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Survival of the smartest
Without question, 2009 was one of the most difficult years independent tire dealers have faced in a long time. For many, survival was the name of the game.
As 2010 begins, most, if not all, of the same challenges remain. With that in mind, we recently asked several tire dealers:
1. What will be your biggest challenges in 2010?
2. How do you intend to overcome them?
We discovered that dealers are not holding their collective breath for a miraculous recovery this year. However, they are taking key steps to keep their numbers and margins up.
New brands, more units
Tom White, co-owner of Tire Source, a five-outlet passenger and light truck tire dealership based in Akron, Ohio, says his company faces several immediate challenges.
Number one, Tire Source has to find a product to replace Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.’s Republic passenger tire line, which was discontinued earlier this month.
For years, Tire Source marketed Republic as a “quasi entry-level tire,” says White. It was a big seller. “Our guys believed in it.”
White and his partner, Drew Dawson, are talking with their wholesale distributor about selecting a line to replace Republic, “but we haven’t made a decision.”
They would like to keep it in the “Goodyear family,” notes White. “I understand how SKUs are going up and how manufacturers are trying to find an even balance that makes good business sense.”
Boosting unit sales will be another priority. Tire Source’s units were down double digits in November. “Part of it is the economy, obviously.”
White reports that more customers are buying two tires instead of four to save money. “I think the demand is still there, but they’re putting it off as long as they can. We’re seeing that become the norm.”
How do you spur more sales? “That used to be a no-brainer. We’d say, ‘Goodyear has a good credit card deal — no interest for six months, maybe a year.’ But people are not tuned into opening more credit cards.”
They react the same way when confronted with large auto repair estimates, he adds. “Before, if someone needed $700 or $800 worth of work, they’d say, ‘I can’t do it right now.’ We’d say, ‘We have this credit card. You can do it over time and just pay it off.’ People are just leery of opening credit cards.”
They’re also more price-conscious. “We hold our guys to a gross profit blended amount that we like to achieve. In December, we kind of knocked that down a bit and said, ‘Let’s get out there and match deals.’”
Tire Source will continue to match prices. “We’ve done it before, but not as aggressively as we’re doing it now.”
The dealership also will continue to manage its store inventory levels. “We’ve evolved almost to a just-in-time system. We have roughly 300 tires in stock per store.”
Slightly more than 100 miles southeast of Akron, Tom Richey, owner of Pittsburgh, Pa.-based Laurel Gardens Tire Service, has two goals: keeping up with the never-ending multiplication of tire sizes while holding his shop’s inventory to a manageable level.
“I’m very frustrated because sizes are out of control,” he says. “My inventory two, maybe three years ago was 5,500 tires at X amount of dollars. Now it’s 1,500 fewer tires at the same dollars.”
Richey says Pittsburgh is a wholesaler-heavy market, which works to his advantage. “We have eight to 10 wholesalers coming into town every day. Instead of carrying 12 of something, we might carry four or eight. But if you sell something today, you have to make sure you’re replacing it tomorrow.”
Richey stocks more sizes than in the past — 200 spread across 4,000 units vs. 150 sizes across 5,500 units.
The goal is to simplify without sacrificing comfortable margins, he says. “My gross numbers were exactly the same in 2009 (vs. 2008), but my net profit was twice as much. We haven’t dropped our prices at all. I don’t think you have to.
“We have that economy tire, we have import tires — in other words, inexpensive tires. We’re using Chinese tires as entry-level and more people are buying them. More people are looking for used tires. Everybody’s tightening the belt a little bit.”
That includes Richey himself, who plans to sink less money into advertising in 2010. “We’re watching our ad expenses. We’ve trimmed it back. We’re using our co-op money only.”
Laurel Gardens Tire will continue to advertise at bingo halls, in church bulletins, and other low-cost, grass-roots venues.
Diagnosis: 100% profit
Maintaining healthy tire margins has always been a priority at Taylor’s Discount Tire & Automotive in Greensboro, N.C., and that will continue to be the case in 2010, says Scott Robinson, the single-location dealership’s president.
“We need the ability to acquire tires from our wholesale distributors at a price that will enable us to sell them and make a decent profit compared to the large chains.”
Taylor says his company sold more than 45,000 units in 2009. “We’re not having trouble selling tires. We’re having trouble selling tires profitably.”
Meanwhile, Robinson is chasing profit opportunities in other areas, including auto service.
“We just hired our sixth mechanic. We’ve always done mechanical work,” like brakes, suspension, water pump replacement and other repairs. “We’re going to focus more on computer diagnostics.”
Taylor’s Discount Tire has offered computer diagnostics for years, but only started charging for the service two months ago.
“We’re now able to convert check engine lights into repair orders,” says Robinson. “We’re doing $300 to $400 worth of diagnostics per day. Before, we were pulling codes for free and giving customers estimates. If they wanted to fix it, we’d do the work. If they didn’t, we were out our time and effort.”
Most new car dealerships in the Greensboro market charge $80 to run a diagnostic check. Robinson charges half that amount. “It’s on our menu board and on a sign in our window. Our customers feel comfortable paying it because we have a great reputation.”
Car dealerships don’t concern Robinson. Chains like AutoZone and Advanced Auto are more dangerous because they don’t charge for diagnostic checks, he explains. On the other hand,
Robinson notes that the chains’ lack of service capabilities and automotive expertise plays into his hands.
“We tell customers, ‘It’s worth what you pay for it.’ When AutoZone pulls a code for free, they just tell the customer, ‘You need this.’ The customer will buy the part, bring it down here, we install it and it doesn’t fix the problem... they may have spent $200 on a part when all they needed was a $2 hose.”
Diagnostic work is 100% profit, according to Robinson, “minus what I have to pay my technicians. It really has raised our gross profit margin” — and not a moment too soon.
He believes pent-up demand for auto repair work will break loose in 2010.
Out west in Quapaw, Okla., Ron Thrasher, executive vice president of Burggraf Tire, says keeping his dealership’s distribution centers stocked with product will be a challenge. Burggraf Tire has two warehouses.
“We have a lot of momentum going right now purely because we have inventory,” he says.
Thrasher reports that some of the dealership’s suppliers have had availability problems.
“We’re just keeping orders in the system. We’re also increasing re-loads between our distribution centers. We’ve gone to twice a week at our distribution center in Texas to help keep their inventory beefed up.”
To keep sell-through at a high rate, the company now offers daily delivery to customers. “Our competitors were offering daily service. American Tire Distributors, Tire Centers LLC — they were already out there. We just had to get our share of the pie, and we’ve developed local routes to pick up additional business.”
Another successful technique that Burggraf Tire will continue to employ throughout the new year is offering weekly specials on certain tires. “Every Monday we come out with a special. We don’t make a lot of money on it, but we give our dealers (a chance) to take advantage of it.”
The program has been so well-received, “we find dealers calling on Fridays and asking, ‘What’s your special for Monday?’”
Used tire blues
Used tires are a big part of Buffalo, N.Y.-based Mr. Fox Tire Co. Inc.’s business. Problem is, the single-location dealership is having a hard time finding second-hand rubber at decent prices.
Fox Tire usually buys units from out-of-state used tire brokers, but supply is tightening, says co-owner Eric Fox. “People are driving on their tires longer.”
And due to recent price hikes on new tires, demand for what’s left in the used tire pool has increased. “Prices have doubled and tripled. It’s something we’re concerned about.”
The family-owned dealership —which caters to a predominantly lower middle class customer base — is filling the gap with economy, entry-level new tires, including Chinese-made products.
But tariffs have made stocking some Chinese tires cost-prohibitive.
When the White House’s tariff decision was announced last September, “we bought an extra 1,500 units, trying to get whatever we could at a reasonable price. We’re still finding deals, but (the tariffs are) a big concern.”
Fox’s most pressing concern is the future of Buffalo’s economy, which has been slammed by high unemployment.
“Personally, I think it will get a little stronger, which is crucial. Hopefully it’s on the rebound, but it sure doesn’t look like it (at the moment). Retail, in general, seems so desperate right now.
Clothes, furniture — my wife keeps telling me, ‘You should see the deals!’”
Has Fox been tempted to cut prices? “Our prices are lower than our competition across the board, but we take it case-by-case. If it takes going down a few dollars to make a sale, we do it. We honestly take each customer on a case-by-case basis.”
That’s what Fox Tire will continue to do, he adds. ■


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28 May 2012. Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, has appointed a team in India to brief employees on its anti-corruption compliance programme. The move comes within days of US authorities launching a probe into allegations of bribery at the retailer’s Mexican arm. Bharti Walmart is an equal joint venture of the two retailers in India.
Walmart has appointed audit firm KPMG to conduct the awareness programme, said a senior executive at Bharti Walmart. A team of lawyers will assist the KPMG team..
The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) of the US prohibits companies, their subsidiaries and employees from bribing officials in the US and other countries to enhance business. It also requires companies to keep books and records reflecting all transactions.
Walmart India, however, said it was a routine exercise. “We are a legally-compliant company and conduct our business with integrity and compliance to law,” a spokeswoman for the retailer said. “We also believe in providing regular training to our associates on several issues, including FCPA,” she added.

