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Copper sulfate, a mineral found in most plants, is a mineral that gives metals their color.
But it’s also a component of many metals.
Copper is used in paints, cosmetics, and other products.
For that reason, the government considers it a “critical” element.
For years, scientists have been debating how to regulate copper sulfides in metals like nickel, which is also used in cosmetics.
In the 1980s, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended a ban on copper sulfide in metals, but later changed its mind, citing concerns that copper sulfite could cause health problems.
“I’ve always thought of copper sulfation as a very important element, but we’re not sure how important it is,” says James O’Keefe, a geochemist at Georgia Tech.
O’Keefe says he thinks the EPA has a good argument for regulating copper sulfatide.
A number of studies have shown that when copper sulfating metals, the minerals turn into sulfides.
These sulfides cause more copper to be absorbed into the body, and copper oxide becomes a protective layer around cells.
The problem, however, is that copper oxide can accumulate in the body and cause damage to the lungs, kidneys, and heart.
For this reason, O’Reilly says, copper sulfites should be regulated as a hazardous chemical.
But O’Connell, the copper iodide researcher, says he is skeptical that the government will enforce this ban.
He thinks regulators will be able to regulate other substances that have similar properties.
One such substance is nickel, O’meyeker says.
Nickel is a key component of a number of products.
Some of these include magnets, paint, and even plastic bottles.
Some people find it hard to get rid of nickel.
In fact, nickel has been used for thousands of years in jewelry, food, and cosmetics.
“It is still the leading material used in jewelry and other consumer products,” O’Leary says.
“I think the government would be wise to regulate nickel because it’s a very popular ingredient.”
O’meyekers research has also shown that nickel can cause copper to become more toxic to cells.
He thinks regulators might be able, however.
“We know that nickel has copper’s effect,” O’mayeker says, “so we could see it as a potential safety factor.”


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When it comes to Wonderful, there is a long history there dating back to its founding in 1939, with the introduction of characters like the Human Torch along with anti-heroes like the Sub-Mariner. It came closest to what we now recognize today in 1961 with the release of The Fantastic Four created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, among many others. With the immense popularity of the more recently founded MCU, some wonder if they would ever create a superhero not found in the comics.
Marvel has created some of the most iconic characters of all time, including Spider-Man, Hulk, Captain America, and Iron Man. Since the start of the MCU with 2008 Iron Manthe love for these heroes has only grown, becoming a huge cultural phenomenon that shows no signs of slowing down.
With Disney’s acquisition of Marvel in 2009, we’ve recently seen comic book heroes featured on the small screen as well. moon knight Y mrs wonder premiere on Disney Plus. With the MCU doing so well, a Reddit post wondered what people would think of the MCU creating a new, completely original superhero for the big screen, one that has never been seen in comics, games, or any other form of media.
This question left fans very divided, with people giving reasonable answers as to why it might or might not work.
Some claim that the MCU works because people are already invested in the characters in the comics and that there are still plenty of characters waiting for their moment to shine.
This user reminds everyone that most MCU fans probably haven’t read the comics and thus wouldn’t know the difference.
This was further addressed when a fan said that their friends are excited for the upcoming projects despite having no idea what it means.
Many wonder what the point of adding a completely original character would be.
Marvel may not want to take that kind of untested risk.
This user believes that if he doesn’t already have a secure fan base, it won’t happen.
Though some have pointed to DC’s Harley Quinn, a character who didn’t start out on the page.
Although in a real debate, another user points out that she was not introduced as a main character and only evolved that way.
There may be a middle ground where the studio thinks about the idea but tries it out in the comics first.
Either way, unless someone knows something within Marvel Studios’ inner circle, we think it’s unlikely to happen any time soon thanks to the already busy schedule they’ve got with the Multiverse Saga.

domain: news


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The global final of the world’s biggest bartender competition is fast approaching and last night at a prestigious semi-final event in Miami, Marc McArthur of Norwegian Cruise Line captivated a judging panel of leading industry experts to be crowned the best cruise line bartender in the world.
Related: Travelers: Who won Worlds Leading hospitality group? Find out here!
The next dock for Marc, 28, from South Africa, is the global final of one of the leading and most respected bartender competitions in the world – WORLD CLASS Bartender of the Year in Mexico City on 20th – 24th August 2017. Here he will represent cruise lines and battle it out against 56 of the world’s best bartenders for the coveted ‘WORLD CLASS Bartender of the Year’ title.
Last year’s winner, Jennifer Le Nechet from France has experienced a life-changing journey and now enjoys travelling the world, judging the finals of top bartender competitions. Jennifer was part of last night’s judging panel and witnessed Marc’s talent and originality.
Marc saw off competition from talented cruise line bartenders from three of the world’s top cruise lines during a series of heats, before the final three contenders mixed it up in the deluxe Diageo 396 Bar in Miami last night.
Jennifer Le Nechet judged the proceedings along with fellow industry elites; Enrique De Colsa, Master Distiller of TEQUILA DON JULIO and Ben Potts, one of Miami’s finest bartenders.
It wasn’t just down to taste; the judges observed the semi-finalists’ creativity, knowledge, showmanship and the overall delivered drinking experience. Marc fascinated the judges throughout the ‘Mystery Box Challenge’ and ‘Cocktails Against the Clock Challenge’, mixing up unique cocktails with outstanding product from the DIAGEO RESERVE collection.
Marc McArthur, Head Mixologist on board Norwegian Escape, said: “I can’t put into words how much this achievement means to me. I’ve invested a lot of training and dedication into this competition, just making it through to the semi-finals was incredible, but to be judged by last year’s winner and succeed to go on to represent the cruise industry in the global final of the WORLD CLASS Bartender of the Year, it’s without doubt the highlight of my career. I can’t wait to compete with the best and bring the confidence and skills I’ve developed through the WORLD CLASS program to Mexico City.”
Marcos Bibas, Commercial Director, DIAGEO Americas said: “The WORLD CLASS program is devised to educate and inspire bartenders to deliver outstanding drinking experiences, and I’m delighted we can offer this experience to cruise line bartenders on board our partners’ ships. Last night we witnessed a thrilling competition showcasing a remarkable standard of craftsmanship and creativity. We want to congratulate all of our finalists and wish Marc the very best of luck at the WORLD CLASS Global Final in August.”
Wes Cort, Senior Director, Restaurant and Beverage Development & Operations at Norwegian Cruise Line, said: “We’re so pleased for Marc and his achievement. We wish him the best of luck in the WORLD CLASS Final and are confident his craftsmanship and talent will impress the judges once more. We’d like to extend our sincerest gratitude to WORLD CLASS for putting on such a thrilling event and for training our bartenders in the art and science of creating moment-defining cocktails, using award-winning spirits from the DIAGEO RESERVE collection. Our partnership provides Norwegian Cruise Line guests with fine drinking experiences, making our guests’ overall cruise vacation unforgettable.”
Please drink responsibly, visit DRINKiQ.com.


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As guests become ever more difficult to shop for, some have resorted to giving their friends and family meaningless worries from stores like the dollar tree. However, Google is planning to launch a new product to make finding the perfect gift easier than ever before.
Google’s new artificial intelligence (AI) product is set to revolutionize gift giving because it will allow users to virtually experience the recipient’s home and create a “uniquely tailored gift list”. All a user needs to do is access the AI product on their Android device or computer and upload a photo of the person’s room. Algorithms will then take a look at the interior design, furniture, colour schemes, and more to come up with a curated list of items that will match the person’s taste as closely as possible.
Users will also be able to purchase these fake gifts and receive them as real gifts. The AI product will also direct users to online stores that can help them order the items they have chosen. This new product will make it much easier to find the perfect gift for any occasion since it takes into account the person’s interests, wants, and needs.
This AI product is set to be released before the end of 2021. It is a promising new development in technology that could help us shop for the perfect gifts with minimal effort. It is also an exciting step towards a future where artificial intelligence will be used to make personalized, tailored purchases that are genuinely unique and thoughtful.


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Microsoft-owned SwiftKey is one of the most popular keyboard apps on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. With the latest beta update for Android, the company has changed the app name from SwiftKey to Microsoft SwiftKey Keyboard. This new update also adds Emoji 12.0 support for Android 10 devices.
SwiftKey was first released in 2010 for Android smartphones. It was later made available for iPhones in 2014 when Apple added third-party keyboard support on iOS. In 2016, Microsoft acquired SwiftKey for $250 million.
SwiftKey is now Microsoft SwiftKey Keyboard
Its popularity has grown among smartphone users. By the end of 2019, SwiftKey also surpassed 500 million downloads on the Google Play Store. Even after the acquisition, the app has mostly remained the same. However, a few Microsoft-centric features like Bing search and Microsoft translation were added.
In a new update released in February, SwiftKey added Microsoft to its name in the settings menu. The latest beta update with version 7.5.15 officially confirms the name change and it will now be called Microsoft SwiftKey Keyboard. The name change is also visible on the space bar when using the keyboard itself.
The company should keep the Microsoft branding minimal instead of applying all over the UI. Earlier this year, Facebook rebranded WhatsApp and Instagram to "WhatsApp from Facebook" and "Instagram from Facebook" respectively.
Latest beta update brings Emoji 12.0 support
With the upcoming stable update, Microsoft might make this change applicable to all SwiftKey users. In terms of improvements, this new update brings Emoji 12.0 support for the latest Android 10 smartphones. The new emojis include flamingo, otter, sloth, white heart, and more.
The app offers an enhanced swipe to type experience along with the spell checker and AI-powered text predictions. SwiftKey supports over 300 languages and can text in up to 5 languages at the same. It also learns from the user's typing and adapts itself to provide better text and emoji suggestions.
SwiftKey is one of the main competitors to the Google-owned Gboard keyboard app. There are many similarities between these two apps. However, SwiftKey offers wide selection of themes and also the incognito mode where the keyboard turns black and turns off learning mode. The app also provide deeper analytics which include heat map and word count.
Last week, Microsoft killed the Wunderlist app it bought in 2015. It has now been replaced by Microsoft's To-Do app. The company even provided an import option to move all lists and settings from Wunderlist to the new To-Do app.


