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Bitcoin SV grabs the headlines every once in a while.
In what may well have been the most watched cryptocurrency event of 2018, Bitcoin Cash two weeks ago “hard forked” (split) into two different coins. The “big block” project that itself forked away from the Bitcoin blockchain in August 2017 fragmented into “Bitcoin Cash ABC” (BCHABC) and “Bitcoin Cash SV” (BCHSV).
In this third and final overview: the main takeaways and latest developments of the second week since the Bitcoin Cash split.
Bitcoin Cash, the “big block” project that forked away from the Bitcoin blockchain in August 2017, “hard forked” (split) into two different coins last week: “Bitcoin Cash ABC” (BCHABC) and “Bitcoin Cash SV” (BCHSV).
One week later, the Bitcoin Cash ABC chain has accumulated more proof of work and has been “ahead” of the Bitcoin Cash SV chain practically since the split.
Bitcoin Cash, the “big block” project that forked away from the Bitcoin blockchain in August 2017, “hard forked” (split) into two different coins: “Bitcoin Cash ABC” (BCH ABC) and “Bitcoin Cash SV” (BCH SV).
At the time of writing, the Bitcoin Cash ABC chain has more accumulated proof of work, and its native currency, BCH ABC, is trading higher on (futures) exchanges.
Bitcoin Cash went through its hard fork on Thursday, November 15 at 17:52 UTC after the mining of block number 556,767. Almost two days later, the two factions that remain are Bitcoin ABC and Bitcoin SV. While SV had the lead in mining power before the split at over 70 percent, the tables turned immediately the fork activated and ABC took the lead straight away. ABC has held on to that lead, at one point being 50 blocks ahead. However, SV has been quickly catching up in the past 24 hours, at one point being only 6 blocks behind.
Bitcoin cash – often referred to as bitcoin’s “bastard son” or the baby brother of bitcoin – is set to undergo a hard fork on Thursday, November 15, 2018, which some allege is bearing down on the cryptocurrency space.
Bitcoin cash was itself the result of a bitcoin hard fork in August of 2017. At just over a year old, the currency is the youngest of the world’s top five cryptocurrencies but has already developed a solid legion of fans including Roger Ver, who went from being a bitcoin evangelist to one of bitcoin cash’s biggest supporters.
There is a lot of focus on the Bitcoin Cash fork which occurs on November 15th. At this stage, it seems things are heading in an interesting direction, albeit most people would not necessarily expect this peculiar trend. Bitcoin Cash itself is losing value, yet Bitcoin SV’s value is on the rise in spectacular fashion. At this rate, it is quickly becoming a very hot commodity among speculators.
Bitcoin SV Price Rises Triggers Holders
Because of the controversial nature of Bitcoin Cash’s upcoming hard fork, the network will be divided into two camps.
By now, everyone in the cryptocurrency industry is aware of the upcoming Bitcoin Cash hard fork. The currency – which is itself a hard fork of Bitcoin – has been on the spotlight in the recent past as two factions have emerged with different ideas on its future. While much of the disagreement has been civil, it has emerged that the leader of one faction, Craig Wright, has escalated the issue.
Australian businessman Craig Wright, infamous for two separate stints as the self-proclaimed creator of the flagship cryptocurrency Bitcoin, recently tweeted out that 2018 will be the year in which Bitcoin Cash (BCH) is brought to its full potential, as limits to what it can achieve won’t be there, and security will be improved.
Bitcoin cash proponent Craig Wright says that the idea that bitcoin and bitcoin cash are fighting a civil war is “ludicrous” because the main blockchain has abandoned the original vision for the cryptocurrency to serve as electronic cash.
Craig Wright: Bitcoin Not ‘Digital Gold’
Last weekend’s surprising bitcoin cash price rally demonstrated for the first time that the cryptocurrency, which was created in August by forking the bitcoin blockchain, may present a credible threat to bitcoin’s dominant market share.


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Legally speaking, the odds for jurisdictional success are questionable.
Yet, dozens of lawsuits have been filed in U.S. courts of law against Carnival Corporation, parent of Costa Cruises, by cruise guests injured or traumatized by the Costa Concordia accident earlier this year, as well as by the families of those killed in the Jan. 13 accident near Giglio, Italy.
In that maritime accident, 32 people died. Thousands of others were safely rescued or managed to get off the ship on their own.
During the evacuation, the ship's captain - based on the continuing investigation and a recent bridge transcript provided by Italian authorities - failed to tell cruise guests or the Italian Coast Guard about the seriousness of the ship's damage.
His alleged failure to declare an emergency and evacuate the ship in a timely manner lost valuable minutes that possibly could have saved lives.
In addition, more than 1,000 businesses on Giglio say they've been negatively impacted by the accident and are also seeking justice on U.S. shores.
While Carnival Corp. is Costa's parent company, Costa is based in Europe, although the line does have a U.S. sales office in South Florida.
But the legal issues are a bit sticky. Generally, when a customer boards a cruise ship, he or she has already voluntarily signed cruise documents that legally state where any lawsuit can be filed.
If the cruiser doesn't sign, he or she is not allowed to board the ship. The process is somewhat similar to an airline's contract of carriage, which is a document stating the rules and policies a customer accepts prior to boarding any airline.
"The passenger ticket issued by the cruise line is generally considered to be the legally binding contract between the cruise line and the passenger," says Jim Walker, a Miami-based maritime attorney who operates CruiseLawNews.com.
The detail in such contracts is typically buried in myriad pages of fine print. Agents know that cruisers eagerly anticipating an exciting vacation rarely even glance at the documents, even if prompted to do so.
"In my view, it's largely a one-sided document that is drafted by the cruise line defense lawyers to protect the cruise lines' interests," Walker notes. He explains that cruise documents include a "forum selection" clause, meaning that the line indicates the locale where any lawsuits arising out of the cruise must be filed.
Walker says many cruise lines, including Carnival Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International select Miami, while Princess Cruises lists Los Angeles and Holland America Line lists Seattle.
But in Costa's case, the cruise documents signed by passengers before boarding say that any legal issues must be adjudicated in Genoa, Italy, the brand's home base.
"To use a sports analogy, this gives the cruise lines a home court advantage," says Walker, noting that these types of clauses are usually legally enforced, even though it may be inconvenient and expensive for the passengers to travel to the location picked by the cruise lines.
In addition, Walker says that among the terms and conditions typically benefitting the lines are a shorter period to file a lawsuit - one year, versus the usual limitations of three to four years.
The most recent filings within U.S. state and federal courts contend that Carnival Corp., Costa's parent firm, is based in Miami and ultimately responsible for any safety transgressions, recklessness of the captain, or negligence of the ship's crew in sailing too close to Giglio.
But will they ever see a day in court in the U.S.? Or, will their legal action be thrown out of court, with the victims having to shift their effort to an Italian court of law?
Curt Anderson, legal affairs writer, The Associated Press, wrote a detailed story about this issue last night, based on the latest happenings.
Agents can go here for Anderson's analysis of the issues and comments from legal experts on both sides: http://hosted2.ap.org/OREUG/f7ded15e4d4846268a17b79c1c4b7cb8/Article_2012-09-11-Cruise%20Aground-Lawsuits/id-3b693314bb404e4989baf9f6b5261ae3
Walker also has posted several interesting blogs about jurisdictional issues related to cruise line lawsuits. Agents will find them at: www.cruiselawnews.com/2010/08/articles/passenger-rights/cruise-forum-selection-clauses-do-you-speak-french and www.cruiselawnews.com/2010/02/articles/passenger-rights/cruise-ship-accident-and-injury-law-miami-florida-forum-selection-clauses.
Lawyers for the victims believe they have a valid case in U.S. courts. For its part, Carnival Corp. has repeatedly said it won't comment on any pending litigation beyond what is in the court filings.
In those documents, Carnival Corp. has pointed to Costa as a separate corporate entity and stressed that lawsuits should be filed in Italy. In addition, the cruise company said it doesn't own Costa Concordia and doesn't manage Costa's day-to-day activities.
Carnival Corp. does have a strong public reputation for a "hands off" approach to all its cruise brands. Agents know it typically allows individual brand executives to handle all day-to-day operations and decisions impacting that brand.
At times, Carnival Corp. brands even compete against each other, as in the case of Holland America Line and Princess Cruises, both huge players in the Alaska market.
Carnival Corp. dedicates its time to overall corporate operations including corporate financing, cruise ship orders and development of foreign investment in cruise terminals or destination facilities.
"In the Costa Concordia case, the U.S. passengers face a difficult uphill battle to pursue a case in the U.S. against either Costa or Carnival," acknowledges Walker.
He cites these facts: The cruise ship is registered in and flies the flag of Italy. Costa is incorporated in Italy. It has its principal place of business in Genoa, Italy where the cruise ticket specifies the lawsuit must be brought. The accident happened in Italian waters, the captain is Italian, and the Italian Coast Guard is investigating. And, there is also a criminal proceeding in Italy.
"Based on these considerations, it is unlikely that the passengers will be successful in suing Costa here in Florida or other states in the U.S.," Walker believes.

