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When Disney (DIS 0.09%) agreed to pay $4 billion for Marvel in 2009, it was a steep price for a studio with little filmmaking experience. A few years later, the vision for Marvel predicted by Disney CEO Bob Iger is playing out and the studio is becoming the face of Disney.
When you consider the success Marvel has had over the past few years, it's probably good that Disney is giving it such a prominent role, and it's only going to grow as Marvel's characters develop and new distribution outlets emerge.
Marvel takes over the box office
In the past two years; Marvel has come to dominate the box office for Disney. Iron Man 3 and The Avengers nearly doubled the second- and third-best performing films of the year, and both were tops at the box office overall for the year.
Disney Domestic Box Office
Iron Man 3
Marvel's The Avengers
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
What's important about this box office success is that Disney can translate it to more superhero films and TV shows in the future.
Spinoff season for Marvel
Agents of Shield is the first major Marvel spinoff to the small screen, and it has done well, ranking second behind the ever-popular NCIS on Tuesday nights on ABC, one of Disney's networks. The next spinoff from Marvel's box-office success will come on Netflix, which recently agreed to a deal that will bring series about Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage to its streaming service.
On the big screen, besides continuing with classic heroes like Thor and Captain America, Marvel is creating new opportunities to develop characters with Guardians of the Galaxy, due out this year. As time goes on, more of these spinoffs will pop up and Disney will find ways to create more value from a world of Marvel characters across a variety of platforms.
How to build value, Disney style
What makes Marvel a phenomenal investment for Disney is that the characters will live on for years in a variety of ways.
Not only does Disney own major television networks, in the last fiscal year the company generated more than twice as much revenue and more than five times as much operating income from parks and resorts as it did from studio entertainment. That's where Disney separates itself from the competition.
The key to drawing customers to these theme parks is having rides and characters that are popular. Mickey Mouse is no longer the draw he was when Disney World opened, but Iron Man or the Hulk walking about the park or helming a themed ride creates a new draw.
Marvel is the future of Disney
Theme parks are where Disney can create long-lasting value for shareholders and it's why the company is so well positioned for the future of media. With strong characters from Marvel, Disney gets not only box-office success but also content to distribute through existing media networks and new streaming sources, as well as at theme parks. No other media company has that kind of cash-generation cycle, and Marvel is becoming the face of all of these businesses.


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The experiment was conducted in a way that resembled an auction, where the participants were instructed to bid for one unit of each of three target commodities that included one unit of whole bean Arabica French roast coffee, one unit of U.S. Grade A dark amber maple syrup and one unit of cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil. The three products were the only ones that carried a “100% organic” label from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The other commodities, which were labeled conventional products, served as the controls.
The researchers observed that consumers were willing to pay nearly $2 more on organic coffee, $4 more on Grade A maple syrup and $2.5 more on cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil compared with conventional products. The consumers were also more willing to spend on products with higher organic purity compared with conventional commodities, researchers said.
"Consumers who had more education, were a college student, were a member of an environmental group, or were from a household with higher per-capita income were willing to pay significantly higher premiums for organic relative to conventional products," the researchers said in an AgBioForum.org entry.
However, the research team cautioned that the challenges in producing and monitoring organic produce may inhibited the market from gaining a boon.
"Given that it costs significantly more to produce, handle, monitor for truthful labeling, and display foods with 99% or 100% organic purity, especially for fruits, vegetables, grains, oilseeds, fresh meat, and eggs foods, relative to 95% organic products, the retail market for 100% organic purity is expected to remain small," the research team concluded.
The recent findings were reflective of a study published last year, which demonstrated the consumers' more diverse preference for various animal products. A team of researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign examined the purchasing habits of consumers toward animal products -- including beef, chicken, milk and eggs -- as part of the study. The results showed that consumers look for seven common attributes when buying the animal products.
According to the results, the consumers prefer that the animals were not administered growth hormones and that genetically modified organisms (GMO) were not used on the products. Likewise, the findings revealed that the consumers prefer that the animals were humanely raised and were not given antibiotics. The research team also found that the customers want their products to come from animals that were grass-fed and free-range. Choosing an organic product was also a big deal for consumers, researchers said. (Related: Consumers now demanding their meat be raised “humanely,” without growth hormones or GMOs, according to new study.)
"The biggest surprise in the study is that 'no growth hormones' is the number one concern consumers have across the board on all of these products...Ultimately, it means consumers are spending unnecessary time looking for labels that reflect this particular attribute. The results of the study show that consumers place a greater importance on the 'humanely raised' attribute for milk and eggs - animals that keep producing, versus those that go to slaughter," lead researcher Brenna Ellison told Phys Org online.
Follow more news on organics at Organics.news.
The study was featured in the journal Agriculture and Human Values.

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Latest news about Bitcoin and all cryptocurrencies. Your daily crypto news habit.
President Vladimir Putin and the Russian central bank are discovering the many benefits of cryptocurrency and blockchain-based payment systems in light of the many sanctions weighing down the country’s economy. Let’s find out more.
The European Central Bank (ECB) published a report criticizing Bitcoin and stating that it was n the road to irrelevance.
Binance transferred $2 billion worth of BTC as a part of its proof-of-reserve audit, causing panic that it was the next exchange to go the FTX route.
Russian banking giant Sber, formerly Sberbank, has announced that it is integrating MetaMask and Ethereum on its proprietary blockchain.
The Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Rostin Behnam, has changed his stance and refused to acknowledge Ethereum as a commodity.
BNB-based DeFi protocol, Ankr has confirmed that hackers exploited an unlimited minting bug, resulting in losses worth millions of dollars.
MakerDAO has announced that it has passed a governance vote which will remove Alameda Research-linked renBTC from its stablecoin collateral vaults.
Apecoin staking website Apestake.io has added the United States to its list of geoblocked locations. Users from the U.S. will not be able to access the platform directly.
Messaging app Telegram has announced plans to build a decentralized exchange and non-custodial wallets in the wake of the FTX collapse.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has criticized the number of sanctions imposed upon the country by the west and has called for a global payment system independent from external interference.
Ex-CEO Sam Bankman-Fried has given the odd interview post the FTX crash, in which he has always maintained that he didn’t set out to commit fraud.
The second largest crypto exchange in the U.S., Kraken, has announced that it is laying off around 30% of its staff, which is approximately 1100 employees.
California-based cryptocurrency exchange Bitfront has announced that it will close for business and will focus instead on the LINE blockchain ecosystem.
Binance has again opened up the Japanese market to its services by acquiring Sakura Exchange BitCoin (SEBC).
Billionaire crypto entrepreneur Tiantian Kullander died in his sleep Sunday at the age of 30. The company he co-founded was reportedly raising around US$100 million.
Beleaguered cryptocurrency exchange FTX and affiliated companies have announced the resumption of employee salary payments and benefits after weeks of uncertainty.
Crypto lender BlockFi filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States on Monday, just days after suspending withdrawals amid the fallout from FTX.
A leaked EU proposal to restrict privacy-enhancing coins could be a serious worry for this crypto niche.
Brazil’s lower house of Congress has passed a bill granting limited legal status to crypto payments and establishing a regulatory framework for the industry.
The Texas Securities Board has summoned Sam Bankman-Fried to a hearing to investigate whether FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried violated any Texas securities laws.
Uniswap finally launched its NFT aggregator platform, where users will be able to conduct NFT trading from across multiple marketplaces.
Coinbase pointed fingers at Apple, claiming its app store policies forced the crypto firm to remove NFT transfers from the Wallet app on iOS.
Luxury car manufacturer Porsche has become the latest brand to enter the Web3 space by launching its own NFT collection.
Cybersecurity company Kaspersky recently published a report which indicated that cyberattacks could increase on the metaverse in 2023.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not reflect the views of Bitcoin Insider. Every investment and trading move involves risk - this is especially true for cryptocurrencies given their volatility. We strongly advise our readers to conduct their own research when making a decision.


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Square Enix is a gaming developer and media company that will create a robust ecosystem using blockchain, NFTs across its gaming assets, as part of its ongoing business strategy for 2022 and beyond.
Recently, the company behind the film and video game series Final Fantasy, sold the assets of Tomb Raider to Embracer Group AB in Sweden for $300 million. Square Enix has $3 billion of assets currently under management, according to its most recent earnings report.
The company is pursuing web3 plans and wants to establish a strict regulatory framework that allows for NFTs as well as its token system to scale across multiple games.
It also included details about how NFTs were used on the Shi-San-Sei Million Arthur video game earlier in the year.
NFTs will be adopted by gamers with great success. This will lead to the expansion of the initiative across other games. Square Enix is partnering with Animoca Brands Venture Capital, a venture capital firm that specializes in gaming and web3.
Yat Siu, Animoca’s executive chair, spoke to Cointelegraph about the partnership and the future. He said that Square Enix has been discussing the potential of blockchain gaming for a while, so it is better than many of the traditional gaming giants.
Blockchain-based games are a current innovation
Square Enix isn’t the only company that is trying to enter the web3 market for gaming. Samurai Saga, a new blockchain-based game, allows users to purchase NFTs to access their play-to earn game. The game’s creators are also working on an online multiplayer option that will allow players to earn rewards.
Dino Tomic, an artist involved in the project, spoke about the capabilities of web3 on the current gaming market.
“Most NFT projects within the space promise to deliver games, but few have actually delivered one.” A few have released a “play-to-earn” game in 8-bits.
The play-to earn model isn’t new. However, we have seen a gap in online multiplayer games and real play-to earn. So the team is dedicated to closing that gap. They created a multiplayer game-to-earn with surreal graphics, allowing users to experience the best gaming experience.
There are many games and projects that can cut through the clutter in today’s market. Skepticism is rampant as several projects fail to deliver on their promises.
Samurai Saga has created a playable demo that combats this problem, but it is still difficult to attract new users. Square Enix, with its market reputation and profitability, will likely find this difficult to apply.
Tomic stated, “We want to release the complete game at the end 2022. Users will enjoy a full multiplayer gaming experience and can also play to earn. We want to reduce the gap between gamers on the web2 and those in the web3 space to create a complete play-to-earn gaming experience.


