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More than 200 of the Bloomfield area's most passionate and ardent supporters got into the holiday spirit while raising funds for historic preservation at the fourth annual Gingerbread House Brunch at the on Friday.
The event showcased dozens of local bakers whose elaborate creations astonished the crowd and built excitement for the holidays. The gingerbread houses, cakes and other centerpieces were auctioned off with proceeds benefiting restoration of the historic . A few of the auctioned items were donated to local charities and hospitals.
Though many of the items received multiple bids, the Dr. Seuss-themed cake crafted by Julie Allen of the Holiday Market in Royal Oak took top honors from the judges. A baker for nearly four decades, Allen said she toiled between 50 and 60 hours to pull the three-dimensional display together.
"I wanted it to look like a pop-up book that just came out at you when you opened it," said Allen, whose won the top honor a prior gingerbread brunches. "I did the pieces and just hoped it all went together."
The results did not go unnoticed by attendees who crowded around the creation for pictures before and after the meal was served.
"It's just beautifully executed and is pure art," raved Barb Williams of Bloomfield Township.


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Many Google AdSense publishers are reporting unusually high click-through rates (CTR) on their ads over the weekend.
Alex Chris posted on Twitter, that "many AdSense publishers report HUGE increase in CTR the last 2 days."
Some are reporting 5,000% increases in CTR, such as at this Google AdSense Help thread. In fact, there are dozens of threads with publishers freaking out that their AdSense accounts will be penalized or banned because of the huge spike in CTR over the weekend.
There are a huge number of publishers incredibly worried about this, which is a good thing - since it is not isolated to just you.
It might be a reporting bug or something more serious, either way, you are in very good company.
There is no word from Google yet on what is causing the spike in CTR.
Update: Google posted this on the known issues page:
As of April 19th, some of you may have been impacted by a new segment of invalid traffic. Fortunately, Google’s traffic quality systems were able to react quickly to detect this traffic as invalid and treat it accordingly. The invalid traffic between April 19th and April 20th however, was not removed from your estimated earnings.
This invalid traffic will be removed from your finalized earnings by the end of the month. As a result, you may see a larger than normal difference between estimated earnings and finalized earnings for the month of April 2015.
This invalid traffic is not counted in your estimated earnings as of April 21, 2015, however you may continue to see it reflected in your weblogs as Google does not block the traffic.
We work hard to ensure that we maintain a healthy ecosystem for our publishers, users and advertisers. Advertisers have not been charged for this invalid traffic.

domain: news


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Organizers of the Facebook ad boycott vowed on Tuesday to continue their campaign, saying the social network's top executives had failed to offer meaningful action on curbing hateful content.
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CNET's Marguerite Reardon takes a look at a startup that could allow wireless customers who are prohibited from filing class-action lawsuits to hold big companies like AT&T accountable when they violate their contracts.
The venture capital firm claims in court filing opposing Pao's request to drop legal fees that she asked the firm for millions in exchange for not appealing the case.
Described in a newly published Apple patent filing, the so-called Fusion keyboard could pick up multitouch gestures from your keystrokes, potentially eliminating the need for a trackpad.
Regulatory filing reveals a combined cost for the two companies, but nothing specific for the popular live-streaming app Periscope.
Either company will be able to terminate the amended deal on or after October 1, according to a new regulatory filing.
These helpful apps make filing your taxes a little less painful, from start to finish.
RadioShack's long decline continued this week thanks to a bankruptcy filing, but there is reason for hope. Also, the latest on the Galaxy S6 and more in your look back at the week in tech.
Software maker Intuit had shut down the filing of state income tax returns via TurboTax due to worries over "suspicious" filings. But the company says there was no breach and filings have resumed.
A new patent filing describes using the cloud to transfer your Touch ID fingerprint data to other devices. Would such a system be safe and secure?
Nearly a year after filing for an IPO, Box finds market conditions more favorable for going public.


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Members of the newly constituted Agriculture Committee voiced harsh criticism of the recently reached EU-Mercosur agreement-in-principle in a debate with Commissioner Phil Hogan on Tuesday.
Potential negative consequences on EU farmers and lack of impact assessment on various agricultural sectors in member states were among the issues raised during the debate.
You can follow the interventions of speakers by clicking on their names.
Disclaimer: this is an informal message intended to help journalists covering the work of the European Parliament. It is neither an official press release nor a comprehensive record of proceedings.
Hogan: Ambitious deal that takes into account farmers’ concerns too
Commissioner Hogan said in his opening statement that “the [EU-Mercosur] agreement is balanced but also comprehensive and ambitious”. Even though the deal might be “challenging for certain agriculture sectors”, the EU Commission “has done its utmost to try and defend interests of agriculture” and it has “secured important opportunities for some sectors in agriculture: wine, spirits, olive oil, dairy, processed foods, to name but a few”, he stressed.
“Access to the European Union market is being granted in a limited and controlled way to the Mercosur countries and it takes account of concerns of European farmers and consumer preferences”, Commissioner Hogan explained. “All imported products must comply with the European Union’s own standards” he stressed adding that “EU food safety standards are not negotiable and will be applied rigorously”.
Commissioner Hogan also said that the EU’s executive is ready to give a helping hand if the implementation of the agreement leads to market disturbances. In such a case, the Commission “has committed to making available a €1bn support package exclusively for the agriculture sector“, he explained.
But this did not impress many MEPs who voiced their concerns about potential impact the pre-agreed deal could have on EU farmers and consumers.
“Many farmers are worried and concerned” because they feel “they will bear the brunt”, said Herbert Dorfmann (EPP, DE).
“There are some very critical issues”, said Paolo De Castro (S&D, IT) who questioned the speeding-up of negotiations at the end of the legislative term and stressed the committee will debate the agreement and study its impact on EU farmers thoroughly.
“If you look at this in detail, it is the high-quality part that we are really concerned about”, said Ulrike Müller (RE, DE) driving the attention also to the “climate challenges” linked to the agreement.
“It is worse than we expected”, said Martin Häusling (Greens/EFA, DE) warning that “the beef market in Europe is going to be on its knees in a couple of years”. He also said farmers are “victims of a policy” to “sell industrial products even if that means sacrificing agriculture”.
“The trade deal with Mercosur will only make things worse for European farming”, said Ivan David (ID, CZ). “It is not an opportunity, it is a threat”, he stressed adding that he will not “accept changes that make our situation worse”.
Mazaly Aguilar (ECR, ES) asked Commissioner Hogan “what farmers are going to have to do to be able to prove that they might receive some of these money”, referring to the €1bn package for potential market disturbances following the implementation of the trade deal.
“At the time when Ireland faces the possibility of losing access to its most important market, at the time when the Commission accepts (...) that beef farmers are under pressure, how does it make any sense to contemplate such a deal?” Luke Ming Flanagan (GUE/NGL, IE) asked.
The full debate, which focused also on the ongoing reform of the EU farm policy and other agriculture-related topics, with further interventions from Commissioner Hogan and reactions of other MEPs, is available here.
The EU and Mercosur negotiators reached on 28 June a political agreement-in-principle on a trade deal that would boost economic and political ties between the European Union and the bloc consisting of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. The pre-agreement, that would cover a population of 780 million, has already raised concerns among the EU’s farming community. Before entering into force, the deal has to win support of the European Parliament.
Tuesday, 23 July 2019
Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development
In the chair: Norbert Lins (EPP, DE)


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(Australian Associated Press)
A recent pickup in consumer confidence has proved short-lived, with concerns about limited wage gains, slowing house-price growth and low savings weighing on minds last week.
The latest ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Index ended a two-week run of gains by slipping 0.7 per cent to 112.6, with optimism over longer-term future economic conditions falling to its lowest value in two months.
Nonetheless, ANZ head of Australian economics David Plank said accommodative monetary conditions and a strong labour market were keeping consumer confidence broadly on track around its long-term average.
Views about current financial conditions eased slightly in the week to November 5, after a solid rise the previous week, while the outlook for future financial conditions dropped for the third straight week – falling to its lowest point in almost three months.
Mr Plank said it was encouraging, however, that sentiment around current finances remained above the long-term average.
“Broadly, they (households) have been able to weather the pressure on their wallets caused by the jump in energy prices – though not without some hit to retail sales”, Mr Plank said.
“But, given limited wage gains, slowing house-price growth and an already low savings rate, consumers are increasingly less certain about the future, as reflected in the recent downtrend in future conditions.”
Views towards next year’s economic conditions rose 2.1 per cent, partially offsetting the previous week’s 4.5 per cent fall.
Mr Plank said next week’s employment and wage price index data will likely influence confidence in the coming weeks.


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Following rumors of the iPhone Nano the case manufacturer XSKN, Vaja has added an “iPhone Nano” listing to their website. Many case manufacturers have started to list and sell cases for the rumored iPhone Nano. Analysts also seem to believe that Apple will release a cheaper iPhone in the first quarter of 2009. Softbank has also released a voice translation tool for iPhone. The application can translate up to 1,500 spoken phrases mostly centered on travel/tourist situations and basic communication.
Mat Brady has come up with an iPhone idea that has 60GB of internal memory, slide-out keyboard, true 16:9 screen ratio with 640x 360 resolution. This concept design is being called the “iPhone ELITE.” We have seen a few iPhone camera lenses out there, but they all require bulky cases and never seem to work very well. USB Fever has come up with a magnetic set of lenses that can be attached without the air of a case.
Kraft Foods has released the iFood Assistant iPhone application. This app provides users with 7,000 recipes, each with its own video demonstration. iFood Assistant also gives users an editable shopping list for gathering ingredients from the grocery store. Spatial View has finally released their Wazabee 3DeeShell for the iPhone 3G. This “shell” has a lens that claims to allow users to see the screen in a unique 3D view. Man there has been more than enough third party keyboards out there for the iPhone. This latest one we have stumbled upon folds in half and is packed with features.
The 2008 Best App Ever Awards have come around and we urge you to take the time to go over and vote for your favorite application. There are 34 categories that the applications are voted on ranging from the eponymous “Best App Ever” all the way down to “Best Free or Ad Supported Game.” The PSP-like iControlPad for gaming on the iPhone has finally made its way to production. Now we will soon be able to play games with physical buttons.
As promised the iPhone Dev Team has released their iPhone 3G unlocking tool entitled “Yellowsn0w.” This unlock ban be downloaded via Cydia on unlocked iPhones. A pink iPhone 3G hit Ebay this week sparking all sorts of rumors. It was not long after it popped up that we found out that this is only a pink case that looks surprisingly like the phone itself.
iPhone owners in colder climates have always wanted to be able to use the iPhone with gloves to avoid freezing their fingers off. Apple has filed a patent on gloves that contain a special tip that can mimic the electrical conductivity of skin to trigger a response.


