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Mergers and acquisitions among Internet companies may be ready to take off, say investment bankers. But a half-year after this spring's puncture of Net stock values, it's still a buyer's market, they say. But for small, cash-burning companies, the buyers are few and far between.
Bankers who work with Internet and other technology companies say M&A looks as if it will be picking up. "A lot of people are having a lot of discussions," says John Brew, managing director of technology M&A for
Dain Rauscher Wessels
. Says Ted Ridgway, director of Internet banking for
Credit Suisse First Boston
, "Right now, everybody seems to be shopping a company."
Two deals over the past few months are significant, says Mack Rossoff, head of M&A for technology specialist
, announced in May, and
, announced in July.
These are no simple cases of small companies getting swallowed up, because both portals have major-league market caps -- over $2 billion for Go2Net, and over $7 billion for Lycos. The deals suggest further consolidation among Internet ad-supported companies, says Rossoff. "Mass is clearly a driver for any advertising-driven Internet concept, and the portals are racing forward first," he says.
But he and the other bankers are reluctant to get too specific about acquisition targets, partly because they don't want to drive up prices for clients in potential deals.
Perry Boyle, an analyst covering online marketing firms at
Thomas Weisel Partners
, says the online promotions market is ready for consolidation, though he declines to single out any specific companies as being in play. He says it's reasonable to believe that large, offline advertising firms might be buyers, because they could take online promotion technologies and offer them to their pre-existing large client bases.
online promotion include loyalty-program firms such as
, and online couponing companies such as
But given that
-- two relatively large, financially healthy, ad-supported technology Web sites -- have agreed to merge, raises the
question whether any online companies smaller than them -- and there are many -- are
Ridgway of CSFB points to opportunities for consolidation in several areas, such as online content, e-commerce and business-to-business software. The pace of deals in which large or midsize companies acquire midsize companies will probably increase, he says.
But smaller companies will have a rougher go of it, he says. "The companies that have the ability to pay in the Internet areas ... by and large, they're not that interested in acquiring small start-up operations," he says, with the exception of smaller companies that may have technologies that larger companies need.
With all the companies on the market, and with the popularity pendulum swung away from once-popular Internet sectors, it appears unlikely that the cavalry, in the form of an acquisition, will come riding out of the sunset to save the day for many smaller Internet firms running low on post-IPO cash hoards or pre-IPO financing rounds.
For that, one can thank, or blame, the now-fashionable focus on profitability. As Brew of Dain Rauscher Wessels puts it, potential buyers are not enthusiastic about buying money-losing firms if a purchase threatens the timing of profits that Wall Street expects from those firms. "That's a component of the discussions that you didn't see a year ago," he says.
But there's more going on than the path-to-profitability obsession. For one, acquirers are being more careful upfront in investigating their potential purchases, says Brew. "Buyers are being more cautious and are doing more due diligence," he says, "whereas before, it was more of a feeding frenzy."
On the bright side, there are new buyers in the market for Internet companies. "A year ago, no real-world company would consider paying cash or their own stock for an Internet company," Rossoff of Wit SoundView says. But though prices of Internet companies have come down, and though there are "quite a few" Internet deals in the works, Rossoff says he doesn't expect an avalanche of transactions, as he puts it: "People are still cautious about the business models that some of these Internet companies have." Plus, though sellers have lowered their expectations for what their companies should bring, he suggests they haven't lowered them enough. "There's more adjustment in expectations that has to go on," he says.
Current conditions, in fact, have split Internet companies into haves and have-nots, says Mark McNay, co-head of Internet banking at
. But the basic story is still the same: "Companies are still getting together the way they always have," he says. "What changes is value."


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“Ecommerce News Around the Web” is our weekly review of articles, blog posts and other news items that could interest ecommerce merchants.
Ecommerce SSL is Broken, Says Conference Founder – The Inquirer
Black Hat 2010 conference founder Jeff Moss is adamant that commerce’s secure socket layer (SSL) is broken. “Thirteen years down the line since the first conference and we’re still not able to conduct business online,” he said. Others disagree, saying there is still considerable usefulness for SSL.
The Reason Customer’s Don’t Pay Online: It’s a Pain – Fortune Magazine
Purchasing on the web is not as easy as one would think, given that it is 2010. Customers still run into many roadblocks using their credit cards to buy online, suggests this article.
American Eagle’s Ecommerce Site Down for Eight Days – StorefrontBacktalk
Multi-billion dollar retailer American Eagle experienced one of the longest outages in recent history on its ecommerce website — eight days in total. Its site was dark from Monday, July 19, through Tuesday afternoon, July 27. The company blames IBM for the downtime.
Consumers have just as much chance of not finding what they want via the search function on most websites as they do in finding it, according to Econsultancy’s Site Search Report, published in association with Funnelback. The report also finds that the 57 percent of firms are planning to increase their investment to improve in this area.
Actinic’s Quarterly Survey of ecommerce sales for the U.K. small to medium enterprise (SME) market confirms that online retail is still in growth mode. The first quarterly survey highlights a healthy increase in revenue of 15 percent in the three months prior to June 2010 when compared to the same period in 2009.
Ecommerce Grabs Market Share from Bricks and Mortar Retail; Poised for Continued Growth – The Motley Fool
U.S. online retail sales are projected to rise from $155 billion in 2009 to $249 billion in 2014, and online retail sales in Western Europe will rise from €68 billion in 2009 to €114 billion in 2014, according to Forrester Research’s online retail forecast. The growth is predicated on the back of ecommerce grabbing market share from bricks and mortar retail.
The Future of Online Retail – Treehouselogic’s Blog
Online retail is quickly evolving as more compelling Internet tools enhance the ability for consumers to purchase online. Despite some inconveniences, maturing Internet technologies will lead to a more “integrated, intuitive, empowering shopping experience,” says this article.
Comparison of Volusion vs. BigCommerce – My Wife Quit Her Job.com
This blog post compares two popular no-transaction-fee shopping cart services, Volusion and BigCommerce. Both provide positive amenities, says the reviewer. The choice comes down to which features and factors users find more valuable.
Social Commerce is Hot, Ecommerce is Not – MarketingWeek
Facebook plans to enable users to buy products without leaving the site, but it could have major implications for online retailers, states this article. This fast-growing integration of social media and ecommerce has even given rise to a new term, social commerce.
Facebook and Amazon Connect, Share Data – AuctionBytes
Amazon.com now provides customers with the ability to connect their Facebook accounts with their Amazon accounts. Some users are resurrecting concerns over privacy, but consent that social media can be used to drive sales.
Two-thirds of U. S. email marketers are making efforts to integrate social media into their campaigns, according to interactive marketing agency eROI. StrongMail, a provider of email and social media marketing solutions, put the number at 71 percent worldwide.
How Gadgets Will Shape the Future of Online Retail – Experience Solutions
Most online stores use photo images and descriptive text on product pages. That’s fine for some things, but not for others that may demand a more interactive experience (clothing, for example). Thanks to gadgets like the iPad, things are changing and online shopping has moved to the next level.
Use of Skype in Ecommerce – AuctionBytes
Skype may have parted company with eBay, but ecommerce merchants are finding ways to use the online conferencing application to bring buyers and sellers together. With the recent launch of a new multi-person videoconferencing feature, Skype use may continue to grow.
Testimonials and Reviews: Easy Ways to Get Customers Talking – TrialPay Blog
Online customer testimonials and reviews directly influence the purchase decision of 40.9 percent of a site’s customers, according to recent research by Oneupweb. Customers don’t merely want to read ratings and review before they make a purchase, they need to see them. This post provides fives ways to get customers talking.
Flatter Customers by Marking a Special Occasion – Solid Cactus Blog
Even though you might not remember the anniversary of a purchase, it is helpful when the company you purchased from does. Keeping transactions records current is one way to continue marketing to customers long after the purchase is complete. This blog post provides an example from Geek Squad regarding the anniversary of a computer purchase from Best Buy.

domain: news


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Company supports world’s largest gathering of women technologists
VENLO, the Netherlands, October 10, 2016 – Cimpress, the world leader in mass customization, today announced that it will sponsor the Grace Hopper Women in Computing Conference that kicks off October 19, 2016 in Houston, Texas. Two of Cimpress’ female technologists, both of whom support the company’s well-known brand Vistaprint, will be featured speakers on the conference agenda.
The Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing is the world’s largest gathering of women technologists. It is produced by the Anita Borg Institute and presented in partnership with Association of Computing Machinery. The conference brings together the best minds to highlight the contributions of women in computing.
George R. Brown Convention Center
1001 Avenida de las Americas
Houston, Texas 77010
October 19 – 21, 2016
Hear presentations from:
Christina Kayastha, Senior Software Engineer
Thursday, October 20, 11:10 – 11:30AM
Hack It Till You Make It
Located in: GRB 351 A
Erin DeCesare, Vice President of Technology
Thursday, October 20, 3:10 – 3:30PM
How To Bring Data Upstream
Located in: GRB 310 B-C
You can also visit Cimpress in Hall B at booth 2527 to learn more about our career opportunities and how we’re making more than 46 million customized products per year.
Cimpress N.V. (Nasdaq: CMPR) is the world leader in mass customization. For more than 20 years, the company has focused on developing software and manufacturing capabilities that transform traditional markets in order to make customized products accessible and affordable to everyone. Cimpress’ brings its products to market via a portfolio of more than 20 brands including Vistaprint, Albelli, Drukwerkdeal, Pixartprinting, Exaprint, WIRmachenDRUCK and many others. That portfolio serves multiple customer segments across many applications for mass customization. The company produces more than 46 million unique ordered items a year. To learn more, visit http://www.cimpress.com.
About the Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC)
GHC is the world’s largest technical conference for women in computing. Every year, women technologists and the best minds in computing convene to highlight the contributions of women to computing. The conference results in collaborative proposals, networking and mentoring for our attendees. Conference presenters are leaders in their respective fields, representing industry, academia and government. The conference also offers professional development through a variety of activities. To learn more, please visit: http://ghc.anitaborg.org/


