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Earlier this month, Bezos-owned space firm Blue Origin sued NASA for picking Musk-owned SpaceX for its prestigious $2.9 billion Moon lander programme.
Tag: Elon Musk
The Tesla CEO also confirmed that he has a significant personal investment into bitcoin on top of Tesla’s investment and he has smaller Ethereum and Dogecoin holdings.
In an earnings call in January, Musk had told investors that he was “highly confident the car will be able to drive itself with reliability in excess of human this year”.
Tesla shares fell 2.7% to $600.42 in morning trade, headed for a third straight decline. U.S. federal and state regulators have been scrutinizing Tesla’s semi-automated driving system following accidents in Texas and other areas.
The lawsuit claims that Musk is exposing Tesla to potential penalties from regulators and could drive down its stock.
Dogecoin is a cryptocurrency invented by software engineers Billy Markus and Jackson Palmer, who decided to create a payment system. Nearly 113 billion coins have already been mined.
According to TechCrunch, the Musk announcement “will be connected to Xprize Foundation, the non-profit organisation that host competitions aimed at encouraging technological development and innovation”.
Musk wrote this tweet in response to the reports suggesting that Apple is working on developing its own electric cars from 2025.
Musk frequently visits Texas where Tesla and his startup Boring Company have operations and also a SpaceX facility that began its operations in 2003.
Starship is SpaceX’s ambitious spacecraft to take humans to the Red Planet. The company has been working on prototypes to find the right design that will work for the transport.
Unlike conventional cars that use internal combustion engines, electric cars are solely powered by lithium ion batteries, so the battery performance defines the car’s overall performance.
Reacting to a tweet by Tesla Club India that is there a India team working on the next year for sure scheduled Tesla entry, Musk said: “Will release order configurator probably in Jan”.
In February 2018, SpaceX launched its reusable heavy-lift launch vehicle — Falcon Heavy for the first time along with a cherry-red Tesla Roadster with a mannequin called “Starman” behind the wheel.
Musk revealed his plans to bring Tesla cars to India in his response to a Twitter post that asked about the progress on Tesla’s planned entry into India.
The two auto executives met at a small airport in Braunschweig for about two hours on Thursday evening and Musk test-drove VW’s ID.3 electric-car, reports Electrek.
Russian phone accessory company Caviar is now accepting pre-orders for a customised “Musk Be On Mars” iPhone 12 design.
The move that could help smaller investors afford Tesla stock resulted in Tesla stock surging 7 per cent in the extended session on Tuesday.
Musk founded Neuralink in 2016 but has only held one major public presentation. However, more details about Neuralink will be presented at an event on August 28.
Tesla shares were up more than 4 per cent in after-hours trading on Wednesday as the company beat Wall Street expectations.
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Musk may announce human trials for the Neuralink technology that has been successful on mice and even apes.
As per a recent report, Starlink will be conducting a trial with this equipment for some potential customers in the US and lower Canada.
Twitter also took the unprecedented measure of preventing verified accounts from tweeting.
In response to a query by a follower who booked the car four years ago, Musk replied that the “launch should hopefully happen soon”.
According to a Daily Mail report, Musk’s denial came after Josh Drew, a friend and former neighbour of Heard, testified in a court document that the threesome affair happened.
Thanks to the unveiling of the little one’s birth certificate per TMZ, Grimes and Musk’s name is officially on record!


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For most cyclists, few things are more terrifying than the thought of face-planting over a bike’s handlebars due to a sudden stop at high speed. SureStop, a company founded by two Cal Poly grads, is working to put the brakes on that scenario.
While at Cal Poly, Brian Riley (Business Administration, ’10) and Andrew Ouellet (Mechanical Engineering, ’13) developed a prototype for a new bicycle break system with the goal of preventing forward-flipping accidents, which they submitted to the Cal Poly Business Plan Competition. After winning the contest and taking home the prize money, the duo applied the funds to launch SureStop as an actual startup.
“Graduating Cal Poly, I got straight into starting this company rather than going down the typical career path,” Riley says. “I developed the confidence that I could actually do it because of the Learn by Doing philosophy.”
Riley credits his former business professor Jonathan York for playing an integral part in his career journey. “It was very impactful and gave me a lot of awareness of how to raise money for startups and how to talk to investors,” he says of York’s entrepreneurship class. “That was the class that made me realize that there are no rules.”
Six years later, the Irvine-based company partners with popular brands — Schwinn, Novara (REI), Jamis and Kent, to name a few — to outfit adult bikes with the single lever, all-wheel brake system.
At the end of 2015, Riley and partners — including founder team member Kyle Jansen, who works full-time with Riley — took the business a step further: they pedaled into the children’s market by co-launching Guardian Bicycle Company, a line of 20- and 24-inch aluminum bikes for boys and girls ages six through 12 that feature SureStop as a standard.
“Nobody had put [SureStop] on a kids’ bike yet,” said Riley. “We realized that we could redesign kids bikes from the ground up, make an all-around better kids’ bike and have SureStop on it.” Sold online and in bicycle retail shops nationwide, including San Luis Obispo-based Art’s Cyclery, Guardian bikes range in price from $320 to $420 depending on size and speed.
Within the first six months, Guardian sold roughly 1,500 units. By the end of 2016, they had doubled that number. SureStop also wheeled in on adult Schwinn bikes sold exclusively in Walmart stores this past holiday season.
“The seed of what we are today really started at Cal Poly,” Riley remarked. “Cal Poly gave me a perspective that I could do things; I didn’t have to wait for anything — I could just go out and do.”

domain: news


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The nation of Indonesia is an archipelago made up of over 17000 islands in the Indian and Pacific oceans. Its population is one of the most diverse in the world. About 1300 ethnic groups reside in the nation and almost all are indigenous to Indonesia. Over the past 50 years, industrialisation has propelled Indonesia into middle-income status, although there is still a strong dependence on the agricultural sector.
Indonesia has an emerging economic status and is strongly controlled by the government through state-owned enterprises. Domestic prices of goods including basic food grains and utilities are also regulated by the authorities. Palm oil is one such commodity. Its price and export volume is influenced heavily by government policy.
Indonesia’s Palm Oil Dominance
Indonesia is the largest exporter of palm oil, contributing to about half of the total global supply. It is an essential cooking oil used by people in Burundi, China, Malaysia, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Through the years, Indonesian palm oil export numbers have fallen consistently due to increased rationing by the government for domestic use and price control. Recently, in the wake of the war in Ukraine, the Indonesian government increased the domestic quota from 20% to 30% for all producers. In 2021, Indonesian palm oil export quantity was 34.23 Million tonnes, down 3% from the previous. That has now been followed by the government increasing the tax levy on palm oil. The recent developments have left exporters and buyers in a fix. While some industry experts believe this is a positive move to stabilise local production and prices, others claim a policy panic might hurt global prices amid low production worries. Vegetable oil supplies have already been hit due to shortages arising from the Russia-Ukraine war.
Beyond Crude: Indonesian Government Vision
The Indonesian government has actively been trying to shift production from crude palm oil to refined products including biodiesel. Palm oil is a raw material used in the manufacture of margarine, biodiesel, cosmetics and other processed products. In October last year, President Joko Widodo declared that Indonesia will slowly but surely cut down on crude palm oil exports and begin selling refined products instead. The government has also put a stop to unrefined copper and nickel exports. It is expected that Indonesia will become the 4th largest world economy by 2045.
Palm oil production has led to massive deforestation in Indonesia. To give rise to monoculture palm plantations, much of Indonesia’s forest cover has been lost due to logging and forest fires. In the past decade, the Indonesian government has brought about many reforms and laws that control large scale deforestation. But corruption and a poor implementation record taint the good intentions. The government must focus on sustainable development and ecological preservation to ensure economic progress doesn’t uproot homes and livelihoods. Indonesia’s cities are low-lying and will be affected tremendously by a slight increase in global temperatures. Effective action must be taken protect the nation from climate change, for the economy and the people.
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Trucks return to Chunnel trains
THE £5.5m spent trying to make the Channel Tunnel terminal outside Calais secure from would-be asylum seekers has been rewarded with a leap in the number of freight trucks using the shuttle services.
But a continuing decline in the number of 'booze-cruise' car passengers failed to reverse a fall in Eurotunnel revenues over the past three months.
Loss-making Eurotunnel said freight shuttle services were up 6% in the third quarter as customers began to feel confident about getting trucks through without the major disruption they experienced earlier this year.
Eurotunnel owes the Government millions of pounds in fines levied at the rate of £2,000 for each person who illegally enters Britain. The company refuses to pay up pending a judicial review later this year.
Passenger numbers continued to decline at a rate of 6% year-on-year in car and coach numbers. But more high-yielding short and mid-term break passengers are now using Le Shuttle.
Total operating revenues fell 3% to £144m after the company saw a £6m decline in its telecommunications cable business.
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SencorpWhite, Hyannis, Mass., announced plans to acquire Intek Integration Technologies Inc., a Bellevue, Wash.-based provider of software that helps manufacturers and distributors better manage their warehouses, inventory levels and supply chains.
Integrating SencorpWhite’s White Systems brand automated storage retrieval systems (AS/RS) with Intek’s warehouse management systems (WMS) and warehouse control systems (WCS) offers:
- New supply chain management options. Intek’s supply chain execution platform complements White Systems’ AS/RS, providing a comprehensive selection of hardware and software designed to improve system performance and flexibility.
- Enhanced customer service. Intek will continue operations in the Northwest, allowing both White Systems and Intek to deepen and extend service and engineering support coast to coast.
- Shared history and expertise. White Systems and Intek maintain a 30-year history of working together in the material handling industry.
“Intek and White Systems have been working together for three decades to provide powerful, flexible solutions,” says Chris Lingamfelter, president, White Systems. “The breadth and depth of the Intek supply chain execution platform is a strong addition to the White solution set, and this acquisition will allow us to continue to deliver complete, integrated business solutions for our valued clients.”
"As advanced automation has become the norm in all distribution sectors, we see distinct advantages to more freely integrating White automation systems with Intek supply chain execution software," says Mac Cutchins, chairman and CEO at Intek. "The synergy of our two companies will bring formidable and flexible automation solutions to all distribution tiers, creating more robust competitive advantage in the industry. Already a long-time partner to White, we at Intek see this enhanced level of cooperation as an engine for substantive evolution in both distribution automation and supply chain execution at our companies."


