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CANBERRA — Australia is actively seeking to diversify its export markets, Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said on Wednesday, as he noted measures taken by Beijing amid a diplomatic dispute would harm local farmers and Chinese consumers and producers.
The government wanted to strike free trade deals with Britain and the European Union this year, Birmingham told the National Press Club in Canberra, highlighting that the EU bloc was already Australia’s third-largest trading partner.
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China is Australia’s largest trading partner, with two-way trade worth A$235 billion ($162 billion) last year.
One in five Australian jobs rely on trade, and Australia would seek to expand its options, Birmingham said. Canberra could see the potential for clean energy partnerships with Europe, and had agreements with Japan and South Korea for hydrogen exports.
China recently imposed dumping tariffs on Australian barley, suspended some beef imports and warned Chinese students and tourists it wasn’t safe to travel to Australia because of allegations of racism.


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Retailers opt for local poultry
Large food retailers have told Parliament they prefer locally sourced poultry products to imports. Representatives of Woolworths, Pick n Pay, Shoprite Checkers, Spar and Nando’s were called by Parliament’s trade and industry portfolio committee to account for their chicken-purchasing policies as part of the committee’s hearings into the poultry industry crisis.
The government, poultry producers, meat importers, animal feed producers, agricultural economists and others have also made submissions.
Fast-food retailer Nando’s said it used locally produced chicken only to support the local industry and to ensure the products were fresh. It was concerned about the sustainability of the local industry, which had undergone a consolidation.
"This has led to fewer role players, with smaller and medium-sized operations at risk," said Nando’s. The company said it would like to see imported products held to the same quality and safety standards as the South African industry.
Pick n Pay representative Gerhard Ackermann said less than 3% of the retailer’s poultry products were imported.
Most imported products in SA were sold at independent retailers and on the informal market, he said.
Spar representatives said the retailer imported 21.9% of its poultry products in 2017 at a value of R125m, up from 14.2% for R66.5m in 2016. About R447m was spent on local poultry in 2017. The average gross margin on poultry had fallen to 8.84% in 2017, from 9.54% a year ago.
"The Spar group’s import policy is to support local producers first and only as a last resort, to import if products are not available locally," it said. The group also argued for stronger health and safety audits on imported chicken.
"Maize shortages, cost of electricity and inconsistent water supplies are some of the huge challenges local producers are facing to compete with imported poultry," said Spar.
Shoprite Checkers, which has about 60% of the formal retail market in frozen chicken and 30% in fresh chicken, said 97% of the chicken it sold was locally produced.
It said the average margin on individually quick-frozen chicken had varied from -2% to 2% over the past 12 months.
Shoprite Checkers’ fast-food chain Hungry Lion used locally produced chicken only. It imported only when there was a shortage of specific cuts. The imported products were mostly used in value-added items.
Shoprite Checkers said the local industry needed to grow its export markets and was pricing fresh chicken too high.
Woolworths’ head of fresh foods Julian Novak said all the chain’s fresh, frozen and rotisserie chicken was locally sourced. As an ingredient in other products 95% of the chicken used was also local.