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Since 2011, the year Tim Cook took over as Apple CEO, new iPhones have typically arrived in September.
Unfortunately, that schedule took a bit of a battering in 2020, with the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro only shipping on October 23, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max and 12 mini didn’t ship until November 13. This was as a result of production delays associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Don’t worry, though, the coronavirus “new normal” isn’t going to become the new normal for iPhone release schedules.
According to regularly reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, in a note shared by 9to5Mac, the iPhone 13 will be available in September 2021, its usual seasonal timeslot.
Kuo’s Prediction Is Only, Well, a Prediction
It’s not clear exactly what Kuo is basing his predictions on. Presumably, he is extrapolating release dates based on the current way that the iPhone production line is running, along with the processes and workflow that have now been established in order for Apple to control the manufacturing without making regularly scheduled visits to China.
Of course, this is only a guarantee if the global pandemic continues to follow along the lines that it currently is.
Having had a year for this to play out—since COVID-19 was first reported—makes it easier to do these long-term projections. Nonetheless, there is always the chance of more unexpected disruption between now and the time that the new iPhone 13 will debut that could push back its release.
The September debut of the iPhone is an important one for Apple. Not only is the iPhone Apple’s biggest-selling product, but the holiday quarter (which Apple actually makes its fiscal first quarter of the new year) is also historically the biggest-earning one for Apple on the calendar.
If the company loses a month of potential iPhone sales, that translates into lost earnings for the company, even if many customers simply push back their purchases until the new phones are available.
Interestingly, if Kuo is right and the new iPhones debut in September 2021, this would be one of the shorter iPhone cycles to date, since devices like the excellent iPhone 12 Pro Max and the more affordable iPhone 12 mini would have only enjoyed some 10 months as the current, top-of-the-line handsets.
Preparing for the Release of the iPhone 13
In the same note to investors, Kuo also said that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is set to start shifting its production pipeline to develop the new A15 chip that will be found in next year’s iPhone 13 devices.
Finally, Kuo notes that demand for this year’s iPhone Pro models is better than expected. However, Apple has supposedly faced supply issues with the Sony-manufactured camera sensors that are used for the two iPhone 12 Pro models.
Image Credit: Aaron Yoo/Flickr


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iPhone 11 Pro Max: Dropping the phone in the water may be a death sentence for the device, but it is not always so: an iPhone 11 Pro Max was found in Taiwan’s largest lake and, even after a year of being submerged, the device is still working.
According to the Apple Insider website, a Taiwanese known on Facebook as Chen reported on the internet that he lost his iPhone at Lago Sol Lua, located in the municipality of Yuchi and known to be the largest body of water in Taiwan. After several falls during the tour, which involved the practice of Stand Up Paddle, the man ended up letting his cell phone escape and went without seeing the device for about a year.
Recently, however, Chen’s iPhone 11 Pro Max has surfaced. In early April, the island of Taiwan was hit by the biggest drought in the area in about 50 years, which lowered the levels of the Sun Moon Lake. With that, Chen’s cell phone was found.
In addition to recovering his smartphone after a year, Chen was even more fortunate: the iPhone 11 Pro Max continues to function as if nothing had happened. After recovering the device, the Taiwanese put the device to charge, managed to turn it on and use the device’s functions normally, according to the Apple Insider.
Speaking to Taiwanese media, Chen said he was surprised by the water resistance of the iPhone 11 Pro Max. “There is no water in the device,” said the user. “I am very happy to recover my iPhone after so long.”
The iPhone 11 Pro Max was launched in 2019 with IP68 certification, ensuring resistance against water and dust. In addition to the natural protection of the Apple device, Chen’s phone was wrapped in a plastic bag, which certainly helped the device survive underwater for so long without apparent damage.


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As South Africa struggles with rising power costs and ongoing load shedding, many retailers are looking for ways to become more energy efficient and reduce their reliance on the national grid, notes Steven Heilbron, CEO of financing solutions provider, Capital Connect.
While implementing solutions like solar can be expensive, the return on investment can be significant in three to five years, he said.
Heilbron said higher electricity costs and frequent power outages pose a significant operational risk to retailers. Experts expect electricity prices in South Africa to double over the next five years, while Eskom’s medium-risk scenario predicts 203 days of blackout over the next 12 months.
While many larger stores use generators to keep going through power outages, retailers should also look to sustainable alternatives such as solar energy as a buffer against tax shedding and rising prices, Heilbron said.
“The time to act is now, as the world is gripped by a climate and energy crisis,” he added.
“Solar energy, combined with battery storage, can enable a retailer to continue load shedding without expensive, noisy generators,” said Heilbron. “In addition, it has the advantage that a store can save money by reducing the use of municipal or Eskom electricity. It is also a sustainable, environmentally friendly choice.”
Heilbron said retailers are also looking at other steps they can take to become more energy efficient. Something as simple as installing closed doors to open perishable refrigerators or placing strip curtains between cold rooms and the rest of the store can make a huge difference in the amount of power a food retailer uses in a month.
There are also opportunities to save money on lighting through steps such as equipping the retail environment with LED lighting, which is more expensive up front than incandescent or fluorescent lamps, but lasts longer and consumes much less energy over its lifetime.
“Another simple step retailers can take is to: use motion detectors to activate lighting in low-traffic areas such as bathrooms, warehouses and passageways,” says Heilbron. “Energy efficient lighting has the side effect of reducing the heat generated in a store, which can also help lower air conditioning costs.”
Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) is another area where retailers can achieve quick wins in energy efficiency. Modern HVAC systems with smart, central controls and features such as heat recovery can enable a retailer to get the right temperature for customer comfort and food safety, while ensuring efficiency.
“Although it can be expensive to replace old refrigerators or air conditioning units, the energy efficiency of refrigeration technology has improved significantly over the years. Many retailers will find that upgrading to energy efficient equipment will save them money in the long run,” said Heilbron.
“Retailers can also benefit from using the sun’s natural heating through large windows and natural cooling smart ventilation instead of relying solely on artificial climate control. Having a vision and making smart and sustainable choices does not have to be complicated.”
Read: Major economic shift to Cape Town causes problems for Gauteng


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Get your tickets now with a 50% discount until November 30th at the DroneShow 2024 exhibition, which takes place from May 21st to 23rd in São Paulo (SP), Brazil. The fair will have more than 120 companies, including all regulatory entities in the drone sector
Registration is now open to visit the DroneShow Robotics, MundoGEO Connect, SpaceBR Show and Expo eVTOL 2024 exhibition, which takes place from May 21st to 23rd at Expo Center Norte – Pavilhão Amarelo, in São Paulo (SP), Brazil.
Register for the exhibition with a 50% discount until November 30th at: https://droneshowla.com/en/exhibition/visit
The DroneShow Robotics 2024 event will bring together manufacturers, importers and users of drones, embedded technology, robotics and autonomous systems, together with regulatory entities, universities and startups in the sector. The event will offer courses, seminars, forums and a technology exhibition, presenting solutions for various applications. Organized by MundoGEO, the event has taken place annually since 2015 and, in the last edition, had more than 5,700 participants. In 2024, the forecast is for 7,000 visitors to the exhibition.
Plan of the fair and exhibitors for 2024:
Courses, Seminars and Forums
In addition to the products and services exhibition, DroneShow Robotics, MundoGEO Connect, SpaceBR Show and Expo eVTOL 2024 will feature courses, seminars and forums.
When purchasing a registration for one or more courses, seminars or forums, entry is free for the three days of the exhibition.
Follow the evolution of the event, exhibition plan and program on the websites:
See in this video a summary of the last edition of the event:


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iClick (asi/62124) welcomes Cynthia Troiani as regional sales manager for the South territory, covering TX, OK, AR, LA, MS, TN, AL, GA, NC, SC and FL. In addition, the company has hired Melinda Marr as regional sales manager for the Midwest territory, covering ND, SD, NE, KS, MO, IL, IN, MI, WI, MN and IA.
Polyconcept North America has hired Brittany Smith as field sales manager in the South Texas and Louisiana territories.
The Magnet Group (asi/68507) has hired industry veteran Cathy Cummings to key accounts.
Alpi International (asi/34415) announced that Mike Williams has joined its sales team.
Polyconcept North America announced today the addition of Brittany Smith to the hard goods field sales team. Brittany, based in Houston, TX, will act as field sales manager in the South Texas and Louisiana territories.
Gemline (asi/56070) welcomes Suzanne Simpson as regional manager for Canada. Simpson will oversee Gemline sales throughout Canada with the exception of the Quebec territory which will continue to be managed by Agence Nordiq.
The Magnet Group (asi/68507) welcomes Jessica Hutwelker as regional sales manager for Northern California, Washington and Oregon.
Stahls' has named Brett Stahl as general manager. Previously, he was chief technology officer at the Sterling Heights, MI-based maker and distributor of heat printing technology.
HotLine Products (asi/61960) has promoted Jon Hicks to vice president of sales and Joann Schafer to customer service manager.
Visions/Awardcraft (asi/93986) has promoted Wendy Simons to the position of vice president – sales, where she will lead the sales team of the new VisionsXtra (asi/93980) line.
All-in-One (asi/34256) has hired Christy Dodson as its Midwest territory manager and Terri Hilpert as its territory manager for IL, WI and IN.
ERB Safety and Fame Fabrics (asi/51204) welcomes Westin Moe as inside sales representative.
Hub Pen Company (asi/61966) has hired Timothy Fox as inside sales representative for distributors in the Southwest.
Spector & Co. (asi/88660) has promoted Jennifer Young to account manager for DC, MD, NC, SC, VA and WV.
Custom Crest (asi/47971) welcomes Lewie Hunt as director of sales.
Outdoor Cap Company (asi/75420) has appointed Michael Kogutt to the position of director of sales – promotional products.
Geiger (asi/202900) announces that Julia Wright has joined the company as an independent sales partner. A specialist in environmentally friendly promotional products with 22 years of experience in the industry, Wright has been selling across Maine for the past 12 years.
Spector & Co. (asi/88660) welcomes Maria Kokosoulis as the account manager for the Midwest territory.
Stahls' appoints Iris Dembeck as Hispanic marketing manager. Dembeck is tasked with the ongoing development of the decorating supplier's recently launched Spanish-language website.