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On Thursday October 18, 2012 NBC will air a progam about critically endangered orangutans on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. The Sumatran orangutan, Pongo albelli, used to be considered a subspecies of the related apes (Pongo pygmaeus) which live on Borneo, but is now accorded full species status. The types diverged due to their geographical isolation about 400,000 years ago. But for how long will this newly classified species be with us?
The NBC preview story is Demand for palm oil, used in packaged food products, leaves orangutans at risk.
One of the Sumatran orangutan’s richest habitats, an area of swampland containing the highest density of the red apes on the planet, is being illegally slashed and burned by palm oil companies to make way for palm oil plantations.
“If we can't stop them here, then there really is no hope,” said Ian Singleton as we stood on the edge of what had once been pristine forest, home to hundreds of orangutans, but now reduced to a charred wilderness as far as the eye could see. As he spoke we could hear the distant sound of a chain saw.
Singleton runs the Sumatra Orangutan Conservation Programme, an organization at the forefront of a battle to save what remains of the forest and the apes.
There are fewer than 7,000 of the critically endangered Sumatran orangutans left in the wild, according to a 2008 survey completed by Singleton and other scientists. The largest number live in a vast area of swampland and lowland forest close to the northern tip of the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
“Orangutan paradise,” Singleton calls the area — but it’s a paradise under threat. The key battleground for Singleton is the Tripa Peat Swamp Forest, much of which has already been converted to palm oil plantations.
The relentless march of the palm oil business is the biggest threat facing the orangutans.
A cheap, edible oil, palm oil is found in almost half of all packaged supermarket products, from instant noodles, to cookies to ice cream, and Indonesia is the world's biggest supplier.
If we can't stop them here, then there really is no hope says Ian Singleton of the Sumatra Orangutan Conservation Program. The forests the last remaining Sumatra orangutans live in are being cleared to grow more palm oil. We can perhaps find no better example of what expanding human populations and consumption are doing to the natural world.
We could ask the humans which they would rather have — orangutans or palm oil? If you frame the question casually but carefully, sentimental humans will always side with these poor, endangered great apes. But when push comes to shove, not in the abstract but in practice, in what we so affectionately call the Real World, they will always take the palm oil. That's just the way it is.
This being NBC, there will be a short ad before Ian Singleton explains why he is being forced to move tranquilize orangutans and move them from one place to another.


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Square, Inc. promo rewarding participation in marketing campaign
A new viral marketing campaign from popular point-of-sale systems provider, Square, Inc., is paying Indiana University students for their participation in a social media driven promotion. The promo requests that students download Square's Cash App, snap a photo of their student ID card and send that photo to a specified phone number in exchange for a small cash reward.
As reported by the Indiana Daily Student, word has spread to students via social media recently, primarily on their Twitter feeds. The promotion promises easy money by downloading the app and texting a picture of their Crimson Card, the Indiana University student ID, to a specified phone number. The promotion began in November, but Square only recently started pushing the initiative on social media in January.
Despite sounding like a scam, the promotion is in fact being put on by Square, Inc. as a means to entice students to download and use the Cash App. Square, known for its point-of-sale solutions, has launched its own money sharing service in the form of Cash App. Similar to other money sharing apps like Venmo, Cash App users can send and receive money from others, as well as direct deposit funds to their bank account and purchase Bitcoin.
“It’s purely a way for us to get as many folks at Indiana University to use the Cash App and sign up,” said Tyler Doremus, Cash App growth marketing lead, in an Indiana Daily Student interview. “The incentive that we’re offering is we’re sending them money.”
Doremus also told the Indiana Daily Student that the phone number that students text the photo of their ID card to is attached to a real person whose full-time job is to facilitate the cash payments. The company has allotted $200,000 to give to IU students alone, of which there is roughly $150,000 left.
According to Doremus, the promotion is working as the company has seen rapid growth over the last month, and there is potential to expand the marketing strategy to other universities. Cash App is also incentivizing student referrals, giving small amounts of cash for each fellow student that downloads the app and participates in the promo.


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Whilst the purchase brings to some close, co founder says business is wedding and most worried about developing its user base and could be pleased to simply break even. Facebook not be prepared to create its $19 million from whatsapp any time soon back. Whatsapp co founder brian acton said throughout a sanford university associated event that his organization is not especially worried about getting earnings, despite being the biggest purchase in the history of facebook as well as in truth is only happen enough to interrupt even. The five year old message application, which connects clients to send missives on the internet one to the other instead of using conventional sms messages via a telephone provider, has already reached half of a million customers every month. It is rising especially quickly in Mexico Brazil, Russia and India. Facebook stated in February it prepared to buy whatsapp for $19 million in inventory and money, an agenda that is to date been authorized from the FTC but nonetheless needs additional regulatory approvals.
Acton, former staff of apple and google and a graduate of Stanford University, said facebook boss mark zuckerberg and coo Sheryl Sandberg has assigned his firm with growing involvement and creating its user-base, instead of getting profits. Sheryl and mark have said keep us the remainder and concentrate on development and wedding he explained. That is music to the ears. The organization has instead centered on price adjustments having a target of atleast breaking Acton said. The tip to install whatsapp offer was mostly a shock when it has been criticized by some who are worried over possible effects over customer’s privacy and had been introduced. That is not uncommon. Related criticisms used the statement of facebook in March that it prepared to buy virtual reality headset startup oculus. Some workers actually gotten death threats from angry followers who have been worried about the way the company would change. Acton ignored the criticisms leveled at his organization, repeating whatsapp ideas to stay separate that it is not going to be discussing consumer information with facebook and following the option ends. Additionally, he explained, whatsapp does not have curiosity about reading through clients’ communications or other information by itself.a


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A different business Google inbound travel and Uber confrontation
August 31st, the "Wall Street journal" quoted sources said, Google in San Francisco launched their own ridesharing service, help commuters have to lower the price of carpooling. In the era of rapid development of shared travel, Google officially jumped into the fierce competition, and excellent step forward confrontation.
from Google’s plan, the service is different from Uber and Lyft and other companies to provide on-demand travel, Google ride service is through the Waze application to connect with the same direction of travel of the passengers and the driver, the goal is to reduce the fare as far as possible, to encourage owners to become a driver.
in May this year, Google has launched a pilot project in California headquarters, any local Waze registered users can only become a driver, such as Google, WAL-MART, Adobe and other San Francisco certain employees of large companies, can call the vehicle, including about 25 thousand employees, these passengers only commuting every day in a taxi when the two time payment the cost is 54 cents per mile, this fee is lower than that of Uber and Lyft, Google does not profit from.
sources said that Google plans to open this project to the entire region of San Francisco in September of this year. At the same time, Google is considering the use of shared travel services to test driverless cars, and Google executives also revealed that: sharing the trip will become a possible business model for driverless cars.
hunting cloud network learned, founded in Israel’s Waze acquired by Google in 2013, according to the information provided by the driver to provide real-time driving navigation service. Last year, Google began testing in Israel carpool service, and the development speed of this service is fast, has spread to most parts of israel. Although Google has not yet been charged, but sources said that Google will explore different rates in Israel and San Francisco in the future.
at present, the relationship between Google and Uber has changed. Since August 2013, Google venture to the largest ever investment – $258 million to Uber, the two have become a close partner. Less than a year later, Google venture also participated in the new round of financing Uber. But at this stage, Google and Uber may have positive competition in some areas.
, for example, Uber has plans to invest $500 million to develop a map project, the purpose is to get rid of dependence on Google maps, and open its driverless cars. Uber last year to dig up a map of the business has been responsible for Google’s digital map expert Blaine · London, Mike.
in the development of unmanned vehicles, the two sides are also actively devoted effort. Google as early as 2009 began to develop driverless cars, Uber was acquired last month by Google’s senior employees of the unmanned Truck Company founded Otto, which was founded only 6 months. Uber has Laizhejushang attitude after stepping up the pace, plan for the next few weeks in Pittsburgh to test the automatic driving a taxi, no >


