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The phrase “I thought I’d have my personal jetpack by now, or at least my flying car” is often used to temper excitement about improvements in personal transportation technology, such as fuel-cell vehicles or autonomous vehicles.
There are plenty of company’s working on the latter, including some big names like Hyundai and Toyota; however, it’s a small one — AirCar — making news these days. The two seat is undergoing testing in Slovakia, completing a 35-minute flight from Nitra to Bratislava June 28.
The trip marked the 142nd time the craft has successfully landed. Nearly as importantly, the nearly 60-mile trip takes nearly 90 minutes to complete when simply driving from one city to the other, officials at Klein Vision, the company developing the aircraft noted.
“This flight starts a new era of dual transportation vehicles. It opens a new category of transportation and returns the freedom originally attributed to cars back to the individual,” said Stefan Klein, the engineering professor who created the AirCar prototype after exiting the cockpit in Bratislava.
Plenty of competition
AirCar’s progress is noteworthy, but the company has plenty of competition — some of it pretty formidable. Hyundai and General Motors recently revealed plans to explore the flying car segment with the South Korean maker saying it’s accelerated its efforts.
Hyundai Global Chief Operating Officer Jose Munoz, who also heads up the company’s North American operations, told a group of investors and media that an air taxi service could be operational by 2025, if everything goes well.
He noted his company is ahead of its original timetable for producing a useable flying car, originally 2028.
GM earlier this year rolled out a Cadillac flying concept vehicle at CES 2021. “It’s a very nascent space,” Fletcher later noted. “There’s a lot of work to be done on the regulatory side, as well as the actual technology side.”
In January, the company teased a four-rotor prototype dubbed the VTOL (vertical-take-off-and-landing), is “designed for the moment when time is of the essence and convenience is everything,” said Michael Simcoe, GM’s vice president of global design, at the time.
Details about the VTOL were scarce, though Simcoe did note the concept would use a 90 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. The flying car would be targeted at Cadillac customers. Other automakers are also putting resources — human and financial — behind the effort to develop a flying car, including Toyota, Daimler AG, Aston Martin and Geely.
Last fall, AirCar’s fifth-generation model went through early-stage testing, including several takeoffs and landings as well as some in-air maneuvers. The latest trip pushed that progress further.
“AirCar is no longer just a proof of concept; flying at 8,200 feet at a speed of 100 knots, it has turned science fiction into a reality,” said Anton Zajac, the co-founder of Klein Vision. The current prototype is powered by a 160-horsepower 4-cylinder engine from BMW with a max cruising speed of nearly 120 mph, or 103 knots. It converts from plane to car in 3 minutes.
Under the supervision of the Civil Aviation Authority, the AirCar has completed more than 40 hours of test flights, including steep 45 degree turns and stability and maneuverability testing.
The next-generation model, AirCar Prototype 2, gets a few upgrades, notably a 300-hp engine. With its variable pitch propeller, the Prototype 2 is expected to have a cruise speed of nearly 190 mph, or 162kt, and range of 621miles.
The company is still not offering up details about when they expect it will be available for purchase — and what that purchase price will be.


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Weekly Potato Report
Michigan Potato Industry Commission
August 27, 2014
Dealers report that current chip potato supplies are more than sufficient to meet processor needs. East Coast weather has picked up. Growers want to dig more potatoes, to clean up supplies that had backed up during the wet weather of the past few weeks. Chip demand is good, though our sources are reporting a seasonal slowdown. Eastern growing areas are experiencing some challenges with oversized chip potatoes (in excess of 4 inches in diameter).
Michigan’s harvest is moving forward. They report good quality and yields on potatoes currently being harvested. However, the wet summer weather is exacerbating the blight situation. The industry may attempt to use some of the blight infested potatoes out of the field, which could exacerbate the current supply situation. Several growing areas, including Michigan, New York and Idaho are experiencing issues related to extremely wet weather, on this year’s potato crop.
US fresh potato shipments for the week ending August 23 totaled 1.838 million cwt. That is up from 1.749 million cwt shipped cwt during the same period in 2013. Michigan shipments for the week ending August 23 totaled 4,500 cwt, compared to 5,200 cwt during the same week last year. All of last week’s Michigan shipments were Round White potatoes.
Wisconsin packers are selling baled 10# bags of size A Russets for mostly $7.00-$7.50 per bale, down from $7.50 per bale at this time last week. They are selling 40-80 count cartons for $11.00-$12.00 per 50# box, unchanged from last week. The weighted average shipping point price Idaho Norkotahs is $11.27 per cwt, down from $12.15 at this time last week.
Wisconsin shippers are selling size A Round White potatoes for mostly $7.00-$8.00 per 50# bag, unchanged from last week at this time. Delaware shippers also are selling 50# sacks of size A Round White potatoes for $7.00 per bag, down from $8.00 per bag at this time last week. Delaware Chefs are selling for $10.00 per 50# bag, down from $12.00 per bag a week ago.
This Weekly Potato Report includes current Michigan grower issues, in depth market news, and other time sensitive information. This report contains market sensitive information and your candor in using this information is appreciated. Your comments and suggestions are vital to improving this report and other services.
If you would like to receive this report either by E-mail or Fax, please call the MPIC office at 517-253-7303, Fax: 517-253-7373, or Email: email@example.com. For the MPIC gateway web page, go to http://mipotato.com. The WPR is updated weekly on Wednesday afternoon.

domain: news


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EPA to adopt five flammable refrigerants2nd March 2015
The rule confirms ethane (R170), isobutane (R600a), propane (R290), the hydrocarbon blend R441A and the “mildly flammable” low GWP HFC R32 as acceptable under the USA’s Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) Programme.
The initial proposal, first reported on the Cooling Post in June, is now due to be published in the US government’s Federal Register. The rule will become effective 30 days after its publication.
The five refrigerant substitutes will be deemed as acceptable, subject to use conditions, in several refrigeration and air conditioning end-uses, including household refrigerators and freezers, retail food refrigeration, stand-alone equipment, very low temperature refrigeration, non-mechanical heat transfer, vending machines and room air conditioning units.
Their use will be subject UL standards regarding refrigerant charge size limits, and requirements for markings on equipment using these refrigerants. This action also exempts the four hydrocarbon refrigerants from the Clean Air Act Section 608 prohibitions on venting, release, or disposal. HFC32, however, remains prohibited from being knowingly vented or otherwise knowingly released.
The full document can be found here.
EPA proposes approval of hydrocarbons – June 27, 2014
USA: The US Environmental Protection Agency has proposed four hydrocarbon refrigerants be approved for use in six refrigeration and air conditioning applications. Read more…


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Following shifts in the direct-selling community during 2019, Sharing Services Global Corporation (OTCQB: SHRG) is prepared to face both the challenges and opportunities presented in the new year. An article discussing the company reads, “While direct selling has traditionally been the choice for entrepreneurs interested in creating their own hours and taking control of their income, the desire for freedom is now often satiated with side hustles and a growing gig economy. The lure of the gig economy comes from a minimal need for capital and training. ‘You don’t need sales skills to be an Uber driver,’ Douglas Lane of Lane Research told Direct Selling News (http://ibn.fm/d3WTq). ‘You wake up, turn on your phone — and customers fall out of the sky.’ . . . While this might sound like bad news for direct-selling companies, the consumer-demand pendulum may be shifting away from convenience in lieu of old-fashioned customer service — and even a desire for safety, as seen in recent headlines (http://ibn.fm/zUAbL). As consumers seek quality experiences with sales representatives who see them as more than a dollar sign, SHRG is well equipped to fill the void. Dedicated to more than just sales, Sharing Services is in the business of elevating its sales force, or Elepreneurs, and helping them find success and passion on multiple levels. A significant difference between a gig job and what SHRG offers lies in the passion and commitment its Elepreneurs feel for the product and company.”
To view the full article, visit http://ibn.fm/m90X5
About Sharing Services Global Corporation
Sharing Services Global Corporation, formerly Sharing Services Inc., is a diversified company with Elepreneurs Holdings and Elevacity Holdings being its primary operating subsidiaries. SHRG markets and distributes health and wellness products that are sold under the Elevate brand through an independent sales force of distributors, or Elepreneurs, using a marketing strategy that is a form of direct selling. Sharing Services’ current product offerings include its Elevate health and wellness product line, launched in December 2017. The Elevate product line consists of nutraceutical products that the company refers to as D.O.S.E., which stands for dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphins. For more information, visit www.SHRVcom.com, www.Elevacity.com or www.Elepreneur.com.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to SHRG are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/SHRG
QualityStocksNewsBreaks provide a rapid summary of corporate news that catch the attention of QualityStocks. QualityStocksBreaks are designed to keep investors up to date on important and breaking news in the small-cap and micro-cap markets. Spanning all industries, including energy, entertainment, telecommunications, healthcare, retail and more, these news breaks deliver opportunities the investment community may have missed. Whether it is earnings results, mergers and acquisitions, or any other market-moving news, our news breaks keep you in the know. QualityStocks is committed to connecting subscribers with companies that have huge potential to succeed in the short and long-term future. It is part of our mission statement to help the investment community discover emerging companies that offer excellent growth potential.


