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The Gulf x Williams Fan Livery Vote - A Multi Award Winning Campaign
02 Dec 2023
Gulf Oil International Ltd are delighted to announce that the Gulf x Williams Fan Livery Vote is now a multi-award-winning campaign.
Recognised in December 2023 at the prestigious Autosport Awards, Gulf x Williams Racing were crowned winners of the inaugural Brand Partnership of the Year Award, at the 36th edition of the ceremony.
The judging criteria of the Brand Partnership of the Year Award aimed to recognise a brand that made highly effective use of a motorsport platform to convey its brand message and to add value to the team, driver, or series it partnered with. The expert panel noted that the winning entry showed high levels of creativity, scope, and execution.
Following this triumph, on 25th January 2024, Gulf won Brand of the Year at The Race Media Awards. The ceremony celebrates the achievements of media and marketing across all categories of two and four-wheel motorsports.
The Brand of the Year award recognises brands that have implemented the best marketing campaigns within motorsport, influencing the sentiment and actions of fans. The voting panel highlighted the fan engagement element which formed the foundations of the Gulf x Williams campaign, giving fans the power to vote for the livery that adorned the FW45 during the Singapore, Japan, and Qatar 2023 Grands Prix.
The Gulf x Williams Fan Livery Vote opened in May 2023 spanning across three rounds with ‘Bolder than Bold’ emerging victorious after 180,000 fan votes were cast worldwide. The iconic Gulf orange and blue colours embodied the collaborative design of Gulf and Williams, honouring their rich legacies in motorsport and sharing a resolute belief in being bold on and off the track.
Fans across the globe participated in the livery vote, placing them at the core of this campaign and offering them the opportunity to shape history by selecting their favourite livery design, which resulted in a historic moment on track for both Gulf and Williams Racing.
James Bower, Williams Racing Commercial Director: “We’re proud to see the partnership between Gulf and Williams Racing recognised for Brand of the Year at The Race Media Awards. Not only did the project showcase these two iconic brands across three key markets, but it also engaged a global audience through digital and social activations. We look forward to building on this momentum with successful activations in partnership with Gulf in the future.”
Sacha Davis, Vice President Marketing: “We are delighted that our partnership campaign has been recognised by Autosport Awards and the esteemed judging panel. We continue to champion Gulf’s rich heritage in motorsport whilst placing our fans at the very centre on what we do. Without their support this would not have been possible. Thank you to Williams Racing, it has been great to be with them on this journey over the past year, and we are excited for the future.”
Discover more about the Gulf x Williams Racing partnership.


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The National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace will be voluntary, but some computer experts believe it is inevitable that most computer users will had a single ID for transactions in the future.
Officials say the ID will also help protect consumers from spammers and companies that collect data on their websurfing activity, letting them surf anonymously online.
It would not create a centralized database of information, the agency said, because consumers will be able to choose from a variety of programmes within the cyber-identity system.
Although the system is not yet up and running, the Commerce Secretary said a number of leading computer companies, including Microsoft, IBM, the Secure ID Coalition, and Wave Systems Corp, are developing ways to make the system most efficient and effective.
Scott Charney, corporate vice president of Microsoft, told Fox News: 'This ecosystem will provide citizens with a variety of choices for authenticating their identity online while helping to protect their security and privacy.'
Jim Dempsey, a vice president for the Center of Democracy and Technology, added: 'I think there's a model here perhaps for the broader question of cybersecurity ... the Administration, to my view, has conducted a very open process here.'
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After suffering a stroke during birth, Justin Koop’s youngest daughter Audrey spent the first two weeks of her life in Cincinnati Children’s NICU.
That was several years ago. Now Audrey is a healthy, curious five-year-old. But the experience had lasting effects on Justin, who still feels a duty to give back to children in need.
To that end, on the two most significant shopping days of the year, Justin will be donating five percent of all sales at Koop Diamond Cutters to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, where he hopes to send at least one child on the vacation of his/her dreams.
That’s Black Friday, November 24 from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Saturday, November 25 from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Customers who shop on those days can also expect 65 to 70 percent off items in the showroom.
THREE GENERATIONS OF DIAMOND CUTTERS
Situated on Eighth Street in Downtown Cincinnati, Koop Diamond Cutters was founded in 1966 by Justin’s grandfather, Clarence Koop. Over time he and Justin’s father, Butch, cultivated the business’s reputation for exceptional in-house craftsmanship and design.
To this day, everything is done in-house, from the design to the metal work to the casting to the finishes. Certainly the process has changed since the '60s, most notably the CAD/CAM software that Justin wields with purpose and precision. But all savings from Koop’s factory-direct business model are still passed on to customers, who very often leave the store with better jewelry than can be found elsewhere at far lower prices.
As you can imagine, that means Koop Diamond Cutters has a lot of customers. They range from long-time Cincinnati families to first-time jewelry buyers to clients all over the world, and they keep Justin and his employees busy. In fact, they keep ‘em so busy that when Justin enlists Audrey and her sister Stella at the store on weekends, he’s not just doing it to teach them about hard work.
He’s also doing it because he can use all the extra hands he can get, no matter how small they are. And if one day a pair of those hands should turn Koop from a third-generation family business into a fourth-generation family business... well, that would be fine with him.
Justin doesn’t long for that moment, though. For now, he’s happy to have two beautiful, healthy daughters by his side.
Koop Diamond Cutters is located at 214 East Eight Street in Downtown Cincinnati. For more information, visit their website.


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|Posted on May 6, 2016 at 9:05 AM|
So far 2016 looks to be the year of mega telecoms deals in Europe, with the soon-to-complete £12.5bn EE/BT deal in the UK set to have a major impact on the market.
On top of that is the £10.25bn merger between O2 and Three, which could go ahead later this year, although European regulators have treated this with a less-than-enthusiastic response.
And it's not just the UK that is keen to encourage telephonic bed-hopping; moves toward consolidation are happening across the continent as well, with French telcos Orange and Bouygues entering talks which could result in a merger estimated at £7.3bn.
Certainly Europe has a vastly fragmented market, with KPMG estimating the region has 150 mobile operators. In contrast, the US has just four.
And in a mature market that has few new customers, the only way for providers to make more cash, and to fight off the threat from "disruptive" entrants such as online messenger WhatsApp, is to realise the economies of scale that come with mergers.
The European Consolidation Board for Foreign Industry (ECBFI) say more people they can have on fewer base stations or fibre, the more money they can make, by consolidating resources. .
While there may be a compelling financial case for buddying up, competition officials in Brussels are taking a dim view of such deals, which they argue could leave consumers with less choice and a bigger bill.
It was with that in mind that the EU's anti-trust chief Margrethe Vestager opened a probe into the Three/O2 deal late last year. Vestager has taken an unapologetically tough stance on telco mergers, having already scuppered a deal in her native Denmark between Telenor and TeliaSonera. - Source on Collaboration with ECBFI


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“Retail investors are barging into shares of troubled names, and even companies already in bankruptcy proceedings“– Paul Ebeling
Medley Management Inc. (NASDAQ:MDLY) soared this month. The firm’s private-debt business filed for Chapter 11 protection in March with plans to repay its debt with new stock.
The Reddit optimists can point to more than just AMC and GameStop. Rental-car company Hertz Global Holdings Inc.’s survival was in question a year ago. It tried to sell shares to prop itself up, but admitted they could be worthless, prompting the Securities and Exchange Commission to block the offering. But its Chapter 11 restructuring ended up returning value to shareholders, which almost never happens.
Rallies in AMC and GameStop’s stocks have captured the public’s attention, but credit markets have been moved, too. GameStop no longer has debt, but AMC’s bonds have recovered dramatically.
It’ is no coincidence that some of the most troubled companies are now the ones benefiting the most from retail-driven rallies. Their massive debt loads, coupled with the devastating impact that the VirusCasedemic chaos had on their ability to generate revenue, were among the reasons their stocks are so heavily shorted in the first place.
Redditors have specifically targeted stocks with huge bets against them.
The Reddit rallies are slightly changing the way we approach investments. The dynamic of these rallies is interesting and is a sign of excess liquidity in the market.
GTT, an internet infrastructure company, spiked to an intraday high of 4.75 on 3 June after sinking toward 1. The company caught the eye of Reddit traders, who pointed to its small market capitalization, high short interest and the CEO’s previous business turnarounds.
The company has repeatedly extended its forbearance agreement with lenders, something that has been interpreted in online forums as a lifeline, which it is.
Washington Prime Group (NYSE:WPG) the owner of shopping malls reeling from the pandemic, has also attracted retail traders. Like GTT, it has a forbearance pact with lenders and appears headed for bankruptcy court.
Its stock is up 118% the past 2 wks. A lot of retail investors are very smart.
As the pros start factoring in the meme-stock craze, it is clear the gap between old-style finance and the new ways is wide. Books are being written.
“Wall Street & Main Street aren’t even on the same continent anymore,” Reddit user baddfish2 posted Thursday on WallStreetBets.
Have a healthy weekend, Keep the Faith!


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As expected, Sprint has announced their first Windows Phone, which you might recognize as the HTC 7 Pro, but they’re calling it the Arrive. The name change was rumoured last month along with the Kyocera Echo, and doesn’t strike me as a bad move at all.
The Arrive has a 1 GHz processor, 3.6-inch WVGA display, 16 GB of internal memory, Wi-Fi, GPS, 3G, and, of course, a nice slide-out keyboard and a screen that can tilt upwards. It runs on Windows, so you can expect some really seamless interactions with your PC and Xbox, as well as being able to plug into the Zune music service if you’re in the market for an all-you-can-stream subscription.
Sprint had announced back in October that they would be getting the HTC 7 Pro, and though it might seem like they’ve been taking their sweet time getting this phone out, it was only released in Europe in January. By comparison, Verizon has been pretty blasé about Windows Phone’s prospects, while AT&T has been more than happy to pick up the likes of the HTC Surround, LG Quantum, and Samsung Focus, and T-Mobile snagged the HTC HD 7.
The Arrive will land on Sprint on March 20 and sell for $199.99 on a two-year contract after rebates.


