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The Plant-Based Beverages Market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.91% to reach US$12.105 billion by 2024, from US$9.080 billion in 2018. The growing shift towards plant-based products from animal-based products is a major factor driving the plant-based beverage market.
Further, the rapidly expanding beverage industry and increasing consumer preference towards vegan foods are boosting the market growth. Moreover, nutritional benefits associated with the plant-based beverages coupled with increasing health consciousness among the population is fueling the plant-based beverage market further. Additionally, increasing investment and product innovation by major players is propelling the market growth for plant-based beverages. The plant-based beverage market has been segmented on the basis of source, product type, and geography. In the source segment almond is anticipated to grow at a substantial rate. In the product type, Milk is projected to hold a significant share on account of the growing health concerns. Geographically, Asia-Pacific is projected to be a prominent region due to the presence of emerging countries like India and China which increasing investment in new manufacturing facilities and rising foreign investments. Additionally, the rising beverage consumption in the region is also contributing to the growth of plant-based beverage market during the forecast period.
- Growing beverage industry.
- Rising consumer preference for healthier beverages.
- In June 2019, Blue Diamond Grower launched a new product, Almond Breeze Almond-Milk Horchata.
- In January 2019, The Coca-Cola company acquired Chi Ltd., a leading company in beverages like juices and value-added dairy.
- In January 2019, Blue Diamond, the world's leading almond marketer and processor, today announced two new Almond Breeze products, an Almond-Milk Creamer and Almond-Milk Blended with Real Bananas.
- In April 2017, Danone S.A. acquired WhiteWave a leading beverage manufacturing company. With this acquisition, Danone and WhiteWave combined their activities in North America and started operating under a single business unit, named DanoneWave.
The major players profiled in the Plant-Based Beverage market include Danone S.A., The Hain Celestial Group, Califia Farms, Pacific Foods of Oregon, Pureharvest, Sunopta, Blue Diamond Growers, Ripple Foods, The Coca Cola Company, and Pulmuone Foods USA Inc.
The Plant-Based Beverage markethas been analyzed through the following segments:
- By Source
- By Product Type
- By Geography
- North America
- South America
- United Kingdom
- Middle East and Africa
- Saudi Arabia
- Asia Pacific
- South Korea
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. What is the size of global plant-based beverages market?
A1. Plant-Based Beverages market was valued at US$9.080 billion in 2018.
Q2. What will be the plant-based beverages market size by 2024?
A2. The plant-based beverages market is projected to reach a total market size of US$12.105 billion by 2024.
Q3. What are the growth prospects for the plant-based beverages market?
A3. The global plant-based beverages market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.91% during the forecast period.
Q4. What factors are anticipated to drive the plant-based beverages market growth?
A4. The growing shift towards plant-based products from animal-based products is a major factor driving the plant-based beverage market.
Q5. Which region holds the largest market share in the plant-based beverages market?
A5. Geographically, Asia-Pacific is projected to hold a significant share in the plant-based beverages market owing to the presence of emerging countries like India and China which increasing investment in new manufacturing facilities and rising foreign investments.


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“No more boring cars!” With these words, former Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda sternly addressed his managers years ago. Toyota models had to become more exciting, and not just reliable. It worked. But now there is someone else at the helm and Toyoda admits he is constantly worried that Toyota will go back to its old ways.
Years ago, anyone who wanted to put their children to sleep sang a lullaby or listed all the new Toyota models. There’s a good chance that your offspring fell asleep like a baby after the Yaris, the Auris and the Prius. And if that didn’t happen, the final blow came after the Verso. In short: almost every Toyota was a gray mouse. Exceptions such as the Land Cruiser and funny ones Toyota iQ apart from that.
Akio Toyoda changed course
All this changed in 2009, when Akio Toyoda became CEO of Toyota. The grandson of Toyota founder Kiichiro Toyoda did not like the fact that Toyota was mainly seen as a boring brand. So things changed. Toyota and Lexus were no longer allowed to make boring cars. The man kept his word. In the same year, Toyota unveiled the FT-86, a sports car study that was launched three years later as the Toyota GT86.
It didn’t stop with the GT86. The Toyota Supra returned and the Toyota Yaris was given a course of steroids and came onto the market as a limited Yaris GRMN, with 212 hp and a top speed of 230 km/h. Later the Toyota GR Yaris followed with even more power, namely 261 hp. Moreover, Toyota performed very creditably in rallying and long-distance racing. Nondeju!
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Afraid that Toyota will become an ordinary company again
But at the beginning of this year, Akio Toyoda announced that he was taking a step back. He became chairman of the board of directors and passed the baton as chief executive to Koji Sato. Apparently that doesn’t sit well with him yet, judging by a message motor1.com. At the recent Japan Mobility Show (where Toyota unveiled several EVs), Toyoda spoke to dealers and journalists and did not turn his heart into a murder pit:
“I’m constantly afraid that Toyota will become a normal company again. And if that fear spreads to many other people, it will be too late to turn the tide. Even as president of Toyota, it took me fourteen years to turn Toyota into an exciting brand. But this can be reversed in a flash.”
We understand Toyoda’s fear a bit, but we are a bit more positive. The new Toyota Prius for example, is more exciting than ever. And also the new one Toyota C-HR you can’t possibly call him a boring piet. Furthermore, the current boss used to be at the helm of Toyota Gazoo Racing, Toyota’s motorsport division, and has already indicated that he would like the return of the Toyota Celica.

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John Rapley is a political economist at the University of Cambridge and managing director of Seaford Macro.
After a summer filled with speculation about China’s sinking economy, recent news lifted some of the gloom. In reports that came out mid-September, both factory output and retail sales turned back up. Cue the celebrations that China is back and will lift the world economy, as it did after the 2008 financial crisis.
But just as reports of China’s economic death were premature, so too are reports of its resurrection. The country’s economy is going through a difficult transition and while there are signs it is fumbling its way toward solutions, we won’t be seeing the growth rates of old any time soon.
And we shan’t miss it. The fears of China bringing down the world are exaggerated, and a slumping giant in the East might actually help Western economies.
There’s no mystery about the cause of China’s current malaise. Over the past two generations, the ruling Communist Party transformed the country by exploiting its massive labour force, repressing wages to attract investment, and then steering the vast surpluses that resulted into the investment that built up all those cities and high-speed railways. Nearly half of China’s annual output is reinvested, an astonishing rate that is twice the G7 average.
Reinvested in what? With wages so low, production in Chinese factories was for decades geared towards export markets, an arrangement that suited the rest of the world since they got cheap Chinese products. That helped tamp down inflation in the West, enabling interest rates to stay low and thereby supporting a long boom in asset values.
But it also played a part in the deindustrialization of some Western countries that drove the rise of populist politicians. With China’s big Western trading partners now starting to turn against the openness they once favoured, demand for the country’s goods has waned. Exporting its way out of a slump is no longer an option for China. For its part, the leadership in Beijing wants to increase the country’s autonomy by reducing its dependence on imports.
The resulting decline in trade has slowed the economy. To try and juice growth, the authorities responded with that time-honoured approach we know so well: inflating a property bubble. We all know how that story ends. China is now at an impasse.
On paper, there’s an easy way out of it: shifting away from external markets to raise demand at home. This would both reduce the country’s trade-dependence and provide new demand for Chinese output, restoring its healthy growth rates. If China were to cut its saving rate by just a few percentage points and transfer the money to consumers, the economy could enter a whole new phase of expansion.
But China is finding that transition hard to engineer. Part of the obstacle is ideological. Under President Xi Jinping, a Maoist faction in the ruling Communist Party has gained more influence, and Mr. Xi gives voice to its thinking when he objects to the “welfarism” of a consumption-based model. Moreover, the problem is also practical. Transforming a financial, economic and political model that was built to transfer income from households to businesses, and has done so effectively for decades, into one which reverses the flow’s direction of travel, would require a substantial redesign of the Chinese state. Easier said than done.
While there may be some pain for much of the world if China’s slump persists, it probably won’t do much harm to Western countries. For all the woes in its property sector, the exposure of Western banks remains limited, so the sort of spillover effects that turned the Lehman crash in the United States into a global crisis 15 years ago probably won’t repeat themselves. Equally, being a country that runs a trade surplus, China is not an “engine” of the world in the way the U.S. is. A recession there would reduce demand for other countries’ exports, but not by the rate a similar recession in the U.S. would do.
If anything, China’s slump might support the disinflation of Western economies, making life easier for central banks. That’s because reduced demand in China could produce a glut of unsold goods, which would find their way onto world markets at knock-down prices.
All the same, China’s current travails point to a future global economy that looks different from the one we’ve known. When an economy which accounts for a fifth of global output gets into a slump, it’s inevitable everyone else will worry about its wake. Although China’s GDP is still growing at rates most Western countries can only dream of - in the 5-per-cent range - it is slowing. Moreover, the current rate is flattered somewhat by a massive mountain of debt-fuelled stimulus that is adding little of actual value to output. By some measures, the economy is hardly budging.
Unlike the massive Chinese stimulus that helped lift the world economy out of the 2008 Great Recession, the country will look more insular as it moves into its next stage of development. It won’t turn its back on the world, but it may be less open for business than it’s been.


