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Canadians who work from home often miss the office and worry about becoming overnight from constant snacking.read more
In the Canadian investment landscape, there are few VCs as adept at funding tech successes as OMERS Ventures, the venture capital arm of OMERS, one of the country’s largest pension funds.
In Vancouver alone, OMERS Ventures has funded Hootsuite, BuildDirect, and Vision Critical. Their portfolio also includes Wattpad and Shopify, the latter of which prominently entered the public markets last month on both the TSX and NYSE.read more
Skipping lines, getting food and parking faster, and having an easier commute seems like a dream to any Torontonian who has been trapped on a pedestrian-congested sidewalk with 15 precious work break minutes. This is what PayPal is promising.read more
Jason Mainella says that if you ask a child about what they wish they could do, a lot of them will tell you they want to fly.
“I think that sticks with everybody,” he says.read more
Some events can be pulled together last minute with only a few days of frantic turn around. Locations can change and guest speakers can back out, but the show will go on.
Conferences on the other hand need to be meticulously executed, with no details overlooked. The long-term preparation is easily the most difficult factor for a startup-starting up their conference tenure.read more
Netflix could soon reach a bigger audience than any of America's biggest broadcast networks.read more
The tech sector has never been hotter, and it’s the people that make a tech company successful.read more
This announcement comes following Unbounce’s recent addition of a new chief operating officer in May, to further support the continued growth at the company.read more
Amazon recently announced the Alexa Fund, up to $100 million in investments to support developers, manufacturers, and startups who are passionate about creating new experiences designed around the human voice.read more
As a three-hour-a-day commuter to and from Toronto's downtown core, I know how exhausting the whole process can be.
With the Pan Am Games fast approaching, we're about to see an unparalleled influx of traffic congestion very soon. Lucky for you, over a year of travelling, I've picked up on a few mobile apps that can make the experience much smoother.read more


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By Cara Waters
Salvatore Malatesta is known for his coffee venues but at the moment he's focused on smoothies.
The hospitality entrepreneur is pondering how he can fine-tune Happy Place, his joint venture with nutritionist Lola Berry.
The wellness cafe, which opened in South Melbourne last year, serves shroom lattes, kombucha and acai bowls in a bid to capture the current zeitgeist.
"The No.1 thing I'm seeing is plant-based eating tipping over into the mainstream," Malatesta says. "Where it used to be the case that veganism is associated with a subgroup or fringe that is no longer the case."
Malatesta has big plans for Happy Place.
"We're trying to get the model right before other stores," he says. "We want to roll them out but we need to get them spot on."
Shift to health and wellness
It's a trend that's playing out across the hospitality industry with research published by point of sale provider Impos showing hospitality businesses are increasingly looking at new concepts that focus on health and wellness, sustainability and niche offerings, to appeal to Australians changing attitudes towards food.
The survey of 652 hospitality business owners, managers and workers in Australia found industry insiders see huge potential to capitalise on changing attitudes towards food and are adapting menus and dining concepts accordingly.
More than half of respondents (58 per cent) said health-conscious offerings would top food trends this year, followed by a focus on vegan and vegetarian (37 per cent) and organic (37 per cent) offerings.
Similarly, non-dairy milk options (57 per cent), fermented probiotic drinks (40 per cent), craft spirits (80 per cent) and organic wine (60 per cent) were leading trends for non-alcoholic and alcoholic drink trends.
Of those surveyed 65 per cent said sustainability measures, including locally sourced produce, and a "grow your own" approach was also on the rise.
Sean O'Mara, chief executive of Impos, says gentrification, the impact of social media and the popularity of health and wellness industry influencers are all directly impacting on Australia's hospitality scene.
Plant-based eating is not going to go away for a while, if at all. It's transcended the hippies.Salvatore Malatesta
"More Aussies are interested in where their food is sourced, what they're putting in their bodies and the overall impact their food and drink consumption is having on the environment," he says. "Restaurant owners are definitely more conscious of healthy eating and nutrition. A lot of venues are working out nutritional information for products at the request of consumers who want nutrition and allergy information on dishes. When that comes in it will really change the game in terms of restaurants needing to know exactly what is in a dish."
Staying on trend
As the owner of multiple hospitality venues, including St Ali, Sensory Lab, Giddy Up, Auction Rooms, Ox the Baker and Clement Coffee Roaster, Malatesta works hard to stay ahead of industry trends.
"Happy Place is me putting my money where my mouth is in terms of an industry shift," he says. "Plant-based eating is not going to go away for a while, if at all. It's transcended the hippies."
Malatesta says the trend is also impacting the other venues he owns with turnover across his group estimated at more than $36 million.
"We were one of the first to do almond milk and pea protein milk," he says. "It informs our menus, whether it is 10 per cent, 20 per cent or 30 per cent with a view of being plant-based eating."
Malatesta says trends move quickly and hospitality operators need to keep their fingers on the pulse.
"The ideas happen so fast that one of the things I have always done is have one or two creatives on our payroll to generate content ideas really, really quickly," he says.
But there's one shift Malatesta is glad to see the end of.
"The other trend I see is the idea of Instagrammable food, or rather unfortunately, cooking for Instagram rather than for flavour," he says. "We have an internal hashtag #noflowerpetals. People have been constructing dishes for colour rather than flavour and the pendulum has swung too far. I think you'll see a return to authentic wholesome cooking."

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Washington is poised to pass legislation that will introduce significant changes to the protection of health data for consumers in the state and potentially beyond.
House Bill 1155, the My Health and My Data Act, would provide consumers with the right to access, delete, and withdraw consent to the collection, sharing, or sale of their health data and include requirements for express consent to the collection, sharing, and sale of consumer health information. This would require companies to implement a detailed health data policy and prohibit geofencing around a facility providing personal health services.
But perhaps most notably, it establishes a private right of action for infringements enforceable under Washington’s Consumer Protection Act.
“The My Health My Data Act would be the first law of its kind in the U.S. to take a comprehensive approach to protecting consumer health information and, like California’s Consumer Privacy Act, could inspire the adoption of similar legislation in other states,” said Felicity Slater, policy fellow at the Future Privacy Forum. “Additionally, the My Health and My Data Act would be the first significant sector-wide state privacy framework to include a private right of action since the passage of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act in 2008.”
The bill passed the Senate with amendments on a 27-21 vote on April 5 and returns to the House – where it passed on March 4 – for approval. If passed by the House, it goes to Gov. Jay Inslee for final action.
If passed, most sections of the bill would go into effect on March 31, 2024, while the geofencing ban would go into effect 90 days after the bill’s passage.
My health My data across the board
“Information related to an individual’s health status or attempts to obtain health care services is among the most personal and sensitive categories of data collected. “Washingtonians expect that their health information is protected under laws such as the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act,” the bill states. “However, HIPAA only covers health data collected by specific health care institutions, including most health care providers. Health data collected from non-covered individuals, including certain apps and websites, does not enjoy the same protections. This act works to close the gap between consumer knowledge and industry practice by providing stronger privacy protections for all consumer health data in Washington.”
In addition to protecting private health data not currently covered by HIPAA, ACLU of Washington Technology and Liberty Project Manager Jennifer Lee said the bill would “reduce barriers to abortion and access to gender-affirming health care.”
But Hintze law partner Mike Hintze, CIPP/C, CIPP/E, CIPP/G, CIPP/US, CIPM, CIPT, FIP, said the act is “far broader than just regulating health data” with definitions, which “make it potentially applicable to almost any type of personal data”, “substantial requirements different from any other privacy law” and “unprecedented obligations”. It said it requires opt-in consent for “very common and benign and beneficial uses of data,” notice requirements including a separate “and redundant” privacy notice, and erasure requirements “with virtually no exceptions.”
The bill covers any entity that does business in Washington state or that sells products or services there.
Slater said many of the definitions in the bill — including “consumer health data,” “biometric data” and “health service” — appear to be significantly broader than definitions in other federal and state privacy laws, “which means that the bill may apply to many companies that do not currently believe they collect or process health information.”
Digital health platform Evidation Health Chief Privacy Officer Lauren Wu, CIPP/US, speaking on her own behalf, said the bill’s “quite broad” definitions “may bring into scope data and processing activities that may not have been intended to be included and will not necessarily result in additional protection for these more sensitive categories of health data.”
Wu noted that health data, including related demographic data, is essential to “the development of potentially life-saving and quality-of-life-enhancing innovations.” Although the My Health and My Data Act appears to include exemptions, including for certain research and data already governed by other laws and regulations such as HIPAA, she said those exemptions are “limited” and “apply only at the data level , and not of a legal entity”. “
“These exemptions are generally insufficient to avoid potentially negative impacts on health-related research and innovation,” she said.
In particular, it said that regulated entities will only have 30 days to comply with data erasure requirements and will no longer be able to refuse or delay erasure requests for legitimate purposes, such as meeting certain legally required requirements for record keeping and storage.
Adaptive Biotech’s Chief Privacy Officer, Alea Garbagnati, CIPP/US, speaking on behalf of herself, said regulated companies are required to retain data for a period of time that can span years to decades under US Food and Drug Administration requirements. food and drugs, clinical laboratory Improvements Changes and others.
“If we can’t rely on exceptions, and there are no exceptions to these takedown requests, then we’re going to be in a place where it depends on which law we want to comply with, and that’s not a good position to put any company in when both laws are aimed at to do something good,” she said.
Adding “extra complexity” to the regulatory environment
Consumers can sue for violations of the My Health and My Data Act under the Washington Consumer Protection Act. If plaintiffs can prove an injury, they can receive up to treble damages.
“This bill will benefit compliance attorneys, litigation departments, and most importantly, trial attorneys. Unfortunately, its overreach can mean that notices to collect and share truly sensitive data about reproductive health and gender-affirming care get lost in the shuffle of opt-in notices for innocuous, everyday transactions,” said Mariner Strategies president Andrew Kingman. who advocated on behalf of the business industry during the drafting process.
Without the private right of action, Hinze said the bill’s “broad definitions and vague language” would be “far less troubling.”
“Companies could trust the attorney general to exercise discretion and discretion to pursue bad actors and enforcement actions designed to achieve the stated goals of the legislation,” he said. “However, the incentives for plaintiffs’ attorneys are far different, where they will pursue technical violations, ‘gotcha’ claims, and cases most likely to result in a quick settlement and easy payment.”
With the ever-evolving state legislative privacy landscape, Goodwin Procter partner and IAPP Westin Honorary Fellow Omer Tene said that a private right of action law, once introduced and implemented, could “put pressure on Congress to operates’ against federal law. The My Health My Data Act, he said, would add to the “regulatory maze that companies must navigate, including the proliferation of state laws and FTC enforcement actions.”
“Many companies are complying with BIPA by staying out of Illinois. Clearly, this strategy is losing momentum as additional states introduce private right of action,” he said.
Wu said the My Health and My Data Act “adds additional complexity to an already difficult to navigate legal and regulatory environment, making it more challenging and increasingly burdensome for companies to comply.” This, she said, ultimately has a negative impact on consumers.
“The result of the continued expansion of the patchwork of privacy laws in the US is that consumers are likely to become less informed, less engaged and less empowered as privacy notices become more complex and regulatory-laden, forms for consent also become more confusing, numerous or unnecessarily bulky, and the processes for consumers to fulfill their data-related requests become more cumbersome,” she said.
With the Washington bill looking likely to pass in the coming days, Wu said it’s “essential that companies find ways to protect these types of health data, be transparent with consumers about the company’s data practices and data usage, and to ensure that people can easily exercise control over their own data, especially when it comes to sensitive health data.”