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Dua Lipa has announced a special online concert titled Studio 2054, that will be “a night of music, mayhem, performance, theater, dance and much more,” with “reality and fantasy exploding together to deliver a brand new multi-dimensional live experience.”
A press release read: “Shot live in a massive warehouse location, Studio 2054 will be a celebration of the unconventional and unique. [It] will see Dua move through custom built sets; surreal tv shows, roller discos, ecstatic raves, trashy hang outs, voguing ballrooms and diva style dressing rooms. Accompanied by a cast of musicians, dancers, skaters, aerialists and acrobats, Dua will be joined by a host of surprise superstar guests to deliver a euphoric blast of happiness and good times.”
Studio 2054 will be held virtually on November 27 and tickets will start at $11.99, while special ticket for $27.50 grant the viewer access to behind the scenes footage and an invite to the After Show Party.
Get your tickets for Studio 2054 at the link: here.
Editorial credit: Cubankite / Shutterstock.com


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How Countries Are Battling Counterfeit Drugs
The fight against counterfeit drugs is an ongoing one. It’s also a vital one. Where most other counterfeits attack brand credibility and profits, counterfeit drugs can kill. Stopping them has become of paramount importance as the counterfeiters really don’t care what happens to their victims as long as they make money.
It’s an international battle, with many governments and organisations involved. Co-ordinating much of the world is the WHO, the World Health Organisation
The Extent Of The ProblemIn countries that have strong regulations for medicines, such as Britain, the United States and throughout Europe, there’s very little counterfeit medicine – the reported incidence is below one per cent.
The story is very different in countries where there’s little or no regulation. Throughout Africa and in much of Asia and South America there’s plenty of counterfeit medicine. No one really knows the extent. There have been different reports, but the different scales they use make exact figures impossible to glean. All types of medications, both generic and branded, have been counterfeited. An estimate is that annually 200,000 lives could be saved if there were no counterfeit medicines.
In some instances the fake medicines have little or nothing in the way of the active ingredients that should be present. In other cases, as with an anti-diabetic medicine in China, the pills contained six times the proper dose of glibenclamide, which ended up killing two people and hospitalising nine others before doctors could do anything.
The great problem lies in tracing the manufacturers of the fake drugs. They create grave public health risks in the most vulnerable parts of the world, among extremely poor people. In many cases the people buying the medicines have little money and seek the cheapest option, which often means the fake drugs.
The FightMany countries are working individually to eradicate counterfeit drugs within their borders, but in poor countries it can be an uphill battle. There’s so much money to be made that bribes can be paid, and the broker system for distributing drugs means that with sophisticated packing it can prove impossible to easily identify the counterfeits.
In 2006 the WHO founded IMPACT, or the International Marketing Products Anti-Counterfeiting Taskforce. This involves collaboration between a number of countries, agencies and stakeholders to protect people from counterfeit medication.
To make that happen, they’re working on several approaches. These include legislation in different countries, the strict implementation of existing regulations, the effective use of communication to inform people and pharmacies of the counterfeits and how to identify them. The WHO also has the ability to use technology in order to control and try to eliminate the passage and sale of counterfeit drugs.
TechnologyThe WHO aren’t the only ones employing technology in the fight. The Swiss have developed a machine that can detect fake medication using capillary electrophoresis. It’s cheap and has already been deployed in Mali, and other countries have expressed interest in buying the machine.
In Nigeria medicines come with a scratch panel. The customer scratches off the numbers and texts them to a government agency that lets the purchaser know if they’re genuine. It’s a matter of inventing and then implementing measures at every level to take out the trade in counterfeit drugs. Much of that includes the online pharmacies. According to reports, more than half the drugs sold online are fakes.
There isn’t one solution that will do everything. It will require a multi-pronged approach, with the active involvement of many countries, all of them willing to clamp down strongly on those involved in the trade and manufacture of counterfeit drugs.


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Dyson Global Dust Study reveals our dirty little secrets
The second annual Dyson Global Dust Study investigates cleaning habits and delves into our understanding of household dust and the potential impact it can have on our health and well-being.
The COVID-19 pandemic sparked shifts in people’s cleaning habits and behaviors as concerns around health, cleanliness, and hygiene peaked. It also saw a surge in pet ownership as people spent more time at home and 50% of households around the world now own a pet, with Canadian ownership slightly higher at 52%.
Here, in detail, are the findings of Dyson's 2022 Global Dust Study.
Are people cleaning the right spaces?
The study, undertaken by 32,282 respondents from 33 countries around the world found that 95% of people globally are cleaning just as much, if not more than they did last year, to ensure their homes remain a clean and healthy space.
It also revealed that while a regular scheduled cleaning routine is still the number one thing that prompts household cleaning, Canadians are becoming reactive cleaners – 40% are motivated to clean their home when it was dusty/they spotted dirt/dust on the floor. Further, Canadians are more likely to keep their cleaning habits stable, with only a third increasing the frequency.
“It is a cause for concern if people only clean when they spot visible dust on the floor as many dust particles are microscopic in size,” says Monika Stuczen, Research Scientist in Microbiology at Dyson. “In fact, by the time people spot visible dust in the home, it is highly likely that there are dust mites in your home.”
The Global Dust Study also explored areas in the home that people were cleaning. While the majority of people vacuumed their floors regularly, other spaces were commonly overlooked. Sixty-eight percent of people globally and 80% of Canadians do not vacuum their mattresses regularly, despite them being a hot bed of microscopic life and people spending one-third of their lives in bed. And just 36% of Canadians regularly clean their sofa (vs. 50% globally) and 25% regularly clean their curtain or blinds (vs. 32% globally), which are often exposed to and can trap outdoor dust and other particles.
Dust is extremely light and the slightest action, from sitting on your sofa to turning on the air conditioning can agitate it, reesulting in it becoming airborne before settling on other surfaces around the home. It is important to vacuum the different areas in your home, and not just the floors, to ensure you’re removing as much dust as possible.
What is pet dander?
Pet dander consists of tiny, microscopic, skin particles shed by pets with fur or feathers. Much like dust, dander builds up in soft furnishings such as carpets, mattresses and pillows and is a source of food for dust mites.
Pets in the Home
With pet ownership growing rapidly, the scope of Dyson’s annual Global Dust Study was expanded to understand people’s awareness around the correlation between pets and household dust.
The study found that 75% of pet owners globally are unaware that pollen can reside on their pets, while 66% are unaware that viruses and 73% are unaware that dust mite feces can reside on their pets. Additionally, Canadian pet owners are also much less likely than the global averages to restrict where their pets go in their homes, with 53% of dog owners and 74% of cat owners letting their furry friends sleep in their own beds, but only 1 in 5 of Canadians surveyed vacuuming their mattress regularly.
“Many people think that pet hair is the biggest problem as it is the most visible,” says Stuczen. “It is unsurprising that people are unaware of the other particles that may reside on their pets because these particles tend to be microscopic in size.”
Beyond the frustration of seeing pet hair all around their home, people often think that it is the main trigger for pet-related allergies. However, some allergies are triggered by allergens found in pet dander. While nearly half of pet owners groom their pets at home at least once a week, majority of Canadian pet owners only groom with a brush or comb, rather than de-shedding tools or vacuum pet grooming tools – in Canada only 1 in 10 use a pet grooming vacuum attachment. This may reduce the amount of pet hair they shed around the home; but microscopic particles remain on their pets that can potentially be spread around the home.
Are people cleaning the right way?
Year-on-year, we see positive shifts in people’s cleaning habits. More people are vacuuming some of the commonly overlooked spaces including their mattresses and sofas when cleaning the home, but there is more education to be done.
At Dyson, our research shows us that the best way to tackle dust allergen is to remove it from the home completely. Though, Canadians are considerably less worried about dust than the US and Mexico. The Dyson Global Dust Study reveals that people feel that vacuum cleaners are the most effective in removing dust from the home, yet a wet cloth remains as the top cleaning tool by owners in North America at 69%, with the vacuum cleaner coming fourth at 59%.
“Using a wet cloth to clean surfaces is fine, but the sequence of cleaning tools matter. Dampening dust on floors – even fine dust invisible to the naked eye – could mean that you’re creating a habitat more favorable to dust mite and mold proliferation,” explains Monika. “Dust is most effectively removed with a vacuum cleaner first, before going on to wipe surfaces. Even then, it is important to use a vacuum cleaner with effective filtration and sealing technology to ensure that whatever you vacuum remains trapped and is not expelled back into the home.”
This is why at Dyson, we’ve spent almost 20 years studying real dust – only by understanding the complex matrix of household dust can we better enable our vacuum cleaners to deal with the conditions they face in real homes. Our engineers spend a lot of time developing our filters and seals to make sure that we capture not only the dust you can see, but also the dust you can’t. We also want to make sure that the air being expelled from the vacuum is clean – keeping your home clean and hygienic.
“We hope this research inspires you to think about what is in the dust in your homes,” explains Monika. “Just because it is out of sight does not mean it should be out of mind. The microscopic dust particles like pet dander and dust mite allergens have the largest impact on your health and well-being.”
 32,282 respondents across 33 countries. Fieldwork conducted from February 14th to March 7th, 2022. Data has been weighted at a ‘Global’ level to be representative of different population sizes.


