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Ordering materials for a department or school is now easier, and in time shoppers will have more supplier options and lower costs.
These improvements are thanks to a new online marketplace, BuyCarolina, which ITS helped launch in mid-August. ITS Enterprise Applications assisted the UNC Finance and Operations division with the rollout of BuyCarolina, which replaced the former purchasing solution ePro.
When using the ePro marketplace, users could shop only from one supplier at a time. If a department customer wanted to order materials from both Staples and Lenovo, the shopper would have to individually browse the catalog of each supplier to add materials to the cart and check out in ConnectCarolina.
With BuyCarolina, shoppers can search across multiple suppliers at once instead of having to view each catalog individually.
“I like comparing prices and having fewer purchase requisitions,” said Robin Council, and accountant for the UNC School of Law. “Instead of five individual purchase requisitions, it’s nice to process and approve just one.”
Growing supply in the marketplace
In addition to saving customers time, BuyCarolina will eventually save customers money.
With ePro, it took about six months for the University to add new suppliers. The process was slow because UNC-Chapel Hill independently handled the suppliers, working through the technical requirements one by one.
With BuyCarolina, the process will be faster because the University no longer has to establish connectivity with each supplier. Instead, the contracted software company, Coupa, will work out the technical details once negotiations with the supplier are complete.
BuyCarolina currently has 26 suppliers in the marketplace.
“A university our size normally has around 60 suppliers,” said Carolina’s Chief Procurement Officer Beau Jimmerson.
Enterprise Applications expects that the marketplace will have 50 to 60 suppliers over the next few years. This would not have been possible with the ePro marketplace given the tedious and time-consuming approach to adding new suppliers using that solution.
With more suppliers on the platform, shoppers gain a larger selection of products and greater competition for pricing.
“Ultimately, this is going to drive down the cost of products because as we’re able to bring on more suppliers, we’ll have better pricing,” Jimmerson said.
A month in
In the first month after BuyCarolina launched, users placed nearly 650 orders with multiple suppliers within the marketplace.
One of Finance’s strategic initiatives for procurement was to make purchasing easier at the University. By that measure and others, BuyCarolina is a big win.


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The last remaining factory in the world which has prolonged the life of the Beetle is in Puebla, Mexico, where the New Beetle is also built. But Volkswagen says production is to finish soon.
"We don't know the exact date, but it will be this [northern] summer," said VW spokesman Fred Baerbock.
The output from the Puebla production line, the sole source of "old" Beetles since 1978, is now about 30,000 a year, only a dim shadow of its former glory when annual production peaked at 1.3 million.
"It was an economical wonder, not just for Germany but internationally. It was very important for giving people mobility," Baerbock said.
The retail price in Mexico is about $11,500, where it is only slightly cheaper than the modern, front-wheel-drive VW Lupo model. VW decided to pull the plug on the Beetle because it says demand was too low to make it financially worthwhile.
"The number of people wanting a Beetle is getting smaller and smaller," Baerbock said.
It is certainly the longest-running model in motor vehicle history, but the Beetle is not the biggest seller – its Golf stablemate eclipsed the 21 million tally last year.
The Beetle history began 69 years ago – on June 22, 1934 – when the Automobile Manufacturers' Association of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich commissioned Ferdinand Porsche to design a "people's car".
The first prototype, produced in 1935, was powered by an air-cooled 700cc flat-four engine developing 16kW. Two further examples were built.
The following year, sedan and convertible versions were demonstrated in Berlin, and the three cars underwent a 50,000km "practicality" test and assessment of their ability to withstand "autobahn speeds".
Thirty cars built for further testing covered a total of 2.4 million kilometres.
Design revisions included running boards and bumpers; the engine displacement increased to 986cc and power to a heady 18kW.
At the 1939 Berlin motor show, exhibits included 16 of the cars for which Adolf Hitler created the name "KdF-Wagen" (Strength-through-Joy Car). However, soon afterwards joy was put on the back burner as Hitler sent his army into Poland in an action which triggered the outbreak of World War II.
The Volkswagenwerk plant was converted to military production and the Beetle platform formed the basis for the rugged Kubelwagen. By the war's end, there were about 630 civilian VWs on the road.
In 1945, under the supervision of the Allied forces and the inspired leadership of the British Army's Major Ivan Hirst, VW production began in earnest. The British military government in Germany commissioned 20,000 from the Volkswagenwerk and 55 of them were assembled by the end of that year.
VW didn't use the name "Beetle" in its advertising until 1968 – after more than 10 million had been built in plants around the world, including Australia. Ten years later, and with production having reached more than 16.2 million, the last Beetle to be built in its home country rolled down the production line of the Emden plant.
Sole production of the Beetle then moved to Mexico, where the car was used as a mainstay of the taxi fleet.
Mexico continued with the heritage, when the VW factory there was chosen by VW as the sole production site for the New Beetle, where manufacture began in 1998, and still continues.

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Google’s Waymo is speeding away in autonomous vehicle progress
Waymo, the self-driving division of global technology giant Google, appears to be leaving other companies in the dust when it comes to autonomous vehicle development - according to new reports out of the US.
CNBC reports that Waymo, owned by Google's parent Alphabet, is charging ahead of companies like Ford and Tesla in its driverless vehicle development. The most recent data (from six months ago) shows the firm had driven 635,867 miles (1,023,328km), with the average failure rate sitting at 5127 miles (8251km) per disengagement - the moment when the human supervisor must re-take control to prevent an incident.
Meanwhile, Ford - which plans to introduce its driverless fleet around 2021 - had only driven 590 miles (949km), with a failure rate of 196 miles (315km) per disengagement. It is worth noting, however, that these numbers are specific to California, and Ford does much of its testing in Michigan.
Above: Ford Fusion with autonomous sensor systems
Google has driven over 1000 times more miles autonomously in California than the US automotive giant, with other companies like Tesla (550 miles, 3 miles/disengagement) and Mercedes-Benz (673 miles, 2 miles/disengagement) also lagging behind.
Earlier this week Ford's Smart Mobility chief, Jim Hackett, was promoted to the CEO role after former boss Mark Fields retired, hinting that the Blue Oval is wanting to put more focus on driverless technology, especially considering the company was so bold in its forecast of a 2021 introduction for its autonomous ride-sharing fleet.
According to the report, Waymo has a fleet of around 60 autonomous-capable vehicles - which includes the Chrysler Pacifica people mover (top) - while Ford only has a pair of Fusion sedans (known here as the Mondeo).


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National City Corp. is considering a restructuring of its underperforming transaction-processing subsidiary.
It is not certain how many of the 12,000 employees of the unit, National Processing Inc., would lose their jobs, but the restructuring moves are likely to be significant, said National City chairman and chief executive officer David A. Daberko.
He said an announcement is planned within a month.
National Processing provides a variety of services to other companies, including credit card and check processing, ticket processing for airlines, and other administrative services.
National City owns 88% of the Louisville, Ky.-based subsidiary, and the rest is publicly held. The unit has not performed well since its initial public offering in August 1996.
National Processing earned $3.4 million in the third quarter, 56% lower than a year earlier. The $9.9 million earned through the first nine months of the year represented a 35% drop from a year earlier.
The company blamed the decline on "severe operating problems" and warned that "continued difficulties are likely for the foreseeable future."
In an interview Mr. Daberko said he wants to turn National Processing around. Overhead costs, he said, would be a primary target.
"There are a lot of opportunities in this company," he said. "It has not been consolidated as fully as it could be."
Mr. Daberko said the merchant credit card and airline processing businesses are doing well, but other areas are not, and he did not rule out discontinuing certain lines. "Not many of those other businesses run very well," he added.
The restructuring would be part of a plan to reduce expenses. National City's overhead expenses in the third quarter were $25 million higher than initially were projected, Mr. Daberko said. National Processing contributed $5 million of that overrun, he said.
"This is a company that has 12,000 employees (National City Corp. has 28,000) but contributes about 2% of our revenue," Mr. Daberko said. "This business has not been rigorously managed from the cost side."
Fred Cummings, an analyst with McDonald Investments, said many of National Processing's businesses are labor-intensive and highly competitive, with low profit margins.
National Processing has lost customers, including Wal-Mart Stores and Dillard Department Stores. Unable to keep costs down, the processing company has been outbid by competitors such as First Data Corp., which won the Wal-Mart account two years ago.
"Some of us have questioned where they're going" with the business, said Diana Yates, an analyst with A.G. Edwards, St. Louis. However, she said, a restructuring could allow the company to "move forward and give them a clean slate."


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A smart suit could eventually be built into a suit that would let users wear their clothes and interact with the world, as long as they can afford the $1,500 pricetag.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Alexei Alexander, the founder of Auroville, a startup in Washington, DC, said that the idea has merit.
Smart suits could help reduce the impact of climate change by lowering the energy consumption of people and households, Alexander told Bloomberg.
“The energy cost is a major factor in the climate,” Alexander said.
“We believe that smart suits are the most effective solutions.”
The company also has an app that allows people to track their clothing usage.
In the future, a smart garment could be a smart device, but Alexander said that a smart shirt and smart pants could also be connected to a smart helmet.
The smart suit is expected to be released later this year.
The technology behind the suit is being developed by Aurovault, a Washington-based startup founded by Alexander and his team.
Alexander said the suit will eventually be powered by solar power.
AurovaVault will offer a suit to its customers for $1.50.
The suits will also be available in a range of colors, and Alexander said they will be available for $100 a pop, though that price may increase to $200 once they are mass produced.
Alexander told the Wall Street Journal that he believes that the suits will be the best way for people to interact with others.
“People can wear them anywhere, and they can be smart, too,” Alexander told reporters.
The suit will cost $1 for a standard suit, and there will also likely be an option to add a helmet to the suit, he said.
The company has partnered with fashion giant H&M and has plans to launch the suit in the U.S. by the end of the year.
Alexander, who is married to his partner, said the suits are a good way to save money on things like haircuts, clothes and shoes.
“I’m not a clothes person,” Alexander explained.
“But I’m a smart person.
So if I’m in a hurry, and I want to get dressed up, then I can wear a suit and be smart.”
Alex’s vision for the suit has already been met with mixed reactions.
While some people have said that Alexander’s suit is too impractical, others have said it looks pretty good.
He is also a co-founder of the company that built the solar-powered suit, the Wearable Wearable Energy Systems Group.


