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Year in Review
YIR: General Parts $2B sale among N.C.’s largest private deals
RALEIGH – Nearly a month after this year’s autumnal equinox, on Sept. 22, when the sun crossed the celestial equator, temperatures began to drop and days started to get shorter, the Triangle was at the genesis of another drop off of sorts. It was losing another corporate headquarters.
It was mid-October and news had just surfaced that General Parts International, the Raleigh-based parent company of Carquest Auto Parts, was selling the company to competitor Advance Auto Parts in an all-cash deal worth about $2 billion.
The deal meant that General Parts, the home-grown company that had ballooned into the fourth-largest auto parts retailer in the U.S., could no longer call Raleigh home. The combined company would now be based in Roanoke, Va., the home of Advance Auto.
General Parts, which employs roughly 17,000 people companywide and has revenue of nearly $3 billion, began sniffing around for a potential buyer in late summer of this year, when it was reported that it had hired Wells Fargo to assist with the sale process.
After a conference call from the publicly traded Advance Auto Parts regarding the pending acquisition, more details started to emerge. General Parts’ top brass would remain with the combined entity. This included General Parts President and CEO O. Temple Sloan III, who would stay as president and become part of Advance Auto’s board of directors. It was also announced that General Parts founder and Chairman O. Temple Sloan Jr. would continue to serve in an advisory role for the combined companies.
Secondly, it was revealed that the Carquest brand will survive. And thirdly, cost savings will be achieved because of the deal. Advance Auto expects $160 million in per-year cost savings by the end of the third year after the deal closes. That equals about 5 percent of General Parts’ $2.9 billion in annual revenue in 2012. But it was unclear how the deal would affect employees.
Cameron Snipes oversees research and production of weekly industry lists and Book of Lists.
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The brunette beauty attended the second week of Coachella, hanging out with her close pals Hailey Baldwin and Justine Skye.
"My ladies for life," she wrote on Saturday alongide a cute photo of the trio.
Last Friday, Jenner showed off her skills in the booth as she DJ'd the star-studded Poppy party in Palm Springs, California, on day one of Coachella week one. Meanwhile, her sisters Kylie Jenner and Kourtney Kardashian were also at Coachella, hanging out with their boyfriends, rapper Travis Scott and model Younes Bendjima, respectively.
The same weekend, Jenner showed some skin at the #REVOLVEfestival party, rocking a skinny black top with straps.

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By MARK RAO / Graphic By TMR
KUB Malaysia Bhd intends to sells its stake in A&W (M) Sdn Bhd to Inter Mark Resources Sdn Bhd for RM34 million and thus exit the food and beverage (F&B) business.
KUB currently holds the franchise and development rights to operate the A&W brand in Malaysia, which was acquired back in 2001 by its wholly owned subsidiary Restoran Kualiti Sdn Bhd.
Under the sale and purchase agreement, it will dispose of its 100% interest in the franchise to Inter Mark Resources for RM30 million cash for the equity portion and RM4 million in reimbursement of intercompany balances.
In a filing last Friday, KUB noted the sale will help it focus on its other businesses, namely energy, gas, agribusiness and telecommunications.
“The proposed disposal will enable KUB to realise its investment that is not considered as strategic and synergistic to its other operations, and at the same time, focus on the group’s core businesses,” it said.
KUB operates some 39 A&W outlets in Malaysia under an extended franchise agreement with A Great American Brand International Pte Ltd, which runs until June next year.
Under the agreement, KUB is expected to open some 13 new outlets by year-end 2019.
The company has been open to selling its stake in the A&W franchise since the middle of last year, citing the neutral outlook for the F&B business, coupled with better returns from its other core businesses.
As at May 31 this year, A&W Malaysia’s net assets stood at RM11.1 million.
The proposed sale is expected to be completed within three months of the date of the agreement, with a three-month extension option.
The sale will result in a oneoff estimated net gain of RM18.9 million for KUB.
KUB shares ended one sen higher at 32 sen last Friday, giving it a RM178.07 million market capitalisation.


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A new system would cut through bureaucracy and politics to clearly rank New York’s local governments facing growing fiscal crises.
State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli is planning a point system based on objective fiscal categories such as reserves, debt and cash on hand.
The information to be released publicly is expected to provide facts that could fuel political pressure to act on local governments heading to the brink of bankruptcy, and to provide political cover for officials to make tough spending choices.
The proposed system will soon be released for public comment. The first rankings are due by the end of the year.
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- All hands on tech


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SIR Richard Branson parted company today with the business that helped launch his empire.
The tycoon's Virgin Group sold music store chain Virgin Megastores in the UK and Ireland for an undisclosed sum to a management buyout team led by managing director Simon Douglas and finance director Steve Peckham.
During the next month, the 125 stores will be rebranded as Zavvi, after Zavvi Entertainment Group - the buyers of the business.
Sir Richard founded Virgin as a mail order record company in 1970, before opening a store in London's Oxford Street in the following year.
It then moved to new, enlarged premises in 1979, forming Virgin Megastores' flagship shop.
Virgin has been offloading its entertainment retailing operations by franchising out its international business over the past six years, and the UK and Irish chain was the last wholly-owned retail business.
The Virgin brand will continue to be represented at the chain through in-store Virgin Mobile and Virgin Media concessions.
The sale represents the latest development in a sector that has been plagued by falling sales and increased competition.


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The tea producers in India’s Darjeeling municipality would love Russia to become their key importing customer again, Darjeeling Tea Association Principal Advisor Sandeep Mukherjee told TASS.
“We sincerely look forward… We prefer Russia to our domestic market,” Mukherjee said.
Nearly 75-80% of Darjeeling tea was exported to the USSR before its collapse in 1991, the official said, adding “At that point of time Darjeeling used to produce around 14 million kg of tea per year.”
He explained that “After the USSR broke up the export of tea nearly stopped and the next three-four years the Darjeeling tea industry went through difficult times. During that period between 1991 and 1995 a lot of tea gardens closed, many people became unemployed and the production of tea dropped to 11 million kg.”Also on rt.com Russia & India have ‘tremendous potential’ in energy cooperation – India’s energy minister
Since 1995, Darjeeling, which is one of the most renowned tea producing states in India, boosted exports to new customers in the US, Germany, France, and Japan.
According to Mukherjee, Russia currently reexports Darjeeling tea from Europe. “From Darjeeling it goes to Germany, from Germany it is reexported to the Czech Republic and from there it goes to Moscow,” he said.
For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section