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This month's Chelsea Flower Show will be the 100th held at the Royal Hospital Chelsea. No expense will have been spared on the show gardens.
And despite one of the worst winters for years, British gardeners are still spending huge sums on their own patches. Figures from Homebase show that Britons have invested more than £80bn in their gardens. A separate survey from Lloyds TSB Insurance said the typical garden was worth £1,928.
A quiet property market and an increase in socialising at home means more are spending money on luxury items such as hot tubs – which can cost from a few thousand pounds up to more than £16,000. Built-in barbecues and pizza ovens – a top-of-the-range model can cost more than £9,000 – are also becoming popular.
Around 10pc of Britons have hot tubs and 22pc trampolines; 8pc have summer houses. Two fifths of Britons say they wouldn't even consider buying a home if it didn't have a big enough garden, while one in seven says the garden has added to its value.
Damian Gray, from estate agents Knight Frank, said: "The pretty house with a decent south-facing garden is always in great demand. Whether it's a cottage or a country house, buyers will always ask about the garden. It's always near the top of their list."
However, spending huge sums on swish garden features can be a waste of money. Buyers may be put off by expensive to maintain pools and features. But Jonathan Haward from County Homesearch said a nice garden would always attract interest and could add up to 20pc to a home's value.
But he added: "Home buyers should be careful of the burden a garden can be when buying a property. In the country, a large well-manicured garden of an acre or more, designed by the likes of Gertrude Jekyll, may be a vital selling point with stripes on the lawn and ornate topiary. But nobody wants to be a slave to it because of the extensive maintenance. If you want to keep time for yourself, long-term cost implications can escalate to as much as £20,000 a year when considering the amount of equipment, soil and professional labour needed to maintain a garden to the highest possible standard."
Peter Rollings, the chief executive of London estate agents Marsh & Parsons, said: "In summer it is much harder to sell a house without a good garden than it is in winter. Londoners value outdoor space, and that includes balconies and roof terraces.
"A garden that has been landscaped can add value and a wow factor to a house. However, maintenance can be an issue and a town garden that contains grass will need a mower and a shed in which to lock it. A low-maintenance patio may be just as desirable."
While a swimming pool might be an aspiration for lottery winners, it can be a huge expense and put off buyers. Those with young children may see it as a hazard and the running costs – which are about £10 a day for an outdoor pool – can be a deterrent, particularly as you may be able to use it only for a couple of months a year. Installing a heated, fully tiled sunken pool could cost more than £40,000. If it's indoors the installation cost will be even higher, and the maintenance costs will be around £15 a day.
Mr Haward said: "On the one hand, a pool is a great selling point, boasting luxury. But in reality it is expensive to maintain because of the cleaning costs and heating bills. Sellers should be prepared to keep their property on the market for longer as a pool is not always an investment buyers want."
A much cheaper and more reliable way to make your garden attractive to buyers while adding to its selling price is to plant nice flowers and have a tidy lawn. Plants that can increase saleability are listed above. But most people don't have to resort to the expense of a landscape gardener – basic weeding, pruning and planting are likely to have the desired effect.
Tracey Nicholls, the manager of estate agents Haart in Grantham, Lincolnshire, said: "We generally don't get people who purposefully landscape their property in order to make it more saleable, although we do have one couple who are keen gardeners and have put their house on the market with us because they want to move to Devon because the soil is better there, apparently."
If you are spending money on your garden, you need to make sure that you are insured. There were nearly 1.4 million thefts from gardens and outside spaces last year, a 17pc rise over the past five years. Most of the thefts are opportunistic. Yet according to Lloyds TSB Insurance, 43pc of home owners do not have proper locks on their gardens.
Tim Downes, senior claims manager at Lloyds, said: "When it comes to protecting our properties, home owners must remember that what is on the outside also counts and that taking some steps could help prevent having to fork out to replace garden goods should the worst happen." Most garden items should be covered under a home contents policy but only if proper security measures are taken: if your state-of-the-art lawnmower is stolen from an unlocked shed then don't expect a full payout.
And if you've expensive items then double check your cover. Andrew Cheney, senior risk and valuations adviser at insurer Hiscox, said: "Requirements vary from home to home so consumers should check their policy carefully to make sure they understand their level of cover. It is also worth checking whether payouts are limited for each incident or item as most insurers will impose a cap."
He said Hiscox's limit was £5,000 for each incident or £250 to replace any one tree, shrub or plant on its standard home contents policy.
PAULA TANNER lives with husband, David, in Brighton. The couple, whose two grown-up children have left home, have recently made lots of improvements to the garden that extends all around their bungalow.
They've had a hot tub fitted and several areas of decking, meaning they can spend long periods out of doors. They also enlisted the help of a local gardener to help plan their garden and have two greenhouses, where Mrs Tanner raises plants from seed rather than buying them.
Mrs Tanner, a community matron, said: "The hot tub comes into its own in the winter. The longest I've ever spent in it was five hours, when I was engrossed in a book."
She estimated that the couple spent around £1,400 for the decking and a few thousand pounds on the hot tub, but said she expected all the work to have added to their home's value.


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By Aimee Caruso Valley News Staff Writer Sunday, May 07, 2017
West Lebanon — For more than two decades, bike mechanic Todd Chewning worked in brick-and-mortar stores, repairing and tuning up bicycles as customers brought them in. But last year, he did a 180. Now, he takes the shop to the customers.
LEBANON — With spring not too far off, Upper Valley residents are dusting off the bikes and preparing for evenings spent riding with friends or family. For many, biking is a way to feel free: Kids can pedal off for adventures with their friends, families can enjoy healthy fun together and adults who may not have access to a car can still get themselves to appointments or work.
Cowbell bike shop featured in image magazine business section. Written by Justine Kohr, this article talks about my idea of opening Cowbell mobile bike shop and servicing bikes at my clients convenience.


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"The watch with LTE - the Series 3 Watch - we are sold out in so many places around the world", Cook said.
The guys over at iFixit give devices a score of between 1 and 10.
After breaking apart Apple's new iPhone 8 last week, popular gadget fix site iFixit released a teardown of the LTE-enabled Apple Watch Series 3 on Monday. Apple's new Apple Watch Series 3 managed to score 6 out of 10, this means that the device is moderately easy to fix. The static is widespread, appearing with Wi-Fi calling and VoLTE enabled or disabled. It only happens in a rare number of cases. It says that, while screen and battery replacements are at least doable, most deeper fixes are too tricky for comfort.
Apple's iPhone 8 and iPhone Plus are annihilating the competition when it comes to speed and performance according to various benchmarking tests using Geekbench software.
Announced alongside the iPhone 8, Apple's iPhone X is a major upgrade over previous handsets. Now in a disappointing and shocking report, Digitimes claims that the USA firm has asked its component suppliers to slow down component shipments for the Apple iPhone X production. Cook in a segment with ABC's Good Morning America had justified the $999 USA pricing saying the iPhone X ( Ten)'s price is a value price and that users are paying for all the technology included in the phone. Singapore consumers will generally prefer to get the iPhone 8 or 8 Plus at a subsidised price with a telco contract, said Kaur.
Rosenblatt Securities' Chinese market research showed 1.5 million iPhone 8 orders on JD.com in the first three days compared with 3.5 million for the iPhone 7. Meanwhile the iPhone 8 series goes on sale in India from September 29.


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The patents buffs at PatentlyApple have unearthed a new patent application that suggests Google is working on making the next generations of Android more suitable for running PCs. Specifically, Google is working on a method of controlling multi-touch applications on a computer, by using a multi-touch trackpad (like Apple’s Magic Trackpad). The patent filing shows how Google wants to map swipe and pinch movements to on-screen actions. The concept will work with a smartphone as well, effectively turning your phone into a touchpad for your computer.
Why is this patent application newsworthy? Because we know that Google is trying to extend the reach of Android into the realm of traditional PC operating systems. A recent report even suggests that Android 5.0 might integrate portions of Chrome OS (currently used in Chromebooks, like Samsung’s Series 5) so it can run on notebooks and netbooks. According to the same source, Android 5.0 may share bunks with Windows 8 on dual-bootable machines. Moreover, Chrome OS hasn’t seen the spotlight for a while, so it’s very possible that Google decided to merge Android and Chrome OS at some point in the future.
As CNET’s Josh Lowensohn notes, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich already supports mice, keyboards, styluses, and other input device. But using a mouse to control an app that was designed for multi-touch input is awkward and, at times, painful. It makes sense for Google to make Android more computer-proof by harnessing the capabilities of a multi-touch trackpad.
Operating systems turmoil
Google’s recent application is important when considering the bigger picture. The OS landscape is in the midst of a revolution. Just yesterday, we noted that Canonical is preparing Ubuntu for Android, which will put a dormant Ubuntu (the full desktop version) on your Android smartphone, ready to pop up whenever you plug your phone to a monitor. Other tidbits of news indicate that Google may improve Motorola’s Webtop technology and add it to Android 5.0, again, to make Android computer-ready. Microsoft and Apple, as well, are working hard on unifying their operating systems.
With the boundaries between the PC and the mobile device slowly blurring, Google, Canonical, Apple, and Microsoft all scramble to unify the user experience of their operating systems across multiple screens.
Android is already the leading operating system for smartphones. However, by attacking the PC OS market, Android has a good chance at the biggest prize – becoming the number one operating system, across all platforms.


