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QuickChek vs. Wawa: Which do you like better?
Read to the bottom to take part in our poll: Which is your favorite? QuickChek or Wawa? 'Like' us on Facebook and tell us in the comments!
With convenience stores and gas stations seemingly on every corner in central New Jersey, it can be hard to imagine there’s any room for more.
However, two convenience store giants, QuickChek and Wawa both have robust plans to expand.
Within the last year, Wawa has opened six stores in New Jersey and has plans to open 50 more throughout its territory along the East Coast in 2016, while QuickChek has opened four stores in the last few months in New Jersey.
“We’ve got the flywheel going for growth,” said John Schaninger, QuickChek’s vice president of sales and marketing.
“We actually have the most amount of stores in the company in the state of New Jersey, even more than in (Pennsylvania) where we started,” said Lori Bruce, Wawa public relations manager. “It’s quite amazing, the growth over the years.”
QuickChek is coming to Jackson
YOUR TURN: Do you prefer Wawa or QuickChek? Like us on Facebook and tells us your opinion in the comments, and scroll to the bottom of this story to vote in our poll.
The two convenience stores both trace their origins to humble beginnings.
Wawa began in began in 1803 as an iron foundry in New Jersey, according to the company's website. In 1902 owner George Wood began a dairy processing plant in Wawa, Pennsylvania. When home delivery began to decline in the early 1960s, Grahame Wood, George’s grandson, opened the first Wawa Food Market in 1964 as an outlet for dairy products.
QuickChek began in 1888 when Durling Farms was founded to serve the central New Jersey region, according to the company's website. Over 75 years, Durling Farms brand grew and delivered milk and dairy products. In 1967, Carlton C. Durling founded QuickChek as a neighborhood shopping destination not only for milk but for a full range of deli and other food products.
Today, both of the companies rank as “super premium” convenience stores and industry leaders, said Adrienne Nadeau, of retail research firm Technomic.
Nadeau said Wawa and Pennsylvania-based Sheetz are “discussed as the golden standard between convenience stores.”
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“(QuickChek and Wawa) have a very similar strategy. Both realized consumers are increasingly on the go,” Nadeau said. “They’re really targeting those busy consumers, offering products that are delicious and convenient and affordable.”
But are QuickChek and Wawa essentially the same store? Throngs of loyal customers will disagree.
“You have to have the right piece of property because No. 1 is always convenience; you have to offer good quality products at the right pricing,” said Schaninger of QuickChek. “Our biggest competitive advantage after we get past those are having the highest quality food and coffee out of anyone in our industry.”
In a StudyLogic survey, a market research company, QuickChek came in first place for “overall satisfaction, price value and recommendation in the third quarter of 2015.” Wawa came in second. Wawa, meanwhile, points out that it came in first in a 2015 Market Force survey of favorite gas stations/convenience stores.
ROAD SAGE: Life as a 'gas jockey,' from $1.99 to $3.80
Still Wawa’s customers are fiercely loyal to the brand, said Bruce.
Wawa, headquartered in Wawa, Pennsylvania, has over 300 percent more stores than QuickChek — over 645 Wawa locations versus 143 QuickChek locations — in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and central Florida.
“We are an emotional brand. When we opened our stores in Florida … people drove two-and-a-half hours in that state,” said Bruce of Wawa. “The feeling of a Wawa cup of coffee reminds them of home.”
Headquartered in Readington Township, QuickChek’s core market is within a 75 mile perimeter of Columbus Circle in New York City, which brings stores to Kingston, New York, in the Hudson River valley, to the Delaware River in New Jersey, to Long Island.
But both brands said the secret to their success is their employees, and innovation.
“We believe we have high quality (products) and as we move forward we look for the best corner, but the secret ingredient is our team members,” said Schaninger. “This is a real statistic; it’s as difficult to get a job at QuickChek as it is to get into Harvard. We’re very, very choosy about who works for us.”
Typically, when Wawa employees reach 30 years of employment, a speech is made about them at an award ceremony. The company had to raise the marker for speeches to 35 years, because so many employees hit the 30-year milestone, and there wasn’t enough time for speeches.
“A lot has to do with our (customers) and the connection they have with associates. We had Dottie down in Stone Harbor who was at the shore store for 25 years. Customers came in and celebrated her on her retirement,” Bruce said. ”We have hundreds of examples of that.”
Battle grows between QuickChek, Wawa
A lot has changed since the dairy beginnings of each company.
Wawa started selling gasoline in 1996, and QuickChek joined in the early 2000s.
Wawa has 27 stores in Monmouth County: 11 have fuel, while the other 16 are called “legacy stores,” said Jim Shortall, Wawa’s director of store operations for New Jersey.
“We’ve got a very aggressive remodel program; we’ll shut down a legacy store for four to six weeks, and completely revise it,” Bruce said. “In order to sustain a business model you’ve got to embrace change as innovation.”
All stores that are constructed now have a new store design, Bruce said.
Schaninger started working at QuickChek in the 1970s. Back then, the company sold a lot of milk, bread, canned goods and sliced deli meats.
“Our product has changed because customer demand has changed,” he said. “Instead of slicing a lot of cold cuts, we make a lot of sandwiches.”
Any QuickChek opened moving forward, has a heavy focus on “high quality food, good high quality drinks. … (That’s) the brand of QuickChek. That’s our strategy,” Schaninger said.
New job for Wawa fuel man fired over squirt toy?
Which is your favorite?
The strategy works: morning, noon or night, you probably won’t be the only customer in a Wawa or QuickChek.
But which is your favorite?
Chelsea Pula is originally from Baltimore where they had Wawa, but not nearly as many as they do in New Jersey, she said.
Now that she lives in New Jersey, she can’t say which store is her favorite.
“Honestly, I’m a big fan of both…. QuickChek and Wawa, that’s where you get a sandwich or whatever,” she said.
“I only every really get gas from QuickChek, that’s because it’s so convenient. And I end up eating at QuickChek because they have calories posted, but I think that Wawa has better food,” Pula said.
But this is New Jersey, where there is a never-ending fight over whether it’s pork roll or Taylor ham (it’s pork roll), and whether or not central New Jersey exists (it does).
Devin Loring; 732-643-4035; firstname.lastname@example.org
BATTLE OF CONVENIENCE
First added gas: 1996
Number of stores: over 645
Number of employees: 22,000
First added gas: early 2000s
Number of stores: 143
Number of employees: over 3,500


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Join top executives in San Francisco on July 11-12, to hear how leaders are integrating and optimizing AI investments for success. Learn More
Many of us interact with computer vision applications every day, from Apple’s Face ID and Tesla Autopilot to the Meta Quest and Google Lens. Computer vision gives machines the ability to “perceive” the world like humans do and use that knowledge to augment human efforts. The potential is immense, and analysts agree: The computer vision market is expected to expand to $9.62 billion according to research from Report Ocean.
Here are three of the biggest trends to keep an eye on in the year ahead — and how organizations can unleash new possibilities through computer vision.
Faster, cheaper, more efficient edge computing storage will accelerate CV applications
To date, one of the big bottlenecks in the cloud vision space has been the power of computer vision devices. Because edge devices — think sensors and cameras — haven’t been powerful enough to do their own computation, most of the data processing has had to happen in the cloud. The result: Ballooning costs due to high energy and network bandwidth consumption.
We’re finally seeing that change. Thanks to advancements in edge computing, computer vision applications can run real-time data processing and analysis, which is not just reducing energy and bandwidth burdens, but is also improving computation efficiency. This is a big deal considering that many of the most compelling applications of computer vision rely on ultra-low latency data processing to deliver seamless user experiences.
Join us in San Francisco on July 11-12, where top executives will share how they have integrated and optimized AI investments for success and avoided common pitfalls.
In addition, we’re also seeing some exciting advancements in edge storage. Rapid advancements in NAND Flash technology have dramatically increased the volume of data that can be stored on the edge devices through SSDs and micro SD cards.
Notably, these trends have significant implications for CISOs: Because data is stored locally, edge storage is both more secure and more respectful of end user privacy. This is critical to bolstering CV adoption amidst a rapidly evolving privacy and data protection landscape. (More on this below.)
Enterprises will navigate the talent shortage by focusing on upskilling
Today, it’s not the lack of technology that’s holding back the development of computer vision applications — it’s the lack of talent.
Nearly 65% of IT executives see the talent shortage as the most significant factor impacting the adoption of new technologies such as computer vision, according to a recent Gartner study. In response, I believe that we will begin to see more organizations overcome their talent shortages by focusing on upskilling their existing workforce to use the latest technologies.
In particular, consider the rise of low-code and no-code development, which has key implications for advancements in computer vision. Using intuitive graphical user interfaces, visual programming, and pre-built templates, low-code and no-code development platforms reduce the complexities of application development. Such platforms can enable business professionals, citizen developers and non-experts to more quickly build, test and deploy CV applications, allowing specialized talent to work on harder, more niche problems.
These platforms also empower more people to contribute to the advancement of computer vision. Over the past few years, we’ve seen the emergence of platforms such as Apple Create ML, Google AutoML, Clarifai, obviously.ai and viso.ai, all of which are lowering the barrier to entry.
Smart enterprises will embrace privacy as a differentiator
Privacy, once an afterthought for technology companies, has today taken center stage. Consider, for example, Apple, which has leaned into privacy features to create a substantial strategic moat around its business and product ecosystem — much to Facebook’s chagrin.
