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Finally, the whole crypto market has seen some relief with bitcoin up 17% Ethereum up 35% and Binance coin up a full 40%
This begs the question of whether this marks the end of the bear market or just indicates another relief rally, either way, you can make money given the strong market led by large cap cryptos, and it’s safe to assume that smaller coins will follow that’s why in today’s article we present you with well-established projects which we have been buying this week. We have included a range of low-risk to high-risk investments with number five being the most lucrative in our opinion, so make sure you read until the end of the article to see what crypto is.
We believe it could be a really strong buy at this time, Ethereum is the second largest crypto by market cap but the majority of crypto analysts think that the token will soon become the number one ranked and flip bitcoin this is being called the flipping and many think it will be the biggest event in crypto history as it means the market won’t follow bitcoin as strongly anymore which is great news for the industry as bitcoin indefinitely has its negatives but our main reason for buying Ethereum is that there is going to be a massive upgrade coming soon for the crypto with Ethereum 2.0 known as serenity.
Ethereum will soon transition away from proof-of-work algorithms that are also used in bitcoin mining instead it will move towards proof of stake and Ethereum staking the upgrade will bring changes that will according to Ethereum make the currency more scalable, more secure, and more sustainable, although this upgrade won’t be implemented until 2023 it’s always good to get in early especially since we could see the token hit new all-time highs due to the fact the token is currently priced at 1,650, this is down massively from its all-time high of around four thousand five hundred dollars, this means you could get three hundred percent gains if you buy now. Ethereum price today is one thousand six hundred fifty-two dollars with a 24-hour trading volume of 19.8 billion dollars, Ethereum also currently has a market cap of around 198 billion dollars ranking it as the second most valuable crypto.
#2 Chain Link
Chain link is the biggest network in the crypto world that integrates real-world data into smart contracts.
Their field of business data processing is in high demand and chain link has established itself as a kind of a monopoly in this sector since they barely have any competitors, many speculate that once the real crypto adoption takes place chain link will be in direct competition with google amazon and other companies who are Currently processing the data of their users
The main difference between chain link and the Silicon Valley giants are their use of decentralization and anonymity
their cryptocurrency link is one of the first tradable cryptos in the market it’s also considered to be one of the safest cryptos to hold during a bear market given it only decreased eight to five percent from its all-time high, unlike similar altcoins which are down over ninety percent
If the next bull run is in sight, we are confident that chain link will perform very well and go beyond its previous all-time high
#3 Web 3.
for this next crypto we are going to web 3. Did you know that web 3 metaverse coins have been outperforming every other crypto category in the current bear market while bitcoin is down 60 percent over the year. The web 3 sector is up 300 percent since last year.
The blockchain gaming sector is one of the most rapidly developing sectors in the crypto verse one project are standing out with its innovative idea of revolutionizing the traditional gaming space.
#4 Revolve games ticker RPG
Revolve games are set to be the leading gaming ecosystem by building a metaverse where they offer its users opportunities to earn money playing games and stake their in-game coin dollar.
RPG to generate a playable nft such as characters vehicles etc. by performing well in the game users get boosters and level their NFTs up which increases their earnings. one of their core elements is their metaverse which is called celestium
in this virtual world, users can own or rent land on different planets and build games on top of user’s land. every participant in their metaverse will earn their in-game cryptocurrency RPG besides their promising road map revolve games has acquired huge partnerships with companies such as crypto.com
chain link Netflix chrome way and more their native crypto RPG is currently sitting at a market cap of one million dollars we believe that if the team keeps innovating and the blockchain gaming trend is hyping again
revolve games will be one of the biggest players in the space RPG price today is two cents with a 24-hour trading volume of two thousand dollars
The token also currently has a market cap of only eight hundred thousand dollars, so you are incredibly early to this token.
Binance, the largest cryptocurrency exchange has shown incredible strength in the current bear market, not only has binance listed 2000 new job offers in the current uncertain market environment but they acquired significant partnerships with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Khabi Lame the most popular tick toker with 135 million followers
Moreover, it’s important to stress that there is a constant demand for bnb since their blockchain binance smart chain is the second largest in terms of usage after Ethereum. We use the binance smart chain more than we use any other blockchain due to its low gas fees and fast transactions.


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June 13, 2012 — MicroSense LLC, maker of high-resolution capacitive position sensors, metrology modules, and high-sensitivity magnetic metrology tools, acquired SigmaTech Inc., developer of high-sensitivity metrology tools for light-emitting diode (LED), micro electro mechanical system (MEMS), and semiconductor manufacturing.
“SigmaTech’s customers and prospects will continue to be supported by the existing SigmaTech employees, all of whom will stay with the combined business,” said James Pelusi, Chairman and CEO of MicroSense.
MicroSense gains leading-edge wafer inspection tools for its metrology portfolio, with systems that integrate optical spectrometry, interferometry, SigmaTech’s patented auto-positioning back pressure (APBP) technology and other sensing tools. MicroSense will integrate its capacitance sensors into SigmaTech metrology platforms. SigmaTech took the 2011 Best of West award at SEMICON West. The MicroSense high-resolution capacitive sensor technology provides “an ideal path to increasing throughput” of SigmaTech metrology systems and expanding its applications, said Jacques Fauque, semiconductor industry veteran and founder of SigmaTech who will remain with the business and continue to lead its development.
MicroSense’s capacitive sensors enable precise, high-bandwidth measurements of solar wafers, hard disk drive (HDD) motors, air bearing spindles, precision X-Y stages, optical disks, automotive parts and machine tools. Leading equipment manufacturers around the world use MicroSense capacitive sensors in wafer lithography systems, solar wafer sorters, autofocus mechanisms, nanopositioning stages, metrology tools and flat panel display manufacturing equipment.
MicroSense supplies capacitive sensors, metrology modules, and magnetic metrology tools. Learn more at www.microsense.net.
SigmaTech offers automated metrology solutions for a broad range of standard and specific applications in the field of semiconductor wafers, materials and optics. SigmaTech has multiple system installations at many of the world’s leading semiconductor manufacturing companies and stands at the forefront of the dimensional wafer metrology industry. SigmaTech currently offers multiple gauging technologies that can be implemented to provide the optimal solution for virtually any customer application. Learn more at http://www.sigma9600.com/.

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- On Wednesday, Best Buy announced its new membership program called Best Buy Beta.
- The program will cost $199.99 per year and will be available in about 60 stores during the month.
- The new membership offer is the retailer’s latest effort to compete with Amazon.
Best Buy announced Wednesday that it is testing a new membership program.
The program is called the Best Buy Beta and offers customers special discounts, free product installation and delivery, as well as unlimited technical support for $199.99 a year or $179.99 for customers with a company store credit card.
The membership program is currently rolling out to select stores in Iowa, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania, but will be available in Minnesota, North Carolina and Tennessee in April. It will have about 60 stores during the month.
The program puts Best Buy in direct competition with Amazon Prime, which offers a similar offer for $119 a year and has more than 150 million active members last year, according to data from Statista.
Amazon and Best Buy have long been competing for customers, and a recent report suggests that Amazon has considered more offers that could threaten Best Buy’s traditional operations.
Last week, Bloomberg reported that Amazon has considered creating its own discount stores for electronics and home goods. On the same day, Best Buy’s stock fell. Just last month, the retailer announced 5,000 layoffs and plans to close more stores.
While Best Buy has seen a rise in sales over the past year, buoyed by the work-from-home boom, the company noted in its latest earnings call that sales were beginning to decline.
Best Buy’s new membership program appears to align with the company’s goals. Before the outbreak of the pandemic, Best Buy announced a five-year plan focused on increasing e-commerce sales. The new program also places great emphasis on technical support with unlimited access to Geek Squad, as well as 24-hour concierge services – a sector in which the company thrives.
Alison Peterson, Best Buy’s chief customer officer, said in a company press release that she looks forward to continuing to develop membership programs. Best Buy already offers Total Tech Support for $199.99 per year, as well as a points program. The Total Tech Support program will be replaced by Best Buy Beta in stores where the new program has been launched.
Best Buy is not the first retailer to try to expand its membership programs. In September, Walmart unveiled Walmart+, a program that gives customers discounts on fuel and free delivery options.


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Black Mesa, the fan-made remake of the original Half-Life 1, has finally received a release date of September 14, as its small yet intrepid team of developers is ready to release the recreated game.
Half-Life 1 came out back in 1998 and, while Valve itself launched a Half-Life: Source version, with the old game running in its new Source engine, it still had the same old graphics and visual effects.
As such, a bunch of fans decided to fully recreate the iconic game in the Source engine, complete with overhauled graphics and textures.
Now, after a lengthy wait and multiple delays, Black Mesa
is finally ready to be released on the PC platform on September 14.
The project’s website now displays a special countdown clock and the message: “They’re waiting for you, Gordon.”
According to its developers, they’re still working on some areas of the game, so the current version will feature the campaign up until the Lambda Core segment, which should provide around 10 hours of gameplay.
Expect to hear more about the project soon enough.


