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Big Iron Dealer
Isuzu adds more power to Class 6 FTR, new FVR model
The company believes the Cummins B6.7 will appeal more broadly to fleets that need more power.
February 12, 2021
Mack makes driver-activated OTA updates standard on select models
The driver download activation feature is factory-equipped on models built beginning Nov. 30, 2020 at Lehigh Valley Operations, in Macungie, Pennsylvania.
January 14, 2021
CM Truck Beds unveils new Gen 2 SB Service Body
CM Truck Beds announced its new Gen 2 SB Service Body this week. Building on the legacy of its popular SB model, CM added several upgrades to make the new SB even better suited to users’ needs. “We’re pleased to debut the next generation of our hardworking service body model: The Gen 2 SB,” said […]
January 13, 2021
Rugged Meets Refinement In the New HX Series: The First "Project Compass" Work Trucks
First launched in 2016, the HX Series has gotten its first refresh with improvements to durability, comfort and safety. Check it out.
February 10, 2021
Test drive: Western Star’s all-new 49X
Western Star's all-new 49X heavy-duty durability with added driver comfort and ergonomics. Check out all the vocational truck has to offer right here.
November 12, 2020
Don’t Miss Out
Get the business tips, industry insights and trending news every contractor needs to know in the
Ford adds standard PTO on new F-600
The PTO provision works with aftermarket power takeoff units to drive auxiliary equipment anytime the engine is running.
December 18, 2020
Zero-emissions trucks are coming ‘one way or another’
The 2021 model year represents the first phase of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Phase 2 emissions requirements, new measures that step up from the current level – which were enacted for the 2017 model year – and increase incrementally in model-year 2024 before phasing in completely by model-year 2027. Once fully phased-in, according to the Environmental […]
November 27, 2020
Latest heavy truck advances all about comfort, configurability and driver assistance
Equipment World dives into heavy-truck advancements in electronic safety features, steering, drivetrain integration, chassis and body integration. Details here.
November 19, 2020
Volkswagen to acquire International Truck parent Navistar for $3.7 billion
After nearly 10 months on the table, and with mutual interest surviving a global pandemic that saw truck orders slump to record lows for two consecutive months, Volkwagen’s commercial truck business, Traton, is set to acquire Navistar for nearly $3.7 billion.
October 21, 2020
CM Truck Beds intros turnkey Hotshot truck body
CM Truck Beds recently unveiled its specialized Hotshot model which is rated to tow up to 30,000 pounds. This single-piece steel truck body is designed for ultimate strength and durability, with the industry’s best hauling capacity and an array of standard features that deliver convenience, safety and ease for hotshot truck drivers. “For hotshotters looking […]
October 9, 2020
Mack Begins Production of New MD Series Trucks
Following a delay due to the coronavirus outbreak earlier this year, Mack Trucks’ all-new MD Series line of medium-duty trucks entered production this month at the company’s new Roanoke Valley Operations (RVO) facility in the Roanoke Valley, Virginia. Mack—celebrating its 120th anniversary this year—announced its re-entry into the medium-duty market in January but was forced […]
September 28, 2020
Tesla: New Battery Tech Will Provide Big Range Boost, Cost Savings
For fleets thinking ‘range is the bane’ when it comes to electric trucks, Tesla predicted a range increase of up to 54% during its recent 2020 Annual Shareholder Meeting and Battery Day event in Fremont, Calif. Shareholders attended in person while staying socially distanced by watching from their Tesla vehicles in a parking lot near […]
September 24, 2020
Nikola founder steps down as questions swirl around electric powertrain tech
Nikola Motor Company founder Trevor Milton announced Monday morning that he would step down as executive chairman of his Phoenix, Arizona-based hydrogen-electric upstart amid a firestorm of criticism sparked by a skeptical stock short-seller and subsequent inquiry from the Securities and Exchange Commission. “The focus should be on the company and its world changing mission,” […]
September 21, 2020
VMAC’s improved throttle control brings variable air flow to updated DTM70-H multi-power PTO system
VMAC just made its direct-connected DTM70-H multi-power PTO system for Ford work trucks even better with the addition of variable on-demand air flow. The DTM70-H was introduced back in 2017 as the first hydraulics and compressed air PTO system that uses a direct-drive connection. Unlike shaft-driven PTO systems, the VMAC DTM70-H mounts directly to Ford’s […]
September 16, 2020
GM to build electric Nikola Badger pickup, provide Class 7/8 fuel cell tech in $2 billion stock deal
Nikola‘s plans to deliver an electric pickup truck are full steam ahead. However, the circumstances have changed slightly. Today Nikola and General Motors announced the formation of a strategic partnership that will see GM handle the production of Nikola’s upcoming Badger pickup in return for a $2 billion equity stake in Nikola. Under the agreement, […]
September 8, 2020
Kenworth T270, T370 medium duty trucks now available with a few new options
Kenworth has announced three new options for its Class 6 T270 and Class 7 T370 trucks. First up is an update to Kenworth’s 21,000-pound rated highway AG210L single-axle rear suspension. Kenworth says T270 and T370 models spec’ed out with the AG210L—a two-bag, rear air suspension with a trialing arm design—are now approved for use with a […]
August 26, 2020
Service Truck Survey: Are users interested in electrified powertrains?
Air compressor-equipped service trucks typically are Class 2 and 3 trucks that are replaced every 3 to 9 years, according to a survey conducted by air compressor manufacturer VMAC. When asked their power preference for future service truck buys, respondents overwhelmingly voted for traditional sources, with diesel (70 percent) and gasoline (44 percent) coming in […]
August 17, 2020
Kenworth, Peterbilt stepping up fuel cell and electric truck production
Kenworth and Peterbilt parent company Paccar’s zero-emission trucks continue to go to work with at least 20 new trucks heading to California ports and two heading to Alaska. Paccar announced this week that Kenworth is delivering 10 hydrogen fuel cell Kenworth T680 trucks to several customers for field testing in the Port of Los Angeles. […]
July 27, 2020
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Video: Volvo Excavator Prototypes Reveal Formidable Strength in Electric Development
Amid a flurry of electric construction equipment news to start 2021, Volvo has introduced two battery-electric excavator prototypes that are different in more ways than one. We dig into those excavators and Volvo's electric advantage in this video.
How to Determine the Resale Value of Your Used Machine
Large and in Charge: This CTL Sets the New Standard For Kubota
The Latest Report Card For U.S. Roads Is In... And It's Not Pretty
Play some tunes, protect your ears with new ISOtunes ANSI-rated bluetooth headphones and earbuds
Equipment World Contractor of the Year
The Contractor of the Year contest recognizes contractors who have annual revenues of between $3 million and $15 million and exemplify the highest standards of construction professionals.
2021 Fleet Technology Trend Report
The latest Fleet Trends Report shows that fleets continued to leverage technology to build resilience and improve their business performance.


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Warren to Tap Former Credit Agency CEO for U.S. Consumer Bureau
Elizabeth Warren, the White House adviser charged with setting up the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, has hired Corey Stone to head a unit that will write rules for credit information firms.
Stone, 54, is the former chief executive of Pay Rent, Build Credit, Inc., a credit bureau designed to allow consumers to build credit histories by documenting rent and bill payment, rather than by incurring debt.
“I’m joining the CFPB. I’m excited about being here,” Stone said in a telephone interview, confirming the appointment.
The consumer bureau’s credit information markets unit would help write rules to regulate credit bureaus such as Equifax Inc., Experian Plc and TransUnion LLC, according to the agency’s draft organizational chart.
The office will play the same role for debt-collection companies such as Portfolio Recovery Associates Inc., Encore Capital Group Inc., Asta Funding Inc., Asset Acceptance Capital Corp.
Jennifer Howard, a spokeswoman for Warren, declined to comment.
Pay Rent, Build Credit, also known as PRBC, was sold to MicroBilt Corp. in 2008. Most recently, Stone has been a fellow at the Chicago-based Center for Financial Services Innovation, an industry- and foundation-funded institute that researches financial services for low-income consumers. He was appointed to the Federal Reserve’s Consumer Advisory Council in 2010.
Under the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act, the consumer bureau -- which is scheduled to officially start work in July -- is required to study the differences between reports provided to creditors and those provided to the consumers who are the subject of the reports. Prior to July, bureau employees are operating under the auspices of the Treasury Department.
To contact the reporter on this story: Carter Dougherty in Washington at email@example.com.

domain: news


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When Electronic Arts announced its intention to buyout Take-Two, the timing suggested that the gaming giant was attempting to capitalize on the inevitable success of Grand Theft Auto IV. But now that GTA IV has shipped, EA has said that this will not affect its plans to take over Take-Two at all.
"We believe our offer is based on the long-term valuation of the people and franchises that make up the TTWO—not a one-time event within an important franchise," EA's senior manager of Corporate Communications, Mariam Sughayer, told Kotaku. "In addition—we believe that TTWO's price prior to our offer already reflected that this would be a global blockbuster—the stock was trading at approximately $17."
So even though EA believes that GTA IV will be the top-selling game of this year, it in no way changes their plans. Take-Two shares are still selling at $26 (as of this morning) and, according to analyst Doug Creutz, sales of the blockbuster game will most likely have a very limited impact on the stock price, if any. "We continue to believe that the most likely outcome is a sale price in the $28-30 range, and do not believe that the success of GTA IV is likely to impact this meaningfully," Creutz said.
This story is clearly far from over, and Take-Two has said that it wouldn't enter discussions with EA until after GTA IV launches, meaning things are really just beginning.


