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Picnic doubles revenue, eyes expansion to France
Picnic has shown strong growth in 2020 and is busy with the expansion to France. Sources say that last year, the Dutch online supermarket had managed to double its revenue, which is now predicted to be worth almost half a billion euros.
With the outbreak of the coronavirus, online shopping got a real boost, which led to more consumers ordering their groceries online. Picnic has benefited optimally from this and saw the number of new customers, orders, and turnover increase significantly.
Sources tell the Lebensmittel Zeitung that the online revenue of Picnic has doubled in a year’s time: from 232.7 million euro in 2019 to 470 million euros last year.
Almost 10 percent of Picnic’s revenue in 2019 comes from Germany, where at the time its sales increased six-fold to 22 million euros. Here, the Dutch company is still only active in North Rhine-Westphalia, with a focus on the Ruhr area.
Losses are also increasing
Picnic has not only seen its turnover increase in recent years, but losses have also grown. Before-tax, it amounted to 73 million euros in 2019. However, the losses have grown less rapidly than the turnover, which according to Lebensmittel Zeitung is seen at Picnic as a significant improvement in profitability. The company’s value is now estimated at 1 billion euros, although Picnic itself didn’t comment on the figures.
The company’s value is now estimated at 1 billion euros.
Picnic expands heavily across Germany
The only thing Frederic Knaudt, CEO of Picnic Germany, wanted to say is that the company continues to grow rapidly. It has already opened three new hubs this year, in Dinslaken, Düsseldorf, and Oberhausen, and the fourth will follow shortly, in Dortmund. And next month, it will open the doors of its largest distribution center to date, in Langenfeld.
After the Netherlands and Germany, Picnic is more than ready to attract consumers from other countries across Europe. Co-founder Joris Beckers once had his mind on the United Kingdom, Spain, and France, but that first market is, due to the Brexit, no longer an option anymore, it seems. Expansion in the European Union alone is more likely and the focus seems to be mainly on the large countries.
Expansion to France
Everything is now pointed to Picnic expanding in France. Earlier this year, the ecommerce company founded the subsidiary Picnic SAS in Paris for this purpose. The supermarket is also looking for French-speaking staff, such as recruiters, business analysts, and social media workers. Picnic will operate from the northern region of Hauts-de-France around Lille, close to the border with Belgium.
Lebensmittel Zeitung writes that Picnic in France, as in other markets, must use a different wholesaler than Edeka, with which it works closely together in Germany. Contracts in France will be closed with Picnic’s purchasing company Everest, of which Edeka is a major shareholder.
Edeka wants a bigger stake in Picnic
Meanwhile, Edeka is still planning to expand its 10 percent stake in Picnic International. According to the plans, the company’s stake in Picnic GmbH, owned by Edeka Rhein-Ruhr, will be transferred to the Edeke headquarters and then converted into an international stake. Edeka Rhein-Ruhr currently owns 35 percent of Picnic Germany, but it has acquired the option to take over the majority in the course of this year.


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Those magnets in every iPad that allow the Smart Cover and Smart Case to attach securely have the ability to accidentally shut off implanted heart defibrillators if the iPad happens to be lying on the patient's chest. According to a Bloomberg news report yesterday, that discovery was made by Giann...
Software Updatesmore updates
- Apple Remote Desktop updated with Yosemite support
- OS X Yosemite 10.10.2, iOS 8.1.3 updates now available
- Sports Illustrated 120 SPORTS channel comes to Apple TV
- Logic Pro X update brings AirDrop support, new effects, tools, and more
- Parallels Access 2.5 released, adds file manager, computer-to-computer remote access
- The Google Translate iOS app is about to get a lot smarter

domain: news


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GSMA Thrive Africa: a new chapter of connectivity
From Tuesday, 29 September to Thursday, 1st October GSMA Thrive is bringing Africa’s leaders online to create the most connected and influential technology experience.
Join GSMA Intelligence’s webinar and roundtable on the impact of Covid-19 on the digital ecosystem in Africa, and the future growth outlook on Day 1, Tuesday, 29 September – 13:00 to 14:00 CAT.
Around the world, the Covid-19 pandemic has put connectivity to the fore. Despite the change in data consumption patterns accelerated by the move to remote working, the mobile ecosystem has risen to the challenge of keeping people connected. But the pandemic also highlighted the importance of a robust and inclusive digital economy, and universal access to fast and reliable broadband services.
In this webinar and panel, experts representing the whole mobile ecosystem will discuss:
- The impact of Covid-19 on the digital ecosystem in Sub-Saharan Africa
- How should governments, mobile operators and tech innovators prepare for the challenges and opportunities of a post- Covid-19 world
- What role 5G, AI and IoT will play in the region’s digital future
- How can governments accelerate digital transformation and reach the 800 million people that remain unconnected in the region
- Maxime Bayen, Company Builder, GreenTec Capital Partners
- Armando Cabral, Senior Partner, McKinsey Angola
- Nicholas Naidu, Managing Executive, Technology Strategy, Architecture & Innovation, Vodacom
The panel will be moderated by Kenechi Okeleke, Director of Regional Research, GSMA Intelligence


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While some analysts point to modest sales of existing smartwatches as evidence that the iWatch is likely to be a relatively minor new category for Apple, Huberty believes that they are using the wrong measure.
It’s that loyalty and the so-called “halo effect,” Huberty writes, not the current watch market, that will drive sales of the unannounced product that she (like everybody else) is calling the iWatch …
Huberty says that her ‘base case’ – the most likely outcome – is that the iWatch matches the first year sales growth of the iPhone. That would see it sell 30 million units in the first 12 months, generating an estimated $9B in additional revenue for Apple. If another noted analyst is correct, those 12 months are likely to begin sometime in November.
Her ‘bull case’ – the most optimistic of the realistic possibilities – is to match the early growth of the iPad, which would double sales to 60M units in the first year. In that case, she says Apple’s stock could climb as high as $132 (equivalent to $924 pre-split).
Huberty does also have a ‘bear case’, where iPhone sales level off and the iWatch fails to take off.
The reality, of course, is that no-one knows. Analysts are attempting to predict the sales of a device whose design is uncertain and feature set unknown. It should also be noted that Huberty has, in the past, predicted even greater things for the iWatch.
But Huberty’s argument is not an unreasonable one: if one had attempted to predict iPhone sales based on the smartphones on the market prior to its launch, that too would have been predicted to be of only moderate appeal. With more than 200 million people part of the Apple ecosystem, a focus on both fitness and fashion, and marketing expertise pulled in from TAG Heuer, the Apple Effect may be substantial.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.


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The Hidden Economic China Syndrome
My hunch is that we’ll get a good number of negative reactions about the corporate earnings season during the eight-week, Q4 reporting period.
Why? Well, because that’s what always happens.
Meanwhile, dividends keep rising, rates are falling again and the fear tank is full to brimming.
So, can the markets remain choppy?
You bet they can. And part of me hopes it does.
You really don't want the tension to disappear overnight.
From Thomson on S&P 500 Earnings Data
- Forward fourth-quarter estimate: $173.54 vs last week's $168.95
- PE ratio: 14.6x
- PEG ratio: 2.17x
- S&P 500 earnings yield: 6.85% vs last week's 6.80%
A Couple of Thoughts About China
China is on the opposite end of the scale from the US as it relates to demographics.
They shot both of their feet off with the "not-well-thought-out" one-child policy of the previous 28 years. And like it or not, that is a hole in their economic cycle that will hurt a little more each day as the next decade or two unfolds.
Dr Ed Yardeni recently said that “What’s hiding in plain sight is that China is seeking to become a super-power before it turns into the world’s largest nursing home.”
For all the vagueness in the press about trade wars and all the associated economic parries and thrusts between the two nations is that China is still heavily dependent on trading with the rest of the world.
So the Chinese government will likely make an acceptable trade deal with the Trump administration.
This could be why many CEOs will tell you they are confident the deal will be done, the latest of which arrived in a recent interview with Tim Cook.
What we’ve said for the last four years is that China’s economy will begin to show much weaker numbers without the US helping them. In fact, it could be weaker much sooner than widely expected.
Dr Ed also reminds us that a significant slowing in the growth rate of inflation-adjusted retail sales over the past couple of years suggests that the aging demographic factor—attributable to the government’s previous population control measure—may be hitting consumer spending significantly already.
The Bottom Line
China's domestic issues will not be able to remain hidden much longer. It may have no choice but to make a trade deal in favour of the US quite soon, which sets the stage for a "surprising" boom for US and global equity markets.
The official M-PMI, which focuses on larger companies, showed a slowdown in China’s activity for December at a reading of 49.4. It contracted below 50.0 for the first time in 29 months.
Every month, the Chinese report retail sales and the consumer price index (CPI). The difference between the two is the growth rate in real retail sales.
This has been on a downtrend since 2008-2010, when it typically exceeded 15%. During November, it was down to 5.9%, the lowest reading since May 2003. It’s down from 10.0% during March 2017.
China’s economic growth slowed to 6.5% year on year in Q3 from 6.7% during Q2, and 6.8% during Q1. The Q3 number was the weakest pace since Q1-2009 (Yes, that 2009).
The 12-month sum of China’s auto sales dropped 4.1% during November since peaking in June, with auto production - which is highly correlated with auto sales – declining by 4.3% over the same period.
And unwanted and unsold apartments are “weighing on China’s economy.” Lots of developers who made big bets on China’s property market are deep in debt.
How Do They Solve It?
The thaw in markets over the last few days may very well be a precursor of what's to come.
Liu He is China's vice premier and top trade negotiator. Scott Kennedy, a China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, suggests that Liu He’s attendance, and the number of people in the room this week, were “good signs” that “serious working-level discussions” were unfolding.
Liu’s appearance signals that China is attaching high importance to the talks.
Well, China had previously said the talks would be led by a lower-ranking official from the Ministry of Commerce. And given the facts, level-headed thinking suggests we are likely closing in on a deal which both leaders can embrace.


