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Leading Off The FDIC issued a statement addressing the use of cloud computing services in the financial services sector; Libra hired Stuart Levey, HSBC’s Chief Legal Officer as its CEO; Samsung partnered with SoFi to launch a debit card; Zoom acquired encryption firm Keybase to bolster the security of its product; Robinhood raised $280M in […]
The U.S. House Financial Services Committee formally requested that Facebook halt its planned Libra rollout; the U.K. FCA proposed a ban on derivatives tied to crypto assets; IBM’s TradeLens consortium added new members; the forthcoming Libra currency is already attracting digital scammers and domain squatters hoping to make a quick profit; and the Financial Times published an opinion piece on why central banks should issue digital currencies.
Kik is crowdfunding money to officially challenge the SEC’s ruling that its Kin token is subject to securities rules; IBM and Maersk expanded their successful blockchain-based TradeLens shipping consortium; Facebook’s GlobalCoin is reportedly set to launch in early 2020; the German Bundesbank was critical of blockchain following a test of its ability to facilitate securities transactions; TransferWise raised nearly $300M in new funding, giving it a $3.5B valuation; and Plaid expanded services to the U.K.
The Senate Banking Committee is seeking details from Facebook about its reported stablecoin project; the Binance crypto exchange was hacked, causing a loss of about $40M; Nordea launched its IBM-built we.trade blockchain platform; Facebook is ramping up its Whatsapp-based mobile payments plans, centering its efforts in London; the HKMA approved four new virtual banking licenses; and SoFi launched two new ETFs.
A federal judge ruled that the DFS can move forward with its lawsuit against the OCC’s proposed fintech charter; the CFTC believes that more companies will apply to become clearinghouses due to growing interest in cryptocurrencies; IBM partnered with Thomson Reuters on a AI-backed regtech product; Facebook is working with large financial institutions to support its reportedly forthcoming stablecoin; and the Boston Fed produced a whitepaper on creating “supervisory nodes” on a blockchain.
The New York Fed launched a new fintech advisory group dedicated to providing Bank leaders with industry insights; Bank of America announced that its Erica virtual assistant now has six million users; IBM rolled out its World Wire real-time global payments network; Amazon partnered with Worldpay to allow the latter’s merchants to pay with Amazon Pay during checkout; Australia outlined a national strategy for blockchain development and implementation; and FIS will purchase Worldpay for $35B.


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An Unbiased View of DJI Drones in Norfolk VA 23551
It wouldn’t always be surprising Should the US navy concluded that a buyer-quality product or service was inadequate for armed service use. As DJI by itself notes, the corporate’s drones are not made with warfare in mind, and mainstream products and solutions usually aren’t hardened how armed service engineering is.
You should contact the company directly for technological aid and customer service. Warranty: 12 months for remote control and central processor; 6 months for battery, gimbal digital camera, and motors; no guarantee for frame, propeller, or carrying situation. Compatibility iPhone Types
Electronics Stores in Norfolk, Virginia 23551
Drones for Sale in Norfolk Virginia
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NORFOLK, Va. – Select units from the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) Carrier Strike Group (CSG) will return to Norfolk this week, the Navy announced Monday. Adm. Christopher Grady, Commander of the U.S. ...
Norfolk State University changes crime reporting after 10 On Your Side investigation
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) – For Howard and Connie Clery, everything changed in 1986, when their daughter Jeanne was raped and murdered in her college dorm. “They were not aware of crime that was happening o...
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So far, Virginia Catalyst has awarded $15.7 million in grant funding over 8 application rounds. Projects funded in this round include: Project Focus: Biofabrication of Regenerative Musculoskeletal The...

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Oppo the child of BBK Electronics based in China unveiled their midrange flagship Oppo Reno 4 Pro, a few weeks back in India. The smartphone featured blazing fast charging at 65 W and sleek design. Following the launch of it, Oppo is readying another Reno 4 Series model, and its coming to Indonesia first.
The Oppo Reno4 F was spotted in several video teasers released by the company on their Youtube channel. The smartphone is coming on October 14 according to a poster and the video sheds light on some key features. According to the video teaser, it will have a 7.48 mm body, which is slimmer than the current Reno 4 model, which measures under 7.7 mm.
Sticking to what Reno 4 Series offers, the F model will have an AMOLED display as well. The back is dominated by a quad rear camera setup aligned inside a square module and boasts of AI color portrait mode as the video suggests.
Stay tuned to know more about the Oppo Reno4 F as it nears the launch. Based on the recent trend, it is also expected to hit the Indian market sooner or later.
Read interesting news, reviews as well as tips & tricks on TechnoBugg website, and stay updated with the latest happenings of the tech world on the go with Technobugg App. Also follow on Google News and join our Telegram channel for the latest updates.


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An increasing number of EweMove franchisees are opening physical branches, says managing director Nick Neill.
He said that EweMove encapsulates the meaning of the term ‘hybrid agency’, and claimed that it was the first hybrid brand to enter the market five years ago.
Neill, also known as the Head Shepherd, said that the term ‘hybrid’ is now used commonly across the industry, with a number of brands claiming to be the ‘UK’s #1 ‘hybrid agency’.
Neill told EYE: “Back in 2013, the estate agency sector lacked innovation in so many areas – from the way agents listed and sold properties, marketed themselves and their portfolios, to the physical operations within the office in terms of sales and lead generation.
“Technology’s potential wasn’t being harnessed, and it meant not only did many clients miss out on the services they did, and didn’t know they wanted, but the high street model struggled to keep up as a result.
“This acknowledgement was the catalyst for the EweMove brand being set up five years ago to positively disrupt the market and provide a fresh approach.
“It recognised that there was a huge gap between online and high street agents.
“Online had the opportunity to revolutionise the agent’s operations by streamlining processes and generating leads, as well as enabling clients to receive of-the-minute updates on their property’s progress and to be communicated with at times, and via channels, which best suited their needs.
“Conversely, the traditional model offered the best way for people to buy from people, to build genuine relationships, to have a local shop front to gaze into and a face to talk to.”
Neill says that a hybrid approach is a win/win for both agents and customers. In the case of EweMove, it also puts the focus on recruiting the right franchisees.
“While we know that EweMove isn’t right for everyone, we also know that not everyone is right for EweMove.
“We encourage them to run their franchises exactly how they want and that means they have the freedom to choose whether they run their business from their home or the high street.
“The decision is truly theirs, and they receive all of the support and pioneering technology from our Sheep Pen to help them grow their businesses.
“And this is an attractive proposition for many. Last year alone, we listed 4,465 properties with a completion rate of over 70% – well above the UK average of around 50%.
“Whilst the majority of franchisees do operate without a high street branch, we’re seeing an increasing number continuing to choose to open branches.”
Neill said traditional agents still very much have their place.
He said: “People do buy from people and customers like having a face to see when they are making a decision about selling up, renting or buying a property.
“But if it’s not backed up and supported by innovation and technology, they’ll often fall behind, meaning that their potential customers are ripe for the pickings.”