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Wednesday 19 September 2012
Public Services is expanding plastics recycling to include a host of everyday household items.
The Longue Hougue Recycling Facility now accepts "rigid plastic", which includes a huge range of items from washing up bowls and buckets to garden furniture and children's toys. Unlike the household plastics collected at the bring banks, these do not have to have a 'number' to indicate the type of material.
The new facility is specifically intended for these more durable household items. Disposable plastic bottles and food packaging should still be dropped off at bring bank sites.
The only plastic objects that cannot now be recycled either through the bring banks or the Longue Hougue facility are heavily contaminated items, such as paint pots, and plastic 'film' products, such as carrier bags, coal sacks, and clear material used to seal food containers.
Such items should not be put in bring banks, as they can prevent other more valuable plastics being recycled.
Public Services Deputy Minister, Deputy Scott Ogier, said the new facility was being introduced at Longue Hougue on a trial basis. If successful it will provide a long term boost for recycling and reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. He said:
"Rigid plastics are often bulky items, so this will have a double benefit of increasing recycling and saving significant space at Mont Cuet. It will also hopefully enable more reuse."
Staff at the Longue Hougue site will put any good quality but unwanted items aside for other islanders to collect, and anything broken or damaged will go into a recycling skip. The material will be shredded locally and sent to a UK reprocessor where it will be washed, cut up into smaller 'flakes', and melted down ready for manufacture into a variety of new products.
As well as providing a boost to the island's recycling target, the Department hopes the new initiative will reduce contamination of the plastic collected at the bring bank sites.
Public Services' recycling officer, Tina Norman-Ross, said the Department could only provide facilities for collecting items for which there was currently a market for the recycled material. She said quality is crucial, therefore it is important to avoid contamination. She said:
"We all want to recycle as much as possible but the market for recycled plastics is for specific types, and in particular high quality material. We see a lot of items going into the bring banks that should not be there. We often get carrier bags and coal sacks, but occasionally items such as pool covers, toilet seats and drain pipes."
"This contamination can affect the price a processor will pay, and could even mean a whole batch being rejected by the processing plant and not recycled. Obviously we want to avoid that."
- Staff at Longue Hougue can advise on what plastics can be left there. Items containing metal or electronic components, unless these can first be removed, should not be put in the plastic skip, but in the separate containers for metals or electrical appliances.
- Household plastics displaying any of the marks below can be recycled at local bring banks:
- 'Expanded' polystyrene - the white packaging material used to protect fragile items and new household goods and electrical appliances - can be recycled at Waitrose/Rohais, Chouet and Longue Hougue.
- Information on all items that can be recycled locally is available online at www.gov.gg/recycling.
Public Services Department: Tina Norman-Ross - Recycling Officer
Tel: 01481 246263


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By Brian Steinberg, Advertising Age
In another sign that advertisers are growing more interested in determining what types of people watch their ads — rather than just how many — market-research shop Millward Brown is partnering with TiVo in an effort to pair information about specific segments of consumers with data on how people watch television.
Millward Brown, part of the WPP Group, will offer advertisers the ability to ask specific sets of questions to 35,000 TiVo subscribers who have agreed to participate in that company’s panel of respondents. TiVo will use respondents’ answers to assign them to specific behavioral and psychographic segments and then analyze, second by second, aggregated viewing data for each respective grouping.
Trying to put soda ads in front of people more likely to purchase soda has long been a goal of advertisers, yet TV commercials have long been aimed at reaching the broadest swath of viewers at a single moment. With technology granting the possibility of examining TV-watching habits through a cable, satellite or telecommunications company’s set-top box, however, marketers are pressing for more granular data about TV viewers in the hopes of sending them promotions they are more likely to want and recall.
"You buy women 18 to 49 because that’s what’s available," said Todd Juenger, VP-general manager of audience research and measurement, TiVo. "What a horrible disconnect to know your customer so well, but then not be able to have any better way to find them on television other than to resort to basic age and sex demographics. What this is trying to do is trying to bridge that gap."
Many parties are trying to come up with similar efforts to make TV advertising more relevant to specific audiences. Some of it hinges on using consumer data and new technology to beam "addressable" ads to specific households. Other work uses information about particular viewing regions to digitally tweak the copy and narration of TV ads so the promotion is relevant to a specific geography. Even Nielsen, the backer of mainstream ratings about viewership, has been offering measures of “engagement” that reveal different patterns about TV watching.
As of yet, none of these moves have delivered the kind of traction that a Charmin ad featuring Mr. Whipple could achieve decades ago — when media choices were more limited.
"We have got deep insight on psychographics and brand behavior and preferences — consumer attitudes," said Bill Pink, senior VP-marketing science at Millward Brown. But at some point, "somebody says, ‘We’re a heavy TV advertiser, and I’m going to buy TV on 18-to-34 year olds. How does that reconcile with this deep attitudinal information you guys have got there?’"#
NOW, HERE’S THAT ANNOUNCEMENT BY CIMM, THE COALITION FOR INNOVATIVE MEDIA MEASUREMENT
CIMM INTRODUCES NEW LEXICON FOR SET-TOP BOX MEASUREMENT
NEW YORK – (May 12, 2010) – The Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) today introduced the CIMM Set-Top Box (STB) Lexicon, a common set of more than 800 terms for use in analyzing and processing STB measurement.
Available at http://www.cimm-us.org/lexicon.htm, the CIMM STB Lexicon will provide a shared, foundational language to inform CIMM’s forthcoming STB pilot projects. The Lexicon will also support broader industry innovation and collaboration among end users of STB data, including television content providers, media agencies, and advertisers.
“Analysis of set-top box data remains in its formative stages, and getting to the next level in data collection, aggregation, and measurement will require that everyone in the industry speaks the same language,” said Jane Clarke, Managing Director, CIMM. “With the CIMM STB Lexicon, we’re providing a strong foundation for cross-industry collaboration around set-top box data as it becomes increasingly available.”
“We are delighted that CIMM has been so active in addressing the critical common language gap for STB,” said Kate Sirkin, Executive Vice President and Global Research Director for Starcom MediaVest Group. “We believe this will allow all suppliers and data owners to provide a more actionable product to the marketplace and inspire users to really start to integrate insights from the data into their day-to-day plans and buys for their clients.”
The CIMM STB Lexicon covers terms and definitions for actions, business units, data types, ad and program formats, hardware, software, indicators, measurement and metrics related to STB data. CIMM submitted the Lexicon for review to more than 30 companies and organizations, including cable, satellite, and telco distributors, hardware and software companies, and industry associations. CIMM will continue to solicit feedback from across the industry to edit and expand the Lexicon as STB measurement evolves.
Media research consultant Charlene Weisler authored the STB Lexicon, drawing from the RFIs submitted by data and technology providers. Weisler worked closely with Clarke, the companies that submitted RFIs, and the CIMM STB Working Committee.
The Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) was founded by several leading television content providers, media agencies and advertisers to promote innovation in audience measurement for television and cross-platform video. CIMM will explore and identify new methodologies and approaches to audience measurement through a series of pilot studies with independent measurement companies focusing on two key areas: the current and future potential of television measurement through set-top box data, and new methods for cross-platform media measurement.
Current participants are: AT&T, Belo, CBS Corporation, Carat USA, Comcast Networks, ConAgra, Discovery Communications, Gannett, GroupM, Hearst, Interpublic Group’s Mediabrands, Microsoft, NBC Universal, News Corporation, Omnicom Media Group, P&G, PepsiCo, Starcom MediaVest Group Worldwide, Time Warner, Unilever, Viacom and The Walt Disney Company.#


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Celebrity Authentic has announced that Sigourney Weaver has joined their line up for New York Comic-Con.
Celebrity Authentics is pleased to present one of the most loved actresses of our time and perhaps the most requested convention guest, the lovely Ms. Sigourney Weaver. Ms. Weaver will be appearing on Saturday, October 12th only and tickets will be limited. Tickets go on sale at 9:00am EST on Tuesday, September 17th at celebrityauthenticstickets.com.
If you plan on adding her to your list, you’ll want to know that an autograph is $185 and a photo-op is $200.