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In a surprise move, the Pokemon GO inspired ‘Jurassic World: Alive‘ has been launched in Canada!
The game is developed by Ludia, who are the developers behind the the mobile games ‘Jurassic Park Builder’ and ‘Jurassic World: the Game’.
In Jurassic World™ Alive, players can collect a variety of dinosaurs while exploring their own neighborhoods and cities around the world. Free in-game incubators and exclusive dinosaurs, including unimaginable creatures featured in Jurassic Worldv and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom™ lie behind every corner, just waiting to be discovered.
Check out the first footage of the game below!
‘Jurassic World: Alive’ is expected to hit the app store worldwide tomorrow, though it remains unclear when it will hit Android devices. We will update the article once the game is available on more devices.
Are you excited to play ‘Jurassic World: Alive’? Sound off in the comments below, and stay tuned for the latest news!
Thanks to RabeDoesStuff on Twitter for sharing the footage!


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SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Internet shares rose Monday, as VerticalNet flexed its muscles, along with other business-to-business software stocks.
The Amex Internet Index ($IIX) gained 1.1 percent Monday, while the Goldman Sachs Internet Index ($GIN) rose 0.9 percent. Merrill Lynch’s Internet Holdrs, (HHH) edged up 0.2 percent.
In broader technology markets, the Nasdaq Composite ($COMPQ) added 28.49 points, or 0.7 percent, to 4,274.67. The Pacific Stock Exchange Technology Index ($PSE) rose 0.7 percent on the backs of Internet and chip shares.
VerticalNet (VERT) powered ahead by 10 29/32 points, or 21 percent, to 62 1/32. Goldman Sachs analyst Jamie Friedman placed the business-to-business software stock on the "recommended for purchase list." Previously, the stock was rated a "market outperformer."
Internet exchange software companies Ariba (ARBA) and Commerce One (CMRC), meanwhile, took a breather, as both business-to-business stocks gave back a portion of last week’s strong gains. Ariba edged down 1 13/16 points to 122 3/4. Commerce One, which is set to announce earnings Tuesday, lost 5 9/16, or 8 percent, to 64 3/8.
Still, analysts continued to praise both, especially Commerce One’s stock. The company blasted past its year-ago comparisons in the first quarter, as sales shot up 1,564 percent to $35 million from $2.1 million. CS First Boston analyst Chris Vroom said that Commerce One will report "strong" results on Tuesday. He noted that the company's stock was trading at a 30 percent discount to Ariba's.
Also, he said another exchange company, Purchase Pro (PPRO), should make its numbers this week. Shares of Purchase Pro shed 2 7/16 to 45 1/2.
CareerBuilder (CBDR) shares were the very hottest in the sector, as Knight Ridder (KRI) and Tribune Co. (TRB) agreed to acquire the career site operator for $8 a share in cash. Shares of CareerBuilder shot up 3 11/16, or 89 percent, to 7 13/16.
Internet stalwarts Yahoo (YHOO) and AOL (AOL) both gained. Yahoo pushed ahead 3 5/8 points, or 3 percent, to 131 5/8, while AOL gained fractionally to 62 1/4.
AOL hopes its customers soon will be hearing, “You’ve got wireless.” The company said it’s teamed with AT&T Wireless Services (AWE: news, msgs) to offer up AOL’s content to AT&T Wireless's Digital PocketNet subscribers. The service is expected to launch in the fall.
"This new agreement shows that AOL has truly gone wireless," said Dennis Patrick, president of AOL Wireless. AOL Wireless was launched in February to provide consumers with nationwide wireless services.


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WASHINGTON, DC (BRAIN)—Senator Mark Pryor’s bill, the Consumer Product Safety Commission Reform Act of 2007, jumped its first hurdle this week by passing a Senate Commerce Committee vote.
“In the last two months alone, approximately 2 million toys were recalled for violating lead paint standards, and more than 5 million toys were recalled for containing magnets that come loose and create an ingestion hazard. The recalls were not limited to toys. Candles, all-terrain vehicles, cribs, bunk beds, space heaters, clothes, knives, scuba masks, radios, lamps and electronic equipment were also recalled,” said senator Daniel Inouye, a co-sponsor of the bill, earlier this month as he pressed for its passage.
Given this flurry of recalls, including this week's CPSC recall of Halloween candy pails contaminated with lead paint and a voluntary recall of lead contaminated Halloween cosmetic teeth called, Ugly Teeth, Federal legislators are under pressure to protect consumers, especially children, from harmful consumer products.
Pryor’s bill, Senate bill 2045, is a reauthorization bill set to improve consumer safety through stronger consumer protection laws, increased authority and increased authorization levels. As it currently stands the Act also bans the use of lead in children’s products and establishes a maximum level trace amount of lead allowed in such products.
Last year 21 bicycle suppliers were charged with violating California’s Proposition 65, a law limiting the amount of lead consumer products can contain. And Section 21 of the Act seeks to give state attorneys generals increased authority to prosecute violations of Federal Consumer Product Safety Act.
The Act also increases the maximum per violation civil penalty from $8,000 to $250,000 and the maximum civil penalty for a related series of violations from $1.825 million to $100 million. Second, the Act strikes the requirement that violators of the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA) may only be criminally prosecuted after repeated warnings. It also makes a knowing violation of the CPSA punishable by up to a year imprisonment and a knowing and willful violation punishable by up to a five year imprisonment.
The CPSC Reform Act has a long way to go in the legislative process. It is strongly opposed by the Bush administration and CPSC’s acting chairwoman Nancy Nord, who is under pressure to resign in the wake of recent recalls.


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CHICAGO — Despite soy's reputation as a good-for-you superfood, the soy market has declined 16% from 2008 to 2010, according to Mintel.
The research firm said that the decline — which could be attributed to customers cutting back on premium-priced soy items, competition from other foods and beverages that provide similar benefits and perhaps better taste — also could factor into the drop in soy sales.
Looking ahead, Mintel projected that the market for soy food and beverages will decline an additional 17% during 2010 to 2012, primarily due to several factors, including competitive non-soy-based product threats, higher ingredient prices passed on to consumers, soy burnout and soy allergies.
"Aside from the depressed economy, consumers are experiencing soy burnout," Mintel senior analyst David Browne said. "Not too long ago, American consumers were told soy is a superfood that they can't get enough of, but now they're hearing that they may be getting too much. With soy aversion now a relevant concern, there are tons of competitive products available that have made it easy to switch to something new."


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“This year, we are committed to offer our overseas merchants more personalised and customised solutions so they can receive faster and more direct assistance from the platform, which enable them to accelerate their growth in China,” said Tmall president Jet Jing at the launch of the company’s international expansion plans.
Speaking at the Tmall Global 2018 Global Partners Summit, he revealed that the new centres will be located in Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong as well as regions of North America, Europe and Oceania.
According to Alizila, an Alibaba-owned news portal, he went on to highlight Tmall’s insight capabilities, which would help overseas vendors to better understand the behaviour and preferences of Chinese consumers.
Alvin Liu, general manager of Tmall Global, also explained that the company, which already offers more than 18,000 brands from 74 countries and territories, aimed to attract even more overseas brands into China.
“Our goal is to give Chinese consumers the best shopping experience. Therefore, we will only select the best quality and most popular brands to bring to China,” Liu said.
“We must discover new categories and find new products so Chinese consumers can find items that are best-suited to their needs,” he added.
Tmall Global plans to increase its consumer base to 200 million shoppers within three years, Liu said, and aims to do so by improving the traceability of products sold on the platform.
It would mean, for example, that blockchain technology would enable consumers to track their orders through every stage of delivery, starting with the factory in the country of origin.
Another aspect of the global expansion plan involves helping smaller overseas brands to introduce their products more quickly via increased usage of bonded warehouses to reduce costs as well as improved information and customer feedback.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, Swedish fashion retailer H&M said that it has opened an online store on Tmall with the expectation that the partnership would help it with consumer insights and give it greater reach in lower tier cities.
“Something we’re really focusing on is trying to understand where consumer behaviour, and especially here, the fashion sense of the consumer is heading,” said Magnus Olsson, H&M’s country manager, in an interview with Reuters.
“There are also other advantages with the Tmall tie-up and that is that in most of the tier 3 or 4 cities where we’re not present, H&M might not be as well known, but Tmall is, so they find H&M through that platform until we come with a store.”
Sourced from Alizila, Reuters; additional content by WARC staff


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Underlying vulnerabilities in the global supply chain became apparent in the recent chip shortage. Chips are the indispensable core product for autos, personal electronics, and home appliances. Because of the shortage and delays in the supply chain, the auto industry could experience a $61 billion loss in revenue.
The problem has escalated to the point where governments are getting involved to help alleviate short-term bottlenecks and to develop policies that protect the stability of the semiconductor supply chain in order to avoid disruptions over the long run.
The United States is the global leader in chip design, with American companies accounting for 47% of global chip sales in 2019. America has the edge because we still attract top talent from around the world to design chips, and also because American companies invest over 16.5% of their R&D spending on semiconductors.
The key challenge comes from the fact that the United States may be the leader in chip design, but almost all the manufacturing takes place in East Asia (Taiwan and South Korea). To build a fabrication facility for semiconducting chips takes anywhere from 24 to 42 months and can cost between $1.7 billion to $5.4 billion to construct, depending on the type of chips manufactured. To make things worse, there was a combination of natural disasters and fabrication incidents that made the shortage even worse. This problem cannot be fixed overnight.
Here are several key trends:
- Over the next ten years, countries will incentivize the “reshoring” of the semiconductor supply chain to protect their country’s industries.
- China will continue to invest heavily in fabrication and design. The Chinese recognize this is a critical long-term investment for their tech industry.
- The United States will continue to be the leader in chip design and will gain shares in manufacturing after 2020 issues are resolved. This will be a growth opportunity for communities that want to diversify their manufacturing base.
- Europe will recommit to semiconductor manufacturing to increase production to 20% of the world’s chip supply.
- More and more semiconductor companies will move away from “contract manufacturing” chips towards a fully integrated model. They will design, build, and sell chips.
- There will be a substantial investment in design and fabrication to take advantage of the surging chip demand.
- Artificial Intelligence, 5G, the Internet of Things, and driverless vehicles will lead to a massive demand for chips. The winners will be the communities and companies that make investments and pursue innovation.
With every crisis or challenge, comes opportunities. It just depends on how you view the world.