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As per the Bain & Co 2021 report, India is the third-largest eCommerce market globally, with 180–190 million online shoppers. Moreover, the country will likely overtake the United States in the next two years. India has a lot of potential in the eCommerce industry. Growing exponentially, the market value of the eCommerce industry in India will reach $350 billion by 2030.
These staggering numbers are such because of a robust eCommerce ecosystem, including but not limited to a growing internet base, several shopping websites, easy and accessible payment options and a potent logistics network.
The Booming eCommerce Market in India
India is one of the fastest-growing eCommerce markets in the world. According to the India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) report, India’s eCommerce market will likely reach $200 billion by 2026.
This growth projection has many factors supporting it, including but not limited to the consistent growth in internet and smartphone penetration. The number of internet connections in 2021 increased significantly to 830 million. As per a 2022 Statista report, India ranks second in the world in terms of active internet users.
Another fact highlighting the growth in the Indian eCommerce industry is the significant investment of $15 billion in private equity and venture capital investments in 2021, which is a 5.4x increase yearly. This is the highest-ever investment amount received by any sector in India.
Top Shopping Websites in India
India is home to thousands of shopping websites. Many eCommerce enterprises operate in India, from startups and mid-sized businesses to unicorns and multi-billion dollar companies.
Here is a list of some of the top shopping websites in India:
Founded in October 2007 by Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal, Flipkart is one of India’s biggest eCommerce marketplaces. Flipkart started its operations as an internet-based bookstore, promised to deliver books anywhere in India, and later expanded into other product categories.
Flipkart came into prominence after launching its mobile shopping app in 2012. Since then, the company has seen an upward curve all the way. Flipkart competes primarily with Amazon India and leading domestic players such as Meesho, Ajio and Tata Neu.
Currently, Flipkart deals with various categories, including but not limited to consumer electronics, fashion, home and kitchen and groceries. In 2013, the brand adopted a marketplace model and opened the platform to Indian sellers to extend its ambit.
Flipkart’s retail business increasingly relies on hyperlocal merchants, mainly in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. Besides its retail marketplace, Flipkart also launched its business-to-business marketplace, Flipkart Wholesale, in 2020 to cater to these local shops.
The two big players primarily dominate the Indian eCommerce industry— Flipkart and Amazon India. As we have already discussed Flipkart, we will now look at Amazon India, an eCommerce giant with over half a million sellers onboard.
Amazon operates its online shopping business in India through “Amazon dot in”.
According to Ahrefs’ top 100 most visited websites in the world rankings, Amazon’s India website (rank 26) ranks above its rival, Flipkart (rank 33).
From fashion and consumer electronics to home-kitchen and beauty, Amazon India offers customers an extensive selection of products, with delivery options that meet their requirements.
Launched in 2007, Myntra is a prominent Indian fashion online shopping company headquartered in Bengaluru. The brand started with personalised gift items and started selling fashion and lifestyle products in 2011.
One of the key highlights of Myntra is that it brings premium brands under its umbrella and delivers an effortless shopping experience to its customers. Myntra currently deals with various fashion and lifestyle products for men, women and kids. The company sells branded clothes, footwear, beauty and personal care products and other accessories.
Myntra serves its customers with apparel, footwear and beauty products from over 500 renowned Indian and international brands. Some brands include Nike, Adidas, Puma, Catwalk, United Colors of Benetton, Avirate, FabIndia and Biba.
Nykaa is one of India’s biggest online stores for beauty, personal care and wellness products. The brand has over 2500+ brands and more than five lakh products. Nykaa leverages the direct-to-customer (D2C) strategy to serve its customers across India.
Founded by Falguni Nayar in 2012 as an eCommerce portal, Nykaa expanded from an online-only to an omnichannel business and started selling fashion products.
AJIO specialises in fashion and lifestyle products. This Reliance Retail-owned company was launched in 2016 and currently operates with over 1.3 million styles and over 5000 brands. The brand offers a wide range of clothing, footwear, accessories, and beauty products for men, women, and kids.
The brand enjoys the luxury of a robust physical retail business built by Reliance Retail. Besides bringing Indian and exclusive international brands on its platform, the company caters to the demands of its customers through its in-house brand AJIO Own.
Launched in 2016 as an online marketplace, Tata CLiQ is one of the most influential eCommerce retailers. The brand offers various products across multiple categories, including but not limited to electronics, home essentials, fashion and beauty.
Besides regular retail through its online portal, Tata CLiQ also offers a luxury segment, Tata CLiQ Luxury. This section offers products from reputed luxury brands such as Hugo Boss, Armani and Coach.
Notably, the Tata Group subsidiary has also launched an omnichannel service called ‘phygital’. Customers can order online and collect products from physical stores through this channel.
Pepperfry, one of India’s largest online furniture stores, was established by Ambareesh Murthy and Ashish Shah in 2011. Like many other eCommerce sites, it was also into something other than the eventual business segment. The brand started as a horizontal online marketplace concentrated on fashion and lifestyle.
Pepperfry now specialises in furniture and home decor products like kitchen appliances, housekeeping items, bathing equipment, etc.
Since its launch, the company has disrupted furniture and home goods retail by integrating an online sales channel and a sizeable omnichannel operation. As of 2021, Pepperfry’s studios are available in more than 100 cities, and the brand offers home delivery across 500+ cities in India.
Launched in 2011, ShopClues.com is one of India’s first online managed marketplaces. Headquartered in Gurugram, Shopclues has over 50 million products and 500,000 merchants on its platform, serving over 30,000 pin codes nationwide.
As India is one of the world’s largest eCommerce markets, many online shopping websites exist here. The eCommerce market in India is highly competitive, with several players aiming to get as many customers as possible. Some of the top companies in India, such as Amazon India, Flipkart, and Snapdeal, offer a range of products across various categories and are known for their customer-centric approach. As the market continues to evolve, new enterprises and technologies will emerge, and it will be interesting to see how the market plays out in the days, months and years to come.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Which is the number 1 online market in India?
Many parameters, such as traffic, market capitalisation, number of customers, etc., decide the rankings. As the variable is not explicit, we will consider web traffic to determine the number 1 online market. As per Similarweb, Amazon India is the most visited Marketplace website in India as of March 2023,
Q2. Which website is similar to Flipkart?
Some sites similar to Flipkart are Amazon India, Snapdeal, Myntra, Croma, and Tata CLiQ.
Q3. Which is more trustworthy, Amazon India or Flipkart?
Amazon India and Flipkart both provide an exceptional shopping experience and follow most of the industry trust guidelines and standards. Therefore, both are equally trustworthy.


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Wait, does Apple suddenly care about India?
Today, iTunes began selling songs and movies in India for the first time. And unlike most Apple products in India, they’re actually affordable. Songs are about 22 cents, while albums are $1.76. (Americans pay 99 cents a song.) The company must surmount India’s notorious piracy to be competitive, and at prices like that, it actually has a shot. Its catalog boasts 500,000 songs and movies, including Bollywood and Tamil numbers, but no books or television shows yet.
Meanwhile, separate media reports today say retailers have sold out of the iPhone 5 and there’s a waiting period of 10 to 12 days to get one. The smartphone went on sale last month for a starting price of 45,500 rupees for the entry-level 16GB model ($894).
The warm reception for the iPhone 5 is noteworthy, a departure from versions previous. Price has been an obstacle to Apple’s growth in India, as has incompatibility with India’s telecommunications networks. But University of Washington business professor Shailendra Jain also calls Apple’s efforts in India a “marketing failure.” He writes:
What Apple as a brand means in the U.S. is very different from what Apple means in Asian countries. It was born in the U.S. and has produced a long line of successful “i” gadgets—iMac, iPod, iPad—whose branding is rooted in individuality. This is clever branding, and has been a good fit for an influential segment of the American and Western population: rebels, early adopters, would-be innovators who want cutting-edge technology and are relatively less sensitive to price. In Asian countries this is not such a strong fit, in terms of perceived personality. Asian cultures tend to be more collectivistic, and the theory is that millions of consumers in these cultures may find “i” less appealing than “we.”
So do reports of Apple’s twin successes today say more about the company’s grasp of an emerging market or India’s embrace of selfish materialism? We’re reserving judgment until we gauge the strength of that Bollywood selection.


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We’re certainly spoiled for choice in Dubai when it comes to new finding a new gym, a new class or a new experience to get our fitness juices flowing. And now that the temperatures in the city are starting to cool down, there’s no better time to get back outside to exercise.
Next month, a major yoga festival is set to make its return, and it’s open to all levels of experience and enthusiasm.
Taking place at the Dubai Internet City Amphitheatre, Yogafest Dubai is returning with a two-day schedule that will see fitness-seekers come together to experience free yoga sessions, wellness and sustainability.
With more than 150 classes and workshops by local and international teachers, there’s plenty to do. And, you’ll also be able to attend a slew of talks that will be centred around healthy living, nutrition and yoga philosophy, plus shop for eco-friendly products from sustainably-focused vendors.
This year, the festival has also organised two new tents, the Shakti Tent and the Al Jalila Foundation Tent, which are open to women only and determined individuals. All proceeds from the event will go towards the Al Jalila Foundation’s Ta’alouf program (which supports carers of children with special needs).
Yogafest Dubai is set to take place from November 15-17, 2018, at Dubai Internet City Amphitheatre. To register, just visit eventbrite.com. You might want to act quickly though as spaces are a first come, first seated basis!


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Popular Graphic Design Articles for 2014
When you want to do something graphically intensive on your iPad, Android, or Windows tablet, you need a stylus. Here's some tips on getting the right one.
Samsung went big with the 12.2-inch version of the Galaxy Note. Is this stylus-driven tablet too much of a good thing? Read our review to find out.
Asus' VivoTab Note 8 is one of the 8-inch tablets designed to hit a sweet spot for a low-cost yet functional device. Its Wacom digitizer sets it apart from the[...]
The AluPen Digital from Just Mobile isn’t a run-of-the-mill stylus. Unlike most capacitive models, its slender tip gives the impression of writing with a pen while also giving the user[...]
Both the Asus VivoTab Note 8 and Surface Pro 2 have pressure-sensitive Wacom stylus pens. So, do you need the $900 Pro 2, or is the $330 VivoTab Note 8[...]
An upgrade to the latest version of Google's mobile operating system is heading to a pair of Samsung tablets, according to an unconfirmed report.
Samsung's super-size Android tablet will include a new user interface, and is targeted at business users. We go hands-on with this upcoming device.
Judging by a recent patent approval from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Apple is continuing work on a stylus pen that will feature an orientation sensor, giving users a[...]
Don't miss this video from the TechnologyGuide test lab of the first mid-range Windows tablet with a Wacom touch-sensitive display.
Sharp has taken the wraps off a business tablet that will feature a very large, high pixel-density IGZO screen and an Intel Core i5 processor.
Starting at 650 GBP, the Galaxy NotePRO 12.2 will ship in the U.K. February 4. What does this mean for the U.S. price? UPDATED
In recent months, there has been a bevy of rumors about Apple's plans to introduce a larger version of the iPad. However, an unconfirmed report says this plan has been[...]
Sources report that Apple plans to release a 12.9-inch tablet this fall. This will compete with other large tablets that have hit the market lately.
Adobe has long been known for its collection of creative software, but later this year it's going to branch out into hardware -- the company is developing a stylus and[...]
The Samsung 12.2-inch Galaxy Note Pro and Tab Pro have arrived in US stores and customers can place orders today for the tablets.
Adobe has entered the hardware market as it introduced two accessories, Adobe Ink and Adobe Slide, to compliment a set of new iPad apps designed to make it easier to[...]
Samsung has just announced that the first of its Galaxy Note Pro and Galaxy Tab Pro slates that were unveiled at CES last month will arrive in the U.S. on[...]
The 12.2-inch version of Samsung's Galaxy Tab Pro will hit retailers next week. This high-end Android tablet will join two smaller versions that debuted last month.
Asus' TransformerBook T100 offers users an affordable two-in-one with Windows 8.1. NotebookReview puts this device through its paces.
Lightroom mobile, which has just been added to Adobe's Creative Cloud family, allows users to access and edit images on an Apple iPad using failiar tools. Details are available from[...]


