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Strong Deus Ex sales help double Square Enix's profits
Deus Ex: Human Revolution did really well for Square Enix, and that helped their pocket book. The company says that they more than doubled profits in the six month period ending September 30. I'm glad to hear that this fantastic game sold over 2 million units worldwide in its first month.
Of course, Deus Ex can't take all the credit for those doubled profits. Square Enix president Yoichi Wada said there was also growth in their web, social and mobile divisions.
Next Generation says that overall profits were up 115 percent over last year, to ¥3.7 billion ($47.3 million). They took that black and gold to the bank! Setup email comments
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Ikea’s products are more renowned for their practicality as opposed to their style, but that could all be about to change.
The Swedish retailer has teamed up with Off White designer Virgil Abloh for a high-fashion interiors collection that goes on sale from 1 November.
The collection, titled MARKERAD, comprises 15 contemporary interior items that have been invigorated with the Louis Vuitton men's creative director’s signature streetwear aesthetic.
There’s a simple but stylish day bed (£175), a slick glass cabinet perfect for storing your most aesthetically pleasing books (£150), and an optic white wall clock with “Temporary” written on it (£25) .
Notable highlights from the collection are the eccentric rugs, which include a green high pile one that has the words “Wet Grass” written across it (£119) and a giant “receipt rug” (£75) that looks like a receipt from Ikea.
Speaking about the collection, Abloh said: “It’s about elevating the anonymous, everyday icons that we use without noticing. When we put a doorstop on one of the legs of an ordinary chair we create something unexpected – an interruption.”
Unlike other Ikea collections, getting your hands on pieces from this one is not quite as easy as strolling into your local branch and tapping your smartphone.
Abloh fans must register online for collection tickets, of which there are 4,900 in the UK and 1,550 in Ireland.
The tickets will be released on Friday 18 October and those who obtain them will get access to participating IKEA stores from 1 November. These include IKEAs in Wembley, Croydon and Dublin.
There are some conditions to just how much people can buy too.
Each ticketholder is allowed to buy up to five items from the collection and is entitled to purchasing just one rug each.
IKEA’s Europe stores descended in to chaos as shoppers scrambled to bag designer goods by Kanye West’s protege Virgil Abloh. Video shared on social media shows customers running and slipping over on floors as they desperately tried to get their...
Saweetie gave her Instagram fans a close look at her eye-catching ensemble for a recent show, and it was all about the Louis Vuitton. She wore matching Louis Vuitton pasties under a branded top, which she paired with matching bottoms, and a hat. Her...
An Ikea designer spent several days living in the Mars Desert Research Station, a facility in the Utah desert designed to simulate life on Mars. Ikea initially designed a line of furniture meant for small spaces based on the station. Now, Ikea has...
Nicolas Ghesquière, Louis Vuitton's artistic director of women's collections, posted on Instagram to push back against President Donald Trump's recent appearance alongside the brand's leadership. Days after Trump attended the opening of a Louis...
Nicolas Ghesquiere, the creative director at Louis Vuitton, called President Trump a "joke" in a post on Instagram Sunday, just days after the president ...
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The Government has announced a wide range of supports for the ailing Tourism and Hospitality industry in Budget 2021.
Among the measures unveiled by Finance Minister Pascal Donohue are a VAT reduction for hotels, bars, restaurants and cafés, along with financial supports for businesses impacted by Covid-19 restrictions.
VAT will fall from 13.5% to 9% from 1 November. The decrease will remain in place until December 2021.
Businesses that have had to close or limit access, due to Covid-19 restrictions, will be eligible to apply for payments of up to €5,000 per week, based on their 2019 average weekly turnover.
That scheme will commence immediately and will run until the end of March.
Budget 2021, includes an comprehensive package of measures for a sector that supported 260,000 jobs before the pandemic. It includes direct compensation for closures, cash grants and €336 million of tax cuts.
Last Friday, as the final details of the budget were being examined by officials, the first meeting was convened of the Hospitality and Tourism Forum. It was co-chaired by Catherine Martin, the Minister for Tourism, and Leo Varadkar, the Tánaiste and Minister for Business. The sector pleaded its case, and now believes the politicians have listened.
“The Tánaiste stayed for 1½ hours listening to our concerns,” said Eoghan O’Mara Walsh, the chief executive of the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation. “There was hope after that meeting that they had got it. The budget today was proof that they got it.”
The Government has cut the sector’s VAT rate from 13.5 per cent to 9 per cent for the next 14 months which, at a stroke, effectively adds 4.5 percentage points to the margin of every operator in the industry, or at least the ones that are open. Businesses whose revenues fall by more than 80 per cent whenever restrictions go to Level 3 or above will be able to claim up to €5,000 per week in State compensation.
Wage subsidies have been extended until the end of next year. Local authority rates have been waived until the end of this year. Fáilte Ireland has been given €55 million for cash grants for the worst-affected businesses, and €5 million has been set aside to fund new tourism capital investment projects. The reaction from industry operators was swift and effusive.


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There’s a proposal being pushed in Prince George’s County that I fear will harm the business and minority communities that I have committed to serve. It’s a grocery bag tax, and it will make every trip to the supermarket more expensive.
Officials in Prince George’s County want to charge a tax for every paper and plastic bag you use. The state legislature is considering letting them do it. The impacts a new grocery bag tax will have on low-income individuals and small businesses are simply unacceptable, especially when taxes like these have no proven environmental benefit.
This is made worse by the fact that our economy continues to struggle. High unemployment, increasing costs and tightening family budgets are what everyday Americans face. Adding a new grocery tax is like a slap in the face. Under these conditions, our elected officials should really be focused on creating jobs, not making food purchases more costly.
While nickel taxes may not sound like a lot for some, for those trying to make ends meets, they matter. Unlike some taxes, a tax on grocery bags is charged equally across income levels, on a per-bag basis — meaning it hits the poorest among us particularly hard. This point can best be summed up by a statistic from the Congressional Budget Office. Its data tells us that the poorest fifth of Americans spend 21.4 percent of their income on gas and utilities — basic necessities — while the richest 20 percent spend only 6.8 percent. This tax will only make this fact worse.
We know that when Washington, D.C., imposed a tax on grocery bags similar to what’s proposed for Prince George’s County, the city drained $5 million from the wallets of people who live and shop in D.C. Now, D.C. officials can’t even say for certain if the tax was effective at achieving its goal. We have seen the same in Montgomery County, where a bag tax is estimated to reduce incomes by $2 million and there has been no substantive decline in plastic bag use.
If Prince George’s imposes a tax on grocery bags, it also will hurt businesses. Why would anyone choose to shop at Prince George’s County’s small businesses when they know they’ll be charged more? A tax on bags is bad for local business.
Some people argue that it’s OK to tax citizens to improve the environment or clean up litter. But the truth is plastic bags alone make up less than 0.5 percent of the waste stream. Taxing them won’t a make difference. Seems to me, proper disposal is the answer.
Any debate on new taxes deserves serious consideration of the facts and the consequences. My argument is simple: Taxing grocery bags hurts shoppers and small businesses and has no silver lining. Legislators should make the right decision: Reject a new tax on Prince George’s residents.
Ron Busby is president of the U.S. Black Chamber Inc.


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Sales taxes would be exempt from the transaction fees retailers are charged each time a consumer uses a credit or debit card under a bill introduced at the Colorado legislature.
In what would become the first law of its kind nationally if passed, House Bill 1154 aims to trim the fees processors charge retailers for letting customers pay with plastic.
Known as interchange or swipe fees, they can be as high as 3 percent of the total purchase amount, including the sales tax.
Retailers argue the assessment is an unreasonable cost — and profit to the banks — because they're charged for collecting and remitting a government tax.
"Taxes are for the benefit of the public good, not so credit card companies and payment networks can make more money off them," said Grier Bailey, government affairs manager of the Colorado Wyoming Petroleum Marketers Association, which represents convenience store owners and fuel stations.
The bill is sponsored by representatives Jon Becker, R-Fort Morgan, and Alec Garnett, D-Denver, and Sen. Owen Hill, R-Colorado Springs, and has an array of bipartisan co-sponsors.
Though the state pays retailers 3.33 cents for every sales-tax dollar they collect and remit on time, Colorado's other taxing bodies — from municipalities and counties to special tax districts — do not.Read the Full Article


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WASHINGTON – Senator Patrick Leahy (D), Senator Bernie Sanders (I) and Representative Peter Welch (D), co-chair of the Congressional Dairy Farmer Caucus, on Wednesdayled a letter to Secretary Sonny Perdue urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to do more to support dairy farmers facing an economic crisis due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Leahy is Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the most senior member of the Agriculture Committee.
They point out that cratering demand caused by the pandemic has created an existential crisis for Vermont dairy farmers already struggling with low milk prices.
“Dairy farms are the backbone of Vermont’s rural economy and offer critical nutrition and high-quality products to individuals across the country,” wrote Leahy, Sanders and Welch. “Our dairy farmers face unprecedented challenges and have received little of the support that Congress has provided. While we appreciate the recent Farmers to Families Food Box contracts awarded for Vermont, we urge you to act immediately to use all available programs to support the struggling dairy industry, including the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) to provide direct relief to farmers in need.”
Specifically, the letter urges the USDA to use tools already at their disposal to immediately:
- Compensate dairy farmers for the months they will be impacted the most by low milk prices.
- Pay producers to reduce production and compensate them for milk that has to be dumped.
- Reopen the Dairy Margin Coverage Program for 2020.
- Convene an emergency hearing to establish a price floor for milk.
The full letter is available here.