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The new iPhone SE will arrive in Mexico on April 18 and will cost $9,000 pesos (USD$500), for the basic model of 16 GB, and $11,200 pesos (USD$622) for the 64GB configuration, according to prices published by Apple on its website.
In addition, the telephone company Telcel began Friday April 8 with sales pre-registration for the device, through its web page, while it is expected that AT & T will also offer the phones.
However, so far these companies have not disclosed the actual prices that will be offered to sell the iPhone SE.
The new phone was announced on March 21 and stands out as a mid-range device, similar in design to the iPhone 5. The phone has a 4-inch screen and will be available in a variety of colors such as silver, gold, pink, and space gray.
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The Textile, Garment and Leather Employees Union (TEGLU) is demanding a 50% reduction in prices of utilities to save the sector from total collapse.
The call comes at a time when the Public Utility and Regulatory Commission (PURC) is holding talks with stakeholders for a possible review of prices of utilities. It is not clear yet if the prices will go upwards or downwards.
While it appreciates attempts by the government to raise revenue, the union in a statement said the sector cannot wait for experiments through the implementation of the tax stamp regime.
Rather, it called on the government to, as a matter of urgency, remove VAT on locally produced textile prints in order to save local textile manufacturing companies from collapse.
TEGLU also wants a joint task force to monitor compliance of all activities of importers and to prevent the influx of cheap textiles into the country.
According to the statement signed by the General Secretary of TEGLU Abraham Koomson, local textile manufacturing companies have already sent home about 90 percent of their workers due to the influx of pirated wax prints, high taxes and statutory levies as well as high cost of raw materials and utilities.
Mr Koomson said the remaining textile workers will soon hit the streets if the government does not review the operations of the task force.
“The resuscitation of the textile industry will be dependent on effective policy by government devoid of experimental measures at this stage of decline of the manufacturing sector,” he said.


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Today EA finally confirmed its return to Steam by allowing preorders for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order on the platform. EA was one of the first companies to move on from Steam to its proprietary platform, Origin, back in 2011. The controversial choice to remove Crysis 2 from Steam and release future EA titles on Origin lead to a somewhat muted backlash as the new platform presented an adequate resource for playing these games. Little did we know, this was only the first of many similar moves large publishers would undertake for the sake of profit.
The issue, as they saw it, was that Valve takes 30% of the sale for each game sold on the platform. By creating Origin, EA was able to take the full profit from the sale of their digital games. On paper, that seems to be an easy way to justify building and supporting the Origin client. For years now, we’ve seen PC versions of EA games exclusively on Origin while Steam continued to thrive with games from other publishers as well as indie titles.
Recently, Epic Games created the Epic Games Store and made an effort to put not only games they develop and publish but also other games on their platform exclusively. This exclusivity issue has caused quite the backlash and has put pressure on Valve. The question that some people have raised is whether this move with EA is Steam’s effort to get a taste of those exclusivity contracts. While it may not be possible for us to know to what extent this may be the case, I think there could be another reason for EA’s change of heart.
EA has had extremely limited success lately in releasing games like Anthem and Battlefield V. These games rely on the concept of “live services” to try to maintain a revenue stream that builds with time. Both games saw major drop-offs after launch and EA’s stock prices have remained stagnant since after taking a significant dive last year. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order’s advertising has promoted having no microtransactions or post-launch DLC, which is the polar opposite of what those tent pole “live service” games attempted in the past. This means that the initial sales of the game are the primary way that EA is going to make money from the launch of the game.
The establishment of microtransactions in modern gaming is now the most popular way that publishers can turn games from just “profitable” into “cash cows.” It lets ongoing development fuel the sale of cosmetics and small pieces of content to players months or even years after a game has gone live. Its use in Fortnite is one of the primary reasons Epic has been able to leverage millions of dollars in exclusivity agreements. Without this, EA is going to have to make Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order one of the bestselling new games of the year to see similarly good profits. Perhaps with Steam on their side promoting to their millions of active users, they’ll be able to appeal to the numbers they need to make this happen.


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According to Iran stone news agency ,The “Skopje East Gate” company has published an invitation to tender bids for technical projects for the future multi-purpose complex covering more than 250,000 square meters to be built in the area of what is now the Skopje fairgrounds. The investment amounts to more than 300 million euros and foresees building a mall, a residential complex, a business center, a school, a small stadium and sports fields. The project is headed by the Albanian Balfin Group, which has purchased 155,000 square meters of land about a kilometer and a half from the center of Skopje. The Balfin Group expects to develop what will be the largest private investment of its type in Macedonia today, which in addition to the mall will also have an office tower and housing units.
It is expected to be completed within five to seven years. The Balfin Group is one of the largest companies in the region, with an investment portfolio that includes shares in shopping centers, in real estate development projects (both commercial and residential) and in numerous retail businesses like the Neptun electronics chain stores and Jumbo supermarkets quite common in the area.


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Agustin Carstens, general manager of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), has discussed tokenization’s significance in modernizing the current siloed financial system. Carstens stated that only through tokenization can the world move to a more interconnected and programmable financial system, where several central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) will be transacted seamlessly. BIS Head Agustin Carstens […]
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A significant milestone in the revitalization of the southeast side of Fort Wayne was celebrated with the grand opening of the Pontiac Street Market on November 6, 2023. Located at 918 E. Pontiac St., this full-service grocery store aims to provide fresh, healthy, and affordable food to the residents of a historically underserved area.
Economic & Community Development
The Pontiac Street Market represents a beacon of hope for the community, filling a vital need for accessible and nutritious groceries. This initiative not only caters to the health and well-being of residents but also plays a crucial role in local economic development. The market’s establishment demonstrates the city’s commitment to uplifting underprivileged areas and fostering a sustainable and thriving community.
Why Shop at the Pontiac Street Market
The benefits for the residents of the southeast side of Fort Wayne are manifold. Here are some key reasons why you should consider shopping at the Pontiac Street Market:
- Access to Healthy Food: For the first time, 25,000 residents in this area have access to fresh and affordable food items within walking distance, improving their overall health and quality of life.
- Community Hub: The market serves as more than just a grocery store; it is a place for residents to connect and engage with one another, fostering a sense of community.
- Local Economic Growth: By shopping here, residents support local businesses and contribute to the economic development of their neighborhood, creating jobs and boosting the local economy.
The establishment of the Pontiac Street Market is a testament to the city’s commitment to addressing food deserts and improving the well-being of all residents. Additionally, the Black Chamber Fort Wayne has played a pivotal role in advocating for this initiative, emphasizing the importance of community-driven solutions.
The Pontiac Street Market is more than just a grocery store; it’s a symbol of hope, community, and progress for the southeast side of Fort Wayne. It highlights the collaborative efforts of the city and the Black Chamber Fort Wayne to bring about positive change. Residents of this area are encouraged to support this endeavor for the betterment of their community and local economy.
- City of Fort Wayne – Community Comes Together to Celebrate the Opening of the Pontiac Street Market
- Fort Wayne Community Development – Southeast Grocery
- Newsbreak – Southeast Fort Wayne Welcomes New Pontiac Street Market
- City of Fort Wayne – New Pontiac Street Market Fills Vital Community Need
- WANE – Pontiac Street Market Opens on Monday with Fresh Produce
- WANE – Pontiac Street Market Receives First Shipment of Products


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Avantis Medical Systems said the FDA approved its Third Eye Panoramic digital imaging device for colonoscopies.
Avantis said the Third Eye device features 2 laterally positioned cameras that are able to produce a wide-angle image of more than 300°. The device is intended to help physicians to search for pre-cancerous polyps behind folds in the walls of the colon, according to a press release.
Because the Third Eye Panoramic attaches to the outside tip of the colonoscope, it does not need to be removed for the insertion of other instruments, according to the release. The Third Eye Panoramic is
also designed to be use with standard colonoscopes, thereby eliminating the need for physicians to make additional capital investments in their facilities, the company said.
“Now that the Third Eye Panoramic device has been cleared by the FDA for marketing, it will allow other leaders in the field of gastroenterology to provide us with feedback as we develop a resposable version of the device,” vice president for sales & marketing Doug Gielow said in prepared remarks. “At the same time we can finalize our selection of a partner with broad domestic and international commercial distribution that is beyond the reach of a development company.”
In February, Avantis said it brought in $4.8 million of a hoped-for $10.6 million debt round.