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GM Rolls Dice With Roll-Out of Electric Car
In November 1989, two months before the Impact electric car was unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show, General Motors ordered some film footage of the battery-powered vehicle cruising around an Arizona test track.
As the team of Southern California engineers that designed the teardrop-shaped prototype looked on, the Impact was wheeled out with a license plate that read: “The Future is Electric.”
But before the cameras were allowed to roll, a frantic GM official ordered the removal of the plate. “He said, ‘It’s too strong a statement!’ ” recalled Alan Cocconi, an engineer who helped build and design the concept car.
Such equivocation has been the hallmark of GM’s approach toward electric cars over the past decade as California first agitated for, and then demanded, zero-emission vehicles.
While the world’s other major auto makers have held their electric vehicle cards close to the vest, GM has been center stage. But its on-again, off-again production stance amounted to a confusing public display of corporate schizophrenia.
So it is with equal parts surprise and skepticism that the world is again watching GM as it becomes the first major auto maker in nearly 80 years to build electric cars from scratch and sell them to the public.
With the flair of a Hollywood movie premier, GM’s EV1--a sleek, $34,000 sports coupe derived from the Impact--is being delivered today to consumers at 24 Saturn dealerships in Southern California and Arizona. As the EV1 is driven off by the likes of actor Ed Begley Jr. and Baywatch star Alexandra Paul, GM is undertaking an ambitious push into a new era of automotive transportation.
The stakes are enormous. If the vehicle succeeds, the hegemony of the internal combustion engine could be broken. Gas-powered cars will be with us for decades to come, but EV1 could legitimize a whole new approach with vast potential for cleaning the air and easing the need for oil. It could also lead to a wave of alternative-fuel vehicles using fuel cells, flywheels, ultracapacitors and other technologies still under development.
“This has the potential of being a revolutionary step,” declared John Dunlap III, chairman of the California Air Resources Board.
If the EV1 bombs--and there is no shortage of doubters--it could relegate the electric car to the compost heap of history once and for all, while setting back alternative-fuel vehicle development for decades.
“It’s not the right time or technology,” said Lester Berriman, head of Drivers for Highway Safety, a small group of California engineers expert in auto issues. “It could kill electric vehicles for the future.”
For California, the arrival of the electric car is a vindication of a controversial regulatory gamble--mandating zero-emission vehicles as a way to solve the state’s severe air pollution problem. Even though the mandate was pushed back last year from 1998 to 2003, state regulators can now point to the EV1 as proof that electric car development has been advanced by their prodding.
For GM, the EV1 has been a catalyst for change. It provides GM, whose innovations have ranged from the automatic transmission to the catalytic converter, an opportunity to recapture the crown as a technology leader lost to the Japanese in the 1970s and 1980s. The vehicle also has been a laboratory for changing GM’s corporate culture--from that of an arrogant, stodgy behemoth producing clunky cars to a leading-edge company open to new ideas and technologies.
Most important, the EV1 is an opportunity to learn whether the public wants such a machine. Consumers ultimately will decide the future of electric vehicles by their willingness to buy them despite their initial, and sizable, limitations.
Of course, GM, which invested $350 million in the EV1, is not the only auto maker scrambling to position itself for an electric future. Its U.S. competitors, and auto makers in Japan, Europe and Korea, are deep into electric vehicle development as California regulators tinker with their zero-emission deadlines into the 21st century.
Toyota recently doubled its research budget for alternative-fuel vehicles to $800 million a year. Chairman Shoichiro Toyoda predicts that in the next few years, if electric car costs can be cut in half, sales will take off.
“We seem to be on the verge of a technological revolution,” Toyoda said.
To its credit, GM is first off the mark. The traditionally lumbering, insular auto giant went outside its walls to find inspiration, then returned to Detroit where some in-house dreamers brought it to life. The birth was long and hard. The EV1 was kept alive even when GM’s own survival seemed in question. And it was shaped by the rugged crucible of California’s environmental politics.
“It stands as a triumph of the visionaries,” says Roland Hwang, transportation project director for the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Back to the Future
Nearly 100 years ago, electric-powered vehicles accounted for about 30% of the fledgling auto industry. A favorite of women, electrics were quiet, nonpolluting and easy to start. By contrast, the crude early internal combustion engine cars were noisy and smelly and had to be cranked to start.
But gasoline-powered cars quickly improved. Their greater range and speed soon left electrics in the dust. The final dagger was the invention of the electric starter in 1912, eliminating the need for a hand crank. By the 1920s, electric vehicles had disappeared from the scene.
As smog concerns arose in the 1960s, particularly in Los Angeles, auto makers revived electric vehicle research. The work geared up with the oil shocks of the 1970s. GM even announced in 1980 that it would produce an electric version of its Chevette. But gas prices soon stabilized, and GM never produced a single “Electrovette.”
Strangely enough, the true revival of the modern electric car took flight three years earlier in August 1977 with the liftoff of a human-powered airplane in the San Joaquin Valley.
The Gossamer Condor, designed by engineer Paul MacCready, was a delicate craft with transparent wings spanning 96 feet, virtually no fuselage and a tiny cockpit for the pilot to sit in and pedal. It was the first human-powered plane to complete a rigorous 3-mile course.
The Condor was followed in 1979 by MacCready’s Gossamer Albatross, the first human-powered plane to cross the English Channel. Two years later, the Solar Challenger, a solar-powered aircraft, accomplished the same feat. Then came the Sunraycer, a solar-powered vehicle that won a 2,000-mile race across Australia in 1987.
The quirky inventions appeared impractical, but had advanced the understanding of aerodynamic design, lightweight materials and unusual power sources.
The Sunraycer was financed by GM. So pleased were GM brass with the victory against international competition that they hired AeroVironment, MacCready’s small Monrovia research firm, to secretly build a concept electric vehicle using some of the technology from the solar car.
Two days after the 1990 Rose Bowl, the Southern California sun was shining. But it wasn’t the weather that had Roger B. Smith glowing. Rather, the diminutive GM chairman beamed with the knowledge that he was about to rock the auto world. He did just that when he drove a silver electric vehicle before reporters at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
The Impact was a public relations coup. The response was so positive that in April, Smith--against the advice of his closest advisors--announced that GM would mass produce the two-seat car by the mid-1990s.
That announcement “backfired on us because it got regulators thinking about a mandate,” recalled Robert C. Stempel, who would succeed Smith as chairman.
The California Air Resources Board had long regarded electric vehicles as the magic bullet to improving the state’s air quality, the nation’s worst. Half the state’s air pollution comes from car and truck exhaust.
Auto makers had always argued that electric vehicles were impractical, the technology not advanced enough. Now GM was singing a different tune, and the ARB started to hum along. Before the year was out, the ARB had adopted a zero-emission rule that in essence required 2% of cars sold by the state’s seven largest auto retailers be electric-powered as of 1998.
GM felt the mandate made it impossible to make a profit selling electric cars. It required production of more vehicles than GM knew it could sell, and brought six new competitors into the market. Still figuring it had a big lead, GM resolved to bring the Impact to market by as early as 1993.
To do the job, GM turned to Kenneth Baker, a passionate, ambitious career engineer who had run the ill-fated Electrovette program. He was skeptical of GM’s resolve but put aside his doubts. “I saw it as a chance to make history,” Baker said.
It would be a tough task. Nearly every part of the Impact would have to be redesigned and engineered--a new motor, controller, battery and charger. One of the biggest worries was the battery. Using lead-acid batteries, the Impact was said to have a range of 125 miles, but the reality was much less.
Meanwhile, GM’s financial problems began to overwhelm the company. In 1991, it lost a staggering $4.45 billion. New chairman Stempel announced the closing of 21 plants and elimination of 74,000 jobs.
Realizing his program was in trouble, Baker rushed through a fast-build of an Impact to show its production was feasible. But when the financial crisis forced the November 1992 resignation of Stempel, an ardent Impact backer, the program was taken off production status and its staff cut by two-thirds.
On Dec. 7, Baker traveled to the Lansing, Mich., plant where the Impact was to be built to break the bad news. He offered encouraging words and then wished everyone a happy holiday. “I was booed,” Baker recalls.
Keeping the Impact Alive at GM
While it appeared to the world that the Impact was dead, Baker had managed to keep it on life-support. GM first sought an unprecedented joint venture with Ford and Chrysler under which the Big Three would cooperate in producing electric-vehicle components and possibly even battery-powered cars and trucks. Baker referred to it as Team USA, a joint national effort to beat the Japanese to market.
The talks amounted to wary shadowboxing. Chrysler bowed out early as Ford and GM continued negotiating through much of 1993. They showed each other secret prototypes, but talks stalled when GM insisted Ford pay $100 million for its electric vehicle technology.
“We couldn’t come to financial terms,” said John Wallace, head of Ford’s EV program.
Baker next pursued another avenue. GM’s board had given Baker $32 million to produce 50 Impacts for test purposes. He used 30 to provide two-week test drives to consumers in 12 cities. GM was unprepared for the public reaction.
In Los Angeles, more than 10,000 people signed up.
Yet even while kicking off its nationwide road test, GM was teaming up with its rivals and the oil industry to mount an assault on the California mandate, which by now had been adopted by 13 states in the Northeast.
As 1993 neared an end, GM President John F. “Jack” Smith traveled to New York to meet with investment analysts. GM’s turnaround was taking hold, he declared. Its U.S. auto operations would post a profit in 1994. “No excuses,” he added.
One of Smith’s top advisors, strategist Robert Purcell, urged the chief executive to restart the electric vehicle program. He saw the Impact as GM’s chance to stake a claim to technological leadership into the 21st century.
The Impact also had just been tested with an advanced battery, a nickel-metal hydride pack made by Ovonic, a firm now headed by the ousted Stempel. In one test with an Ovonic battery, the Impact went 201 miles on a single charge.
Soon afterward on March 7, 1994, GM’s board quietly put the Impact program back on production status. There were two conditions: Cut costs to the bone, and proceed with secrecy.
Purcell became program manager, replacing Baker, who had been promoted to vice president. As he was introduced to the board, Purcell asked Jack Smith if he had any advice. Smith said, “Yeah, Bob, make a business out of it.” The line became a company mantra.
Cost was hardly the only problem. The Impact failed a crucial crash test, the electronic controller developed bugs and the Ovonic battery behaved erratically. The first two problems were fixed and GM decided to delay use of nickel-metal hydride until 1997 at least.
The program also got a boost from GM Chairman John Smale, the publicity-shy outside director who had engineered Stempel’s downfall. He borrowed an Impact for a week and then sent his assessment to Purcell by letter.
Smale, a consumer products genius from Procter & Gamble, wrote that the Impact was likely to generate excitement in Baker’s test-drive program. “My instincts are that we could sell a lot more of these cars than we might think,” he concluded.
Indeed, consumers gave glowing reports. They were surprised by the Impact’s zip, going from 0-60 mph in less than 9 seconds. It was quiet. It was fun. Drivers left the car wearing what GM staffers came to call the “EV smile.”
Even as the Impact made the rounds, GM kept a lid on its plans to actually build and sell it. The secrecy was imposed for two reasons: GM didn’t want to tip off rivals, and it was determined to roll back the mandate.
While auto makers and the oil industry stepped up lobbying for delay, a blue-ribbon scientific panel concluded that advanced batteries would not be commercially ready by 1998. The ARB agreed to drop the mandate for 1998--in part because Dunlap feared some reluctant auto makers might put substandard electric vehicles on the market in order to “poison the well.”
As part of the compromise, the auto makers agreed to produce a small number of electric vehicles and put demonstration fleets on the road in the meantime. A 10% mandate remains in place for 2003.
An Electric Future?
It was time for another Los Angeles Auto Show, the 1996 edition, and CEO Jack Smith--like Roger Smith six years earlier--came before reporters at the L.A. Convention Center on Jan. 4 to announce that GM would begin selling the EV1 this fall.
“It is time to get the electric vehicles out of the lab, into the showroom and onto the road,” he declared.
GM doesn’t expect to make money on the EV1. But it figures profits will come with follow-up electric cars and components as technology improves, volumes increase and costs come down.
GM also hopes to reap the benefits of just being first. As the EV1s silently hit the road today, GM is making automotive history by retailing the first purpose-built electric--that is, not a gasoline-powered car converted to electric--in modern times.
Not everyone is convinced that it is a momentous occasion.
“I don’t see this as revolutionizing the automotive paradigm any time soon,” said Kenneth Green, director of environmental studies for the Reason Foundation, a Los Angeles-based think tank.
Green and others note that the EV1--whose battery pack carries the energy equivalent of just two gallons of gas--cannot match the performance of even the most basic gas-powered vehicle in terms of range.
It is also pricey and probably could not be leased to more than a few hundred wealthy hobbyists without its local, state and federal subsidies, which can lower the price $8,500.
But proponents say the EV1 is not meant to be a vehicle for everyone, or designed to replace the internal combustion engine any time soon. Rather, GM’s imperfect electric car, and others soon to appear, are important as steppingstones to the next level of clean personal transportation, whatever form that might take.
Society’s stake in that grows clearer as demand for cars and trucks increases worldwide, along with growing concerns about global warming.
* CONSUMER ISSUES: What prospective owners need to know about the EV. D1
* CAREFUL START: Marketing the car. D1
(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)
GM’s electric car, EV1, is now in Saturn showrooms across the Southland for energy-minded consumers who can afford the steep leasing rates and live with the limited range.
Plugging into the power
* How to recharge: With home or public charger, takes about three hours. A plastic paddle on the charger plugs into the car’s charge unit. Portable recharger, left, can be carried in the trunk for emergency use, but it takes 12 to 14 hours to recharge the batteries.
* Where to recharge: Fewer than 20 public recharging stations exist in Southern California, with plans for 150 by next summer. For now, public sites are free. For a car driven 1,000 miles a month, about $20 a month with a home unit, above.
Guging the investment
* Price: $34,000, three-year lease only.
* Incentives: First 1,200 cars qualify for state and federal incentives totaling $8,500. With incentives, monthly payments would total about $500 a month, $640 without.
* Other costs: Buyers must lease a home recharging unit for $50 a month and pay an installation fee of $1,000.
* Driving range: 70-90 miles without recharging.
Researched by ROB CIOE / Los Angeles Times


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This story was published more than 5 years ago.
Australian betting group Ainsworth Game Technology has released their fiscal results for the year, noting that profits and revenues were down from the year prior.
Key financial indicators for the year ending June 30th, 2018 were:
The company attributed its lower numbers to a drop in sales in Asia, New Zealand, and Europe.
Commenting on the results company CEO Danny Gladstone said, "Our performance continues to show signs of improvement and is a direct result of the strategies implemented to expand our international footprint, invest in technology to enhance our product suite, and build our participation fleet to improve the quality of our earnings."
"We will continue to judiciously invest our cash flow in product improvements and innovation, and sales and marketing while retiring debt and rewarding shareholders. In fiscal year 2019 we expect to release a new suite of products which should assist in translating to improved financial results."


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Looks like the sale of homemade baked goods in Wisconsin would be allowed under a bill being circulated in the state Senate.
Wisconsin and New Jersey are the only states prohibiting the for-profit sale of baked goods made in a home kitchen (mind you, New Jersey is the state that wouldn't allow you to pump your own gas.) Similar bills have passed the state Senate with bipartisan support the past two sessions but died in the Assembly. The latest proposal would allow up to $7,500 of home-based good sales each year, though it would require the seller to register with the state and meet requirements about labeling, training and documenting sales. Of course, red tape and paperwork, right?
This will come as welcome news to my friend who bakes interesting brownies. I'll definitely tell him about this!


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Snapchat (SNAP) reported Q3 revenue of $298 million and eps of -$0.12. The company beat on revenue and earnings, yet the market was disappointed. SNAP sold off by 10%. I had the following takeaways on the quarter.
DAUs Continue To Slide
Heading into the quarter Snapchat had 188 million daily active users (“DAUs”), likely large enough to interest advertisers looking to reach millennials. The problem was that DAUs were down 2% from Q1 2018. The company recently revamped the app to separate friends’ photos and videos from content delivered by influencers. In a leaked memo CEO Evan Spiegel admitted the rushed re-design may have been off putting to several users. Snapchat’s Q3 DAUs were 186 million – a loss of another 2 million users. The company intimated the attrition was primarily among Android users.
Management also intimated DAUs would fall again in Q4. The question remains, “Will advertisers abandon Snapchat due to lack of DAU growth?” Over 85% of the company’s advertising revenue is derived via self-service, allowing Snapchat to scale its sales efforts and reach smaller advertisers.
This implies Snapchat could spur additional advertising revenue with its current DAU pool. It could also potentially grow ad revenue by reaching smaller advertisers without incrementally increasing SG&A costs. The company’s infrastructure has been built out. Now it needs to deliver new advertisers. This sounds easier said than done. Read more:


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The economy is tanking. The government is on the brink. The treasury is fending off market vigilantes and credit downgrades. The capital is seething with protest by day, desolate and derelict by night.
But as far as tourism is concerned Greece is not merely open for business, it is expecting a bumper year. And for visitors this summer, the country promises to be one giant bargain.


