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Bitcoin is one of the first digital currencies to use peer-to-peer technology to facilitate instant payments. The independent individuals and companies who own the governing computing power and participate in the Bitcoin network, also known as "miners," are motivated by rewards (the release of new bitcoin) and transaction fees paid in bitcoin. These miners can be thought of as the decentralized authority enforcing the credibility of the Bitcoin network. New bitcoin is being released to the miners at a fixed, but periodically declining rate, such that the total supply of bitcoins approaches 21 million. One bitcoin is divisible to eight decimal places (100 millionth of one bitcoin), and this smallest unit is referred to as a Satoshi. If necessary, and if the participating miners accept the change, Bitcoin could eventually be made divisible to even more decimal places.
“So if you look at a $100 billion market cap today, now last week it might have been more like 200, so it’s actually a buying opportunity, we think that there’s a potential appreciation of 30 to 40 times because you look at the gold market today, it’s a $7 trillion market. And so a lot of people are starting to se that, they recognize the store of value properties.”
Since its launch in 2009, Bitcoin has proven to be a profitable investment for those who owned it initially. Having bought it for only $50 back then, one can now earn high revenues, as now its price has grown hundreds of times larger. Observing the popularity of BTC to USD exchange operations, there are immense opportunities to gain benefits from the Bitcoin trade. After the coin was launched, it cost $0.003 on April 25, 2010, at BitcoinMarket.com, which was the first cryptocurrency exchange. Starting at that time, the Bitcoin to dollar exchange rate has increased dramatically, and some of the initial owners gained earnings of over thousand percent. Now, while some users may be simply attracted by the potential of growing prices, many buyers believe that the currency itself has a high level of volatility. According to some financial specialists, it is even more volatile than gold. And some individuals believe that Bitcoin has the potential to replace fiat money in the future.
Regulatory Risk: Bitcoins are a rival to government currency and may be used for black market transactions, money laundering, illegal activities or tax evasion. As a result, governments may seek to regulate, restrict or ban the use and sale of bitcoins, and some already have. Others are coming up with various rules. For example, in 2015, the New York State Department of Financial Services finalized regulations that would require companies dealing with the buy, sell, transfer or storage of bitcoins to record the identity of customers, have a compliance officer and maintain capital reserves. The transactions worth $10,000 or more will have to be recorded and reported.
In October 2013, the FBI seized roughly 26,000 BTC from website Silk Road during the arrest of alleged owner Ross William Ulbricht. Two companies, Robocoin and Bitcoiniacs launched the world's first bitcoin ATM on 29 October 2013 in Vancouver, BC, Canada, allowing clients to sell or purchase bitcoin currency at a downtown coffee shop. Chinese internet giant Baidu had allowed clients of website security services to pay with bitcoins.
Summer of 2017 saw Bitcoin reaching a new all-time high. In May, it hit $2,000 for the first time ever, and just a few weeks later, it was already over $3,000. Unsurprisingly, each new milestone was followed by a quick drop in price and other turbulence. Even so, the rally was enough to continue the upward trend, reaching $5,000 in September before dropping back to $3,000 and rebounding by mid-October. From there, Bitcoin had a steady rise.
"Satoshi Nakamoto" is presumed to be a pseudonym for the person or people who designed the original bitcoin protocol in 2008 and launched the network in 2009. Nakamoto was responsible for creating the majority of the official bitcoin software and was active in making modifications and posting technical information on the bitcoin forum. There has been much speculation as to the identity of Satoshi Nakamoto with suspects including Dai, Szabo, and Finney – and accompanying denials. The possibility that Satoshi Nakamoto was a computer collective in the European financial sector has also been discussed.
In July 2013, a project began in Kenya linking bitcoin with M-Pesa, a popular mobile payments system, in an experiment designed to spur innovative payments in Africa. During the same month the Foreign Exchange Administration and Policy Department in Thailand stated that bitcoin lacks any legal framework and would therefore be illegal, which effectively banned trading on bitcoin exchanges in the country. According to Vitalik Buterin, a writer for Bitcoin Magazine, "bitcoin's fate in Thailand may give the electronic currency more credibility in some circles", but he was concerned it didn't bode well for bitcoin in China.
To heighten financial privacy, a new bitcoin address can be generated for each transaction. For example, hierarchical deterministic wallets generate pseudorandom "rolling addresses" for every transaction from a single seed, while only requiring a single passphrase to be remembered to recover all corresponding private keys. Researchers at Stanford and Concordia universities have also shown that bitcoin exchanges and other entities can prove assets, liabilities, and solvency without revealing their addresses using zero-knowledge proofs. "Bulletproofs," a version of Confidential Transactions proposed by Greg Maxwell, have been tested by Professor Dan Boneh of Stanford. Other solutions such Merkelized Abstract Syntax Trees (MAST), pay-to-script-hash (P2SH) with MERKLE-BRANCH-VERIFY, and "Tail Call Execution Semantics", have also been proposed to support private smart contracts.
Bitcoin Trading Volume to get a Boost as Goldman Sachs Onboards Clients & with Bakkt Launch CoingapeGoldman Sachs is Signing up Customers for its Bitcoin Trading Product: Report CCNBitcoin [BTC] derivatives trading facility to be rolled out by Goldman Sachs for their clients AMBCrypto7 things to know and the best place to open a restaurant? Sorry, it's not […]
In June 2014 the network exceeded 100 petahash/sec. On 18 June 2014, it was announced that bitcoin payment service provider BitPay would become the new sponsor of St. Petersburg Bowl under a two-year deal, renamed the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl. Bitcoin was to be accepted for ticket and concession sales at the game as part of the sponsorship, and the sponsorship itself was also paid for using bitcoin.
In 2014 prices started at $770 and fell to $314 for the year. In February 2014 the Mt. Gox exchange, the largest bitcoin exchange at the time, said that 850,000 bitcoins had been stolen from its customers, amounting to almost $500 million. Bitcoin's price fell by almost half, from $867 to $439 (a 49% drop). Prices remained low until late 2016.
Though it is tempting to believe the media's spin that Satoshi Nakamoto is a lone, quixotic genius who created Bitcoin out of thin air, such innovations do not happen in a vacuum. All major scientific discoveries, no matter how original-seeming, were built on previously existing research. There are precursors to Bitcoin: Adam Back’s Hashcash, invented in 1997, and subsequently Wei Dai’s b-money, Nick Szabo’s bit-gold and Hal Finney’s Reusable Proof of Work. The Bitcoin white paper itself cites Hashcash and b-money, as well as various other works spanning several research fields.
Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc.2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.
Additionally, FinCEN claimed regulation over American entities that manage bitcoins in a payment processor setting or as an exchanger: "In addition, a person is an exchanger and a money transmitter if the person accepts such de-centralized convertible virtual currency from one person and transmits it to another person as part of the acceptance and transfer of currency, funds, or other value that substitutes for currency."
By 2017, Bitcoin dominance had plummeted from 95% to as low as 40% as a direct result of the usability problems. Fortunately, a large portion of the Bitcoin community, including developers, investors, users, and businesses, still believed in the original vision of Bitcoin -- a low fee, peer to peer electronic cash system that could be used by all the people of the world.
In Charles Stross' 2013 science fiction novel, Neptune's Brood, the universal interstellar payment system is known as "bitcoin" and operates using cryptography. Stross later blogged that the reference was intentional, saying "I wrote Neptune's Brood in 2011. Bitcoin was obscure back then, and I figured had just enough name recognition to be a useful term for an interstellar currency: it'd clue people in that it was a networked digital currency."
Josiah is an assistant editor at CCN. A former ancient and medieval literature teacher, he has been reporting on cryptocurrency since 2014. He lives in rural North Carolina with his wife and children. He holds investment positions in bitcoin and other large-cap cryptocurrencies. Follow him on Twitter @Y3llowb1ackbird or email him directly at josiah.wilmoth(at)ccn.com.
The use of bitcoin by criminals has attracted the attention of financial regulators, legislative bodies, law enforcement, and the media. In the United States, the FBI prepared an intelligence assessment, the SEC issued a pointed warning about investment schemes using virtual currencies, and the U.S. Senate held a hearing on virtual currencies in November 2013. The U.S. government claimed that bitcoin was used to facilitate payments related to Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections.


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IMCD China to acquire Sanrise
IMCD has agreed agreement to acquire Shanghai Sanrise Industries & Development, a major distributor in China’s personal care markets. This will take place in two tranches: 70% now and the rest in 2025. Closing, subject to customary conditions and regulatory approval, is expected to take place in Q1 2023.
Shanghai-based Sanrise employs about 60 people and had sales of around €90 million in 2021. It will bring a personal care application laboratory to IMCD’s global network of technical centres. The company’s founders will remain at the helm after completion of the sale of the first tranche of shares.
This follows on from numerous acquisitions over the past two years, which contributed substantially to a rise in sales and earnings. In the first nine months of 2022, IMCD has announced, revenue were 31% up at €3,511.8 million, while gross profit grew 42% to €883.0 million, operating EBITA by 59% to €443.5 million and net result by 74% to €264 million.
“All regions realised double-digit organic growth numbers. In addition, we successfully expanded our global network and product portfolio by acquisitions in all of our regions, most recently in Mexico and US, Japan and China,” commented CEO Piet van der Slikke.

