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The Travel Tech Show at WTM, the largest dedicated travel technology event in the UK, continues to play a vital role in the growth of the travel industry, this year hosting a range of new companies within the New Exhibitor Pavilion.
The Travel Tech Show at WTM, which takes place between the 2 – 5 November at ExCeL London, was launched in 2013 following the phenomenal success of the travel technology region at WTM and two years on it has grown by more than 20%.
More than £100 million of new business was generated for exhibitors at The Travel Tech Show at WTM 2014, with the show attracting almost 11,300 attendees who were interested in purchasing technology, a huge 8.3% increase on 2014 (10,418).
The New Exhibitor Pavilion, which is this year sponsored by Octorate, the cloud based all-in-one hotel booking Software Company, welcomes more than 14 new exhibitors including leading customer service and customer experience tools – SDL and Virtual Service Solutions AG.
Also making a debut is iPortfolio Inc, a company which have created a guidebook app called Travalloon, the world’s first smart travel contents platform hosting enhanced e-Guidebooks, Video clips, and a traveller’s social network for Web, Android, and iOS.
ButlerPad, a market leading virtual concierge application that provides guests with the ability to communicate with hotel departments will also be take space within the New Exhibitor Pavilion. This new technology allows travellers to place orders, make reservations or ask a question all from the comfort of their own smartphone, tablet or PC.
Fabrizio Scuppa, Managing Director of Information Technologies, Octorate explained: “Octorate hopes to meet with accommodation providers and destinations from around the world, and is looking forward to attending the wide variety of networking events that run alongside the Travel Tech Show at WTM. I have no doubt the four days will be extremely productive for us”.
A number of existing exhibitors have re-signed for the Travel Tech Show at WTM 2015 including; TripAdvisor CodeGen, Illusions Online, Pegasus Solutions, Comtec, Open Destinations, Digital Trip Ltd, eMax Revenue and eviivo.
Tellink, the leading roaming provider, will be exhibiting for the third year running to promote their unique traveller SIM card to global tour operators and travel agents.
Jo Marshall, The Travel Tech Show at WTM Sales Manager said: “The growth of the Travel Tech Show at WTM has been phenomenal and the variety and quality of new exhibitors joining the event reinforces the decision to make it a stand-alone event in its own right.
“The Travel Tech Show at WTM offers travel and hospitality technology suppliers the perfect platform to promote their products.”
About World Travel Market London
WTM London, the leading global event for the travel industry, is the must-attend four-day business-to-business exhibition for the worldwide travel and tourism industry.
Almost 51,500 senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and international press, embark on ExCeL – London every November to network, negotiate and discover the latest industry opinion and trends at WTM.
WTM London, now in its 36th year, is the event where the travel industry conducts and concludes its deals. WTM 2014 will generate around £2.5 billion of travel industry contracts.
WTM London is part of Reed Travel Exhibition’s World Travel Market events, which also includes Arabian Travel Market, World Travel Market Latin America and World Travel Market Africa. www.wtmworld.com
World Travel Market Events
World Travel Market is comprised of the leading leisure travel events in the world; World Travel Market London, WTM Latin America in Sao Paulo, WTM Africa in Cape Town and Arabian Travel Market in Dubai.
New events for 2016 are WTM connect Asia and WTM connect China, which join WTM connect Ski and International Golf Travel Market. These unique one-to-one events are targeted at leisure and niche travel markets, allowing exhibitors to exclusively meet with elite hosted buyers.
The World Travel Market events are attended by the global travel and tourism industry’s senior executives to conduct business deals and discover the latest research, insight and opinion.
In 2014, the World Travel Market events facilitated around $7 billion in industry deals from negotiations between the more than 15,000 buyers, 9,500 exhibitors (1,500 main stand holders and 8,000 stand sharers) in attendance of its four events.
WTM is owned by the world’s leading events organiser Reed Exhibitions.
About Reed Exhibitions
Reed Exhibitions is the world’s leading events organiser, with over 500 events in 43 countries. In 2014 Reed brought together over seven million event participants from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed events are held throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa and organised by 41 fully staffed offices. Reed Exhibitions serves 43 industry sectors with trade and consumer events. It is part of the RELX Group plc, a world-leading provider of information solutions for professional customers across industries.


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In 2012, Iceland was at the bottom of Forbes’ list of the best countries to visit. Two years later, the list had risen to number 20. Now, visitors are flocking back. Icebound Iceland is back in style.
Not only has the volcanic island nation overtaken Greece to become the world’s most popular travel destination, it is delivering a particular brand of travel fun with an economic punch. That is why it is host to the first World Expeditions Fall Family Tour, a seven-day tour of Iceland in a bus designed for the smallest of strollers, and why, several weeks into that itinerary, we were told by our website tour guide that we were outside the window “nearly every day.”
More young travelers, led by an expanding array of Instagram-worthy activities, have been bringing back the family-friendly trend. Unique culture, geothermal hot springs, nature, and the food, is more accessible than ever thanks to personal effects such as phones and maps. They are also part of an evolving multi-generational family travel trend that leaves some of the groundwork for the next generation of Icelanders — new visitors to this Emerald Isle of long-ago siege, and to a past of global outposts.
All of this has made travel to Iceland easier and more enjoyable. The answer is a surge in contemporary hotels, new attractions and magical landscapes. The storied viking roots are becoming a tourism mantra. (So are “Icelandic style” cafes and restaurants, which these days are the norm rather than the exception.)
Back in New York City, Art Brunetti is the regional project manager for Reykjavik’s newest hotel, Olafur Grimsson Resort. The renovation of the sea cave, cave restaurant and sports bar is part of a broader tourism push of “the Nordic experience,” spanning travelers not only from Europe, Asia and the Americas, but also younger generations coming from Africa, Africa and Australia.
There are modern trends within the Nordic experience. In places such as Oslo, Sweden, travelers are seeking new short breaks to weeklong weekend. Much like culinary or performance tourism, tours are on the rise to places such as Reykjavik, but the Nordic way is evolving.
“This tourism generation, that’s growing and expanding, they’re full of passion and ideas and want to do different things and want to do it their way,” says Gustaf Helin, founder of Norwegian Mail Hotels.
Helin’s tour business helps tourists discover the Arctic nation’s hedonistic, eco-friendly side. Guests are driven to waterfalls and dramatic hiking spots. They can bungee jump off a glacier. There are also tour companies that cater to Nanny-travelers toting baby-changing tables and baby-and-toddler essentials, as well as museum and tour operators who want to attract families and ski-family travelers. (Amanda Hesslar, the field editor of Family Travel News, and her father’s company in October will launch a “coveted travel award” focused on family travel — the first time the coveted prize will go to a travel writer rather than a family or travel company.)

domain: news


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When Dell first displayed its XPS 435 PC back in February, we ribbed the gargantuan gaming machine’s “coin collector tray”. But it turns out that you won’t have much spare change left to chuck in it now that Dell’s announced that machine’s starting price. Dell_Studio_XPS_435_01 Dell's XPS 435: good looking, but expensive …
That's great if you're not at all shot in the wallet department and don't have the ability/a friend with the ability to build one. £1700 for the "base" system? That's almost Apple-like in gargantuan pricing schemes for what isn't exactly a completely top end system.
Anyone actually priced up the components separately? I would be looking to pay that amount of money if it had a good couple of TB storage, SSD boot drive, 4870X2 or similar in the graphics department and some goodies thrown in.
- One HUNDRED FAMOUS LADIES exposed NUDE online
- Google flushes out users of old browsers by serving up CLUNKY, AGED version of search
- China: You, Microsoft. Office-Windows 'compatibility'. You have 20 days to explain
- Twitter: La la la, we have not heard of any NUDE JLaw, Upton SELFIES
- GCHQ protesters stick it to British spooks ... by drinking urine