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ESSENTIAL NEWS FOR AGRI-RETAILERS
With new requirements in effect, retailers can benefit by testing tanks in-house.
The 2019 CAAR Conference is coming up and the conference planning committee is hard at work making it the best it can be! In the meantime, here’s a sneak peek from behind the scenes.
Three retailers offer their expertise on selling the business of agronomy during the second panel discussion at the 2018 CAAR Conference.
CAAR and the PCCA board are equipping agronomists with the skills retailers want.
Agri-retailers can help break the stigma surrounding mental health.
Persistent dry conditions in India, the world’s top pulse producer and consumer, has driven up the demand for Canadian crops.
The staff and partners of CAAR wish to express their most heartfelt condolences to the family of three girls who passed away after an incident on a farm near Withrow, Alberta this week.
Operation Ag Careers – CAAR’s innovative program that will match exiting military personnel with fulfilling jobs in the ag sector – addresses a critical staffing problem identified by CAAR members.


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General Motors takes Dealerships to Court Over Selling Foreign Cars
Things are tough all over and unusual times call for unusual solutions. Car dealerships around the country are experiencing a major squeeze. Simply put they can’t sell cars due to all sorts of factors of which they have no control. But one thing they do have control of is their dealerships themselves. So, in order to survive, car dealers of the domestic automakers have been expanding into offering models from rival carmakers. Needless to say domestic companies like General Motors don’t like that. The company feels that offering products from rival companies hurts the sales of GM vehicles. The car dealership owners say it is just a matter of survival. In response to the dealers, GM is reported to be going to the courts to force its dealers to live by the franchise rules. This could force some dealerships out of business at a time when GM and the other domestic manufacturers want to pare down their dealer networks. General Motors now has more than 6,400 U.S. dealers and it wants to cut that number drastically. Eliminating dealers isn’t easy because most states have franchise laws that protect them. These laws call for manufacturers to buy dealers out if it wants to close them. Such an endeavor can be rather costly. For example, when GM closed down the Oldsmobile brand, it had to pay Olds dealers a settlement totaling about $1.2 billion. That’s a cost GM can’t afford to take on right now. Multi-dealerships are not new. But now with times being as tough as they are it offers a way for dealerships to hedge their bets and survive. But it also provides an opportunity for the automakers like GM to take aggressive action to cut down its dealer network. My two cents. Wait a minute. Doesn’t GM offer product built by a Korean automaker -- Kia? And what about the partnerships that are now developing between automakers where different companies share models that are re-badged or share platforms or technology. It can be difficult to determine what is and what is not a GM car? So multi-dealers could be selling GM cars in all of their dealerships. Our take? Times are tough. We’re all in the same boat. Why not give each other a break! via Detroit News
New York, NY/Daytona, FL (January 24, 2009) -- The Avon Foundation, award-winning actor Patrick Dempsey and...


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India's drug major, Dr Reddy's Laboratories has said that regular interventions from the U.S-based drug regulator, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), is hurting exports of India's pharma industry.
Dr Reddy's Chairman Satish Reddy, Wednesday said at the Board of Trade meeting in New Delhi that a dialogue between the government and the USFDA is much needed, the Press Trust of India reported.
Reddy said the Indian pharma exports grew by 9.7 percent but the figure is disappointing since they were in double digits in the past. "Even though we are growing, we are not growing according to the potential," he said.
Dr. Reddy's Labs was served a warning letter from the U.S-based drug regulator Wednesday, after which the company recalled 3,342 vials of anti-osteoporosis injection, on account of lack of assurance of sterility, the Press Trust of India reported.
According to the data released last month by the Ministry of Commerce, the export of drugs and pharmaceuticals commodities stood at $1,264.65 million in February. However, in comparison to the previous month, the export of these commodities has decreased by 11.69 percent.
The USFDA recently cracked whip on India's leading pharma companies, Sun Pharmaceuticals and Lupin, for substandard facilities at its manufacturing plants. Lupin plunged more than 13 percent to a new 52-week low on the Bombay Stock Exchange after USFDA audit team inspected its facilities at Madhya Pradesh and Goa, and made three observations. Dr Reddy's also received a warning letter from the USFDA last year, related to its two manufacturing plants in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
The U.S. is regarded as one of the world's biggest markets for generic medicines.
"When it comes to the issue of exports to the U.S., it has to do more with regulatory actions which the USFDA has had on leading Indian companies which has affected exports," Reddy said. He added that a dialogue being carried out by both the pharma industry as well as the Commerce Ministry with the USFDA officials needs to be sustained.
"I am not expecting more but just to keep that sustenance of that dialogue. That is critical," he added.
According to Indian Pharmaceutical Industry Analysis, India supplies about 20 percent of global generic medicines, making the country the largest provider of generic medicines globally.


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AT&T and T-Mobile Clean up in FCC's 24 GHz Auction
The FCC today announced the results of its recent auctions of mmWave radio bands for 5G services. AT&T and T-Mobile were the big winners, both scoring 24 GHz licenses covering most major US cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Houston, Seattle, Boston, Dallas, Miami, Phoenix, Atlanta, Detroit, San Diego, Orlando, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Las Vegas, Denver, Portland, and San Antonio. AT&T and T-Mobile focused on 24 GHz while Verizon focused on 28 GHz. AT&T spent nearly $1 billion on 24 GHz licenses covering 383 markets. T-Mobile spent $803 million for 24 GHz licenses covering 400 markets, but also $39 million for 28 GHz licenses covering 864 small markets. Verizon spent over $505 million on 28 GHz licenses covering 863 markets, most of which are smaller cities and towns. US Cellular split its winning bids evenly, with $129 million for 28 GHz and $127 million for 24 GHz. Auction 101 was for the 28 GHz band and raised over $700 million in net bids with 33 bidders winning a total of 2,965 licenses. Auction 102, for the 24 GHz band, raised over $2 billion in net bids with 29 bidders winning a total of 2,904 licenses.
There's a whole new kind of 5G being launched and talked about in the US in 2022: C Band. It's much faster than existing "nationwide" 5G, yet has better coverage than hard-to-find mmWave 5G.
Nov 17, 2021
Motorola has announced a new moto g power , just ten months after announcing the last one. The new moto g power (2022) has two key upgrades over the old 2021 model: a display with 90 Hz refresh, and a 50 megapixel main camera.
Oct 7, 2021
Motorola today announced the moto g pure , the company's latest entry-level phone. The phone will be sold by essentially every carrier in the US, including Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Cricket, Metro, Boost, US Cellular, and Xfinity.
Jan 3, 2022
A model previously rumored to have fallen victim to supply-chain issues, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE (Fan Edition) is finally coming to market this month. Samsung will use the new model as the more-affordable alternative to the forthcoming S22 series, rather than keep last year's flagship S21 models on the market at lower prices as the company has done in the past.
Dec 1, 2021
Samsung today announced the Galaxy A13 5G, its most affordable 5G phone yet at $250. Typically, the two most affordable phones in Samsung's annual lineup are the A1x and A0x models, leaving the new Galaxy A03s as possibly the only model in Samsung's 2022 US lineup without 5G.


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Last year, fashion brand H&M had collaborated with the famous Indian fashion house Sabyasachi and had announced that their bridal couture was about to hit the stores worldwide. Still, unfortunately, the launch had been facing delay due to the pandemic.
But the good news is that the wait is finally over! The H&M X Sabyasachi collection will finally make it to the stores on August 12.
The Sabyasachi official account on Instagram posted a clip of their collab with the caption saying, “The wait is finally over!”
This collection is named Wanderlust and is a modern take on the classical boho chic. The collection includes both men’s and womenswear and aims to present a mix of India’s rich traditions with a modern touch to give a boho feel.
In a statement, Sabyasachi said,
I’m happy to announce the new date for the collaboration with H&M, as it gives us the opportunity to spread the Sabyasachi aesthetic to a wider audience in India and worldwide.
Due to the complexities of the COVID-19 situation, we had to put the collaboration on hold, but I’m eagerly looking forward to launching this ready-to-wear collection that will bring relaxed sophistication to everyday life in an understated yet glamorous style.
The collection consists of floral dresses, kaftans, handbags, purses, and many other accessories for women. While for men, the key pieces are the photographer jacket, Henley shirts, high waist chinos, and many more.
According to the Sabyasachi official account, “The collection will be launching on August 12 in selected stores and online at hm.com and Myntra.”