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A recent report from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) explains the results of a survey of 1,135 small businesses in the UK. Findings show that one-fifth said they have been the victim of cyber-attack in the past two years, which the research equates to nearly 10,000 cyber-attacks a day for small businesses collectively. It also reveals that for 2019, 55% of UK firms generally reported cyber-attacks. This is up from 40% last year according to Hiscox.
Casting its net wider, Hiscox’s survey of 5400 firms in the UK, the US, Belgium, France, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands evaluated cyber security readiness, and found that despite a surge in cyber-attacks (with 60% of companies reporting one or more attacks, up from 45% last year) the amount of firms reporting cyber threat preparedness has dropped, with UK firms having the lowest cyber security budgets, spending several hundred thousand pounds less on average than the other six countries. In line with the rise in attacks, average losses to businesses have also risen, up by up by a massive 61% from £176,000 to £283,722.
The Hiscox Cyber Readiness Report explains that while hackers formerly focused mainly on larger companies, small and medium-sized firms are now equally vulnerable. As the frequency and associated costs of attack have grown, so the degree to which firms are prepared has stalled. Unfortunately, risk appears to be indiscriminate when it comes to size of firm, type of industry or sector.
Awareness of cyber risk is growing and more and more firms are looking to cyber insurance. As the small business community, on an average, is estimated to be hit with an annual cost of £4.5bn by cyber-attacks, and the average cost of an individual attack on a small firm is about £1,300, more businesses are planning to invest to cover costs. These include the use of expert services like lawyers to notify data protection regulators and defend claims, IT professionals to investigate breaches and restore IT systems, and PR consultants to manage communications with the media and wider world, not to mention third-party claims.
Also worth reading is Cybersecurity Market Analysis, Top Suppliers, and Strategy for Navigating the Market, which highlights a list of the top key providers. And Addressing Cybersecurity Threats for State, Local Governments. And useful advice from the end of last year is obtained from Tips for Buying Cybersecurity Products and Services.


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The city of Boulder is trying hard to get people to bike more, to walk more or to take the bus. They encourage RTD Eco Passes, they sponsor Bike to Work Day… but their latest campaign takes the cake for wacky. (Or cool, depending on your perspective.)
The “Driven to Drive Less” campaign — which will launch in a few weeks — will try to convince people to choose one day a week to not drive their cars based on color. Blue cars should stay at home Mondays. Silver cars should take a break Tuesdays. Red on Wednesdays… you get the idea.
The city wants to get thousands of Boulderites to participate. Would you give it a try?


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You now have an easier online way to manage your Home Delivery subscription for The Oklahoman. Go to our secure server to update account information, make a payment, set up vacation no-delivery times, change your delivery address, or report delivery concerns.
A flight information screen displays canceled flights as passenger walk at Midway airport in Chicago, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012. The first widespread snowstorm of the season crawled across the Midwest on Thursday, with whiteout conditions stranding holiday travelers. The storm led airlines to cancel about 1,000 flights ahead of the Christmas holiday — relatively few compared to past big storms, though the number was climbing. Southwest Airlines scratched all of its flights scheduled after 4:30 p.m. today at Midway. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)


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One of the key features of Scallop is the Scallop Chain which is set to launch in Q2 2022 according to the company’s roadmap.
It’s time for routine and conventional functionalities to take a backseat as innovative fintech solutions are the need of the hour. Scallop is an innovative ecosystem that has been designed and purported to provide users who demand a faster and a much more efficient way to manage crypto and fiat all in a single place. Backed by several top VCs and angel investors, Scallop is a multi-faceted platform combining the best of blockchain technology and banking facilities.
In a move to simplify DeFi and increase adoption, Scallop’s products and solutions include Scallop Earn, banking accounts, NFT, Multi-currency wallets, and many more.
The full list of products include: GBP/EU Bank Accounts, DeFi Earn Accounts, NFT Marketplace, Titanium/Metal Debit Cards, Payment Gateways, Money transfer, Multi-Currency wallets, Crypto/Fiat Exchange, Scallop Hardware Wallet, Scallop Chain
The world of DeFi is moving forward and Scallop is solving real issues of interoperability. It looks at revolutionizing the DeFi landscape and accelerating the adoption process, leading the way for a novel financial system powered by blockchain.
One of the key features of Scallop is the Scallop Chain which is set to launch in Q2 2022 according to the company’s roadmap. The Scallop Chain will be the force behind different cross-chain financial applications. With Scallop Chain, the neobank intends to integrate traditional banking with cross-blockchain applications. The solution will enable institutional partners to work with Scallop to enable them with a host of benefits including creating secure custody services, get interest-bearing savings accounts, debit cards, and fiat on-ramp to crypto.
The Scallop Chain fosters cross-chain transactions especially with noted projects like Ethereum, Cardano, and Solana being supported. Scallop provides users with the benefits of interoperability with added functionalities. Interoperability between blockchains will enable the exchange of value and information between different networks. Scallop intends to lay the foundation for blockchain mass adoption and use.
How will It Work?
Scallop’s cross-chain compatibility will allow chains like Ethereum, Solana, and Cardano to communicate with one another without the help of intermediaries. Businesses will also no longer have to contend only with clients on one particular network the business has built on. With this feature, Scallop will enable the smooth sharing of information between different blockchains.
With Scallop Chain multiple functionalities will come into being because of its cross-chain capabilities. For starters, users will be able to make payments across multiple blockchains. Also, multi-token transactions will be a reality thanks to the presence of multi-token wallet systems. Such a development will allow users to rely on a single wallet system for the transfer of cryptos across different blockchains.
Scallop will Highlight the Importance of Cross-chain Compatibility
Scallop looks to enhance and ensure seamless integration between private chains, oracles, and permissionless interfaces. The fundamental principles of blockchain interoperability solutions is scalability and governance and Scallop Chain is a move towards fulfilling that along with other benefits:
Privacy – With cross-chain compatibility and interoperability Scallop will ensure data privacy protection to the highest levels
Security – This will also address the long-running issue of data security in the cryptocurrency industry. Since there will be no intermediaries in the system, there will be a low risk of mishandling sensitive information
Lower transaction costs – Scallop Chain will aim to lower transactions costs
To overcome some of the most pressing issues in blockchain interoperability, Scallop believes in turning to technology to allow universal communications between blockchains. For more on Scallop, access its Litepaper and also visit its Twitter.
Having obtained a diploma in Intercultural Communication, Julia continued her studies taking a Master’s degree in Economics and Management. Becoming captured by innovative technologies, Julia turned passionate about exploring emerging techs believing in their ability to transform all spheres of our life.


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StarKist Settles Antitrust Lawsuit with Kroger, 32 Other Grocers
Seafood supplier StarKist has settled antitrust lawsuits with 33 retailers, including Kroger, that were represented in several consolidated complaints.
StarKist settled earlier with other plaintiffs including Target, Walmart and Sam's Club. This is latest in the class action lawsuit filed by grocers against the “Big 3” tuna companies.
Last year, StarKist agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to fix prices of packaged seafood. Chicken of the Sea came to its own settlement in the case earlier this year. Bumble Bee pleaded guilty to price fixing in 2017 and agreed to pay a $25 million fine.
The price fixing scheme hit the tuna companies directly. Bumble Bee CEO Christoper Lischewski stepped down from his role as a result and Starkists' SVP of Sales Stephen Hodges also was directly named in the lawsuit.
“StarKist is committed to being a socially responsible company and we are pleased to resolve this lawsuit with our customers under fair and reasonable terms,” said Andrew Choe, president and CEO, StarKist Co. “We will continue to conduct our business with the utmost transparency and integrity, and we hope to resolve the remaining lawsuits with our other customers under similarly fair and mutually beneficial terms.”


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Westpac (ASX: WBC) has successfully completed the sale of its general insurance business to Allianz for $725 million today, bagging a $61 million gain in the process.
The sale, announced in December last year, sees the big four bank divest Westpac General insurance Limited and Westpac General insurance Services Limited to Allianz.
In addition, the two have entered into an exclusive 20-year agreement for the distribution of general insurance products to Westpac's customers.
The bank expects to report a gain on sale of approximately $61 million, subject to finalisation of completion adjustments and separation costs that will be included in the company's FY21 results.
"We have successfully executed a transition that helps our customers protect the things they value through a long-term partnership with a global insurance expert and helps us become a simpler bank," Westpac chief executive specialist businesses & group strategy Jason Yetton said.
It comes just over a week after Commonwealth Bank (ASX: CBA) announced it is planning on divesting its insurance business to South African-owned insurance multinational Hollard Group for $625 million in upfront considerations.
The partnership with Hollard means the new owners will still distribute home and motor vehicle insurance products to CBA's retail customers in Australia, with the agreement also including a commitment from both parties to make investments to drive innovation and enhance the customer experience.
CBA will continue to earn income on the distribution of these insurance products and is expecting a $90 million post-tax gain from the transaction, as well as an increase of approximately $400 million of Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) capital.
Shares in WBC are down 0.46 per cent to $25.69 per share at 11.46am AEST.
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Big tech firms carry risks which need to be assessed: RBI Governor
NEW DELHI: Entry of big tech firms into the financial sector poses systemic risks, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said on Friday. Companies including Google, Amazon and Facebook (Meta) pose question marks around competition and data privacy.
“They (big tech) carry risks, which need to be properly assessed and dealt with,” Das said at an event organised by the Financial Express newspaper. Such companies can include entities in e-commerce, search engines and social media platforms that have started to offer financial services in a “big way” on their own or through tie-ups, he said, adding this is leading to the use of new methodologies in credit assessment.
“Such large-scale use of new methodologies in credit assessment can create systemic concerns like overleverage, inadequate credit assessment and similar other risks,” he said. Das said deploying harsh recovery methods such as calling up at odd hours or using foul language is “unacceptable.”
He assured that the RBI is paying “serious attention” to those events and will ensure suitable action is taken to curb them. He said most such instances are reported from unregulated entities, but added that the central bank has also come across such tactics being used by entities regulated by the RBI, and urged all players to give special attention to the same. The comments came at a time when there have been allegations of suicides by many borrowers triggered by harsh recovery practices by agents.