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Besides Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton, Goo Hye Sun experienced a princess effect after her hot pink dress sold out immediately.
The 37-year-old actress revealed a surprising story on her social media, sharing her 1.9 million followers about her current most asked item.
Goo Hye Sun Effect: Actress' Hot Pink Dress Sells Out Immediately
Over Goo Hye Sun's Instagram, the actress-director posted a series of photos for her latest endorsement.
In some of her photos, The King and I star was donning a wrapped around a hot pink dress. The vibrant colors compliment her skin tone perfectly, making her porcelain skin shine.
Interestingly, she revealed in the caption that she gets a lot of questions regarding the dress.
"I have received a lot of inquiries about the dress I wore in the TRY commercial, so I'll pass it on," she wrote.
Unfortunately, she revealed that it was currently sold out, but the surprising thing is how much it retails.
"I bought the dress for 30,000 won and filmed it. Currently, they are all sold out. -Director Ku-"
On the other hand, netizens had some hilarious reactions to Goo Hye Sun's Instagram post.
While most of her followers pointed out how stunning she is, some fans noted how she made the dress look like it was worth millions of won.
Goo Hye Sun Teases Fans With her Split with 'Boyfriend'
Besides her recent IG post, the 37-year-old actress recently made it to the headlines after teasing fans with her current relationship status.
On May 12, Goo Hye Sun shared a cryptic Instagram caption that says, "I broke up with my boyfriend," alongside some photos that exude sadness and despair.
Fans immediately showed their support and love for the actress; however, some pointed out that it might be a hint for her new CF.
Lo and behold, the actress shared a series of behind-the-scenes photos and photos for her ad with the Korean underwear company TRY.
Alongside an advertisement video, she revealed that she doesn't have a boyfriend but showed off her collaboration with the brand.
I broke up with my boyfriend. I decided not to return your underwear. It's more comfortable than you," she wrote, adding the label "director Ku."
In March 2022, Goo Hye Sun was selected as their muse and was also chosen to direct advertisements with the brand.
As cited by AllKpop, a representative revealed what prompted them to introduce the 37-year-old star as their newest ambassador.
"We have decided to select actress Goo Hye Sun as our brand model and advertisement director because her passion and personality to take on the challenge was in line with our brand image," the official mentioned.
Goo Hye Sun is best known for her character Geum Jan Di in the mega-hit K-drama Boys Over Flowers alongside Lee Min Ho, Kim Bum, Kim Hyun Joong, and Kim Joon.
Now, she is currently making a name for herself as a filmmaker and is set to release her indie movie Dark Yellow.
Stay tuned to EpicStream for the latest news and updates about Goo Hye Sun.


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In the 1990s, Air Transat was in 'takeover mode'
Two decades ago, CBC's Venture looked at Transat's efforts to soar above its competition
Throughout its first decade, Air Transat had been working hard to grow its business and soar above its competitors.
But as CBC-TV's business program Venture reported back in 1997, the airline tourism business was "no holiday," even for established players like the Montreal-based company.
- CBC Business | Air Canada in exclusive talks to buy Air Transat
"Thin margins and lately, price wars," said reporter Tassie Notar, when explaining the challenges of the industry to Venture viewers. "Difficult decisions must be made."
The program sat down with Jean-Marc Eustache, the head of Transat A.T. Inc., to get a sense of where he wanted to take the company in the years to come.
"I would like to be one of the five or six biggest organizations in the world in tourism," Eustache told Venture.
- CBC Archives | WestJet: the no-frills airline with three planes
The company had taken steps to make that happen, including by acquiring strategic stakes in a handful of tour operators in France and Canada. Transat was also looking to acquire a business in Britain at that time as well.
'Grow or get swallowed up'
"The package tour business has always been a rough ride. You usually only hear about it when somebody goes under," Notar told viewers, explaining why such moves were necessary.
"These days, it's become so competitive that you have to be big just to survive. And you have to keep getting bigger. Grow or get swallowed up — that's what it's all about."
According to Venture, Transat's two main competitors — Sunquest Vacations and Signature Vacations — had each been purchased by international companies in recent years.
Clout needed to compete
Leo Desrochers of Sunquest Vacations explained that the bigger the company, the more advantages it had for taking on its competition.
"With size, you acquire properties, you acquire cruise ships, you acquire airline seats at a cost that the smaller players can't possibly achieve," he told Venture.
Over at Signature Vacations, Martha Chapman said the company was able to use its size to influence businesses to provide it with preferential rates.
"A lot of it is boiling down to clout," said Chapman.
Clout is something Transat was building, as the company already controlled the planes it flew, as well as a baggage company and travel agencies that it operated.
"It's really a leisure group and the airline, for us, is a tool," said Eustache, predicting that Transat would eventually own hotels as well.
Notar said that control helped the company hold down its costs and maximize its profits.
And the moves Transat had been making seemed to be allowing the company to pilot its own route to success, according to Venture.
"A few years ago, Transat was a takeover target. Now it's Transat that's in a takeover mode," said Notar.


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On a recent Saturday, Jarrett St. Amand loaded his SUV with metal cans filled with CBD-infused cream, gathered his canna friends, and drove west to Adelanto, California.
Their destination? Burning Treez Festival, a major consumer music cannabis festival. The former Marine who served in Somalia’s Operation Restore Hope in 1992 promoted his Jefro’s Botanicals, including two wellness creams, at weed and music parties in the Southwest.
His first cream, Jefro’s Copper Plus+ Massage Cream, won the Best Topical Award at the Phoenix Cannabis Awards Music Festival in May.
St. Amand sells the two-ounce canisters on its website, through online retailers, and in its brick-and-mortar store at 610 West Broadway Road in Tempe. He touts the cream, which retails for $64.95, as “the world’s first CBD cream with Bio-Cu1 (copper1).” Rub it, or the extra-strength version, on your body, and “you’ll feel a tingling sensation, with rapid absorption and quick relief from your discomfort,” St. Amand told me. Phoenix New Times.
Cannabidiol, or CBD, is the non-psychoactive compound in cannabis used by mainstream cream companies to help people with arthritis and pain. Copper1, on the other hand, “absorbs into the applied area to help boost immune defenses and has been proven to grow new blood vessels,” according to the Jefro’s Botanicals site.
By combining the two ingredients in his topicals, which he makes locally with organic and locally grown ingredients, St. Amand created a cream that has touched “so many” people who suffer from a variety of physical ailments, he said. Some customers who claim to have been helped by Jeffro’s Botanicals’ products have sent St. Amand videos, which he reposts on social media.
The extra-strength version of the CBD cream is intended for people with chronic pain, cuts, scrapes, headaches and gout, St. Amand said. The company’s website makes it clear that the products are not “intended to diagnose, treat, cure or maintain any ailment or disease in accordance with FDA guidelines.” However, customers rave about how the creams help them.
More coming from Jeffro’s Botanicals
Roy Moody, a resident of Glendale who served in the United States Air Force for nine years, used the Copper Plus+ Massage Cream to help the gout in his ankle that he said was afflicting him. “It was gone that day, and if I had a problem I just put on some Jefro,” he explained. The cream also helped with a large cyst on his buttocks, he added. “In my record on the main [Veterans’ Administration Medical Center] in Phoenix, [it says] Jefro’s cream and the bio-copper1 made this cyst disappear,” Moody said.
Online, the creams also get props. Jeffro’s Botanicals has received Star Seller status on Etsy, which is a reflection of attentive customer service, five-star reviews, and timely shipping, according to the sales platform. The company also scores a 4.8 out of five in its Google reviews.
St. Amand noted that his creams are “THC, GMO, and pesticide free” and are packed with 400 milligrams of almost completely organic CBD. “We have been a THC free product to stay true to the CBD market. We plan to start a THC brand with big rap artists coming into this wonderful cannabis industry. I think a THC line would help as we experimented with this and had amazing results, although we need a license to work under, to make a THC line,” he said.
St. Amand added that he uses THC for personal and medical reasons.
“I’m Jefro Kush! Heck yes, I consume,” he exclaimed. “I love smoking weed. We say, ‘Hit a weed!'”
He developed the cream because of a tumor developing behind his eye. In 2013, he was operated on at the recommendation of the VA. “After that botched surgery, three months later, my tumor came back the exact same size. And because I was angry about this, I didn’t know what to do, so they told me to come back and have surgery, and I told them, ‘No, I refuse surgery’ because they are going to cut off a quarter of my face and remove the tumor,’ he explained.
After feeling pressure build up in his right eye, he started searching online for different options and came across CBD. “In 2015, I started educating myself and started making my own creams,” said St. Amand. Two years later he started adding one milligram of copper1, then 10 and finally 20. The rest is Jeffro’s history.
But that use comes at a price when it comes to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, St. Amand said. “They literally reduced my VA handicap by 20 percent, which is $500 a month, because I said I smoked weed. It’s in the docs I have. Crazy, but be careful about how much you say to them at the VA. It will come back and definitely hurt your wallet,” he explained.
“Semper Fi,” the veteran added, quoting the Marine Corps motto.
VA guidelines said the agency will not deny the benefits over marijuana, encourages veterans to discuss its use with their suppliers, and will include that use on health records.
But St. Amand said allowing the VA to register marijuana use affects whether or not the agency will prescribe other drugs.
“Yes, we are still able to offer our [cannabis] from local dispensaries. The problem is that [the VA staff allegedly] write notes on your file stating that you have stopped taking your prescription drugs that the VA is trying to push you down your throat,” he said. “Well, after smoking cannabis, where the hell did I or we have those do you need opioids? Business greed, possibly. I feel like we are in a fight, and the only victory is to make these natural medicines legal for all the veterans and people of this earth.”
St. Amand still loves his military comrades; he made several album covers for the canisters of his creams and gives some of those sales to veteran organizations.


