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Sensormatic Solutions Releases Results of 2020 Holiday Consumer Survey
Consumers are more likely to shop in-store on weekdays this holiday season
NEUHAUSEN, Switzerland—(October 8, 2020)—Johnson Controls, the global leader for smart and sustainable buildings, today announced that Sensormatic Solutions, its leading global retail solutions portfolio, released the results of its 2020 Holiday Consumer Survey of more than 1,000 U.S. consumers. A key finding revealed that nearly half of respondents (43%) have already started or plan to start their holiday shopping as early as October.
Other key findings include:
- 65% of respondents indicated that they are very concerned or concerned about shopping in-store this holiday season.
- 80% of respondents said they would use buy online, ship to home services this holiday shopping season.
- This was followed by in-store shopping (39%) and other fulfillment services like buy online, pickup in-store (BOPIS) (33%), buy online, curbside pickup (33%).
“Despite concerns about COVID-19, many consumers still plan to shop in-store this holiday season and others will take advantage of services like BOPIS or curbside,” said Kim Melvin, Global Leader of Marketing, Sensormatic Solutions. “For in-store shopping, this requires retailers to provide their customers with a safe and comfortable experience. Real-time occupancy tracking solutions can help by not only ensuring retailers comply with social distancing guidelines, but also optimizing cleaning schedules for high-touch areas and providing a better understanding of staffing needs both inside and outside the store.”
Consumers shop in-store to browse before they buy
When consumers shop in-store, they will be doing so primarily to engage with merchandise before making a purchase. Almost a half (43%) of respondents are shopping in-store to browse for gift ideas and 39% are doing so to see or touch products in-person before buying them. Only 4% of respondents are shopping in-store to get advice from sales associates.
Of those who will be shopping in-store:
- Nearly three quarters (72%) plan on doing so at free standing stores or strip centers.
- Almost half plan to shop at enclosed malls (49%), outlets (49%) and open-air shopping centers (46%).
Additionally, more than one quarter of consumers (27%) said they are most likely to shop in-store on weekdays this holiday season, compared to 16% who plan to shop on the weekends. This confirms the data observed in Sensormatic Solutions annual ShopperTrak list of the top busiest shopper traffic days for the 2020 holiday season.
Apparel and electronics expected to see high demand
Consumers expect to spend most of their holiday shopping budget on clothing/apparel (65%), electronics (51%) and toys, books & other media (44%). When asked a similar question about what categories they shopped for in a July survey, only 30% said apparel and only 20% said electronics. Despite the pandemic, these two categories will continue to make up a large portion of many consumers' holiday shopping list.
To learn how Sensormatic Solutions is supporting the retail industry’s urgent COVID-19 needs this holiday season, click here. For more Sensormatic Solutions’ holiday insights, follow along on Twitter, using #SensormaticHolidays2020.
About Johnson Controls
At Johnson Controls, we transform the environments where people live, work, learn and play. From optimizing building performance to improving safety and enhancing comfort, we drive the outcomes that matter most. We deliver our promise in industries such as healthcare, education, data centers and manufacturing. With a global team of 105,000 experts in more than 150 countries and over 130 years of innovation, we are the power behind our customers’ mission. Our leading portfolio of building technology and solutions includes some of the most trusted names in the industry, such as Tyco®, York®, Metasys®, Ruskin®, Titus®, Frick®, Penn®, Sabroe®, Simplex®, Ansul® and Grinnell®. For more information, visit www.johnsoncontrols.com or follow @johnsoncontrols on Twitter.
About Sensormatic Solutions
Sensormatic Solutions is the leading global retail solutions portfolio of Johnson Controls enabling smart and connected shopper engagement. By combining critical insights into retail inventory, shopper traffic and loss prevention, Sensormatic Solutions powers operational excellence at scale and helps create unique shopping experiences. Our solutions deliver real-time visibility and predictive analytics for accurate decision-making across the enterprise, enabling retailers to confidently move into the future. With more than 1.5 million data collection devices in the retail marketplace, we capture 40 billion shopper visits and track and protect billions of items each year. Our retail portfolio features the premier Sensormatic, ShopperTrak and TrueVUE brands. Please visit Sensormatic Solutions or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and our YouTube channel.
© 2020 Johnson Controls. All Rights Reserved. SENSORMATIC, SHOPPERTRAK, TRUEVUE and the product names listed above are trademarks and/or registered trademarks. Unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
Sensormatic Solutions by Johnson Controls
Work: +1 561-912-6804
Matter on behalf of Johnson Controls
Global Public Relations Program Manager
Building Technologies & Solutions, Johnson Controls
Contact us to learn more about Shopper InsightsContact Us
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Sensormatic News Desk


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With the success of Nintendo in achieving the success of the sudden with the launch of the Nintendo NES Classic, Nintendo SNES Classic, it was not surprising to see other companies doing the same step. So this begs the question : Are you going to Sony and Microsoft by the same sin?
We don’t know what are the plans of Microsoft, but when it comes to Sony, it seems that the company discussed the idea of issuing a Playstation Classic. This according to a new report released recently from the website Mantan Web, which revealed that the chief executive of the Department of entertainment at Sony, Mr. John Kodera confirmed that the company had discussed internally the idea of creating a Playstation Classic.
The transfer of Mr. John Kodera said : ” the company is always right in the property of the former, I think that there are different ways to issue a Playstation Classic. There were discussions within the company about what kind of ways we will “. However, it did not reach the detection limit for tough those discussions, and if you decide Sony to move forward in their plans, launch of such a device in the near future.
In any case, we assume that we have no choice but to wait and see if it will launch a PlayStation Classic, but in the meantime, what do you think about this device? And most importantly, what type of games you want to see on this device?
The post Sony says it was running internal debates about the idea of the launch of the PlayStation Classic appeared first on electronic.

domain: news


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Chinese language lottery companies supplier 500.com has continued its enlargement into the world of cryptocurrency with the acquisition of Blockchain Alliance Applied sciences, which owns BTC.com.
Beneath the deal, 500.com will difficulty 44,353,435 new Class A peculiar shares – representing round 10% of its general share capital – to Blockchain Alliance in alternate for all of its shares.
The deal is anticipated to shut by 15 April, 2021.
BTC.com, Blockchain Alliance’s flagship product, gives cryptocurrency mining pool companies and cryptocurrency wallets, in addition to details about cryptocurrencies.
Along with the preliminary cost of shares, if the BTC.com mining pool enterprise information a internet working revenue within the fiscal 12 months ending December 31, 2021, 500.com will difficulty additional shares, as much as a most of twenty-two,176,718 if the revenue totals $20m or extra.
Nevertheless, if the enterprise makes a loss through the 12 months, 500.com could repurchase shares within the preliminary cost for a value of simply $0.00005 every. The quantity of shares accessible to be repurchased relies on the dimensions of the loss, with a most of 10% of the shares for a lack of $10m or extra.
The deal marks the most recent of a number of strikes by 500.com to grow to be a participant within the cryptocurrency sphere, beginning when it brought in Xianfeng Yang as its new chief executive in January.
Yang has expertise within the cryptocurrency business, having beforehand led the development and operation of the Loto Interactive’s main information centre, which primarily dealt with cryptocurrency mining.
500.com introduced it will acquire a majority stake in Loto Interactive later in January, rising its share within the firm from 33.7% to 54.2% in a deal value round HK$105m (£9.9m/€11.2m/$13.5m).
After saying its intention to purchase around $14.4m worth of Bitcoin mining machines from unnamed sellers in January, it later agreed in February to acquire up to 15,900 more machines from two extra sellers.
500.com’s share value has skyrocketed because the announcement of the acquisition. After closing at a value of $20.00 on Monday, 500.com opened at $33.35 as we speak, a 66.8% enhance. Its shares are presently buying and selling at $30.43.


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Wyndham City has welcomed the arrival of one of Australia’s largest parcel delivery companies, CouriersPlease, after they officially opened a new 29,000 square metre logistic depot in Truganina.
Supporting 80 staff and 110 franchisees, the new facility located within the $440 million logistics hub at Drystone Industrial Estate was opened by Wyndham City Deputy Mayor, Cr Kim McAliney and CouriersPlease CEO, Mark McGinley.
Wyndham City’s Future Focused Economy portfolio holder, Cr Walter Villagonzalo, said the arrival of CouriersPlease to Wyndham would bring many benefits to the local economy.
“Not only has CouriersPlease delivered new jobs to Wyndham, but also the potential for budding first time business owners to operate their own franchise supported by a well-respected and long-time player in the small parcel delivery industry,” Cr Villagonzalo said.
“We welcome them with open arms as they are another example of major businesses choosing to call Wyndham home. The 95 hectare Drystone Industrial Estate has already welcomed Target, The Reject Shop, Laverton Cold Storage and Rand Transport, creating thousands of jobs in the process,” he added.
Mr McGinley said the new Truganina location for CouriersPlease would position his organisation at the forefront of its industry. “The growth in eCommerce is fuelling an increase in parcel delivery, and we are investing in infrastructure to accommodate for the future growth of parcel volumes,” Mr McGinley said.
“The establishment of our new facility reflects an important step for CouriersPlease. Drystone Industrial Estate is a key logistics hub in one of Australia’s most significant logistics and supply chain precincts—close to major roads, with easy access to rail and air freight services,” he added.