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April 09, 2020
Dear ABLE BC Members and Industry Colleagues,
We have (almost) made it to the end of another week. With the Easter long weekend ahead of us, this will be the last update you receive from ABLE BC until Tuesday, April 14, unless something urgent arises.
Beginning next week, we also plan to reduce our daily email updates to three updates per week (excepting of course anything urgent).
On behalf of ABLE BC’s Board of Directors and staff, we hope you and your family have a safe and happy long weekend. We encourage you to abide by Public Health recommendations not to travel and stay home.
Included in today’s email you will find:
- Free ABLE BC webinar next week: COVID-19 and BC’s Hospitality Industry – What you need to know
- BDL update
- Some municipalities start to defer property tax payments
- Further clarification on LPs selling draft beer
- Canadian Emergency Business Account loan programs rolls out today
- Federal government releases Canada’s coronavirus modelling projections
- Restaurants Canada Webinar: Delivery and Takeout Best Practices During COVID-19
- Preparing for the long weekend: suggested health and safety precautions
- New signage: credit card tap transaction limits temporarily increased
- Residential customers can now apply for BC Hydro’s COVID-19 relief fund
Find all past updates from ABLE BC here.
Free ABLE BC webinar next week: COVID-19 and BC’s Hospitality Industry – What you need to know
Join ABLE BC’s Executive Director Jeff Guignard for a complimentary webinar on COVID-19 and BC’s hospitality industry: what you need to know.
The webinar takes place on Thursday, April 16 from 10:00 am to 11:00 am. Register here.
This 1-hour webinar will cover:
- What’s happened over the past 4 weeks
- Current state of the liquor industry and tourism + hospitality industry at large
- What ABLE BC is doing to help
- Government support programs
- Other financial support available to you.
- What’s next what you can expect from ABLE BC in the weeks and months ahead and what we’re advocating for to help your businesses recover
All welcome. Advance registration is required.
BDL continues to ship product and are working hard to get fully operational as quickly as possible in the wake of their recent cyberattack.
Although you can order full pallets of most SKUs, BDL is currently prioritizing full or half pallets of top-selling brands from each manufacturer (i.e. Bud, Canadian, Coors, Kokanee, Lucky, MGD, etc).
We understand not all locations can handle a full or half pallet of single SKUs. ABLE BC is in contact with BDL daily and we are working together to find practical solutions that will meet your ordering needs.
When placing orders, we recommend contacting BDL directly so they can offer the most current information.
Municipalities start to defer property tax payments
As you know, the provincial and federal governments continue to roll out financial supports and policy changes aimed at helping Canadians and business owners during the COVID-19 crisis.
Even though government is working round the clock to implement these programs, we share your frustration that some emergency measures are simply taking too long. We have heard very clearly from you that further delays will lead to more business closures and lost jobs.
One of the most significant issues we hear you are facing is the inability to pay rent and property taxes.
ABLE BC, along with other industry associations, are working daily with our provincial and federal government partners to address these concerns and help government make changes to support your businesses.
Some municipalities have already taken action on deferring property tax payments:
Port Coquitlam City Council has cancelled its plans to implement a 2020 property tax increase and extended its tax and utility payment deadlines to September 2.
Port Coquitlam says it has also joined other municipal governments in BC in requesting the provincial government to expand the property tax deferment program and standardize extended tax deadlines.
The City of Vancouver is considering a deferral for this year’s property tax payments because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mayor Kennedy Stewart told reporters on Wednesday that city staff recommends a “grace period” of nearly two months. This year’s property taxes are due on July 3, 2020, but could be pushed back to September 2, 2020.The change, however, will have to be discussed and approved by city council during next Tuesday’s meeting because a by-law amendment would be needed.
In March, ABLE BC and other industry associations wrote to all municipalities, asking them to defer property tax increases and payments. We will keep you updated on this issue.
Further clarification on selling draft beer
We have received reports that some licenses are perhaps attempting to skirt the intention of recent temporary privileges granted to liquor licensees. Although we previously offered clarifications on how you may sell draft beer, it appears some confusion remains.
To be clear, according to the LCRB: “you may sell packaged beer, including draught beer in new glass vessels referred to as growlers and bombers of a size no less than one litre supplied by you.” That means you are not allowed to sell in wine or champagne bottles, take out beverage containers, two litre pop bottles, bottles with flip-tops, or any other type of container.
Government has reacted quite quickly to implement emergency supports for liquor licensees, such as allowing Liquor Primaries and Food Primaries to sell alcohol with take-out and delivery meals. By contravening the spirit of these rules, licensees risk being shut down for the duration of this crisis. Your actions could also compromise the ability of other licensees to offer these services in full compliance with Public Health Orders.
We of course understand that information is moving quickly and some confusion is inevitable. Please do not hesitate to contact us directly if we can help clarify how these policies impact your business.
Note: we have received questions from members asking if you can sell wine to customers from a keg of wine (i.e. fill a 750 mL bottle for customers). Currently, you cannot but we are exploring that possibility with government and will keep you updated.
Canadian Emergency Business Account loan program rolls out today
Applications are now open for the Canadian Emergency Business Account loan program.
CEBA provides up to $40,000 in loans, of which 25% is forgivable if you pay 75% back by the end of 2022. There is no interest or principal due until January 1, 2023. These loans are provided by your bank, with funds and guarantees from the federal government. Look on your bank’s website to apply online.
Businesses are eligible if they had payroll between $50,000 and $1 million in 2019. You must have an active account at a bank, not be in arrears of more than 90 days on any of your existing debt, and have a federal tax registration.
Find a summary of all federal government economic support programs here.
Federal government releases Canada’s coronavirus modelling projections
Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam and Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Howard Njoo released Canada’s modelling projections on Thursday, forecasting up to 700 deaths and 31,850 coronavirus cases across the country by April 16.
Longer term modelling, covering the course of the pandemic, shows 11,000 to 22,000 deaths with strong epidemic control. That number goes as high as 300,000 with no epidemic measures in place.
Canada’s COVID-19 transmission hasn’t peaked yet. It is widely acknowledged that the first wave of the pandemic may last until summer.
During his address this morning, the Prime Minister called the current physical distancing efforts the “new normal,” as it is expected to continue for months with waves of the COVID-19 pandemic forecasted following the current first breakout. And “this will be the new normal until a vaccine is developed,” said the prime minister, adding that the vaccine may take up to a year or a year and a half.
Dr. Tam said that models are imperfect, and are highly sensitive to our actions, but they do allow “us to forecast” short-term possibilities. Models are used to ready health care systems to plan.
While she acknowledged that the numbers released today may seem stark, Canada’s modelling demonstrates that the country still has an opportunity to control the epidemic and to save lives.
“We must continue to control the epidemic using tried and true public health measures, including staying home when possible, maintaining physical distancing, meticulous hand-washing, and covering our coughs,” said Tam.
Provinces have also released their own projections. BC’s Provincial Health Officer Bonnie Henry spoke about projections last Friday, though she did not supply any numbers.
Restaurants Canada Webinar: Delivery and Takeout Best Practices During COVID-19
Registration is now open for Restaurants Canada’s webinar Operating During COVID-19: Delivery and Takeout Best Practices taking place on Monday, April 13 from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm ET.
Delivery and takeout has become essential for Canadian food primaries and some liquor primaries remaining open and operational during the COVID-19 pandemic.
How do you do operationalize a kitchen and make the most of takeout and delivery in a COVID-19 world? What are the health and safety procedures you need to put place to ensure both employees and consumers are protected? And what are the key concerns to watch for as we navigate this challenging time?
Understanding the best practices for delivery and takeout is increasingly important in this ‘new normal’ landscape.
This webinar will provide insights into:
- Best practices to ensure your operations are safe for drivers, consumers, and your employees
- How to implement a delivery-friendly menu
- How to seamlessly partner with third-party delivery apps for best reach
Learn more and register here.
Preparing for the long weekend: suggested health and safety precautions
We understand your establishments may be very busy on the long weekend. Here are some precautions to can take to help ensure the health and safety of your employees and customers:
- Limit the number of customers you have in your store at one-time to allow for social distancing (2 meters or 6 feet between people)
- Place markers or tape on the floor to direct the flow of traffic in your store; i.e. only allow customers to only travel one-way down the aisles
- Place markers or tape near the cash to ensure customers stand 6 feet apart when lining up
- Install protective cashier shields
- Enhance your premise’s sanitation plan and schedule, and ensure staff are practising proper hygiene. This includes frequent hand washing, only coughing or sneezing into an elbow, and avoiding touching one’s face.
- Place hand sanitizer with a minimum of 60% ethyl alcohol in dispensers near doors, pay stations, and other high-touch locations for customer and staff use.
- Ensure washrooms are always well stocked with liquid soap and paper towels, and that warm running water is available.
- Provide clean carry-out bags for purchased products; customers should not use their own containers, reusable bags, or boxes.
- Post signs at each check-out indicating that no customer packaging is to be used or placed on check-out counters.
- Ensure you have signage posted indicating to customers the precautions you are taking. Download all free COVID-19 signage in our online store.
New signage: credit card tap transaction limits temporarily increased
In an effort to support social distancing requirements, we understand some credit card processors are temporarily increasing the limit on credit card ‘tap’ transactions to $250.
We have created new signage for you to indicate this change to customers. Download the free sign here.
Please confirm with your credit card processor before posting this sign.
Find all free COVID-19 signage in our online store.
Residential customers can now apply for BC Hydro’s COVID-19 relief fund
BC Hydro is reminding residential customers they can apply for the COVID-19 Relief Fund starting today.
Announced on April 1, the COVID-19 Relief Fund provides bill relief for BC Hydro residential and small business customers impacted most by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eligible customers can apply for a one-time bill credit of three times their average monthly bill amount.
Beginning next week, small business customers forced to closed their doors due to the pandemic can apply to have electricity charges waived for up to three months.
This “payment holiday” is meant to provide relief to retail stores, restaurants, tourism, and other small businesses.
In order to be eligible for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, residential customers must be residential account holders and have had an account since March 31, 2020.
Either they or their significant other must have lost employment/income because of the following reasons:
- A job lay-off
- Being quarantined or sick with COVID-19
- Taking care of a family member that is sick with COVID-19
- Providing care for their children due to school and daycare closures
- Being unable to earn self-employment income
They also must be eligible for Employment Insurance, the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, or BC’s Emergency Response Benefit for Workers and be able to provide proof of their application.
Customers who do not meet this eligibility can seek assistance via BC Hydro’s COVID-19 Customer Assistance Program and are encouraged to call 1-800-BC-HYDRO (1-800-224-9376) to discuss further options.
We understand some businesses are currently ineligible for the BC Hydro COVID-19 relief program if they are on the Large General Service rate. We are working with other industry associations to try and resolve this.
For more information:
Public Health Agency of Canada Website
Updates from the Government of British Columbia
- BC Centre for Disease Control
- News Releases from BC Government on COVID-19
- Provincial Health Officer Public Health Orders
Updates and Resources from ABLE BC
Human Resources & Occupational Health & Safety Info from goHR
If you have any other questions or concerns, please contact ABLE BC:
604-688-5560 or firstname.lastname@example.org.


