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Yesterday (24 July), Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG, GOOGL) announced financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2017. Alphabet reported a 21% leap in quarterly revenue, a growth rate rarely seen among companies its size and one that suggests the big sales gains enjoyed recently by the other internet firms are not done yet.
“With revenues of USD$26bn (£20bn), up 21% versus the second quarter of 2016, and 23% on a constant currency basis, we’re delivering strong growth with great underlying momentum, while continuing to make focused investments in new revenue streams”, said Ruth Porat, CFO, Alphabet.
The profit would have been much larger, but for a record USD$2.7bn (£2bn) European Union antitrust fine. US antitrust enforcers thus far have chosen not to follow Europe’s lead.
Alphabet noted that costs were rising faster than sales and warned that expenses would remain high as more searches shift to mobile devices.
Q2 2017 financial highlights
In order to facilitate comparison of current quarter performance to prior periods, this summary table highlights the impact of the USD$2.7bn European Commission (EC) fine, which was accrued in Q2 2017:
Alphabet’s cost of revenue, a measure of how much money the company must spend to keep its platforms running before added costs, such as research, rose 28%, well above the growth in revenue itself.
YouTube’s brand safety issues don’t appear to be slowing Alphabets’s ad business. In fact, the company’s revenue growth was powered mainly by YouTube ads and mobile search ads.
This year, Google is expected to have USD$74bn (£57bn) in net digital ad revenue worldwide, while Facebook is expected to take in USD$36bn (£28bn), according to research firm eMarketer. Together they will have about 49% of the market, eMarketer said.
Facebook is due to report earnings on Wednesday.


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Intel has joined the parade of companies trying to beam video to your TV. The chipmaker is betting on "WiDi," its technology for streaming media wirelessly from the PC to the TV.
Intel's WiDi, which is short for "wireless display," will remove the pain of stringing HDMI cables between the TV and the laptop.
"This display technology extends the laptop screen to the TV," says Randy Stude, who handles gaming strategy for Intel. "You don't need cables or to buy a single-purpose gadget to make the connection."
Intel showed the WiDi technology at the company's developer conference in San Francisco earlier this week.
The technology will come pre-loaded in new laptops. Already 44 models sold at Best Buy have the WiDi technology. But consumers will need to buy an additional $100 adapter from Netgear to complete the connection to the TV. Add a wireless remote such as Loop or Glide TV, and consumers can watch web content on a big screen 25 feet to 30 feet away.
Intel is just the latest in a long list of companies that are trying to make it easier for consumers to watch web video in their living room. Companies such as Apple, Boxee and Roku have offered streaming media players for web video enthusiasts.
In May, Google launched Google TV, a new set-top-box platform based on Google’s Android operating system that will combine cable programming with access to online photo sites, gaming and music.
Earlier this week, start-up Veebeam introduced a streaming media box that uses wireless USB to connect the laptop to the TV. Veebeam estimates 420 Mbps speeds for wireless USB and offers both 720p and 1080p high-definition video options.
Intel has chosen Wi-Fi to stream content wirelessly. Wi-Fi doesn't require line of sight and it can reach about 9 Mbps speeds, says Stude. It is much slower than wireless HDMI that can offer speeds of upto 500 Mbps.
Intel's software will work on all laptops using Arrendale based core i3, i5 and core i7 technologies. But they will have to have Intel's 802.11-n chips.
"It's more flexible than a Boxee box or Apple TV," says Stude. "You are not limited to just a few types of content and put in a walled garden."
The wireless streaming is currently to limited to 720p resolution and it can't handle Blu-ray content. Stude says Intel plans to support higher resolution video in the future.
But first, Intel will have to survive the extremely competitive and crowded market. It will have to steal consumers' attention away from the soon to launch Google TV and the newly introduced $100 Apple TV.
Intel hopes its clout in the PC market will put it ahead of competitors. In bundling the software and chips into the laptop, Intel may have a distribution channel that few of its competitors can match.
But to get there, it will have to find a way to cut price and integrate the $100 Netgear adapter into the laptop.
- Veebeam Uses Wireless USB to Stream Media From PC to TV
- Streaming Wars Heat Up: Now Amazon Reportedly Is in the Hunt
- Cable Company Makes a Move on Internet Video
- 7 Ways to Watch Web Video Without Google TV
- Hands-On With New $100 Apple TV
Photos: Priya Ganapati/Wired.com

domain: news


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Two new GefenPRO Extenders for HDMI over CAT5 with Power Over Line (POL) I and II offer long-range, multi-signal extension up to 100 meters over a single Cat5 cable. Gefen’s POL technology based on PoE (Power over Ethernet) standards can now deliver power to a remote location, eliminating power supplies in the viewing environment. Power […]
One of the more crucial yet difficult tasks for owners and general managers is team building. Not in the fluffy sense that big business HR people like to wave their hands in the air and talk about, but for real: actually working together efficiently and effectively. The scenario that’s common to all small businesses, […]
Barco is offering a “technology refresh program” to customers that own lamp-based video walls products from Barco that will upgrade them to its latest series of LED-lit rear-projection video walls. The refresh program exists for three generations of Barco video walls — OV-D2, D1, and p-Si. The announcement of the upgrade kit follows Barco’s recent […]
At ISE 2011, Epson introduced its G 5000 Series. The EBG-5750WU WXGA projector is 1920×1200, has a brightness spec of 4500 lumens, and a variety of lens options. The EBG-5650W is a WXGA, 5000-lumen projector with a network feature that allows multiple presenters or collaborators to show different content on a single screen.
At the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2011 show last week, 34,870 attendees showed up to the Amsterdam RAI. This is a 22 percent increase from last year and what ISE says is the highest attendance achieved by a standalone AV tradeshow ever. There were 715 exhibitors – an 11 percent increase from ISE 2010, covering […]
Vivitek announced at ISE a new pico projector called Qumi, targeted toward presenters. The LED-based pico projector is native WXGA (1280×800), with a surprising 300-lumen brightness spec and 2500:1 contrast ratio. The projector is also 3D-ready (via DLP Link), and Vivitek says it’s the first pico projector to be so. It weighs 1.4 pounds. It […]
German company Kindermann was previously known mostly for its slide and overhead projectors, but in recent years, it has delved into almost every type of AV product, including digital signage.
At ISE, Extron showcased two new larger, higher-resolution TouchLink Touchpanels. The TLP 1000MV and TLP 1000TV are fully configurable 10” touchpanels with a 1024×600 resolution. They incorporate an MTP – Twisted Pair receiver accepting either S-video or composite video input over standard Cat5 type cable. PoE allows the touchpanels to receive power via the Ethernet […]
ad notam, a company best known for its HomeAV mirror displays, has a new line of 46” slim bezel displays for digital signage video wall applications. Up to 24 displays can be connected either vertically or horizontally, and they have a gap of 6 – 8 mm (total gap between panels). What is particularly interesting […]
Christie previewed at ISE 2011 the L2K1000, a 10,000 ANSI lumen, 2K-resolution (2048×1080) LCD projector. It incorporates the company’s new 4D Color technology. When more information is available, it will be at: http://www.christiedigital.com
Extron announced and showed at ISE its new FOXBOX HDMI, a fiber optic transmitter and receiver set for lengthy transmission of HDCP compliant HDMI video, audio, and RS-232 over fiber optic cabling. The device delivers images up to WUXGA (1920×1200) or HDTV 1080p/60. Available in multi-mode or single-mode models, the FOXBOX HDML includes Key Minder, […]
At ISE 2011, SurgeX International introduced the SEQ1200i, a sequencer, surge eliminator and power distribution platform. The units have banks that are sequence-able with a 2-, 5-, 10-, 15- or 20-second delay and have two IEC outlets per bank. The unit they showed us had four banks. They can be cascaded, used in a master/slave […]
Dubbed the Clarity Matrix 3D and said by the company to be the industry’s thinnest 3D LCD video wall system, Clarity’s latest videowall system allows for passive 3D display of content in an install depth to a just 3.6 inches (93 mm). Using 46″ native 1080p LED-lit LCDs, the Matrix 3D features the EasyAxis mounting […]
Friends and colleagues, Dana Barron, CEO of HB Communications, called me yesterday to ask if we would send out a message to the AV community in regards to Kevin’s sudden passing. I have mixed feeling about sending an email blast about someone’s death, but Kevin simply wasn’t “someone” – he was not only the face […]
A few months after debuting its first flexible ePaper prototype displays, Liquavista BV (based in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, and spun out from Philips Research Labs in 2006) is being acquired by Samsung Electronics. Johan Feenstra is succeeding Guy Demuynck as the company CEO. A pioneer in ePaper technology (displays for e-readers, mobile phones, media players […]
As I get older, I find myself having conversations that, when I was a 22-year-old entering this market long ago, I couldn’t have imagined having. Let me digress. When I started in this market way back in the late 1980s, this was still considered a young industry. Sure, video had been around for more than […]
There’s an old saying common to many families that “anything that’s been done twice is a family tradition.” In ProAV installation it’s not too much of a stretch to state that what two manufacturers are doing is a trend. What is in question is whether or not flat speakers presage a revolution in both the […]
I simply cannot believe that I’ve been writing this for 12 straight years! I spent more than five weeks on this particular version of my annual Kayye’s Krystal Ball feature article due to the fact that the continued economic issues that have plagued our market, the growth of emerging markets (each discussed below) and the […]
Looking for another reason to make the trip to Amsterdam for Integrated Systems Europe (ISE), Feb. 1-3 at the RAI? You could sit for the CTS, CTS-D or CTS-I exams! Just steps away from the show floor and education classrooms, but hurry — the limited exam seats are first-come, first-served. To find out how to […]
lmo Pro A/V has hired Gary Post as a territory manager for the Mid-Atlantic sales region. Due to the division’s growth since its formation in June 2009, the addition of Post is the first of many new sales positions that Almo Professional A/V will fill this year. Post most recently spent almost a decade at […]
rAVe NOW reporters will be at ISE in Amsterdam in a couple weeks, bringing you videos of product introductions and industry announcements, plus Tweets and blogs from the show floor. Be sure to follow us on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/ravepubs Check out our ISE portal here: http://www.rAVeNowISE.com
Last month, Crestron announced that its Sonnex 24X8 Multiroom Audio System shipped. According to Crestron, Sonnex transmits 48 channels of uncompressed 24-bit HD audio long distances across a single shielded CAT5-type cable to up to 74 zones (240 watts-per-channel). For more information on Sonnex, go here: http://www.crestron.com/products/sonnex_digital_audio_distribution/
Da-Lite Screen has an industry first – a tabletop Pico Screen. The new Pico Screen was, obviously, designed with pico projectors in mind and is a lightweight portable projection system for business meetings, training, gaming and many other applications. Setup is as simple as removing the screen from the carrying case, pulling the two halves […]
NSCA’s latest release of its biennial Financial Analysis of the Industry coincides with a more optimistic view of the economy and, consequently, predictions of new business ventures in 2011. The new 2010 report allows systems integrators to track and benchmark their past two years in comparison to industry peers to create a more realistic picture […]
AVI-SPL has announced the addition of Denise Kessler as director of business development for the education market. Most recently Kessler was the Florida area manager with SMART Technologies and prior to that, held the role of territory account manager for InFocus for the Gulf region.
Listen Technologies Corporation recently announced the hiring of Bryan Ganz as its FM/IR product group leader. Ganz will have overall profit and loss responsibility for Listen’s flagship FM and Infrared product solutions for assistive listening, tour group, and language interpretation applications.
Earlier this month, Sanyo showed rAVe a new wide XGA ultra short-throw 3LCD interactive projector geared for the educational and corporate presentation markets that provides full functionality regardless of the surface on which the image is projected. Unlike existing interactive solutions that require whiteboards or other surfaces with built-in sensors, the PLC-WL2503 operates when any […]
According to Middle Atlantic, the new C5 Series Credenza Racks bring a totally new approach to installing equipment in cabinets and sideboards. Offering one-, two- or three-bay models, a contemporary style or traditional style design, and 11 standard finishes, the C5 Series include front and rear rail racks spaces, casters and thermostatically controlled 59CFM fans. […]
This month Extron launched the DVI 110 signal regenerator for single link DVI-D signals. The DVI 110 retimes and reshapes marginal or noisy DVI signals, such as those occasionally encountered on the output of consumer-grade graphic cards or notebook PCs, or when passive DVI couplers and wall plates are utilized within the signal path. The […]
VIZIO just launched a 65” 3D edge-lit LED LCD HDTV (with Internet Apps) — you’ve probably seen it advertised already on TV. VIZIO’s 3D solution, however, is unique as it uses a battery-free 3D glasses technology (yes, “active shutter” technology). Called the XVT3D650SV, it started shipping in December at Costco Wholesale, Sam’s Club stores and […]
QSC launched a new amplifier line at InfoComm, dubbed the CMX. The CMX Series is available in four models: the CMX 300V, CMX 500V and CMX 800V, housed in a 2RU chassis design, and the CMX2000V, housed in a 3RU chassis design with power ranges from 185 watts to 2500 watts per channel. All models […]
Although not thoroughly impressed by this Apple App, we thought it was worth covering since it’s free. Originally a Web-based endpoint security service that manages computers in a corporate or personal network through a centralized online console, the new Apple App from CoSoSys is designed to prevent both internal and external threats posed by the […]


