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Intention to float by Gemfields Group. No Capital Raise. Currently listed on JSE. (GML:JNB) at circa £122m. The Group's key producing assets, the Kagem emerald mine in Zambia (believed to be the world's single largest producing emerald mine) and the Montepuez ruby mine in Mozambique (one of the most significant recently discovered ruby deposits in the world), are both expected to have long mine-lives with potential for expansion. Also owns the Faberge brand. Due Valentines Day 2020.
Companies: ONC FOX FIPP SCPA RWS SOLG 7DIG 88E CRV
Disney+ hits 22m mobile users, SoftBank backed firm downsizes IPO, German mobile carrier selects Huawei
Companies: ENET 7DIG MVR ZOO ZOO AMO BOOM MIRA MWE
TikTok owner Beijing ByteDance Technology is in talks with big music labels - Universal Music, Sony Music and Warner Music - for global licensing deals to include their songs on its new music subscription service, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. ByteDance is looking to launch its music streaming as soon as next month, initially in emerging markets such as India, Indonesia and Brazil, before a future opening in the United States, the FT reported, citing people familiar with the matter. HP's board of directors said Sunday that they unanimously rejected a proposal from Xerox to acquire the company, because the offer is not in the best interest of shareholders and would undervalue HP. Xerox had offered HP $22 per share in its takeover bid for the company. HP is worth $29 billion and is over three times the size of Xerox, which makes printers and copiers, in terms of market cap. Japan's SoftBank plans to merge internet unit Yahoo Japan with messaging app operator Line Corp to create a $30 billion tech giant, as it bags struggling internet companies to bulk up against rivals like Rakuten Inc. The telco in a statement said Yahoo Japan, which last month changed its name to Z Holdings Corp, will merge with Line, owned by South Korea's Naver Corp, in a deal to be completed in October 2020. The companies aim for a definitive agreement by next month in a transaction that will see SoftBank Corp and Naver form a 50:50 venture that will control Z Holdings, which will in turn operate Yahoo Japan and Line.
Companies: 7DIG MVR ZOO AMO MIRA
Dropbox shares bounced around after the company reported betterthan-expected third-quarter earnings on Thursday, as investors digested the company's improvements on some key metrics but widening GAAP losses from a year ago. Earnings excluding certain items came in at, 13 cents per share, vs. 11 cents per share as expected by analysts, according to Refinitiv.
Companies: 7DIG ZOO AMO ESYS KNOS MIRA
Roku stock tanked more than 14% in after-hours trading after the company reported a wider net loss in the quarter, as it spent more to attract subscribers to its video streaming platform. Despite the loss, the video streaming company reported 32.3 million active accounts, up from 30.5 million during the previous quarter, and an average revenue per user of $22.58 compared to the previous quarter's metric of $21.06. Roku is targeting international expansion throughout the North and South American markets and expects to launch its first T.V. models in the UK by the end of 2020. Hardware was always a tough market and competition is heightening in our view. Qualcomm said on Wednesday it expected 200 million 5G smartphones to be sold in 2020, including flagship devices launching next fall, a reference Wall Street took as a hint that Apple would offer the faster technology next year. Once 5G networks are widely available sometime next year, Qualcomm, the world's largest supplier of mobile phone chips, and its rivals stand to benefit because the phones will require more chips to gain the speed boost. We’re bullish 5G – and Apple wading in certainly doesn’t hurt market growth in our view. Shares of Chinese internet giant Baidu surged over 4% in after-hours trade following better-than-expected results for the third quarter. Excluding items, EPS came in at 12.61 yuan, beating market expectations, but representing 34% YoY decline. Baidu has faced several headwinds this year including a slowing Chinese economy amid a protracted U.S.-China trade war, increased competition from new search players like TikTok owner ByteDance and increased scrutiny from regulators on the advertising market in the world's second-largest economy. Baidu is righting the ship belatedly after missing the mobile market. We’re waiting to see what happens with its B2B efforts.
Companies: 7DIG ZOO AMO MIRA
AT&T announced the launch of HBO Max streaming service for May 2020, with a new "Game of Thrones" series at the current HBO price of $15/month. The move surprised analysts and investors attending the Warner Media presentation on Tuesday as it was lower than expected. HBO Max is expected to reach 75 million to 90 million global subscribers by 2025, with about 50 million of these coming from the United States. The success of HBO Max is in many ways a referendum on a strategy to merge content with the means to distribute it. Challenger banks and FinTech firms are expected to have half of all consumers using their payments, card and retail banking accounts in the next three years, according to Capgemini. The group’s World Retail Banking Report highlights how challenger banks are changing the overall banking journey as well as offering customers new services, like quick or early access to funds not covered by traditional loan or card systems. Traditional banks have the right product but are "Lagging behind and giving ground to non-traditional payers in the last-mile customer experience". In our view this should surprise nobody. But the acid test of trust through a future financial crisis is yet to occur. Huawei Technologies lifted its share of China's smartphone market to a record 42%, with third-quarter shipments rising by two-thirds as domestic consumers rallied behind it after US sanctions, data released on Wednesday showed. Huawei strengthened its dominance of the world's biggest smartphone market even as the Chinese company was all but banned by the US in May from doing business with American companies, significantly disrupting its ability to source key parts We are surprised by the strength of recent data supporting Huawei.
Companies: 7DIG ZOO AMO BOOM BGO BOKU EQLS MIRA TECH
Google parent company Alphabet reported third-quarter earnings that missed earnings per share expectations but was otherwise in line with what investors expected. Revenues grew 20% YoY but aggressive investments in other bets weighed on profitability. The share price fell 4% overnight as investors digested the relative performance on earnings alongside growing unrest among its staff.
Companies: 7DIG ZOO AMO BOOM MIRA
Netflix is raising another US$2 billion in debt to fund additional content creation and other expenses, the company announced on Monday. The company routinely raises debt to help fuel its growing library of original TV shows and movies. The streaming giant offered US$2 billion in new debt in April after issuing another round of notes several months earlier. Netflix said it plans to use the proceeds to fund "Content acquisitions, production and development, capital expenditures, investments, working capital and potential acquisitions and strategic transactions.". We’re unsurprised and anticipate the competition will also up their game to capture market share – all the better for the localisation market.
Companies: 7DIG KAPE ZOO AMO AVST CNS DFX ECSC FLX IGP NCC OSI MIRA
Facebook and Amazon each discussed computer glasses at launch events this week. Amazon’s approach is to get a lightweight product out now, while Facebook is promising advanced technology in a few years. At an event in San Jose, California, Facebook introduced its plan for augmented reality glasses, where users will be able to pull up a visual display on top of what’s in front of them. Up north in Seattle, Amazon announced Echo Frames, lightweight glasses with the Alexa voice assistant embedded in them.
Companies: 7DIG MVR IMMO VRE ZOO AMO MIRA
TVs have joined the ranks of websites, apps and credit cards in the lucrative business of harvesting and sharing user information. Whilst TV records may not contain sensitive search queries or financial data, they are able to store data on user interests, personality, joys and embarrassments, as tens of millions of users have given TV brands permission unknowingly. Many TV makers say tracking what users watch helps provide personalized recommendations. However, there is much belief that TV tracking is mostly about filling in a missing chunk of data which is only useful for advertisers and media companies.
Companies: 7DIG KAPE ZOO AMO EYE MIRA
Streaming company Roku, whose software runs one in three smart TVs in the United States, is turning to the British market as competition with Silicon Valley giant Amazon goes international. Chinese manufacturer Hisense will market televisions with Roku TV in the United Kingdom from the fourth quarter, with other European markets to follow, Roku's founder and chief executive Anthony Wood told Reuters in an interview.
Companies: 7DIG ZOO AMO ARB MMX TECH MIRA
We highlight the strong Workday numbers overnight which provides cause for enthusiasm for growth equities, the SaaS software sector and most specifically within AIM, could augur well for Kainos, given their close partnership on consulting and implementation. Beyond the beat, most noteworthy comment was that management saw no impact from Brexit as yet nor the trade tensions in the US and China. With enviable growth rates of 32% in the quarter, we highlight few names in AIM such as CloudCall* offer such compelling opportunity.
Companies: 7DIG CALL TRAK ESYS FST KNOS PHD QTX SAG SEE TRCS
Network International Holdings—Pleading enabler of digital commerce across the Middle East and Africa region, operating across over 50 highly underpenetrated payment markets that contain a total population of 1.5 bn. 2018 rev $298m, underlying EBITDA $152m. Due April. No new funds to be raised. Secondary sell down. Targeting 25% of at least 25%. Techniplas –global producer and support services company providing highly engineered and technically complex components, making the supply chain to original equipment manufacturers more efficient. FYDec17 rev $515m.
Companies: STB ADB TGP 7DIG GDR MERC MTW IGAS
Network International Holdings—Potential Intention to Float— leading enabler of digital commerce across the Middle East and Africa region, operating across over 50 highly underpenetrated payment markets that contain a total population of 1.5 bn. 2018 rev $298m, underlying EBITDA $152m. Techniplas –global producer and support services company providing highly engineered and technically complex components, making the supply chain to original equipment manufacturers more efficient. FYDec17 rev $515m. Diaceutics, a data analytics and implementation services company which services the global pharmaceutical industry, due to join AIM 21 March. Mkt Cap c. £53m Raising £17m at 76p.
Companies: CGNR PYC GWI RAI MPM SBIZ AMER JAY IMO 7DIG
Research Tree provides access to ongoing research coverage, media content and regulatory news on 7Digital Group.
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Gaming Realms is a creator and licensor of innovative games for mobile, with operations in the UK, U.S. and Canada. Through its unique IP and brands, Gaming Realms brings together media, entertainment and gaming assets in new game formats.
Companies: Gaming Realms
Whilst Arena delivered FY20E results in line with our expectations, this has inevitably been overshadowed by the challenges posed by COVID-19 to the industry. Arena acted swiftly to cut costs and preserve cash, such that it currently has a c£23.5m cash balance. This is enough to see the company through into 2021, even if the global event market remains heavily disrupted for the rest of the year.
Companies: Arena Events
Air Partner has issued a further shareholder update, confirming PBT of at least £10m in the first five months of the year to June, an increase of £2.5m since the last update to May. The Group continues to deliver impressive results despite a challenging market backdrop. As has been the case throughout the COVID-19 crisis, performance has been driven by strong activity in the Freight and Group Charter divisions. Crisis driven activity is expected to reduce in H2, with an anticipated recovery in the Group’s core activities, where the update reports positive early indications across the Group’s divisions. The balance sheet is very well supported, with net cash at 30th June standing at £13m post the recent £7.5m fund raise. The Group continues to have access to total debt facilities of £14.5m. Whilst visibility for H2 remains limited, we believe the Group is well placed to deliver a strongly profitable FY21 result.
Companies: Air Partner
Today’s statement reveals incredibly robust Q1 trading across the Group’s brands and regions, with a positive outlook and guidance reinstated for the remainder of the financial year and beyond. In addition, the Group has announced the acquisitions of Oasis & Warehouse, bringing two well-recognised and complementary brands onto its platform. We believe the unprecedented disruption resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the channel shift to online where we see BOO as the clear winner, with an established and leading model positioned to consolidate the market.
Companies: Boohoo Group Plc
We are introducing our Best Ideas for 2019 and also review the performance of last year’s picks. We suggest ten solidly financed stocks with good business dynamics that ought to be considered for core portfolio holdings and six UK domestically focused stocks that our analysts believe should perform strongly in the event that uncertainties unwind. We also introduce a new style of research from N+1 Singer which presents a Company’s dynamics and metrics in a clear and concise manner and concentrates on the pivotal issues affecting that Company and an investment decision.
Companies: BCA CLIN CLG CBP DNLM EAH STU FCRM FUTR GTLY INS GLE NICL SDL SPR TRI
The group has today announced the conclusion of a structured development and succession plan implemented by the Board over the past 2 years. CEO Phil Maudsley will be succeeded by Paul Kendrick at the end of the current financial year (March 2021). Phil leaves the group in excellent shape, having completed a major transformation of the group over the last 10 years, from a heavily indebted mini conglomerate to a digital-first value business with bright growth prospects. Studio Retail’s transformation from a small Christmas catalogue retailer to an agile online value retailer back by a strong integrated credit operation was clearly evidenced by the June update, highlighting the best growth rate in the listed retail space (+55% YTD). Phil will be involved over the remainder of the current year to ensure a smooth transition and handover to Paul who has made a significant contribution to recent strategic and operational enhancements, and who leads the business forward with a clear and exciting 5 year growth plan.
Companies: Studio Retail Group
Warren Buffett once said that as an investor, it is wise to be ‘fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful’. Fear is not in short supply right now.
Companies: OPM ALU ANCR BLV CONN CRC STU GATC HAT LEK MMH MCB MWE NXR NTBR NOG PAF PEG RFX SRC TEF TEG TPT VTU WYN XLM
Halfords 3Q IMS is in our view positive with PBT forecasts for FY 2020 held at £50-55m and good LFL in Retail cycles +5.9% and Autocentres +4.6% where most of new management development work has been focused. Retail Motoring products LFL -2.7% continues to show impacts of discretionary spend softness in our view. Management retains its caution about near term demand prospects overall and its development programme in Autocentres and key aspects of the business overall (notably new integrated website) moves up a notch in calendar 2020. This said PBT guidance for 2019/20 has been maintained and this trading shows promise in our view.
Companies: Halfords Group
Arena's planned £9.5m share placing will substantially strengthen its balance sheet and, together with various cost saving measures being undertaken, should help to see the company through the coronavirus crisis for the foreseeable future. Given the uncertainty around how long it will take before normal event scheduling resumes, we withdraw our forecasts and place our rating Under Review, which we will revisit once visibility improves.
AFC Energy is a global leader in the fuel cell sector. It has a proven fuel cell technology which it is commercialising through its H-Power™ product, an off-grid electric vehicle charging system which is run on hydrogen and produces no emissions. The company's core fuel cell technology is a liquid alkaline fuel cell called HydroX-Cell(L)™. The company is also developing a solid alkaline fuel cell called HydroX-Cell(S)™ , the critical component of which is a is a solid electrolyte which upon validation will be marketed under the AlkaMem™ trademark. We expect the AlkaMem™ product to have multiple electro-chemical applications outside of fuel cells. The purpose of this note is to compare AFC Energy's products, markets and business strategy against its listed peers Ceres Power and ITM Power. The note also assesses the state and outlook of the hydrogen market in addition to the proton exchange membrane market, which is relevant for AFC Energy's AlkaMem™ product. As a reminder, we believe AFC Energy has a fair value of 27p/sh.
Companies: AFC AFC AFC
Directorate change: DWF has announced that Andrew Leaitherland will step down as Group CEO and a managing partner of DWF Law LLP and DWF LLP with immediate effect and will be replaced by the Group’s Chairman Sir Nigel Knowles. Sir Nigel has over 40 years of experience in the legal sector and was previously. Global Co-Chairman and Senior Partner of DLA Piper. We believe he has the experience and leadership qualities required to lead the Group through the near-term challenges it faces. Chris Sullivan, Senior Independent Non-Executive Director, has been appointed as interim Chairman.
Companies: DWF Group
New management has put in place a strategy which the February interim results revealed was returning the group to growth with very encouraging LFL statistics and attractive returns on refurbished outlets. In March, however, in response to COVID-19 and following UK Government guidelines, all venues had to be closed.
Management initiatives have materially reduced the cash burn while the group is unable to trade, and the group’s lender has been very supportive in significantly increasing the borrowing facility.
Management is now proposing an equity issue, the rationale for which is to strengthen the leverage ratio to create a more appropriate capital structure moving forward, to allow an immediate return to the estate refurbishment programme and to be able to potentially take advantage of strategic opportunities as they arise as the sector emerges from the COVID-19 crisis.
Companies: Revolution Bars Group
Bowling, alongside low-cost gyms, is the strongest sub-sector of Leisure at present. Its fortunes have been revived over the last 5 years through product diversification, investment and a more family focused offering which is resonating with consumers seeking value and experiential treats. The sector is well established accounting for 3% of the family leisure market. We are attracted by its positive growth dynamics and minimal exposure to rising costs. We explore 6 themes in this note and initiate coverage on Hollywood Bowl (Buy; 250p 12m TP) and Ten Entertainment (Buy; 315p 12m TP), albeit with current year EPS forecasts 4% below consensus, reflecting recent prolonged hot weather concerns. On a 1-3 year view both have plenty of scope to further enhance shareholder value through self-help and site expansion.
Companies: Hollywood Bowl Ten Entertainment Group
Quiz’s warning came as a shock, particularly so soon after a positive AGM update. Our post mortem reveals the revenue shortfall is almost entirely due to the erratic demand dynamics of its 3rd party online web partners. Each key partner appears to have experienced unrelated drops in growth beyond the unseasonal transition from summer to autumn. Rather than being Quiz led, whose own performance online and in-store has remained strong, these were factors outside its control. Downgrades of c35% now strip out all growth from these partners but we would not be surprised to see growth reappear if/when partners address the issues. Buy on this set-back.
Companies: Quiz Plc
N Brown is taking crucial steps in its transition to being a pure-play online retailer (currently 77% of sales) and to strengthen its leading position in the under-serviced market for fashionable plus-size apparel. While strategic updates may be on hold until a new CEO is appointed, the company closed the loss-making portfolio of high-street stores in H119 and further brand consolidation seems inevitable. The shares trade on a low FY19e P/E of 5.5x and yield 7.2%.
Companies: N Brown Group