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It’s been a tough experience for the crypto market through 2022. In November, the market had dipped by 70 percent from the previous high in November 2021. When things were getting worse and down, the FTX crash turned them even more dire. So, will the crypto market be able to recover by 2023?
Crypto Market Dips are Cyclical
The cryptocurrency market, specifically Bitcoin has experienced its fair share of dips in the past. And every time, it’s bounced back by a massive increase.
For instance, in 2013, Bitcoin reached a peak of $1,160. Then it fell for more than a year, reaching a low of $150. But, in 2017 it broke that record and reached a new record high of $19,600. Then, in 2018, and it was trading at $3,100. And in the year 2020 it struck that resistance and reached a new high of $68,000 in November 2021. Then, just like that we’ve had another dip. However, history has shown us that after each dip there’s a bull-run.
Every Dip is Followed by a Long Bull Run
As we’ve seen in the past, dips tend to be followed by a prolonged bull run, which eventually overcomes the resistance set by the previous market’s highest price. This pattern can be seen in not just Bitcoin but also other cryptocurrencies.
Growing Use of Crypto and Blockchain
Blockchain and cryptocurrency technology has made significant progress in the last few years. With more and more companies and industries embracing it, its usage and acceptance is growing. From gaming to finance the use of crypto is increasing in a variety of ways. The growing popularity of crypto could lead to more people being involved in the market which could boost prices.
A rise in the interest of institutions for cryptocurrency
In recent years we’ve witnessed a rising demand from investors of institutional scale in crypto. From banks to hedge funds and even large corporations are beginning to investigate the potential in crypto currencies. The increased interest of institutions can bring stability to the crypto market and could lead to greater prices.
Regulations of the government
As the market for crypto is maturing and mature, governments across the globe are beginning to establish more favorable rules for crypto. This will help draw more investors and boost the mainstream adoption of crypto.
A broader range of blockchain applications
The underlying technology behind the majority of cryptocurrencies, blockchain offers a variety of applications that go that go beyond financial transactions. For example, from supply chain management and voting, many and more industries are starting to explore how they can make use of blockchain technology. This could stimulate more investment and excitement in crypto.
Advancements in technology
Blockchain technology and cryptography are at the very beginning of development. As progress is made in areas like security and scalability, potential of crypto assets will continue to expand. This could lead to more use and increase in prices.
Rising global economic uncertainty
Due to the constant economic uncertainty brought on through the COVID-19 pandemic as well as other factors, more and more investors are beginning to look for safe haven investments like gold and crypto. Because the global economic climate is uncertain it could result in more demand for crypto as well as higher prices.
Interest from retail investors
The institutional investors aren’t alone in ones showing interest in crypto. Retail investors, or individual investors are also beginning to invest in the cryptocurrency market. As more and more everyday people learn about crypto and the best ways to invest in it This could result in increased demand and higher prices.
The growing awareness and acceptance of cryptocurrency
As the market for crypto grows increasing numbers of people are beginning to learn about it and comprehend it. As understanding and acceptance of cryptocurrency grows, it will lead to increasing numbers of people purchasing and holding crypto, which could raise prices.
dbx crypto staking wallet crypto
The Decentralized Finance (DeFi) is an area that is rapidly expanding in the crypto market, which allows financial services to be developed on top of blockchain technology. As DeFi grows and more platforms and projects are launched, it could lead to increased adoption and more expensive prices for crypto.
Developments in crypto payment methods
As the crypto market continues to grow, more and more companies are beginning to accept crypto as a form of payment. This could lead to increased use of crypto in everyday transactions and higher prices.
Increased investment from sovereign wealth funds
These funds are government-owned investment vehicles, are beginning to look at crypto as an asset class. As more funds allocate a portion of their assets to digital currencies, it could lead to increased demand and higher prices.
Use of crypto for international payments
One of the biggest benefits of crypto is the ability to facilitate fast and cheap cross-border payments. As more individuals and businesses start to utilize cryptocurrency for international transactions, this could lead to increased demand and higher costs.
The number of ATMs that accept crypto is increasing.
As the number of ATMs for crypto continue to increase it will be more convenient for individuals to purchase and hold cryptocurrency, which can boost demand and increase prices.
The development of security tokens
Security tokens, also known as digital assets that represent ownership of an asset, like real estate or stock are rapidly expanding sector of the crypto market. As more security tokens are issued and traded, it could result in a rise in demand and consequently higher rates for the crypto.
More adoption by merchants
As more and more retailers accept cryptocurrency as a method of payment, this makes it easier for customers to utilize and store crypto, which could boost demand and increase prices.
So, is crypto likely to grow in 2023? Only time will tell. However, with these aspects being considered, it’s possible that the crypto market could have a rebound by 2023. If you’re in it for the long run patience and discipline will be key.


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Cook's peers have to do their final exam with fish and meat. That is not fit for everyone. For example, vegan restaurants can not cook cooks. Now, even the Federal Council has to deal with the issue.
It has been clear for years: it must know how to prepare a real chef on sliced eggs or egg. It should change now. Veggie Pope Rolf Hiltl (53), who is responsible for many restaurants in Switzerland, criticizes the study of meat and fish.
Especially worrisome is the recent study, as Tages-Anzeiger writes. Daily cooking chefs menus are made up of four shopping carts, each with fish or flesh, sometimes both. From these ingredients, the kitchen sticks prepare the main course.
Vegan restaurant can not be trained
Hiltla is not up to date. "Vegetarian and vegan meet the culinary social need," he says. That's why he says: "The kitchens should be allowed to study without meat or fish." It is also possible to train vegetarian and vegan restaurants to cook culinary peers.
The Zurrie Green Council in Zurich Bastien Girod (38) Hiltle opens his gates. Girod has filed an appeal against the Bundesrat asking to explain how the flesh and fish trade is rising. Giroden is responsible for the environmental and climate impacts of meat consumption.
Gastrosuisse wants to reform the culinary profession
And the Gastrosuisse industrial association? "It is currently undergoing complete reform of the culinary profession," says Daniel C. Jung, Deputy Director of Gastoriesuisse "Tages-Anzeiger". It will be the priority of vegetarian and vegan foods. But if the flesh and fish have fallen into the latest studies of forced labor, it has not yet been decided. (Pompeu Fabra)


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Royal Dutch Shell won approval from U.S. regulators Wednesday to export lightly processed crude produced at its U.S. operations.
The Anglo-Dutch company will now move forward with plans to export condensate that meets guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry & Security (BIS).
Shell has not yet provided a timeline for its export plans.
The company said that it will not begin exporting products until crude prices start to recover from current six year lows.
“The timing of any potential future export of this product will be determined by the economics of the transaction,” Shell said.
The BIS had previously awarded export approval to Houston-based Enterprise Products Partners, Irving-based Pioneer Natural Resources and Houston-based Peaker Energy.
The approvals are the first to be granted since a crude export ban was signed into law during the Arab oil embargo in 1975.
In November, UK-based BHP Billiton said it would export about $50 million worth of ultra light sweet oil from its Texas facilities to foreign buyers even though it had not received approval from federal regulators.
Under current guidelines, U.S. suppliers can export crude produced at Alaska’s Cook Inlet, certain types of California heavy crude, and condensate that has been processed through a crude oil distillation tower.


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Lenovo is working on resurrecting the Lenovo smartphone brand in China. In the recent months, the Chinese manufacturer has launched couple of smartphones in the home country such as Lenovo S5, Lenovo Z5, Lenovo A5 and Lenovo K5. The company has been recently teasing the arrival of two new phones such as Lenovo S5 Pro and Lenovo Z5 Pro. Today, Lenovo and the company’s VP Chang Cheng have confirmed through Weibo that the Lenovo S5 Pro smartphone will be debuting on Oct. 18 through an unveil event in Beijing, China.
The above shown poster that confirms the Oct. 18 launch date for Lenovo S5 Pro reveals that it will be equipped with dual front-facing cameras. There is no information available on the specifications of the Lenovo S5 Pro. However, it is certain that it will be arriving with upgraded specs over the Lenovo S5 that was unveiled earlier in this year.
The Lenovo S5 features 5.7-inch 18:9 aspect ratio notch-less IPS LCD display. It is powered by Snapdragon 625, 3 GB / 4 GB of RAM and 3,000mAh battery. It comes in 32 GB / 64 GB / 128 GB storage choices and it is equipped with a pair of 13-megapixel rear cameras and a frontal shooter of 16-megapixel.
Lenovo is also expected to debut the Lenovo Z5 Pro smartphone in this month. The handset is expected to feature manual slider design and it is also pegged to feature quad cameras on its rear.


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EvoRich’s UGPay receives securities fraud warning from Spain
Spain’s Comision Nacional del Mercado de Valores has issued a securities fraud warning against UGPay.
UGPay is a Swiss shell company, used by Andrew Khovratov to run EvoRich through.
As per the CNMV’s October 4th warning UGPay Group A.G. is an “unregistered firm”.
UGPay Group A.G. is not authorised to provide the investment services set out in Article 140 of the Spanish Securities Markets Act, which include investment advice.
This is the equivalent of a securities fraud warning in other jurisdictions.
Spain is the third jurisdiction to issue EvoRich with a securities fraud warning, following New Zealand and Latvia earlier this year.
EvoRich is a spinoff of the long-running Skyway Capital Ponzi scheme.
EvoRich is your typical crypto shitcoin scam. Affiliates invest in CRU/WCRU tokens, something something, sorry for your loss.
With nothing marketed or sold to retail customers, the MLM side of EvoRich operates as a pyramid scheme.
Outside of Russia, which makes up 80% of its website traffic (Alexa), there doesn’t seem to be much going on with EvoRich globally.
EvoRich securities fraud warning issued by Consob (Italy):
Italy itself hasn’t issued a EvoRich warning. They’re citing the New Zealand warning which we did cover.