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Adopt a code of conduct for apparel
Letter to the Editor | Sunday, September 16, 2007
On March 6, 2001, then-University President Edward Malloy signed the Workers Rights Consortium (WRC), allowing Notre Dame to join more than 100 schools that were a part of the process to make a positive statement against sweatshops that made its T-shirts and other articles of clothing. Because of Notre Dame’s powerful influence in the collegiate apparel industry, the signing of the contract was considered a huge success for the WRC.However, the gains the WRC bring are under constant threat due to the destructive pressures of the apparel industry, and the majority of college apparel continues to be made in factories that violate workers’ rights. A large percentage of the factories have, in fact, closed down because making change factory-by-factory makes the improved factory uncompetitive unless there is an incentive outside the system of competition. A factory that is paying better wages and implementing reforms in order to comply with codes has higher operating costs and is less competitive based solely on price.To ensure that the principles behind the codes of conduct become a reality, an additional program was created in order to subject all companies that produce collegiate apparel to the same higher standard. Last year, United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) launched a new national campaign to get college apparel to be produced in a set of sweat-free designated factories. Under the Designated Suppliers Program (DSP), university licensees are required to source most university logo apparel from supplier factories that have been determined by universities, through independent verification, to be in compliance with their obligation to respect the rights of their employees – including the right to organize and bargain collectively and the right to be paid a living wage.While it is true that the collegiate sector is only a small portion of the global apparel industry, colleges and universities have the freedom to influence the apparel market. If Notre Dame joins the DSP, it will become a model for other apparel sectors as well as for other colleges and universities across the country. While it cannot be assured that the DSP will solve the sweatshop problem even in the collegiate sector, it surely is a better answer than other policies being proposed elsewhere. So, in 2001, Notre Dame decided that it would actively oppose the exploitation of workers in other countries. Notre Dame also decided to take a stance on where its apparel would be made, and decided that it would live up to the Catholic standards of ethical and moral practices. Why not take the next step to ensure that the expectations are truly being met?
Ashley WilliamsjuniorMcGlinn HallSept


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The latest haul is evidence of weak enforcement in Vietnam that experts have blamed for allowing a black market in wildlife trade to flourish and feed into a global multibillion dollar industry in animal parts and exotic pets.
Southeast Asian countries have become a busy thoroughfare for tusks trafficked from Africa and destined for other parts of Asia, mainly China, it has been reported.
Pangolins are treasured in Vietnam and the region for their meat and alleged medicinal properties of their scales.
Vietnam has banned trade in tusks and pangonlins, but the practice has continued.
On Friday at the Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi, officials found 805 kilograms of pangolin scales as well as 193 kilograms of ivory and ivory-derived products in two dozen boxes.
The bust was reported in the official publication of the General Department of Customs.
The goods were sent from two companies based in Nigeria, according to their labels. They had arrived on a September 21 flight, but were never picked up.
“The (intended) recipients of the cargo package have refused to receive the goods,” the article said.
It carried photos of a pile of the pangolin scales on the floor as inspectors went through the boxes, which were initially covered in an extra layer of wrapping and taped shut.
The tiny and shy pangolin, which resembles a scaly anteater, is the world’s most heavily trafficked mammal despite bans.
Vietnam outlawed the ivory trade in 1992 but illegal trade still persists and shops sell ivory pre-dating the ban for decorative and medicinal purposes.
Last year police found 2.7 tonnes of tusks inside cartons on the back of a truck in the central province of Thanh Hoa.
In October 2016, customs officials seized about 3.5 tonnes of tusks at the Cat Lai port in Ho Chi Minh City.
- Vietnam seizes 10 tons of pangolin scales, ivory shipped from Africa
- Vietnam seizes nearly a ton of pangolin scales, ivory
- Hong Kong makes record seizure of pangolin scales, ivory
- Vietnam seizes ton of African ivory en route to Cambodia
- Singapore seizes record haul of pangolin scales enroute to Vietnam
- 14 tons of pangolin scales seized in Singapore in a single smuggling bust
- Record haul of pangolin scales highlights Chinese and Vietnamese demand for endangered species
- Singapore seizes tonnes of elephant tusks and pangolin scales
- Two Vietnamese held in ivory and pangolin scales smuggling bust in Uganda


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After the NFL’s response to a video showing former Ravens running back Ray Rice punching his then fiancee now wife generated widespread criticism in 2014, the NFL amended its personal conduct policy.. Or was it a surprise?. All other states how much are jerseys reported salaries below $90,000 per year.
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So I got a couple hours sleep, woke up and got in the car when it came, then slept all the way from my apartment to the stadium.. He says he’s considering filing a civil rights lawsuit.. Many Utah Republicans and some residents say it closed off too many areas to development including one of the country largest known coal reserves that could have helped pay for schools..
Tavecchio connected on all four of his field goal attempts, including two 50 plus yarders, in helping the Raiders to a 10 point win. Evidently, it isn’t,” Foss is quoted as having said in a chronicling of the controversial lead up to the game published on the Pro Football Hall of Fame website.
Up until 2008, inadvertently grabbing a player by his face mask brought a five yard penalty and intentionally grabbing it to stop or bring a player down brought a 15 yard penalty. You have to find a way to fit the things american football jersey you like to do into what you have going on and find that balance..
Burger KingHoping to sell more burgers, fast food chain Burger King recently introduced a mobile Web site as a direct marketing vehicle designated for driving consumer traffic to its restaurants. “Our goal was to provide open dialogue and communication.
It was impressive. There definitely are ways to build on what we did last year. I was so upset when I found out that Madden took out Gus Johnson in this year’s game! I loved that guy’s commentary, it would just get me so pumped up, especially when I would break off a long run and he’d yell “he’s got get away from the cops speed!” This year they added Jim Nantz and Phil Sims, two solid football announcers but they offer nothing memorable to their commentary.
Marmot will also sponsor 2016 basketball jersey design weather reports on CBS Sports in the week before the event.. Bolles bullied his way into a starting position by the middle of the preseason. Who can be picked?To be suitable for the draft, players must have spent enough time in US college education to be deemed eligible by the NFL.


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Survival Heroes, MOBA Battle Royale is Live in US/Canada/Mexico
Snail Games announced today that their MOBA Battle Royale title, Survival Heroes has reached North America. It will soon launch in other regions as well. Launching in the SEA region last month, their daily active players already broke 500,000, and believe it will continue to rise. In addition to being available on the App Store and Google Play, Survival Heroes has also launched on the Amazon Appstore, giving Kindle Fire owners a chance to play the game on a different platform. The Survival Heroes team has not stopped working on making new features for Survival Heroes. New weapons and apparels are ready to be equipped. More language supports have also been added. In the near future, more new features, including a new map, are on the way and will soon be revealed. Interested parties can pick it up here on Google Play, here for iOS, and the Amazon Appstore link is right here.
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Samsung's mid-range Galaxy A7 has a triple camera setup
It packs an ultra-wide lens, 24-megapixel camera and "depth" lens for bokeh.
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Micron Technology (MU) : Keywise Capital Management Ltd has sold out all of its stake in Micron Technology during the most recent quarter, according to the disclosure filed by the company on Apr 26, 2016 with the SEC. The investment management company has sold out 2,184,000 shares of Micron Technology which is valued at $23,478,000.
Micron Technology closed down -0.13 points or -1.21% at $10.62 with 2,37,94,773 shares getting traded on Monday. Post opening the session at $10.8, the shares hit an intraday low of $10.43 and an intraday high of $10.86 and the price fluctuated in this range throughout the day.Shares ended Monday session in Red.
Other Hedge Funds, Including , Alpha Omega Wealth Management sold out all of its stake in MU during the most recent quarter. The investment firm sold 2,000 shares of MU which is valued $21,320. Atria Investments sold out all of its stake in MU during the most recent quarter. The investment firm sold 12,875 shares of MU which is valued $137,248. Deane Retirement Strategies added MU to its portfolio by purchasing 101,000 company shares during the most recent quarter which is valued at $1,076,660. Micron Technology makes up approx 1.01% of Deane Retirement Strategies’s portfolio.W.g. Shaheen Associates Dba Whitney Co reduced its stake in MU by selling 1,900 shares or 10.19% in the most recent quarter. The Hedge Fund company now holds 16,750 shares of MU which is valued at $179,058. Micron Technology makes up approx 0.08% of W.g. Shaheen Associates Dba Whitney Co’s portfolio.
On the company’s financial health, Micron Technology reported $-0.05 EPS for the quarter, beating the analyst consensus estimate by $ 0.04 according to the earnings call on Mar 30, 2016. Analyst had a consensus of $-0.09. The company had revenue of $2934.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3047.12 million. The company’s revenue was down -29.6 % compared to the same quarter last year.During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.81 EPS.
Many Wall Street Analysts have commented on Micron Technology. Micron Technology was Initiated by Brean Capital to “Buy” on Apr 15, 2016. Micron Technology was Upgraded by Raymond James to ” Strong Buy” on Apr 15, 2016. Micron Technology was Downgraded by Bernstein to ” Mkt Perform” on Mar 31, 2016.
Micron Technology Inc. is a global provider of semiconductor devices. Through the Companys global operations it manufactures and markets a full range of Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) NAND Flash and NOR Flash memory as well as other memory technologies packaging solutions and semiconductor systems for use in leading-edge computing consumer networking automotive industrial embedded and mobile products. The Company operates in four segments: Compute and Networking Business Unit (CNBU) which includes DRAM and NOR Flash products; Mobile Business Unit (MBU) which includes DRAM NAND Flash and NOR Flash products; Storage Business Unit (SBU) which includes NAND Flash components and Solid-State Drives (SSDs) cloud and removable storage markets. SBU also includes NAND Flash products and Embedded Business Unit (EBU) which includes DRAM NAND Flash and NOR Flash products.