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Minnesota State Fair Sells Out 2020 Food Parade
The Minnesota State Fair quickly sold out its first food parade, described as a drive-through experience featuring 16 vendors and a chance to support the Great Minnesota Get-Together.
About 19,000 timed-entry tickets were sold online within 2.5 hours The tickets were in such high demand that the vendor's website repeatedly crashed, and frustrated fair lovers aired their irritation on social media. "A very disappointing disaster," @mikewinter_ said on Instagram.
Tickets were $20 per vehicle for the food parade on Aug. 20-23, Aug. 27-30 and Sept. 3-7.
Proceeds will support the fair “in a year when the cancellation of the fair leaves us without 95% of our revenue to maintain our facilities and prepare for next year’s fair.” Food purchases are not included in the price.
All vehicles will follow a one-way 1.5-mile route through the fairgrounds that passes by 16 vendors. You’ll be able to buy food like cookies from Sweet Martha’s, tacos and burritos from El Sol Mexican Foods, walleye fries and duck bacon wontons from Giggles’ Campfire Grill and jumbo jerk chicken wings from West Indies Soul Food.
“Plan for a multi-hour experience, and enjoy entertainment, a trivia contest and activities along the way,” the fair says.
If you can’t wait until then for your fair food fix—or you weren't able to get tickets— check out the public Facebook group Minnesota State Fair Food Finder to find vendors who have set up booths this summer around the Twin Cities metro. More than 164,000 people have joined the Facebook group, trading ideas for places to buy rolled ice cream, frozen lemonade, deep-fried pickles, cheese curds, corn dogs, raspberry cheese wontons and more.


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In New York City, companies are working hard to rid landfills of waste produced by people's removal of electrical appliances in their households. Every year since 2007, Tekserve and the Lower East Side Ecology Center (LESEC) have collaborated in collecting over 125 tons of electronics to be recycled. Items range from old computers to cell phones and anything in between.
Next Saturday, October 9, is the next date for New Yorkers to have such an opportunity as Tekserve will be hosting this year's recycling event at 119 W 23rd Street, from 10:00 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Although many people have heard the old adage "reduce, reuse, recycle" for many years, it's even more important to actually perform these tasks. Many environmental hazards are caused by electronics being dumped in landfills or burned in incinerators.
Forty percent of all lead in landfills comes from electronics with rain helping spread this toxic element into the local water supply. While landfills do have liners to prevent this from happening often times these liners burst and the toxins continue spreading. And even though incinerators prevent water from spreading the toxins, not all the heavy metals are contained, and burning plastic releases toxic gases into the air.
Despite the fact that New York City does not currently offer a program for recycling electronics, a new law that will go into effect next April will require electronics manufacturers to offer take-back programs. Until that law goes into effect, however, Tekserve and The Lower East Side Ecology Center (LESEC) will continue to lead the way to a cleaner New York.
A "resident" of New York for over 20 years, Tekserve is the city's largest independent Apple store and service center. The LESEC has been active for over 13 years, advocating for environmental initiatives and educating the public on environmental issues. More information can be found at www.lesecologycenter.org.
The complete list of accepted items can be found at www.tekserve.com/recycling. Recyclers can enter themselves into the drawing for either a MacBook Pro or an iMac, and every recycler can receive a $25 coupon toward a Mac or iPod at Tekserve.
Photo credit: cc: flickr.com/photos/jod8301


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The upcoming iPhone-range is probably the most awaited smartphone releases this year. And just like last year, key sources claim that Apple plans to release three iPhone models in 2018 as well. One of them will be a direct successor to the iPhone X with a 5.8-inch OLED display, while the second one being the larger iPhone X Plus with a 6.5-inch OLED display. However, the third one is expected to be a more affordable iPhone model having a 6.1-inch LCD display, which is expected to cost much less than its OLED counterparts. In this article, we’ve compiled a list of the all the details, leaks, and rumors that have surfaced about the 2018-iPhone line-up.
iPhone X 2018
To begin with, Apple is expected to unveil an upgraded iPhone X that would most likely be an incremental upgarde over last year’s model. The design of the handset will be heavily inspired by its predecessor, implying it’ll look much like the curent iPhone X. Sources, however, indicate that Apple will try and make bezels even smaller with the upcoming iPhone X model.
Besides, we can expect several changes under the hood. These most likely inlcude a new advanced processor paired with 3GB or 4GB of RAM. Besides, Apple is also expected to offer more storage with the upcoming iPhone X. Rumour has it that Apple might start offering upto 512GB storage with upcoming iPhones. Now, this would certainly be a great addition as iPhones do not offer microSD expandability.
We can also expect improvements such as upgraded cameras and software optimistaion for improved photography and performance. That being said, changes won’t be that substantial.
However, a recent discovery in iOS 12 beta has revealed that the iPhone X will be able to function like an iPad. As the code was found to have landscape modes as well new interfaces for many popular iPhone apps.
iPhone X Plus 2018
Apple’s 2018 iPhone-lineup is also said to include a 6.5-inch iPhone X with an OLED display. The device will essentially be the larger version of the iPhone X mentioned above, barring the larger display along with the possibilty of a few exclusive features.
Sources also indicate that the larger iPhone X could come with 4GB of RAM, as opposed to 3GB of RAM compared to the smaller sibling. Apple could also bump up the storage to up to 512GB, which could be eclusive to the iPhone X Plus. Besides, the device would most likely come fitted with a larger battery.
Elsewhere, the device will be equipped with a slew of high-end features such as a glass body, wireless charging, notched display, Face ID recognition, and more.
As far as pricing goes, given the fact that last year’s iPhone X was launched starting at $999, the price of the iPhone X Plus could easily goes past the $1000 mark.
LCD iPhone model (iPhone 9)
Apart from the two OLED models, Apple is reportedly also planning to release a low-cost LCD iPhone this year. The idea is to keep costs down and target budget buyers. Apple will be try to keep manufacturing costs down for the rumoured 6.1-inch LCD model by reducing RAM, ditching 3D Touch support, and use the less-expensive LCD panel instead of an OLED screen. This also means that wireless charging is not likely to be offered, and Kuo also suggests that dual-camera system will be scrapped as well in order for Apple to launch a low-cost iPhone.
This particualr model could also have thicker bezels because of the LCD panel. But new reports suggest the low-cost LCD model may even have thinner bezels than its OLED counterparts. According to Japanese blog Macotakara, Apple is using a ‘full active LCD screen’. With this technology, Apple would be able to get the bezels down to 0.5mm, half the size of the bezels found on the current iPhone X. However, sources also suggest that this new technology has caused production issues which might delay this model until November.
Sources also indicate that Apple could also offer this model in never-before seen colour variants, just like it did with the iPhone 5c. Reliable analyst Ming Chi Kuo suggests that the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone will be offered grey, white, blue, red, as well as an orange colour variant.
Just like in the past, Apple is likely to unveil its 2018 iPhone-lineup at its keynote event September. We’ll update you as soon as we hear anyhting new. Until then, keep checking back for more.


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Japanese veteran graphic-maker Sk8thing‘s latest baby C.E or cav empt (after the Latin term “Caveat Emptor” for “let the buyer beware”) expands its fledgling collection with more T-shirt prints and a knit beanie in these designs for TRAVERSE TOKYO. A celebration of the new, new wave, C.E adds another streetwear sensation to Sk8thing’s already-impressive portfolio of brands including BAPE, BBC and HUMAN MADE. The capsule collection is scheduled for release on August 31 and will be available online at TRAVERSE TOKYO.


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The Curiosity rover, which is designed to explore Mars, has found an ancient oasis on Mars. Researchers working with the Curiosity rover have found salt-enriched…
HP has announced about its decision of making the mobile operating system webOS platform open source. This may not affect many HP customers at all, but developers will be more than happy to have full access to the webOS operation system’s source code. webOS is the only platform designed from the ground up to be mobile, cloud-connected, and scalable. webOS offers a number of benefits to the entire ecosystem of web applications. The operating system may now be adjusted according to the user’s needs. Developers may include all the necessary tweaks, hacks, and modifications in it making the HP operating system to fit the specific user’s requirements. The latest news from HP may also attract other device manufacturers that may want to use the webOS operating systems in their devices.
HP engineers, partners, other developers and hardware manufacturers will be able to contribute to the development of webOS. HP team is ready to receive lots of questions related to the operating system’s source code and they also make it possible that answers to some questions may even be unknown to them. Updates and latest news from the now open source webOS operating system will be periodically updated on the HP official blog. HP managers encourage developers to come up with suggestion and innovations in the development of the webOS operating system. Experts find that HP will save its platform for some more time by the decision making it open source.
The Fastest Supercar In 2013 Will Be Bugatti
Skoda Octavia Third Generation
HP To Open Source WebOS By September 2012
Improved Version of Audi Q3 (Audi RS Q3) Will Be Available in 2013
ViewSonic is Preparing its 9.7 inch Tablet ViewPad 97a to CES 2012
Kuratas Robot Controlled by iPhone
Google Presents Ice Cream Sandwich Update for Nexus S
Google Chromebook Pixel