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A.P.N.U Presidential Candidate, Brig. (ret) David Granger and A.P.N.U official, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine, accompanied by Executive Members of the Guyana Youth and Student Movement (GYSM), visited the Bourda and Stabroek Markets on Wednesday 27th July 2011. They distributed fliers and encouraged vendors and shoppers alike to attend the Rally planned for the Square of the Revolution on Friday 29th July 2011.
Both leaders were well received by vendors and shoppers who endorsed A Partnership for National Unity (A.P.N.U). Some vendors used that opportunity to register their complaints about several issues including high cost of living, low market standards and unsatisfactory vending conditions.
A.P.N.U Presidential Candidate Brigadier (ret) David Granger had met with some of the vendors on Tuesday 19th July 2011 who had expressed concerns about the conditions of the markets.
Mr. Granger had emphasized then that vendors played a vital role in the economy and they should be accommodated in improved premises. A.P.N.U has already committed to rebuilding the markets and making them more safe and convenient for both shoppers and vendors when elected as Guyana’s next Government.
Mr. Granger stated “when we get into Government we are going to provide markets that you can be proud of…we are going to rebuild our markets”.
A.P.N.U has invited all interested in national unity, and a good life to join its massive rally on the Square of the Revolution on Friday 29th July 2011. The public was asked to come out in their thousands to rally for change.


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The latest Financial News...
Iconic Gherkin tower in a pickle as owners drown in debt
The Gherkin, one of the most famous skyscrapers in the City of London, looks set to be sold after it was put into receivership.
Confidence returns to retailers as High Street sales rise for fifth consecutive month
The High Street has a 'spring in its step', according to the CBI, in further evidence the economy is roaring back to life.
RUTH SUNDERLAND: Standard Life is right to speak up over bonuses
Alison Kennedy deserves a medal for attacking excessive bonuses at Barclays, not the rebuke she received from departing pay committee chief Sir John Sunderland.


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The rise of cryptocurrencies has shone the spotlight on their underlying technology, which is known as the blockchain.
A wide number of startups are now pitching services using the technology, which is often touted as the next major development since the internet.
This trend was visible at a two-day blockchain conference in Tokyo last week that attracted nearly 100 firms, including many from overseas, who showcased a variety of products. Their offerings ranged from job matching platforms and cosplay ecosystems to health care services and even a smartphone handset.
Blockchains work using a peer-to-peer network that links people’s computers directly, without a central server, and keep a record of all transaction data from their creation. The data can be monitored by individuals, and people are incentivized to process transactions on the blockchain by contributing their computer processing power through the chance to earn cryptocurrencies, also known as tokens or coins, which are issued as a reward. The resulting transaction record makes falsification impossible in practice.
The technology is often seen as innovative due to its immunity from data falsification and the complete traceability of transactions, while the fact that it does not use a central server, it is argued, prevents a small number of gigantic firms from taking control over users’ personal data.
The startup Beepnow was introducing at the conference a blockchain-based platform to help freelancers and clients find appropriate jobs and workers.
With the existing systems used by job matching services, there is the risk that some freelancers might reset their account to eliminate bad evaluations. So “applying blockchain technology would improve the reliability on the (matching) platform,” said Beepnow CEO Alex Tsai.
From this fall Beepnow will issue its own digital token for sale, not only to raise funds for application development but also to realize a “token economy” — where payments between client firms and self-employed workers connected on the Beepnow blockchain can be completed within the platform, in the same way people exchange other cryptocurrencies.
Tokyo-based Cure Inc., which runs a cosplay community site called Cure WorldCosplay used by 720,000 cosplayers worldwide, is also aiming to utilize digital tokens to create a community-scale economy on a blockchain. In this case, it wants to create a virtual currency for cosplayers and fans.
The firm is preparing to offer Cosplay Tokens that cosplayers can receive as payment for their work, or which fans can use to support their favorite cosplayers.
Daisuke Nakagawa at Cure said the firm already has a user base numbering in the tens of thousands, so issuing its own token should fit well with its existing global cosplay community because the blockchain facilitates easy cross-border transactions.
The issuing of original digital tokens by companies has become a popular fundraising method known as an initial coin offering, or ICO. In such an offering investors use major cryptocurrencies such as bitcoins to purchase the company-issued original tokens, and the companies can then sell the more widely used coins to get cash. The method has become a money-making machine for blockchain startups, but has not been without its downside, with many such offerings turning out to be less than trustworthy.
For this reason, Nakagawa said, the trend may shift and firms that already have a user base of a certain size “will be more likely to offer tokens to incorporate and enhance their services with the blockchain technology” rather than just trying to raise funds.
Arda, a project by New Zealand-based Performance Lab, which has supported athletes for over 25 years with wearable devices, artificial intelligence and other technologies, will see the introduction of a token for wellness.
“Just because it’s a cryptocurrency doesn’t mean people want to use them,” said Angus Blair, chief product officer at the firm, emphasizing the importance of improving the user experience when applying blockchain technology.
Its fitness app, scheduled to debut this fall, seeks to motivate users to achieve their exercise goals by rewarding them with digital tokens, and they can also choose to sell their health data to other parties, such as insurance companies.
Blockchain technology is often hard for general consumers to understand, so the Israeli development team Sirin Labs is taking a different approach.
It came up with what they’ve called the world’s first blockchain smartphone, named Finney, which is scheduled to be released globally in October.
Powered by a custom-made operating system, apps for Finney — including communications functions — work with a blockchain to ensure greater security and prevent data leakage and hacking.
As well as including a built-in wallet function for major cryptocurrencies, the app store for the operating system will not charge fees to developers. By contrast, Apple and Google’s smartphone app stores take about 30 percent from app sales.
“The idea of Finney is to bridge the gap between the blockchain economy and the mass market,” said Nimrod May, chief marketing officer at Sirin Labs, adding that providing a device like a smartphone, which people use regularly, can bring them closer to the technology.
The two-day Tokyo conference, which ran through June 27, was one of the biggest blockchain events to be held in Japan.
By showcasing firms that are developing blockchain-related products other than cryptocurrencies, it was anticipated the event would “help promote understanding of the blockchain technology in Japan,” said Shinichiro Yoshida, representative of the event organizer, Global Blockchain Council.
According to Yoshida, nearly 70 of the around 100 enterprises gathered for the conference were from overseas.
Asked why he participated in the conference, Blair of Performance Lab said, “Tokyo is one of the most mature investment markets for cryptocurrency … We’re here to connect a community more, to understand more about their needs, so we can deliver a better product to the market.”
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By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.


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LG to commemorate Indian soldiers through its #KarSalaam initiative
LG Electronics India is going to celebrate the 69th Republic Year of the country, with the launch of the #KarSalaam initiative, dedicated to the Indian soldiers. The campaign invites the whole nation to come forward and send their wishes to the Indian Armed Forces. Last year also, LG Electronics India launched this campaign and contributed Rs.1 crore to CRPF Welfare Fund. A Guinness record was also made for "the longest line of sticky notes". These sticky notes were collected from across India where people wrote messages for the Armed Forces.
Through this initiave, LG will salute the soldiers’ spirit of selfless contribution and service towards the nation. Accordingly, the company will extend their support and solidarity to our soldiers who play a great role in ensuring that we lead a fearless and good life in this country.
Commenting on the campaign Rahul Tayal, Director – Strategic Business, said, "Last year’s response for Kar Salaam campaign was overwhelming. Continuing this great initiative, we would like to again invite people to express their feelings and gratitude for Armed Forces through digital and offline platforms. As a part of this nationwide campaign, LG Electronics will contribute a range of products to the martyrs’ families."
At the launch of this campaign, Amit Gujral, Head – Corporate Marketing, LG Electronics India, said, “We have received tremendous response for #KarSalaam last year, wherein it truly touched people’s hearts. This is a small step on behalf of LG for all those brave souls who are working extremely hard to keep our country and its citizens safe and secure. Kar Salaam is a platform to bring together the citizens of India to express their gratitude to our soldiers. The selfless devotion our armed forces calls for salutation and what could be a better occasion than this Republic Day. We invite everyone to pour their heart out and leave no barriers crossed to reach out to them. Let’s celebrate heroism, patriotism and a good life! #KarSalaam.”
LG will reach out to citizens through radio, on ground and digital communication to capture the video wishes of the citizens of India for the soldiers. The company also plans to invite people through social media platforms and encourage them to #KarSalaam (express their gratitude to the soldiers). All the citizens are invited to post their wishes for soldiers on www.lg.com/in/karsalaam.LG also seeks participation from the families of the soldiers to send their heartwarming messages to their near and dear ones, who brave all odds to protect our country.
Tags: LG, Indian soldiers, #KarSalaam initiative, 69th Republic day, LG Electronics India, #karsalaam campaign, Indian Armed Forces, CRPF Welfare Fund, Rahul Tayal lg, Amit Gujral Head Corporate Marketing LG Electronics India, varindia
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One down, one to go.
With the signing of the new USMCA trade agreement between the leaders of the United States, Mexico and Canada last week, one of the two largest hurdles facing Nebraska’s economy has been cleared.
In all honesty, little else beyond the name changed between President Donald Trump’s USMCA and the North American Free Trade Agreement he disparaged. But this isn’t time to worry about semantics – Nebraska’s agricultural and manufacturing industries needed market access to sell their goods to two largest international trading partners, our nation’s northern and southern neighbors.
Now, it’s time to tackle the other – tariffs.
Unfortunately, the agreed-upon framework of the pact allows for the U.S. to institute its “national security” tariffs on steel and aluminum. In response, allies turned to and continue to enforce retaliatory tariffs to punish the White House for its misguided, destructive choices.
As a result, Nebraskans lost. Big time.
A report from the Nebraska Farm Bureau found that tariffs instituted as a result of Trump’s actions directly cost Nebraska farmers and ranchers between $700 million and $1 billion in farm income. That’s before considering the $164 million to $242 million in labor income that stemmed from the loss of between 4,100 and 6,000 jobs.
For more than two years, Journal Star editorials have stressed the need for trade policy that will help those in Nebraska’s largest industry. Farmers and ranchers have already endured incomes halved within the decade, low commodity prices and ever-escalating property taxes.
Until recently, Trump -- who this week proclaimed himself "Tariffman" -- had failed to come through in any meaningful way, only exacerbating the pain felt in the ag economy. The trade deal will undoubtedly help to alleviate some pain, but permitting tariffs to continue allows governments to choose winners and losers – with ag producers still among the latter.
Nebraskans know what dangers tariffs pose to their economy, with Republicans such as Rep. Adrian Smith and Sen. Ben Sasse serving as vocal critics of such backward trade policy. They understand free markets promote innovation and prosperity. The rising tide of both lifts all boats in the end, even if thought it may churn up rough waters in certain fields for a time.
Tariffs, meanwhile, are essentially taxes that raise the price of goods for businesses and consumers. Customers in countries where American farm commodities were subject to tariffs unsurprisingly turned to buy products from suppliers in nations with lower barriers – which, as the Farm Bureau report demonstrated, had devastating consequences for Nebraska.
To paraphrase Bon Jovi, we’re halfway there – but Nebraska’s ag producers don’t want to be living on a prayer. They need the certainty provided by the USMCA trade deal extended removing the tariffs that have already cost them so much and will continue to do so until they’re rescinded.


