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Before Gerry David became CEO and president of fitness drink maker Celsius Holdings Inc. in 2011, the Boca Raton-based company had burned through $19 million in investment money and lost a contract with Costco, cutting its revenues in half.
"That was what I was greeted with immediately – that 40 percent of our revenue would be going away," David, 63, said.
It wasn't the best first impression, but it wouldn't be the last for a veteran capitalist who's made a habit of digging companies out from deep financial pits.
David said he saw potential in its calorie-burning beverage, a fruity flavored recipe of vitamins, caffeine and natural extracts.
Several peer-reviewed studies, funded by Celsius, have verified the drink's effectiveness at boosting users' metabolism and helping them lose weight, the company says.
There was a market for this type of "science-based" fitness drink, David thought, if the company could refocus the product from its original target of hardcore fitness club members to a broader base of health-minded adults everywhere.
Five years later, the publicly traded company has more than doubled its revenues and launched the drink into several international and domestic markets, catching the eye of investors and celebrity endorsers alike.
In fiscal year 2015, Celsius reported revenues of $17.2 million, up nearly $10 million compared to 2012, when the company took in $7.7 million.
Celsius, which comes in 12-ounce cans and powder mixes, is now sold at supermarkets and gyms, fitness stores and gas stations. David said Celsius has become the top-selling beverage at Equinox Fitness and Vitamin Shoppe locations nationwide, as well as a top-10 product at Gold's Gym locations.
Internationally, Celsius is a top-selling fitness drink in Sweden, David said. Its availability there resulted from a visit by Swedish tourists to South Beach six years ago who tasted Celsius and asked the company if they could distribute the product in their country.
Closer to home, Celsius this year announced it will be sold at 7-11 and Sunoco stores.
The company's website features photos of proud celebrity Celsius drinkers. David says pics of celebrities with the drink — including shots of reality-TV actress Khloe Kardashian and singer LeAnn Rimes — started showing up on social media sites.
Florida rapper Flo Rida, now a Celsius "brand ambassador," partnered with the company to develop a powdered version of the drink called Flo Fusion.
"We're on a lot of people's radars right now; let's put it that way," David said, "where four years ago we weren't."
In 2015, the company announced a $15.95 million investment from Hong Kong-based venture capital firm Horizons Venture, owned by Chinese billionaire Li Ka-Shing, that was set in motion when hip-hop and fashion mogul Russell Simmons, tasted Celsius at an Equinox Fitness, loved it and made some phone calls, David said.
For David, the investment was a pleasant surprise, as his company wasn't looking for funding.
"I think it was indicative of what they saw in the product and the company, and where the company is headed," he said.
Near the start of David's run as chief executive, he said, the company was sputtering along.
Back in 2010, Celsius had virtually "gone dark," ceasing advertising and marketing as it mulled the possibility of a sale.
Although the drink was available at 50,000 stores nationwide, David said, its target consumer base was too narrow. The drink's slogan was the "Ultimate Fitness Partner" and was marketed to regular gym users instead of the broader fitness-minded general population.
Wholesale club Costco pullled Celsius from its shelves because of low sales, David said, as shoppers were reluctant to purchase a 15-pack of a product they had never tried.
Majority shareholder Carl DeSantis, a South Florida entrepreneur, decided to buy out company founder and then-CEO Steven Haley and replace him with David, former excecutive vice president of consumer products at bio-tech company Oragenics Inc.
David led an overhaul, replacing company executives, redesigning the Celsius can and widening its target demographic. And for the first time, Celsius became available in retail stores as a single-can purchase.
Steve DiGuardi, general manager at Crunch Fitness in Oakland Park said he orders about 12 cases of Celsius every two weeks for his gym – and they fly off the shelves.
Jacqueline Salusso, 54, assistant manager at the gym, said members use Celsius to lift their energy levels while they exercise.
"It gives them that extra oomph that they need during their workouts," she said.
Looking to the future, David said his company plans to expand its reach to China, Singapore and Indonesia, among other countries, and develop other Celsius-branded products.
"Everything's falling into place," he said "We've got a good recipe for the future."


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LONDON — For American tourists who find themselves in a bind in Austria and don’t know the German words for police (“polizei”), “help!” (“hilfe!”) or the European equivalent of 911 (112), any McDonald’s will do.
Under a new partnership announced by the United States Embassy in Vienna, beginning on Wednesday, American citizens need only locate the golden arches of the fast-food chain restaurant to seek help to contact a consular office.
Lost your passport or cellphone abroad? Just stroll through the doors of one of any of the 194 McDonald’s in Austria, and staff members will provide a 24/7 hotline number for the United States Embassy and a phone to call there if needed, according to the partnership announced on Facebook last week.
A spokesman for McDonald’s Austria, Wilhelm Baldia, said on Thursday that he was not aware of any other country with such an arrangement.
In the post, the United States ambassador to Austria, Trevor D. Traina, a former technology entrepreneur who founded and sold start-ups to companies including Microsoft, is shown smiling and shaking hands with Isabelle Kuster, the managing director of McDonald’s Austria, after signing a “memorandum of agreement.” A branded coffee cup is placed strategically on the table.
Mr. Baldia said the company was not being paid for the new service.
The United States government did not provide any particular reason for choosing McDonald’s or Austria, but Mr. Baldia said the embassy had approached the chain with the idea. In an email on Thursday, a State Department official wrote, “We work from time to time with private-sector entities and other nongovernment around the world as part of our commitment to assisting U.S. citizens in need overseas.”
While the arrangement may raise eyebrows, especially among fast-food rivals like Burger King (which has more than 40 outlets in Austria), Rupert Younger, director of the Oxford University Center for Corporate Reputation, said on Thursday: “It is a smart move for McDonald’s. The company’s engagement and interaction with American citizens abroad is very significant, making them an ideal partner for consular outreach and assistance.”
He added, “Becoming a trusted place to go when you have a personal crisis adds a new dimension to the focus on customer needs.”
The image of the fast-food chain had been tarnished by evidence of a link between the kind of food it served and the obesity crisis, and it had been working to clean up its reputation around the globe.
The tide has turned somewhat as the chain has added more healthful options, and revenues have rebounded partly because of its all-day breakfast menus, analysts say.
Forging good community relations has also played a part in McDonald’s turnaround. In 2017, a McDonald’s restaurant in Italy worked with archaeologists to uncover an ancient ruin underneath its building, allowing visitors to walk along a 147-foot stretch of a Roman road.
And in September last year, workers at a McDonald’s in Marseille, France, won a court battle to keep the franchise open, saying it had played a vital role as a social integrator in a troubled neighborhood.
By Thursday afternoon, the Facebook post about the new Austrian deal had drawn more than 1,000 reactions, comments and shares.
“Can you help me find the Mc Embassy?” one user wrote. Another commented, “Introducing the McVisa!” Still another said, “Can you open a Burger King embassy so we can have it our way?” And some Austrians asked if this would be a bilateral agreement so that they could seek help at McDonald’s in the United States.
Others had more serious concerns, with one person writing: “As a U.S. citizen, I find it odd that this seems to be an endorsement for a specific corporation. I would prefer if the government and corporations were kept separate.”
But Mr. Baldia, the spokesman for McDonald’s Austria, said fears that the United States’ consular services were being commercialized were unfounded. “We will not be a mini-embassy,” he said. “We will not take on any tasks of the embassy or any embassy services.”
Mr. Baldia said those seeking help do not have to purchase something from the restaurant — “but if they want to buy something, they can, of course.”B:
www4887铁算盘开奖结果【找】【北】【渊】【的】【麻】【烦】？ 【姜】【凤】【阳】【唯】【一】【知】【道】【要】【找】【北】【渊】【麻】【烦】【的】【或】【许】【就】【是】【那】【个】【被】【他】【亲】【手】【放】【出】【的】【心】【魔】。 【若】【真】【是】【那】【心】【魔】，【难】【道】【心】【魔】【已】【经】【侵】【蚀】【了】【一】【位】【天】【君】【的】【神】【智】？ 【圣】【人】【之】【上】【是】【天】【君】？ 【那】【么】【北】【渊】【的】【神】【魂】【此】【时】【又】【在】【何】【方】。 【心】【魔】【肯】【定】【还】【不】【知】【道】【北】【渊】【的】【下】【落】，【不】【然】【也】【不】【会】【释】【放】【青】【丘】【神】【狐】【下】【界】【找】【寻】【才】【是】。 【挥】【手】，【将】【负】【屃】【召】【唤】【而】【出】
【完】【本】【了】，【心】【情】【很】【复】【杂】。 【就】【像】【曹】【吾】【一】【样】，【心】【中】【有】【千】【言】【万】【语】，【却】【不】【知】【从】【何】【讲】【起】。 【从】【去】【年】12【月】18【日】【发】【书】，【到】【今】【天】【为】【止】，【九】【个】【月】【零】【十】【天】，【一】【百】【一】【十】【万】【字】，【我】【总】【算】【还】【算】【完】【整】【的】【讲】【了】【一】【个】【故】【事】。 【我】【写】【这】【本】【书】【的】【初】【衷】【很】【简】【单】，【就】【是】【想】【推】【荐】【一】【些】【自】【己】【喜】【欢】【的】【歌】【给】【大】【家】。 【起】【点】【有】【很】【多】【娱】【乐】【文】，【但】【写】【摇】【滚】【的】，【写】【乐】【队】【的】【却】
【此】【时】【的】【邱】【家】【家】【主】【想】【的】【很】【好】，【却】【没】【有】【想】【到】，【邱】【明】【月】【一】【下】【子】【挡】【在】【了】【谭】【羽】【的】【身】【上】。 【看】【着】【满】【脸】【错】【愕】【的】【邱】【家】【家】【主】，【邱】【明】【月】【手】【指】【上】【面】【沾】【着】【自】【己】【身】【上】【流】【出】【的】【白】【色】【液】【体】【一】【遍】【遍】【地】【涂】【抹】【着】【谭】【羽】【的】【唇】【角】【眉】【心】。 【看】【着】【旁】【边】【的】【人】，【邱】【明】【月】【似】【乎】【是】【自】【言】【自】【语】，【又】【似】【乎】【是】【对】【别】【人】【说】： “【我】【一】【直】【都】【说】【他】【傻】，【确】【实】，【他】【就】【是】【我】【见】【过】【的】【最】【傻】【的】【傻】【子】
【我】【写】【小】【说】，【基】【本】【上】【随】【着】【心】【意】【走】。《【长】【平】【悲】【歌】》【是】【在】【起】【点】【中】【文】【网】【写】【的】【第】5【本】【小】【说】，【继】《【面】【食】【世】【家】》《【最】【后】【的】【巫】【族】【守】【卫】》《【奇】【门】【神】【隐】》《【猎】【命】【斗】【兽】》【之】【后】。【当】【然】，【之】【间】【有】【两】【本】【之】【前】【的】【老】【书】《【幽】【冥】【巫】【师】》【和】《【网】【络】【文】【学】【十】【六】【讲】》【也】【重】【新】【修】【订】【发】【上】【来】【了】。【未】【修】【订】【发】【布】【的】【旧】【书】，【还】【有】5【本】。【未】【来】【有】【时】【间】，【也】【会】【发】【上】【来】。 【秦】【赵】【最】【后】www4887铁算盘开奖结果PS：【在】【看】【吗】？【别】【让】【萝】【莉】【玩】【单】【机】【好】【吗】？【哭】 【昨】【日】【重】【现】【开】【始】【继】【续】【上】【演】【之】【前】【未】【曾】【显】【露】【的】【景】【象】。 【吴】【昊】【的】【能】【力】【源】【源】【不】【断】【的】【供】【着】【其】【消】【耗】。 【开】【始】【还】【不】【觉】【得】，【但】【是】【这】【需】【求】【的】【能】【量】，【竟】【然】【如】【同】【指】【数】【级】【递】【增】，【越】【来】【越】【多】。 【到】【了】【后】【来】，【这】【能】【量】【的】【消】【耗】，【连】【吴】【昊】【都】【开】【始】【感】【觉】【吃】【惊】。 【好】【在】【景】【象】【在】【一】【番】【混】【沌】【状】【态】
【在】【天】【魔】【两】【界】【达】【成】【协】【议】【的】【期】【间】，【十】【月】【初】【九】【如】【期】【来】【临】。 【不】【到】【寅】【时】，【石】【玖】【卿】【还】【在】【浑】【浑】【噩】【噩】【的】【睡】【梦】【中】【的】【时】【候】，【便】【被】【一】【群】【喜】【娘】【生】【生】【从】【被】【窝】【了】【拽】【了】【出】【来】。 【纵】【使】【万】【般】【不】【情】【愿】，【但】【石】【玖】【卿】【还】【是】【只】【能】【坐】【在】【那】【里】【任】【由】【她】【们】【摆】【布】。 【回】【想】【起】【前】【日】【那】【些】【事】【情】，【要】【不】【是】【南】【絮】【哄】【了】【她】【好】【久】，【石】【玖】【卿】【真】【想】【一】【撒】【手】【悔】【婚】【得】【了】！ 【那】【日】，【石】【玖】【卿】【是】
“【嗨】！”【莫】【彩】【虹】【探】【出】【头】【来】，【对】【韶】【语】【薇】【微】【笑】。【莫】【白】【无】【奈】【地】【抚】【额】，【果】【然】【怕】【什】【么】【来】【什】【么】。 “【我】……【这】？”【韶】【语】【薇】【支】【支】【吾】【吾】【地】【不】【知】【道】【该】【说】【什】【么】，【这】【是】【莫】【白】【的】【家】【人】【吗】？【她】…… 【她】【大】【清】【早】【出】【现】【在】【莫】【白】【家】，【她】【会】【不】【会】【觉】【得】【自】【己】【是】【不】【矜】【持】【的】【姑】【娘】【啊】。【她】……【她】【该】【怎】【么】【做】？【要】【打】【招】【呼】【吗】？ 【韶】【语】【薇】【站】【在】【原】【地】【不】【知】【道】【该】【怎】【么】【做】，【表】【情】
“【快】【看】，【那】【个】【人】【还】【跪】【在】【那】【里】！” “【是】【啊】，【他】【已】【经】【跪】【了】【三】【天】【三】【夜】，【连】【一】【滴】【水】【都】【没】【有】【喝】。” “【真】【是】【可】【怜】【啊】！” …… “【就】【这】【样】【放】【着】【他】【不】【管】【吗】？” 【听】【着】【府】【中】【人】【的】【纷】【纷】【议】【论】，【再】【看】【看】【跪】【在】【楚】【楚】【房】【门】【外】【一】【动】【不】【动】【的】【剑】【晨】，【步】【惊】【云】【忍】【不】【住】【向】【身】【旁】【的】【许】【莫】【超】【问】【道】。 “【关】【我】【屁】【事】？” 【许】【莫】【超】【没】【好】【气】【地】【说】【道】。