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- Daily Zen
Silicon Valley startup Carbon3D has developed a new 3D printer that is set to revolutionize the industry. The company’s CLIP (Continuous Liquid Interface Production) technology uses a photosensitive resin that reacts to UV light and oxygen that could possibly help transform the manufacturing sector by improving production quality and expediting the printing process by up to 100 times. With the CLIP technology, the 3D objects appear to magically emerge from a pool of liquid as a machine draws them upwards. Carbon3D made its announcement on the main stage of the TED2015 Truth or Dare big-ideas conference in Vancouver, Canada. In recent years, three-dimensional printing has made major progress and has been used for everything from printing eatables to letting NASA to digitally transmit hand tools to astronauts in orbit around the earth. But, so far the technology has mainly been applied to basic prototyping, rather than full-scale manufacturing.
Normally, 3D printing involves the use of jets to print an object one layer at a time from a stockpile of raw materials. This results in 3D printing parts taking many hours or even days to produce and can be mechanically weak due to their shale-like layers. Additionally, the layer-by-layer method used in conventional 3D printing can generate objects with mechanical properties that differ significantly depending on the direction in which each layer was printed. In contrast, the CLIP printing technique uses oxygen and lasers in a slow process that allows the photosensitive resin to cure. Using this revolutionary method, machines are able to print in speeds 25 to 100 times faster than conventional 3D printing, Carbon3D said. Since objects created using the CLIP technique are not printed one layer at a time, their mechanical properties are stronger than other 3D-printed objects. Instead of printing one layer at a time, the CLIP technique grows objects out of a resin pool by controlling the material’s exposure to ultraviolet light and oxygen. UV light causes the molecules in the resin bath to go through photo polymerization, a process that induces single molecules to form more complex chains. On the other hand, exposure to oxygen impedes polymerization. Manipulating the resin’s exposure to both enables the printer to ascertain how an object takes shape. “Current 3D printing technology has failed to deliver on its promise to revolutionize manufacturing,” said Joseph DeSimone, CEO and Co-Founder, Carbon3D. “Our CLIP technology offers the game-changing speed, consistent mechanical properties and choice of materials required for complex commercial quality parts.” Founded in 2013, Carbon3D recently announced a Series B round of financing led by Silver Lake Kraftwerk, alongside Northgate Capital and Sequoia Capital, raising a total of $41 million to commercialize the technology.


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BRADFORD, Vt. (AP) — Firefighters have put out a sawdust fire at a Vermont furniture plant.
Crews were called to Copeland Furniture in Bradford about 7:45 p.m. Wednesday.
Authorities said the fire broke out in a sawdust silo.
WCAX-TV reports (http://bit.ly/ZXA2hb) there was some damage to the outside of the factory, but no one was injured.
Firefighters are investigating.
Copeland Furniture makes products for companies such as Crate and Barrel.
On Tuesday, firefighters responded to a sawdust fire at the Ethan Allen furniture plant in Orleans.
Information from: WCAX-TV, http://www.wcax.com


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London – 30th Sep, 2016 – Sprint today confirmed its participation in the annual IOT WORLD FORUM 2016 (http://iotinternetofthingsconference.com) taking place in London on November 29th and 30th. Mohammad Nasser, Sr. Director & GM, IoT/M2M Business, SPRINT, will be presenting on “Helping Companies Get Better Every day with IoT”. Please visit the IOT WORLD FORUM 2016 for full details. About IOT […]
Tag: IoT Solutions
German software giant SAP plans to invest 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion) in IoT solutions by 2020, according to Fortune.
Intel is transforming from a PC company to a company that powers the cloud and billions of smart, connected computing
Allows Customers to Connect, Monitor and Control Millions of IoT Assets, simplifying Development and Rollout of Large-Scale IoT Solutions Are
Acquisition Will Bring Together Connectivity, Security, Automation and Real-Time Insights for a Complete IoT Service Solution Are you an IoT/M2M


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IHOP’s foray into the world of fast casuals is resuming in 2021.
President Jay Johns announced Tuesday that the chain plans to open fast-casual offshoot Flip’d by IHOP later this year after first unveiling the concept in late 2019.
The new brand, which includes Pancake Bowls, Ultimate Sandwiches, grab-and-go salads and wraps, made-to-order breakfast burritos, digital kiosks, and designated to-go areas, was originally scheduled to open April 2020 in Atlanta. Additional sites in New York City, Washington, D.C., Denver, and San Francisco were under exploration for 2020, as well. A few months after the brand’s announcement, the U.S. was wrapped in a global pandemic.
Though Johns didn’t provide much detail surrounding the opening of Flip’d, the executive told FSR in December 2019, “We think this really gives us a great growth opportunity and there’s a lot of whitespace here. And clearly breakfast is still one of the fastest-growing areas in the restaurant business and it’s a big opportunity for us.”
Flip’d intends to differentiate itself by operating as a breakfast fast-casual that leads with food instead of beverages.
“There’s a tremendous amount of people who we know go out and get their morning coffee and settle for whatever food they happen to have [at the restaurant]. We’re going to flip that expectation in the other direction,” Johns previously said.
While IHOP is pushing those plans forward, it’s currently waging a legal battle over the Flip’d trademark. In February, the chain sued the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office after the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board rejected the chain’s application to trademark “Flip’d” and “Flip’d by IHOP.” The brand first submitted an application in May 2019, but two months later, the office preliminarily refused the registration because of potential confusion with Flipt, a restaurant based in Rivers Casino.
IHOP argued that confusion wasn’t likely, but the office still refused the registration. In July 2020, the chain filed its appeal and was rejected by the appellate board in December.
“Plaintiff is dissatisfied with the decision of the TTAB [Trademark Trial and Appeal Board] affirming the refusal of the Examining Attorney to register Plaintiff’s FLIP’D and FLIP’D BY IHOP marks and its erroneous conclusion that there is a likelihood of confusion between Plaintiff’s Marks and the mark of the Cited Registration,” the lawsuit stated.
Flip’d is part of a four-pronged strategy of development for IHOP. In addition to the fast casual, IHOP plans to test a smaller prototype this year. Johns said the brand expects the prototype to provide a higher return on investment and allow operators to enter “areas we might not have been able to penetrate previously.”
Another avenue of growth will be traditional development, which will come from a “stable pipeline” as a result of franchisee obligations that were deferred during the pandemic. The final channel is non-traditional locations, spearheaded by IHOP’s 94-unit partnership with TravelCenters of America—the largest deal in company history.
“For 2021 we expect to continue to reinvigorate our growth that was hindered by the pandemic,” Johns said during Dine Brands’ Q4 earnings call.
The objectives are notable, considering the chain previously announced in October the net closure of 100 stores over the course of six months. However, the program concluded with 41 closures—well below the initial call. Johns emphasized IHOP evaluated “greatly underperforming restaurants that we determined had a greater chance of not being viable coming out of the pandemic.”
Generally, the stores were some of the lowest-performing units in the system, based on sales and franchisee profitability. As Johns noted before, the brand is confident it can replace these locations with better-performing restaurants that can match pre-COVID AUV of roughly $1.9 million.
IHOP ended Q4 with 1,772 stores systemwide—1,670 domestic and 102 international. In 2021, the chain closed a net of 69 restaurants. Johns estimated about 33 IHOPs are temporarily closed and roughly 200 are mainly using off-premises and outdoor patios.
Johns said IHOP isn’t giving guidance yet on when the brand will return to net unit growth.
“We clearly have franchisees that are interested in developing, but they’re still in the middle of COVID right now,” Johns said. “The rate at which that comes back, we’re just going to have to wait and see how that plays out.”
A Noisy Few Months
As Johns described, the COVID environment is ever-changing, and the chain’s weekly results reflect as much.
Domestic same-store sales declined 28.1 percent in the week ending February 21, compared to a 40.6 percent drop in the final week of December. With the impact of different holidays, rolling over the canceled National Pancake Day, and extreme weather events—which closed roughly 200 stores for multiple days—Johns said there’s been “lots of things that don’t sync up really well.”
Despite the noise, Johns is choosing to look at the bigger picture, which indicates IHOP is trending in the right direction.
“We keep having these little hiccups that happen on given weeks, but I feel that this is about ready to make a nice move forward for us as the capacity restrictions are lifted,” Johns said during Dine Brands’ Q4 earnings call.
Here’s how IHOP’s U.S. same-store sales have trended from the beginning of Q4 through Q1 thus far:
Q4 (–30.1 percent overall)
- Week ended October 4: –24.3 percent
- Week ended October 11: –26.3 percent
- Week ended October 18: –23.5 percent
- Week ended October 25: –21.4 percent
- Week ended November 1: –21.1 percent
- Week ended November 8: –23.3 percent
- Week ended November 15: –24.8 percent
- Week ended November 22: –30.4 percent
- Week ended November 29: –38.5 percent
- Week ended December 6: –32.8 percent
- Week ended December 13: –36.4 percent
- Week ended December 20: –38.9 percent
- Week ended December 27: –40.6 percent
Q1 (–27.2 percent quarter-to-date)
- Week ended January 3: –33.8 percent
- Week ended January 10: –26.9 percent
- Week ended January 17: –26.6 percent
- Week ended January 24: –28.5 percent
- Week ended January 31: –25.1 percent
- Week ended February 7: –28.1 percent
- Week ended February 14: –26.6 percent
- Week ended February 21: –28.1 percent
Other than unit development, one of IHOP’s major levers for driving growth is maintaining increases in off-premises. The channel increased 130.4 percent year-over-year in Q4, driven primarily by traffic. It represented 33.3 percent of sales, including 15.6 percent delivery and 17.7 percent takeout. Online sales mixed 22.7 percent.
The chain believes its new Burritos and Bowls lineup, which is highly portable, will help with this endeavor. The items have captured roughly 8 percent of check at order incidents, based on a soft launch without full media and marketing campaigns.
“We believe that we can retain a significant amount of this growth, even as dining rooms capacity restrictions are eased over time,” Johns said. “Conducive to this is the high portability of IHOP’s menu and our proprietary off-premise packaging, which keeps our food warm approximately 40 minutes after leaving the restaurant.”
The remaining strategies for growth are focused on the afternoon daypart and value, which IHOP is achieving through its IHOPPY Hour, introduced in September. The first afternoon- and evening-focused value menu in IHOP’s history offers $5 entrees ($6 in some markets), $3 Snack & Sides, and $1 or $1.50 beverages from 2 to 10 p.m. It’s longer in certain spots, and available for to-go orders at select locations as well.
Johns said the program is leading to incremental sales in the mid to high teens, and driving a roughly 20 percent incremental increase in traffic compared to the rest of the day. That equates to a low- to mid-single digit lift in both sales and traffic for the entire week. The executive said IHOPPY Hour is consistently four times more effective in boosting traffic than any window IHOP has had during that time.
“We’ve done the heavy lifting to position the brand for long-term success and build an insurmountable lead in family dining,” Johns said. “I’m pleased with what our franchisees and team members have accomplished during a very challenging year, and I’m very optimistic about the road ahead.”