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When cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase lists its shares on the Nasdaq stock exchange on April 14, it will mark a milestone — becoming the first “pure” cryptocurrency firm to go public directly rather than through a merger.
Although it’s the leading U.S. exchange, Coinbase is not the industry’s largest. That’s Binance, which has almost 20 times Coinbase’s $2 billion 24-hour volume and nearly seven times as many weekly visits — but it is among the most highly respected.
Long known for its particularly vigorous pursuit of regulatory compliance and licensing, Coinbase Pro has earned an 8.5, putting it second only to the world’s largest exchange, Binance — which does not accept U.S. customers — among the exchanges ranked “good” in the CoinMarketCap Spot Exchange Score. That ranks exchanges by the trustworthiness and size of their reported trading volume, as well as traffic and liquidity. Among good-ranked exchanges, Coinbase is No. 4 by trading volume.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong formally announced the company’s long-expected plan to go public on Jan. 28, filing an S-1 form with the U.S. Securities and exchange Commission on Feb. 25.
Expectations Are High
Many estimates have put Coinbase’s post-listing market valuation at as much as $100 billion — although there are skeptics — and expectations are high, with Coinbase having just reported net income of $730 million to $800 million for the first quarter of 2021.
“Coinbase’s direct listing on Nasdaq is a major step forward in bringing legitimacy and mainstream awareness to the digital asset sector as a whole,” said Brad Kam, co-founder of Unstoppable Domains, a Tim Draper-backed company that turns complex wallet addresses into easy-to-use .crypto domain names. “The success of Coinbase in growing to 56 million users and $1.8 billion in total revenue shows that consumer adoption [of cryptocurrency] is real.”
While Coinbase — which will use the ticker symbol COIN — may be the first crypto company to go public, it won’t be the last. Another major U.S. cryptocurrency exchange known for regulatory compliance, Kraken, has said it will likely follow Coinbase with a direct listing in 2022. Like Coinbase, Kraken has seen an extraordinary first quarter, with revenue through the end of February surpassing all of 2020, CEO Jesse Powell told CNBC on April 8.
Yoni Assia, the CEO of Israel-based investment platform eToro — which lists stocks and cryptocurrencies — said last month that his firm will also go public on Nasdaq by merging with a Special Purpose Acquisition Corporation, or SPAC, called FinTech V. The firm could have a market capitalization of $10.4 billion. Another stock/crypto trading platform, Robinhood, also plans to list on Nasdaq in the near future.
But in the meantime, Coinbase is leading the way. Here’s are nine things we know about the company’s stock market debut, and what will impact its outcome.
1. Coinbase Had an Extraordinary Q1
Coinbase’s timing is excellent, as its first quarter results this year were through the roof.
That $1.8 billion in Q1 is more than 50% of the $3.4 billion in total revenue that Coinbase generated from its start in 2012 through the end of 2020.
Beyond the revenue and net income numbers, Coinbase reported 6.1 million active monthly users in its Q1 earnings report, more than twice as many as the 2020 total of 2.8 million it reported in its S-1 statement. And that was nearly three times more than the 1 million active monthly users it had in 2019.
Verified users had climbed to 56 million, up from the 38 million it reported towards the end of Q3 2020.
2. Institutions Are Rushing In
One of the biggest stories of the last six months has been the embrace of Bitcoin by institutional investors led by MicroStrategy, which led the way by publicly announcing its decision to invest $2.2 billion from inflation-prone dollars to BTC — currently worth more than $5.5 billion. Other companies from Tesla to insurer MassMutual followed suit, pouring hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars into Bitcoin. And old-line banks ranging from Morgan Stanley to Goldman Sachs have begun offering Bitcoin and other crypto assets to institutions and accredited — wealthy — investors.
Coinbase has been a major beneficiary of this new wave of investors, ending Q1 with $223 billion in assets on its platform, up from $90 billion at the end of the year. More than one half of that — $122 billion — is now from institutional investors, the company revealed. That’s up about 270% from $45 billion at the end of 2020, Coinbase CFO Alesia Hass revealed in the Q1 2021 earnings call.
3. It’s Not an IPO
Coinbase Global — the company’s formal name — will go public with a direct listing of its Class A common stock, rather than the traditional initial public offering of newly created shares. This will allow it to bypass many of the investment bankers and financial underwriters who traditionally oversee IPOs, charging substantial fees in exchange for ensuring that all shares sell.
A direct listing also gives retail investors a fair shot at buying Coinbase stock at the initial offering price. In IPOs, and particularly in high-profile tech IPOs in which the share price is expected to shoot up, the small investor is often locked out by investment bankers and underwriters who give big institutional clients first dibs on buying chunks of the new stock.
That’s a bigger deal than usual in the cryptocurrency community, which sees bypassing the financial industry’s powerful middlemen as a key goal.
“Our mission is to increase economic freedom in the world,” Armstrong said during Coinbase Global’s Q1 earnings call on April 6. “By democratizing financial services in the way the internet democratized access to information, crypto will increase economic freedom in the world.”
4. Coinbase’s Valuation is Controversial
That widely touted $100 million estimate, based on recent private sales of Coinbase stock, has become a source of pride for the crypto industry.
“We look at the Coinbase listing as an additional validation of the space, and a major PR opportunity for the entire industry to shine as the future of finance,” Alex Mashinsky, co-founder and CEO of cryptocurrency lending platform Celsius, told CoinMarketCap Alexandria via email. “Coinbase has more users and more revenues than many of the largest Wall Street players and is more profitable than any major exchange, this validation puts most skeptics at a crossroads having to re-evaluate their denial and frustration with the disruption coming at them from all sides.”
At the same time, that valuation has led to more than a few raised eyebrows.
The Nasdaq stock exchange is only valued at $25 billion, while NYSE owner Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) is worth $66 billion. Coinbase reported trading volumes of $335 billion in its Q1 2021 results announcement — but by comparison, Nasdaq and ICE each have a trading volume of about $25 trillion.
This is a strong indication that Coinbase’s valuation is “ridiculously high,” according to a report by independent equity research firm New Constructs.
Predicting a coming price war over trading fees like that one that forced major brokerages including Charles Schwab, ETrade and TD Ameritrade to slice trading fees to zero in late 2019, the report noted that Coinbase’s financial results were based on transaction fees of about 0.46%, while Nasdaq and ICE only make 0.01%.
New Constructs suggested $18.9 billion is a much more reasonable value for Coinbase. Of course, as anyone who lived through the 1999–2000 dotcom boom knows, reasonable often has little to do with the prices people will pay in the frenzy of a public listing.
5. The Exchange is Embracing Regulation
Along with the early mover advantage, nine-year-old Coinbase has long pursued a policy of aggressively courting U.S., European, and other regulators and licensing agencies in more than 30 countries — most notably by carefully verifying customers’ identities in compliance with anti-money-laundering regulations — and working with law enforcement.
In its S-1 prospectus, one of the first things Coinbase lists as setting it apart from competitors is its “culture of regulatory compliance.”
Investing in compliance is what has made it possible for Coinbase to become the first crypto company to go public with a listing rather than merging with a public company, said Monty Metzger, co-founder and CEO of Liechtenstein Cryptoassets Exchange (LCX) — a new compliance-focused crypto asset and tokenization exchange — in a phone interview with CoinMarketCap Alexandria.
“A lot of the crypto companies out there could never go public because they did not invest in that area,” he said. “Regulators would stop them.”
However, he predicted: “Regulators and governments will embrace companies like Coinbase who take that path — bringing the innovative technology to the market, but in a regulated, compliant way. I think for the crypto industry, this will be the start of a turning point — it will evolve out of the Wild West into something more established.”
6. There Are Risk Factors
As is usually the case in S-1 filings, Coinbase’s summary of the risk factors investors should be aware of makes for interesting and alarming reading — in no small part because many companies throw in everything short of an alien invasion to keep their lawyers happy. Coinbase’s runs to 59 pages.
With Bitcoin having gone from around $4,100 to more than $60,000 in just over a year — and doubling since the beginning of this year — it’s worth noting that Coinbase’s summary of risk factors begins with:
“Our net revenue is substantially dependent on the prices of crypto assets and volume of transactions conducted on our platform” and “[o]ur operating results have and will significantly fluctuate due to the highly volatile nature of crypto.”
Other noteworthy factors include:
- The “highly-evolving regulatory landscape”
- A highly competitive industry with many unregulated competitors
- The booming growth in decentralized exchanges, or DEXs
- The potential for volatile crypto prices to lead to volatile stock prices
- The uncertainty over whether cryptocurrencies are securities
- The potential of losing the “relatively small number of customers” who accounts for a “significant amount” of Coinbase’s trade volume
- The possibility of being hacked and robbed of customer crypto assets
- The loss of private keys needed to access stored crypto assets (QuadrigaCX anyone?)
Then there’s this doozy: “Any significant disruption in our products and services, in our information technology systems … could result in a loss of customers or funds and adversely impact our brand and reputation and business, operating results, and financial condition.”
Considering Coinbase’s recent history — and growing reputation — of going down during periods of intense volatility, this one should either be highlighted in red and underlined. Or ignored, as those outages don’t seem to have hurt its revenues.
7. Not Everything is Decentralized
Armstrong’s passion for “democratizing financial services” doesn’t apply to his own company, Coinbase also noted in its S-1 risk factor section.
“The dual class structure of our common stock” — the Class A shares to be sold publicly have one vote while Class B preferred shares have 20 — “will have the effect of concentrating voting control with those stockholders, including our directors, executive officers, and their respective affiliates,” the prospectus said.
Nor can those Class B shares be sold — owners must first convert them into Class A shares.
8. Coinbase’s Listing Was Delayed
Coinbase intended to list its stock in March, but delayed after agreeing to pay the Commodity Futures Trading Commission $6.5 million to settle charges that two of its automated trading programs sometimes traded with each other, causing the exchange to exaggerate the volume and liquidity of cryptocurrencies traded on its platform. Noting that companies — including CoinMarketCap — report this information, the CFTC said the effect was to provide the market with “false, misleading, or inaccurate” information.
While the agency did not see the practice as deliberately misleading investors, it was an embarrassment for a company that markets itself as a strongly compliant cryptocurrency trading platform.
The CFTC also noted that during a six-week period in 2016, an individual employee intentionally placed wash trades. Coinbase was found to be “vicariously liable” for that employee’s misconduct.
9. The Company Has Had Controversies
In public companies, what the CEO says matters more, as it can directly and immediately affect the share price. So, it’s noteworthy that Armstrong proved himself to be singularly tone deaf at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement last September. In refusing to take a corporate position on BLM, Armstrong announced that the company would have an apolitical stance towards social issues. That led to substantial criticism from both inside and outside the company.
Armstrong doubled down on the policy to the point where he offered unhappy staffers a buyout package — leading to a roughly 60-person rush towards the door, according to reports.
And while it’s not possible to draw a direct line, it’s fair to speculate that the publicity from this stance either led to or facilitated a pair of stories in The New York Times that cited ex-staffers claiming racial discrimination and disparities in pay between male and female staffers.


