and enthusiastic. We're encouraged, excited and truly thankful."
Set to open this weekend Dunbar's Beer Zoo is located at 35 High Street.
Calling all foodies - join our Facebook group 'Tasty Edinburgh' where we share all the best places to eat and drink
To receive one WhatsApp message a day with Edinburgh Live's headlines, as well as breaking news alerts, text NEWS to 07899067815. Then add the number to your contacts as 'Edinburgh Live'.
For more stories from across the Edinburgh area like our Facebook page, or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our newsletter: enter your email in the blue box at the top of this article.


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Suddenly it's the weekend and you've been so busy you've barely been able to get on to Automotive.com to get your daily fix of all that's happening in the world of autos.
Read This Article
This is not a real photo, it's just a point-and-shoot snapshot, and it says, "Whoa!
Mercedes-Benz thinks chickens are a good means of demonstrating just what sets the 2014 S-Class apart from its competition.
A wise man once said "if you ain't first, you're last." Apparently Daimler is taking that advice to heart as it plans to double its output of Mercedes-Benz vehicles by 2020.


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Walmart- The Empire Strikes Back
Well it appears that the rebel’s attack on the empire did not succeed and now they are striking back.
Time reports that Walmart has unveiled its very own Deathstar, called Project Impact.
“One goal of Project Impact is cleaner, less cluttered stores that will improve the shopping experience. Another is friendlier customer service. A third: home in on categories where the competition can be killed. “They’ve got Kmart ready to take a standing eight-count next year,” says retail consultant Burt Flickinger III, managing director for Strategic Resources Group and a veteran Walmart watcher. “Same with Rite Aid. They’ve knocked out four of the top five toy retailers, and are now going after the last one standing, Toys “R” Us. Project Impact will be the catalyst to wipe out a second round of national and regional retailers.”
So what does one of these stores look like? Let’s save the goofy photos for a moment and return to the article:
“One recent weekday afternoon I toured a brand new, 210,000-sq.-ft. Walmart in West Deptford, N.J., with Lance De La Rosa, the company’s Northeast general manager. “We’ve listened to our customers, and they want an easier shopping experience,” says De La Rosa. “We’ve brightened up the stores and opened things up to make it more navigable.” One of the most noticeable changes is that Project Impact stores reshape Action Alley, the aisles where promotional items were pulled off the shelves and prominently displayed for shoppers. Those stacks both crowded the aisles and cut off sight lines. Now, the aisles are all clear, and you can see most sections of the store from any vantage point. For example, standing on the corner intersection of the auto-care and crafts areas, you can look straight ahead and see where shoes, pet care, groceries, the pharmacy and other areas are located. And the discount price tags are still at eye level, so the value message doesn’t get lost.
“They are like roads,” De La Rosa says proudly. “And look around, the customers are using them. We’ve already gotten feedback about the wider, more breathable aisles. Our shoppers love them.”
The layout is also smarter. “You can kind of guess where everything is going to be,” says Sharon Tilotta, 73, a shopper in the West Deptford store. The pharmacy, pet foods, cosmetics and health and beauty sections are now adjacent to the groceries. In the past, groceries and these other sections were often at opposite ends of the store, which made it more difficult for someone looking to pick up some quick consumables to get in and out of Walmart. “Under Project Impact, Walmart is providing more of a full supermarket experience within its walls,” says Feldman.”
I am not so sure that I like what I am reading. Competition is healthy. Sounds like they are going to force the smaller guys to work really hard on finding ways to maintain marketshare.


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Online fashion retailer Outnet showed that sometimes an online marketing campaign can be a little too successful when it launched a £1 sale last week.
Massive hype surrounded last Friday’s giveaway which began just before 7.30am and according to the company resulted in nine orders a second being racked up through the electronic checkout. Dresses and accessories from designers such as Givenchy and Stella McCartney were included in the sale, all priced at just £1 each.
But the success of the online marketing campaign by Outnet and the desire of the UK’s fashion hunters to grab a bargain led to the company’s website caving in under the pressure and crashing for many would-be shoppers.
According to Vogue, the sale was hailed as a success despite the number of people left disappointed.
A statement by Outnet said: “Whilst we were prepared for the volume of traffic the sale would deliver, we were overwhelmed by the speed at which people came to the site.
“This remarkable volume – up to nine orders a second – led the site to crash in some markets and I want to say that we are very sorry to all those disappointed people who didn’t get to buy anything at the sale, but delighted for all of those who did.”


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This week, the US effectively banned Juul after the Food and Drug Administration ordered the e-cigarette maker to remove its popular products from the marketplace.
Experts have hailed the move as significant. But they are also concerned that such efforts are failing to keep up with a fast-moving vaping industry – one where young people leap quickly from one product to another.
The FDA ban caps years of controversy for Juul, whose discreet vapes have been accused of helping hook an entire new generation on nicotine. In 2020 the FDA ordered mint- and juice-flavored e-cigarette pods off the shelves, hitting many of Juul’s products. This week’s escalation came because regulators said Juul failed to provide sufficient evidence to assess their toxicity and hazards of their tobacco and menthol-flavored e-cigarettes, leaving the FDA unable to “assess the potential toxicological risks of using the Juul products”.
Juul, meanwhile, has argued its vapes help regular smokers quit cigarettes, and has said it will fight back. On Friday, an appeals court temporarily put the ban on hold while Juul appeals.
The ban is still momentous, says Lauren Czaplicki, a researcher at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, because it’s one of the first marketing denials for a brand with substantial market share in the US and for a menthol-flavored product. She points out that other brands like Vuse, Logic and NJOY have received market authorization for various tobacco flavored e-cigarette products and systems, but Juul was denied.
Research shows that bans of flavored cigarettes do make a difference – a 2020 study by George Mason University analyzed a 2009 FDA flavored cigarette ban, and found it reduced smoking by underage youth by 43% and young adults by 27%.
“It is likely that the FDA’s marketing denial will have an impact,” says Czaplicki. “Juul is still a popular product among young people who do use e-cigarettes, and Juul has a certain level of brand recognition and cultural cachet among youth that may be susceptible to nicotine use.”
But while Juul still commands a dominant share of the US market, its popularity among young people has waned over the last few years, says Dr Devika Rao, a pediatric pulmonologist at UT Southwestern. A recent federal survey found Juul was only the fourth most popular product among middle and high school students: the disposable e-cigarette Puff Bar came in first, with Vuse and Smok the second and third most popular.
“We know from data that Juul is not the most commonly used,” says Rao. “Adolescents today are favoring disposable vapes, devices you can purchase online or in a store.” They cost as little as $10 each for a single-use device and do not fall under the 2020 flavor ban, even though they use the same technology as Juul.
Adolescents often switch from product to product, creating a Whac-a-Mole prevention strategy, says Monica M Zorilla, a researcher at Stanford. When the FDA prioritized enforcement against flavored e-cigarette devices like Juul in 2020, it exempted disposable e-cigarettes and menthol-flavored e-cigarette products, says Zorilla. A Stanford study found that adolescents then…


