text:
EveryMatrix has announced a new operational milestone for its OddsMatrix sports betting platform. In 2022, sales will exceed 1 billion euros. With record growth, OddsMatrix achieved record sales in August and September, up 100% from last year.
The company said OddsMatrix outperformed all 2021 performance in the third quarter as the sports betting engine broke the €1 billion barrier.
Ebbe Groes, CEO at EveryMatrix, said: «This is another stunning accomplishment for OddsMatrix and EveryMatrix as a whole.
We’ll likely be hitting EUR 200m turnover per month in Q4 2022. And the fast growth of volumes can be turned into even more feature investment, positively reinforcing the volume growth.»
OddsMatrix hit the €1 billion mark this year with a new partnership to integrate two new key customers, Moroccan bookmaker Intralot MDJS and historic German bookmaker bet-at-home.
In addition, EveryMatrix has acquired sports betting studio Leapbit, which will expand the OddsMatrix platform with new omni-channel capabilities. In the second quarter, Everymatrix’s turnover increased by 17% to 15 million euros and EBITDA to 5.2 million euros.
Don’t forget to subscribe to our Telegram-channel!


text:
Trade tensions between China and a US have been ramped adult after Beijing responded to US skeleton for putting new taxes on hundreds of Chinese imports.
China pronounced it would place 25% trade tariffs on 106 US goods, including soybeans, cars and orange juice.
The tit-for-tat movement comes hours after Washington minute about 1,300 Chinese products it dictated to strike with tariffs – also set during 25%.
US-targeted apparatus embody Chinese-made televisions and motorcycles.
The White House pronounced a proposals were a response to astray Chinese egghead skill practices.
- Analysis: Why China won’t baulk during US tariff threat
- Trump trade war: China tells US it will urge inhabitant interests
Earlier, Beijing pronounced it “strongly condemns and resolutely opposes” a due US tariffs, pursuit them “unilateralistic and protectionist”, and vowing to retaliate.
The products targeted by a Chinese tariffs were value $50bn (£35.5bn) in 2017, according to a Chinese commerce ministry.
US chemicals, some forms of aircraft and corn products are among a products confronting a taxes, a financial method said.
Extra tariffs will also be placed on whiskey, cigars and tobacco, some forms of beef, lubricants, and propane and other cosmetic products.
US orange juice, certain sorghum products, string and some forms of wheat, as good as trucks, some SUVs and certain electric vehicles, will also be theme to a new duties, a method added.
Economists had formerly warned a Trump administration’s pierce to penalize China with a tariffs could prompt Beijing to retort and lead to aloft prices for US consumers.
The value of of products bought by a US from China in 2016.
18.2% of all China’s exports go to a United States
$129bn value of China-made electrical machine bought by US
59.2% expansion in Chinese services alien by US between 2006 2016
$347bn US products trade necessity with China
The designed US tariffs are a outcome of an examination systematic by US President Donald Trump into China’s egghead skill practices.
Last month, he pronounced a exploration had found justification of problems, such as practices that vigour US companies to share record with Chinese firms
The bureau of a US Trade Representative, that handles trade negotiations, pronounced that a tariffs would request to about $50bn of Chinese imports.
That was an volume that was “appropriate both in light of a estimated mistreat to a US economy and to obtain rejecting of China’s damaging acts, policies and practices”, it said.
The list includes tools of communication satellites, semiconductors, aviation apparatus and brewery machinery, as good as some-more niche products such as bakery ovens and rocket launchers.
A final list will be dynamic after a open criticism duration and review, approaching to final about dual months.
Beijing has been austere that it did not wish a trade war, though that it would not not behind down underneath US pressure.
“Any try to move China to a knees by threats and danger will never succeed,” unfamiliar method orator Geng Shuang said.
“There is no leader in a trade war, and an initiator will mistreat itself as good as others.”
Mr Geng pronounced China had referred a US to a World Trade Organization.
Hopes for a resolution
China’s economy has turn reduction contingent on offered products abroad in new years, that is expected to blunt a outcome of a US tariffs, according to analysts for SP Global Ratings.
The US was a end for about 18.2% of all Chinese exports in 2016, according to a US trade department.
American business groups have urged a dual sides to try to solve a issues by talks, expressing regard that melancholy tariffs could lead to a brawl that hurts a US economy.
“The administration is righteously focused on restoring equity and integrity in a trade attribute with China,” pronounced a US Chamber of Commerce.
“However, commanding taxes on products used daily by American consumers and pursuit creators is not a approach to grasp those ends.”

domain: news


text:
Kanye West has rounded up his high-profile fashion friends to debut the ultimate collaboration: Yeezy x Gap x Balenciaga, slated for global release this year under the branding Yeezy Gap Engineered by Balenciaga. The three-way partnership will be the first of its kind to see “Ye’s peerless vision bring together the most influential designer of his generation, Demna, with iconic American brand, Gap,” Yeezy Gap said in a statement.
Business friends forever — West and Balenciaga’s creative director, Demna Gvasalia — as of late 2021, known simply as Ye and Demna — have formed a tight-knit friendship over the past year, assisting each other through a number of projects. Last July, Ye sat front row at Demna’s first Balenciaga couture show, while Demna served as creative director to Ye’s Donda listening parties. The rapper, dedicated as ever, has even worn Balenciaga’s own collaboration with Crocs religiously, seeing the chunky rubber shoes fit for dining with Anna Wintour.
Looking back, a business partnership between Demna and Ye was inevitable; as for Gap’s inclusion, not so much. After Ye signed a ten-year contract with the brand in 2020, releases have been limited to Round Jackets and hoodies, each lacking definite branding. Still, demand for the exclusive pieces has crashed the Gap website numerous times, while a red iteration of the $200 Round Jacket is now reselling for $7,500.
As of now, there’s no word on what Balenciaga’s Yeezy x Gap collection will look like, although it's safe to assume the capsule will feature oversized hoodies, utilitarian pants, and deconstructed denim. Gap’s branding — or some type of hybrid logo — may take center stage too, given Demna’s penchant for corporate logos. In fact, the creative director may have hinted at his Yeezy x Gap collaboration in his Pre-Fall 2021 collection, where he debuted sweatshirts and tees that turned Gap’s logo into the word “Gay.”
Does accessibility align with Yeezy and Balenciaga? — Already, Yeezy Gap Engineered by Balenciaga sounds like an expensive collaboration, although Demna clarified that its focus lies within accessibility — something often missing from Yeezy and Yeezy x Gap’s offerings. “I’ve always appreciated the utilitarianism and the accessibility of Gap… This project allowed me to join forces [with Ye] to create utilitarian fashion for all,” the Balenciaga creative director told Vogue.
According to Vogue, the first half of the Yeezy Gap Engineered by Balenciaga collection will land in June, with a second drop scheduled for later in the year. “It is a vision come true to work with Gap and Demna, the creative director of Balenciaga, to make incredible product available to everyone at all times,” Ye told the publication. How Demna and Ye define availability and accessibility is unclear — after all, they’re both millionaires — but it’ll be interesting to find out.


