text:
SINGAPORE - Cruise holidays are set to make bigger waves, with cruise sailings between Singapore and Phuket in Thailand possible by the third quarter of this year.
Mr Alexander Lim, first secretary of the Singapore embassy in Thailand, and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) confirmed that discussions are ongoing with Thai authorities to resume port calls at the popular beach destination.
They said discussions are ongoing with the Thai authorities.
A Bangkok Post article last week suggested that tourists using the lane would need to show only an antigen rapid test (ART) result taken within 24 hours of departure and be fully vaccinated.
The number of passengers for each cruise is also likely to be capped, although plans are yet to be approved by Thailand's Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration.
In pre-pandemic 2019, cruise sailings from Singapore ferried more than 250,000 international passengers to Thailand in 110 ships, roughly about a fifth of total cruise ship calls to Thailand that year.
The close links between the two ports make the lane particularly important as Singapore seeks to resume port calls for cruise vessels to re-anchor its regional cruise hub status and as Thailand attempts to revive its tourism sector, which before Covid-19 contributed about a fifth of its economy.
In Phuket itself, the impact of Covid-19 has been even more dire. Tourism accounts for more than 90 per cent of the southern Thai island's economy and employment. It is known for sandy beaches, low-cost nightlife and historic Sino-Portuguese townhouses in its old town.
In its reply, STB reiterated that it is working with several other Asean countries to resume port calls, aimed at restarting later this year.
The aim now is to hammer out and harmonise cruise standards so that multiple port calls can be made on a single trip, a feature that has always been the major draw for such cruises.
Malaysia is another key destination, with shore excursions to Langkawi, Penang and Port Klang (near Kuala Lumpur) much sought-after.
In 2020, Singapore had just 410,000 cruise ship passengers, compared with 1.8 million in 2019.
All port stops are currently still not allowed, and the curtailed capacity and reduced draw of cruises with no stops have led only to a very limited recovery.
Royal Caribbean International, which has already begun selling tickets on cruises later this year that stop at Penang, Port Klang and Phuket, said ports of call are important as travellers want to explore different cultures in addition to enjoying the ship's amenities at sea.
"The possibility of adding destinations back into our itineraries is incredibly exciting for us, and we look forward to partnering with the Singapore and Asian governments on these plans," its spokesman said.


text:
Last week, Cathie Wood made headlines after addressing an open letter to the Federal Reserve. The exchange-traded fund (ETF) manager says that the agency should focus on deflationary forces instead of inflationary ones, citing falling commodity prices as a leading indicator. Commodities like lumber, silver and iron ore have all fallen at least 30% from their respective peaks Meanwhile, Wood notes that the Fed seems to be focusing on two lagging indicators — employment and headline inflation — as justification for its rate hikes.
On top of this, the Ark Invest CEO contends that manufacturers and retailers have been dealing with an influx of inventory. For example, Nike (NYSE:NKE) reported that its global inventories grew by 44.2% while its sales only grew by 3.6%. Others companies like Walmart (NYSE:WMT) and Target (NYSE:TGT) have experienced similar fates.
In light of interest rates being up 13-fold in the last six months, Cathie Wood concludes that the Fed has put the U.S. and the global economy at risk for a deflationary bust.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the top five stocks that Cathie Wood has purchased this week.
5 Top Stocks Cathie Wood Is Buying This Week
1. Roblox (RBLX)
Shares of Roblox (NYSE:RBLX) stock are soaring higher today after the video game company announced its September metrics. Perhaps the most important metric, daily active users (DAUs), soared 23% year-over-year (YOY) to 57.8 million. Hours of engagement totaled 4 billion as well, while estimated bookings were between $212 million and $219 million, up between 11% and 15% YOY.
Still, Roblox hasn’t been able to escape the effects of inflation. The company estimated that foreign currency fluctuations contributed to a 6% YOY reduction in growth for September bookings. If bookings were measured on a constant currency basis, estimated bookings would have increased between 17% and 21% YOY.
On Oct. 7, the ARK Innovation ETF (NYSEARCA:ARKK) and the ARK Next Generation Internet ETF (NYSEARCA:ARKW) purchased a combined 245,705 shares of RBLX stock. After the purchases, Roblox is now the 17th largest holding among all ARK ETFs.
2. Rocket Lab (RKLB)
Last week, Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) announced that it surpassed its annual launch record with the 31st launch of its Electron rocket, bringing its total YTD launch count to eight. Furthermore, the aerospace manufacturer has now “successfully launched a mission every month since April 2022.” The company remains on track to launch a mission every month until the end of the year.
That’s not all, though. Rocket Lab was also selected by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to supply it with solar panels as part of the Cooperative Autonomous Distributed Robotic Explorers (CADRE) program. The solar panels will power NASA’s small mobile robots and will use Rocket’s inverted metamorphic multi-junction (IMM) solar cells.
From Oct. 10 to Oct. 11, the ARK Space Exploration & Innovation ETF (BATS:ARKX) purchased 199,525 shares of RKLB stock. After the purchase, Ark now owns a total of 1.59 million shares purchased at a cost basis of $4.27.
3. Adobe (ADBE)
Adobe (NASDAQ:ADBE) announced that it would acquire Figma for $20 billion on Sept. 15, leading to a massive drop in ADBE stock. Since Sept. 14, the software company has lost over 20% of its market capitalization. However, this drop represented a dip buying opportunity for Cathie Wood. Since the acquisition announcement, she has purchased ADBE stock on two separate occasions, once on Sept. 19 and the other more recently on Oct. 10. Before that, the last time Ark purchased shares was on April 27.
Despite the decline, CEO Shantanu Narayen believes Adobe made the right move:
“We’re confident that if you look at this in the long run, it’s going to be a big value for their shareholders and our shareholders as well.”
Adobe is forecast to add $200 million in net new annual recurring revenue this year. It’s also expected to double that figure to over $400 million next year. Furthermore, Figma has industry leading gross margins of about 90%.
On Oct. 10, ARKW scooped up 23,605 shares of ADBE stock. ARKW is the only ARK ETF that owns the company and has a total share count of about 46,000 shares.
4. UiPath (PATH)
Today, UiPath (NYSE:PATH) was named as a leader in Everest Group’s Robotic Process Automation Products PEAK Matrix Assessment for 2022 for the sixth consecutive year. The robotics process automation (RPA) company also received recognition as a “Star Performer” in the technology provider landscape.
Everest Group Vice President Amardeep Modi added the following:
“Strong YoY in its global RPA business, focus on customer success & enablement, and continuous investments in M&As & strategic alliances for enabling a holistic intelligent automation solution, are some of the key factors that contributed to its position.”
Meanwhile, Needham analyst Scott Berg gave his opinion on PATH stock in September after the company hosted its analyst day. In the spotlight was revenue guidance for fiscal 2024, which is expected to grow around 18% YOY. However, the consensus for fiscal 2024 growth was for around 23%. Berg has a price price target of $20 on PATH, which would imply upside of more than 60% from current prices.
5. Ginkgo Bioworks (DNA)
Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE:DNA) made headlines last week after announcing a collaboration with Merck (NYSE:MRK). The collaboration will see the cell programming company create four enzyme biocatalysts for Merck’s active pharmaceutical ingredient ( ) process. Ginkgo will receive an upfront research and development fee and is also on the book for success-based research and development milestone awards. On top of that, the company could earn further payments of up to $144 million for achieving “biocatalysis targets.”
Ginkgo CEO Jason Kelly noted the following about the collaboration:
“Ginkgo’s platform model enables us to identify improved enzymes and develop powerful fungal strains and fermentation processes for enzyme manufacturing, empowering downstream API production for our customers.”
On Penny Stocks and Low-Volume Stocks: With only the rarest exceptions, InvestorPlace does not publish commentary about companies that have a market cap of less than $100 million or trade less than 100,000 shares each day. That’s because these “penny stocks” are frequently the playground for scam artists and market manipulators. If we ever do publish commentary on a low-volume stock that may be affected by our commentary, we demand that InvestorPlace.com’s writers disclose this fact and warn readers of the risks.
On the date of publication, Eddie Pan did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.

domain: news


text:
Kathmandu. Investors have been attracted to buy shares of National Hydropower in the last trading day. The highest amount of shares of the company was bought and sold on Tuesday. On that day, the company's Rs. A total of 955,270 shares worth Rs 391.41 million were bought and sold.
Investors are optimistic that the company, which has not distributed dividends so far, will distribute dividends this year. The company has not yet decided the annual general meeting of the last fiscal year 077/78. Dambaru Ballab Ghimire, a shareholder in the company, said at the annual general meeting that he was confident the company would offer a dividend this year.
According to the company's financial statements for the second quarter released on Sunday, last year's Rs. The reserve fund amount, which was more than Rs. 324.7 million, has been improved to Rs. 268 million has been maintained. This year, the company has raised Rs. 85 lakh 49 thousand net profit. The company's net profit has declined by 39.18 percent this year.
Till this period last year, the company earned Rs. It had made a net profit of over Rs 14 million. Currently, the company's paid-up capital is Rs. 1.38 billion. Investors are confident that the company will also use the system to allow companies under the Hydropower Group to issue right shares to repay loans.