Continue to watch this trend. As the market learns from Apple’s successes, we’re certain to see more companies differentiate themselves by building privacy into their core value proposition. Customers, in turn, will reward them for doing so. Recent surveys have shown that Gen Z, in particular, cares deeply about privacy and wants to do business with brands that have top-notch data privacy and security infrastructure in place.
These trends have clear implications for privacy-focused businesses, which will be able to command higher prices for their products and services. In addition, because customers are likely to stick with businesses that they trust to protect their personal information, privacy can bolster brand value and long-term customer loyalty.
Pushpak Pujari is head of product for camera software and video products at Verkada.
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With technology stocks down about 10% since mid-March, some investors are reassessing the previously high-flying sector. After leading global equity markets to record highs in recent years, many tech giants are now facing intense regulatory scrutiny, rising trade tensions with China and renewed concerns over valuations.
In this interview, Capital Group technology analyst Irfan Furniturewala shares his long-term outlook on the sector, his view on current valuations and his thoughts on some of the recent challenges facing the so-called FAANG stocks — Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Google-parent Alphabet.
There is no doubt that technology valuations are high, especially relative to the rest of the market. But many of the big tech stocks, or tech-related stocks — such as Facebook, Amazon and Netflix — have much better growth prospects and have been able to support these higher valuations.
Now with greater regulatory scrutiny and a serious trade dispute with China, the market is questioning the high-growth prospects that have been baked into the valuations of some of these companies. As a result, we are seeing a rise in market volatility led by technology stocks. Questions over the viability of cross-border mergers-and-acquisitions in light of the quashed deal between chipmakers Broadcom and Qualcomm further raise concerns around the scale advantage that dominant technology platforms typically enjoy.
Yes, I think that’s a likely outcome. Until this episode with Facebook and Cambridge Analytica, the fear that there may be greater regulatory scrutiny of Big Data companies was more nebulous. We now have a real-world case where this outside firm gained access to private information on some 50 million Facebook users. Now the issue has become very real, and we may see greater scrutiny of Big Data companies in countries around the world. These companies always had a barrier to entry in China and now they may face some obstacles in other countries, as well.
One could argue that Facebook was a little bit late to the apology table. But the company is now admitting that it made a mistake and it’s vowing to change its policies and procedures, and I think that’s the right approach. Sharing of customer data is a very sensitive topic, but I think they will find a way to resolve the issue, or Congress may resolve it for them.
It may actually be a good thing to establish some new rules governing how these companies can gather and share information about their customers. When it’s all said and done, I don’t think it will hurt the profitability of Facebook or Google in any meaningful way, and it may help to restore the trust of some customers who are rightfully upset about the improper use of their personal data.
Despite these challenges, the big data companies — be it in search or social media — provide critical services. They are like modern day utilities. Take Facebook. At the end of the day, what makes that company so successful is that it provides an incredibly valuable service, keeping people connected with friends and loved-ones in real time over the largest social network in the world. The ad revenue monetization is also seamless. When you scroll through it with your thumb on the phone, the ads are just part of the experience. The same holds true for its other assets — Instagram and WhatsApp. So, long-term, I continue to believe that these are very viable companies with long runways for growth.
With this transaction, you have seen the U.S. identify a national champion of sorts in Qualcomm. There are certain industries that are sensitive given the information they can control or their critical nature in defense and other systems. The semiconductor industry is one such area. Given how preemptive the U.S. has been on this merger, it is quite likely that we will not see much cross-border M&A for a while.
It’s been over 18 months that Qualcomm has been waiting for regulatory clearances from about 10 countries related to its acquisition of another chipmaker, NXP, based in Europe. While all other regions, such as the EU, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan have given their clearances, China hasn’t yet cleared this acquisition. Given these types of difficulties and the elongated timeline, I think we will see far less cross-border M&A going forward.
At this stage, a lot depends on how China responds. Rising trade tensions between the U.S. and China represent a real threat, especially for hardware companies and less so for the semiconductor companies. Many of them are highly exposed to China, since much of the supply chain flows through that part of the world.
For Apple, about 20% of the company’s revenues come from China, and many of Apple’s products are built there. Apple’s main supplier, Foxconn, employs more than 1 million people in China. So the inter-linkages are quite substantial.
To an extent, open borders are important. For many technology companies — and taking Apple as an example — the business models are built on scale. Build once and sell the same product worldwide in volume. If the markets get fragmented, and the product you sell in the U.S. is different from the product in China, which is different from the product in India, then you lose that scale and the incentive to invest back so much in research and development. That is what the market is grappling with.
So far, we’ve seen the U.S. impose billions of dollars in tariffs aimed at China, and China has responded in kind, targeting U.S. products. We’ll just have to watch and see how it plays out.
Oftentimes, I do see these difficult periods as buying opportunities, although each investment decision must be judged on a company-by-company basis. While valuations in this sector are always a concern, in my view, they are not excessively high. In fact, they are nowhere near the nose-bleed levels we saw in the late 1990s — and the big difference now is, the earnings are coming through quite nicely.
The technology leaders, especially the FAANGS, absolutely dominate their respective industries. They have earned their leading positions. They have decimated the competition. They attract the best talent from all over the world. Their R&D engines are full-throttle and humming. And they have very strong balance sheets that are the result of their amazingly innovative business models. So, I expect earnings to continue to accrue to these companies and these are the types of companies that I want to invest in over the long term. Many of them offer the growth potential and the dominance to justify the valuations. The long-term runway looks very attractive, in my view.
If you consider the two big issues right now — regulatory risk and China trade risk — Amazon is less exposed to both of those. Amazon does not monetize its user data in the same way as some of the other internet companies and so it is more difficult for the U.S. government to regulate Amazon’s business. And since Amazon does not have much business in China, any sort of escalation in U.S.-China trade tensions doesn’t really mean much for the e-commerce giant. Having said that, President Trump has tweeted about Amazon avoiding taxes, taking advantage of the U.S. Postal Service and causing store closures all over the country. In recent days, this has created weakness in Amazon’s stock.
In my view, we are still in the sweet spot of the economic cycle. We are experiencing synchronized growth in most of the world’s major economies. Interest rates are still very low by historical standards. While the Federal Reserve is raising rates, the European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan don’t appear to be in any hurry to catch up. So, given this favorable environment, I think there is a long runway for growth.
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The Walkman rises: can a nostalgic reboot revive Sony?
The Japanese consumer electronics giant has been following Apple's (NAS: AAPL) iPod footsteps through Asia and Europe in recent years in its attempt to update its iconic brand. The Sony Walkman F800 is an impressive successor to its line of portable media players. You might not even recognize it.
The 3.5-inch device plays music and video, and has WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity to surf for fresh media and broadcast its contents through other devices. Storage options top out at 32 gigabytes – possibly not enough for diehard audiophiles with massive digital music collections.
Still, it's a slick device and the early reviews have been generally positive. But it is -- ultimately -- a portable digital media player.
Even Apple has struggled to move iPods lately. Sales have fallen over the past year, largely because smartphone and tablet owners no longer have to lug around an additional device to take their music with them.
This Song Fades Out Slowly
Sony could certainly use a hit. The company's TV business has suffered deficits for seven consecutive years. A few years ago, Sony was the top dog in video game consoles. These days its PlayStation 3 and PS Vita are laggards in consoles and handhelds, respectively.
A new CEO who isn't afraid to cut costs and invest in new initiatives may be exactly what Sony needs, but any potential turnaround will take time.
Sony has been posting wider-than-expected quarterly losses over the past year, and the near-term outlook isn't a whole lot rosier. While Sony may be about to return to profitability, it's unlikely to claw its way back to become the global consumer electronics juggernaut that it was in its prime.
The Walkman may still be around, but like Jordache jeans, Members Only jackets, and the Rubik's Cube, Sony will never be as relevant as it was in the 1980s.
This article originally appeared on Dailyfinance.com.
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LONDON (Reuters) – British sportswear retailer JD Sports Fashion has entered markets in central and eastern Europe by agreeing to buy 60% of Poland’s Marketing Investment Group (MIG), it said on Friday.
JD said last month it was targeting further acquisitions after raising 464 million pounds in an equity issue.
MIG, now majority owned by brothers Andrzej and Zbigniew Grząka, operates 410 retail stores and associated trading websites across nine countries in central and eastern Europe.
“It gives JD a foothold in interesting growth markets, and we would expect flagship stores to follow in big cities,” said analysts at Peel Hunt.
MIG, which JD said generated revenues of about 200 million pounds ($279 million) in the year to the end of January 2020, sells sports fashion footwear, apparel and accessories from global brands primarily under the Sizeer and 50 Style fascias.
Financial details of the deal were not disclosed, although JD said put and call options have been agreed to enable future exit opportunities for the sellers.
“This is an exciting acquisition for JD that will further build on the success of our international development strategy, expanding our operations into central and eastern Europe,” said JD Executive Chairman Peter Cowgill.
JD has been expanding abroad since it set up a Malaysian joint venture in 2015.
It purchased Finish Line in the United States in 2018, U.S. West Coast-focused Shoe Palace in December and, in February, purchased U.S. firm DTLR Villa for $495 million.
Shares in JD, up 36% in the last year, closed Thursday at 827 pence, valuing the business at 8.5 billion pounds.
Reporting by James Davey; Editing by Michael Holden and Edmund Blair


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We are very proud to announce a new Member to the Expert Advisory Board: Daniel Gasteiger is the Founder and CEO of Procivis AG and Co-Founder of Nexussquared â€“ Switzerlandâ€™s first dedicated blockchain business platform, he is also Member of the board at Global Blockchain Council.
