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Durable Sample Sentences in News
- Durable Goods Gain of 22.6% Only Huge in the Headline
Durable goods orders for July were reported Tuesday morning, but do not let the headline number fool you. Read more on this news related to 'Durable'
- Aircraft demand spurs record gain in U.S. durable goods orders
* Durable goods orders rise record 22.6 percent in July * Transportation orders surge a record 74.2 percent * Core capital goods orders slip, but trend solid Durable goods orders, items ranging from toasters to aircraft that are meant to last three years or more, jumped 22.6 percent last month after an upwardly revised 2.7 percent increase in June, the Commerce De Read more on this news related to 'Durable'
- Durable-goods Orders Jump 22.6% In July On Boeing Contracts
Orders for U.S. durable goods skyrocketed by a record 22.6% in July because of a surge in contracts for Boeing aircraft, but bookings actually fell for most other industries, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday. Read more on this news related to 'Durable'


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AAC plants, Hi-P and Casetek has announced its willingness to release the metal housing for future generations of the iPhone. It is reported by DigiTimes.
The Chinese company AAC Technologies, Singapore Hi-P Electronics and Casetek Taiwan is ready to fight for the right to produce parts of the housings of smartphones. AAC Technologies and Hi-P Electronics has already sent samples to Apple for quality control.
Hi-P and Casetek are already cooperating with the Corporation and strive to increase their presence. The Singapore plant manufactures the plastic cases for various gadgets, and the Taiwanese company makes the power button and volume controls, which are equipped with iPhone, iPad and MacBook.
These statements confirm the rumors that in the future you may receive the iPhone c 6.1-inch LCD screen and metal case. However, in this case, the gadget will not be able to support wireless charging. Perhaps the engineers and designers will develop in the rear panel of the hole, or make a paste of glass to a smartphone can be recharged remotely. If such hypotheses are confirmed, future iPhone will be different from the gadgets of its competitors on all sides.
Follow the news of the Apple in our Telegram-channel, as well as in the app on iOS MacDigger.

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Samsung Galaxy J6 with Infinity Display Design was launched in May this year in India. Now it is reported that Samsung is now preparing to bring more powerful variants of this phone. According to a new report, Samsung Galaxy J6 + is being made for a select market. However, in India, this smartphone will be known as Samsung Galaxy On6 Plus. It is worth noting that this smartphone will work on the Snapdragon 450 processor.
According to the XDA Developers report, the Samsung Galaxy J6 + variant, with ‘j6plte’ codenamed, is first described by a computer. The firmware files of ‘j6plte’ indicate that the model number is “Samsung J6-Plus LTE CIS SER”. As we mentioned, the Galaxy J6 + variant allegedly comes with Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 processor. Let us know that the Galaxy J6 handset comes with the Accinos 7870 processor. In addition, the smartphone will have a dual camera setup and a 4350 mAh battery.
In India, Samsung can launch its Galaxy J6 + handset in the name of Galaxy On6 +. Most of the features and specifications of the Galaxy J6 and Galaxy On6 are the same. The report clearly states that the estimate of the launch of this phone in India is entirely based on speculations.
According to the report, the Samsung Galaxy J6+ will have a 5.6-inch HD + (720×1480 pixels) Super AMOLED display. Its aspect ratio is 18.5: 9. It will come with a single selfie camera and LED flash. This out of the box will run on Android Oreo. There is no information about the price and availability of the Galaxy J6+.


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Nestlé Waters has collaborated with Los Angeles-based visual artist duo DabsMyla to create limited-edition packaging for Perrier cans.
Perrier and DabsMyla kicked off their partnership earlier this year as part of the brand’s ongoing Perrier Artxtra programme – an initiative focused on supporting and celebrating the contemporary artist community.
Originally from Melbourne, Australia, DabsMyla is a wife-and-husband team known for creating immersive environments.
“For over 150 years, Perrier has defined its iconic brand through creative collaborations with some of the world’s most dynamic and influential artists and designers, including Andy Warhol and Salvador Dali,” said Danit Eisdorfer, group manager, Perrier.
“This year’s Perrier Artxtra programme builds upon this legacy through our extraordinary partnership with the artist duo DabsMyla.”
DabsMyla added: “One of the most exciting things about art is that it can be enjoyed in unexpected places, which inspired the unique design of our limited-edition Perrier packaging.”
“We wanted to create something for Perrier that when people see it, they wanted to pick it up, they wanted to look at it, they wanted to turn it around – they wanted to have it!”
The limited-edition Perrier cans will be available in the US as of January 2020.
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Some CEOs might feel dread at hearing about the possible entrance of an 800-pound gorilla into their companies’ markets.
But if Bill Geiser is scared, it doesn’t show. Heck, he seems downright happy about it.
Geiser is CEO of Dallas-based Meta Watch LLC, a provider of “smart” watches that link up with smartphones via Bluetooth and, by extension, do a lot more than tell time.
Word surfaced today (via the Wall Street Journal) that Apple Inc. is doing some early work in the area of connected watches.
In Geiser’s view, if Apple indeed gets into his industry, that will simply validate everything his company has been doing.
“Just because Apple has endorsed it, people will understand the value proposition without question.”
Right now, he concedes, many folks wonder why they need a watch when they already have a phone that tells time.
His response: Most smartphone users get over 100 notifications a day of some sort, be they texts, phone calls, social media alerts or whatever.
Rather than scrambling to pull out your phone for every last notification, wouldn’t it be easier to be able to look at a watch connected to your phone and find out what’s important and what’s not?
A smart watch “is an elegant way to triage the problem” of alert overload, he says. “It can save you an hour a day.”
He also maintains that Apple's would-be entrance into the smart watch market would simply make the industry bigger.


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With the development of Artificial Intelligence that can determine the quality of coffee beans, we could soon see the end of experts who sip coffee, inspect and judge the colour and quality of its beans. Demetria, a Colombian-Israeli company developed an artificial intelligence (AI) data platform that can determine the quality of coffee beans when used with hand-held sensors, reports Bloomberg.
Also read | Smartphone screens are harming your skin: Follow these tips to avoid more damage
The AI machine needs a human to enter inputs, which set the quality parameters. After that, the machine will be able to sort coffee even before it is completely roasted. The company completed a pilot program with one of the largest coffee traders of the world called Carcafe, the Colombian division of Volcafe.
This shift to computerised way of grading coffee would be interesting to observe how it compares with the traditional human way of grading, which is called cupping. The Q graders are well-trained examiners, and they gather in New York at the ICE Futures U.S. exchange to determine the quality and values of various coffee beans.
Also read | India’s cyber agency flags ‘high’ risk security issues in WhatsApp
“It’s the human that establishes the sensorial part,” said Oswaldo Aranha Neto, a Demetria as a board member. “You need to teach the robot what to do”.
Demetria, earlier in the year, wrapped up a $3 million seed funding round, which was initiated by Latin American-Israeli investor Celeritas, along with some other private investors.
Felipe Ayerbe, Demetria’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), felt that the tool would also help the coffee growers prepare coffee the buyers would want the characteristics in a coffee.


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Standing in line before the stores open on Black Friday is as much a Thanksgiving tradition as pumpkin pie for some families - especially when those stores are offering deals or incentives that are in-person only.
Even with expanded online sales and week-long promotional deals, some shoppers still show up in the wee hours of the morning, or even the night before, to make sure they’re first in line when the doors are unlocked.
Hundreds stood in a light rain around 4:30 a.m. at the Bass Pro Shop in Harrisburg, waiting for the 5 a.m. opening. The first in line had been huddled there together since midnight.
“It hasn’t been too wet since we’re under the roof here,” said Patrick Bicking. “We got lucky.”
Several members of the Bicking family stood at the front of the line, as part of a holiday tradition.
“One year, one of my kids said, ‘Mom, I want to go Black Friday shopping with you,’” explained Melissa Bicking. “So we stayed and played cards, I got snacks, and we’d go to a nice meal. All of a sudden, ‘can I go too, mom?’ ‘Can I go too, mom?’ This is their big mom day with me, and I’m thrilled they want to do that.”
“We make this an adventure,” Abigail Bicking said, adding that they’d spent the hours in line playing poker, rummy and blackjack. “And we don’t want to miss out on the sales here, because that’s what she wants.”
“Every year we do the Christmas picture with Santa, since we moved here about 10 years ago,” Melissa added. “And they have really good jeans here, and flannel sweatshirts. But really it’s to spend time with my kids. It’s a cool store.”
Many in line were hoping to claim one of the free gift cards that were being handed out at Bass Pro Shop to the first 250 customers. The values were randomized, ranging from $10 to $50.
“I got here at like 9:30 [last night],” said Anthony Wagner, who had made a habit of coming out to the store on Black Fridays for the past few years, before then stopping at Harbor Freight Tools and Dicks Sporting Goods. “If you want a guarantee for the limited stock, you have to be here for it. I’m pretty much here to see what they’ve got the good deals on.”
“I’m mainly here for the gift card,” said Mason Kline, who had driven from outside of York and waited since 2:30 a.m. for his first ever Black Friday wait in line. “I’m definitely surprised to see the line get quite that long. I kinda thought Black Friday fizzed out, and everything was online shopping now. But then I got their notifications to come out here. This is the only place that I know of that’s actually giving you something for standing in line.”
Pat Bulger and Louann Ridings had made the drive from Chambersburg, leaving home around 3 a.m. to arrive around 4 a.m. They stood in the rain with a shopping cart they’d found in the parking lot - securing their own before the ones in the store were claimed.
“I said, if you see a cart, grab it!” Bulger laughed.
“We’re a destination store,” said Steven Rensi, assistant general manager of Harrisburg Bass Pro Shop location. “People drive miles and hours to get here.”
Rensi explained that the Harrisburg location, and the Cabella’s store in Hamburg, which is owned by the same company, are the only ones in the state. Customers would otherwise have to travel to Baltimore or Newark, Delaware to shop in person.
“We do our best to make it as smooth as possible, with updates on social media, a plan of attack early with staffing properly.” Rensi said. “We want everyone to get in, get what they want, make sure that they have a good experience.”
Rensi said that certain popular calibers of rifle were likely to sell out, as were fishfinder and optics devices. And while sales had begun at the store on Monday, an in-person Black Friday rush was still “very much a thing.”
“It seems less common,” he said, noting online sales and similar early offers. “Other retailers are shying away from Black Friday, but here at Bass Pro we’re trying to make it bigger and better.”
At a nearby Target, the difference was notable. While dozens stood in line for their opening at 7 a.m., the earliest of them hadn’t been waiting for more than an hour.
“We’ve been here maybe 30 minutes,” said Monique Craddock, who was looking to track down video games for her family for Christmas. “We’re looking for consoles for sure. Other stores are all sold out. We were at Walmart already this morning.”
“We’re here every Black Friday,” said Kevin Craddock, adding that they were also hoping to find toys and other gifts. “It’s nothing outlandish or anything. But we like doing this every year.”
Jonathan Curtis was another local shopper, who had also stopped at Walmart first before making his way to Target. As a collector, he was looking for deals or new items going for a good price.
“I do a lot of toy-hunting, so just looking to see if they have anything I haven’t seen before,” Curtis said. “Nothing in particular, just seeing what catches my eye. Sometimes I will browse through electronics for BluRays or 4K videos. But a lot of it you can get online now.”
Curtis had wondered what the crowds would be like for Black Friday this year - or if they’d exist at all.
“I was just at Walmart, I was there at 6,” he said. “The line was maybe 15 deep. But again, stores like Walmart and Target have been selling all week, either in store or online they’ve had deals. People have probably been taking advantage of those.”
And while some are passionately hunting for bargains or trying to get elusive items, Curtis’ Black Friday shopping trip was more low-key.
“I’ve got nothing else to do,” he said. “If an item is already gone before I get there, no big deal. Another store might have it.”


