text:
Know. Grow. Exit.
Oxford Membership is not for everyone. It is an “in-the-trenches” membership for doers, not dreamers. If you are ready to scale your business and join other world-leading CEO entrepreneurs doing the same, apply for membership.
Get the Oxford Morning Report every day. Click here for a free subscription.
If you can manage a Waffle House, a Wall Street Journal article says, you can manage anything: “In case you’re not familiar, Waffle House is a closely held suburban Atlanta-based chain of 24-hour budget diners in 25 states that invariably reek of bacon. The company does not advertise, rarely changes its menu and refused to take credit cards until 2006. … The company declined to disclose its financials, but most estimates of its annual revenue exceed $1 billion. Waffle House says the share price of its employee-owned stock, which is based on its audited book value, has increased every year for the last 57. The company says it typically opens about 50 new restaurants a year.
“In reality, these statistics attract plenty of managers. And because Waffle House promotes exclusively from within, the good ones are rarely inclined to leave. ‘It’s probably one of the last places where you seriously have the ability to build wealth,’ says Randy Coleman, a former Walmart store manager who defected to Waffle House in 2005. What does it take to be a successful Waffle House manager? Speed, for one thing. To meet the goal of serving every customer in eight minutes or less, the waitstaff doesn’t bother punching orders into a computer. They write them down in a shorthand code and read them aloud to cooks, who remember them by arranging condiments on empty platters. A face-up mustard packet signifies pork chops, for instance. If the restaurant is busy or short-staffed, managers are expected to dive in. The company’s training program teaches them how to analyze P&L statements, but it also prepares them to cook, clean and wait tables.”
Microsoft Japan tested a four-day workweek this summer and saw a 40 percent increase in productivity: “Microsoft’s ‘Work Life Choice Challenge,’ held this August, saw the firm close its doors on Fridays and give its 2,300 employees three-day weekends for the full month to assess the merits of a reduced workweek. Over that period, the firm saw productivity, as measured by sales per employee, rise 39.9 percent compared with August 2018. That boon was thanks in part, Microsoft said, to meetings capped at 30 minutes and an increase in remote conferences. Meanwhile, the firm saw a fall in costs, with 23.1 percent less electricity used and 58.7 percent fewer pages printed over the period. The experiment, which also incorporated self-development and family wellness schemes, recorded largely positive feedback from employees, too, with 92.1 percent saying they liked the four-day workweek, according to the firm.”
The CEO of McDonald’s has been fired for having a consensual relationship with an employee: “[Steve] Easterbrook, 52, had been widely credited with turning around McDonald’s after it posted one of its worst financial performances in years, in 2015. A native of Watford, England, who previously ran the company’s British business, Mr. Easterbrook emphasized technological innovation, striking food-delivery deals with the third-party apps Uber Eats and DoorDash and acquiring smaller companies that specialize in machine learning and artificial intelligence. Last year, Mr. Easterbrook was paid more than $15 million.”
Ethena makes customized sexual harassment training programs: “Ethena doesn’t want employees to ‘knock it out all at once’ in an hour or two of training at the end of each year. Instead, it’s creating what it calls monthly ‘nudges’ that deliver relevant studies and questions—information that can then be used in an all-hands meeting, for example, helping to reinforce its goals. It’s also focused on sending content and questions to people that’s iterative and that evolves based on how an individual responds. A new hire might answer very differently than a sponsor of other women within an organization, for example. It’s a stark contrast to the black-and-white scenarios that every employee is typically presented. (Think: ‘Judy and Brian go to a bar after work.’) … There’s also a heavy focus on analytics. If 60 percent of employees don’t know about a company’s policies around office dating, for example, or employees in an outfit’s marketing department appear to know less about an organization’s values than other departments, Ethena will flag these things so managers can take preventative action.”
A startup called Capital offers founders “venture debt,” which allows them to retain more equity: “Capital’s underwriting technology, dubbed The Capital Machine, determines if businesses have the growth potential necessary for an infusion of debt (by analyzing revenue and other financial considerations), then delivers term sheets within 24 hours. The expedited process cuts out the time-consuming elements of pitching venture capitalists, the company says, allowing businesses to go from zero to $5 million—or more—in a matter of hours. For companies that aren’t ready for a debt round, or that don’t meet Capital’s qualification, the company is offering access to a free calculator that determines the cost of a company’s capital based on their fundraising and valuation data. … Capital charges a five percent to 15 percent flat fee on its capital, investing a maximum of $50 million over time.”
Truepill is one of several startups trying to disrupt the $400 billion pharmacy industry: “Last year its revenue reached $48 million, helped by the fast growth of direct-to-consumer customers like Nurx, which sells birth control, and Hims, which focuses on remedies for hair loss, erectile dysfunction and acne. This year Truepill could double its revenue to $100 million, as it expands its customer base beyond direct-to-consumer medications to prescriptions that treat more serious illnesses. … Pharmacy is a roughly $400 billion business in the United States, yet only recently have entrepreneurs begun tackling the market. In 2013, two young founders launched PillPack, a retail pharmacy startup that was acquired by Amazon last year for around $750 million. Other newcomers followed, including New York City’s Capsule, which grabbed $270 million in funding to do same-day prescription delivery refilled via text.”
If you were forwarded this newsletter, click here for a free subscription.
American manufacturing continues to slide: “The ISM Manufacturing index came in Friday at 48.3 percent, an increase from September’s 47.8 reading, but it was the third consecutive reading below 50 percent, indicating a contraction in the sector. … The news could temper exuberance from an unexpectedly strong report of 128,000 new jobs in October, which had been expected to come in considerably lower due to a strike at General Motors.”
There is a flood of oil coming to market: “And it is not coming from the usual producers, but from Brazil, Canada, Norway and Guyana—countries that are either not known for oil or whose production has been lackluster in recent years. …Together, the four countries stand to add nearly a million barrels a day to the market in 2020 and nearly a million more in 2021, on top of the current world crude output of 80 million barrels a day. That boost in production, along with global efforts to lower emissions, will almost certainly push oil prices down. Lower prices could prove damaging for Aramco and many other oil companies, reducing profits and limiting new exploration and drilling, while also reshaping the politics of the nations that rely on oil income.
“The new rise in production is likely to bring economic relief to consumers at the gas pump and to importing nations like China, India and Japan. But cheaper oil may complicate efforts to combat global warming and wean consumers and industries off their dependence on fossil fuels, because lower gasoline prices could, for example, slow the adoption of electric vehicles.”
The EPA is rolling back Obama-era rules meant to limit the leaching of heavy metals like arsenic, lead, and mercury into water supplies: “The EPA will relax some of those requirements and exempt a significant number of power plants from any of the requirements, according to the two people familiar with the Trump administration plan, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about the new rules. The move is part of a series of deregulatory efforts by the Trump administration aimed at extending the lives of old, coal-fired power plants that have been shutting down in the face of competition from cheaper natural gas and renewable energy generators. Coal ash, the residue produced from burning coal, was dumped for years in holding areas near power plants, largely without regulation, but it came to the public’s attention after spills in North Carolina and Tennessee sent mercury, cadmium, arsenic and other heavy metals from the ash into water supplies.”
Small businesses are bracing for the effects of a federal mandate limiting the use of anonymous shell companies: “The House in October passed a bill requiring most limited-liability companies, among other firms, to tell the Treasury Department who their primary owners are. A companion measure has been introduced in the Senate. The legislation aims to crack down on entities that are used as vehicles for hiding or moving illicit funds. The bills would require companies with 20 employees or fewer and no physical office to provide owners’ names and other personally identifiable information. The House measure calls for annual submissions; the Senate bill gives businesses 90 days to report ownership changes and a year to report changes to addresses or other personal information. …
“Affected companies would likely have to hire accountants or lawyers to make sure they comply, said [Anne] Zimmerman, who also co-chairs a small-business advocacy group that focuses on tax-related issues. Her group hasn’t taken a position on the bill, she said. If enacted, the requirements could result in as many as 30 million beneficial-ownership filings annually, according to a Congressional Budget Office analysis of the House bill published in September. The analysis described the total cost to businesses as substantial without providing an estimate. The House and Senate measures would require companies to submit information about owners who hold at least a 25 percent stake or who exercise substantial control. The information would include names, birth dates, addresses and copies of government identification.”
Silicon Valley is worried about the rise of TikTok: “Late last year, Facebook launched a TikTok clone called Lasso. That app has been downloaded fewer than 500,000 times, mostly in Mexico, according to Sensor Tower. While many videos in TikTok’s endless feed of 15- to 60-second clips have hundreds of thousands of ‘likes,’ the videos in Lasso’s nearly identical feed typically have a few dozen. At YouTube, executives are also considering ways to imitate TikTok, including adding similar video-editing software within the YouTube app, according to a person familiar with the conversations who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the plans are private. Google, which owns YouTube, also held acquisition talks with Firework, a TikTok imitator that is aiming for older users, according to three people close to the talks who requested anonymity because the negotiations were confidential. One of those people said Google decided against acquiring Firework.”
And that’s what’s ahead.