text:
Jan 22, 2018Demand for Brussels sprouts grows dramatically
Talk to people in the Brussels sprouts business and they all tend to say the same thing.
“About five to seven years ago,” most begin, and then go on to tell a story of how a growing uptick in demand for Brussels sprouts as a commodity surfaced around that time. Some say it started with cooking shows. Then restaurants took notice, adding them to menus.
Brussels sprouts are a member of the same family as kale, broccoli and cauliflower, and so their health benefits have also come to be touted. The USDA National Nutrient Database reports that Brussels sprouts provide substantial amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid and fiber.
“Brussels are undergoing a renaissance,” said Jacob Shafer, spokesman for Mann’s. “The rise is, in some ways, connected to recent research stating Brussels sprouts are as rich a source of many nutrients compared with kale.”
On the other hand, said Charlie Eagle, bacon might get some of the credit. He’s the vice president of business development for Florida-based Southern Specialties, which offers value-added peeled and ready to microwave Brussels sprouts under its Southern Selects label.
“Somewhere down the road a couple of celebrity chefs said, ‘Man, you’ve got to taste these Brussels sprouts when you pair them with bacon’ and people went wild for it,” Eagle said. “We started to see a lot of Brussels sprouts in restaurants, and when people experience it in restaurants, the next thing, they’re going to retail shelves and trying to replicate those taste profiles.
“Really, the bacon and Brussels sprouts thing has been a pretty good contributor (to Brussels sprouts’ popularity).”
Whatever the reason, the once nearly-reviled and only trotted out at Thanksgiving and maybe Christmas Brussels sprout has become cool.
“According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Retail Report, Brussels sell best on promotion around Thanksgiving and Christmas, but promotions during other parts of the year are on the rise, too,” Shafer said. “The study found the average number of stores with Brussels on promotion in 2016 increased 70 percent from just three years prior, from 462 per week in 2013 to 787 per week.”
That means acreage is up as growers struggle to meet increasing demand for fresh as well as value-added and processed Brussels sprout products.
In fact, Steve Bontadelli, general manager of Brussels sprouts grower, packer and shipper Pfyffer Associates in Santa Cruz, California, said demand from processors has “grown tenfold.”
“It’s done a complete 180 over the last five years,” Bontadelli said.
In the 1960s, Bontadelli estimates, about 7,000 acres of Brussels sprouts were being grown in California, mostly for frozen processing. That number fell to a low point of around 2,200 acres.
“Now we’re up over 10,000 in California, and more in Mexico,” he said. And where it used to be that the crop went to 80 percent frozen and
20 percent fresh, that’s flip-flopped. “Now it’s about 15 percent frozen and 85 percent fresh because of demand,” Bontadelli said. “And we’re getting more money for the fresh because we can’t meet demand.”
It used to be that demand came mainly from the northeastern part of the U.S. and in Canada, he adds. No more.
“Now we sell them everywhere,” he said. “I’ve got a guy in Florida that processes them … we never used to sell a Brussels sprout in Florida.
“Guys are coming out of the woodwork.”
Bontadelli said one processor of pickled Brussels sprouts in Arkansas used to order 4,000 pounds every year or year and a half.
“Now I’m giving them to him every other week,” Bontadelli said. “He can’t keep them on the shelf.”
That would be Bryant Preserving Company in Alma, Arkansas. President Morgan Bryant said that his company has been pickling Brussels sprouts for several years, but estimates sales are up about 20 percent. Besides offering them in hot and mild varieties at retail in 16-ounce jars, they sell the pickled Brussels sprouts in cases of six No. 10 cans for foodservice. Some of those end up in salad bars in places like Whole Foods.
“It’s definitely up from what it was a few years ago,” he said.
Brussels sprouts are showing up in prepared fresh-cut salads, sometimes shredded chiffonade style or sliced and mixed with other ingredients. Bontadelli said it’s common to see them cut in half, seasoned and wrapped in trays, ready to sauté or roast in the oven.
Apio’s Eat Smart brand offers a Sweet Kale Salad Kit that includes kale, green cabbage and Brussels sprouts along with chicory, pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries and dressing. It also produces ready-to-cook, trimmed Brussels sprouts by the bag.
Los Angeles Salad Company packages washed and trimmed Brussels sprouts in microwaveable 8-ounce, 12-ounce and 2-poundbags.
Mann’s features a single-serving Nourish Bowl with bacon, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, and kale tossed in a sweet maple glaze. Its Culinary Cuts Shaved Brussels Sprouts are designed for sautéing or cooking with other ingredients or suggested as a replacement in cole slaw and other recipes that call for cabbage. A Mann’s Super Food Power Blend includes Brussels sprouts with cabbage, kohlrabi, broccoli, carrots and kale to be blended into a smoothie, tossed in a salad or used in cooking. It also offers washed and trimmed Brussels sprouts in a microwave-safe, steamable bag.
“We see Brussels doing really well in the value-added space,” Shafer said.
So does Southern Specialties, which sells most of its Brussels sprouts in value-added formats.
“We try and match our packaging to consumers needs,” Eagle said. “We actually started our Brussels sprout program with a hand-peeled Brussels sprout that was ideal for a microwaveable pack.
“We’ll go anywhere from an 8-ounce microwaveable Brussels sprout offering in a top-seal tray as well as larger formats that would be 1 to 2 pounds that are ideal for either the retail store or club store format.”
In fact, club stores account for a lot of the demand, said Frank Costella, former owner of Moseo Produce and now a consultant for Boggiatto Produce, a grower-shipper in Salinas that counts Brussels sprouts among its products.
“We sell to companies that package for Costco, Walmart, Sam’s Club and those companies,” Costella said. “That’s where there has been a very large increase in demand.”
Also, it used to be that there wasn’t much market for the very largest, or jumbo, Brussels sprouts. Sometimes they even got thrown away for lack of interest by buyers.
“They were kind of a by-product,” Costella said. “But now there is a definite increase in demand for the jumbos. Shredding has definitely increased and the market for them has increased as well.”
Where it goes from here is hard to say if demand continues to grow. Brussels sprouts are difficult to grow and take a certain kind of cool coastal climate to thrive – in California, mainly, along with some areas of Canada and in Mexico, Costella said.
“It’s hard to increase the supply,” he said, “because you can’t grow them everywhere.”
— Kathy Gibbons, VGN correspondent


text:
Exclusive: Mattress Firm explores U.S. bankruptcy to close stores
Mattress Firm Inc, the largest U.S. mattress retailer, is considering a potential bankruptcy filing as it seeks ways to get out of costly store leases and shut some of its 3,000 locations that are losing money, people familiar with the matter said.
Read The Rest
at : Reuters
EU leaders close in on top jobs deal after longest-ever...
U.S. Navy SEAL's war crimes trial winds to close in San...
EU leaders close in on top jobs deal after marathon talks
EU leaders close to agreeing on Timmermans to lead...
Polls close in Albania municipal election boycotted by...
iPhone designer Jony Ive to leave Apple and start own firm
About My News
All Rights Reserved


text:
Age of Wushu Announces North American Debut
Snail Game has announced that Age of Wushu will soon launch in North America.
Snail Games USA will operate the game in North America. Worldwide, Age of Wushu has over 50 million users, with over a million forum users in China. The game was in development for five years, and includes class-free character progression, an elimination of race/class barriers, player versus player, random encounters, offline growth, and a well-researched Wuxia world.
Age of Wushu began open beta testing on August 8, and is expected to launch in February 2013.
Age of Wushu Screenshots:
Articles You May Enjoy
- Summer in Full Swing with Digimon Masters
- Joymax, leading online game developer and publisher, revealed today a huge and exciting new player incentive event for their hit MMORPG, Digim...
- Eden Eternal introduces Samurai
- Last week, Aeria Games introduced a new major update to Eden Eternal, adding a new class and more.
- The Crew Beta Preview
- The Crew gives you the pleasure of being a solid all around racing game. Because the game is an open world game in the style of an MMO, it cat...


text:
Race fans in Northern Virginia will have a unique opportunity next week, with Mario Andretti visiting Ashburn on Thursday.
The Associated Press' "Driver of the Century," Andretti will be meeting fans and signing autographs at Virginia Tire and Auto in the Broadlands community.
Andretti will be representing Firestone tires at a celebration of Virginia Tire and Auto's Ashburn location, which opened in late 2013.
Andretti will be outside the store from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Thursday at 43180 Southern Walk Plaza. There will also be food, entertainment and prizes.
Also read ESPN's new post, The World According to Mario Andretti.


text:
'We don't sell junk food': McDonald's CEO's comment sparks backlash against 9-year-old
“It all started last April when this group called Corporate Accountability went looking for mommy bloggers to address their concerns as part of the Moms Not Loving It (a play on the brand’s I’m Loving it slogan) over various practices of corporations marketing to children,” Kia said during a phone interview. (The campaign can be found online here.)
Jesse Bragg, press secretary for Corporate Accountability International, confirmed that the organizers there contacted Kia, not the other way around.
The fact is that the lobbying group Corporate Accountability of Boston flew the Canadian mom and daughter to Hamburger University in Chicago for the board meeting.
Sriram Madhusoodanan, who is an organizer on the Value the Meal Campaign run by Corporate Accountability, seconded Bragg, saying, “I can definitely confirm that we traveled to Blog Her last year, which is a conference of women who blog... We met so many moms who blog and are sick of the repeated efforts by the company to undermine parental efforts.
“We began with Moms Not Loving It, launched on Mothers Day, and then we saw this incredibly moving and personal post by Kia. But Hannah is so articulate and passionate about kids’ health. Hannah really wanted to speak up herself on behalf of kids, so that’s what we did instead of [just] having her mom speak.”
Madhusoodanan said his team had not really expected this meeting to garner such viral media attention.
“I think it’s unfortunate that McDonald's can spend multimillions of dollars to campaign with little resistance, but here’s a little girl like Hannah delivering such a powerful message and getting this kind of blowback from McDonalds supporters,” he said.
Meanwhile, McDonald's also says the encounter has been misstated in the media.


text:
“We were actually going to boycott it,” a rep from Forbo, the floor company told me. He and I were standing amid a sea of thousands of booths lining the Boston Conference and Exhibition Center at Greenbuild 2008, which were hawking every building product that had a possible eco-spin (White cement! Photovoltaic skylights! Insulating concrete! Coal combustion walls!). While Forbo was certainly pushing its own sustainable solution, the “it” their rep was referring to was actually boycotting the Greenbuild conference itself.
“Look over there, you have 14 plasma TVs, 15 salespeople,” he critiqued, pointing to his neighboring stand of Interface, the recycled carpet company (Note: at the show Interface launched missionzero.org, an environmental social network), whose booth resembled a pop-up Target store. “This is the largest sustainable show in the world. We have to have people walking the talk.”
Of course his commentary was the perfect T-up for Forbo’s bare-bones booth: a sparse desk with a couple of computers in which guests could live video chat with Forbo’s national sales manager back at HQ. While it was the least sexy in terms of aesthetics, arguably it was the sexiest in terms of ideological statement. In place of artificial walls or clusters of Forbo folks mulling about, they propped up a chart showing Forbo’s reduced carbon footprint at Greenbuild over the years: Back in 2004, Forbo’s footprint was clocking in at 21,971 pounds of carbon; this year, they reduced it to 906 pounds.
Forbo’s statement (or stunt) was the sort of ringing irony one can’t help ignore at lavish environmental gatherings like this. While most of the conference appeared wastefully minimal (and Greenbuild claimed “carbon neutrality” by offseting all its emissions with Enterprise Community Parnters), there were definitely criticisms that many of the exhibitors are in fact environmental offenders, and the USGBC doesn’t go out of its way to weed out the greenwashers. Exhibitors next year should start conspiring about how they can reinvent a more environmentally friendly presence at the show. The USGBC, on the other hand, should listen to their passionate cast of speakers and really start vetting sponsors and exhibitors next year to ensure that they’re not enabling the enemies.
If you know any of the greenwashers hawking at Greenbuild, feel free to out them right here.


text:
Organizers of the annual Saratoga SantaCon are hoping their event draws a few thousand Santa-wannabees hunting, drinking, and jingling all the way to a new Guinness World Record when their much-anticipated tenth-annual event happens in mid-December.
There are six local holiday markets in Albany County waiting for you to shop. They all have unique gifts for everyone on your list and you can feel good about your purchases because you are shopping local.
Thanksgiving is all about family gatherings and that includes our furry friends. Here's a reminder of the foods that are harmful to our pets and some that could make them deathly ill. When we get together this holiday season, make sure you treat your pets with the right foods.
Anytime you notch that first win of the year, it's a big sigh of relief for that head coach or manager. It just is. It's something that you want to get out of the way. Monday night, Siena men's basketball coach Carm Maciariello's team got their first win. It was an important step in Coach Carm's process.