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Apple CEO Tim Cook has revealed that revenues from enterprise sales of Apple products now account for 14pc of the company’s US$200bn revenues.
At a user conference for cloud company Box, Cook told Box CEO Aaron Levie that Apple has reaped US$25bn in enterprise sales.
“If you look at the last 12 months [enterprise sales for Apple were] US$25bn,” Cook told Levie in an onstage interview.
“This is not a hobby. This is real business.”
Apple has big plans for the enterprise
Cook said that Apple has no plans to merge iOS and Mac operating systems but wants to make it seamless and easy to switch from one device to another.
‘This is not a hobby. This is real business.’
– TIM COOK
In the past year, Apple has been beefing up its alliances in the enterprise space, first with IBM, followed by major collaborations with players like Cisco and Box.
In the case of IBM, Apple is working with Big Blue to sell iPhone and iPad devices into the enterprise as well as build critical business and cloud applications.
Its alliance with Cisco will see Cisco networks optimised for iOS devices and apps and the integration of the iPhone into Cisco enterprise environments.
Earlier this month in San Francisco Apple unveiled the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro, which is designed with the corporate market in mind.
As well as this, Microsoft took part in the event, demonstrating how core Office apps are now living and breathing in the iOS space.
Apple Store image via Shutterstock


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NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. WMT, +1.36% leads the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average with a year-to-date gain of 21.9% with one trading day left in May, according to data from Dow Jones Indexes. IBM IBM, -0.38% ranks second with a gain of 20%, followed by a 14% gain from Caterpillar CAT, +0.95% American International Group AIG, -0.11% is the laggard with a loss of 39.4%. Merck MRK, +0.37% ranks second-to-last with a loss of 33% this year. Dow Jones owns MarketWatch, the publisher of this report.
Wal-Mart, IBM lead DJIA in YTD gains


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Coinbase is currently testing a beta version of its Coinbase One subscription service, which offers zero-fee trading, $1 million account protection, and automated tax services. A subscription to the service costs $29.99 per month.
In the long run, Coinbase plans to grow revenue from subscriptions to combat potential profit margin compression.
In a wide-ranging interview with CNBC’s Crypto World on Tuesday, Brian Armstrong, the founder and CEO of Coinbase, discussed the long-term prospects of the American cryptocurrency exchange. How the company plans to preempt the possibility of lower revenue from fees was a key issue.
Jim Armstrong believes that profit margin compression is inevitable in the future as more exchanges and competitors offer similar products and services, competing for market share:
According to Armstrong, Netflix has been preparing for this change for the past three years, which has resulted in subscriptions and services accounting for 18% of the company’s revenue. This figure was up from the 4% contribution to revenue in 2020, according to Armstrong.
“This is why we’re investing today in so much subscription and services revenue and we’re realizing that trading fees will still be a major part of our business in 10 or 20 years from now. But I’d like to get to a place where more than 50% of our revenue is from subscriptions and services.”
As per the Coinbase CEO, staking offerings and USDCCustody services were the main drivers of subscription and services revenue, and the development of Coinbase Cloud and other future projects would further boost these revenue streams.
According to Armstrong, the scaling of Coinbase’s staking product is also dependent on the blockchains on which it operates, and the upcoming switch from Ethereum’s proof-of-work consensus algorithm to a proof-of-stake one will address this issue.
In addition to discussing the nonfungible token (NFT) space, Coinbase’s proprietary NFT marketplace was also discussed. Nonfungible tokens were a hot topic, and the CEO assured the audience that the company was still committed to them and believed they would be a big business:
“It’s still super early in the NFT space. We saw a big run-up last year with people trading Bored Apes and all sorts of different things that got traction. But I think that’s just the first step in a long journey of what NFTs are going to become.”
Armstrong highlighted his belief that NFTs will change how people use social media, how the music industry operates and how creative talent interacts with audiences. Natively integrating Coinbase NFTs into various platforms people use daily was another avenue that Armstrong explored.


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We are delighted to introduce you to Bonnie Leung, Operations Leader for FCM Hong Kong in our latest interview series from TDs Inspiring Women in Travel Asia (TDIWTA).
Travellers arriving in Hong Kong from China will no longer need to quarantine from 8 September onwards
The governments of Hong Kong and Singapore have decided to abandon plans for the long-delayed Air Travel Bubble (ATB) between the two cities.
The iconic tram system of Hong Kong has created a new world record by being the largest double-decker tram fleet in service
Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has unveiled a new series of distinctive sensory videos to bring the city’s great outdoors to everyone around the world.
The HKTB has launched the ‘Hong Kong Convention Ambassador’ programme to help revitalise Hong Kong’s MICE industry, after a turbulent and challenging 2020
Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong announces the completion of the first phase of its exciting transformation, with a set of completely redesigned guest rooms and suites now ready to welcome…
Authorities in Singapore and Hong Kong have agreed to try and launch a travel bubble on 26 May
Hong Kong is planning to only allow those who’ve had Covid-19 shots to fly from the city to Singapore once both governments finalise a travel bubble
Qatar Airways announced the sea-to-air ferry transfer service from Shenzhen Shekou Port to the SkyPier in the airside of Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA)
Cathay Pacific stands ready to support the operation of special flights to bring Hong Kong residents home from the United Kingdom.
Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has announced its 2021-22 work plan, setting out a series of flexible short-term and medium-to-long-term strategies to prepare for the return of tourists
Hong Kong will complete an e-booking system for Covid-19 vaccine inoculations this month and is in talks with other countries to allow the records to be used for travel
Hong Kong has extended its compulsory quarantine to three weeks for almost all international travellers from this week, saying the measure was needed to prevent new, more infectious,…
Hong Kong is diligently working to make it as simple as possible for people to test for COVID-19 as they go about their days using public transportation.
The 2020 Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival officially concluded yesterday. It was the first time the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) had adopted an “online + offline” format for the event
The much-anticipated travel bubble between Singapore and Hong Kong to facilitate leisure travel will not be launched this year
A travel bubble between Hong Kong and Singapore, originally slated to begin on 22 November, has now been postponed amid a spike in infections in Hong Kong
Trip.com witnessed a surge in demand for Singapore-Hong Kong (SG-HK) leisure travel, after the announcement of the travel bubble will launch on 22 November.


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– CNBC, JUNE 2 2015, FEAT. PROF. BRYANT WALKER SMITH:
Before America’s roadways become safer, they first could get more treacherous.
Vehicle automation is occurring at a breakneck pace. Already, self-parking and braking technologies in new cars are becoming commonplace. Driverless cars made by Google have already taken to the highways. Just last month, Freightliner and Daimler unveiled the first tractor-trailer approved to drive itself down Nevada freeways.


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Halo Infinite Campaign Only Offers Two-Player Split-Screen
According to the head of design on Halo Infinite, Jerry Hook, the campaign for the upcoming Halo won’t include a four-player split-screen. Two players can play through the campaign together from the couch, but if you want to complete it with three other friends, you’ll need to play it online. 343 Industries has already confirmed that the multiplayer for Halo Infinite will include four-player split-screen, but this won’t be the case for the campaign. Halo Infinite was recently pushed back to a 2021 release, but when it eventually releases it will be available for the Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC and it will join the extensive Game Pass lineup day one.
“Hey everyone I saw some reports of campaign supporting 4 player Split-screen for campaign and just want to correct,” said Jerry Hook on his official Twitter account. “Halo Infinite will be supporting 2 player split-screen and 4-player online co-op for campaign. Sorry about the confusion #haloinfinte.” While the local multiplayer will allow four friends to play together on the same console, it looks like gamers will require their own consoles to play through the campaign together or take turns like the good old days.
The head of design on Halo Infinite didn’t confirm why four-player split-screen wouldn’t be available in the game’s campaign, but it’s likely due to rendering all of the environments four times over. Fans have voiced their displeasure on the lack of four-player split-screen but thankfully the multiplayer will continue to offer the feature. Because Halo Infinite was recently delayed due to development issues, it won’t be an Xbox Series X launch title, leaving fans wondering what blockbuster title the next-gen console will have day one.
Are you bummed that Halo Infinite’s campaign doesn’t offer four-player split-screen or do you intend to play through it with one specific friend? Let us know in the comments below!