text:
Camera quality has always been a major differentiating factor when choosing between smartphones, but it seems like the competition has gotten more intense over the last few years. Some manufactures like OnePlus and Huawei use sensors with big megapixel counts to stand out from the crowd, while others like Apple and Google rely more on the marriage between hardware and software. With such a tight race for the winner of the camera crown, we’re highlighting three recent YouTube comparisons worth a watch.
In the first video, YouTuber Danny Winget tests out the low-light capabilities of the Pixel 5, iPhone 12 Pro, and Galaxy Note20 Ultra. These phones represent the best that Apple, Google, and Samsung are giving us this year, and this is a great look at how each of these flagships handle nighttime video and photography. Google’s Night Sight, so impressive two years ago, isn’t that unique anymore, and Apple reigns supreme when it comes to shooting crispy video even in dim situations.
In this comparison from Ben’s Gadget Reviews, the latest phones from Apple and Google go up against the Mate 40 Pro, Huawei’s latest warrior in the camera wars. The Chinese manufacturer’s smartphone cameras are known for producing some of the best results around, and the Mate 40 Pro comes equipped with a huge 50MP main sensor that lets an incredible amount of light in. Accompanied by a 20MP ultra-wide and a 12MP periscope lens, it can take shots impossible with Apple’s and Google’s hardware — now if only it had Google apps.
The final video, also from Danny Winget, pits the Pixel 5 against Samsung’s S20 FE and the newest flagship from OnePlus, the 8T. While all of the phones produce great pics, this comparison gives a great look at how each company treats images differently. While Google goes for a more natural look, Samsung leans the opposite way and cranks the saturation sky-high. OnePlus, meanwhile, tends to strike a balance between the two directions.
Google took the still photography game by storm with the “best smartphone camera ever” in the OG Pixel released back in 2016, but the company is still using leaning on a nearly-identical 12MP sensor. Google can do a lot of heavy lifting on the software side, but it’s clear that still photography, previously the Pixel’s knockout punch, isn’t hitting the way it used to — the competition has caught up.
In terms of video, Apple has enjoyed the advantage for years, and while it doesn’t look like that’s going to change anytime soon, competitors like OnePlus, Samsung, and even Google are improving. Taking photos at night is always going to be a struggle due to physics, but Samsung’s night mode on the Note20 Ultra is impressive, making it one of the better choices for low light photography.
I think the moral of the story is that no matter which phone you keep in your pocket, you can’t really do wrong with any modern flagship — but when it comes to capturing under certain conditions, some phones do a lot more right. If you’re craving additional camera comparisons, check out some of our own shootouts here.

domain: news


text:
Analysts and Teekay Tankers’ Upcoming 2Q17 Results
Revenue and earnings estimate for 2Q17
Wall Street analysts estimate that Teekay Tankers’ (TNK) revenue will be ~$84.0 million in the second quarter of 2017 compared to $100.7 million in 1Q17 and ~$139.6 million in 2Q16. Along with a fall in revenues, analysts expect a fall in the company’s EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization).
Interested in TNK? Don't miss the next report.
Receive e-mail alerts for new research on TNK
Analysts expect Teekay Tankers’ 2Q17 EBITDA to be $25.1 million compared to $38.4 million in 1Q17 and $62.7 million in 2Q16. In 2017, revenue is expected to fall 33.0% to $352.0 million from its 2016 revenue of $526.0 million. The 2017 EBITDA estimate for TNK is $124.0 million, which is lower than its 2016 EBITDA of $211.0 million.
A look at TNK’s peers
Below are the 2017 revenue estimates for Teekay Tankers’ peers:
- Frontline (FRO): 30.8% lower YoY (year-over-year)
- DHT Holdings (DHT): 4.5% lower YoY
- Euronav (EURN): 24.8% lower YoY
- Nordic American Tankers (NAT): $207.0 million, or 12.5% lower YoY
According to Reuters, the consensus recommendation for Teekay Tankers is 2.9, which means a “hold.” Currently, 11 analysts are covering Teekay Tankers; there were 14 at the start of the year. Of those 11 analysts, none of them have given it a “strong buy,” and three have given it a “buy.” Six have given it a “hold,” two have recommended a ”sell,” and none have given it a “strong sell.” The consensus target price is $2.28, which implies an upside of 29.2% from the current price of $1.76 on July 6, 2017.


text:
December 20, 2011— Going to a Bangladesh court to settle a dispute is a long-drawn-out process which increases the cost of doing business. Reaching a settlement is also in most cases an unlikely scenario, but with support from the IFC-managed and DFID- and EU-funded Bangladesh Investment Climate Facility, there has been a major breakthrough in this burdensome process.
Bangladesh’s first-ever alternative dispute resolution center, the Bangladesh International Arbitration Center (BIAC), has been launched with IFC’s support. BIAC will help businesses and investors settle commercial disputes out of court in a quick, transparent, and cost-effective manner through a structured and institutionalized mechanism.
A striking feature is that the initiative is led and driven by the private sector - BIAC has been established in partnership with the International Chamber of Commerce - Bangladesh, the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which made a financial contribution in the Center.
In addition to helping establish BIAC, IFC is:
The first public sector agency, the National Board of Revenue, will start piloting Tax ADR (Income Tax, VAT and Customs) in January, 2012 before full rollout.
The economic adviser to the prime minister, Dr. Mashiur Rahman said, “The center will ensure better trans-border business by giving confidence to businessmen. The arbitration process widens opportunity to reach goals for which contracts have been signed."
BIAC will help
Paramita Dasgupta, IFC Regional Business Line Leader, called this initiative a “new paradigm of service delivery for lower cost and speedier resolution of commercial disputes.”
With the establishment of this vital institution, Bangladesh is on course to improve its position in Doing Business in "enforcing contracts."


text:
These are the stocks posting the largest moves before the bell.Market Insiderread more
Allergan shareholders will receive 0.8660 AbbVie shares and $120.30 in cash for each share held, for a total value of $188.24 per Allergan share.Biotech and Pharmaceuticalsread more
Amazon announces that Amazon Prime Day will last for two days, starting July 15.Technologyread more
Home prices in April were 3.5% higher compared with April 2018, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index.Real Estateread more
Joe Biden could face some uncomfortable questions about his record on women this week at the first Democratic presidential debates in Miami.2020 Electionsread more
"What else do you have to do that will actually have to affect the Iranians' calculus?" said Amos Hochstein, who served as U.S. special envoy for international energy affairs...World Politicsread more
FedEx heads into Tuesday afternoon's earnings deep in a bear market. A failure to deliver could mark a massive buying opportunity.Trading Nationread more
Investors are piling into gold, sending the precious metal to a six-year high on Monday, and analysts think the commodity has established a base to go even higher.Marketsread more
Here are the biggest calls on Wall Street on TuesdayInvestingread more
Gold prices hit their highest level in six years on Tuesday as investors plowed into the precious metal amid the prospects of lower interest rates and tensions between Iran...Marketsread more
In a new interview with CBS's Gayle King, Adam Mosseri addressed a common suspicion about how Instagram targets ads.Technologyread more
Dinner is served, and with inevitable food cost inflation, consumers will want to pay more attention to grocery store prices this year.
According to a U.S. Department of Agriculture Consumer Price Index report, food prices are expected to increase by 1.25 percent to 1.75 percent, and food-at-home prices are predicted to increase by .75 percent to 1.25 percent. Meat, poultry, fish, fruits and vegetables will all see similar rises.
A bowl of cereal just became more expensive due to the increase in grain prices and the rising cost of dairy.
Beef prices will remain high due to the amount of time it takes to prepare cattle for sale and the processes of pasture recovery.
(Read more: Where's the beef? Industry at crossroads)
Not to spoil dessert but there is bad news for chocoholics. Due to tight cocoa supplies and the rise in butter for chocolate producers, this will most likely mean higher chocolate prices at the checkout counter in 2014.
—By CNBC's Izzy Best.


text:
Flipbook’s new version of PHP 5 is an update to its 5.1 software, which was released last year and had many bugs and shortcomings.
It has also received widespread criticism because of the lack of updates to its other popular platforms.
The new version also includes improvements to the new Flipbook Mobile apps and the redesigned interface.
Flipbook has also launched a new web-based website called www.flipbooks.com, which includes a collection of features like a new search tool, video editor, and more.
The web site also offers a number of other features, including an email client and an app store, as well as a revamped Flipbook App Store that includes several new features.
I’m looking forward to seeing more features like this as the app continues to grow, I think.
In the coming weeks, I will be taking a closer look at the latest updates and features in the new version.
You can read my review of the new software here.


