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DC Cook Direct in liquidation
* Company also traded as Indigo Cars * Based in Manton Street, Sheffield * Administrators contacting people who paid deposits...
A 'large number' of customers stand to lose deposits put down on cars, after dealers DC Cook Direct and Indigo Cars were placed in liquidation.
The two companies were run by a holding company called Changing Gear Limited, which was based at Manton Street, Sheffield.
A statement from Tenon Recovery, which is handling the liquidation, said: 'Unfortunately there are a large number of customers who have paid deposits for cars which will not be delivered.
'At the moment, we have contacted every known customer in this situation.
'Clearly, if anyone has paid a deposit by credit card, then we are recommending that they contact their provider with a view to obtaining a refund.
'At this stage, our investigations are only just beginning and it will take some time to unravel the customer deposit position.'
Around 28 people were employed by the company. They have all been made redundant.


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Scooter's Coffee Donates $30,000 To American Red Cross
Funds Will Go Towards Midwest Flood Relief Efforts
May 17, 2019 // Franchising.com // Norfolk, NE - Scooter’s Coffee announced a $30,000 donation to the American Red Cross to aid ongoing disaster relief for victims of the March storm that brought historic flooding to large parts of Nebraska and Iowa. The company donated an initial $5,000 in the immediate wake of the disaster and then called upon customers for donations for over a two week time period, matching dollar for dollar through the next $5,000.
“We are very proud of our Nebraska roots, and when we see our community struggling, our first instinct is to harness our brand power to help in every way possible,” stated Todd Graeve, Chief Executive Officer of Scooter’s Coffee. “We were absolutely blown away by the generosity of our customers and their enthusiasm for helping others. There is a spirit of strength and perseverance amongst these tightknit Midwest communities, and we saw that spirit emerge when we called upon our customers to contribute.”
While customers nationwide contributed to the cause, one of the Norfolk, Nebraska, locations (902 W. Benjamin Ave.) raised the most money. The store will host a check presentation for the American Red Cross on Friday, May 17.
“Norfolk was deeply impacted by the floods in March, so it is very heartwarming to see our customers get behind the opportunity to help provide relief for the victims,” stated Brooke Wenzl, operator of both stores in Norfolk. “We have always felt that Scooter’s is a central part of the Norfolk community, and we are so proud to be in the position to help.”
Scooter’s Coffee, which currently has nearly 100 locations in Nebraska and 24 locations in Iowa, is a drive-thru franchise that has been serving world-class coffee for 20 years. It roasts only the finest beans, making that first morning sip both convenient and rewarding for its customers across the nation. Scooter’s Coffee has more than 200 locations in 14 states and has over 175 franchise commitments to build new stores. To find out why Scooter’s Coffee is among the best coffee franchises in the nation and to learn more about franchise opportunities, visit ownascooters.com.
About Scooter’s Coffee
Founded in 1998 by Don and Linda Eckles in Bellevue, Nebraska, Scooter’s Coffee roasts only the finest coffee beans in the world at its headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska. In more than two decades of business, Scooter’s Coffee’s success is simple: stay committed to the original business principles and company core values. The Scooter’s Coffee Brand Promise, often recited to franchisees, customers and employees is: “Amazing People, Amazing Drinks… Amazingly Fast!®” It represents the company’s business origins from 1998 and reflects a steady commitment to providing an unforgettable experience to loyal and new customers.
Scooter’s Coffee specializes in hand-tamped espresso drinks, fruit smoothies, baked-from-scratch pastries and features its signature drink, the Caramelicious®. The company also serves a line of hot and iced organic teas, single-origin coffee and the original Cold Brew & Cream. This year, one of Scooter’s Coffee’s drink innovations includes Red Bull Infusions.
Scooter’s Coffee is at the dawn of a strategic growth phase in the Midwest and nationwide. The U.S. coffee market is an estimated $48 billion a year recession-resistant industry, and Scooter’s Coffee is striving to become the #1 drive-thru coffee franchise in the nation. Visit ownascooters.com to learn more about the benefits of owning a franchise of a well-established company.
For more information, visit scooterscoffee.com, facebook.com/scooterscoffee, ownascooters.com or call 877-494-7004.
SOURCE Scooter’s Coffee
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Lucapa, an Australian Stock Exchange diamond miner and explorer, has two niche diamond mines in Angola (Lulo) and Lesotho (Mothae) that produce large high-value diamonds. Since it has been in commercial production, Lulo mine has uncovered two of the largest diamonds in Angola, the largest being the 404 carats “4th February Stone” and the 5th largest diamond being the “Lulo Rose”. They have uncovered over 27 +100 carat diamonds overall.
The ‘Lulo Rose’, recovered recently, is a 170-carat stone believed to be the largest pink diamond in the last three hundred years. Natural pink diamonds are as rare as they are stunning. They are also rated highly because of the speculation on how they get the pink hue.
His Excellency Diamantino Azevedo, Angola’s Minister of Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Gas said, “This record and spectacular pink diamond recovered from Lulo continues to showcase Angola as an important player on the world stage for diamond mining and demonstrates the potential and rewards for commitment and investment in our growing diamond mining industry.”
The diamond will be sold via international tender by the Angolan State Diamond Marketing Company. Pink diamond gems are the most valuable coloured diamonds and can fetch 20 times more than clear diamonds. The market rate for these types of diamonds could reach tens of millions of dollars, for example in 2017, the ‘Pink Star’ sold at a Hong Kong auction for $71.2m (£59m).
They also feature in prominent pieces. According to the BBC, the largest known pink diamond is the Daria-i-Noor, discovered in India, which experts believe was cut from an even larger stone and forms part of the Iranian crown jewels.
But clear diamonds are much larger than any coloured ones. The largest rough diamond of any colour ever recorded, weighed 3,107 carats ( more than half a kilogram) and was found in South Africa in 1905. It was cut into 105 different stones- the largest of which forms part of the UK Crown Jewels.
Dr. José Manuel Ganga Júnior, Chairman of the Board of Endiama commented, “Lulo diamond field has again delivered a precious and large gemstone, this time an extremely rare and beautiful pink diamond. It is a significant day for the Angolan diamond industry and the long-standing partnership between Endiama, Lucapa, and Rosas and Petalas.”


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Amazon.com says it plans to complete its $US13.7 billion ($A17.3 billion) acquisition of Whole Foods Market on Monday after winning antitrust approval from US regulators.
The companies said in a joint statement that Whole Foods will offer lower prices starting on Monday "on a selection of best-selling grocery staples across its stores".
Amazon also said that it will start selling Whole Foods brand products on its website.
Amazon said Whole Foods Market will operate as a subsidiary and John Mackey will remain as CEO and Whole Foods Market's headquarters will remain in Austin, Texas
Some grocery store stocks fell after the news. Kroger was down 4.6 per cent. Wal-Mart Stores was down 2.1 per cent.
Amazon said starting Monday, it will cut prices on Whole Trade bananas, organic avocados, organic large brown eggs, organic farmed salmon and tilapia, organic baby kale and baby lettuce, some apples, butter, and other products.
Amazon said its Prime members will eventually become part of Whole Foods Market's customer rewards program.


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Millennial Media Joins Forces With Sprint’s Pinsight Media+ to Drive App Discovery via Native Device Advertising
BALTIMORE, October 24, 2013 (ADOTAS) — Millennial Media (NYSE:MM), the independent leader in mobile advertising, today announced a deal with Pinsight Media+™, in which Sprint’s media company will plug into the Millennial Media platform to display premium apps from Millennial Media’s advertiser base onto Sprint’s native device inventory. The apps will [...] more...
ADOTAS – In last week’s poll, we asked our readers: “Which product announcement from the Google I/O conference will have the greatest impact on the company’s bottom line?” The results were as follows: Google Play Music All Access (98%) New tools for Android app developers (1%) Google Play Game Services (1%) This week’s poll question: “Which [...] more...
ADOTAS – In this week’s poll, we asked our readers: “Which video ad company’s IPO would draw the strongest response?” The results are as follows: Tremor Video (93%) Adap.tv (4%) YuMe (3%) Nest week’s poll question is: Which product announcement from the Google I/O conference will have the greatest impact on the company’s bottom line: Google [...] more...
ADOTAS (via The Verge) – Google will unveil new subscription music services [today] at the Google I/O conference, sources close to the company said. Google has now signed separate licensing deals with Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment for both YouTube and Google Play, setting the stage for such [...] more...
ADOTAS – Facebook, Google and Apple are preoccupied with one key ambition: to become the dominant interface between people and the Internet. It’s the same thing the ISPs warred over before people started setting their home screen to Google. Now, with the mobile interface destined to become the key access [...] more...
“This issue is important beyond the question of the legitimacy of ad-blocking software. Google is largely controlling access to products and information on the Internet. It is very alarming that their business interests, instead of free choices by the users, are now deciding how people are experiencing the web. This [...] more...
Google apparently has become more aggressive in enforcing its Android app policy standards, as the Twitterverse lit up yesterday with reports that ad-blocking apps were being purged from Google Play. CNET and Android Police were among the first media outlets to catch on. Reached for comment on these reports, a Google [...] more...
App Annie, the app store analytics and market intelligence provider for the global app economy, published its January App Annie IndexTM analyzing major app publisher revenue and download trends across the iOS and Google Play app stores worldwide. The Index reveals very interesting and largely untold insights on what’s driving growth on both platforms, and which publishers [...] more...
BOSTON (December 7, 2012) – FreeMyAppsTM (www.freemyapps.com), a leading app discovery, engagement and rewards platform for mobile app marketing, today announced its upcoming launch on Android after experiencing 1,000 percent iOS growth in 2012. Created by Fiksu, FreeMyApps has quickly become a destination for eager consumers seeking to discover [...] more...
ScanLife, the leader in mobile engagement platforms, has released its Black Friday 2012 mobile barcode scanning results. The company reports 270K scans on Black Friday, the busiest day to date for mobile barcode traffic. In addition to continued 2D (QR) barcode adoption among marketers and media publishers, Q3 2012 proved [...] more...
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- Getty Images to Showcase Free, Legal Embed Capability at SXSWi March 6th 2014 NEW YORK and AUSTIN, March 5, 2014 (ADOTAS) – Global digital [...] more »
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- SXSW News: Kenshoo Integrates with Oracle for Social Marketing - Responsivemts | Responsivemts: [...] Report Rattles Currency's WorldBrands' Organic Facebook Reach Has Plummeted Since OctoberSXSW News: Kenshoo Integrates
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- Articles Written by Bob Bentz | Bob Bentz: [...] 7/14/08 — Adotas [...]