text:
An unstoppable surge briefly made Tesla the world’s most valuable car manufacturer. But as TSLA stock pierced $1,000 for the first time ever, it doesn’t look like Wall Street was impressed.
Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs each downgraded Tesla stock, suggesting the smart money doesn’t think this rally will last.
Of course, Wall Street has been calling for a pullback since at least January. And that hasn’t stopped Tesla’s meteoric rise to $1,000 – at least not yet.
Thursday’s awful market sell-off smacked Tesla stock back into triple-digit territory, but shares peaked as high as $1,027.48 on Tuesday.
At the time, this gave it a market cap of around $190 billion , putting it narrowly ahead of Toyota as the world’s most valuable carmaker.
Now, Wall Street is swooping in to tell investors to stay away. Tesla stock is overpriced, and some analysts say it’s due for a major correction.
First, Goldman Sachs sounded its warning. Tesla stock has surpassed its price target, so its analysts cut it to “neutral,” – meaning hold.
To be fair, Goldman’s Mark Delaney wasn’t that pessimistic about Tesla’s likely future performance. His price target for Tesla is still $950, although Goldman expects a fall in global car sales of 14.5%.
Morgan Stanley went even further than Goldman. Analyst Adam Jonas downgraded Tesla stock to “underweight.”
Jonas believes investors in Tesla should reduce their holdings, since the stock will likely fall soon. His price target for TSLA is $650, implying a fall of around 35% from Tuesday’s $1,000 plateau.
While Jonas told investors that he believes Tesla “deserves most of its market cap,” he also believes that the market hasn’t priced in numerous emerging risks.
For one, there’s the near-term risk of demand, given that we’re still in the midst of a global pandemic. Then there’s the longer-term risk of souring U.S.-China trade relations, which “could disproportionately impact Tesla.”
Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs aren’t the only firms to have come out since the $1,000 rally to warn against Tesla stock.
Yesterday, GLJ Research’s Gordon Johnson argued that Tuesday’s rally was premature . He noted that recent China sales figures many TSLA bulls have been citing to justify the stock’s valuation were only estimates.
Those numbers are not yet available. So all the Reuters and Bloomberg articles from yesterday are wrong. Also, the many analysts commenting on these numbers today on TV are also wrong.
But what is available is information on Tesla’s EU sales. And as Johnson said, “They were pretty bad,” down 5.2% month-over-month and 33% year-over-year in May.
Unsurprisingly, Johnson rates TSLA a “sell.”
If these Wall Street price targets are on the money, the picture doesn’t look great for Tesla stock in the longer term. Examining the fundamentals, and the ongoing global climate, rational minds would suppose that the share price is due to fall sooner or later.
Then again, we’re clearly not living in rational times. Thursday’s plunge notwithstanding, the S&P 500 may be on course to regain its highs from February, despite the fact that much of the global economy is still shut down.
Likewise, “sensible” analysts and commentators have warned of a Tesla crash since the beginning of the year. Bank of America downgraded Tesla in April , while Jefferies did the same in February .
Then again, none of this stopped Tesla stock from rising after their warnings. So who’s to say Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley will be right this time?


text:
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has suspended one aspect of its food inspection activities for six months while it decides whether the program delivers a food safety benefit.
The program is known as menu verification and includes checking whether food products contain the amount of product, by weight, as claimed on the label. It’s intended to keep food companies, retailers and restaurants from shortchanging consumers.
CFIA spokeswoman Sarah Mitchell told iPolitics in an email that the agency “continually examines and reassesses service delivery to ensure that our resources provide consumers with the most significant food safety benefits. We focus on specific areas each year, prioritize activities and make adjustments as required. This year we are examining menu verification activities, including associated net weight determinations.
“As a result, the CFIA has temporarily deferred the proactive monitoring component of the menu verification program pending the completion of a comprehensive review of previously collected data. Inspection staff will play an important role in this process.”
However, Bob Kingston, president of the Agriculture Union of Canada, which represents CFIA food inspectors, says the move is the latest by the agency to downgrade its consumer protection activities.
“What would our political leaders say if they became aware that the CFIA is ramping down its consumer protection activities, at the very time when industry practices show clearly consumers need protection?” he said in a statement.
Without the CFIA oversight, “any producer or retailer is now free to fraudulently claim that their product weighs more than it does, in fact,” Kingston said.
Mitchell said no consumer protection activities have been dropped during the review.
“The agency will continue to carry out menu verification investigations in response to complaints, evidence of fraud and other sources of information received. Any cases of potential non-compliance will be investigated and enforcement actions will be taken, as required. The CFIA will also continue to carry out retail inspection activities at grocery stores and focus on species and net weight verification of fish and fish products.”
It’s expected that the menu verification activities will resume once the review is complete and any changes in the inspection process will be made that time.
Kingston said the agency can’t let down its guard.
“New studies have just been published demonstrating that consumers can be fooled by inaccurate and misleading labels into buying products they would not otherwise purchase,” Kingston said.
“Just like everywhere else, there are bad apples in the food industry that have demonstrated time and again they cannot be trusted,” Kingston said. “When the CFIA withdraws from its regulatory oversight responsibilities – as they are now doing — food manufacturers and retailers take advantage, to the detriment of consumers.”
In addition, the CFIA has indefinitely cancelled inspection activities related to ensuring that restaurant menus give an accurate descriptions of their offerings, he added. This means that restaurants are now free to make whatever claims they want about the food on their menus.
“Claims that menu items are organic, or free of trans fats, or locally produced, can now be made by restaurants, safe in the knowledge that no inspector from the CFIA will be checking, unless someone complains,” Kingston said.


text:
Nyko will continue to sell a redesigned version of their wireless Nunchuk controller for the Wii under an agreement made between the third-party hardware developer and Nintendo, the companies announced today.
Back in June, Nintendo filed a lawsuit against Nyko claiming that their Kama wireless controller "wholly appropriates the novel shape, design, overall appearance and even the color and materials used in the Nintendo Nunchuk controller".
Nyko was quick to respond with an imagined shrug and some head-scratching, saying ""We have not knowingly violated anyone's intellectual property and we're still examining this."
Today the two companies say they've worked out a deal (read royalty checks) and that Nyko is redesigning their controller.
“We are pleased to have resolved this dispute,” said Nintendo of America President and COO Reggie Fils-Aime. “The Nunchuk and Wii brands are familiar to consumers worldwide, and Nintendo is dedicated to vigorous defense of those brands.”
“Nyko Technologies is proud to be an industry leader in gaming accessories,” said Herschel Naghi, CEO of Nyko, “and we will continue to develop exciting products for the benefit of the gaming community.”


text:
Instagram is developing an e-commerce app, according to a new report, which warns the project may be cancelled before it launches. This new project reportedly includes a dedicated app that’ll enable users to directly shop for goods, also providing the many businesses already on the Instagram platform with a way to sell their products.
The information comes from sources speaking to The Verge, which reports that the alleged Instagram e-commerce app may be called “IG Shopping.” This wouldn’t be the first standalone app the service has produced; it launched the IG TV app dedicated to videos earlier this year.
The report claims that IG Shopping is currently underway but that it could be nixed before launch. Assuming it does eventually arrive for the public, users will reportedly be able to purchase items directly within the app, an expansion of the shopping features Instagram has been teasing and testing for a couple years.
It’s unclear what kind of shopping would be made available through IG Shopping — whether anyone could create their own shop, such as Etsy and eBay, or whether it will cater to established businesses like Amazon. Instagram hasn’t confirmed the project.
The company’s main app already provides shopping tools for certain companies, enabling them to tag images with specific products; users viewing them image can then jump straight into buying the item. How Instagram’s shopping push will ultimately play out is yet to be seen.
SOURCE: The Verge


text:
Nokia said Wednesday that it has entered into an agreement with Polar Mobile to launch more than 300 mobile applications for Nokia smartphones, including upcoming models based on Windows Phone, over the next 12 months.
Google's bid to acquire Motorola Mobility is a brilliant move that will stave off Android's patent attackers. Or it's act of desperation that will force Android phone makers to adopt rival platforms. Or it was simply something that Google had to do, ...
Google's interest in Motorola may really be just for the patents after all.
Samsung is again free to sell its Android-based Galaxy Tab 10.1 in all European Union countries except for Germany, after a court in Düsseldorf changed its injunction enacted last week.
In February, the mobile industry will once again head to Barcelona for Mobile World Congress (MWC), which will feature a new section focusing on different aspects of mobile marketing, show organizer GSM Association (GSMA) said on Tuesday.
Taiwanese smartphone vendor HTC plans on tripling its retail outlets in mainland China by the end of the year, bringing store numbers from 650 to 2,000.
Google is paying a premium for Motorola Mobility, the recently spun-off device maker from Motorola proper. But for the $12.5 billion it's paying, Google likely is more interested in Motorola's patents than its phones.
Google's $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility will land it a vast portfolio of patents, but the legal obstacles facing its Android operating system are far from over, legal experts said.
Google continues to argue that a damning e-mail in its battle with Oracle shouldn't be shown to jurors because it was confidential and intended to be privileged communication with an attorney.
Analysts disagreed today over the impact Google's proposed $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility will have on the dynamics between Android and Apple's iOS.
Last week BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion (RIM) held a first-of-its-kind BlackBerry developer event, called the "BBM Hackathon," in which a group of talented mobile software developers packed into New York City's swanky Ace Hotel for a few days, ...
Google's planned acquisition of Motorola Mobility will force the search giant into a whole new set of relationships with mobile operators, which could benefit the carriers but also create tension.
Google is apparently sick of being pushed around by patent attorneys from Microsoft and Apple.
Google has agreed to acquire Motorola Mobility to "supercharge the Android ecosystem" and protect Android against aggressive patent litigation from competitors such as Apple and Microsoft, according to company CEO Larry Page.
With most acquisitions, there are winners and losers. Google's buy of Motorola is no different, but in this case, neither of those companies comes out a winner, analysts say. "
Most Popular Reviews
- 1 Motorola Moto X (2nd Gen) review: Raising the bar
- 2 Xiaomi Mi4 review: Xiaomi's best yet
- 3 Samsung Galaxy Note Edge review: Lightly flawed, Undeniably special
- 4 Sony Xperia Z3 review: The no-frills flagship
- 5 Samsung's Galaxy Alpha review: A peek into the Galaxy S6
Best Deals on GoodGearGuide
Latest News Articles
- Ghost Linux vulnerability can be exploited through WordPress, other PHP apps
- BT to test 500Mbps broadband over copper in two towns
- The Upload: Your tech news briefing for Friday, January 30
- Military-funded robots can learn by watching YouTube
GGG Evaluation Team
First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.
For work use, Microsoft Word and Excel programs pre-installed on the device are adequate for preparing short documents.
The Fujitsu LifeBook UH574 allowed for great mobility without being obnoxiously heavy or clunky. Its twelve hours of battery life did not disappoint.
The screen was particularly good. It is bright and visible from most angles, however heat is an issue, particularly around the Windows button on the front, and on the back where the battery housing is located.
My first impression after unboxing the Q702 is that it is a nice looking unit. Styling is somewhat minimalist but very effective. The tablet part, once detached, has a nice weight, and no buttons or switches are located in awkward or intrusive positions.