domain: news


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And yet I am delighted to report that marketing and insight director Nick Adderley and his team at Heathrow have navigated the transition perfectly, despite the potential thunderstorm overhead.
The simple rebranding of BAA as Heathrow might look pretty bleeding obvious to the untrained eye, but it’s a job very well done. Brand managers around the world should note how the strategy has been executed.
For starters, the team has avoided the ridiculous and yet dominant approach of hiring a big-name brand consulting firm to create an entirely new, hugely expensive and incredibly foolish name with no interpretive baggage, heritage or identity. With less steadfast brand management, BAA could have gone the way of Consignia, Mondelez or, closer to home, Avios.
By opting for an existing brand name with heritage and a tangible presence, BAA has avoided the customer cynicism and media criticism that usually surrounds the birth of these empty, constructed brand names. A token review of the past three days of media reveals the BAA name change made the news but without the usual negativity.
The BAA team also played a blinder in avoiding any fanfare about its rebrand. There is only one thing worse than spending £2m to rename yourself as ‘Arrivio’ and that is spending another million on a big launch campaign to draw even more attention to your stupid name and naïve leadership team. BAA got the job done very efficiently and effectively on Monday morning with a 226-word statement. This lower profile, in-house approach appears to trump the high cost, high image approach so often touted by external consultants.
The timing for the rebrand was also right. Heathrow might be a name with global brand awareness, but over the past decade its brand associations have been a little, shall we say, tarnished. There were the drawn-out problems associated with the security crisis at the airport in 2006. A year later a survey of global travellers published by the TripAdvisor website cited Heathrow, along with Chicago’s O’Hare, as the world’s least favourite international airport. And then there was the horrendous saga of the opening of Terminal 5 in 2008.
But more recently the Heathrow brand has started to perk up. The success of Heathrow in dealing handsomely with the enormous traffic caused by the Olympics this summer merely served to re-confirm its emerging status and the newly rebranded company’s focus on its main airport can only serve to improve that performance in the years ahead.
As Heathrow chief executive officer Colin Matthews said this week: “Dropping the BAA name marks a symbolic break with the company of the past. We want Heathrow’s focus to be on its customers, to continue to improve its operational performance and to carry on investing billions of pounds in new passenger facilities. This summer, the Olympics and Paralympics showed the UK and Heathrow at their best. Now we have to build on that further.”
I like CEOs that talk like this about their brand. First, because they sound like they know what they are talking about. Second, because he isn’t boasting or gloating or making unrealistic vision statements – he is talking about improving further and focusing on consumers.
What wasn’t covered by the mainstream media was the second, equally important, shift in brand strategy that BAA also executed this week. It may have renamed its corporate brand as Heathrow (SP) Ltd but the company also has a new brand architecture.
BAA was an endorser brand that sat across a portfolio of nine very different airports. According to Adderley, this endorser approach is outdated: “From a passenger perspective, all that counts is having a smooth and stress-free experience of Heathrow. The name of the company that owns Heathrow makes no difference to passengers.”
Thanks to government pressure and BAA’s own attempts to focus operations, the new company will now consist of just four airports, Heathrow, Southampton, Glasgow and Aberdeen, all arranged in a house of brands structure in which each location exists as a separately operated concern.
In reality, however, the new company is much closer to a single branded house with Heathrow now generating 95% of the company profits.
In the space of just a few days BAA has lost a lot of negative brand equity, installed a superior and higher potential brand name and tightened its portfolio and architecture in such a way that it is prepared for the decade ahead.
Smooth flying indeed from the team at BAA… sorry, Heathrow.


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While many in the Northeast are still picking up the pieces from the Nor’easter that came our way last Friday, we are already in “prepare” mode for what seems to be another rather large snowstorm heading our way.
For many families, the costs incurred due to winter storms are easy to jot down: new freezer and refrigerator of groceries, payment for tree or branch removal, morning cup of coffee from Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts, a few additional lunches and dinners out, increased baby sitter fee due to school/day care closures, to name the most common.
However on the local, state and national economies, the breakdown may be a look a little different!**
1. Lost Productivity
Significant storms preclude many workers from being able to report to their jobs and that can create significant declines in revenue for the duration of the inclement weather, or even a much longer period of time.
What’s more, consumer activity is usually suppressed during extreme weather events. Not many people are browsing and shopping during major snow- or rainfall. Thus we often see massive losses in sales and revenue. For example, according to Planalytics, the snowstorm that hit the northeast in late January eliminated $500 million in sales, even though the storm did not even remotely live up to expectations.
2. Spike in Sales
Extreme weather tends to incite fear amongst the general population. Common behaviors in response to dangerous forecasts include filling up gas tanks and stocking up on essential items such as nonperishable food, water, flashlights and batteries, in the event that power outages ensue. While such behaviors can pump significant money into local economies, this effect is usually temporary.
Insurance companies also see more activity in the aftermath of extreme weather events as people worry about ‘what if’ it happened to them. The Insurance Council of Texas recently reported that less than half of homeowners affected by the flooding in Texas had flood insurance plans in place for their homes. After this tragic event, companies that offer flood insurance policies may very well see a spike in interest.
3. Incite Innovation
Extreme weather can also inspire companies to innovate in preparation for future occurrences. For the winter season, products that have become commonplace include snow chains for automobile tires and snow blowers for quick snow removal. In anticipation of tornadoes and hurricanes, innovators have developed products like hurricane shutters, doors that can sustain heavy wind-pressure and concrete walls.
4. Dealing With the Damage
Snow removal, rehabilitation and repair efforts can cost a lot of money. For example, the city of Buffalo budgeted approximately $9 million for snow removal alone in 2014-2015.
BBVA Compass economists estimate the recent flooding caused by heavy rains in parts of Texas to cost anywhere between $200 million and $550 million. This cost accounts for physical damage, in addition to lost productivity and revenue.
California governor Jerry Brown recently proposed a $1 billion plan that will bring aid to the communities hit the hardest by the current statewide drought. This will create jobs locally. So extreme weather can both stimulate economies while also costing city, state and national governments great amounts.
5. Wary Attitudes
What happens when forecasts are incorrect? While meteorologists are very skilled and technology is ever-advancing, forecasts are still predictions of the future. There is no guarantee of accuracy and when it comes to weather, things can change very rapidly.
But when it comes down to it, people hate being told the wrong thing. So when communities are being instructed to take significant precautions against impending weather conditions and the conditions don’t ever come, people are often not pleased, to say the least.
This sort of discontent can lead to a general sense of distrust, especially with regards to where their precious tax money is going. It can also lead to people not listening to authorities the next time extreme weather is predicted, leading to more costly damages or clean-up efforts.
There are a great variety of factors that show the economic effects of weather. Some of these effects are positive (inciting innovation and creating jobs) while others are negative (lost productivity). Whether that Nor’Easter hits or changes course at the last minute, whether you get excited for a big storm or hibernate until it’s over, whether you get the day off or get called in for extra hours, the economy will likely feel the impact.
**Information about local, state and national economies was taken from SmartAsset.