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Today, Facebook seems like the juggernaut crushing everything in its path, most recently Twitter’s Vine app and Yandex’s social app. And in its last quarter, Facebook’s mobile usage surpassed its web usage -- for the first time ever.
This is important because Facebook has now begun competing not just at the social network level, but also at the operating system level. And the company turns nine today so it will have even more mobile influence by its 10th anniversary: Just look at the rapid expansion of its App Center and SDK developer tools for iOS.
This means we won't just have competing platforms, but platforms built on top of other platforms. And that, as you'll see, changes the game altogether.
The Platform Games
#### Andrei Hagiu
Andrei Hagiu is an Associate Professor in the Strategy group at Harvard Business School. His research focuses on multi-sided markets, including their business strategies and the economic structure of the industries in which they operate (videograms, e-commerce, smartphones, personal computers, shopping malls, intellectual property, payment systems, online TV services, etc.).
On multi-sided platforms like Facebook -- and Amazon, Apple, Google, Twitter, etc. -- value is created through the interactions between affiliated users, developers, and advertisers.
Facebook and these other companies want to control API access and critical user information because it’s that data which unlocks monetization opportunities. Hence the recent API roadkill among all the platform companies: Besides Vine and Yandex, witness Instagram/Facebook blocking features on Twitter (and vice versa); Twitter itself blocking a number of companies; and even Google’s and Apple’s skirmishes over maps.
Yet underneath this competition and desire for API control, there has always been a lot of cooperation. All of the players are dependent -- no, interdependent -- on each other. A better and more usable Facebook iPhone app, for example, surely increases iPhone sales for Apple; Apple would see no advantage in blocking that.
But the game changes as Facebook becomes really popular on mobile. At that point, Facebook’s multi-sided platform for developers and users ends up on top of another multi-sided platform: the underlying iOS and Android mobile phone operating systems. This isn’t just an interesting market configuration -- it has tangible implications as Facebook’s platform starts substituting value away from Apple and Google. Who will control the data generated by the apps then?
It’s about to get ugly, and we don’t know What Would Facebook Do (WWFD).
And we have to think about it, because Facebook is arguably the most ambitious platform of them all -- the fabric of the web is changed because of it. Users and developers depend on it; there aren’t any viable alternatives looming on the horizon, let alone a clear Facebook killer. How many businesses rely on Facebook access to thrive? How many sites require Facebook Connect for user logins? You can’t even login to some sites if you don’t have a Facebook account.
Predicting what will happen in these “platform Hunger Games” isn’t just an academic exercise. Understanding WWFD has important implications for everything from privacy and security and user choice to where the internet economy is going.
What Will Facebook Do? A Lesson from Japan__ __
>We’re in uncharted territory here since platforms-on-top-of-platforms are relatively new.
We’re in uncharted territory here since platforms-on-top-of-platform configurations are relatively new.
Yet we do have one related industry example that could shed some light on this case, and on WWFD. It’s one of Japan’s leading mobile social game developers: GREE.
GREE makes up to four times more average revenue per user (ARPU) than Zynga, and it made $222 million net income in 2011 compared to Zynga’s loss of $500 million the same year. For users, GREE provides the ability to build profiles, compare scores from various games, and accumulate and spend virtual currency. For third-party mobile game developers, GREE provides the highly specialized gaming APIs they don’t get from Apple or Google.
There are other platforms built on top of platforms, and other mobile social game developers, but GREE provides a particularly apt analogy because its platform connects third-party mobile social game developers with users on top of iOS and Android devices. Exactly.


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America's employers slowed their hiring in September but still added a solid 263,000 jobs—a dose of encouraging news that may mean the Federal Reserve's drive to cool the job market and ease inflation is starting to make progress. Friday's government report showed that last month's job growth was down from 315,000 in August, and that the unemployment rate fell from 3.7% to 3.5%, matching a half-century low, reports the AP. That dip was an unexpected one, per Bloomberg. September's slightly more moderate pace of hiring may be welcomed by the Fed, which is trying to restrain the economy enough to tame the worst inflation in four decades without causing a recession. Slower job growth would mean less pressure on employers to raise pay and pass those costs on to their customers through price increases—a recipe for high inflation.
The public anxiety that has arisen over high prices and the prospect of a recession is also carrying political consequences as President Biden's Democratic Party struggles to maintain control of Congress in November's midterm elections. In its epic battle to rein in inflation, the Fed has raised its benchmark interest rate five times this year. It's aiming to slow economic growth enough to reduce annual price increases back toward its 2% target. It has a long way to go. In August, one key measure of year-over-year inflation, the consumer price index, amounted to 8.3%. And for now, consumer spending—the primary driver of the US economy—is showing some resilience. In August, consumers spent a bit more than in July, a sign that the economy was holding up despite rising borrowing rates, violent swings in the stock market, and inflated prices for food, rent, and other essentials.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell has warned bluntly that the inflation fight will "bring some pain," notably in the form of layoffs and higher unemployment. Some economists remain hopeful that despite the persistent inflation pressures, the Fed will still manage to achieve a so-called soft landing: slowing growth enough to tame inflation, without going so far as to tip the economy into recession. Powell and his colleagues on the Fed's policymaking committee want to see signs that the abundance of available jobs—there's currently an average of 1.7 openings for every unemployed American—will steadily decline. Some encouraging news came this week, when the Labor Department reported that job openings fell by 1.1 million in August to 10.1 million, the fewest since June 2021.
(Read more jobs report


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Digital DNAtix Ltd., the Israeli cyber genetics startup, has announced the first free anonymous genetic vault service.Lack of privacy is currently a barrier for so many people who want to have their …
The Mankoff Company, LLC, a marketing consultancy concentrating in the FinTech and Crypto space, and CommPRO.biz, a B2B digital media platform, announce a strategic partnership starting this month.In …
SportsCastr, the live-streaming platform that lets anyone become a sports color commentator, today announced the launch of FanChain. Under development since last year, FanChain includes a cryptocurren …
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UK annual inflation dips to lowest in 13 months
May 24, 2018-
Britain’s annual inflation rate eased in April to 2.4 percent, the lowest level since March 2017, official data showed on Wednesday, weighing on the pound.The Consumer Prices Index 12-month rate had stood at 2.5 percent in March, the Office for National Statistics said in a statement.
Analysts had expected the rate to remain unchanged last month, but it was helped lower by cheaper air fares, the ONS added.
With inflation falling in recent months and Britain’s economic growth suffering a sharp slowdown in the first quarter amid tough Brexit talks, the Bank of England decided against raising its key interest rate earlier this month.
But with oil prices on the rise and the pound weakening, inflation risks picking up again in the coming months.
“The jump in the oil price has started to hit petrol pumps, pushing up costs for UK consumers and businesses alike,” said Kevin Doran, investment officer at AJ Bell.
“In addition, the weak pound will be driving up input costs for many UK companies which will
ultimately filter through to UK consumers in the coming months.”
Published: 24-05-2018 07:45


