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Salesforce.com outlook disappoints, shares dip
Salesforce.com's earnings outlook for the current quarter failed to inspire investors used to strong numbers from the cloud-based business software pioneer, and its shares fell 6%.
Under Marc Benioff, Salesforce's CEO and founder, the company's fast revenue growth has made it a favourite with investors eager to own part of the growing trend among businesses to outsource their information technology needs - from servers to software, a phenomenon known as cloud computing.
But Salesforce.com has struggled to win consistent profits. Its stock has underperformed the S&P 500 year to date but it still trades at 85 times expected earnings, compared to an average of 17 for its peers.
Salesforce said its non-GAAP diluted earnings per share in the first quarter were 10 cents, in line with expectations.
It said it expects adjusted earnings in the current quarter of 11 or 12 cents, also in line with expectations.
"The guidance is just in line and we're used to seeing these guys raise," said Pacific Crest Securities analyst Brendan Barnicle. "We see this as a buying opportunity."
Salesforce.com also said full-year EPS would be between 47 cents and 49 cents, compared to expectations of 49 cents.
Considered the leader in cloud computing, Salesforce is facing rising competition from Oracle, SAP and Microsoft, which are intensely pursuing its customers and making splashy acquisitions to match Salesforce's product offerings.
In recent years, Benioff has expanded into marketing, although some investors believe that business may fall short of expectations. Through acquisitions and internal research and development, Salesforce.com has, for instance, introduced tools that automate social media ad campaigns or monitor Twitter chatter.
The seller of on-demand business software posted fiscal first-quarter revenue of $893 million, up 28% from the previous year.
It said revenue in the current quarter would be in the range of $931 million to $936 million.
Analysts on average expected first-quarter revenue of $887 million and current-quarter revenue of $934 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Salesforce.com had a first-quarter net loss of $67.7 million or 12 cents a share, compared to a net loss of $19.5 million, or 4 cents a share, in the same quarter last year.
Shares of Salesforce.com fell 6.08% to $42.91 in extended trade after closing down 0.20% at $45.69.


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The global seafood industry is on track to recover from the COVID-19-related downturn. New approaches and marketing campaigns aimed at making fish available to consumers at the right time and in the right place are more relevant than ever.
Storytelling is the same case. Here are some real-life success and promising stories of seafood marketing campaigns posted in international fishery publications.
US seafood marketing campaign sees benefits from focus on health
A US marketing campaign touting the healthy effect of seafood in a time where consumers have been roiled by COVID-19 has proven more successful than other seafood marketing initiatives, according to the international media holding IntraFish.
The Eat Seafood America! (ESA) pilot campaign was launched in the autumn of 2021 and has reached 4 million households and outperformed benchmark campaigns, said the Seafood Nutrition Partnership (SNP), organizers of the marketing effort.
The campaign focuses on messages that tout seafood’s ability to reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep and support overall wellness.
It showed for every $1 spent on ads encouraging consumers to buy seafood at retail there was a measurable $9 increase in seafood purchases, archiving an overall 800 percent return on investment, SNP said.
“The Eat Seafood America! Consumer campaign is a fantastic example of how using a generic seafood campaign model focused on public health can produce tangible and traceable results,” said SNP President Linda Cornish.
Pandemic in focus
One reason the ESA campaign has been successful is due to SNP’s laser focus on the consumer and their changing needs throughout the pandemic.
For the campaign, the SNP surveyed more than 10,000 American consumers to understand their motivators and how COVID-19, the economy and other factors have impacted consumer food buying and eating decisions.
“By understanding where consumers are seeking out meal inspiration, how and where they are shopping, and what education is needed to empower them to eat more seafood, we can develop the right materials and target them on the right platforms,” said Andrea Albersheim, Director of Communications for SNP.
In the surveys, consumers who report seeing the ESA messaging are two to three times more likely to have increased their seafood consumption recently, SNP said.
Australia seafood industry launches national brand and consumption marketing campaign
Seafood Industry Australia (SIA), the national body representing the Australian seafood industry, has launched the first nationwide seafood marketing campaign aimed to recover from the COVID-19 crisis, the SIA website posted.
Earlier this year, the Australian Government allocated $4 million for the seafood marketing campaign through the $1 billion COVID-19 Relief and Recovery Fund.
The Australian Government-backed campaign promotes domestic seafood through the country's brand Great Australian Seafood.
The Great Australian Seafood brand intends to give Australians a fresh perspective on the industry, with the tagline "easy as" encouraging more to buy and cook seafood from local sources.
The 12-month campaign, which premiered on November 8, includes consumer-facing advertising across all regional and metro TV and streaming platforms, out of home including shopping centers, street furniture and roadside, digital activations and partnerships.
Printed material will also be displayed in shops reiterating how easy seafood is to cook.
"There's a perception that seafood is tricky to cook,” said the Fish Shoppe owner Josh Pearce. “I think that's because there's such a large variety of seafood; in reality, it's just as easy as cooking pork or lamb," he said.
The measures are expected to significantly increase domestic consumption of Australian seafood, which is essential to the industry's survival and recovery amid the COVID-19 crisis.
“We’re realistic about what we want to achieve and the timescales required,” SIA CEO Veronica Papacosta said.
“We know we won’t change national attitudes overnight, which is why the Great Australian Seafood brand is a long-term initiative designed to build a relationship with the nation. We want to inspire a generational shift in attitude towards seafood consumption.”
This campaign is designed to support all sectors of the Australian seafood industry, from fishers and processors, through to those in the foodservices sector, and to provide a much-needed boost to ensure a strong, sector-wide recovery.
Traceability can be profitable
Full-chain traceability isn’t just feasible, but that it’s also profitable by growing seafood’s value, and establishing trust with customers.
Here are a few stories on how it works, published on the usa.oceana website.
"We have learned that consumers care about where their fish comes from,” said Jared Auerbach, owner of Red’s Best in Boston, Massachusetts. “We built proprietary web-based software that starts at the point of unloading and makes it really easy for us to package the story of the catch so it stays with the fish throughout the supply chain."
“Seafood traceability allows the consumer to make factual decisions about their purchases,” said John Rorapaugh, director of sustainability at ProFish in Washington, D.C. “In turn, it allows our company to present the finest products, free of comparison to illegally harvested or inferior quality ones. Transparency is the key to a sustainable global food chain, and seafood traceability is a key component.”
“Traceability not only helps us to better track our inventories, it also ensures that we are sourcing our product responsibly,” said Steve Vilnit, director of fisheries marketing at J.J. McDonnell in Jessup, Maryland. “This storied fish is more than just a piece of protein with a price tag on it; it is a centerpiece on a plate that took the hard work of many to get there. Being able to trace a product, and therefore create a story about it, adds value along the entire supply chain.”
“Ariel Seafoods has observed a substantial increase in orders from restaurants that use Fish Trax to inform their guests about the fish they are eating,” said David Krebs, president of Ariel Seafoods in Destin, Florida. “Consumer confidence about their meal is proving invaluable to the seafood industry.”
“Trace Register’s traceability platform and analytical software really empowers the supply chain to make business improvements, reduce costs and manage risk,” said Alex Miller, vice president of business development at Trace Register in Seattle, Washington. “Without having the data and without analytical tools, your ability to document or observe variations or changes in the data and subsequently make improvements is very limited.”
There are many success stories of seafood marketing campaigns and new methods and approaches aimed at making global seafood industry more profitable and environmentally friendly in a rapidly changing world.
International seafood exhibitions are among those tools that provide a great opportunity for a company to showcase its products, share successful experiences and tell stories about how to tackle challenges facing the world's fisheries.
The SEAFOOD EXPO EURASIA will continue to tell the success stories of seafood marketing campaigns and practices on its website.

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FREDERICK, Md. (WJZ) — The Frederick County Board of Health voted 7-1 Thursday to implement a number of COVID-19 regulations that are more strict than those that took effect statewide earlier this week.
Under the new restrictions, which take effect at 5 p.m. Friday, all indoor and outdoor venues are limited to 25% capacity or 25 people, whichever is less. Wedding venues will be included in the capacity limits beginning November 30.READ MORE: Orioles Reportedly Close To Signing INF Odor, Reach Agreements With Santander, López & Fry
- Coronavirus Resources: How To Get Help In Maryland
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- Latest coronavirus stories from WJZ
- Latest CDC Guidelines
Churches and other religious facilities will be limited to 50% capacity, while fitness centers will be limited to 25% capacity.
Masks will be required for everyone age five or older at all indoor public spaces and all outdoor public spaces where social distancing isn’t possible.
Indoor dining at restaurants will stay at 50% capacity and retail stores will stay at 75% capacity as laid out in Gov. Larry Hogan’s statewide order.READ MORE: 'Operation Christmas Child' Sends Joy To Children Around The World From Sparrows Point
The statewide order said fitness centers and entertainment venues can remain open at 50% capacity, though individual jurisdictions have the power to set tighter rules like Frederick County did.
Meanwhile, the county’s Board of Education approved moving students from all-virtual learning to a hybrid model beginning January 28. Parents will be able to have their children learn all-virtually if they choose, the school system said.
A modified sports season will begin December 7 for winter sports and February 13 for fall sports.Shootout Between Cars Speeding In Hampden Rattles Otherwise Quiet Neighborhood