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Roblox raises $92 million in funding for its Lego-like virtual game world
Tuesday, March 14, 2017, 6:23 PM
Roblox said that it has raised a whopper of a round of $92 million in funding for its social platform for user-generated games. The social game world now has more than 48 million monthly active players and 22 million online games. It also has more than 1.7 million creators of Lego-like games on its platform.


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Our daily blend of the latest news, trends and tips for the small business community.
What’s going ‘on’:
Senate leaders agree to debate small business bill: Senate Republican and Democratic leaders ended a standoff Wednesday, finally agreeing to debate a small-business bill that both parties favor and confirm the president’s judicial nominations, the latter of which became the subject of controversy when Obama made appointments sans votes during a congressional recess.
Bernanke: Community banks strengthening: American community banks are gaining strength even though the economy is improving only moderately, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Wednesday. He noted that community bank profits were higher in 2011 than the previous year and bad loans were decreasing, adding that such banks have built up cushions against loan losses.
Keep an eye ‘on’:
Oil prices in danger of spiking: The International Energy Agency cut forecasts for oil supplies from outside OPEC this year because of lower exports from Sudan and Syria, cautioning that reduced spare output capacity raises the risk of a price surge. Non-OPEC producers are now expected to provide 53.5 million barrels a day this year, 200,000 a day less than the group forecast last month.
Small firms teaching classes to add revenue: A growing number of small businesses are offering classes to teach their customers new skills and add new revenue streams to make up for sluggish consumer spending, according to a new report from Fox Small Business. Some are even seeing an unexpected boost in brand recognition and word-of mouth marketing as a result of the courses.
Helpful advice ‘on’:
How to improve customer service using self-service (OSB)
How to craft an e-mail marketing campaign (Small Biz Bee)
How to more effectively pitch your product or idea (Inc.)
How to delegate responsibilities within a start-up (CSM)
How to bring on and manage temporary employees (NFIB)


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SEATTLE, Wash. – The union representing over 30-thousands Washington grocery store workers has given a 72-hour notice that it’s members will go on strike.
The stores under the strike alert include all Safeway, Fred Meyer, Albertson’s and QFC stores in King, Pierce, Snohomish, Mason, Thurston and Kitsap counties. Grays Harbor county stores are on a different contract that is not nearing expiration. a representative tells us they “may ask members in Grays Harbor to help with strike support but most of all, follow what is going on.”
The ufcw 367 website this evening stated “We have just given a 72 hour notice to the grocery store chains effective 7:00 pm.”


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Research firm IDC has lifted its smartphone sales forecast by 10% as BlackBerrys, Androids and iPhones continue to fly off the shelves.
IDC expects 2010 smartphone shipments to reach 269.6 million, up 55.4% over last year, compared with its earlier prediction of 245 million.
The research firm says the sales spike, driven by new model launches such as the BlackBerry Torch, HTC’s EVO 4G and the iPhone 4, will also carry total handset sales higher., and has raised its full-year handset outlook from 12.6% growth to 14.1%.
Senior research analyst Kevin Restivo said further product releases “and an expected flurry of smartphone buying activity in the second half of the year will push the market well above previous expectations.”
Google’s Android is expected to be the fastest mover among the OSes, increasing its market share from 16.3% to 24.6% for the full year. Symbian will retain 32.9% market share, while BlackBerry’s share of the market will remain steady, IDC predicts.
“Android is the wild card, deserving close observation for the rest of this year and the years to come,” said IDC senior research analyst Ramon Llamas.
“Phone vendors have been drawn to Android because it allows them to present their own approach to what a smartphone experience can be.
“In addition, users have quickly warmed to Android, comparing it to iOS due to its ease of use and a growing mobile application storefront. Now that HTC and Motorola have leapt out in front with their own respective devices, other vendors such as Dell, Kyocera, LG Electronics, and Samsung will soon help grow the Android market.”
IDC predicts the smartphone market to increase 24.5% in 2011.