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Opportunistic investors who have bought buildings at steep discounts are beginning to pass on their savings to tenants, much to the distress of other landlords in the area.
Take the case of the lease that Samsung Electronics America Inc. just signed for 193,000 square feet in an office building in Ridgefield Park, N.J., for its North American headquarters. Earlier this year, the 235,000-square-foot building at 85 Challenger Rd. was purchased by KABR Real Estate Investment Partners LLC, a real-estate fund, from American International Group Inc., AIG 0.07 % which had taken control of the distressed property.
The price KABR paid for the then-empty property: about $10.5 million, or about $44 a square foot. The average price of comparable office buildings sold near the peak of the market in 2007: about $200 a square foot, according to Real Capital Analytics, a New York real-estate research firm.
"A lot of landlords were very nervous thinking that they could be undercut at any moment," says Gregg Najarian, a senior managing director in Hackensack, N.J., with Studley, a real-estate-services company.
They were right to be worried. KABR, of Paramus, N.J., says it leased the property to Samsung for about $20 a square foot annually. That is well below the East Bergen County submarket's average annual asking rent of about $31 a square foot for Class A property, according to Studley. On top of that, Samsung got more than $40 a square foot in tenant-improvement costs, above the average of about $30 in the market, according to Kenneth Pasternak, a principal in KABR, and brokers.
It isn't clear what Samsung would have paid to continue leasing space in its existing headquarters location at 105 Challenger Rd. But Mack-Cali Realty Corp. CLI -1.36 % lists the initial costs for the land, building and improvements to building that Samsung will be leaving at about $34.5 million, or about $230 a square foot, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. Mack-Cali declined to comment on the matter.
Other goodies that might have had a price tag in better times were also thrown into the deal: Samsung will get its name on the building, which can be seen from the New Jersey Turnpike, new bathrooms with granite countertops, a new gym and a newly remodeled cafeteria that will be fitted out to prepare both American and Korean foods. "Our value proposition was so compelling nobody could really compete with us," Mr. Pasternak said.
Similar scenarios are starting to play out nationwide as the increasing number of distressed properties sold at bottom-of-the-barrel prices are freeing up the new owners to offer deals that landlords with more leverage on their properties couldn't afford to consider. That in turn is expected to put further downward pressure on rents that are already stressed by higher office vacancies as companies have cut their work forces and re-examined their real-estate needs in the wake of the financial crisis.
In the East Bergen submarket, the percentage of vacant or available office space has risen to about 24% in the third quarter from about 23.6% a year ago, one of the highest availability rates in the New Jersey markets tracked by Studley. The third-quarter average availability rate in the state's submarkets survyed by the firm was 19.2%.
Mr. Pasternak, 55 years old, founded KABR last year with the hopes of buying and repositioning real estate and KABR has raised about $40 million from its principals and other individuals to do so. The Ridgefield Park building is its biggest deal to day, but KABR has also acquired a small apartment building in the Bronx, N.Y., and another office building in New Jersey.
The previous owner of 85 Challenger Rd. had defaulted on a roughly $20 million mortgage held by AIG, according to Mr. Pasternak. AIG declined to comment on the matter. Negotiations with Samsung on the lease deal began shortly after KABR completed its acquisition of the building over the summer.
"There aren't a lot of 200,000-square-foot tenants in New Jersey," says Marc Trevisan, executive vice president with Cushman & Wakefield of New Jersey, which represented KABR. "They asked for a lot and we accommodated them."


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But not like the other companies listed right here, OrganiGram is a penny inventory that traders can consider shopping for with confidence. It solely has one cultivation facility , which makes adjusting its supply chain to match prevailing market conditions relatively easy. OrganiGram additionally maximizes its indoor licensed rooms by utilizing a three-tiered rising system.
However, income fell 16% to a lower-than-expected $3.17 billion. Uber’s ride-hailing enterprise slowly recovered from the pandemic, while its supply enterprise boomed. India’s booming inventory market is drawing each local novices and world buyers to shares of the financial, industrial and technology corporations that dominate its listings. White mentioned he investigated market manipulation inside penny shares when he was at the SEC.
In some ways “there’s actually no difference” between what this Reddit military did and what hedge funds or institutional buyers do once they see a inventory that’s mispriced indirectly, in accordance with White. What’s more, OrganiGram has invested heavily in high-margin by-product products, similar to edibles and powders. Its future appears bright compared to these other penny stocks. The firm, whose inventory value soared in January after a social media-fueled frenzy, stated Tuesday that it would suspend providing earnings guidance because it focuses on an effort to remodel… GameStop races 31% larger to take again a variety of the share price floor misplaced after the retailer reported earnings. U.S. shares staged a sharp rebound Thursday to end the session larger as investors seemed previous unsure market fundamentals and technical positioning issues which have prompted several weeks…
Reported a fourth-quarter revenue of $1.forty seven per share, a penny better than estimates. Revenue rose 8.8% to $22.forty six billion, additionally exceeding expectations. The Labor Department reported Thursday morning 793,000 new filings for unemployment benefits for last week. That was down from the upwardly revised 812,000 the earlier week however larger than estimates. The four-week transferring common of preliminary jobless claims was 823,000 — a lower of 33,500 from the prior interval, however nonetheless proof of a struggling job market through the pandemic.
Shares have skyrocketed as the company signed a slew of partnerships over the past few months, together with an agreement with Ford Motor Co. in May for the analysis of the Akida chip. Texas-based Vorago Technologies this month agreed to participate in its “early access program” which permits select few to test new features and give suggestions earlier than a tool is rolled out to prospects as a complete. Join our mailing list to receive top business news every weekday morning. If you suppose those “actual numbers” are important, I extremely recommend getting another person to manage your investing. I can also set a promote value and not simply sell the complete place at whatever market value is at that exact moment.
They navigated the quickest bear market decline of at least 30% in history, and then loved the quickest bounce-back rally to recent all-time highs on report. Lost in all of the hoopla is that GameStop continues to falter when it comes to all the important metrics for a corporation, with declining gross sales and the closing of 462 shops final 12 months. Let’s check out how GameStop is performing as an actual business, and not just as the target of some enthusiastic individual investors.
The wild ride by IOUpay, which lists Standard Chartered Plc and Citigroup as its purchasers, started in June after it was touted by traders on Reddit. Its shares continued gaining on a “purchase now, pay later” deal with Malaysian online market Easystore. That partnership inked in February sparked a greater than 200% rally in its inventory over a three-day interval. “We might even see the worth subdued for an extended time frame as retail investors get bored waiting and promote out to find something more exciting,” said Carl Capolingua, an analyst at on-line brokerage ThinkMarkets Australia.
Thursday saw the shares continue their fall to $53.50, making the market cap for the retailer at roughly $3.7 billion. The wild experience by IOUpay, which lists Standard Chartered Plc and Citigroup Inc. as its shoppers, started in June after it was touted by investors on Reddit. Its shares continued gaining on a “buy now, pay later” cope with Malaysian on-line marketplace Easystore.
Fueled by day traders, quantity in penny shares exploded, and bullish options saw the second-busiest day ever. GameStop’s stock has gained more than 900 per cent up to now this 12 months, giving the corporate a valuation of as much as $34bn at one point as retail traders guess towards Wall Street hedge funds that had shorted its shares. The former penny-stock broker shorby login, portrayed within the movie “The Wolf of Wall Street” by Martin Scorsese, knows a factor about pumping stocks. He pleaded responsible in 1999 to manipulating investors into shopping for worthless stocks, was sentenced to forty two months in prison and ordered to pay $110 million back to his victims.


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Apple released the first batch of M1 Macs at its ‘Special Event’ in November. Patrick Wardle, Mac security researcher, has reportedly discovered a new malware which puts the new Macs at risk. Only the MacBook Air, the 13” MacBook Pro base model, and the Mac mini are powered by the M1 chip at the moment.
The new malware has reportedly been created as an extension for Apple’s web browser Safari. According to Wardle, the malware has been disguised in the form of an extension. The same malware was previously created for x86 Intel based Macs but has now been recreated for the new Apple silicon based Macs.
Created by a notorious adware family
The extension based malware is being referred to as “GoSearch22”. It has reportedly been developed by a member of the notorious Pirrit Mac adware family. The malware can track data of users that have the Safari extension installed on their computers.
The GoSearch22 extension reportedly also shows many ads on users’ screens. The ads include banner style ads and pop-up type ads. It has also been said that any interaction with the ads could infect a specific user’s Mac even further.
The Mac has mostly always remained secure against the plethora of malwares that affect different types of devices. The reason of course has to be the fact that the majority of the desktops and laptops run on Windows operating systems. However, Apple has also touted that its Mac operating system is much safer compared to its competitors, at many occasions.
Apple announced at its annual developers conference WWDC 2020 that the Mac would be transitioning from Intel to Apple Silicon. The company is moving away from the traditional x86 architecture to the ARM64 architecture. By doing so, the Mac comes closer to the iPhone, the iPad, the Apple Watch, and the Apple TV – same silicon.