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With only 5% of casinos adopting a cashless payment model, many of which are still in beta testing, a tribal casino executive director said while predictions of 60% usage by 2025 are overambitious, there’s going to be “more and more on the gaming floors” over the next five to 10 years.
Kevin Zenishek, who works at the Northern Quest Resort & Casino in Washington state, said during a panel discussion last week at the Global Gaming Expo the way tribal casinos could have closed the adoption rate quicker was if the gaming industry had focused on cashless gaming instead of skill-based gaming over the last several years.
“For those of you who remember the millennial challenge over the last five to 10 years of building skill-based games for millennials, props to the manufacturers for stepping up and developing products to go after that market, but I think it was a miss, hindsight being 20-20,” Zenishek said. “I was a fan of the skill-based games, but looking back, the market should have been focusing on these cashless solutions. We would have had a much better opportunity to bring those younger generations into our properties if we had adopted a better cashless model.”
The adoption of digital payments by operators will reap the rewards with an increase in gross gaming revenue driven by more time on devices, a stickier customer journey, and increased visitation, supporters of cashless gaming argue.
Ron Allen, chairman of the Jamestown S’Kialiam Tribe in Washington state, said cashless is the way that people are doing business in today’s economy. When some people pay in cash, cashiers stare at them, he said.
“It’s a new industry that people are getting comfortable with but it’s a transition,” Allen said. “I know when we stopped putting the quarters in slot machines. You are changing the way you’re doing business. Cashless is the way we’re going but there are ways to transition by using two systems of cashless and cashless. It has a lot to do with the generational adjustments. The new generation is cashless. Whether it’s a casino or tribal government services, it’s a new tool to get people comfortable in using.”
Joseph Watkins, president of Worldpay Gaming Solutions at Worldpay from FIS, said it’s evident that baby boomers and older are more likely to use cash and less likely to use other types of payments. Starting at Gen X, those born between 1965 and 1980, cash starts to disappear, he added.
“The casino floor is also getting younger,” Watkins said. “A recent study shows the average age is down eight years versus pre-COVID.”
Allen said going through the pandemic, many people didn’t want to touch cash for fear COVID could spread through the paper and that has helped properties be more willing to try it.
Rich Roberts, president of Mohegan Digital, said when it comes to tribal operators, there are a lot of technological issues within casinos that have prevented widespread adoption of cashless so far.
“Being on the other side, people think they can get this done easily but most of the casinos are looking at cybersecurity and other things going on within their operations,” Roberts said. “Cashless payments are high on their list, but there’s also a lot to choose from. Will you make that decision and what’s the right opportunity for your operation? And from the Mohegan perspective, we’ve got successful casinos across the country and we just got into digital. If you’re going to make a cashless decision, you need to include digital if you’re going to maintain this 360-model.”
“Those are the challenges but also the opportunities,” Roberts added. “The question is, what’s going to be around in five to 10 years?”
“That makes a lot of sense,” Watkins said. “One of the things that tribes tend to focus on is a generational progress, so we can’t think too short-term and that this is the hot thing but instead what will work in the long term.”
Zenishek said tribal casinos owe it to the industry to be innovative and forward-thinking. He said he wasn’t around when TITO technology was released and there was a shift in the model for not using cash and the labor that comes with it.
“Whoever was behind that movement paved the way to where we’re at today, and we’re now 20-plus years down the road and looking at the next wave,” Zenishek said. “I think it’s important for us to foster the next generation of customers. There’s a lot that have grown up on mobile devices and they use PayPal, Venmo and other mobile solutions that are out there. We need to have a product that’s ready for them when they come to the market and ready to have an entertainment experience.”
Roberts said there are a lot of challenges with the app, however, and the key for the casino floor in the future is having people learn the technology. It needs to be easy for the core demo at the casinos, he said.
“We’re thinking about target-market segments and the potential future generation of on-premise brick-and-mortar gamers,” Zenishek said about what’s happening in the marketplace. “We’re competing with the digital market. Light & Wonder, Everi and IGT are creating mobile social platforms as well as tribes and other operators getting into this space. We want to have a solution for them to pay for their experience so when they come to us it’s not this hard barrier to overcome. We’re looking forward to providing that experience where they can still get out in person and still have a digital environment because the competition is getting fierce by the day.”


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Heist at Israeli crypto-exchange Bancor, $23.5 million lost
TEL AVIV, Israel - Israeli crypto-startup Bancor, which managed to raise $153 million to create a digital token exchange last year, announced this week that it had suffered a heist, in which hackers raided one of its online wallets to the tune of $23.5 million.
The controversial cryptocurrency project first disclosed it had suffered an unspecified security breach earlier this week, to follow up the claim hours later, by a statement on Twitter.
In the statement, the company which calls itself a decentralized crypto-trading platform, explained that hackers had exploited a vulnerability to steal 24,984 Ethereum tokens (ETH) worth approximately $12.5 million, $1 million worth of NPXS and about $10 million worth of Bancor’s native currency known as BNT.
According to the company, the hack occurred at approximately 00:00 UTC when a wallet used to upgrade some smart contracts was compromised.
Bancor stated that this was built in to “be used in an extreme situation to recover from a security breach, allowing Bancor to effectively stop the thief from running away with the stolen tokens.”
The company explained on Twitter that while it was able to freeze the movement of the BNT tokens - stopping the thief from making off with them, it was unsuccessful in doing the same for the Ethereum or for $1 million worth of NPXS tokens.
Further, Bancor added that it had temporarily shut down its network while it addresses the security issues.
Bancor reiterated that it has identified a security breach and will investigate the issue, assuring that no user wallets were compromised and that the company would release a more detailed report soon.
It said that it was now “working together with dozens of cryptocurrency exchanges to trace the stolen funds and make it more difficult for the thief to liquidate them.”
A day after the heist was reported, Konstantin Gladych, CEO of Changelly said in a statement to Cointelegraph that parts of the stolen funds have been exchanged via Changelly.
A month after it launched, in July 2017, the Israeli crypto-startup, received the support of billionaire Tim Draper, and raised $153 million in a span of three hours making it one of the largest Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) ever.
The company created the record on the promise of creating a liquidity market for lesser used digital currencies, even though many in the industry remained skeptical of its premise of using a fluctuating price system to provide an outlet for selling those digital tokens—even if there is no available buyer for them.
Following the heist, many experts are now questioning the exchange' decentralization characteristics.
In response to the robbery, Charlie Lee, the creator of Litecoin, said on Twitter, “A Bancor wallet got hacked and that wallet has the ability to steal coins out of their own smart contracts. An exchange is not decentralized if it can lose customer funds OR if it can freeze customer funds. Bancor can do BOTH. It's a false sense of decentralization.”


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The worldwide gaming audience for gaming video content will reach 665m in 2017, according to the latest report from SuperData, which is more than double the population of the US. The market research firm also expects the worldwide audience to keep growing, with viewership expanding by 21 per cent between 2017 and 2021.
In 2016, SuperData found the gaming video content audience reached 517m viewers on YouTube and 185m on Twitch, figures that surpass mainstream TV channels such as ESPN and HBO. Gaming is also the most dominant category on YouTube after music, with 77m subscribers worldwide.
During 2017, gaming video content is expected to generate $4.6bn in revenue, with $3.2bn of that figure coming from advertising and sponsorships. The remaining portion will be direct to the streamers, from paid subscriptions or voluntary donations. To put that figure into perspective, SuperData says that’s more revenue than the top football leagues in Spain and Germany, which earned $3.2bn and $3.5bn respectively in the 2015-2016 season.
Interestingly, Twitch currently earns 37 per cent of gaming video content revenue despite only having 16 per cent of the total viewership. 51 per cent of Twitch revenue comes from direct spending, versus 31 per cent for the industry as a whole.
PC and console players who watch gaming video content spend over $70 a month on digital games and in-game content, according to SuperData, which is 56 per cent more than their non-viewer counterparts. In the US, 51 per cent of viewers have purchased a game directly after seeing it featured on a stream.
The viewership is changing as well, with SuperData reporting that women now make up 46 per cent of the gaming video content audience. With more and more people tuning in, gaming livestreams are gradually replacing primetime TV viewing, too, with 27 per cent watching most often during weekday evenings. On average, eSports and livestream viewers are also watching over four hours of content per week.
"Gaming Video Content represents a highly desirable market to advertisers due to the fact that its audience is young, tech-savvy and willing to spend money,” says Carter Rogers, research manager at SuperData Research.
Companies who do not advertise to GVC viewers risk missing potential customers as they turn to streams over legacy media. With a global audience that reaches more viewers than HBO, Netflix, ESPN and Hulu combined, brands could be losing out on the next primetime viewing activity, not unlike TV or sports viewing at their peaks.”