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Container Shipping Service
Asian economies are leading the recovery of international container trade volumes, but strong growth across the region could see pre-recession pressure on freight infrastructure re-emerge, a senior executive of container shipping line APL told a conference in Ho Chi Minh City on May 20. “Intra-Asia is already the world’s single largest container trade,” Jason Wong, Vice President of APL’s Intra Asia trade, told the 8th ASEAN Ports & Shipping Conference. “This will continue over the long term as Asian consumer markets develop.” By 2015, Intra Asia will contribute 32% of global containerised trade, with the Asia-U.S. and Asia-Europe trades 17% and 18% respectively, according to analyst Global Insight. Wong said that along with China and India, South East Asian economies such as Vietnam and Indonesia had shown resilience to the global crisis and had continued to grow in 2010. More transportation services will be required to support the growth of freight moving within Asia, according to Wong, who identified North Asia to South East Asia as a high potential trade. To serve this market, he said, APL launched the Japan Thailand Vietnam and Korea China Straits services in 2009. Wong said freight infrastructure development must be a top priority across Asia to optimise trade flows and maximise economic growth.
Increases Company Equipment Fleet to More than 45,000 Units. To better serve customers shipping cargo between the U.S. mainland and Puerto Rico, Crowley Maritime Corporation has acquired 400 53-foot (102' wide) dry high-cube containers and 375 53-foot chassis, adding to the company's already robust equipment fleet of more than 45,000 modern units. The containers, which have a capacity of 3,931 cubic feet and 42,660 pounds, were delivered in Jacksonville last week.
Portnews.com reported that based Cicek Shipyard has launched its first container ship. The 1300 TEU ship was named Ayse Naz Bayraktar and is due for delivery in July 2008. She is the first of two 22,000 DWT multipurpose container ships ordered from the yard by Bayraktar Shipping. The design of these two ships allows for a high intake of 9 feet 6 inches high containers and two hatches can accommodate 45 feet containers, including the 2
A sharp contraction in world trade has idled more than 200 container ships, threatening the survival of many companies, according to The Journal of Commerce. "The slump in container shipping appears certain to extend into 2010 or beyond. Some companies won't survive," said Joseph Bonney, editor-in-chief of The Journal of Commerce. Carriers operating from Asia to Europe, the world's busiest container trade route, are expected to lose up to $5b this year
Troy Container Line Ltd., an American-owned NVOCC, announced the appointment of Paul Keany as sales representative. Based in the company’s Red Bank, N.J. office, Keany has been charged with expanding Troy Container Line’s long-standing tradition of personalized service and care in New Jersey, Philadelphia and the Baltimore region. In this position, he will work closely with the company’s current clients while also establishing new relationships in the Northeast and beyond.
The arrival of the 'M/V Westwood Pacific' at the Nanaimo Port Authority’s Duke Point terminal marks the first such berthing at the Port’s facilities and will provide a direct link to Asia. Westwood Shipping Lines operate a dedicated break bulk and container service to Asia and have been evaluating the Vancouver Island market for some time. This trial call, with express service to Japan, Korea and feeder service to other Asian ports, is expected to lead to a regular service
Aries Maritime Transport Limited announced it has extended the existing period charter for the Ocean Hope, a 1989-built container vessel, with China Shipping Container Lines (CSCL). The extended charter is for a period of 24 months at a net rate of $13,300 per day, commencing on June 13, 2007. The Company also announced that the MSC Oslo, a 1989-built container vessel, returned to service on April 14, 2007, following the completion of works necessary to achieve the speed required
The Swedish paper and timber products manufacturer Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget (SCA) and its transport and logistics unit SCA Transforest have been operating a regular scheduled liner service called Container Express since March 1 2010, linking northern Sweden and the Port of Hamburg. The vessel Flintercape, with a carrying capacity of 809 TEU, sails from the ports of Sundsvall and Holmsund (Umeå) in northern Sweden to Hamburg every 10 days
Port Commission approves Barbours Cut, Bayport, crane deals, new Bayport gate system. In keeping with its commitment to continue developing Bayport Container Terminal in addition to modernizing Barbours Cut, the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority at its May 21 meeting, awarded a nearly $50 million contract to Konecranes Finland Corporation for four electric wharf cranes at Barbours Cut Container Terminal.
*Container throughput in Hamburg up by 2.1 % *Container transport grows by 9.0 % *Improvements in revenue and operating result *HHLA confirms forecast In the first half of 2014, Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) increased its revenue by 5.2 percent to € 595.7 million and improved its operating result (EBIT) by 3.4 percent to € 81.4 million. HHLA has confirmed its forecast for the full year 2014.
Last Tuesday’s announcement of the formation of the “Ocean Three” alliance – actually a combination of vessel sharing, slot exchange and slot charter agreements – confirmed one of the worst kept industry secrets
The Port of Virginia marks an important milestone Monday 14th September as Portsmouth Marine Terminal (PMT), closed for nearly three years, reopens to cargo operations. At 8 a.m. on Monday, the terminal will begin receiving trucks carrying containers for export
Container cargo shipments declined by 9.1 percent in August at the Port of Long Beach, reflecting both early shipping by importers this year and the comparison to an August last year that was the Port’s busiest month since 2007.
SC-integrity, Inc. (LoJack SCI) and Contguard Ltd. announced a strategic alliance designed to provide their customers with security and real-time visibility of supply chain assets and cargo on a global basis. LoJack SCI will exclusively offer the Contguard CMU (Cargo Monitoring Unit) service
The Ferguson Group announces that it has been acquired by Brambles Limited for an enterprise value of £320 million. Brambles Limited is a supply-chain logistics company operating in more than 50 countries, primarily through the CHEP and IFCO brands
A number of orders are reported by Clarkson Hellas in their latest S&P Weekly Bulletin, with contracts being signed across the Dry Bulk, Tanker and Container markets. Dry bulk carriers Activity has been focused amongst the small/midsized vessels with Empros Lines reported to have signed up
The CMA CGM Group announced the signature of three major agreements on the biggest worldwide maritime trades with China Shipping Container Lines (CSCL) and United Arab Shipping Company (UASC). Under the name of Ocean Three, the agreements; which include a combination of vessel sharings
Leading provider of classification services to the maritime and offshore industries, ABB, says it has been chosen to class two LNG-fueled containerships to be built in China for German owner GNS Shipping/Nordic Hamburg. The 1,400 teu vessels will feature dual-fuel propulsion enabling them
Wednesday at the SMM trade fair in Hamburg, DNV GL presented Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and United Arab Shipping Company (UASC) with an Approval in Principle (AIP), recognizing the technical feasibility of the LNG fuel system design for the A14 and A18 series of container vessels
Hamburg Süd’s Cap San Lorenzo docked for the first time in the port of Rotterdam on Thursday, September 4. At the Euromax Terminal, the captain was presented with the traditional port plaque associated with a maiden call
United Arab Shipping Company (UASC) has selected WaveCall Plus VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) services from Marlink to provide reliable connectivity for its new build fleet of 17 containerships, first vessel due for delivery by the end of 2014.
Shipping freight rates for transporting containers from ports in Asia to Northern Europe fell by 6.6 percent to $1.055 per 20-foot container (TEU) in the week ended on Friday, one source with access to data from the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index told Reuters.
Diana Containerships Inc., a global shipping company specializing in the ownership of containerships, today announced that, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, it took delivery of the m/v YM March, a 2004-built Post-Panamax container vessel of 5
Kalmar, part of Cargotec, has entered the record books thanks to the remarkable heavy lift capabilities of its latest reachstacker, named Super Gloria. The reachstacker lifted a steel component weighing over 100 tonnes in front of an invited audience on Friday
Retailers concerned by the lack of a West Coast longshoremen’s contract will continue to bring merchandise into the country at above-average levels this month but volume will drop from the record set in August, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National


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The gregarious Doreen Bloch, member of Forbes best-of-the-best 30 under 30 list and CEO of consumer intelligence company Poshly, strutted her business savvy last week at FEM Tech.
The Palo Alto native studied at UC Berkeley from 2006-2010, graduated a semester early, and moved to New York City where she worked at finance company Second Market. It was at this time, during a visit to a local drug store, that inspiration for Poshly struck.
“One of my most meaningful inspirations for creating Poshly stemmed from my personal vexation over the cosmetics shopping experience never feeling quite personalized enough — I wanted a more data-driven way to shop,” Bloch said over e-mail. “I figured if I could gather data from a diverse set of individuals, it would be possible to correlate product preferences in a more robust way.”
Shortly after this, Bloch put up a website where people could share data about themselves in exchange for prizes. She had $85 in her bank account when the first investors rolled in. After that she raised $2 million.
“It may not be easy, but creating your own company is possible.”
Poshly is a data mine field, providing consumer information to companies (think Eucerin, Benefit cosmetics, InStyle), which it extracts through entry-question giveaways on its website. Members win all sorts of things, like the gloves Rhianna wore in her Riri perfume ad, jewelrey, and countless beauty products. Users enter these contests by completing a survey about their consumer habits, and can take as many surveys to enter as many times as they want.
Bloch talked about the gender gap in the business, noting the game women have to play with venture capitalists to raise funding. She also talked about the low percentage of female CEO’s, which currently rests at 4.6 percent for Fortune 500 companies.
“It is important to me now to show others, especially fellow young women who simply don’t have enough role models, that it can be done,” she said over e-mail. “It may not be easy, but creating your own company is possible.”