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Tiffany's Instagram post has accumulated more than 379,000 likes.
Nike and Tiffany & Co. recently announced their first sneaker collaboration. The brands posted a picture of a blue box with a swoosh logo painted on it on their social media pages. The luxury jewellery brand also shared a video which revealed all-black suede Nike shoes, featuring a Tiffany-blue swoosh and a silver heel plate. "@nike x @tiffanyandco, a legendary pair. Coming soon," the two brands wrote in the caption of their joint Instagram post.
Two days back, they shared yet another post featuring sterling silver products that comes with the limited-edition collection. Other than shoe laces and a sterling silver shoe horn and a whistle, the kit also includes a product that has left the internet confused.
It's a silver shoe brush with black bristles that looks exactly like a toothbrush that left netizens scratching their heads. "When they said "just do it," we listened," the jewellery brand wrote in the caption of their post.
Take a look below:
Several internet users confused the shoe brush with a toothbrush because of its appearance. What amplified their confusion was also the text written over the image. "Don't forget the tongue," the text on the picture read.
Tiffany's post quickly sparked several reactions on social media platforms. While some users wrote that having a silver "toothbrush" was an unnecessary thing, others pointed out that it was simply a waste of money.
Also Read | Trans Couple In Kerala, Ziya And Zahad, Announce Pregnancy. See Post
"Hold on, I'm sorry. A toothbrush? What is the link to either brands here? Should these be riddles or they're just as it is already?" wrote one user. "How does Tiffany and Nike come together and make a toothbrush of all things," said another.
A third user explained, "The amount of dumb people who think this is a toothbrush, it's to clean the shoes. Hence the pun. Don't forget the tongue. Who's brushing their teeth with mental? Get real why the fuck would it be a toothbrush in a Tiffany Nike collab," While a fourth expressed, "Love that Tiffany is bringing back the humor it was once known for."
Tiffany's post has accumulated more than 379,000 likes.
Meanwhile, according to USA Today, the combination of the two brands marks the 40th anniversary of the iconic Nike shoe silhouette. Shoe collectors will be able to buy the new kicks on March 7 at Tiffany stores in New York City and on the Nike SNKRS app for $400 (approximately Rs 32,960).
Click for more trending news

