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Pfizer Inc.’s long dependence on the cholesterol pill Lipitor to produce almost one-fifth of the company’s revenue begins eroding today when the drug’s patent protection ends in the U.S.
The next step will be rebuilding the world’s biggest drugmaker into a smaller, faster-moving company that focuses on development of biologic drugs and specialty medicines while expanding sales of existing products, such as Lipitor and the erection drug Viagra, in emerging counties such as China, executives said in interviews.
“We’re not going to be a one-product company,” said Geno Germano, Pfizer’s president of specialty care and oncology, interviewed at the company’s New York headquarters. “We’re poised to deliver significant new pipeline assets in the coming year, and in coming years.”
Pfizer rose 1.6% to $19.40 in New York trading Tuesday, and has gained 11% this year before Wednesday.
The drugmaker is depending on four products to generate $4 billion in new revenue by 2014, said Timothy Anderson, a Sanford C. Bernstein analyst in New York, in a note to clients.
The drugs are Prevnar, a bacterial infection vaccine gained in Pfizer’s 2009 Wyeth purchase; the blood-thinner Eliquis, co- developed with Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.; the rheumatoid arthritis drug tofacitinib; and the cancer drug Xalkori for non- small-cell lung tumors. Pfizer is awaiting U.S. regulatory approval on Eliquis and tofacitinib.
While it’s too early to tell whether those products will reach their potential, they offer “positive data points that should enhance confidence that this company might, just might, be turning a corner,” said Jami Rubin, an analyst with Goldman Sachs in New York, in a telephone interview.
It’s a significant corner. Lipitor, the world’s top-selling medicine, last year had $10.7 billion in sales, a figure analysts have said may drop as much as 70% by 2012.
At the same time, CEO Ian Read is planning to sell or spin off Pfizer’s animal health and nutritional businesses. Those units generated $5.44 billion in 2010 sales, or about 8% of revenue, all of which will vanish when they’re divested.
“Most CEOs want to build empires,” Ms. Rubin said. “Pfizer was a poster child for why bigger isn’t better. I think Ian Read understands that.”
Generic competition to Lipitor is “a major inflection point. They’re going from being the most successful primary-care company on the planet to focusing on biologics and specialty drugs,” she said.
Pfizer said in July it doesn’t anticipate making more announcements about the two units to be divested until 2012, and that any transaction may take as many as 24 months to complete. In the meantime, the company is moving to minimize its initial U.S. losses from Lipitor by making deals with insurers and pharmacy benefit managers to lower the price of the branded drug in return for agreements to block the use of generic copies.
CVS Caremark Corp. said this month it will offer Lipitor exclusively for patients in Medicare, the U.S. medical plan for the elderly and disabled, blocking the use of generic copies. Health insurers, including Coventry Health Care Inc. and UnitedHealth Group Inc., have agreed to similar pacts.
The deals are meant to help Pfizer hold on to as much market share as possible until more generic makers are allowed to begin selling copies of the drug under normal patent procedures after 180 days.
“They’re trying to avoid just a total collapse, since the U.S. is such a big market,” said Christopher Bowe, an analyst with Informa-Scrip Intelligence in New York.
Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc., which has an agreement with Pfizer to produce authorized copies of Lipitor, was scheduled to begin shipping the pills to pharmacies at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, said Charlie Mayr, a company spokesman, in a telephone interview.
Ranbaxy Laboratories, based near New Delhi, is the other generic company entitled to sell generic Lipitor starting Wednesday. It is waiting for manufacturing approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration before it may do so.
At some point soon, Pfizer will shift resources out of Lipitor, said David Simmons, Pfizer’s president of emerging markets and established products.
The company plans to slowly start running fewer advertisements for the drug and will keep up its “Lipitor for You” program, a patient co-pay discount program, only as long as it generates positive results, Mr. Simmons said. “There is some point of diminishing returns,” he said.
The last stand for the branded drug may be in developing countries, Mr. Simmons said, noting that Lipitor “will continue to have a lifespan in China.”
Pfizer hasn’t yet begun marketing products in rural areas of China, he said, a country with 1.3 billion potential consumers. Simmons estimated that only 9% to 10% of patients who could benefit from Lipitor in China were aware of their condition and had been diagnosed, compared with 45% to 50% in the U.S. and Europe.
It remains an open question whether Pfizer will turn to a major acquisition, as it has three times since 1999, if its current plans don’t pan out. The key to changing the company’s pattern on mergers will be whether Pfizer can regularly produce new products, Ms. Rubin said.
“Pfizer has not been able to do that for the last decade,” she said
Seamus Fernandez, an analyst with Leerink Swann in Boston, has estimated that divestiture of the two units could produce as much as $22 billion for the company.
While Mr. Read has said money gained from any deal will be spent on share buybacks, such a move would buck a company trend reaching back to 1999, when the drugmaker acquired Warner Lambert and gained Lipitor.
Since then, the company acquired Pharmacia in 2002 and Wyeth in 2009. In total, the three deals cost the company more than $200 billion.
The key to changing the company’s historic pattern will be whether Pfizer can regularly produce new products, Ms. Rubin said.
“Pfizer has not been able to do that for the last decade,” she said.
Mr. Read’s predecessor, Jeffrey Kindler, told investors he didn’t see an acquisition in the company’s future less than a year before the company announced plans to buy Wyeth for $68 billion. Major acquisitions like the Wyeth deal, though, aren’t viewed by investors as positively as in the past, Ms. Rubin said.
“Consolidation has been a fact of the industry for 40 years, and isn’t going to stop today,” she said. “But the deals that were done for the sake of synergy to accelerate near- term earnings growth, investors aren’t going to reward those.”
Still, even a succession of small new drugs may not be enough to keep investors happy, Bernstein’s Mr. Anderson said in a note to clients. “The ultimate measure of R&D productivity is not just the number of new regulatory approvals, but also the commercial worth of those new compounds,” he wrote.
As part of Pfizer’s effort to slim down prior to the loss of Lipitor revenue, the company has cut spending on research and development from $9.34 billion in 2010 to an estimated $6.46 billion in 2013, Mr. Anderson said.
By 2015, the company will spend just 10% of revenue on drug discovery, the least of the nine drugmakers Mr. Anderson covers, the analyst said.
“Nobody’s cut R&D on an absolute basis as much as Pfizer has,” Ms. Rubin said, calling the decision to make the cuts controversial but necessary.
One solution to the pipeline question may be the type of risk-sharing partnership Pfizer has secured with Bristol-Myers in developing Eliquis, tagged as a $2.5 billion product at its future peak by Barbara Ryan, an analyst with Deutsche Bank Securities in New York, in a note to clients.
The FDA on Tuesday agreed to review the drug with a goal of deciding on an approval by the end of March, the companies said in a statement.


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One billion views a day? That’s a whole lot of the Evolution of Dance, Susan Boyle, and Tron Guy. But it all depends on who’s doing the counting. Officially, according to comScore, YouTube in August had surpassed 10 billion views which, no matter how you slice it, is a whole lot of views. Miguel Helft, of The New York Times Bits blog, notes that this total is only for the United States. If foreign views are tallied it is estimated that the 10 billion number would double. While that leaves YouTube a bit short of the 30 billion that 1 billion a day would produce, it still beats the pants off of second place Microsoft, which played a mere 547 million videos during the same period.
Where does the 1 billion views a day number come from? YouTube itself. In a YouTube blog titled “Y,000,000,000uTube”, Chad Hurley, CEO and co-founder of YouTube, claims YouTube is now the “burger kings of media,” serving up well over a billion views a day. Hurley also notes that the nature of YouTube is changing: “As bandwidth has increased, so has our video quality. As we've started to see demand for longer, full-length content, we've brought more shows and movies to the site.”
For a bit of perspective on all this 1 billion views a day equates to 11,574 YouTube videos started up each second of the day. That’s a whole lot of bandwidth!
The headline “Hulu is going subscription” has been making headlines around the net recently, but as usual, some of these claims are somewhat exaggerated. New Corps. Chairman Rupert Murdoch and NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker indicated that Hulu may indeed one day have a subscription based service, but “no decisions have been made yet”. Inside sources have indicated that Hulu is already beta testing subscription based video services internally, but that this is merely an attempt to hammer out the technical details.
The challenge for Hulu at this point is to successfully find a strategy for transitioning to a paid business model, especially when its popularity was largely fueled by the simple fact that it was the best legal way to get free access to TV shows. Experimenting with new business models isn’t surprising, it’s even healthy, but where it leads is anyone guess. Hulu is also in a great position to watch and learn as Google attempts to implement its paid content. Adding paid offerings to a free online video service may or may not take off, but at least they appear to be letting someone else take the lead.
Either way it doesn’t sound like Hulu will be going subscription anytime soon, but at least it shows they are still dedicated to the future of the service.
UK’s Competition Commission has disapproved Project Kangaroo, a proposed Hulu-esque VOD service, which was supposed to provide video content – mostly free videos - from three of its joint owners, the BBC, ITV and Channel 4. The fear of Kangaroo’s inevitable hegemony led the Commission to veto the alliance. The Commission felt that the video-on-demand service would have resulted in the “loss of competition” between its proprietors.
The three companies expressed their disconsolation in a joint statement. “We are disappointed by the decision to prohibit this joint venture. While this is an unwelcome finding for the shareholders, the real losers from this decision are British consumers. This is a disproportionate remedy and a missed opportunity in the further development of British broadcasting,” the statement reads. Although consumers would have most certainly devoured the service, the Commission's findings appear to be reasonable.
It seems inevitable that ISPs currently training their guns at p2p traffic will soon start fretting over video sharing websites, which are gaining in popularity and gradually conquering more internet bandwidth. November 2008 proved to be another prolific month for online video websites. According to data released by comScore Video Metrix service, there was a 34% year-over-year increase in online viewership in the US in November. A staggering 12.7 billion online videos kept online viewers riveted to their computer screens.
Google websites accounted for 40% of the total views in that month. Google obviously has its Youtube juggernaut to thank for being in the ascendancy. Youtube contributed 98% of Google’s market share. Google websites also triumphed as far as total number of viewers goes with 98 million viewers in November.
One website that has come up by leaps and bounds is Hulu, which retained the 6th spot in the high-stakes online video market in November 2008. Hulu scored a major victory over its competitors by emerging as the website with most riveting videos as the average duration of each video viewed at Hulu was 11.9 minutes – way higher than the industry average of 3.1 minutes.