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MILAN — “Our goal is to make this show even more prestigious and convincing,” said Pitti Immagine’s general director Agostino Poletto while introducing the program of Pitti Fragranze’s upcoming edition here Wednesday.
Running Sept. 14 to 16 in Florence’s Stazione Leopolda, this year the niche perfumery trade show is expected to gather 220 brands, 70 percent of which will come from abroad.
The international attractiveness is key for the three-day event, which last year drew 700 foreign attendees — up 2 percent compared to 2016 — out of a total of 2,200 buyers. Top markets for the show include France, Germany, Spain, the U.K., Switzerland, Japan and the Middle East.
Reiterating the commitment to being a “reliable” show, Poletto underscored the selection and scouting of exhibitors was not the organizers’ only concern for this edition. In addition to displaying quality products, Pitti Fragranze will offer visitors financial data on the state of the artisanal perfumes sector.
“We have launched the first economic observatory for the niche fragrance product category, in order to better illustrate this industry, not only through quality but also through numbers,” said Poletto. Assembled by the consultancy and financial analysis company HermesLab in partnership with Milan’s Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore’s fashion research institute Centro ModaCult, the study will provide figures on the Italian niche fragrance business, trace trends and collect interviews with the industry’s operators, sharing their main challenges and concerns. Among these, a recurring theme for niche labels is how to compete in a global market while remaining true to their core identities in offering uniqueness, quality and creativity.
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Flanking the release of the study, Pitti Fragranze will continue to stage talks and seminars. Among these, a series of panels hosted by American perfume critic Chandler Burr will focus on investigating cultural changes and business opportunities in the Chinese market, where the consumption of niche fragrances is on the rise.
For the fourth year in a row, French flavors and fragrances producer Mane will host a talk on raw materials. After the bergamot, patchouli and pepper-themed editions, this year Mane’s team of experts will illustrate and discuss ingredients hailing from Madagascar, with a special focus on vanilla.
To further promote the olfactory culture, organizers and exhibitors will stage events and in-store activities outside the Stazione Leopolda venue during the three-day trade show.
“We have recently decided to grant access to the show just to professionals, under indications of our exhibitors, but we didn’t want to miss the opportunity of opening this event to a wider audience,” said Poletto, listing the initiatives involving Florentine retailers, schools, museums and restaurants.
These will include store openings such as the inauguration of the latest Campomarzio70 unit and the Profumeria Aline store developed in partnership in the Estée Lauder Companies, in-store product presentations, and guest lectures, such as the one that Nathalie Vinciguerra — currently head and chief executive officer of the Anima Vinci label — will host at Polimoda.


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After a somewhat turbulent but ultimately successful year for Apple, what sort of impact will the forthcoming iPhone 6 have on the company’s stock price?
The year began disappointingly for Apple Inc. NASDAQ:AAPL when poor sales figures reported to the city resulted in its stock price dropping sharply. At that time, Apple was forced into a damage limitation strategy, with senior figures at the corporation indicating to the media that Apple had several new product lines up its sleeve for the remainder of 2014 and 2015.
Gates Capital Management's ECF Value Funds have a fantastic track record. The funds (full-name Excess Cash Flow Value Funds), which invest in an event-driven equity and credit strategy, have produced a 12.6% annualised return over the past 26 years. The funds added 7.7% overall in the second half of 2022, outperforming the 3.4% return for Read More
These new products are yet to be forthcoming, but not only are they now on the horizon, but Apple has also managed to turn its share price around. After record sales in its last quarter of reporting, Apple’s share price has recovered encouragingly, and is now even threatening to push to record highs.
Currently, the Apple stock is trading around only 8 percent lower than its all-time highs of 2012. This is an extremely healthy position for the company to be in ahead of what promises to be two huge product releases in the remainder of 2014. Not only will the iPhone 6, or at least one model of it, hit the stores in the next couple of months, but the long awaited smartwatch the Apple iWatch is also likely to be released in due course.
Additionally, the iPhone 6 is being released in two separate models (at least), with a premium version of the smartphone considered to be Apple’s first phablet. Effectively, the corporation can look forward to initiating two new product lines within the next few months, and the huge prospect of a new standard iPhone hitting the market is another mouthwatering prospect for the company.
So there is seemingly plenty of potential for Apple to increase both its sales and revenue, And one would imagine that this could be reflected very favourably in terms of share price increases. But is the outlook really as rosy for them as it might appear?
Although Apple has created search a stronger branding for itself that authoritative surveys such as the annual Interbrand report have considered the company to be the world’s most distinctive brand, Apple operates in a highly competitive, consumer-driven environment. Samsung in particular is always looking to take a bite out of Apple, and has indicated that it intends to replace the consumer electronics giant as the biggest manufacturer and seller of mobile devices in the next twelve months.
Thus, it is always worth considering that no matter how well the new Apple devices are received critically, and also by the public, there will be stiff competition for them within each specific marketplace. And in order for Apple to significantly improve it share price, the company would need to strongly increase its twelve-month revenue. This currently stands at around $36 billion, so the iPhone 6 and iWatch would need to push revenue above $50 billion to see any sort of meaningful increase in share price.
Another driver of Apple stock going forward will be the iPad. While the success of the iPad has been little short of tremendous, and the Apple tablet continues to define that particular niche, recent sales have not been so encouraging. IPad sales fell by nearly 10 percent during the last quarter alone, and it has been suggested that the public appetite for updated versions of the nonetheless hugely popular tablet is waning.
Although disappointing iPad sales have yet to seriously impact on Apple’s share price, the company would be looking for increased sales of tablets in the future if they are to achieve increased revenue growth. However, it seems extremely unlikely at the moment, and even flatlining sales may prove problematical.
High margin iPhone
But sales of the iPad will be but one small factor in the future of Apple. Traditionally, the iPhone in particular is a much higher-margin, higher-volume, and higher-average selling price market for Apple than the iPad, and it is reasonable to assume that this would also apply to the long rumored iWatch. Thus, the impact that the iPhone 6 has will probably be the defining factor for the share price of Apple in the short to medium-term.
With this in mind, the critical issue may be whether Apple can live up to the hype that will undoubtedly surround the release of the iPhone 6. Recent indications are that the smartphone-sized version of the device will outperform its most obvious Samsung rival, and murmurings from the Apple supply chain that the device will be a virtual reboot of the iPhone 6 design are promising.
So if Apple can deliver on its promises, and the anticipation of the Apple fan community, then it could deliver a pretty significant share price increase in the near future. Smashing through its all-time share price record seems permanently achievable.


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Regardless of if you are one of the most feared and powerful government agencies, or a well-known health industry provider, data breaches have become as much a serious economic issue as they have a liability. This week in the news we saw both the IRS and CareFrist (the largest healthcare provider in the Mid-Atlantic) take … Read More
Posts in "News"
Recent headlines reinforce the reality that mobile threats against personal and corporate devices are continuing to evolve. According to a recent study from BT, mobile breaches affected 68% of global organizations in the last 12 months. This week we’ve been monitoring conversations around hackers draining personal bank accounts via the Starbucks mobile app, the latest … Read More
The continuous evolution of mobile malware, malicious apps and targeted threats ensures mobile security will remain a pressing issue for enterprises. As companies beef up their security measures it is critical that they strike a balance between enabling productivity and securing connected devices. This week we’ve been monitoring conversations around mobile fraud risks, mobile payment … Read More
This week we’ve learned that sometimes even the most sophisticated cyber-attacks are executed with surprisingly simple techniques. Recent headlines serve as a healthy reminder of the importance of implementing best practices to help prepare, educate and protect your business from becoming the next data breach victim. This week we’ve been monitoring stories around the methods … Read More
As the security industry kicks off RSA 2015 the Zimperium team is excited to announce the addition of two long time security experts to the zLabs Advanced Research and Exploitation team this week. Joshua J. Drake will be joining us as the new senior director of platform research and exploitation, while Jimmy Shah will be … Read More