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Market Outlook: Bullish Trend Sends Crypto Prices Northwards
7 months ago
Digital currency markets are seeing significant gains this week as the entire market capitalization gained $28 billion in the last seven days. Moreove...
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Pepsi comes to Coke’s hometown of Atlanta for the Super Bowl
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The Super Bowl is held in Atlanta this year, which is the hometown of Coca Cola, but Pepsi is an official sponsor of the game. Suddenly Pepsi ads have popped up around Atlanta with slogans like “Look who’s in town for Super Bowl LIII” and “Pepsi in Atlanta, how refreshing.” Coke seems to be taking a Southern hospitality approach, saying that the company welcomes everybody to its hometown for the big game, even its rival Pepsi.
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Microsoft's fourth-quarter financial results for fiscal year 2022 have revealed that its video game business from Xbox to PC is taking a bit of a bruising.
In the three-month period ending June 30, 2022, Xbox Content and Services revenue dropped 6 percent. Overall gaming revenue which dealings on console and PC revenue decreased $259 million, a 7 percent drop from the fourth quarter of 2021.
The drop in gaming revenue was attributed to "a decrease in Xbox content and services and Xbox hardware." Microsoft doesn't report revenue numbers for Xbox Content and Services, but it says that drop was due to "lower engagement hours and monetization in third-party and first-party content."
Microsoft did say that the dip in Xbox Content and Services revenue was offset by "increased Xbox Game Pass subscriptions." How much of an increase? Only the shadow knows. Microsoft won't say, and typically doesn't make a habit of sharing that information in its financial reports.
Xbox hardware revenue (sales of Xbox devices) dropped 11 percent year-over-year. That's an interesting drop since as recently as Q3 2022, Xbox hardware sales were increasing year-over-year.
The combined metrics paint an overall picture of a platform that hasn't had many major game releases since last November.
Where are the Xbox games?
Microsoft spent the last few years acquiring a number of companies that are now first-party studios, but it's been a hot minute since any of them released first-party games. Halo Infinite launched last November, but content updates for the game's multiplayer have been slower when compared to other live service tiles.
With multiple game projects getting publicly and privately delayed (Bethesda's Starfield was set to come out this fall, now it'll be out in 2023), it's easy to say that there's just less fresh content for players to spend money on.
That said, this isn't all because of Xbox's first-party delays. The note about lower engagement and spending in "third-party services" is eye-catching as well. Plenty of third-party publishers have also delayed titles. Xbox obviously wants a cut of in-game spending on titles from Ubisoft, Take-Two, and other major publishers. If those games get delayed, Xbox is impacted too.
The slowing release schedule for Xbox was especially visible during its 2022 Summer Games Fest press conference, where the platform-holder showed off a number of impressive titles, but the full-year release schedule of games it was bragging about showed most heavy hitters launching in 2023.
Do these numbers hurt Microsoft?
Microsoft's overall financials remained very healthy in the fourth quarter of 2022. Revenue rose 12 percent from the same quarter in 2021 to $51.9 billion. Net income increased two percent to $16.7 billion. While Xbox had a rough quarter, Microsoft's cloud computing revenue made major strides, rising 28 percent to $25 billion in the quarter.
The company's financial report doesn't yet include any data about its upcoming $68.7 billion acquisition of Call of Duty and World of Warcraft developer Activision Blizzard. Once that wraps up, Microsoft will have access to that publisher's prolific revenue streams.
It will also of course, inherit its cultural struggles that have bogged the company down since the State of California filed a lawsuit against it for allegedly fostering a culture of sexual harassment and toxicity.


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The app is apparently targeted at hereosexual men, with Binder being a play on 'Binned her', as well as the dating app Tinder.
That might suggest Tennent's female consumers are too tasteful to dump their other halves by app - but a version for women will be available on Apple's App Store shortly, called 'Bindim'.
This isn't the first time Tennent's has piggybacked off a tech sensation, fabricating the Scottish-themed 'Aye Watch' as part of its Wellpark online comedy series.
While the Aye Watch was just a stunt, Binder is actually available to download on the App Store this week - though the lager brand is hoping dumpees will see the funny side.
Brand: Tennent's Lager


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Jeremy Gutsche was quoted in the New York Times Wednesday morning for a piece on the rise of military-inspired fashion. As notorious macho figures like Jack Bauer of ‘24’ gain ground in pop culture, the guy’s guy is finally back.
“Anything macho has extra appeal right now,” said Jeremy Gutsche in the New York Times piece. “Adding a little shock or aggression to fashion makes things that much more interesting.” Check out the full article here.


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Google to launch news search site
PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Google, the popular Internet search engine, launched a new site Monday for searching news from 4,000 English-language sources, from The New York Times to small-town newspapers.
The new service, called Google News, will be accessible through a tab on the Google start page (http://www.google.com/) and will pull real-time news from different Web sites around the world. News will be arranged under categories such as world, business, entertainment, technology and sports.
Search results from the news site will also be offered at the top of Google's general search page so that users who enter search terms on the main site will also see when that term is mentioned in the news.
Google is not employing any editors to work on the service but will arrange the abundance of news it gathers with the same basic technology it currently uses to rank search results in order of relevance.
The company said its technology will rank news based on how recently it has been published, the number of articles devoted to a given topic and the popularity of the particular news source.
"News is a natural extension of our mission," said Marissa Mayer, product manager at Google.com. "We're harnessing the collective judgment of editors around the world."
She said the company began working on the Google News service in January.
So far, it appears that Google has tapped into a huge audience, Mayer said. Pageviews on the new site jumped from the tens of thousands to millions after the news site went online at midnight Monday. Until Monday, Google had operated a bare-bones news aggregation service that drew from about 150 sources.
While several Internet content sites offer links to top news sites, the Google service will be more comprehensive than most, if not all of them.
Google said it was aiming to use its technology in new ways, rather than compete against news aggregation sites, such as Yahoo Inc., aside. The Yahoo Web portal is a major Google client and uses Google technology to deliver search results.
Google is initially offering the news service for free, without any advertising support. It said it plans to see what kind of demand the site generates before it considers possible ways to make money from it.


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Centaur plans to sell a casino west of Denver and a stalled casino development near Pittsburgh.
American International Group Inc. has agreed to sell a majority stake in its Evansville-based consumer lending unit, getting
rid of an operation that posted about $1.7 billion in operating losses since 2008 and accumulated more than $17 billion in
The communications company said in a news release that CEO Jeff Smulyan is continuing to negotiate with a group of preferred
and is considering another buyout option that would not require their consent.
Television station owners affiliated with NBC agreed to support Comcast Corp.’s purchase of NBC Universal after the
company pledged it won’t shift events such as the Olympics and U.S. football to cable, an executive said.
The recent chatter followed the bank board’s decision to award CEO Milton J. Miller II a severance agreement entitling him to extra pay in the event of a merger.
Duke Realty Corp. plans to buy out its partner in a joint venture that owns 106 industrial buildings in the Midwest and Southeast,
the Indianapolis-based company announced Wednesday.
The U.S. Justice Department said AMC Entertainment Group Inc., the second-largest U.S. movie theater owner, must sell some
cinemas to proceed with plans to buy most of those operated by Kerasotes Showplace Theatres.
The foundation, founded by Dr. Chuck Dietzen, will absorb the Mercy Foundation, started by Dr. Mercy Obeime, in July.
Finish Line Inc. is working to deploy the money it has built up through cost-cutting. The 684-store
chain plans to reinvest in its core business, return cash to shareholders through higher dividends and share repurchases,
and diversify its business.
Gem Utilities Inc. and Gem Water Inc. have offered their sewer and water operations to the town of Cumberland for $6 million.
Simon’s rise suggested investors believe the company will be just fine without General Growth Properties Inc., the Chicago-based
rival it had been pursuing for months.
General Growth Properties Inc., the second-biggest U.S. mall owner, said a bankruptcy court hearing on its auction process
will be delayed five days to give the company time to consider competing bids, including one from Indianapolis-based Simon


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The Oberoi Hotels and Resorts in a statement has announced that it has been awarded ‘World’s Best Hotel Brand’ in a reader’s poll conducted by a popular travel magazine. The company mentioned that its properties around the world have also received accolades including ‘Best City Hotel’ in Asia, ‘Best Resort’ in India and ‘Best Resort’ in Africa and the Middle East region.
In the readers’ pool of Travel + Leisure magazine, the company said it received recognition from close to 9.5 million readers. Among the Oberoi Group’s properties, The Oberoi, Marrakech has been named the best resort in North Africa and the Middle East while The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur has been adjourned the best resort in India award.
Founded in 1934, the company owns and operates 31 luxury hotels and two river cruise ships in five countries, primarily under its Oberoi Hotels & Resorts and Trident brands.


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AT&T and Firethorn Holdings LLC have announced a new wireless application that enables AT&T mobile phone customers to manage accounts and pay bill using their mobile phones (PDF). Initial banks on board with the plan include Wachova, BancorpSouth, Regions Financial, and SunTrust Banks.
Users can download the online banking application directly to compatible handsets beginning today; AT&T plans to offer the software as an integrated feature in new handsets beginning in the second half of 2007. AT&T does not plan to charge extra fees for the online banking service, but expects that its availability will attract more users to its mobile offerings; Atlanta-based Firethorn is acting as an intermediary between AT&T and participating banks.
“This is a great day for wireless and for banking,” said Tripp Rackley, Firethorn’s chairman and CEO, in a release.
AT&T says it began testing the service in 2006, and said most BandcorpSouth customers who tried the service said they would use it to check their balances. About three quarters of the trial users said they thought the service would help them make better money management decisions.
BancorpSouth operates in eight U.S. states; Wachovia operates in 21 states, while Regions Financial operates in 16 states in the U.S. midwest and south. Sun Trust has operations in several southeast and mid-Atlantic states. AT&T anticipates offering mobile banking services in conjunctions with other financial institutions in the coming months.
- Switching to AT&T? We break down the carrier’s new unlimited and prepaid plans
- T-Mobile keeps adding more customers with low prices and freebies
- T-Mobile is celebrating Earth Day with $250,000 and a lot of trees
- AT&T has a cheap streaming service on the way, but it’s not for sports fans
- AT&T brings ‘5G Evolution’ to more than 100 new markets