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It has given the green light to the project on the grounds the BBC comply with certain conditions. For example, users must always be able to access Canvas for free, although they may be charged for additional services from third parties, such as video on demand and broadband subscription.
The Trust’s review said, “Entry controls in terms of technical and content standards will be minimal, access will not be bundled with other products or services, listing on the electronic programme guide will be awarded in a fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory manner, and quality standards for ISPs delivering Canvas will be set at a minimum level and applied in a fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory manner.”
The Trust has stated the BBC must not exceed the estimated costs by more than 20% over a five-year period.
The full list of conditions and details on the technical specifications can be found here.
Project director Richard Halton said, “We are delighted by today’s news. The BBC Trust has subjected the proposals to the highest level of scrutiny and the findings reflect over a year of consultation and debate. The partners will work through the final conclusions and conditions and step up our engagement with the wider industry as we plan towards a consumer launch.
“Project Canvas will safeguard the future of the UK’s free-to-air TV platforms and allow new business models to thrive through an open, internet-connected, TV platform. This brings the benefits of next-generation TV to all consumers, including those who choose not to subscribe to pay-TV. We look forward to rising to that challenge.”
Diane Coyle, BBC trustee and chair of the Trust’s Strategic Approvals Committee, said, “The Trust has concluded that Project Canvas will deliver significant public value for licence-fee payers. People with a broadband connection will be able to access a wide range of on-demand content including the BBC iPlayer free of charge through their TVs. We have,however, applied a number of conditions to the BBC’s involvement in recognition of the potential impacts on the market if Canvas is successful.”
The Trust will review the BBC’s involvement against the conditions of its approval 12 months after the launch of Canvas.
This story first appeared on newmediaage.co.uk


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The Mosaic Co. Stays Agile to Remain at the Top of its Game
Mosaic has more than 29 million tons of operational capacity for finished concentrated phosphate and potash production.
Some companies might get complacent once they become leaders in their niches, but not The Mosaic Co. The competition in the phosphate and potash market keeps the Tampa, Fla.-based company on its toes.
“Because of that, we need to become very agile as far as how we conduct our business,” Vice President of Procurement Chris Martus declares. “It requires you to keep on top of your game when you have global competitors who have different wage structures and different asset qualities.”
Mosaic, which is the world’s largest combined producer of potash and phosphates, was formed in 2004 when Cargill’s phosphate business merged with IMC. Today, it is headquartered in Florida’s Bone Valley region. “It was really the center of the global phosphate market for 100 years,” Martus says.
Today, the Fortune 500 company has more than 29 million tons of operational capacity for finished concentrated phosphate and potash production. While its largest centers of operation are in central Florida and Brazil, it also has joint ventures in Saudi Arabia and Peru.
Martus, who joined Mosaic in 2013, notes that the company stays competitive by constantly focusing on how it can more efficiently use its systems to lower costs. “That goes all the way through our procurement process,” he says.
Through this strategy, Mosaic looks at how it can partner with suppliers that have technologies that will save its workers time. “That is really the focus that we’re trying to go after,” he says.
Mosaic’s recent initiatives have included looking at better ways to utilize its surplus assets. “We’ve undergone a lot of work trying to determine how we can sell our scrap at a better price and how we can time the sale of certain products,” Martus says.
One product is white iron, which Mosaic often uses in its pumps and valves. Because the material is very specialized, “We can sell it for a return,” he says, adding that the company also strives to be very strategic about how it stockpiles the material.
“The whole idea is to make the procurement group not only a way of cost-cutting but also a way to generate some revenue,” Martus says. His department has generated more than $5 million in savings in these efforts, he adds.
But the procurement group has no intention of stopping there. “We’re looking to make even more [improvements],” he says. Mosaic plans to look at other areas, including how it can better merchandise products and reuse them internally when possible.
Mosaic has seen positive results from its investments in RFID technologies. Currently, Martus says, the majority of its phosphate and potash group storerooms are RFID-enabled.
This allows the company to keep track of inventory such as phosphate assets that have a value of more than $100 million. He notes that the process started a year ago, when the company wanted to better locate physical items.
“We now have a system in place where we put up some readers at entry points,” Martus says. This system allows the company to track contracted laborers in its facilities who have RFID tags within their hard hats.
If a company bills Mosaic for 10 hours of work on a specific day, Martus says, it can see in its system if that person was on site for that period of time. Although Mosaic may not be able to tell exactly what that person was doing, “We’re ahead of where we used to be,” he notes.
Mosaic has yet to calculate how much money it has saved with the RFID system, but Martus says it has helped the company ensure that it is paying for the correct amount of services. “When we’ve gone back and challenged contractors, we always have the data and a rationale for pushing back when we see that things aren’t the way they should be,” he says.
Mosaic has gained this advantage at very low cost. “The RFID tags have gotten down to just a couple cents apiece,” Martus reports. “This has been a project that I’ve been really proud of.”
Martus takes pride in his team at Mosaic and how it has grown during his tenure. Over the past few years, “We’ve had quite a lot of change,” he states. “The organization doesn’t look like what it did before.”
Procurement has moved from a tactically focused organization to one that drives value to the stakeholders and customers. “When I see the development of the people and what they’re capable of, that makes me really proud,” he says. “They’ve been able to enact these programs so quickly.”
He sees a strong future ahead for Mosaic, but one that will require the company to cope with pricing challenges in its market. “There is a lot of global pressure on phosphates,” he admits.
“We have to compete on the global market for what we’re selling,” Martus says. The company has been affected by tariffs on other products, including steel pipes, which are essential for its processing plants and mines.
“We’ve had to get creative about how we purchase pipe and how we maintain our pipe,” he says. Mosaic has looked at ways to buy less pipe since prices have gone up since the steel tariffs were implemented.
Martus adds that Mosaic also will keep looking at ways to outdo its previous performance while becoming more adaptive and flexible. “The competition never ends and the need to become better goes on every year,” he says. “You have to continue to drive and strive for that.”
One way it will do that, he notes, will be by partnering closely with all of its key stakeholders and suppliers, which include suppliers for all our operations in Florida, Louisiana, New Mexico and Saskatchewan. “Our supplier base has a real vested interest in the industry,” he says. “They’re very important to us so we work with them quite closely.”
Sidebar: Green Responsibility
The Mosaic Co. not only focuses on how it can help its customers, but also the environment. Since 2012, it has achieved companywide reductions of 13.9 percent in greenhouse gas emissions, 12.1 percent in energy use and 8.9 in fresh water use.
Mosaic also supports and promotes the 4R Nutrient Stewardship framework for utilizing fertilizer best management practices to achieve cropping system goals. “Since 2015, Mosaic has helped implement 4R management practices on more than 6 million acres of farm land,” it says.
The company has earned recognitions for these practices, including being named by CR Magazine as one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens for 10 years in a row. In addition, Mosaic earned a ranking on the FTSE34 Good Index and an Environmental, Social and Governance score of 3.7 out of five, placing it in the 76th percentile among chemicals firms.


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Just last week, Italian automaker Ferrari sold a one-of-a-kind LaFerrari for charity. Now it has announced an extremely limited edition 488 Spider to celebrate 50 years of selling cars in Japan. Appropriately dubbed the 488
Ferrari 612 GTO concept prepared for 2015 - Ferrari 612 GTO is the concept of ferrari by, the German automobile deviser. The concept car has a design that is very cool form of the Ferrari 612 GTO Concept.


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Kroger's ClickList begins this week at Muncie Pay Less
MUNCIE, Ind. — The city's newest supermarket is introducing its online grocery ordering service this week.
Pay Less, opened by Kroger along Tillotson Avenue in late May, will begin its ClickList service on Thursday, Kroger spokesman Eric Halvorson told The Star Press.
ClickList allows Pay Less and Kroger customers to shop online. Store employees fill their order and bring it out to where the customer is parked in particular ClickList spaces.
"We do the shopping," Halvorson said. "We say we shop the same way you would shop, with a devotion to quality and freshness. It you want green bananas, for example, tell us. We will select what you want."
The customer pays at their car after choosing from 40,000 products. Halvorson said electronic and paper coupons are accepted.
A Muncie shopper and mother of a toddler, Stacia Bennings, was excited to hear about the coming of ClickList.
"Yes! I have been driving to New Castle or picking up my groceries in Indy to use it," Bennings told The Star Press on Facebook. "You won't see me inside the grocery store very much during the summer."
Lauren Arbogast said that as a mother of two, she's also looking forward to ClickList.
"Grocery shopping without taking the kids in and buying junk we don't need? Yes please," she said on Twitter.
The supermarket business is changing and companies increasingly want to cater to the needs — and wants — of shoppers, including online ordering, pickup and delivery.
Meijer offers online ordering and its Curbside grocery pickup. "Trained shoppers" can customize orders, the company says, citing the "green bananas" preference. On Tuesday, the company said Curbside was not yet available in Muncie.
Fresh Thyme Farmers Market, which opened its first Muncie store this spring, offers online ordering and delivery through Instacart, a service the company said in April would gradually be expanded to all of its locations, including Muncie. On Tuesday, Instacart was not yet available locally.
Halvorson said Kroger has received good reviews for ClickList from busy families and people with mobility or medical issues. "ClickList is a way we make life easier for our customers," he said.
Kroger and Pay Less have 61 ClickList stores in the region that includes parts of Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri and Ohio.
There are no plans to offer ClickList at the McGalliard Road Pay Less store, which opened in December, due to space limitations.
"Space is challenging in part because we need to have three separate areas to hold the groceries before pickup," Halvorson said. "A regular air temperature area, a cooler and a freezer."
Kroger has been testing online ordering since 2014 in its hometown of Cincinnati. Company officials say electronic commerce is growing at a substantial rate.
Keith Roysdon is the government watchdog reporter for The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5828 and email@example.com.