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Many people are obsessed with VR headsets that offer the industry. While companies like Facebook, Google also Sony are trying to compete which one will sell massive headsets.
Many people are obsessed with VR headsets that offer the industry. While companies like Facebook, Google also Sony are trying to compete which one will sell massive headsets. Both giants Facebook and Google are carrying on a silent war on this aspect. Google proposes to expand its Daydream accessibility for many mobile devices on the other hand Facebook tries to deliver VR for the lower price additionally making possible high-quality social VR experience with reasonable cost. Google works on expanding its circle of partners to reaching major popularity as they did with Android phones. The purpose for both companies is to reach the leading place that many helmets utilize their software.
Daydream helmet works with Pixel but recently Google expands its support adding various Android phones like Axon 7 and Moto Z additionally Mate 9 Pro and ZenFone AR smartphones are on the horizon. While Gear VR supports a huge range of Samsung phones including the latest versions Galaxy S7 and Note7. Some rumors speculated that Daydream will support Samsung’s smartphone for its Daydream. For this point, Gear VR software is supplied by Oculus software and the headset is represented on Oculus website.
Let’s have a look at both companies VR platform with their hardware
Having a look at the appearance of both devices these two are easy to set up and utilize, the only evident thing is that Google’s device is smooth. Those who still haven’t got their headset and need one to be integrated with the industry can have a separate account on Oculus Store and Google by managing everything right there and keep updated.
Regarding the hardware, Gear VR preserved user’s mobile phone from light which Daydream does not have and there might be some bits of dust. When you wear them both helmets fits comfortable on your head, though the Daydream is a little bit more convenient, for example, it fits great on 3 year old child. This might have been done on special purpose by Google, as they may bring the headset to schools.
The advantage of Daydream is its controller which Gear VR does not obtain, though the controller should be developed yet. Instead Gear VR has a Touch Control Panel button on the side of the headset. Due to the controller it becomes easier to navigate through 360 VR experience and during the game as well. For Gear VR several gaming controllers are available on Amazon to take the experience. Daydream has a cloth cover that breathes and you can hand wash it and Gear VR covered with foam cushioning.
Gear VR has a button that adjusts the focus which can be set up according to your eyes vision when you wear a headset, though Daydream does not have such adjustment it suits well without needing to focus.
One thing stays a problem for Gear VR and Daydream when using them for a long time the battery of the smartphone gets hotter. The reason for such heating comes from the following reason, the mobile phones are not prepared to sustain high temperature coming from so called System on a Chip (SOC) which is moving at the clock speed.
Once trying a VR in smartphone you will have the feeling of sickness, which still remains an issue for the industry. Not only mobile based VR experience provide sickness but using them on Personal Computer will cause the sickness which disturbs a user to have full excitement.
These two helmets have the full potential for providing a mixed reality experience if the companies would develop for them. There is one issue that needs time to resolve and which can be seen in China working on it; that is to extend battery life while using for VR. For this point companies should solve the thermals issue in order let the mobile run more than 30 minutes utilizing for virtual reality.
We reached the point of providing a VR content and Gear VR is the winner. Taking the fact that it is already three months since the release of Daydream it might be natural that it lacks VR content. Google continues to add various new applications on its platform. On its official website Google added ZenFone AR as coming soon project and with the frequency of inserting new applications Daydream may provide massive VR content for the users.
Things go interesting for these two companies as Daydream expands mobile device accessibilities out there while Facebook has hired Hugo Barra, who previously worked for Google and Xiaomi and has been experienced enough in this sphere, as a Vice President at Oculus.
Due to the release of Daydream mobile based VR experience promises to be expanded during 2017. For now Gear VR is the leading headset in the market but if Google continues to make the partnership with other major companies and expand its content then Samsung along with Oculus should think new ways for keeping their place.
Furthermore, Samsung is considered to be one of the Daydream partners and one of the providers of Gear VR.
Gear VR vs Daydream: Price
The price for both headsets comes affordable for users, though Google has made some discount for its helmet instead of $80 now the headset costs $50. You can purchase Daydream from Google Store, Best Buy and Verizon. Samsung does not give way as its headset price remains the same $100 available on Oculus Store and Samsung website. These two headsets provide a good experience for their price.
Gear VR vs Daydream: Apps/games
Gear VR still is in winning position with its the content. There are many interesting games available for Gear VR such as Hitman VR edition, Please Don’t Touch Anything, Minecraft: Gear VR, Smash Hit VR and many other engaging games. There are both paid and free games available.
Google VR provides applications like YouTube VR, Jaunt, NextVR, Google Photos and Street View, Netflix VR. So, we can conclude that Google provides more video experiences that allow users make a virtual tour and investigate various places.
Virtual reality is growing rapidly, as now you can broadcast live on Facebook or YouTube in 360-degree videos. These means that VR videos are spreading and many high-quality videos will be supplied. Along with this mobile VR is growing so far.
If you have a Samsung phone it makes sense to get Gear VR headset, moreover there is no a huge difference between two. If you like Google’s product then you have to wait for Google to provide 50 apps and games as they promised back in 2016.


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As the world gets ready to celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) from 13 to 17 November 2017, the Tshimologong Precinct at Wits University, has joined the movement and will form part of the 170 countries celebrating innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity. With a chosen theme of Industry 4.0, Tshimologong will focus on Entrepreneurship in the New Digital Landscape.
Lesley Williams, CEO, Tshimologong says that Industry 4.0 is already changing the way we communicate, consume and produce: “The impact on society is immense as business, governments and civil society have to change the way they think and operate. Entrepreneurs need to understand the integrated ecosystem of the Internet of Things (IoT) and how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is disrupting the enterprise and the new opportunities and spring board for innovation this offers.”
Global Entrepreneurship Week is the world’s largest celebration of the innovators and job creators who launch start-ups that bring ideas to life, drive economic growth and expand human welfare. Williams says that during this week each November, GEW inspires people everywhere through local, national and global activities designed to help them take the next step in their entrepreneurial journey: “These activities, from large-scale competitions and events to intimate networking gatherings, connect participants to potential collaborators, mentors and even investors, introducing them to new possibilities and exciting opportunities.”
With the theme of Entrepreneurship in the New Digital Landscape, Tshimologong activities will serve as an introduction to Industry 4.0 and present ways in which entrepreneurs can participate in this new digital landscape. Williams says there will be an emphasis on how to leverage technology to innovate and run sustainable businesses.
Planned events include Navigating the Digital Innovation Landscape, IoT workshops, Data Science and Lean Business Methodology master classes, AI/VR/AR sessions including a pitching competition at the App Factory. Participants stand a chance to win Tshimologong membership which includes access to:
- Co-working facilities,
- Meeting rooms and venue space
- Technology and business development programmes,
- Legal advisory and book keeping services,
- Member only events,
- Tshimologong partner networking events
To register visit www.tshimologong.joburg/GEW


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Google Maps vs. Yahoo Local: multi-billion dollar local search battle
In “Google wants $10 billion local online ad spend” I put forth Google’s local search advertising ambitions:Google is taking its mission to monetize “all the world’s information” to your neighborhood. Google laid down a local gauntlet today targeting the $10 billion in advertising local businesses are projected to spend online by 2010.
Google is taking its mission to monetize “all the world’s information” to your neighborhood. Google laid down a local gauntlet today targeting the $10 billion in advertising local businesses are projected to spend online by 2010.
Approximately 109 million people (63% percent of U.S. Internet users) performed a local search online last July, a 43% increase over July 2005, according to comScore research:
Google Sites (30 percent) and Yahoo! Sites (29 percent) garnered the largest share of local searches in July. Microsoft Sites captured 12 percent of local searches, followed by the Time Warner Network with 7 percent.
Based on a recent comScore Search Satisfaction study, 41 percent of those conducting a local search were searching for something in their home area, as opposed to searching for information on businesses in locales that they intended to visit. Additionally, among those searching in their home area, 59 percent indicated they were searching for a restaurant or something entertainment-related, such as a theater, theme park or an attraction for sightseeing. Another 52 percent said they were searching specifically for a business phone number or address. Two out of five local searchers (41 percent) were looking for information on a local service in their home area, including car rental office, dry cleaner or lawyer.
The comScore study also found that performing a local search drives consumers to take action. During the second quarter of 2006, 47 percent of local searchers visited a local merchant as a result of their search behavior, while 41 percent made contact offline. More than one-third (37 percent) made contact online as a result of conducting a local area search.
Yahoo’s local search ambitions were underscored by Greg Coleman, Executive Vice President, Global Media Sales, at the MIXX conference earlier this week. During the “What will the future bring?” panel (see “Yahoo, Microsoft, AOL, CNET on “What will the future bring”) Coleman noted the appeal of the local merchant ad spend: "Local ad dollars are three times that of national ad dollars."
Both Yahoo and Google are eagerly going after the local ad spend.
I cited Google CEO Eric Schmidt on Google’s targeting the advertising budgets of elusive SMEs and local businesses:
By adding key Google services into the world’s most popular accounting product, we’re making it easier than ever for small businesses to find and use all of the tools available to them.
Yahoo’s focus on local search and local merchant advertising is evident in the new blog it launched in June: Yahoo Local & Maps Blog. Paul Levine, GM Yahoo! Local and Maps said in the blog’s first post:
I am delighted to welcome you to our new Local Blog, brought to you by the Yahoo! Local and Maps team.
Whether you’re a user, merchant, publisher or developer, if you’re interested in Local or Maps, this is the place for you. Big things are happening with Yahoo! Local and Maps, and we’re continually adding items that don’t always get a big announcement. Here, we’ll point out both big and small new features in our product and APIs. We’d also love to make this a place to spotlight you - highlighting activities and gathering input from some of our favorite contributors, merchants & developers.
Both Yahoo and Google have a tall task ahead of them. The local ad opportunity is large, but the market is fragmented and difficult to reach.
Google may have the product side of the local advertising equation figured out, but it has a long way to go to turn millions of elusive local merchants on to the Google self-service AdWords auction machine.