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It’s been a while since Canada saw such a weak number of new vehicle sales.
With 1.49 million units sold in 2022, it was the first time since 2009 that the final number failed to cross 1.5 million, according to DesRosiers Automotive Consultants.
Sales were also down 9 per cent from last year overall, despite promising signs to start the year. In January, the seasonally adjusted annual rate put vehicle sales at 1.67 million. But it was not to be as “things deteriorated rapidly,” DesRosiers noted in its analysis.
That said, there is a glimmer of hope. The fall months have provided year-over-year increases. December 2022 closed out with a 5.5 per cent increase compared to 2021.
“To be sure, it has been what we here at DAC have termed a ‘U2’ recovery — uneven and unequal — with huge disparities between manufacturers’ inventory recovery,” its analysis said. “However, we can but hope that 2023 breaks the trend of the last three years and provides the industry with a string of sales gains through the first months of the year.”
Ford held on to the top spot in overall sales volume. Its 240,325 units sold for the year were only slightly below its 2021 results.
But the outlook as to what might happen this year is anything but clear. “The big question that lies ahead will be the balance between improved vehicle inventory, pent-up demand and deteriorating economic conditions,” observed managing partner Andrew King. “It could well be that vehicle sales in Canada climb even as the country enters a recession.”
“And that is hard to digest as a forecaster,” he said at TalkAuto, hosted by Canadian Black Book. “But I think if you look at the obviously the progression of where things have come, we’re still well below demand from a supply standpoint.”


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The two men who helped turn the BlackBerry into a device many people can't live without have stepped aside. Research in Motion is the company behind the BlackBerry and Sunday its co-CEOs resigned. They were under a lot of pressure as investors wonder whether the Canadian firm can turn itself around and compete better with flashier phones like the iPhone.
Over the past half-century more than 20 million acres of U.S. farmland were transformed into housing developments. With new home construction all but stopped, farmers in many areas are buying or leasing land once slated for development and planting crops on it.
Just before Christmas, Amazon infuriated booksellers with an app that allowed customers to check out prices in brick-and-mortar stores and then get a discount if they bought from Amazon instead. Now publishers and booksellers are looking for new ways to compete with the Goliath of online retailers.
Attorney General Eric Schneiderman joined with other state attorneys general last year who were suing five large mortgage servicers. But he was disturbed by the shape of the agreement, and says banks wanted broad protection from lawsuits over other mortgage practices. So he started his own investigation.
A high price for pecans this season has led to a spike in pecan theft. New Mexico farmer Greg Daviet totes a gun and hires security guards this time of year to deter thieves from stepping foot in his orchards.
Police have closed down dozens of toy shops for selling Barbie dolls in Iran, part of a decades-long crackdown against "manifestations of Western culture." Host Scott Simon looks at what's being called a "cultural Trojan horse."
When you give to WAMU, your tax-deductible membership gift helps make possible award-winning programs such as Morning Edition, All Things Considered, The Diane Rehm Show, The Kojo Nnamdi Show, and other favorites.


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Apparently, my husband is taking part in a national trend that shows that more and more men are doing the household shopping. While I cook the weekly meals, Tim does all of the grocery shopping. Even if we need an extra something for a meal or if I want a piece of chocolate, he’s the one to stop at the store on his way home from work or get himself off the couch to go to the store. This has a lot to do with the fact that I both teach and write – essentially working two jobs – as well as cook the meals and take care of other tasks like gift-buying. He feels as if this is a way that he can contribute to the household. According to the global media agency network, BPN, this is the way many men are feeling right now:
40% of men are now the primary grocery shopper in the household; 44% of men say they equally share in housecleaning and a whopping 86% of men agree being a man equals doing what is necessary to keep the household running. And that includes buying the holiday gifts.
While I love to see these kinds of numbers showing a shift in attitudes, I know that it comes at a price. First and foremost, BPN has tried to coin the awful term “mansumer” to describe these men who shop for their households. Because, you know, they can’t just be normal “consumers.” Fortunately, the term has yet to catch on.
More importantly, with more men making the decisions about what products to buy for the household, that means that more marketing will be directed toward men. This explains those gross, “not for women” commercials we’ve been seeing lately. Here’s a great clip from the CBS Early Show on the man-marketing epidemic:
Now, I love the Oldspice Man as much as any other heterosexual woman out there, but I understand that these hyper-masculine commercials are actually pushing us backwards in terms of gender norms. When we champion manly men and girly girls, we are just creating a deeper divide between the sexes, and making anyone who doesn’t take a place on one side or the other an outcast.
Unfortunately, it looks like this trend is here to stay. According to TIME, many unexpected items are being marketed to men from groceries to laundry detergent to Barbies to fashion.
While I think it’s wonderful that men are taking responsibility for the household duties that have stereotypically fallen under women’s domains, we need to be wary of championing hyper-masculinity in our culture. This type of machismo is what leads to horrifying violence against women, as we’ve seen all too frequently lately.
Featured Image Credit: theimpulsivebuy


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Updated May 23, 2018 12:13pm PDT Apple is offering a $10 credit on top of its existing $25 gift card for anyone who purchases an iPhone X or Apple Watch 8 Plus, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.
The new Apple gift card also includes $10 in bonus cash, the Journal said.
The offer is valid from May 20 through June 9.
Apple is the only major US smartphone manufacturer to offer a $50 iPhone X credit in the form of a gift card.
Last week, it said that it will begin accepting iPhone Xs in the United States starting April 29, which will give the iPhone X a discount on regular iPhone X prices, according to the Journal.
Apple also offers $25 Apple Pay credit for customers who buy an iPhone 7 Plus or an iPhone 8 Plus.
Apple has also begun offering a free trial of iOS 11 for iPhone X owners.
Apple has a free iPhone X trial from April 29 through May 10.
The news comes after the company said in March that it would offer an iPhone 6s and iPhone 6 Plus for free to any customer who buys an iPhone from April 23 through June 14.


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Scandinavian-style spas are growing in popularity, and a Gatineau-based company has an ambitious plan to capitalize on the trend.
For Groupe Nordik Inc., which currently has spas in Chelsea, Que., and Winnipeg, the goal is to have 10 spas in 10 years, says Martin Paquette, the company’s founder and chief executive.
Visitors to Scandinavian-style or Nordic spas go through a “thermotherapy” cycle, spending time in a hot sauna or bath, followed by a dip in cold water and a period of relaxation. These spas also offer massages and many are located in scenic natural environments.
Construction on Groupe Nordik’s next location, in Whitby, Ont., began in October, Mr. Paquette says. After that, he has his eyes on Alberta. “In 2020, we will have an expansion in Chelsea, we will have a new spa under construction in Whitby and we will be designing Edmonton and Calgary,” he says.
Mr. Paquette didn’t grow up with an interest in entrepreneurship – or the spa industry.
“In 2001, while I was a police officer, I was working out to do the Ottawa marathon and while I was doing my long workouts, I started to have a little bit of fatigue,” he says.
That’s when he first visited a spa that offered thermotherapy. That treatment, influenced by the sauna culture of Scandinavia, inspired him to start thinking about doing something similar.
There are now more than 100 spas in Quebec that offer thermotherapy, says Anne-Marie Brochu-Girard, the executive director of the Association québécoise des spas.
“The concept of thermotherapy is what really distinguishes the Quebec spa product,” she says. The industry is growing, Ms. Brochu-Girard says, but she believes there’s still room for more spas.
Kathryn Gallagher, a professor at Seneca College’s school of fashion in Toronto, says that while the Nordic spa trend in Canada does appear to be strongest in Quebec, the use of water-based therapies is growing around the world.
Internationally, the number of establishments offering thermal baths or mineral springs grew from 27,500 in 2015 to just more than 34,000 in 2017, she says, citing numbers from a report released by the Global Wellness Institute.
She says the big names in the Canadian industry are Groupe Nordik and Scandinave Spa. Also a Quebec-based company, Scandinave opened its first location in Mont-Tremblant in 1999. It now has additional locations in Montreal, Whistler and Ontario’s Blue Mountain.
As Groupe Nordik has grown, so has the cost of construction. Mr. Paquette says the Nordik Spa-Nature in Chelsea cost $3.2-million to build in 2005 (although Mr. Paquette says the company has invested another $38-million in renovations and expansions over the past 15 years).
“The one we are starting to build in Whitby will be probably close to $40-million. Edmonton, same thing, we’re looking at a $35-million to $40-million project and Calgary might be $45-million to $50-million,” he says. The company has secured financing based on the value of its Chelsea spa, Mr. Paquette said.
In order to reach his goal of 10 spas in 10 years, Mr. Paquette said different financing options will be on the table, such as partnering with investors who would own a stake in an individual spa that would be managed by Groupe Nordik.
Between its two spas and head office, Groupe Nordik currently employs around 650 people.
Mr. Paquette says the company has learned how to build better over the years. “Every time we’re adding a building, they’re getting more expensive, but in the long-run, they’re getting more efficient,” he says. “These buildings are going through such a lot of stress, with all the humidity, the water, the volume [of customers]. To make it accessible, you’ve got to be able to bring a certain amount of people.”
Mr. Paquette says he expects the Whitby location to open in the fall of 2020.
“We’ve taken a little bit more time because of the structure we’ve put in place, not only for the design but for the construction,” he says. “We’re going to be the first private company to build with a CCDC 30 contract.”
The CCDC 30 standard, introduced by the Canadian Construction Documents Committee earlier this year, is based around the idea of integrated project delivery (IPD).
Under that system, the developer, the contractor and other key participants share financial risks and potential profits. CCDC 30 is already being used by the federal government.
Traditional construction contracts put the project’s owner, the general contractor and others working on a project into an intrinsically adversarial relationship, says Tim Sportschuetz, a Vancouver-based lawyer at law firm Singleton Urquhart Reynolds Vogel who specializes in construction law.
“The IPD construction delivery method really seeks to get rid of that adversarial model,” he says. “It focuses on sharing responsibility between the key project participants.”
Those participants work together from the beginning, he says, unlike on a traditional construction project, where the project’s owner hires a contractor to work on a completed design.
But there are risks, he says. A weak team member can force everyone else to work harder, he says. CCDC 30 also requires the IPD participants to agree to a broad waiver of liability.
“If anyone screws up or something should go wrong with the project, they cannot claim that against each other,” Mr. Sportschuetz says. “That might, in theory, promote this collegial atmosphere but also it could create an atmosphere where people get really guarded and worried.”