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At its developer conference in June, Apple finally unveiled the wearable headset it had been working on, an AR/VR mixed-reality headset that will retail for $3,499.
But as with generative AI, Apple is not exactly the first to the game. Though the Vision Pro’s spatial computing design — which seems to make science fiction very real — seems new, even to the VR world, it’s really not. HTC Vive has been doing it for a while
DON’T MISS: Everything Apple Unveiled at WWDC 2023
HTC launched Vive in 2015 and has since become a beloved name in the virtual reality world. The company has branched beyond enhanced gaming experiences and has applied its tech to the medical field, the military, architecture, engineering, business and design, to name a few use cases.
HTC and its partners have found that VR-simulated training saves money and enhances efficiency, better preparing people — whether they be nurses or sales reps — to handle adversity in their work.
“Doctors, nurses that are trained in virtual simulation, they’re 29% faster on average in their actual surgeries. And they make 6% fewer errors,” Dan O’Brien, HTC’s President of the Americas told The Street. “Better outcomes for the patients, better outcomes for the doctors and the medical professionals.”
Though HTC does do plenty of work in the gaming sector, the company was committed to applying its tech to real-life use cases from the very beginning.
“We designed these products to be a benefit to humanity,” O’Brien said, adding that HTC’s work in real-life VR applications goes further to serve the company’s goals of data privacy. “The end user is not the product. The product is the product.”
The Adoption Curve
But there’s still a big obstacle to user adoption: namely, the ‘wear’ component of wearable technology. That obstacle, O’Brien said, will be breached first — and quickly — by businesses and corporations.
“Over the next year or two, you’re going to see a wearable on every engineer’s desk in Western Europe and in the US and in APAC. I think, within the next year to two years, every automotive and aerospace engineering company, major engineering company will have a wearable mixed reality headset on their desk,” O’Brien said. “So I do think in terms of the millions of headsets that can be deployed for those use cases, that’s only within the next year or two.”
But the key to consumer adoption, he said, involves better internet. Specifically, 6G.
“In terms of what I think is the hockey stick moment on the consumer side, I think it’s probably within the next five years. Probably about 2027,” O’Brien said. “And then we really hit mass adoption 2030 when those 6G networks hit, because at that point” the networks will easily be able to handle the kind of content being streamed through a VR headset.
Apple’s launch of the Vision Pro, O’Brien said, moved the industry a step closer to mass adoption; Apple putting its signature stamp on a VR headset helps to “validate” both the technology and its potential.
That said, “Apple did not bring anything new to the market when they announced this product. What they did was they took everything possible and put it into one headset and made a very, very expensive headset.”
The price tag, though, is a little “tone-deaf,” according to O’Brien.
Vive’s XR Elite has the same mixed-reality technology as the Vision Pro. But the price tag is much smaller.
“We have all of the features and functionality that the Vision Pro has, but you can add those on. You can add facial tracking, you can add eye tracking, you can add accessories and peripherals,” O’Brien said. “We build our products to be modular based on the customer’s needs, based on the developers’ capabilities and based on the consumer.”
“So we look at it and go, give users choice, give them flexibility. And don’t just burden them with this massive price.”


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WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) - US chain store sales fell 0.5 percent in the week ended June 28, according to the Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi and UBS Warburg. This is the first decline after two straigth weekly increases. Sales contune to be erratic, the firms said. On a year-on-year basis, sales were up 1.1 percent after rising 0.6 percent in the previous week. BTM-UBS said they expect June monthly sales will post a gain of about 2.0 percent. Monthly chain store sales will be released on July 10.
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MTV Extends into Travel, FashionMTV Extends into Travel, Fashion
Viacom International Media Networks has launched two new brand extensions for MTV–a travel site in Australia and a fashion site in Europe.The first brand extension comes in the form of the online fashion destination District MTV targeted at style-sa
April 6, 2018
Viacom International Media Networks has launched two new brand extensions for MTV–a travel site in Australia and a fashion site in Europe.
The first brand extension comes in the form of the online fashion destination District MTV targeted at style-savvy 18- to 34-year-olds. District MTV is designed to leverage MTV’s connections to music, fashion and pop culture in order to discover and share the latest trends around the globe, while at the same time offering brands a platform to connect with MTV’s music and fashion fans.
Currently District MTV is partnering with Reebok and Foot Locker for a competition to mark the launch of the Reebok Classic Alicia Keys trainer collection.
The competition offers contestants in France, Spain, the U.K., Italy and Germany the chance to win a trip to New York by uploading a photo to District MTV showing how their city has influenced their street style.
A second brand extension, the MTV Travel Co, is a standalone digital travel destination for young people in Australia and New Zealand. The site has launched with free destination guides for Berlin, London, Los Angeles and New York that include exclusive discounts. A companion app will launch shortly.
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Meanwhile, Twitter’s protracted bad romance with Elon Musk is tangled up in court and the end result is unsure, a level the enterprise made as it noted disappointing figures Friday. Amazon is dealing with a escalating labor movement, and Fb is dealing with a new marketing local weather. Regulators domestically and overseas are threatening to crack down on the marketplace as a whole.
The job market place is commencing to display cracks
Social media corporation Snap’s stock fell practically 40 % Friday, the day following it documented worse-than-predicted earnings progress and declined to give a prediction for future earnings due to the fact of “uncertainties associated to the working natural environment.” Netflix this 7 days reiterated factors these kinds of as “sluggish financial state growth” as it missing subscribers.
And analysts are predicting up coming week’s quantities produced by Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Facebook and Apple could be the starkest sign however of how these companies will tactic the coming months. Already this week, Bloomberg documented on a using the services of and expending slowdown at Apple — a gauge for how substantially buyers are eager to expend — information that assisted to propel the significant inventory industry indexes lessen.
“The sector appears to be like at that, and generally the logic is, ‘oh crap, if they are accomplishing this then what about the kinds aren’t as potent?’ ” reported Tom Essaye, president of Sevens Report Study. “’And what are they viewing coming that everybody else isn’t?’ ”
Meta spokesman Tracy Clayton reported the company would continue on to make modifications to some areas of its organization for the reason that of the bigger financial setting. Apple and Amazon did not answer to requests for comment. Google, Twitter and Snap declined to remark. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Article.
Tech’s hiring freezes and pessimistic predictions stand in stark distinction to the companies’ traditionally bulletproof reputations for untrammeled progress, prompting issues from some economists and Wall Avenue investors. For the final 10 years, tech corporations have soared, employing tens of 1000’s of personnel and amassing big cash hoards via ever-growing gains. The share price ranges of corporations like Amazon, Microsoft, Apple and Google stored marching skyward, dominating inventory exchanges and generating numerous traders wealthy.
As some of the most precious firms in the world, they also wield outsize influence on perceptions of the financial state, in component because of the mother nature of their businesses, which relies on shopper clicks and spending. Any downturn in need for rest room paper marketed by Amazon, Teslas or iPhones, as very well as less adverts bought on Instagram or Google research to try to offer individuals new footwear or headphones, is guaranteed to develop jitters in other spheres.
Tech has been signaling to traders for months that the growth instances are ending — Amazon was one particular of the to start with tech giants to warn before this year that it had hired far too many warehouse personnel and had overbuilt anticipating bigger consumer need that as a substitute commenced to wane as coronavirus lockdowns were lifted and patterns shifted out of pandemic modes.
Google CEO says enterprise will slow employing amid financial conditions
Tesla noted improved-than-expected earnings on Wednesday, but even during that connect with, CEO Elon Musk and other executives ended up grilled by analysts on the matter of a potential financial downturn. Musk said previously this summer that he experienced a “super negative feeling” about the economy, and anticipated the automaker to lower its salaried personnel by about 10 per cent.
“We require to be extra entrepreneurial, performing with bigger urgency, sharper concentration and additional hunger than we have demonstrated on sunnier times,” Sundar Pichai, main government of Google-guardian Alphabet said in a memo to staff very last 7 days. The firm will lower its frantic pace of choosing and new employees will be concentrated in engineering and other specialized roles, he mentioned. “Making the corporation a lot more effective is up to all of us.”
Before this 12 months, Fb for the very first time noted a decline of each day end users, which put together with increased competitiveness, a decrease revenue forecast and advertising business hurdles sent its inventory charges plummeting. The company’s inventory is now down 50 per cent for the 12 months. And Facebook last 7 days informed its engineering supervisors to weed out small-accomplishing employees in the deal with of a downturn. “If a direct report is coasting or is a minimal performer, they are not who we need to have they are failing this corporation,” the company’s head of engineering wrote in a memo.
Microsoft a short while ago removed open up work listings from on line, Bloomberg reported.
It can develop into a self-satisfying prophecy, market authorities say, if other businesses straight away react to Massive Tech’s buckling down by tightening their very own enterprises. But the moves aren’t reduce and dry — several feel tech is planning for an economic downturn, not panicking for the reason that of plummeting enterprise metrics.
“You have some that view it as a beneficial for the reason that companies are getting far more disciplined,” reported Kristina Hooper, the main international current market strategist at Invesco.
Blended messages on financial state raises issues on recession hazards
Major Tech was also more prosperous during the pandemic than many industries, supplying them far more space to fall.
“It didn’t shed as much labor in the pandemic, so it didn’t have the exact shortages coming out,” reported Harvard economics professor Jason Furman. “So in some strategies, it is not a shock that as the economic climate seems like it is headed into a rougher patch that they need to recalibrate.”
And, irrespective of commonly expected lousy quantities future 7 days, several of the organizations have previously driven down anticipations so a great deal, that earnings might not be as bad as feared, the analysts explained.
Tesla dumps Bitcoin amid force from factory shutdown
Scaled-down tech companies have been sounding the alarm for months, with new enterprise capital investments slowing and numerous start-ups announcing layoffs by the spring and early summer months.
Other financial indicators are providing a combined photo of exactly where precisely the overall economy is headed. Us citizens are pessimistic about high costs, but they are still investing their dollars. The pace of new choosing isn’t as rapidly as it was a couple months ago, but it is however much from petering out completely. Some economists and fiscal analysts continue to predict a recession afterwards this calendar year or in 2023, though that doesn’t mean it will be as distressing as the one particular that followed the 2008 money disaster.
Estimate how significantly more mortgages will charge as fascination prices increase
Some of the cuts in the tech sector have been a extended time coming, with new financial investment income way too freely obtainable for so long that some providers grew to become bloated with assets they did not essentially need, explained Doug Clinton, managing companion of tech investment organization Loup Ventures.
“When the world adjustments and money receives tighter, everybody’s type of looking and saying, ‘we might not will need as big of a staff as we believed,’ ” Clinton explained. “We were kind of in the boom situations, now we’re coming down the roller coaster into the harder occasions.”
Kelsea Cozad, a promoting worker in Columbus, Ohio, was laid off this month when well being-tech commence-up Olive cut hundreds of staff, following admitting its “fast-paced expansion and absence of focus” experienced strained the business enterprise.
Cozad straight away put out feelers to find a new task, and reported she’s had a fantastic reaction. “There are a large amount of people today that are swimming in the waters, on the lookout to use,” she additional.
Throughout the full overall economy, job postings are mainly holding regular, according to information from In truth, a position-postings web-site. But software advancement position postings have declined a lot more than 12 % in the past four months by yourself, in accordance to analysis from In truth economist AnnElizabeth Konkel. The all round labor marketplace is robust, but demand for tech personnel especially is slowing down a bit, she explained.
Huge Tech builds AI with bad info. So scientists sought greater details.
All round choosing fell to its least expensive amount given that December 2021, wrote LinkedIn economist Man Berger, “suggesting that tighter financial problems and softening desire may possibly last but not least be hitting the U.S. labor sector.” Tech was specifically really hard hit, he mentioned.
Significant Tech has been “spending cash like drunken sailors in conditions of choosing the previous couple many years,” explained Wedbush analyst Dan Ives. “I view it as extra as a correction, a tightening all around the edges.”


