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Wockhardt deal with Abbott falls through as foreign investors cry foul
03 April 2010
Drug maker Wockhardt's Rs630-crore deal for the sale of its nutrition business to Abbott has finally soured. The proposed deal had drawn the ire of Wockhardt's overseas lenders, news of which had reached the Bombay High Court.
Pharmaceutical and biotechnology major Wockhardt Limited and Abbott have jointly decided to terminate the nutritional business agreement signed by them in July 2009, the company said in a release.
The development, though is not being seen in industry circles as a major set back for the Mumbai-based drug company, Wockhardt may have to work overtime to settle the concerns of its unhappy overseas lenders, say analysts.
According to experts in the merger-and-acquisition (M&A) deals, the company would find it difficult to sell more assets or even re-negotiate a fresh deal for its nutrition business until it settles the issues.
Had the deal gone through, Abott would have gained the nutrition businesses of Wockhardt, Carol Info Services and certain other Wockhardt entities, as also nutrition manufacturing facilities located in Lalru and Jagraon. The deal had been valued at Rs630 crore ($130 million).
According to experts, in a business transfer agreement of this type, the seller is expected to fulfill certain conditions prior to the consummation of the deal and until then either no money changes hands or a token amount is retained in an escrow account by the buyer which is returned to the buyer if the deal were to fall through, they say.
At the centre of the overseas lenders' unhappiness lie Wockhardt's $110 million FCCB (Foreign Currency Convertible Bonds), which it said it would offer to buy back at a discount to the conversion price. The company, a year ago, had said this after it announced it's decision to go in for a corporate debt restructuring.
The company said those who did not intend to go for the buyback option would be offered an exchange of their bonds for preference shares, partly convertible in 2015 and 2018.
However, the foreign lenders resorted to legal action claiming the CDR process had been one-sided and that they had not been consulted. Wockhardt, which is exiting non-core businesses, sold off its animal health and German businesses last year. However, its deal on the nutrition business (with Abbott) came unstuck.


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Microsoft keeps Windows 10 event on October 26
Microsoft has sent invitations to an event that takes place on 26 October. According to him, takes the correction Windows 10. It is expected that the company include a Surface-All-in-One will present.
Microsoft The Redmondse company makes itself known few details about the event, in addition to stating that Windows 10 will be the center. Ars Technica reports based on its own sources that the focus will be on the future of the operating system. Microsoft released in August the arrival of two large Windows 10 updates in 2017 confirmed . It is also possible that Microsoft comes up with new information related to the Xbox and OEM devices.
Separately, go the rumors that Microsoft Surface-All-in-One will present. Previous posts were assumed that these will be available in late October. The device would be known under the code name ‘Cardinal’ and become available in three versions with 21, 24 and 27 “screens. There was also a new Surface Facebook that could appear later this month, but there are several sources unsure from.
It is not expected to be announced new Band wearables, Microsoft recently made known to stop these products. The anticipated Surface phones are likely to be announced later.Viewing:-106
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SPI loses Stolichnaya trademark appeal in Benelux
SPI Group has been dealt a legal blow in Benelux after a court upheld an earlier ruling that awarded the Stolichnaya trademark to a company owned by the Russian government.
In 2015, a Dutch court ruled that SPI must return its Stolichnaya trademark in Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg) to Russia’s state-owned Sojuzplodoimport. The ruling also covered the Moskovskaya vodka brand.
SPI Group, founded by billionaire businessman Yuri Shefler in 1997, has been locked in a battle with the Russian government over the ownership of the trademarks for many years.
Shefler maintains he bought the rights to Stolichnaya after it became privatised following the breakup of the Soviet Union, but the Russian state disputes the legitimacy of this acquisition.
Following a challenge from SPI over the 2015 case, the Court of Appeal at The Hague has upheld the original ruling.
“SPI is disappointed with the judgement in the Netherlands, even though its Stolichnaya and Moskovskaya have not been sold in the Benelux since 2015,” said a spokesperson for the company.
“Unfortunately, the Dutch court did not use this opportunity to correct errors made previously by the lower court. SPI will continue to pursue all available legal remedies in the Netherlands, including the appeal of this decision to the Dutch Supreme Court.”
According to Reuters, the latest ruling even extends beyond the one in 2015 by stating that the Stoli trademark also belongs to Sojuzplodoimport. The publication also states that SPI has been ordered to repay the profit it has made from Stolichnaya and Moskovskaya in Benelux since 1999.
Currently, SPI and its affiliates own the Stolichnaya, Stoli and Moskovskaya trademarks in more than 180 countries. It does not own the trademarks in Russia, and is embroiled in other court cases with Sojuzplodoimport around the world.
Last year, SPI hailed a “significant legal victory” against Sojuzplodoimport in the US, when its court case was suspended due to the Russian Federation’s “failure” to produce relevant documents. A case in Australia was suspended for the same reason.
Meanwhile, in Brazil, the Federal Court of Appeal confirmed SPI’s legal ownership of the Stolichnaya trademarks.


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Man Caught Pleasuring Self In Costume Shop
Cops: Suspect masturbated to Halloween photos
NOVEMBER 2--An Oregon man is facing a public indecency charge for allegedly masturbating inside a Halloween store to photos of women on the packaging of “sexy” costumes, according to investigators.
Nigel Smith, 36, was inside the Spirit Halloween Superstore in Portland last week when a worker and a customer spotted him with his genitals exposed, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The female customer told police she saw Smith “whacking off.” Upon learning of the masturbating, a store employee told cops that she contacted Smith, who was perusing “photos of women on the packaging of Halloween costumes.”
When a male employee then confronted Smith, he allegedly shoved the worker and sought to run from the store. The employee told cops that he subsequently tackled Smith, who bit him.
When a Portland cop arrived at the business, Smith was pinned to the ground outside the Halloween store by three men. Officer Matthew Bigoni reported seeing a “very noticeable wet spot on the front of [Smith’s] grey sweat shorts, directly in front of his genitals.” Smith “said it was sweat,” added Bigoni.
Smith was charged with felony public indecency and assault. He is free on his own recognizance and is scheduled for a November 10 court appearance. Smith’s rap sheet includes a 2010 public indecency conviction. (1 pages)


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The United Kingdom government has taken additional measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Because of these measures, all non-essential businesses are now closed. As a result all DPD Pickup parcelshops in the UK are temporarily closed, and parcel delivery or collection is currently not possible there.
In spite of this DPD is still delivering parcels as usual in the UK, and goods are still being shipped from Germany. Delays in delivery are possible, however.


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Old and new are combining this weekend at Snoqualmie’s end-of-summer festival, Railroad Days, which starts Friday evening in downtown Snoqualmie. Old favorites such as the firefighter pancake breakfast, David Moses Timber Sports Show, Plein Air Paint Out, Arts in the Park and Legends Classic Car Show will be back, along with a new partner for the children’s events, and changes to the beer garden.
Encompass Northwest has taken on management of the children’s games, adding a few options of their own to the bounce houses, demos and activities, and Sigillo Cellars, past sponsors of the Wine Garden by the Arts Stage in Railway Park, are expanding into the beer garden, as well.
“Sigillo’s is doing a combined beer and wine garden in the King Street lot,” said Peggy Barchi, Northwest Railway Museum marketing manager and Railroad Days coordinator. The museum will host the wine garden she added, with Sigillo wines. And, courtesy of the city of Snoqualmie, the beer and wine garden will be located under a large tent to give shade to revelers.
Old meets new, too, in the History Comes Alive display, which will include an area for historical selfies, with a supply of old-fashioned hats and accessories people can wear in photos.
“We’re going to use the hashtag #rrdays2017, for people to tag their photos,” added an excited Barchi. “This was one of my hare-brained ideas I came up with a couple of months ago, because people like the hands-on kind of thing.”
The Fort Nisqually Time Travelers will return to Railroad Park on Saturday and Sunday for living history demonstrations, too.
There will be two stages of music this year, the Main Stage in the King Street Lot and the Arts Stage in Railroad Park. It was a difficult decision to not put on a Children’s Stage. “We really love our kids’ musicians,” Barchi said, but organizers decided this year that “We’d rather focus on the hands-on stuff that the kids and the families seemed to want.”
Hands-on is what you’ll find in the children’s area, where the Prospector’s Club will teach guests to pan for gold — with real gold to find, but not to keep — and Operation Lifesaver will teach children about safety around train tracks.
Trains will run on their regular schedule Saturday and Sunday, too.
Find the full schedule of events for the weekend at http://www.railroaddays.com.