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Designer Alex Perry has been criticised for his use of skinny models on the runway already once in his career.
He has even said that it was a ‘serious lapse of judgment’ to use the stick-thin, then 21-year-old Cassi Van Den Dungen in 2014, whose frail appearance at his Australian Fashion Week show caused an uproar.
But at the Premium Runway 4 event at Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival (VAMFF) on Wednesday, presented by Harper’s BAZAAR and supported by Revlon at Priceline Pharmacy, model Holly Moore appeared in one of his designs looking even more frail than Van Den Dungen.
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Not so average: Despite the designer already once being called out for skinny models, model Holly Moore walked at Melbourne Fashion Festival on Wednesday in an Alex Perry design looking worryingly thin
Frail: Moore displayed extremely skinny legs and a protruding ribcage
In model company: The model posed with others from the show later on during the event
Moore sported a black mini dress with billowing sleeves and her outfit was completed with black stiletto heels and her very lean legs and ribs were visible through the cut-out dress.
The towering 5″11 model, who is represented by Debut Management, is described on her bio as being a dress size eight (Australian), with a 25 inch waist.
She has also walked for a number of other shows at VAMFF, including J’Aton Couture and Yeo Jin Bae.
On Thursday evening Perry scrambled to distance himself after Daily Mail Australia broke the story, telling the Adelaide Advertiser ‘I don’t have anything to do with the casting at that event.’
Visible ribs: The model sported a beautiful black dress with billowing sleeves and black stiletto heels
‘In the past I cast a girl who was too thin and I stood up for myself. I knew that I made a mistake. But I had nothing to do with this,’ he claimed.
A spokesperson for VAMFF released a statement on behalf of the event and Moore’s agency defending her, insisting she is healthy.
‘The Festival supports and encourages the use of healthy models on its runways and works with reputable agents that all support the Festival to enable this,’ the spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.
‘Already this week the Festival has seen naturally slim, athletic, seniors, fuller figure and petite models from diverse cultural nationalities take to our runways.’
Towering size eight: A spokesperson for VAMFF released a statement on behalf of the event and Moore’s agency defending her, insisting she is healthy
‘The Festival requires that any model participating in the Festival to model adult clothing must be at least 16 years of age or over.’
Perry said ‘whoever the casting director is, or the people who are involved with putting that show together, they need to put their hands up and say “This isn’t right”.’
‘Everybody has a responsibility. It’s up to the designers, the event organisers, the model’s agents. But everyone seems to get off scot-free. Like hang on, “Why are you promoting that girl?”
Public criticism: Perry previously faced criticism from the fashion industry for sending the then 21-year-old Cassi Van Den Dungen down the runway in 2014
‘If the girl never got out of the gates in the first place, we wouldn’t be having this conversation,’ he said.
A number of other designers including Carla Zampatti, Dion Lee and Martin Grant also presented collections at the same runway event.
Perry spoke recently about the Van Den Dungen scandal in the March 2016 issue of Australian Marie Claire: ‘I’d worked 16 hours; I was tired. It went through my mind that we should cancel, but I felt bad for her.
Unhappy model: Van Der Dungen told Perry that he threw her under the bus
Lapse in judgement: Perry said to Marie Claire that when he used Van Der Dungen, he has ‘worked for 16 hours’ and was exhausted
Bad press: Perry has publicly apologised for using Cassi Van Den Dungen in his 2014 show
‘But the pictures were worse than I could have imagined. She was in about 20 other shows, but I was the one that got pulled up for it.
‘She… told people I threw her under the bus.
‘I think she thinks I should have stood by her and said there’s nothing wrong with her. I don’t know if there is or not, but that wasn’t the image I wanted to portray.’
Perry was one of several designers who showed in the show which was presented by Harper’s BAZAAR and supported by Revlon at Priceline Pharmacy at Virgin Australia’s Melbourne Fashion Festival.


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The global app market is in its full swing and has been on the sizzling track for many years. According to Statista, the mobile app development company increases its market shares by $613 billion. With this plenty of growth, the worldwide mobile app professionals are engaging themselves in practicing new trends to innovate app development strategies. In this fast-leaping era, staying up to date has become constant for businesses. It is because the latest technologies and trends are taking the place of all the traditional strategies. Further, the urge among people to explore and experiment with new things is also encouraging professionals to add another string to their bows.
The two famous mobile app development companies lead the app market, namely Android app development and iOS app development. Currently, more than 5 million apps are available in the app stores. About 60% are Android, while the rest are for iOS users. Many mobile apps include native, hybrid, and web apps to fulfill complex user and business requirements. Moreover, these mobile apps are made of the latest technologies, including artificial intelligence, blockchain, augmented reality, virtual reality, machine learning, fintech, etc. While on the other hand, many new and advanced features like facial recognition, passwordless UI, voice recognition, mode changing, touchless UI, etc., are being incorporated to make mobile apps. With this incorporation, apps are becoming more efficient, intuitive, and usable to cover a wider range of users.
Here we have outlined some facts about how mobile app development companies are changing business dynamics.
The Mobile App Development Company Is Transforming Traditional App Creation Strategies
Mobile applications are playing a crucial role in today’s technological realm. Mobile apps have surprised users from simple communication handling to solving complex business problems. Mobile apps have progressed so far that there will be hardly anything that can not be done with them. Because of the technological revolution, which is penetrating at a higher speed in all aspects. Artificial intelligence makes mobile apps smarter, machine learning makes apps capable of working humanly, while blockchain ensures security and promotes virtual transaction methods. Not just this, but there is more to it. Thus, we can not deny the importance of a mobile app development company and its contribution to making things easier for all.
AI And Machine Learning Are Transforming Business Strategies
In the contest of building innovative apps, artificial intelligence and machine learning are the winner in providing unlimited personalization. A highly personalized user experience is what users find in mobile apps to enhance their experience. Smart and efficient AI and ML algorithms are the key drivers to take business processes to the next level. With the incorporation of AI and ML in mobile apps, smoother navigation, speech recognition, NLP, chatbots are added in applications. These features analyze user interaction, trace the behavioral patterns, detect malicious actions and data breaches to avoid their fulfillment. No matter the technology used for android or iPhone app development, it provides the same facilities and builds advanced apps.
Mobile Commerce Is Increasing Retailing Experience
The era we exist in is the era of digital influence, where people prefer using digital approaches to complete their routine tasks. Online retailing is one digital approach that promotes shopping via mobile apps. The arrival of mobile commerce app development technology has made shopping easier and better. The technology involves native and progressive mobile app development for iOS and Android operating devices. The primary objective behind the creation of these apps is to provide shoppers an environment where they can shop desire at their fingertips. Mobile apps like Amazon, Shopify, WooCommerce, SamCart, etc., are the most popular ecommerce apps with better functionalities and user interfaces, giving a better shopping experience to users. Moreover, it is expected that mobile commerce will be helping businesses increase their sales by 72.9% in the coming years.
Augmented And Virtual Reality Is Displaying A Vast Array Of Dimensions
Augmented reality will continue to trend upward in 2022 and beyond. Both of these futuristic technologies are strongly impacting android and iPhone app development to create little virtual space in smartphones. With this leading technology, the mobile app development company incorporates augmented features in mobile apps to cover a wide range of use cases. Gaming, entertainment, education training, business, retailing, and beauty apps are examples of AR and VR apps. The technology aims to create virtual real-world scenarios and give access to users where they are a part of it. One of the famous mobile games, Pokemon Go, is the best VR game. The cross-platform gaming app functions by tracking GPS location to enable Pokemon to navigate. Snapchat is another AR app where people use different filters to apply virtual themes. It sounds futuristic, isn’t it?
Social Media Integration Promotes, Be Where The World Is Going
In the age of digital progress, online presence has become extremely important for businesses. Social media pages, websites, mobile apps, and channels are the platforms helping businesses to work online. Moreover, after the pandemic outbreak, businesses used social media to promote their products and services online to cover a large customer base. With this revolution in business strategy, mobile app developers have found the integration of social media more workable. The integrated social channels are for sign-up and data retrieval while sharing about upcoming events to keep users engaged with apps.
Unlimited Customization In Apps
Customization in mobile apps has become a common trend. People prefer to use apps offering unlimited customization in app layout, functionalities, and features. The trend supports android app development to add user-centric features and make layout changes. In contrast, the trend in iPhone app development enables users to choose the functionalities in the app to secure their information. With this convenience in mobile apps, users can play with fonts, colors, and other layouts to make the app interface more enjoyable.
The mobile app development company is gaining traction over the other industries due to its continuous revolution and progresses in building high-quality, efficient, effective, and trending applications. Further, the advancement in iOS and android programming with the latest technologies is helping app professionals to create applications with more capabilities to cater to business complications. Moreover, with so many android and iOS applications, it is difficult to come up with a unique app idea, but with the latest technologies, businesses can polish them.


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A free trip to China for two to four weeks where you can visit interesting places, taste good food, and live in a 4-star hotel. Is there really such a good deal? Yes, it is the “Seeds for the Future” program offered by the Huawei company, which has recently caught the attention of the entire world.
According to the data, the program was initiated by Huawei in 2008, focusing on undergraduate students from foreign universities. According to their explanations, it’s aiming to “help to cultivate local ICT talents, promoting knowledge transfer, enhancing people’s understanding and interest in the ICT industry, and encouraging each country and region to participate in the work of building a digital community.”
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The project is held once a year, and 10 to 15 outstanding undergraduates are selected from each country — the entry requirements are having an average score above 90 for the school exams and being under 25 years old. After the selection, they would visit Beijing and Shenzhen, the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, experience Huawei products, and learn Chinese. The Daily Telegraph recently reported that Lawrie Cate, a computer science student at the University of Nottingham who participated in the Huawei project in 2017, said that the project was well-funded and arranged. “They are recruiting, but it’s not like an average technology company. Staying in China for a month with the basic costs fully paid is a very generous gesture.”
Although Huawei did not disclose the cost for each student, the value of round-trip air tickets, high-speed rail, accommodation, and tours is estimated to be between US$10,000 and $20,000. According to figures released by Huawei, as of the end of 2017, the “Seeds for the Future” program has been implemented in 108 countries and regions, and more than 30,000 students from more than 350 universities around the world have benefited, of which more than 3,600 are excellent students from all over the world coming to visit and study at Huawei’s headquarters.
Huawei has spent so much money and such actions have surpassed that of a normal communication company. It appears more like entrapment or bribery. Isn’t this similar to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) spending a lot of money around the world? Only Huawei has chosen to target the young people who will dominate the future in many countries. The sinister intentions behind such an ambition make people shudder.
Numerous publicly available materials have shown that Huawei’s expansion of its global business has the full support of the CCP. It has become an accomplice of the authorities in China to monitor the Chinese people. It has become one of the pawns of the CCP to realize its control of the world. In addition to assisting in stealing technology and expanding the 5G market, it also intends to control relevant information of various countries. Huawei and the global multi-national universities and the Ministry of Education Cooperation cannot be ignored. The “Seeds for the Future” program is one of the cooperative projects.
Huawei’s ‘Seeds for the Future’ program
Through the “Seeds for the Future” program, Huawei has mastered some of the best students in the country’s network technology, and these students will certainly choose to work for Huawei after graduation, and even help Huawei expand its business in their own countries.
Professor Anthony Glees of the Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies in the United Kingdom said: “The ‘Seeds for the Future’ program is definitely a classic CCP subversive tactic.”
It is worth noting that Huawei’s “Seeds for the Future” program started in 2008, and it was the same year that the CCP launched the “Thousand Talents Program” to attract top Chinese talents. At present, the FBI in the United States has begun to investigate the Chinese participating in the “Thousand Talents Program” and has maintained sufficient vigilance. However, the rest of the world must maintain sufficient vigilance for Huawei’s “Seeds for the Future” program and its cooperation with universities across the world.
Translated by Yi Ming


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When Arc Rise Fantasia was first announced for North America, Xseed was the publisher. We even discussed the game’s US release with Xseed at E3 a few months ago too, but as of today, Arc Rise Fantasia will be handled by Ignition Entertainment.
After hearing the news I contacted Ken Berry, Director of Publishing at Xseed.
"Xseed Games is no longer involved with Arc Rise Fantasia,” Berry stated. “The decision from Marvelous Entertainment, Inc, to re-license the US release to another publisher was driven by Marvelous’ business decision to increase its overall profitability. Marvelous and Xseed have greatly enjoyed working together to deliver great titles to the US market, and look forward to continuing the opportunity with upcoming titles.”
Earlier this year, Muramasa: The Demon Blade went through a similar transition where Xseed was the original publisher before that game was handed to Ignition. Xseed will be busy with a “ton of titles” including Korg DS-10 Plus, Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon, Lunar: Silver Star Harmony, Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces, and Ragnarok Online DS.