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Nebraskaland/Kansasland taps Alliance tires
Nebraskaland/Kansasland Tire Group, a 20-outlet dealership based in Lexington, Neb., has decided to carry Alliance Tire & Rubber Co. radial farm tires.
The $32 million-a-year company had tested Alliance brand ag products for several months prior to including them in its line-up, according to Alliance officials.
In addition to Nebraska and Kansas, the dealership operates in Colorado and Missouri.
It also carries Goodyear, Dunlop, Kelly, Mastercraft and Titan brand tires.


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Female Founders Initiative Middle East and Africa is proud to present the 2023 Female Founders Business Awards of the Year in various categories. Various women will be celebrated and awarded according to their area of expertise. The ceremony will take place on the 29th of July in Johannesburg South Africa.
Nominations are only for women whose businesses operate within Africa and Middle East or for women who lead in organizations based in Africa and the Middle East.
You will be announced as a nominee once you receive 10+ nominations
Nominations will close on the 3rd of July and the top finalists for each category will be announced.
Final winners will be announced on the 29th of July at the Dinner Ceremony.


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Madras Grocery Outlet welcomes new owners
The grocery industry is second nature to Jon Weiss.
"I grew up in the grocery store business. My dad was a grocery store manager in southern California for years and years and years, and he ran some of the largest-volume stores down in California," Weiss said.
So he calls his upcoming purchase of the Madras Grocery Outlet a natural fit.
Current owners Lambert and Rhonda Bourgo agree.
"He seems very business-minded, he has a great sense of humor, he's very outgoing, and he wants to be a part of the community," Rhonda said. "They are planning on keeping the store running as it is, keeping it clean, keeping it well stocked, and they are excited to own their very first Grocery Outlet."
Weiss and his wife, Laura, will take ownership of the Madras discount supermarket on Friday, Nov. 13.
The Bourgos have more than 35 years of combined grocery business experience and opened the Madras store in April 2017.
But come Nov. 3, the couple will be owners of the Prineville Grocery Outlet. They are purchasing the business from Carl and Sharon Shaver, who have owned it for 14 years.
"The owners of the Prineville store are retiring, and they actually called and asked us to apply for their store," Rhonda said. "It's kind of like handing over your kids to a new babysitter."
After the Madras store closes at 7 p.m. Nov. 12, the inventory crew will come in and do a COVID-safe inventory. The next morning, Weiss will be in charge.
Weiss brings many years of retail and business experience. Over the years, he has worked in management for Office Depot, PetSmart, and Barnes and Noble. He also owned a Packmail franchise in Eugene for about five years.
He and his wife settled in Springfield 16 years ago to raise their three children, who are now in their late teens and early 20s. Laura works as an elementary school principal in Springfield but plans to eventually join him in Madras.
In March, Weiss began the Grocery Outlet training program at the Springfield store, where he learned the chain's "unique" business model.
"Then I got through the training, and it's time to start looking for stores to apply for. So the Madras store came up as a posting, and I know Central Oregon a little bit," Weiss said, adding that he has relatives in the Bend area.
He paid a visit to Lambert and Rhonda at the Madras Grocery Outlet.
"It just felt like a natural fit," he said. "They were such good and gracious people, and the store was great, and I drove around the town. The town was beautiful."
He says the small-town feel appeals to him, and he has enjoyed visiting with the locals.
This week, he began working at the Madras store, getting to know the routine and his team of about 25 employees.
His wife was born in Mexico and is a native Spanish speaker, so Laura's bilingual abilities will be an additional asset to the family business.
"We're going to try to engrain in all aspects of the community, and especially the Latino community," Weiss said.
The couple wants to get involved in community organizations and attend local events, but they do not plan to make any big changes to the local business.
"Rhonda and Lambert have run a really great store, and they've done a lot to build it up, and my goal isn't to come in and change the world. I want to just build on their success," Weiss said.
The Bourgos are pleased with the new owners and are thankful for the support of the Madras community for the last three and a half years.
"We've made some really good friends here that are going to be very difficult to leave," Rhonda said. "We're actually very sorry to be leaving, but it's an opportunity for growth for us. I think Jon and Laura will be a really good fit and the next step for this store."
Madras Grocery Outlet
New owners: Jon and Laura Weiss
Address: 1537 SW Highway 97, Madras
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MIM Comment: Sen. McCain’s TV Consumer Freedom Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 15, 2013) – U. S. Senator John McCain’s Television Consumer Freedom Act of 2013, which would allow cable and satellite TV consumers to select and pay for only those channels they want, is a wise and timely bill. Morality in Media applauds Senator McCain for taking the side of consumers in this matter that affects the daily lives of millions, particularly children.
Sen. McCain’s bill, the so called “a la carte cable TV bill,” would help many families protect their children from indecent and pornographic content that is now so prevalent on cable and satellite TV. Under the McCain bill, parents would be able to select only those channels that they consider appropriate and thus would not be required to accept or pay for those distributing pornography and indecency on cable or satellite TV. Costs to consumers could also be less because they would no longer be required to pay for indecent programming or for any channels not directly purchased.


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Mundo Deportivo’ revealed in their Sunday’s front cover Barcelona’s three kits for the 2022-23 season. The controverial third kit will be white, Real Madrid’s colour
The 2021-22 season just started, but clubs and brands are already working on next season’s kits.
Spanish newspaper ‘Mundo Deportivo’ leaked Barcelona’s kits for the 2022-23 season. Nike and Barça have innovated with the three of them as ‘Mundo Deportivo’ labeled them as ‘revolutionary’.
The third kit generated controversy among the fans, as it features a whitish colour.
‘Mundo Deportivo’ claims that is not a pure white colour, but more of a light grey tone. Supporters still feel like it is too similar to their biggest rival’s colour, Real Madrid.
The light grey kit features a ‘Sant Jordi’ cross in blue a red. The Nike logo is on the right side and the club’s crest is on the left.
The home kit, adds a third dark blue stripe to the classic red and blue ones. This home jersey was already leaked months ago.
The away kit will be gold in a tribute to Barcelona’s 92 Olympic Games 30th anniversary.


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Friday, 5th July 2019, Hon. Mahmoud Thabit Kombo hosted a press conference to congratulate EssqueZalu Zanzibar for winning two awards (Tanzanian’s Leading Boutique Hotel and Zanzibar’s Leading Hotel 2019) in the 26th Annual World Travel Awards Africa and the Indian Ocean, which was held in Mauritius on 1st June 2019.
Many prominent dignitaries from tourism-related organizations from both public and private sectors attended this conference at Zalu Hotel to mention a few, Zanzibar Commission for Tourism (ZTS) and its commissioners, ZATI, ZATO, ZATOGA, ZTS as well as investors from the different value chain of the tourism industry.
Hon. Kombo highlighted that this year has been great for Zanzibar as it received different international accolades from Egypt, to Chumbe Island, Essque Zalu Zanzibar and Melia Zanzibar and as a Minister responsible for tourism industry, he feels an immense sense of fulfillment when Zanzibar demonstrate a remarkable ability to take an enviable place in the world.
He further explained that Zanzibar islands are blessed with exquisite flora and fauna as well as intriguing marine parks, which allow the creation of diverse quality products, which will eventually improve Zanzibar’s competitive advantage to its neighboring islands.
Minister Kombo, invited all stakeholders to participate and support Zanzibar Tourism Show, Zanzibar Tourism Awards, and Zanzibar Tourism Summit as these events are dedicated to the holistic development of the tourism industry here in Zanzibar. He also shared the good news to all present that he would be launching the Zanzibar National Branding Committee, which is a ministerial groundbreaking committee, which will consist of 26 prominent personalities in the tourism industry. The committee will be responsible for advocating a holistic tourism industry to increase visitation while preserving the destination’s natural and heritage assets along with ensuring mitigation of tourism negative impacts here in Zanzibar.
In his final note, Hon. Kombo urged both public and private sectors to strengthen their partnership and work together towards the development of tourism industry in Zanzibar.


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Ferrari 250 GT ‘SWB’ to headline Artcurial’s Le Mans Classic sale
In the same ownership for the last 47 years, chassis number #2917GT starred at the 1961 Paris Motor Show, then in its original shade of light blue. Reportedly well used and maintained, it’s got the all-important matching numbers, and has spent its whole life in France. It’s fitting, then, that it will be sold by a French auction house, at arguably the country’s most prestigious motorsport location – Le Mans.
This is the second ‘SWB’ consigned by Artcurial this year, after an 8.1m-euro deal was agreed shortly after its Rétromobile sale in February for the very last example built.