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Wood-burning Furnace Meets 2020 EPA Standards
After years of experimentation, Lamppa Manufacturing, a small company that builds Kuuma Sauna Stoves and Vapor-Fire Furnaces has developed a truly smokeless warm-air wood-burning furnace.
The Kuuma Vapor-Fire 100 recently achieved Phase 2 EPA certification exceeding the 2020 emission standards by almost 40 percent, which presently, no other wood stove manufacturers are able to accomplish.
The Kuuma Vapor-Fire 100 is the cleanest warm-air wood-burning furnace in existence. The proprietary system is designed to provide the right mix of air for each burn level and moisture content using computer technology to continuously adjust the furnace controls for maximum efficiency. “It's a true wood gasifier,” said Lamppa Manufacturing owner, Daryl Lamppa.
The Environmental Protection Agency Phase 2 emissions standard requires wood furnaces to emit no more than 0.15 pounds of emissions (soot) per million BTUs for each burn level, which is an 84 percent reduction from the current emissions standard that was effective as of 2015 (the current standard is 0.93 pounds per million BTUs). The requirement has created a major industry hurdle, which has driven many wood furnace manufacturers to shut down. However, Daryl and his father, Herb Lamppa, demonstrated through testing conducted by an EPA-certified lab, Intertek, that the standard could be met and exceeded.
Wood stoves and furnaces can create problems, such as the buildup of dangerously flammable creosote in chimneys and significant amounts of other pollution. Fine ash and unburned gases can create respiratory problems and those pollution concerns drove the federal action to reduce emissions.
When the tighter regulations were enforced, Daryl and his father Herb were able to meet them because they had been working on the technology decades before the standards were created. In addition to being clean burning, the Kuuma furnace reduces wood consumption by 30 - 40 percent compared to other wood furnaces. "Replacing one old-style dirty furnace with a modern, clean-burning furnace like the Vapor-Fire 100 is equivalent to removing 700 cars off the road," according to the Environmental Initiative.
Lamppa firmly believes that wood heat can be extremely environmentally green and inexpensive. It doesn't contribute to climate change, such as burning oil or other fossil fuels. In fact, the Vapor-Fire 100 allows for significantly less wood to burn at nearly the emission level of natural gas, which makes this one of the cleanest, environmentally friendly and convenient methods to heat homes. This leader in warm-air heating uses a renewable energy resource, which supports clean energy and forestation efforts so crucial in today's world climate.
The innovation, which took many years and several hundred thousand dollars investments to test, has Lamppa Manufacturing headed toward expansion. Lamppa hired Dale Horihan, a Minnesota native and seasoned CEO advisor, to manage the manufacturing plant and lead the company's growth. The wood furnace industry sells around 28,000 units per year and generates more than $150 million in revenues. Because the barrier to reach the EPA's Phase 2 standard by 2020 will likely leave other manufacturers out of business, the opportunity to achieve even a 10 percent market share would mean a significant impact for Lamppa and the Tower community, increasing the workforce and providing dozens of well-paying jobs.
While there were many furnace manufacturers up until recently, only five remain, according to Lamppa, and one is located in Canada. If the manufacturers are unable to achieve 2020 standards, Lamppa's wood furnaces may be the only ones to be legally built and sold in the U.S.
Read more about home heating and cooling.


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Sam Ferraino was trying to stay positive.
The president of United Food and Commercial Workers Uion Local 1360 was reacting Wednesday to the latest blow to his membership.
The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. said this week it has filed a motion seeking approval to close 32 stores in six states as the troubled grocery chain continues to try to restructure during its bankruptcy. The store closures are expected to be completed by mid-April, subject to court approval.
"I pray that they turn it around and save the company," said Ferraino. "I have my doubts. I'm trying to stay positive."
About 265 part-time and full-time clerks are affected at five area markets, said Ferraino. He said he didn't know for certain how many workers would lose their jobs, but he added that the number could exceed 200.
A&P spokesman Eric Andrus said Wednesday the company wasn't disclosing the numbers of employees at the targeted stores. He said Montvale-based A&P had no further comment about the latest development.
In Burlington County, the only store slated for closure is a Superfresh on Route 38 in Lumberton. The shopping center in which the 45,000-square-foot market is located is owned by Saul Centers of Bethesda, Md.
In a filing with the bankruptcy court, the company said eight Pathmark stores in New Jersey are closing along with five Superfresh stores. The only Pathmark in the county - a 41-year-old facility on Woodlane Road - once again escaped the chopping block.
In addition to New Jersey, the company is closing stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New York and Connecticut.
In a news releases, A&P CEO Sam Martin said the closures were the result of company's efforts at a "turnaround and our ongoing review of our store footprint."
"While this was a very difficult decision that will unfortunately impact some of our customers, partners, communities and employees, these actions are absolutely necessary as we work to strengthen A&P's operating foundation and improve our performance," Martin said. "We will help our affected colleagues pursue other positions across the company should open positions be available."
Ferraino said: "I feel as if I'm working in the garment industry. But jobs aren't going overseas; they're staying here but they're not good jobs."
He expressed amazement at how competitive the grocery business had become with the heightened impact of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Target and other retailers that now sell food.
"I don't know when selling groceries got so popular," Ferraino said.
Gerald Chudoff of Evesham, a UFCW Local 152 representative and coordinator of the union's Wake Up Walmart program, cited the world's largest retailer as a big factor in the grocery wars. He cited the closing of the Pathmark in Deptford as an example of the competitive pressures, noting the nearby Walmart store.
The closing of the Lumberton Superfresh didn't surprise him, he said.
"The competition is fierce along that strip and energy costs and rents are high," said Chudoff, who said he has been carefully tracking Wal-Mart Inc.'s expansion efforts in South Jersey.
A&P, the nation's oldest grocer, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December following years of battling debt, falling sales and competition from lower-priced rivals.


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Inflation hit a 40 year high in January. This raises three questions: What is causing the inflation? Will the Fed’s expected interest rate increases relieve the pain of rising prices or make life worse for Americans? What should investors do about it?
While I lack a crystal ball, here are my best guesses:
- Inflation is happening because demand for goods and services exceeds the supply (rather than because the money supply has soared)
- The Fed’s interest rate increases could cause serious unintended negative consequences — a rise in bankruptcies, lower consumer spending due to the negative wealth effect of declining stock prices, a recession and rising unemployment
- Investors with at least 10 years to wait for things to recover should buy money market and stock index funds and shed bonds
Inflation and Its Causes
Inflation — at 7.5% — has not been this high since 1982. As the Wall Street Journal reported, this brings back memories of what Paul Volcker did to try to cure inflation (which I will address below).
Fed Chair Jerome Powell contributed to a surge in the money supply. He kept interest rates low as the Fed aimed at minimizing the unemployment rate caused by the pandemic while seeking to keep inflation below 2%.
To further propel the economy, the Fed pledged to buy $120 billion worth of treasuries in September 2020 and in March 2021, the president signed a $1.9 trillion stimulus bill, noted the Journal.
The Money Supply Argument
Did all this money printing cause the spike in inflation? I think not — after all, the supply of money has surged since the financial crisis in 2008 and it rose even more in response to the pandemic. Yet for most of that 14 year period, inflation remained below 2%.
As Zvi Schreiber, CEO of Jerusalem-based freight booking platform, Freightos, and author of Money Going Out of Style, told me in a February 16 interview, “The Fed has been printing money since 2008. Inflation is 7% to 8% but the money supply is up over 100% — the money supply was $1 trillion until 2008, $3 trillion since the pandemic, and $6 trillion in 2022. M1 is even more dramatic.”
Why isn’t inflation higher? He does not blame the supply chain constraints. “The supply chain is a small part of it — 3% of the 20% of GDP represented by imported goods. Shipping costs have gone up many hundreds of percent since the beginning of the pandemic,” he said.
He attributes the lack of inflation to money in the hands of people who are not spending it. “If you look at the velocity of money you see it has fallen dramatically. For years, each dollar bill circulated through the economy seven times per year. In 2019 it was up to 11 times a year. In the pandemic, it dropped to one time per year — all this money is not being spent.”
He sees income inequality as the explanation. “The world is getting wealthier and wealth inequality is rising. Money printing is going to wealthy people who don’t want to buy stuff — instead they invest in assets like property, cryptocurrencies, and the stock market. Because of inequality, we print money and it doesn’t create inflation. Salaries for those who are buying stuff are going up to keep pace with inflation,” Schreiber concludes.
How Demand Exceeds Supply
If the soaring money supply is not the cause of inflation, what is? A leader in the logistics industry does not agree with Schreiber — instead, he sees a constrained supply chain as a key driver of inflation. As Ben Gordon, Managing Partner and CEO, Cambridge Capital and BGSA, wrote in a February 16 email, “Yes, supply chain constriction is definitely driving inflation.”
Gordon — who recently hosted a conference with 300 supply chain CEOs — sees two drivers of supply-chain led inflation:
- Capacity shortages driven by “just in time” supply chain strategies. “40 years ago, supply chain expenses represented 15% of GDP. Today, that expense is just 7.4%. The savings all accrued to the consumer. But that benefit came with a risk: shortages. We are now confronting that challenge,” according to Gordon.
- Soaring supply chain rates. In the decade ending 2020, freight rate inflation stayed in a narrow range below 10% a year. “In 2021, we saw rates shoot upward rapidly and violently, reaching nearly 27%. These cost shocks rippled through the supply chain...while fueling 6.8% inflation,” he wrote.
Supply chain capacity contributed to inflation because of an unexpected spike in demand at the start of the pandemic. For example, the global PC market soared 55% in the first quarter of 2021 as the number of people working and learning from home increased — a demand spike that the semiconductor industry was not prepared to satisfy.
The gap between demand and supply of chips is affecting the prices of goods other than PCs and laptops. According to the New York Times, the pandemic has driven a shift away from experiences like travel and restaurants and into durable goods — such as cars, electronics and building materials for housing — spending on which rose 25% in 2021.
Prices for some durable goods have risen much faster than the 7.5% rate of inflation. According to the Times, “Used car prices are up 55% over January 2020 levels. Over that same period, furniture and bedding prices rose 19% and laundry equipment became 33% more expensive.”
Effects Of Rising Interest Rates
The last time inflation was this high, Fed Chair Paul Volcker raised interest rates to nearly 22%. I wonder whether such a cure would be more painful than the disease.
Can Powell reduce inflation without a recession? If he did, it would be a first. As the Journal wrote, “No Fed chairman since Paul Volcker in the early 1980s has had to grapple with inflation this high. The risk for Mr. Powell and the nation is that his fight against inflation will cause a new recession, as Mr. Volcker’s did. Historically, the Fed hasn’t been able to push down inflation without a recession.”
I certainly hope we won’t need to go through a recession on the order of the one that Volcker orchestrated. According to the Washington Post, “Volcker [was] most famous (and infamous) for more or less single-handedly breaking the back of the persistent, spiraling, inflationary cycle that bedeviled the U.S. economy throughout the 1970s.”
To do that, he raised the prime interest rate from an already record high of 11.75% to 21.5%. This caused the worst downturn since the Great Depression which contributed to the ending of Jimmy Carter’s term in office.
How bad was Volcker’s recession? The nearly 11% unemployment rate reached late in 1982 remained “the apex of the post-World War II era,” according to a 2013 Federal Reserve History. [Unemployment has since surpassed that level — reaching 14.7% in 2020, noted to the Journal].
If Powell needs to cause a recession to control inflation, it is unclear how bad it would be. Schreiber expects it to cause bankruptcies and falling stock prices.
As he told me, “Rising interest rates will send stock prices down because of the higher discount rate on future cash flows. This will increase the risk of recession and the collapse of asset prices. Why is the Fed so blind about this? For those who have negative equity because of borrowing, the rise in interest rates will increase the risk [of bankruptcies — particularly for those who have floating rate debt.]”
My hope is that rather than relying on interest rate increases, the Biden administration will do some original thinking and come up with policies that help address the real causes of the current inflation spike.
To my mind, that would mean lowering the barriers to immigration to increase our supply of workers and helping provide the capital needed to increase production and shipping capacity to meet the surge in demand for durable goods.
Getting past Covid would also help. As Stefan Gerlach, Chief Economist at EFG Bank in Zurich, Switzerland, explained in a letter to the Financial Times, the spike in inflation is due to the pandemic — as well as the Russian threat to Ukraine among other non-monetary factors — rather than the balance sheets of central banks.
Ultimately, the solution to the inflation problem could come from a blend of adding to the labor force, patience with market forces that match supply and demand, and a hoped for lessening of geopolitical tensions.
As Kent Jones, Babson College Professor of Economics and Babson Research Scholar, wrote in a February 19 email, “Any efforts to improve the supply of workers in the US, domestic labor mobility, innovation efficiency and competition are in and of themselves good, and will tend to lower prices. Putting the [inflation] genie back in the bottle quickly will probably in this case take patience with market adjustments and luck with Vladimir Putin.”
Implications For Investors
Having witnessed economic downturns over the last several decades, I think investors should estimate whether they have at least a decade before they need the funds they’ve invested.
If they do not have this much time, they should consider lightening up on stocks before it becomes clear how much the Fed will tighten and how bad things will get in the world should Russia invade Ukraine. That’s because I think investors are still overly optimistic about how difficult things will get for stocks in the next couple of years.
If they have more than a decade, I think investors should not rush to the exits. They should regularly invest in a stock index fund, put several years worth of cash in a money market fund, and sell their bonds before rising interest rates drive down their value.
Sadly for investors, there is no bell that rings when stocks hit their nadir and resume their upward march in pursuit of their long-term 7% annual rate of return.


