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Travala.com added XMR as its native payments option, according to a tweet from the official Twitter account. The travel booking platform has been quite a crypto-friendly website for some time now, with the platform already supporting around 14 cryptocurrencies.
Travala.com also uses its own cryptocurrency known as AVA. The tweet reads:
“$XMR now added as a native payment option on http://Travala.com. Book 550,000+ hotels in 210 countries with XMR. Travel to 82,000+ destinations worldwide with your favorite cryptocurrency Monero.”
The traveling platform supports 14 cryptocurrencies including BTC, BCH, LTC, DASH, ETH, XRP, TRX, DAI, BNB, DGB, NANO, NEO, and XMR along with its own AVA.
The Travala.com is a leading blockchain-based travel booking platform and a champion of cryptocurrency adoption. It has 567,928 properties in 210 countries and territories. The Travala.com is gaining new highs in these days. On August 29, 2019, there was an announcement of adding NEO as its native payment option with a cashback offer of 5% in AVA upon using NEO to make bookings. If we follow the company’s Twitter timeline, we will come across many 5% cashback.
The company is getting a healthy success in terms of using cryptocurrencies as payments methods. The Travala.com released a monthly report of July on August 1, 2019, highlighting this success. The report reads:
“Traction continues for Travala.com with 833 room nights booked in July 2019, growing 18.8% month-on-month.”
According to the report, 73% of the total bookings in July were paid with cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin was at the top as 25% bookings were made through BTC and 17% with its native AVA.
Many crypto institutions and companies have joined Travala.com in recent past days. On August 22, 2019, the Travala.com joined forces with DigiByte as their recommended travel partner. The company announced a partnership with Priceline, an American company for finding discount rates for travel-related purchases.
On July 11, 2019, there was an announcement that the booking platform will be supported by NEO’s EcoFund to assist in Travala.com’s global expansion. On July 17, Travala.com announced a partnership with leading crypto payment provider Dash to champion the freedom of crypto beyond borders.
On July 10, 2019, the Travala.com published a blog post describing a technical roadmap for Q3 and Q4 2019 announcing much more to come.
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Active men’s ‘shoppable magazine’ Seikk makes annual list of most disruptive new businesses
Established in Corsham in 2018 by Charles de Paula, Seikk is a ‘shoppable magazine’ that blends digital journalism and e-commerce.
The men’s lifestyle platform covers travel and adventure, sport and automotive history, health, wellness, and grooming ideas.
Its team of three work from Wiltshire, London and Bath, while a network of freelancers contribute from around the world.
Founder Charles de Paula explained: “If James Bond shopped online, he would probably shop at Seikk.”
Now the platform has been recognised by www.Startups.co.uk and listed in the Startups 100, which has previously identified brands including including Revolut, Deliveroo, HelloFresh and Bulb.
Richard Parris, managing editor of Startups.co.uk, said: ““After a particularly difficult year for businesses we are happier than ever to celebrate UK success stories.
“Every year the Startups 100 shows how UK businesses are responding to the issues, concerns and trends of the time.”

domain: news


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Cincinnati Enquirer: Rep. Steve Chabot’s campaign has paid son-in-law’s firm more than $150,000 for web consulting
Rep. Steve Chabot’s campaign has paid his son-in-law’s company more than $150,000 for website design and other Internet services since 2011.
Such transactions though legal, smack of self-dealing, according to good governance advocates.
Kevin Bischof, who married Chabot’s daughter Erica in 2006, runs a consulting firm called Right Turn Design. On his LinkedIn page, Bischof says he started the company in 2010 as “a premier new media partner for conservative campaigns and organizations.”
Chabot, a Westwood Republican, began using Right Turn Design soon after Bischof launched the firm, paying out between $40,000 and $58,000 for each two-year election cycle, according to campaign finance reports. Right Turn Design has earned Internet consulting fees from the congressman’s re-election account, as well as from Chabot’s leadership PAC, called WinNovember.
So far this year, Chabot’s campaign has paid Right Turn Design about $11,000, records show.
Good government advocates say it smacks of nepotism and self-dealing, although it’s also perfectly legal and quite common. The money comes from donors, not taxpayers.
“The rules allow candidates to engage in these kinds of self-dealing transactions,” said Meredith McGehee, chief of policy at Issue One, a nonprofit group that advocates for stronger ethics and campaign finance rules. She said lawmakers’ campaigns are often “a family and friends affair.”
Right Turn Design’s own website is a bare-bones landing page with a phone number, an email address, and little else. Chabot’s campaign website — designed by Bischof — is more sophisticated, though not a tech-savvy standout.
Several experts consulted by The Enquirer said the site is fine from a technical standpoint, though outdated and a bit clunky.
“It looks like it was designed 5 or 10 years ago. It’s your plain, boring site from 2010,” said Rob Haggart, a web designer based in New York.
The congressman’s leadership PAC, started in 2012 but apparently inactive now, has paid Bischof’s firm about $23,000 over three election cycles. Chabot promoted it in a 2012 blog, but the PAC’s website currently just says “coming soon.”
Bischof’s political client list is equally minimal; Chabot is the firm’s only current congressional client, according to a search of federal campaign records.
McGehee, of Issue One, said Bischof’s scant campaign work seemed like a “red flag” for questionable work.
“I would describe this as the epitome of a self-dealing transaction,” she said.


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Is Amazon really the killer everyone says it is? It’s easy to point a finger at the 800-pound gorilla — the one with a history of eating bookstores for breakfast (and now, ironically, building its own). Amazon has a stranglehold on the e-commerce market, and there’s no doubt it’s draining a growing portion of real-world sales as consumers take their shopping online. But many experts argue that the go-to narrative of tech disruption alone doesn’t always tell the whole story. Online shopping still remains a relatively small portion of the total market, despite absorbing most of the industry’s overall recent growth. Too small still, to entirely account for massive industry shifts.
Read more >


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Newswise — Refrigeration is an essential component of the food supply chain, extending the shelf life of perishable food and ensuring that consumers receive safe food that does not pose a threat to their health. It is estimated that 40 percent of food products require refrigeration and that nine percent of losses of perishable foods are due to lack of refrigeration in developed countries. However, this level of refrigeration has an environmental cost; refrigeration accounts for 15 percent of the electricity consumed and the food cold chain represents one percent of CO2 emissions worldwide.
Companies and consumers have become increasingly aware of the environmental impact of electricity consumed by refrigeration. However, this process is essential during transport, storage and distribution for extending the shelf life of perishable foods and for providing consumers with safe, high quality food. A new study published in Risk Analysis: An International Journal tested eight interventions and evaluated their impact on health risks and environmental impacts. Health risks and environmental impacts were quantified by the amount of food wasted due to the growth of spoilage bacteria and the electrical consumption needed to maintain product temperature throughout the cold chain. The research identifies the best way to ensure safe food while also minimizing electricity and food waste in two different places: store display cases and home refrigerators.
Steven Duret, Hoang Hong-Minh, Derens-Bertheau, Anthony Delahaye, Onrawee Laguerre and Laurent Guillier, from Irstea and ANSES conducted a study focused on the cold chain of ham, including refrigerated transportation, storage in a supermarket cold room, open display cabinet, transport by consumer and domestic refrigerator. The study, “Combining quantitative risk assessment of human health, food waste and energy consumption: The next step in the development of the food cold chain?” examined three criteria: food safety, food waste and environmental impact, as illustrated by three factors: (1) the risk to human health associated with Listeria monocytogenes, (2) product alteration due to the growth of lactic acid bacteria, and (3) the energy consumption of the refrigerated equipment.
When the average thermostat temperature of the domestic refrigerator was decreased from six to four degrees Celsius, the number of listeriosis cases, the disability-adjusted life years (DALY), and the proportion of wasted products were the lowest compared to other interventions (0.8 listeriosis cases, 1.94 DALY and 3.92 percent of food wasted). However, the energy consumption increased from 0.044 to 0.048 kWh per pack. When the average thermostat temperature of the domestic refrigerator was increased from six to seven degrees Celsius, the opposite trends were observed. When the thermal insulation of the domestic refrigerator was increased, all the measured criteria decreased from the baseline, with 5.66 years lost, 7.33 percent of food wasted and electricity consumption of 0.038 kWh per pack.
Decreasing the airflow rate in the display cabinet at the store by 25 percent increased health risk and food waste by one percent and reduced energy consumption by 14 percent. Increasing the airflow rate by 25 percent increased energy consumption by 16 percent and decreased the health risk by one percent with no change in food wasted.
The results show that the thermostat setting of the domestic refrigerator has a high impact on food safety and food waste, but previous studies have shown that even when consumers are aware of the recommended temperature, they tend not to be aware of the temperature of their own refrigerator, which is often higher than recommended. Consumers should take cognizant action to set their refrigerators to four degrees Celsius. The results also show that reducing the airflow rate in the display cabinet by 50 percent would allow an energy savings of 30 percent for less than a two percent increase in health risk and food waste. However, the efficiency of the measure would be guaranteed only if the air curtain operates properly with a reduced airflow and more study would have to be conducted on its stability. A Cost-Benefit Analysis and two Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis methods confirmed that these two actions were most effective.
Risk Analysis: An International Journal is published by the nonprofit Society for Risk Analysis (SRA), an interdisciplinary, scholarly, international society that provides an open forum for all who are interested in risk analysis, a critical function in complex modern societies. Risk analysis includes risk assessment, risk characterization, risk communication, risk management, and risk policy affecting individuals, public- and private-sector organizations, and societies at a local, regional, national, or global level. To learn more, visit www.sra.org.
MEDIA CONTACTRegister for reporter access to contact details
Risk Analysis: An International Journal