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NEW YORK, July 12, 2012 -- StriVectin, the world's largest, independent, prestige, anti-aging skin care brand, today announced that Melisse Shaban has been elevated to Chairman and JuE Wong has been appointed Chief Executive Officer, effective July 10, 2012. "StriVectin's growth surge continues on the back of our clinically proven, unique technology," Ms. Shaban said. "We are on a tear---and we needed to enhance our leadership team to support this growth. We intend to continue to delight and surprise our consumers and provide unrivalled support to our retail partners. We are thrilled to have JuE's unique skills to take us to the next level."
Ms. Wong joins StriVectin following a long and successful career in the beauty industry. Most recently, she served as Chief Executive Officer of Astral Health & Beauty, which achieved meaningful growth through product innovations and expansion of global distribution under her leadership. Prior to Astral, Ms. Wong held senior leadership positions at ZO Skin Health by Dr. Obagi, N.V. Perricone M.D. Cosmeceuticals, and Murad, Inc., all of which achieved exceptional growth during her tenure. Ms. Wong received a B.A. with Honors from The Australian National University and has served on the Boards of the American Heart Association and the Atlanta Chapter of the YMCA.
"JuE's international experience and direct channel experience will be invaluable in our next phase of growth," Ms. Shaban said. "The reformulation of the StriVectin line with the breakthrough proprietary NIA 114™ technology is now complete. Women around the world are enjoying the benefits of younger looking skin through cellular level molecular regeneration---we are truly making the world younger looking and more beautiful, one face at a time. We are incredibly fortunate to have JuE's proven leadership skills to help us grow this revolution, in an industry that has traditionally offered more hope than results. In my continuing role as Chairman, I will focus more heavily on strategy and technological innovation."
"I am pleased to join the talented team at StriVectin and share their confidence in StriVectin's continued growth and product innovation opportunities," said Ms. Wong. "StriVectin's reputation as a leader in scientific innovation is evident in its proprietary NIA-114™ technology, rooted in over 30 years of research into DNA repair and skin cancer prevention. In recognition of this dedication to technology, StriVectin has been awarded numerous industry accolades, including the 'Skin Sense Award' by The Skin Cancer Foundation and '2012 Winner - Prestige Moisturizer' by Cosmetic Executive Women. In joining StriVectin, I see an opportunity to build on these successes by continuing to launch technologically innovative products and further strengthen our retail partnerships across the globe."


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Hillsborough County Florida is using a mix of expanding polyurethane foam and conventional cement grout as a more cost effective means of filling sinkholes. Officials say the mix uses 30 to 40% less grout adding up to a 30% cost savings. The article in the Tampa Tribune did not indicate the contractor or product name that they are using but apparently several agencies in California and other states are using the same material. Story via ASCE SmartBrief.
Sinkhole in Florida opens overnight, swallows and kills man
March 4, 2013 rockman Geologic Hazards Comments Off on Sinkhole in Florida opens overnight, swallows and kills man
Massive Sinkhole in Louisiana’s Bayou Corne
September 7, 2012 rockman Failures Comments Off on Massive Sinkhole in Louisiana’s Bayou Corne
Dead Sea Sinkhole Could Swallow Tourists, Close Facilities
June 25, 2009 rockman Geologic Hazards Comments Off on Dead Sea Sinkhole Could Swallow Tourists, Close Facilities
Sinkholes at the Dead Sea have threatened tourists and forced Israeli (and perhaps Jordanian)authorities to close various facilities and cancel development plans to avoid these geologic hazards. These are not your typical Karst sinkholes. According […]


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Uralvagonzavod is going to repair armored vehicles in Kazakhstan
24.09.2012 — News
The Uralvagonzavod Research and Production Corporation and the national Kazakhstan Engineering company signed a memorandum of cooperation during the IX Russia-Kazakhstan Interregional Cooperation Forum, which was held on September 19 in Pavlodar.
The corporation's press office told RusBusinessNews that the document was a confirmation of the parties' intention to establish a joint venture in the republic to repair and upgrade armored tanks. This memorandum serves the interests of both the Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan, and makes it possible for Uralvagonzavod to expand its sales of products and services.
Kazakhstan Engineering consists of a group of 24 businesses that specialize in the manufacture of products for the oil and gas industry, railroads, and agribusiness, in addition to the production and repair of weapons and military equipment.
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© RusBusinessNews, 2009.
All rights reserved.
Establishing a hyperlink to RIA RusBusinessNews is required for using any of the material published on this website.
News and analytical reviews are translated into foreign languages by the TRANSLIT Translation Agency
|«Sum of technologies»®