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- The auto industry is in the beginning stages of a transformation toward electric, self-driving cars.
- Startups are helping drive this transition.
- You can find our coverage of some of the top leaders behind these startups below.
The auto industry is in the beginning stages of a transformation that's changing the vehicles we drive — and whether we drive them at all.
A key force propelling this shift is a group of startups working on electric vehicles, automated-driving systems, batteries, and other technologies that will define the future of transportation. Insider has interviewed and profiled many of the executives behind these startups, as well as their potential leaders of tomorrow, to better understand their strategies and leadership styles.
Below, you can read more about the key players running the top automotive-tech startups.
After years of hype, this generation of EV startups is just beginning to roll out their first models. The auto industry has long been a difficult environment for startups, and in the coming years, we'll see which have the staying power to separate themselves from the pack. Rivian and Lucid Group are seen as early leaders, but they, and their rivals, have plenty of work ahead of them.
- Read more:
- Lucid insiders worry CEO Peter Rawlinson's 'vendetta' against Elon Musk could undermine the EV startup's bid to be the next Tesla
- Meet 13 power players of the electric-vehicle industry, from leading companies like Tesla, Rivian, and QuantumScape
- Meet Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe, who's been called the next Jeff Bezos as he electrifies Amazon's delivery vans
- Canoo's stock price has plummeted this year amid a management shakeup and an SEC investigation. Here's how its new CEO plans to prove his doubters wrong.
The race to perfect the self-driving car has taken longer than the industry expected, but some outfits are really moving toward a world where drivers can let a computer take the wheel. An early focus on robotaxis has expanded to trucking and logistics, which are now most likely to be the first sites of mass adoption for self-driving tech, even that milestone appears to be years away.
- Read more:
- A 25-year-old college dropout just pulled in $600 million in funding for his self-driving-truck tech that could hit the road by 2024
- The world's youngest self-made billionaire is proving Elon Musk wrong by bringing lidar — and self-driving savvy — to the mass car market
- The CEO of Uber-backed Aurora reveals how the self-driving outfit can hit $2 billion in revenue by 2027 — without owning a single vehicle
- Meet the 11 power players of the self-driving industry from leading companies like Tesla, Zoox, and Morgan Stanley
Uber and Lyft are more established than today's EV and self-driving startups, but each will interact with those companies as their fleets gradually shift toward electric, autonomous vehicles. Before they reach that point, they'll have to prove they can make their businesses self-sustaining without the help of new technology. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has received praise for his role in transforming the company's culture, but some employees aren't sure if he has the vision to lead them into the future.
- Read more:
- Some Uber insiders worry Dara Khosrowshahi's leadership has made the company 'boring' and 'confused' about its future
- Inside Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi's 4-year quest to root out the toxic culture that nearly sank the world's most valuable startup
- Dara Khosrowshahi is 4 years into his quest to make Uber profitable. These 17 execs are leading the company's effort to become the Amazon of transportation.
- Uber's top lawyer rejected the company's attempts to recruit him twice. Here's how CEO Dara Khosrowshahi finally won him over.
Batteries are taking on a new importance as the auto industry transitions from gas-powered to electric vehicles. The battery pack is the most expensive part of an EV, and the biggest factor in determing how far it can drive between charges. Startups have struggled for years to reinvent the battery, but a new generation is hoping it's cracked the code on cells that are safer and more energy-dense.
- Read more:
- Startups like QuantumScape are trying to kill off the lithium-ion battery. An early Tesla employee's company just achieved a breakthrough that could prove them wrong.
- The CEO of a Bill Gates-backed battery startup explains how his breakthrough solid-state system could finally make EVs affordable
- How the CEO of a Bill Gates-backed battery startup convinced the tech mogul to invest in his solid-state tech
The next generation of leaders
In addition to profiling today's top transportation-startup executives, Insider has also worked to identify the potential leaders of tomorrow. Below, you can read about the brightest up-and-comers in the electric and autonomous-vehicle industries.
- Read more:
- Meet 2021's rising stars of the electric vehicle industry, from companies like Rivian, Arrival, and Solid Power
- The rising stars of self-driving vehicles, from companies like Waymo, Aurora, and Cruise
- How to break into the self-driving industry after college, according to 10 rising stars in the field


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The security breach at the US credit bureau Equifax is bad news for everybody. But one of the most galling things about the hack is how Equifax has made victims responsible for limiting the damage. And since Equifax still hasn’t given reliable information on who exactly was affected, that means everyone in the United States is on the hook.
Equifax is waiving the fee to freeze credit at the bureau and offering free credit monitoring for one year. That just delays by 365 days the date that a nefarious party can abuse the stolen information. It’s up to consumers to seek out additional measures, like setting fraud alerts and freezing credit at Experian and TransUnion (the other two major US credit bureaus), requesting and reviewing credit reports from the three bureaus, and monitoring their accounts indefinitely.
The number of people actively pursuing those measures at this point seems small. As many as 143 million people may have been affected by the breach, but as of Sept. 12, as Quartz’s Karen Hao reported, only 15 million people—a mere 10% of potential victims—had visited the Equifax website to see if they were affected. Everyone is at risk, but consumers with less financial literacy—and fewer financial resources to absorb any resulting losses—are even more so.
“The Equifax data breach poses serious problems for consumers of all socio-economic levels, but in particular, those consumers who are less educated on the repercussions associated with data theft and identity theft,” said Thomas Hinton, CEO of the American Consumer Council.
He said that the consumer advocacy non-profit “is deeply concerned that Equifax—and all credit reporting companies—are not doing enough in a timely manner to protect under-served consumers who have been victimized by this data breach and stand to suffer the most.”
Identity theft is an upsetting, time-consuming, and financially burdensome crime for any victim. For those already financially strapped, the fallout is particularly devastating.
The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) conducts an annual survey of people who contacted the center after their identities were stolen. The impacts reported by fraud victims show the disturbing risks of a breach like the one at Equifax, with thieves using stolen identities to file taxes, obtain drivers’ licenses, run up medical bills, or commit crimes. Of the 300 respondents in the 2016 survey, 52% earned household incomes below $50,000 per year, and 33% earned less than $25,000.
Identity theft costs the average victim $1,343 in stolen assets and expenses like legal fees, according to a US Department of Justice survey. In a country where more than half of people say they’d have a hard time coming up with $500 in an emergency, that’s a lot of money. Sixty percent of respondents to the ITRC survey said they had to borrow money to make ends meet after the crime. Thirty percent had to apply for government assistance, and 31% lost their home.
Furthermore, the federal government can discontinue benefit payments like Social Security or welfare assistance if fraudulent activity is detected with the recipient’s Social Security number, placing low-income and elderly people at greater risk.
Equifax will soon be sending letters to potential victims, so even those without internet access will be aware of the breach, ITRC president and CEO Eva Velasquez said. The US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the ITRC offer free resources to potential identity theft victims. But it doesn’t change the fact that the people with the most to lose from Equifax’s mistake are those who had less to start with.


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Toyota on Wednesday said that operations at its plants in Japan may be affected by supply chain issues linked to the new coronavirus outbreak in the coming weeks, as the global outbreak gathers pace.
The automaker, which operates 16 vehicle and components sites in Japan, said that it would decide on how to continue operations at its domestic plants from the week of March 9, after keeping output normal through the week of March 2.
Plants may be affected by potential supply disruptions in China as some plants in the epicenter of the virus outbreak remain are unable to produce and transport goods, while some plants remain closed under orders by regional authorities.
"We are receiving parts from China as normal for the moment, but we will assess the situation after the week of March 2," a Toyota spokeswoman told Reuters.
Japan production accounts for nearly half of the 10.7 million cars Toyota sold globally in 2019.
The automaker also said it would cancel all non-essential travel for employees in Japan, the latest move by a global company to curb operations as the speed of the virus outbreak appears to gather pace.


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Tuesday marks the celebration of National Cat Day, as cat lovers everywhere are encouraged to show some support and unconditional love for their feline friends.
National Cat Day was founded in 2005 by pet lifestyle expert and animal welfare advocate Colleen Page, according to the National Cat Day website. It's intended to be not only a day of extra TLC for purring friends but also a day to bring awareness to the many cats in shelters nationwide who need adopting.
Four million cats enter shelters every year, with one to two million eventually euthanized, according to the website. The goal of the day's designation, in partnership with the Animal Miracle Foundation, is to facilitate 10,000 shelter cat adoptions by day's end.
National Cat Day also encourages kitty enthusiasts to buy Cat Day tees from its online store. If you aren't already scanning it for your "Certifiably Frisky" T-shirt or becoming the "Queen of Cats," here are some fun facts for all you fluff fiends, courtesy of Animal Planet:
- Cats can sleep up to 16 hours every day.
- Cats spend one third of their waking hours cleaning themselves.
- In North America, cats are actually a more popular pet than dogs. There are nearly 73 million cats, compared with 63 million dogs, kept as household pets.


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[29/1/15 Update: PwC has announced that it is partnering with Blockstream, a blockchain startup]
It seems the corporate and government related adoption of blockchain technology is picking up pace. Over the last couple of days we’ve seen China announce its intentions to introduce a block chain based digital currency for mainstream adoption and Australian banks initiate blockchain tech hubs in Hong Kong with plans to do the same in London next quarter. We’ve also seen German banks predict that cash will be redundant as soon as ten years from now. It seems as if – after a long period of uncertainty – these institutions are finally realizing that the future of domestic and international finance is just around the corner, and that blockchain technology could very well be the foundation of this future. In turn, they are scrambling to understand its underlying mechanism and potential applications.
Today we got word of yet another household name financial services company venturing into blockchain tech. The company is PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). For those not familiar with the company, PwC is a global organization that employs more than 200,000 people across primarily the US, Europe and Asia. It generated a little over $35 billion revenues last year. It is considered one of the big four accounting firms in the world, is the sixth largest private company in the US, and is the go-to audit entity for 35% of the fortune 100, attracting more than 43% of Fortune 100 audit expense dollars last year. And now, its turned is attention to the blockchain.
So what do we know so far? Well, as yet, not much. The little we do know, however, is enough to get us excited. Here goes. PwC has started to put together what it calls its blockchain team. The team will be located in Belfast, UK, and PwC expects to expand its 15 core staff to more than 40 before the end of this year. The teams remit will be to investigate potential blockchain applications for PwC’s clients, as well as to improve general understanding of the technology across the financial sector.
Here’s a couple of quotes from the big names associated with the move.
Steve Davies, PwC partner and EMEA FinTech Leader, said:
There’s clear evidence that banks, institutions and even governments are looking at blockchain technology as a secure storage and distribution solution…as the blockchain juggernaut continues to gather pace, PwC will be well placed to service our clients’ needs at a global level.
Ashley Unwin, PwC UK Executive Board member said:
Blockchain technology is worrying major players in the financial services industry as they don’t know where it will go or its potential to disrupt business models… We are confident that these disruptive FinTech technologies will trigger a huge increase in demand for blockchain expertise and we intend to be a leader in exploiting these disruptive new technologies.
This isn’t the first time PWC has expressed interest in the blockchain’s potential. Last year, the company released a report titled “Money is no object: Understanding the evolving cryptocurrency market”, which sought to understand how cryptocurrency, and most notably bitcoin, might affect the financial space going forward. It seems the conclusions drawn from this report were enough to persuade PwC of cryptocurrency’s potential.