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Smartron Launches the T-Book and T-phone; Gets Master-Blaster Onboard
Smartron recently unveiled the T-Book, a 12.2 inch 2-in-1 laptop powered by the Intel Core M processor. Founded back in 2014, Smartron, with its brand new offering intends to reach the global audience.
Interestingly, the company has got our beloved Master Blaster – Sachin Tendulkar as the brand ambassador and a strategic investor, and this could be one of the major factors responsible for further raising the bar for the company.
Priced at Rs. 39,999, the T-Book comes with a 12.2-inch display offering a resolution of 2560 x 1600p. Powered by a 2 GHz Intel Core M 64-bit processor, the gadget houses 4 GB of RAM and a solid state drive with up to 128GB of space, which is definitely not a bad deal taking into consideration it’s 2-in-1 capability. What more? You need not have to carry your charger all the way long; thanks to its 10,000 mAh battery that gives 1000 charging cycles and non-stop 10 hours usage!
Image Source: fonearena.com
Other standard features include 2 USB 3.0 ports, a micro-HDMI port, one USB Type-C port for charging, a microSD slot and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The laptop supports Wi-Fi dual channel. It runs on the latest Microsoft Windows 10 operating system. Moreover, you also get to enjoy a 30-day trial of Microsoft Office 2016.
Image Source: smartron.com
For now, the T-Book will be available only in 2 colours – Orange and Grey. The device will be up for grabs starting 8th of this month and will be exclusively available on Gadgets360. However, nothing much is yet known about the internal specifications. But, you can surely expect something cool in store.
Image Source: hindustantimes.com
Along with the T-Book, Smartron has introduced the T-phone sporting a massive 5.5-inch display. The handset will run on Hubtron, a new platform that lets different devices communicate with each other. According to the founder, Mr. Mahesh Lingareddy, the Hubtron will make it possible for Android to communicate with Windows over the T-cloud.
But, that’s not all. Smartron also launched the T-Care, a virtual customer support programme and the T-Store that will sell Smartron and other 3rd party devices.
Image Source: smartron.com
With all that being said, how is Smartron different from the other mainstream handset makers presently ruling the smartphone market? As put forth by Mr. Lingareddy, the prime motive of the company is to sell devices and accessories that are capable of talking to each other. In easy words, one can easily sync stuff across numerous devices. For instance, a message notification received on an Android phone will also show up on a Windows device.
No doubt, Smartron is a new entrant in a game presently dominated by a few biggies like Samsung, Apple and HTC to name a few. But, that shouldn’t be a reason for you to look away from what the Indian gadget manufacturer has in store. In fact, the idea of trying to offer customers something different has always worked. And don’t forget, it is none other than Sachin Tendulkar endorsing the brand. That is definitely good enough to compel you to give it a second look.
Article Source: http://www.compareraja.in/blog/smartron-launches-the-t-book-and-t-phone-gets-sachin-tendulkar-onboard/


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The Inflection Point: Industry Leaders to Convene at STA’s Market Structure Conference
In autumn tradition, the kids are back to school and the adults are back to work. Those who work in financial services have their own autumn tradition: Security Traders Association’s Annual Market Structure Conference, now in its 89th year of bringing together senior leaders from brokers, exchanges, buy-side firms, technology vendors, government entities and more to discuss the most important issues facing the industry.
This year’s event will take place on October 12 – 14 at the JW Mariott in Washington, D.C. – and for the hundreds of speakers and delegates who plan to attend, both in-person and virtually, it’s safe to say that the changing leaves won’t be the only transformation on their minds.
“It’s hard to think of any subset of our industry that hasn’t been affected by significant or unexpected trends in the past few years, whether those relate to business, technology or regulation,” said Kate McAllister, STA Chair. “When we thought about the most important topics of discussion among our members – from the deepening relationship between digital assets and traditional markets, to the increasing impact of retail investors, all the way to the midterm elections that will take place less than a month after our event – we realized that the current moment is a critical one that could define the future of many facets of our market structure. That quickly led us to the title of this year’s conference: The Inflection Point.”
Fireside speakers that have been revealed to date include senior regulators (Hester Peirce, SEC; Robert Cook, FINRA), exchange leaders (Michael Blaugrund, NYSE; Ed Tilly, Cboe) and other senior business executives (Douglas Cifu, Virtu; Dan Gallagher, Robinhood) in the industry. In addition to these one-on-one interviews, the program will include a wide variety of panels featuring several speakers apiece, each one bringing their own perspective to the issues that will set the tone for the year ahead and beyond.
Here’s a taste of what’s in store:
Digital Assets Take Centerstage
Digital assets are no longer a new topic in market structure circles, but growing adoption, market turmoil and increasing regulatory scrutiny mean they have taken on greater importance than ever before. This year’s STA Conference will see Dmitri Galinov (24 Exchange), Brian Mulcahy (StoneX Digital), Craig Salm (Grayscale), Jamil Nazarali (EDX), Zach Dexter (FTX Derivatives) and Johann Kerbrat (Robinhood Crypto) sit down to discuss the key questions facing this emerging asset class, including how it will reflect and coexist with traditional markets. Our nation’s capital will serve as a fitting backdrop for the conversation. In May, the SEC announced its plan to nearly double the size of its Crypto Assets and Cyber Unit to support its increasing focus on regulating digital assets – a commitment that Chair Gary Gensler reaffirmed in a recent opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal.
Panelists will also discuss some of the unique characteristics of digital assets (such as decentralized finance), the ongoing migration from traditional to digital assets (in terms of both business strategies and individuals’ career paths) and more.
Listed Options Brace for Change
Over the past two-plus years, the rise of retail trading has been a case study in the power of the collective. By themselves, these individual investors comprise only a tiny fraction of the market, but together, they have made their impact known, resulting in a host of unforeseen consequences from the rise of meme stocks to scrutiny of payment for order flow, gamification and more.
These dynamics have been particularly pronounced in the options market, where many retail investors dedicate most of their focus. With options trading up 35% year-over-year in 2021 – and approximately one-quarter of that volume originating from retail investors – regulators have turned their eye to this asset class with a renewed vigor. At the STA Conference, Anthony Denier (Webull), Stino Milito (DASH Financial Technologies) and Erik Swanson (Simplex Trading) will discuss this new regulatory environment as well as wider market structure issues and the overall investor experience in the listed options market.
Buy-Side Innovation Moves Ahead
Amid these shifting landscapes, the buy side continues to drive innovation in our industry. As cost and technology pressures ramp up, these firms have embraced new and emerging ways to gain an edge on the competition, including outsourced trading, multi-asset strategies, ESG and more.
STA will provide representatives from some of the industry’s most prominent buy-side firms – Ashley Banfield (Fidelity Investments), Bojan Petrovich (J.P. Morgan Asset Management) and Tammy Wiggs (T. Rowe Price) – a forum to discuss these trends, their business impacts and key innovations that have been developed to navigate them smoothly.
Furthering the Mission
STA’s mission is not just to educate its members, but also to effect positive industry change and give back to the community. To that end, as with past STA Conferences, this year’s program will also include elements designed to highlight charitable causes or promote diversity and equity within financial services.
The conference will play host to the 7th Annual STA Women in Finance Symposium, a limited-seating session where attendees can gather to exchange ideas about advancing inclusion in the financial services space – and hear from women who are blazing the trail. This year’s keynote speaker is Erin Gibbs (Main Street Asset Management). Finally, this year’s STA Charity of Choice is Catch a Lift Fund, which helps combat-injured veterans regain their mental and physical health through gym memberships, in-home equipment, personalized fitness and nutrition programs and a peer support network. As it has done throughout 2022, STA will provide a platform for Catch a Lift to speak on the importance of these issues and encourage attendees to lend their support.
It’s all in store at this year’s STA Market Structure Conference. While U.S. market structure may be rife with uncertainty, one thing is clear: providing a forum where the people who shape this system can share their views, answer questions and advance new ideas will lead to a better, more informed industry, no matter where one sits. To register for the 89th Annual STA Market Structure Conference, click here.


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- Beyond Meat’s financial results will be announced during a conference call scheduled for June 6
- A live webcast will also be available via the company’s official website for investors interested in the financial information
- Beyond Meat’s portfolio of plant-based foods that replicate the taste and texture of meat has grown in popularity since the company’s launch in 2009, and its products are now available at more than 30,000 retail locations around the world
Beyond Meat Inc. (NASDAQ: BYND), a leading provider of plant-based meat substitute products, recently announced that its financial results for the first quarter of 2019 will be presented live on June 6.
A conference call will be held at 4:30 pm ET, after markets close. All investors interested in participating can dial 866-221-1171 from the U.S., or 270-215-9602 internationally. Two hours after the end of the conference call, a telephone replay will become available, Beyond Meat said in a press release.
The company has also announced that a simultaneous webcast will be taking place via Beyond Meat’s website. An archive of the webcast will be made available for a period of 30 days following the end of the conference call.
Beyond Meat currently ranks as one of the fastest-growing food companies in the U.S. Its portfolio consists of plant-based meat alternatives. Through innovative practices, Beyond Meat gives consumers an opportunity to experience the taste and texture of meat while enjoying the nutritional benefits of plant-based foods.
Founded in 2009, Beyond Meat operates under the slogan ‘Eat What You Love’. The company is committed to giving its clients a tasty experience while also enabling food production that is healthy, sustainable and cruelty-free.
Plant-based meat substitute products are a healthy alternative to red meat, which has been linked to several diseases (http://nnw.fm/48TLb), while also offering a positive impact on climate change by consuming fewer resources in their manufacturing processes (http://nnw.fm/l7BRr).
As a result, the global meat substitute market has grown exponentially and is set to reach $7.5 billion by 2025, according to Allied Market Research (http://nnw.fm/gGgY4). Beyond Meat aims to be at the forefront of this growth and remain a key player in this growing industry by providing delicious and sustainable meat substitutes.
Beyond Meat’s fresh and frozen products are available at more than 30,000 retail and food service locations throughout the world.
For more information, visit the company’s website at www.BeyondMeat.com
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Nintendo’s Wii U has not had the greatest start since its initial release in late 2012. With an unfortunate lack of games, sales for the console have never been anything to write home about. Luckily, 2014 has been the start of the Wii U’s upswing, with more titles seeing a release on the system. The rest of the year has a lot to look forward to for Wii U owners and the games below represent the best console exclusives still to come in 2014.
4. Devil’s Third
When Devil’s Third, the newly announced Wii U exclusive was unveiled to the world at this June’s E3 conference; many were surprised to see just how over-the-top the game looked.
Featuring a heavy tattooed protagonist, rocking drum solos, and some of the most frantic action-based gameplay in recent years, Devil’s Third, despite the relative dearth of information regarding the game outside of its announcement trailer, is sure to bring fans of violent and absurd titles to the Wii U come its release later this year.
3. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
Long-time veteran of the Mario franchise, Toad, is set to take his talents to the Wii U later this year. In his first starring role, Captain Toad will place Toad in different levels, tasking players with navigating him to the gold star at the end.
While Toad will not be able to jump in Captain Toad, he will be able to pull up roots a la Super Mario Bros. 2, allowing turnips to be thrown at all who are in Toad’s way.
Wii U owners who love a good underdog are sure to enjoy Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker.
2. Hyrule Warriors
The collective minds of the video gaming world were blown with the first reveal trailer of Hyrule Warriors. Essentially a Dynasty Warriors title featuring classic characters from The Legend of Zelda franchise, the unique direction the spin-off was set to take made it hard not to be excited about.
Hyrule Warriors spins the basic formula of The Legend of Zelda formula and flips it on its head, spinning a tale that features series protagonist Link as a simple soldier-in-training, thrown into a massive battles in order to save the kidnapped princess Zelda.
Those who have not experienced the addicting formula of the Dynasty Warrior series would be wise to pay close attention to Hyrule Warriors. Few video game titles provide such intense and enjoyable – if not repetitive – gameplay formula and Hyrule Warriors’ inclusion of classic and new TLoZ characters will surely draw a large audience when the game releases in September.