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Welcome to the This is Money show on Share Radio. From major supermarkets to micro-entrepreneurs we’ll be focusing on businesses big and small. Growing competition, inflation and a weak pound are all spelling problems for the retail sector whilst plans to scrap tax breaks threaten small businesses with bigger bills. Running through the various other issues from 4G to the strength of the high street Georgie Frost is joined by Editor Simon Lambert and Consumer Affairs Editor Lee Boyce. Plus how the new, forgery proof pound coin might not prove as secure as hoped.
Over the weekend streaming giant Netflix has been held to ransom by hackers who released ten episodes of hit series Orange is the New Black after their demands went unmet. So do cyber security threats such as this really represent a growing risk to the entertainment industry? Share Radio's Tom Hill joined Georgie Frost in the studio to explain more.
How will UK tech start-ups fare post-Brexit and can the country still become a European equivalent of Silicon Valley? Georgie Frost meets Gordon & Eden- a leading specialist in recruiting digital and technology executives and part of the Leap 100 list of fastest growing companies.
Recently Deloitte published its Digital Predictions for 2017 focusing on the biggest areas set to change for consumer technology including automating braking systems and the growing versatility of smartphones. To talk through the report in more detail Share Radio's Tom Hill spoke to digital lead for consumer and industrial products at Deloitte, Phil Neal.
Shares in the Hertfordshire based tech firm Imagination Technologies have tumbled after Apple announced it would end a deal to use their products. To find out what's behind the move and what it will mean for the companies Share Radio's Joe Aldridge spoke to Oliver Smith, senior reporter for The Memo.
With Article 50 triggered and the Brexit process underway what next for the UK's tech industry? There's been a 10% reduction of skilled tech workers from within the EU relocating to the UK over the last year and even homegrown talent has been moving elsewhere. Share Radio's James Brydges spoke to James Parsons, CEO and founder of resourcing solutions company, the Arrows Group, about the impact of Brexit.
Have you ever thought about investing but been put off thinking it's not for you? One man trying to change our attitudes and bring a whole new generation into investing is Kerim Derhalli, founder of educational app Invstr. Previously we caught up with Kerim whilst launching international investing competition The Student Investing Championships. With the third round kicking off this week Share Radio's Tom Hill was joined by Kerim to find out more about the competition and discuss the latest trends in fintech.
Social media firms will be summoned before the Home Secretary on Thursday after it emerged the Khalid Masood sent an encrypted message via Whatsapp minutes before the Westminster attack. Amber Rudd claims efforts by firms to curb extremist content online have been inadequate. But what issues would be raised if tech firms were to open up their platforms? To find out Georgie Frost was joined by Ed Johnson-Williams, a campaigner for The Open Rights Group - which campaigns for internet privacy.
Forget BACS and online banking - the future of paying and transferring money could be as simple as texting. That's the vision of social payment apps, such as Circle, which aim to provide a fast and easy way to move money around. So what exactly are social payments? That's the question Share Radio's Tom Hill put to CEO of Circle Marieke Flament.
If you want to earn a lot of money...you may want to think about a career in tech! Forbes' billionaire list is out for 2017.183 of the list are from the industry - up 23 on the previous year - with 3 of the top 5 being CEOs of tech companies. They have a combined $1 trillion net worth.
To go through the list Georgie Frost was joined by Mary-Ann Russon, Senior Technology Reporter with the International Business Times UK.


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An onslaught of economic reports on Tuesday added to evidence of a U.S. recovery in full swing, yet one experiencing growing pains. While retail sales in May fell more than forecast, Americans may simply be shifting more of their spending to services such as travel and entertainment. The government’s report also showed merchant receipts were stronger […]
Administrative guidance from South Korea’s Financial Services Commission (FSC) regarding crypto exchange regulations has been extended until the end of the year.
Chris McGrath/Getty Images A big misconception about bitcoin is that it's anonymous and untraceable, CoinFlip's Ben Weiss said. Using…
Elon Musk saw protestors gather outside his Northern California Tesla factory out of anger due to his influence over the crypto scene.
The first bitcoin upgrade in four years has just been approved by miners around the world. It is a rare moment of consensus among stakeholders.
The Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI) is under fire for a supposed unconstitutional seizure of 800 safe-deposit box in Beverly Hills. According to reports, the FBI took $86 million in money, precious jewelry, and countless gold and silver bars. Box holders and their legal representatives are calling out the federal police for doing not have adequate […]
Major indexes closed higher Thursday, bringing the S&P 500 to another record high and out of the red for the week. Bond yields mostly fell despite a much…
Agency sends notice over transactions worth ₹2,790.74 crore.
Cryptocurrency News: Global digital currency exchanges are exploring ways to set up in India, following in the footsteps of market leader Binance, industry sources told Re
BeInCrypto presents our daily morning roundup of crypto news and market changes that you might have missed while you were asleep.


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South Dakota is among the few states to have legalized both medical and recreational cannabis at the same time. While the matter is being challenged in court, this offers much-needed relief to cannabis enthusiasts and those in need of medical marijuana. 52% of voters voted in favor of recreational cannabis, while an astounding 69% voters voted for medical marijuana. So, can you just go ahead and buy cannabis products in South Dakota? Not yet! Here are some facts worth knowing.
You might feel extremely excited, just like us, about the new laws, but wait before you light up the bong! In South Dakota, marijuana is still illegal until 1st July 2021. South Dakota has always been one of the most conservative states, and therefore, the current change comes as a surprise to many. Wait until July 2021 to get recreational and medical cannabis in the state, and it will be legal for all adults, aged 21 or above. It is legal to only own/possess up to one ounce of cannabis at a time. For concentrates, the limit will be 8 grams. Medical cannabis users can possess up to 3 ounces of cannabis.
Can you grow cannabis at home in South Dakota?
Yes, after July 1, 2021, it is legal to grow up to three plants of cannabis at home in July 1, 2021. For each household, the limit is six plants, no matter the number of adults living. By the way, you can grow cannabis for sure, but ensure that you wait until the due date, and your plants shouldn’t be visible to others.
When can one expect medical cannabis cards?
Again, you will have to wait, probably until July 1, 2021. Initially, you may get a temporary card, before the Health Department issues permanent medical marijuana cards. The first dispensaries are likely to open sometime next year, but don’t expect any good news in that regard for at least first half of the year. For recreational cannabis, the wait is going to be longer, with many predicting late 2022. The Department of Revenue has the set date of April 1, 2022 to set up the rules, regulations and other details related to sale of recreational cannabis, but it may take longer for licensed dispensaries to come.
Note that recreational cannabis in South Dakota will be subjected to a tax of 15%, but medical cannabis will not have that tax.


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Apple Wants To Drop ‘Hey’ From ‘Hey Siri’ Once Phrase: Report
Apple is said to be working on changing the wake-up phrase for its Siri voice assistant, and will change the phrase ‘Hey Siri’ to just ‘Siri’. This will make it much easier to request a voice assistant on supported devices once implemented, but the transition is said to be a technical challenge as it involves AI training and a lot of engineering work, according to the report. More words in a sentence often make it easier for voice assistants to understand the voice assistant’s pleas, so getting this right will be a challenge for Apple.
The report comes via reporter Mark Gurman Power On newsletter to Bloomberg, and says Apple has spent the past few months trying to shorten the wake-up call. Siri has long supported voice invocation by using the wake-up phrase, which has been the standard ‘Hey Siri’ until now. The company is now working on creating a ‘Siri’ name, similar to Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant, which is invoked by simply saying ‘Alexa’.
Long phrases are not prone to errors, and short phrases can be pronounced differently according to languages and pronunciations around the world. Apple is said to have incorporated these challenges into its work, and is already testing simplified speech with company employees. If all goes to plan, we could see Apple products, including those on iOS, macOS, WatchOS, tvOS, and HomePod devices, working with a simplified ‘Siri’ wake-up voice.
The biggest challenge for voice assistants is errors – phrases that sound similar to the main wake-up phrase often wake up devices and make them listen to commands. This is a common problem for smart devices and smartphones with always-on microphones, as it can cause the devices to react even when no response is expected. Short wake-up phrases generally increase the chances of these errors, but are admittedly too easy for frequent users. Siri serves as the default (and in some cases, only) voice assistant on many Apple devices, including the HomePod mini and the Apple Watch range.
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May 6, 2011
Sony Ericsson unveils new Xperia™acro smartphone aimed for Japanese market
Sony Ericsson has just added a new member to the elite Xperia™ range of mobile phones, the Xperia™acro. Designed specifically for the needs of users in Japan, this awesome phone uses a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon™ processor and packs Android’s Gingerbread 2.3, featuring best-in-class imaging and display technology. The phone sports an extra wide 4.2” screen, an 8.1 megapixel camera with Exmor R™ for mobiles, enabling users to capture low-noise, high quality images and HD video (720p). and if that isn’t enough, this one also packs in TV-viewing, a mobile-wallet and a whole lot more, enough to keep an average technology-hungry Japanese smiling and happy.
Sony Ericsson’s Xperia™acro sure seems to take the cake when it comes to smartphone designs, leaving behind its competitors.


