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The dream of one young man, his passion for comics and creativity has evolved into one of the world’s largest licensors and animation studios.
Endemol Shine Group has promoted Marina Williams to chief operating officer of international operations.
Boomerang has released “Make and Race,” the latest mobile app, in EMEA and Latin America.
Lawless Entertainment has signed a production deal with Mondo TV to co-produce and distribute a new 2D HD-animated series based on Adventures in Duckport.
Cartoon Network has launched Imagination Studios in the EMEA, an online destination designed to inspire and celebrate the imagination and creativity of kids.
Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products has appointed two new international licensing executives to accelerate growth of the company’s presence in EMEA and Latin America.
NVCP has secured a number of new licensing and live events deals for the Nickelodeon brand in Europe, Asia and Africa.
Breakthrough Entertainment has started production on season two of the kids’ live-action comedy series “Max & Shred.”
Beauty retailer Sephora and eyewear licensee Luxottica are both bringing their wares to China via the e-commerce company JD.com.
Burger King restaurants and DHX Brands, a part of DHX Media, have launched a global promotion featuring DHX’s boys’ action property "Slugterra."
LIMA is partnering with global safety science company UL to provide itsmembers with savings on product testing and consulting services.
Temple Street Productions has brought on Striker Entertainment as the worldwide (excluding Canada) licensing agent for its hit TV series "Orphan Black."
Atlantyca Entertainment has gained a host of broadcast sales post-Mipcom 2014 for a variety of their key distribution properties.
German brand management and media company m4e has appointed the Simba Dickie Group as the master toy licensee for its new preschool series "Wissper."
To celebrate Comic-Con, Fandango surveyed more than a thousand moviegoers to find out what the most anticipated movies at this year’s convention.
Toys ‘R’ Us continues to expand in 2014 with plans to open 90 stores worldwide, including 22 locations in China.
Authentic Brands Group has expanded its relationship with retail partner Majid Al Futtaim in the Middle East and North Africa to accelerate the growth of Juicy Couture.
Discovery Consumer Products has renewed its longstanding direct-to-retail partnership with Toys 'R' Us U.S. and Toys 'R' Us Australia.
Mind Candy, the entertainment company behind the Moshi Monsters franchise, globally launched the "World of Warriors" app.
©2015 ADVANSTAR COMMUNICATIONS INC. All rights reserved.


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Dollar Shave Club readies facial hair billboard
By Adnews Staff
Dollar Shave Club is preparing an out-of-home advertising campaign to promote the brand’s retail launch in Canada. The campaign features a mobile billboard measuring 20 feet by 10 feet. The creative incorporates approximately 30 pounds of real facial hair. According to the company, this is the first advertising execution of its kind. The mobile billboard will travel to various locations in Toronto on Nov. 16. Dollar Shave Club is a subsidiary of Unilever.
“We're looking forward to welcoming more Canadians to the Dollar Shave Club by making our products more accessible than ever through this new retail partnership with Walmart,” said Shagufta Hooda, senior brand manager at Dollar Shave Club Canada. “Since we're doing it for the people, there's no better way to celebrate than using real people's shavings to create a first-of-its-kind, hairy masterpiece.”

domain: news


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We may not know exactly when we'll be playing with the Oculus Rift, nor do we yet know the price for the privilege, but we're starting to get a picture of what the bundle will include. Oculus just announced that Lucky's Tale will come with the Rift.
Lucky's Tale is an Oculus exclusive platformer title being developed by Playful. If features Lucky, a cute animated fox, and a bright colorful world reminiscent of games such as Banjo Kazooie, Mario 64 or Crash Bandicoot.
A third person game doesn't seem like a natural choice for VR, but everyone that has tried the game seems to "get it." Tom's Hardware's Rexly Peñaflorida took a look at Lucky's Tale in June of this year and said that all of his "doubts about the Lucky's Tale were erased after actually sitting down and playing the game."
The founder and CEO of Playful, Paul Bettner, was actually one of the original backers of the Oculus Rift Kickstarter campaign. He put down $5,000 and received a visit to the Oculus headquarters in 2012; his team has been working on VR prototypes ever since. Oculus said Playful's "passion for creating fun, awe-inspiring VR games shows in one of the most unique experiences that will launch on Rift next year."
Palmer Luckey, founder of Oculus, said:
"We always believed there was an opportunity for platformers in VR, but it wasn't until playing Lucky's Tale and working with the Playful team that we truly realized its potential to change how people view this genre of gaming forever. Lucky's Tale delivers on everything you want in a next-generation VR game -- it's thrilling, full of adventure, and incredibly fun to play."
The Oculus Rift VR HMD is set to release in the first quarter of 2016 with pre-orders opening sometime soon after the new year. It may be a couple of months until we get to play with the headset, but at least we'll be getting software with the bundle.


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Apple’s ad business set to boom on the back of its own anti-tracking crackdown
Apple has always styled itself as a paragon of privacy whose profits are not ad-driven. “You are not our product. You are our customer. You are a jewel, and we care about the user experience,” Apple CEO Tim Cook famously said in 2018.
And unlike most of its high-profile competitors, Apple seemed to be walking the talk. While Apple’s ad revenue is expected to reach $5bn this year, it pales in comparison to the ad money Google and Facebook are making. Google earned a staggering $209bn from ads alone last year and Meta crossed the $100bn threshold for the first time, raking in $115bn.
Those figures could be even higher had Apple not launched a sweeping crackdown on tracking last year. Its new privacy feature, known as App Tracking Transparency (“ATT”), required apps to seek users’ permission to track them across other applications and websites, thus making it easier than ever for users to opt out of tracking and personalized advertising — which they overwhelmingly did. Only about 25% of iOS users worldwide now explicitly let apps to track them.
Apple’s push against third-party tracking wreaked havoc on the global ad market, prompting outcry from advertisers and, most notably, from Facebook. And Meta has all the reasons to see red. Apple dealt a blow to the ability of third-party platforms to pull personal data from apps. That data is crucial to targeted advertising which Facebook relies on as its prime source of revenue. Highly personalized ads pay off way more than ads based on a random or less precise set of data, so Facebook is losing money — Apple’s anti-tracking feature is projected to cost Meta $12.8 billion this year.
Facebook will take the greatest hit, but other big tech won’t be spared either: Google-owned YouTube is set to lose $2.2 billion, Snap — $546 million, and Twitter — $323. Small businesses have also become collateral damage in Apple’s anti-tracking quest, asthe cost of acquiring new customers has risen.
It’s time to ask: Cui prodest? Who benefits from Apple’s anti-tracking crusade? Apple will tell you that it’s you, the user, who is benefiting from less tracking and more privacy. It may not be a lie, (unless the anti-tracking restrictions can be sidestepped by the big tech, which increasingly looks like the case). However, it looks like it's Apple itself that will likely benefit the most.
New ad empire in the making?
The adoption of Apple Search Ads by advertisers grew 4% to 94.8% year-over-year, while that of Facebook’s decreased 3% to 82.8% and Google’s went down from 96.5% to 94.8%. Perhaps, unsurprisingly, advertisers have begun spending more money on Apple, with its share-of-wallet (SOW) increasing by 5% to 15%. In contrast, Facebook’s share dropped 4% to 28%, while Google’s stayed the same (from 35% to 34%).
Apple seems to be discovering a new source of revenue it used to proudly shun. And if anyone knows a thing or two about how ads work, it is Apple. For years, Apple has been running ads for hundreds of third-party apps across social media and other platforms so that users would download apps from its store and not from developers’ websites. This way Apple earned a hefty commission from in-app purchases.
Despite carving out quite a big chunk of the ad market for itself already, Apple still has a lot to do to catch up with the frontrunners. And it is not sitting idle.
Apple announced this summer that it will add two more advertising slots to the App Store. Developers will be able to buy ad space on the central “Today” page as well as on individual app pages. Currently, Apple presents ads in the “Suggested” panel on the App Store’s Search page and at the top of the search results relevant to a particular query. Say, if you search “sprint training” in the App Store, Apple will display you an ad for a running app. In September, Apple hinted that new ad placements might be unveiled just in time for the holidays, a traditionally busy and lucrative time for advertisers.
One thing that lets Apple claim moral high ground over competitors is that it only allows ads in the App Store from approved product pages, who are promoting their own apps and not a shaving cream or whatnot.
Rules for thee but not for me
Things get trickier when it comes to the ads Apple shows in its native News and Stocks apps. These ads include traditional display ads, ranging from jewelry to mortgage brokers.
In order to know which ads to show which users, Apple collects their account data, information about in-store purchases, search queries, news stories they read, as well as the information about their device and location. Apple used to harvest all this data by default, but starting with iOS 15 the company began displaying a pop-up message, asking users’ consent to turn personalized ads in Apple apps on.
This bona fide move reportedly had very little effect on Apple’s advertising business. According to MacRumours, Apple has recently told advertisers that conversion rate for iOS 15 users with and without Personalized Ads enabled is about the same.
While Apple effectively tracks users on its own platform, the pre-installed apps are exempted from displaying a message asking permission to track users.
This is because Apple’s Anti-Tracking Transparency only applies to the apps that use third-party data to track users. Since Apple’s tracking stays within its own ecosystem, the company’s native apps are not subject to the policy. An exception Apple made for itself drew backlash, with some comparing the “nefarious"-sounding prompt third-party developers have to show to a far less ominous “personalized ads” pop-up Apple has to show itself.
Apple has hinted that more of its own apps can soon get ads. It was reported that the company eyes planting ads into Maps, Books and Podcasts apps..
Apple is also reportedly taking steps to build its own demand-side platform (DSP), which would enable buying and selling of ads in real time. If true, it would mean that Apple is jumping on the ad tech bandwagon, something that it has so far resisted doing. Google Marketing Platform and Facebook Ads Manager are examples of a DSP. Though, it’s far from clear if Apple’s DSP will be limited to serving ads within Apple’s own app store and apps, or goes beyond that. In any case, we hope Apple would not follow the example of some of its competitors and litter the feed with ads.
All in all, there is no doubt that Apple takes its advertising endeavor seriously as opposed to a mere side hustle of years ago. According to the Financial Times, Apple is poised to double the number of employees on its ads team by adding 216 people to the existing workforce of 250. The new hires would reportedly include managers, data engineers, product designers as well as sales specialists. And while Apple is in the midst of expanding its ad business, the prospects are looking nothing short of impressive: research group Evercore ISI projected that Apple’s ad business could be worth as much as $30 billion by 2026.
This meteoric rise is still to happen, but it would unlikely be feasible without Apple giving itself a leg up over its competitors at the pretext of the greater good — the protection of privacy. But has Apple’s ATT actually achieved that?
Meta and Google adjust to post-ATT reality
Apple’s anti-tracking bonanza may have disadvantaged smaller advertisers, but ad tech behemoths are likely to weather the storm after an initial shock.
Google, which boasts a far more diversified ad portfolio than Meta and thus is less dependent on mobile ads, appears to be adjusting to the post-ATT world quite well. Apple’s anti-tracking feature has no bearing on Google’s search ads which appear only to those who have been looking to buy a particular product or service. On the other hand, ads that rely on the ad network’s insights about user behavior and interests risk becoming less specific and, therefore, less effective.
Fortunately for Google, and unfortunately for privacy-conscious users Google has come up with new tracking technologies under the guise of privacy protection. A new Google technology called Topics is designed to replace third-party cookies and supposedly stop advertisers from identifying you. We’ve recently shown that it won’t be the case.
In addition to devising new tracking tools, Google wages an undeclared war against those who interfere with ads. Google’s Manifest V3 — Chrome’s new extension-building platform — severely limits the functionality of ad blockers. Though, ad blockers won't capitulate without a fight — that is as much as we can promise you. In a world’s first, AdGuard has recently published an ad-blocking extension built on Manifest V3 — you can read more about it here. Google has also been tightening screws on mobile apps with ad-blocking functionality. An updated version of Google Play Store policy forbids VPN apps to "manipulate ads that can impact apps monetization." The policy is set to come into effect on November 1st.
Photo: Rubaitul Azad/Unsplash
Yet another ingenious way Google has come up with to secure its ad prowess is making a Google account prerequisite for using its smart tech. From 2025 onwards Google account will be a must to use Fitbit, one of the world’s most popular fitness tracker.
Nevertheless, the data shared by Appsumer suggests that Meta is rebounding after the ATT-induced setback, with its share-of-wallet increasing in early 2022.
While none of this makes Apple a villain, it does cast a shadow on its image of a privacy-first company which puts the user's experience front and center. The advertising business is very lucrative, and some might say it was only a matter of time before Apple joined the advertising flock. But the fact that it appears to be trying to gain competitive advantage by claiming it protects user privacy seems disingenuous.