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After being shut down for almost a year, Bullwinkle’s Saloon will reopen under a slightly different name — Bullwinkle Saloon.
Bob Rick, chief manager and new owner, is aiming to get the bar open by Mar. 17, pending a liquor license renewal from the city of Minneapolis.
The bar was shut down last year after Gary Holmes, the previous owner, did not renew the liquor license.
Holmes had difficulties meeting the city’s maintenance and licensing expectations while keeping up with a troublesome economy, Rick said.
Since Rick purchased the business within a year after its license expired, he will not be required to go through a public hearing for a new license. Instead, he simply has to run the new bar in line with the business model of the previous owner.
“Our desire is to open with not too many changes,” said Tom Williams, the bar’s general manager. “But we also hope it will go in exciting new directions.”
Williams said he used to frequent the bar when he was younger.
He won the first annual Mr. Bullwinkle contest the bar held, which consisted of trivia, an eating and drinking competition and an obstacle course.
“I’m the original Mr. Bullwinkle,” he said.
Williams said the new bar will likely continue the tradition.
Rick, who bought the bar after retiring six months ago, has also reached out to the local business community. The bar is located in Seven Corners –– a pub hub popular with many students, and many businesses in the area are part of the West Bank Business Association.
“I think a business with an engaged community member going into a vacant space is a healthy sign,” said Jamie Schumacher, WBBA’s executive director. “And some people are mixed on whether it’s a bar or another restaurant –– is it competition? But, having a vacant store front really isn’t helping anybody.”
Rick said the bar will work according to three tenets: minimize binge drinking, welcome back old customers and be a good neighbor.
“This is my neighborhood. I live here,” he said.
The bar is currently looking to hire about 11 servers and bartenders.


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STAFF at Northwich’s Marks & Spencer store breathed a sigh of relief after it escaped last week’s national closure programme.
The Leicester Street premises were not included on the list of 27 stores that will be closed as a result of the current financial downturn.
Despite heavy price-cutting, poor sales figures before Christmas have forced M&S bosses to shut down outlets across the country – the majority being M&S Simply Food stores.
Spokeswoman Lucy Kelly confirmed Northwich was not among the 27 stores listed for closure. And she said job losses were “just in stores where there is a proposed closure”, which could see the loss of up to 780 positions across the country.
Marks & Spencer first opened in the town in 1908 at 21 High Street, currently occupied by Meller Braggins.
In 1933 a new M&S store with a Tudor-style front was built in Witton Street, where Clinton Cards currently trades. The large branch extended back to Weaver Square through the shop units where Greenwoods operates.
The food and clothes giant then moved to its current home in Leicester Street, when former occupants Sainsbury’s moved to Venables Road.


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Good moves as nightclub operator Luminar sees footfall and revenue rise
Britain's biggest nightclub operator Luminar looks to have reason to party as it saw trading 'improved slightly' despite the recession.
Footfall was 1.2per cent higher in the 18 weeks from the beginning of March than the same period last year, with admissions revenues up 0.7per cent.
The operator - which runs Oceana, Liquid and Lava & Ignite brands - said drinks prices were also on their way up as venues turn their backs on promotions.
Dancing shoes: More punters were out than in the same period last year
The impact of the trend would not be felt until later in the year as it reported sales had been dragged lower by reduced drinks revenues.
The firm said these were down 5.4per cent in the period since February 27, mainly due to lower prices.
'Retail prices for drinks have now stabilised and are on a rising trend, as marketing and operations increasingly focus on content and providing strong reasons to visit rather than price promotions,' the firm said.
'As retail prices have held firmer, gross margins are ahead of the second half of last year.'
Luminar said like-for-like sales were down 3.3per cent in the first 18 weeks of the year compared with the previous year.
This represents an upturn from the 3.8per cent decline seen in the nine weeks to April 30.
Nightclubs have suffered in the recession as drinkers have chosen to socialise at home and save cash. The smoking ban and competition from cut-price deals in supermarkets have also piled on the pressure.
'Trading conditions in the late night sector are very competitive and we expect market conditions to remain difficult in the short term,' Luminar said today.
'However, the group is confident that, given the strength of the estate, together with operational and marketing expertise and a well trained workforce, it will continue to outperform competitors and maintain its market leading position.'
Luminar said it would focus on maintaining the quality of its venues, rather than spend money on expansion.
The firm now has 88 venues after two clubs in Maidstone were merged.
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It’s always a great moment when a rumor pans out to be true. As we approach September, Berlin prepares to host IFA, its annual technology conference that will showcase some of the latest and greatest from the likes of LG, Samsung, and ASUS. It was a couple months ago that we reported that ASUS might be working on a smartwatch running Android Wear and at that time, it was thought that it could severely undercut the competition with a price point that might start at $99 USD.
While we are unsure of price point at this time, we are certain that ASUS will launch a smartwatch at IFA 2014. This detail comes courtesy of a teaser that was posted to the official ASUS twitter account. The tweet shows what looks like the silhouette of a smartwatch with the quote: “Time has been transformed and we have changed.”
Although IFA 2014 officially starts on September 5th, it looks as though ASUS plans to unveil the device early on September 3rd, 2014. ASUS will become the third company to release an Android Wear device behind LG and Samsung. Motorola is expected to release the much anticipated Moto 360 on September 4th, making them the fourth company to release an Android Wear device.
Source: Twitter | Image via ASUS


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ZOMBIE TRAMP’S DAN MENDOZA SIGNING AT SUPERHEROES IN TRAINING
Popular creator of the hit Action Lab Entertainment appearing in-store.
Dan Mendoza will be sharing stories and signing copies of his creation, Zombie Tramp, at the Escondido based comic shop, Superheroes in Training! Dan will be appearing from on Saturday, October 25Th.,11am until 5 pm at 945 West Valley Parkway in Escondido, California.
For more information, retailers can contact Kelly Dale at firstname.lastname@example.org. For press and conventions you can reach Jamal Igle at email@example.com.
ABOUT ACTION LAB ENTERTAINMENT- Formed in 2010 with the purpose of pooling their collective talents into a single, powerful entity, the members of Action Lab Entertainment have countless years in multimedia publishing, design, and business. Their first release, Fracture, was successfully funded through Kickstarter and since then they have continued their mission to produce high quality, genre-spanning entertainment. Since its formation, the accolades for A.L.E continue to build on a daily basis. Among its more popular titles are all ages material like the Eisner, Glyph, Shel Dorf Award nominated series PRINCELESS, NFL RUSHZONE (based on the Nickelodeon Television series), Jamal Igle’s MOLLY DANGER, Artist/ Writer Jeremy Dale’s hit series SKYWARD, and Gayle Middleton’s (My Little Pony, The Littlest Pet Shop) monstrously adorable VAMPLETS. Action Lab’s Mature Readers imprint ACTION LAB DANGER ZONE continues to push the envelope of comics entertainment with titles as varied as EHMM THEORY and Dan Mendoza’s over the top horror-comedy ZOMBIE TRAMP, THE FINAL PLAGUE and BO, PLUSHY GANGSTA.


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Hello Friends and Fellow Readers who traverse the vast and wondrous seas of the magnificent book multiverse! As ever, we endeavor to bring you the latest in news from said vastness each week, and this week, happily, is no exception:
First and foremost in literary news this week, it was announced that after 55 years, a sequel to Harper Lee’s classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird will be released in July of this year. The sequel is titled Go Set a Watchman, and Harper Lee released a statement recently stating that she is “happy as hell” about its upcoming publication.
A new interactive documentary about the Harvard Depository, an off-site library storage facility, is now available for viewing online, and explores the evolution of the library and its relationship to technology. The film, entitled Cold Storage, is part of the larger project The Library Beyond the Book, which explores the history and future of libraries.
A group of publishers, literary magazines, and bookstores, headed by publisher Grove Atlantic, are developing a website for readers that will cover a wide range of book-related content, including news, bookstore profiles, book excerpts, and reviews. The website, Literary Hub, is expected to go online in April.
Milan Kundera, author of The Unbearable Lightness of Being, has published his first novel in 13 years. The new novel, entitled The Festival of Insignificance, was originally published in Italy in 2013 and will be released in English this summer.
Actor James Franco will be directing an adaptation of John Steinbeck’s novel, In Dubious Battle.
It will be a sad year for Game of Thrones fans, as it seems that George R.R. Martin’s newest novel in the series, The Winds of Winter, will not be released in 2015. An illustrated collection of three previous novellas set in the world of Westeros will be released in October of this year, however.
And, finally, it may come as no surprise to you, friends and fellow readers, but it turns out that reading for pleasure is good for your self-esteem.
As ever, stay tuned for more news from the book multiverse, right here on the BookPeople blog. And have a great week, BookPeople Nation!