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In fact, 67% of u.s. Cats are pretty much second fiddle to dogs across all generations.
The centers for disease control and prevention estimates that about 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year in the u.s.
American pet products association 2019. From momentous transactions such as general mills’ acquisition of blue buffalo and j.m. A breakdown of pet spending by category — between. Please note, the overall 2019 and estimated 2020 sales figures are higher than those in previously reported industry expenditures, which is a result of appa’s efforts to refine and improve its research methodology.
Appa membership includes more than 1,100 pet product manufacturers, their representatives, importers and livestock suppliers representing both large corporations and growing business enterprises. Pets are an adorable source of companionship, comfort, and a great reason to get outdoors if you have an animal that needs walking. With 68% of usa households owning at least one pet, according to the american pet products association, the pampering and humanization of pets has become a lucrative consumer trend, with the global pet market estimated to be worth $109 billion.
Appa estimates pet spending in 2019 totaled $95.7 billion, of which $36.9 billion came from pet food and treats sales alone. The appa is perhaps the best known of the pet ownership reporting entities in the us. The american pet products association (appa) says veterinary care remains the second highest source of spending in the pet care community.
Pets provide unconditional love and countless memories, and in return they look to their humans to care for them as best as possible. The american pet products association (appa) found that 68 percent of u.s. Smucker’s acquisition of ainsworth pet nutrition, to a.
Specifically in terms of the pet services industry, dog training and pet care expenditures. The american pet products association (appa), based in stamford, conn., said pet food has grown year over year since 2007 by at least 3.7% and as much as 10.7%. Driven by an active and dedicated membership, pfi is the industry's public and media relations resource, representative before state and federal agencies, organizer of seminars and educational programs, sponsor of and clearinghouse for research, and liaison with other organizations.
Households in 1988, the first year the survey was conducted. — the american pet products association (appa) released its latest pet spending data feb. The announcement was made at global pet expo, the pet industry’s largest annual trade show presented by appa and the pet industry distributors association (pida).
The american pet products association (appa). The american pet products association (appa) is the leading trade association serving the interests of the pet products industry since 1958. In recognition of national dog day, observed on august 26, the american pet products association (appa) is honoring dogs and all the joy they bring to our lives.
Pet ownership in the united states. Pet industry market size & ownership statistics u.s. The announcement was made at global pet expo, the pet industry’s largest annual trade show presented by appa and the pet industry distributors association (pida).
Pet food and treats made up the largest portion of the total with 2019 sales of us$36.9 billion, led by dog and cat food. Since 1958, pfi has been the voice of the makers of u.s. 27 during global pet expo, bringing the industry closer to $100 billion in annual pet spending than ever before.
Households owned some sort of pet in 2016 — “equal to the highest level ever reported,” it gushed in the executive. Sales of pet products and services are nearing $100 billion. American pet products association (appa) analysts calculated that sales of pet products and services in the united states reached us$95.7 billion in 2019.
The pet industry in 2019 introduction: Pet industry spending figures & future outlook. This is up from 56 percent of u.s.
American households include almost 90 million dogs, according to the american pet products association. According to the appa's latest market research, 68 percent of us households include at least one pet. From rescues and service dogs to.
If you own a pet, you're in good company. The american pet products association (appa), stamford, connecticut.


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It’s not every day that ST-Ericsson crosses our radar twice, but in addition to reportedly signing a deal with HTC for developing low-end handset chips, the company just announced its plans for a turnaround. The message? A heavier focus on SoCs for smartphones and tablets, along with a push for even more partnerships to develop those products. While that all sounds rosy, ST-Ericsson is also ceding its application processor business — employees, R&D and all — to STMicroelectronics. All told, between the loss of its application processor business and other reshuffling, the company expects to shed around 1,700 jobs — and save about 0 million annually. Those bittersweet details and more await you in the press release after the break.
ST-Ericsson to pass off application processor business to STM, cut 1,700 jobs originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 22:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.


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The UK Government’s plans for a swift withdrawal from the EU appear to have been given a major boost by the European Court of Justice which looks set to kick out claims that so called "standard contractual clauses" are illegal.
The move is the latest twist in a protracted legal case brought by privacy campaigner Max Schrems against Facebook. As far back as 2013, Schrems has argued that methods used by tech firms and thousands of others to transfer data outside EU - including Privacy Shield and SCCs - do not give consumers adequate protection from US surveillance.
The case was referred to the ECJ by the Irish High Court, which said there were well-founded concerns about "an absence of an effective remedy in US law compatible with EU legal requirements, which prohibit personal data being transferred to a country with inadequate privacy protections".
But, in an opinion published this week, Advocate General Henrik Saugmandsgaard Oe of the ECJ said the EU clauses are “valid”.
While he said it was not for the tribunal to rule on the legality of the separate Privacy Shield pact in this case, Saugmandsgaard Oe said the SCCs adopted by the European Commission provide a “general mechanism applicable to transfers irrespective of the third country of destination and the level of protection guaranteed there”.
While this advice is non-binding, opinions from the advocate general are typically followed by the court in a majority of cases. A ruling by the Luxembourg-based court usually follows several months later.
If the ECJ had ruled in Schrems’ favour, the options to ensure the free flow of personal data between the EU and UK post-Brexit would have been drastically reduced, given that an adequacy agreement could take many years to achieve.
Linklaters TMT partner Richard Cumbley said the decision will prompt a huge sigh of relief among European businesses that deal with affiliates or suppliers in the US.
He added: "It is also good news for the new Conservative Government in the UK and its ambitious timetable to achieve a trade deal by the end of 2020, as it makes the need for a so called adequacy finding less acute.
"The opinion suggests that standard contractual clauses remain a solid basis for transferring data outside the EU. They will therefore be an important tool for UK businesses to receive data from the EU post Brexit, and make an adequacy finding a desirable rather than critical aspect of the forthcoming trade negotiations."


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Catalogue of Encouraged Industries in Hainan Free Trade Port
Hainan FTP Catalog of Encouraged Industries officially issued
New industry catalogue encourages investment in Hainan portChina issued a catalogue of industries encouraging investment in Hainan Free Trade Port on Friday, giving wider access to outside investors in a number of key areas with a preferential 15 percent corporate income tax rate, according to government officials.
Office of the Hainan Free Trade Port Working CommitteeNo. 69 Guoxing Avenue, Meilan District, Haikou City, Hainan Province, 570203, China


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Happy 4th of July, stay safe. Discuss this story in the forums.
First, the Model X must arrive on schedule. Any delays, while not really all that significant in terms of total deliveries for 2015 — projected to be 55,000 — will repeat a Tesla pattern of pushing back vehicle launches and
The 2015 ESSENCE Festival kicks off this weekend, and Ford will be on hand to help attendees celebrate and potentially walk away with keys to a brand-new Ford vehicle of their choosing* as part of its title sponsorship of the
Ford Motor Company is issuing a safety compliance recall for approximately 433,000 vehicles in North America, including certain 2015 Focus, C-MAX and Escape vehicles, for an issue with the body control module. In these vehicles, it could be possible for
The horsepower wars are alive and thriving, and the Dodge brand’s muscle-car arsenal is reloaded with the new 2015 Challenger – delivering up to 485 best-in-class horsepower, all-new R/T Scat Pack and 392 HEMI Scat Pack Shaker models, segment-first TorqueFlite
King-size, princely comfort and being the innovation king: the new Audi Q7 with its 4WD has conquered much terrain in car testers’ hearts right from the start. And the numerous technical features like the virtual cockpit have also gone down
Fiat Chrysler plans to substantially increase production of the popular 707-hp Hellcat engines. Discuss this story in the forums.
GM looks to be pushing hard to beat Tesla’s Model 3 to market — by at least a year! Discuss this story in the forums.
Jaguar will set the pace for Team Sky this Saturday when a prototype version of the highly anticipated Jaguar F-PACE will support the team at the Tour de France Grand Depart in Utrecht. Jaguar’s first performance crossover is due to
Subaru of America, Inc. has announced the 2016 Series.HyperBlue limited edition available exclusively on BRZ and WRX STI models. As a follow up to the 2015 Series.Blue BRZ, the 2016 Series.HyperBlue cars feature exterior paint in Subaru’s exclusive Hyper Blue


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Lenny Kravitz has announced the upcoming release of his new studio album ‘Strut’.
The new 12 track release will drop in the middle of September here in Australia via Kobalt Recordings; its release preceded by the lead single ‘The Chamber’, which is to be made available via the Aussie iTunes store from today to co-incide with the album pre-order going live.
“This record brought me back to a place of what I love so much about music,” the singer said in a statement. “Back to the feelings I had when I was in high school. It’s a real rock & roll record – it’s raw, it’s got soul and it came together really quickly.”
The singer’s tenth studio album, ‘Strut’ will impact Australian retailers on Friday September 19.
02. The Chamber
03. Dirty White Boots
04. New York City
05. The Pleasure And The Pain
08. She’s A Beast
09. I’m A Believer
10. Happy Birthday
11. I Never Want To Let You Down
12. Ooo Baby Baby


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Two days after India blocked 59 apps developed by Chinese firms, Google and Apple have started to comply with New Delhi’s order and are preventing users in the world’s second largest internet market from accessing those apps.
UC Browser, Shareit, and Club Factory and other apps that India has blocked are no longer listed on Apple’s App Store and Google Play Store. In a statement, a Google spokesperson said that the company had “temporarily blocked access to the apps”on Google Play Store as it reviews New Delhi’s interim order.
Apple, which has taken a similar approach as Google in complying with New Delhi’s order, did not respond to a request for comment.
India’s Department of Telecommunications ordered telecom networks and other internet service providers earlier this week to block access to those 59 apps “effective immediately.” Websites of many of these apps have also become inaccessible in India.
Thursday’s move from Apple and Google, whose software power nearly every smartphone on the planet, is the latest escalation in an unprecedented tension in recent times between China and India.
A skirmish between the two neighbouring nations at a disputed Himalayan border site last month left 20 Indian soldiers dead, stoking historical tensions. Earlier this week, India blocked 59 Chinese apps including ByteDance’s TikTok citing national security concerns in a move that some saw as retaliation.
The 59 blocked apps that include Likee, Xiaomi’s Mi Community, and Tencent’s WeChat, had a combined monthly active user base of over 500 million users in India last month, according to mobile insights firm App Annie — data of which an industry executive shared with TechCrunch. (A significant number of smartphone users in India use several of these apps so there’s a lot of overlap.)
Read the whole article here:


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We lost Bob Marley in 1981, but his music and memory still live on. And now his image may be used to sell, you guessed it, marijuana.
The Daily Beast tells us that Marley’s face could be used on what’s being called “the first global marijuana brand.” The brand will be called Marley Natural, and it’s being described as “a premium cannabis brand rooted in the life and legacy” of Bob.
The owner of Marley Natural said in a statement, “Bob Marley started to push for legalization more than 50 years ago. We’re going to help him finish it.” Marley’s daughter also said, “It just seems natural that Daddy should be part of this conversation. As Daddy would say, ‘Make way for the positive day.’”
Other than Cheech and Chong, who would be better to represent legal marijuana than Marley? It’s too bad he’s not here to do commercials and ads for it, which would have been highly amusing, but wherever he is, the fact that many will be thinking of him as they light up has to be a very satisfying development.


