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In April of this year, Desktop Metal introduced its first two 3D printing systems: the Desktop Metal Studio System and the Desktop Metal Production System. The Desktop Metal Studio System is an industrial metal 3D printer designed for the office, featuring a brand new technology called Bound Metal Deposition, or BMD. The company itself has generated a great deal of excitement since before it even introduced its technology, drawing funding from major investors from the very beginning. When the 3D printers were finally unveiled, the excitement didn’t die down. The Desktop Metal Studio System has been in high demand in the United States, with shipments scheduled to begin in a few weeks.
Now Desktop Metal has announced that it is accepting pre-orders of the Studio System from international customers as well, in Europe, Asia Pacific, Canada and Mexico. The company has been seeing interest from around the world, and is taking orders from customers in Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom with plans to expand further through Europe and Asia Pacific. The 3D printing system will become available to these customers in mid-2018. Desktop Metal is expanding its network of global resellers and sales partners, with a current total of 66.
“We are excited to bring our metal 3D printing solutions to new markets around the world,” Ric Fulop, CEO and Co-Founder of Desktop Metal, told 3DPrint.com.
“Our expansion is further commitment to our mission of making metal 3D printing accessible to engineers and manufacturers on a global scale.”
As Desktop Metal works toward expanding internationally, it plans to work with a group of strategic customers that will serve as early evaluators of the technology. The first will be BMW Group, whose independent venture unit, BMW i Ventures, was an early investor in Desktop Metal. BMW Group has an additive manufacturing team that has worked closely with Desktop Metal to accelerate market adoption.
“Metal additive manufacturing has already impacted the automotive industry mainly in prototyping,” said Jens Ertel, Head of BMW Group’s Additive Manufacturing Center in Munich. “Currently, we are further expanding the use of metal additive manufacturing in multiple applications. Starting with design to cost-effective mass production, which is the most challenging application where material and process qualification, design, performance and cost-per-part are crucial for our success. Together with Desktop Metal, we are working on challenging the status quo of metal additive manufacturing. We are looking into uncovering the potential for both the Studio System for functional prototypes and the Production System for high-speed prototyping and mass production of BMW Group automotive parts.”
Availability of the Studio System will vary by country; if you’re an interested customer, you can find more information here. The Desktop Metal Production System will also be expanding internationally in due time.
“Our vision is to make Desktop Metal 3D printing solutions accessible to engineers and manufacturers around the world,” said Fulop. “We plan to begin offering our metal 3D printing technology internationally and will be accelerating production to meet worldwide demand, first for our Studio System and later for our Production System. Our partnerships with best-in-class resellers in each of these geographies bring us closer to making metal 3D printing solutions available to all who want to realize the benefits of rapid prototyping and mass production of metal parts.”
Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below.
[Images: Desktop Metal]
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Key West may be Florida’s subtropical southernmost island, but visitors can enjoy events as seasonal as Santa’s North Pole celebrations during the 2020 Key West Holiday Fest that runs through Dec. 31.
The harborwalk area in the Key West Historic Seaport is to glimmer with holiday displays from Elizabeth to Grinnell streets throughout the season, all themed to celebrate the island city’s maritime heritage. Elements include tens of thousands of lights, dozens of lighted palm trees, a lobster trap holiday tree, a nautically decorated pine and a tree adorned with fishing buoys that resemble giant ornaments.
Highlights include virtual and live gift shows and auctions, the Schooner Wharf Bar’s open-air tree trimming party and toy drive, unique gift-shopping opportunities at seaport boutiques and Dec. 4-23 holiday lights tours of lavishly decorated neighborhoods aboard the Old Town Trolley and Conch Tour Train.
On-the-water enthusiasts can show their seasonal spirit by embarking on an all-day catamaran adventure on Christmas or a New Year’s Eve sunset sailing excursion, while aspiring filmmakers can compete in an online competition that asks participants to reimagine their favorite holiday movie with a Key West twist. Contestants’ films are to be screened virtually Dec. 19-26.
Lovers of unique and vintage automobiles can indulge their passion at a Holiday Classic Car Show presented Sunday, Dec. 20, by the Conch Republic Seafood Co. Held in the restaurant’s parking lot at Greene and Elizabeth streets, the show is expected to feature classic cars from virtually every era, all festively adorned for the holidays. As well as prizes for the best cars, attendees can vie for an award for the most creative holiday mask.
Because Holiday Fest events may be added or changed based on the evolving coronavirus situation, organizers urge people to visit the festival website at keywestholidayfest.com for up-to-the-minute information.
Key West visitor information: fla-keys.com/keywest or 1-800-LAST-KEY

domain: news


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By Frank Antosiewicz, Plastics News Correspondent
Benton Harbor, Michigan -- Whirlpool Corp. will shutter its refrigeration plant in Fort Smith, Arkansas, by mid-2012 and reduce its worldwide capacity by about 6 million units, the company announced 28 Oct.
The announcement follows a report last week that plastic component supplier Fortis Plastics llc had filed a WARN letter to terminate 93 employees by 1 4-18 Nov at its Fort Smith moulding plant.
"During the quarter, we experienced weaker than expected global industry demand and elevated material costs," said Jeff Fettig, Whirlpool chairman and ceo, in the quarterly statement.
Benton Harbor-based Whirlpool said it is eliminating more than 5000 positions, primarily in North America and Europe. Production from Fort Smith will be consolidated into current North American sites. Local reports said Fort Smith has about 1000 employees.
The company also said that it will relocate its dishwasher production from Neunkirchen, Germany, to Poland in January.


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Budo Videos, the largest online fight store and also a GMA member, has a great offer for all Jiu-Jitsu lovers.
As all of you know, Budo Videos broadcasted live the 2010 World Jiu-Jitsu championship finals, on June.
But, if you missed it, now you have a new chance to watch the finals. If you saw it, what a opportunity to watch it again.
All you need to do is go to Budo’s website and register.
The offer is valid for two weeks from today.
Click here and relieve the thrill.


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Expansion at this upmarket pet store chain has continued despite the pandemic. Since March 2020 it has opened or acquired seven new stores and eight pet spas, and now has 145 in total. Its wares range from pet food and treats to toys and hutches. Profits rose to £4.9 million in 2019. Headquartered in Crawley, West Sussex, it opened a £7 million, 43,000 sq ft distribution centre nearby shortly before the coronavirus struck. Managing director Dean Richmond, 48, runs the business, which his parents founded with a single shop in 1968.
This profile reflects the company at time of publication and does not reflect any changes that may have subsequently occurred. Fast Track and its sponsors do not endorse, guarantee or recommend investment in any of the companies.


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Sayville restaurants, nail salons prep for Phase 3
Phase 3 of Long Island is set to begin Wednesday, and Sayville businesses are prepping to finally be able to see customers in person again.
At Parlor House Grill, tables have been set 6 feet apart and the restaurant is only allowed to have 50% capacity indoors.
Anthony Deliamitros, of Parlor House Grill, says not only will social distancing be enforced but the restaurant has also set up two hand sanitizer stations and will have employees wear masks and gloves.
Nail salons and other personal care establishments are also set to open, but masks must be worn at all times and social distancing is key.
Michelle Flecken, from Island Salt and Spa, has installed Plexiglas panels over massage tables and a UV filter in the building's heating and air conditioning system.
She says customers who enter the spa must sanitize, wear a mask, get their temperature taken and even have foot booties to keep everyone safe.


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As the world currently heads into the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic, many countries have begun instilling new restrictions and rules to curb the rising number of infections.
This is considered a nightmare for countries like Indonesia, which heavily relies on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to carry their economy forward.
SMEs contribute a total of 60 percent of Indonesia’s national economy since it carries 97 percent of the domestic workforce; however, among 60 million SMEs within the country, only 12 percent of them are able to receive funds or banking loans.
The Covid-19 pandemic has had a disastrous impact on Southeast Asia’s largest economy, as almost 50 percent of SMEs (around 30 million) have been forced to close their doors temporarily due to lack the of demand.
In parallel, almost 25 percent of the country’s population have no access to banks, according to numbers from Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority.
This is a massive opportunity for FinTech firms to cement their place within the country’s national economy as digitization, internet and smartphone penetration are on the up-and-up.
Fortunately, over the last few years, Indonesia had been starting to make a name for itself as an emerging FinTech hub.
According to a report by Switzerland Global Enterprise, an export and promotion agency, digital financial service revenues in Indonesia will reach $8.6 billion over the next five years, meaning they’re increasing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 34 percent.
Indonesia is home to about 20 percent of all Fintech companies operating in the ASEAN region. Online lending and payments dominate the country’s local Fintech sector, as they represent around 60 percent and 20 percent of businesses in the industry, respectively.
This growth can give a lifeline for the millions of SMEs suffering from lack of funds in the southeast Asian country.
As of now, there are about 157 FinTech lending firms spread around the country, with assets reaching upwards of Rp 3.2 trillion (over $220 million), according to the country’s Financial Services Authority’s Report in August 2020.
A popular lending service within Indonesia offered by FinTech firms is peer-to-peer lending (P2P), which allows an individual or a company to lend money to others in return for an interest.
P2P lending volumes surged from $173 million in total loans in December 2017 to $6.4 billion, as of February 2020, which represents a growth of over 37x, according to the Swiss report.
At least 54 percent of 12.8 million P2P borrowers are SMEs. The lending accounted for 55% from Rp 54.71 trillion of loans that the fintech sector dispersed last year.
A study by Universitas Indonesia shows P2P lending helps SMEs scale up their business, eventually helping them qualify for bigger bank loans. Online sellers that borrowed from the P2P lending platform were able to increase their income from the initial average of Rp 807 million (US$57,046) to Rp 3.5 billion.
The Indonesian government may need to rapidly develop the expansion of FinTech, while enhancing its infrastructure in parallel, in a bid to reach, help and save as many struggling SMEs as possible.
Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority (OJK) also recently launched its ‘Digital Finance Innovation Road Map and Action Plan 2020-2024’. This road map complements a ‘ regulatory sandbox ‘ operated by OJK, in which fintech startups can conduct live experiments to trial new products or business models in a controlled environment.
According to the road map, to swiftly test, implement and apply regulations on the FinTech industry to better control the diverse range of loan products would help SMEs choose their best suited financial plan going forward.


