text:
Technology entrepreneurs can’t spend all their time alone on their computers, tablets and smart phones.
Sometimes, they might want share and work on ideas together, and experiment on equipment that can turn their dreams into reality.
To that end, a new Coquitlam Innovation Hub is being launched at the City Centre branch of Coquitlam Public Library where people can meet and connect, get guidance and mentorship, fine-tune their ideas on AutoCAD software or build things using 3D Makerbot printers.
TriCelerate, a non-profit organization supporting local entrepreneurs, Coquitlam Public Library and the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce are joint partners in this initiative with an official launch set for Thursday, Oct. 1 from 6 to 9 p.m.
“The idea behind the Innovation Hub is to have a place where entrepreneurs can gather and grow their ideas in a cooperative environment,” co-founder Aly Dhalla said in a press release.
“Having a gathering place where local entrepreneurs can connect with human and technological resources to realize their full potential is fundamental to growing local startups and creating jobs,” added co-founder Jason Carvalho.
The Innovation Hub will also feature entrepreneurs-in-residence, including Dhalla, Carvalho and Coquitlam entrepreneur Lori Crump, who recently started Base Yourself (www.baseyourself.com), an online neighbourhood relocation service.
The event will feature a keynote speech from local entrepreneur Greg Malpass, CEO of Traction. Light food and drink will also be served.
To register, go to www.meetup.com and search for “Tricelerate.”
The City Centre branch of the Coquitlam Public Library is located at 1169 Pinetree Way.
• You can follow TriCelerate, which already has 242 members, at www.tricelerate.ca or look them up on Twitter through @TriCelerate and @COQStartup, or use the hashtags #TriCelerate, #InnovationHub and #TriPreneur.


text:
Victorian households looking to take advantage of the state’s home battery rebate have just over one month left to apply for the nearly $3,000 discount, with the scheme set to close on June 30 ahead of a switch to a zero interest loan offering.
Solar Victoria, which administrates the Solar Homes Program for the Labor Andrews government, has revealed that while the scheme’s flagship rooftop solar rebate will remain in place – and stay at its current level of $1,400 – a change to the home battery offering is decided.
Instead of a point-of-sale discount on a home battery of up to a maximum of $2,950, from July 01 this year, households will be able to apply for four-year, interest-free loans of up to $8,800 each funded through the Solar Homes Program.
Solar Victoria says $16 million dollars has been allocated in the latest state budget to the enable the delivery of 4,500 interest-free loans through the program for 2023-24.
“Applications for battery rebates will no longer be accepted from 30 June, with the loan offering to be launched after 1 July 2023, once program design is complete,” a Solar Victoria statement said on Wednesday.
“Rebate applications received prior to 30 June will be processed and those approved will be provided with adequate time to have their battery installed and rebate paid. Solar Victoria is working towards a seamless transition from one incentive to the other and program design is already underway.”
The news is likely to spark a last minute rush on the scheme’s remaining solar battery rebates, which on Wednesday numbered 782, according to the Solar Homes portal.
Compared to the highly successful rooftop solar rebate, which in the early days of the program regularly saw thousands of applications snapped up within hours, the battery offer has been much more of a slow burner, even if it has surpassed its targets of more 15,000 discounted systems installed over its lifetime so far.
But Solar Victoria CEO Stan Krpan says the zero interest loan is in many ways a more generous offer, factoring in the time allocated to pay off the zero interest loan and the energy savings a solar battery promises to deliver over that period.
(On average, Solar Victoria finds that households that install rooftop will save somewhere between $700 and $1,000 a year, and an additional $300 a year when they add a battery.)
The change to the battery scheme is also in keeping with the rooftop solar offer, which alongside the current $1,400 rebate offers a matching $1,400 interest-free loan.
“I think it’s recognising that our interest free loan on PV has been really popular,” Krpan tells One Step Off The Grid.
“We’ve had 200,000 customers take that up. Two thirds of our customer take up the interest free loan at the same time that they take up the rebate.
“And what we’ve heard from industry is that an interest free loan for the battery would be attractive, too.
“And so we’d haven’t… decided on the exact details of it; who it will be available to, when, whether you can get a rebate as well as the loan, a whole range of different options.
“All of those things will be considered and then we’ll have more to say on that prior to July.”
In the meantime, Krpan says Solar Victoria is bracing for rush on the remaining battery rebates out to June 30.
“I would expect that those people who want the rebate are going to come in pretty thick and fast before the before the end of June and we’ll manage that, obviously,” he says.
“June is our one of our strongest months, anyway – whether or not we’re reducing the rebate there’s generally a surge … in the lead up to financial year – we started to see that last week, even ahead of budget.
“And so we would expect that will continue to June.”
On rooftop solar, the Solar Homes offering remains the same, with another 53,000 rebates allocated for delivery for the new financial year. And notably, the rebate amount is not being ratcheted down this year, instead staying at $1,400.
“I think that’s really reflecting what we’re hearing from industry, which is, you know, costs are going up, people are under a lot of pressure, there’s a lot of economic uncertainty, leave the rebate and don’t put that pressure on them,” Krpan says.
“So I think the government’s listened and that’s the kind of key part of the budget [for Solar Victoria].”
Alongside the $1,400 PV rebate value there is also the additional $1,400 for the interest free loan to pay for the rooftop system. Hot water rebates of $1,000 will continue to be delivered with 4,500 available in 2023-24.

domain: news


text:
This special edition "News From The Frunk" episode includes a rare interview with Chelsea Sexton, so please do check it out.
Welcome to News from the Frunk, Episode 41.
News from the Frunk is a short round up of key Tesla news over the previous few days.
Today’s video was shot at TMC Connect (https://www.teslamotorsclub.com/connect/) the annual get together of Tesla Motors Club forum members. This year the event was held at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Silicon Valley, and I had the chance to spend some time with Chelsea Sexton a leading electric vehicle advocate and star of the movie “Who killed the Electric Car" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsJAl...)


text:
Digital cinema leader Doremi today announced that it shipped over 850 DCP digital cinema servers in February alone bringing its worldwide install base to over 11,300 units; a remarkable feat given Doremi first demonstrated its digital cinema server prototype at IBC in 2004.
“Our line of DCP-2000 & DCP-2K4 servers are the lynchpin products behind Doremi Cinema’s expanding client base” comments Michael Archer, VP of Doremi Cinema. “Thanks to our customers, dealers and integrater partners, Doremi's digital cinema server remains the number one installed server globally.”
With financial backing for digital cinema deployments finally coming to fruition, exhibitors worldwide are pressing forward in securing systems for their screens. “We have spent years researching and developing technology that has allowed us to incorporate a multitude of additional features into our server. Many of these are not part of the DCI spec, but are seen as necessary value adds by our customers when choosing our product”, says Doremi Cinema VP Michael Archer.
Doremi's customers include the largest exhibitors and post houses in the world. Foreseeing the explosive growth of digital cinema spurred by the anticipated financial backing, Doremi completed a building expansion earlier this year in support of the mega-deployments to come.
3D and other “event” films are what sell tickets. “It is our job to make sure that exhibitors can take advantage of tent pole films like Avatar and Alice in Wonderland, leverage the top down studio marketing that comes with them, and deliver the latest digital content to their theater patrons, who are packing theaters for these films and paying a premium ticket price.”
The success and popularity of Doremi Cinema servers represent the essence of the company's commitment to engineering innovation, quality manufacturing, and most importantly, their customers.


text:
As the Covid-19 pandemic hit the continent, the majority of African nations rushed to impose lockdowns on their populations. The lockdown levels varied but one thing for certain was that the countries closed their borders in a bid to contain the pandemic.
Botswana and South Africa imposed strict lockdowns by closing schools, universities, hotels and businesses. In Tanzania no lockdown was imposed as government cited fears that restrictions would be detrimental to the economy.
The truth is that the economies of all African countries suffered because of the pandemic despite different approaches in trying to contain the pandemic.
Tourism was one of the hardest hit sectors and this article tries to make the case as to why African countries need to reopen their borders to avoid a catastrophic economic crisis. Travel and tourism contributed more than €150 billion (R2.8 trillion) to Africa’s economy combined, representing 7.1% of GDP and supporting millions of jobs, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).
The African tourism industry became the second fastest growing in the world before the pandemic hit. The WTTC states that the tourism sector in Africa lost about 8 million jobs as a result of the global health crisis. Kenya lost more than $750 million in revenue from tourism since the first case of Covid-19 in the country.
The importance of tourism as we have seen cannot be underestimated. It is the driver of many economies in Africa.
Importance of the tourism industry
The tourism is vital for the success of many countries around the globe. Tourism has a favourable impact on the development of the host country. It boosts income, creates jobs and fosters infrastructure development. The number of jobs created through tourism are substantial in many areas of the economy – as they may include other sectors such as the communications, health sector, education and agriculture.
Tourists sometimes travel to experience the culture of the host country, learn the language and this is profitable for restaurants that sell local cuisine, shopping centres, local bed and breakfast establishments and local stores. For more tourists to visit a country, they need safe and advanced facilities – this leads to new roads, improved parks, new airports, and better public spaces.
South Africa as a case study
South Africa, due to its diverse and world-renowned tourist attractions, reap the rewards of tourism. Tourism remains one of the key drivers of economic growth in South Africa and makes a significant contribution to employment creation.
The WTTC calculated the direct contribution of the tourism sector to the South African real GDP to be at 2.8%, with the absolute value of R139 billion. It projected that this amount should increase to R145.3 billion for last year.
The sector’s indirect contribution to the South Africa’s GDP growth in 2018 stood at 8.2% – this percentage is encapsulating the strong economic connection that the tourism sector has with other sectors in the economy.
Zooming in on job creation, employment in the South African tourism sector accounted for 4.2% in 2018 total employment in South Africa. The SA Tourism hoped for the tourism sector to create an addition of 225 000 jobs by 2030, but due to the travel bans that are still effective. The sector may fall short of the target.
Popular overseas visitors
The following are the top five countries (with percentages) with the largest number of tourists that visited South Africa between May 2018 and May last year. The first is the US with 21.5%, the UK with 13.1%, India with 8%, Germany with 7.1% and France with 6.7%. All these are countries that are still under the travel ban and countries that made up 46.4% in that period of 12 months.
South Africa needs to recognise the contribution that the tourists from these countries have to the economy, the employment, the contribution to the GDP – now more than ever government needs to explore all avenues possible to aid the state in job creation as well as driving the economy to full capacity.
The pandemic has crippled the South African tourism industry. The lockdown shut down businesses in tourism, causing massive job losses as well as loss of profits.
Government is devising and implementing economic recovery plans, with tourism as one of the key contributors to economic growth and employment. Government has to lift some of the international travel bans to stimulate the recovery of the tourism sector and thus its contribution to economic growth and employment.
The pandemic is real and we don’t deny that, but the ultimate truth is that poverty is the biggest pandemic in Africa and if the tourism sector remains paralysed, inequality and poverty will rise as businesses would not be able to keep their employees on the wage bill if they have no revenue.
This in turn will cause social instabilities in the region.
We do not have to look far but at home where the hotels and the lodges that have shut their doors permanently to see the effects of not allowing tourism to take place.
The statistics that show that Africa was home to the second largest tourism market before the pandemic so we should not to underestimate the importance of tourism in reviving an already fragile regional economy.
The road to recovery for many African economies remains uncertain, but one thing for certain is that no economy will be revived without the tourism sector being allowed to operate normally. It goes without saying that African countries should not establish lacklustre regulations when it comes to issues of tourism in a bid to revive their economies.
The poor healthcare systems that plague the region demand that African governments should continue with their standardised protocols such as requesting tourists to bring a 72-hour Covid-19 test results, screening and emphasising quarantine procedures for tourists.
Olwethu Shedi is reading for a Master’s degree in economics at the Wits University She also holds a BCom Honours in economics. Olwethu is an executive member of the Wits chapter’s Rethinking Economics for Africa. She writes in her personal capacity.
Patrick Kadima holds a BA degree and LLB degree from Stellenbosch University and Wits University, respectively. He is currently pursuing an interdisciplinary Master’s at Wits University’s Public Affairs Research Institute. Kadima also served as a student leader at both institutions and writes in his personal capacity.