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If you didn’t catch final week’s short article rounding up this year’s games conferences, let me make it crystal clear to you: we are in festival season in the games sector. There’s a extended stint that happens from this article’s topic Gamescom all the way by means of to Tokyo Games Show in September and beyond, with tons of game reveals and news on the way. So if you believed you had your fill at E3, get prepared for a shock as Gamescom 2019 opens its doors subsequent week.
Offered the recognition of reside-streamed shows like The Game Awards, Nintendo’s Direct conferences and Sony’s State of Play, Gamescom has joined in on the entertaining with Opening Evening Reside 2019, which is hosted by none other than Geoff Keighley himself!
There are a cavalcade of announcements and gameplay reveals anticipated, from the very first appear at Gears of War 5’s campaign and the new Need to have for Speed Heat to a brand new Death Stranding trailer debuted reside on stage by Hideo Kojima himself. There’s also the very first appear at Marcus Lehto’s new game Disintegration. All of this happens on the 19th of August, on Monday evening at 7 PM GMT. On best of that, we’ve got yet another Stadia Connect conference from Google who will be hoping to redeem themselves ahead of launch. A particular Inside Xbox will also happen as per tradition, which normally requires a couple of minor reveals, but offered the stress from Opening Evening Reside, maybe there’ll be a couple of massive surprises.
Our finest bet for guesses about what is going to be on the show floor is most probably going to be gained by hunting at what’s becoming announced at Opening Evening Reside.
There’s a list here of publishers involved, and no doubt all of them will be taking up space in the Koelnmesse in some capacity.
Publisher expectations and announcements
While we cannot say for confident what will and will not seem at Gamescom outdoors of what the publishers decide on to announce and show, it is identified that Sony will have some sort of presence at the show (Demo stations for Remedy’s Handle will be on the showfloor.) This is intriguing offered that the organization famously skipped E3 this year.
What that suggests is unclear, as they could drop a State of Play out of nowhere or announce a thing throughout Gamescom, maybe surrounding The Final of Us two and Ghost of Tsushima. They could also maintain it light ahead of a prospective PlayStation Expertise later in the year, exactly where a lot more specifics about the PS5 could surface.
Xbox also has a really lax lineup rolling into Gamescom, outdoors of it is headliner Gears five, which drops mere weeks immediately after the show. They’ll most probably concentrate on their solutions like Game Pass and xCloud, with prospective spotlight offered to the lineup of ID games which have been debuted at E3.
Nintendo has the most to show offered new Pokemon, Luigi’s Mansion and Zelda games are all debuting in the later half of the year. No doubt fans will be capable to get hands-on just like E3, but there could be a couple of sneaky games there that we’re however to hear about, and maybe some news about future titles like Animal Crossing. I wouldn’t hold your breath even though.
GreenManGaming Publishing will also be at Gamescom this year with it is arcade-rhythm game Skybolt Zack and Pride Run, it is LGBTQ+ RTS rhythm mashup. Make confident to watch out for these if you are attending!


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While Casa Cuevas Cigars was not exhibiting at the 2021 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show, the company was at Tobacco Plus Expo (TPE) 2021 back in May and essentially made the decision to not split its time between two different shows. This year, Casa Cuevas has introduced a new regular production line known as Patrimonio. Casa Cuevas Cigars is a company that has embraced its family heritage and history in all of its releases, and once again Patrimonio keeps to that theme.
The name Patrimonio translates to Patrimony in English. It is dedicated to Luis Cuevas Sr. also pays homage to the paternal lineage of the Cuevas family. Patrimonio was the brainchild of Luis Cuevas Jr. and his son Alec Cuevas. While the cigar was created in conjunction with Luis Cuevas Sr., the name of the line, its significance, and packaging were not revealed to Cuevas Sr. until the blend was finalized.
The blend of Patrimonio consists of a Honduran Corojo wrapper, Ecuadorian Habano binder, and a combination of Peruvian, Nicaraguan, and Dominican tobaccos. The blend will be available in three sizes (Robusto Gordo, Toro, and Gordo) – each presented in 20-count boxes. The Honduran-grown wrapper marks the first time the Casa Cuevas brand has used this wrapper. The cigar has (at press time) recently started to arrive at retailers.
Photo Credit: Casa Cuevas Cigars


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She can do so much better.
Frois, the groom robot, married Yukirin, an android made in the likeness of AKB48 idol Yuki Kashiwagi.
The wedding was officiated by another robot named Pepper. She usually spends her days helping customers at Softbank's cell phone stores.
The ceremony was even sealed with a kiss.
Guests, who paid about $80 to attend, were treated to a robot-sliced cake and a robot wedding band, RT reports.
The robots' big day was put on by the Japanese company Maywa Denki, which also designed the out-of-his-league Frois. Yukirin is the creation of Japanese artist Takayuki Todo, according to the International Business Times.
It was only a matter of time before 'bots started tying the knot. Tech-savvy brides and grooms already employ them as ring bearers and officiants, The New York Times reported last year.


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With all of the hype around 5G technology, you might think any stock related to this next-gen technology would be super-expensive, especially in this market. Fortunately for investors today, that's not the case.
In fact, there are still some very high-quality 5G companies trading at reasonable or, dare I even say it, cheap valuations, even today. So with fears of higher interest rates causing a flight from profitless growth stocks to value stocks generating profits today, Facebook (META -0.71%), Micron Technology (MU -0.25%), and Kulicke & Soffa (KLIC 1.82%) all look like solid 5G buys this month.
Facebook: More than just digital ads?
Facebook may not seem like a 5G stock at first glance, yet its recent first-quarter earnings call provided hints of what's to come in the 5G era. On that call, CEO Mark Zuckerberg spent his opening comments discussing not the core digital ads business, but newer products Facebook is developing.
5G technology should fuel app innovation in areas like augmented and virtual reality, and Facebook has been investing big in this area. Zuckerberg especially touted the Oculus Quest 2 AR/VR headset and its differentiated wireless streaming capabilities -- a difficult technological achievement in the VR headset world, which has generally required cumbersome wires to work. Quest 2 has been doing better than expected, and developers are producing much more than just gaming apps. Zuckerberg noted apps such as the FitXR for VR boxing and dancing routines as an example of how use cases for VR are expanding.
Facebook's "other" non-advertising revenue, likely mostly composed of Oculus sales and payments, was up 146% in the first quarter. Though "other" revenue was just 2.8% of total revenue last quarter, that growth rate is notable, and a $2.1 billion run-rate is nothing to sneeze at.
Besides AR/VR, Zuckerberg also highlighted new initiatives expanding tool-sets for content creators on Facebook's core platforms. Facebook and Instagram are home to all sorts of content, whether written, visual, video, or filters. All of these capabilities will be enhanced by 5G, which could further "professionalize" social media content to a higher degree. That could bring even more monetization possibilities Facebook's way.
Meanwhile, Facebook's core digital ad business is firing on all cylinders, and should also benefit from the enhanced connectivity in the 5G era. Ad revenues were up 46% last quarter, and operating income nearly doubled, up 93%. Going forward, Facebook will continue to deploy these hefty profits back into new growth opportunities as well as buying back stock.
Annualizing the $3.30 Facebook made last quarter to $13.20, Facebook only trades at 25 times run-rate earnings, despite its roaring growth and extra $64 billion in cash on the balance sheet. That's a lower multiple than its FAANG brethren and seems very cheap, making Facebook an excellent buy for the 5G era.
Micron: The firepower behind 5G
At a recent industry conference, Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra guided to revenues "at or above" the high end of its current quarter guidance, along with "strong" earnings. And yet, Micron's stock is still down about 12% from recent all-time highs. This is in spite of Micron's being one of the prime beneficiaries of the current semiconductor shortage.
5G, along with other digitization trends brought on by the pandemic, has greatly increased the demand for Micron's DRAM memory and NAND flash, and prices for these components are going up. Meanwhile, supply has been disciplined in recent years, at least in DRAM. Even NAND flash, which has been oversupplied for quite some time, is seeing price increases these days.
Micron is a notoriously cyclical stock, and it trades in ways that may seem counter-intuitive as traders anticipate the next down-cycle. However, I think skeptical investors may be underestimating the length of the current upturn. With a big step-up in demand from the pandemic digitization trends, it may be hard for the industry supply to catch up for some time. For instance, new Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger believes it will be at least two years until the semiconductor shortage is brought into balance.
With memory prices surging, Micron looks as if it will mint billions in cash flows over those next two years, and it trades for only about eight times next year's earnings estimates. But even if Micron's stock price doesn't react to all this good news, the company will be able to repurchase a significant amount of stock in the meantime, as it has pledged to do with at least 50% of its cash flows.
And if either the current up-cycle in memory lasts longer than the market anticipates, or if the next downturn is less severe than that sparked by the U.S.-China trade war, Micron's stock could march significantly higher over the coming years.
Kulicke & Soffa: Mutlichip packages and mini-LED to fuel growth
Not only will 5G technology put an onus on memory and logic chips, but as 5G phones pack more memory and logic into a phone, 5G requires novel, advanced ways of connecting these elements together. That should benefit Kulicke & Soffa, a leader in advanced packaging equipment.
On the recent conference call with analysts, CEO Fusen Chen said: "[W]hen we enter from 4G to 5G, we see a lot of additional demand for this multichip package. So right now, we are not only seeing the actual amount of demand needed, the multi-chip package also has additional capital intensity because you interconnect a lot of interconnect within the package."
Like Micron, Kulicke & Soffa has been very cyclical in the past. Yet as 5G, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and other compute-intensive applications take hold, advanced packaging techniques will likely be required across more applications. That could add a secular growth element to K&S's results.
In addition, Kulicke & Soffa has entered the mini-LED market, a new display technology in the latest televisions and the new iPad Pro, and a step-up in quality from LCD screens. As 5G kicks in, expect more tablets, smartphones, and PCs to adopt mini-LED technology. Chen expects the mini-LED market to "accelerate throughout fiscal 2022 and a multiyear ramp to continue." The mini-LED segment only makes up a small proportion of K&S's revenue now, but as it ramps up this year and next, it could become meaningful and push up Kulicke's baseline revenue and earnings.
Trading at just 11.2 times this year's earnings estimates, this undervalued dividend-paying stock could march much higher during the 5G era.


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A perfect storm of economic and technological factors has produced America’s historically low productivity gains. So says new research by the consultancy firm McKinsey, which also offers some ideas for getting things back on track.
Economics 101: When productivity—the amount of economic gain created per hour of labor—increases, so do wages and standards of living. Demand for goods and services also increases. Productivity is important, but its growth has slumped in the US recently.
What went wrong: McKinsey suggests that three main factors brought about America’s current productivity-weak but job-rich economy. They are:
1. Waning of the productivity boom that began in the 1990s
2. After-effects of the financial crisis
3. Failure of digitalization to produce the benefits we hoped
What now? The report says productivity could grow by 2 percent per year—if we double down on stimulating competition, go heavy on reskilling, and invest in digital technologies. In reality, that means doing things like digitizing the public sector, investing in research, and getting small firms to adopt new technology. Easy, right?
Want to stay up to date on the future of work? Sign up for our newest newsletter, Clocking In!