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Macy’s and Verona have partnered for a new line of “modest” clothing targeted towards Muslim women. The new Verona Collection will feature hand-dyed hijabs, long cardigans, and maxi dresses.
According to The Washington Post, the collection will be made available on February 15th. Macy’s is hoping the new products reinvigorate enthusiasm for the brand, considering the store has faced considerable closures and plummeting stocks as of late.
READ MORE HERE


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News By Tag
News By Location
Paul McCarthy: Cork Dascoin Entrepreneur Launches Crypto Revolution Ireland
Cork Cryptocurrency Entrepreneur, Paul McCarthy Launches New Website at Crypto Revolution Ireland
By: Crypto Revolution Ireland
When a new technology is introduced to the marketplace, it is generally criticised and feared as people do not know how it will affect the status quo, and for the technologies who can withstand the onslaught of criticism widespread adoption and integration often follows. If you are looking for one example of a technology that has revolutionised multiple business landscapes, shopping experiences and even our everyday lives consider Amazon.
For years Amazon was disparaged as a pipe dream that was losing so much money that it could never possibly succeed, and now it is one of the most profitable businesses in the world and has revolutionised commerce in general, and the individual's shopping experience in particular.
If you don't think it can happen again, we say that you should reconsider. It will happen many times over your lifetime as the speed of concept to transaction continues to gather pace with the new realm of cryptocurrencies.
To keep up to date with the cryptocurrency movement in Ireland, and the technological advancements that are coming soon, stay tuned to the Crypto Revolution Ireland website at – http://CryptoRevolution.ie or check out the Paul McCarthy facebook page at - https://www.facebook.com/


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Flush with an investment outlay of $3 billion a yearon networks, telecom major Bharti Airtel plans to double its 4Gnetwork by next fiscal as it gears up to take on competition,including the much-awaited foray of Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries group.
"We have decided to roll out (4G). We have 20,000 base station now, inMarch, and we will be doing another 20,000 next year," Bharti Airtelchairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said here.
Mittal said funds would not be a constraint for the company's expansionplans as it is spending $3 billion every year on networks alone, excludingspectrum, and its 2G and 3G roll-outs are among the most expensive inthe country.
The company will be rolling out mobile tower sites to use its 20MHz broadband wireless access spectrum, which Mittal said is'life saving' as 3G networks are now choking up in metros and tier 1 cities.
Companies, including Airtel, at present have only 5MHz of 3G spectrum in select parts of country and the government has put another 5MHz block of 3G spectrum in the ongoing auction.Speaking on the sidelines of recently held Mobile World Congress, Mittal said Airtel, through its newly inked partnership withChina Mobile, will try to bring down price of the smartphones that can support all networks, to below Rs 6,000 apiece in a yearto push usage of networks.
"In my view, in 12 months time you will have $100 smartphones. You already have $100 smartphones. What I am saying is itshould be multi-mode, multi-band. Customer says give me good speed, good quality network so if he drops from 4G, he mustconnect to 3G and if he drops from 3G he must connect to 2G," Mittal said.
He said the partnership with China Mobile gives Airtel an "economy of scale" and it will be able to lower its capital expendituresignificantly.
Mittal said driving down cost of equipments, devices, setting up standards for next generation technology like 5G andexchange of best practices are main objectives of this partnership without any equity transaction.
"Funding is not a constraint. Every year we are spending $3 billion into networks other than spectrum. Our roll-outs of 3G, 2Gare the most expensive roll-out in the country," he said.
On the growth potential of 4G networks in the country, Mittal said Airtel and Reliance Jio Infocomm put together will be 10% ofChina Mobile's 4G network by 2015-16