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The tourism industry in the Philippines continues to flourish this year, with a 14.37 percent increase in visitor arrivals compared to last year, according to the Department of Tourism.
DOT Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said, "the figures look very promising, and we are glad that more tourists are visiting us in light of the accolades received by the Philippines and our destinations throughout the year."
From January to September 2019, a total of 6,161,503 people visited the country, compared to 5,387,458 in 2018. Even lean months for the tourism industry in the Philippines such as September helped the country receive a total of 606,553 visitors, which is 17.09 percent more than last year.
Most of the country's visitors came from Korea, China, USA, Japan, and Taiwan. Korea has consistently topped the list for the first three quarters of the year with a total of 1,450,792 visitors, followed by China with 1,359,817. Meanwhile, 792,619 people came from the USA, 518,211 from Japan, and 252,578 from Taiwan.
Among the recognitions received by the Philippines this year is ranking eighth in the 20 Most Favorite Countries in the World of the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards, garnering a score of 90.63 from 600,000 readers.
During the Asia and Oceania Gala Ceremony of the World Travel Awards 2019, the DOT was announced as "Asia's Leading Tourism Board," surpassing tourism boards from 11 other countries. In the same event, the Philippines was also recognized as "Asia’s Leading Dive Destination."
Secretary Puyat said, "We are greatly honored and thankful for this recent recognition for the Philippines at the World Travel Awards. A triumph as great as this simply could not be possible without the combined hard work from the government, industry partners, and tourism stakeholders in realizing a more upward tourism industry for the country. This is not the DOT's alone but for all Filipinos to celebrate."
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Tilray, Inc. (TLRY) - Get Report reported a wider-than-expected fourth-quarter loss and missed revenue estimates after the bell on Monday, saying increases in operating expenses, and expansions weighed on its performance.
The company reported a net loss for the quarter of $219.1 million, or $2.14 a share, vs a loss of $31 million, or 33 cents a share a year ago. Revenue rose to $46.9 million.
The company had been expected to report a loss of $40.4 million, or 36 cents a share, on sales of $55.3 million, based on a FactSet survey of 13 analysts.
Tilray said the disappointing numbers “were primarily due to increases in operating expenses related to growth initiatives, expansion of international teams, and the addition of Manitoba Harvest and Natura Naturals businesses,” according to a statement.
The company also said it had recorded non-cash charges of $112.1 million "related to impairment of the Authentic Brands Group LLC ("ABG") agreement as well as $68.6 million in inventory reserves."
Shares of Tilray fell $1.25, or 8%, to $14.10 in after-hours trading Monday.
Tilray was among three cannabis stocks downgraded by Cowen to market perform last week.
“We are downgrading (ACB) - Get Report [Aurora Cannabis, Inc.], (SNDL) - Get Report [Sundial Growers, Inc.] and TLRY to market perform, all from outperform, as we grow increasingly cautious on the outlook for cannabis in Canada,” the analysts wrote at the time.
“Headwinds that have plagued the industry (pricing, stores, inventory) do not appear to be fading as anticipated, while 2.0 is likely not the elixir that the market was hoping for."
Cannabis 2.0 refers to new-product form factors like edibles and prerolled cannabis cigarettes.
In addition, “we have seen a significant influx of value-based brands in the market, which speaks to the difficulty converting illicit market users, creating a bifurcation toward either value- or premium-priced flower, with a glut of mid-priced inventory,” the analysts said.


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Another video game series is set to receive the Monopoly treatment, as Assassin's Creed Monopoly has been unveiled exclusively for Europe.
The upcoming League of Legends World Championship event will carry a $2m prize pool, developer Riot Games has revealed.
DayZ is back on top of this week's Steam top ten sellers chart.
Experts in PC games, virtual reality, market data and digital content round out the first wave of speakers for September’s new video games conference Games Retail 2020.
A TV production firm is putting together a documentary about video games, and it's not a negative one.
Xbox has joined the ever-growing number of games companies that are selling digital games directly through High Street retailers.
The first speakers for the Develop Live conference have been confirmed, with British crime writer Christopher Brookmyre leading the line-up.
Media company Future has announced its new executive management team.
The Hulkamania Edition of WWE 2K15 will only be available at GAME in the UK, 2K has announced.
We speak to GAME Southampton sales assistant Tom Dent about the importance of knowing the titles you’re selling, making the effort for midnight launches and the effect Mario Kart can ...
The CEO of Twitch has given more details on the site’s recent overhaul of its audio copyright laws.
The writer of the movie adaptation of The Last of Us has told MCV that the film has required dramatic rewrites of some of the game’s storyline.
Gamescom has firmly established itself as a major date in the games industry calendar.
New VAT laws next year will have a major impact on online games businesses.
How To Train Your Dragon 2 was the only new game to make the UK Chart-Track Retail Top 50 last month.
Disney Interactive has announced its financial results for Q3 2014, revealing a significant increase in revenue thanks to Disney Infinity sales.
Nexon has announced a new deal with Valve to produce Counter-Strike Nexon: Zombies, a free-to-play spinoff of the series featuring various undead enemies.
Mass Effect executive producer Casey Hudson will leave BioWare after 16 years to take on a “new stage” of his career, the company has announced.
Sega and Sports Interactive have announced that Football Manager 2015 is headed to stores this November.
Xbox One exclusive Ryse: Son of Rome will be released on PC this Autumn.
EA will not freely add and remove games made available via EA Access.


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Yakuza Zero announced for PS4 and PS3
SEGA has announced details of the new Yakuza game that they are working on and it will be a direct entry in the series.
It's not a sequel though. Yakuza Zero is a prequel to the first game, which released on PS2 way back in 2005, and follows a 20-year-old Kazuma Kiryu and 24-year-old Majima Goro which winds the story clock back to December 1988.
At this point in time Kazuma is just a bill collector for the Tojo Clan's Dojima Family and Majima is a cabaret club manager who has turned his club around to become one of the hottest nightspots in Soutenbori, Osaka.
There's no news of a release date for Yakuza Zero as yet but SEGA reckons it's around 65 percent complete on PS4 and PS3.
- Call of Duty: Black Ops III is coming to the PS3 and Xbox 360 after all
- Tomonobu Itagaki's Devil's Third gets a release date
- Adr1ft is coming to PC and consoles at the end of the summer
- EA gives the new Mirror's Edge a name – Mirror's Edge Catalyst
- ZombiU PS4 and Xbox One port reportedly in the works
- Mike Bithell's Volume to be released this August
- Gearbox's new shooter Battleborn gets a pre-E3 trailer
- Steam Controller launches in October, Steam Machines arrive in November
- Gears Of War devs Black Tusk change their name to The Coalition ahead of E3


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Chinese firm to buy 80% of US battery maker
Updated: 2012-08-09 21:15
By Xie Yu in Shanghai (Xinhua)
China's Wanxiang Group, a leading auto parts supplier, will take an 80 percent stake in US battery maker A123 Systems, Reuters reported on Thursday.
A123, which makes high-tech auto batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles, said Wanxiang Group plans to invest up to $450 million in the company.
A123 on Wednesday reported a second quarter loss of $82.9 million, or 56 cents per share, compared with a loss of $55.4 million, or 44 cents per share, a year earlier.
It also warned last month that it had cash to fund its operations for only the next four to five months.
The company said the deal should be completed before the end of the year, and a quick cash injection should help it get through the next several months, Reuters said.
Wanxiang Group, based in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, was not available to comment on Thursday.
Wanxiang Group has been expanding in the US for almost 20 years. As of February, its US subsidiary owned 28 manufacturing plants in 14 states and employs more than 5,680 people.
Lu Guanqiu, founder of the group, said earlier that "developing electric cars is part of our industrial upgrading efforts".
"Doing this requires a lot of spending and equipment, but electric cars are the future," he said.


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Aug 21 (Reuters) - Toll Brothers Inc, the largest
U.S. luxury homebuilder, reported a 24 percent increase in
revenue as it sold more homes at higher prices.
Average selling price rose 13 percent to $651,000 for the
third-quarter and orders increased 26 percent to 1,405 units.
Net income fell to $46.6 million, or 26 cents per share,
from $61.6 million, or 36 cents per share, a year earlier.


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Led by ownership including Eric Wynalda and Warren Barton, who many of you know from Fox Soccer Channel, SD Flash is San Diego’s new professional soccer club. Eric will work as a Special Player Consultant scouting Flash players and looking for opportunities for them to advance their playing careers, while Warren will assume the role of Head Coach and Director of Player Development.
SD Flash is comprised solely of San Diego based players and things will stay that way as Warren explained the philosophy by saying, ”I believe it is important to to give local players the opportunity to play professionally in San Diego.”
He went on to say, “The mission of the SD Flash is to inspire all youth soccer players (girls and boys) to play soccer at higher levels. I also believe it is important to give today’s young soccer players access to quality pro soccer in their hometown of San Diego. Young soccer players need to watch professional soccer in person and can learn a lot from pro players. To that end, we are inviting all Youth Players (under 14) in San Diego to come watch the SD Flash Soccer matches for free!”
San Diego’s leading soccer stores, Soccer Fanatic, and parent company Lococo Sports, Inc. have signed on as the main sponsor of SD Flash soccer. As part of the agreement, the Lococo Sports, Inc. logo will be front and center on Flash home and away jerseys . Jerseys and other Flash fan gear will be available at Flash home games, in Soccer Fanatic stores and online at www.SoccerFanatic.com.
“We are pleased to have an Exclusive Partnership with the SD Flash Organization. With the high profile partners that they have; Eric Wynalda and Warren Barton, I am happy to join them in growing the interest of professional soccer for San Diego.” Said John Lococo, President of Lococo Sports, Inc. and Owner of Soccer Fanatic soccer stores. “We believe the future of the SD Flash Soccer Club Organization is bright and we are looking forward to working with them.”
As an added bonus, Soccer Fanatic Stores in San Diego will be giving away free Flash tickets with each purchase made in stores. Make your way down to your nearest location today and make a purchase to receive SD Flash tickets for their against cross-town rival match against San Diego Boca.
For more information and to sign up for the email newsletter for special pricing and promotions visit www.SanDiegoFlashSoccer.com.