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Canada is showing the world the way forward on marijuana legalization. In Ontario, superior and appellate courts have ruled that Canada’s cannabis laws are null and void. Challenges to change federal law towards decriminalization, on the other hand, have failed. There’s a lesson to be learnt for blockchain regulators here.
Nevertheless, Health Canada does regulate cannabis for medicinal purposes in a system industrial nations are looking towards as an example. As well, hemp plant cultivation is legal in Canada for seed, grain and fiber production. Public opinion finds more-and-more Canadians believe each year since 1997, “Smoking marijuana should not be a criminal offence.”
Indeed, Canada has positioned itself as one of the most pro-marijuana governments in the world. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he wanted to “legalize, regulate, and restrict” marijuana for recreational use.
When I spoke with Alan Brochstein – the 420 Investor – he told me : “I spend my time focused on Canada. It has a federally legal medical marijuana program that is almost two years old, and while off to slow start initially, it has gained a lot of traction and there is a lot of excitement. Because of a government change there, very likely in next two years, we will have legal cannabis on a federal basis in Canada. That’s an exciting part of the cannabis investment space.” Brochstein believes Canada could be a global leader in marijuana.
“The US could be in that position, but already other countries are looking to the Canadian model, which is tightly regulated production at federal level,” he added. “We don’t have that in the US.”
Trudeau has vocalized his intention to take marijuana consumption and small possession out of the Criminal Code. New laws will enact stricter punishment for those who supply cannabis to minors or while driving stoned, for example.
Canada could capitalize on its sensible regulations and reap the benefits. This same approach could be applied by the nation towards emerging blockchain technologies. Already, Canada has a sensible approach to technology regulation. For instance, there are no laws in Canada that mention MySQL.
“Most laws in Canada are technology-neutral and don’t call for a specific technology or system to be used,” Addison-Cameron-Huff told me.
Many vocal proponents of innovation have expressed their desire to see Canada take a sensible, perhaps even laissez faire, approach to blockchain technology in order to allow the technology to evolve.
For instance, at a recent roundtable hosted by CIGI in Toronto, the topic “Regulating Blockchain & Distributed Ledger Technologies: Challenges and Opportunities for Canadian Innovation” was discussed.
Addison Cameron-Huff, a technology lawyer, believes Canada has the opportunity to be a world leader. In order to be such, the country has difficult questions to answer.
“Can regulatory ‘gaps’ be filled with common law and economic behavior rather than government-prescribed rules?” He asked. “Are there any gaps that cannot be filled by private actors or court-created law?”
Bitcoin is regulated in Canada under common anti-money laundering and know-your -customer laws. Like most countries, Canada had no specific law or regulation for bitcoins. An official of Canada’s Department of Finance told The Wall Street Journal in January 2014 that Canada did not consider bitcoins to be legal tender.
According to WSJ, the official stated “[o]nly Canadian bank notes and coins are recognized as legal tender in Canada. Bitcoin digital ‘currency’ is not legal tender in Canada.” However, the official also stated that the government of Canada would continue to “monitor developments involving virtual currencies.”
A spokesman for the Bank of Canada, Canada’s central bank, told WSJ: “[s]maller, stand-alone payment systems for which there are many substitutes – like bitcoin – should generally require much less intensive oversight and regulation because they pose much less risk to the Canadian financial system as a whole. . . . Nevertheless, these payment systems should be designed and operated to meet the needs of Canadians which would include convenience and ease of use, price, reliability, safety, and effective redress mechanisms.”
Canada’s Revenue Agency informed bitcoin users in April 2013 they would have to pay tax on transactions in the digital currency. The Canadian Finance Minister, in the Federal Budget for 2014, mentioned briefly Canadian government intentions to draft anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing regulations for virtual currencies.
As in cannabis, Canada could become a world leader in blockchain technology. In order to do this, the nation will have to approach the technology sensibly, and work together with Canada’s leaders in finance and technology to ensure its approach harbors innovation while staying within the framework of global anti-money laundering and know your customer precedents.
For now, businesspeople and government regulators are still trying to wrap their head around Bitcoin. Over the coming years, a discussion about blockchain regulations will develop. A measured weighing of risks and benefits can ensure that software developers are free to innovate.
Featured image from Shutterstock.


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Mosa Meat has announced that Bell Food Group, a leading European processor of meat and convenience foods, is expanding its stake in the company. It has invested a further €5 million, which will help Mosa Meat scale up its production of cultured meat.
The company says it aims to gain European regulatory approval for its cultured beef by 2022, and the new funding will help it to achieve this. If it succeeds, it will be the first European company to bring a cultured meat product onto the market.
The capital will also go towards the construction of Mosa Meat’s pilot production facility and help it to develop and scale its technology.
Bell Food Group says it is investing in Mosa Meat because it recognises the issues surrounding conventional meat production. “According to a number of studies, global meat consumption will rise significantly by around 3% per year up to 2030,” said a spokesperson for the company. “Current production methods will no longer be able to sustainably meet this increase in demand.”
Clean meat is predicted to have a 10 percent market share by 2030, and a promising recent study found that most participants preferred the taste of clean meat to that of conventional meat. Earlier this year, a German study also found that almost 50 percent of young educated consumers are open to cultured meat.
Bell Food Group originally invested in Mosa Meat in 2018, contributing €2 million. All the planned scientific milestones have since been achieved, giving the meat processing company the confidence to invest further.
“We are very excited and grateful to have the support of such an acknowledged and influential industry leader,” said Maarten Bosch, CEO of Mosa Meat. “Having Bell Food Group as our partner gives us confidence that we can achieve our plan to bring cultivated beef to market in 2022.”


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The semiconductor market is stuck in one of its worst slumps, Intel CEO Craig Barrett says, but the growth of the Internet just might be its savior.
The apparent paradox--declining industry revenues during a period of increasing customer use--was the central theme in Intel's biannual financial Webcast on Tuesday. Barrett and other executives said that all of the markets in which the company participates struggled this year.
"For those of us who've been in the business for 30 years, this is the biggest slowdown that our industry has ever seen. This is twice the slowdown that we saw in 1995," Barrett said. "The Internet is just starting its early stages of buildout...The massive volume of traffic is just beginning."
To capitalize on that rebound, Intel is tweaking its overall strategy to better target growth areas. The company, unlike in recent years, will now almost exclusively focus on its core chip markets.
Intel will place increasing emphasis on emerging PC markets, such as China and India. This strategy will require a renewed focus on costs, the company said.
"It requires us to be very scrupulous about costs," said Paul Otellini, executive vice president and general manager of the Intel Architecture Group. "In Latin America, parts of Eastern Europe and Russia, we are seeing growth in excess of 100 percent."
Intel will also increase contacts with dealers and regional manufacturers--the main conduits for technology in these regions, Otellini said.
In established markets, the company will work on "influencing the upgrade cycle," Otellini said, by working with software developers to come up with more glamorous applications that, in turn, require faster processors to run effectively.
Server strategy will follow a different approach. Intel plans to come out with a host of Xeon and Itanium processors in 2002 for servers that will compete against products from Sun Microsystems.
In addition, Intel will devise "solution blueprints" with partners that will take some of the pain out of installing complex back-end systems. One blueprint, for example, combines Compaq Computer hardware, software from a number of companies, and consulting how-to from Ernst & Young.
"We're creating the shrink-wrap equivalent for the e-business conversion," Otellini said. "We are absolutely, deadly focused on increasing our market share."
In cell phones and mobile devices, Intel will work with software developers and carriers to better incorporate its chips with upcoming 2.5G and 3G services. The more advanced wireless networks will help the company, as consumers will need to upgrade their current handsets to accommodate the technology, according to Ron Smith, general manager of Intel's Wireless Communications and Computing Group.
"The installed base is aging, and data will be coming that will force an upgrade cycle. The DoCoMo iMode service has 26 million subscribers, and Japan is not an isolated test case," Smith said.
Intel also plans to push through an integrated cell phone chip that will combine a digital signal processor, a microprocessor and flash memory, he added.
Company executives detailed a number of product plans during the call:
• For desktops, the Pentium 4 processor will hit 3GHz in 2002. In addition, a chipset with integrated graphics for low-priced Pentium 4 computers will debut in the second quarter.
• By mid-2002, the first Celerons using the NetBurst architecture, the underlying architecture of the Pentium 4, will be released. Celerons now are based on the older Pentium III architecture.
• Prestonia, a dual-processor Xeon chip for servers based on the Pentium 4 architecture, comes out in the first quarter. Gallatin, a multiprocessor Xeon for servers, will be unveiled in the fourth quarter.
• Commercial systems containing McKinley, the next version of Itanium, will come out mid-2002. Pilot production on McKinley will begin this quarter.
• In the first quarter of 2002, consumers can expect the first Pentium 4 for mobile computers. Meanwhile, in 2003, Intel will release Banias, a processor specifically designed for notebooks. The chip will perform 25 percent better than other Intel chips at that time, Otellini said, and will provide 25 percent better battery life.
• By the end of 2002, six factories will be manufacturing chips on the more advanced 0.13-micron manufacturing process, and two of these factories will process 300-millimeter-diameter wafers. Shifting to the 0.13-micron process will boost speeds and lower costs, while 300-millimeter wafers will lower costs.