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While Zara’s Billionaire Owner Is Lauded For Help, Workers Forced To Work Amid COVID-19 Crisis
Amid the coronavirus lockdown across the world, different industries have been affected in varying degrees. While essentials service workers are having to clock-in extra hours to cater to the increasing needs of the people amid this chaos, industries like fashion and beauty have been hit the worst.
As people have moved indoors, inevitably no one cares for the new trends that hit the market this season or what to look out for in the next season. The only clothes most people care about is comfortable PJs to get them through the day. With an uncertain world around us, retail therapy seems like an activity of the past.
However, for major fashion giants like Zara , strategy for when things will resume to normal never really stops. This, essentially means that workers at the backend, the ones assembling the clothes, swimwear, accessories, and shoes together are being affected.
Fast fashion had also plagued the pre-coronavirus world, at the heart of it, fast fashion is responsible for the deepening inequity between garment workers who work at one end of the supply chain and wealthy individuals like Zara’s Spanish billionaire owner Amancio Ortega, who is the world’s sixth-richest man, is rebranding the chain as a benevolent saviour amid the coronavirus crisis.
At the epoch of the coronavirus pandemic in Spain, Zara’s parent company, Inditex, shut more than 3,000 stores. Ortega helmed the initiative of making hospital gowns and masks, and also, according to Forbes, flew in medical supplies worth millions from China.
Ortega also made headlines for ensuring that Zara’s Spanish employees received salaries in full, all good things that make up for great PR, so much so that an ambulance crew gathered outside his residence to wish him on his birthday.
Las ambulancias de La Coruña delante de la casa de Amancio Ortega para expresar el agradecimiento de toda la sociedad y felicitarle por su cumpleaños. Felicidades Amancio, Marca España ?? pic.twitter.com/QnqHr6lzjc— Nacho Louro (@NachoLouro) March 28, 2020
According to BuzzFeed News employees from two factories that form part of Zara’s supply chain in Myanmar, workers put in 11-hour shifts, six days a week, for a meager $3.50–$4.74 per day (approximately Rs. 350 a day on the higher end.). More than 500 of these workers at the two factories were laid off when they asked to be supplied with durable masks and for social distancing to be introduced to protect them from the coronavirus. One of the factories, Myan Mode, fired every single member of a workers’ union, along with a woman who had complained of being sexually harassed at the factory last year.
Inditex, in response, has told BuzzFeed News that it was working with suppliers to ensure they were following official guidelines to protect workers. A spokesperson said that the dispute at Myan Mode had been at least partially resolved, with 29 sacked workers reinstated.
“We could all die, and for what? Making already rich brands super-rich,” one worker said on the phone from Myanmar’s capital, Yangon, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “The working class is being sacrificed so they can wear good clothes.”
The coronavirus has so far not spread extensively in Myanmar, despite the country sharing a nearly 1,400-mile border with China.
But like other countries in Southeast Asia, it is difficult to know what's really happening courtesy insufficient testing—as of May 1, 2020, the government had administered 8,300 tests which are far too less for a population of 55 million.
About half a million people in Myanmar work in garment factories like that of Zara's, live in dormitories that factories rent to them for half their salaries. The country’s minimum wage is one of the lowest in Asia, and following a wave of strikes last year, approximately 50,000 garment workers have joined or formed unions. Myan Mode’s union was able to negotiate small demands like permission to be up to 15 minutes late for work, and more reasonable working hours than other factories demanded—44 hours a week, with up to 14 hours of overtime.
Aside from producing personal protective equipment, Zara also delivered washable, splash-proof, and hospital gowns to medical workers in the city of La Coruña. Soon after that, Ortega flew in another 3 million units of PPE from China, along with 1,450 ventilators for Spain.
In a pre-coronavirus world, while Zara was accused of many controversies like discriminating against black employees at its corporate offices (Zara denied the reports), and abysmal conditions in factories in Brazil that were likened to “slavery”, is accused of tax evasion worth over 550 million euros (about $596 million).
So, while the 2013 Bangladesh’s Rana Plaza tragedy that killed over 1,000 garment factory workers brought into effect a worker safety accord for Bangladeshi workers, that even Zara signed, accords like these clearly hold no value to a company that has already pushed for encouraging workers to return to factories amidst a pandemic.
Across the Asian continent, countries have either responded with a complete shutdown like India and Sri Lanka, or a partial lockdown with restrictions, like Cambodia, Indonesia, and Myanmar, where governments have banned public gatherings but kept factories running. This has been done keeping the country's economy, public health, and other respective factors in mind. While the workers were suffering before the pandemic, they're suffering even more so and will possibly be hit the worst right now.


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Every console game in the Assassin's Creed series will be released in one box, according to a new listing on Amazon France. The Assassin's Creed Anthology Edition is slated to include Assassin's Creed, Assassin's Creed II, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Assassin's Creed: Revelations and the just-released Assassin's Creed III for €150.
The listing also states that all singleplayer and multiplayer bonus DLC created for the games will be included. According to the image seen below, the pack will include "all Assassin's Creed games ever released on Xbox 360". This seems to indicate that either it will be for Xbox only, OR this bundle is for another console.
Amazon France has previously proved reliable in outing both Call of Duty: Black Ops II and also the Killzone Trilogy bundle alongside many others. They seem to be the No.1 source for all your video game leaks. Ubisoft has confirmed the existence of the bundle, but has yet to confirm on platforms, pricing and a release date.
Ubisoft today officially announced the Assassin's Creed Anthology and revealed it will launch November 30 exclusively in the United Kingdom through Amazon. No mention was made of a launch outside of the region, and a Ubisoft representative was not immediately available for comment. It seems weird to us that it was announced on Amazon France but they say that it will only launch in the UK, so there is presumably going to be further releases in the future.
As was rumored this week, the Assassin's Creed Anthology will include all five Assassin's Creed console games. These are the original Assassin's Creed, Assassin's Creed II, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Assassin's Creed: Revelations, and Assassin's Creed III. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation premium bundle will include all expansion packs and downloadable content for each game within the bundle, including the DLC season pass for Assassin's Creed III. The bundle also packs in five game-themed lithographs, a steelbook case, and a collector's box.
The Assassin's Creed Anthology will retail for £120, €150 or about $192.


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Super Soniic and Hard Rod caps safety alerts
SAFETY advisory warnings have been issued by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) around two products which some Australians may have purchased online.
Super Soniic capsules contain the poison strychnine and the undeclared substance sildenafil, posing a serious risk to health.
Similarly Hard Rod Plus capsules contain the undeclared substance aminotadalafil.
Neither the capsules themselves nor the place of manufacture has been approved by the TGA which says these drugs should not be ingested and remaining capsules should be taken to a local pharmacy for safe disposal.