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Wincanton has extended its drinks operation with a five year deal with E&J Gallo.
It will manage national warehousing and distribution from its bonded shared user site in Daventry, delivering over 13 million cases of product across the UK to a number of retailers.
Wincanton says it will generate efficiency improvements through a collaborative approach, while the effects of seasonal troughs will be offset by the sharing of the warehousing and distribution.
Wincanton will also manage the port to DC operations and added value services such as product co-packing which will process up to 250,000 cases a year across a number of skus.
Charlie Frohock, European logistics director at E&J Gallo, said: “We saw this partnership as a perfect cultural fit; Wincanton’s desire to consistently empower its employees and encourage its staff to better themselves is completely aligned with the way that we conduct business at E&.J Gallo. The ability to work in a collaborative manner was also extremely appealing.”


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As such, the sequel to the 2019 supernatural thriller Control is in the early stages of development. The game is currently scheduled for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC.
Cooperation with 505 Games
Developer Remedy Entertainment confirmed the news about the sequel to the 2019 hit, noting that Control 2 will be a joint project with publisher 505 Games (who previously published the first Control).
Control 2 (previously known as Codename Heron, which, by the way, was considered a spin-off, not a sequel) will be released on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S and will be built on the Remedy’s Northlight engine, the two teams announced.
Therefore, Remedy will publish the game on the PC platform, and 505 Games will take care of the publication on the console platforms.
As such, Remedy leaves us with the only detail of this unique concept art that you can see in the announcement above. Indeed, the Control 2 project is currently only at the design stage.
This summer, the studio has already announced several projects in the universe of Jesse Faden: initially a project codenamed Condor, which will be a multiplayer game in the world of Control, as well as a much more secret game that will “expand control.” franchise with a big budget Game of Control.
Big budget game
“Now I am proud to confirm that the highest budget Control game, also known as Codename Heron, is Control 2, the complete sequel to our award-winning Control game,” said Tero Virtala, CEO of Remedy Entertainment.
An “initial development budget” of €50 million was indeed set as part of a co-development and co-publishing agreement with 505 Games. For example, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt cost $81 million. Meanwhile, the first Control cost $30 million.
“With Control 2, we’re about to take another leap into the unknown,” said game director Mikael Kasurinen. “It will be an unexpected journey. It will take some time, but honestly, this is the most exciting project I have ever worked on. It’s still early, but it’s worth the wait.”
The Hogwarts Legacy Gameplay Showcase this Friday, November 11, 2022 let us know a lot more about the upcoming open-world Harry Potter game. HUD, combat, customization, exploration of the castle… that’s not to be missed.
Hogwarts Legacy: Hogwarts Legacy


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By Beth Besen
More than 25 New Castle merchants take gifting and giving to a new level of local this holiday season.
“Light Up Your Town,” launching on Small Business Saturday (November 29th), and continuing through the holiday season, is the perfect way to shop, socialize, dine, give, give back and enjoy all that New Castle has to offer. The Chappaqua-Millwood Chamber of Commerce, led largely by community volunteers, has generated close to $5k in sponsorship contributions to create a deal- and activity-packed calendar of holiday events, designed to encourage residents to shop, stroll, and give locally.
Each participating local merchant contributed a special offer for the holiday season. Desires by Mikolay and Breezemont Day Camp are sponsors of a Holiday Stroll with an ice sculpture “reveal” on December 6th (Town residents vote on what type of sculpture they’d like in their downtown). Local resident Dawn Greenberg created a program called “Chappaqua Cares … Chappaqua Shares,” involving a central hub at Houlihan Lawrence for collecting donations for those in need. Additionally, three stores are participating in a first-ever Gingerbread House Contest on December 13th.
Chamber President Nancy A. Shenker, assisted by a team of merchants and innovative business owners created a program designed to offer the Chappaqua-Millwood community something unique and exciting every Saturday during this upcoming holiday season. “Why trek to the mall, when you can get personal service, save money, and contribute to your local economy?” asks Shenker. The campaign will be supported by an over sized colorful “deal card” and calendar so residents can stay on top of what’s happening, as well as a special section of the Chamber website, where last-minute deals will be promoted. The campaign was made possible by:
Presenting Sponsors: Breezemont Day Camp and Desires by Mikolay
Premier Sponsors: Breeze Gifts and Camp Nabby
General Sponsors: Auburn Jewelry, Cathy’s Hair Room, Center for Aligned Healing, Chappaqua Paint & Hardware, Emmary Day Spa, Esposito’s Sausage, Eye Gallery of Chappaqua, Hall of Scoops, Holuihan Lawrence, ICD Contemporary Jewelry, Jodi’s Gym, Korth & Shannahan Painting, Le Jardin du Roi, Petticoat Lane, Quaker Hill Tavern, Salon 228, Shuppee, theONswitch marketing, Ventown, and WeeZee – The Science of Play.
Beth Besen is the Executive Editor of Inside Chappaqua and Inside Armonk magazines.


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Small business owners fear minimum wage increase is 'unsustainable'
With city officials rolling out a minimum wage increase, small business owners are expressing concern about making ends meet.
Though the city says that when workers have enough money to put food on the table and pay their rent, it lifts the entire economy, many small business owners believe the wage hike is unsustainable.
Eli Amsel, owner of Lagmitz Paper and Plastic, told News 12 Brooklyn he may have to lay off several employees and cut their hours to afford the new minimum wage.
"This is total communism. This will not make businesses grow," he said.
Jose DeJesus is one of Amsel's 13 employees and said that he is looking forward to having more money.
Representatives from The Department of Consumer Affairs want to make sure small businesses know that they'll need to pay their employees $11 an hour by Dec. 31. By 2019, it will be $15 an hour.


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Have you upgraded your PC to the latest Windows 10 OS? If not, you will soon be required to pay $120 in order to get a full copy of the operating system together with a license key.
This month will make it one year since the first public Windows 10 was released. One year of improvements, fixes and upgrades is nothing to joke around with, something that makes the current version of the OS irresistible to upgrade to. In fact, there are very few reasons that one can table with respect to not upgrading to Windows 10 right now, especially now that is still free.
Any attempt to upgrade to Windows 10 after July 29 will attract a fee of $120 unless Microsoft has other things in mind. The OS has reportedly hit over 350 million devices and there is still room for more to come in during this last month. Of course, not everyone will agree, but the fact that such a huge number of people are already on board the Windows 10 bandwagon is an indicator that indeed the OS is a lot better than any of its predecessors – Windows 8 and 7.
Microsoft tried to improve its OS experience by coming in with a touch-centric Windows 8, but this failed to materialize as at the time, not so many computers had touch screens as with the case right now. Windows 7 was a success thanks to the fact that it was here at a time when PCs were a mere connection of monitors, keyboards, mice, and so on, but today, all of these things have been incorporated into a single entity.
What Windows 10 does is to combine the best of both Windows 8 and 7, without clashing anything. It adds support for tablet mode when you want to use the inbuilt mouse and keyboard. It gets even better with the new OS as users can now enjoy biometric sign-ins instead of using passwords. In case there is no support for biometrics on your PC, there is room to stay clear off passwords by using a 4-digit PIN.
In addition to bringing in Microsoft Edge browser in place of IE, the OS also comes with a digital assistant called Cortana. This enables you to interact with your PC hands-free.
A major Windows 10 upgrade set for August 2
One of the major reasons that many of those who haven’t yet upgraded to the new Windows 10 have is that this OS is still a work in progress. Well, this is true. However, the Redmond Company has designed the new OS, unlike the previous versions. The OS regularly receives small updates that are aimed at improving every aspect of its performance. There is a bigger one set for August 2 and is expected to bring more uses for the digital assistant, among other updates.
If you haven’t upgraded to Windows 10 yet, you can follow this link and get the free upgrade while it lasts.


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Rebates three ways
The U.S. climate bill’s new proposed tax credit for EVs made in North America has been applauded by the Ontario government as a “boon” for the province’s auto sector. But the Ford government’s support of EV rebates south of the border runs counter to its position at home: Ontario is one of the few Canadian provinces that doesn’t offer a provincial purchase incentive.
Indeed, as Clean Energy Canada’s Joanna Kyriazis told the Canadian Press, “Premier Ford's EV vision is really missing half the equation… Right now, we have both an affordability crisis and a climate crisis in the province, and if the Ford government could do more to help Ontarians get their hands on money-saving electric vehicles, that would provide a solution to both.”
Meanwhile, other provinces are motoring ahead with EV incentives. B.C. recently updated its long-standing rebate program to include income eligibility criteria announcing that, going forward, only households earning less than $125,000 will be eligible for the full amount. And with the dawn of the U.S.’s considerably more generous rebate of US$7,000 for new EVs and US$4,000 for used ones, there is still a risk “we could see the used EV inventory flowing out of Canada and into the U.S., unless we start offering more support for used EVs.” B.C. did recently introduce a PST exemption on the sale of used EVs.
Ontario, of course, has neither support for new nor used EVs. On the eve of his August 9 throne speech, Premier Ford could—and should—lay out his vision to turn Ontario into an electric vehicle powerhouse. (On that note, recent lobby activity suggests Tesla may be exploring the possibility of a factory in Ontario.)