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The company met its revenue guidance, but even so sequential growth was lower than even that of Infosys, regarded as a laggard among the top tier of Indian software exporters.
It raised its revenue outlook for the third quarter-the first time in nine months that guidance has budged-but barely so.
The brightest among the bright spots is probably the client metric: Wipro added 53 customers in the second quarter, its best showing since the fourth quarter of the last fiscal when it added 68 clients.
But chief executive TK Kurien, an aggressive go-getter and a data-driven person, is yet to deliver numbers that conclusively signal the company has turned the corner after its disastrous experiment with a joint CEO model between 2008 and early 2011.
Most analysts agree that there have been some positive signals and feedback about Wipro. But for now, that's all it is.
The recently-announced de-merger of the non-IT business will give some fillip to the stock, which has been moving sideways for most part of the year and declined by about one-fifth since Kurien took over.
But the story of Wipro for the past several quarters has remained one of hope and expectation. It is yet to conclusively establish that it can get back to being a growth leader.
- Front Page
- Pure Politics
- Learn more about our print editionMore
- Byju’s New India CEO to Cut More Than 4,500 Jobs
Arjun Mohan, who took charge as the new chief executive of the India business at Byju’s last Wednesday, is set to unveil a series of changes at the financially troubled edtech firm, including cutting the headcount by a third or about 4,000-4,500 people to further tighten costs, people aware of the matter said.ADIA Looks to Put $600m into RIL’s Retail Business
After QIA, yet another oil-rich Gulf sovereign fund, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), is looking to buy an additional stake in Mukesh Ambani’s retail empire. ADIA is seeking to invest $600 million into the organised retailing business of Asia's richest person, people aware of the developments told ET, at valuations that significantly exceed those during an earlier concluded round three years ago.Bigger Ecommerce Sales Set to Light up Volumes
The upcoming festive season sales are expected to bring the steepest online discounts since Covid, up to 60% in certain categories, with several ecommerce majors indicating a push to expand volumes.
Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.Top Trending Stocks: Sensex Today Live, SBI Share Price, Axis Bank Share Price, HDFC Bank Share Price, Infosys Share Price, Wipro Share Price, NTPC Share Price


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Child advocates ask FTC to investigate YouTube
The fine print of YouTube’s terms of service has a warning that goes unheeded by millions of children who visit YouTube to watch cartoons, nursery rhymes, science experiments or videos of toys being unboxed.
“If you are under 13 years of age, then please do not use the service,” the terms say. “There are lots of other great web sites for you.”
In a complaint filed Monday, child advocates and consumer groups are asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate and impose potentially billions of dollars of penalties on Google for allegedly violating children’s online privacy and allowing ads to target them.
“Google profits handsomely from selling advertising to kid-directed programs that it packages,” said Jeff Chester, director of the Center for Digital Democracy, one of the groups that drafted the complaint. “They created a successful model monetizing kids’ data.”
Television networks also run ads during cartoons and other programs aimed at kids.
The difference? YouTube does so with a lot of data collection. Its business model relies on tracking IP addresses, search history, device identifiers, location and other personal data about its users so that it can gauge their interests and tailor advertising to them. But a 1998 federal law prohibits internet companies from knowingly collecting personal data from kids under 13 without their parents’ consent.
The coalition accuses YouTube of violating that law and deliberately profiting off luring children into what Chester calls an “ad-filled digital playground” where commercials for toys, theme parks or sneakers can surface alongside kid-oriented videos.
YouTube said in an emailed statement that it “will read the complaint thoroughly and evaluate if there are things we can do to improve. Because YouTube is not for children, we’ve invested significantly in the creation of the YouTube Kids app to offer an alternative specifically designed for children.”
That toddler-oriented YouTube Kids app, launched in 2015, offers more parental controls but is not as widely used — and features a selection of the same videos and channels that kids can also find on the regular YouTube service.
Although it’s not known if the FTC will take action, the complaint comes at a time of increased public scrutiny over the tech industry’s mining of personal data and after the FTC opened an investigation last month into Facebook’s privacy practices.
For that reason, the FTC “may be more reinvigorated and ready to take these issues seriously,” said Josh Golin, director of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, which drafted the complaint along with the Center for Digital Democracy and a Georgetown University law clinic. Several other groups have signed on, including Common Sense Media, which runs a popular website for families, and the advocacy division of Consumer Reports.
“I think the day of reckoning has arrived,” said U.S. Sen. Edward Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat who co-authored the 1998 law and says he wants the FTC to look into the YouTube complaint. “Americans want to know the answers as to whether or not the privacy of their children is being compromised in the online world.”
FTC spokeswoman Juliana Gruenwald Henderson said the agency looks forward to reviewing the letter. She said the FTC already has brought more than two dozen cases for violations of the 1998 law. It has settled child privacy cases with Yelp, mobile advertising network inMobi and electronic toy-maker VTech.
None of those services are as popular for kids as YouTube, which has toddler-themed channels with names like ChuChuTV nursery rhymes, which as of last week counted more than 16 million subscribers and 13.4 billion views. It also has many channels that cater to preteens.
Kandi Parsons, a former FTC attorney who now advises companies on child-privacy compliance, said that because YouTube is a general-audience service, it could be hard to determine if parents are curating content for their kids to watch or letting them use it on their own. Parsons said the FTC so far hasn’t gone after kid-directed channels within broader media websites, though that doesn’t mean it won’t.
Consumer advocates say Google knows what it is doing. They point to its “Google Preferred” program that allows advertisers on YouTube to pay extra to get their ads on the most popular videos. The program includes a “Parenting & Family Lineup” that has featured channels such as ChuChu TV, Fox’s BabyTV and Seven Super Girls, whose topics include “fluffy unicorn slime.”
YouTube does block children who identify themselves as under 13 from posting video, by prohibiting them from creating an account to begin with, but an account isn’t needed merely to watch.
“It’s laughable if Google execs claim that they think the parent is in charge of the online viewing behaviors of tens of millions of children,” Chester said. “Children are watching this content by themselves. Google is trying to look the other way.”


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DETROIT – The Renault/Fiat Chrysler Automobiles merger effort appears to be dead, or at least on hold.
The board of the French automaker, after an apparently marathon-length meeting Wednesday in Paris, announced that it was postponing a vote on the proposal based on a request from the French government. FCA, for its part, said it was withdrawing its offer.
“The Board of Directors was unable to take a decision due to the request expressed by the representatives of the French State to postpone the vote to a later Council,” according to a Renault statement.
FCA countered by saying said it is withdrawing the offer because of “political conditions in France.”
“FCA remains firmly convinced of the compelling, transformational rationale of a proposal that has been carefully balanced to deliver substantial benefits to all parties. However it has become clear that the political conditions in France do not currently exist for such a combination to proceed successfully,” according to an FCA statement.
More: Fiat Chrysler seeks 50-50 merger with Renault, whose board will study deal ‘with interest’
FCA thanked Renault Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard and CEO Thierry Bolloré as well as the company’s alliance partners Nissan and Mitsubishi for their “constructive engagement.” The company also pledged to deliver on its commitments through its “independent strategy.”
Wednesday marked the second day of meetings for the Renault board, which released its statement early Thursday morning Paris time.
An affirmative decision would have paved the way for the two automakers to begin exploring the details of what a merged company would look like. It would not represent a final vote on the merger, which could have taken more than a year to complete.
FCA proposed a 50-50 merger with Renault on May 27, saying it would create the world’s third-largest automaker and save $5.6 billion annually.
Concerns about maintaining a voice in the new entity from the French government, which owns a 15% stake in Renault, were said to be at issue, but Reuters reported Tuesday that a resolution had been reached. Tensions with Nissan had also flared, with that company’s CEO, Hiroto Saikawa, saying Monday that a full FCA-Renault merger “would require a fundamental review” of the Nissan-Renault relationship.
Worries about maintaining jobs has also been a focus for both government and labor leaders in Europe.
FCA’s proposal, however, said the deal’s benefits would not be dependent on closing plants but could be achieved through more efficient investments in vehicle platforms, powertrains and technologies. Experts, however, have questioned that, especially because many of the companies’ plants in Europe are operating below capacity.
“The problem is that a merger makes little sense without job cuts. Without cuts, the resulting company would be an inefficient, bloated hippopotamus of a company,” Erik Gordon, a law professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, told the Free Press last week.
The UAW weighed in on the proposal Tuesday:
“As with any merger of companies, the UAW is first and foremost concerned how this will impact our members. FCA leadership has stated to us that this action will not result in any closure of our represented locations. We will continue to discuss with FCA what changes this merger will bring to the business and look forward to the upcoming negotiations later this summer,” according to a statement from UAW spokesman Brian Rothenberg.
The Free Press was told the proposal would not affect FCA’s planned major expansion in east Detroit, including a new Jeep plant and 5,000 jobs in the metro area.
Rebecca Lindland, an industry expert who writes at www.rebeccadrives.com, offered her take on the collapse of the merger effort.
“This is a missed opportunity for these manufacturers to consolidate costs and streamline businesses at a time when investments and costs are rising,” Lindland said.
After the proposal was announced last week, FCA CEO Mike Manley sold $3.5 million worth of his FCA shares, according to Automotive News Europe, which noted that “Manley declared the sale in a filing to the Dutch financial markets authority, AFM. FCA is a Dutch-registered corporation.”
The publication noted that “FCA managers are not formally obliged to keep shares for a certain time.”
Follow Eric D. Lawrence on Twitter: @_ericdlawrence.