text:
“We have a rule in place,” said Phyllis Cuttino, director of the Pew Environment Group’s Clean Energy Program. “Now we want to have a discussion on what the rule means to industry. How is the industry going to innovate?”
Cuttino, speaking on September 18 at the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn, introduced a panel of industry experts to discuss the real-world impact of new federal fuel economy and emissions rules, which require a U.S. fleet average of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025.
The application of new fuel-saving and emission reduction technologies, Cuttino said, can help insure that U.S. companies and workers “lead in the development, manufacture and export of advanced vehicles.”
No silver bullet: The panelists presented a variety of approaches underway at auto manufacturers, suppliers, and research organizations. No single technology, they pointed out, can double fuel economy from present standards and also significantly reduce tailpipe emissions.
“There is no silver bullet,” said Andrew Smart, Director of Automotive Headquarters for the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International. “But there is a lot of silver shrapnel.”
Brad Markell, an International Representative from the United Auto Workers, suggested that “advanced conventional technologies,” rather than a rapid shift to hybrid, electric or alternative fuel vehicles, will be key to meeting the new standard.
“Turbocharging and downsized engines will be in 90 percent of the fleet,” he said. “Eight speed transmissions will be in 90 percent of the fleet. High efficiency gear boxes will be in 90 percent of the fleet.”
Lighter cars, stronger glue: Jay Baron, president of the Ann Arbor-based Center for Automotive Research (CAR), said that lightweighting of vehicles is a “technology of choice” for gas-powered, diesel, hybrid and electric vehicles. When a vehicle is lighter, there is less burden on its engine and it can go further on each mile of gas (or each electric charge.)
“Every year, you’re going to see more aluminum in the car,” he said. “You’re going to see aluminum doors in the next year or so.” Composite materials, made of plastics and resins, will also become more common. Carbon fiber, still quite costly, is more likely to be a long-term solution.
In the near term, said Baron, vehicles will be made from mixed materials ‚Äì steel and aluminum and composites. CAR has initiated a Coalition for Lightweighting Materials (CALM) to help companies from different industries ‚Äìauto, steel, plastics and aluminum ‚Äì work together to find solutions. One issue, he pointed out, is developing methods to¬≠¬≠ join materials with different physical properties, creating a business opportunity for the chemical industry. “I see adhesives as an enabler,” Baron said.
Although cars will become lighter, Baron said, government regulators are insisting that all vehicles retain current ‚Äì or improved ‚Äì performance on passenger safety. “NHTSA has said there will be no compromise,” he explained. “That will not be tolerated.”
Sooner than you think: “If you look at where we need to get by 2025,” said SAE’s Andrew Smart, “2025 is tomorrow.” Manufacturers need substantial lead time, he explained, to develop and produce the advance technology needed to meet the new standards.
One limiting factor: The available supply of engineering talent. “The U.S. is 27th in the developed world in terms of engineering graduates,” he said. Educators, industry and government need to work together on “workforce development, attraction and retention.”
More stuff means more jobs: While skilled engineers will be in demand, the requirement to add value to new vehicles will also create jobs for auto workers, said the UAW’s Markell. “If you think about the extra technology that needs to be put on a car,” he said, citing turbochargers as one example, “that’s more stuff. That more stuff has to be engineered by somebody and produced by somebody.”
“If you have eight or nine speed transmissions” which will replace less fuel efficient six-speed models, “somebody is going to make those extra gears. That’s creating business opportunities in the forging and casting industry, extending to second and third tier suppliers.”
New government regulations on fuel economy, he pointed out, are consistent with current consumer demand. “Consumers are starting to look at the price of fuel and factor it into their decisions,” he said. “Five or ten years ago, fuel economy would be way down on the list of reasons” when buying a new vehicle. “Now, no matter what’s happening to gas prices, it’s staying in the top five, sometimes in the top two or three.”
Automakers, said Markell, are adjusting to the new regulatory and market environment. “Almost every announcement about investment in new product comes along with a fuel economy angle.”
Roger Kerson is a Michigan-based media consultant for labor unions and environmental organizations. He was formerly the director of public relations at the United Auto Workers.


text:
HS2 Deliveries to Take 1.5m Lorries from Roads
2 Sep 20
Last week (Tuesday 25th August 2020) saw the first rail freight delivery of aggregate to arrive at HS2's Washwood Heath site in Birmingham.
Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Agreement
16 Jun 20
The CCS is supporting the drive toward a low carbon economy by making it easier for the public sector to buy vehicle charging infrastructure.
Adler and Allan Keep UK Moving
17 Apr 20
Alder and Allan, an environmental risk reduction specialist say they are proud to support the nationwide effort to help organisations keep the UK moving safely and compliantly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
New technology improves safety
9 Apr 20
Inspace Media are helping to create a safer working environment.
Amey bags Transport Scotland project
9 Apr 20
Amey has been awarded a contract from Transport Scotland
Distribution centre underway in Southampton
11 Mar 20
New distribution centre planned for construction at Southampton Port.
A backward glance on transport and logistics infrastructure
6 Mar 20
Review the transport and logistics projects of 2019 ahead of UKIS.
Winvic contracted for logistics facility in Purfleet
21 Jan 20
Winvic to build logistics facility in Purfleet for Ocado.
Exploring the future of electric vehicles in construction
12 Jul 19
Should contractors begin the transition to electric vehicles now?
Department for Transport announces investment in Northern green transport
23 May 19
An investment of over £600M has been announced to provide low-carbon green transport.


text:
Zalando , Europe's biggest pure online fashion retailer, cut its 2018 guidance for a second time in as many months, saying the unusually hot summer and a delayed switch to the fall/winter season weighed on revenue.
Superdry had big news Wednesday with a new fashion fashion initiative to reach the Asos generation and a big new hire, the company having lured Tommy Hilfiger's former global head of womenswear to its brand.
After three collections in Paris, New York’s Proenza Schouler returned rather triumphantly to Manhattan with a revolutionary collection staged somewhat ironically in that bastion of American capitalism, Wall Street.
A European Union tax overhaul to raise levies on large digital firms needs a thorough debate although an agreement could still be found by the end of the year, Germany's Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said on Saturday.
The female-led womenswear company announced on Wednesday that it has closed a $15 million Series A funding round with plans to put the money towards retail expansion, digital growth, technology and personnel.


text:
Redfall fans are reacting to messages that are always online, and they’re not happy
Ahead of Redfall’s release later this year, developers Arkane Studios reached out to say that while the game is single-player, it will have an always-online feature. Players can play the campaign with their fans, but those who prefer to play it alone can see this option through to the end. Following Arkane’s official announcement, fans are unhappy with the constantly online news and have taken to social media to express their dissatisfaction with the practice.
Redfall fans have taken to the Redfall subreddit and Twitter to share their thoughts on keeping the game always online. It’s a mixed perspective for some, but this is coming from those already playing Always Online games, like destiny 2. Many have shared that this is a bad example of an always online game to compare Redfall to because it’s a single player experience.
Comments range from calling Redfall “Died upon arrival“a”no purchase‘ and to share them lost interest in the game. Some have defended this news, saying that several games already have it constant internet connections.
Regardless, most keen Redfall prospects have begun to divert their interest from the game, which could result in a softer launch. Additionally, many fans are curious as to why such features were not separate, making it a single player experience that could take place without the use of the internet. Those who want to play online could turn it on if they want to play with friends.
Arkane Studios has until the May 2nd launch of Redfall to move forward with the community. Given the current news, it looks like many players will hopefully hold off on purchasing the game or cancel their pre-orders. Though a handful of players still plan to purchase the game and play via Xbox Game Pass on release day, launch numbers could be lower than Arkane Studios anticipated following this news. Hopefully that’s enough for them to do something about it, but it’s unlikely that such a drastic change can happen almost three months after launch.
https://www.gamepur.com/news/redfall-fans-react-to-always-online-news-and-theyre-not-happy Redfall fans are reacting to messages that are always online, and they’re not happy


text:
Lily Haik ’22, one of the founders of the new Instagram account @yappoandover, seeks to encourage campus sustainability by promoting the reselling of “preloved” clothing within Andover’s community. The account, she explained, is a demonstration of the official Yappo app that will be launched in the next few months. Currently, the @yappoandover account has more than sixty posts of pre-worn clothing sold for free or at lower prices, rapidly gaining popularity among Andover students who share a passion for fashion.
“I came up with the idea because, in my [Lower] year at Andover, I really loved apps like Depop and websites like Poshmark just because I had so many clothes and things that I didn’t really want anymore but didn’t know what to do with them…I just found it so inconvenient to walk to the post office and ship these things. I also spent a lot of money and didn’t get the same amount of money back… so I started posting things that I wanted to sell on my Instagram story and my Instagram account, and I was getting a lot of attraction from the students here [at Andover], and so that’s when I came up with the idea during Covid-19,” said Haik.
In her time at Andover, Haik has observed the excessive amount of material waste students produce over the year. She believes that through Yappo, where clothing is recycled instead of being thrown in the trash, she can contribute to creating a more sustainable Andover and lowering the clothing consumption rate.
“You know there’s so much clothing waste at Andover, and I’m sure there’s so much clothing waste at all these other boarding schools, especially when you move out during the summer. You have so many things you don’t know what to do with, you don’t want to bring everything home, so I think it’s such an important idea [to address this issue],” said Haik.
With regular purchases and requests to sell clothing, Haik commented that the account has been successful and well-received. However, Haik explained that the purpose of Yappo is not for her profit but to facilitate a space for students to give back to the environment and their communities. She further described the donation feature of the future app that will allow students to donate their profits to charity.
“The whole point is not to make a profit but actually to just have kids re-wear clothes and lessen material waste. A special function of the [future] app is a donation function. Instead of students making profit, you take your profits and donate them directly to a charity…I think so many kids at this school are so privileged, we don’t need to make money out of clothes that we don’t like anymore, I think it’s really important to also learn how not to only give back to the environment but also give back to our communities…,” said Haik.
Haik expressed her excitement for the future of her app and the impact it will make on the Andover community. As she finishes her last year at Andover, Haik hopes that Yappo will be her final contribution to the community that has nurtured her throughout her high school years.
“The actual physical app that you’ll be able to download from the App Store…should be out before summer. This is how I plan to leave my mark at Andover. I really hope to leave this app so other students who love clothes, fashion, trying new things, and keeping our campus sustainable, like me, can use [the app] forever,” said Haik.


text:
02:23 PM, Thursday, July 30
Tax-free weekend in Georgia is tomorrow and Saturday; savvy shoppers around Henry County can take advantage of back-to-school savings. Eligible items include clothing and shoes under $100, school supplies under $20 and computers and software under...
Local organizations, businesses celebrate Americans with D...
01:03 PM, Tuesday, July 21full story
City council still considering Conservation Subdivision or...
12:21 PM, Tuesday, July 21full story
Kroger to donate $60,000 in classroom supplies to teachers
06:35 PM, Monday, July 20full story
DeKalb Chamber to host reception for Superintendent Green
01:27 PM, Monday, July 20full story
Locust Grove to explore outlet mall, downtown connections
12:39 PM, Thursday, July 16full story


text:
World Business Briefing | Asia: Japan: MTV Acquires Its Partner
Published: August 30, 2006
MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom, agreed to buy out H&Q Asia Pacific, its partner in MTV Japan, to consolidate businesses in the country and increase growth. MTV plans to combine the network with Nickelodeon Japan and Flux, its digital media unit, to create a single business in the country, the company said. Viacom, based in New York, is pursuing a strategy of building up digital businesses, such as Flux. ''We're putting everything under one umbrella,'' William H. Roedy, president of MTV Networks International, said in an interview. He declined to disclose what MTV would pay to buy out its partner.