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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled a thinner slicker new iPhone Monday at the company's annual Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco.
The new device, the iPhone 4, has about 100 new features that aren't available in the current iPhone 3GS. Some of the biggest changes include a higher-resolution screen, a better battery, a 5 megapixel HD photo and video camera, a gyroscope for improved rotation sensitivity and a thinner, more industrial look.
The iPhone 4 has been completely redesigned and is 24% thinner than the iPhone 3GS. Jobs called the new iPhone the "thinnest smart phone on the planet."
Apple's (AAPL, Fortune 500) new phone will go on sale in the United States June 24 -- $199 for a 16 gigabyte model and $299 for 32 GB model. That's the same pricing scheme and size availability currently offered for the iPhone 3GS. Starting June 24, an 8 GB iPhone 3GS will be available for $99, and the second-generation iPhone 3G will be discontinued.
The iPhone 4's biggest new feature, which Jobs saved for his famous "one more thing..." announcement, is the front-facing camera, which allows users to make video calls. Called "FaceTime," iPhone 4 users will be able to video chat with any other iPhone 4 user using Wi-Fi.
"I grew up with the Jetsons dreaming about video phones," said Jobs. "It's real now."
Jobs said the FaceTime feature won't be available over 3G this year, but Apple is working with its global mobile carriers to carry the feature over wireless networks in the future.
The other new features didn't disappoint. The screen's resolution has been vastly improved, displaying 326 pixels per inch, which is four times the resolution of the iPhone 3GS.
The new phone will give users the ability to talk for seven hours on one battery charge, up from five hours on the iPhone 3GS. The iPhone 4 will also let users record and edit video in HD, and it has the same ultra-fast A4 chip that operates the iPad.
Though this was the first time that Apple discussed its new device, images of a prototype were leaked by tech blog Gizmodo in April.
"A lot of you have already seen this," said Jobs, adding, "believe me, you ain't seen it."
When looking at the leaked photos, many wondered about the slits in the metal band surrounding the phone. Jobs revealed Monday that there are actually three separate bands, which serve as the new iPhone 4's antennas.
Jobs already unveiled the new phone's operating system in April, which on Monday, Apple redubbed "iOS 4." The new OS will be available for a free download to second-generation iPod Touch users and iPhone 3G and 3GS users June 21, and it will be automatically loaded onto the iPhone 4. It will allow multitasking, use of folders, access to Apple's iBooks app and the new "iAd" mobile advertising network, though not all of the functionality will be available on the iPhone 3G or the iPod Touch.
AT&T (T, Fortune 500) announced that it will allow any current iPhone customers whose contracts are set to expire at some point in 2010 to upgrade to the iPhone 4 early at no additional cost. But one announcement that many were hoping Jobs would make did not come: He said nothing about the iPhone coming to the Verizon Wireless (VZ, Fortune 500) network.
The iPhone 4 will be available in five countries on June 24, including the United States, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Japan. It will come to Canada and dozens of other countries in July and will be available in 88 countries by September.
As for the iPad, which went on sale in early April, Jobs said Apple has sold over 2 million. In addition to the more than 200,000 iPhone apps that can run on the iPad, the company said there are now more than 8,500 native apps for the iPad.
For those who were wondering if the iPad's iBookstore could compete with Amazon.com's (AMZN, Fortune 500) Kindle, Apple's iBookstore has taken a 22% share of the e-books market in just two months, according to Jobs.
Later this month, Apple said many improvements will be made to iBooks, the iPad's e-reader application, including added control to the bookmark page, ability to view and read PDF files and the ability to make notes.
It had been rumored that Jobs would also unveil an update to Apple's Safari Web browser, a new Macintosh operating system, new Macs, an iTunes update that allows users to access their music on the Internet, and perhaps a new Apple TV device. But Jobs' keynote address concluded without mentioning any devices other than the iPad and the iPhone.
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Whether you hedge inflation or look for a return that outpaces inflation, here's how to prepare. More


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A complete library of FCC’s news and updates.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEApril 4, 2022 OTTAWA, ON: The Fisheries Council of Canada stands with other leading food and beverage manufacturing […]
Canadian Seafood Industry Urges Fast Action on “Blue Economy Strategy” to Secure Food Supply and Job Creation in Vulnerable Communities
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMarch 11, 2022 OTTAWA, ON: The Canadian seafood industry, represented by a partnership of the national associations representing […]
For International Women’s Day 2022, the Fisheries Council of Canada is celebrating the rise of women in Canadian fisheries leadership. […]


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Continuing today's trend of unveiling new looks for the Champions, Marvel Comics has released teaser artwork from Sean Izaakse asking the question, "Change the World?", followed by the one-word phrase, "Weird..." for Ms. Marvel, Ironheart and Spider-Man (Miles Morales) sporting new costumes and in some cases, displaying new abilities.
Ms. Marvel is shown wearing a red cape and conjuring a spell with her hands, in a similar fashion to a master of the mystic arts. Ironheart has the new armor she recently displayed in the ongoing team series, but with the added bonus of extra clothing and a shield that looks to be formed in the shape of the letter C -- possibly for Champions. Finally, Miles Morales' look is perhaps the most updated of them all. While still wearing a spider emblem on a handkerchief over the lower half of his face, he has on an all-black cloak with red spider web designs inside. Also, Miles is wielding a sharp knife blade in each hand.
Earlier this morning, Amadeus Cho kicked things off with a Goblin Hulk, with the rest of the day producing more and more teasers. While we theorized this could all be related to the upcoming Infinity Wars, with each Champions member looking more and more like a character in Dungeons & Dragons and the word "Weird" included, we're starting to believe the team could be heading to the magical locale of Weirdworld.


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By Tom Burnett CFA
On August 11, 2021, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the consumer price index information for the month of July. The CPI increased by 0.5% in July, down from an increase of 0.9% in June. The July increase was the lowest rate since the 0.4% for the month of February. Over the past 12 months, the CPI has increased by 5.4%. This 5.4% rate is identical with the 12-month rate for June.
The Core rate (excluding food and energy) rose 0.3% in July, after increasing by 0.9% in June. Over the past 12 months, the Core rate has increased by 4.3%. The July increase of 0.3% was the smallest monthly increase in four months.
The next CPI report will be issued on September 14, 2021
Tom Burnett CFA is Director of Research


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(Ecofin Agency) - In H1 2020, North Africa attracted the largest number of private equity transactions in Africa. The region also comes first in the ranking by value, according to a recent report by the African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (AVCA).
The document indicates that the healthcare, information technology, financial services, and consumer sectors were the four areas of activity most solicited by investors during the period. The majority of investors invested in early-stage companies.
AVCA, in its study, praises the strong resilience of the African private equity industry which despite the current health crisis has continued to grow. As a result, $1.1 billion of financing was raised by companies in the first half of 2020, and 81 transactions were recorded.
The institution remains optimistic for the coming months. It believes that venture capital and private equity firms, which like most companies are going through a difficult period, will continue to support African economies.


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Nike Air Max 270 React Release Date
A new React sneaker will be available in July 2019.
Nike officially unveiled the Air Max 270 React today in several colorways. The Air Max 270 is already insanely popular, and looks like the shoe might reach a new level of popularity.
The global release date is July 3 on Nike.com and select retailers.
Yes or No?


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HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Fall fashions — with an emphasis on handbags — will be on display during a benefit fashion show this month at Burritt on the Mountain.
The Art of the Handbag is a fashion show taking place Oct. 23 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at Burritt on the Mountain’s Baron Bluff. Queen Bee of Beverly Hills will be featured. The show is about fall fashion but focuses on the handbag accessory.
Tickets are $35 and there will be a cash wine and champagne bar.
Proceeds from the event go to Burritt’s Education Department.


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Twitter made several changes to the design of the app, including high contrast colors, increased space, and a brand new typeface called Chirp.
The social media company listed the changes in a Twitter thread posted on August 11.
Design changes are available on the Twitter mobile and web apps.
Do you notice anything different?
Today we’ve made some changes to how Twitter looks on the web and on your phone. While it might seem odd at first, these updates make us more accessible, unique, and focused on you and what you’re talking about.
Let’s take a closer look. ?? pic.twitter.com/vCUomsgCNA
– Twitter design (@TwitterDesign) August 11, 2021
“While it might seem odd at first, these updates make us more accessible, unique, and focused on you and what you’re talking about,” he writes.
What design changes has Twitter made to the app?
The biggest change to the Twitter app is the new Chirp typeface.
Twitter first launched the police in January. At the time, it was reported that the police struck a balance between fun and seriousness in the appearance of the tweets.
At the same time, text in all western languages such as English will now align to the left of the screen. Non-Western languages will remain aligned as they were before.
Twitter has also updated the app’s colors to look high contrast. The application uses the color blue much less than before. Twitter said the change was to bring attention to other content such as photos and videos posted.
The new buttons in the app also feature high color contrast.
“We’re also rolling out new colors soon, giving you a new palette,” Twitter added.
Meanwhile, Twitter cleaned up the app’s appearance with several small changes. The app has fewer gray backgrounds and separator lines between items, and has more space to make tweets easier to read.
Twitter has announced that it will introduce other design changes soon.
Featured Image: Twitter
Read more: YouTube launches new website for creators


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Starting on April 24, the day that the Apple Watch launches, Apple will start offering workshops aimed at helping Apple Watch owners get acquainted with the ins and outs of their new wearable device.
Those interested in the class can find out if their local Apple Store is offering the workshop by visiting Apple’s website. It’s important to note that not all of the company’s retail locations are currently offering an Apple Watch seminars.
Looking at the list of available workshops in Toronto, for instance, shows that the company’s retail locations at Sherway Gardens and Yorkdale Mall are the only stores in the city to offer these workshops. They’re also only offering one workshop each on the weekend of the Apple Watch’s launch.
According to the short blurb that describes the lesson, Apple’s Creatives will show workshop attendees “how to get started using Glances, gestures, watch faces, and more.”