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The start of the second quarter saw German exports stagnate on weak demand from China and emerging markets. Although the data beat forecasts predicting decline, analysts warn that slow trade is unlikely to pick up soon.
The Federal Statistics Office said Thursday exports in April remained unchanged from the previous month, beating forecasts of an 0.8 percent decline for the month.
However, the figure was a far cry from the solid 1.9 percent export growth in March.
Worries on slumping domestic demand also emerged anew, as import figures slipped by 0.2 percent in April, declining for the second month in a row.
Stefan Schilbe, chief economist of HSBC Trinkaus pointed to the recent gains in oil prices impacting private consumption.
He added, "domestic investment activity is also low. It’s missing as a pillar for imports."
And exports are unlikely to improve significantly in the short-term, according to analysts.
"The time of Germany’s export boom is at an end, for now. The exports are showing a rather gloomy picture, " said Thomas Gitzel, chief economist of the VP Bank. "Sluggish export development is, however, not a sign of German products losing competitiveness, rather it’s an indication of ailing global trade. Even other export heavyweights like China are struggling with their exports. "
ING-DiBa analyst Carsten Brzeski said that after strong first quarter growth, "all hard data for April were weaker than in the first quarter" and that GDP growth looked "set for a slowdown".
Other observers, while less downbeat, cautioned that demand from emerging economies would have to pick up for Germany’s trade figures to return to a healthier state.
"World trade was markedly weak in the first quarter. Now it’s starting to stabilize," said Stefan Schilbe, HSCBC Trinkaus. "That would help German exporters. But momentum is still slow. For a sustained revival, it would be important to have new impetus from the emerging markets. "
jd/uhe (DPA, Reuters)


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CAGI kicks off 2017 testing season for Car and Truck of the Year
It’s that time of the year again. In order to better help and guide potential buyers on their next vehicle purchase, the Car Awards Group, Inc. (CAGI) has jump-started this year’s testing season. The event was held during the recent Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) at World Trade Center in Pasay City.
Not only are they launching the usual Car of the Year – Philippines (COTY- P) and Truck of the Year – Philippines (TOTY – P) categories, the organization is also proud to introduce Motorcycle of the Year – Philippines (MOTY- P) which are handled by the authorities in motorcycle media.
“By welcoming new blood into our fold, the organization is expanding its reach, and tapping into the expertise of the motorcycle media to adapt our successful model,” said CAGI president Ronald de los Reyes during a speech.
The Test Fest will begin in September and October in which over 100 motor vehicles will be individually and carefully tested. Awarding will be held in November and CAGI will announce the 2017 winners based on the collated results.
“We expect more than 100 motor vehicles consisting of cars, pickups, and motorcycles to be tested this season,” de los Reyes shared.
Since 2004, CAGI prides itself of holding annual test fests, where all vehicle entries go through a strict process of classification and sorting, before they are subjected to qualitative (consumer) and quantitative (performance) testing. Qualitative testing uses predetermined consumer metrics like the ride, fit, and feel, while quantitative testing uses GPS-based hardware to measure handling, braking and acceleration. Each year, winners for each category are announced, and from that winning pool emerges the year’s COTY-P, TOTY-P and this time, the MOTY-P.


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Only 0.66 per cent of the food and fruit products tested by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) at ports and international airports in the last four years were found to be of inferior quality and not allowed into the country.
Responding to an RTI application filed by The Indian Express, the FSSAI said it had tested 2,60,457 samples of fruit and food products between 2011 and 2015, out of which only 1,720, or 0.66 per cent, were found to be of inferior quality.
“The imported products not complying with FSS Act 2006… were not allowed into the country. Hence, no penalty (was) imposed against foreign companies for supplying inferior food/fruit products and no action (was) taken against companies whose imported products were found to be of inferior quality,” FSSAI’s assistant director (imports) Sabita Jaiswal said.
Though the FSSAI did not provide details of items that were rejected, sources said a substantial number of these came from European Union countries.
Items not allowed to enter the country include garlic powder, white onion powder, fruit drinks, chocolates and dietary supplements, including a popular brand of protein powder. Also on the list are soybean oil, spices, additives, fruits, peach syrup, jack cheese (an American semi-hard cheese) and a gummy candy brand.
After the FSS Act was enacted in 2006, authorities started examining consignments in 2011 at international airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Cochin and Chennai, seaports in Mumbai, Kolkata, Cochin and Chennai, and at Inland Container Depots in Delhi’s Patparganj and Tughlakabad.


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The bank will reach the target by expanding its consumer-personal, vehicle and two-wheeler-loans.
Chandigarh: The country's largest private sector lender ICICI Bank on Thursday said it is aiming to disburse retail loan to the tune of Rs 10,000 crore in Punjab and Haryana by the end of the current financial year.
"In FY'18, retail consumer loans grew faster in the states in comparison to the bank's overall retail loan growth in the country of over 20 per cent. "With robust growth in the economy of the states, this fiscal too, we see potential to grow faster in Punjab and Haryana than the national average. We will increase the retail loan disbursement by one-fourth to Rs 10,000 crore," said Anup Bagchi, Executive Director, ICICI Bank here on Thursday.
In last fiscal, bank's retail loan disbursement stood at Rs 7,675 crore in Punjab and Haryana, he said. The bank will reach the target by expanding its consumer-personal, vehicle and two-wheeler-loans, Bagchi said.
"In 2018-19, the bank envisages to grow its disbursement of consumer loans by over 45 per cent to more than Rs 3,500 crore," he said. Consumer loans of personal, vehicle and two-wheelers have also witnessed an upswing across Punjab and Haryana.
The bank plans to expand its distribution network in the states for these products. The bank is expanding its network across tier 2-3 towns like Moga, Barnala, Jind, Sirsa, Sangrur, Kapurthala, Hisar, Bhiwani, and Fathehabad, thereby making it more accessible, the executive director said. "We plan to increase our home loan disbursement by one-fourth in Punjab and Haryana to Rs 2,500 crore.
To drive this growth, we have a multi-pronged strategy - expanding our presence in tier 2-3 markets like Manesar, Rohtak Ambala, Sonepat and Bhatinda, launch of 'Extra Home Loans' for affordable housing, Step-up home loans for young salaried individuals as well as introducing products especially for self-employed segment," Bagchi said. ICICI bank has a network of 475 branches across Punjab and Haryana.
"We are committed to service the semi-urban and rural markets in the states. Over 50 per cent of our branches and nearly a quarter of our ATM network is in the semi-urban and rural areas," said Bagchi.


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Optical Cable reports profit on record quarterly sales
- September 13, 2010
Roanoke-based Optical Cable Corp. reported a profit of 9 cents a share as sales reached record levels in the company’s third quarter.
Optical Cable had a total profit of $575,000 during the quarter, compared with a loss of $1.1 million, or 19 cents a share, for the same period last year.
The company had record net sales of $18.8 million during the quarter, which ended July 31. That figure is up 32.2 percent from the third quarter of 2009.
For the nine months of its fiscal year, the company had a net loss of $7.2 million, or $1.21 a share. Contributing to the loss was a nonrecurring impairment charge of $6.2 million to write off the carrying value of goodwill associated with the company’s acquisition of Applied Optical Systems Inc.


