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28 Oct 2017.
Prior to the Bitcoin Gold fork two days ago, the market made some interesting.
Once a chain splits, you suddenly own a number of split tokens.
Long-standing investment ratings service Weiss has been relentlessly shilling Chainlink over the last week or so.
Australia is experiencing a DeFi boom, with leading derivatives project Synthetix joined by buzzy newcomers Thorchain, Ren.
token issuances after chain splits, one of the most unique technological aspects of a.
Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin Diamond, Bitcoin File, Bitcoin Gold, BitcoinX, Classic .
GateHub has decided not to support any newly created tokens from upcoming forks and is not responsible for access to any tokens created during a chain split.
GateHub Fifth will NOT support the Bitcoin Gold fork of the Bitcoin blockchain.
Elon Musk Bitcoin Code 21 Feb 2019. Elon – send me a Lightning Network invoice or a Bitcoin wallet address. I'll send you more Bitcoin so you can see how much things have. The Bitcoin Code platform is often rumored to have been endorsed by famous celebs like Elon Musk, Peter Jones, Martin Lewis. Elon Musk was even rumored
27 Jan 2020.
Over $70000 worth of Bitcoin Gold (BTG), a fork of bitcoin, was double.
“double spent” as the Bitcoin Gold blockchain suffered a 51% attack, Cointelegraph reported.
completed transactions, allowing them to double spend the coins.
counterparty, or break-even if the double-spends were unsuccessful.
Another crypto sector has a rocket under it, but this time it’s not Bitcoin and, according to experts, has actual.
30 juni 2018.
Vaak gaat dit gepaard met een zogenaamde 'split' van een cryptocurrency en de bijbehorende blockchain. Eén munt wordt dan twee munten,
CoinMarketCap's Crypto Glossary is the authoritative source for cryptocurrency.
Chain Split: Another term used to describe Fork. Cipher.
Gold-Backed Cryptocurrency: A coin or token issued that represents a value of gold; for example, one.
Cryptocurrencies are now a significant thing in the market. The population of people owning Bitcoin, Ripple, Litecoin, etc. continues to increase daily and.
Decentralized finance (DeFi) may soon boast a real-world use case as MakerDao considers accepting freight invoices as.


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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Just two days after Kering luxury brands filed a lawsuit against Alibaba (BABA) for selling counterfeit goods, the Hangzhou, China-based Alibaba is rolling out a new platform that will promote genuine Korean goods.
The Korea Pavilion is hosted on Alibaba's Tmall marketplace and will feature Korean goods as well as travel and cultural information. Alibaba Executive Chairman Jack Ma and Choi Kyunghwan, Deputy Prime Minister of Korea, unveiled the new platform Monday along with a new program that will send 100 Korean college graduates to intern at Alibaba's headquarters.
"The Korea Pavilion is Alibaba Group's first official country pavilion and we will continue to work with governments of other countries to launch similar pavilions in the future in order to satisfy the needs of our Chinese consumers," Ma said at the opening ceremony in Seoul.
The timing of this new platform immediately follows the filing of Paris-based Kering's lawsuit, which claims Alibaba knowingly makes it possible for counterfeit goods to be sold in its marketplaces.
"We continue to work in partnership with numerous brands to help them protect their intellectual property, and we have a strong track record of doing so," an Alibaba spokesperson said. "Unfortunately, Kering Group has chosen the path of wasteful litigation instead of the path of constructive cooperation. We believe this complaint has no basis and we will fight it vigorously."
Alibaba has encountered much criticism regarding counterfeit goods as well as a practice called brushing in which sellers use fake customers to inflate sales numbers, improperly improving their online status.

domain: news


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A company called Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment has seen its stock explode over the past week.
Market-watchers and football fans alike are suddenly keeping a keen eye on Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Co. The stock ($HOFV) enjoyed a 32% rally on the NASDAQ Monday, and has nearly doubled in value in the span of a week. Why? Investors are giddy with speculation over a possible lucrative NFT deal between the company and the National Football League.
And it might have all started with one blink-and-you’ll-miss-it tweet.
So much of this current momentum is built on rumors, but the NFL has legitimately been working on an NFT strategy, as the success of NBA Top Shot has caught the attention of both players and league officials. Patrick Mahomes and Rob Gronkowksi recently released NFTs of their own, bringing in a combined $5 million through their own digital collectibles auctions.
And they won’t be the last to do so.
The NBA has led the way within US sports when it comes to crypto-backed commerce far, but other leagues catching up is simply a matter of when and not if. The Oakland Athletics have already announced that they’ll accept one bitcoin in exchange season-long access to a stadium suite at RingCentral Coliseum, a move that’s sure to be emulated in various forms.
The NFL has reportedly told teams that they should not create NFTs without checking in with the league first. That could amount to solid evidence that a big announcement, perhaps of the league-wide, exclusive variety, is coming soon.
Those prospecting on $HOFV stock are certainly betting on exactly that:
It’s worth noting that Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment, which was created as part of a special acquisitions company (SPAC) merger last summer, isn’t being monitored as a potential NFT partner for the NFL haphazardly. Though the company does not have prior experience with blockchain technology, it has a working relationship with the league,
“We are aware of NFTs and working to understand them better,” a Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment spokesperson told Benzinga.
While no NFT big-money partners on the level of NBA Top Shot’s Dapper Labs have been confirmed for the NFL as of this writing, the major speculation-driven boost that Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment has enjoyed over the last six days and counting is a sign of the optimism that Wall Street investors have in the NFT market to expand into every sport in due time.


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Sainsbury's v Tesco: price comparison spat goes to court
Tesco's campaign does not take quality and ethical sourcing into account, claims Sainsbury's
A BATTLE between supermarket giants Sainsbury's and Tesco over a price comparison campaign looks likely to end up in the High Court.
Sainsbury's has previously complained to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) about Tesco's Price Promise promotion, which pledges to match the price of own-brand products at rival retailers or refund shoppers with vouchers. Sainsbury's claims the campaign does not take into account the quality or source of products, and suggests that more than 1,000 of its items are being "unfairly" compared.
For example, says Sainsbury's, Tesco does not consider whether a tea is fair-trade, whether a fish product is sustainably sourced or whether bottled water comes from a natural spring rather than the water mains.
But the ASA threw out Sainsbury's initial complaint and a subsequent independent review by Sir Hayden Phillips found that the Tesco campaign was fair.
Sainsbury's has now launched a judicial review of the decision, which is likely to be heard next summer. It is the first time a supermarket has taken the ASA to court over one of its decisions, says The Independent.
Both supermarkets claim they are taking a stand on behalf of the customer: Sainsbury's says the "huge majority" of customers want to make fair comparisons while they shop, while Tesco says that customers want reassurance on the price of their whole shop, not just on big brand products.
Own-brands have become a key battleground and differentiator for the leading supermarkets as the price of branded food and drink has converged, says the Daily Telegraph.
Sainsbury's own brand products now account for 50 per cent of the company's food sales. It insists the sourcing and quality of its food sets it apart from its rivals.
Sainsbury's offers a similar price-matching promotion to Tesco, but only on branded products. ·


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No new devices at WWDC21 but rather 'new UI' for the iPad and Apple Watch are tipped
We may earn a commission if you make a purchase from the links on this page.
Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference keynote time is fast approaching, but if you have been hoping for any hardware updates, you might be sorely disappointed according to typically reliable Apple leakster L0vetodream.
This clashes with Wedbush analysts and some other tipsters who claim that we might see new MacBooks yet those could simply be outed with a press release for developers to drool over, rather than take centerstage during the keynote or any of the following WWDC21 sessions.
On the other hand, back at at WWDC 2019 was the last time Apple had new hardware announced at its famed developer expo, and that was exactly a computer, the Mac Pro, together with the Pro Display XDR monitor.
What will be there to see at the WWDC21 event then? Well, a "new UI," tips L0vetodream, which jibes with Bloomberg's report over the weekend that Apple will make it much easier to multitask with apps on the iPad come iPadOS 15.
New lock screen and notification center are in store for iPads as well, while HomeKit and watchOS 8 are said to also include a refreshed interface as what's on Apple's timepieces now is getting a bit long in the tooth.
In any case, not much left to see who has gotten it right about the new stuff Apple is just about to announce when WWDC21 kicks off in a few hours.
21 Sep, 2021iPadOS 15 hands-on – all new features and changes
20 Sep, 2021iOS 15 review: The evolutionary update you didn't know you needed
02 Jul, 2021WatchOS 8 beta update release features, installation, and Apple Watch compatibility preview
08 Jun, 2021Is Apple teasing a 120Hz iPhone 13 with its WWDC 2021 schedule?
07 Jun, 2021iOS 15: Apple introduces advanced Do Not Disturb mode, Notification Summary


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Walmart, one of the most important and popular stores in the U.S., is in the middle of the storm after people found that their credit card information was stolen.
American Web Media reported that the incidents started at a Fort Wright, Kentucky Walmart location. The thieves, who were not immediately identified, installed small devices called ‘credit card skimmers.’
The first time people found them was on May 11 at the aforementioned store. It was described as ‘almost imperceptible electronic device’ that get placed on top of a credit card reader.
As soon as a card is swiped, the skimmer steals the information of the magnetic strip. Even though authorities don’t know who installed the devices, they believe they work in the store.
When the device was found and removed, it was too late as it had stolen the information of thousands of customers who had bought items during the previous weeks.
Fort Wright Police Chief Dan Kreinest gave a lot of credit to the thieves as installing a skimmer in a store with a surveillance system as advanced as the one in Walmart’s stores was ‘pretty bold.’
Thanks to the videos that the store provided to the police, they identified two suspects and made publish their images as a way to ask the public for help identifying them.
Kreinest added that the suspects did not park at the Walmart but off-site, which made them even more suspicious. While it was very uncommon, it was not the only store that suffered the same.
It happened at a Fredericksburg, Virginia Central Park Walmart. The checkout machines also had a similar device that stole the credit and debit card information of at least 37 people.
Most of the victims noticed that large sums of money were illegally withdrawn from their accounts at ATM machines across Virginia. Walmart senior manager of Communications Erica Jones released a statement pointing out that their employees were not responsible for the crimes.