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China has announced that it will cut tariffs on the importation of U.S. goods:
P.S. Tariffs could increase costs throughout the supply chain. 8th & Walton advisors help suppliers run a nimble business and keep costs down as much as possible — whether their production is state-side or international. Work with our advisors to stay ahead of changes that could impact your business. Book a consultation today.


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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian palm oil futures closed at a record high on Monday, as expectations for higher demand from India grew after the world’s top edible oil buyer cut import tax.
The benchmark palm oil contract for April delivery on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange ended up 99 ringgit, or 1.78%, at 5,672 ringgit ($1,354.02) a tonne.
India on Sunday reduced its crude palm oil (CPO) import tax, known as the Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess (AIDC), to 5% from 7.5% to rein in local prices and help domestic refiners and consumers.
The tax reduction comes after Malaysian palm oil prices soared to record highs last week, making the vegetable oil less competitive over rival edible oils.
Palm falls on weak Malaysian export data
“It would be interesting to see if India increases palm oil buying after the reduction in CPO import duties, or continues to look after soft oils as palm oil is at a high premium, especially over sunflower oil,” said Anilkumar Bagani, research head of Mumbai-based vegetable oils broker Sunvin Group.
India’s palm oil imports in January plunged 29% from a year earlier, as refiners stepped up buying of soyoil and sunflower oil, a trade body said.
Additionally, the conflict between Russia and the West over Ukraine is threatening the supply of sunflower oil from the Black Sea region and also fuelling a rally in crude oil prices, Bagani said.
Oil prices touched their highest in more than seven years on fears that a possible invasion of Ukraine by Russia could trigger US and European sanctions that would disrupt exports from the world’s top producer.
In other related oils, Dalian’s May soyoil contract rose 0.7%, while its May palm oil contract gained 1.7%. May soyoil prices on the Chicago Board of Trade were down 0.1%.


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Guide to Limited Liability Partnerships (LLP)
Key Takeaways A Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) exists between two co-founders (two individuals, or an individual and a company or two corporate bodies) who decide...
Despite all the turmoil surrounding Brexit, the UK is still offering new businesses great opportunities. For one thing, there is great optimism coming from the UK population about our economic outlook for the future.
According to the findings of an annual study launched by Idinvest Partners (Idinvest’s UK Entrepreneurship Barometer), where the results are used as a barometer to measure the concerns of up and coming entrepreneurial talent, 44% of the UK population still consider this country the best place to start a new business. The positive results beat Germany into second place by a wide margin.
The study poses question about Brexit and the consequences of it on UK businesses, personal motivations, fundraising challenges and economic climate. The feedback is used to measure the mood of the people and while there are concerns that Brexit may well diminish the country’s position as one of the leading business hubs in Europe, 44% still believe it is the best country in Europe to start up a new business.
The study findings also show that 57% of all respondents were remaining optimistic over the country’s economic performance over the next year. While many future business owners are considering their options with regard to Brexit, the vast majority are still confident that they will be starting up their business in the UK rather than elsewhere in Europe.
Christophe Bavière, CEO and Benoist Grossmann, managing partner at Idinvest Partners, said:
‘These findings clearly demonstrate the strong entrepreneurial drive at the heart of the nation and the belief that the UK continues to provide a supportive social and economic environment to foster this talent- a view that we continue to support.
‘Over the past 20 years Idinvest Partners has helped build a dedicated ecosystem for entrepreneurs we look forward to supporting and growing the next generation of British talent.’
The annual study continues to show that the entrepreneurial spirit within the UK is still as strongly driven as ever. While we will be distancing ourselves from Europe with Brexit, this doesn’t seem to be deterring new start-ups from setting up in the UK.
According to the results of the last study, over half of the UK population are keen to start up their own company, and a further 16% actually confirmed they had definite plans to do so in the near future.
This means there is a great prospect that for every ten people in the UK, two of them will be setting themselves up as entrepreneurs over the coming year or two. With recent graduates and the younger generation being the ones who expressed a greater desire to becoming entrepreneurs, we can expect these figures to grow even higher in the coming years.
In fact, these are the results of the last study showing the responses of the population that were keen to launch their own business in the near future:
Is age actually a barrier to starting your own business? Interestingly, the study also raised the question over age limits. Almost 60% of the respondents believed that you needed to be over 30 years of age to be able to start their own business. This isn’t actually the case at all as you can start your own business at any age. Even children can start up a business as long as they have a parent or guardian to sign for them on their behalf. You can legally form your own business and become a director of your own company at age 18, so any recent graduate or young person can set up their own business.
62% of the population were concerned that the Brexit timeline may be disruptive to a new business as well as the uncertainty surrounding the Brexit process. The main concerns expressed about Brexit were:
With nearly half of those surveyed saying that they plan to invest their own personal savings into their business, fundraising is a great concern for new entrepreneurs. With the uncertainty surrounding Brexit, they are unsure if they would be negatively impacted after we have cut our ties with Europe.
With almost 60% of people being optimistic about the economic outlook for the UK post-Brexit, and almost 70% being motivated to start up a business, many entrepreneurs are determined that Brexit will not prevent them from becoming their own boss.
So for those up and coming new entrepreneurs with an innovative idea, the strength, ambition and determination to succeed, the UK still remains as the best choice of country to set up a new business within Europe.


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In addition to iTunes streaming (Fox's New Girl) and Facebook apps (the CW's The Secret Circle), the nets are turning to dry-cleaner boxes (CBS' How to Be a Gentleman), airline trays (ABC's Pan Am) and virtual photo shoots (NBC's Whitney). "This is Christmas for us," says CBS marketing group president George Schweitzer. Here's a look at some of the more creative stunts.
Revenge is a dish best served … on the jitney? Pilot scripts and beach towels for the Hamptons-based mystery drama were handed out to shuttle passengers headed to the East Coast hotspot during Labor Day weekend. Kindle users can download the scripts as well.
The CW is seeing double. The Sarah Michelle Gellar twins thriller is getting the word out in New York, L.A., Chicago, Philadelphia and San Francisco by disseminating teams of identical twins wearing shirts that read "I'm the evil twin" and "I'm the good twin." The pairs distribute "Make Mine a Double" shot glasses and mirrors that spell "truth" and "lies" in the reflection.
Person of Interest (CBS)
J.J. Abrams' surveillance drama is watching you. The series has interactive mirrorlike windows set up in New York and L.A. When pedestrians (aka potential viewers) stop, photos are taken and added to a "classified" file, along with a phone number and ID number for retrieval. From there, people are free to Facebook and tweet their photos.
Last Man Standing (ABC)
To capitalize on the Tim Allen comedy's "manly man" theme, the network is handing out barbecue chicken-scented Allen air fresheners at hardware stores, gyms and auto-parts stores. Football games will host show-themed food trucks and "man caves."
Terra Nova (Fox)
The Steven Spielberg-produced time-travel drama is on the move. Fox has commissioned a tricked-out bus -- complete with an interactive video booth, exclusive footage and an oxygen bar -- that is making stops at colleges, festivals and sporting events.
The Playboy Club (NBC)
NBC is inviting potential fans inside the Playboy Club. In this case, Bloomingdale's shoppers will get not only a chance to pose -- virtually, that is -- with the cast of the Amber Heard-led drama, but also an opportunity to win a walk-on role in the soapy series. As part of the network's multifaceted deal with the department store, its new shows will also be featured in store windows and catalogs.
2 Broke Girls (CBS)
CBS is getting caffeinated about its Kat Dennings diner comedy. In addition to branding cup sleeves at New York and L.A. coffee shops leading up to the show's bow, the network plans to give away free coffee on premiere day. Waitresses wearing 2 Broke Girls attire will pass around themed Zagat Guides for Cheap Eats, and Beth Behrs, who plays a Wharton grad on the show, will attend a pilot screening and Q&A at the Philadelphia business school.


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MOUNTAIN BROOK / BIRMINGHAM – For generations, many in the Birmingham area and beyond have chosen Ousler Sandwiches for their parties, graduations, weddings and funerals.
While the location has changed several times since Dana Ousler opened the business in January of 1915, nothing much else has.
The same chicken salad, pimento cheese, cream cheese and olive, ham salad, ham and cheese and egg salad finger sandwiches are on the menu, fixed the same way, using the same recipes.
Christine Campbell Elmore started making sandwiches with Ousler when she was 16. During World War II, Ousler Sandwiches became the first business in the United States to sell pre-packaged sandwiches. Ousler and Elmore did the packaging together.
After Ousler retired in 1953, Christine Elmore bought the business. “Back then, a woman just didn’t buy a business and the bank wasn’t really on her side, but she went ahead and bought it anyway,” said her son, Bill Elmore, who now runs the business with his wife, Becky, and daughters, Jenny Elmore and LeAnn Elmore Wood. Their son, Brian, although otherwise employed, “still helps the old man out some,” his dad said. During the busiest times, son-in-law, Chris Wood, along with grandsons Camren and Turner Wood also can be found helping out at the business.
Christine preached to Bill and Becky Elmore to leave the business the way it was. “Give everybody a good product at a good price, and it will be OK,” she told them.
Bill Elmore concedes, “We saw no reason to change.”
Becky Elmore calls her late mother-in-law wise. “For people to tell us stories of their families coming all these years and getting our sandwiches,” she said. “It makes our hearts swell many sizes.”
For years, the sandwiches were sold in drug stores, mom and pop stores, service stations, hotels, garages, tire stores and even at industrial sites. The sandwiches are still sold in vending machines. Otherwise, you must come to 2814 Cahaba Road in Mountain Brook to pick up Ousler Sandwiches, whether you want some just for lunch or a party of 100.
The Elmore family is the workforce at Ousler Sandwiches. Vice President LeAnn Elmore Wood is expected to lead the business into the next generation. “She says she wants to,” her mother said. “We’ll help her get to that point.”
Today, the Alabama Retail Association honored Ousler Sandwiches for its 102 years of doing business in Alabama. The Birmingham Business Alliance nominated the business for the award. The business received a bronze plaque to place outside its store and a certificate suitable for display inside.
“For a business to survive the dramatic changes of the past century is a remarkable achievement,” said ARA President Rick Brown. “It is fitting to celebrate the enduring first-century contributions Ousler Sandwiches has to the greater Birmingham community.”
The Alabama Retail Association represents retailers, the largest private employer in the state of Alabama, before the Alabama Legislature and the U.S. Congress. Through sales of food, clothing, furniture, medicine and more, our 4,200 independent merchant and national company members touch almost every aspect of daily living. Since 1943, we’ve worked to promote what’s best for the retail industry in Alabama. Whether voicing the retail view when public policy is made, educating members about issues that impact them, negotiating rates for benefits and services or communicating the retail story, the Alabama Retail Association and its members are better together.