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Amazon has introduced plans to make investments 1 billion euros ($970 million) over 5 years to double its electrical supply autos throughout Europe. This implies its fleet will complete round 10,000 electrical supply vans and 1,500 electrical heavy items autos by 2025, Amazon stated Sunday.
The net retail large goals to energy its services with 100% renewable vitality by 2025 and is planning to turn into net-zero carbon by 2040.
“Our transportation community is without doubt one of the most difficult areas of our enterprise to decarbonize,” Amazon CEO Andy Jassy stated in a press release. “Deploying 1000’s of electrical vans, long-haul vehicles and bikes will assist us shift additional away from conventional fossil fuels.”
Amazon’s dedication to cut back internet carbon emissions to zero is a part of its Local weather Pledge. Different firms, together with Salesforce, Proctor & Gamble, Unilever, Uber, Finest Purchase, Philips and international transport large Maersk, have additionally signed onto the pledge. The efforts to go carbon impartial come as local weather scientists urge the world to cease burning fossil fuels so as to halt a catastrophic rise in common international temperatures. Rising temperatures have already elevated the chance and depth of drought, floods, storms and wildfires in addition to historic glacial soften.
Amazon stated it is also hoping to double its “micro-mobility hubs” in Europe to 40 by the top of 2025. Situated in congested European cities, these hubs permit Amazon to ship clients’ packages by way of e-bikes and on foot.
final 12 months, in response to its annual sustainability report. Attributing its failure to chop emissions to rising “at an unprecedented tempo” to fulfill buyer wants through the COVID pandemic, Amazon stated it emitted 71.54 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equal throughout 2021. Nevertheless, it famous its “carbon depth” — the quantity of carbon generated per greenback of merchandise gross sales — decreased by 1.9%.
Within the US, Amazon in July startedin cities together with San Diego, Phoenix, Dallas, Nashville and Chicago. The retail large plans to have the electrical autos delivering to greater than 100 US cities by the top of this 12 months, with a aim of getting 100,000 by 2030.


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IPhone 13 users who want to avoid overcharged authorized repairs have reason to rejoice. The latest iOS 15.2 beta now allows you to replace screens at home or in independent services without compromising Face ID.
Earlier, Apple sabotaged independent repair by making it almost impossible to replace a broken screen on your iPhone 13. It integrated a chip that locked screens on certain phones that came with it. An anti-repair measure would sabotage attempts by an independent technician to replace the screen using a built-in microcontroller to confirm repairs. This would cause Face ID to fail after replacing the screen.
One solution was to detach the microcontroller from the old screen and then solder it to the replacement screen again. But this is not a simple process of soldering through a hole or SMD soldering. The technician would need overly expensive BGA soldering equipment to desolder and re-solder the chip. Furthermore, this complicated process is extremely labor intensive, time consuming and prone to failure. A delicate procedure can even ruin your iPhone.
Remember Xbox’s Red Ring of Death? This is caused by complications caused by lead-free soldering and its effect on the complicated BGA soldering process. That episode ultimately cost Microsoft billions of dollars, so what are the chances that a small independent repair shop will oppose Apple’s anti-repair measure in this case?
On the other hand, an authorized Apple technician can easily add a new screen with a few clicks within its special software. But well-known repair rights advocate Louis Rossmann explains, joining Apple’s authorized repair program involves waiving your rights as an independent business and promoting the same dubious anti-consumer practices that force consumers to turn to third-party services.
Following the reaction, Apple has confirmed that it will introduce a software update to ensure that third-party stores can fix iPhone 13 screens. The upcoming iOS 15.2 update now allows you to replace screens on your iPhone 13 without compromising Face ID. Now you don’t even have to mess with the microcontroller. Although after replacing the screens, the phone displays “Important message on the screen”. It warns that the screen cannot be verified as an “original Apple part”, even if the replaced screen is genuine.
Do you think Apple has released a new update as a precautionary move to save itself from potential anti-competitive, anti-repair disputes, now that the fight for the right to repair is gaining momentum? Let us know in the comments.
Friendly communicator. Music maven. Explorer. Pop culture trailblazer. Social media practitioner.


text: VIDEO Marc Andreessen is bullish on Bitcoin, he tells Sarah Lacy of PandoDaily. "There are a whole bunch of companies that look really promising," he says. "And there are a whole bunch of startups that are being incubated." He said Bitcoin is also starting to attract more experienced entrepreneurs willing to take a chance to build a company with the electronic currency. In August, the investor’s firm Andreessen Horowitz was one of 22 companies dealing in Bitcoin served a subpoena in New York as part of a learning process to regulate the currency. As for why he hasn't made bets in the space yet? "Tactically it's just navigating through and trying to place the right bets."


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April 22, 2015
So fingers crossed, it looks as though the snow is finally in the rear view for all of us here in the northeast. While stranded in my ice castle during the last several months, I’ve managed to put the finishing touches on my forthcoming novel and its accompanying soundtrack album. I’m pleased to announce that The Crooked Roads through Cedar Grove will be released this June as a special edition hardcover book & CD. The official date will be announced in May, along with a cover reveal.
The Crooked Roads through Cedar Grove is a new novel based on the previous three-volume novella series released between 2011-2014. Those books, as some of you know, were limited to 250 physical copies and (with the exception of Left-Hand Path) have since sold out. There is a limited amount of Left-Hand Path Hardcover/CD copies available here. Huldufolk and CRABAPPLES from the series are still available in digital form, but are set to be deleted from the Ocean View Press catalog upon the release of Crooked Roads.
Pre-orders for the book will begin soon. All copies will be signed and will include a 20 song soundtrack CD performed and composed by yours truly. You’ll also have a chance to buy copies in person before the official release date, as there will be a select amount of signing appearances scheduled prior to release. Dates and locations will be announced soon. That’s it for now. Until next post! Stay safe—Rob


text: We’re guilty of being easily hypnotized by fashion brands’ gimmicks, but occasionally something so ridiculous happens that even we scratch our heads. This is one of those times. Balenciaga—helmed by creative director Demna Gvasalia who is known for turning the traditional high fashion construct on its head—has just launched a new bag designed to look exactly like their shopping bags, only it is rendered in leather and costs $1,100. While the average person will say that is ludicrous, the fashion insider would say this ridiculousness is the whole point. Gvasalia continues to poke fun at the outrageousness that is the fashion industry, essentially calling fans’ bluff for mindlessly buying whatever their favorite designer has emblazoned with their logo. So yes, it is insane, but the larger point is actually very valid. We’re not sure we feel strongly enough to buy one, plus we can guarantee our boyfriends will accidentally mistake it for a real shopping bag and put it in the trash, so we’re going to save our $1,100. Clearly people are jumping on board though because it has already sold out.


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Print is in trouble. That’s hardly news. What’s new is publications looking to cross the chasm and go from print-first models to online-only approaches. Just last week Dow Jones personal finance magazine Smart Money said it would scrap its 20-year-old print publication in favor of the Web. It is following in the footsteps of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and most recently, the Times-Picayune.
It’s hard to fault these publications for the move. The fact is the business model of many print publications has broken apart from reader habits and perceived advertiser value. By going Web-only, a publication sheds tons of overhead. The tradeoff: They also shed healthier ad rates that print still commands on the bet they can become one of the few online publications to command top dollar in an increasingly commoditized online ad market.
Whether the medicine is the right cure is an open debate. What’s not is the ailment. Consider the environment for Smart Money. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, the magazine has about 800,000 subscribers, and that number has held pretty steady over the last couple of years. ComScore puts SmartMoney.com at 1.6 million unique visitors in May, up from 1.4 million in May 2011, or a 14 percent increase.
Its business model showed where print is going. According to the Association of Magazine Media, the publication dropped 12.9 percent of its revenue from 2010 to 2011 (from $37.5 million in 2010 to $32.7 million in 2011), as well as a 17.4 percent drop in ad pages, from 409 in 2010 to 338 in 2011. Meanwhile, on the Web, personal finance is one of its most established (and lucrative) categories. Unlike much content, it carries with it a powerful intent signal. A person visiting, say, the investment section of SmartMoney.com is a prime target for finance advertisers. That’s why, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s Advertising Revenue Report, financial services was the second largest online ad spending category last year, accounting for 13 percent of 2011 revenue. The $4.1 billion spent by financial services advertisers was up 28 percent.
“It’s disappointing for Dow Jones because it’s a print and financial company,” said Debbie Sklar, vp and director of print services at Horizon Media. “You’d think they’d be in more support of these media channels. If they feel they can merge the content from print to dot-com or app or even into the Journal, I’m sure they’ve done the research.”
There’s also a product question. The fact is, running a monthly magazine with website is far different from being a real-time, always-on digital media company. Print brings with it certain rhythms (and personnel) that often aren’t suited for the chaotic hurlyburly that is the modern digital environment. It plans to build Smart Money’s editorial team from nine to 15. Along the way it is changing out the editor-in-chief and requiring existing editorial staffers to reapply for positions.
On the sales side, Smart Money and other publications making this leap will find a dramatically different environment. After all, Dow Jones is no stranger to the power of offering a print-online package, though according to several buyers, Dow Jones consistently fell short in this department when it came to Smart Money.
George Janson, managing partner and director of print for GroupM believes Dow Jones didn’t do a good job packaging Smart Money with the Wall Street Journal and Barron’s, and he sees clients who are currently running in Smart Money magazine will likely allocate those dollars to other print titles that have comparable reach.
“We need to know the resources and investment that will now be placed behind SmartMoney.com before we would decide on level of investment in their digital properties,” Janson said. “[I] don’t recall any magazines that folded and became overnight sensations vis-a-vis digital properties.
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NH Bull Moose Workers Enjoy Benefits of Union Contract
One year ago, retail workers at the Bull Moose Music location in Salem, New Hampshire voted unanimously to unionize with United Food & Commercial Workers Local 1445 after the company fired workers in May, 2021 for taking collective action over COVID-19 safety risks in the workplace. Customers and the local community stood with workers unjustly fired and Bull Moose responded to the backlash by offering to rehire the workers the following month.
However, the Bull Moose employees knew that the only way conditions would permanently improve was to unionize and secure a union contract. After ratifying a contract last spring, the staff at the Salem store are enjoying the benefits of their hard fought struggle.
"The only way to hold companies to their word is to get it in writing in a contract so you know that you have those protections should anything go wrong," said Bull Moose employee Whitney Villers, a shop steward with UFCW 1445. "The most important win for us was getting security, knowing that we will be safe in our jobs and not having to worry about losing them. Retail workers deserve to be treated decently and I feel like we’ve been able to achieve that through this process."
Currently, the Bull Moose in Salem, NH is the only unionized store out of 11 locations in Maine and New Hampshire, but Villers said they would love to speak to other Bull Moose employees to tell them about the benefits of joining the union.
Under the new contract, the Salem Bull Moose workers finally have scheduled annual wage increases. Previously they would move through all classifications within the year, receiving 50 cent or $1 an hour raises before they hit the ceiling. Prior to the new contract, starting wages were just $13, but after the workers unionized, the company raised it by $1 for everyone throughout the company, including at non-union locations — a common tactic to quell unionization efforts at non-union shops.
In addition to standard union protections, the Salem workers also have a new bereavement policy for employees who have suffered the loss of a loved one to take time off. According to UFCW 1445 business agent Mat Farrell, it was particularly difficult to negotiate with the company around paid vacation and sick time, but now Salem staff will be able to receive all of their vacation pay upon leaving employment.
“These workers were just happy to have it in writing because this company was constantly tweaking and adjusting its policy book up until the point where we were actually in negotiations and they rolled out a whole new book,” said Farrell. “We were like, “What the hell is this? You can’t do this.”
After the workers threatened to file an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board, the company backed down for the constant policy changes.
The Salem UFCW 1445 members are pleased to have the addition of a “no lockout” clause in the contract as they had all been previously fired en masse when the company learned of their plan to take collective action.
“A lot of people look at the no strike clause as a disadvantage but for these workers the “no lockout” piece was huge because they all got fired over email,” said Farrell. “I had never gone to a ratification meeting to discuss “no strike/no lockout” clause and had people saying “f—- yeah!” They were psyched about that because they had lived it.”
In the middle of negotiations earlier this year, the company also attempted to throw a monkey wrench in the process by making all of the other store locations “employee owned,” meaning that the non-union stores would have the additional benefit of an employee stock ownership plan, or ESOP, which is basically just a retirement plan tied to the success of the company.
While ESOPs can be a great additional benefit for some workers, several anti-union employers in Maine promote their ESOPs as way to discourage their "employee-owners" from unionizing and winning real power in the workplace. ESOPs also serve a public relations tool when companies receive bad press, as Bull Moose did. Under the plan, the workers don't have direct shares in the company. Instead the shares are held in a trust and workers aren't vested in it until they work at the company for five years. The Salem Bull Moose workers immediately saw through the PR stunt.
"In general I don’t trust companies and this experience really exposed to me just how evil they can be. So immediately when I heard about the ESOP proposal I was like ‘what is the catch?’" said Villers. "We have a pretty high turnover rate at the stores and most people don’t stay that long. Even then it was a very, very small sliver of a percentage of profit sharing based on the amount of revenue and work we put in. Even though we would have some kind of ownership of the company, it was so minuscule and came with so many disadvantages that it’s just not worth it."
At 22 years old, Villers says she is the oldest employee at the store and staff typically only stay there for four or five years, so most employees wouldn't benefit much from the ESOP. Meanwhile, she says relations between the company have improved.
"Things have started to settle down, but that’s only because we finally have a contract," said Villers. "I don’t know where we would be and if we would still be there had we not unionized and won a contract. Even though we had to fight the company for it, it’s something that was definitely worth it. I think everyone should have a union to hold employers accountable and make sure they are treated fairly."
If you work at Bull Moose and are interested in organizing or know someone who does, let us know!