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WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- U.S. consumers cut back in June, sending retail sales down 0.1% for the month, the Commerce Department reported Friday.
It was the second straight month of tepid retail sales. Sales rose 0.1% in May.
"Sales are clearly being hurt by the combination of high energy prices, weakening housing markets and record debt burdens," said Scott Hoyt, an economist for Moody's Economy.com.
Consumer spending slowed sharply in the second quarter. Retail sales were up 0.9% in the second quarter compared with the first quarter.
Retail sales are up 5.9% in the past year. The figures are not adjusted for price changes.
Weak auto sales led the decline in June, falling a surprising 1.4% measured by dollar volume. Earlier, automakers had reported a slight increase in unit sales in June. Consumers are buying more cars, but they are smaller and cheaper.
Excluding the drop in auto sales, retail sales rose 0.3% in June after climbing 0.7% in May. Read the full government report.
Economists were forecasting stronger sales in June, with the consensus expectation of 0.4% for total sales and for sales excluding autos. See Economic Calendar.
Treasurys kept their gains on the weak report. Yields on the 10-year note fell to 5.05%. Stock futures dropped. The dollar trimmed earlier gains. See Indications.
Economists are divided about the course of consumer spending. Some believe spending will weaken further as the housing market slows. Equity from houses has been a major boost to consumer's income, allowing households to spend more than their take-home pay for 12 straight months.
In the second quarter, "core sales rose at a 2.9% annualized rate, the weakest since the first quarter of 2003," said Ian Shepherdson, chief U.S. economist for High Frequency Economics. "Retailers are hurting -- which is why retail payrolls are falling -- with worse to come."
Other economists say consumers will not flag because wages and salaries are finally beginning to rise as labor markets tighten and workers gain the upper hand.
"Consumption in the quarter still looks decent," said Drew Matus, an economist for Lehman Bros.
Consumption in the third quarter is likely to rise at a 3.2% annual pace, following a probable 1.8% rise in the second quarter, said Rick MacDonald, head of research at Action Economics. Consumption expanded at a 5.2% pace in the first quarter.
The weak retail report will weigh heavily on Federal Reserve policymakers next month when they meet to discuss whether to raise interest rates again. Most economic indicators in the past months have fallen below expectations and are pointing to a slowdown in the economy. See our complete coverage of the Fed.
"While not great news for the retail sector, this may be good news for the Fed," said Gina Martin, an economist for Wachovia. "Slower growth should provide the Fed with a greater degree of comfort in taking a break from interest rate tightening in the near term, as the slower growth should keep higher rates of future inflation at bay."
However, inflationary pressures are at the top of the Fed's worry list. Next week, the Labor Department will report on consumer prices for June. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke will testify on Wednesday about the Fed's outlook for growth and inflation.
Inflationary expectations continued to fall in July despite higher gasoline prices, according to the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment survey. One-year inflation expectations dipped to 3.1% from 3.3%. See full story.
In a separate report, the Labor Department said import prices rose 0.1% in June, led by a 1.4% drop in petroleum prices. Excluding fuels, prices rose 0.7%, matching the record highest gain in the four-year history of the index. See full story.
Details of retail report
Gasoline sales rose 1.1% in June, despite slightly lower prices at the pump. Excluding gasoline, retail sales fell 0.2%.
The other main area of strength came in furniture and home furnishings stores, where sales rose 1.3%.
Sales at hardware and building materials stores fell 1%. Sales at electronics and appliance stores dropped 0.7%.
Sales at the malls were meek. At general merchandise stores, sales rose 0.3%, but fell 0.3% within department stores. Sales at clothing retailers rose 0.3%. Sales at leisure-time goods stores rose 0.4%.
Sales at health and personal care stores rose 0.7%. Sales at grocery stores increased 0.4%.
Sales at restaurants and bars rose 0.2%.
Sales at nonstore outlets, such as online stores and catalogs, fell 0.3%.


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Just a couple of days ago, Studio 397 dropped the announcement of the Porsche 911 GT3 R being the first of many cars to be included in an upcoming DLC. Now, the second announcement has already made it into public – the BMW M6 GT3 will be joining the Porsche in the currently named as rFchallengers Pack!
Reversing the Order
Studio 397 is sort of breaking a tradition with the BMW M6 GT3, as its successor, the BMW M8 (GTE), is already available as part of a DLC. However, this makes the M6 GT3 no less exiting, as it is currently a victorious participator in the Blancpain GT series, hence why you may already be familiar with the car from other sims.
Studio 397 has still not given any details on a potential release date, but the official but vague hope of a 2018 release still stands, as of now.


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Apple Music will give higher royalty payments to music released on the streaming service in the more immersive Spatial Audio, the company announced on Monday.
“As our technologies continue to evolve to allow artists everywhere to make higher-quality content than ever, we believe artists should be properly rewarded for it,” Apple Music said in its announcement to partners and reviewed by Rolling Stone.
The company said that the change will begin starting with January’s month-end royalty payments, and that songs that are available in Spatial Audio will now receive up to a 10 percent higher payout rate than other tracks. Listeners don’t necessarily have to listen to the Spatial version of the tracks for the songs to receive greater royalties either, the songs just need to be available in Spatial as well.
“This change is not only meant to reward higher quality content, but also to ensure that artists are being compensated for the time and investment they put into mixing in Spatial,” the announcement said.
Spatial Audio, created through tech from Dolby Atmos, has been on Apple Music since 2021. At launch, Apple had billed the new audio experience a revolution in music listening and a similar sort of leap that happened when stereo replaced mono as the standard format. At its best, it’s a highly impressive experience akin to surround sound. In other cases, some critics and listeners have said the differences can be less noticeable or underwhelming.
It’s unclear how many songs and artists will see increased royalties from the new policy. Apple didn’t give a specific figure in its announcement for how many songs are available in Spatial Audio on the platform, but said that the number has grown 5,000 percent since launch. The company also said that about 80 percent of the tracks that made it to Apple Music’s Daily Top 100 last year were released in Spatial Audio. While it’s becoming increasingly common for new releases to be Spatial Audio-compatible, there’s still plenty of classic catalog albums released before Spatial launched in 2021 that are yet to be mastered for the format.
It also isn’t immediately clear why Apple is bolstering Spatial royalties at all. A Bloomberg report in December suggested increasing the amount of music with spatial audio could encourage consumers to buy more Apple hardware. Spatial itself is also a differentiating factor from some rival streaming platforms such as Spotify.
High-end audio has been a significant marketing point for the past several years for Apple, which also launched higher quality lossless audio for free to all Apple Music subscribers. While Amazon Music launched free lossless audio soon after Apple’s announcement, Spotify has yet to give a similar offering (though the company has floated the idea of hi-fi audio).
Apple Music has been bullish in pushing Spatial Audio since its launch over two years ago. Apple has equipped several of its headphones with Spatial Audio capabilities and the streaming platform prominently shares new new spatial audio releases near the top of Apple Music’s browse page.


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HD Radio got a new backer this week when Sony announced that it will ship two HD Radio tuners this summer. The new tabletop and mobile radio tuners come as the first part of a multiyear agreement by Sony to develop and distribute products that support HD Radio.
HD Radio is considered satellite radio's main competitor, since it offers high-quality digital audio streams from AM and FM stations. And, unlike satellite radio, it will be available for free to anyone who has a compatible receiver. With a compressed 96kbps signal for FM and 32kbps for AM, "near-CD-quality" broadcasts from traditional radio stations sound very appealing to those who don't want to invest in a subscription to satellite radio. Another advantage that HD Radio has over satellite is that stations that broadcast HD Radio do not have to pay royalties to SoundExchange (yet), although any on-demand or subscription services that they offer in the future will be subject to royalty charges. HD Radio also allows stations to transmit multiple channels, similar to digital television.
While Sony has supported satellite radio in the past by offering a line of car products for XM Satellite Radio, the new agreement shows that Sony doesn't plan to discriminate when it comes to high-quality audio broadcasts. The AM/FM/HD table radio will have a backlit LCD display, a cherry wood finish, and will sport "simulated" surround sound functionality. The mobile tuner will be a hideaway module, supported by most Sony head units, that can display station names and genre information in AM/FM markets that support it. The company says that both units will be available in July for around $200 and $100 respectively.
"Sony is one of the first leading consumer electronics companies to offer quality HD Radio-enabled devices," said Sony VP Steve Haber in a statement. "We're adding it to a long list of technologies that support digital music trends."
The HD Digital Radio Alliance announced earlier this month that HD Radio was now available in 100 top markets in the US. Cities such as Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Wichita, Des Moines, and Miami already have some radio stations that broadcast in HD, with more springing up every day, according to the Alliance. The goal was reached in under 18 months since HD Radio was first launched.
However, the RIAA has already shown that it's not happy with HD Radio's high-quality broadcasts being so readily available for the whole world to use. One proposal that the organization made last year involved encryption at the source, but the National Association of Broadcasters compromised with the RIAA on the proposal of a broadcast flag. Although the broadcast flag for HD Radio has been left to die by the FCC, the RIAA isn't likely to back down any time soon.


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Valve banned more than 40,000 Steam accounts shortly after the Steam Summer Sale ended, setting a new record for banning on the platform. Those bans resulted in thousands of people losing their games, items, and sometimes their entire accounts.
All of the bans were in response to Valve's Anti-Cheat (VAC) system flagging the activity of the accounts as suspicious.
Valve's prior record for banning stood at 15,227 and that was set in 2016.
Typically the VAC system only issues 3,500 suspensions daily, yet that grew to 30,000 just during the early part of July 6.