text:
Many loyal customers say the Honda Accord has become boring and is no longer the best sedan in America. But according to Kelly Blue Book, the 2013 Accord and the 2013 Honda Civic are the best sedans in America under $25,000 in their respective categories. The Honda Accord has been known in the past for its high resale value and as a reliable family sedan here in the U.S. But in recent years the Accord has fallen on hard times and has slipped in popularity with many longtime loyal customers. Kia, Hyundai, Nissan and of course Toyota are giving it stiff competition, but are we seeing the Honda Accord make a comeback?
If we can believe KBB, the 2013 Honda Accord and 2013 Civic are both the top ranked vehicles in their respective categories in their “10 Best New Sedans Under $25,000.” And the 2013 Honda Accord was the top ranked vehicle on the list of new vehicles introduced in 2013 compiled by the auto experts at KBB.com. The new Civic was the top rated compact car on the list. KBB.com applauded the Civic for its revised interior and exterior styling along with an impressive list of standard features.
Is Honda making a comeback?
Those are high honors for Honda and it could signal that Honda is making a comeback after they slipped from being the perennial sales champ and comparison test winner a few years ago. KBB has given the newly redesigned Honda Accord and Civic highest rankings over the popular 2013 Volkswagen Passat and Jetta, 2013 Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry, Kia Optima, Ford Fusion and all-new 2014 Mazda6.
KBB is saying that the totally redesigned Accord has been “deeply redefined” enough and has a newfound sense of sporty styling and is a cool car with its new technologies. They have praised the Accords driving performance and innovative features, like the available LaneWatch blind spot display. The new Accord also gets top industry-leading safety scores from the IIHS and NHTSA. That’s quite a shift from recent customer comments calling the Accord boring and unreliable.
Honda making a strong push to be on top again
Honda seems to be working hard to restore the image they once held with their loyal customers. "Nothing beats the value Accord and Civic offer customers" said Mike Accavitti, senior vice president of auto operations at American Honda. "Both models deliver on all fronts – value, performance, fuel efficiency, top safety ratings and a wide array of standard features – all at a competitive price point."
As the top ranked models on the list by KBB, the 2013 Accord and Civic seem to be making a strong push for the top spot they once held. But is it enough to bring back customers who have switched to brands like Kia, Hyundai, Volkswagen and Mazda? KBB seems to think so and have given the Accord and Civic a big vote of confidence.
"While other mid-size cars have threatened its dominance, now we can definitively say that the Accord is back on top, with the completely overhauled 2013 model hitting No.1 on our list of the '10 Best Sedans Under $25,000'," said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director for Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com. The new 2013 Honda Accord and Civic appear to be back. Are there any previously loyal customers who left Honda out there who will make the switch back?


text:
PARIS — No matinee idols for Louis Vuitton. Its latest poster boy, Keith Richards, has deep wrinkles, smudged eyeliner and unruly hair as he sits strumming a guitar in an untidy hotel suite. And Antoine Arnault, Vuitton's head of communications, couldn't be more pleased. "We thought it was important to continue with someone unexpected," Arnault said of the Richards ad, slated to break in a range of general-interest titles in April. "I think when people are flipping through a magazine, this will stop them."
A legendary guitar player and a founding member of The Rolling Stones, Richards is the latest personality to appear in Vuitton's "core values" campaign, designed to underscore the brand's travel heritage and classic monogram leather goods as a balance to its fashion-driven marketing. Launched last fall, the first batch of ads — starring Mikhail Gorbachev, Catherine Deneuve and tennis deities Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf — will continue to appear in tandem with the Richards image. The new spot comes with the tag line, "Some journeys cannot be put into words," and the rocker's haunting, hypnotic expression says it all. Arnault recalled that, when Annie Leibovitz displayed the photograph on a computer monitor after the shoot, Richards exclaimed: "It looks like a Rembrandt." Albeit one with many rock 'n' roll details, including black scarves printed with skulls covering the table lamps — a Richards touch — and a custom-made Vuitton guitar case tossed on the bed.
Thanks in part to his long rapport with Leibovitz, Richards accepted the invitation to pose for the French luxury brand readily, Arnault said. He even went to a Vuitton store the day before and picked out a leather jacket to wear for the shoot. The musician donated a portion of his fee to The Climate Project, an environmental charity.
Arnault said that Vuitton plans to add more surprising faces to its campaign, but declined to identify them. He also would not discuss budgets, but said that Vuitton would spend "significantly" more on communications in 2008 as the company ventures into television and film advertising, and adds more of what he considers "core-values characters."
As for Richards, "We think the image is so strong, we'll try to launch it in some newspapers" as well as some edgy fashion titles like V Magazine, Arnault said. "The good thing about Keith is, he's big just about everywhere. He speaks to the 20-year-old who's into rock 'n' roll and the 65-year-olds who went to [a Rolling Stones] concert when they were 20."The core-values campaign has already bumped up traffic in Vuitton stores, with managers reporting that it "brought back people who might have thought Vuitton was not for them any more," Arnault said. "It reassured the customer."
Harrods plans to remove the famous statue of Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed from the bottom of the Egyptian escalators and hand it back to Mohamed Al-Fayed. “We are very proud to have played our role in celebrating the lives of Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Al Fayed at Harrods and to have welcomed people from around the world to visit the memorial for the past 20 years,” said Michael Ward, Harrods managing director. “With the announcement of the new official memorial statue to Diana, Princess of Wales at Kensington Palace, we feel that the time is right to return this memorial to Mr. Al Fayed and for the public to be invited to pay their respects at the palace.” More on the news, with reporting by @loreleimarfil, at WWD.com. #wwdnews
@prada is introducing a new project at its men’s fall 2018 show this Sunday: “Prada Invites.” The fashion house invited four celebrated creative minds – @ronanaerwanbouroullec, Konstantin Grcic, @herzogdemeuron and @rem.koolhaas – to each create a unique item with its iconic nylon material. The designs will be unveiled on the runway show, which will take place at the company’s warehouse in Viale Ortles 25. #wwdfashion #mfwm (📷: @martinocarrera)
@kering_official is spinning off its stake in puma in an effort to focus on its luxury brands, the brand operator announced yesterday. “We are proud to have supported the turnaround of Puma, which now has unrivaled capabilities to take full advantage of the specific dynamics of its global markets and is poised to achieve substantial growth,” said François-Henri Pinault, Kering’s chief executive officer and chairman. Artémis will become a “long-term strategic shareholder” of Puma with a 29 percent stake. #wwdnews #wwdfashion (📷: @jilliansollazzo)
The fashion world mourns for celebrated street style photographer, Nabile Quenum, who died at age 32 in Paris.
Quenum, creator of the fashion blog “J’ai Perdu Ma Veste,” was a fashion week fixture, and regularly shot for New York magazine’s The Cut, among other outlets, and brands such as Louis Vuitton, Moncler and Adidas. He was also actively involved in the #NoFreePhotos initiative, which kicked off in the fall. Read more about Quenum in @kbsmoke's story on WWD.com. #wwdnews
@verwanggang and @maisonladuree have teamed up on a dessert collab called Vera Wang Pour Ladurée. The collection, which launched this week, features a specialty macaroon, as well as a wedding cake inspired by one of the designer’s gowns. “I could not imagine a more delicate or sophisticated creation to grace any couple’s celebration,” said Wang. #wwdfashion