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Federal lawmakers from Wisconsin are raising concerns about a potential regulatory change with implications for engine-driven portable welders.
In a recent letter to the head of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, GOP U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher, Dem U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin and GOP U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio urged Chairman Alexander Hoehn-Saric to maintain an existing exemption for these products from the agency’s safety standards for portable generators.
These portable welding machines are widely used by construction workers at industrial sites.
The letter comes after the commission released a Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that details potential new safety standards for portable generators, the lawmakers wrote.
Under the SNPR, the calculated weighted carbon monoxide emission rate of a generator couldn’t exceed a specified limit, and the generator would need to include a carbon monoxide generator and shut off mechanism, the letter shows. A previous rule exempted generators that are part of a welding machine from the category of portable generators, while the most recent proposal doesn’t include that exemption.
The lawmakers say the automatic shutoff requirement could “potentially render these machines unusable” due to the welding fumes and other emissions present at construction sites. They’re urging the CPSC to maintain the current exemption for engine-driven portable generators, arguing the change would harm manufacturers, suppliers and the workers that use the machines.
“The SNPR’s requirements do not account for these unique considerations and threaten the integrity of products manufactured throughout Wisconsin and Ohio,” they wrote. “The failure to account for these distinct characteristics could result in the direct loss of jobs and the loss of product classes that are important in the welding and construction industries.”
See more in a release from Gallagher’s office: https://www.wisbusiness.com/2023/u-s-rep-gallagher-leads-push-against-onerous-regulations-on-northeast-wisconsin-welders-manufacturers/


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With more taxi hiring services springing up on a daily basis, there is little or no room for mediocrity. Pioneer of modern-day taxi-hailing service, Uber, is constantly stepping up their game to be ahead of the competition. The company has just concluded a test of an initiative to allow its drivers to set their fares. The new system was tested with drivers in the United States – particularly in Sacramento, Santa Barbara, and Palm Springs.
Drivers can set their fares right on the Uber app
Drivers on the platform get to choose how much they want to charge passengers for UberXL and UberX rides. The laudable development is in reaction to a bill recently passed in California called the Gig Law. The bill upholds the rights of all workers, stating that as employees, they are entitled to benefits are work.
>>> Driving Uber? Stay safe with these helpful tips! Are you an Uber driver? Here’s tips how to drive safely
According to stakeholders, the new system has its good and bad sides. On the positive side, it allows drivers to work according to their schedule and possibly earn more. But on the downside, in a bid to have more rides, drivers might be forced to lower their rates all the way down. If all Uber drivers choose to raise their rates very high, the customer would be the one to feel the brunt. And when there are several alternatives available, the joke will be on Uber in the long run as customers would simply move on to the next available option.
Do you see this working in a country like Nigeria?
>>> Check out latest auto news on Naijauto.com for updates!


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Global Payments, which provides processing services for nearly every major credit card company including Visa and MasterCard, admitted it had suffered a major security breach on Friday.
The breach was revealed after Visa withdrew from using the company’s services as a result of the problem.
According to The Wall Street Journal, card and account information was exported from the servers of Global Payments.
It’s thought that the criminals didn’t obtain card-holder names, addresses or social security numbers. However the company admitted that the data taken from each account would be enough to make fraudulent transactions or clone the cards.
A spokesperson from Global Payments told the Wall Street Journal: “[b]ased on the forensic analysis to date, network monitoring and additional security measures, the company believes that this incident is contained.”
Visa has released a statement saying their customers were victims of data theft, but added that its own systems had not been hacked. Mastercard also issued a statement saying it was monitoring the situation.
Global Payments has not revealed how the intruders got access to the information.


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fastjet has announced it is has signed two agreements that will allow travel agents worldwide to access and sell its flights.
The recently-signed agreement with flight comparison company Skyscanner will enable consumers to compare fastjet’s flight schedules and prices against those of other African carriers.
Visitors to the site will then be able to link directly to fastjet’s website and book their flights.
Skyscanner currently has over 25 million unique visitors every month.
fastjet has also signed an agreement with Hahn Air Systems, a sister company and client of Hahn Air.
Through Hahn Air Systems’ e-alliance product, fastjet flights will be available within all of the main Global Distribution Systems, including Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport.
GDS distribution will give fastjet access to over 91,000 travel agencies worldwide and the link with Hahn Air Systems will provide unencumbered and low cost access to these systems.
It is anticipated that fastjet’s flights will feature on the GDS within the next month.
Ellis Cain-Jones, fastjet head of commercial, said: “After the success of establishing fastjet in our local markets, we now want to export access to our affordable pan-African flights.
“Both our new partners will benefit fastjet’s drive for cost-efficient global distribution in both traditional and digital arenas.”


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RUTH SUNDERLAND: The RBS slate is not clean until it fixes loan scandal
Ross McEwan, the chief executive of RBS, was quick to declare that his bank had reached a ‘milestone moment’ when it agreed on reparations of $4.9 billion (£3.6 billion) in the US to atone for its role in the financial crisis.
It’s a funny old world when a multi-billion pound payment for misconduct sends your share price up, but let’s be charitable – it’s a significant step on the slow journey to becoming a normal bank again, albeit a full ten years after the meltdown.
Hold the champagne, though: so long as the appalling behaviour of its Global Restructuring Group towards small and medium-sized firms remains unresolved, then RBS cannot claim to have cleaned its slate.
The wretched entrepreneurs who fell into the hands of the GRG division expected it to help them through a period of trouble, but instead were exploited, bullied, asset-stripped and abused.
It’s a funny old world when a multi-billion pound payment for misconduct sends your share price up, but it’s a significant step on the journey to becoming a normal bank again
About 6,000 firms were under the control of the GRG between 2008 and 2013, and of those about a quarter are putting in a complaint – an unacceptably high rate for any organisation. Others no doubt have suffered in silence.
RBS is going through these and reckons it will have dealt with most of them by the late autumn. A process for those in deadlock, overseen by retired judge Sir William Blackburne, is in place. This won’t do the trick. The conflict between firms and lenders has turned so toxic it is hard to see how it will be put right.
The banks behaved abysmally. RBS and Lloyds – as we set out on these pages again this week – were the worst offenders. The complainants are not always entirely blameless and, in a minority of cases, are bogus bandwagon-jumpers. Others have become obsessive conspiracy theorists.
The anti-RBS campaign is also infested with chancers seeking to enrich themselves via the victims, some of whom are desperate enough to listen to anyone who claims they can help. The antics of these unscrupulous individuals and their deluded supporters threaten to taint an important cause.
The sheer volume of complaints shows just how deep the problems go.
Regardless of the rights and wrongs of particular cases, the scandal at RBS and at Lloyds goes to the heart of what a bank is for. It is not to rack up huge profits and bonuses for the executives, but to channel money to individuals to improve their prosperity, and to entrepreneurs to build businesses. This is a key part of our system that continues to misfire.
The banks behaved abysmally. RBS and Lloyds – as we set out on these pages again this week – were the worst offenders
Ross McEwan, who came in several years after Fred Goodwin, is sometimes unfairly vilified for problems he inherited, rather than created.
He has tamed Fred’s risky, sprawling global empire and slimmed it down into a smaller, safer and more manageable bank. Now he has drawn a line under the crisis-era mess across the Atlantic, following an earlier milestone in February as RBS reported its first annual profit for ten years.
He is expected to start paying a dividend again in the second half of this year and the Government is likely to start selling down its 71 per cent stake before next April when the new tax year starts.
Credit where it’s due for all that. But let’s not forget that, as taxpayers, we are nowhere near getting our money back, or that the behaviour of RBS and Lloyds created a lost generation of entrepreneurs.
To avoid this ever happening again, we need proper supervision of lending to firms, which is at present largely unregulated. There should also be an Ombudsman and a tribunal for redress, a clampdown on unfair contract terms and regulation of action groups to keep out the shysters.
The banks could redeem themselves by playing a productive role in local economies, by backing growth firms, including spin-outs from universities and high tech start-ups. Yet they are rushing to close branches and to airbrush out past sins. Will they ever learn?
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No dues are necessary to be a member of Minneapolis’ newest society — just a good jacket, gloves and a hat.
Hoping to lure people out of the skyways and revive downtown’s often-barren sidewalks, entrepreneur Eric Dayton hit the streets Wednesday morning asking pedestrians to join the “Skyway Avoidance Society.”
“Take the pledge?” Dayton asked passersby on Nicollet Mall, equipped with membership cards and stickers with elaborate logos reading “Explora Foris” (“Explore Outside” in Latin) and “Minneapolis — Capital of the North.” He was joined by several staffers of Askov Finlayson, the North Loop clothing store Dayton co-owns with his brother.
Many people see the skyways as a necessary refuge from Minnesota’s cold climate, but even downtown business leaders have acknowledged — in a plan for 2025 — that skyways “pull the life and energy off the street level, leaving sidewalks barren and storefronts empty.” Five years after the plan’s release, little has been done to address that issue.
Dayton, whose retailing family includes some of the earliest supporters of the skyways, has emerged as one of the system’s most vocal critics.
“If we as a city can start voting with our feet and get out on the street and then retailers see that — they see that that’s where the people are — then that’s going to entice them,” said Dayton, who said he thinks the city should consider dismantling the system altogether.
Doug Sams, who owns five skyway restaurants including several D. Brian’s outposts, said people will continue using the skyways because they generally act out of self-interest.
“The idea that all of the businesses and the landlords are going to spend the capital to move all of the skyway business to the sidewalk, it’s ridiculous,” Sams said. “It’s not going to happen. Nobody can afford to do it. And to what end? To have the people for sixth months of the year say, ‘I’m cold’?”
But he said he is sympathetic to the idea that barren streets are undesirable, and he believes the city needs better connections between the skyways and the sidewalk.
Dayton’s skyway campaign fits with his other effort to rebrand Minnesota as “North,” rather than Midwest. That effort can be seen in the “North” winter hats sold at Askov Finlayson.
Now skyway skeptics can buy a Skyway Avoidance Society T-shirt at the store to spread the word; patches are on the way. People can take the pledge online and get their materials in the mail, or pick them up in person at the store. And those who sign up will receive a 10 percent discount on outerwear at the store.
“We’re not doing this to sell merchandise,” Dayton said. “The merchandise is a way to advance the idea. It’s free to join.”
Not everyone was ready to hop on board during Wednesday’s downtown effort.
“Not year-round,” said one woman.
“I don’t know if I can do it,” said another.
Some people just breezed by as Dayton approached.
“There’s going to be more resistance to this [than the North campaign] just because there are people who like the skyways. And I recognize that,” Dayton said. “But to me it’s really just trying to make people conscious of the impact that the skyways have on our city.”
Jared Bagley signed up and said he wishes there was more activity on downtown sidewalks.
“One thing is that there’s not enough … businesses in the first place at street level to bring that traffic,” Bagley said.
Robyn Schein, another new member of the Skyway Avoidance Society, said she thought it was a great idea.
“We have a great city, so I think any effort to have people enjoy all aspects of it is really important,” Schein said.
Don’t expect to see Dayton signing up new recruits in the skyways themselves, however.
“I’ve already signed the pledge,” he said.