Daniel is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of practical managing director level banking experience and brings extraordinary insight into what is going on in the field of Blockchain across industries and countries.
His experience at Credit Suisse and UBS comes from covering various disciplines in Investment Banking and Corporate Center (trading, sales, product-, project-, programme- and general management/strategic advisory) both out of Zurich and London HQs.
In 2015, he co-founded nexussquared, Switzerlandâ€™s first dedicated blockchain business and start-up platform which runs regular events targeting corporate executives, blockchain start-ups and students interested in the opportunities that come with blockchain technology.
In 2016, he also founded Procivis AG, an â€˜e-governement-as-a-serviceâ€™ start-up leveraging smart phone and blockchain technology to deliver citizen centric services based on government-approved digital identities.
By TSG - 11/25/2017


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Condé Nast jumped headfirst into video last year in a big way, launching 11 channels and 70-plus series across its brands as it put its new entertainment division to work creating content off its famous magazine brands like Vanity Fair and GQ. Now, it’s focusing on getting more distribution for its content. At its second NewFronts presentation, it explained how.
For its second act, the publisher is adding three more branded channels — Bon Appétit, Lucky and The New Yorker — expanding its production to 100 series and widening its distribution to more platforms and devices. The big reveal this year was the introduction of The Scene, a new hub for premium video that, come July, will be home to Condé Nast’s content as well as those of partners including the Weather Channel, ABC News and, somewhat surprisingly, BuzzFeed and comedy site Jash. No longer will users be forced to wade through the YouTube morass of user-generated dreck to find high-quality video.
Prospects for success
Condé Nast video is already available on its own brand sites and more than 25 platforms including Yahoo, Roku and YouTube. But to cover the high production cost of its video, it needed wider distribution for advertisers, and the creation of new hub The Scene is a big step in that direction. Condé Nast didn’t introduce any new ad units at today’s presentation, but did tout its reach with “influential millennials,” which, according to the publisher, watch eight videos per person, spending 35 minutes per viewing session and with ad completion rates of up to 80 percent.
This being Condé Nast, the presentation was long on pizzazz — attendees at the 583 Park Ave. affair were treated to a visually sumptuous if ear-splitting display of the new and continuing series and an afterparty with “NewFronts survival kit” goodie bags. Interestingly, the company didn’t trot out any of its famous editors to plug its series, instead letting the content speak of itself (though entertainment head Dawn Ostroff did give them a nod at the end of the presentation).
“We’re the insurgent in the video marketplace. We’re the bet to make this year.” — Lisa Valentino, chief revenue officer, Condé Nast Entertainment
“They’re much more partnership-oriented,” said Amanda Richman, president of investment and activation, Starcom. “It should give them more ability to let them get their content discovered so it can grow over time. The Scene is an effort in that area.”
Future plc’s Jason Webby says U.K. publisher wants to be a dominant player in the U.S.
While the bulk of Future plc’s buys have been purchases of publications, the strategies behind them have not solely been about adding like inventory and like audiences, Webby said in the latest Digiday Podcast episode.
Podcasters are pitching longer, more lucrative ads, but ad buyers prefer shorter, cheaper spots
While podcast production companies and creative studios pitch custom, longer-form podcast ads, buyers prefer ads under a minute long due to budgets, reach and audience attention.
Media Buying Briefing: Four takeaways on Upfront Week from a buyer’s perspective
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Ben Kneen, senior director of product management, Xandr It’s a challenging time for retailers in the advertising industry. As they cope with supply chain woes and inflation-related pressures, they seek high-margin revenue streams amid evolving privacy regulations and massive shifts in identity solutions — including IDFA, the deprecation of third-party cookies and more. In light […]
How publishers are future proofing their commerce offerings for post-pandemic consumers
Four publishers gathered at Digiday Media's Commerce for Publishers Forum to talk about their affiliate programs and strategies.
Member ExclusiveMedia Briefing: Publishers and media unions are still haggling over office-return plans heading into the summer
In this week's Media Briefing, senior media reporter Sara Guaglione reports on how unions at some major media companies are pushing back against publishers' return to office mandates, with The New York Times Guild seemingly netting a victory on Wednesday.


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For this last link collection on #TBT today, we examine the pop culture legacy of this often scantily clad celebrity . . .
DC: Adriana Lima Wins Fashion Icon Of The Year
ET: Adriana Lima Reflects on Her Career After Victoria's Secret Retirement
Closer to home and across the metro, these local news links also inspire a closer peek . . .
The Latest New KCI Delay
Ahead of next week's groundbreaking for the $1.5 billion new terminal at Kansas City International Airport, the project's developer has answers for those wanting to know when the project will start - and when the terminal will be completed.
Today's Crime Scene Runaround
KANSAS CITY, KS (KCTV) - A bank robbery suspect is in custody after a high-speed chase that ended in the parking lot of a Kansas City, Kansas, church. According to police, the man was wanted for a bank robbery that happened Monday in St. Joseph.
Urban Core Grocery Update
KANSAS CITY, Kan. - A bill reintroduced to the Kansas legislature could help new community initiatives to bring in grocery stores to food deserts in Kansas. "There is a demand for healthy food," Mary Collins, with the Mobile Market Community Council, said.
Lucky Golden Ghetto Bastard Wins Big In Kansas City Proper Inner City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A Shawnee, Kansas, man has come forward to claim a $50 million Mega Millions jackpot prize from the March 12 drawing. Hira Singh said he bought the winning ticket - it matched all six numbers drawn - at the QuikTrip at 6641 E. Truman Road in Kansas City.
Cash For Sputtering Tech Scene
Kansas City entrepreneur advocates gained more momentum Thursday in their bid to receive greater civic support for startups and small businesses. "Entrepreneurs and small businesses are the driver of the Kansas City economy," KCMO councilman and Mayor Pro Tem Scott Wagner told Startland Thursday afternoon, following the approval of an amendment to the proposed 2019-2020 budget that would see an additional $350,000 allocated for the Urban Business Growth initiative and general entrepreneurial support.
King Of Kansas City Rappers Grants Local TV News Interview
As a little boy caught in the crossfire of violence, drugs and chaos in one of Kansas City's most dangerous neighborhoods, Aaron Yates has had a long road to stardom.We now know him as Tech N9ne - the most successful independent rap artist in the world.
Kansas City Hipsters Spend Most Of Their Time Planning For The Weekend
Just like a friend with a pick-up truck, mezcal is a spirit you should know. Sample mezcal from Bozal, a small-batch Mexican distillery, from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Mitch e Amaro (306 Armour Road, North Kansas City, Missouri), a new spot with a built-in bar dedicated to spirits from independent producers and cocktail ingredients.
And this is the OPEN THREAD for right now . . .


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The Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) in Kilimanjaro Region is now using a mobile phone application to confirm the genuineness of Electronic Tax Stamps (ETS) on spirits that are sold in some bars.
The application provides information on whether the ETS on the drink product was genuine or fake.
This follows a recent request by residents of Kilimanjaro and Arusha, asking the taxman to work with other state agencies to investigate the presence of fake tax stamps in the market.
The TRA regional manager for Kilimanjaro, Mr Gabriel Mwangosi, said yesterday the fake stamps will soon become a thing of the past because the ‘special devices’ have the capacity to verify the fake and genuine ones. “Some traders are buying these stamps from the streets without knowing if they are genuine or not,” he said.
Adding: “We have found some of them buying ETS stamps, which are not recognised by the TRA system. This is a major reason for us to come up with a tool that can help curb fakes,” he noted.
The taxman is friendly with traders because the two depend on each other, cautioning that those using the fake stamps will face the law.
“We provide them (traders) with education to ensure that they fulfil their responsibilities of paying appropriate taxes and on time in order to avoid unnecessary penalties,” said Mr Mwangosi.
He stressed the ETS are mandatory for all traders, cautioning them to refrain from cheating.
“With these verifying devices, I can assure you (traders) and the resi-dents that no one will use fake stamps,” he noted.
Recently, TRA in Kilimanjaro Region reported to have arrested a man, Mr Kimario, in a deliberate effort to dismantle the network of individuals who engage in the distribution of fake ETS.
“He was arrested at his home. He would pocket Sh10,000 on every 100 fake stamps he sold to manufacturers. At times, he would issue a Sh2,000 discount and sell at Sh8,000. This is sabotage of our economy and revenue collec-tion efforts,” said Mr Mwangosi last Wednesday.
The government announced plans to adopt the ETS system in June 2018 and the first phase was conducted on January 15, 2019 whereby stamps were installed on 19 companies that produce alcohol, wine and spirits.
ETS seeks to boost transparency in the collection of excise duty, value-added tax (Vat) and corporate tax from manufacturers.
The ETS system enables the government to use modern technology to obtain production data on a timely basis (real time) from manufacturers.
New investment in track and trace systems, rising excise taxes and wider commercial applications will drive tax stamp growth in the next five years, according to a new report published by Reconnaissance International.
The third edition of the ‘Tax Stamps & Traceability: A Market Analysis and Technical Update’ identifies cannabis and vaping products as new markets for tax stamps to tap into, at a time when the continued trade in illicit tobacco and alcohol sees revenue agencies using the devices as effective weapons in the fight against counterfeiters and criminals.
The report also points to the fact that by 2023, tobacco products in at least 60 countries will need to have track and trace systems in place to comply with the WHO FCTC Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products. This could open up additional tax stamp markets and more commercial opportunity for an established product.
