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EBay (EBAY) this Memorial Day weekend again came out swinging against a controversial Web sales tax bill that its top e-commerce rival, Amazon.com, supports.
"This legislation ... is being called the Marketplace Fairness Act, but I strongly believe it creates an unfair tax burden for small online businesses," eBay CEO John Donahoe wrote in an email to eBay account holders on Sunday.
But Amazon.com (AMZN), the No. 1 online seller, supports the bill, saying it helps protect brick-and-mortar stores from unfair competition.
This Amazon.com warehouse is in Phoenix. The company collects state sales taxes from Arizona customers. AP View Enlarged Image
The proposed bill received bipartisan support in passing the U.S. Senate this month, and President Obama says he will sign the law — if it gets to his desk. The bill faces an uncertain future at the U.S. House of Representatives.
The bill would force online sellers to more widely collect state sales taxes.
Supporters, which include brick-and-mortar stores, say Internet retailers for too long have had an unfair advantage in not having to collect sales taxes from a large number of their customers. Big chains that also do big business online, such as Wal-Mart (WMT) and Home Depot (HD), support the bill.
U.S. Senators passed the bill on May 6 by a 69-to-27 vote.
Under the proposed law, retailers with annual sales topping $1 million would have to charge sales taxes, something Internet retailers don't have to do unless the seller had some sort of physical presence in the state, such as a warehouse, office or factory.
This has been the case since 1992, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that companies without a physical presence in a state should be exempt from collecting local sales taxes. Buyers, on their own, are supposed to note such purchases in their tax returns, but states have no way to enforce this and very few consumers do so.
The law certainly has helped Internet giants like Amazon and eBay grow, says Global Equities analyst Trip Chowdhry.
"You can give a tax break for a few years to jump-start an industry, but not for more than 20 years," Chowdhry said. "You can't say that one guy has to pay a tax and the other guy doesn't."
But small Internet sellers would be forced to raise their prices or swallow more costs. Many small outfits now make a business selling goods online, many as third-party retailers selling through eBay or Amazon, in fact.
Not All That Simple
"While it attempts to make tax collection simpler, it still has a long way to go," Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., said in a statement the day the Senate passed the bill. Goodlatte opposes the bill, as written.


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Berkowitz announced as keynote speaker at SMX London '10
This week, Third Door Media announced that Barak Berkowitz will be keynote speaker at SMX Advanced London 2010, the only search marketing conference designed exclusively for experienced internet marketeers.
Barak Berkowitz has been a leader in the technology revolution for over 30 years. He is currently the Managing Director of Wolfram|Alpha, the award winning "Computational Knowledge Engine". Prior to Wolfram|Alpha Barak was chairman and CEO of Six Apart, the global leader in blogging software including Typepad, Vox, Movable Type, and Live Journal.
SMX Advanced London will take place on 17/18th May 2010 at The Grand Connaught Rooms, Covent Garden. Sessions are fast-paced, Q&A-packed, frequently controversial, always informative and don't stop to cover the basics.
SMX Advanced London is produced in association with specialist business event producer Rising Media. For more details see www.smxadvancedlondon.com
Search Cowboys will be live covering the event
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domain: news


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Ms. Marvel Will Have New Powers on Disney+ Series
New photos show Ms. Marvel with interesting new powers. See them here.
Since Marvel introduced the character Kamala Khan, or Ms. Marvel, to the comic books back in 2013 she quickly became a widely popular and much-loved character. The success of the character recently landed her a spot in the new video game, Marvel Avengers, and prompted Disney executives to give Ms. Marvel her very own series on Disney+. According to The Direct, promotional materials for the new show were recently leaked. From what we’re seeing, it looks like fans can very likely expect to see Ms. Marvel with new powers in the upcoming series.
The photo of the updated Ms. Marvel, which can be seen below, initially surfaced on Twitter. Looking at the promotional artwork, it is immediately evident that Ms. Marvel is donning what looks to be a kind of crystal-like glove with a purple hue. This “glove” has never before been seen on the young superhero in the comics or even in the new video game. It looks like it could very well be indicative of a new set of powers for the hero. The Direct continued to speculate that her powers could be reminiscent of DC’s Green Lantern’s powers, in that Ms. Marvel will possess the capability to create constructs directly from light. For now, however, Marvel has not officially confirmed anything as to whether or not she will have any additional abilities outside of her polymorphic powers.
Taking an even closer look at the photo, it’s also apparent that there have been some costume changes made to the character in comparison to what she wore in the comic books. Additionally, Screen Rant recently pointed out some set photos that appeared on Instagram (seen below). These set photos show Ms. Marvel, portrayed by actress Iman Velani, in the same version of the costume that is depicted in the promotional photo. In contrast to the comics, there have been various color alterations and design changes, including her footwear. It seems as though she has exchanged her super-hero boots for some trendy converse-style red sneakers. You can see the set photo below.
Even though Marvel officially tweeted that we will get to see Ms. Marvel on-screen by late 2021, a definitive release date has yet to be confirmed. Significant plot details have also been kept tightly under wraps, which could indicate why fans had no idea that Marvel Studios was planning to shake things up by possibly giving her character new powers.
While fans have been waiting to see Iman Velani star as Ms. Marvel in her new Disney+ tv show, it was announced that Velani will also be reprising her role in the upcoming sequel to Captain Marvel, entitled The Marvels. Giant Freakin’ Robot also just reported that fans may be seeing a new scientist called JEXA in the sequel, as well. For those excited to see all that’s up and coming for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they might also be excited to know that an unexpected fan favorite, frog Thor, or Throg, who Chris Hemsworth is slated to voice once again, will be making a subsequent appearance on season two of Loki. It looks like Disney+ subscribers have a lot to look forward to.


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Chanel funds buyout of Scottish cashmere firm
Tuesday 16 October 2012
Chanel has stepped in to rescue a Scottish cashmere maker after other buyers walked away.
Barrie Knitwear, based in Hawick, was put up for sale after its parent Dawson International collapsed into administration in August due to huge pension liabilities.
The Scottish wool supplier makes cashmere for the Parisian designer Chanel as well as a variety of tailors, US retailers and other luxury brands.
Last month Barrie’s management Jim Carrie and Clive Brown had hoped to secure backing from venture capitalists. But privately owned Chanel has stepped in to rescue the deal and back management to save the firm. Mr Carrie and Mr Brown will now continue to run the business.
Administrators at KPMG had been hoping to secure a sale sooner, but Chanel’s rescue saves all 176 employees.
Bruno Pavlovsky, Chanel’s fashion president, said: “This acquisition is all the more natural as the factory has worked with us for more than 25 years.”
The luxury fashion house said it will allow Barrie to continue to supply the major luxury brands “with no exclusivity”.
Buyers that walked away from the deal included the US menswear chain Brooks Brothers – Italy’s Claudio Del Vecchio’s Retail Brand Alliance.
Dawson, which was listed on the Alternative Investment Market, fell into administration due to huge pension deficits thought to be in excess of £50m.
Supplying Chanel with cashmere made up around 60 per cent of Barrie’s business.
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Capcom is hosting a mobile sale alongside its PSN sale, and what a sale it is: all iOS titles on the list are just 99¢.
Ghost Trick headlines
Capcom is set to launch an iOS version of popular DS title Ghost Trick tomorrow, according to an iTunes listing, as spotted by Videogamer. Those who download the game, made by Ace Attorney creator Shu Takumi, get chapters 1 and 2 free, with the rest being downloadable in-app. More details here.
Capcom’s announced it’s teamed up with Dr. McNinja artist Chris Hastings for a Ghost Trick crossover comic.
Capcom has announced Shu Takumi’s Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective for DS will land in the US on January 11.


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Radio and television presenter Dineo Ranaka has blessed herself with a brand new car. Dineo, who hosted a show on Yfm called ‘Dineo Live on Drive’ and also co-hosted Club 808 (a music show on e.TV) along with Moeti ‘Mo Flava’ Tsiki posted the photo on Instagram.
“I waited seven years to take delivery on this gift. A whole seven years. Seven years of hardship. Seven years of nearly giving up. Seven years of challenges‚ hard lessons‚ hard work‚ insults‚ tears‚ emotional scars‚ rejection and redirection ” – she said.
Dineo said she had to learn to be resilient and never give up and it was only through her determination that she has now been able to gift herself with a brand new car.
“I had to be stubborn. At times I had to stand alone and it was cold. At times I had to seek the help of others. At times I had to own up for the waves of change to show up. I had to be #resilient and most importantly I had to GROW UP!”