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Dutch pizza chain discloses breach after hacker tries to extort company
Catalin Cimpanu reports:
New York Pizza, one of the largest pizza restaurant chains in the Netherlands, has disclosed today a security breach after a hacker tried to extort the company over the weekend.
“Last Sunday night on Monday morning we received some emails from a hacker,” the company said in a statement published on its website.
Read more on The Record.


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‘NBA Live 19’ Allows Mixed Gender Games With NBA and WNBA Players, a Video Game First.
Can you create a WNBA player in NBA Live 19?
EA SPORTS™ today revealed that, for the first time in a basketball video game, fans will be able to create female players in NBA LIVE 19. … This new feature follows last year’s introduction of the WNBA’s full roster in the NBA LIVE franchise, also a video game first.
Do NBA players watch WNBA?
The NBA and WNBA have little in common, other than they play the same sport. The NBA is 75 years old, the WNBA 25. … NBA games average 2 million TV viewers per game; WNBA games averaged 246,000 viewers during the 2019 regular season, according to Sports Media Watch (we’ll ignore the 2020 season impacted by the pandemic).
Does NBA Live 19 have my career?
In NBA Live 19’s The One career mode, you create your own player (male or female) who will eventually become a street ball legend. … Conceptually, it’s similar to what was in last year’s NBA Live 18; however, you’ll be going worldwide in a new story and new game modes.
Is NBA Live 19 bad?
NBA Live 19 is an improvement over last year’s NBA Live, and while it can’t beat the competition, it’s getting closer than ever to overtaking NBA 2K. … NBA Live 19 isn’t a bad game and the series is is closer than ever to seriously challenging its main competitor, NBA 2K19, but it can’t quite sink the three it desires.
Is NBA Live 19 Multiplayer?
NBA Live 19 is a basketball simulation video game developed by EA Tiburon and published by EA Sports.
|NBA Live 19|
Will there be a NBA Live 21?
NBA Live 21 Cancelled
Unfortunately, another letdown is in store, as EA cancelled NBA Live 21 as well in 2020. What does this mean for the series moving forward, and for the future of basketball sim gaming?
Is the WNBA profitable 2020?
The WNBA generates revenues of $60 million annually, but it also has costs in excess of $70 million annually. So, the WNBA does not make money. It has turned an average $10 million net loss (revenue costs) per year, since its inception in 1996.
Who is the lowest paid NBA player right now?
The lowest paid player for the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2020-21 NBA season is Daniel Oturu who will be paid a guaranteed $898,310.
Is NBA live better than 2K?
I’ve played and enjoyed both games, but for pure fun I would definitely choose LIVE, I love 2K but LIVE has faster progression and more customization options, while 2K is more an immersive experience and it takes A LOT OF TIME or A LOT OF MONEY to progress, I had more of a good NBA experience with the 2K games, but I …
Is NBA Live 19 free?
NBA Live 19 All-Star Edition Available Now For $6, Content is Free For Current NBA Live 19 Owners. Just in time for the upcoming NBA All-Star game and events, EA has released their NBA Live 19: All-Star Edition for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One for $6.
What is the best build in NBA Live 19?
NBA Live 19: Best Archetypes
|Archetype||Plays Like||Traits and Skills|
|Wing Shooter||Kevin Durant||Knocking down shots, getting open|
|Wing Scorer||DeMar DeRozan||Pace, size, scoring|
|Wing Defender||Kawhi Leonard||Defending, strength, footwork|
|Playmaker||LeBron James||Size, vision, finishing at the rim, passing|


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Crypto-related stocks tumble as sell-off deepens
Coinbase and MicroStrategy open down by more than 12% and 14% respectively
Cryptocurrency-related stocks tumbled on Wednesday, as the digital asset market reeled from the news that China has banned financial institutions and payment companies from providing services related to cryptos.
Bitcoin plunged by as much as 25% on the news, falling as low as $32,109, with Ethereum, Litecoin and XRP suffering even more substantial drops.
Consequently, Coinbase Global, the prominent US cryptocurrency exchange that listed in April, opened down by more than 12% at $210.08. The company’s share price has fallen by more than 36% since its market debut.
China tightens cryptocurrency restrictions
A joint statement by three state-backed organisations in China argued that “virtual currencies are not supported by any real value” and claimed that recent volatility in the cryptocurrency market seriously infringed on “the safety of people’s property” and “the normal economic and financial order”.
In the six days leading up to the Tuesday announcement, the capitalisation of the total crypto market had fallen by more than $500bn. Although this metric was trading at an all-time high of $2.5trn and was potentially due a correction, the size of the pullback can be largely attributed to one man, Elon Musk.
The Tesla Motors CEO criticised the energy consumption associated with Bitcoin mining and at one point even hinted to his 55 million Twitter followers that he might dump his company’s substantial holding.
In February, the electric vehicle maker joined the trend of publicly traded companies adding Bitcoin to their balance sheets, purchasing a $1.5bn holding. Tesla traded down 4% at $554.58 after the opening bell.
MicroStrategy CEO remains resolutely pro-Bitcoin
MicroStrategy suffered one of the worst declines among crypto-related companies in the wake of the market sell-off, opening Wednesday down 14.8% at $415.
The business intelligence firm was one of the first companies to add Bitcoin to its balance sheet in 2020 and saw its share price surge as high as $1,315 during the crypto’s January surge.
Unfazed by Wednesday’s sell-off, MicroStrategy CEO and founder Michael Saylor maintained his long-term Bitcoin bullishness, stating he would not be selling and tweeting:
“Entities I control have now acquired 111,000 #BTC and have not sold a single satoshi. #Bitcoin Forever.”
Further reading: Oil briefly breaks $70 as recovery optimism builds


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NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Perfect Corp. and Estée Lauder announced today the launch of the first ever Estée Lauder Augmented Reality Training (ART) bringing to life the world’s first live AR makeup education program for the brand’s over 17,000 Beauty Advisors around the world. The interactive live stream platform gives Estée Lauder’s Global Education team the ability to host real-time trainings and product briefings, in which the brand’s Beauty Advisors can view and engage with directly from their mobile devices.
The private live channel is transforming the way the Estée Lauder Brand connects with its Beauty Advisors and sales teams, providing a unique training tool that utilizes AR technology to educate, entertain and inform. The ability for Beauty Advisors to interact and virtually try on featured looks throughout the session, follow along on slide show presentations, and chime in with real-time questions and feedback, helps to maintain the intimate nature of the training.
“We are so excited to work with Estée Lauder to connect Beauty Advisors globally for live beauty training anywhere, anytime,” says Perfect Corp. CEO, Alice Chang. “Leveraging YouCam’s AR technology for beauty demonstrations allows for engaging, interactive and effective training in real time and at scale.”
In addition to the Estée Lauder Global Education team hosting regular live training sessions, the brand can also track attendance, engagements and overall performance of the trainers and participants.
“We are thrilled to continue our pioneering partnership with YouCam to bring mobile-based Augmented Reality training to our Beauty Advisors around the world,” says Stephane de La Faverie, Global Brand President, Estée Lauder. “We believe this is a turning point in beauty education and leveraging technology.”
The Estée Lauder Global Education team kicked off their first YouCam ART segment on Thursday, December 7 for over 600 Estée Lauder brand employees around the world to introduce its latest innovation Perfectionist Pro Rapid Firm + Lift Treatment.
This training initiative builds on two other technology projects launched as a result of the Estée Lauder-YouCam partnership.
- In April, 2017, Estée Lauder initiated the partnership with YouCam for the launch of Pure Color LOVE lipstick where customers were able to virtually try all 30 shades in 30 seconds, and have since rolled out Virtual Try On on over 800 devices in stores and on the YouCam app for their Makeup franchises, globally.
- In December 2017, Estée Lauder debuted the YouCam “Look Transfer” technology as part of an influencer launch event for new Pure Color Envy Paint-On Liquid Lip Color. This technology recognizes the makeup shades used on models in an advertising campaign and allows the consumer to recreate the model’s look via Virtual Try-On. This will debut for consumers in store and through the YouCam app in 2018.
About Perfect Corp.
With over 525 Million downloads globally, Perfect Corporation is dedicated to transforming how consumers, content creators and beauty brands interact together. Our experienced team of engineers and beauty aficionados are pushing the frontiers of technology to create the beauty platform of the future – a fluid environment where individuals express themselves, learn the latest about fashion and beauty, and enjoy instant access to the products from their favorite brands. Further information about Perfect Corp. can be found at perfectcorp.com
About Estée Lauder:
Estée Lauder is the flagship brand of The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. Founded by Estée Lauder, one of the world’s first female entrepreneurs, the brand today continues her legacy of creating the most innovative, sophisticated, high-performance skincare and makeup products and iconic fragrances – all infused with a deep understanding of women’s needs and desires. Today, Estée Lauder engages with women in over 150 countries around the world and at dozens of touch points – from in-store to digital. And each of these relationships consistently reflects Estée’s powerful and authentic woman-to-woman point of view.