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We never could have predicted the collective attachment the nation has to Harry Styles' hair. When the first pictures emerged of Harry just minding his own business with his new buzzcut, there was an online backlash to Harry 'shaving his head' that took us completely by surprise—we're talking accounts of actual tears and grief.
The grainy pictures released earlier in November suggested the singer had swapped his trademark curls for a shorter style, which was later confirmed by his mum when a fan feverishly questioned her in Ikea earlier this week.
And now we have the visual proof that Harry has indeed opted for a brand new look—quite simply because, as his mum revealed, "he fancied a change".
A photo posted by on
Harry's beauty brand, Pleasing, recently entered the fragrance world with the launch of its own perfume and with it released a photograph of the star—without any mention of the new look, might we add—with the caption: "Our Founder, Harry Styles, toasts the launch of Pleasing Fragrance with friends in London. November, 2023."
The photograph series was captured by photographer Lloyd Wakefield, who has worked with Harry before, showcasing his longer locks previously.
A photo posted by on
Sure, some fans waded in with the 'RIP to Harry's curls' comments, but there were also a significant amount of fans who defended Harry's right to wear his hair however he chooses, with one writing: "Everyone’s mad about the curls and they will be missed but I am LIVING for this new look, this man seriously can pull off anything. so excited for this launch too."
Another said, commenting how famous people actually do have feelings too: "I hate how much hate he is getting—and how many articles are being released etc. I hope he’s not seeing all the negativity and feeling affected by it.
"I think he’s gorgeous as always and this new look really makes his eyes pop. Love you Harry sm."
And a third wrote: "Man built an empire, spreads love, tolerance, creativity and kindness, and still some of you are limiting yourselves to commenting on his hair.
Ask yourselves how you would feel. TPWK."
The news of Harry's buzzcut first hit headlines when US gossip account Deuxmoi shared an image of Harry with a new buzzcut at a U2 concert in Las Vegas with rumoured girlfriend, Taylor Russell last week.
Since then, the media attention has been pretty intense.
Needless to say, it's certainly drummed up some attention for his new fragrance brand, Pleasing, which also sells the fetching 'kissing swan' knitwear Harry's wearing in the promo shots.
We're feeling Harry's new look, TBH.
Pleasing's core three fragrances launch today, with more clothing and accessory drops coming in December. You can find out more on the brand's website.
Marie Claire Newsletter
Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!
Lauren is the former Deputy Digital Editor at woman&home and became a journalist mainly because she enjoys being nosy. With a background in features journalism, Lauren has bylines in publications such as Marie Claire UK, Red Magazine, House of Coco, women&home, GoodTo, Woman's Own and Woman magazine.
She started writing for national papers and magazines at Medavia news agency, before landing a job in London working as a lifestyle assistant and covers everything from fashion and celebrity style to beauty and careers.
Not sure where to begin when it comes to Christmas shopping? This brand is about to be your one-stop shop
Treats for him, her, the kids and even a few for yourself
By Jazzria Harris
The Couple Next Door is the new swingers drama that's dividing critics
By Lauren Hughes
Sea moss has been the standout health product of the year - so, does it actually work to boost gut health and immunity?
Holland & Barrett named it as their best-selling chilled product of the year.
By Ally Head


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WTVT consumer reporter Chris Chmura has departed the Tampa station, after 10 years.
He has accepted the same position at NBC O&O KNTV in the San Francisco/San Jose market. He will be that station’s first consumer reporter.
He joined WTVT in 2007. Prior to WTVT he worked up the street at WFLA, the Associated Press, Conus TV News Service and WCJB in the Gainesville/Ocala market.


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Multi temperature supply chain specialist in warehousing and logistics, Oakland International, celebrated the first anniversary of its Ireland operation on Thursday 27th May 2010, with UK and Ireland staff joining in a celebration of a sumptuous Irish Day Breakfast Buffet and cake celebration, with all monies raised from the event donated to Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin, Ireland.
For the cost of a €1 and £1 staff, drivers and Oakland customers enjoyed a selection of breakfast treats including croissants and jam, a selection of fresh fruit and fruit juices as well as a large slice of celebration cake, with every breakfast token bought then entered into a raffle with the first prize of a bottle of well-known Irish cream liqueur won by Oakland Database Administrator Angela Garbett, second prize of four pints of the black stuff known as Irish ‘plain’ won by Hygiene Operative Brian Hughes and the third prize of a box of Irish cream liqueurs won by Purchase Accounts Controller Tina Richards.
Said breakfast winner Angela: “Oh wow did I win? I thought it was fantastic and what a way of bringing both the UK and Ireland teams together.”
Oakland International’s MD, Dean Attwell, commented: “It’s been a good first year for Oakland International Ireland, with an increase in staff as well as service offer. Taking the opportunity to celebrate and thank everyone for all that they’ve done to help us achieve these results is a pleasure, as we couldn’t have done it without you. We have been working hard at building close working relationships with retailers across Ireland who have bought in to the opportunities of extending range, availability and reducing cost by having stock, order consolidation and picking managed through one location where they can also use their own trucks to collect, thus shortening the supply chain. We already have extremely close working relationships with most of the UK retail sector so any Irish producer can tap into these whilst still dealing with a local Irish company as their supply chain partner.”
Oakland Ireland General Manager, Richard Hill commented: “Oakland International’s expanding business portfolio continues to deliver significant opportunities within both the UK and Irish retail market; service driven, lower cost, with an enhanced reactive and flexible supply chain solution that appeals to Irish and UK exporters who have previously been put off by the high entry cost and perceived difficulties in order management processes associated with the Irish retail marketplace. Today has been fantastic for celebrating an exciting first year as we now turn our attention to an opportunity filled year ahead.”
Core to the firm’s offer is assistance for Irish producers who want to deal with UK retailers and with whom Oakland International is already a respected supply chain partner. Following their successful launch in to Ireland, Oakland has continued to attract interest with producers and suppliers seeking to capitalise on the firm’s extensive retail distribution operations and extended supply chain services across Europe. The business continues to enjoy unrivalled lead times whilst delivering significant cost advantages for producers wishing to deal with both UK and Irish retailers direct.
Dean Attwell added: “As we begin our second year on a commercial high, we are ready and eager to move ever forward, perpetually investing in new resources and systems to keep us ahead as we continue to expand our team to meet our growing demand. It’s going to be a very busy year ahead for all of us.”


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Which retailers are heading to the top of the class this back-to-school season?
Discounters and department stores are expected to make the grade, logging the biggest increase in monthly same-store sales when retailers report their results on Thursday. Price conscious-consumers looked to this sector for one-stop shopping as they stocked up on school supplies and clothing.
Overall, the Thomson Reuters Same-Store Sales Index is expected to rise 2.5 percent in August, the research firm said.
Retailers are courting a very cautious consumer. That was underscored by MasterCard's SpendingPulse report released earlier Wednesday. Although that data showed an uptick in retail spending in August, shoppers once again appeared to be sticking to the basics and spending on essentials such as children's clothing. Sales in other categories, including women's and men's apparel and luxury goods, fell, the report said.
But within these trends, some retailers are doing better job winning consumer dollars. Macy's , for example, has wooed teenagers with exclusive brands such as Material Girl, a clothing line developed by Madonna's daughter Lourdes.
But some teen retailers are struggling. Based on analysts' estimates the Buckle is expected to turn in the weakest performance with same-store sales expected to fall 6.5%.
Investors will be looking to see what comments the retailers make about the coming month.
More than one-third of the states held sales tax holidays in August, including three large states that did not have this kind of event last year. It remains to be seen whether those purchases boosted August sales at the expense of sales in September.
Warm weather also may have hampered sales of fall clothing as record-high temperatures persisted in much of the country, but the heat may have helped to clear out discounted summer inventory. If warm weather persists into September, fall sweaters and jackets may need to be discounted to move these items out the door.
Shoppers have been looking for deals, and many may have been waiting to snag better prices after Labor Day.
Retailers are likely hoping that the fall brings more clarity about the economy and an improved employment picture. Meanwhile, investors will be looking at August sales for the lessons they may teach about the upcoming Christmas holiday season.
One thing that isn't up for debate: the bar will be raised in the months ahead as retailers will be facing much tougher comparisons with their year-ago performance beginning in September.
A list of analysts estimates for August same-store sales follows:
Questions? Comments? Email us at firstname.lastname@example.org


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July 11, 2017
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Zelle, a new peer-to-peer (P2P) payments service backed by over 30 major U.S. banks, is generating a lot of buzz as of late. But what exactly is Zelle, and how is it any different from Venmo and other P2P payment services?
As a veteran of the financial services and payments industries, I recently wrote an article for the Let’s Talk Payments website to answer these and other common questions on Zelle, such as:
Read the full article on the Let’s Talk Payments website to learn more about how Zelle is disrupting the payments industry and the effects it will have on your business and your relationship with your customers.
Chief Strategy Officer, Head of Financial Services & Payments
Scott Harkey is Levvel's Chief Strategy Officer while also leading the Payments and Financial Services work. He has 15 years of banking experience including leading the technology team that implemented digital wallet products at Bank of America along with 10 years of technology merger integration and IT operations outsourcing work at Wells Fargo. Scott brings a unique “insider” point of view combined with a proven track record of delivery to banks, technology providers, and merchants exploring the digital payments space.
Continue on to see our executive insights from today’s data on how many organizations see the benefits to RTP and what percentage plan to implement it in the next two- to three years, and much more about the state of RTP.
Hear from Levvel and TCH experts on their takeaways and insights from our 2021 RTP Market Insight Report. Learn about today’s most prevalent adoption barriers, use cases and solutions to offer banking clients, and much more.
While adoption of The Clearing House’s Real-Time Payments (RTP) is picking up among financial institutions, its spread among businesses is still early.
Hear from Levvel and Bank of the West experts on how financial institutions can be successful in the new world of digital banking and ‘Banking as a Service’ (BaaS).