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Death Stranding announced for PC
Kojima Productions has announced that Death Stranding will arrive on PC in early summer 2020.
The PC release of the game will be published by 505 Games, but that’s all the information we have for now.
“We are extremely excited and honored to be working with the supremely talented team at Kojima Productions and to bring Death Stranding to PC gamers around the world,” 505 Games CEO Raffi Galante said in a press release. “Death Stranding will take gamers through a completely original experience that will delight PC gamers everywhere.”
The upcoming game puts players in control of Sam Bridges, a delivery man who is on a mission to reconnect a shattered America following a phenomenon known as the Death Stranding.
Death Stranding launches November 8th, 2019 for PlayStation 4.


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A market for craft chocolate is emerging, driven by demand for recognisable ingredients, transparent supply chains and environmentally friendly practices — and Wedgetail is strategically deploying finance to speed up the speciality sector’s growth.
“The thing that makes craft chocolate interesting is the cacao beans,” Wedgetail’s Head of Sustainable Farm Investments Greg D’Alesandre tells me.
“Unlike craft beer, which is more often about craftsmanship, in craft chocolate, it’s about the ingredients, which requires transparency, and then connects people back to farmers and landscapes.”
What this means in practice is a focus on agroforestry techniques where cacao is grown alongside flora and fauna as opposed to in cleared landscapes in full sunlight, and the validation of nature-positive business models where forest protection and restoration and farming are pursued in tandem.
There’s a market that’s willing to pay more for chocolate that’s had a positive impact on nature, Greg adds, and Wedgetail is speeding up the speciality sector’s growth by deploying nature-linked loans to cacao farmers and aggregators with regeneration at the heart of their business models.
Incentivising traditional farming
The cacao sector comprises millions of smallholder farms, most on less than 5 hectares of land — but make no mistake, these farmers don’t grow cacao because it’s a money-maker, they do it out of necessity.
“Last I read, the average age of a cacao farmer is 55. The reason the age is so high is that people don't see cacao farming as a way to get out of poverty, but rather, a poverty trap,” Greg explains.
“The sector is unsustainable because people are not being paid enough for the cacao they produce, so they try to produce more cacao, to get more money, and end up destroying the environment in the process.
“The sector’s lack of financial sustainability has caused a lack of environmental sustainability.”
The only way to break this vicious downward cycle is by introducing new financial incentives that reward farmers for keeping forests standing — and this is exactly what the budding craft chocolate industry hopes to do.
It’s necessary to clarify that cacao agroforestry is not new. It’s a return to the way cacao has been farmed for thousands of years.
“I don’t ever want to imply we are bringing these ideas to cacao farmers,” Wedgetail Founder Lisa Miller tells me. “People have told them ‘you need to get more efficient and industrialise and scale’. We’re trying to support them to make traditional ways of farming cacao practical.”
“Smallholder farmers are very connected to their farms. It’s their livelihood, home and source of food. It’s their whole life. They desperately want to protect it and ensure the health of the ecosystems in which they operate,” she adds.
“There’s extensive, well-researched scientific, Indigenous and farming knowledge on agroforestry systems and their beneficial impacts on biodiversity. We don't have to replicate this knowledge.
“We just need to provide finance so it can be put into immediate action.”
Luxury first, then mainstream
The reality of transitioning to nature-positive business models is that there are upfront and increased costs at various points in the supply chain, from land management practices to measurement and reporting.
Wedgetail’s loans provide working capital so producers and aggregators can buy more nature-positive cacao at premium prices — but consumers still need to be willing to pay more at the other end.
“Consumers are paying right now because companies don't want to pay. Companies don't want to change their systems and the engines that drive big profits,” Lisa explains.
She’s quick to clarify this doesn’t mean nature-positive business models only work for luxury goods, or that only the wealthy will have access to nature-positive products.
It’s akin to the initial ‘green premium’ in other markets, where those who can afford to buy green goods and services, essentially fund the validation of the right economic models, which then brings prices down, and makes the market mainstream.
“This is what happened in solar. The same is happening with EVs,” Lisa adds.
The uptake of more expensive nature-positive options is enabled by storytelling, Lisa tells me, and chocolate fits the criteria perfectly.
“If you want consumers to pay more, you need supply chains where stories based on high integrity data can be tracked and told,” she explains.
“Supply chains where commodities are aggregated without knowing their farming origins don't allow consumers to understand the environmental, animal welfare or livelihood credentials of those farms. For craft chocolate, the supply chain can be shortened significantly — allowing the origin and farming impact story to be told.”
“People love chocolate, and so, you can really capture people's imagination and attention when you talk about cacao, chocolate and nature,” Greg adds.
Businesses often see environmental impact as an externality — but a nature-positive business model is one where the environment and positive impacts on nature is core to the business.
What’s more, nature-positive business models have flywheel effects which can benefit farmers and communities too. “A huge part of what we do at Wedgetail is getting these flywheels to spin,” Lisa says.
“Wedgetail’s focus is the intersection of business and biodiversity,” Greg explains.
“When a company’s work in nature is limited to charitable giving, offsetting and add-ons, there's an inherent notion that the work isn’t necessary, but optional. However, if a company’s core business model takes nature in consideration, it gets baked into the everyday. Considering and caring for nature is no longer optional. It’s not something done on the side when it's convenient.”
“Some companies with massive supply chains in a wide range of agricultural commodities are currently bolting on nature and climate funds,” Lisa explains.
“At the moment these initiatives are often not changing the company’s core business model, and so, not addressing the core farmer issues that can lead to environmental damage. They don’t want to ruin their profit-making engines, which actually keeps the farmers poor and the environment degraded.”
True systems change will see the environment no longer regarded as an externality but put at the centre of business models, she adds.
Trade-offs and consequences
The biggest blocker to the development and adoption of nature-positive business models is people understanding and valuing nature.
“Instead of simply measuring financial returns, we need to be measuring returns in nature too. But this will only be possible by expanding our accounting systems, and redefining what success looks like for humans across more than just financial resources, but health, wellbeing, the environment and ecosystem services,” Lisa says.
“If you start to account for natural capital alongside financial returns, the picture will look very different.”
The limiting thing about financial capital is that it’s only of benefit to the person who owns it, Greg explains, whereas natural capital is beneficial to everyone.
Trees, for example, create oxygen, capture carbon, control erosion, stop flooding and filter water.
“As you convert natural capital into financial capital through extractive models, you're actually decreasing the amount of capital in the world. You're converting capital into something that’s only useful in a very narrow way,” Greg says.
“Farmers see this trade-off all the time. They are constantly making a trade-off between growing what they need to survive and sell and taking care of the environment that supports them. Short and long term thinking is the world they live in.
“As a society, we are heavily focused on financial capital. There’s huge pressure to get financial capital as quickly as possible, without regard for the long-term impacts of this decision.”
As a result, there’s now an imbalance of financial and natural capital in the world.
The people and nations who have converted their natural capital into financial capital are wealthy. But they are also unable to do the bulk of natural capital work needed to ensure survival of all species.
“In essence, what's happening is a rebalancing,” Greg adds. “Those rich in financial capital now need to work with those rich in natural capital.”
“Indigenous people are the custodians of 80% of the world's biodiversity. They now need to be paid for that work,” Lisa adds.
“We’re deploying financial capital because it’s the biggest hurdle nature-positive projects face, whether they’re in Australia, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica or Indonesia. There is true scalability in deploying capital, context-sharing, decision-making and best-practices — and returning to some of the ways humanity used to work with nature.”


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Fuel poverty campaigners and a North East MP have joined the simmering row over claims the ‘Big Six’ energy suppliers are making larger profits than they have admitted to.
Business Secretary Greg Clark is to investigate the claims made today that gas and electricity firms may be making six times more than they publicly state.
The trade body Energy UK claimed the report was “a misrepresentation of the facts”.
Peter Smith, Director of Policy of the National Energy Action which has offices in Newcastle, said the claims highlighted ongoing issues over tariffs in the energy market.
He said a separate report last week revealed that 58% of all energy customers are stuck on standard variable tariffs with a Big Six provider, the default and usually most expensive tariff, four months since the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) concluded its two year market investigation.
It said energy companies are failing to help their customers off these more expensive tariffs and the inquiry found consumers are collectively overpaying by more than £1bn.
Mr Smith said: “The CMA analysis demonstrated consumers could have paid £1.7bn a year less for their gas and electricity bills had the market been working effectively.
“NEA’s particular focus is on vulnerable energy consumers and in particular those on the lowest incomes who struggle to pay for this essential service.”
The ‘Big Six’ are British Gas, EDF Energy, E.ON UK, npower, ScottishPower and SSE.
Mr Smith added: “In the short-term, the regulator Ofgem, the UK Government and energy industry must work together to ensure vulnerable consumers do not continue to be bamboozled by confusing and difficult-to-compare tariff choices.”
The allegations today were based on a report commissioned by Energy UK from accountancy firm PwC.
According to the regulator, Ofgem, UK energy firms make a 4% profit margin on the price of a typical dual fuel bill.
But using figures in the PwC report, a national newspaper said that suppliers could actually be making a 24% profit margin.
In the report, PwC said the average cost of supplying energy to a household - covering the cost of wholesale energy and sending bills - was £844 a year.
The report said 70% of customers are on standard variable tariffs, and pay up to £1,172 a year.
Assuming the costs are £844 a year, that would leave them with a profit of up to £272, or 24%, after VAT is removed.
The report accused Energy UK of cherry-picking parts of the report to put on its website that failed to include details of the profits.
However in a statement Energy UK said: “It is not possible to use the information in the report to calculate the actual margin achieved by individual suppliers against their various tariffs. For that reason, Energy UK used Ofgem data on margins drawn from the publicly available Consolidated Segmental Accounts of major energy suppliers. Ofgem shows actual average supplier margins of 4 %. That is the figure that appears on the Energy UK website.
“The numbers presented in the PwC report and on the Energy UK website represent averages across all tariff types. It is not possible to use this data to calculate, accurately, supplier margins on either the most expensive tariff or the cheapest tariff.
“The cost of buying energy for Standard Variable Tariffs (SVTs) will be higher than for a fixed term deal where you know more about usage and volume so can buy specifically for them. None of this is reflected in the article.”
Despite its denials, the issue still raises serious concerns, according to Newcastle North MP Catherine McKinnell.
She said: “This report is very worrying, and mirrors the serious concerns the Labour Party has been raising for some time now about the way our energy market clearly isn’t working for its customers.
“I am particularly unhappy about this level of profit when we know that millions of British households are living in fuel poverty – and the North East has the highest rate of fuel poverty of anywhere in the country.
“Until the Government starts taking real action on this issue, far too many people will continue to spend the winter months making the awful choice between heating or eating.”