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Community Spotlight · Square One Coffee Roasters, Lancaster, PA
Jess Steffy started her journey in coffee in 2004, when she and her husband, Josh, started a coffee stand at a farmers market. In 2007, the pair took over Square One Coffee Roasters; originally founded in 2000 and located in downtown Lancaster, Pa., Square One has a café and a wholesale roasting business.
Jess says she and Josh were originally drawn to coffee largely because of their shared passion for social justice, having traveled extensively to countries where coffee was grown, but they have grown to love the industry for different reasons. “What I love most, and what has kept me in this industry, is definitely the people—the community,” Jess says. “I have coffee friends in every state and nearly every country. There’s a couch for me in nearly every major city. 😉 The global coffee community is something I’ll always feel a part of.”
Jess has accomplished a lot in her nearly two-decade coffee career: She’s a Certified Q Grader, the former chair of the Specialty Coffee Association’s U.S. Competitions Committee, and a longtime barista competition judge. Along the way, she has helped guide Square One through good times and challenging ones—the latter category includes the COVID-19 pandemic, which the company continues to navigate.
In mid-March, as COVID-19 began spreading across the United States, Square One—which was then operating its Lancaster café as well as one in Philadelphia—made the difficult decision to close both of its cafés and furlough most of its staff (29 people), though its roasting arm continued to operate. The company started a staff relief fund and began donating 20% of all online orders to this fund supporting its furloughed staff. The next week, Square One started doing contactless deliveries for all orders, as well as donating coffee to frontline workers fighting COVID-19 via their website. In July, Square One made the difficult decision to close its Philadelphia location permanently.
Now in winter 2020, the coffee company continues to make adjustments due to the pandemic. Jess says they were hoping to open up the front of their flagship shop in Lancaster to move the line inside for winter, but due to the rising COVID-19 numbers in their area, they are continuing to operate as a walk-up window until further notice. “We’re continually trying to optimize the experience for our team and customers,” Jess says. “Now in addition to our ‘foot bell,’ we’ve also added outdoor heaters and a touch-free intercom system so that we can better hear our guests through the masks and plexiglass. If that’s not the most #2020 sentence I’ve ever uttered, I’ll eat my SQ1 beanie. 😉 ”
Like many specialty-coffee business owners, Jess has had to get creative to navigate the challenges from COVID-19, but she’s done it transparently and skillfully. We’re happy to have this dedicated coffee professional on our team of Barista Series Brand Ambassadors!
Jess said she first discovered Barista Series products at a latte art throwdown, where she was surprised at how well they poured for plant-based products. Square One soon started using Barista Series products—they currently use Oat, Almond, Soy, Coconut, and Rice—and Jess says their baristas are happy to work with them. “They excitedly create art in every drink they serve without a second thought,” she says. “Latte art poured using Barista Series products holds up for longer and outlasts all of the other plant-based alternative milks we’ve tried. The milk flavors are also mild and complementary to our coffee, which is a must.”
Follow more of Jess’ work at Square One via @squareonecoffee!


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At least 41% of users who lost their money as the result of financial cyber-fraud failed to get a single cent returned to them.
This is according to a Kaspersky consumer security risks survey conducted by B2B International.
In theory, even if scammers have managed to steal money from an e-banking or e-payment account, that cash may be returned by the bank or as a result of legal proceedings.
However, the B2B International survey shows that success is far from guaranteed. Only 45% of users who suffered through online fraud were fully compensated. A further 14% recovered part of the stolen sum, but the remaining 41% of victims were left with nothing.
According to the reports of 33% of victims, the money was most often irretrievable if it had been stolen during an e-payment operation. In 17% of cases the money disappeared during e-banking sessions, 13% of the victims were the customers of online stores.
Banks and online stores return money to their customers more often than, for example, e-pay systems: in general only 12% of online customers received full compensation for losses incurred from malicious attacks, but for banking customers the figure climbs to 15%.
One in 10 respondents were lucky enough to get all their money back. There is also a noticeably high level of ‘bad debt’ – 6% of online stores customers, 4% of online banking clients and 4% of e-pay systems users reported irretrievable loss of money.
At the same time many users remain confident that their transactions are reliably protected by the owners of these services. The results of the B2B International survey show that 45% of respondents believe the bank is responsible for paying back any money lost during online operations and 42% of those surveyed think the bank should provide free security tools to safeguard money transfers.


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RestaurantEquipment.bid Selected to Sell Taco Bueno's Assets as Restaurant Shuts Down 18 Locations
FORT WORTH, Texas, Oct. 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Taco Bueno, an authentic fast-food Mexican cuisine style restaurant, has decided to shut down eighteen of its locations. The majority of these closures are located in Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri.
The bidding for all items starts at $1.00 with no reserves.
Taco Bueno selected TAGeX Brands to support the project. "Taco Bueno is an awesome brand and by selling the equipment online they take a green and sustainability path," said Neal Sherman, President of TAGeX Brands and RestaurantEquipment.bid. Sherman said, "The restaurant industry remains highly competitive with 1000's of closures each year."
Although they are closing 18 restaurants, Taco Bueno still has 172 operating locations. According to Nation's Restaurant News, CEO Omar Janjua claims they "plan to reinvest in new locations and to remodel others to better serve our guests."
Taco Bueno is a restaurant that provides fresh authentic Mexican food. Founded in 1967, Taco Bueno has been serving Tex-Mex food in nearly 200 locations.
RestaurantEquipment.bid, an affiliate of TAGeX Brands, is an online auction site that focuses on foodservice and restaurant equipment. For over 31 years, TAGeX Brands and its affiliates have helped thousands of operators close locations and liquidate equipment and supplies.
RestaurantEquipment.bid Website: www.RestaurantEquipment.bid


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UK house prices slipped to a six-month low in January as inflation continued to weighed on consumer budgets, fresh data from major mortgage lender Halifax showed on Wednesday.
Photo: JASON ALDEN/BLOOMBERG
The average price of a home in the UK dropped 0.6% last month following a 0.8% fall in December.
Britan's annual house price growth has been fallen since the Brexit referendum as as consumer prices have grown faster than salaries.
The UK's consumer price inflation jumped at its highest pace in more than five years in November, and the central bank raised cost of debt for the first time in more than a decade.


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MOUNTAIN VIEW — Ditching corporate trim for letters that evoke a preschooler’s wood blocks, Google on Tuesday unveiled its most dramatic logo makeover since it was a startup tinkering with its identity in 1999.
The company faced a perilous challenge as it sought to adapt its desktop-era logo to the way most of the world now gets to the Internet — through smartphone screens and apps. More than a billion people use Google each month, and no one wanted to ruin a familiar emblem.
“When you’re a brand as big as Google, it’s scary to introduce a new logo,” said Brian Hoff, a former Apple worker who now runs his own digital design firm.
Hoff said the design has a “nice rhythm and balance” and signals a friendlier tone for the global tech behemoth. But others complained that it makes a company known for its algorithms and artificial intelligence even less human.
“Generally, it’s cleaner, but by being cleaner and simpler, it’s lost some of its distinction,” said Angie Wang, a professor who teaches typography at California College of the Arts. “In simplifying, they’ve sort of eradicated the humanistic tendencies. Is that good or bad? It depends on what they’re trying to achieve.”
The company convened a team of its designers in New York for a weeklong brainstorming session earlier this year.
“We started by distilling the essence of our brand down to its core — four colors on a clean white background — and built it back up,” said a company blog post. “Stickies were stuck, pins were pushed, and Béziers were animated.”
Among their goals: create a symbol that translates better in “constrained spaces” such as phone or wristwatch screens and can playfully swirl and bounce around for different tasks.
The letters that Google revealed on its home page Tuesday use the same color combination of blue, red, yellow and green that has defined the company since 1998, but they’ve gone “sans serif” — dropping the decorative serifs, or lines, that characterized the old logo.
The most noticeable change was in the second “g,” which lost the figure-eight shape it’s had since 1999 in favor of a simpler open loop at the bottom. Preserved in the new logo was the tilted “e” meant to show the company’s quirkiness. Also joining what Google calls its new “brand family” are a microphone icon to activate the intelligent personal assistant Google Now and moving dots that show how the app is responding to the user’s demand.
The company on Tuesday began replacing the signs that mark its office buildings, starting with the biggest one that hangs on Building 40 of the Googleplex in Mountain View.
“It’s very drastic,” said Matt Luckhurst, who has worked on rebranding projects for Airbnb and Spotify and helped craft the logo for Facebook’s new personal assistant. “This looks like something made in 2015. It’s clearly designed to be friendly, to be legible. It feels very elemental, like learning how to write something at school.”
Luckhurst said it also aligns with Alphabet, the newly formed umbrella company of which Google is now a wholly owned subsidiary.
But what some designers saw as elemental, others viewed as elementary.
“It conjures up children and children’s rendering of type. I don’t find that especially inspiring,” said Mark Fox, who also teaches at California College of the Arts and works with Wang at a San Francisco firm. “It’s gotten clean, which means it’s legible and easier to reproduce. From a practical point, I can understand that, but I think they lost some visual cues.”
Not all logo changes go smoothly. Tropicana suffered a sales disaster when it pulled the familiar straw-pierced orange from its orange juice cartons, and San Francisco retailer The Gap shocked customers when it dropped its square blue box. Both companies quickly backtracked and restored their legacy designs.
Supporters and critics of Google’s new logo agree on one thing: The new customized font is unlikely to cause such an uproar.
“It’s still very on-brand,” Hoff said. “I don’t feel like I’m disconnecting. They still kept the core essence. That’s a hard thing to do.”
Contact Matt O’Brien at 408-920-5011. Follow him at Twitter.com/Mattoyeah.