text:
Einride Smartcharger Station Unveiled in Los Angeles, North America’s Largest Operational Charging Site for Electric Heavy Duty Freight
- Strategically located near the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the Lynwood Smartcharger Station will serve Einride customers to fast track the region to electric freight with 65 chargers having the ability to charge 200 vehicles a day
- The Smartcharger Station was built in partnership with Voltera, a developer and owner of charging infrastructure for zero-emission vehicles, and marks a key milestone in Einride’s work to enable shippers to make the switch to sustainable road freight
Los Angeles, CA - March 21, 2024 - Einride, a freight mobility company that provides digital, electric and autonomous technology, announced today the opening of its first U.S. Einride Smartcharger Station in Lynwood, California in Los Angeles County. With 65 chargers and capacity to charge up to 200 vehicles a day, the site is the largest operational charging site for electric heavy duty freight in North America and represents a landmark step for charging infrastructure in the U.S. The site was built in collaboration with Voltera, a developer and owner of charging infrastructure for zero-emission vehicle fleets.
Strategically located near the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach along the I-710, which handles 29% of all containerized international waterborne trade in the U.S., the site will ensure electric fleets are able to seamlessly integrate into day-to-day shipping operations, while reducing congestion and driver wait times. The charging station currently serves Einride’s connected electric fleets, including routes for global shipping giant A.P. Moller - Maersk. Einride will make the station available for future customers in order to bolster the freight ecosystem in Los Angeles county. A grand opening event will be held in April to mark the official public opening of the site.
“The launch of Einride's first Smartcharger station in the U.S. marks a momentous stride in establishing digital, electric freight as an important enabler to a more resilient U.S. freight system. This facility will enable a key region to fast track to electric, given its proximity to the Port of LA, one of the world’s busiest container ports and a driver of the U.S. economy,” says Robert Falck, CEO and Founder of Einride.
“Our team was able to get Einride’s Lynwood site permitted, built, energized and operational in under 18 months—in the world of charging infrastructure, that’s pretty remarkable,” said Matt Horton, CEO of Voltera. “Our team learned a lot from this project that will help inform and guide our continued build-out of zero-emission vehicle infrastructure nationwide.”
Beyond enabling trucks to recharge in between shipments, Einride’s Smartcharger Station offers truck drivers a lounge complete with key amenities as well as providing information such as charge status, remaining time, power output and performance. The station is integrated with Einride Saga, the intelligent freight operating system that provides AI-powered data insights and powers the full Einride ecosystem. This integration allows Einride to provide customers with real-time updates on demand, location, timing, and utilization of charging infrastructure thus unlocking scalable efficiencies.
The unveiling of the Lynwood Smartcharger Station marks a significant milestone in Einride's mission to revolutionize freight transportation by making it sustainable, efficient, and scalable. This location is the first of many the company plans to build throughout the country and will serve a critical function in installing capacity to service the region connecting the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The Einride charging approach is designed to enable higher fleet productivity, cleaner air quality, and shorter wait times for drivers. Future stations are being pursued on both the West and East coasts, with construction to begin on new sites later this year.
Einride designs, develops and deploys freight mobility technologies to accelerate the transition to sustainable transportation. Its platform includes connected electric and autonomous heavy-duty vehicles, charging infrastructure and an intelligent freight operating system. Founded in 2016, Einride became the world’s first company to operate an autonomous, electric vehicle on a public road in 2019. Today, Einride operates one of the largest fleets of heavy duty electric trucks servicing Global Fortune 500 companies across eight markets. For more information, please visit einride.tech.
Voltera develops, owns, and operates strategically located, fit-for-purpose refueling facilities to enable ZEV deployment and operation at scale. With equity backing from EQT and plans to invest several billion, alongside a team with deep experience deploying charging assets, proven critical infrastructure expertise, and key strategic partners, Voltera is uniquely positioned to help solve the EV infrastructure challenge and scale zero-emission transportation. For more information, visit volterapower.com.


text:
It is no coincidence that the recent boom in commodities prices beginning in early in 2002 followed China’s accession to the World Trade Organization in late 2001. China quickly assumed the role as the world’s major manufacturing center and became a huge source of global demand for primary commodities. With surging demand for commodities coming from China, commodity-exporting countries reaped in massive benefits and commodity producers, believing China’s robust growth would continue indefinitely, invested in projects to increase their commodity export capacity.
But in recent years, as that new capacity has become available, China has begun to slow, creating a potent mix of abundant supply and weakening demand in commodity markets. In 2011, commodity prices started to fall and they have now reached their lowest levels since the 2008 global financial crisis. While the decline in commodity prices hurts net commodity-exporting countries, it does provide some relief to net commodity-importing countries. Below is a sample of winners and losers amongst some major global economies. (To read more, see: An Overview of Commodities Trading).
Brazil's top exports, as of 2013, were iron, soybeans, crude petroleum, and raw sugar. During the commodities boom, Brazil became a major destination for capital investment. But that boom has busted, and money is drying up, putting downward pressure on the country’s currency, which is serving to fuel inflation. Despite growing at a pace of 7.6% in 2010, Brazil grew at a pace of just 0.1% last year.
The surge in commodities prices beginning in the early 2000’s saw an oil boom in the province of Alberta. The boom then had positive spill-over effects in the rest of the economy. But, the recent downturn in oil prices over the past year has weakened the currency to its lowest level in 11 years. (To read more, see: Commodity Prices and Currency Movements).
Russia’s net exports of primary commodities between 2010 and 2013 comprised 17.4% of its GDP. Russia’s major exports include refined petroleum, petroleum gas, coal briquettes, and raw aluminum. Most significantly, crude petroleum represented 35.2% of total exports in 2013.
The commodity price rout, like in Brazil, is serving to weaken Russia’s currency, causing rising inflation. Moreover, low commodity prices have put strains on the government's budget, which relies on oil and gas for almost half of its budget revenues. The country’s woes are exacerbated by economic sanctions over the Ukraine crisis. The economy grew just 0.6% last year and had recently been enduring its first recession in six years.
The United States
From 2010 to 2013, the U.S. was a net importer of primary commodities. Despite exporting $101 billion worth of refined petroleum in 2013, the U.S. imported $76.3 billion worth of refined petroleum and $259 billion worth of crude petroleum, making it a net beneficiary of falling oil prices.
While some U.S. commodity producers will feel the pinch of lower prices, consumers and producers that use commodities as inputs will benefit. While oil has been a major input, its importance is waning as net oil imports comprise only about 20% of total consumption this year, which would be the lowest proportion since 1968.
Between 2010 and 2013 India was a net commodity importer at an average of 5.4% of GDP. Three of the countries top imports include crude petroleum, gold, and coal briquettes. Together, crude petroleum and gold comprised just over 40% of India’s total imports in 2013.
Cheaper oil has brought down India’s energy prices helping to bring inflation down from over 10% in 2013 to 6.5% last year. The fall in commodity prices will also help to reduce the country's budget and current account deficits.
China’s slowing economy, which has been targeted as a major reason for the recent commodity price rout, is likely to benefit from the fallen prices. As the world’s second-largest net importer of oil, for each $1 decline in oil prices China saves about $2.1 billion annually, according to data from 2013. Perhaps the prices will help boost consumer spending, helping the country make the transition to consumer-led growth.
The Bottom Line
While weaker demand from China has sent commodity prices tumbling downward, the effects are not all bad. Net exporters of commodities will be hurt the most by decreases in revenue, but net importers of commodities will benefit from cheaper goods.


text:
Netflix Declares ‘Squid Game’ Its Biggest Show Ever10/13/2021
Following Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos’ prediction that Squid Game was on the way to topping the streaming service’s charts, the K-drama series has officially cemented itself as the most popular show to hit the platform.
Yesterday evening, October 12, Netflix announced the news on Twitter and said that the show had officially reached 111 million fans.
The last time Netflix reported viewership data in September, the Regency era-set drama Bridgerton held first place with 82 million viewers. With a winning margin of almost 30 million people, Squid Game not only dominates rankings but poses a serious challenge to future shows on the platform seeking to trump that.
Netflix Asia’s MinYoung Kim recently revealed why Squid Game has become such a global phenomenon, explaining that one of the factors of its popularity is that “the most locally authentic shows will travel best, so having a show that’s about really authentic Korean games and characters.”
“Squid Game has a lot of those memorable, meme-able moments that people can play around with and which drive conversation,” Kim continued.
On its way to the top, some of the other top-ranked series Squid Game beat out include The Witcher and Stranger Things.
In other entertainment news, a Walking Dead anthology series is on the way.
Source: Read Full Article