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The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) has raised fuel prices in its latest review, which is effective February 10 2023.
In a statement, the energy regulator said petrol would now be sold at US$1.61 up from US$1.59 or ZW$1 341.07 up from ZW$1 241.01.
The authority also said the retail price for diesel is now US$1.70 up from US$1.68 or ZW$1 418.08 up from ZW$1 315.09.
“The public and operators are advised that the blending ratio remains at E5.
“Stakeholders are advised that a decision has been made to migrate to monthly as opposed to weekly pricing that has been in place since May 2022.
“This is to ensure stability over a longer period. As a starting point, the current review is for two weeks. Operators may sell petroleum products below the prescribed levels depending on their trading advantages and display prices as per regulations.
“Stakeholders are advised that the petroleum price releases by ZERA can be verified on the official ZERA website, Facebook or Twitter handle,” said ZESA.
Apparently, Zimbabwe Petrol And Diesel Fuel Prices (ZERA Updates 2020 – 2023). The average price of diesel around the world is 1.31 U.S. dollars per litre while the average price of gasoline around the world is 1.30 U.S. dollars per litre.
GlobalPetrolPrices.com says the differences in prices across countries are due to the various taxes and subsidies for diesel.
All countries have access to the same petroleum prices of international markets but then decide to impose different taxes. As a result, the retail price of diesel is different.


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Apple now king of the tech hill
Apple has edged past Microsoft to become the biggest technology company in the world.
The news came after a hard day on the stock exchanges left Microsoft's total value trailing Apple's by 3 billion USD.
The reason for Apple's growing share price has been its dominance in the handheld electronics market where the iPod, iPhone and now the iPad have been confidently holding off all competitors.
Despite the increase in value Apple still trail Microsoft in net profits. The company netted just over a third of Microsoft's profits, just 5.7 billion USD compared to Microsoft's 14.6 billion USD.
- Large patch arrives to tackle the matchmaking issues with Halo: The Master Chief Collection
- BioWare looking into a bug stopping banter between party members in Dragon Age: Inquisition
- New Assassin's Creed: Unity patch introduces a new visual bug
- Metal Gear Online will return, reveal coming at The Game Awards 2014
- Ever wanted to know which next-gen console would survive a 15-foot drop?
- New Assassin's Creed: Unity patch is a bit on the large side
- Wonder what Zombie mode looks like for Call Of Duty: Advanced Warfare? Here's a trailer
- Xbox 360 Titanfall players getting a massive update next week
- Ubisoft pulls the Assassin's Creed: Unity Season Pass, offering free DLC and games to apologize for the problems with the game


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SJP's unexpected strategy to face celeb fragrance fallout.
August 26, 2016
• Rachel Strugatz
German Union Launches
NEW YORK — The German Employer’s Federation, a retail workers’ union, launched a two-day strike at several dozen Wal-Mart stores in that country on Friday and Saturday, hoping that the strike would get the U.S.-based giant to join...


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Stanpac Doubles Press Capacity with New Speedmaster XL 106 from HEIDELBERG
By Heidelberg USA
Kennesaw, GA, Jan. 11, 2023 – Stanpac, with three North American locations, has experienced explosive growth in the ice-cream and food-service packaging business since early 2020. Running 24/7 and maxing out its press capacity, the company recently installed a Speedmaster XL 106 from HEIDELBERG at its Smithville, Ont. location to continue to keep up with the growing demands of its customers.
Record Sales Year
When COVID-19 hit in early 2020, Stanpac’s business “suddenly changed overnight,” said Murray Bain, Vice President of Sales & Marketing. The company, who primarily produces cartons and other packaging for the ice-cream and food-service industries at its locations in Ontario, New Jersey, and Texas, saw a rapid influx in business when consumers were unexpectedly isolated at home. Thanks to dedicated staff and loyal suppliers, the company was able to navigate the increasing requests from its customers, but after three years of 24/7 shifts and sold-out press capacity, Bain said, “Our labor was maxed out, sales were becoming capped, and lead times were getting longer.” With the September 2022 installation of the XL 106, Stanpac is better equipped to operate more efficiently, optimize its production schedule, and alleviate the stress on its production crew. The press has doubled the plant’s offset printing capacity and has contributed to the company’s best sales year ever.
Also equipped with a 2013 XL 106, Stanpac’s new press, which runs at 18,000 sheets per hour, is an upgrade in speed and technology due to Heidelberg’s new intelligent User Experience and patented Intellistart 3 system that provide support for operators during the press run and automatically determine the makeready processes required for jobs to be produced. Stanpac’s newest XL 106 also includes Prinect Inpress Control 3, the industry’s leading inline spectrophotometer that measures and controls color and registers on the fly, and Inspection Control 3, which automatically scans the printed sheet for any defects. The built-in technologies are helping Stanpac shorten press runs and lessen waste sheets, which is essential for today’s supply chain shortages. Additionally, Bain said, “We’re better able to predict how much material it will actually take to run a job now that everything gets set up quickly and any errors are fixed swiftly.”
The Proof Is in the Numbers
The short makereadies allow Stanpac to easily changeover between short runs for specialty, seasonal ice cream flavors and very long runs for brands’ “staple” flavors. “Our customers want top-quality, high-end print and many of them want smaller order sizes,” said Bain. “Some have as many as 70 flavors, so we run quite a large number of products. This press allows us to do that.” Stanpac also relies on Prinect Production Manager for the flexibility to send files to either of its Heidelberg presses, which run using a similar set of Saphira Consumables, depending on the schedule. According to Bain, “The workflow and consumables allow us to choose where we want to run a job, and we know, regardless of press, it will turn out exactly the same.” Stanpac also utilizes Prinect for its metric reports to evaluate its efficiency and throughput to identify areas for improvement.
Thanks to its newly increased capacity, Stanpac has had time to upgrade some features of its older XL 106, which has led to further improvements of the plant’s overall productivity. Additional efforts to keep up with the demands from both current and new customers include adding new finishing equipment and a brand new 40,000-square-foot facility to be built in Smithville. As the company continues to grow and prosper, Stanpac turns to Heidelberg for fast, high-quality, and reliable printing. Additionally, it credits the people of Heidelberg who “provide excellent support and thorough training,” said Bain. “The proof is in our numbers and the throughput that we’re seeing every day.”
For 70 years, Stanpac has been manufacturing dairy and beverage packaging for companies located throughout the United States, Canada and many locations worldwide. Back in 1949, Stanpac provided closures for glass milk bottles. Since then, the company has continually expanded its product lines with new products and innovations for the ice-cream, fluid-milk, wine and spirits, and most recently, food-service packaging markets. The evolution of a great company continues with the introduction of new products, sizes and configurations for an ever-changing market. With seven patents in more than 20 countries, Stanpac is recognized by its customers as innovative and customer-focused.