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‘Bulgarian farmers’ produce is now much more competitive thanks to both direct payments and investments under the Rural Development Programme. We have secured EUR 2 billion in direct payments and over EUR 3 billion under the scheme. Such a substantial amount of money cannot but exert a positive impact on the agriculture sector,’ Boyanova said.
Another positive development in Bulgarian agriculture highlighted at the meeting was the rapid growth in grain production and the need to set off the same trend in other sectors such as fruit and vegetable farming as well as stockbreeding.
We should focus on value-added production; we should not just produce and export, but also process and have the end product made here, not abroad,’ Boyanova noted. She added that organic production is high on Bulgaria’s priority list and its vast potential is yet to unfold.


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The current Idea Email explains how and why ad-blocking isn’t just a browser plug-in hack. Blocking ads is also a multi-billion dollar business. It’s based on the notion that advertising doesn’t always need to be at the transaction intersection when dollars are exchanged for content. Oftentimes, customers become so overwhelmed by the crush of ads on the internet and traditional media, they are more than willing to pay media companies for the chance to view (listen to, watch, read) ad-free content.
And many media companies have learned that there are billions of dollars in potential revenue in allowing people to pay for ad-free content, rather than subjecting them to personalized ads or the sheer magnitude of ads that appear on a web page.
Here are some examples of ad-free content providers and how they make money (or hope to).
For a few weeks each year, the users of Wikipedia see a header message across the top of Wikipedia pages that promises never to carry advertising if users donate to the Wikimedia Foundation, the organization that funds Wikipedia. Sure, that header is an ad, but only in the way that ad-free public TV and radio don’t call their fundraising advertising either. In the most recent fundraising cycle, $75 million in donations were made. 75 percent of the donations were less than $100 and the average donation was $15.
Netflix has so defined the ad-free, on-demand, category that services trying to replicate their model in other categories describe themselves as the “Netflix of books” or the “Netflix of magazines.” Unfortunately for the replicants, the “Netflix of Xers” have discovered a positioning line is not always the key to success.
In addition to its ad-supported free service that allows users to play any song in its 30-million title library, Spotify has an array of paid services that start at $5 per month (for students) and that block ads and stream music at a speed that provides higher quality sound.
The Salt Lake Tribune
The newspaper has launched a “membership plan” in which subscribers can pay (at the $9.99 per month level), for the ad-free version of the paper. So far, 600 people have signed up for The Salt Lake Tribune’s membership program since it debuted in late July.
It will take a while to understand the impact of YouTube Red, a service that launched yesterday (Wednesday, October 28, 2015) and is being touted as a means to pay for an ad-free YouTube. However, there’s more to the service that is Amazon.com-Prime-like: A bundle of “free” services for an annual subscription. For example, YouTube Red will include a subscription to Google’s Spotify-like service, Google Play Music.
Audible.com / Amazon Kindle
Because books have never been generally viewed as an ad-supported medium, the Amazon-owned tandem of audio books via Audible.com and ebooks via the Kindle may seem like a stretch as an example of a means to get rid of ads. However, both the Kindle and Audible.com demonstrate how the conventional wisdom that claims that “information wants to be free” is often not true. And neither is it true that advertising must be the business model of media.


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Freebirds World Burrito to hire up to 1,500 workers
- Staff Reports
Austin-based Freebirds World Burrito plans to open 20 new stores and hire as many as 1,500 workers, officials said in a news release Wednesday.
The company known for its "monster"-sized burritos said it plans to expand the chain to a total 60 locations by the end of next year. Each spot would employ between 50 and 75 crew members and managers.
"We are bucking the trend by growing and hiring," said Bryan Lockwood, president for parent company the Tavistock Restaurant Group.
The company has already signed leases for new stores in Baytown, League City and Pasadena, Calif. Each restaurant features a similar assembly line set up. Customers choose a burrito, burrito bowl, taco, nachos, quesadilla or salad topped with a choice of more than 40 ingredients.
Tavistock attempted to buy bankrupt Fuddruckers earlier this year, but was outbid by Luby's Inc.
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Family zooms in on Sino-Russian trade Three generations have documented the development of people-to-people ties between the two countries
After a summer rain shower, Qiu Xianglin takes his camera and walks along the Heilongjiang River, which serves as a boundary between China and Russia, hoping to capture a rainbow stretching over the river between Heilong jiang province’s Heihe city and the Russian city of Blagoveshchensk.
“It is the most beautiful image I can capture,” said 74-year-old Qiu, former chief photojournalist for Heihe Daily. For 40 years, he recorded the changes in Sino-Russian economic and trade cooperation, taking more than 100,000 photos.
Watermelons in Exchange for Chemical Fertilizers is one of his most famous works. It was taken in September 1987, shortly after trade through Heihe Port was resumed. “Our side traded 208 metric tons of watermelons for more than 300 metric tons of much-needed fertilizers,” Qiu said.
Over the years, trade has flourished between the two sides, and Qiu has witnessed a lot of it firsthand.
“Heihe’s people-to-people trade with the former USSR was the most dynamic — a scene not seen in other Chinese cities,” Qiu said. “The central street was filled with wheeler-dealers who traded sportswear with the Soviets for wool coats.”
China’s light industrial products such as clothing, shoes and hats were popular on the other side, while Soviet leather and metal products won the hearts of Chinese.
In order to satisfy the needs of both sides, the first economic and trade fair between China and the then-USSR, as well as eastern European countries, was held by the former ministry of foreign trade and economic cooperation — which is now the Ministry of Commerce — and the provincial government of Heilong jiang in the provincial capital of Harbin in 1990.
“Barter trade was basically the major mode of doing business, which was the precursor to the Harbin International Economic and Trade Fair,” said Qiu, who took many pictures of the event.
Three Middle-Aged Men with Hands Clasped Behind Their Backs, Bending Over and Inspecting Crafts Made of Birch is a photo taken at the 23rd Harbin International Economic and Trade Fair in 2012 by Qiu’s son, Qiu Qilong.
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the fair underwent several changes before taking its final form, focusing on Russia.
Qiu Qilong followed in his father’s footsteps, continuing to photograph scenes from the fair every year.
In 2014, the 25 th edition of the fair was upgraded to the China-Russia Expo. The same year, Qiu Guodong, 19, bid farewell to his hometown of Heihe, leaving to study at Heilong jiang Institute of Technology in Harbin.
Influenced by his father and grandfather, Qiu Guodong has been documenting ChinaRussia ties since he was a child. Fluent in Russian, he has a certain affection for the country.
“My father often talked to me about what the trade fair looked like, but what I saw in person was a lot different,” Qiu Guodong said.
Stepping into the Harbin International Conference and Exhibition Center, where the fourth China-Russia Expo was held from June 14 to 18, left him shocked.
Cutting-edge exhibits, such as a model of China’s manned deep-sea research submersible Jiaolong, an unmanned plane, nanotechnology and graphene, changed his thoughts about Sino-Russian cooperation.
It encouraged him to conduct research on cross-border e-commerce between China and Russia. “College students are encouraged to start their own business, and I think my hometown has some advantages,” he said.
This year’s expo also focused on further expanding com- mon ground for the development of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union, with merchants and government officials from 74 countries and regions participating in the event.
After another summer rain shower, Qui Xianglin once again walks along the Heilong jiang River, but there is no rainbow in sight. Instead, he raises his camera and takes a picture of a bridge being built. It will connect Heihe and Blagoveshchensk, bringing the twin cities even closer.
A rainbow connects Heihe in Heilongjiang province and the Russian city of Blagoveshchensk.
Children from the two cities play a game together in Heihe, in September, 2007.
From left: Qiu Xianglin, Qiu Guodong and Qiu Qilong at Heihe Port.