text:
Kakao Taxi to offer luxury rides
One hundred luxury taxis, all either BMW or Mercedes-Benz models, will begin a trial operation in Seoul in October.
The base fee has not yet been set but will be more than 5,000 won ($4.25), the minimum for existing mobeom taxis, according to a Daum Kakao spokeswoman.
“Given Korean consumers’ psychological barrier of 10,000 won, the base fee will be set between 5,000 won and 10,000 won,” she said.
The company also vowed to gradually diversify the brands and models of taxis, as well as expand the number of vehicles.
Daum Kakao forged a memorandum of understanding Wednesday with the Seoul Taxi Association, the taxi drivers’ union, and High End, a private enterprise managing premium taxis and their drivers. High End is a subsidiary of Korea Smart Card, the developer and seller of the ubiquitous public transportation card T-money, and is currently recruiting drivers who have a Seoul taxi driver’s license.
The candidates will have to go through foreign language and first aid training to be eligible to drive the high-end taxis.
“By proceeding with the premium taxi service in cooperation with the Seoul Taxi Association and High End, we hope that Kakao Taxi will take one step further as an efficient [transportation] platform for drivers, customers and business operators altogether,” said Chung Joo-hwan, head of the team managing Kakao Taxi at Daum Kakao. “High-end taxis will cater to the various needs of customers and become Kakao Taxi’s first profit model.”
Daum Kakao launched Kakao Taxi on March 31, and the number of users has risen dramatically over the past five months thanks to its affiliation with messenger app KakaoTalk, which has 38 million domestic users. It has thus far accepted an accumulated 12 million calls and the number of drivers using the app totals 140,000.
But Kakao hasn’t made a profit from the service, since it initially vowed not to charge drivers a commission to use the app.
Through the new high-end service, Kakao aims to earn profits from either a commission from connecting taxis or sharing a percentage of the entire ride cost with High End. The company has yet to decide from the two options.
The company said the luxury cars won’t have the three conventional features of an ordinary taxi: meter, payment device and cab light outside the vehicle. Payments will be made on the Kakao Taxi app, in which the customers will have entered their credit card information.
The feature is inevitably reminiscent of Uber, an app from a U.S. start-up that connects riders to drivers, though a spokeswoman from Uber Korea refused to comment on the matter.
Uber’s Korean operation started service in Seoul in August 2013, but traditional taxi drivers quickly protested on the grounds that it hurts their livelihood. The Korean government also began clamping down on the fee-paying transport service, citing regulatory problems, one of which was that the service was being provided by individuals without commercial driving licenses.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced in March it would give a 1 million-won reward to anyone who finds and reports private or rented car drivers offering transport through Uber X, the company’s cheapest service.
Uber Korea instantly scrapped Uber X, and now only operates Uber Black and Uber Taxi, which are legal.
Uber Black is a pricier service that hires drivers with professional chauffeur licenses. Uber Taxi offers Seoul’s taxi drivers use of the Uber platform free of charge - essentially the same model as Kakao Taxi.
The once fearless and outspoken American start-up has been keeping a low profile over the past five months and its spokeswoman said the company is now mulling a new measure for its growth here.
“Our principle here in Seoul is to abide by the law,” she said, adding the company is proud it has contributed to transforming the public transportation scene in Korea to some extent.
The spokeswoman also said that Uber won’t pull out of Korea just because its performance here has been sluggish.
BY SEO JI-EUN [firstname.lastname@example.org]


text:
Page 2 of 2
"We're going to be very aggressive across the full spectrum of the market. We can serve the BDR only market, but we think it's very powerful market to combine RMM with BDR. They are one," George said. "We were very deliberate in coming up with a solution not just for the replacement market for Zenith Infotech. We said if we want to be in this business, we want to be in to dominate it. We're looking well beyond the confines of their solution. We looked at broader market requirements and all the vendors of the market."
George has said the company would be run independent of Zenith Infotech and look to launch new products and partnerships with companies that compete with Zenith Infotech.
Continuum listed its 2012 intiatives, which include: -- Extended endpoint coverage for Mac OS, Linux, smartphones and tablets;
-- More comprehensive virtualization support;
-- Significant user experience improvements to the Continuum portal;
-- Third-party patch management;
-- Additional remote control improvements including ignition-style access from iOS mobile devices;
-- Improved voice clarity from the Mumbai, India, NOC due to upgraded telecommunications equipment between India and the United States.
-- Improved communications with NOC technicians resulting from specialized speech and language training; and
-- The launch of a hybrid service model combining the intelligent problem-resolution benefits of the Continuum NOC with the communications skills of its US-based help desk. Continuum plans a multi-city "tour" in the first quarter to bring more details to MSPs, according to the company.


text:
Target CMO responds to employee rant over culture
A week after Gawker published an anonymous rant from a Target corporate employee that further revealed the extent to which the retailer's massive data breach has affected both employee and customer morale, the retailer's Chief Marketing Officer Jeff Jones responded with a LinkedIn post titled "The Truth Hurts."
In the employee letter, which Gawker said was e-mailed to the website by a midlevel employee at Target headquarters in Minneapolis, the employee writes about Target's unproductive staffing strategy, which the employee said rewards socializing in the office above producing results, and Target's copycat tendency to follow what other retailers are doing instead of innovating. The employee called for a leadership overhaul.
In an excerpt highlighted by Gawker, the employee wrote, "If Target doesn't make a serious change in their leadership and culture, it will end up being a Kmart, a Sears, or even worse, a Circuit City. The Twin Cities would be devastated — around 15,000 people work for Target HQ at one of their numerous sites in the Twin Cities."
The letter put Target's deteriorating workplace culture into the public eye two days after CEO Gregg Steinhafel resigned last week, as the company struggles to regain its luster five months after a massive data breach drove a wrench into customer satisfaction and took a toll on the company's fourth-quarter results. Target's Chief Information Officer Beth Jacob resigned in March, replaced last week with Target outsider Bob DeRodes, a rare move for a company that typically promotes from within.
Target Chief Marketing Officer Jeff Jones, the only person the anonymous Target employee said should stay at the company, responded to the letter on LinkedIn Tuesday with a post titled "The Truth Hurts."
Jones said, "While we would have preferred to have a conversation like this with the team member directly, speaking openly and honestly and challenging norms is exactly what we need to be doing today and every day going forward."
He also called out other beloved brands that were once in jeopardy but recovered, including Apple, Starbucks and J.Crew.
"Target is not the first brand in history to hit a rough patch," he says. "And we won't be the last brand to do what it takes to recover."
For a "very insular corporation" that's typically been resistant to change, Edward Jones analyst Brian Yarbrough said he's impressed with Jones' honest response.
"He didn't deny some of the stuff the employee said," Yarbrough said. "At least he recognizes it."
Others are applauding Target for taking to social media to address the employee's concerns. The company wisely bypassed any media intermediary "and went straight to the public," said public relations guru Katharine Paine.
"I'm sure that social media heads of a lot of corporations will be talking about this today and probably trying to convince their bosses to do something similar in the next crisis," said Paine, CEO of Paine Publishing, a marketing and PR measurement specialist.
That said, investors don't typically love this kind of public airing of dirty laundry, she said. "It could freak out the investment community, which likes things calm and quiet."
Target shares ended Wednesday down 0.5 perent, or 29 cents, to $59.27.
But Paine doesn't think the latest volley will have any impact on whether shoppers go to Target. Paine is also impressed with the letter's honesty. "It's so honest; it's almost like Target made up the letter from the disgruntled employee" just so it could do the LinkedIn post. she joked.
Target still has a lot of work to do to revamp both its company culture and operations, Yarbrough said. The retailer needs more product offerings online and needs to integrate technology in stores, as Nordstrom and Macy's have done. Those employees are equipped with iPads and mobile phones for instant check-out, stores have interactive displays, and online and in-store inventory are connected for a more seamless experience.
But Yarbrough says at least Target isn't facing a large-scale turnaround problem à la JCPenney.
"It's not like this is a retailer that's just totally damaged and you have to do a 180-degree turn," he said. "It's still a strong brand. It just needs some tweaking."