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The Dawn Of Dispensary Beauty: Inside The Business Of Selling Cannabis Personal Care
During an otherwise ordinary Monday morning in August, Aillea owner Kathryn Dickinson was on a tough assignment for Beauty Independent doing reconnaissance at Denver marijuana dispensaries. She’d never entered dispensaries before, and her mission was to scout out the beauty and personal care inside them.
Dickinson’s dispensary sleuthing started with SmokinGun Apothecary. Not in a female-friendly location attached to a strip club, its topical apothecary stocks were limited to cream and patch pain products. The next stop, Caregivers For Life, had a better beauty stash. Dickinson discovered Colorado Cannabis Co. Hydrating Salve, Mary’s Medicinals Heavenly Hash Bath, Nordic Goddess Therapeutic Body Balm and Foria Pleasure sexual enhancement oil.
In her report to Beauty Independent, Dickinson concluded dispensaries don’t match the Nordstrom experience. The pot odor, lack of gleaming cosmetics packaging and hyper security aren’t standard aspects of beauty shopping. “But the staff are incredibly helpful and knowledgeable, which is nice when taking a first step that I can imagine is overwhelming,” posits Dickinson. “There is definitely an opportunity for someone to create a more luxe environment.”
The marijuana market is shifting dramatically in this country, and premium design and personal care products are part of its massive transformation. Adventurous beauty entrepreneurs are trailblazing into dispensaries, luxe or not, as they dot main streets and reach broad swaths of consumers. While the precise total of dispensaries is difficult to pin down, it’s estimated as much as 33,000 cannabis businesses operated in the U.S. last year. New Frontier Data forecasts the legal cannabis industry will surge at a compound annual growth rate of 16% to hit $24.1 billion by 2025, up from $6.6 billion in 2016.
Today, people over 21-years-old can purchase recreational marijuana in Colorado, Washington, Alaska and Oregon, and medical marijuana is permitted in 29 states. Voters in California, Massachusetts and Maine approved recreational marijuana laws at ballot boxes last year, leading to a substantial gain in the portion of the American population able to legally access weed in 2018. Marijuana remains illegal federally and is prohibited from crossing state lines.
“Two huge markets for the future of cannabis are going to be beauty and opioid addiction therapy,” predicts Maya Elisabeth, founder of Om Edibles and co-founder of Whoopi & Maya, a line of cannabis menstrual relief products created with Whoopi Goldberg. “CBD [cannabidiol] really gets at free radicals and is good for wrinkles. I put it on head-to-toe every day. I put it in the bath. I leave the oil on my skin overnight because it’s antiaging, antibacterial and antimicrobial.”
Despite its promise, marijuana dispensary personal care is in the fetal stages. Those brand founders arriving on ground floor are joining a segment sorting through challenges in the hopes they will reap rewards later. “Right now is a really good time for a brand to get its foot in the door to claim shelf space,” says Johanna Williamson, vice president of Highly Distributed, a distributor supplying around 250 Oregon dispensaries, acknowledging, “You are going to have to have the money to float your brand at the beginning because you don’t know what your sales are going to be.”
The early investment is worth it to the multiplying number companies angling to win the pot jackpot. “A lot of the brands that are going to be very large in 20 years, they are starting now. I think you have got to start now or soon,” says Evan Nison, a cannabis industry public relations expert at NisonCo and investor in Whoopi & Maya. “Three or four years from now, you are going to have a lot of catching up to do.”
The main challenge currently is the changing regulatory landscape. “This is unlike any other business. It’s not like saying, ‘Hey, I want to get into the candle business,’ and finding a candle maker to pour candles that smell like the ocean or grass. This is an infinitely complex business that only works in your favor if you are super passionate about it,” says Cindy Capobianco, co-founder of Lord Jones, an upscale cannabis product brand. “I don’t think it is a distribution channel for a non-cannabis brand at this point.”
Beauty distribution at dispensaries is impeded by existing rules curbing the merchandise that can be peddled by them, although those rules are evolving. Specifically, Capobianco points out products at Colorado dispensaries must contain a percentage of THC that’s higher than the percentage in hemp, the usual source of CBD in beauty products. Products with hemp CBD oil in them, an increasingly active skincare category, are stymied from the dispensary channel as a result. However, CBD from hemp isn’t federally forbidden, and skincare products with it can travel from state to state.
“It’s unclear whether the regulations will allow dispensaries to carry a product that doesn’t have a certain level of THC. So, for a company that’s utilizing CBD derived from hemp, I don’t know if they can even be carried in a dispensary,” says Capobianco, underscoring, “In California, the regulations are being written, and we don’t know exactly what those will be.”
What is known is that many dispensaries and cannabis product distribution firms are intrigued by beauty products. Melinda Rodriguez, assistant general manager at sophisticated San Francisco dispensary Barbary Coast, says, “I personally feel there’s a bigger market for beauty products. There’s potential that’s maybe not tapped into. The people who are creating these products don’t have the branding to go mass. It’s not quite there yet.” One brand that’s already there is Humble Flower Co. Available at Barbary Coast, its packaging rivals the packaging of beauty brands on traditional retail shelves.
Sold at roughly 50 California dispensaries, Lord Jones has also moved the needle in the aesthetics department. “When we first walked into a dispensary, they thought we were completely crazy. Most of the consumers interested in our brand are not in the system now at all,” says Capobianco, who worked at Gap, Donna Karan, Todd Oldham and Marie Claire prior to Lord Jones. “We define our consumer as a wellness pioneer. They are super curious and read the label on every single box. They don’t think wellness should be dictated by a doctor.”
Breaking into dispensaries requires legwork and an understanding of the nuances of marijuana enterprises. Barbary Coast hosts open vending days inviting brands to leave samples. “The way we judge is, does it work, does it smell good, and are people inclined to buy it again and again,” says Rodriguez. “I’m always looking for new product lines to try and things that are innovative and not expected, but we have to wait for people to come in and drop off products.”
Once a brand does break into a dispensary, the agreements involved aren’t run-of-the-mill retail contracts. “The cannabis industry is a mixture of people that came from the black market and people from the business world,” says Williamson. “A lot of cannabis farmers that have been doing this 20 years that came from the black market, you put a legal document in front of them, they run in a different direction. I have a layman’s terms agreement for them that lays out what we want to do very simply as opposed to a traditional legal document.”
Beauty doesn’t receive a welcome reception at every dispensary. Mollie Twining, founding partner and director of sales at CBD For Life, says, “If you can’t smoke it or smoke out with it, they don’t want it.” The predominantly male client bases at dispensaries convinced Janet Schriever, founder of Crave Skincare, to avoid the dispensary channel for her products. “Having gone to a lot of dispensaries myself, most people go there to buy weed,” she says. “Some people buy topicals if they have pain, but I don’t see a dispensary at this point as a big money maker for a beauty brand.”
Dispensary clientele is diversifying, though, as legalization mounts, attitudes toward marijuana modify, products push into various categories and women shape the pot trade. Whoopi & Maya’s menstrual cramp remedies attracted women not necessarily looking for customary medical marijuana. “We didn’t have a lot of people thinking that cannabis would help with menstrual cramps. They have made a larger group of women come in,” says Rodriguez. Women have been particularly influential in the cannabis segment, and they could possibly woo their fellow females to products harnessing the plant. Elisabeth notes, “They are calling it the grass ceiling, saying there is really no limit for how high women can get in this industry.”
Maria Worsley, COO of Medicine Farm Botanicals, believes dispensary customers have been unfairly demonized. The line of botanical-infused oils and balms, notably the bestselling Dragon’s Blend, is on pace to generate more than $1 million in sales this year at 170 Oregon dispensaries. “The majority of people that use our balms are seniors. They are baby boomers. They don’t want to be high. They don’t want to have a stoned effect,” says Worsley. “They want to have a good life and get back into their hobbies.”
- There are thousands of dispensaries in the U.S., and the dispensary channel is growing as the marijuana legalization movement takes hold.
- A complicated web of regulations governs the marijuana industry, making it difficult for just any personal care brand to sell into dispensaries.
- The beauty business in dispensaries is small today, but brands are jumping into it with the expectation that sales will soar in the future.
- The dispensary clientele is diversifying as access to legal marijuana increases, upscale dispensaries open and cannabis products take different formats.


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Well, maybe they wouldn’t go that far, but they argue users aren’t paying for certain data they should be paying for, and in turn, are putting the growth of blockchain networks at risk.
At least that’s the finding put forth by a new paper that outlines a system for how higher fees could be charged based on the amount of data users need to store on a blockchain and the amount of time their data needs to be stored.
It’s a controversial finding since rising transaction fees have set many cryptocurrency communities into infighting as various stakeholders debate the solutions for scaling blockchains and pushing fees down.
For instance, bitcoin’s notorious scaling debate many times circled around growing transaction fees, which hit an average of $52 at their highest but have since fallen significantly to $1.30, according to BitInfoCharts.
Still, IOHK research fellow Alexander Chepurnoy believes part of the problem is that miners just don’t have good ways of pricing their services accordingly.
Chepurnoy told CoinDesk:
“Miners are judging fees on bitcoin for bandwidth consumption, so for transaction size, and that’s it. The idea of our research is we have few a different things we need to charge for.”
Indeed, because of the way transaction fees are decided in most cryptocurrencies today, Chepurnoy said, users are incentivized to overuse some data, making blockchain full node software grow and become more cumbersome to spin up and run – which he argues is a bad thing, since full nodes are the most secure way to interact with the bitcoin network.
The pool of data tracking who owns which cryptocurrency is called “state,” and this is the data the researchers propose users pay for. (State is typically stored in a special corner of computers called RAM, a type of storage that allows for the easy retrieval of the data, but it also makes that data more expensive to store.)
Blockchain states tend to grow larger and larger over the years as more people adopt these systems and use them more for transacting. Bitcoin’s state, for example, has increased by about five times since 2014, while ethereum’s is growing even faster.
But by slapping a fee on this data storage, Chepurnoy’s hope is that users will be more cognizant of only storing what data is a must, in turn, shrinking the rate at which the state grows.
Why pay more?
For some, paying extra fees would seem to make cryptocurrencies less attractive (as they’ve generally been touted as less costly ways of transacting), but actually, Chepurnoy’s goal is the exact opposite: to make cryptocurrencies easier to use.
At least, easier to use in their most secure form – by running a full node.
As mentioned previously, this becomes an issue as adoption and the number of transactions increases…