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It seems like Valve gave away their Christmas gift quite early; Valve Santa might have been in a hurry. The 10th CSGO operation is finally here. It is as good as it sounds “Broken Fang,” along with the new badass operation, Valve also released a cinematic trailer of 16 seconds after eight long years.
Broken fang adds a new mode called “Retakes,” which puts three terrorists against four counter-terrorists for eight rounds along with their weapons picked out of a loadout card for each round rather than the conventional method. Along with the exclusive Broken Fang premiere, one can play through new maps with various game modes. As Valve states:
The All New CSGO Operation
“Join the fight and take part in Operation Broken Fang. New challenges await, with the all-new Retakes and the exclusive Broken Fang Premier. Play new maps across a variety of game modes, and see how you measure up in the Operation Stats page. Complete weekly missions and choose from a variety of rewards including new agents, weapon collections, stickers, patches, and graffiti..”
With the entirety of the CS: GO community being in a deep sleep, Valve just dropped a massive bomb and gifted everyone with a brand new CS: GO operation, Operation Broken Fang. The 10th Operation in the game, it comes with many brand-new features, maps, and bundles. Valve even released a new cinematic for this release, the first in eight years. This new release is the biggest yet and involved exciting exclusive content available to those buying the Operation Pass.
The previous ‘Operation Shattered Web’ came in the form of introducing a new Battle-Pass system and the introduction of many levels and many exciting new skins. Operation Broken Fang sees a return to all of these.
CSGO Next Operation
The new Operation Broken Fang introduces a mode called Retakes for all players and a new game mode called Broken Fang Premier for Operation Pass holders, maps, agents, missions, and many more. There is also a brand-new dynamic ping system at play now to more game modes.
There are also new team additions, a SWAT team for the counter-terrorists and the latest terrorist squad known as The Professionals; are a portion of the new boss specialists in CS: GO, the vast majority of which include their grizzly cover. These expert-level specialists are trailed by unique, predominant, uncommon, and recognized specialists. Overall, 20 new agents have been added to the game.
Among newly added maps include Ancient, Engage, Apollo and Scrimmage for casual and deathmatch, Frostbite for Danger Zone, Guard and Elysion for Wingman mode, and Mutiny and Swamp have been removed. All these maps are completely new and can help take away the monotonicity and provide new challenges to players who have completely memorized the previous maps.
Csgo Operation 2020 Shop
Along with maps, there are various new skins launched along with the game too. With the introduction of a new ‘Operations Shop,’ where players can get rewards in exchange for operation stars, which are earned by completing weekly missions.
In the new Retakes game mode, three Terrorists defend a planted bomb against four Counter-Terrorists in a fast-paced game mode, and it is available for all players during Operation Broken Fang. Players do not require buying the Operation Pass for this game mode, and it is available for all to play for free. So, even those not purchasing the Pass get something new and exciting.
Upon buying the Operation Pass, players can be levelled from Bronze to Diamond, which will be displayed on their CS: GO profile in the form of an Operation Coin.
There are also new Operation rewards like new skins, Agents, weapons, stickers, Broken Fang weapon cases, patches, and many more. With the Operation Broken Fang Case, players get 17 community-designed weapon finishes and a new set of exclusive gloves not available before.
As for Agents, counter-terrorists are themed around a SWAT team, and the terrorist groups are themed around a crew called The Professionals.
Players purchasing Operation pass also get access to the Broken Fang Premier Mode, access to the New CSGO Operation Stats page, and XP boosts for completing missions. Players choosing to redeem rewards from the Operation Shop also have great news, as there are no limits to the number of rewards a player can redeem. An even if a player has earned the maximum stars, they can purchase stars to redeem rewards.
Players not having an Operation Pass can also play the missions, but they will not receive the all new CSGO Operation stars, and they cannot play the Broken Fang Premier Mode and all the missions involving it.
But, if a player chooses to buy the new Csgo Operation 2020 pass after completing missions, they will have access to all rewards gained by completing the missions and earn XP for upgrading their Next Csgo Operation Coin.
Returning from Earlier
The very popular Guardian missions from Operation Shattered Web are returning in Broken Fang and so supposedly are the Strike missions, though not officially confirmed yet.
Stats tracking can be beneficial, and with the new csgo Operation Pass, players can analyze their gameplay and figure out areas where they need to focus. This is a welcome feature for most players, and stats tracking can help out all players regardless of their skill level.
The ones with the New Csgo Operation Pass can track their game’s performance statistics on the new Csgo Operation 2020 Stat’s page and compete for new rewards such as new stickers, patches, weapon collection and even new agents! There are seven new maps and a next csgo operation shop that gives out prizes in exchange for next csgo operation stars, which are earned by completing the weekly missions.
The Broken Fang premier putting the players through a 5v5 viable matching with map picks and bans before the match takes one’s competitive matchmaking to another level, but this is only available for new Csgo Operation 2020 Pass holders exclusively.
The all-new chat wheel allows the players to communicate quickly and keep the information to the point precisely, which is further customizable. These commands generate contextual pings to be viewed by the teammates, and the resulting call-outs area automatically translated in the chat along with the update of dynamic ping.
Valve has implemented a ping system with the new csgo operation 2020, a feature found mainly in other first-person shooters like VALORANT or Apex Legends.
There’s also a great new system of communicating with teammates, with a fully customizable chat wheel system containing contextual pings to be viewed by the teammates, and it will automatically be translated in the chat.
This is great for communicating during gameplay and can prove pivotal during a fast-paced game where talking or writing can take up valuable time.
A Welcome release
The announcement from Valve came as a surprise for the majority of the players, and as a much-needed release for most seasoned CS: GO players, with a new reason to be excited. This New Csgo Operation 2020 Pass and all the brand new rewards seem attractive, and the players for sure are hyped.
With old features re-introduced, and completely new much-needed features being released, this is one of the biggest releases for CS: GO for years. With many players switching away from GO, this new Csgo Operation 2020 Pass provides the perfect reason to return to their favourite game once more.
This Pass is released for around $14-$15 worldwide and is only a small price to pay for what is a wholly reprised new game with hundreds of hours’ worth of content and a hundred more reasons to experience this game again.
A Christmas Gift
This Operation Pass comes as an early Christmas gift from Valve, and a gift about which no one is complaining. With its release stirring up discussions everywhere, Operation Broken Fang is already the talk of the town and all the game discussion sites on the internet just mere hours after its official release.
There is some good news for the players who joyed out Operation Shattered Web’s cooperative missions as those missions have made a comeback with Broken Fang, although there is not much information about them as of now but the screenshots do imply the return.
For the crazy skin collectors there are 3 new skin collections available. These skin cases can be attained by accomplishing weekly mission or purchasing them with coins.
Duration of the New Csgo Operation 2020
With the New Csgo Operation Broken Fang lasting till April 30th, players have enough time to decide for themselves whether they find the new csgo Operation 2020 Pass worth their time, though the choice should be obvious. Players will receive mission cards each week for the first 16 weeks, and there are ample opportunities to earn rewards.
The introduction of so many features, maps, store, skins, agents, and crates is lovely. Along with two new game modes, one for all and one premium, this New Csgo Operation 2020 Pass is a must-buy for all CS: GO enthusiasts, with this release being probably the most significant release yet after many, many years.
BROKEN FANG PATCH NOTES:
[ GAMEPLAY ] — Added Broken Fang Premier Mode. — Added Retakes game mode. — Added dynamic ping system to more game modes. — Added a new customizable chat wheel feature. — Chat wheel can be customized under Keyboard/Mouse > Chat Wheel Keys options.
[ MAPS ] — Added Ancient, Engage, and Apollo to Scrimmage, Casual and Deathmatch game modes. — Added Frostbite to Danger Zone game mode. — Added Guard and Elysion to Wingman game mode. — Removed Mutiny and Swamp.
Cache: — Removed excessive details. — Generally smoothed visual experience. — Visual clarity improvements for very low-resolution users. — Minor tweaks. (Thanks hzx_fps!) — Mild optimizations at the A Bombsite and Mid. — Finishing visual touches.


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Christmas hams ‘will be available’ - IFA boss
WICKLOW IFA Chairman Declan O’Neill feels there is no reason the Irish pork industry shouldn’t be able to supply the traditional Christmas ham to consumers despite the destruction of 100,000 pigs because of the pig meat crisis.
Supermarkets were forced to withdraw all Irish pig meats from their shelves and the public have been told to return all pork products purchased since September.
The drastic measures were required after the discovery of dangerous dioxins, known as PCBs, in pig meat. The contamination is set to cost the Irish food industry billions and the Government acted swiftly to ease public concern by continuing investigations at 10 pig farms and 38 beef farms in the Republic.
It’s by far the biggest food scare the country has faced since BSE. Pig producers aren’t as big in Wicklow as other counties but annually the industry is worth €500 million and creates 7,000 jobs nationwide.
Mr. O’Neill says the crisis couldn’t have come at a worse time. ‘It’s a cyclical business and things were just beginning to pick up again. ‘Obviously Christmas is a very important time of year for the pig industry so the timing of this couldn’t have been much worse.’
However, he points out that over 90 per cent of Irish production was completely free of any connection to the single source of contaminated feed.
‘The withdrawal of pork products is a precautionary move, not a safety issue. Only 10 farms are being investigated and the other 490 are perfectly okay. I want to see pig meats back in production and back on the shelves as soon as possible. I think people will still be able to buy their hams in time for Christmas.’
Tesco’s recall notice.


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A pub in North Devon has withdrawn from the Government's 'Eat Out to Help Out' scheme after being "beyond busy" since it started on Monday.
The owners of Westleigh Inn near Bideford said while they support the incentive to boost business after the pandemic, it was not practical to introduce it during the summer.
They have pulled out of the scheme after a chaotic couple of days, telling customers they cannot give their "high standard of service" with the amount of customers going in.
Steph Dyer and Pete Kenwood, who run the pub, said they made the decision after serving 98 covers in just over an hour.
They have 10 indoor tables and 20 outside, but only take bookings inside due to the unpredictability of British weather.
With so many people wanting to sit outside in recent days, the volume of customers was too much for the small village pub to handle.
Steph said, "We are not a microwave 'ping' restaurant. Everything is cooked fresh and it takes time to present and serve it all properly."
According to the couple, people were waiting well over an hour for their food to arrive - falling well below their high standard of service.
They also expressed concern about social distancing and how customers could not safely keep apart when waiting to use the toilet.
Steph added, "I think the scheme is a fantastic idea and it's been really well organised - I just think the timing is completely wrong. It would have been 100 per cent better - after most of the tourists have gone home.
"We have had a huge influx of holidaymakers, which we always have in Devon and Cornwall - but this year it's busier than ever because a lot of people haven't gone abroad for their holidays."