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Bunnings Warehouse has announced that it will give away more than 25,000 free trees to households across Greater Sydney.
The retail giant and the NSW Government have partnered up to deliver the initiative as part of a program to make suburbs, cities and towns greener and more beautiful.
An addition, 20,000 trees will be planted by councils across the region.
For more Lifestyle related news and videos check out Lifestyle >>
“Our Free Tree Giveaway with Bunnings is open to all 33 local government areas across Greater Sydney, giving 10,500 eligible households a tree to plant in their yard,” Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob stokes said.
Member for Camden Peter Sidgreaves said the free tree giveaway was a great opportunity for the community to get gardening.
“This is a great partnership where people can simply order a new tree online and go and pick it up at their local Bunnings,” Sidgreaves said.
“The varieties available will change every month, so keep an eye out for native trees, flowering trees and even some fruit trees.”
How to get a free tree
Applications for a free tree can be made online. The applicant’s local Bunnings store will then be in contact when the trees are ready to be collected and planted.
A variety of seasonal trees will be available between June and October.
For a list of eligible suburbs and participating Bunnings Warehouse stores for the Free Tree Giveaway, head here.
7NEWS.com.au has received no monetary benefit from this content.


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The CA Essential WC-3000 went through a “rigorous testing process” to achieve certification from the US communications technology company.
The CA Essential WC-3000 is a full HD 1080p plug-and-play webcam featuring a universal monitor mount, a 5.0 megapixel camera and with dual-omni directional surround mics.
The boom in at-home working brought on by the pandemic has pushed the need for quality webcams that deliver reliable, affordable communication to an all-time high.
While most PCs come equipped with built-in options, they typically do not meet the needs for these demanding, and now mainstream, uses, according to Cyber Acoustics. Hence the demand for plug-and-play webcams.
“Putting our latest webcams through the rigorous Zoom Certification testing process was important to us to ensure we are delivering innovative and reliable technology solutions that users can depend on as they continue to work and learn remotely,” said Steve Erickson, COO at Cyber Acoustics. “The Zoom Certification tells our customers that our webcams meet high standards in video performance, and meet their expectations of high-quality, reliable communication.”
The webcam was certified through Zoom's hardware certification program. This program allows manufacturers that produce devices designed to integrate with Zoom to certify that select hardware is compatible with Zoom software.
“At Zoom, we bring people together with video communications and empower them to accomplish more, and it’s great to see Cyber Acoustics ensure their products meet the highest quality standards,” said Eric Yu, head of hardware partnership at Zoom. “Their pursuit of Zoom Certification is an example of their commitment to providing products that will meet their customers’ needs.”


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The Windows Blue Screen of Death isn’t known for being particularly descriptive, but Microsoft may be looking to change that in a future version of Windows 10.
A Reddit user posted a picture last week that shows a new version of the dreaded blue screen, one with a QR code and a link where users can get more information about the error that caused their computer to crash.
Right now, the code and the link take users to a webpage that discusses generic fixes for errors that might cause a crash. In the future, though, Microsoft could provide a QR code that leads to more specific information about what caused the computer freeze up.
That could be more helpful than the information provided on the blue screen today, which typically includes obscure codes that you have to go search for online to understand.
Right now, it’s hard to tell what causes the QR code to appear during a crash, though it appears tied to the latest Insider preview build of Windows 10. In my testing, the QR code didn’t appear when I forced a blue screen of death on my Surface Pro 3, though a link to the help page did.
What’s not clear is how the feature will end up getting implemented for general consumers. Microsoft hasn’t yet responded to a request for comment.


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The Hollywood Reporter recently published an article about Guess? Brand founder and designer bringing new life to the Scottish Rite Center in Hollywood CA. His new venture, an art gallery and museum, showcases contemporary artwork as well as Masonic paraphernalia.
Best of all, it is free. However, reservations and registration is required.
Visit the official site for more details.


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'A wonderful town': Proof Brewing celebrates a decade with 10 Year Anniversary Ale, more
Can you believe that it's actually been 10 years since the first full-scale production craft brewery opened up in Tallahassee?
But hey, as the saying goes, "Time flies when you're having fun!"
Beer Festivals:Two area beer festivals making comebacks in March | Around the Brew Bend
Things to do: Assemble for the Ecosound Ensemble, dig the Didgeriblues
Concert:'Power to unify': Darryl Tookes returns with uplifting concert for Black History Month
And "fun" — in the form of exciting new new beers, tasty new food, a commemorative glass, live music and a historic can release — is exactly what's on tap this weekend at Proof Brewing Company, which is celebrating its 10th Anniversary in the #CraftCapital from 2-10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19, at 1320 S. Monroe St.
Proof, Tallahassee's "OG brewery," opened off West Tennessee St. in 2012, then they moved to their second location in Railroad Square in 2014. After five years — and tremendous growth — Proof outgrew that location too and locked down their forever home just a few blocks south of the State Capitol Building in Downtown Tallahassee.
In fact, on Saturday they will actually be simultaneously celebrating three years at 1320 South Monroe, a massive 34,000-square foot facility that was once home to the Coca-Cola bottling plant.
Considering all the history Proof has been a part of — and the countless ways co-owners Byron and Angela Burroughs have given back to the community over the last decade — a one-day celebration really isn't enough. But that just means it's going to be jam-packed, Byron said.
"It’s hard to believe it has been 10 years since we started brewing beer in Tallahassee," Byron said. 'We felt a celebration party should be in order and invite the public to come out and enjoy local live music, amazing beers, food, and good times."
Let's start with the thing every craft beer fan in Tallahassee cares most about: the anniversary tap list. It features five new beers of varying styles, one of which will also be available in cans.
The tap list - including the beer name, style and ABV - will be:
- 10 Year Anniversary Ale | Apple Brandy Barrel-aged Imperial Stout 15% (also available in cans — marking the first time a brandy barrel-aged stout has ever been released in cans in Tallahassee)
- Carrot Cake Fantasy Van | Brown Ale 7.8%
- Boston Cream Pie Mango Wit | Wheat Ale 5.7%
- Vanilla Hazelnut Peach Crumble Evil Kiss | Berliner 5.7%
- Pina Colada OutWit | Wheat Ale 5.7%
Proof will also unveil its 10-year anniversary glass, and its on-site restaurant — Proof BrewPub — will be pumping out a special menu for the celebration.
Renowned local band Revival will also be taking the stage starting at 4 p.m., and the FSU-Duke men's basketball game will be broadcast throughout the brewery at 6 p.m., including on Proof's massive 144-inch projection television in the middle of the brewery that was one of the many upgrades they enjoyed when they moved into their third location in 2019.
Before Proof started paving the way for the small — but mighty — craft beer community we have here in Tallahassee that now includes five other craft breweries, places like the Mill Bakery and Eatery, Buckhead Brewery, Momo's Pizza and the Fermentation Lounge were some of the first to brew in-house "made in Tallahassee" beer for sale starting in the 1990s. But when Proof entered the market in 2012 and then began distributing all over the city not long after, it officially gave Tallahassee's its first production craft brewery.
And Byron, for one, still can't get over how far Proof and Tallahassee's craft beer scene have come since then.
"I’m so humbled and proud of everything that my amazing wife Angela, our incredible team, and I have accomplished since first starting out on Tennessee Street 10 years ago in 2012," Byron said.
"We have a wonderful town that has given us so much support over the years and loyal fans that have been with us since the beginning. Saturday is a celebration of all the amazing things we love – our incredible local beer scene, live music, great food, and beer shared with friends to create memories that will last a lifetime — looking forward to many more years of growth, innovation, sustainability, and diversity."
If you go
What: Proof Brewing Company's 10th Anniversary celebration
When: 2-10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19
Where: Proof Brewing, 1320 S. Monroe St.
Never miss a story: Subscribe to the Tallahassee Democrat using the link at the top of the page.