text:
For the past 17 years, SEMMA has been providing a collective voice for manufacturers in South East Melbourne. Manufacturers’ Monthly speaks with newly appointed CEO, Vonda Fenwick.
While the announcement of the end of Australian vehicle assembly in 2017 may have awoken the broad public’s consciousness to the importance of a vibrant and healthy manufacturing sector, those in Australia’s manufacturing heartland, south east Melbourne, had been preparing for that day for over 10 years.
In 2002, following a series of workshops sponsored by the City of Greater Dandenong, local manufacturers joined forces as the South East Melbourne Manufacturing Alliance (SEMMA). As Vonda Fenwick, recently installed CEO of SEMMA, recalled, there was a need for urgent action.
“One of the people at an industry breakfast stood up and spoke about how he had lost business to overseas competitors for work that traditionally he had done. Everyone was devastated about the loss of work for this business that was known to be a good business producing high quality products.”
The sector itself makes a significant social and economic contribution not only to the surrounding region, but to the country as a whole. As of 2016, roughly one in five manufacturing jobs in Australia are located in south east Melbourne. In addition, manufacturing’s contribution to the economy can be estimated at $1.28 for every dollar spent, significantly higher than other sectors. Furthermore, what distinguished the manufacturing businesses of south east Melbourne was their size, primarily small to medium enterprises, making a collective voice all the more necessary.
“While a number of our members are large, household names, the bulk of our members are the smaller companies so we’re talking the 1-20 or the 20 to 40, through to the classic SME definition of up to 199 employees,” said Fenwick. “SEMMA was really established to advocate for those businesses. They can feel as if they don’t have a voice when it’s just one business struggling with an issue impacting them, so we endeavour to advocate for all our members who are concerned about a particular issue impacting manufacturing.”
Although these businesses, which now number more than 200 members of SEMMA, may be small in size, they have and continue to make an impact due to their capabilities and high-quality processes and product. This was where Fenwick began her career in manufacturing, as a consultant working with companies to improve their operations by applying total quality management principles across an entire company.
“Originally, in a lot of the companies, they saw quality in a very narrow way. The standard has changed over the time that I’ve been involved with manufacturing, so meeting the requirements of international standards has become a basic, fundamental aspect for businesses,” said Fenwick.
In the last two decades since the initial conversations which led to the foundation of SEMMA, what has carried manufacturing through as supply chains reorganise are those Australian manufacturing businesses that have been able to distinguish themselves based on their commitment to company-wide quality processes and continuous improvement. Fenwick was reminded of this when recently visiting a several SEMMA members.
“I was delighted when Richard and Nikki Weinzirl at APT Engineering said the start of their success had been actually getting someone in to help them get their quality system established, and it was from there that they actually took off with improving their business.
“It is only a small engineering business doing beautiful machining, but they’re providing to defence and also to aerospace now,” said Fenwick.
“They’ve gone from a Mum and Dad company where the owner will say, ‘Oh, I’m just a fitter and turner,’ to having a business that is incredibly impressive from the values on the walls right through to their process control, the quality of the parts that they’re dealing with and their ability to meet demanding customers requirements.”
At TransGlaze, another SEMMA member, Darren Laidler, told Fenwick when she visited, the company’s focus on quality enabled the business to sell into overseas markets often thought of as impenetrable for Australian manufacturers.
“What distinguishes the TransGlaze offering from the local product that the buyer could get in China is they know that when they’re buying the Australian product it is meeting those safety-critical standards,” said Fenwick.
“Darren said he doesn’t even talk price initially. He secures the work because they know that the company’s product is good, and the standards are being met.”
SEMMA has been an active force in assisting businesses to distinguish themselves and overcome issues such as higher input prices. One area where the organisation has done so is through group purchasing deals for rapidly increasing costs including energy. The organisation has also held networking sessions and develops connections between members which help overcome the limitations of operating a small business.
“Members would say to us, ‘I’ve been in this factory working away and making sure that I have a healthy business, but I didn’t realise that the guy in a factory down the street could actually help me and be part of my supply chain’,” said Fenwick. “The business to business connections are a plus, because they don’t have a lot of time to get out there. Plus, Also, they’re often hands on in a smaller business, so we perform the function of being able to find out what’s going on in the larger environment.”
While local government has been involved in SEMMA since the beginning, the association has also acted as a voice for its members to state and federal governments, raising the profile of manufacturing and alerting policymakers to the benefits of a strong manufacturing sector. These actions often come down to finding areas of shared common ground.
“We want the same things. We want those robust businesses, we want employment for people, we want community, we want those social benefits that come from manufacturing businesses being healthy, so it’s a natural partnership,” said Fenwick.
SEMMA has also partnered with local educational institutions such as Monash University, Chisholm Institute, Swinburne University of Technology, and Deakin University, as well as CSIRO, which operates a significant proportion of its research out of Clayton.
These partnerships again go toward confronting the critical issues that manufacturers face, that of finding a skilled workforce. Here, SEMMA is the vital middleman, ensuring that courses are fit for industry requirements, and that industry members are prepared to receive apprentices and trainees.
“Whether it’s stand-alone internships or part of a course to have work experience, the businesses benefits having people selected for them through our contacts at the universities,” said Fenwick. Further, a number of our members are also working on leading-edge research into new materials through Deakin and Monash Universities.
Educational institutions have approached SEMMA to provide feedback on course structures and design, to ensure that businesses are able to participate fully. Now, SEMMA are exploring the potential for microcourses or microcredentials that upskill workers in a short period of time.
In concert, these efforts ensure that local manufacturers, no matter their size, are ready and prepared for the work that is available. With Victoria preparing to invest in significant infrastructure upgrades with the requirement for local content as part of the delivery of those projects, and the federal government looking for local manufacturers to fulfil defence contracts, combining the skills and expertise of Australian manufacturers can ensure that local content targets are not just met but exceeded. For SEMMA, this will be a priority for 2020.
“The Victorian government is has assured us that they are very serious about developing a robust local supply chain for major projects, that might be rolling stock, that might be helping to support and grow defence suppliers in Victoria, and we’re certainly looking to ensure that SEMMA members can win more of the big contracts,” said Fenwick.
What this requires, however, noted Fenwick, is a shift in thinking from government, an understanding that in working together local manufacturers can compete with major international firms. However, Fenwick highlighted, there needs to be a recognition of the difference between contracting with SME’s and major corporates.
“Your typical SME does not have a legal department and cascading of onerous risk clauses down to SME’s is unacceptable. Moreover, the rationale for Government purchasing decisions needs to be one of total cost benefit. To compare simply on the basis of price without recognising that if work goes to overseas suppliers, we lose employment of direct labour, we impact service jobs and other related jobs that depend on manufacturing,” she said.
“When we source overseas, we increase unemployment with the consequential societal and economic costs that result from the failure to recognise the critical role a vibrant manufacturing industry plays in a healthy economy,” said Fenwick.
Another challenge is prime contractors wanting to limit the number of suppliers they deal with.
“They would prefer to work, understandably, with a smaller number, so we are definitely looking at ways that our members can collaborate to increase the scope of work that they do and the scale of what they can provide, because we believe that that’s going to be key to securing the work on offer.”
Seventeen years on, SEMMA remains committed to advocating for local manufacturers and growing the region’s capability for the coming decades.


text:
Celebrities today promote various digital assets – especially cryptocurrencies on their social media channels as people want a famous personality from the online community to ensure trust of the brand amongst new investors.
One of India’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges CoinDCX launched a digital campaign in order to bring new users on board with the hashtag #BitcoinLiyaKya. Even the global icons are promoting cryptocurrencies
online. While ensuring trust amongst viewers is one aspect of promoting these assets online, the other aspect to this is also that the influencers are highly paid for the promotion.
Charles Randell, the head of Britain’s Financial Conduct Authority on Monday said that cryptocurrency advertisements, especially from social media influencers should be regulated. This comes after Kim Kardashian West posted an Instagram story on Sunday promoting ethereummax to her 250 million followers.
The UK’s financial regulator warned in a speech that consumers risk being lured into the “crypto bubbles with delusions of quick riches” but who also risk big losses and being scammed. Randell said that as we live more and more of our lives online, we can’t allow an online business to operate in ways we wouldn’t tolerate with any other business. He called for regulators to be given greater powers to protect consumers and said if people buy speculative crypto tokens “you should be prepared to lose all your money.”
El Salvador accepts Bitcoin as legal tender
While there are countries that still have a grey stance on accepting bitcoin as legal tender, El Salvador becomes the first country to accept Bitcoin as legal tender on Tuesday. The acceptance of Bitcoin by El Salvador comes after there was a law passed by the country’s parliament in June. The bill was approved within 24 hours by Congress President Nayib Bukele.
The country’s government said that this move will give citizens access to bak services for the first time along with help the country save around 400 million dollars levied by banks and financial institutions.


text:
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture missed a USDA grant deadline to allow food banks to buy from local farmers. Now, the state is looking for ways to make up the funds.
December 18, 2012
Brahm Ahmadi spends a lot of time thinking about something most people take for granted: grocery stores.
But it hasn’t always been this way. As one of the founders of the nonprofit People’s Grocery in West Oakland—the Bay Area’s most notorious food desert—he and his colleagues started out with more affordable, less ambitious projects, like a mobile food delivery service and a local community-supported agriculture (CSA) box. But it quickly became clear—as several grocery chains tried to enter the neighborhood and failed, and residents were left relying on corner stores or taking long trips by public transportation to other neighborhoods—that the area needed a reliable, independent grocery store.
“Residents said, ‘What you’ve brought to the neighborhood is great, but it’s far from a complete solution,’” Ahmadi recalls.
So, he left People’s Grocery, spent time in business school where he became an expert on community grocery stores, and then secured a possible matching loan from the California FreshWorks Fund for around a third of the funding. Ahmadi then hatched a plan to raise the remaining $1.2 million needed to start the People’s Community Market through what’s called a direct public offering. In other words, he’s inviting California residents to invest in fresh food—literally. For a mere $1,000, anyone in the state can become a shareholder.
As focused as Ahmadi is on getting this project funded—and he is, very—he’s also well aware that grocery stores are only one piece of the puzzle in a neighborhood where fresh food is hard to come by and 48 percent of residents are obese or overweight.
“Education and access are two sides of the same coin,” says Ahmadi. “You can’t make healthy food available and just expect people to buy it. We’ve never thought that would work, we’ve never seen that work. And it’s not a very successful strategy to support people becoming more knowledgeable about their dietary choices without having a built environment that supports a change.”
That’s where the relationship between People’s Grocery and other community organizations come into it. Ahmadi envisions nutrition counselors on-site in the store offering advice, classes, and health screening. “We consider the education and health support service element to be core to the business model, not peripheral,” he says.
And that’s not the only way the People’s Community Market will differentiate from other, larger grocery stores. With a community advisory council (a group of neighborhood folks who will advise on things like planning, outreach, marketing, and recruitment), a commitment to hiring at least 50 percent West Oakland residents, and an eye toward community participation at every turn, Ahmadi hopes the market will succeed where bigger chains have failed.
While a cool grocery store will no doubt put the neighborhood at increased risk of gentrification, Ahmadi says, that fact simply can’t be a seen as a deterrent.
“Does that mean that out of your fear of [gentrification] you leave the community in the condition it’s in?” he asks. “That’s just not a very good a choice for us. Gentrification is a reality that goes far beyond what we’re doing here.”
Ahmadi also points to other examples of independent groceries in food deserts, such as Detroit’s Metro FoodLand, and the ways they have used community investment to stay viable in a market that’s less hospitable to chains like Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods. As Ahmadi tells it, Metro FoodLand owner James Hooks bought the store from Kroger when the chain decided to close all its Detroit stores.
“For the first few years after Hooks took over, the shrinkage [i.e. theft] and employee turnover were both really high,” says Ahmadi. (The average grocery store suffers from 3 to 5 percent shrinkage.) So Hooks started to do what only a small, independent grocer can—he got to know his workers and his customers. “He reformed his employee policies—to treat his workers better and give them more meaning. He also focused on relationship-building with the customers, and reformulated his products based on what they asked for … and as a result, he has dramatically reduced those numbers.” These differences—while the may seem small—have kept Metro FoodLand in business in a neighborhood where Kroger couldn’t survive.
“There’s a lot of research that shows that larger chain stores are not well suited for these types of demographics. They don’t have the ability to customize because they’re so centralized,” Ahmadi says. For instance, West Oakland shoppers aren’t likely to spend all their grocery money all at once, but they shop often, spending around $20 at a time. So Ahmadi plans to build a store that is smaller than the average supermarket, with less overhead and around 40 percent fewer items in stock.
“If I was an executive at a major chain, beholden to my shareholders, and needing to maintain large profit margins, I probably would say don’t open a store in West Oakland,” Ahmadi says.
Of course, if all goes well, the People’s Community Market will have shareholders, too—just a different kind.
“We’re trying to create an exciting proposition that offers a shift away from Wall Street. We hope our investors will also be proud allies and supporters who care about impacting our mission,” says Ahmadi.
Not that there isn’t money involved, of course. In fact, according to a study conducted by the People’s Community Market, around 70 percent of West Oakland residents’ grocery spending—or $58 million a year—is currently being spent out of the neighborhood. Ahmadi says he hopes to absorb around $10 million in gross sales, by serving, and employing, a significant portion of the community.
February 12, 2024
April 10, 2024
April 9, 2024