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Glass act: Zibusiso Mkhwanazi says the advertising industry isn't owned by South Africans — but his new network of agencies is determined to stir things up
At the Ad Focus awards late last year, Zibusiso Mkhwanazi, the chief executive of Avatar Investment Holdings, stood on the stage with a glass of milk in his hand.
That glass, he said, was symbolic of the ad industry in South Africa.
The company’s publicist, Keri-Ann Stanton, said the audience did not exactly enthuse over the sight of that glass or its alleged symbolism — their taste for dairy obviously not sufficiently refined.
Listening to Mkhwanazi and Stanton narrate the story, I am intrigued.
Mkhwanazi says he then began spooning generous dollops of chocolate powder into the glass of milk. “That,” he said, “is what we are going to do with the industry.”
A stunt like that has to be admired for its sheer audacity but I must admit my own biases. I’ve long complained about how an untransformed ad industry is complicit in the decline of the news media in South Africa. I believe news publishers have accepted that transformation is intrinsic to survival but the advertising industry appears to have been allowed to admit change only as it wills it.
Ad agencies, however, are facing the same digitally induced pain. Tech giants such as Facebook and Google have devoured once-lucrative margins from traditional advertising such as print and TV while keeping the lion’s share of digital revenues for themselves.
Then there are the likes of consulting firms PwC and Accenture, which have launched digital practices, further frittering away the revenues of traditional ad agencies.
So, in addition to its milk problem, the industry in South Africa also faces systemic difficulties that threaten the existence of the traditional agency model.
But it’s not all doom and gloom.
The point of Mkhwanazi’s chocolate milk stunt was to announce the establishment of an African communications network, M&N Brands, to take on the global giants.
The network is the latest project undertaken by Mkhwanazi and his partner Veli Ngubane, who own a sprawling conglomerate of advertising and marketing concerns, which is a far cry from its humble beginnings.
“I started the root of what became Avatar when I was 17 years old in my bedroom with R2 000 seed capital,” he says.
“In 2006, the business went through a transformative stage. Well, it was a web development business back then but in 2006 it became a digital agency. In 2012, I met my current business partner and we transformed it again. It became an integrated agency — Avatar as it is now.”
It is the biggest black-owned and managed agency in the country. In all, it employs 70 people between its Cape Town and Jo’burg offices.
“We service some of the largest clients in the country from the private sector and the government sector,” he says.
Their next big thing is M&N Brands, which, as a network of connected agencies, aims to disrupt agency ownership and then go on to compete for big contracts that are usually the province of foreign-owned agencies.
It is, however, the ownership of advertising agencies in South Africa that Mkhwanazi believes is the new frontier of confronting historical imbalances in the industry.
“When you look at the ownership structure of the industry as a whole, about 78% is owned outside South Africa,” he says. “So South Africans don’t own their own advertising industry.”
And although I argue that the industry shows very little urgency to address the lack of transformation in South Africa, Mkhwanazi believes government policy is propelling change.
“It’s the charters. It’s the clients themselves wanting to ask the serious questions like, ‘I’m looking around the boardroom and I’m not seeing diversity. I’m not seeing my market’. When clients ask these questions, it is because someone within their organisation is asking those very same questions, which means there is a demand. They stem from policy, they stem from government policy around BBBEE [broad-based black economic empowerment]. So, oddly enough, the BBBEE policies are actually changing advertising itself,” he says, then hastens to add, “To an extent.”
Of course he believes that his newly launched M&N Brands is the answer to the transformation lags.
“We made a movement to unite ad agencies under a banner and we can basically do what the foreign agencies are doing, but we can do it ourselves, as independent agencies. And what is driving this is the added benefit of working together. And being able then to start to build the network,” he says.
That network already encompasses 15 companies.
“So when M&N needs to go and pitch, they will possibly consider [M&N and its connections across the continent].”
It’s not quite David taking on Goliath, but David on steroids taking on a Goliath that looms so large it’s a Dubai skyscraper that you could have sworn you’d seen in New York already.
But he is confident, not in the meeting of biblical analogies with the constructed grandeur of Dubai, but in his own assessment of the way advertising agencies go about their business.
“The idea is that the businesses that are going out to the continent from South Africa are either a) South African-owned like your Standard Banks and Shoprites, well they need to be supported in the various markets they are going into, or b) it can be foreign-owned businesses, but South Africa is the preferred base for those businesses. So it is very strategic to have a network that is headquartered here in South Africa and we grow these networks in different territories.
“Then, guess what, as Africans we can then begin to tell our own stories.”
And while owning the means to craft narrative is vital to communicators working anywhere, in advertising it is perhaps even more important.
“I can produce an ad here in South Africa, but that ad is interpreted into different languages in different countries, or the concept is repurposed in different countries,” Mkhwanazi says.
“Now, on the continent, now when you start looking at it from a continental perspective, as Africans we can’t tell from an advertising perspective, we can’t effectively tell our own stories.
“The networks that sit on the continent are not African networks, they are European networks, or they come from America. So even the stories we are telling among Africans are actually being told for us.”
Mkhwanazi exudes a quiet confidence as he speaks. As a seasoned marketer he knows how to sell his business well, but there’s something else there too — a conviction to do the right thing, to make things right, that I can’t help but admire while sipping this glass of milk.