text:
» Kolej Vokasional Langkawi
Kolej Vokasional Langkawi
Kolej Vokasional Langkawi on Technology News and Updates AdmaTechnology.com at Sunday, April 20, 2014
The talk on social networking Twitter.
A photo cards appalling universe of cyberspace, especially on social networks. From the photo clearly visible a business card Apple Canada to that of a man named Sam Sung.
A business card is interesting when related [...]
Angry Birds Seasons seems to immediately have a theme and a new level in the near future.
The new version is expected to take the theme of spring.
Quoted from Ubergizmo, Monday (15/4), Angry Birds Seasons this will be the 16th series.
Rovio is often [...]
Electronic manufacturer Samsung Electronics continues to seriously working on portable computer market (notebook).
Despite playing for two years, Samsung has dared to issue a premium grade products at affordable prices.
Samsung Notebook Series 5 AMD [...]
About 60 percent of those planning to buy a tablet chose Nexus 7.
Christmas Day will soon be arriving. In many parts of the world, it is time to hunt items to be used as Christmas gifts. According to a survey in the U.S. revealed that many public want [...]
Enjoying the music for some of us to be one of necessity. No exception for you an adventurer who likes to do outdoor activities.
For that, we need gadgets that can facilitate your needs for music, which of course must have toughness in all terrains.
Review AdmaTechnology will discuss about one of the innovative products from Samsung, Galaxy Camera.
As is known, the digital camera is equipped with the Android operating system. Want to know more? Check out his review below.
Design of Samsung Galaxy [...]
Cats of pure descent tends to indicate the nature of human companionship.
Although not the type of cat that unsightly, Sphynx cats are judged most friendly than other cats, according to a survey conducted by the Journal of Veterinary Behavior, Monday [...]
The event introductions latest smartphone Samsung, Galaxy S4, South Africa is considered too sexy woman indulgence.
Because of this, the South Korean manufacturer is finally formally apologized.
Quoted from Techradar, Monday (25/3), an event held in [...]
News of the warm coming from two future Samsung products mentioned in this release, the Galaxy Tab 3 and Galaxy Note 3.
Quoted from Ubergizmo, Thursday (21/3), both rumored to appear first on IT exhibition IFA 2013 in Berlin, Germany.
This event is scheduled [...]
BlackBerry before giving shocking news to the ready release of BlackBerry Messenger to iOS and Android.
Unfortunately, the destination device is a smartphone.
Quoted from Techradar, Friday (17/5), this means that the BlackBerry Messenger can not be used [...]
With a price of $159 U.S. dollars.
If you are lovers of the underwater world and the music, then you need to have a digital music player Finis SwiMP3.
Finis SwiMP3 is a digital music player or MP3 player waterproof which has 2GB of memory capacity or [...]


text:
IPOs retail cap to rise
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on Wednesday proposed to double the investment limit for retail investors to R2 lakh in public issues, to increase investor base and encourage participation. HT reports. SEBI bats for retail investorsUpdated: Aug 19, 2010 02:10 IST
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on Wednesday proposed to double the investment limit for retail investors to R2 lakh in public issues, to increase investor base and encourage participation.
"It is proposed to enhance the limit prescribed for defining a retail individual investor in a public issue from the existing R1 lakh to R2 lakh," SEBI said in a draft regulation on which it invited comments from stakeholders by September 3.
The current limit of R1 lakh for retail investors was fixed five years ago in March 2005.
Justifying its proposal, the market regulator said the limit for retail investors needed to be enhanced in view of the increase in inflation rate from 4 per cent in 2005 to the current 12 per cent and the rise in the benchmark Sensex from 8,000 points to around 18,000 during the same period.
"This means that the retail individual investors now buy a lesser number of securities with R1 lakh than they would buy with the same amount in 2005," the market regulator said.
Market watchers welcomed the proposal, saying the regulator is keeping up with current trends. "The limit of R1 lakh is outdated. Increasing the limit to R2 lakh will increase the participation of retail investors and bring in more dept in the market," says Aseem Dhru, managing director and chief executive officer, HDFC Securities.
At present, most applications from retail investors come in the range of R75,000 to R1 lakh, SEBI said.
Since 35,000 to 70,000 retail investors participate in an issue, it becomes difficult for companies coming out with large issues to seek adequate subscription for quota for individual investors.
Under Issue of Capital and Disclosure Requirements Regulations, 35 per cent of the public issue has to be allocated to retail individual investors.
SEBI, meanwhile, in a seperate circular asked mutual funds to disclose investments in equity derivatives and said the combined exposure in equity, debt and derivatives should not exceed the net asset of a scheme. It has also restricted mutual funds from selling an equity product that involves betting on future prices or an equity option.
The rules will be effective from October 1 for all new schemes as well as the existing schemes, it added.
First Published: Aug 18, 2010 22:25 IST


text:
MINI Clubvan designed by a 12-year-old kid?July 7, 2012 by: Rituraj Mishra
Mini’s most recent car the MINI Clubvan has been designed by a 12-year-old kid from East Sussex named Alexander Goldsmith. The kid who is now 15 has claimed that he had sent a letter to MINI in 2009 suggesting them a van and he also claimed that he name it as Clubvan.
From his side he has shown the letter that he sent to MINI and the response that he received from them. In the response General Manager’s assistant had mentioned that the letter has been forwarded to the Products Department.
The assistant has also mentioned that his letter was read with quite some interest but also said that “I am not too sure whether we would produce a Clubvan seeing as we already have the Clubman. It requires an awful lot of money to put a car into production.”
In the recent this is one of the most fascinating news stories that we have come across. If it all comes out to be true, it will be an inspiration for everyone and maybe in a century or two everyone could design his own car.


text:
Asian Winter Olympics open door to snow business
By Steve Keating
BEAVER CREEK, Colorado (Reuters) - With the next two Winter Olympics to be staged in Asia, the International Ski Federation (FIS) will have a rare opportunity to grow snow sports in the world's most populous continent but the seeds they plant are unlikely to bear fruit for generations to come.
The 2018 Winter Games set for the South Korean resort of Pyeongchang and with either Almaty, Kazakhstan or Beijing to be awarded the 2022 Winter Olympics, the ski industry will gain an entry point into the sporting world's most coveted market.
New skiers from China and India filling chair lifts and resorts sprinkled across the Himalayas and seriously challenging for medals at Olympics and world championships may be a far-off dream but for FIS, it is the future they are pursuing today.
"It is important there is no question, we need new countries that have money now and organizations and that's Asia," FIS president Gian-Franco Kasper told Reuters. "You see it in the financial world and it is exactly the same, everything moves eastwards.
"Of course we don't have to be every time in Asia but I think it is important for us that we have new countries, new ski resorts.
"In Kazakhstan the mountains are more or less unused and this would be a great opportunity.
"In Beijing you are in a newly developed ski area. We don't want all Chinese skiing, one percent would be enough.
"It is a rare opportunity for us." Continued...


text:
The national intelligent transportation test base offers testing services to companies that develop and produce autonomous vehicles. [Photo from Wechat account wxbhfb]
New enterprises and projects with high investment and advanced technologies are set to boost the development of emerging industries in Binhu district, Wuxi.
Emerging industries injected new energy into the economic development of Binhu. In the first half of the year, major emerging industries such as life health, integrated circuits and information security in the district introduced 126 new enterprises and achieved an operating income of 14.9 billion yuan ($2.1 million), a year-on-year increase of 16 percent.
To learn more about major projects, a group of local government officials led by District Director Xu Feng paid a visit to related bases and enterprises on July 30.
After the completion of the national intelligent transportation test base, it will provide testing services such as system testing, auto parts testing and vehicle testing for companies that develop and produce autonomous vehicles and help form a cluster of innovative enterprises related to the internet of vehicles. The first phase of the base was put into operation in September last year.
Fresenius Kabi SSPC, a leading clinical nutrition company in China, has built its smart factory with an expected annual production capacity of 30 million bags of enteral nutrition emulsions.
The company has focused on product development, technological innovation and academic promotion for many years, and the factory has been equipped with automated equipment for preparation, potting and sterilization.
Technological innovation plays an important role in improving competitiveness and expanding markets, Xu concluded during his visit to tech firms in Binhu.
With an emphasis on science and technology, Wuxi Huaxing East Electric Power Environmental Protection Technologies Co occupies 25 percent of the market share in domestic flue gas purification construction and has been recognized as an annual benchmarking enterprise of the China E20 Environmental Platform for three consecutive years.
In just three years since its establishment, the per capita output value of information security company Jiangsu Xinzhi Information Technology Co exceeded 1 million yuan. R&D personnel in the company account for more than 80 percent of its total employees.
Jiangsu Teliliang Coating Technology Co has set up a world-leading intelligent production line using industrial robots, a fully automatic robot assembly line, an automatic measuring system and other production equipment.
The factory of Jiangsu Teliliang Coating Technology Co is equipped with high-end equipment such as industrial robots and measuring systems. [Photo from Wechat account wxbhfb]


text:
The latest addition to the A-series family will be A8.
Samsung introduced the A Series with a metallic body and sleek style, earlier this year and is planning to add more devices in the A-series. Samsung is all set to announce the A8 in various markets of Asia and Europe. It has been speculated that this latest creation will come with a fingerprint sensor in the 5.9mm body making it the thinnest phone from Samsung. Fingerprint sensor is a norm these days and with its introduction in a mid-range device Samsung is surely starting a new war.
Don't Miss: The Best HDR TVs
Samsung A8 is exquisite in many ways. The Korean giant has planned a 5.7” 1080p Super AMOLED display along with a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 chipset and 2GB RAM. According to SamMobile it will feature a 16MP rear camera and 5MP front camera with 16GB of internal storage and a rather impressive 3,050mAh battery.
Don't Miss: Nintendo Switch: Everything You Need To Know
SamMobile also reports that A8 will come with same theme support as of Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. You will be getting Lollipop 5.0.1 with Samsung’s latest Touch Wiz which is much improved than the previous versions. People are highly anticipated about this new release and if Samsung uses the correct pricing strategy for this, it can give them a competitive edge in the market.