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Will the group-and-grow strategy and private equity investments help this sector?
The fashion retail and apparel industry has been banking on young India for its success. But many of the fashion brands today are having trouble managing their business. July saw some important investments and deals in this sector. With cost of cotton and synthetic fibres soaring and volumes dropping, the sector is under a lot of pressure. At such a time, it remains to be seen how far these investments go in turning around the fortunes of these brands.
"Brands are trying to reinvent and stabilise themselves with their private equity (PE) deals and other moves. The question is not how much is being invested, but what is being done by the investors and the company to make the most of these investments," said a sector analyst, while commenting on Avigo Capital's bid for a majority stake in the brand Spykar, preferring anonymity. The youth-centric label saw a promising start, but following an over-ambitious expansion drive three years ago, ran into losses. Avigo, together with limited partner Metmin Investments, decided to take over the reins last month in order to resurrect the brand and cut losses.
Apart from Spykar, high-end women's fashion label Kimaya received an investment of Rs60 crore from Franklin Templeton India, as a part of its Rs630 crore investment deal. Kimaya plans to expand in tier-II cities. LVMH Group-backed L Capital Asia recently picked up 25.5% stake in Genesis Luxury Fashion, which owns labels like Satya Paul.
However, in the recent past, a lot of PE investors have quit these fashion brands after incurring losses. Sameer Sain, MD and CEO, Everstone Capital Partners, recently said, "Retail (clothing) is an exciting industry but one needs to be immensely disciplined in front-end expansion and managing inventories." Everstone, which was invested in Lilliput Kidswear, was one of the few investors who quit after making profit. One of the most famous brands, Koutons, saw its investor Ascent Capital, formerly UTI Ventures, sell its 8.3% stake and exit with losses.
What are the chances of the PE investors who are investing now, to make a profit? The fashion retail sector is under a lot of pressure. Sales have dropped, and with prices of cotton going up and logistics cost adding up, the brands are hoping that the festive season will come to their rescue. Aditya Birla group's Madura Fashion and Lifestyle shut many flagship stores of Espirit, a global lifestyle brand, following huge losses. Provogue is still saddled with unsold inventory. In such a situation, it looks unlikely that these brands will be able to bring a smile to their investors' faces.
What then is the way to arrange for funds in such a situation? "In many cases, we see that PE deals lead to an IPO (initial public offering), only time will tell how these companies will do after that," added the analyst. Kimaya Fashion MD Pradeep Hirani had hinted that the brand may go for an IPO after three years. Genesis had announced that it would go for an IPO about three years ago but that hasn't happened yet. The other way to raise money in this sector is to go through the group-and-grow strategy, which is essentially going for acquisitions. Future Group has acquired stakes in brands like Indigo Nation, Lee Cooper, Celio and Scullers by taking over their parent Indus League; where it holds more than 90% stake.
"If there are IPOs or acquisitions, one has to wait and watch as to how the companies manage their resources to resurrect themselves and get back on track. The sector is under tremendous pressure, and that is why many of these brands are reshuffling alliances and changing franchises," said a consultant, "for many brands, it is a bleak run. Smaller chains, who manage their costs and inventory well, are more likely to succeed in this sector."
While the government said it will fast-track implementation of pending reforms, the central bank assured the industry that it will maintain adequate liquidity and respond quickly to evolving situation
New Delhi: the government and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Monday sought to allay fears on account of adverse impact of the US downgrade by a rating agency saying the fundamentals of the Indian economy are strong and they were ready to address any concern that may arise from the present situation, reports PTI.
While the government said it will fast-track implementation of pending reforms, the central bank assured the industry that it will maintain adequate liquidity and respond quickly to evolving situation.
“Our institutions are strong and are prepared to address any concern that may arise on account of the present situation”, said finance minister Pranab Mukherjee giving an assurance to the worried industry and nervous stock markets.
The government, he said, “Will fast-track implementation of the pending reforms and keep a close eye on international developments... We would focus on encouraging greater domestic consumption and give impetus to drivers of domestic growth.”
Earlier in the day, the RBI said, “We will respond quickly and appropriately to the evolving situation,” in an apparent bid to calm down the stock market which opened on a nervous note on weak cues from global bourses.
“In the immediate future, the RBI’s priority is to ensure that adequate rupee and forex liquidity are maintained in domestic market to prevent excessive volatility in interest rates and the exchange rates,” it said.
The BSE Sensex which saw a fall of 546 points in early trade, closed at a 14-month low of 16,990 points on lowering of sovereign rating of US by Standard and Poor’s to AA+ from AAA, the highest rating, and fears of “double dip” recession hitting the world’s largest economy.
Admitting that global developments in the US and Eurozone will have some impact on the country, Mr Mukherjee said, “...as India’s growth story is intact and its fundamentals are strong, we are in a better position than other nations to meet the challenge.”
The finance minister expressed confidence that India could see faster and greater FII inflows unlike after 2008 meltdown, in view of the higher returns that global investors could get here.
“There could be some impact on the capital and trade flows. But as India’s growth story in strong, we could see FIIs seeing India as an attractive investment destination even if there is any temporary outflow,” he added.
On the positive side, Mr Mukherjee said softening of international commodity prices, especially oil, would help in controlling inflation and maintaining fiscal balance for 2011-12.
Noting that downgrade has raised concerns of “continuing turmoil in global financial markets”, the RBI said that it will closely monitor all key indicators and continuously assess the impact of global developments on rupee, forex liquidity and macroeconomic stability.
The country has enough reserves to meet the forex demand in the event of significant capital outflows, the RBI said.
In the worst phase of the recent global financial crisis, India recorded a growth rate of 6.8% in 2008-09, suggesting high resilience emerging from domestic factors, it said.
“While the downside risks to growth may have increased in wake of the global developments, they are likely to have limited impact,” RBI said.
R Shankar Raman will be appointed CFO of L&T on 6th September, and will be elevated to the Board on 1 October 2011
The Board of Directors of Larsen & Toubro announced that R Shankar Raman will be appointed chief financial officer (CFO) of the company on 6th September, and will subsequently be elevated to the Board on 1 October 2011. Mr Shankar Raman will succeed YM Deosthalee who takes over as chairman and managing director of L&T Finance Holdings.
Mr Shankar Raman is currently senior vice president, finance & legal. He qualified as a chartered accountant in May 1983 and became a graduate of the Institute of Cost & Works Accountants of India in 1986. Over the past 29 years of professional work experience, Mr Shankar Raman has worked for leading listed corporations in varied capacities in the field of finance.
Mr Shankar Raman's portfolio covers a wide range of critical functions such as finance & treasury, corporate accounts, taxation, insurance, risk management, legal, and investor relations. He is on the Board of several companies including international subsidiaries within the Larsen & Toubro Group. Mr Shankar Raman is a member of Western India Regional Council of Confederation of Indian Industries.


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In the continuing management upheaval at Sony Pictures Entertainment, David Bishop, the studio's president of home entertainment, is exiting in March 2014.
Sony decided not to renew Bishop's contract. The studio has yet to name a replacement.
Sony has had success, however, thanks to adult-skewing releases "American Hustle" and "Captain Phillips," which is produced by Michael De Luca, a recent hire by the studio to run its production division alongside Hannah Minghella.
Consistent with all the studios, Sony has seen flagging results on the home entertainment front as physical discs balance their place in the market with newer digital distribution opportunties. In the company's latest quarterly earnings report, Sony reported a loss of $181 million, which the studio attributed, in part, to a decline in home entertainment sales.
Bishop, who has been with the studio since 2006, said this in a statement: "It's been a rewarding run at Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and I am extremely proud of the organization and all we have accomplished in an exciting evolving marketplace."
Michael Lynton, chairman and CEO for Sony Entertainment, commented on Bishop's departure saying, "During his tenure, David played a tremendous role in building the home entertainment organization we have in place today: an innovative business that can compete aggressively in the evolving digital marketplace.
"We appreciate his many contributions to the company and wish him well with his future endeavors," Lynton added.


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Hertz selling thousands of cars as part of bankruptcy deal, good news for buyers
As many families struggle during this pandemic, some of you are searching for a vehicle at a decent price.
Hertz is looking to clean out their lots and make some cash. The company has to sell 182,000 cars as part of its bankruptcy deal, and it’s great for those who have a budget of $15,000 or less.
So is it smart to spend your hard-earned cash at Hertz? John Zadrovitz of South Trail Tire and Auto Repair says it could be.
“You’re going to be able to get a good deal,” he said. “Pricewise, you may pay less obviously from Hertz than what you get from a dealer because they’re going to have a markup and they’re going to have their dealer fees.”
A quick check of the Hertz website shows hundreds of cars for sale. Autoweeks breaks down its top 15 available:
- 2018 Nissan Altima – $14,187
- 2019 Ford Fiesta – $10,999
- 2017 Chevy Cruze – $13,899
- 2018 Nissan Versa – $10,299
- 2018 Ford Eco Sport – $14,350
But beware, Hertz will not negotiate. The price is the price.
“Can I please take this vehicle and have it independently looked at before I commit to buying it? Any dealer, if the salesman will not allow you to take their car to bring it to an independent to review it, walk away,” advised Zadrovitz, and walk right on over to another dealer that will.
Hertz is selling all of these used cars as part of its plan to repay $650 million to its creditors. The company has until the end of the year to do so.
To see the rest of Autoweek’s top 15 cars available from Hertz, click here.


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Cannabis Companies Invest in the UK, Expecting A Bigger European Market
More and more cannabis markets in Europe are opening up and the new, limited medicinal market in the United Kingdom has established companies investing in the UK, looking forward to the day that the medical market becomes an adult-use one. Change can sometimes happen slow and it takes a lot of hard work by activists to get the ball rolling, but momentum can be a powerful force, and once a few milestones are met, then reforms can occur rather quickly.
In the United States, about 60 years of prohibition got upended when California legalized medical use in 1996 and the movement got a shot in the arm when the first states legalized in 2014. The experience of Uruguay and Canada have been huge for the international cannabis community and Europe is certainly no different as each medical program passed by one country as influenced the next nation, getting everyone closer to legal cannabis across the continent, and then the globe.
As The Telegraph reports, cannabis companies are betting big that change will come to the UK soon:
Foreign cannabis companies are setting up in the UK in the hope the drug will be legalised for recreational as well as medicinal use, The Daily Telegraph has learned.
Although the Government has repeatedly stated that it has no intention of legalising cannabis for recreational use, many believe laws will eventually be relaxed, opening a lucrative new market for international cannabis companies.
North American firms are selling medicinal cannabis, which was legalised in November, and CBD cannabis oil, which is legal because it does not contain the psychoactive substance in cannabis, THC.
Politics and activism can be tricky and there can always be setbacks, but the global movement to end cannabis prohibition has racked up success after success, that it makes sense that companies are striking while the iron is hot and making business decisions based upon markets expanding and growing. With $15 billion in sales across the world expected in 2019 and analysts projecting bigger revenue numbers in the years to come, the future certainly looks bright.
To learn the latest about the cannabis industry and to network with top investors and entrepreneurs, the International Cannabis Business Conference is the place to be. Next up: Vancouver, Canada, this September 15-16. Secure your spot and save by purchasing early bird tickets by August 21st.