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New data from outdoor booking platform Pitchup, reveals that more than 50% of UK campsite owners on its platform are women.
This is one of the highest figures across Europe, with women making up just 26% of campsite owners on the platform in Germany, 28% in Spain, 36% in Italy and 41% in France.
Brodie Farrow, Brand Marketing Manager, commented on the results: “The feedback we’ve heard from site owners in the UK is that our sector provides enjoyable and often lucrative careers for women, so we’re glad to see that the results reflect this. In fact, our top earning
campsite so far this year is owned by a woman, with sales topping £160,000. Pitchup itself is made up of 60% women, many in senior leadership roles, which we are very proud of.”
One such woman taking the lead in campsite ownership is Harriet Cunningham, owner of Benville Manor Camping, which she runs alongside her daughter (pictured above, image from pitchup.com).
“We really got into it because of Covid. We’d already spent about 10 years turning a former cattle field into a wildflower meadow and then my daughter decided it would be the perfect place to offer wild camping, since no one could holiday abroad. Everyone got involved – it was a multi-generational family project.
“It was extraordinary really how many people turned up unprepared. A lot of young families came from Bristol for their first ever camping trip, in order to escape the city. In the beginning we lent out a lot of wellies, jumpers and extra pairs of socks! Once people got the hang of it,
it was lovely to see how everyone embraced being out in the wild.
“I think it’s a great industry to work in as a woman. It’s not easy – you have to clean a lot of toilets and clear up a lot of rubbish – but it’s very sociable and so rewarding seeing how much people enjoy the experience you’ve created.”
More than 33% of the campsites listed on Pitchup are on working farms, with agritourism becoming a popular form of diversification, supporting farms through the turbulence of reductions in subsidies, increasing costs and unpredictable weather.
Although 80% of farm holders are men, agritourism and the outdoor accommodation sector appears to be offering equal opportunities for both men and women. In fact, a recent study in Ireland argues women have played a key role in the growth of agritourism.
According to the study’s leading researcher, Dr Maura Farrell, women in the farm sector “are much more open to farm diversification and they’re much more open to going beyond that productivist type of thinking in agriculture.
“Women are willing to go beyond the tradition and engage in diversification, giving rise to this idea of a progressive feminism within agriculture for women.”
For Lesley Nicholas, owner of Girt Down Farm in Devon, this was certainly the case.
“I am part of a women in farming group on Exmoor and we meet regularly and look at ways that we can make a difference to our farm income – always the main topic of conversation since the government is cutting payments to farmers and we are trying to make up the shortfall.
“I first came across Pitchup in the summer of 2020. With the pandemic meaning no one could go abroad, I knew there were problems getting accommodation locally. Always looking for ways to diversify, I thought a campsite could work for us.
“I decided to fill in an application, having told my husband I was doing so (who wasn’t too keen on losing a farming field!). After adding some pictures, I was advised that it would be live on the website by tea time.
“I thought I would be lucky to get five or six bookings a week, little did I know by the time I went to bed that evening I had 30 bookings with the first arriving in the morning!
“This first family still visits every summer, along with many others who return as they love the beautiful views and friendly farmer (my husband) who actually interacts with everyone knowing most by name, like he does the sheep. Despite his initial scepticism, he is now totally sold and is always answering questions about life on the farm and all it entails which visitors really enjoy.
“We have been open for three summers now and have enjoyed it immensely.”
For FREE updates from the world of smallholding, sign up for The Country Smallholder newsletter here.


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In Poland, Shrove Thursday is known as Tłusty Czwartek and it's on this day that pączki are eaten with abandon.
Naleśniki, thin crepe-like pancakes, and angel wings known as chrusciki ("little twigs") or faworki (little favors reminiscent of ribbons knights gave to their ladies fair), and rozie karnawalowe or carnival rosettes are also enjoyed.
On Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras or Ostatki (also known as Śledziówka), pickled herrings and vodka are consumed in great quantities in Poland. But in the States, this is the day Americans reserve for their Polish doughnut eating, calling it Pączki Day.
American bakeries started selling pączki weeks ago and will continue all through Lent until Easter and beyond. In Warsaw at A. Blikle bakery and other cukiernia throughout the country, there are long lines waiting for a pączek.
Orthodox Christians don't celebrate Shrove Tuesday. Instead, Cheesefare Sunday, which this year is on March 2, will be the last chance to eat dairy products (Feb. 23 was Meatfare Sunday when it was the last chance to eat meat products) before the Great Lent begins for them on Clean Monday, on March 3 in 2014.
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Of all the things weighing on Alan Greenspan's mind as the Federal Reserve considers interest rates in the coming days, foreign investors don't rank very high.
Last week's reports that consumer prices are in check and housing starts declined to 1997 levels are among several pieces of data considered far more important to the Fed chairman.
Although the outcome was widely considered to be a tossup a few weeks ago, recent data have left economists and market watchers expecting--even counting on--policymakers to leave rates untouched when the Federal Open Market Committee gathers Tuesday.
Lurking in the distance, however, is a growing concern: that the mutual admiration between import-loving American consumers and foreign investors who have come in droves to play the U.S. stock market will run its course. That could lead to a free fall in the dollar and a downturn in stocks.
Over the long term, Greenspan told a House Banking Committee meeting last month, the threat of the widening deficit is "probably the most difficult one" facing policymakers as they continue to try to negotiate a so-called soft landing to keep the economy expanding without fueling inflation.
Economists expect the current account deficit--a broad measure that includes foreign investors' stock purchases--to account for more than 4.3 percent of gross domestic product this year. That's a record, and well above the levels of the '80s and early '90s, when trade was a hot-button political issue.
Yet today few politicians, or voters, for that matter, seem to care much about the trade picture.
On Friday, the Commerce Department said the shortfall in goods and services, known as the trade deficit, widened to a record $30.62 billion in June, up 1 percent from a revised May deficit of $30.31 billion.
For the most part, investors shrugged off the news Friday.
"It's a non-event. It's not that investors don't care, but the monthly trade number just doesn't resonate," said Prudential Securities' Larry Wachtel. "Over time, it's one of those things that can come back to bite you. If our economy starts to soften and [foreign investors] begin to take their money out, then there will be a multiplier effect, but for now it's a non-story."
But how long it can stay that way remains an issue. There are limits to how far net imports can rise, Greenspan noted in his House testimony last month.
If economic growth rates in the rest of the world start to catch up with the United States, and investors begin to take their money elsewhere, that could put downward pressure on the dollar, which could force the Fed to increase interest rates in a defensive measure. That could, in turn, upset the stock market and cause businesses to stop borrowing for expansion and consumers to spend less--potentially halting the expansion.
Among economists--and perhaps giddy foreign investors--the prevailing attitude seems to be, "don't worry, be happy."
"The deficit always widens in an expansion, and that's not necessarily a bad thing," said Sergio Rebelo, finance professor at Northwestern University's J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management. The U.S. economy's record 112 months of growth makes the country a strongly attractive market for investment, he said.
When Asia flooded the United States with cheap imports during its financial crisis, the phenomenon helped to keep inflation in check here, a positive for the economy, though today imports are not so beneficial--or cheap.
Arguing that structural changes in the global economy--including the fact that many multinational corporations' own intracompany swapping of goods accounts for a large percentage of both imports and exports--Mellon Financial Corp.'s Marc Chandler recently wrote articles praising the deficit.
Still, the fact that foreign investors continue to pump money into the U.S. economy and the stock market has been troublesome for the Fed as it has tried in the last year to rein in rapid growth with a series of six interest-rate hikes.
"It means when the Fed tightens, foreigners can undo it," said Patrick Jilek, economist with Credit Suisse First Boston.
And at some point, of course, something has to give.
Eighty percent of the global surplus savings today is going into the United States, Jilek said, up from roughly 50 percent in the mid-1990s. Put another way, the nation that contributes 30 percent of global gross domestic product is using 80 percent of the world's savings.
Meanwhile, foreigners trying to ride the U.S. bull market have been snapping up U.S. shares in record numbers since 1997.
"Foreigners are dramatically interested in the U.S. these days," said David Andelman, editor in chief of Smallcapcenter.com, a new subscription Web site that offers information on tiny companies.
If the intrigue wanes, some observers see a much darker horizon.
"Even putting aside worries about foreign-exchange rates, there is still this to consider: Every dollar of current account deficit the United States incurs represents another dollar of assets transferred from American to foreign hands," author Eamonn Fingleton wrote in the liberal The American Prospect this month. "No one in America seems to have perceived how rapidly the country is going into hock to its major economic competitors."
While the economy is holding up fine, a crack in foreign confidence could topple the cart, said Dana Johnson, senior managing director for Banc One Capital Markets.
"With low inflation and strong growth, the deficit is far more sustainable than in the early '80s," when a rising gap forced the Fed to push up interest rates and strengthen the dollar, which made U.S. exports less competitive with foreign goods, Johnson said.
"Clearly, though, it's one of the imbalances that could come back to haunt us at some point."


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From Yahoo: “Gameloft, a leading publisher of digital and social games, is proud to announce that Despicable Me: Minion Rush, developed in collaboration with Illumination Entertainment and Universal Partnerships & Licensing, has surpassed half a billion downloads. This is a huge milestone for mobile gaming as it’s the equivalent of one in every 14 people in the world”
500M LAU! That’s not a small feat’. 🙂 Awesome news! The game has been out for almost two years now, and received numerous awards. Although the game itself has received so many additions it is becoming a little bit hard to get into for the first time, the game is certainly worth your time.
It is not too late to try it out!