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Young & Affluent Shoppers: To Amazon, from Whole Foods
Though the last three months show no major impact on store footfalls at Whole Foods, here is why Amazon isn’t worried.
The story so far..
Earlier in June this year, Amazon announced it was buying Whole Foods for a whopping $13.7 Billion. Amazon announced a price drop on a large number of items at Whole Foods, starting August 28. As a result, the competitors followed suit. Target slashed prices on September 8, followed by Walmart.
While Whole Foods did see a strong increase in footfall starting August 28, footfall data from Near shows that the tactical measures by competing stores have so far mitigated the effect of the price drop.
To thwart Amazon’s big ticket purchase further, competitors are using legal options to limit Amazon’s plans of opening lockers in certain locations, delivery from Whole Food stores etc.
Why Amazon is not worried
For Amazon to drive its e-commerce revenues, more people need to purchase repeatedly on its platform. Also, it needs to be able to define the actual spending capabilities of people to tailor their online and offline experiences better, and grab a greater share of wallet.
Here are some observations on the shoppers at Whole Foods and its competitors:
- A comparison of audience profiles of shoppers at Whole Foods, Walmart & Target shows Affluent heavily skewed towards Whole Foods. Discretionary monthly income comparisons also show that Whole Foods customers have at least $1000 to spend.
- Whole Foods sees a larger percentage of young consumers (18–35) compared to Walmart and Target.
Now, income is seen to increase with age in the US, up to the age of 54 years:
So effectively, the acquisition gives Amazon access to Young and Affluent shoppers, who would grow richer in the coming years, which is a promising sign for future sales.
Does the true worth of the acquisition lie in Data?
The access to Whole Food’s data allows Amazon to build the following matrix, and define the possible strategic direction for each of the segments.
People who shop at Amazon
- Of the existing Amazon customers, the ones already visiting Whole Foods need to be nurtured so that they spend more. The main strategy for them would be to increase share of wallet by upgrading them to services such as Prime, giving exclusive preview access to products on Amazon, and other benefits.
- The Amazon customers not visiting Whole Foods need to be attracted there. If Amazon intends to drive adoption of products such as Echo, having an offline presence will allow customers to experience the product, thereby accelerating purchases.
People who do not shop at Amazon
- For people who are not yet shopping on Amazon, but who go to Whole Foods, capturing them in-store and spoiling them with the Amazon experience would be key to breaking barriers for the giant.
- For the consumers outside the Amazon and Whole Foods universe, Amazon may need to look at data platforms that are able to unify the data in the physical and digital worlds, and poach these untouched consumers from competitors. This is independent of the Whole Foods acquisition, but the consumers can be now lured to a seamless online/offline purchase journey.
Looking at some of the recent actions by Amazon, the pieces already look to be in motion, step by step, building on what Amazon is really trying to do – “Getting the affluent to spend more with them, and catching them young”.
Contact Us to use data for superior decision-making.
Also published in Medium.


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The international toy fairs tease the new games and merchandise kids will be lining up to play with in 2016.
Viacom International Media Networks will continue the global roll out of its Emmy award-winning “Nick Play” app this spring.
In anticipation of The Angry Birds Movie, Rovio has partnered with several new licensees to help bring the brand to a new generation of fans.
Hasbro, in conjunction with Backflip Studios and Space Ape Games, will release “Transformers: Earth Wars” this spring worldwide, excluding Japan and China.
Cartoon Network is supporting the launch of the brand-new "LEGO Nexo Knights" toy line and Merlok 2.0 gaming app.
Bare Tree Media has released a new series of Valentine’s Day-themed digital stickers featuring six top brands.
Marvel has partnered with TinyCo to release the new mobile game “Marvel Avengers Academy” on the App Store and Google Play.
Kidoz has teamed with the KD Group, makers of the Kurio line of children's electronics, to provide users with a safe and more advanced content discovery experience through the Kidoz app store.
Glu Mobile, a developer and publisher of free-to-play games, has entered into a multi-year partnership with Taylor Swift for the development of a new mobile game.
Spike Games has created new mobile slot game called “School’s Out,” inspired by the iconic Alice Cooper song.
From an increased focus on building 360-degree franchises to a host of major executive moves, here's the news that shaped 2015.
King Digital Entertainment is continuing to grow the international licensing program for the game app "Candy Crush" with the appointment of three new agents.
Mind Candy is launching a marketing campaign next week for its new game "World of Warriors" aimed at increasing awareness of the brand among boys in the U.K.
Kabam and Universal Partnerships & Licensing today have released the official mobile game of the Fast & Furious movie franchise, "Fast & Furious: Legacy."
DHX Media will launch a second "Slugterra" mobile game, "Slugterra: Slugslinger," May 7.
Rovio Entertainment has signed Brand Central to extend the "Angry Birds" licensing program into the food and beverage category in the United States.
Global Brands International continues to expand the re-launch of the Baby Genius licensing business with the introduction of the new "Baby Genius Sing Along" app.
Kabam has released new updates for the "Marvel Contest of Champions" app inspired by the upcoming film Marvel’s Ant-Man, which will hit theaters July 17.
Cartoon Network is bringing the quirky series “Adventure Time” to a new mobile app.
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has teamed with the crowd-sourced navigation app "Waze" to promote the home entertainment release of Furious 7.
Cupcake Digital has released the official Hotel Transylvania 2 storybook app.
©2016 ADVANSTAR COMMUNICATIONS INC. All rights reserved.


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High heeled shoes linked to arthritis
Experts are warning that shoes with high heels, one of the ultimate fashion accessories for women, could be a possible cause of arthritis.
It is thought that the way in which the foot sits in high heels can increase the amount of pressure and strain which is put on knee and ankle joints.
This increases the risk of developing one of the most common forms of arthritis; osteoarthritis, which leads to pain and stiffness in the joints.
Osteoarthritis is a condition which is particularly prevalent among women, who also experience more severe symptoms than men.
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Approximately a quarter of women wear high heels frequently if not every day, according to a survey of 2,000 women which was conducted by the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists.
The Society is advising women to wear round-toed shoes with high heels of 2-3cm and ‘shock absorbing’ soles.
Six out of 10 people with osteoarthritis have it in their feet and the Society believe an ‘arthritis crisis’ could be soon be a reality as a result of high heels and badly fitting shoes.
One problem which does add to the risk of Osteoarthritis, the Society says, is that most people do not wear the correct trainers for the sport they are doing.
It is important that sports trainers are well fitted to the feet as people can exert eight times their body weight through their joints during sport.
Other contributing factors to rising incidences of arthritis are obesity and longer life spans.


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A new feature of the Discover Pass allows purchasers to choose the start date for the annual pass. The new feature makes the Discover Pass an excellent gift idea for family and friends who love the great outdoors.
The new “choose your date” option is available today to customers who buy the pass online at www.DiscoverPass.wa.gov or in-person from retailers who sell recreational licenses through the Washington Interactive Licensing Database (WILD) system. Retail vendor locations are listed on the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/licensing/vendors .
At the time of purchase, the buyer can activate the pass immediately or on any day within one year of the purchase date.
The new option was passed into law in 2012 to allow greater flexibility to outdoor recreation enthusiasts, including those who want to give the pass as a gift.
“The Discover Pass is the ticket to some of Washington’s most extraordinary places,” said Gov. Chris Gregoire. “Giving buyers more flexibility makes the gift of access to Washington’s beautiful recreation lands an even better choice this holiday season.”
The Discover Pass, authorized by the Legislature and Governor in 2011, is required on motor vehicles accessing state parks and other state-managed recreation lands. It was adopted to support the operation of state recreation lands, including those managed the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, the Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). State Parks receives 84 percent of Discover Pass revenue; WDFW and DNR each receive 8 percent.
Image courtesy Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife