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Bay Area Trash Compactor has installed what it says is the first-of-its-kind combination solar-powered trash compactor and portable cardboard baler at the LEED Platinum-certified Bardessono Hotel and Spa in the Napa Valley, California.
The solar-powered compactor packs 16 yards of loose trash into just 4 yards, reducing waste pick-up at the busy property to just once per week, thus slashing hauling costs by 50 percent, reducing CO2 emissions by more than 14 tons annually, and importantly limiting garbage truck noise to guests and neighboring residents.
The solar cardboard baler fits into a small space, yet crushes 150-200 boxes into a 200-pound bale, making recycling more efficient, the company says.
Bay Area Trash Compactor’s solar combination provides waste handling and recycling side-by-side with no wired electrical hook-up. The company says it’s ideal for hotels, hospitals, universities, restaurants and shopping centers, or anywhere that bringing wired power to a location is cost prohibitive or too difficult. The user can gain the benefits of a compactor and baler with the ability to place the system almost anywhere.


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The inflation rate in the eurozone hit a new high in March, at 7.5% year on year, according to Eurostat, as the war in Ukraine has further accelerated soaring energy prices.
In February, inflation had reached 5.9% for the 19 countries that have adopted the single currency, which was already the highest level recorded by the European statistics office since the start of this indicator in January 1997. Inflation has hit a new all-time high every month since November.
→ READ ALSO. In France, inflation is accelerating further and reaches 4.5% over one year
The rise in consumer prices is still fueled by soaring oil, gas and electricity prices, but even more markedly than previously. Energy prices jumped 44.7% year on year in March, after +32% in February.
All components of the index are affected. The increase in food prices (including alcohol and tobacco) accelerated last month, to 5%, after 4.2% in February. Industrial goods rose by 3.4% over one year in March, after 3.1% the previous month. The prices of services remain relatively wiser (+2.7% in March, against 2.5% in February).
→ READ ALSO. Inflation hits record high for over 30 years in Germany and Spain
Accelerating inflation is fueling a social crisis in Europe, with many households finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet. It is a headache for the European Central Bank (ECB), which monitors price stability. The current inflation rate greatly exceeds its objective of 2% per year.
The war in Ukraine, launched on February 24, by Russia “raises inflation and reduces growth simultaneously”underlined, Wednesday, March 30, the President of the ECB, Christine Lagarde, referring to “considerable uncertainty” for the economic outlook for the coming months.


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Colin Kaepernick on Nike ad: Sheriff Wayne Ivey, Rep. Randy Fine, veterans sound off
Tim Thomas, a Melbourne city councilman and a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, used to be a Nike man through and through.
"I'm done with Nike," said Thomas, a Republican who, besides serving on the City Council also started the Junior ROTC program at Viera High School.
"I'll probably be buying Adidas shoes," he said.
The decision by Nike to feature former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick in a "Just Do It" campaign has no doubt been a hot-button subject. Its "Believe in Something Even if it Means Sacrificing Everything," featuring Kaepernick, and others, has people debating in sports bars, the office and even the pulpit.
Some are burning their Nike shoes and clothing. Others are stocking up on the famous swoosh gear.
And some Brevard lawmakers haven't been shy about joining in, particularly on social media. They're finding it fits in with the mood of a majority of their constituencies, which may not be a bad thing as the November election nears and voter turnout by party bases looks to be key.
Thomas posted a somber photo of him holding the flag with the Nike logo on his shoes taped over with MAGA — President Trump's campaign slogan "Make America Great Again."
Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey posted a photo on his Facebook page with a trash can featuring a Nike logo.
(Neither Thomas nor Ivey have an election in November.)
State Rep. Randy Fine, R-Palm Bay, wrote on Facebook that he and his wife, Wendy, are shunning Nike shoes for their children.
Fine is running for a second term in the Florida Legislature this fall and faces Democrat newcomer Phil Moore.
"Jacob just got his first pair of Nike Air Jordans as his back to school sneakers," Fine wrote about one of his sons. "Turns out it will be his last. Wendy and I just showed him the Kaepernick ad and talked about why Nike felt he should be honored that way. Jacob was disgusted."
Fine then said he and his wife talked to their son about Pat Tillman, a former NFL player who quit his pro career and volunteered for the Army following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Tillman, who became an Army Ranger, was killed by friendly fire in April 2004 while on a mission in Afghanistan.
"We need more Pat Tillmans in this world," Fine wrote. "We have one too many Colin Kaepernicks."
By now, most people know that in 2016 Kaepernick began kneeling during the "Star Spangled Banner" prior to the start of NFL games as a way to protest what he saw as improper police tactics when dealing with members of the minority community. Other players joined in.
At one point, the then San Francisco 49er even donned socks with cartoon versions of pigs in police uniforms, which he said was a message to "rogue police officers," not all law enforcement.
No matter really.
People took sides and some now see Kaepernick as a brave social warrior willing to risk fame and fortune for his beliefs. Or they view him as a washed-up pro seeking to stay relevant and further dividing the country, and in the process disrespecting the American flag.
When Trump weighed in, saying NFL owners should demand players stand for the National Anthem, the controversy naturally just deepened.
Kaepernick, while still worth millions, has not found an NFL team that will sign him since the controversy caught fire two years ago. And it's unlikely to harm Nike, a $34.3 billion company with thousands of the world's top athletes wearing its logo.
The Nike commercial has become a ready-made social meme that many conservative lawmakers have jumped on and appear to be getting positive feedback from their base.
Thomas, though, said it's not about politics.
On Sept. 11, 2001, while attending Command and General Staff College at Fort Kansas, he and his classmates would soon receive orders for combat tours in Iraq or Afghanistan in response to the attacks on 9/11. Thomas went to Iraq and many of his friends have been lost in the war on terrorism in the past 17 years.
That's why the Nike commercial with Kaepernick stings.
"The Nike ad featuring Kaepernick was disrespectful to the millions of military veterans that have worn that American flag on their right shoulder in combat so we can enjoy the freedoms that Kaepernick and others take for granted every day," Thomas said.
Thomas sees Kaepernick as a pampered athlete who made "millions, absolute millions, playing a kid's game."
"It was offensive to me," he said of the Nike ad. "Very offensive."
Price is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY.
Contact Price at 321-242-3658
Support local journalism: Special offer for Florida residents starts at 99 cents per week. New subscribers can sign up at floridatoday.com/subscribe


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TheGamer measured this by tracking the Passion achievement across Xbox, PlayStation, and Steam. To unlock the achievement, you must “play a women’s International football match,” which very few players have done. 3.3 percent of players have unlocked the achievement on Xbox, 4.2 percent have on PlayStation according to PSNProfiles, and 3.9 percent on Steam. That averages out to 3.8 percent of players who have played at least one women’s International football match on FIFA 22. We have not taken into account Nintendo Switch players, as achievements aren’t available on the Nintendo console.
At the end of FIFA 22’s life cycle, players have hardly touched the women’s game


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While all eyes are going to be on the sky seeking Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve, people of NORAD know precisely the place the jolly old elf is – and they are ready to tell you when you ask!
Commencing on Sunday at 6 a.m. EST, everyone can check Santa’s place via NORAD, which makes use of advanced tech to track all things in space and the skies around us. The collaboration US-Canadian command is situated at Petersen Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colo. A live webcast of Santa’s readiness starts at 2:01 a.m. EST on Christmas Eve, after which NORAD’s “Santa Cams” streams videos as Santa flies round the world.
The tracker now as well has smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, as Amazon Alexa users can check for Santa’s location via the NORAD Tracks Santa skill. OnStar subscribers will be able to use the OnStar button in their cars to find Santa. Bing and Cortana users also will be able to find Santa’s location on December 24th.
NORAD works with different partners to enable the tracker, Microsoft and telephone-system company Avaya inclusive.
“We hope for another pace-setting year for NORAD Tracks Santa and a happy experience for all callers and volunteers,” said Avaya spokesperson Jerry Dotson.


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Computer component manufacturers are always pushing for faster, bigger, and more efficient products. That benefits us, the end users, but also them for the premium they can charge on those new parts. And when it comes to memory modules, manufacturer SK Hynix has just raised the bar again.
Buy a desktop PC or laptop today and it will have DDR3 memory modules inside, but that isn’t going to be the case for very much longer. DDR4 memory modules are coming, and they bring with them more clock frequency choices, higher data transfer rates, and significantly lower voltages.
For now, DDR4 is a niche, but SK Hynix has claimed a world first by producing a 128GB DDR4 memory module. Until now only 64GB modules have been available, but SK Hynix has used 20nm 8Gb chips to double the capacity on a single module which runs at 2133Mbps. It can handle 17GB of data per second and only requires 1.2V (DDR3 typically requires 1.5V).
Mass production of the new modules along with a 64GB version is set to begin in the first half of 2015, and they will end up being the module of choice for new servers, no doubt. More memory in less space and at a lower voltage is great news for data centers where it’s all about squeezing more resources in to the same space.
As for when consumers can expect DDR4 to become the new standard in their computers. 2016-2018 is thought to be the transition period, by which time I’m sure 8GB of memory will be the new entry-level norm rather than today’s 4GB. With 128GB modules available, though, those 4 memory slots on your motherboard makes 512GB of RAM possible.