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Frank Tobe is the owner and publisher of The Robot Report After selling his business and retiring from 25+ years as a provider of computer direct marketing and consulting to the Democratic National Committee, major presidential and other campaigns and initiatives, he has energetically pursued a new career in researching and investing in robotics. In 2013 he co-founded Robo-STOX™ LLC (renamed in 2015 to ROBO-Global) and developed a tracking index for the robotics industry: the ROBO-Global™ Robotics & Automation Index.
Frank is a member of Robohub and also a panel member for panel member for Robohub's Robotics by Invitation series.
Here’s a video you will want to watch. “The Wolf: The Hunt Continues” is really an ad showing how a hacker can enter a network through an unprotected printer (or robot). Christian Slater stars as the evil hacker.
SoftBank, the giant telecom company, is venturing out into the world of robotics and transportation services. DealStreet Asia said that SoftBank is trying to transform itself into the ‘Berkshire Hathaway of the tech industry’ with the recent launch of a $100 billion technology fund.
UPDATED 5/24/17: SoftBank’s acquisition of 4.9% of the outstanding shares of Nvidia Corp.
SoftBank Group just invested $5 billion in China’s Didi Chuxing, China’s biggest ride-sharing service. Last year Uber sold their China business to Didi resolving (by giving up) all the legal and antitrust investigations it was undergoing in China. In other news, Chris Urmson, CTO of Google’s self-driving car program, left to start a new company and Waymo and Lyft just agreed on a partnership to develop projects and products toward adoption of autonomous vehicle technology.
Why are so many farm equipment manufacturers so heavily involved in the ag industry yet things are going so slowly in relation to robotics? Perhaps farmers need to first incorporate the digital era — and the concepts and practices of precision agriculture — before taking the next step toward the use of robots.
After reading the press releases for this batch of 24 research reports, although they vary widely in their forecasts, they almost all agree that most segments of the robotics industry are expected to grow at a double-digit pace at least through 2022.
iRobot (IRBT on the NASDAQ stock exchange) jumped from $70 to $80 per share on news that iRobot’s quarterly earnings were so good that the company raised their forecast for 2017 to new highs. KUKA also had good Q1/17 earnings as did Intuitive Surgical.
According to AgFunder’s 2016 AgTech Investing Report (supported by The Robot Report’s own research), 2016 drone funding fell 64% from 2015 levels. Also, the type of companies getting funded were sensor, payload and analytics-based add-ons or service-providing companies rather than drone makers.
April 2017 had 16 robotics-related fundings totaling over $337 million – a fourth solid month for 2017 – $995 million year-to-date. Acquisitions also continued to be substantial with ABB’s $2 billion acquisition of Bernecker & Rainer, plus Baidu, iRobot and Cognex each making strategic acquistions. And there was some IPO activity (but no new stocks).
Most of us are familiar with the podcasts about robotics from the Robots Podcast group. For different perspectives, from the funder’s point of view, here’s a list of podcasts from the VC’s that fund robotics and technology ventures — funders like Andreessen Horowitz, Kleiner Perkins, Greylock Partners and Y Combinator.
Whether for research, purchasing, education or in conjuncation with a family vacation, going to and attending robotics-related conferences and trade shows can provide real personal and business benefits, particularly when the venue is in a foreign location.
America’s retailers are closing stores faster than ever while demand for warehouse workers by online retailers is higher than ever. Retailers and logistics companies have been opening facilities at a record pace and in this fast-paced world, warehousing and logistics managers are looking for robotics solutions to remain competitive.
Six to ten years ago, exhibitors at Automate were promoting bin-picking in many, many booths. Bin picking wasn’t mentioned this year because it is an available option these days. For the last six years vendors have been promoting human-robot collaboration in manufacturing. Here’s what I saw this year at the big Automate and ProMat trade shows held last month in Chicago.
Tactile sensing and force feedback are – and have been – problem areas for robot grasping. Humans could see, select and pick so much faster. Yet to handle the millions of different everyday items in our factories and warehouses, costly positioning and camera systems have been required. These systems made it easy for fast robots with simple grippers to pick items as they came along – but at great cost.
CBS News, and reporter David Pogue, displayed some new technologies threatening jobs, while the International Federation of Robotics suggested that deploying robots actually increases jobs. Are either true? Or both?
March 2017 had 29 robotics-related startups get funding totaling over $222 million – another solid month for 2017 and $658 million year-to-date. Acquisitions also continued to be substantial with Intel’s eye-popping $15 billion acquisition of Israeli Mobileye. Plus, there were three IPOs.


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Tickets for the Mid Devon Show are selling fast, and organisers of the event of July 24 are urging those hoping to attend to get theirs before they're gone.
The Mid Devon Show, which is one of only a few shows not to cancel due to the covid-19 pandemic, is set to take place at the Knightshayes Estate this summer.
However, due to current legislation, the team plans to bring back Mid Devon's biggest event after last year's cancellation with a maximum number of 12,000 people on the ground.
Chairman of the Mid Devon Show Angus Cottey explained: "We have a wonderful show this year going ahead.
"We are complying with government guidelines, and we've had fantastic support from Mid Devon District Council, who have allowed us to have a large amount of people on-site, which is good for us.
"That means that we have to sell all the tickets in advance of the show and you won't be able to buy a ticket on the day at the gate because of track and trace.
"We have started selling tickets, and they are going like hotcakes."
He said tickets were available to purchase online or via telephone, costing £14 for adults. Children can enter for free.
He added: "In 2019, we had around about 15,000 people coming to our show. On top of that, you have exhibitors and traders, so we're probably thinking around about 18,000 people are usually on site.
"We have to abide by government regulations and have constantly been updating Mid Devon District Council with our safety plan. We're pleased to say that we have obtained the industry standard from the Tourist Association."
He said that the 12,000 figure might increase as the government lockdown eases with restrictions planned to be lifted by June 21; however, it was unknown what may happen at this time.
The figure has been calculated by looking at the acreage on-site, meaning each visitor will have around seven square metres of space.
"Technically, we could accommodate over 100,000, but Mid Devon District Council had been cautious, which is quite right."
Show director Colin Nation added: "It's half the number that we usually plan for.
"In a normal show year, we would plan to have 25,000 people on site. We don't necessarily have that amount, but that's what we plan for.
"We've planned for less than half people to be on-site, and that gives every individual who arrives at the show seven meters square space around them, which is ample enough.
"Other shows haven't got the field size that we've got, so we're blessed in our area that we've got thanks to the National Trust and Frank Pitt family who allow us to use their land."
He added: "I would say ticket sales are up 800 per cent from what we would normally be at this time of year with around 2,000 tickets sold.
"Tickets sales are split into 84.5 per cent coming from Devon, 6.25 per cent coming from Somerset, 1 per cent coming from Cornwall, and 8.25 per cent coming from outside the South West. Visitors from Hull, Leeds, Liverpool and of course London, as well as lots of other places, will be joining us.
"Interestingly, 29.6 per cent of ticket purchasers are coming to the show for the first time."
He said: "We would like to thank everyone who has purchased their tickets and their support of the show. If you are an annual visitor to the show, I would recommend you buy your tickets as soon as possible before we sell out."
Angus added: "Mid Devon District Council have been so supportive."
He praised those organising the event, describing the last few months as 'a rollercoaster of emotion'.
"Organising this year's show starts by having a very strong committee behind it," he said.
"Those people gave us the green light to say yes, we want to put on a show. We know from speaking to other shows in and around the southwest that those committees and councils have not been so supportive; that's why other shows have cancelled.
"We have put in increased cleaning, disinfection and social distancing measures. We are looking at the marquees and how we can space people out in them.
"Visitors on the day will probably experience more signage about social distancing, about being wary, but it will be as close to any other show as possible."
He added: "I am looking forward to giving people in the community are happy, relaxing time. I want people to be safe and know that they're safe coming to our show. it's a long time overdue, and people want to get out, socialise and see people that they haven't seen for a while."
CLICK HERE for more information.
Shine a spotlight on Tiverton, Devon by becoming an Area Ambassador.


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On December 2, the 2018 China Coatings Industry Summit was held in Guangzhou.The “Pearlescent Materials for Powder Coatings” participated by the Chesir Pearlescent?was voted by users and selected professionally, and won the honor of “Top Ten Best Suppliers of Powder Coatings in 2018” at the China Coatings Industry Summit.Director and deputy general manager of the company Jin Zengqin?of Chesir Pearlescent?attended the summit and received the award on behalf of the company.
The China Coatings Industry Summit is co-sponsored by Huicong Chemical Network, Huicong Coatings Network, and Buy Chemicals.It is a well-known industry conference in the Chinese coatings industry,it has successfully held fourteen sessions.It is based on the value shaping and improvement of coatings companies, and actively promotes the development of China’s coatings industry.Upstream and downstream of the industry are jointly transforming and upgrading, technological innovation, promoting high-performance industrial coating products, more environmentally friendly and healthy civilian coating products.It uses intelligent manufacturing to arm enterprises, and uses scientific supply chain management to enhance the digital management model of the enterprise, thereby achieving sustainable development of the entire industry’s sourcing, cost reduction, efficiency improvement, and risk aversion.
After the meeting, Jin Zengqin said in an interview with HC Network reporters:Chesir Pearlescent can win this award, first of all, the decision-making layer accurately judged the market demand,keenly found that powder coatings are the fastest growing area of all coatings in recent years, and decisively and aggressively invested in the research and development of pearlescent materials for powder coatings.Then there is the close cooperation between the company’s R & D team and sales team, making great efforts for the rapid development of this new product and its market launch.The last thing is to get the support of our customers. If we get this award, it means that the users recognize our product quality and support our company.
In the next step, the company’s research and development team led by Professor Fu Jiansheng will continue to develop more and better new pearlescent materials based on the latest market requirements，strengthen research in the field of application of pearlescent materials, and continue to promote the development of technological innovation in the industry,provide users with a better product experience.The company’s sales department will also strengthen the company’s brand promotion capabilities in professional market segments, quickly introduce the company’s innovative products to the market, and strengthen the brand effect of the seven-color pearl.