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A Year’s Review of The California Cannabis Industry
2019 was undoubtedly a big year for the cannabis industry and 2020 is expected to bring many changes as well. As the new year begins, we reflect on the successes and challenges of this ever-changing industry and look into what’s to come. There were a lot of wins and certainly some setbacks, but ultimately the cannabis industry is still on track to be one of the biggest industries globally with the U.S being in the frontlines.
More States Legalized Adult-Use Cannabis Sales
In recent years, many states have moved forward in legalizing recreational marijuana. Today, a total of eleven states have legalized adult-use cannabis sales in the United States.
Illinois, being the most recent one, kicked off legal sales January 1st and is expected to hit a possible $2.5 billion a year according to MJBiz Daily. Michigan is expected to begin recreational sales in the first quarter of 2020 and Vermont, who became the first state to legalize adult-use sales through the legislative system instead of a ballot vote, will begin legal cannabis sales by next summer.
Working Towards Federal Legalization
As of now, 33 states in the U.S have legalized medicinal sales and 11 states have either already began recreational sales or will be kicking it off in 2020. This is a move in the right direction for the cannabis industry with more and more states getting on board with a legal and regulated market.
This past November, the House Judiciary Committee advanced the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment Expungement (MORE) Act, which would remove marijuana from the list of schedule I controlled substances.
The bill would also expunge previous cannabis related convictions and fund various grants that benefit those mostly affected by the War on Drugs. The MORE Act is by far the most comprehensive legislative step towards the federal legalization of marijuana.
Cannabis Licensing Setbacks
One challenge the industry faced this year – and has also struggled with in the past – was State licensing delays. At the beginning of 2019, the State of California’s temporary licenses were set to expire and the State’s cannabis licensing authorities experienced delays processing annual licenses causing uncertainty and chaos in California over the future of the legal cannabis market.
Further, in November, more than 400 State-issued cannabis licenses were suspended in California, forcing all businesses affected to pause sales and transactions until licenses were reinstated. The suspensions were due to a lack of training on the mandatory track-and-trace system which is required for licensed marijuana businesses to upload inventory information for state regulators.
There were also setbacks in September when the City of Los Angeles Phase 3 Retail Round 1 applications opened up. LA’s Department of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) became overwhelmed with applicants and reports of unfairness emerged circulating around software glitches allowing applicants to submit their applications before the 10:00 am start time. In moving forward with efforts to resolve these concerns, the DCR undertook an audit of the process that temporarily put all approvals on hold, further delaying the full operational status for applicants.
The Local Opportunity Floodgates of 2019
2019 saw the expansion of legal cannabis opportunities at the local level as cities and counties across the state of California welcomed all manner of cannabusinesses. All the following municipal governments opened their codes and communities to regulated cannabis businesses:
- American Canyon
- California City
- Contra Costa County
- El Dorado County
- Los Angeles
- Mendocino County
- Mount Shasta
- Nevada City
- Pleasant Hill (Medicinal only)
- San Benito
- San Joaquin County
- San Rafael
- South Lake Tahoe
- Trinity County
- West Hollywood
These municipalities’ creation of cannabis permitting programs demonstrates the growing acceptance of cannabis businesses as safe, legitimate, and a boon for communities. It also further expands the opportunities for possible site locations that businesses can work with, even now three years after legalization.
Law Enforcement Cracked Down on Illegal Weed Shops
In the biggest sweep of the illegal cannabis market, law enforcement performed a 3-day raid that seized over $8 million in cannabis products from unlicensed retailers in Los Angeles in December.
The marijuana black market has continued to pose as a threat for the legal cannabis industry in California since the State began legal commercial sales in 2018. The United Cannabis Business Association praised the State’s efforts for shutting down illegal pot shops throughout the city.
“We look forward to working with local jurisdictions and law enforcement as we continue to shut down unlicensed operators,” said chief of the Bureau of Cannabis Control Lori Ajax.
One of the most salient issues that underscores the need to reign in the black market has been the vape crisis, which hurt the cannabis sector in both financial and reputational ways. While states like Massachusetts fully banned the sale of vape pens for its legal markets, other states took a more targeted approach that cracked down on the real culprits: unlicensed and unregulated black market vape suppliers.
Continued Financial Growing Pains
With the size and prevalence of the cannabis black market in the years preceding legalization, as well as the strong demand for product and growing public support, many predicted legalization would open the floodgates on new business opportunities and economic growth. While this has undoubtedly happened, it has not occurred at the speed or the extent that many had predicted.
Investors across the board, after having two years of steep losses for large and small companies alike, have grown extremely concerned about the overall cannabis market performance and profitability in 2020. Indeed, in 2019 major layoffs, corporate restructuring, and stock valuation decline become common for large companies, while smaller companies have had to sell product at discounted prices, face oversupply, and compete against better leveraged players. Further, merger and acquisition transactions have fallen apart for some of the most well-known cannabis companies such as MedMen, CuraLeaf, and Cresco. For these large companies, matters were worsened by the inability to raise capital due to a lack of private investment, stock market price collapses, and no bank willing to finance anything to do with cannabis until it is federally legal.
Looking ahead to 2020, we expect these trends to continue and level off, while a lot of opportune buyers will be looking to purchase assets in the industry for pennies on the dollar from all manner of struggling companies. That is not to say the sky is falling. Indeed, it is the companies that have built their reputation on quality products or services that will be able to weather the storms plaguing the industry. Once the bleeding stops, those companies will be in a position to do very well moving forward.
What’s In Store For 2020
Within Southern California, we anticipate a multitude of cities taking advantage of the cannabis growth potential. After all, while the industry has seen its fits and starts, the tax revenue has increased year after year for cities and counties. Municipal governments looking to launch or expand cannabis business programs include:
- Costa Mesa (for retail; accepted applications for manufacturing, testing, and distribution in 2018)
- Lake Elsinore
- Oxnard (for retail; accepted applications for manufacturing, testing, and distribution in 2019)
- Palm Springs
- San Luis Obispo
- Santa Barbara County
A number of states, some who had previously rejected marijuana legalization measures, will have cannabis back on their minds throughout 2020.
Arizona, for example, created the Smart & Safe Arizona Initiative, which would allow individuals who are 21 years of age or older to purchase, cultivate, and consume cannabis.
Florida, another state who rejected the legalization of cannabis in 2016, might be considering it once again in 2020. A group called Make It Legal Florida is working on a petition to get the measure back on the ballot this year.
Massachusetts – a state that WeCann has successfully submitted applications in – is moving forward with allowing delivery to begin taking place in 2020, as well as piloting a program in select communities for social consumption, also known as cannabis cafes. While deliveries will surely begin in 2020, cannabis cafes may not be legal and open until 2021, as the State legislature must amend the current ordinance language.
As the new decade takes off, the cannabis industry will continue to take steps towards a fully regulated market. The industry will change and shift over the next few years, becoming one of the largest global markets.


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Archived Stories for Union County Public Schools
E-cigarettes may appeal to non-smoking youth
Of the more than a quarter of a million students who said they smoke e-cigarettes, 49 percent indicated that they will also smoke conventional cigarettes, whereas only 21 percent of the students who had never tried e-cigarettes intend to smoke conventional cigarettes.
E-cigarettes vaporize liquid nicotine and run on battery power. They are often used by adult smokers as a means of weaning off of traditional cigarettes, but studies suggest that e-cigarettes are offering a gateway to smoking for students instead.
A study published in the December issue of Pediatrics yielded similar results. Twenty-nine percent of the high school students surveyed by the study smoke e-cigarettes. Of those students, 12 percent also smoke traditional cigarettes.
Other studies show higher rates of student smokers, which may be due to this study's location. The study was conducted in Hawaii where cigarettes taxes are higher than anywhere else in the U.S. Higher tobacco taxes are proven to decrease the number of new smokers, especially among teens.
A frequent misconception is that e-cigarettes are a healthy alternative to smoking, but this is far from the case. E-cigarettes still offer a mode of consuming nicotine, which is a neurotoxin that threatens the health of the brain. Many e-cigarettes are made in China with little safety oversight, and are unregulated in the United States. Experts say this could be the cause of carcinogenic heavy metals found in some e-cigarette devices, which are reaching the shelves of American stores in bulk.
The New York Times reported that e-cigarettes are subject to less scrutiny in advertising, giving companies the chance to bring smoking back into vogue. Tobacco companies have bought several e-cigarette companies and are targeting teens with all their might, making e-cigarettes and “vaping” look cool, sexy and glamorous. Some experts have compared e-cigarette marketing to the "heyday of broadcast cigarette advertising from decades ago,” and companies with substantial money and power can afford to make e-cigarettes appealing, even to children.
The Food and Drug Administration is considering a regulation to ban the sale of e-cigarettes to minors, but that process could take a year or more. In the meantime, there are no federal restrictions on e-cigarettes, their kid-friendly flavorings, or how they are marketed.
Not only do e-cigarettes pose the threat of introducing young people to tobacco use, they are also making it easier to get away with smoking marijuana. Vaporizer pens used to smoke pot are virtually indistinguishable from regular e-cigarettes, making it difficult for parents, school personnel and authorities to notice the difference. Vaporizer pens not only look much like e-cigarettes, they also lessen - or completely eliminate - the smell of weed, making it much harder to detect.
Sources: CDC, New York Times, National Public Radio (NPR)
Written by: Connect with Kids Educational Network
Posted: Jan 08, 2015 by Lisa Callaham


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You can watch the new trailer for One Nine Nine Four in the replies. One Nine Nine Four is a documentary narrated by Tony Hawk about the birth and growth of punk rock in the '90s. It features interviews with Fat Mike, Tim Armstrong, Billie Joe Armstrong, Mark Hoppus, Tom Delonge, Joey Cape of Lagwagon, Brett Gurewitz, Greg Graffin, John Feldman, Lars Frederikson, Dexter Holland, Kevin Lyman, Joe Escalante and many others.
The trailer for Saosin's upcoming live CD/DVD, Come Close, can be seen in the replies. Come Close hits stores on March 11th. We've got an exclusive track from the release streaming on the band's AP.net Profile.
The trailer for Sigur Rós' new concert and tour film, Heima, can be watched on Windows Media or Quicktime. Also, on November 5th, the band will release a double-compilation album, Hvarf-Heim. The first part will have studio versions of unreleased songs: "Salka," "Hljómalind," "I gćr," and "Von"; the second disc will have acoustic versions of "Samskeyti," "Starálfur," "Vaka," "Agćtis Byrjun," "Heysátan" and "Von."
Waking Ashland has released a new trailer, which can be seen in the replies, to support their sophomore full-length, The Well. This is the first video in a series of four videos that will launch before the album's April 17th release date.
Taking Back Sunday has announced that they will be touring with Underoath and Armor For Sleep in the new year. Also, the band has made a trailer for their upcoming DVD, Louder Now: Partone, available on their website.
Emery's The Question Deluxe Edition is in stores everywhere on November 21st! The Deluxe Edition features five newly recorded acoustic songs ("The Ponytail Parades", "Fractions", "Studying Politics", "Playing With Fire", and "Walls") and two brand new demos, plus a bonus DVD containing a feature length documentary on the band and a full live concert! Check out the trailer by clicking here.
StimTV recently filmed Amber Pacific on their nationwide headlining tour. All of the footage will be released in a big feature titled 24 Hours With Amber Pacific and the feature will be released soon. In the meantime SimTV has posted a trailer right here.
You can view the trailer supporting A Change Of Pace's upcoming album, Prepare The Masses, at their MySpace page. The new record hits stores on August 15th. Also, as part of our ABSOLUTExclusive program you can stream their new single right here at AP.net.