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Glory Foods outsourcing work on produce line
Southern-style foods producer Glory Foods Inc. has signed on with a third-party logistics firm to handle its fresh produce line as the Columbus company makes a heavier marketing and development push.
The company, one of the largest privately held businesses in Central Ohio, said Friday that it tapped Eden Prairie, Minn.-based C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc. to oversee distribution, sales and retail customer support for its fresh produce business. C.H. Robinson (NASDAQ:CHRW) is an $8.6-billion-a-year company that serves 32,000 customers around the world.
Financial terms of the companies’ relationship weren’t disclosed.
Glory Foods, which also makes heat-and-serve canned vegetables and other products, said the deal will allow it to focus on developing new products and marketing as C.H. Robinson works with growers, packers and retailers to boost efficiency.
“Working with C.H. Robinson allows us to concentrate on our specialty – developing quality, Southern-style food products that appeal to consumers’ tastes and meet retailers’ needs,” President Jacqueline Neal said in a release.
Glory Foods in 2007, the latest year of data available, recorded $70 million in revenue, making it one of the 100 largest private companies in the region and the third-largest minority-controlled business, according to Columbus Business First research.
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A mall security guard in Minnesota was pepper-sprayed on Black Friday attempting to stop an alleged shoplifter.
The incident occurred at a Burlington Coat Factory at the northtown Mall in Blaine, Minnesota, around 9 p.m. on the major shopping day. The security guard attempted to stop two women leaving with unpaid items when one pepper-sprayed him in order to flee the store.
As of Monday, neither of the women were in custody.
The incident was caught on a store’s security camera and has since made the rounds on social media.
The loss prevention officer spotted the two women, described as being in their early 20s, trying to leave the stores with baskets full of items they had lifted from around the store. While the guard struggled against one woman, the other is seen pulling out her mace and spraying him in the face. He collapsed to the floor quickly as another employee tried to intervene but was also sprayed by the woman before both grabbed items they dropped and fled the store.
Blaine Police Department responded but both women had fled mall property. While one of the employees sprayed recovered at the store, the other reportedly had to be taken to a nearby hospital to be treated.
Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying the women responsible, who will reportedly face aggravated assault charges. Blaine Police can be reached at (763) 427-1212.


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The promotion, which takes immediate effect, sees Hedge promoted from senior vice president sales and marketing and taking overall responsibility of the Group’s UK subsidiary. As one of the founding members of the original Cheam-based company, alongside Peter Brown and Carl Moran, the announcement has been welcomed by all members of the Flair team.
Dario Berte, Co-CEO of the Giochi Preziosi Group, commented: “I am personally delighted to confirm Simon as the managing director of GP Flair. In recent years he has shown an incredible passion for taking the company to the top six of UK toy companies and with his continued dedication we believe that our UK division will continue to move forward.”
Commenting further, Simon Hedge said: “It is with great enthusiasm that I take on this new role, especially as Flair has been an important part of my life for many years. I am also delighted to be working alongside many of the original company members, without whom the task of growing the company still further and increasing its position in the sector would be a much more difficult challenge.”
Peter Brown, chairman of GP Flair, added: “It is with considerable pride that I have been able to accompany Simon on his journey from commercial director and founding member of Flair Leisure Products to being the managing director of GP Flair, the UK subsidiary of one of the largest toy companies in the world. I think I can speak for everyone here in wishing him every success in his new role.”


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Hello adtech connoisseurs and retail media experts,
What's the down low in the world of advertising? Certainly something juicy about Apple vs Meta. Let's jump into the news.🗞
What’s the latest:
Brands have new priorities in digital advertising in 2022! The advertising ecosystem is rapidly evolving and brands are looking for partners who can offer sustainability, innovative ad formats, and accurate attention metrics. Brands are also negotiating beyond the confines of standard auction-based inventory and are reaching out to publishers who have strong audiences in the right context. (WNIP)
Apple already decimated Meta’s adtech empire, but they're ready to hone in on Facebook's advertisers too. 😱 Apple's privacy changes have wreaked havoc on the advertisers that have been relying almost entirely on Facebook's self-service ad platform for more than a decade. Some marketers are still "scrambling" to figure out workarounds in the aftermath, while some are willing to jump ship. MarketWatch found two recent job postings by Apple that suggest the company is looking to build out its growing adtech team with folks who specialize in working with small businesses. In other words, they're ready to lure advertisers entirely off of Facebook's platform, effectively hampering Meta's business structure for good, adtech analysts say.
Stats to impress your friends:
North America's digital advertising market is projected to grow by 8% annually in the forecast period and reach $333 billion by 2031.


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Pokemon Go maker rolls out new platform for developers to build metaverse apps
Niantic Inc has decided to license its augmented reality (AR) tech platform Lightship to developers who want to create AR apps for “real-world metaverse”, CEO John Hanke told the Verge.
The company has also set aside $20 million funds to provide financial assistance to startups that are developing AR apps.
Available to all developers starting this week, Lightship will be free to access and will let developers use its AR Developer Kit (ARDK) to build AR apps and experiences for both Android and iOS and integrate directly with Unity.
The AR developer kit provides real-time mapping, allows developers to build multiplayer AR experiences involving up to 8 people, and allows developers to create unique interactions with specific surfaces.
According to Niantic, most of the ARDK features including Depth, Occlusions, Semantic segmentation, and real-time meshing will be free. Niantic will only charge developers for using the multiple player component of the kit if the app's monthly active users (MAU) crosses the 50,000 mark. After that, developers will have to pay $5 per month per 10,000 users.
This fee will be applicable from May 2022 onwards.
Niantic's decision to license its AR technology for free is a major boost for developers working on metaverse.
The company is considered one of the pioneers in multiplayer AR gaming on mobile with games such as Pokemon Go, which was downloaded over 1 billion times and was named best mobile game by the Game Developers Choice Awards in 2017.
Founded as Niantic Labs in 2010 as a startup within Google, Niantic became an independent company in 2015.
The interest in metaverse has skyrocketed ever since Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta Platforms announced his vision to make Facebook a metaverse company.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella too shared his vision of metaverse with Microsoft Mesh, which is expected to come to life in the first half of 2022.
Though the Mesh will initially focus on creating virtual environments and 3D avatars for Teams and work, Nadella later told the Verge that the company is committed to MR gaming on Xbox.


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India is in the throes of a financial crisis.
Its government has cut off all cash withdrawals, slashed corporate tax rates and frozen the interest rates on loans and savings.
Its banking system has been on the brink of collapse.
The economy is in a tailspin.
But a big business deal that might just put India on a path to economic recovery is on the cards.
It may sound far-fetched, but this could be the most important business deal in India’s history.
India is a nation of 2.3 billion people, but the country’s banks account for only around 1.2 billion people.
This is the result of a decade-long policy of subsidising banks.
The government has now decided to make banks a major player in the economy.
The bank crisis that began in the mid-1990s had a major impact on the country.
The country’s central bank stopped issuing new notes, and its central bank was forced to print new ones.
This resulted in a sharp drop in the value of the rupee and led to an increase in corruption.
This was especially acute in the banking sector, where corrupt officials and politicians were using the money to buy luxury properties.
As a result, India lost $1 trillion worth of foreign exchange in 1998 alone, a year when the rupees were at record lows.
In 2001, India also lost more than $500 billion.
The problem was compounded by the fact that the country was suffering from an acute economic slowdown and the country did not have the ability to absorb any additional funds.
In 2007, the government introduced a programme known as the Integrated Payments Interface (IPI) to address this crisis.
The IPA introduced new types of payments, including bank transfers, credit card payments and other payments through internet banking.
These payments were supposed to make it easier for consumers to make purchases and also help businesses cope with the cash crunch.
India’s central government decided that these payments should be paid to the bank account of a big bank, as it could then provide these payments in the future.
This initiative has proved to be hugely successful, with nearly 50% of the population being able to access these payments, according to the World Bank.
The problem was that the RBI had to maintain a monopoly on these payments for a while.
But the RBI, through the RBI Supervisory Committee, which is made up of the heads of the banks, the RBI Board and the RBI governor, has the final say on all such transactions.
So, this decision had a huge impact on how transactions were processed and was a key factor in making the ruases value higher.
So far, the Indian government has made good on this promise.
A large number of companies have signed up to the Payments Interface.
Companies like BPL and HDFC Bank have also started accepting payments through the bank.
The Indian banking system is the largest in the world, accounting for more than one-fifth of the total foreign exchange reserves of the world.
And the central bank has been able to use the payments to boost the economy by allowing the banks to buy back their own deposits, thus creating liquidity for the economy and boosting its growth.
While the payments will be accepted by nearly everyone, the banks are not allowed to withdraw more than 100,000 rupees ($17,500) from their accounts.
So the biggest players, especially banks like Axis Bank and HDBC Bank, have to rely on their own customers for this support.
The new payments initiative is part of a strategy that has been in the works for a long time.
According to the Reserve Bank of India, the country has around 4,000 banks, which are the backbone of the economy’s financial system.
The RBI is now looking at a number of different payments options, such as payments from internet banking, bank transfers and bank credit card cards, as well as the creation of new payment modes.
The central bank’s vision is that these payment options will provide a better access to the banking system for consumers, which will improve liquidity for businesses.


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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Salmonella outbreaks in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio could have all been caused by precut melons purchased at Costco, Kroger, Walmart and Whole Foods. Taking a step back along the supply chain, the CDC conjectures they could have all come from a Caito Food facility in Indiana. Caito has issued a recall notice for Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, and Ohio. The Food and Drug Administration is also investigating the outbreak and says it may add stores or other products to the recall list. The Illinois Department of Public Health recommends people who have precut melons in those states throw out any products remaining in the home, and that patients who experience diarrhea, fever, and cramps after eating precut melons (regardless of source) see a healthcare provider. As such, if you see patients with these complaints ask what they’ve eaten recently. Salmonella can develop within 12 to 72 hours after eating tainted food, and typically lasts for 4 to 7 days. So far, 31 of the 60 people diagnosed with Salmonella have been hospitalized, but there have been no fatalities.
Salmonella Outbreak May Have Started with Precut Melons from Indiana Plant


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Trying to limit damage from a weak jobs report, the White House is pressing for bigger action from Congress and searching for ways to prod Europe to do more to pump up global economic activity.
But President Barack Obama has limited options to stimulate the economy because of resistance from both European leaders and congressional Republicans. That is why much of the Obama team's attention is focused on blaming the GOP for blocking actions, both in the past and present.
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ENCINO (CBSLA.com) — After CBS2’s report last week on the widespread mail thefts in Southern California neighborhoods including Westchester, Riverside and West Hollywood, viewers have flooded CBSLA.com with emails about the growing problem.
Now, we have some tips on what you can do to prevent yourself from becoming a victim.
Rigo Reyes is the chief investigator with the Los Angeles County Department of Business and Consumer Affairs, which helps victims of identify theft.
“We can work with the creditors to make sure that the consumer is not asked to pay for charges they didn’t authorize,” Reyes said.
As for those credit card offers in the mail, Reyes said you can put a stop to them by calling (888) 567-8688 or go to Optoutpresceen.com to sign up to opt out.