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Virtually all Americans have been impacted by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. But not everyone has been impacted equally. For example, while the country’s richest people have actually seen a massive uptick in wealth since the start of the pandemic, many small business owners have had to fight tooth and nail to keep their businesses afloat.
In addition, not all small business owners are facing the same obstacles. While business owners in some states have seen operations return to relative normal, others have seen a large negative effect on their bottom line that they haven’t recovered from. Some don’t foresee a return to “normalcy” for their business, while others say they’ll need more financial assistance in the next six months to avoid closing for good.
As the country weathers yet another surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths, the economic recovery remains incomplete and uneven. Using data published by the U.S. Census Bureau, we can see exactly where in the U.S. small businesses are struggling the most, as of October.
A large negative impact can be felt all over the country. The economic impact of the pandemic is not confined to the “epicenters” of earlier this year, such as New York, California, and the Sun Belt. States where businesses reported an above-average “large negative effect” include Hawaii, Nevada, North Dakota, and Rhode Island.
New York- and Alaska-based businesses are having the most trouble. One was a pandemic epicenter; the other couldn’t be further away from that epicenter. But New York and Alaska were the only two states to appear in the “top five” of states with the most distressed businesses in regards to the data points we reviewed.
Businesses in Idaho are rebounding, relatively speaking. The one state where businesses are most consistently doing okay, relative to its peers across the country, is Idaho. It has the second-highest rate of businesses with operations that are back to normal, and the smallest percentage of businesses that report they’ll need financing help soon in order to survive.
About a quarter of all businesses need financial help right away. When asked if they’ll need financial assistance or capital in the next six months, nearly one in four businesses said yes. In some states, such as Alaska, New York, and Washington State, this number was even higher.
Few businesses can say they’ve done well due to the pandemic. When asked if they’ve experienced a moderate positive impact from the pandemic, about 5% of businesses said yes. That number dropped to 1.7% when asked if they’ve experienced a large positive impact. The only slight outlier was South Carolina, where 6.1% of businesses (4.4% above the national average) said they’d experienced a large positive impact.
The U.S. Census Bureau has asked small business owners to assess the state of their businesses on a weekly basis over the course of the pandemic. The overarching question of the survey is what the overall impact of the pandemic has been on them: has it had a large negative effect, a moderate negative effect, little or no effect, a moderate positive effect, or a large positive effect?
To assess where the pandemic has done the most damage, we reviewed “large negative effect” responses in each state. The national average (meaning the percentage of all businesses in every state surveyed that responded “large negative effect”) was 30.2%. In what states is the impact felt by more businesses than average?
Note: Washington, D.C. businesses feeling a large negative impact clocked in at 45.1%, which is 14.9% higher than the nation’s average.
By contrast, the bottom six states in this ranking—meaning the states with the smallest percentage of businesses saying they’d experienced a large negative effect—are Idaho (only 13.7% reported this type of impact), Delaware (18.8%), New Hampshire (20.4%), Arkansas (20.8%), and South Dakota and West Virginia (tied at 20.3%).
One of the major themes of this pandemic has been whether small businesses can maintain the capital needed to pay their staff and keep their doors open. The federal government extended capital via the Paycheck Protection Program, and various state and local governments have offered various loans, grants, and other financial relief. Has it been enough?
According to these survey respondents, nearly a quarter of all U.S. small businesses (23.3%) will need financial assistance or capital in the next six months. Here are the states where that need is largest:
On the other hand, states such as Idaho (9.2% below the national average), Utah (7.3% below), West Virginia (6.8% below), North Carolina (6.3% below), and Alabama (6.2% below), have more businesses that feel they can survive without external financing or assistance for the time being.
Looking ahead, it’s almost impossible to know when things will return to “normal.” By many estimates, the country is entering what could be the most dangerous and deadly chapter in the pandemic.
That’s what makes the question “in your opinion, how much time do you think will pass before this business returns to its normal level of operations relative to one year ago?” asked to survey respondents so interesting. While few business owners were optimistic enough to believe things would return to normal in the next few months, some have already closed their businesses altogether—or see no path back to normalcy for their business.
Answers to the question broke down as follows:
These are the states where the highest percentage of small business owners responded that they did not see their business returning to normal—there are some familiar states on this list, and some surprises:
States where more businesses are reporting that they’ve returned to normal levels of operation include Mississippi, Idaho, South Dakota, Maine, and Indiana.
Not surprisingly, the pandemic has made life difficult for small business owners across the country, in every region, both urban and rural. This data from the Census Bureau shows that the impact of the pandemic knows no borders, and while some states are faring a bit better than others, that can change as time goes on. The need for financial aid and a cohesive national response is crucial across all walks of life as we head into winter, and the world of small business is no exception.
For this report, Fundera reviewed data made public by the U.S. Census Bureau in its Small Business Pulse Survey. The data are from the week of 10/4/2020-10/12/2020, the most recent available.


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Apple’s SKAdNetwork, launching with the release of iOS 14 in September, is poised to become the way advertisers attribute mobile app installations on iOS devices.
But instead of giving marketers the user IDs of those who downloaded its app, the identity of the device it was downloaded on, and what creative led to that conversion, Apple will now share only whether an ad resulted in a download, plus a few other technical details, but no personally identifiable information.
The upcoming change in attribution—identifying a set of user actions that lead to a desired outcome—will make it harder for marketers to optimize their ad spend, determine which creative worked best and identify their customer acquisition costs and user lifetime value.
Hurdles for advertisers
By limiting the amount of data that ad networks and third parties can collect about users that download an app, SKAdNetwork’s objective is to help marketers to measure an ad campaign’s success while maintaining user privacy. But it poses significant hurdles for advertisers.
“If acquiring mobile users is an important part of your business and growth, you should be very concerned,” says Gadi Eliashiv, CEO at Singular, a mobile marketing intelligence company.
“As a CMO, if you are acquiring customers you need to know what your customer acquisition cost is and the expected lifetime value of your customer,” Eliashiv says. “Then you can bid appropriately on new customers and new users on mobile. Now, the parameters used to acquire new customers are going to change.”
“Companies want to track individuals and build profiles on them,” says Eliashiv. “Marketers call it measurement and consumers call it tracking. Apple’s goal is to stop this tracking and be a privacy-safe platform. They want to govern the use and proliferation of your personal information.”
And while advertisers can still get post-install data such as a completed purchase or user registration, it will now be limited to a single conversion event within a very short time frame of 24 hours. Apple did not return a request for comment.
SKAdNetwork will send aggregated app install details—which will provide only the number of people who downloaded an app as a result of an ad—to a brand’s mobile measurement partner (MMP) or ad network. If an app has low install volumes, however, Apple won’t report anything as it could potentially be traced back to the user, says Eliashiv.
Without the ability to target consumers by behavior, advertisers will likely have to rely on contextual targeting—say, pairing an advertisement for boats in an article or publication devoted to boating—as well as A/B testing of advertising.
The SKAdNetwork builds on Apple’s previous privacy efforts, which started nearly three years ago when the company effectively killed third-party cookies through its Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) for the Safari browser. It recently upped the ante again after essentially opting consumers out from mobile tracking.
Google will eventually adopt a similar approach to its Android operating system, predicts Brian DeCicco, executive director of customer strategy at Mindshare.
When Apple eliminated third-party cookies with ITP in 2017, Firefox and Google followed suit a few years later. Apple’s move with SKAdNetwork is a step in the same direction, but for mobile.