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Half of Americans are still failing to get vaccinated against influenza, even though it kills thousands every year, health experts said Thursday.


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Articles for General
Nichol McKay Achieves ISO 9001: 2015 Accreditation
Nichol McKay are pleased to announce the latest in our ongoing commitment to invest in the latest production equipment and technology.
New ERP System Goes Live at Nichol McKay
Additional IGM Robotic Welding Cell installed at Nichol McKay
Nichol McKay has installed a new paint and baking facility capable of handling the largest products and components produced by the company.


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22 Feb 2017
ICOS welcomes Glanbia Announcement
ICOS warmly welcomes this morning’s announcement of the agreement between Glanbia Co-op and Glanbia plc to establish Glanbia Ireland.
This proposal, which has yet to be finalised and ratified by both parties, will result in Glanbia Co-op acquiring 60% of the Glanbia Agribusiness and Consumer Foods businesses, and the incorporation of those businesses into the existing joint venture structure which currently operates Glanbia Ingredients Ireland.
ICOS CEO, TJ Flanagan, said that the move was to be warmly welcomed, and it demonstrated the ambition of Glanbia Co-op, and its Board, in taking a majority ownership stake in the businesses that impact on co-op members, through the sale of farm inputs the purchase of grain, and the purchase of liquid milk.
“This move is a strong endorsement of the co-op model, as the most appropriate mechanism to strengthen the position of farmers, and a demonstration that, despite the complex evolution of the model in Ireland, the core principles of co-operation still stand strong and have delivered and will continue to deliver for farmers,” said Flanagan


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Mar 27, 2022
The popular black marketplace AlphaBay is back, four years after law enforcement agencies took down the popular hidden service. While Alpha Bay. AlphaBay Market: Lessons From Underground IntelligenceAnalysis SANS Cyber Threat Intelligence Summit 2022. Revealed that stolen funds moved through AlphaBay (darknet market of VCEs and darknet markets and then withdrawing the funds. The Department of Justice will not allow darknet markets and documents on the darknet marketplaces AlphaBay Market and Dream Market. The AlphaBay and Hansa marketplaces were known for trade in drugs, weapons and malware. This type of URL can only be accessed from within the Tor network. AlphaBay Market Link & Info - DeepDotWebs Surfacing The News From The Deep Web. "This is likely one of the most important criminal investigations of the year taking down the largest dark net marketplace in history," said.
In InfoArmor's report, Healthcare Is Under Attack, our underground research team identified multiple instances where cyber criminals had infiltrated EHR. As with other markets alphabay market and forums, AlphaBay advertised there will be no ransomware selling or recruiting on the alphabay market it is forbidden to. The US Justice Department said on Thursday it had shut down the dark web marketplace AlphaBay, working with international partners to knock. This has led certain individuals to engage in transactions of illicit or illegal goods. The AlphaBay marketplace, which was in operation between December 2022. Currently the biggest darkweb marketplaces are Darkode Market and Kingdom Market such as the onion link for AlphaBay Cannahome Darknet Market Cannazon. These dark markets also enable cybercriminals to monetize the In June, a combined law enforcement effort took down AlphaBay and Hansa. Results 1 - 10 of 11822 Statistic (3) Marketing (0) Required cookies help make a as 27- Long time vendor on AlphaBay and WhiteHouse market now selling on.
Justice Department officials are announcing a takedown of AlphaBay -- an internet marketplace for drugs, counterfeit goods, weapons. Jessie L. Slepicka See also: alphabay market alphabay market (The Onion Router) Network Further Reading AlphaBay Market. The Department of Justice will not allow darknet markets and documents on the darknet marketplaces AlphaBay Market and Dream Market. Download scientific diagram SERPs versus keywords on AlphaBay market from publication: Captagon: Use and trade in the Middle East B. A darknet markets onion address seizure banner has been posted on the marketplace's website. down Silk Road, Wall Street Market, and AlphaBay over several years. Alphabay market. Justice Department officials are announcing a takedown of AlphaBay, an internet marketplace for drugs, counterfeit goods, weapons. The popular black marketplace AlphaBay is back, four years after law enforcement agencies took down the popular hidden service. While Alpha Bay.
Egendary AlphaBay Market (est. 2022) has re-opened. Almost same administration as in 2022-2022 period which means you will find again AlphaBay runs with. Hydra Marketplace - the largest darknet market worth over 5 billion when Alphabay was seized, the FBI estimated that the market had. Dark Market is a new This list is great after I purchased it I got it very fast, I made 3 different purchases from vendors on theOnion. Alphabay market url. March 28, 2022 at 10:23 pm. Permalink. 835369 darknet markets norge 675295I adore foregathering beneficial info, this post has got me even much more info. The AlphaBay Market was shut down by the law enforcement, exactly like... July 14, 2022 By Pierluigi Paganini. Copyright 2022 Security Affairs by Pierluigi. Alphabay Market is an online darknet market operating on the Tor network. Pre-launched in November 2022 and officially launched on December 22, 2022. AlphaBay Market was a market that was hosted on the Dark Web accessible only via the onion routing service known as Tor network. On 13th July 2022.
The drug market's design is clunky and its pages load slowly because in connection with a dark web marketplace called Alphabay. By M Paquet-Clouston 2022 Cited by 59 Assessing market competition and vendors' size and scope on AlphaBay. Int J Drug Policy. 2022 alphabay market. doi: alphabay market. Fraud Carding, Fraudsters Marketplace, Carding Forum Scam, Inbox Spamming, AlphaBay Market, Free Fresh Sep 28, 2022 Enter 7726 as the recipient. The closing of AlphaBay, an anonymous marketplace that listed for sale drugs, counterfeit credit cards and other illegal goods. Prosecutors say darknet markets list AlphaBay had 200000 members and 40000 vendors before it was taken offline. They say it was the largest illegal marketplace. A few months back, we wrote about how AlphaBay, the infamous dark web marketplace, has returned. For those who missed the history lesson. AlphaBay Market, one of the dark web's largest markets for drugs, guns, and other illegal paraphernalia, has been shut down since midnight.
Buy or sell Drugs, porn, fraud, counterfeit, carding, and all. At the same time, dark web website publishers are also anonymous thanks to special encryptions provided by the protocol. The data above also confirms that the increase in revenue is driven by more purchases rather than larger ones. HTTP) through the exploitation of Open Redirect alphabay market vectors on third-party websites to act as a botnet and on the Layer3 (Network) abusing the protocol. Dies bedeutet auch, dass eine Registrierung erforderlich ist, bevor eine Bestellung aufgegeben werden kann. Tibo Lousee, Klaus-Martin Frost alphabay market and Jonathan Kalla are accused of running Wall Street Market for nearly three years, providing a darknet platform for the sale of narcotics, counterfeit goods and hacking software to 1. Apple eventually managed to give the people better highs, I guess. One area where blockchains have caused a reorganization of traditional hierarchies has been the world of digital art and collectibles. Nightmare Market currently supports escrow, with disputes handled by staff.
In regards to blockchain technology, cryptographic signatures are typically used to prove that the correct private key was used to initiate and send a transaction through a complex darknet markets 2022 reddit authentication process that involves the use of both a private and public key. The email address was traced to Alexandre Cazes, a French-speaking Canadian website darknet markets 2022 designer from Quebec. LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 20: Marin Cilic (CRO) against Diego Schwartzman (ARG) during Day 4 of the Fever-Tree Championships at Queens Club on June 20, 2019 in London, United Kingdom.
Distributed by mart29, LLC.