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BOSTON (CBS) - It appears that a popular satire website is coming to the rescue of a New Hampshire man who lost his life savings on a carnival game.
Henry Gribbohm dropped $2,600 on a game at a Manchester carnival run by New Hampshire-based Fiesta Shows in an effort to win an Xbox Kinect.
He didn't win, and his consolation prize ended up being a giant stuffed banana with dreadlocks.
"You just get caught up in the whole 'I've got to win my money back,'" Gribbohm told WBZ-TV earlier this week.
As it turns out, thanks to some generosity and a clever marketing ploy by CollegeHumor.com, Gribbohm might just see his life savings returned after all.
CollegeHumor.com posted the story on its website with a ripe offer to buy the dreadlocked banana for $2,600 if the post can get 26,000 "likes" on Facebook. If this post gets more than 30,000 "likes," Collegehumor.com says it will buy Gribbohm's banana and buy him an X-Box Kinect, which he was originally trying to win.
As of 8:15 a.m. Wednesday, the post had received 8,500 "likes."
for more features.


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Leading up to the busy holiday season, automakers sustained strong sales results in October. There were 1.28 million new cars and trucks sold, a 6 percent increase compared to the same time last year. Car shopping activity across Dealer.com’s platform was consistent with auto sales, showing a 32 percent increase in form lead submissions when compared to October 2013.
Web traffic trends point to increased mobile research
Mobile traffic has experienced considerable growth over the last couple of years – so much so that mobile traffic is starting to level off, suggesting that the mobile device market may be approaching saturation point. While mobile usage is plateauing, how shoppers are engaging with mobile sites has changed significantly over the last 13 months.
Mobile visitors are now looking for additional information beyond the basic dealership details found on the homepage, like location, hours and telephone number. Visitors are now browsing inventory, deals and, overall, more pages from their devices going further down the automotive purchasing process than ever before. The number of page views per mobile visit has grown 15 percent year-over-year, with inventory listing pages driving the majority of the increase with 24 percent year-over-year growth.
Social media powers car shopper engagement
With 64 percent of all mobile users accessing social media, it continues to gain importance in digital marketing across industries: dealership website traffic from social media has grown 27 percent year-over-year as more shoppers browse inventory on mobile. In October 2014 alone, total traffic from social channels increased by 14 percent from the previous month.
And as noted in last month’s web traffic report, website visitors directed from social channels are more engaged with dealers’ sites, spending even more time viewing more pages than they had in previous reports. This month, the trend continues upward with a 20 percent increase in pages per visit and 28 percent more time spent on dealerships’ websites.
Mobile traffic driven by social channels continues to be the greatest engagers on dealers’ websites. These shoppers spend more time interacting with inventory and getting closer to purchasing decisions, indicating priorities for dealers in both social media and mobile strategizing. Dealers should consider these approaches as ways to engage customers and prospective buyers as we head into the holiday season.
Check back next month to see how dealers are revving up for the holidays and the effectiveness of Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions in terms of translating into sales.
Dave Winslow is Vice President – Digital Strategy at Dealer.com


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Avengers: Endgame Directors Russo Bros. champion the need for streaming platforms, saying movie theaters are “elitist”.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the directors answered questions about their future projects. Asked what changes they’d like to see in the industry post-pandemic, Anthony Russo said things would have to adapt to reach audiences that haven’t been engaged before. “I hate being juvenile at this level,” Russo said. “We love everything about classic cinema, but we’ve never been precious about it in any way. What has always excited us the most is [the question]how are you doing?”
Joe Russo claimed the world had to change and preventing it would create more chaos. The director mentioned the importance of not rejecting the ideas of the next generation. “One thing to remember too is that it’s an elitist notion to be able to go to the theatre. It’s very expensive,” he said. “So this idea that’s been created – that we’re clinging to – that the theater is a sacred space, that’s bullshit. And she rejects the idea of allowing everyone in the tent. “
The End of Game The director also commented on the inclusion of audiences who otherwise wouldn’t have access to their content. “Where digital distribution is valuable, besides what I said earlier about how it has pushed for diversity, is that people can share accounts; they can get 40 stories for the price of a story,” he said. “But having some sort of culture war over whether it has value or not is bullshit to us.”
Throughout the interview, Joe Russo reiterated that streaming platforms always earn “billions of dollars” whether their content is released theatrically or directly to streaming. He claimed that all companies are adjusting and rethinking their models to survive the ever-changing industry. movies like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness premiered in theaters on May 6, 2022, then became available on Disney+ less than two months later, proving that digital distribution has moved the process along much faster than before.
The Russo brothers made Grey Mana Netflix original movie, which hit theaters for a limited release on July 15, 2022. The gray man stars Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans and stars a CIA black ops mercenary who uncovers dark agency secrets. Both Russos expressed excitement about working with Netflix on this project because their hands-off approach was less stressful.
The gray man will be released on Netflix on July 22, 2022.


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Google Glass largely went off sale to consumers in 2015, and Google has since been focusing on how the headset could be useful for businesses and developers. But even those efforts have come to an end. The company is no longer selling Google Glass Enterprise Edition 2, Google spokesperson Patrick Seybold told The Verge. A help document spotted by 9to5Google says the company will end support for the AR headset on September 15th.
According to the company, the devices should still work after that date, but it’s not planning on releasing any software updates. The support cutoff also extends to the built-in Meet app and repair service. “The app may stop working at any time after September 15, 2023,” warns Google’s support page, before saying that “Google will continue to replace devices under the existing process” until that date.
It’s tough to say whether Glass specifically has a future — currently, google.com/glass just has a message saying “thank you for over a decade of innovation and partnership,” and announcing the discontinuation. But last year Google seemed keen on it, announcing that it would be testing augmented reality glasses with cameras in public and showing a (slightly unrealistic) demo of two people using AR to communicate in different languages during its I/O keynote.
Seybold told The Verge that the company is still “deeply committed to AR” and that it’s “been building AR into many Google products and we’ll continue to look at ways to bring new, innovative AR experiences across our product portfolio.” It’s always possible that the company’s planning some other face-mounted experience, but for now, Glass is getting another entry in the Google graveyard.