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New movement updates to Waltz Of The Wizard: Extended Edition aim to make traversing large spaces in VR more comfortable — and they will even work with Oculus Quest’s controller-free hand tracking.
The system is called “Telepath” and development studio Aldin Dynamics detailed the new options available in the PC version of the game now. There’s a blog post and videos explaining the features alongside a glimpse showing the “come hither”-esque gesture for Quest hand tracking that’ll make it possible to use the new system without any physical controllers.
Check it out:
I wrote to Aldin CEO Hrafn Thorisson over direct message and he told me the gesture shouldn’t interfere with a pinch gesture Facebook is reserving on the Quest to access the menu system from a VR app when you aren’t using controllers.
The videos explain the range of options available with the “telepath” system. It is focused around a more dynamic arc you can place out into the virtual world and then move along the path it generates. There’s a “step” option that quickly moves you to points along the path while a “smooth” option looks more like walking in real life at a constant rate of speed. If you reach for nearby objects or dodge something coming toward your head with physical movement it’ll slow down, but you can also swing your arms to increase the movement speed. You can also redraw the path at any time. Thorisson warns the new system may take getting used to for experienced VR users but more than 90 percent of users stick with the system.
The studio provides a detailed look at the new system here:
According to Aldin Dynamics, the new “Telepath features are being rolled out in preparation of our upcoming expansions of Waltz of the Wizard: Extended Edition, both the big expansions to the world and gameplay, as well as hand-tracking that will soon become available on Oculus Quest.”
That’s the second tease this week for hand tracking features coming soon to Oculus Quest games. The Curious Tale Of The Stolen Pets showed that it’ll be possible to push a cute little doggy on a swing using the new input system. Facebook first released the Software Development Kit for hand tracking on Quest late last year and made it available to consumers as an experimental option. They’ve been steadily updating the Quest system software seemingly in preparation to offer the new input system more broadly.
May 21, 2020 will mark the one year anniversary of Oculus Quest going on sale and we wouldn’t be surprised to see Facebook start accepting store submissions for hand tracking soon. Facebook can’t make the $400 headset fast enough to meet demand and a report this week from Bloomberg confirmed our expectations for a future version of the standalone headset.
You can grab Waltz of the Wizard: Extended Edition on Steam now with the latest “Telepath” feature. The game is available on Quest too but still has an older version of the feature at the time of this writing and doesn’t feature hand tracking yet.


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Verizon announced this week that the Super Bowl will be streamed for free for Verizon wireless customers through its new mobile service go90–thanks to the existing deal it has with the NFL. Including this Sunday, the big game has been streamed online for five years in a row, AdWeek reports, but the 18-49 demo has not increased in recent years. If the issue is where the age group watches the game, go90 could potentially steal some viewership from CBSsports.com and its apps. Moreover, as part of the Super Bowl coverage go90 is streaming three concerts in San Francisco live–and Hunter Hayes, Fall Out Boy takes and Skrillex are big with younger audiences.
While Super Bowl 50 could set another TV viewership record, the audience that matters most to advertisers-adults 18 to 49-has been largely stagnant in recent years. But that may have to do more with where this crucial audience segment is watching the game, than whether they’re watching it at all.


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Incorporating electronic components into everything we wear is the fashion trend of the future. But those LEDs, health sensors, heaters and whatever else we’ll come up with all need energy. A battery is a logical solution, but it’s been difficult to design one that’s rugged and efficient, but also comfortable.
However, in a study published today in Science Advances, a team from the University of California, Berkeley described a battery that perhaps satisfies all of those parameters.
The battery is made out of springs and charged by an integrated solar cell. The battery’s unprecedented tolerance to repeated bending and ability to bend in any direction makes it well suited for integration into wearable electronics such as health monitors.
Aminy Ostfeld, a post-doc at Berkeley, says the project emerged from the question, “What is the limiting factor on the comfort for a person?” in current wearable devices. Even a small watch battery, says Ostfeld, “looks large and chunky and uncomfortable” next to state-of-the-art bendable sensors.
Batteries are comprised of a few main components: an anode, cathode and electrolyte. Commercial battery designs such as lithium-ion batteries are made of two solid electrodes and a liquid electrolyte. None of these components have noteworthy intrinsic elasticity, and attempts to make them from more flexible materials, so far, have come at significant cost to battery performance.
In this new battery, rigid metal components are instead wound into coils (springs), which are layered on top of one another. The resulting battery looks like a long, thin slinky.
“This battery design gives us a lot of options,” says graduate student Alla Zamarayeva, a main author of the paper. The tightness and size of the springs can be customized to suit a range of applications.
“Safety is a primary design consideration,” says Zamarayeva, when the device is going to be worn. The silver-zinc battery design was chosen for its high-energy density and non-toxic materials. Zamarayeva says moving forward she hopes to make battery components that are both safe and biodegradable.
“Disposal of all of these wearable devices will become an issue…we need to look forward and anticipate that,” she says.
A solar cell designed by Ostfeld was also made with flexibility and every-day lighting in mind. Attaching a power source to the battery is “a whole huge step which people don’t really appreciate,” says Zamarayeva.
The majority of studies in this field have focused on the battery, charging mechanism and sensor components individually, but significant effort is required to optimize an integrated system. Ostfeld thinks it’s likely that their group will work on finding that holistic solution.
On all design fronts, Ostfeld and Zamarayeva see renewable energy sources as critical to the future of wearable devices. The smaller electronic devices become and the more electronic devices we own, the more inconvenient it becomes to keep everything charged by plugging them into an outlet.
“You’re not going to carry a can of gas around with you, you have to be collecting energy from the environment,” says Ostfeld.
As proof of concept, the battery and solar cell were combined into a simple, yet striking, bracelet. “Looking at this from the wearable medical sensing device perspective,” says Ostfeld, “there are a large number of vital signs that can be measured from the wrist in particular…but the battery designs that we have would be applicable for essentially anywhere else on the body as well because they’re so mechanically flexible.”


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The first calendar quarter wrapped up last week and, as Korea’s two main chaebols tell it, it has been a good winter.
Reuters reports that Samsung is looking forward to gross revenues of ₩60 trillion ($56.2 billion) for the period, even as its semiconductor business is cooling off after a hot streak. Forecasts from Samsung and competitor Apple are looking at $14.7 billion in profits, beating the street consensus by $1.1 billion.
Investors are somewhat worried as memory chip prices have started sliding, but they expect 2018 to be an overall “strong” year. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S9 launch has been able to attract buyers to the Galaxy S8 and other second-tier mobile products, though analysts are looking to Xiaomi as one of the bigger threats coming up.
Meanwhile, LG has announced that first quarter profits of about $1 billion will be the highest logged since the second quarter of 2009. The manufacturer has been able to stake out a premium position in home appliances and OLED televisions with its Signature lineup. Meanwhile, the mobile division is expected to have rounded a full year of losses.


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Retailers Put Full Force Behind New 'Star Wars' Merchandise
A slew of new "Star Wars" merchandise debuted today, dubbed "Force Friday," prompting retailers including Amazon, Disney Stores and Parks, Target, Toys R Us, and Walmart to open their doors at midnight to be among the first to sell items like the BB-8 app-enabled droid, an animatronic Darth Vader and the crossguard lightsaber.
The new merchandise is tied to the latest installment in the "Star Wars" franchise," Star Wars: Episode IV -- The Force Awakens," which is expected to be one of the hottest movies of the year. And some retailers are acting quickly to distinguish themselves as "Star Wars" destinations heading into the holiday season.
"Whenever you've got an event like this, with the heavy merchandising that's going behind it … it's a good idea for retailers to catch the buzz," said Charlie O'Shea, VP-senior analyst at Moody's, adding that from here on out, retailers are in a "marathon race" to the holidays.
Some marketers pulled out all of the stops this week to promote the film's product line at select locations. In Times Square, Toys R Us kicked off the festivities yesterday with book signings, meet and greets, lightsaber training and a costume contest, leading up to the debut of a dedicated in-store "Star Wars" shop at midnight.
The merchandise could give Toys R Us, in particular, a boost heading into the holiday season as it refocuses shoppers' attention on toys, its specialty, rather than video games or apparel. The retailer is expected to plug the "Star Wars" product line throughout the coming months with promotions and events.
"Toys R Us needs raging success in the toy business to be successful," said Mr. O'Shea, comparing it to general retailers like Walmart and Amazon, which aren't as reliant on toys because they rely on a mix of merchandise. "['Force Friday'] highlights what [Toys R Us] is, which is a destination toy retailer. Toys went at this as hard as they could."
Target, which also has a dedicated "Star Wars" space in-store, pushed "Force Friday" with an interactive online experience where fans can share their "Star Wars" memories. It also teamed up with celebrities like TV personality Chris Hardwick, who live streamed his "Star Wars" shopping journey on Periscope last night.
Retailers that took part in the event, like Walmart and Amazon, also pushed exclusive items and promotions throughout the day. Pottery Barn leveraged the film with a new children's collection featuring a Millennium Falcon-inspired bed and licensed linens. And Disney added to the already massive hype surrounding the film and its merchandise with a global unboxing event on YouTube on Thursday that starred Maker Studios' influencers like EvanTubeHD and Chris Pirillo.
The big question will be whether Disney, toy-makers such as Hasbro and retailers like Toys R Us and Target can keep the momentum going over the next three months. The film debuts December 18, which gives retailers an opportunity to carefully plan promotions and inventory around the holiday season.
"There are a lot of people with a lot invested here," said Mr. O'Shea, who has spent the last 13 years researching toys and retail at Moody's. "I don't recall seeing something promoted as heavily as this that will need legs this long since I've been here."