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If you're decorating or you've just moved house, then you're probably looking for some money-saving deals.
One woman has revealed a brilliant way to find discounts at B&M before they hit stores, and she even bought a wooden chest of drawers for £1.
Posting on a popular money-saving Facebook group, the savvy shopper's post has been making waves on social media.
The woman made an incredible saving of £48.99, when buying the Karina Chest Unit for her home.
Ell Percival downloaded the B&M app to find hidden discounts that aren't displayed in stores.
"First bargain using the B&M app and can honestly say I’m chuffed, £1!!!!," she gleefully commented.
The retailer launched the app in 2018, but it's still relatively unknown to shoppers.
It helps people spot secret offers on products that are yet to go on sale, but haven't been reduced in stores just yet.
If you show workers the discount price on the app, they will honour the price.
Replying to Ell's post, a savvy shoppers said: "What’s this app? Someone explain. I’m decorating could do with some bargains."
While another commented: "I went this morning not hoping for much, didn’t think I would get any bargains. Got a rug for £15 that was priced at £39.99, and 4 cushions for £1 each that were priced at £7.99 each!! Saved £52.95!! Chuffed."
Find your nearest B&M store here.


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If you can’t beat ’em, control ’em.
Studio execs may say they hate seeing ads in theaters, but they continue to make deals to provide promo content for the pre-show blurb parade.
Latest to link up is 20th Century Fox, which has joined Universal and Sony in pacting with National CineMedia to provide content for the in-cinema ad network’s 20-minute pre-show package.
The 2½-minute segments tout upcoming titles and typically include filmmaker interviews along with sneak peaks at footage. They are bookended with 30-second ads that NCM sells.
NCM is a joint venture of Regal Entertainment Group, AMC Entertainment (which recently said it will merge with Loews Cineplex) and Cinemark USA. All told the blurb compact covers 13,000 screens.
In-theater ads have received renewed scrutiny during the very public discussion of the slack summer season at the box office and the gradual, long-term decline in movie attendance.
Exhibs see the advertising revenue as the fastest-growing part of their biz while ticket and concessions sales are flat or down.
Some distribs, however, think bombarding auds with a blurb blitz before the lights go down only deters some moviegoers from venturing to theaters.
Exhibs counter that, so far, chains that run the pre-show ads have attendance trends similar to those that don’t screen blurbs.
NCM chief Kurt Hall also says the studio’s content and better-quality ads can boost the entertainment value of the pre-show blurbs. “The key is to make sure that this stuff is original and nothing anyone has seen before,” he said.
And as Fox’s deal shows, studios are tempted to use the pre-shows to market to a captive aud.
In a statement announcing the deal, Fox marketing prexy Pam Levine said, NCM’s “vast national network of theaters provides a wonderful means for us to place a longform content about our upcoming releases in front of our most important target — moviegoers.”
Other content partners for NCM include NBC and Turner Broadcasting.
NCM’s Hall described the content as “primarily sneak previews, making-of or behind-the-scenes. A lot of this stuff is being done for the DVD eventually.”
While terms of the Fox deal were not disclosed, it also includes a commitment to purchase ad time with NCM.
Hall expects that most of Fox’s ad buy will be for nontheatrical properties.
“Generally, a lot of the studios have been using their (ad) units for DVDs or music or other parts of their corporate empires,” he said.
Starting in January, NCM will launch a single-format 20-minute pre-show with full video and audio on 10,500 screens that it is specially equipping with digital projectors connected to a centralized satellite distrib system.
NCM says the show will be viewed by an annual audience of 565 million people.
With three studios signed up, Hall said he doesn’t expect to ink content deals with any more studios.


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THE implementation of the Single Custom Territory (SCT) is seen as a crucial move that will reduce costs of doing business and increase efficiency in East African Community customs’ services, but for the Tanzania clearing and forwarding agents it is a blessing in disguise.
The SCT is one of the key regional integration priority policy interventions adopted by the EAC member states to consolidate Customs Union. According to Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), full implementation of SCT, aimed at eradicating trade barriers in East Africa, begins on July 1.
The Tanzania Freight Forwarders Association (TAFFA) president Mr Stephen Ngatunga said during a workshop on SCT awareness to key stakeholders that the SCT will be a blessing to the business community across the region but it may create heavy losses to clearing and forwarding agents.
“Full implementation of the SCT in the central corridor will expose clearing agents” employment opportunities to those from other member states to create unnecessary competitions,” said Mr Ngatunga.
He added, “The government should act with caution in implementing the SCT to protect the much needed jobs for its people. It should be an opportunity for creating more jobs and not scaling up unemployment.”
However, according to the EAC Customs Union, the effective implementation of the SCT will see the clearing agents and revenue authorities’ staff from all the member states being deployed at customs points to oversee the smooth flow of the system.
For example, for the implementation of the SCT central corridor, TRA Deputy Commissioner for Trade, Dr Patrick Mugoya, said at the workshop that TRA staff will be deployed to Mombasa Port to assist in the clearance of goods destined to Tanzania.
The Revenue Authorities in the region will take full responsibility to ensure the SCT is fully implemented as per the approved roadmap by the EAC member states. The Revenue Authorities in the region will take full responsibility to ensure the SCT is fully implemented as per the approved roadmap by the EAC member states.
He said that provisions have been made to accommodate staff from other revenue authorities at the former NASACO Building in Kurasini, Dar es Salaam.
This is because the implementation of the SCT is expected to eradicate trade barriers by adopting a central model of clearance of goods, whereby taxes and assessments will be done only at the first point of entry and, thus, ensure faster clearing of goods as well as reduction in the cost of doing business.
The SCT initiatives are under the trilateral arrangement including Tanzania, Burundi and Uganda for the central corridor and Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda for the northern corridor that was piloted from January, this year.
However, apart from the fears expressed by the clearing and forwarding agents, the implementation of the SCT in the northern corridor has proved to be efficient and effective in cutting down the cost of doing business in the region.
Giving testimony on how the SCT northern corridor initiative has worked out, the East African Community (EAC) Director for Customs, Mr Kenneth Bagamuhunda, said positive impact has been recorded since it was rolled out as pilot project in January.
Cargo-clearance volumes have reportedly increased at less time goods clearance due to the SCT. It now takes four days instead of 18 for a truck to move from the Kenyan main port of Mombasa to Kampala. It also takes three days instead of 21 for a truck to move from Mombasa to Kigali, Rwanda.
Recent statistics show that as a result of the implementation of the SCT, northern corridor, Uganda’s import volumes has increased by 30 per cent with transport cost lowered by almost 50 per cent. “We want this to happen in the central corridor as it is already operating in the northern corridor.”
The Acting Commissioner for Customs and Excise Mr Tiagi Masamaki said during the workshop that the SCT was a good initiative transforming and making businesses more efficient and profitable.
“With the system, goods will be declared once at the country of destination before reaching the first entry point, thus cutting down operational costs as well as improving significantly the business climate in the region,” he told workshop participants.
Key stakeholders in the workshop were the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA), TANROADS (weighbridges), Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS), Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority (TFDA) and clearing and shipping Agents.
“With the SCT initiative, roadblocks will be eliminated by the adoption of electronic cargo tracking systems, replacing human intervention through automation of procedures that will also impact in stopping corruption,” Mr Masamaki added.
For example, he said there will be a single weighing bridge from Dar es Salaam to Kabanga, Rusumo and Mutukula, an initiative that implies more cargo clearance at the Dar port, more revenues and employment.
He said the customs business systems and processes were currently being interfaced and harmonised for smooth takeoff of the SCT. TRA has a mechanism of tracking down the movement of goods to the country of destination.
“At the border there will be minimal controls just to crosscheck the documents and inspecting the seals to ensure they are not tampered with,” he said.
Source: Daily News
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of TradeMark Africa.


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With seven more days are left of the Bangla month of Joistha, commonly known as ‘Modhumash’, the juicy fruit litchi has started appearing in the local markets of the region.
Due to its less quantity, current price of litchi is beyond purchasing capacity of the commoners as 100-litchi are being sold at Taka 280 to 350 based on quality and size.
Side by side with the scorching heat and sultry weather, the summer season brings many juicy fruits like litchi, mango, watermelon and jackfruit naturally in the region.
Many seasonal traders set up makeshift shops at different points in the city especially Shaheb Bazar, Bindurmore, Luxmipur Bazar, Sheroil Bus Terminal, Railway station and Court bazaar displaying the eye-catching fruits.
Many people are coming to purchase it but return back failing to synchronize between their taste and capacity. “The price of litchi is now beyond my purchasing capacity. I think, I have to wait for some days until its price is reduced,” Nazmul Islam, a resident of Upashahar areah, told the news agency.
The sellers said the price is high as the supply is scanty but commented that the price will be reduced to some extent when the supply will be enhanced within the next couple of days.
Trader Shafiqul Islam at Shaheb Bazar said that many of the farmers are seen harvesting immature litchi to get more money.
Dr Abdul Alim, Principal Scientific Officer at the Rajshahi Fruit Research Station, said that litchi grows well in Rajshahi and Dinajpur districts but Ishwardi’s litchi is very delicious and famous across the country.
He said commercial farming of some fruits especially mango and litchi are gradually being enhanced in the region, reports BSS, Rajshahi.