text:
Welcome to the latest FS Fives – FutureScot’s lunchtime round-up of Scottish digital news.
First up, Facebook has deployed an AdBlock blocker blocker blocker. We know this is a difficult one to follow but, on Tuesday, Facebook announced it had blended the HTML of its ads on the web into its content so they would still appear to users with ad blocking software. Within hours, the leading blocker software company Adblock Plus vowed to crowdsource a workaround from its community. On Wednesday, it released an update to its filter that it claimed once again removed Facebook’s ads. “For this round of the cat-and-mouse contest, looks like the mouse won,” it said. Last night Facebook pushed an update to its site’s code designed to nullify the Adblock Plus workaround. The mouse was barely into its cheese and Facebook had hit back.
Mobile network drones
Next, Nokia and EE have been testing the use of drones in extending mobile coverage to remote areas. The trial used a drone to carry a tiny base station to rural communities around Inverness. It showed that mobile coverage can be established quickly over several miles. High quality LTE voice calls, video streaming and up to 150 Mbps data throughput were achieved with no need for a connection to an external core network. The technique could also be used to expand mobile capacity at large events.
$3m of funding for Edinburgh-based analytics company
Edinburgh-based TV ad analytics platform TVSquared has landed $3m in funding from existing and new investors, including West Coast Capital. The latest round brings its total funding to more than $5.5m. The company, which also has offices in London, San Francisco and New York, delivers analytics to enable its customers to improve the performance of their TV advertising campaigns. As part of the announcement, TVSquared said technology entrepreneur Chris van der Kuyl would join the company as chairman.
Network with the Scottish digital technology sector
With only eight weeks to go, ScotSoft 2016 is shaping up to be bigger and better than ever. This year’s event will offer unparalleled access to the insight and expertise of this year’s impressive line-up of speakers. Its exhibition will also give you the chance to network with some of Scotland’s leading businesses. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn first-hand about the many varied organisations operating in Scotland’s thriving tech sector, and how they could be useful to your business.
And finally…’A honeypot for assholes’: inside Twitter’s 10 -year failure to stop harassment.


text:
Mayor Zoran Janković in the company of Marta Kos, Ambassador of Slovenia to Germany, and Michael Müller, the Governing Mayor of Berlin. Photo: Archive
At the trade show Mayor Zoran Janković met with the Governing Mayor of Berlin Michael Müller, they talked about strengthening good relationships between the two cities and among other things exchanged their opinions on the positive attitude towards migrants in both cities.
The Travel Trade Show ITB Berlin is one of the leading travel trade shows in the world presenting current year trends and programmes. Over 11,000 tourist operators from 186 countries across the world are presented on 160,000 m2. Some 195,000 visitors are expected. Next to the London trade show the ITB Berlin is the biggest trade show presenting year-round tourist and free-time services with congressional and cultural tourism in the focus this year.
Each year the trade show has two main partners, in addition to the general, a thematic partner, and this year Slovenia assumed this role. Commercially Slovenia is a very appealing destination for German visitors. Among other things are interested in its cultural and culinary aspect, which is strongest in Ljubljana. In the past ten years we are recording an increase of overnight stays in Ljubljana and its surroundings, and guest from Germany hold the second place on the visitors list.
At the trade show Ljubljana is presented as a modern and dynamic capital city centrally positioned in the Alps-to-Adriatic region, and as such it is ideal for »getting to know the whole Slovenia and Europe, as well«. Ljubljana’s main animation of is linked to the Plečnik year 2017, namely, this year we are marking the 145th anniversary of the birth and the 60th anniversary of the death of the renowned architect Jože Plečnik who created the city of Ljubljana as we know it today.


text:
WASHINGTON — Policy initiatives that could improve economic and legal conditions for the trucking industry were raised during a meeting between family-owned stakeholders and lawmakers.
A. Duie Pyle Inc. has expanded its Westfield, Mass., integrated distribution center.August 3, 2020
Diversified motor carrier A. Duie Pyle Inc. announced a Transportation Security Administration-compliant export service designed to move international airfreight directly from point of origin to the export location.January 24, 2020
Demand for services has prompted A. Duie Pyle to lease space while its permanent center is being built nearby.
Executives with less-than-truckload carrier A. Duie Pyle Inc. said the company is on the verge of operating two battery-electric Fuso eCanter Class 4 trucks in New York City as it steps up its involvement with electrified commercial vehicles.
A. Duie Pyle, an asset and non-asset-based transportation and supply chain solutions provider, has announced the immediate opening of a new service center in Burlington, Vt.December 28, 2018
Less-than-truckload carrier A. Duie Pyle said volume for its guaranteed, expedited service has grown more than 30% on a year-over-year basis during the first quarter as its Pyle Priority program expands.April 1, 2016


text:
Andrew Gillan of Janus Henderson Investors says he likes markets in the Philippines and Indonesia, and explains why it's difficult to invest in Vietnam despite its...Investingread more
China has other "weapons" in its trade battle with the United States — and selling off its U.S. Treasury holdings will not be one of them, said Richard McGregor, senior fellow...China Economyread more
Deutsche Bank Wealth Management's global chief investment officer predicted the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates twice in the next 12 months, but chances of a four-time...US Economyread more
Google's services have been blocked in China for several years, but the company still has businesses there, as the tech giant seeks to sell products to Chinese firms in...Technologyread more
Netflix can sustain its lofty valuation only if global subscriber growth can support increasing content spending and debt.Technologyread more
Germany online bank N26 said it raised a huge $170 million in additional funding, valuing the six-year-old fintech start-up at $3.5 billion.Technologyread more
Stocks in Asia traded lower on Thursday afternoon. Australia's jobs data showed the net number of jobs created was far below expectations.Asia Marketsread more
The House voted to table a resolution to start impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump introduced by Rep. Al Green.Politicsread more
A photo editing app has introduced a few new wrinkles to the faces of celebrities — and to the ongoing discussion around personal digital security, NBC reports.Technologyread more
Property price gains across the wider U.K. have been slowing since 2016, according to the U.K.'s Office for National Statistics.Real Estateread more
The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday said that the U.S. dollar was overvalued by 6% to 12%, based on near-term economic fundamentals, while the euro, Japan's yen and...World Economyread more
The world's first bitcoins were mined ten years ago this week.
Since then the cryptocurrency has been on a wild ride, surviving massive price swings, hackings and intense global scrutiny. Bitcoin's ups and downs have helped the asset go from a little-understood concept to a household name.
"Over the last 10 years we've gone from this didn't exist to now pretty much the entire world understands what it is, whether they agree with it or not," Mati Greenspan, senior market analyst at trading platform eToro, told CNBC on Friday.
CNBC takes a look at bitcoin's tumultuous price history over the last decade.
The first bitcoins were mined in a block of 50 coins called "Genesis Block" on January 3, 2009. The act of mining bitcoins entails computers trying to solve complex mathematical problems to validate transactions. Computers compete to verify a group of transactions known as a "block." The computer, or miner, that can validate the block the fastest receives a reward in bitcoins.
The concept of bitcoin, and its underlying blockchain technology, was laid out in a white paper published in October 2008 by Satoshi Nakamoto, whose true identity remains a mystery today. Nakamoto envisioned bitcoin as an alternative form of electronic cash that would not require the backing of the government or a financial institution.
The first-ever bitcoin transaction took place on January 9, 2009 between Nakamoto and software developer Hal Finney.
It's widely believed the first real-world bitcoin transaction was made in May 2010 by programmer Laszlo Hanyecz. Hanyecz spent 10,000 bitcoins on two Papa John's pizzas; those pizzas would now be worth more than $30 million at today's bitcoin price.
Bitcoin gained public attention later in 2010 with the creation of an exchange called Mt. Gox. The Tokyo-based exchange allowed investors to trade bitcoin, which was priced around $0.07 per coin for most of that year, according to CoinDesk.
Bitcoin's price hit a milestone $1 in 2011. But a series of hacks on the Mt. Gox exchange that year exposed the cryptocurrency's vulnerability to big price swings.
Bitcoin topped $1,000 for the first time in November 2013 but the spike didn't last long. The cryptocurrency would close the year trading at around $700, according to data from CoinDesk.
Mt. Gox, which handled roughly 70 percent of all bitcoin transactions, declared bankruptcy after hackers stole roughly half a billion dollars worth of coins. The hacking exposed the lack of regulation in the cryptocurrency and scared away many investors. By the end of 2014, the price of bitcoin barely breached $300, a level where it would stay for the next three years.
Bitcoin momentum started to build in early 2017, when the price of a coin again crossed $1,000. More investors bought into the idea of a decentralized currency, seeking a safe-haven investment similar to gold.
To meet growing demand, two U.S. exchanges, the CME and Cboe, created platforms for customers to trade bitcoin futures.
As the cryptocurrency went mainstream, frenzy ensued. Bitcoin's price surged from around $2000 in July to nearly $20,000 in December.
Bitcoin's price dropped from sky-high levels to kick off 2018 as investors fretted the bubble was bursting. Regulators around the world started to crack down on cryptocurrency trading, causing particularly volatile price swings.
Many hedge funds, retail investors and traders who had bet big on bitcoin took heavy losses as the digital asset's price plummeted, closing the end of the year at around $4,000.
"The last 10 years for Bitcoin, whilst broadly telling a hugely successful story, has also not been without difficulty," wrote David Thomas co-founder of London-based cryptocurrency exchange GlobalBlock in an email to CNBC on Wednesday.
Bitcoin bulls say a comeback is due but retail investors might not want to stomach continued volatility. Regulatory uncertainty is likely to remain one key factor in bitcoin trading this year.
"If, as expected, increased regulation enters the market then Bitcoin will be opened up to a broader investor base, and with increased adoption, we expect to see volatility reduce and stability increase both of which will establish Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies further as an asset class in their own right," added Thomas.
— CNBC's Kate Rooney and Arjun Kharpal and Reuters contributed to this report.