More than a 120 billion tax stamps are used annually, the report says, to secure tobacco and liquor excise revenues, or as part of product authentication and secure tax and trace programmes. However, it adds that while the number of countries adopting tax stamps continues to rise, the market for cigarettes and spirits is falling in the face of declining global tobacco consumption and a marginal increase in the sale of spirits.
Coming against the backdrop of WHO’s framework designed to curb the illicit trade in tobacco products, the report is the only one of its kind to cover the global alcohol and tobacco tax stamp market, and considers both the current and future tax stamp and traceability environment in specific countries and regions.
Cannabis and fuel marking among other products are identified as emerging markets for tax stamps and tax marks, where they can be used effectively to protect against the threat of counterfeiting and secure taxes lost to criminals and other nefarious activity.
The question of why paper-based tax stamps, as opposed to digital alternatives, continue to provide the best protection against acts of non-compliance and illicit trade is considered as part of a section looking at the current landscape, the evolution of tax stamp programmes and what’s compelling some countries to extend take-up while others will not consider using them.
Further sections examine the practical steps involved in creating tax stamp and traceability programmes and feature a quantitative analysis of current and future volumes based on consumption data obtained from GlobalData. Information on the different types of tax stamps and systems being deployed across the globe with an assessment of their impact and effectiveness, are also included.
‘Tax Stamps & Traceability: A Market Analysis and Technical Update’ looks to the future with insight and opinion on questions around the viability of paper-based tax stamps and the impact of the WHO FCTC Protocol on tobacco track and trace systems which use tax stamps. It also asks what the common characteristics of these systems are that successfully increase tax revenues and reduce illicit trade.
Nicola Sudan of Reconnaissance International is the report’s editor. She said: “This is an important strategic report, offering insight, analysis and to those with a vested interest in tax stamps, the knowledge needed to progress with their own plans in this burgeoning sector.
“Tax stamps offer a cost-effective way to secure excise revenue, while the authentication benefits provided cannot be overstated. It is why they will continue to be highly regarded and used by revenue authorities around the world well into the future.
“So whether your country, state or jurisdiction currently uses a tax stamp scheme, or is considering investing in such a scheme, it would be beneficial to find out what a modern programme can deliver and why now is the right time to introduce them or expand your current scheme. This report will aid in making the right decisions and choices.”
In a statement, the IMO said the ‘Single Window for Facilitation of Trade (SWiFT) Project’ will develop a system in a pilot port to allow electronic submission, through one single portal, of all information required by various government agencies when a ship calls at a port.
The SWiFT project will be implemented by IMO in partnership with Singapore, the body said.
Regulations in IMO’s Facilitation Convention require electronic exchange of data, to ensure the efficient clearance of ships and the single window concept is recommended, to avoid duplication of effort.
Individual data elements should only be submitted once, electronically through a single point of entry, to the relevant regulatory agencies and other parties.
According to the IMO, the COVID-19 pandemic has emphasised the value of digitalisation and electronic exchange of required data is speedier, more reliable, efficient and COVID-secure than manual processes.
Under the pilot project, the selected country will be advised on the necessary legal, policy and institutional requirements for the MSW system. The port will then be provided with functional MSW software, hardware and/or IT services, configured to the country’s needs.
The pilot will be supported by Singapore via in-kind contributions and by IMO via the Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP).
Kitack Lim, IMO’s Secretary-General, said, “Increased digitalisation supports greater efficiency which benefits the ship, the port and wider supply chain.
“We want to support countries in implementing the FAL Convention requirements for electronic data exchange, by supporting a pilot project which will show the way and result in know-how which can then be shared with others.”
Following the initial pilot and subject to funding availability, the aim is to replicate the pilot project in other IMO Member States in need of similar technical assistance, the IMO claimed.
Julian Abril, Head of IMO’s Facilitation Section, “Following implementation in the pilot port, the IMO-Singapore project endeavours to springboard countries in their digitalisation journey and unlock the full potential of their maritime sectors.
“It is only when most, if not all, ports undergo digital transformation, that the full benefits of digitalization can be realized by the maritime community.
“With support from IMO’s Department of Partnership and Projects, we envisage an increasing number of discussions with external partners and resource mobilization efforts to support an ambitious scaling-up plan for this pilot initiative.”
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in partnership with West Blue Consulting, United Parcel Services (UPS), Trade Law Center (TRALAC) have officially launched the eTradeHubs portal, http://www.etradehubs.com.
The eTradeHubs portal is a one-stop for Trade Tools, Information & Collaboration which aims to reduce the time and cost of doing business by supporting businesses at all levels of maturity – the micro enterprise to the multinational.
The portal which was virtually launched last week Thursday has features such as a multi country Tariff and Trade Information Tool and a Duty Calculator.
A first-time trader or existing trader wishing to import raw materials or export finished goods, can search on the portal.
The Duty Calculator further provides an estimate of the customs duty, tax and levies of the destination region or country to aid in financial and logistical planning.
eTradeHubs also provides a Trade Management Tool. Equipped with accurate trade information, the trader can proceed to transact, by generating trade compliant documentation, manage compliance, workflow and costs – all on the same platform, without the need to visit multiple regulatory agencies, entities, websites and physical offices as done previously.
The portal currently provides country data on Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia and the ECOWAS sub region, with more countries and sub regions to be introduced in support of the Digitise 5 million African SMES initiative.
CC, UPS, Tralac, and West Blue Consulting through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) announced a partnership to support women-led small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Africa.
The partners will offer capacity building programmes and tools, including co-developed trade and information portals called “e-Trade Hubs,” advocate for enabling public policy, and create electronic guidelines to help women entrepreneurs scale-up and digitise their businesses.
The Secretary General of ICC, Mr John W.H. Denton AO in his remarks said the economic, social, and health consequences associated with the COVID-19 pandemic had unequally impacted the lives and livelihoods of women business owners everywhere.
“We are extremely proud to partner with UPS, Tralac, and West Blue Consulting to level the playing field in Africa and provide women entrepreneurs with the required resources to digitise their businesses. Women-led businesses are the backbone of their local economies – we can’t afford to leave them behind,” he added,
The CEO and Founder of West Blue Consulting, noted that “The adoption of solutions by women in business and trade, will ensure benefits such as an increased ability for women to work from home whilst raising families; improved global market access, employment opportunities and a shift of women from the informal sector to the formal.
“The portal will provide a 24/7 collaborative space where women traders and entrepreneurs in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and of course their male peers can connect and access timely and up to date information, skills and operational tools, offered by various providers”, she added.
Ms Mintah expressed delight to partner with ICC, UPS and TRALAC to provide the needed skills training, trade information and tools via the eTradeHubs portal http://www.etradehubs.com.
President of UPS, Ms Penny Naas, the International Public Affairs & Sustainability said “Research shows that only 1 out of 5 businesses that exports is led by a woman. At UPS, we’re moving our world forward by helping women-run businesses maximize their participation in trade through public-private partnerships that provide policy recommendations and support with knowledge sharing and building skills”.
Executive Director of Tralac, Ms Trudi Hartzenberg, said the adoption of digital trade solutions for the AfCFTA would address many border management challenges that disproportionately impact women traders.
The UK government has promised that a plan to create eight freeports with low-tax zones will boost the post-Brexit economy, but has also sparked fears that they could allow flows of illicit trade into the country.
The designated free-trade zones (FTZs) – due to be created at Felixstowe/Harwich, Liverpool, Hull, Southampton, London Gateway, Plymouth, Teesside and East Midlands airport – will attract investment and job creation in some hard-hit areas of the country, say backers of the proposal, headed by Chancellor Rishi Sunak.
Goods can be landed, stored, handled, manufactured or reconfigured and re-exported at freeports without being subjected to customs tariffs. In addition, companies operating inside the sites will be offered temporary tax breaks, mostly lasting five years.
In the other camp are those who point to the experience with FTZs in other parts of the world in facilitating the trade in things like counterfeit goods and drug trafficking.
In 2018, a report by the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) and the EU Intellectual Property Office found that FTZs were linked to a 5.9 per cent rise in the value of counterfeit goods exported from hosting countries.
“These results confirm the anecdotal evidence pointing to the misuse of FTZs to conduct illicit trade, and they should be a prompt for future actions,” it concluded.
Since then, the EU has started to pay more attention to the activities of the 82 FTZs within its borders post-Brexit, launching new rules to crack down on what the European Commission says is a “high incidence of corruption, tax evasion, [and] criminal activity.”
The UK government reckons it can move ahead with its freeport plan without the risk of stimulating illicit trade, based in part on the findings of a report published last year by independent research body the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI).
That study acknowledges the evidence of criminal activity taking place at freeports around the world, saying it most commonly takes the form of counterfeit goods, drug trafficking, smuggling of untaxed goods or trade-based money laundering.
Those dangers may be mitigated, it says, through careful risk assessment at each geographical location where freeports are established, making sure crime prevention measures are proportional to those risks, and close vetting of businesses wishing to operate in them.
The freeport operators should also be regularly placed under scrutiny to assess their effectiveness in “discharging their security-related responsibilities,” and recommendations laid out by the OECD should also be adhered to.
The latter includes making sure the authorities have access to goods and related documentation, ideally digital, in addition to screening of businesses operating in the FTZ.
In its notice for the tender for freeport operators published last November, the government says operators “must adhere to the OECD code of conduct…and the specific anti-illicit trade and security measures therein,” as well as the UK’s obligations on money laundering, terrorist funding and transparent transfer of funds.