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SHINee member Jonghyun recently made his solo debut with mini-album BASE, which has swept weekly charts both domestically and internationally upon its January 12th release.
Various music charts including Hanteo and Hot Tracks Korea, as well as online stores Synnara and Yes24 have reported that Jonghyun’s mini-album has swept their weekly charts from January 12th to 18th, indicating an overwhelming response from the listeners for Jonghyun’s solo debut.
His success was not limited to Korea either, as Taiwanese music store FIVE MUSIC reported that BASE grabbed the number one spot for the week of January 9th to 15th on the Japanese-Korean sales chart. The mini-album is also the #1 album in Japan and on iTunes’ worldwide albums chart, and #2 on Billboard’s world albums chart, demonstrating his hot success internationally.
In addition to the success of his mini-album, the music video for “Guilty Pleasure” was the number one music video on Chinese media site iQIYI, further demonstrating his international presence as an artist.
Source: OBS TV


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Total broadcast television advertising is up 13% to $22.4 billion for the first nine months of 1996, compared with $19.8 billion for the same period in 1995, the Television Bureau of Advertising said.
Individually, local TV ad revenues rose 8% and national spot advertising is up 6% for the first nine months of 1996, compared with the same period in 1995. Network TV is up 21% and syndication has had a 3% increase. The local and spot numbers are in line with the TVB’s projections of increases in each category of 7% to 9%.
Network gains can be attributed to the elections and the Summer Olympics as well as to the inclusion of netlets WB and UPN in the summary. Before this year, the two netlets were included in the syndication totals.
In the third quarter, local advertising was up 11%, spot jumped 9%, syndication rose 4% and the webs gained 46%, primarily due to Olympic ad dollars. Total ad spending for the third quarter hit $7.7 billion, up 23% from the third quarter of last year.
Local advertisers who have upped their spending during the first nine months of this year include auto dealers (up 9%); appliance stores (up 10%); and banks (up 27%). Individually, Walt Disney increased local spending by 25%, while McDonald’s went up 84%.


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All you’d need is 78 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 graphics cards… and a decent air conditioning system.
Simon Byrne has taken at-home crypto mining to a whole new level as he looks to capitalize on Ethereum’s (ETH) potential.
As first reported by Anthony Garreffa, Byrne has set up an ETH mining rig consisting of 78 GeForce RTX 3080 graphics cards. Although the RTX 3080 is marketed toward high-end PC gamers, crypto miners are using these powerful specs to enhance their capabilities.
With each card using roughly 300W of power, Byrne’s setup uses 23.4KW of energy. And that doesn’t even factor in associated costs like AC. All said, his electricity bill is estimated to run up to around $2,166 per month.
The RTX 3080 launched in September at a price of $699, but supply shortages have caused the per-unit cost to swell to $1,199. At the shortage price, that’s a price tag of $93,522 for Byrne’s setup.
Still, these costs could be offset by the operation’s mining capability. One GeForce RTX 3080 graphic card has a hash rate of around 83MH/s using Ethash, which should generate roughly 0.22236870 ETH per month, according to Garreffa. All 78 cards would therefore generate 17.3 ETH per month, which is equivalent to around $12,352 at today’s prices.
Stripping away the electricity costs, that’s roughly $10,200 per month or $122,000 per year. And that’s not factoring in Ethereum’s price potential during the next bull market.
Ether’s price zipped past $700 over the weekend, the first such move since mid-2018. The return of altseason, as some have predicted, could send ETH’s price even higher over the medium term as investors cycle from Bitcoin to other large-cap cryptocurrencies.


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June 01, 2019 | All Day
Additional Event Dates
Neiman Marcus Houston will host the first gallery exhibit in the United States from Parisian fragrance company Maison Francis Kurkdjian, which will feature photography from Swiss Canadian artist, Christelle Boulé. The exhibition, titled “Expanded Drops,” will feature Maison Francis Kurkdjian fragrances that have been exposed and developed like photographs, a visual representation of fragrances known as olfaction.
The exhibition will be featured on Level One of the store all day Friday, May 31 and Saturday, June 1.Learn More
Neiman Marcus Houston Galleria
Level Three 2600 Post Oak Boulevard, Houston, TX 77056


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The Namibia Wildlife Resorts through its efforts to enhance tourism safety in the country has teamed up with a local online film program, COPPS 94.1, to promote tourism safety in and around Windhoek, which started last Friday.
This follows recent reports of robberies, targeting primarily tourists, which have become a grave concern in the tourism industry.
The Managing Director of NWR Matthias Ngwangwama said that NWR, as a leading industry player, saw it fit to come on board, in a platform that will allow for awareness to be spread.
He added that the recent spike in robberies has created a particular fear amongst Namibians and tourists and that if not addressed, it will make a significant dent in tourism numbers for the country. Current online reviews show how Namibian tourism has become a concern for international tourists. “It is further a concern that no one is tackling this civic problem,” the report said.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director highlighted that NWR activities on the program will include addressing tips and ideas on how one can stay safe but, most importantly, creating assurance that Namibia is also one of the safest countries in Africa.
“Partnering up with COPSS, where we can educate but, most importantly, create awareness about safety is something that we see as a positive contribution to the sustainability of the tourism industry. This program gets good views from the public and is very successful and we saw it as an important tool to promote our message” said the NWR Managing Director.
Furthermore, he emphasized that NWR will also allow Namibians to experience and enjoy the show by giving away a voucher every month for the next 12 months to the value of N$ 3 000 on the COPPS program. The COPPS program is online and is run by Kosmos Radio.
In an interview, COPPS 94.1 Producer, Darren Smith said that they decided to partner with big tourism industry powerhouses such as NWR in order to create awareness against crimes perpetuated by perpetrators targeting tourists who visit Namibia.
Smith said that the growing concerns of reading about an article or watching the news where a tourist has been robbed is very disheartening and if this is not controlled, the country may see the number of tourists visiting Namibia declining which will have huge implications both on social lives and the economy.
Hence the awareness campaign to educate tourists and Namibians at large about hotspots and places that are deemed to be dangerous and must be avoided at all costs.
The campaign is said to run for 12 months, and viewers and listeners can catch the local film via COPPS 94.1 online every Sunday as well as on Kosmos radio weekly, where visuals and audio will be displayed showcasing what happens on the streets and how the robberies happen as well as how to avoid falling victim to these unexpected vicious robberies.
COPPS 94.1 has been in existence for ten years now and has also partnered up with various stakeholders before. Smith calls on all Namibians to play their part in ensuring that tourists and crime, in general, are brought under control by taking part in the weekly competitions and staying in tune with COPPS 94.1.


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May 10th, 2016
The Web Components Patent Advisory Group (PAG), launch in January 2016, has published a report recommending per Option 1 of the W3C Patent Policy, that W3C continue work on the Web Components Specification. The PAG concludes that the initial concern has been resolved, enabling the Working Group to continue. More detail is available in the PAG report. W3C launches a PAG to resolve issues in the event a patent has been disclosed that may be essential, but is not available under the W3C Royalty-Free licensing terms.


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If you’re into gaming, you’ll need to know that Nintendo today hosts a 50-minute live stream called Nintendo Direct, and the company will focus on games coming to Switch 2021. This is the first time the company has hosted a full-fledged Nintendo since September 2019. Direct live broadcast.
Nintendo has already confirmed on Twitter that will be the publication of information about Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, but did not offer any hints, although there is a good chance we will hear about a new character for the second Fighter Pass. Outside Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the live broadcast will focus on games coming to the Nintendo Switch “in the first half of 2021,” leaving fans to speculate on what might be shown during the presentation.
When does Nintendo Direct start?
The live broadcast starts today, February 17, at 14:00 PT / 17:00 ET / 22:00 GMT.
Where can I watch Nintendo Direct?
We’ve built a live stream to the top of this post so you can stay here and watch it when it starts. Otherwise, today’s Nintendo Direct will be available on Nintendo’s official Twitch and YouTube website.
Of course, if you miss the stream, you can find reporting on all the news about Nintendo here The Verge.