text:
A new rumor sprung up based on some ads that appeared on an iPhone App called Twitterfon. Apparently these mobile ads feature iTunes Movies, iTunes Movie Rentals, and iTunes TV.
This leads to the assumption that Apple will allow over the air downloads of movies and videos to the iPhone.
See several screenshots of the new service on KwameJones Blog. Via Techmeme. Digital Daily has a link to iPhone iTunes Video interface, which seems to still be under development.
Don't Miss: See the first leaked Black Friday 2016 Ad


text:
Bitcoin Price | Bitcoin.com ChartsTrade Bitcoin and INR in real time with instant deposits and withdrawals.Bitcoin is traded 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year.History of bitcoin Number of bitcoin. according to an article by USA Today. 1 bitcoin surpassed the spot price of an ounce of gold for the first time,.
Bitcoin Price Live - Bigger and Better
After hitting a six-month low just last Friday, the Bitcoin price is rising today as events in China are not quite as scary as people thought.Get Bitcoin Cash price, charts, and other cryptocurrency info.
How much do bitcoins cost? $0.48 USD? - Bitcoin Forum - IndexBitcoin prices today are soaring to new all-time highs again, fueled by a perfect storm of five catalysts.
Ethereum Price Ethereum Chart 24 hours price 7 Days Price 14 Days Price 30 Days.Actually you paid some interest to borrow the bitcoin in step 1,...
Currently the value of Bitcoin is driven mostly by. on the scale it is being done today,.Start accepting bitcoin, store and spend bitcoin securely, or get the BitPay Card. which means that the larger the value of the invoice,.The price of bitcoin has surged almost 200% over the past year.
1 Bitcoin = 1 Oz. Gold? - The Daily Reckoning
Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum price August 21 - Business
Could One Bitcoin Come To Be Worth $1 Million? Q&A
1 Bitcoin to US Dollar, 1 BTC to USD Currency Converter
I would guess in 12 months 1 Bitcoin will be trading about the.Bitcoin has just exceeded the price of gold, which bitcoin advocates say is symbolic for the virtual currency.For the first time ever, the price of one bitcoin has surpassed the price of one ounce of gold.
Bitcoin Charts & Graphs - Blockchain
After the 2013 bubble the Bitcoin price drop is really good news for the digital currency in terms of real value, demand adjustment and consumer adoption.Looking at the market capitalization for all cryptocurrencies, Techcrunch notes that Bitcoin now makes up just 47 percent of the total market value.
What`s the value of one bitcoin in USD today? - Ask Me FastBitcoin worth almost as much as gold. The price of one bitcoin rose as. and should not exceed 1% of a portfolio.
Bitcoin Price | Bitcoin Value
Bitcoin and Ethereum dropping: Here's why cryptocurrencyAlso, market disruption caused the price of Bitcoin to fall precipitously.
Price of Bitcoin has doubled in 2017, and other currencies have jumped even more.The value of Bitcoin Cash is. and that everyone who owned a BTC today will.
The price of Bitcoin has rocketed to new highs after a long battle over the rules of the software was resolved, at least temporarily.Why Bitcoin Matters. Anyone in the world can pay anyone else in the world any amount of value of Bitcoin by.


text:
Run on banks? Brits rush to buy euros, dollars ahead of Brexit vote
The Post Office reports sales of currencies are 74 percent higher this week than they were during the same week last year.
Market jitters over a potential Brexit have prompted some online money transfer companies to suspend services temporarily on polling day, while City hedge funds are paying for private exit polls so they can bet on the outcome of the referendum.
Post Office Travel Money accounts for a quarter of all foreign exchange transactions in the UK.
They report that branch sales of foreign currency were up 48.8 percent on Tuesday, while online purchases jumped by 381 percent.
The Post Office has allayed fears of a ‘run on the bank’, reassuring Brits it is well stocked and will not run out of foreign cash.
While many Brits have been steadily buying more foreign currency since the start of May, others have been investing in gold bars and bullion coins.
According to the Telegraph, searches for the phrase ‘home safe’ have skyrocketed on Google, and are 61 percent higher than the previous peak in November 2008, during the global financial crisis.
Royal Mint – which produces gold and silver coins – says its sales soared by a third in June. However, investment gurus are advising well-to-do Brits not to put their money in physical gold.
“If you’re going to buy precious metal, you might as well buy a gold or silver investment fund, where you will get much better value for money due to economies of scale,” said Wealth Club investment director Ben Yearsley.
As the currency markets prepare for a referendum outcome pollsters say is too close to call, some companies are halting trade altogether.
Startup money transfer website Azimo said it will temporarily suspend cash transfers from 06:00 BST on Thursday before polls open at 07:00 BST, until “things have settled down on Friday and we can safely trade again.”
The billion-dollar startup Transferwise said on Tuesday it is taking similar measures, halting incoming pound transfers from 07:00 BST and outgoing transfers from 18:00 BST.
Britain’s hedge fund industry will have the first insight into the outcome of the referendum.
City investment banks are paying roughly half a million pounds for private exit polls so they can bet on whichever way the vote goes.
An unnamed polling firm told the FT there is high demand for their services.
“Hedge funds have asked for exit polls and for hourly polls on the day. Banks are certainly commissioning polls for their own consumption that are never released,” one pollster said.
While opinion polls are still split over the outcome, betting odds put the chances of a Remain victory as high as 80 percent.


text:
Shares in this article
indices in this article
• Tesla about to achieve further goals
• Payday for Elon Musk is imminent
• $ 3 billion for the CEO?
Fans and investors of the electric car manufacturer Tesla are likely to be excited about the company’s upcoming quarterly report. And also for Tesla boss Elon Musk, the balance sheet presentation is of elementary importance, because he beckons the payment of a tranche in the amount of 3 billion US dollars.
Fourth tranche in sight
Because Elon Musk doesn’t get a normal salary for his job as Tesla CEO, but has tied his pay to various milestones for his company. If the electrical manufacturer achieves his goals, money flows into Musk’s coffers. After this agreement, which Musk made with the automaker in 2018, seemed too ambitious for a long time, Tesla has now had a real track record and has already achieved some of the agreed goals.
Another is now within reach: The company has achieved an average market capitalization of $ 250 billion in the past six months – a new milestone on the way to paying out the fourth of a total of 12 agreed tranches, reports Reuters.
Billions in equity options within reach
With each tranche, Elon Musk acquires the right to purchase 8.44 million Tesla shares at a price of $ 70 each, one sixth of the current market price. According to Reuters, the Tesla CEO could redeem the options and, combined with the three tranches previously acquired, could make a profit of $ 11.8 billion on the sale of the shares, or around $ 3 billion per tranche.
Good news for Tesla – bad news for shareholders
But the expected rain of money for Elon Musk could cost Tesla an inclusion in the S&P 500, the Wall Street Journal recently warned and pointed out that the milestone payment to the Tesla CEO would be at the expense of profit development. “These new issues threaten to jeopardize Tesla’s streak of GAAP earnings for four consecutive quarters. For those four quarters, Tesla has posted average net income of approximately $ 70 million per quarter,” it said. Inclusion in the important stock market index is only possible if the car manufacturer is profitable for four consecutive quarters.
Finanzen.net editorial team
More news about Tesla
Image Sources: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images, Jeff Vespa / WireImage / Getty Images


text:
Frank Ocean has duped us.
This August, like nearly every month in the past three years, rumors swirled that Frank Ocean would release his new album, "Boys Don't Cry."
Fans have been duped before, but this time it's different. It started when Ocean started streaming a cryptic video on his website on August 1. Below it, a library card with multiple due dates, July 2016 being the last of them. The message seemed clear: "Boys Don't Cry" was late. It's been four years since Ocean's last album, "Channel Orange." We're due for a sudden digital album drop at any second.
Then The New York Times reported a glimmer of hope: "Boys Don't Cry" would be released on Friday, August 5, according to "a person with knowledge of the release plans." It would be available exclusively on Apple Music for two weeks before becoming more widely available.
Fans spent hours obsessively watching the video for clues, calling Apple's customer service for any more details, and making memes.
I spent a few days writing a biographical sketch of Ocean, anticipating that millions of more people would become interested in the artist with the release of his long-awaited album.
Then August 5 came. No album. Snapchat made a couple of filters, one in his famous blogging style, all caps and sometimes a screenshot, and another of a skeleton waiting for Ocean's album.
Planet Earth rotated. August 5 went. No album.
Fuse believes it may drop some time in November now.
Where is "Boys Don't Cry," Frank Ocean? Does it even exist?
John Lasseter famously said that Pixar films don't get finished, they just get released.
Frank Ocean, it is time.