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Our goal has always been to put on the biggest and the best fights for our fans, and to make this the biggest sport in the world. Kawhi Leonard 6. The Big3 playoffs will air live on Aug. Tom Brady 8. His carelessness cheap nfl jerseys and a porous pass defense MLB Jerseys Wholesale are the team’s major issues, but at least one can be fixed by cutting ties with a specific player.On the spot: Saints LG Will Clapp. We are pleased to welcome Nationwide to our roster of sponsors, said Renie Anderson, NFL senior vice president of sponsorship and partnership management. Atlanta Falcons 17. The grand prize, an NBA Homecourt, room, includes a Samsung 65-inch 8-Series 4K SUHD TV, a Sony S4 bundle with two controllers and NBA 2K17, relax recliner, coffee table, Wholesale NCAA Jerseys rug, signs, three shade lamp, throw pillows and game day pint glasses of the winner’s favorite NBA team. A lead spot, Hopes, includes fans, rap artist Travis Scott and Kenny Smith, two-time NBA champ and long-time analyst and commentator for the NBA on Cheap MLB Jerseys TNT’s . LeBron James 5. The campaign was developed under the auspices of Roberta Bowman the LPGA’s chief brand and communications officer, a former LPGA Board member and corporate executive who joined the LPGA in November to further strengthen Wholesale Duke Blue Devils Jerseys the LPGA’s brand, leadership reputation and global reach. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 15. Lionel Messi 3. To find all players born within a certain month and year, for example all players born in December of 1985, choose the month and year with the drop down boxes and then choose the ‘Month and Year Search’ option. Carolina Panthers 8. We believe this new format will keep our audience engaged with our content from the Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping opening week through the grand finals and be more accommodating to team and player schedules, said Alejandre. In September, a police investigation described Craddock’s movements immediately before the shooting but it also failed to describe what prompted the attack.
Cleveland Browns 11. The company’s Hello Kitty will Wholesale NHL Jerseys help lead the partnership as the Global Ambassador for Inclusivity.’ A co-branded product line, developed by Sanrio and Team USA, will include apparel, sleepwear, accessories, toys, collectibles, gift and novelty items. TORO hosts assemblies in local schools to show students ways to prepare for the STAAR test. Lionel Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap Messi 3. Really do not understand, others say the painful memories can be changed slowly over time, can it Cheap MLB Jerseys in my heart, always in such a night, quietly attack on the heart, continue to spread, the constant repetition. Ronda Rousey 9. Keisuke Honda 10. Parker grabbed four rebounds and had three assists, tallying a plus-minus of +6 in his 20 on the floor. Cristiano Ronaldo 4. 22 from the Moda Center in Portland, and the Big3 Championship Game will air live from Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Aug. A Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap national platform includes teams forming partnerships with more than 150 local LGBTQ organizations.
Becky Lynch 7. 22 from the Moda Center in Portland, and the Big3 Championship Game will air live from Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Aug. Kawhi Leonard 6. Atlanta Falcons Wholesale NHL Jerseys 17. Accenture defined Fannovate as a fan-involvement effort to capture input and ideas, the most promising of which could be incubated and prototyped as part of the Chase Center experience design. 6 NBC • Super Bowl LVII State Farm Stadium Glendale, AZ Feb. The company also has official deals with the NBA and WNBA. Ronda Rousey 9. Everyone has to make their own judgments.
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Perfumania has acquired the Florida-based firm that makes and markets the Paris Hilton, Rihanna and Queen Latifah fragrances sold in department stores and other retailers in a deal valued at $118 million.
Trading of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Parlux ended Wednesday as the firm became subsidiary of Bellport-based Perfumania, a wholesale distributor and specialty retailer of fragrances.
Perfumania is issuing about 6 million shares and paying about $62 million to Parlux stockholders, who will receive 0.53 Perfumania shares or $4 and one-fifth of a Perfumania share for each Parlux share.
Perfumania, a publicly traded firm controlled by the Nussfdorf family, for its fiscal year ended Jan. 29, 2011 took a $3.7 million net loss on $484.8 million in sales.[dmc-related-post-wp numitems=”3″ title=”Also read”]
Parlux for its fiscal year ended March 31, 2011, earned $1.2 million on $123 million of sales. The Nussdorfs also are a minority shareholder in Parlux.
Parlux markets fragrances under celebrity names such as Rihanna, Jessica Simpson, Nicole Miller, Queen Latifah, Paris Hilton and Mark Ecko.
Its products include Jessica Simpson’s I Fancy You, Fancy, Fancy Nights and Fancy Love; Rebelle by Rihanna; and Paris Hilton fragrances Tease, Heir, Can Can and Heiress.
“The combination of Perfumania and Parlux is a major step toward building a more significant and financially stronger designer fragrance and beauty products company,” Perfumania CEO Michael Katz said. “Parlux brings a wealth of products and expertise as a licensee, manufacturer and international distributor.”
The companies in earlier Securities and Exchange filings said the merger will create a “larger, independent, national vertically integrated manufacturer, wholesale distributor and specialty retailer of perfumes and fragrances.”
Perfumania shareholders will own about 60 percent of the combined company, while Parlux stockholders will own about 40 percent.
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“The commitment to farmers by Congress, especially the Cotton Belt Members who supported the farm bill, and the Administration to get this farm law into place this year will enable our nation’s farmers to continue producing safe, abundant, and affordable food and fibre,” said NCC chairman Ron Craft, a ginner from Plains, Texas, who attended the signing ceremony in Washington, DC.
“Their persistence on and support of this legislation means the continuation and enhancements of a much-needed safety net. I know this is especially crucial for US cotton producers as many are still dealing with natural disasters that occurred this growing season while others will undoubtedly face other harmful weather events ahead,” Craft added.
Going forward, the new farm law, which was forged within existing budget resources, will provide US farmers with stability and help them better manage their risk not only from weather events but swings in commodity prices and other global marketplace situations such as the current retaliatory trade tariffs on US agricultural products, Craft said in a media release issued by the NCC.
The new farm law includes many of the US cotton industry’s policy priorities – continuation of the Seed Cotton ARC/PLC programme, full access to the marketing loan programme, full funding for textile competitiveness programmes, effective crop insurance products, no reduction in arbitrary payment limits, and addressing overly restrictive family farm eligibility requirements.
Further, the adjustment to the ‘family definition’ for farm programmes will help resolve the unintended and punitive restrictions that resulted from the ‘actively engaged’ changes made by the 2014 farm law and ensure that all family farms are treated equitably.
In addition, the bill includes a yield update opportunity for all producers that will better align programme yields with current production levels. Report language attached to the new farm law encourages USDA to work with the cotton industry to make administrative changes in the cotton warehouse and shipping provisions to help ensure the timely flow of cotton to the marketplace. (RKS)
Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India


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Mark your calendars. This is one local art show that doesn't disappoint.
The Portland Japanese Garden's annual Behind the Shoji art show and sale, July 25-Aug. 30, promises its usual array of Asian-inspired pottery, glass, jewelry, paintings and wood-block prints, along with an infusion of fresh finds, including Japanese antiques, carvings and kimonos from Nishiura Ryokusuido.
"Every year the art gets better and better," says Paula Wheeler, the garden's gift store retail manager and buyer. "We like to add new elements to the show that keep it fresh and interesting, and this year is no exception."
The Portland Japanese garden is located above Washington Park at 611 S.W. Kingston Ave.
There will be demonstrations every weekend through the show's run. The event is free with garden admission and open during garden hours: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday and noon-7 p.m. Mondays.


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The media pounced on the release of a survey yesterday showing that, while more than half of the companies polled predicted a global flu epidemic within the next two years and two-thirds said it would disrupt their businesses and cause social unrest, more than two-thirds said they simply weren’t prepared. Amazingly, one-third of the executives surveyed said no one in their company had been appointed to plan for a pandemic. And another one-quarter couldn’t or wouldn’t answer the "preparation" question.
These seemingly shocking findings come as no surprise to me whatsoever. We’ve surveyed corporate executives several times since 9/11 to determine their crisis preparedness, and gotten identical results to the one released yesterday.
For whatever reason, Corporate America cops an "it won’t happen to me" attitude when it comes to crisis preparedness. Whether it’s a cyber intrusion, a terrorist attack, a hostage taking situation, a cave-in or a flu epidemic, many corporate executives see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil.
When one considers the tremendous business disruption that a major calamity such as a flu epidemic might cause, it boggles the mind to think that some of the best-known, best-managed, brands in America are asleep at the wheel.
When I think about the relatively low-cost of a crisis simulation program, I’m reminded of the guy on the classic muffler parts TV spot who warned motorists, "You can pay me now or pay me later," with the implication being that the "pay me later" part would be horrific.
Corporate America should invest a modest amount of money now to simulate how they would respond to a mega crisis like a pandemic in the near future. Crisis preparedness is so smart in so many ways: it imparts caring to the workforce, it demonstrates corporate social responsibility to the community and it communicates smart business management to the Street.
So wake up, Corporate America. The company you save may be your own.
Hat tip to Tucker Greco for sending me the survey.


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Photo by Thirdman from Pexels
Amex fined £90k for sending 4 million unsolicited marketing emails
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) says American Express claimed the emails were for ‘servicing’ but were in fact for marketing purposes.
American Express has been fined £90,000 by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for sending more than four million marketing emails to customers who did not want to receive them.
Andy Curry, ICO Head of Investigations says the emails all clearly contained marketing material, as they sought to persuade and encourage customers to use their card to make purchases.
“Amex’s arguments, which included, that customers would be disadvantaged if they weren’t aware of campaigns, and that the emails were a requirement of its Credit Agreements with customers, were groundless.”
The ICO says it began investigating the credit card giant following complaints received from Amex customers getting marketing emails despite having opted out from them, a breach of UK law.
“Our investigation was initiated from just a handful of complaints from customers, tired of being interrupted with emails they did not want to receive. I would encourage all companies to revisit their procedures and familiarise themselves with the differences between a service email and a marketing email, and ensure their email communications with customers are compliant with the law,” Curry said.
The emails included details on the rewards of shopping online with Amex and encouraging customers to download the Amex app.
During the investigation, the ICO found that Amex had sent over 50 million, of what it classed as servicing emails to its customers.
The ICO revealed that for nearly 12 months, between 1 June 2018 and 21 May 2019, 4,098,841 of those emails were marketing emails, designed to encourage customers to make purchases on their cards which would benefit Amex financially.
It was a deliberate action for financial gain by the organisation. Amex also did not review its marketing model following customer complaints.


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WASHINGTON—A slimmed-down White House proposal aimed at kick-starting bipartisan infrastructure negotiations fell flat with Senate Republicans, leaving fundamental questions no closer to resolution days before a Memorial Day target for progress in the faltering talks.
The White House lowered its proposed spending on highways and broadband and shifted some programs into other legislation in its new offer. Those changes put the overall price tag at $1.7 trillion, down from roughly $2.3 trillion in the initial White House plan but still well above the Republican lawmakers’ $568 billion offer.
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Can you afford to book an entire business class cabin for your dog to travel? Well, maybe or maybe not!
But it happened recently when a dog owner booked an entire Air India business class cabin for his pet to travel from luxury Mumbai to Chennai.
The dog owner booked an entire business class cabin of Air India flight AI-671 early on Wednesday morning.
The owner would’ve spent more than Rs. 2.5 lakh for the 2-hour long flight for the business class seat. The cabin of the flight has 12 seats.
The cute pup traveled in Air Indian business class before, however, this is probably the first time that the entire business class was booked for it.
Air India is the only Indian carrier that lets domestic pets in the passenger cabin. A maximum of two pets are allowed on the flight and the pet is seated in the last row of the booked class.
Source: Times Now News