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New models - Honda - Jazz
Honda updates Jazz range
Jazz GLi gets five-star safety as part of mild makeover for Honda’s top-seller
1 Apr 2011
HONDA has added standard side and curtain airbags and a front and rear seatbelt reminder to its entry-level Jazz GLi as part of an update on its biggest-selling model.
Every Jazz now receives a five-star ANCAP safety rating as a result of the update that also includes minor cosmetic changes in the form of new LED tail-lights and a mesh-style grille, while two new colours – Polished Metal and Fresh Lime Green - join the line-up.
Changes to the interior include a redesigned satin finish centre dash panel and a new multi-function display unit, while USB and Bluetooth connectivity are now standard.
On top of those changes, the mid-range VTi gains side skirts, “sporty” front bumpers, a gunmetal-coloured grille, 15-inch alloy wheels with a full-size alloy spare, foglights and cruise control. The flagship VTi-S gets the same additions and also gains 16-inch alloy wheels and a tailgate spoiler.
Prices remain unchanged for all variants except the top-spec VTi-S automatic, which is now $1000 cheaper at $22,690 before on-roads.
Honda claims the upgrade adds $1600 of value to the entry-level GLi, while the VTi and VTi-S gain $3400 and $2000 of extra value respectively.
The GLi retains the carry-over 1.3-litre four-cylinder engine that produces 73kW and 127Nm, while the rest of the range continues with the unchanged 1.5-litre, 88kW and 145Nm engine.
All models still come with the choice of five-speed manual or automatic transmissions except the VTi-S, which is automatic-only.
Honda’s (VSA) electronic stability control system became standard across the second-generation Jazz range – launched in Australia in 2008 - for the first time from January 1, when the potentially life-saving safety device became compulsory for all cars and SUVs in Victoria.
Jazz sales are down 21 per cent year-on-year for the first two months of 2011.
To give some context, Suzuki’s new Swift light car racked up 1001 sales in February, almost double that of the Jazz (575).
As previously covered in GoAuto, Honda’s ongoing sales downturn since 2007 has carried-over into 2011. The Japanese manufacturer has fallen behind Subaru and Volkswagen in the sales race for the first two-months of 2011 and holds a tenuous grip on tenth-place in the sales-race, with a determined Suzuki nipping at its heels.
Meanwhile, Honda Australia recalled 11,009 late-model Jazz cars in February over a possible valvetrain problem, while less than two months before that more than 27,000 previous model Jazz cars were recalled over a potential headlight fault.
The Road to Recovery podcast series
22nd of March 2011
Market Insight: Honda still taking hard knocks
Early signs this year not good for Honda as sales continue to slide
25th of February 2011
Honda recalls Jazz – again
Honda recalls Jazz light car for the second time in as many months
All new models
Motor industry news


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Trade fabricator, Modplan, has announced a series of Leka Systems open days. Modplan’s sales and marketing director, Justin Williams, said: “The latest additions to the Leka Systems portfolio attracted a great deal of interest at FIT. The Modplan open days build on this interest. They are a fantastic opportunity to understand the products in more detail and speak to the Leka team and our experts.”
The event will give installers more detail on the new Leka Xi, the modular conservatory walls and base system, which has been designed to provide a warm, sustainable alternative to a traditional block/brick built conservatory base/wall. There will also be sections on the Leka conservatory base system and the Leka conversion system. The event will feature a factory tour, seminars, Q&A sessions and 1-2-1 appointments.
The first open days are being held on 27-28 August and are aimed at installers new to Modplan. As well as looking at its product offering, Modplan adds that the events will give potential customers an opportunity to understand more about its partnership approach.
The second open days are being held on 2-3 September and are aimed at existing Modplan customers. These days will update customers on what’s new at Modplan alongside the sessions on Leka Systems.
Justin said: “Here at Modplan we’re all about helping installers to grow their business and make the most of the market opportunities. Our open days will be a great introduction to Leka Systems’ latest products – as well as an excellent opportunity to network with other ambitious businesses.”


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Stories about China from April, 2021
"Only China helped Latin America and the countries in the region all began dancing to China's tune, not due to shared ideologies but due to the desire to resolve an unprecedented problem."
Chinese state media instrumental in smear campaign against wife of former US diplomat, research firm DoubleThink Lab says
According to the Taiwanese firm's research report, Chinese media amplified the mass trolling targetting popular food blogger Chuang Tzu-i amid a diplomatic row with the US.
The call for a purge of Hong Kong's critical press comes as Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 1 year and 2 months in prison.
China has mobilized online patriots to support the use of Xinjiang cotto, arguing that allegations of forced labour along with other human rights violations are false information
It's a total overhaul of Hong Kong's representative democracy.


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Immersive Wire, an analytic website specializing on the metaverse and spatial computing, has picked up on our news and pointed out the unique attributes of the XTAL 3 CAVU MR headset.
With its advanced AMD and Nvidia chips, the headset paves the way for ultra-realistic graphics and powerful performance. It offers precise, high resolution and professional-grade mixed reality training to various professions, especially pilots.
In their feature, Read Magazine mentioned how our latest innovation brings mixed reality to the forefront with a remarkable 24Mpix image sensor directly connected to an AMD Xilinx FPGA PCIe16x card via optic cables. This “hardcoded” processor is dedicated to calculating high resolution mixed-reality images which are delivered in a flash – one millisecond to be exact.
The technology-focused Develop3D has emphasized the improved design of the XTAL 3 CAVU – the device is built from precision-engineered lightweight carbon fibre, making it lighter than previous 700g XTAL Vrgineer headsets.
The news has also been mentioned by Road to VR which stated: “The funding round was led by Taiwania Capital, a venture capital firm based in Taipei, Taiwan. Returning investors include Czechia-based Nation 1, which has increased its share by $500,000 since the previous investment round.”
Set to hit the market in 2024, the XTAL 3 CAVU system will feature in Vrgineers Mixed Reality Classroom Simulators. We also plan to roll out an improved version of our XTAL 3 NEO Mixed Reality Headset as a more cost-effective solution for pilot training.
All Vrgineers products, including the XTAL 3 CAVU, come TAA certified and are designed to meet the strictest security requirements for use in secure locations. Stay tuned for the latest news and updates on our technology!


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Dutch feed giant Royal De Heus Animal Nutrition is to strengthen its position in Vietnam’s aquaculture sector in 2017, with the opening of a new research facility in partnership with R&D and consultancy firm Fresh Studio.
The center – due to officially open in spring 2017 – will initially focus on developing knowledge of pangasius, tilapia, snakehead and shrimp feeds. The aim is to improve the feeding performance of these species, to maximize animal growth and limit wastage of resources, Fresh Studio’s managing director Siebe van Wijk told Undercurrent News.
Fresh Studio began its work in the horticulture sector in Vietnam, where one of the largest supermarket chains in the world contracted it to develop direct farmer sourcing systems, he said. To ensure farmers complied with the quality standards of Fresh Studio’s client, Fresh Studio developed an extension service and an R&D and demonstration farm. “Within a period of ten years the combination of applied research, extension and cooperation with a large number of technology companies, resulted in the successful introduction of value-adding innovations to thousands of farmers.“
Based on this success, Fresh Studio’s client retailer contracted it to develop the same sourcing system for aquaculture. While developing this sourcing system, Fresh Studio too saw the need for the same applied R&D approach in the aquaculture sector, said van Wijk. De Heus, which had just made its first investment in the fish feed sector, saw the same need, and the first partnership stages were formed.
De Heus first became active in Vietnam in 2008, and completed a new factory there in April 2016. Now, two years after the partnership formed, their six hectare facility in Vinh Long Province, Mekong Delta, has an operating, indoor recirculation aquaculture system. Work on the outdoor area is being completed currently.
The R&D farm was funded through a public private partnership between De Heus, Fresh Studio and an R&D grant from the Dutch government. Links with science were made by involving Can Tho University and Wageningen University. For De Heus, this R&D facility should develop into a key innovation center for its aquaculture feed programs in other Southeast Asian nations, as well as important other fish feed markets, such as China, and Egypt. After one year of research on pangasius and tilapia, the facility is now moving into snakehead and shrimp, said van Wijk, and will branch out into feeding technology and “pure research” on feed, to “provide concrete solutions to farmers on improved feed management”.
Presenting the initiative at the “Aquaculture Innovation Challenge” in Ho Chi Minh – organized by the Seafood Trade Intelligence Portal, Solidaridad, and Fresh Studio early in December – van Wijk noted that pangasius selling prices at retail were trending downwards, while production costs have risen over the past 16 years. Hence the need for research into feed; feed costs make up over 90% of pangasius farming, and 85% of the cost of producing tilapia too.
Aside from this, poor seed quality and disease outbreaks can also eat into profits for farmers, he noted. When it comes to FRCs, a slight improvement could mean a big difference to margins. Currently salmon’s average feed conversion ratio (FCR) is around 1.1, while pangasius is 1.5 and tilapia 2.6, according to data he presented.
For instance, working on the basis of a pangasius maket price of VND 21,000 per kilogram, an FCR improvement from 1.5 to 1.2 could mean savings of 20%, or VND 4,050/kg, he said. In turn this could lead to an upward spiral of better products and higher yields, improving demand, and ultimately earning higher prices, Fresh Studio hopes.
“We expect indirect savings also. From the farm side, because less feed will be used per pond, less organic matters will be released into the ponds which should limit both the pumping costs to exchange water, and treatment costs to cure diseases.”
From a market perspective, these improvements should be perceived positively, and may play a part in driving higher market prices in the long-term, it is hoped. By the time the official opening comes around, De Heus and Fresh Studio will announce collaborations with other key players in the aquaculture sector, who want their technologies and production systems tested and further improved, he said.