domain: news


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U.S. iPhone owners will finally get to use multimedia messaging on their phones, starting later this month.
AT&T announced Thursday that its iPhone users would gain access to the MMS service starting Sept. 25. With MMS messages, cell phone users can send pictures, voice recordings and videos directly to other cell phones. The new service will be available at no extra charge for iPhone users who already have a text-messaging subscription from AT&T.
Apple included the ability to send MMS messages, which was already becoming a standard feature in other phones, in the third version of the iPhone’s operating system, which the company released in June. However, iPhone owners can use the service only if their carrier allows them to do so. While many of Apple’s carrier partners outside the United States made the service available to iPhone users as soon as Apple released the iPhone 3.0 software, AT&T did not.
AT&T and other carriers had known since at least March — when Apple unveiled the 3.0 software — that Apple planned to add the feature. Although AT&T already allows other phones on its network to use MMS, it had to upgrade its cell phone towers and data centers before it could enable the service on the iPhone, according to AT&T spokesman John Britton. He declined to say why the company wasn’t able to complete the work by the time Apple launched the iPhone 3.0 software.
“Our highest priority has been to ensure the best possible customer experience with MMS,” Britton said. “This is how long it’s taken to complete this process.”
iPhone users tend to use many times as much data as typical cell phone users, thanks to the iPhone’s fully featured Web browser and a host of data-centric applications.
AT&T has been taking a public relations hit in recent months for the delay in rolling out MMS. Users have also been upset by poor network coverage and slow data rates in some geographic areas.
Another point of contention has been AT&T’s refusal to allow tethering on the iPhone. Tethering is a feature that allows users to access the Internet on their computers by connecting them to their phones and tapping into the handsets’ data connection.
Apple also included the tethering feature in the iPhone 3.0 software and the feature was supported at launch by many carriers, but not AT&T.
Britton said AT&T plans to eventually offer tethering for iPhone users, but said the company has not set a date for the launch of the service or the price the carrier will charge for it.
Contact Troy Wolverton at 408-920-5021. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/troywolv.


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In this news, we discuss the Tesla manager overseeing Berlin gigafactory construction departs: source.
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Tesla chief TSLA.O, which is overseeing the construction of the electric car maker’s “gigafactory” in Berlin, has stepped down from his post, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday.
Tesla declined to say whether Evan Horetsky, responsible for engineering, purchasing and construction at the German plant, was still with the American company. Horetsky could not be reached for comment.
According to Horetsky’s Linkedin profile, he has led teams responsible for project design, construction and technical program management at global factories and Tesla energy products.
German broadcaster RBB was the first to report the departure. RBB said there would be no delay in the plant’s planning request process due to Horetsky’s departure.
The Berlin plant will be the fourth Tesla Gigafactory – producing cars and batteries – and the first in Europe.
The automaker last November announced its intention to build the Gigafactory in Gruenheide, outside Berlin, with plans to have the plant operational by July 1, 2021 to begin building its electric crossover, the Model Y.
However, the company has been engaged in a lengthy environmental audit, a process that takes time and will likely result in a much longer build than its Shanghai Gigafactory, which has gone from greenfield. site to building cars in just 11 months.
Horetsky hinted at the pressure in a tweet dated October 11.
“The credit belongs to the man in the arena, whose face is marred by dust, sweat and blood; who fights valiantly; who gets it wrong, who misses over and over again, because there is no effort without error and without gap, ”he said in the Tweet.
“… If he fails, at least (he) fails while daring a lot,” the tweet also said, attributing the quote to Theodore Roosevelt.
In early October, Tesla set aside three days of hearings to survey residents and potential critics of the plant.
The consultation process took just eight days to file 414 complaints and observations, which will be examined by local planning authorities.
Residents feared that the Gigafactory, especially once it started building battery cells, would put a strain on local water resources and wanted assurances from Tesla that consumption would be limited.
Tesla, for its part, has agreed to reduce its water consumption to 1.4 million cubic meters, from 3.3 million cubic meters.
Berlin-based newspaper Tagesspiegel said that on October 16, Tesla was forced to halt construction due to unpaid water bills. After receiving a payment reminder, Tesla gave assurances that the bills would be paid, but a computer error led to the payment failure, Tagesspiegel said. Tesla could not be reached for comment on the issue.
The authorities in Gruenheide and Brandenburg have so far only granted conditional approval for the construction. The official building permit has not yet been granted.
Reporting by Edward Taylor in Frankfurt, Nadine Schimroszik in Berlin and Tina Bellon in New York; Edited by Susan Fenton
Original © Thomson Reuters


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This first half, the long product production and sale clearly reduced aside from rebar. Overall, the conditions are coming out to return to normal from the pandemic base effect although differing by product. Rebar production alone increased while the rest product scopes showed two-digit reduction ma
Nexteel began the operation of its US-based piping mill enabling to stave off the export quotas subject to the Section 232 tariffs. According to the industry sources, Nexteel established a strategic alliance with the US-based partner to set up a joint venture entity in Huston. Nexteel provided the p
Domestic stainless CR sales quantities came out to improve this year toward distributors and real consumers alike in particular. The figures dropped with the start of the second quarter, but the first quarter performance contributed to elevating the overall first half results totaling 211,776 tons,
POSCO is trying to change its pricing cycle to weekly from monthly as domestic price slides every week on distribution channel over the first half. According to distributors sources, POSCO sets the price which was available on supply chain in conjunction with last week when it comes to the import re
SeAH Steel will achieve very high results in the second half as well supported by the energy tublar goods export improvement heading for the US, Hana Securities analyst Park Sung-bong presented. SeAH Steel will continue advance at the root of the third export, especially export of energy pipe and tu
The first half CD bar production and sale quantities dwindled the prior year on various bad conditions at home and abroad both. According to the Korea Iron and Steel Association, the second quarter of 2022 CD bar production was 102,255 tons, rising 1.8 percent the previous quarter, but it dropped 7.
Seasonal drag prompts need for construction and heavy equipment to stall with the continuing energy crisis in Europe and recession in the US coming true slowly. Korea’s specialty steel demand is slowing down as the upstream business remains subdued on the bad conditions at home and abroad both, but


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Paradigm and Coatue led a $300 million funding round that cements NFT marketplace OpenSea as one of the most valuable private firms in crypto.
Tuesday’s big numbers show the rapidity with which OpenSea has ensconced itself as the leading venue for trading non-fungible tokens.
In the last 30 days alone, the marketplace for prized profile pics and other digital collectibles logged 1.6 million Ethereum transactions and a trading volume of $2.4 billion, according to data compiled by DappRadar.
OpenSea’s latest round is another sign of the boom times in crypto venture capital, with over $30 billion in investments pouring into crypto startups in 2021.
Bigger valuations have been had in recent months. For comparison, FTX’s funding round in October valued the crypto exchange at a whopping $25 billion.
However, OpenSea may be the king of the NFTs. Dapper Labs, the firm behind NBA Top Shot and the Flow blockchain, nabbed a $7.6 billion valuation in September in another round led by Coatue.
Requests for comment sent to OpenSea and Paradigm were not returned by press time.
Katie Haun, until recently a partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), participated in the OpenSea round through her new firm, KRH, a spokesperson said via email. It confirms an earlier report Tuesday from tech reporter Eric Newcomer that the funding round with Haun’s involvement was in the works.
Haun led both OpenSea’s Series A and Series B in 2021 while she was with a16z and sits on the NFT company’s board of directors.
UPDATE (Jan. 5, 2:26 UTC): Adds confirmation of Katie Haun’s involvement.