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Bathtub Row is brewing up community in Los Alamos with the grand opening of the town’s first craft brewery.
Three years ago, a collective vision by community members to create an atmosphere similar to a neighborhood English pub has transformed into a full-fledged cooperative –– only the fourth such co-op in the nation.
Grand opening festivities will commence with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon Friday, May 29, and continue that evening with music, food and new beer releases. Celebration activities will continue 3-9 p.m. Saturday, May 30.
The idea to align the business with cooperative principles proved to be an innovation among the craft beer industry. As a democratically run, member-owned and operated cooperative, Bathtub Row Brewing is tightly focused on the Los Alamos community and to running the business in an environmentally and economically sustainable manner.
Among the principles stated on their website, they aim to educate the public about the art and science of brewing. However, since only three other breweries were structured as a co-op, the founding members had little to go on. That’s where the Regional Development Corporation stepped in to help.
“We stumbled upon Val Alonzo and the business assistance service program operated by the RDC via a newly opened brewery in Santa Fe when we were in the planning stages,” explained Micheline Devaurs, president, board of directors. “Val helped us navigate potential funding options, the necessary permitting and many other aspects of getting a business open and operational. Being able to talk with someone face-to-face is incredibly valuable.”
Bathtub Row Brewing is operating by the triple-bottom-line principle: people, planet and profit. The unusual cooperative business model upon which the business is built emphasizes building community and promoting its well-being. It also reflects the priorities of its member-owners. At launch time, Bathtub Row Brewing will have close to 500 member-investors already. The co-op is accepting more members at their website, www.bathtubrowbrewing.coop.
“Our business expansion and retention program really wanted to help see this gathering place come to fruition for the community of Los Alamos,” said Kathy Keith, executive director of the Regional Development Corporation (RDC). “We want to thank Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Security and Los Alamos County for their financial support for the business retention and expansion program which helps local businesses start and grow. Bathtub Row Brewing’s cooperative model is centered around sustainability, and it’s a model other communities in northern New Mexico can adapt for their own uses.”
Bathtub Row Brewing plans to continue with regular live music and new beer releases after the grand opening weekend May 29-30. The public is invited to attend all events on grand opening weekend at Bathtub Row’s location, 163 Central Park Square in Los Alamos.
About Bathtub Row Brewing Co-op
Bathtub Row Brewing Co-op is Los Alamos’ first craft brewery and only the fourth in the country structured as a member cooperative. Closely aligned with the cooperative business model, Bathtub Row is a democratically run, member-owned and operated community gathering place seeking to support and promote the local craft beer industry. Learn more at www.bathtubrowbrewing.coop.
About the Regional Development Corporation (RDC)
The Regional Development Corporation is a non-profit economic development organization based in Española, New Mexico with a mission of creating jobs and attracting additional revenue to the northern New Mexico region. Visit www.rdcnm.org.


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Now that Warner’s Black Adam DCEU movie starring Dwayne Johnson in the titular role has conquered its opening week at the box office, it’s time to start thinking about the upcoming 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release. Pre-orders have already gone live at Amazon and Walmart with the latter including a limited edition option with an exclusive Funko Pop! figure.
- Pre-order Black Adam on 4K Blu-ray combo at Amazon
- Pre-order Limited Edition Black Adam on 4K Blu-ray combo w/Funko Pop! at Walmart
The Walmart listing is promising over “over 2 hours of content” so expect a decent amount of bonus material to accompany at least all the HD versions of Black Adam.
Also expect the Amazon price to drop sharply between now and Black Adam’s 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD release. Any pre-order placed now will reflect the lowest price Amazon offers before it ships.
We’ll share more information about Black Adam’s arrival on 4K, Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital in the coming weeks, including the release dates.


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SHANGHAI - The food production license held by a company accused of producing tainted steamed buns has been revoked and five suspects -- including the company's director -- have been detained, according to local authorities.
Shanghai's public security, industrial and commerce, and food safety supervision departments are working together to investigate the allegations against the company, which emerged in an investigative report by China Central Television (CCTV) on Monday.
CCTV claimed the company had produced steamed buns, or mantou in Chinese, from stale buns that had been returned from local retailers. The company allegedly added illegal chemicals to the expired buns to make them appear fresh.
The Shanghai quality and technical supervision bureau announced on Wednesday that it had revoked the food production license of Shanghai Shenglu Food Company after it found illegal chemicals in tested samples.
The bureau said it tested 19 batches of steamed buns from the company and found that four contained a yellow coloring that is forbidden in steamed food and confectionery. It said it also found sodium cyclamate, an artificial sweetener, in two batches in quantities that exceeded national standards.
According to the Shanghai public security bureau, related evidence has been collected, including chemical additives and the company's production and sales records.
The company's director, Ye Weilu, its sales manager, Xu Jianming, and three staff members have been detained.
The bureau said the company, registered in Songjiang district's Tianma Development Zone, mainly produced steamed buns and flour confectionery. The company had eight workers and an annual turnover of 1.8 million yuan (S$346,140), of which steamed buns accounted for up to two-thirds.
The five suspects acknowledged that the company had produced 84,000 packs (with four buns to a pack) since January. The buns were shipped to 10 supermarket chains in the city, including Dia, Hualian and Lianhua.
The bureau said its investigation is continuing.
According to the Shanghai administration for industry and commerce, more than 32,000 steamed buns have been taken off the shelves at supermarkets and impounded by the administration.
The administration ordered local stores and supermarkets to check steamed buns from other manufacturers and stop selling them if they have any doubts about their quality.
Officials from the bureau said it will also carry out tests on other brands supplying steamed food as part of the investigation.
Li Yuanping, a spokesman for the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, China's top quality watchdog, said it has ordered the quality supervision authority in Shanghai to thoroughly investigate the case and severely punish those responsible for any wrongdoing.
"We must gravely crack down on illegal activities and will never relent," Li was quoted as saying by Xinhua News Agency.
-China Daily/Asia News Network


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It is yet another week of updates from high street retailers to look forward to.
One company expected to announce a positive performance across the board is Game Group with a trading update covering the 50 weeks to January 10 on Tuesday.
The troubles of competitors such as Woolworths seems to have helped the Game numbers.
Analysts at Seymour Pierce expect the company to post a 22 per cent jump in sales for the year.
Dsg International, the owner of Curry's and PC World, is due to release a trading update covering the 12 weeks to January 10 on Thursday.
The struggling owner of Curry's and PC World published a poor set of interim results in November recording its first interim loss in 20 years. The group announced underlying pre-tax losses of £29.8million which rises to £61m if restructuring charges are included.
Bryan Johnston, director at Bell Lawrie, said: "Sales at PC World were badly hit falling by 11 per cent in the first half. The Christmas period was therefore particularly crucial for this electronics house. So far there have been no signs of recovery."
Analysts believe that DSG will post a one per cent drop in total group sales.
Music, books and DVD retailer HMV is scheduled to publish a trading update covering the 10 weeks to January 3 on Thursday.
The group, which also includes Waterstones, makes the bulk of its profits in the run up to Christmas and analysts expect to see a three per cent rise in total sales. For the year to April 2009 the City expects the company to record pre-tax profits of £57m up from £56.5m last year.
Also on Thursday the owner of Homebase and Argos, Home Retail Group, will unveil its Christmas trading update. Expectations for the festive period are Home Retail could announce a four per cent decline in sales at Argos and an eight per cent fall at Homebase. Profits for the year to February 2009 are expected to be £318m.


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New Zealand’s industrial hemp industry is going commercial this year. New laws are expected to take place that will allow farmers and entrepreneurs the opportunity go grow industrial hemp for seed propagation.
Hemp seeds are extremely beneficial to one’s health, as they are filled with numerous vitamins and minerals, as well as large amounts of amino acids, fiber, and fatty acids. Hemp seeds are regularly compared to superfoods like quinoa and high-protein meat sources, and they can also be processed into a number of finished goods.
Top companies in Canada like Nutiva and Manitoba Harvest dominate the North America market with products like hemp protein powder, hemp oil, and healthy hemp hearts. This year New Zealand expects to triple the 200 to 300ha of acres of hemp plants grown annually and farmers can now expect to see returns of $4500 to $5500 a hectare. The change in legislation also plans to generate $10M- $20M in export revenue a year.


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By Selin Cetinelli, Unilever Consumer and Market Insight Director, NAMETRUB
“The pace of change has never been this fast, yet it will never be this slow again.”
This is a quote which has touched not just digital companies but all industries in its own way.
By Jan Willem Knibbe
With more and more countries introducing far reaching privacy laws, California has now followed suit and adopted the Californian Consumer Privacy Act, or CaCPA in short.


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We screwed up on Street View - Google
- From: AFP
- May 20, 2010
GOOGLE "screwed up" by accidentally gathering private wireless data while taking pictures for its Street View mapping service, co-founder Sergey Brin said.
Mr Brin's remarks came as two US MPs asked regulators whether the internet giant had broken the law by capturing personal wireless data, while Italian and German authorities said they were looking into the matter.
Google said last week that Street View cars cruising and taking photographs of cities in over 30 countries had inadvertently gathered fragments of personal data sent over unsecured wi-fi systems.
"We screwed up," Mr Brin told reporters here on the opening day of a Google conference for software developers.
"I'm not going to make any excuses about it."
Mr Brin said Google has "a lot of internal controls in place", although acknowledging that "obviously, they didn't prevent this error from occurring".
He said the Mountain View, California-based company was "putting more internal controls in place".
"Trust is very important to us and we are going to do everything we can to preserve this trust," Mr Brin said.
Meanwhile, Representative Ed Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, and Republican Representative Joe Barton of Texas sent a letter to the chairman of the US Federal Trade Commission, Jon Leibowitz.
They asked for a response by June 2.
In their letter, the two members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce asked whether Google's wi-fi data collection practices "violate the public's reasonable expectation of privacy".
"Do Google's actions form the basis of an unfair or deceptive act or practices that constitutes harm to consumers?" they asked.
"Are Google's actions illegal under Federal law?"
Consumer Watchdog, a US consumer advocacy group that often criticises Google, called on the FTC last week to launch a probe into the collection of private wi-fi information by Street View cars, calling the practice a "flagrant intrusion into consumers' privacy".
Italy's privacy regulator said it had opened an investigation into Google, while in Germany, prosecutors said they had launched a probe into Google on suspicion of computer crime following a lawyer's complaint against the firm's German subsidiary.
"It is not yet clear whether a specific crime has been committed," a spokesman for the prosecutor's office in the northern city of Hamburg said.
Illegal interception of data is punishable in Germany with a fine or up to two years in prison under a law that entered the books in 2007.
Street View allows users to view panoramic street scenes on Google Maps and "walk" through cities such as New York, Paris or Hong Kong.
Innovations that make life easier
TURN the rat race into a comfortable cruise with these smart additions to your daily routine.
IT MAY have seemed like complete science fiction at the time, but much of the technology we laughed at in old movies has come to actually exist today.
ONE day, these microscopic robots could change the world. They could cure cancer, give us superhuman powers and save the environment. Or could they destroy us?
THINK your smartphone is nifty now? Wait a few years and we could see indestructible, shapeshifting ultraphones with batteries that last forever.
STOP living like a 21st century caveman and plug into these clever ways to get yourself a smarter home where fridges talk to us and robots do all the dirty work.
IN A decade, technology will be everywhere, yet nowhere. Computers will exist in every day objects and the speed of information will be out of control. This is a morning in 2024.
THE FBI’s “next generation identification” system has launched. And its implications for ordinary people are terrifying.
KIDS have become so used to fast and user friendly technology that many can’t even recognise a 1970s computer let alone make it work. Watch the results.