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Just like that, the first season of Motor City Masters is about to come to an end. Autoblog has an exclusive early look at a scene from the reality TV show's finale that will crown the last standing car designer from the ten who started. The challenge in the last episode is to create a clay model of a next-generation Chevrolet Camaro show car. This teaser clip doesn't show us much other than that Darby (pictured) is one of the two remaining contestants and she's got a last-minute idea that makes
There's been a big shakeup in the world of automotive media today, as Automobile's parent company, Source Interlink, has shuttered the mag's Ann Arbor, MI offices. Editor-In-Chief Jean Jennings has been fired, along with most of the publication's staff. The news was confirmed by Jennings, who called it "business" in a conversation with Jalopnik.
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There’s a speedy building of self sufficient and electrified cars. Scania, due to this fact, plans additional investments in Södertälje; a brand new check monitor the place long term cars might be examined and pushed as part of Scania’s analysis and building operations.
”Our ambition is to be a pacesetter inside electrification of heavy cars and likewise reinforce our skill in self sufficient cars over the years. It’s going to take massive investments to stick at the leading edge. We review and read about the likelihood to construct a check monitor tailored for long term cars to satisfy the call for in self sufficient and electrification we see is on its manner,” says Anders Williamsson, Head of Business Operations, Scania.
Scania has not too long ago finished a brand new foundry and the paintings with a brand new construction for battery meeting is ongoing, each situated in Södertälje. Now, Scania plans for but some other funding of about 975 million SEK, and this time it’s referring to a brand new check monitor, in addition to an extension of current ones.
”We proceed to speculate in the neighborhood in Södertälje, to be with regards to the entire chain with manufacturing, building, and trying out. It will be important for Scania, but additionally necessary for the cluster of cars within the larger Stockholm area and for Sweden’s skill to take lead within the building of sustainable shipping answers,” says Williamsson.
If Scania’s utility to the depend administrative board (Länsstyrelsen) is accredited, the ambition is to start the paintings in 2022, and that is anticipated to ultimate till no less than 2026.


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Honda to Launch Mobilio MPV in July
Honda has been on a roll in India ever since it launched the 4th generation Honda City in India. It is the current best seller in the C segment sedans. Honda will be launching its much awaited Mobilio MPV in July to take on rivals like the Maruti Ertiga and Chevrolet Enjoy.
Honda has not been in a hurry to launch the Mobilio and has done extensive research before finalizing the production spec. The company claims that with the launch of Amaze and the fourth generation Honda City 83 % growth has been registered. Honda has gone in for localizing 90% of the parts in Amaze, City, Brio and the Mobilio is expected to follow suit.
Honda claims that the Mobilio will be a premium product and will offer families space, comfort and convenience in just the right size. The Mobilio is 4.5m Long and has a ground clearance of 185mm. The mobilio will come with both petrol and diesel engines. The petrol engine would be the tried and tested .15 ivtec producing 119 ps of power which currently does duty in the Honda City, while the 100bhp diesel unit will be from the Amaze. A CVT variant of the petrol unit will also be on offer. Honda has confirmed that they will not be offering the Mobilio in a CNG/LPG variant.
Team motorcruze is sure Honda has come up with a winner on hands. The famous Honda philosophy of man minimum and machine maximum will make Mobilio deliver another chartbuster for Honda India.


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Analysts believe that GM will give up on Opel for good after abruptly firing Karl-Friedrich Stracke as chief executive of Opel last week.
Although on the surface things seemed to be good between GM and Opel, it seems that this was only a leg-pull. Some say that GM plans to kill off the brand, while others argue that one person’s departure changes little. No official declarations were given by the two companies regarding Stracke’s removal.
“Opel’s problems won’t be solved by managing it on the basis of quarterly results. Either the owner adopts a long term strategy and sticks to that plan or it looks pretty damn bleak for the brand in the future,” said Andreas Halin, Managing Partner of GlobalMind Executive Search Consultants in Frankfurt and an expert on corporate management.
On Saturday, July 14th, a spokesman for Opel declared that Stracke’s removal won’t affect the business plan or the plan of reaching a deal with labor unions before November regarding wage concessions in Germany. Experts believe that the only way to escape death is by earning a profit. But this idea seems quite unlikely after the damage was already done and the consumer confidence was lost.


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Arizona State University professor and Scottsdale-based Monarch Power Corp. founder Joseph Hui is known for driving around town in his orange Roadster sprouting a flower-style solar system from the passenger seat.
After that, Tesla plans to put out an electric SUV and electric pickup truck.
“The whole plan is to catalyze the market for electric vehicles,” Chen said. “We want functional, high-performance EVs (electric vehicles), and Teslas are one of the safest on the road.”
The Tesla can plug into a typical 110-volt standard outlet, a 240-volt dryer outlet or a high-powered wall connector which can charge the car in up to six hours. Free public charging stations, which Tesla is building along the interstate route throughout the U.S. and in Europe, puts 200 miles back on your Tesla in less than 30 minutes. Tesla has public chargers in Buckeye, Kingman, Yuma, Flagstaff, Holbrook and Gila Bend.
The car also has an impressive eight-year unlimited mile warranty, considering there’s no spark plugs and no typical maintenance.
Twenty-five percent of drivers who test drive a Tesla end up buying the car.
I’m sold, but alas, I need to move into a higher pay bracket to afford one.
Hayley Ringle covers technology and startups for the Phoenix Business Journal.
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Johnny Depp's Lawyer Camille Vasquez Works For Kanye West Now & Here's What She's Doing
Many brands are cutting it off with Ye 😬
Kanye West is seeking legal counsel from Camille Vasquez, the lawyer who won plenty of fame for arguing Johnny Depp's side in his defamation trial with Amber Heard.
The law firm didn't elaborate, but Ye's "business matters" have been a mess lately after he shared several anti-Semitic views on social media and in interviews.
It all started when the rapper wore a “White Lives Matter” shirt with conservative politician Candace Owens during Paris Fashion Week earlier this month, which garnered a lot of negative attention against him. He blasted several people, including ex sister-in-law Khloe Kardashian for criticizing him over it.
Since then, many A-list Hollywood celebrities, including Justin Bieber, Hailey Bieber and Gigi Hadid, have called him out on his actions.
He then started sharing anti-Semitic conspiracy theories in interviews and on his Instagram and Twitter pages, which eventually led to his social media accounts being locked.
Many people have severed ties with the rapper since all the drama went down. Most recently, the fashion brand Balenciaga severed ties with the Famous singer on Friday, despite working with him just a few weeks ago during their summer 2023 mud fashion show in Paris.
“Balenciaga has no longer any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist,” the brand told Women’s Wear Daily.
JPMorgan Chase also sent West a letter on September 20 stating that they would be dissolving their banking relationships with him and that he had 60 days to find a new bank, as per reports by CBS News.
The talent agency CAA dropped West as a client on Monday, Variety reports.
West also dared Adidas to drop him for "saying anti-Semitic sh*t" in an interview last week, although the brand hasn't done so at this point.
It seems Vasquez is advising Ye on all of those issues, but we don't know yet if we'll see her again in court!