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The New Mobile Application Will Launch in Quarter One of 2023
Emagine Entertainment, Inc., an innovator in luxury theatres, has announced a new partnership with Influx, a leading provider of guest-facing cinema technology solutions, to create an industry leading new mobile app experience for Emagine guests. The new mobile app is currently under development and expected to launch in the 1st quarter of 2023.
The new, best-in-class mobile app for iOS and Android devices, will feature a host of functions to enhance the moviegoing experience for Emagine guests. The apps will offer options designed to perform a seamless transaction integrating ticketing and online food ordering, along with a host of other convenient options and technologies that will make going to Emagine the best experience possible.
“We are eager to introduce our new app experience to our guests,” said Anthony LaVerde, CEO of Emagine Entertainment. “Along with Influx, we are designing what we believe to be the ultimate app platform that will put a variety of functionality and usability in the palm of our guests’ hands. When this app launches it will be transformative for our guest experience.”
“Technology and data can and will help movie theaters build on the recent surge that we are witnessing this summer. We’re excited to bring our best solutions to Emagine and deliver a world-class mobile app for their guests, who now expect more from a visit to the cinema,” said Harish Anand Thilakan, CEO of Influx.
About Emagine Entertainment
Emagine Entertainment’s affiliates own and operate luxury theaters in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Emagine operates theaters with a combined 30,068 seats and 342 screens. Emagine led the way in bringing luxury theaters to the metropolitan Detroit market. Emagine enjoys the honor and distinction of being named “Best Movie Theater” for several years running by the Detroit Free Press, the Detroit News, and WDIV television. Emagine has been named “Best Theater to See a First-Run Movie” by Hour Detroit Magazine consecutively for the past 9 years.
Emagine is a recognized innovator in the theatrical exhibition industry having been the first theater chain in the world to convert to 100% digital projection. In 1997, Cinema Hollywood (now Emagine Birch Run) was the first theater in Michigan to open with all stadium seating. Emagine was the first to introduce 4K projection to the Detroit market, and it boasted 3 of the first 100 Dolby Atmos immersive sound systems deployed worldwide. On December 15, 2017, Emagine began operating the largest movie screen in the State of Michigan with the opening of its Super EMAX auditorium (featuring laser projection technology) at its megaplex in Novi, Michigan; and on December 19, 2019, Emagine opened the largest CinemaScope screen in the Midwest at its Emagine Canton/Westland location. Paul Glantz, Chairman of Emagine Entertainment, has been interviewed on CNN concerning his views and opinions on the operation of luxury theaters. On February 28, 2018, Emagine Entertainment, Inc., and 7-time BET Award-winning and Grammy nominated superstar Big Sean (Sean Anderson) announced their joint venture agreement to develop, Sean Anderson Theatre, powered by Emagine, a world-class cinematic and live music entertainment center in Detroit (and potentially at other sites around the U.S.). The new partnership is actively scouting prospective sites in Detroit. For more information, please visit www.emagine-entertainment.com
With cinema partners worldwide, Influx is the leading provider of guest-facing technology for movie theaters. Powered by its middleware Injin, Influx delivers cinema websites, mobile apps and kiosks with cutting edge features and modules that help exhibitors sell more online, drive loyalty and create operational efficiencies. More recently, Influx launched Ingage, its guest data analysis and engagement automation platform and InTake, a food and beverage ordering microsite which can be easily added on to any cinema’s existing website or mobile app.


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The mass-market edition of Kathy Reichs’ 12th Temperance Brennan thriller, 206 Bones(Arrow), was the bestselling book in the UK last week, and débuts at the summit of this week’s Official UK Top 50 with a 29,004 sale. It is the US novelist’s fifth number one in as many years, and her first in exactly two years as Reichs’ previous thriller, Devil Bones, was kept off top spot in May last year by Victoria Hislop’s The Return (Headline Review). Stieg Larsson’s The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest (Quercus) holds second position week-on-week while last week’s number one, Jane Green’s Girl Friday (Penguin) falls to third position overall.
The Official UK Top 50 welcomes 11 new entries this week, including the mass-market edition of Michael Connelly’s The Scarecrow (Orion), which benefited from a spot in Waterstone’s link-save promotion, and David Mitchell’s new novel, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet (Sceptre). The latter tops an Original Fiction chart fresh with new entries and a top five exclusively Hachette UK.
It is Mitchell’s first-ever number one, and he was helped to top spot by some incredibly deep discounting on the high street and online. The £18.99 publication sold at just £10.13 on average according to BookScan data—equating to an average discount of 46.7%. The novel was also boosted by a word-of-mouth campaign led by Hachette UK chief executive Tim Hely Hutchinson, who gave every member of staff a copy prior to publication, and began tweeting about it during London Book Fair from @HodderBooks.
Other new entries into the Original Fiction chart include Karen Rose’s Silent Scream (Headline) and the late Boyzone singer Stephen Gately’s The Tree of Seasons (Hodder).
In non-fiction, Jamie Oliver’s Jamie Does… (Michael Joseph) continues to dominate, while there are new entries in the hardback list for a couple of football titles: Match! World Cup 2010 (Boxtree) and Rangers striker Nacho Novo’s memoir, I Said No Thanks (Black & White). Meanwhile, with a sale of 1,677 copies, Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret (Simon & Schuster) will be spending its 100th week in the forthcoming Sunday Times non-fiction Top 10 bestseller list (compiled by The Bookseller). It is a feat achieved by just one other title since records began—Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code (Corgi).
in the children’s chart there’s are new entries for Julia Donaldson and Evie Parker whose 100% Justin Bieber (Bantam) joins in 19th place with a 1,977 sale.
According to BookScan Total Consumer Market data, £25.4m was spent on books during the seven days to 15th Mar, down 0.3% week on week and down 3.4% on the same week last year.


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Foreign tourism visits to Wales pumped nearly £150m into the economy with 380,000 overseas visitors in the summer.
The latest figures show a major increase (7.5%) in the number of people coming here during the third quarter of 2014 - giving the crucial sector a major boost. This amounted to 30,000 extra visitors compared to the same period in 2013 - spending an extra £9m - according to the Office of National Statistics.
These figures take the overseas visitors figure for the whole of 2014 up to nearly 800,000 - an increase of around 100,000 on 2013.
Wales tourism 2014
Stephen Crabb, Secretary of State for Wales, said: "Today’s tourism figures show that Wales is capitalising on its world-renowned heritage sites, fantastic food and drink, and warm welcome for visitors.
"This is great news for the economy and the thousands of hardworking people that are helping the Welsh tourist industry grow."
50 breathtaking pictures that show why selling Wales to the world should be easy
Across the UK an estimated 10.2 million overseas visits were made in quarter 3 2014, this was an increase of 4% when compared with 9.8 million visits made during the same period in 2013.
VisitBritain set its 2015 forecast to suggest that there will be 35.1 million visits, generating visitor spending of £22.2bn - an increase of 2.5% in volume and 4.5% in value.
These spend figures would be a new record and break the £22bn barrier for the first time.
The tourism sector is worth £5bn to the Welsh economy and employs more than 8% of the workforce.


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Software companies and operators are scrambling to develop apps and promotions to take advantage of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, which is hands down the biggest sporting event of the year.
One exciting new offer designed to bring World Cup action to the home of customers comes in the form of a sports-themed roulette game provided by NetEnt. The exciting new game from the Swedish-based provider will be available in their live casinos throughout the summer World Cup competition.
A week after its release of a World Cup Widget for its slot games NetEnt is now turning its attention to players of online casinos who have demonstrated an equal interest in live casino games and World Cup competition. The Live Sports Roulette is set to launch on June 14 and its debut will coincide with a World Cup match that will pit Russia against the nation of Saudi Arabia.
The game will be available to players on both desktop computers and mobile applications and will follow tournament play in real time. Dealers, in addition to their normal duties of announcing bets and calling out winning numbers, will provide players with game commentary while a live feed will be used to keep them abreast of upcoming games scheduled, in-game statistics for current gameplay, and information regarding group tables.
NetEnt's sports-themed roulette is also outfitted with an exciting promotion the company will call the Goal Smash Roulette. This promotion allows online casino players the opportunity to take part in daily drawings and giveaways with a prize pool that totals 75,000 Euros.
Live Sports Roulette from NetEnt will be made available on all platforms partnering with the company including sportsbooks, online casinos, and other websites where online gambling takes place.
World Cup A Great Opportunity For Gambling Platforms at NetEnt
The 2018 World Cup Competition is expected by all knowledgeable of the industry to be the largest betting event in the world despite the fact that much of this gaming action will no doubt take place on black market platforms. This year's tournament is expected to exceed the record of $1.5 billion wagered by British gamblers at the annual World Cup competition four years ago. Globally, the betting on the event will easily reach into the tens of billions of dollars.
Sportsbetting venues and casinos are not the only financial sector that sees benefits during World Cup competition. During the 2014 competition, FIFA, the game's organizing body, raked in more than $4 billion as a result of television contracts and marketing deals. The interest that is generated by the World Cup will benefit a variety of business sectors including the tourist industry, retail sales, hospitality, and more.
The Free Round Widget introduced by NetEnt also takes advantage of World Cup excitement by providing a fully customizable soccer-themed tool that can be utilized by operators of online casinos to offer free spins to customers. These offerings by NetEnt allows to the company to bring all the excitement that will take place in Russia to its live casino games.


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by Makkie Maclang
Zumo, a digital wallet and payments platform based in the United Kingdom, has recently announced that its users can now store and receive BSV on its platform. BSV becomes the third digital currency that Zumo carries; it already allows users to buy, sell, store and send Bitcoin Core (BTC), Ethereum (ETH) and the British pound. And to celebrate this milestone and welcome new users to the Zumo wallet, it is giving away £10,000 worth of BSV. All UK residents who create a new Zumo wallet within the period of June 25 to July 26, 2021, pass the ID verification stage and deposit at least £1 in the wallet will get a chance to win £10,000 in BSV.
“We’re excited about offering BSV to our users. Zumo is committed to introducing crypto to new investors and welcoming people from around the world into an emerging global economy that’s both inclusive and borderless. We’re hoping to introduce British crypto investors to BSV as well as attracting new users who have never engaged with smart money before. To anyone who’s considering getting involved in crypto I’d say, ‘we’re here to help,’” Zumo co-founder and Chief Product Officer Paul Roach said about the announcement.
BSV has restored the original Bitcoin protocol and unlocked unbounded scalability, allowing it to have a rock-solid foundation for developers to build on its blockchain and continuously increasing data capacity and transaction output. Bitcoin Association, the Switzerland-based global industry organization pushing for the widespread enterprise adoption of the BSV blockchain, recently announced that it has already surpassed BTC in accumulated on-chain data size on June 4 with 367.43 GB compared to BTC’s 355.23 GB. And this is all due to the network’s continuous scaling.
“We recognize that BSV overtaking BTC in accumulated blockchain growth is an interesting milestone, but it’s really just one step in the journey to something bigger. BTC proponents have long argued that Bitcoin cannot scale and that its network must be restricted to a tiny 1 MB block cap, but with 600 MB block ranges already demonstrated, superior data functionalities shown and now a larger total blockchain data size too, BSV continues to prove that Bitcoin does scale,” Bitcoin Association Founding President Jimmy Nguyen explained.
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BSV has totally overtaken BTC and ETH when it comes transaction processing capability, as well as transaction fees. With BTC and ETH, it currently costs an average of $9.19 and $3.83 per transaction, respectively. This is because they cannot scale and can only complete a few number of transactions per second (tps), with BTC only at a maximum of seven tps and ETH at a 30 tps. That is why it is this expensive to transact using these popular digital currencies.
BSV, on the other hand, can already process an average of 5,124 tps at a current average fee of only $0.0017 per transaction. Numbers do not lie, and it can be seen here how vast the difference is between the three. And this gap will only widen with BSV planning to release Teranode before the end of this year, which will increase the network’s capacity to over 50,000 tps. This kind of output rivals that of the VISA network, and transaction fees will further be lowered.