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December 10, 2008
‘Spore’ Most Pirated Game Of 2008
The TorrentFreak weblog has named Will Wright's evolutionary epic video game "Spore" the most pirated PC game of 2008.
The site used BitTorrent data, the peer-to-peer sharing protocol, to compile a list of the 10 most downloaded PC games in 2008.Since Spore's release in September 2008, there have been at least 1.7 million illegal downloads, according to the site. The game's maker, Electronic Arts (EA), said it sold nearly 2m copies of the game.
The Sims 2, Will Wright's other big-selling title, came in second on the list with 1,150,000 copies downloaded.
Spore's Digital Rights Management (DRM) software, which came in for considerable criticism when the game was released, was one of the reasons the game was so prolifically pirated, TorrentFreak said.
DRM (Digital Rights Management) limits customers to only three activations after the game is installed, preventing legitimate Spore customers from having free use of the game and effectively killing the second-hand market.
However, within 10 days of the games launch, more than half a million people had downloaded a pirated version that emerged less than 24 hours after the game shipped.
A "DRM-lite" version was then launched by EA allowing an unlimited number of installations, but the public relations damage was considerable.
But pirating games is inevitable, according to freelance games journalist Paul Pressley.
"The best [games publishers] can do is come up with measures that stem piracy as much as they can, without impeding legitimate customers."
He said the PC market is getting smaller in terms of single-player games and publishers do overstate the problem.
"The majority of their sales are console-based, which makes piracy much harder and while pirates will take a small percentage of their sales, the majority of people will buy a legitimate copy of the game," he said.
Online games like World of Warcraft have more than 11 million subscribers worldwide, and Warhammer Online shifted more than 1.2 million units in the first few weeks after its launch.
The online games require an active subscription rather than a legitimate copy of the game to play.
But with the increase of pirating, game developers are now withdrawing or scaling back on creating new PC titles. And with a seemingly watertight subscription model for online gaming, pirates could eventually sink the concept of the single-player PC gaming experience.
On the Net:


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Tuesday 5th May 2015
The ECJ has now issued its decision in USDAW and anor v VW Realisation 1 Ltd and ors. The case was referred by the CA and involved the closure of Woolworths and Ethel Austin stores across the UK. It was alleged that there had been a failure to collectively consult, which in a redundancy context arises when an employer proposes 20 or more redundancies at an establishment, within 90 days.
The ET found that each store was a discrete establishment, so the duty was not triggered at stores where fewer than 20 employees were affected. The EAT took a different view, deciding that the UK had failed to implement the Collective Redundancies Directive properly. Adopting a purposive construction, the EAT held the duty was triggered when an employer contemplates dismissing 20 or more employees, regardless of how many establishments make up the employer’s business. The CA made a reference to the ECJ in January 2014, following an intervention by the Secretary of State.
The AG issued an opinion earlier this year and the ECJ has now confirmed that establishment, for these purposes, means the entity to which a worker is assigned. Therefore, separate establishments do not need to be aggregated to determine if the 20 employee threshold is met. The case will now return to the CA to consider if the ET’s interpretation of each site as an establishment was correct, but this is likely to be the case.
The decision will be welcomed by employers who operate at multiple sites in the UK, but consideration will still need to be given as to whether each site qualifies as an establishment.
All information in this update is intended for general guidance only and is not intended to be comprehensive, or to provide legal advice.


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Town to vie for Google Internet
KENT â€” The town has entered a national competition to receive an ultra-high-speed Internet connection from Google.
According to the competitionâ€™s Web site at google.com/appserve/fiberrfi, Google wants to test an ultra-high-speed broadband network in one or more trial locations across the country.
The network would deliver Internet speeds more than 100 times faster than typical Internet speeds, at more than 1 gigabit per second to connect.
Megabits and gigabits are the rates of speed that are used to measure Internet data and transmission speeds.
If Kent is chosen as a trial location, Google will offer high speed Internet to at least 50,000 people and as many as 500,000. In the 2000 census, Kent was listed as having a population of 2,858.
The company is asking towns and cities across the nation to submit a Request For Information (RFI) to help them determine where they should build the network.
Resident John Mauer is helping prepare the entry. His Kent-oriented Web site is at stoneforge.com.
At the Board of Selectmenâ€™s meeting on Tuesday, March 2, Mauer gave details of the competition to the board.
â€œTo give you an idea of how fast an Internet speed they are offering, Charter Communications currently offers high-speed Internet up to 10 megabits per second if no one else is on,â€ Mauer said. â€œKent School, which is hooked up to the AT&T Internet network, gets 45 megabits per second.
â€œIf we were hooked up to Googleâ€™s service, it would change what businesses in town could do. It could also attract new businesses to our town, especially the types that could use high-speed Internet accessâ€ such as multimedia companies.
â€œThe worst they can say is no,â€ Mauer added.
First Selectman Bruce Adams said the selectmen are in support of applying.
â€œMy initial reaction was â€˜Wow, my Internet is going to be faster, â€˜but thereâ€™s a lot more to it than that,â€ he said. â€œIt has the potential to bring businesses to town that just canâ€™t get these kind of Internet speeds in any other place. There are no guarantees to this, but it will not hurt trying for it.â€
Adams asked anyone who has contacts at Google to call him.
â€œI think I know of at least one person who works at Google, who was a former student of mine,â€ Adams said.
Google has not indicated when it will make a decision.