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Although roughly half of New York’s municipal governments opted out of permitting recreational cannabis stores before a Dec. 31 deadline, those opt-outs aren’t set in stone.
Organigram is among a handful of large Canadian cannabis producers that managed to take more overall share of Canada’s cannabis market in 2021 via nondilutive organic sales growth.
How did the Moncton, New Brunswick-based licensed producer do it?
The market for legal cannabis in the U.S. is expected to surge in the coming years, reaching more than $40 billion annually by 2025, according to the MJBizFactbook, creating huge opportunities to educate consumers on its benefits and create brands that eventually rival those found in the traditional consumer packaged goods (CPG) space.
New Brunswick cannabis producer Organigram’s loss narrowed to 1.3 million Canadian dollars ($1 million) as adult-use sales soared over 70% compared to the comparable year-ago period, according to the company’s first-quarter financial results released Tuesday.
Washington state’s adult-use marijuana industry directly employed 11,330 workers and generated more than $1.4 billion in revenue in 2020, according to a first-ever economic analysis of the market.
California marijuana companies – already facing labor shortages, high taxes and regulatory red tape – are now contending with supply-chain gridlock, forcing many to reassess and revamp procurement strategies as margins shrink.
Medical cannabis dispensaries in Arkansas sold a total of $264.9 million worth of MMJ in 2021, according to data released by the state’s Department of Finance and Administration (DFA).


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The decision by the Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee to raise benchmark interest rates again by 25 basis points is a prudent one. This is the second successive rate increase in as many months, a response to mounting uncertainties on the inflation front. Continuing volatility in crude oil prices, the recent softening notwithstanding, and its vulnerability to geopolitical tensions and supply disruptions is one of the main risks to the inflation outlook. Among the RBI’s other concerns are volatile global financial markets, possibilities of fiscal slippage at the Central and State levels, the likely impact of the increase in the minimum support price for kharif crops, and the staggered impact of upward revisions to house rent allowance paid by State governments. Rainfall has so far been 6% below the long-period average and deficient over a wider area than last year — more than a fifth of the country’s 36 sub-divisions have reported shortfalls. This has resulted in a drop in the total sown area under kharif. The monetary authority has flagged the need to keep a close watch on rain over the remainder of the season, given the risks regional imbalances may pose to paddy output and CPI inflation. The June round of the RBI’s own survey of household inflation expectations reveals that families see prices hardening even further over both the three- and 12-month horizons. Domestic economic activity having strengthened to a point where the output gap has ‘virtually closed’, manufacturers polled by the central bank have reported higher input costs and selling prices over the April-June quarter.
The portents could not be clearer. With retail inflation having accelerated to 5% in June, the RBI has revised its projection for CPI inflation in the second half of the current fiscal year to 4.8%, from the June forecast of 4.7%, and now sees price gains accelerating to 5% in the April-June quarter of 2019. Policymakers on the MPC have understandably spotlighted the risks to the domestic economic rebound from global developments. While rising trade protectionism threatens to impact investment flows, disrupt global supply chains and hurt all-round productivity, depreciations in the value of most currencies against the strengthening dollar have rippled through many major advanced and emerging economies, spurring inflation across these markets. The MPC’s primary remit is to ensure that retail inflation stays firmly within a band of 2-6%, and preferably anchored at 4% over the medium term. So there is no room to quibble over the committee’s majority decision to raise borrowing costs while retaining a ‘neutral’ policy stance. With inflation widely accepted as a hidden tax on the poor, the containment of price gains justifiably ought to be the raison d’etre of monetary policy.


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*The European Commission said that it accepted commitments offered by 's to addressantitrust concerns about the latter's film licensing contracts with British payTV giant Sky plc.Viacom and Paramount made no admission of liability, The Hollywood Reporter reports.
*BBC Worldwide Ltd. namedSalim Mukaddam general manager and vice president for central and . Mukaddam previously led the unit'sradio sales business BBC Radio International.
*Virgin Media Inc.appointed David Twallin head of programming, as part of a push into producingoriginal and exclusive programs. Twallin joins the unit from BritishTelecom, where he was head of channels for BT TV, TBI Vision reports.
*Flipkart Group-owned fashion e-commerce company Myntra announcedits acquisition of the Indian fashion and lifestyle shopping portal Jabong fromU.K.-based Global Fashion Group, giving them a combined consumer base of 15million monthly active users. Both platforms will exclusively sell brandsincluding Dorothy Perkins, Lacoste, Swarovski, Forever 21, G Star Raw andTopshop.
*British police in Manchester created an internet parcel handover zone, wherecustomers using eBayInc. and other e-shopping platforms can get their goods safelywithout giving out their home address. The program is part of efforts to detercrime and protect consumers from internet fraud, The Times (London) reports.
, SWITZERLAND ANDAUSTRIA
*ProSiebenSat.1 MediaSE's Austrian commercial broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1 Puls 4 willofficially launch news format 4News on Sept. 22, Der Standard reports.Content will be broadcast on Puls 4 and across the channel's app products.
*Following the launch of football magazine FußballBild, Axel SpringerSE unveiled plans to publish BikeBild quarterly, accordingto Meedia. Bike Bild caters to bicycle enthusiasts.
*Ingo Kiedaisch will take over as CEO of Berlin-based multilingual onlineTV-Channel doppio.TV, effective immediately, DWDL reports.Kiedaisch succeeds Olaf Zachert, who left the company to seek new opportunities.
*TF1 Group unveileda partnership with Wibbitz, a company which produces video based on textcontent in seconds. The private national French TV channel is launching a newdigital news platform and will leverage Wibbitz's text-to-video solution tosignificantly extend its video inventory.
*France TélévisionsSA's board of directors approved its objectives for 2016-2020,including a plan to develop and launch a digital public information system, accordingto Les Echos. The French publicbroadcaster hopes to collaborate with other European public broadcasters tooffer a joint SVOD offering.
*France's telecom regulator ARCEP orderedOrange to comply with its obligations to provide access to its civilengineering infrastructure for the business market. ARCEP ruled that the Orange'sretail branch did not use the same order processes and interfaces asalternative operators and must provide access and information or face fines.
, BELGIUM ANDLUXEMBOURG
*Vodafone Nederlandwill add FOX Sports 1 and History Channel to its basic package from Aug. 1, andincrease the monthly package price by between €1.5 and €15 from Sept. 1,Tweakers reports.Vodafone also introduces a new sports subscription including six different FOXchannels featuring Dutch football, foreign football leagues, tennis, andAmerican sports leagues, which costs €12.5 per month.
*Subscribers to Videoland, a Dutch streaming platform for series and films, arecurrently using the service for one hour per day on average, a 40% increasecompared to last year, De Telegraaf reports.According to Videoland, the increased average usage is the result of thegrowing amount of own productions.
*Dutch startup eLinea, an online provider of newspaper and magazine content,filed for bankruptcy, De Tijd reports.The service offered unlimited access to content for €9.99 per month, a pricewhich reportedly kept publishers from offering their titles through theplatform.
*Amsterdam-basedMedialab launched new iOS and Android applications for professional sharing oflarge media files, Emerce reports.Files of any type and size can be now be shared on web and app using theplatform, which also provides the option to purchase cloud storage capacity.
*The next Ericsson ABGroup CEO would preferably be an outsider with no connection to the company, Dagens Industri reports,citing business and industry insiders. There is a growing opinion thatEricsson's next CEO, to replace Hans Vestberg, should ideally not be , according to the report.
*Spotify Ltd. recentlyexceeded the 30 million paying subscribers worldwide, but in Sweden, thestreaming company's home market, growth has almost completely halted, DIDigital reports.The near stalling in subscriber-based growth in Sweden is reflected inSpotify's latest financial statements.
*Stampen AB, which filed for financial reconstruction in May, still hasunresolved issues with creditors, including its biggest creditor the SwedishTax Office, Göteborgs Posten reports.The Tax Office reportedly wants moredetailed data regarding the Swedish publisher's assets and its search to findnew investors.
*The shareholders of Spanish cableoperator Euskaltel SAapproved the re-election of Executive Chairman Alberto Garcia Erauzkin, as wellas the appointment of new CEO Francisco Arteche, Digital TV Europe reports.During the general shareholders meeting, the appointments of ElisabettaCastiglioni and Miguel Ángel Lujua as independent board members and AlicianVivanco as board member, as well as the reelection of José Ángel Corres as vicechairman were also approved.
*Rakuten Inc.'sSpanish over-the-top platform Wuaki.tv will launch a new iOS app, featuring apay-per view option for users on the go, among other updates, Rapid TV News reports.The move comes as Wuaki.tv aims to drive more usage via mobile devices.
*Mobile TeleSystemsPJSC could face a fine worth up to 500,000 Russian rubles forallegedly using rival MegaFon's color identity in its starter packages,Telecompaper reports,citing Comnews.ru. Russian competitionwatchdog FAS reportedly said MTS breached competition laws with the incident.
*Polish public broadcaster will expand itsvideo-on-demand library with content from the BBC by the first quarter of 2017,Broadband TV News reports,citing Wirtualne Media. Both broadcasters are still under talks regarding thecontent lineup, according to the report.
Q&A:MobiTV CEO: The time to switch to IPTV is now: MobiTV wants to helpcable operators move beyond the set-top box with a new IP video deliverysolution. Charlie Nooney, CEO of MobiTV, discussed the offering and how it fitsin with the FCC's current set-top box proposal.
Data Dispatch:Mid-Atlantic bank app users all about omnichannel: Technology hasincreasingly transformed banking into an omnichannel activity, conducted onmobile apps and inside branches. S&P Global Market Intelligence's 2016Mobile Money survey shows this is particularly true in the mid-Atlantic.
The ProgramGuide: 'The Walking Dead' season 7 gets premiere date; Starz ending 'BlackSails' after season 4: S&P Global Market Intelligence presentsa roundup of recent programming announcements from various networks and onlinevideo platforms, including the premiere of the seventh season of AMC's"The Walking Dead" on Oct. 23 and the season four premiere of"Drunk History" on Sept. 27 on Comedy Central.
Data Dispatch:Chart Watch: Outerwall gets its exit: SNL Kagan takes a look atOuterwall's financials to highlight the company's recent history as it preparesto go private.
Outerwallstrikes gold for shareholders with $1.6B Apollo deal, analysts say:Outerwall's planned sale to Apollo Global Management affiliates is a good dealfor shareholders of the Redbox parent company, but its value for the privateequity buyer is less apparent, analysts said.
Ofcom'sfailure to split BT, Openreach met with criticism in UK: Newproposals by U.K. watchdog Ofcom to regulate the relationship between BritishTelecom and its broadband network Openreach stopped short of splitting the twoentities.
Multichannel Trends:Regulatory tumult shifts but does not transform U.S. cable set-topforecast: The outlook for U.S. cable set-top boxes has never facedgreater disruption, yet the expectation for rapid change remains relativelymoderate.
Economics of Internet:Verizon faces uphill climb against Google, Facebook: Verizon'soffer for Yahoo would make the telecom giant the clear No. 3 player in the U.S.digital ad market, but gaining ground on Google and Facebook could provedifficult.
Apple fiscalQ3 declines better than expected as executives shift focus away fromiPhone: Much of the positive commentary on Apple's earnings callfocused on services and other Apple products as iPhone sales soften.
Strike stingsVerizon's earnings: Verizon's earnings dropped in the secondquarter, partly due to a seven-week strike by its wireline workers.
Amanda Kelly,Anne Freier, Koen Pijnappels and Gerard O'Dwyer contributed to this report. TheDaily Dose has an editorial deadline of 7 a.m. London time. Some external linksmay require a subscription.