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American Apparel, once touted as “the largest apparel manufacturer in North America,” is pretty much over as a Los Angeles fashion institution.
“They're going to be lining up the workers Monday and start a series of terminations,” says ousted company founder Dov Charney, who has kept in touch with many of his former employees. “It's a very sad day for Los Angeles.”
Last week a bankruptcy court judge in Delaware approved the $103 million sale of the brand and some assets to Gildan Activewear Inc., a Canadian fashion company that sources clothing in Honduras and Haiti. The sale included $88 million for the name alone, according to a statement from Gildan.
Garry Bell, the Canadian clothier's vice president for marketing and communications, says American Apparel's garment workers have been issued a WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act) notice, required under California law when mass layoffs and plant closings are planned.
The fate of American Apparel's L.A.-area manufacturing plants looks dire, although its Garden Grove facility could be spared under a job-saving plan that would see it make clothing for another label, according to the outgoing ownership. Bell confirmed that the new owners likely would not be taking over leases on American Apparel's manufacturing sites and offices. “We felt it was best to exclude the assumption of leases” from the bankruptcy purchase, Bell says.
It's also widely believed the American Apparel retail stores will close; Gildan's purchase does not include them. The stores were one source of the company's ills as founder Charney eyed global expansion and borrowed big to create more than 240 brick-and-mortar locations in 20 countries. Bell says a “limited license” agreement would likely keep the stores and American Apparel's website selling T-shirts, underwear, socks and lingerie for 100 days past that deal's expected execution in early February. He says Gildan uses a more indirect route to commerce, including selling to wholesalers and other retailers. The brand, for example, can be found at Walmart. “Their business model was direct-to-consumer,” Bell says of American Apparel.
Charney was ousted by his own board of directors in 2014 following allegations of sexual misconduct. The board, with the help of a hedge fund first wooed by Charney, promised to turn the brand around. But it ended up seeking bankruptcy protection the next year. Charney has maintained that he was illegitimately fired and is the plaintiff in an ongoing lawsuit against American Apparel.
As a result of losses and its 2015 bankruptcy, American Apparel already was shedding Southern California garment workers, according to Nativo Lopez, longtime adviser to an organization, Hermandad Mexicana, that has been representing workers in their fight to save their jobs.
“On the fifth floor on Alameda [at the company's headquarters], there's a private temp agency meeting with workers every day, encouraging them to be placed in different garment companies in the area — without any of the benefits they enjoyed at American Apparel,” Lopez says. “It's the end of an era for American Apparel in Los Angeles. Thousands of manufacturing jobs will be eliminated.”
The brand's local demise ends what some argue was a successful labor experiment. The company once boasted 10,000 workers worldwide, including 4,800 in L.A. Charney hired largely Latino immigrants, paid them above minimum wage, offered benefits to full-time workers and marketed his brand as made in America and “Made in L.A.” His pro-immigrant marketing also inspired “Legalize L.A.” T-shirts.
“It's no longer American,” Lopez says. “They might as well call it Canadian Apparel.”
Ironically, Charney is Canadian. He started the brand out of his dorm room at Tufts University in Massachusetts and moved it to Los Angeles in 1997. Hipsters soon embraced the line, and Charney set out to help stem the outsourcing of garment jobs to other nations by making his threads in America's capital of clothing manufacturing, the Garment District.
Today, as President-elect Donald Trump promises to keep manufacturing gigs in the United States, it looks like an iconic brand with the word “American” in its name is leaving home. Charney is moving on. He says he's starting a new clothing enterprise, That's Los Angeles.
“I plan to employ thousands of people,” Charney says. “We believe it's competitive to make garments in Los Angeles.”


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The U.S. Cannabis Spot Index decreased 0.7% to $1,042 per pound.
In grams, the Spot price was $2.30.
The U.S. Spot Index ticked downward again this week, declining 0.7% to $1,042 per pound. All grow types saw relatively small week-on-week decreases in their volume-weighted average prices.
Despite the recent, now month-old downtrend, national wholesale flower prices remain up year-on-year. The overall U.S. Spot is up 9% from $956 per pound a year ago; indoor flower is up 6.6%; greenhouse product’s national price is up 13.8%; and outdoor flower’s price this week represents a 16% premium compared to the week ending December 23, 2022.
Looking back on this year, the U.S. Spot wholesale flower price opened 2022 at $961 per pound. From December 2022 through early March this year, the national average flower price tested the $950 per pound floor three times before commencing a spring rally that took price up to $1,096 per pound. A subsequent summer slide took the U.S. Spot down to a historic low of $936 per pound in mid-September. After finally breaking through the $950 level, price recovered quickly and ascended to form a recent double top at $1,112 and $1,115 per pound in the first and final weeks of November, bringing us to the current downtrend.
Although there was some volatility in the final three quarters of this year, the national average flower price exhibited more stability relative to the 27% peak-to-trough decline that took place from early April to mid-December last year. Additionally, the U.S. Spot tracked within a $179 range in 2023, significantly tighter than the $332 and $351 ranges it occupied in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
Based on this year’s price movement, it appears that the national wholesale cannabis flower price index has for the moment established support around $950 per pound and resistance at roughly the $1,115 per pound level.
Overall, after the roughly 40% drop from June 2021 through December 2022 – a downturn experienced to some degree in nearly every individual state market – it seems that the legal cannabis market as a whole this year adjusted and is beginning to settle into a new post-Covid reality. Apart from newly-opened and still developing markets, demand in many states has steadied and settled into predictable patterns. While there is still widespread oversupply, the production side is taking steps toward right-sizing, particularly in mature markets like California, Colorado, and Oregon.
While 2023’s price action suggests a trend toward reduced volatility, there are factors that could push prices in unexpected directions in the near future. In particular, the industry is collectively holding its breath awaiting a decision from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration on rescheduling. Rescheduling would not alter the supply / demand fundamentals of the market, but it would result in cannabis businesses boasting more favorable balance sheets. This could lead to increased investment flowing into the industry and perhaps expansion of cultivation and product manufacturing capacity, which is probably unnecessary in many states. In other words, while equities would almost certainly rally if cannabis were to be rescheduled, the ultimate result on the ground could be more oversupply if rescheduling is not accompanied by broader reform that involves interstate commerce.
January 2024 Implied Forward unchanged at $1,045 per pound.
At $1,045 per pound, the January 2024 Implied Forward represents a premium of 0.3% relative to the current U.S. Spot Price of $1,042 per pound.
State AG’s Opinion Forecloses Possibility of Interstate Trade
New Market Rates for Wholesale Taxation Published
October Sales Slip as Wholesale Price Seems Set to Slide
New Retailers Open after Lifting of Injunction, but State Faces Another Lawsuit Over Licensing


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Vivo has announced a new flagship device, known as Nex. Yesterday, Vivo has launched Nex S and Nex A smartphone in China. Both the smartphone comes with bezel-less display along with Pop-Up Selfie Camera. Both the Nex smartphones are based on Apex concept which is seen at MWC 2018 in February.
Like Apex concept, both the Nex smartphones has removed display notch and placed popup selfie camera on the top edge of the phone. The Nex smartphone has a [...]
At the event held in New Delhi, Vivo has launched its latest smartphone Vivo X21 in India. The best part of this smartphone is that Vivo X21 comes with an in-display fingerprint sensor. Also, Vivo X21 is the first smartphone in India to offer In-display fingerprint sensor. Along with In-display sensor, the phone also sports 6.28 inch full HD+ super AMOLED display. However, like most other smartphones, the company has placed a small notch on the top of the display.
The company’s first In-display smartphone is eligible to install Android P Beta on brand new Vivo X21 smartphone. To recall you, Android P beta was released at Google I/O 2018 developer conference. The Vivo X21 [...]
Chinese smartphone company Vivo has already confirmed the launch of Vivo X21 smartphone in India on May 29. However, Vivo X21 is the first smartphone in India to feature in-display Fingerprint scanner. The in-display fingerprint scanner technology was first showcased at the CES 2018 event. Now the company has started a pre-booking process for upcoming Vivo X21 smartphone.
So, the interested customer can move towards Vivo stores and pre-book the Vivo X21 device for Rs. 2,000. Moreover, the pre-booking customer will be eligible for exclusive offers at the time of Vivo X21 launch. Also, the customers will eligible for No Cost EMI up to 12 months along with free device security. [...]
Recently two new smartphones Vivo V9 and Oppo F7 have been launched in India. Both smartphones come with iPhone X style notch on the top of the screen and sport 19:9 aspect ratio display. The newly released Oppo F7 is the successor to Oppo F5, whereas Vivo V9 is a successor to Vivo V7.
Both Vivo V9 and Oppo F7 have many other common features which include a bezel-less display, full HD+ display with a resolution of 1080 x 2280 pixel and the latest Android 8.1 Oreo. Also, both the phones come with some Augmented Reality (AR) feature for the front camera. If you are getting confused in selecting one from them, then we have compared this smartphone on all aspects. Let’s [...]