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LiSTNR unites all of SCA’s current audio content, as well as new premium content, in one free app. It comes following three years of development and will offer radio, podcasts, music, and news.
2020 saw a significant increase in Australia’s digital audio consumption as people turned to music, radio, and podcasts for both escapism and information.
LiSTNR is highly-personalised, explicitly built for individual listeners’ routines and preferences. It provides a daily feed of audio and suggests new content using curated recommendations.
It is available through a range of devices, including iOS and Android, CarPlay and Android Auto, Google Assistant and Alexa, and Android TV.
Signed-in users allow the app to provide a large-scale known audience, enabling ad targeting based on demographics and behaviours. Brands will have unique advertising and partnership opportunities as a result.
SCA CEO Grant Blackley said, “LiSTNR will provide a personalised listening experience that easily enables consumers to discover a new world of premier, relevant audio that is live and on-demand.”
“LiSTNR will be a primary generator of listening data, allowing SCA to provide an unrivalled, deep understanding of our audience. We now have the ability to deliver a valuable, targeted audience at scale for advertisers.”
“And this is just the start. LiSTNR will continue to expand its content with the development of new and original premium content, along with exciting partnerships to be announced soon, making [it] the new audio destination for all Australians.”
The app will house SCA’s range of digital content, including more than one hundred podcasts by household names like Hamish Blake, Andy Lee, Tom Tilley, Rosie Waterland, and more. This portfolio will be expanded over the next months. SCA’s library also includes live radio streams, radio podcasts, and digital music stations via the Hit and Triple M networks.
In a LiSTNR exclusive, SCA is introducing fifteen all-new linear music live streaming channels, which span a range of moods and genres. Musician and presenter Linda Marigliano will be leading this, with a new music show called The Spin spotlighting the best new music from around the globe.
LiSTNR will also provide a new on-demand audio News and Info service, including hyper-local News and Sports reports across fifteen regions, a new CrinmeWatch weekly report, and The Locals’ Guide.
The ‘Open Your Ears’ marketing campaign launches nationally next week.
Twitter has just experienced its fastest growth in revenue since 2014, with the social media platform benefiting from increased interest from advertisers. Revenue was up 74 per cent YoY, according to the company’s Q2 results, reaching $US1.19 billion ($1.6 billion) from $US683.4 million ($925 million) 12 months ago. The strong results came in the same […]
Wild Turkey has announced the launch of its new global creative campaign and platform, ‘Trust Your Spirit’, featuring the brand’s creative director and spokesperson, Matthew McConaughey. The global campaign and platform ‘Trust Your Spirit’ is to encourage people to be bold, unapologetically themselves, and stay true to who they are. The global tagline and ethos […]
Telecommunications company Optus has announced it will launch the world’s first TikTok sign-language activated filter. Featuring Optus ambassador Ian Thorpe, Optus will unveil a branded effect that shows TikTok users how to say key phrases in Auslan sign language, including ‘How are you?’ and ‘It starts with Yes’, through the hashtag challenge #SignYes. Optus will […]
Podsights has revealed new insights into the effectiveness of advertising in podcasts, tracking global and Australian podcast advertising trends. This is the first Australian report to be published since ARN partnered with Podsights to set the standard for best-in-class podcast advertising measurement. The report includes additional analysis and follows a series of Measurement Masterclasses held for […]
NGEN’s 2021 charity cup has raised over $175,000 for UnLtd charity partner Gotcha4Life. Gotcha4Life is a not-for-profit foundation raising awareness and funding to provide educational workshops and innovative programs that build mental fitness in individuals and communities. While Sydney and Brisbane completed the Charity Cup in June, before Covid restrictions hit, the final leg in […]
Australian tech incubator Cicada Innovations and Biennale of Sydney are launching the ‘New & Sustainable Materials Challenge,’ in an effort to create a more sustainable future. The works of chosen material-makers will be showcased to millions of Biennale audiences, exhibition partners, and exhibition makers globally. The Challenge is open to any Australian and UK startups, […]


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Witview helps consumers make better purchasing decisions by gathering “What the Internet Thinks” of products being purchased online. With the AI-powered software Witview aggregates product review data from all around the internet and creates easy-to-read summaries on how the product has been rated, what is good and what is lacking from the product in question.
A few months ago we revealed that we have been working on something completely new: FiBAN Follow. The idea was to build a new model to enable FiBAN angels to make bigger, faster and more straightforward investments in growth companies together. One of our active angels, Reima Linnanvirta, reveals why he decided to sign up.
An angel with the power of two - European Angel Fund Finland co-investing with Finnish Business Angels
Almost a year ago we published that the European Investment Fund (EIF) has selected the first two Business Angels under the Finnish European Angels Fund (EAF Finland): Leena Niemistö and Janne Jormalainen. As their first year is closing in, we wanted to follow-up and ask EIF and Leena and Janne and about how the past year has been.
FiBAN's news about startup investing.


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Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will chair the 46th meeting of the Goods and Service Tax Council meeting in New Delhi on Friday, December 31. The agenda of the meeting will be to discuss the recently-announced hikes in GST rates for textiles, which comes into effect from January 1.
The Council could also deliberate on the reports of the two Groups of Ministers which were set up in the last Council meeting in September.
On the sidelines of a separate pre-budget meeting between Sitharaman, her top officials, and representatives of states and union territories, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister P Thiagarajan and Rajasthan Technical Education Minister Subhash Garg confirmed that the main agenda of the meeting will be to discuss the rate hike in textiles to correct inverted duty structure.
“Rajasthan does believe rate hike on textiles should be rolled back especially when countries like Bangladesh are giving us stiff competition in the sector,” Garg told reporters on Thursday.
“The states received the agenda just yesterday. So a very short notice and textile seems to be the main point of discussion,” Thiagarajan said At the 45th GST Council Meeting in Lucknow on September 17, the Council had decided to rectify inverted duty structure for footwear and textiles. Subsequently the rate for footwear and textiles for any value was raised to 12 percent, effective from January 1, 2022. Earlier the GST Rate was five per cent for sale value up to Rs 1,000 per piece in the case of apparels and per pair in the case of footwear.
While experts hailed the move, a section of the clothing industry decried it saying that only a small group of the sector had inverted duty structure. Many trader organizations have also been demanding a rollback of the rate hikes.


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WELCOME TO The chemical REPORT
Feature market insights and perspectives from top C-Level executives, elite technology influencers and thought leaders from your company here. This signature initiative has garnered immense support...
Nasdaq | January 15, 2020
Atotech, a Carlyle-backed specialty chemicals company carved out of Total, filed on Wednesday with the SEC to raise up to $100 million in an initial public offering.However, the deal size is likely a placeholder for an IPO that we estimate could raise $1 billion. The Berlin, Germany-based company was founded in 1993 and booked $1.2 billion in revenue for the 12 months ended September 30, 2019. It plans to list on the NYSE under the symbol ATC. Atotech filed confidentially on June 7, 2019. ...
PR Newswire | January 14, 2020
The new LDPE unit had not yet achieved beneficial operation (BO) as planned for in December 2019. The unit was in the final stages of commissioning and startup when the incident occurred. The unit has been shut down and an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the incident, the extent of the damage and resulting impact on the LDPE unit's BO schedule. All other Lake Charles units and previously commissioned LCCP units, namely the ethane cracker, ethylene glycol/ethylene oxide an...
Chemical Technology | January 13, 2020
German specialty chemicals company Lanxess has completed the sale of its chrome chemicals business to Chinese leather chemicals producer Brother Enterprises for €80m ($89m). The deal was first announced on 12 August last year, when the two companies signed an agreement. Lanxess noted that the transaction obtained all the necessary approvals from the relevant antitrust authorities. A part of Lanxess Leather business unit, the chrome chemicals business has been generating an annual revenue of...
DECK 7 | January 13, 2020
DECK 7 is proud to present an exciting interview with the Co-Founder & Chief Evangelist at Terminus, Sangram Vajre. He is an author, keynote speaker, 3x CMO, host of the daily #FlipMyFunnel podcast, entrepreneur and category maker. Sangram has been a driving force behind the success of Terminus and building the ABM subcategory of marketing technology. Before co-founding Terminus, Sangram was Head of Marketing at Pardot through its acquisition by ExactTarget and then Salesforce. A contributin...
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It's not even Christmas yet and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment along with Rocksteady Studios decided to finally get rid of GFWL (Games for Windows Live) and switch to SteamWorks.
For those who don't know, Microsoft announced in August 2013 that Games for Windows Live will cease to exist starting with July 2014, taking Age of Empires Online to the grave.
Fortunately some publishers decided to react upon the announcement and updated their games. That was also what Rocksteady and WB decided to do. They got rid of GFWL and Securom and replaced them with Steamworks.
Awesome and bad news at the same time. While Steamworks makes the game more accessible, all the savegames are now lost, due to GFWL storing the savegames on it's own servers. Players can now also activate their keys on Steam if the game is bought somewhere else. However there aren't any news about players who own retail copies. Right now, trying to register a retail key on Steam will just return an error saying that the key is invalid.
But to make up for the bad choices they made in the past regarding GFWL, Rocksteady and WB decided to make it up for their fans by giving away GOTY editions of both AA and AC to everyone who owned the standard editions. So if you owned a standard copy of Arkham Asylum or Arkham City make sure to check your Steam library for the new copy.
However, there are still tons of games that make use of Games for Windows Live and we have yet to receive any news about what is going to happen with them. Games like Fable 3 who rely heavily on GFWL might not be patched, but there are some out there who still have a chance, given that the developers are inclined on giving them one.
Since the update that removed GFWL, both games also feature Steam Trading Cards now, making the game even more desirable for collectors. The removal of the infamous DRM also removed the region-lock for the games, making them available worldwide on Steam.
Both games now on sale with 75% off until Monday. You can grab them from the Steam Store.