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New 2023 Audi Q5 caught on camera again
The next Audi Q5 has been spied undergoing on-road assessment in the hands of Audi engineers, ahead of its anticipated launch in 2023.
The larger Q7’s introduction in 2006 made Audi into an SUV market force and the Q5, originally launched in 2009, cemented its position as one of the most popular premium SUV car makers.
Despite Audi now offering 11 different SUV models, the Q5 remains incredibly popular. Globally, there isn’t a single Audi nameplate that sells in higher volumes, with nearly 300,000 deliveries worldwide in 2021 making it not just the German manufacturer’s most popular Q-badged model, but also its biggest seller outright.
Audi’s rival to the BMW X3 and Mercedes GLE is almost ready to receive its third instalment and our latest spy shots suggest Audi won’t mess with the Q5 formula too much.
We can expect an evolutionary design language for the Q5, rather than an all-out clean-sheet rethink. Our pictures of development prototypes reveal a car that’s still based around a large octagonal grille flanked by slim headlights, but its nose appears taller and more squared off, for a tougher look. Stronger shoulders will be complemented by a rear end that features a full-width LED lighting bar more in-line with the firm’s all-electric e-tron models, instead of the current Q5’s split tail-lights.
The next Q5 looks slightly larger than the current-generation car. A longer wheelbase should create more room in the cabin. In contrast to the evolutionary exterior, a next-generation cabin layout with brand-new infotainment and switchgear is feasible. Audi has never been a manufacturer that has stood still from generation to generation when it comes to its cabin architectures.
Our exclusive images preview the regular version of the Q5, but a coupé-shaped Sportback model would seem a certainty given the firm’s push for Sportback versions of its e-tron models. Sportback styles also appear to be exempt from a reduction in complexity in the brand’s combustion-engined car portfolio, as announced in 2019.
The brand has already electrified the Q5 nameplate with the arrival of the MEB-based Q5 e-tron in China, but this model is unlikely to come to Europe. In fact, conforming to Audi’s electrification strategy in Europe, there’ll be no next-generation Q5 EV. Instead, the new car will remain on a combustion-engined platform, with an evolution of the brand’s current MLB architecture employed for the next model. However, we can expect substantial upgrades for the platform, because it will host one final generation of combustion-engined models for Europe, described to Auto Express by technical boss Oliver Hoffman as “the best” Audi has ever launched.
At the time, Hoffman was outlining the technical basis of the next-generation A4 to us – a car also due in 2023 on the updated MLB architecture. Fundamental to the platform’s new offering will be an updated version of the Volkswagen Group’s well known EA888 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, with 48-volt mild-hybrid technology and revised turbo systems.
Mild-hybrid tech is not new on the Q5; it was introduced as part of the car’s facelift in 2020. However, the powerful SQ5 diesel aside, which uses a 48-volt system, regular MHEV versions of the current Q5 feature a less advanced 12-volt set-up. The 48-volt tech would expand the car’s engine-off coasting and electric-boost capabilities from fleeting moments to being a key part of the driving experience, improving performance and fuel economy.
Diesel power remains popular in the Q5, and an updated 2.0-litre TDI option – also with a new development of the 48-volt tech offered on the current model – will almost certainly arrive as part of the offering. We can expect the SQ5 to stick around for another generation, too, also embracing 48-volt tech but allied to a turbocharged 3.0-litre V6, likely to develop more than 350bhp.
Electrification will play a starring role in the next-generation car, too, but beyond the expanded mild-hybrid offering, plug-in hybrid tech is as far as the Q5 will extend.
The current 50 TFSI e quattro already weighs in with a 17.9kWh battery, enabling up to 37 miles of electric running. It works with a 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine and an electric-motor system for a total power output of 295bhp and CO2 from 35g/km. Again, we expect incremental refinements to this system for the new-generation car.
A fully electric Q5 for this region won’t happen until the brand’s entire European portfolio is electric only. However, Audi will offer a full EV in the Q5’s sector, not long after the combustion car goes on sale. The Q6 e-tron is expected to arrive in 2024, positioned and priced similarly, but using the PPE platform for EVs. It’ll share this technical basis with the upcoming A6 e-tron saloon, as well as Porsche’s next-generation Macan.
Although Audi has already talked a lot about the Q6 e-tron, the Q5 – not yet touched upon by brand execs – will come first. We understand that a reveal next year with sales also to start in 2023 is targeted, but most likely towards the end of next year. As such, the Q5 will not make its debut for around 18 months. Prices should increase slightly over the current car’s c.£46,000 starting price given the new Q5’s extra tech.
Check out our review on the new Audi R8 Performance RWD Edition…
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Indie bookshops in the UK and Ireland are invited to complete The Bookseller’s annual Christmas trading survey.
Indie bookshops in the UK and Ireland are being urged to complete The Bookseller’s annual Christmas trading survey. ... Read more
Independent bookshops enjoyed a bumper end to 2018, with "excellent" Christmas sales, and most are looking ahead with optimism, according to The Bookseller’s Indie Bookshop... Read more
Indie bookshops in the UK and Ireland are being called upon to complete The Bookseller’s annual Christmas Trading Survey.
The majority of booksellers’ profitability has not been hit by the increase in the minimum wage which was implemented in April 2016.
While the majority of independent bookshops are not yet seeing any Brexit affect, some are already starting to see costs rise, retailers have told The... Read more
Independent bookshops have reported robust Christmas trading, with 72% saying sales increased on last year, reflecting a buoyant market for indie bookshops amid the best... Read more
The Bookseller's annual Christmas Trading Survey for independent bookshops is now live.
A greater percentage of independent booksellers reported that they enjoyed Christmas sales increases in 2014, compared to the previous two years, according to a survey... Read more


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- Grower Support Manager (Blueberries) - Harare, Zimbabwe
- Finance Director - Ukraine
- Sales Manager and Quality Assurance Supervisor
- Breeder (MSc) - Hann. Münden, Germany
- Buitendienst Medewerker - België
- Assistant Grower Manager Tomato & Capsicums - Malaysia Highlands
- Assistant Grower Manager Lettuce & Herbs - Malaysia Highlands
- Trainee Production Management - starting location Ethiopia
- Сhief technologist, Tula region - Russia
- Сhief technology officer, Tula region - Russia
Top 5 -yesterday
Top 5 -last week
Top 5 -last month
Manuel Diez of Ecuadorian rose farm Flores Verdes:
Valentine's Day: The dawn of the yellow rose
The farm of Flores Verdes, located in Cayambe, Ecuador
High demand for yellow
Over the years, Flores Verdes always had a bit of demand for yellow roses during Valentine's Day, but this year they received more requests than ever. "We received so many orders that we were sold out completely", says Diez.
And a high demand usually results in higher prices. "As we saw with the price of yellow roses this year, such as Brighton, Impact, and High & Exotic, were around 35 percent higher compared to last year during the same period.
From left to right: Brighton, Impact, and High & Exotic.
What could be the reason for the high demand? Diez does not have a real explanation, but more color in the Valentine's Day bunches seems to be a trend in the US and Europe this year.
Colors better in demand
When considering the demand for roses for Valentine's Day this year, Diez notices an increase in demand for colors in general. "In previous years, our orders during Valentine's usually consisted of 50 percent of red roses and 50 percent color, but this year our orders were closer to 70 percent color and 30 percent red."
Red still Number 1
Red, however, is still the most popular color of Valentine's Day. "This year, we prepared a large pinch of our red roses and this resulted in a huge increase of stems. Usually, we produce around 1 million stems of red roses for Valentine's Day, but this year we broke 3 million. The demand for roses and red roses in particular is larger than we even expected, we are selling our roses nearly as fast as we can process them."
For more information:
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Other news in this sector:
- 2018-12-14 Cyclone Gaja tests resilience of coco industry
- 2018-12-14 Thailand promotes online sale of orchids to China via Alibaba
- 2018-12-14 "Brexit could wilt huge Dutch flower trade"
- 2018-12-14 Australia: Flower thieves target Queensland properties
- 2018-12-14 Kenya: Shilling to come under pressure as the year ends
- 2018-12-13 US: EPA and Army propose new "Waters of the United States" definition
- 2018-12-13 US (NB): "Low wholesale prices for poinsettias"
- 2018-12-13 Malaysia: Council seeks land for growing chrysanthemums
- 2018-12-13 Bangladesh flower exports yet to gain traction
- 2018-12-12 USDA surveys commercial floriculture industry
- 2018-12-12 Australia: Have your say to help improve ABS collection methods
- 2018-12-11 CAN (ON): Greenhouse developments around Kingsville raising resident concerns
- 2018-12-11 The Baby Plant and MilShake projects
- 2018-12-10 Bangladesh: Government support needed to boost flower industry
- 2018-12-10 Market scan: Japan's modern greenhouse industry
- 2018-12-10 Turkish, Kuwaiti businesspeople invest $100M in greenhouses
- 2018-12-10 Turnover FloraMondo Clock Presales reaches 100 million euro milestone
- 2018-12-10 Cut roses: 'No Christmas mood at Dutch auction yet'
- 2018-12-10 US: Additional tariffs on Chinese floriculture hard goods delayed
- 2018-12-07 India: Coir pith prices soar after cyclone Gaja


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Tropico 4: Gold Edition Coming this November
Written Thursday, October 04, 2012 By Richard WalkerView author's profile
Kalypso Media has announced that it's bringing the Tropico 4: Gold Edition to Xbox 360 next month, bundling the game with the 'Modern Times' expansion pack. The city-builder and economic simulator has you playing as El Presidente, who's enjoying a fourth term lording it over a small Caribbean island.
For the uninitiated, you can be a kind and benevolent leader or a power-hungry dictatorial despot in Tropico 4. There's over 30 missions to play through, including the 'Modern Times' campaign. There's also more than 100 buildings to play with and a sandbox mode for custom games.
There's also a map and scenario editor to mess about with, making Tropico 4: Gold Edition a generous city-building package. You'll be able to snap it up on November 13th, 2012. Here's some new screens.