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NEW YORK — Nautica Enterprises Inc. Wednesday posted second-quarter profits that leaped over charge-depleted year-ago results and beat Wall Street expectations by a penny but said it plans a write-off for impairment at its disappointing...
NEW YORK — Nautica Enterprises Inc. Wednesday posted second-quarter profits that leaped over charge-depleted year-ago results and beat Wall Street expectations by a penny but said it plans a write-off for impairment at its disappointing Rockefeller Plaza store.
For the three months ended Aug. 31, earnings climbed 17.2 percent to $10.4 million, or 30 cents per share, from $8.9 million, or 26 cents, a year ago. The company last year took an aftertax charge of $6.2 million, or 18 cents, in connection with its Nautica Europe business. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call had expected earnings per share in the 29-cent range. Sales were down 8.5 percent to $182.2 million from $199.3 million.
“I see things on the hanger and I’m, like, ‘I never knew that color worked on me.’ It’s things you necessarily wouldn’t choose to wear, but once you put them on, you see why Janie is who Janie is." — Lily Collins on working with former "Mad Men" costume designer, Janie Bryant on creating looks for her role as Celia Brady's in Amazon series, "The Last Tycoon." 📸@jilliansollazzo #wwdeye
EXCLUSIVE: Sarah Rutson has been tapped to Build New American Fashion Group. The parent of Joie, Equipment and Current/Elliott hired the merchant to rev up its brands and expand its portfolio into designer, beauty and lifestyle categories. Read more on WWD.com, link in bio. #wwdfashion
Michael Kors' $1.3B Jimmy Choo deal has the company squaring off with Coach Inc. as both seek to build American powerhouses. Coach bought Stuart Weitzman in 2015 and Kate Spade just two weeks ago, but Michael Kors' acquisition may be putting pressure on its rival in the new push for scale. #wwdnews (📷: George Chinsee)
Meet actress Lucy Boynton, who plays opposite Naomi Watts in the recently released Netflix series "Gypsy." Boynton stopped by WWD to talk about her upcoming projects and her nomadic lifestyle. Get all the details on WWD.com. #wwdeye (📷: @dandoperalski)


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The Buffalo Better Business Bureau has revoked the membership of two Rochester-area companies for failure to respond to customer complaints.
Vivatron Corp., 1555 East Henrietta Road in Rochester, the parent company of the now-defunct VivaNet Internet service, was expelled from the bureau's roster for failing to promptly respond to complaints forwarded by the bureau.
VivaNet went dark in July on the heels of filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection a month earlier. About 1,000 of the company's 5,000 subscribers were from the Buffalo area. The BBB said it had received five complaints from customers and two of those were ignored by Vivatron.
The BBB also revoked the membership of Hallmark Windows, Inc., of 3159 South Winton Road in Rochester. Four of 11 complaints filed with the BBB and forwarded to the window company went unresolved.
Of the complaints forwarded for action, six of them came from the Buffalo area, including two from Cheektowaga, as well as complaints from consumers in Alden, Buffalo and Tonawanda.
The bureau also noted that the pattern of complaints had increased in the past 18 months.
David Polino, president of the BBB, said bureau members are required to give their pledge to provide ultimate customer satisfaction.
"When a company fails to honor an arbitration award, it weakens the power of the BBB Care Program," he said.


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Sagar Sarbhai, Head of Government & Regulatory Affairs, Asia Pacific at Ripple, recently spoke at the Bangkok FinTech Fair 2019, where he expressed his views regarding payment connectivity across the globe.
Cross-border payments have been an important aspect of the remittance industry for the last few years. Sarbhai believes that the current scenario is one of the “best times” to be involved in the development of cross-border payments.
The Ripple representative believes that there are few factors that are driving rapid innovation in the industry. He said,
“The first trend is the rise in digital payments which has been triggered by two factors; one is the explosive use of smartphones and two would be the ubiquity of QR codes which has led to lower value payments becoming a reality.”
According to Sarbhai, the demand for lower-value payments is very evident among customers and he believes that the introduction of digital assets is a major factor. Sarbhai also acknowledged that more and more central banks were creating “domestic real-time infrastructure.”
He suggested that the idea of virtual assets had led to the creation of this financial infrastructure, adding that this development has been significant.
He went on to say,
“About three years ago, most of the innovations was happening on the front end customer facing side of things but now we were seeing more and more innovation happening at the cross border infrastructure level where Ripple is focused.”
Keeping in line with the same thought, Ripple recently announced that its partnership Bank Santander, had added another payment corridor between the United Kingdom and Poland. The upgrade was completed between the two countries and instant fund transfer was enabled. The announcement is a major step towards Ripple’s worldwide penetration.
Subscribe to AMBCrypto’s Newsletter


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Akorri announced today that it achieved its best fourth quarter in the history of the company, with Q4 2009 revenues increasing 134 percent over Q4 2008 and 82 percent over the previous quarter.
In addition, Akorri experienced significant customer expansion in 2009, added 33 new US national and regional partners within its newly launched PartnerPoint channel program, and expanded into international markets by opening regional offices in the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Australia.
To lead the company during its next phase of growth, Akorri has appointed technology industry veteran executive Allan Wallack as President and CEO. Allan has spent the last 40 years leading high-profile startup companies through their early stages to IPO or acquisition.
Previously, Allan served as President and CEO of Spring Tide Networks, an IP services company purchased by Lucent Technologies; was Chairman, President and CEO of Chrysalis Symbolic Design, an electronic design automation software company purchased by Avanti Corp.; was President and CEO of Synernetics, a communications company which was bought by 3COM; was COO of COGNEX Corporation during its IPO; and Vice President of Marketing for MASSCOMP during its IPO.
Company highlights in 2009 include:
· Released BalancePoint 3.0 – the latest version of the company’s award-winning virtual infrastructure management software, with richer virtual machine and storage analysis, broader interoperability, and user interface improvements
· Acquired new customers in a variety of industries including Christian Broadcasting Network, Epsilon, Kronos, Merkle, Sandridge Energy, SCI, and VistaPrint that are using BalancePoint’s powerful analytics to optimize both virtual and physical server and storage environments
· Appointed three seasoned executives to its management team: Bill Simpson and Warren Mead to lead Worldwide and Channel Sales, and Jim Comstock to lead Marketing
· Won Gold in the SearchServerVirtualization Product of the Year Awards
· Named a “Visionary” within Gartner’s SRM Magic Quadrant
· Named as one of the “Ten Virtualization Vendors to Watch” by CIO Magazine
· Named as one of the Top 20 Storage Products from VMworld by ChannelWeb
· Named a top-rated virtualization management tool by Searchvmware.com.


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- This event has passed.
Design Miami/ 2018
5 December 2018 @ 08:00 - 9 December 2018 @ 17:00
Design Miami/ is ready to bring 12 countries from across the world to its beautiful beachside from December 5th to the 9th. The Fair will celebrate its 14th edition this year. There will be 34 exhibitions as well as 11 small-scale installations in the Curio program. You can find the details here.
Design Miami/ aims to bring contemporary artworks together for the first time. There will be countless galleries, designers, collectors, critics and enthusiasts… Fair also aims to expand the creativity and commercial potential of the design industry.
With many new approaches, techniques, materials and designers on display at Design Miami/, the fair promises to offer something for everyone. “We hope visitors discover and experience each presentation with enthusiasm for our fourteenth year in Miami Beach,” says Jennifer Roberts, Chief Executive Officer, Design Miami/.


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Amazon is sounding the alarm over an internal memo which estimates that the retail giant could run out of people to hire and man their US-based warehouses within the next 18 months, according to a report.
An internal research paper that was viewed by executives at the Seattle-based company warned that failure to replenish the warehouse-based workforce could lead to an overall drop in the quality of service as well as frustrate growth plans, according to Recode.
Amazon could mitigate the impending disaster by raising wages or expediting plans to boost warehouse automation, according to the memo.
But that would only delay the crisis by a few years. Instead, it recommends an overhaul of management’s relationship with employees as well as changes to how it does business.
“If we continue business as usual, Amazon will deplete the available labor supply in the US network by 2024,” according to the memo cited by Recode.
The paper, which was written last year, pinpoints specific geographic regions where the labor shortage is expected to become more acute as time goes on.
By the end of 2021, Amazon was due to have difficulty hiring workers in the Phoenix, Ariz., metropolitan area.
By the end of this year, the company will be facing the prospect of a shorter labor pool in the Inland Empire region of California, just 60 miles east of Los Angeles, according to Recode.
“There are many draft documents written on many subjects across the company that are used to test assumptions and look at different possible scenarios, but aren’t then escalated or used to make decisions,” an Amazon spokesperson told The Post on Friday.
“This was one of them. It doesn’t represent the actual situation, and we are continuing to hire well in Phoenix, the Inland Empire, and across the country.”
Amazon’s warehouse workforce of more than 1 million people is key to maintaining its system of online retail and deliveries for customers who use the popular Prime service.
Last year, the New York Times reported that Amazon was willing to tolerate high turnover at its facilities because former CEO Jeff Bezos feared that employees who were at the company for too long would grow complacent on the job.
But that strategy may be obsolete, particularly as record numbers of Americans have left their jobs. Amazon is also facing a tidal wave of unionization efforts, including the successful drive by organized labor to form a union of workers at a Staten Island facility.
Shares of Amazon were up 1.5% on Friday.


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- Special Sections
- Public Notices
Many of the shelves are bare at HOPE in Lancaster. The charitable organization is experiencing a major food shortage right now as local need continues to climb. This week, staff released a list of items they’re completely out of.
Those items include peanut butter, jelly, rice, dried beans, self-rising flour, self-rising corn meal and sugar.
“We really need those items,” HOPE Executive Director Elaine Adkins said.
Adkins said the agency is extremely thankful for all of the donations it gets for its food pantry. However, on any given day, there’s no telling what foods they will receive.
From July 1 to Tuesday, Aug. 13, Akdins said HOPE processed food orders for 284 families, which equals 647 people.
On a recent Monday, for example, the agency processed 25 orders.
Ann Blackmon, HOPE administrative assistant, said the agency aims to give each family the same items. Other foods on a typical list are canned fruit, canned vegetables, soup, canned meat, pastas, bread, desserts and juice.
HOPE has those foods in stock right now, but it’s far from an abundance, Blackmon said.
“We can always use any of those,” she said.
Adkins said there’s usually great need during the summer months because children who receive free lunch at school don’t get those meals.
Also, grocery stores continue to increase the prices for everyday items.
“It makes it hard on families to stretch their food money,” Adkins said.
Adkins said there have been several individuals, church congregations and other groups to donate food to HOPE in recent weeks. She hopes that trend will continue.