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News & Analysis
2 November 2017
2 November 2017 • By Lauren Sherman
13 October 2017
13 October 2017 • By Chantal Fernandez
4 October 2017
20 September 2017
18 July 2017
18 July 2017 • By BoF Team
5 May 2017
5 May 2017 • By Reuters
2 May 2017
Imran Amed and Lauren Sherman
2 May 2017 • By Imran Amed and Lauren Sherman
27 April 2017
In part two of our exclusive interview with Anna Wintour, Imran Amed sits down with the American Vogue editor-in-chief during a calm before the Met Gala storm to discuss the famed event, the next generation of magazine editors and her own legacy.
26 April 2017
Letter from the Editor
20 April 2017
BoF’s latest special print issue focuses on America, the world’s largest consumer market and greatest exporter of cultural and technological change. Who better to decode the state of the nation and its fashion industry than our cover star, Anna Wintour?
Hedi Slimane to Join Céline, Launch Men’s and Couture
Kim Jones Exiting Louis Vuitton
Bruce Weber Sex Abuse Allegations Mount
5 Technologies Transforming Retail in 2018
Richemont Offers €2.7 Billion for Full Control of Yoox Net-a-Porter
Nordstrom, the Last Great American Department Store?
Restructuring and Redundancies at Paul Smith
After 'Monkey Hoodie' Incident, H&M Hires Diversity Leader
Op-Ed | Why Aren't There More Black Designers?
The Growing Power of Latin Fashion Media
Highsnobiety Raises $8.5 Million Venture Round
Polimoda Lecture One: 'Fashion is a Beautiful Chaos'
Ami Launches 'Menswear for Women'
Knitted Sneakers Are Kicking Wool Prices to Record Highs
Another High-Voltage Punch at Balmain
On Sex Abuse, We Are All Guilty
Stuart Weitzman: Refining, Not Redefining
Tiffany's $450 Silver Rulers Help Holiday Sales Rebound


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For those who are tired of hidden restrictions and charges of wireless contracts, T-Mobile has a new pre-paid wireless brand: GoSmart.
“We wanted to create a completely new offering from the ground up for a new segment for customers, which the bigger brand may not be able to serve,” Shailendra Gujarati, marketing director for GoSmart Mobile, tells Marketing Daily. “It’s the fastest-growing space in the wireless market right now. We believe there’s a segment of customers whose needs are not being met because of what’s going on in the wireless industry. We don’t want customers to be left behind because they don’t need or can’t afford 4G plans.”
The GoSmart will be targeted toward younger, less affluent and/or multicultural consumers who don’t need or want to be in a contract plan or higher-fee prepaid plan, he says. The brand will be built on three pillars: price, simplicity and network quality.
To differentiate itself from the parent brand, GoSmart will shy away from using its T-Mobile’s imagery (including its Carly spokescharacter) and signature magenta coloring. With a smaller marketing budget, much of GoSmart’s marketing communications will be through retail and social media channels, Gujarati says.
“We will be much more grassroots and scrappy,” he says. Much of the communications will employ the word “DUM,” which he notes is not an acronym: “It’s simply a playful spin on the word dumb.”
“It’s a bit edgy and mischievous,” he says. “There’s a lot of dumb things that happen in the wireless space in terms of nickel-and-diming and [contract] shackles.”
Though launching a brand that is owned by, though separate from, another larger company is challenging, it’s not entirely unheard of in the telecommunications (or other industries). Sprint, for instance, has its flagship Sprint brand, as well as prepaid brand Boost, Virgin Mobile and Paylo brands.
“The notion of creating multiple brands for multiple segments may be a bit new for wireless in the U.S., but it happens in other industries,” Gujarati says, noting Gap Inc.’s model of having Banana Republic, Gap and Old Navy stores to reach different segments. “In our case, we are doing this organically, and creating it from the ground up.”
The GoSmart brand isn’t intended to replace T-Mobile’s contract or pre-paid plans, but instead is to go after an entirely different segment, Gujarati says. He also expects the brand to continue should T-Mobile’s proposed merger with MetroPCS go through.
“We truly believe the brands T-Mobile has today and may be having in the future will be complementary,” Gujarati says.


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If you were in trucking about 30 years ago, you might remember the switch from incandescent sealed-beam headlamps to halogens, which were so much better that some truck operators stopped using auxiliary fog and driving lights. A more recent step up was projector-beam lamps, whose optics better aim the lumens from halogen bulbs and even more effectively light the way for drivers.
Now we have the light-emitting diode headlamp, which dramatically eclipses the halogen. Like now-common LED markers that Grote first marketed more than 20 years ago, LED headlamps cost considerably more than older designs but provide greater safety. They also offer much longer service life and lower maintenance costs.
Truck-Lite originated the LED headlight with a 7-inch-round size for military trucks during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, replacing the technologically ancient incandescent sealed-beam headlights that had been used since World War II. The LED head- and auxiliary lights saved lives allowing soldiers and marines to spot threats like roadside bombs.
LED headlamps have now migrated to the civilian world. Truck-Lite began selling the round LEDs as replacements for existing lights and other suppliers soon followed with other offerings.
“We haven’t heard a single negative thing about the LED headlamps we have out there, and we have 10,000 pairs out there,” reports Brad Van Riper, Truck-Lite’s chief technology officer. “Drivers are saying, ‘I can see better. There’s better glare control.’ That’s a pretty difficult deal, putting more light on the road without blinding oncoming traffic. We use a sophisticated optical software package to design the lenses. They’re shock- and vibration-resistant, have low current-draw, and are much longer lasting.”
At its plant in upstate New York, the company is now making custom products for several heavy commercial tractors. They’ve recently become standard on Freightliner’s Cascadia and International’s ProStar, and have just become optional on Volvo’s VNL and VNX. Those truck builders all cite safety and long life in explaining why they went standard with the LEDs, and say they’re working to incorporate LED headlamps on additional models.
Builders, fleets buying
“LED lights create a more natural light, which leads to improved object recognition at night as well as a beam pattern that reduces eye-strain for the driver,” says Steve Gilligan, vice president, product planning and information, at Navistar International.
“We want to provide our customers the latest in technology and performance, and the Truck-Lite high-visibility LED headlamps offer superior nighttime visibility, durability in extreme weather conditions, and are up to 50 times longer lasting than conventional halogen technology,” says Mary Aufdemberg, director of product marketing at Freightliner.
In late 2012, Penske Truck Leasing announced that 5,000 Freightliner Cascadia tractors in its commercial rental fleet would be retrofitted with LED headlights, and that LEDs would be a standard specification for all new tractors.
Other fleets are also adopting them. One is Maverick Transportation, which is including them on 200 Cascadia tractors recently ordered.
“We tested them for better part of a year and we’re ready to go with them,” says Mike Jeffress, vice president of maintenance. “Drivers feel like they have better night visibility. [The lights] seem to be brighter, pierce fog better, and you can see the shoulders better. Drivers can see as well on low-beam as they can on high with the halogens.
“On top of that, I am expecting the life cycle to be better than the original halogens. I’m hoping to keep the truck now without having to replace the headlights, which is something I haven’t been able to do before.”
Tractors with current halogen bulbs typically have two headlights replaced every year at a cost of $20 to $25 a piece, plus labor if the driver doesn’t replace them himself. One disadvantage to LEDs is that pulling out a bad halogen bulb and popping in a new one is easy, while the new LED design encompasses an entire assembly. Jeffress understands that replacing a new light fixture will be more expensive. But the lamps are covered under warranty, the first year by Freightliner and the second and third years by Truck-Lite.
LED headlamps are a delete option, and while Freightliner doesn’t advertise how much credit a buyer would get if he opts for older-style halogens or incandescents, Jeffress figures it’s about $600. He thinks that will be more than paid for if the LEDs last the planned life-cycle of four to five years.
Existing trucks can also benefit from LED headlamps. J.W. Speaker, Optronics International and Peterson sell several styles of round and rectangular replacement lamps. Thanks partly to competition, prices have come down.
“Go on the Internet and some are selling for about $180 per light, down from $235, so that’s a 30% reduction in last 12 to 18 months,” says Steve Meaher, Peterson’s product marketing manager. “For us, it’s our first forward-lighting project. There’s lots of interest from custom shops and off-road racing people. The market for commercial trucks is retrofitting, into ready mix and dump trucks, and refuse.”
J.W. Speaker’s big seller is a 4- by 6-inch rectangular lamp that’s common on several truck models, like Freightliner’s FLD Classic and Kenworth’s W900 and T800. Speaker also has 5-by-7 rectangular and 5.75-inch round LEDs.
Marketing Manager Ryan Mayrand adds that they are getting popular among commercial-truck operators, “especially in Canada, because I think it’s a little darker there, longer, so there’s more value there for better illumination.”
Optronics’ Opti-Brite 7-inch round LEDs draws under 2 amps each (generally a fraction of a halogen’s current draw) and produce whiter light than halogens. Van Riper at Truck-Lite says LED light’s color is akin to sunlight at high noon, when human eyes can see best. Halogen (and tungsten) light is more yellow, as at sunrise and sundown.
Lower-cost tail/stop/turn LEDs
New single-diode tail-stop-turn signal lamps are just being announced by Optronics International, which says they’re the first economically viable alternative to incandescent lamps and will make them obsolete.
Advancements in diode technology and pricing allowed Optronics to design the low-cost single-diode series, which includes 4-inch round and 6-inch oval sizes, says Brett Johnson, president and CEO. Combination tail-stop-signal lamps come in red and turn-signal lamps are in amber. They meet all federal photometric requirements for visibility and safety.
Lenses and housings are made of tough polycarbonate material that is sonically welded, and each lamp comes with a lifetime warranty. The lamps use a solid-state, surface-mount design that protects their electronics against moisture, shock and vibration.
The red and amber lamps look like incandescents, cost a little more, but last a lot longer, Johnson says. And they’ll cost considerably less than multi-diode red LEDs now on the market.