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China Ban on Crypto Is Not New.
China’s central bank on Friday said all financial transactions involving cryptocurrencies are illegal, making it the umpteenth time the communist nation is cracking down on crypto related spaces. The crypto crackdown, industry watchers claim is avenue China is using to…
Chinese Digital Yuan Records 20K Transactions in its Trial Phase
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Huawei Mate 40 Will Support Digital Yuan Wallet
Huawei Mate 40 will Reportedly Support the new Chinese digital yuan according to Huawei in a recent announcement on the company’s Weibo Channel.
WoToken: Another “Record-Breaking” Chinese Crypto Ponzi Scheme has Emerged
Recent reports suggests that WoToken, another “Record-Breaking” Chinese-based crypto ponzi scheme similar to PlusToken crypto ponzi scheme has emerged
China to Form National Blockchain Committee With Tencent, Huawei, Baidu and Others.
China is looking to take over the blockchain space while the other world powers are still trying to recover from the adverse effects of COVID-19 pandemic.
Images of China’s Central Bank Digital Currency Surfaces the Internet.
Screenshots of the supposed online test wallet for the China’s Central Bank Digital Currency has surfaced the internet following an announcement that its use will be tested in four major cities of China.
World Health Organization Launches MiPasa, a Blockchain Powered Platform to Fight COVID-19.
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Is the Coronavirus Outbreak Affecting the World’s Economy a Chance for Cryptocurrency Adoption?
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Alibaba Cashback System Will Be Rewarding Customers With 5% in Bitcoin.
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Weekly News Overview On Cryptocurrency News.
This is a weekly news round up of events concerning some remarkable happenings around the cryptocurrency community. Mark Zuckerberg testified before the US Congress this week concerning Libra Project. The outcome of the hearing wasn’t interesting because US Congress seems…


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Gingerbread AOSP Being Pushed Right Now!!!
It looks like Christmas is coming a week early for the devs at xda-developers. According to a thread started by XDA member crpercodani, Google has started pushing out the source code for Gingerbread. Last week, we had the SDK hitting the shelves, yesterday we had the first dumps of the Nexus S, and now we finally have the real deal, AOSP (Android Open Source Project). This means absolutely nothing if you are not a rom dev, but in essence, it means that for those who are familiar with the internals of the OS itself, you will have new toys to play with.
The highly possible outcome of this? True Gingerbread roms (not like the SDK versions that we have seen until now) coming at us from all directions. This particular thread was found in the EVO section, which is a very good candidate to be running the new OS in a smooth manner. There will be lots of effort involved due to some preliminary work showing that things like display drivers are different (making the phone sluggish) as well as the usual hicups (no BT, no camera, force closes on… everything, etc). All good things will come in turn, so if you are desperately waiting to have 2.3 as your daily OS, you may have to wait a few weeks.
Nexus S went on sale yesterday morning in the US, running Gingerbread.
Just like I did for Froyo, I’m open-sourcing the matching Android
platform source code, right after the first consumers get their hands
on it. I’m going to start literally right now, and the process will
take a few hours.
You can find more information in the announcement thread.
Want something published in the Portal? Contact any News Writer.


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Internet still reaps bulk of VC funds, but loses ground
Internet-specific companies took $3 billion, or the bulk of the country's venture capital, although its percentage of the total pot is losing ground to the life sciences sector, a study says.
A joint study from Venture Economics and the National Venture Capital Association says venture capitalists invested $10.6 billion in 982 companies in the second quarter — or 61 percent less than a year ago and 12 percent less than in the first quarter.
Of that, Internet-specific companies topped the list at $3 billion of the $10.6 billion, but its overall share fell to 28.4 percent from first-quarter's 34.3 percent, the study days. But medical/health/life sciences went up to 13.8 percent of the total, from 11.2 percent in first quarter and up from 3.95 percent a year ago.
Communications and media ranked third with $1.8 billion or 17.5 percent of the total dollars invested, and computer software and services ran second, at $2.2 billion or 20.9 percent of the total.
Semiconductors/other electronics came in fifth with $842.66 million, or 7.93 percent of total investments.
Within the Internet sector, investments in hardware companies increased 34 percent between first and second quarters, from $208.7 million to $280 million.
Communications/infrastructure ranked second at $1.98 billion, or 18.6 percent of the total Internet investment. The study says VCs invested in 109 companies in this category, with an average $18.18 million per company.
Internet software and tools followed closely with 18.38 percent of Internet investments, or $1.95 billion. Internet-related hardware and Internet services took $279.98 million and $606.16 million respectively.
Finally, VCs were more inclined to invest in expansion stage companies, which pulled in 54.9 percent of the total investment, while early and later stage companies saw slightly decreased percentage. Northern California holds the lead for investment, although its share dropped to 29.5 percent from 34 percent a year ago.


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Oppose tariffs on EU motorcycles parts, and accessories
Sign the petition today!
The Office of United States Trade Representative, as part of a dispute over aircraft subsidies, has proposed 100 percent tariffs on motorcycles imported from countries in the European Union with an engine size between 500cc and 700cc, along with parts and accessories.
The American Motorcyclist Association is joining others in the motorcycling community to oppose the USTR’s latest ill-conceived proposal. Motorcyclists should not be penalized with exorbitant tariffs because of an unrelated trade dispute. Any trade sanctions imposed as a result of this dispute should come from more closely related industries or products.
To oppose this tariff, the AMA is asking our members to sign this petition.
Learn more here…


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A redesigned Android Market will soon provide users with the ability to buy books and rent movies directly from the storefront to their phones, in addition to software sales, as announced by Google.
The Videos app will allow consumers to rent or buy movies without having to download the video online. There are currently about 50 or so movies available, ranging from$1.99 to $3.99, however that number is increasing quickly.
Books purchased from Android Market, as well as movies, are linked to the user’s Google account, granting them access on any compatible device.
As a part of the new design, supplementary categories, like Editor’s Choice and staff picks, will be added to Android Market on phones, though original applications will be still available.
The new service, available for all Android 2.2+ phones and only in the U.S., will roll out in the coming weeks and will resemble the Android Market Website.


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Sony and Panasonic are in discussions to co-produce OLED TVs, according to reports this week from Reuters and the Japan Times.
This year sees the launch of big-screen 55in versions of the ultra-thin next generation TVs from LG and Samsung. Sony and Panasonic have both lost market share to their South Korean rivals.
Sony was an early mover in OLED technology in 2007. However, it held back from mass producing it for the home market as the high-tech TVs came with a very expensive price tag. This period also coincided with the global economic downturn.
Sony has also been developing prototypes of its own new technology, similar to OLED in many ways, which it calls Crystal LED.
A report in April this year suggested that Sony was looking to partner with another company, Taiwan’s AU Optronics, to make OLED TV sets. AU Optronics would still be in a strong position to supply the OLED panels for the rumoured Japanese joint-venture.
While the next batch of large OLED TVs are hardly cheap – Samsung’s version could sell for around £5,400 as reported recently – they are seen as a natural replacement for conventional flat-screen technology, offering a picture quality better than plasma and screens that are even thinner and more energy efficient than LED/LCD.
As with any new technology, prices will fall if production hits the right volume and the consumer demand is there.
Reuters quotes from Masayuki Otani, chief market analyst at Securities Japan, who says, “There’s no question OLED TVs are going to be the mainstream. The issue is price and size of the displays.”
The report also mentions a prediction from research firm IHS Inc, which says that shipments of OLED TVs may grow to 2.1 million sets in 2015, from just 34,000 this year.
Panasonic, which concentrates on plasma for its biggest TVs and LCD for smaller ones, has also been hit badly by falling sales in recent months.
It remains to be seen if the veteran Japanese companies, who have been fierce rivals to date, can successfully collaborate on OLED and catch up with the Koreans by the time the tech goes mass market.


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NEW YORK, April 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- mood33, the premier innovator of hemp-based beverages, today announced the availability of its hemp-infused herbal teas to consumers nationwide. All six of mood33's bliss-inducing flavors, previously sold through brick and mortar stores throughout the East Coast, are now also available through its online store. mood33's herbal teas are infused with organic, U.S.-grown, full-spectrum hemp extract, premium botanicals and real fruit juices to bring consumers the beneficial superpowers of the hemp plant in an enjoyable offering of delicious herbal iced teas.
Available in six delicious mood-specific flavors, each bottle of mood33 contains 33mg of full-spectrum hemp and a unique blend of herbs and botanicals designed to work synergistically to deliver different mood-based "states." mood33's fast-absorbing, nano-emulsion technology allows consumers to quickly experience Joy, Peace, Calm, Energy, Passion or Wellbeing. mood33 utilizes proprietary CBD microencapsulation to ensure its hemp extracts achieve water solubility and increased bioavailability. In addition to being vegan and non-GMO, mood33's line of hemp teas is non-intoxicating, 70 calories or less, and free of preservatives, artificial sweeteners or colors. The convenient and eco-friendly resealable aluminum bottle allows consumers to drink whatever amount they prefer and chill the rest for later.
"After our tremendously successful launch in New York back in November, we are thrilled to expand mood33's availability to all 50 states," said Co-founder Eric Schnell. "Our herbal teas have been well-received by consumers in areas where they're sold. Instead of asking our customers to wait for us to come to them, we're taking advantage of e-commerce and going directly to them."
Consumers across the country can order mood33's Hemp-Infused Herbal Teas in 6 or 12 pack cases directly from their website: www.mood33.com
The complete lineup includes:
- Calm – Lavender & Chamomile
- Joy – Peach & Yerba Mate
- Energy – Raspberry Lemon, Guayusa and Green Tea
- Peace – Watermelon, Mint & Basil
- Wellbeing – Blueberries, Reishi Shrooms & Hops
- Passion – Passionfruit, Hibiscus & Lime
mood33 is a premium, award-winning beverage brand inspired by ancient herbal remedies, Ayurvedic principles and traditional Chinese herbal medicine. mood33 beverages were created to celebrate the mood-based benefits of the hemp plant. Each bottle is infused with synergistic herbs, botanicals and a full spectrum of non-intoxicating hemp cannabinoids known to provide targeted benefits for wellness-seeking consumers. The company is co-founded by veteran beverage and marketing executives, Eric Schnell and Steven Kessler, who created Steaz, the first USDA Organic Certified sparkling tea brand that exited to a strategic buyer in 2016. mood33 received a 2018 Beverage Digest Award and recently won the 2019 ECRM Buyer's Choice Award.