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Facebook updated its privacy settings at the end of January. As Facebook turns 11 today, here’s what you need to know about the new settings and how they could affect you.
Happy birthday Facebook! What's new for 2015?
First up - if you’ve been on Facebook since January 30, you’ve already accepted the new terms, whether you knew it or not. Simply logging into Facebook automatically counts you as having accepted the new privacy settings.
The major change in the new policy - which is part of Facebook’s ‘Privacy Basics’ update - is that it allows Facebook to harvest user data from any ‘partner website’ that you’ve browsed, as well as Facebook itself. This could be any site that uses Facebook’s advertising platform, Atlas.
Using data to generate tailored advertising is not new within Facebook, but users will now see this kind of personalization follow them further around the web. Partner sites and apps include the majority of mainstream apps.
Facebook emphasizes that it does “not share information that personally identifies you (personally identifiable information is information like name or email address, that can by itself be used to contact you or identifies who you are).”
Facebook does not allow any kind of opt-out of its data collection. But users who want to know exactly what data the social media giant has stored about them can download a report which shows just that, in the General Account Settings area of Facebook’s settings menu.
Facebook’s new advertising policy means that if you’re logged into Facebook on your phone or on your desktop web browser, it will automatically track what sites you visit and what you do when you’re on them - e.g. making purchases - and what you do within apps on your phone. It can use this information to generate targeted advertising.
Facebook is equipped with a tool to allow users to complain about targeted ads - called the Ad Preferences Tool - but you can only complain about specific adverts once you’ve seen them. And it is not possible to prevent Facebook’s ad tracking by using a browser’s ‘Do Not Track’ function.
But what can anyone tell about you from your likes?
Meanwhile, researchers have discovered that your Facebook ‘likes’ - even if it’s just stuff like Harry Potter, Taylor Swift or Homeland - can be used to build a detailed personality profile.
With enough ’likes’ to go on, an algorithm created jointly by researchers at Stanford and Cambridge universities can create a personality profile that is capable of assessing you more accurately than your nearest friends or family.
Limiting Facebook ‘likes’ to things with more than 100,000 likes in total (i.e. mainstream TV shows, music and films), the scientists found that more than 25% of people have ‘liked’ more than 250 things.
This level of data is enough for the algorithm to predict a 100-question personality profile more accurately than a family member. With more than 300 ‘likes’ per subject, the algorithm became more accurate than a spouse.
In its own right, the fact that you’ve ‘liked’ Parks and Recreation or The Hunger Games is not a revealing piece of information. But the precise combination of all your ‘likes’ can be built into a detailed and surprisingly specific profile.
David Stillwell, one of the lead researchers, said that not all of the details of the research had been published, but that the service that generated the information was available for companies to purchase, with the caveat that users have to consent to having their Facebook profile data used in this way.
“No-one should have had a prediction made about them without their knowledge,” he added.
The findings pose troubling questions for the way companies and law enforcement agencies could use innocent personal information to build personality profiles which hint at a much more intimate level of knowledge than a ‘like’ for Beyonce should ever yield.


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For years, Sharon Spatucci spent her pastry career as a baker for a big-box store, pumping out thousands of identical cakes every week. Seeking a more creative outlet that would allow her to craft her own specialty cakes, Spatucci in 2015 launched Sugarplum Studio, bringing cake-decorating parties and events to people’s homes.
Because Spatucci’s main gig had her working out of a commercial kitchen in Pennsauken, she was able to use the Camden County space in the off hours to make her baked goods for Sugarplum Studio. But when the facility shut down in 2016, Sugarplum was left without a home base—and Spatucci had to scramble to find a new commercial kitchen so that her business could keep running legally.
At the time, New Jersey was the only state in the country that banned bakers from—and fined them for—operating out of their homes if they were turning a profit, citing safety and cleanliness concerns. (Foods produced and sold to benefit a charity were not restricted in the same way.) But all that changed this fall, when the state’s Department of Health lifted its longtime ban on home bakers and other cottage-food industry producers—a change bakers across the state had been gunning for over the last several years.
“The whole baking business is on such thin margins already,” says Robert Peccola, an attorney for the Institute for Justice, which was instrumental in getting the restrictions lifted. “The cost of a commercial kitchen was going to eviscerate any profit for most small-time bakers.”
Now, bakers can apply for a permit to make up to $50,000 a year creating sweets out of their home kitchens. The process includes provisions such as either submitting a water bill or having well water tested, submitting a certificate from a food-safety program manager, and paying a $100 annual fee.
For Spatucci, the timing couldn’t have been better. The year 2020 had been poised to be a huge growth period for Sugarplum Studio, but Spatucci saw the opposite happen as the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Social-distancing restrictions and a smaller staff left Sugarplum Studio, which by then was operating out of a Cherry Hill shop, empty for the most part. During the pandemic, people were no longer welcoming outside parties into their homes, either. She shifted her business model to making take-home decorative kits, but it wasn’t enough to keep her space open, considering its $3,500 monthly rent.
Although the brick-and-mortar location will shut its doors on December 30, Spatucci can now continue her business at home. “This is my life’s work, and I worked so hard to get it to where it is,” says Spatucci, who—like many home bakers—also sees the benefit of having more flexibility by working from home. “The law passed at the perfect time, because I get to keep Sugarplum Studio alive.”
Newer to the baking industry is Isabella Bruno, a 2018 graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education who worked at Kara Kakes in Franklin Lakes for a year before starting her own specialty business, Cakes By Iz.
Bruno, who lives in Pompton Lakes, rented a kitchen in Fairfield through Culinary Concepts, a studio that offers time slots for those in need of a kitchen or party space. While she loved having a large kitchen to create her masterful, intricate cakes, bringing everything back and forth from her house to the studio and paying the space’s rent became difficult. Bruno would travel to Culinary Concepts a few times a week, with the trips taking a half-hour each way. “It just wasn’t ideal, bringing everything back and forth,” says Bruno. “The cost of the kitchen, too, especially as a new baker.”
Heading into the holidays, Bruno will now be able to do more advertising and expand her offerings, as she will be saving the money that had been going toward rent for the commercial kitchen. Her new menu items include hot chocolate bombs and cake push-pops, and cake flavors such as gingerbread.
The recent home bakers victory came after years of hard work from New Jersey’s vocal baking community, which culminated in a lawsuit filed in 2017 by the Institute for Justice and the New Jersey Home Bakers Association (NJHBA) alleging the restrictions violated the New Jersey Constitution, which “protects the right to pursue a chosen livelihood without arbitrary or oppressive governmental interference,” according to the institute.
Bakers wanted the chance to work from home for a variety of reasons, including the cost of commercial kitchens and the flexibility it provides—especially for those whose primary profession isn’t baking and/or who are taking care of children.
Peccola says that any health and safety concerns the state of New Jersey said it had “were completely undercut by the fact that the state allowed those same baked goods, if they’re sold for charity, to be perfectly fine” before the restrictions were overturned. The groups presented evidence in their case, including research from Thomas Montville, a food science professor at Rutgers University, that home baking is safe.
“You have a bigger chance of getting struck by lightning than getting sick from a home-baked good,” says Martha Rabello, cofounder of the NJHBA. “That’s an expert opinion.”
Rabello and the NJHBA have been advocating for home bakers for more than a decade in their fight to lift New Jersey’s restrictions. As a baker herself, Rabello’s cookie business was put on pause when she had children, so she knows firsthand how much of an impact the changes could make.
“I have been following [Rabello] and the New Jersey Home Bakers Association since I started baking,” says Bruno, of Cakes By Iz. “They’re great. They’re really the ones who did it all.”
Maggie Leenas is a Ringwood-based freelance writer who believes a balanced diet includes a cupcake in each hand.Click here to leave a comment