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REGINA — Some land in the untouched, remote corners of Saskatchewan are going up for sale.
The Saskatchewan government is in the final stages of preparations for an online auction in which 48 parcels of Crown land will go to the highest bidder.
Natural forests, natural prairie grasslands, and natural wetlands are some of the parcels that will be sold off.
Environmentalists say they worry that the land might be converted by the new owners into ploughed fields, more profitable for the owners, but not suitable for natural wildlife to live in.
The province says they have assessed the parcels and determined they are somewhat less environmentally sensitive than some others.
This past spring the province put 80 parcels of farmland up for sale on an online auction for the first time ever.
“We have just found it to be an effective and modern way to sell crown land,” Wally Hoehn of the Ministry of Agriculture told CTV News. “The client response has been very positive, very transparent. It allows people to bid. They do not have to show up with a tender.”
The auction is set to begin in less than two weeks. Bidding will close the first week of November.


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The new season of the World Endurance Championship is nearly upon us, and this time there's the new top class Le Mans Hypercars. There's also an American team competing at the top level, Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus, and it's just shown its contender for the first time.
Nissan has redesigned the Pathfinder for 2022 and the popular crossover, just like its predecessor, will twin a new QX60 from Infiniti. The design of the new QX60 has already been previewed in concept form and now we have fresh specs.
Mercedes-Benz has a new C-Class on its hands, and soon there will also be a new C63 from AMG. We hear the next C63 is downsizing to a 4-cylinder but thankfully the change isn't expected to come at the cost of performance.
You'll find these stories and more in today's car news, right here at Motor Authority.
SCG 007 Le Mans Hypercar revealed, and she's a beauty
2022 Infiniti QX60 arrives soon with 295-hp V-6, 9-speed automatic, and 6,000-pound towing capacity
Next Mercedes-Benz AMG C63 will reportedly be a plug-in hybrid with a 4-cylinder, 550 hp
2021 Chevrolet Tahoe vs. 2021 GMC Yukon: Compare SUVs
Flying taxi startup Joby Aviation to go public via SPAC deal
Tesla confirms it’s developing affordable global EV in China
Nissan could release a car with an engine rated at 50% thermal efficiency
2021 Buick Envision vs. Lincoln Corsair: Compare Crossover SUVs
Toyota begins construction of its smart city
Electric-car rivalry heats up: Just 4% of Tesla shoppers will only choose the brand, survey finds


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Huawei has delayed the launch of its highly anticipated foldable phone, the Mate X, from June to September.
Huawei’s reluctance to release the Huawei Mate X
The Chinese tech giant told CNBC that it was doing extensive testing to ensure the device was ready. It added that the company was taking a “cautious” approach following the failed launch of Samsung’s own foldable device, the Galaxy Fold. The Fold came out in April but shipment of the phone saw repeated delays.
“We don’t want to launch a product to destroy our reputation,” a spokesperson for Huawei told CNBC.
The bigger problem for Huawei, though, is not necessarily the reliability of relatively untested foldable technology. It’s the ongoing effects of the US trade ban.
Since Huawei’s placement on the so-called Entity List, American firms have been unable to sell or license any technology to the firm. This has created all sorts of trouble for Huawei, most notably its inability to license the full version of Google’s Android operating system.
Whether or not the Mate X — if and when it ships in September — will come with Android is unclear. CNBC says that the Mate X will ship with Android because the phone’s “initial launch was before Huawei’s placement on the Entity List.”
Alternatively, the phone might ship with Huawei’s own mobile OS, which it’s been developing for years. A spokesperson for the firm told CNBC that it would prefer to go with Google’s software. According to him: “We are ready to do it ourselves if we feel the pressure. We can do in the next six-to-nine months.”
Huawei’s “Foldable” Mate X
The Mate X first came out in February. The phone was an instant hit in the market. It was the most promising of the new crop of foldable devices. It has a single 8-inch OLED panel that folds in two. The phone arrives with 8GB of RAM, three cameras, 5G support, and costs roughly €2,299 ($2,600).


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In response to the Global COVID-19 pandemic and as an empathetic gesture of goodwill towards their tenants , Bahrain Real Estate Investment Company (Edamah), the real estate investment arm of the Kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, announced that it has issued a waiver for all its Food and Beverage (F&B) and Retail tenants under Edamah’s portfolio for the month of March.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Edamah, Mr. Amin Alarrayed, said, “We see it as our duty at Edamah to work alongside our tenants to offer much needed support during this difficult time. For this reason, and as a gesture of goodwill, be are issuing a one-month moratorium on the rents of our F&B and retail tenants, to mitigate any business downturn. We will be closely monitoring the situation and want to reassure our tenants that their continued success is of the utmost importance to us. As such, we will reappraise the situation after this period with the business health of our F&B tenants in mind.”
Edamah is maintaining its commitment to serve its tenants, implementing measures to minimize the adverse business effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which particularly affect the F&B and Retail sectors, and will reappraise the situation in due course.
Commenting in response to the announcement that rent would be temporarily waived, one tenant of Edamah said, “Given the scenario we are facing, we deeply appreciate this gesture extended by Edamah and are relieved, as this will be a great help in maintaining the health of our business during this period.”


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Both artists have teamed up with a beverage brand and now it’s time to pick which of their commercials is the best.
Related Article: Taylor Swift Takes Us Behind-The-Scenes Of Her Diet Coke Ad
Taylor was the newest star to land an endorsement deal with a carbonated drink when she teamed up with Diet Coke a few months ago. She released her very first commercial during last night’s American Idol, which shows her putting together her latest single “22.” She spoke about signing with the soda company and said, “I’ve said for years that Diet Coke just ‘gets me’ and my lifestyle.”
Earlier this year, One Direction joined the likes of Beyoncé and Britney Spears to become the faces of Pepsi and had their own commercial during the Super Bowl alongside quarterback Drew Brees. While Taylor’s is more heartwarming and personal, 1D is just plain silly and we can’t get enough of it.
Which commercial do you think is more creative and fun?


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Missed the GamesBeat Summit excitement? Don't worry! Tune in now to catch all of the live and virtual sessions here.
Zynga is always on the hunt for the next Words With Friends, the Scrabble-like game that has been downloaded more than 200 million times. So the company is launching a new word puzzle game called Boggle With Friends today.
San Francisco-based Zynga has created a mobile game based on Hasbro’s Boggle word game, making it more social and a new member of the “With Friends” franchise. Developed in partnership with Hasbro, the free-to-play game is available today on the App Store for iPhone and iPad and on Google Play for Android devices.
“Boggle is a nostalgic, family favorite brand spanning generations and geographies, and we’re excited to introduce Boggle With Friends to word fans everywhere,” said Scott Koenigsberg, senior vice president of casual games at Zynga. “Boggle With Friends reimagines everyone’s favorite classic game with innovative matching word play, dynamic themes, and brand-new social features.
From the team that created Words With Friends, Boggle With Friends blends the fun of the original Boggle board game with puzzling twists. As players spell and match their way through the game, they can chat and challenge with family and friends in their quest to find words and earn bragging rights. Players can compete in head-to-head live tournaments and fast single-round tournaments to show off their word skills and earn rewards and advantages along the way.
Zynga is also working on a Words With Friends sequel and another game called Crosswords With Friends. Frank Gibeau, CEO of Zynga, views Words With Friends as one of Zynga’s “forever franchises,” or games that stand the test of time. As proof of that, he noted in the most recent quarterly earnings call that Words With Friends bookings were up 32 percent from a year earlier. Not bad for an eight-year-old game.
“We are thrilled to team up with Zynga to bring Boggle With Friends to fans globally,” said Mark Blecher, senior vice president of digital gaming and corporate development at Hasbro, in a statement. “This exciting mobile experience gives fans a dynamic and social way to enjoy the Boggle game that is competitive, challenging, and fun.”
For players looking to sharpen their word skills, a solo play mode allows Boggle fans to climb the rankings ladder through new themes and challenges, all while preparing for their next live match. You can play that solo version in offline mode. That makes it easy to play on a plane.
An estimated 55 million active Words With Friends matches are played around the world at any moment, and more than 75 million words are played every day.
In other news, Zynga disclosed recently that it purchased Harpan’s Solitaire mobile games for $42.5 million in cash.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it. Discover our Briefings.


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Best Buy Canada goes after women with an e-commerce site that offers more than electronics
July 24, 2013 09:40 AM
The Canadian arm of retail giant Best Buy Co. is branching out from its core category of consumer electronics with the recent launch of Viva, an online lifestyle and general merchandise e-commerce site geared toward women.
For the last year, Best Buy Canada has sold an expanded assorted of products online in the personal care, health and toys category, the merchant says. With Viva, the retailer aims to capitalize on the fact that around one-half of the customers who buy these products are women, whereas consumers who buy consumer electronics products from Best Buy skew male.
“We created Viva from Best Buy in response to feedback from our growing online customer base that was looking for product selection in key lifestyle categories,” says Aliya Reynolds, director of marketing for Best Buy Canada. “As part of our evolving online strategy, Viva aims to offer customers both an engaging and interactive online experience that includes product reviews and our own online community with a wide assortment of the top brands and products they are looking for.”
Launched in May, Viva now represents 10% of online sales for Best Buy Canada, according to a spokeswoman. The site has 4,000 SKUs in the baby, health and wellness, personal care, and natural and organics categories.
Best Buy Canada operates independently from Best Buy in the United States, the spokeswoman says, and she would not comment on whether the retail chain plans to implement the Canadian strategy in the U.S. or elsewhere.
E-commerce sales in Canada will grow at least 10% annually over the next five years, topping C$33.8 billion ($32.8 billion) in 2018, up from the C$20.6 billion ($20 billion) this year, according to a recent forecast from Forrester Research Inc.. Online sales as a proportion of total Canadian retail sales will grow to 10% in 2018 from 7% this year.
Best Buy is No. 10 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide.