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- Kenya banned the importation of maize from the two regional nations Friday, March 5, over an increase in chronic aflatoxin-related illnesses
- Business people exporting maize into Kenya from the two countries will be required to have a certificate of origin from the counties of produce among other requirements
- Ministry of Agriculture says that the move is aimed at ensuring the safety of consumers
PAY ATTENTION: Don't miss trending Kenyan news. Follow TUKO.co.ke on Twitter!
It is a sigh of relief for Tanzania and Uganda after the Kenyan government moved to lift a ban on maize imports from the two neighboring countries.
Kenya had banned the importation of maize from the two nations indicating that their crops exhibited an acute increase in chronic aflatoxin-related illnesses, some of which had resulted in death.
But in a sudden turn of events, Kenya’s Ministry of Agriculture said that all stakeholders dealing in maize imports would be required to be registered.
All the consignments coming into Kenya must be accompanied by a certificate of conformity on aflatoxin levels and that traders have to issue details of their warehouses where the product will be stored upon entering the country.
The certificate of conformity should indicate that the aflatoxin levels comply with the maximum required levels of 10 parts per billion.
Traders importing maize from Uganda to Kenya will be required to also be in possession of a certificate of origin from the counties of produce before they get clearance at the respective border points.
Agriculture Chief Administrative Secretary Lawrence Angolo said in a statement that the move was aimed at addressing the safety of consumers and that the country will not be compromised on the same.
Angolo said the details on the warehouse would help in ensuring the maize supplied to Kenya conformed to all standard procedures on food handling and that it was not dried traditionally on roads.
“While we strive to give Kenya safe food by addressing the challenge in the production system, we equally expect our trading partners to trade safe maize as per the East African community standards,” said Angolo.
The ministry further petitioned the two regional countries to fast track ratification of East Africa Community (EAC- SGS) standards on aflatoxin and submit the instruments of certification to the EAC.
Uganda exports at least 90% of its maize to Kenya with an increasing average of 330,620 tonnes.
According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, in the past year, Uganda’s maize exports stood at 351,420 tonnes with a monthly average of 50,203 tonnes.
Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through firstname.lastname@example.org or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly.


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Apple started selling the Mini on Friday, starting at $329. It’s a third smaller than the full-size iPad.
The sales figure compares with 1.5 million iPads sold in the first three days after Apple launched the third-generation iPad in March and cut the price of the iPad 2.
The full-size iPad got an update on Friday as well, with a faster processor and a better front-facing camera.
The launch encompassed 34 countries, including the U.S., Japan, Germany and Britain. According to analyst Brian White at Topeka Capital Markets, the Mini model sold out at 60 percent of U.S. Apple stores.
More breaking news
- Women small business owners struggle to get loans
- LIBN inquiry ‘weighs’ on ESPN
- Foye: LI to get share of Port Authority work
- Ones to watch: law
- How to: Choose an accounting firm
- Rising in the east
- Short on height
- No-fly list rules get changes
- Audit: ‘Obamacare’ tax not meeting revenue target
- Late-payment rate on US mortgages declines


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The U.S. Postal Service’s financial struggles continued into 2012, as the agency reported a $5.2 billion loss for the three months ended June 30 despite improved revenue from shipping and packaging.
The service said declining volume in the type of mail that most Americans use and a congressional mandate to prefund retirement health care benefits continued to cause deep losses.
But the Postal Service also reported 9% growth in revenue from shipping and packaging, which brought in an extra $3.3 billion — although that was not enough to offset other losses. The $5.2 billion net loss was worse than $3.1 billion loss posted during the same period in 2011.
First-class mail — the kind most Americans use to mail letters and pay bills — took another hit in the latest quarter, with volume falling 4.4% from the previous quarter.


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This is likely old news by now, but newsworthy nonetheless. As reported by a recent Forrester Research study, a very healthy 97% of consumers now use email, and 94% of marketers are now using email as part of their larger marketing mix.
This is especially significant considering just 4 months ago studies were showing that only 81% of marketers were finally warming to email marketing and its obvious ROI and all-around cost-effectiveness.
As industries and their various players seem to be getting more tech-savvy and open to internet-related marketing and sales opportunities, email can and likely will play an increasingly important role in online marketing initiatives. Email continues to act as that crucial ‘link’ between a new user and a selling/marketing company, and thanks to the 97% of consumers now on email, utilizing this channel to the fullest is only common sense for the future.
One thing that will change? The (welcomed) movement away from ‘shotgun’ or ‘spray and pray’ email marketing (AKA broadcast email), and towards an advanced level of email: increased data segmentation, better consumer targeting, and more recipient relevance (AKA 1-to-1 email).
Keeping it all relevant and targeted will only help marketers get the better open and CT rates they crave, whilst allowing consumers to actually receive something they want to receive.
Finally, it seems authenticated email and VEI (Visual Email Identification) might be making some headway. This is even better news for email marketers, coupled with the overwhelming stats above. Rolling out authenticated email will surely be the next large step (after CAN-SPAM) to alleviate some of the pressures that SPAM continually presents to permission-based email marketers.
April 20th, 2007


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A new deadly virus, COVID-19, is currently being dealt with by the world. This deadly virus caused lockdown in many parts of the states. Due to the uncertain situation, especially during the current lockdown, people are looking for saving money by all modes and means. While you do shopping, shipping costs essentially increase the effective price of a product. So effectively the price becomes more than the displayed one. In the current situation, it will be great for you if you find out some retail outlets or eCommerce sites that are offering free shipping which helps you to save a lot of money.
Lastly, lockdown is a very difficult time which may call for extra savings of money due to an uncertain future. Using the coupon codes, you can save a lot of buck during this tough time.


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Aurora Cannabis is the most owned stock on Robinhood according to Robintracks so let's talk about Aurora and whether it's a good time to buy shares.
Aurora Cannabis posted their q4 2019 results and I like several key points from their earnings release. Here are some key fiscal year 2019 numbers:
- Net revenue of $247.9 million, up 349% compared to the prior year.
- Gross margin on cannabis net revenue of 55% in fiscal 2019 versus 65% in fiscal 2018.
- Kilograms produced and kilograms sold of 57,442 kgs and 36,628 kgs, up 920% and 629% respectively compared to fiscal 2018.
Revenue and kilograms produced are WAY up over the last year. In the meantime, the stock price has been crashing due to massive dilution and an overall bearish trend in the Cannabis sector.
The stock is currently trading around $2 so for me this is a strong buy area. There is long term support at the $1.78 level and buyers are coming into the stock at current levels.


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"NINJAS IN PYJAMAS" content on TweakTown - Page 1
We found 4 items for the tag: NINJAS IN PYJAMAS
Ninjas in Pyjamas CEO fired amid claims players aren't being paid
CS:GO pro gaming team Ninjas in Pyjamas sees its CEO exit with claims players aren't being paid.
Passports confiscated, players ill and hotels unpaid at CS:GO event
In pure irony, Gaming Paradise CS:GO tournament features unpaid hotels, dodgy food, sick players and local police confiscating passports.
Ninjas in Pyjamas promotes female gaming with $1000 online CS:GO comp
Ninjas in Pyjamas promotes female-only gaming with a $1,000 online double elimination CS:GO tournament.


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Macy's wants corporate employees to work in stores over the busy holiday season, at a time where some retailers are struggling to hire enough staff
Macy's encouraged staff to volunteer for three shifts and to wear "comfortable, close-toed shoes and business casual dress," per The Washington Post.
Amazon's planned department stores could have robots, QR codes, and touchscreens in futuristic dressing rooms, a report says
Amazon's planned department stores may have touchscreens in dressing rooms for customers to request more clothes, per The Wall Street Journal report.
Macy's jumps 22% after huge earnings beat as Americans shake off COVID-19 fears and return to in-store shopping
Macy's also announced a partnership with WHP Global to bring 400 Toys "R" Us store-in-stores to its locations by 2022.
Amazon will reportedly open a series of department stores in Ohio and California, selling furniture and apparel among other things.
Amazon's stores, which are expected to be around 30,000 square feet, may be smaller than most department stores but will offer a similar assortment.
Nordstrom partners with online fashion giant Asos to bring new brands to its stores as it looks to woo younger shoppers
Nordstrom will take a minority stake in Asos' Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge, and HIIT brands to grow these in the US.
Iconic luxury department store Harrods will now rent you clothes from high-end designers, and $1,000 dresses cost $20 a day
Harrods, one of the world's most iconic department stores, will now rent designer clothes, starting at $8 a day for a minimum of four days.
Warren Buffett's deputy has scored a 300% gain on Dillard's in 9 months — and now boasts a $170 million stake
Ted Weschler, one of Buffett's portfolio managers, revealed a personal stake of 6% in the department-store chain last October.
One of London's most iconic luxury department stores, Selfridges, is hosting in-store mini weddings for $9,000
The cheapest Selfridges wedding package includes hair and makeup, a three-course hamper, and a film screening.
Macy's CEO Jeff Gennette told CNBC that the department store is seeing demand for luggage and swimsuits.
2 former Nike execs have been tapped to turn underwear brand Tommy John into a billion-dollar company — and they're going all in on product innovation and wholesale partnerships to get there
Melissa Ohm and Beth Brown have joined Tommy John. Each told Insider that experiences at Nike would help inform new projects at the emerging brand.
Why Nordstrom is doubling down on dropshipping, a controversial tactic popular with e-commerce entrepreneurs
Nordstrom expects wholesale to make up a smaller portion of its sales in the near future and wants to share more "risk" with its brand partners.
JCPenney's retail and operating assets have been sold to Simon and Brookfield. It comes after tense negotiations.
Macy's is closing 45 stores in 2021, and some have already started liquidation sales. Here's the full list.
Macy's store closures are part of its plan to close one-fifth of its stores by 2023.
Macy's net sales for the third quarter fell to $3.99 billion, from $5.17 billion a year earlier, as consumers spend less in department stores.
Simon Property Group understands the value of acquiring bankrupt brands 'cheap.' Here's how the US' largest mall operator plans to convert JCPenney and Brooks Brothers into profitable businesses again.
Simon Property Group has been using strategic partnerships to acquire some of retail's most distressed brands.
Nordstrom covered health insurance for furloughed workers. Now it wants them to pay it back as Americans' savings are dwindling to $0.
Some Nordstrom workers said they didn't realize they would have to pay their employer back after it covered their health insurance in the spring.
Macy's turned 2 locations into 'dark stores' that fulfill online orders and don't have in-store shopping
The Macy's stores in Dover, Delaware, and Littleton, Colorado, are closed to shoppers, but you can still pick up online orders there.
Ted Weschler, one of Buffett's investment managers at Berkshire Hathaway, disclosed the personal investment in the struggling department-store chain.
Macy's will commit 15% of its shelf space to Black-owned brands, joining a pledge adopted by Sephora, Vogue, and Rent the Runway
Macy's will sign the "15 Percent Pledge," it said Wednesday. While 15% of the US is Black, Black-owned brands are often underrepresented in stores.