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Killer traction slides require collecting as much favorable customer and market data as possible, such as recurring revenue, customer acquisition costs, and conversion rates.
For the first time, you have the opportunity to demonstrate and build investor confidence at the same time. But what if you don’t have any victories to brag about yet?
For startups that aren’t yet profitable, the traction slide should “describe the risks you design into your business,” such as regulatory uncertainty, Haje Jan Kamps said.
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“To figure out what investors fear most, talk to them and pay attention to the questions they ask,” he wrote. “Then you can design an experiment around that and report your findings as traction.”
Thank you so much for reading,
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5 Key Questions Climate Tech Founders Should Ask Impact Investors
Globally, companies addressing environmental and social issues are worth more than $2.3 trillion, according to a Dealroom.co study.
Entrepreneurs in the space have big ambitions, but enthusiasm can only get you so far, says Agnes Svensson, chief impact officer at Norrsken VC.
“To help drive more trackable impact investing, all founders should consider asking impact investors the following five key questions to compete for a spot on your equity structure table.”
Can European Cannabis Markets Avoid America’s Mistakes?Investors step in
U.S. medical and recreational marijuana markets take off after decades of prohibition, but Anna Heim interviews European investors who are ‘wary of the mistakes they made in the U.S.’
Now that the German regulator has recently “downplayed its legal reform plans,” she asked the group how they advise portfolio companies, whether the way they invest has changed, and whether they accept lukewarm advice:
- Oliver Lamb, Co-Founder, Óskare Capital
- Emily Paxhia, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Poseidon Investment Management
- Matt Hawkins, Founder and Managing Partner, Entourage Effect Capital
“Experiments in mixing entertainment and medicine have been conducted in North America, and there have been so many hard lessons learned that it would be reckless to ignore them,” Lamb said.
A fund of funds could be the perfect vehicle to support a diverse emerging fund manager
Dominic Madori-Davis explains that collective investment funds, better known as funds of funds (FoFs), offer limited partners and investors “a way to get into the market, and sometimes even into early-stage deals.”
But will the evolving model foster a more diverse community of investors (and, hopefully, founders)?
To learn more, she interviewed several fund-of-funds managers and found that “as with most debates about diversification in venture capital, the debate always boils down to who is willing to take the risk.”
Pitch Deck teardown: CleanHub’s $7M torrent platform
CleanHub closed a $7 million seed round to expand its marketplace, connecting consumer brands with local waste companies that process plastic materials.
The company is “building a market for a circular economy for plastics”, writes Haje Jan Kamps:
- cover slip
- team slides
- visual slideshow
- question slide
- Value Proposition Slide 1
- Solution slide
- Market Vision Slides
- product slideshow
- Technical Overview 1
- Technical Overview 2
- Value Proposition Slide 2
- Market Size Slideshow
FedNow Instant Payments Are About to Unlock Fintech Investment Opportunities
FedNow, a new initiative by the Federal Reserve that will enable instant payments 24/7/365, has officially launched.
Last month, TX Zhuo, managing partner at Fika Ventures, predicted at TC+ that the launch will create new avenues for fintech companies of all sizes, “and the effect can be realized as early as next year.”


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TOKYO -- Toyota Motor Corp.'s new blitz to gain business in emerging markets could pave the way for exports from those regions to the United States, executives say.
Toyota unveiled plans late last month to introduce eight compact models for customers in India, Brazil, China and Southeast Asia by 2015 as it plays catch-up to global rivals such as General Motors and Volkswagen Group in those markets.
The new vehicles should deliver additional sales of 1 million a year in that time frame, said Yukitoshi Funo, executive vice president for emerging markets.
The blueprint calls for expanding production capacity in emerging markets to 3.1 million units in 2013, from 2.4 million in 2010. Toyota also wants half of its global sales in those regions by 2015, up from 42 percent in 2010.
Toyota has no concrete plans to export from those areas to the United States or other developed markets. But the expansion opens the door to the possibility.
Kazuhiro Kobayashi, managing officer in charge of product and business planning for emerging markets, said, "Once we have the ability to produce good cars in emerging countries, those cars would also be able to attract interest of customers in the United States, and therefore we would like to consider such a policy."
He added, "If we can identify good opportunities, we will pursue further such international mutual complementation."
Toyota exports some vehicles to Europe from Thailand.
Other carmakers also are exploring exports from the region in an effort to offset foreign exchange losses from exporting from Japan in light of the yen's unfavorable exchange rate against the dollar and the euro.
Funo cautioned, though, that much work must be done before cars made in emerging markets are ready to sell in markets such as the United States or Japan. Customer preferences and legal and regulatory differences must be considered.
"The hurdle that has to be overcome is pretty high," he said. "Japanese customers care a lot about minute details and are very demanding. And it's the same in the United States."


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Sidewalks throughout New York City turn into temporary little Christmas forests every year around the holidays as tree vendors set up shop. It's pure seasonal magic. But thanks to an obscure 1938 law, the sale of Christmas trees on NYC streets is only legal in December.
The law has roots in 1938, when Mayor Fiorello La Guardia mounted the original War on Christmas. It started as a crackdown on largely immigrant-run street vendors, requiring them to obtain nearly impossible licenses to peddle their wares en plein air. Pretty much none were issued. Which meant that, come December, Christmas trees and the magic they bring with them virtually disappeared from New York City streets. Humbug!
In response, city council went over the grinch of a mayor's head and enacted the Coniferous Tree Exception, which allowed tree vendors to sell their Douglas Firs and the like on sidewalks, so long as they have permission from store owners. No license necessary. But this ordinance only applies to the month of December.
So the reason we're talking about this ordinance today, other than the obvious seasonal time-peg here, is that the sale of Christmas trees on the street recently angered another a real Scrooge of a real estate developer by the name of Donald Zucker. When Wisconsin-based Evergreen Stand popped up in front of his West 15th Street high rise on November 24, Zucker was not having it. He asked the vendors to kindly move down the street and when they refused, he did the American thing and sued them, complaining the stands clog up foot traffic and take up parking spaces. The horror. Fortunately a Manhattan judge wouldn't even hear the case because the owners of the Evergreen Stand couldn't be found.


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Epic Games has adopted a peculiar tactic to fight the explosive growth of the first week of Apex Legends, as the Respawn Entertainment title aims to overthrow Fortnite.
Since its launch on February 4, the free-to-play Battle Royale game has elicited lots of praise and has taken the gaming world by storm. On February 7, Respawn Entertainment announced that the game had crossed the 10 million mark in the first 72 hours of its release.
Players have already questioned Apex Legends' chances of challenging a giant like Fortnite, and now it looks like Epic Games is taking the challenge very seriously.
After a surprise launch, the legends of Apex caused more impact than expected.
Users who perform a Google search for the phrase "Apex Legends" now have a chance to receive a Fortnite ad at the top of the search results that will take them directly to the Epic Games website.
Because both titles are free-to-play battle-to-play games, there are lots of cross-referencing between keywords and resulting searches – which means that ads fall under Google's targeted advertising where businesses can select a public- to promote their promotions.
Fortnite highlights Apex in Google's new searches.
If Apex may or may not be the game that fills the role of "Fortnite killer", it is still unknown. Even some of Fortnite's biggest names had a chance and had fun in the process.
Even Tyler "Ninja" Blevins believes that the game has a chance, but it will take an incredible amount of hard work with Respawn.
"I mean anything that any game has a chance to get through Fortnite, but it will be almost impossible," Ninja said in his February 8 broadcast. "But this game specifically? No one knows by now. I think it will be almost impossible for someone to do what Fortnite did, and what they keep doing day by day and updating the game."


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Who will be the Google of video advertising — inserting ads into the ever-expanding torrent of video on the Web?
If Google has anything to say about it, of course, it will be Google. But that has not stopped a host of specialized start-ups from trying to grab an early lead in the market, perhaps with the ultimate goal of being acquired by a larger Internet company.
YuMe, a six-year-old company based in Redwood City, Calif., is among the most well-capitalized of this lot, and on Wednesday it will announce that it has raised $25 million in additional capital in a round led by Menlo Ventures. Older YuMe backers, including Accel Partners, Khosla Ventures, BV Capital and DAG Ventures, also participated in the funding.
YuMe matches advertisements to videos on such sites as MSN, MSNBC, IDG Entertainment and Glam Media, across multiple devices like PCs, set-top boxes and cellphones. The company says it served an average of 30 million in-stream video ads per day in December, and is now profitable.
“Interactive advertising as a whole category is growing and taking share away from older forms of advertising, and video is the largest advertising category of them all,” said Shawn T. Carolan, managing director of Menlo Ventures, who is joining the YuMe board.
Mr. Carolan added that large media companies may prefer to do business with an independent ad network like YuMe, rather than Internet giants like Google, Yahoo and perhaps one day Apple, which recently acquired a mobile ad firm, Quattro Wireless. “If your core business is producing the world’s best content and making money off content, you need to maintain control of core business. I think YuMe helps them do that better.”
Interestingly, YuMe’s original mission back in 2004 was to create a set-top box to deliver free, ad-supported Bollywood movies over the Internet to home televisions. The company shifted gears soon after, upon realizing the advertising technology for such video advertising did not yet exist — and, perhaps, that the appetite for Bollywood movies, at least in the Western world, was somewhat limited.