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In previous years, the freight market has typically loosened after an early summer surge, then tightened in preparation for spiking consumer demand during the holidays. This year, shippers and carriers navigated market imbalances throughout the spring. Even as those imbalances began to soften, capacity shortages and dependence on spot loads have become long-term trends, according to Uber Freight’s latest data and research.
In addition to an already uncharacteristically tight market, unpredictable natural disasters have increased regional pressures. Throughout August, temperatures soared in the West and back-to-back hurricanes hit the Southeast. The series of natural disasters meant spot rates jumped in key regions as networks scrambled to stock essential supplies, while shippers worked to reconcile consistent limited capacity with higher consumer demand.
Rates continued to rise across modalities
Rates increased across modalities and regions from July to August, ranging from a 5% month-over-month van rate increase in the Southeast to a 12% increase during the same time period in the Northeast. Overall spot rates increased an average of 8% from July to August.
At the same time, seaports, specifically on the West Coast, reported a surge in container volumes in August, causing tightened capacity at ports and at inland distribution centers.1 This signals that retailers are working to keep up with current demand and prepare for a holiday surge, while grappling with how to source reliable capacity to meet their needs. To address this, Uber Freight rolled out Uber Freight Enterprise and Uber Freight Link to give shippers more visibility into their supply chains, control over their operations, and access to nationwide capacity, whether in the Uber Freight network or not.
Spot volumes spiked in response to natural disasters
Throughout the summer, we saw spot volume continue to rise month over month. Breaking that data down weekly, spot increases in August reflected natural disasters that ravaged the Southeast and the West. Shippers in affected regions worked to source essential goods, while carriers picked up spot freight to get relief loads moving.
As California battled uncharacteristically early wildfires in August, spot volumes rose over 15% week over week in the first half of the month. After a brief dip in the third week in August, spot volumes continued to rise again at the tail end of the month. Hurricane Laura hit the Gulf Coast on August 26. During that week, spot volumes in the Southeast, specifically in Florida and Louisiana, increased 14.6% and 16.7%, respectively.
Dwell times stabilized despite the tight market
Facility experiences remain stable with an average rating of 4.26, even as the market continues to tighten. From July to August, the average increase in dwell time was 1 minute, with the notable exception being the Northeast, where carriers experienced an average increase of 5 minutes.
This is the fifth in a series dedicated to understanding supply chain pressures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, drawn from trends Uber Freight is observing across our own marketplace.
Uber Freight Enterprise and Uber Freight Link are now available to North America–based shippers. To learn more, go here.
1The Wall Street Journal, Logistics Report, September 10, 2020.


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Any pickup truck driver will tell you that the overall ride of their vehicle improves with a little bit of weight in the bed, but some trucks are naturally worse than others when it comes to unladen comfort. In fact, this exact issue is why Chrysler made the decision to switch to coil springs in lieu of the more common leafs in the rear of the latest fullsize Ram trucks.
But there's one fullsize truck on the market that has gotten more complaints than any other, and it's the 2007 through 2010 Toyota Tundra. For whatever reason, owners of these particular trucks tend to complain of a choppy ride much more often than owners of competitor's trucks, and, despite a host of aftermarket solutions to the problem, for years these complaints went unacknowledged by Toyota.
Not any more. According to the boys at Tundra Headquarters, the Japanese automaker has finally announced a TSB that is intended to greatly reduce the so-called bed-bounce issue that has plagued the truck since '07. The TSB applies only to Double Cab Tundras and involves replacing the rear body mount bushings with new, upgraded units. It's also important to note that this is a TSB, not a recall.
We've gone ahead and pasted the TSB after the break, and you'll also find a video produced by a company that sells the Willybar ballast, which is intended to greatly reduce the bed-bounce problem. Judging from the graphic results in the video, we'd say the Willybar does its job rather admirably. Hopefully, Toyota's TSB will prove just as effective. Thanks for the tip, Joel!
[Source: Tundra Headquarters]


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Poland will take on Argentina in a group-stage FIFA World Cup clash at the Stadium 974.
The Poles will be hoping to secure three points after a clash with Saudi Arabia on Nov. 26.
Meanwhile, the 2021 Copa América champions will be coming from a match with Mexico.
Poland vs Argentina kickoff time
Kickoff time for the Poland vs. Argentina match is set for 2p.m. ET on November 30 at the 40,000-seat venue in Doha.
How to watch Poland vs Argentina on streaming or free TV
World Cup 2022 fans in the U.S. have a choice of options when it comes to livestreaming games at the tournament.
You can watch every game on the FOX Sports family of networks, which are the official English-language broadcast partner in the United States.
The Poland vs. Argentina match will be shown on FOX, with broadcasters Telemundo and Universo also showing the game.
Fans who prefer to use live TV streaming services have options including FuboTV, Sling TV, YouTube TV.
Those looking to stream the games online in English can use the Fox Sports App for $19.99 per month. Spanish speakers can use Peacock Premium, which is $4.99 per month – however it will contain ads. Ad-free Premium Plus costs $9.99 monthly.
When are the other Group C games?
Teams will be hoping to get enough points in their three group-stage games to secure a spot in the knockout stages.
The winner of Group C will play the runners-up in Group D, whereas the team that comes second place will play its winners.
Group D contains Tunisia, Australia, Denmark and France.
Tuesday, Nov. 22: Argentina vs. Saudi Arabia
Tuesday, Nov. 22: Mexico vs. Poland
Saturday, Nov. 26: Poland vs. Saudi Arabia
Saturday, Nov. 26: Argentina vs. Mexico
Wednesday, Nov. 30: Poland vs. Argentina
Wednesday, Nov. 30: Saudi Arabia vs. Mexico
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- 43" Hisense A6 Series 4K Smart TV — $237.99 (List Price $279.99)
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- 55" Samsung Class The Frame QLED 4k Smart Tizen TV — $1,497.99
- 55" Samsung Class Q70C QLED 4K Smart TV — $849.99 (List Price $999.99)
- 55" Samsung TU690T Series 4K HDR Smart TV — $299.99 (List Price $349.99)
- 55" Amazon Fire TV 4-Series 4K Smart TV — $339.99 (List Price $519.99)


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Trentmøller Unveils New Fashion Collection
The ever-prolific Danish producer first unveiled a line of t-shirts, dresses, scarves, and other apparel in 2007. One year later, he has a new round of designer items available via online retailer Conzoom. Sixty Euros for a scarf isn't exactly what we'd call cheap, but the new items are über-stylish and you can bet no one else in the club will own a duplicate.
XLR8R Downloads Player


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LONDON, United Kingdom — Entrepreneur and best-selling author Ella Mills plans to focus on NPD and international expansion, following the closure of two out of three of her London delis.
The successful blogger, known as Deliciously Ella, took to Instagram last week to confirm the news to her followers, writing:
“Tomorrow we’re going to be saying goodbye to our deli at Seymour Place and Herne Hill. Seymour was Matt and my first venture together and we learnt more opening that site than we ever thought possible. It’s been a huge piece of our journey, and it’s filled with many great memories.”
She added: “We love our cosy spot on Seymour Place and all of our regulars, but as time’s gone on it has become clear that having two delis so close together doesn’t really make sense, and that we’d be better off focusing all of our attention on one deli (Weighhouse Street) and making it the absolute best experience for all of you.”
First launched in Marylebone in 2015, Mills’ chain of Mae Delis quickly expanded to a second location on Mayfair’s Weighhouse Street in 2016, a third in Herne Hill followed last year. At the same time, along with husband and business partner Matthew Mills, the healthy eating advocate has been busy expanding her range of energy balls, granolas and oat bars, which are currently stocked in a range of shops and supermarkets throughout the UK, including Starbucks, Tesco and Ocado.
Late last year, Mills told Welltodo that product was an area she planned to scale. “We’re focusing on deepening our distribution, so we’ve got some really exciting partnerships coming up with partners like Boots. And then we’re starting to look at NPD and expanding internationally, which is so exciting,” she revealed.
In a more recent Instagram post, Mills reiterated these plans, writing:
“Together we managed to nearly triple the size of our business in the last twelve months and we now have our energy balls, oat bars, granola and muesli in 5,500 stores. As this part of the business took off we realised we only needed one deli to be our home, making it the absolute best it can be, as well as making sure we have the time to give you more of what you want: food ranges, recipes, videos, ideas and inspiration.”
But while Mills remains positive about the direction of her business empire, she has hit back at media coverage, which she argues has been quick to gloat and ridicule the deli closures.
“This, to me, is just bizarre, as people have sadly lost jobs,” she wrote.
“Running your own business is tough but I’m so proud of what we’re building at Deliciously Ella and of the forty-brilliant people in our team.”