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New owners’ Christmas Day plans for Sidmouth coffee shop
PUBLISHED: 06:55 27 July 2017
A café and deli is set to open on Christmas Day and to youngsters on Friday evenings after new owners took over.
John Hammond will be joined by wife Kirsty – youth worker at the Sid Valley’s churches – and sons William and Alex behind the counter at The Dairy Shop.
They are still finding their feet but have a plan for FolkWeek to create a one-way system through the store and offer baked potatoes to the flow of customers.
John, who will take care of the day-to-day running of the business, said: “We’re going to be open on Christmas Day for anyone who is going to be by themselves. It’s some thing we’ve wanted to do for a couple of years.
“We’re trying to keep our food as local as possible. We’ve got honey from Blackbury Camp and Ebb Tide seaweed from here in Sidmouth.”
Kirsty, a former Sidmouth Primary School teacher, said: “I’m going to use the shop for some of my church youth work as a drop in. It won’t be a Christian coffee shop but we want to link with the community.
“The community-run Christmas Day lunch is brilliant, but ours will be a bit more low-key. It’s for people who might be single or bereaved. Somebody said to me Spar is open – but that’s the only contact some people have all day.”
Both now 41, Bristolian John and Sidmothian Kirsty married in Sidmouth Parish Church in 2000 and they moved to the town in 2004, now living in Tyrrell Mead. They went on to lead the cub scout, where John trained to teach axe throwing and archery.
He hopes an online store – set up by 15-year-old IT director Alex – will be another string to the business’s bow. William, 12, will also help.
John has been in the food industry since he left university, including a role auditing his new neighbours, Hayman’s butchers, and health food store Ganesha Wholefoods.
His last seven years were spent working for supermarket giant Morrisons but he spent his life on the road, racking up 50,000 miles a year and seeing little of his family.
Taking on The Dairy Shop is a different way to pursue his love of food that gets them involved.
The Hammonds take over The Dairy Shop from Peter and Linda Verran-Smith, who are retiring.
If you value what this story gives you, please consider supporting the Sidmouth Herald. Click the link in the orange box above for details.


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Sony to begin shipping Blu-ray DVDs to Europe
Sony Corp., the world's second-biggest consumer electronics maker, will start shipping DVDs based on the so-called Blu-ray standard to Europe this month.
The single-layered discs have storage capacity of 25 gigabytes, or five times that of a regular DVD, Sony said Thursday in a statement.
Tokyo-based Sony is counting on Blu-ray as a product that can help fuse the company's electronics and movie businesses, as rising sales of larger flat-panel televisions drive demand for high-definition video content.
Smaller competitor Toshiba Corp. will begin selling its competing HD DVD players this month, which may spur a rivalry reminiscent of the VHS vs. Betamax war for video-cassette recorders in the 1980s.
Cingular customers can share news, pictures via cell phone
Cingular Wireless LLC, the biggest U.S. mobile phone carrier, began offering a service that allows users to share articles and pictures to tap younger consumers' growing appetite for blogging.
Customers with mobile phones using Java technology can create and distribute text, photos, opinions and news through their phones, San Diego-based Intercasting Corp., which owns the Rabble service, said in a statement Thursday.
Cingular, which is partly owned by AT&T Inc., is seeking to attract users of online diaries, or blogs, who want to communicate while on the move. A new blog is created online every 2.2 seconds, according to the Pew Internet Study. The popularity of online communities and blogging, especially among younger people, has prompted media companies to acquire the Web sites. Cingular Wireless users can subscribe to the Rabble service for $2.99 monthly. Intercasting also has a deal with Verizon Wireless, the No. 2 U.S. mobile-phone carrier, to offer the service.
Sharper Image shareholder urges new board of directors
SAN FRANCISCO -- A major shareholder of Sharper Image Corp. on Thursday set out to oust the company's board of directors in a bid to retool the ailing retailer of high-tech gadgets and other offbeat merchandise. The proposed shake-up boosted the company's sagging stock price by more than 22 percent.
The Knightspoint Group, which recently acquired a 12.8 percent stake in Sharper Image, hopes to replace the San Francisco-based company's seven-member board with a slate that includes veteran executives and retailing consultants.
It marked the second time in the past two weeks that Knightspoint has sought to overhaul a company's board. The group wants Ashworth Inc., a maker of golf apparel, to add three more directors.
IBM keeps contract managing Nissan's computer systems
IBM Corp., the world's biggest computer-services provider, said it will manage Nissan Motor Co.'s North American computer systems for six more years.
The contract, valued at "several hundred million dollars," covers Nissan's operations in the United States and Canada until 2012, the Armonk, N.Y.-based IBM said in a statement Thursday.
The contract extends a 1999 agreement and covers network and desktop computer support.


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Final Fantasy Type-0 HD Gets 18 Minute-Long Video Showing Combat on PS4 and Xbox One
Square Enix released a new gameplay video of Final Fantasy Type-0 HD, that will hit the North American shelves on March 17th.
The trailer gives a fairly long look on one of the missions of the game, and explains several of the mechanics involved. It also shows that the title doesn’t look half bad for a remake from the PSP era.
You can check it out just below.


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I'm excited to announce that Affiliate Summit, the premier affiliate marketing conference and tradeshow, will be providing $1,000 scholarships to up to 10 U.S. college students this summer.
These Affiliate Marketing Scholarships are only open to currently enrolled students at a college or university in the United States.
There will be as many as 10 scholarships awarded of $1,000 each.
In order to submit for a chance to receive the scholarship, qualified entrants must submit an essay of 250-500 words below answering the question, “What is your biggest frustration with online shopping and how would you suggest fixing it?” by June 1, 2013.
Scholarship entries must be submitted at http://www.affiliatesummit.com/affiliate-marketing-scholarship.
Winners will be contacted by August 1, 2013.
About Affiliate Summit:
Over the 10 years and dozens of events in the Affiliate Summit portfolio, each successive year has been bigger than the last, despite years of challenging economic times.
This trend shows no signs of changing with the upcoming Affiliate Summit East 2013, taking place August 18-20 in Philadelphia.
The top sponsorships are sold out for Affiliate Summit East 2013, and many of the smaller sponsorships are already gone.
Also, the exhibit hall and Meet Market are quickly filling up, and both are expected to sell out again.
This three day conference will include an exhibit hall with affiliates, merchants, vendors, and networks, as well as multiple tracks of educational sessions covering the latest trends and information from affiliate marketing experts.
The keynotes for Affiliate Summit East 2013 will be Rae Hoffman, CEO of PushFire; Dr. Randal Pinkett, Chairman and CEO of BCT Partners, as well as a philanthropist, author, and season 4 Winner of NBC's The Apprentice; and Wil Reynolds, Founder of SEER Interactive.
More details on Affiliate Summit at http://www.affiliatesummit.com.
Latest posts by Missy Ward (see all)
- Feedfront Magazine Issue 46 Now Available for Download - 03/27/2019
- Affiliate Summit Europe 2019 Highlights [Video] - 03/22/2019
- Affiliate Summit Europe 2019 – Keynote Steven Bartlett - 03/21/2019


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“Ecosystem” is a word that gets thrown a lot in the tech industry but there is a definition of this buzzword which is actually worth your attention. Digital ecosystems, or business ecosystems, are a model in which traditional industry boundaries are radically reordered, where sectors that once seemed disconnected fit together seamlessly and where users, their data, and businesses are part of a large co-dependent machine, according to a McKinsey analysis titled “Competing in a world of sectors without borders.” The report shows how China’s tech giants are developing this model and setting an example for global players.
The term business ecosystem was coined by James F. Moore who studied the co-evolution of social and economic systems. It is now widely adopted in tech companies but it is quietly seeping into other areas.
The model is a good reference for China’s digital landscape. Consider Alibaba—it can be defined as a retailer and a financial company. It has cloud technology, logistics, entertainment, healthcare, and even maps. It’s O2O, B2B, B2C, C2C and probably every other acronym you could think of.
Alibaba, of course, is not the only example, other companies in China such as Tencent and Baidu, and even insurance company PingAn


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Zane Merva Executive Editor, GM-Trucks.com 10/30/18 Day one of SEMA 2018 is almost already in the books and we've barely made it through the South Hall (which houses the Truck/Off-Road section) trying to get our eyes on every customized 2019 being shown inside exibitor's booths. There's no way we'll see everything but what we have seen already is impressive. Accessories for the all new Sierra and Silverado are coming out in force, even if the trucks are still trickling into dealerships. Although the new fullsize pickups are GM's hot new thing, the automaker has not made it a focus of this year's show. That means, while we're seeing a ton of 2019 Silverado and Sierra, there are 2x as many 2019 Dodge Ram and 5x as many Jeep Wranglers. Here's what we've seen so far. We'll add more photos to this thread as we take them.


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Sales at Ross Stores slid as the first fiscal quarter progressed leading to a comp decline and earnings shortfall.
First-quarter net earnings were $338.4 million, or 97 cents per diluted share, versus $476.5 million, or $1.34 per diluted share, in the period a year earlier.
Ross came up short of MarketBeat analyst consensus estimates for earnings, at $1, and sales, at $4.54 billion.
Comparable sales decreased 7% in the quarter, the company reported.
Net sales were $4.33 billion versus $4.52 billion in the quarter a year before.
Barbara Rentler, Ross CEO, said, in a company conference call, that the performance at the company’s DD’s Discount stores trailed results at Ross stores as the impact of last year’s stimulus and current higher inflation had an outsized effect on lower-income consumers. Adam Orvos, executive vp and CFO, added that the lower comp occurred as a decline in transactions offset average basket growth.
In announcing the financial results, Rentler said, “We are disappointed with our lower-than-expected first-quarter results. Following a stronger-than-planned start early in the period, sales underperformed over the balance of the quarter. We knew fiscal 2022 would be a difficult year to predict, especially the first half when we were facing last year’s record levels of government stimulus and significant customer pent-up demand as COVID restrictions eased. The external environment has also proven extremely challenging as the Russia-Ukraine conflict has exacerbated inflationary pressures on the consumer not seen in 40 years. First-quarter operating margin of 10.8% was down from 14.2% in 2021, reflecting the deleveraging effect from the same-store sales decline combined with ongoing headwinds from higher freight and wage costs that began rising in the second half of 2021.”