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Public cloud computing users would like to see the Amazon EC2 API simplified, but others say the elegance of the API lies not in syntax, but in scale.
Amazon has three ways for users to interface with its infrastructure: an Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) console graphical user interface (GUI), a command-line interface (CLI) and a query application programming interface (API).
The Amazon EC2 API came up in discussion at a recent Amazon Web Services (AWS) meet-up in Cambridge, Mass., where one attendee spoke out about the difficulties he has encountered deploying spot instances.
The elegance is in the scale, as opposed to the actual API.
To create a spot instance in EC2 using the query API, a user has to run the ec2-request-spot-instances command. To fill out the necessary information in this command using the API, a user must request a separate spot instance pricing history and register a higher bid than the current spot instance price.
Then, you need to perform a separate process to figure out whether a spot instance has actually been created; the process requires either a general Describe Instances command with embedded search parameters or a Describe Spot Instance Request.
"It was a few days before I could tell whether the thing worked or not," said Brian Tarbox, a software engineer at Cabot Research, a financial data analysis firm based in Boston.
Most requests that customers provision launch within minutes, according to an AWS spokesperson. One of Amazon's main goals as it develops spot instances is to simplify the process to get the amount of capacity a customer needs based on their constraints, the spokesperson added.
Still, other experts on Amazon's API say there are things they might do differently.
"The first thing I would do if I had to rewrite the Amazon APIs [would be to] make [them] RESTful -- use the normal HTTP verb set and what people expect out of that stuff," said George Reese, chief technology officer of Minneapolis, Minn.-based Enstratius Inc., which makes software that has API-based integration with multiple clouds, including Amazon. "You have to learn a lot to get in and understand the Amazon APIs."
An Amazon spokesperson said customer feedback is part of its development process and that it welcomes feedback on new features and needs.
Should the Amazon EC2 API change?
Whether there's a steep learning curve to using the API is one thing, experts say, but whether Amazon should actually revise its APIs at this point is another.
"There aren't any grand inefficiencies that cause me to lose sleep over Amazon," Reese said. "It's difficult to pick up at first, and it's needlessly complex, but it works.
"It would be a greater sin to break the fact that it works and to break its compatibility with backward code than it would be for it to remain needlessly complex," he said.
Others agree that simplicity is ideal, but other factors are more important.
"As a developer, I might want to sit back and say, 'That API is too hard to use or … I could do that in two lines of code instead of five lines of code,'" said Chris Schroeder, CEO of Reston, Va.-based App47, which bases its mobile device management software on Amazon EC2. "I'm sure that goes through a lot of people's minds."
App47, which counts USA Today among its customers, might see 140 or 150 million events hitting its application on a busy day -- and that's where Amazon's approach is appreciated.
"The elegance is in the scale, as opposed to the actual API," Schroeder said.


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Fonterra’s milk collection across New Zealand in September was 8.7% lower than September last year and for the four months to September 30, it was 5% behind the same time last year.
According to the co-op, farmers continue to reduce stocking rates and supplementary feed to help reduce costs in the low milk price environment.
This in turn has resulted in lower production for the 2015/16 season to date, it stated.
In New Zealand, milk volumes are approaching the seasonal peak which is forecast for mid-October 2015.
While milk collection in New Zealand is down, Fonterra milk collection from Australia increased by 1%.
The rate of milk production growth from the major exporting countries has eased as farmers globally respond to lower dairy prices, according to Fonterra.
Dairy exports remain strong for Australia and Europe but the United States is down largely, which Fonterra attributes to increased domestic demand.
However, it stated that demand growth is being seen in Asia, China is returning to steady import growth, while the Middle East and Africa have slowed.
Fonterra’s credit rating downgraded by Standard and Poor
Fonterra’s credit rating has been downgraded by rating agency Standard and Poor from A to A-.
In response, Fonterra’s Chief Financial Officer Lukas Paravicini said that the New Zealand dairy giant’s underlying financial strength and credit quality remain strong.
“This is recognised by Standard and Poor’s maintaining our rating in the ‘A’ category and reflects our fundamental strength and financial discipline.
“It is important to note that the revised rating will not have any impact on Fonterra’s strategy or on farmer shareholder payout,” he said.


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New Consortium Plans to Reinvigorate PC Gaming
Dubbed the PC Gaming Alliance, the group is made up of several companies with an interest in sustaining PC gaming, including Intel, Microsoft, Nvidia and AMD. The alliance aims to keep PCs competitive with consoles in drawing game developers to the platform.
The consortium hopes to expand the efforts of Microsoft's Games for Windows program, which sought to standardize the platform and improve consumer experience. The PC Gaming Alliance is expected to be formally announced in advance of next week's Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.
From The Chatty
Haha @ Justice League pic.


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To celebrate the market launch of LG Optimus One in the Philippines, LG will be presenting the ONE DAY, ONE HOUR, ONE CHANCE Sale this coming Saturday, giving consumers a chance to avail of this hot smartphone at 50% OFF!
Originally priced at PhP 12,990, LG Optimus One will go for only PhP 6,490 via this special introductory offer.
LG Optimus One Trivia -- Did you know that the popular boy band Big Bang is the official endorser of LG Optimus One in Korea?
The sale is set to happen on November 13, 2010 at participating LG Concept Shops in SM North EDSA Annex in Quezon City, SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City, SM Cebu in Cebu City and Gaisano Davao in Davao City.* (Source: Manila Bulletin)
Off hand, the rumored sale hour is 2-3 PM -- but I've yet to confirm this with LG Philippines. Please give me until this Friday to do that.
UPDATE as of November 11, 2010, Thursday --
I've just confirmed it with Mr. Al Dimapilis of LG; The Sale Hour will be 2-3 PM, November 13, 2010 at the abovementioned LG stores. Again, it's confirmed.
Sir Al even sent us the official promo poster featuring LG Optimus Official Ambassador, Lee Min Ho --
What's hot about LG Optimus One?!
Well, this phone is actually one of the first smartphones to launch with Android 2.2 Froyo, which is currently the most updated version of the Android operating system. This version of the platform delivers up to three times faster mobile internet surfing, application use and multi-tasking.
Check out full technical specifications and official press photos of LG Optimus One via the link.