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IBM will sell the semiconductor technologies unit that makes its Power processors to GlobalFoundries, paying the chip manufacturer about US$1.3 billion to take two factories off its hands in a move to save money.
Under pressure to boost margins, IBM is set to make what it calls a "major business announcement" Monday morning, raising the possibility that it has finalized a deal to transfer chip-making operations to GlobalFoundries.
Samsung is partnering with chip manufacturer GlobalFoundries to increase the supply of low-power, high-speed chips for smartphones and tablets.
GlobalFoundries, a contract chip manufacturer that works closely with semiconductor companies, appointed former Motorola Mobility CEO Sanjay Jha as its chief executive Monday.
The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and a consortium of top semiconductor companies are handing out US$194 million to universities for research that addresses the physical limitations of semiconductors and chips.
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Get the most important digital marketing news each day.
Microsoft Unveils New Ad Solution For Windows 8 Apps, Aimed At Brands
In an effort to lure more brand advertisers to Windows 8, the company has introduced a new Ads In Apps solution called Ad Pano.
The new solution came out of Microsoft’s partnership with creative agencies — including AKQA, Big Spaceship, Razorfish, Team Detroit, UM and Y&R — to develop brand-safe, rich media advertising environments and opportunities within Windows 8 apps.
The Ad Pano format “gives advertisers unlimited storytelling potential to customize their ad experience to deliver an interactive, immersive, panoramic ad experience comparable to a magazine fold-out,” says Jennifer Creegan, general manager for display advertising experiences at Microsoft Advertising.
Toyota, an early adopter of ads in Apps for Windows 8, was among the first advertisers to use the Ad Pano.
The format offers an optional active anchor ad experience, which with a series of 15 images can simulate video. The format can be scaled across all first-party apps for Windows 8 – including Bing, Xbox, and Skype – and apps that integrate the Microsoft Advertising SDK for Windows 8. It is currently available in the US and the UK, with additional markets coming.
Creegan says, “Ads in Apps for Windows 8 is delivering on our promise to strengthen the bond between brands and consumers without intruding or becoming an annoyance in the process.”As for the ads’ effectiveness, according to Nielsen research commissioned by Microsoft, nearly 60 percent of people perceived the brands as “innovative, cutting edge and trustworthy”.
Over 100 million Windows 8 licenses have been sold to date, according to Creegan.


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How dirty are touchscreen devices?
Touchscreen devices have become an integral part of our daily lives. Whether it’s personal gadgets like smartphones and tablets or interaction with public self-service machines during our commute or while shopping.
Public facing devices can be touched by hundreds of thousands of people daily, becoming superhighways for transmitting pathogens. Touchscreens house and transmit bacteria from one individual, potentially to thousands more in the space of just a few hours.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought with it a greater recognition and public interest in sanitisation of highly touched surfaces, but even the most robust protocols cannot provide 24/7, complete protection.
Studies completed by the American Centre for Disease Control (CDC) have previously stated that up to 80% of viral transmission is through fomites - touching surfaces. With that in mind, it’s important to understand the threat that highly-touched surfaces can pose to the user.
The most frequented touchscreen devices
Smartphones and tablets are our most frequented touchscreen devices. On average, studies indicate that smartphone users pick up their phones up to 150 times per day, equating to thousands of individual touches.
Beyond personal devices, touchscreens have become integral to our daily lives when visiting supermarkets, travelling, banking, in schools and even in restaurants.
This kind of public equipment, used for accessing services and providing feedback, is typically touched thousands of times per day, by individuals each with differing backgrounds, hygiene standards and practices. As a result, such devices become the ideal hosts for transmitting infectious diseases.
What do you find on them?
In recent years, a number of prominent and well-publicised studies have confirmed the presence of pathogens on touchscreen devices. Many will remember headlines like “your smartphone is dirtier than your toilet seat” - but what is the real story?
Tests conducted by London Metropolitan University found that public touchscreen devices, such as those used to place orders in fast food restaurants, often house a host of potentially harmful bacteria that could cause serious illness.
Staphylococcus was found amongst the samples, a bacteria which can cause blood poisoning and toxic shock syndrome. Enterococcus was also present, a bacteria which commonly causes hospital acquired infections and food poisoning. Other discoveries even included faecal matter.
A study by the BMC on the smartphone contamination of healthcare workers found that over 94% of the phones they tested “demonstrated evidence of bacterial contamination with different types of bacteria”.
A similar study in the Journal of Hospital Infection found that over 99% of hospital staff smartphones were contaminated with potential pathogens.
In both, evidence of Staphylococci cultures were found on a majority of tested smartphones, alongside other concerning species including Enterococcus and Bacillus.
Those with weakened immune systems are most at risk of these types of viral threats, but the pathogens pose a risk for all through fomite transmission - typically via touch-hands-face delivery.
Limitations of sanitisation
The increased focus on sanitisation due to the global pandemic could lead many to believe that these issues no longer persist or aren’t as serious, unfortunately this isn’t true.
Strong hand hygiene works well, but it relies on the agency of the user to regularly and thoroughly wash their hands when oftentimes, there either isn’t the time or the opportunity to do so in real world settings. The great benefits of regular hand hygiene are then all but ruined once touching a contaminated surface like those profiled above.
For large organisations whose touchscreen devices are used by the public each day, it’s not practical to hope to re-sanitise after every use - leaving users open to ongoing viral threat between cleaning regimes.
Existing sanitisation practices still rely heavily on human intervention and chemical application - both of which can become a serious resource drain for businesses.
Reliance on human labour isn’t viable for long term mass protection against existing and future viral threats. The regularity and speed of application required to properly protect users makes this process impractical and inefficient.
Similarly, reliance on chemical intervention has major shortfalls. Durability is one major concern, alongside product availability and potentially damaging environmental impacts.
Lastly, there are protective antimicrobial surface coatings. As we previously profiled, existing solutions for this type of protection are insufficient. This is due to the speed of reaction (sometimes taking minutes or hours to take effect) and poor durability.
Many protective films and chemicals have also been known to interfere with the performance of touchscreen devices. Most are translucent or semi-transparent, reducing the visibility and accessibility of touchscreens. The materials used in existing coatings have also been known to disrupt the functionality of the touchscreen either due to thickness or improper application.
So - how do we clean touchscreens effectively?
It’s clear that the ideal solution for these improving protection against pathogens on touchscreens must be:
- Fast acting - providing rapid inactivation of harmful bacteria
- Retrofittable to existing devices or be manufactured into the screen itself
- Fully transparent and non-invasive
- Highly durable
- Doesn’t rely on chemicals or human intervention
- Is environmentally friendly
To fight the filth, CodiKoat have developed a groundbreaking antiviral and antimicrobial touchscreen coating that uses nanotechnology to inactivate 99.9% of harmful bacteria and pathogens within 10 seconds of contact.
The antimicrobial touchscreen coating is self-cleaning and incredibly durable, capable of lasting a product’s entire lifetime with no drop in performance.
Crucially, this coating can be applied to any touchscreen surface retrospectively via an adhesive film, or can be implemented at the manufacturing phase, providing incredible protection from the start of a product’s lifespan.
Through a combination of our innovative product development and the incredible materials used, this fully transparent coating ensures there’s no drop in visibility, accessibility or functionality when correctly applied.
By developing a durable, self-cleaning, rapid reacting antimicrobial touchscreen coating, our hope is to reduce the resource strain on businesses still reliant on human intervention, as well as the environmental impact of consistent chemical use.
This product will soon be fully commercialised and available globally, vastly improving user protection on touchscreen surfaces around the world.
Get in touch today to find out more about this revolutionary coating technology.