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HARTORD: The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has asked its members, are they optimistic or pessimistic about the outlook for their firms?
The answers are to be found in the group's 2017 Third Quarter Economic and Credit Availability Survey.
There is some good news and not so good news as reported by respondents, both the percentage of business expecting improved conditions and those with a negative outlook rose in the third quarter. The survey shows significant increases over the previous quarter in both the percentage of firms reporting an improved outlook and those expecting worsening conditions.
Thirty-seven percent of survey respondents see improved conditions for their firm, up from 29% in the second quarter. However, 24% predict worsening conditions, a 10-point jump from the last quarterly survey. Forty percent forecast stable conditions, down from 57%.
"We found that several respondent groups are outperforming the norm on growth for their firms over the next three months," CBIA economist Pete Gioia said.
By Mitchell Young
NEW HAVEN: Assa Abloy of the Americas, headquartered on Sargent Drive announced it is buying San Francisco based smart lock maker August Home to increase its portfolio of new lock tech.
Assa Abloy [STO: ASSA-B] generates more than $8 billion [US] in global sales, August Home is estimated to have approximately $60 million in revenue and, 100 employees, Assa 47,000.
The terms of the deal were not announced yet, but is expected to close in 2017. It will likely look like a deal too good, for the founders to pass up, as the company announced a $25 million in new investment, [$75 million in total investment] just this past July with proceeds to help expand its retail and service business lines.


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To offset rising fuel prices, International Truck and Engine is offering $1,000 prepaid credit cards to those who order certain trucks before October 31.
Customers who purchase a 2004, 2005 or 2006 model International 4200, 4300 or 4400 truck will get a prepaid MasterCard they can use to buy diesel fuel. International will add $250 to the cards of buyers within the 48 contiguous states who finance with Navistar Financial. The offer is limited to five units per customer.
“International recognizes that the high price of diesel fuel significantly impacts its customers’ bottom line,” said Mike Elwell, marketing director for the company. “With this promotion, International hopes to alleviate some of the financial burden that its customers are facing, while continuing to deliver top-quality trucks with outstanding service.”
Spokeswoman Kristen McCarthy said the card is mailed to the customer after the truck purchase.
National diesel fuel prices were averaging $2.60 per gallon Aug. 26, according to ProMiles, a company that bases its estimates on credit transactions at more than 8,000 truck stops across the country. The average cost per gallon last August was $1.81.


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2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, 2022 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT 73e, 2021 Freze Nikrob EV: Today’s Car News
Cadillac’s true successor to the CTS-V will make its formal debut later today. The new super sedan will go by the name CT5-V Blackwing, and will be joined by a smaller CT4-V Blackwing which replaces the former ATS-V. Both go on sale this summer as 2022 models.
Another super sedan in the headlines today is a plug-in hybrid version of the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT 4-Door Coupe. Expected to be badged a GT 73e, the new model may end up boasting over 800 hp.
Last year Latvia’s Dartz said it planned to revive historic Russian brand Freze. The first model for the modern Freze has now been revealed as an electric city car called the Nikrob EV. It goes on sale later this year in a handful of European countries and is priced to start from about $12,000.
You’ll find these stories and more in today’s car news, right here at


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The Day Before was accused of being a scam months before its release. Following a troubled marketing cycle that seemingly borrowed from other AAA games, this MMO launched without most of the promised gameplay mechanics.
This resulted in poor reviews, with thousands of players leaving the game days after release. In the aftermath, developer Fntastic announced that it would be closing down, abandoning this supposed live service title in the process.
While the game was still being sold on Steam at the time of this announcement, Valve has gone ahead and halted sales, preventing new users from buying The Day Before.
Why it matters: The original announcement did not say much about refunds, leaving many concerned after they had considered giving this broken project a chance.
As seen above, the game’s official page is still on Steam. However, Steam is no longer letting users purchase this early access title.
Even more interesting is the fact that all semblance of The Day Before’s marketing has been nuked from Fntastic’s official YouTube channel. Heading to the channel shows no content despite numerous videos existing not too long ago.
The studio’s CEO has also deleted his Twitter/X profile. All of this points toward earlier suspicions where many claimed that this MMO was nothing but an elaborate scam from an unknown developer.
A report suggests that at least 200K people had purchased the game before it was removed. If accurate, Fntastic likely made much more than the amount spent on developing this half-hearted project.
Still, it remains unclear whether the studio benefitted from these purchases. Since the game had a surprisingly short lifespan, Valve may be considering its options, possibly investigating the studio’s actions before a payout.
Fortunately, users are reporting that Valve is issuing refunds. While it typically offers refunds when games are played for a few hours, Steam appears to be making an exception for this case.
How many people bought & refunded The Day Before? According to a (leaked?) Telegram message from Fntastic's CEO Eduard Gotovtsev, it's had 201,000 buyers and 91,700 refunders – a 46% refund rate! pic.twitter.com/eeL669pRzi
— Simon Carless (@simoncarless) December 11, 2023
We expect to learn more information on the matter as the story develops.
The Day Before highlights yet again that the practice of pre-orders and hype culture can harm games. In an era where selling a game on promises has become popular, the industry should be vigilant about false advertising.
The Day Before is expected to go down as a massive scam in the coming years. It proves that certain things are too good to be true, especially in an industry where studios have become too used to overpromising.
Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋
How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔
Avinash is currently pursuing a Business degree in Australia. For more than three years, he has been working as a gaming journalist, utilizing his writing skills and love for gaming to report on the latest updates in the industry. Avinash loves to play action games like Devil May Cry and has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as IGN, GamesRadar, GameRant, Dualshockers, CBR, and Gamespot.


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Ford Middle East has launched the all new 2010 Mustang into the regional market during an event held at Dubai Autodrome. New Mustang is significantly improved in terms of quality and is packed with luxury and safety features. It recently got 5-star safety ratings in America.
2010 Ford Mustang Gulf Specs is powered by a 4.6 liter V8 with 315 hp.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, 19 July 2009 – Muscle goes modern for 2010 as the Ford Mustang – America’s favorite muscle car for 45 years straight – hits the Middle East streets with a new exterior design; new world-class interior featuring well-crafted materials and updated technology; and a V-8 with even more horsepower and an even throatier signature Mustang exhaust roar.
Combine those elements with the new Mustang’s improved handling characteristics, more standard safety and technology features and its already-strong safety and quality performance and reputation, and it’s easy to see how the muscle car known around the world delivers on the promise of fast, fun and affordable performance for a whole new era.
The pony, particularly the 2010 Ford Mustang coupe, strides with the honour of earning the U.S. government’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) top 5-star crash-test rating, adding to widespread acclaim for the new car’s classic design and upgraded performance.
Theo Benson, Ford Middle East’s Marketing Communications & Product manager said: “Mustang is a true legend and there are more than 9 million customers across the world that can attest to this fact. The strength of this steed comes from its 45-year rich heritage, coupled with the passion that fuels Mustang lovers whatever background they came from.”
“That spirit is even stronger this year as Ford’s muscle car turns 45 with even more refinements and amazing looks that promise to drop a few jaws” he added. “We are confident that the all-new Mustang will capture the hearts and minds of customers from the first time they see it… and from the first time they hear its distinctive roar!”
For 2010, the team delivered. “The new Mustang marks new levels of both power and refinement,” said Paul Randle, Mustang chief engineer. “We’ve designed and engineered this to be the next classic Mustang that everyone talks about for years and years.”
In true Mustang tradition, there is a “steed for every need.” Customers can choose from a choice of coupe, convertible or innovative glass roof, plus several new options and features delivering the opportunity for customers to personalize their cleaner, meaner-looking Mustangs.
It starts with the more aggressive grille, punctuated with the first new Mustang emblem since the car’s introduction in 1964. The GT has a brand-new sculptured front-end design. The headlamps and turn indicators, now integrated into one unit, are modern interpretations inspired by the 1970 Mustang. The fog lamps on the GT are located in the upper grille – but are smaller than the outgoing model, similar to the original lamps of the 1967-68 models that inspired them.
The exterior sheet metal, except for the fast-back roofline, is all new for 2010. At the front, the new headlamps, lower fascias, fenders and grille are capped by a powerdome hood that adds to the muscular appearance while functionally allowing for enhanced air cooling of the engine.
Mustang’s washer-fluid nozzles are tucked into the cowl, while the antenna has been moved to the rear, both of which create a cleaner appearance while also reducing wind noise.
Front rear fenders feature taut, sculptured wheel flares, like a tight skin stretched over the wheels. A classic spear character line on the doors leads to a modern indication of “hip” rear fenders which helps give the car aggressive, forward direction.
The rear end design features aggressively angled rear corners, a sculptured decklid and prominent rear badge. A rear-view camera incorporated into the spoiler is available on some models.
A notable new tail lamp design features three LED bulbs firing sequentially from the inside for turn indication. The sequential bulbs were a distinct Mustang feature in the ’60s and comeback to the 2010 for the first time since then. Locating the reverse lamps vertically creates a modern version of the Ford classic three-lens taillamp.
The best of new, heritage
Cleverly combining modern technology with Mustang heritage is a signature of the 2010 model, in terms of both design and engineering.
“All of the Bullitt elements are the base foundation of the GT,” said Randle, noting engine and chassis improvements. “We also applied some improvements gained from Mustang racing. We’re learning constantly and always giving that to the customer on the base car.”
The wheel-and-tire combinations are 1 inch bigger across the board, ranging from 17 to 19 inches, which helps improve handling and braking. The shocks have been re-tuned on all models as well.
“We adjusted the springs, stabilizer bars and shocks to better balance the ride, steering and handling for all models, which results in a more engaging driving experience,” adds Mustang Vehicle Engineering manager Tom Barnes. “The 2010 Mustangs feel more controlled for steering and handling, yet retain a good ride balance.”
The 2010 Mustang 4.6-liter V-8 benefits from innovations from the popular Bullitt model. Power has increased to 315 NET horsepower.
“It runs on regular gasoline, but if you put in premium it has adaptive calibration that will give you even better mid-range torque,” Barnes said, adding that Easy Fuel™, Ford’s innovative capless fuel system, is standard on all models.
“It’s an upgrade to the most-robust, most-accessorized engine in the marketplace today,” Randle added. “No one has the reliability, no one has the upgraded options. This is a fantastic engine, proven on the race track, the drag strip and on the highway.”
AdvanceTrac™ Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is now standard and complements Mustang’s all-speed traction control and anti-lock braking system (ABS).
“It gives a driver a little more confidence that in any type of condition the car will maintain what they want it to do,” Barnes said. “The 2010 Mustang improves ride quality and maintains world-class steering and handling.”
In addition to all of the design and driving dynamics improvements, the 2010 Ford Mustang is engineered to maintain its top government safety ratings. Standard safety equipment includes: dual stage front driver and passenger air bags; front seat-mounted side air bags; and, Ford’s Personal Safety System.
Interior leads in design, materials, content and comfort
Like the exterior, the interior design is all new with world-class materials and execution.
The powerful new one-piece instrument panel design is crafted in seamless soft-touch TPO (Thermoplastic Olefin) skin fully encompassing available genuine aluminum-finish panels. Mustang’s chromed-ringed gauges and dual-vane air register vents are precisely crafted and positioned.
The instrument panel and console flow as one shape, another strong connection to Mustang heritage. The seats and arm rests have softer materials with high-quality stitching.
The new center stack design features Ford SYNC™. Drivers also can customize their ambient and instrument lighting through the My Color™ system, which features 125 color options.
In addition to the improvements in technology and comfort, drivers will notice a quieter ride. “It’s much more vault-like,” Barnes said. “But we maintained the signature Mustang sound.”
The upgraded instrument panel along with new sound deadeners added to select areas helped improve interior quietness, especially at high speeds or on rough roads. All the better to hear that famous Mustang roar.
With a completely redone exterior that echoes the classic Mustang designs of the past, an interior featuring world-class materials, numerous technology upgrades and an improved driving experience, the 2010 Mustang is poised to become the latest classic in the proud line of Ford’s iconic American muscle car.
“The 2010 Mustang is drop-dead gorgeous,” Randle said. “This car marks the best efforts of 45 years of passion and enthusiasm among the best designers, engineers and manufacturing experts in the business, and we can’t wait for everyone to see it and start driving it.”