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Will the Recent Volvo Recall Threaten Its Reputation?
Posted On behalf of Simien & Simien on Jan 03, 2014 in Automotive
Volvo is recognized around the world for producing some of the safest and most dependable vehicles. Over the years, they have set over 50 automotive safety milestones by incorporating the latest and greatest safety features into their vehicles. Recently, Volvo has issued a massive recall that may threaten its reputation.
The Volvo recall includes 30,929 model-year 2011-2012 S60 vehicles manufactured between June 22, 2010 and May 14, 2012. These vehicles include a 5-cylinder B5254T5 engine that are known to cause low oil-pressure situations, which may result in the vehicle stalling without warning. This situation can increase the risk of a collision.
Volvo has stated they will notify owners of these vehicles, along with dealers, that they will update vehicle software, free of charge, so the driver is alerted should there be a low oil pressure situation.
While we can expect Volvo to continue including innovative safety features into their vehicles, its automobiles may continue to have recalls, as all technology may not be perfect. In fact, in 2013, Volvo has also recalled 7,767 vehicle as a result of a software problem causing the 2014 Volvo S60, XC60, and XC70 vehicle headlights and turn signals to malfunction.
Drivers of these vehicles may contact Volvo at 1-800-458-1552, to learn more about having their vehicle upgraded for free, or contact our law firm at 800-374-8422 for more information.


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“With that kind of capacity, we’ll be able to afford to give Americans network service and wireless service at lower prices than we’ve ever seen before.” – Mike Sievert, T-Mobile COO
Remember that quote from T-Mobile COO Mike Sievert. Make sure it sticks in your mind for at least the next couple of years as US wireless carriers prepare to launch 5G. You need to remember it, as well as the price that T-Mobile is currently charging for their data plans. And you need to remember those because if T-Mobile doesn’t stick to that idea, the idea that prices will be lower, we need to remind them of their promise.
Sievert made the comment to CNET today in a sitdown where he and T-Mobile CEO John Legere talked about their 5G plans that heavily hinge on their merger with Sprint. If they are able to combine with Sprint and utilize the spectrum that Sprint holds, they should be able to create a hell of a 5G network and possibly blanket the country before AT&T and Verizon. They’ll push 5G without Sprint too, as early as 2019, but this idea that prices will be lower is part of the sell to get merger approval. By merging with Sprint, T-Mobile believes that they’ll not only inherit a bunch of capacity, but the two together should be able to reduce operating costs.
As of today, T-Mobile ONE plans start at $70 for a single line. If T-Mobile sticks to its word and delivers “wireless service at lower prices than we’ve ever seen before,” then that number I just gave you is the one to look back and compare to once 5G is here. And that’s important to remember, because Sprint was certainly preparing to raise their prices with 5G.
Make it happen T-Mobile or we’ll be here with the receipts.


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The south east’s first Ninja Warrior UK Adventure Park is set to open in The Beacon, Eastbourne in early autumn.
Inspired by ITV’s hit game show Ninja Warrior UK!, the new family entertainment feature is a revolutionary indoor adventure park combining fitness, fun and will have many mastering their inner ninja in no time as they tackle a well curated course of adrenalin-fuelled obstacles.
The 20,000 sq ft centre, which is located on the first floor above Wilko’s in The Beacon, will include obstacles to climb, balance, jump and swing across as well as head-to-head race lanes in a high-energy atmosphere before facing the ultimate challenge in the Warped Wall.
Marcus Cogger, General Manager of Ninja Warrior UK Adventure Park Eastbourne, said: “We are really excited and proud to finally be opening our latest adventure park in The Beacon. Naturally the current landscape presented us with our own challenges in preparing to open but, in line with Government guidance, we have taken every measure to ensure the safety of everyone who will use our facility, and our own team.”
Marcus added: “We’ll be very much community-based and our newest facility will be fun, safe and inclusive enabling kids, adults, families and small groups of friends to create their own Ninja Warrior journeys and stories.
“We believe Eastbourne is the perfect location and that we will attract customers from all over the south east. We will be adhering strictly to the latest Government guidance on social distancing and offering small parties and event packages, a Mini Ninja option for under-fives and there’ll be a café and dining area. We can’t wait to open!”
The first Ninja Warrior UK Adventure Park in the UK opened in Stoke-on-Trent in 2018 and was quickly followed by parks in Wigan, Cardiff and Gloucester last year but this will be the first facility to open in the south east.
Legal & General Fund Manager Andrew Rice said: “We are delighted that Ninja Warrior UK Adventure Park will be opening in The Beacon. This is a real coup for the Centre and for Eastbourne. In today’s world, centres need to have not only an impressive retail offer but first-class leisure facilities too, so this is a perfect fit for us.”


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Eco objectives at Carrefour show in 201022 December 2009
Timber and sustainable development will be in the spotlight at next year’s Carrefour International du Bois in Nantes, the biennial trade show for the European timber industry.
The show will feature examples of innovative French timber construction, as well as feature high-level technical conferences about sustainable building.
The event, which takes place between June 2-4, is expected to attract around 500 international exhibitors from 30 countries, as well as almost 10,000 visitors.
Held at La Beaujoire Exhibition Park in Nantes, the show will feature exhibitors from across the entire timber production sector. Products on show will include sawn timber, joinery, parquets, packaging solutions and panels, as well as timber and timber-based technical solutions for the building trade.
• for more details, visit www.timbershow.com


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To celebrate the arrival of its stunning Fall/Winter 2018 collection, Jim Thompson – one of Thailand’s greatest luxury brands – opened a pop-up store with an enchanting forest theme which can currently be explored at The Emporium. Decorated with balmy green colour palettes, the special space will remain open in the Motion Hall on the ground floor from now through 24 September, welcoming everyone to shop and explore the latest in Jim Thompson’s fashion and lifestyle creations.
To mark the launch, the brand hosted an opening party last Wednesday, where VIP guests and celebrities – including Mink Natprapa Choonhavan, Jay & Jareyadee Spencer, Fang Dhanantorn Neerasingh, Pang Ascha Charoenrasameekiat and Proud Oranicha Krinchai – were invited to admire its archive pieces while enjoying a glass of sparkling Champagne. Staying true to the brand’s identity, the collection partners Thai craftsmanship and intellectual heritage seamlessly with a wide range of accessories such as tote bags, scarves and pillows, all featuring traditional silk and tropical prints. In the meantime, click ahead for the photos from the pop-up and start planning your next purchase.


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Mafia 2: Definitive Edition has become a total performance disaster. The 10 Year old game fails to run at more than 30 FPS on PS4 Pro and Xbox One X.
You're a performance disaster.
N4G is a community of gamers posting and discussing the latest game news. It’s part of NewsBoiler, a network of social news sites covering today’s pop culture.


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The Polish-African Economic Forum at Expo 2020 Dubai
The Polish-African Economic Forum – another important business event organised by Poland at Expo 2020 Dubai – will take place on 28 March 2022.
- The programme of the Polish-African Economic Forum features five panel discussions: “Food Value Chain Evolution”, “Transport and Infrastructure”, “Green Africa: an Inclusive and Sustainable Future”, “The Future of Health” and “Financial Support Instruments”;
- The Polish-African Economic Forum will take place within the framework of the comprehensive economic programme prepared for entrepreneurs as part of Poland's participation in Expo 2020 Dubai. Other business-oriented initiatives include, among others: Partnership Programme, Go To Brand Programme, business seminars and webinars;
- The Polish-African Economic Forum can be attended on-site and online. A real-time transcription in Polish and French will be provided during the event. We encourage you to register for this event;
- The organiser of the Polish-African Economic Forum is the Polish Investment and Trade Agency (Polska Agencja Inwestycji i Handlu) and the event's partners are PKN Orlen and Polish Development Bank BGK.
The Polish-African Economic Forum is another important business initiative taking place at Expo 2020 Dubai. It will provide an opportunity to establish contacts with trade partners from African and Middle Eastern countries. The event will feature panel discussions on the food and beverage industry, transportation and infrastructure, green technology, and the future of healthcare and new technologies used in medicine.
“Since the beginning of the World Expo in Dubai, so for almost half a year, we have been actively promoting Poland, its business, scientific and cultural potential. The Polish-African Economic Forum, similarly to a number of previous events of an economic nature, intensifies our cooperation not only with trading partners from the Middle East but also from African countries. I am convinced that it will also become an impulse to strengthen our presence on the markets of African countries and in the region of the Persian Gulf and will result in tangible benefits for Polish entrepreneurs from various industries,” said the Secretary of State at the Ministry of Development and Technology, Grzegorz Piechowiak.
“The Polish-African Economic Forum organised during Expo 2020 Dubai is in line with our goal to promote domestic entrepreneurs who want to expand into foreign markets. We are pleased that Polish companies have established and are continuing to establish important contacts with contractors in the Middle East during the World Exhibition. We support them in these activities and, at the same time, we would like to take advantage of the fact that Dubai is also a global trade centre and a hub connecting other countries with Africa. Diversification of export destinations is particularly important, especially in the light of recent events in Ukraine. I am convinced that the Polish-African Economic Forum will create new opportunities for our entrepreneurs to expand their businesses. It will also present that Poland is the right place to invest, and as a consequence of being a Member State in the European Union, it is also a natural link with other countries that belong to this community,” said Krzysztof Drynda, President of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency.
The Polish-African Economic Forum Programme
The Polish-African Economic Forum will begin on 28 March 2022. The programme features thematic panel discussions with experts and business people. A business mixer will also be held to facilitate establishing direct contacts between Polish entrepreneurs and companies from countries in the Middle East and Africa. Entrepreneurs from 28 countries, including 21 African countries, registered for the forum.
Africa’s food value chain evolution in the coming decade
This panel discussion will focus on food safety, the way it is provided in African countries and the challenges facing the industry. Poland will present itself as one of the main producers and exporters of food products in the European Union, exporting products to over 192 countries with a total annual value of more than EUR 32 billion. The panel will provide an opportunity to highlight these successes and draw attention to the increasingly popular biotechnological innovations used by Polish companies.
Transport and Infrastructure
The discussion on transport and infrastructure in Africa will raise the matter of the continent's ongoing increase in levels of urbanisation and current investments. Debate participants will focus to a large extent on projects planned in Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa. The discussion will also concern the Polish export offer and the business potential of individual transport sectors. The panellists will discuss the impact of green solutions based on green energy and electric drives on infrastructure within a broader context related to global and regional trends in transportation. They will also answer questions regarding that issue.
Green Africa: an Inclusive and Sustainable Future
The main focus of the next discussion will be on the issues concerning renewable energy and the challenges that need to be addressed to ensure more effective environmental protection. Also, the following topics will be considered: water technologies, electromobility, wind energy, solar energy, and sustainable waste management. Poland and domestic entrepreneurs will learn about the demand for such solutions in African countries and the potential for bilateral cooperation.
The Future of Health
This panel will cover topics related to new technologies revolutionizing the medical equipment and care industry. The discussion participants will highlight various demands for medical equipment in African markets. Polish entrepreneurs will be able to promote their solutions used in healthcare ranging from rehabilitation equipment, through diagnostic devices, to medical tools. The panel discussion will also be an opportunity to remind that the Polish medical sector enjoys a great reputation on foreign markets, mainly in the EU countries and in the USA, Japan, Australia, Mexico and South Africa.
Financial Support Instruments
Representatives of BGK and KUKE will discuss the importance of financial support instruments when starting business cooperation in African markets. The aim of the panel will be to raise awareness among Polish and African entrepreneurs about the availability of financial tools that are key to business development. The panel discussion will feature examples of Polish companies from various industries that are already achieving great success in Morocco, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.
The economic webinars organised by the Polish Investment and Trade Agency were an excellent opportunity for Polish companies to learn about the specifics of operating on African markets. At these events, entrepreneurs could learn how to export and promote their product or service in new markets: Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya. They also learned about distribution channels and logistical considerations, and gained essential knowledge on building lasting business relationships. The Polish-African Economic Forum will be an opportunity to acquire further valuable information and establish contacts helpful in developing business activity on dynamically growing markets.
Africa is currently one of the world’s most promising markets. The continent ranks second in terms of area and population, and has a rapidly increasing birth rate thus with each year African countries are becoming more and more important. The continent is currently home to more than 1.2 billion people. According to the United Nations, that number will grow to 2.5 billion by 2050.
More information about the Polish-African Economic Forum along with the event agenda is available HERE.
Partners of the Forum and Strategic Partners of the Polish Pavilion are: PKN ORLEN and Polish Development Bank BGK.