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Star Wars Celebration 2023 Rumors And Speculation
Get ready, Star Wars fans! The ultimate event of the year is almost here – Star Wars Celebration 2023! It’ll occur from April 7 to 10 at London’s ExCeL, where you’ll get the inside scoop on everything Star Wars. Naturally, there are plenty of Star Wars Celebration 2023 rumors flying around – and for a good reason.
Lucasfilm will make major announcements for its upcoming Star Wars films, TV shows, games, books, comics, and more. With so much happening in the galaxy far, far away, there’s a lot to look forward to over the weekend. While there’s no official word yet, we’ve got some juicy details on what to expect at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
Skeleton Crew Speculation
Here’s one of the best Star Wars projects on your watchlist – Skeleton Crew. While they only announced it at last year’s Celebration, it’s already set to premiere in 2023. Jude Law will be in the starring role, while Jon Watts and Christopher Ford are behind the creation. This show follows a group of kids trying to find their way home at the same time as The Mandalorian.
So what Star Wars Celebration 2023 rumors are there about this show? Well, unfortunately, Disney has kept things pretty tight-lipped about Skeleton Crew. However, one thing we do know is that filming has wrapped up. Additionally, the Daniels Duo, who created the hit movie Everything Everywhere All At Once, will direct an episode. That’s pretty much all we know about the show so far.
At Star Wars Celebration 2023, we’re hoping to get more details about Skeleton Crew. However, don’t expect a full-blown premiere date like Ahsoka. Instead, we’re definitely expecting an explanation of the show and maybe even a teaser trailer.
Ahsoka Star Wars Celebration 2023 Rumors
Speaking of Ahsoka, there are lots of Star Wars Celebration 2023 rumors about what we could learn about. After all, it’s about time we got a series dedicated to one of the most beloved characters from the Star Wars universe. Initially, she appeared in The Clone Wars, then went on to feature in Rebels and The Mandalorian. Finally, it’s her turn to take center stage!
While Disney first announced Ahsoka back in December 2020, we’re still waiting for a concrete premiere date and trailer. So, we’re hoping Star Wars Celebration 2023 will finally give us what we’ve been waiting for.
What we do know is that Ahsoka is confirmed for 2023. At the moment, The Mandalorian Season 3 will wrap up in April. So, here’s a gap in the adult Star Wars TV schedule that Ahsoka would be the perfect candidate to fill. It’d make sense for Disney to give us a trailer for the show and a release date at this event. Let’s hope these Star Wars Celebration 2023 rumors are true!
Star Wars Celebration 2023 Rumors TV
There are a few Star Wars shows that have been flying under the radar lately, but we’re hoping to get some updates at Star Wars Celebration 2023. First up is the Lando Calrissian series, which Disney announced over two years ago in 2020. However, it hasn’t had much news since then. Snce it wasn’t on Disney’s recent list of Star Wars cancellations, we’re still holding out hope for more information soon.
Then there’s The Acolyte, the first live-action show set during the High Republic era, which Lucasfilm announced in January 2021. This era takes place around 200 years before the Skywalker Saga, at the height of the Jedi and Republic’s power. Naturally, there’s been a lot of excitement surrounding the show. Production began in November, so the Star Wars Celebration 2023 rumors suggest we’ll get an update.
While Ahsoka and Skeleton Crew are definitely coming in 2023, it’s possible that we’ll see a release window of 2024 for Lando and The Acolyte. Additionally, we might also get some last-minute trailers for Young Jedi Adventures and Visions Volume 2. After all, Disney and Lucasfilm are going to release both of them fairly soon. We don’t know much about the upcoming Visions shorts yet, so there’s plenty of room for exciting reveals at Star Wars Celebration.
Sadly, we don’t have much information on some of these shows. However, we’re hoping Star Wars Celebration 2023 will shed some light on what’s to come in the Star Wars universe.
Star Wars 2026 Film
Now, we’re hopping to the big screen for some of these Star Wars Celebration 2023 rumors. Currently, it;’s been over three years since the last Star Wars film, The Rise of Skywalker, hit theaters. As such, fans are eagerly anticipating the next one. While we know that the next movie is set to premiere on December 19, 2025, we still don’t have any concrete details on which project it will be.
Taika Waititi’s film is a top contender, but even its development has been shaky. Previously, Disney confirmed the film almost three years ago. Later, Lucasfilm’s president Kathleen Kennedy expected it to premiere by the end of 2023. However, Waititi himself has expressed uncertainty about whether the project will even be made.
Unfortunately, Recent reports suggest that Disney has scrapped both Kevin Feige’s and Patty Jenkins’ Star Wars films. However, Waititi’s project was not mentioned and is presumably still in the works. Additionally, there have also been changes behind the scenes, with Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson leaving an untitled project directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. Also, Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight is reportedly taking over the script, and there are Star Wars Celebration 2023 rumors that there will be a full reveal.
Whether or not we get that full reveal remains to be seen, as these changes are happening last minute. However, we’re still hoping for at least one concrete announcement about the 2025 Star Wars film, even if it’s just a title. After all, Star Wars is a film franchise at its core. We’re ready for the next adventure in a galaxy far, far away!
Star Wars Celebration 2023 Rumors Jedi Survivor
Get ready, gamers – Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is launching in just a few weeks. So, we’re expecting to see a final trailer during Star Wars Celebration 2023. Previously, we got a story trailer showing off Merrin and Greez in the sequel. However, we’re still waiting for the big, flashy, and dramatic trailer that will hold TV spots and such.
Unfortunately, the Star Wars Celebration 2023 rumors indicate that we’ll unlikely get any news about DLC or additional content beyond the game’s release. The original Jedi: Fallen Order didn’t have any DLC, and director Stig Asmussen has expressed a desire to make Cal Kestis’s story a trilogy. So for now, let’s focus on the upcoming game and get excited for what’s to come in the Star Wars universe.
Knights of the Old Republic and Star Wars Eclipse
But that’s not all for the gaming side of things for the Star Wars Celebration 2023 rumors. In fact, two games, in particular, have generated a lot of buzz. These are Eclipse, the High Republic game from Quantic Dream, and the Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) Remake. Despite their exciting announcements, both games have been quiet for a while, and fans are hungry for more information.
Previously, Lucasfilm revealed Eclipse in late 2021, but we haven’t had an official update. The development team has made a few small comments, but nothing substantial. Meanwhile, the KOTOR Remake has had a bit of a bumpy road. After all, there are rumors of development switching studios after a disappointing presentation to Lucasfilm and Sony.
So, the latest Star Wars Celebration 2023 rumors suggest we’ll get an update on either of these games. However, it’s unlike to be a full release window announcement – just a short teaser or development update. Hopefully, that will satisfy fans’ hunger for more information!
Star Wars Hunters
Another upcoming Star Wars game is Hunters. Apparently, it will be the franchise’s take on the squad-based PvP shooter genre. Previously, Lucasfilm quietly delayed the game, and it’s been off the radar ever since.
Apparently, the game developer Zynga wants to “meet the high expectations we are setting for fans globally and ourselves as developers.” So, this is why it’s delayed. However, they originally planned to release the game in 2021. Currently, it’s available to some players through a soft launch. So, an official release date as one of the Star Wars Celebration 2023 rumors is possible.
Clearly, there are a lot of rumors flying about, and at least one of them is bound to be true. Keep your eyes peeled for the announcements!
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Rotary fans, rejoice! The hallowed engine format will return within two years, albeit with a twist. Rotaries will reappear as range-extenders for electric Mazdas. The first will be launched in 2020.
Return of the rotary
Sadly, it does sound like the days of rowing a lightweight, rotary-powered sports car through the gears are behind us. The new Mazdas will feature a rotary engine that’s effectively a generator, boosting driving range and topping up the batteries.
Although we don’t yet know what kind of car the rotary will be installed in, let’s hope a sports car is among the models Mazda is considering.
It’s actually a genius idea on Mazda’s part. To use a petrol engine as a range-extender is, traditionally, quite inefficient. Conventional petrol units are often relatively large and heavy, whereas the Mazda rotary has always been lightweight and compact.
We’re in no doubt the engine fitted to the 2020 model will be optimised for ‘generator’ duties, too. And that includes the capability of using renewable LPG as an alternative fuel.
‘Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030’
We say ‘renewable LPG’, as Mazda continues research into synthesising combustible fuels: specifically, renewable and recyclable biofuels from the growth of micro-algae.
This is all a part of Mazda’s ‘Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030’ strategy. Not a slick name, we admit, but the figures and the goals are there. Mazda expects that some form of electrification will feature in 95 percent of cars it sells in 2030. Well-to-wheel CO2 emissions are targeted as being half those in 2010 by 2030, and one-tenth by 2050.
The road to achieving those targets starts in 2020. New EVs and the implementation of radical new internal combustion technologies, like Mazda’s spark-less Skyactiv-X engines and alternative fuels, should get the job done.
Mazda wants to push ahead with hybrids in a way we haven’t yet seen – reviving a legendary power unit and using an unpopular fuel. It’s also dedicated to the longevity of the internal combustion engine and, encouragingly, to ‘the exhilaration of driving’. The future could be exciting after all.