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German car manufacturers warn that there are more and more fake auto parts on the market. It harms them, and it can be very dangerous for road users.
When Lita Silje Jeniš talks about her job, she sounds like a police detective. A story about raids, hidden production facilities, about organized crime. A story about a network of counterfeiters, about people who organize it all, about seizures. However, Jeniš does not work in the police.
She is a lawyer and works for Mercedes-Benz. It deals with brand protection and tries to detect counterfeit Mercedes parts and remove them from the market.
"Counterfeit products pose a significant risk to customers," says Jenish.
For example, brake parts with less valuable components, which in practice means a longer braking distance. Or brake discs that contain toxic substances such as lead or arsenic. Windshields made of ordinary window glass. Air filters that are not made of fire resistant material. The list is long.
More and more fakes
According to data from car manufacturers, counterfeit parts are often discovered and withdrawn from sale. Volkswagen announced that counterfeit parts worth 14 million euros were seized last year for that brand of vehicle alone. That is almost twice as much as a year earlier (eight million).
More than 1.86 million counterfeit parts were discovered at Mercedes in 2021 as part of 650 raids by the German authorities. That is six percent more than in 2020.
"There is nothing that is not there," says lawyer Jeniš. The offer includes Mercedes stars, aluminum rims, airbags, windshield wipers, and even parts for brakes and spark plugs for the engine.
Engineer Thomas Schuster from the KÜS organization, in charge of the technical inspection of vehicles, says that this trend is increasing. Some parts, he says, are of such poor quality that they can endanger traffic safety. But there are also parts that are good enough, so to speak, faithful copies of the original - this in turn causes huge economic damage to the manufacturers.
Danger for road users
Counterfeit parts are often quickly detected during a technical inspection of the vehicle, at least those that are visible at first glance. Original parts or parts that have been "copied" with the express permission of the manufacturer have a control number on them. But what about the parts that aren't visible unless the car is taken apart?
"Air filters, spark plugs or brake discs are installed so we can't see if they're counterfeit," notes Schuster. In contrast, fake rims or lights are easy to see. The latter is dangerous in traffic because bad headlights can dazzle drivers from the opposite direction.
Often the drivers themselves can suspect that they are being tricked by a fake.
"Consumers should be aware that in the case of a large price difference compared to original parts, something is simply not right," says Schuster.
The automotive industry invests great efforts in the fight against counterfeit parts. The VW concern has strengthened its cooperation with the authorities in Germany and abroad. Mercedes, as lawyer Jeniš says, collects information, cooperates with customs, digs online stores and helps investigative authorities during raids.
Porsche did not provide specific data on counterfeits, but they said that they are carefully monitoring what is happening on large platforms such as eBay, Amazon or Alibaba.


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Data analysis best practises are making the cannabis industry and big data unlikely partners.
Across just about any industry today, data analysis is playing an increasingly important role. As such, the cannabis industry and big data are forming an unlikely partnership.
Companies are using market and consumer data to put a finger on the pulse of the average consumer, to plan for emerging market trends, optimize operations and more. As we’ve entered into an age where previously unfathomable categories and volumes of data are generated with every transaction, the data industry creates remarkably insightful avenues for analyzing and putting that data to work.
Data is no less important in the emerging legal cannabis market, but the circumstances of the legal cannabis industry create a unique set of complications for companies working with cannabis data. As the cannabis industry develops, cannabis players are beginning to realize how powerful data analytics can be as a tool for discovering new markets and niches and putting themselves ahead of the curve in a fast moving industry.
The cannabis data gap
It’s a well-known phenomenon that more than a century of cannabis prohibition in developed countries has kept the plant out of the hands of researchers and created a gap in our understanding of how cannabis works that we have only begun to close in recent years. This same phenomenon has also manifested as a gap in cannabis market consumer research. Heading into the legalized era, we had little more than stereotypes to inform our picture of the average cannabis consumer. This is changing fast, driven by a recognized need by cannabis businesses to better understand their customer bases.
Colorado became the first jurisdiction in North America to legalize cannabis in 2014. This gives market researchers a miniscule five years of data to work with. Data that exists from pre-legalization markets is largely government collected and tends to be skewed towards highlighting perceived harms of cannabis use rather than presenting a nuanced picture of cannabis consumers. More useful data exists for the medicinal cannabis market than the recreational market. While there are some correlations between these two markets, they are very distinct in terms of consumer needs and buying habits.
Cannabis market data is indispensable to the cannabis industry going forward, and the fact that it’s so rare right now makes it all the more valuable. The good news for the industry is that we’re now seeing tens of thousands of cannabis transactions occurring every day in legalized jurisdictions. Those transactions are only going to become even more frequent and every transaction helps to generate data. Through a range of means, cannabis consumers are also increasingly willing to provide insights on their wants and needs from the product. That’s terabytes of solid gold generated every day.
Cannabis industry and big data landscape
We are still in the early days of cannabis data monetization but more and more cannabis retailers are seeing the value in partnering with data analytics companies to produce big data with big implications for their industry. This presents an incredible opportunity for the cannabis industry and big data sector. A few companies have stepped up to help fill the cannabis data gap, working with licensed producers, retail outlets and, in some cases, consumers to generate and monetize data from their sales and operations.
Today, the cannabis data industry is relatively small, but this will almost certainly change. As more jurisdictions open up to legal cannabis and more players enter the market the demand for data will continue to grow. Roy Bingham, CEO of BDS Analytics told Marijuana Business Magazine in April 2017 that his company projects demand for cannabis data to grow at a rate of 40 to 50 percent per year.
BDS is one of a few data companies working in the cannabis sector, partnering with dispensaries and licenced producers to provide insights from their point of sale transactional data. Other US companies providing the cannabis industry with data services include New Frontier Data, New Leaf Data Services and Headset.
Canadian business technology company Cannvas MedTech (CSE:MTEC) is taking a more crowdsourced approach to cannabis data. The company has launched an online educational platform for cannabis consumers called Cannvas.Me, through which the company will generate data to be used by its Cannvas Data division to provide insights on consumer tastes, needs and habits. Through this platform, according to the company, Cannvas hopes to evolve into the “census data of the cannabis industry.”
Cannvas.Me and Cannvas Data provide an interesting synergy by educating consumers on the world of cannabis while also collecting vital market data. As an educational resource for cannabis consumers the platform offers a valuable product that brings in the target audience for cannabis businesses. The user-generated content and data provides important insights into the needs of consumers that can translate to identifying underserved spaces in the market and a better understanding of which products will carry the highest demand.
Platforms like these utilize cutting edge methods to generate insights from raw data that businesses 20 years ago could have only dreamt. The emergence of artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms have made it easier than ever to take raw data generated from a dispensary point of sale system or user-generated data from an app like Cannvas.Me and find patterns with greater accuracy and reliability than even the most talented human data analyst. Amazon’s (NASDAQ:AMZN) predictive analytics algorithm, for example, is able to predict what customers on its site are looking for well before they find it.
Whether your business is real estate, entertainment or cannabis, data is power. Insights generated from the consumer base and properly analyzed using cutting edge machine learning and artificial intelligence are no longer a “nice to have” but a necessity for keeping up with consumer wants and needs and a rapidly shifting business landscape. As a newly emerging industry, the cannabis business has a lot of ground to cover in terms of understanding its customers, but new tools in data analysis will ensure the industry will get up to speed fast.
This article was written according to INN editorial standards to educate investors.


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BraunAbility is the world’s leading manufacturer of mobility transportation solutions, including wheelchair-accessible vehicles, wheelchair lifts and seating, storage, and securement products. Founded nearly 50 years ago by Ralph Braun, an entrepreneur who spent most of his life in a wheelchair, the company has grown into the most well-known and trusted name in the mobility industry, bringing independence to millions of individuals across the world.
Recently, both Chrysler and BraunAbility partnered with The Kelly Clarkson Show and comedian car-collector Jay Leno surprised long-serving Los Angeles Police Department Officer Christian Arrue and his family with a customized 2022 wheelchair-accessible Chrysler Pacifica. Taking place during a live taping on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Jay Leno presented the family with the vehicle to help Bella, the officer’s daughter who has cerebral palsy.
The wheelchair-accessible Chrysler Pacifica celebrates BraunAbility’s 50th anniversary and is the latest in a long line of accessible vehicles engineered between the world leader in mobility and Chrysler. The partnership began more than 45 years ago, and the latest Chrysler Pacifica offering from BraunAbility is the most spacious wheelchair van in the industry.