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Is voice-assist technology like Amazon's Alexa and Apple's Siri the future of cooking? Produce Retailer Pamela Riemenschneider and The Packer staff writer Ashley Nickle discuss on this edition of Packer Insight.
SALINAS, Calif. — Produce industry members and agricultural technology purveyors came together at the Forbes AgTech Summit to discuss everything from automation to sustainability to blockchain to food safety.
National editor Tom Karst and staff writer Ashley Nickle discuss the latest industry conversations around the new China tariffs and the possible implications of Kroger's exploration of autonomous grocery delivery.
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Tom Karst and Ashley Nickle discuss their travels to United Fresh and Forbes AgTech this week and analyze the latest information released about the FDA's investigation into the romaine outbreak.
SALINAS, Calif. – Concentric Power plans to hire 25 more people as demand grows for one of its latest products, a software platform that lets companies optimize their energy usage from various sources.


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Reuters 12th May 2023: Malaysian palm oil firms say they are not hiring from Bangladesh over recruitment concerns
KUALA LUMPUR, May 12 (Reuters) – Some of the largest Malaysia’s palm oil producers are not hiring workers from Bangladesh because of concerns over exploitative practices during recruitment, companies and labour consultants say.
Original article – Reuters by By Mei Mei Chu and A. Ananthalakshmi – 12th May 2023.
Malaysian palm oil leads as the world’s second-largest production of palm oil wordwide. In recent years stepped up efforts to implement ethical recruitment processes and revamp labour standards after the United States banned imports from two companies over allegations of forced labour.
Migrant workers, especially from Indonesia, India, Bangladesh and Nepal, make up about 80% of the workforce on Malaysia’s labour-reliant estates.
The Malaysian government suspended all hiring from Bangladesh in 2018 after allegations of corruption in the process. Despite a new labour agreement between the two countries coming into force last year, three plantation companies say their firms have not resumed hiring Bangladeshi workers.
“The main reason was due to a high rate of abscondment among the Bangladesh workers as they were not aware that they were going to work in plantation estates,” IOI Plantation IOIB.KL, which has not recruited from Bangladesh since 2018, said in an emailed response to Reuters.
A senior executive with another company cited a lack of transparency in the recruitment process and high recruitment fees among workers from Bangladesh.
Sime Darby Plantation SIPL.KL, the world’s largest palm oil producer, said it stopped hiring from Bangladesh in 2016. That year, the company also introduced changes aimed at implementing a “zero recruitment fee policy”.
The International Labour Organisation ranks deception and debt bondage stemming from large recruitment fees among its indicators of “forced labour”.
Hundreds of workers from South Asia have recently arrived in Malaysia without jobs despite being promised employment and after paying thousands of dollars in recruitment fees. Malaysia has begun investigations.
Malaysia’s Human Resources Ministry and the Bangladeshi embassy in Kuala Lumpur did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The embassy last month called for more transparency by Malaysia to prevent citizens from being cheated out of jobs.
The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), an industry watchdog based in Malaysia, said proposed legislation in the European Union to prohibit the import and sales of products made with forced labour have prompted the palm oil industry to further address human rights in their operations.
“The industry in general is being called to greater degrees of sustainability, transparency and accountability, with external stakeholders – from regulators to financial institutions, investors and consumers – prompting this shift,” RSPO chief executive officer Joseph D’Cruz said.


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Trafficmaster in Britax tie-up
In-car information group Traffic-master will announce a tie-up with motor accessory maker Britax International this week to produce rear-view mirrors that display data on traffic conditions.
Tony Eales, corporate development director at Trafficmaster, said tests were already underway and the group was in talks with car makers, including Vauxhall, to install the system as standard in some models.
The deal with Britax, which makes child safety seats and nursery products, is one of several initiatives expected to be announced when Trafficmaster reports its annual results on Tuesday.
Pre-tax profits last year were £3.2 million. Analysts expect this year's to be about £4 million.
'The deal will provide an excellent base from which to develop fully integrated navigation services for vehicles,' said Eales.
Last month Trafficmaster announced deals with telecoms equipment giant Motorola and German engineer Bosch to produce in-car map-reading systems.
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SINGAPORE - Continued weakness in the electronics cluster meant that the manufacturing sector's return to growth in November was not convincing enough to quash talk of a fourth quarter technical recession. In fact, full-year GDP growth may end up being lower than the official forecast of 1.5 per cent, some economists say.
Industrial production grew 3.1 per cent from last November, bouncing back from a deeper revised contraction of 5.1 per cent in October. But it still fell short of economists' consensus forecast of 4.8 per cent growth from last November's lower base, due to supply disruptions caused by flooding in Thailand.
But that did not happen despite a 12.9 per cent rise in biomedical production from a year ago, a rebound from the cluster's 20.3 per cent contraction in October.
Excluding biomedical output, factory output in November rose a far slimmer 0.9 per cent year on year, data released by the Economic Development Board (EDB) yesterday shows.
Compared to October, industrial output grew 1.9 per cent month-on-month after seasonal adjustments, or 0.6 per cent if biomedical gains were stripped out.
Electronics proved to be the main drag again, although the pace of contraction slowed to 2.3 per cent from a 9.1 per cent year- on-year dip in October. But semiconductors, the biggest electronics segment which accounts for 20 per cent of total factory output, sank 11 per cent year-on- year in November, slightly more than the 10.4 per cent dip in October.
Citi economists Kit Wei Zheng and Brian Tan estimate a small 0.7 per cent month-on-month expansion in electronics after seasonal adjustments, largely due to higher computer peripherals, data storage and electronics modules and components.
By their estimates, electronics has now risen sequentially for two straight months, consistent with signals from leading indicators of electronics demand, they say.
"Nonetheless, the sequential expansion remains very mild . . . we expect tech to remain lacklustre in the next few months, though we do not expect a sharp decline from current depressed levels," the Citi economists said.
UOB economists said in a research note: "The weakness in electronics continued to reinforce the view that Singapore's electronics industry is not benefiting from the global demand from smartphones and tablets, relative to the North Asian economies."
The Citi economists also noted that Singapore's industrial production and exports numbers contrast sharply with those of recovering North Asian peers. This "may suggest that demand issues aside, a combination of real effective exchange rate appreciation and labour supply constraints may be beginning to weigh on the manufacturing sector".
Transport engineering grew 4 per cent year-on- year in November, after slipping 0.6 per cent in October, thanks to higher production of oilfield equipment components and the completion and delivery of some marine vessels, EDB said.
But most of the other clusters' growth weakened in November. Chemicals growth slowed to 5.2 per cent year-on-year growth in November from 13.4 per cent in October due to slower growth in petroleum and petrochemicals production.
Precision engineering shrank 0.2 per cent, after expanding 4.3 per cent in October, while general manufacturing growth slowed to one per cent in November from 4.6 per cent the month before.
With two months of manufacturing performance now in, some economists say that GDP would probably shrink quarter on quarter in Q4. This would be the second quarter of sequential contraction in a row, implying a technical recession.
Both Citi and OCBC's economists now estimate that the Singapore economy would grow just 1.1 per cent year on year, under the latest official GDP forecast of "about 1.5 per cent" growth.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said earlier this month that it would be wise to expect the final number to be "lower than 1.5 per cent". He is expected to announce the advance estimate for full-year GDP in his annual New Year Message next week.
"Going into Q1 2013, the headwinds for external demand still look fairly formidable, especially with the looming threat of the US economy falling off the fiscal cliff. As such, manufacturing activity could continue to underperform in the interim," said OCBC economist Selena Ling.


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ACE announces the Taiwan Private Collection Auction
On behalf of the Taiwanese Council of Agriculture and the Taiwanese Agriculture and Food Agency, Taiwan Coffee Laboratory and Alliance for Coffee Excellence announce the 2022 Taiwan Private Collection Auction.
This auction will be the first in a series of three Private Collection Auctions over three consecutive years. This year’s auction will place a heavy emphasis on the Taiwanese producers’ ability to improve and adapt. Those producers who submitted samples for last year’s PCA have worked tirelessly over the course of the year to improve the qualities of their coffees with the intention of demonstrating to the world the calibre of Taiwanese specialty coffee. There will also be new participants in the competition this year, encouraged to enter after last year’s successful auction. With the increase in participants this year, and focus on careful cultivation and processing, quality is expected to increase.
Quantity is also expected to increase. Though regional or national coffee competitions are common in Taiwan, most of them require only small amounts of competition samples. As a result, farmers often experiment with nano lots since they can submit small, experimental lots.
“The success of PCA in 2021 convinced Taiwanese coffee producers that larger lot sizes can be economically profitable as long as they maintain excellence in quality and flavour. This year, nearly all coffee producers who have performed well in competitions past have submitted their most unique coffees to the Taiwan Private Collection Auction,” stated Krude Lin, Chairperson of Coffee Industrial Alliance of Taiwan.
Last year’s auction – marking the first Taiwanese origin-focused auction for ACE – saw an average price of $94.50/lb for the nine winning lots spread among 20 companies and seven countries signalling strong international demand for Taiwanese coffee. Domestic demand was also prominent with the winning lot purchased for $500.50/lb by a Taiwanese bidding group.
“In Taiwan, you can find the best coffees from around the world. Taiwanese importers are some of the biggest buyers at international coffee auctions, and Taiwanese roasters and baristas’ pursuit of quality has repeatedly been proven at World Coffee Events and various international championships. Yet, few local coffee professionals were aware of Taiwan’s long history of coffee cultivation. The many interruptions due to the global Covid-19 pandemic ironically became opportunities for many to rediscover locally produced coffee. Many roasters have since established partnerships with local producers. The 2022 PCA will be the perfect opportunity to showcase the results of their collaborations,” continued Krude Lin.
Taiwanese farmers have been growing coffee for more than a hundred years. The island of Taiwan, with its high elevation mountain ranges and diverse microclimates, supports a range of coffee varieties and processes. Much of the coffee, produced by experts in refining the details of world-renowned tea, is ready to show the world its quality and unique flavour profiles.
The 2022 Taiwan Private Collection Auction’s national jury stage starts this month with 25 experienced cuppers from the island evaluating the submissions to choose 20 preliminary winners. Then, ACE’s Global Coffee Centres representing 35 jurists, 15 companies, and 9 countries, will select the winning coffees to be auctioned on 30 June.
Sample sets are now available for pre-sale on ACE’s site: https://allianceforcoffeeexcellence.org/taiwan-private-collection-auction-2022/


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Ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympics, brands have started to step up Rio-centric, wider Brazilian and international activities in the run up to the games. In the countdown to August 5th, we will be offering a regular commentary on of the main movers and shakers from the sponsor and non-sponsor categories.
In the spotlight this week: Mastercard (non-Sponsor)
Just four months before the games and with an agreement lasting until 2018, non-Olympic sponsor Mastercard have announced a new deal with the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro to become an official supporter of the iconic Christ the Redeemer Statue.
The initiative forms part of the brand’s international “Priceless Cities” programme and includes commitments to the ongoing maintenance of the statue as well as local community outreach programmes
An official brand spokesperson was keen to point out that the agreement was actually negotiated last year but only announced now, and that Mastercard simply wanted another Rio landmark for their programme, independent of the Olympics.
Our verdict: In spite of the fact they were also quick to say that the agreement allowed the brand to leverage the iconic Rio statue without having to talk about the Olympics (a possible reference to the organising committee’s strict restrictions for non-sponsor brands, compared to a Visa, for example) and that Mastercard don’t do “guerrilla”, given the parallel restrictions on photo-calls at the statue and the fact its image is likely to plastered all over the international media in the coming months, this seems a well-timed land grab by a non-sponsor in the build up to the event.