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SafeMoon announced it had partnered with Simplex to begin offering streamlined and integrated SafeMoon wallets for crypto investors.
Simplex is an EU-licensed financial institution that provides fiat infrastructure for the crypto industry, securely processing credit card payments and making cryptocurrency accessible to all. Created in 2021, SafeMoon is the world’s fastest growing DeFi Crypto Currency made on the Binance Smart Chain (BSC), with 2.1 million holders and counting. The partnership with Simplex will enable crypto investors to invest in SafeMoon much more directly.
“Doing things differently is both our starting point and part of our end goal,” said John Karony, SafeMoon CEO. “This new SafeMoon wallet is a vital tool for our investors, and that’s why we’re happy to be partnering with Simplex – another company that understands the importance of operating on the principal of opening financial markets and strategies to everyone.
“One of our founding principles is transparency, so we’re extremely public with a great deal of our activity. It’s one of the reasons why we routinely hold ‘Ask Me Anything’ (AMAs) on Twitch. We want our investors to see and interact with us, to learn more about what we’re doing, and to become as deeply involved with their investment as they choose to be. That’s just an entirely different approach to crypto and investing in general. And it’s an approach we know works. Our growing army of investors is highly dedicated to our mission because they know we’re just as dedicated to providing service and value to them.”
SafeMoon: Crypto Done Differently
Specifically encoded to benefit long term holders (called “hodlers”), SafeMoon is a new but extremely popular crypto currency that incentivizes long-term investment by offering a core liquidity guarantee. In a bold attempt to discourage price volatility, often incited by massive day traders (crypto “whales”), the SafeMoon protocol charges sellers a fee of 10% of the amount sold while rewarding hodlers with 5 percent of the seller’s fee in SafeMoon tokens, and storing the other 5% in a public liquidity pool. In addition, SafeMoon opts for manual burns versus continuous burns, allowing SafeMoon more control over the coin’s overall supply.
With some of the most avid fans in the cryptosphere, SafeMoon skyrocketed to fame when it was featured in a sensational Times Square billboard ad wholly solicited by Reddit user “ighproperties” and funded by the SafeMoon community. SafeMoon has also recently been featured in national publications like Fortune and the Wall Street Journal. Currently working on multiple evolutions and company branches for the future, SafeMoon is planning the launch of a NFT exchange that would extend the SafeMoon concept to other cryptocurrencies, a SafeMoon app, and a deal with a major African country that would integrate SafeMoon as part of their public currency.
The SafeMoon Protocol is a community-driven, fair launched DeFi crypto token with three simple functions that occur during each trade: Reflection, LP Acquisition, and Burn. Bringing a truly innovative approach to tokenomics, holders get rewarded by simply holding SafeMoon coins with auto-generated liquidity and static farming. The longer a wallet is held, the more tokens are awarded by redistributing 5 percent of the 10 percent fee levied on all SafeMoon sales.
Lympo Launches NFT Staking, Enabling Users to Utilize NFTs and Receive Monthly Rewards
Lympo, the sports NFT ecosystem and a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, announced that it has launched NFT Staking, which allows users to monetize and receive rewards for locking up and delegating their NFTs issued by Lympo and their partners. Lympo’s NFT Staking will deliver additional value and utility to its community of NFT holders.
Up to this point, the Lympo NFT Minting Platform allowed users to stake LMT and partner tokens to mint sports NFTs depicting and officially licensed by top-level athletes. With the launch of NFT staking, Lympo has created a way for users to monetize their NFTs through monthly staking rewards.
Lympo’s NFT Staking will allow NFT holders to delegate or lock up their NFTs in staking pools. Users stake up to 15 NFTs together with LMT tokens and receive between 2% and 17.5% of the value staked in rewards every 30 days based on how many NFTs they stake and their rarity. The first Lympo NFT staking pool offers a total of 888,888 LMT (~$220,000) in rewards.
In the future, Lympo will partner with other NFT projects to release joint NFTs which can be staked to get double rewards in the form of two different types of tokens. Just like double reward pools on DeFi platforms, this will enable cooperation on this new Lympo GameFi product, opening new venues for additional value to NFTs.
Staking allows users to utilize their NFTs beyond collectible value and generate additional LMT that they can utilize in the Lympo NFT ecosystem. With multiple staking pools, a dynamic reward system, and community engagement events enabled through NFT staking, Lympo is pioneering new NFT staking mechanics.
Ada Jonuse, CEO of Lympo, said, “Lympo is taking big steps to bring the latest innovations into the GameFi sector. NFT Staking is one of the first methods that Lympo is using to provide additional utility to our NFTs. We have designed the process to be as fair as possible and we will be monitoring the NFT staking platform to make tweaks if necessary. Our goal is to integrate the Lympo NFTs into as many different activities and games as possible and to create a broad network of industry-wide partnerships for NFT interoperability in games and other GameFi products.”
Bitcoin Drops Over $10,000 in Value in 24 Hours
Global financial markets rout plunged Bitcoin, the world’s most dominant cryptocurrency, by $10,000 to $47,000 a coin, according to the data obtained from Coindesk.
Bitcoin was trading at slightly above $57,000 a coin on Friday before falling by 17 percent or $10,000 to $47,000 within 24 hours to further highlight the state of the global financial markets amid growing concerns over the Omicron COVID variant spread.
Ether, the second most capitalised cryptocurrency, also sheds 10.26 percent to $4,047.96 a coin while Solana, XRP, Terra (Luna), Cardano and Stellar dropped 10.19 percent, 17.54 percent, 11.96 percent, 13.95 percent and 16.74 percent to $204.67, $0.796952, $60.85, $1.40 and $0.292059, respectively.
There is no clear reason as to why bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are falling besides rising global uncertainty surrounding the fast-spreading Omicron covid variant.
Selling pressure in the Bitcoin spot market seems to have dragged on the entire cryptocurrency before triggering huge stop losses in the derivative markets.
“The evidence points to this being yet another derivative-induced selling event,” wrote J.C. Parets, chief market strategist for All Star Charts technical research, in a note Saturday morning. “The September flash crash had the same drivers as this selloff — leverage was flushed from the system in a violent fashion, which later enabled the market to eventually move higher toward a new all-time high in October.”
Despite the uncertainty surrounding financial assets, El Salvador, the first country to accept Bitcoin as a legal tender, announced it has bought the dip. President Nayib Bukele acquired 150 Bitcoin for about $48,700 a coin.
Tether (USDT), the largest stablecoin by market value, moved away from its 1:1 peg against the US Dollar to $1.025, largely because of its usage as a hedge against market uncertainty. Traders usually move their cryptocurrency to USDT during high market uncertainty.
“Our expectation for the coming days/weeks is sideways choppy price action. A contraction and basing process is likely to take place after such a violent move and we want to treat sharp upward rallies suspiciously right now,” added Parets.
Bitcoin and Ether Will be Outperformed by Solana in 2022: deVere CEO
Cryptocurrency Solana is likely to again outperform both Bitcoin and Ethereum, the world’s two biggest digital currencies, in 2022, according to the CEO of a $12bn financial giant.
The bullish prediction from Nigel Green, chief executive and founder of deVere Group, one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory, asset management and fintech organisations, comes amid another sharp bearish dip for leading cryptocurrencies on Friday.
Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana were down around 5.7%, 6.8%, and 8.9% respectively over the previous 24 hours of trading.
Mr Green says: “End of the week trading was hit by negative sentiment of high-growth stocks, which went on to impact Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency by market cap which, in turn, weighed on the wider crypto market.
“Despite this current volatility, crypto investors who have consistently stayed in the market have generally had a positive year. Year-to-date Bitcoin is up 46%, Ether 376%, and Solana around 13,000%.
“Savvy investors – both retail and institutional – know that crypto is the future of money. In times of volatility, in which there are lower entry points to top up portfolios, they typically continue to drip-feed money into the digital assets market.”
He continues: “I’m confident that a key one to watch in 2022 is Solana, currently the fifth largest crypto by market cap. It started off the year trading at around $2, now it’s changing hands on the deVere Crypto app for about $200.
“It’s likely it will outperform both Bitcoin and Ethereum again next year.
“Why? Because of its masterful technology and its cost-effectiveness.”
Mr Green explains: “Solana is a blockchain platform that has superior high transaction speeds, processing over 2,500 transactions per second – main rival Ether’s is 15 – and at a lower cost and without compromising decentralisation.
“Like Ether, it supports smart contracts, which are algorithms that are designed to operate automatically based on predefined agreements on blockchain technology.
“This revolutionary tech will ultimately change the way almost all business and financial services are delivered in the future. As such, a growing number of decentralized finance (DeFi) applications are moving to Solana.
“They’re also attracted by the considerably cheaper fees compared to Ether, whose prices have exploded in recent months.”
In September, the Solana network went down for about 17 hours. At the time, on Twitter, Solana explained a large jump in transaction load to 400,000 per second overwhelmed the network.
“It’s a young network still and this was just a temporary glitch,” comments Nigel Green.
He concludes: “In-the-know investors are watching it with interest.
“There’s no reason why it shouldn’t again outperform headline grabbers Bitcoin and Ethereum next year if the current momentum continues.
“It’s a momentum driven by a booming DeFi space as retail investors seek alternative funding opportunities and institutional investors continue to pile in.
“2022 will be Solana’s breakout year.”
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Does an importer of cheap solar water heater devices have an unfair advantage over local manufacturers as they both receive the same subsidy from ESKOM?
This is an extract from an article by Brindaveni Naidoo that appeared in Engineering News on 11/11/11:
"Regulatory constraints, costs and cheap imports are putting strain on local solar water heater (SWH) manufacturers in South Africa, the Sustainable Energy Society of Southern Africa (Sessa) ambassador Irvan Damon said on Friday.
Local SWH manufacturers say they struggle to survive under the Eskom rebate programme, and that it has attracted new entrants to the market, mainly importers, without stimulating demand in the same way.
The difficult operating environment has already led to the closure of the SWH manufacturing facility of Western Cape-based Solardome South Africa. The company was established in 1969, and will now retrench 21 employees.
Solardome MD Tertius Lindenberg said imported products had flooded the market, and believed not enough was being done to protect local manufacturers and ensure a competitive local industry. He said the demand for SWH in South Africa did not justify the costs absorbed by manufacturers. Another Western Cape-based manufacturer, SolarMax, MD Jacques van Dyk also warned that his business would have to close its manufacturing facility next year, if conditions did not improve.
A manufacturer can pay between R70 000 and R100 000 to have a system (solar water heater and the geyser) tested by the South African Bureau of Standards to qualify for the current Eskom rebate programme.
Should any components to a system change, the entire system had to be tested and not just the added component/s, Lindenberg lamented. This also restricted businesses from diversifying their product portfolios, as companies did not have the money to pay for any configurations to products, Van Dyk added.
Damon said smaller SWH companies that purely established their businesses’ bottom line on the premise of the Eskom rebate system would find it difficult to survive. Demand remained low and the market could only absorb 50 low-pressure SWH a month, he said, adding that large SWH companies with the capacity to produce up to 10 000 units a month, were now only producing one-tenth of this amount.
Manufacturers are advocating for the Eskom rebate to be offered only to local manufacturers’ products and not for imported products.
What is your view? Should importers, who do not provide local jobs, enjoy the same subsidies?


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In a report from Strategy Analytics says that the growth in the supply of smartphones Oppo, which lasted eight consecutive quarters, has decreased to almost zero. This has allowed Xiaomi to displace a competitor with a fourth place in the ranking of mobile vendors by number of shipments in the first quarter of 2018.
|Shipments of smartphones (million units)||4th quarter 2017||1st quarter 2018|
|Just||353,8||Of 345, 4|
Xiaomi managed to double the number of shipped smartphones has also increased the proportion of Apple and Huawei. In General, the first quarter of 2018 sent to 8 million units less than at the end of last year.
|The percentage of vendors (%)||4th quarter 2017||1st quarter 2018|
|Other||41.9% of the||35.7% of|
Significant growth of Xiaomi on the background of General decline due to active expansion on the Indian and Asian markets.