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Richard Asirifi, Electrical Engineering
Of all the designers invited to showcase their latest lines at New York Fashion Week in February 2016, it’s a safe bet that Richard Asirifi ’16 was the only one simultaneously finishing up a degree in electrical engineering.
Asirifi is founder and CEO of Lief Kultuur, a clothing line he started four years ago as a sophomore in the Francis College of Engineering.
“I made this African infinity scarf,” Asirifi recalls, “and when I started wearing it around campus people were like, ‘That’s really nice.’ Then people started seeing it on Facebook and saying, ‘Wow, I need one.’ ”
Four years later, Lief Kultuur (which is pronounced “Lee-ay Culture” and means “love culture” in the Dutch Afrikaans language) is turning heads far beyond campus with its colorful and abstract line of men’s and women’s “athleisure” wear, a $97 billion market that Asirifi has quickly tapped into.
“It’s become such a blessing. I thank God,” says the 24-year-old Asirifi, who was born in Ghana and moved with his family to Worcester when he was 8. “I thought I was just going to do this for fun on the side, and it’s just propelled into this massive thing.”
Of course, Asirifi really is running Lief Kultuur (and its six-person staff) on the side. His day job is at National Technical Systems in Boxborough, where he’s worked as an electrical engineer since March 2016.
“It’s a difficult balance, but it keeps me grounded,” says Asirifi, who used to tag along with his father, Samuel, a church electrician.
“Being an electrical engineer reminds you that you know nothing about anything. Every single day comes with a challenge. With a clothing line people see your stuff and you see the ‘wow’ factor in their faces, and you can begin to commend yourself. And then you get to work and you have an 80-hour week ahead of you because this resistor is blowing up and this other one has to be in compliance, and then you’re like, I’m really not all that.”
But in the fashion world, Asirifi is all that.
Last winter, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert and his wife, recording artist Teyana Taylor, posted a photo of themselves on social media wearing matching Lief Kultuur jackets.
“They reached out to us and said, ‘We like your stuff,’ which was pretty nice,” says Asirifi, who adds that the company has yet to spend a dime on marketing. “It’s all just social media— friends being friends and putting us out there.”
Asirifi discovered his eye for fashion at an early age, when he began getting compliments on the outfits he wore to church. Then, when he was 15, Asirifi thought, “Why am I spending $50 on Ralph Lauren shirts when I could just make them myself?” So he bought $10 worth of fabric and asked his mom, Grace, to teach him how to sew.
As his interest in fashion began to grow, Asirifi approached a friend, Samuel Boakye, about starting a business. Boakye had some friends in the New York fashion industry, including Malika Cuffie, “an absolute killer designer who can make anything from scratch,” Asirifi says. Boakye is now Lief Kultuur’s creative director, while Cuffie’s title is lead design engineer.
To get the business off the ground, Asirifi turned to the Merrimack Valley Sandbox (now EforAll), an organization that seeks to revitalize cities by investing in entrepreneurs.
“The Sandbox was the launcher,” Asirifi says. “I was just a kid with a dream and some sewing materials, but I didn’t have capital. The Sandbox invested in me, starting with $500, and convinced us to believe in this dream.”
“Working with Marty Meehan, Jacquie Moloney, Steve Tello, Ralph Jordan … they built this entrepreneurial spirit in me,” says Asirifi, who hopes to one day build Lief Kultuur into a global brand — with a conscience. “Ten years from now, if Lief Kultuur can be self-sustaining, take care of everybody that’s working for it, and give back daily to those in need, then I’m good.”
Lief Kultuur doesn’t have a brick-and-mortar store yet (although it does have a partnership with Humanity, a boutique in downtown Lowell), which means nearly all of its sales come through its website. “But I would love to see Lief Kultuur in every major city in the world someday, just like you see Zara,” Asirifi says.
As CEO, Asirifi says the biggest challenge is maintaining morale and communication on the team, which is scattered across the Northeast. Boakye, an MBA student at D’Youville College in Buffalo, N.Y., handles most of the day-to-day operations of the company but will check in with Asirifi by phone several times a week.“
For me, it matters that I have a working relationship and a personal relationship with everyone on my team,” Asirifi says. “I think anything can be done from a structural point of view, but when life comes into play, that’s the hardest part. This is like having another family that’s been backing you from DayOne, and you have to care about them.”
Production is another hurdle that Asirifi is learning to manage. Most of the line, which is aimed at the 18-25 crowd, is produced in Pakistan and China, but Asirifi is trying to make headway in Ghana and also build manufacturing relationships in the U.S. and Canada. While some of the items (such as the $199 printed blazers or $150 peacock tier skirt) are a little pricey for the average college student, Asirifi says he strives to produce pieces that everyone can afford.“
It’s about ‘love culture,’ so you can’t say ‘love’ and then only tend to the upper class,” he says. “You have to make sure everyone feels like they’re on the same level.”
After appearing in a handful of fashion shows their first two years, Asirifi and his team have been invited to around 20 this year, including February’s New York Fashion Week.
“That was mind-blowing,” says Asirifi, who spoke with a fellow designer there who had waited 20 years for an invite. “I’m not a business major. I’m not a marketing major. I’m an electrical engineer, and me and five other people have been able to make this happen in four years. That’s an amazing feeling, to have this dream come true.”


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We wrote about the launch of ‘Peloton of boxing’ startup Liteboxer last summer, with its Simon Says-style system of punching lights in time to music. Now the company has announced a $20m Series A funding round, and given more details of where the music is coming from.
The round was led by Nimble Ventures, and takes the company’s total raised so far to $28.5m. Its founders talked to TechCrunch, which explains that the Liteboxer service has an ‘exclusive partnership’ with Universal Music Group, with 100 of the major label’s tracks in rotation for owners of Liteboxer’s device to punch along to. It’s clear that the music is key to the experience.
“We’ve seen trainers with more spin class experience be able to feel the cadence of the music, and know when the beat drop is coming, and craft these programs that are basically an art piece or performance,” said CEO Jeff Morin.
Music Ally’s next Learn Live webinar will help you understand what’s required for artists to thrive in new international markets!


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Saturday, March 26, 2011
This isn’t really an “identity security” problem, but I want to report it. Today, I noticed that FIA card services, on the credit card for my mother’s estate, charged a minimum interest fee of $1.50 even though the balance due was paid in full (as it always is).
I haven’t noticed this on any of my other cards yet. But I wonder if that’s next. FICO scoring rules favor having more cards and not using all the credit. But that could mean even more fees.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Diane Sawyer reported on ABC World News Tonight that complaints about abusive debt collection practices are up 17% in the past year, maybe because of the economy.
Consumers can write the debt collection company and tell the company not to call them again, although that does not relieve the debt. Consumer could still be sued by the debt owner (and sometimes collection agencies have “bought” the debt, a practice that sounds like champerty to some).
We’ve discussed the FDCPA here before. It’s illegal for collectors to make threats.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Here’s another identity protections service I ran across, “Trusted ID”. The company says it offers the credit reports from the three major vendors, and monitors “black market websites” for stolen personal information (in a manner that sounds like it resembles “Reputation Defender” a little). The web reference is here.
When I was on the site, I was called away by a phone call, and when I went back, it seemed a Live Agent wanted to chat with me. Interesting. I’ve never seen that before.


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Twitter's European communications manager has advised businesses to be authentic and experiment on social media in order to engage their customers.
Rachel Bremer told the organisers of the Social Media Results for PR and Comms Conference that organisations should inject some personality into their social media efforts while maintaining authenticity in order to enjoy profitable results.
"With social media, the communication between brands and consumers has evolved from broadcasting to conversation," she noted, adding that conversations are "much more enjoyable" when all the parties are being themselves.
Secondly, she advised businesses to not be fearful of experimenting on social media. Ms Bremer said companies may be surprised by which content marketing ends up taking off and getting a lot of social interaction such as retweets and favourites.
"It's not always what you would expect and you won't know what works unless you try different things," she added.
Being authentic on social media
Individuals and brands alike build their digital footprints every day. With every piece of content they publish, they are telling people – whether that be an inner circle on Google+, a big group of acquaintances on Facebook or the world at large on their blog – who they are and what they stand for.
The challenge for small businesses is to try to ensure everything published online by and about them accurately represents them. ContentPlus guest blogger Ian Pettigrew recently wrote in a post that this is actually not that hard. "Be 100 per cent truthful and real. Just be yourself, be authentic," he advised.
It is therefore also important for small businesses to ensure their employees understand and live the organisation's values. Ian wrote: "Being 95 per cent authentic isn’t enough. I believe that you will get found out on the 5 per cent and that will destroy trust in you."


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C.O.R.C. Thrift Store in Potsdam to host Italian buffet style dinner fundraiser Feb. 21
POTSDAM – The C.O.R.C. Thrift Store will have an Italian buffet style dinner fundraiser at Sergi's on Wednesday, Feb. 21 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
The dinner will cost adults $20 and children 3-10 years old $10. Children younger than 2 eat for free. The meal will benefit store’s voucher program.Tickets will be on sale at the store beginning Jan. 31 through Feb. 17.