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Fresh revolt brewing at Royal Mail after its American parcels businesses flops costing investors £68m
Royal Mail shareholders have demanded more information about the flop of its American parcels businesses
Royal Mail is facing more investor anger – this time over a £68million writedown of its American parcels businesses.
Top 20 shareholders have demanded more information about the flop, saying they are 'not happy'.
It could trigger a fresh rebellion by irate investors, just months after the resignation of former chairman Peter Long over sky-high pay.
The company paid £80.6million in total for Postal Express and Golden State Overnight Delivery (GSO) but now says 85 per cent of their value has been wiped out.
Both are part of Royal Mail's GLS parcels division and it has been combining them into one.
But this month it revealed the merged operation made a loss of £6million in the six months to September 23.
Royal Mail blamed rising costs and teething problems with the merger.
It said GSO was growing but Postal Express continues to be affected by its integration and a decision to focus on small to medium-sized businesses.
Two top investors are now reportedly demanding answers as to why.
Jefferies analyst David Kerstens said the pressures, which also include sluggish progress on cost savings and low productivity, could put its dividend at risk.
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There are just four weeks to go until Crowdfinders hosts its first event of 2017. Race to Scale: Make Your Business Rock! is going to be a spectacular mix of amazing keynote presentations, industry-defining panel debates and brilliant live investment pitches.
As the big day approaches we are continuing our special snapshot previews of the globally renowned speakers that are going to be gracing the stage. And this week we shine our spotlight on none other than Touker Suleyman.
On Thursday 30 March, the star of TV’s Dragons’ Den will be on the stage taking part in a Q&A with Kiki Loizou, Small Business Editor at The Sunday Times. In 1984, Touker acquired a cash-and-carry business that would become the Low Profile Group; the clothing manufacturer has since snapped up UK shirt maker Hawes & Curtis and fashion label Ghost. At our upcoming Race to Scale event the retail tycoon and serial investor will be sharing his business acumen with attendees, offering insights into how to establish a brand, grow a business and attract investment.
Touker will be joining Bruce Dickinson – successful aviation entrepreneur and lead singer of little-known band Iron Maiden – in addition to iconic fashion designer Patrick Cox as part of a star-studded line-up in a month’s time. What’s more, the daytime event in London’s Leicester Square represents the next exciting chapter in Crowdfinders’ highly-publicised Race to Scale initiative: a £100 million funding drive dedicated to helping Britain’s scale-ups access vital growth finance.
What is Race to Scale?
- A £100 million funding drive for UK scale-ups
- An opportunity to secure between £100,000 and £5 million in essential development finance
- A chance to pitch live in front of active angel and high-net-worth investors at Crowdfinders’ events (no pressure!)
- Open to businesses that are established, Companies House-registered, have proof of concept and have built a strong team of employees
- Launched in partnership with Seedrs, SyndicateRoom, UKBAA, Crowdcube, Smith & Williamson, Invesdor, IW Capital, Angels Den, EISA, Envestors, Growthdeck, Toucan, London Launch, ifour, Crowdstacker
- Unveiled to mass press attention in 2016, Race to Scale has already committed scale-up funding for Incanthera, a revolutionary oncology company based in Manchester
To see the next leg of Race to Scale first hand, be sure to get your tickets to our upcoming event on 30 March.


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One man's eyesore is proving to be another man's treasure.
A start-up in Williamsburg is quickly capturing a following by turning the city's dowdy wooden water towers into upscale furniture.
Withers & Grain, a furniture company launched a year and half ago by Adam Johnson, 28 and Luke Fasano, 34, uses reclaimed wood from water towers and other local sources like the Coney Island boardwalk and historic townhouses and buildings around the city.
"We just got some wood from the Puck Building," Johnson said.
The tiny design studio's creations - all made in its Williamsburg showroom - can be found at restaurants like the Brooklyneer in Soho and the Tippler at Chelsea Market.
Interior designers are choosing Withers & Grain's sleek tables and desks - prices range from $1,000 to $3,000 - for discerning clients. Company sales are set to hit $250,000 this year and are on track to double next year.
With its clout building, the fledgling furniture maker has been chosen as one of five finalists in Ketel One and GQ's Gentleman's Call entrepreneurship contest.
The only New York company to make the cut, Withers & Grain stands to score $100,000. Winners will be chosen by votes on Ketel One's Facebook page.
"We are taking material from the city and processing it locally," Johnson said. "It doesn't get more sustainable and local than this. People have been receptive."
Johnson got the idea of launching a locally-sourced furniture company two years ago, while working as a residential real estate broker. But with zero experience in furniture design and fabrications, he needed a partner.
By chance he met Fasano, an experienced woodworker. At the time Fasano was looking to settle down after years touring as a drummer in the rock band Yeasayer.
Johnson, who has since trained as a metalworker, parted ways with an earlier partner and he and Fasano got down to work in the basement of a Bedford Stuyvesant building.
They started by showcasing a few items at the Brooklyn Flea, the borough's popular artisan market.
"That linked us up with designers and architects," Johnson said. "We started at lower price points."
While wooden water towers don't look very fancy, the redwood used in older structures is highly desirable.
"The older it is, the higher the quality," Johnson said.
Four months ago, the company moved out of the Bed-Stuy basement and into its current home, a 2,400 square foot showroom on Withers St.
Johnson and Fasano intend to keep sourcing and manufacturing locally.
"New York has been good to us," Johnson said.


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Kelvin Lee, the Southeast (SE) Asia head for Fintech company Ripple, notes that the more companies that start encouraging and integrating PayID in their platforms, the better off the electronic obligations ecosystem would be.
Ripple, that is directing the Open Payments Coalition (OPC), is allegedly working on acquiring more companies in the Philippines to join the OPC – that recently introduced the worldwide repayment investigation (PayID) system.
Ripple, that specializes in cross-border obligations, directed other firms from introducing PayID in the Philippines in June 2020. The new solution aims to make it simpler or more convenient to send and receive funds throughout the world. There are more than 40 community associates in the fund, technology and nonprofit sectors which are getting involved in the initiative.
In announcements shared by BusinessMirror, Lee noted:
“Together with the Philippines being one of the largest remittance receiver nations throughout the planet, PayID is a easy and hassle-free way for [overseas workers] to send money home.”
The PayID network may possibly reach approximately 100 million customers, internationally. The new system aims to streamline global payments and remittances that have never been conducted in the most effective way as a result of shut payment systems.
PayID lets people transfer money through easy-to-read addresses, rather than needing to recall bank account information like routing numbers or credit card numbers.
Lee reported that though the Philippines continues to be embracing digital payments and customers are increasingly conducting online transactions, the country’s existing payment procedures are “slow and inefficient.” Lee recommends embracing a standardized alternative which would streamline the payments procedure.
Lee asserts that PayID providers are convenient, fast, and more economical – so that they offer you a much better way to send cash overseas compared to other choices in the nation.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the nation’s central bank, lately demonstrated that remittances by overseas Filipino workers listed a Faculties low in April 2020. There were $2.27 billion in remittance payments dropped in April, which can be lower compared to the $2.65 billion which have been processed in March 2020.
Ney Villasenor, the VP and chief corporate affairs officer in GCash, a Fintech firm that facilitates secure and fast mobile payments, has noticed that there’s no uncertainty that COVID-19 has produced Fintech services necessary for individuals living in the Philippines.
Villasenor pointed out that cash is king in the Philippines, and most consumers had not been conducting digital transactions, until the Coronavirus outbreak, which has led to a significant increase at online payments.
“Before the ‘new normal’ (before the pandemic), payment through QR codes and apps like GCash were deemed optional. Nowadays, having a digital wallet is considered necessary.”
“Fintech services continue to bridge the gap between traditional and modern practices, playing a huge role in financial inclusion.”


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Many multinationals flock to India in search of growth in its burgeoning market. As with any emerging market, doing business here comes with its share of risks and challenges.
In The World Bank’s 2018 Ease of Doing Business Survey, India was ranked 100th out of 190 countries. Government bureaucracy and poor infrastructure are major obstacles, along with enforcing contracts and paying taxes.
While economic expansion has slowed over the past few years, the future remains bright and businesses continue to invest in the country. Industries that are flourishing include outsourcing, telecommunications, construction, education and retail.


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October 2, 2013 9:49:29 AM
SENATOBIA -- Furniture maker Chromcraft Revington Inc. is being sold for $3.45 million.
The company, which is based in West Lafayette, Ind., and has a factory in Senatobia, has agreed to merge with Denver-based apparel maker Sport-Haley Holdings.
Sport-Haley would pay $2.7 million when the deal closes. It would pay another $750,000 when Chromcraft's plant in Delphi, Ind., is sold or mortgaged, or 180 days after the merger is complete, whichever is earlier.
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2. Higgins: $150 million project eying Lowndes Port COLUMBUS & LOWNDES COUNTY
3. CPD officer involved in fight to go before city council COLUMBUS & LOWNDES COUNTY
4. MSU horticulture student gains experience at Smith Landscaping COLUMBUS & LOWNDES COUNTY
5. Industrial park bonds set for fall issuance STARKVILLE & OKTIBBEHA COUNTY


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Foshan JieAo Packaging Machinery Co., Ltd
Professional Powder Packing Machine
Manufacturer since 2001
Expo Central China 2015
In the country to promote the rise of the central region of the strategy to lead, the Ninth China Central Investment Trade Fair is scheduled for May 18, 2015 -20 held in Hubei, china.