text:
This 2015 Chief Judge Linda Reade (N.D. Iowa), interesting and correct, just happened to me. U.S. v. Aossey:
A grand jury returned an Indictment of 92 counts on December 5, 2014. (Docket no. 6) charging defendants with [among other things] … making false statements on export certificates … [and] wire fraud ….
The Establishment Clause prohibits the government from requiring truthful statements on foreign export documents relating to Halal slaughter, according to defendants. …
Commack Self–Service Kosher Meats, Inc. v. Weiss (2d Cir. (2d Cir. 2002). The Second Circuit ruled that the Kosher Fraud Statutes were in violation of the Establishment Clause. They had the primary effect to advance and hinder religion, and create an excess government entanglement. New York statutes are “define.”[d]”Kosher” means “prepared according to orthodox Hebrew religious requirements,” mandate[d]Respecting these requirements is essential [were]These requirements are essential for the enforcement by the state. According to the Second Circuit, the statutes required that the government “interpret “kosher” as meaning “of one branch of Orthodox Judaism”. This resulted in “the State effectively aligning itself with one side or another of an internal Judaism debate.” These statutes, according to the Second Circuit’s conclusion, “excessively embrangle New York State and religion” and are therefore in violation of the Establishment Clause. …
[T]The court found that statutes under which defendants are being prosecuted have clearly had a secular purpose. While the defendants acknowledge that they are charged with crimes that have a secular purpose on the face, they claim that there are more restrictive ways of achieving the same end. The defendants argue that criminalizing false statements about the underlying slaughter is a crime.[ ]It is the enforcing of religions that has no secular value.”
The question of whether the government’s action is secular or restrictive is irrelevant to first. The court is also not in agreement with the Defendants when it comes to false statements being criminalized as enforcement of religious beliefs. Instead, it ensures that both purchasers and users of meat products can be protected and protects America’s reputation on the markets. These purposes are not religious.
Next, the court finds that the instant prosecution neither advances nor inhibits religion in its principal or primary effect…. The government does not advocate or uphold a specific religious interpretation. Rather, the government in this case merely seeks to enforce factually verifiable false representations….
[T]He was in court [also]Finds that the prosecution in this case does not encourage excessive government entanglement and religion. If the prosecution moves forward, defendants claim that it would have to decide and apply foreign Halal slaughter rules if there is a government attempt to enforce these religious requirements.
The jury and the court will not have to determine what Halal is. The government does not claim that the defendants were selling Halal products, but that they are actually Halal. Contrary to the assertions of Defendants, neither the court or the jury are required to “determine.”[e] … whether religious slaughter requirements have been complied with.”
Instead, the government alleges that Defendants made specific and false representations. The government claims that these false representations were used by defendants to make their customers believe that their meat products are Halal.
A jury is not required to find out whether Halal meat products are in fact Halal. It only needs to make sure that the Defendants have made specific and false representations. It doesn’t matter what the Halal meat looks like. The government could have merely claimed that the defendants represented their meat products to be Halal and they believed these meat products weren’t Halal. However, the government alleges that Defendants did more than represent that their meat was Halal—the government alleges that they made express, false representations about the way Defendants’ meat products were raised and slaughtered. “[T]he government, in its role as … enforcer, may interact with religious organizations.” … [T]He government isn’t trying to force a specific religious viewpoint. Even though the government may interact with religion, it does not automatically mean the government is violating the Establishment Clause.
The defendants also claimed that the Establishment Clause prevents the jurisdiction to regulate Halal slaughter because of the political divisiveness involved in enforcing religious slaughter laws of other countries. This case is not considered politically divisive by the court. The Establishment Clause analyses are not affected by the fact that the case is politically divisive. The court has the authority to decide cases, whether they are politically divisive.
Because the Indictment has a secular purpose, neither advances nor inhibits religion in its principal or primary effect and does not foster an excessive government entanglement with religion, the court shall deny the Motions to the extent they argue that the instant prosecution violates the Establishment Clause….


text:
ST. LOUIS BUSINESS JOURNAL -- Schnucks is said to be preparing plans to take over the recently closed Shop 'n Save grocery store in Maplewood, according to individuals in the St. Louis grocery and retail markets.
Schnucks officials declined to confirm the move. They issued the following statement: "We don't have any announcements at this time. If something should change, we will, of course, let you know at the appropriate time."
The Maplewood Square shopping center, where the store is located, is owned by Brixmor Property Group Inc., a publicly traded real estate investment trust based in New York City.
The vacant 57,575-square-foot store at 7355 Manchester Road previously employed 95 workers. It closed June 9. Shop 'n Save offered those workers jobs at its other area stores, according to United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 655 officials.


text:
I did stream the session on what D2C founders can teach other retailers. The panel had plenty to say about marketing in general, but I was struck by the debate over performance marketing versus brand-building stories.
Panelist David Heath, co-founder and CEO of Bombas, the D2C sock brand, offered the most pointed advice.
He said the six-year-old company, which has built its business by linking every purchase to a sock donation for the homeless, has doubled its ad budget every year, with about 40% going to Facebook.
“And next year, we’re allocating a portion of that to brand marketing, but only because we are ending the year with $30 million on the books,” he told the audience.
He knows many D2C brands rush into brand-building endeavors early on, with investment money. “But my advice is to focus on performance marketing… then, when you have cash on the balance sheet, you can move into brand marketing — this thing we have no real way to track. I wouldn’t risk early capital on stuff like that.”
Heath acknowledged that there needs to be a healthy friction between the two, “like art and science.” He noted that if a company like Nike only did performance marketing, “you’d walk by windows full of nothing but black sneakers, instead of a whole rainbow of colors.”
He was also frank about the distractions that can hurt D2C companies rushing into retail too soon.
Other panelists, including Melissa Mash, CEO and co-founder of Dagne Dover, talked about how helpful retail has been for overall sales, including the company’s Soho popup and presence in Nordstrom. Customers can just how much stuff the company’s totes can hold, she said, translating into real retail sales as well as online growth.
Heath said retail didn’t work so well for Bombas.
“We did one small kiosk,” he said. “It was such a distraction. The kiosk did $500 a day, and at that point, the website was doing $13,000 a day. Yet our people were all concerned about the kiosk. So we shut it down after three weeks.”
Eventually, that’s likely to change. “We’ve grown at triple-digit rates year-over-year” — and when that rate slows, likely between three and five years out, Heath said it will look more closely at retail and wholesale. “Our goal is to build a multibillion brand like Lululemon, and it has yet to be seen if that can happen only by selling online.”
Nate Checketts, co-founder and CEO of Rhone, a men’s performance sportswear brand sold in Equinox gyms as well as online, said he sees this issue a little differently.
He acknowledges that most D2C startups feel the need to be good at everything, and "it’s easy — maybe easier than ever before” to launch. “But it may be harder than ever to go from there to a billion-dollar brand.”
He says Rhone views retail as a way to lower the cost of customer acquisition. “We quickly realized retail is a skill set, and that our popups had to lean in. Not only did we go into it knowing they had to be profit centers, but we wanted them to build brand awareness, deepen loyalty and educate customers. We wanted 100% of foot traffic to know more about our brand,” he said. “You don’t have to choose.”


text:
To some, on-demand manufacturing might sound like a far off prospect or a concept that can only work for the few and the small, but innovations in both software and hardware are bringing us closer to a future that allows both niche brands and major players to deliver goods based on consumer tastes.
This week, Sourcing Journal highlights how on-demand is evolving and the tangible ways it can help businesses boost their bottom lines.
Click here to listen to the full episode.
Below are excerpts from our discussion with two guests who are actively helping brands and retailers create the supply chain of tomorrow.
Marleen Vogelaar, founder and CEO of on-demand apparel manufacturing platform Ziel, on how far the industry has come in its thinking about on-demand:
“I see a definite shift happening in the last two years. When I first started thinking about building Ziel, people were looking at me like ‘Why are you doing this?’ And I said well 40 percent oversupply, 10 percent undersupply, 60 to 70 percent markdowns and write offs on average. There’s a huge financial problem in this industry. There’s a huge environmental problem in this industry and it can be solved in one go by going on-demand. Now I see that the tide is turning. People have heard about it, read about it and are talking about it.”
Peter Santora, the chief commercial officer of sewing production automation company SoftWear Automation, on how much the industry needs to disrupt itself in order to capitalize on the opportunities on-demand offers:
“Major apparel brands spend less than 1 percent on R&D. They’re not designed to take on automation in a big way. They’re designed to follow a trend that’s already taking place. The strategy is usually design a product, source it and then get a contract manufacturer who can tweak it and the contract manufacturer comes to an automation or machine vendor to get solutions for that product. I don’t think the future of these fully automated products is designed that way. Brands and contract manufacturers have to 1) get on the same page with their potential for being disrupted, and 2) develop a team strategy around how to offset that risk.
This podcast episode is made possible by Cotton Incorporated, a not-for-profit company funded by U.S. cotton producers and importers, and whose mission is to increase the demand and profitability of cotton. Discover What Cotton Can Do.


text:
Dermalogica has launched its Exfoliation Affirmation Studio pop-up store in London, UK, celebrating the launch of its latest skin care innovation with exclusive events.
Opening today in the UK capital's Soho district, shoppers will be able to discover the brand's new Daily Milkfoliant product in an “immersive playground”, with Dermalogica's skin therapists on hand to provide advice and guidance.
The pop-up will also host ticketed events throughout the weekend, including interactive workshops and panel discussions to promote positivity and inspire customers with brand ambassadors and industry experts.
The weekend will kick off with an introductory panel on 'The Power of Positive' with TV personality and Dermalogica brand ambassador Georgia Toffolo, writer and broadcaster Ashleigh Kane and lifestyle guru Kira Matthews, who will discuss their daily rituals.
Matthews will also host Affirmation 101 workshops, sharing her tips on manifestation and positive affirmations to help attendees achieve their life goals.
Visitors can also book in for an “empowering” dance session with London-based fitness center School of SOS, which is said to promote mental health, inclusion and confidence with no previous dance experience needed.
More from Dermalogica:
- Dermalogica to open first Scottish store in Glasgow
- Dermalogica unveils virtual human to teach skin science
- Dermalogica warns of TikTok nasal tanning trend risks
Shoppers can purchase ticketed sessions for £20 to gain access to the events, which will be redeemable on Dermalogica product on the day and includes light refreshments and a goodie bag said worth £30.
Created by the team behind Dermalogica's best selling Daily Microfoliant, the brand's oat-based Daily Milkfoliant powder is said to to be clinically proven to smooth skin, with 90% of users experiencing smoother skin after one use, according to the brand.
The Exfoliation Affirmation Studio pop-up will run until 17 July at Soho's Greek Street.