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Farmers in Kazakhstan will harvest more than 15 million tonnes of crops this year.
The countries have managed to strengthen and increase cooperation in various fields over 29 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations.
At the end of 2020, the volume of mutual trade between Kazakhstan and Afghanistan increased by 55 percent.
This was announced by the managing Director Rakhimzhan Satayev.
Now the governments and businesses of the two countries are set to increase the trade volume significantly.
The Eurasian Economic Commission is already implementing the project.
Kazakh exporters were allocated 3.7 billion tenge (US$8.7 million) for promotion to foreign markets.
Almost US$3 billion of domestic goods were exported to the EAEU member states alone, which is 36 percent more than in the previous year.


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MADRID (Portaltic/EP) – Amazon Freevee is a free video-on-demand with ads (AVOD) platform that provides access to TV series and movies for users in the US and UK.
The service comes as a result of the rebranding of IMDb TV, which became Amazon Freevee on April 27, according to a statement released by the company’s advertising division. In it, the platform boasts that it has tripled the number of monthly active users in the past two years.
Amazon Freevee programming consists of a list of original titles, a library of movies and series, and more than 75 ad-supported Free TV (FAST) channels, which offer a service similar to traditional TV with pre-set programming and ad breaks, like the latest update.
The platform also ensures that the ads shown along with their content are limited so as not to saturate the viewers. Its contents include films such as Deadpool, The Revenant and Shrek, as well as series such as Bosch, Mad Men, Lost and others. It also has documentaries like Pumping Iron and reality shows like Hell’s Kitchen.
Some of these titles are possible thanks to the agreements the platform has with companies like Disney and Universal, which ensure there is content more recognizable by the general public.
This service is, for now, exclusive to the US and UK. In addition, it is expected to arrive in Germany later this year. In the regions where you are located, it can be seen with Fire TV, Prime Video, Amazon Fire, Echo Show, Android TV, Apple TV, Google TV, LG, PlayStation 4, 5, Roku and Samsung Smart TVs (from 2017 onwards) forward), Xbox and Xfinity.
“Thinker. Professional twitter fanatic. Certified introvert. Troublemaker. Unapologetic zombie maven.”


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Brand USA has introduced the launch of a bespoke website devoted to tv programme idea submissions.
The new website has been constructed particularly to just accept confidential tv concepts from manufacturing companions, earlier than a shortlist shall be put earlier than a Television Advisory Board.
The Board will determine on the chosen submission(s) and can intention to work in partnership to create the programme(s).
The launch of the location secures Brand USA’s long run dedication to the UK and Irish markets and its intention of bringing America to life on the tv.
Brand USA’s goal in-market is to rekindle the holidaymakers’ love affair with America – reclaiming the USA’s share of the market and positioning the nation as a various vacation spot nonetheless to be explored.
By highlighting the nation as a recent and surprising vacation spot, with welcoming and pleasant locals, Brand USA’s intention is to advertise the United States of America because the world’s main tourism vacation spot for UK and Irish guests.
Jay Gray, Vice President of Business Development, Brand USA, stated: “We know how incredible a destination can look on television and that, for many viewers, it’s what may inspire a booking for their next holiday. Whilst watching it on TV may be the next best thing, of course, nothing brings the sights and sounds of the United States to life as much as being here in person!”
Brand USA was established by the Travel Promotion Act in 2010 to spearhead the nation’s first international advertising effort to advertise the United States as a premier journey vacation spot and talk U.S. entry/exit insurance policies and procedures.
Formed because the Corporation for Travel Promotion, the public-private entity started operations in May 2011 and does enterprise as Brand USA.
Brand USA works in shut partnership with the journey business to maximise the financial and social advantages of journey.


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Bhutan is looking for the Midas touch for its tourism, quite literally. But will that make price-sensitive tourists disregard the otherwise high tourism fees?
Setting a new “gold standard” for travel, Bhutan is now offering duty-free gold to visitors, who may have been discouraged to visit the destination due to the high sustainable tourism fee.
However, certain terms and conditions must be met before travelers can avail the gold at duty-free rate, which is approximately $529 for 10 grams of 24 karat gold.
All tourists who pay the sustainable development fee can buy the duty-free gold, said Karma Lotey, CEO of Yangphel Adventure Travel, a travel company based in Bhutan.
“Guests would have to spend at least one night in a certified hotel to avail the special duty-free pricing and would need to pay for the gold in U.S. dollars,” noted Lotey. .
The move, according to many, is specially directed towards Indian tourists, who till 2020 had been granted free entry into Bhutan and are now required to shell out $15 per day, per person as sustainable development fee.
“Since the introduction of the sustainable development fee for Indians, we have seen a drop of around 50 percent of tourists from India compared to pre-pandemic levels,” said Lotey.
Over 73 percent of total arrivals to Bhutan in 2019 were from India. Of the 315,599 inbound arrivals to Bhutan, 230,381 were from India.
Since Bhutan’s reopening post Covid, between September-December 2022, 16,520 tourists have visited the country, of which 8,273 were Indian tourists.
“The main objective of the scheme is to provide additional value to guests visiting Bhutan,” Lotey said.
And the “additional value” for Indian guests in this case would be around $200 as 10 grams of 24 karat gold costs approximately $727 in India.
That’s why many feel this is Bhutan’s way of sweetening the deal for Indian tourists — its biggest source market.
Sustainable Development Fee for Indians
When Bhutan opened its borders last year in September, the country hiked its sustainable development fee for foreign travelers from $65 to $200 per person, per night.
Indian tourists, who were exempted to pay the sustainable development fee till 2020, were asked to pay $15 per day, per person.
Travel agents have observed that the implementation of a sustainable development fee in Bhutan has dissuaded cost-conscious Indian tourists from traveling to the country.
To provide context, for a four-night stay in Bhutan, a family of four from India would be required to pay $240 as sustainable development fee, which is almost 40 percent of the total tour cost, excluding airfare.
“The introduction of the new fee had a significant impact on tourism to Bhutan from India, particularly among the mass market, who found it an expensive proposition to pay $15 per person per night,” said Debjit Dutta, director and CEO of Impression Tourism Services, an India-based responsible destination marketing company.
With 10 grams of 24 karat gold almost $200 cheaper in Bhutan, Indians who can afford to pay for it might find it lucrative to visit Bhutan, said Dutta.
Indians Love Their Bling
An integral part of Indian traditions and rituals, gold doesn’t just have a long-standing cultural and religious significance, it is also seen as a safe and reliable investment option.
India was the largest consumer of gold before being overtaken by China in 2009. In 2021, India bought 611 tonnes of gold jewelery, second only to China (673 tonnes), according to the World Gold Council.
Gold jewellery exports in India have grown from $7.6 billion in 2015 to $12.4 billion in 2019.
Male passengers in India are exempted to pay customs duty on gold jewellery with an aggregate weight of upto 20 grams and a maximum monetary value of $605, while the exemption for female passengers is 40 grams and a maximum monetary value of $1210.
While Lotey said it may be too early to comment on the demand following the introduction of the scheme, he noted a significant interest from both Indian and other international tourists.
“There is a lot of buzz and excitement in the market about it,” observed Lotey.
However, Lotey noted that the number of Indian tourists is picking up every month, and the present inflow of tourists is better than the initial forecast.
Bhutan’s High Value, Low Volume Mantra
Although some may view the sustainable development fee as a disincentive, Dutta said its implementation did not come as a surprise as Bhutan has always prioritized quality over quantity by limiting tourism in the past.
The Covid-19 pandemic provided Bhutan with an opportunity to reevaluate its approach towards its “high value, low volume” tourism policy.
“Bhutan’s strategic policy aims to ensure sustainable tourism practices while addressing concerns about the destination’s carrying capacity,” Dutta said and considers Bhutan an excellent model for other destinations looking to develop a sustainable and responsible tourism industry.
However, some also argue that the previous behavior of some Indian tourists played a role in the need for the fee.
Earlier, when there was no tourism fee, tourists would arrive via Phuentsholing, treat the destination as a picnic spot, and leave after a day or two, according to Dipankar Sarkar, the general manager of Travel and Living, a travel company based in India’s Jaigaon that shares a border with Bhutan.
Sarkar stated that visitors who now pay the sustainable development fee are more serious about exploring Bhutan and recognize their responsibility towards the destination.
Bhutan is also attempting to balance the tourism fee with incentives like lowering the entrance charge for many tourism destinations.
Lotey noted that India has always been Bhutan’s top source market for tourism, and it remains an incredibly crucial market.
“The Department of Tourism and relevant private tourism players have marketing and sales strategies in place to attract Indian travelers to Bhutan this year,” Lotey informed.
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Photo credit: Bhutan is now luring travelers with duty-free gold to visit the country. Setu Chhaya / Pexels


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Chinese consumers can now make purchases using QR code-based mobile payments service Alipay at European retailers that incorporate barcode payment functionality provided by Wirecard. “Chinese users are able to pay with their smartphone and Alipay app at authorised POS retailers in Europe by using integrated barcode payment functionality from Wirecard, without incurring currency exchange fees,” the German payment technology provider says.
- Meet NFC World partners at Seamless Middle East
- Goode reports on growth of biometric authentication
- 3.4bn phones will support Apple Pay, Android Pay and Samsung Pay by year end
- Apple to launch P2P payments and debit card this year?
- Guide introduces how Android Pay works


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Blog marketing increasingly influences consumers' purchase decisions, with a new report from Cone suggesting Americans are 50 percent more likely to read blogs and articles for product research this year compared to 2010.
The 2011 Online Influence Trend Tracker reveals the rapid rise of online content consumption. Last year, 28 percent of consumers looked to articles and blogs for product recommendations. However, the number of Americans influenced by online content has jumped to 42 percent in 2011. Moreover, Cone asserts that prospects will turn to blogs and articles more often in the future.
Sixty percent of consumers indicated that the most trustworthy content comes from sources considered credible experts in the space. With this in mind, businesses should use consistent content marketing strategies and work with reliable content writers to position their brands as industry authorities.
Brafton has reported that online content marketing is now a $12.5 billion industry, with marketers increasingly investing in this strategy. The Online Trend Tracker report seems to support investment in digital content. “The increasing impact of online content on buying decisions cannot be ignored,” said Bill Fleishman, president of Cone.
Content marketing is growing even more influential because consumers can access the web from anywhere, thanks to smartphones. Nearly two-thirds of respondents (59 percent) said they researched products through the mobile web.
As Brafton reported, smartphone penetration has skyrocketed over the past year. As many as 82.2 million Americans own these internet-enabled mobile devices, accounting for more than one-third of the total mobile subscriber base. Additionally, nearly half of smartphone owners (41.1 percent) use their handsets to browse the web.