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American Express has taken its first steps into the cryptocurrency world, participating in a Series A funding round in bitcoin payments venture Abra. News of the investment, which brings total funding for the Californian-based startup to over $14 million, comes as the company prepares to roll out its mobile remittance app to all registered users in the US and Philippines in the coming weeks. At the same time, the company also announced its entry into online, digital cash-based merchant payments.
The Abra app enables anyone to store and send digital cash, valued in any currency, directly on their phone with no bank required. For merchants, Abra says it will release a set of APIs in the next quarter which will enable consumers to pay for products or services by typing in their mobile phone number at checkout.
Harshul Sanghi, American Express Ventures’ head of global investments, says the card scheme is keen to learn more and explore new possibilities for blockchain technology through its investment.
“As people and businesses transact more globally, there’s a need for more convenient and affordable ways to move money,” he says. „We think the blockchain could play an important role in the evolution of money transfer and commerce, especially in emerging markets.”
Bill Barhydt , the Abra founder, told CoinDesk that Abra has spent the better part of the last year and a half preparing for the pending launch of its remittance app, adding:
“Abra has gone very, very deep to make sure that all those integrated user experiences are working correctly. We’re really excited that it’s all come together after over a year and a half of hard work to put all the pieces together. And we’ll be turning on more countries as we go.”
On its relationship with American Express, Barhydt said Abra wasn’t ready to disclose the nature of its work in conjunction with the payments giant, stating that “right now, Abra is in charge of its own destiny”.
Sanghi said the company is working with Abra to explore the technology. He declined to detail how much money American Express had invested in the startup. While noting the company sees a future for blockchain technology, Sanghi stressed it’s too early to speculate on how the technology will be applied.
„As we watch the digital currency industry develop, we have seen that blockchain technology and the distributed ledger can have play an important role in shaping the future,” he told CoinDesk in an interview, adding:
“It still early days, but you can imagine a number of use cases for blockchain technology for B2B as well as B2C transactions.”
When asked whether the company sees a future for bitcoin specifically, Sanghi said American Express would base its decision on the preferences of its customers.
“Let’s see what currencies are important and we’ll transact in the currencies that our customers want to transact in,” he said.
„O singură provizie am făcut, de card, pentru că nu mai umblu cu banii în buzunar. Banii sunt cei mai periculoși când este vorba de răspândirea unei molimi. Am renunțat la cash. În rest, este o prostie să faci provizii. Dacă vine o molimă și nici nu știi când va ajunge, dacă ar fi să se întindă, pe cât timp să poți să faci provizii? Faci provizii pe trei săptămâni, pe patru săptămâni și mai departe?”, a spus consultantul.


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App Annie, which gathers information about the market applications, has released a report on the results of the second quarter of 2018. According to him, the number of programs in the Google Play Store has increased by 20% compared to the same period last year, thus outpacing the App Store for this indicator 160%.
But the Apple app store ahead of the competitor in the user spending by 80%, although the gap is shrinking, because last year it was 85%. The main drivers of growth in downloads in the Android steel games, video editors and sports applications. Actively download the program in Indonesia and India, marketing in which Google spends a considerable force, propelling the platform Android Go and Android One.
Top 5 downloads games in Play Store and App Store for the second quarter looks like this:
- Helix Jump
- PUBG Mobile
- Love Balls
- Subway Surfers
- Kick the Buddy
Same rating, but in the applications:
- Facebook Messenger
- WhatsApp Messenger
- Tik Tok


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A fast casual chain serving burritos and other Mexican-style items is adding five new locations in and around New Jersey, in a series of recent transactions by Pierson Commercial.
Two new tenants are coming to a Freehold industrial building after leasing a combined 12,535 square feet at the property, according to brokers with Sheldon Gross Realty.
The owner of a 46,000-square-foot industrial building in Monmouth County has sold the property after seven years, under a newly announced transaction by CBRE.
A growing health care provider has tapped R.J. Brunelli & Co. as its real estate representative in New Jersey, seeking to add locations around its base of Middlesex and Monmouth counties.
A private investor has paid $6.2 million for a Red Bank office building, in the largest of four newly announced transactions by The Kislak Co. Inc.
An importing company is leasing more than 70,000 square feet of industrial space in Freehold, under a newly announced transaction by Sheldon Gross Realty.
Construction is underway on a renovation and addition to the Monmouth County Courthouse in Freehold, in a project designed by DMR Architects.
A national snack maker has renewed its lease at a business park in Freehold, where it occupies nearly 11,000 square feet.
A joint venture has acquired a four-building, 220,000-square-foot retail property in Freehold, under a newly announced transaction by Colliers International.
The buyer of a 129,600-square-foot industrial building in Monmouth County has landed nearly $11 million in financing and equity for the acquisition, brokers with JLL announced Monday.


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The auto parts and accessories sector is one of the many industries that witnessed significant growth online in 2020, with ecommerce up across the board due to COVID-19. Online auto care, parts, and accessories sales reached new heights last year and are expected to break more records in the years to come.
US online sales of new auto parts and accessories surged 29.9% to exceed $16 billion in 2020.
As the pandemic continues to subside and in-person shopping returns to normal guidelines, what does the future hold for the auto parts and accessories industry? If your brand falls into this category, how can you ensure you’re staying ahead of a rapidly evolving marketplace with successful conversion-driving strategies?
In this article, we’ll dive into the latest automotive accessories and car parts industry stats and trends, how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted this industry, and tips and strategies for automotive accessories and car parts industry brands in 2021.
2021 Ecommerce Auto Parts + Accessories Trends + Stats
US online sales of new auto parts and accessories surpassed $16 billion in 2020, a 29.9% year-over-year increase. Cross-device and cross-channel conversions contributed significantly to this surge in online growth, a trend that experts see continuing into this year.
US online sales of new auto parts and accessories are expected to reach $17.7 billion in 2021.
In fact, the online automotive parts & accessories industry has a larger market size than the overall US online retail sector – and the growth isn’t expected to stop anytime soon.
Online auto parts and accessories sales are expected to grow to $19.8 billion by 2022 and $21.4 billion by 2023. Amazon has been a key driver of this growth, selling $8.3 billion in auto parts sales last year (not including third-party sales).
Mobile makes up approximately 65% of total traffic to auto parts and accessory websites.
The mobile market holds a lot of potential for the auto parts industry. Mobile sales of new auto parts and accessories purchased via mobile devices are expected to reach $11.7 billion this year after surging 40.2% to exceed $10.4 billion in 2020.
COVID-19’s Impact on the Auto Parts + Accessories Industry
The auto parts and accessories industry didn’t also reach record heights last year – it also surged past what the experts projected pre-pandemic.
Pre-pandemic estimates had US online sales of new auto parts and accessories at $14.1 billion in 2020, but that number actually exceeded $16 billion.
The auto parts + accessories saw an additional $1.9 billion in online revenue due to the pandemic.
The car buying process was significantly impacted by COVID-19 and social distancing mandates that kept many consumers at home. The process of buying a car took significantly less time in 2020 due to many parts of the process being moved digitally. At the same time, shoppers were also significantly more satisfied with their car buying experience in 2020 (72% satisfaction in 2020 compared to 60% satisfied in 2019).
Price also became a major decision point for car shoppers in 2020 as the economy became turbulent. 17% of new vehicle shoppers were enticed by price post-COVID-19 compared to 11% pre-COVID-19. Additionally, more than 1 in 4 shoppers who plan to buy a vehicle no longer want to use other transportation due to COVID-19.
Ecommerce Strategies + Tips for Auto Parts + Accessories Brands
Digital activity is projected to influence $154.6 billion in auto sales in 2021, up from $140.9 billion in 2020. That’s expected to surge to $161.1B in 2022 and $168B in 2023.
Automotive brands can’t afford to ignore their digital presence anymore.
Whether it’s tapping into your paid and/or organic social media presence to boost awareness, improving the SEO of your key landing pages to bring more shoppers to your site, or advertising aggressively on Amazon to regain market share from your competitors, having an optimized online presence has become more crucial for automotive brands than ever.
When it comes to your brand’s online shopping experience, keeping things simple is key. Remember that saving time is a key reason that consumers shop online. In fact, when it comes to purchasing a vehicle, 83% of consumers shop online in order to save time.
One strategy is to know where your audience is coming from and prioritize optimizing for that. For example, 53% of shoppers start their vehicle buying journey on a third-party site, while 13% start on Google. Having similar data for your sector of the automotive industry can help your marketing team know where to focus efforts and budget.
Are you an auto parts or accessories brand with big online goals for 2021? Whether you’re looking to increase your Amazon sales, boost your paid search presence, optimize your website and landing pages for conversions, or anything else, our team would love to work with you to help not just achieve but exceed those goals. Reach out anytime through our consultation page to connect one-on-one with an industry expert who can help identify untapped growth potential for your business.