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In yet another scathing attack on the UPA government, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Tuesday that some people were conspiring to sell the country and lies were being uttered in the name of reforms.
“Do reforms mean training guns at farmers and pushing out shopkeepers from localities?” she said at a rally at Nimtauri in Tamluk in Purba Medinipur district even as she reasserted that a “loot is on [and] lies [are] being said” while the prices of petrol, diesel, cooking gas and fertilizers kept rising.
Ms. Banerjee was critical of the Centre’s decision to allow foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail. She cautioned farmers and small traders that foreign retail giants would rob them of their land and businesses. “They [foreign retail giants] will totally destroy our country… They will occupy your land, leaving you with nothing. There will be no farmland, no crops and no shops left. The Centre is unable to provide jobs to the people, but is trying to rob them of their livelihoods.”
“Do you know what FDI in retail means? Farmers plough their fields and sell their produce in the markets. Now they [the Centre] are saying it will have to be given to Wal-Mart….I have nothing against Wal-Mart. …In America, Wal-Mart has been told that if it has to do business it will have to buy 60 per cent American items, but in our country the Centre has done away with the 30 per cent restrictions that were there. This is nothing but loot.”
With the opening up of the pension sector to FDI “all your life’s savings will be taken away. When the stock market is down, they will come and take away your money.”


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A file photo of wine. Photograph:( AFP )
ne of the experts present at the tasting said the wine poured from the bottle in the cellar tasted a tad younger than the one which had traveled to space
A team of researchers in Bordeaux are analysing a dozen of bottles of French wine which have returned to Earth after spending a year at the International Space Station.
In a bid to make plants on Earth more resilient to climate change and diseases by exposing them to new stresses, the mission was set up to better understand the aging process, fermentation, and bubbles in the wine.
After their return to the Earth, the wine bottles were sampled by 12 connoisseurs. The experts tasted the 5,000 euro (£4,312) bottle of Chateau Petrus Pomerol blindfolded, along with another bottle from the same vintage, procured from a cellar.
"I have tears in my eyes," said Nicolas Gaume, CEO and co-founder of the company that had organised the experiment.
This tasting took place at the Institute for Wine and Vine Research in Bordeaux.
"When you expose wine, when you expose cells, plants to an environment without gravity... we create tremendous stress on any living species," he said.
One of the experts present at the tasting said the wine poured from the bottle in the cellar tasted a tad younger than the one which had traveled to space.
The experts of chemical and biological analysis of the wine's aging process might be able to find a way to artificially age fine vintages, as per the experts.
In this experiment, hundreds of snippets of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapevines survived the space journey and also grew faster than the vines on the Earth.
However, the researchers have not been able to figure out the reason behind this development yet.
Experts also noted that grapes are very healthy for astronauts. "For me, the difference between the space and the earth wine... it wasn't easy to define," said Franck Dubourdieu, a Bordeaux-based agronomist and oenologist, an expert in the study of wine and wine-making.


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In a move that could have ramifications for government procurement in Australia, IT consulting giant Accenture and computer-makers Hewlett Packard and Sun Microsystems face charges of operating illegal kickback schemes on billion dollar US Government contracts, according to a US Department of Justice (DOJ) complaint filed in an Arkansas federal court.
Accenture, Hewlett Packard and Sun have denied the allegations and said they would defend themselves against the complaints. Accenture has contracts worth more than $500 million with the Australian Government, but the story has not been reported by any of the main IT media in Australia.
The involvement of the Department of Justice is significant, as that body generally joins proceedings only where evidence is strong. Its success rate is 98%, according to a source cited by Business Week.
Proceedings were started by former Accenture staffer Norman Rille and former Deloitte & Touche partner Neal Roberts in 2004, under a US law that would give them a third of damages awarded. The DoJ then joined the proceedings in April 2007, filing its own 80-page complaint.
The DoJ complaint points out that HP and Accenture had been alerted to the need to disclose their kickback arrangements on a Defence Logistics Agency contract, but failed to do so. If the DoJ’s complaint is proven, Accenture, HP and Sun will be liable for up to three times the amounts they wrongfully obtained from their government contracts.
The DoJ complaint accuses Sun and HP of paying millions of dollars annually either in cash or rebates to companies that sold their products to the Government, and it accuses Accenture of accepting those kickbacks. Many other firms are named in the complaint, including Bearing Point, Capgemini Ernst & Young and Electronic Data Systems, but not accused of wrongdoing.
The complaint also alleges Sun failed to honour a clause that requires it to charge the Government no more than it charges commercial customers, in General Services Administration contracts between 1997 and 2004 valued at $200 million.
Detailed stories in Business Week and Information Week list numerous examples of the kickback arrangements. For example, from 2001 to 2004, Sun paid influencer fees totalling $281,000 to Pricewaterhouse Coopers Technology Integration, Accenture, and World Wide Technology from 2001 to 2004. Pricewaterhouse Coopers Technology Integration and World Wide are not accused of any wrongdoing.
Sun also paid rebates up to 10% to some companies that replaced competitors’ products with those from Sun.
Accenture received more than $20 million in payments from alliance partners between 2000 and 2006, the DoJ alleged. It also received rebates and marketing assistance based on the amounts of equipment sold to the Government, but failed to pass those rebates on to the Government, as required by US federal law.


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Following a JRPG-studded series of game announcements, Caspius, SiliconNooB, and Mel develop an acute case of optimism about the state of the industry; and, their jollity is only increased when they learn of the sequel to Caspius’ favourite game: Chess.
With things heating up for the summer (or cooling down for the Australian winter), the Cricket returns alongside a gigantic upcoming game announcement from Limited Run, leaving Caspius and SiliconNooB to empty their pockets in pursuit of pre-order funds.
Caspius, Durga, and SiliconNooB recap the first week of the site-wide Xenoblade Chronicles playthrough, before comparing the success of the recent Definitive Edition with other titles in the news this week, including Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding.
Caspius and SiliconNooB announce the rumour of an announcement of an announcement when rumour of Final Fantasy XVI makes the rounds, and the site begins its collective playthrough of Xenoblade Chronicles, following the release of the Definitive Edition.
The Day Tonight presents Xenoblade Redefined: A Xenoblade Chronicles playthrough!
Caspius and SiliconNooB survey a highly litigious collection of stories in the weekly news, reveal astonshing records set by Final Fantasy VII Remake and the Nintendo Switch, and prepare for the forthcoming site-wide playthrough of Xenoblade Chronicles.
Caspius, Imitanis, and SiliconNooB discuss the end of the site-wide playthough of Final Fantasy VII Remake, the upcoming Xenoblade Chronicles playthrough, and the latest news from Nintendo, including the announcement of Paper Mario: The Origami Kingdom.
The Day Tonight’s status as an ‘essential service’ ensures it remains operational during the pandemic, delivering podcasts to its countless thousands of quarantined listeners–especially those interested in Nintendo and Final Fantasy VII Remake news!
SiliconNooB returns from a week-long matrimonial booze-up thoroughly disinfected with alcohol, but also losing his ability to function as a gamer, and increasingly inclined to use of ‘easy mode’ and ‘golden feathers’, much to the consternation of Caspius.
The Luminous Engine still lives, and Nintendo has had a big Direct in the news of the week!