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A record nine million people visited Delaware in 2016, marking increases in visitors, dollars spent in Delaware and an even greater impact on the state’s economy. Those visitors contributed $3.3 billion to Delaware’s gross domestic product in 2016, according to data released today from the Delaware Tourism Office. “Tourism is a crucial part of Delaware’s […]
The post Study: Delaware Tourism has another record-breaking year appeared first on State of Delaware News.
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Apparently the Cerber ransomware gang is ready for the holiday season. The criminals have just launched a brand new spam campaign which uses fake credit card reports to trick users into opening a Word file which will download and install Cerber ransomware.
The new spam campaign was registered by the Microsoft Malware Protection Center, who said that this campaign pretend to be pending payments for MasterCard credit cards.
The design of the email is really smart because it plays on everyone’s fear of getting billed for items they haven’t purchased.
The email uses a sense of urgency to trick victims into opening a password-protected Word document that contains instructions on how to cancel this operation.
Most banks send customers password-protected files because email scanning systems and anti-malware products can’t open to scan the email’s attachment.
The file which customers receive with these emails is a Word document that contains an attached macro script. Once the user allows executing the script, it will infect the system with the Cerber ransomware.
When opening the Word document, the users see instructions that resemble a Microsoft tech support page, telling the user to Enable Editing, which allows the macro script to execute.
Unlike the tech-savvy users who stay away from Word files with macro scripts, most regular users just see the message and follow the embedded instructions.
As soon as users allow the macro script to execute, the macro runs a PowerShell script that downloads and installs the Cerber ransomware, which immediately starts encrypting the user’s files.
After seeing a copy of the ransom note, the MalwareHunterTeam stated that the latest version of the Cerber ransomware is currently uncrackable.
So, it’s no wonder that the Cerber gang switch from their classic invoice-themed spam and malvertising campaigns to this fake credit card report.
Some other cybercrime operations have also adopted their tactics and intensified operations for the winter holidays.
According to the Proofpoint team, the activity surrounding the NewPOSthings and ZeusPOS malware families which target Point-of-Sale terminals have quadrupled for the Thanksgiving and the Black Friday sales.


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If your audience isn't getting any younger, start looking for ways to stay alive. That's one of the key takeaways from our sixth annual ranking of B.C.'s favourite brands, which includes five new names, bringing the total to 70. Besides creating separate Brand Love scores for three age groups—18-34, 35-54...
If your audience isn’t getting any younger, start looking for ways to stay alive. That’s one of the key takeaways from our sixth annual ranking of B.C.’s favourite brands, which includes five new names, bringing the total to 70. Besides creating separate Brand Love scores for three age groups—18-34, 35-54 and 55-plus—BCBusiness research partner Ipsos broke down the results by respondents’ political leanings: left, centre and right.
There’s a new No. 1 this year: BC Hydro moves up seven spots to unseat London Drugs, which falls to second place. Why? Mike Rodenburgh, executive vice-president for Western Canada with Ipsos, has a theory. The public utility has shed some of the controversy around the Site C dam project, Rodenburgh says, and the survey took place just after a winter power disruption on Vancouver Island and the coast. “When BC Hydro saves the day like that, they almost always get a bump in positive public sentiment.”
In another notable upset, Save-On-Foods slips from No. 2 to No. 4. YVR holds steady at third, and A&W drops one spot to finish fifth.
The brand with the biggest spread between survey respondents aged 18-34 and the 55-plus crowd is Lululemon (No. 47). The yogawear giant’s Brand Love scores for the two groups: 140 versus 43, which doesn’t surprise Rodenburgh. “It’s a very youthful brand,” he says. TransLink (No. 23), Herschel Supply (No. 61) and newcomer Saje, debuting at No. 65, also skew heavily toward the 18-to-34 crowd, Rodenburgh notes.
Herschel only moves up one spot, but it finishes second among Brand Love score gainers. “I feel like I see more product in stores,” Rodenburgh says of the bag maker. “They seem to be getting much better distribution, and there’s a phenomenon in marketing that brand awareness and love for your brand very often follows improvements in your distribution.”
Likewise, BCAA, which climbs three places to No. 8, posts big Brand Love gains. That performance could have something to do with its Evo car-sharing service. “Today’s more urbanized millennial youth doesn’t own cars as frequently as the previous generation did, and so I think launching Evo helped them resonate with a demographic that was atypical for BCAA at the time and likely breathed a little bit of life into the brand.”
Although Save-On-Foods took a tumble, the grocer makes the top 10 lists for all age groups. “Save-On-Foods still has a really, really big presence across the province,” Rodenburgh says. “A brand like that is not going to fall hard and fast.” However, the chain faces growing competition from Amazon, which sells a vast range of products, and its Whole Foods Market subsidiary. “While they have done a pretty good job at rolling out their digitally driven home food delivery service, Amazon’s a giant to compete with.”
Meanwhile, London Drugs has the highest Brand Love score among those 55 and older. “If I were the CEO of London Drugs,” Rodenburgh says, “I’d be looking at that data point and going, OK, I might have a really successful business right now, but what does that say about my business in five to 10 years, when more millennials start to become parents?”
Among left-leaning respondents, businesses with Brand Love scores much higher than the average for the survey group as a whole include Granville Island Brewing, Earth’s Own and MEC. “No surprise that people who lean left have more of an affinity to those brands that either have strong community or draw roots from community types of businesses,” Rodenburgh says.
For those on the right, three of the top five names with scores higher than the survey average are restaurants: Boston Pizza, Moxie’s Grill & Bar and A&W. Brands favoured by this group are mostly mainstream, Rodenburgh says. He also thinks they’re often stronger in suburban and rural areas, which tend to be more conservative.
But if there’s a correlation, that doesn’t mean there’s a cause and effect, Rodenburgh stresses: “It’s more reflective of where some of these businesses have decided to focus their marketing energy.” For him, it’s about affinity. “Maybe it’s a better idea for a brand that leans heavily left to choose a social cause that’s consistent with the patrons that frequent your brand.”
Brands that skew younger, like Happy Planet, Lululemon and Nature’s Path, bring a strong social conscience to their marketing, Rodenburgh notes. “It’s reflective of what millennials care about in some respects,” he says. “It’s telling us that those brands are wisely choosing the marketing activities to make sure that they resonate with that audience, but it also is perhaps an indication of how those brands might grow in the future.”
No matter who they’re trying to reach or what they sell, brands should remember that old habits die hard, Rodenburgh says. “Attitudes and opinions and behaviours of consumers, they change slow.”
? Ipsos conducted the Most Loved Brands study from January 3 to 11, 2019
? This online survey consisted of interviews with 1,400 British Columbians aged 18-plus
? Ipsos measured 70 brands that are B.C.-led and/or based in B.C.
? This year’s survey included 47 attributes, and each respondent was shown a random selection of 10 brands
? Brand Love is a proprietary composite metric based on several questions. Ipsos uses it to determine how much a brand resonates with consumers at an emotional and a functional level
? Ipsos standardizes all Brand Love scores against each other, with the average brand receiving a score of 100