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Fintech market in India is likely to expand to $31 billion in 2020. I foresee that the synergy between Fintech and Banks in key areas especially lending, payments and wealth management will be on the forefront which will be driven by both emerging and established platform players says P. Venkatesh, Co-Founder and Director – Temenos Core Transformation Business, Maveric Systems, in conversation with Elets News Network (ENN).
- How do you see the role of fintech expanding in India during Covid-19?
Instant payment facilitated by BHIM and actively promoted by other e-wallets players is already present and is serving well in the urban locations.
In the rural location, there is a need for cash and ATM/Post office serves as the agency. If this is to be mitigated, then feature phone led coupons or similar means are to be found out. This would emerge in due course.
- Fintech synergy with banks has been mentioned in several research reports. What are your views on this?
The emerging trends in the digital world such as:
De-coupling of the manufacturer, distributor, and servicer – This is currently present in fund management; Fund and schemes of a Fund manager are distributed by a number of banks and is often commonly serviced by a fund processor. Similar de-coupling would occur across the retail banking space covering both liability and asset products
The emergence of platforms– I foresee that the synergy between Fintech and Banks in key areas especially lending, payments and wealth management will be on the forefront which will be driven by both emerging and established platform players. The banks which have these services can see if they can benefit from them through lower cost of operation or better reach to customers; similarly, those not currently having these, these platforms present an opportunity to enlarge their offering.
Engagement with the customer – The necessity to be the primary form of engagement with the customer is of utmost importance to any bank or fintech. In the digital world, customer will play the leadership role; therefore, banks would try to segment their customer and partner with a set of fintechs and lifestyle products/services providers to make their platform central. Those banks that wish to hold the customer will make this option.
In India, segmented players are emerging in the hospitality, instant personal loans, international payments, and wealth management segments. Market estimates suggest that these players would have seen 2X to 3X increase in the business because of the COVID – 19 situations.
- The outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic has impacted economies worldwide. What are your strategies to face the challenges and prepare for the opportunities?
From the countries that we operate in, US has created the largest at USD 1 trillion- nearly 7% of their GDP. Most of the Middle East countries have created the first level stimulus amounting to 5% of their GDP while Bahrain’s stimulus is nearly 25% of its GDP. EU has established across all countries a similar fund to the extent of 5% of their GDP. At Maveric, we are watching closely the developments in the United Kingdom.
Industry domain that we operate in –banking. It is going to be a key channel in the current scenario. We are watchful of the developments across the geographies that we operate in. We anticipate, Retail banking would not be impacted in the immediate term however, commercial or business banking would bear the brunt.
Discretionary programs would come under stress as governments would want banks to respond to new schemes launched for the pandemic; therefore, banks might have to re-prioritize their programs to accommodate them. We anticipate digital and automation initiatives would increase since the banks might want to be prepared for extended period of the pandemic or for a new attack. We are building our talent pipeline across all the business units and also strengthening the infrastructure to support any spike in the project pipeline.
- Would you like to tell us about specialized competencies across the BFSI sector? What new and innovative have you planned for the year?
Maveric systems accelerate transformation initiatives across data, digital, core banking and quality engineering for a banking institution. As an organization who has carved a niche for itself in the banking domain, we drive these transformation engagements through conscious contextualization, comprehensive competencies and core commitment.
We believe Quality Engineering forms a strong foundation of any digital transformation and hence accelerated development to delivery of defects-free software with continuous quality engineering is our focus. The team at QE has developed a platform based on low code to perform automation of the entire lifecycle of testing.
The Digital business unit has its focus on microservice architecture and cloud enablement to drive unique experience engineering. In Core banking, we have a specialized competency on digital platforms implementation and whereas the Data Tech business unit focusses domain-led
data models, real-time data integration and 3 layered accuracy assertion, to provide conscious contextualization with regards to customer management through behavioral scoring.
- Digital is termed as one of the biggest opportunities post the COVID outbreak. How are you making use of it in a bid to reach your consumers?
Post-COVID, we see that the global economy is going to be coming to terms with the new reality and yes as you rightly said ‘Digital’ is going to be the new normal as the organizations will grapple with challenges such as decreasing revenues and increasing costs.
At Maveric, we are focusing our energies on the following –
(a) Re-engineering the business models
(b) Adopting to newer technology stacks and platforms
(c) Working towards integrating them with the financial technology ecosystem
We believe working with these priorities with an unprecedented speed will be the game changer for effective transformation both for us and for our customers as well.


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North American Cannabis Industry Opportunities Balloon as Demand Could Eventually Outpace Supply
PALM BEACH, Florida, October 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --
Financialnewsmedia.com News Commentary
An increasing number of Major Corporations are revving up for what should be an inevitable and growing widespread legalization of Cannabis use across North America. The global cannabis industry remains one of the more difficult industries to accurately forecast because its growth is so drastic and explosive that experts are constantly being forced to reevaluate and increase their projections for the space. The overall industry is well on its way to being a consistent multi-billion dollar sector of the economy and this growth is leading to rising levels of investment, both privately and publicly. Leaders in the industry are expanding operations in order to keep up with the rising levels of demand. Examples of expansion include companies investing in additional land to expand production facilities, as well as pioneers expanding operations into new markets in order to capitalize on new opportunities. Active companies in the Cannabis market this week include Cannabis Strategic Ventures, Inc. (OTC:NUGS), Sugarmade, Inc. (OTC:SGMD), CV Sciencs Inc. (OTC:CVSI), Canopy Growth Corporation (NYSE:CGC) (TSX:WEED), Aurora Cannabis Inc. (TSX:ACB) (OTC:ACBFF).
Cannabis Strategic Ventures, Inc. (OTCPK:NUGS) BREAKING NEWS : Pure Applied Sciences, a wholly own subsidiary of Cannabis Strategic Ventures has announced that "PureOrganix," their brand of high-quality concentrate, organic and pure cannabis oils that conform with Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), is now available in dispensaries in California. PureOrganix and plans to expand its national and international shelf-presence in states with legal markets and Canada in the next year.
"Having our brand available to consumers is a huge milestone for PureOrganix; we have spent months refining our formulation, branding and designing our product to appeal to our target demographic. We are excited for PureOrganix continued expansion into legal cannabis retail stores and believe this growth highlights the growth of the cannabis industry. Equally important, this confirms our belief that as the cannabis industry expands into the mainstream, consumer demand for high-quality and pure products continues to increase. PureOrganix stands for quality and we look forward to increasing our shelf presence in dispensaries throughout the United States and internationally, in Canadian markets," said Simon Yu, CEO, Cannabis Strategic Ventures. "The PureOrganixgrowth affirms Cannabis Strategic Ventures belief that there is incredible opportunity to create unique cannabis consumer branded products and expand into other sub-sectors of the cannabis marketplace."
Cannabis Strategic Ventures acquired Pure Applied Sciences and its brand PureOrganix in February 2018. In July 2018, Pure Applied
Sciences entered a non-exclusive cannabis concentrate extraction services agreement with CP Logistics LLC ("CPL"), a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of Sunniva Inc. (CSE:SNN) (OTCQX:SNNVF). Under the
agreement, CPL performs white label services producing high quality, ultra-purified cannabis extracts out of its Sun-Oil Facility in Cathedral City, California, for
Pure Applied Sciences under the PureOrganix brand name. Under this model, Pure Applied Sciences exclusively develops brand, marketing and licensing opportunities for distribution to legal retail
stores. Read this and more news for Cannabis Strategic Ventures at: http://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-nugs
Other recent developments and major influences in the cannabis industry include:
Sugarmade, Inc. (OTCQB:SGMD), one of the largest publicly traded hydroponics supply companies, yesterday announced the signing of a binding Letter of Intent ("LOI") to acquire Sky Unlimited, LLC, dba Athena United (http://www.AthenaUnited.com ), a California-based supplier of cannabis cultivation materials to wholesalers and large commercial cannabis cultivators. Sugarmade expects this acquisition to be highly accretive to earnings and shareholder value and thus is revising its guidance for full-year 2019 revenues to more than $70 million. Sugarmade's revenue within the cannabis cultivation supply sector is primarily derived from online sales, whereas Sky Unlimited's revenues are mainly generated via direct sales to wholesalers and large commercial cultivation companies.
CV Sciences, Inc., (OTCQB:CVSI) preeminent supplier and manufacturer of industry leading hemp extract brand, PlusCBD Oil, announces that the Company is now sponsoring Rodale Institute's research on organic hemp farming alongside industry leaders Patagonia and Dr. Bronner's. The Rodale Institute is the nation's leading organic farming institution, dedicated to pioneering organic farming through research and outreach. Since 2014, CV Sciences has pioneered the hemp industry through research and development affiliations with the University of Kentucky and Murray State University, amongst others. The Company continues to invest and support the promising future of agricultural hemp in the United States and this partnership with the Rodale Institute demonstrates our continued commitment to expanding scientific research in hemp agriculture.


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Internet law professor and Toronto Star business columnist Michael Geist has been named a digital pioneer by the highly respected Electronic Frontier Foundation, a U.S.-based advocate of civil liberties in a high-tech world.
Geist, who began writing a column on Internet and technology law for the Star in 2003, is in good company. Past recipients of the foundation's Pioneer Award include World Wide Web creator Tim Berners-Lee, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, and Linus Torvalds, creator of the Linux operating system.
"I'm really stunned by it," said Geist. "Obviously I've been active on a lot of issues here in Canada, whether copyright or privacy related, but when you look at past winners of this award, it's truly a who's who of people who have contributed to the Internet. It's an honour."
A professor of common law at the University of Ottawa, Geist also holds the Canada Research Chair in Internet and e-commerce law and is a leading Canadian expert on privacy law. His column in the Star, called "Law Bytes," has been syndicated around the world and is now published by the Ottawa Citizen, the Vancouver Sun and the BBC.
Geist, a tireless champion of Internet freedoms, has been credited for bringing the once-obscure issue of digital rights into the mainstream, and in doing so has ruffled many feathers in the music industry, within government and in other sectors resistant to change.
Last year, Geist led a public protest to proposed Canadian copyright reforms that would have whittled away consumers' technology rights. He created a Facebook group called Fair Copyright for Canada that drew 40,000 members and ultimately convinced the federal government to reconsider.