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Informe semanal de noticias del mercado británico de la Oficina de Turismo de Tenerife en Londres
- Tourism industry and Competitors news
Summer sales: France is popular but the heat wave is emptying the agencies….
The summer period and its two months of school holidays are synonymous with going on holiday. «These are not very busy periods, but the first signs of winter sales in 2019 and 2020,» confirms Yves Verdié, of the eponymous tour operator. Nevertheless, it announces that it is 3% ahead of June and July 2018.
Could the heat wave be a brake on sales? «Is it the heat wave, the bashing plane, geopolitics? Sales are on a roller coaster ride, some weeks ago very good and others much less so. There is no longer any regularity of purchase,» observes Yves Verdié. For TUI: «The heatwave effect has led to a phenomenon of waiting on the part of the French. » TourMag
Summer 2019 Dossier: Environment, a turning point in tourism?
If 2017 was the year of sustainable tourism for the WTO, it is undoubtedly 2019 that the words ecology, environment or overtourism or compensation came up most often in the columns of L’Echo. This is a sign of an awareness of the sector, which has been translated in recent months into multiple commitments. While the task is difficult, the signals of change are coming from many actors in the sector. The committed speech of BlaBlaCar’s founder Frederic Mazzella, during the last Travel d’Or, reminded us that there is no «B planet». Echo Touristique
Is Airbnb out of the woodwork in the way it collects the tourist tax?
The tourist tax was introduced to finance the promotion of the territories. Initially collected from French hoteliers and campgrounds, the new consumption patterns of travel have broadened its scope. For two years now, Airbnb’s customers have been obliged to pay the tourist tax. And on January 1, 2019, Airbnb was forced to collect the famous local tax instead of the hosts on the platform. However, the platform does not make the difference in the age of travellers on the payment of the tourist tax. As a result, even travellers who are normally exempt from paying this tax find themselves having to do so. TourMag
Summer 2019 Dossier: laughing and crying destinations
The return of historic destinations is redistributing maps in the Mediterranean basin, while the major long-haul destinations remain on track. Greece remains first among the top ten most popular destinations, according to the latest barometer of the Union of Tour Operators (Seto). However, both on the islands (-8%) and on the mainland (-6%), the destination is declining. The podium is completed by the Balearic archipelago, which is also down (-13%).
The return of some historic destinations in the southern Mediterranean explains, in part, these decreases in patronage. Tunisia ranks fourth (+23%) in the ranking, closely followed by Morocco (+2%), growing despite strong disintermediation. In the second part of the ranking, the Canary Islands (-14%) and continental Spain (-13%) are experiencing significant decreases in attendance. The prices of Spanish hotels and a quality/price ratio that is not always there do not always stand up to competition from other destinations. Turkey, like Tunisia and Morocco, posted strong growth (+59%) and ranked ninth in the ranking. Echo Touristique
- Aviation news
Transavia’s development: under what conditions for Air France?
Transavia will be able to grow and develop without limits. The vote of the Air France SNPL on Wednesday morning, July 31, 2019, is further good news for Benjamin Smith, CEO of Air France – KLM. Indeed, the national company’s majority union has supported the group’s low-cost development project. Until then, the fleet was limited to 40 aircraft and it will be able to expand without any limits, as stated in the document we were able to consult and which is distributed to the company’s pilots. With only 42% of flights in France operated by low-cost airlines, compared to 70% in the United Kingdom, the margin for manoeuvre is high. TourMag
Find & Fly: a new function to prepare trips according to your budget
Find & Fly, a platform created by Pro Sky, launches a new feature that will allow companies to better prepare their business trips according to their budget. A year ago, the aircraft charter company Pro Sky launched Find & Fly, a platform designed to simplify the organisation of air transport for professionals. Today, the company is launching a new feature on this platform called Destination Finder. The goal: to help users find accessible destinations with charter flights according to their budget. This function is mainly intended for travel agents, event organisers, purchasing managers and tour operators. Tom Travel
- Tour operators and travel agents news
Summer dossier: the fragile year of the tourism giants
The tourism industry is constantly facing challenges. Its most emblematic actors, such as Thomas Cook and TUI France, are having a complicated year. The greats of tourism are wavering. Thomas Cook, the inventor of tour-operating, concluded the first half of 2018/2019 with a debt of €1.7 billion. Thomas Cook now has to find new money to get through the winter. While reinventing its business model, the tour operator could fall into the trap of the Chinese giant Fosun, which already owns Club Med.
For TUI France, the situation is no clearer. Entrenched in the crisis since 2012, the French subsidiary of the world leader in travel is unable to find a balance, not to mention profitability. Forced to restructure, the headquarters in Levallois-Perret will have to take decisions. The sale of Corsair, which marked the departure of the CEO of tour operator Pascal de Izaguirre, was a first. Echo Touristique
Australia Tours (East West Travel) acquires Jetset Voyages
The transaction is expected to be formalized next week and this is a takeover and not a merger between Australia Tours and Jetset as discussed in recent days. The Premium Travel group, the parent company of Time Tours/La Française des Circuits and East West Travel (Australia Tours, Alma Latina, Asia Infiny), will complete the acquisition of all the activities of Jetset Voyages, owned by the Italian group Gastaldi, which has been present on the French market since 1986, by mid-August for an undisclosed amount. Le TO has 22 employees. TourHebdo


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The Export Council of Australia (ECA), with partners Asialink Business, the Australia-China Council and Austrade, today launched the Summary Report of The Shanghai Free Trade Zone and Australia – a project intended to clarify what the Shanghai Free Trade Zone (SFTZ) is, and what opportunities it offers Australian businesses in China.
The SFTZ is one of the most ambitious economic and financial reform initiatives China has undertaken in a long time. It offers an easier and simpler environment for Australian businesses in China, and opens new opportunities in a number of areas. It is also a complex and little understood initiative in Australia.
The Shanghai Free Trade Zone and Australia report will:
- Clarify what the SFTZ is, and contextualize its development in China’s larger reform efforts;
- Contrast the SFTZ with China’s original special economic zones and the other new Shanghai-style FTZs in Fujian, Guangdong and Tianjin;
- Offer a sector-by-sector breakdown of the benefits to Australian businesses of operating in the SFTZ;
- Compare the SFTZ to Hong Kong as gateways to the Mainland market.
The ECA encourages all Australian businesses, big and small, to consider the SFTZ’s potential for their China operations. It is a complex initiative and it will not be for everyone, but it offers real advantages for many Australian businesses.
Download the report:
The summary report can be downloaded here.
If you are accessing this on an Apple device, the app can be downloaded here.
If you are accessing this on an Android device, the app can be downloaded here.
For media enquires, contact Richelle Ward: email@example.com
For research enquiries, contact Niels Strazdins: firstname.lastname@example.org


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Is one of the nation’s largest retailers asking customers to use debit and credit cards instead of cash?
The answer it seems is yes.
There are multiple reports that Walmart stores are requesting customers to use either a debit or credit card to complete their in-person purchases.
KXTV in Sacramento, California, reported Walmart stores are being hit hard by a nation-wide coin shortage.
“Like most retailers, we’re experiencing the effects of the nation-wide coin shortage. We’re asking customers to pay with card or use correct change when possible if they need to pay with cash,” company spokesperson Avani Dudhia told KXTV in a statement.
Cash can still be used at the stores, but some self-checkouts have been changed to card only.
The same is being seen at Walmart locations in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
The stores are only taking card payments to limit the use of cash. One shopper told KMTV she was upset because her mother only uses cash and they were not able to buy what they needed when they were checking out.
A shopper in Rockingham County, North Carolina, said her Walmart was accepting cash at only one register, and that the total had to be rounded to the nearest dollar, WFMY reported.
Walmart isn’t the only chain feeling the penny-pinch. Some convenience stores in that area are giving change back on a gift card while some 7-Eleven stores are asking customers to bring in $5 in spare change in exchange for a credit in the same amount and a free Slurpee, WFMY reported.
Banks are also asking customers to bring in their jars of collected coins and cash them in for bills in the same amount to be able to get coins in circulation again, WFMY reported.
Kroger grocery chain announced recently that instead of giving change, extra payments for groceries will be loaded onto loyalty cards to be used as a deduction on a future purchase, WXIX reported.
The money can also be donated to Kroger’s Zero Hunger/Zero Waste Foundation, WKRC reported.
The Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell admitted last month there is a coin shortage due to the coronavirus pandemic shutdowns.


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Sony’s New Project Unfolded: Clamshell Foldable Phone in The Horizon
Sony Foldable Phone Goes To Announce Soon- The electronics giant Sony is reportedly working on a little phone with a foldable screen, which might perhaps bring back the popular little series, according to the rumors circulating about its intriguing new project. Sony is ready to make a significant impression in the smartphone industry once more given that there haven’t been any flagship launches since 2018 that accommodate smaller sizes.
The mobile industry is buzzing with speculations as they relate to Sony’s newest initiative. A clamshell folding phone is apparently being developed by Sony, a company renowned for its creative technologies. Sony’s Compact series, which hasn’t recently had a flagship release that accommodates smaller sizes, has the potential to be revived by this initiative.
Design of Sony’s Foldable Phone
The Japanese publication Sumahodigest claims that Sony’s foldable tablet would resemble Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip4. Sony’s device, in contrast to the Z Flip4, is said to sacrifice an external screen in favor of a slim and portable design. Sony wants to join established companies like Google and Samsung in the current foldable phone craze by concentrating on a folding display without sacrificing size.
Potential Gaming Focus for Sony
Insiders believe that Sony’s foldable phone may be called Xperia Fold, which might allude to a concentration on gaming features. It wouldn’t be shocking to see Sony use its knowledge in the gaming sector to develop a device designed for an immersive gaming experience. Given the enormous popularity of mobile gaming. Gamers might benefit from a larger screen when the foldable display is used. Making for a more immersive and interesting gameplay experience.
Release Information and Expectations
Tech aficionados anxiously await further information on Sony’s foldable screen phone even if the release date is still mostly unknown. The device’s ability to combine a tiny design, foldable display technology, and gaming skills. Which might make it a great hit in the mobile market, is what has many excited. The mobile market anxiously anticipates confirmation and new details from the tech titan as Sony continues to build its foldable phone. Sony Foldable Phone Goes To Announce Soon.
The Effect of Sony on the Mobile Industry
The reported arrival of Sony into the foldable phone industry reflects how quickly technology is developing. Only Apple and Sony have not yet introduced any smartphones with foldable screens among the well-known phone manufacturers. Sony’s potential influence on the mobile sector is facilitated by its reputation for pushing boundaries and providing new products. Sony has the chance to capture customers and influence the future of mobile devices with their innovative approach to foldable phones and focus on gaming.
Sony Foldable Phone Goes To Announce Soon. The reported entry of Sony into the foldable phone industry has attracted a lot of interest. Sony’s commitment to innovation and the production of cutting-edge goods positions them as a major participant. In the mobile market the digital environment changes. Sony’s foldable phone might revolutionize the industry with its emphasis on gaming features. And the probable return of the Compact series. Watch this space for more information on this creative project from Sony. A company is known for pushing boundaries and producing cutting-edge goods.