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Australians continue to embrace technology through use of multiple internet enabled devices.
As consumers become increasingly fragmented in how they engage with both traditional and social media, it is apparent businesses must quickly adapt their presence online to establish and nurture new communities and connect with them in authentic ways.
Social Media Report this year is again showing increased levels of engagement with social media as a critical way in which the public, business and government are communicating. Almost 50% of consumers now access social media every day (and up to 79% for the 18-29 age group), yet only 31% of SME businesses actively operate a social media engagement strategy.
How Australian people and businesses are using social media.
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Faraday says the FF91 accelerates faster than Teslas Model S or any other electric car in production.Follow all our CES coverage at bbc.co.uk/ces2017. But companies like Faraday Future face competition from more established rivals - such as Tesla. Thunder Power SUV - a new all-electric concept at Frankfurt 2017. Is this a rear end to get you excited?Click here for the full A-Z of Frankfurt on CAR magazine. By Keith Jones. Contributor and continuity editor on our sister website Parkers.co. uk. Electric Vehicle Electric Cars Electric Car Conversion Electric Car Charger Tesla Electric Car Charging Stations Future Car Infographic Automobile. Considering an electric car? Call 0800 298 2030 -Here First Vehicle Leasing have highlighted some great stats including some pros and cons of 2017 BMW 5 Series revealed in leaked photos | Autocar images.cdn.autocar.co. uk.Compared with cars with internal combustion (IC) engines, electric cars are quieter and have no tailpipe emissions. The best electric car? We have driven them all here are five worth considering in 2017, including their running costs and UK price, plus two to watch out for. We love a V8 as much as the next petrolhead, but the case for an electric car grows stronger every day. 21.4.2017Best electric cars 2017. Next Green Car chooses the best EVs on sale in the UK.
With a number of new models on the market, and increased awareness from buyers as to the benefits that running a plug-in car can bring, electric vehicles are becoming more and more popular.
Like traditional gas cars, electric cars range from subcompact city cars, to luxury 3-row SUVs. If youre seeking a luxury EV, the highly efficient BMW i3 is one option.Click through for more information about todays best electric cars. Read the 2017 Ford Focus Full Review. Electric car buying guide green cars uk, researching electric car 2017 uk buying guide considers availability range plug grant lease buy electric vehicle. All volvo cars electric hybrid 2019, landmark move big manufacturer stop making vehicles solely powered internal bustion engine. 2017 is proving to be an important year for electric cars. Considering that the biggest obstacles for electric car adoption are limited range and high price, an improvement in any of these two areas is a step forward. If you are looking for a list of Electric cars 2017 then you are at the right place here you can see List of 2017 Electric car 2017.Looking for a hybrid or electric vehicle to help save gasoline and maybe on the planet? Electric cars are growing in popularity. No wonder: theyre quiet, cheap to run and smooth to drive.With limited volumes coming to the UK, its likely to be a very rare sight. What Car? rating Rated 3 out of 5. Best electric cars 2017 UK: The five best EVs on the road right now. If these figures continue, the campaigners at Go Ultra Low expect annual electric car registrations to reach 60,000 for the first time in 2018, retaining the UKs position as one of Europes largest markets for ultra-low- emission vehicles. 13 June 2017. Regrettably Autocar appears to have some kind of a policy not to give 5 star verdicts to any cars other than Volkswagen. If that is the case then well have to wait a little bit longer until VW puts an electric car on road for an electric car to score 5 stars.Volkswagen Up GTI UK 2018 review. Best electric cars 2017 uk evs road, want buy ev 2017 electric cars.Image 2017 toyota camry2017 ford escape s A Year With The BMW i3 Has Left December 20, 2017. 10 Electric Cars With Most Range — New!UKs Former Energy Environment Advisor Calls For October 21, 2016. Atticus Robocar 4P — 25,000 EV With 93-Mile 10 Best Electric Cars to Buy in 2017 (Technical Specifications and Top Prices Compared). Electric cars we have heard a lot about them lately.Electric vehicles featured in this video: Hyundai Ioniq PHEV: hyundai.co. uk/new-cars/ioniq Volvo XC60 Crossover Best electric cars 2017. Those VED changes mean electric car buyers wont pay anything for car tax, as long as the car has a list price of less than 40,000.The Nissan Leaf is the UKs favourite electric car, and for good reason. 10Best Trucks / SUVs 2018 10Best Cars Battle of the Beaters Lightning Lap 2017 New Cars for 2018 2017 Editors Choice 60th Anniversary Columns View All Features.Find Hybrid Electric Cars Near You. All statistics taken from DVLA UK a year of 2017 until September.Therefore Mitsubishi outlander can consider among one of the best 2018 electric cars in UK. Starting Price: 32,000 UK Pound. Electric car use by country varies worldwide, as the adoption of plug-in electric vehicles is affected by consumer demand, market prices and government incentives.
Plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) are generally divided into all-electric or battery electric vehicles (BEVs), that run only on batteries See more of Electric Car and Vehicle Conversions UK on Facebook. 19 December 2017 . We have been inundated with requests in the last couple of days. Please bear with us and we will get back to everyone. Automakers, big and small, are gearing up to launch some impressive new electric cars in 2017.Dendrobium The all-electric car has been created by Singapore-based Vanda Electrics with technological input from UK-based Williams Advanced Engineering. France. UK. Sweden. Spain.Plug-in vehicle sales in Europe were 307 400 units in 2017, 39 higher than for 2016. These include all Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) and Plug-in Hybrids (PHEV) in Europe, in the passenger cars and light commercial vehicles categories. Ford Focus Electric www.ford.com/cars/focus/2017/models/focus-electric. Volkswagen e-Golf www.volkswagen.co. uk/new/e-golf-vii/home. Mitsubishi i-MiEV mitsubishi-motors.com.ua/model/i-miev. Here are the best new electric cars coming in 2017 and 2018. See also: Best older electric cars and 5 reasons to buy an electric car.It will have amazing tech inside, opening its doors when it recognises your face. You cant buy it in the UK, though. Today more and more people prefer to buy just electric cars. It is not strange because the increase in gasoline prices causes motorists to look for alternative more cheap fuels. Today I will tell you about the best electric cars in 2017 worldwide. January 20, 2017 By Cars UK.When electric cars first started to reappear in car showrooms, with the Nissan LEAF leading the charge, the huge cost of the batteries to power the EVs meant prices were huge and profits for car makers all but impossible. The number of pure electric cars entering the market has increased dramatically and the marketplace for such vehicles is becoming evermore fierce.Compare this with the 8,500 petrol stations in the UK and it shows the numbers are on the rise for EV stations. Best electric cars on Sale 2017. January 20, 2017 Cars-care Car Buying, Green, Hybrid, Vehicles. 2017 hybrid cars in UK: Worldwide people are getting attention towards more on hybrid and electric cars and it continue to gain popularity among the public More people are choosing to live in cities or major conurbations. Those cities are getting more and more legislation concerning air quality, and that puts cars right in the front line. While rural dwellers far from recharging points, and with big distances between towns, may not really see the attraction The British plug-in electric vehicle market closed 2017 on a high note, as market share in December reached an all-time record of 2.9!Plug-in Electric Car Registrations in UK December 2017. Despite these changes, Chinas electric car market continued to grow in early 2017 (Pontes, 2017).24 In the United Kingdom, electric two-wheelers are eligible for a GBP 1 500 (USD 2 000) grant under certain conditions (Gov. uk, 2017b). 2017 model year electric cars expected to be released by Tesla, Faraday Future, LeEco, Hyundai, and Chevrolet. All of them features interesting specs.Carsintrend > Car Culture > Electric Cars Expected To Be Released In 2017 . Learn about more best hybrid vehicles in UK 2017 : www.carbuyer.co.uk /reviews/recommended/best-hybrid-cars.Electric/Hybrid Car - 2017 KBB.com Best Buys. Sun 19 Nov 2017 05.41 EST First published on Sat 18 Nov 2017 19.05 EST.He will provide 1bn of new spending for hi-tech projects, including 75m for research on artificial intelligence, 400m for electric car charging points and 100m to boost clean car sales. The truth is that electric cars are so diverse that there is absolutely no one-size-fits-all s0lution. You need to find what is the best electric car for you.The 10 best electric bikes August 2017. We think that electric bikes are going to take off in a big way, despite a slow start. Fool.co.uk.Heres a look at the top five electric vehicles in the U.S. in 2017, based on Inside EVs most recent sales data.An electric car threat Tesla needs to take seriously. The Model 3 may not be having a great year, but its biggest competitor, General Motors (NYSE:GM) Chevy Bolt, certainly is. adamvaughanuk. Sat 7 Oct 2017 18.08 EDT First published on Sat 7 Oct 2017 11.00 EDT.Photograph: Miles Willis/Getty Images. You drive home and plug in your electric car, telling an app how many miles you need the next day. 2017 Tesla Model X 90D First Drive: Few Genuine Rivals.The Nissan Leaf was the first mass-produced, fully electric family car on sale in the UK, and it brought a load of credibility to electric vehicles. Best Electric Cars is a leading buyers guide for electric cars including the latest news and reviews.With 2017 now a pleasant memory, its time to look to the future and how you can help to protect the planet. Electric vehicles guide 2017 - all about electric vehicles, what to consider when buying, costs, charging and models that are available to buy.Zap-Maps EV Basics page outlines important technology information and distinguishing characteristics of the different types of electric car. United Kingdom UK. Deutschland DE. Australia AUS.Audi, Mercedes, and BMW revealed electric cars that could rival Tesla — heres a first look at the EVs. Danielle Muoio. Sep. 12, 2017, 11:11 AM. Uk Electric Car News Retweeted. Next Green Car nextgreencar 15 Mar 2017 .The current Leaf is a worthy car, but please NissanEVUK make the new model less frumpy and more dynamic - youd sell loads more! Best Hybrid Electric Cars: 20k 25k. New Smart ForTwo Coupe Electric drive from 21,275. Type: Electric C02 emissions: 0 g/km Battery charge time (3The 2017 Car Tax Changes Explained. The 19 Best Cars for Mums in 2018. Road Signs Quiz: Test your knowledge of UK road signs. Electric Cars from 25,000 - 35,000. Popular Electric Cars in this price range: Nissan Leaf, Ford Focus.smart fortwo electric. Editors Top Rated. 2017 Tesla Model X. 2017 Kia Soul EV. 2018 Chevrolet Volt. 2017 Chevrolet Bolt. The new Chevy crossover is the champion when it comes to mileage. Of course, there are some electric cars that can do more than 200 miles. However, none of them costs as low as 2017 Chevrolet Bolt. The cars estimated price is less than 40k. Budget 2017 electric car grant and infrastructure investment totals 500 million.The government also wants to see fully self-driving cars, without a human operator, on UK roads by 2021. This will require major changes to the regulatory framework such as setting out how autonomous vehicles can Electric cars UK.Electric cars Stories November 1, 2017. Even electric cars powered by the dirtiest electricity emit fewer emissions than diesel cars, says new study. Check the URL for errors or try our searching inews.co.uk Check your search terms and try againTony Middlehurst - What Car 5 months Friday October 6th 2017. The publics distrust of electric vehicles is gradually melting away as battery ranges increase but which EVs should you consider We want nearly every car and van on UK roads to be zero emission by 2050. Chris Grayling, Secretary of State for Transport in the UK.2 million In June 2017 the number of electric cars in the world exceeded 2 million for the first time.