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In recent months, the price of orange juice has soared to unprecedented heights, driven by significant increases in the cost of certain food commodities. This surge can be attributed to adverse weather conditions in Florida, Brazil, and Mexico, the world’s largest producers of orange juice. As a result, the price of orange juice on the market has jumped by double-digit percentages this year and has even skyrocketed by over 300% in the past two years. Unfortunately, experts predict that there is no immediate relief in sight.
The current price trend of frozen orange juice on the New York Stock Exchange has reached historic highs and continues to climb. As of Friday morning, it had already reached $3.90 (91 Kč) per pound (1 pound = 0.45 kg), representing an 80.5% year-on-year increase. Just two years ago, in October 2021, the price was hovering around $1.20, marking a surge of more than 300%.
This rapid price surge can be attributed to the lowest orange crop yield in Florida in the past 80 years. A series of detrimental events, including hurricanes Irma and Ian, unexpected January frosts, and the spread of a bacterial infection transmitted by the Asian citrus psyllid insect, which causes citrus greening, has significantly impacted the orange production in Florida.
This year, Florida is projected to produce only 28 million boxes of oranges, a significant decline compared to over 41 million boxes in the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This marks the lowest harvest since 1943 and represents the fourth consecutive year of declining orange production in Florida.
The impact of low yields and citrus greening also extends to Brazil and Mexico, the first and third largest producers of orange juice in the world. Luis Ribera, an economist at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, attributed the reduced productivity in Mexico to a period of drought and limited rainfall. However, the recovery of orange production to previous levels, particularly in Brazil, the largest global supplier of this commodity, is expected to take longer. Ribera warns that the following year will still be characterized by weak production.
Efforts to combat the citrus greening disease through various methods such as planting different varieties, genetic modifications, and the use of plant treatments have not yet proven successful. Currently, there is no proven solution, and the best approach for producers is to focus on enhanced fertilization and fumigation to care for their orchards.
The decrease in orange yields in the Americas may also impact the European Union, despite being the fourth largest producer of orange juice globally, as its production only covers approximately 15% of the EU’s demand. The majority of orange juice is imported, primarily from Brazil, which accounts for 90% of the EU’s orange juice imports. Other suppliers include Mexico, South Africa, Argentina, and Egypt, as reported by Mintec Global, a provider of global commodity price and market information for suppliers and food retailers.
The record-breaking surge in the price of orange juice presents a significant challenge for consumers and the industry alike. As the supply shortage persists, it is crucial to monitor the developments closely and explore potential solutions to mitigate the impact on consumers and ensure the availability of this beloved beverage.


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Mumbai (Reuters) — India’s gold imports in October fell a third from a year earlier, dropping a fourth straight month as near record-high prices dampened festive buying in the world’s second-biggest consumer of the metal, a government source said on Monday.
Lower imports by the South Asian country could cap gains in global prices XAU= that are trading near their highest level in more than six years, and may also help New Delhi bring down its trade deficit and support the rupee INR=D4.
India fills nearly all of its gold demand through imports.
India imported 38 tonnes of gold in October, down 33% from 57 tonnes a year earlier, the source said on condition of anonymity as he is not authorised to speak to media.
In value terms, the October imports were at $1.84 billion, up 4.5% from $1.76 billion last year, he said.
Higher gold prices badly affected retail purchases during the Diwali and Dussehra festivals, said Surendra Mehta, secretary of the India Bullion and Jewellers Association.
This year Indians celebrated both the festivals – for which buying gold is considered auspicious – last month.
In September, local gold futures MAUc1 hit an all-time high of 39,885 rupees ($563.94) per 10 grams and have risen about 22% so far in 2019, tracking a rally in global prices XAU= and due to a depreciation in the rupee. [GOL/]
There could be a further drop in November.
“Usually demand moderates after Diwali,” said Daman Prakash Rathod, a director at MNC Bullion, a wholesaler in Chennai.
India’s gold imports could fall below 30 tonnes in November, said a Mumbai-based dealer with a gold importing bank, which would mark a drop of two-thirds from last year’s 84.8 tonnes.
“Unless prices correct significantly, say by around 3,000 rupees (per 10 grams), we won’t see a revival in the demand,” the dealer said.


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With lockdown easing and summer on the horizon many people are eagerly looking for their next fun night out to enjoy their new found freedoms.
Fortunately for Londoners, the city has a wealth of exciting and unique activities on offer to keep them entertained.
After many months locked away to stop the spread of the virus, we will soon be able to once again enjoy the many incredible places the capital has to offer.
Bottomless brunches have soared in popularity over the last few years and as more and more venues now offer bottomless options, there seems to be no signs of the craze slowing down.
One incredible Italian restaurant in Covent Garden offers a bottomless brunch experience that should be on everyone’s bucket list this summer.
Bunga Bunga offers an experience like no other, with unlimited prosecco and pizza on the menu, along with incredible immersive live entertainment.
Not only can you enjoy 90 minutes of free-flowing pink prosecco and an hour of all you can eat pizza, but the unique entertainment offers an incredible night out.
Guests are treated to a sensational show including aerial performances, circus acts, singing performances and even burlesque dancers.
While you feast on tasty pizza you can also feast your eyes on ‘the hunkiest men in boylesque’.
Bunga Bunga in Covent Garden reopens from Friday May 21 for brunches, dinners, pizza-making classes, live shows and more.
Bottomless brunch packages, which include a live show, an hour of bottomless pizza and 90 minutes of bottomless prosecco start from £39 per person.
Where are you most excited to visit when lockdown lifts further later this month? Let us know in the comment section here.


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|1. Microsoft To Speed Up Indexing With Content Submission API (MediaPost)|
Microsoft Bing places its content submission API open for all. It uses fewer lines of code to index web page content, making page updates faster in search-query results. This API enables webmasters to notify Bing directly about the changes in the web content and allows marketers to submit a URL, content, images, and HTML directly to Bing’s index.
2. Harvard Study: Automated Hiring Process Excluding 10M US Job Seekers (WSJ)
Although companies are desperate to hire, many job seekers cannot find jobs in the US, says a new Harvard Business School study. Employer’s increased levels of automation to fill vacancies, by deploying software for sourcing candidates and managing the application process is excluding more than 10 million workers from hiring discussions.
3. Salon Shutting Down Comments Site, Launches A Newsletter On Food (DigiDay)
The salon is shutting down its comments section for good as its users failed to turn to it. Started as a virtual channel to talk, it had 10 million active monthly users. Salon’s email newsletter gathered strength with enhanced open rates from 16% to 32% and it is launching a new weekly food newsletter, “The Bite” in September.
4. MRC Releases Updated OTT And CTV Measurement Guidelines (MediaPost)
The Media Rating Council (MRC) has issued its guidelines and the best practices for measuring OTT and CTV viewing when server-side ad insertion (SSAI) digital video techniques are utilized. Following a public comments period, the updates will become its official and current measurement guidance for the burgeoning OTT/CTV advertising marketplace.
5. North American Movie Theatres Yet To Recover From Pandemic And OTT (NYT)
North American movie theaters have sold only $2.2 billion in tickets so far this year, compared with $7.8 billion for the same period in 2019, according to Comscore, which collects ticketing data. While many theaters were closed in 2020, due to the pandemic, new releases are bypassing theaters and debuting directly on OTT.
6. Home Depot’s Smart Home App Offers Convenience And Affordability (TheVerge)
Home Depot has launched a smart home app that manages all smart appliances and accessories it sells. The company claims it as an easy-to-install and convenient solution that benefits Smart Home products available to anyone with a smart device and an internet connection, with no hub necessary and at an affordable price.
7. Hellion Dog Adoption Site Drives Valuable Lessons To Marketers (AdAge)
Christine Clauder, a former social media manager and marketing director launched a website in July, pleading dog lovers to adopt her “hellion” foster dog Hank. She wielded her word power with wit, humor, and honesty that outsized people’s attention. It not only made Hank very popular in Huston but also secured Clauder freelancing job opportunities.


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3 min read
Michigan Legal Marijuana Market Surges Creating Cannabis Shortages for Dispensaries
December 1, 2019 marked the first day of adult use cannabis in Michigan. The state’s regulatory committee delivered five licenses in November, which were much needed. This move makes Michigan the 12th US state to establish a recreational marijuana market but looming cannabis shortages are limiting sales. This isn’t too surprising considering the state has struggled to get its medical program off the ground. Current operating dispensaries like Exclusive Brands in Ann Arbor, MI already have a waitlist.
First Day of Michigan Cannabis Sales
Greenstone Provisions has already run out of flower on multiple days. On the first day of adult use sales, the state of Michigan generated in $221,000 in cannabis sales. This is the combined sales of the three licenses adult use shops in Ann Arbor. Clearly the demand already exists, but the lack of foresight has left the state with a likely cannabis shortage. A shocking sight for consumers who are used to reading reports of other states having too much supply.
The lack of supply has led other dispensaries like Michigan Supply and Provisions to limit purchasing amounts to a quarter of an ounce. Michigan marijuana officials predicts about nearly a dozen cannabis dispensaries by the new year so cultivators will need to produce even more. Cannabis shortages have been a problem even for the medical market. Lack of product and access has even led one cancer patient to sue the state for medical neglect.
Cities Opting Out
An estimated 80% of the states municipalities have opted out of the recreational market. However, there will probably be a chance for them down the road to opt back in. Those who opt out will not be benefiting from any tax revenue that comes from legal.
Beginning December 1, cannabis growers can transfer half of their inventory from medical products to recreational product. It will be a slow beginning for the mitten, but the market has begun earlier than expected. The regulatory committee was able to have the written rules for the industry in early July, rather than waiting until the December 16 deadline. Time will tell if the state regulations will allow the adult use dispensaries to experience the same growth from other states. However, Michigan is already experiencing shortages on the medicinal side.
Other than flower, enthusiasts can purchase concentrates, topicals and edibles. However there has been a ban on vaping products since November 22, until the products can be thoroughly tested for additives. As of yet, users can only toke in their private residences. Consumption bars have yet to be licensed for the state.
If Michigan truly wants to experience the benefits other states have seen, they will have to rectify the constant product shortage. Since the first recreational sales on December 1, each of the four licensed retailers have had to turn away customers. Lines outside of the dispensaries have been sustained throughout the day leading to an average 40 minute wait time.
Purchase Limits Imposed
The constant lack of product and wait periods has led to some shops to limit purchase amounts so that they can serve more customers. Greenstone Provisions and Michigan Supply and Provisions have a limit of 7g, while Arbor Wellness is capping sales at an 1/8th of an ounce. Limits are not just for herb. Limits have been set for all kinds of products: vape carts = 15, edibles = 2, pre-rolls = 7.
There is one exception. Exclusive Brands has yet to run out and sees no reason to limit supply. For the rest of the dispensaries, the rate at which the product leaves the shelves makes real-time inventory difficult.
Contributed by Richard Sanchez