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Tao sellers go to sea and make Chinese manufacturing a “Chinese brand”
In the past two years, the global epidemic environment has caused most traditional industries, but the e -commerce industry is still booming. The trend of cross -border e -commerce has made many Amoy brand sellers start paying attention to overseas gold markets.
The state’s strong support for the cross -border e -commerce industry, and the prosperity and development of online e -commerce has also brought new increases to China’s exports. The history of several well -known Tao brands overseas expansion is a wonderful explanation of this process. Taobao’s original retro women’s clothing brand ARTKA (ARTKA) entered the Ali Express Platform in 2014 and entered the European and American markets.
Directly hit the American consumer group. Elf Sack, Kalabearni, Banana, Bear Electric, Lin’s Wood, Nature Hall, DJI, Ubras, etc. in overseas markets.
The “Tao Star” of the Furniture Issue -Lin’s Wood Industry
As the head of the Tmall Furniture Tao brand, the best -selling of Lin’s wood industry is not surprising. As early as 2017, Lin’s wood industry had already settled the export business, and its business covered major markets such as Southeast Asia, Australia and Europe and the United States. “New style and new life”, creating cost -effective products under the new style for users is a brand concept created by Lin’s wood industry to the sea. “Services” even directly promote its large -scale furniture products in overseas regions.
Selling the domestic products mask of Europe and the United States -Nature Hall
Zheng Chunying, chairman and president of Galan Group, said that as early as ten years ago, Galan Group was studying how the brand was internationalized. As the most native beauty brand in China, the going out of the Nature Hall is more like an output of Chinese culture. Therefore, the mask that chooses to the Himalayas as a star product to show the world shows the height of China’s brand to the world.
Due to the best -selling Australia in Europe. As a representative of the well -known domestic beauty brand, the sales volume of Natural Hall in May this year has increased by 121%. Among them, the Fifth Five -Five Shopping Festival surged 181%. The Himalayan mask in Nature Hall has been bought by consumers in the United States and Vietnam.
Small appliances that are popular overseas -Bear Electric Electric
Over the past years, Bear Electric has been a benchmark role in Tao. Beginning last year, Bear Electric accelerated the footsteps of the overseas layout. The extension of home hours has caused many domestic home appliance brands to go to sea to go to sea, and the scene positioning of small home appliances is in line with the consumption demands of people’s homes. Similar categories include furniture home and indoor fitness equipment.
Therefore, under the superposition of the two favorable factors, the revenue of Bear Electric is also popular. According to its 2020 report data, foreign sales increased from 85.9859 million in 2019 to 209 million in 2020, and sales accounted for 3.20%to 5.71%, an increase of 143.21%year -on -year. The popularity of the bears in the overseas market is gradually expanding. Essence
India’s “first” -Xiaomi mobile phone
Xiaomi, as a leading brand in China, continued its good performance in the past few years, and continued to shine on the international stage. In 2014, Xiaomi “went to the sea” and the first stop was selected in India. In the past six years, they went from no one to know to the top sales. India, a country with a population of 1.3 billion, has become a holy place for Chinese companies and capital to go to sea.
The results of Xiaomi’s third quarter of 2020 showed that the group’s total revenue was 72.2 billion yuan, an increase of 34.5%year -on -year, and net profit was 4.1 billion yuan, reaching a record high. Xiaomi smartphone shipments are third in the world, and their share in the Western European market is also the top three; Xiaomi smart TV shipments are the first in the country.