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2019 Honda S2000 Price, Review
2019 Honda S2000 Price, Review – Talk of another Honda sports auto won’t bite the dust. Despite the fact that we now realize that the minor S660 roadster won’t come to America, and a hypothesized mid-motor games auto situated underneath the Acura NSX is presumably not happening, the possibility of a reawakened 2019 Honda S2000 roadster is picking up steam. What’s more, it could land in 2018, as the organization’s available to itself for its 70th commemoration.
There’s a sure symmetry to that, considering that Honda first propelled the 2019 Honda S2000 in 1998, to commend its 50th commemoration. For the 70th, we could be taking a gander at both another auto and a memorial bike, also. “In view of the organization’s MotoGP contender, the bicycle will be a detuned, roadgoing rendition of the RC213V-S,” says our source. “With respect to the auto, expect something unique. Measure astute, it’ll be like the Mazda MX-5 Miata, yet the Honda will have significantly more power.” Skeptics may take note of that Honda does not have a stage for a reduced, raise wheel-drive sports auto.
Be that as it may, our insider instructs us to not neglect what the organization has finished with its S660 small scale car and the all-new NSX supercar. “Both those cars have special, devoted stages, right?” he says. Spot on. His announcement helped us to remember a remark made by one Acura official at the 2014 Detroit automobile expo. Whenever inquired as to whether Honda were arranging a littler games auto to space in under the NSX, the official gestured and said he wants such an auto, however that it would not show up before 2017. (caranddriver.com)
2019 Honda S2000
2019 Honda S2000 Engine
The most intriguing insights around 2019 Honda S2000 are about its drivetrain. It is difficult to know now what will be prevalent following two years. Fans seek after 2.0-l VTEC four-barrel motor. It likewise shows signs of improvement yield. With it and 6-pace manual transmission, we could see it go more than 300 hp. Moreover, same sum in pound-feet of torque is probably going to happen. Some different motors are in the blend, since there is sufficient time for picking ideal answer for S2000. In any case, every one of them must accomplish no less than 250 pull to have any opportunity to be a piece of auto’s drivetrain lineup.
2019 Honda S2000 Specs
We already said that the 2019 Honda S2000 will include a fundamentally the same as styling to the NSX. This ought to enable Honda to make a line of games autos, like what BMW has been doing with their i-Series. This may likewise imply that, in any event in the US, the auto will be sold as an Acura. In the front the S2000 is required to highlight the same restless plan with the V-formed grille, very forceful headlights and substantial air admissions. The back of the auto then again may impart a couple of plan components to the S660 which has been discharged two or three years back.
The first S2000 was a simple games auto with next to no hardware inside the lodge. You would be satisfied to realize that the future model could be utilizing a similar thought. While the materials, general hardware level and even the wellbeing elements will probably enhance, the 2019 Honda S2000 will in any case utilize an insignificant measure of catches and diverting screens and dials in the lodge. This ought to enable the driver to concentrate on encountering driving the auto and it should make for an incredible games auto.
2019 Honda S2000 Release and Price
The most intriguing part about it is that the auto will really be based on a bespoke stage. This is relied upon to utilize an all-aluminum development with carbon fiber embeds in scratch ranges around the auto. The final product ought to be an auto weighing under 2,700 pounds which would make the forthcoming 2019 Honda S2000 one of the lightest autos in its class. Be that as it may, this will likewise mean the auto won’t be shoddy. The early bits of gossip propose route past $50,000 which would put it very near the up and coming Supra.It will have its reality head in late 2018 as a festival of organization’s 70 commemoration. It will be most presumably displayed at the Los Angeles Auto Show and go in deal in time for the 2019 model year.


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From the blog
Given the chance, AI will be fundamental to restoring the public’s faith in the financial sector. If – that is – it can build up its own store of public trust.
Recordsure named in ‘Ones to Watch’ for innovation in a list of business excellence published by the European Business Awards, one of world’s largest and longest running business competitions.
The reason phone adverts usually show the display time as 10.08 and the lessons financial services firms can take from this
With the digitisation of banking at risk of creating vulnerable customers, there is an irony that technology also holds the key to exponentially improving customer care.


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Tesla has communicated to employees and some customers that its supply chain issues are now extending its solar roof product, and for now, it is stopping scheduling for new installations.
It’s not clear when those problems will be solved.
Supply chain issues are affecting many industries.
When it comes to Tesla, the focus is on how it is affecting its car business – which is significantly – but the Texas-based automaker is doing better, while the rest of the industry has doubled its production last year, and most other automakers saw decline year-over-year.
But the solar industry is also under great pressure from supply chain issues and Tesla’s solar business is also being affected. Last year, we reported on early signs that supply chain issues are affecting Tesla’s solar panel business.
In December, we released a report on how Tesla was starting to delay some solar rooftop projects. At the time, Tesla’s solar roof installation weren’t affected by the same issues, but now it is starting to be the case.
This week, Electrek learned that Tesla informed employees that the supply chain issues are now affecting solar roof projects:
Most of the solar industry has been experiencing supply chain delays. These constraints are beginning to impact Solar Roof as well. This will lead to delays in scheduling installations for Tesla customers not already on the calendar.
Several customers are reporting having received the following message from Tesla’s solar team:
Supply Chain Delays May Impact Your Installation Timeline
Due to supply chain delays, your installation timeline may be extended. These delays are broadly impacting the U.S. solar industry and are outside Tesla’s control. We do not currently have a firm timeline from our suppliers as to when these delays will end. We will be in touch with you as soon as we have updated information.
Thank you for your patience and for helping accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.
Tesla says that it doesn’t want to share any updated timeline until it received the material from suppliers. It didn’t specify what material is problematic right now.
The company produces its own solar roof tiles at Gigafactory New York in Buffalo, but it is dependent on many suppliers, especially solar cell suppliers, who have been greatly affected by the current supply chain issues.
Last quarter, Tesla’s solar deployment was down 1% year-over-year to 85 MW.
With those supply chain issues, it’s fair to expect the down trend to be significant in Q1 20221. In Q1 2021, Tesla had deployed 92 MW of solar power. That includes both solar roof tiles and regular solar panels.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.


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Spanish eShop Ventures acquires subscription service Nonabox
Ecommerce company eShop Ventures has added another brand to its portfolio. After acquiring online stores El Armario de la Tele and BoutiqueSecret, eShop Ventures acquired Nonabox, an online subscription service for mums. This Spanish company was not performing really well in terms of financial results and its founders were already trying to find a buyer of the remaining assets.
This news was brought to us by Novobrief, a Spanish website with a focus on local startups. The website writes there was already some speculation about the future of Nonabox. A couple of weeks ago, it launched Nonateam, a website that tries to help its employees to find a job at a different company.
Nonabox was all over Europe
Besides Spain, Nonabox also had a presence in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy and Austria. Sources told Novobrief eShop Ventures is only acquiring the Spanish business; operations in the UK and Italy have already shut down and the company is trying to sell their business in Germany and France.
Previously, Nonabox raised nearly two million euros from several investors and the company generated 1.4 million euros in sales and 50% gross margins last year. In Spain, Germany and France they reached break even.
According to co-founder Ramón Sánchez “the metrics were good, but our growth in recent months has been flat”. So if they wanted to continue growing in all the markets they were active, they needed capital to invest in marketing. But their latest fundraising efforts failed, as they were in the middle of closing a €1.5 to €2 million round in November, but that deal fell abruptly. According to Novobrief, they had no option but to close operations and sell the company.
That happened, as eShop Ventures decided to take over the subscription service. This Spanish ecommerce company already acquired El Mario de la Tele and BoutiqueSecret, but also owns affiliate programs Expirt, Mamuky, Mimub, Molet and Matby.
Nonabox was founded in December 2011 and offers subscription packages with all kinds of products new mothers and fathers could use. Besides the subscription service, it also operates an online store so customers can directly purchase all the products that are available in the Nonaboxes.


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Want to master the CMO role? Join us for GrowthBeat Summit on June 1-2 in Boston
, where we'll discuss how to merge creativity with technology to drive growth. Space is limited and we're limiting attendance to CMOs and top marketing execs. Request your personal invitation here
Xsigo, maker of a device that virtualizes network connections in data centers, has raised an undisclosed amount of funding from North Bridge Venture Partners, Greylock Partners, Khosla Ventures and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, among others. The San Jose, Calif. company says its technology can drastically reduce the number of wires running through server farms.
Xsigo says the new money will be used to grow its sales and marketing organization. It already has 35 customers and hopes to pull in more with the promise that its technology can be adapted for any data center, no matter what operating system, networking standards or vendors it uses.
VentureBeat’s VB Insight team is studying email marketing tools.
Chime in here, and we’ll share the results


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Technology is truly going places! In a massive leap further, the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is all set to introduce a new robot, named Gita, after the successful rollout of its OrderSEA mobile ordering system.
The novel robot will allow the delivery of food orders from restaurants at the airport to any point across the concourse after travelers have passed through security. While the majority of orders will still be delivered by humans, it is hoped the robot will be able to deliver more orders in the future.
Commenting on it, Jeff Livney, Chief Experience Officer at Servy’s Grab Airport Marketplace, said, “We are excited to partner with Seattle-Tacoma to enable more people to benefit from our contactless order and pay technology with the launch of OrderSEA. [The platform] offers a safe and convenient touch-free alternative to traditional payment options enabling travelers and airport staff to easily place meal orders from digital devices.”
Remarking similarly, Sam Cho, Port of Seattle commissioner, added: “Technology can make your airport experience more flexible and less stressful. OrderSEA means travelers can skip standing in a crowded line, the least fun and most stressful part of any trip.”
Gita, the robot on wheels, will be able to store up to 40 pounds of food and deliver it around the terminal for a $2.99 fee. It will be accompanied by a human for the time being, however, visitors can expect her to sashay around by herself in the coming future.
As part of its OrderSEA mobile ordering system, travelers can currently order from restaurants like McDonald’s, Trail Head BBQ Bar, and Pizza Vino, with more options to be added in due course. In addition to tis, they can also use the SEA Spot Saver to reserve a time slot for TSA security checkpoints and reserve pre-booked parking with the Sea-Tac service. Well, talk about being futuristic with travel!
[Via: Travel + Leisure]