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This paper references two recent newspaper articles, which focus on the rise of online retail in Australia and the decision of global retail giants to enter the Australian marketplace respectively. The paper aims to identify and discuss the implications for the Australian government, Australian businesses, particularly within the retail sector, as well as implications for international businesses which have been highlighted through these articles. This paper recognizes globalization as the most applicable and influential international business concept relevant to the changes within the Australian retail landscape.
The paper also realizes theories related to differences in culture in reference to international business, specific to global retail giants entering the Australian marketplace are particularly relevant. The growth of the retail industry in stagnant at current, this is largely due to diverse competitive challenges; specifically, the rise of online retail as a result of globalization and the entry of innovative global retail giants. Globalisation is the integration of economic, political and cultural systems across the globe. Globalisation and the free exchange of goods continue to have a prolific impact on the retail industry.
The retail industry in Australia accounts for 4. 1% of Australia’s GDP and 10. 7% of employment . The article “Click, shop - Australians love doing their fashion shopping online” published in The Australian on October 29, 2013 identifies prolific growth in online shopping for the Australian market: “According to John Riccio, national digital change leader with PricewaterhouseCoopers, citing the NAB Online Retail Index for 2012, "their research shows that online remains much stronger than traditional retail" in terms of year-on-year growth since 2010 .”
The growth of global online retailing within Australia poses a major threat to the Australian government. As previously mentioned, the Australian retail sector accounts for 10. 7% of employment, should online retailing continue to grow, this alleviates the number of required retail staff within the Australian market place. The government is also under pressure by local retailers to lower the GST threshold in order to put them in a better position to complete with international websites .
The increase of online shopping has prompted the Australian government to examine new ways to increase productivity and economic growth. In November 2013, as a result of pressure from Australian businesses, the Australian government began exploring options on how to collect GST from online purchases under AUD $1,000 . The current trend of online shopping has resulted in retailers pressuring the Australian government in relation to the restriction of the fair right to trade and the restriction of retail trading hours.
Given that online retailers can trade twenty four hours a day; earning them a competitive advantage over retailers in Australia. The Westfield Group has commenced lobbying the Australian government to lift regulations as to when it is ‘economically sensible for retailers to trade’ . Similarly to Australian government, the rise of online retailing poses a major threat to the profitability and livelihood of Australian businesses, particularly within the retail sector. The increase of online retailing in Australia is rapidly eroding the revenue, profitability and market share of Australian retailers .
This change in the market calls upon Australian retailers to establish new and inventive ways to service their customers and influence customer loyalty; giving consumers a reason to spend in-store as opposed to online. This trends also calls for new and inventive marketing techniques. The rise of online shopping has also resulted in Australian businesses not being able to markup goods as much as in the past, causing them to have to absorb the majority import duties and shipping costs which affects their profitability .
The rise of online shopping in Australian presents an opportunity for multinational corporations, online shopping allows international firms to gain an in-depth insight into Australian consumers spending habits and allow them to acquaint themselves with local tastes prior to international expansion, giving international firms an up-to-the-minute competitive advantage when expanding into the Australian retail market .
Furthermore, Australian based multinational companies, such as retail giants ranging from Westfield to David Jones have been forced to launch e-commerce sites in order to maintain a market share and a competitive advantage with international sites. The recent rapid expansion of global fast-fashion giants into the Australian marketplace has had a similar impact on the Australian fashion-retail industry that the increase in online shopping has, putting Australian retailers and small business under immense pressure and stress to remain in a position to compete with these global retailers.
The article “Local retailers feel the heat from International invasion” published in The Sydney Morning Herald on November 26, 2013 highlights the ways in which ‘fast-fashion’ retailers have revolutionized how Australian consumers shop with big-name internationals establishing a presence within the Australian retail landscape .
The article acknowledges that the catalyst for the International expansion of the majority of these retail giants has in fact been the internet. The expansion of retail giants into the Australian marketplace has impacted the Government in order to enhance competitiveness between fast-fashion giants and Australian retailers through becoming more flexible to the regulatory retail environment, particularly surrounding shopping hours and workplace practices .
The Australian government is also under pressure to revise manufacturing laws and regulations in order for Australian business to be able to complete with global giants such as Zara or H&M who aggressively price their products as a result of their global manufacturing and distribution facilities , none of which are held within Australia due to the high cost. Australians purchased over one billion units of clothing in 2013, 90% of which was imported . Local businesses are under extreme pressure to compete with global fast-fashion retailers.
However, on a positive note, it has been recorded that the introduction of retailers such as Zara and TopShop has encouraged traffic into the Sydney CBD area, presenting an opportunity to smaller retailers that may not have been apparent in the past due to the rise of online retailing. The aggressive and competitive pricing strategies of many of the global fast-fashion retailers has pressured local businesses to lower their own prices on their products in order to compete, this has called upon many retailers and Australian brands to relocate production and manufacturing of their products offshore .
Local businesses have been forced to review their pricing strategies in order to maintain any market share held within the Australian retail fashion industry . Similarly to the growth of online retailing, while the expansion of global fashion-giants into the Australian marketplace poses a threat to local businesses, it poses an opportunity to multinational corporations however presents a challenge to Australian based multinational corporations.
Australia’s largest retailer, MYER, has reduced entry level price points on garments in order to complete with global brands such as H&M and Zara. However, MYER CEO, Bernie Brookes sees the introduction of global retailers such as H&M into the market as an opportunity, as they will attract more foot traffic . The expansion of global fashion retailers into the Australian market calls upon Australian based multinationals to adapt pricing and marketing practices to remain competitive.
The perceived success of international fashion retailers thus far makes Australia a very attractive market for many more international chains to expand into the country, presenting an opportunity to boost GDP and create more jobs for Australians. Globalisation allows for an integrated, interdependent world economy, allowing markets from all over the world to become connected as one global marketplace . Globalization is heralded as a key driver for online retailing and e-commerce .
When analysing the article Click, shop - Australians love doing their fashion shopping online by Glynis Traill-Nash it is evident that the most relevant international business concept is globalisation. Globalisation is particularly relevant to online retailing as Australia has traditionally been a segmented market due to it’s geographic isolation, however, through the rapidly expanding global marketplace, the internet and e-commerce has allowed Australia to become part of the global marketplace . In the article, Click, shop - Australians love doing their fashion shopping
online, Traill-Nash refers to the online shopping site, Net-A-Porter, and makes reference to how Australians are shopping the same product at the same time as consumers in Europe or the United States. This was not physically possible due to the geographic isolation of Australia in the past, due to many factors stemming with shipping times for product to arrive in Australian stores . A key factor of Globalisation is the merge of separate national markets, encapsulated in this is the global offering of the same products worldwide .
This is particularly relevant in reference to online retailing and multi-national online stores; as the world is viewed as one huge global market place, as opposed to a store in a particular city in a particular country. Furthermore, e-commerce heralds falling trade barriers, another key factor of globalization. With the globalization of e-commerce expanding rapidly to many different markets, the varying cultures of these markets cannot be neglected .
When analysing the article Local retailers feel the heat from International invasion by Rachel Wells; the most relevant international business concept is differences in culture. The global expansion of international retailers identifies the need to apply international business concepts and theories related to difference in culture, as many of the retailers who have entered the Australian market have come from very different host nations and have had to adapt their practices in order to successfully operate within Australia.
Cross-cultural literacy is paramount for the success of International retailers entering new markets. As outlined in the article, Local retailers feel the heat from International invasion, Wells highlights that many global retail-giants plan to enter the Australian market, ranging from Swedish-based H&M to Spanish-based, Zara to Japanese retailer, UNIQLO; all of which have very varied cultures to that of Australia, thus highlighting how important cross-cultural literacy is.
Cross-cultural literacy is also very relevant for global e-commerce sites as varying markets within the global marketplace can vary on many levels, ranging from consumer tastes and preferences to language to religion; all of which must be considered for elements of e-commerce ranging from marketing to navigation of the site.


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Eater Dallas has just gotten word that the second location of Nazca Kitchen, in West Village, will open this Friday, April 14th. Signage for this expansion went up in August of last year. The new Nazca is opening at 3700 McKinney Ave — the corner of Cityplace West and Noble Street. Nazca’s first location in Walnut Hill, which is known for a lighter take on traditional Peruvian food, happily isn’t going anywhere.
Chef Julia Lopez, of La Duni Latin Cafe has been brought on as consulting chef, in charge of training and new recipe development. But! Though those who loved the menu at the original location appear to have plenty to be stoked about with the second — Nazca’s ceviche, empanadas, acai bowls and roasted half chicken trademarks all naturally made the menu.
The new uptown spot will be open daily, with brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. This location also features a sizable bar and patio seating.


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Side Effects Software has released the 2014 Demo Reel featuring the work of Houdini customers worldwide.
Houdini for Games - Frima Studio
See how Frima Studio use Houdini to generate content for their games.
Jayden Paterson - Houdini FX Reel 2014
Jayden Peterson has posted a reel showcasing his Houdini FX work.
Orbolt - Smart 3D Asset Store
Side Effects Software have released a brand new Smart 3D Asset Store called Orbolt.


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According to The Beauty Company, four out of five women wear makeup, with the average woman spending 20 minutes a day applying cosmetics. Foundation, considered to be the basis of many women’s makeup regimens, is used to provide flawless coverage for uneven skin tone, blemishes, and discolorations of the skin.
Fatty esters such as isopropyl lanolate, myristyl lactate, and octylhydroxystearate can be found in many foundations, often causing allergic reactions and even acne in some consumers. While the possible detrimental health effects of cosmetic ingredients on makeup users have been studied, there are limited studies on the production of makeup ingredients and its effect on factory workers. Argan powder, an ingredient used in the production of foundation, can lead to the development of occupational asthma and allergies in factory workers, according to a new study.
Findings presented today at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Annual Congress in Barcelona unveiled the first evidence of the health risks associated with the use of argan powder in the production of cosmetics. The researchers examined nine participants from a cosmetic factory in France and exposed them to the cosmetic ingredient in its three different forms — granules, powder, and liquid — to analyze the potential onset of health complications from the manufacturing of argan powder.
The nine participants were asked to complete a questionnaire about their medical history. The researchers performed lung function tests, allergy tests, and an inhalation challenge test to examine the reaction of the airways when in contact with argan powder, reports Medical Xpress.
Four out of nine cosmetics factory workers had asthma or rhinitis symptoms and were documented to have a blocked nose when they were dealing with argan powder. The inhalation challenge test revealed that three out of the four participants with asthma or rhinitis symptoms had occupational asthma that was triggered by the powder. Half of the participants with asthma-like symptoms tested positive for a skin allergy to argan powder.
“This study is very preliminary but does suggest an association between argan powder and occupational asthma. Our initial findings warrant further research to understand any health risks associated with the compound,” said Dr. Emmanuelle Penven, lead author of the study, at the ERS Annual Congress presentation.
Currently, there are 25 million Americans who suffer from some form of asthma, with approximately 15 percent of reported asthma cases being potentially work-related asthma, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. Asthma is the most common occupational lung disease in the United States, and is often underrecognized and misdiagnosed. However, occupational asthma can be reversible, if diagnosed and treated early. Long-term exposure to asthma-producing substances can worsen the condition, especially if the employee cannot avoid the substances.
Drugs, enzymes, animal proteins, and even seafood are among the most commonly reported risk factors for occupational asthma, says Mayo Clinic. The compound argan powder could be added to the list once more studies support Penven’s findings.
To learn about high-risk occupations associated with occupational asthma, visit Mayo Clinic.