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LONDON: Stryker Corporation, US surgical implant maker is planning a takeover offer for British medical device maker Smith & Nephew that may come within weeks.
Smith & Nephew’s London listed shares rose 7.5 percent in early trading on Wednesday, to give it a market value of 10.6 billion pounds ($16.5 billion). Stryker shares closed up 1.7 percent at $96.61.
Stryker plans to offer a significant premium to Smith & Nephew’s current share price, it could be about 30 percent.
Analysts and bankers have speculated for years that the British company could be an attractive target for a company such as Stryker. The US firm said in May that it was not working on a takeover offer, which meant that under British takeover rules it could not make a bid for another six months.
Michigan based Stryker is not considering a supposed “tax inversion” because of limited tax benefits and political risk.
The bid is still being finalized and the timing could change. There’s also a possibility that Stryker could decide against an offer.


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Solana Labs has just unveiled a ChatGPT plugin that will allow chatbot users to interact with the Solana blockchain (SOL), enabling users to check wallet balances, transfer tokens and purchase non-fungible tokens (NFT).
The explosive debut of OpenAI’s ChatGPT has created an enormous buzz over recent months. Various industries all across the world have already started to deploy ChatGPT into their business modules for improving customer service, boosting employee productivity, generating marketing leads, and acting as an overall valuable business support tool.
As a matter of fact, recent reports reveal that almost half of US companies have started using ChatGPT for commercial success. Recently, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, deployed a ChatGPT-powered chatbot called “Sensei”, on its education platform, Binance Academy, to help users learn about crypto, blockchain, and Web3.
Solana Taps Artificial Intelligence
On April 26, Solana Labs took to Twitter to announce the open-source plugin that will allow users to check wallet balances, transfer tokens, and purchase NFTs from within ChatGPT. The new ChatGPT plugin will work by retrieving information from online sources and interacting with third-party websites to respond to commands requested by the user. In addition, the developer of the Solana blockchain also announced it will provide $1 million in funding for projects that build AI tools on the Solana network.
(1/2) Solana Labs has created an open-source reference implementation for a ChatGPT plugin that lets users interact with the @solana network directly from ChatGPT.
Users will be able to check wallet balances, transfer tokens, and purchase NFTs once ChatGPT plugins are available. pic.twitter.com/08z1IX76zJ
— Solana Labs (@solanalabs) April 25, 2023
The Solana Foundation claims the blockchain’s high throughput and scalability will offer a unique opportunity to build new ideas using artificial intelligence. Furthermore, the company suggested the integration of blockchain technology and AI will help the organization improve and grow effectively.
Solana also shared a screenshot demonstrating that ChatGPT can retrieve a list of NFTs owned by a particular Solana address. Users can also ask ChatGPT to purchase Solana-based NFTs by specifying the price they are willing to pay.
How Can AI Help Crypto Adoption?
Since its public release in November 2022, ChatGPT has become a worldwide phenomenon in a very short span of time. As per reports, it accumulated a whopping 100 million users in just over two months.
Similar to other industries, AI and crypto are trying to combine forces to benefit from each other. It seems ChatGPT can significantly lower barriers of entry to the cryptocurrency segment for blockchain developers, average users, and traders. In regards to developers, the chatbot can write software codes crucial for decentralized finance (DeFi), NFT use cases, running full nodes, checking blockchain status, and many others.
According to a recent report, FalconX, a blockchain and fintech company focused on cryptocurrency brokerage and digital asset trading platforms, is planning to bridge AI and crypto with a bot called “Satoshi”. The fintech firm plans to use the chatbot for offering various services including crypto education and provide generate investment ideas for users based on their historical trading activity.


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Police arrested a suspect in a frightening robbery at a jewelry store in Frederick, Md., thanks to the sharp eye and fast actions of a witness.
The security camera video from Colonial Jewelers on Market Street in downtown Frederick shows three men -- one armed with a handgun -- entering the store Tuesday afternoon, ordering everyone down on the floor, smashing a display case and grabbing handfuls of jewelry. Then they sprayed employees and customers with pepper spray, police said.
A passing motorist saw what was happening through the window and quickly flagged down a police officer.
“The detective, who was in the passenger’s seat, got out of the passenger’s seat, had to run against traffic, went down to the jewelry store just as our robbers were leaving the jewelry store,” Frederick police Lt. Clark Pennington said. “The detective gave chase into an alleyway, where the suspects entered a black pickup truck. That black pickup truck then came at the detective, who had to get out of the way. He was able to get the tag number.”
Detectives worked through the night and arrested 31-year-old Alonzo Lee Meadows in the District early Wednesday morning. They are looking for the other two men.
Police in Arlington, Va., are looking into the possibility that the crime is connected to a similar smash-and-grab at the Zales Jewelry store in Pentagon City Mall Monday.
Colonial Jewelers, which has been in business for 65 years and is considered a landmark in the Frederick community, was still trying to air out the pepper spray Wednesday.


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The semiconductor IP market expanded 25% in 2001 despite the weak global economy and declining sales in the rest of the electronics industry, according to research firm Gartner Dataquest.
In a report today, Gartner Dataquest said revenue in the chip IP market grew to $892 million last year from $713.5 million in the prior year.
The market was dominated again by Cambridge, England-based ARM Holdings PLC, which increased its share to 20% from 18% with sales of $179 million.
Despite ARM's dominance, other market leaders saw their share eroded by the entrance of new companies, Gartner Dataquest said. For instance, No. 2 semi IP supplier Rambus Inc.'s 2001 revenue rose 13%, to $107.3 million from $95.1 million in 2000 but its market share fell more than one percentage point to 12% as newer companies at the bottom of the ladder slowly gained traction.
"The reduction in market concentration is a demonstration of IP market immaturity," said Jim Tully, chief analyst for Gartner Dataquest's Semiconductor Industry Worldwide group. "There was relatively little merger and acquisition activity among market leaders, so new market entrants have tended to dilute the market. This will change as the market matures."


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Roughly 13 months ago, we wrote
a story discussing the importance of Tegra to NVIDIA's future and why the company has devoted so much time and money to it. Just over a year later, NVIDIA
has affirmed that Tegra remains an essential part of its future business model, while tacitly admitting that the number of Tegra/Tegra 2 devices on the market hasn't ramped as aggressively as the company had hoped.
When we pressed for details on why Tegra 2 had largely fizzled
after its impressive debut
at CES last year, company reps told us it wasn't a manufacturing issue or a problem with any part of Tegra 2's silicon. Instead, NV noted that mobile products tend to have long lead times (the new ARM Cortex A-15 we discussed
earlier this month won't actually be selling for several years). The delays NVIDIA has run into have been related to the complexity of working with new partners interested in building cutting-edge devices.
There's been quite a bit of discussion as to whether or not Boxee's recent decision to abandon
Tegra 2 in favor of Intel's CE4100 was an early warning sign on Tegra 2's capabilities, but Team Green's representatives assured us that's not the case. The reason NV and Boxee parted company ultimately had more to do with the capabilities and functions Boxee wanted to integrate. Since it's a set-top box instead of a mobile device, Boxee also had considerably more leeway to consider other low-power solutions—Tegra, at this point, targets devices with a power consumption around one watt; a limit Boxee wasn't constrained by.
LG's upcoming Optimus series will use Tegra technology.
Speaking of Intel, we inquired as to whether or not Intel's Atom had begun swirling the competitive waters, but we were told it hasn't. This isn't entirely surprising; Intel's Atom will need to widely launch on 32nm before it can even begin to mount a challenge in the mobile space, but we were surprised to hear the CPU manufacturer isn't aggressively courting manufacturers now with starry-eyed promises of what Moorestown will be capable of delivering in the future.
Details on exactly which Tegra devices will drop through the end of the year weren't forthcoming. All NV would say to this point is that there are going to be at least a handful of 'interesting' announcements through the end of the year. We've already heard about Tegra 2 powered devices from HTC
, as well as rumors that Dell's Streak 7
will use Tegra 2—it may have taken a little while, but Tegra appears to be gaining momentum. If some or all of these take off, NV could find itself with a fair chunk of market space by the time Tegra 3
becomes available. We're still optimistic about Tegra 2's ability to win market share, despite some delays in bringing products to market—the playing field is still wide open.