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Seattle’s KVI Adds Brian Bushlach’s Business Briefing To Saturday Lineup
Alpha Media Portland, in partnership with Seattle’s Feedback Media, announced today that Brian Bushlach’s popular Business Briefing program has been slotted for Saturday mornings at 8:00am on Seattle’s Talk Radio 570 KVI.
Business Briefing, in its 10th year on-air in Portland and offered in syndication on the Radio Northwest Network (RNW), will broaden its emphasis to deliver regional content focused on the booming private sector economy across the Northwest.
Alpha Media Executive VP of Programming Scott Mahalick commented on the announcement, “RNW continues to expand its programming pallet and we are pleased to have Brian at the helm. Business Briefing exposes the diversity and brings insight into the businesses that thrive in the Great Northwest.”
“We are excited to grow the KVI brand with quality programming like Business Briefing. Adding strong content to our lineup is always the goal and Business Briefing will do just that. We are excited to bring Brian and his show to the KVI Family,” added Charlie Gouge, General Sales Manager, Sinclair Radio Seattle.
“Brian Bushlach provides a deep dive into the top business leaders of the Northwest,” added Alpha SVP & Portland Market Manager Milt McConnell. “His conversational style and his inquisitive nature provide great insight to anyone interested in knowing what drives the most successful companies in our region.”
“Seattle is the epicenter of American business,” remarked Bushlach. “Boeing, Microsoft, Amazon, Starbucks, Costco, Nordstrom, Expedia and Alaska Airlines have become household names, but think about companies like Tommy Bahama, Trident Seafoods, REI and others who are also leaders in their sector. We’re looking forward to featuring companies big and small, with execs and owners sharing their stories each weekend.”


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When: Sat., July 29, 6-9 p.m. 2017
Join The Secret Chocolatier for the debut of its “Many Faces of Chocolate” exhibit. The chocolate shop’s store front will be transformed into a chocolate art gallery, featuring approximately 20 handmade, pure chocolate sculptings ranging from: an assortment of masks, a coral reef and an abstract broken clock, to other chocolate art creations by Chef Bill Dietz and his chocolatier team. There is no cost to attend the reception, which will include refreshments and chocolate sculpting demos with Chef Bill and his chocolate artistry team. For more information, visit https://www.thesecretchocolatier.com/.


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Democrats are mad as hell that Republicans have dominated the conversation about small business and they’re not going to take it any more.
Several hundred Democrats attending the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte gathered for the first-ever meeting of the party’s Small Business Owners Council. They talked about messaging — what small business owners should say about President Barack Obama’s record — and they talked about organizing — small business owners will be a key part of the president’s grass-roots effort this year.
They also complained that many groups in Washington, D.C., that purport to represent small businesses, such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, don’t speak for them.
Alan Krueger, who heads the White House Council of Economic Advisers, agreed with the complaints about the chamber, which has opposed most of Obama’s initiatives and spends millions of dollars on every congressional election, primarily to help Republicans.
Krueger told the council that Washington-based business groups like the chamber often are “out of touch with their members.” In reality, he said, Obama has done a lot to benefit small businesses.
Groups like the chamber and the National Federation of Independent Business complain a lot about government regulations, but the biggest problem most small businesses cited during the recession was poor sales, Krueger said. The president’s economic policies addressed this concern by trying to increase consumer demand, he said.
Plus, Obama took several steps to help small businesses directly. When credit to small businesses froze, he and Congress created new programs to boost Small Business Administration lending.
Health care reform created tax credits to help small businesses with the cost of insurance. Plus, as Obama has noted many times, the president has cut taxes for small businesses 18 times.
Critics contend that few small businesses actually benefited from these measures, but Kim Sawyer, owner of Locator Services Group in Boston, said they helped her firm. The legal services provider benefited from the health care tax credit and a tax credit for hiring new workers.
Thanks to health care reform, her premiums decreased this year for the first time in 15 years, she said. She used the $23,000 she saved by growing her staff by 20 percent. Plus, her firm will qualify for set-asides for women-owned businesses through a new program that President George W. Bush declined to implement.
Scott Taylor, a Kansas City councilman, was impressed by the turnout for the Small Business Owners Council meeting.
“I didn’t know so many Democrats were interested in business issues,” he said.
The crowd laughed, and applauded.
“These are issues that we can win,” Taylor said.


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Demand for Electric and Ultra Low Emission vehicles soars
Demand for electric vehicles rose by 48% in 2016, with plug-in hybrids rocketing by 133%.
The figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) offer the clearest indication yet that driver appetite for electric vehicles (EVs) and Ultra Low Emission Vehicles (ULEVs) is taking hold – a trend that’s only likely to build year on year.
“Demand for alternative fuelled and low emission vehicles is now outperforming the wider market across all vehicle categories,” said Mark Gallagher, Interactive Fleet Management's green fleet specialist.
“The car market grew by 6.3% last year, however pure electric vehicles shot up by 48% to nearly 10,000 vehicles and plug-in hybrids soared 133% to over 18,000 vehicles. For a few years now there has been uncertainty as to when the EV and ULEV revolution would begin in earnest, however that moment appears to have come.
“Compare the demand for alternative fuels to diesel. The uptake of diesel vehicles rose by just 3% in 2016, and the pressure on drivers to turn their backs on diesel technology is only likely to increase due to a range of socio-economic factors.
“Looking globally, the leaders of Paris, Mexico City, Madrid and Athens have all announced they will stop the use of all diesel-powered cars and trucks by the middle of the next decade. In the UK, campaigners are calling for London's mayor to commit to phase out diesel vehicles from London by 2025.
“Taxation on polluting vehicles is becoming increasingly punitive while favouring low emission cars and vans, and the quality of electric and ultra-low emission vehicles has never been better.
“For companies operating vehicle fleets, the message is to act now. Vehicle policies and driver choice lists will need reviewing in light of the growth in EVs and ULEVs because with most vehicle replacement policies being 3 to 4 years its important to have a plan now as the market is shifting faster than ever.”


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Wearable devices have become extremely popular as of the past few recent years. Alongside smartwatches, consumers have actively sought out wristbands that are based around health and thanks to manufacturer Xiaomi, consumers have been able to afford these wristbands without breaking the bank. Xiaomi has released a device known as the Xiaomi Mi Band which is a wristband that can track a number of different health based statistics throughout the day. Now it looks like the next installment for Xiaomi will be the Mi Band 1s and that it may be announced as early as tomorrow, July 22, 2015. This, of course, is speculation, but Xiaomi gave a nice hint that suggests the announcement is underway.
Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi already has a device set to launch tomorrow which is the 32GB variant model of the Xiaomi Mi 4i smartphone. Going alongside this launch may be the reveal of the second generation of the Xiaomi Mi Band 1S. Earlier today, Xiaomi released an image through their social media pages which showcase the new activity tracker. Alongside the image is a line text that translates to "Good Things Happen Tomorrow" which is likely teasing the announcement of the already rumored second generation of their popular wristband. In regards to what exactly the Xiaomi Mi Band 1S will be capable of tracking, the device should be able to keep details of your sleep regiment, movement, your daily workouts and have the ability to wake up your handset as long as it's running Google's Android operating system.
Unlike other wristbands on the market such as the Fitbit, the Xiaomi Mi Band doesn't contain a display anywhere on the device. Because the wristband lacks any display, consumers will have to connect the device to their Android handset to see any of the tracking details the device has captured. One of the benefits of not containing a display is that Xiaomi has managed to keep costs down to which these wristbands were considerably cheaper within the different markets. For less than $20 consumers could pick up the Xiaomi Mi Band and it's likely that they'll be able to keep a similar price point for the Mi Band 1s. No official pricing details have been discovered just yet, but it might be long before those details as well as others are unveiled for the new tracker.


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Australian Table Grape Association awarded grants to boost export market access for a range of horticulture crops.
Package Assisting Small Exporters (PASE) program funding will go towards mobile application development and accreditation system enhancements.
The Australian Table Grape Association has been awarded more than $600,000 in Australian Government funding for two projects aimed at improving market access for its growers.
Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said the funding through the Package Assisting Small Exporters (PASE) program extension aimed to provide long term benefits to producers and existing exporters, while also opening up new market access opportunities.
“Table grapes industry has led the way and now it is passing on that experience to promote the development of a range of horticulture exports,” Minister Littleproud said.
“Two grants have been provided to the Australian Table Grape Association, one to develop mobile applications to assist with managing chemical residues for each of the avocado, apple and pear, vegetables, berries, mango, melon and summer fruit industries.
“The other grant will look at improving the capabilities of the industry sector’s current Export Accreditation System which streamlines the export registration process.
“Improving the accreditation system will minimise disruptions to markets resulting in greater participation in export markets and an increase in Australian horticultural exports.
“Additional reporting metrics will also provide industry bodies with the confidence to forecast export numbers and negotiate access to new markets.
“Projects such as these will not only save producers time and money but help ensure Australia continues to build on its reputation as a reliable supplier of clean, safe, quality produce.
“It’s just another example of the Australian Government providing practical help to drive real export returns for our nation’s economy.”


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The Sensex ended the day lower by 242 points, while the Nifty closed lower by 68 points due to selling in heavyweight banking stocks.
Among the sectors, Power and Banking stocks saw a massive selling pressure, trading down by 1.84 per cent and 1.37 per cent respectively.
Info Edge rose during the trade after the company got approval from the Reserve Bank to raise the limit of foreign shareholding to 50 per cent of its paid-up capital.
Stock ended the day at Rs 756, higher by 0.95 per cent on NSE. It touched an intraday high of Rs 783 during the trade.
DLF rose in trade after real estate developer said that it has established joint venture (JV) with GIC, Singapore's sovereign wealth fund to develop two projects in Central Delhi.
Stock ended the day at Rs 110, higher by 3.96 per cent on BSE. It touched an intraday high of Rs 114 during the trade.
Hero MotoCorp fell after the company reported 13.97 per cent year-on-year decline in sales at 480,537 units in August.
Stock ended the day at Rs 2330, lower by 2.32 per cent on BSE. It touched an intraday low of Rs 2302 during the trade.
The company's motorcycle sales during August surged 2 per cent at 2,90,436 units, as against 2,84,302 units in the same month previous fiscal.
Stock ended the day at Rs 2214, lower by 1.67 per cent on BSE. It touched an intraday high of Rs 2281 and low of Rs 2200 during the trade.
Mahindra & Mahindra reported 1.29 per cent increase in total sales at 35,634 vehicles in August.
Stock ended the day at Rs 249, lower by 1.43 per cent on BSE. It touched an intraday high of Rs 248 and low of Rs 248 during the trade.