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Brainshark has unveiled features for its video presentation service to create a more interactive experience for smartphone users.
It's an exciting day. Yes, it is April Fool's Day -- which is quite fun, but that isn't what I am referring to. New browser usage stats are out; giving us something other than just the marketing spin Microsoft and Mozilla try so hard to put on their ...
There's been no shortage of April Fools' Day pranks in the tech world this year, and the Linux community is no exception.
302 million smartphones shipped in 2010, up 71 percent on 2009 shipment levels.
Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) again lost ground to Apple's Safari and Google's Chrome last month, even as the company launched its newest browser, Web metrics data showed today.
A United Nations report into disaster relief calls for improved data sharing and technology collaboration between agencies to help save lives.
The European Parliament has resumed normal e-mail service following a suspected cyber attack.
Google is upgrading on Thursday its tool for analyzing Web page performance, making it available directly via the Web and offering smartphone page analysis.
Oracle has updated customers on the latest Fusion Applications news, but avoided any mention of when the long-awaited software suite would actually be available.
Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has claimed Bill Gates was "scheming to rip me off" over a share of the company during the time Allen was receiving treatment for cancer in the 1980s.
Microsoft bragged Thursday about growth in its Windows Phone 7 (WP7) developer community one year after its birth, but immediately got blasted for not disclosing developer revenues.
Microsoft now 'gets' security at every level of the organisation but the wider software industry has yet to match its zeal, the company has said in its latest Software Development Lifecycle (SDL) Progress Report.
It might be time to say good-bye to the days of Android as an open-source platform. After sealing Honeycomb from developers in an effort to combat subpar Google-branded products from entering the market, Google is now quietly implementing "non-fragme...
Faced with rival Firefox 4's record-setting launch, Microsoft this week argued that it's unfair to grade its Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) against Mozilla's newest browser.
I'm not sure if this is a bug or a "feature," but it's definitely annoying.
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A company starting from scratch today is probably going to use a stack of financial software with the most modern fintech tools. These could be things like Stripe for payments, Brex for corporate credit cards and Gusto for payroll and benefits, among others that when combined can provide a unique view into a company’s financial health.
Puzzle, an early-stage startup, is building an accounting package aimed at taking advantage of the data streaming from these tools. Today, the company is making its public debut, while announcing a $15 million Series A.
Sasha Orloff, CEO and co-founder of Puzzle, calls his company “the first smart accounting software,” which combines a streaming financial data platform that’s connected to a general accounting ledger.
“By combining these two things, we can create a whole new set of capabilities for an organization across fundraising, taxes and understanding the complete picture of financial health [at a startup], Orloff told TechCrunch.
The streaming piece is possible because of the ability to connect to things like payment and payroll data in real time and update the ledger with the most recent information. Instead of compiling this data on a monthly basis, the company can have the most current information at its fingertips at all times, and that can be a real advantage, according to Orloff.
“We pull natively off of that modern stack to create this single place where a company can see all of their data and how these things kind of fit together to then create a picture of your financial health. So it’s like a complement to all of the modern innovation that has been happening,” he said.
Ultimately, Orloff wants to be more than an accounting software service for startups, but he calls that a starting point for the company. He says that the goal is eventually to replace traditional ERP (enterprise resource planning) software with this “API-enabled data platform that’s connected to all of the best solutions in the market, not just what happens to be bundled together in the [vendor’s] API.”
The company launched at the end of 2019, and has been working with more than 500 startups over the years to build and refine the new software. Today the company is emerging from beta with a service that is generally available to any interested customer.
Puzzle currently has 30 employees and plans to hire with the money. Among his staff are several people with the unique combination of accounting and engineering knowledge, but he says that he will need people across the board as he scales the startup.
The $15 million investment was led by General Catalyst, with participation from more than 100 industry angels, including CFOs at venture-backed startups. Today’s round closed at the end of last year, and the company has now raised $20 million, including a $5 million seed also led by GC, according to Orloff.


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Wonderla Holidays has earmarked investments worth 500 crore to establish small-scale parks and resorts, coupled with the acquisition of some over-indebted theme parks in the country and the upcoming installation in Chennai .
After Covid, several theme parks across the country are in financial crisis or have gone bankrupt with the pandemic that hit their business prospects. “We are exploring opportunities to take over the operations of at least 3 to 4 theme parks in Gujarat, Maharashtra and the NCR, either through an equity investment or a management contract,” said Arun K Chittilappilli, Managing Director of Wonderla Holidays. Activity area.
Discussions are ongoing and it would take at least a year for the deal to come to fruition, he added.
New park in TN
The Wonderla amusement park, which is coming to Chennai, is expected to be operational by next year. “So far we have invested around 100 crore in the facility, which includes land, land development and the purchase of overland routes. The works have been suspended due to the lockdown and we are awaiting further authorizations from the new government of Tamil Nadu to continue the remaining works, ”he said.
Arun also pointed out that the company has expressed interest in the Odisha government’s invitation to set up an amusement park there.
The billionaire who let his heart take over
Asked about the impact of the pandemic, he said the lockdown had severely affected the business and the net loss was in the order of 48 crore. The revenue was literally zero, but the company had taken multiple cost cutting and streamlining measures to reduce cash consumption.
He also praised employees who voluntarily claimed a deduction of around 50 to 75 percent of their pay.
However, he added that the amusement park industry is on track for a revival with the easing of the lockdown. The Hyderabad park will be operational on August 5, followed by Bengaluru. However, opening the Kochi facility will take a bit longer as the Covid curve has yet to soften in Kerala.
Wonderla Kochi obtains COV-safe certification
On the road to renewal
There has been an encouraging trend in the market, thanks to the crowds showing interest in visiting amusement parks. It is a sign towards reviving local tourism, he said and called on governments to take proactive measures effectively to maintain momentum.
“Wonderla Parks have been visited by nearly 3.5 million visitors since 2000 and we are ready to woo visitors with the lockdown lifted as the company administered Covid vaccines to 90% of the staff,” Arun adds.
The company also made a strategic shift to digital marketing during the Covid era through booking websites for entry. Almost 40% of tickets are now available through online bookings, he said, adding that plans are also underway to run promotional offers.


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KAYA HLDGS INC COM USD0.001 (OTCMKTS:KAYS) is a stock that’s been ripping higher boosted by reports that the company has announced an unscheduled conference call to discuss operations, recent developments and growth plans for the future. This comes just a few days after announcing recent financial data showing a huge burst of growth in Q3. The company is also one of the few publicly traded marijuana stocks with exposure to the Florida market (Florida just approved medical marijuana status).
We’ve witnessed 65% piled on for shareholders of the stock during the trailing month. This is emblematic of the stock. KAYS has a track record that includes a number of dramatic bounces. In addition, the name has witnessed a pop in interest, as transaction volume levels have recently pushed nearly 310% over what the stock has registered over the longer term.
KAYA HLDGS INC COM USD0.001 (OTCMKTS:KAYS) trumpets itself as a company that through its subsidiary, Marijuana Holdings Americas, Inc., owns and operates legal marijuana dispensaries in the United States.
It offers various medical marijuana products, including Kaya Kush marijuana; various other concentrates, such as butane hash oil and CO2 oil extract; high grade oils and tinctures; two high CBD low THC strains; various marijuana infused tinctures; and Kaya Candies, Kaya Caramels, and an assortment of cookies and cakes for patients who do not smoke. The company operates its dispensaries at Portland and South Salem, Oregon.
The company was formerly known as Alternative Fuels America, Inc. and changed its name to Kaya Holdings, Inc. in April 2015. Kaya Holdings, Inc. is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
KAYS through its subsidiary, Marijuana Holdings Americas, Inc. owns and operates the Kaya Shack , the first legal marijuana dispensary by a U.S. publicly traded company – Kaya Shack. KAYS creates and establishes it own brands that produce, distribute and/or sell premium cannabis products, including flower, concentrates, and cannabis-infused baked goods and candies.
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As noted above, the company just announced its third quarterly report for 2016, which showed “results from operations, the licensing and build-out status of the two new Kaya Shack Marijuana Superstores currently under development, as well as discusses forward-looking growth plans for the Company after legal marijuana’s November 8th ballot victory in 7 states. In a related announcement, KAYS tapped David Kotler, a former South Florida Prosecutor who has significant experience in the early stages of medical marijuana licensing in Florida, as well as extensive contacts nationwide in the cannabis industry.”
“KAYS’ revenues for Q-3 2016 are up approximately 700% versus Q-3 2015, and revenues for the 9 month period ending September 30, 2016 are up approximately 700% versus same period ending Sept 30, 2015,” stated Kaya Holdings CEO, Craig Frank. “We are maintaining the $1mm pace in sales for FYE 2016 to set as our target. We are proud that all our revenues are generated from the production and sale of legal cannabis, and not from tomato farming, consulting, or other non-cannabis related endeavors often used to bolster revenues”.
Those results are very interesting. It’s also key to note that this company has exposure to the brand new market in Florida medical marijuana, which should add further fuel to the fire. That’s why it’s particularly interesting to see the unscheduled conference call suddenly pop up.
Specifically, the company said it will be hosting a shareholder and interested investor conference call and webinar on Tuesday, December 20, 2016 at 14:00 EST. The event will include new video of the 2 existing Kaya Shack Marijuana Dispensaries and the Company’s Grow Facility, as well as discussion on the two new Kaya Shack Marijuana Superstores under construction and pending licensing, operations including the state of the market, recent election results, and growth plans for the future.
Earning a current market cap value of $21.2M, KAYS has an extremely small store of cash on the books, alongside total assets of nearly $370K, which stands against an appreciable load ($1.48M) of total accumulated debt.
As discussed, KAYS is making real money, with trailing 12-month revenues coming in at 987.41k. In addition, the company is seeing major top line growth, with y/y quarterly revenues growing at 704%. You can bet we will update this one again as new information comes into view. For continuing coverage on shares of $KAYS stock, as well as our other hot stock picks, sign up for our free newsletter today and get our next hot stock pick!