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Sonalika tractors recorded total sales of 8,000 units, including domestic and exports in the month of February, against 5,549 units same period last year.
The export volume for the month stood at 735 units.
Co looks at 200 bps jump in gross margins through value engineering, alternative raw-material sourcing
After a gap of four years, tractor sales seem to be on course to break the record of 6.27 lakh units set in 2013-14.
Several tractor manufacturers ET spoke to said sales are likely to grow 18-19% to 5.8-5.85 lakh units by the end of this fiscal. If this comes true, it will be the second highest sales volume recorded in the domestic tractor market in a year after sales surged 20% to a record high of 6,34,151 units in 2013-14.
In one of the largest foreign capital inflow into India’s core agriculture-related industrial sectors, Japan’s Yanmar agreed to buy 17.5% stake in ITL.
Yanmar will acquire shares held by the world's biggest private equity fund, Blackstone Group, which will make a rough three times return on a four-year-old investment.
The minister further said that after the launch of 'Make in India' campaign in September 2014, FDI inflows have increased by 46 per cent during October 2014 to May 2016, from USD 42.31 billion to USD 61.58 billion in comparison to the previous 20 months (February 2013 to September 2014).
International Tractors is investing Rs 60 crore in capacity expansion at the Hoshiarpur plant in Punjab. With this investment the owner of Sonalika brand tractors will have an additional annual capacity of 50,000 units.


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Government may force shops to close - reports
The UK is considering closing down non-essential retailers to reduce the spread of Covid-19, according to reports.
The BBC's Laura Kuenssberg tweeted on Monday morning that Boris Johnson's government was "considering next steps like closing non-essential retail or whether to start treating people flouting the stay-at-home advice as acting against the law".
Johnson has imposed restrictions on movement unwillingly and only ordered the closure of pubs, restaurants and other entertainment venues on Friday when people failed to heed requests to stay away. At the weekend shoppers queued at close quarters outside supermarkets and retail staff have complained about lack of protection as they serve hundreds of customers.
Kuenssberg, the BBC's political editor, updated her comments by saying the government was examining retail and travel footfall to see how much of an impact Friday's restrictions had. "Seems increasingly likely there will be further tightening by end of today," she tweeted.
Scotland's first minister, Nicola Sturgeon then told reporters too many people were going to work and that companies should consider closing non-essential businesses. Sturgeon has previously gone public on government decisions before Johnson's 5pm briefing.
A number or UK retailers have already closed their stores including Primark, John Lewis and Card Factory but others such as WH Smith and Kingfisher have said they plan to stay open. Waterstones, the bookseller, shut its 280 UK shops on Monday after employees protested about potentially being exposed to the virus through customers.
Britain has lagged behind countries such as France and Spain in restricting citizens' movement, leading to calls for tougher action as Covid-19 threatens to overwhelm the health service.
Keir Starmer, the favourite to be the next leader of the Labour party, said further action was needed to emulate those countries.
He said: "In these extraordinary times, the government must now set out further compliance measures, such as those introduced in other countries. These are vital days in the battle against the coronavirus."


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Posted Tue Aug 25, 2009 at 08:00 AM PDT by Tom Landy
In an early announcement to retailers, Paramount has revealed plans to bring 'Galaxy Quest' to high-definition this fall.
The sci-fi comedy starring Tim Allen and Sigourney Weaver will make its Blu-ray debut on November 17.
Specs and suggested list price have yet to be revealed, but supplements will include: Historical Documents: The Story of Galaxy Quest; Never Give Up. Never Surrender: The Intrepid Crew of the NSEA Protector; By Grabthar's Hammer, What Amazing Effects; Alien School - Creating the Thermian Race; Actors in Space; Sigourney Weaver Raps; Deleted Scenes; Thermian Audio Track; Theatrical Trailer (HD); and a Blu-ray exclusive Galactopedia.
You can find the latest specs for 'Galaxy Quest' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under November 17.
The latest news on all things 4K Ultra HD, blu-ray and Gear.


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|Bid||42.45 x N/A|
|Ask||42.49 x N/A|
|Day's range||41.77 - 42.85|
|52-week range||36.19 - 82.90|
|Beta (5Y monthly)||N/A|
|PE ratio (TTM)||8.33|
|Earnings date||20 July 2023|
|Forward dividend & yield||N/A (N/A)|
|1y target est||N/A|
Volvo’s just announced EX30 electric SUV is going to be the company’s cheapest car - period.
Q1 revenue was SEK 95.7 bn (SEK 74.3 bn in Q1 2022)
Volvo Cars publishes its Annual and Sustainability Report for 2022 on the Investors website. The report can be found here.
FY22 revenue up 17 per cent to 330.1 bn SEK (282 bn SEK in FY21)
For Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath, the EV-maker’s first gross profit as a public company wasn’t the biggest takeaway from Q3.
With the release of Volvo Cars' fully electric flagship SUV – the Volvo EX90 – Zenseact introduces OnePilot: AI-powered software that will offer drivers a new level of safety.
For manufacturers, creating quality products in optimized and efficient factories is a huge part of their mission. But as important are the many ways customers use these products. Examples include:


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The tables have been turned as stall holders queued up to be able to take part in this year’s revamped Whitby Christmas market.
The festive extravaganza will be twice as big as last year’s event with over 40 businesses and traders turning beach huts into Christmas grottos.
In addition there will be 30 more stalls at the market on Endeavour Wharf, some of which are selling locally made food and drink produce.
The market will also have mulled wine and music to kick start the festive feeling.
It has been organised by We Are Whitby, created in the aftermath of the Totally Locally scandal with the new committee, and members say it is the perfect way to move forward.
Andrew Waller, from the Station Inn has organised the stall holders and was inundated with requests from people wanting to take part in 2014.
He said: “There has been lots more interest because it is more inclusive this year.
“I have done a lot of work on it but I haven’t had to chase people - they have approached us.
“There are more from the surrounding villages because they were not allowed to take part last year and some new businesses are using the market as a launch pad. It is anevent for local people to enjoy but we are about promoting local businesses too.”