domain: news


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CBD Products Soon Sold at Three Major Drug Stores
In 2017, Target dipped their toe into the market of CBD and hemp products in partnership with CW Hemp. CW Hemp formerly concocted Charlotte's Web, named in honor of a young girl with Dravett's Syndrome who became the youngest patient in state history approved for a Colorado medical card. Though Target pulled their product line shortly thereafter, several major drug store chains have announced their plans to feature both types of products in their stores under close supervision by the The Food and Drug Administration. Read on to learn whether CBD and hemp may soon be made available found at the corner store nearest to you.
Drug stores across the United States have reported decreasing profits from the sale of generic medications. Due to this drop in profit margin, Rite Aid's earnings took a notable hit in the fourth quarter of 2019. Forbes magazine reported that Rite Aid lost $255.6 million from continuing operations in the earning period which ended in March 2019. While top executives had hoped to see a rise in the business's revenues, rates remained almost identical to the prior year, rising from $5.38 billion in March of 2018 to $5.39 billion one year later. A revenue increase of $100,000 for a company of Rite-Aid's magnitude is far from ideal.
Pressure to improve these underwhelming figures and edge out online shopping giants like Amazon have cumulatively motivated Rite-Aid to expand the variety of products available for purchase in-store. Rite-Aid has 2,469 total store locations across nineteen states across America. They've announced their intention to start a pilot program in two of these states - Washington and Oregon - to test the successes of CBD product sales. At stores within these states, Rite-Aid will be vending a variety of CBD-infused topicals including lotions, lip balms and creams.
Much like Rite-Aid, Walgreens is motivated to offer consumers a diverse selection of products to meet the evolving tastes of the American public. Walgreens recently announced that they'll soon stock CBD sprays, creams, and patches at almost 1,500 of their nationwide stores. A variety of other CBD-based products will also be available for sale at locations in nine states - more than any other chain. While infused foods, CBD drinks and products with broad spectrum hemp are not among their new product line, CBD products will soon be available at locations in the U.S. states listed below.
- New Mexico
- South Carolina
Walgreens Reporters at CNBC reached out to Walgreens' CEO Brian Faith for a statement about the company's upcoming selection of products containing CBD. Faith responded by stating "this product offering is in line with our efforts to provide a wider range of accessible...products and services to best meet the needs and preferences of our customers."
If CVS is your preferred pharmacy, keep an eye out for new CBD products among the staples you typically find there. In fact, topical CBD products are already offered in more than 800 CVS stores. So far, these products are available for sale in eight states – Colorado, California, Maryland, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Alabama and Tennessee. To help ensure that all of the products sold are free of THC and contaminants, CVS has joined forces with Eurofins, a third-party laboratory. Mike DeAngelis, a spokesman for CVS Health, stated in an interview that the company is “working only with CBD product manufacturers that are complying with applicable laws and that meet...high standards for quality.” CVS currently obtains their stock of CBD products from Crualeaf Holdings Incorporated, as was announced last March by Curaleaf.
Shop Online for Sparkling CBD Drinks
If you're in the market for Sparkling CBD sodas, waters or teas, there's no need to go further than your doorstep. All nine flavors of our Sparkling CBD beverages are available to order throughout the continental United States. Better yet. Every Sparkling CBD beverage option is vegan, non-GMO, and free of gluten, sodium, and preservatives with five ingredients (or fewer) per can. Visit the Sparkling Shop to order Sparkling CBD Hibiscus Water, Sparkling CBD Citrus Water and other refreshing beverage options today!


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The alleged seller claimed they “may be blacklisted” after the auto giant found their Cybertruck’s online listing.
Tesla has cancelled two Cybertruck reservations for a person who listed his current Cybertruck for sale online.
According to a Cybertruck Owners Club member named Dennis – who goes by the username ‘malinecentral’ – The electric auto giant’s Loss and Prevention team allegedly contacted Dennis to inform them their orders on the latest Tesla model have been cancelled and refunded.
“I have not sold anything. I listed it on multiple sites to feel it [the price] out,” Dennis wrote on the online forum.
Malinecentral further alleged they “may be blacklisted” after Tesla’s response – which was posted online – stated:
“Moving forward, any future orders placed by you will be cancelled without a refund of the $100 or $250 order fee as official notification has been provided to you regarding this matter.”
However, the electric car maker has not specified if this ban applies to other ordered models or exclusively to the Cybertruck.
As reported by Drive, a Foundational Series Cybertruck was previously sold at a US auction for double its retail price but it is unknown if the Musk-led company legally intervened in the sale process.
Tesla’s resale clause stipulates a Cybertruck owner cannot sell the vehicle in the first year of ownership or incur a $US50,000 ($AU76,776) penalty for breach of contract.


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25 Nov How Will Cable Business Services Keep Growing? | Light Reading
For almost the past two decades, US cable operators have been counting on enterprise-focused services to supply a steady stream of new business customers, higher revenues and big profits as they have built a nearly $20 billion business.
But now both business customer and revenue growth are clearly slowing down. In fact, according to the latest figures compiled by CMG Partners for Light Reading, both annual customer and revenue growth have dipped into the single-digit percentages for the industry for the first time since research analysts started tracking this sector 15 years ago.
To be sure, the “commercial” sector is still growing at a healthy clip for US cablecos, with CMG projecting that the number of commercial customers will end up climbing about 7% to a total of 5 million this year, while 2019 revenues from business customers will rise 8% year-on-year to nearly $20 billion. Those gains are certainly nothing to sneeze at in an industry where 2% to 3% growth is often hailed as a big success.
But the cable industry’s halcyon days of double-digit percentage growth in both commercial customers and revenues are definitely past. So, with cable operators facing continuing customer and revenue declines on the video side and increasingly reliant on broadband and commercial growth to offset those declines, the hunt is on new ways to foster further business services growth in the new decade.
That’s where Light Reading’s recently rebranded Cable Next-Gen Business Strategies conference comes in. Slated to take place in New York City on Tuesday, December 3, Cable Next-Gen Business Strategies is the premier independent conference focusing on how cable operators can spur fresh commercial growth with new technologies, services, products and tools. Now entering its 13th year, the conference will delve into the latest technological, operational and strategic moves by operators to carve out a bigger slice of the estimated $150 billion US commercial market.
Specifically, the one-day event will look at the hottest vertical markets for cable today; explore next-gen business services such as hospitality video, SD-WAN, industrial IoT, security and more; examine the potential of 5G wireless technology and CBRS spectrum; and discuss the impact of mounting fiber network builds on the commercial market. Keynoters and panelists will also address the pros and cons of competing in the enterprise market, among other things.
The speaking lineup will include:
- Christian Nascimento, VP of Product Management at Comcast Business:
- Satya Parimi, Group VP of Enterprise Data at Spectrum Enterprise;
- Nader Famili, SVP of Technology and Planning at Connectivity Wireless Solutions;
- Chris Boone, VP of Business Services at Cable One;
- Glenn Calafati, VP of Commercial Products at RCN – Wave Broadband & Grande Business;
- Jody Hagemann, Director of Product Management at Comcast Business;
- Brian Rose, Senior Director, Product Development at Cox Business;
- Kristi Salmon, Senior Director of Marketing, Business Services at Mediacom;
- Chris Bastian, CTO at SCTE/ISBE;
- Alex Moulle-Berteaux, COO at Starry Inc.;
- Shrihari Pandit, President and CEO of Stealth Communications;
- Stan Hubbard, Director of Communications & Research, MEF16 Program Director at MEF; and Todd Gore from the CBRS Alliance.
So please join us at the Westin Times Square Hotel on Tuesday, December 3 to learn what’s next for the cable business services sector. Click here to register for the latest edition of Cable Next-Gen Business Strategies.
Hope to see you all in the Big Apple next week.
— Alan Breznick, Cable/Video Practice Leader, Light Reading
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Cooper Standard announced it was recognized as 2022 Supplier of the Year by General Motors. This is the sixth time Cooper Standard has received the award.
Honorees were recently celebrated by GM at its 31st annual Supplier of the Year event in San Antonio, Texas.
GM’s Supplier of the Year award recognizes global suppliers that distinguish themselves by exceeding GM’s requirements, in turn providing customers with innovative technologies and among the highest quality in the automotive industry.
“We are proud to be again recognized by General Motors for our commitment to sustainable solutions that meet the needs of the evolving mobility industry,” said Shannon Quinn, vice president, chief commercial and strategy officer, Cooper Standard. “Our highly engaged team is dedicated to developing breakthrough innovations and implementing cutting-edge manufacturing and business processes to deliver the highest quality and most robust solutions. This latest Supplier of the Year award is a testament to their hard work.”
“We are thrilled to recognize these outstanding suppliers after yet another challenging year in the automotive industry,” said Jeff Morrison, GM vice president of global purchasing and supply chain. “They overcame countless obstacles and exemplified what it means to be resilient, resourceful and determined. Beyond that, these suppliers demonstrated their commitment to sustainable innovation and to driving advanced solutions in collaboration with the GM team.”
Each year, GM’s Supplier of the Year recipients are selected by a global, cross-functional GM team for their performance in criteria such Product Purchasing, Global Purchasing and Manufacturing Services, Customer Care and Aftersales and Logistics.