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Since 1945, when Fishermen’s News was first published as the monthly “Voice of the Pacific Northwest Fishing Industry” in Aberdeen, Washington, we have served the West Coast fishing industry as the oldest and most widely circulated commercial fishing publication. We’re proud to be the only advocate for the West Coast commercial fishing industry.
Because we’re a local, family owned and operated company, based in Seattle at Fishermen’s Terminal and active in the local commercial fishing community, we can react quickly to breaking events and publish them as news, rather than history.
This year, in order to better serve our advertisers, subscribers and the industry, we engaged Verified Audit Circulation Company to confirm our numbers. Those subscription forms you have all filled out asking for your industry affiliation are checked against our claims to ensure that we are indeed reaching our target audience – the US Pacific Coast wild seafood harvester. With the release of our initial audit, we are happy to announce that Fishermen’s News is indeed reaching the most West Coast commercial fishermen of any commercial fishing publication, National or Pacific. The numbers, collected, tabulated and organized for audit by our circulation manager, Judy Philips, are available for anyone to see on our website: www.fishermensnews.com/advertise.
What this means to you is that we can focus our efforts on the issues, regulations and fisheries that matter most to you. Because 100 percent of our readers are directly involved in the commercial West Coast fishing industry, 68.5 percent of them as commercial fishing vessel owners, license holders and captains, we can tailor our editorial content to reach them with news that makes their business more profitable.
Our advertisers know that the boats they design and build, the gear they manufacture and supply and the services they provide are presented to their potential clients in a trusted format, surrounded by articles of interest that fishermen need to read. Many of those advertisers, including Ballard Oil, Ballard Industrial (formerly Ballard Hardware) and Pacific Fishermen, Inc. recognized from the first issues in the ’40s that Fishermen’s News was the best way to reach the fleet.
After almost 70 years, Fishermen’s News is still the best way to reach the fleet, and we’re happy to be able to prove that with our audit.


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President Trump said he is delaying the imposition of new tariffs on China beyond a coming deadline of March 1, citing “substantial progress” made inbetween U.S. and Chinese negotiators. Mr. Trump also said he plans to host Chinese President Xi Jinping for a summit at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, “assuming both sides make additional progress.”
“I am pleased to report that the U.S. has made substantial progress in our trade talks with China on important structural issues including intellectual property protection, technology transfer, agriculture, services, currency, and many other issues,” Mr. Trump tweeted Sunday evening, saying the outcome marked a “very good weekend for U.S. & China!”
U.S. and Chinese negotiators have beento hammer out the details of a new trade agreement ahead of the March 1 deadline, when tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods were set to increase from 10 to 25 percent absent a deal.
The president hosted the Chinese vice premier at the White House on Friday and had awith U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in front of reporters about what form an agreement would take.
Mr. Trump and Xiin the two countries’ burgeoning trade war after meeting in Argentina in December.
The president announced the delay in the tariff hike ahead of the opening of Asian markets on Monday morning, and the day before he is set tofor a second meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.


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Mercedes Benz Waiting Period: Mercedes-Benz India announced that it will increase the prices of its entire model range by up to 5%. The increased new prices will be applicable from April 1, 2023. The company has made this increase due to the fall in the value of the local currency in comparison to the Euro. Due to which the company is under constant pressure of rising cost of its products.
The reason is the increase in cost
Mercedes-Benz also said that due to all these reasons, the company needs to update the ex-showroom prices of its model range to offset some of these costs. The company strives to keep the major part of the costs profitable for the customers. Although it year 2023 This is the second time when the company has increased the price of its cars.
2 to 12 lakh rupees will increase
The new updated prices will be applicable across the entire lineup of vehicles offered by the company in India. Which includes the top-of-the-line Maybach along with some other popular models. This increase in prices will be done between Rs 2 lakh to Rs 12 lakh depending on different models.
How much will the prices increase
Prices will be increased by Rs 2 lakh for the Mercedes-Benz A-Class and GLA, Rs 7 lakh for the Mercedes-Benz S 350d and Rs 12 lakh for the top-end Mercedes-Maybach S580.
Waiting period will be less
The company has recently resumed bookings for its G63 AMG and GLS Maybach. The company said that it has received the first batch for these two models and the waiting period for the G63 AMG has been reduced from 24-36 months to 12-16 months and for the GLS Maybach 600 in a single colour. has been reduced to 8 months, while the waiting period for the dual-tone color is 8-10 months.
Read this also :- Hyundai unveils the features of its new Verna, to be launched on March 21
Car Loan Information:
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The story of Android’s success in the domestic US market is no secret. For the past couple of years, Android has been continuing to make strides in their technological innovation and hardware options, while the Android app market continues to introduce ever-increasing numbers of refined and useful third-party applications. While Apple’s iPhone is still the most recognizable smartphone on the market, there are now more users of the Android operating system in the United States than every other operating system combined (Apple’s iOS included).
While the success of Android in the US is readily apparent, the OS has really shown massive success is in the international market. “Over the past few years,” said Jason Hope entrepreneur, “Android has completely and utterly dominated the international smartphone market, far outstripping Apple and everyone else.” According to industry experts at IDC, Android has increased their international market share by over 10% in the last year, giving Android control of about 80% of the international market. The closest competitor is Apple’s iOS, with a meager 13% of the international market according to IDC.
There are a number of factors that have contributed significantly to Android’s sheer dominance in the international smartphone market. The first, and arguably most significant, is pricing. Consumers outside the United States, and particularly in developing countries like China and India (with a combined population of over 2 billion), are much more price sensitive than consumers inside the US. American consumers are also frequently willing and able to defer and defray the full cost of purchasing a smartphone through the use of credit cards and contracts with cell phone companies that reduce the cost of the phone by hundreds of dollars. Access to these types of deals is far less common in developing countries. Despite price sensitivity, members of the rapidly growing middle class in developing countries increasingly want the features of a smartphone, both for the practicality of having a smartphone but also, for many of them, as the first real status symbol they or anyone in their family has ever been able to purchase.
Android’s successful pricing is thanks in large part to the open-source nature of the operating system. Google’s decision to allow hardware developers like LG and Samsung to create Android devices without direct oversight by Google has led to a hyper-competitive market where prices pressures are constantly driving down the costs to consumers. In addition, the ability of third-party software developers to post applications in the Android app store has led to a concurrent price war in the Android software ecosystem, with many useful applications being offered for free or very inexpensively. While the price points for Android devices has driven much of the growth in the international and developing markets, those gains have been secured thanks to the rapidly innovative nature of the hardware, software, and applications within the Android ecosystem.
In addition to their dominance of the international smartphone market, Android has also made significant strides in the international tablet market as well. According to IDC, Apple has gone from controlling about 40% of the global tablet market in Q3 2012 to controlling just fewer than 30% in Q3 2013. The majority of that market share was picked up by Samsung (with an 8% increase), and the trend is not favorable to the long-term prospects of Apple tablets in the global market. Despite the fact that tablets have traditionally been more of a “premium” product (an area where Apple tends to succeed), it appears as though more and more of the market pressures that have led to Android’s success in the global smartphone market are also making them success in the global tablet market. Some of the off-brand tablet manufacturers, who use Android OS because it is the best open-source OS available, have created inexpensive tablets for developing countries. By being introduced to the Android OS first, consumers in these countries now see Android as the familiar standard to use, which has contributed significantly to developments like Samsung’s 8% year over year market increase.


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Your purchase changes lives…one woman at a time!
COVID 19 UPDATE: Heartisans Marketplace has added more inventory to their online store, and they are offering curbside pickup until further notice. There is no in-store shopping at this time.
They are adding items each and every day so you’re encouraged to keep checking back.
They are currently offering pickup between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday – Friday as well as shipping for a flat fee of $10.
You can also call them at 903-431-1188 and let them be your personal shopper! They will be happy to do a virtual tour of the store for you.
And you’ll get a free 2 oz. bottle of our hand sanitizer with every order!
Heartisans Marketplace is a unique gift shop located in Downtown Longview.
“It’s really two moving parts,” said Julee Rachels, CEO & Founder of Heartisans Marketplace. “It’s our job training, which we call Heartisans. And then the marketplace, which is our retail shop.”
The mission of Heartisans Marketplace is to provide a customized job readiness program to unemployed women living in the local community.
“Women are referred to us from other nonprofits and normally they’re in a homeless situation,” said Rachels. “Either from a nonprofit that is a shelter type and also from one year programs here in our community that take women in from addiction, or any kind of problem that they’re having.”
Heartisans Marketplace is located at 112 West Methvin Street in Longview. They’re located in Suite C.
Their hours of operation are:
Monday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Tuesday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Wednesday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Thursday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Friday: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Stay up to date on all things The East Texas Weekend!
While you’re in Longview:


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Alt New Zealand
7.00am, Friday, 11 January 2019
Vaping company supports removing tobacco from dairies
Leading New Zealand-owned and operated vaping and e-cigarette company, Alt, is supporting calls for tobacco to be
removed from all dairies saying such a move would bring considerable health and security benefits.
“This would be a really positive move all round. What’s more, dairy owners need not worry about losing income as ongoing
hikes in tobacco tax and dwindling smoking rates overall are already contributing to lower retailer revenue. While
vaping products are proving increasingly profitable for dairy owners and are much better on society,” says Jonathan
Devery, Director of Alt New Zealand.
In recent days concerned dairy owners have raised concerns that the New Year rise in tobacco tax puts them at greater
risk of theft. At the same time Maori public health organisation Hapai Te Hauora is calling on tobacco’s neighbourhood
availability to be limited, noting that smokers trying to give up are more likely to relapse if a cigarette stockist is
only a short distance away.
Mr Devery says Quitline has reportedly received a 30% increase in calls over the past month suggesting that taxes can
motivate smokers to stop. However he agrees that the country’s Smoke Free 2025 strategy needs to look beyond tax alone,
including reducing tobacco availability.
“Alt’s ambition is for a Smoke Free New Zealand by 2025 where the country is free from cigarettes and tobacco. While
ramping up excise tax will help, the Government now needs to also consider the availability of tobacco. Getting
cigarettes out of our corner dairies would be a great start,” he says.
Mr Devery says if the country’s smoke free goal is to be achieved vaping and e-cigarette products must be readily
available and advertised in a regulated and responsible manner.
“Encouraging smokers to switch to vaping is key to New Zealand becoming a smoke free country. Health pressure group ASH
agrees, with the Ministry of Health and its Associate Minister also openly acknowledging the health and economic
benefits of smokers transitioning to vaping.”
Over the New Year period Hapai Te Hauora has also been urging Maori smokers to vape as an effective way to quit smoking.
Mr Devery says Alt is looking forward to the Government this year amending the Smokefree Environments Act 1990 which
among other things will help distinguish the considerably safer vaping products from smoking.
“There is a growing call for dairies to only sell vaping and e-cigarette products. Sure nicotine is addictive but it is
not carcinogenic and can never be equated to smoking. For those wanting to give up smoking, having vaping not tobacco
products in the neighbourhood dairy would help considerably,” says Jonathan Devery.