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Air India just had a massive data breach, now Domino’s India is facing the same problem, the country’s popular delivery chain is now under a severe cyberattack. As per a recent report, the data of 180 million users of Domino’s Pizza restaurants have been leaked. Domino’s India is operated by Jubilant FoodWorks Ltd who run the 1,314 restaurants that got their data leaked. Data leaked on the dark web include credit card details, mobile number, and location.
The data breach includes customers’ names, email addresses, mobile phone numbers, and locations. Rajshekhar Rajaharia, a cyber-security researcher discovered the breach. The researcher took to Twitter and revealed that the hacker created a search engine for the leaked database on the dark web.
According to Rajaharia “Data of 18 crore orders of Domino’s India have become public. Hacker created a search engine on Dark Web. If you have ever ordered @dominos_india online, your data might be leaked. Data include Name, Email, Mobile, GPS Location, etc,”.
Rajaharia also said, “The worst part of this alleged breach is that people are using this data to spy on people. Anybody can easily search any mobile number and can check a person’s past locations with date and time. This seems like a real threat to our privacy,”.
The report said thousand of consumers have asked for transparency and accountability from Domino’s Pizza following the massive data breach. Jubilant FoodWorks, the company running Domino’s agreed that there was a data breach. They however, said that customers’ financial information is safe.
Jubilant FoodWorks experienced an information security incident recently. No data pertaining to the financial information of any person was accessed and the incident has not resulted in any operational or business impact. As a policy we do not store financial details or credit card data of our customers, thus no such information has been compromised. Our team of experts is investigating the matter and we have taken necessary actions to contain the incident,Jubilant FoodWorks
But even if the information is indeed safe, it is advised that people should not to save card details online so as to avoid their data getting leaked in data breaches. Cybersecurity specialists said that the latest data leak is the outcome of a breach that occurred in the servers of the pizza chain this April and is likely done by the same hacker.


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A chicken in China's Guizhou province has laid a giant egg, according to The Los Angeles Times reports that the giant egg weighed nearly half-a-pound. It was three times the size of eggs commonly available at grocery stores.
A Chinese chicken lays an egg that weighs half a pound, has two yokes inside and contains another fully-formed egg. The hen has been laying these extraordinary items for three weeks, according to its owner. She also says she thought the bird was dying as it struggled to lay the first mammoth egg.
A hen in southwest China has laid an egg weighing almost half a pound, but what the owner found inside was even more amazing.
Granny Yang showed fellow villagers in Bijie in Guizhou the giant egg, which her hen laid two weeks ago. It is almost three times the normal size.
The 87-year-old asked someone to crack it into a bowl, only to find two yolks and another egg inside the shell.
"I'm more than 80 now, but I have never seen eggs like this before," Yang said.
She says the hen started laying oversized eggs about three weeks ago and has since produced five monsters.
Yang originally thought the bird was dying when she saw it struggle to lay a huge egg for the first time.
The hen does have its own preferred diet, eating rice instead of the more usual corn.


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Warrington’s Own Buses has announced an upgrade for its cross-town Connect 17 route, improving services to Gemini Retail Park.
Connect 17 has benefitted from an enhanced frequency from Monday 26th November, with service 17 now operating between Westbrook and Gemini Retail Park every fifteen minutes on weekdays and Saturdays.
In 2013, Network Warrington updated their 17 service with half a dozen brand new Optare Versa midibuses, branding the route as Connect 17.
A dedicated two-tone turquoise and purple livery was designed for the upgraded route, with this scheduled to be updated to reflect the new Warrington’s Own Buses branding in the near future.
Warrington’s Own Buses’ managing director, Ben Wakerley, said: “Customers can now access the Odeon Cinema and shops at Westbrook and Ikea and M&S at Gemini with frequent buses.
“The short journey time means that it is easy to access the retail parks and the town centre by bus and Connect 17 buses accept cash, contactless and mobile phone payments.
“We want to encourage car users to leave the car at home and give the town’s bus service a go. These improvements simplify the network, with easy ways to pay and several ticket prices reduced this year.”
In other news, a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter demonstrator, registered BN17 JFX, arrived on 26th November 2018. At the time of writing, it is not known which route(s) it will be used on.


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Russia opens criminal case against six Ukrainian army commanders for shelling civiliansRussian Politics & Diplomacy October 24, 17:34
IOC decides against stripping late Russian freestyle wrester of 2012 Olympics silverSport October 24, 17:26
LPR blames Kiev for trying to rewrite Minsk accords with help of roadmapWorld October 24, 17:16
Crew of Russian tanker released in Libya — Chechen leaderWorld October 24, 17:11
Expert calls to increase share of innovative products in Russian economy from 12% to 30%Business & Economy October 24, 16:58
Moscow says West is using mediasphere to stage aggressive anti-Russian campaignsRussian Politics & Diplomacy October 24, 16:50
Novak: Freezing or reducing oil production allows avoiding oil market shortageBusiness & Economy October 24, 16:22
Russian Helicopters to build pilot training center in Peru by end of 2017Military & Defense October 24, 15:57
Russian expert suggests Kiev needs to begin direct talks with DonbassWorld October 24, 15:43
MOSCOW, August 16 (Itar-Tass) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday had a telephone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yanukovich, the Kremlin press service reported. The two leaders discussed issues of bilateral cooperation, including problems of customs clearance procedures at the Russian-Ukrainian border.
According to earlier reports, Ukrainian exporters have been having problems at the Russian customs posts since late July. Freight transport vehicles have to waste too much time at the border, hence products prices for consumers go. According to the Ukrainian Federation of Employers, Ukraine’s losses from the toughened customs procedures may reach $2-2.5 billion in the second half of this year.
According to Ukraine’s official statistics, Russia accounted for 24.7% of Ukrainian exports in the first six months of 2013. Ukraine’s overall exports in the first six months of this year stood at $30,742.7 million, while imports totaled $34,963.1 million.
In early July 2013, Russia announced plans to impose extra special customs dues on Ukraine’s chocolate, coal and glass in response to Ukraine’s special duties on imports of cars. Russia sent a notification to the World Trade Organization (WTO) saying that Ukraine’s car tax would incur damages to Russian car imports to a sum of $328 million. Moreover, this move would not allow Russia to collect $36 million in tax revenues. To compensate for these losses, Russia said it would reserve the right to collect customs duties in the amount of 0.1 euro per one kilogram of Ukrainian-made chocolate, 54% on coal imports, and 15% on glass. These duties may come into force upon agreement with other members of the Customs Union (Belarus and Kazakhstan). Apart from that, from July 29, 2013, Russia imposed non-tariff restrictions on imports of some other Ukrainian products. Thus, Russia’s consumer rights protection authority (Rozpotrebnadzor) imposed a ban on imports of confectionery manufactured by Ukraine’s Roshen corporation over non-compliance with Russian quality, marking and safety standards. According to Rospoterbnadzor specialists, Roshen-made milk chocolate has benzapyrene, a highly carcinogenic and bioaccumulated substance.