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As big box stores and chain retailers consume more and more undeveloped land, polluted runoff from their parking lots is placing an ever greater burden on the nation’s rivers, lakes, and coastal waters. Storm water control measures and filtration systems produce only modest improvement, according to experts. A better solution is to channel commerce back into compact downtowns and neighborhood business districts, which are far less polluting. Continue reading
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In an effort to prevent further consolidation of small storefronts into large chain outlets along the Third Street Promenade, the city of Santa Monica has adopted an ordinance that limits stores to no more than 50 linear feet of street frontage. The City Council has also directed city staff to compile data on the number of formula businesses in the district and draft options for limiting their proliferation.
"Secede from Starbucks Nation" is the tagline of a new advertising campaign by the small town of Excelsior, Minnesota. The tongue-and-cheek ads take jabs at chain stores and promote Excelsior as a place where one-of-a-kind, locally owned businesses are embraced.
"When . . . a large development wants to be in your town, you see the tax values surrounding that. . . I think the tendency is to think this is really going to give us a solid foundation," George Fowler, mayor of Pineville, North Carolina, told the Charlotte Observer. "But you don’t realize at that particular point the impact it’s going to have on the services you have to provide."
Big retailers are increasingly coming under fire from small and mid-sized manufacturers. Last month, more than 1,000 employees and owners of small manufacturing firms attended a rally in Connecticut to denounce Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Target, and other chains for forcing large manufacturers to move their factories to China. Continue reading
Since the 1980s, Wal-Mart has received at least $150 million in local, state, and federal subsidies to build 47 distribution centers in 32 states, according to a study by The Palm Beach Post.
Onlythose subsidies that have been quantified in published reports were counted. "That number likely grows by tens of millions when unquantified breaks, such as government bond financing for construction, and ongoing breaks, such as those given to businesses in enterprise zones, are included," the newspaper notes.
By forming alliances, independent businesses can regain their central role in our economy. Continue reading
At the urging of a broad group of residents and local business owners, the Tampa City Council voted unanimously in June to reject a proposal to level a neighborhood shopping center to make way for a Walgreen pharmacy and a bank. The shopping center is currently home to nine locally owned businesses, including three restaurants, a fitness center, beauty parlor, and laundry.
A developer sought to tear down the center, annex parts of two residential properties, and construct a large, box-like Walgreen’s and a bank.
Residents of Stoughton, Wisconsin, have come together under the banner "Uff-da Wal-Mart" to fight the company’s plans to turn a nearby cornfield into a massive supercenter. Uff-da is a Norwegian expression of disdain.
In mid-July, Uff-da Wal-Mart scored a significant victory when the City Council adopted a 90-day moratorium on big box retail development. The ordinance temporarily bans development of stores larger than 50,000 square feet.
A citizens group in Aurora, New York, has fought off Wal-Mart twice, first in 1996 and again in 2000. Now, with rumors circulating that the company may return for a third attempt, Aurora Citizens for Smart Growth is pushing for a permanent law banning stores over 55,000 square feet. That’s about one-third the size of the stores Wal-Mart previously proposed.
Bruce Davidson of the citizens group says the size cap is needed to maintain the character of the community and its small, locally owned businesses.


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Michaels Net Grows for Q4, Drops for FY
March 20, 2015,
IRVING, Texas-Fourth-quarter net income for craft specialty retailer Michaels jumped 18 percent to $157 million, bringing its net income for the fiscal year ending on Jan. 31 to $217 million, down 10.7 percent from the prior fiscal year.
Net sales in the quarter totaled $1.6 billion, up 3.4 percent and including a same-store sales gain of 1.4 percent. For the year, net sales were up 3.7 percent to $4.7 billion, including a pickup of 1.7 percent in same-store sales.
Chuck Rubin, Michaels’ CEO, said the fourth-quarter numbers “reflect continued strong execution of our multiyear strategy. Our holiday presentation leveraged the learnings from our store remodel program to showcase a larger and more cohesive offering, supported by engaging marketing. We achieved solid performance across categories and geographies as our customers recognized and responded to the improvements that we have put in place.”
For this year, Michaels has projected total sales growth of from 3.2 to 3.7 percent, with same-store sales growth of from 1.5 to 2 percent. Rubin said the company “will continue to build upon our vision 2020 strategy to deliver a strong in-store and online shopping experience, increase our market share and expand our customer base.”


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The Illinois Secretary of State’s workplace first suspended Carvana’s supplier license in May 2022, alleging the retailer didn’t correctly switch titles for autos it bought and misused issuing out-of-state non permanent registration permits.
The company’s police division began investigating Carvana’s enterprise practices in February 2022 after receiving client complaints about its registration and titling timeliness.
Per the settlement settlement, Carvana can proceed to function within the state, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias stated in a Tuesday video announcement. The retailer admitted to violating Illinois legislation and agreed to abide by new restrictions, in response to a information launch from his workplace.
Carvana, in a separate news release, stated it’s going to proceed promoting to Illinois residents through its web site and thru its vending-machine-like location in Oak Brook, In poor health., a suburb of Chicago.
“The admission by Carvana demonstrates what we knew all alongside: that Carvana was violating the legislation in a way that was dangerous to Illinois shoppers,” Giannoulias stated in a information launch. “Below my administration, I’ll do the whole lot to make sure that correct safeguards are in place that shield Illinois shoppers no matter how they buy a car.”
The settlement permits the Illinois Secretary of State to droop and revoke Carvana’s supplier license once more if it fails to adjust to both the settlement or state legal guidelines, in response to the company.
“For the previous eight years, we have now been an financial engine within the state by offering Illinoisans with an unmatched e-commerce expertise … and immediately’s settlement with the Secretary of State permits us to maneuver ahead in our journey to turning into the biggest automotive retailer,” stated Alan Hoffman, Carvana’s head of company affairs, within the information launch. “We look ahead to working with Secretary Giannoulias to make sure clients proceed accessing the very best automobile shopping for and promoting expertise potential.”
Illinois stayed its preliminary Might 10 suspension order on Might 26. It re-suspended Carvana’s license on July 18. Carvana then filed for a brief restraining order in opposition to the company, which was granted in late July by a decide in Illinois’ DuPage County.
Previous to the settlement settlement introduced Tuesday, Carvana was allowed to promote autos, although with some restriction. It was required to register titles by way of Illinois remitters, that are third-party corporations licensed within the state to course of title transactions.


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Apparel giant Gap (NYSE: GPS ) recently reported a 23% drop in its first-quarter earnings, as its cost of goods unsurprisingly shot up. Gap foresees higher input costs weighing on margins throughout 2011. Inflation is once again running rampant through many businesses, and retailers and their thin margins are some of the worst-hit.
Fortunately (or not), it's not just Gap getting hit. A number of other apparel companies are on their toes, thanks largely to higher cotton prices.
The same story unfolded for stocks such as American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE: AEO ) and Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE: ANF ) , which dropped sharply last week on concerns that higher cotton prices would eat into their bottom lines.
The Asian edge
China, the largest cotton producer in the world, faced crunches in cotton supply due to droughts. The second-biggest producer, India, experienced unseasonal rains and restricted its exports to safeguard domestic supplies. In addition, speculation that cotton prices would soar further led to hoarding, creating an artificial shortage and perhaps much speculation in the commodity futures market.
In the last month, raw cotton and cotton yarn prices seem to be cooling off from their peaks. How long will the cotton-caused cost pressures continue? That's not easy to answer, but developments bubbling up in countries like India can give us a clue where cotton prices could be headed.
The Indian government, for instance, is mulling raising export volumes soon. India had capped its cotton exports for the current year at 5.5 million bales, but owing to increasing unsold stock before the new crop season, the government is looking at lifting the ban on exports soon and clearing that inventory.
If this happens -- the chances of which appear high -- mills will be in a position to sustain margins, produce more, and so export more. With increased supply, there will be some restoration of balance in the demand-supply curves, stabilizing prices for American producers and retailers.
The Foolish bottom line
In the absence of restored cotton price norms, retailers will do their best to pass the buck to consumers, which is rarely a good thing in a stressed economy. So the sector may be looking a little shaky for now. Stay tuned.


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The US International Trade Commission has ruled that Samsung infringed on two Apple patents, which comes just a few days after the Obama administration vetoed an earlier ruling by the ITC that banned the import and sale of older iPhones and iPads.
In December of last year, ITC Administrative Law Judge, Thomas Pender, suggested that certain Samsung smartphones be banned as they infringed on four different patents owned by Apple. Less than a month after this, the ITC said they would review the decision. This new ruling is the result of the ITC's review of the matter.
The patents that are causing all of these issues are US Patent No. 7,479,949, which relates to a touchscreen and user interface. The second, US Patent No. 7,912,501, which is in relation to detecting when a headset is connected. The ITC ruled that the South Korean giant didn't infringe on the other two patents.


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The warehousing industry has ramped up its automation efforts considering the increased order volume and labour shortages fueled by the pandemic, says ABI Research in a new study released today.
Findings from the firm revealed that in addition to “technology solutions such as Augmented Reality (AR) powered smart glasses and handheld devices with enhanced capabilities, autonomous, collaborative, and mobile robots are proving to be the most popular and fastest growing productivity enhancing solution in the warehouse workspace.
As a result, worldwide commercial robot revenue in warehouses will have a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of over 23% from 2021 to 2030 and exceed US$51 billion by 2030.
“Mobile robots are at the heart of the warehouse robotics market and account for most shipments and revenue,” said Adhish Luitel, industry analyst, supply chain management and logistics at ABI Research.
“These robots, made up of Autonomous Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), are being used to move goods within the warehouse and being integrated within wider automated or manual workflows.”
The report notes that commercially speaking in the warehouse sector, robotics has moved from the early exploration phase to a more mature market in which early adopters are benefitting from live implementations of fully capable technical solutions.
“In addition to robots, warehouse operators should be seeking to combine the value of multiple solutions across the fulfillment workflow to achieve desired results,” said Luitel. “There is also a need for operators to look beyond productivity and assess how technologies affect worker satisfaction and safety, worker comfort, energy consumption, distance traveled, and error rates.
"We can also expect intelligent automation solutions to influence processes across the supply chain. In the future, operators will be venturing further into solutions like Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and mobile warehousing."
The findings are from ABI Research's Modern Fulfillment Trends: Warehouse Robotics, Handheld Devices and Wearables technology analysis report. It is part of the company's Supply Chain Management & Logistics research service, which includes research, data, and ABI Insights.


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We’re so excited to announce the launch of our next Cultivator program, SCALE.
SCALE is our third level of programming, enabling us to take that next step in scaling high-growth tech startups in our province.
So, what is SCALE?
SCALE is a program for founders who are fully committed to their startup, have a product in the market, and are generating over $250K in annual recurring revenue. With an intense focus on matching founders with expert mentors, advisors, and partners, this 1:1 program runs for 12 months. Founders in this program will focus on scaling up their business, showcasing significant traction, and hitting major milestones.
Joining our SCALE programming are five of our cohort companies who recently graduated from our GROW Program:
2020 was a year of incredible growth for these companies, and we’re excited to help them further scale in 2021.
Curious about all our other companies? Check out the full list of all Cultivator GROW and SCALE companies here.