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According to Korean sites Samsung Electronics is finally picking up the pace and will deliver even more exciting phones to selfie lovers. The Korean manufacturer’s Samsung Electro-Mechanics branch is producing the main camera. The front one, on the other hand, is produced by external supplier. Medium-sized and small companies like MCNEX, Power Logics, Partron and Camisys are in the running.The Galaxy S8 is the next major device tobe released and all information leads to better camera. It also is rumored to adopt iris recognition module, which was unfinished last year.
LG plans to launch a flexible OLED smartphone before the end of the year, the company’s VP of mobile has confirmed, though it’s unclear to what extent the work-in-progress handset will actually flex. The OLED panel in question is the handiwork of LG Display according to VP of LG mobile Yoon Bu-hyun, the WSJ reports, with the proposed device set to launch sometime in Q4. LG Display’s work on flexible OLEDs has been underway for some time, though the company’s efforts have perhaps been overshadowed somewhat by rival Samsung’s YOUM development. Last year, according to a Korea Times report, LG Display was preparing for
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Ladbrokes, the betting shop owner, has reported a 30% decline in profits to £94m after Royal Ascot and dips in telephone wagers. The group reported its results for the first half, ending June 30, today (August 7).
The bookmaker says it took a hit after 11 out of 30 of the favourites at this year’s Royal Ascot romped home compared to seven the previous year. It has also seen a slowdown in phone betting due to the clampdown on consumer spending.
It saw a 6.5% lift in first half UK retail sales to £394.3m, with most of the increase stemming from its gambling machines after the introduction of new products and longer shop opening hours.
Christopher Bell, Ladbrokes chief executive, says the period “has been moderately bloody and painful for us”.
The company has 2,600 betting shops in the UK, Ireland and continental Europe. It also has an e-gaming division, which has reported profits of £26.2m for the first half of the year.


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News of Methbot late last year brought the spotlight back on ad fraud and the urgency with which it needs to be dealt with. The Google-YouTube controversy earlier this year is another example of why the conversation about brand safety is something that every advertiser needs to have. In this context, GroupM’s John Montgomery speaks to BrandWagon’s Shinmin Bali about why automated buying is the logical way forward, the relevance of brand safety, being ahead of fraudsters and more. Edited excerpts:
What is your response to advertisers who ask why brand safety is important?
As digital has become more data driven, we have been able to understand more of what makes it work. We can target behaviourally, we can attribute to the right source and we can generally get better RoI. But along with that comes a lot of complexity which in turn brings with it an amount of risk. Any area of risk in the digital supply chain is something we will mitigate. A lot of our clients are big content producers like NBC and Universal Music which are losing billions to pirate sites. In fact, pirate sites are earning money from advertisers in a way because ads end up showing on pirate sites as that’s where they figure the audience is.
There are different markets at different stages of comfort with the digital environment. Is it then fair to say that brand safety is one of the teething troubles of the digital space?
A year from now, another new risk might emerge. In the privacy area, GDPR (general data protection regulation) in the EU, which is a regulation about anybody sharing data with somebody else, is suddenly going to become a new issue. Sure, contextual brand safety has always been there but after February, there is a level of hysteria around it now. It will only get more complex and more important because it is fairly nascent. Some of it is teething problems, true, but each of these issues will require mitigation and a strategy. It will get better. But just because we know it will get better does not mean we don’t have to keep watching it.
To what extent can digital ad fraud be minimised, say, in the Indian market? And how long can it take?
We can bring it down to the same numbers that we see in Europe. We can bring it down to a low single-digit figure. In the West, the fraud was high but the moment we started measuring it, it dropped like a stone. I don’t know how long it is going to take for us to bring it down to the same levels as Europe, but the Indian market is a few years behind in terms of measurement. Having said that, it won’t take India as long as it has taken for, say, Europe because now the technology exists to counter fraud. The technology we are using in the US is the technology that can work here as well.
Fraudsters usually work by looking into the KPIs advertisers are optimising. How can programmatic help deal with this?
Cheaters are always one step ahead of the chasers. Methbot came out in December, 2016 but it was caught in a few days. It did cause some damage in those few days but it was not huge. That’s why we rely on our technology partners to stay ahead of it. Programmatic has always been given a bad reputation. I think it is unfair. It is a little bit like blaming road accidents on motorcars. It’s about the operator of the vehicle and not the car. It is the same case with programmatic. Often, programmatic is asked to operate in an open exchange and find the lowest cost inventory. As a result, of course, the brand risk will be higher in that space.
But frankly, programmatic is just an optimisation technology. We have used programmatic in private exchanges and private marketplaces because it is as appropriate in a private market as it is in an open exchange. We have actually found in some developing markets that programmatic is safer because you have to measure. In countries like China, where there isn’t a lot of measurement, programmatic proves to be safer.
Which KPIs could be fraud proof? Are volume-based and pay-per-click models still the right approach for advertising?
All modes of buying (impressions, clicks, conversions, views, etc) are subject to fraud. SIVT (sophisticated in-valid traffic) is a highly evolved practice. It is important we use trusted third-party tools to block exposure to all kinds of fraudulent inventory sources.
India still has a fair number of advertisers who do things traditionally. How does a brand come to realise, in its first brush with digital, to consider brand safety measures?
For each day that a brand does not address safety, it is an opportunity lost where the brand could have been more viewable, with better quality inventory. Programmatic is about 10% or less but it will happen. It is one of those step change environments, like the move from analog to digital phones. Take for example YouTube; there are about 450 hours of video uploaded every minute and many hours of video viewed every day. So the only way for any advertiser, new or old, to make sense of this is to do it the automated way.
We have an expression on our side of the business, ‘everything that can be bought programmatically, will be’. If that is true, advertisers are going to need to learn to do it extremely well. In the US, after being talked about for years, programmatic finally realistically took two years to catch on. It will happen in India too. Publishers are probably worried about the yield from programmatic and so they hang on to what reserved media can offer them, but there will be a momentum that will finally tip the scale.
In hindsight, should players like Google and YouTube be penalised for failing to develop thorough systems to ensure the best possible brand-safe conditions?
It was a case of free market mechanism. What was found is many advertisers pausing their advertising because they weren’t sure what was happening. Unless publishers respond to brand safety, they will get less business from big brands that are increasingly concerned about brand safety. So when you say penalised, it will happen through a free market environment.