text:
Comcast (s cmcsa) unveiled a home security product in six markets on Wednesday in what I expect will become a larger effort for Comcast as well as other Internet Service Providers that want to avoid becoming just a broadband delivery pipe. As their traditional pay TV and voice businesses face pressure from folks deciding to cut both the pay TV and wireline phone cords, service providers are seeking other ways to boost their bottom lines. Home monitoring is one such option that’s been bandied about the industry for a while.
The Comcast Xfinity Home Security service offers traditional home security components with 24/7 monitoring as well as the ability to adjust digital thermostats, turn lights on or off and watch secure live streaming video from wireless cameras while away from home. So there’s a security and an energy savings component here, one that’s likely easier than the set up that Kevin rigged up for himself a few months back.
And like any hot new service, it also comes with an iPhone (s aapl) app, so customers can monitor and control their home settings on the go. The service works over Comcast’s wired network and has a cellular component (presumably tied to Clearwire (s clwr) and Sprint (s s) which are Comcast’s partners on the wireless side). The connected nature of the product offers the ability for consumers to watch their home surveillance cameras via the web, but also to get alerts via email or text when a window opens or something occurs. I remember sitting with the CEO of a startup back in 2003 pitching the same idea only to watch as that company spent millions of venture dollars and eventually failed, in part because broadband wasn’t as widespread and also because the video quality sent over DSL and older cable networks wasn’t as high as it is now.
The Comcast service, which starts at $39.95 a month, was first unveiled in Houston in mid 2010 and is now being rolled out in parts of Philadelphia; Portland, Ore.; Jacksonville and Sarasota/Naples, Fla.; Chattanooga and Nashville, Tenn. Additional markets will be introduced on a rolling basis.


text: 83% 83% of U.S. shoppers who visited a store in the last week say they used online search before going into a store. Appears In Think beyond the buy: Shopping is an omnichannel journey Related Content Search to video and back again: Explore how customers move through the purchase journey How turning to automation helped one company drive profitable growth How omnichannel grocers can win as shopping moves online Related Data 60% of smartphone users have contacted a business directly using the search results (e.g., “click to call” option). 86% of people who continued to shop after Christmas week used Search for holiday-related shopping. In a global survey, 74% of in-store shoppers who searched online before going to the store to shop, said they searched for something in-store related such as the closest store near them, locations, in stock near them, hours, directions, wait times, and contact information. 51% of shoppers surveyed say they use Google to research a purchase they plan to make online . 59% of shoppers surveyed say they use Google to research a purchase they plan to make in-store or online. > 50 % More than half of shoppers surveyed say they use Google to discover or find a new brand.


text:
U.S. trade has shifted away from China due to policies enacted by the Biden and Trump administrations, but U.S. reliance on China-linked supply chains has not necessarily been reduced and consumers have faced higher costs, according to new research presented Saturday at a Federal Reserve economic symposium.
Despite deglobalization fears after the coronavirus pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, overall trade "has held steady at just under 60% of world (gross domestic product) rather than gone into freefall," Laura Alfaro, an economist at Harvard Business School, and Davin Chor, an associate professor at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, concluded in their paper, which was presented at the annual gathering of central bankers and economists in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
But U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods, recently enacted industrial policies, and the pandemic, do seem to have touched off a "'great reallocation' in supply chain activity: Direct US sourcing from China has decreased," from 21.6% of U.S. imports as of 2016 to 16.5% last year, Alfaro and Chor wrote.
What's less certain is what that means, with the authors saying the shift from China is raising prices for consumers without clearly providing offsetting benefits in the form of, for example, improved manufacturing efficiency in the U.S.
It is not even certain that the decline in China's U.S. import share represents a true delinking, they said.
Vietnam and Mexico, for example, appear to have captured much of the reallocated trade, the authors said, based on an analysis of goods import and export patterns, while an increase in U.S. purchases of less processed goods from abroad was "indicative of some reshoring of production stages."
And among companies, they said, "concerns are being voiced over the wisdom of sprawling supply chains that can expose firms and countries to the risk of disruptions," from events like the pandemic or severe weather, or policy shocks like tariffs.
Yet in the background, the researchers noted that China had "stepped up" its trade and investment activity with Vietnam and Mexico, as well as other countries.
"The U.S. could well remain indirectly connected to China through its trade and global value chain links with these third-party countries," they argued.
Prices for goods from some countries, moreover, were beginning to rise.
"The recent policy restrictions to shift sourcing patterns or even to encourage substitution toward domestic inputs are poised to add to wage and cost pressures in the U.S.," the research found, a pointed conclusion as the Fed tries to lower inflation by slowing the U.S. economy.


text:
NBR’s struggle to collect VAT from retails continuing for years
Nearly two years down the line, the NBR has been able to install only 4,000 machines at stores mainly in Dhaka and Chattogram amid a lack of interest among revenue officials and high-ups at the NBR
On April 5, the revenue authorities held a draw of the lottery of sales receipts issued by the stores using electronic fiscal devices (EFDs).
It was the 15th draw since the National Board of Revenue (NBR) introduced the lottery system to encourage consumers to ask for receipts of their purchases from salespersons. Until now, it got more than 1,500 winners through draws.
Yet it did not get all of the winners of the lottery that has Tk 100,000 as the first prize and Tk 50,000 as the second prize. Just around 100 people have claimed prizes so far.
The rest did not claim the awards although, at the time of the introduction of the lottery, officials had expected that the launch of the lottery and prizes would generate interest among customers and they would demand receipts after purchases from stores or dining at restaurants, helping curb the scope of evasion of the indirect tax.
The NBR launched the lottery after it started installing EFDs at 24 types of businesses, including shops, hotels, restaurants, sweet stores, clothing, furniture and electronics outlets and jewellers to ensure a proper collection of the value-added tax (VAT) from the retail level.
The idea was that the use of EFDs by businesses would enable revenue officials to see real sales data as the technologies would be connected with the EFD management systems at the NBR.
This was the second attempt by the revenue administration to boost VAT collection, after its first initiative to popularise the electronic cash register (ECR) in 2007-08 failed to generate enough interest among users.
The efforts died down a couple of years after its introduction because of a lack of enforcement and unholy nexus between revenue officials and traders.
Another problem was that there was no scope to monitor whether traders were showing actual transactions as the ECRs were not connected to any central system of the NBR.
So, the revenue authorities took the initiative to replace ECRs with EFDs in 2017. It floated a tender in December 2018 to buy the machines and systems.
It placed an order to buy 10,000 EFDs initially out of a planned 100,000 from a consortium of China-based SZZT and Synesis IT of Bangladesh.
The purchase price of each EFD was Tk 32,000.
In August 2020, the revenue authorities launched EFDs on an experimental basis in five commissionerates of VAT in Dhaka and Chattogram with a target to install 10,000 EFDs at stores by June 2021.
The plan was the consortium would be given further orders for the rest 90,000 EFDs upon successful installation and operation of the devices.
The level of excitement among the top officials of the finance ministry was such that they were planning to roll out the EFDs across the country to bring most retail outlets under the tax net.
WHAT IS HAPPENING AT FIELD LEVEL
Nearly two years down the line, the NBR has been able to install only 4,000 machines at stores mainly in Dhaka and Chattogram amid a lack of interest among revenue officials and high-ups at the NBR, although insiders say the installation of the devices and their use is bringing an increased amount of revenue from many shops.
Insiders say the drive from the NBR slowed as it began to discuss whether it was right to provide the machines to businesses free of cost.
Traders were also unwilling to accept the device and use them to record sales and it was evident from the disabling of the EFDs at some stores.
In repeat visits to shops and restaurants, The Daily Star correspondents also saw little interest among businesses to issue EFD-generated sales receipts to customers.
Take the case of Shawarma House located at the Bashundhara City Shopping Mall in Dhaka. On April 17, one of the correspondents visited the restaurant where the NBR installed the devices.
After the payment of the bill for snacks, the salesman gave the change and no receipt was given. Inquired, the salesman said no customer had demanded receipts since the beginning of the day.
Later two customers paid bills and the salesman accepted but did not issue any receipts. This was the second visit to the same food court since January 10 this year when the correspondent had a similar experience.
At that time, one of the correspondents also visited other shops at the mall, where EFDs have been installed. None was found issuing the sales receipts from the EFDs.
A number of shops in other parts of Dhaka and in the port city of Chattogram that have installed EFDs follow suit: they carry out transactions without giving inputs to the devices.
The examples speak volumes about the lack of compliance on the part of shops and the vigilance and enforcement on the part of the field offices of the revenue administration.
Shop operators say many customers don't want to pay VAT, so they don't use the EFDs.
Another reason is the installation of the devices at larger stores has put them in a disadvantageous position with the shops that don't use EFDs at all, thus remaining out of the oversight of the NBR.
Sultana Pervin Pia, proprietor of Galaxy, a wholesale and retail fashion house at the Orchard Point shopping mall in the capital, says many customers bargain when they are served a bill with a VAT invoice.
"The shopping mall is closed to the Gausia Market and New Market. They can buy the same product at a lower price from there where they will not have to pay the VAT," she said.
The entrepreneur, however, explains to customers the VAT payment requirement in order to persuade them.
At a restaurant in the Anderkilla area of the port city, a salesperson handed a bill that did not contain VAT-related information. When enquired, the restaurant owners say the issuance of EFD-generated receipts causes losses to both buyers and sellers.
The restaurant does not issue the VAT invoices unless a customer seeks one, the salesperson said.
Accepting bills from customers without using EFD-generated sales receipts is a punishable offence under laws, according to Mohammad Akbar Hossain, commissioner of the Chittagong VAT Commissionerate.
"We have taken action against non-compliant shops after receiving complaints. Apart from carrying out regular campaigns, whenever customers complain, we take necessary steps," he said.
An NBR official says the head office of the tax administration is also aware of the problem that many traders are not issuing sales receipts generated by the EFDs, which will confirm the deposition of the VAT to the exchequer.
"Shopkeepers say there is no sale. Again, when we visit a spot, they issue memos from the devices. When we leave the place, they stop again," he said.
Amid the dismal use of EFDs, which were believed to bring about a revolutionary change in the VAT collection in Bangladesh, NBR Chairman Abu Hena Md Rahmatul Muneem in December last year admitted that the installation and maintenance of the devices had become a problem.
Accordingly, the NBR floated a tender calling bid to outsource the EFD, SDC (Sales Data Controller) and EFD management systems. The bid submission time was extended to February and the NBR received five proposals.
It is yet to appoint any firm to provide the support.
Seeking anonymity, a top official of the NBR says the EFD outsourcing plan is a government decision.
"Many government projects are being implemented under the public-private partnership. There are millions of shops across the country. These are not monitored properly. That is why we will receive the service from private companies."
"But the administrative issue will be completely in our control."
Not all tax officials are convinced.
Another top official of the NBR who was engaged in the EFD installation scheme said the lottery was introduced to encourage customers to demand the receipts.
"What is missing is a robust campaign to raise awareness among customers. There is no need for EFDs if the machines are required monitoring."
Some officials also expressed doubts whether it would be possible for private firms to monitor the use of EFDs properly when taxmen have failed to carry out the same task.