text:
Local organizations preparing for higher Thanksgiving costs
Groceries including meats are higher this Thanksgiving.
BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) - The holiday season is expected to pinch Americans’ pockets more this year. Consumers are seeing higher prices at grocery stores as they prepare for their Thanksgiving meals next week.
Right now the economy is dealing with a perfect storm of circumstances including supply chain problems as well as inflation impacting consumers.
“Beef is up maybe 20% and pork is up maybe 15%,” said Dr. Dennis Jansen, who is the Director of the Texas A&M Private Enterprise Research Center. He is also a Professor of Economics at the university.
With meat prices up, Jansen said that’s impacting not just the turkey dinner but even more so for things like beef.
“Interestingly poultry is not up as much. It’s up, it’s still a pretty high 7.5% but turkeys [are] an exception to that. Apparently turkey prices are up and they’re up closer to 20% than to 10%,” said Jansen.
Local organizations are also seeing their costs go up for their Thanksgiving meals.
Gloria Kennard’s home from the garage to the kitchen is filled with items for her 33rd annual Thanksgiving Fellowship Meal.
“Oh the extra costs is out of sight, if you really want to know it’s too out of sight. But God is making a way and he has made a way for me to be able to purchase some things that I need,” said Kennard.
She plans to serve 600 to 700 meals next week, but getting ready this year is costing more.
“Compared to previous years it’s about $300 more so that’s why during the summer I start writing down what I need,” said Kennard.
Fortunately she has help from lots of generous donors and businesses.
“Area banks, area churches, my family and my friends we all get together and get what I need,” she said.
“Well I think the higher prices are just generally due to the sort of general inflation rate. Some prices go up more than others during a time of inflation, so I think overall the consumer price index is up about 6%,” said Jansen.
For Kennard, the meals will still be made, no matter the cost.
“The plans for this 33rd Thanksgiving meal is for the needy, the sick, the shut in or whoever needs a meal,” Kennard said.
Gloria Kennard’s Thanksgiving Meal is on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 25 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church. It’s located at 310 West M.L.K. Jr. Street in Bryan. It will be a curbside format. If you’d like to contribute you can bring donations there that day.
Copyright 2021 KBTX. All rights reserved.


text:
He’s remade the consumer goods company as a model of responsibility. Can he prove his model works?
Step out of the frigid drizzle into Unilever’s factory outside Liverpool in northern England, and the brightly lit, automated assembly line gleams in stark contrast to the gloom outside. Thousands of bottles shoot down a conveyor belt with a click-clack sound, in a streak of bright purple. Look more closely, and there is an important detail. The new bottle is squatter than the older, taller style on another assembly line, with a smaller dispenser and a label explaining that this version of Comfort brand fabric conditioner is good for 38 washes, rather than the 33 of the last-generation package. The message is clear: Customers need to help save one of earth’s most precious resources—water.
This might appear to be a clever bit of marketing by one of the world’s biggest consumer product companies, and marketing it surely is. But to Unilever, its updated, concentrated liquid is also a crucial innovation. It’s one of countless tweaks underway by the Anglo-Dutch company in its more than 300 factories across the world, which churn out more than 400 brands for 2.5 billion or so customers—an astonishing one in every three people on the planet. Central to these changes is a message Unilever is determined to convey to its investors, as well as to other companies: Big corporations need to change the way they do business, fast, or they will steadily shrink and die.
To most of Unilever’s customers, the state of the world is probably the last thing on their minds as they push their shopping carts through the supermarket, tossing in Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, Dove soap, Lipton tea, Hellmann’s mayonnaise, and other Unilever products. It’s hard to imagine that eco-disasters might someday lead to those items disappearing from shelves. But to Unilever, which was born as a solution to a crisis, the potential for calamity seems real enough. The company got its start in the 1880s, right here in this picture-perfect redbrick village near Liverpool called Port Sunlight—named after the world’s first packaged, branded bar of soap and the company’s founding product. It was created in an effort to stop rampant epidemics and child deaths amid the grinding poverty and squalor of Victorian England. Nearly 130 years later, there is still an acute sense at Unilever that the world needs fixing.
The person most responsible for that feeling of urgency is 60-year-old Paul Polman, the tall, soft-spoken Dutchman who has led Unilever as CEO for the past eight years. Folded into an armchair more than 200 miles south of Liverpool, in the company’s London headquarters on the Thames River, Polman rattles off figures more commonly heard in the UN General Assembly than the C-suite of a company with $58 billion in sales. Indeed, this past November the French government pinned a knighthood on him, not for his ability to drive profits but for his vociferous global campaigning to rein in climate change.
When I meet Polman on a chilly February morning, it’s just a few days after he has released Unilever’s 2016 earnings. Yet he is not particularly interested in discussing the results. (Unilever reported $5.7 billion in net profit for the year on slowing sales growth.) The figures that seem more pressing to him are ones that he’s convinced have greater potential to put his and other companies in peril. More than 160 million children in the world are stunted from malnutrition, he says. Eight million people die prematurely each year from pollution. The world’s richest 1 billion people consume 75% of its natural resources. “We’re wasting 30% to 40% of the food in this world, whilst millions of people go to bed hungry,” he says, as if amazed that the situation is even possible. “Why do we not have the moral courage to attack that?”
Polman hands me just one document to read: a report of the Business & Sustainable Development Commission, a group of CEOs and NGOs that advocates business growth by applying the UN’s development goals. In 2012, Ban Ki-moon, then the UN Secretary-General, picked Polman as one of 26 people to craft 17 goals for the world body—the only business executive in the group. Introduced in 2015, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, include eliminating poverty and gender inequality. When I ask Polman how much time he spends on Unilever business compared with lobbying politicians and heads of state or addressing NGOs, the World Economic Forum, Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, and others, he draws a blank. “To me it is the same,” he says, sipping a cup of green tea. “I don’t separate that. I think it is an integral part of the way we run our business.”
Proving that point is now Polman’s—and Unilever’s—major challenge. There is certainly ample evidence that the world is in trouble. This century has seen an acceleration of global-warming trends, as well as an extreme widening of the gap between the world’s richest and its poorest. But it is less clear whether Polman can succeed in convincing his peers in the business world that it’s their job to fix those problems—or at least, whether he can succeed in doing that during his remaining time as CEO of Unilever. When the company named Marijn Dekkers as its new chairman last year, investors concluded that his first task would be to find a successor to Polman.
If Polman is concerned about his job status, he doesn’t show it—perhaps because he is so intent on making his development strategy work. To the CEO, his logic seems irrefutable. Environmental risks and poverty are fundamental problems for almost every part of business operations, from storing data to manufacturing laundry detergent to growing tea. More customers will begin to shun companies that fail to grasp that, he believes, while businesses that practice gender equality and environmental preservation will inevitably become more profitable. In that sense, he thinks that Unilever can play a vital role in showing other companies the best path forward. “This is not a charity we’re talking about here, you know,” he says. “We are running a business.”
Polman’s embrace of sustainability as a core management principle has helped bolster Unilever’s reputation globally. The consumer goods company ranks No. 38 this year on Fortune’s list of the World’s Most Admired Companies Top 50 All-Stars, up from No. 41 in 2016. It’s the sixth straight year Unilever has made the list, which is determined by surveying thousands of executives and analysts.