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Recent survey reveals this week's trend
New low also for repossessions
CoreLogic reveals what's keeping delinquency and foreclosure rates down
"A majority of consumers clearly have reservations about purchasing a home at current prices"
Latest jobs report released
Data offers "a fitting finish to the frenzy of the past year"


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Neopets is coming back and this time – it’s in your pocket!
Neopets is bringing holiday cheer to Neopians all around the world by announcing the official release date for the highly anticipated Neopets Legends & Letters mobile game.
Fans both old and new, can capture the magic of nostalgic gameplay and look forward to enjoying brand new customizable characters and storylines with the first Neopets RPG word-puzzle battle game available on both mobile and tablet devices on January 17, 2019.
The New Year is looking especially bright for Neopia as the team continues working to completely revamp the Neopets Universe by converting it to a mobile app now slated for a summer 2019 release. Comic-Con 2019 will feature unprecedented celebrations, events and prizes to honor this milestone for the entire Neopets community.
Taylor Lord, Director of Marketing, Community & Web shares, “The reason for the holiday season is to spread joy. Our dedicated Neopets team is happy to share that the Neopets universe is gaining new life in 2019 with mobile technology and keeping Neopia alive and well for all fans. Neopets Legends & Letters and all of Neopia will be ready for seasoned gamers who have played Neopets for decades, and also for new fans who are eager to experience this beloved internet game for the very first time.”
Leading interactive entertainment developer and publisher BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. are pleased to announce DRAGON BALL LEGENDS is now available as a free download on the App Store and Google Play.
This new one-finger card action battle game lets players go head-to-head in real time with rivals from around the globe in PVP battles at home or on-the-go.
DRAGON BALL LEGENDS has the legendary Goku and a trio of brand-new characters drawn by Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama himself.
Shallot, a time-displaced Saiyan from the past
Zahha, a magical swordsman sent from a far-flung world
A mysterious hooded man
DRAGON BALL LEGENDS was originally announced via a pre-launch campaign in March and since that time it has broken BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment’s all-time record with over 4.5 million total registrations.
In commemoration of this milestone, all users who begin playing the game today will receive Goku, Frieza, a rare character and Chrono Crystals (items used to summon fighters in-game) upon download.
“DRAGON BALL LEGENDS introduces an innovative one-finger battle system that gives players of all experience levels the ability to fight like Goku, Gohan and Vegeta” said Keigo Ikeda, Producer of DRAGON BALL LEGENDS (BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc).


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Much like other states in New England, the usual crowds of people who gather at bars and restaurants to revel and celebrate the new year in Maine will not do so this year.
For weeks, Gov. Janet Mills had mandated a 9 p.m. closure time to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the state. On Wednesday, Mills extended that required closing time "until further notice."
For businesses, especially bars who bill themselves as New Year's Eve destinations, that means there will be no year-end boost.
Get the latest news on COVID-19 delivered to you. Click here to sign up for our coronavirus newsletter.
But for other restaurants and businesses, an evening of celebration that is modified for the pandemic might not present a massive financial challenge.
"We're probably going to be busy," said Drew Kinney, the head chef and kitchen manager at Wilson County Barbecue, a restaurant that opened in Portland's Bayside neighborhood in January 2020.
"From Christmas Day until today, it's been non-stop for us, we've had a lot of dine-in customers, a lot of takeout and we do a third-party delivery service which has been really crushing it for us," Kinney said.
Kinney believes many Mainers have already adapted to the 9 p.m. closing time and a number are grabbing family style takeout when they might not have before.
"The people that aren't used to it are the ones that are visiting for the holidays," he said.
Meanwhile, at Portland Beer Hub, a hybrid beer retail store and tap house, owner Jorgen Persson said New Year's Eve was "really slow" but a quieter winter was following a "monster year" thanks to a busy summer of outdoor dining in Boothby Square.
As for the 9 p.m. closing time, Persson said it would not have that big of an impact on his business for the time being.
More on the Coronavirus in Maine
"Not really for me because I'm switching to e-commerce and retail. We have the luxury to do that," he said.
Both businesses said they hoped to build on momentum they had achieved this year in 2021.
Persson hoped to expand and improve his outdoor dining set up while Kinney said he hoped Wilson County would continue to see even more customers in the new year.
Overall, Maine's COVID-19 outlook on New Year's Eve can be described as mixed.
The state recorded one of its highest daily numbers on Thursday at 702 new cases while it also reported 13 new deaths. There have now been 24,201 cases and 347 deaths, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
On Wednesday, the total number of people vaccinated against COVID-19 in Maine exceeded the total number of cases of the virus in the state since numbers began being recorded in early 2020.


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BMW certainly shocked us with the release of its i3 and i8 models, as they seem ahead of their time, although Top Gear did point out that there is still a long way to go before the range will be considered an ideal alternative to some of the other BMW models.
The German carmaker must be thinking the same thing, as Ludwig Willisch, the BMW North America CEO has been chatting to AutoblogGreen, and said that they have no plans to launch or even work on the BMW i5 and i7 anytime soon.
While he said the BMW i5 and i7 development could happen, he never gave any sort of timescale, just saying it will not happen within the next few years. It would seem that BMW is putting more effort into its new range of plug-in hybrid models.
BMW already told us last year that it plans to make a plug-in hybrid version of all its current model line-up, and we already know the first of these is the X5 xDrive40e, as she is currently being teased at the New York Auto Show.
You can finally get to see all the new models from various carmakers, as today is the start of those public days. We would advise you to head to the booths where the McLaren 570S Coupe and Range Rover SVAutobiography are, as well as the LM2 Streamliner concept.
*Identifying Monetised Links - outgoing links that we monetise are marked with an '*' symbol.


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The NFT market is in an interesting space at the moment. On one hand, we are seeing new and exciting projects being announced every other day, as well as growing interest from corporate brands. On the other hand, the industry is still feeling the effects of the crypto winter and this has meant that NFT collections and marketplaces have suffered a decline in trading volume.
Case in point, SuperRare Labs, the parent company of the popular NFT marketplace, has announced that it will be reducing its workforce by 30%. This was confirmed by its CEO John Crain in a message on Slack from January 6, 2023.
Why SuperRare is Cutting Jobs
In his announcement, Crain explained that the company had made hiring decisions according to market conditions at the time, which meant that hiring decisions were made. However, the company has since realised that its quick expansion is unsustainable and this has caused the decision to downsize.
“During the recent bull run, we grew in tandem with the market. In recent months it’s become clear that this aggressive growth was unsustainable: we over-hired, and I take full ownership of this mistake. To correct course, we’ve made the difficult decision to rightsize our team, ensuring that SuperRare Labs will be able to continue serving our community of artists, collectors and curators while remaining the destination for the best cryptoart in the world,” the statement said.
Crain noted that SuperRare Labs is proud of the team that it has built and will be supporting those who have been let go in finding new opportunities.
Obviously, while this is an unfortunate situation for SuperRare Labs, Crain has said this isn’t the end- for the company or for web3 as a whole. The industry has suffered some setbacks in recent times but he notes that there is more to come for web3 in the form of NFTs, cryptoart, decentralized finance, and much more. SuperrareLabs, on its part, will be focusing on the burgeoning global digital renaissance and creating more access to it for consumers.
“This journey is a marathon, not a sprint: we’ve achieved a tremendous amount in the past five years, from the very first artwork sold on SuperRare to Web3 spearheading the future of digital culture across nearly every industry. Each and every team member at SuperRare Labs helped make this revolution happen and they will forever be a part of our story,” the message said.
Powering Through the Crypto Winter
We have, unfortunately, found ourselves in the middle of a crypto winter and this has meant that companies within the blockchain sector have had to lay off staff, with NFT projects not being spared.
But as Crain has said, this does not spell the end of web3 or even NFTs. While companies brace for the winter, it is a chance for those in the industry to come out even stronger than before. And given our past collective experience with crypto winters, that is what will likely happen.


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[LISTEN] Why there’s big money in the legal marijuana industry
It’s now legal in South Africa to grow and consume dagga for personal use.
CAPE TOWN – The legal marijuana industry could generate up to $75 billion by 2030, according to analysts.
During an interview with CapeTalk radio, Jeremy Berke, a science and innovation reporter at Business Insider, discussed the huge economic boost of the rapidly growing legal dagga industry in the US.
Unathi Henama, a lecturer at the Department of Tourism Management at Tshwane University of Technology, says the legalisation will also be good for the local economy.
Listen to the audio above for more.


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Deal falls over competition issues
FanDuel and DraftKings abandon merger plan
Fantasy sports companies FanDuel and DraftKings have called off their merger in the face of growing opposition from the regulatory authorities.
The Federal Trade Commission, along with attorneys general from California and the District of Columbia, filed legal suits to block the merger over competition concerns.
The two companies account for 90% of the daily fantasy market in the US.
Markus H. Meier, acting director of the Bureau of Competition, said in a statement: “The parties’ decision to abandon this transaction is a clear win for American consumers.
“For years, the vigorous competition between DraftKings and FanDuel has spurred innovation and favourable pricing. In brief, consumers benefited from the intense rivalry between the two leading players in this space. If this merger had been allowed to go through, those benefits would likely have been lost.”
As late as Wednesday this week the two companies were arguing the case for the deal. But they faced an expensive legal battle with the FTC – estimated by some at $15m – and are also being pursued by several other ongoing suits. The two are fighting legal claims in a number of states in addition to a large class-action suit that is proceeding in a federal court in Boston.
FanDuel CEO Nigel Eccles said in a statement: “FanDuel decided to merge with DraftKings last November, because we believed that this deal would have increased investment in growth and product development thereby benefiting consumers and the greater sports entertainment industry.
“There is still enormous, untapped market opportunity for FanDuel, and we will continue to execute our strategy to grow our business and further expand the fantasy sports industry.”
His counterpart at DraftKingsJason Robins said in his statement that calling off the merger was in the best interest of everyone involved.
“We believe it is in the best interests of our customers, employees, and investors to terminate our agreement to merge with FanDuel and move forward as a separate company,” he said.
The future for both companies is now in question. Neither is profitable, although Mr Eccles told Daily Business last year the company had chosen to divert earnings into its marketing budget.
FanDuel launched in Scotland in 2009 and is now based in New York. It is number two in the US for paid daily fantasy sports contests behind DraftKings, which started in Boston in 2012.
Daily Business revealed earlier this year that FanDuel had pulled out of plans to relocate its offices at Quartermile in Edinburgh.