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The RBI has today, in the exercise of its powers, inter alia, under section 35A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, directed Paytm Payments Bank Ltd to stop, with immediate effect, onboarding of new customers,” a press release from RBI said. Based on certain material supervisory concerns observed in the bank, the apex bank has directed Paytm Payments Bank to appoint an information technology audit firm to conduct a comprehensive system audit of its IT system.
Onboarding of new customers by Paytm Payments Bank Ltd will be subject to specific permission to be granted by RBI after reviewing the report of the IT auditors. This action is based on certain material supervisory concerns observed in the bank. Paytm Payments Bank was incorporated in August 2016 and formally began its operations in May 2017 from a branch in Noida.
What Went Wrong?
According to the reports, a recent supervisory audit by the RBI had found violations in know your customer norms. A significant number of dormant accounts were found at Paytm Payments Bank, which was opened without conducting adequate KYC on the depositors. The regulator had questioned the payments bank on this, to which the bank had responded. However, it appears that the regulator was not satisfied with the responses it got from Paytm Payments Bank and imposed the latest restrictions.
Paytm Payments Bank had 64 million savings accounts as of March 31, 2021, and over Rs 5,200 crore in deposits. It was also the largest Unified Payments Interface beneficiary bank, with the lowest technical decline rate among beneficiary and remitter banks. Further, in December, Paytm Payments Bank emerged as the biggest receiver of UPI amounts with 926.17 million transactions while public sector bank SBI topped the chart of being the biggest remitter in December, according to data released by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
Paytm’s Vijay Shekhar Sharma wants to convert Paytm into a small finance bank. He has claimed that moving in that direction will solve a lot of problems for the entity. This plan surfaced before Paytm filed an IPO last year. In order to get the Small Finance Bank status, payment banks need to show a clean record of at least five years.
Thanks for Reading!!


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THL buys most of Party City, values it at $2.7 billion
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Thomas H. Lee Partners has struck a deal to buy control of Party City in a deal that values North America's largest retailer of party goods at $2.69 billion, the private equity firm said on Tuesday.
The retailer's current private equity owners -- Advent International Corp, Berkshire Partners LLC and Weston Presidio -- as well as Party City management will retain minority stakes in the company, THL said.
The sale comes more than a year after Party City's owners filed for an initial public offering. The IPO market has been facing challenges from weak global stock markets and Facebook Inc's (FB.O) troubled stock sale.
Reuters reported last week that Boston-based THL was nearing a deal, worth $2.6 billion and $2.8 billion, to buy Party City after beating out two other private equity suitors -- BC Partners and a consortium of Leonard Green & Partners LP and TPG Capital Management TPG.UL.
Party City sells party supplies, decorations and costumes, mainly under its namesake brand and the Halloween City, Factory Card & Party Outlet and Party Packagers names.
"Party City leads the $10 billion retail party goods industry in terms of product selection and retail network," said THL Managing Director Todd M. Abbrecht.
Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BAC.N) and Moelis & Company acted as financial advisors and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP acted as legal advisor to THL. Goldman Sachs (GS.N) and Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) advised Party City.
(Reporting By Soyoung Kim and Michael Erman; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick and Lisa Von Ahn)
PORCIA, Italy - The boxy white and grey factory of this rainy northern town makes fewer than half the washing machines it did when Italy joined the euro. It is one of the many symbols of Southern Europe's industrial decline.
- U.S. small businesses borrowed more money in January than they did a year earlier, signaling continued growth in the economy despite a spate of cold weather that has been blamed for weakness in many other indicators of activity.
BEIJING/HONG KONG - China reiterated its opposition on Thursday to a European Union plan to limit airline carbon dioxide emissions and called for talks to resolve the issue a day after its major airlines refused to pay any carbon costs under the new law.


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A number of owners of new “iPhone 12 mini” phones have complained about a serious technical defect in their phones. A number of owners of “iPhone 12 mini” phones, according to the specialized technical site “Engadget”, said that they faced a difficult experience that the touch screen was partially unresponsive when Activate the lock screen, and users explained that even with a quick swipe to unlock it using the thumb, users need the other fingers to unlock the iPhone 12 mini, which is what many find unhelpful for a phone specifically designed for one-handed use.
A number of iPhone 12 mini users complain that the problem may be due to the connection or the use of a cover to protect the phone, while others indicated that the problem has been fixed when the phone is connected or used without a cover.
Apple did not respond to requests for comment on this problem, which seems to be not just an isolated incident, but rather widespread among a large number of users of the new “iPhone 12 mini” phones..
Worth noting Apple announced in October about iPhone 12 mini And it was the first time I used Apple. “miniIn naming her iPhone, after using it with iPod mini AndiPad mini AndMac mini Previously.
These were the details of the news IPhone 12 mini users are complaining about a defect with the... for this day. We hope that we have succeeded by giving you the full details and information. To follow all our news, you can subscribe to the alerts system or to one of our different systems to provide you with all that is new.
It is also worth noting that the original news has been published and is available at eg24.news and the editorial team at AlKhaleej Today has confirmed it and it has been modified, and it may have been completely transferred or quoted from it and you can read and follow this news from its main source.


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Google earlier this week in a quietly fashion rolled out a feature that adds a string of metadata to all APK files for apps when they’re signed by are developer.
One should note that you won’t be able to install an application which hasn’t been signed during its final build so, that means that all apps built using the latest APK Signature Scheme will have a chunk of DRM built into them.
In an effort to improve security, this new feature will check the security of metadata to Android APKs to make sure they’re distributed through the Play Store. It will also make it possible to verify an app when you’re offline.
According to Google, there is no reason to panic over the new update as it may ultimately be helpful, even if there are legitimate concerns.
The DRM feature is very helpful to those in developing areas where people don’t always have reliable data, and may have to go through a peer-to-peer portal or another channel that isn’t Google’s.
Technically, the addition of DRM to APKs will act as a form of assurance to those downloading apps from places they don’t trust and also it will help weed out any insecure apps that could compromise your handset’s security.
What is DRM?
DRM stands for Digital Rights Management. It is intended to protect the content owner and keep applications secure from unauthorized sharing.
We have seen the same feature being used by many gaming companies like EA (Electronic Arts) where you have to install an Origin client and have it regularly check online to run any games published by EA. The same measure has been put in place by entertainment companies like Netflix to protect their content from authorised access and sharing.
However, people are more concerned about how this feature will be used and don’t really trust it because of the way developers and publishers have abused it in the past.
PC gaming platforms like Steam, U Play and other companies like Sony, Disney have fully implemented DRM in their applications which has caused some strife among users because it decides where in the world you are allowed to use their content. For example, you may not be able to play music or video content you paid for because you moved to another country.
In Africa, we have faced the same issues from time to time where by gamers on the Sony PlayStation network can’t purchase certain online content because its location restricted. To me, this is just total nonsense.
We too are clients and deserve a right to have access to content we paid for.
The DRM move by Google isn’t a bad thing since security is important and apps need to be verified for their contents. Plus, you can buy an app from any approved distributor and it will work with Google Play Store features like family library and subscriptions.
However, in case the tech giant decides to switch its tactics and play an EA move, then just know very soon you may not be able to access that favorite app you love so much because its restricted.
All things considered, let’s hope the DRM feature isn’t abused.
In other news: Gartenzwerg Wants to Put a Smart Garden in Your House
Author: Allan Bangirana
Allan Bangirana has a taste for all kinds of topics and usually writes about tech, entertainment, sports and community projects that make a difference in society.


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Finally, after just over two years and 175 basis points of Official Cash Rate cuts, annual inflation is back into the Reserve Bank's 1-3% target band.
Statistics New Zealand reported yesterday that the Consumer Price Index rose 0.4% in the December quarter from the September quarter and was up 1.3% from the same quarter a year ago. Annual inflation has been below 1% since the September quarter of 2014 and below the 2% mid-point of the Reserve Bank's target band since the September quarter of 2011.
The open question now is whether inflation is about to rebound and force the Reserve Bank to start hiking again. Most economists think the OCR is on hold for the rest of 2017 at least, with any increases starting only in 2018 and then likely to be slow. The Reserve Bank will be wary of hiking too early or too quickly, given it has had to reverse its two previous attempts (2010 and 2014) at hiking rates back to what it now sees as a neutral rate of around 4% (although that has been drifting ever lower since 2008). The bank itself forecast in November that the OCR would be on hold at 1.75% until the end of 2019.
Yesterday's figures did little to change that outlook. The 0.4% increase was above the consensus of economists' forecasts of around 0.3% and above the Reserve Bank's own forecast in November of 0.2%, but the surprises were mostly in the tradeable portions of inflation that the Reserve Bank can do little to influence. There is also a strong headwind blowing down on inflation from the high currency, which stood at over 79.2 on a Trade Weighted Index basis today -- 3.7% above the Reserve Bank's forecast for the TWI in the March quarter.
Tradable inflation in the quarter was 0.3%, up from 0.0% in the September quarter and dragging annual tradable deflation down to 0.1% from 2.1% -- largely due to higher fuel prices over the year. The biggest surprise was for airfares, which rose 11% internationally and 9.7% domestically during the quarter. The other area where inflation was strongest was in the cost of new houses (excluding land), where prices rose 6.5% from a year ago -- the fastest inflation rate in 11 years.
Core inflation remains subdued. The Reserve Bank's sectoral factor model of annual inflation, which is one of several measures the bank uses to assess core inflation, was flat at 1.5% in the December quarter, while the factor model rose to 1.5% from 1.2%.
Economists agreed inflation appeared to have troughed, but was not rising fast enough or broadly enough for the Reserve Bank to move to action stations just yet.
"While today’s result was stronger than expected, we do not think this signals a stronger than assumed impulse for inflation going forward," Westpac's Michael Gordon said. "With imported inflation remaining modest, headline inflation is still expected to linger in the lower part of the target band for some time," he said.
The New Zealand dollar initially edged up over 73 USc, but drifted lower through the day. Two year wholesale interest rates rose a basis point or two.
In other economic and financial news...
In another sign the economy is pumping extra taxes into the Government's coffers and boosting the budget surplus outlook, Treasury reported a deficit of NZ$768 million for the five months to November 30, which was NZ$936 million better than expected because of strong GST and corporate tax receipts.
Tweets of the day:
Jen Kirkman after Donald Trump announced plans to impose a 20% tariff on imports from Mexico to pay for his border wall.
And you thought a female would be too emotional to be president......
So Mexico will "pay for the wall" with a tax on American consumers. Makes perfect sense.
Have a great weekend. There's a few longer reads below to keep you busy.