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Taking place from 12-13 May at the Kitwe Showgrounds in Zambia, the third edition of the Copperbelt Mining Trade Expo and Conference (CBM-TEC) will give visitors the opportunity to engage with over 130 leading local and international exhibitors. Unveiling innovative solutions, latest products and cutting-edge technology, the trade expo will enable visitors to see product offerings from companies such as Putzmeister, Manitou, BMG, Tenova, Becker Mining, Afrope, Powermite, Schneider, Cummins, Status Hi-Tech, Fire Kings, Netstar and many others.
At this year’s new and larger venue, the extended outdoor space will accommodate bigger equipment and more global mining brands with interactive displays and live product demonstrations. “The outdoor setting will allow visitors to touch, test and compare the products and equipment that exhibitors are displaying,” says event director of CBM-TEC Nicole Smith. “This will better enable visitors to make informed investment decisions in new mining equipment.”
“We have also introduced a Power and Water Pavilion this year as both power and water are critical elements in mining operations,” says Smith. “The Power Pavilion will cover all aspects of power including generation, transmission and distribution, sustainable energy and application, which will help mining producers solve their electricity supply issues cost effectively,” explained Smith. “Leading power suppliers and water filtration experts will showcase new products, services, technology and solutions to the Zambian market.”
Exhibitors excited about the opportunity CBM-TEC presents
Speaking to Iain Anderson-Slight, Managing Director of EC Mining (ECM) who will be exhibiting at this year’s CBM-TEC, he says that although the current market is tough, ECM remains very optimistic and positive about the second half of 2016. ECM specialises in electrical, pumps, mechanical equipment, drilling, engineering and repair works.
“We have been doing business in Zambia for 23 years and it has given us immense opportunities,” says Anderson-Slight. “One of our most recent projects in Zambia was the supply and installation of the 2 x 70 ton winder house cranes at Mopani Mindola and Mufulira sites for the new shaft project and eight drill rigs for FQM. We will be launching our new range of drilling consumables at CBM-TEC and there will be live demonstrations of our product range and much more,” he says.
Ian Smith, Country Manager at Bearing Man Group Zambia Ltd (BMG) says that although the market conditions are very frustrating at the moment due to the weak copper price, electricity problems, power outages and other issues, their vast stock holding, knowledge of their product range and world class products keep them competitive in the market. “We aim to grow, support and be part of the Zambian copper mining process,” says Smith. “Due to the great success and organisation of previous shows, BMG has been able to promote new product ranges and product awareness. We will be focusing on making Zambia and all its current challenges positive, with inclusivity and open forums of all market sectors.”
Wyllie Pearson, Executive Director of Murray & Roberts Zambia says the company vision is that by 2020 Murray & Roberts will be the leading diversified engineering and construction group in the global underground mining market. “We provide a wide range of diversified services to the mining industry, including shaft sinking, mine development, mechanical and civil construction and raise boring. We recently successfully completed a 4 year development contract at Lubambe and we have also completed the Synclinorium 1270m shaft for Mopani Copper Mine. Currently, we are busy with a contract at Mufulira for Mopani which includes development of a new shaft.”
“The Copperbelt Mining Trade Expo and Conference will provide us with good exposure for our services and an opportunity to rub shoulders with the mining groups. We are looking forward to another great show,” says Pearson.
Florence Asaile of Afrope Zambia believes that despite all the challenges the industry has faced in recent years, there is still a lot of potential for growth in Zambia and they aim to go after these opportunities. “The Copperbelt Mining Trade Expo and Conference provides us with a good platform to display and showcase our products to the local mining industry,” says Asaile. “We will have technical people to demonstrate how to use our products and will also be providing some rigging tips for the riggers. Our partners from Crosby will be at the stand.”
Afrope was recognised as The Best Industrial Manufacturing Company of the year for 2014 and 2015 at the Kitwe District Chamber of Commerce and Industry Annual Awards.
David Del Olmo, Retail Sales Manager Africa & Middle East of Putzmeister Underground, says that they believe mining will remain a key growth sector in Zambia despite the price cyclicality. “We have recently added equipment to our product portfolio that will help maximise our client’s production efficiency and optimise logistics while ensuring a greater safety profile,” says Olmo. “We have been participating in the Copperbelt Mining Trade Expo & Conference since its inception, and are delighted to have found a growth partner in what is for us a very exciting market. This will be our third year attending, and we are looking to consolidate our presence at the Trade Expo.”
Putzmeister Underground continues to deliver potent, high-quality and reliable equipment for shotcrete applications underground, offering a 360° experience for clients from advisory services all the way to fully-customised solutions for every project.
Showcases, product launches and more at CBM-TEC
Cidra will be launching the new Cyclonetrac PST real-time hydrocyclone oversize partical monitoring system at CBM-TEC 2016. The Cyclonetrac PST is a real-time particle size tracking system that monitors the particle size from each hydrocyclone overflow. This measurement has enabled unprecedented improvements in a grind circuit resulting in greater throughput and recovery.
The company will also showcase the Sonartrac multiphase, non-invasive slurry flow meter at the show. The Sonartrac flow meter is the only non-invasive flow meter that can measure slurry flow and entrained air content. The entrained air content has been used to compensate for the presence of entrained air bubbles in slurry flow in order to correct nuclear density gauges. The technology innovations available from Cidra can benefit the Copperbelt by improving processes and lowering operating costs.
Competition in mining and agriculture can be tough, so showing that your organisation holds a certified quality, environmental and health & safety management system can set you apart from the competition. Through doing this, organisations can ensure full traceability in their own supply chain, and can therefore ensure quality, first time, every time. International ISO Standard Consultants, IMSM will also be exhibiting at CBM-TEC to explain the full range of consulting and support services it provides. Full information on the flagship product, ISO 9001 (Quality Management), as well as ISO 14001 (Environmental Management), ISO/IEC 27001:2013 (Information Security) and BS OHSAS 18001:2007 (Occupational Health & Safety Management) will be available.
In 2015, ISOs 9001:2008 and 14001:2004 were upgraded to 2015 revisions. IMSM have a range of industry-first solutions to transition organisations, and the IMSM team will be on hand to explain the benefits of these time and cost effective solutions.
Rare Plastics, in conjunction with its technology partner Borealis, has produced a water pipe specifically for alternative installation techniques (AIT), under the name Rare Plastics Co-extruded pipe (RPC), which it will be showcasing at this year’s CBM-TEC. Trenchless technology and unselected embedment construction methods demand a pipe capable of being installed where any damage caused by aggressive conditions, will not result in failure of the pipe.
Rare Plastics has successfully completed several major projects with some of the largest copper producers in the Copperbelt region and looks forward to the continued expansion of the company’s role in Zambia.
South African company Adret will be showcasing its cable fault location instrumentation at CBM-TEC. The South African manufactured product is cheaper than its competitors with improved customer support services. The company experienced a good response to the product in the market last year and looks forward to growing its market presence again this year.
MTI Projects will be exhibiting at the show to expand market awareness about the Zambian Mining Magazine. Proven as a relevant and reliable source of news for the Zambian mining industry, the company is looking to let the industry know what it has to offer.
Local exporter Osborn will be exhibiting at CBM-TEC again this year to showcase its locally produced, robust products. The company decided to exhibit again after a well-attended show last year. The company feels that even in a depressed economy, it can still provide good quality products that benefit the mining industry.
As Zambia’s premier networking event for international and regional companies that operate within the country’s mineral rich Copperbelt region, CBM-TEC will add real value to an industry looking for innovative solutions.
In association with the Electra Mining Africa exhibition in Johannesburg, South Africa, CBM-TEC is organised jointly by Specialised Exhibitions Montgomery and Spintelligent, leading Cape Town-based trade exhibition and conference organiser, and the African office of Clarion Events Ltd, based in the UK.
Website: www.cbm-tec.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/CBMTEC


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Anthropic, a rival AI startup, has reportedly approached OpenAI’s board of directors to discuss the possibility of replacing CEO Sam Altman and merging the two companies. However, OpenAI’s co-founder Dario Amodei declined both proposals, according to The Information. The board has since offered ex-Twitch CEO Emmett Shear the position of interim chief, who accepted. Meanwhile, Microsoft has hired several key personnel from OpenAI as employees. This news has caused unrest in OpenAI, with nearly all of its 700 employees threatening to quit and one board member already resigning.
Anthropic was founded by former executives at OpenAI and split from their previous employer in 2020 due to disagreements over the safe development and governance of AI. Anthropic has since secured investments from Google and Amazon and seen its Claude AI models gain prominence alongside OpenAI’s GPT series. The co-founders of Anthropic have been reporting on the technology industry and artificial intelligence for Reuters since 2018. Jeffrey Dastin is a correspondent for Reuters based in San Francisco, focusing on technology and artificial intelligence. He holds a degree in history from Yale University and was part of a team that examined Amazon’s global lobbying efforts, earning a SOPA Award in 2022. Urvi Dugar is also a correspondent for Reuters based in Bengaluru, covering technology and e-commerce in India.


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Niantic and Nintendo spread a little bit of holiday cheer today with the announcment of some new Pokémon coming to Pokémon GO.
Togepi and Pichu will start hatching from Eggs. Starting today, trainers will have the opportunity to hatch these and several other Pokémon that were originally discovered in the Johto Region in Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver video games.
Niantic also shared that these are the first of more Pokémon coming to Pokémon GO over the next few months.
Also starting today through December 29th at 1:00 PM EST, there will be limited edition Pikachu popping up. These Pikachu will be wearing a festive hat. Using the Pokémon GO AR camera when you encounter them in the wild will allow you to take their picture. Developers suggest tweeting out your photos using the hashtag #HolidayPikachu.


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Dundalk retailers and businessess face rocky road
Dundalk’s retailers and business community are in for a ‘rocky road’ ahead if border controls are imposed.
Mark Dearey, owner of the Spirit Store and chairman of Dundalk Municipal Council spoke on RTE’s Morning Ireland about the reality of what such controls could mean for his hometown.
Despite Theresa’s May’s claim that she would work with the Irish government to ensure Brexit is as ‘frictionless as possible’ along the border, the business owner said he was ‘not optimistic’.
‘ The actual impact on the ground for retailers and businesses like my own that rely on the northern hinterland, is extremely challenging and this is the case right across the border.’
He said the business community had learned to ‘ lean on each other, rely on each other, and deal with the currency fluctuations,’ but admitted that the trading situation could be very difficult at times. Cllr. Dearey warned that ‘ to layer on top of that a whole range of new uncertainties’ could be devastating for the border region.
He said it was a ‘ hopelessly optimistic view that the EU won’t impose tariffs, therefore rewarding Britain for elaving the union... that is simply not going to happen.’
‘I think we are in for a really rocky period, and while the negotiations may take two years, the implementation could take ten. That is something that really worries me as a business person, who has put significant investment into attracting our northern customer base over the years.’
Cllr. Dearey said there were now great fears of returning to a border situation that was ‘ highly disruptive in previous years.’
‘It was a highly disruptive feature that held back the town for many years.’
He added that the situation only began to improve after the border was opened up to the free movement of people, goods and services.
The councillor, and well known environmentalist, also raised fears about ‘ensuring the continuity of many services and systems in place for tourism, transport, health and emergency services.
‘ The water management system that governs our town is trans-border. So how is our water quality going to be assured?’
Meanwhile, Paddy Malone, from Dundalk Chamber of Commerce said the speech from the British Prime Minister has lead to ‘confusion.’
‘How you can square circles I really don’t know? After so many months of uncertainty it was a case of hoping she wasn’t going to say what she did say.’
He admitted that the plan to take the UK out of the customs union leads to the increased likelihood of a border returning.
‘ The challenge of us is to continue working to get the very best for the border counties.’