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Sales of luxury homes rose 41.6% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2021, crushing sales of affordable homes (7% increase) and mid-priced homes (5.9%), per a recent report from Redfin.
Redfin defines “luxury” homes as selling for an average of $975,000, “expensive” homes as selling for an average of $429,000, “mid-priced” as selling for an average of $272,000, “affordable” as selling for an average of $184,400, and “most affordable” as selling for an average of $99,000.
The study showcases both sides of the COVID-19 crisis, with affluent Americans taking advantage of low mortgage rates and the ability to work from anywhere, and buying up high-end houses — particularly in popular vacation destinations. Meanwhile, many lower-income Americans have lost their jobs and lack the means to become homeowners.
Likewise, middle- to lower-income homeowners are thinking twice about selling their home for fear of being unable to afford a new home, per Daryl Fairweather, Redfin chief economist. The typical luxury home that was for sale during the first quarter spent 61 days on the market — 38 fewer days than the same period in 2020. That’s compared to 26 fewer days for expensive homes, 18 fewer days for mid-priced homes and 14 fewer days for affordable homes.
When looking at the largest markets in the U.S., the biggest increase in luxury-home sales in the first quarter was Miami, with sales up 101.1% from a year earlier. Miami was followed by San Jose(up 92.3%), Oakland (up 82%), and Sacramento, California (up 79.3%) and Las Vegas (up 72.7%).
Lack of inventory, a national housing issue following the onset of the pandemic, isn’t an issue for luxury homes. In fact, the number of luxury homes for sale fell only 5.1% year over year in the first quarter, the smallest decline of all five price tiers. The supply of affordable homes for sale, however, slumped 14.9%, and the supply of mid-priced homes dipped 19.8%.
“[Selling] isn’t as big of an issue for luxury homeowners since there’s a relative abundance of high-end homes to choose from,” Fairweather said.
The consequences of low inventory finally caught up with the housing market in February, with tightened supply largely responsible for a 10.6% drop in the number of homes in contract from the prior month, according to new data from the National Association of Realtors. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, echoed Fairweather’s assessment, noting that only the “upper-end market” is experiencing more activity because of reasonable supply.
That’s been the case for Katy Polvorosa, a Redfin real estate agent located in Oakland, California, who said high-end properties are receiving several offers despite the prices.
“Luxury properties, even those in the $3 million range, are getting multiple offers and going for well over the asking prices,” Polvorosa said. “That’s something we haven’t seen before, even though the Bay Area has many affluent residents. Everyone just wants more space and big backyards, whether it’s because they’re stuck at home during the pandemic or because they have a growing family.”
Other markets with interesting luxury home numbers include Denver, where high-priced homes are staying on the market an average of only 14 days; Phoenix, where luxury homes are selling, on average, for 25% more than they did in 2020; Warren, Michigan, which has 73.8% more luxury homes on the market than in the first quarter of 2020; and San Francisco, where luxury homes are averaging nearly $4 million — the highest median price of Redfin’s study — but are still flying off the shelves in only 16 days, on average.


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Although Toyota seems to be a “latecomer” in the development of electric vehicles, this is not a mistake but is in the calculation of the Japanese automaker.
This year, Toyota announced only two pure electric models, in contrast to the ambitious plans of other giants when they want to electrify the entire product portfolio. The Japanese automaker won’t make such a sudden change, at least as long as it’s not ready to focus on electric vehicles.
The reason is not so much from the fact that the market is still young, but based on environmental concerns. According to Automotive News, during Toyota’s annual shareholder meeting, the Japanese automaker explained its reluctance to electrify its products in relation to the issue of reducing carbon emissions, due to a number of studies that determined that the process The process of producing electric vehicles and electric batteries also emits more harmful gases than those from the exhaust pipes of cars using traditional internal combustion.
However, Mr. Masahiko Maeda – Toyota’s Chief Technology Officer – also said that the Japanese automaker still puts the needs of consumers first: “In the end, what matters is what customers choose”.
In the US, electric vehicles make up less than 2% of the auto market, which is a small piece of the pie for manufacturers to scramble. Meanwhile, Toyota’s products will follow the direction of diversifying powertrains in the next 30 years, from gasoline, hybrid, fuel cell and electric vehicles. The options will compete with each other for the top position in the hearts of customers.
The fact that Toyota is not interested in the electric vehicle market does not mean that this manufacturer does not invest in new technology. Toyota’s first electric car model – bZ4x – is expected to officially launch a commercial version in 2022. This is also the first product in a series of seven electric vehicles provided by the Japanese automaker to customers in the US in this year. year 2025.
According to Tien Phong online newspaper


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Africa’s fastest growing music download and streaming platform, Boom Player, which launched on Google Play Store in April 2016 has reached over 1m installs.
This development rightly places Boom Player as the leader of the pack while giving a wide gap to its competing platforms across Africa.
Boom Player has been on a runaway success since it started operations just over a year ago. The service, founded by the giant telecommunications company, TECNO Mobile now has more than 6 million app installations in total thanks to its pre-install strategy. Boom Player boasts of 400k+ Daily Active Users i.e music lovers who actively stream or download songs and videos of their favourite artists.
‘It’s very easy for music lovers to fall in love with the Boom Player app because it gives them what they want. From timely updates of latest releases in both audio and video formats, to lyrics and so many other amazing and interactive features available on the app, it is not a surprise that we have reached this milestone in such a short time, we only just put Boom Player in the Google Play Store 9 months ago, said Oye Akideinde, General Manager of the Mobile Apps Department, TECNO Mobile. ‘A new version of Boom Player app, which will blow our users mind, is also set to be released by March, 2017. Our target is to reach 1M Daily Active Users by December, 2017’, He continued.
Boom Player has become a must-have app for every music lover and a service that every artist needs to latch on to in order to connect with their fans while making revenue for their music sales.
If you’re yet to get on the coolest music streaming and download train in Africa, get the Boom Player app now in Google Play store.


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Waitr Rebrands as ASAP to Align with New Company Strategy
NEW ORLEANS – Waitr has changed its name to ASAP, signaling a new “deliver anything” business model.
The company’s new vision is same-day delivery from any type of business. In preparation for the rebrand, the company accelerated the expansion of its services in recent weeks, signing agreements to launch delivery of a wide variety of items such as alcohol, sporting goods, luxury apparel, auto and electrical parts, and other “need it now” products.
“ASAP expresses our new brand identity, building on our original delivery ethos,” said Carl Grimstad, CEO and chairman of the board of Waitr Holdings. “The strategies we have implemented have reinforced our ‘anything, anywhere ASAP’ vision, making us the go-to company for a wider range of products and services. And of course, our emphasis on working with businesses to make them more successful will never change.”
Among the new business expansions under the ASAP brand is the company’s proprietary in-stadium ordering technology, which allows fans to avoid the typical long lines at stadium concession areas. ASAP has secured exclusive in-stadium mobile ordering agreements with MetLife Stadium, the New York Giants, the New York Jets, the New Orleans Saints, the University of Alabama and Louisiana State University.
Still to be revealed this year will be the company’s new stock ticker symbol aligning with the ASAP rebranding.
The ASAP platform also facilitates access to third parties that provide payment processing solutions for restaurants and other merchants. As of June 30, 2022, ASAP operates in approximately 1,000 cities throughout the United States.


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Inflation rose in food and energy prices, while core inflation fell despite the incipient German VAT effect. There isn’t much evidence of overheating in this news release. Unemployment continues to decline as economies reopen, offering more upside potential for medium-term inflation.
The inflation rate for July ticked back above the European Central Bank’s target, but remember, President Christine Lagarde has made it very clear that the central bank will not respond to temporary inflation. That release did not provide much evidence of stronger structural inflation as core inflation fell from 0.9% to 0.7%. While it rose sharply in Germany due to VAT effects, there was a decline in other countries that more than compensated for this effect.
Non-energy industrial goods inflation, which had risen in recent months, has fallen from 1.2% to 0.7%, suggesting that price pressures related to transportation costs and raw material shortages are not yet leading to rising consumer goods prices. Service inflation only rose from 0.7% to 0.9%, which shows a moderate increase, but certainly does not give the impression of a broad price hike as the economies reopen.
However, that does not mean that inflation worries are over. We assume that both service and goods inflation will rise in the coming months and that food and energy prices have so far exceeded our expectations. This increases the risk of inflation for the coming months.