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It seems to be a common sight in downtown: a store or a food spot goes away and is later replaced by a banking institution.
Take the former site of the Crazy Goat, bought by Bangor Savings Bank in August. While conceptual plans leave room for some sort of restaurant, the split-level building’s facade will be dominated by a banking sign.
Then there was the Pompanoosuc Mills furniture store at 11 N. Main Street. They moved down the street and have since been replaced by a Bank of New Hampshire wealth management location.
Ledyard National Bank was eyeing the location of The Wellness Corner Natural Pharmacy on South Main Street, but withdrew its proposal from the zoning board in early January, city documents show. For now, the site is still owned by Natural Pharmacy owner Marty Donovan.
There are 20 banks and savings institution offices in Concord, and nine of them are on Main Street, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). At least half a dozen are in downtown proper, not including the various credit unions.
This isn’t a trend unique to Concord; the state’s banking commissioner, Jerry Little, said he’s been fielding calls on why so many banks have set up shop in New Hampshire for about six months now, when New Hampshire Business Review dove into the issue.
Essentially, banks have been taking an interest in New Hampshire because the economy is viewed as healthy, Little said.
“Compared to the other areas around us, it’s much more apparent that there’s business activity going on here,” he said. “The institutions are going where they can make money.”
That’s for sure – according to the FDIC, $2.5 million in deposits have been made at Concord’s banks since June 30, 2018.
So that’s good news for the state. But it does make you wonder if it’s what the city envisioned for its downtown.
The Central Business Performance (CBP) District, downtown’s primary zoning, was established to “encompass the traditional downtowns of Concord and Penacook” and to attract a variety of uses, like retail, restaurant, service, entertainment, cultural, lodging, office, governmental, high density residential and mixed-use developments, according to the city’s zoning rules.
We all know the city invested a lot of money to try to make that happen through the Main Street renovation project.
That gives any business good incentive to try and get a storefront in downtown, said Great Concord Chamber of Commerce President Tim Sink. But a balance is necessary to keep Concord a destination.
“If we’re a wise community, we’ll maintain a good balance of what makes a downtown interesting,” he said. “That’s critical because if we don’t do that, we’ll shoot ourselves in the foot.”
And banks don’t exactly bring liveliness to downtown, said developer Mark Ciborowski.
“The banks and financial wellness institutions are great business, run by community-minded people, who want to be in downtown for the right reason,” he said. “But in the long run, having a lot of them hurts the downtown. It’s not the direction we want to be going in.”
It’s a matter of optics, Ciborowski said – if a vibrant nightlife is marked by brightly-lit storefronts and bars, then financial institutions become “black holes” when they shut down in the evening and on the weekends.
Ciborowski said he’s choosey with his tenants for that reason; if a business won’t add to the quality of the downtown, he won’t rent to them.
But it’s easy for him to say that; Ciborowski’s family owns 14 buildings in downtown, and he freely admits that sitting on an empty space for him, while still tough, might not be as hard as it is for other landlords.
And in a time when retail is struggling in the face of online shopping, financial institutions can afford to pay downtown’s rent. A spot on Main Street can run around $17 per square foot a month for a 1,400 square foot space; a 794 square foot space in the Capital Commons costs $23 per square foot, according to the New England Property Exchange.
But downtown’s not banked-out, said deputy city manager of development Carlos Baia.
“I think if people still want to go to downtown, they’re still shopping in shops, and banking in banks, that frames a picture of a successful downtown,” he said.
And Mayor Jim Bouley said banks contribute to the city’s well-being in ways that might not be readily apparent.
Take the new Concord Theatre; that project was able to get off the ground in part due to a hefty contribution from the Bank of the New Hampshire. To honor their help, the theater’s main stage will be named after the business, memorializing their contribution for years to come.
“They’re good corporate citizens,” he said. “They do a lot of good.”
(Caitlin Andrews can be reached at 369-3309 or email@example.com.)


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March is prime maple-sugaring time, creating the best conditions for local producers and hobbyists to collect sap and turn it into the New England staple. This month, producers are opening the doors to their sugarhouses to give interested residents a peek at the process.
Last year, a number of producers closed their doors for the traditional Maple Weekend, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, many of those producers have returned — some with special restrictions — for a longer-spanned “Maple Month,” according to N.H. Maple Producers Association Vice President David Kemp.
Kemp said the monthly format allows farms to spread out their visitors, if they need to, while still allowing “farm-gate” sales that many small producers rely on.
“Many producers were forced to start selling online with COVID, but for many of them, [Maple Weekend] was very important and a very large part of their annual production sales. To a lot of people, it’s still a big part,” Kemp said. “And people like to be able to see the story and history associated with the product, meet the producer face to face and see the sugarhouse.”
Mark Thompson, owner of Longview Forest Products in Hancock, said the maple syrup his sugarhouse produces does indeed come with a long history. While the business has been selling maple syrup commercially for 22 years, maple sugaring on the property has been going on since the 1960s.
Thompson has carried on the business, which was started by his father-in-law, who had been making syrup since the 1980s, and was taught by his parents, who gathered sap before him. Now, he said, there are about 2,000 taps on the property.
“It’s a great way to get out there, to have some fun, and be in the woods and make some syrup,” Thompson said.
Thompson said his sugarhouse is open for tours this year, but only by appointment.
Bernadette and Ernest Todd, owners and operators of Chris-Mich 3 Farm in Antrim, said they are scaling back some of their offerings, not putting out samples or their maple donuts for tasting this year, but are carrying out daily tours. Bernadette Todd, in a recent interview, said it’s typical for them to be open daily, but they are especially promoting their weekday hours this year, to try to spread out some of the weekend crowds.
Chris-Mich 3 Farm is in its 11th year producing syrup from its 500 trees. Todd said this year so far has not been a great syrup producer.
Maple syrup needs alternating freezing and warm temperatures to encourage the sap to flow. Thompson, who uses a series of collection tubes, said the temperatures so far hadn’t been warm enough for him to start the 2021 season in earnest, but he hoped upcoming warmer forecasts would kick off sap runs.
“It’s slow, but it’s picking up. Mother Nature, what can you do?” Todd said.
A full list of sugarhouses in New Hampshire participating in Maple Month can be found at nhmapleproducers.com. Residents interested in visiting a sugarhouse are encouraged to call ahead to set an appointment or learn about COVID-19 restrictions, which may vary among producers.


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Based on his conversations with officials from Collegiate Licensing Co., Dyste said the University of Oregon — which this year reached a new record with more than $3 million in licensing revenue — would have at least cracked the Top 20 nationally.
“We could well be leading the Pac 12 thanks to our great fans and the teams’ efforts,” Dyste said.
Erik Siemers is managing editor of the Portland Business Journal.
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Greater Noida : Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), today organized the Auto Trade Dialogue and discussed emerging policies and trends in the global automotive industry. The event witnessed distinguished policy makers from the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, the Ministry of Heavy Industries, the Government of India and the Indian Auto Industry along with the experts across various regions including from Bangladesh, Europe, Germany, Japan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Africa and the United Kingdom.
Mr. Rahul Bharti, Chairman, SIAM International Relations & Trade Policy Group and Executive Director, Maruti Suzuki India, said, “The Auto sector has seen a paradigm shift with the introduction of electric, hydrogen-based fuels and biofuels. Decarbonisation is our responsibility and even the government is participating in the transition by introducing subsidies.”
Mr. Vinod Aggarwal, President, SIAM and MD & CEO, VECV, said, “Auto trade policies have received desirable focus in the past years. As India becomes an important player in the global Auto Industry, we aspire to be one of the leading economies with a strong export footprint.”
Mr Cedrick Crowley, Deputy High Commissioner, High Commission of South Africa, said, “Trade will be the vehicle to cement the relationship between India and South Africa.”
Dr Hanif Qureshi, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India, said, “With auto industry’s turnover of $123 Billion, India is one of the largest markets globally. We hope to strengthen our relationship with Governments, manufacturers & consumers, and build an ecosystem where the sector can thrive.”
Dr Srikar Reddy, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, said, “With the ambitious target of reaching $1 trillion total trade exports by 2030, we look forward to the Indian auto Sector to contribute $100 billion in exports by the year 2030.”
The session was also graced by Ms. Anna Shotbolt, Deputy Trade Commissioner, British High Commission Indian and Ms Nathalie Gminder, First Secretary, German Embassy.
Several distinguished speakers from around the world discussed Policy Initiatives for the Auto Sector’s Developments, Emerging Mobility Scenarios, and showcased learning and experiences of their respective countries.
The session on ‘Policy Initiatives for the Auto Sector’, was moderated by Mr Bhagwan K Bindiganavile, Senior Vice President, Strategy Brand & Communications, VE Commercial Vehicles with speakers from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal, wherein development of E-mobility and the need to strengthen manufacturing capabilities was discussed.
The session on ‘Changing Dynamics in Global Automotive Policies and Trade’, moderated by Mr Rahul Bharti, Chairman, SIAM International Relations & Trade Policy Group and Executive Director, Maruti Suzuki India, where Mr Mike Hawes, Chief Executive, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) – United Kingdom, Mr Jonathan O’riordan, Trade Director, European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), Europe, Mr Takao Aiba, Chair, International Policy Expert Group, Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), Ms Angela Mans, Head of Foreign Trade and International Relations, Verband Der Automobilindustrie e.V. (VDA), Germany, Mr David Coffey, CEO, African Association of Automotive Manufacturers – Africa, Mr Bipin Menon, Development Commissioner, Noida Special Economic Zone, Department of Commerce, Dr Biswajit Nag, Professor, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade discussed the various facets of Trade, Technology, Climate Change, Supply Chain and Rules of Origin.
Mr. Sachin Arolkar, Co-Chairman, SIAM International Relations & Trade Policy Group and Head International Operations, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., concluded the conclave by highlighting the complexities of trade in the recent years along with Geo-political implications which is challenging for the business, but all the regions committed to work closely in making the Global Auto trade more robust.