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Melanie Pena is a senior, and this marks her first year in newspaper. Her favorite part about newspaper is getting her stories published. Among other things,...
Never stop exploring: young entrepreneurs
May 14, 2020
Editor’s note: This story was written in early spring and would have been published in the print issue “Never stop exploring.”
By the ages of 13 and 12, respectively, students Drew and Jamie frank had started their own business. Drew, now a junior, and Jamie, a current sophomore, started Kickpin, which sells limited edition and rare sneakers. In creating Kickpin, Drew and Jamie wanted to open up a store for El Pasoans to find their favorite sneakers. The brothers have been successful in carrying out their passion, and they have had many interesting experiences along the way.
When Drew was an eighth grader, he sought to accomplish his goal of becoming an entrepreneur and following in his grandfather’s footsteps. Now, he and Jamie sell a variety of brands in their store, including Nike, Jordan, and Adidas, as well as apparel with their brand name on it. Their company was founded in 2016, operating as a pop-up store that would open about once a month. It has grown since then, now boasting an online store and over 20,000 followers on Instagram. The Franks also created a brand called Concrete Hills, which sells sweatpants and sweatshirts and has attained a degree of national fame.
“It has been really cool to see how much Kickpin has grown,” Drew Frank said. “The biggest accomplishment I have gotten is probably all the celebrities that I have gotten to meet and [doors] that have opened for us.”
Their roles in Kickpin have given Drew and Jamie recognition in the social media world. They have met celebrities, like Lil Yachty, Billie Eilish, Khalid, Gunna, Kevin Hart, and DJ Khaled. Through these well-known contacts and hours of dedication to Kickpin, the Franks have been able to reach a bigger clientele and grow their business. Many celebrities have come to the store to shop, and others have invited the Franks to social events. The boys have also had their personal Instagram accounts grow tremendously: Drew has 20,000 followers, and Jamie has 12,000. On these accounts, the boys post to promote Kickpin or the famous people they have met through this company.
In spite of the success, not everything has come easily. Drew expressed that his age has created some obstacles – many businessmen do not take him seriously – but he feels it has only helped him mature. He is thankful for how far he and his brother have come. Jamie explained that operating Kickpin has become a smoother process over time.
“First, it was tough and was a lot of hard work, but since then, we’ve learned how to manage it and manage our schedules,” Jamie Frank said. “It has definitely all paid off.”
Drew and Jamie Frank’s store, Kickpin, is now a popular social spot among Coronado students. Through many years of planning and dedication, the Franks have become established entrepreneurs, and it all began by choosing to follow their passion.


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As of January 2020, IROKO was a team of 642 people globally. Fast-forward to January 2021, the team had shrunk to 83 people. How and why did that happen? Simple, 2020 happened.
But contrary to fears that the company is in a bad spot, IROKO has steadied itself with some shrewd calls (some of which were tough but necessary) and is now targeting an initial public offering (IPO) on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) Alternative Investment Market in 12 months’ time.
The IPO would aim to raise between USD 20 Mn and USD 30 Mn, and would value the whole business at between USD 80 Mn and USD 100 Mn, IROKO co-founder and CEO, Jason Njoku, told The Africa Report recently.
When the pandemic forced everyone indoors for several months last year, it was a no-brainer that entertainment platforms would see more interest than usual. And what’s more indoor entertainment than some good TV? Before long, pay-TV, as well as streaming video-on-demand (SVoD) platforms (like iROKOtv, Netflix, Showmax, etc.) were eating good.
However, the purple patch didn’t last long for IROKO. The Nigeria-based media company which runs a streaming platform that claims to be the largest online catalogue of Nollywood film content globally, was actually flying high during the early stages of the lockdown that was forced by Covid.
Njoku had mentioned in May 2020 that iROKOtv hit its highest daily addition within the first few days of the lockdown, as users seemed to be allowing themselves to enjoy what seemed like a holiday at first.
Nigeria, in particular, had posted the strongest numbers (it was the strongest the company had ever recorded for Nigeria). But the surge sort of died down as quickly as it had happened, though iROKO’s outside-of-Africa subscribers surged 200 percent during the lockdown, per his words.
As the decline continued on the local front (spotting a 70 percent drop in subscription numbers), Njoku announced the company had been forced to place 28 percent of its staff on unpaid leave, and pay cuts also happened. That was the sign of things to come.
Eventually, the company shuttered its offices in New York and London to cut costs, and another 150 jobs were cut because of the sour cocktail that is the economic impact of Covid, currency devaluation in its base (Nigeria), and the hostile regulatory environment from local regulators in the country.
To outsiders, it seemed like the company was reeling, but in reality, IROKO was looking to play a different game which was about not competing in the so-called streaming wars that is still more like an exaggerated small brawl in Africa, but rather keeping a firm grip on a niche that it has always owned. By boasting the biggest repository of Nollywood content, there was a bigger fish to fry in the diaspora.
In August 2020, Njoku announced IROKO had put its Africa growth/scaling plans on hold and was instead going to double down on its efforts in foreign markets, like the U.K., and the U.S., where it had higher paying customers.
It was the classic case of picking shrewdness over sentiments since 80 percent of the company’s revenue came from its business outside of Africa. Njoku claimed at the time IROKO’s international annual average revenue per unit (ARPU) is around USD 25.00 to USD 30.00 while in Africa, the annual ARPU value is between USD 7.00 to USD 8.00.
By simply refusing to compete for African viewers where it was reportedly spending USD 300 K monthly on growth without much to show for it, IROKO availed itself of the option that makes more economic sense: foreign business.
“The costs of pursuing Africa growth is what was really resized dramatically. We were so focused on defending Africa and basically ended up doing nothing. Zero marketing or anything to drive that,” Njoku told TechCrunch. “We pulled back to focus on where our economics actually makes sense. Our international business organically grew double-digit in 2020 and we expect it to continue this way for the foreseeable future.”
Now the company has channeled most of its efforts into selling a rich mix of African movie content to a diaspora audience with more discretionary income, higher spending power, and a good appreciation of its offerings.
That last point is reflected in the quip that despite implementing a 150 percent price increase recently, IROKO’s international subscriptions remain on the up. All the metrics point to the fact that an international subscriber base is much more reasonable and sustainable for the company at this time.
In the past, Njoku has mentioned that iROKOtv has accumulated net operating losses of more than USD 30 Mn over its lifetime while investing in African content starting with Nollywood (Nigeria’s coveted movie industry), and has been bleeding millions of dollars annually trying to build Internet TV in Africa.
But just as e-commerce, classifieds, e-hailing, edtech, and even freemium models have fallen short due to market constraints, it appears the market is still not optimised for the streaming business at the moment.
IROKO seems to have read the handwriting on the wall. And by doubling down on its diaspora play, which Njoku says puts the company in a stronger financial position than it had been for years, a successful 2022 IPO seems well within reach.
Featured Image Courtesy: 36 States


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23 November 2020: Cosmetic Creations, the Irish life sciences company, has today announced it is rebranding to Lynoslife. The announcement comes after three years of sustained growth for the company, focusing on its service offering of developing and delivering products in the health, wellbeing and cosmetics sectors.
Commenting on today’s announcement, CEO Aiden Corcoran said: ”We are so excited to finally be announcing our new name and brand identity, Lynoslife. The name Cosmetic Creations has served us well but we are continuing to expand our health, wellbeing and pharmaceutical products and services, adding value to how people feel, look and live. As an Irish life sciences company with world-class capacity, technology and expertise, we needed an updated brand that truly reflects who we are.
“Since we took over the helm of the company in 2017, the business has continued to evolve. We expanded our workforce from 30 to 120 in the last three years alone, increased our product and service offerings, opened a second facility in Cork and launched our own brand, Airmedica. By mid-2021, we will also have invested a total of €1.5million over 18 months into our Mayo and Cork sites, further increasing our adherence to Good Manufacturing Practice and enhancing our output capacity, commercial marketing and ecommerce capabilities. The next year will see us continue to scale, as we expand through strategic acquisitions in the health, pharma and cosmetic sectors as well as launching another owned product.”
The announcement comes one year after the company officially opened their Cork facility in the former Yves Rocher plant on the north side of the city, following an investment of €7.5 million. In March 2020, the company launched Airmedica hand sanitiser in response to increased demand due to the pandemic. Made in Cork and Mayo, used by the HSE and available in most national retail outlets, Lynoslife increased production of the hand sanitiser to at a maximum 350,000 units a week.
Mr Corcoran added: “It has never been more important for the Irish market to have access to home-grown products they can trust, whether that is hand sanitiser, skincare or food supplements. All our products are formulated by our experienced team in our state-of-the-art lab, stringently tested to ensure quality and performance and manufactured in house. As well as leveraging our strong international supply network, we are committed to using Irish suppliers where possible. Our Airmedica range, for example, uses over 90% Irish ingredients and packaging.”