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Posted In: pandora, musician, royalties
To boost profits, the music streaming service is pushing a bill in the House of Representatives that would cut payments to musicians. A coalition representing recording artists plans to fight back with an anti-Pandora PR campaign.
Posted In: wedding dresses, David's Bridal, weddings
Private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier and Rice's proposal to buy David’s Bridal for $1.05 billion is a reminder that wedding wear is still a big retail business.


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Thousands stay, shop, and explore Sarasota during meet
Rain delays and blustery weather from Tropical Storm Andrea might have slowed down the schedule for the Pan-American Masters Championship at Potter Park, but it did not stop the thousands of adult swimmers from South, Central and North America from spending money in the region.
Athletes, their coaches and families are dining in local restaurants, shopping at regional malls and boutique stores and are even looking at vacation rentals or permanent properties for their next stay in Southwest Florida.
It is all music to the ears of local tourism officials, who promote Southwest Florida's sporting events in hopes of encouraging visitors to return again or even buy property.
"The most powerful advertising tool in the world is word of mouth," said Virginia Haley, president of Visit Sarasota County, the county's tourism agency. "These people go back to their communities and talk about the experience and share their trips on social media. No amount of advertising can replicate that."
Some industry professionals are using the Pan-Am as an opportunity to get a feel for what the atmosphere will be like if Nathan Benderson Park, the region's developing rowing center, succeeds in its bid to host the World Rowing Championships in 2017.
That event would bring as many as 42,000 people from around the globe to Southwest Florida for a 10-day competition.
Just the beginning?
The Pan-Am event is likely a good indicator of what the region would see with future events.
"Swimmers are bringing their families and making a whole vacation out of the championship, and some are staying for a long weekend," said Laura Hamel, spokeswoman for the Pan-Am.
"Either way, they're out in the community, seeing Sarasota as a destination and doing some shopping."
A pair of Olympian synchronized swimmers from Tokyo and their coach canceled plans to visit Orlando area attractions to extend their stay in Sarasota to shop, eat and relax, said Claire Klages, a qualitative market research consultant hired by Visit Sarasota County to survey swimmers at the event.
Klages also met a couple from St. Louis who bought property in Palmer Ranch, just around the corner from the pool.
A Brazilian couple purchased a $10,000 ring from a jeweler on St. Armands Circle, Haley said.
"From my observation, the masters swimming group are mostly baby boomers, the war babies and the GI generations with the time and money to attend these events," said Klages, who works with St. Petersburg-based Data Research. "The Pan-Am games were hardly limited to the South American, Canada and U.S. markets. In fact, I befriended athletes from as far away as the Czech Republic and Russia."
Klages and the rest of her team are compiling data and survey results to generate economic impact figures for the event.
The Pan- Am is expected to fill more than 4,000 hotel rooms and generate more than $3 million in economic impact, initial studies indicate.
"We saw several swimmers with four to eight suitcases filled with merchandise they were using to buy items and bring back home," Klages said. "You see that in Miami all the time, but not so much here. One swimmer told me he was really only here to shop."
Hector Larios, 42, of Honduras, is visiting Sarasota for the first time with his wife, Ann Fortin, 41, who is competing in the championship.
The couple and their four children are renting a home on Longboat Key for 11 days and plan to sightsee around Sarasota County, including shopping and spending time on Siesta Key and at The Ringling museum.
"This is our first time in Sarasota, and we're enjoying our stay, with the exception of today's weather," Larios said.
Isabel Sanchez, 53, of Colombia, traveled to Sarasota for the first time to compete with several of her teammates.
They have already been to Westfield Sarasota Square Mall, mostly to buy clothes and other gifts for their children back home.
"We've also been to the beach and Marie Selby Botanical Gardens," Sanchez said.
"It is very pretty here."


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The launch marks a first milestone for the world’s largest maker of consumer drones in its push into the Chinese EV space.
BYD partners with US autonomous driving startup Nuro to make electric robocars for goods delivery services.
Jidu will use the proceeds on research and development as the company aims to unveil a concept car in April.
The investment in Horizon reflects Chinese automakers’ growing anxiety about the ongoing semiconductor shortage.
The program is part of the company’s latest efforts to offer full-scenario autonomous driving capabilities by the middle of 2023.
China’s leading search engine Baidu is rushing to lead the race in popularizing driver-assistance features on consumer cars.
Baidu on Thursday unveiled a new robotaxi model, called Apollo Moon, with a manufacturing cost significantly lower than competitors.
Autonomous driving technologies are the most crucial part of intelligent and electric vehicles, president Wang said.
A management reshuffle signals commitment as Huawei tries to break into the fast-growing autonomous and electric vehicle sector.
SAIC is among a list of state-backed automotive majors shifting towards startup chipmaker Horizon Robotics as a domestic substitute for global suppliers.


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The court-appointed trustee for the Belvedere Hotel asked a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge yesterday to approve the sale of the financially troubled Baltimore landmark to a Florida corporation for $5.5 million.
If the Florida-based Hertz Group Inc. buys the Belvedere, the sale would net only about half of the more than $10 million the owners owe to their principal mortgagors, which includes the city of Baltimore. But the city would retain ownership of the Belvedere's restaurants, bars and food service facilities -- worth at least $3.5 million, according to John J. Hentschel Jr., the city's real estate officer.
Kenneth F. Davies, the court-appointed trustee for the Belvedere owners, stressed that the Hertz Group has not signed an agreement to purchase the hotel. But the proposal would have to be approved by U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge James F. Schneider to take effect. It also would need the approval of the city's Board of Estimates, which is expected to consider the sale next week.
"At this point we don't have a signed purchase agreement," Mr. Davies said. "We are filing the motion [with the bankruptcy court] to get the ball rolling."
The motion outlines conditions under which a sale would be consummated, including an Oct. 1 sale deadline.
The Hertz Group first expressed interest in buying the hotel about a year ago, Mr. Hentschel said.
The company's owner, Judah Hertz, specializes in buying distressed properties and converting them into condominiums. He plans to turn the Belvedere's 180 rooms into condominiums, which appraisers believe would make the building worth $14 million.
The owners of the Belvedere, known as One East Chase Street Associates Limited Partnership, filed for bankruptcy in May 1989.
The partnership, controlled by Baltimore builder Victor Frenkil, owes more than $5.5 million in principal and interest to Philadelphia-based Meritor Savings Bank in the form of a first mortgage.
The partnership also owes the city more than $4.6 million in the form of a second mortgage.
Under the proposed agreement, Meritor would get $4,542,899.98 of the proceeds of the sale.
The remaining $1 million would go to the city of Baltimore, which would retain ownership of the restaurants, bars and food service facilities in the hotel and lease the space out.
Hertz would have the option of buying those facilities later for an additional $3.5 million, Mr. Hentschel said.
If it does not exercise that option, the city can sell the space to someone else.
Built in 1903, the Belvedere had fallen into disrepair by the time Mr. Frenkil, a political supporter of then-Mayor William Donald Schaefer, bought it in 1975.