RUSI’s research has shown that a lack of oversight in freeports provides opportunities “to manufacture, assemble, tranship, relabel and repackage illegal goods, including counterfeit medicines, electronics and fashion items.”
It also notes that ‘leakage’ is common, where goods are smuggled from a freeport into a host economy, thus avoiding relevant checks on health and safety standards, import taxes and VAT.
At least seven freeports operated in the UK between 1984 and 2012, when the government stopped renewing freeport licenses and switched its attention to “enterprise zones”, which also provide tax breaks in a bid to encourage industrial growth and community regeneration.
RUSI notes that the US does seem to be able to operate FTZs without increasing the risk of illicit trade, and says it is “reassuring that, for some parts of government at least, tackling economic crime remains top of the agenda.
Critics of the UK plan, including the opposition Labour Party, think there are other downsides as well.
One viewpoint is that rather than growing the economy, the freeports will simply move it around the country, benefitting deprived areas but providing no net gain overall.
Some also argue that the net result will be even worse – a reduction in tax contributions from industry to the treasury – with businesses elsewhere undercut by those operating within freeport. Others meanwhile are concerned that the rights of people working within the FTZs will be diluted.
“If the government thinks freeports are a magic bullet that will create hundreds of thousands of new jobs, bring billions of additional pounds to the Exchequer and radically transform an area it is mistaken,” according to Professor Catherine Barnard, deputy director of UK in a Changing Europe.
“That is not to say they should not be created but the thought they’re going to transform the wealth and prosperity of this country is simply untrue. It will help the regions that get a freeport – but possibly to the detriment of those that don’t.”
A new WTO publication, launched on 22 February, provides an overview of the purpose and scope of the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement), the types of measures it covers and its key principles. Prepared by the WTO Secretariat, this new edition in the “WTO Agreements” series aims at enhancing understanding of the TBT Agreement.
The TBT Agreement entered into force with the establishment of the WTO on 1 January 1995. It aims to ensure that product requirements in regulations and standards — on safety, quality, health, etc. — as well as procedures for assessing product compliance with such requirements (testing, inspection, accreditation, etc.) are not unjustifiably discriminatory and do not create unnecessary obstacles to trade. The Agreement also emphasizes the importance of transparency and strongly encourages the use of international standards as a basis for harmonizing regulations across WTO members.
The handbook sets out the key principles of the TBT Agreement and discusses how these have been addressed in recent disputes brought under this Agreement. The publication looks into requirements on transparency, a cornerstone of the TBT Agreement, and describes the mandate, role and work of the TBT Committee. It also considers how TBT‑related matters have been tackled in negotiations at the WTO.
The handbook also contains the full text of the TBT Agreement, as well as a compilation of all decisions and recommendations adopted by the TBT Committee since its creation in 1995.
“Standards and regulations are among the most important types of trade-related measures used around the world. Crafting them carefully, in line with the disciplines of the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade, can help governments achieve important policy objectives, including safeguarding human health and safety, as well as protecting the environment — and this without unnecessarily disrupting trade. This Handbook is a must-read for anyone interested in these issues,” says Deputy Director-General Alan Wolff in a foreword to the handbook.
The publication contains many substantive updates, changes and additions as compared to previous editions (this is the 3rd edition). It can be downloaded here. Printed copies can be purchased from the WTO’s Online Bookshop.
Other publications in this series cover the Agreement on Agriculture and the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.
The World Customs Organization (WCO) is proud to announce the release of its new online tool, www.wcotradetools.org, which compiles information to support international trade actors in the classification of goods and the determination of the corresponding Customs tariffs and taxes. This new database offers a single point of access to the Harmonized System, preferential Rules of Origin and Valuation, through a completely new, user-centric and ergonomic interface.
In addition to a new interface design and new search engines, this new platform offers the following key features:
Ability to cross-reference information by using a comparison tool in the Harmonized System (HS) and Rules of Origin
A direct overview of the most recent HS updates, highlighting the changes introduced
A system for tracking the evolution of the HS codes across editions, using a “History” tool
A facility for searching through the Product Specific Rules in more than 200 Free Trade Agreements, and access to the corresponding HS entry.
The new platform will also promote cooperation among the different teams within Customs administrations, as well as with Customs brokers and companies, through various features such as the possibility to tag information, write comments and share folders. It offers the possibility of further enhancing use of the platform; users can search through the extensive databases, as well as organizing and storing the content according to their personal preferences.
This new tool includes the 2002, 2007, 2012 and 2017 editions of the HS, around 200 Free Trade Agreements with their preferential Rules of Origin/product specific recommendations, and the set list of Valuation texts, including those of the Technical Committee on Customs Valuation.
In addition to this new professional database, the WCO is also proud to announce the release of its new online bookshop, www.wcoomdpublications.org, where users can navigate through the range of WCO publications, purchase them, and subscribe to the Organization’s online services, including WCO Trade Tools. The website has benefited from a complete revamp, to facilitate users’ access to the publications and enhance their navigation experience.
Customs activities for this year are underpinned by the World Customs Organization’s (WCO) 2021 theme “Customs bolstering recovery, resilience and renewal for sustainable global supply chain”. The colossal task that lies ahead as nations look to reconstruct their global supply chain is one of the reasons that the WCO has advocated Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programmes as a tool to promote reconstruction.
SARS, in collaboration with the Border Management Agency (BMA), is leading the process of creating a Single Government AEO (SGAEO) programme to ensure improved trade facilitation and supply chain security in South Africa, the Southern African region, the African continent and globally. The World Bank (WB) and WCO have agreed to assist SARS to create a SGAEO programme, through the WB Trade Facilitation Programme.
The agreement to conceptualise a SGAEO for South Africa culminated in agreement that SARS and the BMA would jointly host a workshop with all agencies involved in managing trade at the border. The WB and WCO have agreed to participate in the workshop on 2 March 2021. The workshop is intended to contextualise and set the scene for the creation of a SGAEO programme in South Africa and to allow for comparison of the various OGA risk management programmes for cross border trade with the SARS AEO programme.
International drivers for Single Government AEO programmes include the World Trade Organisation’s Trade Facilitation Agreement and the WCO’s SAFE Framework of Standards. South Africa’s scoring on the OECD’s Trade Facilitation Indicator is used as input into the World Bank’s (WB) Ease of Trading across Borders in its annual Doing Business Report.
For Customs Administrations, AEO programmes are vital tools for developing trust-based partnerships with economic operators who have high levels of commitment to compliance and supply chain security. Economic operators, on the other hand, are interested in the tangible benefits offered to participants, particularly, mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) with trading partners.
While several countries have adopted different OGA (Other Government Agencies)AEO models, SARS’ preferred model is a Single Government AEO Programme with one certification process and benefits granted by all agencies.
Source: South African Revenue Service, Rae Vivier, 2 March 2021
This edition’s “Dossier” focuses on how Customs can bolster “Recovery, Renewal and Resilience”, the WCO’s theme for 2021, and includes several articles on the digitalization of procedures and the emergence of new digital ecosystems, an article on an impact assessment method using a stakeholder needs analysis, as well as another one on a methodology for using machine learning to identify transactions involving strategic goods.
In the “Panorama” section, China Customs offers some suggestions on how to combat waste trafficking more effectively, Brazil Customs presents its experience of conducting its first Time Release Study, and Oman Customs explains how it managed to accelerate the release of goods by rolling out a Single Window environment and signing service level agreements with regulatory agencies.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the danger posed by products infringing quality and safety requirements intended to protect consumers and workers. In the “Focus” section of the magazine, we asked market surveillance authorities and Customs administrations to share their experience of controlling the compliance of imported products. To introduce the topic and give an overview of the different offences observed, we open this section with an article on Operation STOP. This global enforcement operation targeted illicit trade in medical products, especially those generally used to diagnose or treat COVID-19.
Korea Customs Service (KCS), represented by its Commissioner, Mr. Suk-Hwan Roh, and the World Customs Organization (WCO), represented by its Secretary General, Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, completed the signing process for a Memorandum of Understanding on establishing a WCO Regional Dog Training Centre (RDTC) in Incheon, Republic of Korea.
The new RDTC in Incheon is equipped with high-quality facilities, which include indoor and outdoor kennels, training buildings with simulation training zones and veterinary clinic, etc. Its experienced instructors will conduct professional detector dog training programmes for Customs officials responsible for canine-related duties in the region.
The Centre will serve as a hub for the region’s Customs administrations to share best practices and expertise, and will also provide assistance and advice to other administrations through detector dog training and procurement of detector dogs.
“Detector dogs are of paramount importance in Customs duties,” stressed Secretary General Mikuriya. “Thanks to the professional experts, first-rate facilities and specialized and tailor-made training programmes provided by the KCS, I am confident in the future success of the new RDTC,” he added.
Detector dogs are an ideal tool for screening people and goods in a timely manner, as they have one of the most acute senses of smell in the animal kingdom. This enables them to rapidly detect the presence of prohibited or regulated goods (including drugs, explosives, currency, CITES items, etc.), with minimal disruption to the movement of people and goods. Detector dogs are one of the most important operational resources for identifying and combating Customs fraud worldwide.
With a view to maintaining high standards and building a global network for canine enforcement, to date the WCO has certified 16 WCO RDTCs established in different regions. The goal of these RDTCs is to provide professional canine-related training and capacity building activities for Customs administrations in each of the respective regions and to facilitate cooperation between them.