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Square freshly released their app for Android just last week, enabling any smartphone as a mobile point-of-sale system. Now developers can begin to test out direct integration of Square’s service into their apps with a public preview that was released today. Currently at version 0.9, there are still some bugs to be worked out before the API set exits beta, but the idea of integrating direct credit card payments through Square into existing or new applications opens up some real possibilities for innovation.
A cool example described on the site hosting the API files is integrating Square payments into a taxi cab fare app, which would track distance travelled via GPS and then calculate a passengers fare. The cab driver could then accept payment via plastic rather than paper money.
Along with PayPal’s new Mobile Payments Library, the range of ways developers can create store-fronts (and the ways in which smartphone users can spend money) on mobile apps is fast increasing. Good thing there are also apps like Mint to keep our wallets in check.
[Thanks to Anthony for the heads up!]


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Royal Caribbean has created a cruise specifically for the total eclipse that will ship out on August 21. The Great American Eclipse be the first total solar eclipse visible from the U.S. mainland since 1979.
Royal Caribbean’s Total Eclipse Cruise will tour five Eastern Caribbean destinations over a 7-night period.
The President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International said in a press release that this cruise is “nearly a century in the making.”
The itinerary on the website states that “The celebration continues with a live concert by a major headliner and more celestial surprises” which will be revealed later this summer. Other fun activities include dance parties, interactive science for kids, aptly named cocktails like Cosmic Cosmo and Planetary Punch and trivia.
On August 22, the cruise will hold an eclipse viewing party. Eclipse-safe glasses can be purchased through NASA on their eclipse website.
Lead photo by Gary Bembridge, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo by tequilamike , CC BY-SA 2.0
Caroline Windham is a travel intern and freelance writer out of Athens, Ga.


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Austrian brand Revo has launched its vegan smoked salmon in the UK and gets the seal of approval from seafood lovers
A new plant-based smoked salmon brand has been launched in the UK.
Austrian brand Revo has debuted its popular fish alternative to Britain following huge success across Europe.
Said to be “better than [conventional] salmon”, Revo claims its fish-free product is approved by seafood lovers and plant-based eaters alike.
Furthermore, Revo vegan smoked salmon is made from pea protein, algae extract and plant oil.
Additionally, Revo Salmon is sustainably made in Austria and emits 86% less CO2 than real salmon.
In a statement, Revo Foods’ CEO, Robin Simsa, said: “The UK is literally an island surrounded by the sea, yet the hottest new seafood product comes from… Austria.
“Quite ironic, if not sarcastic, which I’m sure British people love.”
Revo Salmon is now available in the UK via GreenBay.
Vegan salmon and other UK fish alternatives
In recent years, the launch of plant-based fish has seen significant growth in the UK.
In addition, Derek Sarno’s Good Catch launched its fish-free range to Tesco, including ‘crab’ cakes and vegan tuna.
Other supermarkets such as Co-op, Aldi and M&S have also debuted delicious plant-based fish alternatives.
Whether Seaspricay or other vegan documentaries left you wanting to ditch the fish or you’re just simply ready to make the change to plant-based, there has never been an easier time to do so.


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Sarah Curran to leave My-wardrobe.com
Sarah Curran is to leave My-wardrobe.com, seven years after she set the company up.
The founder of the online fashion retailer is leaving the business to pursue other ventures.
"After seven-and-a-half years of launching and building My-wardrobe.com, I have taken the decision to leave the business as both founder and board member,” Curran said. “I'm extremely proud of where we have brought my-wardrobe.com - as one of the most respected online retailers - and I wish the team every success for the future."
My-wardrobe has also announced that it has secured new investment which will be used to fund the next phase of the company's website.
Chief executive David Worby said: “The company continues to enjoy tremendous support from both consumers and brands and I look forward to continuing our plans to connect with a global audience.”
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ROANOKE, Va. – Which came to downtown Roanoke first, the chicken or the egg?
“If you’re familiar with the market building, there’s a restaurant in here called Scrambled. Before an egg gets scrambled, it has to hatch. That’s why we’re here. This was the perfect opportunity for us to put our stamp here in the downtown area.”
Parry Restaurant Group already has its stamp on some Roanoke classics, including Tuco’s and Beamer’s, but they wanted to add something different.
The Hatch came to be less than a month ago. Owner, Jo Jo Soprano, says Roanokers are already flocking to favorites.
“The Hatch – believe it or not – our signature which is crispy fried chicken, house pickles, remoulade, and a pimento cheese that we make in house that we slap on there.”
In his words, “Cheese and chicken. You can’t go wrong.”
Another kitchen classic has become ‘The Soprano.’
“Fried chicken, some mozzarella on it, sauce and a little twist with some pepperoni.”
If you’re looking for something a little healthier or non-poultry, Soprano says there are other options.
“Vegetarian dishes. For instance, we had fried eggplant. And people pointed out, ‘Hey, why not do some fried green tomatoes?’”
A sign of a great restaurant is one that not only has great food but one that welcomes community feedback to its menu.
“People are used to the great quality and the great atmosphere when they come into a restaurant that we have.”
Soprano also says The Hatch plays off the charcuterie board trend with ‘The Hatch Board,’ which has everything from mac n’ cheese to corn on the cob.


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CRUS earnings call for the period ending December 28, 2019.
News & Analysis: Cirrus Logic
These two chipmakers could sustain their impressive run, thanks to new business from Apple.
A turnaround in the fortunes of its largest customer could send this chip stock higher this year.
The audio chip leader smashed Wall Street's estimates on strong demand.
The audio chipmaker’s “best in breed” business looks solid -- but its stock could be running out of room to run.
Trade worries sent major benchmarks lower, but these stocks fought the tide.
Demand for the chip company's products was much stronger than expected.
CRUS earnings call for the period ending September 28, 2019.
The audio-chip specialist is showing signs of a turnaround, but there's something that investors need to keep in mind.
A tough smartphone market is hurting the top line, but Cirrus still managed to boost earnings.


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Kolkata, Feb 9: Consumer durable major Godrej Appliances expect Rs 1,400 crore revenue this fiscal recording a 30 per cent surge.
The company had earned a revenue of Rs 1,100 crore last year. The refrigerator segment alone accounted for 60 per cent of the total earnings. Last year, the company earned a revenue of Rs 1,100 crore with refrigerator segment accounting for 60 per cent of it, Chief Operating Officer (Appliances Division) George Menezes today said.
Speaking at the launch of 'Edge Range of Direct Cool refrigerators here, Mr Menzes said the company had targeted a 40 per cent increase in the total revenue in the next fiscal.
Mr Menezes said the all-India refrigerator market recorded a growth of 13.3 per cent during January-December,2006-07, of which the larger direct cool segment increased by 6.7 per cent and the frost-free by 31.4 per cent.
"Godrej, on the other hand, grew by more than 30 per cent in both the direct cool and frost free segments in the country," he said.
In West Bengal, while the refrigerator category grew by 12 per cent, Godrej recorded double the industry growth at 26 per cent, he said.


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SOYANG Europe is delighted to kick off a series of free regional roadshows at Premiership football clubs across the UK, starting with Manchester United on 27th January 2016.
Learn more >
That is why it is stated often that consistent advertising ensures a cumulative effect. The more familiar buyers are with a brand, the more likely they would buy it. That is why print media advertising will never be out of fashion.