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Just a couple of weeks ago, Google released the first Developer Preview of Android 11 and it brought a couple of new features to spice up Android as well as make it easier to live with. However, there's more to Android 11 than what was revealed in the first Developer Preview and now, Google has released the second Developer Preview. The second release has a couple of new additional features across all disciplines.
Similar to the previous previews, the current version of the Preview is available for users to download on a few Google Pixel devices. Users can opt for the Android beta programme and once they opt-in, they can download the new update after the phone notifies the users of the same. You will need to have a Pixel 2 series, Pixel 3 series, Pixel 3a series and Pixel 4 series phones in order to download and test the new preview version of Android 11.
If you are interested in the new Preview of Android 11, here are a couple of features that this one brings with itself.
Intelligent 5G detection: The new 5GStateAPI in Android 11 will lets apps check for whether the phone is connected to a StandAlone 5G network or a Non-Standalone network. Google says one can use this to take advantage of the superior network speeds.
Hinge angles for foldables: Android 11 can now make use of a hinge angle sensor to while will let apps make use of the changing form factor to offer better user experiences.
Call Screening improvements: Google says that call-screening apps can report a call rejection reason. Apps can also customize a system-provided post call screen to let users perform actions such as marking a call as spam or adding to contacts.
New security permissions for camera and mic: Apps that want to access camera or mic data will now ask users for further permission apart from the usual access requests.
Scoped storage updates: Android 11 will get support for scoped storage and in order to move the data to the new file system, Android 11 will now help with the movement. The update will also help with the movement of the cache files.
Better animations: Android 11 will make use of a new set of APIs to offer smoother animations and transitions. For example, when the keyboard comes up, the animation and transition will be smoother than what happens on Android 10.
Support for higher refresh rates: Apps will now be able to figure what refresh rate is best for it to function. With new APIs, apps will be able to switch the display refresh rate between 60Hz, 90Hz and 120Hz.
Resume on Reboot: Android 11 updates will now install on its overnight. Currently, one needs to reboot once in order to install the update and that requires a manual prompt. Android 11 will restart on its own and continue downloading the update. This means apps can resume normal function and receive messages right away - important since OTA updates can be scheduled overnight while the device might be unattended.
Copyright©2021 Living Media India Limited. For reprint rights: Syndications Today


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Some eagle-eyed Nokia fans noticed an unannounced color for the Nokia Lumia 920 in a promotional video in Denmark. For just a few seconds, a glossy magenta or pink Nokia Lumia 920 made an appearance. Watch the video below and see if you can spot it.
Nokia has released magenta and pink colors for the Nokia Lumia 800 and 900 already but in matte finish. This is the first time we’ve seen the color in a glossy finish. For the Nokia Lumia 920, the only colors announced so far are Glossy Yellow, Glossy Red, Glossy White, Matte Grey, Matte Black, and recently Matte Cyan.
Would you like Nokia to release the Lumia 920 in glossy pink?


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The Spanish statistical office INE released its final consumer price inflation data on Tuesday. Final consumer price inflation in Spain was up 0.3% in June, in line with preliminary estimate, after a 0.5% gain in May.
On a yearly basis, final consumer prices climbed by 0.1% in June from a year ago, in line with preliminary estimate, after a 0.2% decline in May. It was the first rise since last June.
|remaining time till the new event being published|
All posted material is a marketing communication solely for informational purposes and reliance on this may lead to loss. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Please read our full disclaimer.


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In this era of widespread disruption, it is necessary for family businesses to have an awareness on disruption and bring in professionalism in the business, says Kavil Ramachandran, Professor and Executive Director, Thomas Schmidheiny Centre for Family Enterprise, Indian School of Business, Hyderabad.
Speaking at the seventh edition of Business Today MindRush event on the subject 'How to fortify family business', Ramachandran says family businesses should do a PEST (political, economical, socio-cultural and technology) analysis and scenario building, find opportunities in disruption, balance portfolio of products, quick but balanced response, sustain owner passion and bring in a board for constant monitoring and advice.
Also read: BT MindRush: 'Successful firms like Apple, Toyota, Coca Cola, have stories that are synonymous with them'
"Single product companies and sectors such as services, where capital investment requirements are less, small and medium scale companies with limited resources and subcontractors and dealers are likely to be the most affected in this disruption," he said, adding that most listed companies in the top 4,000 are medium scale companies with less than Rs 1,000 crore turnover and out of the 7,000 listed companies, 91 per cent are family enterprises.
Some of the barriers for family businesses to accept the changes are emotional ties with the existing business, resistance to organisational changes and fear of loss of power or position, resistance to move out of comfort zones unless badly hit, exit barriers and lack of capabilities.
Disruptive innovation is the need of the hour and family businesses should try to integrate new technologies to find fresh opportunities, as every disruption brings new opportunities, says Ramachandran.
Also read: BT Mindrush: 'If tea breaks are common, why not a quick exercise break?'
Copyright©2023 Living Media India Limited. For reprint rights: Syndications Today


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Young designers got the chance to sell their exclusive clothing at the weekend.
Lives Not Knives, a campaign group in Croydon, hosted the event in their new unit in the Centrale Shopping Centre.
Rove hats and T-shirts - Marshall Rove and Jahzeiah Spencer
The event promoted the work of young designers and they were able to sell their clothing and accessories to members of the public.
Designers included London Attire, Moment Clothing, Forward Fashion and ROWE Limited.
For more information about Lives Not Knives go to livesnotknives.org.
- House of Reeves owners have home ransacked and precious jewels stolen
- Lorry driver caught bringing undeclared alcohol into UK from France has licence suspended
- Winners of our Young Reporter scheme for 2015 celebrated at awards
- Large office block to make way for mixed development including more than 30 affordable homes
- Homeowners in SW19 and nearby can net thousands of pounds from Wimbledon tennis tournament