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Quaker Oats on Wednesday announced that Aunt Jemima, its 131-year-old syrup, will be renamed and rebranded amid outrage that the syrup is based on a “racial stereotype.”
As we work to make progress toward racial equality through several initiatives, we also must take a hard look at our portfolio of brands and ensure they reflect our values and meet our consumers’ expectations,” Kristin Kroepfl, vice president and chief marketing officer of Quaker Foods North America, said in a press release.
“We recognize Aunt Jemima’s origins are based on a racial stereotype. While work has been done over the years to update the brand in a manner intended to be appropriate and respectful, we realize those changes are not enough.
“We acknowledge the brand has not progressed enough to appropriately reflect the confidence, warmth and dignity that we would like it to stand for today. We are starting by removing the image and changing the name. We will continue the conversation by gathering diverse perspectives from both our organization and the Black community to further evolve the brand and make it one everyone can be proud to have in their pantry,” Kroepfl said.
The New York Times had put the hard press on Quaker Oats with a recent story. “The brand, founded in 1889, is built on images of a black female character that have often been criticized as offensive,” The Times reported. “Even after going through several redesigns — pearl earrings and a lace collar were added in 1989 — Aunt Jemima was still seen by many as a symbol of slavery.”
Uncle Ben’s will be next.
After the Quaker Oats announcement, the food and candy giant Mars said it was “evaluating all possibilities” concerning the rice brand Uncle Ben’s, which has been marketed through a character that has long been criticized as a racial stereotype. Mars said it did not know the exact changes or timing, but that it had a responsibility as a global brand “to take a stand in helping to put an end to racial bias and injustices.”
“As we listen to the voices of consumers, especially in the Black community, and to the voices of our Associates worldwide, we recognize that now is the right time to evolve the Uncle Ben’s brand, including its visual brand identity, which we will do,” Mars said in a statement.
Quaker Oats is owned by PepsiCo, which had its own disaster when it ran an ad featuring Kendell Jenner handing a police officer a can of Pepsi.


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IBM and the Art of Acquisitions
“If you do something 60 times you are going to develop some best practices,” Scott Hebner says.
This could be said of many things. The thing Hebner is talking about is acquisitions—software company acquisitions by his employer, IBM, to be exact. Hebner is vice president of marketing and strategy for IBM Rational Software, which makes tools for software developers and is itself the legacy of an IBM acquisition, five years ago this February. So he should know what he’s talking about when he says that IBM knows what it’s doing when it buys a software company. After all, as he observes, “If there’s one thing IBM is good at, it’s putting processes in place and operationalizing them.”
So, 60 times in the last dozen years—more like 66 times, actually, counting the newest case just last week (read on)—IBM’s software division has chosen to expand its business by acquiring other companies that were offering products IBM wanted to offer, or that had capabilities IBM might have built internally but found it easier to buy. And it’s getting pretty good at it. The word is that some of the early acquisitions—Lotus (1995) and Tivoli (1996) come up in conversations—were a bit rocky. But now IBM has an entire team of people who do nothing but manage the assimilation of newly purchased companies.
It’s a balancing act, but one IBM seems to have mastered, says Mike Weider, founder and CTO of Watchfire, a security company that joined IBM last year. “If you integrate too quickly you smother the fire that made [the acquired company] special,” Weider says. “But if you don’t integrate fast enough then you don’t leverage the synergies. I think IBM has figured out a nice balance between those two things.”
Some of those acquired companies have now been around long enough inside IBM that they’re making acquisitions of their own—many of them right here in Massachusetts. Waltham, MA-based Watchfire, for example, became part of Rational. (In many cases, including with Rational and Watchfire, IBM keeps alive the brands of its acquired companies—usually when the brand signifies something to the market that IBM’s brand by itself couldn’t convey.) And in the deal announced last week, the newest member of the IBM software family—FilesX, a Windows data protection and recovery company with headquarters in Newton, MA, and Haifa, Israel—will become part of the Tivoli organization.
None of this is to say that IBM has acquisitions down to a science, because every acquired company is different. The impression I get from speaking with people like Hebner and Weider over the past couple of months is that the company sees acquisitions as something closer to an art—but one that gets easier, as most artistic pursuits do, as you develop a mastery of technique.
“There are very few companies out there that are able to acquire companies and do a good job at integrating them,” says Mohamad Ali, an IBM vice president for business development and strategy who is Big Blue’s transition manager for the acquisition of Ottawa, Ontario-based business intelligence company Cognos (which has a major office in Burlington, MA). “IBM is one of a handful. I don’t say that just because I love it here. Statistically, if you look at the acquisition process, about 30 percent of acquisitions actually hit the target, in terms of the synergies that create the premium that make you want to acquire somebody, which is really quite dismal. At IBM, our percentage is much higher.”
So what are the keys to good technique, when it comes to buying a company and everything that goes with it? Obviously, as EMC executives detailed to Bob recently, there needs to be a good technological fit between acquirer and acquiree. According to Hebner, IBM Software doesn’t buy a company unless it has already determined that its customers have a need; that an outside company’s software fills that need; and that it makes more sense to buy that company than to try to build an equivalent system from scratch, or to cobble something together from IBM’s existing products.
Watchfire is a good recent example. “Rational has products that span the software development lifecycle, from architecture and modeling to coding tools, but did not have many capabilities in the area of security,” says Weider, who founded the company to build software that automatically evaluates websites and Web-based applications for security holes. “We are really filling an important need in there. To really build security into a company’s software, you need to get engaged with some of the development tools they’re using.”
But that’s the obvious part. Companies generally don’t go around spending hundreds of millions of dollars on acquisitions—or billions, in the cases of Lotus, Rational, and Cognos—unless the company being acquired has complementary products that fill a real need in the market. What’s just as important to IBM is that there be enough overlap with its own products that it will be easy to plug the new company’s widgets into Big Blue’s global sales operation. That way, the acquired company gets to grow even faster inside IBM than it would have if it had stayed independent.
“Watchfire had their best quarter by far in the fourth quarter” of 2007, says Hebner. “They’re based in North America, but they landed new deals in India and other parts of the world because we were able to get them into some of the bigger accounts we have access to. Taking a company with a strong value proposition and getting them integrated with our worldwide sales organization—that alone is fuel for growth.” Similarly, Rational’s business has grown 40 percent since it joined IBM.
But synergies between products don’t mean much if the people who actually make them aren’t happy. So IBM says it puts a lot of thought into the human side of the acquisition equation. “You are acquiring the people—that is the asset in most of these cases,” says Hebner. “The code base, without the people who understand what it does, is not very useful. So we’ve put a much bigger emphasis making sure that the people are happy. We do a lot to make sure that we celebrate the culture of the company coming in. We actually try to assimilate things from them—and IBM has become a much more flexible place because of all these new people.”
As an example, Hebner points to Rational (which IBMers often seem to hold up as the company’s model acquisition). “Rational was very entrepreneurial and practitioner-oriented—it sold directly to users,” explains Hebner. “If it was a tester product, they sold it directly to testers. To do that, you’d better be technical—and [Rational founder] Grady Booch is the perfect example, very much a thought leader, very deep in the skills and the business processes that customers go through to deploy software.” IBM has tried to absorb that mindset and approach, says Hebner. “We have a much better ability now to talk to developers in an intelligent and relevant way than before Rational came on board.”
IBM’s respect for the talent it’s hiring is not lost on the talent themselves. IBM “has a reputation for doing a great job with acquisitions—which is not necessarily common in our industry,” says Weider. “When you think about why acquisitions fail, it’s typically one of two things—either the strategy was off or the execution was off. In our case, the strategy is bang on.” On the execution side—well, so far, eight months into its assimilation, Watchfire has retained 99 percent of its original employees. “That’s pretty much the largest proof point that things have gone well,” Weider says.
If there’s a problem with becoming part of IBM, says Weider, it’s that the 270,000-employee behemoth is almost too welcoming: Everybody around Big Blue wants to know all at once how they can help the new kid, and how the new kid can help them. “The challenge is being overwhelmed by all the different people who want to leverage your people and technologies,” says Weider. “I spend a lot of time being the spokesperson for our division within IBM, and if I responded to every single request, I would be doing nothing else. You have to know what’s critical and how to prioritize things.” Luckily, that’s a process question—and IBM seems to have gotten pretty good at those.
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The Association of Collegiate Anglers has announced that HydroWave, makers of the electronic fish attractor, has renewed its partnership and sponsorship with the Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Series.
HydroWave, manufactured in Huntsville, Alabama by TH Marine has had a long standing relationship with college anglers in providing an electronic device that helps imitate the natural, audible underwater sounds of baitfish and fish-feeding activities. The first HydroWave was created with the help of numerous top-level professionals in bass fishing, including Jeff Kriet and Kevin VanDam. Built on fishing science, the HydroWave sends out reverberations to a predatory fish’s lateral line, sounds that help to trigger a fish’s feeding instinct.
“T-H Marine and our HydroWave brand are excited to continue our support of Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Series. Our HydroWave electronic feeding stimulator is used by virtually all of the fishing pros, along with our other brands. These Collegiate fishing enthusiasts are our fishing sport’s future and our brands’ future as well. We are happy to help them pursue their dreams!” said Jeff Huntley, President of TH Marine.
Since the Original HydroWave, HydroWave has branched out from just the bass fishing world to now include walleye, catfish, crappie and inshore saltwater fishing. They have also created the HydroWave Mini, which is a portable version of the full-size unit.
“We are excited to have HydroWave continuing their support of the Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Series. The HydroWave is a product that you find on many of our anglers’ boats, as well as top pros everywhere, and their support of college fishing is great to see,” said Wade Middleton, Director of ACA and President of CarecoTV.
Collegiate anglers this year will have a unique opportunity to work with HydroWave to purchase their electronic fish attractor units as part of a discount purchase program created jointly between the Association of Collegiate Anglers and HydroWave. For more information on that program, collegiate anglers are urged to contact email@example.com or go online at https://www.collegiatebasschampionship.com and visit the Discount and Incentives page.
As part of their support of the ACA events this year, HydroWave will be on-site during the 2017 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Cabela’s, as well at several ACA events during the 2018 season, where college anglers will have a chance to visit with staff from HydroWave personally. HydroWave units are available in major retailers, and hundreds of independent stores throughout the country. To find out more visit Hydrowave.com.