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Week 46 2020
Featured Story this Week
The new Xbox Series X and Series S launched in South Africa this week, by lighting Africa’s tallest building green. Fans were encouraged to play an online game and click controller buttons on screen as many times as possible. After receiving the required number of clicks the Leonardo in Sandton, Johannesburg was lit up in the familiar Xbox hue.
Along with the first of the new-gen consoles, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla also released this week. Most of the local gaming websites shared reviews about the new game in the franchise, that allows players to channel their inner viking. Here’s a wrap up of some of the reviews:
Online retailer KOODOO has opened pre-orders for a second wave of Playstation 5 consoles. According to the site’s social media these consoles are currently on their way from Europe and are expected to arrive between the 16th and 20th of December 2020.
Last year’s Red Bull Hit the Streets winner, JabhiM, has qualified for the final happening later this year. The Street Fighter player won the first qualifier for the energy drink’s second iteration of this tournament and is one step closer to defending his title. The prize, like last year, is a trip to Japan to compete in Red Bull Kumite. This year Tekken 7 has also been included. The final takes place in December in Cape Town. In 2019 Red Bull shut down a street in the city to host the competition.
rAge Expo 2020 went digital this year and the move allowed a host of esports tournaments to take place. A full list of the winning teams and players is now available on the ACGL website.
Local streamer Cyndalive has been hired by Mettlestate. Cyndalive will take up a moderator position at the tournament organiser. Mettlestate has hired a handful of prominent community members in various esports titles to take on the role of moderators in recent months.
Last weekend saw Battle Room Brawls featured as one of the communities in rAge Expo’s Community Zone. The online community focuses on PUBG Mobile, with fun rooms and tournaments for casual gamers. FInd out more on their Facebook page.
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Major investment for Waikato exporters
Waikato to the world: Major investment for Waikato exporters underway
Ports of Auckland is building a major freight transport hub at Horotiu, just north of Hamilton, and is proud to announce that Open Country Dairy – New Zealand’s second largest exporter of whole milk powder – will be its first freight customer.
“We are thrilled to have secured Open Country Diary (OCD) as our first major tenant. The hub’s earthworks are now complete, and we’ve started building a facility for OCD that will be operational in 2019,” says Ports of Auckland CEO Tony Gibson.
“The Waikato Freight Hub is a key part of Ports of Auckland’s rail-connected North Island freight hub network which links Kiwi businesses with New Zealand and global markets.
“This new facility will give Waikato farmers a more efficient and environmentally friendly way to send their exports overseas, improving their competitiveness and sustainability.
“This is part of Ports of Auckland’s strategy to support regional growth with freight hubs in South Auckland, Mount Maunganui, Manawatu and now Waikato. All are located next to rail and are in regions that generate significant volumes of exports that need to be efficiently transported to a major port.
“The freight hub network will contribute to lower freight costs, reduces carbon emissions, and offer a wider range of shipping services to North Island exporters and importers. The hub provides future customers with a unique opportunity. Businesses will be able to have their own sites with customised sized warehouse design and layout,” says Mr Gibson.
Steve Koekemoer, Chief Executive Officer of Open Country Dairy agrees, noting the huge advantage of having their warehouse located between New Zealand’s two dominant ports, Auckland and Tauranga.
“Strategically the new Waikato hub will allow us to continue our export growth while lowering our costs and environmental footprint through greater use of rail,” says Mr Koekemoer.
Waikato District Council Mayor Allan Sanson believes a strong freight and logistics sector is key to supporting the region’s growth.
“Waikato is New Zealand’s second fastest growing region after Auckland. It makes up the heart of the ‘Golden Triangle’ bounded by Auckland and the Bay of Plenty, and our region is a major contributor to national export earnings which continue to be dominated by our primary industries.
“This hub will support our existing export industries as well as providing an opportunity for more local businesses to grow and be successful on the international stage. We are also pleased that when fully complete, the freight hub is expected to generate around 300 jobs directly in our district and facilitate many more across the region by acting as an economic catalyst,” says Sanson.
The Waikato Freight Hub is expected to become operational in mid-2019.
• The Waikato Freight Hub is a 33 ha development, due to open in the first half of 2019 once the OCD facility and a new road connection have been built.
• A rail connection is due to be built in the next few years. Until it is built, freight will travel by road to Hamilton and then by rail to Ports of Auckland’s Waitematā sea port.
• POAL have received a lot of interest in the site and expect to announce more customers soon. The hub provides future customers with a unique opportunity and businesses will be able to have their own sites with customised sized warehouse designs and layout.
• By allowing greater use of rail, the new Waikato Freight Hub reduces costs and carbon miles for exporters, making them more competitive overseas.
• Ports of Auckland’s North Island freight hub network helps the company make the supply chain more efficient, reducing the distance containers travel and empty container moves. This will also contribute to lower costs and fewer emissions.
• The freight hub is ideally located in Waikato, New Zealand’s fastest growing region. It is in the heart of the ‘Golden Triangle’ of Auckland, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty.
• The hub provides an opportunity for local businesses to grow here in our backyard and be successful on the international stage. When fully complete, the freight hub is expected to generate around 300 jobs directly and facilitate many thousands more by acting as an economic catalyst.
• Ports of Auckland’s other freight hubs are located in Wiri, South Auckland, Mount Maunganui and Longburn, Manawatu. All are located next to rail and are in regions that generate significant volumes of exports that need to be efficiently transported to a major port.


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Official images of Huawei’s Mate 20 Pro have leaked with German website WinFuture publishing the pics and full details for the device. While this is our first look at Huawei's new flagship, we've already had a sneak peek at its smaller sibling, the regular Mate 20, as well as the upcoming Huawei Freebuds 2 Pro wireless earbuds which we expect Huawei to release with its new phones.
The Mate 20 Pro sports the same tri-camera setup as the non-Pro version, but extends the front notch. In addition to housing the camera, the notch will include facial recognition sensors, an earpiece, and possibly a notification LED. The screen size is currently unconfirmed, but the resolution is said to be 3120 x 1440. While the standard Mate 20 is depicted with a rear fingerprint sensor, the Mate 20 Pro will feature an in-display reader. The device will come in three colors: black, blue, and twilight.
Significant improvements are expected in regards to the camera, now bearing a Leica logo. WinFuture reports aperture sizes from f/1.8 to f/2.4 and a 5x optical zoom. Like the Mate 20, the Pro edition will run on the Kirin 980 chipset which uses a combination of eight ARM Cortex-A55 and Cortex-A76 cores. WinFuture notes that there remains a third, unknown Mate 20 phone that we haven’t seen leak yet. This phone is codenamed Everest and is either a high-end Porsche Design edition or an even larger model.
Evan Blass has revealed one more image of the Mate 20 Pro. It doesn't reveal anything new, but it confirms the previous leaks.