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Bye, Chloe: Why By Chloe Has Split Ties with its Celebrity Cofounder
Chef Chloe, we in Boston hardly knew ye… And if you ask the By Chloe cofounder, Samantha Wasser, that’s the crux of the issue that’s plaguing the company this week.
The news followed 12 days of arbitration in New York, after which an independent mediator declared Coscarelli showed “gross negligence” of the company and ruled in favor of By Chloe’s corporate parent, ESquared Hospitality, legal documents show. The process apparently began after Coscarelli sued ESquared, alleging, in part, that the company wanted to use the By Chloe brand to proffer non-vegan food. But that’s “so far from the truth,” Wasser says. “If it wasn’t so serious, it would be a laughing matter.”
Other contentions were over financing the brand’s rapid growth, the documents show. Wasser says the issues stemmed from Coscarelli losing sight of By Chloe.
“She was trying to build her own career as Chef Chloe over what is good for the brand,” she says.
Coscarelli’s publicist says, “Unfortunately, due to the ongoing legal process, we are not permitted to get into the details of the dispute or the allegations being made. Chloe vehemently denies any negligence or wrongdoing, in a matter which has not yet concluded.”
A By Chloe representative provided Boston documents from the arbitrator, which Eater New York also outlined in detail. Coscarelli was found to be “grossly negligent,” meaning she actively failed to work in the best interests of the company, by interfering with a lease for a potential new location, as well as in contract agreements with two potential chef-partners, causing those parties to walk away from deals with By Chloe. Other issues the judge found “troubling” included Coscarelli misappropriating a publicity opportunity and the sponsorship funds it generated. The binding ruling authorized ESquared to fire Coscarelli.
The chef, who, prior to By Chloe, was best known as the first-ever vegan to win the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars, was a 50 percent partner in the fast-casual chain that bears her first name. Wasser, creative director of ESquared Hospitality and daughter of its CEO Jimmy Haber, says she and the ESquared PR team created the brand.
“We put Chloe as the face of it,” Wasser says, noting Coscarelli’s strong ties to and popularity within the vegan community. “We were cofounders and partners, and friends. Unfortunately, you put faith sometimes in the wrong people.”
After opening the first By Chloe restaurant in 2015, ESquared quickly ramped up with plans for more locations in New York City, L.A., and Boston. But Coscarelli “checked out,” according to Wasser. The chef did not come with her to scout locations in Boston, and has never visited the Seaport restaurant, Wasser says.
On her personal Instagram, Coscarelli posted a lengthy statement. In part, she wrote:
I developed every single recipe for the restaurant over the course of several years in my tiny apartment kitchen… I set my alarm to wake me up every half hour through the night to measure the progression of ice crystals in my ice cream recipes. I made 30 variations of beet ketchup and lined them up on my window sill to compare the difference in pink pigmentation. I turned my home into a vegan test kitchen and worked with my amazing vegan team from Natural Gourmet Institute to perfect every last detail. We tested every recipe literally hundreds of times. But it was a labor of love.
Ahead of the local opening, By Chloe representatives did not make Coscarelli available for interviews, telling Boston she “is not involved in the company on a day to day basis and is not an appropriate representative of the brand.” By Chloe’s corporate executive chef, Manuel Trevino, and corporate pastry chef, Richard Leach, oversaw menu development, including the exclusive Boston items, “with some help from one of their contributing chefs, Candice Hutchings of Edgy Veg.”
The statement to Boston from her publicist says Coscarelli “is very excited about her upcoming projects and is incredibly moved by the outpouring of love and support that her community has shown since the news was made public.”
For Wasser’s part, she says the days since the arbitration news have been “devastating.”
“It’s good, in one sense, that we can finally operate the restaurant, get funding to expand it, in the way it should be expanding,” she says. “It’s horrible to see all these great, loyal fans turn on us. I’ve been getting death threats. I’ve done nothing but trying to protect the brand for two years.”
There are no plans to rebrand the company. By Chloe plans to open its second Boston-area location in Fenway, and expand into Providence, R.I., this spring.
107 Seaport Blvd., eatbychloe.com.


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Just in time for Christmas, boys and girls. Kids in Australia that consumed these aqua dots fell sick, it has since been pulled from the shelves in Australia, Spain, and from Toys R Us stores worldwide.
Tag: product recalls
This kind of story is encouraging, though all these recalls of Chinese products have hardly made a dent in the market.
As consumers look for alternatives to Chinese-made toys following a series of recalls this year, dozens of small toy companies are struggling to meet surging demand. Some owners report online sales up as much as fivefold from last year. They’re hiring extra workers, expanding warehouses and adding extra assembly shifts.
Avoid buying these brands of tires: “Westlake, Compass, Telluride and YKS”. These are manufactured in China by the Hangzhou Zhongce company. The gum strip is not installed and these tires can fly apart at any time. The importer, Foreign Tire Sales, is claiming they can’t afford to recall these tires, so we’re on our own here.
One hundred eighty food processing plants are closed in China in an attempt to save face on the world market. Check this out, from the China Daily:
Industrial raw materials, such as dyes, mineral oils, paraffin wax, formaldehyde and the carcinogenic malachite green, have been used in the production of flour, candy, pickles, biscuits, black fungus, melon seeds, bean curd and seafood.
Some processors also use recycled or expired food in their operations, according to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.
“These are not isolated cases,” Han Yi, director of the administration’s quality control and inspection department, said at a press conference.
He said most of the cases involved small, unlicensed food-processing plants employing less than 10 people. All plants caught engaging in illegal practices have been shut down, he added.
Administration figures show that about 75 percent of the 1 million food-processing plants in the country are small and privately owned.
180 plants shut down. But there are 1 million food processing plants in China. Think about that.
Even if you don’t buy from China, you are still endangered by the faulty products imported from there.
Ms. Hopkins said the agency’s top officials were “outraged” that Foreign Tire Sales’ executives waited more than two years to pass on their suspicions about problems with the tires. The company first suspected problems in October 2005. Almost a year later, in September 2006, the Chinese manufacturer, Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber, a former state-owned company based in eastern China, acknowledged that a gum strip that prevents the tread from separating was left out of the manufacturing process.
Hangzhou Zhongce admitted in September 2006 that it had “unilaterally decided to omit the gum strips” in the tires, the report says. The Chinese company was “generally unresponsive” when asked how many tires were involved and what they were going to do to resolve the problem, the report says.
Is it time to revisit the policy of open arms to Chinese products at any cost? I’m generally a free trader, but trade in China was initially a way of isolating the Soviet Union. Thirty years later, the geopolitical climate has shifted and so must American priorities.


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With 575 million registered accounts , Apple stores ( iTunes, App Store, iBookstore ) continue their meteoric rise at a rate of 500,000 new accounts per day according to the latest data extracted by Asymco. A growth rate that, if maintained, will give Apple a whopping 1 billion users by 2015, most of them with credit cards.
iTunes doubled its customer base during its first two years of life between 2007 and 2009, doubling it again a year later in 2010, again in 2011 and again 18 months later. Comparatively, Amazon, the only company to approach Apple in this field, had to settle for reaching 200 million accounts just two months ago.
The iOS devices and the App Store are their main source of growth, followed by music, movies and series and books in last place. A position that has not prevented the iBookstore from taking over 20% of the eBook market in the US, twice as much as a year earlier.
And while we’re on the subject of figures, let’s give a few more:
- iTunes users spend an average of $45 annually on apps and music primarily.
- The iTunes store currently has a catalogue of 35 million songs available in 119 countries and 60,000 movies available in 109 countries.
- The iBookstore is present in 155 countries and has 1.75 million books.
- Since its launch five years ago, the App Store has earned nearly $14.3 billion, of which $10 billion has gone directly into the developers’ pockets. No more and no less than three times what Google Play and other platforms have paid to developers.


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Paul Krarup posted an update 1 week, 2 days ago
The up coming section in the Bitcoin revolution will be the standardization of the exchanges exactly where the coins are traded. Bitcoin is at the moment in the Wild West prospector times of its evolution. The planet has agreed that a Bitcoin supplies a saved measure of worth in the very same way that gold and silver have during the ages. Like gold and silver, Bitcoin is only well worth what the other person is ready to shell out you for it. This has led to cheating considering that trading began. Crooked scales and crammed ore all became element of the norm as both the miners and the assayers sought to pad their base lines. This led to governmental oversight and the generation of centralized exchanges.
The Bitcoin dream has been to police its possess neighborhood and stay past the bodily scrutiny of any global federal government. The Utopian dream was shattered a month ago when Mt. Gox, by much the greatest Bitcoin trade, shut down thanks to a protection breach and theft of about $300 million really worth of Bitcoin. Consumers who had Bitcoin on deposit with Mt. Gox still do not know how much they’re going to get again. The problems at Mt. Gox lay bare the cyber stability argument. Incredibly, Bitcoin as a forex has revealed remarkable resilience. This resilience could really nicely be just the increase required to legitimize the forex and the lean towards governmental involvement that may really support this fledgling shop of value soar to its mainstream potential.
The timing of the Mt. Gox incident could confirm to be a boon for the currency. Tera Group, out of Summit New Jersey, previously experienced proposed a bilateral arrangement to the Commodity Investing Futures Commission (CFTC) to get started investing Bitcoins by way of a swap-execution facility or, centralized exchange. The extensive greater part of industrial forex trading is carried out by way of swaps agreements which is why we follow the commercial traders in our personal investing. A swap settlement is fundamentally an insurance policies policy that provides a guaranteed value at a distinct level in time to protect from forex fluctuations. It’s what the commodity exchanges are established on. The swap marketplaces are the superhighways of the fiscal sector. They method substantial volumes although amassing a little toll on each transaction. Consequently, the cost on the person swap is tiny but the sheer volume of swaps processed can make it a large earnings resource for all of the major financial institutions.
The CFTC has yet to remark on Tera Group’s proposal. We commented in November that Bitcoin experienced transcended novelty position and that the earnings pool was becoming way too massive for international banking companies to ignore. Bitcoin’s resilience in the encounter of the Mt. Gox debacle is a testomony to the electrical power of a world-wide grassroots motion. Bitcoin must have plunged across the globe as proprietors of Bitcoins experimented with to exchange them for challenging currency. The market’s response turned out to be very orderly. Whilst costs did drop throughout the board, the market appeared to comprehend that it was an personal company’s problem and was consequently confined to Mt. Gox customers’ potential to get their income out. As a end result, Bitcoin rates have stabilized around $585. This is well off the December substantial of $one,200 but extremely near the typical price tag for the last 6 months.
The very last coincidentally timed piece of the structural transformation from Bitcoin as an anarchist, different shop of price that exists exterior the institutionalized economic sector to being built-in into that very same economic technique is its capability to be taxed by the brick and mortar governments it was produced to circumvent. The Internal Earnings Provider lastly made the decision sufficient is sufficient and it would like its lower.
dark web wallet has declared Bitcoin as residence relatively than currency and is for that reason subject to home laws relatively than currency legal guidelines. This makes it possible for the IRS to get their share although legitimizing the want for a central trade to verify value. It also gets rid of arguments with the U.S. Treasury and Congress over authorized tender issues. It’s simply valued as a excellent that can be exchanged for other products and services, barter.
Bitcoin is a international marketplace executing transactions on an digital network. That seems an awful whole lot like the fx markets. Market regulators and the banking sector are heading to rapidly find that the failure of Mt. Gox has completed more to motivate the person solve of international Bitcoin end users relatively than ending this upstart’s existence. Personal consumers of Bitcoin will clamor for the authorities to defend its folks from crooked exchanges just as farmers were cheated in the grain trade of historic Egypt or gold and cattle by assayers and stockyards in the Wild West. Tera Group may be in the right place at the proper time with the correct notion as Bitcoin might have established alone to be self-sustaining at the retail stage. Institutional and lawful structures are becoming place in location to carry on its evolution as the monetary industry is still left to determine out how to monetize it.