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KINGSTON, Dec. 17 (JIS): Industry, Investment and Commerce Minister, Hon. Anthony Hylton, has echoed concerns that some retailers are failing to pass on oil price savings to customers and has pledged to address the issue.
Mr. Hylton argued that for the last few months, the price of oil has been falling on the global market, from as high as US$110 per barrel to about US$55. Yet, this reduction is not reflected in the prices of local goods.
“I want to really decry what has been a long-standing practice here in Jamaica among certain marketers and producers….when oil prices rise and things go up, we’re told that this is the law of economics, but when the price falls, we have only a creeping return and that’s called business,” he stated.
Mr. Hylton, who was delivering the keynote address at the Small Businesses Association of Jamaica’s annual Christmas luncheon on Wednesday (December 17), at the Knutsford Court hotel in New Kingston, deemed the practice as “unfair.”
“In this new period, we cannot continue to abide by these practices. It cannot be fair that for the last four months, the price of oil has been falling internationally… and yet our retailers have been very slow in reducing the price to consumers,” he stressed.
Mr. Hylton said the consistent decline over the period is “sufficient time for retailers to receive the signal that what is emerging in the global economy is a new normal.”
The Industry Minister, who has portfolio responsibility for the Consumer Affairs Commission and the Fair Trading Commission, said he has met with representatives from both agencies to discuss the matter.
“I’m expecting that the Fair Trading Commission, along with the Consumer Affairs Commission, will be giving immediate and special focus on examining why the price reductions have been as limited as they have been and why retailers and the marketing companies continue this practice,” he stated.


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Scooter Braun Enters Cannabis Business Via SPAC: ‘FOMO Is Real’
Braun’s Ceres Acquisition Corp. and Atlanta-based Parallel, one of the world’s largest privately held multi-state cannabis companies, have entered into a “business combination” to launch a publicly traded U.S. cannabis “well-being” company. The new company will be listed on the Canadian NEO stock exchange.
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“It’s not often that you get to participate in the early stage of a new industry and be in the unique first-mover position with the opportunity to shape the future,” said Braun, a co-founder of Ceres Acquisition, who will serve as a special advisor to the new company. “I missed out on the dot-com bubble of the late ’90s that some of my mentors were a part of and this is our moment to create generational wealth. The cannabis industry is poised to be the most influential emerging industry of my lifetime. I don’t want to look back and regret not getting to be part of a dynamic and prominent space. FOMO is real.”
Ceres Acquisition is a special purpose acquisition corporation (SPAC) designed to raise money in an IPO, then have two years to acquire the business.
Ceres Acquisition Chairman/CEO Joe Crouthers will become a director of the combined public company, with the addition of four independent directors with significant health and life sciences experience.
“Ceres’ deep cannabis and consumer experience, coupled with Scooter’s powerful network, makes Ceres an ideal partner for a well-positioned, well-led, high growth cannabis company like Parallel,” added Crouthers.
William “Beau” Wrigley, Jr., former Chairman/CEO of the fabled global gum and confections company, will remain as Chairman and CEO of the combined entity. Wrigley was sold to the Mars company in 2008 for $23 billion.
Said Wrigley, Jr.: “As a public company, we will have access to capital to grow our national footprint through new licenses and M&A, improve our cultivation and production capacity, expand our established retail footprint, develop and launch rare cannabinoids products with therapeutic benefits, and conduct important clinical research in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.”
The transaction is expected to fuel the growth of Parallel’s U.S. footprint and enhance its mission to pioneer well-being and improve quality of life through cannabinoids.
Parallel already has operations in five states, including Florida, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Texas and Nevada, with a total of 42 brick-and-mortar dispensaries and an e-commerce infrastructure, including online orders, curbside pickup and home delivery.
The transaction values Parallel at more than $1.8 billion USD. The combined companies are expected to have $430 million cash balance at the closing of the deal and generate $447 million in revenue in 2021.
The news comes on the heels of another Braun-related business headline: Last week’s reveal that Disney alums Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs are in the early stages of shopping for content companies to roll up into a larger operating company with backing from private equity giant Blackstone. High on the pair’s wish list is Scooter Braun’s media and management firm SB Projects, home to Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande and Demi Lovato, among others.


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Industry fears move to question claims dating back 5 years could lead to harassment.
Indian customs authorities will now be able to question the valuation of imports under free trade agreements (FTA) for up to five years with the country proposing a significant shift in the domestic framework of rules of origin to tackle largescale imports.
The rules of origin are criteria to determine the source country of a product, based on which they either get tariff concessions or are subjected to duties.
“Retrospective verification of costing data, value-addition compliance and certificate of origin can be conducted by the customs authorities over a period of five years from the date of import, unless there is a specific time limit prescribed in the FTA. Customs officers will be empowered to check for violations in claims by importers,” said an official aware of the details. “They can enquire and question the claims made in the last five-year period.”
Further, a certificate of origin submitted by an importer will no longer be the threshold for availing concessional benefits.
Fake Documents Submitted in Past
Customs authorities can ask importers to substantiate and satisfy scrutiny undertaken on the question of origin.
The February 1 budget proposed to amend the customs law by introducing stringent provisions related to rules or origin to strengthen the hands of customs officers to check abuse of FTA provisions. There have been several cases of abuse of rules or origin provisions over the past few years.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) had also come across the use of fake documents purporting to show that the goods came from a country with which India has a trade pact.
However, industry executives said it could lead to harassment of importers, given the five-year period. The government has been trying to curb imports through tighter origin norms in trade pacts.
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Julie Selby never planned on running a furniture consignment shop.
"It's just the way life took me," says the owner of Room Service at 933 Liberty Road.
In August, Selby will celebrate 20 years of doing what she never planned on.
In that time, Room Service has expanded from 2,500 square feet to 9,000 square feet and has helped lead the way as an area of nondescript storefronts turned into a design destination.
Given the economic turbulence of recent years, these two achievements practically qualify as small-business miracles, enough to elevate her to the status of Lexington institution.
"I don't know about that," says Selby. But she admits "it feels pretty good" to have found something she likes doing and to have kept it going so long. An open house is planned for later in the month to mark the anniversary.
Twenty years ago, Selby had her sights set on becoming a CPA. The Danville native had been juggling motherhood with part-time jobs and was working as a bookkeeper at a now-defunct consignment store when she and a co-worker began tossing around ideas about how they might do the job themselves.
"Neither of us had any experience," she says. But with the goal of improving on the furniture-consignment business model, they found a space on Liberty Road and named it Room Service.
"We jumped in and took it slow. We needed inventory and went to estate and yard sales. Gradually we started getting consignments."
They settled on policies and percentages that haven't changed: for most furniture, the consignor gets 60 percent of the selling price. There are price reductions every month. If unsold after 4 months, the furniture is reclaimed or donated to local charities.
Selby bought out her partner in 1996 when he moved out of state and has been sole owner ever since.
Just say no? Not so easy
The merchandise at Room Service comes from homes that are merging and homes that are breaking up. Self-employed "pickers" stop in to hawk their finds. And people faced with clearing out a parent's lifetime call Selby, hoping she'll take in Mom's sofa or bedside table.
Selby tries hard to say yes when she can. She wants to say yes, because "the hardest thing about the job has been learning to say no," she says.
"People get so attached to things; they'll get angry. I try to help them understand it's not personal."
It can be tough to hear that Mom's favorite chair has limited value on the open market.
What sells best is "newer furniture that you can buy in stores now," says Selby.
Bedrooms sell well. Leather sells well. Art, on the other hand, doesn't. Neither do most antiques, in Room Service at least. Try next door at Scout.
One customer came in with a lot of furniture from her mother's house, and the sofa quickly sold. It was a bit of a shock for the customer later, when at a local funeral home for a service, she found herself sitting on it.
"She told me it was comforting," says Selby.
Early on, Selby learned that she needed to supplement consigned items with new ones. "It really fills in the space. It's hard to do all consignment." Now about 25 percent of the inventory is new accessories.
Survival of the nicest?
One of the more slippery statistics to pin down is the percent of small businesses that survive 20 years. Best to simply say that the odds are stacked against it.
Jeff Perkins, co-owner of Scout, which also consigns furniture and sits next door to Room Service, says Selby welcomed his business even before it moved in.
Perkins says he knows the secret to Selby's success: "I think why she's been in business so long is she treats everyone the same. She's so pleasant; it's her hallmark. We love being next door to her."
Selby now has five part-time employees. Linda McLean has worked there for 16 years and echoes Perkins' opinion of her boss: "You couldn't ask for anybody better."
The job has other advantages, too. There are the unusual customer requests — "I'd like to buy those gas meters outside" — and the daily opportunity to rearrange furniture, which is displayed in roomlike settings. It's a lot like playing house. And there are always familiar faces dropping by.
"Eighty percent of our customers we know, and know by name," says Selby. "We have people who stop in every day."
Recently, Linda Alphin and her little white dog Napoleon were in shopping for some furniture to go in their new place.
"I may want to consign some things I bought here in the past," Alphin tells Selby.
Diana Hays of Berea says she comes in several times a year, at least.
"It's consistently attractive, good-quality furniture. Why furnish your home with new furniture when you can get furniture that looks like new for a third the price?" she asks.