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Jan. 21, 2015, 3:48 PM
- Victoria's Secret (LB +0.1%) will return to the Super Bowl on February 1 with a commercial slotted to air after the two-minute warning in the 4th quarter of the game. Supermodels are expected to be featured in the $4.5M (estimated) spot.
- The brand's return to the big event is aimed at driving a Valentine's Day sales boost.
- The exit of a few retail competitors could provide a minor benefit as well.
- Last year, Victoria's Secret saw comparable-store sales increase 3% on a flat direct comp with the second half of the year stronger than the first.
- What to watch: Standalone PINK stores could start to become meaningful for L Brands' bottom line in 2015.
Jan. 14, 2015, 11:43 AM
- Victoria's Secret (NYSE:LB) entered China this week with a different focus than the flashy lingerie it's known for in the U.S. and Europe.
- The company will sell luxury accessories and goods, fragrances, and beauty products.
- Three Victoria's Secret Beauty and Accessories stores opened this week in the nation and five more openings are planned for later in the month.
- It's believed the lack of lingerie at VS China is tied to apparel import policies and the more functional stance by women in China to the category.
Jan. 11, 2015, 10:44 AM
- The better-than-expected round of reports on holiday sales in the retail sector has improved the outlook on the profitability of chain stores, according to RetailDive.
- Teen Retailers: Out with dark lighting and logo-centric marketing and in with fast-fashion and online fulfillment. American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO), Aeropostale (NYSE:ARO), and Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE:ANF) are finally pulling the right levers, according to analysts. Deb's Shops, Delia's, and possibly Wet Seal (NASDAQ:WTSL) won't be around to make the transition. It's Hail Mary time at American Apparel (NYSEMKT:APP).
- Department stores/specialty apparel: Smaller store counts and restructuring initiatives could be the theme in 2015 as mall traffic stays weak. RetailDive doesn't discount turnarounds at Sears Holdings (NASDAQ:SHLD) and J.C. Penney (NYSE:JCP). Gap (NYSE:GPS), Macy's (NYSE:M), and Urban Outfitters (NASDAQ:URBN) are viewed as ahead of the curve in setting their new agenda in place. Soft early comp compares and lower cotton prices could help lift Zumiez (NASDAQ:ZUMZ), Ann (NYSE:ANN), L Brands (NYSE:LB), Pacific Sunwear (NASDAQ:PSUN), and Express (NYSE:EXPR).
- Drugstores 2.0: Significant changes in the sector have given Walgreen Boots Alliance (NASDAQ:WBA), CVS Health (NYSE:CVS), and Rite Aid (NYSE:RAD) the room to grab more market share in healthcare and grocery. A much worse flu season in the U.S. than a year ago has helped the group get off to a good start.
- Previously: Holiday retail sales something of a revelation (Jan. 8)
Jan. 8, 2015, 7:03 AM
- L Brands (NYSE:LB) Dec same-store sales +4%.
- Total Sales +5% Y/Y to $2.21B.
Dec. 10, 2014, 10:22 AM
- The S&P 500 Retail ETF (NYSEARCA:XRT) is up 0.3% today despite the negative action in the broader market.
- A forecast for sustained lower oil prices is the major reason for the upswing.
- Top 20 XRT holdings showing gains: Limited Brands (LB +0.6%), Whole Foods Markets (WFM +0.4%), Casey's General Stores (CASY +0.3%), Ross Stores (ROST +0.7%), Kroger (KR +0.9%), Advance Auto Parts (AAP +0.4%), Target (TGT +0.4%), Zumiez (ZUMZ +0.3%), CST Brands (CST +1.3%).
Dec. 9, 2014, 3:25 PM
- Analysts think the strong performance turned in by Victoria's Secret (NYSE:LB) in November will extend through the holiday season as store execution and assortment appear to be spot-on for the period.
- The best news in the mix for Victoria's is the steady improvement in merchandise margin amid a tough promotional environment.
Dec. 4, 2014, 9:13 AM
- Shares of L Brands (NYSE:LB) poke out a gain in early trading after the company reports a 8% rise in comp sales during November.
- The comp at Bath & Body Works was up 11% for the month in a category that has seen more tepid growth from peers.
- LB +1.0% premarket.
Dec. 4, 2014, 7:14 AM
- L Brands (NYSE:LB) Nov. same-store sales: +8%.
- Total Sales +9% Y/Y to $1.08B.
Dec. 1, 2014, 7:50 AM
- Comscore estimates e-commerce spending rose 32% on Thanksgiving Day to $1.01B and 26% on Black Friday to $1.51B.
- Most retail analysts are sticking with their forecast for 4.0%-4.5% growth for holiday sales this year, with early shopping and e-commerce making up for a dip in store traffic on Black Friday.
- Apparel sellers in particular came out with a stronger online push this year.
- Related stocks: OTCPK:AMZZ, EBAY, AEO, ANF, JCP, JNY, JWN, KSS, LB, M, URBN, PSUN, BKE, WTSL, GPS, FDX, UPS, DKS, BBY, LULU, KATE, VRA, SPLS.
Nov. 20, 2014, 9:12 AM
- Air fares rose 2.2% M/M in October, according to the underlying data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The development arrives just as jet fuel prices are moderating on forward contracts for carriers (LUV, JBLU, HA, ALK, ALGT, SAVE, AAL, DAL, UAL, RJET).
- Breakfast cereal prices rose 1.5% M/M in October. Though the gain could be due to a soft promotions-influenced comp from a year ago, sellers (GIS, K, POST) won't mind the relief.
- Another surprise might be the +4.3% average price rise in the women's dresses category. Ann (NYSE:ANN), L Brands (NYSE:LB), Cache (NASDAQ:CACH), Cato (NYSE:CATO), Chico's FAS (NYSE:CHS), and Ascena Retail (NASDAQ:ASNA) could be part of that improvement.
- BLS CPI table
Nov. 19, 2014, 4:32 PM
- L Brands (NYSE:LB): Q3 EPS of $0.44 beats by $0.05.
- Revenue of $2.32B (+6.9% Y/Y) beats by $10M.
Nov. 18, 2014, 5:35 PM
Nov. 7, 2014, 9:39 AM
- L Brands (NYSE:LB) declares $0.34/share quarterly dividend, in line with previous.
- Forward yield 1.78%
- Payable Dec. 5; for shareholders of record Nov. 21; ex-div Nov. 19.
Nov. 6, 2014, 8:35 AM
- L Brands (NYSE:LB) October same-store sales: +3%.
- Total sales +3% to $680.5M.
- Q3: Sales +7% to $2.319B. Comp sales +5%.
Nov. 3, 2014, 4:49 PM
- L Brands (NYSE:LB) announces it expects comparable-store sales in October to come in at a low single-digit rate.
- Q3 EPS guidance of $0.38-$0.40 is now set vs. $0.26-$0.31 prior and $0.32 consensus.
- LB +3.1% AH.
Oct. 27, 2014, 7:56 AM
- Bank of America Merrill Lynch upgrades L Brands (NYSE:LB) to a Neutral rating after having the stock slotted previously at Underperform.
- The investment firm says it's more comfortable that the retailer will hit estimates and that investors will keep its multiple in play.
- BAML EPS estimates on L Brands: FY15 to $3.27, FY16 to $3.61, FY17 to $4.04.
Other News & PR


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E-Trade came back to the Super Bowl in 2018, minus the baby. The financial firm once known for its wisecracking infant ended a five-year break with this 30-second spot continuing the new marketing theme rolled out in 2017 with new agency MullenLowe: "Don't Get Mad, Get E-Trade." It highlighted the coming perils for consumers who haven't planned financially for retirement.
"Right now, it's the right message at the right time," Lea Stendahl, chief marketing officer at 36-year-old E-Trade told Ad Age. "The retirement message, and shining the light on the importance of savings and retirement planning, has become increasingly important." Recent research suggested Americans were not saving enough for their golden years, she noted.
E-Trade had previously been one of the Super Bowl's most consistent advertisers, with spots in the game from 2008 ("Talking Baby Part 1") through 2013 ("Save It"). The streak ended following sales declines and turnover in leadership and creative agencies. Stendahl, who was with E-Trade from 2004 through 2013 and rejoined in 2016, said the brand spent the months leading up to the 2018 Super Bowl returning to its "challenger brand routes."
One strategy was targeting younger consumers just beginning to contemplate their financial futures, in addition to its existing flock of trading loyalists. "'Don't Get Mad, Get E-Trade' was something we pitched from the jump--we saw the power in that insight of innate frustration around people with money," said Tim Vaccarino, executive creative director at Mullen. "You can harness that frustration and do something with that. It's getting people to act." (See Stendahl and Vaccarino explore the ad more in this "Anatomy of a Super Bowl Ad" video.)
The empowerment strategy seemed to be paying off. E-Trade reported fourth-quarter 2017 net revenue of $637 million, a 25 percent increase, though net income of $129 million was down from $147 million.
The company did not release the ad before the game. Its Super Bowl push included a series of short social media videos showcasing a group of octogenarian cheerleaders -- again, the dangers of not saving for retirement. "Given that this is a significant investment, there's an expectation that the investment has to work hard both before, during and after the game," said Stendahl. "The logical place for that is to live in the social and digital world."
The effort followed an earlier campaign from R/GA that featured Kevin Spacey as a spokesman. Spacey, whose E-Trade branding last ran in 2016, was later accused of sexual assault and misconduct.
Directors: Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris of "Little Miss Sunshine" fame.
QUARTER AIRED: Q2


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LONDON, April 5 (Reuters) – The British-based subsidiary of Gazprom said Germany’s decision to take control of its parent had removed any concerns about the viability and future of its operations, and it would look to rebrand soon.
UK-registered Gazprom Marketing & Trading (GMT) buys gas on wholesale energy markets and owns a number of subsidiaries including in Switzerland, France, Mexico and Singapore.
Its British subsidiary, Gazprom Energy, supplies industrial companies including parts of the National Health Service.
Some customers had sought to cut ties with the business as part of Western efforts to shun Russia, industry sources had told Reuters, sparking alarm about the broader market impact if the business collapsed.
Both GMT and Gazprom Energy said late on Monday that any doubts about the companies had been erased after the German state took control of their immediate owner, Gazprom Germania, following the sudden withdrawal of ultimate parent Gazprom (GAZP.MM).
“This completely removes with immediate effect any concerns about the viability and future of GM&T and its subsidiaries(including Gazprom Energy) since ultimate control is now held indirectly by the German state and not by PJSC Gazprom,” it said on its website.
“Given the operational and financial independence of GM&T from PJSC Gazprom, there are no adverse financial or other implications from the actions of the German government.”
The statement said the business would announce any future steps, such as a rebranding.
British households and businesses have been hard hit by the surge in energy costs, with a 54% jump in the regulatory price cap in April and a string of energy suppliers collapsing in recent months.
Britain could have taken control of the UK Gazprom subsidiaries to maintain supply if needed, however that would have been expensive and customers were worried about what that would mean for their hedged contracts.


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A Korean blockchain consortium focused on the shipping logistics industry has successfully completed its first trial run.
Established by Samsung SDS, the IT and technology provider for electronics behemoth Samsung, a consortium comprising of government agencies, port operators and shipping giants and logistics companies took shape in May. AS reported by CCN.com at the time, the consortium began working on a blockchain platform that will track imports, exports and location of cargo shipments in real-time. The consortium’s lofty goal saw the intent to launch a pilot project for “all exports and imports by the end of this year.”
In wasting little time, the consortium has now completed a shipment delivery from Korea to China using the innovative technology, a report Korea Joongang Daily reveals.
Details from the report reveal that the entire process – booking the shipment in Korea to delivering the cargo in China – was facilitated by a blockchain. While details are scarce, the early trial saw freighter Hyundai Merchant Marine install sensors on reefer containers (shipping containers with product sensitive to temperature variations), enabling multiple parties in the supply chain to monitor the container in real time.
Certificate of origin & customs clearance documents were also encrypted and recorded on the decentralized ledger, which led to an overall reduction in paperwork and increased efficiency between shipping companies, port operators and cargo owners.
Kim Hung-tae, executive vice president at Samsung SDS stated:
Top-notch technologies like blockchain and Internet of Things [for container sensors] will be a game changer for the traditional logistics business.
As reported by CCN.com earlier in April, Samsung SDS launched its enterprise-ready blockchain platform Nexledger. Korea, which is home to some of the world’s largest shipping ports, could see its shipping industry among the earliest adopters of blockchain technology – an innovation that could be the core component of a game-changing tech for the industry. The consortium’s members include the likes of the Korea Customs Service, Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and IBM Korea, among others.
The consortium further added that it hopes to expand its blockchain endeavor to finance and insurance providers linked with shipping and logistics while expanding trials on longer maritime trade routes to Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
Earlier this year, Maersk – the world’s largest ocean container shipper – partnered IBM to implement blockchain technology for its supply chain process. IBM is also helping the government of Dubai to launch a blockchain initiative for trade finance. In Singapore, one of the world’s busiest shipping ports, IBM is helping two maritime giants to trial blockchain for supply chain networks in the region.
Featured image from Shutterstock.
Last modified: May 21, 2020 9:15 AM UTC


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Howl-o-ween going to the dogs
I know several people who plan to dress their pets up for next week's spooky holiday. Looks like they won't be alone. According to the National Retail Federation, one in ten people plan to do the same. Retailers are taking notice, stocking more costumes and accessories than ever before.
With two small children who are definitely looking forward to Wednesday, I'm not at a point where I want to shell out $20 for a pet costume. But I can understand why others would. And they are darn cute.
Don't forget to send me your photos and check out another reporter's visit to PetsMart's Halloween party earlier this week.