text:
When you buy a latte at your local cafe, you’re probably not thinking about the dozen-plus steps those coffee beans went through to get to you.
Nikisha Bailey has always loved coffee, tracing that love back to Saturday outings with her family as a kid.
“I just always felt like coffee was a place of community and a place where I felt comfortable,” she told Technical.ly.
She eventually took over ownership of Win Win Coffee Bar in Callowhill in 2019, but was forced to close the store because of pandemic restrictions in 2020.
Bailey and her cofounder Matthew Nam needed to find a way to continue making revenue and wanted to continue their brand. They decided to source and produce their own brand of coffee.
That experience gave them a look into the process of producing coffee and the barriers people of color face. Through the Win Win brand, they are now launching a tech platform called CoffeePLUG, which connects coffee farmers around the world directly to buyers — coffee brands and roasters.
The B2B platform cuts out middlemen in the supply chain so farmers can earn more for their crops and buyers can get the coffee for a better deal. A win-win situation, if you will.
“Every time the coffee moves, or every time it gets to a middleman or intermediary, the farmer’s going to earn less and the buyer’s gonna have to pay more,” Bailey said. “But because we’re able to cut out those middlemen, and allow both sides to have a clear connection, we’re actually able to give the farmer more and have the buyer pay less.”
The platform aggregates all of the steps to buying and selling coffee, provides links to partner organizations in the coffee manufacturing process and allows users to track where their product is in the process.
Before launching the platform, Nam visited farmers and interviewed them to get a better sense of the supply chain process and the challenges the farmers face. He told Technical.ly he remembers thinking: Why isn’t there a tech platform to organize the process?
“The birthplace of coffee comes from Black and brown countries, but they don’t see the majority of the revenue,” Bailey said. “And so our mission was always to empower that supply chain, that specific supply chain, by allowing them to actively participate as a farmer, as a cooperative and to be able to, you know, sell directly to the buyers.”
Win Win Coffee is in the final stages of building the platform and plans to run a pilot in mid-February, Bailey said. The eight-person company aims to launch a pre-seed round this quarter.
The company also plans to open a warehouse in Kensington in May for coffee roasting, manufacturing and distribution, as well as a meeting space for employees, and a community space to teach Philadelphians about coffee production.Sarah Huffman is a 2022-2023 corps member for Report for America, an initiative of The Groundtruth Project that pairs young journalists with local newsrooms. This position is supported by the Lenfest Institute for Journalism.
Knowledge is power!
Subscribe for free today and stay up to date with news and tips you need to grow your career and connect with our vibrant tech community.


text:
Dragon APX Goggles with Infinity Lens Technology
Goggles have reached a new standard. The snow-wear experts working in the goggle labs have honed their product and turned the goggle into something approaching a work of art. But we've reached a point where every goggle has started to look the same. And sometimes it takes something special to move the goalposts and bring in a new era of innovation. Something special like the Dragon APX (AdvancedProjectsX).


text:
No filter, no algorithm, no video, no likes, no ads and no curated “aesthetic.” It’s time to BeReal, the latest social media app that’s all about authenticity.
BeReal sends out a notification to all its users at a random time each day, and they have a two-minute window to post two simultaneously snapped pics: one facing out to show their location, and a selfie to convey their mood. With its low-fi look and lack of time to find the perfect pose, it’s being hailed as the anti-Instagram. The app has taken off with a predominantly Gen Z userbase, in part due to its lack of polish.
“Everyone’s kind of burnt out on content creation fatigue,” said Sierra Moore, creative director of social marketing firm Open Influence, citing the current levels of curation on both Instagram and TikTok. “The snapshot levels the playing field.”
Even TikTok, which started with an air of spontaneous authenticity, has become highly produced. There are fewer people dancing in their sweatpants and more scripted content.
“Now the threshold is higher to create a TikTok just from a creator lens,” said Geoffrey Goldberg, chief creative officer of content agency Movers + Shakers. “It doesn’t give you that same level of transparency into just normal everyday life. BeReal we see as filling this new, previously unmet need for Gen Z to just really have a crazy level of transparency. The fact that it’s growing so fast shows how hungry this generation is for that level of visibility into each other’s lives. It’s really hit a passion point for people.”
Launched in 2020 by Paris-based cofounders Alexis Barreyat and Kevin Perreau, BeReal received a $30 million cash injection from Andreessen Horowitz and Accel last year, and a second round was reported earlier this year valuing the company at $600 million. BeReal started to boom earlier this year and sits atop the Apple App Store in the U.S. with more than 28 million downloads so far.
With its simultaneous, surprise notifications, it’s also gamified social media in a way that encourages everyone to play along, similar to the frenzy of Wordle last year. But the limited posting time frame makes it more challenging for brands to present curated content to the world.
E.l.f. was the first beauty brand to post on the platform earlier this month. The company spent weeks exploring and “just learning the ropes,” said chief brand officer Laurie Lam, and worked with Goldberg’s Movers + Shakers before launching a secret promo code to 150 followers. Lam said the campaign was a success, but added they had no expectations or metrics.
“We definitely did not have any ‘we need to hit this many fans’ [target], it was just making sure we put something out there and just really waiting to see how the community responded to us,” she said. Lam noted that E.l.f. has been an early adopter on other platforms, including TikTok, Triller and Clubhouse, among others.
“With BeReal, we see a real opportunity to just give fans this unfiltered, authentic look at E.l.f.-exclusive content: what’s going on behind the scenes, what the office looks like. So [early adopting] is allowing us to listen to what our consumer and community will respond to, but also give them a level of transparency that we feel that not a lot of brands have offered yet,” she said.
Contemporary brand PacSun has traditionally been an early adopter of social as well. But in a meta-move this time around, it posted simulated BeReal on Twitter, which led to followers trying to find them on BeReal.
“It shows there is the hunger there, or at least a curiosity,” said PacSun senior manager or influencers and social media Tyler MacDonald. BeReal itself has been meme-ified, with people creating fake posts with film or historical characters. PacSun saw it as a moment to be in on the joke.
“For us, the most important thing about organic social, and why it’s so exciting, is it just gives us the opportunity to explore alongside the consumer. So we really want to be activating as they are figuring it out as well,” he said.
PacSun plans to launch on the new platform “within the next couple of months” and, like its Gen Z users, not overthink it. “We’re not trying to make sure everything is perfectly placed, and that speaks to the future of social too. It’s a little bit more, ‘Let’s just have fun and get it out.’ That’s really been our approach to a lot of these newer platforms,” MacDonald said.
It’s a chance to be a little more quirky or daring — showing off incomplete designs or works in progress, for example. “Brands have been saying they actually like the idea that it is less permanent, so that they can do a bigger play, whether it’s a discount code or sharing a sneak peek versus putting it out on the larger platform where there’s millions of people getting a look at what they’re working on that they might not want to share yet,” Moore added.
But while BeReal might be all about transparency and sharing, its founders Barreayat and Perreau don’t give interviews and the company is secretive about its growth plans, leaving analysts to speculate about how they might monetize without alienating its young users with ads.
Brands could pay for verified profiles if they will be providing codes through the app, or a subscription service similar to Patreon where fans could get exclusive content. That model could also work for influencers; Instagram rolled out a similar subscription feature in July.
“I think just as anything starting out, [brands are] a little nervous to put too much of a dollar amount toward it until they know if it’s going to be worth it. But it can pay off if you’re the first adopters on it,” said Moore, comparing it to the initial days of TikTok.
Social media stars have burned bright and quickly burned out before — who can forget Clubhouse? It turns out a lot of its former users. That app peaked at more than 4 million users in early 2021, but dropped below 900,000 less than six months later after it failed to attract brands and influencers.
According to McDonald, the question is less around the BeReal’s potential longevity or an investment than finding ways to strengthen PacSun’s connection with consumers. “There is manpower that goes behind it, but I also think there is a little bit less of a risk,” he said, noting that they’ve been sharing real-time content during photo shoots over Instagram, and have returned to Snapchat showcasing employee takeovers.
They are exploring similar ideas for BeReal. “[The platform] is an opportunity to show just a more raw look,” MacDonald said. Giving the account to interns, or the photo department for a day, are options they are considering.
Lam also said E.l.f. is looking at the idea of putting the account in the hands of its interns, or perhaps asking for customer input on a new lipstick shade, for example, as a way to strengthen the direct connection with its followers.
While Instagram has morphed into a shopping platform and TikTok launched a new e-commerce ad suite that juices the algorithm for brands to get their ads in front of more eyeballs, BeReal positions itself as a return to the “IRL friends only” nature of early social networks.
“The way the BeReal algorithm and friending works, it’s not really conducive for a brand to go out and truly recruit new audiences [and] I don’t see it as conducive for an influencer to build a following,” said Goldberg, noting it connects via a phone’s contact list and a user can only see others’ content if they have posted their own.
And unlike Instagram and TikTok, which fill one’s feed with videos or content from creators they don’t follow, BeReal is positioned as a more intimate way to build community among superfans of a brand rather than push product. In the app’s own words: “BeReal won’t make you famous. If you want to become an influencer you can stay on TikTok and Instagram.”
“That’s a totally different paradigm,” added Goldberg of the app’s approach. For now, users need to seek out the brands they love, though he believes the competing apps can fulfill different needs.
“Creators and brands can connect with the community they already have on TikTok, or Instagram, and share cross platform. It’s not necessarily one replacing the other, but going hand in hand,” Moore added. “As far as monetizing, they’re going to have to be careful, because the BeReal vision is not to become that.”
With that in mind, brands are trying to find the right balance between connection and commerce.
“It’s test and learn for sure, and what we want to do is make sure we’re keeping pace with what people on BeReal actually want. We always want to be there in an authentic and genuine way,” Goldberg said. “We never want to be that brand that’s crashing the party.”