Germany and Belgium have seized 23 tonnes of cocaine in the biggest-ever haul of the drug in Europe, German customs said Wednesday.
“The enormous amount of cocaine would have brought in several billion euros (dollars) in street sales,” the customs office said in a statement.
German officers had discovered 16 tonnes of cocaine hidden in containers from Paraguay at the port of Hamburg on Feb. 12.
Joint investigations into the stash with Dutch officers led authorities to swoop on another 7.2 tonnes in cocaine at the port of Antwerp in Belgium, German customs said.
A 28-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday in the Netherlands in connection with both the German and Dutch hauls totaling 23 tonnes, it added.
Customs officers at the busy port in Hamburg had decided to take a closer look at the Paraguayan containers after noticing “clear irregularities” with its contents – tin cans that were meant to be filled with putty.
“Beyond a layer of genuine goods packed just behind the container door, numerous tin cans were in fact filled with other goods,” said customs.
Investigators ordered the containers unloaded, and found the cocaine stash in over 1,700 tin cans.
“This is the largest amount of cocaine ever seized in Europe and one of the largest single seizures worldwide,” German customs said, referring to the Hamburg haul.
In all, 102 tonnes of cocaine headed for the European continent were intercepted last year by an international law enforcement project co-implemented by the United Nations.
The federal government has banned all agencies from conducting individual cargo inspection at the ports, noting that such inspections must be done jointly.
The Executive Secretary, the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Mr. Hassan Bello disclosed this on Wednesday during a courtesy call to the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Chairman, Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd).
He said the regime of the Nigerian Port Process Manual (NPPM) recently approved has commenced with no provision for individual inspections by agencies, directing inspection agencies to assemble do joint inspection by 9 am.
“What causes delay is the lack of harmonisation of operating procedures of many agencies at the port. We want all agencies to be on the same page so the process is efficient. The manual says everyone should assemble at the port by 8:30 am and by 9:00 am, everyone does joint inspection. This will cut out delays, ensure efficiency, and promote ease of doing business” Mr. Bello said.
With this measure in place, the ports digitisation process must reach 90 per cent by this first quarter just as the government targets 24 hours operations at the ports.
“Some terminal operators have 98 per cent and others are coming up. Our target is that by the end of the first quarter, we should achieve 90 per cent digitalisation so you don’t need to go to the port to transact business,” he stated.
“We are also aiming to have 24 hours operations at the seaports just like the airports. We are doing it in conjunction with our sister agencies at the ports” he further stated.
The NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Marwa (rtd) pledged his support to the new reform but he added that the NDLEA will not compromise its duties in stopping illicit drugs from entering the country to destroy citizens.
Herewith a 2020 update of the ICC BASCAP report assessing the environment and highlighting trends in counterfeiting and other forms of illicit trade facilitated within free trade zones.
Free Trade Zones (FTZs) provide significant opportunities for legitimate business and play a critical role in global trade as well as economic growth for the host nation. However, our updated research has continued to confirm that insufficient oversight remains a major enabler of illicit activities. Since the publication of our previous 2013 report, there have not been vast improvements in limiting criminal activities within FTZs. In fact, the Covid-19 pandemic has increased vulnerability for abuses by criminal actors who take advantage of supply chain shortages and increased demands as well as relaxed oversight often because of such things as quarantines that have softened Customs control.
Counterfeiters use transit or transhipment of goods, through multiple, geographically diverse FTZs for no other purpose than to disguise the illicit nature of the products. Once introduced into an FTZ, counterfeit goods may undergo a series of economic operations, including assembly, manufacturing, processing, warehousing, re-packaging, and re-labelling. Once completed, the goods can be imported directly to the national territory of the hosting state or re-exported to another country for distribution or to another FTZ, where the process is repeated.
Our 2020 report promotes a set of specific policy and legislative recommendations on how to preserve and expand the benefits of FTZs for legitimate traders and protect the public and honest businesses from predatory practices. These recommendations are based on a review of the international and national legal frameworks governing FTZs, including how they are implemented and enforced.
Suggested recommendations include:
empowering Customs with jurisdiction over day-to-day operations within FTZs
strengthening relationship between Customs and FTZs
clarifying and declaring that FTZs remain under the jurisdiction of the national Customs authority
enhancing data sharing between Customs and the private sector
strengthening national government adherence to international conventions and implementation of international standards
legislatively ensuring that strict penalties are in place, including criminal sanctions where appropriate, against perpetrators of illegal activities in FTZs
that manufacturers and shippers recognize and use the ICC World Chambers Foundation’s International Certificates of Origin (COs) Accreditation Chain which is a program that accredits chambers of commerce issuing COs wishing to guarantee their commitment to the highest level of quality, implementing transparent and accountable issuance and verification procedures. Accredited chambers will receive a distinctive internationally recognized quality classification, reinforcing their integrity and credibility as competent trusted third parties in the issuance of COs.
Additionally, the new document also provides specific recommendations such as drawing on international agreements, lessons learned from effective and ineffective national legislation, the experience of IP rights holders, and legislative and regulatory measures to enforce intellectual property right protection in FTZs. These specific recommendations are delineated in the report for action by the World Customs Organization, World Trade Organization, national governments, and FTZ operators. Effective implementation of the measures delineated for each of these bodies will go a long way in securing FTZs from illicit traders.
Today, the World Customs Organization (WCO) and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) released their Joint WCO-ICAO Guiding Principles for Pre-Loading Advance Cargo Information and Joint WCO-ICAO Guidelines on Alignment of the Customs Authorized Economic Operator and Aviation Security Regulated Agent/Known Consignor Programmes. These Guiding Principles and Guidelines are a result of continuous joint efforts over the last 10 years, following serious threats and vulnerabilities to international trade supply chains.
“In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to facilitate safe and secure vaccine distribution, strong collaboration among Customs, Civil Aviation Authorities and the relevant stakeholders is highly recommended,” said the WCO Secretary General, Dr. Kunio Mikuriya. “WCO and ICAO Members are encouraged to make the best use of advance cargo information for risk assessment as well as to align partnership and security programmes to ensure secure and efficient air cargo supply chains,” he added.
With the new Joint WCO-ICAO Guiding Principles for Pre-Loading Advance Cargo Information (PLACI), another layer is being added to the multi-layered approach to Aviation Security in order to detect Improvised Explosive Devices/Improvised Incendiary Devices (IED/IID) in air cargo. These PLACI principles should not be used as a standalone method of Aviation Security (AVSEC) screening or air cargo security control, but rather to perform an additional assessment of the potential Aviation Security risks represented by a consignment.
These Joint Guiding Principles comprise several key and specific principles to meet the needs and capabilities of both regulators and industry, and provide guidance for the risk analysis process. Combined with intelligence and other information, PLACI consignment data enables regulators to perform an initial assessment of the potential risks posed by a consignment. The results of the initial assessment may also indicate the need for additional action.
These Guidelines aim to assist WCO and ICAO Members wishing to assess the similarities between their Customs and AVSEC security programmes, with the intention of further aligning them. This collaborative work should ultimately lead to simplification of procedures and eradication of duplicate security requirements and controls, to the benefit of the authorities and the airline industry.
SARS’ Customs unit made a bust of rhino horn with an estimated value of R53 172 000, in a shipment destined for Malaysia.
While conducting manifest profiling at the courier facilities, the Customs Detector Dog Unit at O.R.Tambo International Airport selected a suspicious shipment declared as ‘HP Cartridges Developers’.
The three-piece shipment was taken to the X-ray scanner for non-intrusive inspection, where the image analysis reflected objects resembling the shape of rhino horns. The shipment was taken for physical inspection and upon inspection of the boxes, 18 pieces of rhino horn were found concealed in traditional clothing. The goods weighed 63kg.
This is the fourth rhino horn bust by SARS Customs at the O.R.Tambo International Airport between July 2020 and February 2021. The overall weight of the rhino horn seized in these four cases is 277.30 kg with an estimated value of R 234 114 206.
The Customs officers immediately called the Directorate of Priority Crimes Investigation (Hawks) to the scene, who confiscated the shipment for further investigation.
In his reaction to this massive seizure of the rhino horn, Commissioner Edward Kieswetter congratulated the Customs officers for their excellent work. He warned the perpetrators of crime that SARS, working with other law enforcement agencies, would spare no efforts in confronting and dealing decisively with any criminal malfeasance. Those that are involved in such egregious and merciless killing of rhinoceros and mutilating them will be brought to book.
He furthermore said, “Those who are determined to destroy the rich natural endowment of our country, which is a common treasure and heritage for all, that we should look after for future generations, will be met with unwavering commitment of our officers to enforce the law.”
Source: South African Revenue Service, 4 February 2021


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Sunday, 19 October 2014
What have MK Dons brought to the city?
MK Dons (Milton Keynes Football Club) has been based at Stadium:mk in Milton Keynes since 2007, when it was opened by the Queen. The stadium cost around £50 million to build, money which has arguably been well-spent, but do you agree?
It is a great quality standard and hosts superior facilities, with a modern look and a lot of glass on view. The recent installation of seating in the previously unused upper tier has made more use of the space and fits even more people in, although whether this amount of seating is needed is debatable, as there has yet to be a sell-out match. With a capacity of 30,500 seated, and an average attendance of 8,612 it is often looking more empty than full. Being used for the rugby world cup next year may see the stadium a bit more full, but whether it will remain empty once that is out the way who knows.