text:
Tokens that are not fungible are called non-fungible tokens (NFT). The blockchain stores data that is unique to that token. By selling tokens on cryptocurrency exchanges, you can cash out the proceeds. Based on the capabilities of the distributed public blockchain network Ethereum, Izvestia examined the ten most expensive NFTs projects currently. In this article we will have a look at one of the most expensive NFTs.
Recent Developments in the NFT space
NFT games are the new next big thing? Games like World of Warcraft, whose players number in the millions, have created online economic climates similar to those found in video gaming universes.
The ‘freemium’ design is being applied to a number of free-to-play games, where players must spend money on top of their time and effort to rise through the ranks or gain unusual in-game items. Although these in-game items deserve some coin, the real ownership of these items lies with the game programmers, not the players.
As with regular video games, there are a series of attributes like point scoring, competitions, as well as rules of play however NFT video games are constructed using blockchain technology. Combining these two developments has created GameFi, a service where gamers can trade game assets for cash.
Throughout the game world, proprietors are able to possess as well as sell NFTs, which can be possessed and also purchased by gamers and also collection agencies. Axie Infinity, for example, trades Non Fungible Tokens for each creature or ‘axe’. For instance, Axie’s situation allows gamers to trade their tokens in exchange for crypto benefits, like the native token for the video game. Now Let’s look at one of the most expensive NFTs.
Most Expensive NFTs in the town
“Daily: first 5000 days”
The leading position, according to the latest data, is occupied by the digital collage Everydays: The First 5000 Days in JPEG format (resolution 21,069 × 21,069 pixels). The series was invented by US artist Mike Winkelmann (pseudonym Beeple). The composition with an initial price of $ 100 was sold on March 11 for $ 69.34 million to investor and entrepreneur Vignes Sundaresan, known on the Web under the nickname Metakovan which is one of the most expensive NFTs in the town. For the first time in the history of NFT transactions, the sale was carried out through the reputable auction house Christie’s.
In second place is the three-dimensional kinetic sculpture of an astronaut with the philosophical name “One Man”. The work was created by the same NFT artist Beeple, on November 9, 2021, it was bought at auction for $ 28.985 million by Ryan Zurrer, a venture investor, founder of the Swiss firm Dialectic specializing in cryptoassets which is another one of the most expensive NFTs. The work is a three-dimensional sculpture and a combination of digital images, accessed through the Ethereum blockchain.
CryptoPunk # 7523
The deserved “bronze” goes to one of the CryptoPunks , according to experts, to the first NFT avatar launched four and a half years ago. What started out as a giveaway of gratuitous Punks tokens later became a commercial phenomenon. The most expensive in the set is COVID Alien, which depicts an alien in a protective mask.
The previous owner, known by the nickname Sillytuna, bought a simple 8-bit 24×24 pixel image through an over-the-counter deal. After selling the picture through Sotheby’s for $ 11.754 million, he tweeted: “The NFTs are dead.” Later, he assured the public that he had already spent part of the funds to purchase another piece of art. The buyer is unknown.
CryptoPunk # 3100
In fourth place is another CryptoPunk, avatar number 3100 . On March 11, 2021, it was resold to an unknown person for 4200 ETH ($ 7.58 million). As experts note, the value of CryptoPunk in the secondary market strongly depends on who it is. Let’s say aliens are more expensive than human beings than it can become one of the most expensive NFTs.
The smaller the group of creatures with which the tradable character is associated (for example, there are only nine aliens in the collection) and the more unique its accessories, the more expensive the bargaining item. By the way, “punk” -3100 is the only alien in the collection with a bandage instead of a headdress.
CryptoPunk # 7804
The third CryptoPunk is in fifth place – CryptoPunk # 7804 . He is also an alien, but the only one who smokes a pipe. On March 10 of this year, this NFT was sold for 4.2 thousand ethers, which was equivalent to $ 7.57 million. The purchaser of the masterpiece also decided to remain anonymous and bought one of the most expensive NFTs.
The sixth place is taken by the completely digital work of CROSSROADS of the same Beeple. It was sold for a rather modest $ 6.6 million to a certain Delfina Levkas, known under the nickname BabyBeluga and who describes herself briefly: “greedy for NFT” who suuposedly holds one of the Most Expensive NFTs The sale took place online at the Nifty Gateway digital art cryptocurrency market on February 25 this year.
CROSSROADS video art is dedicated to the 2020 US presidential election and features figures of people moving past the defeated colossus with the characteristic features of Donald Trump. The body of the lying person is covered with offensive inscriptions.
A Coin for the Ferryman
Seventh place for NFT by renowned crypto artist XCOPY. The project was sold to a buyer under the nickname jpeggy on November 4, 2021 on the SuperRare marketplace. The price was 1330 ETH, which is approximately $ 6.03 million at today’s prices. A unique piece called “A Coin for the Ferryman” dates back to 2018 and is one of the earliest creations of this master’s most expensive NFTs.
We give the eighth point to the next picture of Beeple called OCEAN FRONT. P redstavlennaya token NFT, it is part of a series of works titled EVERYDAYS. It is dedicated to the problems of environmental protection, the climate crisis and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. “Together we can work it out,” says the artist in the accompanying caption. By the way, the seller intended to donate the collected money to charity.
The sale took place in March 2021 on the Niftygateway platform. The job for $ 6 million was acquired by an American entrepreneur of Chinese origin, the founder of Tron and the cryptocurrency of the same name, Justin Sun, who now holds one of the most expensive NFTs with multiple companies and a lot of TRX.
CryptoPunk # 5217
The ninth line is occupied by another avatar from the CryptoPunk series, which turned out to be one of the most popular in the NFT field. Experts admit that in the near future the value of this group of tokens is able to jump even higher, since they are actively being bought by some anonymous investor, apparently with a decent capital. CryptoPunk avatar # 5217 was purchased by an anonymous buyer bought one of the most expensive NFTs for 2,250 ETH, or $ 5.4 million.
Closes the NFT rating called “Stay Free”. This token was personally put up for sale by former CIA and NSA special agent Edward Snowden. Bidding took place on the Foundation marketplace. His brainchild is a collage of pages of a court order in which the activities of the NSA were declared illegal. The work was auctioned for 2,224 ETH, which at the close of the auction was $ 5.40 million, again which is one of the most expensive NFTs. The work was bought by a collective of collectors known as PleasrDAO . The proceeds, according to the seller, were to go to the needs of the Freedom of the Press Foundatio, of which Edward Snowden himself is president.


text:
For the second year in a row, RBC was recognized as the Financial Institution of the Year at the Annual Fintech & AI Awards, hosted by the Digital Finance Institute. The awards show, was held at the Carlu's glittering ballroom in downtown Toronto, with hundreds of guests from startups, banks, investment firms, and others from the Canadian tech ecosystem.
The Canadian Fintech & AI Awards celebrate Canadian innovation by recognizing outstanding companies in the regulatory tech, blockchain, AI, and fintech spaces, as well as choosing an Accelerator and Financial Institution of the Year. Canada is at the forefront of financial technology, and the quality of companies nominated for each award was a clear illustration of the creativity and innovation of Canadian entrepreneurs.
Other nominees in the category of Financial Institution of the Year included BMO, Canadian Tire Financial Services, CIBC, Scotiabank, Servus, VersaBank, Steinbach Credit Union, and Vancity.
I had the honor of accepting the award on behalf of RBC and it is humbling to be recognized by our peers & the industry for driving innovation & technology in our core products and services as well as our continued commitment & passion in supporting the Canadian fintech and entrepreneurial ecosystem. At RBC, we're focused on delivering next-generation technology capabilities including data analytics & AI, blockchain, cybersecurity, voice, identity, location intelligence and payments. We are extremely passionate & as committed as ever to playing a big role in the amazing Canadian ecosystem.
I could not be prouder of the the entire Team, coast to coast here in Canada & around the world including the US, UK, Luxembourg, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, China, Hong Kong and The Caribbean.
#OneRBC #RBCproud #OneTeamOneDream
In Demark, the tech ecosystem is thriving. It was named the ‘most digital country’ in Europe according to the 2017 Digital Economy and Society Index. And Forbes expects that this year, Demark will be breaking records when it comes to venture capital raised. While Apple has recently scooped up two Danish startups.
For Canada’s part, the Denmark tech ecosystem is so promising that last year the government of Ontario and the Nordic country penned a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that aims to accelerate the collaboration between the Danish and Canadian fintech ecosystems. The MoU focuses on three main emerging technologies – blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity.
Leading the charge in this pursuit is Copenhagen FinTech, which is the first and largest Nordic fintech working space and incubator. The over 200 startups who work with the incubator receive access to the extensive Copenhagen FinTech network, which stretches from across Norway, Sweden and Finland to other global hubs in Silicon Valley, the United Kingdom, and Singapore. The lab also offers mentorship to member companies and three-month incubation programs for ambitious entrepreneurs to develop their ideas into viable fintech companies. The Nordic region’s tech ecosystem is internationally renowned in emerging technologies like AI, blockchain and cybersecurity – technologies that RBC believes will fundamentally impact the future of banking.
At RBC, we’re committed to investing in and collaborating with the fintech community. That’s why we’ve signed on as Copenhagen FinTech’s first North American Global Partner sponsor.
With the ambition of building new relationships between Demark’s startups and key players in Ontario’s fintech community, we’re one of the first Canadian companies to help usher in a new era of collaboration between these two ecosystems.
Since partnering, we’ve seen how vibrant the Nordic region’s fintech community is. We’re excited to continue to learn from the best and brightest minds in the world with the aim of continuing to grow and support Canada’s innovation ecosystem.
Although Crowdfunding volumes in Canada grew 48% from 2013 to 2015 and reached $133m in 2015, it's growing much slower than leading international comparators such as the U.S. and U.K. where online alternative financing volumes are reported at USD 36bn and GBP 3.2bn, respectively. Having said that, the Canadian Market was predicted to reach $190m last year, confirming it to be a genuine source of seed and growth capital for companies seeking funding.
After an amazingly successful VanFunding 2016 in BC late last year, the 3rd annual Canadian Crowdfinance Summit (#CCS2017) is upon us already.
Held at MaRS in downtown Toronto, it is Canada's largest national conference providing the most comprehensive thought leadership, education, networks, funding and investment opportunities to 500+ participants in Canada’s rapidly growing internet finance and fintech crowdfunding industry.
I'm excited to be speaking about the Canadian FinTech ecosystem alongside 75+ experts including Eva Wong of Borrowell, Janet Bannister of Real Ventures and Sue Britton of FinTech Growth Syndicate.
Events like these don't just magically arrange themselves, so a big thanks to the NCFA for once again supporting and educating the wider ecosystem.


text:
Unreleased Sprint BlackBerry Curve 9330 issues already?
In what seems to be a very unconventional move, RIM has published a knowledge base article concerning an issue with its Curve 9330, slated for Sprint customers. What's unconventional you ask? Well, this phone hasn't even been released yet. Nor has there been a release date provided.
The issue at hand is that the Curve 9330 at the time of it's initial launch, may have some problems doing a Master Factory Reset using the ##RTN command. What happens to the phone when doing the ##RTN command? Well, you may possibly lose all preloaded games, other than BrickBreaker and Word Mole. And, your BlackBerry Appworld storefront.
The semi-workaround is to just reinstall App World, but for the games, they're gone for good. This bug seems to be one that many people may not care about, and it seems like RIM doesn't either at the moment.