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AGRICULTURAL drone sprays, which are more efficient and health-friendly than manual crop spraying, are thought to be the next trend in agriculture in Davao Region, said executive.
During the Banana Congress held at the SMX Convention Center last October 12, one of the several exhibitors was the My Drone Services, a company based in Pampanga and just recently came to Davao, that specializes in agricultural drones.
“My Drone Services is a Philippine company. We are here in Davao and also Pampanga. We offer turnkey solutions for people that want to hire us to do agricultural spray. If you have banana crops, sugar cane, pomelo, that sort of thing, you can contract us, we’ll bring the drone and the pilots and we will then spray the crop area you want us to spray on a one offer on a regular basis,” said My Drone Services president and CEO Bryce Mitchell.
Aside from getting hired to do massive pesticide, herbicide, or nutrient spraying, Mitchell said they also provide plant-health analysis services wherein the drones fly over the area and analyze where there are distressed plants that needed more attention from the farmers through targeted spraying.
My Drone Services came to Davao Region April of this year and since then have entered into talks and negotiation with banana companies in Mindanao such as the Tagum Agricultural Development Company, Inc. (Tadeco) and Del Monte Philippines.
“The benefits we see, it’s more of environmentally-friendly. There’s less over-spray. So there’s also less risk to people, from a health-safety perspective. We also see that it’s gonna be cost-effective versus using hands spray which still needs to be done but drones can really help you with the tough terrain areas and the more irregular-shaped areas. We won’t replace crop spray, but we can help be more efficient on the fringe areas and the hard-to-reach areas. And also, we can fly at night. You can do nighttime operations. So really, you can do 24-hour operations,” Mitchell said.
They have partnered with the APAT, the leading manufacturer of agricultural drone in South Korea. Currently, they already have four commercial drones in the region. Their company has also partnered with DJI, a Chinese manufacturer of commercial drones as well.
Depending on the services needed by their clients and the type of terrain that they are going to provide services for, Mitchell said their price starts with P1,000 to P1,500 per hectare and could possibly go up from there.
They have a 1 kilogram drone which is primarily used for survey purposes especially when creating topographical map or volumetric analysis of a farm.
A much bigger drone can be used for survey purposes as well for terrain 3D topographical map. The largest one, those that weigh about 25 kilograms are used for pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or nutrients spraying and can last for 30 minutes in the air before the contents would be refilled and the batteries be swapped. Mitchell said their tanks attached to the drones are compatible with any sprays.
Aside from agricultural purposes, they have also offered assistance to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council for risk assessment and relief goods delivery especially to areas that cannot be penetrated by any type of vehicle after a calamity.
Published in the SunStar Davao newspaper on October 23, 2017.
Latest issues of SunStar Davao also available on your mobile phones, laptops, and tablets. Subscribe to our digital editions at epaper.sunstar.com.ph and get a free seven-day trial.


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By Spy Uganda
Kampala: The financial news landing on our desk is that Cairo International Bank has rebranded to Cairo Bank Uganda Limited, with the changes taking effect on September 1, 2020. The bank also changed its logo, slogan, and brand color.
Cairo Bank a joint venture between several Egyptian banks and businesses, including: Banque Du Caire, Bank Misr and National Bank of Egypt, underwent a comprehensive restructuring process in 2019 aiming to boost operational efficiency and positioning it to be able to sustainably grow and offer competitive products and services to the market segment which is in line with the strategic intent of being the ‘preferred small and medium enterprise Bank in Uganda’.
The bank’s officials say the re-brand means the Bank is now positioned to leverage on a strong shareholder relationship and be part of a larger group with a strong global network and supporting millions of customers by opening their doors to endless opportunities.
The Managing Director of Cairo Bank Uganda, Mr. Ahmad Nada Maher while commenting about the change said: “Our customers can continue banking with us as confidently as they always done but also count on new innovative and exciting product offerings to the market and enjoy the advantages of banking with a brand that is part of a multinational group. The bank will continue to play a critical role in supporting the lifeblood of the economy which is the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).”
He added: “Our customers can look forward to a new, refreshed banking experience which will include a wide range of new innovative products and services, internet banking, exciting partnerships with fintechs and aggregators to provide mobile payment and cash management solutions.”
As of December 2019 the total assets of CIB were valued at USh189 billion (US$50 million) with shareholders’ equity of USh52.3 billion (US$13.9 million).
Cairo International Bank Limited (CIB) was incorporated in Uganda in 1995. It began operations in 1995, after receiving a commercial banking license from the Bank of Uganda.


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Nintendo sounds Wii-free Xmas warning
'Buy early,' it suggests. 'Where from?' readers demand
If you’re hoping for a Wii from Santa’s sack this Christmas, don’t get your hopes up, Nintendo has said. The console company today warned that there could be a worldwide shortage of its console this holiday season.
Despite the company already disappointing Wii fans by confirming that DVD support won’t be ready for the console by Christmas, news of a possible console shortage could send the high street into frenzy as hopeful buyers battle it out for a Wii.
Nintendo attempted to allay gamers’ fears - it claimed it’s working its factories at maximum production capacity. However, because “seasonality demand trends are being broken” and since “demand for Wii hardware globally has been unprecedented” then it’s possible that “demand for Wii hardware may outstrip supply”.
Except, according to many Register Hardware readers, it already has. Even now, well ahead of the Christmas buying surge, Wiis are hard to find.
At the time of writing, UK chain Game had no Wiis in stock. Argos' web store was out of them, as were the ten Argos stores in the London area. DSG's PCWorld and Dixons.co.uk sites didn't have any to offer, and John Lewis' website was no help either.
The company claimed it currently produces up to 1.8m Wiis each month and that it aims to have shipped 17.5m consoles around the world between April this year and March 2008 - 3.5m more than the company forecast back in April.
ebuyer has 36 as i type....but
they're horribly expensive (£290). the bundle consists of:
Nintendo Wii Bundle Wii Sports Excite Truck Mario Strikers Charged Football + Wii Remote Steering Wheel Accessory
We got our replacement, no trouble - six hours earlier than expected, and nary a question asked.
Carphone Warehouse has wii's available
They've got it on the homepage so they must have some...
Plenty in France
You can order them from places like Amazon.fr (who still have plenty o' stock) and have it shipped to the UK for almost the same as the UK RRP.
We just got a wii from amazon.de delivered to the UK for 248euros or about GBP180.
All we had to do is buy a £2 eu to uk plug adapter.
Dont get ripped off!


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- CBDC(Central Bank Digital Currency) has started its operations in Cambodia on 28th.
- It was developed jointly by Soramitsu Co Ltd of Japan and the National Bank of Cambodia.
- They have introduced a system called “Bacon”
The app supports retail transactions and interbank payments. They use a permit-type blockchain named “Hyper Leisure Iroha,” which Soramitsu has contributed to the development. The bank started its pilot operation last year in July, in which about 20 financial institutions have participated. The bank is expecting a dozen more financial institutions to join them in the future.
The Motive is to Promote Financial Inclusion
The main motive for establishing “Bacon” is to strengthen Cambodia’s financial inclusion, where access to financial services is limited for the people. In Cambodia, 78% of the people over the age of 15 do not possess a bank account. But the penetration rate of smartphones in Cambodia is 150%. So the bacon payment system will be accessible to such people as it does not require a bank account. Another target of “Bacon” is to improve financial institutions’ efficiency and promote its domestic currency Riel in such an environment where the US dollar has captured the market.
How Bacon Works
In personal transactions, users can access their electronic app, which can be downloaded on any smartphone with Android or iOS. They have to scan the QR code or tap the phone number of the person whom they want to send the payment from their wallet. The wallet supports and handles Riel and the US dollar. Bacon possesses a unique consensus algorithm to verify its transaction across the distributed ledger to eliminate fraud risk, counterparty risk, and double payments.
The wallet is also designed to utilize various financial infrastructures developed by the National Bank of Cambodia in the past. The conventional POS system and the other private payment system has also been strengthened. This is done by replacing the conventional relational database with a strong blockchain distributed ledger. As a result, users will now get a faster payment network with no transmission fees.
The director of Central Bank of the National Bank of Cambodia, Chea Serey, said that the launch of “Bacon” has promoted social welfare and promoted electronic payment without the need for cash transactions. He added that it would also benefit people to save themselves from spreading the infection of coronavirus.
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Best Cyber Monday tech deals in South Africa. With many modern retailers offering comprehensive online shopping services, however, it is now seen as the day which marks the end of the Black Friday shopping weekend.
Cyber Monday 2018 kicks off on 26 November and offers online-focused deals for one day only. Cyber Monday is the first Monday after Black Friday and was established to encourage people to shop online.
While stores will launch specific Cyber Monday deals, many companies decide to rather run their Black Friday sales into Monday – essentially combining the two sale days into one big batch of specials.
Many stores are running Cyber Monday specials in South Africa, with some of the best deals listed below…


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SHAREHOLDERS APPROVE KSHS 3.5 BILLION NEW PREFERENCE SHARES
On 30th November 2018 the Shareholders at the recommendation of the Board of Directors of Consolidated Bank of Kenya (CBKL) approved a number of resolutions authorising the Directors of the Bank to allot up to Kshs 3.5 billion New Preference Shares to an Investor who is yet to be identified.
The open and competitive process of identifying an Investor is to commence immediately via Expressions of Interest (EOI) as the first stage.
“CBKL is implementing a Balance Sheet Reorganisation Strategy as a precursor to the implementation of a future Privatization Strategy”, said Dr. Charles Iyaya, Chairman, CBKL.
“Kshs 3.5 billion has been targeted to address various requirements for CBKL as per our Compliance Strategy, Funding Strategy and Growth Strategy”, said Mr Thomas Kiyai, CEO, CBKL.
The Growth Strategy envisions delivering a refreshing customer experience to the tens of thousands of its loyal customers across in its’ 17 branch network and with the technology driven platforms, CBKL shall be poised to entice thousands of new customers via nnovative products and services.
The Directors appointed in the 3rd quarter of this year are keen to see CBKL turnaround and improve on all its operational and regulatory performance.
The above Balance Sheet Reorganization has been achieved due to the diligence of the Privatization Commission and the overall support of the National Treasury which currently commands 85.8 shareholding.
Consolidated Bank remains stable and committed to meet its regulatory obligations as well as delivering best-in-class service to its valued customers. Ends.