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If it’s May, it’s shareholder meeting season, with many public companies hosting mandatory gatherings to elect directors, affirm auditors, and change how they pay top officials.
If this sounds dull, it’s because it is. Most shareholder meetings are perfunctory, and take no more than an hour, if that.
And most are not well attended by stockholders.
For example, Cohu Inc.’s annual meeting at its Poway headquarters May 13 likely won’t attract more than 30 investors.
“In the 13 years that I’ve been here, it’s been pretty limited attendance, probably a range between 20 to 30,” said former Chief Financial Officer John Allen, who retired last year but still works on various projects.
This year, Cohu is asking shareholders to elect two directors for three-year terms and to confirm the selection of accounting firm Ernst & Young to audit the books.
Cohu’s investors probably don’t have much to complain about, given its recent performance. For the first quarter, Cohu, which makes testing equipment for the semiconductor industry, reported net income of $2 million compared with $1.7 million for last year’s first quarter.
Sales for the first quarter exceeded the company’s forecast by a bit, which is always nice, and its backlog of orders is holding fairly steady.
Chief Executive Officer James Donahue says besides improved operating profits and margins, the company had strong sales in its microwave communication equipment, the next largest generator of sales behind the testing equipment.
“However, business conditions in the back-end semiconductor equipment industry remain challenging and we do not expect this to change in the near term,” Donahue said.
Cohu’s customers feature the world’s largest makers of semiconductors, and include Intel Corp., Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and Texas Instruments Inc.
The company generated $58.4 million in revenue for the first quarter, or $5 million above the 2007 first quarter. For all of 2007, it had $241 million in revenue and net income of $8 million.
Another reason Cohu’s investors may be in a good mood next week is the stock price. After taking a big hit last year, shares sold at $17.48 on April 29, three bucks short of the price the Nasdaq-traded stock reached a year ago. One analyst has a price target of $22.
Investors have the joy of poring over proxy reports, including compensation and bonuses paid to its top executives.
Donahue, also Cohu’s president, is the highest paid executive with a compensation package in 2007 of $1.45 million. That’s down from $1.58 million in 2006.
He received a base salary of $484,000 and a cash bonus of $349,000, with the remainder coming from the value of option grants, stock awards and other compensation, according to the proxy.
Cohu recently named Roger Hopkins the vice president of sales and services for its main Delta Design subsidiary. Hopkins is receiving a base annual salary of $180,000 and has a target bonus of $75,000, according to a securities filing. He succeeds Colin Scholefield, who left to pursue other interests and had an annual base of $220,000.
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Ticker Takes: ImageWare Systems Inc. says it’s being delisted from the American Stock Exchange because it has shareholders equity of less than $4 million and posted losses from continuing operations and net losses in three out of its four most recent years. The company says it will be eligible for listing on the Over the Counter Bulletin Board. Directed Electronics Inc. says a distribution agreement it has with Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. was extended another year from August 2008. The company says the pending merger of the Sirius and XM satellite radio firms should happen in the near future, which should improve consumer demand. EMC Corp. began its tender offer to acquire all the outstanding shares of Iomega Corp. EMC is offering $3.85 per share for an aggregate price of $213 million for Iomega. The tender offer expires May 21. Overland Storage Inc. is reporting a net loss of $4.9 million on revenue of $31.8 million for its third quarter, which ended March 31. Frontera Investment Inc. changed its ticker to FRNV on the Pink Sheets from its earlier symbol of BDNW.PK before conducting a reverse merger with Bidnow.com. DivX Inc. says it entered into an agreement with LG Electronics to include its technology in a new cell phone. Javo Beverage Co. is reporting a net loss of $1.8 million on revenue of $3.9 million for the first quarter of 2008.
Send any news of locally based public companies to Mike Allen via e-mail at email@example.com. He can be reached at (858) 277-6359.


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Nintendo held a LIVE Q&A where they reportedly expressed "interest" in the "potential" of the Metaverse when it comes to introducing blockchain and nonfungible token (NFT) technology into their video games.
It has been reported that David Gibson, the Senior Analyst at MST Financial, asked what the Japanese gaming giant thought about the Metaverse and NFTs, and they confirmed that they are not currently working on anything but are still defining what they could offer gamers.
However, it is notable that Nintendo's main concern is "what joy we can provide" to players and fans. They are clearly being cautious about any potential introduction of NFTs or integrations within metaverses. These words from the makers of the Pokemon and Zelda franchises come at a time when other major video game companies and consoles are experimenting with blockchain gaming.
The report said that so far, Ubisoft has developed an NFT platform called Ubisoft Quartz, and Konami, the maker of Castlevania, released its own NFT collection. Meanwhile, Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard for $69 billion and confirmed that Xbox will work on the development of metaverse platforms.
Likewise, Ubisoft's introduction of Quartz and Digits has been met with considerable backlash from its community and recently, Ubisoft executive Nicolas Pouard suggested that gamers may not yet fully understand the benefits of NFTs.
Thus, during the financial briefing, Nintendo announced a 2.5% profit loss for the nine months through December as shortages of computer chips hurt production.


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Two providers of trading services – US options exchange International Securities Exchange (ISE) and US-based online market-maker FX Solutions – have extended their foreign exchange offerings.
ISE has expanded its suite of FX options with the launch of three new currency pairs: US dollar/New Zealand dollar; US dollar/Mexican peso; and US dollar/Swedish krona. Timber Hill is the primary market-maker for the new pairs.
“The expansion of our FX options product offering reflects an increasing demand from investors to trade their views on the strength or weakness of the US dollar in an exchange-listed environment,” said Kris Monaco, ISE’s director of new product development, in a statement. The ISE already allows clients to trade FX options on six US dollar pairs, including euro, sterling, yen, Canadian dollar, Australian dollar and Swiss franc.
FX Solutions has opened a UK division, which will initially offer FX, contract for difference and spot metal trading for retail customers. FX Solutions UK will only offer FX and spot metal trading services to US and Canadian customers due to regulatory restrictions.


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The team at Wells Specsavers celebrated the Queen’s 90th birthday in style with a patriotic-themed event.
Staff sported red, white and blue outfits and decked the store in flags and balloons to commemorate the special occasion.
A prize raffle raised £116 to support the store’s chosen charity, Guide Dogs.
Long term charity partner
‘We decided we’d like to do something to celebrate Her Majesty’s 90th birthday, while raising money for our favourite charity,’ said store director, Nic Johns. ‘Our customers appreciated our efforts and we were delighted to raise additional funds that will help to support blind and visually impaired people across Somerset. We’ve been supporting the charity for many years, and local guide dog puppies are frequent visitors to the store.’
Specsavers has an ongoing partnership with Guide Dogs and has raised over £270,000 across its UK stores to pay for the breeding and training costs of 25 guide dog pups. The charity provides mobility and freedom to blind and partially sighted people. It also campaigns for the rights of people with visual impairment, educates the public about eyecare and funds eye disease research.


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London's alternative E3 festival EToo will return as Radius in June.
Covering several separate events, this year's Radius Festival will take place over the course of the month.
It kicks off on Monday, June 9 with 'Radius Loading' at London's Loading Bar in Dalston.
Gaming podcast Midnight Resistance will be on hand to analyse the evening's major E3 press conferences.
The event continues with the 'Radius Exhibition' between June 19 and June 21 at White Space near Leicester Square.
'Radius Exhibition' will showcase a range of games from well-known studios and new talent.
"'Radius Exhibition' is not just for developers; it is for everyone who loves to explore, discover and engage with games and their creators," explains Radius organiser Georg Backer.
"Which is why we're curating the exhibition rather than asking developers to pay for exhibition space, and why the exhibition is free to attend."
The 'Radius Show' will air at the same location during the evenings.
Live-streamed on Twitch, it features developer interviews and guest stars, as well as "amazing games, interesting conversation, fascinating insights, breaking news and controversy".
Founded by The Guardian's Keith Stuart, game designer Georg Backer and Loading Bar manager Jimmy Dance, Radius Festival is a not-for-profit event sponsored by the likes of Sega, Mastertronic and game designer Mike Bithell.


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Another gaming unicorn; GST for Swiggy and Zomato?
Mobile Premier League is the 26th Indian startup unicorn of 2021—and the second homegrown gaming startup to cross the $1 billion valuation mark.
How can gaming NFTs change the gaming economy?
The game economy, where users can play to earn items or “in-game” tokens that others will buy ...
View: India needs to come up with newer and bolder solutions to save the telecom sector
Gross revenue in the sector reached ₹2.74 lakh crore ...
How to merge two or more EPF accounts
One can merge their various EPF accounts using the Universal Account Number (UAN). The UAN allows one to link all EPF accounts under a single account. The UAN helps you to keep track of the multiple EPF accounts opened by different organisations you have worked for.
View: New GDP figures underline the right mix for sustained recovery
George Bernard Shaw once famously quipped, ‘If all the economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a conclusion.’ Shaw was bang on.
Numbers to improve over the next 6-12 months; investment cycle to pick up in FY23: Rahul Bajoria
“The uncertainty prevailing around growth is likely to decline. That is a very comfortable message for the government and the RBI. ”
Labour benefits portability on cards, say officials
The move will benefit 400 million workers including the ones who move from informal to formal jobs, those moving from small to bigger establishments and even those who may have now become self-employed.
Play Magnus Group, Mobile Premier League forge partnership for MPL Indian Chess Tour
“India is a fast-growing market for chess and the MPL Indian Chess Tour is a fantastic opportunity for young Indian players to shine on both this new national circuit and the global Meltwater Champions Chess Tour,” Andreas Thome, CEO of Play Magnus Group, said.
Your high value cheque may be rejected sans net, mobile banking or branch visit
Under the positive pay mechanism, the cheque issuer, i.e., you, will be required to verify certain details of the cheque issued by you to ensure that it is cleared, i.e., processed and debited from your bank account.
Logically and NewsMobile launch pan-Indian media literacy programme to tackle Covid-19 misinformation
The misinformation tackling programme called Covishaala, aims to educate and inform people across India on the facts about Covid-19 and Covid-19 vaccinations in an effort to reduce vaccine hesitancy and limit the spread of the disease.
T-Mobile says hackers accessed data of another 5.3 mln subscribers
The third-largest U.S. wireless carrier had said earlier this week that personal data of more than 40 million former and prospective customers was stolen.
Convenience factor drives online sales of mobile phones, FMCG products
While the second wave of Covid-19 was a contributor to this surge as consumers largely avoided venturing out and most physical stores were closed, the trend also indicates that many people are no longer viewing online as just a place for discounts.
Bus industry numbers down 30% in the last year: Volvo's Kamal Bali
With CampX, Volvo is looking to facilitate collaboration and partnership with external stakeholders such as suppliers, customers, start-ups, incubators and accelerators outside the Volvo Group. Partners for CampX would come from within and around India and any interested stakeholders can get in touch with the company through the CampX website.
Numbers that matter: State of an economy interrupted, in charts
The RBI said there had been a rise in mobility indicators and attendance at workplaces, as well as jumps in advance tax payments, power consumption, digital transactions and other indicators in the month of June, all of which it considered forerunners to a revival in business and consumer confidence.
IISc incubated startup ShanMukha to increase mobile Covid testing labs
The Bengaluru based startup has so far deployed 12 labs in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh and has tested 150,000 people over the last few months.
Assam cabinet decides to increase mobile tower coverage
The cabinet has also decided personnel, from the rank of Sub-inspector to Constable, in all the arms battalions of Assam Police will be given one-month compulsory leave every year for visiting their homes. Those personnel staying with their families in quarters will be given 10 days leave every year.
As Covid numbers fall, Indians catch the travel bug
"Within a week since restrictions began to ease, we have seen a jump of over 200% in hotel bookings for the month of June, with the majority of bookings being made for the states where lockdown restrictions have been relaxed considerably," said Vipul Prakash, chief operating officer at MakeMyTrip, India’s largest online travel agency.
Battlegrounds Mobile India clocks 20 mn pre-registrations in two weeks
Battlegrounds Mobile India, a localised version of PUBG Mobile, received 7.6 million pre-registrations on its opening day and 20 million in two weeks, South Korean publisher Krafton says.
How to verify Aadhaar-registered mobile number online
To avail various Aadhaar-based services online, it is important to have your mobile number registered with your Aadhaar number. Here's how you can verify if your current mobile number is registered in the UIDAI database.