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U.S. President Donald Trump this week is due to launch the next phase of his economic confrontation with Beijing, with new restrictions possible on Chinese investments to clamp down on access to sensitive American technologies.
That could open U.S. firms like Apple and General Motors up to new forms of retaliation from China and experts worry it also marks another step in government intervention in the free market, a “radical departure” for the United States that could prove mutually destructive.
But contradictory statements on Monday from senior U.S. officials have muddied the waters on what path the White House will take. Trump has threatened to strike back against China’s retaliation to the U.S. tariffs that are due to take effect July 6—potentially escalating the tariffs to $450 billion in Chinese goods. Meanwhile, later this week, the Treasury Department is due to unveil a proposal on investment and export restrictions.
Trump in late May announced plans to impose steep tariffs on Chinese goods, and to follow up by June 30 with “specific investment restrictions and enhanced export controls” on Chinese companies and investors in “industrially significant technology.”
According The Wall Street Journal, the measures likely would target investments in the United States by any firm that is 25 percent Chinese held, although that threshold could drop if the investment is considered sensitive.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin vehemently denied the reports by Bloomberg and The Journal as “false, fake news.”
“The leaker either doesn’t exist or know the subject very well. Statement will be out not specific to China but to all countries that are trying to steal our technology,” Mnuchin said on Twitter, noting he was responding for Trump.
However, that contradicts the White House’s own May 29 statement which specified that new measures would target China.
U.S. stocks on Monday briefly fell more than two percent from Friday’s close and senior White House economic adviser Peter Navarro appeared on television to try to calm investor fears about a possible trade war. However, his confusing interview to CNBC did little to clarify the situation, as he said the administration was “not singling out China” but also that Treasury would release a report on Friday on the issue of investment restrictions on China.
He said investors should be bullish on the U.S. economy, claiming Trump’s aggressive trade maneuvers had created new domestic investment. The economy “is going to a beautiful place right now,” Navarro said on CNBC. “It’s something you could only dream about.”
After his comments, stocks recovered some ground and the benchmark Dow Jones Industrial Average closed with a loss of 1.3 percent, or 325 points.
Trump has blamed past U.S. administrations for being soft on China and allowing the country to become dominant in manufacturing, and for failing to protect sensitive technologies. The administration could expand existing authorities for the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, which is led by the Treasury and which already has blocked some Chinese investments in ports and semiconductors. Even the hint of a possible CFIUS review can kill a potential investment. Congress also is looking at ways to tighten the investment review process.
According to the Rhodium Group, a research firm, Chinese investment in the United States fell 35 percent in 2017 from the record $45.6 billion in 2016, and has slowed to a trickle, just $1.4 billion in the first quarter of this year. New export controls would make it more difficult for U.S. firms to sell technology to China if Washington deems it to be “industrially significant.”
U.S. officials have highlighted Beijing’s “Made in China 2025” industrial development plan as a source of concern since they say it is a map for dominating key high tech industries from space to telecommunications to robotics to electric cars.
As tensions continue to escalate, trade experts warn there are fewer options to resolve the dispute. “I think that there are very few remaining off ramps for rising tensions,” said China expert Martin Chorzempa of the Peterson Institute for International Economics. “There are serious structural concerns about Chinese practices that cannot be resolved without trust between the negotiating partners” and that trust is eroding in the current confrontation, he told AFP.
He warned that Beijing had an “enormous array of tools to put pressure on American companies” like Apple and GM, companies that really depend on China. That could include holding goods in ports or hold up approvals.
The decision of the government to take a direct hand in corporate investment decisions under the pretext of national security is “a radical departure from the way we have engaged in economic governance,” Chorzempa said.


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Gozen, the biomaterials start-up looking to disrupt the fashion, automotive and home furnishings industries with its lab-grown leather alternative that is plastic and animal-free, has raised 3.3 million US dollars in seed funding.
The funding was secured from lead investor Happiness Capital, with participation from Accelr8, Astor Management, and SOSV. The start-up now plans to use the investment to accelerate research, development, and scaling efforts for its breakthrough biomaterial ‘Lunaform,’ as well as fuel the creation of new materials.
Ece Gozen, founder and chief executive of Gozen, said in a statement: “At Gozen, we produce advanced biomaterials with the potential to unlock circular design. With this investment, we've shown that we have a path to delivering on that potential at scale.”
Gozen to scale up production of ‘Lunaform’ leather alternative
The start-up’s flagship biomaterial is ‘Lunaform,’ a vegan and plastic-free material that is produced by microorganisms during a fermentation process. The innovative material was unveiled earlier this month during Paris Fashion Week in partnership with Balenciaga as part of its spring/summer 2024 collection. The two companies worked together to create a maxi bathrobe coat.
Unlike composite plant-based leathers that are assembled in layers, ‘Lunaform’ is a singular, fully formed material, giving it a remarkable tensile strength and natural flexibility. It is available in 13-square-foot sheets with customisable thickness and texture, and its manufacturing method is entirely vegan, non-GMO and avoids the use of harsh synthetic chemicals.
Gozen adds that its material production process takes just 10 days and bypasses the need for tanning. The start-up plans to open a new facility in Turkey, aiming for an annual production capacity of over 1 million square feet.
Po Bronson, managing director of SOSV’s IndieBio, which was Gozen’s first investor, added: "There is a lot of competition now in animal free leather. But I believed that Gozen’s approach could surpass all others in both performance and economics, and we’ve already demonstrated this by launching our first commercial product – at fashion week, no less. We’ve accomplished in months what it’s taken others years to do.”


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Android smartphones can be a rough market, and to squeeze as much profit out of a phone as possible, carriers often sell every square inch of a phone to the highest bidder. Packed-in, often un-installable crapware apps fill your app drawer and advertise their services. The rules are a lot looser for packed-in apps compared to Play Store apps, so data-hungry companies like Facebook often pay for a spot where they can more easily harvest data.
According to a report from TechCrunch, one new startup is inventing a new, more invasive form of crapware: lock screen ads. The company, “Glance,” is a subsidiary of Indian ad tech company InMobi, and TechCrunch reports the lock screen “content” company is “planning to launch its lock screen platform on Android smartphones in the US within two months.”
Glance’s app is a full-screen takeover of the lock screen. It looks a lot like a generic swipe-heavy social network, like TikTok or Snapchat Discover, but it only shows content from Glance. Imagine if every time you turned on your phone, you were first presented with an auto-playing video from a popular off-brand TikToker, and you get the idea. The company’s website promises “unparalleled reach” and “authentic engagement” from its captive audience. Naveen Tewari, founder and CEO of InMobi, gave a rather dystopian description of his company’s strategy to Forbes India, saying, “Consumers will move from seeking content to consuming what is shown to them.”