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Almost 4 million tonnes of decaying rice kept in government stocks for more than two years is expected to be used as feedstock to produce ethanol, due to be in short supply soon, according to the Department of Energy Business (DOEB).
The DOEB was informed by the central government that the rice bought from farmers during the Yingluck Shinawatra administration's rice-pledging scheme that has not been sold is decaying. It has become inedible, suitable only as feedstock to produce ethanol.
The supply of ethanol, which is blended with petrol to produce gasohol, is expected to fall short of demand in December and January due to the delay of the sugar-crushing season, which also means a delay in the production of molasses, the major feedstock for ethanol.
Director-general Witoon Kulcha- roenwirat said his department is preparing to temporarily switch feedstock from molasses to decaying rice from the government's stock in order to prevent a shortage of ethanol.
He said Thailand's ethanol production capacity stands at an average of 4 million litres per day with daily consumption of 3.6-3.8 million litres.
But the shortage of molasses caused by unfavourable weather that delayed sugar crushing and molasses production, as well as mismanagement among ethanol producers that exported some ethanol during the mid-year, are likely to cause a shortage this month.
Mr Witoon said the state Oil Fund would be ready to provide subsidies if the cost of producing ethanol from rice is higher than producing ethanol from molasses. Details of the subsidies are expected to be discussed later.
The government now controls 8.4 million tonnes of rice bought from farmers since 2011, of which half is good quality and the remainder suitable for industrial use.
To prevent ethanol shortage in the long term, the DOEB has ordered ethanol producers, traders and oil retailers to report production, inventories and production capacity every day until the end of February.
The DOEB expects ethanol production in December to be around 3.7 million litres per day with demand of around 3.8 million litres.
Given the uncertain ethanol production, the DOEB might delay the phase-out of E10, or gasohol 91, from January next year to January 2018, when there would only be E20 petrol available for all vehicles in Thailand.
The delay in the mandatory use of E20 nationwide means a delay in greater ethanol demand to be blended with petrol.
Previously, energy policymakers planned to slash E10 and leave only E20 available on the market within the next 10 years.
However, Mr Witoon said major oil retailers are unlikely to bring their ethanol reserve of around 1% of total consumption to be sold, which would be sufficient for slightly over three days.
Major oil retailers recently expressed concern that ethanol production would be short for up to 5-6 days as demand for petrol in the first 10 months of this year rose by as much as 14% during the time that global oil prices remain low.
Besides, the DOEB could also amend regulations related to ethanol production in order to help maintain sustainable ethanol production for the energy sector.
The development of biofuels in Thailand started around a decade ago, when global oil prices rose above US$100 a barrel.
Demand for biofuels has grown rapidly with the production of biofuels blended with petrol helping to reduce demand for pure petrol by up to 75 million litres per day.
According to a report by the Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency in September, Thailand has a total of 4 million vehicles with petrol-compatible engines, 2.5 million compatible with ethanol-blended petrol, or gasohol, and around 1 million compatible with E20.


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Freightwalla secures $4 mn in Series A round from VC firms Amplo, FJ Labs
Mumbai headquartered freight forwarding company Freightwalla, which is owned and operated by BTJ Logistics, has raised $4 million in Series A funding led by global early-stage venture capital firm Amplo, stage agnostic New York-based investment firm FJ Labs and Rogue One Capital.
Returning investors Kae Capital and Tekton Ventures also participated in the round.
The company had last raised an undisclosed amount seed round in December 2018 from Kae Capital and San-Francisco based Tekton Ventures.
Freightwalla’s digital platform provides instant quotations for ocean freight and real-time tracking. It also automates freight forwarding, saving overall cost and time for shippers. The platform provides a pricing engine for the shipments and helps in minimising errors.
The company will use the fresh capital to expand its geographical reach and upgrade technology.
“We utilised our seed capital to expand our technology platform, improve sales reach and increase operational capacity to match the demand. Since the last round of funding we have witnessed 9x growth in our volumes, 8x in revenue and 5x in our team size,” said Sanjay Bhatia, CEO of Freightwalla in a statement issued by the company.
“We expect to grow 10x with the infusion of fresh funds,” he added.
Started in 2017 by former PricewaterhouseCoopers executive Bhatia, former Amazon and Microsoft executive Punit Java and Bharat Thanvi, Freightwalla works with companies across sectors, including pharmaceuticals, engineering, manufacturing, textiles, agriculture and others. With the current round, the company will add air freight forwarding solutions to its platform and expand its client base beyond West India.
“Freightwalla brings trust to logistics. The company is uniquely poised to bring price visibility and shipping accuracy to importers and exporters of Indian cargo which ultimately should increase global trade to and from India,” said Sheel Tyle, CEO of Amplo in the statement.
The company’s competitors include FreightBro and Cogoport.
Chennai-based freight forwarding startup FreightBro Logistics recently partnered with The National Association of Freight and Logistics (NAFL), Dubai. The deal is expected to help 400 of the NAFL’s members digitise their services.
The logistics sector in India has gained momentum with growth-stage capital flowing into various segments.
Recently, third-party logistics solution provider Ecom Express raised $36 million from UK based CDC Group.
Delhivery which operates in a similar space as Ecom Express was valued at $1.5 billion in March this year with $395 million led by SoftBank.
In July, returning investor Warburg Pincus invested $65 million in trucking solutions company Rivigo.