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Self-Checkout Scams On The RiseMonday, 21st May 2018 at 7:49pm
A Guardian article explores the murky exploits of first-time and seasoned shoplifters, as items stolen at self-service tills increased to more than £3bn in 2017.
Anecodotal evidence uncovered expensive grapes scanned as inexpensive carrots; prime steaks are swiped as potatoes and the barcodes of pricey objects – wine, beer, spirits, cosmetics – are deliberately obscured by stickers removed from significantly cheaper on-sale items.
Some scams have names – “the banana trick”, “the switcheroo” and “sweethearting”, although there are so many techniques in practice that not all of them do.
To read the full article, click here.
(This will open in a new window, taking you directly to the original article.)


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Ma-Udhyami: Entrepreneur Stories
The road to becoming a successful woman entrepreneur is riddled with obstacles but many have taken the onus to persevere and succeed against all odds. Leaping through the deep-rooted patriarchy, sexist policies, and male privileges in running a business is definitely not an easy feat. These women entrepreneurs, however, have powered through and are here to share their experiences on how one can emerge as a winner with determination and passion even during crisis such as COVID-19 pandemic.
The constant growth of e-commerce which was further driven by COVID 19 restrictions, has led business owners to rethink their business strategy to accommodate more online selling strategies. Businesses that are not online could be losing out on opportunities to increase customers and get the word out about their business. Thus, “MA-UDHYAMI” as a part of the project “Revitalizing Women’s Businesses Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic” was started to digitalize selected women’s business as a pilot project. The project is being implemented by Federation of Woman Entrepreneurs’ Associations of Nepal (FWEAN), together with Enterprise for Management, Economic Reform and Gender Equality (EMERGE) and Thulo.com, and is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
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Thanks to modern technology, the increasing speed by which our employees and managers can transact business every hour of every day is truly incredible. But, despite all of the mobility that technology affords, how many of our employees and managers can actually put faces to the many names for the supply chain partners on whom they regularly rely to best serve our customers? The answer may surprise you.
Retiring Ferguson CEO Frank Roach and his successor Kevin Murphy talk about the seamless leadership transition, the company’s future and views on the current marketplace. Read more stories in 2017 May Issue.


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One of the founders of New York-based research firm SuperData is departing the company.
Janelle Benjamin is stepping down from her role as general manager, according to fellow co-founder Joost van Dreunen's newsletter.
She helped set up the company in September 2010, serving as its chief operating officer until its acquisition in September 2018 by research giant Nielsen. At that point, she became the firm's GM.
PCGamesInsider.biz has the full story.


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April 1, 2018 – Just in time for the July legalization of recreational marijuana in Canada, Cask Global Canning Solutions — the company that invented micro-canning equipment for craft brewers — is announcing a new canning system for marijuana dispensaries.
“We put the can in craft beer,” says Cask founder Peter Love. “Now we’re putting the can in the cannabis industry. We have very high expectations for our new canning line,” Love says bluntly.
Cask’s new Marijuana Canning System (the MJCS) is the first in the company’s new Cannabiz series. It allows dispensaries to follow the lead of craft brewers and take advantage of the freshness-keeping, portability and environmental benefits of the aluminum can.
“Like their craft beer counterparts,” says Max Stoner, Cask’s lead researcher on the Cannabiz systems, “dispensaries will be able to reap the heady benefits of cans. Aluminum cans are 100% and infinitely recyclable and provide maximum freshness.”
“Our cans,” Stoner says, “also have a built-in screen feature, so they can be repurposed as a smoking device prior to recycling. These can pipes are welcome in places — the beach, the backcountry, the pool and concerts — where glass pipes and bongs are not.”
We put the can in craft beer,” says Cask founder Peter Love. “Now we’re putting the can in the cannabis industry. We have very high expectations for our new canning line,” Love says bluntly.
Aluminum cans also deliver enviro-friendly packaging to an industry that typically uses opaque plastic jars and cellophane bags for packaging. For dispensaries and consumers that prefer see-through packaging, Cask has invented a new-generation clear can made of a patented Portable Optical Transparency (POT) recyclable plastic.
Much like Cask’s new mACS and ACS V5 machines, the MJCS fills a range of can sizes. But unlike beer cans, marijuana cans are sized by weight and not volume. The MJCS fills special cannabis-only cans that range from 1/8 of an ounce by weight to innovative “Fatty” cans that hold a full pound by weight.
In a joint effort with a local packaging company, Cask staffer Mary Jane Jones created a unique can holder that holds eight 1/8-oz cans and allows consumers to keep their stash especially fresh. “We think our patented new 8thPack™ will generate some smoking sales,” Jones says.
The MJCS can be equipped with a number of accessories, from an inline triple-beam scale to a pioneering nitrous oxide doser and a newly created Baked ™ feature that allows dispensaries to add chocolate chip cookies to every can prior to seaming.
Our cans,” Stoner says, “also have a built-in screen feature, so they can be repurposed as a smoking device prior to recycling. These can pipes are welcome in places — the beach, the backcountry, the pool and concerts — where glass pipes and bongs are not.
The MJCS features blazing speed and fills 420 cans per minute with just one mellow operator. It also has custom-made wheels for easy rolling, a built in stereo system for playing music, and comes in a range of custom colors and finishes including a tie-dyed pattern.
Peter Love says he is stoked about the potential of the MJCS. “It’s already creating a big buzz in Canada,” he says, “and we think it will be a huge hit in Colorado and other US states where marijuana is legal.”
Yes, this is an April Fools Day joke. WEED like to think you enjoyed it.


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NEW DELHI: Goods and Services Tax collection for the month of August was recorded at Rs 1,43,612 crore, which is 28 per cent higher as compared to the same month last year, but lower than Rs 1,48,995 crore collected in July. Monthly GST revenue collections have been more than Rs 1.4 lakh crore for six months in a row now.
Of the total collected GST in August, Rs 24,710 crore was part of CGST, Rs 30,951 crore SGST, Rs 77,782 crore IGST (including Rs 42,067 crore collected on import of goods) and cess Rs 10,168 crore, data showed. “The growth in GST revenue till August 2022 over the same period last year is 33 per cent, continuing to display very high buoyancy,” a government statement said on Thursday.
This, the statement said, is a clear impact of various measures taken by the GST Council in the past to ensure better compliance. “Better reporting, coupled with economic recovery, has been having a positive impact on the GST revenues on a consistent basis. During the month of July 2022, 7.6 crore e-way bills were generated, which was marginally higher than 7.4 crore in June 2022 and 19 per cent higher than 6.4 crore in June 2021,” it added.
It is pertinent to note that the GST revenue collection crossed the Rs 1.5 lakh crore mark for the first time in April at Rs 1.68 lakh crore.
The GST regime completed five years recently. The government, through the GST taxation system, intended to bring in uniform taxes across the country, besides transparency, accountability, and a simpler registration process.
The GST was introduced in the country on July 1, 2017, and states were assured of compensation for loss of any revenue arising on account of implementation of GST as per the provisions of the GST (Compensation to States) Act, 2017 for a period of five years.
For providing compensation to states, cess is being levied on certain goods and the amount of cess collected is being credited to Compensation Fund. Compensation to states is being paid out of the Compensation Fund with effect from July 1, 2017.
At the latest GST Council meeting held in Chandigarh, several states have sought an extension of the compensation at least for a few years, if not for five years. Any formal decision on it, if at all, is yet to be taken. (ANI)


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Apple nearly made a deal with Uber for its new same-day delivery service, before ditching them in favor of startup courier service Postmates Inc., according to a new report.
Apple allegedly considered adopting Uber’s new delivery project, known internally as UberEverything. Starbucks also entered into negotiations with the taxi company, before settling on the same delivery service as Apple.
Exactly why Apple decided against Uber isn’t made clear in the article, although same-day delivery is a fiercely-competitive field with a number of startups — alongside established giants — operating in the space.
It’s possible that Postmates simply made a better bid for Apple’s services, but it should be noted that Uber has sometimes suffered from a poor reputation when it comes to customer service, which is just about the polar opposite of Apple’s acclaimed reputation in this area.
Apple launched its same-day delivery service late last month, currently available for only a limited number of products, such as Apple TV and Lightning cables. While the service is very speedy, with deliveries arriving within a matter of hours, for now it’s only an option in the select cities where Postmates operates.