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Nepal was the net exporter of rice in the 1970s and 1980s, with the government establishing up to seven companies in 1974 export rice.
Fast forward to today, the country is heavily dependent on rice imports. In the first three quarters of the current financial year, Nepal imported rice worth almost Rs 40 billion, according to the Data from the Nepalese bank Rastra . Last year, the country imported rice and paddy worth 50 billion Indian rupees.
Not only rice, Nepal imports a huge amount of grain; in the first three quarters of this financial year, the country imported grain worth nearly 62 billion rupees, making grain the country’s fifth largest import item, according to data from the Trade and Export Promotion Center (TEPC).
According to a study conducted by the National Planning Commission, the country has imported agricultural products for more than 200 billion rupees during the 2019-20 financial year. Most agricultural products came from India, according to the study titled ‘Status of exports and imports of agricultural products.”
“Our dependence on imports is a well-known fact while exports are very low,” mentioned Dilendra Prasad Badu, Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply, at the Make in Nepal Swadeshi Summit-2022, organized by the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) in partnership with the daily Kantipur, a sister newspaper of the Post.
“Even in food products where we could become self-sufficient, we have not been able to capitalize on our ability,” Badu added. “Our kitchens are filled with imported goods, from cooking gas to food items, including rice, vegetables, pulses and pickles, which is worrying.”
Minister Badu insisted that the country needed to increase both domestic production and consumption, and that the government was ready to introduce economic and monetary policies to meet this need.
As the government prepares to present the budget for the next fiscal year 2022-23 on May 29, Minister Badu said the executive plans to introduce a “campaign to increase domestic production and consumption-2032 “for a period of 10 years.
“The next budget will announce the necessary incentives by allocating the necessary budget to achieve this goal,” Badu said.
Massive imports against meager exports have emerged as a major factor in the deteriorating economic situation the country is currently facing, with a ballooning balance of payments deficit and depleting foreign exchange reserves.
During the first nine months of the current fiscal year, Nepal imported goods worth 1466.66 billion rupees while the country’s exports amounted to a paltry 160.57 billion rupees, according to the TEPC.
Over the past decade, imports of goods and services as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) have increased while the share of exports of goods and services as a percentage of GDP has remained low and constant, according to the statistics of the Central Bureau of Statistics.
According to the last National accounts statistics 2021-22 released by the CBS in late April, imports as a percentage of GDP rose to 41.49 in fiscal year 2021-22 from 29.17% a decade ago. Exports as a percentage of GDP declined to 6.61% in FY 2021-22 from 8.75% in FY 2011-12.
CNI Chairman Vishnu Kumar Agrawal said the confederation has launched the Make in Nepal campaign to increase domestic production and build people’s confidence in national products.
“We need to build consumer confidence in the good quality and competitiveness of Nepalese products,” he said, adding that more than 50 companies involved in the production of goods and services have participated in the CNI campaign.
With the campaign, Agrawal said, the CNI hopes to achieve four goals in five years, including: the annual registration of 1,000 factories, the establishment of 150,000 jobss, increasing the manufacturing sector’s contribution to GDP to 25% and boosting exports to Rs 500 billion.
“We have submitted a list of 34 policy interventions to be made by the government to achieve these goals,” Agrawal said.
Speaking at various summit sessions, speakers highlighted many challenges to making the campaign a success.
One problem, they pointed out, is the difficulty in acquiring land at lower prices and that high land prices make projects unfeasible.
“High land prices also increase the cost of production,” said Ram Krishna Khatiwada, managing director of the Nepal Infrastructure Bank. “In most industrial loan proposals we receive, the cost of land covers around 50% of the total cost of setting up the business.”
Ram Prasad Thapaliya, secretary in the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, said changes to the law were needed to control rising land prices. “An effort to change the current land law has stalled due to Covid-19. We are always ready to discuss the kinds of amendments needed to the law,” he said.
Other speakers at the event said domestic resources alone would not be enough to support the country’s industrialization efforts, so foreign investment should also be encouraged. They said the private sector should not fear foreign investment in the country as foreign investment would encourage domestic industries to be more efficient and competitive.
“Look, for example, at the services of Nepal Telecom after Ncell entered the Nepalese telecom market,” said Maha Prasad Adhikari, Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank. “We see that the Nepalese private sector fears competition. But private sector players must be convinced that they can compete with any foreign investor, both in terms of price and quality.
Other speakers said that although Nepal has made progress in policies aimed at attracting foreign investors, the country still has a long way to go to attract large-scale foreign investment, which would also boost domestic production.
Governor Adhikari said that Nepal’s lack of a sovereign credit rating by international rating agencies is one of the factors that has kept Nepal out of the eyes of big investors.
“In the eyes of investment bankers, Nepal does not fall into investment grade due to the country’s lack of sovereign credit rating,” he said. “So we were only able to attract small investors.”
Coherent policy and investment facilitation are factors that determine foreign investment, according to Adhikari. “The increasing local disruptions caused under various pretexts are another obstacle to attracting foreign investment,” he said.
Hem Raj Dhakal, managing director of the IME group of companies, said the FDI threshold should be revised.
“For example, the threshold for sectors like information technology should be reduced while maintaining the same threshold for other capital-intensive industries,” he said.
Currently, the minimum threshold for FDI is 50 million rupees, which has been increased from the previous threshold of 5 million rupees, in 2019.
Chairman and Managing Director of Kantipur Media Group, Kailash Sirohiya, said that given the balance of payments boom the country is facing, the “Make in Nepal” campaign is necessary for the country. “Government and private sector should join hands for the proposal,” he said.
He stressed the need to encourage small entrepreneurs nationwide and make it easier for them to obtain credit. “Let’s create entrepreneurs in every village,” he said.


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The switch went fast. As presto as can be, a butcher shop at 503 Main Street became Wholesome Taqueria. Gone were the meats, replaced by rows of refreshing beverages. But new as this all is, its roots run deep into Roosevelt Island history.
by David Stone
The look is still a little rough, but according to comments on Facebook, the food isn’t. Since a promised Mexican restaurant failed to materialize five years ago, Roosevelt Islanders have craved burritos, flautas and tacos. Now, they are here.
On the Way from Gristedes to Mexico
From Day One, Wholesome Macelleria seemed a high-risk venture. The quality was great, but as with so much in the community, there were not enough potential customers to make it thrive.
Whole tightly packed neighborhoods in Manhattan fail to support butcher shops. At least that was my thought… until Jimmy Kim, one of Wholesome Taqueria’s owners, brought me up to date.
Red Apple Group, which owns the business now known as Foodtown, shut them down. But before any alarms get any louder, there’s a good reason behind the move, and it benefits Roosevelt Island.
The Foodtown Legacy
The first thing to know is that there is no such thing as a Foodtown corporate grocery store anymore. Foodtown is a cooperative with mostly independent operators under the umbrella of Allegiance Retail Services in New Jersey.
Thirty years ago, we used to walk across the street from our Manhattan Park apartment and get our groceries at Sloans. It was less than half the size of the current Foodtown. When Red Apple Group, owned by oil and gas billionaire Jim Catsimatidis, took over, it used the name of the recently acquired Gristedes Brothers.
“Cats” operates Red Apple and other markets around the city.
For Roosevelt Island, Red Apple expanded the market, bringing in a wider variety of foods and services. But its investment came with a cost.
Because no retailer in its right mind would plunk down millions for a large supermarket in our small community, RIOC negotiated a special lease deal. (Yes, RIOC once acted with the community in mind, not its own payroll.)
That deal was a “no compete” clause. No other business on Roosevelt Island would be allowed to compete with Gristede’s primary operations.
There’s a long history of Roosevelt Islanders’ complaints about Catsimatidis, from prices to quality, but the truth is, without him, you’d have an empty shell underneath Motorgate. The neighborhood is just too small for what we’ve got without concessions.
Thus, Wholesome Taqueria
While informing Kim and his partner before they invested in meats would have been better, when Red Apple exercised its rights, Hudson-Related’s David Kramer stepped in. Kramer runs Shops on Main and has kept much of the current retail environment alive through his support and ideas.
Why not try a Mexican restaurant? he suggested. Keeping 503 Main Street viable mattered.
The Wholesome partnership moved swiftly, more swiftly than you’d think possible. But being light on your feet supports retail health.
Love or Just Interested in Trying Mexican Food?
Jimmy Kim and his staff are ready to serve. A large menu, including multiple vegetarian offerings, is available for dining in or taking out. And Kim says he will deliver too. (Telephone: 646-758-8483).
It’s a surprise, but it’s all good. For now, we have Mexican food and our supermarket. It’s a good deal for Roosevelt Island.