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Laredo store sells winning lottery ticket worth $25,000
The Texas Lottery has announced that a Laredo resident is about to get $25,000 dollars richer after a winning ticket was sold at a local Stripes convenience store.
A press release from the Texas Lottery Commission states two top prize-winning tickets were sold in Huffman and the Gateway City, entitling the winners to $25,000 each for correctly matching the Cash Five winning numbers.
The Stripes store that sold the ticket is located at 2501 E Del Mar Blvd, nearby the United States Post Office and Alexander High School.
While the identity of the winner is not yet known, according to the lottery commission's website, the winning ticket must be claimed no later than 180 days after the draw date.
The winning numbers were: 4-10-20-34-35


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The East African Business Council Chairman and Board Directors paid a courtesy visit to .H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda and Member of the Summit of EAC Heads of State on Saturday, 24th August 2019 at the Entebbe State House, Uganda
Leading the EABC delegation, Mr. Nick Nesbitt, EABC Chairman, was accompanied by Mr. Patrick Bitature, PSFU Chairman and EABC Board Directors & Members namely Mr. Mwine Jim Kabeho, EABC Vice-Chairman & Director, Madhvani Group of Companies, Hon. Peter Mathuki, CEO EABC, Mr. Chris Diaz, EABC Board Director & Group Director Bidco Africa Ltd, Ms. Barbara Mulwana, EABC Board Director& Director Nice House of Plastics,, Mr. Godfrey Simbeye, CEO Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF), Mr. Gideon Badagawa, CEO PSFU, Mr. Simon Kaheru, EABC Board Director, Ms. Merian Sebunya, Director PSFU & Member EABC as well as Ms. Waturi wa Matu, Senior Director, TradeMark East Africa and Mr. Moses Ogwal, PSFU.
“Your Excellency, first and foremost allow me, on behalf of the business community and private sector in East Africa congratulate you and more sincerely thank you not only for engaging closely towards a common vision with your counterparts in the other EAC Partner States but also for being a steadfast believer in regional integration,” said Mr. Nick Nesbitt.
“This will go a long way in instilling confidence to the citizens and business community,” said Mr. Nesbitt.
He further said EABC is a respected coordinator and holds respective dialogue with EAC governments with balanced regional views and policy stance. He urged for closer government partnership and involvement with the private sector in policy formulation to enhance the competitiveness of the EAC region, value addition in agriculture, mining & services sectors among others as well as strengthening regional value chains.
Mr. Nebsitt engaged H.E. President Museveni on the need and importance to fast track the comprehensive review of EAC CET; Liberalization of Opens Skies; One Network Area on Telecommunication; Harmonization of Standards in the EAC; Strengthening the EAC Secretariat on enforcement of laws; Market access with Democratic Republic of the Congo; Transport interlinkages in the region - Road, Rail and Water (lake Victoria); Inter-governmental trade dispute resolution mechanism and closer government involvement and government partnership with the private sector.
"A healthy and vibrant private sector will support the social and economic development of the EAC. Involvement and partnership with private sector in budget planning process will allow the growth of local & regional value chains, hence reducing the imports gap in the EAC region,” said Mr. Nesbitt.
“Comprehensive review of the EAC Common External Tariff (CET) is yet to be finalized four years down the line adversely affecting intra-EAC trade,” said Hon. Peter Mathuki, EABC CEO.
“Liberalize the incoming cargo flights as it will increase cargo volume supporting exports of EAC horticultural products,” urged Ms. Waturi Matu, TMEA.
In his remarks, H.E. President Yoweri Museveni reaffirmed the importance of partnership with the private sector. “Where does wealth creation come from? Prosperity comes from trade! Commercial Agriculture, Industry, Services, ICT” said His Excellency.
H.E. President Museveni re-emphasized that there is no serious industry that can survive on the internal market alone, free trade is the minimum leaders can do to uplift East African livelihoods.
“Private sector is the dynamic and active element that unites the factors of economy, i.e. land, natural resources and labour. The private sector brings on board entrepreneurship and capital,” said H.E. President Museveni
H.E. President Museveni advised for a common strategic ideology for all East Africa .i.e. All Governments should see the primary interest is to promote prosperity, therefore Trade and partnership with Private Sector. H.E. further elaborated that there are no future markets for East African good and services without free-trade in East Africa Community, Africa and Globally. No country’s internal market only is sufficient and viable to survive


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Fairspin is giving a whole new meaning to the play-to-earn model iGaming industry with its innovative loyalty programs for users. The platform is built on the foundation of transparency and it achieves this through blockchain technology and its native TFS token.
Play-to-earn in iGaming: The New Goldmine
Blockchain technology has been criticized by numerous skeptics in the past, with some even predicting that the novel tech will amount to nothing in the future.
However, if the mass adoption of blockchain technology by players in virtually every sector of the global economy has not succeeded in making earlier doubters of DLT have a rethink, the exponential growth witnessed by the decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem in recent years will surely do.
While the DeFi ecosystem is still an overly complex puzzle for some average joes to navigate, others that have managed to crack the code have definitely experienced a turnaround in their fortunes.
According to data available on DeFi Llama, the total value locked (TVL) in DeFi protocols currently sits at $22.56 billion and the bulk of these funds come from retail investors.
It’s worth noting that in the past year, play-to-earn gaming model played an important role in the success of DeFi.
According to crypto data tracker and dApps store, DappRadar, nearly 50 percent of all active cryptocurrency wallets connected to DeFi platforms in November 2021, were for gaming, while other non-gaming dApps in the DeFi ecosystem experienced a 45 percent drop in the number of connected wallets.
Fairspin Transforming P2E in iGaming Sector
While DeFi yield farming, staking, liquidity mining, and lending used to be the only ways through which crypto holders earned decent returns on their crypto assets, the coming of play-to-earn model has given crypto market participants a whole new goldmine.
For the uninitiated, play-to-earn gaming model is a new trend in blockchain-powered games because it makes it possible for gamers to generate a steady stream of income by simply playing the game. Some of the top play-to-earn gaming platforms include:
Based on the Ethereum blockchain, Axie Infinity combines traditional video game elements and gameplay with the existing blockchain gaming model to offer players an exciting gaming experience while they earn unique NFTs that can be traded in the marketplace for hard currency.
Decentraland is another popular play-to-earn gaming metaverse. Also powered by Ethereum, Decentraland offers gamers a virtual world where they can create, monetize, and experience a vast array of content in the ecosystem.
Fairspin is a blockchain iGaming platform that is aiming to give a whole new meaning to online gaming. It relies on cryptography and blockchain technologies to offer players the highest level of transparency and immersive gaming experience.
The Fairspin ecosystem is powered by its native TFS token which is based on Ethereum. Players can both buy TFS token on decentralized exchanges like PancakeSwap and Uniswap or earn them via Fairspin’s unique loyalty programs: Play To Earn, and Hold To Earn.
Fairspin’s Play To Earn program is designed to reward players for gaming activities they undertake on the platform. Most of the games in the ecosystem, including Live Lottery, Black Jack, Keno, Wheel of Fortune, Live Roulette, Video Poker, and many others support the P2E feature and players must get rewards instantly irrespective of the outcome of the game.
On the other hand, in Hold To Earn, Fairspin users can freeze their available TFS tokens on the platform to earn tokenized rewards. The amount of the reward will depend on the period of holding and the platform’s income, as Fairspin shares its income with players.
“Once you receive TFS tokens via Play To Earn or purchase them, you will be able to hold the tokens for a specified period on the Fairspin platform. For doing this, you will receive pleasant rewards – additional TFS token. It means that a player can get income without any risks”, Fairspin explains.
The longer players hold their TFS token on the platform, while actively playing games, the higher the rewards they receive.
Both programs were launched a couple of months ago but already brought significant profit to their users. Thus, thanks to the Play To Earn program the Fairspin players have already got 29 287 214 TFS and the Hold To Earn program has already brought $669 469 to the TFS owners.
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NXP CEO Kurt Sievers meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Commits to Supporting a Strong Semiconductor Ecosystem in India
Today Kurt Sievers, President and CEO of NXP Semiconductors, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss India’s dynamic semiconductor ecosystem and NXP’s commitment to being an important player in it. Topics included in the discussion spanned policy framework, emerging technologies, deepening India’s value creation, and India’s manufacturing capabilities and ambitions. Sievers briefed the Honourable Prime Minister on NXP’s growth story in India, which includes centres of excellence innovating semiconductor solutions for the auto, industrial, IoT, and edge markets. Sievers also pledged NXP’s support to help develop India’s diverse domestic STEM workforce and support the country’s flourishing startup ecosystem.
Commenting on his meeting with Prime Minister Modi, Sievers said: “It was a privilege to meet with Prime Minister Modi to discuss India’s rapidly growing semiconductor development and manufacturing ecosystem. We both agreed that India’s electronics manufacturing and design industry has the potential to become a much larger player in the global electronics value chain. NXP has enjoyed a 50-plus year history of operations in India, and our centres of excellence here are designing semiconductor solutions in-demand across the global auto, industrial, IoT, and secure edge markets. Our talented Indian team has generated hundreds of patents and is a powerhouse of NXP’s global network of innovation teams. We are committed to further drive India’s value creation for the global electronics industry.”
Regarding India’s electronic manufacturing ecosystem, Sievers added: “We are well aware of India’s ambition to be a major player in the global electronics supply chain, with a plan of growing the domestic electronics manufacturing to US$ 300 billion by 2026. Prime Minister Modi and the Indian government’s commitment to being one of the world’s largest electronics manufacturing hubs underscores India’s recognition of the strategic importance and growth potential of the electronics industry.”