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As an autism and SEN advocate, mum of an awesome autistic son, and autistic woman myself, I just want to say… please don’t ruin this scheme for everyone!
Note: it isn’t just the Sunflower Scheme being abused, but they’re the most well known.
One notable thing that the pandemic has done is raise the profile of the wonderful Sunflower Lanyard scheme, giving it some great additional publicity and awareness. However, it could be argued that this extra publicity has actually had a detrimental effect on the credibility of the scheme, as it has become way too open to abuse – I’ll explain why soon enough.
What is the sunflower lanyard scheme?
The Sunflower Scheme was launched in 2016 in order to create a discreet, yet well publicised system whereby invisible disabilities were indicated to help people to avoid potentially awkward situations – for example, many young people with stoma bags have faced horrible comments for using disabled toilets, and people who have had amputations that are hidden under their clothes or by excellent prosthetics have been known to find themselves under attack for using disabled parking spaces even with a visible blue badge! It’s also great for people with less ‘visible’ disabilities like autism, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, MS, etc.
(Shoutout to my fellow autism & EDS zebras!)
On the whole, this scheme has worked marvellously, with major supermarkets like Tesco becoming stockists.
With the introduction of face mask wearing due to the pandemic, the UK government declared there to be a list of a small demographic of people who are legally EXEMPT (much to the outrage of some people who simply don’t ‘get it’, sadly) from wearing masks – this tiny minority are mitigated by the very large number of people who are able to wear theirs.
The sunflower lanyard has been very valuable for people needing to do important errands but unable to wear a mask due to their disability, and the lanyard indicates this without any awkward questions (usually), whilst still being used by those who are able to wear theirs, but wanting to indicate their invisible disability for other reasons. I’m able to wear a mask, and I do, but those who seriously struggle find the lanyard such a lifeline.
However, with the pandemic came the problems…
People with genuine disabilities are becoming increasingly fed up, and wrongly targeted in public as awareness of the fact that people are abusing the scheme grows.
A small but insidious group of individuals have well and truly HIJACKED this brilliant scheme because fundamentally there is NO legal way that anyone can prove that you aren’t exempt when wearing one, technically no one is allowed to ask for proof of your disability! I’m in two minds about writing this at all because by doing so, I’m potentially giving people ideas but at the same time, this needs to be discussed more, I think, because it’s outrageous. It needs exposing. Here’s a good example of what I mean…
I’m not getting into the ins and outs, rights and wrongs of mask wearing rules, but abusing a scheme meant for disabled people is really pretty gross.
Whilst the scheme is marvellous, it’s too open to abuse, clearly.
The increased awareness of this scheme due to the Covid-19 pandemic has led to many online postings by anti-maskers where they’re bragging about getting their lanyard so that they can go about their life mask-free without being questioned, but this utterly undermines the entire purpose of the lanyards, and has now hugely impacted the credibility of the scheme because that seed of doubt has been planted in people’s minds.
Before covid, you could wear a sunflower lanyard and people wouldn’t question if you’re ‘faking it’ usually. Now, not as much the case, and they’re often eyed with suspicion.
It’s such a shame, isn’t it?
My personal view on the scheme is now one that I find disappointing but necessary… to avoid this abuse, proof of disability should be provided when applying, in my opinion. Usually, most of us would have some form of documentation available or be able to get a note from a GP. But is it too late? Has the damage already been done?
Fake versions and lanyards at inflated prices are also being flogged elsewhere online, another example of abuse of the scheme!
A spokesperson for Hidden Disabilities told Fabulous Digital:
“We are aware that sadly, some people are abusing the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Lanyard Scheme by reselling our lanyards and other wearables at inflated prices for profit on sites such as Ebay and Amazon.
“We have registered with eBay as the verified retailer of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower product and owners of the trademark and copyright to restrict the reselling of them.
“They have image recognition software that identifies a copyrighted item and blocks it from being sold. We monitor the reselling of our own products regularly and sellers are reported to Ebay for violation of their policies.
“It is worth noting that there are a number of official resellers that are charities reselling our products on these sites. To be an official reseller you would have been issued with a certification badge, so please keep an eye out for these as they are legitimately doing so.
“Amazon have today assured us that they are going to be removing all the listings currently on their site.
“We continue to work with both Amazon and eBay to resolve the situation.”
Blimey, that was a long one.
Long story short, if you’re not disabled and you’re abusing these schemes for your own agenda, you’re actually causing harm to the community of people who rely on them the most. You’re also… a massive dick.
Hopefully my next post is something a bit more positive and exciting, eh?


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Just in from @Canalys, we are now the 2nd largest mobile phone brand worldwide in terms of shipments. #NoMiWithoutYouRT with ✌ from your Xiaomi smart device:-RRB- pic.twitter.com/kKfuTK8K7J— Xiaomi (@Xiaomi) July 15, 2021
” Xiaomi is growing its overseas organization rapidly,” Canalys Research Manager Ben Stanton says, citing sales increases in areas including Western Europe, Africa, and Latin America. “It is still mainly manipulated toward the mass market, however, and compared to Samsung and Apple, its typical market price is around 40% and 75% cheaper respectively. So a major top priority for Xiaomi this year is to grow sales of its high-end gadgets, such as the Mi 11 Ultra.”
Canalys states international mobile phone deliveries grew by 12 percent last quarter. Much of the development seen by smart device makers is at the cost of Huawei, however, which itself surpassed Apple in 2019 but has actually given that been basically shut out of the around the world market due to US-imposed sanctions and trading restrictions. So far, Xiaomi appears to be the most significant beneficiary.
Xiaomi is now the second largest smart device supplier based upon around the world shipments in the 2nd quarter of 2021, according to a new report from Canalys. The Chinese company recorded 17 percent of global market share, according to the research study company, just behind Samsungs 19 percent however ahead of Apples 14 percent.
BBKs Oppo and Vivo completed the list of leading five suppliers at 10 percent each. All 5 companies grew their shipments year on year, however whats noteworthy is simply how much Xiaomi has actually handled to increase its volume– it shipped 83 percent more phones than in Q2 2020, whereas Samsung grew deliveries 15 percent and Apple by simply one percent.


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Later in April, Herndon residents can get rid of large or unusually shaped items during the annual spring cleaning event.
From April 22-24, Herndon residents will be able to place appliances, furniture, building materials, vehicle parts or tires on their curb for collection, according to a press release, which added that items should be placed outside by 6 a.m. on pickup day.
Collection crews request that the weight of vehicle parts be under 50 pounds and that doors be removed from appliances. People can only put out a maximum of two tires per household.
“Loose yard waste, auto parts in excess of 50 lbs., large quantities of building materials, brick and block, electronics (including televisions, stereos, computers and peripheral) and household hazardous waste will NOT be picked up,” the press release said.
More information on garbage collection and recycling can be found online, through the Town of Herndon’s website.
Photo via v2osk on Unsplash


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'Forza Horizon 3' News & Update: Upcoming 'Forza Horizon 3' January Car Pack To Debut BMW i8, Great Boxing Day Sales To Bundle Xbox One S With FH3 GameBy Erwin Castro, UniversityHerald Reporter
Open world racing game "Forza Horizon 3" is about to get bigger next year. The racing game will receive a new car pack this coming January, according to the latest reports. Fans are waiting to get their hands on the "Forza Horizon 3" January Car Pack.
Unfortunately, not much information is known about the upcoming "Forza Horizon 3" January Pack, not even a hint. What gamers know is that the upcoming "Forza Horizon 3" January Car Pack will feature a new car, probably the 2015 BMW i8 model, according to Windows Report.
This is big news for FH3 fans, as the BMW i8 top their wish list, and the PlayGround Games will soon make their wish come true. The developer made the confirmation this week on the game's official Facebook page.
However, there are some reports that some players aren't really impressed by this new January Car Pack news. Some players believe that there are already too many BMW cars available in the "Forza Horizon 3" game. What the players want is a new car like the fast and furious McLaren 675LT racing car.
Launched on 2016, "Forza Horizon 3" an open world racing video game set in an open world environment based in Australia. The game was developed by Playground Games and published by Microsoft Studios for PC and Xbox One gaming console.
As with previous Forza Horizon builds, PlayGround Games has teamed up with developer Turn 10 in the game's development. PlayGround Games has also added the Blizzard Mountain expansion, which allows the player to drive in the snow while trying to become king of the mountain. The expansion was released on December 13, 2016. The Blizzard Mountain expansion is the latest addition to the Forza game series, it features a snow environments.
Players who already purchased the Expansion Pass will receive the new snow expansion pack Blizzard Mountain DLC, alongside another expansion. Players can also buy the pack separately through the Microsoft Store along with the Expansion Pass.
In other "Forza Horizon 3" story, players can now get a great deal this month through the Boxing Day Sales. According to Games Radar, players can now grab an Xbox One S 500 GB console along with the "Forza Horizon 3," "FIFA 17," and a NOW TV 2Month Sky cinema Pass for an amazing £289.99. It's may not have a Black Friday or Cyber Monday kind of deal but it offers a good price for everyone. Best of all it gives enough entertainment to keep players busy until the New Year's celebration.
"Forza Horizon 3" is currently available on Microsoft's Xbox One gaming console and Windows PC. The PlayGround Games' upcoming expansion "Forza Horizon 3 January Pack will be arriving on January 3, 2017.