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The group Fnac Darty sees its share price fall on the Paris Stock Exchange, Thursday, January 10, after having announced the day before to assess at 45 million euros the impact of the movement of “Vests yellow “on its sales in France and Belgium.
“This impact on end-of-year sales should weigh accordingly on the growth of current operating income expected for 2018,” the management said in a statement sent to AFP.
The activity of the distributor of cultural and household goods is usually important during the Christmas and New Year period. In the third quarter of 2017, it had achieved 2.44 billion euros in sales on an annual turnover of nearly 7.45 billion euros.
At 10am on Thursday, the title Fnac Darty dives 4.60% to 55.95 euros.
The group had to close stores because of the violence, like those of the Champs-Elysées, the Halles or the Ternes in Paris, when others have had their access blocked.
In the wake of these announcements, the US merchant bank Bryan Garnier and the British financial institution HSBC both lowered their price targets on the Fnac Darty value.
“Most is focused on the very profitable month of December and we doubt that Fnac Darty managed to adjust its cost structure in such a short time and protect its margins in the last month of the year “, explain Bryan analysts Garnier in a note obtained by Reuters
The distributor is not the only one to be affected by the “Yellow Vests” demonstrations. INSEE said Thursday that industrial production in France fell 1.3% in November, after rising 1.3% in October. A much more marked decline than expected
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After weeks of conflict over 'yellow vests', traders are betting on balances to limit damage
VIDEO: The story of Jack Daniel's death involves a safe and a broken toe


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The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) will soon have the power to ban blockchain or distributed ledger technology (DLT), come January 1, 2018.
Speaking at a London conference called “Blockchain Technology: The Future for Financial Services”, last week, senior ‘risk analysis’ officer Patrick Armstrong spoke [PDF] about the challenges and opportunities with blockchain technology. Armstrong is a part of the Innovation and Products team at ESMA, the Paris-based EU financial regulatory authority that establishes legislation and regulation for European financial markets.
The blockchain-specific conference saw Armstrong reveal how the ESMA came to know about the technology.
ESMA began examining the topic in early 2013 as the virtual currency known as ‘bitcoin’ became a widely-known alternative payment service. ESMA then began analyzing the degree to which there existed investment products that used virtual currencies as an underlying asset.
While these investment products were “marginal” then, over time, the ESMA added that the market shifted from a focus on virtual currencies, like bitcoin, to its underlying technology, in blockchain.
Soon enough, the ESMA was involved in the


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A long-time Springboro donut shop is undergoing an expansion.
The Donut Haus Bakery, which recently completed an interior upgrade, now plans to add an express drive through.
Mike Hemmert, operator of the Donut Haus, said the layout and operations will be rather unique in Ohio and will be open this upcoming spring.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The recent remodel include interior renovations of new granite counter tops, new porcelain floor tile, new bakery showcases, refrigeration and walk-in freezers.
The Donut Haus is at 305 W. Central Ave.


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a month later The debut of NFTs, Starbucks It will launch its second set of NFTs through the Odyssey rewards program. Dubbed the “First Store Collection,” this new store is expected to arrive on April 19 and features 5,000 stamps or NFT collectibles minted on Polygon, with each lot available for $100.
The company’s statement describes the new group as a Multimedia collages, in-store items, and highlight icons Inspired by Seattle’s first coffee chain store. Fans who pick up an item from this collection will receive 1,500 points towards rewards that will be added to their Starbucks Odyssey app. What’s more, those with more than two NFTs from the first set will get early access to the latest mint.
A Starbucks Odyssey public launch is imminent
Plus, there’s even more exciting news for fans of the black stuff. After months of experimentation with a closed beta, the platform’s public rollout is imminent. The company recently hinted to beta testers via email that they are getting closer to the official launch.
However, once the second NFT drop is complete, Starbucks Odyssey will shift its focus to rewarding beta users based on the number of points they have earned. Perks will be available starting April 24, including access to a virtual coffee making class, and the chance to help those in need by making a donation to the charity Feeding America.
Other notable bonuses include the chance to name a tree on the company’s Costa Rican coffee plantation, or unlimited free coffee for a month. Points are earned on the app by completing in-app objectives such as buying drinks from company stores or interacting with their content.
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*All investment/financial opinions expressed by NFT Plazas are derived from the personal research and experience of our site managers and are intended as educational materials only. Individuals are required to fully research any product before making any type of investment.
Bassel is a huge fan of blockchain technology and all its innovations, and is excited to share this narrative with his audience. He has spent over five years in the coding field, specializing in researching and creating Web3 content for various media outlets around the world.


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While milk prices are being reduced by supermarkets, the future of the sector is in jeopardy due to rising energy costs and a labour crisis.
The hardest thing I’ve had to do.” That was the devastating admission made by a dairy farmer in Britain after selling his herd of cows and ending a family-run enterprise that had been in operation for almost 200 years.
What motivated this crucial choice? Despite continuing to pay high electricity, animal feed, and fertilizer expenditures, he experienced a 14p per litre decline in the amount he was receiving for his milk within a short period of time. “I can’t understand why anyone would want to carry it on,” he said.
The milk producer, who wished to remain unnamed, related his tale to Sussex farmer David Exwood, who then posted the comments on Twitter. His circumstance is by no means unusual. Since the start of the war in Ukraine in February, energy costs have skyrocketed, impacting not only the price of fertilizer, which depends on gas for manufacture but also dairy farmers and other food producers.
Last summer’s drought added to financial strains because farmers had to purchase extra livestock feed because there wasn’t enough grass for them to graze on.
Due to milk shortages following the pandemic’s disruption, the wholesale price of milk eventually increased to record levels by late 2022, reaching a high of 51.6p per litre in December. The farmers could now exhale in relief as their expenses were covered. The break, however, was only temporary.
According to official statistics, the average farm-gate price for milk has been declining in recent months, down to 37.6p per litre in May. This was a decline of about 5% in only one month and a drop of nearly 8% from the same month last year.
Farmer and animal feed vendor Paul Rowbottom claims he visits farms in Staffordshire, Derbyshire, and Cheshire daily and observes the effects of financial strains. It’s a nightmare trying to get money in, he claims. Their inability to pay their bills. He claims that the issues dairy farmers and other food producers he serves are facing are the worst he has encountered in his 30 years of employment: “I doubt I’ve ever seen as many people as are right now.
The “spring flush,” which occurs when cows naturally produce more milk as they are released out into fields and causes an oversupply, has been partially blamed for recent drops in the price of milk. However, it is evident that dairy farmers believe they suffer financially when milk processors and retailers lower the price they are paid for their goods.
As supermarkets fight to win over price-conscious customers during the cost of living crisis and a time of persistently high food inflation, they have recently announced price reductions for milk, butter, and bread. The price of a four-pint bottle is currently £1.45 at supermarkets like Tesco and Sainsbury’s, 20p less than it was in early April and the lowest since before the epidemic.
Food companies are now cautioning that the UK’s present liquid milk self-sufficiency may be in jeopardy if dairy farmers continue to leave the country. According to the National Farmers Union (NFU), about 5% of them quit the business last year.
Following the price collapse, The Dorset Dairy Company has become one of the newest farms to opt to sell off its milking cows. The head of operations for the company, Dan Miller, is the third generation of his family to manage a herd in Stalbridge. He now wants to sell their 180 cows in September, after which the business will continue creating its yoghurt, butter, and cream by importing milk from other sources.
Miller claims that the milk price volatility was a factor in his choice, as many dairy producers expanded during the “happy days” of the wholesale highs in late 2022, just as consumers started to cut back on their spending. People are also increasingly adjusting their milk consumption patterns, whether it is by consuming less traditional cups of tea or bowls of breakfast cereal or by consuming more dairy-free options.
Miller thinks that the sector has had a difficult time adapting rapidly enough, with small suppliers being the most exposed. Miller claims that turning off the taps is difficult when using milk. ‘Let’s improve, grow, and make more milk,’ a lot of people stated. We need to have exercised more caution.
“This is an epic cycle and I don’t see it getting better quick enough,” he says, explaining why he is selling his herd. “We don’t know how long this is going to last.”
In the face of mounting financial strain and ongoing labor shortages, farmers throughout the nation are unsure of how long they can hold out. In a recent study, over three-fifths of dairy farmers who are members of Arla, the largest dairy cooperative in the UK, expressed their frustration over a lack of laborers, claiming it was more difficult to find workers than in 2019.
This is something that Warwickshire’s Andrew Hall, a beef and dairy farmer, has also encountered. The two oldest of his four children have already attended college and have chosen against taking over the farm, while other workers “who are my age and older are saying ‘I’m sick of this,’” he says.
“I am finding it tough financially and mentally, and obviously labour is a massive issue,” he says, adding that he is receiving 15p less a litre than in February. “Most dairy farmers are working seven days a week, but it’s 2023, not 1983 or 1973. And we have been left behind with wages.”
The 56-year-old is also going to miss out on his one week-long holiday of the year, as his “relief milking” assistant is recovering from a road accident. “I can’t find anybody else to milk,” he says.
To keep on top of his outgoings, Hall has reduced the amount of feed given to his cows and is scaling down production, relieved that there is more grass available than last summer. “You never hear of farmers striking,” he says. “But we have been taken advantage of for too long.”
Succession problems are among the reasons for a large number of dairy herds coming to market at Kivells, an agriculture and livestock auction house. Mark Davis, an auctioneer based in Exeter, is expecting to sell 1,500 dairy cows over the next month. “We are seeing a lot of sales come forward,” he says. “The milk price and finances are bound to have an effect.”
Davis, who also works part-time on the family dairy farm run by his brother, believes the reluctance of the next generation to take over family businesses is also playing a role. “The sales coming up are generally because of retirement, a couple have been in ill-health, in one the farmer died and the family didn’t want to take it on.”
Some farmers are placing their faith in the government’s intentions to enact new rules in the upcoming months and increase the security of the dairy supply chain. According to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the so-called dairy code aims to “ensure supply contracts in the dairy sector are fair and transparent, with farmers being paid a fair price for their produce”.
The rules are meant to make it easier for farmers to voice their concerns while also allowing them to contest processors’ price offers and prevent producers from being forcibly changed into new contracts.
Michael Oakes, a dairy farmer in Worcestershire, is hopeful that the plans, expected to become law in the autumn, might “take out some unfair practice from the supply chain”. He believes that the current situation, where farmers sometimes only find out a few days in advance what they will be paid for next month’s milk, is untenable.
Oakes, who is also chair of the NFU’s dairy board, hopes the regulations could “create a new relationship with processors, get rid of the ‘us and them’. We need each other, but it has never felt like a true partnership.”
For now, dairy farmers such as Hall are committed to remaining in farming, even though he admits that he occasionally dreams of a life without caring for a dairy herd. “I could rent out buildings [on the farm] for storage, and have an easier and better lifestyle.”