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WildBrain to Produce Toyplay Series for Much Loved Preschool Brand, Clangers
Published: September 7, 2018
WildBrain is pleased to announce that they have been commissioned by Coolabi Group to produce an original YouTube toy-play series for the much-loved preschool brand, Clangers.
The internationally renowned animation follows the adventures of a family of lovable, pink creatures who live on a little blue planet. The show first made its debut on the BBC in 1969, and will now be exclusively managed on YouTube by WildBrain’s team of expert channel managers as part of a two-year deal.
The online series is set to launch later this year ahead of the brand’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
See below for full release.
WILDBRAIN COMMISSIONED BY COOLABI TO PRODUCE ORIGINAL CLANGERS TOY-PLAY SERIES EXCLUSIVELY FOR YOUTUBE
Agreement includes two-year deal for exclusive global management of Clangers on YouTube
London, UK – 6 September 2018 – WildBrain, a leading digital kids’ network & studio, has been commissioned by leading independent international media group and rights owner, Coolabi Group, to produce an original, 10-episode YouTube toy-play series for Coolabi’s much-loved preschool brand, Clangers, following a successful pilot earlier this year. As part of a two-year global agreement under which WildBrain exclusively manages all official Clangers content on YouTube, WildBrain has also been appointed by Coolabi to manage the YouTube strategy for the new narrative toy-play series, with the aim of expanding the brand’s international audience. The latest content is expected to launch on the official Clangers’ YouTube channel for Halloween 2018.
“Clangers is a wonderful example of a preschool property with a strong UK heritage that is now reaching global audiences on YouTube through new content,” said Jon Gisby, Managing Director, WildBrain. “Since taking over channel management earlier this year, WildBrain has doubled the YouTube audience for Clangers and our viewing data shows strong potential for additional international growth. WildBrain Studios are excited to begin work on a new toy-play series for Clangers fans around the world to enjoy on YouTube.”
Jeremy Banks, Chief Executive, Coolabi Group, comments: “We are over the moon to be partnering with WildBrain in bringing our magical brand, Clangers, to even more new audiences across the globe. The YouTube channel is really starting to increase the visibility and footprint of Clangers on the platform. With the Clangers’ 50th anniversary approaching in 2019, we have a really exciting twelve months ahead and the new toy-play series is set to be one of the many new adventures we are taking the brand on to celebrate!”
The new Clangers narrative toy-play series is set to launch later this year and will stay true to the show’s much-loved topics of kindness, problem-solving, creativity, family and music. In addition, some of the episodes are linked with key celebrations and sporting events.
Clangers first appeared on the BBC from 1969 to 1972, and returned to the BBC to huge fanfare 46 years after its initial debut in 2015. Co-produced by CBeebies, Coolabi Group and Smallfilms, the new Clangers series premiered on the BBC’s preschool channel, CBeebies, and was also picked up by Sprout and Netflix in the US. The highly popular new series has won numerous awards, including a 2015 Bafta for best preschool animation, and a 2017 Kidscreen Award for best animation.
Clangers is an internationally renowned pre-school stop motion-animation featuring a family of loveable, pink, mouse-like creatures who communicate in whistles and eat soup from their little blue planet’s soup wells.
The show, originally created by Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate, first made its debut on BBC Television in 1969, and returned to CBeebies to huge fanfare in June 2015 with a brand new, multi-award winning series of 52 x 11 episodes featuring Mother, Major, Tiny, Small and Granny Clanger, which quickly became one of CBeebies’ top rating shows. A second new series premiered on CBeebies in 2017 & 2018, with 26 x 11 minute episodes, bringing the total number of new episodes to 78.
The new Clanger series’ have all the magical, surreal, gentle, melodic elements of the original show and transforms it into an even more vivid, vibrant, technically improved production. The show uses the same stop-motion animation techniques as the original but with improved technology and a larger team. It is narrated by Michael Palin in the UK and William Shatner in the US.
In 2015, Clangers won the BAFTA and Broadcast Awards for best pre-school animation. In addition, Clangers won the Kidscreen Best Animation in Creative Talent Award, plus the 2016 Voice of The Listener and Viewer (VLV) award for excellence in broadcasting, the 2016 Pulcinella Award for best pre-school animation, and the 2016 Bulldog Televisual Children’s Award.
In December 2016, Coolabi launched creative brand campaign, #ClangersForKindness, which generated exceptional consumer reach and engagement. The campaign’s brand communication integrated TV and radio advertising, YouTube, PR, sponsorship, social and blogger interaction. To date, over 10,000 kindness wishes have been made and the #ClangersForKindness hashtag has had a reach of two million.
In 2019 Clangers will celebrate its 50th Anniversary since the first episode launched on the BBC in 1969. The anniversary will herald a year of surprises and activations for both new and older fans.


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Bing It On Google
Microsoft has launched its own version of the classic Pepsi Challenge, inviting users to take part in a blind comparison of Google and Bing search results.
In a recent study, Microsoft found that people prefer Bing search results over Google. The tests showed that out of 1000 participants, 57.4 percent favoured Bing, while 30.2 percent chose Google and 12.4 percent had no preference.
In a bid to highlight the quality of its search engine, Microsoft has created the Bing It On challenge. The new campaign invites people to 'break the Google habit' and take part in an online comparison of the two search engines.
With regards to the Bing It On challenge, the Bing team has said: "It is the best way to really test the quality of web search results where the majority of clicks occur - without the influence of the ingrained, habitual impact of the Google brand."
An online comparison
In the blind taste test, people are invited to conduct five search queries and for each, they are given two unbranded search results side-by-side. Users must then decide whether the right or left search engine has provided the best results. Once Bing has revealed the final outcome, people are able to share the results on Facebook, Twitter and even Google+.
Natalie Booth, online marketing manager at theEword, said: "With the statistics in its favour, Microsoft is likely to create a large ad campaign for the Bing It On challenge. The online comparison gives Microsoft the chance to change perceptions, bringing more users to the Bing search engine."


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Scientists in Australia are tagging thousands of honeybees with tiny RFID tags, to help them learn more about what might be decimating bee colonies in many parts of the world.
An Ohio hospital hopes to battle incidences of MRSA infections by using RFID-enabled badges that forces workers to wash hands.
This isn't your girlfriend's makeup; conductive eyeshadow, fake eyelashes and acrylic nails allow drone activation, turn on an LED light show and might even unlock doors, literally.
Punching the subway turnstile has never been more fruitful.
A New York restaurant plans to open a bar specifically designed to allow patrons to serve themselves wine via RFID smartcards.
Airbus has just taken the wraps off a next generation travel bag that uses your smartphone in concert with an RFID chip to let you put a digital leash on your luggage.
The phrase "I'm gonna go grab a beer" just got a lot more literal.
The practice of implanting microchips in pets has now become law for all dogs in the U.K., a nation that often serves as an indicator for future developments in the U.S.
In a world full of electronics and software, carrying around giant metal keys seems totally archaic. How about replacing them with RFID instead?
Waterloo Labs' latest real life video recreation involves rigging up go-karts with a real working item system to replicate Mario Kart's zany kart racing.