text:
Pöyry has agreed to sell the entire share capital of Pöyry Romania SRL to the company's management. Parties have agreed not to disclose the transaction price. The closing of the transaction is subject to the registration in the Trade Register, which is expected in July 2012.
Pöyry acquired the company which was then called Consilier Construct Srl in early 2008. Pöyry Romania's focus has been on the transportation market and it has also been active in the water and environment sector as well as the building sector. The company has 70 employees and it is part of Pöyry's Urban business group. Pöyry Romania SRL will be excluded from Pöyry's financial reporting as of 30 June 2012 with only a minor impact.


text:
I have written at length about the threat of monetary inflation, and I will continue to do so. This Friday I will publish the next issue of my Economic Newsletter with yet more analysis of the threat of monetary inflation; click here for a $2.99/month subscription and get the first issue with a comprehensive estimate of just how big the threat is of money-driven inflation.
Some writers are beginning to give the threat of inflation some attention. One of them is Richard Rahn, a good economist and veteran political commentator. In an article in the Washington Times, Rahn lays out the case for a possible return of inflation. Noting the excessive rise in money supply this year, Rahn makes the logical connection to rising consumer prices. So far, he says, the monetary excesses have not produced inflation because
most people increased their savings rate (reducing money velocity), and by saving rather than spending, inflation was avoided.
But, he asks:
What will happen as the economy begins to return to normal as the pandemic subsides? As restrictions on shops, bars, restaurants, travel, etc. are lifted, there will be big surge in demand for the previously restricted goods and services. At least temporarily, demand will likely exceed supply as businesspeople struggle to respond. The velocity of money will increase and over time should approach the long-term trend.
This is a correct observation of some of the economic mechanics that turn monetary expansion into inflation. However, the rise in velocity that Rahn points to is not a driver of inflation per se. It is only a technical matter: monetary velocity is the ratio of money supply to current-price GDP (theoretically the transactions demand for money). In other words, to understand where inflation comes from we need to find the cause of a rise in velocity. Rahn makes a point to that effect:
In order to avoid inflation rising at a destructive rate, policymakers at the Fed, the administration and Congress will need to extinguish the excess money created during the pandemic at a rate to offset the rise in velocity. Normally, this would require an increase in interest rates and a reduction in government spending. But the folks at the Fed have said they do not plan on increasing interest rates, and it is difficult to imagine that Congress and the new administration will do anything even remotely serious about reducing spending.
Here, Rahn points to the real transmitter of monetary inflation: government spending, but he does not go into detail about just how forceful this transmission mechanism is. (That’s only logical – his article is an op-ed.) I do just that in the first issue of my Economic Newsletter, where I explain in statistical detail how this transmission happens. I estimate the monetized inflation gap in our economy, pointing to a money-driven pressure on prices that is equal to 14 percent of GDP. In the coming issue, out this coming Friday, I estimate the level of inflation that this monetized gap is likely to cause.
The inflation mechanism that Rahn zeroes in on is the tension between supply and demand. When people can start spending money on consumer goods, he says, inflation will tick up because suppliers will have a hard time getting goods and services out the door. This point deserves a lot more attention than it is getting, specifically because there are two variables at work here, creating a dangerous, if not explosive inflation scenario.
The first variable is the injection of money through government spending. As I explain in detail in my Economic Newsletter, this severs the ties between supply and demand in the economy. This is a different phenomenon than the traditional dynamics between supply and demand; we must separate demand-pull inflation (a regular business-cycle rise in prices) from monetary inflation, which is what we are about to encounter. When government injects newly printed money into the economy, the situation Rahn describes, with supply not keeping up with demand, becomes far more explosive, much faster.
Again for reasons I explain in my newsletter, monetarily driven inflation, unlike demand-pull inflation, has no countervailing force to dampen it. Therefore, the injection of money into the economy is extremely dangerous with reference to inflation.
But that is not the only inflationary risk factor. The second one is embedded in the supply side of the economy and related primarily to employee compensation. Currently, our economy has a built-in pressure on prices that comes from wage increases. As I explained yesterday, average weekly wages are rising in a way that normally does not happen when demand for labor is down. Figure 1 reports annual-rate increases for the aggregate private sector of the economy. Notice the red segment:
This increase can be explained by the fact that employers value the employees they retained after reducing their payrolls due to the artificial economic shutdown last year. As I explained yesterday, most of the private sector has yet to recover the jobs they cut earlier in 2020, but they have made sure to keep compensation up for those employees the have retained.
The big question, of course, is whether or not the high wage increases from 2020, reported in Figure 1, will sustain going into 2021, and whether or not that will put inflationary pressure on production costs, i.e., create supply-push inflation. The answer begins in Figure 2, which compares the annual growth rates (reported weekly) for average weekly paychecks and the total cost of those paychecks, i.e., the average paycheck multiplied by the number of employees. The result is quite interesting, especially if we compare 2020 to the 2009-2010 Great Recession. Back then, average and total wages trended largely in the same direction. That was not the case last year:
The conclusion from Figure 2 is that:
a) if average wages sustain at its current, high growth rates, and
b) they do so even as employers start adding new jobs,
then yes, we will get supply-side inflation. We will also get inflation through the mechanisms that Richard Rahn points to.
But will we? What is the statistical case for supply-push, demand-pull and monetary inflation? This week’s Economic Newsletter will have the numbers to answer that question. In our current, uncertain economic times, this is information that every economic decision maker must have. Subscribe today – only $2.99/month – and get exclusive access to original economic research not available anywhere else.


text:
The Central Texas Better Business Bureau will expand its efforts to prevent identity theft at its 2012 BBB Shred Day event on Saturday. For the first time, the BBB will include computers and cellphone recycling along with on-site document shredding.
“The primary reason for the event is to create an awareness and combat identity theft and other types of fraud perpetrated on consumers,” said Richard Kitterman, regional director of the BBB. “Your computer is a target-rich environment for private data.”
According to numbers provided by Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s website, there are more than 20,000 cases of identity theft in Texas every year. The numbers also show area residents are aware of the danger. Kitterman said last year’s Shred Day recycled 22,000 pounds of paper and 550 pounds of cardboard.
The event will be at the First National Bank Texas on Trimmier Road. The first 500 consumers will receive goody bags containing ID theft and fraud prevention literature and other items. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., or until the shred trucks are filled to capacity, consumers will have the chance to securely destroy and repurpose up to two boxes of documents and electronic items. Everything destroyed at the event will be recycled and repurposed.
One area resident who is excited to take part is retired Central Texas College professor David Yeilding. Yeilding has been letting old computers pile up in his garage since the 1980s out of fear someone might gain access to personal information if he threw them away.
“I have several computers going back to 1988, which was the first one I ever bought,” Yeilding said. “I haven’t used it in a long time. We have upgraded several times, and I didn’t know how to get rid of the old computers because of the hard drive. It worries me. I’m looking forward to getting to the shredding because I can finally get rid of them safely.”


text:
Scottish postman, Nathan Evan's life changed overnight when he posted a TikTok video of him singing the famous sea shanty The Wellerman.
Viewed over 7m times (and counting), he has brought the wonderful tradition of sea shanties to the TikTok community, sparking the first major trend of 2021 on TikTok
Using the TikTok duet feature - which lets you record a video alongside another TikTok user - users are layering their harmonies over Nathan’s original video.
To celebrate Natha's success, TikTok unveiled its latest campaign, which celebrates all things Sea Shanties, and the unique creativity of TikTok's UK community.
Conceptualised, created and launched in just four days days together with VaynerMedia and Zenith, TikTok's #seashanty TV spot and digital activation is the latest installment of the 'It Starts on TikTok' campaign that originally launched in the UK in September.


text:
- READ MORE: ‘Tim In Listening Party Land’ – inside the retro-aesthetic game based on Tim Burgess’ Twitter phenomenon
The game was originally supposed to release on Nintendo Switch and Xbox platforms earlier in the summer, however, the game was delayed.
In a new post on the official Fall Guys website, the team wrote that one of the features they want to add to the game is cross-play.
Referring to Mediatonic’s acquisition by Epic Games, it said: “This is something we’re super thrilled about, as it now gives our team access to a whole host of new tools to enhance the experience of those who are down with the Crown; from the Blunderdome vets to the first-time stumblers, no matter where you play.”
This week, during the reveal of Season 6 of the game’s content, the team clarified the position on the ports of the game:
“We know everyone’s excited about Fall Guys coming to Nintendo Switch and Xbox, with good reason. There’s been a lot of speculation on social media connecting these new console releases to the Season 6 launch and we want to clarify that that’s not the case so no one’s left confused looking for the game on these platforms. Thank you for being patient with us, it’s one of our top priorities in active development and we can’t wait to share more details with you in 2022.”
Season Six launched on Tuesday (November 30) and brings five new rounds to the game
The first new round is Full Tilt which is described as a “fiendishly fresh take on a Fall Guys classic.” There’s also the “totally tubular” Pipe Dream which will provide players with a vacuum-tube-based maze challenge on every visit and Airtime, which will see players battling in a trapeze-filled stage designed around “aerial agility”.
There’s also Leading Light, which will focus on stealing the spotlight while dealing with fans, turntables, and other hazards. Lastly, there’s Party Promenade, a “celebration of clumsiness” packed with vacuum tubes, water balloon cannons, and more.