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Photos via TK @ Think Silly (L) & FWD (R)
Cassie was there…via Getty Images
Taking a different tack with the Japanese market, Fendi last week hosted the hottest hip-hop-flavored fashion party in town, with Japanese streetwear ringleader Nigo – not Karl Lagerfeld or Silvia Venturini Fendi – calling the creative shots for the night.
The immediate occasion was the global launch of a range of leather goods by Venturini Fendi called B. Mix. But the overarching goal was to start speaking to Japanese customers in a new way and keep fanning Fendi’s global momentum as the LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton-owned brand surges toward $500 million in sales next year, with accelerating profitability.
According to market sources, Nigo recently has been in talks with Louis Vuitton about a possible leather goods collaboration. Asked about that prospect, he replied: “Since we did the sunglasses, no new plans yet,” adding with a smile, “I’m looking forward to Vuitton creative director Marc Jacobs calling on me.”
Damn that Fendi x BAPE Baby Milo phone mascot is sooooooooooo damn cute! Too bad its not for sale, its a gift to the important people that were invited to the B.Mix Party they hosted last week. I’m not too sure about the bags, need to see them in real or better pics…but the brown monograms remind me of Louis Vuitton Speedy bags…dontcha think? I’m def NOT feelin’ the hot pink/monogram bags, its way too much. On the other hand, regardless of what peepz say about Cassie’s talent, she’s looking sexy and cute at the party, her style is not that bad…guess that made up for her…haha! Fendi is smart by approaching Nigo, he is one of Japan’s most influential…I’m suprised Pharrell wasn’t there…
More pics and full story after the jump…
Kanye West & Nigo | Silvia Venturini Fendi, Nigo and Michael Burke via Getty Images
Kanye West via Getty Images
Michael Burke, Fendi’s chief executive officer, disclosed the financial results to WWD while discussing how the Rome-based fashion house is charting a new approach in Japan at a time when many European luxury brands are facing slower growth in a nation vital to the luxury sector.
“It’s about a different way of seeing Western fashion,” Burke said in an interview just before the event, which featured performances by Kanye West and the Teriyaki Boys in a giant tent in Tokyo’s National Stadium, which Nigo chose as a wink to the Coliseum in Rome. “The formula used to be: Duplicate your Milanese runway and they’ll be happy.”But in Burke’s estimation, it’s time to take notice of how Japanese consumers are changing: diversifying their spending and paying more attention to local fashion heroes. “The street is very vibrant here. They are inventing their own culture, their own way of living,” he explained. “If we don’t start doing something, they’re going to start substituting old luxury with new luxury.”
Burke noted foreign luxury brands have had a strong run in Japan since the Sixties, and many continue to thrive by importing their products and brand messages literally from Europe.
In his estimation, however, “that has seen its best days and the future is going to be a little different….I think we’re going to have to be much more in tune with the customer….The solution is to stay relevant with these consumers rather than screaming one monolithic message.” – Miles Socha, WWD
And how. At last Thursday’s event, trendy young Tokyoites came out in force, with many male — and some female — guests aping Nigo’s quirky look: floppy knit toque, oversized plastic sunglasses and a cool, if studied, mélange of street and luxury labels.
There was free-flowing Moët & Chandon and fois gras canapés, but this was hardly your typical LVMH fete. Waiters also circulated espresso shots and rice in takeaway containers, and the crowd, egged on by West during one number, waved their hands in the air and shouted back on cue, “Get down girl, go ahead, get down.”
In an interview, Nigo, the man behind the cult Bathing Ape label, said he appreciated Fendi’s initiative, which allowed him to give the event a local flavor, from the mix of the 1,000 guests he assembled to the red makeup slashed across the eyes of the female string quartet that backed up West.
Annihilating any lingering perceptions that Japanese consumers only like things pink and girly, Nigo — a DJ-turned-designer — gave the Fendi event Olympian proportions, from the yellow flags ringing the stadium’s rim to the sleek, all-black party tent by interior designer Masamichi Katayama.
Nigo also curated an installation blending Fendi’s spring runway looks with the B. Mix handbags, displayed amid piles of transparent trunks built to his exact specifications. The accessories, mixing two versions of the F logo, are slated to arrive at Fendi stores worldwide this month and will be promoted in Japan exclusively online via networking sites.
Speaking via an interpreter and dressed in a purple leather blouson and jeans of his own design, Nigo said he detects some fatigue in Japan with imported luxury brands, and growing interest in homegrown labels, especially as they gain credibility abroad.
To be sure, Nigo’s brand of Tokyo cool is gaining a global audience. Having recently opened outposts in Hong Kong and New York’s SoHo district, the designer said a Melrose location in Los Angeles is slated to open next summer, and a Paris flagship is on his wish list as well. On his home turf, the designer just opened a Tokyo branch dedicated to his children’s wear, complete with a large sandbox for children to play in — only his is filled with foam bananas in assorted candy colors.
An early adopter of bling — even his teeth are metallic and glittering — Nigo said the showy look is being replaced by what he called “more heavy-duty stuff,” pulling back his coat sleeve to show off his chunky Girard-Perregaux marine watch. “It’s good for up to 3,000 meters,” he said with a chuckle. The designer also forecasts a trend to a more “mono-color” look.
Burke said he considers Nigo one of the chief gurus of “modern Japan,” where hip-hop and all its accoutrements has become a “fundamental movement.”
Unlike the U.S. market, however, where so-called urban brands went mass very quickly, the Japanese approach streetwear as a luxury product.
Although Bathing Ape is associated mostly with young Japanese men, who have passionately embraced trendy fashions, Nigo said about 40 percent of his business is women’s wear. He also moonlights as a collaborator at Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream, two streetwear brands fronted by Pharrell Williams.
“He’s very modern,” Venturini Fendi said of Nigo, likening his multifaceted interests and vast knowledge, from contemporary art to architecture, to Lagerfeld’s. “He has an attraction to luxury that is relaxed, not ostentatious.”
Gaining insights from Nigo about Japan’s changing market is vital for the Fendi brand, since the country represents about 25 percent of its global revenues. Burke is orchestrating a transition from a master franchisee arrangement to direct control. Since taking over the business in 2002 and initiating the repositioning, Fendi has trimmed its distribution in Japan to about 34 stores from 47 locations, and “we’ll close another four or five. We’re downsizing the network but still growing low-single digits,” Burke said.
Elsewhere, Fendi’s growth has been “explosive,” Burke said, pegging gains in 2006 at 30 percent.
Last year, efforts concentrated on improving full-price sales and achieving higher margins in Fendi’s retail network. Burke reported that sales per square foot are on track to reach $2,300 this year, versus $1,300 in 2005.
Wholesale growth has been a key impetus in 2006, helping sales of ready-to-wear to triple and making the category profitable for the first time in the company’s 81-year history, Burke said. This year saw wholesale distribution blossom, particularly in Italy and the U.S., where the brand is carried at stores including Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and select Bloomingdale’s. Burke also disclosed that Fendi’s business at Saks has been converted to leased departments, reaching a compliment of 14 by the end of 2007.
The company’s retail expansion has also gained momentum, with 24 locations added this year for a year-end total of 136. Nineteen stores will be opened in 2007, including in Istanbul and Marbella, Spain. Fendi also will relocate its Paris flagship to Avenue Montaigne in July, which it plans to fete with its first fur-only fashion show during couture week, Burke revealed.
Approximately 30 percent of the network already reflects architect Peter Marino’s “palazzo” design, which replaced an unsuccessful “dark store” concept. Fendi plans to complete the overhaul of its entire network by 2009.
Now that it’s on track to cross the $500 million threshold one year ahead of schedule, Fendi is gunning to become a $1 billion player as early as 2010. Burke cited men’s wear as a key opportunity, particularly in Japan, and said Fendi would enter the fine jewelry category within 18 months.
Next year will also see the launch of a new women’s perfume, the first to be produced and marketed under the LVMH umbrella. The scent will be unveiled to the trade in July and land on store counters in September, Burke said, declining to reveal the name of the perfume.
Licensed products continue to power ahead. Burke said eyewear (licensed to Marchon) is approaching $100 million at wholesale, and Fendi’s home partner, Clubhouse Italia, has been signed on for a number of condominium and luxury hotel projects in America and Europe. Looking ahead, Burke said wellness could be an area of expansion for 2008 or 2009. “A Fendi spa is something that could happen,” he said.
For 2007, the company is forecasting a sales gain of 25 percent and accelerating profitability. While Burke declined to give exact figures, he said operating profits this year would be double-digit. “We’re confident that by 2008, we’ll be above 20 percent EBIT,” he said. “That would put us right where we would expect a star brand to be.” – Miles Socha, WWD


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A Lewisville shopping center has a new owner.
CIG Retail Properties bought the 170,739 square foot Garden Park Shopping Center at 1565 West Main Street.
The neighborhood retail center is anchored by World Gym and Thrift City and is 83 percent leased.
“The Garden Park Shopping Center has seen increased leasing activity in the last 12 months, with nine new leases, and the properties in the immediate area have also done well,” said Jennifer Pierson, the CBRE Group broker who arranged the sale.
CIG Retail is a commercial property firm located in Colleyville.