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India’s largest telecom and broadband provider Jio on Tuesday launched new postpaid entertainment plans under the JioFiber postpaid category.
According to the company, the new plans will be made available to all users from April 22.
The users will get internet box (Gateway Router), set top box and installation valued at Rs 10,000 at zero cost when they opt for a JioFiber postpaid connection, the company said in a statement.
The users will continue to access unlimited high-speed internet starting at Rs 399 per month. Additionally, by paying just Rs 100 or Rs 200 extra per month, they can now access contents of their choice through a collection of up to 14 OTT apps, it added.
As per the statement, the users will get access to 14 leading entertainment apps on large screen and small screen (multiple devices included), thereby giving users access to their favorite movies, TV channels, originals, news, shows, sports and much more.
The 14 apps include Disney+ Hotstar, Zee5, Sonyliv, Voot, Sunnxt, Discovery+, Hoichoi, Altbalaji, Eros Now, Lionsgate, ShemarooMe, Universal+, Voot Kids and JioCinema.


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Jumio, the leading AI-powered trusted identity as a service provider, today announced the promotion of Robert Prigge to president.
Prigge has been the chief revenue officer since 2016 and drove triple-digit growth during his tenure. As president, he will oversee all aspects of the company and guide the company through its next phase of innovation and growth.
Jumio’s board of directors issued the following statement: “Robert Prigge brings deep experience in the digital identity and cybersecurity space, and comes with excellent leadership skills and experience to take Jumio to its next phase of growth. With his track record of success as the company’s chief revenue officer, we trust Robert to make additional investments in creativity, technology and talent to drive continued growth and enhance Jumio’s proposition to clients and its expanding partner base.”
Robert is a seasoned entrepreneur with over 20 years of sales, business development and marketing management expertise. Prior to Jumio, Robert held various C-level and senior executive positions with a number of high-tech companies such as IBM, Secure Computing, Sterling Commerce, Infrascale and Spruce Finance. Robert led three companies to successful M&A exits, and has extensive global experience in building high-octane teams and sustainable operations, including nearly 15 years in Asia.
"The opportunity that lies ahead for Jumio is enormous, and the ability to lead this next chapter is deeply humbling and incredibly exhilarating,” Prigge said. “I am focused on accelerating the innovation — especially in the areas of AI and biometrics — and execution that our customers need from us. Their success will continue to drive us.”
Over the past two years, Jumio has experienced dramatic growth: In 2018, its customer count grew 60 percent and sales grew 70 percent year-over-year. This continued company momentum speaks to significant market opportunity and demand for biometric-based identity verification and Jumio’s ability to help enterprise clients reliably and quickly verify that a new visitor is who they claim to be. In February, the company was named to Fast Company’s prestigious annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2019. Jumio was listed as the 29th-ranked company globally and the second-ranked company in the Security category.
Robert succeeds Stephen Stuut, the company’s chief executive officer of nearly four years and the driving force behind the company’s global expansion, key leadership hires and focus on product innovation. Stuut will now serve as co-chairman of Jumio’s board of directors.
“I have had the privilege of leading Jumio through some difficult times and helping it become the global market leader in AI-powered identity verification as a service,” said Stuut. “I am excited about my next chapter with Jumio, and expect Robert’s vision and focus on strategy, partnerships and execution will ensure that Jumio’s next era is even more impactful than our last.”


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Only openly gay Minnesota House member proposes ban on conversion therapy
Wolf supporters file suit to protect species
When 'hell moved in,' a California nurse drove through fire to save lives
Founder of Feed My Starving Children, a Minnesota native, dies
Crime report for Nov. 13
Gophers notebook: Lines changing as early-season data rolls in
Wild GM Paul Fenton happy with season so far
A Bears fan as a boy, Cousins relishes opportunities to play at Soldier Field
GYMNASTICS: Bemidji Aerials compete at Fargo invite
BSU volleyball inks two recruits
Almeda Rose (Lussier) Strong
Robert "Bob" Jan Krogseng
Gerald Keith Harvey
Robert "Bob" J. Schoneberger
Larry Harold Saukko
Schlecht: Vote for a person, not a party, this Election Day and always
McFeely: New book about Thielen isn't fairy tale, but it could be
Report shows economic impact of ice fishing on Lake Winnipeg
Kindness is Contagious: Kindness lights up the space around us
MASTER GARDENERS: No need to bring in the troops to fight fruit flies, fungus gnats
Walker Art Center in Minneapolis hires new director
Lifting their voices: BHS’ A Cappella Choir selected for state performance
Meet Rachel Hollis, the Texas mom shaking up this year's best-seller list
Stan Lee, creator of superheroes, dies at 95
Classic Country Band to perform Nov. 14
Minnesota deer kill down 9.5 percent from last year
Fate of famed L.A. mountain lions unclear after wildfire scorched their habitat
Manvel, N.D., couple brings baby along for the hunt
WATCH: Female hunters are on the rise in Minnesota, North Dakota
Minnesota opening weekend deer harvest down from last year
Holistic management: Brown’s Ranch finds success in being different
Frozen out of China, American farmers refuse to sell their soybeans
Another pipeline to start in ND and head to Texas?
Amazon borrows holiday tips from retailers it crushed
Seasonal worker didn’t know former boss was escaping after fraud accusations
Place a Business Announcement
Orlan And Linda Lauderbaugh
Daniel & Bonnie Grundmeier
Ray & Violet Suther
Brian & Debbie Solum
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: We cannot condone ineligible voters in our elections
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Americans must speak out against hatred
McFeely: Saying farewell to radio
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Memberships help Senior Activity Center fulfill its mission
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: New Congress presents possibilities for the future
Submit a Political Letter
November 12, 2018
Amazon borrows holiday tips from retailers it crushed
With Black Friday just around the corner, retailers are revealing their tactics for vacuuming up consumers' holiday gift dollars. And with this...
November 12, 2018 - 4:29pm
October 31, 2018
Mall of America has splashy plans for water park upgrade; nonprofit financing proposed
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. - Plans for a large water park attached to the Mall of America have been updated for a special meeting Thursday at which the...
October 31, 2018 - 10:31am
October 30, 2018
'Pecan Resist': Minnesota nonprofit to benefit from Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavor
CALLAWAY, Minn. — Honor the Earth, a Minnesota nonprofit group led by Winona LaDuke, will get a scoop of funding through a Ben & Jerry’s...
October 30, 2018 - 7:41pm
Fargo mall announces 'The District at West Acres,' a cluster of restaurants, 'experiences'
FARGO — West Acres unveiled Tuesday morning, Oct. 30, its plans for a multi-million dollar development project that will fill the space previously...
October 30, 2018 - 5:10pm
October 26, 2018
Central Minnesota girl becomes newest face in Target ads and she loves it
ALEXANDRIA, Minn. -- When Sydni Rehovsky was offered a chance to dance in New York last year – on more than one occasion – she started trying...
October 26, 2018 - 4:30pm
October 21, 2018
Your clothes could be made in the USA again
Europeans and Americans have grown used to buying clothes made in Asian countries. But apparel-industry sourcing executives are sure that's changing:...
October 21, 2018 - 7:00pm
October 18, 2018
Mega Millions and Powerball manipulated the odds to create monster jackpots
They don't buy lottery tickets. Not habitually, anyway. But the jackpot chasers typically emerge when they see the Mega Millions prize tick up...
October 18, 2018 - 7:08am
October 15, 2018
Sears files for bankruptcy after years of turmoil
Sears, the one-time titan of American retail, filed for bankruptcy ahead of a $134 million debt payment due Monday and announced that it will...
October 15, 2018 - 6:44am
October 11, 2018
Sears could finally be nearing bankruptcy after years of decline
Sears, the fallen iconic American retailer, has reportedly hired an advisory firm to prepare a bankruptcy filing.
October 11, 2018 - 7:58am
October 4, 2018
Barnes & Noble soars on hopes going private could mean faster changes
Barnes & Noble Inc., facing management upheaval and shrinking revenue, buoyed shareholders' spirits with news it's weighing acquisition interest...
October 4, 2018 - 10:38am
October 3, 2018
After closing its doors, Toys R Us might be making a comeback
Toys R Us was dead, but it might not stay that way. Although the company closed all its U.S. stores in June as part of its bankruptcy liquidation...
October 3, 2018 - 10:49am
October 2, 2018
Amazon boosts minimum wage to $15 for all workers following criticism
Amazon.com announced Tuesday that it will raise its minimum wage to $15 an hour for all employees, a move that comes after the tech giant faced...
October 2, 2018 - 5:00pm
Toys 'R' Us lenders plan brand revival
The same Toys "R" Us lenders that have been taking heat for their role in the decision to liquidate the company in March are now working on bringing...
October 2, 2018 - 11:30am
September 28, 2018
US consumer spending cools; inflation stays near Fed goal
U.S. consumer spending rose in August at the slowest pace in six months, moderating from more robust readings on the biggest part of the economy....
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September 23, 2018
Commentary: Why we're choking on Amazon cardboard
In the courtyard of my apartment building in Berlin, one of the eight containers for various kinds of garbage (Germans are fanatical about trash...
September 23, 2018 - 8:30am