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From Dec. 20 through Jan 4th, 2020, imagine a space full of light where all ages are welcome in the heart of downtown Victoria. Families can come enjoy the magic of the season; a multi-generational activity for everyone to partake in. Downtown Victoria is going to be transformed into an interactive bright winter wonderland; where all the holiday magic will come to life.
This is the first ever Lights of Wonder event at Centennial Square hosted by the Downtown Victoria Business Association. With the support of a number of local organizations, including Berwick, the event will be multi-purpose, serving as a fun, holiday activity for all generations and an opportunity to support these four social organizations, supporting the work they do in our community: Our Place, The Soup Kitchen, CFAX Santa’s Anonymous & BC Children’s Hospital.
Imagine a 40-foot tree, interactive lights tunnels, horse-drawn trolley rides, hot chocolate and more. It’s definitely something you shouldn’t miss.
Keep an eye out for our Berwick Staff who will be sharing the holiday cheer with our local seniors.
For more information about the event, visit here: https://lightsofwonder.ca/News & Press


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Travellers in Ireland have taken to social media to express their anger over Ireland’s restrictions on foreign travel.
Online posts and tweets from travellers in the UK and US are being shared on social media and the comments section of a post in the US are filled with complaints about Ireland’s policies.
Online postings and tweets have been shared by travellers in Ireland and the UK over the last few days.
Online posters and tweeters in the USA are expressing their frustration about the restrictions they face in Ireland.
Online comments on the UK Travel Restrictions page on the Irish Travel Authority (ITA) site are filled to overflowing with posts from travellers who are “disgusting” of the Irish government for their restrictions.
“It’s disgusting,” said one traveller in the comments.
“I can’t travel to the US, I am not allowed to travel to Australia.
I don’t understand why you have such strict restrictions, it seems like you’re trying to restrict freedom of movement.””
I think it’s a little bit of a joke,” said another.”
What the hell is this about?” asked a third.”
Well, it’s not exactly an open secret that they’ve been banning visitors from certain countries,” said a fourth.”
They’re trying really hard to stop people coming to Ireland and now they’re going after me.”
Online posts about the Irish travel restrictions have also been shared in the United States, including one from a US traveller who said: “If you have the money to pay for a ticket you can get away with it.”
“They are making me think twice about what I’m going to do,” said the US traveller.
“It’s so ridiculous.”
“How are they supposed to know what’s going on if they have no idea?” said another traveller.
“There are so many problems in Ireland with the travel restrictions.
It seems to be a bit of an embarrassment that they have restrictions in place that they don’t even know are there,” said an Australian traveller.
On the ITA website, the travel restriction page on Ireland is labelled as “not applicable to travellers with a valid travel document” and “subject to restrictions in effect at other times”.
Online postings about Ireland travel restrictions are also shared on Twitter and Facebook.
“I can travel to Ireland, but my husband can’t,” said Twitter user John.
“He’s a US citizen.
He’s a member of my family,” said Facebook user Amanda.”
This is totally ridiculous,” said Instagram user Sarah.”
How can they restrict my family from going out and enjoying our holidays?
I’m a citizen of Ireland, and the rules apply to me,” said Pinterest user Lisa.
Online users have also complained that Ireland’s border with the Republic of Ireland has been closed to Irish citizens since September, when the Republic announced that it would suspend all travel to and from the Republic.
“If you are a British citizen travelling to Ireland then you should be able to visit the Republic as long as you’re staying in a country with a visa, passport or no visa,” said Irish traveller David.
“The Irish border is closed, and I’m very annoyed about that.
I’ve been here for five years and the Irish border has been this open and completely open,” said Australian traveller Kate.”
We’re just so pissed off, we don’t know what to do about it,” said New Zealand traveller Paul.”
My wife and I have been working in Ireland for almost a year now and she hasn’t had a single visitor.
We’ve travelled here five times in the last year and we’re not allowed in.””
It really is disgusting.
It really does seem to be about a gag,” said British traveller and Instagram user Ben.
“Why can’t they control the numbers?”
“The idea that we are the ones who are making them restrict is just so ridiculous.
We are not the ones being told what we should do or what we are allowed to do, we are just the ones that are making the rules,” said Ryan.”
You can’t just take away the freedom of people in Ireland,” said American traveller and Pinterest user Jordan.”
That’s ridiculous,” continued Ryan.
“If there was a border that had to be closed and you could only have one person in Ireland, you wouldn’t have to travel there at all.”
“We are just looking for the best and brightest, so we don toil away on holiday all the time, but we’re really just being ignored,” said Kate.
“We don’t need to work so hard to get a holiday here, we just want to have the freedom to come and go as we please.
That should be the whole point of it.”


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Google leads the industry into open platform for mobile devices
Posted on 6-Nov-2007 08:41
| Filed under: News
A broad alliance of technology and wireless companies have joined forces to announce the development of Android, an open and comprehensive platform for mobile devices. Google Inc., T-Mobile, HTC, Qualcomm, Motorola and others have collaborated on the development of Android through the Open Handset Alliance, a multinational alliance of technology and mobile industry leaders.
The alliance shares a common goal of fostering innovation on mobile devices and giving consumers a better user experience than what is available on today's mobile platforms. By providing developers a new level of openness that enables them to work more collaboratively, Android will accelerate the pace at which new and compelling mobile services are made available to consumers.
The group says Android will better position developers, wireless operators and handset manufacturers to bring to market new products faster and at a much lower cost. The end result will be an unprecedented mobile platform that will enable wireless operators and manufacturers to give their customers better, more personal and more flexible mobile experiences.
Thirty-four companies have formed the Open Handset Alliance, which aims to develop technologies that will significantly lower the cost of developing and distributing mobile devices and services. The Android platform is the first step in this direction -- a fully integrated mobile "software stack" that consists of an operating system, middleware, user-friendly interface and applications. Consumers should expect the first phones based on Android to be available in the second half of 2008.
The Android platform will be made available under one of the most progressive, developer-friendly open-source licenses, which gives mobile operators and device manufacturers significant freedom and flexibility to design products. Next week the Alliance will release an early access software development kit to provide developers with the tools necessary to create innovative and compelling applications for the platform.
At the heart of the group is the open aspect of the platform, allowing handset manufacturers and wireless operators freedom to customise Android in order to bring to market new products faster and at a much lower cost. Developers will have complete access to handset capabilities and tools that will enable them to build more compelling and user-friendly services, bringing the Internet developer model to the mobile space. And there's the promise that consumers worldwide will have access to less expensive mobile devices.
"This partnership will help unleash the potential of mobile technology for billions of users around the world. A fresh approach to fostering innovation in the mobile industry will help shape a new computing environment that will change the way people access and share information in the future," said Google Chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt. "Today's announcement is more ambitious than any single 'Google Phone' that the press has been speculating about over the past few weeks. Our vision is that the powerful platform we're unveiling will power thousands of different phone models."
Open Handset Alliance Founding Members include Aplix (www.aplixcorp.com), Ascender Corporation (www.ascendercorp.com), Audience (www.audience.com), Broadcom (www.broadcom.com), China Mobile (www.chinamobile.com), eBay (www.ebay.com), Esmertec (www.esmertec.com), Google (www.google.com), HTC (www.htc.com), Intel (www.intel.com), KDDI (www.kddi.com), Living Image (www.livingimage.jp), LG (www.lge.com), Marvell (www.marvell.com), Motorola (www.motorola.com), NMS Communications (www.nmscommunications.com), Noser (www.noser.com), NTT DoCoMo, Inc. (www.nttdocomo.com), Nuance (www.nuance.com), Nvidia (www.nvidia.com), PacketVideo (www.packetvideo.com), Qualcomm (www.qualcomm.com), Samsung (www.samsung.com), SiRF (www.sirf.com), SkyPop (www.skypop.com), SONiVOX (www.sonivoxrocks.com), Sprint Nextel (www.sprint.com), Synaptics (www.synaptics.com), TAT - The Astonishing Tribe (www.tat.se), Telecom Italia (www.telecomitalia.com), Telefónica (www.telefonica.es), Texas Instruments (www.ti.com), T-Mobile (www.t-mobile.com), Wind River (www.windriver.com)


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This upcoming tax season represents the most challenging to date for those responsible for issuing 1099s, W-2s and other tax documents. With so many Americans having moved during the pandemic – almost 16 million between February and July of 2020 alone, according to the USPS – keeping up-to-date on the whereabouts of your employees and customers will require significant effort.
GIACT’s new report, Identity Fraud in the Digital Age, developed by Javelin Strategy & Research, sponsored by GIACT, details the challenges of preventing new and emerging fraud threats and what businesses should consider in their fraud prevention strategies for the year ahead.
GIACT’s new report, Securing Faster Payments: Addressing the Account Validation Rule, discusses the rapid growth of ACH payments, the latest fraud trends surrounding faster payments as well as how to secure ACH transactions.
Fraud operators are increasingly using stolen, manipulated, and fabricated identities as the entry point for attacks against both consumers and businesses across the payments ecosystem. These attacks both originate from and target nearly every vertical imaginable ranging from banking, insurance and lending to e-commerce, utilities and telecom.
Business email compromise, or BEC – defined as a fraud tactic using email to socially engineer an employee to install malware or unwittingly transfer/redirect funds into a fraud operator’s account – is an increasingly sophisticated and elusive fraud tactic. According to the FBI, BEC is a $2 billion a year business.
GIACT®, the leader in helping companies positively identify and authenticate customers, today announced a new report, Undeliverable as Addressed, on the costly problem of returned mail as a result of deficient identity management.
Synthetic identity fraud (SIF) is one of the fastest-growing types of financial crime in the U.S. Insurers need to enhance their identity and account validation practices to identify and prevent SIF, protect customer accounts and mitigate losses.
GIACT’s new report, Streamlining KYC: Best Practices in the Collection and Processing of Beneficial Owners, provides clarity around the collection and verification requirements of beneficial ownership.