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Wells grocery store owner buys store in W’bago
November 10, 2013
While the grocery store in Winnebago may look the same this morning, there are actually big changes going on at the Main Street business. New owners, new manager and a slightly different name....
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The industry is under pressure with retailers and the public driving for cheaper food with higher standards, while government and lobby bodies are ensuring that farm payments will be linked to achieving higher environmental standards and minimising the environmental impact.
Many businesses, such as NWF Agriculture, have a key role to play in helping farmers achieve improvements in their environmental impact.
Dairy Sustain, which is a new product finalist at this year’s UK Dairy Day, has been formulated with raw material provenance in mind. It does not contain soya, soya hulls or palm kernel and instead is formulated using Ultra Pro-R, a unique protected rapeseed meal manufactured by NWF.
NWF Agriculture will be at UK Dairy Day 2021 tomorrow, September 15, at Telford International Centre, so visit our trade stand in Hall 2.
Beth Howells, technical development co-ordinator, NWF Agriculture


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During 2019-2025, the electric vehicle industry is forecast to consume over 110 GW of batteries, with some of these can be used through V2G (vehicle to grid) technology to meet the flexibility needs of the distribution grid, the IESA has estimated.
"We are working on improving the efficiency of a lead-acid battery and some new generation India-centric chemistries"
Total said on Thursday that Saft had signed an agreement with Tianneng Energy Technology to create a joint venture to expand their lithium-ion activity
The Union Cabinet on March 7 had approved setting up of the National Mission on Transformative Mobility and Battery Storage
Where we have seen energy storage is most successful, is where you do have a government policy. Eventually, a lot of production has to be localised for India.
Asian players such as CATL, Samsung and LG Chem have taken a lead in the market by locking in supply deals with manufacturers of electric cars, leaving Europe scrambling to catch up.
Secondly, the future lies in electric mobility. This is going to happen worldwide and if India is able to take the lead in these two things it will take lead globally. In every other sector, we have got in too late in the game but in these two sectors we are exactly where the world is. People may say whatever but we are exactly where the world is.
Electric vehicles numbers in the U.K. are likely to jump so much that balancing power supply and demand will become even harder for decades to come.
Power distribution company BYPL has signed a memorandum of understanding with Business Finland, a Finnish government agency, for collaborative activities in different areas, including energy efficiency and electric vehicles.


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Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) figures show that consumer finance new business held steady in August and grew by one percent in the twelve months to August, compared with the same period last year.
Retail store and online credit new business in August was at a similar level to the same month in 2018, while new business provided through credit cards and personal loans together fell by one percent.
Meanwhile, new business volumes in the point of sale (POS) consumer new car finance market fell by two percent in August, compared with the same month in 2018, while the value of new business grew by two percent over the same period.
The percentage of private new car sales financed by FLA members through the POS remained at 91.2 percent in the twelve months to August 2019.
The POS consumer used car finance market reported that new business fell two by volume and one percent by value in August, compared with the same month last year.
Geraldine Kilkelly, head of research and chief economist at the FLA, said: “Consumer finance new business fell by one percent in the eight months to August, in line with expectations. We continue to expect this market to report broadly stable new business in 2019 as a whole compared with 2018.
“The POS consumer new car finance market reported a modest fall in new business volumes in August, as the market continued to track private new car sales. New business volumes in the POS consumer car finance market overall fell by one percent in the eight months to August, in line with expectations.”
In the second charge mortgage market, volumes were up by 12 percent in August, its twelfth consecutive month of double-digit new business growth.
In the first eight months of 2019, new business volumes were 21 percent higher than in the same period in 2018.


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LG’s recently announced PUBG PC India Streamer Invitational has started. The prize pool for this tournament is Rs. 3,00,000. Moreover, the tournament commences today, on the 24th of July, and ends on 25th of July.
Along with Battlegrounds Mobile India, Krafton is also planning to expand PUBG PC in India. The giant electronics company, LG, has partnered with The Esports Club for this tournament. Moreover, LG and The Esports Club named this tournament the Esports Club LG Ultragear PUBG PC Streamer Invitational.
In this tournament, 16 different teams of 16 streamers will fight against each other to win the title of champions and a prize pool of Rs. 3,00,000.
In a recent interview, Ishaan Arya, the co-founder of The Esports Club, said, “We’re always experimenting with different games, formats and IPs. One of the major reasons behind the success of our events is the fact that we’re always looking ahead at how we can do something different or new and identifying games that have a lot of untapped potential within the region.”
The Esports Club is doing a great job in arranging tournaments. Moreover, they have successfully hosted many tournaments of different games such as COD Warzone, Apex Legends, Valorant and more in the past.
Streamers invited to PUBG PC India Invitational.
- Rohan “HydraFlick” Ledwani
- Saloni “Meow16k” Pawar
- Ayan “Rebel” Ali
- Rishab “Rakazone” Karanwal
- Ankkita Chauhan
- Shobith “Tbone” Rai
- Mithul “Binks69” Nayak
- Abhishek “Mackle” Sharma
- Ashish “Lord Bathura” Madineni
- Raman Chopra
- Mrinmoy “Beg4Mercy” Lahkar
- Nikhil “Bloodline” Sirohi
- Siddhant “Shreeman Legend” Joshi
- Swayambika “Sway”
- Abhijit “RoboTM” Sadhu
- Prabhakar “MidFailYT”
This tournament will be pretty exciting to watch as there are many PUBG PC fans but tournaments are very rare. Moreover, all the famous PC gaming streamers are invited to the tournament. Hence, it will be exciting to see what response this tournament will get from the fans.
The Esports Club will live stream the tournament on the official YouTube channel of The Esports Club. Moreover, it might be just the beginning of the era of PUBG PC India.


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Sales have overtaken apple for the first time the first time in june and july, according to analysis by consulting firm counterpoint research. Analysis-apple grabs 2-year lead in 3d sensing race reality, or ar, in which digital objects cling tightly to images of the real world. Apple company profile - swot analysis: after a lacklustre 2016 with the underwhelming iphone 7 range, the pressure was on apple to impress in 2017. Apple on the forbes best employers for new grads list world's most innovative companies 2013dropped off in 2014 numbers fiscal year revenue.
Apple did not customize their phone in terms of features and looks so you might think apple is taking the concept of “global” to the purist level,. Going from the verge of bankruptcy to the most profitable company in its industry, in 2012, apple inc was said to be the “most valuable company in the world. That's exactly what apple imagines in “appocalypse,” a video that kicked off apple's annual world wide developers conference (wwdc) today.
It is going delivering popular apple-related news, advice and entertainment since 1999 news analysis when apple speaks, the world usually listens. Apple's shares tend to be on a rollercoaster ride in the weeks leading up to and iphone's actual launch a few weeks later, according to an analysis from ubs also read: apple's global wearables share halves to 7. Amazon has supplanted google as the world's most valuable brand, according to the latest brand finance global 500 rankings in a recent issue of world trademark review haigh and markables managing partner christof. Full strategic case analysis for apple incorporation including industry this is bringing a younger generation into apple's marketing world but.
Analysis: apple's future hangs in the balance can the world's most valuable company deliver another game-changing device with the iphone 8. Apple, known for the iphone, imac and ipad to name a few, is one of the largest multinational technology companies in the world it is therefore. World apple and pear association (wapa) wapa is an industry body established in 2001 representing major apple and pear producing countries globally. Volumes were still enough to push apple past samsung and back into first for hundreds of technology markets from more than 100 countries around the globe idc's analysis and insight helps it professionals, business.
Apple's smartphone global market share surpassed 50% in q4 for the first time in its history. The world is an apple lo4-lo6dddd cadaver by alberto s florentino the world is an apple by alberto florentino analysis the world is an apple. In the absence of that, apple's relatively rigid global pricing structure and limited range of models are allowing more flexible competitors to grab.
Looking for the best apple inc swot analysis in 2018 click here to apple is the world's most valuable and recognizable brand according. A wave of upgrades by the likes of apple inc and samsung electronics co is spurring demand in the semiconductor industry, where global. Flows from new york to singapore a world in which economic and social exchange are no longer as well as an analysis of apple's financial performance. Essay strategic management case analysis: apple inc 9 references 12 introduction as the first of the world's most innovative companies (business week,.


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McDonalds is considering re-closing its dining rooms. Many fast-food restaurants could close their dining areas because of the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19. Hospitality Expert and former president of the Houston Restaurant Association Jonathan Horowitz says their hiring problems and drive through windows make it a pretty safe decision for them.
"That really doesn't work for the majority of restaurants that are dine-in. Particularly here in Texas where everything has been open for a while. I don't believe we're going to see that in the state for sure. I don't see how that could happen because they just can't make enough revenue with just to-go and delivery to stay open. "
According to Reuters, McDonald's Corp is instructing its franchisees on steps to follow if they are to re-close their dining rooms in areas where the Delta variant is rapidly spreading.