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Retail Newsagent stocks ed
Newtrade Publishing’s Retail Newsagent has hired Stefan Appleby as news editor.
Appleby will be responsible for seeking out and writing news, attending press briefings and planning the news layout. Previously Appleby worked on Smile magazine, Hotel Spec and Shop Spec for Purple Media Solutions.
Retail Newsagent provides news and business information to owners and managers of independent news and magazine retailers.


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Consumer confidence has shown surprising resilience in March despite a steady stream of bad news on the economy and rising petrol prices.
Westpac’s Consumer Confidence index fell just 0.2% in March from 85.8 to 85.6, after tumbling 9.6% in February.
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Westpac chief economist Bill Evans says the result is impressive given bad news about the economy and unemployment, rising petrol prices and the fact the Reserve Bank did not cut interest rates.
“Normally we would have expected a solid fall in the index given the stream of negative news.”
But there may have been a lag in consumer sentiment from a number of bits of good news in February, including an interest rate cut and the Government’s $42 billion stimulus package.
“It may be that the index is now finding a base,” Evans argues.
“It is now 2.3% below its average of the last six months, and 1.7% below its average of the last 12 months. The index has fallen by only 3.4% over the last year compared to a fall of 23% in the year to March 2008.”
But it’s worth remembering that consumer confidence remains at recession levels and has hardly budged since August 2008, despite the RBA cutting the official cash rate from 7.25% to 3.25%.
Consumers’ assessments of their finances compared to a year ago fell by 11.4% following the 10% fall in the sharemarket in the last month, and the outlook for economic conditions over the next 12 months was down by 1.2% after falling by 12.5% in February.
- Business confidence stabilises despite downturn fears
- Why you should be cautiously optimistic about 2009


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Posted Mon Oct 20, 2014 at 10:30 AM PDT by Steven Cohen
The new service automatically gives Walmart customers digital copies of the films they buy.
VUDU and Walmart have announced the launch of InstaWatch. The new feature allows customers to scan their Walmart receipts to receive digital copies of eligible Blu-rays and DVDs on VUDU for no extra charge.
To use the service, customers simply need to download the Walmart Savings Catcher app for Android and iOS devices and create a Walmart.com account. Then, users can simply scan their receipts after purchasing eligible movies at a Walmart store, and the digital copies will automatically be available to play through VUDU on their smartphones, tablets, computers, gaming consoles, or streaming players. Likewise, customers who purchase eligible discs from Walmart.com will automatically receive a confirmation email telling them that their VUDU digital copy is ready. The service currently supports about 800 titles available for purchase in-store, and about 1,100 titles available for purchase online, including many popular films from major studios like DreamWorks, Fox, Lionsgate, Paramount, Sony, Universal and Warner. For now, Disney has yet to sign on for the feature.
InstaWatch is now available for all Walmart customers. VUDU is available on a variety of mobile devices, smart TVs, Blu-ray players, video game consoles, and streaming boxes -- including the Roku 3 and Chromecast.
The latest news on all things 4K Ultra HD, blu-ray and Gear.


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It's estimated that only 1% of the population suffers from celiac disease, yet roughly one million Americans say they're trying to nix gluten from their diet. Given they have no medical reason, it begs the question: Is going gluten-free really better for your health?
Prevention tapped Alessio Fasano, MD, founder and director of the Center for Celiac Research at Massachusetts General Hospital and author of Gluten Freedom, to set the record straight. Interestingly, Fasano says there are both pros and cons to skipping the bread basket. In addition to costing two to three times more than standard wheat products, gluten-free foods could alter your mood and energy levels.
Considering going gluten-free? This is exactly what will happen to your body.
"When we have to put someone on a gluten-free diet because of celiac disease, we only do it with the supervision of a dietitian to make sure they make up the nutrients they're missing," says Fasano. "There's no question that if you do it on your own without paying careful attention to filling in those gaps, you can develop a nutrient deficiency." Warning signs include fatigue, weakness, and inconsistent periods, he says.
It's believed that 20 million Americans suffer from nonceliac gluten sensitivity. Studies suggest that when these people eat food containing gluten, it can lead to feelings of mental fogginess and even depression. "We're just beginning to understand the many different ways that gluten can affect the body," says Fasano. "One of the most fascinating yet poorly understood issues is the relationship between gluten and the brain."
Gluten-free foods aren't necessarily better for you. In fact, they often contain more calories, fat, sugar, and sodium to make up for the change in flavor and texture. Fasano also cautions that the misconception that gluten-free equates to calorie-free could cause people to eat larger portions.
If you're considering a gluten-free diet, talk to your doctor about your best options.


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Toledo (WTOL) - In tough economic times where are you spending your money?
You may be surprised by a new report concerning where people are putting their cash.
Jonathan Walsh caught up with Barbara and Clay Murphy who are hoping the rough economy drives through quickly so we can get back to better times.
Mrs. Walsh says, "When I was in school you used to buy the bag of chips and pop because you could, but now that's cheaper than the meal that they give you at school."
The Walshes tell us they can see why people are spending more money on junk food and comfort food. Mr. Walsh believes it's mainly because junk food is more afforable.
"Sugar stuff is on sale all the time, but your fruit and vegetables aren't," says Mrs. Walsh.
But food isn't the only area people are spending money.
Nabil Shaheen who owns the Quick Stop on Dorr Street says lottery cales are up and people are "punching in numbers, playing their numbers, buying scratch-offs, printing up hope to get rich quick."
He says the economy has opened the door to steady beer sales and customers are "still drinkin', buyin' beer, still playin' the lottery. Many people are using the ATM and credit cards..."
Anthony Hines, a customer at the Quick Stop, says "Me for instance, I wouldn't spend my money on that. I'd be trying to save my money. People would save a lot more money if they didn't smoke beer and cigarettes."
But some say people aren't being penny wise.
"They're looking for a way out," says customer George Thompson. "It's hard for me to believe that people have extra money and money that they do have they're wasting and spending on things like that."


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Gift cards may be at the top of your holiday gift giving list. But there’s another list that gift cards top, and it’s decidedly less festive. According to the FTC’s latest Consumer Protection Data Spotlight, reports received in the Consumer Sentinel database reveal that gift cards are the #1 payment method of choice for scammers, leading to a reported $148 million stolen from consumers. Is your business taking steps to protect customers from this form of fraud?
The scam typically starts with a phone call from a crook impersonating a well-known business. The caller tells consumers that to fix a supposed security problem with their account, the person must get a gift card and then send a photo of it to the caller. It’s really just a shady way for the criminal to be able to redeem the card without having it in their hands.
People also report that scammers demanding gift cards may claim to be from agencies like the Social Security Administration: “Give us the numbers or face frozen accounts or even arrest.” Still others have reported that the demand came from a romantic interest or someone claiming to be an employer, sweepstakes company, or family member facing an emergency.
These red flags may be apparent when you think it through in retrospect, but that shows you just how convincing – and threatening – these criminals can be in the moment. They’ve also honed their pitch to avoid detection. For example, they may send consumers from store to store in a nefarious form of scavenger hunt. Their motive: to avoid calling attention to an unusually large gift card transaction. Scammers also may keep consumers on the phone so people can’t check things out with a trusted family member or friend. They even coach consumers on what to say if a vigilant store cashier asks about a suspicious gift card transaction.
According to the Data Spotlight, scammers have become quite choosy in demanding what cards to buy and where to buy them. In the first nine months of 2021, over twice as much money was reported lost to scammers who demanded Target gift cards than to the next brand on the list. Google Play, Apple, eBay, and Walmart cards followed. When scammers told people where to buy cards, consumers who reported losing money were most frequently sent to Target stores but Walmart, Best Buy, CVS, and Walgreens were mentioned, too.
What else does the Data Spotlight reveal?
- The number of gift card scam reports and losses are up. The number of reported gift card scams has increased every year since 2018. Total losses have increased, too.
- Individual losses are up. Consumers report losing a lot more money to gift card scams. Losses of $5,000 or more have increased from about 8% of reports in 2018 to about 14% in the first nine months of 2021. Median reported losses have increased from $700 to $1,000.
- Scammers are targeting Target. When scammers directed people to buy Target cards, consumers experienced a median reported loss of $2,500 in the first nine months of 2021 – much higher than any other card. 30% of people who paid with a Target card said they lost $5,000 or more.
Reputable retailers don’t want their good names smudged by scammers. That’s why the FTC has created a Stop Gift Card Scams Toolkit with resources to help businesses alert consumers about the risk of gift card scams. By using point-of-purchase signs, check-out counter alerts, and messages in social media, companies can help protect their customers from this form of fraud.
The FTC also has advice for consumers about spotting a gift card scam. The message is simple: Gift cards are for gifts, not payments. Period.
The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. We review all comments before they are posted, and we won’t post comments that don’t comply with our commenting policy. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect.
- We won’t post off-topic comments, repeated identical comments, or comments that include sales pitches or promotions.
- We won’t post comments that include vulgar messages, personal attacks by name, or offensive terms that target specific people or groups.
- We won’t post threats, defamatory statements, or suggestions or encouragement of illegal activity.
- We won’t post comments that include personal information, like Social Security numbers, account numbers, home addresses, and email addresses. To file a detailed report about a scam, go to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
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News tagged foundry
Last update: Thursday 16 June 2016 [907 news items]
TSMC to beat Samsung in 10nm race
May 27, 22:03
TSMC is confident that the company will beat Samsung Electronics in ramping up production on its 10nm lines, according to the Taiwan-based foundry.
UMC to raise US$600 million via ECB issue
May 12, 22:03
United Microelectronics (UMC) has announced plans to raise US$600 million via a Euro convertible bond (ECB) issue, which will take place on the Singapore Stock Exchange (SGX) starting...
SMIC 1Q15 profits more than double
May 12, 21:52
China-based IC foundry Semiconductor Manufacturing International (SMIC) saw its first-quarter 2015 profits more than double, with gross margin reaching a 10-year high of 29.4%.
Utilization rates at 8-inch fabs falling
May 7, 10:04
Capacity utilization rates at 8-inch wafer fabs have fallen at a faster-than-expected pace recently prompting foundry houses to lower their quotes, according to sources at Taiwan-based...
VIS expects 2Q15 sales and gross margin to drop
May 4, 12:11
Specialty IC foundry Vanguard International Semiconductor (VIS) expects to post sequential decreases in revenues and gross margin for the second quarter of 2015, due to "sluggish...
UMC expects flat performance in 2Q15
Apr 29, 21:40
Foundry chipmaker United Microelectronics (UMC) expects its wafer shipments and ASPs to stay flat sequentially in the second quarter of 2015, while sales generated from 28nm process...
Win Semi to downsize capital 20%
Apr 23, 11:03
Pure-play gallium arsenide (GaAs) foundry Win Semiconductors has announced plans to reduce paid-in capital by NT$1.487 billion (US$48 million), or 20%, to NT$5.947 billion.
UMC, VIS report increased March revenues
Apr 10, 15:15
Contract chipmakers United Microelectronics (UMC) and Vanguard International Semiconductor (VIS) have reported on-year increases in consolidated revenues for March 2015 of 12.6% and...
TSMC March sales rise 15%
Apr 10, 14:32
Pure-play IC foundry Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has reported consolidated revenues of NT$72.27 billion (US$2.32 billion) for March 2015, up 15.4% on month and...
Win Semi 1Q15 sales rise 3.5%
Apr 8, 21:22
Pure-play gallium arsenide (GaAs) foundry Win Semiconductors saw its first-quarter revenues increase 3.5% sequentially bucking seasonal trends.
TSMC to supply chips for rumored iPhone 6S and 6C
Mar 25, 22:32
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) will remain the major processor supplier for Apple in the second half of 2015 as the foundry will supply 20nm chips for an upcoming...
Win Semi looks to flat performance in 1Q15
Mar 16, 12:11
Win Semiconductors expects to report flat sequential growth in first-quarter revenues, with gross margin maintained at the levels during the second half of 2014. The GaAs pure-play...
SMIC gearing up for 28nm production
Mar 6, 13:59
Semiconductor Manufacturing International (SMIC) has made massive equipment purchases for installing 28nm production lines, according to sources in the semiconductor industry. The...
SMIC expects to post 2-5% revenue growth in 1Q15
Feb 10, 11:01
China-based IC foundry Semiconductor Manufacturing International (SMIC) expects to post revenue growth of 2-5% sequentially in the first quarter of 2015, with gross margin reaching...
VIS expects 1-3% decrease in 1Q15 shipments
Feb 10, 10:58
Specialty IC foundry Vanguard International Semiconductor (VIS) expects to report a 1-3% sequential decrease in wafer shipments for the first quarter of 2015. ASP for the quarter...
TSMC 4Q14 sales beat guidance
Jan 12, 11:07
Consolidated revenues at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) totaled NT$222.52 billion (US$6.97 billion) in the fourth quarter of 2014, beating the company's guidance...