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“We are going to shock the world,” CEEK VR CEO and Founder Mary Spio uttered beneath triumphant tears to a packed room inside the same building Chicago native Oprah Winfrey once housed her offices.
CEEK VR, the award-winning developer of virtual reality entertainment celebrated its official move to the Windy City on Thursday, Feb. 13 with a crowd of Chicago’s finest black business leaders, entrepreneurs and hometown heroes like World Business Chicago CEO and President Andy Zopp, HBO The Wire’s Wood Harris and NBA All-Star Derrick Rose.
Set to launch in the coming weeks, the CEEK virtual reality streaming platform will propel the entertainment industry into the future with its “Netflix meets Ticketmaster in VR” approach. The platform will feature exclusive content from top musicians of all genres, entertainers and educators with its groundbreaking virtual reality technology. Now attending and experiencing your favorite artist’s concert or sold-out comic’s set will be accessible to people without ever having to leave the house.
Calmatic Breaks Down the Creation of Anderson .Paak’s “Bubblin” Visual
Christina Aguilera Connects with Goldlink for Anderson .Paak-Produced “Like I Do”
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: Going global? Don't leave your destination to chance
Every successful internationalisation journey starts with the right destination. This may have become a familiar adage to businesses, but it doesn’t mean that identifying the right market to expand to has become any easier.
In fact, competition may be heating up in some markets – Southeast Asia is a perennial favourite of local businesses, for instance. In other markets, the business landscape has changed post-COVID.
That said, segments of opportunities are abound if you know where to look.
Mainstay markets: prime destinations with growing competition
Most Singapore businesses have expanded into Southeast Asia and China, according to the Singapore Business Federation’s latest survey. It’s unsurprising that these markets have become mainstays given their geographical proximity and steady economic growth, but their popularity suggests businesses may face competition as well, such as in Malaysia and Indonesia.
The key to unlocking opportunities in these markets? Venturing into lesser-known cities – like Penang, which is cementing itself as Malaysia’s manufacturing hub with manufacturing and tech-friendly infrastructure and incentives, and the Bayan Lepas Industrial Park, Malaysia’s first free trade zone.
Here are more markets to explore and venture into.
Markets with specific focus: for tech, innovation, and more
Mention the United States and Silicon Valley will come to mind. The US remains a world leader in technology and innovation, thanks to deep ecosystems that are home to top universities, leading tech companies, innovative multi-national companies, and active venture capital firms.
Some Singapore startups, like Lucence and igloocompany, are already making inroads in the US, paving the way for more homegrown startups to enter the dynamic market.
Similarly, Europe and India stand out for their specific strengths in sustainability and technology respectively. Tap our acceleration and co-innovation programmes under the Global Innovation Alliance to springboard into these markets.
Emerging markets: gain first-mover advantages
Did you know that Africa is a US$3 trillion market?
Taking the road less travelled into relatively untapped markets such as Africa and Latin America can pay dividends for early movers, with rapid urbanisation presenting opportunities across a wide range of industries including agribusiness, urban solutions, hospitality, manufacturing, ports and logistics, and innovation and technology.
Within West Africa, Ghana takes the spotlight with its stable political environment, diversified economy, and pro-business policies. In Latin America, Brazil is one to watch with its growing digital economy. Learn more about Africa at the upcoming Africa Singapore Business Forum, which has brought together over 5,000 business and government leaders from 30 countries since its launch.
Make your move
Whether your business is taking the first step into these markets or deepening presence, we can help.
Get support for business development, promotion and set-up costs under the Market Readiness Assistance Grant, which covers up to 50% of eligible costs for local SMEs.


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Move aimed at making the college admissions race less stressful and more fair for students from poorer families.
Snapshot follows company’s first public disclosure of the gender and racial makeup of its workforce; spotlight on diversity problem vexing the entire technology industry.
Imagine a grocery store where you can receive personal recommendations and offers the moment you step in the store, your checkout takes seconds and you can pay for groceries without ever taking out your wallet. Sound far-fetched?
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) commissioner says,
Ready in time for Mayweather and Pacquaio, a new platform developed for fans of any sport to pick a winner and receive direct polling data from millions of voters.
At the hacking competition, high school and college students were exposed to opportunities in the tech industry while building apps to solve real-world problems.
Survey probes how low- to middle-income urban African American and Hispanic teens regard IT jobs, college and future careers.
The “switch” is giving way to online embarrassment for a growing number of African-American parents and elders.
Detroit author releases “Pretty like Me” app series.


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Pragmatic Play, one of the most famous and leading casino software developers in the iGaming industry, has announced that the company will once again strengthen its presence in Paraguay.
This popular provider, who recently joined forces with Napoleon Sports and Casino, has now shaken hands with the recognizable operator Solbet.
Extended Agreement for More Content
Both brands will expand their deal that will now see the launch of the developer’s extensive library of titles as well as a live casino portfolio on the casino’s platform.
Solbet is a well-known brand that is part of the Dreams Group which is known for its presence in land-based casinos across key markets including Panama, Colombia, Peru, Argentina, and Chile.
As specified in the agreement, Pragmatic will make its hit online slots such as Wolf Gold, Dragon Kingdom – Eyes of Fire, and 5 Lions Megaways available to the operator.
Punters who choose to check out the offering from this casino will also have the opportunity to try out one of the industry’s most popular live casino products including the classic Roulette and Blackjack with well as the iconic show-themed live casino product – Mega Wheel.
Victor Arias, Vice President of Latin American Operations at Pragmatic Play, said:“We are thrilled to be introducing our vast portfolio of fan-favorite slots and Live Casino titles to Solbet’s Paraguayan audience. These verticals will provide players with an amazing variety of high-quality games to choose from that are both immersive and entertaining, with the partnership extension representing more exciting growth for us and a statement of intent between our brands.”
Ian Leskovsek at Solbet added: “This partnership extension with leading provider Pragmatic Play will introduce two thrilling verticals to our offering, bringing both variety and innovation. Providing our players with the widest selection of high-quality games is a key part of our continuing growth strategy, and we look forward to seeing the reception these hits receive.”
Final LatAm Push
The partnership with Solbet is the last step that Pragmatic has made toward Latin America. By conquering this market, the developer has once again made progress toward fulfilling its global expansion plan. Also, by adding Solbet to its list of partners, it continues with its growth strategy.
However, we must not forget to mention one of the most important partnerships for the brand since the beginning of this year. Namely, the developer has shaken hands with globally known operator 888Casino, and the deal will see the launch of its devoted Blackjack Studio.
“Pragmatic Play Extends Reach Into Paraguay With Operator Solbet”, pragmaticplay.com, March 29, 2022.
The post Pragmatic Play Expands Agreement with Solbet to Launch Slots and Live Casino Portfolio in Paraguay first appeared on RealMoneyAction.com.


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Hulu CEO Jason Kilar is having a good year — at least, to hear him tell it.
In a blog post yesterday titled “A Big 2012,” Kilar bragged that the popular online TV hub had topped 3 million paying customers for its Hulu Plus service — more than double the figure from a year ago.
At a cost of $7.99 a month, that would have Hulu Plus earning around $288 million a year in subscription fees. The premium service started in November 2010 with about 500,000 users.
The growth in subscribers helped Hulu on the ad front. The company said its ad revenue jumped 65 percent, to $695 million this year.
Kilar also boasted that Hulu had increased the amount of content available through the service by 40 percent.
Hulu wouldn’t comment on its programming costs for 2013. Last year it said it would spend $500 million on shows. Netflix content costs by comparison are about $2.1 billion a year.
“Hulu should be judged on revenue and profitability like every other company,” said Dan Rayburn, a streaming media expert with Frost & Sullivan. “We don’t know what they spend on content acquisition.”
The five-year-old service offers shows from broadcast and cable outlets. It is owned by Comcast, Disney and News Corp., which also owns The Post.
The firm Providence Equity exited its Hulu investment in October, pocketing $200 million on its $100 million investment.


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Last year the Kona region of Hawaii Island suffered through its worst drought since rainfall records have been kept. The Kealakekua weather station recorded only 31.8 inches of rain for 2010, as compared to an annual average of 75.0 inches. For a detailed report, read this US Department of Agriculture Hawaii crop weather report.
As a result, coffee production throughout Kona is significantly reduced — with the sharpest drop off (60% or more) at lower elevation farms. At Rancho Aloha, where our 2010 rainfall was 42.16 inches for 2010, coffee production was 34% below 2009.
Although the yield is down, skilled cuppers say there has been no reduction in the quality of this year’s Kona coffee crop.
Here at Rancho Aloha, our organic coffee from 2010 fully matches the award-winning flavor consistently demonstrated in prior years. We are also fortunate to be off to a good rainfall start to the new season — 2.67 inches of rainfall in December and 2.24 inches through mid-January.
That being said, we are counting on friends in the Pacific Northwest to continue sending rain our way…