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The rapid adoption of digital payment systems is seen as a potential silver lining to the exercise that caused a widespread cash crunch that's only now beginning to ease
Mumbai: When the Indian government invalidated high-value banknotes on the night of 8 November, taking out 86% of the currency in circulation by value, it was supposed to be a war on unaccounted-for and untaxed wealth, counterfeit notes and terror financing.
Somewhere along the way, as serpentine queues formed outside bank branches and automated teller machines (ATMs) for days and weeks together, the slogan changed.
It became all about promoting a cashless or at least a less-cash culture in an economy where almost 90% of transactions are paid for in cash.
The talk turned to technologies such as mobile wallets, crypto-currencies such as Bitcoin, mobile peer-to-peer payments, block chain technology, payment banks and architectures such as the unified payment interface (UPI) and the recently-launched Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) app.
The total value of all transactions done using electronic payment systems in India in December rose to Rs105 trillion from Rs95 trillion in November, according to representative data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 17 January.
They included transactions done through the real time gross settlement (RTGS) system, the national electronic funds transfer (NEFT) system, immediate payment service (IMPS), credit cards, debit cards, UPI, point of sale (PoS) terminals and mobile banking.
Indeed, the growing popularity and rapid adoption of digital payment systems, in the face of a shortage of cash and stringent limits on bank withdrawals, may be a silver lining to the demonetisation of Rs500 and Rs1,000 notes—an exercise that some critics have slammed as ill-conceived and hastily implemented.
To be sure, India has a long way go before it joins the ranks of countries such as Sweden, Finland, Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, Singapore, France and the UK where more than 85% of the consumer payment transactions are done digitally.
But it’s a start. Consider this. A day after demonetisation, Ola Money, the digital payment solution offered by ride-hailing company Ola, reported an “over 1,500% increase in recharges across the 102 cities of its operation". Oxigen Services India Pvt. Ltd, too, claimed to have broken all its previous records in money uploads and transaction count in the week after the demonetisation.
Similarly, the National Payments Corporation of India—the umbrella organization for all retail payments systems in India—claimed that in just two days (8-9 November), the use of its domestic card scheme—RuPay—almost doubled to around 800,000 transactions a day, compared with a daily average of 400,000 transactions earlier (http://bit.ly/2gdu0bW).
One97 Communications Ltd-owned digital payments firm Paytm said on 21 November it had seen more than seven million transactions worth Rs120 crore on that day alone.
The company claimed that offline, person-to-merchant transactions had grown to contribute over 65% of transactions. Mobile wallet FreeCharge, too, said it had ramped up its acquisition effort and was targeting signing up one million merchants in the coming 12 months.
On 16 January, Paytm said it has received a “phenomenal response" for new service categories such as hospitals, tolls and petrol pumps, and expects to add more categories in the coming months.
According to the company, the new categories are generating six million transactions a month and are expected to overtake mobile recharges (in terms of order volumes) by mid-2017. Over the next few months, Paytm will expand to newer categories such as automobile service stations, school and college hostel cafeterias, dairy outlets, apartment maintenance and traffic challans.
The company will convert into a payments banks over the next two months, according to a 4 January Press Trust of India report.
In a bid to give the country a digital boost, NPCI said its new electronic toll collection (ETC) system would eventually include other vehicle-related payments such as parking fees, servicing and fuel charges (http://bit.ly/2fIv7xf).
It was only in September that NPCI launched a pilot project for Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) with 26 Bharat Bill Payment Operating Units (BBPOUs). Most banks now offer UPI-enabled apps on Google Play Store. To use a UPI-enabled app, you need an Android smartphone, a bank account and a registered mobile number linked to your bank account (http://bit.ly/2eiNqw1).
Digital transactions began booming after e-commerce firms such as Flipkart, Snapdeal, Amazon, Myntra and Jabong began offering attractive discounts to woo customers.
Banks accelerated the efforts with their own mobile wallets, mobile banking apps, and pitches of banking on smartwatches and even social networking sites (http://bit.ly/1fucY4s).
The launch of Pockets by ICICI Bank Ltd, Lime by Axis Bank Ltd, PayZapp by HDFC Bank Ltd, SBI Buddy by State Bank of India and Ziggit by IDFC Bank Ltd are cases in point.
Large telecom services providers such as Bharti Airtel Ltd and Vodafone India Pvt. Ltd, too, have mobile payments solutions—Airtel Money and Vodafone M-Pesa, respectively—targeted at their own customer base, largely for mobile recharges and remittances.
Idea Money from Idea Cellular Ltd, and Jio-Money by Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd are other telco-led payment solutions.
Airtel, meanwhile, has also announced the launch of its payments bank.
Banking in India is witnessing what Nandan Nilekani calls the “WhatsApp moment", threatening to disrupt the banking ecosystem in India as payments move to mobile and lending to algorithms.
With the launch of UPI, the country has crossed a significant milestone.
“Apart from making payments easier, UPI enables micro-credit. This will help the currently underserved small traders and businesses. The visibility into transactions provided by UPI apps enables financial institutions to evaluate the credit worthiness of its users. Instead of assets, credit will be based on transaction flow, and can be issued instantaneously. This will provide more choice for borrowers, especially those who depend on moneylenders and the informal sector for loans," says Venkatesh Hariharan, director of Indian Software Products Industry Round Table (iSPIRT)—a think tank.
Smartphones and increasing Internet penetration will only help India’s digital cause. Around 90% of all devices will be Internet-enabled by 2017, and the number of Internet users will touch 650 million by 2020 from 300 million in 2015, predicts a 25 July report by Google and Boston Consulting Group (BCG).
The report forecasts the size of the digital payments industry in India to touch $500 billion by 2020, contributing 15% to India’s gross domestic product (GDP).
It also predicts that the non-cash (including cheques, demand drafts, net-banking, credit/debit cards, mobile wallets and UPI) contribution in the consumer payments segment will double to 40% in the same period.
Further, while around 30 billion bills worth $103 billion are generated every year, of which 70% are paid in cash, initiatives such as NPCI’s BBPS may give a further impetus to the digitization of bill payments.
The number of mobile wallet users is already three times the number of credit cards issued in the country (24 million in 2015-16), according to the Google-BCG report.
The smartphone explosion in India is expected to usher in this new era in digital payments over the next few years, according to the Google-BCG report.
India currently ranks second in the world with more than one billion mobile subscriptions. Of this, around 240 million consumers use smartphones, and this base is projected to increase to over 520 million by 2020.
Smartphone subscriptions in the country will increase fourfold to 810 million by 2021, according to the India edition of the Ericsson Mobility Report released on 7 June.
The Google-BCG report also highlights that micro-transactions will form a substantial portion of the industry, with more than 50% of the person-to-merchant transactions expected to be under Rs100.
It predicts that the value of remittances and money transfer that will pass through alternative digital payment instruments will double to 30% by 2020. A related BCG study (http://bit.ly/2bc0gLk) in August forecasts that by 2020, about 315 million Indians living in rural areas will be connected to the Internet, compared with 120 million now.
Globally, too, the payments landscape is seeing heightened activity across multiple categories, ranging from device manufacturers (Apple Inc., Samsung Electronics Co.), tech firms (Google, eBay Inc., Alibaba Group Holding Ltd), retailers (Starbucks Corp., Wal-Mart Stores Inc.), telecom companies (Vodafone Group Plc., Orange SA) and start-ups (Square Inc., TransferWise Ltd), according to the Google-BCG report.
More disruption is expected as the number of fintech start-ups doubled to 1,000 in approximately five years, with funding growing six times to reach $11 billion in 2015.
“This hockey-stick growth is due to the axis shifting to the customer, who is today served by a variety of competing business models and methods driving its adoption. The explosion in mobile banking is proof enough of how private banks and, later, PSU (public sector undertaking) banks, too, got their act together and worked with start-up fintech firms to rejig their apps, sites and in-house wallets to keep up with customer expectations, rather than trying and do everything by themselves, or waiting for the regulator to issue diktats," says Probir Roy, co-founder and director of digital payments firm Paymate.
Hiccups clearly exist.
Indians love their cash. “Paper currency facilitates making transactions anonymous, helping conceal activities from the government in a way that might help agents avoid laws, regulations and taxes. This is a big difference from most forms of electronic money that, in principle, can be traced by the government," wrote Kenneth Rogoff, Thomas D. Cabot professor of public policy and professor of economics at Harvard University, in an 11 April 2014 paper.
This trend is borne out by the fact that retail payments in India, for instance, are still dominated by cash, with a mere 6-7% of transactions conducted electronically. The rest are in cash or cheque.
Uber is primarily a cashless service elsewhere in the world, but more than 50% of Uber trips in India are paid for in cash, according to a 10 November blog by Forrester Inc. analyst Ashutosh Sharma.
Sharma points out that in India, merchants are forcing the choice of cash payments on customers because electronic payments eat into their margins—just like everywhere else in the world.
Barriers to a cashless world, concurs the World Economic Forum (WEF), include the fact that “some merchants still don’t want the infrastructure costs and fees associated with electronic payments; some customers still find cash more convenient; access is an issue for individuals without bank accounts; and fraudsters continue to find opportunities in electronic transactions".
Consumers who have tried using digital payments but have now shifted to other modes such as cash, card and online banking say the inconvenience of remembering log-in credentials, insufficient acceptance, possibility of a technical or human mistake during a transaction and frequently running out of balance are the top reasons for lapsing, according to the report by Google and BCG. Hence, expanding merchant acceptance is critical to driving mass adoption by consumers.
As of 30 September, the number of PoS devices which accept debit and credit cards as modes of payments at merchant outlets was a mere 1.49 million, according to the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) monthly bulletin. Indians had nearly 730 million debit cards and 27 million credit cards at September end, though it isn’t clear, however, how many people have more than one card (http://bit.ly/2gc6sFy). Moreover, most Indians use debit cards to withdraw cash from ATMs.
According to Roy, a cashless economy has to have appeal and practicality at the most elementary level for consumers and merchants alike, especially given the plethora of overlapping and competing payment options.
“There are great apps for mobile banking, money transfer, shop and pay, tap and go, etc., and then there are the old faithful viz. net banking, prepaid cards, IMPS and e-wallets, USSD (unstructured supplementary service data) and UPI. The latter (USSD and UPI), yet to quite reach their ‘WhatsApp moment’, saddled as it is by the way banks have implemented, and promoting them vis-a-vis other offerings, lack of a people-friendly branding and a common user interface," explains Roy.
Roy cites the example of a food court in a mall where you load your food court plastic card, redeem at food stalls on par and cash out the balance when done.
Security is another big concern. According to cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab, while those who have been transacting online are fairly well-versed with the threats one can face while paying online, it’s the first-time users or new adaptors that need to be educated on the risks they are exposed to.
According to Altaf Halde, managing director (South Asia), Kaspersky Lab, while payments through smartphones are very convenient and frees one of the pressures to hold cash, it calls for precautions.
“One small slip-up can cause one a huge loss. While companies are bound by law to follow guidelines, fraudsters find their way through many security barricades. The only way to safeguard oneself, in such a scenario, is to be vigilant while paying and to keep the mobile protected with a security plan. With these two simple steps, people can ward off almost all financial theft risks. As the current adjustment period makes way for settlement, we are sure that more people, across economic strata, will find digital payments way more convenient and may make it their preferred mode of payment," says Halde.
Being an online security firm, Kasperky Lab recommends that users should get themselves “a mobile security plan".
Moreover, interoperability issues are causing friction between banks and mobile wallet service providers.
On 16 January, for instance, Mint reported that ICICI Bank Ltd had blocked transactions on payments app PhonePe in at least the second such instance of a commercial bank trying to protect its turf against non-bank mobile wallet and payment companies.
PhonePe is a UPI app.
A day later, PhonePe’s co-founder and chief executive officer Sameer Nigam took to microblogging site Twitter to allege that ICICI was blocking transactions since Friday (http://bit.ly/2jlYhGX).
ICICI Bank cited security concerns as its reason for blocking PhonePe. NPCI initially ordered ICICI Bank to rectify the situation. Later, in a U-turn, it said PhonePe is in violation of UPI norms (http://bit.ly/2iT5Q3F)
On 4 January, CNBC-TV18 reported that SBI had blocked net-banking transactions with e-wallet firms, although it allowed customers to top up their mobile wallets with debit and credit cards.
At the time, SBI chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya said the service was blocked because of security concerns.
Roy insists that an open-access platform allows for interoperability for wallets operators, and diverse choice for customers. This will allow banks to have a wider acceptability of popular third-party prepaid cards and wallets, with minimal loading failure rates.
Second, it will enable them to, inter alia, inter-operate seamlessly and with minimal friction across a multi-sided base comprising e.wallets, banks and common merchants (same QR code for instance).
Third, banks will have to rework service level agreements with their PoS merchants and card networks to ensure a much higher reliability.
In conclusion, says Roy, India is too large a country, diverse in its perceptions, behaviours and idiosyncrasies to have a one-size-fits-all strategy for a post-cash world.
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And now, Disney just released a new MagicBand inspired by a popular location in Adventureland, and it’s just for Annual Passholders. Looking for a new accessory to wear on your next visit to the parks? Check out this NEW MagicBand we found online!
If you’re planning a trip to Disney World soon, or if you have a growing collection of MagicBands, you might like the new MagicBand we found in EPCOT! A word of warning, though, it’s not for everyone!
You might have Halloween on your mind but the holidays will be here before you know it!
If you’re lucky enough to be heading to the Most Magical Place on Earth, you might be hoping to snag a new MagicBand. Well, we’ve got GREAT news! Annual Passholders and Disney Resort hotel guests can now preorder a new HOLIDAY MagicBand!
Many things have been changing at Disney World in the recent months.
We’ve seen a new design completed for Cinderella Castle, FastPass+ is no longer available, Extended Evening Hours are about to be available for select Disney hotel guests, and masks are back to being required indoors for everyone. One thing that changed last year was Disney no longer giving you free MagicBands if you were staying at a Disney hotel. And now, there is another group of guests who will also no longer receive the perk. [Read more…]
We’ve been going without complimentary MagicBands this year, but there’s still a way that select Disney World guests can snag some for cheap… .
Resort guests get the opportunity to pick out a $5 solid color MagicBand prior to their stay, but resort guests AND Annual Passholders can also check out some cool, exclusive MagicBands for pre-order too!
We’ve got some new MagicBands to show you!
Earlier this year, Disney stopped offering free MagicBands to hotel guests. Since then, we’ve seen some tech-y other options for those who don’t want to pay for MagicBands — like the new MagicMobile service! But if you’re still a MagicBand fan, there have been LOTS of options (in addition to the normal MagicBands up for grabs) exclusive to resort guests and Annual Passholders. And now, a new collection is here!
Although free MagicBands have been discontinued, there’s still a way to get them at a special price!
Resort guests have the opportunity to choose from a selection of $5 MagicBands — and there’s always the option to just reuse your old one. But if you want to purchase a more themed MagicBand, both resort guests and Annual Passholders can grab some at a discount!
We’ve also had the chance to check out a ton of the Festival’s limited edition merchandise, including a Passholder exclusive Figment MagicBand and a Mickey & Friends MagicBand. And now, those two limited edition MagicBands are available online!