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Hemp cultivation by SoCal hemp in the Mojave desert lands of Cadiz Inc.
Long Beach-based cannabis company Glass House Group was looking for a place to grow cannabis without the resistance from residents that it encountered regularly in its large-scale cultivation near Carpinteria.
And 18 months ago it found this place: in the middle of the Mojave Desert, miles from civilization. The land is owned by downtown water infrastructure developer Cadiz Inc. and sits on an aquifer.
Glass House and Cadiz formed a joint venture in late 2019 to grow hemp on the property with the aim of converting the hemp into a range of usable products, from cannabidiol or CBD oils to chewable gums. They took advantage of a new law passed by Congress under the Agriculture Act of 2018 that legalized hemp production across the country.
“The benefits of growing cannabis in the desert aquifer included the distance from the residents and the relative lack of crop pests,” said Graham Farrar, president of the Glass House Group and general manager of the SoCal Hemp joint venture. “There aren’t many places in California where you have these conditions.”
For Cadiz, the company was an opportunity to monetize its properties as the company’s 25-year quest to pump water from the aquifer and pipeline it to water agencies across California had encountered a new round of delays. Under pressure from environmental associations, the state parliament passed a law that stipulates a further level of environmental assessment.
The first test for the joint venture was to see if hemp could be grown in the harsh desert environment. In the spring of 2020, SoCal Hemp planted a test crop on 200 acres of the Cadiz property. Water was pumped from the aquifer and pushed through a newly installed drip irrigation system.
But as the growing season continued for the test crop, the wind turned out to be a problem.
“We had to install windshields, which we were not used to with our other acreage,” said Farrar.
The harvest of the first test crop proved a success, producing hundreds of thousands of pounds of dried hemp. The hemp was then shipped to a third-party processing facility in Klamath Falls, Oregon, where it was processed into CBD oil and other products. The Glass House Group can sell and distribute to other retailers from its four retail stores across the state.
“We have proven that you can grow hemp on a large scale in the desert,” Farrar said.
But for SoCal Hemp, that may be the easy part. The greatest challenge may lie ahead when trying to find markets for its hemp-derived products.
That’s because there is now a glut of hemp.
“We saw an influx of companies starting businesses during the 2019 hemp boom,” said Michelle Mabugat, a cannabis industry legal advisor who is now based in the Greenberg Glusker Fields office, Claman & Machtinger in Century City. “In 2019, farmers overproduced hemp in anticipation of the high demand for CBD. In retrospect, this demand was oversubscribed. “
The result, she said, is that there is currently a consolidation among hemp growers.
The SoCal Hemp project could be supported by a recent development involving the Glass House Group. On April 8, the company announced that it had acquired a $ 567 million deal from Mercer Park Brand Acquisition Corp. based in Toronto, a specialty company founded in 2019 to build a major marijuana brand. Mercer Park plans to publicize its acquisition on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
“We’ll be better funded to get bigger and on a bigger scale than before,” Farrar said of the deal.
Mabugat said this additional capital base could give SoCal hemp more ability to withstand the current decline in the hemp production market.
“Operating the size of SoCal hemp would probably allow the company to take more risks and weather the downturn in the market,” she said.
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Nvidia's GPU Technology Conference kicked off today with a keynote address from CEO Jen-Hsun Huang. A range of topics were covered, with some of the most interesting revelations providing insight on the firm's GPU roadmap.
The follow-up to the current Kepler microarchitecture is called Maxwell, and it's due out in 2014. Maxwell will be Nvidia's first GPU to employ unified virtual memory, which means the graphics chip will be able to see the contents of system memory, and vice versa. Huang says this capability will make programming the GPU easier, and I suspect it will be particularly welcomed by the Tesla crowd.
Maxwell will be succeeded by Volta, which includes more memory innovations. Instead of relying solely on off-chip memory, the Volta GPU will share its silicon substrate with DRAM. This on-chip memory will be stacked vertically, and it will purportedly offer substantially higher bandwidth than what's available via an external interface. Huang says the integrated memory will boast a whopping 1TB/s of bandwidth—more than three times what's offered by the GeForce Titan.
Huang didn't provide a timeline for Volta's release, but I wouldn't expect it before 2016. Nvidia has a history of debuting new GPU architectures every two years, with Fermi arriving in 2010, Kepler coming last year, and Maxwell scheduled for next year.
|Brawling my way through Batman: Arkham Origins||0|
|Heavyweight rematch: Gigabyte X79-UP4 vs. MSI X79A-GD45 Plus||0|
|Thursday Night Shortbread||3|
|Acer's Iconia W4 tablet offers Bay Trail, 8'' display for $330||21|
|AMD issues statement on R9 290X speed variability, press samples||101|
|MSI's new gaming notebook has a 2880x1620 screen||26|
|Next-gen Intel SSDs could have 2TB capacities, integrated heatsinks||32|
|Data suggests consumer drives are as reliable as enterprise models||58|
|Valve joins the Linux Foundation||68|
|They had a 40M mail-in-rebate.||+29|


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Shares fell nearly 10% in after-hours trade after the e-commerce giant posted a wider quarterly loss than anticipated. Revenue, however, was on par with views.
Visa saw its 3Q profit climb 11%, thanks to an increase in credit-card transactions, but the company lowered its full-year revenue guidance.
The heat is on between Uber, Lyft and the New York City taxi and limousine establishment over innovation and regulation.
Thursday starting at 5p ET: Pinching pennies pays off! Find out how to dress your best on a budget! Plus, Charles reveals why Millennials may be just what America needs!
Thursday at 8p ET: High tech to fight terror! Are missile detectors now must-haves for commercial flights? Neil breaks down a new congressional push!


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According to the report citing the forecast of Malcolm Penn, CEO of semiconductor market research company Future Horizons, the global chip market growth rate will be reduced to 4% in 2022, and will shrink by 22% in 2023.
Penn warned about a 17th semiconductor market recession about 18 months ago. He noted at the time that every warning light was flashing red when it came to the economy, unit demand, capital expenditures and average selling prices.
For several quarters, unit shipment growth has been above the long-term average, meaning customers have been repeating orders and those parts will turn into inventory, Penn said. As customers start reducing orders, the average selling price will also drop.
Driven by the collapse in memory prices, the average selling price of integrated circuits fell 18.1% from $1.350 in the second quarter of 2022 to $1.105 by the end of the quarter, Penn noted. Memory prices led the way with a 20.2% decline. But Penn said it was only a matter of time befor


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Facing a $20 billion budget gap, the United States Postal Service has proposed price changes, including an increase in the price of a first-class mail single-piece letter from 46 cents to 49 cents.
The proposed changes, which would go into effect on Jan. 26, 2014, are intended to generate $2 billion in incremental annual revenue for the Postal Service.
Other price changes include a 1 cent increase for letters with additional ounces, a cost of $1.15 for letters to international destinations and a 1 cent increase in postcards.
The Post Service will file for the rate changes tomorrow with the Postal Regulatory Commission.
The Governors of the Postal Service voted Sept. 24 to seek price increases above the typical annual increases associated with changes in the Consumer Price Index.
In a letter sent to customers today, Board of Governors Chairman Mickey Barnett described the “precarious financial condition” of the Postal Service and the “uncertain path toward enactment of postal reform legislation” as primary reasons for seeking price changes above the CPI increase.
He also said that the price adjustment above the CPI increase is necessary in order to ensure that the Postal Service will be able to maintain and continue the development of postal services of the type and quality that he said America needs.
“Of the options currently available to the Postal Service to align costs and revenues, increasing postage prices is a last resort that reflects extreme financial challenges,” said Barnett in the letter. “However, if these financial challenges were alleviated by the timely enactment of laws that close a $20 billion budget gap, the Postal Service would reconsider its pricing strategy. We are encouraged by the recent introduction of comprehensive postal reform legislation in Congress, and despite an uncertain legislative process, we are hopeful that legislation can be enacted this year.”
Postal officials said that except in extraordinary circumstances, postage price increases are capped at the rate of inflation as measured by the CPI-U. The Postal Service is filing a price increase above CPI-U because of extraordinary circumstances that have contributed to continued financial losses.
The Postal Service recorded a $15.9 billion net loss last fiscal year and expects to record a loss of roughly $6 billion in the current fiscal year, and has an intolerably low level of available liquidity even after defaulting on its obligation to make prefunding payments for retiree health benefits.
The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.