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Fung Global Retail & Technology tracks store openings and closures for a select group of US retailers.
What Is Happening This Week?
In contrast to the general retail environment and the slew of store closures this year, some retailers have announced plans to expand their footprint in the US market. Under Armour has opened 10 stores year to date, and department store chain Belk plans to open two new stores in October. Meanwhile, Italian intimate apparel brands Intimissimi and Calzedonia, both owned by Calzedonia Group, hit the US market, with plans to open 10 stores across the East Coast by the end of the year. Finally, the Nordstrom family is seeking to privatize the eponymous US department store operator through equity financing.
Under Armour Unveils Restructuring Plan
Under Armour announced plans to close stores and cut jobs as it looks to revitalize its business amid tough competition in the North American athletic apparel market. Its restructuring plan includes a strategic shift in positioning from a performance-driven sports brand to a lifestyle brand, as well as store closures and job cuts. There are currently 179 stores in North America.
Belk Announces Two New Store Openings
Belk, a department store chain headquartered in North Carolina, plans to open two more department stores— in Georgia and Kentucky—in October 2017, bringing the total store count to 294 across the country. The new store initiative is part of a $40 million investment in store remodels, capital improvements and new store openings in 2017. The objective of the capital expenditure is to engage more customers with a strong focus on customer experience through new initiatives such as a “buy online, pick up in store” service, phone-charging stations and more easily assessable customer service.
Calzedonia Group Lands in US Market
Calzedonia Group, the Italian fashion brand that owns innerwear and swimwear brands Intimissimi and Calzedonia, will be opening 10 new stores in the US by September 2017. The group is signing contracts for an additional 20 stores next year, according to Marcello Veronesi, country manager of Calzedonia USA. This marks the first attempt for the Italian fashion brand to open physical stores in the US market, following its recent expansion into Hong Kong. The flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York opened last weekend, with the remaining nine stores to be located across the East Coast. The expansion into the US intimate wear market comes at a time when Victoria’s Secret is struggling domestically. Calzedonia operates 4,500 stores in 45 countries, while Intimissimi has 1,400 stores under its name globally.
Nordstrom Family is Seeking to Privatize Nordstrom Inc.
The Nordstrom family is seeking to privatize its namesake department store operator Nordstrom Inc., according to Reuters. The family, which owns 31.2% of the company, is planning to raise around $1 billion from private equity investors. The drive for privatization comes at a time when the Nordstrom family plans to invest heavily in longer-term improvements that would appeal to customers but likely be unpopular among shareholders in the short term. These new initiatives include e-commerce development, closure of underperforming stores, a focus on prime store locations and expansion of Nordstrom’s discount shopping chain Nordstrom Rack.


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It was only a matter of time. The FCC’s controversial net neutrality rules didn’t sit well with the telecom industry in the United States and the companies that dominate the industry intend to sue. The rules regulate Internet service providers in much the same way they would regulate telephone companies, and the telecom industry did not like that one bit.
U.S. broadband industry trade body USTelecom and Internet provider Alamo Broadband filed Monday lawsuits against a controversial U.S. Federal Communications Commission proposal to reclassify broadband providers, which could be the harbinger of similar lawsuits from Internet companies. The FCC voted by 3-2 in February to approve new net neutrality rules that would help ensure the uninhibited flow of Internet traffic. It aims to reclassify broadband as a regulated public utility, thus prohibiting providers from selectively blocking or throttling or offering paid prioritization of traffic. The new rules aim to regulate both wireless and wireline Internet services on the lines of traditional telephone companies, which are required to deliver service at “just and reasonable” rates and interconnect with each other. Small broadband providers will, however, be exempted from some of the new rules temporarily.


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ARK Buys $2.5 Million in Coinbase Shares as COIN Continues Rally
Cathie Wood's crypto conviction continues as ARK made another Coinbase (COIN) buy Thursday.
Coinbase is now the 12th-largest holding for the ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK), behind CRISPR Therapeutics and game engine developer Unity, taking up 3.87% of the fund's weight. Overall, ARKK has a cost average of $254.65 for COIN.
COIN is currently trading at $47.55, up 8.6% on-day, or 23% during the past month. Analysts are predicting a mean price target of $61.46, according to data compiled by FactSet.
Barclays analyst Benjamin Budish said in a recent note that "next year is likely to remain challenging" for Coinbase, but "rising rates are set to be a material tailwind.”
Recently, Coinbase announced a big expansion of its European operations as a pillar of growth for 2023.


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As the challenge of global warming is posing a serious threat to the environment, many tech entrepreneurs are coming up with concepts focused on sustainability. Especially, millennials are inclined towards minimalism, zero waste, and other initiatives that will bring about sustainability in the tech ecosystem.
It is encouraging to see a number of ambitious game-changers taking up the eco-friendly and green way of doing business seriously. To motivate these green-minded entrepreneurs and sustainable startups, Postcode Lottery Green Challenge, which is one of the world’s largest annual competitions which takes place in Amsterdam and awards the leaders in the sustainable entrepreneurship sector.
Earlier this year, green startups from across the world submitted their promising sustainable business plans to take part in this competition. Now, Postcode Lottery Green Challenge’s international jury has announced the winner and runner-up of the competition. Without further ado, here we take a look at the 5 winners in the challenge and also why they are so important right now.
Field Factors (Netherlands)
CEO: Karina Peña
Founded year: 2016
Field Factors is one of the finalists of the competition and received €100k. Based in Delft, the company is a supplier of water technology solutions. It operates with the vision to restore the natural water cycle. Working in collaboration with manufacturers, contractors, and researchers, Field Factors has developed the first generation modular system, Bluebloq, which purifies rainwater for reuse instead of flushing the same via the sewer. It is termed a circular system for rainwater management. This is the best solution for cities that suffer from heavy rainfall and need extra water during dry seasons.
Swedish Algae Factory (Sweden)
Founders: Sofie Allert
Total Funding: €2.8 million
Valuation: SEK12 million – SEK18 million
Founded year: 2014
Swedish Algae Factory was founded in 2014 to use the unique traits of diatom in the industry. It operates in real-time and in harmony with nature. The company cultivates its own algae based on a circular economic mindset, wherein nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and phosphorus emissions are transformed into valuable products. There is a controlled algae bloom in the factory to prevent phosphorous and nitrogen from over fertilising the water bodies. The company aims to have many factories run worldwide by 2030 to contribute to a more sustainable industry. Swedish Algae Factory received the grand prize of €500k as it won the Postcode Lottery Green Challenge 2019.
Founders: Fabian Lemke, Manjunath Ramesh, Nikolaus Thomale
Total Funding: €50k
Founded year: 2017
Berlin-based Nuventura is the runner-up of the Postcode Lottery Green Challenge competition and received a prize of €200k. It is a part of the renowned Climate KIC Accelerator. The company has successfully developed, built, and tested the new technology and secured licensing of the next-generation gas-insulated switchgear predominantly using sulphur hexaflouride SF6, which is the most potent greenhouse gas, which is an electrically insulating medium. Apart from the environmental benefits, innovative sensors bring in other notable advantages.
Founders: Alexei Levene, William Janssen
Total Funding: €50k
Founded year: 2014
Desolenator develops technology products that harness two abundant resources in the world – sunshine, and seawater to produce high-quality drinking water. The concept designed by Desolenator is the most cost-effective and sustainable solution in areas of complex water types, high solar irradiation, and high-cost of water provisioning. It aims with the philosophy to provide access to clean water, which is a major challenge across the world. It is the world’s first solar-thermal desalination technology to be applied in a modular way. Desolenator is one of the finalists of Postcode Lottery Green Challenge and received €100k.
TEXEL Energy Storage (Sweden)
Founder: Lars Jacobsson
Founded year: 2011
TEXEL Energy Storage along with the US Department of Energy (DOE) developed a new unique battery technology. It is touted that the battery tech developed by the company is 90% cheaper than traditional battery technologies like Lithium-Ion in select applications. The new thermochemical battery dubbed TEXEL includes no rare metals and is nearly 100% recyclable. The battery can store energy for 100 years with minimal energy losses and high energy density. As a finalist of the Postcode Lottery Green Challenge, the company has secured €100k.
Main image picture credits: Postcode Lottery Green Challenge
Stay tuned to Silicon Canals for more European technology news.