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AirBridgeCargo sees pharma volumes grow 60 percent in 2018
Jan 23, 2019: AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC) has seen demand for its specialized pharma product - %u2018abc pharma' rise 60 percent year-on-year in 2018, significantly outpacing the market average increase for pharma volumes last year of 10 percent.
The Russian all cargo carrier, part of Volga-Dnepr Group, aims to provide its pharmaceutical customers and freight forwarders with more specialist cool chain solutions in 2019.
Last year, the airline supported its pharma customers by extending its network of IATA CEIV Pharma and Qualified Envirotainer Provider (QEP) certified stations, enlarged the number of temperature-controlled containers it offers to include the latest RAP size units with higher payload capacity, and increased the number of temperature loggers authorised for airfreight transportation.
ABC also provided customers with the ability to request specific equipment to monitor and track each shipment's environment to ensure the integrity of their pharma products throughout the transportation process.
'We plan to develop the close cooperation between the three key cool chain partners %u2013 the airline, freight forwarders and pharma manufacturers %u2013 to ensure we consistently deliver effective logistics solutions which, ultimately, contribute to our shared objective of helping consumers and patients enjoy longer and healthier lives,' stated Fedor Novikov, Global director, Pharma at AirBridgeCargo Airlines.
The carrier started to develop its specialist pharma services in 2016.


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Rostec CEO says Lada cars price rises 9Ц12%, increase moderate
DUBAI, Nov 15 (PRIME) Ц The car prices of RussiaТs car manufacturer AvtoVAZТs Lada brand rose by 9Ц12% in 2021 as the cost of raw materials and electronic components increased, head of Russian state industrial corporation Rostec Sergei Chemezov told reporters at the Dubai Airshow 2021 global fair on Monday.
У(The prices rose by) about the same as with the competitors, or 9-12%, depending on the model Е Global inflationary processes are underway. This means higher prices for almost all raw materials -- steel, plastic, metals, and electronic components. AvtoVAZ has managed to keep the prices as moderate as possible,Ф Chemezov said.
Chemezov did not rule out further price increases for Lada cars until the end of the year, but noted that such an increase would still be moderate and will not dull LadaТs competitive edge.


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There's no question that video is and will continue to be the preeminent media format; all media types, regardless of where they began, now play in the video space, and consumers' collective appetite for it isn't slowing down. We've seen viewers steadily migrate away from linear television and toward on-demand streaming sources. What's interesting to note, however, is that while radio has faced a similar challenge from streaming pure players, it has not declined at nearly the same rate.
In fact, AM/FM radio still accounts for more than half of consumer listening time, according to the Edison Research Share of Ear Report in Q2, 2017. This is due in part to the longer commute times and less use of public transit in the U.S. compared to other countries. For now at least, the car isn't the primary listening location for consumers using streaming audio services. This may well change as more connected cars hit the road and streaming becomes a more frictionless experience.
These are just a few of the insights we uncovered while digging into the world of audio for our latest Media Economy Report, which MAGNA has published bi-annually since 2012, drawing on our proprietary insights, forecasts and expertise within the IPG Mediabrands network.
Other highlights include:
If you're interested in checking out the full report, you'll have the opportunity to do so at CES, where it will be making its debut. After all, a lot of the technology that will enable the evolution of audio will be right there on display. You can pick up a copy at the IPG Mediabrands suite at the Fairway Villa Wynn/Encore, or inquire with one of our colleagues.
Click the social buttons above or below to share this story with your friends and colleagues.
The opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author and/or subject(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillage.com/MyersBizNet, Inc. management or associated writers.


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UK consumers ahead of the curve on contactless payments
British consumers are at the forefront of payment technologies, according to new research. Contactless payments, real-time payments and mobile banking have grown in popularity among UK consumers, while countries such as the USA and Canada continue to lag behind.
The report, published by Payments UK, the trade association for the payments industry, found that by the end of 2015, 3.2m UK consumers had signed up for Paym or mobile banking services, while 41 per cent of UK debit cards had a contactless function, compared with just 26 per cent in Canada, and 23 per cent in the USA.
Maurice Cleaves, chief executive of Payments UK, said: The UK has a great track record of leading where others follow, with both contactless payments and Paym being recent highlights. This report provides a fascinating insight into how much variation exists in consumer payment behaviour around the world and the high level of choice, convenience and protection which UK consumers enjoy, compared with many others around the world.
The UK was the first country in the world to introduce chip and PIN technology in 2006, while countries such as the USA have yet to complete their rollout of the technology.
Real-time internet and mobile payments have been available in the UK since 2008, but there is not yet an equivalent service available in the USA. According to the report, by the end of 2015, 93 per cent of UK adults owned at least one debit card, and 60 per cent owned a credit card.


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It has been suggested that a simple over-the-counter-test could save lives by predicting a user’s “future health”, but some say that the test could do more harm than good.
Beth Blecherman, founder of TechMamas.com, said there are a growing number of apps that not only track children, but can also restrict which apps kids can use.
A drug known as kratom produces a high like cocaine, and can be as addictive as heroin – but is completely legal.
Receipts are not just a record of what you bought; they often contain valuable coupons and offers.
To help cut through the confusion skin care experts pointed out five ingredients that should be on everyone’s shopping list.
The trend puts participants in rooms that range from a toasty 82-degrees to a nearly oppressive 95-degrees, more than 20-degrees warmer than recommended.
More and more these days, veterinarians see pets suffering from the same illnesses that humans do, such as cancer and kidney disease. Now, some dogs and cats are even being diagnosed with depression.
In some cases, worried family members who haven’t heard from their loved ones are taking matters into their own hands.
We know how important a credit report can be. It affects everything from getting a loan, a job, even a date. Now, there’s a new kind of report, so detailed, it reveals your most private information — and it’s all perfectly legal.
There are smartphones and smart devices, but so-called smart pills and other high-tech advances could revolutionize the way your health is monitored.
CBS 2′s Kristine Johnson moderated the debate between incumbent Republican Ed Mangano and Decmoratic challenger Tom Suozzi, who is seeking to get his old job back.
Mary Pat Christie has headed the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund, making recovery possible for many New Jersey residents.
This year, the state did things differently and some homeowners could be missing out on their money.
There is a new type of video game out and it’s one that doesn’t involve violence.
Health and fitness apps designed to help with everything from diet and exercise to monitoring a health condition have been gaining popularity.


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10 Top Tips for Achieving your Goals & Resolutions
When did you last set yourself a goal to achieve? Perhaps a New Year's resolution? What happened? Are you missing out on your dreams and goals? Follow our Life Coach's advice on how to start
For the second year running, Barnardo’s have partnered up with the UK’s number one toy retailer, Argos to launch the very exciting Argos Toy Exchange! The Argos Toy Exchange is a UK-wide initiative to encourage donations of pre-loved unwanted toys which we can sell in our stores in the run up to Christmas.
More than one and a half Olympic size swimming pools of saturated fat will be removed from the nation’s diet over the next year as part of a drive to cut the amount of saturated fat in our food. Almost half of the food manufacturing and retail industry has signed up to the Responsibility Deal Saturated Fat Reduction Pledge by agreeing to reduce the amount of saturated fat in our food and change their products to make them healthier.
Modern men now enjoy a cheeky cuddle as much as women do, new research has revealed. A detailed study found far from being macho characters who hide their feelings, most men are now happy to admit they frequently need a cuddle amid their busy lifestyles and hectic work schedules.
Today marks the launch of the Helpline’s winter campaign and the confidential, free advice service is encouraging low-income households to pick up the phone to get assistance. One in three UK adults and almost half of 16-24 year olds do not ask for help, as they are not comfortable with others knowing their personal circumstances, according to new research conducted by Home Heat Helpline (0800 33 66 99).
Chad Valley explains how your little ones favourite toy could influence their career
Want to know what your little one will do for a living when they grow up - just look at their favourite toys! New research from Argos shows a clear correlation between the toys we enjoyed playing with as children and our future careers. Over 60 per cent of adults who now work in design led jobs, such as architects and designers, said they enjoyed playing with building blocks as a kid, while 66 per cent of those in maths related roles, such as accountants and bankers, said they loved puzzle play.