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This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content.
As in 2020
Honey’s bitter truth: Sugar syrup that Indian tests can’t detect
Spooked by Covid, if you have been consuming honey for boosting your immunity and losing weight, there is some grim news for you. The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has detected significant adulteration in the form of sugar syrups in honey sold by leading brands. This followed laboratory tests in India and abroad. CSE discovered that while the tests being carried out in India, based on the guidelines of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), can detect C3 and C4 sugar adulteration (based on the natural source of sugar), a fructose syrup solution being imported from China in large quantities over the past four to five years goes undetected.
The research and advocacy organisation said on Wednesday that they procured the solution — called an “allpass” one in the industry — and mixed it with pure honey.
Your Honey’s Been Cheating On You
Your Immunity Booster May Be Doing More Harm Than Good During Pandemic As Most Top Brands Fail Tests
The samples that had adulteration up to 50% passed the Indian tests. CSE also collected 22 samples of branded honey from the market and sent these abroad for a nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) test, which is globally accepted but not carried out in India. Only three out of 13 brands passed the test for adulteration, and out of the 22, only five were able to pass the test. The food researchers of CSE had selected 13 brands — both big and small — of processed and raw honey being sold in India. Their samples were first tested at the Centre for Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food (CALF) at the National Dairy Development Board in Gujarat. At this stage, almost all the top brands (except Apis Himalaya) passed the tests of purity while a few smaller brands failed the tests to detect C4 sugar, which is adulteration using sugar derived from sugarcane. CSE then sent the same brands for NMR testing to a lab in Germany and almost all brands failed, with the lab stating that a sugar syrup had been mixed in the honey.
"It is a food fraud more nefarious and more sophisticated than what we found in our 2003 and 2006 investigations into soft drinks; more damaging to our health than perhaps anything that we have found till now — keeping in mind the fact that we are still fighting a killer Covid-19 pandemic with our back to the wall. This overuse of sugar in our diet will make it worse," said CSE director general Sunita Narain on Wednesday, releasing the study which was conducted over four months. Amongst the big brands, Dabur, Patanjali, Apis-Himalaya, Baidyanath, Zandu and Hitkari are claimed to have failed the NMR tests, while Patanjali, Baidyanath and Hitkari also failed to pass the trace marker test for rice syrup (TMR), another test to judge the purity of honey which is not part of FSSAI’s standards for Indian honey. Apis-Himalaya, meanwhile, failed to clear some of the Indian tests too. Other brands like Dadav, Indigenous, Hi Honey and Societe Naturelle also failed the NMR tests with Dadav and Hi Honey failing the basic Indian tests too.
The three brands out of the 13 which cleared all tests, including NMR, were Saffola, Markfed Sohna and Nature’s Nectar (one sample).
The study has found that most brands of honey being sold in the country are adulterated with sugar syrup. "This is immensely worrying as it will further compromise our health in the troubled times of Covid-19. We know that households today are consuming more honey because of its intrinsic goodness — antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. Our research has found that most of the honey sold in the market is adulterated with sugar syrup. Therefore, instead of honey, people are eating more sugar, which will add to the risk of Covid-19. Sugar ingestion is directly linked to obesity, and obese people are more vulnerable to life-threatening infections," added Narain.
While FSSAI has in the past year directed importers and state food commissioners to look out for "golden syrup", "invert sugar syrup" and "rice syrup" in honey, CSE says it found that high amounts of a fructose syrup were instead being imported from China, with a number of Chinese websites claiming this solution can pass all Indian tests.
In the past four years, more than 11,000 metric tonnes of fructose syrup has come to India (70% of this is from China). According to the NGO, when it contacted these Chinese companies posing as a honey company based in India which was looking for a syrup that could bypass Indian standards, companies in China claimed they could adulterate up to 50% to 80% of honey with this syrup and still pass the Indian tests. CSE says it procured the syrup, which came through Hong Kong to bypass customs clearance and was exported as a "paint pigment”.
Narain says they gathered pure honey and carried out three tests of their own, adulterating it with 25%, 50% and 75% of the "all-pass" syrup and found the solutions with up to 50% of the syrup could clear all FSSAI tests. Interestingly, the study says, the technology to develop this syrup locally has also been exported by China to India with a factory set up in Jaspur, Uttarakhand.
"What we found was shocking," says Amit Khurana, programme director of CSE’s Food Safety and Toxins team. "It shows how the business of adulteration has evolved so that it can pass the stipulated tests in India."
As of August 1, 2020, NMR tests have been made mandatory in India for honey that is meant for export, suggesting that the Indian government is aware of the need for more advanced tests.
Narain said all companies should be required to trace back the origins of their honey — from the beekeeper to the hive. It has also asked for strengthening of the Indian testing system and stopping of imports of syrup and honey from China.
In the saltwater swamps of Sundarbans and the hills of Nilgiris, honey hunting has been a dangerous pursuit. It’s limited to a season, is hard work and the practices have been honed over centuries. The returns, however, had never been proportionate. Of late, honey gatherers say, things have changed somewhat though.
“We harvested 39 tonnes this year. We were not sure if we’d be able to sell it all,” said Ajay Das, 49, from the Mouli community in Sundarbans. But demand went up from 50 bottles a day to 500 in recent weeks. In the Nilgiris, the Kattunayakans produced 1.75 tonnes honey this year, and it’s suddenly selling fast. For the Kurumbas, Irulas and Sholigas, also in the Nilgiris, questions from buyers have changed from why “it’s expensive” to whether they can get it raw.
Forest honey defies consumer expectations — the colours vary, the consistency does too, and can cost up to Rs 1,000 a kg. “But how do you put a price on how a Kattunayakan risks his life to bring you honey?” asked Stan Thekaekara, founder of the nonprofit Just Change, which has been working with the community in Tamil Nadu.
The Kurumbas and Irulas don’t use any metal while harvesting. “They pick the combs with wood. The bees are smoked out, the hive cut from the bottom and the honey collected in a basket lined with leaves,” said Aritra Bose, manager of Last Forest, the brand under which Keystone Foundation sells forest honey. “They leave some hives untouched, so the bees from those can rebuild the others.”
When Marigan and Maran, both in their 60s, spot a forest patch with 150-200 honeycombs, they begin with a prayer. “To the trees, for our safety and for the bees,” said Marigan. When the bees sting, they don’t resist. And they never take away the beeswax. It’s food for the bears. The spike in interest has validated the efforts and, the honey hunters hope, could shift focus to the need for conservation.
India and the world
The production of honey in India, China and other major honey producing countries in 2021


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Second Cup, struggling amid competition, suspends quarterly dividend
Second Cup has struggled amid heightened competition in the coffee business, posting a second-quarter adjusted profit of eight cents per share versus 14 cents a year ago.
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The Second Cup Ltd. has suspended its quarterly dividend as the coffee shop chain says it looks to focus on growth to maximize shareholder value.
The company posted a second-quarter adjusted profit of eight cents per share versus 14 cents a year ago.
The company, which has struggled amid heightened competition in the coffee business, posted a second-quarter adjusted profit of eight cents per share versus 14 cents a year ago.
Sales fell 3.9 per cent to $45.8 million while same cafe sales dropped five per cent, in the three months ended June 28.
Meanwhile, revenue for the company — which includes royalties — slipped to $6.5 million from $6.6 million a year earlier.
Operating expenses grew to $4.1 million from $3.8 million.
The suspension of the dividend comes as the company considers “attractive opportunities to invest capital.”
Second Cup has been reworking its operations in an attempt to compete against larger competitors like Tim Hortons, Starbucks and McDonald’s, which made an aggressive foray into coffee several years ago.
In recent quarters, the company has reduced its management structure and focused on improving profitability at its franchise locations.
Second Cup says it plans to unveil a “store of the future” in downtown Toronto this year that will showcase innovative ideas that will eventually roll out across the country.
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The rise of the cashless society appears to be written on the wall – tap payment devices are almost everywhere you shop in Ireland.
By 2020, card payments accounted for 64% of all payments in Ireland. What’s more, e-money transactions through methods such as Apple Pay and Google Pay saw a 1,700% increase that year.
The trend looks set to continue. The Monitor’s contactless data shows tap payments reached a new peak, with transactions worth almost €3.8 billion in Q3 of 2021.
This fast-changing landscape could dramatically shift the way small businesses interact with their customers. Here, we look at what the cashless society means, the benefits and potential drawbacks.
The rise of cashless payments
For those of us old enough to remember the pre-contactless world, it can seem remarkable how quickly the consumer experience has changed. There was a time when using ATMs to withdraw cash was a fact of life, and euro notes were synonymous with money.
The debit card arrived in Ireland in 1996, marking the beginning of a steady shift towards chip and pin payments. However, in 2010, 60% of payments were still being made in cash. But the arrival of a new, even more convenient system would change that.
Contactless cards morphed into in-phone tap payment systems such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. By 2020, more than 60% of Ireland’s transactions were card-based, and almost 10% were made using e-money systems.
It’s a trend replicated across Europe. According to the European Central Bank, the number of non-cash euro payments follows a steady upward trend, from just over 35,000 in 2000 to more than 100,000 in 2020.
Cashless Europe is, of course, closely tied to the rest of the globe. Other parts of the world have been pivotal in the trend from paper to plastic to device. Apple Pay was itself created in California in 2014, but the United States is surprisingly behind the trend – 30% of Americans don’t even have access to a bank account.
Sweden, on the other hand, plans to become the world’s first fully cashless society by March 2023.
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Cashless vs contactless
Cashless means any payment made without traditional note-and-coin methods. Contactless refers to any payment method that simply requires a tap, rather than swiping a card or inputting a PIN. This means all contactless or tap payments are cashless, but not all cashless payments are contactless.
Different hardware may be required for each, though many Square terminals and readers can process PIN card payments and several types of tap transactions.
Cashless card payments often use a closed-loop payment system powered by banks, whereas contactless payment technology such as Apple Pay uses near-field communication (NFC) or radio-frequency identification (RFID) to power payments.
Why are cashless payments on the rise?
Cashless payments are often seen as a more convenient alternative to cash. This attitude is especially common among younger people. According to a 2017 survey titled The Future of Money, 75% of Generation Z – those born since 1995 – would consider using new technologies for payments.
Irish adults carry an average of just €32 at any given time, with some shunning notes altogether.
As well as new ways to pay, the rise of the internet has also created new ways for small businesses to streamline payment processes.
New apps and digital wallets, for instance, have become commonplace. Anyone who owns an iPhone has access to Apple Pay, while Android smartphone users can download Google Pay in just a few clicks.
Smart watches make the process even more convenient – instead of opening their wallet and fumbling for the right change, customers can simply tap their wrist to the reader. Fitbit Pay is one such example.
The convenience doesn’t just benefit the customer, but the business too, because faster payments require less time at the till.
The increasing flexibility of contactless payments also makes it easier than ever to adopt this as your go-to payment option. There is now no upper limit on contactless payments in Ireland, making it even more attractive to consumers.
Contactless payments also have an unexpected benefit. They’re more hygienic than traditional chip-and-PIN payment systems, which thousands of fingers may touch each day. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020, this unintentional perk became a huge selling point, turbocharging the path towards a cashless society.
Acceleration of cashless transactions due to Covid
Contactless payments have become more commonplace in Ireland since the advent of the pandemic in 2020. It’s no surprise – in an era when hygiene became paramount, the appeal of the no-touch, tap payment system is easy to understand.
In 2014, many Irish people had received a contactless card from their bank, but usage was low. The average person was making a payment this way just five times per year, according to Core Media’s Shane Doyle.
The shift was helped along by policies as well as attitudes. The limit for contactless payments rose from €30 to €50 in the first lockdown, allowing more people to use tap transactions for their everyday purchases.
Consumer behaviour shifted during the pandemic more generally. A move towards online shopping naturally drove transactions away from cash. Some of these habits may stick, so we may see even more payments being made via the internet in future.
Small businesses and corporations alike also started discouraging the use of cash at the start of the pandemic. The idea was to increase consumer confidence, protect public health and reduce the burden on staff – who might otherwise need to regularly sanitise their hands. Some went so far as to only accept contactless payments, which comes with the added benefit of not needing to sanitise card readers.
Does a cashless society leave people behind?
The march forwards towards a cashless society may sound like the ultimate efficiency, but there are drawbacks too. As younger and more affluent people embrace gadget payments, there is concern some people could be left behind.
Cashless payments don’t yet work for everyone. It’s important context to bear in mind as your business weighs up the pros and cons of going cashless – there’s a chance such moves may create a backlash or alienate a portion of your customer base. Using technology alongside cash allows you to service everyone.
What are the benefits of going cashless?
Going cashless has many purported benefits for businesses and society. In Sweden, for instance – which is leading the charge towards cashless living – crimes linked to cash have fallen.
Cashless payments may also decrease tax evasion and reduce the waste generated when unspent coins leave circulation. For businesses, they can increase transaction processing speeds, since cashless payments take one to two seconds to process, compared to seven seconds for cash exchange. According to VISA, consumers also spend more on a card than they typically will with cash.
If your small business has ever faced problems with theft, it’s good to reduce or eliminate the risk of cash going missing.
The hygiene benefits will also remain long after the end of Covid-19 public health measures – people have become more used to a sanitised experience, so many features of the pandemic shopping experience could be here to stay.
Pivoting the way you do business to account for changing needs could help small business owners stay competitive. More online shopping could mean you need a payment system able to cope with the demands of a shifting high street landscape or access new customer bases.
Whether you’re just starting out and need your first card reader or you’d like to upgrade and futureproof your hardware, the drive towards cashless business can be an exciting prospect. Allowing for contactless payments gives your customers more options – useful as more consumers make the transition to digital wallets.
Square can help you to manage all payment types, even if you’d prefer to keep using cash alongside the latest technology.