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Holders of Colorado medical marijuana cards who dont want to smoke their tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, the principal component of the cannabis plant can select from a virtual supermarket of edibles.
Among the munchies are baked goods, candies, sauces, spreads, tea, ice cream and honey. Patients who have celiac disease can find gluten-free products.
But Kristin Hoff, the office manager at Durango Organics, said she hears an occasional comment about the lack of variety in low-sugar edibles.
Some patients ask about options that dont have as much sugar, Hoff said. Options are limited for patients who require sugar-free food.
The sale of marijuana edibles falls under the vigilance of the Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division of the state Department of Revenue, as do the operation of dispensaries and the cultivation of marijuana.
We regulate the commerce in medical marijuana in the three areas, said Julie Postlethwait, the enforcement division spokeswoman.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has about 80,000 people in its Medical Marijuana Registry. A moratorium on applications imposed Aug. 1, 2010, to keep the system from being overwhelmed, is due to be lifted July 1.
Once that happens, there no longer will be provisional licenses, Postlethwait said. No one will be able to open a business without a license in hand.
Since there are no sanitary requirements, infused products (edibles) are not considered food and therefore dont come under the jurisdiction of the state health department, Postlethwait said.
The Food and Drug Administration plays no role, she said, because under federal law marijuana is illegal.
Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division inspectors, who must be POST-certified (Police Officer Standards Training) oversee and investigate the three phases, she said.
Because no agency sets standards for the content or quality of marijuana edibles, each item or container carries a printed caveat:
This product is infused with medical marijuana and was produced without regulatory oversight for health, safety or efficacy and there may be health risks associated with the consumption of the product.
Eric White, a former confectioner who started concocting marijuana edibles when his business fell off with the recession in 2008, is aware of the challenge.
We use only high-quality materials and we do a lot of testing, White said. Its what we feel we have to do for our patients.
In fact, said White, whose Gaias Garden does business statewide, were anxious to see more regulation and further study of cannabis components other than THC for positive benefits.
Wanda James, who owns Simply Pure in Denver with her husband, Scott Durrah, and Lauren Gennet, is equally aware of the need for producers of edibles to police themselves.
Were dedicated to the health of our patients, James said. Our products are gluten-free, organic and vegan. Theyre also low-glycemic and we cook with brown rice syrup instead of sugar.
James grows her own marijuana.
We use only the bud, never the trim, James said.
Many Simply Pure products are packaged in foil by machine to extend shelf life, she said.
The owner of a dispensary must grow or control the cultivation of at least 70 percent of the product sold, Postlethwait said. A purveyor of edibles may own a grow operation or buy from a dispensary.
A 77-page manual lays out regulations:
Edibles must be produced in a single-use kitchen. No non-infused edibles can be cooked there.
The product package must bear a label listing company name, list of ingredients and nutrition facts if nutritional claims are made.
If the product is made for a specific patient, the label must bear the patients Medical Marijuana Registry number.
A physician must certify that a person can benefit from medical marijuana before a card can be issued.
Seven ailments qualify an applicant for a card: cachexia (loss of body mass not because of dieting), cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, muscle spasms, seizures, extreme pain and severe nausea. Some applicants list more than one ailment.
The lack of oversight of the content or quality of edibles and the prominent disclaimer on packaging apparently doesnt deter consumption, Hoff of Durango Organics said.
I dont recall anyone ever saying anything about that to me one way or the other. Some patients consume only edibles because they choose not to smoke.
White of Gaias Garden sees nothing but good coming from potential ballot measures to allow marijuana to be sold much like alcohol and tobacco.
Legalization would increase knowledge and put financial investment in the industry on surer footing, he said.


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In New York last week, the trial began of a former OpenSea employee who was indicted for wire fraud and money laundering in what is being seen as the first case of insider trading related to NFTs. He has been convicted of wire fraud and money laundering, both of which carry a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison. His sentencing is pending for 22 August.
To sum up what happened, OpenSea is the leading NFT marketplace (and completely dominated the sector at the time of the alleged crimes, June to September 2021), and often featured NFT collections of its choosing on its front page, which led to prices on those collections going up.
Nathaniel Chastain knew in advance which collections would be featured, and is accused of buying items from those collections in advance and selling them at a profit when being featured as their prices rose.
He did this using multiple anonymous wallets, and in contradiction of his contract, which prohibited such behavior.
📢Announcements➡@generaitiv Announces Innovations in Decentralized AI and Web3 Integration➡@Ledger PRO…


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Apple announced Sunday night that the company has sold over two million iPhone 5’s in China, just three days after its launch.
Apple Press Release, via MacRumors:
“Customer response to iPhone 5 in China has been incredible, setting a new record with the best first weekend sales ever in China,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “China is a very important market for us and customers there cannot wait to get their hands on Apple products.”
The Friday launch also included 32 other new countries, but Apple’s announcement specifically covers only the opening weekend sales in China.
“The best first weekend sales ever in China.” Hmm… Hopefully these numbers will lead to the Apple “bears” reconsidering their stance on the future of the company.
This doesn’t appear to be happening as of yet, however, as Apple (AAPL) stock is at 508.039 (-1.755) at the time of this article.


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Wedgwood has Spring in its step
WATERFORD Wedgwood has sought to cut its dependence on the overcrowded luxury tableware market with the purchase of posh Swiss cookware group Spring.
WW, which is chaired by Tony O'Reilly, is believed to have paid about e4m (£2.5m) for Spring, which fell into receivership last October after making an operating loss of e1.2m for 2000. Its manufacturing equipment has since been mothballed.
Wedgwood, which owns 21.2% of Royal Doulton, believes that its strategy of developing a luxury cookware brand in Europe is better served by purchasing Spring than trying to expand All-Clad, its US cookware business, into Europe.
Wedgwood chief executive Redmond O'Donoghue said that All-Clad and Spring were aimed at taking advantage of the trend towards entertaining in the kitchen, which had triggered strong demand for quality copper and stainless steel cooking items that also looked good.
Shareholders, who have seen Wedgwood stock fall from 110p to 44p in the past year, will be hoping Spring's performance can be turned around quickly in light of Wedgwood's recent full-year loss of e43.3m.
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The cryptocurrency markets have been in “dire straits” the last few months. I want to remind everyone this kind of activity is expected and it is happening for several reasons. It does not mean “crypto is dying,” like the FUDsters tend to repeat ad nauseum.
Many people in the bitcoin ecosystem suffer from poor communication skills. Their inability to intelligently and compassionately convey an idea is intensified by the current scaling debate. I have experienced this issue first-hand since I am on the front lines of Bitcoin.com. Let me tell you a story and explain the consequences of this lack of coherent communication. [Read more…] about Poor Communication Undermines the Bitcoin Ecosystem
The New Crypto ‘aristocracy’ is here. These cryptocurrency entrepreneurs and technologists have arrived with peace and anarchy. Not bombs and blood anarchy, but the loving variety. They are fundamentally altering the landscape of economics, business, and society. They have brought plenty disruptive new toys, inventions, and business models. Imagine a scene that looks like Silicon Valley geek meets individualist anarchist meets Etsy-wielding soccer mom. [Read more…] about The New Crypto Aristocracy has Arrived with Peace and Anarchy
Ganhuyag Chuluun Hutagt, CEO of Ard Financial, hosted a conference on the benefits and potential of bitcoin in Mongolia. Yes, Mongolia. The landlocked nation with a small population managed to attract over a thousand attendees, getting beyond just talk and debate — a new three-year fund was created to help make their ambitious goals a reality. [Read more…] about Mongolia’s Crypto Nation Conference Builds a Bitcoin Future: Interview with Ganhuyag Chuluun Hutagt
The Cryptocurrency markets are like the wild west. That is what people say. However, they mention this fact as if it were bad news. They use “wild west” pejoratively and condescendingly. They view a wild west market as untamed, chaotic, and destructive. I say cryptocurrencies markets are destructive, but it is a kind of creative destruction. It is destructive evolution, and it is healthy and sober. [Read more…] about The Cryptocurrency Wild West is Healthy for the Marketplace
There are some people who believe bitcoin was created by government. They think big brother made it to subjugate and subdue everyone. They believe it’s a one-world digital currency that benefits government rather than the people.
Bitcoin was Built by Crypto-Anarchists
There is no evidence bitcoin was created by government. The opposite is true. Bitcoin was likely built by crypto-anarchists to undermine and destabilize governments. The exact creator of bitcoin is unknown. The individual’s pseudonym is Satoshi Nakamoto. It could also be a group of people. We have no clue. However, we do have an idea of the type of people who fleshed out the original blueprints. We can see the beginnings of bitcoin in the early work of cypherpunks like David Chaum, Timothy May, and Whitfield Diffie. None of these people cared for governments. They were mainly anarchists.
Indeed, the characteristics of bitcoin are wholly anti-government. The fact that governments cannot control the circulating supply of bitcoin means they can’t defraud people by hyper-inflating it. The fact that bitcoin is peer-2-peer and censorship resistant means governments can’t freeze accounts, halt transactions, or arbitrarily steal money. The fact bitcoin circumvents central banks immediately testifies to its purpose.
Bitcoin’s features are not something governments would purposely build into a currency to control people. Its features are antithetical to control. Why would government make a decentralized currency that does not support its agenda?
Governments Could be Co-Opting Bitcoin
However, there is a major caveat.
Governments did not build bitcoin, but they may be trying to co-opt it. They are doing this by making developers neuter bitcoin’s anti-government features. They appear to have succeeded. Developers have striped away bitcoin’s digital signature architecture, and failed to scale the block size of bitcoin, rendering it weak and helpless. This move was initiated by the Core development team, Blockstream. Some people believe they are being funded by “globalists” and other big government types.
A Steemit article said, “Blockstream is now controlled by the Bilderberg Group – seriously! AXA Strategic Ventures, co-lead investor for Blockstream’s $55 million financing round, is the investment arm of French insurance giant AXA Group – whose CEO Henri de Castries has been chairman of the Bilderberg Group since 2012.”
Jeff Berwick also commented on this issue in an Dollar Vigilante article called “Bitcoin War Begins – Bitcoin Cash Rises 50% While Bitcoin Drops $1,000 In 24 Hours.”
“Who owns Blockstream? Well, one of the main shareholders is insurance giant AXA. CEO and Chairman of both the Bilderberg Group and AXA are the same person, Henri de Castries. Yes, essentially, the person most in control of bitcoin development is the Chairman of Bilderberg; the place that I have gone for the last three years to expose from the outside! And, even one time, briefly, from the inside.”
I am not making any statements regarding the veracity of the above claims. Nonetheless, it is interesting to note that central bankers put money into bitcoin, and then the code began to change, making transaction fees soar and confirmation times slow to a snail’s pace.
Cryptocurrencies Can Undermine Government Regardless
For the sake of argument, Even if bitcoin was hijacked, I still believe freedom lovers can win. No one can stop the signal. The genie is out of the bottle. We now have a fully competing market of cryptocurrencies, and no one is forced to use any one. This means any fedcoin on the market is just another token to choose out of a vast sea of currencies, and no one will consciously choose coins that are inefficient or that may enslave them.
The true version of bitcoin — bitcoin cash — is also available for use. It is Satoshi Nakamoto’s original vision. It has expanded block size, low fees, and fast confirmation times. If cryptocurrency connoisseurs are going to succeed in their mission to thwart government, tools like bitcoin cash are going to be what they use to win in the long run. This is a beautiful time to be alive.
Who do you think created bitcoin? Was it built to undermine governments?
Images courtesy of Shutterstock
I just returned to the United States from Lisbon, Portugal. I am a bit jet lagged. My ear is pressurized from being in the sky for 12 hours. The trip was necessary, though. I journeyed to Lisbon to attend a couple of high-profile tech conferences. [Read more…] about Realizations from Web Summit: Bitcoin and Anarchism are Still Niche Anomalies in the Tech Industry
At Bitcoin.com, we are proud to accept bitcoin cash for all of our advertisement and PR services. If anyone wants to pay for these services they can now use the bitcoin chain that boasts cheaper fees and quicker transaction times. [Read more…] about Bitcoin.com Now Accepts Bitcoin Cash for Advertisement and Press Release Services
My name is Sterlin Lujan. I was recently appointed Communications Ambassador for Bitcoin.com. Communications Ambassador is a title that is synonymous with brand ambassador or representative.
This September is our two year anniversary operating — Bitcoin.com — the world’s most interactive web portal dedicated to educating the world about the technological innovation we all love — Bitcoin. [Read more…] about The History of Bitcoin.com