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At the beginning of this month, the world’s first transgender lingerie brand launched in London.
“I set up GI Collection to improve the lives of our community,” Lui tells QWEERIST. “I hope to relieve some of the stresses of transitioning and avoid other trans women having some of the experiences I have had
“Our fashion show was an incredible success and I could not be happier, I know that we empowered so many people that evening including myself.”
The runway show, held at Glaziers Hall on London’s Southbank, showed off the collection for the first time alongside voguing performances plus live hair and makeup demonstrations from world-class professionals.
However, the show was met with anti-transgender protesters outside the event causing a stir. Protesters were heard singing transphobic songs, wearing offensive clothing and waving around anti-trans derogatory posters.
If anything, protesters helped to highlight why such a product is necessary. And it seems that protesting has not stopped Lui from her career expectations.
“We have an incredible year planned where we plan to grow and expand our products and services,” added Lui.


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Android 12 is here with us, albeit in beta status.
As is always the case, Pixel smartphone users (not you, first and second generation Pixel users) get first dibs on the latest – and greatest – Android version.
What happens to the rest of us? Well, going by what Google has been doing over the last few years, Google has roped in its partners to take part in the public beta testing phase of Android 12’s final development phase so that they are ready and good to go later in the year when the final build is ready for prime time.
As such, the following devices, at the time of writing this, are eligible for the Android 12 beta:
- Asus ZenFone 8
- iQOO 7 Legend
- Nokia X20
- OnePlus 9 series (9 and 9 Pro)
- Oppo Find X3 Pro
- realme GT
- Sharp Aquos R6
- Tecno Camon 17
- TCL 20 Pro 5G
- Xiaomi Mi 11 series (Mi 11, Mi 11, Mi 11i, Mi 11 Ultra and Mi 11X Pro)
- ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
Is your device on the list?
In order to successfully flash the Android 12 beta build, please follow the instructions shared on the respective device maker’s (forums) page as captured here.
Note: this list is Iikely to grow in the coming days as more and more device makers enrol their devices in the Android 12 Developer Preview program.


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Beauty and clothing subscription boxes saw a surge in new customers during Covid-19. Can they navigate the business model's high costs and low retention levels?
BoF spoke to five experienced entrepreneurs about how they steered their businesses through times of adversity — and how they are managing now in the face of Covid-19.
With major retailers shutting down, emerging and indie beauty brands, many of which rely on their direct e-commerce channels for business, could be poised to win online.
As the beauty industry continues to reinvent itself, career opportunities and choices are growing.
Long-dominant beauty behemoths are facing a new generation of clever start-ups reinventing the game.
Marcia Kilgore, creator of Bliss, FitFlop, Soap & Glory and Beauty Pie, shares her fearless approach to business on stage at #BoFVOICES. Watch now.


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China Mobile Guangdong and Huawei announce first enterprise private line service based on NG OTN
May 15, 2020
May 14, 2020 - GUANGZHOU, CHINA: China Mobile Guangdong and Huawei have jointly announced the launch of the world's first enterprise private line service based on Next-Generation Optical Transport Network (NG OTN) technology between Guangzhou’s Dongfengzhong and Liwan districts.
Launch of the service marks a significant upgrade of China Mobile Guangdong's smart private network, which will fully adapt to the differentiated private line connection requirements of enterprises of all sizes, accelerate the digital transformation of vertical industries, and lay a solid foundation for a booming digital economy in Guangdong Province.
New infrastructure construction represented by 5G and all-optical networks will be increasingly crucial in supporting high-quality economic development. In 2018, China Mobile Guangdong established an all-optical smart city group in the Greater Bay Area (covering Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao) and built an all-optical network in the region centering on Guangdong's major cities: Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan, and Foshan.
In 2019, China Mobile Guangdong built a smart private network covering the entire province, enhancing capabilities of virtual channel grooming based on the Greater Bay Area’s all optical network and providing premium private line services for industries such as finance and healthcare as well as government. To further utilize the potential of the new all-optical infrastructure network, China Mobile Guangdong will continue to innovate in 2020 to promote application of smart private networks in additional industries and enterprises, supporting the rapid development of Guangdong's digital economy.
China Mobile Guangdong and Huawei’s joint innovation in NG OTN technology defines a smaller-granularity and more flexible optical network that supports an expanded number of service connections, higher resource utilization, and lower transmission latency, further enhancing the capability of smart private networks.
- Minimum service granularity is 2 Mbit/s, and the number of network connections is increased 100 times. 100G can support 1000 service connections, providing massive premium private line services for industries.
- Reducing processing latency of devices by up to 90% assures ultra-low latency for financial and industrial manufacturing scenarios.
- 2 Mbit/s to 100 Gbit/s stepless speed and hitless adjustment provides bandwidth on demand (BOD) without interrupting services.
- The integrated all-optical network is compatible with multiple technologies such as SDH, OTN, and NG OTN, supports flexible access of enterprise customers anywhere in the province, and ensures fast service provisioning within days.
China Mobile Guangdong and Huawei jointly launch the world's first NG OTN trial commercial service
Cai Weiwen, Deputy General Manager of China Mobile Guangdong, said, "China Mobile Guangdong insists on driving business development through technological innovation, enabling digitalization of the industry, and helping make breakthroughs for industry groups. In our collaboration with Huawei, smart private networks powered by NG OTN can provide more enterprise customers with high-quality private line services that are secure, convenient, and simplified, effectively supporting the innovation and development of vertical industries, and facilitating digital transformation in the Greater Bay Area."
Simon Lu, President of Huawei's Transport Network Domain, said, "The joint innovation of Huawei and China Mobile Guangdong in development of NG OTN is another milestone in our collaboration. As a next-generation optical transport technology, NG OTN will accelerate popularization of all-optical networks, provide a high-quality experience for various industries, promote success of the optical industry, and enable collaborative development of industry and business innovation."
In line with the strategic aim of the all-optical smart city group, China Mobile Guangdong has deployed Optical Cross-Connect (OXC) devices at more than 40 transmission nodes. The cloud-based OTN intelligent management and control system has managed over 55,000 NEs, facilitating China Mobile Guangdong's construction of a world-leading all-optical network. The provisioning of NG OTN-based government and enterprise private line service will accelerate the penetration and convergence of all-optical networks as well as various fields and industries, paving the way for a new digital infrastructure in the Greater Bay Area. In the future, China Mobile Guangdong and Huawei will continue to explore innovations in the all-optical field, jointly promote construction of an all-optical smart city group, and drive technological innovation and industry upgrades.
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Hormel Foods has been added to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, according to a Meatingplace.com report. The list, compiled for investors, represents the most sustainable companies around the world.
The Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes track the financial performance of the leading sustainability-driven companies worldwide. The indexes provide asset managers with benchmarks to manage investment portfolios of leading companies with emphasis on sustainability.
“Making the list reflects the efforts Hormel has made to define corporate responsibility priorities in the areas of people, products, process, performance and philanthropy,” said Jeffrey Ettinger, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer at Hormel Foods, in a news release.
Hormel’s corporate responsibility initiatives that were evaluated as part of the selection process include:
- Creating a web-based Environmental Management System used to facilitate progress toward meeting company environmental requirements.
- Adopting a packaging minimization initiative that included 44 projects, which reduced packaging in Hormel Foods products by 4.2 million pounds
- The company’s effort to establish corporate responsibility standards for suppliers in addition to existing quality and safety standards.
Source: Meatingplace.com, Hormel


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HERE’S WHAT THE EXPERTS ARE SAYING
First Majestic Silver Corp. (AG) President & CEO
Vista Exclusive Content
“A Mnuchin Fizzle” Vista Partners Daily Market Recap 6/26/19
The markets initially popped to the positive side today reacting early to a CNBC interview that revealed that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had told CNBC that the “U.S. and China were close to a trade deal, and he’s optimistic that progress can be made during weekend
Investment Restriction Withdrawn From Norway Wealth Fund
Norway’s $1 trillion wealth fund is reportedly now permitted again to invest in miner Rio Tinto and retailer Walmart after it was excluded and prohibited from the fund’s investments on ethical grounds previously, as reported by the board of the Central Bank. The board informed
Susquehanna’s Analyst Predicts Visa Shares May Surpass Mastercard
Reportedly, Susquehanna’s analyst James Friedman predicts Visa may surpass shares of the rival MasterCard in the near future. Both Visa and MasterCard’s business has been performing quite well and possess extensive growth opportunities. MasterCard shares have seen market growth of ~41% this year and Visa
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|Year Low - High|


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It was announced today that the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), passed the National Credit Amendment Bill. This bill seeks to provide uniformity in the application of affordability assessment regulation. We take a look.
According to Illana Melzer from analytics consultancy, Eighty20, financial services industries should have a look at consumer spending data when evaluating their target markets. These marketers usually only revaluate their methods of communication with consumers, and Melzer explains why they should actually think broader.
Credit bureau, Compuscan, reveals that South Africans over the age of 60 fare best at managing their credit repayments over the festive season. On the whole though, South African credit consumers are unlikely to make it onto Santa’s good list when it comes to their credit behaviour.