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San Francisco, Dec 09 (UiTV/IANS) – With an aim to enhance user experience, tech giant Microsoft has started to roll out an update to the Snipping tool for Windows 11 to Insiders in the Dev Channel, which includes a built-in screen recorder tool.
Snipping Tool has always made it fast and easy to capture and share content from the PC, and now with screen recording built-in, the company is expanding these capabilities to even more types of content, Microsoft said in a blogpost on Thursday.
“We know that Snipping Tool is a favourite among the Insider community, so we are very excited to introduce a built-in screen recorder with this update,” said Dave Grochocki, Principal Program Manager Lead, Windows Inbox Apps
To use the new tool, a user is required to open the Snipping Tool application and select the new record option.
Before beginning the screen recording session, users will be able to choose and adjust the area of their screen that they want to record. After completion, users can preview it before saving or sharing their recordings with others.
“We are just beginning the roll out now, so not all Insiders in the Dev Channel will receive the update right away,” Grochocki explained.
In October, the tech giant had rolled out several new features, including files sharing, to help users share files and photos easily to Windows 11.


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A Motorola Nexus 6 Reportedly in Our Future
A new report has come about that is suggesting Motorola will be the manufacturer of the Nexus 6. Speculation from the community pointed to LG giving another go at the the Nexus phone, but according to Android Police, Motorola and Google have a phone in the works with the codename Shamu. Why Shamu? This phone is going to be HUGE is my guess.
The Moto Nexus 6 from this report says that it will rock a 5.9-inch display, and will be due out this November. That is usually the time when Google announces their new Nexus devices, and the report also mentioned it will be available on all major carriers. The evidence is there, and we know that Google hasn’t given up on their Nexus line, so let us know what you think about a 5.9-inch Moto Nexus 6.


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July 28, 2020 – The IAAPA Virtual Expo: Asia opened with over 3000 registered attendees on its first day. The three-day online event offers attraction owners, operators, and buyers the opportunity to explore a virtual trade show floor, learn from education sessions and on-demand content, and make new contacts in virtual networking areas and lounges, all from the comfort and safety of their home or office.
On the virtual trade show floor, 131 exhibiting companies from around the world have the chance to engage with attractions professionals, presenting their latest innovations and gaining exposure to their brands. With the click of a button on a computer, tablet, or smartphone, attendees can visit those exhibitors’ virtual booths to discover innovative products and services, chat with company representatives in real time, and view video demonstrations and digital collateral.
The education conference features eight sessions that cover a variety of topics, including revenue generation, training, safety, edutainment, leadership, and more. Throughout the event, attendees will have unlimited access to on-demand content, which will also be accessible following the conclusion of the virtual expo, allowing them to learn at their leisure.


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News Highlights: Intel appoints Tech Industry leader Pat Gelsinger as new CEO | National
SANTA CLARA, Calif .– (BUSINESS WIRE) – January 13, 2021–
Intel today announced that the board of directors has appointed Pat Gelsinger, the 40-year-old technology industry leader, as its new CEO, effective February 15, 2021. Gelsinger will also join Intel’s board of directors when he takes on the role. He succeeds Bob Swan, who will remain CEO until February 15.
This press release contains multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210113005609/en/
Pat Gelsinger will become CEO of Intel on February 15, 2021. (Photo: Business Wire)
Today’s announcement is unrelated to Intel’s financial performance in 2020. Intel expects revenue and earnings per share for the fourth quarter of 2020 to be higher than previous expectations of October 22, 2020. In addition, the company has made significant progress. in the field of 7nm process technology and plans to launch a …
Read more: Check the latest technology news updates and information. Share this news with your friends and family to support us.


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Entrust and Red Sift have expanded their strategic partnership to help enterprises adopt Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI), the email security and branding tool.
As part of the arrangement, Entrust is now reselling Red Sift’s OnDMARC management service to its customers. In addition, firms can manage their logos and obtain Entrust’s Verified Mark Certificates (VMCs).
BIMI allows domain owners to publish their registered trademarks “directly into a premium location, the avatar slot, within a customer’s email,” says Chris Bailey, vice president of Trust Services at Entrust.
But they must first deploy DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance), the standard email security tool, at the enforcement level. And they must have VMCs.
According to the firms, the Entrust-Red Sift partnership allows brands to use a common service platform that supports a single source of contact for DMARC and VMC application, issuance and ongoing management
In addition, it allows them to oversee VMC and DMARC records and VMC lifecycle management, including checking certificate status, renewals, verification statuses, editing and reapplying, they add.
BIMI-tracking service BIMIradar reports that over 12,000 domains now have a BIMI record -- a 88% increase since October 2021. In addition, DMARC adoption increased by 57% from 2020 to 2021, covering almost 1.27million additional domains.
Display of a registered trademark using BIMI standards can help increase average purchase likelihood by up to 34% and boost brand recall by as much as 18%, according to a joint survey conducted by Entrust and Red Sift last year.
In a related development, the BIMI AuthIndicators Working Group found that government-registered trademarks are “too high a bar for most businesses,” said Seth Blank, chair of the working group and chief technology officer of Valimail, in a recent interview. The group is working on lowering the bar in conjunction with Entrust Datacard and DigiCert.


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The three identical Chevrolet Matiz in the blue and yellow livery of local retailer Pipers News Stores emerge from behind the shop and peel off to deliver some of the 2,700 newspapers which Pipers distributes every day from its two Sussex locations, all without a paperboy or bicycle in sight.
Having been in news delivery for over 60 years, company founder Nigel Piper and his family have built a business empire which until recently included T Cox & Son, the independent newstrade wholesaler for a large part of East Sussex and West Kent, as well as two shops and a home delivery service.
But after bowing to the inevitable and handing over the wholesaling arm to Dawsons News, the company has put its unrivalled knowledge of the sector to use in regenerating the stores and creating a news delivery model that can thrive in the difficult trading conditions expected during the next few years.
With six of its own vehicles and a further 45 drivers using their own cars, Pipers has seen a 42% increase in its news deliveries in the past 12 months, at a time when other retailers have abandoned HND as uneconomical.
Senior retail manager Michael Hunt explains how it works. “We have 15 rounds going out every day from Hailsham and another 12 from our other store in Heathfield. That’s about 100 newspapers and magazines per driver. The average round can cover an area of 20 miles, although some of the more rural runs can be up to 50.”
The aim, Hunt says, is to complete rounds by 7am, with drivers given 30 minutes to assemble their orders and 90 minutes for deliveries.
Watching the team in action you see how slick the operation is, despite the complications of changes to orders, cancellations, supplements and inserts. “I really don’t see how retailers can do this with paperboys any more,” says Hunt. “Just the weight of the papers these days means they must be running backwards and forwards to the shop – that can’t be economical – and you can see why kids are unwilling to do it.
“We’ve found that people are prepared to pay for a good delivery service, particularly if they’re out in the sticks. We charge an average of £2.14 a week – that’s for seven days of deliveries – with a top rate of £3.50 for the most remote areas.”
The method of payment has also been brought up to date. Pipers has encouraged customers to take out direct debits, which not only keeps the book debt down but saves a lot of time chasing late payments. Half of the customers now pay this way; others use the phone or a website, where they can also register their order changes and cancellations.
Even so, Hunt says, the delivery service is currently geared to do little more than break even – the upside is in the margin on newspapers and magazine sales. But if you have cars visiting far-flung villages, there’s potential to add other products and that’s the exciting challenge for the Pipers’ team in the year ahead.
“We plan to keep on expanding, but it’s something you can’t do quickly,” says Hunt. “We’ve built an infrastructure which works, but you have to have the resources – labour, vehicles and space to make up orders – to offer a good reliable service for which you can charge appropriately.”
The biggest threat to that reliability, he says, comes from the publishers. “Most of our drivers have full-time day jobs so delays in deliveries to us are a problem; The Telegraph’s been a nightmare recently. We need the publishers to understand how much their lateness affects businesses like ours – they are the biggest threat to our expansion plans.”
Unlike many retailers, Hunt is happy with the performance of his wholesaler, Dawsons. “There were teething problems at first, but I think they understand our needs now,” he smiles. “I can’t complain about our allocation. We tell them what we want and we generally get it.” Does being one of the depot’s bigger customers help? “Maybe. Certainly having the volume to have a dedicated van coming just to us every day speeds up the process.”
The other key to expansion is constant canvassing and acquisition. Pipers delivers tailored leaflets with a four-week free-delivery offer; the conversion rate of those who take it up is very high, Hunt says. “If I see a paperboy on the street at 8.30am I’ll add that area to our list of targets, because I don’t consider what’s being offered to be a competitive service to ours.”
Picking up rounds from retailers who throw in the towel is another priority, with several acquisitions in the past 18 months. “We’ll keep the previous retailer’s delivery charge for a month, but some of them, like 80p a week, just aren’t based in reality. After a few weeks we explain why the price has to go up.
“News delivery has been undervalued, I think. A lot of people still want a newspaper before they leave the house in the morning. We’re confident that we’re offering a service that people will see the value in, and we’ve demonstrated that they will be prepared to pay for it.”