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Are you looking for a seasonal job? Experts say the top stores hiring this holiday season are Macy's, JC Penney, Office Depot/Office Max, Gap and Kohls.
Nearly 740,000 seasonal workers are expected to be hired this year. That's according to a survey by the firm, "Challenger, Gray and Christmas".
Job seekers should note that some of those seasonal slots can become permanent positions.
|Live video, the latest news and no surveys - download the WKBW app|
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This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
New York • The tremors from Europe's financial upheaval have reached U.S. shores, rattling consumers and companies.
The consequences have been limited so far. Yet the United States and Europe are so closely linked that any slowdown across the Atlantic is felt here. U.S. makers of cars, solar panels, drugs, clothes and computer equipment have all reported effects from Europe's turmoil.
Worries that Europe's crisis could worsen and spread are spooking investors and consumers just as the holiday shopping season nears. Some fear U.S. consumers could rein in spending. Europe's sputtering growth is already dragging on some U.S. companies' profits and could further slow the U.S. economy.
The crisis "seems to be coming to a head right at the time the U.S. economy is at its most vulnerable," said Mark Vitner, an economist at Wells Fargo.
It's affecting companies like Marlin Steel Wire Products, a 34-employee business based in Baltimore that's been seeking a $4 million contract from a German manufacturer for an industrial steel wire project.
Marlin's CEO, Drew Greenblatt, says the German firm is in "pause mode" because of Europe's turmoil. The German company had promised the order by early November.
Marlin's overall sales are growing briskly. But sales to Europe have been sinking.
"If they were ordering like they customarily do, we would have hired more guys," Greenblatt said.
The European Union is the No. 1 U.S. trading partner. Nearly $475 billion in goods crossed between the regions in the first nine months of 2011. About 14 percent of revenue for the 500 biggest U.S. companies roughly $1.3 trillion comes from Europe.
The U.S. economy is especially vulnerable to the European crisis because it's growing so weakly and facing other risks, such as weak hiring, stagnant pay, high energy costs, a wide trade deficit and potentially steep government spending cuts.
"It won't take much to tip us into another recession," said Sung Won Sohn, an economics professor at California State University, Channel Islands. "If Europe gets into any deeper trouble, it will take us and the rest of the world down, too."
The European Union said last week that the region could slip into a "deep and prolonged recession" next year. The Eurozone is expected to grow just 0.5 percent in 2012. That's far below the 1.8 percent growth predicted in the spring.
Wells Fargo estimates that the U.S. economy will grow 2.1 percent next year, 0.4 percentage point lower because of Europe's slowdown. Goldman Sachs thinks the region's slowdown could shave a full percentage point off U.S. growth.
Even if Europe doesn't fall into a downturn, its turmoil is affecting U.S companies and consumers in several ways:
Stock-market gyrations unsettle consumers and make them more cautious about spending.
U.S. companies with big European operations are suffering from lower sales, prices and profits.
Banks worldwide are cutting lending and hoarding cash to create more cushion for potentially deep losses on their holdings of Greek, Italian and other government debt. U.S. and overseas banks are keeping about $1.57 trillion in reserves at the Federal Reserve a jump of nearly $580 billion in the past year.
Uncertainty about how much damage Europe could cause is making corporations reluctant to spend their piles of cash to hire and invest.
Not every U.S. company is hurting in Europe, of course. McDonald's Corp., Kraft Foods Inc., Sara Lee Corp. and Oracle Corp. recently reported strong results there. But General Motors Co.'s third-quarter profit fell 15 percent, due mainly to slower sales and higher costs in Europe.
"Things have clearly deteriorated," GM Chief Financial Officer Dan Ammann told investors last week.
Jeff Fettig, CEO of Whirlpool, said late last month that with demand tumbling in parts of Europe, the company plans to lay off 5,000 workers in North America and Europe.
First Solar, based in Phoenix, is postponing plans to finish building a solar panel factory in Vietnam because of a worldwide glut in panels. The glut has been caused by falling demand in Europe, the world's biggest solar market.
Falling prices caused by the glut have sent share prices of established solar panel makers such as First Solar and SunPower tumbling. They've also forced some solar companies such as Solyndra into bankruptcy protection.
Abercrombie & Fitch Co.'s struggles in Europe caused its share price to plummet. Nike Inc. said its last quarterly revenue rose in every region it operates in except Western Europe.
Cisco expects growth in the area to slip about 5 percent during the next three months.
"Europe, we think, is going to be a challenge for us for this next quarter," Cisco CEO John Chambers told analysts Wednesday.
Smaller businesses are being affected, too. Wine exports are suffering because of poor consumer sentiment in Europe and because a weak euro is making U.S. wine costlier by comparison. The European Union accounts for about 38 percent of U.S. wine industry exports.
For banks, the crisis is different, and scarier. They hold debt of European governments and companies that could lose value if the crisis worsens.
The big fear is that big U.S. and European banks would become so worried about each other's ability to cover losses that they'd stop lending to each other. The result could be diminished confidence that would freeze lending and shock the global economy.
Last week, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told soldiers and their families in Texas that Europe posed a "significant risk" to the U.S. economy.
Europe's troubles have been weighing on U.S. stock markets for months. David Hensley, a global economist at JPMorgan Chase, noted that falling stock prices make consumers feel less wealthy and cause some to cut back on spending. That, in turn, slows U.S. growth.
The unease is growing right as the holiday shopping season which accounts for up to 40 percent of retailers' annual sales is about to start.
"The retail industry is hyper-sensitive to any sort of national or international crisis that affects consumer confidence," said Brian Dodge of the Retail Leaders Industry Association. "Consumers read the news."


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The testers within the Fast Ring are at the moment getting preview builds from the mn_release department and ‘mn’ stands for Manganese, which is the interior codename for Windows 10 20H2, the subsequent service pack-style replace coming later this 12 months.
After Manganese (20H2), Microsoft plans to launch Windows 10 21H1 replace, which is often known as ‘Iron’. According to 1 leaked weblog put up, Microsoft plans to start out flighting builds from the Iron department to the testers in Fast Ring in June. The data was by chance revealed in a WSL 2.0 announcement and the weblog put up has since been edited.
Microsoft has already began compiling preview builds of Windows 10 21H1 replace. Now, a reference to Windows 10 21H1 Build 20141.1000 has been noticed in a first-party app replace package deal, suggesting that the primary preview construct of 21H1 might arrive in a number of weeks as initially deliberate.
It’s value noting that Microsoft’s launch schedule for Insider program tends to vary, however for now, it appears to be like like Windows 10 21H1 preview replace remains to be on the monitor.
One of the most important modifications that we’ll see subsequent 12 months may very well be an up to date Start menu for Windows 10. Earlier this 12 months, the Windows Insider staff confirmed off a brand new Start menu that might characteristic a “fluent theme” with fewer distractions and improved consistency.
Windows 10’s new Start menu will nonetheless help stay tiles for apps equivalent to Weather and Mail & Calendar.
Windows 10X options are coming to Windows 10
According to stories, Microsoft is planning to ship Windows 10X options “sooner rather than later” and the options would additionally arrive in Windows 10.
For instance, Microsoft will let testers use the brand new Win32 container in Windows 10, which might run Win32 apps nearly in a “sandboxed environment”.
In addition to Win32 container help, Microsoft can also be planning to incorporate considerably improved Windows Update mechanism inside Windows 10 that makes the replace course of a lot quicker and have updates is not going to take as lengthy to put in as they do at the moment.
Testers within the Windows Insider program will have the ability to check these enhancements earlier than most of the people. For now, it stays unclear whether or not these enhancements or options will arrive this 12 months.
The put up Windows 10’s subsequent main replace preview construct noticed on-line once more appeared first on Windows Latest


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Dan Bane, Chairman and CEO of Trader Joe’s, will retire after more than two decades in the post at the end of the company’s fiscal year on July 2, 2023. Current President and COO Bryan Palbaum will take over as Chairman and CEO at that time, and current President of Stores Jon Basalone will be promoted to Vice CEO and President.
Bane has been with Trader Joe’s for more than 25 years, the last 22 as the Chairman and CEO. During that period, the company has grown into a national chain of 543 neighborhood grocery stores in 42 states and Washington, D.C. During his tenure Bane also championed a unique set of seven values that guide the company and help direct all Crew Members as they serve millions of customers each week.
“I take great pride that together we have made Trader Joe’s the best grocery store in America,” said Bane in a message to Trader Joe’s Crew Members announcing his retirement.
Palbaum is also a long-time Trader Joe’s executive, having been with the company for more than 20 years, the last 10 as President and COO. Basalone has been with the company for more than 33 years, starting as a store Crew Member in Southern California.
“We are thankful for Dan’s leadership over the past 22 years,” said Palbaum in a statement. “Jon and I look forward to working with all Crew Members to continue to grow Trader Joe’s. We remain focused on providing customers with exciting products at great values, while being true to the seven values that will continue to guide Trader Joe’s.”
The leadership transition comes as Trader Joe’s faces unionization efforts at several of its locations. In February, the company challenged the formation of a union at a store in Louisville, Ky., claiming that union supporters created “an atmosphere of fear and coercion” that interfered with the validity of the election.


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Posts filed under “Inflation”
There is a group of folks who believe that inflation is much higher than the numbers in the official reports. Paul Krugman calls them “inflation truthers.”
In the 2000s, I might have been considered part of that crowd. I recognized that inflation data wasn’t being reported accurately, and said as much. I coined the phrase “inflation ex-inflation” to show the absurdity of reporting inflation data without food and energy prices, which were rising fast then. Owner’s equivalent rent, hedonic adjustments, substitution all were rightly criticized as flaws in the consumer price index model.
The key difference between the truthers of 2010s and those of the 2000s is what each group has criticized and toward what purpose.
The 2000s truthers were critics of the inflation mathematical model used by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (more on this later); the 2010s truthers are critics of President Barack Obama, and any economic gains under his watch therefore must be the result of inflation.
Today’s truthers include the site shadowstats.com, whose methodology was thoroughly debunked by John Aziz. Yet even conservative Ramesh Ponnuru, my colleague at Bloomberg View, has called those who believe that hyperinflation is running amok, “inflation cranks.” Continues here
Inflation Expectations Stay Steady as the CPI Edges Up William Bednar and Mehmet Pasaogullari After hovering in a narrow range between 1.0 percent and 1.6 percent for eight months straight, annual inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased to 2.0 percent in April. Part of the uptick is explained by food prices,…Read More
Source: Bloomberg Visual Data From Bloomberg Visual Data: A weakening in price growth over the past two years can largely be blamed on muted costs for health care, cars, clothing and financial services. Core PCE inflation running at 1.09 percent owes much of its small climb to housing-related prices. The rise in those costs, including…Read More
click for ginormous graphic Source: Visualizing Economics Earlier this year, we discussed the Lessons Learned from the Fall of Gold. That surprisingly generated some controversy despite the near 40% collapse from its 2011 peak. Rather than spill a lot of ink onto the page, I wanted to direct your attention to the following…Read More
“It is after a trend has been reversed that the full effect of the preceding excesses is felt.” -George Soros For the last 5+ years we have seen a massive attempt by global central banks to prop up asset prices. The Federal Reserve has spearheaded the effort, increasing their balance sheet from less than $1…Read More