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With brands loving both platforms and creators from both sides taking shots at each other, here's how it all unfolded.
Coke vs Pepsi
Nike vs Adidas
YouTube vs TikTok
And by the looks of it, this ongoing rivalry between the video-sharing platforms may eclipse all other brand rivalries for the near future. But, a point to note here is that the platforms aren't responsible for the most recent escalation but the content creators using them.
The present feud took birth when YouTubers uploaded 'TikTok react' videos on their channels. In these videos, they watched videos uploaded on the short video app and reacted negatively to them and labelled the video content as 'cringe' while some resorted to body-shaming certain TikTokers.
In response, Amir Siddiqui, a popular Indian TikToker with 3.7 million followers and over 132 million likes on the platform uploaded an IGTV video tagging several popular YouTubers (it's a standalone application which allows users to upload longer videos compared to the ones allowed on Instagram.)
Siddiqui touched a lot of points in the now-deleted IGTV video; we've uploaded a copy found on YouTube. He accuses YouTubers of profiting from ideas they've lifted from TikTokers, asserted superiority of the TikTok community as more united and supportive unlike YouTube, and also claimed there are more brands on TikTok so YouTubers are feeling the heat and as a result, they're resorting to roasts of content creators on TikTok.
This didn't sit well with YouTube's CarryMinati (Ajey Nagar). Known for his roasts and takedowns, he uploaded a video titled 'YOUTUBE VS TIK TOK: THE END' on May 8, 2020. The video spread like wildfire and in two days, it amassed over 45 million views and 8.30 million likes.
According to infotonline.com, the video has broken the following records:
• Fastest Indian Video to 1M likes (2Hrs)
• Fastest Indian Video to 2M likes (5Hrs)
• Fastest Indian Video to 3M likes (9 Hrs)
• Fastest Indian Video to 4M likes (17 Hrs)
• Fastest Indian Video to 5M likes (22 Hrs)
• Most Liked Indian Video in first 24 Hours (5.2M)
• 2nd Most Liked Video in the World in first 24 Hours (5.2M)
• 4th Most Liked Indian Video on YouTube
• 2nd Most Commented Indian Video on YouTube (451K)
• Most Comments on a Video in first 24 Hours (451K)
• Most Subscribers Gain in 24 Hours (1.3M)
• 8th Most Viewed Indian Video in first 24 Hours (19.96M)
It's interesting to note the point of more brands being on TikTok compared to YouTube. In the past two to three years, the Chinese short video sharing app has seen a gigantic rise in popularity and downloads.
According to businessofapps.com, TikTok saw 738 million downloads in 2019 with India's as its top market with 323 million downloads. CNET says, in a report on December 16, 2020, that TikTok was the fourth most downloaded app in 2019.
YouTube, on the other hand, is the market leader when it comes to video sharing sites and apps. According to an Economic Times report on December 10, 2019, YouTube India sees more than 265mn monthly active users. It is then no wonder that displaying an ad on the YouTube masthead costs a near Rs 1.50 crore per day. Content creators earn revenue through the site's monetisation programme and collaborations with brands which are aplenty.
Recently, we did a report on YouTube working on a short-form video app called 'Shorts' as a direct competitor to TikTok. It just goes to show that this rivalry is just heating up.


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Tesla China’s new vehicle registrations for the week of March 11-17, 2024, suggest that the electric vehicle maker saw domestic sales of 12,300 last week. Such a result suggests a 6.82% decline from the 13,200 insurance registrations that were tracked during the week of March 4-10, 2024.
Considering Tesla China’s insurance registrations in the week ending March 17, 2024, it would appear that the electric vehicle maker was able to see a total of about 31,000 insurance registrations this month so far, as noted in a CNEV Post report. EV watchers have noted that year-to-date, Tesla China’s numbers are down 3.9%. The drop is steeper at 25.7% quarter-over-quarter, but this is not surprising as Q4 tends to see stronger sales than Q1.
For the week of March 11-17, China reported 12k insurance registrations for Tesla. 🇨🇳— Roland Pircher (@piloly) March 19, 2024
The quarter is -25.7% QoQ. YTD is at -3.9% YoY. pic.twitter.com/CGawn5x7FS
Interestingly enough, drone footage from the Shanghai Southport Terminal has indicated that Tesla China has been gathering and exporting vehicles abroad as of late. Recent videos from longtime Giga Shanghai watcher Wu Wa have shown that Tesla is currently in the process of clearing out a large number of vehicles from the terminal.
Data from the China Passenger Car Association noted that Tesla China sold 60,365 Giga Shanghai-made vehicles in February 2024, with 30,141 units being delivered domestically and 30,224 being exported abroad. Tesla China’s retail sales in the domestic market were down 11.15% year-over-year in February 2024. However, if one were to look at the January to February period, Tesla China’s domestic sales were up 15.23% at 70,022 units year-over-year.
Again a slight correction to the upside with 12.3k with the Li Auto publication. pic.twitter.com/5OPb3wgmoK— Roland Pircher (@piloly) March 19, 2024
Tesla China’s February results were likely affected by the Chinese New Year holiday, which typically disrupts auto sales. It should be noted that Tesla was not the only automaker that saw a drop in February’s domestic sales. Other local automakers like BYD, Nio, and Xpeng also reported month-over-month and year-over-year sales declines in February 2024.
Tesla China doesn’t disclose weekly domestic sales figures, though new vehicle registration figures could present a general idea of the country’s domestic auto market. Fortunately, industry watchers and competitors like Li Auto have taken it upon themselves to track new vehicle insurance registrations.
Watch a video of Tesla China’s export activities at the Shanghai Southport Terminal below.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to firstname.lastname@example.org to give us a heads up.


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Posts Tagged ‘ Lenovo A6000 ’
Sony’s SmartBand Talk & SmartWatch 3 launched in India; Lenovo’s cheapest 4G smartphone A6000 available for Rs 6,999Tuesday, January 20, 2015 | Anand Rai | More »
After unveiling the same at Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2015 event earlier this month, Lenovo has now launched its A6000 smartphone in the Indian market. The device sports a 5 inch display and runs on the Android operating system. Priced at Rs 6,999, it is arguably the cheapest 4G LTE smartphone...


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For some time now, Abercrombie & Fitch has been struggling to attract customers who have lost interest due to its weak inventory management, premium prices, slack response to changing fashion trends and fierce competition from fashion-forward brands. While its brand image has taken a beating, due to lack of trendy and season relevant inventory, controversial comments from its CEO Mike Jefferies have made things worse. In response, Abercrombie’s management made some changes to its corporate governance structure earlier this year, as it added three new members to the board and relieved Jefferies of his responsibilities as the chairman of the board. One of the new board members, Arthur C. Martinez, took over Jefferies’ role as the chairman of the company. Also, Abercrombie promoted its CFO, Jonathan E. Ramsden, to the position of COO.
Last month, the company hired Christos Angelides as the president for its Abercrombie & Fitch and abercrombie kids brands. Angelides, who had previously worked with Next Plc, will take over his role in October and report directly to CEO, Mike Jefferies. The new president will have complete responsibilities of product and customer-facing activities for both the brands and he will also be accountable for their performances. Angelides has immense experience in retailing and his inclusion in the management is expected to bring about some fresh changes to Abercrombie’s struggling brands.
Our price estimate for Abercrombie & Fitch stands at $39.72, which is more than 5% below the market price.
New President Comes With A Strong Background
Christos Angelides has more than 28 years of experience in retailing. He spent his entire career at Next Plc, a six billion dollar U.K. based fashion retail chain, where he held a number of senior management positions. Some of his key roles include general manager of Next’s sourcing office in Hong Kong, menswear product director and womenswear product director. Angelides’s most recent position at Next was group product director, where he had been since 2000, overseeing buying, designing and quality of merchandise.
Next Plc operates close to 700 stores in 40 countries and an Internet & catalog business in 60 countries. The company has posted solid sales and profit growth, as well as strong shareholder returns, during Angelides’s tenure as the group product director. Angelides also holds the positions of chairman of Next Sourcing Limited and non-executive director of Lipsy, a young women’s fashion brand owned by Next. Abercrombie’s CEO Mike Jefferies stated that Angelides’s strong expertise in apparel retail made him the prime contender for the president’s position. He believes that Angelides will play a crucial role in rejuvenating Abercrombie’s brand image.
Some Areas Where Angelides Should Focus On
As soon as he starts his tenure at Abercrombie, Mr. Angelides should work on developing some new strategies to elevate the retailer's brand image and regain customer confidence. To start with, Abercrombie's inventory management has to improve substantially. There have been a number of occasions in the past several quarters when the retailer faced either inventory shortage or surplus issues. The executive management needs to strengthen Abercrombie’s supply chain, shorten lead times and increase its speed to market. Only then it will be able to compete with fast fashion brands such as Zara, Forever 21 and H&M.
Lately, U.S. buyers have shown some affinity towards eccentric products as they want to add uniqueness to their lifestyle. Urban Outfitters'Free People brand has seen tremendous success over the past several quarters due to strong customer response to its attractive products. On the other hand, Abercrombie's merchandise are perceived as boring. A new line of edgy and preppy apparel might change this perception, or at least add some variety to the retailer's product portfolio.
Another area where Angelides should focus on is Abercrombie & Fitch’s product prices. In the current environment, U.S. shoppers have scaled back their spending on apparel, and premium brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch have been worst hit by this trend. Angelides needs to find some ways to reduce the brand’s prices without putting much pressure on its margins. It shouldn’t be too difficult given that the company has already identified some areas where it can lessen its expenses, and pass on the savings to customers.
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New car market up 7% in 2022, used car import down 20%
Last year, almost 130,000 new cars were registered in the country, a 7% increase compared to 2021, and the market for second-hand imported cars decreased by 20%, to 316,000 cars, according to an ACAROM information. If in 2021 the ratio of new cars to SH cars was 1 to 3.2, in 2022 the ratio was 1 to 2.4.
Overall in 2022, new car registrations reached the value of 129,328 units, increasing by 6.7% compared to 2021, respectively 121,208 units
New car registrations in Romania increased in December 2022 by 5% compared to December 2021, reaching a volume of 12,437 units. Dacia was the clear leader in the market, with almost 40,000 units, and Toyota reached 10,200. Hyundai was third, with more than 9,500 cars. Four brands passed 8,000 cars each: Skoda, Ford, Renault and Volkswagen.
Regarding second-hand cars registered for the first time in Romania, their volume reached 22,413 units in December 2022, an 18% decrease compared to December 2021.
Overall, in 2022, the number of cars registered for the first time in Romania was 316,332 units, down 20% compared to 2021, respectively 395,759 units.