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Pico Play is a global leader in the planning, design, development and construction of world-class themed attractions and entertainment that deliver extraordinary and memorable experiences to millions…read more
Independent gym owners urge Victorian Government to allow gyms to re-open when Stage 4 restrictions conclude
With the Victorian Government set to announce measures to ease its Stage 4 Coronavirus lockdown measure, independent gym operators around the state are demanding that they be allowed to re-open with COVIDSafe plans in place from 14th September.
With Victoria in the fifth week of a six-week lockdown, the statement - released on behalf of 20 independent owners of more than 50 gyms across the state - highlights how the health and well-being of hundreds of thousands of Victorians revolves around accessing gyms and health facilities, which are some of the cleanest and most sanitary public environments.
In a statement released today, the group advise "after a second eight-week period of lockdown, the physical and mental health of Victorians is suffering.
"Calls to LifeLine have spiked a further 22% during the second lockdown, with up to 3000 calls a day, reflecting the toll the restrictions are taking on households.
"Gyms are central to health and well-being, but they are also important social destinations and community centres for many people. With appropriate infection control and social distancing gyms must be able to open and help their members regain balance in their lives.
"We also know that the virus preys on the vulnerable. It’s incumbent on the population to stay as healthy as possible to defend against the virus - and accessing the gym is a critical part of that."
Emphasising that the freedom to exercise in a supervised environment with professional management is vital for the mental health of Victorians, the group points to the anomaly that bottle shops have been able to remain open during the current lockdown.
Pointing out that gyms are safer than retail outlets, the group advise “gyms were already tightly regulated by strict sanitary and hygiene protocols before the pandemic (and) those measures have been strengthened as part of clear and concise COVID-19 safe plans.
“(With) most of Victoria COVID-19 clear - particularly in rural and regional centres - gym lockdowns in those locations simply don’t make sense.”
The statement also highlights that independent gyms are small businesses and sole traders adversely impacted by lockdown restrictions and that they and their employees are “feeling the pinch”.
The 20 independent gym owners on whose behalf the statement was issued represent more than 500 staff – including personal trainers, Pilates instructors, physiotherapists and clinical massage practitioners – are a significant part of the broader industry in Victoria which comprises more than 45,0000 people in more than 5,000 sites.
The group’s statement concludes “closing down gyms and fitness centres is an easy option for the Government but the damage being done is incalculable and getting worse.
“The after-effects will last longer and cost more if we remain closed for an extended period.”
Image: Gym closures are impacting the mental wellbeing of Victorians.
31st August 2020 - Fitness and Lifestyle Group advises of redundancies amid restructure
19th August 2020 - FITREC highlights ‘heartbreaking’ impact of Victoria’s Coronavirus lockdown
11th August 2020 - Fitness facilities at the crossroads and demanding new approaches
21st May 2020 - Women’s Ignite Fitness Business event ready to be held online
7th April 2020 - Two-thirds of the world’s fitness clubs are currently closed
19th March 2020 - Gyms emphasise hygiene practices but look for business support
28th January 2020 - Melbourne Fitness Business Summit set to Ignite the industry for 2020
23rd February 2016 - Fitness clubs face ongoing hygiene battle
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HUDSON, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--JOANN, the nation’s leading craft and fabric specialty retailer, is betting on a new technology that is quite literally cutting-edge. The iconic retailer has invested in Glowforge, a startup that is disrupting the DIY arena with 3D laser printer technology that creates intricate, precise custom cut projects at the push of a button. With its investment, JOANN secures its place as Glowforge’s brick-and-mortar national retail partner, and will roll out the breakthrough technology to select stores in the coming months.
“We know our customers are looking for the best and latest creative technology, and we want to bring them the opportunity to try it first,” said Stephen Caution, VP of Business Development at JOANN. “By investing in Glowforge and partnering to roll these amazing machines out to our stores, we’ll allow customers to test them out and create things they love. From custom acrylic floor lamps, to plywood drones, to leather shoulder bags, the possibilities with Glowforge are truly limitless.”
Customers can start 3D laser cutting and engraving today at the just-launched JOANN Custom Shop in the Natick Mall outside of Boston. The in-mall kiosk is the first of its kind for the retailer, and offers custom framing in addition to laser cutting and engraving. Ohio customers have already been creating with Glowforge in the retailer’s industry-first Concept Store, which also offers a number of other rentable technologies and machines.
“JOANN has become much more than a place where people buy things, and we know crafters want more options like this,” said Caution. “We’re not only looking at our stores as places to sell crafts and fabrics, but also as destinations customers can come for advice, inspiration, education and sharing. By offering new custom technologies like Glowforge and services like those in our concept store, we are building an experience our customers have told us they want.”
Glowforge users can start with something as basic as a hand-drawn image, or use software like Photoshop or clip art to print a file using the intuitive web-based app. Customers are able to see a preview of the results, and drag the images around on their chosen material to position them exactly as they prefer. The start-up made crowdfunding history in 2015, raising nearly $28 million in 30 days, and launched its first machine to the public in April 2018.
“We founded this startup on the goal to re-invent the idea of ‘handmade’ and open the DIY space to more people than ever before,” said Dan Shapiro, CEO of Glowforge. “Through this partnership, we are opening the doors of creativity to a broad spread of makers who will be able to help us expand and perfect our machine offering. We couldn’t be more excited to inspire new creators together with JOANN.”
In addition to the in-store partnership, JOANN and Glowforge will collaborate to develop supplies and tools to help optimize machine capabilities. The machines will roll out to other JOANN stores across the 865-store chain in 2019, and will also be made available for custom online orders. For more information on ordering and availability, visit joann.com.
For 75 years, JOANN has inspired creativity in the hearts, hands, and minds of its customers. From a single storefront in Cleveland, Ohio, the nation’s leading fabric and craft retailer has grown to include more than 865 stores across 49 states and an industry-leading e-commerce business. With the goal of helping every customer find their creative Happy Place, JOANN serves as a convenient single stop for all of the supplies, guidance, and inspiration needed to achieve any project or passion. For store locations, project ideas, and a full product offering, visit joann.com.
Glowforge is a Seattle-based startup that created the 3D laser printer. Glowforge’s wireless desktop laser makes it simple for designers, artists, and makers to take products directly from digital design to reality. Unlike 3D printers that use additive technology to build objects out of plastic, Glowforge uses subtractive technology to cut and engrave products from durable and beautiful materials like wood, leather, acrylic, paper, fabric – even chocolate. A sleek and efficient design makes this industrial-grade technology beautiful and affordable, and a friendly cloud-based app makes it easy to create amazing things with Glowforge. For more information, please visit Glowforge.com.


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Lolly Ella Jewelry is raising money for the Shades of Pink Foundation. During October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the store will be selling its 2012 Hope Necklace. The cost is just $13.50 and the proceeds will benefit the charity.
A special reception will kick off the fundraising efforts on October 6th at the Store on Orchard Lake Rd. in West Bloomfield. It runs from 10:00 a.m. until 4 p.m.


text: CBS LAS VEGAS-The government purchases $4 billion worth of soda through the food stamp program every year, and that soda is making people sick. Should the Federal Government continue spending four billion dollars a year to subsidize soda purchases as a part of the food stamp program? Callers tell us if they should ban people from buying soda with food stamps. General Electric is silently cutting off lending to gun shops across the country. The company is rethinking its relationship with firearm stores amid the fallout after the tragic event that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Bob Irwin, Owner of The Gun Store & Host of ‘Fired Up” Sunday’s from 5:00PM-7:00pm, explains why GE is cutting off lending to gun stores across the country.


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A California company is recalling 60,000 pounds of frozen tuna used in sushi dishes after it was linked to a salmonella outbreak that infected 116 people in 20 states.
The Food and Drug Administration said Moon Marine USA has begun voluntarily recalling the raw yellowfin tuna, sold through distributors to restaurants and grocery stores that make sushi and sashimi.
The outbreak of salmonella, which can result in diarrhea, fever and cramps between 12 and 72 hours after infection, left a dozen people hospitalized, according to the FDA website.
The highest number of cases, 24, were reported in New York and many of the people who fell ill reported having recently eaten “spicy tuna” sushi, the FDA said in a statement Friday.
Cases were also reported in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Washington, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.
In all, Moon Marine is recalling 58,828 pounds of the tuna, labeled as Nakaochi Scrape.
The FDA advised consumers who purchased “sushi, sashimi, ceviche, or similar dishes that might contain Nakaochi Scrape from a restaurant or grocery store, check with the establishment to make sure that it does not contain raw recalled product” from Moon Marine.


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Rockstar posted on its social networks yesterday, September 17th appeal to the fans on the tenth anniversary of Grand Theft Auto V. In the official microblog, for example, the authors thank the players for this “incredible support” project over the years.
User X (Twitter) discoveredWhat appeal dated September 17th on the occasion of the GTA V anniversary, almost entirely copied from News on the Rockstar website from September 14th, dedicated to the event in GTA Online. There are only differences in half of the first sentence.
So the news on September 14th says that the anniversary of GTA V is coming on Sunday, and the Sunday message uses this word “Today”. Also, at the end of the congratulations, the developers let players know what else awaits them “There are still many adventures ahead of us”.
In the comments under the congratulations on the microblog, some users joked about the laziness of the developers to do something original. Others tried to justify the situation by copying the text “very busy” Rockstar is working on the sixth part. Unfortunately, in both messages there is not a word written about GTA VI itself.
Grand Theft Auto V was released on the PS3 and Xbox 360 consoles and then appeared on PS4, Xbox One, PC, PS5 and Xbox Series. During this time, over 180 million copies of the game were sold across all platforms, making it one of the most popular projects in history.


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Titan International sells Brownsville, Texas manufacturing plant
Titan International has completed the sale of its tyre manufacturing plant in Brownsville, Texas facility to an affiliate of commercial real estate firm Phoenix Investors. The one million square feet plant was built in 1997 on 108 acres, and Titan ended tyre production in 2003. It has since leased the site to multiple tenants.
“We have highlighted the sale of non-core assets as an important initiative throughout 2020 and the sale of this facility was certainly a part of that process,” stated Paul Reitz, president and chief executive officer. He said the sale was the largest part of the $16-20 million the company has raised from non-core asset sales in the fourth quarter of 2020. The sales were to strengthen the company’s balance sheet as it repositions itself for growth. Reitz said “we continue to see higher demand levels for our products heading into 2021.”


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IRVING PARK — A group of apparently drunk customers yelled racist comments at an employee of the Potbelly Sandwich Shop in Irving Park this weekend.
According to police and an employee of the sandwich shop, the confrontation happened between a group of people who appeared drunk and an employee at about 7 p.m. Sunday at the 4185 W. Irving Park Rd. location.
A store employee was taking out the trash when some apparently intoxicated people started yelling profanities and making comments about the employee’s race in an aggressive manner, the Potbelly worker said. One person in the group called a Potbelly worker “a Negro,” according to an employee.
The employee being yelled at and a customer at the store confronted the group and the store’s manager called police, the worker said. The group fled when they realized police were en route.
Police spokesperson Ronald Westbrooks confirmed there was a call reporting a battery at the store at about 7 p.m. Sunday.