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Brunswick County's residential real estate market recorded dwindling numbers last year compared to 2021, but the county's Realtors' association describes the data as getting back to normal.
"After an extended period of rapid sales coupled with an extremely low inventory, Brunswick's home sales closed out 2022 with more typical numbers," according to a news release Wednesday. "The number of homes sold and total sales volume both decreased, average sales prices were higher, and homes spent slightly less time on the market compared to 2021."
The number of residential units sold in 2022 dropped 18%, from 6,779 to 5,556.
“After an insane couple of years, our market inched closer and closer to normalcy throughout 2022,” said Cynthia Walsh, BCAR CEO, in the release. “Thanks to continued strong demand and limited inventory, average sales prices increased throughout the year. While total sales volume is slightly down, it’s important to remember that we saw historic, unprecedented numbers in 2020 and 2021. While last year’s numbers may be lower than prior years, overall our market is in strong shape going into 2023.”
Total sales volume decreased from about $2.7 billion in 2021 to $2.5 billion in 2022.
"Average sales prices for the year were up 10.5% compared to 2021, jumping from $398,772 to $440,574. Homes spent an average of 30 days on the market in 2022, compared to 39 days in 2021," the release stated. "New listings were down 11%, from 7,157 to 6,373."
In December alone, new listings, units sold and total sales volume decreased compared to last year.
"To put the numbers into context, December 2022 saw more homes sold than any other December in the past 17 years apart from 2020 and 2021," according to the release.
Total sales volume decreased 25.9% compared to December 2021, from $243 million to $180 million, while average sales prices were up 1.4%, from $439,610 to $445,799, the release stated.
"Luxury homes may have been the holiday gift of the season, with 17 transactions in excess of $1 million and three in excess of $2 million," according to the release. "On the opposite end of the spectrum, there were more than 50 sales below $250,000 in December. Overall, homes are still selling for roughly 97% of their list price."
New listings fell 11.7% in December, from 368 to 325, and the number of units sold dropped 27%, from 553 to 404.
"Homes spent an average of 41 days on the market in December, up from 32 days," the release stated. "The absorption rate, which is the amount of time it would take to sell all available inventory, decreased to less than 2.5 months in December 2022."


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Emperador earned P4.7B in H1
MANILA -Billionaire Andrew Tan-led liquor giant Emperador Inc. booked stable profits during the first semester of the year despite inflationary pressures while revenues pushed higher on strong whiskey sales.
“Our international business is constantly showing stellar performance driven by the single malt whisky portfolio, which continues to be among the fastest growing single malts in the world,” Emperador president Winston Co said in a statement.
From January to June, Emperador’s net income ended at P4.7 billion, lower by 2 percent, while revenues jumped 11 percent to P31 billion.
“The whisky segment’s growth was driven by Emperador’s compelling whisky portfolio, which continued to grow at double-digit rates in the first six months of 2023,” said the company, which owns Scotch whisky producer, Whyte and Mackay.
“The key markets that saw strong double-digit growth rates were Asia and United States,” Emperador added.
Emperador earlier set a full-year capital spending budget of P7 billion, with 85 percent expected to go to the whisky business. Its ongoing projects include the expansion of its whisky maturation complex at Invergordon Distillery in Scotland.
Emperador earlier said this would allow it to store additional 1.5 million casks of maturing hard liquor.
Meanwhile, brandy sales booked growth during the period, although the segment was among those impacted by higher costs.
“And while the brandy segment is facing some headwinds, reinvigorating efforts are in place to ensure long-term growth. After posting banner performances for three consecutive years in 2020, 2021 and 2022, our company believes that 2023 will continue to be a better year,” Co said.
Emperador, which Tan started a small liquor factory in Manila in 1979, is a global liquor conglomerate whose products are available in over 100 countries across six continents. INQ


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Microsoft and Yahoo have signed a search deal, under which Microsoft Bing will power Yahoo's search site, and Yahoo will sell premium search advertising services for both companies.
The deal, which took nearly a year and a half to strike and started with an unsolicited bid by Microsoft to buy Yahoo last February, is aimed at giving the two companies leverage against search giant Google.
Under the terms of the agreement, Microsoft will acquire an exclusive 10 year licence to Yahoo!'s core search technologies, and Microsoft will have the ability to integrate them into Bing, the companies said.
Bing will be the exclusive algorithmic search and paid search platform for Yahoo sites, but Yahoo will continue to use its technology and data in other areas of its business, in particular its display advertising. In fact, each company will continue to maintain its own separate display ad business and sales force, they said.
Yahoo's sales force will have direct relationships with both companies' premium search advertisers, while the self-service ad platform for both companies will be Microsoft' AdCenter, which will continue to set prices for the automated auction process.
Microsoft will compensate Yahoo through a revenue sharing agreement based on traffic generated on Yahoo!'s network of both owned and operated and affiliate sites.
Microsoft is agreeing to pay traffic acquisition costs at an initial rate of 88 percent of search revenue generated on Yahoo's owned and operated sites during the first five years of the agreement. Yahoo will continue to syndicate its existing search affiliate partnerships.
Microsoft will guarantee Yahoo's owned-and-operated revenue per search in each country for the first 18 months following the initial implementation in that country.
Yahoo estimates the agreement will generate approximately $500 million in operating income of and savings of about $200 million in capital expenditures within two years after implementation. These figures are based on current levels of revenue and current operating expenses. The search giant also expects that this agreement will add $275 million to annual operating cash flow.
"This agreement comes with boatloads of value for Yahoo!, our users, and the industry. And I believe it establishes the foundation for a new era of Internet innovation and development," said Yahoo! CEO Carol Bartz.
"Users will continue to experience search as a vital part of their Yahoo! experiences and will enjoy increased innovation thanks to the scale and resources this deal provides. Advertisers will also benefit from scale and enjoy greater ease of use and efficiencies working with a single platform and sales team for premium advertisers. Finally, this deal will help us increase our investments in priority areas in winning audience properties, display advertising capabilities, and mobile experiences."
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said: "Success in search requires both innovation and scale. With our new Bing search platform, we've created breakthrough innovation and features. This agreement with Yahoo! will provide the scale we need to deliver even more rapid advances in relevancy and usefulness. Microsoft and Yahoo! know there's so much more that search could be. This agreement gives us the scale and resources to create the future of search."
Siobhan Chapman, Peter Sayer and Elizabeth Montalbano contributed to this report
More to come


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Back in May, Aston Martin unveiled the CC100 Speedster Concept, a vehicle that pays tribute to the iconic DBR1 race car or the car that won the 1000 km race when it was driven by Sir Stirling Moss. Many of us were impressed by the design of the CC100 Speedster but it appears that many people with lots of money felt the same way. As a result, Aston Martin decided to build 2 CC100 Speedsters and sell them for 500,000 pounds each.
If the first CC100 Speedster is destined for a collection, the second one will get a single type approval by its owner, in order to be driven on public roads.
For those who don’t know, Aston Martin installed the 6.0-liter V12 engine on the CC100, same engine found on the DBS or the V12 Vantage S. Using a six-speed hydraulically actuated automated sequential manual transmission, the CC100 Speedster is able to hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in a little over 4 seconds and has a top speed of 290 km/h or 180 mph.
Challenged with a century of the Aston Martin brand and their award-winning heritage, Design Director, Marek Reichman worked with the brand’s Chief Exterior Designer Miles Nurnberger to create a substantial and worthy tribute to the Aston Martin legacy of sports cars. With the CC100, Aston Martin once again produced an iconic speedster concept that reflects the future of the brand.
Having been designed and constructed in shorter than six months at the brand’s global headquarters in Gaydon. the two-seater made Reichman proud to work with the Gaydon team, together with the leadership of David King, Special Projects and Motorsport Director; and the key supplier, Multimatic Inc.
Ultimately, it turned out to be a fitting tribute to Aston Martin’s award winning legacy. Reichman also said that the project brought out the team’s “creativity and talent” which is further proof that Aston Martin is indeed an “exceptional” manufacturer of luxury sports cars.


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Victor Ugochukwu · Dec 14, 2020 . 5min read
Coinbase Pro to pass off transaction fees to customers amid rising network fees
Effective immediately, Coinbase Pro will charge a fee based on our estimate of the network transaction fees that we anticipate paying for each transaction.
By Victor Ugochukwu · Sep 18, 2020 . 6min read
In a recent update which has come off as a rude shock to Coinbase Pro customers, the exchange announces it will now start passing transaction fees to them due to Ethereum’s persistent network fees.
Coinbase Pro tweeted with its official handle to alert its customers stating that its latest decision takes effect immediately,
Starting today, Coinbase Pro will pass along network fees directly to our customers. These fees (sometimes referred to as “gas fees” on the Eth blockchain) are paid directly to crypto miners that process transactions and secure the respective network.
Historically, Coinbase Pro absorbs the network’s transaction fees to enable a smooth trading experience for its customers. However, even though it brags this to be a unique advantage to many, it still complains. In fact, some users claim that it is the worst exchange in terms of transaction and withdrawal fees. So, with the latest Coinbase Pro update,
Coinbase Pro will charge a fee based on our estimate of the network transaction fees that we anticipate paying for each transaction.
What this means is that the exchange’s transaction fees will now be adjusted based on network traffic. After all, Uniswap which has once overrun Coinbase Pro in daily transactions volume have users paying an outrageous amount as fees. But many have also absolved Uniswap of the blame of gas costs as it is technically not the cause of high network fees but Ethereum saying Coinbase Pro’s new policy is anti-customer. In fact, a Twitter user responding to the thread said:
What a terrible thread. This is the best way to never interact with customers and lose them rapidly hahahahaaa wtf. Uniswap gives millions and you dump a bill on customers…. There’s a lesson here guys
New Coinbase Pro transaction fee policy similar to the Argent Wallet case
The Coinbase Pro latest fees policy, primarily due to network activity on Ethereum, brings to mind another issue. Earlier, we reported on Argent Wallet’s decision to stop supporting free ETH transaction on its product which didn’t go down well with users. Argent launched on the mantra “no transaction fees” but was shaken due to Ethereum’s growth and congestion.
However, similarly, the Argent case might be, Coinbase Pro’s decision comes off as interesting. The exchange boasts of at least 13 million users to 22 million monthly visitors on its website. It is also among the top 5 leading global exchanges which has been operational since 2014. However, it has other products like Custody service, which newer exchanges like Binance overtook it just within a short time of launch.
As at press time, Coinbase Pro’s 24-hour daily trade volume was around $428 million while Uniswap is $413 million.
Follow Cryptodose for daily updates.