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Surges in the price of key bakery commodities, such as wheat and sugar, helped push annual food inflation to nearly 6% last month more than double the average shop price inflation.
According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC), overall shop price inflation stood at just 2.3% last month, while food inflation hit 5.7%, due to huge increases in commodities. Cattle, lean pork, wheat and sugar prices have all increased by 21-25% year on year, while Robusta coffee is up 42%.
High inflation is leading to unprecedented levels of promotions and discounts to drive sales and increase market share, said the BRC, with AC Nielsen data showing promotions now represent 39% of all food sales, compared with 34% last year.
Data from Assosia showed that supermarkets ran 791 promotions on wrapped bread in the year to the end of May 2011, compared to 563 promotions the year before a rise of 40%.
BRC director general Stephen Robertson said: "Overall shop price inflation is being driven by surging world commodity prices, the effect of the weak pound on import costs and higher VAT."
The BRC said it expected tight supplies and rising costs to continue exerting pressure on food prices over the coming months.


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RICHMOND—A company will invest more than $3 million to establish Virginia’s first large-scale facility to process hemp and to extract CBD oil, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has announced.
The project will create 22 new jobs and that the company has committed to buying 90 percent of its hemp from growers in Virginia, the governor’s office said in a statement Thursday.
Company BRD Extraction, LLC will do business under the name Blue Ribbon Extraction. It will be located in the Town of South Boston in Halifax County, which is outside of Danville and near the North Carolina border.
The Democratic governor said the company will spend $70 million on payments to Virginia farmers over the next three years. Many of them are current or former tobacco farmers.
The company’s founders and primary investors are Richmond residents Rick Gregory and Sterling Edmunds. They are both natives of Halifax County .
Short for cannabidiol, CBD is a non-intoxicating molecule found in hemp and marijuana. Both are cannabis plants, but only marijuana has enough of the compound THC to get users high. The vast majority of CBD products come from hemp, which has less than 0.3% THC.
CBD has garnered a devoted following among people who swear by it for everything from stress reduction to better sleep.


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Just a few weeks ago we announced a brand new Running Original from Spinnin Records, the world’s leading EDM brand. Today we’re thrilled to bring you another original compilation, this time from British superstar Ellie Goulding.
Ellie, an avid runner herself, often describes running as an escape from the pressures of work and life on the road. Her original composition, a combination of old and new remixes, is designed for runners to escape into – enhancing the feeling that running gives you.
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to create a unique mix for Spotify Running,” says Ellie Goulding. “Health is something I’m very passionate about, with music playing a big part in my personal fitness regime. That’s why it was such an exciting challenge to create a mix of my own songs – old and new – that could become a part of other people’s regimes.”


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CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ShipBob, the leading global omnifulfillment platform, today announced the launch of its end-to-end managed freight and inventory distribution program, FreightBob. The service includes ocean freight, which is powered by Flexport, combined with ShipBob’s cross-docking, automated inventory distribution, and goods transfers across their fulfillment network. Current and future merchants that use ShipBob’s fulfillment solution and ship inventory from China to the U.S. (to start) can achieve faster transit times, lower freight costs, greater visibility, and the ability to distribute inventory more seamlessly across ShipBob’s fulfillment centers.
By working with Flexport as part of its service offerings, ShipBob is the first fulfillment company to successfully execute ocean freight distribution by chartering boats specifically reserved for customers’ goods. Over the last few months, ShipBob piloted the program by delivering shipping containers directly from China to their Southern California fulfillment centers via ocean freight. Once in Southern California, ShipBob then automatically distributed the inventory across the United States to their final fulfillment center destination to start shipping orders directly to consumers. The entire process took just over two weeks and has been repeated many times over.
“We’re thrilled to offer FreightBob to our existing and future ecommerce clients, unlocking a seamless, cost-efficient and dependable inventory distribution service,” said ShipBob Co-Founder and CEO, Dhruv Saxena. “FreightBob will enable some of today’s fastest-growing ecommerce brands to navigate volatile freight markets, all while meeting strong U.S. consumer demand.”
“Shippers will continue to face unreliable transit times, service levels and cost transparency for years to come,” said Steve Bozicevic, Sr. Director, New Product Development at Flexport. “It’s imperative we collaborate with like-minded leaders in the global logistics space to provide the infrastructure and services to help fast-growing ecommerce brands meet the demand and expectations of their customers.”
FreightBob will initially be open to all customers shipping LCL (less than container load) ocean freight containers from China to the U.S. The associated costs are comparable to other LCL ocean freight carriers that take two or three times as long.
“FreightBob was about 30-40% faster than anything else we’ve sourced,” said Jerry Sever, COO at Complement. “From a pricing standpoint, I was looking at the total price that we were going to pay per unit, including shipping — rolled altogether, and it was still substantially cheaper than any of the quotes we received from other companies.”
This program is able to provide faster shipping times by loading inventory on faster ships and prioritizing delivery to ports strategically located in Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, reducing transit times from the standard 45-60 days to 15-30 days (on average). With FreightBob, ShipBob customers will now have access to bi-weekly departures from China on ships that will then be transferred directly to ShipBob fulfillment centers in the U.S. FreightBob’s highly competitive rates are available for shipments as small as 1 cubic meter, allowing customers the ability to keep inventory flowing and shelves stocked.
“FreightBob is too easy to use to not utilize,” said Emily Coolbaugh, Logistics Coordinator at Driveline Baseball. “The more time that I can save spending energy on things like freight and fulfillment, the more time I can spend on other details for my company. To know that I can trust somebody to complete the tedious stuff and be organized like I would is a huge stress reliever!”
ShipBob brings FreightBob to market to help customers avoid spot market rates that often prevent accurate forecasting. FreightBob helps avoid varying freight rates that may result in profit degradation and/or increased cost for consumers by taking advantage of FreightBob's flat pricing structure (per cubic meter freight rate), inclusive of delivery and custom clearance fees, all designed to simplify cost projections and promote ease of use.
While this solution is currently for delivering shipping containers directly from China to the West Coast and East Coast of the United States, it will be expanded worldwide in 2022.
For more information on FreightBob, please visit: https://product.shipbob.com/freightbob
ShipBob is the leading global omnifulfillment platform designed for small and medium-sized businesses to provide them access to best-in-class supply chain and fulfillment capabilities. The ShipBob platform provides merchants with a single view of their business and customers across all of their sales channels, and enables them to manage products, inventory, orders and shipments, and leverage analytics and reporting to run their business effectively.
Founded in 2014 out of Chicago, ShipBob was launched through Y Combinator by co-founders Dhruv Saxena and Divey Gulati, two entrepreneurs who saw a need for more efficient shipping for ecommerce businesses. Today, the company has raised $330.5 million in funding and operates a global logistics network with 30 fulfillment centers across five countries, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, European Union and Australia. Learn more by visiting shipbob.com.
We believe trade can move the human race forward. That’s why it’s our mission to make global trade easy for everyone. Flexport is the platform for global logistics—empowering buyers, sellers and their logistics partners with the technology and services to grow and innovate. Companies of all sizes—from emerging brands to Fortune 500s—used Flexport technology to move nearly $19B of merchandise across 112 countries in 2021.
Flexport® is a registered trademark of Flexport, Inc. and is not affiliated with ShipBob.