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The sniping sequel takes us to the Middle East to deal with a revengeful widow.
It launched on all other platforms earlier this month.
Join us as we check out CI Games' latest shooter that is launching today.
CI Games has gathered everything in one trailer.
Due to some "unforeseen technical issues".
And confirms we'll get it on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series.
The sniper-filled sequel is set to land at some point later this year, with current-gen consoles confirmed so far.


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The launch of the MV12 series marks the second lineup of Cisco Meraki video surveillance cameras. Next-gen architecture eliminates need for NVR, servers, VMS and manual configuration.
A newly released three-part survey highlights consumer technology dependence, the growth of the connected home and smart home security concerns.
Eaton is working with UL to drive development of new cybersecurity standards for power management products.
The agreement will help ADT Cybersecurity offer managed detection and response (MDR) services to additional commercial and enterprise organizations.
The program is geared toward CTOs, CIOs and IT directors of monitoring companies, as well as security dealers, owners and interested participants from manufacturing companies.
The systems integrator cooperative will feature a range of sessions led by subject matter experts from across the industry. Topic include leadership, cybersecurity, RMR, project management and more.
Tens of thousands of security personnel will protect the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, along with interceptor drones, facial recognition systems, a surveillance blimp, smart security cameras and more.
A Motorola spokesperson tells SSI the company plans to allow Avigilon to operate “business as usual,” plus hear from Motorola CEO Greg Brown and industry consultant Bob Grossman.
Treuting has 30+ years of IT experience, including his previous role as a sales and marketing executive at Netchex Online, a Cloud-based HR and payroll solutions provider.
The partner program incentivizes resellers to market and sell Razberi ServerSwitchIQ appliances with the CameraDefense cybersecurity solution.


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On 15 June, the online furniture retailer Home24 will be floated on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, where it aims to raise up to Euro 150 million. The company’s primary intention is to continue to grow within its existing markets.
Employing 1,000 people, Home24 is active in seven European countries and in Brazil. A further expansion is not currently planned, but the start-up, founded in 2009, still has ambitious goals.
In 2017, its technological platform was completely redesigned in order to boost the efficiency of its processes and systems. In the first quarter of 2018, the company now appears to be on a course for growth that is likely to continue with the proceeds of its stock market flotation.
According to the company’s own information, Home24 stocks over 100,000 items, which it sources from more than 500 manufacturers. Two years ago, Home24 – which largely produces furniture for the mass market – merged with Fashion4Home, which mainly produced own brands.
The concept seems to be working. According to its own figures, own-brand products now account for more than 57% of sales. The company expects to reach break-even in the medium term.


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Today HTC and Sprint announced what should have been the next Evo in the lineup, and what they’re dubbing as “the true Evo 4G successor.” In a way the Evo 4G was, this device is also bringing the advantage of Sprint’s new 4G network, and this one is actually LTE. This is the second phone announced for pre-order by Sprint to run on their 4G LTE network that is launching soon, and among the LG Viper and Galaxy Nexus. The Galaxy Nexus however, is the only one of these three not yet available for pre-order.
The Evo 4G LTE is rocking a 4.7″ HD screen coupled with a 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor. The device will have ICS and Sense 4 at launch which is definitely a trend we are starting to see, and a good one at that. An 8MP camera is also on-board, as this is an HTC device, and it will also have the new ImageSense software as well. Along with being the first 4G LTE device on Sprint, the new Evo is also the first device on Sprint with fully incorporated Beats audio. However, they do not actually come with a pair of Beats headphones. One of the coolest additions to the hardware of the Evo 4G LTE is the multi-directional kickstand, which allows users to set the phone on whatever side is most convenient. This will solve the problem that a lot of older HTC phones had with the charging port being on the side the phone would rest on when using the kickstand. Like the One series, the Evo 4G LTE only has three hardware buttons to complement Android 4.0’s implementation of the menu button directly into the software.
The Evo 4G LTE will be available to pre-order on May 7th for $199 and will be available in Q2 of this year. This leads us to believe this device will be launching after the Galaxy Nexus and LG Viper and not a device launching Sprint’s 4G LTE network. Oh, and did we mention it has Google Wallet? So let us know, will you be shelling out some cold hard cash on May 7th to secure your slot for receiving this “new gold standard” in Q2?


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Conquest Imaging, an ultrasound parts, repair, training, and service provider based in Stockton, Calif, has announced the launch of a depot repair service for multivendor portable ultrasound systems. The service will offer repairs for most major makes and models of portable and laptop-based ultrasound systems, according to the company.
“Portable ultrasound systems have continued to gain market share and capabilities at an exponential rate but until now, repair options have been expensive, time-consuming, and typically limited to the manufacturer,” said Matt Tomory, Conquest Imaging’s vice president of sales and marketing. “With this new offering, customers can now receive cost-effective repairs, Conquest Imaging quality, and rapid turnaround times so they can focus on their patients and their business.”
The company will initially offer fixes for GE, Philips, and Sonosite systems. Repair capabilities for other manufacturers’ systems will be introduced in the future according to market demand, said Tomory.
For more information, visit Conquest Imaging.


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In the late 1980s, McDonald’s was invincible.
The company opened its 10,000th store in 1988, 33 years after it was founded – only to double that number over the next eight years.
The final filings on the New York Stock Exchange before the early 90s show that Ronald, the Burger Burglar and the gang are generating chilly $ 3.8 billion in revenue.
What began as a single restaurant owned by two previously chronically unsuccessful brothers in California had grown to become the world’s first fast-food giant under the hungry eyes of businessman Ray Kroc.
The sight of a McDonald’s in every city in America and its rule over millions of hearts and bellies was not enough for the 90s CEO James Cantalupo.
He urged McDonald’s to become a ubiquitous sight in Europe and much of Asia, nearly tripling the number of international stores to 11,000 between 1991 and 1997.
Almost two years later, in January 1990, 5,000 people were lining up for a McDonald’s when the first Soviet branch – and then the largest in the world – opened in Moscow.
McDonald’s influence on the future of the fast food world seemed complete.
“Customers were used to our food, taste and quality,” Richard Bergfors, CEO of Max Burgers, told Mirror Online.
“They didn’t like McDonalds. McDonald’s had a tough time and eventually decided to sell the restaurants to us because they couldn’t make any money.
“We opened a Max Burger in the buildings they sold us.
“It hadn’t happened anywhere in the world. It was unknown.”
For the first time in its history, McDonald’s had not just been sold by a competitor, but was effectively banned from two cities where residents had remained loyal to the Swedish burger company.
According to Bergfors, no company in the world has competed with McDonald’s before or since.
The fact that the restaurant continues to hold off a company that has dominated the world’s major streets can tell a lot about the future of fast food.
Unlike most of the other fast food chains that recently hit the eco party, Max Burgers has always put its green credentials at the center of its marketing campaigns.
“Our company’s environmental focus has been something we’ve been doing since it was founded by my mom and dad as teenagers in 1968,” said Bergfors.
“It’s always been part of our DNA.
“It has changed over time, depending on the types of environmental and sustainability issues facing society.
“For the past 15 years we have been very focused on global warming and the climate.”
In 2008, Max became the first restaurant company in the world to measure both direct and indirect emissions from its products.
It found that 70% of its emissions came from cattle, which led the company to label its menu boards with carbon footprints for each product.
In recent years, the company has switched to wind-powered operations for its stores, discarded plastic, and committed to becoming carbon positive by absorbing 110% of its emissions.
“As a company and as a citizen, we can’t wait,” said the CEO, who also oversaw a three-year product to synthesize a new form of plant-based wheat-based beef.
“It is an urgent problem, every day is lost.”
Over the next few years, Max Burger plans to add more “green” options to its menu and not include red meat for every other meal that is sold – something that Mr. Bergfors says comes close.
In a country where recycling is practically a national sport, keeping such worthy ambitions in your heart and clearly writing about the paintwork of the restaurant has proven to be a solid commercial move.
Since 2006, the number of Burger Max restaurants worldwide has doubled to 120.
What has not yet been proven is whether it is a brand loyalty and a unique kind of environmental protection that has raised the company in Sweden, or whether the future of fast food has to be green to survive.
From a climatological point of view, the answer is important: given that meat and dairy products offer Only 18% of the calories and 37% of the protein in our modern diet, however, occupy 83% of the farmland and are responsible for 60% of the greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture.
While Max Burger is responsible for a tiny fraction of that grand total, other larger companies have followed the environmental trend.
In 2012, McDonald’s Sweden joined the Haga Initiative, which means that it is committed to reducing its climate emissions by 40% by 2020.
The company now runs 80% of its logistics fleet in the country on renewable fuels, has started using trays made from recycled ocean plastic, and has banned balloons.
Regarding the Burger Wars, McDonald’s has not given up colonizing parts of Sweden from which it was once banned.
“McDonald’s in Sweden has had restaurants in Umeå (2 restaurants that opened in 1998 and 2000) and Luleå (opened in 2006) for many years,” said a company spokesman.
“When it comes to Northern Sweden, we have restaurants in several cities and last year we opened new restaurants in Skellefteå and Bollnäs.
“Next year we will open in Örnsköldsvik and Gävle (3 restaurants in Gävle).
“Northern Sweden is our priority and the guests are delighted that we are expanding in this part of the country.
“McDonald’s in Sweden plans to grow 25 to 30 restaurants over the next four to five years.”