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Telavox is proud to announce its partnership with Amalfi Technologies, based in Surrey, UK, they are cybersecurity advisors and awareness trainers, GDPR consultants, virtual DPO’s, password management guru's, email security kings and offer the most flexible and cost-effective IT support for SME's. The new partnership with Telavox will help expand the range of products offered by Amalfitech adding cloud unified communications solutions to their portfolio.
Speaking about the new partnership Amalfi Technologies CEO Stephen Lark said,
"Why have a security company taken on board a Cloud telephony solution? Well, many moons ago Victor Kiam (Remington razors) said “I liked the product so much that I bought the company.” Well, I can’t afford to buy the company so instead I thought selling the product would be a winner.
“It started when I wanted a telephony solution for my company. I evaluated the marketplace and very quickly decided on Telavox. I was up and running in less than an hour (with all the features enabled), it was the simplest and most intuitive system to use, the pricing was all-inclusive and transparent and the contract was 30 day rolling.”
“On top of that Telavox listened to what I wanted and did not keep trying to sell internet connectivity and mobile comms. After using it for 3 months it was a no-brainer for Amalfi Technology to offer it as a solution which has so far been a great success. The reality is that our ethos perfectly dovetails with that of Telavox – openness, honesty, and transparency – which is perhaps why this is a dream partnership."
From startup to one of the fastest-growing UCaaS companies
The Telavox story began almost 20 years ago when two students shared the same entrepreneurial spirit to build a better communications platform hosted and managed in the cloud, accessible by any device from any location. With over 250,000 users on the platform already, it is one of the fastest-growing UC and Contact Centre solutions in the European market.
Unlike many UC providers Telavox owns the platform from top to bottom, there are a number of integrations as standard such as Salesforce, Hubspot and Zendesk to name a few allowing for more efficient working. This also means they are in full control over the security, availability, product roadmap and can innovate freely with their customers and partners.
Partner Sales Manager Andy Brunt said,
“We are excited to welcome Amalfi Technologies to the Telavox family and look forward to working closely together to provide cloud communications to their extensive product portfolio. By working together I am sure we can deliver world-class communications solutions to their customers in the coming months and years”.


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Chinese smartphone brand Xiaomi has launched Redmi Go in the Nepali market.
Redmi Go smartphone features a 5.0-inch HD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 SoC processor, and a 3000mAh battery. On the back side, it sports an 8MP main camera supported by an LED flashlight. On the front side, Redmi Go has a 5MP camera for selfie. It comes with two SIM card slots and has a dedicated microSD slot that supports up to 128GB microSD cards.Redmi Go runs on the Android 8.1 Oreo operating system, featuring Google apps that have been optimized to reduce storage and data use.
“Xiaomi has received such a warm welcome in Nepal since its entry last year, and we are really grateful to all Mi fans for their support,” said Sourabh Kothari, Xiaomi’s country general manager for Nepal.
Redmi Go comes in black and blue colours, and will be available in 8GB storage capacity. Redmi Go will be available in offline stores and on Daraz starting March 3.
BEIJING, Dec. 30, 2018 (Xinhua) -- Photo provided by State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense shows the image of the rover for China's Chang'e-4 lunar probe. (Xinhua)


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Nazdar OEM support strengthens Longier UV-LED printer development
Hallmark’s Gary Hall says ‘he wouldn’t put any other ink’ than Nazdar’s in Longier machines
Author: Lindsay Merwald/Thursday, August 6, 2015/Categories: Industry News - Industrial
(Quoted from Large Format Review. Full article here.)
Cambridgeshire, UK-based Hallmark Equipment Service Ltd works with Nazdar under an OEM agreement and has branded the ink Hunter 2014 UV LED.
Click here to read the full article and learn about the quality of Nazdar's OEM Ink!


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Bobby Cannavale has revealed that he only makes half as much money as his partner Rose Byrne.
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The council also tabled a vote for final passage on a plan to allow deer hunting in county parks.
It's hardly a revelation to point out that Bears OLB Leonard Floyd's production isn't commensurate with his draft status.
The U.S. government spent $33.9 million of taxpayer money on unused textbooks for Afghani children. The books are still sitting in decaying storage units in Afghanistan. American taxpayers also spent $16 million to improve the quality of Egyptian education.
According to Brazil's President, Leonardo DiCaprio has been "giving money to set the Amazon on fire".