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Updated: Feb 19
Are you one of almost a half-million owners who run the risk of your car catching on fire? Hyundai and Kia owners are being urged to keep their vehicles outside, away from buildings, over concerns that a short circuit in the antilock brake system could cause an engine compartment fire .
The recalled vehicles are: 2016-2018 Hyundai Santa Fe, 2017-2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe XL, 2014-2015 Hyundai Tucson, and 2014-2016 Kia Sportage SUVs, and the 2016-2018 Kia K900 sedan, per Consumer Reports.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says owners can go www.nhtsa.gov and enter their 17-digit vehicle identification number to see if their automobile is being recalled.
Why this Recall?
These vehicles all use the same faulty component, called the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU), that’s part of the anti-lock braking system (ABS), according to documents Kia provided to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The component is manufactured by Mando, a major automotive supplier. Neither automaker has determined the cause of the fires.
Drivers may also notice some warning signs of an issue, Kia and Hyundai told NHTSA. These include:
• An illuminated ABS warning light on the dashboard
• A burning or melting smell
• Smoke coming from the engine compartment
In December 2021, the U.S. auto safety agency said it had opened an "engineering analysis" covering about 3 million vehicles to evaluate, among other things, the efficacy of recalls initiated by the two automakers. The agency added that it was aware of 161 fires occurring potentially due to engine failures.
This is not the first investigation into Kia and Hyundai. Both Hyundai and Kia have issued multiple recalls in recent years that include more than 3.5 million vehicles that may be at risk of catching fire for various reasons. Hyundai Motor Company is the largest shareholder in Kia Motors, with 33.88 percent ownership.
What to Do If Your Car Catches Fire
• First, pull over and shut off the engine. This stops the flow of fuel.
• Get yourself and your passengers out of the car as quickly as possible.
• Call 911
•Only attempt to put out the fire if you have clear access to the source, have a suitable fire extinguisher, know how to use it correctly, and can maintain a safe distance from the car. Only use an extinguisher approved for Class B or Class C fires; a label on the extinguisher will identify which kind of fire it’s suitable for.
• Never open the hood; the additional air flowing in could cause the fire to enlarge.
• Never stand on an active roadway. If you’re parked by the side of the road, stay far behind the vehicle to avoid being hit if another car strikes your vehicle.
Tuesday’s recalls come after U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stepped up a series of investigations into engine compartment fires that have plagued the Korean automakers.


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Martin Hall Agency Plus One Tourism Team is photographed in front of Martin Hall
During the fall 2022 semester, WVU Extension partnered with Martin Hall Agency, the WVU Reed College of Media’s student-run public relations and advertising agency class, to develop a campaign focused on increasing awareness of farm-to-table restaurants, farm stays, breweries, cideries and you-pick farms that provide family-friendly adventures and hands-on experiences unique to Appalachian culture.
“We know a lot of people travel to the Mountain State for the beautiful landscapes, adventure experiences and outdoor fun,” said Cheyenne Oakes, senior public relations student who served as the team’s account executive. “However, what we found in our research is that increasing awareness of farm-based businesses that share the history and traditions of Appalachia could encourage leisure travelers to stay a bit longer.”
Over the course of the first few weeks of the semester, the group conducted research and met with owners and operators from around the state to get a deeper understanding of agritourism and how it impacted West Virginia. The overarching goal was to increase travel to agritourism destinations in eastern West Virginia and create lasting connections between WVU Extension and businesses in these regions.
The team’s strategy included search engine optimization (SEO), paid media and digital and print guides that mapped agritourism spots in relation to adventure and history destinations that were already an attraction for out-of-state tourists.
They also established relationships with dozens of businesses across the Eastern Panhandle and Greenbrier Valley regions to share information about partnering with WVU Extension and to create a web of business partnerships. Partner businesses were provided with window decals and brochures to signify their participation. These materials featured a QR code linked to the WVU Extension agritourism landing page so visitors can learn about other businesses in the area.
The team also developed Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tools for these businesses –keywords, backlinks and ghostwritten blogs – with easy-to-follow instructions on how to use these tools to improve their search rankings.
“When someone is looking for a new adventure, we knew they would do a Google search,” said Emma Magruder, the team’s marketing and partnerships director. “The problem was that these business owners didn’t necessarily know how to optimize their digital footprint. So, we made it easier for them.”
To further expand the digital footprint, the team also developed and executed influencer marketing and media relations campaigns targeting travel and lifestyle-based micro influencers, bloggers and writers. After targeting diverse publications and people, itineraries for travel to pre-established clusters were crafted. In the spring, partner businesses will be welcoming these individuals to their regions for a special experience.
The MHA team is already receiving positive feedback from partner businesses, many of whom were unaware of the opportunities in their own backyard. Moving forward, these campaign efforts will be expanded to include additional ways to connect businesses, increase digital outreach and continue to tell stories of the deeply rooted Appalachian traditions found on farms in the Mountain State.


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One is compact enough to carry on your keychain, the other doubles as a desktop dock.
Solid-state batteries are the holy grail of battery technology for automakers, but it'll be a while...
The 2019-2020 NBA season starts tonight and you can watch it all live, no cable TV required.
The mouse isn't playing around.
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Firefoxs new privacy-reporting tool lets you see the cookies, trackers and fingerprinters...
For the first time ever, Google added a second rear camera lens. Here's what it's like to take...
At least, it's not the only reason.
The education-focused robotics platform is now available. I gave it a test drive.
The CEO expressed surprise at his own success.
Some of the videos reportedly used TikTok filters like hearts and stars.
The Pixel 4 boasts an impressive camera. Here are 24 examples of the kind of photos it can capture.
Compact yet versatile, this is an ideal light to throw in a pocket, purse, glove compartment or...
Here's how to turn on Gmail's dark mode in Android 10 and iOS and on your iPhone.
Google takes on Apple for speed, accuracy and the ability to see in the dark.
Today's major tech stories include Mark Zuckerberg's promise to improve the fight against...
Alexa has tons of underused features you need to try today.
The reported beacon devices would be about the size of a large coin and would use your phone to...
The Apple CEO spoke after the company was honored by nonprofit Ceres.
Take five minutes and make sure your Android phone is being backed up.
You've reached the end of the internet.


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This past Serie A season saw Venezia FC relegated back to the second division, but damn, did they look good doing it. The club's made a reputation for itself in recent years for having some of the best-looking kits in world soccer. This year is no exception.
View this post on Instagram
Just today Venezia released its new home number for the 2022-23 Serie B season and it's absolutely stunning. The all-black design features the club’s new badge in reflective gold on the chest opposite the Kappa logo in a matte gold finish. Similar to last year, Città di Venezia sits in the middle of the shirt, also in a matte gold finish.
More pictures of the new Venezia home kit pic.twitter.com/VhYkCruq63— Italian Football TV (@IFTVofficial) July 7, 2022
A polo-style collar features orange and green trim which carries onto and down the sleeves, creating a remarkable, vintage feel. Adding to this retro aesthetic is the option for long sleeves, which is just *chef’s kiss* perfect. We simply can’t wait to see Gianluca Busio wearing this at home under the flood lights.
22/23 home shirt.Available now on https://t.co/qGUETS2QPh.
— Venezia FC (@VeneziaFC_EN) July 7, 2022
With the worlds of sport and fashion now frequently crossing over, Venezia has been at the front lines of kit design with many of its shirts seen as must-haves in mainstream fashion.
This kit mixes business with pleasure and is just as good for walking around town as it is for dancing through defenders.


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24 Apr 2015
As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. Below is our latest Friday Sampler.
1) A.J. Fernandez is set to release New World Connecticut, a line that previewed at the IPCPR Trade Show last summer. Expected to begin appearing at retailers in May, the blend features a Connecticut Shade wrapper around a Mexican binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and Brazil. “Master blender A.J. Fernandez created the New World brand to pay homage to the discovery of the ‘mystical smoking leaf’ named tobacco by the Europeans, when their ships landed in what is now known as the New World,” reads a press release. Fernandez says, “The New World cigar was a very special project as it was the first cigar that was created with the help of my father Ismael Fernandez since he joined me at A.J. Fernandez Cigars.” Four sizes will be available in 20-count boxes: Corona Gorda, Robusto, Toro, and Belicoso. “Smokers of the New World Connecticut will experience notes of cream, wood, and almonds in a very well-balanced and refined cigar.” The cigars will cost about $6.
2) Online retailer Famous Smoke Shop is launching an exclusive cigar called Inferno 3rd Degree, which is made by Oliva. “The first shipment has just arrived at the company’s warehouse and is currently available for sale on their website,” reads a press release. “The company has expressed that the new brand will be available in limited quantities, but is not a one-time release and will be a consistent offering for the foreseeable future. The Inferno 3rd Degree is the third release under the Inferno umbrella… Inferno 3rd Degree cigars utilize a blend of all Nicaraguan tobaccos with a triple-fermented Ligero and Viso longfiller core, and a Habano-seed binder, all encased in another silky Habano-seed wrapper.” Four sizes will be available in the $5.80 to $6.50 range: Churchill, Double Toro, Robusto, and Toro.
3) New Orleans’ smoking ban went into effect this week, but many bars went out in a blaze of glory. Shelly Waguespack, owner of the famed French Quarter spot Pat O’Brien’s, noted how the smoking ban contradicts the best aspects of New Orleans. “It’s that overall bohemian kind of free spirit that we have in New Orleans that makes it so unique, and it’s why people love it.” Pat O’Brien’s, along with Harrah’s Casino and other businesses, are suing to overturn the ban.
4) Inside the Industry: Davidoff is set to introduce a cigar at the upcoming IPCPR Trade Show that will, for the first time in the company’s history, include a significant percentage of Brazilian tobaccos. The Turrents, the famed Mexican cigar family, has severed is distribution relationship with Altadis USA and will soon introduce a Casa Turrent cigar which will be distributed in-house.
5) Deal of the Week: This Hidden Treasures Sampler features eight solid cigars for just $60. Included are the Padrón 3000 Natural, Camacho Ecuador Toro, La Jugada Habano Toro, Sindicato Corona Gorda, RyJ Toro, 601 La Bomba Bunker Buster, H. Upmann The Banker Annuity, and the Nat Sherman Timeless Dominican Hermoso.
photo credit: A.J. Fernandez