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Nintendo teasing this weird fitness contraption for the Switch is peak Nintendo
Posted By Google
Date Thursday, 5 September 2019, at 7:26 p.m.
Nintendo is at peak Nintendo when they curiously announce something virtually no one asked for, but is nonetheless incredibly intriguing, and today, ...Read more
This post was created from content on the Internet.
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Mobile subscribers in Russia downloaded and sent more data over the first nine months of 2019 than in the whole of 2018, Izvestia writes citing data provided by the Russian Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media.
According to the official data, internet traffic in the country reached almost 10.9 billion gigabytes from January to September 2019 compared to 10.2 billion during 2018.
The development of Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks, which make it possible to download more data, interest in “heavy” video content and low cost of services, despite growing tariffs, are the reasons for traffic growth, analysts say.
So far, mobile traffic in Russia is still smaller than fixed Internet traffic, but the former is growing slower than cellular traffic, with a data amount increase of 18.5% over the past year.
According to TelecomDaily Director General Denis Kuskov, the data provided by the Ministry of Communications is conservative, and there is every likelihood that the mobile traffic growth rate was even higher.
According to his estimates, Russian mobile users used 10-11 GB of traffic every month by the end of this year compared to 6-7 GB a year ago. One of the primary reasons for that is an increase in coverage and bandwidth of 4G networks both in Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as in other regions.
“A user can download much more data per unit of time than in 3G, and subscribers take advantage of that, increasing traffic consumption and their payments to operators,” the expert stressed.
Through the wealth of apps available to us on smartphones and other devices, AI shows us the fastest route while driving, helps us find the lowest gas prices on the same trip, and can even point out attractions we might like along the way. Data-backed fitness devices give us important stats on our activity level and help fine-tune our daily routine for optimal health benefits.
With the rise of smart cities, AI will be an even bigger part of our lives. It can even help solve one of the trickier dilemmas most urbanites who drive face on a daily basis: where to park.
Daily Parking Issues
Not enough parking spaces in a densely populated area.
Poor use of available parking spaces.
Time and gas used to find open parking spaces.
Difficulty finding vehicles in large parking lots.
Traffic congestion centered around poorly executed parking structures.
Business parking spaces are taken by commuter parking.
Inconvenient parking spaces.
Poor parking price models.
Proper handling of handicapped spaces.
Unused private parking spaces.
Environmental impact of excessive fuel use in seeking parking.
Unclear parking policies.
What Is Smart Parking?
Combining human innovation and advanced technology, smart parking is a strategy that smart cities can use to increase parking efficiency and combat numerous issues. Smart parking will reduce fuel use because the driver won’t be circling streets looking for a place to park because they’ll have an identified space. Drivers will also save money and time with denser, easier parking.
Smart parking utilizes smartphones and other sensing devices to ascertain the occupancy of a parking structure or level. It’s accomplished through the use of cameras, counting utilities at the entrances or gates of parking structures, sensors embedded in the pavement of individual parking spaces, etc.
With traffic congestion being a substantial problem in many urban areas, smart parking offers a partial solution. Much of the traffic is caused by people searching for parking spaces as a routine activity. The daily search for parking spaces consumes one million barrels of the world’s oil supply daily. If the search for parking spaces was reduced or eliminated, some of the congestion in traffic would be diminished.
As AI continues to develop and improve, new solutions that can be used to improve our communities emerge. More cities, universities, and transportation leaders by the day are taking a closer look at parking analytics and smart parking. Smart parking is an important element in the development of smart cities.
How Can IoT-based Parking Provide Solutions?
New wireless sensor-based technologies are leading the way for efficient town planning and the development of smart cities, thanks to the Internet of Things (IoT). Innovations like facilities for viewing parking data, dynamic messaging, and parking sensors are being explored to aid in city design and town planning.
Using real-time parking data and extending it to people who can use it to quickly and easily locate parking will alleviate many problems caused by parking in urban areas. Such technology can help guide visitors to available parking spaces and more.
Smart Parking in Cities
Technology that impacts smart parking in cities isn’t about parking itself so much as distributing information to planning cities and their services. While cameras, sensors, and wireless transference of data are vital to establishing such a solution, it’s the data harvested and provided and how it’s used that makes for a solution. It really works in sending real-time information to commuters and drivers to let them know where to find available parking.
Airport Valet Parking Systems
Robot valet parking is in its early stages in the US, but the systems show a lot of promise. It may not be an easily adopted service. The systems count on travelers arriving and leaving their cars in the care of these robots, and many may be reluctant to do that at first.
These valet parking systems are really automated towing vehicles that take cars to available spaces at the airport so the traveler doesn’t have to.
New Parking Concepts
With assistant services like Siri, Cortana, and Alexa, it’s not hard to imagine having such an assistant within a vehicle’s onboard computer to help with tasks like locating parking spaces. Parking sensors that can communicate how to park with the tap of a button would be even better.
Another great convenience could be handling payments like correct change for parking at parking structures because sometimes, we don’t have cash available. Having a contactless payment system would make parking fast and convenient.
There are already many parking apps to help with daily parking assistance. More parking apps are being developed daily. These apps allow you to pay for parking in advance and update your situation if your plans change and you need to stay longer. Other features include telling you where to find on- and off-road parking and directing you to such locations.
Apps will play a vital part in smart parking moving forward, providing helpful information to drivers when they need it most.
Enhancing Multi-level Parking
Multi-level parking structures in large urban areas are often a necessity. In the future, the development of automated car parking systems may park cars for drivers and bring them around for the driver when they return. Using lifts and pallets, the systems will store vehicles in rows and columns.
Not only would less time be spent by the driver or commuter in looking for a parking space and trying to find their car, but there would also be a reduced risk of damage to the vehicle for travelers willing to take a chance.
Smart parking solutions will only make city governments more efficient and greatly help the emergence of smart cities. With the perpetual growth of urban areas, now and in the future, smart parking will be an emerging industry that’s vital to the success of smart cities.
Smart parking will offer numerous solutions to aid cities in serving their citizens in ways that save them time and money. The same solutions will also serve to reduce traffic and help the city run more efficiently.
Swarm intelligence goes far beyond what current IoT applications are offering the world in the way of futuristic improvements and gee-whiz prototypes seen in many of today’s more progressive cities and homes.
As you’re about to see, they’re perfect for certain types of business and industry applications, making the world safer, better, and easier in an exciting number of ways.
Tackling Dangerous Tasks
Swarm-bots can be used to tackle dangerous tasks to reduce or eliminate the risk for humans. Based on the level of danger, there’s potential for loss of robot individuals, necessitating a focus on fault tolerance of the swarm. Some examples include:
Search and rescue
Cleanup of toxic spills
When High Flexibility and Scalability Are Needed
There are tasks where it’s difficult or impossible to estimate at the beginning the number of resources needed to accomplish the task. For example, if you’re allocating resources for managing an oil spill or leak, you cannot foresee the oil output or temporal evolution. This makes resource allocation doubly difficult.
Flexibility and scalability should be the focus of the swarm-bots deployed to handle such tasks. You can add or remove robots as needed to give the right amount of resources according to the evolving requirements of the job. Some applications include tracking, cleaning, and specific search and rescue scenarios.
Swarm robotics may be useful when it’s necessary to accomplish tasks within very large or informal environments. In these cases, you don’t have the infrastructure to control the robots, such as a global localized system or a communication network.
Swarm-bots fit the bill because of their ability to work autonomously without any infrastructure or centralized control system. Examples include:
Extraterrestrial or underwater excursions
Search and rescue missions
Certain environments may change rapidly over time, such as after natural disasters like hurricanes or earthquakes. Buildings may collapse, altering the original layout of the environment and creating unforeseen hazards. Here, swarm robots that are customized for high levels of flexibility will be needed.
Search and rescue
Disaster recovery tasks
How Swarm Robots Get Their Power
It only makes sense to have swarm robots powered by batteries. Experts recommend lithium polymer batteries because they provide high current output and energy density. They are also lightweight, flexible in format, and safe to use, as they resist overcharging. However, these types of batteries can be dangerous if not treated properly, so they must be protected from over/under-voltage, overcurrent, and overheating.
For a large robot swarm, it’s impractical to design them to be manually recharged. Instead, a module can be written to teach the robot to find a docking station for recharging when it runs low on power.
Consider that finding and docking at a charging station is a higher-level task than the swarm-bots typically do. Therefore, apart from the module, charging stations should be designed to be as intuitive as possible. For example, the inclusion of high-speed, two-directional communication between the computer and bot during recharging would be useful.
Part of the battery includes charging and discharging management to ensure battery health and safety. The discharge management circuits must be installed in the swarm bot for apparent reasons. However, the charging management circuitry may be placed outside the bot (in the docking station’s computer system).
There are upsides to external deployments, such as more straightforward bot design, which makes them cheaper to acquire. But if the aim is to maintain a bot’s autonomy within the swarm, then it must be equipped with all necessary tools to enable proper functionality.
Charging is central to a bot’s functionality, so it makes sense to have both charging and discharging management systems within the bot.
How Swarm Robots Connect to the Cloud – Swarm Computing
For swarm robotics, you have autonomous micro-machines that need to communicate with each other and with the cloud when necessary. This evolution that brings together cloud computing with swarm robotics is called swarm computing, and it’s still in its infancy.
Swarm computing brings together cloud principles with network principles, to give rise to higher functionality and flexibility of swarms or IoT ecosystems. It focuses on increasing data sharing and mobility, as well as allowing temporary control of devices connected to the cloud.
The most visible advantage of investing in cloud robotics will be the ability to delegate more difficult tasks to higher-intelligence agents in the cloud. Cloud cooperation should enable swarm robots to, for instance, connect to the more intelligent bots in the cloud when meeting more difficult challenges. There should be real-time data processing, support, and response, whether by humans or robots, to inform the autonomous robots’ actions/responses.
Right now, we still need lots more extensive research to determine how to operate, manage, and deploy highly distributed cloud services. This will demand high levels of innovation and automation but will be essential given the proliferation of IoT and swarm intelligence.
Real-World Applications of Swarm Robotics
Even though swarm robotics and IoT is a relatively new field, only a few years old, different organizations are already diving headfirst into the field. Below are some examples of companies and organizations using swarm robotics to power various aspects of their operations.
DOD Micro-drones for Military Use
The military application of swarm robotics perhaps the most significant of all. The US Department of Defense has already demonstrated one of the largest micro-drone swarms in China Lake, California. The swarm showed advanced swarm intelligence, such as decision-making, self-healing, and adaptive formation flying.
Perdix drones, as they are called, work as a collective organism, sharing a distributed brain that enables them to adapt to each other and make decisions to benefit the entire swarm. Without a leader, the swarm adapts gracefully to drones leaving or entering the team.
Ideally, the Pentagon hopes to use these small, cost-effective, and autonomous drones to accomplish the same things they used large, expensive drones to do. However, they were keen to mention that drones will not replace humans in the future battlefield. Instead, they would equip humans with information to make better decisions faster.
Inspired by biological phenomena, Wyss Institute researchers are developing RoboBees prototypes, which can perform various disaster relief and agriculture-related tasks. A RoboBee is very small, half the size of a paper clip, and weighing 0.1 grams or less. Its flight is powered by “artificial muscles,” which are materials that contract when exposed to voltage.
Some RoboBee models can swim underwater or fly, as well as “perching” on surfaces using static electricity. Researchers wanted to create micro-aerial, autonomous vehicles that could achieve self-directed flight and work coordinately when in large groups.
RoboBees can be used to assess infrastructural damage after a natural disaster or act of terrorism, as well as locate victims for smart rescue efforts.
Cost-Effective Modular Robots
A research team at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Toronto developed a modular robot called mROBerTO. Modular robots are bots that can autonomously change shape and perform different functions.
Such abilities are essential to swarm robotics research, where thousands of small bots are needed to test out behavior algorithms and functionalities. For these miniature robots to be cost-effective, it would be necessary to make sure each unit costs as little as possible. Otherwise, the cost of research would be prohibitive, holding back the advancement of the field.
Enter mROBerTO, a modular robot that can be made from commonly available and affordable materials. mROBerTo can be used for a variety of applications calling for miniature swarm robots, although its primary purpose was to give swarm robotics researchers cheap physical tools to test out swarm behavior algorithms.
These robots are designed in such a way as to enable researchers to be able to change hardware parts to test our different algorithms, shapes, and functions using the same robot skeleton. The modular millirobots are made such that changing one section/module doesn’t affect the functionality of the other sections.
Future of Swarm Robotics Research
There are hundreds of possibilities for swarm robotics research across many different fields. Theoretically, the technology will be useful in areas where human intervention would be impossible (e.g., nanomedicine) or too dangerous (e.g., search and rescue, nuclear reactors, chemical plants, mines, etc.).
However, this will only be possible if researchers finds ways to build robot swarms cost-effectively. This is the line of thinking the makers of mROBerTO above adopted (although at $60 each, the cost of a swarm of 100 robots is $6,000, which is still high).
Similarly, most of the current robotics research has been carried out in controlled lab environments, which do not mimic real-world constraints. It will become crucial, then, to find ways to take swarm robotics out of the lab and into the real world, particularly since most applications will require high flexibility of the swarms in rapidly changing environments and without external intervention.
A joint team of researchers from the University of West England and the University of Bristol is currently working on techniques to develop autonomous discovery of suitable swarm strategies when swarms are deployed in real-life situations.
Future research in this area will involve using dynamic environments to test swarm robot responses and determine the designs that will be better suited to real-world applications.
Swarm Robots: How Much Is All This Going to Cost?
This is a complex question because the cost of a robot swarm depends on so many factors, like:
Number per swarm
Level of autonomy
Level of flexibility/adaptability needed
For example, the University of Colorado wanted to acquire swarm robots called Droplets, which were self-charging and worked in groups of 100 or 1000. The estimated cost was $10,000 for just 100 Droplets in 2014.
It’s easy to understand why, despite its value, swarm robotics research is still out of reach for many businesses. Typically, the people who make these robots are expensive – they are computer scientists, computer engineers, or electronic engineers with advanced degrees. The parts that make these robots – motors, cameras, sensors, etc. – are also expensive.
Swarm robotics is set to become one of the most significant technological advancements we’ll see this century. Its applications, particularly in disaster recovery and management, are endless and powerfully significant.
Of course, swarm robotics research is still in its infancy for many applications, subject to different challenges you’ve learned about here. In time, as better technology becomes cheaper and more accessible, we will see swarm robotics becoming part and parcel of business operations and decision making — for the greater good.
Amazon.com Inc. said its holiday season this year was “record breaking” with billions of items shipped and “tens of millions” of Amazon devices like the Echo Dot sold. To learn about the impact of technology on retail M&A, click here for Mergers & Acquisitions’ series.
The e-commerce giant said that 5 million new customers started Prime free trials or paid memberships globally, while the number of items that were delivered with one-day or same-day shipping quadrupled compared to last holiday season. Independent third-party sellers, meanwhile, sold more than a billion items, Amazon said.
Amazon didn’t release specific sales figures, but its statement backs up broader reports that shopping — particularly of the online variety — picked up this year. Web sales in the U.S. during the holiday season grew almost 19% compared to last year, according to Mastercard Spending Pulse data, which tracked sales from Nov. 1 to Dec. 24. That’s more than five times greater than overall holiday sales growth, which was 3.4%. Online sales now make up almost 15% of total retail sales during the holiday, according to Mastercard.
The holiday season generates about a fifth of retailers’ revenue each year in the U.S., according to the National Retail Federation. It can be even higher for specialized companies like toy and game stores.
Big-box chains like Target Corp. and department stores like Macy’s Inc. are broadening their digital offerings with options like buying online and picking up in store, or BOPIS. While Mastercard data showed that overall sales for department stores declined 1.8% in the holiday period, e-commerce sales grew 6.9%. Specialty apparel, jewelry and electronics also registered e-commerce growth.
The number of records (personal and payment data) that was illegally accessed by computer hackers in Russia in 2019 has grown sixfold and reached nearly 170 million records, experts at the Russian information security company InfoWatch told Izvestia.
Globally, hackers have gained access to more than 14 billion pieces of data around the world this year – double what was seen in 2018, the company said.
Analysts believe that two-thirds of leaks in 2018 were deliberate and the share of these crimes in Russia is 40%.
InfoWatch experts predict that the trend towards rising data hacks will continue in 2020, with hackers stepping up their efforts to steal state secrets and valuable commercial data.
Data breaches in Russia’s banking sector account for 1 million or less than 1% out of the total number. According to Izvestia, this confirms that Russian banks are capable of guaranteeing a high level of information security.
In 2018, nearly half of the data leaks were blamed on staff and some 40% were caused by hackers and other malefactors. However, this year these breaches were mostly the work of hackers. In Russia, the share of hacker crimes is less than 20%, while the staff was responsible for more than 70% of data leaks. That said, a significant rise in leaks of email data is among the notable changes. This is mainly attributed to the growing popularity of phishing attacks on companies.
“I think in the future perpetrators will again be widely using email phishing,” said Andrei Arsentyev, head of Analytics and Special Projects at InfoWatch. “This is a stable trend. They will continue hunting for vital information and try to transfer corporate money to their accounts through fraudulent schemes,” he added.
A Russian rocket carrying communications satellites was launched into orbit from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Friday, marking the country’s final space launch of the decade, Space News writes.
The rocket is carrying three Gonets-M communication satellites and a Blitz-M technology satellite to orbit and marks Russia’s 25th space launch this year. The Russian military reported later that the four satellites had been successfully placed into orbit.
Russia has launched a Rokot carrier rocket with 3 Gonets-M communication satellites and one more military satellite, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Friday.
“On Friday 27 December, at 02:11 Moscow time [23:11 GMT on Thursday], a combat unit of the Space Forces of the Aerospace Forces launched the light-class Rokot carrier rocket with several communication satellites of Gonets-M and a space vehicle for the Defense Ministry from the launchpad 3 of platform 133 of the Plesetsk spaceport, Arkhangelsk region”, the Defense Ministry’s press service told reporters.
Gonets-M is the second generation of the Gonets-system and is derived from Strela-3 satellites.
The three Gonets-M communication satellites and the military satellite were successfully placed into orbit, the Russian Ministry of Defence said.
This is the 25th space launch in Russia this year and also the last one for 2019.
Mergers & Acquisitionshas named the2020 Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A. This marks the fifth year we have produced the list. It’s been gratifying to watch the project evolve over the years – and become more influential itself. This year, we received more nominations than ever before. As a result, we expanded the number honored to 42 in 2020, up from 36 in 2019. We’re also pleased to welcome many newcomers to the list, such as Shoshana Vernick of Avathon. “Avathon stands for bringing people together to make a lasting impact,” says Vernick. Sterling Partners’ Education Opportunity Fund recently became Avathon Capital, which focuses on the education and workforce management sectors. Avathon invests up to $50 million in equity in deals, also said it has doubled its assets to $404 million since the firm launched in 2015. Read our full coverage of all the champions of change on our list, including Q&As with each individual.
Editor’s Note: Over the holidays, Mergers & Acquisitions will publish the M&A wrap column and our Daily Briefing newsletter on Monday, Thursday and Friday during the last two weeks of the year.
DEAL NEWS DraftKings Inc. is going public in a deal with former Hollywood executive Jeff Sagansky that values the sports betting firm at about $3.3 billion. The company agreed to be sold, alongside gaming technology giant SBTech, to Diamond Eagle Acquisition Corp., a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company. The combined gro up, which will house both DraftKings and SBTech, will trade under the name DraftKings Inc. Read the full story byBloomberg News: DraftKings goes public in a deal with former Hollywood executive Jeff Sagansky
Brookfield Infrastructure (NYSE: BIP) is buying broadband services company Cincinnati Bell for $2.6 billion. White & Case is advising Brookfield. Morgan Stanley & Co., Moelis & Co., Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, Morgan, Lewis & Blockius LLP and BosseLaw PLLC are advising Cincinnati Bell.
Sentinel Capital Partners has purchased ECM Industries from Genstar Capital. The target produces electrical products for the construction, maintenance and utility industries. Baird and Weil, Gotshal & Manges advised Genstar.
Mastercard (NYSE: MA) is buying RiskRecon, a provider of artificial intelligence and data analytics services that helps companies protect their cyber systems and infrastructure.
Diversis Capital Partners has acquired data and workflow technology company WorldApp.
DEAL TRENDS Technology giants are increasingly designing their own semiconductors to optimize everything from artificial intelligence tasks to server performance and mobile battery life. Google has the Tensor Processing Unit, Apple Inc. has the A13 Bionic and Amazon.com Inc. has the Graviton2. What the titans all lack, however, is a factory to build the new chips they are dreaming up. Read the full story by Bloomberg News: Behind Samsung’s bid for chip supremacy.
Material adverse change, or MAC, clauses are increasingly prevalent in M&A deals, finds a recent study conducted by Nixon Peabody. Out of the 200 deals the law firm reviewed, 196, or 98 percent, contained a MAC clause in the business, operations and financial conditions of the target, up from 87 percent in 2018. More buyers are seeking protection if a target suffers from an economic or industry downturn. Dick Langan, a partner in the law firm’s corporate practice, led the study. Mergers & Acquisitions asked Langan how buyers and sellers benefit from MAC clauses.Read the full story: Why you need a MAC clause in your next deal.
PEOPLE MOVES Bond Buyer executive editor Stephen Kleege is retiring as of Dec. 31. Kleege, who has been at Bond Buyer since 2013, previously spent time at National Thrift News covering the collapse of the savings and loan industry. He also spent about 12 years at Bloomberg News, where he edited real estate, economic and political news. Kleege also worked for American Banker for 10 years as a senior editor. American Banker and Bond Buyer are published by SourceMedia, owner of Mergers & Acquisitions.
FEATURED CONTENT With the holiday shopping season in full swing, all eyes are on the retail industry, which is undergoing transformational changes. Mergers & Acquisitions examines the impact of 7 technologies on M&A in the retail sector. Read the whole series:
Albertsons, Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), Stop & Shop and Walmart (NYSE: WMT) are building automated mini-warehouses and “dark stores” to make deliveries and prepare pickup orders. Mini-warehouses are usually attached to existing stores, and in most cases, “dark stores” are completely separate. Both formats are closed off to customers, and are mostly automated. They use the assistance of robots for speed, save on labor, and get orders out faster. Kroger bought a five percent stake in robotics firm Ocado. Read our full coverage: Smart supermarkets become popular, as Kroger, Walmart add them.
The private equity model has held up very well over the decades, continuing to outperform the public markets, even as economic cycles come and go. But the rate of growth has slowed, leading PE firms to seek adjacent areas of business to expand. As PE firms face increased pressure to produce higher returns on their investments, many of them are turning to a familiar area of business: lending. Adams Street Partners, Balance Point Capital, Carlyle and VSS are all actively engaged in lending. Read the full story: Private equity firms are becoming lenders. Here’s why.
During the holiday season, Mergers & Acquisitions is covering the philanthropic and volunteer initiatives underway in the private equity industry. At Mergers & Acquisitions, we’re covering the philanthropic and volunteer initiatives underway in the private equity industry. Last year, we published The Big Give, an in-depth look at how private equity firms are contributing. Efforts have continued to flourish, fueled by younger Millennials seeking to build a better future and by mature partners considering the legacy they will leave behind. Read our full coverage: Private equity gives back: Vista’s Robert F. Smith, Clearlake’s José E. Feliciano, Riverside employees.
EVENTS The Annual AM&AAWinter Conference is taking place in Scottsdale, Arizona Jan. 8-10.
Deal Wave is being hosted by ACG Orange Country at the Ritz-Carlton-Laguna Niguel in Dana Point, California on Jan. 9.
ACG New York is hosting the 12th annual healthcare conference and bourbon tasting at the Metropolitan Club in New York on Feb. 27.
Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick has announced his departure from the ride sharing company, The Wall Street Journal first reported. Kalanick founded the company more than a decade ago and served as the company’s CEO until 2017.
“Uber has been a part of my life for the past 10 years. At the close of the decade, and with the company now public, it seems like the right moment for me to focus on my current business and philanthropic pursuits,” Kalanick said in the statement announcing his departure. “I’m proud of all that Uber has achieved, and I will continue to cheer for its future from the sidelines. I want to thank the board, Dara and the entire Uber team for everything they have done to further the Uber mission.”
Current Uber CEO Dana current CEO Dara Khosrowshahi expressed his thanks for Kalanick’s leadership. “Very few entrepreneurs have built something as profound as Travis Kalanick did with Uber. I’m enormously grateful for Travis’ vision and tenacity while building Uber, and for his expertise as a board member. Everyone at Uber wishes him all the best.”
Uber was founded in March 2009 and Kalanick became CEO in December 2010. He served in that role until 2017 when he resigned under pressure from investors. Kalanick and several other Uber employees had been accused of sexual harassment and gender discrimination leading to an internal investigation. Khosrowshahi was named CEO in August 2017 while Kalanick retained his role on the board.
Uber went public in May 2019 and closed at $30.33 per share before news of Kalanick’s departure hit. Uber’s stock value has dipped 33 percent from its IPO price as the company faces multiple legal challenges and tries to clear a path to profitability.
Kalanick has recently embarked on new investments with his own fund, 10100. He invested in a real state startup called City Storage Systems and became that company’s CEO. City Storage Systems is working on a project called CloudKitchens that turns retail space into leasable kitchens for chefs who want to start food-delivery businesses. CloudKitchens has reportedly been valued at $5 billion by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign-wealth fund.
Global trade has been dominating the headlines all over the world recently. The tension between the US and China has resulted in 2019 seeing the slowest pace in global growth since the 2008 financial crisis.
However, there’s something else that deserves equal attention when discussing global trade these days, and that is how innovative technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution are transforming it, bringing efficiency and dynamics to the table. Global trade has never been more dynamic than it is today – new types of providers are emerging, banks are digitalising their internal processes, and innovative technologies are entering the arena. Roberto Azevedo, Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, noted that, “From the invention of the wheel to the railways to the advent of containerisation, technology has constantly played a key role in shaping the way we trade – and this phenomenon is accelerating like never before.”
In recent years, various innovations such as optical character recognition, radio frequency identification, QR codes and basic digitalisation of trade documents have improved the efficiency and reliability of global trade. What’s more, new, unprecedented developments such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), advanced robotics, 3D printing and Blockchain are unlocking many opportunities and changing the global trade system from many different angles: from reshaping consumer habits to increased product diversity, technological advances in cutting trade costs and changing the overall structure of the global trade – all of which are leading to an expansion in global value chains.
And what about the cross-border payments – an expensive, time-consuming and overall tense area for financial institutions? According to McKinsey, the elite consulting firm that advises many of the world’s largest and most powerful institutions, the global cross-border payment landscape is now at the centre of several trends that could fundamentally change competitive dynamics.
Today, everyone expects goods and services to move more quickly and across greater distances than ever before. The same goes for money: payments need to go from account to account faster – even instantaneously.
The World Trade Organisation estimates that as much as 80% of global trade relies on trade finance or credit insurance, making this sector of particular importance. As a result, the world of cross-border payments is undergoing a digital transformation, which is all about eradicating long delays, friction and eliminating high transaction costs.
Furthermore, cross-border payments are becoming a key driver of economic growth. According to McKinsey, the global payments market is expected to reach $2.9 trillion by 2022, and more than a half of this growth – $1.6 trillion – is expected to come from the Asia-Pacific region. It is estimated that the global cross-border payments market will grow by 74% by 2026.
According to Michelle Bullock, the Assistant Governor at the Reserve Bank of Australia, “Cross-border payments are widely regarded as an area in which significant efficiency gains exist. Current processes are slow and costly, involving significant compliance burden and a number of different financial institutions in different jurisdictions. New technologies and new business models could be used to address some of these frictions.”
One of the new technologies sweeping the cross-border payments system is Blockchain. It is estimated that investment in Blockchain technology will rise by 90% this year – from $1.5 billion to $2.9 billion. This impressive rise is driven by a huge interest in how Blockchain and smart contracts could facilitate cross border payments, making them faster and requiring fewer intermediaries.
Even though at first glance Blockchain technology might seem hard to understand, it’s actually not that complicated. Essentially, instead of completing several steps, Blockchain provides direct transactions between the sender and the receiver, whilst also storing all the related data in a secure distributed ledger.
Deloitte, a leading global advisory firm, estimates that business-to-business and person-to-person payments with Blockchain result in a 40–80% reduction in transaction costs and take an average of 4–6 seconds to finalise, compared to 2–3 days using the standard transfer process.
The International Data Corporation (IDC), the world’s leading market research company, noted that “Blockchain is maturing rapidly, and we have reached an inflection point where implementations are moving quickly beyond the pilot and proof of concept phase.”
Several financial institutions, including the Bank of America, HSBC, the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore and Barclays, seem to have already figured out that Blockchain might just be the future of the cross-border payments system. And a group of European banks have also joined forces, launching a trade finance Blockchain platform in July 2018. That same year, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority announced plans to launch a trade finance Blockchain platform as well.
Trade organisations such as the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry have also launched an initiative to leverage Blockchain technology to address the main global trade and cross-border payment issues – high costs, lack of transparency and security.
It turns out that Blockchain can solve all these problems, and provide significant advantages to both businesses and consumers. Blockchain-based payments are cost-effective, almost immediate, secure and transparent.Christine McDaniel, international trade economist and a former senior economist with the White House Council of Economic Advisers, commented that, “A large number of intermediaries and corresponding administrative costs in trade finance tend to fall particularly hard on SMEs and the relatively higher cost of each transaction makes SME financing less attractive to banks. If Blockchain can reduce the costs of trade finance, more small and medium-sized businesses could trade globally.”
Due to strict collateral needs and credit history checks, as many as 50% of all SME funding applications are rejected by banks today. This has resulted in a $1.5 trillion gap in trade finance.
Blockchain can change that, Not only can it help expand the pool of companies that can access trade finance, but it also has the potential to bridge the trade finance gap. Furthermore, as we already know, cross-border payments is a centuries-old business that has progressed very little throughout the years – it still follows certain procedures and processes and is heavily paper-based. Kerstin Braun, president of Stenn Group – a provider of trade finance – noted that, “On average, a cross-border transaction requires the exchange of 36 documents and 240 copies.”
But that’s about to change. Corporates, banks and financial technology companies are now endeavouring to develop a proof of concepts (POCs). These efforts are concentrated on using smart contracts to digitalise trade documents and register these new documents into the Blockchain.
According to McKinsey, Blockchain can help to reduce up to 20% of the actual physical paper costs associated with global trade. Tim Cummins, president of the International Association for Contract and Commercial Management, says that,“Many of the documentary contracts currently used in trade finance could eventually be replaced by self-executing smart contracts that run on Blockchain. This would mean contracts could be executed quicker and more simply, for instance when someone speaks into their phone to confirm shipment.”
At the end of the day, global trade is initiated by individuals connecting with one another. Up until now, it was based on a handshake. But as the future of global trade and cross-border payments is, indeed, digital, that handshake will indisputably and increasingly be taking place in a digital universe.