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Kevin Durant and Nike have come together for a lifetime endorsement contract, making Durant just the third NBA player to receive a deal of this size; Michael Jordan and LeBron James are the other two players with deals.
The Phoenix Suns’ 13-time All-Star player has had an ongoing relationship with Nike since around 2007; the two have released 15 different sets of shoes with a 16th set on the way.
“When I first signed with Nike, I couldn’t have dreamed of how far we’d go in this partnership,” Durant said in a statement.
“We’ve done amazing work creatively and philanthropically. We’ve traveled the world together and built a business that will now last forever. I’m excited for the future and honored to be in rare company with this deal.”
According to both parties, the lifetime deal will include apparel such as shoes, along with other “community and philanthropic collaboration focused on grassroots basketball.”
According to Durant, “It means a lot man, it’s a dream come true. It’s something that I’ve been working towards since I was a kid and having a partnership with Nike. To be in that company is a blessing. Looking forward to what we can do in the future.”
Durant’s time in the NBA has been multifaceted, playing for Seattle, to Oklahoma City, to Golden State, to Brooklyn, and now to Phoenix. As a 19-year-old entering into the NBA in 2007, Durant claims he always knew he would find success thanks to his hard work and dedication.
“I did think that if I stay focused and stay locked in to what I know I can do, I could do some big things and I can have a huge partner like Nike,” Durant said.
“It’s just a matter of staying focused and having that endurance to keep getting up and doing this every day. So yeah, I had confidence that I could do so. But I had to put in a lot of work to get here.”
Durant joined the Phoenix Suns in a midseason trade with the Brooklyn Nets.
John Slusher, the Nike executive vice president of global marketing, stated that “as one of the best basketball players in the world, Kevin Durant has been an important part of the Nike family for the past 16 years.”
“We look forward to continuing to serve the next generation of athletes together,” Slusher concluded.
Eric Mastrota is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. A graduate of SUNY New Paltz, he reports on world news, culture, and lifestyle. You can reach him at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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SonyLIV bets on rural audience to fuel next phase of growth
MUMBAI: As it completes five years, Sony Pictures Networks India’s (SPN) video streaming platform SonyLIV’s focus going forward is to reach out to rural audiences through acquisition and curation of regional content.
The VoD platform feels that the next wave of consumption will come from rural audiences due to growing smartphone penetration and falling data costs.
SonyLIV also said that it is building an app environment for lower bandwidth consumption. It is taking strict measure and working closely with all partners to ensure no ad frauds happen while also ensuring brand safety.
Launched in January 2013, the VoD platform has completed five years this month. Over the last five years, SonyLIV has grown with the digital ecosystem and garnered key insights on the rise of video content, engaging mobile experience, the power of choice to the consumer, transformation in payment mechanisms, data science, and machine learning to better understand consumer behaviour better.
Aligned with its vision of transforming the VoD space with edgy, relatable and top-notch content, SonyLIV has many firsts to its credit. Through the journey of 5 years, SonyLIV has not only introduced new content formats like original web-series, including those in regional languages but also established a presence in top Indian metros.
SonyLIV also went beyond the ordinary entertainment and became the first OTT player to have over 4000 hours of food content and over 3000+ live matches and 4000+ hours of football action among other content. It has also enriched viewer experience by launching many contextual short films that not only entertain but also mirror trends in society.
SonyLIV is home to the widest range of sporting properties including cricket, football, tennis, WWE, UFC, Basketball and much more.
Commenting on the five years of SonyLIV, SPNI EVP and head digital business Uday Sodhi said, “We take immense pride in the fact that we introduced OTT to India. Over the 5 years, we have learned, grown and been a vital part of building the digital ecosystem in our country. Post the launch of SonyLIV, we have seen a number of home-grown players enter the field along with some international heavyweights.
“The presence of all these players has further helped increase awareness about OTT as a platform among Indians and created a competitive environment that is beneficial to the industry as a whole. On our 5th anniversary, we would like to thank our viewers, advertisers, and partners for being part of this remarkable journey and take this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment towards providing great content and a supreme digital viewing experience. We LIV to Entertain and we will continue to entertain.”


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Guys, I love junk food. My Salon "brand" is to judge fast food conglomerates for poisoning millions of people until they die from heart disease and stuff, and yeah, I'm still of the mind that these companies are basically evil. But also it's nearly 4 p.m. and I want a snack so much. And that's why I'm having trouble mustering the requisite outrage for Little Caesars' Bacon-Wrapped Crust Deep! Deep! Dish Pizza. Double the depth of a normal Deep! dish, we're guessing.
afternoon snack village banquet is wrapped in three-and-a-half feet of bacon and caramelized cheese edges and will cost $12 once it goes on sale on Monday, February 23. One slice will cost you 450 calories, 23 grams of fat, 830 milligrams of sodium and 40 milligrams of cholesterol.
This crust will replace Little Caesars' questionable Soft Pretzel Crust promotion.
USA Today's Bruce Horovitz reports that this actually needed some development:
The concept, says [CEO David] Scrivano, came from Little Caesars' R&D team. A team member was dining out a few years ago and ordered a bacon-wrapped filet. That dining experience spurred the team to figure out a way to wrap bacon around the pizza crust, he says.
"Every time you take a bite out of the crust, you'll get bacon," said Scrivano, stating the painfully obvious. But this shouldn't alienate health-conscious Little Caesars patrons, he stressed. "You can always get a plain, cheese pizza or a veggie pizza," he continued. "This is a more indulgent offering for a demographic that craves premium quality."
And you know what? I am that demographic :(.


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The amendment to the North American Free Trade Agreement is being heralded by President Donald Trump as an achievement that overrides the previous trilateral pact that governs $1 trillion of trade between the United States, Mexico and Canada. However, the latest development leaves a number of issues unaddressed, notwithstanding America's trade deficit. The deal may have far reaching reverberations for the global economy and trade relations.
The “preliminary” agreement between Mexico and the US announced late on Monday implements changes to the 24-year-old Nafta with respect to cars, intellectual property, labour, digital trade and manufacturing. There is also an understanding that the new agreement will be reviewed every six years as opposed to a sunset clause that would have terminated the accord after five years.
The revised deal increases the regional vehicle production threshold from the US and Mexico to 75 per cent from 62.5 per cent originally prescribed in the 1994 Nafta agreement. The bilateral understanding also stipulates that as much as 45 per cent of car parts be made by workers earning at least $16 an hour, according to a statement from the US Trade Representative.
“There are some areas where the deal stands to be updated, notably on rules of origin, labour rights, wage minimums, intellectual property protection and digital trade,” said Cailin Birch, a senior commodities analyst with the Economist Intelligence Unit.
“While some revisions in these areas could actually help to modernise the deal, the US’s unilateral approach to this negotiation reflects a broader trend – that the US is gradually drawing back from multilateral co-operation, when it perceives this as not being on its own terms,” she said.
Markets and currencies reacted favourably to the news with the S&P 500 closing under 2,900 and the Nasdaq surging above 8,000, while Mexican peso and Canadian dollar rallied. However, the implications beyond the short-term don't bode well for global trade relations.
"This news looks rather like one of the few sunny days during the hurricane season," foreign exchange broker FxPro said. "It is increasingly likely that we will see a renewed pressure on Canada. In addition, having tasted the sense of victory in trade disputes, the Americans are unlikely to soften their rhetoric with Europe and China."
Mr Trump wasted no time in heralding the accord as a "big day for trade", however, trade unions held back from giving a full endorsement. Canada is yet to sign on and showed little enthusiasm that it is willing to acquiesce to US pressure.
“Global trade tensions have undoubtedly been the most significant source of risk in 2018,” said Hussein Sayed, chief market strategist at FXTM.
“Although investors finally see the light at the end of the dark tunnel, when it comes to China the tunnel may prove to be too long with lots of bumps along the way. However, it’s Canada what investors will be watching next,” he said.
The US and China have levied tariffs on each other this month. The $16 billion worth of duty on Chinese imports is minuscule next to Mr Trump's threat to raise tariffs on $200bn of Chinese goods, which he maintains will narrow the trade deficit with the world's second largest economy. Low inflation, a fast growing economy and a strong dollar have helped little in narrowing the gap.
The US trade deficit expanded in June for the first time in four months as imports rose and the value of exports dropped amid the escalating dispute with its trade partners.
Mr Trump has persistently used the trade deficit argument as an excuse to levy tariffs and renegotiate trade agreements.
“The US administration has a strong ideological desire to reduce the trade deficit which it believes results from unfair trade practices,” said Gregory Daco, head of US economics at Oxford Economics. “However, a renegotiated Nafta will not do much to the trade deficit as it is primarily driven by net domestic savings in the US which are likely to continue falling.”


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Walk into most any Toronto dispensary and you’ll see a long glass display case full of individually wrapped cookies, brownies, gummies and other sweet snacks. Most of them look like something out of J.K. Rowling’s Honeydukes candy store.
Many patients prefer to ingest cannabis as opposed to smoking for health reasons. But, not surprisingly, this method has its critics, too. At the top of their list is the concern that these "treats" will look appealing to children.
But this week, people are talking about another concern: that there’s maybe not enough THC in these products. The Globe and Mail had a collection of edibles from various Toronto dispensaries tested at a Health Canada-certified lab, and they reported last week that there was significantly less THC in the snacks than claimed. A cake pop, for example, which was purported to have 90 milligrams of THC actually contained only a fifth that amount, and a freezie whose packaging promised 60 mg had less than 20 mg.
Civilized reached out to some dispensaries to see what staff thought about the investigation, and whether they thought it was necessary to test each individual medicated treat.
Todd Douglas runs The Rolling Buds dispensary (which is currently closed due to rumours of further police raids), and he says testing is paramount.
“I think testing does matter, especially when you have a new industry opening up,” Douglas tells us. “You’re going to have a lot of people without edibles experience. In that situation, it’s good to err on that side of caution.”
He stresses that a 50 mg edible could put one person out of commission, whereas another might not even feel high.
“To be honest, I think it’s always important to know what you’re consuming,” he says. “With edibles, it’s tricky because they affect people in so many different ways. To me, strain specificity isn’t as important as knowing if it’s going to be a strong dose or a light dose.”
A staff member at Kensington Market’s Canadian Benevolent Dispensary, who chose to remain anonymous, also said that he advocates for testing. (This person refused to give his name due to fears of being charged. Seven other Toronto dispensaries either declined or refused to return our request for comment.)
If people need edibles for pain management and there’s not as much THC as the packaging claims, they may find themselves still in pain, and also out the cost of the edible.
“It has to be regulated,” the dispensary staffer told us. “People have to know how much THC they’re getting. Some patients really need these edibles.”
Ideally, he says, staff feel that every edible sold, even ones from third party suppliers, should be tested for accuracy and sold with clear and correct labeling.
Douglas agrees. “There needs to be some kind of quality control and testing. I don’t think any dispensary should be selling any edible made by some random person in their basement.” He says food safety standards should apply just as they do for any other food sold in the province.
“We’re talking about stuff that we’re consuming. Even with smoking, I think it’s good to know what kind of fertilizers are being used, whether there’s any mould in the product. It’s going to help everyone if there are standards in this industry.”