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You have probably come across different ideas about the general safety of vaping and what makes it safer than products of traditional cigarettes and tobacco. Perhaps you have heard statements about vaping being totally safe and without any potential harm. On the other side, statements that paint vaping to be less safe. You are not alone. Many people out there are also curious about these conflicting opinions. After a thorough exploration of what hard science holds about vaping, we understood a great deal of reality about the effects of vaping on consumers’ health.
In this article, we will be examining if vaping is bad or safe, vaping Vs cigarettes smoking, smoking cigars, and the properties that make nicotine addictive.
Vaping Vs. Cigarettes
Studies conducted in the United Kingdom by the Royal College of Physicians reveal that e-cigarettes cause below 5% of the type of harm caused by smoking tobacco. That implies that e-cigarettes and vaporizers in terms of harm are nowhere near the effects of cigarettes smoking. In spite of this science-based fact, some media outlets work relentlessly in projecting the false, unsupported ideas that the effects of using vape mods are more or less like those of smoking cigarettes. Though vaping involves some nicotine, the amount is quite small, and it also contains a small number of harmful chemicals as well as the tar that causes cancer. While vaping comes with minor amounts of these substances, they are predominant in cigarette smoke.
Another research carried out at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute found that vaping toxicants from e-cigarettes compared to cigarette smoke are 9-450 times much lower. This findings are quite revealing and show that people in the vaping community take in a very small amount of those chemicals with their premium liquid vape modes or e-cigarettes compared to the overwhelmingly problematic chemicals smokers of cigarettes absorb.
Further, Konstantinos Farsalinos who is actually a cardiologist and an expert in e-cigarettes from the University of Patras in Greece made a discovery which states that when juxtaposed with cigarette smoking, vaping has a particularly little impact on the cardiovascular system generally. According to suggestions from the study, the use of e-cigarette compared to smoking cigarettes can lead to improvement of the user’s health in the long-run.
The major differences between vaporizers and cigarettes are the substances they each contain.
- Contain no tar
• Produces no carbon monoxide
• Four ingredients
• No second-hand smoke
• No stink
• carbon monoxide
• Thousands of chemicals
• Second smoke
How Harmful is Vaping E-Cigars?
The smoke released by conventional cigars comprises a relatively high amount of toxins and tar compared to smoke from standard cigarettes. Also, cigar users differ in the way they smoke compared to those who consume cigarettes and vaporizers. Smokers of cigarettes typically spend a couple of minutes to smoke and also do inhale the smoke.
With cigars, most consumers don’t inhale the smoke. Rather they only savor the smoke flavor in the mouth. However, this doesn’t still stop cigar smokers from absorbing the nicotine in the product. Cigars take longer to burn, and smoking them can last for an hour.
Common Misconceptions About Vaping
Several studies clarify the high negative impact of smoking tobacco has over vaping or e-cigarettes. The thing is, the mainstream media is just not ready to give these many scientific studies and their outcomes the spotlight they merit. The study which got significant media attention was conducted by Portland State University, and it was on a discovery that e-cigarettes are capable of producing formaldehyde if used in high temperatures areas.
With the press covering the news about the discovery, the information spread quickly online. An NBC.com headline also reported about the discovery, highlighting that vaping produces(vape tanks,vape pens ,vape mods …. ) high Levels of Formaldehyde found in E-Cigs. Next, was an article published by Tech Times that also ran the same story. What is the biggest problem regarding the study, and those articles were that the vaporizers produced formaldehyde at an extremely high volume that was beyond any average human to inhale the vapor.
Even Konstantinos Farsalinos of Portland State University publishes these types of stories without giving attention to the fact that the voltage at which formaldehyde was produced was almost impossible any human to inhale. These headlines perhaps pushed a lot of people to keep smoking cigarettes due to the fear that e-cigarettes contain formaldehyde.
The media published many stories and never cared to mention that people who conducted the study never stated that when used at lower or average temperatures, vaporizers cannot produce formaldehyde. The authors of the study themselves got frustrated with the way their data had been hijacked by the mainstream media to hype the unfounded idea that e-cigarettes are rather more dangerous than tobacco. David Peyton, one of the authors of the PSU study told New York Times that it was extremely frustrating for them who did the study to hear the media pushing a false narrative that e-cigarettes have more damaging effects on users than cigarettes.
How Addictive is Nicotine?
The vapor e-cigarettes produce contain a small amount of toxins as well as harmful substances compared to cigarettes or cigars. Nicotine has attracted so much press attention since it was discovered that it contributes to causing cancer but does not cause cancer by itself. The media still runs stories that make nicotine a cause of cancer, and that is without evidence. However, nicotine is addictive. The Royal Society for Public Health piloted a survey which showed that 90% of UK residents still harbor the wrong belief that nicotine is a cancer-causing substance.
Though tobacco like other substances is among the most addictive just behind cocaine and heroin, nicotine, however, may not come with the same amount of addiction as previously thought. It is the main addictive substance found in tobacco, but more recent research has revealed that when smoked in tobacco, the effects are less strong. A Neuropharmacology story revealed that the use of tobacco comes with one of the leading rates of addiction. Paradoxically, when it comes to animal models, the substance is rather a feeble reinforcer. This may imply that it could be the combination of nicotine and other substances that make tobacco so addictive and not only nicotine alone.
In 2015 Harvard University conducted a study analyzing pyrazines which are additives found in “light” cigarettes. The results of the study illustrated how the additives helped nicotine delivery. So nicotine is perhaps not alone in raising tobacco addiction levels. With studies such as linking other addictive properties to tobacco, there is also speculation about the level at which nicotine alone is addictive. Quantity also plays a big role in how much impact nicotine has on a consumer, which goes back to vaping that has to do with a significantly small amount of the substance as compared to the high levels found in cigars and cigarettes.
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- Langit is a social enterprise founded in December 2015 that targets rural farmers in Sabah and Sarawak with the aim of helping them sell their produce to a larger audience in Malaysia.
- The products sold under the Langit label include different types of grains, and spices such as ginger and pepper.
- Langit also organises training programmes and events to help them improve their agricultural technique and teach them about sustainable entrepreneurship.
For all the talk of socioeconomic progress, it’s clear that much of Malaysia’s rural community still suffers from a lack of many things, among them being a source of reliable income. In Sabah and Sarawak, this especially holds true for families that rely on agriculture and farming activity to sustain their livelihoods.
Faced with oversupply, poor market access, and unfair pricing, these farmers are often left stranded in their search for a stable means to earn a living and are often faced with the prospect of having to live day-to-day without knowing what comes next.
In an effort to help this group overcome this pain point, four Malaysian friends joined up to create Langit, a social enterprise with a mission to help Sabahan and Sarawakian farmers develop a sustainable economic ecosystem while helping them sell their produce to a larger market around Malaysia.
“Rice Is All We Have”
Langit was officially founded in December 2015 by Lilian Chen, Melisa Lim, Chan Zi Xiang, and Chia Yong Ling after the four met while working together on NGO work.
“Our journey started with rice,” said Lilian. “We were part of an NGO that focused on building basic infrastructures for rural communities.”
Recounting her early experience, Lilian mentioned the one specific project that inspired their initiative—the building of gravity-fed-water systems for the Lun Bawang community in the highlands of Lawas, Sarawak.
“We got really close to our host family as the project progressed. They even gave us Lun Bawang names,” Lilian continued. “They fed us extremely well and we always had leftover rice.”
“The rice tasted amazing, but we could never finish it, so we asked them not to cook so much. But they solemnly said, ‘we have nothing to offer, rice is all we have.’”
It was then that the friends noticed a problem—rice was going to waste, and these farmers hadn’t the opportunity to sell them on a regular basis. So in the Christmas of 2015, the friends attempted to test the demand for the rice by packaging them as gift bundles to sell.
“We sold out a small amount of rice pouches in two days,” Lilian said.
“This was our first motivation to pursue the idea further—to act as the bridge for rural farmers to market their produce to a larger audience.”
Today, Langit actively engage 30 different farmers across three farming communities by helping them sell their produce, with the products sold under their label including three different types of rice (white, red, and black rice), Job’s tears, black pepper, and ginger.
And aside from helping them market their produce to a larger Malaysian audience, Langit also provides these farmers with training programmes and equips them with basic tools and invaluable farming know-how to help them better grow their crops and teach home a bit about entrepreneurship.
From the income, about 35–40% of all revenues then go towards fairly paying farmers for their produce.
“We make sure that they are paid the biggest proportion out of our sale price,” Lilian said. “The payment is their net income as they no longer need to spend on transporting their produce to sell, as we purchase directly at their doorstep.”
“Our business model revolves around fair pricing mechanisms, connecting products to mature urban markets,” she explained further.
“We are also at a stage where we are experimenting on more effective planting, harvesting, and processing methods, so we also invest some of our revenues into organising workshops and buying machinery.”
When The Sowing Gets Tough
When asked about some of the tougher aspects of this initiative, Lilian talked about the problem of licensing and legislation.
“The current legislation on commodities like rice has been our biggest challenge—the entire supply chain from farmer to end consumer requires a business to have multiple licenses at different stages, and these come with large capital and premises requirements,” she said. “It doesn’t favour small businesses, let alone social enterprises like ours.”
She also then mentioned the steep learning curve associated with supply chain management.
“Most of the places we currently work in do not have complementary services such as storage, logistics, or packaging facilities like in urban settings,” she explained. “Hence, we had to fill all these gaps and basically build the entire supply chain on our own.”
“To counter all of these challenges, we’re constantly improving the way we work, seeking our creative solutions while looking out for collaborative opportunities.”
These obstacles however, have also helped the Langit team pick up some invaluable lessons in running an enterprise, chief among them being the importance of timing.
“With our farmers in agriculture, timing is pretty much fixed—be it planting, harvesting, or their festive seasons,” Lilian said. “However, we have to constantly balance demands that do not adhere to these timings.”
“It’s about forecasting and balancing expectations in order to move the business forward.”
Lilian also went on to talk about the importance of collaboration, saying that it was “the way forward.”
“As a small social enterprise, there’s only so much we can achieve as a single organisation,” she said. “Hence, collaborating with strategic partners helps to create the impact we envision at a faster and more creative rate.”
To that end, Langit have already began a number of collaborative projects to use and sell their products with F&B outlets and retailers such as Bobo KL, a restaurant in Bangsar, as well specialty shops such as Snackfood, MARDI Artisan Grocer, and Mano Plus in Penang all among their partners.
Seeds For The Future
Langit will continue to increase these partnerships, and hopefully use them to help diversify their sources of revenue.
“While we pan out the paperwork for legislative purposes—which will then allow us to scale, we are also trying to diversify our revenue streams by organising experiential trips,” she explained. “This July, we are collaborating with the community in Long Semado to host the annual Irau Bua Kaber (Pineapple Festival).
“This is to further promote the event to visitors who are interested in learning about the culture and way of life of the Lun Bawang community.”
All these will ultimately go towards Langit’s plan to gradually expand their reach and hit other markets within the local region.
“It takes a lot of discipline to stay true to our values in business,” said Lilian as she talked about growth. “As we work to be sustainable, it’s easy to be swayed from our original intention, which is to create impact for our farmers.”
“It’s good to have a strong vision that we can fall back on in times of conflict.”
Feature Image Credit: Langit


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Its news that shouldn’t shock anyone then TechRadar Pro Reporting similar stats last year, Google’s web trackers were found to make up half of all trackers out there on the internet.
Data analysis from security visualization firm Lokker’s latest biannual Online data privacy report (Opens in a new tab)VPN service Atlas VPN revealed that out of all the trackers on the web, a staggering 49.9% belong to Google alone.
YouTube and Doubleclick, both Google businesses, have a 13.8% and 8.3% share of online trackers, respectively. Facebook trackers make up 15.7% of online trackers, Microsoft tops the list at 6%, and Hotjar, a behavioral analytics tool, has 6.3%.
Store sensitive data
Internet sites are full of trackers – small website elements that track people as they go about their digital business. Many technology companies then use these trackers to create pseudonymous user profiles and sell them to advertisers.
These profiles are the reason why some ads seem to follow you across the vast plains of the internet, and others seem so pertinent to your interests — even if you’re not logged into a service owned by the tech giants in charge.
Overall, 93.7% of online trackers are either from Google, Facebook, or Microsoft.
These trackers are used to track people’s browsing habits and store IP addresses, as well as other personal information. It helps companies understand how consumers interact with websites and how they make purchases.
However, there are other privacy threats that can corrupt people’s safety online that big tech companies are taking advantage of. Session replay scripts, for example, were found on 35% of the websites analyzed.
These scripts record sessions (people’s interactions with a website) to better understand how they behave when they get to a particular page (how long they stay, where they click, how far they scroll, etc.).
Since these scripts can also capture personally identifiable information that may make users more vulnerable to identity theft, users should consider taking measures to block them, such as a secure browser.


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Changes continue to impact the Windows Phone Youtube app at a fast pace. First came the official Youtube app recieved a major overhaul, then Google complained that the app violated YouTube's API and Terms of Service, then Microsoft updated the app to comply with some of Google's requests.
The latest chapter in this saga has the Youtube app being pulled from the Windows Phone Store and news of a collaboration between Microsoft and Google for a solution.
According to YouTube communications manager Matt McLernon,
"Microsoft and YouTube are working together to update the new YouTube for Windows Phone app to enable compliance with YouTube's API terms of service, including enabling ads, in the coming weeks."
Part of the arrangement has the current YouTube app being pulled and replaced with the previous version of the app until a "compliant" version is developed. As far as the when is concerned on the release of a new version of the app, Microsoft wouldn't expand beyond "in coming weeks".
Source: The Register; Thanks, everyone, for the tips!


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Telstra licensed retail store owners, who operate Telstra branded stores under license from Telstra, rather than a franchise agreement, may get collective bargaining approval with a range of suppliers after the ACCC issued a draft determination in favour of a deal.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has issued a draft determination proposing to grant authorisation to TLS Association Pty Ltd (TLSA) to collectively bargain with a range of suppliers on behalf of Telstra licensed shop owners.
TLSA represents approximately 90 percent of Telstra licensed shops around Australia. It has sought authorisation from the ACCC to engage in collective bargaining with suppliers of telecommunications products and providers of general small business services on behalf of its members.
The ACCC considers the collective bargaining arrangements should bring cost savings for individual TLSA members. It believes that as the proposed arrangements involve only a small proportion of participants in the relevant markets, there is little or no risk of anti competitive detriment.
The ACCC notes that participation in the collective negotiations is voluntary for all parties and does not impose any restrictions on the ability of TLSA members to deal directly with any supplier.
Telstra licensed retail store owners are likely to gain approval to engage in collective bargaining for a period of five years if the ACCC’s draft proposal gets final approval.