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Campaigns are appropriating the advertising strategies that technology companies use to target consumers to woo undecided voters.
Peter Greenberg, head of Twitter's political ad sales, attributes the effectiveness of those ads to the method of pinpointing exactly whom to send a particular message.
“Geo-targeting can target by interest, location, mobile device access,” he said. “It’s pretty remarkable how minutely we can target.”
Several advertisers echo the geo-targeting sentiment: They’re buying people, not channels.
For example, rather than using ESPN to target males from 18-45, companies use a person’s online activity in calculating where to place ads and what is in the content of those ads, said Michael Beach the co-founder of the Targeted Victory, the Romney campaign’s digital advertising firm.
It’s not zeroing in on the broad groups, either. Google, for example, is able to target ads down to the gender, age and zip code.
Plus, the technology is so precise a campaign can identify how many clicks an ad gets and how long a viewer watches one of their videos.
And that kind of information can help campaigns target specific voting blocs in the areas needed to win come Election Day.
Political web ads not only include fundraising efforts or “get out the vote” campaigns, but many advertisers say the key word this cycle is “persuasion,” a marketing term for convincing the key undecided voters with specific ads.
“The main driver of official dollars is coming from that,” Beach said. “Persuasion has moved online because eyeballs have moved online.”
Scott Goodstein, the founder and CEO of the Democratic digital advertising firm Revolution Messaging, which handled President Obama’s 2008 social media and mobile strategies, notes that politicians hate to hear that they need to be “branded,” but that is what persuasion marketing is all about — building a brand based on a candidate’s message.
He compares a vote for his client as “closing a sale” on Election Day.
Digital advertising has been around for a few election cycles but its methods have changed drastically — even since the last election. In the 2008 cycle, Twitter had not yet emerged as an advertising platform, Facebook advertising was limited and campaigns were still reaching out to voters on MySpace. Geo-targeting, Goodstein said, was not even available at the time.
Now that has exploded. More than $100 million is likely to be spent on digital advertising alone in the 2012 cycle, the Washington Post recently reported.
Although television still remains the major player for political ads, advertisers are wary of those who utilize commercial-skipping devises, such as DVR cable boxes and TiVo.
Beach of Targeted Victory argues that one-third of potential voters will not see a political advertisement run on TV.
But even if voters catch one of the many television ads blanketing the airwaves, digital ads can boost their retention.
A Nielson study sponsored by Google found that "four-screen" ad campaigns — where people see an ad on a television, on a computer, on their mobile device and on a tablet — increased the amount of key information viewers retained from 22 percent with TV-only ads to 39 percent.
In the United States, 22 percent of adults reported owning tablets, with another 23 percent report planning to buy a tablet in the next six months, according to a Pew Research Center survey.
Smartphone ownership has increased nine percentage points since last year — standing at 44 percent of adults. Further, one-third now uses a mobile device to read and receive news.
--Alicia M. Cohn contributed to this report.
This story was updated at 1:42 p.m.


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Alphabet (GOOG 2.65%) (GOOGL 2.81%) is attempting to make nice with European regulators.
On Monday, the U.S. tech giant promised that it will not leverage the fitness and health data generated by Fitbit (FIT) to target advertising. Alphabet's Google unit signed an agreement to buy the fitness tech company last November in a headline-grabbing deal valued at roughly $2.1 billion. The European Union's (EU) approval is the most significant regulatory hurdle still in front of the deal.
Alphabet has had to contend with growing concerns about consumer protection regarding data. This is particularly acute in Europe, which tends to be more sensitive and cautious about such matters.
"This deal is about devices, not data," Alphabet wrote in a statement released Monday, reiterating arguments it has made previously. "We appreciate the opportunity to work with the European Commission on an approach that safeguards consumers' expectations that Fitbit device data won't be used for advertising."
Monday was the deadline for the company to offer concessions to the European Commission (EC), which among other powers functions as a privacy and competition regulator for the EU. The EC must grant approval of the Google/Fitbit deal in order for it to close. Last week, Reuters reported that the EC was expecting the company to provide some concessions in order to allay those privacy concerns.


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Photos from the popular Instagram app for the iPhone/iPod touch are now available for viewing in a dedicated iPad app. Instagallery lets users review their own Instagram photos or see what others have posted.
Until recently, there was no way to actually view Instagram photos outside of the iPhone app. However, this is starting to change thanks to the Instagram API, which was released by the company a few weeks ago. This allows third-party developers to integrate Instagram into their own apps.
Created by InfinitApps, the app lets iPad users view their own photos or find those posted by friends. Also showcased is a listing of popular photos from Instagram’s social network.
Each full size photo is perfectly matted against a neutral background, which can be changed by the user. Jumping to photos by the same person, taken in the same location, or with a tag makes switching between photos easy.
Finally, Instagallery’s slideshow capability makes the iPad a perfect desktop or nightstand display. However, the app only works in portrait mode, so keep that in mind.
The Instagallery app priced at $1.99 in the App Store.


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Applied Motion Products offers compact step motors in NEMA sizes 8, 11, and 14 for applications with limited space including medical devices, 3D printers, analytical and medical instruments, textile equipment, laboratory automation equipment...
Increasing electric vehicles driving range is more than just a matter of batteries and motors.
Durable, heat-resistant polymers are lowering the weight of electric and conventional cars and trucks—a trend that will continue to grow.
Once researchers understood how catalysts age, they knew they could rearrange a few atoms to extend the life and lower the price of converters.
XP Power has announced two new ranges of ac-dc power supplies that provide BF class insulation for healthcare applications where excellent EMC performance is a key requirement. The PBR500 and PBR650 series offer power levels up to 500 W and 650 W...
Small wire meshes could let light in while conducting electricity out of solar arrays.
Robots may be on the verge of their own version of the Stone Age.
More than 2.5 million robots will be put to work this year. Which country is employing the most?
Aug 13, 2019
These 6 Top Tips will help design engineers identify the right linear bearing product for their motion needs. Focused on crossed-roller bearing systems, these tips highlight critical characteristics that mut be considered early in the design process.


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Trump and his China trade hawks must beware of paranoia
US president Donald Trump and his team of hawks are plotting to contain China. This includes meddling in the South China Sea, limiting Chinese student and scholar visas, restricting Chinese investment and embarking on a trade war.
A key question is whether a trade deficit is really a bad thing for US national interests. The budget deficit has been around US$660 billion and is increasing. Trump himself has increased both budget spending and military expenditure significantly. So, even if the US economy grows at a higher rate, the budget deficit will not improve significantly. Without the trade deficit, the US will definitely suffer higher inflation.
Trump said it’s easy to win a trade war with China, as he imposed new tariffs in March. But China recently announced sweeping unilateral tariff cuts on consumer imports from July 1, in keeping with its pledge to trade partners including the US. How does the US feel about this win?
When a country (USA) is losing many billions of dollars on trade with virtually every country it does business with, trade wars are good, and easy to win. Example, when we are down $100 billion with a certain country and they get cute, don’t trade anymore-we win big. It’s easy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 2, 2018
Along with all the benefits the US gets from China, comes the one disadvantage – it also makes China rich and more powerful. China says this is a win-win situation and has no animosity towards the US as long as the US leaves China alone.
A poll in China about what citizens think about Americans, or among Americans who live in China on the attitudes of Chinese towards them, would reveal this is to be true. But many Trump aides feel threatened by China and are paranoid about it.
Trump’s former national security adviser Steve Bannon and current trade adviser Pete Navarro are prominent “yellow peril” proponents. Bannon claims Iran, Turkey and China will form a new axis. Noticeably, like Trump, Bannon doesn’t include Russia among the US’ enemies. Bannon has even criticised Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin for his attempt to call a truce over the brewing trade war with China.
Don’t let the US be hijacked by the likes of the paranoid Bannon and alt-rights.
John Xie, Zhengzhou


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Multibuy offers on healthier groceries are on the rise, shows a recent report, suggesting that retailers are increasing the number of non-HFSS products in multibuy and buy-one-get-one-free (BOGOF) deals to push healthy eating in the UK.
According to new data from The Food Foundation, the total proportion of multibuy offers on healthier groceries – like fruit and vegetables – rose in July to 4.2 per cent and 4.5 per cent respectively. This was seen across the top five retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Aldi and Morrisons.
The number of multibuy or bogof deals on products classed as HFSS fell slightly, from 29 per cent in April to 27.3 per cent in July, states the report, adding that the UK’s largest retailer has now set the target of 65 per cent of its sales to come from non-HFSS products by 2025.
Overall, amongst those retailers running multibuy deals, there was a 6 per cent increase in the total number of multibuy deals offered in July compared to April. No deals were found on eggs, and although 11 per cent of deals were on dairy products, half of these offers on dairy are for cheese products (rather than milk or plain yogurt) which are typically high in saturated fat and classified as HFSS, states the report.
A further 17 per cent of deals were on foods where it is not possible to accurately determine the nutrition profile, and so these products could be either HFSS or non HFSS.
While promotions make products cheaper they also tend to encourage people to buy more of the promoted category than expected.
On average multibuy offers increase the amount purchased by 22 per cent. Restrictions on multibuy deals for HFSS foods were supposed to have been brought in this month (October 2023), but earlier this year the Government pushed the implementation of these restrictions back to 2025, citing concerns that it would negatively impact households during the cost of living crisis.


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| Apr 2, 2012
| 11:40 AM
The home of the Whopper is adding fruit smoothies, snack wraps and an array of salads to its menu in what it says is a strategy to offer better-for-you food choices.
Burger King joinsMcDonald's, Chik-fil-A and other fast food restaurants that have...
| Oct 23, 2011
Celebrity clothing brands have become a ubiquitous force in fashion, but this wasn't always the case. A decade ago, attaching a famous name to a mass-market brand was still fairly rare and was seen by some as a last alternative when movie scripts and TV...
| Oct 13, 2010
| 6:13 AM
Kim Kardashian W magazine cover Kim Kardashian is baring all again, this time for W magazine's annual art issue. The reality TV star gets cheeky on the cover as her skin plays peekaboo with pasted-over typography.
The concept cover was executed by artist...
| Jun 20, 2012
| 9:09 AM
Burger King Worldwide Inc. is once again public, debuting Wednesday on the New York Stock Exchange.
Less than two years after 3G Capital Management took the fast-food chain private, ticker symbol BKW is trading on Wall Street -- and not doing too badly....
| Jul 3, 2012
| 11:56 AM
The Chuck E. Cheese rodent mascot is ditching the backward baseball cap and fingerless gloves and reemerging as a rock star with a guitar.
The pizza chain’s parent, CEC Entertainment Inc. of Irvine, Texas, is teasing its new spokesmouse with...
| Apr 2, 2012
| 11:33 AM
Burger King’s strategy for success? Be more like McDonald’s. And maybe toss some tropical mango into the drinks.
Among the slew of new offerings available at the fast-food chain: garden salads, snack wraps, real fruit smoothies and frappes....
| Apr 4, 2012
| 9:32 AM
The King wants his crown back: Fast-food chain Burger King is continuing its reinvention by planning to go public – again.
Within the next three months, the hamburger giant said it will re-list its shares on the New York Stock Exchange. The last...
| Sep 25, 2011
Much has been made this year about the behemoth baby boom generation reaching retirement age. But another significant milestone is slipping past a bit more quietly yet with noticeable impact.
The first wave of Gen-Xers has rounded 40, and they are...
| Oct 31, 2010
Fall's hottest hairstyles include perfect and polished 1950s ponytails and pixie cuts inspired by Mia Farrow's late-1960s crop. The trendiest styles from fashion runways and the red carpet are pulled up, swept to the side or simply chopped off.
| Mar 25, 2012
It's an incredible narrative befitting a new arrival in Tinseltown: From humble beginnings growing up in a tiny Italian village as the grandson of a barber and son of a hairdresser, Rossano Ferretti at age 15 leaves home on a quest to conquer the world of...
| Apr 29, 2012
A team of superheroes including Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk and Thor unite to save the world. With Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo and Chris Hemsworth. Written and directed by Joss Whedon. In Imax 3-D. Walt Disney...