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Tranditional home security systems are expensive, complicated, ugly and come from companies that seem to be run by people that ironically you probably wouldn’t trust your house key with. Not to mention, it’s 2013 and you kinda want your home security system to work seamlessly with the internet and smartphones.
That’s all about to change thanks to Piper, a security device that launched just now actually, on IndieGoGo. Piper provides a simple device that connects over wifi and z-wave and packages a wide-angle camera, temperature, humidity, motion, and ambient light sensors, plus a speaker, microphone and even an alarm siren, into a compact and attractive unit that streams it’s data to the cloud and alerts your phone — and lets you connect to take a peek at the various data or video feeds at any time.
The team behind Piper, based in Ottawa, has been working on the product for over a year and in fact are further along than most crowd-funded hardware projects we’ve seen lately — they’ve finished with tooling and have already finished their first run of small batch manufacturing (pssst: if you’re listening, Hack Things will gladly put together an unboxing and full-on video review, so please consider sending us an eval unit :).
There’s no word — yet — on how open the data is (such as whether one would be able to create IFFT-like triggers and actions). The device itself runs Linux…perhaps we’ll see some jail-breaking and hacking with this one?
Overall, Piper looks like a very strong entrant into the field of home security 2.0, which we’ve seen heat up a bit lately (see Canary which has raised $1.5m and has 6 days to go in their campaign.) And since they’re way ahead on the manufacturing process, they say their first units will delivery starting this November. Early bird backers will get theirs for $189.00.
As for monthly fees? There will be no monthly fees for Indiegogo backers. The team says they are discussing an optional monthly service plan for future users who want to store larger amounts of video.
I for one am happy to see innovators like Piper coming to disrupt those awful old security systems companies. It can’t happen soon enough.


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AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) surprised investors and analysts with its announcement of a partnership with Alibaba where the Chinese ecommerce giant will utilize the Radeon Pro GPU technology platform in the cloud servers of Alibaba. With this, the shares of AMD rallied by 4 percent to end the session at $6.75 after trading as high as $7.12 during the session. As of 10:38 AM GMT -4 on October 20, the stock is changing hands at $6.85, up by 1.18 percent or 0.07 points.
The global semiconductor company’s stock surged this year as it is already up by 135.2 percent since the beginning of 2016.
We believe that the partnership with Alibaba could be highly beneficial for AMD. After all, the ecommerce company is a significant player in the cloud infrastructure market of China. According to the Chinese corporation, the partnership with AMD will contribute more diverse GPUs to its cloud computing segment.
According to the CEO and President of AMD Lisa Su, “The collaboration between AMD and Alibaba Cloud leverages the world-class technology and software engineering capabilities of both companies to meet the growing demand for standards-based GPU computing solutions capable of enabling more immersive and intuitive cloud services. Working closely with industry leaders like Alibaba Cloud helps ensure the investments AMD is making in our high-performance graphics and computing datacenter products continue to align with the needs of the broader cloud market.”
We expect that this collaboration with the Chinese giant could also aid AMD when it comes to gaining market share in the expanding market of server GPUs.
Based on the reports by Jon Peddie Research and Mercury Research, the multinational semiconductor company has obtained a huge market share from its rival NVIDIA in graphics add-in card market during the Q2 of the current fiscal year. When it comes to the overall units shipped, AMD had hit approximately 30 percent market share during the Q2, while its market share was at 22.8 percent during the quarter before that, and only 18 percent at the end of last year.
This means that AMD’s market share is constantly growing. Furthermore, the financial results for the second quarter do not include the latest Polaris-based graphics card such as the Radeon RX 480, which we expect could further boost the market share of the semiconductor company.
Advanced Micro Devices is slated to post its third quarter earnings results after the markets close on October 20. Based on the average forecast of 17 analysts covering the stock, AMD’s earnings per share will clock in at around zero. The semiconductor company reported a loss of $0.17 per share during the year-ago quarter. Meanwhile, the highest forecast is for a $0.02 per share profit, while the lowest estimate is for a loss of $0.02 per share.
In terms of revenue, the average estimate of 20 analysts is that it will edge higher by 14.3 percent on a year-over-year basis to reach $1.21 billion. Since the company has delivered an earnings per share surprise in 3 of its recent quarters, there is a high probability that AMD will also surpass analysts’ projections in the third quarter.


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What is in this article?:
- IBM's New PowerLinux Units Are Cheaper, Stronger, Faster
- Packaged Solutions Ready to Rock and Roll
IBM is currently launching an aggressive new “PowerLinux” strategy with three new solution options that run on two basic POWER7-based units that will only run Linux. The pricing is astoundingly competitive with comparable x86-based competition, and yet the boxes manage to carry the serious weight of IBM’s enterprise-class expertise, too. You won’t find any public details just yet, though, on IBM.com -- we don’t believe the spec pages and formal announcement will start going live until Tuesday around the world.
In the meantime, we’ve got the basic specs of the two new PowerLinux systems:
IBM PowerLinux 7R2 System
The 7R2 is two-socket, high-performance, energy-efficient server that supports 16 POWER7 microprocessor cores and a choice of industry standard Linux operating systems: Red Hat Enterprise Linux or SUSE Linux Enterprise Server. The 7R2 sports a built-in PowerVM for PowerLinux hypervisor, plus it can run multiple Linux workloads, offering a 33 percent lower solution stack cost for virtualized infrastructure, IBM says.
IBM Flex System PowerLinux p24L Compute Node
The p24L Compute Node is a Linux-specific two-socket compute node for the recently announced IBM PureFlex System which contains 12 or 16 POWER7 microprocessor cores, the option of Red Hat Enterprise Linux or SUSE Linux Enterprise Server operating systems, and built-in PowerVM for PowerLinux.
And what is PowerVM for PowerLinux? It’s basically IBM’s PowerVM Enterprise Edition in functionality but priced to make the guys who peddle VMware have nightmares.
Scott Handy, vice president of PowerLinux strategy and business development for IBM, told POWER IT Pro that even IBM’s best customers also buy Linux-based solutions, and all of those Linux-based purchases tend to be very price-sensitive, starting with cost of acquisition. “We had to take price off the table,” Handy says, noting that new PowerLinux solutions significantly undercut comparable x86-based, virtualized Linux offerings.


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Sadly we won’t see a convertible TVR Griffith for a few years yet.
Welcome back, TVR. It’s been a long time coming, as the reveal of the reborn Griffith marks the first new TVR in 12 years, and the first since the company was taken over by current CEO Les Edgar four years ago. It’s not a one-off, either – this is just the start of TVR’s belated rebirth. There’s a possibility that the brand could finally broaden its appeal by coming to America, and TVR has big plans to expand its model line-up over the next ten years with hardcore performance variants, a convertible and an all-new model.
According to TVR’s CEO, the groundwork for the drop-top Griffith is already complete, so it seems likely that this will be the first new variant. For now, though, TVR is concentrating on putting the 500 launch editions of the Griffith into production, which won’t start until late next year with deliveries starting in 2019. The convertible model is expected to arrive two years after the Launch Edition Griffith, so we still have a long time to wait. To ease the wait, render artist Evren Milano has used their masterful Photoshop skills to show how the Griffith may look after dropping its top, and the result is stunning to behold.
By removing the rear-quarter windows and C-pillars, Milan’s vision of the convertible Griffith appears to adopt a targa-style shape with removable panels instead of an electric folding roof, which suits the coupe’s retro-inspired look. After the convertible, hardcore “S” and “R” performance variants of the reborn Griffith are expected to follow that could pack 600 horsepower compared to the standard coupe, which is powered by a naturally aspirated Cosworth V8 mated to a purist-pleasing six-speed manual transmission that sends 500 hp to the rear wheels. This allows the Griffith to reach 0-62 mph in under four seconds and a top speed of over 200 mph.
Let’s hope TVR manages to find a stateside partner to bring the Griffith to America – it makes sense considering its 5.0-liter V8 is based on the same Coyote V8 engine that Ford manufactures for the Mustang in the US.


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How Tesla Bull Cathie Wood's Ark Managed Its EV Holdings In 2022
Electric vehicles may be picking up traction among consumers but the rout in the financial markets in 2022 made sure no sector was spared in terms of stock price.
What Happened: Some of the prominent EV players in the listed space have seen as much as 80% drop in their stock price since the beginning of the year.
See Also: Best Penny Stocks
In such a scenario, it’s interesting to understand how Cathie Wood, known to be an unflinching Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) bull, managed Ark's positions this year. While she trimmed her bets on most EV names in her portfolio vis-a-vis the end of last year, interestingly, she loaded up on the stock that saw the maximum hammering. And no, it’s not Tesla!
Here’s a look at how Ark's holdings of EV players have changed since the beginning of 2022:
1. Tesla: Compared to the end of Dec. 2021, Ark has trimmed its bets on Tesla as on Dec. 23, 2022. The fund reduced its holdings by 1.13 million shares in the said period, according to Cathiesark.com. This comes in the wake of the stock price drop of 65% in the same period. Apart from the general market rout, Elon Musk’s Twitter purchase has acted as a big overhang on the stock over the last few months.
According to the website, the bulk of the sale came between March and May with some more sales conducted in August and September. However, recently, Ark has started buying Tesla shares again and since mid-December, it has loaded up over 189,000 shares of the EV-maker at an estimated valuation of over $23 million.
Wood has previously said she estimates Tesla stock to hit the $3,000 mark by 2025.
2. Xpeng Inc. (NYSE:XPEV): Despite an 80% fall in its stock price compared to the end of last year, Ark has increased its holdings of this Chinese EV-maker in the said period. Compared to end-December 2021, Ark has increased its Xpeng stake by over 317,000 shares, according to Cathiesark.com.
As per Wood, “high-profit margins” are not a good thing, a reason why her investment firm has stayed away from such companies. “So Xpeng and Nio, we have ... but they're very low margin,” Wood had stated. “It's all about next-gen transportation in a world where you know human-driven cars are still, relative to the eligible drivers, still (a) very low percentage. So, we're interested there,” she said.
3. Nio Inc. (NYSE:NIO): During end-March, Ark invested in Nio shares for the first time, scooping up over 420,000 shares of the EV-maker. However, since then, the fund has trimmed its holdings by over 80,000. The share price dropped over 44% in the said period.
Nio is the 35th largest holding of the ARK Autonomous Tech. & Robotics ETF (NYSE:ARKQ) with a weight of 0.49%, according to data on the company’s website at the time of writing.
4. BYD Co. (OTC:BYDDY) (OTC:BYDDF): The Warren Buffett-backed EV-maker's stock has seen a relatively low decline in its stock compared to some of its peers. Since the end of last year, the stock has lost just over 27%. However, Ark, which holds the unsponsored ADRs (OTC:BYDDY) of the company through the ARK Autonomous Tech. & Robotics ETF, has trimmed its holdings by over 37,000 shares in the said period.
Currently, BYD is the 17th largest holding of the fund with a weight of 1.73%. The automaker stopped manufacturing vehicles based on internal combustion engines in March and said it would focus on new energy vehicles, including battery electric vehicles, and plug-in hybrids.
In September, Ark sold over 51,000 shares of the auto-maker after Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK-A) (NYSE: BRK-B) disclosed trimming its stake in the stock.
Read Next: Larry Summers Highlights Recession Risk For 2023: 'What Samuel Johnson Said Of Second Marriage Is Often True Of Soft Landings'