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Cartonboard is once again a fast-growing sector and a leader of circular economy: 82% of consumers consider cartonboard to be a reliable and sustainable material, and 86% (5% more than in 2019) prefer carton packaging rather than plastic packaging. Indeed, cartonboard is a long-term solution, and it has been more and more used for the launch of new packaging solutions, especially in the food and chemical products markets, among those aiming to reduce carbon impact.
After a difficult year, characterized by rising energy and raw material prices, we are therefore ready to start again towards new goals of growth and sustainability.
In an interview with the magazine Pap’ Argus, Michele Bianchi, CEO of RDM Group and recently appointed President of Pro Carton, explains strategies and goals for 2023. First and foremost, to reduce the environmental impact of industrial activities to the point of making the mills carbon neutral and even energy producers for neighbouring towns, considering that even before the energy crisis and the consequent prices rise, the cartonboard sector was using 60% energy from renewable sources.
But in order to achieve such an ambitious goal, it is necessary to create cooperation and new synergies with other players and stakeholders, coordinating activities and fostering the exchange of know-how and information that promotes innovation and creativity. This will also allow to give a clearer and more unified framework at European level, ensuring greater stability and longevity for the sector.
The full interview is available at this link.


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Oracle unveils expanded cloud services portfolio
INDUSTRY| Oct. 3, 2012, 10:04 a.m.
Oracle Corporation is expanding its cloud services portfolio with seven new products as it continues to demonstrate significant customer and partner momentum.
The new products are in addition to Oracle’s comprehensive range of platform, application and social services which are all available on subscription basis.
“Cloud is a strategic business at Oracle and is growing aggressively. Customers and partners are extremely supportive of our cloud strategy, which is evident from the mission critical workloads they are running on Oracle Cloud today,” said Oracle senior Vice President of Development Abhay Parasnis.
The seven new services include planning and budgeting, financial reporting, data and insight, social sites, developer, storage and messaging.
“The breadth of opportunities available with Oracle Cloud already exceeds anything else available in the industry, and with the introduction of these new services, Oracle continues to innovate, shape the market and define the future of cloud-based services,” added Mr. Parasnis.
To help partners speed time to market with new cloud-based services for their customers, Oracle also unveiled a comprehensive new set of enablement resources and Oracle Cloud partner programs.
Oracle Cloud adoption continues to grow aggressively with more than 10,000 customers and more than 25 million users worldwide already relying on the services each day.
The pricing model is simple, predictable and based on a monthly subscription model. Customers can choose to sign up for month-to-month subscriptions or longer term contracts.
MORE INDUSTRY NEWS
BICS blocks over 10m fraudulent call attempts with FraudGuard in 2016BICS, a global wholesale carrier for voice, mobile data and capacity services says its crowdsourcing fraud prevention platform, FraudGuard, detected and blocked more than 10 million fraudulent call attempts on its customers’ networks during the first quarter of 2016. Read More
Samsung elevates Mobile Phone picture quality with new image sensorSamsung Electronics South Africa, a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, announced its newest 12 megapixel (Mp) image sensor for smartphones, which will elevate the quality of mobile phone pictures. Read More
R&M and FNT Collaborate to Launch Comprehensive Solution for Data Centre Cable Management in MEAReichle & De-Massari (R&M) and FNT Software have unveiled their joint solution for data centre cable management. Read More
Airtel Ghana educated media on data bundles and notificationsAirtel has held a sensitization workshop for representatives from leading media houses to educate them on Airtel’s data bundles and notification systems in place to alert customers when their data bundles are getting exhausted. Read More
Riverbed helps Engen centralize remote and branch office ITRiverbed Technology, the application performance company, has announced that global energy company Engen is using Riverbed solutions to centralize Remote and Branch Office (ROBO) IT, and improve productivity, back-up and data security across its multi-national organization. Read More
Carlson Wireless announces first chipset-based White Space RadioCarlson Wireless Technologies, Inc., a global leader in TV White Space (TVWS) technology, is introducing its third generation TVWS chip module, the Picasso Gen3, to the global market. Read More
Ingenico Group deploys cashless revenue collection solution in KenyaIngenico Group, the global leader in seamless payment, in partnership with Kenyan firm Tracom, has deployed a Revenue Collection solution in the County of Nyeri in Kenya. Read More
Eaton Launches Mobile Tech Day to Drive Growth in South AfricaPower Management Company Eaton today launched its first ever South Africa Mobile Tech Day, a month long exhibition to showcase the company’s solutions in commercial construction. Read More
T-Systems announces the HANA Migration Factory for AfricaT-Systems has released a set of SAP HANA migration services and tools, known as The Migration Factory, to give companies the ability to transform their landscape at a fixed cost and fixed duration on premise or in the cloud. Read More
Argility adds Open Virtual Desktop (OVD) capability to its range of expertiseDigital transformation specialist Argility has signed a strategic partnership with OpenSector (Pty) Ltd., Inuvika’s distribution partner for Africa. Read More
FEATURED STORYGovernment should encourage youths in ICT early
Youths should be given more encouragement to develop their ICT skills, an 11-year-old app developer told Kokumo Goodie.
BEST READ NEWS
IN DEPTHIBM Opens First Cloud Data Centre in South Africa
IBM is opening a new IBM Cloud Data Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa. The new cloud center is the result of a close collaboration with Gijima and Vodacom and is designed to support cloud adoption and customer demand across the continent.
COMPANY NEWSResolving the data centre disconnect
The disconnect between virtualised applications and physical storage is costing businesses time and money.Separating the attack that matters from the noise
It has almost become the norm for a business to be compromised by a security attack. The emphasis today is thus more on how a business responds ...


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Quebec plans to spend more than a half-billion dollars on a green transportation plan over the next three years.
Premier Pauline Marois says the plan includes up to $8,000 in subsidies for the purchase of electric or hybrid vehicles; and up to $1,000 for people installing a charging unit at home.
She says the goal is to add 12,500 electric vehicles on Quebec roads by 2017, accelerating a program introduced under the previous Charest government.
It also calls for 5,000 public charging stations; 525 electric taxis; and 25 electric trolleys in Montreal.
In the days leading up to the announcement, there was some controversy over the fact that Hydro-Quebec chairman Pierre Karl Peladeau had been sitting in on Parti Quebecois cabinet meetings about the plan.
Peladeau is also the president of Quebecor, which owns the province’s main tabloid papers and private TV network, along with the Sun media chain in English Canada.
Before the announcement, his Journal de Montreal newspaper reported exclusive details of the plan in a multi-page spread, promoted on the cover.