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Bigfoot Networks and TUL have collaborated to produce a unique networking/graphics hybrid. The prototype on display at Computex combines a Killer 2100 NIC with a Radeon 5000-series GPU on the same PCI Express x16 card. There's no word on which 5000-series GPU is being used, though. Pricing hasn't been confirmed, either, although the combo card will reportedly cost less than buying its graphics and networking components separately.
Given the lack of details, the card's arrival on the markt probably isn't imminent. I suspect the two parties are using Computex to gauge interest in the dual-slot hybrid, which features a Gigabit Ethernet jack alongside dual DVI ports and an HDMI output. A small-form-factor gaming rig with a limited number of expansion slots might be a good candidate for such a product. However, I can't think of why users would otherwise want to complicate future upgrades by having their NIC sitting on their graphics card.
|Friday night topic: Light bulbs? Yep, light bulbs||156|
|Newest Thermaltake Urban case has dual doors||18|
|Deal of the week: Discounted Windows and cheap storage||10|
|MSI gaming barebones has Mini-ITX mobo, external overclocking button||32|
|Fan-made Morrowind remake looks amazing||33|
|Thursday Night Shortbread||41|
|Razer unveils homebrewed mechanical keyboard switches||46|
|Watch Dogs rescheduled for May 27||14|


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Lansing's effort to keep GM emerges as book
Lansing's efforts to save its automotive industry in the late 1990s emerges as focus of a new book to be published by McGraw-Hill. The first manuscript is due March 1.
LANSING — The story of an effort in the late 1990s to keep General Motors jobs in the community is the topic of a new book that will be published next year by McGraw-Hill.
"Second Shift: From Crisis to Collaboration" will be based on a film released over a year ago that chronicles the effort spearheaded by former Mayor David Hollister to save the region's automotive industry.
Hollister organized a Blue Ribbon Committee made up of leaders in business, government and education to study the economic impact GM had on the region and the reasons for saving it.
"The book will tell more about the behind-the-scenes than the movie did," said Ray Tadgerson, a former committee member. "The message we want for people to get is not only that we're sharing a story and how it happened, but we're also saying to folks this is a model that could work for any situation."
Tadgerson served as the committee's project director/manager and signed with other former members the book deal with McGraw-Hill last week. The plan is to review over 800 pages of transcripts and 40 hours of videotape so a first manuscript of about 70,000 words can be submitted to the publisher by March 1.
The "Second Shift" book, like the film, is expected to explain in detail how Lansing not only saved its existing industry in 1996, but how the city convinced GM to build two new plants: the Grand River Assembly plant in Lansing and Delta Township Assembly in Delta Township.
The Grand River plant is home to the new 2016 Camaro, the first version of the Camaro brand to be built in the U.S. since 1992. That marked the year GM moved production from California to Canada. The Delta plant received in April a $520 million investment for tooling equipment for future new vehicle programs.
Tadgerson describes Lansing's successful effort to keep GM as "the gift that keeps on giving."
GM also has plans to expand its Lansing-area factories with three new additions — a $44.5 million logistics center to sort and deliver parts to the assembly line and a $174 million stamping plant, both at the Grand River plant; and a $63 million expansion at the Delta plant.
Construction is finished on the parts logistics center. Both the stamping plant and the Delta plant expansion are under construction. GM expects the new stamping plant to save the company about $14 million annually in logistics costs when it opens in 2016. The Delta plant addition will expand the body and paint shops and general assembly area and include the installation of new robotic equipment.
Hollister said the "Second Shift" film and plans for the book have presented opportunities he never could've imagined. The committee's work has led to invitations for panel discussions in Italy and France. Hollister added that he could donate his share of proceeds from book sales to the Michigan Institute for Contemporary Art, a non-profit based in Old Town.
"It's not my motivation to make this a retirement fund," Hollister said of book sales.
Hollister has spent about three hours a day for the past week working on the book and is grateful for an opportunity to relive history. The book will go into detail about over 30 challenges the committee faced as opposed to about three featured in the original film.
"That speaks well of the interest, the relevancy and the applicability," Hollister said of the book deal. "The whole process (to keep GM) is transparent, participatory, incremental and based on data-based decision making. We’re trying to replicate that."
Eric Lacy is a reporter for the Lansing State Journal. Contact him at 517-377-1206 or firstname.lastname@example.org. Follow him on Twitter@EricLacy.


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Limestone Branch Distillery, the Lebanon-based maker of craft and flavored moonshine, has attracted a major investor. Luxco, a St. Louis-based producer, importer and marketer whose portfolio of brands includes Everclear Grain Alcohol, Ezra Brooks and Rebel Yell bourbons, has purchased a 50 percent stake in Limestone Branch.
No dollar figure for the deal was released.
Limestone Branch, opened in 2011 by brothers Stephen Beam and James (Paul) Beam Jr., plans to develop bourbons and rye.
The company also will return to its roots with an old brand: Yellowstone bourbon, a brand once associated with the Beams' ancestors, is now owned by Luxco.
Limestone Branch plans to begin distilling the original recipe for Yellowstone and aging product early next year.
"We're going to start slow, but it is a significant change in our business model," said Steve Beam, who will continue as president and master distiller. "We've always wanted to be in the bourbon business. This fast-forwards us probably 10 to 15 years. It's huge.
"We could not be happier. Definitely the right decision for the distillery, and our brands, and for our family."
Beam said that at the end of the year, Limestone will stop contract distilling for Tim Smith, of the Moonshiners TV show fame, but they will continue producing their own "sugar" shine, as well as the Moonpie Moonshine line they do for the Tennessee bakery.
But major changes are in the works: "We're adding a small column still, and will be adding another copper pot still, just to get us going," Beam said. "We plan to keep increasing production and we'll probably ramp up pretty quickly after the first of the year. ... We're going to be adding a barrel house, adding onto the building, adding automated bottling line. It will all be a significant investment."
The partnership with Luxco was desirable from more than just a financial standpoint, Beam said.
"It was important for us to find a partner who brought something to the table," Beam said. "They're in the business and understand it."
"I am thrilled to be partnering with the Beam family and Limestone Branch Distillery," said Donn Lux, Luxco chairman, in a statement. "We have been striving for some time to enter the craft bourbon market with a truly authentic story and product. ... We have a shared vision, not only of the Yellowstone brand, but of the business in its entirety."
And the Yellowstone brand was a big bonus. Beam said Luxco currently contracts that bourbon, and they will continue to sell the sourced bourbon for the next few years, but his company eventually will take over production.
"We're actually starting, experimenting, now," he said. "But it's a minimum 4 years on that, and may be longer."
Beam said they want to revive the brand, which was created in 1872. He said it was the biggest selling bourbon in Kentucky in the 1960s, but it has fallen into relative obscurity.


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Nigerian celebrities made Nigerians proud as they turned out for the AMVCA 2018 award in style.
The AMVCA 2018 held Saturday night at Eko Hotel and Suites and was attended by the who-is-who in the entertainment industry. Many of the celebrities wore their best outfits as the event was one that showcased the best of fashion in Nigeria.
Many people have been talking since pictures of celebrites in their best attires surfaced on social media. Who do you think dressed better?


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Japanese Car Makers Rally on Weak Yen; Hyundai and Kia Misstep
The beleaguered Japanese auto shares are rallying today on the weaker Japanese yen and overstated mileage claims by South Korean rivals Hyundai and Kia.
The rapid decline of the yen against the U.S. dollar this week following Japanese prime minister Noda's decision to call a Lower House election for December 16 is the best news any Japanese car company has had in months. The yen is trading at an 81 handle for the first time since April, which could add a lot to the bottom lines of Toyota (NYSE: TM), Honda (NYSE: HMC) and Nissan (OTC: NSANY).
Japanese car makers had been suffering from a relentlessly strong yen which takes a bite out of reported earnings on cars sold in the United States whether they are made here or imported from Japan. Although the U.S. remains the most important market for the Big Three Japanese car companies, all three have made big commitments to China, where growth had been accelerating until September.
Early in September, a territorial dispute between Japan and China erupted over a group of uninhabited islands in the South China Sea. This resulted in widespread protests against Japanese interests in China and calls for a boycott of Japanese goods. As a result, sales of Japanese brand cars in China plummeted and have yet to recover.
With their main growth market gone, the current round of yen weakness could not have come at a better time for the auto makers. Japanese cars continue to sell well in the U.S. but have been facing tougher competition from South Korean brands Hyundai and Kia.
However, the South Korean companies have been caught inflating their EPA mileage figures and, whether it was done by accident as the companies claim or by design, they have been forced to revise their figures downward and are compensating drivers who purchased their vehicles under false pretenses.
Bloomberg writes, “Just as Honda ramps up sales of a new Accord sedan and prepares a modified Civic small car, Hyundai and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp.are regrouping after admitting to the most extensive overstatement of fuel-economy ratings ever found by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.”
“The bill could easily top $100 million,” the The Detroit News reported. “EPA's investigation is ongoing; the agency could seek to impose civil penalties over the misstated claims.”
Hyundai had been taking market share away from the Japanese by offering cars with comparable or better fuel efficiency at lower prices. The company had also poked fun at its Japanese rivals for claiming that their cars got 40 mpg through its “Save the Asterisks” advertising campaign. But, as a result of the EPA audit, the three Hyundai models that did claim to have 40 mpg have been reduced to less than that.
In the meantime, Toyota, Honda and Nissan are rallying off of a long base and, for as long as the yen remains weak against the U.S. dollar, could continue to move higher. Now might be a good time for investors to consider a position in one or a basket of these shares as a way to play both a weaker yen and the missteps of the South Koreans.
© 2017 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.