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CURBSIDE FARMERS MARKET ALLOWS CUSTOMERS TO SUPPORT LOCAL PRODUCERS
Tuscaloosa tested out a curbside pick-up service in place of a traditional farmers market this past Saturday at the Tuscaloosa River Market.
This new practice allows local farmers and producers to keep selling their goods while complying with health and safety restriction orders implemented by the Alabama Department of Public Health.
Instead of walking about the River Market, customers placed orders and make payments directly with the vendors in advance of the Saturday market. On Saturday morning, they drove to the parking lot outside the market and waited for their order to be delivered directly to their car.
“You know, I think that we are ever changing and evolving in this business and every farmer that you see represented today and there’s only five of them today but everyone you see is an entrepreneur of themselves and so I think they are adapting to new ways of doing business,” said Alexis Clark, the city venue operations manager. “Yes, I do think after this pandemic ends that you will see online purchases continue and … move forward as we continue.”
To view a list of participating vendors and find contact info for placing orders, click here.


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Yesterday the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced that it had secured formal commitments from 16 celebrities to ensure their gifted and paid-for posts will be clearly disclosed.
The 16 stars
Alexa Chung, Mario Falcone, Alexandra Felstead (‘Binky’ Felstead), Ellie Goulding, Holly Hagan, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Michelle Keegan and Rosia Promotions Limited, Iskra Lawrence, Camilla Mackintosh (‘Millie’ Mackintosh), Megan McKenna and M McKenna Limited, Chloe Sims, Zoe Sugg, Louise Thompson and Louise Thompson Associates Limited, Dina Torkia, Rita Ora, James Chapman and Jim Chapman Limited all agreed to change their social media practices.
CMA past involvement
It's not the first time the CMA has taken action against social media influencers for not disclosing correctly.
In 2015 the CMA wrote to 43 social media personalities that published sponsored content, to warn them that arranging or publishing advertising that is not clearly labelled may result in them breaching the law. That letter stated:
"Misleading readers or viewers falls foul of consumer protection law and could result in enforcement by either the CMA or Trading Standards Services, which may lead to civil and/or criminal action."
So it shouldn't come as a surprise that the CMA has stepped in again. Or, should it ...? After all, isn't that what the Advertising Standards Authority is here for?
In it's statement, the CMA says it is working closely with the ASA in this area. That would make sense as the ASA is the regulatory body for advertising.
Reasons for action
One obvious reason for why the CMA took action is because not all of the problematic posts are ads. And if it's not an ad, then it's outside of the ASA's remit.
For a social media post to cross the line into ad territory, there needs to be both payment (which includes gifts) and editorial control.
Because many brands do not seek to exert editorial control over their influencers' posts, those posts are not ads and the ASA cannot take any action against them.
They are, however, still subject to the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs) which prohibit non-disclosure where it creates the impression that a trader is not acting for purposes relating to his trade, business, craft or profession, or falsely representing oneself as a consumer.
Another reason is the high number of celebrities involved. For the ASA to investigate each one individually, publish a ruling and secure assurances would take longer than this group-style action.
The ASA's sister body (CAP) can undertake similar wider industry projects but it would have been restricted in both the types of posts (ads only) and the sanctions it can issue.
The fact that a breach of the CPR's can potentially lead to large fines or even imprisonment would surely weigh more heavily on an influencer's mind than their name appearing on the ASA's website.
The CMA has also issued new guidance for social media influencers. The principles on transparency have not changed but there are a couple of key inclusions that are worth noting:
Past relationships: If an influencer no longer has a current relationship with a brand, they should continue to disclose the past relationship for a minimum of one year.
"Paid Partnership" tool: These features should not be relied on for disclosure. Additional disclosure statements must be included.
Tagging: tagging a brand or tagging a gift from a brand does not amount to clear disclosure
Discount codes: A discount code alone does not amount to clear disclosure
The CMA action hit the headlines because it chose to pursue celebrities. But out of all the influencer categories, from nano right up to mega-celebrity, surely these were the ones most like to have access to accurate advice on disclosure?
Most, if not all, would have agents and would be working with larger brands with legal advice at their disposal.
It raises the question of whether most influencers truly understand their regulatory responsibilities and whether the teams that surround them, from agents, tech platforms, brands and media production companies, do have a duty of care to ensure influencers know and can apply the rules.


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Speaking after yesterday’s IFA National Dairy Committee meeting, Chairman Tom Phelan said it’s clear farmers can reasonably expect milk prices to improve for May milk.
“This is based on current market trends; the positive indications coming from the industry itself; and the fact that some processors are paying significantly more than others,” he said.
“The Ornua PPI increase to 29.9c/l incl VAT is over 1c/l higher than some of the main milk purchasers have been paying for April milk, and it’s the latest indicator to reflect improvements in dairy product prices,” he said.
“European spot prices for SMP and butter have increased respectively by €230/t and €532/t in the last six weeks, and average EU dairy prices have reflected this trend slightly more modestly. Last week’s GDT was positive overall, with a strong 2.1% increase in the WMP price,” he added.
“Milk production is slowing or falling in many global dairy regions because of low rainfall and poor milk prices. Demand, which was decimated by COVID-19, is starting to recover as trade resumes and economies slowly reopen after lockdown,” he said.
“The National Dairy Committee, in its meeting yesterday, raised serious concerns regarding costs rising fast on farms due to drought. Farmers clearly need co-ops to do better for them this month,” he concluded.


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South Korean tyre manufacturer Hankook Tire & Technology has signed a preliminary agreement with local electric vehicle (EV) charging company Daeyoung Chaevi to strengthen their presence in the fast expanding EV aftermarket segment.
The two companies have agreed to jointly build infrastructure “that expands accessibility to EV chargers to cater for the accelerating growth of EVs in South Korea”, according to a Hankook statement.
As part of the JV, Hankook would add the latest Chaevi EV charging stations to its network of tyre service outlets across South Korea, to make EV charging services more convenient for its customers. The two businesses also plan to improve client hospitality and expand their EV cooperation.
The tyre maker has 460 service centres across the country which provide standardised vehicle maintenance services. The company describes Chaevi as a leading provider of EV charging services with 4,000 stations, with plans to expand into foreign markets such as the Americas and Europe.


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Bully for Amazon (AMZN).The Internet retailer posted a 24% jump in first-quarter earnings to $177 million, or 41 cents a share, compared with $143 million, or 34 cents a share, in the same quarter of 2008. Nice to see consumers still shelling out for electronics -- global sales rose 38% in that category, which includes other general merchandise. Sales of books, CDs and DVDs are gaining at a somewhat slower 7% pace, but gaining nonetheless. Consumers in North America -- where the company generates a little more than half its revenue -- seemed especially eager to make purchases online, with a 21% increase in sales for the U.S. and Canada. Sales in the U.K., Germany, France and China gained 15%. You may recall that big box rival Best Buy ( BBY) is still struggling and posted a decline in earnings to $570 million, or $1.35 a share, for the fiscal quarter that ended Feb. 28, compared with $737 million or $1.71 a share, the year before. Among Web peers, Yahoo! ( YHOO) saw first-quarter net income drop almost 80% to $118 million, or 8 cents a share, from $537 million, or 11 cents a share. Google's ( GOOG) profit looked good on the surface, with earnings of $1.42 billion, or $4.49 per share in the first quarter, compared with $1.31 billion, or $4.12 per share, the year before. But it's hard to get excited when most of the improvement came from cost cutting instead of growth, as demonstrated by the drop in net revenue to $4.07 billion from $4.08 billion.
The only thing more outrageous than Amazon kicking Google's behind in the first quarter, is Amazon's outlook for continued growth in revenue of between 6% and 17% in the second quarter while Google CEO Eric Schmidt cautioned that the current economic climate "remains tough." The big difference is that Google gets its money from advertisers while Amazon sells straight to consumers. Seems advertisers have been a little stingy with their budgets even though the consumer is still showing signs of life. For my part, I'm going to take the Amazon results as a sign that things are looking up. Call me an optimist, but I like Amazon's upbeat comments better than Google's cautious tone.


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Webster’s Sporting Goods, a fixture in the Indianapolis youth sports scene for 50 years, has been acquired by Distinct Images, a locally-based supplier of imprinted apparel and promotional products, the companies announced Tuesday.
Financial details about the deal were not disclosed.
Webster’s has moved from its longtime location at 5060 E. 62nd St., just off Binford Boulevard, to Distinct Images’ location at 6830 Hawthorn Park Drive, near Binford and 71st St.
Webster’s was founded in 1972 by Kokomo native, Ball State graduate and Lawrence Central High School teacher Dick Webster as a golf and tennis shop that grew to provide equipment and uniforms fitted and supplied by Webster. Webster retired from Lawrence North in 2004 but has remained involved in the sporting goods business.
Dick’s daughter Barb will join Distinct images “to ensure a smooth transition,” the companies said. Distinct Images will continue to offer varsity letter jackets through the Webster’s brand.
“As the focus of Webster’s has transitioned from retail sporting goods to embroidery, letter jackets, and uniforms, it is an opportune time to join Distinct Images,” Dick Webster said in written remarks.
Founded in 2001 by Jim Pike, Distinct Images focuses on screen printing, embroidery and promotional products. It now has 18 employees.
Distinct Images has recorded 20 straight years of revenue growth, the company said. It grew previously through 2015 acquisition of Alexandria–based RAM Graphics in 2015.
“Our acquisition of a veteran business like Webster’s will improve both businesses’ capacity and capabilities, while ensuring we deliver the exceptional service that customers have come to expect,” Pike said in written comments. “We are most excited about adding veteran experience and sales abilities, which will help Distinct Images continue our track record of revenue growth and satisfied customers.”