text:
Snap is adding visual product search to Snapchat to let its users identify products just by capturing them with their phone camera, the company announced Monday morning. Snapchat’s visual search is being powered by Amazon, and consumers will be able to easily order recognized products through the e-commerce giant.
“We’ll be rolling it out slowly, but we wanted to announce it to everyone at the same time,” the company said in a blog post that also called the new feature a test. “Snapchat has always been the fastest way to communicate, and now it’s the fastest way to shop!”
In addition to recognizing products directly, the app will also allow users to scan bar codes as a way to access product information. Once a product is recognized, Snapchat’s app is going to display a product card with some basic information. Users can then tap on the card to open the Amazon app on their phone, and order it there.
Visual product search isn’t entirely new. Amazon has been offering similar features for its users since 2009, when it first introduced book and CD search within its app. The company subsequently rolled out visual search capabilities for additional items, and now offers this feature for all kinds of products.
Snap investors seemed to be intrigued about the feature Monday morning, briefly sending the stock up 3%. However, the upswing wasn’t enough to make up for an extended slide, with shares trading below Friday’s closing price at the time of writing.


text:
On May 4, 2020, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced that the Department of Commerce (DOC) would self-initiate a new Section 232 investigation on imports of laminations and cores made of grain-oriented electrical steel (GOES) to determine whether these imports threaten U.S. national security. Laminations and cores made of this specialty steel are used to make electrical power transformers and transformer regulators.
The announcement of this new Section 232 investigation is interesting because this action reflects the aggressive trends in President Trump’s trade policy, but also shows some restraint.
This new case is the latest self-initiated trade action reflecting the Trump Administration’s aggressive activist role in trade matters. Until President Trump, almost all trade remedy actions were antidumping or countervailing duty actions initiated because the domestic industry filed petitions seeking relief from unfair import competition. President Trump has dusted off rarely used provisions of the U.S. trade law to self-initiate investigations that have resulted in tariffs or other trade measures being imposed on imports on products from China (Section 301), all steel and aluminum imports (Section 232) and washing machines and solar products (Section 201).
In November 2017, DOC even self-initiated an antidumping investigation on common alloy aluminum sheet from China, the first self-initiated case in over 25 years. In August 2019, DOC announced its first ever self-initiated anti-circumvention inquiry into whether the antidumping orders on corrosion-resistant steel (CORE) from China were being circumvented by minor processing performed in third countries such as Malaysia, Costa Rica, and the United Arab Emirates. The announcement of this new Section 232 action is the latest action taken by the U.S. government’s “activist” trade policy. By self-initiating cases, DOC becomes the prosecutor, fact-finder, and judge, essentially abandoning any pretense that it is a neutral government agency that just weighs the facts presented by both petitioners and respondents.
And yet, this new case also shows some restraint in that DOC announced it would still conduct an investigation to collect information and comments to consider whether the specialty steel imports should in fact be considered a national security risk. This is in contrast to President Trump’s proclamation in late January 2020 directly expanding Section 232 duties to cover steel and aluminum “derivative” products, which were mostly steel nails and other types of fasteners and aluminum stranded wires and cables. The Trump Administration did not even bother to conduct a separate investigation or review data on whether such steel/ aluminum derivatives posed a national security threat, even though these products were never considered in the original Section 232 steel aluminum investigations. Appeals were filed challenging that extension of the Section 232 duties to steel and aluminum derivative products, raising due process and other procedural arguments based on the lack of any formal investigation for these derivative products. The U.S. Court of International Trade recently issued some decisions that cast doubt on the legality of the duties applied, at least to steel derivative products. It appears those unfavorable court decisions have now caused DOC to exercise some restraint in this case, such that it at least is going through the motions of conducting a fact-finding investigation before making its determination, instead of arbitrarily extending Section 232 duties to these specialty steel products.
Or it may be the DOC simply recognizes that, regardless of its decision to self-initiate an investigation, there may be a real need to gather actual evidence on the volume of imports, pricing data, and the market conditions for such transformer steel products. In two recent Section 232 cases (titanium sponge, uranium), although DOC found those imports did pose a national security threat, President Trump declined to impose tariffs, quotas or take any other action against those imports, citing concerns for the impact such measures would have on downstream US consumers of those products.
DOC also might have seen the need for a full investigation because the most recent investigation in 2014 on imports of grain-oriented electrical steel resulted in the ITC finding that imports were not a cause of material injury or threat of material injury to the domestic industry. In that case, the ITC found that imports had not taken market share away from the US producers and did not cause any adverse price effects. Given that the prior benchmark resulted in a negative injury determination, DOC perhaps now realizes that it needs some updated factual evidence to support any action it might want to take to impose duties in this new case.
This new Section 232 investigation on specialty steel products is part of a recent spike of new antidumping and countervailing duty (AD/CVD) cases filed since the start of this year. Nearly sixty petitions have been filed on ten products in the first quarter of 2020. Though China has been the target for many of these petitions, other countries that have never or only rarely been targeted previously (e.g., Bahrain, Cambodia, Slovenia) are also named. With the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, our international trade lawyers expect the United States to file more trade remedy actions in the near term. Traditionally, when the economy gets worse, domestic producers often file new AD/CVD petitions, sometimes as a last ditch effort to get protective relief from import competition during hard economic times. But sometimes if imports are not the primary reason for the domestic industry’s woes, there is no amount of duties or tariffs that can salvage an unsalvageable situation.


text:
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, Z Flip 3, and S21 FE could be announced simultaneously in August
The next Galaxy Unpacked event, speculated to happen in August, could be bigger than most Samsung fans have anticipated. It is rumored to be the venue for the announcement of the tech giant’s anticipated devices, including Galaxy Z Fold 2, Z Flip 3, and S21 FE.
How Samsung plans to fill the void of Galaxy Note this year
Samsung had previously made pronouncements that the Galaxy Note series is not getting a refresh device this year. But it appears that August, the usual month when a new Note is announced, will not be uneventful after all.
Korean news agency Yonhap reports that Samsung is planning to fill the void that Galaxy Note will leave in August by announcing three anticipated smartphones that month. Samsung’s two premium foldable phones, Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3, along with Galaxy S21 FE, are reportedly lined up to be announced during an Unpacked presentation in August.
It can be recalled that the Galaxy S21 FE has always been rumored to be unveiled in August. But leaks for Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 have indicated an earlier launch, as both foldable smartphones were expected to launch sometime in July.
However, the report hints at an Unpacked event in the early or mid-August. The Galaxy Z Fold 3, Galaxy Z Flip 3, and Galaxy S21 FE are also rumored to arrive in the market simultaneously by late August.
Samsung reportedly aims for Galaxy foldable phones with lower prices in 2021
The same report also provided potential early insight into these phones’ pricing. Based on a rough translation via Google Translate, the article indicates the Galaxy Z Flip 3’s cost would be lower by 500,000 South Korean won (~$449). The report notes its predecessor was launched with a price tag of 1.65 million won (~$1,481) last year.
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 pricing was not detailed in the report. But Yonhap noted that Samsung is aiming to introduce premium foldable smartphones with competitive pricing. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S21 FE is rumored to cost around 700,000 won (~$628).


text:
By Ken Ryan—Ccould the solution to the huge shortage of truck drivers be self-driving trucks? Some investors seem to think so, as they’ve poured $11 billion into autonomous truck startups over the past two and a half years, including more than $5 billion in the first five months of 2021, according to data and research firm PitchBook.
Traditional truck manufacturers and carriers are signing deals with technology companies, signaling optimism in the self-driving future. Observers say the pandemic has shown how important trucking and logistics are to the economy.
“This is a snowball effect that continues at a steady pace,” said Don Burnette, co-founder and CEO of Kodiak Robotics, a self-driving truck startup, which recently announced investments from BMW i Ventures and tire maker Bridgestone.
The makers of self-driving trucks focus on highways, which are generally wide and smooth, with a constant flow of traffic. They anticipate ramping up drivers at exits to handle the more challenging local streets.
The American Trucking Association said shippers paid $791 billion in 2019 to transport goods by truck. The makers of self-driving trucks say their technology will save shippers money. The Embark company said its self-driving technology, which it hopes to sell to fleet operators as a subscription, will save $0.80 per mile, cutting costs in half compared to human-powered trucks. Human drivers can continue to handle short-haul transport, the companies say, a more localized job that allows them to spend more time at home rather than on the road.
The Plus company, which is testing self-driving trucks in China and the US, said the first trucks will help human drivers do their jobs more safely and collect data as they work. By 2024, the company said it hopes to put that data to work when it pulls humans out of the car. The process will “take time,” said David Liu, founder and CEO.
Recent investor enthusiasm reflects the renewed importance of logistics amid pandemic-related disruptions, including port congestion and driver shortages that have led to shipping delays. “It’s the ‘Amazon effect,’ where everyone felt comfortable getting everything delivered at the click of a button,” said Jim Scheinman, managing partner of Maven Ventures, a start-up company that has invested in the start up Embark.
And yet there is still no real driverless truck – and there may never be. Trucking is one of the deadliest jobs in the US, according to the Labor Department. Because self-driving trucks are huge and go faster than cars on city streets, they need to be able to see further down the road – no small feat of engineering. So far, companies have provided limited demonstrations and pilots of their technology, but all have had safety drivers in the cab.