text:
Ross Young, co-founder, and CEO of DSCC has predicted that the iPhone will have an under-display Face ID and camera module by 2026. Young took to Twitter to project a timeline that could end up with a redesigned iPhone and could take as much as 4 years to complete.
The timeline also makes sense since Apple has the habit of not fixing what’s not broken. The old iPhone design with Touch ID lasted 10 generations, and now the notch design has been there on 5 iPhone models. Apple has been fine-tuning this design, and it’ll ultimately change into something completely new.
Under-display Face ID
If Ross Young’s timeline is to be considered, iPhone could feature an under-display Face ID and front camera module by 2026. The timeline says that the standard iPhone 14 will have a notch, while the iPhone 14 Pro models will feature a pill + hole setup.
Going further, the 2025 iPhone 15 models could have the pill + hole setup. Then the iPhone 16 Pro models will be the first ones to get an under-display Face ID module but retain a hole-punch camera. Skip to the 2026 iPhone lineup, we could see the under-panel Face ID with the camera module.
So we can expect a redesigned iPhone starting in 2024, and the new design would peak in 2026. Considering the timeline, Apple will accept newer tech only when it is stable and proven. This is classic Apple and makes sense if you look at the company’s history with bezel-less design and high refresh rate.
The transition from Touch ID to Face ID was not a seamless one. There were repair issues, and then the pandemic also challenged Face ID. However, Apple improved the module, and it is now more repairable and also works with the mask on.
We think the iPhone under-display Face ID module will come out soon and could give us a truly all-screen iPhone.


text:
February 3, 2010
(WELLINGTON, Kan.) The owner of The Apple Market, a longtime, locally owned Wellington grocery store is closing its doors. "With added competition, and then with the downturn in the economy, kind of made it to where we had to make some choices so we decided to go ahead and close," explained owner, Tim Voegeli, who operated the store for the past 10 years. Reporter Video: Megan Strader on Grocery Store Closing in Wellington The store has a lot of longtime, loyal customers who all say they just can't believe it. Carolyn Schwabauer tells Eyewitness News, "Just last night when we got our newspaper, I was shocked.


text:
Fashion has to slow down. With production facilities coming to a halt, decline in demand, unknown consumer behaviour, inventory backlogs, seasons altogether cancelled and much more, fashion is in a state of crisis. While the state of mind right now lies in a sense of community and collectively aiding the healthcare sector, conversations about the future are taking shape. During the four-day Vogue Global Conversations seminar, editors, designers and retailers gathered to imagine the new future. Fashion week will get a virtual makeover, sustainability will no longer be an option and e-commerce will be given a new meaning—so will what we know now become obsolete? It will change its course, but at a new pace.
As the Chinese and Italian industries are the first to bounce back from the global crisis, India too must gear up for a revival. The fashion fraternity, that largely generates employment for the textile industry, is prioritising the workforce and design development. We asked seven brands—all in different positions in their journeys—to tell us how the global pandemic made them rethink their overall design practices. Here are our findings.
Taking the hit
“The reality is that manufacturing and retail, that makeup 98% of our work, simply cannot exist under current circumstances—these are not activities that can be done from home, these are jobs that require an environment. From design to manufacture to retail as well as our artisans in villages who cannot work without the construct of community,” Anita Dongre tells Vogue when asked about the current scenario. Amit Aggarwal echoes a similar concern but asserted that “Ensuring the safety and economic well being of our team, tailors and embroiderers was our first responsibility.” While the couturiers confirm that all parts of business are equally hit, younger houses let us in on how they keep communication within the teams alive.
“We are all home, but constantly in touch with each other. Each team member is working on their respective role and sending in presentations which we later discuss as a group over a conference call and close on different ideas for the new and current season,” affirms Delhi-based Dhruv Kapoor. It seems fitting to turn this time into R&D sessions, collecting information about new techniques and products. Meanwhile, Kanika Goyal, also Delhi-based, is directing communication towards the audience via social media. “We aren’t focusing on the product right now as that won’t really turn into sales currently, but we are talking more about the ideas and values that our brand dictates,” she adds.
Design, development and direction
The COVID-19 outbreak led to entire resort and bridal collections not being showcased. When we asked about production, most designers presented a unanimous front. “In terms of design, our focus will be on less number of pieces per collection, less number of collections in a year; and as always, to only produce things that we truly believe in, and that make us happy, said Rimzim Dadu who recently opened her first flagship store in Delhi’s Emporio mall. In congruence, Goyal is putting plans in place to merge their diffusion and the main lines to only two collections a year—whose first instalment post the pandemic will be an extremely affordable capsule line will reflect the current mood of relaxed, dormcore clothing. And Amit Aggarwal will realign design on the availability of more locally-sourced material, to utilise excess or leftovers from production process to reduce waste and go further into reinventing local crafts into contemporary forms. While there is relief as vendors haven't cancelled orders, some businesses like Kapoor's have decided not to downsize the number the collections, but produce less.


text:
Sodexo says found horse meat in UK beef products
PARIS Feb 22 (Reuters) - French catering and vouchers group Sodexo on Friday said it was withdrawing all frozen beef products in the United Kingdom after having found horse meat in some of its products.
"Despite repeated guarantees from our suppliers, our sampling has identified a frozen beef product which tested positive for equine DNA. This situation is totally unacceptable," Sodexo said in a statement.
Trending On Reuters
We are living longer but not creating financial plans to keep pace. Advisers give tips on how to make sure you don’t outlive your money. Video