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Details of plans for the return of one of the town’s most traditional events were revealed at Tuesday’s meeting of the Dundalk Municipal District Committee following a presentation from Dundalk BIDS.
According to LMFM, the new festival will look to build on the success of Frostival and Dundalk On Ice and will be based around music and comedy.
It is hoped it will run for 11 or 12 days in total to drive up retail sales in Dundalk.
In advance of the Maytime Festival’s return in 12 months’ time, a mini-festival will take place on June 4th this year when Independent Traders’ Day will be promoted as a big sale day called Super Saturday – similar to Black Friday in November.
As part of that they hope to attract up to 400 families from outside the town, to compete on the day in a promotion called “Radio Roulette” in conjunction with LMFM


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Achieving the gold standard in data protection for the Smart Grid
BY ANN CAVOUKIAN, Ryerson University’s Privacy and Big Data Institute
The increased amount of information that is collected, used, and analyzed by the Smart Grid brings with it additional privacy and security concerns which must be addressed not only for regulatory compliance but, above all, customer satisfaction and trust.
Some electric utilities view the Smart Grid as an extension of current functions and are satisfied with a ‘business-as-usual’ approach. If this is the case, then those utilities might be missing opportunities to address proactively additional privacy and security issues that arise from the Smart Grid’s transformative nature.
New challenges arise with the collection of more granular data than ever before on customers’ energy consumption, such as ensuring consumer adoption of Smart Grid energy saving programs is not impeded by fears relating to privacy and data security.
These aforementioned challenges require utilities to adopt a framework for embedding privacy and data protection controls into the design and architecture of information technology (IT) systems. This feature by Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commissioner will introduce Privacy by Design, an internationally recognized framework, and show how such a privacy framework can be applied to the Smart Grid to achieve maximum data protection without diminishing system functionality.Read the full article in our digital magazine


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How are you today? Here I am in Guarda (Portugal) and it is cold and rainy outside. Been raining all day…but I am not really complaining. There are few things that I enjoy more than savouring a hot coffee while listening to the falling rain.
I find that the whole experience grounds me and makes me feel, somehow, more connected to nature…
The End of Cheap Coffee?
Coffee is the 2nd most traded commodity (by volume) in the world after oil. In the past decade coffee consumption has been on the rise by an average of about 2,1% each year. The profits of the big coffee roasters are booming. Just this year Starbucks increased its already hefty prices by between 10 and 20 cents per cup and customers did not bat an eye.
But all is not well in the coffee industry. Contrast the numbers above with the reality that coffee prices (per pound) have dropped since 2014 from $2.40 to $1 today, a price that means for most of the millions of small coffee producers in the world that they are being forced to sell their crop for less than what it takes to produce.
Tens of thousands of farmers in Latin America, Mexico, Colombia and Africa have already been forced out of business.
This problem has the potential to become epidemic…in Honduras alone some 30% of the population earn their living directly and indirectly thru coffee production.
Today strongly subsidized Brazilian and Vietnamese coffee producers are flooding the global market with more coffee than can presently be consumed, putting yet more downward pressure on the price of the green coffee bean.
Did you know: In a global coffee market valued at $200 billion a year, the coffee growers get to see less than 10% of this.
Government subsidies mean that the Brazilians and Vietnamese have been able to become more efficient farmers, producing more coffee per acre — and often of better quality — than anyone else anywhere in the world.
To get a better idea of what is going on, the top-5 coffee producing nations in the world produce 75% of the global coffee supply, and just 2 of these top-5 countries, Brazil and Vietnam, together account for 85% of this number.
Cheap Coffee is Unsustainable
If the low prices persist, then the traditional growers of coffee, especially in Africa, Latin America, Colombia, Mexico and a few others, will go out of business, leaving the world increasingly dependent on just 2 principal sources: Brazil and Vietnam.
The danger here is that since coffee is very vulnerable to even the slightest weather changes (and the weather is changing EVERYWHERE) a bad year or two could come close to wiping out much of the world’s coffee supply. The result would be VERY expensive coffee.
For this reason alone, there is a growing awareness that it is necessary to start paying coffee farmers a fair and just price for their coffee so that they will remain in business.
Of course, this will require the powerful coffee roasters (Nestle, Jacob, Lavazza and a few others) who maintain a stranglehold on the processed coffee market to willingly redistribute some of their profits back to the coffee farmers.
Below is an informative video that you might want to take a look at as many of these issues are covered:


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The new ARClight initiative will tailor business support to suit brands’ individual needs
Professional sun care brand Ultrasun and Skinsense have joined forces on a new initiative designed to support black-owned skin care brands.
ARClight is set to run annually and will offer one independent black-owned skin care brand access to free business support for 12 months.
Brands will be able to select the most relevant support to create a tailored business plan.
This could range from across distribution and warehousing to marketing and PR support sessions, as well as retail strategy support from Ultrasun UK and skinsense’s founder Abi Cleeve.
When asked about the importance of black-owned skin care brands in the beauty sector, Cleeve told Cosmetics Business: "Inclusivity and equal access to the market can only be normalised as they should be and as an industry we should look at what contribution each of us can make to levelling the playing field."
She also said the industry should be "listening, learning and taking these forward in practical ways".
“Ultrasun and Skinsense have always formulated for all skin types and all skin tones, and we have been fortunate enough to spread the word with the expert partners we work with.
“Talented, innovative black-owned skin care brands that require nothing more than to be given the floor and equal access to market that make sure a business is seen.”
The brand will be selected by a panel of judges, including Brown Beauty Talk’s founder Ronke Adeyemi; Content Creator and Brand Consultant Lynda Daboh; and Cleeve.
In 2019, Ultrasun teamed up with the Black Skin Director to create a sun care campaign specifically targeted at the black community.
The brand has also provided funding for Advantage Africa in its mission to support children and adults with albinism in sub-Saharan Africa, in an effort to help them be accepted within their communities.
To apply for the initiative, brand owners can visit graphters.co.uk/arclight. The deadline for applications is 18 September.


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The shooter, thought to be a lone gunman, opened fire on Friday night.
Stocks were slightly lower as Finish Line investors sell off the stock displeased with inline earnings even though sales increased.
Stocks are moving higher as the labor market strengthens and E.l.f. Beauty prices its IPO above the planned range.
Retail, luxury stocks also rise.
The company broke the billion Australian dollar sales mark for the first time.
Spanish giant said U.S., China brimming with opportunity.
Stocks are moving higher as Nike announces the launch of its self-lacing shoe and Wal-Mart pays out bonuses.
Investors on Wednesday morning were awaiting the latest decision on interest rates.
Etsy is acquiring Blackbird Technologies as it dives deeper to help customers in the search efforts.
Etsy has acquired Blackbird Technologies as the online retailer continues to bolster its search capabilities.


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Mad March Hare, the award-winning Irish Poitín brand from Intrepid Spirits, has put its bottle through a design upgrade. The new imagery, inspired by Celtic art and mythology, creates a strong link to the ancient and legendary spirit, made in Ireland since the 6th century.
The iconic boxing hares have been part of the brand’s essence since the beginning, but the new label conveys a more authentic connection to Celtic symbolism and the rich tradition of poitín making in Ireland. The now endangered hare, which has inhabited the Irish countryside since the last ice age, will be the focus of the brand’s new design. In an effort to best represent the storied history behind the spirit, Mad March Hare’s new look also incorporates Celtic lettering, as well as a more classic representation of Irish art.
“The imagery of the hare has always been intrinsically linked to poitín makers.” Ralph continued, “Like those elusive hares, poitín makers have been relentlessly pursued, but rarely captured. They are bold in their conquests, yet able to seamlessly disappear when danger is near.”
Poitín is Ireland’s original spirit, dating back to at least the 6th century when records show
it was distilled by monks on the island. Long before Irish whiskey as we know it today came into existence, poitín was being made in nearly every town and village across the country. In 1661, the British Crown outlawed poitín in an effort to control, and therefore
tax, all distilled alcohol production in Ireland. For 300 years, fervent drinkers continued to produce their own poitíns, keeping them under the counter and out of sight. Though a beloved part of Irish culture, it wasn’t until 1997 that the Irish government re-legalized the production and sale of poitín.
“Mad March Hare is incredibly proud to have a very broad distribution outside of Ireland, and particularly in the United States,” comments John Ralph, CEO of Intrepid Spirits and creator of Mad March Hare. “With that honor must come the responsibility to portray our brand, and the rich history of poitín, as honestly as possible. That journey must begin with the first tool we have to hand, the packaging.”
Mad March Hare is part of the Intrepid Spirits portfolio and is available at 40% ABV in a 750ml bottle, with an SRP of $29.99.