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The Last of Us Part II Releases in June, Ghost of Tsushima Pushed to July
Sony has formally given new launch dates for both Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Part II and Sucker Punch's Ghost of Tsushima.
After delaying The Last of Us Part II a few weeks back, Sony has today announced when the much-anticipated title will be coming to PS4.
In a new post on the PlayStation Blog, SIE Head of Worldwide Studio Hermen Hulst announced that Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part II will now be launching around the world on June 19, 2020.
In addition, Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima, which was scheduled to arrive in June, has now been pushed back a bit. The game’s new launch date is that of July 17, 2020. While Sony didn’t explicitly state the reason for this delay, it seems to be obvious that they wouldn’t want to release both PS4-exclusives to close to one another.
“I want to personally congratulate and thank both the teams at Naughty Dog and Sucker Punch Productions on their achievements, as we know it’s not an easy feat to reach the finish line under these circumstances,” Hulst said in his blog post. “Both teams have worked hard to deliver world-class experiences, and we can’t wait to see what you think of them when they release in just a few short months.”
Sony’s new announcement for a release date of The Last of Us Part II comes not long after a major leak for the game came about online. Over the weekend, plot details and other various cutscenes from TLOU2 appeared on the internet, meaning that spoilers are now running rampant. In light of these spoilers, many were worried about more than ever about The Last of Us Part II’s indefinite delay and began wondering how long they’d have to avoid plot details before potentially playing the game themselves. In all, the final delay for TLOU2 from its originally-scheduled date is only three weeks, which isn’t very extensive whatsoever.
The release dates for Sony’s upcoming exclusives were some of the biggest talking points for many the past few weeks in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Now with new launch days for each game, hopefully, Sony can hit both of these dates and then shift its focus to the upcoming PS5.


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15 Dec 1995 | by PAUL WOOLMINGTON
Click to remove filters
Viz magazine this week thumbed its nose at the ad industry with the launch of a controversial new site on the Internet.
John Owen examines how the subversive soft-drink brand Tango is very much in tune with Internet users
As a renowned new-media expert and faker, people often ask me: Is it already too late to make a mark in the fast-developing creative maelstrom that is interactive advertising? Generally, my reply is: Yes - get out of my way , because the last thing I need is another huckster beating me to market...
Janet Izatt has discovered that there s a discrepancy between the ratecards for Net and print publications
In blocking a FoE cinema ad, the ASA opened up the debate over regulating Net sites. Edited by Mairi Clark
Friends of the Earth cannot be forced by law to withdraw the banned cinema ad which it is continuing to place on the Internet, according to a senior media lawyer.
From Richard Woolston, group product manager, Web International, London NW10
The Advertising Standards Authority is set to challenge the pressure group, Friends of the Earth, over its decision to place a banned ad on the Internet, in what could develop into a test case.
Newsdesk, the Nottingham-based IT news service, has launched a video news release (VNR) sampling facility, taking on-line news into the broadcast arena for the first time.


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Special U.S. Trade Negotiator Robert S. Strauss said yesterday that American recognition of China was necessary to help this nation overcome its $30 billion trade deficit.
"If we are going to deal in a competitive society, then of course it was necessary," he said in an interview on "Issues and Answers" ABC, WJLA).
The trade negotiator noted that "Japan probably sells China six or seven times as much as we do; Europe probably five or six times as much as we do, and they were opening the gap."
He cautioned that "we are not going to catch up overnight just because China came into... the world markets. But over a period of time it can make a major difference. It is a major market for us."
One "overnight" gain, Strauss said, will come in increased sales of U.S. grain to China, which in 1978 bought more than 3 million metric tons of American wheat and corn. Strauss said in the coming year, U.S. farmers would supply 5 million metric tons. However, an Agriculture Department source said later that the Chinese had told American officials they expect to buy about 6 million metric tons each year.
Strauss also noted that the United States has agreed to build a communications satellite for China so that it will be able to beam color television throughout the country.
He said the deal involves "half a billion dollars." About 80 percent of the equipment will be made in the United States "and then NASA [the National Aeronautics and Space Administration] will, for a fee, go up and launch the satellite," he said.
Asked about the substantial amount of trade China already has with other countries, Strauss replied "We are in shape to catch up now rather soon." He said the United States was "better than the rest of the world" in making aircraft, oil field equipment and "heavy equipment of all kinds."
He said that when Chinese Vice Premier Teng Hsiao-ping visits the United States later this month his trip "will be beamed back in China -- something that hasn't been done before."
In another telvision interview on "Meet the Press," (NBC, WRC), Commerce Secretary Juanita M. Kreps cautioned U.S. business leaders "not to set out timetable too fast" for increasing trade with China. "I would not want us to be euphoric," she said.
Asked about U.S. capacity to absorb Chinese exports, she said an orderly marketing agreement or a quota limitation on textiles should be negotiated.
On another subject, she predicted a "sluggish" economy for the United States this year and added that the projected budget deficit of about $30 billion "was based upon our expectation that the growth rate will be in the 2 to 2.5 percent range."