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Some of the world’s largest game-makers are in this region. Many have grown up from the two console-makers that are based here – Microsoft’s Xbox and Valve – and, as a result, make console games.
But the number of mobile gaming companies here is also growing, and it’s growing in Seattle rather than on the Eastside, where the console is still king.
Redmond-based WildTangent, which publishes mobile games, saw that trend coming and decided to open a gaming studio of its own in Seattle to build games it could sell using its own distribution system.
WildTangent’s game studio is tucked into a small space in Pioneer Square. Only 12 people work in the office, which they’ve been in for a little more than a year. Considering there are 130 people working for WildTangent, the game studio is only a small portion of the company’s business. But the fact that WildTangent is going after this market is significant.
But WildTangent is leveraging its unique position as a distributor to take advantage of a growing market for what at least initially appears to the customer to be a free game.
The majority of WildTangent’s business is dedicated to selling other companies’ games through a distribution engine that connects game-makers to Apple and Android customers. So the company already has a strong relationship with app stores and knows how negotiate deals that benefit both sides.
For instance, customers want free or low-cost games, but distributors want those customers to make in-app purchases so they can collect a percentage of that payment.
WildTangent’s new game, Polar Bowler, set to release on April 2, fits that exact description. It will cost .99 cents and be available on iOS, Google Play, Amazon Kindle and the WildTangent Games mobile service.
And the head of the gaming studios, Matt Shea, said that’s quite intentional.
“We’ve had a great response (to Polar Bowler) from our partners. Plus, we have home field advantage with Wild Tangent games,” he said.
Polar Bowler is basically a fancy bowling game, but the game-makers have taken bowling up a notch by putting the main character, a polar bear named P.B., on a tube that he rides across the snow and ice to knock over the pins. There are a variety of special tubes the bear can get on, including one with rockets, another that looks like a unicorn.
You can’t just build a character anymore, Shea said, you have to build an environment and a story. For example, P.B. comes from means. He’s got the money to blow on silly things, like adding rockets to his snow tube so he can knock over more pins. He has a penguin as a butler/sidekick, and the entire environment around them is three-dimensional and beautifully designed.
WildTangent put its studio in Seattle, rather than the Eastside, primarily for recruiting purposes, Shea said.
“Seattle is definitely the epicenter, there’s no question about that,” Shea said of the gaming industry. “We’re seeing people coming here from the Bay Area and across the country.”
The Eastside has many of the console game-makers because the consoles are there. But Seattle is where mobile is happening.
“There’s a lot going on in regards to mobile development here,” Shea said. “There’s no question this is a fantastic place.”


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The collapse of the eight-storey Rana Plaza in Dhaka, Bangladesh, nearly a year ago, was the worst industrial accident of the modern globalised economy.
More than 1,100 people, mostly garment workers, died. In one of the largest mega-cities in the world – the Greater Dhaka area has a population of 17 million – they were employed, in a block with a partly Spanish name, to make clothes for the European and United States markets.
For once, the connections of the world economy were brought home to shoppers at branches of Primark all over the UK. Where politicians usually talk about globalisation as a threat (we have to compete with the emerging markets of Asia) and an opportunity (free trade makes us richer), we realised that it is also a moral responsibility.
Most of us agreed that it was worth paying a few pence more for a T-shirt to minimise the risk of such loss of life. More than that, though, the disaster brought home to Western consumers the link between poor conditions and low pay in the countries that sustain our material comforts. It was worth paying a few pence more for a T-shirt not just to prevent workers being crushed to death but to pay them a decent wage and give them a better life.
Since then, the subject has disappeared from the headlines, but some of the resolutions made at the time have borne fruit. Some of the high-street names that indirectly employed the victims of Rana Plaza compensated their families promptly and generously, with Primark leading the way.
Others have stepped up to their continuing responsibility for the welfare of their workers in emerging economies. As we report today on page 14, four brands have made progress towards paying “living wages”, according to Labour Behind the Label, the campaign for workers’ rights. Half the companies surveyed by the campaign had codes of conduct committing them to a living wage, but only Marks & Spencer, Inditex, Switcher and Tchibo had actually done anything about it.
Campaigns such as Labour Behind the Label, and MPs such as Rushanara Ali, who has a large number of British-Bangladeshi constituents, have done valuable work in acting as the transmission mechanism for the conscience of the West. By identifying the good and the bad retailers on the high street, they have enabled shoppers to use their ethical consumer power to make a difference.
The report produced by Labour Behind the Label to mark next month’s anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse identifies Debenhams, Matalan and The North Face as brands that are failing to live up to their responsibilities. You, the consumer, have the power to act on that information.
There are those who might see this kind of consumer activism as a pointless attempt to soften the harsh reality of capitalism, and there are others who think it is a distraction from the pursuit of economic growth, which is in our interest as much as it is in that of the people of Bangladesh.
The Independent on Sunday disagrees with both varieties of pessimism. Modern capitalism has been the most successful anti-poverty programme ever. Aid is important in emergencies and at the extremes, but what has made the difference in China, India, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia and elsewhere has been trade. But trade is not just a matter of chasing the cheapest possible goods regardless of the human cost. The pursuit of profit tends to benign outcomes, but it is not a substitute for morality. It needs to be guided by ethics. This is not just about clothes, still less cheap clothes. Ethical consumers should drive ethical trade in everything we buy.
Trade is better than aid, and fair trade is better than unfair trade.Reuse content


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25 Things you may not know about dogs
Prepare for a jolt: Starbucks has announced it's adding calorie counts to its menu boards. Here's a look at just how many calories are in some of your favorite Starbucks drinks. Calorie counts are for Grande sizes and include whipped cream, when available, and 2 percent milk, which is now the Starbucks standard.
Starbucks is now posting calorie counts to its menu. Find out how "bad" your favorite drink is.
Two of the three teens facing charges for bank robbery have entered a plea of not guilty.
Was a police officer justified in shooting and killing Michael Brown?


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After Vietnam introduced harsh penalties for drunk-driving with effect January 1, beer sales in the Southeast Asian country have plummet by at least 25%, Bloomberg reported. The law, which was introduced to fight tragic accidents which often shook the nation last year, came into effect just days before the Lunar New Year, which is usually a busy time for restaurants, bars, and beer halls.
The new law stipulates that drivers must be “completely sober while operating vehicles”. Drivers violating the law run the risk of having their driving licenses revoked for up to two years. Cars and truck driver will face in addition a penalty of as much as VND 40 million (USD 1,739) while motorbike drivers will “only” pay fines up to VND 8 million (USD 345).
Authorities appear to be taking implementation seriously. In the first half of January, the Ministry of Public Security’s traffic department issued fines totaling VND 21 billion (USD 900,000) in 6,279 cases, according to information provided by the Vietnam News Agency.
The new law also bans advertising alcoholic beverages on television and other media platforms between 6:00 pm and 9:00 pm and requires stores to post signs announcing the ban on alcohol sales to those younger than 18.
“Falling beer sales are a reality. We haven’t got an exact number of the decline in alcohol sales yet, but they have definitely dropped a lot,” said Luong Xuan Dung, general secretary of The Vietnam Beer Alcohol Beverage Association.
Stocks of international brewing companies that invested heavily in the Vietnamese beer market in recent years have been severely hit by the new law. Heineken’s share price fell as much as 5 per cent in Amsterdam, when first news on weak sales figures became public. Vietnam generates roughly 12 per cent of Heineken’s earnings before interest and taxes and about 5 per cent of its group sales. The Dutch brewer has been operating in Vietnam since 1991 and operates today six breweries and nine sales offices.


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Well, they can’t make any money actually delivering mail, why not try selling clothes?
First the end of Saturday mail, now a new clothing line. The U.S. Postal Service is taking unprecedented steps to make itself relevant and profitable these days.
The cash-strapped agency announced plans on Tuesday to launch a new line of all-weather apparel and accessories sometime next year.
Move over, upscale North Face. Or should it be the grittier Carhartt brand that worries?
The Postal Service chose “Rain Heat & Snow” as its own brand name, alluding to its unofficial motto: “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stay these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”
Only men’s apparel and accessories will be available initially, but the agency plans to add a women’s line in the future, it said Tuesday.
Why can’t we privatize the postal service again?
Oh. Right. They’re union.


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Only three people were included in the analysis of the technology which provides online access via a tiny screen attached to a spectacle frame published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The findings showed "significant" obstruction in peripheral vision on the right side, where the device is mounted, the article said.
Researchers said further study in a larger pool of wearers is needed.
"To our knowledge, this is the first evaluation of the effect of wearable electronics with head-mounted display on vision," wrote the team of investigators at the University of California, San Francisco.
"The device created a clinically meaningful visual field obstruction in the upper right quadrant."
The blockage was due to the thick strip of material along the right side of the wearable device, not due to any distraction by the software, the scientists said.
Three men were part of the study. All had 20/20 vision.
Visual tests, as well as an analysis of 132 images on the Internet of Google Glass being worn by consumers, showed that the gear lined up with people's eyes in such a way that it obstructed their field of view.
In the study, wearers took visual tests with the Google Glass in place, and then again wearing conventional eyeglass frames.
"Conventional spectacle frames can reduce visual field, sometimes causing absolute blind spots, and head mounted devices have even more pronounced frames," the article said.
Google Glass became available in the US in May for a price of $1,500.