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Webinar: Leading the way in replacing animal protein
In an exciting webinar on 1 December, WUR researchers Ingrid van der Meer and Atze-Jan van der Goot introduced us to different approaches to replace animal protein in our diets.
It is no secret that the production of meat and other animal-based products has a dramatic impact on the environment. As the consumption of these products rises with the living standards, the need to reorient our diets to more sustainable plant-based products is stronger than ever. However, this is easier said than done, especially with regards to protein intake. Substituting animal-based protein is one of the big challenges of our time. During the webinar “Leading the way in replacing animal protein” on 1 December, researchers Ingrid van der Meer and Atze-Jan van der Goot from Wageningen University & Research (WUR) presented two approaches to solve this problem: the discovery of new sources of protein and the development of plant-based meat analogues closely resembling the texture of meat.
Duckweed: a new source of protein
Ingrid is an expert on duckweed, or water lentils. “It’s the smallest existing flowering plant and can be found anywhere in the world”, she explained “and it reproduces by budding, leading to exponential growth and an incredible yield in biomass”. On top of this, duckweed is made up of around 40% of protein and contains high levels of vitamins and antioxidant nutrients. Exponential growth combined with high protein content make duckweed an extremely promising source of protein that could produce 6 times more protein per hectare compared to soy. “The biggest hurdle to overcome so far has been the legislation, as the requirements of the European food safety authority (EFSA) are very strict on novel foods. It took us 6 years to gather all the information that EFSA requires”. Finally, Ingrid and her colleague were able to show that water lentils are absolutely safe for consumers and that their protein are highly digestible. Water lentils also passed the taste test: chefs find them easy to include in several recipes and consumers showed to like them just as much as other leafy vegetables such as spinach. “It has a slight nutty flavor and a nice bite to it, even when it’s boiled”, explained Ingrid.
So, when will water lentils be finally available to consumers in Europe? “We expect to receive the final approval from EFSA in about 8 months. After that, companies will be able to begin production so we expect that it should take at least a year for consumers to be able to buy it”.
Juicy plant steaks: the future of meat replacements
Atze-Jan, on the other hand, is an expert in the production of meat replacements that closely resemble the texture of meat thanks to the innovative shear cell technology developed by his research group. “There are two categories of meat analogues available on the market: minced products such as burgers and schnitzels and whole cuts. These whole cuts, however, are very small. They can replace products such as chicken bites but not a whole steak. The shear cell technology that we developed offers something that is not yet available on the market: the creation of a whole cut of meat-like product of up to 7 kg in one step without the use of gluing agents”. Importantly, this innovative technology offers great scalability potential. “It can be scaled up for industrial production, but it could also remain at a small enough scale to be used in the retail sector, by restaurants and kitchens in hospitals”. When asked about the sustainability aspect of the shear cell technology, Atze-Jan noted that the biggest impact is associated with the raw ingredients used to produce the meat analogue. “Soy, peas and wheat are dominating the market for vegetable protein in this sector”, he explains. However, his team is also exploring the potential of alternative sources such as rapeseed, sunflower seed and green biomass.
This provided an exciting overview on the work that is being done in replacing animal protein in our diets. It’s a process that starts with the discovery of new sources of proteins such as duckweed, but it doesn’t end there. These proteins have to be made available to the consumer in an appealing way, for example through the development of a delicious meat-like product. Do you have a great idea that could change the way in which we think about protein in our diets? The ReThink Protein Challenge’2 will give you the opportunity to translate your idea into reality! Learn more.


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President Trump to Bob Iger, “You never apologized to me!”
President Donald Trump has broken his silence on the cancellation of “Roseanne.”
Wednesday, in a Tweet, President Trump noted that Robert Iger, CEO of ABC’s parent Walt Disney Co., (NYSE:DIS) called Valerie Jarrett to say the network wouldnont tolerate Roseanne Barr’s racist Tweet about the former Hussein Obama White House adviser.
President Trump wrote that Mr. Iger never called him to apologize for “the HORRIBLE statements” that have been said about him on ABC. Tweeted Trump: “Maybe I just didn’t get the call.”
The President reveled in the show’s success this spring, especially after Ms. Barr’s character came out as a supporter of his policies.
Note: A few years after NBC cancelled “The Apprentice” Donald Trump was elected President of the United States.
The Big Q: What’s next for Rosanne Barr?
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A group of investors are planning to bid about 1.7 billion euros ($2.5 billion) for sports-goods giant Adidas' Reebok unit, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter.
Jynwel Capital, a Hong Kong-based private-equity investor, and funds affiliated with the government of Abu Dhabi plan to make an offer to Adidas's directors "imminently," the report said. It isn't clear how the German company will respond, the Journal said.
Adidas cut its full-year profit forecast in July amid competition from Nike and smaller rival Under Armour, and a declining market for golf gear. The depreciation of the ruble has also weighed on earnings, as Russia and neighboring countries make up more than 13 per cent of the company's sales. The German sporting-goods maker bought Reebok for $US3.8 billion in 2006 to compete against Nike in the US, which accounts for almost a quarter of its revenue.
Nike replaced Reebok as the US National Football League's apparel supplier in 2012, leading to a cut in its sales forecast. Adidas has declined 41 per cent in German trading this year amid falling North American revenue, making it the worst-performing stock in the country's benchmark 30-stock DAX Index, which is down 7.4 per cent for the year.
It's unclear which Abu Dhabi fund would join Jynwel in its Reebok bid, the report said. The investor group plans to continue Reebok's current strategy and provide more financing for marketing and new stores. It would also keep Reebok's executives, the report said, citing the people familiar with the matter. The group first approached Reebok's management about making an investment late last year, according to the Journal.