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If you are using Windows Phone and are reading this post, there is a good chance that you are part of the preview program that delivers software updates ahead of the general rollout. It's a program designed for developers to help them get the software they need to build apps for the latest version of Windows Phone but since it is easy to join, many enthusiast participate too.
For those of you who are using an HTC device and have not been able to update to the latest builds, there is good news on the horizon. Joe Belfiore took to Twitter to post that he and his crew are hoping to push out an update this week that will address storage issues, HTC support and Cyan updates too; you can see his tweet below.
His tweet makes no guarantee that the update will go out this week but seeing as the announcement went out on Monday, he must be reasonably sure that the update will occur on, or before, Friday.
Windows Phone has been adding a plethora of partners over the past few months, if you haven't done so yet, make sure to check out our guide here.
Source: Joe Belfiore


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The MSME sector has a lot to cheer from the recent changes in the Goods and Services Tax regime based on the 32nd GST Council meeting dated 10 January 2019 and being reiterated in the Interim Budget 2019. The service sector accounts for over 55 per cent of the GDP, which was not covered by composition scheme earlier. It is also proposed to increase the basic exemption limits for registration as well as the maximum turnover limit for the composition scheme. MSME sector covers 90 per cent of the businesses by volume and is a pivotal sector for India. These proposed reforms will greatly improve the ease of doing business as most of the small and medium sized businesses are not fully equipped to meet with the complex GST regulations, filing of tax returns, claiming input tax credits, etc. The three mega changes proposed in this respect are as follows:
Increase in basic exemption limit for GST
It is proposed to increase the threshold limit for exemption from registration and payment of GST to Rs 40 lakh and Rs 20 lakh (for Special Category States). Currently, all businesses with a turnover of up to Rs 20 lakh are exempt from GST registration, while the limit for Special Category States is Rs 10 lakh.
Increase in limits for eligibility of composition schemes for manufacturers and traders
The GST composition scheme, under which intra state suppliers of goods pay tax at a flat rate on the turnover (generally 1 per cent), can now be availed by businesses with a turnover of up to Rs 1.5 crore as against the earlier limit of Rs 1 crore. It is proposed to increase this turnover limit with effect from February 1, 2019 (as per recommendations of the GST Council). Suitable notification is, however, awaited in the said regard.
GST composition scheme for small service providers
A composition scheme shall be introduced for supplier of services having a turnover of up to Rs 50 lakh. The service providers opting for composition scheme can pay tax at a rate of 6 per cent (CGST 3 per cent + SGST 3 per cent) on their turnover and would not be eligible to avail any input tax. The said scheme shall be applicable across all service providers. The service providers covered under the Composition Scheme shall be required to file 1 annual return and make quarterly payment of GST. Suitable notification is, however, awaited in this regard.
(The writer is founder of RSM Astute)Budget 2019 prediction: Farmer, middle class, small businesses to get big bonanza!
Copyright©2021 Living Media India Limited. For reprint rights: Syndications Today


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Robots showcased in Guangzhou
The China (Guangzhou) International Robot & Intelligent Manufacturing Exhibition was held in Guangzhou from Aug 27 to 29.
Held at the China Import and Export Fair Complex, the exhibition covers an area of 50,000 square meters, showcasing industrial robots, specialized robots, service robots, drones, robot components and smart wearable devices. More than 500 robotic enterprises attended the fair.
Different from previous events, this year's fair is more customer-oriented and centers on providing systematic solutions to customers.
With the exhibition area and the number of exhibitors both increasing by 150 percent, the event has become the largest robot and intelligent manufacturing exhibition in China, according to a spokesperson of industry and information technology commission of Guangzhou municipality.
A robot developed by SINOMACH Intelligence Technology is displayed at the China (Guangzhou) International Robot & Intelligent Manufacturing Exhibition. [Photo/gzdaily.dayoo.com]
Many Guangzhou-based enterprises shone at the exhibition, such as Sinomach Intelligent Technology which displayed its industrial robot, service robot and smart factory based on industry 4.0. Guangzhou MINO Automotive Equipment was another highlight, displaying its smart manufacturing data service platform and powertrain technologies.
Guangzhou has been attaching great importance to intelligent equipment and the robotics industry and the city has rolled out many policies in the past few years to build itself into a hub of China's smart equipment manufacturing and technologies development.
Currently, the city's robot and intelligent manufacturing industry is valued at 49 billion yuan ($7.4 billion), with output value of robot enterprises, intelligent equipment enterprises and intelligent modules and key component enterprises being 8.5 billion yuan, 29.5 billion yuan and 11 billion yuan, respectively.
Industrial robots are on display at the China (Guangzhou) International Robot & Intelligent Manufacturing Exhibition. [Photo/gzdaily.dayoo.com]


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While we await the premiere of season three of Star Wars Rebels, and the release of the next Star Wars film, it's easy to forget there is plenty of exciting things happening in the Galaxy far, far away in the meantime. If you're a Lego fan(who isn't?), then you'll want to keep an eye on a brand new animated series titled "The Freemaker Adventures".
The upcoming series is set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi and focuses on a family of Scavengers. A new trailer was released for The Freemaker Adventures which features plenty of new teases. Several major Star Wars characters show up in the trailer, such as Darth Vader, Maz Kanata, Lando Calrissian and Leia Organa along with the show's central characters, which include Zander Freemaker(voiced by Eugene Byrd), Rowan Freemaker(voiced by Nicolas Cantu), Kordi Freemaker(voiced by Vanessa Lengies) and the family's Battle Droid companion R0-GR(voiced by Matthew Wood). Be sure to watch the full trailer below:
Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures is set to premiere on Monday, June 20th at 10:00am (ET) on Disney XD!
Source: Star Wars(YouTube)
Follow The Star Wars Underworld on Twitter @TheSWU for more updates about this story and other breaking Star Wars news.


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Singapore To Grant First Crypto Licence in Bid To Lure Digital Asset Groups
By Crypto Global News
Singapore is set to grant formal regulatory approval to a cryptocurrency exchange for the first time as the Asian city-state steps up its challenge to rival Hong Kong as a digital finance hub.
Australian exchange Independent Reserve has garnered approval “in principle” from the Monetary Authority of Singapore allowing it to operate as a regulated provider of digital payment token services after applying for a licence in April last year.
The company is the first such provider to be awarded the approval from Singapore’s regulator of about 170 applicants, including global exchanges Binance and Gemini. Some groups, including Binance, have already been given an exemption to provide services to retail and institutional investors in the city while they await a formal licence.
“We have been waiting more than a year for this day,” said one foreign crypto exchange that operates in the city. “Now everyone is wondering who will get approval next.”
Global cryptocurrency groups have been expanding rapidly in Singapore thanks to the city’s friendly regulatory environment, which contrasts sharply with other markets that have taken a tougher approach to the industry.
Regulations vary widely between jurisdictions, meaning that several large global exchanges are seeking licences in various countries as watchdogs begin more closely scrutinising their operations.
Singapore’s resource-poor economy is heavily reliant on financial services and the city’s appeal as a business hub has increased as Hong Kong, a competing Asian financial centre, has been perceived as less attractive under a national security law.
The digital asset industry has emerged as another front in the rival cities’ competition.
‘All eyes on Singapore’
As in mainland China, Hong Kong has taken a stricter stance on the freewheeling cryptocurrency industry. The city is set to limit crypto trading to accredited or institutional investors under a new law.
Singapore, meanwhile, has made it easier for foreign crypto groups to establish offices and serve residents and businesses, albeit with restrictions including limits on transaction volumes. It introduced a payments law in January 2020 under which companies could apply for a licence. About 90 digital asset companies applied and are operating under an exemption.
On Monday night, Independent Reserve, founded in 2013, was given approval to operate, sending ripples of excitement through the industry in anticipation of more go-aheads to come. The company has 200,000 customers across Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.
“All eyes are on Singapore and their regulatory regime,” said Raks Sondhi, Independent Reserve’s Singapore-based managing director.
The MAS wants to establish the city-state as a global hub for the blockchain ecosystem and the “long process” to get the licence was due to the regulator’s focus on ensuring consumer protections and anti-money laundering measures, he added.
These included implementing the “travel rule”, which requires crypto companies to share personally identifiable information for transactions over a certain value. All successful applicants in Singapore need to implement the rule, per MAS guidance.
Eric Anziani, chief operating officer of Crypto. com, a digital currency exchange platform that has a large presence in Hong Kong but is growing quickly in Singapore, said that the geopolitical risk in Hong Kong had escalated. “Singapore is also more favourable to retail investors,” he said. “I think there are now more opportunities there in terms of talent as well.”
The head of another global exchange in the city-state said the “China overhang” had made Hong Kong less enticing as a crypto destination, especially for custodian services. “A lot of our customers were worried Chinese officials could come across and take their assets sitting in offline vaults.” – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2021.