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Ukraine has increased by more than a third of agricultural exports to the European Union
For 2017 Ukraine exported to the EU products by 5.8 billion dollars.
This was stated by Deputy Minister of agrarian policy and food of Ukraine on European integration Olga Trofimova, reported the press service of the Ministry of agriculture.
“For several years the EU takes second place in the regional structure of our agricultural and food exports. Very happy to note that by the end of 2017, the export of our agricultural and food products to European countries rose by 37.1%, or nearly $1.6 billion to $5.8 billion For me personally, these figures mean that the FTA Agreement between Ukraine and the EU works effectively and produces results for our agricultural sector. In addition, the growth in exports to EU countries is a sign of a successful reorientation of the majority of our agricultural exporters to new markets after the loss of the Russian market”,- she said.
Russia can move Ukraine to the second place in the world on volumes of export of grain
According to Trofimovoj, the main products that Ukraine supplied to the EU last year, are the cereals – $ 1.7 billion. oil and 1.4 billion. seeds of oilseed crops – $ 1.1 billion.
“In addition, the growth of our exports in 2017 in the EU also due to the increase in the supply of niche, processed and prepared foods. For example, exports of poultry meat increased in 2017 compared with 2016 for $64,9 million, products of flour and cereals – by $32.4 million, juices – $28.3 million, honey, for $25.5 million, confectionery products – by $15.4 million, butter – $11.7 million”,- said the Deputy Minister on European integration, adding that the most exported Ukrainian goods to the Netherlands (18%), Spain (14.3 percent), Poland (13.2%), and Italy (12%) and Germany (10.5 per cent).
At the same time, the Ministry said that the Ukraine last year imported European agrotourism by 17.2% more than in 2016.
“In General, the imports amounted to $2.3 billion And the main products of our import was tobacco and its products, chocolate and products made from cocoa beans, animal feed, alcoholic beverages and various other food products” – summed up Trafimava.
Note, by the end of 2017, the foreign trade turnover of agricultural and food products between Ukraine and the countries of Europe grew by 30.8%, or $1.9 billion, and amounted to $8.1 billion.
We will remind, in 2017 Ukraine has significantly increased the volume of export of Ukrainian cheese, whey and condensed milk. While the volume of supply of butter in the European Union in General take second place in a world first for New Zealand.
- The Ministry of agrarian policy
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Microsoft Corporation may be in the midst of losing the last real console war. That’s what Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter, who specializes in covering the game space, said in an address last week. Mr. Pachter reckons that sales of consoles in this generation are going to be smaller than those in the last gen, and the trend, he says, will continue.
Mr. Pachter told those gathered at DICE Europe that “The console installed base is as big as it’s ever going to get.” That’s not a worry for those who make games, says Pachter, as he reckons the en of the home console’s pre-eminence will bring with it a surge in growth in the space. What will change, however, is the amount of money that Sony Corp and Microsoft are able to make from gaming.
Microsoft, Sony kill the console
Pachter said that he reckons the total sales of home consoles for the Xbox One, PS4 and Wii U will hit around 260 million units. The last console gen, composed of the Wii, the PS3, and the Xbox 360, saw sales of around 270 million in total. Mr. Pachter reckons that the fall in total unit sales is no accident. He sees the end of the home console coming, though it won’t be fast.
In Pachter’s view there will be another console gen after the Xbox One VS PS4 battle is over. “When I say that this console cycle is the last console cycle, the reason is that console games shouldn’t require a console. And I’m not talking about the cloud.”
Mr. Pachter reckons that people are changing the way in which they play games, and more and more are going to leave the home console behind as a relic of the past. We’re already seeing this sort of behaviour in certain parts of the world, and it seems that the effect may never reverse.
Xbox One VS PS4 saw the end coming
The Xbox One VS PS4 console war is all but over after just two years. Last week we took a look at Japan as a market that lead the early console market, and one that’s dying away right now. Those in charge of Sony and Microsoft saw the end of the console wars coming, and they made it clear in the way they’ve handled the Xbox One VS PS4 battle so far.
Since it started losing out to Sony at the open of sales, Microsoft has refuse to infuse money into the Xbox One VS PS4 battle. The firm has stayed away from paying out the nose for massive exclusives in order to drive sales of its home console, and it has stayed far behind the PS4 as a result.
There is no console war in Japan. Microsoft Corporation has given up on its side of the Xbox One VS PS4 battle in the country. Sony is still losing to itself, however. Sales of the PS4, despite facing no major competition, are lower than those of the Ps3 were at the same time after release.


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AT&T and Verizon Executives Join MEF Board of Directors
Board welcomes new executives to help drive acceleration of global enterprise digital transformation
LOS ANGELES, June 28, 2022 – MEF, a global industry association of network, cloud, and technology providers accelerating enterprise digital transformation, today announced the appointment of two new members to its board of directors. Debika Bhattacharya, Chief Product Officer, Verizon Business, and John Nolan, Vice President, Global Connection Management, AT&T, join a distinguished group of visionary leaders in the service provider and ICT industries.
“MEF is thrilled to welcome Debika and John to our board of directors. We look forward to leveraging their leadership and extensive industry experience to advance the MEF 3.0 vision through a better-together ecosystem of service, technology, and cloud providers,” said Nan Chen, President, MEF. “John has been an extraordinary champion for MEF’s Lifecycle Service Orchestration (LSO) APIs adoption globally, and Debika brings an important strategic enterprise perspective to the board. MEF’s board of directors and our entire member community will benefit significantly from the industry contributions and leadership of our newest board members.”
“I am excited to join the MEF Board of Directors and help shape their strategy for automating and standardizing new technology to advance the fully connected economy of the future,” said Debika Bhattacharya, Chief Product Officer, Verizon Business. “I look forward to working together with global service, cloud, and technology providers to accelerate enterprise digital transformation and help businesses achieve revenue faster.”
“Debika will be a tremendous asset to MEF’s Board,” said Tami Erwin, CEO, Verizon Business. “Her knowledge of the most in-demand customer needs, combined with strategic and technical acumen, will be instrumental in MEFs work to transform the way services and technologies are delivered and managed.”
“MEF’s standardized LSO APIs are playing a strategic role in the transformation and automation of AT&T’s global supply chain ecosystem,” said John Nolan, Vice President, Global Connection Management, AT&T. “I look forward to joining an inspiring group of executives on MEF’s Board of Directors, bringing global perspectives to the table, leading industry collaboration and driving adoption of MEF’s important automation efforts.”
“John’s leadership and experience in the global telecommunications industry makes him an excellent fit to serve on the board and help advance the MEF vision,” said Chris Sambar, Executive Vice President, AT&T Network. “He has an extensive track record in building service provider relationships and that will further MEFs efforts to implement inter-provider service automation globally.”
Bhattacharya and Nolan join MEF’s world-class board of directors who guide the advancement of the MEF baseline for LSO supply chain automation, MEF 3.0 standardized services, and test, training and certification, allowing service and technology providers and the enterprise to differentiate with on-demand, cloud-like experiences for their customers. Bhattacharya leads product management across all customer segments for Verizon Business and is responsible for the company’s product portfolio and its strategy and alignment with Verizon’s Network-as-a-Service framework. Nolan leads a team of professionals in more than 30 countries responsible for AT&T’s voice, data, international roaming, IoT, and performance relationships with other telecommunications providers in support of AT&T’s wireless and wireline businesses objectives around the world.
MEF Board of Directors:
- Debika Bhattacharya, Chief Product Officer, Verizon Business
- Nan Chen, Head of The One Network, Ericsson
- Frederick Chui, Chief Commercial Officer, PCCW Global
- Andrew Dugan, Chief Technology Officer, Lumen
- Shawn Hakl, Vice President, 5G Strategy, Microsoft
- Daniele Mancuso, Senior Vice President Chief Product Management, Sparkle
- Franck Morales, Vice President, Connectivity Services, Orange Business Services
- John Nolan, Vice President, Global Connection Management, AT&T
- Robert “Bob” Victor, Senior Vice President of Product Management, Comcast Business
- Mirko Voltolini, Vice President, Innovation, Colt Technology Services
- Jeremy Wubs, Senior Vice President, Product, Marketing and Professional Services for Bell Business Markets, Bell Canada
MEF is a global industry association of network, cloud, and technology providers working together to accelerate enterprise digital transformation through a better-together ecosystem. MEF delivers service standards, LSO frameworks and APIs, and training and certification programs for services, technologies, APIs, and professionals. The MEF 3.0 Framework enables automated delivery of standardized Carrier Ethernet, IP, Optical Transport, SD-WAN, SASE, and other digital services across multiple provider networks. For more information visit MEF.net and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Melissa Power, MEF


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Fort Collins, Colorado based Press-One has been awarded the prestigious American Business Award – the “Stevie Award” – for Best Customer Service Team for a second year in a row.
“The Stevie Award is the award we cherish most” says Press-One’s president, Andy Orr. “The selection committee is made up of business people and BPO executives so they have experienced firsthand the challenges we face on a day-to-day basis. I’m grateful for those people. They’re our peers.”
Press-One’s award for 2017 was based on their performance on behalf of an e-commerce retail client that experienced unprecedented Black Friday / Cyber Monday sales activity.
“Our client offers an absolutely amazing product. We’re proud to be affiliated with them. They serve the children’s educational market and, by being in that space, their customer base expects the best we have. Keep in mind this is a child’s Christmas AND their education – obviously important to any parent or grandparent!” says Orr.
“The demand for our client’s product over the Black Friday weekend was far beyond what the client had forecast. While this is a good problem to have, we were caught flat-footed during the first few hours of the surge. Despite all our planning, we were understaffed and overwhelmed. But, our team reacted with the same professional, can-do attitude and worked with our technology folks to set up a series of chat-bots and IVR’s that correctly identified customer inquiries across multiple channels and assured each customer that their orders and inquiries were in-process. The immediate and, most importantly, the appropriate reply to those customers bought us the time we needed to bring in reinforcements and process the nearly 30,000 new orders that came in over the period.”
Press-One also won the award in 2016. “I think that our experience in developing functional software and embracing new technologies has us well equipped to innovate solutions. We like to say “show us an escalation and we’ll show you an innovation” says Orr.
Press-One is a veteran owned business. Orr, also the company founder, served in the elite 3rd U.S. Infantry (The Old Guard), officially known as the U.S. Army’s ceremonial unit and escort to the President. Press-One was also awarded a second “Stevie” for Veteran Owned Business Of The Year.


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According to new research open plan room designs could be going out of fashion.
Spaceslide.co.uk, the home storage solutions company, has stated that the trend for open plan living in UK homes may be drawing to a close.
A survey commissioned by the site revealed over half of UK adults are now opting for, or have a preference for additional rooms in the home. These can be used for a number of functions such as a child’s play room or a study area.
The findings are backed by the company’s increasing sales of room dividers which rose by 36 per cent last year.
Jon Gough of Spaceslide commented: “We set about researching what was driving this trend and whether there was a backlash to open plan living – which we believe there is.
“Compared to 10-years-ago, there is increased home-working, more teenagers having bigger and better entertainment systems comprising large screens, games consoles and computers that benefit from being left set up separate to the TV viewing family area, and more students living at home – all major new ways of life for families that lend themselves to private rooms rather than open plan living.”