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By Andrew Seymour
AMD expands presence in Egypt with appointment of new channel manager
Chip vendor AMD has strengthened its operations in North Africa by appointing Ossama El Deeb as channel manager to oversee its development in the Egyptian market. The move is part of a wider expansion plan in the MEA region that has seen new staff come on board and the recent opening of an office in South Africa.
El Deeb is well-versed in the ways of the Egyptian market having spent the last eight years working for the local subsidiary of office software giant Microsoft. His most recent role as business development manager saw him play a key role in fostering relationships with local OEM teams to build and support new channel initiatives.
As channel manager at AMD, El Deeb will be responsible for managing channel and partner initiatives with local allies and raising the profile of the vendor's processor and graphics business. IDC data for the second quarter seen by Channel Middle East shows that AMD controls just 7% of the processor market in Egypt, illustrating the battle it faces to curtail arch rival Intel's dominance.
In his new role, El Deeb is also expected to work closely with the government and private sector in Egypt and will be actively involved in the development of strategic channel marketing programmes and appointment of new distributors. On its website, AMD currently lists Asbis-owned ISA Hardware as its CPU master distributor for Egypt and Cairo-based Quest as its CPU regional distributor in the country.
"El Deeb brings on board an in-depth and hands-on understanding of the business and the needs of the regional customer which he gained in his former role at Microsoft," said Abdallah Saqqa, regional distribution and sales manager for AMD Middle East, Africa and Pakistan. "Egypt is a key market for AMD and ElDeeb's expertise will help us leverage new business opportunities in the country."
El Deeb will report to AMD's regional head office in the UAE.


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Brand inspires consumers to get active
Few months after its launch of new campaign, C’mon Get Active, to position the brand as an enabler for a healthy active life, Chivita Active is already inspiring a new social movement for consumers who are voting for active health by easily integrating the brand into their daily routine as a partner in their journey for improved wellness and healthy lifestyle.
The campaign, which is being driven across multiple engagement platforms is very relatable to consumers due it is creative, simple and straight to the point in delivering key messages of wholesome nourishment, active health and wellness.
Across the country, the #C’monGetActive continues to trend in the digital space offering consumers an opportunity to share their active health routine story and encourage one another.
According to Mrs. Adewunmi Akintola, a marketing executive, from taking a long walk in the morning or evening after work to a few light indoor exercises, the need to stay healthy has necessitated more people adopting active lifestyle habits that are beneficial and convenient.
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Hackers compromised payment systems at 12 US properties of the InterContinental Hotels Group and stolen card data with a malware.
The hospitality giant InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has confirmed that payment systems of 12 US hotels were victims of a massive data breach. Just a month ago the company InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) confirmed an ongoing investigation of alleged card breach at some of its properties.
The InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) informed its customers that payment cards used between August and December 2016, at restaurants and bars of the 12 US hotels were affected by the data breach. The affected properties include the InterContinental San Francisco and Holiday Inn Resort – Aruba, the InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile.
The hackers used a malware to infect payment systems and steal card data, including cardholders’ name, card number, expiration date, and internal verification code.
“IHG hired leading cyber security firms to examine the payment card processing systems for the hotels that it manages in the Americas region. Based on the investigation, IHG is providing notification to guests who used their payment card at restaurants and bars of 12 company managed properties during the time periods from August 2016 – December 2016. An investigation of other properties in the Americas region is ongoing.” reads the official announcement published by the company.
The hospitality giant confirmed that the malicious code used by crooks did not affect payment cards used at the front desk.
“Findings show that malware was installed on servers that processed payment cards used at restaurants and bars of 12 IHG managed properties. Cards used at the front desk of these properties were not affected.” continued the statement from the company.
The InterContinental Hotels Group reported the security breach to the law enforcement and is collaborating with the payment card networks to allow banks monitoring for fraudulent transactions.
At the time I was writing there is no news regarding the number of affected customers.
IHG established a dedicated call center to answer any questions of the guests, for additional information about the security breach it is possible to visit the following website:


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The Environmental Protection Authority has decided that a product containing a new variant of Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus, or rabbit calicivirus, does not require regulation under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act.
International visitor spending grew 4 per cent to $10.1 billion in the year ended December 2016, according to the latest International Visitor Survey released today by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
Travellers on InterCity’s direct bus service between Hamilton and Auckland Airport can now enjoy a taste of business class on the road.
Waikato dairy farmer Bill Aubrey believes Agrigate, the new online tool that is being launched today, will be revolutionary in helping farmers improve their farm performance.
Ed Sims has accepted a position with an international organisation and will be leaving Airways on Friday 26 May 2017.
Car sales continued to push the volume of total retail trade sales up, with sales rising 1.9 percent in the December 2016 quarter, Statistics NZ said today.
Motor-vehicles sales led most of the quarterly industry movements over 2016.
New Zealand’s buoyant apple and pear industry is set to produce the country’s largest ever crop, on the back of a successful plan for billion dollar export growth.
Waikato University economics graduate Leo Krippner has been awarded this year’s Central Banking’s award for economics.
Central Banking Publications gives the award annually to a person who makes "the most significant contribution to economics within the field of central banking".
The Financial Services Council announced today that Partners Life has joined the association, bringing the total number of members to 15 members and 14 Associate members.
New Zealand CEOs are optimistic about growth and plan to hire more people, but are worried about the skills needed and the rise of new technological risks.
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Compare Credit Cards - Interest rate and fees comparisons for New Zealand banks.


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Bright Intervals recently worked with Eptheca on a short project looking at the market for antiques in China.
As middle classes get more affluent, tastes are becoming more sophisticated as Chinese people acquire and develop their tastes for Western luxuries.
The Western way of life is attractive, and in recent years, major western luxury brands have made huge inroads into markets in China. The automotive market in China is already the largest, and luxury fashion and accessory marques are in high demand.
As these tastes become more sophisticated, many are looking for other ways to spend, or even invest, their money. As the wealthiest Chinese are looking for more discerning purchases to distinguish themselves above the growing middle class antiques are becoming more attractive.
There is still a long to go for these markets to develop. Potential buyers are starting to educate themselves about the market and the intricacies of what they might purchase, looking for value for money.
But like many things, the potential for the market is there.
The latest happenings at Bright Intervals


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The battle between broadcasters and Aereo, a startup that offers television programming over the internet, will be resolved by the Supreme Court later this year. If the court rules for the networks, Aereo
It's a lot of money to pass on. But, according to venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, Snapchat has an opportunity to build something much bigger, much more valuable. In an interview with the Wall Street
The watch, as we have known it for the past several centuries, is designed to provide a single piece of information at a glance, as unobtrusively as possible. It might also notify its wearer of an important
I love Nintendo. I love Nintendo. I love Nintendo. I feel the need to say that over and over again to begin with because this post will inevitably be read by some as some sort of anti-Nintendo screed.
GraphDive, a startup that uses Facebook Connect data to give businesses a better understanding of their online visitors, has raised $2 million in new funding. Co-founder and CEO Shahram Seyedin-Noor said
Piglt is one of the many startups trying to rescue students from the burden of student loans. Cofounder Casey Wallace described the site as “education’s entrepreneurial piggy bank.” Piglt is an incentive-based


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Virgin Mobile announced its latest Android device called the ZTE Venture at $100. The Venture is a QWERTY handset with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, and it’ll take advantage of the carriers budget-friendly plans that start at $35 — no contract. The Venture will be available starting on March 15.
Customers who buy the ZTE Venture will get some decent, but below average features, such as 512MB of RAM, a 600 MHz processor, a 2.8-inch display with 240×320 pixels of resolution, 2 megapixel rear camera (no front-facing camera) WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS, and lastly, a pre-installed 2GB microSD card. The great news about this cheaper Android offering is the device has full access to most Google applications in the new Google Play Store. Unfortunately, since the handset has such a weak processor, you can expect to be stuck on Gingerbread now and in the future.
With BlackBerry having its troubles, QWERTY keypad phones are dwindling in numbers, as most phones offered in the United States across all major carriers tend to offer more touchscreen heavy devices. Anyhow, it’s not the most powerful handset, but it’s definitely adequate and affordable for those out there who hate being shackled down to a two-year contract.
Source: Virgin Mobile