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Brilliant Startups Paving the Future’s Path (in Berlin)
The consumer web is no longer the wild frontier it was ten years ago. If a company is not building the next flying car, or unless said company gets a large VC investment, its products might not stand out from the clatter. Barring a massive user base — and sometimes even that kind of traction doesn’t make for a sexy headline — a lot of unsung hero’s out there go unnoticed.
Some good reasons for that could be the ecosystem is bloated with a lot of filler companies, models that accommodate corner markets or repackage & up sell existing solutions to less savvy consumer groups. The ones to look out for, the teams who are carrying tech
forward to tricoders and zero emission escalators, are creating services that sit on top of the new infrastructure and build a bridge toward the next node of innovation.
They are great because they are laying the stones of the future. For them there is no big golden product to brag about, and their elevator pitch will sound abstract to all but a small group of engineers and finance SMEs. However, they are the ones looking for the missing pieces of the future. They create new tech to build the bridges that must be crossed soon, and give us access to the smart homes, replicators, driverless delivery vehicles, and unmanned factory lines that are on their way. Make no mistake, when we replace email with something else, it will be the net-result of thousands of small changes in culture and technology from companies like those I’m describing.
One of such companies in Berlin is azeti Networks, who offer cloud based operation monitoring and continuity for businesses. Though they have been around long enough to fit into a class of well established companies, their solutions, and startup like product development makes them a respectable member of Berlin’s Startup Community.
In a recent post I referred to the 1st wave of startups. And the 2nd wave. The internet of things is, on the far right of the 2nd wave. Internet enablement of inanimate objects around us is the exciting step of the future. I’m talking about connecting toys, scales, door knobs, refrigerators, circuit breakers, you name it, to the internet, and then getting some benefit by tracking them, controlling them, allowing them to ping us, and other use cases. Azeti has done that on a business level allowing businesses to monitor and track resources to reach optimal efficiency.
From a list of 194 companies in Berlin so far profiled. They are one of a bakers dozen that fit the profile we’re looking for on NextProd, a blog dedicated to finding the great companies in Berlin’s Startup Community.


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Gay Travel Destinations, Tips, City Guides & More
Gay Travel News, Tips, Destinations & Hornet City GuidesGays love to travel. Don't you? Whether it's visiting our friends in the gayborhood, exploring the latest gay resorts or people-watching at the world's hottest gay vacay spots, we're always on to go. This is why Hornet presents you with coverage of all things gay travel.
Want to know which countries have just legalized same-sex adoption? Which country made headlines when men used Donald Trump's mouth as a urinal?
Equally important as gay travel headlines are Hornet's gay city guides. From Provincetown to Palm Springs, Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., we've got all the best gay hot spots. We've even got tips to get you laid in multiple cities around the world.
Read all you can about travel and go on an adventure of your own! And when you do, let us know by posting on your social media and tagging @hornet.
Are you an amusement park fan in need of a new park? Are you a gamer who can’t get enough of Smash Bros.? Well you now have a new video game theme park to scratch both those itches, as Nintendo recently opened its incredible Super Nintendo World. The video game[…]
In a truly abhorrent move, a gay campground in Michigan has banned transmen from their male-only park. Though Camp Boomerang hasn’t even opened yet, it is (understandably) causing a ton of controversy with its blatant, mind-boggling transphobia. Bryan Quinn, co-owner of Camp Boomerang RV Park and Campground, posted this on[…]
If you haven’t been obsessively making post-COVID plans to keep yourself busy, happy and sane, it’s time to start. And what could be better than an entire vacation celebrating one of the most legendary pieces of media of all time? Golden Fans at Sea, the Golden Girls Fan Theme Cruise,[…]
It’s illegal to have sex in public, but it’s also a fact that repressive laws often left LGBTQ people with few other options


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TOKIO MARINE VIETNAM LAUNCHED PROMOTION CAMPAIGN “HAPPY TM CARE” FOR PARTNER ACECOOK VIETNAM
Tokio Marine Vietnam would launch the promotion campaign for partner Acecook Vietnam during 7/7/2023 – 8/7/2023
NOTICE ON THE NEW REGULATIONS ON PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION
Tokio Marine Insurance Vietnam (TMIV) would like to highlight certain notices to our valued customers and partners collaborating with TMIV regarding the processing of customers’ personal data to ensure efficient compliance with new local regulations under Decree 13.
Credit risk management instruments driving trade around the world (Part 1/6)
Globalisation has brought growing competition to world trade and with it a need to take down barriers to win new customers. As a result, companies are increasingly choosing to trade on an open account basis.
FIRE ACCIDENTS & SAFETY MEASURES IN WAREHOUSE FIRE
Warehouse fire could cause extensive damage when spreading over a wide area due to the large amount of combustible materials stored. In this article, Tokio Marine Vietnam would provide you with recent examples of fire accidents, and preventive countermeasures against warehouse fire.


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It has been two days since Synchronica announced yet another mobile email deal in Latin America. Now Nokia and America Movil have announced a partnership to launch mobile e-mail and multimedia services in the same market.
America Movil is a wireless service provider in Latin America, and will be the first operator in the region to use Nokia Messaging solutions. The company has gone into partnership with Nokia because it believes mobile email will be a strong growth area in the coming years – and it believes Nokia Messaging will keep it ahead of the competition.
Nokia Messaging is a pretty comprehensive email solution. It allows access to up to 10 email accounts, and new mails are automatically pushed to the application. The service will be launched in in five countries this summer, for a selection of Nokia devices.
This mobile email deal is very much just the beginning of the America Movil / Nokia partnership. The two companies were already working together on location-based services, and it looks likely they’ll collaborate further on messaging music, GPS and cameras.
From the report:
Blanca Juti, Nokia vice president for the America Movil Account, said: “We are delighted to make this announcement with America Movil. This collaboration is a good example of how Nokia is extending its vision of ‘Connecting People’. Together with America Movil, Nokia Messaging will deliver on the promise of mobile messaging for everyone in the region.”
What we think?
I initially thought of this in terms of competition between Synchronica and Nokia… but their target markets are so far apart that they might never cross paths. Synchronica is an SMS based mobile email service, targeted at lower end phones. Nokia, on the other hand, has made it clear that it is aiming for the growing smartphone market in Latin America. There’s probably room for both companies, but this certainly highlights the popularity of mobile email and messaging in the region.


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New Delhi, June 30, 2017: Just a few hours ahead of the rollout of India’s biggest tax reform measure — Goods and Services Tax (GST), business traders across the country are calling for a shutdown as a mark of protest against the implementation of indirect tax reform.
In Bhopal, protesting against the launch of GST tonight, business traders called for a bandh and as per reports all major markets will remain shut today.
MP: Business traders called for a bandh protesting against implementation of GST, all major markets in Bhopal to remain shut today pic.twitter.com/xVNiw8YgP4
— ANI (@ANI_news) June 30, 2017
Meanwhile, in Kanpur, traders stopped 4102 Jhansi Express train in protest against the rollout.
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) June 30, 2017
GST, termed as the most radical tax reform since Independence, seeks to subsume all central indirect taxes like excise duty, countervailing duty and service tax, as also state levies like Value Added Tax, entry tax and luxury tax, to create a single, pan-India market.
Going back in history, GST was first discussed in the Kelkar Task Force report on indirect taxes in 2003 and a proposal to introduce a national GST by April 1, 2010, was first mooted in the Budget Speech for the financial year 2006-07.
Decks were cleared for the GST regime with parliamentary approval to Central Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill, Integrated GST Bill, Compensation GST Bill and Union Territory GST Bill 2017, on April 7.


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Andrew Clarke missed his flight out of New York a few weeks ago after two ride-sharing vehicles canceled on him. What for most people would be an extreme inconvenience was to Clarke a lesson in transportation and logistics business strategy.
“Those [ride-hailing] companies don’t take a position whether we make our flight,” said Clarke, chief financial officer of C.H. Robinson (NASDAQ: CHRW), and a Transparency2019 keynote speaker. “We as a service provider do. That’s how we go to market every day.”
Founded in 1905, C.H. Robinson is one of the world’s largest third-party logistics (3PL) companies, with 2017 gross revenues of $14.9 billion. The company provides freight transportation and logistics, outsource solutions, produce sourcing, and information services to 120,000 customers throughout North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.
To meet customer needs, C.H. Robinson provides access to 73,000 transportation providers worldwide, including contract motor carriers, railroads, air freight carriers, and ocean carriers.
Data and people/relationships are as important as the freight tech platforms that are springing up everywhere, Clarke said. Technological disruption will continue to accelerate. “But knowing how and where and why freight moves is equally important.”
Not that legacy companies are bystanders to the digital revolution. C.H. Robinson for example, invests $170 million annually in tech.
“Unlike the taxi industry, all of us are investing in technology,” said Clarke. “We also have the relationships with the customers and carriers.”
Clarke got his start in the industry working on Wall Street, where he took logistics companies public. He worked for the firm that led C.H. Robinson’ s IPO in 1997. Clarke eventually left the world of finance to become Chief Financial Officer of Forward Air Corporation. He previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Panther Expedited Services from 2006 to 2013, now a wholly owned subsidiary of Arkansas Best Corporation. He joined C.H. Robinson as CFO in mid-2015.
Clarke noted the sizable economic impact of the transportation and logistics industry – 10% of GDP – and said he finds the supply chain endlessly fascinating.
“People don’t think about it, but the coffee you drank today wasn’t made in Tennessee. Someone had to get it there. Wherever you are today, none of it was made wherever you are.”
As for other freight disruptors, such as self-driving trucks, Clarke believes “the whole concept of autonomous is further out than everyone is talking about right now.” For one, the infrastructure isn’t there. “We have a hard enough time filling potholes today.”
As the technology evolves, it will allow drivers to be more productive. Plus, workers will still be needed to secure the freight. “I am not concerned about rampant unemployment,” Clarke said.