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During the coronavirus pandemic that has shut down large swathes of the country, retail and delivery behemoth Amazon is in a thorny spot.
- The Daily Dot is committed to filtering the noise every day as COVID-19 seizes the internet’s attention worldwide. We bring you stories on everything related to the viral pandemic, from the state response to social media fallout, and all the technical flubs, emerging social trends, and disinformation in between. READ MORE ->
On the one hand, Amazon is one of the few companies capable of providing delivery on a mass scale, a societal good at a time when businesses are shutting down, and people in need of resources are too scared or unable to leave their houses.
But to provide those services, the retailer relies on a bevy of low-paid workers who, through no fault of their own, are now at the frontlines of the outbreak.
Because of the convenience of the on-demand economy Amazon helped create, Americans are largely willing to offload the risk of contracting coronavirus to underpaid warehouse stockers and delivery drivers if it keeps them from having to venture outside.
Amazon has claimed that it understands the risk and is providing basic levels of safety and sanitation for the workforce they employ.
Workers say that is not the case.
Employees at Whole Foods, which Amazon owns, are striking over conditions at the grocery stores. Amazon workers are trying to strike at distribution centers, like in Staten Island, where they demanded the facility be cleaned after a worker contracted coronavirus.
On Wednesday, Amazon fired the person who organized the strike. The’s company’s reasoning was that Chris Smalls, who had been asked to self-quarantine, was violating the company’s social distancing rules.
Given how anti-union Amazon is, that argument (even if true), didn’t carry much weight for many people.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who has been vocal in his criticism of Amazon, decried the move, calling it “immoral.”
Amazon’s top public relations person, Jay Carney, who has shown his face on Twitter before, replied that he was “confused” by Sanders’ response.
“Thought you wanted us to protect our workers?” Carney wrote. “Mr. Smalls purposely violated social distancing rules, repeatedly, & was put on Paid 14-day quarantine for COVID exposure. 3/30 he returned to the site. Knowingly putting our team at risk is unacceptable.”
Carney, who used to be press secretary for President Barack Obama, is not confused by what Sanders said, despite his cheeky protestations. He is using Sanders’ macro-claim, that Amazon treats its workers horribly (which Carney is almost tacitly admitting), to justify a micro-action: firing an employee who called out Amazon for not protecting its workers.
On Twitter, people called Carney’s claim B.S.
Many people had choice admonishments for Carney.
Carney decided to respond to one particular “fuck you” from the New Republic’s Libby Watson.
Then, later, Carney wondered into the ether of what appears to be the only organizing principle of the Democratic establishment these days: The tweets being too mean.
On the heels of the tweet exchanges and employee walkouts, Amazon pledged to provide temperature checks and masks to workers.
Despite what the people in charge tell you, collective action (and mean tweets) work.


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(AP) — Motorola Inc. said Thursday it has acquired Aloqa GmbH, a German developer of location-based software for smart phones.
Schaumburg-based Motorola didn't say how much it paid. Aloqa was privately held and based in Munich, Germany.
Aloqa's software works on most smart phones, including ones running Android, the software from Google Inc. that Motorola is using. Its intent is to "proactively" inform users of the businesses, events and services available around them without searching. For instance, it can tell users about local Wi-Fi hotspots or coffee shops.
Motorola said Aloqa is now part of Motorola Mobility, which comprises its phone and cable set-top box businesses. The division is set to separate from the rest of Motorola early next year.
Sanjay Jha, CEO of Mobility, told an investor conference on Wednesday that Motorola's much-anticipated tablet competitor to the iPad likely won't be out until early 2011. Many analysts had expected an Android-powered tablet from Motorola to hit shelves at Verizon Wireless in time for the holidays.
(Crain's senior reporter John Pletz contributed to this report.)


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has opened a new showroom in Xinjiang, the remote region where Chinese authorities are carrying out a campaign of forcible assimilation against religious minorities that has become a public-relations quagmire for Western brands.
The Austin, Texas-based electric car maker started operations at the new showroom in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, the company said in a Friday post on its official account on China’s popular Twitter-like social-media platform Weibo.
“On the last day of 2021, we meet in Xinjiang. In 2022, let us together launch Xinjiang on its electric journey!” Tesla wrote in the post, which was accompanied by pictures from an opening ceremony that included traditional Chinese lion dances and people posing with placards reading “Tesla (heart) Xinjiang.”
Tesla’s China-based spokesperson couldn’t be reached for comment on a public holiday.
Widely admired in China, Tesla has expanded rapidly in the world’s most populous country. With its most recent expansion, however, the auto maker risks wading into a reputational thicket that has recently ensnared other major American companies such as
Researchers say authorities in Xinjiang have detained as many as a million Uyghurs and members of other Turkic Muslim minority groups in a network of internment camps as part of the government’s assimilation campaign, which they say also includes mass surveillance, forced labor and stringent birth controls. The U.S. government, along with some lawmakers from other Western countries, have said those policies amount to a form of genocide.
Beijing has dismissed the genocide charge as a fabrication, describing its campaign in Xinjiang as an innovative effort to counter religious extremism and terrorism.
In December, President
signed into law new rules banning most imports from Xinjiang over concerns about the use of forced labor. The White House has also sanctioned several companies and individuals it accuses of participating in the assimilation campaign.
In response to a question about Tesla’s new showroom, a spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council said in a statement that it wouldn’t comment on the situation surrounding one company, but said in general it believes the private sector should oppose the Chinese government’s human-rights abuses and genocide in Xinjiang.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, which has been critical of Western companies doing business in Xinjiang, urged Tesla to close its showroom in Urumqi. “No American corporation should be doing business in a region that is the focal point of a campaign of genocide targeting a religious and ethnic minority,”
the national communications director of the Washington-based advocacy group, said Monday.
Xinjiang has quickly become a litmus test for foreign companies doing business in China. Those who embrace the region risk regulatory trouble and reputational blowback in their home markets, while those who shun it face the wrath of China’s government and increasingly nationalistic consumers.
Walmart became the most recent U.S. company to get caught in the political fallout as the year came to a close, after posts by Chinese consumers on social media alleged the retailer had stripped made-in-Xinjiang products from the shelves of its stores and those of its wholesale chain Sam’s Club.
China’s discipline watchdog reprimanded the company for “stupidity and shortsightedness,” and Walmart faced calls for a consumer boycott online. The company declined to comment.
American semiconductor firm Intel apologized to Chinese consumers on Dec. 23 following an explosion of online criticism over a letter the company sent to suppliers asking them to avoid sourcing products from Xinjiang.
A closer parallel to Tesla, German car maker Volkswagen AG has faced criticism from lawmakers and human-rights activists outside China over its decision to maintain a factory in Urumqi. The company has defended its presence in the region, saying its supply chain there is free of forced labor.
Tesla, which sells the Model S and Model 3 electric cars in China, has notched a string of successes in the country even as other Western companies face challenges from stronger domestic competition. It became the first foreign auto maker to build a wholly-owned production facility in China after signing a deal to open a factory in Shanghai in 2018. The company’s China sales have continued to be resilient in the face of tightening regulations and negative publicity over the handling of some quality issues last year.
Tesla delivered more than 930,000 vehicles globally in 2021, a surge of 87% compared with the year before, the car maker said Sunday. More than half of the vehicles it produced in 2021 were likely made in Shanghai, according to estimates by
With the opening of the Urumqi showroom, Tesla’s website shows it now has stores in 30 regions and provinces in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau.
is personally popular in China for his entrepreneurial acumen and maverick style. For his part, the South Africa-born entrepreneur has heaped praise on the Chinese government for its efforts to tackle carbon emissions and boost its economy, forecasting that China will become Tesla’s largest market in the long run.
Mr. Musk has hit a few bumps in China. Chinese authorities recently filed a complaint to the United Nations after they said satellites launched by SpaceX, a company also founded by Mr. Musk, came close to colliding with a Chinese space station in July and October 2021.
On Dec. 31, the day Tesla announced the opening of its Xinjiang showroom, China’s market regulator said the auto maker would recall about 200,000 vehicles sold in China and manufactured between January 2015 and December 2020. China’s State Administration for Market Regulation said on its website that about three-quarters of those vehicles were produced locally, while the rest were imported Model S and Model 3 cars, and the vehicles were recalled for faulty front hood locks and issues with rearview cameras that could result in accidents.
Write to Liza Lin at [email protected]
Copyright ©2022 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8


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By Cecilia Kang
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, November 22, 2008
None of President-elect Barack Obama's voice mails were listened to nor were his e-mails viewed by Verizon Wireless employees who accessed his personal cellphone account, a spokesman on the transition team said yesterday.
Verizon Wireless said company officials discovered earlier this week that "a number" of employees had breached the personal cellphone account of the president-elect. All employees who accessed the account, even those with authorization, were immediately put on leave with pay.
Employees who improperly breached the account "will face appropriate disciplinary action," Verizon said in a statement. Those with "legitimate business needs" for accessing Obama's account will be allowed to return to their positions.
The cellphone account had been inactive for several months, said transition spokesman Tommy Vietor.
Verizon, based in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 71,000 employees worldwide, said the phone used for the account was a flip phone primarily used for voice services, as opposed to a smartphone device such as the BlackBerry.
The incident comes amid questions about whether Obama, an avid user of technology who famously used the Web for outreach and fundraising during his campaign, should use a wireless device for sending and receiving e-mail and other data. Some have said the devices could be a security risk. Others have pointed out that the Presidential Records Act will provide access to all of Obama's communication as president, including e-mail.