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© globalfoundries Business | April 27, 2021
GlobalFoundries moves HQ to Fab 8 in New York
Semiconductor manufacturer GlobalFoundries says it will relocate its headquarters to Malta, New York, the site of Fab 8 — as the company positions itself for growth, strengthens partnerships with customers and recruits new talent.
GF has invested more than USD 15 billion in its Fab 8 facility over the last decade to support innovation and manufacturing capacity. In 2021, the company is doubling its planned investment to expand global capacity, with USD 500 million targeted for the Malta facility alone. The move from GF's previous headquarters to its fab in New York is part of the company's commitment to address the soaring global chip demand, with a focus on semiconductor manufacturing innovation. However, the company says that it will maintain a substantial presence in Santa Clara, California, where many of GF's leading US customers and ecosystem partners are based. "Today, GF's Fab 8 in New York is a USD 15 billion advanced semiconductor manufacturing facility and one that is playing a key role in the transformation of our industry to meet rapidly accelerating demand," says GF CEO Tom Caulfield, in a press release. "Our amazing 3,000-person workforce, in partnership with our local, state, and federal leaders, will together build on GF's success, solidifying the Empire State's place as one of a few world-class semiconductor manufacturing hubs at a time when our national and economic security depends more and more on what we can make here at home." Caulfield added, "The time for the Endless Frontier Act is now, and once approved by Congress and signed into law by President Biden, GF stands ready to do our part by expanding in upstate New York and creating many more high-paying American jobs. Our ambitious goal is to double our capacity at this site in the years to come in partnership with our customers, local, state and federal governments. We can do this." In 2020, GF announced a land purchase option to provide additional flexibility to expand Fab 8's footprint to support growing demand from the U.S. government and industry customers.
Siltronic and GlobalWafers deal at a standstill In light of current market reports, Siltronic AG has issued an update stating that there has been no real progress on the German investment review of the takeover by GlobalWafers.
Mycronic receives order for an SLX mask writer The Swedish manufacturer of production equipment for the electronics industry says it has received an order for an SLX mask writer from a new customer in Asia.
Semiconductor heavyweights urge congress to act on crisis IBM and 40+ business and academic leaders urges the New York state congressional delegation to act on the semiconductor crisis.
Verimatrix sold its portfolio of NFC patents to Infineon Verimatrix announces that it has sold its historical portfolio of NFC patents to semiconductor company Infineon Technologies AG for nearly USD 2 million.
JLT completes acquisition of French sales partner JLT Mobile Computers, a developer of computing solutions for demanding environments, has completed its acquisition of longtime French sales partner ID Work.
Rohm suspends Tianjin plant amid Covid-19 outbreak Following the outbreak of the new coronavirus variant in Tianjin, China on January 9, restrictions on movement have been imposed, including the start of PCR testing for all citizens. As a result, Rohm has temporarily suspended its Tianjin plant since January 9.
EMD Electronics expands with new factory in Arizona EMD Electronics, the North American Electronics business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, is expanding with a new factory in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area for the manufacture of equipment for its Delivery Systems & Services (DS&S) business.
Swedish biometrics company team up with Infineon Precise Biometrics has teamed up with Infineon to jointly provide fingerprint technology to allow various applications, including automated adjustments of driver settings in vehicles.
STMicro expects Q421 revenues of $3.56B Semiconductor manufacturer, STMicroelectronics, says that its preliminary and unaudited net revenues for the fourth quarter of 2021 are above its business outlook range.
Allegro MicroSystems appoints new Chief Financial Officer Allegro MicroSystems' Senior Vice President Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, Paul Walsh, will be retiring.
Avnet Embedded opens new design centre in Germany In a move to further strengthen and expand its design competence of standardised and customised embedded products, Avnet Embedded opened a new design center in Deggendorf, Germany, on January 1, 2022.
TANAKA Denshi Kogyo to open new plant in China Japanese company TANAKA Denshi Kogyo will, via a subsidiary, establish a new plant in Hangzhou City, China, for the production of aluminum bonding wires for power semiconductors. The plant is scheduled to commence operations in November of 2022.
A*STAR and Soitec to develop next-gen SiC semiconductors The Institute of Microelectronics (IME) at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and Soitec have entered into a research collaboration with the aim of developing next-generation silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor devices to power electric vehicles.
From Micron to Intel – David Zinsner joins as CFO Intel has appointed David Zinsner as the company’s executive vice president and chief financial officer (CFO), effective Jan. 17, 2022.
Neumonda brings Intelligent Memory to EMEA Neumonda, a specialty memory company with the “DNA” of former memory manufacturer Qimonda, announces that it has brought its subsidiary, Intelligent Memory (IM) – an independent manufacturer of industrial grade memory solutions – to Europe.
ASML provides an update on Berlin fire ASML is providing an update on the fire that occurred inside a part of its factory in Berlin, Germany on the third of January.
Elbit sells its Power and Control business in the UK Elbit Systems says that its UK subsidiary, Elbit Systems UK, has sold the Power and Control Business of its subsidiary Ferranti Technologies, to TT Electronics for approximately USD 12 million in cash.
SICK takes over MOBILISIS SICK announces that it is taking over Croatian IT company MOBILISIS in its entirety. The acquisition expands SICK AG’s expertise in the wireless networking of industrial IoT devices.
Murata to start construction of new R&D building Sabae Murata Manufacturing, a Murata Manufacturing subsidiary located in Sabae, Fukui Prefecture, will start construction of a new research and development building in February 2022.
SK ICT strengthen cooperation with Qualcomm During a meeting at CES 2022, Park Jung-ho, Vice Chairman and CEO of SK Square and SK hynix, held a meeting with Cristiano Amon, President and CEO of Qualcomm Incorporated, to discuss cooperation in the field of ICT.
Invertek Drives invests in manufacturing expansion Mid Wales-based manufacturer of electric motor control technology, Invertek Drives, is investing GPB 10 million to expand its global variable frequency drive (VFD) manufacturing and distribution centre, along with the development of a new Application Centre.
Trexon acquires Power Connector Trexon, a portfolio company of Audax Private Equity, has completed the acquisition of Power Connector Inc. (PCI), a supplier of Tactical Communications interconnect for military applications.
Qualcomm expands its automotive footprint in Europe Qualcomm Technologies says it has opened an engineering software office in Berlin, focused on supporting its European automotive customers with the latest Snapdragon Digital Chassis.
Hanwha acquires part of Samsung's wireless module business Hanwha Solutions says it has signed an agreement with Samsung Electro-Mechanics to acquire its wireless module business unit, which manufactures Wi-Fi and 5G mmWave antenna modules using organic substrate. The deal is expected to be closed by late March in 2022.
Navitas opens GaN IC design center dedicated to EVs Navitas Semiconductor is opening a new electric vehicle (EV) Design Center, further expanding into higher-power GaN markets.
Fire at ASML Berlin may impact EUV optical component supply A fire occurred at ASML’s factory in Berlin, Germany on January 3. According to TrendForce’s preliminary inquiry, approximately 200 square metre out of a factory floor covering 32,000 square metre was affected by the fire.Load more news


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Demolition of a home in East Jerusalem, as depicted by a child of the Amro family. The children continue to suffer from anxiety, trauma, and bedwetting following the partial demolition of their home in 2015.
Sodastream, Hewlett Packard, and Barclays Bank have been among a number of key targets of Palestine solidarity activists in the last few years, not to mention G4S, Elbit Systems and EDO MBM. High street supermarkets Sainsbury’s and Waitrose and now even the Co-op Bank are also facing criticism for their business practices, regarded as undermining Palestinian human rights and being complicit in illegal Israeli occupation.
Such solidarity campaigns help Palestinian children in particular, as it is a cruel but true reality that they suffer disproportionately from the occupation. Over 550 children were killed in the 2014 bombing of Gaza alone, with child mortality sharply on the rise with the continuing siege. Settler violence towards children in the West Bank is also worsening: in 2015 arson attacks and tear gas inhalation resulted in very young babies dying,whilst simply attempting to get to school in Hebron has become a nightmare. The age of criminal responsibility for Palestinian children is also becoming ever lower, with hundreds subject to the violence and humiliation of Israeli detention each year. House demolitions and the ever present threat of them – from East Jerusalem to the Jordan Valley – continue to terrify, traumatise, destroy and degrade. The drawings by children of the Amro family in East Jerusalem, featured above, are evidently testament to such systematic child abuse – shocking yet common under occupation. Here is an account by their father, Nurredin Amro.
UK consumers can help to end the systematic denial of childhood to Palestinian children by supporting the call for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel, otherwise known as the BDS movement. Yet what about BDS supporters shopping for children in particular? Ethical Consumer has produced an extremely useful guide on how to shop ethically when buying products for babies and children. However, few guides have focused specifically on Palestine. Here are the main companies to avoid for those who want to support Palestine.
Environmental and animal rights considerations aside, what nappy you buy can also have human rights implications. Pampers is a US company which sells a range of nappies, training pants and wipes for babies and toddlers. The business is owned by Proctor and Gamble, one of the largest clients of Israeli company Avgol Nonwoven Industries (P & G accounts for approximately 40% of their sales). Avgol Nonwoven Industries has a production factory located in Barkan, an industrial zone in an illegal West Bank settlement in the occupied territories. By purchasing from the company you are supporting the illegal settlement economy which further strengthens the occupation, undermining Palestinian rights. More information can be obtained from the Israeli research group Who Profits?.
Taf Toys is an arm of Israeli company Taf Plastic Products Ltd and sells a range of baby and toddler products including soft toys, play mats, walkers and baby gyms. Parent company Taf Plastic Products Ltd is located in the city of Netanya in Northern Israel. Products in the UK are available from a number of retailers including John Lewis, Argos and tax avoiding Amazon UK. Supporters of the BDS movement should take heed.
Israeli company Halilit has become a near-ubiquitous seller of musical instruments and educational toys for babies and toddlers in a large number of countries. Products are available in the UK from a number of retailers including JoJo Maman Bebe , Debenhams and Argos. The company is based in the Tel Aviv district of Or-Yehuda, which has a particularly bloody history – the neighbourhood was built on the Palestinian village of Saqiya which was forcibly cleared of Palestinians in the Palestinian nakba (catastrophe) of 1948. Campaigners have highlighted this company as clearly ripe for boycott .
To take action beyond simply boycotting the individual companies, we recommend contacting the retailers who sell their products and asking them to stop. You can also join your local Palestine solidarity group to take direct action collectively.