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Apple rushed out updates for iPhones, iPads, Macs and Apple Watches on Monday to patch a pair of critical security vulnerabilities. The updates protect users from arbitrary code execution that can be triggered by maliciously crafted PDFs or web content, Apple said in its release notes.
In both cases, “Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited,” the company said.
The updates include iOS 14.8, iPadOS 14.8, macOS Big Sur 11.6, watchOS 7.6.2 and security patches for Safari and macOS Catalina.
iOS 14.8 is a critical security patch
The security holes Apple closed can be exploited by sending a PDF or webpage though the Messages app. To make matters worse, an attack apparently does not require the victim to click or interact with the message at all.
The worrisome vulnerabilities were reported by The Citizen Lab and an anonymous researcher, Apple said.
“While analyzing the phone of a Saudi activist infected with NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware, we discovered a zero-day zero-click exploit against iMessage,” Citizen Lab said in a post about the security flaw it uncovered. “The exploit, which we call FORCEDENTRY, targets Apple’s image rendering library, and was effective against Apple iOS, MacOS and WatchOS devices.”
Monday’s updates caught many people off-guard because they come just days before the company is expected to release the final versions of iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and watchOS 8.
As is usual with security patches, there was no beta testing. These went straight from Apple to users’ iPhones, Macs, etc. The iPhone-maker has become much more willing to put out security patches like this — iOS 14.8 is itself a replacement for iOS 14.7.1, which was itself only a security patch, for example.
All that said, the names for the iPhone and iPad updates are surprising. A security-only patch typically would have been called iOS 14.7.2 or macOS 11.5.3. These big jumps in the version numbers ordinarily would indicate there are new features. Perhaps these are being hidden and will be announced at Apple’s September 14 press event.
watchOS 7.6.2, on the other hand, is a name that indicates it’s definitely simply a security update.
How to install the updates
Install iOS 14.8 or iPadOS 14.8 by connecting the device to a Mac, or to a PC running iTunes. Alternatively, an over-the-air update is also possible. That’s accomplished by opening the Settings app and going to General > Software Update.
To install the latest version of macOS Big Sur via Software Update, go to the Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Software Update. Another option is to install the new version from the App Store.
The watchOS 7.6.2 update can be installed directly onto an Apple Watch, as long as the wearable is connected to Wi-Fi. From the Settings app just navigate to General > Software Update. Alternatively, it can be installed from an iPhone by opening the Apple Watch app and going to My Watch > General > Software Update.
Update: This article was updated on Sept. 13 with details about the security vulnerabilities being patched.


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easyJet and Neos: flights from Southern Italy to New York and Santo Domingo via Milan Malpensa
easyJet and Neos have announced a partnership to further enhance connections from Italy to some of the most attractive intercontinental destinations. Starting from 16 June, easyJet will provide connecting flights from Catania, Naples and Palermo to Neos’ passengers departing for New York JFK Airport and Santo Domingo La Romana Airport, with a stopover at Milan Malpensa Airport, easyJet’s main hub in continental Europe.
easyJet launches new routes from Aberdeen
easyJet has launched the first flights on its seasonal summer route from Aberdeen to Manchester. The low-cost carrier also recently introduced a double-daily service to London Gatwick.
easyJet to loosen mask wearing rules on certain flights
easyJet has confirmed mask wearing will no longer be required on some flights. The carrier said, where masks are no longer legally required, mask wearing would be a personal choice.
easyJet adds new summer leisure flights from UK
easyJet and easyJet holidays have added seven new routes and more holidays to its UK network for this summer. Four new routes will launch from London Gatwick.
easyJet to outsource onboard retail to dnata
dnata has been appointed to manage inflight retail services at easyJet across the airline’s network. The contract marks a significant milestone for dnata’s growing catering and retail business.
Sky Express to offer Greek connections to easyJet customers
The move will allow customers to connect via Athens, Thessaloniki, Corfu, Zakynthos, Preveza, Kefalonia, Rhodes, Larnaca, Chania, Heraklion and Thessaloniki to over 20 new Greek destinations.
easyJet celebrates two decades at Gatwick
The start of the carrier’s operation, with a single Gatwick-based aircraft and locally employed crew, began with just a handful of routes – the first being Barcelona on February 1st, 2002.
easyJet launches pilot recruitment drive
For the first time since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, easyJet is re-opening its pilot training programme. The airline is recruiting over 1,000 new pilots over the next five-years.
easyJet narrows losses but remains in the red
Total group revenue for the quarter ending in December increased to £805 million, up from £165 million during the same quarter last year. Net losses totalled £213 million for the period.
easyJet welcomes UK skiers back to European slopes
In the hours following the new France will reopen to UK travellers, the airline saw a 600 per cent lift in UK bookings to popular French ski destinations for the remainder of the winter season.
easyJet to offer holiday flights from Southend Airport
easyJet will once again offer flights from London Southend for next summer to Malaga in Spain and Palma de Majorca in the Balearic Islands.
easyJet signs extensive Virgin Atlantic partnership
easyJet and Virgin Atlantic have announced customers flying with the low-cost carrier can connect to long-haul flights at Manchester, Edinburgh and Belfast airports.


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By Katherine Feser
None of the Houston area's 17 J.C. Penney stores are among a list of 138 locations slated for closing in June.
J.C. Penney Co. will close nine Texas stores, with liquidation sales beginning on April 17, according to a list of closings announced by the company.
RELATED: J.C. Penney to close up to 140 stores
The Texas stores are:
About 5,000 jobs nationwide will be impacted by the closures.
To read this article in one of Houston's most-spoken languages, click on the button below.
Reporter / Researcher, Houston Chronicle
© 2017 Hearst Newspapers, LLC.


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Mahindra on Friday reported it would begin collecting its items in SA in 2018. The Indian organization, which has a market top of $12bn, has 34 plants the world over for its traveler vehicles, bakkies, trucks, tractors and horticultural apparatus. The declaration arrived in a year in which colossal speculations have been made in the nation by motoring goliaths, for example, BMW, Isuzu Motors and Chinese auto creator BAIC.
It likewise came after US auto producer General Motors pulled back from SA, refering to its “worldwide business needs”. “We trust it is ideal for us to begin working in SA. We have advanced from simply being a rival in a standout amongst the most aggressive markets on the planet,” said the head of worldwide operations at Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd, Arvin Mathew.
SA was the greatest market for Mahindra outside Southeast Asia, said Mathew, and it was hoping to enhance its essence and additionally its scope of items.
So far in 2017 the organization has sold 1,545 light business vehicles, giving it a piece of the pie of only 1.3%. Mathew said the point was to build the gathering’s deals, mostly through the presentation of new items, for example, the new Pik-Up he was in the nation to dispatch. In any case, its numbers were probably going to stay low contrasted with those of real opponents, for example, Ford, Isuzu and Toyota.
Generation was relied upon to begin in only a half year and the organization was taking a gander at destinations in Durban for its office. car news 2017 Mathew would not remark on the potential venture and informed that at first the number with respect to business openings would not be high given that it would be a semi-knockdown get together operation.
“We have board endorsement, now we need to execute,” said Mathew. Deliberately, he stated, nearby gathering was not an extraordinary arrangement as it was less expensive to import finish vehicles, yet he included that one couldn’t put a cost on being a neighborhood mark.
“SA is one of only a handful few created car economies,” he said. The choice to amass in the nation did not depend on any motivators gave by the Department of Trade and Industry and its Automotive Production Development Program.
Starting designs were for a little scale get together coordinating the current supply of Mahindra bakkies. Be that as it may, generation won’t be restricted to light business vehicles. Mahindra is the world’s biggest producer of tractors and the procedure incorporated the get together and offer of tractors, escavator diggers and other rural hardware.