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Semiconductor Market Forecast to Contract by 0.1 Percent in 2012 – First Decline in Three Years
The Paragon Report Provides Stock Research on ARM Holdings and Marvell Technology Group
NEW YORK, NY–(Marketwire) – The combined economic slowdowns of the U.S., China, and Europe negatively impacted semiconductor sales in the second quarter. Recent research from IHS iSuppli showed that global chip sales in the second quarter of 2012 declined 3 percent to $77 billion when compared to the second quarter of 2012. The Paragon Report examines investing opportunities in the Semiconductor Industry and provides equity research on ARM Holdings plc (NASDAQ: ARMH) and Marvell Technology Group Ltd. (NASDAQ: MRVL).
Access to the full company reports can be found at:
As a result of an unfavorable economic environment analysts are predicting the global semiconductor market to decline for the first time in 3 years. IHS iSuppli recently revised their global semiconductor market chip revenue forecast to contract by 0.1 percent. Their previous forecast predicted a growth of less than 3 percent.
“The expected decline in 2012 represents a major event for the global semiconductor market. Throughout all of 2011, even though electronics markets were very weak, IHS never projected revenue to decline for the entire year. However, the disappointing results in the second quarter and weak third-quarter expectations driven by poor economic conditions are expected to cause the semiconductor market to retreat this year,” said Dale Ford, senior director at IHS.
Paragon Report releases regular market updates on the Semiconductor Industry so investors can stay ahead of the crowd and make the best investment decisions to maximize their returns. Take a few minutes to register with us free at www.ParagonReport.com and get exclusive access to our numerous stock reports and industry newsletters.
ARM designs the technology that is at the heart of advanced digital products, from wireless, networking and consumer entertainment solutions to imaging, automotive, security and storage devices. The company recently launched their second generation of the Mali-T600 Series graphics processing units (GPUs), which helps optimize GPU performance and increase battery life in tablets, smartphones and smart-TVs.
Marvell is a world leader in the development of storage, communications and consumer silicon solutions. The company reported revenues for the second quarter of fiscal 2013 of $816 million, decrease of 9 percent form $898 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2012.
The Paragon Report has not been compensated by any of the above-mentioned publicly traded companies. Paragon Report is compensated by other third party organizations for advertising services. We act as an independent research portal and are aware that all investment entails inherent risks. Please view the full disclaimer at:
The Paragon Report


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Abbey National is selling its First National mortgage and unsecured lending business, which deals exclusively through intermediaries, to GE Consumer Finance, owner of sub-prime lender igroup, for £848m.
Abbey says First National operates largely independently of the group's other businesses, under its own brand and in different market segments where there were limited cross-selling opportunities.
The sale fits with Abbey's plans to sell off non-core businesses.
GE Consumer Finance says it will retain the igroup and First National brands, management teams, including First National managing director Philip George and salesforces, but cannot rule out job cuts among its 1,400 staff, saying this can happen with any acquisition.
It says that although both brands will be targeting many of the same brokers, they operate in different product areas, including First National's specialism in overseas timeshare finance.
The deal adds £4.8bn assets – £3bn secured and £1.8bn unsecured – to GE Consumer Finance in the UK.
GE Consumer Finance says both brands are committed to the intermediary market and this is a revenue enhancement exercise, not a cost-reduction move.
George says: “By combining the unique skills of our two companies, we will be able to create a UK consumer finance business that will provide unrivalled service to intermediaries and customers.”


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No, it’s not a temporary issue in a beta version of iOS – Apple is officially killing home screen web apps, also known as progressive web apps (PWAs), for iPhone users in the EU.
Apple confirmed on Thursday that iOS will no longer support PWAs for users located in the European Union. The company announced the news in an update to its developer support page regarding the EU and the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Mashable was tipped off to the Apple support page changes by iOS developers and researchers at Mysk.
According to Apple, the move is a direct result of the DMA, a new EU regulation that requires companies like Apple to open up its core platforms to third-parties in order to spur competition.
Apple supports PWAs in iOS through WebKit, the company’s proprietary browser engine that’s primarily used in its Safari browser. Under the DMA, Apple would be required to allow for home screen web apps built-upon alternative web browsers – without the need for Safari or WebKit. Apple claims that this could result in malicious web apps gaining access to users’ devices, so the company has opted to remove PWA-support entirely.
“Addressing the complex security and privacy concerns associated with web apps using alternative browser engines would require building an entirely new integration architecture that does not currently exist in iOS and was not practical to undertake given the other demands of the DMA and the very low user adoption of Home Screen web apps,” Apple says. “And so, to comply with the DMA’s requirements, we had to remove the Home Screen web apps feature in the EU.”
Apple’s DMA changes are for the worse
Last week, iOS developers in the EU began noticing the removal of PWA support in the latest beta version of iPhone’s mobile operating system, iOS 17.4 beta 2. At the time, some developers claimed that certain home screen web apps continued to operate, but certain features like web push notifications no longer functioned. Due to the varying degrees of operability, some questioned whether the issues PWAs were facing were the result of problems with the beta release, or if Apple was just in the midst of preparing web apps in the EU for DMA compliance.
Apple has now confirmed that it is indeed preparing PWAs for DMA compliance by removing them entirely.
This latest DMA-inspired change from Apple will likely open the company to further critiques from developers. Apple’s changes to its App Store in order to allow for alternative marketplaces to distribute non-Apple-approved iOS apps has already been roundly knocked by other tech giants like Meta, Microsoft, and Spotify.
Many, such as Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, have expressed that the EU regulations meant to provide consumers and developers alike with more options has ironically been perverted by Apple in an attempt to bring the company more revenue and control.
Apple claims that the removal of PWAs will affect only a small number of users and that these users can continue to access web apps via their website within mobile web browsers.
Apple’s entire statement regarding the removal of home screen web apps in the EU can be read below:
To comply with the Digital Markets Act, Apple has done an enormous amount of engineering work to add new functionality and capabilities for developers and users in the European Union — including more than 600 new APIs and a wide range of developer tools.
The iOS system has traditionally provided support for Home Screen web apps by building directly on WebKit and its security architecture. That integration means Home Screen web apps are managed to align with the security and privacy model for native apps on iOS, including isolation of storage and enforcement of system prompts to access privacy impacting capabilities on a per-site basis.
Without this type of isolation and enforcement, malicious web apps could read data from other web apps and recapture their permissions to gain access to a user’s camera, microphone or location without a user’s consent. Browsers also could install web apps on the system without a user’s awareness and consent. Addressing the complex security and privacy concerns associated with web apps using alternative browser engines would require building an entirely new integration architecture that does not currently exist in iOS and was not practical to undertake given the other demands of the DMA and the very low user adoption of Home Screen web apps. And so, to comply with the DMA’s requirements, we had to remove the Home Screen web apps feature in the EU.
EU users will be able to continue accessing websites directly from their Home Screen through a bookmark with minimal impact to their functionality. We expect this change to affect a small number of users. Still, we regret any impact this change — that was made as part of the work to comply with the DMA — may have on developers of Home Screen web apps and our users.


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YouTube to release kids app to ease parents’ worries
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – YouTube is going to release a mobile app that will only show video clips suitable for young children to help parents control what their kids are watching on the Internet.
The YouTube for Kids app, scheduled to be released for Android devices on Monday, features thousands of kid-focused channels that provide both entertainment and education. The content is mostly meant for children two to eight years old. Clips are selected by computer algorithms and human review.
Although YouTube doesn’t permit pornographic videos or most other clips containing nudity, a wide range of salacious, violent and crude material is available on the site.
That prompted many parents to ask YouTube for a “family-friendly” version of its service, said Shimrit Ben-Yair, a product manager for the kids’ app.
The concept is similar to a kids section that Netflix set up on its Internet video subscription service more than three years ago.
Besides excluding inappropriate clips, YouTube’s kids app also will refuse to provide search results on requests, such as “sex,” that are deemed inappropriate for young audiences. The app also provides controls that, among other things, enable parents to determine how long their child can watch videos in a single session.
YouTube will show ads with some of the clips on its new app to funnel more revenue to Google. The commercials will be suitable for young viewers and won’t appear any more frequently than the ads that pop up in YouTube’s unfiltered app, Ben-Yair said.
YouTube initially is only making the kids app for U.S. users of smartphones and tablets running on Android, the software made by YouTube owner Google Inc. A version compatible with Apple Inc.’s iPhone and iPad may be released in upcoming months.
The app is being endorsed by Common Sense Media, a San Francisco group dedicated to shielding children from mature content.


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You are here
Consumer spending is up, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. But there’s a catch.
Spending for the month of June increased an estimated 0.6 percent. However, this was due largely to the increase in gas and auto purchases.
While this is the largest gain in total retail sales since January, it does not seem to indicate a long-term improvement in retail spending, said Rosalind Wells, chief economist of the Washington-based National Retail Federation, in a statement. “Although several economic indicators are starting to show signs of improvement, it is going to take a few more months -- maybe longer -- for people to feel comfortable spending again. High unemployment and other uncertainties will continue to impact consumer spending through the remainder of this quarter.”
Retail performance varied across different sectors, compared with May. On the upside, electronics and appliance stores sales grew 0.9 percent compared with last month, according to the Commerce Department. Grocery as well as other food and beverage channels saw an increase of 0.2 percent.
Health and personal care stores were down 0.3 percent, while clothing and clothing accessory stores remained flat month-over-month.
Despite the modest growth, even sectors with positive monthly sales statistics saw year-over-year declines. While grocery stores decreased only 0.7 percent, electronic and appliance store sales were down 11.5 percent.
Clothing and clothing accessory stores were down 6.2 percent compared to the previous year. One of the few businesses to show an increase compared to June 2008 was that of health and personal care retailers, which saw an increase of 1.8 percent.