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Back in August, a report claimed that Microsoft was 'interested' in Cyanogen, makers of the popular 'CyanogenMod' user experience that has been installed on tens of millions of Android devices, and which comes preloaded on handsets like the OnePlus One. But since that initial report, things have been a bit quiet on that front, although Cyanogen apparently declined an acquisition offer from Google in October.
But today, Microsoft's interest in Cyanogen has become the subject of another report, this time from The Wall Street Journal. Citing unnamed "people familiar with the matter", it claims that Microsoft is a minority investor in a round of equity financing worth around $70m.
There have apparently been many expressions of interest from potential 'strategic investors' who are keen to see Cyanogen grow, as they are said to be "eager to diminish Google's control over Android". Indeed, Cyanogen chief executive Kirt McMaster is quoted as saying "We're going to take Android away from Google" last week.
Microsoft has been making its software more widely available on other platforms in recent months, such as its new Office suite for Android tablets, which came out of beta today. But even as it prepares to launch its new Windows 10 OS on phones, PCs and many other devices, it is still keen to explore any possible opportunities to extend the reach of its software further.
While it may only be a minority investor in this latest funding round, Microsoft's funding may well open up new opportunities - perhaps including the possibility of pre-installing its software in future CyanogenMod releases.
For now, of course, we'll have to wait and see how this plays out. But it seems clear that - even with Windows 10 just around the corner - Microsoft has no intentions of throttling back on its plans to make its software available everywhere.
Source: The Wall Street Journal


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The pool at Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu’s North Shore.
Amanda Macias | CNBC
Shopper costs for accommodations, motels and different lodging fell almost 5% in November from October, in keeping with the federal government’s newest inflation report, an indication that rising demand for journey has misplaced some momentum for the reason that summer time.
Airfares additionally fell month over month, by 0.6%. Nonetheless, the value index for accommodations, motels and lodging was 3% larger than a yr in the past, whereas airline tickets have been 36% larger.
The cooldown is available in a yr the place the journey trade has had important tailwinds following a turbulent few years as a result of Covid. The pent-up journey demand even began to erode retail momentum whereas pandemic consumers grew to become post-pandemic vacationers.
However with a potential recession on the horizon, the autumn in journey costs in November might herald an extra decline in demand.
The journey trade has seen demand decline for the reason that summer time peak. JetBlue mentioned in a regulatory submitting Tuesday that the robust last-minute demand it anticipated for December in its earlier monetary outlook “has are available under expectations.” The airline’s up to date outlook, which additionally takes into consideration the affect of Hurricane Nicole in November, locations fourth-quarter unit income progress “on the decrease finish of earlier forecast” at a 15% to 19% over 2019.
Nonetheless, United Airways CEO Scott Kirby mentioned journey demand and revenues stay robust while business travel has ‘plateated’.
At the same time as journey demand cools, revenues within the trade have held regular because of larger costs. Flight bookings throughout Thanksgiving decreased by 7% in comparison with 2019, however larger charges allowed income to develop 3%, in keeping with information from Adobe.


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GUESTS at two Scottish hotels will become the first in the country to treat themselves to room service using a new mobile phone app.
The establishments in Edinburgh and Dunfermline, Fife, will rustle up anything from a light snack to a huge meal all without the guest having to speak to a member of staff.
As well as being handy, the smartphone app also allows hotels to offer a much broader range of room service options that a traditional printed menu allows.
The QikServe app, currently on offer at two Best Western hotels, has already been used in bars and restaurants.
After guests check in and download the free app they can scan a “QR” code in their room which will tell hotel staff where they are when they place their order.
It connects via WiFi or mobile data connections, and guests will see the room service fee added to their bills when they check out.
Ronnie Forbes, CEO of QikServe, said: “We have seen great progress with our app being taken up in the casual dining sector, so hotel room-service was a natural next step.
“Making that big order of food and drinks for your room now becomes that much easier.”
Russell Imrie, managing director of Keavil House, Dunfermline, and Bruntsfield Hotel, Edinburgh, said: “We are very confident that the novelty and ease of placing room service orders by this method will increase room service revenue.
“The app is configured to offer many more items of food and drink than are normally offered on a standard printed room service menu, which increases guest choice and improves the chances of a higher average spend.”
Mr Imrie continued: “The hotel business is all about differentiating against the competition, giving guest satisfaction and increasing brand loyalty, and QikServe gives us an edge in these areas.”
The app is only available on Apple or Adroid-powered devices at the moment, but Windows and Blackberry versions will be rolled out soon.
A hotel in Glasgow, the Citizen M, already offers guests the option of changing the coloured mood lighting in their room.
The “mood pad” can be used to select a variety of colours at the £59-a-night hotel.


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Apple introduces iPhone 11 ‘Slofies’, Twitter reacts with hilarious memes
Apple’s newly-launched iPhone 11 smartphone comes with a feature to take slow-motion selfies termed as ‘Slofies’ - to ace the selfie game. Now netizens can’t help but poke fun at the newly-coined term.
During their annual event on Tuesday, Apple introduced three new phones - iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max with advanced camera and slow-motion selfie feature.
It didn’t took long for Twitter to crack fun at the term as they shared some really rib-tickling gifs and reactions.
A user shared a still of Mr Bean staring at something and wrote, “Me if I hear anyone ask for a “Slofie”.
Whereas another user called it the “worst word of 2019”.
Another posted a picture asking “Can this be the thing instead...?”
Sharing a gif of a sloth bear, a Twitter user exchanged slofie with slothie:
The annual Apple event took place at the Steve Jobs Theatre in Cupertino city, California and witnessed the launch of scores of new devices including the iPhone 11 smartphone, the next-gen Apple Watch, 7th gen iPad, Apple Arcade.


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New Zealand's apiculture industry is still growing, according to a new report.
It seems that nowadays, every few weeks, there is reference in the news media to honey as ‘liquid gold’, creating the impression that anybody with a few beehives is making a fortune.
However, you don’t have to scratch the surface much to find this is not all true. Much of this is due to the manuka honey ‘gold rush’.
Why is this?
Originally, New Zealand top-grade honey was based on South Island clover. The country’s bee population was about 300,000 hives spread proportionally 50/50 between the North and South Islands.
NZ produced about 1000 tons more than we consumed and this 1000-odd tons was exported at international prices, which also set the price that NZ packers paid local producers.
Ten or more years ago, Professor Peter Molan of Waikato University was researching natural medicines and found that a small percentage of pure manuka honey had medicinal properties. This started a frenzy and – with good marketing – it seemed all the world wanted manuka honey.
Suddenly honey (manuka) that was once low-priced was commanding prices of $20 - $200/kg. Our pasture honey, which was selling at $4 - $5/kg climbed to $12 - $14/kg in 2016, mainly owing to the practice of mixing it with manuka honey and selling it as manuka-blend
Then NZ’s hive numbers climbed to almost 1 million – many owned by international companies. Competition for sites became intense with many local beekeepers being overwhelmed by large numbers of other hives, or by dirty tricks such as having their hives poisoned, burnt or stolen.
Overseas buyers became disillusioned at the quality of the manuka honey they were receiving, to the point where they started to withdraw it from their shelves.
This prompted MPI to develop a scientific test to define the purity of manuka. Now any honey exported from NZ, labelled as ‘manuka’, must be stamped on the label or drum as complying with the MPI test.
This means that only pure, certified manuka can command a premium price and non-pure manuka is rated along with all other honeys as table-grade honey. This honey, which until the new MPI testing regime sold at $10-$14/kg, is virtually unsaleable. Prices now are $5-$7/kg, but the packers are not buying. I have even heard of sales at $3/kg by desperate beekeepers.
There would be thousands of tons of last season’s crop sitting in beekeepers’ honey houses unsold and we are now at the start of the new season’s production.
There are beekeepers who will only place hives to get rated manuka honey and will not place hives for pasture honey, as the prices offered make it unsustainable. The sad thing about this is that farmers are now encouraging beekeepers to place hives on their farms as they realise the importance of clover in view of the nitrogen caps being placed on them.
I believe the future of beekeeping will go back to pre-manuka days, when surplus honey will be purchased by overseas buyers at international prices and will set the price paid for table grade honeys.
While this will clear NZ stocks, it will not be at a price many producers today – particularly those who have recently come into the industry – will be happy with.
• John Wright is a beekeeper with 65 years’ experience, including 56 years exporting comb honey.