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India’s gem and jewellery industry is dependent on imports for raw materials, including gold, diamonds, silver, and coloured gemstones
Mumbai: Ahead of the Union Budget, the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) have urged the government to reduce import duty on gold and cut and polished diamonds to help the sector stay competitive globally.
India’s gem and jewellery industry is dependent on imports for raw materials, including gold, diamonds, silver, and coloured gemstones.
The GJEPC seeks a reduction in import duty on precious metals to 4 per cent from the current 15 per cent. It demands bringing down customs duty on cut & polished diamonds to 2.5 per cent from 5 per cent at present.
The apex industry body stated that imposing higher import duty on cut and polished gemstones would lead to reduced exports, fewer employment generation in the jewellery industry thereby making survival difficult due to losing competitive edge to other competing countries like China and Thailand.
It urged the government to introduce the Diamond Imprest Licence again and cut import duties.
This will provide a level playing field for Indian MSME diamond exporters with that of their larger peers, stop flight of investment of Indian diamantaires to diamond mining destinations and give more employment in terms of diamond assorters and processing of semi-finished diamonds in the factories, the exporter’s body added.
The Council has urged the government to consider its long pending demand for the sale of rough diamonds in Special Notified Zones (SNZs) through the Safe Harbour Rule and to expand the ambit of entities entitled to operate through SNZs. Currently, only viewing sessions are held by mining countries at SNZs.
The council also urged that the SNZ should be permitted to function as a Free Trade Warehousing Zone (FTWZ) too when it is not used by Foreign Mining Companies and entities so that the facilities created are fully utilised and the financial viability of the centres are maintained.
To further extend and expand the scope of SNZs, the GJEPC requested the government to also allow globally recognised diamond broking and trading houses to operate from such SNZs.
Such trading houses are the focal point for the sale of diamonds by smaller miners, which cumulatively comprise close to 35 per cent of the global mining produce, the apex industry body added.
Further, to maximise benefits from the India-UAE CEPA, the Council also recommended the introduction of a mechanism like “Rates and Taxes Refund” through EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) system similar to GST refund and the rate of refund should be aligned with the rates and taxes (that is Import Duty and GST) prevailing as on the day of export.
“Gem and jewellery exports have been facing a challenging time on account of the economic downturn in key export markets, geo-political concerns, supply and demand side constraints in the global diamond industry, and unavailability of precious metal in the country among others. Our pre-Budget proposals will facilitate easy access to raw materials for the industry especially for MSMEs,” GJEPC chairman Vipul Shah said.
He said, by introducing a ‘safe harbour rule’ for the sale of rough diamonds in SNZs, India can become a trading hub like Dubai and Belgium and diamond manufacturers will not have to travel abroad to get access to these trading hubs.
He said the introduction of a Diamond Imprest License to 2.5 per cent will help cope with the impact of beneficiation policies undertaken in a number of natural diamond mining countries.
“This will give India a level playing field with competing countries like China, Vietnam and Sri Lanka. We are hopeful that with the additional support of the government in terms of reduction in import duty of precious metals and MOOWAR scheme for the gem and jewellery industry, the exports of gold jewellery will increase substantially in these challenging times,” Shah added.


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Aussies lose billions to scammers last year
The latest Targeting Scams report released by the ACCC has revealed Australians lost a record $3.1 billion to scams in 2022, which is an 80 per cent increase on total losses recorded in 2021.
Investment scams were the highest loss category ($1.5 billion), followed by remote access scams ($229 million) and payment redirection scams ($224 million).
Luke is joined by Mark Smith, Principal at Brander-Smith-McKnight Lawyers, who have expertise in the area of fraud and internet scams having recovered large amounts of money for some affected victims.
Mr Smith offers some timely advice on the type of scams, how to avoid them and what can be done for victims.
Download this podcast here


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Wasting money on vitamin supplements that may not work is one thing. But what if those same pills actually harmed you? That’s the question raised by an analysis of 68 clinical trials of vitamin supplements involving almost a quarter of a million participants.
It found people taking vitamin A supplements are 16 per cent more likely to die than those not taking supplements within the trial period, while beta-carotene and vitamin E supplement-takers are at 7 and 4 per cent greater risk (The Journal of the American Medical Association, vol 297, p 842).
“There’s absolutely no benefit from taking these supplements, and I would suggest people avoid them,” says Christian Gluud of Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark, who co-led the study.
Supplement manufacturers are claiming many of the trials included people who were already sick. “You can’t expect an antioxidant supplement to reverse 20 years of chronic smoking,” says


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- Classic cars driving experience bookings surge over the last year – up 20 per cent – and show no signs of slowing down
- Decline in new car sales despite modern motors bristling with amazing technology
- Back to basics…motorists yearning for a return to golden era of motoring believes trackdays.co.uk
A decline in new car sales, despite modern motors brimming with state-of-the-art technology, contrasts to more-and-more motorists booking classic car driving experiences as drivers yearn to get back to basics advises www.trackdays.co.uk
And while some new cars can have as many as 50 buttons on the steering wheel and dashboard, it is bookings for classic cars as old as 40 years or more, and with basic controls, that are burgeoning as exasperated drivers have had enough of modern technology which is hampering the driving experience.
Indeed, 2018 looks set to be deeply worrying for sales of new cars, with last September in particular being disastrous as it was the worst September for 10 years, with the allure of state-of-the art motoring not even tempting drivers to part with their cash.
Even more recently, October figures show a decline of almost 3 per cent compared to the same month in 2017.
Yet figures released by www.trackdays.co.uk show a marked increase in classic car driving experience bookings at places such as Heyford Park of around 10 per cent over the last four years, which has surged to nearly 20 per cent in the previous 12 months and shows no signs of slowing down. The most popular classic booked to drive is a Jaguar E-Type.
Dan Jones, operations manager at www.trackdays.co.uk, said: “New cars boast state-of-the-art technology and are more akin to being computers on wheels.
“However, many people find all the buttons and touch-screen technology confusing and distracting, plus it takes away from the pure driving experience which can only come through driving a classic car.”
Meanwhile, the actual prices of some classic cars are now fetching astronomical prices compared to their modern equivalents
Fast Fords from the 1980s and 1990s in particular continue to demand high prices.
Only recently a 1990 Ford Sierra Sapphire Cosworth 4×4 fetched a world-record price at auction, being sold for more than £50,000. Compare this to a modern equivalent, the Focus RS, with all the latest gizmos and gadgets, which is available for just over £30,000.
Dan added: “It would appear that motorists are turning their backs to the future. Getting behind the wheel of a classic car can provide a driving experience in its purest form, allowing the car to do the talking rather than relying on modern technology.”
For more information about TrackDays, which also offers a huge variety of driving experiences, as well as classic car driving experiences including a Jaguar E-Type, Ford MK1 Escort, AC Cobra and Austin-Healey 3000, visit www.trackdays.co.uk


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Cargill expanding Plainview plant
Cargill has begun construction on an expansion of its Plainview, TX, beef plant, according to the plant’s general manager, Jim Rathke. The expansion adds a finely textured beef operation to the existing facility, and beef product that is 93 percent to 96 percent lean as an ingredient in the company’s ground beef, Rathke said. The new operation should be up and running by August and will staff a manager, two shift supervisors, and 17 hourly paid employees. The company will promote from within and then use its normal hiring process to fill additional positions, Rathke said. Cargill’s proposal moved forward last week after local county officials approved a reinvestment zone that will afford the company several tax breaks. Rathke said the reinvestment zone allows the company to afford to add the operation to the facility.
Beef exports to South Korea rebound
U.S. beef exports to South Korea rebounded in January after a two-month consecutive decline, according to Korean media reports. Volume in January reached 5,055 metric tons, a 2.5 percent increase over December’s 4,933 metric tons, the Korea Herald reported, citing a report by the state-run Korea Agriculture Trade Information. The agency said January’s shipments were based on orders made in November and December last year. As the Korean won continued to depreciate against the U.S. dollar, local importers were prompted to buy, the report said.
Australian beef exports may drop slightly
The volume and value of Australian beef exports next fiscal year will vary only slightly from this fiscal year ending June 30, with the impact of an assumed depreciation of the currency offsetting a small decline in the volume of exports, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE) forecasted. Australian beef exports next year are forecast at 920,000 boneless metric tons valued at $4.61 billion (AUS), compared with exports this year forecast at 928,000 tons valued at $4.64 billion (AUS). The number of live cattle exported next fiscal year is forecast to fall 3.2 percent to 760,000 from 785,000 this fiscal year as a result of demand for beef from Indonesia and other southeast Asian countries weakening in line with sharply lower economic growth, ABARE said.
Rescinding covenants costly for Tyson
Tyson Foods said it has increased to $810 million, from $500 million, its previously announced offering of unsecured senior notes due 2014. The notes will have an annual interest rate of 10.5 percent and will be issued at a price equal to 92.756 percent of their face value. Stephens Inc. analyst Farha Aslam estimated the new debt will cost Tyson about $18 million to $28 million annually in additional interest, equivalent to 3 cents to 4 cents per share.
“Tyson is restructuring its debt to reflect the fact that the company no longer has an investment grade rating. Unfortunately, the flexibility of getting out from under the bank covenants has a significant cost,” Aslam wrote in a note to investors.
All protein sectors may decline
Livestock economist Ron Plain cited USDA forecasts for a drawdown in pork, beef, chicken and turkey production for this year versus a year ago. It would be the first time that all four protein sectors will show a yearover-year decrease since 1973 which, he asserted, is directly tied to high feed costs and soft meat demand. “We may well see an additional cut in production in 2010, but that depends on how quickly we can stabilize the economy,” said Plain. “We’ve got banks who are thinking in terms of permanent cutbacks, and even some of these operations are looking at new ways of trying to make a living,” he said. “As the red ink drags on and the longer they lose money, more of them are going to be forced to make some rather permanent plans to downsize.”
Independencia files for bankruptcy
Indepencia S.A., the Sao-Paulo-based company which is working through a restructuring process under Brazilian insolvency law, has also filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy in a New York City court.
The company cites a decline in beef exports and a burdensome debt load in the U.S. filing, which is being used to seek recognition from U.S. courts of its Brazilian reorganization. In its filing, the company said its total debt was about $1.2 billion, about half of which is in Brazil, while the other half is in the form of private debt issues in the U.S. and other countries. Independencia said sales fell 41 percent between October 2008 and January 2009. Court documents also showed the company owes nearly $105 million to JPMorgan Chase Bank and roughly $99 million to Citibank.