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Is your business ready for the future of payments?
There’s a payments transformation happening in Ireland, and it affects the way you’ll be doing business with your customers in the future. In fact, Irish consumers currently spend more by card than with cash.
Get the full picture
You can read more about the payments revolution in our report ‘The Future of Payments for Irish SMEs’Download full report here


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When you go to the app store to download the Peech app, you’ll notice right away that the app icon displays the Ukrainian flag with the company’s simple logo. But it’s more than just a show of solidarity. With three founders from Eastern Europe, the team behind this text-to-speech app was hit hard by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
TechCrunch spoke with co-founder and CEO Andrey Poznyak via Zoom while he was in Poland, but he’s originally from Belarus. Pozynak was one of thousands who protested against Belarus’ results. presidential election 2020. The twenty-year-old holder, often referred to as “Europe’s Last Dictator“, once again consolidated power in a vote that the US State Department judged neither free nor just.
“After that there were a lot of protests, and after that the crackdown started,” Pozynak told TechCrunch. “I spent six months in prison as a political prisoner.”
After being released from prison in Belarus, Pozynak fled to Ukraine. But in the months before the Russian invasion, he had to move once again to Poland. nearly six million refugees like Pozynak left Ukraine to seek refuge in other European countries.
Somehow, amid personal and political upheaval far beyond what most founders will ever experience, he built Peech, which just raised $550,000 in funding led by Flyer One Ventures. . This is not an easy task.
Available in 50 languages, Peech is a text-to-speech app that sounds quite natural. While it’s not a substitute for quality human narration in an audiobook, Peech makes it easy to grab long articles or web documents and listen to them.
“Looking at my browser now, I have 30 tabs open – some of them I haven’t read for a full year already, but I don’t want to lose them because the information is very useful,” said the co-founder and CEO Andrey Poznyak, a 12-year veteran in technology management. Like many busy readers, he finds it easier to learn by listening to audiobooks or podcasts, as it’s more conducive to multitasking. “Normally I do it when I run in the evening.”
Pozynak is right that consumers want a product that helps them consume more written content via audio. Before I found out how easy it is to borrow audiobooks from the library, I even tried to develop my own workaround to turn text-to-speech eBooks: My Amazon Echo Dot was reading books to me (the Echo was a freebie, okay). It was a really bad solution, and it got even worse when I asked Alexa to read Jonathan Van Ness’ memoir. Once you hear Alexa say “yas queen”, unfortunately, you can never hear it. But if I had Peech app at the time, I would have been spared this psychic damage.
Poznyak said Peech was able to make his text-to-speech output so natural through machine learning. Peech uses the open source raw audio model WaveNetwhich was created by DeepMind, a company acquired by Google in 2014.
“We have six or seven different machine learning models under the hood,” Poznyak told TechCrunch. He mentioned templates from AWS, Google, and Microsoft and noted that some of their templates are designed in-house.
As expected, the AI isn’t perfect, though – I read an article about a band playing “live music”, with “live” pronounced as “liver”. But if we continue to learn more about music, the AI should start to pick up on the nuances between these different words that are spelled the same.
For around $3 a month, subscribers get unlimited access to the Peech app and can upload as many Word documents, PDFs, or article links as they want. You can also upload photos of book pages, which Peech can scan to text and read to you (a potential lifesaver for students browsing textbooks). This type of app is also a boon for people with low vision, dyslexia, or other conditions that make reading difficult.
By offering TikTok users free premium subscriptions in exchange for promotion, Peech has done well with influencer marketing. The #peechapp tag has nearly 30 million views, mostly from the creators of “BookTok” and “StudyTok”.
It could be a concern for Peech to see how publications will react to cross-referencing their articles if the app reaches a wider audience. It’s one thing to paste in the URL of an article you already have access to, then use Peech’s technology to help you read it (in our usage, Peech failed to circumvent paywalls, which is a good thing for digital media companies). But Peech has an in-app discovery tool, which lets you listen to pre-downloaded articles from publications like The Guardian and Medium.
If it catches on, it’s unlikely those companies will appreciate it, because listening to those articles in the Peech app means the original websites don’t get the pageviews, which means less ad revenue, which means… wouldn’t it be shocking if Peech got cease-and-desist letters. Peech has also used the TechCrunch logo (as well as the logos of Reuters, NBC and other outlets) in their App Store promotional photos without our consent.
Many major media companies like The New York Times have invested heavily in audio content, including narrated articles that are reused as podcasts. For Peech to be successful in the long term (or, perhaps, acquired by a media company), they will need to be a little more conscientious about how they engage with these publishers.
Still, if you like audiobooks or podcasts, Peech is worth the download.


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McDonald’s cooks up more sales
OAK BROOK, ILL. — McDonald’s Corp. extended its winning streak in May as customers bought more of the fast-food chain’s cheap eats, the world’s largest burger chain said today.
McDonald’s also said it will take a hit to its full-year profit because of the weak euro, which accounts for about 25 percent of its operating income. The burger chain said the effect would be minimal in the second quarter.
Sales in locations open at least a year rose 4.8 percent around the globe last month. The measure rose 3.4 percent in the U.S. to extend a streak of gains recorded since February.
The figure climbed 5.7 percent in Europe and 3.8 percent in other regions.
Sales from locations open at least a year are a key indicator of a restaurant chain’s performance because they exclude growth at stores that open or close during the year.
CEO Jim Skinner said U.S. sales are being driven by the company’s new icy drinks, chicken nuggets and Happy Meals.
Late in 2009 and early this year, McDonald’s saw three monthly sales declines in four months as the weak economy and high unemployment finally started to hit its U.S. business.
In April, the measure rose 3.8 percent in the U.S.
Its shares rose 50 cents to $67.25 in premarket trading today. Shares closed yesterday at $66.75.
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Xbox One is coming in 29 new countries
Microsoft is launching Xbox One this month in 29 new countries. The list starts with Colombia and Chile and it ends with countries such as Russia and China.
The dates and the full list of the countries can be found here as well as a short announcement video. After Chile, Microsoft is moving around Europe in countries like Belgium, Finland, Sweden and then they’ll go in the UAE and Israel to launch the console.


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Ramblin’ Man Fair just got bigger with the news that the festival organisers have firmed up a main stage bill for Friday July 29.
Now officially a three-day celebration of classic rock, blues, prog and country, it will be down to NWOBHM pioneers Saxon to headline the first full Friday line-up.
And delighted frontman Biff Byford said: “After a great time at the first Ramblin’ Man Fair we are very happy to be asked back to headline the inaugural Friday night this year.
“With all the hits and more coming your way it’s time to get out your denim and leather. It’s going to be special.”
Saxon will be joined by HRH X favourites Last In Line and The Graham Bonnet Band on Ramblin’ Man’s opening night. And a further band will be added to the bill.
News of the festival’s welcome expansion comes hot on the heels of last week’s announcement that Extreme have joined ZZ Top as main stage headliners.
Friday tickets have gone on sale priced £45. Click here to buy yours.


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When we think of Parisian dining, a few images usually come to mind: Chic city-dwellers lingering over long meals at outdoor cafes; romantic dinners at dimly lit bistros; and urban professionals headed home with freshly baked baguettes in their fashionably appointed arms.
According to The Verge, however, there's a new, slightly less idyllic culinary trend afoot in the city of lights: Food delivery.
- Everything You Need to Know About David Chang’s New Maple Delivery Service
- Hillary Clinton Joins the No-Tip Restaurant Movement
- Early Look: Uber for the Restaurant Obsessed
Meal delivery services like Seamless, UberEats, and Maple have become increasingly ubiquitous in major U.S. cities in recent years, making it easier than ever for consumers to have any number of delicious meals delivered right to their doorsteps. (Then there are meal kit delivery services, which are another beast entirely.)