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Car-Sharing Going More Mainstream
By Jeff Youngs, February 29, 2012
The new investment in car-sharing ventures underscores the strong consumer appeal, fast growth and promising prospects of a five-year-old sliver of the centuries-old automotive industry. Car sharing began as a big-city, almost counter-cultural phenomenon that was colored green: Some folks wondered why individuals need to own or lease their own vehicles, which sit idle most of the time anyway, when there are ways to efficiently and happily share a small fleet of cars, given modern technology and growing environmental sensibilities?
The first answers to that question emerged in the form of a handful of ride-sharing services, which park cars at specified locations and then work out ways for consumers to borrow the vehicles for a while at hourly or daily rates. Zipcar and Relay Rides are among the car-sharing firms that have become "first movers" in a nascent ride-sharing industry.
There are two basic models. Zipcar is an example of the type that maintains its own fleet of vehicles, while Relay Rides and other "peer-to-peer" services rely on customers renting out their own cars and trucks as part of a network.
For obvious reasons, these emerging models have caught the attention of automakers as well. Every car manufacturer needs to figure out how best to tap into the Millennial generation (aka Generation Y) of those who are in their twenties and early thirties. Starting young drivers sharing their cars could be a good marketing move to get them eventually to buy one. Yet given that this demographic doesn't generally place buying and owning automobiles as high of a priority as previous generations, there's a good chance that car sharing-just sharing-might become popular with them.
So, Daimler AG, for example, parent of Mercedes-Benz , just finished a two-year test of a Smart Fortwo -sharing network with a startup called Car2Go in Austin, Texas.
GM's venture capital firm is one investor in RelayRides, of San Francisco. And Ford has partnered with Zipcar in a two-year arrangement under which it will supply Zipcar with up to 1,000 Ford Focus and Escape vehicles for use by students at more than 250 college campuses across the United States. The program is expected to generate about two million hours behind the wheels of Ford vehicles for college-age drivers.
One investment by private individuals, as well as by Zipcar, is in Wheelz, a Palo Alto, Calif., startup that will pick up $13.7 million in funding and devote it to building out a peer-to-peer car-sharing model on a handful of college campuses in California.
Though certainly not a mainstream practice, car sharing may be a viable option for urban dwellers, college students, or those who otherwise can't afford-or have no desire to-own and maintain their own vehicle.


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A majority of the Indian customers are bullish about their monetary state of affairs within the subsequent one 12 months, however have raised issues over rising price of products and providers, which is affecting their buying selections, in accordance with an EY report. Furthermore, uncertainty round managing rising dwelling prices is driving over 80 per cent in India to save lots of more cash, mentioned the findings of the ninth version of the EY Future Client Index for India.
The Index for India reaffirms the “constructive outlook” of the Indian customers as 77 per cent count on constructive adjustments within the monetary state of affairs, within the subsequent one 12 months. That is higher than their world counterparts which stand at 48 per cent, the report mentioned.Nevertheless, the survey which was carried out over 1,000 Indian customers in February 2022, “raises concern over the rising price of products and providers that’s impacting their skill to buy items and is affecting their buying selections,” it mentioned.
“Rising markets are feeling the pinch strongly, with 62 per cent citing ‘affordability’ affecting their selections (South Africa 77 per cent, India 64 per cent, Brazil 63 per cent, China 42 per cent), in contrast with 45 per cent of respondents from developed markets (the US 50 per cent, Canada 52 per cent, the UK 42 per cent, France 40 per cent),” mentioned a press release from EY on the findings of the report.In India, this impacts lower-income earners probably the most (72 per cent), adopted by the high-income group at 60 per cent, and the middle-income group at 58 per cent, it mentioned.
“Uncertainty round managing rising dwelling prices is driving over 80 per cent in India to save lots of more cash than previously, with 50 per cent of all respondents have made it a purpose already to save lots of somewhat than spend,” it mentioned. Furthermore, well being and wellness proceed to be the point of interest and Indian customers are prepared to pay a premium for top of the range and natural meals, even amidst inflationary stress.
“Greater than half (54 per cent) of the respondents in India have made bodily well being and wellness a purpose for the following 2-3 years. 80 per cent of the Indian respondents shall be extra cautious about bodily well being within the long-term, adopted by psychological well being at 78 per cent,” the report mentioned. EY India Associate & Nationwide Chief – Client Product and Retail sector Angshuman Bhattacharya mentioned expertise looking for customers are much less loyal, and with rising worth sensitivity and an inflationary atmosphere, corporations would wish to toil tougher to retain them.
“This requires FMCG corporations to have a look at their income and margin waterfalls and squeeze outspends throughout the worth chain to drive profitability,” it mentioned. The buyer priorities have shifted to higher self and higher atmosphere, post-pandemic, he mentioned.”This behavioural change will drive the shopping for choice within the long-term. Prospects are getting more and more environmentally aware and are asking the manufacturers that promote to them, to show the values that align with their very own.” The EY Future Client Index tracks altering shopper sentiment and behaviours throughout time horizons and world markets, figuring out the brand new shopper segments which might be rising.
The ninth version of the EY Future Client Index surveyed 18,000 customers throughout the US, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, India, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Indonesia, Italy, Spain, Mexico, South Africa, Chile (new), Argentina (new) and Thailand (new) between January 28 and February 15, 2022.


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With so much news re the growing mobile market circulating these days, here are a few news items that took our eye:
- A total of 64.8% of marketers and publishers in the U.S. reported that they’re planning to invest in mobile apps this year, according to a Dec., 2009, survey conducted by DM2PRO, a membership site for digital media and marketing professionals, and Quattro Wireless, global mobile advertising company based in Waltham, Massachusetts (and acquired by Apple in Jan., 2010).
- Apple sold over 300,000 iPads in the U.S. in the first 24 hours of the iPad being available. In addition, iPad users downloaded over 1 million apps from Apple’s App Store and over 250,000 ebooks from its iBookstore during the first day.
- And more on Apple: The brand now controls 89% of mobile developers’ mindshare, according to Flurry Inc.‘s Analytics, San Francisco. Of 3,000 mobile app projects begun Q1, 2010, 67% were for iPhones and 22% for iPads – more than for Google’s Android and Research in Motion’s BlackBerry combined. However, although Android’s share (10%) is smaller now than it was in 2009 (18%), the number of new apps being written for Android devices has actually increased. According to Flurry, 300 new Android projects were begun in March, up 50% from February.
- Navigon AG, Hamburg, Germany-based provider of mobile phone on-board navigation has launched an update 1.5.0 for MobileNavigator, which the company claims is the most feature-rich navigation app available on the iPhone platform. The new update delivers three innovative features: Connection to Facebook and Twitter; Panorama View 3D with 3D terrain views derived from NASA data; and personalized route recommendations via Navigon MyRoutes. Navigon MyRoutes analyzes driving habits, patterns, location, time and day to provide up to three routes clearly displayed in-map with ETA, distance and driving times for each. Up to three recommendations can be suggested, one primary, and up to two alternatives provide the user with options to choose the preferred course.
- MétéoMédia, the French-language equivalent of The Weather Channel in Canada, has launched updated versions of its application MétéoÉclair Mobile app and its mobile website. The improvements offer numerous advertising placement options for advertisers, and allows advertisers to send targeted messages to communicate more efficiently with consumers.


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Celebrating the beautiful green land of Wales, the Welsh top level domains .wales and .cymru became available for private and public registration on St David’s Day at the start of this month. So, if you’re keen to help boost the country’s online presence, and are proud to live or work in Wales, why not bag yourself one of these beauties!
Although they’ve technically been around since the end of last year, the Welsh domains are now open to public and private registration.
It’s looking to be a popular move too, as the Welsh government switched from using .gov.uk to the .wales and .cymru versions at the end of last year. Conservative AM Suzy Davies applauded the Welsh government for getting in there early with both TLDs, and The National Assembly for Wales also swapped its ‘assemblywales.org’ to the more straightforward ‘assembly.wales’ too.
There’s been lots of support for bodies and businesses taking on regionalised top level domains (TLDs); as seen in the release of both the Scottish ‘.scot’ domain, which had lots of support from both sides during the referendum, and the more localised ‘.london’, which boosted London-based online real estate.
At the 50th Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers’ (ICANN) conference Welsh First Minster Carwyn Jones said it would “enhance the global presence of brand Wales”; and reckons it’ll help boost their profile and economy, as well as encourage the use of the Welsh language online – particularly as these domains have been created to include Welsh diacritic marks (e.g. ŷ), which will make it easier for companies whose names include the symbols.
You can register a .wales or .cymru domain with UKFast today! Simply go to our Domains page, type in your desired domain name with the suffix (.wales and .cymru) and follow the registration steps on-screen!
Struggling to remember what the deal is with the ICANN rollout?