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Source: China Times
As soon as 2020 entered, the news of giants stepping up their efforts to lay out the blockchain came.
- Leading the country! Haidian District applies blockchain technology to administrative approval
- Babbitt Column | Application and Thinking of Blockchain Technology in Financial Field
- What can the blockchain do? 532 patents, 506 filings, 414 companies point out directions
- Blockchain application ushered in administrative "broken windows"
- Blockchain landing application inventory: five major areas of application tell you "what can the blockchain do"
- Economic Reference: The "blockchain + finance" scenario is gradually unfolding whether it can be applied on a large scale.
On January 8th, Jiang Guofei, Vice President of Ant Financial and President of Intelligent Technology, announced at the media communication conference that Ant blockchain will open platform technology capabilities to the entire industry, especially for the physical industry; Tencent also recently added a number of Blockchain-related patent information, many of which are related to blockchain landing applications and so on.
"We believe that in 2020, many blockchain experimental scenarios are expected to open up, and the rapid penetration of 'blockchain +' applications will also be more grounded in combination with 5G, Internet of Things, and AI." Guosheng Securities pointed out.
Jiang Guofei told this reporter that "the industrial blockchain will begin in 2020." Blockchain is the most valuable field in the era of the industrial Internet. This year will be a year when the blockchain is devoid of reality and deeply integrated with the industry.
However, the "Blockchain Industry Development Trend Report (2019)" (hereinafter referred to as the "Report") also pointed out that China's blockchain industry development faces some challenges, including limited social cognition and recognition, and insufficient c-side perception; business The profit point is not clear, and the use scenarios need to be further explored; core technologies need to be broken and so on.
Giants race to accelerate layout
"The integrated application of blockchain technology plays an important role in new technological innovation and industrial transformation." "It is necessary to take blockchain as an important breakthrough in independent innovation of core technology and accelerate the development of blockchain technology and industrial innovation." Prior to the 18th collective study of the Politburo, it was emphasized.
With the release of positive signals at the policy level, the blockchain has entered a comprehensive acceleration phase. At the beginning of the new year, the giants are frequently moving on the blockchain.
On January 8th, Jiang Guofei revealed to the public at a media communication meeting that at present, the Ant blockchain has solved the trust problem in more than 40 scenarios including cross-border remittances, supply chain finance, judicial depository, and electronic bills. Two.
"The ant blockchain will work in the following areas: First, it will build a larger-scale ecological alliance. It will more actively invite partners to promote large-scale blockchain construction in many industries and create value-added in the industry. Value; the second is to actively evangelize the market through the Ant Blockchain University and the like; the third is a sustainable business ecology. "He further told reporters.
In addition to Ant Financial, a reporter from Huaxia Times looked at the data of Tianyan Check and learned that Tencent also recently added a number of blockchain-related patent information, many of which related to the application of blockchain, such as Blockchain loan information processing method, device, device and storage medium ";" blockchain-based medical record data processing method, device, storage medium and device "and so on.
"We expect 2020 to be a year of centralized implementation of blockchain applications." Bao Youchen, an analyst at Guohai Securities, previously said.
He pointed out that in terms of technology, the blockchain technology has been continuously improved. The traditional problems of small scale and low efficiency have been partially resolved. The blockchain has matured in terms of performance, ease of use, and operability, and can support a larger scale. Commercial applications; in terms of regulation, the blockchain laws and regulations and the regulatory system are gradually improved. Blockchain filing is conducive to the overall development of the blockchain industry. It is a standardized first step in blockchain technology. Companies can formally apply.
Industry insiders also told reporters that blockchain has returned to rationality from excessive fanaticism and excessive pessimism, and commercial applications will accelerate to land.
Industrial blockchain has begun
From the current point of view, China's blockchain financial industry participants can be divided into three categories: one is financial institutions such as banks and insurance; the other is fintech companies (such as Ant Financial, JD.com, etc.); the third is technology Service provider.
IResearch recently pointed out that fintech companies on the one hand provide technical output and on the other hand apply blockchain to their financial services.
On January 8th, at the aforementioned media communication meeting, Jiang Guofei announced that Ant Blockchain will open platform technology capabilities to the entire industry, especially for the physical industry.
It is reported that Ant Financial ’s self-developed blockchain engine has technically achieved “double 1 billion”. The Ant blockchain can support 1 billion account size, 1 billion daily transactions through scalable consensus and two-tier network design, and achieve 100,000 cross-chain information processing capabilities (PPS) per second.
"The industrial blockchain has already begun, and the turning point is about to come. The technology capabilities of the Ant blockchain promotion platform are mature and open, and they will cooperate with partners with rich industry experience to complete the digital construction of various industries." Jiang Guofei told this newspaper The reporter said, "Blockchain is the most valuable field in the era of the industrial Internet. 2020 will be a year when the blockchain is out of the real world and deeply integrated with the industry."
Industry insiders also pointed out that if the Internet's change to the times starts with consumers, then the blockchain starts from the industry. In the past year, mainstream manufacturers have also entered the industry to explore the application of blockchain, extending to many fields such as finance, government affairs, manufacturing, supply chain management, warehousing and logistics.
The Tencent Research Institute also believes that the blockchain provides an important path for the transformation of the information Internet to the value Internet. It is not only regarded as an emerging technology with national strategic significance, but also an important driving force for the continuous conversion of new and old kinetic energy. Innovation leads to industry change. Through the "blockchain +" model, empowering the financial and physical industries, promoting the integration of blockchain and industry, and accelerating the construction of industrial blockchains will be the main theme of the development of the blockchain industry in the next three to five years.
However, it is worth noting that the blockchain has been controversial since its birth. The application of the blockchain is very rich and can be applied in almost all scenarios and fields. But does it require blockchain for all scenarios and fields?
"Only applications that benefit the real economy are truly valuable applications. Fundamentally, the blockchain will be devoid of reality. With the development of the digital economy, industrial collaboration will become more frequent and complex, and it will be made for the blockchain. More opportunities. "Jiang Guofei believes that in the future, blockchain will change people's production and life like mobile payment, and become the infrastructure of the digital economy. Like hydropower and coal, it will have sufficient existing productivity, means of production and production relations.
In addition, according to different application scenarios and user needs, the industry roughly divides the shape of the blockchain into three categories: public chain, private chain, and alliance chain.
Bao Youchen had previously predicted that 2020 will be a year of centralized implementation of blockchain applications, and the alliance chain will be the main landing method.
The reporter noted that in November last year, Ant Financial launched an open alliance chain and opened an open beta using an invitation system.
"There is a comprehensive public test at present, and it is expected to be fully launched in February this year." Jiang Guofei told reporters.


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A source of mine confirmed that Apple's iPhone will be available at Walmart before the end of the month. That's not really news at this point, but then again this is a fairly new source of mine, so it kind of balances out in some weird way. Said source told me he and his fellow Walmart salespeople have been receiving training on how to activate iPhones for customers, and also said he'd heard nothing about a rumored 4GB, $99 Walmart exclusive model.
Reports around the Web today are basically shooting the 4GB iPhone rumor down in favor of a more plausible 8GB for $197 Walmart special, representing a two dollar savings over current Apple pricing for the same model. For what it's worth, my source also said he hasn't received any training nor heard anything else official about T-Mobile's G1 making a Walmart appearance of its own.


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San Diego’s median price for an existing single-family home in June was up 4.4 percent from a year ago, according to the California Association of Realtors. However, month-over-month price growth was minimal, landing at $594,430, 0.4 percent higher than in May.
Homes sales in San Diego gained 3.7 percent over May, but 4.4 percent fewer homes were sold last month than last June, according to the trade association.
The median number of days it took to sell a single-family home in San Diego in June dipped to 21.4, from 22.1 in May and 22.7 in June 2015. That’s quicker than the median number of days it took to sell statewide, which also shrunk a bit in June, to 27.1, from 27.3 in May and 28 last June.
The California Association of Realtors’ unsold inventory index, which indicates the number of months needed to sell the homes on the market at the current sales rate, slid to 3.2 months in June from 3.4 months in May, returning to where it was one year ago. In San Diego, the index was 3.1 in June, unchanged from May but slightly lower than last June, when it was 3.2.
More than 400,000 existing, single-family detached houses were sold in California in June, the highest level of existing home sales in the state in nearly four years, the industry group reported.
Statewide sales were up 10 percent from May’s revised level of 409,840 and had topped the 400,000 mark for the fourth month running. Sales in California rose 2.2 percent year-over-year.
California home sales haven’t seen a month-over-month gain reach double digits since January 2011 when sales spiked 11.3 percent compared to 2014’s last month, the trade association said.
However, the median price of a house sold in California fell slightly from May, shrinking by 0.1 percent to $519,440. Still, the median price was up 5.5 percent year-over-year.
Overall, demand for housing in California appears on track to remain steady through summer’s end, said Pat "Ziggy" Zicarelli, president of the California Association of Realtors, in Monday’s statement.
"However, inventory is still tight, especially at the low end of the market, and this keeps competition for those homes at an extremely high level,” Zicarelli said. “The recent march of mortgage rates to ever lower levels will also add to the strong demand for entry-level homes."


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Faced with the massive proliferation of fake reviews on the applications of Play Store, Google he took the bull by the two horns and decided to cancel millions of fictitious notes and comments.
This is a real scourge observed on the Play Store : fake reviews and comments abound on thousands of applications, the fault of a system that seems to reach its limits. A well-valued application will effectively benefit from the Mountain View content catalog, pushing some malicious developers to generate good grades and positive reviews to be at the top of their category.
False opinions that count in millions
A small game that Google has decided to do end, as we learn from a post published on the blog of Android developers. The California giant then divided some figures that say a lot about his headache: millions of false opinions have been permanently eliminated from the Play Store, when thousands of applications were detected that could hijack the comments and notes system.
Google recommends developers and users
The overseas company does not hesitate to ask a little help to its developer community, to which it asks do not buy fake banknotesnor launch promising campaigns in-house for five-star applications.
Google is also aimed at all users, advising them to do not accept money or even virtual money, against a comment or a positive note.