text:
Retailers dream of a bumper Christmas
The signs are promising that this Christmas will be a bumper one for retailers.
Source: 7pm TV News NT | Duration: 1min 44sec
This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced.
AEDT = Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time which is 11 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)


text:
A lounge chair using 3D concrete printing
While 3D concrete printing is gaining momentum in the construction industry, it seems that technology is also widely used in the arts industry to create complex and unique structures, including furniture. This is the case of this project presented by the designer Philipp Aduatz who worked with the Austrian company Incremental3d to make a chair printed in 3D from concrete.
The International Furniture Fair in Milan is an opportunity to present the latest innovative projects in the sector and some do not hesitate to turn to 3D printing: we were already talking about 3D printed chairs with Nagami but this time, the designer have resorted to 3D concrete printing to design a lounge chair. Aduatz reportedly worked with the company Incremental3d, which developed a 3D concrete printing method, offering more freedom in terms of geometric complexity.
Digital Chaiselongue combines craftsmanship and 3D concrete printing
Together, they have created the ” Digital Chaiselongue “, a concrete chair printed in 3D. They explain that the making of this piece was done in several stages. First, a negative mould was printed in 3D from concrete. This resulted in a number of specific details in the structure, which was then obtained by extruding the concrete mix onto the mould. Once finished, the printing time would have taken less than an hour. Carbon fibres have also been used to reinforce the concrete in some areas, ensuring the stability and tensile strength of the structure in its most sensitive areas. Carbon fibre is indeed a very light material but it is as strong as steel.
After printing the chair, a UV-resistant polyurethane coating have been applied by hand. This last step illustrates how additive manufacturing can be combined with other more traditional ways of working and how the creative process can be automated. Aduatz’s exhibition would focus on this mix of crafts and new technologies; he also created other chairs that would mix different materials and manufacturing techniques.
Find more information about this project on the official website of Incremental3d .
What do you think of this chair printed in 3D from concrete? Let us know in a comment below or on our Facebook and Twitter pages! Don’t forget to sign up for our free weekly Newsletter, with all the latest news in 3D printing delivered straight to your inbox!


text:
In just a few weeks, H&M’s highly anticipated collaboration with Balmain will be available in stores. But clearly, people just can’t wait until then, as images of the line have leaked on the internet.
An Instagram user named Kathryn Swartz Rees found 99 photos of the collection, apparently through a “fluke google search.” And of course, she posted them to her account, which has now been deactivated. However, the images can still be seen on a new account, @balmainxhm.
An H&M spokesperson confirmed the leak to Daily Mail with the following statement: “Images from our Balmain x H&M collaboration have surfaced. We are pleasantly surprised by our fans positive reaction to the collection and we look forward to share more from the #HMBalmaination in the coming weeks.”
Check out more shots from the line below.
Are you feeling it? Balmain x H&M hits stores on November 5.
SOURCE: Daily Mail | PHOTO CREDIT: Instagram


text:
LG Electronics has confirmed that it will launch a flagship smartphone on February 26, at Mobile World Congress 2017 in Barcelona, and, we believe, it is the LG G6. The rumour has it that the device will drop G5’s modular design from last year, and that it will not sport Qualcomm’s latest chipset, the Snapdragon 835, because of an exclusivity clause allegedly added by Samsung in the partnership contract both parties signed and agreed upon. As you are aware (or not), Samsung is the manufacturer chosen by Qualcomm to mass produce its Snapdragon 835 chipset using Samsung’s revolutionary 10nm FinFET technology process that nobody else has right now.
While we are still a month away from LG G6’s debut at MWC2017, theVerge managed to get their hands-on a press render that shows the upper body of what the American tech publication claim it is the LG G6.
In terms of specs, the G6 is said to feature glass design wrapped around a metal frame, it will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 821 CPU and backed up by 6GB of RAM. LG’s next flagship smartphone might feature Iris scanning technology, a non-removable battery this time and a 5.7-inch Quad HD+ display with 18:9 aspect ratio (unlike current displays with 16:9 aspect ratio), meaning more screen in a slimmer body.
How do you like this alleged G6 design?


text:
The Hemp Farming Act was passed by the General Assembly and signed by Governor McMaster on March 28, 2019 . As a result, in recent months hemp products are being seen in our community. “CBD Dispensaries” have sprung up across the state and even many gas stations are selling CBD products and the legal implications and issues are growing.
Prosecutors across the country have been put in a precarious position based on legal hemp production. The question is: Does the smell of Marijuana alone result in probable cause to search? Many prosecutors around the country are leaning towards a higher standard to require the odor plus additional facts to support probable cause.
Unfortunately, we have no case law in South Carolina at this time to tell us where our courts will fall on this issue. Check back for updates!


text:
Perfect Dark Reboot Is Now Being Co-Developed With The Initiative & Crystal Dynamics – Gameranx
Before Microsoft purchased ZeniMax Media, there was a ton of hype about The Initiative. This was a brand new development studio owned by Microsoft. We didn’t know what this studio was working on for a good while, but there were reports of talented industry veterans being hired in. For some fans, it was thought that this could be a studio to turn out some big exclusives for Xbox. Now, of course, we know that the studio is working on a reboot of the classic Perfect Dark franchise.
Perfect Dark is an action game, and it’s been around since 2000 for the Nintendo 64. There have been some attempts to get this franchise into the limelight since the days of the Nintendo 64. First, we had 2005’s Perfect Dark Zero and then in 2010 a remastered edition of Perfect Dark. Now another attempt is coming out with a reboot to the franchise. This should be a first-person action thriller set in a futuristic world. Unfortunately, we haven’t seen much of this game quite yet, so details are scarce.
With that said, there is some new news regarding the video game project. Perfect Dark is being co-developed now. It looks like alongside the team over at The Initiative, Crystal Dynamics will be lending a hand. While The Initiative may be a brand new studio, you likely know who Crystal Dynamics are. This studio was first started up in 1992, and you might know them best for their work on the Tomb Raider franchise.
While the studios are working on the upcoming Perfect Dark reboot, it doesn’t look like the game is close to being done. The Initiative tweeted out that they are still in early development, so we’re likely waiting a good while. With that said, you can check out the reveal trailer in the video embedded above.


text:
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court
on Wednesday allowed a plea challenging the Reserve Bank of India
's) 2018 circular which barred banks from trading in cryptocurrencies.
"Trading in cryptocurrencies now will be allowed," the top court noted.
In April 2018, the RBI had issued a circular barring banking and financial services from dealing in virtual currency or cryptocurrency
such as Bitcoin
, most valued cryptocurrency in the world.
Cryptocurrencies are digital currencies in which encryption techniques are used to regulate the generation of currency units and verify the transfer of funds, operating independently of a central bank.
The RBI had stated that virtual currencies (VCs) (cryptocurrencies and crypto assets) "raise concerns of consumer protection, market integrity and money laundering." In view of the associated risks, banks were asked not to deal with crypto-related businesses.
This circular was challenged by an industry group Internet and Mobile Association of India (IMAI) before the SC.
"Investments had stopped and start-ups were staying away from starting business in the crypto and blockchain space in India which will change now that the Supreme Court has said that the RBI circular was unconstitutional," Nischal Shetty, CEO of WazirX, an Indian cryptocurrency exchange, tld news agency Reuters.
However, the industry still faces hurdles as a government panel, appointed to look into the matter, has recommended that India ought to ban all private cryptocurrencies. In July, the panel also recommended a jail term of up to 10 years and heavy fines for anyone dealing in digital currencies.
The government though is yet to act on these recommendations and is yet to finalse regulations around cryptocurrencies.
On several occasions, the government along with the central bank, had cautioned the public about the risks of cryptocurrencies. If the government follows the panel's recommendations, it could signal the end of the road for these digital currencies in India.(With Reuters inputs)Watch Supreme Court allows cryptocurrency trading, cancels RBI's 2018 circular


text:
Monacart.com is a worldwide catalog of online daily papers. The thought behind the website was started because of our conviction that an index of online daily papers is more helpful than an independently bookmarked daily paper. News customers use the Web to discover an assortment of conclusions and points of view. A online news directory or site satisfies this need & promotes constant usage.
According to Google examination it comes to more than 150m guests and serves 2 billion site visits each month crosswise over web and portable, with organizations crosswise over news, amusement, sports, neighborhood, online business, classifieds, start-up ventures, nearby associations and the sky is the limit from there. Today, it has a broadened set of 22+ advanced purchaser confronting organizations
From the onset, the objective was to make a worldwide directory of neighborhood news sources of sports news, business news offered by our website. Monacart has driven the Internet upheaval in India and has risen as India’s first web substance, running assorted entries and specialty sites.
What’s more, we are additionally helping worldwide associations quick to grow their span in India utilizing our online media stages. The alliances go from permitting associations to speculations and procurement.
Monacart Group is a long standing pioneer in the print business and a developing pioneer in every single other type of media, including radio, TV, magazines, out of home and the sky is the limit from there to publish news about business, sports, economy and other current affairs.
monacart ‘s goal is to become a daily news asset for a worldwide audience. If you would like to get more information then please visit: Monacart.com


text:
At a time when Motorola is gearing up to release the successor to the well-received Moto 360 smart watch, a new photo has cropped up showcasing the successor placed alongside the predecessor to show the exact difference in the exterior.
Motorola recently showed the upcoming smart watch in the form of a video via its official Twitter account and eventually, deleted the tweet. Now, a brand new photo has been uploaded in Facebook by the credible Chinese tipster Hello Moto HK, showing a relatively smaller Moto 360S, when compared to the original Moto 360.
Phone Arena reported citing a source that there will be two variants of the Motorola Moto 360 successor. Apparently, two versions of the smart watch got certificated by Anatel, the Brazilian equivalent of the FCC. According to the official document, the gadgets have been reportedly named Moto 360S and Moto 360L. These devices will apparently be offered in different sizes and with different battery units.
As mentioned earlier, the Moto 360S is seemingly smaller than the predecessor. Phone Arena reported that the original version was a bit bulky on the hands of many users and therefore, the reduction in the size could be a welcome-move.
On the other hand, the Motorola Moto 360L has not been rumored as much as the smaller sibling, however, Phone Arena said that this device is likelyto house a solid 375 mAh battery unit.
The Moto 360S, on the other hand, will reportedly feature a 270 mAh unit, which is a 38 percent reduction in capacity from the jumbo version. Because of the battery size and name, the report said that the Moto 360L could be of the same size as the original Moto 360.
Moreover, the same leak also said that the Moto 360 successor could follow the “flat tire design.” Therefore, the rumor about Motorola opting for a “fully circular design” may not turn out to be true.