text:
It is bad news again for the baby and toddler clothing and accessory market as news has hit that high street chain Mamas & Papas has now gone into administration.
The news comes just a few days after it was reported that Mothercare was also in trouble and stores across the country were also closing.
The Mamas and Papas chain has already axed six of its stores.
Sadly 73 members of its stores have been made redundant.
Also there are a further 54 roles at risk at the Huddersfield head office.
The business has been owned by Bluegem Capital since 2014.
It has bought the company assets through a pre-pack administration which will cut some of its financial liabilities.
The chain has said that the stores that have been unprofitable will close with immediate effect.
The closure of the stores came into effect as of today.
The stores closed are based in Aberdeen, Preston, Milton Keynes, Lincoln, Leamington and Fareham closed on Friday as a result.
The administration, conducted by Deloitte. It came after it was put under pressure as its shoppers moved online and high street footfall continued to decline.
The company, which had 27 stores and three concessions, said its remaining stores will continue to trade as normal, as well as its digital, wholesale and concession arms.
However, it has announced plans to "simplify" operations at its head office in Huddersfield, which could lead to further job losses.
It was founded in 1981 in Huddersfield by David and Luisa Scacchetti and rapidly grew but was bought by Bluegem after a restructuring process five years ago.
Riccardo Cincotta, executive chairman of Mamas & Papas, said: "These actions are always difficult but they are also necessary in a challenging market to ensure Mamas & Papas achieves its considerable future potential.
"We remain fully focused on maintaining our position as the UK's most popular nursery brand.
"We will continue to review our store portfolio in the light of customers' changing behaviour and we remain fully committed to an omni-channel offering that reflects their evolving needs."
The retailer said all customer orders, including outstanding orders placed with the closed stores, are unaffected by the administration and will be "delivered on time without disruption".
Which Mamas & Papas stores have now closed?
Aberdeen: 8, Union Square Shopping Complex, 4 East Terrace, Aberdeen AB11 5RD
Preston: Deepdale Retail Park, Unit H1b, Blackpool Rd, Preston PR1 6QY
Milton Keynes: Unit 1A Winchester Circle The Kingston Centre MK10 0BA
Lincoln: Unit 18, 19 St Mark's Square, Lincoln LN5 7EX
Leamington: Unit J Shires Retail Park, Tachbrook Park Dr, Royal Leamington Spa CV34 6RH
Fareham: Whiteley Shopping Centre, Whiteley Way, Fareham PO15 7PD
All remaining Mamas and Papas stores now at risk
Birmingham, Gallagher, Gallagher Retail Park
Nottingham, Giltbrook Retail Park
Swindon, Mannington Retail Park
Mamas & Papas concession, Next store, Hayes
London, Westfield White City Shopping Centre
London, Westfield Stratford City Shopping Centre
Farnborough, Blackwater Shopping Centre


text:
One Communications, the Bermudan holding company of US firm ATN International (ATNI), has announced that from 1 July 2020 it is ‘launching the Island’s fastest FibreWire Internet speeds … boasting [download connections of] up to 500Mbps’. Marking another ‘first’ for Bermuda, the telco will reportedly boost the ‘vast majority of FibreWire Standard Internet and all Smart Internet Plans’ at no extra cost to end users who stand to benefit from ‘a more than 50% increase’ in their internet speeds as a result.
Brian Lonergan, One Communications’ chief commercial officer, said that the speed increase will help customers currently observing the country’s ‘shelter-in-place’ strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic to continue to work from home. ‘On March 19th, One Communications had temporarily increased its FibreWire Internet speeds to a minimum of 50Mbps to support customers having to work from home and shelter-in-place during the COVID-19 pandemic,’ he said. The new permanent higher internet speeds will now come in from the start of next month, he confirmed.


text:
StepStone in £28.9m German buy
Online jobs agency StepStone has stretched its international tentacles further with the launch of a 47m euro (£28.9m) agreed bid for German recruitment company Job-Today. StepStone, which has a dual listing in Oslo and London, was already the number two internet recruitment agency in Germany, but the deal will give it a crack at the top spot.
Loss-making StepStone, which the market expects to break even in 15 months, now operates in 12 countries across Europe as well as in India and will open in a further five countries this month. Chief executive Giles Clarke likened his expansion to building a factory .
Job-Today, which will be paid for in new StepStone shares, will also give StepStone access to the Swiss market through its recently purchased subsidiary Swiss-WebJobs.
Most watched Money videos
- World's first 3D printed hypercar that has a top speed of 268MPH
- Toyota shows how to clean a car during Covid-19 pandemic
- Self-driving car navigates 230 miles on the longest UK journey
- Smartphone-only bank Monzo celebrates 'big year' in 2019
- Bentley reveals its priciest car ever - and it's already sold out
- Explore the key features of the brand new £20 polymer bank note
- Halfords promo shows new fingerprint activated steering lock works
- Hyundai reveals smart 'minimalist' electric vehicle concept
- What does coronavirus mean for your investments?
- When will stock markets stop falling due to coronavirus?
- UK to get its first electric car charging forecourt this year
- Citroen shows its new electric car Ami ideal for city slickers


text:
Tampa, Florida 2021-11-25 19:10:38 –
Tampa, Florida — Many major retailers have stores Thanksgiving is closed..
Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Coles, Target, JCPenny and Dick’s sporting goods were one of the ones that closed on Thursday.
Carol Osborne, a marketing professor at the University of South Florida and director of the Zimmerman Advertising Program, said the store should be closed on holidays. She thinks it’s positive for both consumers and employees.
“It looks like they’re doing the right thing. I think it’s right. We’re a little off the meaning of holidays. It doesn’t have to mean family for everyone, but it’s a holiday. So it’s a holiday to do something else, “Osborn said.
Many retailers offer events and deals early in the holiday season, Osborne said. She said online shopping is convenient and makes it easier to compare prices in different stores.
“We talk about it in class, and it’s easy for them. Why do I go to the store when I order it and ship it for free and if I don’t like it I can return it for free? ? “Osborn said.
Recommended: BBB warns about sophisticated online shopping scams
According to an annual survey released by the National Retail Federation and Prosper, consumers continue to start holiday shopping earlier this year, but this year, from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday, 2 million more than last year. It is expected that many people will shop near people. Insights and analysis.
According to the National Retail Federation, the survey also covers what consumers plan to buy. Clothing remains at the top of the list, expected to be offered by 53% of shoppers, 46% for gift cards, 39% for toys, 35% for books / music / movies / video games, and 31% for food / candy. And so on. Top 5 categories.
A survey of 7,837 adult consumers was conducted between November 1st and 10th, with a margin of error of plus or minus 1%.
Retailers closing on the holidays is ‘the right thing to do’ Source link Retailers closing on the holidays is ‘the right thing to do’


text:
Foldable phones such as the aptly-named Samsung Galaxy Fold, its second-generation successor the Galaxy Z Flip, and the reborn Motorola RAZR, are suddenly…a thing. So self-professed “fast follower” TCL, which will enter the U.S. smartphone market this spring with its solid Series 10 line, is playing with three dozen foldable/flexible AMOLED screen prototypes for possible future release. The company is trying to figure out not only what flex screen and hinge technologies will and won’t work, but what form factors would excite the market. We got a chance to play with three of TCL’s flexible smartphone screen experiments.
See this slide show here at TWICE.com.


text:
Ever heard the news when Sony sold off its rights on VAIO brand to Japan Industrial Partners? Since then, rumors have been spreading from different sources that the buyer of VIAO planned to have their own line of smartphone and devices and will include the VIAO name among them. Now, they are not just rumors but a certified fact. On March 12, the Japanese manufacturer will be officially launching the very first smartphone of VAIO—of course, their name will be making the rounds of it, too.
As they are yet about to show off their trade, Japan Industrial Partners did not reveal the phone specifications as of this moment. However, this leaves us to freely think about what are the chips working underneath the exterior. Starting off at the chipset itself, we expect that the first VIAO smartphone will have the 64-bit Snapdragon 410 MSM8916 chipset those clocks at 1.2GHz processor. To top the performance and features, the handset might have the latest Android 5.0 (Google Lollipop) for its debut. In front, a 5-inch capacity display of 720p can be the face of the handset.
Other features to wait for are 13MP primary cam, 5MP front cam and 16GB of internal memory. Now, that may be the key components for the eldest VIAO model we envision. March 12 is fast approaching so we can read more about this model. Hopefully, we can catch its name before the actual date of debut.


text:
As we know, 343 industries are hard at work bringing Halo 4 to eager Halo fans, this being their first crack at the franchise since taking the reins from veterans Bungie. So it was hard to believe the studio would have the time to work on bringing fans a ‘Halo 2 Anniversary Edition’, a follow-up to ‘Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary’. Well those rumors have falling flat on their face according to developer 343 Industries in a recent Q&A posted on the Microsoft Expert Zone and picked up by the The Halo Council Website.
News of a possible HD remake began on the rumors page of the latest issue Official Xbox Magazine, which read, “Following the success of remake Halo Anniversary, 343 Industries has now started development of Halo 2 Anniversary.” But in the Q&A posted on Microsoft ExpertZone, which people can use for training and insider information on Microsoft Windows, Windows Phone, etc. One question was asked about the Halo 2 Anniversary Edition, “will there be any chance we’ll see Halo 2 HD before the end of this console generation”, which 343 reportedly said, “We are not working on that at this time. We are kind of busy.”
It isn’t a no, so maybe in the future we can get all nostalgic in High Definition, until then we might as well enjoy what Halo 4 is going to offer when it releases worldwide on November 6, 2012 for Xbox 360. Would you like to see a Halo 2 Anniversary Edition? Hit us up in the comment section below.