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Artificial intelligence-powered sports sponsorship and marketing technology company GumGum Sports has revealed the top ranking organisations in esports when it comes to social media presence and engagement during the second quarter of 2019.
Helping to show exactly where the top organisations rank across a number of factors and then providing key insights based on that data, GumGum Sports has produced an infographic to highlight such information.
Not only looking at the overall rankings of some of the most well-known organisations in the scene, the infographic displays unique insights based on players, influencers, and the reasons behind some of the biggest changes from Q1.
GumGum Sports launched its Esports Sponsorship Management Platform in April, allowing agencies, brands, and streamers to configure sponsorships during a live stream without interruptions. The goal is simple: increasing revenue and creating a more accurate analysis on the impact and value of these sponsorships.
Disclaimer: This piece contains sponsored links


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Aug 17, 2022 03:08AM ET
The U.S. dollar stabilized in early European trade Wednesday ahead of the release of the minutes from the last Federal Reserve meeting, while sterling edged higher after the latest jump in inflation.
At 03:05 (07:05 GMT), the Dollar Index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six other currencies, edged higher to 106.430, having ended Tuesday largely unchanged.
Softer-than-expected U.S. inflation readings last week had seen the dollar weaken as traders trimmed their bets on a sharp interest rate hike in September. But the index has largely recovered the lost ground as a number of Fed policymakers flagged more hefty interest rates this year, given that inflation is still pinned near 40-year highs.
Markets are still wary of any more hawkish commentary in the minutes, due at 14:00 ET (18:00 GMT), with traders looking to see whether the Fed signals another interest rate hike of 75 basis points in September, matching the July increase.
Also of interest will be the release of U.S. retail sales data for July, at 08:30 ET, which is expected to show month over month gains of just 0.1% compared with the 1% jump in June as consumers rein in discretionary spending with inflation still at 40-year highs.
Elsewhere, NZD/USD fell 0.1% to 0.6339 after the Reserve Bank of New Zealand hiked rates by an expected 50 basis points and pointed to the need to bring forward the timing of future rate increases.
AUD/USD fell 0.4% to 0.6995 after Australian wages climbed an annual 2.6% last quarter, well below headline inflation of 6.1%, supporting the central bank’s move to give itself more flexibility on interest rates.
Back in Europe, GBP/USD rose 0.1% to 1.2104 after U.K. consumer prices rose 0.6% from June, leaving them up 10.1% from a year earlier - that's the highest rate of inflation since early 1982.
EUR/USD dropped 0.1% to 1.0163 ahead of the release of the final reading of Eurozone second-quarter GDP later in the session, with the preliminary data showing faster than expected growth ahead of the expected slowdown as the year progresses.
The outlook for the Euro-area economy has darkened quickly and the economy appears to be heading towards a recession
However, “despite the weakening outlook, the ECB will have to strengthen its credentials as an inflation fighter and continue to raise rates.”


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The number of transactions on Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) UPI app was 9.9 million for the month of February 2018, and the total value of the transactions stood at Rs 4,011 crore. This was marginally up from transactions of 9.6 million worth Rs 3,647 crore in January 2018. However, when the massive growth in UPI payments is taken into consideration, it is actually a decline.
There were 171.4 million UPI transactions in February, with Rs 19,126 crore being transacted. Thus, BHIM processed only 5.8% of all UPI transactions and accounted for 21% of the amount transacted in February, which almost identical to January 2018. In February 2018, PhonePe accounted for 16% of all UPI transactions with 6 million unique customers, whereas Paytm responsible for 40% of all UPI transactions.
PhonePe had some interesting comments
to make on Paytm’s massive lead when counting the number of transactions.PhonePe said while Paytm “seems to be leading the market” in terms of the number of transactions, the average value of such transactions is much lower at Rs 38 compared to its own average transaction value of Rs 1,820.
The average PhonePe customer does about five transactions per month, while for Paytm that number is 525. The blog post claimed that the high number of transactions on Paytm was “simply not representative of normal user behaviour on the UPI network.”
On the other hand, Google Tez had reported 140 million transactions for the months of October and November 2017 since launch, apart from 12 million users. It’s likely that the battle is now between Tez and PhonePe, apart from the cashback transactions which Tez hasn’t accounted for.
Following the launch of Google Tez on September 18, 2017, there was a significant increase in the number of UPI transactions, which now seems to have plateaued. There was a 149% growth between September-October 2017, 37% growth between October-November 2017, 39% growth between November-December 2017, and just a 4% growth between December 2017 and January 2018.
In February 2018, the number of transactions using BHIM grew to 9.9 million, up 4% from 9.6 million last month, while amount transacted also increased to Rs 1,011 crore with a growth of 10%, according to data provided by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). The NPCI is the bank-owned organization that runs the Unified Payments Interface (UPI). UPI doesn’t allow wallets, in order to give banks a competitive advantage.
Currently, BHIM is live on 78 banks and has seen over 25 million app downloads. However, the NPCI, which developed BHIM, does not give information on the number of virtual payment addresses (VPAs) created and the number of accounts linked to the UPI.
In terms of net additions, the number of transactions for BHIM grew by 0.31 million in February 2018 while the total amount transacted was up by Rs 364 crore. In the previous month (January 2018), the number of transactions added a half million, and the amount transacted had grown by Rs 564 crore.
With a little growth in the number of transactions, the average amount per transaction for BHIM has been on the increase. In February, the average amount per transaction was Rs 4,060.


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Private lender, ICICI Bank has announced a wide variety of offers for all its customers at the onset of festive season. The bank said the customers can enjoy discounts and cashbacks upto Rs. 25,000 which can be availed using the Bank’s credit/ debit cards, internet banking, consumer finance and cardless EMI. These offers are also available to the customers in the form of EMIs using the Bank’s debit/ credit cards,
The bank said it has curated a bouquet of offers to meet the festive needs of customers in categories ranging from electronics & gadgets, global luxury brands, apparel & jewellery, etc.
The list of marquee brands offering attractive offers include Flipkart, Amazon, Myntra, Bigbasket, Blinkit, MakeMyTrip, iPhone 14, Samsung, Ajio, Reliance Digital, Croma, LG, Dell, Swiggy, Zomato, PC Jewellers (PCJ), and many more, the bank said.
Rakesh Jha, Executive Director, ICICI Bank said, “We are delighted to announce the launch of ‘Festive Bonanza’ for our customers which will include a plethora of offers, discounts and cashbacks on purchases and spends. We have collaborated with leading brands and e-commerce platforms across a wide range of products and services. In addition, we have introduced festive benefits across our banking solutions –home loan, balance transfer, loan against property, personal loan, auto loan, two wheeler loan. We hope that these offers will be able to bring a lot of joy and excitement to our customers.”