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There’s decaffeinated coffee, alcohol-free beer, and now marijuana that doesn’t make you high. The product known as “cannabis light” or “CBD cannabis” is sold in many Swiss shops, generates millions of Swiss francs in sales and has stirred up a legislative debate. A producer reveals the hidden side of the market.
- Deutsch Wenn Marihuana ganz legal über den Ladentisch geht
- Español “Unos cigarrillos y 2 gramos de marihuana, por favor”
- Português “Um maço de cigarros e 2 gramas de maconha, obrigado”
- 中文 “给我来一包香烟和两克大麻，谢谢！”
- عربي "علبة سجائر و 2 غرام ماريخوانا، مع الشكر»
- Français «Un paquet de cigarettes et 2 grammes de marijuana, s’il-vous-plaît»
- Pусский «Пачку сигарет и два грамма марихуаны, пожалуйста!»
- 日本語 合法大麻がスイスでブーム １億円ビジネスの裏側は
- Italiano «Un pacchetto di sigarette e 2 grammi di marijuana, grazie» (original)
In the basement of an industrial shed with no sign or street number set along a northern Zurich ring road, Werner Bösch is sucking hard on an electronic cigarette. “I’m a bit stressed,” he confesses.
The drug squad has just arrived. Six plainclothes officers want to check the premises. Behind a white door, which is usually locked, thousands of cannabis plants are nearly ready for harvesting.
‘I am the Swiss marijuana champion’
The officers do not want to talk to the media. But Bösch, a 58-year-old former electrician, says he has been working with cannabis since he was 20. In 1983, he opened his first shop in Zurich selling accessories and gadgets for the consumption of cannabis, from lighters to water pipes. “I had left the electronics firm where my father was deputy manager. He wasn’t very happy with my choice,” he recalls.
In the late 1990s, Bösch, along with many others, was taking advantage of a legal grey area to also sell marijuana with a high THC content, the main psychoactive element in the plant.
“We were doing it all openly,” he says. “The cannabis was sold in the form of ‘scented sachets’. But we knew very well that people were buying it to smoke it.”
He proudly displays a trophy he received from the first Swiss trade fair dedicated to cannabis. It was 1998 and his grass, he says, was the best.
“I am the Swiss marijuana champion.”
But eventually the authorities decided enough was enough. The police took action, putting an end to a business that had been “tolerated” but which had always been illegal. Bösch also had to settle his accounts with the law.
“I paid my fines,” he says. But ultimately, the crackdown did not interrupt his activities. As he likes to point out, “my father’s electronics firm no longer exists. But my shop is still here”.
The ‘light’ cannabis comeback
In Switzerland, there is now a ban on growing, selling or consuming cannabis with a THC content of over 1%. Above this limit, cannabis is considered to be a narcotic. Possession of the drug up to a maximum of 10 grammes is punished with a fine of CHF100. However, the law allows for the controlled and limited use of cannabis for medical purposes.
Cannabis has been back in circulation in Switzerland for a while, but this time it’s all legal. The new product is called “cannabis light” or “CBD cannabis”, derived from the name of one of its main active ingredients, cannabidiol. Unlike THC, CBD has no psychotropic effects and is therefore not a prohibited substance.
Bösch explains that it has been legally possible to sell cannabis with a THC content of less than 1% since 2011, the year the new federal law on narcotics entered into force. But the earlier crackdown had scared people off, and nobody dared to take the leap into selling CBD.
“The situation changed with the spread of medical cannabis in the United States,” Bösch explains. “It is in fact rich in CBD, which is a substance with many therapeutic properties”.
20 kilos a month
Werner Bösch set up his CBD cannabis business in the summer of 2016. At that time, the first Swiss legal joints were already on sale. However, he was the first to focus on indoor growing. Compared with outdoor cultivation, it is safer, more discreet and guarantees a higher yield. ‘
“On average, we produce 20 kilos of cannabis a month,” he says.
Bösch imported the seeds from the United States and did a lot of hybridisation and harvesting to select the variety with the desired CBD level not exceeding the magic threshold of 1% THC. His “Golden Green”, which has been on sale for a few months, contains 0.6% THC and 15% CBD.
In his Zurich basement, Bösch grows 2,700 plants in various locations in order to ensure continuous production. With an area equivalent to three tennis courts, space is not a problem. He plans to expand soon and grow 8,000 plants.
He sells some of the crop directly in his shops, of which he now has four. The rest is sold wholesale to other traders. Werner’s golden grass lives up to its name, with a price tag of CHF12 ($12) per gramme in the stores.
“From CBD cannabis alone, I earn 50,000 francs a month”, Bösch reveals.
A CHF200 million market
CBD cannabis stores are cropping up across Switzerland, from Geneva to St Gallen. Werner estimates there are at least ten in Zurich alone, not including smaller kiosks that also sell the product.
Indoor growers need permits from the health authorities, but retail sellers are not required to have any special permits. Theoretically, not even commercial premises are required, since the product can be sold online.
Switzerland is in the midst of a CBD cannabis boom, but Bösch expects things to stabilise soon. With so many producers in a market he estimates to be worth CHF200 million, the price of the raw material is falling.
“When we started, cannabis sold for approximately 6,000 francs per kilo,” he says. “Now, it’s 4,000.” But what worries him more than the falling price is the behaviour of the competition.
By that he means the dealers who, according to him “are in the majority” and who have never paid taxes on cannabis. The legal variety, rich in CBD, is considered to be a tobacco “replacement product”. That makes it subject to a tax, which in Switzerland stands at 25%.
“Including the value-added tax, we are taxed at 33%,” Bösch says. “For those who do the right thing, the profit margins are not so big.”
The ones who have nothing to complain about are the customers. They are seeking the relaxing and therapeutic effects of CBD, without getting high.
The (little-known) virtues of CBD
CBD can be effective against anxiety, depression, nausea and inflammation. It can ease epileptic fits or may be used in treating some tumours, according to neurologist Claude Vaney. But the medical effects of CBD are, not yet sufficiently proven by scientific research.
Vaney, head of the AmiS group of experts who research the medical applications of prohibited narcotics, explains that clinical studies on the long-term effects have not been done.
Jean-Félix Savary, secretary-general of a group in French-speaking Switzerland known as GREA that studies addictions, believes that CBD is an interesting product in terms of therapeutic use, but that “it should not be sold in kiosks”. Although cannabis does not create addiction, he adds, burning it with tobacco creates harmful substances that present health risks.
While CBD cannabis does not make those who consume it high, it does drive the police mad. Light marijuana has the same odour, taste and appearance as banned marijuana. It is therefore difficult to distinguish the two when checks are carried out on the streets. For a long time, the police have been asking for swift and accurate tests in order to avoid expensive laboratory analyses.
Today, in Bösch’s basement, the six plainclothes officers have come with pipettes and latex gloves. They took samples of cannabis and left again. Bösch says he called them to his premises “to make sure everything was in order”.
Bösch’s son Nici says his father worries too much. He manages one of the family shops and from time to time helps out with the growing.
“I can understand him, though, complaining about the tax on cannabis,” says Bösch’s son. “We do not agree with the definition ‘tobacco substitute’. But if we really have to pay, then everyone should be paying.”
With the IG-Hanf cannabis interest group he has just founded, Nici Bösch plans to encourage communication among producers, sellers and the authorities. He says the group aims for transparency and the production of a high-quality product, but it isn’t always easy.
“With offices for public health, agriculture, monitoring of medicinal products and customs administration, it is not clear who we should contact,” he says. He welcomes the parliamentary initiative put forward in May by a group from Switzerland’s left-wing Green Party calling for the creation of a special law on cannabis.
Savary urges caution and criticism in the light of the many scientific studies, consumption habits, international experiences and newcomer CBD on the cannabis market. He believes that talking about “legal” cannabis is misleading because it’s unclear what’s allowed and what’s prohibited. The GREA spokesman is calling for a new system that better defines roles and puts to an end the black market in cannabis, generates fiscal resources and reduces health risks. Above all, he thinks Switzerland needs to ask itself what kind of system it wants.
The debate on cannabis liberalisation has begun again. While he waits for answers, one thing is certain: Bösch can continue to sell his Golden Green. The day after our meeting in his indoor growing area, the local Zurich police inform us they “have not found any illegal plants” among Bösch’s crop.
Cannabis in pharmacies
In 2008, the Swiss people rejected (with 63% of votes) a citizens’ initiative calling for the decriminalisation of cannabis consumption. Despite this, subsequent years yielded no lack of plans and proposals for the regulated distribution of cannabis.
Some of Switzerland’s big cities, including Geneva, Zurich and Basel, are at the forefront of these measures. Within the framework of pilot projects, they want to study the effects of controlled consumption of cannabis within associations (known as “cannabis social clubs”). The city of Bern has announced the launch of a project to study the effects of the regulated sale of cannabis in pharmacies.
The aim is to think about regulating the cannabis market, in order to effectively combat the black market. The project’s promoters argue that by doing this, the Swiss government will be able to control the quality of product in circulation, collect taxes and carry out enforcement properly.
For its part, the Legalise it! association plans to launch a citizens’ initiative for the legalisation of cannabis consumption in Switzerland.End of insertion
What do you think about the liberalisation of marijuana? Let us know in the comments below.
In compliance with the JTI standards


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Huawei might be a "nobody" infront Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi and others but, this is one smartphone company who is planning each and every move of theirs carefully and strategically. In this Fierce competition, the outcomes seem to be quite fruitful for Huawei. The China-based giant just posted its financial report for 2014, and from the overview we can see a successful run and rise in the graphs.
Huawei just revealed that its revenue has increased 30% in 2014. As a whole, the company has brought $12.2 billion home a record-breaking result, as Huawei claims it has never before crossed the $10-billion revenue mark. The culprits for these outstanding financial results are the 138 million sold devices, both feature phones and smartphones. As far as smartphones are concerned, the company saw profit on 75 million units, which is a 45% increase in comparison with 2013, which is a pretty impressive bump in the results.
"Our strategy of focusing on premium mid- to high- end products has borne fruit, with 2014 resulting in significant achievements in a number of areas including product R&D, brand awareness, channel development and growth in market share which further consolidated our number three position in the global smartphone market. The global influence of our brand has continued to grow, and Huawei has become the first mainland Chinese company to successfully enter Interbrand's Top 100 Global Brands of 2014 list," said Mr. Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei.
Recommended Link: Xiaomi Redmi 2 updated with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage
As per the device list, four million units of Huawei Ascend P7 got sold during the first six months of its existence in the market, and roughly two million units of Ascend Mate7 got sold across the globe. The lower-positioned Honor line of devices also proved to quite successful branch of the list, amazingly roughly around 20 million units sold.
Huawei will be focusing on the sales of high-end along mid-ranged smartphones wishing to sell over 100 million smartphone this year.
Stay tune to Gizbot for more updates!