text:
|By Marketwired .||
|January 21, 2013 06:00 AM EST||
NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwire) -- 01/21/13 -- It is commonly accepted that the U.S. Government is privy to a wide range of data and information -- some of which remains confidential, and some of which the Government is eager to share. The latest example of government-approved information-sharing comes in the form of an innovation to Yelp.com. Yelp has long been an Internet hotspot for online reviews and ratings of local businesses, and in particular local restaurants. Now, in select cities, user-submitted restaurant reviews will share space with hygiene and sanitation scores, provided by applicable governing authorities. This latest Yelp innovation has won the attention of many online pundits, including Richard Gorman.
Gorman -- a long-time advocate of online reputation management, and a frequent commentator on matters related to Yelp -- has weighed in with a press statement. "As with all things related to Yelp, there are two ways in which this development must be considered," offers Gorman, in his comment to the press. "First, there is the level on which this impacts consumers, and as far as that goes, it is difficult to see this as anything but an advantage. Now, in addition to finding out what fellow diners thought about a particular restaurant's service or cuisine, Yelp users can also obtain official information about sanitation and health -- ensuring that they can avoid any red flags, and know just how high their favorite eateries score in terms of health and cleanliness."
The flipside, according to Gorman, is what this means for businesses. "For restaurants, this makes online reputation management even more important," Gorman remarks. "More than ever, users are going to take Yelp.com seriously, because the site now provides official government information, in addition to user-generated reviews. And in addition, it must be said that it is now more crucial than ever before for restaurants to work on obtaining the best possible health and sanitation scores! A bad rating posted on the restaurant's wall is bad enough, but having it plastered all over the Internet is even more detrimental."
The Yelp.com innovation will affix health inspection report scores to the business pages for local restaurants, beginning in just two cities -- San Francisco and New York. Yelp has made clear its intentions to roll out similar features in cities across the country, as soon as local authorities are persuaded to provide the pertinent information. Philadelphia is rumored to be the next city to join this program.
The new feature is prominently featured on Yelp.com, on each individual restaurant listing. The health score appears -- as a number out of 100 -- in large, unmissable font. "Certainly, there is no way for restaurants to hide or obscure their health scores, once they are posted to Yelp," says Gorman. Users can click on the health score to obtain a full history of the restaurant's sanitation inspections, using this information to inform their decisions about where to dine.
According to Gorman, the implications of this new development are numerous. "To begin with, there are definitely some positive things about this," he explains. "The most obvious point to be made is that helpful, practically useful government data is being made available to consumers -- and frankly, that is a big win for the Internet, and a real validation of just what online technology can do."
Still, Gorman reiterates his words of caution for restaurants, particularly those located in these cities. "Sites like Yelp.com are massively influential in shaping consumer behavior," he explains. "What this means is that a bad Yelp review can all but kill a business -- and a bad health score could prove even more dire. Restaurant owners are urged to make online reputation management a major priority, now more than ever before."
Richard Gorman is currently active on Google+.
Richard Gorman is a marketing trailblazer, a serial entrepreneur, and a foremost name in the direct response marketing field. He is best-known for his Direct Response blog, where he gives away millions of dollars in trade secrets, to fellow online marketing professionals. Gorman is also a technology pundit and commentator, opining on matters related to e-commerce, online reputation management, search, social media, and more.
With major technology companies and startups seriously embracing IoT strategies, now is the perfect time to attend @ThingsExpo in Silicon Valley. Learn what is going on, contribute to the discussions, and ensure that your enterprise is as "IoT-Ready" as it can be! Internet of @ThingsExpo, taking place Nov 3-5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA, is co-located with 17th Cloud Expo and will feature technical sessions from a rock star conference faculty and the leading industry players in the world. The Internet of Things (IoT) is the most profound change in personal an...
Sep. 2, 2015 10:30 AM EDT Reads: 1,989
17th Cloud Expo, taking place Nov 3-5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA, will feature technical sessions from a rock star conference faculty and the leading industry players in the world. Cloud computing is now being embraced by a majority of enterprises of all sizes. Yesterday's debate about public vs. private has transformed into the reality of hybrid cloud: a recent survey shows that 74% of enterprises have a hybrid cloud strategy. Meanwhile, 94% of enterprises are using some form of XaaS – software, platform, and infrastructure as a service.
Sep. 2, 2015 10:00 AM EDT Reads: 1,551
In his session at @ThingsExpo, Lee Williams, a producer of the first smartphones and tablets, will talk about how he is now applying his experience in mobile technology to the design and development of the next generation of Environmental and Sustainability Services at ETwater. He will explain how M2M controllers work through wirelessly connected remote controls; and specifically delve into a retrofit option that reverse-engineers control codes of existing conventional controller systems so they don't have to be replaced and are instantly converted to become smart, connected devices.
Sep. 2, 2015 10:00 AM EDT Reads: 194
The 17th International Cloud Expo has announced that its Call for Papers is open. 17th International Cloud Expo, to be held November 3-5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA, brings together Cloud Computing, APM, APIs, Microservices, Security, Big Data, Internet of Things, DevOps and WebRTC to one location. With cloud computing driving a higher percentage of enterprise IT budgets every year, it becomes increasingly important to plant your flag in this fast-expanding business opportunity. Submit your speaking proposal today!
Sep. 2, 2015 09:45 AM EDT Reads: 1,618
The 3rd International WebRTC Summit, to be held Nov. 4–6, 2014, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA, announces that its Call for Papers is now open. Topics include all aspects of improving IT delivery by eliminating waste through automated business models leveraging cloud technologies. WebRTC Summit is co-located with 15th International Cloud Expo, 6th International Big Data Expo, 3rd International DevOps Summit and 2nd Internet of @ThingsExpo. WebRTC (Web-based Real-Time Communication) is an open source project supported by Google, Mozilla and Opera that aims to enable bro...
Sep. 2, 2015 09:30 AM EDT Reads: 1,542
SYS-CON Events announced today the Containers & Microservices Bootcamp, being held November 3-4, 2015, in conjunction with 17th Cloud Expo, @ThingsExpo, and @DevOpsSummit at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. This is your chance to get started with the latest technology in the industry. Combined with real-world scenarios and use cases, the Containers and Microservices Bootcamp, led by Janakiram MSV, a Microsoft Regional Director, will include presentations as well as hands-on demos and comprehensive walkthroughs.
Sep. 2, 2015 09:30 AM EDT Reads: 376
The Internet of Things is in the early stages of mainstream deployment but it promises to unlock value and rapidly transform how organizations manage, operationalize, and monetize their assets. IoT is a complex structure of hardware, sensors, applications, analytics and devices that need to be able to communicate geographically and across all functions. Once the data is collected from numerous endpoints, the challenge then becomes converting it into actionable insight.
Sep. 2, 2015 09:00 AM EDT
Contrary to mainstream media attention, the multiple possibilities of how consumer IoT will transform our everyday lives aren’t the only angle of this headline-gaining trend. There’s a huge opportunity for “industrial IoT” and “Smart Cities” to impact the world in the same capacity – especially during critical situations. For example, a community water dam that needs to release water can leverage embedded critical communications logic to alert the appropriate individuals, on the right device, as soon as they are needed to take action.
Sep. 2, 2015 08:45 AM EDT
As more and more data is generated from a variety of connected devices, the need to get insights from this data and predict future behavior and trends is increasingly essential for businesses. Real-time stream processing is needed in a variety of different industries such as Manufacturing, Oil and Gas, Automobile, Finance, Online Retail, Smart Grids, and Healthcare. Azure Stream Analytics is a fully managed distributed stream computation service that provides low latency, scalable processing of streaming data in the cloud with an enterprise grade SLA. It features built-in integration with Azur...
Sep. 2, 2015 08:30 AM EDT Reads: 306
Akana has announced the availability of the new Akana Healthcare Solution. The API-driven solution helps healthcare organizations accelerate their transition to being secure, digitally interoperable businesses. It leverages the Health Level Seven International Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (HL7 FHIR) standard to enable broader business use of medical data. Akana developed the Healthcare Solution in response to healthcare businesses that want to increase electronic, multi-device access to health records while reducing operating costs and complying with government regulations.
Sep. 2, 2015 08:00 AM EDT Reads: 260
SYS-CON Events announced today that the "Second Containers & Microservices Expo" will take place November 3-5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Containers and microservices have become topics of intense interest throughout the cloud developer and enterprise IT communities.
Sep. 2, 2015 07:30 AM EDT Reads: 613
SYS-CON Events announced today that Pythian, a global IT services company specializing in helping companies leverage disruptive technologies to optimize revenue-generating systems, has been named “Bronze Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 17th Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 3–5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Founded in 1997, Pythian is a global IT services company that helps companies compete by adopting disruptive technologies such as cloud, Big Data, advanced analytics, and DevOps to advance innovation and increase agility. Specializing in designing, imple...
Sep. 2, 2015 06:45 AM EDT Reads: 339
WebRTC has had a real tough three or four years, and so have those working with it. Only a few short years ago, the development world were excited about WebRTC and proclaiming how awesome it was. You might have played with the technology a couple of years ago, only to find the extra infrastructure requirements were painful to implement and poorly documented. This probably left a bitter taste in your mouth, especially when things went wrong.
Sep. 2, 2015 04:00 AM EDT Reads: 482
Through WebRTC, audio and video communications are being embedded more easily than ever into applications, helping carriers, enterprises and independent software vendors deliver greater functionality to their end users. With today’s business world increasingly focused on outcomes, users’ growing calls for ease of use, and businesses craving smarter, tighter integration, what’s the next step in delivering a richer, more immersive experience? That richer, more fully integrated experience comes about through a Communications Platform as a Service which allows for messaging, screen sharing, video...
Sep. 2, 2015 02:00 AM EDT Reads: 705
Too often with compelling new technologies market participants become overly enamored with that attractiveness of the technology and neglect underlying business drivers. This tendency, what some call the “newest shiny object syndrome,” is understandable given that virtually all of us are heavily engaged in technology. But it is also mistaken. Without concrete business cases driving its deployment, IoT, like many other technologies before it, will fade into obscurity.
Sep. 1, 2015 11:45 PM EDT Reads: 405
SYS-CON Events announced today that IceWarp will exhibit at the 17th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on November 3–5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. IceWarp, the leader of cloud and on-premise messaging, delivers secured email, chat, documents, conferencing and collaboration to today's mobile workforce, all in one unified interface
Sep. 1, 2015 03:00 PM EDT Reads: 450
With the proliferation of connected devices underpinning new Internet of Things systems, Brandon Schulz, Director of Luxoft IoT – Retail, will be looking at the transformation of the retail customer experience in brick and mortar stores in his session at @ThingsExpo. Questions he will address include: Will beacons drop to the wayside like QR codes, or be a proximity-based profit driver? How will the customer experience change in stores of all types when everything can be instrumented and analyzed? As an area of investment, how might a retail company move towards an innovation methodolo...
Sep. 1, 2015 12:45 PM EDT Reads: 489
SYS-CON Events announced today that HPM Networks will exhibit at the 17th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on November 3–5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. For 20 years, HPM Networks has been integrating technology solutions that solve complex business challenges. HPM Networks has designed solutions for both SMB and enterprise customers throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
Sep. 1, 2015 12:30 PM EDT Reads: 927
Consumer IoT applications provide data about the user that just doesn’t exist in traditional PC or mobile web applications. This rich data, or “context,” enables the highly personalized consumer experiences that characterize many consumer IoT apps. This same data is also providing brands with unprecedented insight into how their connected products are being used, while, at the same time, powering highly targeted engagement and marketing opportunities. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Nathan Treloar, President and COO of Bebaio, will explore examples of brands transforming their businesses by t...
Sep. 1, 2015 12:15 PM EDT Reads: 255
SYS-CON Events announced today that Micron Technology, Inc., a global leader in advanced semiconductor systems, will exhibit at the 17th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on November 3–5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Micron’s broad portfolio of high-performance memory technologies – including DRAM, NAND and NOR Flash – is the basis for solid state drives, modules, multichip packages and other system solutions. Backed by more than 35 years of technology leadership, Micron's memory solutions enable the world's most innovative computing, consumer,...
Sep. 1, 2015 09:45 AM EDT Reads: 252


text:
Following the successful launch and rollout of Google Now, where Google shows relevant data based on history and preferences, Google has announced the upcoming Google Thought. Google Thought is a breakthrough in search that shows you results while you think about what you are searching for. To be released in the coming year, Google Thought is set to revolutionize the search industry again.
Google stated in the announcement to the press this morning, “Google Now was a hard act to follow. We were all asking ourselves, ‘How can we be even more obnoxious as a search engine?’ Google Thought was the obvious next step in cutting-edge invasive chatter.”
Among the many benefits and features of the new Google Thought is the ability to predict what users are trying to think about and offer them suggestions of what to think about next. Now, users are saved the time of having to complete a single coherent idea before seeing search results. ”You don’t even have to know what you want to search for, Google Thought figures it out for you,” proclaimed Google.
Advertisers are excited about the new “pay-per-thought” ad system that is being launched simultaneously with Google Thought. For the first time ever, Companies will be able to advertise to their target markets based on sub-conscious desires, primal emotions, and Freudian impulses categorized by id, ego, and super-ego instead of just keywords. ”It is so exciting that we can put our products and solutions right into our customers brains during the initial premonitions of greed, before rationality can kick-in.” stated avid Google customer Amazon.com.
John Mandvi, a Google Thought developer, stated, “We are all really proud of what we have accomplished. People are no longer burdened with the personal responsibility of critical thinking. Just as you begin to think, we can suggest thoughts based on your location, demographic, and what others like yourself enjoyed thinking about. It will change everything.”
At a demonstration today, Google Thought was shown live to the audience, using their own thoughts for content, but had to be turned off quickly since all that appeared on the screen was a rapidly changing series of extreme inappropriate sexual and fetish images. Google assured us that a “safe-thought” setting will be added before it’s release later next year.