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The way baseball stadium menus have changed in recent years, an updated verse of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” might include the lyric, “Buy me some sushi and lobster rolls,” rather than peanuts and Cracker Jack.
Since 1908, the iconic Cracker Jack brand has been helpfully promoted by the song, a mainstay of the seventh-inning stretch. But ballpark food options are vastly different than they were even a decade or two ago.
Baseball fans can buy Rocky Mountain oysters (bull testicles) in Denver, crab cakes in Baltimore, cheese steaks in Philadelphia and fish tacos in San Diego. It can be harder to name what food and beverages cannot be found at the ballpark than to name what can.
All that would seem to threaten Cracker Jack’s vaunted culinary place in baseball culture. Yet concession managers consider it a do-not-disturb item amid an ever-changing menu. The caramel corn with a prize inside survives, even flourishes.
“It does still have relevance,” said Kevin Haggerty, who oversees concessions at Fenway Park in Boston, where more than 1,000 bags (no longer boxes) of Cracker Jack are sold in a typical game. “It’s part of the ballpark experience. It is still a good snack. It sells well. It holds its place in the sales mix. And it’s in the song.”Continue reading the main story
Long a staple of a ballpark’s barebones selection — a traditional list including hot dogs, peanuts and soda — Cracker Jack has withstood the rapid expansion of items offered, including recent trends toward local delicacies and healthier fare.
Aramark, the company that runs concessions at 13 major league ballparks, including Fenway Park, says that overall food-concession sales are on the rise. Cracker Jack, according to several concession managers, is as reliably consistent as anything on the menu.
In Philadelphia, Cracker Jack sales have been remarkably constant for more than 20 years, said Nick Brigandi, a financial analyst who serves as the vending manager for Citizens Bank Park hawkers, the roaming people who sell concessions from the aisles. From 500 to 600 bags of Cracker Jack are sold at a typical Phillies game.
Cracker Jack, sold in 2.75-ounce bags for about $4, is an impulse buy, Brigandi said. It is not affected by the sales of items considered more of a meal, like hot dogs and personal pizzas.
“Nobody is going to buy Cracker Jack because it’s their main item,” Brigandi said. “Your soda buyer is going to buy Cracker Jack. Your beer buyer is going to buy peanuts.”
Cracker Jack has even withstood the Yankees. In 2004, they swapped Cracker Jack for another caramel corn, Crunch ’n Munch. Fans rebelled, using a double-barreled argument of ballpark tradition and the seventh-inning lyrics. Two months later, Cracker Jack was back.
“The fans have spoken,” the Yankees’ chief operating officer, Lonn Trost, said at the time.
Cracker Jack was invented in the late 1800s when the brothers Louis and F. W. Rueckheim mixed popcorn and peanuts with molasses. A salesman, the story goes, took a bite in 1896 and said, “That’s crackerjack!” A brand was born. (The name is singular, never the plural Cracker Jacks, although many concession price boards and some hawkers stick an “s” at the end.)
It is difficult to assess just how much Cracker Jack is sold these days. Frito-Lay, which bought what was considered a struggling brand from Borden in 1997, declined to offer overall sales figures or indicate what percentage of Cracker Jack is sold in ballparks and stadiums as opposed to retail outlets.
Information Resources, a market-research company based in Chicago, tracks sales among supermarkets, drug stores and mass-market retailers, not including Wal-Mart and warehouse clubs. It reported that the Cracker Jack brand had $17.6 million in sales during the year ending Sept. 6. That trailed Crunch ’n Munch ($22.8 million), but it was a slight increase for Cracker Jack over recent years.
But a large chunk of Cracker Jack is sold at baseball stadiums — far more than at football, basketball or other games, concession managers said. Cracker Jack is available at all 30 Major League parks, Frito-Lay said. It is found at most concession stands and is reliably sold by hawkers.
In Boston, 8 of the usual 90 hawkers at Fenway Park carry Cracker Jack. That is roughly equal to the ratio of unit sales among the hawked items, Haggerty said, meaning that about 8 of 90 items sold (about 10 percent) are Cracker Jack.
Another 35 hawkers tote hot dogs, and 15 sell peanuts. Others carry drinks, pizza, cotton candy, souvenirs — and sometimes clam chowder.
Cracker Jack’s continuing success has much to do with tradition, part of the lure of baseball, too.
“It’s usually the kids who want it,” said Greg Copeland, a Fenway Park hawker carrying a bag of Cracker Jack on a recent night. “A lot of people get it to give to their kids.”
He zipped out of the cramped concession office, across the crowded concourse, up an aisle and made the first of about 100 sales — to three 20-something men.
Cracker Jack’s popularity seems to shift from park to park. In Philadelphia, 4 of the usual 60 hawkers sell Cracker Jack, said David Lippman, Aramark’s direction of concessions there.
In Anaheim, Calif., home of the Angels, about 20 of 60 hawkers carry combined loads of popcorn, peanuts and Cracker Jack. Roughly 750 packages of Cracker Jack are sold per game, about 60,000 per season, said Adrian Dishington, the resident district manager for Aramark.
At Coors Field in Denver, Al Wolfe, the concession general manager, said that a move a few years ago to pull Cracker Jack from every other stand drew the ire of fans and was quickly reversed.
Still, Cracker Jack averages about 240 units sold at Coors Field — less than a quarter of the average in Boston.
Maybe it has to do with Colorado’s relative short history with Major League Baseball, dating to 1993. Maybe it is because fans there have not been singing the song for as many years. Or maybe everyone is stuffed from eating Rocky Mountain oysters.Continue reading the main story


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Stella McCartney, a luxury fashion brand renowned for its sustainable practices, recently launched a new A-Z sustainability manifesto. The new initiative was done in collaboration with artists like Cindy Sherman, Jeff Koons, and Ed Ruscha and seeks to make the brand even more sustainable with changes that range from A for accountable to Z for zero waste.
Moreover, the A-Z sustainability manifesto aims to tackle the "greenwashing" so prevalent in the fashion industry. "I barely even know what the word sustainable means any more.... it has to come from a place of honesty, because it’s not easy to work this way, and give the consumer honest information and be completely transparent. It can’t just be for marketing and because the youth of tomorrow will demand it," said the designer and found of the brand, Stella McCartney.
Image Credit: Lauren Maccabee


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BROOKLYN - The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene says that the recent requirement for fast-food restaurants to post calorie counts on their menus is working.
A recent study in the British Medical Journal said six out of 10 people looked at the calorie counts before ordering.
The study also said that people are eating 106 fewer calories when the calorie counts are presented on the menu.
Residents are split on the issue, with some saying they do pay attention to the calories, but others saying they merely select what they are hungry for.
Some fast-food restaurants to offer kids healthier choices


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Credit Sesame is stepping into electronic banking. The credit and loans company, first launched at TechCrunch Disrupt this season, has since grown to 15 million users that are registered, in 2016, accomplished profitability. Up to now, its focus happens to be on assisting customers achieve economic wellness by using https://cheapesttitleloans.com/payday-loans-ak/ actions to combine financial obligation and raise their credit history. Now, it is expanding to incorporate banking that is digital however with the aim of having its better comprehension of its banking customers’ finances to better personalize its credit enhancement guidelines.
The brand new solution, Sesame money, has its own features found in other challenger banking apps, like a broad not enough charges, real-time notifications, an early on payday choice, free usage of a considerable ATM community, in-app debit card administration and much more. Particularly, Credit Sesame states it won’t charge month-to-month fees or overdraft costs, plus it provides access that is free significantly more than 55,000 ATMs and a no-fee debit card from Mastercard.
Nevertheless, the banking application also acts a secondary function beyond its want to undertake traditional banking institutions.
Since the business has insights into users’ funds and payment abilities, it is in a position to provide individualized recommendations, including those for appropriate credit services and products from the hundreds of standard bank lovers.
Other features additionally differentiate Sesame money from rival challenger banking institutions, including integral access to see your everyday credit history and a system that benefits customers with cash incentives — up to $100 per month — for credit history improvements. The banking application includes $1 million in identity and credit theft security, also.
When you look at the months as a result of its launch, the organization is intending to introduce a good bill pay solution that manages money to boost credit and reduced interest levels on credit balances, plus an auto-savings function that works well by rounding up deals, a benefits system for everyday acquisitions as well as other smart budgeting tools.
“Through the employment of advanced device learning and AI, we’ve helped an incredible number of consumers improve and handle their credit. But, we identified the disconnect between customers’ money and credit—how much money you have actually, and exactly how and whenever you utilize your money has a direct impact on the credit health, ” stated Adrian Nazari, Credit Sesame Founder and CEO, in a declaration. “With Sesame money, we have been now bridging that gap and unlocking a whole brand brand new collection of advantages and abilities in a brand new product category. This underscores our objective and dedication to innovation and inclusion that is financial as well as the value we invest working together with lovers whom share exactly the same ethos, ” he included.
Credit Sesame today caters to consumers thinking about bettering their credit.
The business claims 61% of their people see credit history improvements of their very first 6 months, and 50% see ratings enhance by significantly more than 10 points throughout that time. Certainly, 20% see their score improve by a lot more than 50 points through the very very very first 6 months.
But one challenge Credit Sesame faces is the fact that after customers reach their objectives, credit-wise, they might become less involved utilizing the Credit Sesame platform. The brand new banking application changes that, by permitting the organization to steadfastly keep up a relationship with clients in the long run.
Credit Sesame is an inferior form of Credit Karma, that has been recently obtained by Intuit for $7 billion. Since that time, it’s been rumored to be another acquisition that is potential for Intuit, if it didn’t check out go general public. The banking solution will make Credit Sesame more desirable to an acquirer that is potential if that’s the way it is, because it would offer one thing Credit Karma would not.
The organization claims Sesame money bank reports take place with Community Federal Savings Bank, Member FDIC.
The banking solution will at first be produced offered to current clients, before becoming accessible to the public. The Credit Sesame app that is mobile a download free for iPhone and Android os.


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Fans may be wondering what the new normal will look like for the entertainment industry. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the entertainment industry has been uncertain as to what the new entertainment landscape will look like.
As movie theaters begin to re-open worldwide, there are indications that people may forgo the theater experience and watch movies from the comfort of their own homes.
Disney just announced that they are shifting their focus to releasing content via Disney+ and Hulu rather than releasing it through cable programming and theaters.
While the majority of their revenue still comes from network cable deals, people are availing themselves of the variety of streaming choices, canceling their subscriptions and cutting their cable cord. If there is anything that the pandemic has accelerated, it is the move away from cable to streaming services. Disney has made a business decision to lead the shift in the movie and TV industry.
Read more about Disney’s decision at The Wall Street Journal


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It seems like ages since Apple introduced the interesting “Find My” feature. And apparently, even after years of use, there are users who often don’t even know they have such a service on their iPhone. Yet it is a feature that has a high practical potential, for example, in a situation when someone steals your phone or you accidentally forget it somewhere.
Find my device
There are a number of detailed searches on the internet, but it’s essential for you to know that in this case, all you need to do is access iCloud, tap the app and search for the lost iPhone that’s listed on your devices. Then, if you have Lost Mode activated on your iPhone, the chances of you being reunited with your smartphone are more than high.
In this context, Gizmochina reports that at least an equally sophisticated equivalent is quietly in the works on a competing platform. The developers of the Android operating system are also preparing their own equivalent of Apple’s service.
With the arrival of Android 14
This smart network will allow users to find either lost or stolen devices regardless of the current connection status. This new functionality was foreseen last year, when the information was leaked to the public, but realistically we could see it within the next year.
At this point, it’s unclear whether this will be – say – a security feature as part of an additional update for Android 13, or whether Google will introduce the news with a bang on the occasion of the premiere of Android 14.