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Oppo, one of the most important smartphone manufacturers in China, may soon produce a new flagship model. When we take a look at the device with code name PEAM00\PEAT00 displayed on TENA, it is not difficult to say that a new flagship model is about to appear. It has been also revealed that Oppo recently completed the certification of the new device. It looks like this new flagship model may go on sale this month.
What do we know about the new Oppo flagship?
Displayed with the code name Oppo PEAM00/PEAT00, the device measures 160.5×73.9 mm. Oppo’s new flagship has a slim, light build and weighs only 169 grams. When we look at the display panel of the device, we see a 6.43-inch AMOLED panel. In addition, this panel offers us Full HD+ resolution. According to the images we saw on TENAA, there is a camera hole in the upper left corner of the device. The fingerprint reader is embedded in the screen.
Although many details about the device have emerged there is no information yet on which processor is in the device. The only data we have in this regard is the 2.0 GHz processor speed displayed on TENAA. The device, which is expected to have 8 GB of Ram, will also have 256 GB of internal storage memory. Possible operating system will likely appear as Android 10.
On the camera side, the main camera is 48 MP, the wide-angle camera is 8 MP and there is a camera that has not yet been announced for its purpose. The selfie camera on the front is 32 Mp. The most important detail about the device is that instead of a single battery, it will use 2 batteries with a capacity of 2100 mAh. This choice is thought to be made by Oppo in order to offer 65 W fast charging technology in a more stable way.
We guess that the name of the new device may be Oppo Ace 3, although this is not likely. Another possibility is that the device can become a new member of the A series. But what do you think of Oppo’s possible new flagship? You can share your thoughts with us in the comments. And one last reminder; do not forget to maintain your social distance and wash your hands!