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Skin cells from cadavers treat wounds
A research team at the University of Manchester in England has found a way to treat acute wounds using skin cells from human cadavers rather than building new skin cells in a lab. Scientists tested 50 volunteers by removing four small, 0.2-inch, disks of skin. In each patient, one wound was left alone, one was patched with the removed skin, one was treated with cadaver skin, and the last was treated with artificial skin.
Scientists first decontaminated cadaver skin using antibiotics, enzymes and chemicals. This rids the skin of cells that might interfere with a person’s immune system or cause it to be rejected by the body. Once all of the cells are removed, much like a gutted house, the cadaver skin works as scaffolding the patient can fill with their own skin cells. Scientists found the “decellularized” skin worked best at stimulating blood vessels to heal wounds in patients.
Even when dressed, chronic wounds are unable to heal for six to eight weeks, sometimes years. They are commonly associated with health conditions such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. Scientists in the past have tried to “re-engineer” skin substitutes, but they say nothing works as well as the real thing. The cadaver skin was able to treat one woman suffering from a 20-year skin ulcer in just four weeks.
The next step is testing the effects of decellularized skin on a larger scale.


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Several Canadian privacy watchdogs have created a set of guidelines to help mobile developers create "privacy-friendly" smartphone apps.
And they warn that failing to be transparent about any information collected could see developers running afoul of both the law and their potential customers.
Federal privacy commissioner Jennifer Stoddart joined her counterparts in British Columbia and Alberta in releasing a 12-page document that explains how Canada's privacy laws apply to mobile app developers, whether they're based in this country or farther afield.
Stoddart says it's been a challenge to ensure everyone in the growing mobile app industry knows that the rules apply to them.
"We were concerned that apps often seem to have nothing to do with Canadian law on the use of personal information," Stoddart says in an interview.
"Sometimes they're not aware. Sometimes I get the impression they don't care and they're not going out of their way to find out. And sometimes it's a catch-me-if-you-can attitude."
Stoddart says any developer that sells an app to Canadians must comply with the same privacy legislation as any other business.
That, according to the guide, means developers are responsible for ensuring any information they collect from users is relevant to their product and is securely stored. Users must be fully informed and must consent to the type of information that will be collected and what will be done with it.
The guide offers tips to ensure developers are thinking about privacy from the planning stages of an app.
"Because of the hugely networked online world, bad news travels fast, and there's always the privacy-conscious people out there who can spread the word if they don't think (an app) is respectful of their privacy," says Stoddart.
"In spite of urban myths to the contrary, they don't want to give away demographic information or where their location is to get apps for free."
Federal and provincial privacy commissioners have the power to enforce privacy laws. They can launch investigations and order companies to shape up. If they don't comply, the commissioners can then ask the courts to step in.


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Twitter is exploring a number of ways to increase market share and give users more reason to hang around. According to reports, the social giant is even considering a bid for SoundCloud, the popular Berlin-based sound-sharing community.
The deal, first reported by Re/Code on Monday, would plug Twitter into a network of roughly 250 million users, according to estimates.
There is no word on a price tag, but SoundCloud raised $60 million earlier this year at a reported valuation of $700 million. Neither Twitter or SoundCloud would comment on the reported acquisition talks on Monday.
Known in some circles as the “YouTube of audio,” SoundCloud would only be Twitter’s latest attempt to break into the music business.
In late 2012, Twitter grabbed music discovery start-up We Are Hunted, which it later used to launch its own music service, Twitter Music. Because of a lukewarm response, Twitter announced plans to shelve the service back in March. (As of Monday, however, the service was still live online.)
Among other ties, Fortunenotes that Mood Rowghani -- the brother of Twitter's chief operating officer Ali Rowghani -- is a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, which was an early investor in SoundCloud.
Music or no music, Twitter is not growing fast enough for many investors and social-media experts. Over the past year, monthly active users (MAUs) rose about 25% to roughly 255 million in the first quarter of the year -- markedly less than the 30% user growth that Twitter reported the previous quarter.
In addition, Twitter's domestic unique visitor levels have not improved in any material sense
over the past quarter, Brian Wieser, an analyst at Pivotal Research, said late last month. “Absence of significant growth would be unsurprising to us, given our view of Twitter as a niche
consumer proposition in most markets.”
According to eMarketer, Twitter's user base will grow from about 43 million U.S. consumers in 2013 to just 65 million in 2018 -- or about half of Facebook's current domestic user base.


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The Malaysian government and Google today announced a strategic collaboration to create inclusive growth opportunities for more Malaysians and homegrown companies in the fast-growing digital economy.
The collaboration brings both parties together to help businesses of all sizes advance their digital competitiveness through skilling programmes, investment in digital infrastructure, responsible artificial intelligence (AI) innovation, and cloud-first policies, Google said in a statement here today.
“This latest commitment by Google, aimed at accelerating local innovation and talent development in the field of AI, will certainly boost the nation’s digital competitiveness, in line with the Madani Economy Framework and the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030),” Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today.
Malaysia’s Madani Economy Framework aims to increase the size of Malaysia’s economic pie, as well as ensure that all stakeholders — particularly the rakyat and small businesses — will enjoy the ensuing socio-economic benefits, he said.
Google said the latest initiatives are built on its investments in Malaysia over the last 12 years.
In 2022 alone, the company’s products and programmes supported more than 47,900 jobs and also contributed, directly and indirectly, an estimated US$2.8 billion in economic benefits to local businesses.
“The partnership we are announcing today with the government of Malaysia aligns Google’s local mission of Advancing Malaysia Together with the government’s goal to create a supportive ecosystem for innovation that includes more meaningful and equitable job opportunities,” said president and chief investment officer; chief financial officer, Alphabet and Google, Ruth Porat.
Meanwhile, Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz welcomed Google’s continued contributions to the rakyat and homegrown businesses, especially through programmes that nurture skilled talent and help Malaysia’s small businesses scale regionally.
“Apart from supporting the achievement of NIMP 2030’s missions, these will also enhance Malaysia’s overall global competitiveness to foreign investors. The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry and its agency, the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) will do our utmost to facilitate Google’s planned investments in Malaysia.”
Inclusive skilling opportunities for 300,000 Malaysians by 2026
To provide Malaysians from all backgrounds with more digital training opportunities, Google Cloud, CloudMile and Trainocate are making five digital learning paths available at no cost.
“Accessible through the Go Cloud program — which aims to upskill 300,000 Malaysians by 2026 — the learning paths consist of online courses to help individuals better apply generative AI (gen AI), data analytics and cloud-based productivity tools.”
Learners who complete the five learning paths will earn digital skills badges that they can share on their resumes and extended 30-day access to more learning paths at no cost.
Google said this is built on Gemilang, a digital training programme that has provided 31,000 Google Career Certificate scholarships to less fortunate individuals in partnership with educational institutions and nonprofits.
“This helps Malaysians earn professional certifications — at no cost — for entry-level jobs in high-demand fields such as data analytics, IT support as well as e-commerce and digital marketing.”
Besides this, the government and Google Cloud will embark on joint AI launchpad initiatives to create new jobs, enhance public service delivery and help local companies tap global markets.
Google will also support the government’s refinement of its existing Cloud First Policy for Malaysia, contributing policy expertise and its Secure AI Framework to account for the latest advancements in cloud computing and AI.
This reinforces the government’s efforts to prioritise the use of resilient, cost-efficient, and innovation-driven cloud services over capital-intensive on-premise systems, while aligning with global best practices on data privacy and security standards. — Bernama


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Lotte pushing to open massive mall in Jamsil
However, the glossy appearance of the mall betrays the concerns of store owners.
“I don’t understand why we are not able to open our stores when we are 100 meters [328 feet] away from the 123-story tower,” said 45-year-old Byun Jeong-im, who has a 26-square-meter spot for her store on the second floor of the mall. “It’s been months since I finished prepping for my store. Now, these sandals will become overstock when fall comes.”
For Byun, the biggest problem has become managing her other store in Dongdaemun in central Seoul while she tries to organize her Jamsil shop. She had a part-time worker, whom she had been paying 1.3 million won ($1,250) per month since March, but the worker quit last week. “It is easy for fluent Chinese speakers to get a job in a duty-free shop. About 70 to 80 percent of my store’s customers are Chinese, and I’m not sure if I will be able to find a fluent Chinese speaker to work in that store before Chuseok,” Byun said.
But it’s not just store owners like Byun who feel trapped. A 30-year-old, who asked to be identified by her last name Kwon, was hired in March as a manager at a franchise store set to open in Lotte World Mall. Since the branch hasn’t opened, she has been rotating among stores in other areas of the city every week.
“Because I stay at the stores temporarily, I only do chores like cleaning up garbage, even if I am more experienced than the store managers in those stores,” said Kwon, who has five years of management experience.
The construction of Lotte World Mall, which has a total floor area of 80,000 square meters, is the core of their problems. The mall isn’t directly below the 555-meter, 123-story World Tower, but is a separate building with nine to 11 stories.
Lotte completed this “lower portion,” which has 1,000 stores, before asking the city for provisional service approval last June. Provisional service approval means that part of a building has been given permission to operate before construction is finished on another part of the building. The city did not grant permission to the mall, saying that “traffic and safety issues need to be remedied.”
But according to Lotte, the city has maintained that opening Lotte World Mall before finishing the tower’s construction isn’t the problem.
Kim Jong-chun, a Lotte Corporation’s board member said, “There are many precedents for opening the portion that finished construction first, both in Korea and abroad.” Korea’s 284-meter, 55-story International Finance Center Seoul was opened in three separate stages. Sindorim TechnoMart in Guro District, Seoul, was opened up to the 25th floor in 2007 and opened the top 15 floors six months later.
In Taiwan, Taipei 101 opened its five-story shopping mall in 2003 and then opened the 101-story tower a year and a half later. Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building (162 floors, 828 meters) in Dubai, Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago (92 floors, 415 meters) and the International Commerce Centre in Hong Kong (118 floors, 484 meters) were all opened in four to six stages.
Some anxious store owners are wondering if the delay is due to rumors that the tower will collapse because of sink holes. But Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon said in an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo in July that “experts concluded that there is no structural problem related to sink holes. The tower won’t tilt or collapse.”
“Lotte Tower stands on an enormous concrete base. [The concerns about sink holes] are unrelated, and granting provisional service approval for the lower shopping mall area is also unrelated to sink holes,” he said.
A Seoul city official said this month that the issue was actually traffic-related. “The final point of discussion is traffic-related - regarding the plan to construct parts of Olympic-daero as an underground tunnel - and not a safety concern,” the official said.
A Lotte Group insider said that the group was doing its best to negotiate with the city in order to open the mall. Lotte must resubmit its application to the city by Aug. 18.
The merchants said they could not overstate the importance of sales during Chuseok, which falls on Sept. 8. They said that if the mall gets approval from the city, they would do anything possible to open their shops.
BY KOO HUI-LYUNG, KANG KI-HEON [email@example.com]