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Pupils from Brechin High School collected their £1 World Book Day tokens settling down to read their free books at an event held at the school on March 7.
This fabulous global month long celebration of books and reading got off to a great start at BHS with competitions, literacy activities and a free, downloadable World Book Day app, with exclusive short stories by leading teen authors.
The library is also currently hosting a film presentation by Mr Colquhoun’s S2 English class, which recently took part in the Scottish Book Trust’s ReadIT Project where pupils produced ‘Book Trailers’ using Moviemaker® as a means of improving engagement with reading and writing, and developing skills in digital storytelling.
World Book Day is in its 16th year and on March 7 children from across the UK and Ireland were given book tokens for the chance to choose one of eight new and completely free books.
Alternatively pupils could use the voucher to get £1 off any book or audio book over £2.99 at participating bookshops.
World Book Day is a celebration of authors, illustrators, books and (most importantly) it’s a celebration of reading.
In fact, it’s the biggest celebration of its kind, designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, and marked in over 100 countries all over the world.
Thanks to the generosity of National Book Tokens Ltd, publishers and booksellers more than more than 14 million vouchers were send to children under the age of 18.


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Banks reach deal to sell SRS Ltd’s retail, realty business to recover loans
Focus keywords: bank lenders, real estate
Story: Lenders to SRS Ltd have reached an agreement with its promoters to sell the Faridabad-based company’s retail and real estate businesses to recover loans, two people directly aware of the development said on condition of anonymity reports Mint.
The decision to put more businesses on the block was taken after SRS Ltd, which is present in retail, real estate, healthcare and multiplexes, failed to agree on the valuation of its cinema exhibition business, it is reported.
Confirming the latest development, a spokesperson for the SRS Ltd said that it had decided to hive off its business verticals—in particular cinemas and retail—as its accounts with the lenders had been classified as non-performing assets.
SRS currently owes more than Rs10 billion to various lenders and had mandated SBI Capital Markets to sell its multiplex business.
“With the intent to liquidate the outstanding dues towards the lenders, the group, in the interest of the lender and stakeholders alike, has given its consent to the lenders to look for potential investors for assuming exposure/stake in the group companies by way of full and final settlement of lenders/existing stakeholders’ dues through a JV/outright sale, etc.,” said Vineet Gupta, head (corporate finance, new business development and financial strategy), SRS Ltd.


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The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.
looks to be getting some of the entertainment out of the way in preparation for the big show at E3 next week. The company just announced a slew of new apps, mostly ones that we were expecting anyway: HBO Go, Comedy Central, Showtime Anytime and Major League Gaming, to name a few. We're also going to see both and Vine integration -- the latter having some special relevance to games footage, though I wouldn't expect that functionality at launch. There's no particular release window, but Microsoft promises even more apps "by the end of this holiday season."
“Xbox fans are spending more time than ever on the console, spending more than five hours a day on Xbox One,” said Yusuf Mehdi, Corporate Vice President, Devices and Studios at Microsoft in a statement. “Today as we announce new commitments from dozens of our partners, including deep integration with experiences like Twitter and Vine, we hit an important milestone in our journey to deliver unique experiences on Xbox. We’re thrilled to break new ground in social TV experiences like we’re doing with Twitter on Xbox One.”
Twitter is a funny notion -- after all, one imagines the best way to control it would probably be through smartglass, and if you've already got a phone, you may as well go with that. Microsoft promises that Twitter will be thoroughly integrated into the TV experience -- shows that are being tweeted about will appear on a "trending" screen and "A commercial break turns into a quick and easy opportunity to see what other viewers are tweeting about without pulling out your phone" -- but I'm not sure how much utility we're really getting out of that. At the very least, it could end up driving more people to Pretty Little Liars, and the world is most certainly better for that.
The entire list contains some solid partners, however, and the promise of more to come could eventually deliver on the Xbox One's promise as an all-in-one entertainment center. Microsoft is in a tricky position, of course -- it has gotten in trouble spending too much time talking about entertainment at events in the past, but its strong media partners remain the most important feature distinguishing it from the the PS4.
Expect more -- but not too much more -- about entertainment from Microsoft at E3. I've always said that the machine will struggle as an "all-in-one" device until it can actually serve as a cable box, but that seems unlikely just yet.


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Samsung recently announced its new S series of flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S22 series. While the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+ are like any other S-series smartphone, the Galaxy S22 Ultra is unlike any other. Most of the Galaxy S22 Ultra rumors turned out to be true, such as SPen and Galaxy Note series support like the design. However, the rumor about the 200MP camera sensor turned out to be false. The 200MP sensor is now rumored for the Galaxy S23 Ultra. This article will discuss the specs and release date of the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Specifications:
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is rumored to have a 200 MP camera sensor. Samsung is finally getting rid of the 108MP camera sensor and is supposed to stick with the 200MP camera sensor for many years and optimize it for better camera performance. This means that we will see the same 200MP camera sensor in the Galaxy S24 and S25 Ultra.
The Ultra phone will likely come with the 200MP Samsung ISOCELL HP1 sensor. Currently, Samsung is the only company producing a 200MP sensor. This sensor will unlock several camera features for Samsung. We could also get better low-light photography and 8K at 30FPS. The Ultra phone will also have 2 telephoto lenses for 100x zoom and portrait photography. These are not the official specifications of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. These are just leaks and rumours. So take that with a pinch of salt.
Samsung has optimized the 108MP sensor for three years, and the result is better year after year, which is better than replacing the sensor frequently. It is said that the S23 Ultra will adopt a 200MP sensor from next year and then it will be optimized for several years.
— Ice Universe (@UniverseIce) December 25, 2021
Samsung is said to be doing the unexpected with its Galaxy S23 series chipset. According to the leaks, Samsung is teaming up with MediaTek to power its latest Galaxy S23 series. MediaTek currently leads in market share after Qualcomm and may soon beat Qualcomm. MediaTek’s chips are getting better and better over time. The MediaTek Dimensity 9000 beats both the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and the Exynos 2200 in every aspect. This could be why Samsung is collaborating with MediaTek.
This means that Samsung will no longer provide phones with Snapdragon processors in their S-series smartphones. It could also mean the end of Exynos. The Galaxy S22 series Exynos 2200 has frustrated many European users. Samsung could also partner with MediaTek to produce its next-generation Exynos chip. This will mean a huge performance jump for the Exynos chipset.
Galaxy S23 Ultra release date:
- Samsung will launch the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra in February 2023 alongside the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+ and Galaxy Tab S9 series.
There is no official information regarding the release date of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra yet. The release date is very far away. Samsung generally follows a similar pattern when it comes to the release date of its flagship S series of smartphones, so we can expect the Galaxy S23 Ultra to launch at the unboxed event held in February 2023. .
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Price in US, UK and Canada:
- Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S23 Ultra is expected to cost $1,299 in the US. In the UK, the Galaxy S23 Ultra could be priced at £1199. In Canada, the phone could be priced at 1699 CAD.
We have no official information regarding the price of the Galaxy S23 Ultra as of yet. However, we can expect the price to be in the same price bracket as the Galaxy S22 Ultra.


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As BedTimes reported, last fall the Mattress Recycling Council launched the Sleep Products Sustainability Program, an initiative to help mattress manufacturers reduce waste and energy consumption. The purpose of SP2 is to make operations more efficient and reduce costs. (See “Reduce Waste, Save Money” from the October 2019 issue of BedTimes.) As the article explains, the voluntary program was created to help foster the bedding industry’s commitment to environmental stewardship.
As SP2 kicks into gear and discussions about the health of the planet intensify, our editors decided to look into what constitutes sustainable manufacturing and how it affects our industry.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, sustainable manufacturing is “the creation of manufactured products through economically sound processes that minimize negative environmental impacts while conserving energy and natural resources. (It) also enhances employee, community and product safety.” Sustainable manufacturing can improve cost effectiveness by improving efficiencies, reducing manufacturing time, and conserving water and other natural resources. Moreover, many consumers now are cognizant of and shop for products that don’t harm or pollute the earth.
Of course, sustainable manufacturing isn’t a one-size-fits-all endeavor. There are many avenues to take. Here are a few of the best practices companies are adopting:
- The improvement of operational efficiencies, production and long-term viability by reducing time, costs and waste
- End-of-life recycling, in which waste is transformed into revenue and jobs by turning discarded materials into new products
- The conservation of natural resources, such as water, and making sure those resources won’t contaminate the environment when they are released from a factory
- The reliance on renewable energy to curb the use of fossil fuels
- The elevation of your brand by letting the public know the measures you are taking to operate a more environmentally responsible company while saving consumers money.
In the coming month, BedTimes will publish a series of articles about the sustainable practices and strategies bedding manufacturers and suppliers are embracing and implementing, as well as what they mean for the mattress industry.
What is your company doing to work toward a more sustainable future? Give me a call (336-500-3816), email me (firstname.lastname@example.org) to share your company’s experiences. I look forward to hearing from you.