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Today sees the release of November data from the Ulster Bank Northern Ireland PMI®. The latest report – produced for Ulster Bank by IHS Markit – pointed to further solid increases in output and new orders, with rates of expansion in both slightly quicker than those recorded in October. Rising workloads led to a further accumulation of outstanding business, with companies increasing staffing levels accordingly. Meanwhile, input cost inflation accelerated to a six-month high.
Despite Northern Ireland’s political situation and ongoing uncertainty linked to Brexit, business conditions remain encouraging. Private sector firms saw a pick-up in activity, new orders, employment and exports in November. Indeed, local firms reported faster rates of growth in job creation and orders than their UK counterparts.
With just one month remaining, it is clear that 2017 has been a very good year for Northern Ireland’s private sector. The rates of growth in output, new orders and employment are all higher in 2017 than the previous year and represented the fastest rates of growth in three years.
Export orders are broadly in line with 2016’s rate of expansion – which was the strongest growth rate in 12 years. However, it should be noted that the pace of export growth has slowed in each of the last four quarters. Sterling’s post-EU referendum depreciation has provided a major boost for export price competitiveness. In recent quarters, however, the pick-up in new orders growth has been due to the domestic market (UK), which outperformed the export market in recent months.
On a more negative note, 2017 has witnessed a surge in inflationary pressures. Input cost inflation hit a six-month high in November with retailers experiencing an 80-month high. 2017’s cost pressures are the most intense that businesses have faced in six years. Pressures on margins have meant the prices charged for goods and services have been increased significantly. Output price inflation in 2017 has been the most marked in the last 15 years.
At an industry level, all sectors have experienced faster rates of growth this year than last. Retail has been the fastest growing sector for the last two years with 2017 the strongest for sales growth in 15 years. This performance is due to the tourism boom and flattered by cross-border shopping which has benefited from sterling’s weakness. The latest survey highlights that despite booming sales, retail employment growth is broadly flat – and the weakest in almost two-and-a-half years.
Though expanding more modestly; manufacturing, services and construction sectors have enjoyed their strongest years of growth in output since 2014. The latest survey reveals that construction firms are increasing their staffing levels at the fastest rate since at least February 2009. Service sector firms recorded the fastest rates of jobs growth in 2017 and employment growth remains strong approaching year-end. Manufacturing firms posted job gains over the year, but this has levelled off in H2.
Overall, the Northern Ireland private sector moves into 2018 with considerable momentum, but there is also no shortage of challenges ahead; not least inflation, which will increasingly squeeze consumers; the local political deficit; and the ongoing Brexit negotiations, the more challenging phase of which lies ahead. The next 12 months will be both an interesting and critical time for the Northern Ireland economy.
The main findings of the November survey were as follows:
The headline seasonally adjusted Business Activity Index ticked up to 54.3 in November from 53.8 in October. Output has now risen in each of the past 14 months. A similar picture was seen with regard to new business, which increased at a faster pace in November.
Companies responded by increasing their staffing levels for the thirty-fourth month running. The pace of job creation was solid and faster than the UK average. Construction posted the sharpest rise in employment in the nine-year series history, while manufacturers reduced staffing levels slightly.
The pace at which input prices rose quickened in November and was the fastest since May. Output prices also rose sharply, with the rate of inflation broadly in line with that seen in the previous month.
Click HERE to view/download the full report


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While Apple isn’t providing any specifics, the company is confirming that it’s newest iPhones will see a delayed launch.
Following Apple’s third fiscal quarterly earnings report, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri sat on a conference call to discuss the results and take questions. While Cook and Maestri are known for dropping hints in these calls, today’s is certainly memorable. As you’ve probably heard by now, there have been plenty of rumors swirling around (including just this week) that Apple’s next iPhone lineup, tentatively called the iPhone 12, will see a launch delay due to various reasons.
The strongest reason, of course, is the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Whatever the case, Apple has confirmed those rumors in a very Apple way. The company confirmed during the conference call that the 2020 iPhone lineup will see a delayed launch by “a few weeks”, which is compared to the iPhone’s traditional late September release window.
Specifically, Maestri said that while Apple started selling iPhones in late September last year, the company is currently projecting that supply for this year’s iPhones will be “available a few weeks later”. He wouldn’t provide anything more than that. But now we know September won’t be the launch month for the iPhone 12.
That means we should expect to see new iPhones launch sometime in October of this year.
We will update this article if there is anything else to add. But, as it stands, we now have confirmation that Apple is going to delay the 2020 iPhone launch until October (at least).
This story is developing…


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Instead of significant new features and design changes, the new iPad Air, iPad mini and base iPad will bump specs by swapping Apple silicon for newer chips.
A new report from Supercharged, corroborated by 9to5Mac, says updates to the iPad Air, iPad mini and base iPad are arriving as soon as Tuesday, October 17.
No special event is expected because this alleged refresh is rumored to simply swap Apple’s custom chips for newer processors. Instead, the company should launch new iPads by updating its website and issuing press releases.
Are New iPad Air, iPad mini and base iPad imminent?
Supercharged says the iPad Air will receive Apple’s M2 chip versus its current M1 chip. The publication has also learned that the budget iPad would receive a faster chip, too, but provided no additional information.
As for the next iPad mini, Supercharged says that the device will swap the A15 Bionic chip for an A16 one. A recent report said Apple created a new display controller and changed the screen assembly direction on the seventh-generation iPad mini to mitigate the jelly scrolling issue in portrait mode that has plagued the current model.
What features did the latest iPad refreshes bring?
The current fifth-generation iPad Air was last refreshed in March 2022 with an Apple M1 chip, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide front camera with Center Stage and 5G connectivity. The entry-level iPad Air with 64 gigabytes of storage starts at $599.
The fifth-generation iPad mini received a far more substantial update in September 2021, getting an iPad Pro-like fullscreen design with a bigger 8.3-inch screen, USB-C charging and support for the second-generation Apple Pencil.
The 64GB iPad mini is priced at $499.
The tenth-generation iPad was released in October 2022 with a 10.9-inch display, flatter edges, no Home button, a 12-megapixel selfie camera with Center Stage, USB-C, better wireless capabilities and a Touch ID sensor in the power button.
The base 64GB iPad starts at $449. It’s Apple’s most affordable iPad.
More substantial changes to iPads in 2024
However, Mark Gurman noted in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter for Bloomberg that he didn’t believe these iPad updates were imminent.
He also said earlier that the biggest change to the iPad line would come sometime in 2024 when overhauled iPad Pros with OLED displays and redesigned Magic Keyboards are expected to arrive.
And if technology research firm Omdia is correct, Apple should release its first OLED-based iPad Air and iPad mini two years later in 2026.


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(Photo by Scott Beale / Laughing Squid, used under a Creative Commons license)
Building a successful startup is tough.
In this month’s Technical.ly Podcast, hear from entrepreneurs who didn’t think starting one organization was hard enough. You’ll hear from repeat entrepreneurs who took their ideas and made them work — again:
- Peter Thiel — who was genius enough to invest in Facebook and Airbnb — was recently in Philadelphia talking about his new book in a Q&A session at the Franklin Institute. After the event, Technical.ly’s editor, Zack Seward, asked the cofounder of PayPal and Palantir Technologies what it takes to get your pitch noticed.
- Designer and technologist Maddy Maxey, 21, talks about doing fashion full-throttle.
- Jack Dorsey — cofounder and chairman of Twitter, and cofounder and CEO of Square — sat down with our editor over coffee at HubBub in Philadelphia, which uses the Square platform.
- The podcast wraps up with insights from McKeever Conwell, a Baltimore entrepreneur who is hoping for success with his second startup, RedBerrry.
This startup aims to change the game in Delaware esports
Delaware futurist Jim Lee talks economics and investing after COVID-19
Short Order adapts with new local content featuring Delaware chefs and community members
Wilmington Historical Society just launched a podcast
Sign-up for daily news updates from Technical.ly Delaware


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This is Kiyosaki’s simplest recommendation. For centuries, gold has been the go-to safe haven asset.
It can’t be printed out of thin air like fiat money, and its value is largely unaffected by economic events around the world.
Investors often rush toward gold in times of crisis, so it makes sense to get ahead of the pack.
The most direct way to invest in gold is to own bullion. But that can be difficult and expensive. An easier method is to invest in large gold mining companies.
If gold prices go up, these miners will earn higher revenue and profits, which tend to translate into higher share prices.
For instance, companies like Barrick Gold, Newmont, and Freeport-McMoRan typically do well during tough times for other sectors.
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It's also no surprise that Kiyosaki likes silver. Just like gold, silver can be a store of value and a hedge against rising rates and inflation.
The grey metal may not seem exciting, but it can be a highly effective holding during times of uncertainty. Over the past two years, the price of silver has increased slightly.
As you’d expect, rising silver prices benefit silver miners.
Some of the easiest ways to play silver is through big miners like Wheaton Precious Metals, Pan American Silver, and Coeur Mining.
That said, silver is also widely used as an industrial metal. So a downturn in global economic activity could negatively impact silver prices.
Once considered a niche asset, Bitcoin has now entered the mainstream. But it has lost plenty of its allure, having fallen a whopping 53% in 2022.
Contrarian investors might want to take a closer look, though.
You can purchase bitcoin directly. But if you don’t like that kind of volatility, you can also invest in companies that have tied themselves to the crypto market.
In October, for example, PayPal launched a service in the U.S. that allows users to buy, sell, and hold cryptocurrencies. It introduced a similar product for the U.K. in late August.
And then there’s MicroStrategy, the largest corporate holder of bitcoin. As of June 28, the enterprise software technologist holds 129,699 bitcoins acquired for roughly $4 billion.
Because of MicroStrategy’s huge bitcoin stake, some investors have used it as a proxy for investing in the cryptocurrency. In the past, rallies (declines) in bitcoin have usually led to similar gains (losses) in MicroStrategy’s share price.
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