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The Giant African Snail is sought after in parts of the world for its nutritional and cosmetic benefits. In Nigeria, some entrepreneurs have found opportunities to export the molluscs abroad. Ciara Lee reports.
- Next story Pope Francis visits Egypt’s embattled Christians
- Previous story Fourth inmate executed in Arkansas


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Meet Chris, Alexa’s New Rival
When you think of virtual assistants, artificial intelligence-based platforms like Alexa and Siri might come to mind. Soon, you might recall the name “Chris” when someone asks you about a virtual assistant. Designed specifically as an in-car assistant, Chris is a new platform from the company by that name.
What makes Chris unique
Whereas the goal of Alexa is to help its owner complete various tasks, Chris goes one step further. It eliminates the hazard of playing with your phone in your vehicle, to help curb the prevalent modern problem of distracted driving.
Unlike many infotainment systems in new car models, Chris’s 2.1-inch LCD screen isn’t a touch screen. It simply displays easy-to-read icons and reacts to both voice and three gestures (a push/pull, swipe, and high-five). It syncs with a phone via Bluetooth so you can use voice commands and gestures to place calls, access playlists, send messages, and initiate turn-by-turn navigation.
Additionally, Chris also works offline. This gives an advantage over Wi-Fi based apps and platforms that stop working as soon as you drive into an area without network coverage.
Celebrity Recognition: Learn more about the Cadillac SUVs that debuted at this year’s show
The story behind the name
But how did the company Chris land on the name “Chris” for the gadget? The company’s founder and CEO Holger Weiss sheds some light on the platform’s christening. “We wanted a gender-neutral name during development. But then we saw the connection with St. Christopher, the patron saint of travelers, and it stuck.”
A secure design
Weiss explained that he and his company designed Chris with maximum user security. The data you provide the gadget when using it can’t be traced back to you. Though, like with any AI-based device, you do have to share some basic information so it can carry out tasks and recognize your behavior patterns and common requests when driving.
Chris is now available via the company’s website. It’s a great investment, especially for those of us who want to make our older car models a bit smarter.
Smart Shopper: Discover whether CPO or pre-owned is best for you
The News Wheel is a digital auto magazine providing readers with a fresh perspective on the latest car news. We’re located in the heart of America (Dayton, Ohio) and our goal is to deliver an entertaining and informative perspective on what’s trending in the automotive world. See more articles from The News Wheel.


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NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Solectron Corp. SLR, -1.27% on Friday said it expects to meet or exceed its previous forecast for first-quarter revenue of $2.6 billion to 2.8 billion. The Milpitas, Ca.-based company said its expected implementation of a new supply chain management program with Cisco Systems Inc. CSCO, +5.50% has been delayed. Solectron also said it still expects to report first-quarter earnings in a range of 4 to 6 cents per share. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call on average expect first-quarter earnings of 5 cents per share on revenue of $2.74 billion. Shares of Solectron closed Thursday at $3.27, up 1 cent.
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One probably shouldn’t expect great quarterly reports from semiconductor companies this month. After sales fell sharply in January, they declined even more in February, according to data provided by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics organization (WSTS). Worldwide semiconductor sales reached 32.9 billion dollars in February, down 7.3 percent sequentially and 10.6 percent annually. In January a sequential decrease of 7.2 percent and a year-to-year decrease of 5.7 percent was seen.
‘Global semiconductor sales fell across the board in February, with all major product categories experiencing drops on a year-to-year and month-to-month basis,’ said John Neuffer, SIA president and CEO. ‘Sales were also down across all major regional markets, as the global industry continues to endure a period of slowing sales following record revenues over the last three years.’
Earlier this year market watchers expected the market to start growing again in the second half of the year. Most forecasts predicted modest growth or decline for 2019 overall. Whether this prediction still holds, we’ll know in a few weeks when the quarterly reports will have been published. Next week, on 17 April, industry bellwether ASML kicks off.


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10 Independence Blvd. in Warren — Courtesy: Cushman & Wakefield
By Joshua Burd
American Equity Partners has sold a nearly 121,000-square-foot office building in Warren, following its 2016 purchase and subsequent upgrade of the property off Interstate 78.
According to Cushman & Wakefield, which arranged the sale, Signature Acquisitions paid an undisclosed price in the transaction at 10 Independence Blvd. The brokers noted that the four-story structure underwent a full renovation that resulted in an updated lobby, common areas, restrooms, a fitness center and other spaces, while the property has a recently constructed, 8,250-square-foot retail site with Warren’s first and only approved drive-through, which will be home to Dunkin’ Donuts, other quick-service restaurants and potential light medical uses.
“American Equity Partners did an exceptional job during their ownership of 10 Independence, not only adding top-quality amenities and finishes within the office building, but also utilizing excess land to develop a brand-new lifestyle and retail pad on the property which will improve the overall office experience,” Cushman’s Frank DiTommaso said. “With an existing major footprint along the I-78 corridor, and particularly within the Exit-33 submarket, Signature Acquisitions was the ideal buyer for this site as they continue to expand their presence locally.”
DiTommaso represented the seller alongside David Bernhaut, Andy Merin, Gary Gabriel and Will Gerlin, also of C&W. For Signature Acquisitions, the 120,623-square-foot building is the latest piece of a New Jersey office portfolio that has grown in recent years, while it’s part of the five-building, 650,000-square-foot Independence Boulevard office park.
“Today’s sale is a testament to the adage ‘flight to quality,’” said David Elkouby, a partner at American Equity Partners. “We completely updated this building using the highest quality materials and incorporated high-end amenities which kept our occupancy at over 95 percent.”


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Future Models - Ford 2011 Ranger
F1 aero aces shape Aussie ute
Formula for success: Former F1 engineers Thorsten Maertens (left) and Neil Lewington show off their aero tweaks on the new Ford Ranger.
Ford Aus employs top F1 aerodynamicists to improve new Ranger’s fuel economy
21 March 2011
TWO engineers with expertise honed in the aero-intense world of formula one racing have turned their hand to the development of a humble ute Down Under.
Former F1 aerodynamics engineers Thorsten Maertens and Neil Lewington were brought into the Ranger program to use racing-style simulation software to fine-tune the ute design and enhance fuel efficiency.
Both men have extensive F1 experience and were lured to Broadmeadows by Ford Australia four years ago.
Mr Maertens was educated in Germany and spent almost six years as a CFD (computational fluid dynamics) engineer at Toyota Motorsport in Cologne before briefly working at Hyundai Motor Europe’s technical centre at Russelsheim.
Dr Lewington studied aeronautics in London and joined Ford Australia after almost five years as a senior CFD engineer at McLaren Racing, where he ended up leading a team of seven engineers working on F1 car development.
Their expertise underlines the commitment that has been made to development of the locally designed and developed Ranger ute, which is due to hit Australian showrooms in both 4x4 and 4x2 variants in double-cab and single-cab configurations in the third quarter.
The Ranger is expected to be powered by a choice of three engines – a 147kW/470Nm 3.2-litre five-cylinder diesel engine transplanted from the Ford Transit, a 2.2-litre 110kW/375Nm four-cylinder diesel and a 122kW/226Nm 2.5-litre version of Ford’s four-cylinder EcoBoost petrol powerplant.
Left: Ford's rear view camera system, which displays within the rear view mirror and is situated in the rear Ford badge.
Ford claims the imported aero gurus performed more than 1000 full-vehicle aerodynamic simulations to perfect the shape of Ranger for fuel efficiency, resulting in a deep front air dam and a small spoiler on the lip of the tailgate.
Mr Maertens, who supervises the aerodynamics team, said the biggest drag reduction came from the front air dam, which limits the amount of flow that goes under the vehicle and effectively cuts the drag by about seven per cent while improving vehicle stability and helping to cool the engine.
“A key challenge was managing the interactions between the air flowing over the roof and the variations of cargo boxes in the Ranger lineup, as this constitutes a significant proportion of the vehicle drag,” said Mr Maertens.
“The pickup’s ride height, especially in the 4x4 models, was another challenge. The higher the vehicle, the more aerodynamic drag it has to overcome. It’s a big number for every millimetre of ride height.”
Working with the designers, the aerodynamics team also reportedly pared the Ranger’s drag coefficient down to 0.40 by optimising the A-pillars, tapering the C-pillars and adding a small spoiler to the top of the tailgate.
Senior aerodynamicist Dr Lewington noted that minimising drag has real-world fuel economy benefits for the customer because about 60 per cent of the power required to cruise at highway speeds is used to overcome aerodynamic effects.
Most of the Ranger design was completed in the computer using CFD before building a full-scale prototype for fine-tuning, reducing wind tunnel testing by a third.
“In Formula One, we chase seconds, or even hundredths of seconds,” said Mr Maertens. “On the Ranger, we chase down every last count of drag.”
Meanwhile, Ford Australia has also called on its global engineering resources to help address the issue of poor rear visibility in high-riding utes when reversing and parking.
The Blue Oval boys have revealed details of a rear view camera system that displays a wide-angle video image within the interior mirror.
Ford claims it was able to access the new reversing camera system because Ranger is the first pick-up to be built under the global ‘One Ford’ strategy, which brings together the company’s engineering expertise from around the world.
The new rear view camera system will initially be available only on premium Ranger models.
Ford will also equip the new Ranger with a conventional Rear Park Assist feature, using ultrasonic sensors in the rear bumper to warn of nearby objects, but again only on selected models in the range.
With the camera-based system, the screen becomes visible in a section of the rear view mirror when reverse is engaged, with marker lines superimposed to show the path of the vehicle based on the current steering angle.
Two yellow lines indicate the total width of the pickup including mirrors, along with a black dotted line that marks the Ranger’s centre line to assist the driver in lining up a tow hook with a caravan or trailer.