text:
Omaha Kmart will close in April
66 employees will lose jobs
An Omaha Kmart will close for business in April, the company confirmed Monday.
The store is located at 5808 S. 144th Street in Omaha.
A spokesperson said 66 people will lose their jobs.
Here is the text of the statement the spokesperson provided to KETV:
"The Kmart store at 5808 S. 144th Street in Omaha will close to the public in mid-April. Until then, the store will remain open for customers. The store began its liquidation sale on January 24. Store closures are part of a series of actions we’re taking to reduce on-going expenses, adjust our asset base, and accelerate the transformation of our business model. The store has 66 employees. Those associates that are eligible will receive severance and have the opportunity to apply for open positions at area Sears or Kmart stores. Most of the associates are part time/hourly."


text:
Wed, Oct 27, 2010 -- 12:04 PM
Whooping Cough Epidemic ... NUMMI Workers ... More Michelin Stars
Whooping Cough Epidemic Continues, Marin Hardest Hit in Area
California's whooping cough epidemic continues to worsen. The state department of public health says more than 6,200 Californians are known to be infected. Ten infants have died in the worst epidemic since 1950. Marin County has the state's second-highest infection rate.
Former NUMMI Workers Finding Jobs
Electric carmaker Tesla is officially re-opening the old NUMMI auto plant in Fremont. Some of its workers will feel at home -- they used to build Toyotas and GM vehicles there. Many other former NUMMI workers have found jobs elsewhere.
Michelin Guide Gives Second Bay Area Restaurant Three Stars
Fewer than 100 restaurants on the planet have the Michelin Guide's three-star rating, and now the Bay Area has another one. The new honoree is the Restaurant at Meadowood, based at a luxury resort in St. Helena. It joins the French Laundry, in Yountville, which has had a three-star rating for the last five years.


text:
HUDDERSFIELD shoppers have been urged to back a campaign to protect shopworkers from violence and abuse.
Staff from town centre stores took part in Respect for Shopworkers Day. They joined officials of shopworkers' union Usdaw at a stand in King Street, collecting about 300 signatures from shoppers for a petition demanding greater protection for store staff.
The event was held as part of the union's long-running Freedom from Fear campaign.
Usdaw organiser Liz Hampson said: "It has gone really well. We have had people signing who spoke about their own experiences in suffering abuse at work as nurses or bar and restaurant staff."
Marlene Chapman, who works at Meltham Co-op and attended the event, said: "Verbal abuse and attacks in the retail sector are far too common.
"The vast majority of customers are fine. But we have to protect shopworkers from the small minority of abusive and aggressive customers who are making our working life intolerable.
"We're saying enough is enough."
Figures from Usdaw show that at least 16,200 shopworkers were assaulted at work last year, with an additional 18,600 threatened or abused.
A separate survey by the Co-op - one of the country's biggest retail groups - said violent attacks on staff in its convenience stores rose by 39% last year.
Shoplifters were to blame for almost seven out of 10 assaults on staff while another 9% took place during robberies.
Colne Valley MP Kali Mountford is backing the campaign after hearing of incidents at local stores - including assaults and robberies at the Slaithwaite Co-op and stone-throwing and intimidation at Safeway in Meltham.
Co-op chief executive Martin Beaumont said retailers could help by providing store security and training for staff.
But he added: "We also need the support of a responsive police force and Government policy to address violent crime in the round. At the moment, this is woefully lacking."
The Co-op wants to see retail crime listed specifically in police targets and has called for a national register of police response times to incidents.
Usdaw deputy general secretary John Hannett said most major retailers were backing the union's campaign by putting up signs in their shops saying that abuse of staff would not be tolerated.
He added: "We want to work with employers, councils, the police and the Government to minimise the risks to shop staff."
Have your say


text:
More convenient locations thanks to partnership with City Express Money Transfer
TOKYO, Aug. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- MoneyGram today launched its money transfer services at 18 locations managed by City Express Money Transfer ("City Express"). Thanks to this collaboration, the number of MoneyGram touchpoints across Japan has increased to nearly 50.
According to the World Bank, over $8.8 billion in remittances flowed out of Japan in 2016 mainly to China ($4.1 billion), South Korea ($1.7 billion), and the Philippines ($1 billion). To meet the growing demand for money transfer services, MoneyGram recently expanded its network in Japan with locations providing greater coverage of key prefectures, including Tokyo, Saitama, Ibaraki and Tochigi.
"Japan is a significant send market in the Asia Pacific region and one of the key countries for MoneyGram," said Yogesh Sangle, MoneyGram's head of Asia Pacific. "The agreement with City Express, one of the fastest growing remittance companies in Japan, reinforces our strategy to bring more convenient options to our customers to send or receive funds whether in cash or directly to their bank account," added Sangle.
"With MoneyGram we can offer our customers a money transfer service that is fast and reliable. This collaboration demonstrates our commitment to offer our customers the right partner to send funds to their loved ones around the globe," said Mahesh Kumar Shrestha, President and CEO of City Express Money Transfer Japan.
For more information about MoneyGram services in Japan, please visit moneygram.jp
About MoneyGram International, Inc.
MoneyGram is a global provider of innovative money transfer and payment services and is recognized worldwide as a financial connection to friends and family. Whether online, or through a mobile device, at a kiosk or in a local store, we connect consumers any way that is convenient for them. We also provide bill payment services, issue money orders and process official checks in select markets. More information about MoneyGram International, Inc. is available at moneygram.com.
Tel: + 48 22 377 2185
Mob: + 48 885 889 696


text:
Nov 15 2021 • Artists Cut Through Internet Clutter with .ART Website Domains. In order to distinguish artists who work with traditional media to those who base their practice in digital, crypto, VR art, or NFTs, .ART covers it all.
Dec 15 2020 • Google new SEO twist is called the Page Experience signal. User experience (UX) will factor significantly into their site rankings starting in 2021. Great news if you had been considering updating your website’s UX.
Mar 22 2018 • Google has listed HTTPS as a ranking factor for SEO as part of their efforts to prioritize internet security. What does this mean for your website? It could affect your SEO, if it hasn’t already. But that’s not the only reason to consider...
Mar 09 2018 • Less than a month after announcing a $15 million Series A funding round and resolution of a legal fight with its hometown Santa Monica, shared electric scooter startup Bird raised a further $100 million to take its low-cost “last-mile” service nationwide.
Dec 21 2017 • If you’d like to boost your organic site traffic and use SEO to meet your business goals in 2018, there are certain techniques and strategies you should make a priority. By following these 10 SEO tips this upcoming year, you can please Google and rank higher for the keywords of your choosing.
Dec 13 2017 • Transforming your home into a smart home can make your life easier and more exciting. If you’re interested in smart home living, you should consider investing in several smart home devices. With these devices, you’ll be able to control your home’s lighting, appliances, media systems, temperature, doors and windows, and a variety of other functions.
Nov 30 2017 • Web-only retailers are moving in on brick and mortar stores. Things have been shaking up in retail but physical stores are far from dead. It’s eat or be eaten. Adapting to the new retail landscape and consumer behavior is the key to succeeding as the rules change for traditional retailers. Brands that don’t adapt are dropping like flies, and those that use technology and data to enhance their shopping experience are doing better than ever.
Aug 03 2017 • There are 3 key ways that drone technology is enhancing the real estate industry. Using new technology is always helpful for the industry as things grow and change. Drones have been a big part of the change in properties can be viewed. Using drones can help reduce the time it takes to tour a property.
Jul 11 2017 • Top online retailers use these omnichannel strategies to save their brick and mortar stores – and it’s working. A lot of stores went bankrupt this year including well-known brands like The Limited and Wet Seal. The ones left standing are putting their full strength into taking advantage of what consumers want.
Jun 05 2017 • IRCE 2017 kicks off with 10,000 attendees in Chicago for its internet retailing annual conference. If you are one of the brands, retailers, and technology professionals here at the show, we've got a list of top sessions you should attend.
Apr 13 2017 • Brands have been trying to break into content shopping with not much luck, but it’s the new way to shop that has the most untapped potential. With so much content being created online every day, shopping the look and visual shopping seems to be the next big money maker in online retail. Some brands have started to tap into this potential with smart ways to connect content to commerce. Here are the biggest ways content shopping is making a splash in the online retail scene.
Apr 06 2017 • Instagram is going a step further in ecommerce by expanding its Shopping feature, making it easy for users to buy from their favorite brands straight through the app. Plans to include all fashion, apparel, jewelry, and skincare brands to the Shopping feature were unveiled during Shop Talk 2017, with expected roll out to occur during the second quarter of this year.