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Organizers start Islandpreneur™ Network based on the “overwhelmingly positive” feedback.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Islandpreneur Live 2020 was a success. This 3-day virtual summit attracted 650 registrants from more than 35+ countries, of which the majority were Caribbean countries. Unexpected were those who attended the summit from India, Brazil, Morocco, and Austria. A world map highlighting where registrants came from and a listing of the countries were shared on the last day of the summit.
Hosted by Ife Badejo of Produce Wealth Revolution (PWR) Agency, this summit was designed to empower Caribbean entrepreneurs to thrive in the digital world and be more resilient. The organizing team included Dwayne Griffith, Chief Impact Officer of PWR Agency, Kerai Kreative Style who focused on strategic marketing and Optimize Curacao who designed the website and managed its search engine optimization (SEO). Shekina Dare from Central Bank van Curacao en Sint Maarten, played an important role as well in the organization of the event, helping to secure speakers. During the event, the hybrid team expanded to include both ‘in-person’ and remote volunteers. The local media company, Aicon Media, covered the entire three (3) days to capture photos and video of this unprecedented experience.
The summit was streamed live from the offices of TelEm Group, the official telecom partner for Islandpreneur Live 2020. There was stable internet over the course of the three days and no glitches caused by the internet. Many attendees gave the feedback that they were impressed that there was no faulty connectivity as that often happens even in bigger virtual productions. In addition to ensuring that the organizers were properly connected to the 25 speakers from around the world and hundreds of attendees, TelEm Group provided dedicated tech and marketing support through the event. This meant that minor challenges were swiftly addressed and that they covered “behind scenes”.
The virtual summit opened with a welcome word from Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic & Telecommunications of Sint Maarten, Honorable Ms. Ludmila de Weever, who holds degrees in economics and international relations. The Minister praised the organizers for hosting such an event to help inspire and create connections to facilitate entrepreneurship. Minister de Weever explained that entrepreneurship is the “very backbone of our economy on Sint Maarten” and emphasized that doing business digitally is a means to overcome the challenges related to size and to “craft a more resilient and robust economy”.
Though all sessions were greatly appreciated, some highlights of Islandpreneur Live 2020 were the masterclasses “Islandpreneurs & Digital Payments” and “StartUp Finance” and the roundtable discussion: “Get Paid Online”, which were all hosted by the Centrale Bank van Curacao en Sint Maarten (CBCS). Glensher Maduro, Head of Digital Payments Department of CBCS shared the advancements that the CBCS has already taken to facilitate instant payments and the impact on that has on business growth whether it is online or in person. Following this masterclass on June 24, Natasha Chatlein, keynote of the day, helped to facilitate the round table discussion. One of the key takeaways of the round table which has panelists Renato Ignacio, software engineer, and founder Minubia.com and Luis Santine financial expert and founder of CXPay, is the importance of islandpreneurs using regional payment processors to influence the banks to fully embrace the new normal of doing business. Though bank representatives were not included in these discussions, it became clear that banks have a very strategic role to play in facilitating digital payments and may not be operating at the same speed of adaptation for a variety of reasons.
This virtual summit, unlike many others, had three (3) keynotes. Natasha Chatlein, based in Silicon Valley, shared the opportunities to ensure economic resilience and open other economic drivers by making a global tech hub in the region. Ms. Chatlein, through her business, Brain Coral Labs, is working on securing USD$50 million for “smart investment” in regional tech businesses and entrepreneurs. This amount is low compared to what is needed but it allows for a solid start. The investment will be attached to knowledge sharing to empower island techpreneurs.
Leslie Samuel, originally from St. Maarten and an internationally acclaimed social media and online business expert, described his story from securing a professorship at a reputable university without having the necessary PhD requirement based on his early start in doing youtube videos to teach his students. Leslie’s shared videos and content that he never shared before in the decade that he has been successfully training thousands to thrive online. He provided a 5-step process on how to monetize ideas online and best practices of doing including some tools he uses. Leslie ended by making a bold statement, “It is 2020, excuses are invalid”, admonishing ‘islandpreneurs’ to be active lifelong learners and earners.
The final keynote was given by Jeff Hoffman, close contact of Dwayne Griffith of the PWR Agency, shared the importance of ‘islandpreneurs’ to not focus on how to get the world to the islands but how to take the islands to world. Jeff used examples related to tourism activities, such as food, music, and even virtual tourism. Jeff shared a global process to move forward during uncertainty and even gave action points on how to maximize this process. The three points were: Repurpose, Retool, and Redeploy. He emphasized that we should all look to solve global problems and not limit ourselves to islands.
The summit ended with closing remarks from Minister of Finance of Sint Maarten, Honorable Mr. Ardwell Irion. Minister Irion expressed his delight to be a part of this summit and the developments happening in the region. As it pertains to Sint Maarten, the minister announced that there will be monthly financial literacy webinars to educate the public on the government budget and thereafter on budgeting in general. There will be also a financial literacy month in schools that will start with secondary schools. These activities will be hosted by the Ministry of Finance. Honorable Mr. Irion aspires to be part of the few public administrations in the world that lead innovation. For that reason, his cabinet is actively promoting fintech and will host a blockchain conference in November with the Centrale Bank van Curacao en Sint Maarten.
Following the minister’s address, Ife Badejo, the executive producer of Islandpreneur Live 2020 and founder of PWR Agency, made a toast to the success and a new era of islandpreneurship that impacts the world, which started the island’s first virtual happy hour and wine tasting event. Barefoot Wine and Bubbly and Prime Distributors hosted the “Islandpreneur Happy Hour” with the bearded bartender, Paul Peterson. Attendees were able to ask questions directly to the bartender on how best to pair wine with foods and why.
For a limited time, the recordings will be made available for free to all those who registered for Islandpreneur Live 2020. The entire three-day experience including the virtual happy hour and wine tasting was all complimentary. Organizers would like to thank all the registrants, speakers, volunteers, and partners such as TelEm Group, Centrale Bank van Curacao en Sint Maarten, Urban Adapters, Optimize Curacao, Kerai Kreative Style, and Dwayne Griffith (PWR) for making Islandpreneur Live 2020 such a huge success.
Based on the success and as a follow-up, PWR Agency and partners will launch Islandpreneur Network, to further foster relationships, educate, inspire, and find funding for islandpreneurs around the world.


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No longer your humble delivery vanUpdated: 2013-11-04 08:11
Perhaps known simply as vans to many drivers, multipurpose vehicles are shedding their image as humble delivery vehicles as they gain in popularity and become an engine for growth in China's auto market. Their sales have surged in all three quarters of the year.
Statistics from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers show that 820,000 MPVs were sold in the first nine months across the country, a 33 percent increase year-on-year, raising its share in the auto market to 7.6 percent for the period.
The robust growth is due in part to a change in the classification of vehicles by the association.
Since early 2013, it moved several popular models including the Wuling Hongguang and Chang'an Honor into the MPV category. Before they were calculated in the minivan segment.
The association classifies passenger vehicles into four categories: cars, SUVs, MPVs and minivans.
Minivans represent one of the best-selling segments in China due to their popularity in the vast rural areas. They sell at an affordable price to low and middle-income customers.
Like MPVs, minivans also have an interior that can be flexibly modified to accommodate passengers or cargo.
But the MPV market would still show strong growth without the change in classification. One driving force is demand for better vehicles as minivan owners turn to low-end MPVs that offer more comfort and room, said analysts. As well, many local automakers are launching more products to stimulate market demand.
Wang Lei, public relations director of the SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile, said he is optimistic about the market potential. MPVs have historically had a 4 percent share of China's auto market, while the figure stands at around 10 percent in mature markets, which if reached would mean a about 1.3 million vehicles a year in China, he said.
While the MPVs seem to have a bright future, the minivan market has suffered a slump in sales.
Just 121,400 minivans were sold in September across the country, a 30 percent decline year-on-year, according to the association.
Minivans gained its popularity after the government initiated a series of favorable polices in 2009 to expand auto sales in rural China.
Analysts said the move had overdrawn the market demand. And consumers are looking for better products, they added.
Like the SAIC-GM-Wuling, some traditional minivan manufacturers are transforming their products into low-end MPVs and other vehicles.


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This announcement comes in response to a joint letter from Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Hungary to the EC, requesting the imposition of import duties on Ukrainian grain due to claims of unfair competition.
Olof Gill, the European Commission's spokesperson for trade and agriculture, disclosed these plans during a briefing. He mentioned that while the specifics of the proposal are still under internal discussion, the intention is to address some sensitive issues related to the import of Ukrainian agricultural products into the EU.
This development follows a joint request from the agriculture ministers of the five aforementioned EU countries for the introduction of import duties on Ukrainian grain. Previously, in September 2023, Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary had imposed restrictions on Ukrainian grain imports, a decision that was not extended by the European Commission to all five EU countries bordering Ukraine.
Ukraine's response to these restrictions was to file a complaint with the World Trade Organization against the three countries. Additionally, other EU members criticized these unilateral import restrictions.
The issue of Ukraine and its agricultural exports is scheduled for discussion at the EU Council's strategic dialogue on the future of agriculture in Europe on January 23. The upcoming EC proposal aims to address and potentially resolve the ongoing trade tensions surrounding Ukrainian agricultural exports within the EU.


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Daniel Batty (18) from Yaxley, had bought a 15p raffle ticket with online competition company BOTB for a chance to win an iPhone 12 Pro as well as an iPhone Pro Max, the value of which is around £2500.
Daniel was at work at Tesco when he got the call from BOTB presenter Christian Williams to tell him he was the week’s Luxury Lifestyle Competition winner though and almost missed the call.
He later admitted that he had to rush and hide in the toilets as he was in the middle of his shift.
He said: “I couldn’t believe it. I saw Christian calling and I knew I had to take the call, I ran into the toilet to hide!”
“I love Apple and have always had iPhones, I’ve got the iPhone 11 at the moment.
“I played for the bundle because the new designs and features Apple has released are just insane. I can’t wait to use it!”
“I don’t even know which one to keep for myself, they’re both awesome. I definitely need to think about this carefully!”
BOTB hands over the keys to two luxury cars each week as well as a lifestyle prize. Other recent winners have bagged a £15,000 cash, a holiday to Las Vegas and a gaming tech bundle.
The company, listed on the stock market, was founded by William Hindmarch in 1999 and has given away more than £37m-worth of cars so far.
BOTB’s Christian, who surprises winners every week, was thrilled to give Daniel the good news. He added: “I couldn’t believe it when Daniel answered and appeared to be in a toilet - I don’t think that’s happened before.
“He’s played for one of the fantastic prizes in our Luxury Lifestyle Competition and who wouldn’t want one of the new iPhones - the new design is fantastic and the new features are always really cool! Massive congratulations again, Daniel!”
To see Daniel’s shock reaction, visit www.botb.com/winners/cp0621/.