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As the economic aftershocks of COVID-19 reverberate through the global economy, transportation and logistics operations face mounting pressure to meet consumer demand, deliver essential goods and find cost-effective solutions. Meanwhile, these companies must contend with an uncertain future and a volatile market, where demand in some sectors skyrockets even as it plummets in others.
Now, transportation and logistics businesses are rethinking where and how they operate, and many are finding a home that offers the strategic advantages they need at the heart of the United States’ transportation infrastructure.
A Perfect Storm: The Pandemic Complicates an Already-Stressed Supply Chain
Before COVID-19, global demand on the supply chain was rising for decades, fueled by the rapidly growing e-commerce sector, rising populations, advances in technology, changing consumer and business preferences, and increases in standards of living, among other factors.
Take the U.S., for example. Since 1998, the country’s e-commerce sector has grown, often exponentially, year over year. As a result, U.S. intermodal volume – the total volume of standardized shipping containers that can be interchanged between multiple transportation modes, like cargo ships and freight trains – increased by more than 170%. This led to a boom in industrial development, as new warehouses, manufacturing facilities, ports, cargo centers, railways and other infrastructures were built to support the growing industry. In addition to the increase in volume, e-commerce conditioned consumers to expect deliveries in less time, presenting the industry with a dual challenge: Move more, and move faster.
This trend is not unique to the United States. During the same period, developed nations throughout the world experienced similar growth in e-commerce and other sectors, and previously undeveloped countries began to join them. As nations like China continued to develop – and more consumers, with increased spending power, participated in e-commerce – sharp increases in demand followed, in a pattern of economic growth, increased demand and further growth. Analysts expect this trend to intensify over the coming decade, even as the global economy faces the economic fallout of the pandemic and the transportation and logistics industry contends with emerging challenges.
COVID-19 has led to a devastating loss of human life. Meanwhile, its economic aftershocks have created unprecedented volatility within the transportation and logistics industry, with some sectors experiencing spikes in demand even as others plummet. For example, at the beginning of 2020, truck volumes surged by nearly 30 percent, and last-mile deliveries increased more than ten times over. However, as the GDP plummeted by a historic 32.9% in the second quarter, truck volumes fell with it, and other modes of transportation saw even steeper declines. U.S. passenger air travel – which is responsible for moving people as well as cargo, as goods are transported in the belly of passenger aircraft – fell by about 75% from the beginning of the year to April.
Now, as some sectors begin to see a resurgence in demand and certain transportation modes become available, businesses are discovering that the nature of their industry is changing.
An Answer to the Challenge
The combined pressures of the decades-long increase in global demand and the volatility brought on by the pandemic has forced transportation and logistics operations to become more flexible, efficient and cost-effective. Consumer demand is expected to rise exponentially in the coming decade, and several emergent factors – such as the rapid and reliable delivery of medical supplies and other essential goods (including vaccines, in the near future) – further stress the supply chain.
The industry is facing unprecedented challenges, at a time when it is interwoven in nearly every function of human life and society. Families, communities and economies throughout the world depend on supply chains that can deliver—especially in times of crisis.
To continue to meet consumer demand, businesses must locate their operations in a place that answers the complex challenges they face today and positions them to meet the demands of tomorrow.
Now, many of these companies are finding the strategic advantages they need in DuPage County. DuPage is located just west of Chicago, at the heart of an international freight gateway, offering convenient access to the region’s multiple transportation modes, as well as key advantages unique to DuPage.
Let’s take a closer look.
Where Water Meets Road, Rail and Sky: The Strategic Location of DuPage County
Located at the convergence of critical waterways, interstates, airports and railways, Northeastern Illinois is considered by many to be North America’s preeminent international freight gateway. Today, one fourth of all U.S. freight originates, terminates, or passes through the region. That’s approximately $564 billion in goods each year, weighing some 269 million tons, and includes half of the nation’s rail freight and nearly one-third of its air cargo.
The region is a critical link in the national and global supply chain, and its access to multi-modal transportation means that, when an area of the transportation infrastructure is disrupted – as we have seen during COVID-19 – operations in the region can continue to move products through other modes. The region’s flexibility is key to the transportation and logistics industry’s ability to deliver essential goods in times of crisis. For example, when passenger air travel dipped by 75% in the U.S. at the peak in the pandemic, the cargo typically transported by passenger flights could be averted to other transportation modes, like waterways and rail. Of course, that can only be done quickly and efficiently if operations have convenient access to multiple modes of transportation, as they do in DuPage County and the surrounding region.
Clearly, the Northeastern Illinois region has a tremendous economic impact on the Midwest and the entire U.S.—as well as countries, companies and people throughout the world. In the aftermath of COVID-19, the area including DuPage County has an essential role in strengthening and re-imagining the nation’s supply chain, offering multiple transportation modes and providing a strategic, flexible and cost-effective home for businesses.
- As mentioned above, operations in the region have access to multiple modes of transportation. This allows for more flexibility and efficiency in all times—however, it’s particularly important during times of crisis. When certain modes of transportation are disrupted, operations in the region can continue to move goods, including essential supplies, via other transportation modes. The region’s access to multiple transportation modes – via water, rail, road and sky – makes it a critical link in the global supply chain.
- Located 40 miles from Chicago, the CenterPoint Intermodal Center, North America’s largest inland port, provides direct access to the BNSF Logistics Park and Union Pacific Intermodal Terminal, as well as a 6,400-acre intermodal complex. Tenants, on average, save 50% on operating costs due to the transportation savings of locating on campus.
- The Port of Chicago offers the only direct maritime connection from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mississippi River. Today, more than 19 million tons of goods are moved through the port.
- The region offers access to more than a thousand miles of navigable waterways throughout Illinois, with more than 100 miles of navigable waterways within the Northeast.
- Northeastern Illinois is home to three international airports: O’Hare, Midway and the DuPage Airport. O’Hare is responsible for moving nearly one third of the nation’s total cargo, valued at $170 billion annually. With infrastructure improvements over the coming decades, O’Hare’s cargo campus will allow up to 50% more cargo and freight traffic.
- Seven interstates and some 30,000 miles of highways connect operations in the region to cities throughout the Midwest and the entire continental U.S. In less than eight hours, trucks can travel from Northeastern Illinois to 28 of the top 30 cities in the Midwest.
- The region is home to one of the nation’s busiest rail gateways, with more than 3,900 miles of rail. The gateway is North America’s main interchange point between western and eastern railroads. Today, 50% of all U.S. rail freight passes through the region, which offers freight access to more than 80% of the continental United States in 72 hours or less.
- Northeastern Illinois accounts for about half of all domestic intermodal container traffic.
- More than a billion square feet of industrial development support the region’s freight and manufacturing activity.
The DuPage Difference
While Northeastern Illinois is home to seven counties, DuPage County offers unique strategic advantages that make it the premier choice for the transportation and logistics industry.
Just 20 miles west of Chicago, DuPage offers convenient access to all of the regional transportation amenities described above, including North America’s largest inland port, three international airports, seven interstates, the nation’s busiest rail gateway, and more. In addition, DuPage offers unique strategic advantages for businesses.
The DuPage Difference:
- A strategic location just 20 miles west of Chicago, DuPage offers convenient access to the region’s international transportation infrastructure, as described above.
- DuPage is home to 127 square miles of prime real estate that will soon offer direct access to O’Hare through the region’s Western Access initiative.
- Local businesses benefit from a business-friendly climate with low commercial property taxes and a highly skilled and educated workforce.
- Our residents enjoy a high quality of life, with easy commutes, excellent schools, numerous recreational amenities and more space for work and life.
- DuPage County’s highly desirable commercial properties offer space for large industrial facilities and flexible leases.
- Our collaborative local leadership is committed to the success of your business and our communities.
In a challenging and uncertain time, DuPage County offers businesses a strategic home, where they can quickly and efficiently get their goods to market through the region’s access to multiple transportation modes, while benefitting from DuPage’s unique advantages and business-friendly climate.
We all depend on transportation and logistics operations for the goods we need, as well as the health of the national and global economy. DuPage provides the comprehensive solution that these operations need to be cost-effective, flexible and efficient, so the industry can continue to meet the demands of today as we work together toward a better tomorrow.
Click or tap here to learn more about transportation, logistics and warehousing in DuPage County.
“CenterPoint offering timely cost savings with North America’s largest inland port” by Paul Scott Abbott, American Journal of Transportation (2020)


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During the Pinewood Build Day, volunteers will help children decorate and race pinewood race cars.
SEMA members are invited to join SEMA Cares and Go Rhino for the R/C Off Road Truck Play Day at the Merv Griffin ChildHelp Village in Beaumont, California, Saturday, April 28, from 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
A partnership now eight years in the making, WD-40 Co. and SEMA Cares have again teamed to create a one-of-a-kind build, with SEMA Cares’ partner charities—Childhelp and the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund—as the beneficiaries. Over the years, WD-40 has produced vehicles representing a variety of niches, partnering with automotive aftermarket companies to help turn ideas into reality.
Proceeds from the auction benefit the Childhelp children’s charity.
The SEMA Cares ’17 Ford F-250 Super Duty SuperCab XLT 4x4 will be auctioned at Barrett-Jackson in January.
The Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer, a member of the SEMA Cares family of charities, welcomes SEMA members to support its cause by becoming involved in foundation-related activities.
Nearly 500 members of the automotive specialty-parts industry attended the 2017 SEMA Installation and Gala to pay tribute to the specialty-equipment industry’s pioneers and dedicated volunteers.
SEMA Cares volunteers help children build hundreds of pinewood race cars that can be purchased by SEMA members to support children in need.
The ’16 Jeep Wrangler that was donated by Petty’s Garage sold at Mecum Auctions for $82,500, with the proceeds benefitting Victory Junction.
The one-of-a-kind custom Jeep will be offered at no reserve with proceeds benefitting Victory Junction Camp.


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Poultry Farm: Farmers in massive losses as market fails
The story of Kirika Poultry Farm reflects the pain and agony of Kenyan poultry farmers, some of who have quit the business after the market collapsed. Lewis Maina, a poultry keeper at Ngoigwa estate in Thika, lost hope and reduced his birds from 2,000 to 400 after the venture became unviable.
Before the glut, Maina produced 15 trays a day. A stable market in Mombasa saw prices range from Sh270 to Sh300, earning him Sh70,000 each month.
After hell broke loose, prices plummeted to Sh200. Maina realised he was depleting his savings to meet farm costs.
Ann Wanjiku, who started the venture in1996 with 300 birds, has never encountered such a crisis. “We used to buy a bag of feeds at below Sh1,000; today it costs Sh3,000. I disposed of most of my 2,000 birds,” says Maina’s neighbour.
She has now resumed poultry keeping after 1,000 poultry keepers from the Kiambu county, with the help of Thika MP Patrick Wainaina and his Gatundu North counterpart Wanjiku wa Kibe, registered a co-operative society.
Through the group dubbed Kiambu County Poultry Farmers’ Co-operative Society, the farmers have invested in their own chicken feeds factory. However, due to the high cost of raw materials--—mostly maize, which is the main ingredient– feeds are available to members at Sh300 per bag less than market prices.
Zachary Munyambu, the co-operative’s coordinator, saysfarmers must know their break-even points. For a farmer to benefit, one bag of feeds should serve 500 birds, producing 15 trays per day.
For instance, for a farmer keeping 2,000 birds, producing 60 trays of eggs daily for sale at Sh300, needs only to sell 40 trays to buy four bags of chicken feed at Sh3, 000 each. “The balance of Sh6,000 can pay wages, electricity, water and other farm costs and still make a small profit,” says Munyambu.
Munyambu said this is impossible if market prices average Sh200 a tray at current quality and cost of feeds. “Maize is a key ingredient because of energy, which enables the hen to produce quality eggs. If maize prices are high, the feed factory has to raise its price or compromise the quality of the feeds because it is also in business,” he said.-


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Devgen N.V. and Monsanto Company have agreed to a five year technology exchange agreement and an R&D agreement. The agreements let both companies single out potential products from technologies being developed by both companies.
Devgen will leverage Monsanto's work in rice and small cereal grains, especially in Asia. Monsanto intends to initially leverage Devgen's technologies to its core crops of interest such as corn, cotton and soybeans.
The agreement allows Monsanto to use Devgen's gene regulation technology for its own crop products. Devgen's access to Monsanto rice technology will help Devgen build rise business in Asian markets, Devgen's CEO says.


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Leading lifestyle vloggers Eva Gutowski and Lauren Riihimaki — both of whom are repped by digital talent firm Select Management Group‘s Scott Fisher— have been named the latest faces of soda brand Fanta, for whom they are slated to star in a major campaign comprising TV commercials, movie theater ads, social videos, radio spots, and more.
Dubbed Be More Than One Flavor, the campaign will showcase the Coca Cola-owned soda brand’s multiple flavors, including orange, strawberry, grape, and pineapple. Gutowski and Riihimaki will be joined in the spot (below) by up-and-coming actors Jordan Fisher and Coco Jones. Fanta has dubbed the quartet its ‘Fantanas’. Renowned music producer Mike Will Made It remixed the famed Wanta Fanta theme song for the commercial, which features a dance routine choreographed by Fatima Robinson.
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“Fanta is now the number one fruit-flavored soft drink and a top 10 brand in sparkling beverages,” Coca-Cola North America director Valencia Mitchell said in a statement. “It’s time we celebrate together with our fans with Fanta’s first fully-integrated campaign since 2010.”
Gutowski, who counts 9.3 million subscribers on YouTube, most recently announced her first-ever clothing line, It’s All Wild. Riihimaki, who counts roughly 6.8 million subscribers across her two channels, is currently appearing in season two of YouTube Red’s Escape The Night.