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According to a new article from Kotaku, Activision isn’t happy with the performance of Destiny 2 since launch. During the same earnings call, Activision Publishing boss Coddy Johnson revealed that the company wants to “improve the pace of innovation and cadence of in-game content.”
This interpretation is further cemented by the fact that the game maker is currently giving away free copies of Destiny 2 on PC, until November 18th. These kinds of signs don’t paint a positive picture of the game. And it’s now become clear that Activision wants more money from the franchise.
Johnson went on to say:
“We have not yet seen the full core re-engage in Destiny, which has kind of led to the underperformance against expectations to date. Some players we think are still in ‘wait and see’ mode. If you’re in, you’re deeply engaged. If you’re not, we’re hoping now’s the time to bring players back in and win them back.”
The game development company admits that the company has done well in terms of it’s overall revenue. And gamers who tend to dislike microtransactions are definitely skeptical about all of this. There’s this general perception that since Activision made $4 billion on microtransactions last year, one has to wonder how much money is enough for the company and its investors.
Some more cynical interpretations may point to these statements and see the writing on the wall about Activision wanting more monetization in their games. Currently, Destiny 2 players can purchase Silver in exchange for real money and then use that Silver to purchase cosmetics like Bright Engrams and other items. But it remains to be seen how Activision acts on these plans.
But given that the games industry, at least in terms of AAA publishers, is putting a ton of focus on making games more “engaging”, which in these circumstances means a game is intentionally designed to make a game a grind festival of gameplay that isn’t fun, but keeps players hooked through endless gameplay loops. It’s this core idea that seems to drive a lot of publishers to push for increased monetization models that place more pressure on players to cough up more cash. That way, these companies can rake in more money from a smaller playerbase. If Activision jumps into this mentality with Destiny, there’s no telling what it could do to both the quality of the games and the enjoyment of the players.
Destiny 2: Forsaken is available now for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.


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International Cannabis Weekly: 82
- Prohibition Partners announces appointment of French regulatory advisor Paula Cazes.
- Cannabis Europa explores European medical cannabis challenges in Paris.
- Malta MEP calls for a common EU legislative framework for medical cannabis.
- The Academy of Medical Cannabis launches French online education platform.
- Isle of Man to review medical cannabis legislation.
- Austria joins crackdown on CBD products.
- Canopy Rivers completes €11.5 million investment in Italian hemp producer.
- Medical cannabis could appear in Swiss pharmacies in just three years.
- Ukrainian petition for medicinal cannabis gains more than 11,000 signatures.
- German startup Cannamedical secures €15 million for cancer pain-relief treatment.
- Swiss startup begins importing US hemp-based products to EU markets.
- St. Maarten MP requests study on economic impact and benefits of medical cannabis.
- Commonwealth collaboration to boost small-state cannabis opportunities.
- Uruguay in race to become a global leader in medical cannabis exports.
- Future Farm Technologies to expand ownership in Puerto Rico dispensaries.
- Despite progressive cannabis laws, access to medical CBD in Uruguay remains limited.
- New Zealand’s 2020 cannabis referendum could open the door for big business.
- Australia looks to become the world’s leading medical cannabis supplier.
- New Zealand cannabis company secures over NZ$1.3 million in crowdfunding.
- Elixinol buys 60 acres for cultivation in Australia and renames subsidiary Nunyara.
- New Zealand’s Cannasouth secures medical cannabis import licence.
- Asterion applies for medical cannabis licences in Australia.
Rest of the World
- US House Financial Services Committee to hear cannabis banking bill next week.
- Fewer than 60 people in South Africa are legally allowed access to medical cannabis.
- Glassdoor finds US cannabis industry created over 1,500 new jobs in December 2018.
- Canada’s cannabis edible sales could be delayed.
- After the Super Bowl, US cannabis industry is entering into a new era of branding.
- Experts warn of loophole in Thai NCPO’s order on cannabis.
- New York plans to give doctors more freedom to prescribe cannabis.
- US consumers are placing a cannabis order every 8 seconds.
Health & Science
- New study shows that cannabis provides effective autism relief.
- Chronic pain is the main driver of medical cannabis use.
- Football-related head trauma could be treated by cannabis.
- Baby Boomers are one of the fastest growing demographics of cannabis users.
- FSD Pharma and Solarvest to work on algae-based cannabinoids.
The European Cannabis Report™
Prohibition Partners is delighted to announce the launch of The European Cannabis Report™ 4th Edition. The exclusive report examines commercial opportunities and regulatory changes in 33 European states and unpacks the emerging trends and market forecasts for key European cannabis markets. We’d like to thank all our partners for supporting original and independent research that is consistently advancing the European cannabis industry.
Cannabis Europa Paris is underway and the response so far has been incredible. If you were unable to join us at Maison de la Chimie, tickets for Cannabis Europa London will be available from February 11th 2019. Sign up for updates below
News & Insights
Three months after the UK legalised medical cannabis, treatments are being hampered by a lack of doctor training. Medical cannabis can now be issued by the 80,000+ doctors on the Specialist Register of the General Medical Council but the lack of infrastructure, education and legal support for clinicians is stifling patient access.
On the global cannabis industry
International Cannabis Weekly newsletter brings you the most important developments, news and informed commentary on the global cannabis industry. Join our community of 70,000+ subscribers.


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CBD - cannabidiol - is the nonpsychoactive substance in cannabis being hailed as a cure for everything from anxiety and sleep disorders to reducing pain and inflammation and reducing the incidence of seizures. And seniors can't get enough of it.
And it appears there may not be a better market segment for CBD than the aging Baby Boomers suffering from a number of age-related illnesses, namely chronic inflammation and pain. Think arthritis, bad backs and fragile hips. Add to that the generation's long-steeped relationship with CBD's cousin - THC-rich marijuana - and it's no wonder this massive market segment is enjoying Cannabis 2.0.
According to a recent study of seniors over the age of 54, nearly 10 percent said they'd tried CBD for its purported health benefits. More than half who had tried it said they experienced positive results; their quality of life was enhanced after trying it.
More than 40 percent of the seniors surveyed said they used the CBD (drops were the preferred method but some use edibles and capsules) to battle chronic and acute inflammation. Nearly as many said they use it for ongoing pain management; more than 30 percent were using it specifically for pain related to arthritis. Nearly 40 percent said CBD helped with sleep issues.
The seniors say they're seeing benefits; more than 60 percent reported reduced pain while taking CBD and 45 percent said their sleep improved.
From the Organic Authority Files
A number of subjects say they also noticed reduced anxiety and better moods overall, as well.
Seniors aren't just enjoying the benefits of CBD, either. Everyone's favorite DIY-guru-turned-ex-con-turned-Snoop-Dogg's-BFF Martha Stewart is also getting in on the CBD game. The lifestyle mogul will be putting out a signature line of CBD products in the next year.
And country music legend Willie Nelson, known for his love of marijuana, has launched a CBD-infused line of coffee called Willie's Remedy.
“Hemp production in America was stifled for so long, but it could now make all the difference for small independent farmers,” said Nelson. “Hemp isn’t just good for our farmers and our economy, it’s good for our soil, our environment—and our health.”
Related on Organic Authority
Papa John’s Pizza Menu Says Arrivederci to Artificial Flavors and Colors
Pizza Hut Becomes First Major Pizza Chain to Commit to Antibiotic-Free Chicken
Seed Company Sold Bad Seeds to Black Farmers on Purpose, Says Discrimination Lawsuit