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Data by the UK Gambling Commission shows that the country’s gambling industry has increased more than 61.7% from 2009 when a total of £8.4 billion was generated in gross gambling yield to 2016 when the amount of £13.6 billion was reported.
Answering the question what has encouraged such a massive growth would be a difficult task as there is a plethora of factors to have contributed to the industry’s evolution into its current state. However, advertising has certainly been one such factor.
Published last summer, a Guardian-commissioned study by global measurement firm Nielsen dwelt specifically and in detail on the deployment of television as a major gambling advertising medium. Nielsen found that UK-facing gaming and betting operators spent £456 million on TV advertising between 2012 and 2015. In 2015 only, those same operators invested £118.5 million in the creation and broadcasting of TV ads to increase brand awareness among customers. In comparison, the amount of £81.2 million was spent on TV advertising in 2012. An almost twofold increase speaks volumes about how important television has become for operators’ marketing efforts.
However, UK-facing gambling companies may soon have to start looking for a new favorite advertising medium. Following the publication of the Nielsen report, word has leaked out that a traditional triennial review of the country’s gambling industry may be concluded with a daytime TV gambling advertising ban.
Here it is important to note that operators and broadcasters are required to follow certain rules, those being included in a set of codes, when it comes to the promotion of gambling products on television. In the general case, gambling ads cannot be broadcast before the 9 pm watershed. However, there are certain exclusions to the general rule. For instance, sports betting ads can be shown during broadcasts of different sports events, no matter when in the day said events are taking place.
And it is exactly such daily showings of ads that are expected to be targeted by the UK government. The introduction of a daytime TV ad ban has influential supporters, including key country officials, but the potential implementation of such a measure has been vocally opposed by broadcasters and gambling operators. Results from the MPs’ review of the gambling industry are to be released this spring, so it will likely not be long before it becomes clear how exactly those will be targeted. And while waiting for the study’s findings, maybe it is a good idea to look at the effects of a possible daytime TV gambling ban.
What Has Urged MPs to Consider a Daytime TV Gambling Ad Ban?
The promotion of responsible gambling has been a duty taken very seriously by the UK Gambling Commission, the government, dedicated non-governmental organizations, and other concerned parties. Problem gambling rates have been monitored over the years so as for the relevant bodies to be able to take adequate measures against their increase.
Although there is no solid evidence that there is a direct link between increased TV gambling advertising activity and a rise in problem gambling cases, the promotion of gambling products on television may after all be contributing to triggering problem gambling behavior with vulnerable people, children included.
A 2007 British Gambling Prevalence Survey (BGPS) showed that 0.6% of all interviewees defined themselves as problem gamblers. TV gambling ads were not that widespread back then. A 2010 report showed that problem gambling cases increased to 0.9%. Here it is important to note that gambling brands’ exposure on television had increased significantly at the time
According to the most recent BGPS, one made public in 2012, problem gambling prevalence rate stood at 0.5%. However, the number of gambling ads broadcast on TV has increased significantly over the years – from 152,000 in 2006 to 1.39 million in 2012, a 2013 Ofcom report showed.
As mentioned above, influential parties have been calling for gambling ads to be curbed so as for their exposure to children and vulnerable people to be limited. It has been suggested that TV spots with explicitly gambling-related content trivialize this type of products and undervalue the risks of overexposure to gambling.
Possible Negative Effects from a Daytime TV Gambling Ads Ban
Gambling operators spoke against the potential ban immediately after first reports for its introduction appeared in media last fall. Members of the country’s Remote Gambling Association pointed to a recent gambling advertising review conducted by the UK Department of Culture, Media, and Sport that concluded that there was no need of broadcasting restrictions.
And although operators may lose a favorite advertising medium, they will certainly not be the ones to lose the most from a possible ban.
Shortly before being appointed as permanent CEO of William Hill, Philip Bowcock commented on the possible ads crackdown by saying that he understood public concerns and that advertising-related measures may not be such a bad thing.
William Hill is among the largest UK operators. The company and its likes have great exposure across high streets and can easily reach existing and potential customers through that exposure. The case is slightly different with operators with no physical presence around the country. Gambling companies of this kind certainly need more channels to promote their offerings on.
However, with the increasing penetration of smartphones and other portable devices, operators may not find it that difficult to find a new favorite advertising medium. A recent report by market research firm eMarketer showed that digital advertising spend in UK will represent almost 58% of overall advertising media spend in 2017 and is expected to reach £10.9 billion.
Mobile media ad spend will account for 36.6% of the total, amounting to £6.89 billion. What is more, eMarketer predicted that mobile ad spending will double by 2021 to £12.19 billion. The mobile channel has been among gambling’s most profitable ones over the past several years, so it will not be a big surprise if operators channel their TV ad investment into mobile advertising, no matter whether a daytime TV ban will be imposed or not.
It can thus be said that TV broadcasters will probably be the ones to lose the biggest from an advertising crackdown. Channels, particularly sports ones, need additional investment to recoup funds spent on expensive sports broadcasting rights and gambling ads money have long been seen as a big boost to their budgets.
Following Paddy Power and Betfair’s merger early last year, the combined entity announced a £300-million marketing budget with an increased focus on TV advertising. The gambling operator is among the largest Sky Sports advertisers, as recently pointed out by its CEO Breon Corcoran.
The potential loss of such a big boost has unleashed a powerful wave of broadcasters discontent. And it is this wave of discontent that may eventually prevent any too draconian ad-related measures from being implemented.
Results from the government’s review are expected to be revealed to the public anytime now.


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Just slap some graphene on that bad boy and watch it work.
A team of scientists led by the University of Cambridge has developed a new ultra-high density hard drive that they say has ten times the data storage of other leading drives — thanks to an ultra-thin coating of graphene.
Graphene, which is a material made of a one-atom-thick layer of carbon, is a bit of a buzzy darling in the material sciences community, to the point that it's nearly a meme to implement it in just about anything, whether it's computers, batteries, or outerwear, that needs a high-tech update. But in this case, it does seem to make a significant difference, according to research published in the journal Nature Communications, and the Cambridge research could herald a new era of ultra-powerful hard drives that make today's storage issues seem trivial.
There's nothing magical about graphene that makes hard drives suddenly work better. But the ultra-thin material does cut down on some of the filler that gets built into drives, allowing for greater storage density and performance.
Hard drives are essentially made of rapidly spinning platters that are protected by carbon-based overcoats (COCs). As technology has improved, manufacturers have made those carbon layers thinner and thinner. But there's still room for improvement: swapping the COCs out for even thinner layers of graphene means less filler bulk and more physical space that can be reallocated for data storage, according to a press release. And, it turns out, graphene still works just fine as a protective coating, so there's very little tradeoff from abandoning COCs for graphene.
"Demonstrating that graphene can serve as protective coating for conventional hard disk drives and that it is able to withstand [data recording] conditions is a very important result," Cambridge Graphene Center researcher and study coauthor Anna Ott said in the release. "This will further push the development of novel high areal density hard disk drives."
READ MORE: Ultra-high-density hard drives made with graphene store ten times more data [University of Cambridge]
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Gamescom 2021 Xbox Stream announced
Microsoft has announced an official Gamescom 2021 Xbox Stream that will take place on August 24th at 10 a.m. PT.
The stream will be hosted by Parris Lilly and Kate Yeager and feature “in-depth updates” on previously announced titles from Xbox Game Studios and third-party partners. According to Microsoft, the games being shown will include “some of the incredible titles coming to Xbox this holiday, upcoming releases to our monthly subscription service, Xbox Game Pass, and much more.”
Aaron Greenberg, GM of Xbox Games Marketing at Microsoft, added in a tweet that there will be “no new reveals or major surprises” during the show.
In other news, Microsoft recently announced that it is once again partnering with Twitch for a second /twitchgaming Showcase: ID@Xbox. The event is set for August 10th at 9 a.m. PT and will feature “tons of independent titles.”
Matt is one of the longest-serving members of the EGMNOW team. An ability to go many hours without sleep and a quick wit make him ideal for his role as associate editor at EGMNOW.com. He often thinks back to the days when the very idea of this career seemed like nothing but an impossible dream.


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Do you not do Apple Options Plant? China Taiwan Honghai high-profile entered the electric vehicle industry
On November 4th, the Singapore "Joint Morning Post" website recently reported that China Taiwan Science and Technology Giant Honghai announced the first batch of 3 electric vehicle prototypes. The move highlights the ambitious enterprises from manufacturing consumer electronics for Apple and other technology companies to transform into a multiculturalism.
The new media quoted Reuters said that these three cars include 1 上海松江保健一条街 SUV, 1 sedan and 1 bus, which is produced by Hong Hai and Yulong Automobile.
According to reports, Honghai aims to become the main participants in the global electric vehicle market and have reached an agreement with the US startup Fiskerinc and Thailand Energy Group PTTPCL. Huanghai Chairman Liu Yangwei said in the event of the founder of the company, said: Hong Hai is ready, no longer a first time. Guo Taiming driving 上海千花论坛 this car jointly developed with the Italian Automotive Design Corporate, Mount the stage in a happy melody.
This sedan will be sold by a unknown car manufacturer outside Chinese Taiwan in the next few years, while SUV will sell in Yulong’s brand, planned to be listed in the island market in 2023.
The bus will launch the logo of Honghai, will work with a local transportation service provider, starting to run in several people in Tainan next year. Honghai recently bought a factory from the United States’s start-up enterprise Lordstownmotorscorp for production of electric vehicles.
In addition, in August this year, the company purchased a chip factory to meet the future of automotive chips.


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The Department of Agriculture and Food is working to develop an industry for WA farmers to grow and export a rare Chinese delicacy.
The Chinese 'jujube' thrives in a warm, dry climate and is highly sought after by Chinese and South-East Asian consumers.
The department says the fruit has been cultivated in small numbers on 10 properties, mainly in the wheatbelt region around Gidgegannup and Beverley.
Fucheng Shan from the department says it is a hardy fruit which is drought resistant and tolerant to salinity.
"We found that because our production is counter-seasonal to China and also South-East Asia, our product can have a very good market in the future."


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Blackberry’s COO and General Manager for Devices Ralph Pini officially confirmed that the company will no longer manufacture the Blackberry Classic.
It’s one of the most popular phones from the Canadian company with its physical Qwerty keyboard, BB10 operating system and an optical trackpad. However, its sales has been reportedly disappointing. Add to it the decision of the US government not to offer Blackberry devices to officials anymore.
|Blackberry Classic in black and white.
He further said that Blackberry will continue to innovate with Blackberry 10 and Android devices. Rumors have surfaced that the company is developing three new smartphones named Neon, Argon, and Mercury.
There will still be support for Blackberry Classic’s software and units that are already in stores will still be sold. No more new units will be released though.
Blackberry once captured the hearts of Filipinos with their smartphones. Hopefully, they can do it again soon.