text:
DMC Service Inc Selected as ’25 Under 25 Small Business
2018 Class announced
Olathe, KS, December 2017
DMC Service is proud to be one of the 25 small businesses selected by an independent panel of judges for Thinking Bigger Business Media Inc.’s 25 Under 25 Awards.
To be eligible businesses must be Kansas City-area for-profit businesses that have been in operation for at least three years and have fewer than 25 full-time (or full-time equivalent) employees.
The awards will be presented on Saturday, February 24, 2018 at the Marriot Muehlebach Tower in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.
For a complete list of the winners, visit www.25Under25.com.
Founded in 2004, DMC Service, Inc. is proud of our decade plus service to the Kansas City Metro and beyond. Our services include repair, replace and maintain plumbing and HVAC (heating, ventilation, air-conditioning) in commercial and industrial spaces. DMC is a certified woman owned and small business in the States of Kansas and Missouri and City of Kansas City, MO.


text:
The revolution that was not: Gamestop, Reddit and the fleecing of small investors. 2022.James Spencer. Penguin Random House.
In The revolution that was not: GameStop, Reddit and the fleecing of small investors, james spencercurrent editor of the Wall Street Journal and former Credit Suisse stock analyst, outlines the real winners and losers in GameStop’s 2021 short-twitch, who aren’t the winners and losers we’ve been led to believe they are. He takes us through the fascinating events that led to the scarcity and explains how financial and technological mechanisms, like Robinhood’s “free” trading app, made it possible.
The financial media described it as a watershed moment when power returned to ordinary retail investors. Yet despite Wall Street heralding the “democratization of finance,” Jakab argues that it is still Wall Street, and not your everyday retail investor, who is the ultimate winner of the stock meme revolution.
The class of investors that became the primary target of intense contempt at WallStreetBets were short sellers, who may have taken a permanent hit. Because shorting on social media can now be made easier, for portfolio managers and traders, shorting has become much riskier. Short sellers now know that they can be “attacked” by a motley crew of retail traders. This development will likely reduce short interest in the future. And because short positions play a critical role in maintaining pricing efficiency, a reduction in short interest is likely to lead to more bubbles in the future, bubbles in which the most likely buyers will be everyday retail investors.
A mid-2020 estimate of the average time a stock is held, according to the author, dropped to less than half a year from the eight years of the 1950s. Stocks now change hands about 17 times more than in the decade. of 1950. Although each individual transaction is less expensive due to the elimination of commissions and a reduced gap between the purchase and sale price, the new crop of retail investors, including those who facilitated GameStop’s short adjustment, will leave a significant amount of money on the table as part of your active trading. The combination of more common retail investors in the market plus their belief that they can outsmart the market is probably a boon for Wall Street professionals.
According to Jakab, the democratization of finance and the retail rebellion was an illusion that the financial media accepted too easily. If you take into account people’s propensity to gamble when they first have money and tell them they can make 30 to 50 trades a day for no commission, but you’re selling their order flow, you’re creating a roundabout way for Wall Street earn money. Investor advocates like the Consumer Federation of America are pushing for rules to protect investors from gut betting and criticizing the free trade model.
Many of the new retail investors will learn their lessons by paying Wall Street tuition in the form of losses. One of the most pernicious effects of young retail investors losing a small sum of money is that they eventually become discouraged from investing. A dollar lost early can be more painful than one lost in midlife due to compound interest. Stock market wealth is already distributed wildly unequally by age, race, and income.
In summary, the author points out that competition and technology have made Wall Street a friendlier and more profitable place for people, as long as they play a game that is not too exciting. If commission-free trading had been around decades ago, Jakab estimates, Warren Buffett could have earned 150 to 200 times more than the broader market. Despite the meme stock revolution, the new boss in finance seems to be the same old boss, and Wall Street is still a place where investors lose too much money when they think they can beat the house.
If you liked this post, don’t forget to subscribe to the Entrepreneurial Investor.
All messages are the opinion of the author. As such, they should not be construed as investment advice, nor do the opinions expressed necessarily reflect the views of CFA Institute or the author’s employer.
Professional Learning for CFA Institute Members
CFA Institute members are empowered to self-determine and self-report professional learning (PL) credits earned, including content in Entrepreneurial Investor. Members can easily register credits using their online PL tracker.
Leave a Reply


text:
After Apple’s third-quarter numbers came in, it seems as though the tech behemoth is on pace to become the country’s first trillion dollar company.
Apple raked in $53.3 billion this quarter raising its market value to $960 billion. Apple could potentially hit the trillion dollar mark by the next quarter when it rolls out its latest line of products. The company saw solid sales across the board, but particularly the iPhone 8 and X, and specifically for customers in China and Japan. Their Q4 is projected between $60 to $62 billion which is roughly a 16-19 percent increase from last year.
Apple continues to look to make products that hit different price tiers according to CEO Tim Cook as he said the company will “continue to provide different iPhones … for folks to meet their needs.”
Apple is the only tech company on the verge of trillion-dollar status. Amazon comes in at a market value of $870 billion, Google comes in at $845 billion, and Microsoft has a market cap of $815 billion.


text:
タグ： #Decentralized Web の検索結果
Donald Trump's recent spat with Twitter over the limits of free speech poses a question: Could decentralized media do better? It hasn't yet, as Civil and TruStory show, but Jack Dorsey wants to test some ideas.
Meet Jeff Morris, Jr., who's the director of product at online dating provider Tinder, but also a venture capitalist in the crypto space.
Cloudflare intends to announce a new cryptography-related product every day this week. The first: a gateway to access the InterPlanetary File System.
The first developer to code alongside Satoshi couldn't stay away from crypto for long. He's now helping to launch a new token.
Blockstack announced app.co, a decentralized app store aimed at bringing together all dapps for users' convenience.


text:
Here's another chance to read this controversial article, which is also the most read-ever piece in RedShark. What do you think?
Ikegami is another manufacturer working with NHK on developing Super Hi-Vision camera kit, and with its latest shoulder-mounted SHK-810 it is also highlighting the astonishing amount of progress made since it manufactured its first 8K prototype back in 2002.
Taken with something of a sense of irony, a camera phone can't do justice to the magnificence of an 8K, 33 megapixel video screen.
Another chance to read about this fascinating debate. This was first published in April 2014. Just because we can do 16 bit, High Dynamic Range, 6K and 8K: does that mean we need it? Here's where to start in the debate
Nokia's trying to establish a big lead in phone camera technology with it's new 1020 that sports a 41 megapixel sensor. Just to put it in video terms: that's an 8K sensor, in a phone!
The future of TV isn't about resolution but immersion. Netflix wants to take us bigger and wider
The current fixation on resolution is misplaced and we’re in danger of missing the point completely when we make films and videos


text:
IT sounds a bit like sending coals to Newcastle or selling refrigerators to the Eskimos.
But one North Wales business which has made its name as a supplier of topsoil is hoping American customers will pile into its chief product.
The big difference is that Dandy’s Topsoil won’t actually be shipping tonnes of the heavy stuff across the Atlantic from Wales.
Instead, it aims to set up a local supplier base in the USA and to handle orders through its Flintshire-based website and e-mail systems.
Company managing director Adam Dandy said a new website was being launched by the business this month with the aim of digging into the American market.
“The site will allow us to use zip codes in American states to source local US suppliers of landscape products such as topsoil, bark and gravel,” he said.
“The customer will then be able to buy through Dandy’s and we will e-mail the order to a local supplier in the States who will then deliver.”
The family business’ e-commerce model has been developed over the past few years and is now used to channel all orders – even those that come in initially by telephone.
The expansion of the business in a bid to break into the American market is expected to help drive growth of the business during 2008.
The company is looking to recruit an additional five staff early this year to take its workforce to around 30.
Turnover in the business, which has its offices and stock area in Sealand, close to the Wales/England border, was close to £1.7m in the financial year to July and is predicted to hit £2m in the current financial year.
One new product added to Dandy’s extensive range of landscaping products last summer made a bit of a splash. Heavy rain and the subsequent flooding across many English counties created an instant market for filled sandbags from the Welsh firm.
Mr Dandy said: “From a business point-of-view, the sandbag orders came in at short notice but at just the right time for us as they helped us through a quiet period when the wet weather meant people weren’t going out to do jobs in the garden.
“We had to take on some extra agency staff to help us meet the orders which were mostly from customers in Gloucestershire and the South East of England.
“We filled the sandbags with Welsh sand – from a quarry near Wrexham.”
The company recently scored its second triumph in the Daily Post’s Achievement Wales Business Awards scheme. It won the Small Business Award in November to add to the E-commerce Award it picked up in the same business competition a year earlier.
“We certainly didn’t expect to win because we were up against some other very good short-listed companies, but we were absolutely over the moon when we did,” said Mr Dandy.