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Lanxess in China Lanxess Targets Sales in Greater China to Exceed EUR 1 Billion in 2012
Lanxess is continuing to focus on the growing Chinese market and is targeting sales of more than EUR 1 billion there in 2012.
Leverkusen, Germany - "Greater China will continue to be a cornerstone of our fast-growing Asian business," said the Chairman of the Board of Management of Lanxess, Axel C. Heitmann, prior to the company’s second Rubber Day China being held in Beijing on December 2. "Our technology-driven products, which enable sustainable mobility, will play a major part in achieving this sales target."
China has been a particular focus of Lanxess’ global growth strategy ever since the Group was founded. Since 2005, Lanxess has achieved strong sales growth every year in Greater China, i.e. mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macao. In 2010, sales were around EUR 800 million in Greater China, which represents 11 percent of total Group sales. The number of employees has also risen rapidly since 2005, from 580 to 950 at present.
Lanxess is currently represented by all 13 business units at 10 sites in Greater China. The most recent investment projects include the construction of a plant for leather chemicals in Changzhou, the expansion of high-tech plastics production in Wuxi and the launch of a new joint venture for the production and marketing of nitrile rubber in Nantong.


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A new range of LEGO Seasonal sets are now available ahead of the holidays, including the biggest build for Santa’s sleigh yet.
A trio of fresh LEGO Seasonal creations are now live for ordering on the official online store, moving past Halloween and preparing for Christmas with a mix of scale, concepts and builds revisiting an idea not seen for a few years in the wider LEGO catalogue.
The biggest of the new selection is 40499 Santa’s Sleigh, coming with 343 pieces, four of the moulded reindeer elements and a new Santa minifigure. It’s the largest brick-built version of the festive transportation yet from the past 43 years. It also includes an option to display the reindeer separately without a hole in their backs thanks to some additional bricks.
Here’s every new LEGO Seasonal set that’s now ready to buy:
Pairing the 2021 sledge with this year’s addition to the Winter Village Collection – 10293 Santa’s Visit – could enhance the scene with a suitably sized sleigh to deliver the little girl’s space-themed presents.


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Voting opened on Tuesday for the NFL Pro Bowl. Which of the 2012 Seahawks do you think deserve to be named to the NFC Pro Bowl team?
Luckily for you, football fans can vote on NFL.com — and their balloting counts for one-third of the Pro Bowl selection process. Players and coaches across the NFC account for the other two-thirds of the vote. Fans can vote online until Dec. 26.
But we thought it would be interesting to hold our own vote here on seattlepi.com. Check out the poll below to vote for your Pro Bowl favorites on the 2012 Seahawks. Stats are current after Seattle’s seven games so far this season.


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LONDON (Reuters) - Britain on Tuesday said there would be a return of duty-free shopping for travelers to the European Union if the country leaves the bloc without a deal.
Those going to the EU won't have to pay UK excise duties on cigarettes and alcohol in a no-deal scenario, Britain's Treasury said, adding that a bottle of wine bought at London's Heathrow airport could be up to 2.23 pounds cheaper.
"As we prepare to leave the EU, I'm pleased to be able to back British travelers," finance minister Sajid Javid said in a statement.
"We want people to enjoy their hard-earned holidays and this decision will help holidaymakers' cash go that little bit further."
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has vowed to take Britain out of the EU with or without a deal on October 31.
Lawmakers who are concerned about the economic fallout from a no-deal Brexit have voted to force Johnson to seek a delay to avoid leaving without a deal, but he has said that he will not countenance an extension.
Duty-free shopping is already allowed for those traveling to non-EU countries, but was stopped for EU travelers when the bloc's Single Market was introduced.
(Reporting by Alistair Smout; editing by Kate Holton)


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This Pride Month, PayPal is reflecting on the contributions and experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and broader queer community as the fight for equality persists.
To highlight PayPal’s role as an SMB champion, Abid Murshed, Head- Inside Sales, PayPal, shares his views on the untapped ecommerce and cross border opportunity
To highlight PayPal’s role as an SMB champion, Abid Murshed, Head- Inside Sales, PayPal, shares his views on the untapped ecommerce.x
The pandemic has accelerated the adoption of technology, helping organizations operate with higher levels of efficiency.
E-commerce sales are on the rise, yet cart abandonment is a major problem for online retailers.
1999 by Peter Thiel and Elon Musk. One of the earliest companies in the fintech space.
Technology adoption has accelerated across sectors since the pandemic, and we have seen this firsthand in the small businesses.
Working with business owners day in and day out has given PayPal employees some excellent insight into the challenges merchants face and the solutions that help them move forward.
We typically use email to get in touch with our customers about their PayPal and Venmo accounts. However, we know scammers often use email as a way to compromise your account.


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* Fine highest ever for delay in reporting a recall
* Fine related to June recall of Lexus vehicles
* Toyota agrees to settlement without admitting violation
By Bijoy Anandoth Koyitty
Dec 18 (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp has agreed to a record fine of $17.35 million for failing to report a safety defect to the U.S. government in a timely manner, but maintained it has done nothing wrong.
Toyota announced a recall of 154,036 2010 Lexus RX 350 and RX 450h vehicles in June to address a risk that a loose floormat could force down the accelerator pedal.
The U.S. Department of Transportation said the fine was the highest ever for not initiating a recall in a timely manner. ()
This year's recall followed a string of damaging safety recalls from Toyota, the world's top automaker, since 2009.
Certain unintended acceleration claims made against some models caused a worldwide recall of nearly 19 million vehicles from late 2009 to early 2011.
Toyota in a statement said it agreed to the settlement without admitting any violation of its U.S. safety obligations.
"We agreed to this settlement in order to avoid a time-consuming dispute and to focus fully on our shared commitment with NHTSA to keep drivers safe," Ray Tanguay, chief quality officer of Toyota North America, said in a statement. ()
The Department of Transport's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it contacted Toyota in May after it noticed a trend of "floor mat pedal entrapments" in vehicle owner questionnaires.
Toyota advised the safety agency a month later that it was aware of 63 alleged incidents and said it would launch the recall.
Federal law requires automakers to notify the agency within five business days of determining that a safety defect exists and to conduct a recall.
"Every moment of delay has the potential to lead to deaths or injuries on our nation's highways," said David Strickland, the Administrator of the highway safety agency.
The penalties come a month after Toyota said it would recall about 2.77 million vehicles worldwide, including some of its popular Prius hybrid cars, for steering and water pump problems.
The carmaker was fined a total of $48.8 million in civil penalties in 2010 as a result of three separate investigations into its handling of vehicle recalls.
Analysts said Tuesday's NHTSA fine would not have any significant impact on demand.
"Consumers tend to gloss over these events. A lot of the decision-making is based on products in the showroom, and in that respect, Toyota is very competitive," Polk analyst Tom Libby said.
Matthew Stover, an analyst with Guggenheim Securities, said there would be minimal financial impact from the penalties.
"Recalls in general don't have an impact on sales like they used to," Stover said.
Toyota maintained from the start of its worst safety crisis ever that the floor mat pedal entrapment issue was linked to floormats pinning gas pedals down rather than a systemic electronic problem.
Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in early 2011 a federal probe essentially agreed with the company's claim.
The U.S. auto safety regulators in April this year announced a proposal that would require brake override systems -- that can stop a vehicle if the accelerator pedal gets stuck open -- on all new passenger cars and trucks, likely by the 2015 model year.