The surrounding area of Milton Keynes has grown up around the stadium, and it would seem that the stadium has attracted other retail businesses to it. A new retail centre is currently being built nearby, with restaurants and an IMAX cinema, saving visitors to the stadium from having to travel too far for a meal before or after the match, possibly encouraging them to make a day of their visit rather than just watching the football. It looks like we could be seeing yet more uses for the stadium soon, with gigs rumoured to be coming to the arena soon in the future.
While these provide more options for people and more places to relax, it sees what appears to be yet another pop-up clone of what already exists in several places across Milton Keynes. In Xscape alone is a large cinema complex and the majority of the restaurants which will be opening at the new complex, and most of these restaurants are also in the centre:mk and in the Kinsgton Tesco complex as well. Maybe we're getting lazy, but it just seems a bit bizarre to have replicas of these places just 3 miles apart.
Whatever the reason for these developments (and lets face it, money will be at the forefront) visitors to Milton Keynes look like they may well be on the increase, and for us locals there are more jobs on offer and we've got more options of where to go for some time out.


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December 5, 2016
Long Island Business News quoted Partner Ronald Storch, Marcum's chief operating officer, in an article about the impact of anticipated new tax policies in 2017 for the accounting industry.
Long Island Business News
By Bernadette Starzee
“We’re staying as informed as possible so we get out in front of new regulations that will affect the way we service our clients,” said Ronald Storch, partner and chief operating officer for Marcum in Melville.


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|By Business Wire||
|November 5, 2012 08:01 AM EST||
DTS, Inc. (Nasdaq: DTSI), a leader in high-definition audio solutions and audio enhancement technologies, today announced that The Expendables 2 on Blu-ray™, available on November 20 from Lionsgate Home Entertainment, is the first Blu-ray disc to feature a DTS Neo:X™ optimized soundtrack, allowing viewers to hear the movie in room-shaking 11.1 surround sound. Home theater systems equipped with Neo:X processing can take full advantage of the mix and will enable consumers to experience a truly multi-dimensional sound stage. DTS Neo:X puts viewers in the center of the movie’s action scenes, allowing them to hear every detail of the soundtrack from all areas of the scene, including the action overhead.
“Lionsgate is thrilled to be able to offer a first of its kind listening experience to the Blu-ray format,” said Miguel Casillas, SVP of Lionsgate Home Entertainment Production. “Hardcore audiophiles and casual fans alike will be amazed at the dynamic and immersive experience of DTS’ Neo:X 11.1 audio. It’s the ultimate audio playback environment for the home theatre enthusiast and a perfect match for the incredible audio design of The Expendables 2.”
Key Features of DTS Neo:X:
- Home audio receivers equipped with DTS Neo:X offer entertainment consumers an unprecedented multi-dimensional audio experience by optimizing 5.1 or 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio™ soundtracks for a full 11.1 experience. DTS Neo:X technology enabled on films, such as The Expendables 2, delivers a high intensity audio experience that truly elevates the 3D home entertainment experience to a new level.
- Front-height speakers deliver discrete effects to the vertical dimension, elevating ambient sounds (e.g., special effects, room reverberation, wind, thunder, background music, etc.) to a third dimensional space for more depth and realism from the soundtrack.
- Wide speakers expand the sound stage image and provide smooth and seamless tracking of front-to-side action (e.g., the sound from an automobile passing through from the front to the left side of the screen and vertically as the action moves up the screen.)
“DTS’ advanced surround sound solutions have been a benchmark standard for the highest quality audio on Blu-ray discs since the format was first introduced; we believe that the adoption of Neo:X on Blu-ray discs and high end AVRs builds upon DTS’ success in delivering an immersive cinematic audio experience to consumers at home,” said Molly Kronberg, vice president, digital media of DTS, Inc. “Studios and AVR manufacturers alike are showing increased interest in our advanced Neo:X processing and we are excited that the action-packed thriller, The Expendables 2, is the first major title to take advantage of the technology’s stimulating multi-dimensional aural capabilities, which dramatically complement the movie’s high-impact action scenes.”
AV receivers currently available in the market that feature DTS Neo:X processing benefit from dedicated height/wide speakers that provide distinct direction for sound. The height speaker configuration adds a vertical dimension for overhead sounds, while the wide speakers provide smooth and seamless tracking of front-to-side sound for the most realistic audio experience. DTS Neo:X is the world’s first 2.0/5.1/6.1/7.1-to- 9.1/11.1 conversion technology within a single algorithm and allows connected consumers to enjoy movies, music and games as they were originally intended to be heard.
The Expendables 2 on Blu-ray is the first product to launch featuring a DTS Neo:X optimized surround sound mix capable of delivering an 11.1 cinematic audio experience at home, and is also the first Blu-ray disc to feature a customized Neo:X 11.1 sound check featuring audio from the movie soundtrack, which can be accessed in the disc’s main menu. Neo:X is fully backwards compatible with 7.1, 5.1 and even stereo playback. DTS is currently in discussions with major studios and independent filmmakers to release additional titles with Neo:X optimized soundtracks to capitalize on this groundbreaking technology. DTS continues to work with CE manufacturers to deploy Neo:X processing on their AV receiver systems. For studios and CE manufacturers interested in learning more about Neo:X, please visit http://bit.ly/DTS_NEOX.
About DTS, Inc.
DTS, Inc. (NASDAQ:DTSI) is dedicated to making digital entertainment exciting, engaging and effortless by providing state-of-the-art audio technology to more than a billion consumer electronics products worldwide. From a renowned legacy as a pioneer in high definition multi-channel audio, DTS became a mandatory audio format in the Blu-ray Disc™ standard and is now increasingly deployed in enabling digital delivery of compelling movies, music, games and other forms of digital entertainment to a growing array of network-connected consumer devices. With the acquisition of SRS Labs, DTS strengthens its position as a leader in providing end-to-end audio solutions to the rapidly growing network entertainment sector. DTS technology is in car audio systems, digital media players, DVD players, game consoles, home theaters, PCs, set-top boxes, smart phones, surround music content and every device capable of playing Blu-ray discs. Founded in 1993, DTS’ corporate headquarters are located in Calabasas, California, with its licensing operations headquartered in Limerick, Ireland. DTS also has offices in Los Gatos and Santa Ana, California, Washington, China, France, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. For further information, please visit www.dts.com. DTS, the Symbol, and DTS and the Symbol together, are registered trademarks of DTS, Inc. All other trademarks are the properties of their respective owners. © 2012 DTS, Inc. All rights reserved.
SYS-CON Events announced today that CA Technologies has been named “Platinum Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY, and the 21st International Cloud Expo®, which will take place October 31-November 2, 2017, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. CA Technologies helps customers succeed in a future where every business – from apparel to energy – is being rewritten by software. From ...
Mar. 24, 2017 01:45 AM EDT Reads: 1,221
SYS-CON Events announced today that MobiDev, a client-oriented software development company, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY, and the 21st International Cloud Expo®, which will take place October 31-November 2, 2017, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. MobiDev is a software company that develops and delivers turn-key mobile apps, websites, web services, and complex softw...
Mar. 24, 2017 01:30 AM EDT Reads: 3,478
SYS-CON Events announced today that Cloud Academy will exhibit at SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Cloud Academy is the industry’s most innovative, vendor-neutral cloud technology training platform. Cloud Academy provides continuous learning solutions for individuals and enterprise teams for Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, and the most popular cloud computing technologies. Ge...
Mar. 23, 2017 11:30 PM EDT Reads: 4,351
SYS-CON Events announced today that Loom Systems will exhibit at SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Founded in 2015, Loom Systems delivers an advanced AI solution to predict and prevent problems in the digital business. Loom stands alone in the industry as an AI analysis platform requiring no prior math knowledge from operators, leveraging the existing staff to succeed in the digital era. With offices in S...
Mar. 23, 2017 11:30 PM EDT Reads: 708
"My role is working with customers, helping them go through this digital transformation. I spend a lot of time talking to banks, big industries, manufacturers working through how they are integrating and transforming their IT platforms and moving them forward," explained William Morrish, General Manager Product Sales at Interoute, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at 18th Cloud Expo, held June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY.
Mar. 23, 2017 10:15 PM EDT Reads: 3,276
With billions of sensors deployed worldwide, the amount of machine-generated data will soon exceed what our networks can handle. But consumers and businesses will expect seamless experiences and real-time responsiveness. What does this mean for IoT devices and the infrastructure that supports them? More of the data will need to be handled at - or closer to - the devices themselves.
Mar. 23, 2017 07:15 PM EDT Reads: 4,303
DevOps is often described as a combination of technology and culture. Without both, DevOps isn't complete. However, applying the culture to outdated technology is a recipe for disaster; as response times grow and connections between teams are delayed by technology, the culture will die. A Nutanix Enterprise Cloud has many benefits that provide the needed base for a true DevOps paradigm.
Mar. 23, 2017 06:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,323
My team embarked on building a data lake for our sales and marketing data to better understand customer journeys. This required building a hybrid data pipeline to connect our cloud CRM with the new Hadoop Data Lake. One challenge is that IT was not in a position to provide support until we proved value and marketing did not have the experience, so we embarked on the journey ourselves within the product marketing team for our line of business within Progress. In his session at @BigDataExpo, Sum...
Mar. 23, 2017 04:15 PM EDT Reads: 2,470
The taxi industry never saw Uber coming. Startups are a threat to incumbents like never before, and a major enabler for startups is that they are instantly “cloud ready.” If innovation moves at the pace of IT, then your company is in trouble. Why? Because your data center will not keep up with frenetic pace AWS, Microsoft and Google are rolling out new capabilities In his session at 20th Cloud Expo, Don Browning, VP of Cloud Architecture at Turner, will posit that disruption is inevitable for c...