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EAST PROVIDENCE, RI, September 19, 2013 /24-7PressRelease/
-- For over 30 years, home security company executive Christopher Morra
has been keeping track of the most recent technological developments in the home security industry. This has proven to be a full-time job, as rapid advancements in online and mobile technology of late have been crossing over into every other sector, including home security.
The most recent advancements in this technological crossover are covered in a recent news article
by Digital Trends, including one such smart home security system that has not only been developed, but also produced and will soon be ready to be shipped out to consumers.
This smart phone integrated security device looks much like any other small home security camera. It comes equipped with motion activated sensors, and it can record video as well as stream live footage.
What sets this particular device apart, however, is its ability to be modified and controlled via an app that is installed on the homeowner's smart phone. Through it, homeowners can check in on the security of their home from their phone anywhere there is an Internet connection. They can also program different alerts for the device, such as when the homeowner is at home, when they are away, and when they are asleep.
"This represents an inevitable but, nevertheless, impressive milestone in home security," explains Christopher Morra, home security company founder and owner. Devices such as this are giving homeowners security options that they never had before, allowing an unheard of level of home monitoring and threat detection. These types of system are also often much more convenient for homeowners constantly on the go, because they can know about a security breach immediately and take action then and there rather than having to wait until they get home to discover the breach."
According to the article, although the technology behind this particular home security device is solid and production has been issued, it is still being withheld from consumers in order for the developers to make a few more adjustments. Tweaks like multi-room functionality for multiple cameras and an increase in video quality for better facial feature recognition are still being made.
When this and other products like it do finally hit the market, Christopher Morra is excited about the impact that they will have on homeowners' peace of mind.
Chief Executive Officer Christopher Morra is the founder and leader of National Security and Fire Alarm Systems in East Providence, RI, a business he started as a teenager. For over 30 years since, Morra and his company have been intensely focused on customer service and satisfaction above all else. They have even gone so far as to intentionally lose money in order to better accommodate the needs of their customers. The company also keeps up with all of the advancements in technology in their industry, and all of their security systems are made in the United States. Morra himself also serves his community through his work with the local government, including helping to save citizens $4 million in unnecessary tax increases.


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REA raises the possibility that it’s the bat he used to hit the first home run in Yankee Stadium history.
A New Jersey collector had a front row seat to the terrorist attacks ten years ago.
Two sports card businesses in the same geographic area both find success; one online…the other clinging to the brick-and-mortar method.
Decades-old rarities mix with vintage cards and items with a $10 starting bid in Hunt Auctions’ 1200-lot internet/phone auction.
People are buying on eBay in big numbers… from wherever they happen to be at the time.
The auction went into triple overtime, but when the dust settled, a one of a kind Ty Cobb autographed bat brought big money for MEARS.
New data from eBay reveals who’s spending what on eBay via their mobile phones, including sports collectors.
Pokemon continues to poke at Beckett over the use of photos that depict it trading cards.
Ever wonder why big sports memorabilia auctions close during the week?
Topps is hoping you’ll take a picture of one of their cards and take action when the mobile phone returns information and an immediate shopping opportunity.
A small hoard of 19th century Old Judge cards turn up in Indiana..the second big find of it’s kind for an LA dealer.
Mastro Auctions’ latest phone book-sized auction catalog hit the front porch with a thud. We have content highlights.
First of all, I'd like to thank "Karen" at Delta Airlines for confirming my reservation for the trip to Anaheim this week. Somehow I don't think that's her real name since just about anyone who answers the phone at Delta or America On Line is probably more likely to be sitting at a work station in New Delhi […]


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Maldon: Salt now has Kosher status
Maldon’s finest export now has Kosher status.
A jewish rabbi from Manchester visited the Maldon Sea Salt factory at Wycke Hill Business Park, Maldon, to inspect the process of producing the salt.
Steven Osborne, the managing director of Maldon Sea Salt, organised Rabbi Steiner from Manchester Beth Din certifiers to inspect the salt after people from Isreal wanted to buy it.
He said: “Having Kosher status opens many new doors for Maldon salt as many people are using it to know the quality of the product.
“It means we can export it to many more markets across the world.”
Maldon Sea Salt currently ships the salt to 45 countries and hopes to make Isreal its 46th.


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VW Group’s CEO attended the event at Barcelona, Spain
According to USNews, Volkswagen’s Chief Executive Officer, Herbert Diess, referred to the production of Electric Vehicles in Spain.
On March 4th, the Spanish government announced it will use European Union funds to create a public-private consortium. The collaboration will proceed with SEAT, which is a Volkswagen’s subsidiary, and power company Iberdrola. They will build Spain’s first factory for Electric Vehicle batteries.
In 2020, SEAT showed its intention to produce a small Electric Vehicle in Spain from 2025. However, the Spanish automotive company needs public aid for the production of EVs to meet tougher emissions regulations.
Diess, Spanish King Felipe and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez attended the event at SEAT’s plant in Martorell near Barcelona. Diess mentioned the potential project would include battery production and receive EU’s pandemic recovery funds. However, he stressed more backing was needed at the same time.
Who is Volkswagen Group?
Volkswagen Group is a German multinational automotive manufacturer, and was founded in 1937. Its head office is located in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. The Group comprises 12 brands from 7 European countries. They are Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT, ŠKODA, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, Ducati, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Scania and MAN.
The Volkswagen Group is on the way to realize the biggest change in its history with “TOGETHER – Strategy 2025” program. The German automotive giant wants to become a globally leading provider of sustainable mobility. To achieve that, the Group will be transforming its automotive core business. Thus, it will launch a further 30-plus fully electric cars by 2025. In addition, it will expand battery technology and autonomous driving as new core competences.
Why is an Electric Vehicle important in Spain?
According to ANFAC’s report, gasoline engine was accounted for 47.8% of units sold in Spain in February 2021. In addition, diesel engine and others such as BEV, PHV, HV, FCV and CNG were 23.1% and 29.0%, respectively. Therefore, the data shows the demand of eco-friendly vehicles is increasing.
On the other hand, Spain is the second largest country in Europe in terms of the production volume of vehicles. Therefore, EVs production becomes more important from not only customer perspective but also business perspective.
Volkswagen made a clear decision
Volkswagen Group will focus in new areas other than combustion or diesel engine vehicles. New areas are Electrification (Electric Vehicles), battery technology and autonomous driving. The German company will invest 73 billion EUR in electrification, hybrid powertrains and digital technology over the next five years.
Therefore, Volkswagen Group has already made a big decision and shown the clear direction in the future. However, the competition among automotive companies becomes intensified and more difficult, because the competitors also took bold actions.
For example, its German rival, Daimler, decided to seek for Electrification and Autonomous Driving separately. The Chinese hardware companies collaborate with the software companies. For example, there are co-manufacturing EVs between Baidu and Geely, or the partnership between BYD and Didi Chuxing.
Battery production in automotive makers
The most valuable automotive company, Tesla, has the gigafactory in Nevada and other factories in Shanghai and Berlin. In addition, it unveiled that it would operate in India in 2021. Tesla announced that it would produce its own battery cell in Battery Day, which was held in September 2020.
In this sense, Volkswagen’s subsidiary, SEAT, seems behind in Electric Vehicle production. This is because the company wants to manufacture EVs from 2025. In addition, batteries can be bottle neck for EV production in Spain as well as Europe. Thus, the government support is necessary to realize this schedule and speed up it more.
Large corporation’s leaders such as Volkswagen should dialogue with several stakeholders including politicians. It is tough but critical to make their business successful and sustainable.