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Digital TV News: LG Electronics
TV 2 Sumo upgrades LG Smart TV apps with Norigin Media
Nov 17, 2020 – TV 2 Sumo has upgraded its apps on LG Smart TVs with Norigin Media. The updated design is built for multiple LG WebOS models using Norigin's TV App Framework. Enhancements include 4k streaming and TVOD support, among others.
News categories: Norigin Media, TV2 Sumo, LG Electronics, Ajey Anand, Marius Bjerke, Jonas Marken, Apps, Digital TV, Norway, OTT, Smart TV
Unruly to offer ad inventory on LG Smart TVs
Nov 10, 2020 – Unruly has announced a global partnership with LG Electronics that enables advertisers around the world to access native smart TV ad placements through its supply-side platform (SSP), UnrulyX.
News categories: Unruly, LG Electronics, Ken Suh, Edward Lee, Advertising, Digital TV, Smart TV, USA
Fire TV has high penetration in Germany but falls behind on usage
Nov 9, 2020 – HbbTV, Amazon Fire TV, and Samsung Tizen are today most often found in Germans' living rooms. However, when looking at actual usage, the importance of the TV platforms of Telekom, Vodafone and Sky is already becoming apparent.
News categories: TeraVolt, Android TV, Apps, Digital TV, Germany, HbbTV, Market Research, RDK, Set Top Box, Smart TV
LCD TV makers plan aggressive TV display purchasing for 2021
Oct 27, 2020 – According to Omdia, total LCD TV panel shipments are set to decline by 6% in 2021. However, the global top 15 TV brands want to grow their LCD TV shipments to new highs, up 9% YoY, if they are able to secure panel supply.
News categories: Omdia, Deborah Yang, China, Digital TV, Market Research, Smart TV, Worldwide
EMEA Smart Home market expected to rebound in 2H 2020
Oct 12, 2020 – The smart home market in EMEA declined 7.2% in the second quarter of 2020, compared to the same period of the previous year, according to IDC. The market accounted for 20.287 million units between April and June.
News categories: IDC, Antonio Arantes, Jan Prenosil, Digital TV, Europe, Market Research, Smart Home
Record single-quarter TV shipments in 3Q 2020
Oct 8, 2020 – A 20% increase in TV demand in North America, as well as deferred shipments from 1H20 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, added to the third-quarter cyclical upturn, according to TrendForce.
News categories: TrendForce, COVID-19, Digital TV, Market Research, Smart TV, Worldwide
Global TV streaming device population reaches 1.1 billion
Sep 2, 2020 – The global population of TV and video streaming devices has now exceeded 1.1 billion, according to Strategy Analytics. The research finds that Samsung is the leading brand, followed by Sony, LG, Hisense, TCL and Amazon.
News categories: Strategy Analytics, David Watkins, David Mercer, Digital TV, Market Research, OTT, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Worldwide
LG transfers TV manufacturing capacity to Indonesia
May 20, 2020 – LG has announced that, as part of expanding its TV business, its Cibitung facility in Indonesia will become the company’s new regional hub, taking over two of the six production lines currently running in Gumi, South Korea.
News categories: LG Electronics, Digital TV, Indonesia, Smart TV, Worldwide
Advanced TV revenues to reach $26bn by 2025
Apr 27, 2020 – Advanced TV revenues are forecast to grow at a 9% rate from 2019 to 2025 to $26 billion, according to DSCC. Advanced TV is any TV with advanced display technology, including OLED TVs, 8K LCD TVs and LCD TVs with quantum dot technology.
News categories: DSCC, Digital TV, Market Research, Smart TV, Worldwide
- iQIYI International available for ZEASN-based smart devices
- Growing demand for smart displays driving smart speaker sales
- Forthnet becomes part of United Group
- Anevia powers Skymedia's SkyGo service in Mongolia
- UK marketers expect to spend more on Advanced TV ads in the next 12 months
- NetRange moves browser to the Cloud for low-cost Smart TVs
- Over 13 billion Smart Home devices in use by 2025
- MultiChoice picks Metrological to deliver OTT services on DStv
- Oregan Networks builds on Amlogic's Android TV reference platform
- 61% of US broadband households subscribe to two or more OTT services
- 14% of Australians plan to cancel pay TV as a result of the pandemic
- Eutelsat 7/8°W predominant broadcast position for Egyptian TV homes
- NEXTGEN TV launches on local TV in Norfolk, VA
- Universal Electronics to launch Apple TV remote control for MVPDs
- Nielsen unveils new ID resolution system
- TeraVolt wins tender for development at ZDF Mediathek
- Ocilion delivers content recommendations with XroadMedia
- Mirada helps izzi bring Disney+ to Mexico
- Bitmovin adds VVC encoding support
- Verimatrix introduces watermarking for HTML5


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ST. CHARLES, Mo. – Large crowds flocked to the stores in search of Black Friday bargains.
Academy Sports and Outdoors in St. Charles has long checkout lines with people doing their Christmas shopping.
“I’m actually getting this Christmas holiday shopping out of the way because I’m a local mailman here in the city, and it’s about to be crunch time for us,” said Chauncey Hudson.
The crowds came in waves, giving workers enough time to restock and grab online orders.
“I did most of mine online already, and I had to work this morning,” said Amanda Keizor. “So, we kind of waited out the crowd because I heard it was nuts this morning. So, we’re seeing what’s left and if they have any good deals that we can pick up.”
“We sold quite a few gun safes this morning when we opened. A lot of trampolines, a lot of ride-on toys for the kids,” said Chuck Willis, store director of Academy Sports and Outdoors. “A lot of gaming tables, shuffleboard, ping pong tables, things like that. Our appeal sales have been crazy today as well.”
Willis said sales are up this year, and many people shop online.
“We actually had a team in the building working since midnight because we had about 300 online orders that we had to get picked for the event that they had been working on before we actually opened,” said Willis.


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Tianjin is a pilot free trade area, the first of its kind in northern China, which is opening up to foreign investors
Tianjin is opening up to the world, improving innovation efforts and building new reform and opening platforms. An example is the online recruitment platform invested abroad, Liepin.com, one of many that have benefited from the free trade area.
Yu Ting, Liepin.com’s director of government affairs, commented: “The permission to conduct Internet Information Services (IIS) and the human resources service license for Sino-foreign joint ventures were two major problems for us when we have founded the company “.
Liepin.com is a foreign-owned company
Another important fact is that thanks to the establishment of the pilot free trade zone of China (Tianjin), Liepin.com and similar companies have finally found a solution to the problem of approval of qualifications.
Thanks to the innovative and revolutionary policy, Liepin.com became the first foreign-invested Internet company in Tianjin to conduct value-added telecommunications services. “Without the two permits, our company could not have been established,” recalls Yu.
From the opening of the pilot free trade zone on 21 April 2015 to the end of 2018, 2,159 foreign companies have been established in the area
“Such approval of qualifications had no precedent in Tianjin, but it is not a problem in the free trade zone,” said Tang Zhongfu, deputy director of the general office of China (Tianjin) Pilot Free Trade Zone Administration.
At the end of January 2018, Liepin.com became public. Completing the structuring of Variable Interest Entities (VIEs), foreign direct investments and IPOs in just 5 months, the company has set a new record as the fastest company to offer IPOs on Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX). “TEDA has created a special team of professionals to provide comprehensive services for the IPO of companies,” said Xu Lili, chief financial officer of the Liepin.com recruitment site.
MORE ON THIS TOPIC


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HOUSTON (AP) – Gas prices and a shaky economy will keep more Texans home over the Fourth of July holiday.
AAA Texas says nearly 2.8 million people in the state are expected to take holiday trips this week. The number is almost 2 percent less compared to 2007.
Some 445,000 travelers are expected to fly to their getaway, marking a 4 percent decline from last year. About 2 million will drive to their destination this holiday, a drop of almost 2 percent.
AAA Texas general manager Mark Bell says record-high gas prices and worries over the economy are curbing holiday travel.
Nationwide, AAA anticipates Fourth of July travel will decline 1.3 percent compared to last year. Some 40.45 million Americans are expected to take trips for the holiday.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


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Nokia G21 5G 2022: Price, Features, Release Date | 12GB RAM with 7000 mAh Battery! This is really big news for smartphone lunatics. According to the latest update, we have learned that Nokia is bringing their new upcoming smartphone, “Nokia G21 5G“. Are you surprise to hear this? Well heard, this mobile phone has many interesting special features. You will be surprised to hear that this famous brand is about to launch a new flagship. The phone is suitable for purchase with huge battery box, 64 megapixel camera and ample storage.
You know Nokia strives to bring quality products to their favorite customers. We can tell you that you can trust them when buying a smartphone for personal use. We are sharing with you Nokia G21 5G 2022 price, full specification, release date, etc. Are you interested in buying this new model 5G phone? Then scroll down and see the full details of Nokia G21 5G 2022
Nokia G21 5G 2022 Specification:
Nokia G21 5G 2022 Display: This new device has the latest and advanced display supplies. You may be wondering how? First of all about the specifications of the phone, the mobile has 4K pixel resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass 7 protection. Its display ratio is 6.52 inches Super AMOLED full touch screen display. As a result it will be completely under protection and will give a great look.
Nokia G21 5G 2022 Battery:
However, this Nokia smartphone has Li-Polymer 5000mAh removable. Also the value of fast charging is higher now. And so there is 10W support for fast charging. This type of battery is ideal for you. You can run it for 48 hours if you charge it once.
Nokia G21 5G 2022 Camera:
The upcoming device has a combination of triple camera 48MP+ 5MP+ 2MP + 2MP lens. Equipped with a single 8MP sensor for taking selfies. Nokia offers a good photography experience for valued customers. I would recommend the Nokia G21 5G 2022 Yes, that’s right you can now become known as a Lord of the Rings.
Nokia G21 5G 2022: RAM, ROM and processor
The memory performance of this device is very good. This upcoming handset will run on Qualcomm Snapdragon 888+ chipset. This phone RAM will be 4GB and 64/128GB ROM. In terms of operating system, this phone runs on Android 11 OS. When using this handset, it will not hang for even a second after years of use.
Nokia G21 5G 2022 Short Summary:
Camera: 48MP+ 5MP+ 2MP + 2MP
Front Camera: 8MP
Chipset MediaTek Helio G35 (12 nm)
Release date Coming soon. Exp. release 2022
Availability Yes, Available Now
Price: Not Announced
Nokia G21 5G 2022 Release Date:
The upcoming phone is preparing to be release under the name Nokia G21 5G 2022. It is rumored that this will be Nokia ‘s next mobile phone. According to our confidential report, this new phone will be released in October 2022.
Nokia G21 5G 2022 Price:
The upcoming phone has not been release yet As a result, there is no official update on the actual price. However, as the cost we can expect it will cost (Not Announced). A very reasonable price that you can get.