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Buffett's Berkshire buys Kroger and Biogen, reduces Wells Fargo and Goldman stakes
Friday, 14 February 2020 Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc on Friday said it has taken a $549.1 million stake in Kroger Co, investing in the largest U.S. supermarket chain as smaller rivals struggle.
Warren Buffett revealed that Berkshire Hathaway has sold its stake in the big four U.S. airlines: United, American, Southwest, and Delta. The investment was worth more than $4 billion, and Buffett said..
· *Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway slashed its stake in Goldman Sachs and exited its positions in Philips 66 and Travelers in the first quarter, a financial... Business Insider Also reported by •Newsmax •Zee News


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MOUNT PLEASANT, SC (July 6, 2020) – The Town of Mount Pleasant Farmers Market will return to its regular operating hours, 3:30 – 7:00 p.m., beginning July 7. The market is open every Tuesday at the Farmers Market Pavilion on Coleman Blvd.
The Farmers Market, which began its regular season as a strictly limited Essential Farm Goods Market, has added a limited number of pre-made food vendors in recent weeks along with the return of live music. In the coming weeks, more vendors will be phased in while still maintaining distancing measures.
A handwash station and hand sanitizing stands are provided.
“The community has been wonderful with their support of the market,” said market manager Tracy Richter. “The added local vendors have many products that complement the fresh produce available now.”
The farmers market offers our community an alternative to indoor shopping and provides healthy options for a balanced diet. Eating fresh produce is one of the best ways to strengthen immune systems.
Customers are limited at each booth and are asked to stay at least 6 feet away from others while shopping and in lines. No sampling is allowed. Customers are asked to purchase produce they have touched, and masks are encouraged.
For more information, visit experiencemountpleasant.com/play and facebook.com/MountPleasantFarmersMarket.


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Cui Baoqiu, vice president of millet group and chairman of Technical Committee of millet group, introduced the history of the establishment of Technical Committee of millet group. Cui Baoqiu said that at the beginning of this year, Cui Baoqiu and Lei Jun communicated to set up a group technical committee, which not only includes AI technology but also all design technology. Its mission is to "set up a career in technology, grasp the future, and build a first-class technical team and culture."
Cui Baoqiu disclosed that in the past three years, millet has invested 11.1 billion yuan in research and development costs, and 5.8 billion yuan in 2018. This year, the number will be far higher than that.
At the beginning of this year, millet was launched.“Mobile phoneAIoT``Dual Engine Strategy, as of March 31, the field of AIoT has accumulated over 1000 AIoT-related patent applications.
Today, Cui Baoqiu shares Xiaomi charging cool techs in the 5G era.
In the 5G era, mobile phones consume more power and require faster charging speed. Therefore, mobile phone manufacturers need to layout ahead of time to solve the charging problem. Cui Baoqiu said that in the 5G era, millet should develop high-speed charging technology to solve the problem of 5G mobile phone endurance.
In March this year, millet announced that it had achieved 100W fast charging and filled 4000mAh batteries in 17 minutes. In the field of wireless charging, millet first released 20W Wireless Flash charging for millet 9.
It is understood that by now millet has obtained dozens of core technology patents in wireless charging technology.
Millet believes that in the next year, high-speed wireless charging will become a high-end flagship of the standard. Therefore, Millet will upgrade its wireless flash charging system.
Cui Baoqiu officially released the world's first 30W super wireless flash. "this could be the fastest wireless charging in the world, or it could be the fastest wireless reverse charging technology in the world."
Xiaomi 30W super wireless flash charge can achieve 4000mAh battery charging 50% in 25 minutes and 100% in 69 minutes. The experimental results show that 30W super wireless flash charge can exceed 27W wired charging, so it can be said that wireless charging has entered the practical stage.
Cui Baoqiu disclosed four technological innovations behind Millet 30W super Wireless Flash charging: efficient direct charging architecture, ultra-high power wireless reverse charging, first dual-frequency transmission technology, universal charging combination.
Wang Yanteng, hardware research and development engineer of Xiaomi mobile phone department, introduces that the efficient direct charge architecture of Xiaomi 30W wireless flash charging adopts Charge Turbo2.0 technology, realizes the highest power in the industry in wireless reverse charge, and realizes 7 protection; dual frequency transmission technology, charging is safer and stable, and can expand more interactive functions at the same time, and so on. Cui Baoqiu revealed that Xiaomi 30W super wireless flash technology will be used in Xiaomi's second 5G phone: Xiaomi 9 Pro 5G version.


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Kathmandu, June 7, 2016: Karuwa Apps, a game publishing platform for the independent game developers in Nepal and South Asia, has recently been launched in Nepal.
Initiated by a group of independent (indie) game developers themselves, the platform seeks to help the budding game developers in the region with marketing of games to potential users and reaching out to the game reviewers.
Talking about the idea behind starting the platform, Bhuwan Acharya, Chief Technology Officer of the organization shared how they faced various problems after the game development phase. â€œOurselves being independent game developers, we did not have sufficient budget for marketing and found it extremely hard to reach to game reviewers. And, we could not sustain our game as it had no income,â€ said he.
He further shared that more than 75% of indie games all over the world are not published due to lack of resources as mentioned. â€œThe situation is even worse in countries like Nepal and South Asia. As, a result very less games are published from this region and only a handful of these games are successful,â€ he lamented.
As of now, Karuwa Apps, an android game publishing company, will target the best android games by indie developers. â€œOur main focus will be to help the indie developers in Nepal and South Asia to reach their potential customers. We want to support the games from Nepal and South Asia to have an impact in the world,â€ said Amrit Sapkota, Marketing Head of the team. â€œAs of now, our goal is to establish ourselves as a stable company and reach 50 thousand downloads for each game we publish.â€
The team has already been recognized with various awards like Child Gameathon 2015 (Winner) and Imagine Cup Nepal 2015 Game (Runner-up).
Crazy Circle Run: The First Game
â€œReviewing our game, our early users say this game is addictive, difficult, but simple,â€ says Swastik Sahu, one of the developers of the game who also conceptualized the game. He further mentioned that the game Testers loved the color combination of the background, which is minimalist in nature. â€œIt will enhance the planning skills of the player. Since smaller games are more popular in app stores, we have managed to optimize the game and decrease the size of game to less than 6 MB,â€ he clarified.
The game had been awarded with 4th prize in game development track in IndiaHacks 2016, the worldâ€™s largest developer confluence where more than 50,000 different amateur and professional game developers were participating.
Within the first day of being published in Google Play Store, the game was successful to reach 39 countries and the users have been receiving it well.
May this game be one of the best games from Nepal.
The game can be downloaded from Google Play Store at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.karuwaapps.crazycircle&hl=en
Furthermore, interested game developers can reach Karuwa Apps at http://www.karuwaapps.com
Photos Courtesy:Â Swastik Sahu
By Basanta Kumar Dhakal


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The platform integrates multiple third-party tools into one centralized location for agents
Today 1:49 P.M.
Realogy CEO Ryan Schneider plans to invest heavily in agents in 2019 at a time when rivals are discounting them
Today 9:20 A.M.
The company is looking to nearly double its total tech staff in a downtown co-working space
Today 7:05 A.M.
FHFA director nominee Mark Calabria has been vocal in calling for opening up the government's charter to other entities
The listing portal now allows consumers to text questions and get an immediate connection
Only 32% of homes had one or more competing offers in November, according to Redfin
Since introducing the fee, StreetEasy says it has seen a 60% drop in complaints related to stale or fraudulent listings


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Super Thursday for shoppers: High Street bonanza as stores slash prices by up to 50%
Some of the country's biggest High Street names today cut prices by 50 per cent in a desperate attempt to lure shoppers.
Woolworths was staging a half-price closing down sale after last-minute attempts to find a buyer for the iconic chain failed.
Tesco and House of Fraser also both promised cuts of 50 per cent on many prices as other big names offered substantial price reductions as well.
One analyst in the City summed up the wave of panic, saying: 'Desperate times call for desperate measures.'
Panic measure: Tesco is cutting prices by 50 per cent on 1,000 different items
Even Britain's biggest retailer Tesco signalled it was not immune from the downturn by slashing prices by 50 per cent on 1,000 different items.
Christmas food, drink, toys and gifts are all included in the bonanza.
Department store chain House of Fraser joined the frenzy by offering reductions of up to half-price on many lines in a pre-Christmas gamble to woo customers.
The offers apply across all sections of its business - from clothes to furniture and homeware.
Bargains: House of Fraser is also cutting prices by up to 20 per cent
Both Debenhams and Marks and Spencer have already been holding a series of 20 per cent discount sales.
M&S has promised to continue the reductions on many lines this week and is also offering four-for-three deals on party food.
A battery of other names including Currys, Argos, Boots, Sainsbury's and even Waitrose are also offering large discounts or special offers this weekend.
Retailers are deeply worried that many nervous consumers are holding back on their Christmas spending in the hope of picking up bargains as the festive season nears.
But the biggest concern on the high street is that many people will simply not spend much at all.
According to the British Retail Consortium, sales fell 2.6 per cent in November, compared with the same period last year.
Lining up: People queuing outside Woolworths in Whitley Bay
Manoj Ladwa an analyst at ETX Capital said sales by big name retailers are a sign of desperation.
'While this will do little to boost share prices, retailers realise that more than a cut in VAT is required in order to spur sales during this crucial period,' he said.
The increasing alarm from retailers coincides with the Woolworths closing down sale which has been billed as 'The Biggest Sale Ever'.
Stores across the country slashed prices as administrators, who were called in following the chain's collapse, looked to recoup money.
Closing down sale: Shoppers in Essex clear the shelves at Woolworths
Accountants Deloitte said that a rescue deal for the company had not materialised, and they would be selling its 815 stores. Around 25,000 staff face redundancy.
The latest move to sell to Woolworths to its former chairman, Sir Geoff Mulcahy, failed yesterday.
Most of the valuable high street locations will now be sold to chains like Iceland, Argos or Wilkinsons. Tesco may also bid for some sites.
The shockwaves from the collapse will spread beyond the stores themselves.
Huge discounting in Woolworths shops is likely to have a knock-on effect on other already hard-pressed brands as customers stock up on cheap wrapping paper, toys, children's clothes, CDs and computer games.
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