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Fur Commission USA
Activist complaints unfounded. Wisconsin mink farmer exonerated by investigators
No evidence of animal cruelty was found by state authorities and it has been determined there is no reason for charges to be filed, despite complaints lodged by activists after a PETA undercover operative spent 3 months secretly filming a Wisconsin mink farm.
“We take any reports of cruelty or neglect very seriously, because our producers consider animal welfare their highest priority; excellent nutrition and care is vital to producing the high-quality mink that the U.S. is known for around the world,” said Fur Commission executive director Michael Whelan.
“We are very pleased that the authorities have moved very quickly to investigate PETA’s claims and found no evidence of any wrong doing. The Dillenburg family has been raising animals for over 40 years, and this vindication confirms once again that the animals on U.S. mink farms are treated extremely well.”
PETA campaigns against dairy, poultry and other animal production using wildly sensational claims and images to unfairly attack hard-working and compassionate American farm families. It is important to understand that PETA is not looking to improve animal agriculture, they seek to end it completely. PETA opposes any use of animals for food, life-saving medical research or even as pets.
Fur Commission USA is a national, not-for-profit industry association representing the US mink farmers. The value of US mink production topped $300 million last year.
Defendants drove 40,000 miles to release thousands of mink from farms in Iowa, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Minnesota and elsewhere
SAN DIEGO – Animal-rights activists Joseph Buddenberg and Nicole Kissane were arrested by the FBI today and charged with terrorizing the fur industry during cross-country road trips in which they released thousands of mink from farms around the country and vandalized various properties.
According to a federal grand jury indictment unsealed today, Buddenberg and Kissane caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage during the nationwide spree in the summer of 2013. The indictment alleges that the pair snuck onto farms and freed minks and destroyed breeding records in Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania during multiple trips, and in one case they released a bobcat from a farm in Montana.
The defendants were charged under the Conspiracy to Violate the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act. They were arrested in Oakland this morning by agents from the FBI’s San Francisco field office. The government will seek the removal of Buddenberg and Kissane to the Southern District of California to face charges.
In one instance described in the indictment, the defendants traveled from Oregon to San Diego in their 2012 Honda Fit on July 15, 2013 and used paint, paint stripper, a super glue-type substance, butyric acid, muriatic acid and glass etchant to vandalize Furs by Graf, a retail furrier located in San Diego, as well as the Spring Valley and La Mesa residences and personal property of the current and former owners of the business.
To publicize their crimes, the defendants drafted “communiqués” describing their conduct and posted them on websites associated with animal rights extremists, the indictment said.
Among some of the incidents of vandalism cited in the indictment: The defendants slashed tires of a meat distributor’s truck in San Francisco; smashed windows and glued the door locks at a furrier business in Minneapolis, Minnesota; vandalized and attempted to flood the Sun Prairie, Wisconsin home of an employee of the North American Fur Auctions.
According to the indictment, the unemployed defendants sold items on eBay and Amazon to finance their trips. To avoid detection by law enforcement, the defendants withdrew large sums of cash from their bank accounts immediately before setting off on a road trip. During the trips, they largely avoided the use of phones, used only cash for purchases and stopped logging in to known online accounts and email. Instead, they used public internet computers and encrypted email.
Once they returned from the trips, they resumed normal use of phones and computers and no longer relied solely on cash to make purchases.
“Whatever your feelings about the fur industry, there are legal ways to make your opinions known,” said U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy. “The conduct alleged here, sneaking around at night, stealing property and vandalizing homes and businesses with acid, glue, and chemicals, is a form of domestic terrorism and can’t be permitted to continue.”
“Today’s indictment represents the collective efforts of several FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTF) around the country,” said Eric S. Birnbaum, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office. “The FBI and our JTTF partners will continue to investigate and seek the prosecution of those who engage in similar criminal conduct for the purpose of advancing their own personal agenda.”
Indictment Document (335.58 KB)
Joseph Brian Buddenberg Age: 31 Oakland, CA
Nicole Juanita Kissane Age: 28 Oakland, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Violate the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 43 (a) (1), (2) (c) and (b) (3) (A) Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and $250,000 fine
Federal Bureau of Investigation, San Francisco and San Diego Field Offices
Joint Terrorism Task Force
For Further Information, Contact:
Assistant U.S. Attorneys
John Parmley (619) 546-7957 or Michael Kaplan (619) 546-7927
*The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty
The 2015 Mink Production Report was just released this past July 24. The report by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, reveals that both domestic mink prices and production numbers are steadily rising. Production of pelts raised in 2014 for sale this year increased by 6 percent to 3.76 million pelts. The average price per pelt, at $57.70 was up $1.40 from the prior year. For the complete report click here. For information on production trends going back over 40 years, visit our Statistics Central page here.
The International Fur Federation (IFF) has developed a global fashion campaign to communicate the modern face of fur and to break down stereotypes around what fur is and who wears it.
The mainly digital push named #FURNOW, includes social media, blogger outreach, video, mobile and gifs designed with a view to go viral. The campaign also includes print media targeting leading fashion titles in key global markets. The focus on digital communications represents a significant departure for the industry which has tended to rely on traditional above the line media.
The campaign is built around images of men and women wearing beautiful, contemporary fur items in eye- catching, sometimes surprising ways, all designed for sharing online. Fur is a key trend in the 2014 autumn/winter collections and the campaign channels this ‘right for now’ zeitgeist.
Sitting at the heart of the drive is a high energy, fast-paced one minute video showing a collection of diverse fur looks in bright colors on male and female models dancing to Para One feat Jaw – When the Night. The video opens with a model wearing large black fur headphones, followed by a shot of a fur-trimmed clutch bag that quickly switches to a purple hooded jacket. Other unusual fur items include a fur baseball outfit including fur epaulettes, kneepads and glove; a male dancer wearing fur slippers and matching cuffs; a model sporting a pair of iconic fur lined glasses and a bearded hipster with a fur parka and fur-trimmed pipe. The video closes with a sequence of shots with the campaign title, ‘Fur Now’ on different colored fur backgrounds.
Two of the most influential fashion bloggers behind the scene on the day of the shoot, Bryan Boy (www.bryanboy.com) and Gala Gonzalez (www.amlul.com) used their social media platforms to push out comments and pictures of their experience to generate interest in the campaign and fur more broadly amongst their huge audience of followers. Just one ‘selfie’ posted by Bryan Boy wearing a purple hooded Kenzo jacket used in the shoot generated 7,678 likes. IFF also saw over three million impressions of the hashtag #furnow during the two days of the shoot and generated over 50,000 likes on instagram over the same period.
The media plan, which is predominantly digital, mobile and social, includes Conde Nast’s Vogue Italy website; Style.com – including a home page takeover and sponsorship of its weekly newsletter; and Vogue US mobile. The video will also run on YouTube.
Commenting on the campaign, Mark Oaten, CEO, IFF said: “In recent times, fur has changed beyond belief. New techniques and innovations have brought bright colors and lighter garments that appeal to consumers young and old, male and female. Our campaign aims to communicate this contemporary face of fur in a fun, upbeat way.
“Communicating this new face of fur required a radical rethink of the type of campaign approach we chose. This is why for the first time we have gone firmly down the digital/social media route. The luxury sector has traditionally been slow to this type of media, and fur has perhaps been later to the party than many in this space. However the share-able, viral and conversational nature of digital and social media means it is the best choice to communicate the new and modern face of fur and to generate global buzz and interest in the way fur is evolving.”
Okay, this research might make animal rights activists wince! Making babies sleep on animal fur in their first three months of infancy can potentially reduce the risk of asthma in childhood.
According to a study finding, exposure to the microbial environment in animal skin and fur might act as a shield against asthma and allergies.
Researchers analyzed data from a German birth cohort called Lisaplus. The cohort included over 3,000 healthy newborns that were mostly recruited in 1998.
The team examined the exposure of the newborns to animal skin during the first three months of life. They also assessed the information on the health of children until the age of 10 years. Researchers took information of 2,441 children into account and noted that 55 percent of these included sleeping on animal skin in the first three months of life.
The analysis showed that sleeping on animal skin reduced the risk of a number of factors associated with asthma. The team found that the risk of developing asthma at the age of 6 years was 79 percent less in children who slept on animal skin after birth. Moreover, the risk decreased to 41 percent as children reached the age of 10.
“Previous studies have suggested that microbes found in rural settings can protect from asthma. An animal skin might also be a reservoir for various kinds of microbes, following similar mechanisms as has been observed in rural environments. Our findings have confirmed that it is crucial to study further the actual microbial environment within the animal fur to confirm this association,” said Dr Christina Tischer, from the Helmholtz Zentrum München Research Centre.
The findings of the research were presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress in Munich.
The USDA has released its mink production report for 2013 and once again Wisconsin leads the nation. See the full report here for each year, going back to 1970
According to a new study, the global fur trade has now been valued at more than $40 Billion worldwide – roughly the same as the global Wi-Fi industry.
The research is the first to analyze the highly fragmented fur sector, looking beyond retail sales at the immense worldwide economic value of fur farming and production – which have historically been very difficult to measure. The study revealed that global fur retail sales are estimated at $35.8 Billion, farming is valued at $7.8 Billion and total employment in the sector at over 1 million.
The data comes from an independent study into the value of the fur industry, commissioned by the trade association International Fur Federation (IFF), and carried out in 2012-13 by Price-Waterhouse Cooper Italy. In countries such as Greece, Russia, China and Denmark, fur is a leading contributor to the national economy and employs tens of thousands of people.
Mark Oaten, CEO of IFF, comments: “These figures, unveiled for the first time, show that it’s been a great couple of years for the industry. While of course there have been challenges, such as the recent economic slowdown in China and the fluctuating price of fur at auction, the recent cold weather in America and its increasing popularity on catwalks globally has once again thrown our sector into the spotlight.
“This study demonstrates the unquestionable value the fur trade brings to the global economy. It’s easy to get caught up in the emotions the business can generate, but the truth is that the fur trade is an economic cornerstone in Europe and beyond. Much of the fashion and increasingly the soft furnishings world relies on fur – and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.”
About the IFF