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I'm sure you heard this past January Chelsea released her worldwide health book 'Governing Global Health: Who Runs the World and Why?'
The book proved to be a dismal failure for Chelsea, who claimed she never even bothered to promote the book in the wake of her mother Hillary's defeat in last year's election.
That might explain why the book performed so poorly, and just two months after its release is number 128,444 on the Amazon bestsellers list. But Chelsea should look at the bright side.
Pelosi's book is #477,717 on Amazon's bestsellers list selling like 3,000 copies!
Chelsea Clinton will be releasing her first children's book it was announced on Thursday, with the former first daughter penning a collection of stories about remarkable American women.
'She Persisted' will hit bookshelves this May, and tell the true-life tales of 13 women 'who never took no for an answer.'
The collection of stories was inspired by Elizabeth Warren according to a release sent out by publisher Penguin Young Readers, and as evidenced by Chelsea's decision to use the Massachusetts senator's rally cry for the title of the book.
That rallying cry was born out of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's attack of Warren on the Senate floor in February when she opted to read a letter written by Coretta Scott King criticizing Jeff Sessions while debating his nomination for Attorney General.
After she refused to stop reading the letter, which broke an arcane rule that states no Senator shall impugn a fellow Senator, McConnell stood at his podium and said: 'She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.'
And after all that it appears that Chelsea will be the first to cash in on the popular catchphrase, with a spokesperson for Penguin offering no comment when asked by DailyMail.com if any of the proceeds from the book will be going to charity.
Yes...The Clinton Foundation.
Teamwork: Chelsea Clinton (above in 2014 with Warren) will release a children's picture book this May that was inspired by Senator Elizabeth Warren's refusal to be silenced
I'm sure her new book is headed for the same fate as 'Governing Global Health: Who Runs the World and Why?' I wonder in the foreword if Indian squaw 'Lizzie' will discribe how she used to skin buffalo back when she was with the Cherokees?


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Elaborating on its master plan to turn Hainan into a “free trade port”, Chinese officials denied that Hainan will take over part of Hong Kong’s functions and status, or impact Hong Kong. They also promise that the Hainan free trade port will not digress into “a processing plant for property projects”.
Speaking at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office yesterday, National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) deputy head Lin Nianxiu said that the Hainan free trade port will have a different status from Hong Kong and will focus on different industries. Hence, it will play more of a complementary role than a competitive one to Hong Kong. In the process of building the Hainan free trade port, the authorities will also strengthen the joint development with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and engage in effective cooperation.
Lin also said the Hainan free trade port will take reference from international free trade ports such as Hong Kong, and will fully utilise Hainan’s edge in abundant natural resources, its unique geographic position and its proximity to a massive market.
... the master plan for the Hainan free trade port includes an extremely attractive offshore duty-free policy, which might exert competitive pressure on Hong Kong’s consumer industry.
Offshore duty-free policy might put pressure on Hong Kong’s consumer industry
However, some China academics note that the master plan for the Hainan free trade port includes an extremely attractive offshore duty-free policy, which might exert competitive pressure on Hong Kong’s consumer industry.
Professor Chen Bo of Huazhong University of Science and Technology told Zaobao that the current political situation in Hong Kong is not conducive for Chinese visitors. Product prices, even without duties, may not be advantageous after taking into consideration Hong Kong’s high retail rentals. Hainan enjoys lower rentals and is more closely connected to mainland China, hence Chinese may choose to shop and trade in Hainan rather than in Hong Kong.
Contracts for nearly 200 projects worth over one trillion RMB (S$20 billion) were signed in April this year, and a number have started work.
The Chinese government decided to build a pilot free trade zone on Hainan island in 2018, and the idea for a free trade port slowly took shape. And in January this year, the master plan for the Hainan free trade port was released by China’s State Council.
The construction of Hainan’s free trade port will happen in three phases. A free trade port policy and system focusing on facilitating free trade and investment will be “basically established” by 2025. Hainan is expected to grow and develop into a prime example and a high point of open economy in China by 2035. By around 2050, the Hainan free trade port should become a globally-influential high-level free trade port.
Construction work has commenced on the free trade port. Contracts for nearly 200 projects worth over one trillion RMB (S$20 billion) were signed in April this year, and a number have started work.
Hainan was made a special economic zone in 1988. As an island with natural tourism resources, its elevated property market has been criticised for years, and this new round of policies is also prompting concerns of a property bubble.
Hainan party secretary says property development will be strictly controlled
Hainan party secretary Liu Cigui emphasised at the press conference that Hainan will strictly control real estate industry development. He said, “We cannot build as many houses as buyers want, and become a processing plant for real estate projects. Our land is limited, and we’ve learned lessons.”
Manufacturing, services, and trade were not playing the leading role that they should in a special economic zone, and that made Hainan the “least successful special economic zone”.
He said that since June 2018, Hainan has been resolute in restricting property purchasing, and Hainan’s previous fluctuations in property prices will not recur after the free trade port is implemented.
Prof Chen also noted that Hainan’s economic development was too dependent on the property market. Manufacturing, services, and trade were not playing the leading role that they should in a special economic zone, and that made Hainan the “least successful special economic zone”.
However, he also believed that as the only free trade port in China with huge policy bonuses from the authorities, Hainan might have a second chance for a breakthrough. It would have to leverage on the exclusive benefits accorded by the new port policy, take advantage of mainland China’s vast market, and strengthen its fundamentals.
Prof Chen also observed that the authorities are resolving the issue of talents. In recent years, many dynamic senior officials with experience in reform have been “parachuted” into Hainan, and this “did not happen previously when establishing its free trade zone”.


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Indications that no retail offer expected
Government sells half of remaining stake in Royal Mail
The sale of 15% of the company, representing half the Government’s stake, raised £750 million. The Department of Business Skills and Innovation said the shares were sold for 500p each – a modest discount to yesterday’s closing price of 516.5p.
They were 3% lower this morning at 499.5p.
Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan ran the sale, while Rothschild advised Royal Mail.
The BIS said it will not sell any more of its Royal Mail stake for 90 days but yesterday’s exercise suggests the government is not intending to offload more share to the public. Retail investors were targeted in the controversial 2013 stock market listing when the government was accused of selling shares too cheaply.
They rocketed from a 330p flotation price to 600p allowing many institutional buyers to make an enormous profit.