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A value-added tax (VAT) will be applied to transportation and logistics services throughout China, starting today, Aug. 1.
“In 2012, China reformed its existing VAT system by integrating the business tax (BT) into the value added tax (VAT),” according to a memorandum provided to American Shipper
by Zhen Xie, Carlos Rodriguez, and Robert Stang of the Washington office of law firm Husch Blackwell.
The 2012 reforms were initially limited to Shanghai and gradually rolled out to another 10 regions, including Beijing, Tianjin, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Hubei, Guangdong, Xiamen and Shenzhen.
In April, the Chinese government determined “the limited application of the VAT pilot distorted competition, and called for the nationwide application of the VAT program,” explained MIQ Logistics of Overland Park, Kan., in a notice to its customers.
It said “under the VAT pilot, forwarders and other transportation providers could effectively invoice international transportation and freight forwarding services as ‘VAT Inclusive’ – without billing the VAT to client shippers," but Circular 37, the document which lays out changes in VAT policy prohibits that practice and effective Aug. 1, the 6 percent VAT will be collected from clients on air and ocean freight charges payable within China.
MIQ said the VAT will be collected on behalf of and remitted to the government and it will impact all transportation costs, freight forwarding charges and related services and handling fees.
Transportation providers and professionals said there's lack of clarity on some points in the new tax law.
"Although the reformed VAT appears to be a more simplified tax structure,
companies are cautioned to seek the assistance of experienced
professionals when assessing amounts owing (or amounts billed from the
VAT payer),” said the Husch Blackwell attorneys.
VAT rates were set at 11 percent for transportation and 6 percent for so-called “modern” logistic services, according to the law firm. It said transportation services include moving cargo or passengers by land (other than railway), water, air and pipeline. Logistics services include those provided by ocean transport intermediaries such as those provided by forwarders, non-vessel-operating common carriers, ports and other freight services.
There should not be much confusion as to what is a transportation service and what's a logistic service, said Frank Sangster, head of the international indirect taxes group at KPMG LLP, because a similar distinction was made under the old business tax regime.
Sangster said business taxes of 5 percent for logistics and 3 percent for transportation were usually rolled into the prices charged by transportation and logistics providers in China and, with the VAT, those charges may be more transparent to buyers of those services.
He said with the switch over to VAT, shippers are likely to engage in discussions of whether they are paying a tax on service that already had the business tax “baked into” the price or the price they now have to pay VAT on has been appropriately adjusted.
Sangster said China wanted to remove the hidden cost of the business tax and, through use of a VAT, encourage business and reduce the cost of trade. The expectation, he said, is that growth in business, profits, income tax, and tax on consumers will offset any loss of revenue from the business tax.
The tax applies to freight movements in China. Businesses that are charged VAT may be able to offset the charge with VAT they collect from their customers.
Liner carrier Maersk Line said “ocean transport service providers, including Maersk (China) Shipping Co. Ltd., are required to implement the tax policy that will be effective as of 1st August 2013 in order to be legally compliant."
In its Weekly Highlights
newsletter for customers, Maersk said “due to significant uncertainty surrounding the implementation of this policy over the past month, as a commercial consideration, Maersk Line has decided to maintain existing invoicing arrangements towards customers and absorb the VAT on customers’ behalf" from Aug. 1 to Aug. 14.
But it said from Aug. 15, "an additional 6 percent VAT will be levied by Maersk (China) Shipping Co. Ltd. on top of the freight and all other charges payable in Mainland China.”
“As we understand it today, shippers who are being billed for any of their freight or other charges in China, those charges or costs will have the 6 percent applied, based on the new tax policy from the Ministry of Taxation in China,” said Timothy Simpson, a spokesman for Maersk. “For charges that are billed and paid in areas outside of China, the 6 percent VAT would not be applied.”
Husch Blackwell noted companies may be able to make various deductions, including:
- VAT indicated in the VAT invoices (including cargo transportation VAT invoices and taxation-monitored automobile sales invoices) provided by sellers or providers.
- VAT indicated as paid in Chinese Customs VAT certificates applicable to imports.
- For purchase of agricultural products, in addition to the above two bullet points, 13 percent of the sales prices as indicated in the invoices.
- For rail services, 7 percent of the transportation fees.
- For taxable services provided by overseas entities or individuals, VAT indicated in certificates of tax payments provided by any tax agencies or domestic agents.
“Additional issues may arise depending on the nature of the service provider’s presence in China," Husch Blackwell said. "To provide taxable services in China either the service provider or the receiver of the services must be in China. If a foreign entity or individual, who provides taxable services in China, has an agent in China, the agent is obligated to withhold the VAT, and if such entity or individual does not have any agent in China, the service receiver in China is obligated to withhold the VAT. In the event of an applicable bilateral tax treaty between China and a country where either the service provider or service receiver is located as the case may be, the treaty shall prevail in case of any conflict." - Chris Dupin


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Home / Corporate / Cover Genius raises $15 million as online commerce increases
19 October 2020
Technology company Cover Genius, which facilitates ecommerce insurance, has raised $15 million as it extends its product suite and partner network globally amid opportunities from rising online purchasing.
The Sydney-based group says the funding round, led by King River Capital and supplemented by a loan from Leap Capital, is aimed at supporting integrations in the technology and ecommerce arena in international markets.
The company has recently entered a partnership with Shopee Thailand and says within the past month it has integrated commercial, shipping and product insurance for six global ecommerce platforms.
“Our global partner network is rapidly growing, and this recent raise will support the ongoing development of high volumes of strategic partnership deals,” CEO and co-founder Angus McDonald said.
Cover Genius says the market for insurance products embedded into points of sale or signup is significant and has accelerated with the COVID-19 outbreak.
“Customers want to protect their purchases, big or small, and given the option many will take insurance cover at the point of sale from their favourite online brands,” Mr McDonald said.


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GLOCESTER – Retail cannabis sales can be licensed in Glocester, but as of now, not in Pinewood Park.
That decision came after more than three months of debate and discussion by the Town Council regarding where and under what rules the sale of cannabis would take place in town. Last year, voters approved the retail sale of cannabis in the town.
Basically, cannabis sales can take place in B2 or industrial zones in town with the added stipulation that the sales cannot take place within 500 feet of the property line of a nearby Pre-K to 12 school. Licenses would also have to be approved by the Zoning Board, who could add further stipulations to those licenses. The regulations basically follow state guidelines with the exception of adding Pre-K to the requirements.
That decision came after lengthy discussion at the Town Council’s July 20 meeting, in which several residents voiced concerns about allowing sales near the Learning Place, a Pre-K school located in Pinewood Park, designated as a B2 zone. Pinewood Pub owner William Kapanakis had expressed interest in opening a shop in the same small business park as the restaurant on Terry Lane.
In a letter to the council, owner Bethany Brush Zimnoch explained that the school also holds a state approved license for kindergarten students. Allowing cannabis sales nearby, she said, would impact the school in a negative way.
“I’ve worked hard to provide a safe learning environment for the families in our community,” wrote Zimnoch. “I feel that having cannabis retail sales in close proximity to the Learning Place pre-school would not be in the best interests of the families and children in our community.”
Resident Matthew Verrier told the council that he had young children and that he was against allowing cannabis sales that close to a school. He added that he doesn’t use cannabis and that he doesn’t want his children to have to witness its use.
“It seems like there is a lot of push to shoehorn somebody in there,” he added, referring to the council’s ongoing discussion about Pinewood Park’s consideration as a site. “I wouldn’t take my children to that daycare (if a cannabis store were nearby).”
Town Clerk Jean Fecteau explained that there were other areas available under the new amendments where cannabis sales could take place, including land where the former State Line Diner was located in West Glocester. By excluding Land Trust land as park land, more areas were open for possible sales. Following state guidelines would not remove those areas from consideration.
“I hate giving all the power back to the state,” said Council Vice President Stephen Arnold. “We want to do what’s right for the town. My biggest hangup is not calling the Learning Place a school. It has been there for 25 years.”
Town Solicitor David Igliozzi suggested giving the Zoning Board authority to make further restrictions. The council agreed. Fecteau added that Burrillville went with the state guidelines.
“I agree with Arnold,” said Councilor Walter Steere. “Pre-school, school…it’s the same thing. I’m going to do what I can to protect our kids.”
Councilor Jonathan Burlingame added that if the Learning Place does, in fact, have a kindergarten license, it is moot, meaning that it automatically comes under state restrictions and cannabis sales would not be allowed nearby within 500 feet of the property line.
In the end the council voted unanimously to approve the final regulations.