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Led by increases in the book trade, combined sales of graphic novels and periodical comics in North America reached $935 million in 2014, a 7% increase over 2013, according to a joint report by comics trade news sites ICv2.com and Comichron.
Sales of graphic novels in the book trade rose 16% to $285 million, while periodical comics sales in the comics shop market grew 4% from $340 million to $355 million.
Digital download-to-own sales were estimated to be about $100 million in 2014, an 11% increase over 2013. Though the ICv2/Comichron report noted the rate of digital growth declined from the 29% (on sales of $90 million) reported for 2013. Once again the report noted that “digital appears to be complementing, rather than cannibalizing, print."
Comichron’s John Jackson Miller called 2014 the “biggest year for print since 1995, adjusting for inflation.” Indeed, the report noted growth across all formats, print, periodical and digital. Print (both periodical and book) sales grew $55 million to $835 million in 2014, up 7% from 2013.
The only sales decline, according to the report, came at the newsstand, the traditional sales channel for periodical comics, where sales declined from $25 million to $20 million as Marvel withdrew from the market.
This is the second combined report by ICv2 and Comichron, which released their first estimate of the size of 2013 combined graphic novel and comics marketplace, $870 million, last year. The joint estimate includes sales of book format comics, traditional comic book periodicals and digital comics, in the general book trade, comics shop market, and newsstands.
The joint report is calculated based on the full retail price of titles. It does not account for discounting or include figures for subscription services, like Scribd or Oyster.
ICv2 president Milton Griepp said, "It's a very exciting time in the comics business. The broad range of titles being published, the wide variety of places they're sold, and the great exposure comics are getting from other media are all very positive for the industry."


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New FCA CEO Mike Manley Set to Announce Personal Management Team by End of September
It’s been a little over a month since Michael Manley was named the new CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Unfortunately, shortly after he was promoted to the position, the former CEO, Sergio Marchionne, passed away from health complications. That event required the undivided attention of both Manley and FCA as a whole.
Now, Mike Manley is assembling his personal management team. In fact, reports suggest that he could be ready to announce its roster by the end of the month.
FCA Future Operations: Fiat Chrysler’s business plan unveiled
FCA Chairman John Elkann announced that Manley is currently gathering members for his management team during a shareholder meeting. Manley has the full support of Elkann, who said that he was “the only candidate” to succeed Marchionne.
FCA’s executive board appear to have agreed with Elkann’s assessment. 99 percent of votes cast during Manley’s election to the CEO position were in his favor.
Jeep and Ram’s Time to Shine: Jeep and Ram turn heads at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show
Previously, Manley served as the head of the Jeep and Ram brands. Under his guidance, both brands benefited in terms of domestic growth and sales. Manley also oversaw the Jeep and Ram brand’s expansion into the Asia Pacific region.
In addition to his role as FCA’s new CEO, Manley is also currently serving as the head of Fiat Chrysler’s Europe, Middle East, and North Africa region. This position was left vacant after Alfred Altavilla left the company back in July.
It is likely that Manley will add people he has worked with in the past to his management team. Still, we should have an idea of the team’s roster by the end of the month.
News Source: Automotive News Europe
The News Wheel is a digital auto magazine providing readers with a fresh perspective on the latest car news. We’re located in the heart of America (Dayton, Ohio) and our goal is to deliver an entertaining and informative perspective on what’s trending in the automotive world. See more articles from The News Wheel.


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Fighting Stereotypes Will Save Brands
Aline Santos believes we are living in fraught but exciting times. So much is going on globally, from the #MeToo movement to the decriminalization of homosexuality in India. “Consumers, not brands, are shaping culture,” she said, in her keynote at Spikes Asia 2018. “And Asia is a powerhouse. Now is the time for Asia.” But, in her dual roles as EVP of Marketing and Head of Diversity & Inclusion at Unilever, she also sees ways in which advertising in this region (and globally) needs to change.
“Only 1% of advertising in Asia today is showing women as intelligent or as leaders,” said Santos. The rest of the stats she shared are just as damning: only 3% of ads show women over the age of 40; only 2% show men as caring fathers; only 0.2% show women as funny; and none show anybody with a disability.
“I did not recognise anyone I knew in this advertising,” she said. “Where are the Muslim ladies wearing their hijabs? Where are the same-sex parents? Where are the plus size trailblazers? The only reason I can think is laziness.” Santos lamented that such laziness has become a way of life in society and specifically in advertising, leading to blinkered campaigns. When stereotypes seep into the work we do, it means we end up creating clichéd ideas, unoriginal content, and generally just bad marketing.
“Laziness is not only damaging creativity; it is losing us business and killing brands,” says Santos. “More importantly, laziness is hurting society. And that’s what I want to really change.”
She recalls how, as a child, she believed that she only had two options available when it came to her future; teacher (like her mother) or housewife (like her aunt). “My universe was so limited,” she says. That is, until she saw the film Alien, and first became aware of the power of representation. “It was the first time in my life I was seeing a new reference about what it takes to be a woman, about what it means to be a woman,” she says. “Sigourney Weaver was the hero of the film! I’d never seen a woman like that. It was like she was looking at me and telling me I could be anything I wanted to be.”
Santos is certain that inclusive and authentic representation of different people in media makes society more progressive. That motivates her involvement in #Unstereotype, a movement that began internally at Unilever two years ago. “We started looking at insights,” Santos recalled. “Were they rooted in a human truth, or a broad demographic like gender? We started asking ourselves; what is the role of the person we’re portraying? Are we showing their ambitions, achievements, and aspirations? Or are we portraying only their responsibilities?”
The insights garnered by #Unstereotype led to definitive actions, such as a campaign with Dove Men+Care portraying men as loving fathers. It encouraged men and employers to have conversations about paternity leave, something which had been previously underutilised due to stereotypes surrounding gender roles. “We’re starting this now at Unilever, and it’s had great feedback,” said Santos, “not just from men but also women, as it leads to a more balanced working environment.”
Elsewhere, Unstereotype worked with teamaker Brooke Bond, a brand that wants the world to be more inclusive. They produced a campaign that broached the taboo subject of being transgender in India. “I have to say, we lost some customers — but we gained many more!” said Santos, noting that the brand is growing twice as fast as before the campaign.
That is what will inspire brands to embrace change: inclusive actions are good for society, but they also drive business results. #Unstereotype tested 1000 campaigns and found that each time a brand produced progressive advertising, the campaign had 25% more brand impact, raised purchase intention by 18%, and increased overall brand credibility by 21%.
The #Unstereotype Alliance is inviting other organisations, even fierce competitors, to collaborate in eliminating stereotypes from advertising. As Santos put it: “It’s good for business, it’s good for brands, it’s good for society.”


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A new Subway is opening on South Campus TOMORROW
Meatball Marinara Meatball Marinara Meatball Marinara
It is positioned in the Vine Court building, meaning that arts students will no longer have to drag themselves across the treacherous terrain of central campus to get their 6″ sub – oh no, now that Meatball Marinara is only a 5 minute walk from the SJ.
Students frantic for an Italian B.M.T should head to the corner of Myrtle Street and Chatham Street, opposite the Tesco Express.
The fastfood chain already has a shop opposite the Guild in the foundation building retail units, next to Greggs and Tesco Express.
A sign in the window of the new Subway reads, “Grand opening 8am on 5th October”.
Marisa, a third year English student said, “Subway is the biggest chain in the world and there’s already one opposite the Guild do we really need another? Vine Court already have enough luxuries.”
Jack, a History and Politics student, said: “The library is going to fucking stink of Subway.”


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After five months of releasing the last alpha, NixNote 2 beta has finally arrived and can be downloaded.
The post NixNote 2 beta client for Linux now available for download appeared first on Muktware.
Lubuntu is extremely easy to use, it has a somewhat familiar interface (which can be customized to resemble Windows XP) and it can be easily upgraded to newer version with greater ease.
The post Install Lubuntu on old Windows XP PC, keep it alive appeared first on Muktware.
The camera features a 12.2 effective megapixel 35mm Exmor CMOS sensor paired with a BIONZ X image processor.
The post Sony’s new A7s camera can shoot 4K video in the dark appeared first on Muktware.
The study was conducted by Russell Clayton, a doctoral student in the University of Missouri School of Journalism, who found that “active Twitter users are far more likely to experience Twitter–related conflict with their romantic partners.”
The post Using Twitter? Your relationship could be at risk, claims study appeared first on Muktware.
Vulnerability was announced in OpenSSL 1.0.1 that allows an attacker to reveal up to 64kB of memory to a connected client or server
The post Heartbleed, a serious OpenSSL bug; patched by all Linux distros appeared first on Muktware.
Koushik Dutta releases AllCast beta for Amazon Fire TV
The post Koushik Dutta releases AllCast beta for Amazon FireTV appeared first on Muktware.
There will be Serious Sam HD:TFE/TSE on Android (as well as OSX, Linux...)
The post Serious Sam HD: TFE & TSE coming to Android, Linux & iOS appeared first on Muktware.
DJI has another hit on their hands with the Pantom 2 Vision+
The post The DJI ‘Phantom 2 Vision+’ is more intelligent than ever — pushes the limits of drone capabilities appeared first on Muktware.
If Jobs were still around, the Cupertino-based company would have waged a ‘Holy War’ against Google.
The post Email reveals Steve Jobs wanted holy war on Google appeared first on Muktware.
Now eligible Red Hat customer can move to Google Compute Engine using Red Hat Cloud Access.
The post Now Red Hat customers can access Google’s Compute Engine appeared first on Muktware.
The newborn stars offer insight into processes that occurred in the universe, when small, gas-rich galaxies smashed together to give rise to giants like the Milky Way
The post Star Formation in the Leading Arm of the Magellanic Stream appeared first on Muktware.
The community now has access to full code and concepts that the team worked on through an open source framework.
The post WebOS team open sourced its user interface redesign so it lives on appeared first on Muktware.