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Government and tobacco control
By Umesh Moramudali
Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne is soon to present a Cabinet proposal to ban the sale of loose cigarettes with the objective of reducing tobacco consumption. According to
Dr. Senaratne the proposal is one among few initiatives of the government to reduce the adverse impacts of smoking. According to rough estimates nearly 20,000 deaths occur annually due to smoking in Sri Lanka. More often than not, smoking has an impact on disabilities and non-communicable diseases mainly oral and lung cancers.
In addition, research findings have revealed that smoking also increases the risk of death from communicable diseases as well.
The proposal to ban the sale of loose cigarettes was brought up by the Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) among few other proposals including the amending of the National Authority on Tobacco & Alcohol (NATA) Act in a bid to discourage cigarette consumption.
Will it reduce consumption?
People smoke for various reasons and more often than not it is considered an addiction. As a result, the response of cigarette consumption to a price change is not much significant.
Alcohol and Drug Information Centre (ADIC) Executive Director, Pubudu Sumanasekara noted that according to the research done in low and middle income families, the price of cigarettes is a major component that affects the buying behaviour hence the companies always try their best to keep tobacco prices according to purchasing power.
"Among smokers all over the world there is a trend to reduce consumption or quit the habit. However, when it comes to the case of purchasing a whole packet the consumer will be reluctant owing to the huge cost involved. And in countries such as Sri Lanka the majority of tobacco users purchase loose cigarettes since a large majority belong to the low income group", he said.
Sumanasekara added that the current proposal of banning the sale of loose cigarettes has two effects. Firstly those in the low income group will be discouraged owing to the cost involved and the other is that potential future smokers will have a re-think.
However, tobacco consumers think otherwise. One user who did not wish to be named said as a solution several persons will have to pool the money and purchase a packet of cigarettes. While admitting that he is addicted to smoking, he added that the habit helps him to relax, release stress and increase the level of concentration. Therefore the consumption of cigarettes is essential for him.
Another user is of the belief that if the ban of selling loose cigarettes is introduced then smaller packets will be made available at an affordable price.
"I assume that there will be packets containing six cigarettes which are affordable to me and my friends", he added
However, the General Secretary of the GMOA Dr. Naveen de Soysa insists that packets that contain only 20 cigarettes should be made available in the market and nothing less.
"A packet containing 20 cigarettes will cost more than Rs 1,000 which is difficult for an average person to afford. We also suggested issuing a licence to all outlets trading in tobacco products," he said.
No. 3 of Article 16 in the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) suggests that if countries put a total ban on the sale of tobacco products it will discourage minors. ADIC strongly believes that the suggested regulation will reduce a large number from consuming cigarettes and other tobacco products.
"I cannot afford Rs 1,000 for a cigarette packet,therefore I will have no option but to reduce," another user said.
Black market is possible
However, the ban on selling loose cigarette creates an opportunity for a black market. When the cigarettes are not available users will seek alternative ways to purchase cigarettes. However, ADIC as well as the GMOA is of the view that the government should have a strong mechanism to curtail such possibilities.
"When implementing these kinds of rules the industry generally brings forward arguments which are not scientifically proved. One potential argument is that it will increase the sale of illegal cigarettes and other cheap products such as beedi, etc.
However, the import and sale of illegal tobacco products should be controlled by the Customs authorities", Sumanasekera noted.
He added that the other argument is that the sale and consumption of local tobacco products such as beedi will increase. But according to scientific research this has never been the case, he said.
When the price of quality tobacco products increases, users then tend towards substitutes such as the beedi which is widely regarded as a ready substitute.
He stressed that even though the price of cigarettes had increased the consumption of beedi and other substitutes had not increased. There is no co-relation between cigarette prices and beedi consumption.
According to ADIC the local Beedi is manufactured with the Tendu leaf imported from India and although the price of cigarettes had increased, there has been no significant increase in the import of the Tendu leaf from India from the period between 1992 and 2015.
The government has been implementing many proposals aimed at reducing the consumption of cigarettes and other tobacco products and towards this end, heavy taxes were imposed on the industry.
ADIC noted, it requires minimum one year to see the impact following a price increase. According to the research in Taiwan, it found that such regulations brought in a favourable response. Male smokers who had no income and used light cigarettes were found to be more responsive to changes in the prices. Cigarettes which are labelled as Light, Mild or Low-Tar, are considered to have a lighter, less pronounced flavour than regular cigarettes. These cigarette brands may also contain lower levels of tar, nicotine, or other chemicals and help reduce smoking-related illnesses.
"Research in other countries confirmed that when the prices of tobacco products increase smokers use less of the dangerous brands or quit altogether. Article 6 of the FCTC also encourages the increases in prices of tobacco products.
Excise tax should be revised often enough to increase the price of tobacco products making them less affordable to users. FCTC findings further proved that owing to the increase in the prices of tobacco products there has been a decline in consumption.According to recent surveys conducted in July 2016 by ADIC, 70.5% of those interviewed were in favour for the raise in the price of tobacco products", opined Director Pubudu Sumanasekara.
Large tax revenue
The government claims its fight against the consumption of alcohol and cigarettes has brought in a substantial increase in revenue through taxes imposed on both industries.
Accordingly, in 2017, the excise duty revenue from tobacco products is expected to increase by Rs 15 billion. The government also expects to raise Rs 500 million from excise taxes imposed on liquor. In total, the government will raise Rs 280.5 billion through excise duty imposed on alcohol and tobacco which is approximately 15 per cent of the total tax revenue.
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Bank of England governor-elect Mark Carney is making every effort to sound credibly irresponsible.
But will he be?
Late last year, Mr. Carney made waves by seemingly arguing the case for central banks to target nominal gross domestic product growth rather than inflation when interest rates hit the zero lower bound and economies still need stimulus.
Over the weekend, the current governor of the Bank of Canada made clear that, once he takes over as head of the BoE, he is ready to keep injecting unconventional monetary medicine until the economy hits escape velocity. This suggests yet more quantitative easing and possibly a promise to keep doing it for, say, another couple of years, come what may.
In other words, credibly irresponsible.
One of the major problems central banks bump up against in dealing with the after-effects of the financial crisis is that their inflation fighting of the past three decades has been all too successful. People have come to believe, indeed to be certain, that central banks will do everything they possibly can to contain inflation once it starts showing up. And central bankers are certain they can do it. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said publicly that he was “100% certain” he’d be able to control inflation.
Given the widespread belief that inflation is ultimately in central bankers’ control–whether this is correct or not–and that central bankers will do everything possible to maintain price stability, people will prefer to hold on to cash rather than spend it or invest it in a risky world.
Central bankers need to make people believe that one of the risks they face is high and rising inflation in order to get them circulating money into consumption and investments that offer returns that offset this inflation risk.
Mr. Carney comes with three advantages.
One, Britons can’t be sure how responsible or irresponsible he might be with respect to future inflation. Mr. Carney is, after all, both a foreigner and young enough not to have direct personal experience of the pain of 1970s inflation (unless he was a particularly precocious primary school pupil).
Two, the Bank of England has already shown its willingness to ignore its 2% inflation target for long periods. Consumer price inflation has averaged 3% during the past five years.
And three, it is becoming clear that the U.K. economy is structurally prone to inflation. Sterling’s 2007 and 2008 devaluation fed more directly into inflation than the Bank of England had calculated. Inflation has been strong despite a large post-crisis output gap. And non-traded components of inflation, particularly services, have been sticky.
All of these factors suggest it shouldn’t be hard to convince households and consumers that the BoE under Mr. Carney will be willing to revert to the traditional British solution for difficult economic times: inflate your troubles away.
But is it right?
Mr. Carney is undoubtedly committed to getting the U.K. growing again. But he’s also a traditional central banker and would be unlikely to welcome a return to 1970s-style inflation.
So he’s likely to be willing to see another burst of inflation to around 5% but then want to pull it back to target over the medium term of say, three to four years.
But in doing so, he’s likely to overestimate the BoE’s inflation-fighting willpower in the context of a highly overleveraged economy and large government deficits. He may not want a return to the 70s, but he’ll consider that the lesser of two evils when the alternative is depression.
Bear in mind that although he’s well regarded for pulling Canada out of a deep slump following the financial crisis, he also turned a blind eye to the country’s housing bubble. And that’s a bill yet to be paid.


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Articles By Alistair Charlton
Alistair Charlton looks at four women in technology paving the way for a change in the gender balance in business.
Photos of the Samsung Galaxy S4 have appeared online, showing a 5in screen and quad-core processor.
Taiwanese company Hon Hai will not be completing its £530m investment for 9.9 percent in Japanese TV manufacturer Sharp.
Google Maps faces German ban if patent infringement judge rules in Microsoft's favour.
Google-owned Motorola Mobility lays off 10% of workforce as restructuring efforts continue.
New look promised for Facebook News Feed with 'richer, more photo-centric experience' on mobile and web.
An Apple patent details system whereby users can gift and sell second hand iTunes and iBooks content.
The TDK Sound Cube is a Bluetooth speaker that can stream music from your iPhone or Android device.
LG's 55in OLED television can be now pre-ordered from Harrods for £10,000 - deliveries starting in July.
Nokia has sided with Apple in Samsung legal battle, stating to US court sales injunctions on infringing products should be allowed.


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NAJA Announces Annual Winter ACE Conference
The National Association of Jewelry Appraisers (NAJA) has announced that its 53rd Annual Winter ACE Education Conference (ACE stands for “appraisers continuing education”) will be held in Tucson, Feb. 2–3, 2020.
The conference features an itinerary of programs ranging from identifying Whitby jet and Victorian-era simulants and understanding and assigning value to hand engraving to topics such as identifying tourmaline and garnets and the facts on lab-grown diamonds.
For the full schedule and more information, visit najaapparaisers.com.
Uneek’s Every Love Is Uneek Campaign
Los Angeles–based jeweler Uneek introduced a new video for its campaign, Every Love Is Uneek. The 60-second video depicts a couple’s engagement and features jewelry from the brand.
Seen on film is Uneek’s 10 ct. cushion-cut engagement ring in a rose gold-accented setting with white and pink pavé diamonds as well as a blue sapphire ring from the jeweler’s Royal Blue collection. “The film brings out the emotions of a special moment that inspire me to design one-of-a-kind pieces that come to life,” said Uneek founder Benjamin Javaheri, in a statement.
To watch the film, visit uneekjewelry.com.
(Image via: NAJA)Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Twitter: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine


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With entries coming from as far as Australia, the Philippines, South Africa, Japan and South Korea, this year,s World Marmalade Awards have been hailed a success.
More than 2,000 jars were sent in by amateur marmalade-makers to the event at Dalemain, near Penrith.
This year has also seen an increased number of artisan marmalade entries compared to last year, a sign organisers claim, shows the awards are now setting the standard for marmalade both nationally and internationally.
The award winners were revealed yesterday, 1 March, at 11am .
The artisan marmalade maker awarded Double Gold will be offered the opportunity to sell their wares at Fortnum & Mason.
"Yet again we have been amazed by the enthusiasm and support of marmalade-makers all over the world for this wonderful competition. We look forward to welcoming people to Dalemain over the festival to celebrate this great preserve. We must also look to the future and make sure that the Seville oranges of Seville continue to be grown for this ever increasing market."
More top news
Constable Dave Cameron tackled a man who was using a metre-long Samurai sword to threaten people and smash vehicles.
Dumfries and Galloway chef, Ian McAndrew, receives his second accolade - 36 years after becoming Britain's youngest Michelin starred chef.
A look ahead at the foercast for the Border region.


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Lost Soul Aside developer Ultizero Games has provided a small update for the fans of the China Hero Project JRPG.
According to an announcement made on Twitter, the game won’t appear at ChinaJoy, which is currently being hosted.
That being said, development is proceeding smoothly and there’s a “big chance” that we’ll hear about the game before the end of 2022.
You can check out the tweet below.
If you’re unfamiliar with Lost Soul Aside, it was revealed back in 2016 as a solo project by indie developer Yang Bing, and it immediately drew attention from the industry due to its impressive visuals and animation.
The developer then went on to form Ultizero Games to continue the project under the umbrella of Sony’s China Hero Project.
Through the years, the studio has showcased new builds that were as impressive as the game’s media debut, and some were even playable at events.
That being said, reveals have been separated by long periods of silence, which has made some worry about the game, so it’s nice to hear that things are going smoothly.
At the moment, Lost Soul Aside doesn’t have a release date, but we know that it’s coming at least for PS5 and PS4.