text:
Truck tonnage falls for second straight month
Decline raises concerns about pace of economic growth.
In the latest sign of the slowing pace of U.S. economic activity, the American Trucking Associations (ATA) said Tuesday its truck tonnage index fell a seasonally adjusted 0.7 percent in May, following a 1.1-percent seasonally adjusted decline in April.
The May index was 4.1 percent higher than in May 2011, representing the largest year-over-year increase since February 2012, ATA said. Year to date, tonnage is up 3.8 percent over the first five months of 2011, the association said.
The not seasonally adjusted index, which represents the change in tonnage actually hauled by the fleets before any seasonal adjustments are made, equaled 124.5 in May, which was 6.5 percent above April's number.
While truck tonnage was expected to level off during early 2012 after surging at the end of 2011, a slowdown this far into the year has some experts concerned. Even Bob Costello, ATA's ever-optimistic chief economist, couldn't put a good face on the May data.
"Two straight months of contractions is disappointing," Costello said in a statement. "The drops in tonnage are reflective of the broader economy, which has slowed."
Costello said truckers should get a tailwind from the significant decline in oil prices, which should free up more of consumers' cash flow for retail spending, which in turn will boost demand for truck services.
However, Costello, like other economists, is worried that businesses will be reluctant to hire and spend for the balance of 2012 due to concerns over the global economy and the possibility that Bush-era tax cuts will be allowed to expire at the end of the year, leading to large tax increases that will stunt economic growth.
Costello said he stands by his earlier projection of a 3.0- to 3.9-percent increase in tonnage in 2012. According to ATA data, tonnage in 2011 rose 5.9 percent over 2010 figures, the biggest annual increase since 1998.More articles by Mark B. Solomon
Join the Discussion
After you comment, click Post. If you're not already logged in, you will be asked to log in or register.
Resources Mentioned In This Article
- Lighter weight to become heavier burden for shippers in FedEx, UPS annual rate programs
- YRC's unionized workers face another moment of truth
- New drug track-and-trace law "defines 3PLs place in the supply chain," trade group says
- Nearly 2,000 brokers lose operating licenses following warning notice on higher surety bond limits
- Freight interests back legislation to boost fuel taxes 15 percent over three years
Feedback: What did you think of this article? We'd like to hear from you. DC VELOCITY is committed to accuracy and clarity in the delivery of important and useful logistics and supply chain news and information. If you find anything in DC VELOCITY you feel is inaccurate or warrants further explanation, please ?Subject=Feedback - : Truck tonnage falls for second straight month">contact Editorial Director Peter Bradley. All comments are eligible for publication in the letters section of DC VELOCITY magazine. Please include you name and the name of the company or organization your work for.


text:
Estudiofuture the Spanish studio behind Samsung Gear VR title Tarraco VR has now announced its latest virtual reality (VR) project. Coming to both Gear VR and Oculus Rift head-mounted displays (HMDs) will be Fusion Wars, a multiplayer combat title.
Supporting cross platform gameplay between the two headsets, Fusion Wars is a sci-fi shooter pitting up to 16 players in combat. You can choose to fight head-to-head in an all out brawl or play together in teams. It’s when working together that Fusion Wars core mechanic comes into play. Team mates can fuse their ships together, thus enabling co-op gameplay granting special abilities to gain the advantage in battle. A varied array of weapons will spawn around the battlefields in strategic spots, and combat pilots will need to rearm with more powerful arsenals as the matches progress.
Estudiofuture has released the first screenshots for Fusion Wars, and will provide further details at this weeks Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, California. Fusion Wars is scheduled to launch simultaneously on Gear VR and Oculus Rift this summer, so that owners of either HMD can join in battle together.
With VRFocus at E3 all week, we’ll bring you the latest VR news from the world’s largest videogames event.


text:
Uber Technologies (UBER 0.34%) announced on Tuesday that it is committed to having 100% of its rideshares in the U.S., Canada, and Europe be all-electric by 2030, and attaining global zero emissions a decade after that.
Through a combination of driver incentives to earn more money by using an electric vehicle (EV), partnerships with charging stations and home-charging kit providers, and discounts on Chevrolet Bolt EVs, Uber is encouraging its drivers to go green.
What the announcement doesn't say is whether it will be a requirement that all Uber drivers have an EV by the deadline.
To help drivers transition to an all-EV fleet, Uber is launching its Green Future program that lets drivers with battery EVs earn an extra $1 per trip while allowing both hybrid and all-EV drivers to earn an extra $0.50 per trip from passengers if they request an EV ride.
Uber has partnered with EVgo, billed as the largest public EV fast-charging network in the U.S., to offer discounts of up to 25% at its stations. It has also arranged for discounts with Enel (ENLAY -0.57%) and Sunrun (RUN 7.05%) for home vehicle-charging equipment and solar and battery-storage options, respectively; and set up a discount program with General Motors (GM 9.38%) Chevrolet dealers for drivers to get $2,925 below the sticker price on select 2020 Bolt EV Premiers.
The move follows a similar declaration by rival Lyft (LYFT 3.29%) back in June. But its plan also calls for the government to impose harsher emission standards on cars, mandate automakers to produce increasing numbers of EVs, and support transportation policies that use economic and racial demographics as the basis for decision-making.


text:
Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL) reported a 2% decline in earnings for the fourth quarter of 2019 due to lower sales as well as higher provision for income taxes. The bottom line exceeded analysts’ expectations while the top line missed consensus estimates.
Net earnings decreased by 2% to $255.5 million or $0.47 per share. The results reflected the divestiture of the CytoSport business. Net sales declined by 1% to $2.5 billion. The volume of 1.24 billion pounds, down 1% from last year, while organic volume rose by 1%.
Looking ahead into fiscal 2020, the company expects net sales in the range of $9.50-10.30 billion and earnings in the range of $1.69-1.83 per share. The company’s outlook assumes higher protein prices and further volatility related to the impact of African swine fever and global trade uncertainty.
The company’s expected fiscal 2020 organic pretax earnings growth rate is in line with its near-term goal of 5-7% organic pretax earnings growth. As a reminder, CytoSport earnings in 2019 contributed 10 cents to earnings per share.
In 2020, the company expects to grow operating income as it did in 2019 while also growing sales. The company also expects a higher effective tax rate in fiscal 2020 with a range of 20.5% and 22.5%. Hormel continues to make excellent progress on Burke pizza toppings plant expansion and plans to start production in the back half of fiscal 2020.
For the fourth quarter, sales from Refrigerated Foods rose by 4% on strong demand for foodservice items such as Hormel Bacon 1 cooked bacon, pizza toppings, and Hormel Fire Braised products. Retail sales of Hormel Black Label bacon, Applegate products, Hormel Natural Choice products, Hormel Gatherings party trays, and Columbus branded deli items also contributed to growth.
Sales from Grocery Products fell by 10% due to the divestiture of CytoSport. Sales from Jennie-O Turkey Store increased by 3% due to growth from the whole-bird and commodity businesses. Sales dropped by 12% at the International & Other segments due to weakness in branded and fresh pork exports and its multinational business in Brazil.
When Warren Buffett dumped airline stocks suffering massive losses three weeks ago, he probably overlooked one key aspect about the industry – that no amount of restrictions will kill people’s
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE: BABA) is striving to regain strength after falling sharply last week, ahead of fourth-quarter earnings. The positive results failed to impress stakeholders as market sentiment
The US is now back in the ring with its nemesis China for the second round. This time, the US administration has wasted no time in delivering a massive blow,


text:
For the first initiative to go live from the partnership between Starbucks and Alibaba, the coffee chain opened a virtual Starbucks store in China, enabling consumers to complete one-touch orders inside the Starbucks mobile app as well as Alibaba’s suite of apps and tools.
Walgreens Boots Alliance is launching a Boots flagship store on Tmall Global, part of Alibaba Group and a popular online marketplace in China where many international brands are selling their products.
Our 15th annual "state of the industry" report finds consumer goods companies making steady progress in their efforts to address marketplace disruption. CGT surveyed readers to get their take on the key tools and technologies that are helping them keep pace with increasingly demanding consumers.
This white paper from Hexaware examines some of the new age IT infrastructure services that solution partners can provide to help retailers deliver the "phygital" experiences needed to satisfy increasingly demanding consumers.
Tucked into Microsoft’s massive booth, Kroger representatives brought to market the partners’ just-announced Retail as a Service product for the retail industry, showcasing the Microsoft Azure-powered smart technology system that has already modernized some Kroger pilot locations.


text:
MANATEE - Manatee's existing homes sales and prices were up in September, according to housing data released today by Florida Realtors.
Homes sales increased by 7 percent from the same period in 2010 and prices were also up by 4 percent. Condo sales, however, dropped 4 percent from a year ago, and prices on condos also dropped by 10 percent.
Florida’s existing home and existing condo sales continued their upswing in September, according to the data. Existing home sales increased 10 percent last month with a total of 15,036 homes sold statewide compared to 13,723 homes sold in September 2010, according to Florida Realtors.
“One of the most overlooked statistical trends in all of real estate is the growth in home sales, both single-family and condo, in the state of Florida,” said Florida Realtors Chief Economist Dr. John Tuccillo. “We’ve seen an upward trend in sales since January 2011, and September’s sales were a full 10 percent above September 2010. Even prices, which have been static over the past few months, are well above where they were in January 2011.


text:
Microsoft has had its competitor to the AirPods range in the works for some time now, with the Surface Earbuds true wireless earphones announced back in 2019 at a price of $249 (approximately Rs. 19,000). Although originally set to go on sale in December, Microsoft soon announced that they weren't confident of the product offering the best possible experience, and the launch was delayed to Spring 2020. The American company looks set to hit that timeline, with the Surface Earbuds set to go on sale on May 6, according to a new report.
Microsoft Surface Earbuds price in Europe, sale date (expected)
According to a report by German publication WinFuture, the Microsoft Surface Earbuds are set to go on sale on May 6. The report cites European retailers as the source, suggesting that Europe will be among the first regions to see the new true wireless earphones go on sale. The report further cites European pricing for the earbuds to be at EUR 199, which puts the price at slightly lower than what the Surface Earbuds are expected to sell at in the US.
Microsoft extended its own launch timeline after the company's Chief Product Officer Panos Panay announced that the product wouldn't be ready in time for the original December launch.
Microsoft Surface Earbuds features
Microsoft Surface Earbuds have a claimed battery life of 8 hours per charge, and a total of 24 hours when including the additional charges from the case. There is also integration for Microsoft apps and software built into the earphones, with Outlook and Word getting specific integrations for productivity features.
There is also Spotify integration with Android smartphones, to quickly and easily start playing music through taps on the earbuds itself, without having to use your smartphone. Pairing and connectivity will also be easier thanks to Swift Pair, according to Microsoft.
Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.