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Rumor: Could Deep Dish Pizza Be Coming To Whataburger?
Last week when the news broke that Whataburger was sold to Chicago bank BDT Capital Partners Texans have expressed their displeasure, but now they are really in a frenzy after a meme popped up indicating another change to their favorite hamburger place.
Monday (June 17th) the hashtag #whataslice was trending on social media indicating the idea of Whataburger venturing off into deep dish pizzas to go along with their world famous burger.
Now if you ask me it's a marriage made in heaven!
The idea of having 'Deep Dish Pizza' at Whataburger would be a dream come true as I practice ordering
"Can I have a Whataslice combo with fries and a Dr. Pepper...."
Now even though it's only a rumor and Whataburger hasn't confirmed anything (I called them to make sure) it's safe to say that change will not be coming anytime soon.
While you're at it Whataburger how bout "Whatabeef" for the Chicago Italian Beef, or "Whatadog" for the Chicago Style Hot Dog.
The opportunities are endless!


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A Colorado cannabis company has developed the first hempseed bred entirely in the United States in the modern era, according to the state’s agriculture department.
The Colorado Department of Agriculture said the seed variety, called NWG-Elite, was developed by New West Genetics, a cannabis biotechnology company in Fort Collins.
“This is the first U.S.-bred variety in over 70 years in this country,” said Duane Sinning, who oversees the hemp program for the Colorado Department of Agriculture. “It’s an exciting time.”
Colorado and other states already have certified hempseeds, which means the seeds have been tested to meet THC limits of 0.3% and to germinate and perform well in a particular state.
“But all those varieties belong to a foreign company. They were developed somewhere else and adapted for use here,” Sinning said.
The new variety is especially prized because it resists “shattering,” when a plant drops seeds on an uncertain schedule, making it difficult to harvest the seeds.
The company is also working on hemp varieties better suited for CBD production and for fiber production, though she said fiber is the least marketable part of the plant right now in the United States.
“You can get a ton of hemp fiber from China for very cheap,” she said. “We’re not convinced yet that the (U.S.) fiber market is going to explode.”
The seed is available only from New West Genetics directly.
Many states do not allow the importation of viable seed, though Colorado hemp rules are silent on cross-state seed transfer, so hemp growers anywhere can buy NMG-Elite.
Mosher said that New West is also working on hemp variety trails in Indiana, Kentucky and Nevada.


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A Woolworths customer has spoken of his concern after making a “hideous” discovery in the chicken section of his local store.
Sharing on Facebook, Sydney shopper Steve said he was alarmed to see that the packet of Chicken Pops was close to bursting.
A photo shared by the customer shows the chicken buy - photographed on a counter at Woolworths - showed that the popular buy appeared to be filled with gas.
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Food safety experts say “package swelling” can be a sign of bacteria, showing that the food may have spoiled. Further testing is often required to determine whether it is safe to consume.
In his post, Steve pointed out that the chicken was well within its best before date.
“Fresh food people”? God knows what hideous diseases lurk within this pack,” he wrote.
Other Facebook shoppers were alarmed by the discovery.
“Bacteria having a party, apparently,” said one.
Added another: “Pity because these are bloody delicious! What a waste of delicious food.”
“We take food quality seriously and are disappointed to receive this report,” the spokesperson said.
“We’ve apologised to the customer and asked for further information to follow up with our store team.
“This appears to be an isolated incident as we haven’t had any other reports on similar chicken products at this time.”
Woolworths encourages customers who have any concerns about the quality of the product they receive to contact their local store.


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Franchise Spotlight: Car hire
Analysis shows that franchises offer reliable and lucrative business models in the car hire sector.
Whether it be a car for a holiday, a weekend trip or the need for a temporary replacement vehicle, the likelihood is that most people have to hire a car at some point. Statistics show that the car rental market size in America is estimated to be around an incredible $23 billion. With this lucrative sector comes a host of franchise brands.
Car hire industry analysis
Analysis shows a dip in 2020 industry revenue in the car hire sector. The pandemic has seen a decline in tourism, leisure trips and travel in general and, in turn, a decrease in demand for car hire. Franchises, however, are better insulated and well-placed to weather economic downturns. Customers tend to turn to trusted brand names during times of instability. A well-known brand brings with it assurance of competitive prices, reliable vehicles and stringent health and safety and hygiene regulations - currently a high priority for customers. Furthermore, this dip in industry revenue is predicted to be only temporary – as the pandemic eases, people will be eager to travel again and with that comes a need for hire cars.
As well as having access to a proven business model, training and ongoing support, franchisees will have a competitive edge in this field as franchises tend to have strong allegiances with airlines and hotels. Furthermore, the marketing a franchise brand brings is often on a larger scale than any independent outlet.
Despite a bumpy year, the car hire sector looks set for a bright, long term future and franchises offer stable and lucrative business models.


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Harvest and shipping are underway for the 2022-2023 Washington apple crop, including on club varieties such as Rave® and SweeTango®. “We’re in the midst of harvesting and currently packing early season varieties such as Rave, a signature apple we are the lead marketer on, along with Gala and SweeTango. There is still a lot of harvest to go at this point,” says Brianna Shales of Stemilt Growers.
Cosmic Crisp is also one variety that continues to grow in volume. “It’s becoming a core variety that will soon be available most weeks of the year,” says Shales, adding that Stemilt will have slightly more organic Cosmic Crisp apple volume this year.
Stemilt is in the midst of harvesting and currently packing early-season varieties such as Rave.
“We anticipate less overall volumes of apples than last year, but will still have promotion opportunities. We are thrilled about the variety mix and ability to deliver a great consumer experience,” says Shales. “We expect sizing to be down a size or two this season on the whole. This is variety dependent, but is a trend we are seeing with the first bins that are being harvested in Washington State.” She also adds that harvest is about 10 days later than normal following a cold spring that delayed bloom and subsequently harvest.
East Coast harvesting as well
While Stemilt grows in Washington State only, other regions of the U.S., including Michigan and New York, are getting started with harvest as well.
As for demand for apples, Shales says it is strong. “There is pent-up demand for core apples like Gala and retailers in North America are going to be switching displays to prominent apple sets,” she says.
Apple promotions are likely to start in October which will help movement. “We will want to keep working to grow consumption of apples this year and can do that with well-executed promotions at retail. Especially around these new, high flavor apples like Cosmic Crisp,” says Shales.
The grower-shipper anticipates less overall volumes of apples than last year, but will still have promotion opportunities.
That said, the later start is putting pressure on the harvest. “The delayed harvest has presented challenges in getting fruit packed and shipped for normal ad periods. We also are watching the fruit sizing closely as that could lead to a promotion strategy shift if we have more bags available than bulk sizes,” says Shales.