text:
The HTC One X for AT&T and the upcoming HTC EVO 4G LTE for Sprint — which should hit the shelves this Friday, May 18 — appear to be delayed by U.S. Customs, according to an official statement released by the Taiwanese manufacturer. The reason behind the delay, according to the wording, is “standard U.S. Customs review of shipments that is required after an ITC exclusion order“.
“The US availability of the HTC One X and HTC EVO 4G LTE has been delayed due to a standard U.S. Customs review of shipments that is required after an ITC exclusion order. We believe we are in compliance with the ruling and HTC is working closely with Customs to secure approval. The HTC One X and HTC Evo 4G LTE have been received enthusiastically by customers and we appreciate their patience as we work to get these products into their hands as soon as possible“.
The U.S. International Trade Commission sided with Apple on December 19, 2011, when it imposed a formal import ban for HTC devices starting April 19, 2012. Only those HTC devices are affected which run Android and which relate to one of the two claims of a “data tapping patent” (where the phone automatically recognizes and converts phone numbers, addresses and e-mail addresses to tappable, actionable links). HTC might further appeal the case and thus try to stay the ban but for the moment the U.S. Customs is making sure the issued order is executed.


text:
Ukraine can annually export 0.5 mln tonnes of flour – expert
To date Ukraine can annually export nearly 0.5 mln tonnes of flour, in terms of observance of all requirements of the recipients of the commodity, declared Andrei Yakovenko, General Director of SE Novopokrovsky Bakery Products Plant, on March 4 during his presentation at the first international conference "Ukrainian grain to the world!".
As for the prospects of Ukrainian flour supply to the countries of East and Southeast Asia, A.Yakovenko noted relatively high interest of importers of the reporting regions in the commodity.
The consumers from Asia, particularly Malaysia and Thailand, are considering options for mixed fodder imports from Ukraine, and Ukrainian grain-processing enterprises are almost ready for such work, said the speaker. He also added that Ukrainian enterprises are optimistic about the prospect of increasing the supply of flour to China and other countries of the region, because the current low costs for flour supplies to the port Dalian total 60 USD/t.
You should be authorized to post comment
Ukraine harvested over 1.1 mln tonnes of grains - Ministry of Agrarian Policy
July 3, 14:50
Ukraine to supply duty free agricultural products to the USA — Ministry of Economic Development
July 3, 13:20
In 2015, Ukraine to decrease agricultural commodities production – expert
July 3, 12:10
In 2014/15 MY, Ukraine exported 34.8 mln tonnes of grains - Ministry of Agrarian Policy
July 3, 10:20
Ukraine announced the starting purchasing prices for new crop milling wheat
July 2, 17:00
Ukraine: President signed the Law on receiving of 1.8 bln EUR macro-financial aid from the EU
July 2, 16:40
Ukraine harvested over 0.9 mln tonnes of grains - Ministry of Agrarian Policy
July 2, 15:30


text:
New fast food: Panda Express opened on Monday at Maxwell Village. The new Sonoma location offers both pick-up (inside), delivery and socially-distanced ordering inside with no need to call in advance. The chain has renovated and revamped the former Payless shoe store location. 19191 Sonoma Highway.
Sonoma Promenade: With hopes for clearer air, the City of Sonoma and the Sonoma Chamber will again host the Sonoma Promenade this week. Restaurants will spill out onto First Street East and the northern part of the street will be closed to through traffic from 5 to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday evenings. A few more businesses are expected to participate this weekend. And in Napa, the Main Street block between Second and Third streets in downtown closed completely, full time, through the end the month for outdoor dining.
Stickers: The streets of Sonoma are now adorned with large (3-by-3 feet) bright stickers asking walkers to stay “6 bottles of Sonoma wine” apart. They were a city initiative and part of the Sonoma Valley Safe campaign, spearheaded by the Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau.
Apartment update: Construction is well underway on 30 new rental apartments at 655 W. Spain St. The Oliva Apartments will start leasing in November and should be complete in early 2021. Six units will meet affordable housing criteria. There are six one-bedrooms and 24 two-bedrooms, with an average unit size of 1,057 square feet. The land was previously owned by the Norrbom family. Leases will be available at denovarents.com.
Partnerships: Harvey’s Gourmet Donuts in Sonoma is looking for food businesses, food trucks or food booths in need of a space to sell and serve their food. Owner Harvey Cohen has a great outdoor space that can fit one to two additional food businesses per day. The donut operation is currently open Thursday through Saturday from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Email email@example.com. 19030 Railroad Ave.
SMI news: The Sonoma Store (formerly known as the Spa Boutique) at Sonoma Mission Inn is reopening. The store carries resort attire, skin care products, jewelry and gifts. It is open Fridays and Saturdays, 4 to 8 p.m. and Sundays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. In other news from SMI, day passes are now available and the resort’s new CaliForno food truck serves “Wine Country Street Eats” Thursday through Saturday starting at 5 p.m. and Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
New board member: Dario Aguilar has joined the Teen Services Board. Aguilar worked with Verity and Social Advocates for Youth as a job development coordinator before joining the Nelson Staffing team. He recently started HYPE Print Lab (Helping Young People Excel) which is a social enterprise that specializes in printing custom apparel.
Two units for sale: A two-house parcel on .34 acre at 887 First St. W. is for sale for $1.175 million. The main home has 3 bedrooms, 1 bath and a large fenced yard. The second home is a 2 bedroom, 1 bath with a garage. The property is located behind Jack’s Filling Station property near MacArthur. The listing company is Live Lux Places.
Congratulations: Big congrats to Corner 103 which was voted the Best Tasting Room in the US by USA Today readers. Learn more at 10best.com.
And congratulations to Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers Alliance board member Brenae Royal, vineyard manager of Monte Rosso Vineyard, E. & J. Gallo Winery on being featured in Wine Enthusiast 40 Under 40 Tastemakers of 2020! winemag.com/40-under-40-2020.
People’s Choice: Sonoma Valley People’s Choice Awards 2020 voting is going on now across three major categories: professionals and specialists, businesses, and food and drink. Voting ends at midnight on Sunday, Sept. 13 at sonomanews.com.
Contact Lorna at firstname.lastname@example.org.
Credit: Source link


text:
Tamilnad Mercantile Financial institution (TMB) has mentioned it is going to proceed its give attention to the retail, agriculture and MSME (RAM) segments, retaining them for 80-85 per cent of its whole mortgage portfolio.
The Thoothukudi-based financial institution will open 25 new branches by March this 12 months, after the Reserve Financial institution of India (RBI) lifted its three-year ban in October final 12 months.
TMB is certainly one of India’s oldest non-public sector banks, established over 100 years in the past in 1921 as Nadar Financial institution and catering to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME), agricultural and retail clients. Within the third quarter of the present monetary 12 months, the share of RAM in its portfolio was 89 per cent, up from 87 per cent within the July to September interval.
“RAM phase all the time has a a number of benefit, as my threat is diversified. This financial institution, for 100 years, is nicely tuned with MSMEs and its buying and selling. We perceive the nuances of MSMEs very nicely and MSME models additionally perceive the financial institution,” mentioned S Krishnan, managing director and chief govt officer of the financial institution.
“Going ahead additionally, it might be the identical as within the vary of 80-85 per cent. We may even take up the company phase. However the focus will proceed to be on RAM,” he mentioned.
The financial institution has 511 branches, of which two began after an preliminary public providing and the RBI lifting its ban. The rationale for the ban dates again to 2016 when TMB shareholders determined to lift its approved share capital to Rs 500 crore. The RBI imposed a number of restrictions in June 2019, citing that TMB didn’t elevate its subscribed capital to no less than half of the approved capital as required. Some restrictions had been lifted in March 2021, however the one on department growth continued until October 2022.
“We obtained the RBI approval by the top of the final quarter. Instantly after that, we began two extra branches and now the plan is so as to add 25 extra branches throughout the nation by the top of March. Very shortly, we could have our first footprint in North East India too,” Krishnan mentioned.
TMB can be engaged on growth plans for the subsequent monetary 12 months and can method its board with a roadmap. Krishnan mentioned the financial institution is targeted on phygital mode—providers combining bodily and digital options—and it’ll quickly launch pill banking facility for purchasers. It’s going to additionally rolling out the second section of cell banking by the primary week of February. The financial institution will provide you with branches wherever there’s potential enterprise.
Within the third quarter of this monetary 12 months, TMB posted a 38 per cent rise in web revenue to Rs 280 crore, as in comparison with Rs 203 crore in the course of the October to December quarter final 12 months. “In the event you take a look at progress, there have been a number of parameters that led to it. One of many drivers for this progress is NIM, which is likely one of the finest within the trade. Added to that, I’ve been in a position to include the slippages, and likewise make restoration, this has resulted in a really low credit score value,” mentioned Krishnan.


text:
It’s a market that has frustrated giants like Kellogg’s. But Bengaluru-based Soulfull, which sells ragi-based products, believes it has found a way to win: Eschew the ‘breakfast cereal’ label altogether.
You know an industry desperately needs to hit reset when there’s a demand to change its very name. “I wish it wasn’t called ‘breakfast cereals’,” says Prashant Parameswaran, the young founder and managing director of Bengaluru-based Kottaram Agro Foods. “This is a snacking… a 4pm solution. The larger trend in India is snackification. It’s the on-the-move, on-the-go space. Read more