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The China-Italy Youth Future Fashion Design Competition was officially announced at the Tsinghua Press Salon held on July 8.
Chen Ken, Director of the Global Communication Office of Tsinghua University, delivered the welcoming remarks at the event.
She said that the China-Italy Youth Future Fashion Design Competition was one of the important activities of the “China-Italy of Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship” program, aiming to promote exchanges between Chinese and Italian youth and cultivating leading talents for innovation-driven development.
Co-organized by Tsinghua University, the Politecnico di Milano, and the People’s Government of Keqiao District of Shaoxing city in Zhejiang Province, the competition is open for entries from young practitioners of fashion design under 45 years old in three categories: fashion design; fashion technology; and, fashion lifestyle.
The awarded works will be qualified for free presentation at the special exhibition organized by the China-Italy Design Innovation Hub during the 2022 Milan Design Week. The prize winners will be qualified for free enrollment to the 2022 Tsinghua Global Summer School.
Interested applicants should submit their entries through the competition's official website: http://ciyff.cidih.tsinghua.edu.cn/home/Home.htm
Following the announcement of the competition, four experts from Tsinghua University delivered keynote speeches at the salon from perspectives including “openness,” “integration,” “confidence,” and “innovation” in the global higher education context, and Tsinghua’s unique contributions in these areas.
Fu Zhiyong, Deputy Director of the China-Italy Design Innovation Hub and Associate Professor of the Academy of Arts & Design, elaborated on the intention of the competition. Fu said that the competition will integrate resources in fashion design, innovative education, academic research, industrial incubation, and will deepen the fusion of design innovation and industry-education and tap into the innovative and dynamic talent pool of emerging leading youth designers. It will also probe into the frontier development in sectors of global fashion design, fashion technology and fashion lifestyle, and foster an organic connection of the education chain, talent chain, industry chain and innovation chain. By doing so, the competition will contribute to converting the innovative design into an immense stream of power that will expedite the industrial upgrades of both countries, satisfy people’s aspirations for a better life, and converge the sustainable development of design worldwide.
Su Dan, Deputy Director of the Tsinghua University Art Museum and Professor at the Academy of Arts and Design, discussed the integration of Italian design culture and Chinese design culture. He pointed out that the exhibition of “Design Utopia 1880-1980:100 Years of Design History/The Biagetti-Koenig Collection” at the Tsinghua University Art Museum was a result of the cultural exchanges between China and Italy over the past five decades since the establishment of diplomatic ties. The bilateral cultural exchange is well developed, especially in the field of art design, which has played a significant role in the modernization and contemporary development of Chinese designs. Demonstrating an excellent thread of historical changes, the exhibition has mirrored the integration of the Italian and Chinese design culture.
Chen Nan, Executive Deputy Director of the Research Center of Ancient Chinese Characters Art and Professor of the Academy of Arts & Design of Tsinghua University, delivered a speech entitled “Traditional Chinese Culture and its Innovation.” He talked about the interaction between the thinking and methods of traditional eastern and western designs, emphasizing that tradition is not an isolated historical memory, but a source of inspiration for fashion design. Moreover, he introduced and displayed innovative design works of Chinese characters, such as oracle bone inscriptions and Dongba inscriptions, and talked about the innovation of the combination of traditional Chinese character art and the latest technology.
Li Jinliang, Dean for International Affairs of Tsinghua University and Director of the China-Italy Design Innovation Hub, gave a brief introduction about the construction and development of the hub. He talked about Tsinghua’s global strategy and the origin of the China-Italy Design Innovation Hub and its development principles, construction objectives and pathways, as well as its scientific achievements. Li also mentioned the newly established mirror site of the hub in the Tianfu New Area, Sichuan Province, and the China-Italy Future Fashion & Innovation Center constructed with the support of the People’s Government of Keqiao District.
The Tsinghua Press Salon was attended by journalists from various Chinese and Italian media, including CGTN, Xinhua News Agency, China Daily, People’s Daily and Corriere della Sera.
From China-Italy Design Innovation Hub
Editors: Sangeet, John Paul, Li Han, Huang Fei


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Derma e expands portfolio
SIMI VALLEY, Calif. Derma e Natural Bodycare, a maker of natural skin care products with distribution in such retailers as Wegmans, H-E-B, Whole Foods and Fred Meyer, has added five new products to its portfolio.
Building on its hyaluronic acid line of products, the new Hyaluronic hydrating facial cleanser and Hyaluronic hydrating mask are designed to deliver deep moisture and replenish dry, aging skin.
Derma e also has launched three new products to complement its vitamin A product line: vitamin A glycolic facial cleanser, vitamin A glycolic facial toner and vitamin A glycolic facial scrub. Vitamin A is known for its cellular renewal properties and these new formulas promise to help speed up exfoliation to reveal younger, plumper skin. Enriched with glycolic acid and detoxifying marine plant extracts, these mildly purifying products are designed to leave the complexion fresh, bright and radiant.
Proactiv gets new face: Pop star Justin Bieber
PALM DESERT, Calif. Acne-fighting system Proactiv has tapped pop star Justin Bieber to be its newest spokesperson for the brand.
The Canadian-born YouTube sensation joins a line-up of celebrity spokespeople, including music artists Katy Perry and Avril Lavigne, actresses Jenna Fischer and Jennifer Love Hewitt and singer and professional dancer-actress Julianne Hough.
As a spokesperson, Bieber will talk to teens about being proactive about acne and skin care to prevent breakouts as part of the brand’s marketing campaign. He also will raise awareness for Pencils of Promise, a nonprofit organization started less than two years ago to build schools and increase educational opportunities in less fortunate communities around the world.
Former acne sufferers and dermatologists Katie Rodan, M.D. and Kathy Fields, M.D. developed Proactiv, which is sold direct to consumers. The brand is celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2010.
Namaste expands Organic Root Stimulator line
CHICAGO Namaste Labs, the maker of the Organic Root Stimulator brand for ethnic hair, has developed the new Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Girls Built-in Protection Plus No-Lye conditioning relaxer system.
According to Venetta M. Coley, VP of marketing, “the Built-in Protection Plus technology delivers step-by-step protection with the help of nature. The whole process is enhanced by naturally protective ingredients like aloe, olive oil, but most of all, our commitment to empowering moms and girls about healthy hair care.”
The new product will be available at Walgreens, Walmart, CVS, Target, Rite Aid, as well as fine beauty and barber supply stores beginning Oct. 1.
The kit retails at $7.99. There’s also olive Oil Girls hair pudding, which is similar to a gel, at $5.99 and Olive Oil Girls moisturizing styling lotion, which can be applied to hair when blow-drying, for $5.39.


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- Market Wrap: Bitcoin Slides as US Lawmakers Wrangle Over Crypto Tax Proposal – CoinDesk CoinDesk
- Is being late into Bitcoin about perspective? Cointelegraph
- Why Are Bitcoin Prices So Volatile? Yahoo Finance
- Bitcoin (BTC USD) Cryptocurrency Price Rise Puts Crypto Market Near $2 Trillion Bloomberg
- Bitcoin at $100000? A price surge means optimistic predictions are back Fortune
- View Full Coverage on Google News
Brought to you by Google News. Read the rest of the article here.


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M&S own-brand salad dressings are now being sold in smaller, more stylish bottles made by Beatson Clark after research showed that consumers found themselves throwing too much dressing away.
A high-end drinks company has turned to innovative packaging to fight the war on sugar, with the help of one of the UK’s most experienced glass bottle manufacturers. Kolibri Drinks asked Beatson Clark, the Yorkshire-based glass packaging specialists, to design and manufacture a bottle which allows consumers to control the amount of sugar in their drink.
Glass manufacturer Beatson Clark has introduced a new decoration service for brewers looking for an innovative and creative way to make their bottles stand out on the shelf.
The Very Lazy® range of ready-chopped ingredients is to get a new look thanks to glass manufacturer Beatson Clark.
Leading glass packaging manufacturer Beatson Clark is once again investing in the future of its Rotherham plant, covering all areas from glass melting, production, inspection, packaging and IT.
The craft beer sector is booming in Italy, so the new CRAFT BEER ITALY conference and exhibition in Milan is a perfect opportunity for Beatson Clark to showcase its products and services.
Beatson Clark offer an innovative alternative to the standard glass spirit bottles on the market with their 'Apothecary' style range.
Leading glass manufacturer Beatson Clark will be showcasing its products and services to the world at Drinktec in Munich in September.