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On their blog, the Facebook-owned sharing service announced that in the near future users would be able to watch, record, and post videos up to 60 seconds in length. Starting today, the new initiative will roll out and in the coming months everyone will have access to it.
According to the post, in the last six months, the time people have spent watching videos has seen an exponential growth of 40 percent. Longer videos are sure to allow for a different variety of content from fan favorite accounts. That isn’t all. “For iOS, we’re also bringing back the ability to make videos out of multiple clips from your camera roll,” the post mentioned stating that the feature would be a part of Instagram iOS version 7.19. There was also a slight tease hinting that “this is one step of many you’ll see this year.”
Whatever else the photo and video service has planned remains to be seen, but if it’s to be a step up from this announcement, users are probably in for a treat.


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RETROSPECTIVE OF A GREAT 2016
With the holiday season approaching, Virtuos ends 2016 on a high note! 2016 marks a new record of co-development releases for both consoles and PC. Titles such as Heavy Rain, Final Fantasy X and X.2 HD Remaster, Batman: Return to Arkham, and Assassin’s Creed The Ezio Collection represent a lineup we are proud to stand behind!
Virtuos Acquires Black Shamrock, Continues Global Growth Momentum with New Ireland Subsidiary
Shanghai – February 24, 2017 - Virtuos, a global leader in videogame content production, today announced it has acquired a controlling interest in Dublin-based independent game studio Black Shamrock. Founded in 2016, the studio of 15 employees is led by co-founder and Managing Director Olivier Masclef, formerly of Widescreen Games, with continued plans for expansion over the next two years. Black Shamrock will continue to operate as an independent studio focused on core gamer strategy and RPG titles for PC and consoles, while benefitting from the expanded business development and production resources available from Virtuos.
GDC 2017 Talk: Virtuos’ contribution to the Star Wars Universe
During GDC 2017 in San Francisco the Virtuos team delivered an in depth talk about our work on the Star Wars universe across different mediums and the artistic challenges in finding a balance between consistency and specificity for each of these Star Wars entities.
Horizon Zero Dawn, our 1000th project, released with 3D art from Virtuos!
Virtuos supported Guerrilla Games by providing modeling for 10 key robots, and numerous unique environmental props. Virtuos artists were also able to design character clothing, including costume variants for Aloy, the hero of this exhilarating new action role playing game.
2017, A PROMISING YEAR IN MOVIES FOR VIRTUOS WITH A LINEUP OF FIVE BLOCKBUSTERS
2017 looks very promising for the Virtuos movie team with the planned release this year of five movies we contributed to. Thanks to our partnership with Industrial Light & Magic our team keeps producing top quality assets for blockbusters.
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, first of the AAA console titles remastered by Virtuos releasing in 2017, reach an excellent 87% on Metacritic
Shanghai, China – September 10th 2017 We at Virtuos are proud to have had the opportunity to participate in the development of Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, providing a second life for the Playstation 2 classic on the Playstation 4 console. After over a decade in waiting, Final Fantasy XII has been re-released by SQUARE ENIX in July with a richer, freshly polished visual experience. The graphical renovating process introduced high definition textures, post filters and lighting improvements via Physically Based Rendering to the already stunning style of series entry.
Carbon Warfare Launches on IOS and Android!
Shanghai. - November 17, 2016 - Gamesource, the Virtuos-group game development studio behind XCOM: Enemy Unknown and XCOM: Enemy Within mobile versions, today launched Carbon Warfare, a new shockingly realistic strategy simulation title. Carbon Warfare lets players experience the lethal consequences of global warming arising from excess investment in carbon-fueled industries. It’s up to players to find the optimal winning combination of industries and ecological disasters that will ultimately lead to the destruction of Earth, before positive forces, their opponent in the game, can find the solutions to carbon emissions.
WATCH_DOGS 2 RELEASES WITH MASSIVE CONTENT WORK FROM VIRTUOS
Shanghai, China – November 15th, 2016 – Virtuos is thrilled to announce that our Art team worked with Ubisoft on the much anticipated open-world Watch Dogs 2, the latest installment of the groundbreaking franchise. Virtuos was involved in producing top quality AAA art assets representing a huge part of the art content of the game. Virtuos teams in Shanghai and Chengdu helped create thousands of props and breakable assets and numerous buildings.
FINAL FANTASY XII: THE ZODIAC AGE ANNOUNCED FOR PS4
Shanghai, China –September 30, 2016 – Virtuos is thrilled to announce that we took a direct part in fully renovating Square Enix 2006 PS2 version of Final Fantasy XII, providing a second life for the title on PS4. For the renovation process visuals have been upgraded with high definition textures, post filters and lighting improvement via Current Generation Rendering Hybrid. Improvements of gameplay experience have been made with new features such as the turbo function, the auto save system and the decrease of loading time.
DEUS EX RELEASES WITH 3D ART FROM VIRTUOS
Shanghai, China – August 25th 2016 – Virtuos is thrilled to announce that we had the opportunity to contribute to Deus Ex: Mankind Divided® the latest installment of the legendary franchise and the sequel to Deus Ex: Human Revolution®. Virtuos supported Eidos®-Montréal by providing modeling for more than 30 key characters. In addition Virtuos team in Vietnam worked on more than 200 hours of mocap animation and produced hundreds of animation cycles for the AAA game.
Virtuos contributed to Transformers mobile game
Shanghai, China – July 27th 2016 – Virtuos is proud to have had the exciting opportunity to contribute to Transformers: Earth Wars the latest mobile game from Space Ape Games and Backflip Studios.
Virtuos contributed to 5 of the top 5 highest grossing opening weekend films of all time
Shanghai, China – June 30th 2016 – Virtuos is proud to have had the exciting opportunity to partner with Industrial Light & Magic on yet another blockbuster superhero movie. Captain America: Civil War is the thirteenth installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and sequel to Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Age of Ultron, to which Virtuos also contributed.
"Virtuos-contributed games" have been showcased at all E3 2016 staged conferences
Shanghai, China – 17th June 2016 – Virtuos is thrilled to announce that we have worked on 16 of the hottest games at E3 this year. The lineup of Virtuos-contributed games included prominent titles displayed at the press conferences held by EA, Bethesda, Microsoft, Ubisoft and Sony.
Batman: Return to Arkham Announced for PS4 and Xbox One with Remaster by Virtuos
Batman: Return to Arkham is the first Xbox One title for Virtuos’ co-development team and the third for PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system.
VIRTUOS APPOINTS DAN OFFNER AS ADVISOR TO THE BOARD AND BRIAN WADDLE AS GLOBAL PRESIDENT OF SALES & MARKETING.
Shanghai, China – May 26, 2016 – Virtuos a leading provider of game development services, today announced that Dan Offner has joined its Board as an Advisor and Brian Waddle is joining the Company as its Global President of Sales & Marketing.
CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR RELEASES IN THEATERS WITH 3D ART FROM VIRTUOS
Shanghai, China – May 18th 2016 – Virtuos had the exciting opportunity to partner with Industrial Light & Magic on yet another blockbuster superhero movie. Captain America: Civil War is the thirteenth installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and sequel to Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Age of Ultron, to which Virtuos also contributed.
GARY SHAPIRO, CEO of the Consumer Technology Association attended Virtuos VR game Domino's Premiere at CES Asia.
Shanghai, China, May 16th 2016 – Virtuos had the pleasure to welcome to its VR space Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Technology Association and Axel Cruau, French consul. The French consul tried ‘Domino’, Virtuos latest VR game and enjoyed our virtual immersive experience. Domino is a game for the whole family where everybody can play with domino pieces and create infinite possibilities which would be impossible in real world. The content can then be shared with friends. Domino was showcased for the first time during CES Asia and is the third VR game Virtuos worked on after Star wars Trials on Tatooine and Mars 2030. With hundreds of companies exhibiting thousands of products to hundreds of thousands of attendees there was a lot to see at Shanghai’s CES Asia. It is worth noticing that Robots, drones and virtual reality stole the limelight of the show. About Virtuos Virtuos is one of the largest game developers specializing in 3D art and game software development for consoles and mobile devices. Virtuos’ clients include 15 of the top 20 digital entertainment companies worldwide as well as renowned independent studios. For more information, please refer to: www.virtuosgames.com; Twitter @virtuosgames
UNCHARTED 4 RELEASES WITH 3D ART FROM VIRTUOS
Shanghai, China, 16th May 2016 – Virtuos is thrilled to announce that we had the opportunity to contribute to Uncharted 4: A thief’s end the latest installment of the legendary franchise. Virtuos supported Naughty Dog by producing clothings for more than 30 characters including the main protagonist Drake, as well as numerous vehicles and environments. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End takes Sam and Drake through jungle islands, urban cities and snow-capped peaks in the search for Captain Henry Avery’s long-lost treasure. We are very proud to continue this successful collaboration and long standing partnership with Naughty Dog.