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The international air freight and logistics companies in Asia are seeing a boom in business due to a surge in demand from American and European consumers for fast-fashion products from Chinese e-commerce platforms like Shein and Temu, as China reshapes the global online retail market.
In the first half of 2023, the most popular Chinese fast-fashion brands exported around $155 billion worth of e-commerce goods, according to the Financial Times. Industry reports suggest that on certain days, at least 80 percent of air freight cargo originates from China’s fast-fashion companies.
Analysts attribute the success of Chinese fast-fashion brands in the US market to three key factors. Firstly, their competitive pricing, aided by the absence of significant tariffs on small parcels valued at less than $800. Secondly, aggressive and widespread price promotions that are unparalleled in the US market. Lastly, the reliance on low-cost suppliers and designers in China contributes to their cost-effectiveness.
Moreover, to beat the competition, these online retail brands are willing to pay elevated prices to air freight carriers to ensure that customers in the US, UK, and elsewhere get the goods they have ordered in the fastest and most efficient manner.
In November 2023, a surge in e-commerce cargo from China to the US and Europe led to a 5 percent increase in worldwide demand compared to November 2022. This surge in demand was reflected in elevated air cargo rates.
Furthermore, International shoppers are more at ease than ever buying an expensive designer handbag from an online seller on eBay or purchasing a $5 top from Shein. But all will have the expectation that their goods will be delivered to their doorstep in a couple of weeks or less.
These online retail brands have rapidly outpaced established European brands like H&M, Primark, and Zara by targeting the younger demographic through direct marketing and social media campaigns.
The essence of these businesses lies in offering runway-inspired looks at more affordable prices to fashion-conscious consumers, particularly the younger, social media-savvy demographic.
Chinese companies’ ability to quickly adapt to trends and make prompt decisions, along with their efficient manufacturing capabilities, is identified as a key factor in their dominance. The speed and efficiency of Chinese e-commerce giants are facilitated by building a connected supply chain with the shortest distance between manufacturers and customers.
For instance, Shein strategically changed its headquarters from Nanjing to Shanghai and relies on Guangdong province in South China, a garment manufacturing district in the Pearl River Delta with 25,000 apparel shops.
The Pearl River Delta is famous for generating 40 percent of all Chinese exports. It is near the shipping ports of Yantian and Hong Kong and the airports of Hong Kong and Guangzhou. That helps Shein take just days to transport goods to a distribution facility to ship them to customers worldwide.
Shein’s sales are almost entirely online, which enabled the retailer to generate $23 billion in global revenue in 2022, according to research firm Coresight. The company’s overhead is also low, as it doesn’t operate any stores full-time. Ruthless efficiency is also a key factor that contributes to their success.
In the run-up to the Christmas season, data from air freight provider TAC Index showed that rates continued to rise on goods flown transpacific from Hong Kong and Shanghai.
Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said: “November air cargo demand was up 8.3 percent on 2022 — the strongest year-on-year growth in almost two years. That is a doubling of October’s 3.8 percent increase and a fourth month of positive market development.”
In conclusion, the winning formula for Chinese fast-fashion brands over their Western counterparts lies in their ability to offer rock-bottom prices for trendy fashion in small quantities, emphasizing a focus on affordability and rapid adaptation to consumer trends.
Asia Pacific airlines had a good start to the year for both cargo and passengers, said the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA)
CMA CGM Group is moving forward with its strategy of expanding its logistics operations, reporting today it completed the acquisition of Bolloré Logistics
Globally, up to November 2023, aviation had reached approximately 99% of pre-pandemic traffic levels. Asia-Pacific—the last of the regions to embrace the recovery—achieved...
The ongoing series of attacks on the Red Sea shipping lane by the Yemeni Houthi pirates in response to the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict continues to resonate within the...
News of severe air cargo congestion at some handling facilities at airports with sea-air traffic appears not to be widespread –however, airlines do acknowledge high volumes...
Subleases are surging as companies pare back storage capacity they built up during the pandemic. Retailers and their suppliers have been slashing their inventories. Now they’re...
Risk is sparing no mode of transportation in 2024 as geopolitics, labor talks, freight demand and capacity fluctuations will continue to alter supply chain strategies.
French shipping firm CMA CGM is set to buy British logistics firm Wincanton (WIN.L), opens new tab for about $700 million in a cash deal that will take the Marseille-based...


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Some of you might remember when Nissan announced the debut of the Nissan DeltaWing project a few weeks ago. Not long after that the car started racing at the Sebring International Raceway. After a few weeks of lapping the track there, the DeltaWing will go to Atlanta, then be shipped to Europe for further testing and development.
Some might be wondering “What makes the DeltaWing special?” It is half the weight and has half the aerodynamic drag of current conventional race cars. It also features a highly-advanced and hugely-efficient Nissan 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, featuring direct gas injection and a turbocharger.
The people behind feel the DeltaWing feel this could change race cars and conventional vehicles alike.
The initial prototype was built by Dan Gurney's All American Racers group in California. However, several other key racing organizations and companies are taking part such as Panoz, DeltaWing designer Ben Bowlby, and Duncan Dayton from Highcroft Racing. The DeltaWing program was originally launched at last year's 24 Hours of Le Mans by these same people. Nissan is additional partner for this year's race.
"We've been able to make some adjustments to the car and we will continue to do so right up to the green flag at Le Mans.” said Ben Bowlby, Nissan's Deltawing Concept Originator.
Panoz's EMT organization have been working on fine tuning components and bodywork. They have been using the lessons learned from the initial tests at Buttonwillow in California and the Sebring to refine the Nissan DeltaWing.
"It is what is needed in racing. We need to let go of the past and look forward to better fuel and tire efficiency without sacrificing any performance.” said Don Panoz, one of the managing partners on the DeltaWing project. "The fact the car is so different looking has attracted so much attention but the reason why it looks like it does is because that is what is needed to produce these kind of results.”
The Nissan DeltaWing is going to debut at this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans, the famous French endurance race, as an additional 56th entry. This is a spot reserved by the event organizers for vehicles featuring new and innovative technologies, but won't be officially competing. This allows designers and engineers to test their cars against others, without worrying about conforming to the current racing regulations. The DeltaWing will not be eligible for any trophies and will carry the race number ‘0’.
Michelin is also backing the Nissan DeltaWing by embedding personnel in the program with the car. The DeltaWing uses special tires development just for it, and has never been used in any other international sportscar competition. The front tires on the Nissan DeltaWing are only four inches wide, equal to the size of a motorcycle tire.


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The story of Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) has been spreading like wildfire recently, and Africa has joined the carnival. From art and music to games and videos, some of these digital assets are selling in millions of dollars.
In case you don’t know, NFTs are unique and non-interchangeable units of data on a digital ledger called the blockchain, which is the underpinning technology of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Although they’ve been in existence since 2014, NFTs are gaining popularity and influence now because they are becoming an increasingly popular way to buy and sell digital artwork. According to a report by The Guardian in 2021, collectors and traders spent $22 billion on NFTs, up from $100 million in 2020.
Nigerian record label owner, Don Jazzy became the pacesetter in the Nigerian music industry in 2021 when he made up to $300,000 in ten minutes on an NFT, after collaborating with a digital artist who created three artworks and had him add a background sound to them. Jacon Osinachi Igwe is regarded as the first African artist to exhibit a series of NFTs at Christie’s, a renowned auction house in London.
Africans are now dancing harder in the NFT party. A survey by Finder ranks Nigeria as the 6th largest adopter of NFTs and South Africa as 12th. The survey also hints that NFT adoption will more than double in these countries due to the high interest among respondents.
In 2021, several digital artists of African descent made their mark and had their works minted on several platforms like Opensea, Foundation, Super Rare, Mintable, Wax, and many others. African digital artists also built communities like Africa NFT Community, Black NFT Art, Network of African NFT Artists, Afro Future DAO, Kenyan NFT Club, and Nigeria NFT Community. These communities served as a platform to promote collaborations and share ideas, resources, and challenges, as well as online and hybrid events, focused on branding, storytelling, art promotion, and helping up-and-coming artists to scale
However, with the giant strides of Africans in the NFT space, there are bottlenecks artists and traders face.
Topping the infamous list of countries that have placed a ban on all activities relating to cryptocurrency is the largest crypto market in Africa — Nigeria, followed by Kenya, Burundi and several other African countries. Nigeria’s federal government ordered banks to shut down all accounts used for crypto transactions. The ban hinders artists active involvement in NFTs.
Shortage of collectors
African artists still have a market problem. The number of creators is hugely overwhelming compared to the art collectors. There are not enough African collectors in the NFTs space.
Universally, the creator economy is estimated to be worth around $100 billion. However, African creators have not received as much recognition as their global counterparts. As a result, they don’t generate as much revenue. Also, many creators here do have a hard time receiving payments since global payment processors are not fully established for users in Africa.
One of the most challenging issues in the African NFT space is the exorbitant gas fees required for minting on most NFT marketplaces. Though this cost is a threat to innovation everywhere, it hinders many African artists, particularly budding ones, from participating.
African art creators continue to use NFTs to leverage the shift of art to the digital world despite the hurdles. Going by projections, it would continue to garner attention and grow more influential as the world fully embraces virtual currencies and digital assets.
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Macalaster Bicknell gets new owners, HQ
Longtime, family-run, Connecticut-based supplier of laboratory supplies Macalaster Bicknell has been purchased by two former executives at a competing company who plan to launch an e-ommerce website and move the company’s headquarters.
Tim Grogan and Chris Lope, who both worked previously at Radnor, Pa.-based VWR International LLC, bought the six-employee New Haven, Conn.-based company in July through their private equity firm, Logan Enterprises, LLC. The two have moved it to neighboring North Haven, Conn., and said in a statement they have upgraded the physical and IT infrastructure, including an e-commerce platform that relies on customer feedback and digital marketing.
The company did not disclose terms of the acquisition nor recent revenues of the company.
Founded in 1920 and known colloquially as Mac Bick, the company has been family-owned for two generations. Grogan, a Falmouth resident, told Mass High Tech that the company has its roots in Cambridge, and moved to New Haven in the 1940s. He says he knew of the company through his work in the northeast area with VWR International.
“They were a good, solid, local competitor,” he said. Recently, the company’s current owner in the Bee family of Connecticut began looking for a buyer for the company, said Grogan. “We just felt it was an opportunity to build on a good local company.”
Traditionally, he said that the company has been focused on the straight industrial chemical market, which still makes up the bulk of its clients. However, Grogan said that he and Lope plan to expand the company’s recent focus the life sciences market by supplying universities and contract research organizations.
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