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According to the Good Returns website, 10 grams of 22-carat gold in Mumbai, New Delhi and Kolkata is being sold for Rs 46,810. While in Chennai, 10 grams of the much-in-demand metal is being bought and sold for Rs 47,150
In India, the purchasing price of 10 grams of 24-carat gold today, 14 February touched Rs 51,060 after a rise of Rs 10 from yesterday’s selling price that was Rs 51,050. On the other hand, one kilo of silver is being priced at Rs 63,000 witnessing no change in rate from yesterday’s selling value.
Every day, the rate of the yellow metal differs across various cities due to factors like making charges, state taxes and excise duty. Below are the current gold tariffs from few Indian cities:
According to the Good Returns website, 10 grams of 22-carat gold in Mumbai, New Delhi and Kolkata is being sold for Rs 46,810. While in Chennai, 10 grams of the much-in-demand metal is being bought and sold for Rs 47,150.
Ten of 14-carat gold in Kolkata, New Delhi and Mumbai stands at Rs 51,060. In Chennai, the same quantity of 24-carat purity is being vended at Rs 51,440.
Then in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kerala, 10 grams of 22-carat gold is being procured for Rs 46,810. The same quantity of 22-carat purity in Jaipur and Vijayawada is also valued at Rs 46,810. The value of 10-grams of 24-carat purity is priced at Rs 51,060 in the above cities, barring Jaipur, where the same quantity is being traded at Rs 51,000.
Meanwhile, in Pune, Vadodara and Ahmedabad, 10 grams of 22-carat gold is being sold for Rs 46,760. For the same quantity of 24-carat purity, it is valued at Rs 50,710 in the above western cities.
In Chandigarh and Madurai, 10 grams of 22-carat gold is being vended for Rs 46,900 and Rs 47,150 respectively. Then for 10 grams of 24-carat purity, it is priced at Rs 50,200 and Rs 51,440 in the above cities, respectively.
Updated figures from Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) reveal that gold futures, which are going to mature on 5 April, 2022, increased by 0.88 percent and reached Rs 49,545. Meanwhile, silver futures observed a fall of 1.13 percent and reached Rs 63,7000.


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19th July 2019
Amazon's Prime Day was back for 2019 bigger, longer and with a relentless drive to change the face of commerce. Stretching across both Monday and Tuesday this week, countless retail sites countered Amazonâ€™s charge, or surfed the wave of retail frenzy it created, by offering 48 hours of deals in response.
Details and Implications:
Amazon Prime Day expanded its sale window from 36 hours in 2018, to 48 hours in 2019 across 18 countries. According to Amazon, this yearâ€™s Prime Day surpassed sales of Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined. Amazon also had its largest sign-up of Prime Members on July 15 and almost broke that record on July 16! That is in the context of Amazon revealing in April that there are over 100 million Prime subscribers worldwide.
Prime Day is Amazon's version of Alibabaâ€™s Singles Day held on 11th November. For comparison, Singles Day delivered over $30 billion in sales in a 24-hour period in 2018, whereas Amazon is projected Amazon to show $5.8 billion in sales in a 48-hour period (Amazon doesnâ€™t release official Prime Day sales figures). Amazon Prime Day is only available to Prime members ($119 a year in the US) but other competitor retail sites jump on the day to offer specific deals with no subscription fee to become part of what has turned into a cultural moment.
Though Amazon is the leader of ecommerce in the U.S., all retailers benefited from the Prime Day halo. According to Adobe Analytics, large retailers saw a 68% sales increase over the 48 hours on Monday and Tuesday.
The implications of Prime Day have yearlong effects. From a brand standpoint, regardless of category, online retail destinations continue to grow in importance in the omni-channel shopper experience and many brands are focusing retail media on a sustain-and-scale approach. Sustain a consistent presence on ecommerce destinations, through search, display, and social, then Scale spend during key seasonality and events through sponsorships and share of voice ownership.
The growing size of Prime Day forces brands to pay more attention to the Amazon platform and understand the retailerâ€™s capabilities in the pre-shop, shop and post shop experience, and how data and media can intercept and convert consumers on that journey (whether that is on Amazon or any retailer taking part on the wider shopping frenzy). The growth of ecommerce and events like Prime Day have also showcased the importance of being retail ready through a simplified and easy to understand consumer friendly product page.
According to Amazon there were 175 million items purchased this year and millions of those items were Alexa-enabled, allowing for consumers to more easily engage and buy from Amazon day in and day out (Amazon and Alexa products were amongst the most heavily discounted). This growth in voice commerce will continue to fuel the importance of enabling your digital assets to allow ease of purchase across all retail and direct-to-consumer platforms â€“ and though voice.


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DEMAND for Welsh lamb is continuing to grow in the Middle East, following Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales’ attendance at the premier trade show in the region.
“Welsh lamb has led the sales drive in the Middle East following the successful reintroduction of our premium quality product last year,” said marketing manager, Bill Joyce.
“Our attendance at Gulfood earlier this month has cemented Welsh lamb’s position as a tried and tested brand. We are now following up leads with importers in other Middle East countries who are keen to buy our produce.”
It was announced this week that lamb from all parts of the UK can now be sold in the United Arab Emirates after the Gulf state lifted restrictions on the import of lamb from England and Scotland.
These restrictions were originally imposed as a result of the 2007 foot and mouth outbreak.
Restrictions on Welsh lamb were lifted at the beginning of 2008, following intense lobbying by HCC and the Welsh Assembly Government.
“The lifting of these restrictions by the United Arab Emirates can only be good news for the red meat industry across the UK,” said Mr Joyce.
Last year, Welsh red meat exports across the world were worth almost £108m to our economy with Welsh lamb accounting for £91m of that total.


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With Apple’s months-long patent royalty battle with Qualcomm settled as of last week, the pathway to reliable 5G iPhones seems clear. Now reliable supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities has new predictions about what to expect for iPhones including new details about 5G iPhone chips.
5G Stories April 22
5G Stories April 18
Industry experts have explained why Apple needed to sign a multi-year purchasing deal with Qualcomm after its hopes of switching to Intel finally fell apart: it will take years to design, develop and test an Apple 5G chip.
Indeed, they say, a modem is one of the most complex chips found in a smartphone …
5G Stories April 17
Yesterday brought a dramatic end to a long-running series of lawsuits between Apple and Qualcomm – with Intel news following close behind. Here’s a look at what’s likely to happened between Apple, Qualcomm and Intel …
5G Stories April 3
It has been common knowledge in the rumor mill that Apple is not ready to debut an iPhone in 2019 with 5G radios. Apple has never been early to adopting new cellular standards and 5G deployment in 2019 is very scarce anyway.
However, general consensus has indicated that Apple wants to release a 5G iPhone model in 2020. UBS analyst Timothy Arcuri released a report today that says there is an increasing likelihood that Apple will not be able to launch a 5G iPhone next year.
5G Stories March 25
After years of arguments, we do seem to be slowly winding our way toward a final showdown between Apple and Qualcomm over radio chip patents. The two companies are currently arguing one case before the the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), and are due to begin a US civil lawsuit next month. And the latest weapon in the former case is 5G.
Each sides is attempting to persuade the ITC that 5G is such a crucial technology it’s essential it prevails …
5G Stories March 13
Verizon previously detailed that it plans on launching its 5G service in 30 cities by next year. Now it has revealed that users in Chicago and Minneapolis will be the first to use the next generation cellular standard. However, there are a couple of catches, including a price hike.


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Equinox Ahead! Weather Matches The OccasionAutumn is in the air, just in time for the equinox. Time to get your fill of crisp air and chilly nights.
Boston's Best Local Gyms That Provide Child CareIt can be extremely challenging to balance family, career and physical fitness all at the same time. Luckily, there are plenty of local gyms in the Boston area which provide child care at an affordable rate for the busy parents who still want to stay active.
Survey: GM Drastically Improves Car Reliability In a survey of car owners conducted by Consumer Reports, the reliability of General Motors' cars has improved drastically in the past year - with some GM brands outranking several European manufacturers - and Ford now outranks Mazda and Nissan.


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The Tennessee-based owner of CherryVale Mall this week said the company will sell 21 of its shopping centers to boost income and upgrade its remaining properties.
CBL & Associates Properties Inc. CEO Stephen Lebovitz outlined the plan this week. The company will release its quarterly earnings at the end of the month. Lebovitz wouldn't say which malls will be sold and which malls will be improved. The deals will take place over the next three years.
CBL owns or manages 150 properties in 30 states, including 91 regional malls. CBL bought the 920,000-square-foot CherryVale Mall in 2000 for $76.3 million. CherryVale is the region's top retail draw, featuring more than 130 stores, and a major economic engine. Between 2,500 and 3,000 people work at CherryVale at various times during the year.


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The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) made it obligatory for all the registered retailers to list prices along with the tax – the tax amount should be mentioned separately on the price tags and (if available) menu cards to ensure depositing of deducted tax in government’s account.
The decision was predominantly made, keeping those retailers who are selling fabrics in local markets and charging sales tax at the rate of 17 per cent on retail price without mentioning it on the price tag.
Since July 2019, the government has set a standard rate of 17pc sales tax on sales of textile domestically, including clothing, leather garments, and other leather essentials. However, there is no sales tax charged on exports of these products.
Now to ensure that the sales tax collected from consumers goes into the government kitty, the FBR has made it mandatory for all retailers to mention prices without and after tax on the price tags, especially for finished fabrics and locally manufactured textile made-ups.
The FBR introduced a new Rule 150ZEA in the Sales Tax Rules, it also made it necessary for all eateries including caterers, restaurants, bakeries, and those shops who are supplying readymade food and sweetmeats to show prices and amount of tax separately on their menu cards – both boards displayed outside and those given to the end visitors.
The decision will help FBR to monitor and trace taxable activities through electronic means.