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DAVAO CITY – Growers and workers of Japanese-owned banana plantation in Compostela Valley protested the piece rate system which reportedly cut workers and growers wages by more than half.
Workers from the the nine packing plants of Sumifru Corp., a subsidiary of Sumitomo Corp., in Compostela protested in front of the Sumifru Office here Friday noon.
The workers were previously compensated under an hourly rate, but on March 23 the company implemented the piece rate scheme.
In a memorandum released by the Manpower Service Department of Sumifru Philippines Corporation to the North Skilled Workers Cooperative of Purok 12, Poblacion Compostela, Compostela Valley Province dated March 17, 2015, it announced: “Effective week 13 we will be implementing the 100% piece rate payment scheme as mandated by Management.”
The memorandum was signed by Deogracias F. Mocam, who heads the Manpower Services.
Vicente Barrios, union president of the Nagkahiusang Mamumuo sa Suyapa Farm (United Workers of Suyapa Farm) in Packing Plant 90 told Davao Today that they would like to register their protest against the piece rate or “pakyawan” scheme as they saw it “diminutized” their take-home pay.
Barrios cited that his work for 10 days would be paid with “P6,000 based on an hourly rate.” However, if the piece rate scheme is applied he would only be paid with “around P2,700.”
“Among nakita dako kaayo og deperensiya. Halimbawa, kung makatrabaho ka, morate ka og tag-500, sa pakyawan mo-rate nalang ka og 260, 270, 280 (We saw the difference is really big. For example if you work [based on the hourly rate] you earn P500, while in “pakyawan” you only get P260, P270, P280),” Barrios said saying bananas have different categorization per box and have varying prices.
A data emailed by Kilusang Mayo Uno to Davao Today showed the list of pricing of banana in Sumifru. The bananas were categorized into 13 types according to its quality with prices ranging from $8.17 to $22.35 per box.
Meanwhile, in an emailed statement, workers’ alliance Banana Industry Growers and Workers Against Sumifru or Bigwas presented a table recorded by the union in Packing Plant 90 comparing the rate previously earned by workers under the hourly payment scheme to the piece rate scheme.
On March 23, when a worker go in the plant at 5:30 am and go out at 5:50 am with an over time of four hours, he will receive P341 based on the piece rate and P495.40 based on the hourly rate. The difference is P154.40.
In a one week duty of the farmer (March 23 to April 1), the total pay he receives based on piece rate scheme is P2,740. While if he is paid on the hourly basis he will get P4,380.20, with a total difference of P1,640.20.
Workers from Packing Plants 90, 92, 95, 99, 340, 115, CPI, 241 and 244 launched localized protests to manifest opposition against the new scheme.
Joel Cuyos who currently works in Packing Plant 95 and spokesperson of Bigwas, said the piece rate system “is an attack on workers’ wages and the concrete expression of Sumifru’s greed.”
Cuyos said around 5,000 regular and contractual workers of Sumifru in Compostela are affected by the scheme.
“Our families are placed in peril because of the piece rate system,” Cuyos said.
“We are only earning a little and working more than 12 hours. Now under the piece rate system, we earn even less,” Cuyos said.
Barrios said they call for the revocation of the piece rate system and revert to the hourly scheme.
“Ang tanan nga trabahante, tanan plantation sa Sumifru sa Compostela dili mosugot nga ipiece rate tungod nakita namo ang diperensiya nga dako kaayo ang mawala sa among suholan (All workers in all plantations of Sumifru in Compostela do not agree to the piece rate scheme because we saw that there is a big difference that we lose in our salaries),” Barrios said.
Barrios added that until the company go back to the hourly rate system, they will continue with their protests.
“Ang among panawagan sa Sumifru karon, samtang dili pa mogubot ang sitwasyon ibalik ninyo ang among panawagan sa hourly system kay sa pagkatinuod ready na karon ang mga trabahante sa pagkasa sa katapusang hinagiban sa mga trabahante nga mao ang welga (We call on the Sumifru to go back to the hourly system because we are ready to go on strike),” Barrios said.
Cuyos added that they are also calling on the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to “intervene on what is clearly a violation of the labor standards.” (davaotoday.com)


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AdExchanger’s Programmatic IO Virtual conference entered the final stretch on Monday with sessions focused on ecommerce, identity and investment trends. Below are some highlights. The final day of proceedings will kick off this Wed. Oct 21 at 1:05 pm ET. Click here for the agenda.
Consumers’ mad dash to ecommerce has forced a parallel scramble by brands, publishers and technology companies whose fortunes depend on reaching them.
“Trade marketing is huge, trillions of dollars,” Criteo CEO Megan Clarken said during a fireside interview.
Yet only 20% of those budgets are spent in digital, she added: The rest go to things such as cardboard cutouts and privileged placement on grocery shelves.
That’s going to change, she says, and companies that can connect offline to online will benefit. Criteo wants to be one by leveraging its historic place as the reigning monarch of retargeting to push into other areas.
“What’s been important is to transform the company from yesterday to its future. I’ve talked about becoming more of a full stack DSP,” Clarken pointed out, but that doesn’t mean going after The Trade Desk on its own turf. “I look more toward an Amazon than I do toward a Trade Desk. We’re all in this together though. There’s plenty of room and a lot to do for advertisers.”
The strength of tech valuations, including Criteo and – especially – The Trade Desk, is a big reason why the stock market is so out of whack with the United States’ still-faltering economy. That’s unlikely to last, according to Elgin Thompson, managing director of technology investment banking at JMP Securities.
In his presentation on investment trends, Thompson charted factors influencing M&A outcomes this year and next. Large strategic players have the cash on hand to fuel consolidation but are so far holding their cards.
“In recessions the strong get stronger and the weak get weaker,” he said. “The technology bellwethers that traditionally fund acquisitions … have cash positions in excess of $5 billion. These should be well-positioned to fuel acquisitions.”
Private equity companies too are well capitalized with $1.6 trillion in dry powder. All the same, Thompson’s market conversations suggest financial sponsors are being careful.
“There is a flight to capital to the best of the best,” he said, a bit fatalistically. “The digital disruption that has been promised has happened.”
Solving for identity
As “correction” is to “investing,” so “identifier apocalypse” is to “advertising.” Timing: uncertain. Probability: inevitable.
In an information-packed presentation, Advertiser Perceptions VP of Business Intelligence Lauren Fisher offered a deep dive on how marketers and other stakeholders are thinking about available identity solutions in the market. She drew on data from a survey jointly conducted with AdExchanger (and available soon to AdExchanger members).
Among the study’s conclusions: Advertisers are relying on identity solutions as an integrated service that is bundled with media and technology offerings. They are, on average, using more than four separate identity services from the likes of Google, Facebook, Amazon, Salesforce, Adobe, LiveRamp and The Trade Desk.
“A majority of … advertisers would love for someone else to solve the problem,” she said.
But they are not waiting idly by. Fully 65% are relying more heavily on ID graphs built on first-party data.
Meanwhile, unsurprisingly, there is a shift underway to omnichannel measurement tools such as sales lift research, Fisher said: “It gives us back capabilities to right-size some of our efforts and rethink how we are approaching things.”