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#UninstallGoJek has started trending online after a post written by one of its executives supporting LGBT diversity and inclusion made its rounds online, according to media reports online.
The executive, who is GO-JEK’s vice president of operations and business development spoke of how the company had launched an internal campaign called #GOingALLin, which was launched in light of Coming Out Day, The Jakarta Post reported. According to the publication, the executive said he was proud the company was taking a "non-discrimination policy toward the underrepresented group" such as the LGBT community.
Since the saga, GO-JEK has also released a statement on Twitter saying that the post was a “personal opinion and interpretation” of one of its employees about an internal event with the theme of diversity. According to The Jakarta Post, the company also said it respected diversity but also “respected Indonesian values and culture”.
GO-JEK menjunjung tinggi keberagaman yang menciptakan persatuan dan keharmonisan, sejalan dengan nilai-nilai dan budaya Indonesia, yang ber-Bhinneka Tunggal Ika. pic.twitter.com/OQq7n1JmlF
— GO-JEK (@gojekindonesia) October 13, 2018
The #UninstallGoJek hashtag, trending on Twitter since Saturday night, drew mixed reactions. GO-JEK users were seen posting screenshots of uninstalling their apps, while others came to GO-JEK’s defence pointing out similar LGBT stances taken by other technology companies which also produce widely used apps and services such as Facebook, Google, Twitter and more.
Comparisons to competitor Grab were also drawn in the saga, with many netizens questioning why #UninstallGoJek was trending when competitor Grab was also getting flak for its recent handling of a sexual harassment and misconduct matter surrounding one of its drivers.
Grab is having an endless unsolved sexual misconduct by their driver and people go silent over THAT while gojek is here supporting LGBT community and suddenly #UninstallGojek is a trending topic in Indonesia. This is beyond my logic, people cannot be allowed to be this stupid.
— ?dinda (@pierrotlefoe) October 13, 2018
Marketing Interactive has reached out to GO-JEK for comment.
Most recently, GO-JEK entered the advertising business through its acquisition of Promogo, an advertisement provider company. The deal will also culminate in GO-JEK providing full support for the cost incurred for the production of advertising material, while driver partners receive net income from every advertisement placed.
GO-JEK reportedly plans to raise US$2bn for its expansion funding
GO-JEK invests in Kumparan amidst content push
GO-JEK CMO Piotr Jakubowski steps down
GO-JEK pays homage to local brands in grand OOH flower display for independence day
GO-JEK and Telkomsel strike mobile data partnership for drivers


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Bost Harley-Davidson in West Nashville, Tenn., has announced it’s closing, while construction has just begun on Hells Canyon Harley-Davidson in Lewiston, Idaho.
Mike and Danny Bost told The Tennessean this week that Bost Harley-Davidson is closing five years after the brothers purchased it. Formerly CNS Harley-Davidson, the store had been in operation for two decades. Mike Bost said declining sales were the reason for the closure. To read more, click here.
Across the country, in Lewiston, Idaho, work has just begun on the construction of Hells Canyon Harley-Davidson, KLEW-TV reported. The dealership is being built by Beth and Greg Ernst, owners of Lone Wolf Harley-Davidson in Spokane Valley, Wash. The new store is expected to open in March. To read more and see a video from KLEW-TV, click here.


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At Adobe, Corazza took charge of the company’s AR strategy and helped drive content through the implementation of machine learning technology.
In his new role, Corazza will work with the company’s creator group to give developers the tools necessary to “build anything they dream up” within the metaverse platform.
“My passion has always been democratizing the creation of stories, games, film and immersive experiences,” said Corazza. “Roblox is the place with the largest audience of creators and the platform that made sharing these experiences the easiest.
“I will have the privilege of leading the Roblox Studio team, the tool our creators use to build the metaverse. Natively collaborative and multiplayer, with millions of users.”
Roblox has become one of the largest names in the emerging metaverse, allowing content creators to easily create and sell products and games. The platform has been home to numerous collaborations with people and companies from all manner of businesses and backgrounds, from supermodel Karlie Kloss to music streaming platform Spotify.
Game makers have begun to take notice of Roblox as a way to bring their titles to a wider audience, with Gamefam raising $25 million to develop and publish games on the platform, becoming the first professional company to do so.
The increasing profile of Roblox has led to development on the platform becoming a lucrative business opportunity, with the developers of one game on the platform founding Uplift Games following one of their titles topping 22 billion visits from users all the around the world, making it one of the biggest success stories of the platform thus far.
Roblox is presently hiring for a number of positions.
This article was first published on PocketGamer.biz.


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California Pizza Kitchen is planning to build a new prototype this year that will represent the brand’s renewal efforts as it attempts to reclaim its position as “the California pizza authority,” chief executive G.J. Hart said Tuesday.
California Pizza Kitchen plans new prototype, brand renewal
Chief executive G.J. Hart says the chain aims to become again “the California pizza authority” at UCLA restaurant conference


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Recent geopolitical upheavals have slowed global growth as well as international trade.
- The global economic headwinds appear to be becoming stronger. Geopolitical tensions are manifesting themselves in a variety of ways around the world, including international economic issues, prospective wars, and social upheaval.
- Geopolitical events are political, economic, and social events that have an impact on international relations and trade. Fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine have spread throughout the global commodity market.
- An invasion of Ukraine by Russia might be a spectacular risk-off event that sends shockwaves across markets. Stock prices could drop, while commodity prices could surge. Traders must fully understand the hazards that a conflict poses to the commodities market, notably natural gas.
- Political instability in Latin America, an increase in US interest rates, and the Middle East’s uphill battle with growing energy costs are some of the primary variables that may affect the commodity market.
- According to the World Bank’s semi-annual Commodity Markets Outlook, commodity prices resumed their recovery in the first quarter of 2021 and are likely to remain similar to current levels throughout the year, boosted by the global economic rebound and improving growth prospects.
- However, progress in managing the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as policy assistance measures in advanced countries and production decisions in major commodities producers, will have a significant impact on the prognosis.
- This year’s energy prices are predicted to be more than one-third higher than in 2020, with oil averaging $56 per barrel. Metal prices are predicted to grow by 30%, while agricultural prices are expected to rise by about 14%.
- Almost all commodity prices are now higher than they were before the epidemic, owing to an increase in economic activity as well as some specific supply factors, particularly for oil, copper, and some food commodities.
The uncertainty caused by fast and sudden commodity price movements has resulted in numerous measures to promote more market stability in core products.
In theory, a country could protect domestic producers from international price fluctuations through variable charges and subsidies, but it is politically difficult to tax producers’ profits during a period of rising prices and hold the resulting revenue in order to redistribute it if prices and profits fall.
International collaboration is essential:
International cartels for rubber, sugar, tin, and tea were formed in the 1920s, but they had no long-term impact. Cooperation between governments of exporting and importing countries (as in the International Wheat Agreement of 1933 and the International Sugar Agreement of 1937) also failed to achieve the anticipated results during the Great Depression. Among the more recent attempts to boost and stabilize commodity prices, the one undertaken by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries stands out (OPEC). Other attempts to stabilize commodity prices since WWII have primarily taken three forms: multilateral contract agreements, quota agreements, and buffer-stock agreements.
When a minimum or maximum price is reached or approached, every effort is taken to keep prices within the two limitations. Each of the three systems accomplishes this in a unique way.


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After the recently announced change of its owner Woolrich is initiating some new rollouts.
Under the guidance of creative director Andrea Cané, the brand’s design team has changed and is now headed by Antonio Zordan and Aba Repossi, head of the men’s and women’s collections respectively.
The results of their work was visible during the January 2019 edition of Pitti Uomo where they presented the new f/w 2019-20 collection. It was strongly focused on the brand’s iconic Buffalo Check, Made in the US wool fabrics and extremely functional jackets employing high-tech fibers and materials such as Primaloft, Gore-Tex, Cordura, Teflon and Loro Piana. A new logo featuring a stylized version of the brand’s signature red and black check also made its debut.
For this same season, in addition to its main collection, Woolrich also offers five different collaboration collections. One of them is the Woolrich x Beams Plus capsule, a project aimed at celebrating the famous Japanese retailer’s 20th anniversary bearing the signature of Japanese designer Daiki Suzuki.
A second capsule, Griffin X Woolrich, focuses on circular economy and was created by UK designer Jeff Griffin. It is entirely made with recycled or deadstock fabrics and organic raw materials. As most pieces are made with recycled textiles, each garment is unique and looks different from the other.
Another collab was signed with Stüssy. It offers two archive Woolrich overshirts reinterpreted by the popular US streetwear brand.
The final two capsules were designed in collaboration with the fashion brand North Hollywood and the other one with Aimé Leon Dore.
As part of the new direction taken after the change of ownership, there will be the opening of a new flagship in New York, on Wooster Street in SoHo, expected to inaugurate by May 2019. “It will be a modular shop designed in order to constantly change and transform itself easily and fast. As all decor pieces that can be easily moved and be used for different functions, it will change from a regular store space into a location meant to host different events including, for instance, pop-up initiatives and new collaboration launch events,” said Cané.
Also a new multipurpose showroom was just opened in New York, on Varick Street in Tribeca. Cané explained: “For the still running fall/winter 2019-20 sales campaign the showroom is still working as a traditional showroom, though, starting from the next s/s 2020 sales campaign it will be adapted and used for different networking activities including B2B initiatives. For the second semester of 2019 we will offer a series of integrated initiatives between the store and showroom. The store will mostly host B2C activities, while the showroom will focus on B2B initiatives and projects.”