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– David P. Anderson, Professor and Extension Economist, Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University
I expect enough analysts have discussed USDA’s recent Cattle Inventory report so I’m going to tackle another issue. Over the last two weeks, a rumor has come up in several Western cattle auctions and even in the futures market about an impending dairy cow buyout. This rumor was used as the explanation for lower prices. Most remember (either you were around then, or you have heard the stories from your elders) the government dairy herd buyout in the 1980s to deal with ruinous levels of production, stocks, and prices. That was also a time period where farm programs used a number of tools to limit production (high acreage reduction programs and payment-in-kind). More recent herd retirement programs run by private industry remain embroiled in lawsuits. There is no appetite or serious talk for any herd buyouts, either in the federal government or private industry efforts.
But, this rumor provides a good chance to examine current events in the dairy market. Large worldwide milk production has led to lower milk prices. Some very interesting trends in milk demand have enabled the industry to use up growing supplies in recent years. Exports have been a growth area. But, growing milk supplies around the world have pressured our export sales. In the U.S., growing butter consumption, the shift to greek and other yogurts, the use of milk in a variety of new drinks, and continued growth in cheese consumption supported expanding milk production. It appears that the market has reached the point where demand growth is not enough to offset supply growth at profitable prices.
The announced Class III price was $14 per cwt, last month, and Class III futures are mired in the mid-$13s for the next few months. Milk prices have declined enough to finally force a little more cow culling and slowing milk production. Some cow culling has come from farms exiting production. Production growth in some regions of the U.S. has hit the limit of processors to use the milk. The end result has been some producers losing their milk market.
Dairy cow slaughter picked up early in 2018, up year-over-year about 3.6 percent in January. For the year 2017, dairy cow slaughter was up 3.7 percent over 2016. When combined with increased beef cow culling, cow slaughter was up over 6 percent last year. Cull cow prices in the Southern Plains have started out the year at about $55 per cwt about $5 below the same time a year ago. It’s likely that dairy cow slaughter will pick up some more with lower milk prices. The larger beef cow herd will result in more culling, also. More cow beef will keep cull prices below 2017’s well into 2018.


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Work is proceeding apace on the Kickstarter-funded Rok the God graphic novel from John Wagner, Alan Grant and Dan Cornwell, the sequel to Rok of the Reds, out next year. One element of the campaign was a limited edition variant cover by Brian Bolland – and the artist has now revealed the final cover.
The finest known copy of Marvel Comics #1 sold for $1,260,000 (£95,7530) on 21st November in Dallas, Texas to lead Heritage Auctions’ record-setting Comics & Comic Art auction to a staggering $14,936,295 (£11,350,762). A Brian Bolland page from Killing Joke sold for… Read More ›
Ahead of the launch of a much-anticipated Kickstarter to fund the next “Rok of the Reds” story Rok the God, the team behind the project have announced a free digital version of Chapter One will be accessible to all on Rok’s forthcoming Kickstarter (October 2nd – mark the date!).
Nigeria is currently enjoying a growing comics industry of its own, with numerous publishers creating both print and digital titles, such as Comic Republic, Vortex Comics and YouNeek Studios– and Lagos Comic Con, taking place this weekend, is proving increasingly… Read More ›
The story behind some terrific Doctor Who strip samples created by Brian Bolland, drawn in the 1970s, will be revealed in the next issue of independent Who comics zine, Vworp! Vworp!


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Indian pharma companies in Ukraine face discrimination compared to other foreign companies – Indian ambassador
KYIV. Feb 28 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Indian pharmaceutical companies on the Ukrainian market are not in the equal conditions for doing business compared to companies from other countries, Ambassador of India to Ukraine Manoj Kumar Bharti said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Tuesday.
"At the moment of the arrival of Indian pharmaceutical products to a port they face a delay with customs agencies and supervising organizations. The European pharmaceutical products are examined quickly, while Indian products are examined for a long period of time. This results in delays with delivery of medicines. If Ukraine wants to benefit from good Indian pharmaceutical products it should pay attention to these moments," the ambassador said.
He also said that Indian pharmaceutical companies operating on the Ukrainian market face groundless inspections by law enforcement and regulatory agencies. The absence of grounds for too many inspections was proved in court many times.
In turn, President of Indian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers' Association in Ukraine (IPMA) Dr. Ramanan Menon also said that claims of law enforcers against Indian companies were groundless.
Dr Menon said that last year international organizations procured some generic products from Indian pharmaceutical manufacturers using Ukraine's budget funds, in particular, medicines to treat tuberculosis and AIDS.
He expressed hope that this year the range of medicines procured by international organizations for Ukraine would be increased.


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Dutch Library wants to digitize books and archive sites
The Dutch Royal Library has decided to follow France's example and is planning to start digitizing their own books and other content, rather than waiting for Google to do so.
The plan the library made says that in 2013 10 percent of all newspapers has to be digitized. The plan also forsees in archiving 10.000 Dutch websites.
Tagcloudnews google earth spain street view realtime twitter android marketing funny baidu london china website bing a4uexpo ads blog video google tools tools privacy business social europe search engines indonesia interview blogger search engine strategies linkbuilding mobile sem iphone gmail sea advertising search analytics apple seo


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The delivery of Princess' upcoming ship Coral Princess has been delayed, cancelling its December 24 sailing. The vessel's inaugural Panama Canal cruise
will now depart on January 3, 2003.
Passengers on the affected December 24 sailing will receive a full refund, as well as credit toward a future cruise. Travel agent commission will be protected on all fully paid bookings.
"We deeply regret having to cancel this departure," said Phil Kleweno, president. "The shipbuilder, Chantiers de l'Atlantique is working hard to deliver the ship as quickly as possible, however the ship requires additional work which will preclude the operation of the December 24 sailing. We sincerely regret this disruption to our valued passengers' holiday plans."
The 88,000-ton Coral Princess is the first in a new series of ships for Princess, and will be the largest of the line's ships to be able to transit the Panama Canal
. The 1,970-passenger vessel will debut with a series of 10-day roundtrip Canal voyages from Ft. Lauderdale, and will be christened by the president of Panama on January 17.


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Party's Over: Four Loko among malt beverages to remove caffeine
Wed, 26 Mar 2014 04:36:05 GMT —
Ohio's Attorney General announced Tuesday that he and attorney generals from 19 other states had come to an agreement with a malt beverage that has created controversy over health effects.
, with Phusion Projects, requires the manufacturer to stop producing caffeinated alcoholic beverages including Four Loko.
A monetary settlement was also agreed upon. Ohio will receive over $23,000 of the pay out.
Phusion will also have to adjust how it markets and promotes its non-caffeinated flavored malt beverages.
The deal resolves allegations the company marketed and promoted its alcoholic drinks to underage consumers.
"What Four Loko did in marketing their products and encouraging irresponsible behavior by underage kids is simply unacceptable," said Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine. "This agreement will put a stop to these practices that encouraged young people to consume their beverages in an irresponsible way."
Phusion was also accused of promoting dangerous and excessive drinking habits, promoting the misuse of alcohol, and failing to disclose the effects of drinking alcoholic beverages that contain caffeine.
Several other mandates were agreed that Phusion could not:
- Hire underage persons, or actors under the age of 25, to promote alcohol products
- Hire models or actors for its promotional materials that are under the age of 25 or that appear to be under the age of 21
- Use names, initials, logos, or mascots of any school, college, university, student organization, sorority, or fraternity in Phusion's promotional materials for its alcohol products
- Distribute, sell, provide or promote merchandise bearing the brand name or logo of flavored malt beverages to underage persons.


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The addition of a new 2017 Mitsubishi Montero are some striking news which are coming from the Japanese automaker’s production line. This model is going to be released next year and has been announced as already a great acquisition in the mid-sized SUV segment. It is certainly going to get a lot of sympathy and will many acclaims with the fans which are expecting to see this car in action very soon.
What the expectations of the fans point to is the model getting a new and updated look. This is certainly true as we can see from the given pictures the car is getting a much needed attractive look to its design which is going to give it more likeability. What the designers have also announced is a stronger powertrain as well. But the interior is kind of a something which is going to tip this release into everyone’s favor and that is the technological additions which have been made and brought to the car.
The newest 2017 Mitsubishi Montero is going to feature a release first on the home front and perhaps other closer markets in Asia. But for the US release we will have to wait a little bit longer and maybe even wait till the end of the year. But as we can see from the updates given, it is certainly worth to wait for a model the Montero promises to be.
The 2017 Mitsubishi Montero is going to add a lot of changes to its exterior. What it promise to be is certainly an attractive model and it all has to thank the GC-PHEV concept model to which it is based on. Using the design cues from this concept the Mitsubishi Montero managed to bring in a lot of design cues that are both interesting and fashionable and the most amount of changes are see in the front end of the car.
The front side of the 2017 Mitsubishi Montero is adding sloping look to the front which is a change compared to the previous models. The grille has been changed and will also feature a Mitsubishi logo matted in the front end of it. The lights have also been upgraded and we are going to feature a car which is adding better lighting capabilities that are going to make better fears and options for the car while driving at night. The cooling of the engine and the brakes is also an important features so we see some air intakes on the front side of the car positioned in the lower front end.
The rear end has also seen some changes but not as much as the front of the car did. The rear part of the care has some sleeker taillights and gives an interesting new design overall when we look at it as a whole. Finally, the added 18-inch wheels also bring to a new kind of a look with better road capability and driving stability.
The interior of the 2017 Mitsubishi Montero is going to adapt to the whole and entire picture nicely as it brings a whole set of new additions and features. With the managed parts we are going to get a model car which is very comfortable and is going to bring us the necessary and actually needed ability for these modern times. The Montero is going to give us a look that we have yet to see and it is going to be more than useful.
The front seats are lain with leather making them much more comfortable while at the same time it allows adjustability as the seats have all sorts of features so you can adapt them to your driving style. Between the seats there are two new cup-holders placed and a whole bunch of compartments as well. The dash sees the addition of new buttons and knob shifts which you can use to control the majority of the inside of the car.
There are also hands free phone features and the model sinks in a lot of connectivity features as you can use Bluetooth, there is a Wi-Fi hotspot available and various USB ports. The majority of the features are controlled via a large touch screen positioned front and center on the dash.
Engine specs and performance
The great thing about the 2017 Mitsubishi Montero and its powertrain is that they are going to continue offering hybrid technology. The new drivetrain will use i-MiEV technology and the car also comes with a plug-in hybrid power train for better and lengthier performance. The gasoline engine that is going to be used is the 3.0 liter V6 engine which is going to be combined with the electronic one that is powered by lithium-ion battery and controlled by an eight speed automatic transmission. The car also has a four-wheel driving system and the performance states that it can make 385 pound feet and a horsepower of 415. This also gives it a great 0-60 mph acceleration performance allowing it to make it under 7 seconds.
Release date and price
The great news about the 2017 Mitsubishi Montero is that it is going to be released this year but it will be offered only in Japan fist. The US release is at least a year away and we are going to be lucky if we get it by the end of 2017. By then the estimated price for the latest Montero should be around $49, 000..