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SCHOOLS that are getting into gardening are being encouraged to enter a new competition.
The World Wildlife Fund (has launched the Plant2Plate challenge for primary schools to cook up a dish with fruit and vegetables grown on their own grounds.
The top 50 winning recipes will be included in a book and the overall winner will receive £1,000 to spend on gardening or cooking equipment.
The WWF is also looking for more schools to become ‘green ambassador champions’ like Wicor Primary School in Fareham.
Headteacher Mark Wildman said he was proud of his school’s achievements.
He said: ‘At Wicor Primary we grow a lot of our own food which the children harvest for cooking or for sale in our organic veg box scheme.
‘We also have bees that we hope will soon be producing honey, all of which provide first hand experiences for the children to plant, nurture, and cook with local produce.’
For more information visit wwf.org.uk/plant2plate.


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Worldwide shipments of PCs, mobile phones, tablets and ultramobiles are expected to decline for a second consecutive year, according to the latest devices market report from analyst firm Gartner.
Revenue declines and an erosion of profits in an “over-penetrated” PC market leave PC vendors with two choices – overhaul their businesses or leave the PC market by 2020, according to global analyst firm Gartner.
The Asia Pacific region suffered a decline of 6.3% in PC shipments in the second quarter this year as worldwide shipments of PCs also declined for the seventh consecutive quarter, despite showing signs of improvement, according to global analyst firm Gartner.
I agree in principle with the EFA statement.I would suggest however that the need is for a complete impartial review[…]
Isn't it amazing they way NBN Co manage to get these market survey results which support their activity and position.Are[…]
Another politically motivated statement of untruth.This is the party that gutted the original Labor commenced NBN for their own political[…]
No, not "up to a minute per day" - NBN Co says "potential burst durations between 1 to 50 seconds[…]
Actually, the growing shift to online services by Australians during the COVID 19 pandemic demonstrates the critical need to fix[…]


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This Week in Social brings you the latest news from the most popular social platforms, with some creative inspiration thrown in too.
So, what’s been happening in the world of social this week? Here’s the lowdown:
Facebook tackles suicidal behaviours The platform has just released a new set of services, in collaboration with Forefront, the US suicide prevention agency. Users will be able to report posts that may reflect suicidal thoughts or behaviour to be reviewed and acted upon by Facebook and partners.
Changing the way Facebook counts Likes Yesterday Facebook announced that it no longer counts Likes from users who have voluntarily deactivated their accounts, or those who have passed away. This currently only applies to celebrity and business pages. Admins should expect a small dip in Likes over the next few weeks.
Fortune lists Twitter in best 100 companies to work for Twitter reached number 24 in the annual list with its first ever appearance. Number one spot went to Google for the fourth consecutive year. New: embedded videos In competition with YouTube and Facebook, Twitter has launched its embedded video feature, allowing publishers to now place Twitter videos within their sites.
New ad format allows brands to tell a story The latest development in Instagram’s ad offering is the introduction of ‘carousel’ advertising on the platform which enables brands to display more than one image at a time.
Animated Pin testing The increasingly popular image-centric platform is testing animated Pins in a bid to offer a new, engaging ad service to users.
Salvation Army uses #TheDress Using a mocked up poster of a domestically abused woman wearing the dress that caused so much social conversation last week, The Salvation Army asks ‘why is it so hard to see black and blue?’
Kelly Clarkson holds a Twitter listening party In an interesting take on popular Twitter Chats, the singer/songwriter invited her fans to all listen to her latest album at once, and share their comments live.
Paddy Power’s poor stunt Following the recent racism row, involving rogue Chelsea fans in Paris, the bookmaker’s latest campaign aimed at Chelsea fans asked them to ‘prove you’re not prejudiced’ and was faced with outrage on social channels.
Creative spot of the week
Love has no labels A digitally clever and emotionally touching campaign from Ad Council is encouraging people to embrace diversity without prejudice.
Stepping into art An interactive 3D art museum in the Philippines lets you physically step into paintings and encourages visitors to take as many pictures as possible.
For even more creative inspiration from our Pulse team check out our creative services showcase. Tune in next Friday for all the latest social media news and creative inspiration.


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Payfone is going public today with its plans for developing a mobile alternative to Visa and MasterCard, fueled by an infusion of $11 million in venture capital from the BlackBerry Partners Fund and former Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) executive Bob Borchers of Opus Capital. Also participating was RRE Ventures, the company’s first round investor.
Before this, the mobile payments company was operating so under the radar, I was able to stay in New York for a week in a hotel right next door and never knew they were there. “We wanted to prove we had something unique to offer the industry, and I think we do now,” said Rodger Desai, Payfone’s CEO, on the phone.
The mobile payments space is undeniably hot. Already today, it was reported that three of the top U.S. carriers are working on a secret project to unseat Visa and MasterCard as the dominant payment systems. And, hundreds of millions of dollars in venture capital have already been invested in a number of startups all looking for the same outcome—a piece of the $2.45 trillion processed by the two traditional payment companies last year.
Desai says Payfone is working on eliminating the impediments in the system to make mobile payments more practical. Adoption rates have been low to date because carriers often demand up to 40 percent of revenues from the merchant. The rates are high to cover the cost to the carriers to process the payments. Mostly, mobile payments today use SMS, which is unreliable, and often times, subscribers call to complain and ask for refunds. “There’s so much crap in the system….There’s so much lost from the operators point of view from customer care and charge-backs,” Desai said.
Essentially, Payfone is building a system that relies on the same standards used by carriers that give permission to a subscriber to roam on another network. In the background, those two carriers are communicating to ensure that a subscriber is in good standing and will be able to pay for the roaming fees. “It looks like a credit card transaction,” he said. What’s the difference between a carrier making the same split second decision with a merchant, like Facebook or an App Store? Nothing.
The effect is not just ensuring that a payment can be made, but dramatically cutting down on the costs in the system. “The business models are much more attractive for brands to do business with operators.” How far will those revenue splits fall? Desai said he doesn’t negotiate that—his customers do. But right now, he sees sales of virtual and digital goods ramping up, like music and moves, and the fees falling. “If you bring extremely high quality actions from trusted brands, they don’t ask for that kind of rev-share.” For its part, Payfone demands a single digit revenue share for its services.
Payfone is Borchers’ first investment at Opus. Borchers served as director of worldwide product marketing at Apple for the five years, including the launch of the iPhone, and is well-known for giving video demonstrations of Apple products. Both Borchers and the BlackBerry Fund, through its association with Research In Motion, know a thing or two about how difficult it is to do payments on a large scale. The iPhone uses iTunes to charge for apps, and BlackBerry has mostly relied on PayPal so far. However, Desai was reluctant to say if Apple’s or BlackBerry’s interest in the company goes any further than the indirect investments. The cash will be used to expand in Europe, Latin America and Asia, he said.


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While it was suggested to drop in August, the Nike Air Foamposite Pro “Knicks” is officially dropping this week instead. Sporting a bold color scheme of Black, Battle Blue, and Total Orange to evoke the Knicks — black dominates the foamposite shell, alongside matching leather on the eyestay and heel. Vibrant orange is then applied on the Swooshes across its sides and detailing on the tongue, while blue accents on the mini Swooshes, tongue labels, heel tabs and rubber outsole top off the theme.
Retailing for $230, look for this Nike Air Foamposite Pro at select Nike stores and online on September 21. Click and bookmark our official Nike Air Foamposite Pro “Knicks” hub page now for everything you need to know about the silhouette and where to buy it online. Always keep it locked to KicksOnFire for the latest in sneaker news, release dates and where to purchase your favorite kicks.
The post Nike Air Foamposite Pro Knicks Dropping This Weekend appeared first on KicksOnFire.com.
Continue Reading at https://www.kicksonfire.com


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Large manufacturers like the G.N. Company have their sorting and crushing equipment brought from Turkey.
Super Nuts now has 18 employees, most of whom are women. A typical work day lasts from 9am to 6pm and pays 12GEL.
Manon Jghamaia has been in the field for over 10 years and is one of the most experience workers. Manon says that sorting the nuts is not difficult work, but unfortunately it is only seasonal.
Robert Jajava has lived on the same street in Zugdidi for 34 years. He remembers the first factory being built here 10 years ago and says that the number is steadily rising.
"My wife works in a nut factory. Almost all the women who live here are in this industry... Men also work in the industry, but in fewer numbers. Women don’t have to take transportation to work and they are allowed to go home during on their break. They take home between 300-350GEL per month," says Jajava.
Vazha Karaia, who lives near Zugdidi in a small village named Ingiri, started cultivating nuts 15 years ago
"In the past, I sold nuts for 1 GEL or 80 tetri [per kilo]. A few years ago, factories here started selling nuts abroad and the price has gone up, " he says.