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Bicycles, e-bikes and scooters are more popular than ever – but they need regulation
Bicycles, e-bikes and scooters have been enjoying a surge in popularity as commuters become more and more aware of the effects of vehicle emissions, and our cities become ever more congested. Yet even these seemingly eco-friendly solutions face challenges from an unexpected source: regulation. As people switch to pedal and foot power, there are now emerging issues about the interaction of these various forms of mobility, and how we manage our cycle lanes.
In theory, bicycles, e-bikes, scooters and even hoverboards help get people out of polluting vehicles that clog up city streets. But they can be dangerous: their accident rates have surged. And the challenge is not just about organising the traffic, but also about how to run the market, and defining who needs insurance.
The question of insurance was addressed by the European Parliament on January 22, when MEPs in the Consumer Protection Committee decided not to continue with a rule change that would have required riders of electric bikes to buy motor-vehicle-style third-party liability insurance. It came after protests from groups like the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF), which had warned that use and sales of e-bikes would suffer “substantial damage” if the EU passed a law that would “criminalize millions of current power-assisted bicycle users.”
When it comes to the market, the recent surge in e-bikes is at risk thanks to the EU’s trade defence measures. Most of the new models come from China, and the EU slapped tariffs on them on January 19 in reaction to imports tripling between 2014 and 2017, contributing to an estimated 10 million e-bikes being sold in total on the EU market as of 2017. EU officials say that without such measures, unchecked trade would bankrupt EU producers, which account for some 3,500 jobs.
As for the traffic itself, local officials worry if there is enough capacity. In the Netherlands, the most bicycle-friendly country on Earth, the number of mopeds has more than doubled to about 720,000. Big Dutch cities are looking at new rules stating what vehicles are allowed on their increasingly crowded lanes: Amsterdam now says that slower mopeds, known as a “snorfiets”, will be banned from the bike paths from April.
Finally, there is the question of rental bicycles and scooters that can be picked up on street corners, where they are unlocked with a special card or code – which has led to them being stranded in public spaces, where users last left them. This is partly because the legal framework does not define where they should be driven or parked.
Invasion of public space
Paris’s Deputy Mayor Christophe Najdovski has warned of an “invasion of public space, most of all the sidewalks.” In Belgium, every sharing system, including e-scooters, has to register and agree measures preventing high concentrations of the vehicles in one spot – and making sure broken ones are repaired within 24 hours.
As for Germany, e-scooters are still illegal on their roads. In Spain, where they are classified within the type of personal mobility vehicles (VMP), the city of Barcelona has threatened fines of up to €100 per unauthorized e-scooter.
All this shows how even mobility solutions that initially look like the most environmentally and socially responsible are not nearly as simple as they first seem.


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Rumors are circulating that Apple is getting read to revamp the MacBook Air, and that the new notebook will not only be smaller, but that it will get rid of the full-sized USB port, SD card slot, and even the MagSafe connector.
Showing results 1 to 20 of 969
The 2-pound notebook, to be displayed in Vegas next month, features a 12.2-inch WQXGA resolution screen, Intel Core M Broadwell processor, and 12 hours of battery life.
The software helps users move files from their Android, iOS, and Windows devices to an Intel-powered laptop running the Chrome OS.
The new lineup is being marketed as both a workstation and a gaming notebook, complete with a quad-core Intel Core i7 processor and Nvidia GeForce GTX 860M graphics.
HP said the incentive is designed to give smaller businesses the ability to adopt server virtualization for less cost and physical footprint than dedicated storage hardware.
Infor's suite of high-end cloud financial software products include a new user interface, in-memory database technology and more. CloudSuite signals a major shift in the application space. Will CIOs bite?
Following up a new chip debuted for datacenters earlier this week, Intel dives deeper into its software-defined strategy.
Following up VMware a few weeks ago, Intel is solidifying its own foundation and argument for the software-defined datacenter.
The chip giant steps up its security push for hybrid data centers, a common theme at VMworld.
Unlike the company's beefier 14-inch sibling, the new notebook weighs in at just 4.5 pounds and is an inch thick, while featuring an Intel Core processor and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 860M graphics card.
The new solid-state drives, apparently using Toshiba flash memory, will join RAM as the latest component sporting the Radeon badge.
Toshiba Intel 2.16GHz 16" Laptop $230
MemSQL's CEO sees in-memory technology as the best way to enable real time transactions and analytics applications. He also sees this as the basis for extremely fast big data solutions.
Intel has unveiled a new family of hardware and software products aimed at helping to drive the evolution of self-driving cars within the automotive industry.
Adding memory and swapping for an SSD was easy. Getting Windows 8.1 Update on the SSD a lot less easy.
Intel has unveiled a new platform designed to help businesses deploy and operate private clouds more efficiently via software-defined infrastructures.
The company's nuclear business is declining, but smartphones and tablets are still doing well — and the maker of flash memory chips is seeing the results.
Intel on Thursday said it made a significant investment in Cloudera, making the startup its preferred distributor of software for Big Data.
Toshiba and SanDisk have accused SK Hynix of illegally obtaining data relating to NAND flash memory technology.
With Windows 8.1 just out the door, Windows 9 is slated for a late 2014 release. With little to go on except sheer creativity and a bevy of ideas, designers and enthusiasts have published what they think the next-generation desktop, notebook, and tablet software should look like.
The best of ZDNet, delivered
- 1 Windows 10: You've got questions, I've got answers
- 2 Hands-on with Windows 10: Installing the latest Technical Preview
- 3 Perfectly legal ways you can still get Windows 7 cheap (or even free)
- 4 31 ways to improve your iPhone's battery life
- 5 How much does an iPhone 6 really cost? (Hint: It's way more than $199)


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Dutch customs fail to check internet imports
Only 10 percent of articles ordered from the United States by internet is checked by Dutch customs, says a research carried out by De Telegraaf.15 July 2008
THE NETHERLANDS - Research carried out by Dutch daily De Telegraaf suggests that only 10 percent of articles ordered from the United States by internet is actually checked by Dutch customs.
Journalists bought 30 articles in the United States, including clothes, sunglasses, mobile phones and other electronic equipment.
The average value of the internet orders was around USD 250 dollars - above the threshold at which VAT and import tax must be paid on imported goods. Only three of the articles were checked and surcharged.
[Radio Netherlands / Expatica]
If you would like to comment on this topic, you can do so below or in our discussion forums at: http://forum.expatica.com/Netherlands-f207.html. (Forums require a personal profile. Sign up here.)


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- Tech & Gadgets
- BRW. lounge
Published 20 June 2012 06:35, Updated 28 June 2012 05:21
Move quickly: Jodie Fox says striving for perfection may delay a start Edwina Pickles
After unveiling their internet retailer Shoes of Prey, founders Jodie and Michael Fox and Mike Knapp quickly noticed some imitators trying to crack their idea of customers designing and ordering bespoke shoes online. At first they weren’t fazed but then the threat became real.
A competitor that had been lagging in terms of technology suddenly caught up, Jodie Fox explains. “They’d cracked the complexity in their designer that we’d worked really hard to make,” she says.
The trio were “horrified” and believe that their competitor scraped their website to get access to the code that underlies its functionality. All three have legal backgrounds and seriously considered litigation but Fox says this would have been a distraction. “My business is not here to get into litigation,” she says. “We decided to out-innovate them.”
Despite the turmoil, Fox says starting a business in stealth mode is “old school”. “If you wait until you’re completely ready, you’re probably too late,” she says. “And people want to be a part of the journey with you.”
Fox says the nine months it took to get Shoes of Prey online was actually “too long” and the four months it took the team to develop its second business, prescription glasses retailer Sneaking Duck, was more suited to the fast pace required of internet start-ups.
The team, which has just raised $3 million from angel and venture capital investors, has blogged its experience at 22michaels.com from the beginning. This encourages loyal customers, who sometimes help with strategy, Fox says. “As a start-up you can’t pay the kind of people that you would love to have thinking about your business,” she says. “[On the blog] . . . people do engage with us. They come along that journey and they do want to help us solve problems.”


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