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Scott Wise has always wanted to brew his own beer—not a gallon or two at home, but in quantities large enough to satisfy
the thirsty hordes who flock to his Scotty’s Brewhouse restaurants.
Now it looks like he’ll get his wish.
The local entrepreneur is moving forward with plans to launch Scotty’s Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Co., a microbrewery that
will produce craft beer for his eateries and the public. Wise filed its articles of incorporation with the state Tuesday.
Wise expects production to begin and an Indianapolis tasting room to open within six months.
“It has always been in my gut,” said Wise, 36. “It just makes sense to do it now.”
When he created Scotty’s in 1996, craft brewing was hot. Eight microbreweries opened in the state that year, according
to the Brewers of Indiana Guild, joining the seven that had debuted in the previous decade. As a result, equipment was expensive—especially
for a 22-year-old buying a bar on contract for $60,000.
Now the industry is experiencing a resurgence thanks to consumers’ growing interest in specialty brews. And used equipment
is available, lowering the cost of entry.
Wise has worked out an arrangement with another startup brewer, Beer Baron LLC. The two entities plan to share equipment
and retail space, but each will develop its own recipes and sell its own beer.
Former Barley Island Brewing Co. brewmaster Jon Lang is Beer Baron’s head brewer. The other partners are David Waldman,
a former Irish pub owner who now is director of youth and outreach at JCC Indianapolis, and local restaurateur Mike DeWeese,
who owned a Buffalo Wild Wings franchise and two independent eateries downtown before joining Granite City Brewing Co. last
Beer Baron, which is still working on a a brand name, bought equipment from now-shuttered Warbird Brewing in Fort Wayne,
DeWeese said, and the partners are working with Wise to finalize a location for their joint facility.
“For me, it has always been about the beer,” DeWeese said. “The room for growth in Indiana is astronomical.”
Clay Robinson, who co-founded locally based Sun King Brewing Co., agrees.
“There is a lot of room for craft beer in Indiana,” said Robinson, who worked on Sun King for at least four years
before opening the brewery in 2009. “The bottom line for any brewery is whether or not it makes good beer.”
An admitted control freak, Wise said he will take an active role in developing the recipe for the four or five styles of
brew that will carry the Scotty’s name. He also has specific ideas for the tasting room: about 2,000 square feet of
comfortably furnished space, open limited hours, that will sell a handful of Scotty’s appetizers in addition to beer.
“That’s just my style,” he said. “Anything I’m involved in gets 100 percent of my attention,
especially when it has my name on it.”
Scotty’s Thr3e Wise Men—a nod to the founder and his two sons, Slater and Lincoln—will have built-in customers
in Wise’s restaurants. He said the five Brewhouses alone will keep the kegs rolling. And having their own brewery will
help the restaurants’ bottom line.
A keg of craft beer costs an average of $160, Wise said. He thinks he can brew the same amount of beer for about $40. Even
with a markup to pay for production and transportation, the savings will add up. And if customers respond to the lower price
by buying more, all the better.
“When you look at that across the board, it really snowballs,” Wise said.
Once the brewery and tasting room gets up and running, Wise wants to add a commissary kitchen where Scotty’s cooks
can make cakes, pies, sauces and some popular dishes for all the restaurants in a central location, cutting labor costs and
Wise, who is set to debut the Scotty's Lakehouse restaurant concept March 1, already is working on bottling Scotty’s
Mo-Fo Hot Sauce, and other favorites like Dill Chips also could be available at the commissary—or grocery stores—eventually.
“The beer comes first,” he said.


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The buzz is all about “new trade geography”, a phrase coined by the host country’s president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, referring to the steady increase in trade between developing countries themselves.
Yet Brazil continues to curry favour with global multinationals.
Indeed, one of the poorest states in Brazil is the home of some of the richest corporations in the world, who can assemble, produce and export goods with huge tax breaks in the Zona Franca de Manaus, or Manaus Free Trade Zone.
Thinking of the Amazon, one would probably think of deep green jungle and deep blue rivers.
Certainly, people would not visualise a vast bleak industrial park with such familiar creatures as Sharp, Gillette, Panasonic and Phillips; the common or garden variety Toshiba and Seiko; or the ubiquitous Nokia for that matter.
President Lula has come a long
Distrito Industrial in downtown Manaus, in the state of Amazonia, is part of the biggest “free trade” zone in South America.
Brazilian trade representatives were drumming up business in China last month, outlining the reasons that have been attracting trademarks known worldwide, such as Coca-Cola, to Distrito Industrial and other industrial parks.
The reasons included crucial location incentives besides tax holidays. Plots for industrial use in “free zone” have a symbolic price of just 30 US cents per square metre.
Promoted as a method of stimulating growth in hard-hit areas, Manaus Free Trade Zone brings in much wanted foreign earnings. More than 400 companies employ around 90,000 people.
Almost the entire output is meant for the domestic market. In Sao Paulo, for example, most of the electronic and white goods on sale are marked “Made in Amazonia“.
The “free zone” provides duty-free access to equipment and materials, and a bureaucracy-free, no-hassles environment for investors.
There is another major attraction: cheap labour. Brazil’s minimum wage is set to rise by a derisory amount from 240 to 260 reals ($83) a month.
Not everyone is quite happy, though. Luicano worked all week making fuses on a production line for Electrolux microwaves.
Having his lunch in one of the many eateries that dot the dusty highway, he is looking for more work.
Foreign firms located in Manaus
Last week his wages were nil.
This is because Electrolux classifies manual labour as “training” and does not pay those it does not hire.
“Only three or four out of every 10 people who train are offered work,” said Luciano.
To make matters worse, automation and downsizing have already cut the zone’s workforce dramatically.
The Manaus Free Trade Zone was initiated by the military junta in 1967, the same year it took power in Brazil.
It is designed to be a legally sound and safe entity that guarantees foreign companies full protection against any government attempt to dismantle it.
“When approaching a foreign investor, an official investment promoter could say: ‘I am offering you a legal regime and a logistic environment that will be valid for at least 20 years, during which you will not be surprised by any change in the rules of the game’,” said Helson Braga, economics professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
The “free trade” zone’s legal status is valid until at least 2013. Foreign companies are exempted from income and export tax. Moreover, the government effectively subsidises their operations to the tune of $2.4 billion a year.
A revolt against these handouts was defeated by the Worker’s Party government in a key tax reform bill passed last August.
Local entrepreneurs, however, are getting their act together. In only its fourth year, the Amazontech conference last September attracted 150,000 to buzz around the shiny Studio 5 conference centre in a business fair designed to help small and local businesses in the sustainable use of science and technology.
“When the ‘zone’ started out, foreign companies would invest locally as well has providing jobs. But now they don’t
put anything back”
a health service employee in Amazonia state
Business deals amounting to more than $30 million were completed over just three days. Still, the figure is dwarfed by the $1 billion that foreign companies make in annual exports alone from the “free trade zone”.
“A longstanding concern in the free-trade community has been to see that World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules do not reduce the freedom and efficiency of free-trade zones,” said professor Braga of Rio de Janeiro’s Federal University.
“The World Economic Processing Zones Association has maintained permanent contact with the WTO Secretariat to monitor and anticipate any decision that could hinder those goals.”
The city of Manaus was built on local labour in the rubber boom of the early 19th century. Back then, workers were enslaved and others killed by Amazonia’s European-owned businesses until demand ran out.
Today, the outlandish giant pink Amazon Opera House, fashioned from 36,000 tiles imported from France with chandeliers of Italian crystal, remains an incongruous relic of a fantastically rich past.
The opera house is a relic of the
Could history repeat itself?
Critics say Amazonia is much more suited to eco-tourism and other uses of its natural materials, than to a factory-driven environment.
“Manaus is finished,” said Anderson, who works for the state’s health-care system. “When the ‘zone’ started out, foreign companies would invest locally in addition to providing jobs. But now they don’t put anything back.
Anderson added: “When there is somewhere cheaper for them and they leave, there will be nothing.“


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(CAAI News Mdia)
HA NOI — Viet Nam’s Military Telecom Corporation (Viettel) is now the largest telecommunications service provider in Cambodia, after launching its Metfone mobile service network in the Kingdom six months ago.
Metfone currently accounts for 60 per cent of all ADSL services and 50 per cent of the fixed phone market. It has 2 million mobile subscribers, ranking second among nine mobile service providers in Cambodia.
To facilitate the Cambodian people’s access to fundamental telecommunications services, Metfone has reduced its mobile service charges from 11 cents per minute to 9 cents per minute, and expects to adjust it down even further in the near future.
Additionally, Metfone is the sole provider of all telecommunications services in Cambodia, with its product distribution network covering even the most remote and isolated communes. It is also the sole provider of wireless fixed phone services, with nearly 20,000 subscribers in the country.
Along with business development in Cambodia, Viettel has invested US$5 million to carry out a three-year programme to introduce the internet to schools, subsidised 50 per cent of wireless fixed and mobile phone charges for poor people and sponsored an online television system, connecting the Government to localities across the country.
Metfone is expected to earn revenue of $50 million this year and provide 3G services in Cambodia early next year.
Metfone is also expected to have 2.6 million mobile subscribers and 3,000 transceiver stations covering all 24 provinces and cities of Cambodia, and the ability to provide affordable, high-quality services for customers by 2010. — VNS