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They’re in a unique position to have inside information, and now Stratasys and Stratasys Direct Manufacturing have conducted a survey of 700 executives, engineers, designers and managers about the impact of additive processes on manufacturing.
Stratasys Direct Manufacturing, the indirect subsidiary of Stratasys, through 3D Printing’s Imminent Impact on Manufacturing takes an in-depth look at current – and impending – trends and practices in 3D printing.
Stratasys says 40 percent of the respondents to the survey are currently working for or with companies with more than $50 million in revenue, and many of those respondents are already working for concerns using 3D printing.
The result of the report, one of the only 3D printing studies focused on input from professional users, was revealed this week at a media summit at the Stratasys Direct Manufacturing headquarters in Austin, TX.
The professional 3D printing users weighed in on where 3D printing for product development stands today and examines questions about in-house investment plans, whether or not they work with a service provider and what they’d like to see happen regarding 3D printing of end-use production parts.
The vast majority of respondents represented the aerospace, automotive, consumer and medical sectors.
“We needed to look beyond our factory walls to get a more complete sense of where 3D printing is headed, so we turned to those who live and breathe the technology just like we do – professional users. We set out to uncover the common themes among companies who are on the spectrum of larger-scale adoption and integration of 3D printing into their manufacturing process,” says Joe Allison, the CEO of Stratasys Direct Manufacturing. “We’re sharing our findings to help advance adoption and help manufacturers’ maximize the business benefits.”
The report examines which applications, business benefits and challenges, equipment, materials and services are of peak interest to the most committed users of additive manufacturing and 3D printing.
Among the more interesting findings of the report, SDM says additive metal use is expected to nearly double over the next three years, and the majority of respondents say they believe, regardless of their company’s current in-house AM capabilities, there will always be a need to partner with an AM service provider.
“If your company is a committed user of 3D printing, the report will provide assurance that you are headed down a similar path of your peers and face many of the same challenges to adoption,” Allison says. “If you’re still dipping your toe in the water, the results may serve as a wake-up call to take swifter action.”
Stratasys Direct Inc. is the result of a combination of the latest technologies and many years experience of three industry-leading pioneers – Solid Concepts, Harvest Technologies and RedEye – which were joined to provide a broad range of additive and conventional manufacturing services. Stratasys Direct Manufacturing now has more than 600 employees across eight manufacturing facilities.
What do you think of the conclusions in this report from Stratasys Direct Manufacturing? Let us know in the 3D Printing’s Imminent Impact on Manufacturing forum thread on 3DPB.com.
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It’s official! Landcadia Holdings II Inc. (Nasdaq: LCA), which is a well-known special purpose acquisition business, will now acquire Golden Nugget Online Gaming Inc. This merger officially makes Landcadia Holdings the only 2nd pure publicly traded online casino company in the country. This merger is expected to close in the 3rd quarter of 2020.
When it does, Landcadia Holdings will change its name to Golden Nugget Online Gaming Inc. with a new Nasad trading symbol (“GNOG”) to match. The current chairman of Landcadia Holdings, local billionaire Tilman Fertitta, will remain at the helm and will hold a controlling economic as well as controlling voting interest in this newly formed organization. The president will be Thomas Winter.
GNOG is looking to capitalize on the burgeoning online gaming market that’s thriving in the country. Golden Nugget is easily one of the best-reviewed brands in the online gaming market as discussed here and this merger is slated to help the company’s continued growth.
This deal is not only imperative for Golden Nugget as a brand, but it will also help LCA in major ways. For instance, once the deal has been finalized, LCA’s stock will likely join the leagues of the few publicly traded online casino companies that exist.
The Golden Nugget has a stellar reputation in the country and its igaming business already enjoys a top position in New Jersey, which has monopolized the online gaming market in the country. The brand already enjoys market access and subject to regulatory authorization, it should be able to penetrate new markets such as Pennsylvania and Michigan with ease.
Online gaming continues to gain traction
The growth of the internet led to the creation of many new businesses, one of the top ones being online gambling. Although the industry experienced a slow start, it has since grown by leaps and bounds to become one of the most profitable sectors in the world. Over the years, several gambling trends have led to the success of online gambling.
The increased number of brick and mortar casinos, as well as the consolidation of the industry, has fostered continued growth in the sector. Add to the mix mobile gambling and the industry is expected to keep growing in the coming years.
The recent legalization of legal sports betting has also helped online gambling to continue its upward trajectory. In May 2018, the Supreme Court struck down the Professional Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), the law that limited sports betting to only a few states such as Oregon, Montana, Nevada, and Delaware.
PAPSA had been in effect for 25 years before it was struck down. But with the Supreme Court’s decision, every state now enjoys the freedom to establish regulated sports betting. As a result of the newly legalized sports betting market, the online gambling revenue continues to climb, even as physical casinos attempt to stay afloat amid a pandemic.
Case in point, New Jersey which is by far the biggest online betting market, recorded an astounding $87.8 million from various NJ gambling sites during August. Sportsbooks, on the other hand, brought in an additional $39.5 million, most of which was acquired from online sportsbooks. The state’s combined gaming revenue totaled $326 million, bringing the final tally so far to more than $1.6 billion.
In particular, the Golden Nugget has been dominating the competition when it comes to online casino revenue, setting record after record ever since its launch. In October 2019, Golden Nugget lead the pack by shattering its previous monthly revenue for the 4th time in a row as discussed here. During this time last October (2019), the Golden Nugget’s total gaming revenue exceeded $16 million as covered here.
This year, this number is expected to go even higher. The Nugget’s flagship website continues to set the tone and standard for others in the industry. Today, it stands as New Jersey’s largest brand offering more than 700 casino games that consist of 634 slots. It was also the first operator to install Live Dealer games.
Today, Golden Nugget customers enjoy online and mobile sportsbooks which allow punters that want to wager on both casino games, as well as sports to do so with ease. Punters can move from the online casino to the mobile app with ease and some even utilize the same accounts for both, which boost convenience.
What should you know about Tilman Fertitta?
Billionaire Tilman Fertitta also owns the Houston Rockets, as well as Landry’s, which is one of the most well-known restaurants and entertainment companies in Texas. Not many people successfully build a billion-dollar ($5 billion to be exact) gaming and hospitality empire but Fertitta has managed to do the seemingly impossible.
Over the years, he’s built himself an entertainment empire, Fertitta Entertainment that specializes in all sorts of things including hospitality, restaurants, gaming, amusement, and of course, sports. He is also quite the celebrity thanks to his Billion Dollar Buyer TV show. Fertitta started his entrepreneurship journey at a young age.
His start in the gaming and gambling sector came in 2005 when he spent approximately $320 million to purchase the Golden Nugget casinos on Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas, as well as in Laughlin, Nevada. At the time of purchase, he was still serving his role as CEO of Landry’s Restaurants Corp. but he went ahead to join the casino business with no experience whatsoever.
After this purchase, he would go on add 3 more casino properties to his portfolio, including the bust Trump Marina Hotel, as well as Casino in Atlantic City, all of which were consequently rebranded as Golden Nuggets.
The online gambling industry has been on the up and up in the last couple of years and it has grown to become one of the most vibrant industries on the planet. The only form of online gambling that has suffered a disappointing blow over the years is poker.
But whether or not you include poker in the final count, the phenomenal popularity of online casino and sports betting is what pushes investors such as Landcadia to keep making worthy investments that will help the industry to keep growing. The industry’s future is bright so punters have a lot to be grateful for.
Are you a New Jersey resident interested in playing online in our state and taking advantage of the best offers? Check out our curated list of NJ casinos, NJ sportsbooks, and online bonuses. And if you are a poker player, please check our list of Best Poker Sites in New Jersey.


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Galaxy Digital run by famous Wall Street trader Mike Novogratz took a hit thanks to the cryptocurrency markets falling in the first quarter of the year 2018. A total of $134 million was lost with $13.5 million loss on digital assets and $85.5 million on unrealized losses of the digital assets.
The losses by Galaxy Digital are the first financial reports for the company ever since it launched in November of 2017. However adverse the reports are the firm confirmed to its investors that it is “strategically positioned to help further institutionalize the digital assets and blockchain industry.”
Mike Novogratz too explained his sentiment in a statement, “I am very proud of the progress that we have made since the beginning of the year. We have assembled a world-class team with deep institutional knowledge and expertise and have also made significant strides in scaling our four core business lines.”
Novogratz outlined future plans for growth of Galaxy Digital which included listing the merchant bank on Canada’s TSX Venture Exchange. Getting listed on TSX Venture Exchange will require Galaxy Digital to buy Coin Capital which is a Canadian crypto startup which will then lead to a merge through a reverse takeover with Bradmer Pharmaceuticals. The company, as a result, will be renamed and have more than 70 employees.
Galaxy Digital has gone aggressive on cryptocurrency investments with $86.8 million invested across 11 different investments and six acquisitions. Novogratz had contributed $302 million of his own assets to the company.
As of the time of writing Bitcoin is $7,962 according to CoinMarketCap. Hence this rally of moving past $7,500 looks positive for Novogratz’s Galaxy Digital.
Mike Novogratz is pretty confident about cryptocurrency’s market in the long term. He stated in an interview with CNBC at the South Korean Beyond Blocks Conference a few days ago that cryptocurrencies would reach a market capitalisation of $800 billion before the end of 2018.
Image Source: “Flickr”


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Chinese garlic has been banned from one of Brisbane's largest farmers' markets as the "buy Australian grown" argument moves to a suburban weekend market in Brisbane.
Brisbane food blogger Mel Kettle took to social media over the weekend to voice her dismay, after discovering Chinese garlic being sold at the Jan Power's Farmers Markets in New Farm.
The market is one of four in Brisbane run by the group, which promotes itself as one of the leading farmers' markets focussing on "fresh farm produce".
In addition to stalls hosted by farmers, the market includes resellers who buy produce in bulk and resell at a cheaper price.
According to the Australian Garlic Producers group, 95 per cent of Australia's garlic is imported from China and is often sprayed with chemicals that are banned in Australia.
Discussions of clearer food labelling and buying local produce continue to be debated since the recall of a number of frozen berry products from China and Chile earlier this year.
Jan Power's Farmers Markets director Sammy Power told 612 ABC Brisbane's Spencer Howson that the group had now decided to remove Chinese garlic from its stalls.
"I have banned white Chinese garlic from all of our markets. We have 11 garlic sellers, nine of whom grow it themselves and it is Australian," she said.
"We have halved the number of resellers and we now have 92 genuine producers and farmers."
Ms Power said it was essential for the markets to have resellers to ensure they offer different price points.
"We have two resellers at every market and the reason we have it is that it is more affordable for students and older people can still have the market experience," she said.
"The farmers' prices are higher and I want them to be higher and I want them to get what they deserve.
"Reseller produce is not wax fruit or made out of wood; it is simply produce bought in bulk."
Resellers versus farmers
Ms Kettle welcomed the announcement of Chinese garlic being banned from the Jan Power's Markets but said it was difficult for market-goers to tell the difference between reseller stalls and farmers' stalls.
"I can personally pick resellers as I know what to look for, but I'm unsure if the average person would," she said.
She recommends market shoppers ask where the produce is from.
"Genuine farmers who are at the markets usually have signage that says where their farm is," she said.
"If you're unsure, you should just talk to the farmer, they are happy to have a chat and are proud of what they do."


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A cyberpunk is joining Tesla's electric family.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been teasing an electric pickup truck for years. Back in 2013 he tweeted, "Would love to do a pickup truck." At the end of 2017 he posted, "I promise that we will make a pickup truck right after Model Y ... Am dying to build it." A year later he repeated, " I'm dying to make a pickup truck so bad ... we might have a prototype to unveil next year." Then on Wednesday he announced Tesla would would unveil the e-truck in two weeks.
Cybertruck unveil on Nov 21 in LA near SpaceX rocket factory
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 6, 2019
Musk has described the truck as "an armored personnel carrier from the future." He repeated that description at the U.S. Air Force Space Pitch Day in San Francisco on Tuesday, where he also spoke about his strange Space Jam viewing habits (incrementally, in 15-minute segments while exercising).
He even showed a pickup teaser pic at the Model Y unveiling in March. The internet is filled with sketches, designs, and ideas of what the truck could look like based on various clues over the years. Soon we'll find out how cyberpunk the design really is.
In true Musk fashion, Tesla is revealing the truck in November 2019 in Los Angeles — the exact setting of the 1982 dystopian sci-fi classic Blade Runner. (At the end of the Model Y event in March, the end titles from Blade Runner played as a nod to the forthcoming truck.)
Other than the design, the LA unveiling should reveal more about the electric pickup's capabilities, battery range, and price. Also on Wednesday, Volvo announced the start of European sales for its electric heavy-duty trucks, closer in design to the all-electric Tesla Semi than a personal pickup.


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CyanogenMod Now Running on HP TouchPad
A post and video on the RootzWiki website show an Alpha build of the CyanogenMod 7 firmware running on the TouchPad. CyanogenMod is arguably the most popular Android custom ROM. CyanogenMod 7 is the release based on Gingerbread.
Developers are quick to note that the ROM is "extremely Alpha." Ultimately, the team would like to develop a solution that could allow an end user to multi-boot into webOS, Android, or some other platform, entirely. Their efforts are hampered by a lack of development hardware (in other words, by the fact that they can't get their hands on any TouchPads).
The video (below) shows Android booting up and launching. A few app icons display on a home screen, but missing is touch-screen support. That, however, is the next thing on the team's agenda, according to the developers. Additionally, their note says that since the video was taken (below) they'd added lvm support (for managing storage) and what the team called "tablet tweaks."