text:
U.S. Stocks Cap Longest Weekly Gain Since August on Jobs
U.S. stocks rose a third week, giving the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index its longest winning streak since August, as employment growth topped forecasts and investors weighed prospects for a budget agreement in Washington.
Citigroup Inc. (C) surged 8.9 percent on plans to cut more than 11,000 jobs and scale back in some emerging markets to drive down costs. Netflix Inc. (NFLX) jumped 5.2 percent after the online video service signed a multi-year agreement with Walt Disney Co. Apple Inc. (AAPL) sank 8.9 percent, the most since 2010, on concern the company will lose ground in smartphones to Nokia Oyj (NOK) in China and give up market share to Google Inc. in tablets.
The S&P 500 (SPXL1) increased 0.1 percent to 1,418.07 for the week. The benchmark measure for American equities extended its advance from a three-month low on Nov. 15 to 4.8 percent and finished at the highest level since Election Day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 129.55 points, or 1 percent, to 13,155.13.
“The market took the jobs report as an encouraging sign,” said Brad Sorensen, director of market and sector analysis at San Francisco-based Charles Schwab Corp. His firm has $1.9 trillion in client assets. “There’s also a bit of Washington fatigue. It seems like Congress and the administration have managed to come through with a deal at the last minute multiple times before. We’re relatively neutral at this point in time.”
The S&P 500 is down 0.7 percent since President Barack Obama was re-elected on Nov. 6 as he seeks a deal with Republican lawmakers to prevent more than $600 billion of automatic tax increases and spending cuts from coming into effect next year.
Stocks started the week lower as House Republicans, rejecting Obama’s demand for tax rate increases, proposed $1.4 trillion in spending cuts and $800 billion in new revenue by limiting tax breaks and capping deductions for top earners. A day later, Obama told Bloomberg Television that the Republican offer doesn’t go far enough and won’t raise the revenue needed to shrink the deficit by $4 trillion over the next decade.
On Dec. 5, Obama told a business group that “nobody wants to get this done more than me” and lawmakers probably could solve the budget debate in about a week if Republicans move. U.S. House Speaker John Boehner said on Dec. 7 “there’s no progress to report” on talks.
Investors also watched economic reports. Employment climbed by 146,000 in November and the jobless rate declined to an almost four-year low of 7.7 percent. Orders for equipment such as computers and electrical gear climbed in October by the most in eight months. Service industries in the U.S. unexpectedly grew at a faster pace in November. Confidence among consumers fell more than forecast in December.
“We’ll be on this wait-and-see mode,” said Brian Jacobsen, who helps oversee $208 billion as chief equity strategist at Wells Fargo Advantage Funds in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. “We’ve had a decent jobs report, but a really bad consumer sentiment report. What we should expect going forward is this mixed bag of data. Perhaps after we get past this fiscal cliff issue we could see a pick-up in confidence.”
Financial shares had the biggest gain in the S&P 500 among 10 industries, adding 1.7 percent. Measures of commodity and technology shares in the index dropped at least 1.4 percent.
Citigroup surged 8.9 percent to $37.64. The lender will take a $1 billion charge this quarter to cover the 4.2 percent workforce reduction, which includes 1,900 jobs in trading, investment banking and transaction services. The bank said it wants to improve productivity in markets businesses such as cash equities where profit is lagging.
The KBW Bank Index of 24 stocks rose 1.6 percent. The measure has surged 25 percent so far this year, compared with a 13 percent gain for the S&P 500. Bank of America Corp. jumped 7.9 percent to $10.64. JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) added 3.6 percent to $42.56.
Dell Inc. advanced 8.5 percent to $10.46. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. upgraded the stock to buy and said the company’s net cash balance could present an opportunity for a leveraged buyout.
Netflix climbed 5.2 percent to $85.98. The Disney agreement starts with movies released in 2016, the companies said in a statement. Financial terms weren’t revealed. The accord includes new direct-to-video releases and older classics such as “Dumbo.”
Travelers Cos. (TRV) rose 3.6 percent to $73.39. The lone insurer in the Dow average said it is resuming share buybacks after projecting that superstorm Sandy will cost the company about $650 million. The stock advanced to a record on Dec. 5.
Apple tumbled 8.9 percent to $533.25. China Mobile Ltd. (941) agreed to carry the Lumia 920T, a device based on Microsoft Corp. (MSFT)’s Windows Phone 8 software, the companies said. China Mobile said that Apple, which has agreements with China Telecom Corp. (728) and China Unicom (Hong Kong) Ltd. to sell iPhones in the world’s largest mobile-phone market, must further discuss details about benefit sharing before a deal can be reached on offering the handset.
The stock’s slide also may be the result of traders predicting a drop after the shares failed to sustain a recent rally, a “classic technical breakdown,” according to Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray Cos.
Munster said new margin rules also may have been put in place for some investors that could limit how many Apple shares a firm can own. Investors may also be disappointed Apple isn’t issuing a special dividend like Oracle Corp. (ORCL), Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) and other U.S. companies, he said.
Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. (FCX) plunged 19 percent to $31.70. The world’s largest publicly traded copper producer agreed to buy Plains Exploration & Production Co. (PXP) and McMoRan Exploration Co. (MMR) for about $9 billion as the company returns to its roots in energy.
The move was criticized by BlackRock Inc., one of its largest investors, and Dan Rohr, an analyst at Morningstar Investment Service, for failing to create any obvious cost savings. Freeport said the deals will help it to keep expanding.
Gap Inc. (GPS) dropped 7.7 percent to $31.81 amid speculation the biggest U.S. specialty-apparel retailer won’t follow rivals such as American Eagle Outfitters Inc. and Coach Inc. in paying special dividends or accelerating payments this year.
Darden Restaurants Inc. (DRI) slumped 12 percent to $46.66. The owner of the Red Lobster and Olive Garden chains reported preliminary fiscal second-quarter profit that trailed estimates.
To contact the reporter on this story: Rita Nazareth in New York at email@example.com
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Lynn Thomasson at firstname.lastname@example.org


text:
Endangered Species Chocolate (ESC) is returning Bug Bites, and announcing their newest flavor dubbed “Eagle bar” - Dark Chocolate with Caramel and Sea Salt.
Bug Bites are squares of natural milk and dark chocolate and ESC has partnered with past 10% GiveBack partner The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation to introduce a new set of educational, interactive insect trading cards that spotlight fifteen key at-risk insects. New, smarter packaging integrates the card into the chocolate’s outer wrapper, increasing production efficiency and eliminating 400 pounds of material use annually.
“Bug Bites are a wonderful way to show people just how amazing insects truly are,” said Scott Hoffman Black, executive director of the Xerces Society. “Too often swatted away, these beautiful animals help keep our environment healthy and without them we would lose many foods, including chocolate.”
ESC’s debut bar, the Eagle bar features rich dark chocolate surrounding handcrafted, organic caramel with Pink Himalayan Sea Salt. As a Steward sponsor of The Peregrine Fund, ESC collaborated with the 501(c)(3) nonprofit to utilize the inside of the Eagle bar wrapper to tell the story of how Endangered Species Act protections have helped American Bald Eagle populations make a remarkable recovery.
To sweeten the deal, purchases of any of ESC’s products, including Bug Bites and the Eagle bar send financial support to help protect at-risk species – ESC donates 10 percent of net profits annually to partnering conservation organizations. The current 10% GiveBack partners are Rainforest Trust and Wildlife Conservation Network.
“Collaborating with wildlife partners like The Xerces Society and The Peregrine Fund on our product packaging ensures that we are giving our consumers factual stats on at-risk species,” said Curt VanderMeer, CEO of Endangered Species Chocolate. “This allows us yet another way to be stewards of conservation non-profits.”
Bug Bites and the Eagle bar are currently available on Amazon.com, and Whole Foods nationwide


text:
Import offers of hot rolled coil into southern Europe are still uncompetitive, despite some source believing service centres will soon need to replenish their stocks.
Turkish suppliers are still reported to be offering at €480-490/tonne ($527-537) cfr. This is well above the €440-460/t ex-works base transaction levels registered in Italy and not competitive compared with offers in the Spanish domestic market.
“Service centres in Italy are sniffing around, but domestic material remains more competitive than imports,” a trader notes.
The market is in limbo this week due to the outbreak of the coronavirus in Italy. Arvedi, a local flat products supplier, says production and deliveries are not impacted. Nevertheless, a trader notes demand will be hit. “The market should not suffer from the recent news in Italy, but, effectively, demand will be impacted negatively during the next weeks,” he says.
According to the Kallanish price series, import prices for HRC remain at their peak since June 2019. The differential of €35/t is also very high compared with recent periods. This indicates that if import levels remain elevated, domestic mills should have the possibility to further lift transaction prices in their respective markets.


text:
Nintendo announced yesterday that it intends to shutter the stores of the 3DS and Wii U eShops in “late March 2023.”
While making the announcement on Twitter, the company shared a brief blog detailing why it made the decision to close the two digital storefronts. Fans have since expressed disappointment with the rationale presented here.
In the accompanying Q&A, under the question, “Why is this happening now?” the company said, “This is part of the natural lifecycle for any product line as it becomes less used by consumers over time.”
The rest of the Q&A is pretty nebulous, but a point worth noting is that the Q&A currently included at the bottom of the post is an amended version of the original.
According to Kotaku, which caught the announcement shortly after it was initially made, one question has been removed from the FAQ: “Doesn’t Nintendo have an obligation to preserve its classic games by continually making them available for purchase?”
Nintendo’s now-deleted answer reads as follows:
“Across our Nintendo Switch Online membership plans, over 130 classic games are currently available in growing libraries for various legacy systems. The games are often enhanced with new features such as online play.
We think this is an effective way to make classic content easily available to a broad range of players. Within these libraries, new and longtime players can not only find games they remember or have heard about, but other fun games they might not have thought to seek out otherwise.
We currently have no plans to offer classic content in other ways.”
The conscious removal of this part of the FAQ suggests that Nintendo recognized it had opened itself up to some justified flak. At the time of writing, a variety of beloved games are exclusive to the 3DS or Wii U, meaning there will be no legal way to acquire them after the eShops for these platforms are closed.
Written by Cian Maher on behalf of GLHF.