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Amazon is getting into the library business.
The online retailer announced Wednesday night that it will allow members of its Prime subscription service to borrow up to one e-book a month for free.
While, sort of free — Prime costs $79 a year. Other benefits include free two day shipping and a video streaming service.
The move not only bolsters Prime's offerings at a time when it is in direct competition with sites like Netflix for streaming dollars, it also provides an extra layer of varnish to Amazon's Kindle.
There will be 5,156 available titles, including over 100 New York Times best-sellers, the company said. That sounds impressive, but the Wall Street Journal reports that none of the sixth largest book publishers are participating in the program's launch.
One thing that should keep Amazon customers happy is that, unlike a library, there are no late fees or time limits. Users can borrow the book for as long as they please.


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Top Whiskies Extend Their Growth Streak In U.S. MarketJanuary 18, 2018
With consumers eagerly exploring across multiple brown spirits categories, it comes as little surprise that 2017 was a strong year for the U.S. market’s major whisk(e)y brands. As the connoisseur set continues to seek out new upscale launches and limited releases, leading players like Crown Royal, Jack Daniel’s, Jim Beam and others are broadening their appeal and winning new drinkers with flavored expressions.
Six whisk(e)y labels ranked among the top 25 spirits brands in the U.S. for 2017, and all of them were on the upswing, according to Impact Databank. Brown-Forman’s Jack Daniel’s continues to lead the market at 6.46 million cases, up 3% last year, including its flavored varieties. In the six months through October, net sales for Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey (+6%), Tennessee Honey (+8%), Tennessee Fire (+14%), and the brand’s RTD offerings (+15%) were all up strongly, with Tennessee Fire gaining traction in the on-premise. In September, Brown-Forman debuted Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Rye ($27) in a bid to garner a piece of the action in the fast-growing rye whiskey segment.
Diageo’s Crown Royal has also seen impressive gains for its flavored offerings lately, with Regal Apple estimated at +2.5% to 1.3 million cases for 2017, and the newer Crown Royal Vanilla at a half-million cases. Counting the contribution of its flavors, the overall Crown Royal brand has averaged 8% annual growth over the past two years, reaching 6.1 million cases last year. “While we expect Crown Royal’s growth to slow in fiscal 2018 as we lap the launch of Vanilla, we’re expanding Crown Royal outside its core markets into the Northeast and establishing it as a go-to status brand for African-American consumers,” Diageo North America CEO Deirdre Mahlan recently told analysts.
Sazerac’s Fireball also continues to make gains in the flavored whisky segment—which is now above 10 million cases in the U.S. as a whole—even after years of torrid growth. After slowing to a pace of 5% in 2016, the cinnamon whisky accelerated to a rate of 7% last year, and the shot-focused brand is likely to crack the 5-million-case mark in 2018.
Beam Suntory is also seeing success in the flavor arena. The company’s flagship Jim Beam brand has seen strong results for its Apple variant, which debuted in 2015, and last August the line was extended with a Vanilla flavor, which received an enthusiastic reception. The core Jim Beam label continues to benefit from the Bourbon boom, and is in the midst of a production expansion that will boost output by 20%. Including its flavored extensions, Jim Beam finished 2017 at just below 5 million cases on 8.5% growth.
Heaven Hill’s Evan Williams likewise remains on the rise in the Bourbon category—including both flavored expressions like cherry and honey and the core whiskey. With growth ongoing, Heaven Hill recently completed a $25 million expansion of its Bernheim distillery in Louisville, which the company says is now the single-largest Bourbon production site in the United States, with an annual capacity of 400,000 barrels.
Meanwhile, Pernod Ricard-owned Jameson is driving the Irish whiskey category forward. In Nielsen channels, Jameson was the market’s fastest growing whisk(e)y by value for the year through November 4. “We think there’s so much opportunity to fill out the shelf with Jameson standard in less mature markets and with Caskmates and Black Barrel in more mature markets,” Pernod Ricard North America chairman and CEO Paul Duffy said in December.Subscribe to Shanken News Daily’s Email Newsletter, delivered to your inbox each morning.
Tagged : Beam Suntory, Crown Royal, Crown Royal Regal Apple, Crown Royal Vanilla, Diageo, Evan Williams, Fireball, Heaven Hill, Jack Daniel's, Jack Daniel's Tennessee Fire, Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey, Jameson, Jim Beam, Pernod Ricard, Sazerac
GET YOUR FIRST LOOK AT 2021 DATA AND 2022 PROJECTIONS FOR THE WINE AND SPIRITS INDUSTRIES. ORDER YOUR 2022 IMPACT DATABANK REPORTS. CLICK HERE.


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Some economic indicators are pointing to growth in the second half of this year but other sources tell a different story.
According to the Conference Board, the index of Leading Economic Indicators rose 0.6 percent in July. The figures indicate there will be job and economic growth over the next six months.
Despite the encouraging news, the Labor Department recorded higher unemployment levels in 28 of the 50 states last month. Nevada, home of a large number of service sector jobs, saw unemployment climb to 9.5 percent as the nation’s rate fell to 7.4 percent.
The Federal Reserve Board released its July meeting minutes this week revealing Fed members feel the time is fast approaching to slow down bond purchases.
The news pushed average rates for fixed mortgages to their highest level in two years.
Wall Street also was unhappy by the notion of bond purchase curtailment and the Dow Jones Industrial Average spent the week moving downward.
According to USDA, the price of raising a child took a jump of nearly 3 percent last year. Federal officials say it will cost more than $300,000 over the next 17 years for food, shelter, and other necessities associated with child-rearing. And in the near-future, getting a bite to eat is predicted to take a bigger bite out of your wallet.
The Department of Agriculture’s latest numbers indicate that the price of food will not increase as much as earlier projected. USDA expects food prices to rise only one and a half to two and half percent which is half of what government officials had previously predicted. USDA economist Ricky Volpe says a number of factors have contributed to the less than anticipated increase.
Ricky Volpe, Economist, USDA Economic Research Service: “We were initially looking at three to four percent increase, which was above average. That was before we knew that we were going to have these lower fuel prices, and the strengthening U-S dollar, the overall improvement in the economy. We are still looking at some food prices that are going to go up a little bit more than average and some that will go up less than average. But on the whole we are looking at moderate food price inflation for the year, which is good news especially given the initial outlook we had when the drought broke in July and August of 2012.”
One of the places last year’s drought had a big impact was on the price of beef. Decreased corn and soybean yields lead to higher grain prices. The higher feed costs forced farmers and ranchers to cull their herds which created a short term glut but over time the smaller supply has pushed prices higher at the meat counter. While beef prices won’t be increasing as much as originally expected the cost of beef will remain high.
Ricky Volpe, Economist, USDA Economic Research Service: “We’re now looking at beef prices to increase between two and three percent on the year. But I should note that many beef prices have reached record or near record levels across supermarkets in the U.S. So inflation for the beef category may be small in percentage terms, but it’s not as if consumers are seeing any relief there.”
Volpe says consumers also can expect to see an increase of two the three percent “if not more” for eggs as well as a three to four percent rise in the price of poultry. However, according to Volpe, consumers will see their dollar will go further in the dairy aisle.
Ricky Volpe, Economist, USDA Economic Research Service: “We were initially forecasting pretty strong price increases for the year 2013. But it turns out we saw most of the impacts of the drought at the tail end of 2012. So we’re now on track for very moderate price increases for dairy for the foreseeable future.


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Recently we surveyed 500 people about digital privacy and what they know about companies that collect and trade their personal information. Companies commonly known as “data brokers.”
Here’s a quick summary of the results:
Why should you care that data brokers are collecting, aggregating and trading your personal information?
When we asked people this question, the main (43.9% of all answers) concern was about personal security — brokers getting breached and people’s personal data leaking into the dark web for bad agents to abuse.
“I’m afraid of data breaches and my personal information leaking, making me vulnerable.”
But data brokers will claim that they take utmost precautions to make sure your data is secure.
On April 29th, 2021 FTC held a workshop called “Bringing light to dark patterns” with the agenda of better defining and understanding the use of dark patterns:
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/audio-video/video/dark-patterns-workshop (worth a watch if you have a few hours to spare)
And while the discussion had some great points, dark patterns are not just about trying to influence you to sign up, get you to buy more or prevent cancelling a subscription.
Data brokers — companies that collect, aggregate and trade your personal information — use dark patterns to discourage you from exercising your right to privacy and making them remove your…
Helping people exercise their right to privacy and take their personal data off the market.