text:
In the dynamic world of franchising, it's the success stories that often captivate us, and we are delighted to share one such story - Camy's Chargrill Chicken.
DC Strategy News Room
franchise business model
QC Kinetix® is a nonsurgical medical franchise that provides customised regenerative medicine treatments. It's their mission to utilize regenerative medicine to enhance the quality of life of as many people as possible without the use of drugs or surgery.
The Lifesize Plans Group have announced their first location in Western Australia. This is in addition to their recently renovated flagship location in Sydney. The team are also in negotiations to secure their first international locations in France and Canada - providing an exciting year ahead for the start-up.
Although COVID-19 is still taking unprecedented turns this year, pizza will always be consistently loved in all shapes and sizes.
IWG, the world’s largest flexible workspace provider, has introduced a new workspace offering, Spaces OpenDesk in response to rapid changes to how Australians are working due to the growing popularity of hybrid working in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.


text:
Webinar: Emerging Trends in Consumer Revenue and Audience Development
Aug. 14, 2018: 2 p.m. CDT
From Local Media Association:
For local media companies of all shapes and sizes, revenue diversification isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s a must! That means unlocking new sources of revenue, namely direct-to-consumer. But publishers need a defined strategy and a genuine set of value propositions to truly move the needle. In this webinar, LMA Chief Innovation Officer Jed Williams showcases a number of models and case studies that showcase how local media companies are deepening their audience engagement, and in turn creating real revenue opportunities. Subscriptions, membership, verticals, database programs and more will all be discussed, with best practices you can take back to your company.
Sign up here.
Local Media Association
As part of the WNA’s partnership with the Local Media Association, LMA offers our members webinars at a discounted rate of $29 ($59 for non-members).


text:
As the Isle of Man’s new ‘motorcycle only’ parking zone is launched at this year’s TT races, Suzuki owners get special treatment during its opening day (this Saturday) with parking exclusively for Suzuki riders.
Open from 10.00am – 11.30pm every day during race week and situated at the Loch Promenade in Douglas, the exclusive Suzuki day offers dedicated parking, with Suzuki GB goody bags supplied (on a first come, first served basis) as part of the brands 50th anniversary of International racing and the 25th birthday celebrations for the GSX-R range.
Positioned on the shore side of the promenade and monitored by stewards on-site, the area stretches for 150 metres from ‘Jaks Pub’ to the Loch Promenade, allowing for 300 bikes to be parked.
Suzuki GB marketing manager, George Cheeseman, commented, “Naturally we’re pleased to be part of this new facility and delighted that Suzuki owners will get exclusive use on its first day of operation. As we celebrate our 50th year of International racing and 25 years of GSX-R, we’ll be handing out a limited supply of special goody bags to the first riders that make use of the parking too.”
Commenting on the new facility, Geoff Corkish, MBE, MHK, political member for Isle of Man Tourism said, “We want to create a real bike spectacle on the promenade to complement the entertainment that we are putting on and we felt that the bike park would give people the chance to show off their machines and compare bikes with other TT fans.”
He continued: “The Suzuki dedicated day on Saturday 5th June will also be a fitting tribute to 50 years of the marque’s racing and 25 years of the iconic GSX-R and I’d encourage as many Suzuki owners as possible to take part in the celebrations.”
Other Suzuki events to watch out for at this year’s Isle of Man TT Races.
Suzuki Sprints – Sunday 6th June & Tuesday 8th June
Manx Museum Suzuki Exhibition Event – Tuesday 8th June (General
Suzuki exhibition open daily between 29th May and 4th September)
Laxey Motorcycle Show – Thursday 10th June
Suzuki Parade – Friday 11th June
Suzuki MotoGP Lap – Friday 11th June (after Senior TT race)
For more information visit www.suzuki-gb.co.uk
For further press information please contact Luke Plummer or Helen Morgan at the Suzuki GB Press Office (Motorcycles), Tel: 01525 270600 or 07725 956783
Never miss a thing and subscribe to our regular updates


text:
A brand new mobile-first bingo has been launched by Nektan, the multi-focused iGaming platform and service, and you can now access the game across the developer’s network’s white label casino sites and play for real money.
Provided by the team at Pragmatic Play, this new product has served to further expand Nektan’s vast product portfolio for online and multiple players. The game, especially for mobile play offers a responsive in-game lobby. You will also find a broad selection of mini-games you can have fun with.
Greater Variety for Casino Players
Nektan has been working to expand its portfolio and has announced this new development in order to demonstrate its readiness to invest in its products. This, in order to support the ‘commercial ambitions of its white label operating partners’. The firm has said that the new games will appeal to all players in all markets around the world, as well as across all sectors of players and levels of preference.
Nektan chief operating officer, Jane Ryan, further noted that the launch of bingo games allows her company’s partners to gain and maintain a brand new player segment. She elaborated on this by stating that it also adds to the player’s gaming session new levels of choice and variety.
Ryan said she is confident that the mobile-first user interface and in-game lobby of the new bingo product will drive mobile traffic rates even higher as the majority of the firms’ players are mobile-based. The company is looking toward increasing its incremental gaming revenues for its partners as well as aligning itself with new bingo-focussed companies.
Reports of Slow Q3/Q4 Growth
Nektan recently issued another pre-close trading update, which revealed significant revenue growth. Even so, for this summer, the firm fell slightly short of its profit projections. In its announcement, the company stated its expectancy to deliver double-digit year on year revenue growth in the period ended June 30, 2019. In addition to this, they hope to see a significant reduction of loss in terms of EBITDA compared to 2018’s results.
Nektan noted that due to slower trends in its Q3 & Q4 periods, the goal of EBITDA to break-even this year would not be achievable. Ongoing effects of strict UK regulations when it comes to player verification and gambling marketing tactics are reported to have been among the factors to have impacted its first-time deposit results.


text:
No deal: Disaster or opportunity? Watch
If Britain leaves the EU without a deal next year, which is still something most MPs heavily oppose, would it cripple the UK by raising tariffs and making goods more pricier as well as causing businesses to leave as a result of all the uncertainty? Or would it mean that freedom from the EU’s restrictions could help the UK by driving us to immediately negotiate better deals from outside the EU and meaning that we don’t have to pay a penny to Brussels?
Tariffs would only be raised if the government chooses to raise them. The EU would no longer have any say in it.
You can guarantee that whatever did happen, nothing would likely go in our favour given the excellent deals we currently enjoy. And there is the rub - we have it so so good right now. Those talking about Brexit as being better are either ignorant or just plain lying. Reece Mogg for example. He will be fine sat on his family wealth and recently offshored business.
(This was before Brexit. Brits need to have a long hard look at themselves. But to be honest, a country not propped up by foreigners in order to pretend they're still "rich" would be a breath of fresh air!)
The UK didn't join the Common Market until 1972. The country has existed for many centuries before without being in this club. It can do so successfully again. If the economy is terrible for a few years, even for a decade, it WILL turn around and improve at some point. The notion we are screwed without being a member of the EU is ridiculous, considering as a nation we coped perfectly fine before its existence. As did every other EU country.
The first is that you cannot turn back the clock. The British economy, which was in a very bad way in the early 1970s, has changed enormously in the last 45 years. Leaving the EU will not recreate some past golden age (and indeed when such a golden age was is debatable; 1914 (peak coal and cotton production); 1930s (yes if you are making cars in Cowley or Shredded Wheat in Welwyn Garden City but not if you are on the dole in Jarrow), 1950s high employment but already managing industrial decline).
The second is that the calls for a radical Brexit come from the financially secure. Ten years of economic problems will blight millions of families. What right has anyone to voluntarily inflict that on others. Such economic pain, indeed any economic pain, was not in the Brexiteers' referendum offer. No-one voted for becoming poorer.
The economic pain you talk about has always been with us. It comes and goes. How many Recessions have there been since 1972? Being in the EU hasn't protected us from this.
Do you think in 50, 100 year's time, the next generation will know about or care about a few years of hardship the country went through back in the early 2000's? You have to think long-term and look at the bigger picture.
The wanton ruination of millions of people would see the end of centre-right policies for at least a generation.
...which is done to create the internal market and doesn't apply to goods moving between EU countries. Perhaps I should edit my post to say it's not in Europe's interest to have tariffs on EU-UK trade.
A no deal brexit will cause many job losses in already struggling nations, this will lead to further resentment towards the EU and they really can't afford for that to happen, yes Germany and France will probably do slightly better than us to start with but eventually they will have to cover all the other countries issues, a no deal would be catastrophic for the EU but it might sharpen their minds.


text:
stephen-l writes: Archipack 1.3.8 “The fastest archviz workflow ever” released today. This is a major update improving stability. Changes since the last announcement (1.2.4): New 3d objects Kitchen cabinets Blinds Window shutters Roofs New 2d objects Multi-Dimensions Section Canvas including .svg export Misc 2d to 3d working everywhere without shapely And many other improvements.
The post Archipack release 1.3.8 appeared first on BlenderNation.
from BlenderNation https://www.blendernation.com/2018/04/19/archipack-release-1-3-8/