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Bio-tiful launches kefir ‘shots’
Bio-tiful Dairy, the London-based kefir manufacturer, has rolled out drinkable ‘shots’ in major UK retailers.
Bio-tiful Kefir Shot are made by fermenting British milk with live Kefir grains, and are “naturally high” in protein and calcium. They contain 30 billion active cultures, with no added sugar and are a source of vitamin B12, which “contributes to the normal functioning of the immune system”, Bio-tiful says.
The shots come in three flavours – Original, Peach & Turmeric, Acerola Cherry & Tea, and Coconut & Spirulina – and are now available in single format or a multi-pack of four in Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Waitrose.
Founder Natasha Bowes said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be adding a ‘shot’ range to our Kefir offering. Our new range of Kefir Shots not only taste incredible, but offer a delicious and convenient way to get the natural immunity support into your daily routine.”
The shots retail at a GBP1.00 (US$1.29) for single 100ml bottles and GBP2.95 for the four-pack.
Dr. Praeger’s Sensible Foods chills out
The family-owned US frozen-food group has entered the chilled-foods category, launching two veggie burgers to be sold in the refrigerated aisle.
The Classic Veggie Burger and The Chipotle Black Bean Veggie Burger have been developed to target demand for “traditional veggie burgers that look and taste like vegetables”, CEO Larry Praeger said.
Dr. Praeger’s Refrigerated Burgers are available at select Walmart stores in packs of two at US$4.98.
Calbee broadens Seabrook range
The Japanese giant, which acquired Seabrook Crisps in 2018, has taken the UK brand into a new area, a line of “restaurant-inspired” snacks.
Loaded Fries have been developed with “street food and contemporary restaurants” in mind, Jon Wood, commercial director at Calbee’s UK arm, said.
The first branded product to be launched since the takeover comes in two flavours – Cheese & Bacon and Chilli Heat.
The snacks, made at Calbee’s plant in Deeside in Wales, will be available in a six-bag multipack, a 130g sharing bag and an 80g price-marked pack (sold at GBP1.00 (US$1.30)).
Wood said: “We know from data that snacking will continue to perform well throughout this period as consumers are seeking products that are comforting and familiar with many turning to trusted brands.”
Popchips dialling down on healthier snacks in US
More Popchips products are hitting the market in the US, with local brand-owner Velocity Snack Brands adding two lines to the range.
Popchips Grain Free uses cassava root to make what the company calls “a light, airy snackable chip”, sold in two flavours – sea salt and cajun honey.
VSB has also launched Popchips Corn Chips, which it said are “air popped to achieve 50% less fat than fried corn chips”. The line is available in a Perfectly Salted flavour “with future flavour iterations to come”.
The US rights to Popchips were acquired last year by local private-equity firm VMG, which used the transaction to set up VSB.
In Europe, Popchips is owned by Germany’s Intersnack Group which bought the UK subsidiary Popchips Ltd. from its US parent company in 2018.
Bol Foods launches “meal replacement” shakes
The UK-based business has added to its product range with the launch of Bol Power Shakes, designed to replace meals for “busy people who don’t want to compromise on taste or nutrition”, founder and CEO Paul Brown says.
Six shakes have been developed – three sold as Power Brekkie Shakes (including Coconut, Almond & Chai Spice) – and three as Power Lunch Shakes, including Açai, Beets, Apple & Ginger.
Marketed as a “delicious, healthy solution to grab on the go”, Bol has, given the current environment, still sought to also position the product as something that could also appeal to “time-strapped home workers”.
Brown said: “As a nation, we often forego nutrition for the ‘convenient choice’ or skip meals altogether. Our Power Shakes provide the answer for both.”
The shakes, sold in 450g glass bottles with a metal lid, are available from retailers including Sainsbury’s and Planet Organic. They have a recommended retail price of GBP3.50 (US$4.54). The range will also be available direct from bolfoods.com.
BOL Power Brekkie Shake: very effectively stealing the clothes of the fresh produce industry. Time to up your marketing game! pic.twitter.com/OvYxXNh8T1
— Dr. Food (@ProfDavidHughes) October 27, 2020
US snack-bar firm Kind eyes energy segment
The US firm is targeting other energy bars the company claims contain too much sugar.
Kind, in which Mars owns a minority stake, is launching Kind Energy, a range of bars that contains oats as their “first ingredient” and which, the company says, contain “35% less sugar than the top-selling energy bar”.
Citing a 2020 online study of 500 consumers, Kind said 75% of respondents eat that “top-selling energy bar” before activities like “relaxing at home, sitting at their desk, or running errands”.
“Energy bars are typically higher in calories, carbohydrates and sugar and should not be eaten before being sedentary as your body won’t be challenged to metabolise the energy efficiently,” Stephanie Csaszar, “nutrition expert” at Kind, says. While Kind Energy has 35% less sugar than the top-selling energy bar, it should still be eaten before physical activity for this reason.”
Kind Energy bars, sold in three varieties, are available at “retailers nationwide”, with a suggested retail price of US$1.39-$1.69 per bar, the company added.
Danone trials make-at-home yogurt kits in France
Danone is trialling a make-at-home yogurt kit in the dairy giant’s domestic market of France.
The Danone Ferments kits are available in 74 Monoprix retail stores across the country with each box containing three sachets to make 24 servings. They come in two formats, original and brewed.
Danone said it is catering to consumers confined to their homes during the pandemic, when online enquires for home-made yogurt have tripled. The kits are also intended to cut down on food waste and are part of the dairy firm’s commitment to limit its environmental footprint “by reducing packaging directly at source”.
The kits carry a maximum retail price of EUR3.20 (US$3.78) a box.
General Mills adds to Fibre One range in UK
The US giant is launching a Fibre One Protein product across the Atlantic.
Sold in two flavours – and in multi-packs of three – the bars will hit Tesco stores on 2 November.
“Our research found 71% of Fibre One consumers are interested in protein, but are wary of the high sugar and calorie content of protein bars currently on the market,” Adrienne Burke, marketing manager for snacking at General Mills in the UK, said. “Our new range is the ideal alternative – the bars are low in sugar and calories but taste great and give the perfect protein boost, especially for the pre-and post-gym occasion.”
There are 90 calories, 10g of protein and 1g of sugar per 24g bar.
The bars are sold in Caramel and Cookies & Cream flavours. The three-packs have a recommended retail price of GBP2.89. It’s been more than seven years since General Mills launched a protein-enhanced version of its Fiber Ones bars in the US. The bars on sale in the US have 120 calories, 6g of protein and 2g of sugar per 33g bar.
Bimbo, Land O’Lakes team up in US
The Mexican bakery giant and the US dairy co-op have worked together to launch a product under Bimbo’s Arnold, Brownberry and Oroweat brands.
Country Style Butter Bread gives what the companies called a “delicious, buttery taste to the bread aisle”.
Grupo Bimbo already markets a range of breads under the Country Style sub-brand in the US already, using its Arnold, Brownberry and Oroweat brands, such as Sourdough and Oat Bran.
The new bread is “available at major retailers across the US”, the companies said, for a suggested average retail price of US$4.49.
“As the largest premium bread brand in the country, we are delighted to partner with the leading branded butter, Land O Lakes, to elevate a classic pairing,” Jessica Grane, marketing director, for premium and artisan bread at Bimbo Bakeries USA, said. “This strategic alliance brings America’s favorite butter to the bread aisle and is sure to become a household staple.”


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Spend Black Friday Eating Leftovers and Support Your Local Merchants
Unlike Black Friday, a day that perpetuates painfully early wake up calls, snarled traffic, battling for parking spots and getting jostled by crowds, sometimes unruly, Small Business Saturday encourages the patronage of local establishments that support their local communities.
The campaign to “shop small” on the Saturday after Thanksgiving started in 2010 as an effort to give small businesses-many struggling to get out of the red after a long recession-a much needed shot in the arm. Since then, it has become a powerful movement to give back to the brick-and-mortar establishments that line our Main Streets and keep our communities vibrant.
The concept is simple: Instead of “one-stop-shopping” at the nearest “big-box” store, you shop at small, locally-owned businesses for things you simply can’t find at the mall, and instead of dealing with temporary workers who don’t know the merchandise, there’s a good chance you’ll be dealing directly with the owner, who cares very much about making you happy so you’ll come back time and again throughout the year.
The one thing Black Friday and Small Business Saturday have in common is something everyone can support: deals and discounts. Shoppers have given Small Business Saturday their vote of confidence by spending $5.7 billion at locally-owned shops and restaurants just last year according to a survey conducted by American Express and the National Federation of Independent Business. Last year’s total marked a 3.6 percent increase over 2012’s event.
It’s strange to think that doing something so modest can have such a big impact, but it does. When you shop local and shop small, you’re supporting your friends and neighbors. You’re supporting your community. When you shop at a chain store, most of the money goes back to some corporate office somewhere, but when you shop on Main Street, most of that money stays on Main Street.
This holiday season, make a difference in your community. Shop local on Small Business Saturday.


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Microsoft Office 2016, the latest version of the long-running productivity suite, will introduce the first all-news Mac suite in five years and a variety of cloud-focused enhancements.
Microsoft recently re-branded Windows Store apps as "Windows apps," from the previous "Universal apps." This is the latest in a long tradition of name shuffling, but the challenges faced by Windows 10 remain the same.
Mark Zuckerberg, through Facebook, has started an initiative called Internet.org that aims to bring the web to places lacking access. Just one problem; it seems the plan is meant to benefit Facebook more than anyone else.
All current forms of digital storage have flaws that make them a poor choice for storing data over thousands of years. It turns out the key to extreme long-term storage may not be more advanced electronics but instead a natural phenomena found in every living…
The legacy of Windows RT continues to haunt Microsoft. The company's newest operating system, Windows 10, is trying a different approach to combining the desktop with mobile, but does it make the same fundamental mistakes?
Microsoft's "universal apps" are meant to allow the use of a single application across a wide range of devices, from smartphones to large desktops. Office 2016 might benefit more from the feature than any other software, but will it actually work?
2014 saw a massive surge in malware attacks, racking up billion of dollars in damages. While security firms are scrambling to counter the threat home users, businesses and even governments are left vulnerable.
Despite a lackluster showing at CES 2014, Intel has doubled down on RealSense and VoiceAssistant, redoubling its effort to make alternative inputs a reality.
Growing demand for storage has kept hard drive manufacturers on their toes and led to a far lower price-per-gigabyte for most drives. How will hard drive makers keep up with global demand that will soon exceed 5,200 gigabytes per person?
Most solid state drives claim they can endure twenty or thirty gigabytes of writes, but recent tests have shown the limits often far exceed those numbers. In fact, some SSDs simply refuse to die.
Microsoft's newest version of Windows looks promising and could heal many of the wounds inflicted by Windows 8.1, but will it be enough to put PC sales back on track?
Microsoft will likely reveal Windows 9 to the world on September 30. Here are five things we expect to see with the new OS.
We ran some tests with Intel's newest graphics drivers. What kinds of performance benefits can they offer? Learn more here.