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This morning I visited the Grange on Grange Park to hear all about their latest work. Whilst there I popped in to their farm shop for some fresh vegetable grown on their farm. Well worth a visit to see what seasonal veg they have on offer.
You will be familiar with what is now a cliché that somewhere a butterfly flaps its wings in a rainforest and an iceberg collapses as a consequence. That would seem to be the case with a relatively small news story that supplies to a small number of BP garages might be delayed a few days as BP restructured its tanker crew.
Before long, queues for petrol here on the Fylde grew and grew. Whilst slowly returning to normal (I passed seven functioning petrol stations between home and Preston this morning), these events are a good opportunity to reflect on some of the challenges we currently face – some global, some domestic.
Finger pointing and blaming the public, the Government, Brexit or the Chinese doesn’t really get us far. Queues at petrol stations are caused by different factors to rising gas prices, just as what trimmings will go with your turkey depends on a different set of requirements to your lengthy wait for the builder to fit you in. Indeed, as the industry points out, there will be pigs-in-blankets for Christmas, but maybe only 2 or 3 choices rather than 5 luxury ones. A lack of CO2 because of global gas prices and too few meat processors has meant a focus on the basic cuts of meat, not the complex high-end product.
Understanding the causes is more useful than just observing and deploring the symptoms we see on the media. Take fuel. We don’t have a fuel shortage, and a few companies had insufficient drivers for their just-in-time supply chain. But with two weeks demand compressed into one weekend, it is no wonder queues formed.
More widely, our pool of HGV drivers has been shrinking for too long, like the rest of the EU. It is a 99% male workforce, with an average age over 50. It takes sacrifices to do it – being away from home and family, putting up with second class services, and treated like second class citizens at motorway service areas. I often pass a HGV parked up at laybys on the A585 and Norcross Lane – evidence of inadequate provision by the sector in the wellbeing of drivers. Government and industry need to work together to improve conditions so that more will want to stay in the sector. Its no wonder half of those with a current HGV license are not working in the sector.
Consider also what the surge towards online shopping has meant for the logistics sector. All those extra supermarket and Amazon delivery vans have needed to recruit drivers who might otherwise have been driving lorries for those sectors only just restarting.
We are seeing what you might call ‘the great adjustment’. Some if it a consequence of Brexit, some of it covid. But it is all mixed in together, and different people will allocate the blame to one or the other depending on their point of view, and it will be hard to prove either wrong.
One adjustment directly attributable to Brexit is that we are moving away from a low-wage economy where free movement within the EU acted as a pressure valve for labour shortages. As East European wages caught up with British wages, this was already a diminishing phenomenon before Brexit, since Poles could earn more in Poland now than they could here.
Not every industry has prepared for this, hence the standard complaint we hear that such-and-such an occupation should be added to the shortage list allowing for increased immigration to meet those needs. As a short-term sticking plaster, we may still have too. But we need to work with these sectors to determine how those trained here in the UK can take up these roles before we look abroad. It can be done – as Rail Minister I sought to transform driver training by setting up a pipeline to deliver new drivers for the years to come, improved state-of-the-art training facilities with top of the range simulators, and addressed the gender balance so that women form over a third of the train driver workforce compared with just 1% of HGV drivers.
This is the point the Prime Minister has been making all week at party conference. You might argue that industries had six years to prepare for this by restructuring their recruitment. But whether that is the case or not, we’re trying to do it at shorter notice in a post-pandemic world – and that is much harder. Higher wages don’t necessarily lead to higher economic growth either – they can also lead to inflation which fuels higher wages still, but where the economy doesn’t grow. WE also need productivity growth, which means firms investing in new technology. The Chancellor has spent the week making announcements on this which are probably the most important (but least reported) news coming out of the conference.
So we need to be careful. As someone who believes in free trade, I don’t want a situation where the ‘cheap food’ that the global market has given us for several centuries breaks down, and we have to rely solely on what we produce here. And cheap never did, nor need it, mean less nutritious.
One thing which is clear is that the world is having a stop-start recovery from covid. Differing parts of the world saw their economies restart (and stop again) at different times. Global supply chains sputtered. Our Government can no more dictate which Chinese province with port facilities has a temporary Covid lockdown than it can determine the weather.
But locking down one Chinese province might cause a microchip shortage as the rare earths required for their manufacture can’t be mined, which means that car makers can’t make new cars, and so second-hand cars become more costly. Another coastal province might have a lockdown which shuts down a mega-port, and if that happens at the same time as the Suez Canal gets blocked, then container ships containing goods we take for granted can be neither unloaded nor loaded as the global shipping network grinds to a halt. The costs of shipping a container of manufactured goods from China to Europe has gone up fivefold. More container ships are circulating in the South China Sea waiting to unload than currently at sea.
Each time we start or stop, we have costs and delays. Think of local pubs stocking and restocking without much certainty each time we went in and out of lockdown. It took time and it cost them money they had to recoup.
And yes – we could make more of what we need here in the UK. As ‘just in time’ supply chains become ‘just in case’, we will see more reshoring of capacity. But given low wages and low manufacturing costs elsewhere, much that we take for granted will still come from elsewhere. We won’t be growing oranges here in the UK any time soon, for example.
We have always been a trading nation. Its why ‘commerce’ took off here in Europe first, why we were at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution and the motor that drove the growth of Empire. Global Britain is always going to be trading Britain, importing as well as exporting.
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While Silicon Valley may be renowned as the technological capital of the world, it continues to face intense competition from London’s ‘Silicon Roundabout’ and various regions in Southeast Asia.
In fact, the last decade has been one of the most rewarding periods for Asia’s tech startup scene in history, with the region benefitting markedly from renewed investment activity and sustained commercial innovation.
But why are tech startups starting to thrive in Asia, and what can we expect from the region in the future?
Why are tech startups rising in popularity?
It’s clear that Asia is home to a young and increasingly vigorous tech startup scene, which continues to take the global markets by storm.
According to the data collated by the McKinsey Global Institute in 2019, more than one-third of the world’s best startups are based in Asia. More specifically, 119 of the best 331 global startups call Asia their home, with a whopping 91 based in China.
Fintech is on the rise in Southeast Asia. We look at how and why the industry is thriving.
A further 13 such startups are based in India, with six located in South Korea and four in the region of Indonesia.
The question that remains, of course, is why are startups rising in popularity in the region? One reason is the proliferation of technological advancement, which has made innovations increasingly accessible to aspiring entrepreneurs and made it easier than ever to create flexible revenue streams.
In nations such as China, startups are also able to access huge levels of venture capital and funding, as investors continue to support the growth of evolving small-cap stocks.
China alone accounts for an estimated 20% of global venture capital, with investment levels continuing to skyrocket as Asia’s tech hub thrives.
The rise of digitisation and government support
There are other reasons for the growth of Asia’s tech startup market, of course, with the sustained digitisation of the region’s economy offering a relevant case in point.
Make no mistake; proactive digitisation and a desire to adapt the very latest technology has played a huge role in Asia’s marked tech growth, as companies continue to evolve their models and modes of operation.
This has also been enabled by increased government investment in tech growth and infrastructure, especially in countries such as Singapore.
Here, we’ve recently seen a $300 million injection by the government into its Startup SG Equity for deep-technology operations, which are based on substantial scientific advances and high-tech engineering innovations.
Over in Hong Kong, the government has also approved its first ever large-scale crypto fund, which aims to capture $100 million in digital investment in its first year.
This is indicative of a progressive and tech-driven government, and one that creates incredible opportunities for startups across the Asian region.