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THE CONTEXT: Russian hostilities in Ukraine are preventing grain from leaving the “breadbasket of the world” and making food more expensive across the globe, threatening to worsen shortages, hunger and political instability in developing countries. This article analyses various reasons for the global food crises and presents a clear picture of the present situation.
THE ISSUE: While post-pandemic global demand, extreme weather, tightening food stocks, high energy prices, supply chain bottlenecks and export restrictions and taxe shave been straining the food market for two years, the recent convergence of all these factors following Russia’s invasion is unprecedented and has sent food inflation rates spiking around the world. The halt in Ukrainian exports has pushed the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) Food Price Index, which tracks the international process of the most globally traded commodities, to its highest point in March 2022, since the record began in 1990.
DATA TO UNDERSTAND THE EXTENT OF GLOBAL FOOD CRISES
WHY RUSSIA AND UKRAINE ARE IMPORTANT FOR GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY
- Russia and Ukraine together account for more than a quarter of the world’s wheat supplies.
- Russia’s share in the global exports of wheat, the world’s most widely grown crop, is some 20%, while Ukraine accounts for 8%, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).
- Wheat is a staple food for at least 35% of the world’s population, as per the estimates of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
- About 50 countries depend on Russia and Ukraine for more than 30% of their wheat imports, according to the FAO.
- If Azerbaijan and Georgia source more than 80% of their imported wheat from Russia and Ukraine, Turkey, Egypt, Bangladesh and Lebanon meet over 60% of their imports from these two countries.
- Besides wheat, Ukraine is the world’s eighth-largest producer and fourth-largest exporter of corn, accounting for 16% of global exports.
- Furthermore, Ukraine, which produces up to 46% of sunflower seed and safflower oil is the world’s largest exporter of sunflower oil.
IMPACTS OF WAR ON FOOD PRICES
- As of June 1, 2022, the Agricultural Price Index was 40% higher compared to January 2021, according to the World Bank.
- Maize and wheat prices rose 42% and 60%, respectively, from the levels of January 2021.
- Global food, fuel and fertilizer prices are projected to be sharply higher this year and will remain elevated into 2024, the World Bank estimates.
- Almost all economies in the world have been hit by higher food prices. Across the western world, there’s a cost-of-living crisis with food and energy prices rocketing.
- In the U.K., inflation numbers have already hit a 40-year high. Almost 90% of emerging markets and developing economies experienced food price inflation greater than 5% this year.
- Low-income countries that are reliant on imports for basic food consumption are the hardest hit. According to the UN World Food Programme (WFP), Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Sudan and Yemen remain at ‘highest alert’ as hotspots with “catastrophic conditions”, as Afghanistan and Somalia are added to this category.
CAUSES FOR THE GLOBAL FOOD CRISES
BLOCKADE AT BLACK SEA
- Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine started, Ukraine had the capacity to export up to six million tonnes of wheat, barley and maize a month, mainly through its ports in the Black Sea/Sea of Azov.
- In the eight months before the war, some 51 million tonnes of grain were exported through Ukraine’s Black Sea ports. But exports have collapsed since the invasion as the Russian war effort is entirely focused on Ukraine’s eastern and southern parts along the Black Sea/Sea of Azov coast.
- Now, several Ukrainian port cities, including Mariupol, Kherson and Berdyansk, are under Russian control. Although the southern cities of Mykolaiv and Odesa, which are known as the ‘Pearl of the Black Sea’, are still with the Ukrainians, commercial ships cannot dock at these ports because of two reasons :
- Ukraine has mined the waters around these ports as a deterrent against potential Russian attacks and Russia has enforced a naval blockade in the waters of the Black Sea.
ECONOMIC SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA
- Besides the blockade, the western sanctions on Russia are also contributing to the crisis. Russia, besides being the world’s top wheat exporter, is also a leading exporter of fertilizer, an essential commodity for food production.
- Russia and its ally Belarus together account for some 38% of potassic fertilizers, 17% of compound fertilizers, and 15% of nitrogenous fertilizers. Fertilizer prices are also on the rise, which would make food production costlier.
- Russia’s food and fertilizer sectors were not directly targeted by western sanctions, but the sanctions on its financial sector, which made payments difficult for Russia, have complicated its exports, including food grains.
- Also, the targeted sanctions on Russian oligarchs have choked finances for the agricultural industry.
PRE-WAR EXISTENCE OF GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTIONS
- The impact of the pandemic has been disastrous for the supply chain, with persistent effects. The varying trends of economic recovery, lockdowns, and slowdowns, at different points in time, in different hubs across the globe have clogged the movement of goods across borders. This has not only impacted the manufacturing industry but also the food processing industry and now the ongoing conflict has also added to it in terms of constrained global food supply chain.
CLIMATE CHANGE AND FOOD SECURITY
- Climate change has impacted the production of various food crops especially due to the changes in the regular rainfall pattern and rising temperatures.
- Climate change impacts the biophysical conditions in which crops grow. Some crops are less heat resistant — as the atmosphere grows warmer, these become less productive. We’re already seeing declines in the productivity of staples like wheat.
- There are also significant nutritional impacts — as more carbon dioxide gathers in the atmosphere, crops have less nutrition and fewer vitamins and minerals in them.
- Food distribution is impacted — increasing wildfires and floods, war, and internal conflicts as well as the affordability and accessibility as seen in multiple countries disrupt the distribution systems transporting food from farmers to consumers. This results in higher food prices.
GLOBAL REPORT ON FOOD CRISES 2022
- An annual report named Global Report on Food Crises 2022 was launched by the Global Network Against Food Crises (GNAFC).The report is the flagship publication of the GNAFC and is facilitated by the Food Security Information Network (FSIN).
- Around 40 million more people globally experienced acute food insecurity at crisis or worse levels in 2021 than in 2020.
- Over half a million Ethiopians, southern Madagascar, South Sudanese and Yemenese are suffering from acute food insecurity.
- Over 193 million people in 53 countries or territories experienced acute food insecurity at crisis or worse levels in 2021.
MAIN DRIVERS FOR FOOD INSECURITY
- Conflict forced 139 million people in 24 countries/territories into acute food insecurity.
- This is an increase from 99 million in 23 countries/territories in 2020.
- It forced over 23 million people in eight countries/territories into acute food insecurity, up from 15.7 million in 15 countries/territories in 2020.
- Over 30 million people in 21 countries/territories suffered acute food insecurity in 2021 due to economic shocks, down from over 40 million people in 17 countries/territories in 2020.
Need for an Integrated Approach:
- There is a need to have an integrated approach to prevention, anticipation, and better targeting to sustainably address the root causes of food crises, including structural rural poverty, marginalization, population growth and fragile food systems.
Need to Prioritize Smallholder Agriculture:
- The report demonstrated the need for greater prioritization of smallholder agriculture as a frontline humanitarian response, to overcome access constraints and as a solution for reverting negative long-term trends.
Strengthening a Coordinated Approach:
- The need is to strengthen a coordinated approach to ensure that humanitarian, development and peacekeeping activities are delivered in a holistic and coordinated manner.
IMPACT OF RUSSIA UKRAINE CONFLICT ON INDIA’S AGRI SECTOR
- The economic sanctions on Russia by the West provides India with a chance to fill the void with Indian goods and commodities and serve as a blessing in disguise.
- Indian wheat can be sold at a highly competitive price in the global market. Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, Syria and Tunisia have been major buyers of wheat from Ukraine. Russia and Ukraine meet about one-third of global demand. The Russian attack has halted these exports, so these countries are likely to go for Indian wheat instead.
- Another agricultural commodity which saw the impact of the conflict is maize, which Ukraine is the third-largest exporter. The country accounts for about 3% of the global maize production and around 13% of global exports. As exports from Ukraine decline, Indian maize will be able to take advantage.
- The major threat to our food prices and security comes from chemical fertiliser shortages. Russia is the second-largest producer of potash, which is used in the production of Di-ammonium phosphate (DAP). Now DAP is critical for chemical/industrial agriculture and without it farmers may experience poor yields and many times no germination.DAP prices have been sky-high. India has also experienced a shortage right before the rabi sowing season.
- A lack of availability of potash and NPK (majorly sourced from Russia and Ukraine) would lead to a significant increase in input costs and ultimately result in higher food prices for customers.
- Sunflower oils (90 % of which are sourced from Russia and Ukraine) present a serious case, especially for heart-conscious ones. Indian frying pans may miss this precious oil, and with no healthier alternatives, prices are already up and shipping companies are charging higher insurance premiums for freight consignments from the Black Sea. This will have a direct impact on edible oil prices. Adding to our troubles is India’s growing demand of cooking oils.
- The war between Russia and Ukraine can adversely affect the Indian tea industry as Russia is one of the biggest importers of Indian tea. It is not only due to the blockage of shipments but also due to economic sanctions which leads to payment crises
THE ANALYSIS OF THE ISSUE
- Ukraine and Russia mainly export staples to developing countries that are most vulnerable to cost hikes and shortages. Countries like Somalia, Libya, Lebanon, Egypt and Sudan are heavily reliant on wheat, corn and sunflower oil from the two warring nations. The burden is being shouldered by the very poor and marginalised. There is a humanitarian crisis which needs to be addressed at the earliest.
- Besides the threat of hunger, spiralling food prices risk political instability in many countries. Rising food prices were one of the causes of the Arab Spring, and there are worries that history may repeat itself in other parts of the world.
- Starvation and famine are stalking parts of Africa. Prices for staples like wheat and cooking oil in some cases are more than doubling, while millions of livestock that families use for milk and meat have died. In Sudan and Yemen, the Russia-Ukraine conflict aggravated the crises on top of domestic crises.
- United Nations has been trying to secure an agreement to unblock Russian exports of grain and fertilizer and allow Ukraine to ship commodities from the key port of Odesa. But progress has been slow.A vast amount of grain is stuck in Ukrainian silos or on farms in the meantime. And there’s more coming, Ukraine’s harvest of winter wheat is getting underway soon, putting more stress on storage facilities even as some fields are likely to go unharvested because of the fighting.
- The increases are fueling faster inflation worldwide, making groceries more expensive. Some countries are reacting by trying to protect domestic supplies. India has restricted sugar and wheat exports, while Malaysia halted exports of live chickens, alarming Singapore, which gets a third of its poultry from its neighbour.
THE WAY FORWARD:
- The only practical solution to take Ukrainian grains to the global markets is to open the Black Sea routes. Further, to ease the pressure on global food items, Russia will also have to step up exports of both grains and fertilizers. For this, it is imperative to stop war at the earliest. The countries must also try to import from alternative suppliers until a peace agreement is reached between Russia and Western nations. For instance, Egypt recently made a deal with India to help replace some of the 80% of its wheat imports which come from Russia and Ukraine.
- The war in Ukraine has laid bare for all to see the fragility of the dominant global food system based on highly specialized industrial production methods, transnational supply chains, and excessive concentration. Countries that rely on imports from Russia and Ukraine must find alternative sources of food imports and diversify their food sources. It’s imperative that grain exporting countries refrain from the temptation to impose export restrictions, which could further drive up food prices.
- In the longer term, more resilient food systems will require countries to sustainably strengthen and diversify their domestic food production. This means investing in improving domestic food production capacity to reduce excessive reliance on imports. It also means investing in infrastructure for local food markets, and support for more sustainable forms of agriculture such as agroecology that absorb carbon and rely less on chemical fertilizers.
THE CONCLUSION: A long-drawn conflict between Russia and Ukraine would not only disrupt global agricultural supply chains and trade but also worsen the current economic woes caused as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the global surge in inflation levels. Against this backdrop, it is crucial that India take adequate steps to reduce the impact of the conflict in Ukraine on its agricultural sector, including by seeking additional import options and tapping into export markets.The only practical solution to take Ukrainian grains to the global markets is to open the Black Sea routes. And to ease the pressure on global food items, Russia will also have to step up exports of both grains and fertilizers.
Mains Practice Questions:
- Evaluate the impact of the Russia – Ukraine war on global food security.
- The Russia-Ukraine conflict has been a boon as well as a bane for the Indian agriculture sector. Elucidate.