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By SEMA Editors
Oracle Lighting has announced that it has won its legal battle against a Chinese-based manufacturer of imitation products after a failed appeal process by the defendant. According to Oracle Lighting’s attorney, the defendant appealed the lower court’s decision in a last-ditch effort to circumvent Oracle Lighting’s patent based on their argument that they had developed the design prior to Oracle Lighting. However, the defendant withdrew the appeal following an appeal hearing in which the Appeals Court judge told the defendant that their position “can hardly be supported”.
Shortly after Oracle Lighting unveiled its Vector LED Grill System at a trade show in 2017, Chinese knockoffs began appearing. “After nearly a year of work designing and developing this product, it was honestly heartbreaking to find knockoff products pop up online,” explained Justin Hartenstein, director of product development at Oracle Lighting. “I had seen this happen before to other manufacturers in our industry and decided that we were not going to stand for this blatant design theft. We worked with our IP attorney, Jeffrey Banyas of Edwin A. Sisson, Attorney at Law LLC, to develop and execute a strategy to take action against the overseas knockoff producers. I knew it would not be easy but I had no idea where this journey would take us.”
The court’s decision included an order for the defendant to immediately cease infringing upon Oracle Lighting’s patent. The court also ordered the defendant pay significant monetary damages to Oracle Lighting, and ordered that the defendant pay certain court costs associated with the litigation. In doing so, the court also rejected the defendant’s arguments that they had come up with the design for this particular grill prior to Oracle Lighting filing its design patent application.
“In order for us to file litigation against the infringing company, the Chinese court explained that we had to first complete a ‘notarized purchase’, which basically translates to us having to conduct our own sting operation,” Hartenstein continued. “Our attorney assisted us in hiring private investigators overseas who, after months of investigation, used a cover story to gain access to the factory and, with hidden cameras, obtained evidence of the counterfeit parts. The entire operation had to be covert because these factories producing knockoff goods are often designed to be packed up and moved overnight, making them hard to pin down. Once our legal team in China presented this evidence to the judge, the court issued a demand to the factory to shut down production and the nearly two-year-long litigation process began. This was a massive undertaking for our company but I pursued this in the hope that it provides insight for other small businesses trying to protect their intellectual property rights overseas. It was not easy but these results demonstrate that even overseas counterfeiters can be held accountable. Oracle Lighting takes our intellectual property rights very seriously and we are willing to do whatever it takes to prevent the blatant theft of our patented designs.”
Banyas explained that Oracle Lighting asked his firm to develop and implement a plan to protect its products against overseas knockoffs and counterfeits. “This was no easy task as those who deal in illegal products often take extensive measures to insulate themselves from liability and accountability,” he explained. “Through our firms’ extensive network of private investigators and international law firms, we identified the factory making the knockoff products and obtained all of the evidence we needed to enforce Oracle Lighting’s Intellectual Property Rights. We thank the Suzhou Intermediate People’s Court for giving us a fair day in court, and we hope that this decision serves as a strong example to other American companies that they can enforce their Intellectual Property Rights in China, and they do not simply have to accept lost market share to Chinese knockoffs and counterfeit products as an inevitable cost of doing business. I applaud the folks at Oracle Lighting for bucking that trend, and I am proud to have spearheaded the efforts that lead to these successful results.”
Designed for use on the Jeep Wrangler, Oracle Lighting’s Vector Grill has earned the company awards from SEMA, including a 2018 Global Media Award and a runner-up award for the SEMA Best New Exterior Accessory Product of 2019.


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13 November 2017
The company has experienced strong growth in the last year through a mix of new direct business and distributor support. The opening of SWISSPACER’s new headquarters in Milton Keynes was a significant milestone and is pivotal to developing direct sales. Customers can now collect products directly from the centre and benefit from its new Laser Marking Service - a permanent and discreet way of coding spacer bars. The modern and spacious building is also used for events, training, and customer meetings.
7 November 2017
Ruwaida has qualifications in Business Communications and Accounting and an IATA diploma. John Cooper, Commercial Director at SWISSPACER UK says: “Ruwaida has joined the business due to an increased demand for operational and logistics support, thanks to a growing base of direct customers since we moved to Milton Keynes in June. With customers purchasing directly from us, they are experiencing better lead times and customer support, and can benefit from our new Laser Marking Service.”
2 November 2017
With the Symposium in its third year, SWISSPACER invited leading industry experts to Salzburg for the Symposium. Experts including window and façade builders, window systems companies, planners and scientists, discussed the looming changes to the industry.
All agreed that digitalisation is inevitable. ‘Digitise or die’ was even the topic for discussion during a presentation by Jochen Wilms, Founder and General Manager of W Ventures.
Smart Homes: The dangers and risks


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Gamer, YouTuber, and internet personality Speed (IShowSpeed) is known for his over the top reactions to different scenarios. In his latest viral video, Speed is reacting to "accidentally" purchasing a hat made in ROBLOX for $125,000. He was left in total shock behind the fact that he was never asked for any verification for such a purchase.
The video also drew criticism from social media users who questioned the authenticity of his "accidental" purchase claiming it was a stunt for clicks. Many of the critics noted that Speed could've done something much more constructive and beneficial with the money whether he donated it or invested it.


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Aldi on Paisley Road West is one of hundreds across the country which got rid of its donation trolley after people kept stealing from it.
The store donates to Crookston Community Group, in Pollok, but councillors Elaine McSporran and Alex Wilson wanted to see more food distributed to those in need in their ward.
They met with the store manager to discuss steps that could be taken to prevent food from being stolen, should a donation facility be re-instated in the shop.
Councillor McSporran said: “We don’t have a problem with Aldi donating to Crookston Community Group but we would like to see the two foodbanks in our ward benefit from these free food supplies.
“Ideally there should be an equal spread of food donations between the foodbanks at Mosspark Baptist Church and Hillington Park Parish Church as well as the community group.”
Following a discussion with the store manager, Aldi has agreed to install a cage at the front of the shop, which will be more secure than a trolley and prevent people from stealing from it.
Ms McSporran went on: “The manager has now agreed to collect for their local food bank if they are provided with a secure cage to prevent people from stealing from them.”
With children returning to school this week, the councillors hope more people will be able to donate more clothes particularly school uniform.
Councillor Alex Wilson added: “More and more people in our ward are turning to the foodbank. It’s not just food people need, they need clothes as well.
“We would encourage shoppers to donate food and clothes especially with the kids going back to school this week.”
A spokeswoman for Aldi has confirmed that the store is donating to Crookston Community Group as part of a nationwide project but a foodbank collection would require a separate drop-off point in store.
It is up to the individual stores to arrange foodbank arrangements. The manager of Aldi was unavailable for comment.


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The disclosure of the stake has stoked widespread speculation on his intentions, ranging from a full takeover of the platform to taking an active role in corporate decisions.
Musk’s latest decision opens the possibility for him to take a larger position and potentially make an all-out bid, CFRA Research analyst Angelo Zino wrote in a client note.
“We had thought the equity cap and board seat was originally intended to handcuff Musk in many respects and think he is unlikely the type of individual who will now just sell his stake and walk away,” Zino added.
News of Musk taking a board seat had some Twitter employees panicking over the future of the social media company’s ability to moderate content, company sources told Reuters.
Before taking a stake, Musk ran a Twitter poll asking users if they believed Twitter sticks to the principle of free speech.
A day after becoming the largest shareholder, he launched another poll asking users if they wanted an edit button, a long-awaited feature on which Twitter has been working.
The Tesla boss also asked users in a poll if Twitter’s headquarters should be converted into a homeless shelter, a plan backed by Amazon.com Inc’s founder Jeff Bezos.
On Saturday, Musk suggested changes to the Twitter Blue premium subscription service, including slashing its price, banning advertising and giving an option to pay in the cryptocurrency dogecoin.
“It’s clear Musk wants to retain the full freedom to criticise company policy, to steer it in his desired direction of travel,” Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Susannah Streeter said in a note.
“He still has a ringside seat, remaining the biggest shareholder, and also has the power of his 81 million twitter followers to do just that.”


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Broadband Infraco (BBI), in collaboration with Sentech, has resuscitated the Basadi in Telecoms Programme to empower women-owned businesses and help provide business opportunities.
The programme was initially launched in 2015 by the late former BBI CEO Puleng Kwele.
The aim was to ensure that women play a pivotal role in the telecommunications and constructions sectors, as well as offer support in areas they found challenging.
“The initiative will facilitate for a comprehensive enterprise development and support programme aimed at facilitating technical skills development of female service providers and professionals,” said BBI chairperson Leah Khumalo.
Khumalo emphasised the commitment of BBI to play a significant support role in fortifying the transformation of strategic pillars such as representation in recruitment and supply chain, ensuring that these are implemented with impact.
BBI chief marketing officer Phumza Dyani highlighted the importance of being intentional with transformation programmes and intensifying collaborations as a part of the strategy to accelerate bridging the inequality gap.
One of the pillars of BBI’s Basadi in Telecoms initiative is to increase the company’s spend on local products manufactured by women-owned companies, increase competition within the sector and ensure that the sector is served by a broader representative market.
“Basadi in Telecoms will be a quarterly event and will boast significant brands in the industry, also including original-equipment manufacturers, with the intent to create an industry-wide initiative, where an organisation can influence other organisations through its procurement and purchasing decisions,” said Khumalo.


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Microsoft was recently granted a patent for a foldable device. Even though it won’t necessarily end up being an actual device despite the hype that foldable devices have managed to generate for the past few months, the device described in the patent is rather special.
This is because the device will have either liquid or gas on the hinge. This is to reduce the wear and tear caused by the constant folding and unfolding that the device will experience. It will also serve a secondary function of preventing the entry of external substances.
The patent appears to have been filed by Microsoft’s technology licensing team which according to Engadget, could mean that the patented tech isn’t necessarily reserved for a specific device. In fact, the device that comes with it may not even be made by the company as the company may instead license it to other hardware makers.
Even if Microsoft does come up with its own foldable device, it might not show up in the market so soon. Then again, there is a lingering rumour that Microsoft might show off a dual-screen device at its Surface event next month. So, stay tuned.