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April 23, 2020
NBN Co announced it will establish a $150 million financial relief and assistance fund to help internet providers to support their residential and small and medium business customers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The relief fund, created following a short industry consultation led by NBN Co, is aimed at helping internet providers connect low-income households with home schooling needs, supporting emergency and essential services, and assisting small and medium businesses and residential customers who are facing financial hardship.
The consultation involved more than 50 internet providers, government and consumer group Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) and identified specific customer segments that require immediate support.
Approximately $50 million will be directed to helping internet providers support low-income households with school-aged children who do not currently have an active nbn connection at home. NBN Co is working with the Department of Education and schools in each state and territory to ensure this initiative reaches those most in need.
As part of this package, NBN Co will also be implementing relief measures to help internet providers support struggling households and small and medium businesses stay connected during this pandemic, and has created a dedicated support package for essential and emergency services, which focusses on providing internet providers higher speeds for telehealth providers, enhanced service levels, and prioritised connections and fault resolution via case management through nbn’s Business Operations Centre through this period of increased demand.
The package also extends to supporting small and medium businesses by providing internet providers with discounted access to new connections of specified wholesale business grade products to help them to maintain or re-establish their businesses, once this crisis passes. The total support package for small and medium businesses will be approximately $50 million and the relief measures for residential financial hardship will be approximately $50 million.
The NBN Co relief and assistance package will be made available to retailers in accordance with applicable terms and conditions from April to 30 September but it’s a matter for retailers to determine when and what offers they develop for their customers.
To help unconnected low-income families with school children get connected, nbn will be waiving its $37 monthly wholesale charge for internet providers for many services on the 25/5 Mbps speed tier between April and September. This is intended to enable internet providers to create more affordable offers to connect these families as Term Two of school starts across the nation.
Funds will also be allocated for internet providers to help residential and small and medium business customers who are struggling to pay their monthly bill because they have been impacted by the pandemic. The support measures are directly aimed at helping these customers stay connected during this period of uncertainty.
NBN Co is introducing a range of measures to build resilience for essential and emergency services, and telehealth providers as online demand for these services grows. To help ensure service continuity, NBN Co will offer internet providers enhanced service levels, and prioritised connections and fault resolutions for these customers via case management through nbn’s Business Operations Centre.
To further support the expected increase in telehealth activity, internet providers will be offered support to grant health providers that have basic or standard nbn services upgrades to eligible higher speed tiers at no additional charge. NBN Co will also provide financial support to internet providers for new connections of specified business-grade services, helping businesses to re-establish themselves when the pandemic passes.
NBN Co Chief Executive Officer, Stephen Rue said: “Helping households get connected and supporting Australian homes and businesses stay connected is a priority for nbn. We are confident these funding relief and assistance measures will make a difference and help internet providers support their customers.”
CEO of the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN), Teresa Corbin, welcomed the announcement as an important step towards ensuring that there is no Australian left offline during the challenging months to come.
“The internet is an essential service for work, study, and accessing government and telehealth services,” said Ms Corbin. “NBN Co is to be applauded for laying the groundwork to keep struggling families and households connected during this difficult time. We hope to see the nation’s retail service providers build on these foundations to deliver financial relief to those in need.”
For further information, visit: https://www.nbnco.com.au/workingfromhome
This article was originally published on the Camberwell Shopping website.


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Okeechobee Steakhouse to expand popular Saturday roadside barbecue
The “BBQ” sign billowing on a corner by Okeechobee Steakhouse signals a two-month-old Saturday happening: a barbecue trailer serving up freshly smoked prime meats. There are four cooks at work in the open-sided trailer, two smokers burning oak and cherry wood from North Florida, a menu boasting a range of Texas-style-smoked meats and treats, a customer line that doesn’t quit, plus shaded, nicely set tables at the ready.
And then there’s the steakhouse server who speeds over in his uniform, balancing a fresh stack of metal trays on his palm. That’s when you know this is no ordinary roadside ‘cue stand. It’s a barbecue pop-up by Florida’s oldest steakhouse.
A Saturday fixture on a side street by the steakhouse since Memorial Day, the Okeechobee Prime Barbecue has been so popular that steakhouse owner Ralph Lewis plans to expand it to Sunday once season hits. And there are plans beyond that -- the Lewis family, which has owned the steakhouse for nearly 72 years, recently purchased an adjacent 1.5-acre parcel to allow the smoky concept to feed more barbecue lovers.
But before that lot is prepped for barbecue action, Lewis will install a fixed carport to replace the weekend shade tent at the current pop-up location. That location anchors a corner of the parking lot outside the Lewis family’s year-old Okeechobee Prime Meat Market. Lewis says he plans to move the barbecue stand to the new property in “four or five months.”
“It gives us the ability to take care of more people,” says Lewis, the steakhouse’s third-generation owner. “You’d be able to pull up and park. We’ll have large tents there Saturday and Sunday, and turn it into a weekend thing.”
This is the steakhouse brand’s latest sign of expansion, the third in the past two years. Last September, the Lewis family opened the gourmet meat market, selling premium steaks, wines, steakhouse-favorite sides and American-made, kamado-style grills. The previous September, they debuted an ambitious new catering operation and events space in a 7,000-square-foot facility just behind the steakhouse.
But Lewis likes to point out that there’s nothing new about his family’s involvement in the barbecue business. The steakhouse has offered barbecued meats since its inception, he says. When his paternal grandparents opened the business, all the meat was cooked over lump wood charcoal flames in an open pit, he says. It was this way from 1947 to 1974, the year his father, Curtis Lewis, renovated the place.
“When my father remodeled, he focused more on the steaks,” says Ralph Lewis.
Still, longtime customers in the know have been ordering catered barbecue from the steakhouse forever. Lewis estimates Okeechobee’s catering operation sells anywhere from 100 to 500 barbecue dinners a week. He describes it as an under-the-radar thing, as the steakhouse hasn’t promoted its barbecue offerings.
Then some months ago he had a simple summertime idea for Memorial Day: Why not set up a smoker in the market’s parking lot and serve barbecued meats for the holiday? If it went well, he reasoned, he could bring it back for July 4th and Labor Day.
“Our Number One response was, ‘Wow, love this! You’re doing this next Saturday, too?’” he recalls the question that caught him off guard. “So I said, ‘Of course!’ My crew looks at me and says, ‘We are?’ And I say, ‘We are!’”
That weekend’s tally: 500 prime steakhouse burgers, 300 racks of barbecued ribs, more than 200 pounds of smoked brisket, 160 pounds of smoked pork belly, 150 pounds of jalapeño-cheddar sausage and a heap of prime aged steaks.
That’s how a holiday special turned into a pop-up concept, the Okeechobee Prime Barbecue “Saturday Smokeout.” For Lewis, faithful to steakhouse-level service standards, it meant building a proper roadside ‘cue operation. He quickly ordered a custom-built, 84-inch Lang brand smoker, which he picked up himself from the manufacturer in Nahunta, Georgia. It meant buying and remodeling an open-sided trailer to hold the smokers and the cooks. It meant setting up an outdoor dining area for customers who prefer to enjoy their barbecue lunch onsite. He added tents for shade and Americana tablecloths for style.
Lewis and his crew created a menu that extended beyond a couple of smoked meats. On a recent Saturday, the menu listed a dozen main dishes, more than five sides, four desserts, plus beer and wine. Some prime bites: 13-hour smoked brisket, tender smoked turkey, baby-back and St. Louis-style ribs, pork belly burnt ends, jalapeño-cheddar sausage. And then there was Lewis’ epic new Boss Hog sandwich, which heaps pulled pork, glazed pork-belly burnt ends, smoked onions and a Southern bourbon barbecue sauce into a Martin’s potato roll.
Barbecue is about the details, and Ralph Lewis lavishes in them. He favors Texas-style barbecue, particularly for brisket preparation. It calls for a good salt-and-pepper rub, 12 to 14 hours in the smoker and sauce on the side. He always starts with a slab of Certified Angus Beef brisket and hand-trims it to remove fatty and jagged edges. The brisket must be uniform in thickness to prevent uneven cooking, he notes.
The brisket slabs go into the smoker over oak wood for eight hours, then are wrapped in old-school butcher paper before returning to the smoker.
“The paper keeps the outside of the meat from getting more bark on it, but it retains moisture and juices. It keeps the brisket from steaming,” says Lewis.
For the pulled pork and smoked pork belly burnt ends, Okeechobee’s cooks begin with tender Duroc pork. Those burnt ends get a toss in Southern bourbon barbecue sauce before they are returned to the smoker to lacquer up. It’s a 48-hour process.
The burnt ends have lured their share of diehards, including Okeechobee Steakhouse patriarch Curtis Lewis.
“They’re like candy,” Lewis said on a recent Saturday as he surveyed the barbecue bustle. “You can eat them all day.”
IF YOU GO
Okeechobee Prime Barbecue “Saturday Smokeout” pops up every Saturday from 11 a.m. till they’re all sold out. Look for the trailer in the parking lot by the Okeechobee Prime Meat Market, 1959 Wabasso Dr., West Palm. There’s plenty of parking behind the market or across the street behind Okeechobee Steakhouse.


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According to a McKinsey report, Africa is becoming home to some of the most promising fintech startups. Nigeria alone hosts over 200 fintech companies with online lending platforms being part of the biggest Fintech solutions operating in the Nigerian market. it further states that Nigeria’s fintech sector has raised more than $600 million in funding, attracting 25 percent ($122 million) of the $491.6 million raised by African tech startups in 2019 alone.
While the statistics are staggering, many of these lending platforms in Nigeria are essentially alike in their mode of operations. However, as we’re highlighting in this article, CredPal, a Nigerian consumer fintech startup is offering a more practical and seamless approach to lending by directly providing consumers across Africa with unique Credit cards — Credpal cards to help meet urgent needs.
Founded by Fehintolu Olaogun and Olorunfemi Jegede in 2017, Credpal won the Merchant Payments Challenge for allowing individuals and businesses to pay for purchases in instalments across online and offline merchants.
Challenges … Low delivery rate of critical messages
Credpal uses proprietary technology to perform specific functions such as credit checks, identity verification, and other credit components. Before integrating with Termii, the company had issues delivering these critical messages via SMS to its users largely because it could not reach those who had the Do-Not-Disturb (DND) service activated on their devices.
Credpal also hoped to explore more delivery channels but these were almost not accessible and the pricing was over the top— they needed an effective solution to automate their processes faster and provide timely dedicated support.
“Since integrating with Termii, our delivery rate has gone up to 99%. In rare cases do we experience customers complaining about not getting SMS or critical platform communication messages from CredPal. We believe the integration with Termii has played an active part in improving our customer satisfaction as a company.” — Hauwa Akinkunmi, Communications Lead
Using Termii’s Token — OTP Verification and Switch — for cross-channel delivery, Credpal has been able to effectively automate its processes — identity verification and other critical notifications via SMS and Whatsapp and immensely improved customer experience for its users.
Future plans … Innovating beyond point-of-sale payments
CredPal has been providing a second-to-none credit infrastructure for consumers across Africa and is looking forward to launching its mobile app. With an assurance of more opportunities for strategic partnerships that will allow the company to scale to emerging economies in Africa and North America — leveraging their reach, network, and scalability, there are promises of exciting offers brewing.
Termii’s messaging solution will continuously play a role in maintaining Credpal’s customer satisfaction, and positive business results, and sustaining its position as Africa’s revolutionary credit platform.