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Juniper has filled the space left by recently promoted CEO Rami Rahim.
On Thursday, the company announced that Jonathan Davidson has been promoted to executive vice president of development and innovation. Rahim left that role open when he took over the CEO reins from Shaygan Kheradpir, who resigned abruptly in November.
As Juniper employee No. 32, Rahim has been around for nearly all of the company’s 19 years. Davidson, less so. He joined from Cisco in 2010 to take over Juniper’s Edge Routing and Aggregation business, which included the E, M and MX lines of routers.
Just last year, Davidson was named senior vice president of the Networks Security, Switching and Solutions business unit. That group includes the EX line of Ethernet switches, the QFX top-of-rack switches, and the SRX security platform.
Before joining Juniper, Davidson spent 15 years at Cisco, where he was director of product marketing for enterprise routers and Layer 4-7 products.
Kheradpir resigned due to a still-unspecified issue related to a customer negotiation. He had set the wheels in motion with an integrated operating plan to rejuvenate the company, a plan that includes $100 million in cost cutting; analysts will be looking for details about that when Juniper announces earnings on Jan. 27.
Rahim intends to continue executing that plan, but he’s facing what could be a challenging year. AT&T announced last fall that its capital spending for 2015 would be $18 billion, down from $21 billion the previous year, and this appears to be part of a trend. Financial analyst Simon Leopold of Raymond James predicts U.S. carrier capex will be down 4 percent this year compared with 2013, although he adds that some of the impact could be in labor and software — areas that wouldn’t affect equipment vendors.


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On the heels of its major recognition at the International Gaming Awards (IGA) and Pragmatic Play is back at it having extended its current arrangement with iGaming operator SKS365 Group to now include a “full selection” of its popular live casino product offering.
Under the new deal, Italy’s leading Planetwin365 brand will now be able to offer its customers Pragmatic’s top live casino titles such as the TV game show-inspired game of chance Mega Wheel, as well as Blackjack Azure, which was launched in September 2020, and roulette variants.
“The depth of quality and diversity in Pragmatic Play’s portfolio is second to none.”
Courtesy of an earlier agreement, the online casino’s customers in Italy already enjoy access to the multi-product content provider’s award-winning slots, including player favorites such as the 3×5, 25 lines video slot, Wolf Gold, along with Sweet Bonanza and the Greek mythology themed Gates of Olympus, and will soon be able to access the new vertical.
Commenting on the new tie-up, Troy Cox, Chief Commercial Officer for SKS365, said…
“The depth of quality and diversity in Pragmatic Play’s portfolio is second to none – it’s a major new addition to our brand and one which we know will be popular with our loyal player-base.”
For its part, Pragmatic Play’s Vice President of Malta Operations, Lena Yasir, said via company press release that having their content “front and centre on one of the leading Italian operators is a great achievement” and that it represents of the type of growth they are looking for in Italy‘s well-established iGaming market.
The VP added that the alliance provides them with exactly the type of exposure they’re looking for for their games and “they will no doubt be a huge success with Planetwin365’s players.”
Pragmatic Play continues its expansion effort in the top iGaming markets around the globe, having recently expanded its presence in Africa via a multiple vertical deal with Intelligent Gaming’s tier one online sports betting brand Supabets in South Africa.
That deal, on the heels of the provider adding yet another operator to its network of partners in Brazil, courtesy of an arrangement that is to see its slots, live casino and virtual sports products go live with up-and-coming online casino brand, JackBet.
As mentioned, the new partnership also follows the Friday announcement from Pragmatic Play that it has been awarded ‘RNG Casino Supplier of the Year‘, at the 2021 International Gaming Awards (IGA) held at Savoy Hotel London on September 8th.
The company’s Chief Business Development Officer, Yossi Barzely, commenting on the prestigious award that acknowledges the progress they have made over the past year. He adds that to be reecognized by their industry peers provides motivation to continue to deliver a “best-in-class” product offering to their clients.
Fans will be able to check out the provider’s upcoming high volatility title, Bigger Bass Bonanza, on September 16th. The fishing themed, 5-reel, 4-row video slot with 12 fixed paylines is the sequel to Big Bass Bonanza launched in December 2020 by Pragmatic Play partner Reel Kingdom and features an elusive fish scatter worth 4,000x the bet.


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The campaign has come to a shuddering close, a couple of emails still slither their way into my inbox offering suspicious first tranche prices on certain allocations that are hanging around like bad smells, from negociants desperately trying to recoup some of the capital they are forced to part with in order to secure their allocations for the next year.
How long will this go on? The negociants are held to ransom - made to buy wines they know they will struggle to sell in order to also get the creme of first growths and other strong market performers, and in turn hold merchants around the world to ransom. They in turn then dump certain properties onto the market at crazily low prices completely devaluing them as happened in particular this year with poor old (fantastic) Rieussec which was bundled together with Lafite - coming from the same stable.
In the past the negociants were prepared to swallow this for the lucrative benefits of supporting the chateaux during the long months of elevage the wines went through when there was no cash flow. Which is to say the massive resale value the wines held once they were physically released (at least 2 years later).
As an acknowledgement of the act of trust the negociants placed in the chateaux by buying wines so embryonic that only a hazardous guess could be made as to its eventual quality, the wines were released at bargain prices. Everyone was happy; the chateaux got some cash into their coffers and the negociants consolidated their position of power as gatekeepers to the worlds most precious wines.
It has all started to unravel recently. Last year saw a successful campaign mainly on the basis that the previous 3 vintages were pretty ordinary and there was nothing to get excited about. So the 'vintage of the decade' was a welcome relief and provided a much needed injection of adrenaline into the system.
But with 2010 proving to be another 'vintage of the decade' some fatigue was already setting in. Added to that was the curious drip feeding on to the market of the releases in April and May before the floodgates opened in June by which time a lot of people were over it. Some notable losers included Cos d'Estournel who very sensibly lowered their price from last year but had their thunder stolen by Ducru Beaucaillou who released later in the day with an even bigger drop in price. Guess which one sold?
We have also seen calls from senior members of the wine press calling for the en primeur tastings to be held much later when the wines have at least finished their malo-lactic fermentations or even a year later - given that the release prices now don't allow for any real investment benefits in the first year. And despite a campaign by Jancis Robinson to delay the release of scores until after the prices were released, there was not enough support paricularly among American writers to carry the motion.
Added to that was the Far Eastern thirst for fine wine, which has developed at an amazing rate and which has everyone around the wine transaction world presenting their business cards with both hands and a small bow, as I first noticed at Vinexpo in Bordeaux in June.
But the Chinese are switched on despite being widely mocked when they first joined the wine buying world for their reputation of mixing Lafite with coke. And traditional palates shuddered at the thought of their beloved first growths being sold to markets which clearly didn't deserve them. It was a triumph of new money over taste.
Their preference for physical stock to the en primeur system must also surely have chateaux owners thinking they're missing a real trick here by releasing wines now and missing out on that market completely.
But now, first it has been reported in Decanter that a major retailer in China has turned its back on the left bank in order to concentrate on the right where prices are generally less stratospheric (let's not bring up Cheval Blanc for now) and on own labels - how sensible. They might not have a historical trade relationship with Bordeaux but they know when they're being patronised, perhaps?
And secondly there are increasing demands for wines with a far greater perceived value in terms of being able to drink. The top 35 wines no longer have the same monopoly on the imagination, and an understanding of appellations as well as requests for wines outside the 'box' are significantly higher from year to year.
As with any new market, knowledge develops quickly. We must appreciate that new markets will take less time to develop into mature ones than our market in the UK has taken - which is centuries in fact. And perhaps some resent this but it is a fact. And rather than paying lip service respect we need to appreciate the level of sophistication that other markets have despite the fact that as a commercial proposition they may still be very young. And for the sake of everyone trading there it is important not to underestimate the unknown. Value for money is something every market can relate to.
But in all this I feel the chateaux have come to the conclusion that as they are now cash rich, they no longer need the services of the negociants to assist them through the cold months of famine until the finished wine reaches the market and cannot fathom why they should release the wines at one price only to have them double or triple or quadruple in a matter of days.
It is no different to Olympic tickets being released on allocation or Glastonbury tickets being issued through official websites and then appearing on ebay in a matter of minutes at vastly inflated prices, which everyone agrees is an outrageous affront to the artist whose work is being exploited. Except of course Olympic and Glastonbury fans are at least given the opportunity to fight it out in cyber space to get a ticket at source, which wine lovers are not. And the negociants are merely playing their part in what has long been the dance of Bordeaux en primeur.
It just doesn't seem that relevant anymore. And I can't see why the chateaux - not the middlemen - shouldn't be the beneficiaries of the final perceived value of the wine at release - they just need to employ a sales/admin team to deal with having several hundreds of clients as opposed to a handful and away they go. At the moment they are playing two games simultaneously but it seems to me to be just a matter of time before the rules change significantly.
What happens next...? Is en primeur a juggernaut that can't be stopped or a dinosaur at the monster's ball?