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Among the first to adopt the online travel agency or the OTA model in India, Sarovar Hotels and Resorts is now looking as far as Somaliland, which is yet to be recognised as an independent nation.
The Managing Director of one of India's fastest-growing hotel management companies, Sarovar Hotels and Resorts, Ajay Bakaya is on an overdrive. He could have meetings in Delhi, Nairobi, Bengaluru and Jaipur, and a trip to Africa, all in one week. He is perpetually on call for the 75 hotels that he runs. The group's target is to hit the 100-hotel mark before 2019 sets in.
Bakaya, a key player in the group's short haul to success, terms the Europe-based Louvre Hotels Group's acquisition of the majority stake "a win-win for both". While Louvre will be able to use Sarovar's extensive spread to make inroads into a critical economy, Sarovar will get to dovetail into Louvre's loyalty programmes, technology and its global distribution network, the second largest in Europe.
"The only business we understand is running hotels," quips the seasoned hotelier, who is an avid cyclist and is looking ahead to two upcoming long-distance cycling events. The Sarovar Hotels and Resorts group, the brainchild of hotelier Anil Madhok, was formed in 1994. In just two decades, Madhok and Bakaya have built a portfolio of 75 hotels in 50 Indian and African cities.
The properties range from the luxurious Sarovar Premieres to the three- and four-star Sarovar Porticos and the economy Hometels (which Bakaya says are the most profitable). While the group's holdings include brands like Radisson, Park Plaza and Park Inn under franchise agreements with Carlson Hotels Worldwide, the 100-room Hometels in Chandigarh and Roorkee are the only two owned by Sarovar. In the mid-market segment - its core strength - the Sarovar group has become the force to reckon with, say experts, noting that average yearly occupancies are a healthy 69 per cent.
In Africa, Sarovar started in 1999 with a hotel in Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) and then expanded to managing hotels in Kenya, South Sudan, Zambia and Ethiopia. Three more hotels are under development in Lusaka (to open in 2018), Addis Ababa, and Nairobi (both to open in 2019). Bakaya, who wants 10 properties in Africa by 2019, says, "Although we have grown in Africa, the progress is slower than in the Indian market."
Sarovar is in different stages of discussions with properties in different locales. "We are in advanced discussions in Somaliland, which is a country not recognised by anyone so far," says Bakaya. The breakaway region from Somalia, however, does issue visas and has its own currency.
"My focus area is where I get a phone call from and how my fee is structured," he smiles and adds that the only location Sarovar has probably said no to in the past 20 years is Iraq.
Not much has changed in the last nine months after the Louvre groups acquisition. There have been no demands for brand name changes or attempts to bring someone else to run the show. The Louvre group only asked for a road map for the next three years. Also, according to sources, Sarovar, while expanding its portfolio, will manage Louvre's Indian portfolio of 20 Golden Tulip hotels.
On the recent trend for acquisitions - Marriott International acquired Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and Accor Hotels picked up Fairmont among others - Bakaya says consolidation began a decade ago. "China is in an acquisition mode in hotels and real estate," he says.
Saurabh Chawla, Vice President, Group Development, Louvre Hotels Group, says with new concepts, brands and business models appearing every day, consolidation is the obvious course. "It will add value to at least two of our stakeholders - our guests, who will have more choices and different experiences, and the owners, who will benefit from lower OTA commissions and other distribution costs."
Sarovar employs over 10,000 people at its 75 properties. It signs 12-15 year management agreements with properties that have over 50 keys. The clientele is 70 per cent business/corporate and 30 per cent leisure, of which 60 per cent are Indian and 40 per cent international (primarily in the resort space).
It forayed into the institutional hospitality space in 2000 with the establishment of a Corporate Hospitality Services division. This business has grown exponentially. Today, it has presence in four IIMs (Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Udaipur and Roorkee), two IITs, HULs Mumbai office and Indian School of Business (ISB), Mohali. Sarovar runs executive development programmes in IITs and IIMs. At ISB, it runs everything apart from education.
"We are not bashful of saying that we are very strong in the mid-market and that's where our core strength lies. I am not embarrassed by it but am proud of it. People follow what we are doing in the mid-market space," says Bakaya. Typically, the mid-segment Sarovar Portico hotels offer tariffs between Rs 4,000 and Rs 6,000.
The mid-market accounts for less than 25 per cent of the overall room inventory in India as prohibitive land costs push hoteliers to build bigger luxury hotels rather than go mid-market. Even competitor Rattan Keswani (Deputy Manager of Lemon Tree Hotels and Director, Carnation Hotels) agrees that high land prices make hotels uneconomical.
Even the budget segment is afflicted. Budget hotels offer no banqueting spaces, have just a few meeting rooms, one restaurant, a shrunken lobby and some public areas. "Business is driven though room revenues. It is the best model in terms of investment and return on investment although it may not be the most popular model for owners who want a high profile," says Bakaya.
Another challenge is to beat competition and stay ahead of the pack. When Sarovar started out, it faced virtually no competition as the mid-market in India's hotel industry was just emerging. Today, Sarovar is up against Lemon Tree and Fortune Hotels. Accor, too, is indirect competition. But Bakaya believes "there's enough business for everyone and more".
So, what makes Sarovar click?
Excellent brand recall, says Yatra.com Chief Operating Officer Sharat Dhall. Sarovar has hotels in great locations and at almost all price points in the mid-market segment, he says, and adds that this was achieved over multiple years through exceptional service, attention to detail and brand building. He also credits Sarovar's early adoption of the OTA model and says its revenue and e-distribution team is adept and responds quickly to the changing technology in the travel space.
Bakaya believes a key advantage lies in Sarovar treating owners of partner hotels as bosses, investing in staff training, staying ahead of technology and building a cache of top-rung professionals.
Now that Sarovar is the ninth new brand to integrate with the Louvre group, the European partner is looking out for deals to launch Sarovar in countries that get a large number of Indian visitors.
In the Middle East, Sarovar is hoping for a breakthrough, says Bakaya. "The Middle East operates mostly on a lease model, which we do not do yet. But the area is a good convergence point between India and Africa."
"We are ahead of whatever we forecast," says Bakaya. But it will take another year for results to show in tangible terms. "We feel that 2018 will be the impact year," says Bakaya.


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HOPES for an end to the crippling Transnet strike were dashed yesterday after negotiations broke down at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.
Economists said the strike, which has so far brought the transportation of goods to a halt, will cost the economy billions.
Transnet reiterated it would not move beyond the 11percent increase it was offering despite labour's preparedness to lower their demand to 13percent from 15 at the mediation.
"The company has made a fair and generous offer of 11percent increase on all pensionable earnings.
"The offer, which also provides for above inflation increases in a range of allowances and benefits, is within the limits of affordability and reasonableness," Transnet said.
ANC spokesperson Ishmael Mnisi said the national executive committee was concerned about the strike and its implications, especially on the World Cup. "We call on all parties to resolve this as speedily as possible."


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WASHINGTON — As one of the nation's largest-ever food recalls widens, retailers are stepping up their efforts to remain up-to-date about the peanut products that must be pulled from their shelves. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said last week that additional peanut product recalls were expected in the wake of a salmonella outbreak that has sickened more than 500 people and could be the cause of eight deaths. The voluntary recall list soared from 400 to nearly 1,085 products between ...
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Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], August 17 (ANI): To encourage COVID-19 vaccination, a rakhi seller in Hyderabad is giving a 50 per cent discount to fully vaccinated people.
With Raksha Bandhan around the corner, some Rakhi shops in Hyderabad have stepped forward to show gratitude to those who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 by providing offers and discounts for buying rakhis.
On Tuesday, while speaking to ANI, Pavan the owner of a rakhi shop said that this year they have been able to make good business compared to that of the previous year.
"After verifying their vaccination certificate, we'll give them a flat 50 per cent discount. Last year, lockdown affected our business," said Pawan.
Further, a customer said that rakhi stores, this year, are offering discounts over rakhis as a token of gratitude to those who got vaccinated.
Raksha Bandhan is observed on the last day of the Hindu lunar calendar month of Shraavana, which typically falls in August. The expression "Raksha Bandhan," Sanskrit, literally, "the bond of protection, obligation, or care," is now principally applied to this ritual. (ANI)
This News has came from ANI and Since independence has not Edited it


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Recent news that a vape shop would replace the The Candy Store (not Atomic, mind you, but the candy store literally named The Candy Store) on Oak St. made the news earlier this week. To add more fuel to the fire (vape juice to the vape pool?), iconic Denton business Morrison's Corn-Kits announced that they would be taking their business in a new direction next year and turning into a vapor company. Read on for more information.
The Morrison's Corn-Kits building dates back to 1886 in Denton. Since then they've undergone several name changes, but their building has dotted the Denton skyline. Corn kits are pre-mixed dry batches of corn bread (or other items) that you can add a wet ingredient to at home and quickly make your favorite item at home.
We've heard many-a-Dentonite wonder outloud, "What exactly is a corn-kit anyway?" Almost all of those people were actually holding a vape pen at the time that they asked this question. This type of attitude is probably what led to this change.
In a press release this morning (dated April 1st 2017), Stultus Aprilis, manager of Morrison Corn-Kits said, "We are all just kind of really into vaping now. I can blow some really big clouds and I'm just tired of cornbread at this point so we're going to start milling vapor. We've milled corn before and milled plenty of flour - you can pretty much mill anything." The company is currently looking for scientists who can tell them how they can mill vape juice.
One aspect of the name that is staying the same is the word "kits." The company plans to officially switch over to Morrison's Vape-Kits on April 1st of next year, giving them a year to figure out their new procedures. The company's new vape kits will include items such as: a vape pen, two different E-liquid bottles (8 oz. in each), a T-shirt that says "Imagine Dragons," and some milled corn just because.
On the bright side, the company does plan to bring back the neon lights to their signage when they officially undergo the name change. The bright red letters used to glow "Morrison's" at night until the mid-2000's, but Aprilis plans on bringing that back when changing the signage to read "Morrison's Vape-Kits" later on this year.
It got us thinking. With all of these vape shops in town and a big new vaping-related sign in Denton, is Denton the vaping capital of Texas? And aside from that, which one should I call my vape shop? So we made a list of the top 10 vape shops in town and ranked them all based on a lot of criteria that we don't even know anything about (none of us vape). Check them all out below and let us know your favorite Denton vape shop in the comments!
- Vape Beans
- Dan's Vaporleaf
- Mable Peabody's Beauty Parlor and Vape Repair
- Barley and Vape
- West Oak Coffee Vape
- Frenchy's Grass-Flavored Vapes
- Vape the House
- Hypnotic Vapes
- Burger Vape Machine
- East Side Social Vape