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Investors appear to be falling out of love with the once high-flying FAANG stocks.
Since May 6, when the Trump administration announced it will ratchet up tariffs – from 10% to 25% – on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods, the NYSE FANG Index (^NYFANG) has slid 11%, despite Facebook and Netflix having no direct exposure to China. That performance is far worse than the S&P 500 Index’s (^GSPC) 2.4% drop over the same period. FAANG stocks include Facebook (FB), Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN), Netflix (NFLX), and Google (GOOG).
“I don’t think FAANG is dead,” Kristina Hooper, Invesco’s chief global markets strategist, said on Yahoo Finance’s The First Trade. “But it makes sense that it’s taking a pause.”
“We have to recognize that there’s an economic policy uncertainty story here,” Hooper says, “which is the longer these trade wars go on, we’re likely to see [capital expenditure] go down.”
Hooper points out that lower business investment could lead to lower productivity and that could impact stocks, whether or not they have exposure to China.
The software play
Ari Wald, Oppenhiemer & Co.’s head of technical analysis, says there’s still a play for tech, despite the China risk. “I think instead the real theme here is software,” Wald says.
Wald says higher-growth companies should receive a premium in a low-growth world. “We see U.S. interest rates anchored by even lower rates overseas and in that environment, I think tech continues to outperform.
Hooper says tech’s exposure to China is exactly the thing that makes it attractive. “[The tech sector] is likely to continue to get beaten down over U.S.-China trade war concerns, so that spells opportunity.”
“If we expect growth to go down this year,” says Hooper, “we’ll be looking for areas like tech to provide that attractive growth level.”
Alexis Christoforous co-anchor of Yahoo Finance’s “The First Trade.” Follow her on Twitter @AlexisTVNews.


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A prominent producer has claimed that NFT Movie Financing could break the monopoly of major Hollywood studios and distribution platforms and bring much-needed originality, diversity and innovative back to the movie business.
Hollywood is facing a direct challenge from Web 3 startups that are harnessing the power of blockchain tech, and the present situation may see a wave of disruption in how movies are financed, distributed, and shown.
This week’s episode of Yahoo Finance’s The crypto mile spoke with Niels Juul, the executive producer of Hollywood films directed by the likes of Martin Scorsese and Michael Mann.
Juul has produced films like The Irishman, Silence and the Enzo Ferrari biopic starring Adam Driver.
Robert De Niro and Al Pacino pose backstage with their award for Best Ensemble Performance for “The Irishman,” produced by Niels Juul. Photo: Danny Moloshuk/Reuters
With the rise of NFTs, blockchain solutions, and cryptocurrency, the transactions threaten the traditional structures of the art world, global finance, and the music industry.
But currently the winds of change have turned to the strongholds of the film industry, with many analysts predicting that blockchain tech will shape the future of how movies are produced, distributed and shown.
By the formation of NFT Studies a Decentralized autonomous Organization (DAO), Niels is a pioneer in bringing NFT innovations and blockchain tech to the film industry.
The Hollywood producer describes how these innovations are changing the meaning of film producer, financier, distributor and consumer.
With the rise of crypto communities coalescing around memecoins such as shiba inu and NFTs as Bored Apes Yacht Club, Juul emphasized the significance of developing community-based film projects.
It has developed NFT Studios as an independent, decentralized organization structure which could “enable the community to seamlessly engage with participating members in shaping and making the movies they want to see, plus getting the benefits of having NFTs associated with them.”
The executive producer criticized main studios for stifling creativity and diversity of ideas in content production, because of a risk-averse attitude and the fact that studio overheads have risen to the point where they only consider a high-level concept to be released. It is considered a “safe bet”. Productions, or reboots of material which now has a fan’s bace.
He stated: “I have many producer friends with fascinating material and perfect scripts of the kind of movies, which would be made in the past, such ad Kramer vs Kramer, or The Usual Suspects, or any of these perfect quality movies which they fight with today. There is a lot of work to do.
“This because the studio costs are too high for them to “fool around” on a $10 M, $15 M, or $20 M movie.
“Due to this, there is a great need to disrupt the film financing model.”
The producer of hit Martin Scorsese movies such as Silence and the Irishman says the monopolization of streaming content by the major four platforms: Netflix ( NFLX ), Amazon Prime Video ( AMZN ), Disney+ ( DIS ) and Apple TV ( AAPL ) is a problem as well.
“Though I’ve cooperated with Netflix and Amazon, the main four streaming players are just concentrated on chasing the biggest market share,” he added.
Thus, the decision about what content the public can see is in the hands of these four companies.
“Actually, these companies are setting the world’s cultural agenda, that is why content production these days has become a monopoly, not only a financial monopoly, but more importantly, and more frighteningly, a monopoly cultural.”
He argued that as the “big four” obsessed with their bottom line at the expense of audiences experiencing a deficit of original and innovative voices, a middle ground must be found.
He explained the growing NFT market as a middle ground where filmmakers and creatives could meet audiences who aim to finance what they want to see.
“And to me, that is the appealing thing about cryptocurrencies, it presents a new chance, a new way to not just revolutionize the way things are financed, but also to change the agenda culturally in a way that we do not it’s only being the last result of the Excel spreadsheet”, he added.
Actor Robert De Niro poses backstage with director Martin Scorsese after accepting the Sonny Bono Visionary Award for The Irishman. Photo: Mario Anzuoni/Reuters
In this week’s episode of Yahoo Finance’s The Crypto Mile, Niels Juul said that the producer’s role is primarily to seek financing for a film.
“Actually 85 percent of my time is chasing money,” he said, “so the financial market for independent films has dried up significantly over the last 5 or 10 years, studios began to concentrate just on the big Marvel franchises.” .
“The Independent film market was nearly destroyed.”
He went on to say that the lack of original independent film content was one of the motivations behind the creation of NFT Studios, which attempted to address the imbalance by using the power of blockchain tech.
“So in response to this, we were looking at new ways of financing when my friends said, ‘have you heard of NFTs?” Jull added.
“I thought it could be a new way to finance films and a way to create a community which could come together around a film.”
“So my partners and I began discovering new ways to finance films via NFT and created NFT Studio.”
Pre-sale NFTs, which lower the barrier to entry to film financing, could democratize the filmmaking process.
Blockchain’s transparency and immutability could return power to the artists and creatives who produce the content, as well as bring efficiency to the production process by cutting out multiple middlemen in the film industry’s supply chains.
Tokenizing the pre-production of movies and selling NFTs which can give anyone ownership and a share of the movie’s profits could turn the whole movie industry upside down.
In addition, movie NFTs could have a collectability factor, allowing owners to become part of a unique community of people who have a piece of a movie, and could also have secondary sales value.


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LaLiga has become the first sports competition to appear in the BrandZ ranking of the most valuable Spanish brands in 2020.
Carried out by Kantar, the study ranks LaLiga as the country’s 12th most valuable brand. Furthermore, LaLiga’s commitment to world-class production and TV spectacle has seen the organisation classified not as a sports competition, but an entertainment company.
The Kantar table ranks each company according to its financial value combined with an evaluation conducted among a representative sample of Spanish consumers. This analysis sets LaLiga's brand value at $1.6 billion, establishing LaLiga as one of the highest new entries in this year’s table.
Zara tops the Spanish ranking for the third consecutive year, followed by Movistar and Santander. In addition to LaLiga, two other brands managed to appear in the rankings for the first time: Desigual and DIA.
"Securing a place in the BrandZ Spanish brands ranking is not an easy task, since it tends to be tremendously stable, so getting a place is a true recognition of a job well done for any brand who achieves it,” said Ricardo Pérez, research director of BrandZ Spain at Kantar.
“In LaLiga’s case, entering as high as 12th position is a remarkable feat and we believe that part of this success is down to its sheer hard work in the area of innovation, a fundamental value for any brand’s growth. In LaLiga's case this comes from a diversification strategy fully aligned with its DNA, positioning and the needs of its consumers."
From sports to entertainment
With a stated aim to become the world’s best entertainment brand, LaLiga’s classification in the BrandZ ranking is a new milestone. It is also the only sports competition in the ranking, showing the potential for other clubs or competitions to make the same transition.
Eva Lopez Ruiz, director of Global Brand and Assets at LaLiga, commented: “Managing to appear in the BrandZ Ranking, as well as in the entertainment category, is a huge plus for LaLiga. We have worked for a long time to be more than football; we are innovation, technology, passion, emotion… LaLiga is entertainment and it’s important that companies like Kantar also see it that way.”
To view the entire ranking, click the following link.


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England Rugby has agreed a six-year extension to its deal with Britvic Soft Drinks, which will continue as the organisation’s official soft drink partner until the end of the 2025-26 season.
The new agreement sees Britvic maintaining the exclusive pouring rights at Twickenham stadium. Britvic, an England Rugby partner since 2016, will continue to provide Ballygowan water to the England professional teams as well as offering a wide range of its top selling brands, including Robinsons and Pepsi, to visitors attending matches and events at Twickenham.
As the official soft drinks supplier to Twickenham, Britvic will also benefit from a range of partnership rights, including match day branding and experiential and hospitality packages at the London stadium. Britvic will continue to incorporate and develop these partnership rights into promotional activity for customers and consumers.
All Britvic bottles and cans are fully recyclable and the two parties said they will continue to work together to develop further sustainable initiatives to reduce the environmental footprint at the stadium.
In May, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) announced British sports apparel brand Umbro as its new kit supplier. In January, England Rugby named British luxury brand Bremont as its official timekeeper and extended its contract with Champagne Bollinger.