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Minister says the govt has taken steps towards promoting digitalisation and established 14 one-stop digital enhancement centres for businesses
by NUR HAZIQAH A MALEK / pic by BERNAMA
MALAYSIA needs to consider itself a start-up nation and has one shot in getting digital adoption right, said Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation (Mosti) Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar (picture).
“Our role in government is to create the national technology mission statement for this, and to create structures to make this happen.
“We create the market for you, and you come in to populate the market with your innovative solutions,” he said in his keynote opening address at the Malaysian Digitalisation Forum 2020 Council yesterday.
In the short term, he said the government has taken steps towards promoting digital transactions and digitalisation, such as the ePenjana credit programme and funds for digitalising small and medium enterprises, and established 14 one-stop digital enhancement centres to facilitate access to financing and capacity building for businesses.
For the medium term, a Digital Economy Task Force (DETF) has been established with the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia (KKMM).
Khairy Jamaluddin said together, Mosti and KKMM have identified 15 work streams under the umbrella of four thrusts in efforts to accelerate the digitalisation of the country’s economy and make Malaysia a digital and high-tech nation.
“The four thrusts in the DETF consist of empowering the people, boosting businesses, stimulating the economy and enabling capabilities.
“The DETF aims to meet once every two months in order to make decisions, break past regulatory hurdles and push through whatever we need to push through, and will ultimately be taken over by the National Digital and Industry 4.0 Council,” he said.
The move will allow the task force to cater to an “across the board” approach while leaving no segments behind.
He said the pandemic has demonstrated the importance of digital readiness, allowing business and life to continue as usual during any future outbreaks.
“Building the necessary infrastructure to support a digitised world and stay current in the latest technology will be essential for any business or country to remain competitive in a post-Covid-19 world,” he said.
The forum was jointly organised by Kuala Lumpur Economic Club and Kingsley Strategic Institute for Asia Pacific to discuss key and strategic questions to help companies adapt and succeed following the new normal.
Topics include the role of digitisation and how it sustains and accelerates economic recovery, the use of artificial intelligence and big data, as well as how e-commerce players can scale up.
He added that there was a lack of an overarching strategy for the “What” and “How”, which stems from the inherent silos, referring to business divisions that operate independently and avoid sharing information, which has been built into the system over the decades.
“Tech adoption in this country has historically been vendor-driven.
“Different ministries will procure different things without a grand blueprint in mind for the Malaysian tech ecosystem, such as company A proposing a solution for problem B, but without taking into account problems C, D or E,” he said.
Due to such process, different tech solutions and silos don’t necessarily integrate well with each other, leaving the country with piecemeal solutions, and not a grand overarching design for digitalisation and tech.
He added that in 2015, there were 81 national policies of which 56 were related to science, technology and innovation, with 458 agencies promoting or implementing them.
“There are 458 agencies. Imagine that. How do you not have silos?
“So, this has left Malaysia with serious problems in terms of digital and tech adoption; we are currently No 41 out of 180 countries on the Digital Adoption Index,” he said, noting the fallout the country is faced with when it comes to adoption.
In Product Innovation and Start-up Skills of the Global Entrepreneurship Index 2018, Malaysia stands at 130 and 99 out of 137 respectively.
In the Global Innovation Index 2019, the country stood at 71th place out of 129 in Knowledge Creation.


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Newspaper Advertising Sales Up 5.1% in 2000
Newspaper advertising sales rose 5.1% to $48.7 billion in 2000, according to preliminary figures from the Newspaper Assn. of America. The association had projected an increase of 5.8% in September before announcing third-quarter sales. The report showed that ad sales slowed in the second half as the U.S. economy cooled. Sales rose 5.7% in the first quarter, 6.8% in the second quarter, 4.3% in the third and 4.1% in the fourth. For the full year, retail advertising increased 2.4% to $21.4 billion, while classified-ad sales rose 5.1% to $19.6 billion. Nonlocal advertising jumped the most, by 14% to $7.7 billion. None of the categories showed a decrease in any of the quarters. In January, the group projected 2001 ad growth of 5.1%. The nonprofit association, based in Vienna, Va., represents the newspaper industry and more than 2,000 newspapers in the U.S. and Canada.


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WASHINGTON — The Consumer Product Safety Commission said Tuesday that Columbia Sportswear Co. is recalling 1,640 “heated jackets” that pose a burn hazard.
The recall involves seven models of men’s and women’s 2012 Columbia Omni-Heat electric heated jackets sold in the U.S. and Canada from May to January. The polyester jackets have two battery packs located in inner pouches that have overheated in two reported incidents — one in Europe and one in Canada. However, no injuries were reported.
Steve Aoki held a presentation, a runway show and outdoor concert for his men's line Dim Mak. Here's a look from his spring 2018 collection, which was titled "Paradise Found." #wwdfashion #wwdmens (📷: George Chinsee)
"It's really hard sometimes. I think I have a reputation for being really tough and aggressive and pushy but I really am a very shy person who wants to be liked, and that's the conflict constantly. There's something that takes hold - I want people to like me, I don't want to be mean - but if I see something that just cries out to be answered, I go for it," says renowned NBC News correspondent Andrea Mitchell. (📷: @axeldupeux)


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Monday, April 2, 2018
2019 Hyundai Santa Fe Offers 3 Engines For U.S.
The all-new fourth generation 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe SUV is powered by a 185 horsepower 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder GDI engine, a 235 horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine or a 190 horsepower 2.2-liter CRDi turbodiesel engine, all mated to a brand-new eight-speed automatic transmission. Safety features include Rear Cross Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist, Blind Spot Detection, Rear Occupant Alert to detect the movements of children and pets and Safe Exit Assist temporarily prevents doors from being opened when a vehicle approaches from behind even when the doors are unlocked. The five-passenger Santa Fe Sport will now be called Santa Fe. The current long wheelbase three-row, seven-passenger model called Santa Fe will be renamed Santa Fe XL for the 2019 model year. The 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe goes on sale in the U.S. in this summer.


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UPDATE: Canada Post resumed parcel pickup from our Nanaimo facility on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020, so patients should see their medical cananbis orders arriving in the coming days. Air quality in British Columbia is still poor, so disruption to postal services may continue this week. For the latest updates, please visit Canada Post’s website under Delivery Service Alerts.
As a result of poor air quality in British Columbia due to wildfire smoke, Canada Post has suspended parcel pickup from Tilray’s fulfilment centre in Nanaimo, B.C., for Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020.
Patients placing orders today may see delays in receiving their shipments. We’ll continue to update you via email and our website as we receive more information from our shipping partner Canada Post.


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Uber and Lyft Refuse to Comply With New California Gig Economy Law
Every state is overdue to block these disruptive companies from circumventing laws that protect consumers and workers, standards and policies submerged by disruption. Just because you rename a function or call call a job something else doesn’t mean you get to be a scofflaw.
A new law that went into effect in California Jan. 1 is supposed to make it harder for companies to hire workers as contractors — but gig companies like Uber, Lyft and the food delivery platform Postmates are refusing to reclassify their fleet of drivers as employees.
Supporters of Assembly Bill 5 claim companies have been exploiting contract workers for years because they aren’t considered employees who get benefits like health coverage and workers’ compensation.
The law touches many industries, everything from trucking to tech to certain medical professions. AB5 does include carveouts for other professions, including dentists and attorneys.


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Auto industry offers donations and assistance to Maui wildfire victims
Auto manufacturers, dealers and more have stepped up with donations and other relief programs in the wake of the devastating wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui, which according to the latest estimates, have left more than 100 dead, 1,000 or more still missing and more than $1 billion in property damage.
Korean automakers Kia and Hyundai have made major donations to relief organizations.
Kia of America contributed $100,000 to the American Red Cross and $50,000 to the Hawaii Community Foundation to support their efforts on the island.
In addition, Ken Garff Automotive Group, owner of seven Aloha Kia dealerships in Hawaii, said it will donate $50,000 to the Hawaii Community Foundation. The dealer group will also provide relief support to its employees and their families, as well as providing six Kia vehicles with drivers for 60 days to assist with logistical needs to the communities of Maui and Lahaina.
“The fires in Hawaii are devastating not only to the local community, they also impact the entire nation, and Kia is dedicated to supporting those in need through our ‘Accelerate The Good’ program,” Sean Yoon, president and CEO of Kia North America and Kia America, said in a news release.
“We hope that today’s donations provide some hope and relief to those directly affected and help speed the recovery and rebuilding process.”
Hyundai Motor America is donating a total of $150,000 to American Red Cross and local Hawaii charities, including Maui Food Bank and the Hawaiian and Pacific Islands Division of the Salvation Army.
“The island of Maui has been devastated by the recent wildfires and our thoughts are with the local and historic communities that are greatly impacted,” said José Muñoz, president and CEO of Hyundai and Genesis Motor North America, in a release. “Hyundai is deeply committed to delivering immediate support to assist in the road to recovery for Maui and its residents.”
Kia and Hyundai are also among a number of manufacturers that have announced programs that include rebates, discounts and payment relief programs for area residents affected by the fires.
That group also includes General Motors, Ford, Toyota and Mazda.
Most of those programs require proof of damage in the form of a valid insurance claim form for vehicle or home damage caused by the fires.
Kia Finance America’s program includes a $1,000 cash rebate on new 2023-2024 Kia models. Hyundai is offering a $1,000 rebate on new Hyundais and $2,000 on new Genesis models with no payments for 90 days on all new APR contracts financed through Hyundai Motor Finance and Genesis Finance.
According to reporting by Carsdirect, Ford is offering employee pricing – one of its largest discounts – to fire victims whose vehicle is a total loss, while GM is providing a $1,000 discount for purchases and $500 off for leases of new Chevrolets, GMCs, Buicks and Cadillacs, and Mazda is offering a $500 discount.
Toyota Financial Services and Lexus Financial Services announced they will provide deferred payments and other payment relief options to their customers in the designated disaster areas.
Assistance is also being provided by Uber and carsharing company Turo.
Uber said it is donating $500,000 to the Hawaii Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund and will match the first $500,000 in donations from its customers made through a donation button on the Uber app.
The company has already begun providing free rides to the Hawaii Convention Center, which is being used as a shelter for evacuees, and said it will offer financial support for area Uber drivers.
“The devastation in Maui is heartbreaking and we all can help do our part. That’s why we are supporting the Hawai’i Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund, and giving riders a quick, easy way to donate right in their Uber and Uber Eats apps,” Julia Paige, Uber’s global head of social impact, said in a press release.
Turo announced it will match donations to the Maui Strong Fund up to $25,000 and said its partner, OpenRoad Foundation, will match up to $10,000.
To donate through that program, visit www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/maui-strong, check the “I would like to give on behalf of an organization” box and indicate “Turo Inc.” as the organization, then sent a screenshot of your donation receipt and send it to firstname.lastname@example.org.
Turo is also offering to pair affected residents with local car owners to provide free short-term car access, including liability insurance. Turo employees have pledged more than $18,000 in Turo credit to the Maui Relief Program to help impacted Maui residents with mobility needs.