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Elin Rees PR pitched for and were subsequently awarded a contract from the Abergavenny Rural Tourism Alliance to deliver a concise PR strategy around Abergavenny tourism and in particular to build a stronger web presence and source targeted offers to promote alongside the tourism offer.
This contract involves Elin Rees PR engaging the public on behalf of Abergavenny to raise awareness of what the town has to offer. This is through the creation of new outreach activity in the shape of online PR, traditional PR, email marketing and the building of a new ‘Abergavenny Deals’ page, all of which are helping to drive online traffic and promote Abergavenny’s offering.
For example, whereas previously each business may have their own offers within their own sites, the new deals page hosts all the various deals and offers from businesses and attractions in the area, as well as allowing visitors to purchase a monthly special deal through the website.
Elin Rees PR are also responsible for maintaining the social media accounts, engaging with the public and existing Abergavenny accounts to create a more engaged and welcoming presence than what has previously been in place.
Elin Rees PR also made the decision to create a video using aerial footage from a drone, to be released later this year, which will be a great digital marketing too, with the video being made in accordance with what we believe to be the most effective methods to make the video highly viewable and to maximise the share-ability.
Regular meetings are held every 2 months, with additional meetings set-up if necessary as a result of a specific event. Regular weekly email communication is also maintained.


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Retailers are getting more involved in ethical standards and certifications, with many creating in-house schemes for beauty brands stocked in-store and online, and this trend will continue to rise in importance, says the founder of Ecovia Intelligence.
The clean and ethical beauty movement has garnered plenty of traction in recent years, fuelled by a plethora of environmental, societal, business and consumer factors, and CosmeticsDesign-Europe has been tracking this movement closely for some time.
Some cosmetic products sold in Europe still contain excessive levels of allergy-inducing fragrances when labelled and marketed as perfume-free, finds a study by the Council of Europe and its European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & Healthcare...
The Tennessee-based label manufacturer announced the deal late last month. Owning Texas-based McDowell Label (as the company is more commonly known) gives Resource Label Group a more robust presence in the Southwestern United States.
CosmeticsDesign is launching a Clean & Ethical Beauty online video series this week, compiling the latest trends, data and expert opinions on how and why the business opportunities are evolving in this growing space.
The business magazine’s second annual list of Private Titans highlights 1,000 companies across industries that were once startups but have since grown in sales, employees, valuation and other indicators so as to standout in the private sector.


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A Design Life
“This little dream of mine just keeps getting sweeter” —Karli Buxton
Karli Buxton leads a busy life. From designing original jewelry pieces, to selling to retailers nationwide or traveling the world on buying trips for materials, this alumna is indeed hustling. But her dream, inspired by the fashion program at Georgia Southern University, paved the way.
“I wanted to create a jewelry line focused on bold, one-of-a-kind jewels that could take a plain T-shirt to the next level,” explained Buxton, a 2011 graduate of the Fashion Merchandising and Apparel Design program.
Near the end of her studies, she moved to New York to complete the required three-month internship. Buxton worked under the tutelage of evening wear and bridal gown designer Don O’Neill of THEIA.
“There I gained much-needed knowledge in the fashion industry”, said Buxton.
In 2012, she first sold her jewelry design collection to a local boutique in her hometown of Macon, Georgia. After her business became known in the social media world, she was contacted by more retail stores. Buxton’s retail presence has grown to more than 400 stores across the country in a little over five years.
Buxton concentrated on selling directly to retailers from the start. “It was very neat, at the time, to think I could have my designs sold in retail stores across the country,” said the alumna. Her minor in business helped prepare her for the financial demands of the wholesale designer jewelry trade.
She had a great time at Georgia Southern. One instructor that made an impact was Amy Scarborough, Ph.D. She took Buxton and a group of students to New York City for a fashion study program, exploring all things fashion for a week. They toured various fashion high spots including designer studios and even had meetings with designers Tommy Hilfiger and Cynthia Rowley. “I met some of the best people I know to this day while at Georgia Southern, and will cherish those friendships for a lifetime.”
For the past two years she has participated in New York Fashion Week under the platform, “A Cosmo Life.” That platform includes the movements Fashion Against Bullying and Homelessness in New York City and London. “I am honored to be a part of something that makes a difference in the world,” said Buxton.
Her popularity continues to grow. Vogue India has used her jewelry designs in several fashion editorials, and actresses Shay Mitchell and Vanessa Hudgens are fans of the line. She has also designed jewelry for Florida Georgia Line’s Brian Kelley and his wife Brittney’s clothing brand, Tribe Kelley.
Buxton said “I love that the Karli Buxton line gives me the freedom of being able to create a life based on hard work and dedication. The challenge of coming up with new and innovative ideas keeps it fun. Seeing people love my work is so rewarding.”
— Liz Walker


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The Ball is Back In the Court
Salut tout le monde! 👋
I wish I was writing from Roland Garros today but alas, the virtual season is still in effect. However, what an incredible Men’s Singles Final at the French Open today. Tsitsipas v Djokovic. Ahhh!! The 22yo Tsitsipas started out strong and took the first two sets, escalating it to nail biting territory very quickly. But then Djokovic took the next two, and as we all saw, ultimately the final fifth set as well. And with that, he joined Rod Laver and Roy Emerson as the only men to have won each of the 4 grand slams at least twice. Très, très, très incroyable! But I feel Tsitsipas equally gave it his best, and I am for sure a Tsitsifan. Here are some of the highlights from the epic match.
Ok, so what happened in the SPAC Open this week? Seems like they are also on a rebound. Crypto and Meme stocks were crushing SPACs like Tsitsipas and winning sets in the last couple of months but now SPACs have refuelled and feels like the Gatorade and Protein bars are kicking in. SEC is like the stern coach and mostly focused on improving the backhand. (get it?!) Slowly new IPOs are coming to the market, the deals are closing and as discussed last week, the merger vote trade is working.
There were 8 deals on the merger voting list last week, and all of them were approved and traded higher sans one. Below are the weekly returns, and its worth noting that the warrants outperformed the commons from a return perspective.
$SSPK (the Cannabis SPAC that acquired WeedMaps) was the best performing with the commons up ~12% on the week and warrants up ~24%. It will begin trading under the new ticker $MAPS on Tuesday (June 15th). While I cannot say that I have tried the product myself, I do believe that they have got a solid business in helping people get stoned. It’s basically a Shopify for the weed industry. Someone on twitter summarized their business like this:
Cannabis + Tech + SaaS = 🚀 💸 🥦
And that’s really it! A profitable, high-margin, fast growing ad tech business focused on Cannabis sales. Weedmaps is an online marketplace for cannabis consumers with over 10 million monthly active users and over 18,000 business listings. It also offers a cloud based SaaS platform to the cannabis retailers and brands by offering them an end-to-end operating system whereby they can access more customers and scale their business. It is also the only company in the Cannabis space that doesn’t actually touch the plant, which makes for a much higher trading volume on the Nasdaq as it can be owned by traditional investment institutions looking for the exposure to the industry.
WeedMaps, which began in 2008, has already built a moat by penetrating ~90% of the very fragmented California market (which accounts for 50% of its revenues), and with the cannabis market in the US projected to double over the next five years, it should continue to scale rapidly. Unlike the EV SPACs, it is not only revenue generating but also profit generating. The business grew its revenues at a 40% CAGR over the last five years and is projected to do $165M in sales this year and $35M in EBITDA. Weedmaps’ growth story is predicated on increasing their pricing and the number of paying clients. They project a 23% revenue growth in 2021 followed by 40% each in 2022 and 2023. With the stock already almost double since the merger announcement, the market is clearly very bullish on them. I may or may not get stoned, we shall see.
For this upcoming week, we have 4 merger votes on the roster. And you can already see the price is starting to get bid up as the sentiment turns positive and more people enter the trade. So I have included the merger votes for the following week as well.
I have been a fan of the $FTOC deal and picked up some last week when it was trading around par. $FRX has some scandal brewing around it on twitter, where people are speculating that post the merger close, it will be short squeezed. That’s one popular way to go to the moon these days. Jeremy Tarica, the CIO at Forest Road has been very active on twitter in the last couple of weeks trying to promote people to vote and getting celebrities to endorse the deal. I guess its in keeping with the entire get-a-beach-body-in-10-days industry. Or Squeeze-me-short-cuz-I-gotta-go-to-the-moon!
Ok, I actually have to go do a real work out cuz I ain’t for sure getting a beach body for free. Have a wonderful week ahead folks. And of course I am joking. I ain’t going for a workout. I am going to get some drinks to celebrate Djokovic’s win!