Mar. 23, 2017 03:45 PM EDT Reads: 1,783
SYS-CON Events announced today that Telecom Reseller has been named “Media Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on June 6–8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Telecom Reseller reports on Unified Communications, UCaaS, BPaaS for enterprise and SMBs. They report extensively on both customer premises based solutions such as IP-PBX as well as cloud based and hosted platforms.
Mar. 23, 2017 03:30 PM EDT Reads: 1,725
SYS-CON Events announced today that Ocean9will exhibit at SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Ocean9 provides cloud services for Backup, Disaster Recovery (DRaaS) and instant Innovation, and redefines enterprise infrastructure with its cloud native subscription offerings for mission critical SAP workloads.
Mar. 23, 2017 03:30 PM EDT Reads: 1,610
SYS-CON Events announced today that Cloudistics, an on-premises cloud computing company, has been named “Bronze Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Cloudistics delivers a complete public cloud experience with composable on-premises infrastructures to medium and large enterprises. Its software-defined technology natively converges network, storage, compute, virtualization, and management into a ...
Mar. 23, 2017 02:30 PM EDT Reads: 1,477
SYS-CON Events announced today that T-Mobile will exhibit at SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. As America's Un-carrier, T-Mobile US, Inc., is redefining the way consumers and businesses buy wireless services through leading product and service innovation. The Company's advanced nationwide 4G LTE network delivers outstanding wireless experiences to 67.4 million customers who are unwilling to compromise on ...
Mar. 23, 2017 12:45 PM EDT Reads: 1,706
Keeping pace with advancements in software delivery processes and tooling is taxing even for the most proficient organizations. Point tools, platforms, open source and the increasing adoption of private and public cloud services requires strong engineering rigor - all in the face of developer demands to use the tools of choice. As Agile has settled in as a mainstream practice, now DevOps has emerged as the next wave to improve software delivery speed and output. To make DevOps work, organization...
Mar. 23, 2017 12:30 PM EDT Reads: 1,196
SYS-CON Events announced today that SoftLayer, an IBM Company, has been named “Gold Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 18th Cloud Expo, which will take place on June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York, New York. SoftLayer, an IBM Company, provides cloud infrastructure as a service from a growing number of data centers and network points of presence around the world. SoftLayer’s customers range from Web startups to global enterprises.
Mar. 23, 2017 12:30 PM EDT Reads: 1,102
SYS-CON Events announced today that Addteq will exhibit at SYS-CON's DevOps Summit at Cloud Expo, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Addteq specializes in creating innovative solutions to solve business processes through the use of DevOps automation. Addteq was founded on the firm belief that automation is essential for successful software releases. Addteq's products and services are centered around the fundamental approach of understanding the pr...
Mar. 23, 2017 12:30 PM EDT Reads: 2,782
SYS-CON Events announced today that Infranics will exhibit at SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Since 2000, Infranics has developed SysMaster Suite, which is required for the stable and efficient management of ICT infrastructure. The ICT management solution developed and provided by Infranics continues to add intelligence to the ICT infrastructure through the IMC (Infra Management Cycle) based on mathemat...
Mar. 23, 2017 09:30 AM EDT Reads: 2,561
"I think that everyone recognizes that for IoT to really realize its full potential and value that it is about creating ecosystems and marketplaces and that no single vendor is able to support what is required," explained Esmeralda Swartz, VP, Marketing Enterprise and Cloud at Ericsson, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at @ThingsExpo, held June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY.
Mar. 23, 2017 08:00 AM EDT Reads: 3,801
The buzz continues for cloud, data analytics and the Internet of Things (IoT) and their collective impact across all industries. But a new conversation is emerging - how do companies use industry disruption and technology enablers to lead in markets undergoing change, uncertainty and ambiguity? Organizations of all sizes need to evolve and transform, often under massive pressure, as industry lines blur and merge and traditional business models are assaulted and turned upside down. In this new da...
Mar. 23, 2017 08:00 AM EDT Reads: 3,323
Web Real-Time Communication APIs have quickly revolutionized what browsers are capable of. In addition to video and audio streams, we can now bi-directionally send arbitrary data over WebRTC's PeerConnection Data Channels. With the advent of Progressive Web Apps and new hardware APIs such as WebBluetooh and WebUSB, we can finally enable users to stitch together the Internet of Things directly from their browsers while communicating privately and securely in a decentralized way.
Mar. 23, 2017 03:00 AM EDT Reads: 5,527


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Sata in the company of Zambia Trade Fair chairman Phesto Musonda, Commerce minister Bob Sichinga and Agriculture minister Emmanuel Chenda while touring the Zanaco pavilion suddenly reached for his ATM card and pushed it in the machine.
But the president’ card was captured by the machine.
ZANACO officials promptly claimed that there was Internet failure as the president was about to withdraw money.
President Sata told ZANACO officials that it was the ZANACO director who has failed, and not the internet line.
A lot of people have been complaining of poor services by ZANACO from the time Sata appointed a Commission of Inquiry to look into the manner the parastatal was sold.
But ceremonial vice-president Guy Scott on Friday told parliament that ZANACO was working well and making huge profits.


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AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) admitted this past week that there was a security hole in their website which leaked customer email addresses. Goatse Security claimed that they were responsible for the intrusion. Goatse said that they exploited an opening in AT&T’s website for finding numbers that identify iPads that are connected to their service.
Gawker Media LLC reported the breach this past week. As a result, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was told to hold on to documents that are relevant to AT&T’s breach of security.
Gawker was directly contacted by Goatse Security. Escher Auernheimer, a member of Goatse Security said that they did not do anything illegal and was not contacted by the FBI yet.


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By Jefferson Graham, USA TODAY
Taking direct aim at Apple's iPhone, Google on Tuesday introduced its most advanced phone to date — the Nexus One — and opened an online store to sell it directly to consumers.
CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW: Phones, tablet PCs, and more of the best from CES
You can buy the phone without a contract for $529.
The Nexus One runs an updated version of Google's Android operating system. Built by HTC from Google's direct specifications, it has a touch-screen and a fast processor. It includes a 5-megapixel camera for video and photos, a Global Positioning System (GPS), and stereo Bluetooth connection for headphones.
Google has lagged Apple in the mobile market. It has tried to be a major player with Android, which it offers free to manufacturers and wireless carriers. Some 20 Android phones are available, but few, with the exception of the Verizon Droid (by Motorola), have been big sellers.
The Nexus One could change that, says Charles Golvin, an analyst at Forrester Research: "It's the best Android to date."
Apple has sold nearly 30 million phones in 100 countries. Its U.S. carrier is AT&T. On Tuesday, it said iPhone and iPod Touch owners have downloaded 3 billion applications since it launched the App Store, a marketplace for 100,000 applications that do everything from play games to translate words.
There are around 10,000 apps for Android phones.
The message to consumers is that Nexus One is the flagship Google phone, and the others aren't as good, says Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at Interpret. "If I was a Droid customer who just bought the phone a month ago, I might not feel so good," he says. Google "made it clear that not all Android phones are created equal."
Google's Andy Rubin, who oversees Android, says with its own store, Google could potentially lower wireless plan costs, since it "won't have the built-in costs" of heavy advertising.
Golvin predicts Nexus One will result in sales of "a couple million" phones this year and bigger market share. But Google must push into more countries, and "that's going to take awhile."
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Dallas is having a new ghost kitchen in the name of Smackbird and the restaurant behind it is none other than Cowboy Chicken according to a Nation’s Restaurant News article. They say,
“The Dallas-based chain Cowboy Chicken chain is rolling out a new virtual brand for delivery and pickup only dubbed Smackbird, featuring Nashville hot chicken sandwiches and tenders.
Like most virtual brands, the goal is to take advantage of extra kitchen capacity and increase sales. Cowboy Chicken restaurants already were equipped with fryers.
In an interview earlier this year, Kennedy said it was a brand they have been tinkering with since the 2020 launch as a “bolt on” to the Cowboy Chicken brand.
“We really learned how to market a brand you can’t touch,” he said. “We’ve got the kitchen capacity to be able to handle more volume. … It may not fit into all of our kitchens, but it fits into most.”
And their menu of course, will comprise primarily of chicken-based items but the items won’t be ordinary especially to the younger generation according to a QSR Magazine article from July 5 which reports,
“Menu items include a curated selection of chicken sandwiches ($10—$11), chicken tender meals ($10 – $17), family packs and side dishes ($3 – $7) such as:
- Smack n’ Cheese sandwich: all-white-meat chicken breast topped with mac n’ cheese and served with pickles, slaw and SmackSauce
- Jumbo Tender Meal: two, three or four all-white-meat chicken breast tenders with pickles, bread and SmackSauce served with a choice of one side
- SmackPacks: includes eight, 10 or 12 tenders, choice of heat level, pints of slaw, SmackSauce, bread and pickles
- Sides such as mac n’ cheese, fry dippers and creamy coleslaw
- Banana pudding for dessert
“We are experts in serving tasty, freshly prepared chicken and it seemed natural to expand into the Nashville Hot style category. We always want to be the guests’ first choice for chicken,” Kennedy explains. “The Smackbird menu appeals to a younger and more adventurous demographic and is helping us attract new patrons.”
Currently, Cowboy Chicken is looking at expanding to Orlando and Atlanta with two to three more kitchens in each city.