The International Fur Federation was founded over 60 years ago and represents 42 national fur trade associations and 35 organizations. Members are drawn from the entire supply chain: from farmers and trappers, to designers and sales and marketing organizations. The IFF protects the interests of the fur sector, upholding the regulation on the welfare of all animal species, farmed or not, through accurate scientific research. It furthermore guarantees that it does not trade in endangered species.
Dutch News: Fur farmers celebrate as court throws out ban on mink farming
Wednesday 21 May 2014
A court in The Hague on Wednesday overturned a new law to ban breeding animals for fur from 2024.
The law will have a ‘serious financial impact’ on breeders and it is totally unclear if they will be given proper compensation, the judges said in their verdict.
The legislation to phase out fur farming was passed by the senate at the end of 2012, three years after it was agreed by the lower house.
Five million pelts
Fur farmers described the decision as ‘historic’, saying the ban would have meant the end of an economically successful sector, news agency ANP reports.
The Netherlands has some 160 fur farms producing five million pelts a year. The sector employs some 1,400 people.
The Netherlands is the third biggest fur farming nation in the world behind Denmark and China.
Junior economic affairs minister Sharon Dijksma said she will appeal against the court decision.
However, D66 parliamentarian Gerard Schouw called on Dijksma to revise the decision and take the courts comments on compensation for farmers into account.
Earlier, researchers at Wageningen University said the the cost of the ban would be €651m.
Animal rights groups said they were very disappointed at the court ruling.
‘It has been clear to breeders for years that a ban was in the offing,’ said a spokesman for animal protection group Dierenbescherming. ‘It would be awful for animals if the ban now takes even longer.’
– See more at: http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2014/05/fur_farmers_celebrate_as_court.php#sthash.ZYJ57vHQ.dpuf
By HELENA BOTTEMILLER EVICH | Politico
4/16/14 12:05 AM EDT
Expired marshmallows, broken crackers, stale donuts, even orange peels are among the billions of pounds of would-be waste that help feed livestock every year.
By regularly diverting its waste in this way, the food industry prevents millions of tons of greenhouse gases from being released into the atmosphere, but an obscure proposal under a 2011 food safety overhaul could inadvertently send much of the reusable food back to landfills.
Food manufacturers send the vast majority of their waste to be turned into animal feed, which many view as a significant achievement considering that more than 30 percent of all food in the United States is thrown away. But the Food and Drug Administration has proposed placing new sanitation and record-keeping requirements on feed production that could increase compliance costs and paperwork — mandates that many in the industry and on Capitol Hill warn could make it too expensive for businesses to continue recycling.
“World food needs are going to increase dramatically,” Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), ranking member of the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, said at a recent hearing on the FDA’s budget.
Blunt urged FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg to revise the proposed animal feed rule, which was required under the Food Safety Modernization Act, to give more consideration to food byproducts used in feed.
“Normally, we’d think about how we need to produce more food, but [we also need to] more effectively use the food and food products we have,” Blunt said, adding, “I think this is a big issue.”
The Grocery Manufacturers Association, which represents more than 300 top food companies and supports the food safety overhaul broadly, is raising alarm about the feed proposal. The group has said the FDA’s approach would be costly, bad for the environment and provide little or no food safety benefit.
“Of course, our members do not want to use landfills except as a last resort, but they may have no other option if compliance costs are too high,” the group said in 88-pages of comments on the proposed regulation. Tonnage sent to landfills “could drastically increase,” the group warned.
Food manufacturers kept about 44 billion pounds of food waste out of landfills in 2011, including such discards as French fry potato peels and granola bar trimmings, according to data compiled by the Food Waste Reduction Alliance, a collaboration between GMA, the Food Marketing Institute and the National Restaurant Association.
In its own economic analysis, GMA has estimated that nearly 70 percent of the waste stream from food manufacturers goes into animal feed and only 5 percent is dumped in landfills. The bulk of the remaining waste is composted or applied to land.
Those numbers would change dramatically if the FDA proposal becomes law, the group said. The proposed regulation would require manufacturers to create food safety plans for all of the byproducts going into feed, a potentially costly mandate that would likely prompt companies to divert as little as 22 percent of their food waste to feed and almost 28 percent to landfills in order to save money and avoid the hassle, GMA estimated.
Overall, the rule would cost food manufacturers about $444 million a year, GMA said, which is more than three times what the FDA estimated for the human, livestock and pet food industries combined. That includes $100 million in lost revenue from animal feed buyers and $344 million in increased landfill and compost fees.
In environmental terms, carbon dioxide emissions would increase by 4.7 million metric tons annually — the equivalent of adding about a million passenger cars to the roads, the group said.
“It is bad public policy for FDA to put companies in the situation of having to decide whether to incur significant expenditures for compliance, with minimal, if any, augmentation to the health of humans or animals, or to engage in a practice that it known to be environmentally unsustainable,” GMA said in its comments on the rule.
The industry group has asked the FDA to overhaul its proposal and cost-benefit analysis and conduct an environmental impact assessment, which the agency has argued isn’t necessary. The FDA’s analysis found that the proposal would provide “potential improvements” to public health by reducing contamination in animal feed and the animal products that people consume, but the agency did not provide figures and said it is “unable to quantify the benefits of the proposed rule.”
David Plunkett, a senior attorney at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said he believes it’s unlikely companies will divert their food to landfills and that such concerns are overblown.
“Trade associations have the job of constructing the ‘worst case scenario’ to minimize the impact of regulations, but the reality is often very different,” Plunkett said. “Companies are accustomed to [hazard control] plans for food safety, and it is unlikely that pet food and animal feed are going to disappear into landfills simply because of this rule’s minimal requirement to practice safety and keep good records.”
Responding to pushback on several of its food safety proposals, the FDA announced in March that it plans to issue “revised language” for the feed rule, and top officials have said that they’re committed to finding a practical solution to food waste concerns.
At the recent Senate appropriations hearing, Commissioner Hamburg told Sen. Blunt that she has brought the waste issue to the attention of her team.
“We want to support sustainable agriculture practices,” Hamburg said. “It makes enormous sense. We do believe this can be addressed in a practical, sensible way.”
Meanwhile, the EPA has developed a “food recovery hierarchy” to guide food waste policy. Its top priority, aside from reducing waste, is to feed hungry people and, after that, to feed animals.
ConAgra Foods, which owns such popular brands as Chef Boyardee and Reddi-wip, used the EPA recommendations to develop its waste-reduction strategy, Gail Tavill, the company’s vice president for sustainable development.
“Our strategy was really to move up that value hierarchy,” Tavill said. “Feeding animals, for us, is a huge part of our strategy.”
Tavill pointed to shelf-stable pudding as a key example. Typically, the company will produce some initial batches of pudding cups to ensure the process is sterile before making cups to ship to consumers.
“For many years, those finished cups were going into the landfill,” Tavill said. But then ConAgra Foods started working with another company that could separate the pudding from the cups to use in poultry feed and recover energy from the plastic. Cost was not a significant factor in pursuing this relationship, she said. While it did deliver a small savings, the real driver was working toward keeping valuable materials out of landfills. Today, ConAgra Foods diverts about 87 percent of its total food waste stream to animal feed, she said.
Tavill expressed concern that FDA’s proposal will prompt companies to discontinue their recycling efforts. Compliance will be especially difficult for manufacturers who handle multiple products or those with a lot of ingredients, such as soup and pot pies, she said.
“[The regulations] are pretty prescriptive,” Tavill said. “What is the problem that the rule is trying to solve? Where’s the risk that they’re trying to solve? … Is the effort to comply with the requirements equal to the risk?”
Dozens of other companies also are expected to weigh in on the proposed feed rule. Food giant Cargill told POLITICO that it supports the food safety law, but “believes that the regulation should have some flexibility due to the broad nature of the animal food, feed and ingredient space.”
Despite the problem that food waste presents, recycling hasn’t attracted as much high-profile attention in the United States as it has in other countries. In the United Kingdom, for example, celebrities advocate feeding discarded food to pigs under a campaign dubbed “The Pig Idea.”
Taking a cue from across the pond, the Agriculture Department and EPA launched the less-cleverly titled U.S. Food Waste Challenge this past summer to raise awareness of the need for more recycling.
“The food industry in general is starting to pay more attention to the waste stream and find ways to capture value from what they previously threw away,” said Jonathan Bloom, author of the food-waste treatise “American Wasteland.” “As the cost savings become clear, more and more companies are looking at it,” he said.
Consumer awareness of the issue is also growing, he said.
“People are becoming increasingly interested in where their food comes from, and a natural offshoot of that is to ask, ‘Where does it go when we’re done with it or when we don’t use it?’”
Mink prices soared to historic heights at the season’s first North American sale in Toronto, in what was described as the biggest mink offering in North American history. Chinese and Russian buyers spearheaded the demand, in order to satisfy the still-growing appetites of people back home. The February sale at North American Fur Auctions attracted over 700 buyers, its biggest attendance ever, and at times it was standing room only.
The bidding was spirited, sending prices to historic highs for North American mink, fully 20% over the same sale last year, according to the company. Buyers agreed, calling prices firm to the record levels achieved elsewhere for comparable goods. Hong Kong/China, as expected, was the dominant buyer throughout, with strong support from Greece, Russia and Korea. Chinese buyers, whose ranks have been growing at each successive auction on both sides of the Atlantic for several years – in line with the expansion of their domestic market at the manufacturing and retail levels – quickly dominated the action.
This also was the biggest-ever offering of mink at a North American sale, some 3.9 million pelts, including international goods. The entire collection was snapped up at strong prices, attesting to the demand at the retail level, particularly in China.


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At General Mills, a new sales experiment is made possible with new technologies.
In 2008, executives of the food giant began to notice that people with sensitivity to gluten were finding it difficult to locate foods that lack this protein, found naturally in some grains. A year later, the company launched a website called LiveGlutenFreely.com that provided product information and other resources to people seeking a gluten-free lifestyle.
For an international food company that normally markets its iconic brands—including Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Wheaties and Yoplait—on supermarket shelves, the concept was an ambitious experiment. To reach the growing demographic of consumers demanding gluten-free ingredients due to Celiac disease, allergies, or other health or dietary concerns, General Mills would relaunch its site as a new online distribution channel called “Gluten Freely.”
With Gluten Freely, General Mills aims to tap a rapidly growing market. According to the research firm Euromonitor International, the gluten-free market reached nearly $1.3 billion in U.S. sales, and $2.6 billion worldwide, in 2011—more than double the 2005 levels. Those figures are projected to rise by at least five percent this year, and to more than $1.5 billion for the United States and $3.1 billion worldwide in 2015.