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The MOVIELÉCTRICA fair is an international event that aims to bring electric mobility and sustainability closer to citizens, companies and the public sector.
It will be an ideal meeting point for the entire ecosystem of actors with an interest in electric vehicles, including the automotive industry, manufacturers of charging points, businesses selling light electric vehicles (motorbikes, bicycles and electric scooters), municipal authorities and the general public.
The fair will give visibility to projects, products and services that aim to promote the growth of electric mobility and raise public awareness of the need to decarbonise mobility in our cities.
MOVIELÉCTRICA will have the participation of Carmen Fructuoso, Councillor for Sustainable Mobility and Street Cleaning, Andrés Guerrero, Councillor for Urban Planning and Ecological Transition and Juan Fernando Hernández, Councillor for European Programmes, Municipal Initiatives and Public Roads, both responsible for the participation of Murcia City Council in the European project USER CHI, an important project of 16 million Euros focused on promoting electric charging throughout Europe, which will have a space at the event where a summary of the progress made by the 24 partners will be offered and in particular how Murcia is taking advantage of its participation to improve the infrastructures associated with electric vehicles in the municipality.
At MOVIELECTRICA 2021 there will be the opportunity to see a wide range of cars, motorbikes and other electric vehicles brought from dealers and companies that have already confirmed their participation in the fair which can be tested during the event, some examples of models to be found at the fair are: the Taycan that will bring the Porsche Centre Murcia, the AUDI Q4 E-tron Sportback from Audi Huertas Motor, the Nissan Leaf 2021 or the Opel Mokka E, both from Nissan and Opel dealers of the Marcos Group among others.
Grupo Huertas, Grupo Marcos Motor, and Grupo MGallego will be Featured Participants at MOVIELECTRICA 2021, and visitors will be able to see electric models from their dealerships Nissan, Opel, Citroën, Peugeot and Renault from Grupo Marcos, Audi, Fiat, Jeep, Hyundai, Mercedes Dimovil and Mercedes Auto Classe from Grupo Huertas and Kia and Mitsubishi Nauti Car from Grupo M.Gallego.
There will also be numerous electric motorbike dealers present at the fair such as MOTORBAT, PROVUM, ZERO, Francisco Belmonte or Ciao and companies with a strong sustainable profile and that will show part of their fleet of electric cars at the fair, as is the case of EMUASA or Iberdrola and Wenea that will also present their plans to deploy fast charging infrastructure in Spain taking advantage of their prominent participation in the fair.
The fair will take place on 2 October in the east car park of the Nueva Condomina Shopping Centre, where 6,500m2 will be available and will be open to the public from 10.00 to 20.30 hours, complying with all the security measures applicable to COVID19. Approximately 100 companies from the sector are expected to take part and there will be a large exhibition of electric vehicles, presentations and round tables.
In addition, there will be a micro-mobility circuit for testing the electric scooters and bicycles of the more than 25 companies and micro-mobility shops that have confirmed their participation to date in MOVIELÉCTRICA 2021 and among which we can highlight shared electric scooter multinationals such as SPIN, LINK and BIRD and manufacturers of electric scooters ‘made in Spain’ such as SKATEFLASH.
MOVIELÉCTRICA (co-organised by CITIES FORUM and AUVE) will be a fair aimed at both professionals and the general public where they can enjoy the latest developments in the sector, try out new models of electric vehicles and enjoy activities and entertainment for the whole family. The fair will be free and open to the public.


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The latest advertiser fallout on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, could end up costing Elon Musk’s company much more than the $11 million in revenue that the company previously estimated could be “at risk” due to backlash over antisemitic content on X.
According to internal X sales team documents reviewed by The New York Times, X may lose “up to $75 million” as more than 100 major brands—including Airbnb, Amazon, Coca-Cola, Google, Microsoft, Netflix, and Uber—have stopped advertising, while “dozens” more are considering pausing ads on the platform.
These sales team documents, The Times reported, “are meant to track the impact of all the advertising lapses” in November. On top of noting which brands have stopped advertising, the documents also flag brands at risk of halting ads. Ultimately, the sales team’s goal is listing “how much ad revenue X employees fear the company could lose through the end of the year if advertisers do not return,” The Times reported.
X told The Times that these documents “were either outdated or represented an internal exercise to evaluate total risk.” The social media company seems to expect that X will recover, as remaining advertisers increase spending on X and some brands that left may return to X before the year’s end.
X reported in July that ad revenue was down 50 percent, and then in October, the spread of Israel/Hamas misinformation helped illustrate why so many brands have remained reluctant to advertise on X all year.
The latest drop in revenue could make for a bleak end of 2023 at a time when, traditionally, X ad revenue is spiking as big brands attempt to reach consumers through the holidays. The Times reported that some brands withdrew millions from the platform. Among the biggest ad revenue drops cited, “various subsidiaries of Microsoft” could trigger losses of more than $4 million, Netflix’s halted ads were “worth nearly $3 million,” and Airbnb paused ads amounting to $1 million.
Recent data provided to The Independent by the market intelligence firm Sensor Tower “suggests that just six of the companies that pulled out” initially—including Apple, IBM, Sony, Comcast, and Paramount—accounted for 7 percent of all US ad spending on the social network.” Sensor Tower also reported that “of the company’s top 100 US advertisers in the days before” Musk purchased the platform, “only 50 were still there as of October 2023” and, perhaps most troubling, “the new top 100 were spending roughly 45 percent less money.”
According to The Independent, advertisers aren’t just afraid of ads appearing next to antisemitic posts, but “must also contend with the risk of their money directly funding extremists” due to X’s recently launched creator revenue-sharing program.
Seemingly major brands pulling out of X has also riled some creators who expected to receive higher payouts than the revenue-sharing they’re getting from smaller brands. Musk responded to an X user who said that some users were “mad” over lower ad revenue-sharing, saying there was “not much we can do if advertisers boycott or reduce spend on our platform.”
Disgruntled users could become an issue for X if the advertiser boycotts continue for much longer. Any X subscribers ultimately unsatisfied with revenue-sharing might not be adequately incentivized enough to continue paying for subscriptions. And X began launching subscriptions partly to reduce its reliance on ad revenue.
X could also shed users or risk reducing user engagement if lower ad quality degrades the user experience, as smaller brands win bids for ad placements abandoned by bigger brands.
X plans path to recovery
Not every major advertiser has pulled out over the latest X controversy—which many industry experts have attributed as much to a post from Elon Musk endorsing an antisemitic conspiracy theory as a Media Matters report on brands’ ads appearing next to antisemitic content that triggered X to file a lawsuit.
CNN noted last week that remaining advertisers include the NFL, Walmart, State Farm, Wendy’s, Office Depot, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Economist, USAA insurance, Formula 1, and Mondelēz International.
Only the NFL has commented on its decision to stay. Its chief spokesperson, Brian McCarthy, told CNN that the NFL “unequivocally denounces all forms of hate speech and discrimination” and had expressed “concerns directly to X.”
For X, the path to recovery includes offering deals to entice advertisers to come back to the platform or increase spending. One deal that X advertised on Saturday confirmed that any business subscribing to become Verified Organizations “get a $1,000 ad credit every month.”
It seems likely that better deals could be coming soon if X plans to follow its playbook from fall 2022. Last December, when then-Twitter was experiencing its first advertiser blowback after Musk adjusted the platform’s content moderation policies, Twitter offered its “largest advertiser incentive ever”—matching advertiser spends up to $1 million by giving away extra impressions if brands spent a certain amount.
Internally, X seemingly continues to blame the current advertiser exodus exclusively on watchdog groups calling out antisemitic content, which The Washington Post reported has “surged more than 900 percent on the platform.” In an internal meeting with employees at X last week, Yaccarino “made no mention” of Musk’s “endorsement” of an antisemitic post and instead “attributed the company’s problems” to Media Matters, The Times reported. Yaccarino also told employees in an email reviewed by The Times that “kowtowing to external criticism or pressures is simply not how X will ever operate.”
“The people at X are free speech defenders,” Yaccarino said in the email. “We stand in solidarity with those who believe in this fundamental right and the critical checks and balances of a thriving democracy.”
On Monday, Musk visited Israel and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to tour the scene of the Hamas October 7 attack. Musk’s visit appeared to be “aimed at calming the outcry over his endorsement of an antisemitic conspiracy theory on X,” The New York Times reported. In a talk with Netanyahu broadcast on X, Musk said, “it was jarring to see the scene of the massacre.”


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On Yavin, blockchain data strategist, CEO and founder of Cointelligence, says that Facebook’s cryptocurrency Libra is not a real cryptocurrency, and yet, it could have a positive impact on the crypto market. However, the arrival of Facebook Coin hasn’t had as much of an effect on the market as Mr Trump’s trade policy according to Luno.
“The new Facebook coin is a fake cryptocurrency. They are calling it cryptocurrency because it is a buzzword. It may be a digital currency, but it is not a cryptocurrency. It is a crap coin,” says On Yavin.
On believes that Libra is not a real cryptocurrency because of three main factors: A Facebook digital currency will by definition be largely centralised; Facebook has a huge trust problem after its poor track record in securing its users’ personal data; and Facebook is partnering with big companies such as Uber, Paypal, Vodafone and Visa to create Libra. In essence, this means that big corporations will continue to control the system and exploit users. “That is the opposite of what a real cryptocurrency should be,” says On.
However, regardless of the future of Libra, its launch has exposed huge numbers of people to cryptocurrencies and the world of blockchain. Because Facebook has now officially stepped in, crypto may start to be viewed as more serious and credible.
“I think that the positive side is that Libra will get so many people introduced to the new generation of digital payments and some of them will want to learn more about real cryptos like Bitcoin and Ethereum.”
Up to this point, conversations about cryptocurrencies have been nearly exclusive to technologists. Now with the launch of Libra, Facebook is practically making cryptocurrency available to its two and a half billion users at once. “I think that the positive side is that Libra will get so many people introduced to the new generation of digital payments and some of them will want to learn more about real cryptos like Bitcoin and Ethereum.”
Marcus Swanepoel, CEO at Luno, is less convinced of Libra’s power to influence the crypto market for better or worse;
“Cryptocurrencies are neutral as the financial markets debate Libra
Facebook’s planned launch of the Libra token has put the focus back on digital currencies, but left Bitcoin and Ethereum in the trading range they have had for the last few days. As the markets debate the old arguments about the relative merits of centralised versus decentralised financial systems and whether a coin is a currency or a security, altcoins have seen reduced volumes. BTC is currently holding around the US$9,300 level and ETH is around US$270.
Today the UK Bank of England rate decision is expected to remain unchanged however in the US President Trump appears to want to start devaluing the dollar and start a ‘currency war’ which could lead to more liquidity going into altcoins.”