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Burger King Answered McDonald’s in Their New Commercial
Burger King France produced an ironic answer to the McDonald’s commercial, which was released last week, Adweek writes. The second video continues the events of the first.
As part of McDonald’s campaign, which aimed to show that they are better than Burger King, the company installed two billboards styled as road signs near the French town of Brioude, which show the distance to the nearest restaurants of both fast food chains. According to them, the nearest Burger King was 258 km away, while the nearest McDonald’s — only 5 km away.
In the new video by Burger King, a couple noticed the billboards and decides to use McDrive, where they order a large coffee, as they have a long way to go to their favorite Whopper. When they finally reach Burger King, they say it was worth it: “That was not even that far”, — the young man says.
McDonald’s commercial, released last week:


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This latest episode in the Metal Movers series visits the world of battery metals, examining the global supply/demand landscape for lithium and cobalt.
Tune in as Anuradha Ramanathan, Deputy Editor – Minor Metals, and Thomas Kavanagh, Associate Editor - Battery Metals, dive into a discussion on two crucial battery metals – lithium and cobalt. The podcast explores near and medium-term demand, the impact of supply tightness, upcoming projects that could shift the current import/export dynamic, as well as industry specifics like Johnson Matthey’s exit from the EV battery space.
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Anu: Hello everyone and welcome to "Metal Movers podcast." This podcast is brought to you by Argus Media, a leading independent provider of energy and commodity pricing and market intelligence. My name is Anu Ramanathan and I'm a deputy editor in the minor metals world. And joining me today is Thomas Kavanagh, our associate editor and battery metal specialist. Hi, Tom, welcome.
Thomas: Hey, Anu.
Anu: In this episode of Metal Movers, Tom and I will be taking a closer look at two of the key battery metals, lithium and cobalt. Both these metals have seen rapid price increases this year because of increased demand and side supply. So, let's dive deeper into each of these metals and their supply-demand landscape. So, Tom, let me ask you what does demand look like for lithium in the near term and where's all the supply coming from to meet this demand?
Thomas: Yeah, lithium's had an interesting year. The prices for lithium surged over the last year, they hit a record high of $25 to $25, $50 per kilogram cif China on 16th of November, which is an increase of around 229% from January's average of $7.68 per kilogram, cif China.
I think it's really interesting, I mean the reason why this is obvious is because of the electric vehicle revolution and, you know, the sort of compounding speed of that. The changes, which have taken place in China and Europe, have gone beyond anyone's expectation over the last couple of years. I think people didn't anticipate just how quickly companies and consumers would adopt these vehicles, especially in light of the pandemic, you know, the wider impact of the pandemic on wider car sales just hasn't been seen in the electric vehicles market. In fact, it's gone from strength to strength. And that has meant that lithium has struggled to keep up with the growing momentum in that market.
Anu: Right. And this, obviously, translates into actual demand figures for next year. It's SQM, one of lithium producers have targeted an increase to 180,000 tons by next year, lithium carbonate equivalent. What else are you hearing for further out in the mid-2020s?
Thomas: Yeah, that's correct. I mean SQM, being one of the biggest producers in the world, as you said, have forecast a $50 rise in their output by the end of next year and they expect, you know, demand to increase on a par with that. I think there are other producers looking to open sort of in the mid-decade to try and keep up with this trend in Europe and the U.S. But, at the moment, those projects aren't online and they're not gonna be online until 2022-23. So, you're looking, by the middle of the decade, for some of these localized projects in Europe and the U.S. to come online. But, in the meantime, the market remains quite concentrated in terms of projects in Australia, Chile, and mainly, you know, China with their own supply for themselves.
I think that means that we may well fall into a deficit over the next couple of years, maybe even next year. So, one day, hopefully, those products will come online and keep up with the surge in demand. But, at the moment, we could see a deficit forming in the market in the next couple of years.
Anu: That seems to be the general expectation from the market as well. There's an Australian company Cobra and they've said that they expect deficit to rise to more than 20% over the next 5 years. We've also seen that new projects are in Europe and the U.S., so, maybe the concentration of lithium projects might not only be in Australia, Chile, and China but also in Europe and the U.S. Are there any other sort of exports that you'd see coming online in the near future?
Thomas: Yes, I think there are some large projects coming online at the end of 2022 in Australia, the Wodgina Spodumene Project with 750,000 tons per year, which is a joint venture between U.S.-based Albemarle and Australia's Mineral Resources. Albemarle's also raising its capacity at La Negra 3 and 4 projects in Chile which will have a combined capacity of 40,000 tons per year for lithium carbonate when commercial operations begin in the first half of 2022. Again, that's concentrated supply in Australia and Chile, so, it remains to be seen whether the market can spread out more.
And one of the important things to note is that a lot of the battery producers are looking for localized lithium supply to cut down on their carbon footprint. So, I think, you know, U.S. and European battery producers would be more keen to look towards the more localized suppliers when they come online in the middle of the decade.
Anu: And another thing that I think all the new markets, EVs, automotive, any of the electronics metals, you see that sustainability is a key concept in all of these mining projects, or at least their supply chain. And given that one of the primary sources of this metal is in Chile, how does Chile control this production and how much does it account for in terms of global supply?
Thomas: Yeah. I mean the exports from Chile account for around 65% of global lithium carbonate supply from January to August. And 61% of that was to China and South Korea. So, again, it's still a pretty centralized global supply chain at the moment. I would expect that that would open out over the next few years.
Again, and while China can probably get plenty of its lithium from Chile and its own resources, European gigafactories, U.S. gigafactories are gonna be looking towards, you know, those projects in Germany, and Nevada, and places like that.
Anu: So, we're going to see higher demand, tighter supply, possibly a deficit in the near term, but also a diversification of sources of supply into various other regions other than Australia, Chile, and China in the near term?
Thomas: Yeah, and if prices stay the way they are, you know, the incentive is there for these producers in Europe and the U.S. to continue. If prices fall back down, then it would be more difficult to see, you know, profits of those producers. So, it's in the interest, at the moment, for those prices to stay high so they can justify investment decisions and so forth.
Anu: And it's a similar story with cobalt [inaudible 00:07:50] with prices rising. First, the question is where is production going to ramp up from and is this price very sustainable in the near term? What are your thoughts?
Thomas: Yeah. So, we just saw cobalt metal past $30 per pound. And it's been rising steadily over the last few months basically because of a tightness in the metal market. You know, China are importing a lot more metal, they don't see a profit case for producing their own metal from hydroxide because hydroxide prices and payables are so high at the moment. So, the metals market's quite tight.
Speaking to, you know, industry participants, there are a lot of large consumers that have either signed long-term contracts for cobalt metal or are looking to sign long-term contracts and have failed to sign them over the last month. So, that tightness is probably gonna translate to next year as well. When large consumers are in the market, like chemical producers, battery producers are in the market looking for cobalt metal, it looks as though they're now trying to pick up as much cobalt units as possible, not dependent on what type of metal they use. So, traditionally, it would be briquettes and cathodes that they've been using to dissolve to sulfate. Whereas, we just saw with the deal between FREYR and Glencore that they were happy to take on some more of that alloy grade material. Which means that the producers of alloy grade...you know, the producers of super alloys who use the alloy grade material may find that they come into competition now with the cobalt chemical producers for the battery market. Which, again, just adds to the tightness and the pressure on prices to rise.
Anu: And that's from sort of the demand side, what about the supply side from DRC? We've recently heard that the DRC Mining Ministry is revising some of its contracts and probably, you know, suspending all the awarded mining licenses. Is that going to play a role in the near term?
Thomas: Well, they've made noises about reviewing some of these contracts that were set up under the old Kabila regime. Whether they follow through with that is another story, there tends to be periodic noises from the DRC government about renegotiating contracts and things like that. But they usually come to some sort of agreement with the mining companies. Because it's not in their interest to shut down these mines, right, they are some of the biggest sort of industries in the DRC. So, I mean it's worth watching but I wouldn't say that they're gonna shut down the mines as of yet, it's just that they are looking to review some of these contracts that were rewarded.
The bigger problem in the DRC is actually to do with, you know, ramping up mines. So, Matanda [SP] was supposed to be ramping up next year. I mean it will do and it is producing material but it can be difficult for mines in the DRC to get the staff in to be able to ramp up properly, and there are also logistical issues with equipment and moving material across borders and things like that and COVID restrictions as well. So, it's not an easy time to ramp up a mine in the DRC but it is necessary to continue keeping up with the demand growth for cobalt. So, that's why we're seeing a tight hydroxide market and then internal tight metals market as well.
Anu: And that seems to be the case with the reflection on the pricing. Prices go up and, once they reach a particular level, you see that more production gets ramped up to meet the increased demand. Where are you seeing the risks in the near term for the cobalt market?
Thomas: I think that the period of maximum risk for sort of a sudden surge in prices would probably be just before Chinese New Year and the Olympic Games. I think that, traditionally, in that period, there's quite a lot of buying interest. And buying interest in such a tight market as cobalt, at the moment, could probably lead to price increases.
But then cobalt rising too fast is not in the interest of some cobalt producers because it does then lead to the risk of cobalt replacement, battery makers looking at their chemical mix and seeing LFP or sort of lower-cobalt chemistries as a more attractive battery chemistry. So, there are those things to consider as well. But it's a tight market and there could definitely be some price increase during that period.
Anu: And it's interesting you say that, once the prices start increasing or the swift increase in prices means that the industry might start looking for replacement options, but, in one particular place, Johnson Matthey has taken an entire U-turn by planning to sell its battery business. What have you heard in the industry and how has the response been to this?
Thomas: I think for Johnson Matthey...I mean their share price tanked afterwards and that's because they were pulling out of a future industry with huge gross potential. But I think for them, looking at some of the other producers already established in the market, you know, your large Chinese firms like CATL and others like BASF, they just concluded that they couldn't build a business that was competitive enough.
Now, whether that has anything to do with environmental worker safety legislation, things like that, is yet to be seen. I think their project was, obviously, in the UK, so, they potentially wouldn't be subject to EU legislation in that regard. But then maybe they felt they couldn't be competitive because of issues surrounding BREXIT. I think for them, they justified the decision because they thought that they would be better off focusing on hydrogen and other things that they have more experience in. But it's definitely a blow to the UK sort of independent battery supply chain. And now it just remains to be seen whether they can find a viable buyer for their battery business.
Anu: And this, obviously, spells an opportunity for other companies to step in. Are there any companies who would be interested in this battery business or who compete in the same space as them?
Thomas: There's plenty of companies that are probably looking at it, I couldn't give you any names of the companies that would be looking at it right now but I'm sure that, you know, some different chemical producers and maybe even gigaplants would be looking at the business and saying, "Well, maybe we could benefit from owning some of these assets." But, yeah, it remains to be seen.
Anu: Well, that's an interesting news as well for the market seeing that there's a company which is selling, as you said, a growth industry. So, just to sum up, lithium demand's going up in the near term but there's possible supply deficit in the market coming in, we might see more projects coming online as prices go up.
It's a similar picture for cobalt as well with prices rising, but the question is whether other companies and consumers would start looking at replacing cobalt with another metal or materials in the battery space, which should actually then go on to hit demand?
Thank you all for listening to our podcast. And if you want to hear more about various other metals and commodities, please go to argusmedia.com.