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Two Irish sister's have been named in Forbes' prestigious '30 Under 30' list thanks to the incredible business venture.
Izzy's Wheels, a company selling colourful wheelchair covers, is the brainchild Izzy and Ailbhe Keane.
Inspired by younger sister Izzy, who has spina bifida and is paralysed from the waist down, the business began its life as Ailbhe's final year college project in the National College of Art and Design before it's national launch in 2016.
— Izzy Wheels (@izzy_wheels) July 24, 2017
The 25-year-old, says the idea struck when she noticed that her sister's chair was the first thing people noticed about her, despite it not reflecting her beaming personality.
Determined to change people's first impressions, Ailbhe created a range of stylish wheelchair covers designed to express a wheelchair user's individuality.
According to the company's website, Izzy Wheels transforms a medical device into a piece of fashion and self expression.
— Izzy Wheels (@izzy_wheels) January 6, 2018
The cover are waterproof and are available in three different sizes, fitting neatly onto any manual wheelchair.
The sisters have also collaborated with a host of award-winning Illustrators and artists including Maser, Steve Simpson, Paula McGloin, Fuchsia MacAree, Chris Judge and Marylou Faure.
It's a huge Irish success story, and their inclusion in Forbes' '30 Under 30' cements their position at the top of the business world.
Writing on Twitter, Izzy Wheels said it was "thrilled and incredibly honoured to have been named".
— Izzy Wheels (@izzy_wheels) January 23, 2018
Well done girls – such an amazing achievement.


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While global financial markets are ruled by the bear or the bull, personal financial behaviour might more closely resemble the proverbial mule, which requires the poke of a stick or the promise of a carrot to haul its cart.
Carrot Rewards, a free app for Android and iOS mobile devices that incentivizes users to learn about topics from wellness to finances, believes consumers will do a bit of work to score a little financial treat. In the long term, those carrots seem to add up to powerful changes in behaviour that are less painful than the stick.
The app launched in British Columbia first, in March of 2016, enrolling almost its first month's quota of users in one day. Cineplex Scene, one of Carrot's four loyalty-program partners (with Aeroplan, More Rewards and Petro-Points), sent an offer for its B.C. members to earn points in its frequent-moviegoer program by downloading Carrot Rewards. More than 4,000 of them did on the launch day alone, making it Canada's most downloaded app that week.
The cost of points that users receive for downloading, or successfully inviting friends to download the app, are funded through a $5-million, five-year commitment from the Public Health Agency of Canada.
The B.C. Ministry of Health made a $2.5-million commitment to support healthy living content for the provincial launch of the app, and points to German, U.S. and British examples of successful incentive-based public health policies, says Laura Heinze, a senior public affairs officer for the ministry.
About 150,000 British Columbians were using the Carrot Rewards app as of July, 2017, (more than 3 per cent of the province's population), earning loyalty points by completing quizzes on topics ranging from nutrition to the flu shot. Newfoundland and Ontario have since partnered with Carrot Rewards, along with private-sector and other partners, for a total of $15-million in public-private funding to date.
"The launch was the most remarkable thing many of us had seen in our careers," says Andreas Souvaliotis, Toronto-based founder and CEO of Carrot Insights (formerly Social Change Rewards Inc.), the app's creator. "Some very cool things began to happen right away."
What was supposed to be a government-only, health-only public engagement app, he says, almost immediately started expanding to include additional topics and partners. B.C. users have since received targeted quizzes on topics such as energy conservation and green buildings, or budgeting and spending habits. While the "stick" might be telling people to quit smoking or save more money, the "carrot" or nudge would be giving them information and suggestions on small daily habits that can permanently change behaviour over time.
Mr. Souvaliotis is a long-time believer in using micro-incentives as a motivator for changing behaviour: A decade ago he founded the Green Rewards program that gave consumers Air Miles for socially responsible shopping. The theory behind it is called behavioural economics or behavioural insights, known as "nudge theory," from the 2008 book Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness. (Co-author Cass R. Sunstein went on to head President Barack Obama's social and behaviorist sciences team.) Carrot counts academic Mark Mitchell, whom Souvaliotis calls "one of the most famous nudgists in our country," among its consultants.
A new wave of social enterprises is combining nudge theory with rewards to get people – especially mobile-device-mad millennials – not just to buy things, but to do the right thing. Carrot Insights is a certified B Corp, a certification that means for-profit companies meet standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency. Biko, an app from Colombia that made its North American launch in Vancouver a year ago, rewards bike users in traffic-choked cities with restaurant discounts or retail perks.
Canada is a natural proving ground: Canadians are among the most rabid points collectors worldwide, with nine out of 10 Canadians belonging to at least one loyalty program according to an April Brandspark report, compared with two-thirds of global consumers according to Nielson data. Carrot shows high user engagement, with monthly active users at 80 per cent of those with the app; the industry standard for a popular app like Spotify is about 30 per cent, says Mr. Souvaliotis.
Carrot participants enrolled in Scene might earn from 5 to 50 points per quiz with 1,000 Scene points needed for a free movie or concession treat.
"Yes, they are tiny rewards, but it's not a lot of effort you have to put in to get those tiny rewards," says Patrick Sojka of Calgary-based Rewards Canada, a website about the benefits of various loyalty programs and loyalty products like credit cards. "It's also great for somebody who barely uses a [loyalty] program to keep the account active," says Mr. Sojka, explaining that most loyalty programs require at least one annual points transaction.
Like retailers, governments have discovered that "using incentives to motivate behaviour proves to be way cheaper than using advertising," says Mr. Souvaliotis. The cost of treating largely preventable chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer and Type 2 diabetes was estimated at $68-billion annually in a recent Public Health Agency of Canada report, giving public health education potentially huge payoffs. As many as 70 per cent of Carrot's users will complete any given quiz, says Mr. Souvaliotis. "I come from the marketing world and we would celebrate the 1-per-cent success rate of a Facebook ad."
The private sector has taken notice of Carrot's success: The B.C. offices of Sun Life Financial, a financial and insurance company that has used wellness-promotion messages in its own marketing, collaborated with the Canadian Diabetes Association as the initial B.C. sponsor of the app's step tracker. It syncs with mobile or step-tracking devices to reward users with loyalty points for exceeding their daily average steps. Data shows that over three months, Carrot participants walked on average 8 per cent more than before, with the least physically active increasing their activity by 34 per cent, according to the B.C. Ministry of Health.
"Because of the success we've seen, with almost 500,000 users across the app, we're getting a lot of inbound interest from financial services companies," says Carrot Insights chief partnerships officer Matt O'Leary. Financial literacy is a social determinant of health, he says, and "like health, personal finance is something you do a better job at when you're educated more consistently."
In Ontario, which joined Carrot Rewards in February and already has more than 325,000 users, the online investment-management service Wealthsimple has invested with Carrot to offer some RESP-related quizzes that have shown promising early results. "Users are engaging with the financial literacy content at rates higher in some cases than what we're seeing with health. It's very encouraging," says Mr. O'Leary. Personal finance expert and best-selling author Bruce Sellery became Carrot's money expert in January of this year, a harbinger of future financial content on the app.
Rewards expert Mr. Sojka says it only stands to reason that financial-services companies would line up to give potential customers a nudge, with some banking, credit cards and mortgage providers already successfully using loyalty points. "The amount of money being spent on advertising from the financial services is huge, and if you can provide content and the people to read it, those companies will spend the money. Advertising is still big, but they have to find other ways of getting the message across."
When it comes to learning tips about leading a happier, healthier, wealthier life, Canadians are showing that they'd prefer to nibble on a carrot than be hit over the head with that stick.
Though mobile financial apps are often geared at smartphone-savvy younger consumers, anyone can benefit from the good financial habits these apps try to reinforce.
Money in your pocket
Drop: Even if you don't have a loyalty card, you can earn rewards and get deals by using your registered debit and credit cards at a select group of places. The app partners with Carrot Rewards (Carrot is a points-earning option integrated into Drop).
Stocard: A specialized digital wallet, Stocard organizes all your plastic loyalty cards in one digital app. Slim down your wallet and eliminate the possibility of making a purchase without the appropriate card on hand.Track spending
Mint: Creating a central hub for all your banking, this Intuit app (from the creators of TurboTax) tracks spending and budgets, tracks and pays bills and provides colourful data visualizations – and even your credit score.
Wally: With many of the same budgeting, goal-setting and money-tracking features as Mint, Wally uses your smartphone camera to scan receipts instead of having access to your bank accounts to record your expenses.
Save and invest
Mylo: Make that $4.46 grande latte count: Mylo "rounds up" your everyday transactions, in this scenario to $5, investing the 54 cents in an ETF portfolio. The app has a $1/month fee and no charge for withdrawals.
Fortune City: This app provides incentives to track your expenses and save money, by providing badges and "gold coin" credits to build a simulated city. You can even compete against city-building friends.
Flipp: For shoppers who can't be bothered to scan paper flyers, Flipp scans all the local deals and let's you identify and search for items you want. It holds your loyalty program information, too.
Checkout 51: It's the end of clipping paper coupons: Checkout51 informs you of weekly offers, but all you need to do is send them an image of a receipt – the app handles redemption. It tracks your savings and lets you cash out when they reach $20.