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A few days ago in London, Fintan Magee and Askew One MSK opened a new exhibition entitled “Oceanic” at RexRomae in Shoreditch which was curated by Rom Levy.
The Australian artist and the New-Zealander muralist unveiled a new body of work including a series of stunning works on paper from Fintan Magee. Askew presented six new works on Plexiglass which are featuring his impeccable technique. The two also painted several indoor and outdoor murals at RexRomae’s pop-up location.
Take a look at more images after the break and then check out the StreetArtNews Store for exclusive Fintan Magee and Askew One art goods including a limited edition collaborative screen print.


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UK Retail Sales back up in May
Recent data shows sales made in UK shops were up in May compared to April.
What are the figures?
In May, sales increased by 12%, which followed falls in April and March.
- Total sales up 12%
- Hardware and Home Improvement sales up by 42%
- Fuel up by 2.7%
- Non Food stores up by 5.9%
- Food stores down by 0.2%
So the monthly amount sold increased compared to April. However, total sales are still down by about 13% since February.
The amount we shop online also continues to increase. Almost a third of our shopping is now online.
According to the ONS;
“Retail sales partially rebounded from the significant falls seen over the last two months, although total sales were still well over 10% down on February. It was another record month for website orders with a third of sales now online, as many retailers expanded their internet presence. May also saw a considerable rise in fuel sales as some easing of restrictions meant more traffic on the roads.”
Sources and Notes
The ONS is the official UK government agency for statistics.
Some percentages rounded. Full details from ONS.


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(KCPW News) Salt Lake City is proposing to amend a zoning ordinance to give mobile businesses more flexibility. Unlike food carts, food trucks aren’t allowed on public property and can’t set up shop for more than two hours. The proposed change would allow them to operate for up to 24 hours, give more options for private property use and public right of way, and considers mobile food courts, where multiple trucks could operate in one location. Salt Lake City Small Business Liaison Jessica Thesing says food trucks are becoming more prolific.
“We’ve been getting pressure to look at this model and allow them and that’s what we’re doing.” She says. “We’re rewriting our ordinance to really accommodate some of the wants of the public but we’re doing it very carefully because we want to make sure we’re not compromising some of the other uses that are already successful.”
Aabir Malik moved to Salt Lake City from Austin, Texas, where he says mobile food businesses are a big part of the food culture. He says Salt Lake City has the same potential.
“Just like you’d go to a restaurant, you go to these trailer-park eateries and you have a whole variety of food that you can eat from local chefs and up and coming chefs.” He says. “And only being here a year and a half, I can tell there are a lot of people who are like me that are really yearning for new places to eat, especially lat night.”
He says zoning flexibility would allow mobile businesses to be open later. The Salt Lake City Planning Division is holding an open house about the ordinance on the fourth floor of the Main City Library until 8 o’clock tonight.
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AIG launches Hong Kong cyber productsOctober 17 2017 by InsuranceAsia News Staff
AIG’s Hong Kong unit has launched two Asia-specific cyber insurance products designed to address key cyber risks such as extortion via malware, social engineering fraud and data breaches.
Following WannaCry and NotPetya, AIG has seen an 87% jump in submission enquiries for cyber insurance in Greater China compared to the month before the attack, while Hong Kong submission enquiries increased 21%.
The two new products are aimed at organisations of all sizes.
“Hong Kong’s market is comprised of 90% small and medium sized companies. For them, a cyber breach of any type can become a major threat very quickly,” said Jason Kelly, AIG’s head of liabilities and financial lines, Greater China and Australasia. “Despite the belief that major breaches are not common in Hong Kong due to the majority of breaches not being reported, in reality, smaller organisations account for most of the losses.”
According to the authors of the Telstra Cyber Security Report 2017, 14.7% of organisations surveyed in Hong Kong experience security incidents on a weekly basis, making the city one of the most at-risk jurisdictions in Asia.
The diverse cause of cyber threats was highlighted in the recent report from the Pokemon Institute which indicated that 41% of such attacks were malicious, 33% were due to system glitches and 26% resulted from employee or contractual negligence.
- June 19
A new report from Progressive Markets shows that the sector could grow at an annual rate of 27.5%.
- June 12
Aon forecasts that worldwide cyber premiums will be worth US$4bn in three years.
- March 9
New tools are being developed to help the industry better understand cyber exposures and allocate risk capital.
- March 7
The group aims to produce a set of standards fintech companies can sign up to and follow.


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John Lewis lifted sales of furniture and carpets, with some categories enjoying double digit increases.
New homes could become larger in the future under proposals to streamline housebuilding. The Department for Communities and Local Government has launched a consultation on cutting red tape for builders and has raised the possibility of introducing nation space standards.
Upholstery manufacturer Lebus saw sales jump by more then £2m last year and are forecast to reach £27m this year. Accounts recently filed at Companies House show that sales rose by 13.3% to £22.97m.
Bed chain Dreams has recruited Mike Logue, former Mothercare UK md as chief executive. Logue, who left the parent and baby specialist retailer in January, succeeds Nick Worthington, who stepped down in June after five years running the retailer.
More than 500 jobs go as curtain retailer and manufacturer Montgomery Tomlinson fails to find a buyer and appoints administrators. Some 530 employees at its 123 department store and retail concessions and its factory and warehouse facility in Bretton, near Chester, were made redundant by administrators.
The use of misleading sale prices is 'endemic' in the interiors sector, according to the Office of Fair Trading as it warns shoppers to double check offers ahead of the Bank Holiday. The OFT has accused seven major chains – Bensons, Carpetright, DFS, Dreams, Furniture Village, Harveys and ScS – of misleading shoppers with fake sale reductions.
The National Bed Federation has announced the death of its former president Bernard Fox, aged 90. Fox was a former md of Batley Padding and a director of Rest Assured; and NBF president from 1978-1980.
Axminster Carpets has continued to add to its sales team, with the recruitment of two account managers. Robert Simpkins, who has previously worked for Cavalier Carpets and Mohawk, will cover the South West and South Wales, while Marcus Bowes will cover East Anglia.
John Lewis saw 'a tough week' for homeware sales last wek but was lifted by its At Home stores. John Lewis saw homeware sales rise by 1% in the week to 17 August but the department store chain's At Home stores delivered double digit growth as total sales rose by 7.6%.
More Articles ...
- Dwell debts revealed
- MIFF reaches sales milestone
- Retail sales boost
- Floors-2-Go looks to franchise model for Allied Carpets
- Headlam chairman Graham Waldron retires


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Something borrowed, something blue — but nothing with animals.
When Jennie Wilson of Soho got engaged in December 2014, the former Oakland Raiders cheerleader didn’t hoof it to any of Manhattan’s posh shoe boutiques to shop for wedding-day stilettos. Instead, she called on French cobbler to the stars Christian Louboutin to personally design a pair for her.
The catch? They had to be vegan.
“I always intended to wear Christian Louboutin shoes on my wedding day,” Wilson, 30, told The Post.
But that dream was nearly dashed by her going vegan in May 2015.
“I did not want an animal to die [just so I could wear] its skin as leather,” she explained.
It took months for Louboutin to find materials that met both Wilson’s wishes and his exacting standards, and to figure out a cruelty-free construction — right down to his trademark red soles.
“Once [Louboutin] determined they were able to source the materials, it was seamless,” Wilson said.
The painstaking procedure began with the task of making casts of Wilson’s feet. Typically, the made-to-measure process takes five weeks and prices begin at $3,400, according to W magazine. (Louboutin and Wilson were both mum on the price of her haute couture heels.)
The end result was a pair of peep-toe platforms towering on 5.9-inch heels and made from a pale pink satin-like fabric in the designer’s Paris atelier.
Louboutin even threw in a sparkly clutch-style purse — also vegan, of course — as a gift, with a handwritten note wishing Wilson and her fiancé, Richard Smith, 30, a sales professional, luck on their June 11 wedding.
Wilson also wore a custom vegan dress by coveted bridal designer Galia Lahav, and served an animal-free feast following the nuptials at the Château d’Ermenonville castle near Paris.
Lest the 60 guests wonder why they were dining on semolina cabbage flower rather than steak, she and Smith, also vegan, sent out letters beforehand explaining why veganism was important to them.
“When it came time to choose the meals for our wedding events, we were both torn,” Wilson said. “Do we adhere to what the majority might expect even though it is no longer aligned with our beliefs? The answer was no.”
The affair may have been cruelty-free, but the couple’s bank account still took a beating.
Wilson admits the cost was “well over $100,000.”
Watch a vegan freak out when he finds out he accidentally ate cheese:


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The Creative Pro User Group (CPUG) Network says the 14th Annual Las Vegas SuperMeet will take place on Tuesday, April 14, in the Royale Ballroom at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas Nevada.
The SuperMeet promises to be the single largest gathering of Final Cut Pro, Adobe, Avid and DaVinci Resolve editors, gurus, digital filmmakers and content creators during the 2015 NAB Show. Early bird tickets are on sale for US$10 ($7 for students) through March 11.
Doors open at 4:30 p.m. with the “SuperMeet Digital Showcase,” featuring over 30 software and hardware developers. Presentations will begin at 7 p.m. and continue until 11 p.m.
The SuperMeet agenda hasn’t been announced and will not until shortly before the event. However, it will feature user-driven presentations from Blackmagic Design, Adobe, Ripple Training, iZotope, Genarts, HP, Other World Computing and more.
Those who would like to attend the 2015 NAB Show can register for a free exhibits-only pass via SuperMeet promo code DF121 on the Nab Show web site. (http://supermeet.com). Attendees can also save $100 off of SMART or Conference Flex Pass via SuperMeet promo code DF145.