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Restoration 1 Franchise Celebrates the Opening of 200th Location
The fastest-growing restoration franchise achieves milestone after years
of explosive growth
Restoration 1, the fastest-growing restoration franchise in the nation, recently celebrated the opening of our 200th location in September. In the highly competitive $210 billion restoration industry, Restoration 1 is one of the only brands that is capable of consistent national growth, as the competition is either completely sold out of territory or cannot keep up with the demand.
This milestone of 200 locations also is proof that our business model is working for our franchisees, many of whom had no experience in the restoration industry before joining our franchise family. Our industry-leading support, low entry costs and quick ramp-up time are reflected in our culture, which emphasizes franchisee success as paramount. This has created not only a culture that fosters rapid nationwide growth, but also an economic model that has the potential for tremendous financial returns. According to our Franchise Disclosure Document, Restoration 1 franchisees generate more than $1 million in sales after 12 months in business.
“When I first got involved with Restoration 1 the brand was small but full of potential,” said Gary Findley, CEO of Restoration 1. “This is an important milestone for everyone involved, but it’s also just the beginning. This business brings a unique opportunity for franchisees, and it’s just a matter of time before we’re hitting our next milestone in growth. It’s an honor and a privilege to be a part of this family, and I look forward to continued growth and success.”
Restoration 1 is going to grow for years
Recently, Restoration 1 announced an ambitious goal of having 300 locations open by the end of 2019. Since Findley took the reins of Restoration 1 in 2016, ambitious growth goals have been the norm; in that time, our brand has doubled the size of its franchise network.
In a recent interview with Texas Public Radio, Findley outlines how the diversity of entrepreneurs attracted to the brand’s business model fuels rapid growth:
“We’re right at 200 locations today,” he says. “We’re looking to see at least 50 to 75 new locations per year. Our goal is to get this up to at least 500 locations over the next few years. Our tremendous growth is due to the system — our franchisees have been very successful. They come out of the gates pretty quick. There’s so much diversity in our system. Our franchisees come from all over the place — not just blue-collar workers — we have executives, investment bankers, farmers, Secret Service guys and more. We’re currently the fastest-growing restoration franchise in the country.”
Learn more about becoming a Restoration 1 franchise owner
Become part of the Restoration 1 family. For details about the Restoration 1 franchise opportunity, download our free franchise information report. Or learn more by visiting our research pages.


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A car dealer ended up in court after advertising an unroadworthy car as fabulous and ready to drive away.
Rajinder Singh Hayer of Coventry Road, Warwick appeared at Nuneaton Justice Centre on Tuesday June 21 .
He pleaded guilty to five offences under the Road Traffic Act 1991, The General Product Safety Regulations 2005, the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 and the Companies Act 2006.
He was fined £2000, ordered to pay £499.19 costs and a £120 victim surcharge.
In November 2015, trading as Readycar at 23 to 25 Millers Road, Warwick , Hayer advertised a Hyundai Getz as a fabulous low insurance motor car ready to drive away today.
After a tip off trading standards officers from Warwickshire County Council bought the car and had it checked by an expert.
The car had 14 separate faults including seized brakes, leaking exhaust, suspension and steering problems. The bonnet safety catch was stuck in the open position. It was unroadworthy and possibly dangerous.
In mitigation Hayer said he had been trading for 15 years and had never been in trouble with trading standards before.
He promised to improve his paperwork, change his procedures and take advice from trading standards.
Warwickshire County Councillor John Horner (Con, Aston Cantlow) portfolio holder for community safety said: “Unscrupulous car dealers who sell unroadworthy and dangerous cars to Warwickshire consumers are putting at risk the lives of all road users.”
Warwickshire County Councillor Philip Johnson (Lab, Nuneaton Galley Common) , chairman of the council’s communities overview and scrutiny committee added: “Warwickshire Trading Standards will continue to take action to prevent the sale of potentially dangerous and unroadworthy vehicles, helping to ensure consumers aren’t deceived into buying cars that could be worthless and potentially lethal to drive.”
The investigation was part of a county wide crackdown by Warwickshire County Council trading standards in November last year into the sale of faulty cars.
Another Warwickshire car dealer was also collard by Trading Standards during November's crackdown.
Charles Bowen trading as Stratford Car Sales was selling a Vauxhall Corsa online, describing it as 'in good condition inside and out'.
Following an expert inspection of the car after it was bought by Trading Standards, the car was found to have a number of faults. These included seized brakes, handbrake cables that were beginning to fray, failed suspension, a seat belt that did not work, potentially dangerous fuel tank faults and a leaking exhaust. The vehicle was also described as having a full service history whereas it had not been serviced in the last 3 years/23,000 miles.
Bowen, 31 of Cophams Hill Farm, Bishopton, pleaded guilty to six offences and on June 21 at Nuneaton Justice Centre . He was fined £1000, ordered to pay £686.26 costs and a £100 victim surcharge.
In mitigation, it was stated that Mr Bowen had only been trading for three years and the sale of the vehicle was an error. Mr Bowen promised not to repeat this error and apologised to the court.
Watch: The Aston Martin Vulcan roar around Coventry Ring Road at this year's Motofest


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Tours-and-activities startups will be eager to see if in-destination apps from giants such as Google, Airbnb, and TripAdvisor will succeed in providing cost-effective customer leads.
On Thursday, Google publicly revealed that it had updated its free mobile itinerary-planning app Google Trips with a new “discounts” tab. It now offers between 5 and 25 percent off selected tours, activities, events, and car rentals in major destinations.
The discounts come from direct partnerships arranged between Google and the booking platforms or companies providing them, said some of the participating companies. BeMyGuest, GetYourGuide, EatWith, Expedia, Klook, Musement, Peek, Tiqets, TripAdvisor, TripUniq, and Urban Adventures are among the companies involved.
The offers varied in nature in our checks on Thursday. Clicking a link to discounts from Berlin-based consumer marketplace GetYourGuide created a promo code for 20 percent off most purchases. The discount was automatically applied to its checkout page on its mobile website.
Yet clicking an “up to 30 percent off” link from Singapore-based distribution platform BeMyGuest for tours in Chicago offered a 9 percent discount off of a single attraction, a hop-on-hop-off bus tour.
For car rental, we saw offers in various cities from the small chains Holiday Autos. We saw airport transfers from companies like Holiday Taxis and Rideways also in some cities.
Small Step into a Big Sector
The move, while small, is notable as the company’s first expansion into the category of promoting tours-and-activities bookings.
The addition of tours-and-activities inventory matches Airbnb’s move from merely offering short-term rentals to also offering tours, activities, and restaurant reservations — with flights said to be in the works.
It also brings Google into a category that’s been in the spotlight this year, with TripAdvisor reporting record growth in tours-and-activities sales and booking platform GetYourGuide landing $75 million in funding while rival booking platform Klook netted a $60 million round.
Tours marketplace startups such as GetYourGuide and Klook have talked about how encouraging downloads of their mobile apps would be a way to circumvent a dependency on finding customers through the giants Google or Facebook.
By promoting tour marketplaces that offer discounts specifically for Google Trips users, Google risks grounding these startups down on margin right from the get-go as it tries to enter this sector — a non-intuitive strategy.
On the other hand, offering unique-to-the-app discounts to Google Trips users could cement usage and popularity of the app with travelers and, depending on the economics, be a more cost-effective lead-generation strategy for suppliers, who receive direct bookings.
Becoming an In-Destination Tool
The Google Trips app remains elegantly designed, offering to import your itinerary information from your Gmail account and provide model itineraries or destination inspiration based on when and where you’re traveling. Yet it has suffered from a lack of marketing promotion.
Google Trips is nowhere near as popular as several other free travel apps, according to downloads and ratings analyzed by market research firm AppAnnie. But it has gained far more traction than its previous effort, called Field Trip, which was a location-based app that meant to offer serendipity by revealing surprising aspects of places around a user.
In the UK this week, for example, Google Trips outranked Google Maps in downloads among the most downloaded and best-rated of travel category apps for Android devices, according to AppAnnie. But it was only 37th of the free Android travel apps in download ranking. The version of Google Trips for Apple devices is less popular worldwide, AppAnnie’s data said.
The Google Trips enhancement comes at the end of a year in which the company tested in desktop search vacation rental search and dynamic vacation package search, while revamping its flights search for desktop and fully rebuilding its hotel search for mobile.
Google also rolled out other tweaks to its travel product on Thursday. These include adding to its desktop search the option for consumers to receive mobile notifications about rate changes on specific hotels — a service first popularized by Yapta many years ago.
That rate service gives some competition to other startups offering hotel rate tracking. Mobile-only travel startup Hopper has tried to stay ahead by beginning to offer predictions on whether hotel rates will go up, beginning with New York City Thursday and adding Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Miami in early 2018.
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Photo credit: An update to Google Trips, an itinerary planning app, adds discounts for tours and activities, such as a 20 percent break on a tour of Copenhagen's Vesterbro district. Skift