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The month of October signifies yet another time for restaurant chains Hooters, Panera Bread and Caribou Coffee to get involved and try to make a difference in society as they do their annual campaign for the Breast Cancer Awareness Month. They do this as they remember their team members who were diagnosed with the illness and raise money through their various fundraising campaigns.
Caribou Coffee’s employees in their quality restaurant aprons will once again honor the memory of their “roastmaster,” Amy Erickson by selling Amy’s Blend coffee, coffeehouse accessories and tea collection. Amy died in 1995 at the age of 33 after diagnosed with breast cancer. The Minneapolis-based brand donates 10% of Amy’s Blend sales to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, one of America’s largest breast cancer movements.
The brand also remembers their former teammate’s love for tulips, and has spread out its Amy’s Garden program to their Facebook page. They offered Caribou Coffee fans a chance to honor their friends or loved ones who are in a fight against breast cancer by sharing a virtual tulip on Facebook. For every tulip that is shared on their page, a pink tulip will be planted in Amy’s National Garden of Hope in Brookside Gardens in Washington, DC.
Panera Bread is also as involved. Now on its tenth year, the chain will once again promote its Pink Ribbon Bagel fundraising campaign and give a portion of its proceeds to the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation and other local charities on breast cancer. The Pink Ribbon Bagel, stacked with cherry chips and real bits of Bing cranberries and cherries, was created in 2001 when one of the chain’s franchisees, Sue Stees, began putting them up for sale to raise funds for breast cancer research. Sue Stees then co-owned 18 franchises and was suffering from breast cancer herself. She was able to sell 27,000 bagels that year. Now, ten years later, Sue has survived the ordeal and still actively participates in the campaign to help out other victims. Two million pieces were sold last year, making the total number of bagels sold to date reach more than 7 million.
For each bagel that is sold, at least 10 cents is donated to various breast cancer charities in support of breast cancer awareness and research; some of which includes the Center for Young Women’s Health at Children’s Hospital Boston, the UMass Memorial Comprehensive Breast Cancer and the South Shore Hospital.
Hooters has also been joining the campaign for six years now, raising awareness and funds to help fight the spread of the illness. The restaurant presented a check of $200,000 earlier this month to the V Foundation for Cancer Research, the amount that their staff in cool restaurant aprons have raised from various local fundraisers that their 430 restaurants have done this year. They do their fundraising to remember Kelly Jo Dowd, their 1995 Calendar Cover Girl and one of their managers who were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002 and fought the battle until May 2007. Hooters restaurants all over the country raise money each year since, in support of the Kelly Jo Breast Cancer Research Grant.


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The fashion killa takes on Formula 1
The fastest growing sport, Formula 1, is making its first venture into fashion by collaborating with Puma, with the German sportswear giant announcing a multi-year deal on October 23. A$AP Rocky, the driving force, is named creative director, taking on an international design role that will impact all future races.
Rocky is said to be releasing the first iteration of the collection at the Super Bowl-style Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 19. Continuing his work at the Miami Grand Prix in 2024, further races will have activations and collections released alongside, even featuring the F1 teams themselves.
In a statement, F1explained, “It is planned that by 2025, Rocky will be fully immersed into the holistic product creative designs for all of the PUMA x F1 products spanning from racewear to fanwear to fashion.”
View this post on Instagram
The first look at the collection shows off Rockys’ flair. Black track jackets are accented with vibrant orange flashes and F1x Puma’s logos throughout the garments. Driver-style gloves are paired with contrast stitched denim, and pearl appliqued balaclavas are matched with neon bursts.
“Working with brands as iconic as Puma, and as innovative as F1, has been truly inspiring,” said Rocky. “When the world sees what we’re doing, I believe a shift will happen with how brands approach taking risks and working with diverse creatives.”


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Photo of the Week: Women’s Business Blossoms in Honduras
August 12, 2011
In Intibucá, Honduras, TechnoServe is assisting a group of 12 indigenous women of Lenca ethnicity.
In Intibucá, Honduras, TechnoServe is assisting a group of 12 indigenous women of Lenca ethnicity. These women, who cultivate and sell roses and carnations through the Floricultura El Clavel cooperative, once struggled to produce income from their work.
In 2009, TechnoServe began working with the cooperative to show its members crucial business and agronomic practices. With funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, TechnoServe helped the women build a greenhouse to grow roses. With our assistance, the women improved their productivity and connected to better markets. They more than doubled their average sale price while lowering their cost of production.
The improvements have led to greater income for women like Presentación Nolasco, who now earns about $50 a month from the flower business. Presentación now can buy more nutritious food and get necessary health care for her family. The income has also given Presentación more influence in household decisions.
“We are better off because we can help our families,” Presentación says. “We are very excited that TechnoServe came to our cooperative and worked together with us. And we are going to continue working because this is our future.”
Related Blog Posts
For global entrepreneurship week, we talked with TechnoServe’s Global Director of Entrepreneurship, Juan Carlos Thomas, about leveraging learning opportunities to improve the efficiency, replicability, and sustainability of enterprise development initiatives.
Continents apart, a bakery owner in Kenya and a food scientist in Minnesota team up to develop delicious new products that boost nutrition for local communities.
After battling leaf rust on his coffee farm in Honduras, Oscar Ramirez won 2017's Cup of Excellence competition and broke records for Honduras's coffee sector after applying best practices he learned from TechnoServe's MAS program.


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SAN RAFAEL (KCBS) – Victoria’s Secret ads are causing quite a commotion at the Northgate Mall in Terra Linda.
Mall officials said they are considering moving an indoor children’s playground in an attempt to hide the ads from kids. For now, a plastic wall and some bamboo plants have been brought in to hide the models from the sight of the kid’s play area.
“It’s just too much put out there in your face,” said concerned mom Courtney Booker of Fairfax. “It puts too much emphasis on the body and sex.”
KCBS’ Tim Ryan Reports:
But not everyone agrees. Sonia Gittens, a mother of two from San Rafael, said the controversy has no legs.
“Kids see ladies in bathing suits and bikinis in Hawaii. We go to Hawaii every year. It doesn’t bother me. It doesn’t bother me at all,” she said.
Mall spokeswoman Brianna Davis said the bamboo and plexiglass are just temporary and they will likely move the play area away from the underwear store.
Victoria’s Secret is not commenting on the issue.
(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)


text: Allison is the new licensee for Iceberg eyewear, replacing Visibilia since the beginning of 2006. The 5-year renewable license between Gilmar, the brand's owner, and the Italian manufacturer, will start with the men's and women's collections to be showcased at this year's MIDO for the prescription models and at SILMO for sunglasses. The new eyewear line will be marketed in Italy and abroad through Allison's distribution channels and offered in Iceberg concept stores. Allison would not confirm a report that it has guaranteed minimum revenues of €70 million from the Iceberg line over the next five years. Allison closed 2005 with turnover of €87 million including licenses, up by 14 percent on the previous year.


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- Naomi Osaka has joined crypto exchange FTX as its latest global brand ambassador.
- FTX has enlisted other athletes and partnered with several teams and leagues, as well.
Decrypt’s Art, Fashion, and Entertainment Hub.
Cryptocurrency exchange FTX has been racking up notable allies across the sports world over the last year, ranging from athlete ambassadors to league sponsorships, and it has just added another partner to its stable: pro tennis player Naomi Osaka.
Today, FTX and FTX US announced that Osaka will serve as a global ambassador for the brand, joining other athletes in the role including Tom Brady, Stephen Curry, and Shohei Ohtani. Osaka will receive an equity stake in FTX as part of the agreement, and will also be paid in cryptocurrency.
Through the deal, FTX and Osaka will collaborate on initiatives to bring more women into Web3, including producing content targeted at young women that Osaka will creatively direct. The content will have a global focus, according to a release, given Osaka’s own multicultural Japanese and Haitian heritage.
FTX will also make a donation to Play Academy, Osaka’s charity formed with Nike. Lastly, the firm said that it will advise Osaka with her own personal investments into cryptocurrency.
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) March 21, 2022
"We have seen the statistics about how few women are part of crypto by comparison, which kind of mirrors the inequality we see in other financial markets," Osaka said in a release.
"Cryptocurrencies started with the goal of being accessible to everyone and breaking down barriers to entry,” she continued. “I'm excited to partner with FTX to get back to that mission and to innovate on new ways to reach more people and further democratize the space.”
Osaka is already involved in the crypto and blockchain industry as one of the athletes on Autograph, an NFT platform co-founded by Brady. She’s also on Autograph’s board of advisors, alongside other athletes on the platform such as Tiger Woods, Derek Jeter, and Simone Biles.
Previously, Osaka released a series of NFT collectibles in April 2021 that were designed by her sister, Mari Osaka, which raised $600,000 for Play Academy. Last summer, Naomi said that the rising popularity of meme coin Dogecoin initially raised her interest in cryptocurrency.
In addition to athlete deals, FTX has signed a number of other sports and esports partnerships, including with Major League Baseball, the NBA’s Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors, esports club Team SoloMid (TSM), and League of Legends esports competitions.
FTX founder and CEO Sam Bankman-Fried told Decrypt in January on the gm podcast that he has anecdotally seen significant returns from the firm’s sports spending spree.
"Everyone we talk to who knows us a little bit, or a lot, or barely, or intimately, this is top of mind for them," he said. "Clearly this has penetrated more than everything else we've done combined, in terms of people's perception of us.”


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India is the flavour of the season in Singapore. The government of Singapore expects trade with India to surge after August 1 when the double avoidance tax treaty between the two countries comes into effect as per the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement signed by the two countries.
According to Lim Hng Kiang, Singapore's minister for trade and industry, investors considered the opportunities in India to be very attractive and expected to follow up on the successes reported by early investors in Indian sectors like IT-related infrastructure and telecommunications.
"Singapore wants to be to India what Hong Kong is to China," Balaji Sadasivan, Singapore's senior minister of information, communications and the arts, told reporters earlier in the day.
To push trade, trade bodies and think tanks in Singapore have embarked on a series of seminars to highlight opportunities in India, the first of which was held here today and inaugurated by Kiang.
"Singapore is not worried about political developments in India -- the pace of reforms does see ups and downs everywhere but the secular direction of change is enough for mature investors who are looking for a longer term relationship," Kiang said.
Singapore-based companies were advised to boost their investments in India, which was described by Kiang as a country in which "major economies like USA, Japan, and China were also interested" because of India's vast market potential.
Singapore companies should therefore move immediately to team up with each another as well as with foreign firms to enter India.The trade between India and Singapore was about $12 billion at present against Singapore's $54 billion-plus trade with China, but trade with India was growing fastest.