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Cinnamon Toast Crunch releases 'Cinnadust' seasoning blend to sprinkle on your ice cream
You can now add Cinnamon Toast Crunch-flavored seasoning to your breakfast toast, and virtually everything else.
The B&G Foods-owned brand announced on social media that it's releasing a "Cinnadust Seasoning Blend" that tastes like the spice that gives Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal its defining flavor.
The offering is a mix of cinnamon and sugar with hints of vanilla and graham to "capture the unmistakable taste of a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal," the company said in a statement.
The product will be sold exclusively at Sam's Club, Cinnamon Toast Crunch said on social media late Wednesday.
"The seasoning you never knew you needed," the brand tweeted. It also posted a photo of the seasoning on Instagram.
Apartments for rent: Americans don't want yearlong leases, neither do landlords
The 13.75-ounce bottle says its good to sprinkle on ice cream, toast, cookies, coffee and more. It'll retail for $5.48 per bottle.
Cinnadust will hit the shelves at Sam's Club on Sept. 1, the company says. If you don't have a membership, you'll have to wait until next year for it to roll out nationwide.
Follow Dalvin Brown on Twitter: @Dalvin_Brown.


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SEOUL -- SK Telecom (NYSE:SKM) announced its earnings on a K-IFRS consolidated basis for year 2013: revenue of KRW 16.602 trillion, operating income of KRW 2.011 trillion and net income of KRW 1.610 trillion.
Despite expanded revenue-decreasing factors brought by the company’s year-round efforts to alleviate customers’ cost burden, including the launch of ‘T & T Sharing’ Plans which include unlimited in-net voice calls (Mar. 2013), the revenue increased by 2.9% year-on-year (YoY) backed by its strengthened leadership in LTE and growth of its new businesses including the enterprise solution business.
Based on its unrivalled LTE leadership, as of the end of 2013, SK Telecom has attracted 13.5 million LTE subscribers, which accounts for around 50% of its total mobile subscriber base. Sales of its enterprise solution business increased by 60% YoY to stand at KRW 434 billion, serving as a strong medium-term growth momentum for the company.
The operating income grew 16.2% YoY as diverse programs that offer benefits to long-term subscribers (including handset discount program and data refill service) successfully drove up profitability by reducing customer churn rate.
SK Telecom’s average churn rate for the year 2013 stood at 2.3%, decreasing by 0.3%p compared to that of the previous year. Moreover, quarterly churn rates continues to fall (2.1% in 4Q), proving the effectiveness of the company’s market stabilization efforts.
The consolidated net income for the year 2013 jumped 44.3% YoY backed by strong performance of its subsidiaries including SK Hynix. In 2013, SK Hynix recorded KRW 600 billion from the gain on valuation using the equity method of accounting.
Last year, SK Telecom has once again proven its differentiated network quality by successfully commercializing the world’s first LTE-Advanced service in June 2013, and led the market towards a service/product-oriented competition by introducing diverse plans and programs that increase customer benefits.
By achieving innovations in its mobile network operation business and promoting further growth in its new growth businesses, the company is determined to secure a stronger competitiveness, while maximizing customer value.
To this end, SK Telecom will enhance its network quality by launching “20MHz + 10MHz” LTE-Advanced service in the second half of 2014, while accelerating the development and application of diverse next-generation network technologies including LTE-Advanced 3 Band Carrier Aggregation. Moreover, the company plans to expand its product/service offerings by launching over 20 products in five core service categories namely Communication Platform, Home Service, Media Service, Entertainment Service and Security Service. In this context, SK Telecom has launched ‘T Phone,’ an All-IP communications platform, and ‘B Box,’ a home hub device on January 23, 2014.
Furthermore, ICT-based convergence business, one of the company’s three designated growth pillars, is expected to grow at a more rapid pace. Enterprise solution business, in particular, will solidify its competitiveness by developing solutions that combine the cloud and big data, while focusing on promoting smart work solutions that help enhance corporate productivity and green solutions designed to reduce energy consumption.
SK Telecom (Nasdaq: SKM)


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Renegade attorney Jack Thompson has launched another blow aimed directly at the games industry in response to the National Institute on Media and the Family's request that he cease using their name in his tireless campaign against violent videogames.
NIMF president David Walsh, cited many times by Thompson as an expert on the negative affects of violent videogames, had attempted to distance himself and his organisation from Thompson's unorthodox legal arguments and controversial public criticism of the industry in an open letter to the Florida attorney.
Thompson responded with a vitriolic open letter, which he sent to videogames websites including Gamespot as well as Target chairman Robert Ullrich and Best Buy director Elliot Kaplan. The attorney maintains that a relationship between the retail partners, their legal teams and Target, who fund NIMF, is the cause of the rebuttal.
"Dr. Walsh's efforts are funded by Target and by a foundation run by Best Buy lawyer and Best Buy Director Elliot Kaplan," Thompson wrote.
"I am suing Target and Best Buy over the Bully game, which both Target and Best Buy are pre-selling. You connect the dots," he added.
Claiming that he never actually spoke of having endorsement from NIMF, Thompson wrote: "The fact is, I have never suggested that Dr. Walsh approves of what I do. I have countless times told people that I believe he is an expert about the dangers of video games. The mistake I made, apparently naively, is in thinking that a person of his expertise would use it actually to help some bereaved families rather than choose to protect his relationship with portions of the video game industry and its reckless retail network."
Thompson's ceaseless campaign against Take Two, who he believes to be the main instigator of videogame crimes against the public, took a more surreal turn recently after he wrote an open letter, this time to a range of US journalists, detailing his own idea for a videogame. The 'plot' involved brutally murdering thinly veiled fictional characters based on current Take Two chairman Paul Eibeler, his family and a wide range of industry figures.
The owners of blog Old Grandma Hardcore have responded by creating the game - a text adventure based on Zork, using Thompson's original script ideas. Zork Thompson v1.0 is freely available in the internet, and, in spite of numerous attempts to contact Mr Thompson, its creators are still awaiting the promised charity donation detailed in the attorney's 'I dare you' letter to journalists.


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Posted on December 6, 2012 – 12:22 pm | Author: chrisolds
Basketball, Beckett Updates, News Categories | 2012-13 Select, featured, Panini America | Comments (6)
By Chris Olds | Beckett Basketball Editor
Select has returned.
Panini America announced on Thursday that it’s reviving an early 1990s creation — Select — and bringing it back on the hardwood.
The company revealed 2012-13 Select, will arrive in March with nods to the past Score brand and nods to a new line, Prizm, which launched late last month. The brand originally arrived back in 1993 with Score for baseball and then has been used throughout the years as part of the Donruss/Playoff portfolio of trademarks, which is now owned by Panini. It was last used in 2008 for a football set.
The newest product will include two seven-pack mini boxes per box with a total of four autographs, four Prizm cards and six more inserts.
The base set will include 100 autographed Rookie Cards while there will be 75 rookie memorabilia cards and 150 standard cards to find.
Inserts to be found in this one will include Select Stars and Hot Stars, which will have Prizm and White Hot parallels. The Prizm parallels will be found as Gold (/25) and Black (1/1) cards, too.
Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Basketball magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at firstname.lastname@example.org. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.
More junk! Topps basketball anyone?
How is this any different then any of the other five releases so far this year? Only Prizm was unique, everything else is entry level and looks almost the same. Thanks for destroying the hobby Panini!
What do the base cards look like?
MAYBE THEY COULD BRING A BETTER PRODUCT IF THEY STOP MAKING BASEBALL UNTIL THEY GET THE PROPER LIECENCING
does panini have any original ideas or will they continue to pillage old releases ?
…funny enough, I happen to be VERY picky and don’t actually have a problem with these.
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Map markers and quest timers have been added.
Black Salt Games has released DREDGE patch 1.1.0. The Lovecraftian Fishing Game now lets players zoom and scroll on the map. Players can also add up to fifty markers to the map, which they can view with the spyglass.
Timers have been removed from certain quests. The timers for Hooded Figures, Castaway and other quests have been removed. Players who had previously missed the deadlines will still receive the books they were awarded.
The patch also brings with it a variety of other changes. The basic material spots will replenish over time. Quest Items will now be described to let you know that after using them, they can easily be thrown out. The quest items are now more visible thanks to a tweaked visual effect.
DREDGE will be released on March 31st, 2023.
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Made.com has seen its sales surge 38% year-on-year to £434m, boosted by its marketplace offering and its performance in the UK and Continental Europe.
In the 52 week period ending 31 December 2021 it reported that UK sales increased 38% to £228m, while Continental Europe also saw a 38% increase to £206m.
The online retailer said its performance was also aided by its active customers increasing 26% over the past year to 1.3 million. It added that its second half performance has been particularly strong, with £220m gross sales, a year-on year growth of +25% and two-year growth of +69%.
However, it said full-year growth was “adversely impacted” by the closure of Vietnamese factories due to Covid restrictions and industry-wide disrupted global supply chains.
It said these disruptions meant that up to 20% of key high performing furniture ranges were unavailable during peak trading this Autumn.
Philippe Chainieux, CEO of Made, said: “I am delighted with how well the business is performing, with strong customer growth in all markets and the self-help measures implemented in H2 2021 now mitigating the impact of industry wide supply chain issues.
“Indeed, by the end of H1, we expect average lead times to be significantly below pre-lockdown levels and, with the acceleration of the homeware product range, the company is well positioned to deliver its strategic initiatives in 2022.”