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Last week, Xiaomi teased the release of the company’s first ever laptop to be launched in India. As confirmed by Xiaomi India chief Manu Kumar Jain on Monday, the launch is set to take place on 11 June.
The executive of Xiaomi India claims that the laptop will be India-exclusive and has been made keeping the Indian customers in mind. He also confirms that it will be a Mi Notebook and not RedmiBook.
As revealed by Jain, the soon-to-hit Indian markets, Mi Notebook is a brand new laptop and the launch will take place on the slated date.
The Mi Notebook will mark the entry of the Xiaomi brand into the laptop world in India. The device has already received BIS certification. Considering Xiaomi’s unique pricing strategy, Mi Notebook will offer a cut-throat competition to it’s rivals.
Mi Notebook : Expected Price
Mi Notebook is available in China with a price label of RMB 3,999, which is approximately equal to Rs 40,130 in India. It is possible that the brand launches the device with a similar price tag in India.
The launch event will begin at 12pm (noon) IST and will be streamed across Xiaomi’s all social media platforms and Mi.com too. The launch will take place in online mode only.
Mi Notebook : Features
Mi Notebook comes with a 13.3-inch full HD display with an 89 per cent screen-to-body ratio. Powered by Intel’s 10th generation Core processors and matched with the Nvidia GeForce MX250 GPU, the device also has an excellent battery life as it is backed 40WHr battery. The company claims that the 40WHr battery offers a battery life of 11 hours on a single charge. The company also claims that the device can charge to 50 per cent within 35 minutes.
The laptop comes with 8GB of DDR4 RAM and a 512GB NVMe SSD.
The device sports a chiclet-style keyboard and comes with DTS surround sound support.
The decision to launch laptop in this pandemic situation can be considered a wise one, as most of us are stuck with our laptops all day long.


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By Julie Stepanek Shiflett, ph.d.
We had a first in June: Packers were charging producers and feeders to get rid of pelts. The U.S. pelt market had fallen so low that it was not worth the packers’ time to salt and market some pelts. Apparently it was also not worth the processing and storage costs to stock pelts until the market improved.
Adrian Knox, director of sheepskin exporter and processor Knox International, commented that the pelt market can be characterized by the “perfect storm”: some Chinese tanneries have closed due to pollution controls, Russia had a mild winter – lowering the demand for lambskin coats – the Russian rouble strengthened and political unrest in the Ukraine, (The Weekly Times, 4/16/14). Mr. Knox added that if demand didn’t rise by June, prices could continue their downward slump – to levels not seen since 1992/93 (The Weekly Times, 4/16/14).
Prices did continue to fall, so much so that by mid-June U.S. packers were charging producers $1 per piece to get rid of some lower-quality pelts. Other pelts were worth nothing.
The U.S. is primarily dependent upon the international export market for its pelt sales and thus vulnerable to reduced international demand and exposed to weakening international pelt prices.
U.S. pelt prices dropped an average 47 percent monthly in June to average $3.04 per piece. Fall Clips pelts averaged $4.25 per pelt in June, down 45 percent monthly and 68 percent lower year-on-year. No. 1 pelts averaged $3.56 per piece, down 42 percent monthly and down 65 percent from a year ago.
In 2013 Fall Clips averaged $12.64 and No. 1s were $10.04 per piece, by comparison.
U.S. pelt quality was also at issue this spring. U.S. suffered from a good supply of pelts that were particularly short, No. 3s and No. 4s (less than 3/8 of an inch of wool). Perhaps this was the sacrifice of timely marketings this spring, lambs in feedlots didn’t have to grow longer pelts. By mid-June the shorter pelts were of distinctly inferior quality and packers charged producers a $1 to dispose the pelts with some paying zero credit.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) explained that average to lower quality pelts were in large supply and in low demand. Pelt credits given to producers thus continued to fall in June and “struggled to find support,” (USDA/AMS, 6/13/14).
In early July, Meat & Livestock Australia reported, “sheep skin rates remained mostly stable, particularly for those carrying more length, while demand is reportedly still quite subdued for shorter length sheep skin categories,” (7/4/14).
Another factor that didn’t help the U.S. pelt market is anecdotal evidence that Australian pelts are more competitive on international markets.
Weaker pelt prices are particularly painful for some producers because sometimes the pelt is the only profit received on a lamb sale.
This June the pelt value amounted to a mere 2 percent of a lamb’s value compared to 6 percent a year ago.
Feeder Lamb Prices Mixed
In June, feeder lamb prices in direct trade averaged $133 per cwt., 16 percent lower monthly and 37 percent higher year-on-year. At $133 per cwt., June’s average was still 1 percent higher than its 5-year average for the month. However, June’s market was set by only one trade of 6,100 head out of Oregon with 102.5-lb. shorn lambs averaging $135 per cwt. and 105-lb. wooled lambs bringing $131 per cwt. June’s direct trade dropped to less than one-half of its May volume.
The live, auction average of 60-90 lbs. feeder lambs at auction in Colorado, South Dakota and Texas was $196.99 per cwt. in June, 3 percent higher monthly and up 84 percent year-on-year. The San Angelo average was $179.50 per cwt., $186.25 per cwt. in Ft. Collins and $225.22 per cwt. in Sioux Falls.
Slaughter Lamb Prices Higher
Live, auction slaughter lamb prices strengthened into June relative to formula prices. It is hypothesized that packers bid up prices at auction in an effort to secure supplies. Anecdotal evidence suggests that while the number of packers has stabilized, some packers might be slaughtering an increased volume of lambs. This puts pressure on all packers to get lambs committed. To the producers’ benefit, it also can mean increased competition and higher prices.
In June live, auction slaughter lamb prices averaged $156.87 per cwt., 11 percent higher monthly and 44 percent higher year-on-year. June’s average was 19 percent higher than its 5-year average.
San Angelo saw the greatest regional gain with an 18 percent jump to $160.83 per cwt. South Dakota saw prices gain 3 percent to $152.34 per cwt. and Kalona, Iowa weakened marginally by one-half percent to $157.67 per cwt.
At $276.86 per cwt., carcass-based slaughter lamb prices in formula trades fell 2 percent in June yet still 23 percent higher year-on-year. On a live-equivalent basis, prices were $136.70 per cwt.
Prices in live, negotiated trades averaged $142.45 per cwt., down 3 percent and up 21 percent year-on-year.
Wholesale Market Mixed
The carcass market saw a 1 percent gain in June to $312.03 per cwt., 24 percent higher year-on-year. Stronger prices might be seasonal – prices often spike during late spring or early summer – but also a function of Ramadan – the Muslim month of fasting and celebration.
During the first half of 2014, the carcass trade comprised of only 15 percent of federally-inspected slaughter compared to 26 percent five years ago.
At $360.09 per cwt., the wholesale market dropped 2 percent monthly yet was up 27 percent year-on-year. After subtracting estimated processing and packaging costs, the average was $326.34 per cwt. The stronger loin couldn’t support the cutout when the rack, leg and shoulder were weakening.
The loin, trimmed 4×4, was $497.45 per cwt., up 4 percent monthly and up 9 percent year-on-year.
The 8-rib rack, medium, fell 2 percent to $792.95 per cwt., up 54 percent year-on-year. The leg, trotter-off, averaged $354.24 per cwt., down 6 percent monthly and up 14 percent year-on-year. The shoulder, square-cut, fell 2 percent to $291.32 per cwt., up 30 percent year-on-year. Ground lamb stayed mostly steady in June at $526.89 per cwt., down 2 percent year-on-year.
At the beginning of June, lamb and mutton freezer inventory was 25.2 million lbs., down 5 percent monthly and up 27 percent year-on-year.
Ground Lamb Spiked above $8/Lb.
Lamb featuring at retail is highly responsive to U.S. holidays with Easter and December seeing sharply more feature activity, but we also see heightened featuring for Memorial Day and July 4th.
In the month to the first week of June, the number of lamb features more than doubled from about 2,500 to over 5,200. In early June, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing service reported “lamb items suitable for the grill were very popular; with racks, rib and loin chops being the key featured items,” (6/6/14). AMS reported that by mid-June, lamb shoulder items were the most popular featured items with 1,300 to 1,700 outlets. By the third week of June, lamb featuring had fallen off by nearly one-half with shoulder items and loin chops remaining the most advertised items. By the time July 4th rolled around, featuring activity was up about 1,000 features with noted more featured for the lamb leg.
With a 43 percent year-on-year gain, ground lamb averaged $7.47 per lb. in June with some weeks hitting a record-high $8.61 per lb.
At $9.75 per lb., lamb loin chops were 6 percent higher in June year-on-year. Shoulder blade chops jumped 12 percent year-on-year to $5.50 per lb. The lamb leg items have remained relatively steady to lower over the past two years and the rack has seen only marginal gains yet the lamb breast, the shoulder roast and lamb and mutton stew meats have been noticeably stronger.
The Daily Livestock Report found that the severe U.S. winter led to pent up meat demand that was revealed in the late spring in higher foodservice sales. The restaurant current conditions index in May was nearly the highest in 5 years. DLR reported, “food service operators are basically saying that current business is as good as they have seen after the major recession of 2008-09,” (7/2/14).
While we know that beef and pork demand increased, we don’t know whether lamb demand followed suit. Higher demand means higher or constant sales volume at higher or constant prices and while we see some higher cut prices at retail, we don’t know how much is actually being sold at retail and foodservice.
On a more positive note, higher consumer incomes could support lamb demand in coming months. The University of Michigan survey recorded the largest proportion of households (40 percent) that reported making financial gains, the highest in nearly seven years (June 2014). After a harsh winter and a first-quarter contraction in the U.S. income, this is good news for the lamb industry.
Australian Imports Higher
In the first-half of the year, lamb imports from Australia were up 16 percent year-on-year to 22,405 tons with a 9 percent increase in fresh product and a 22 percent rise in frozen product over this time.
Meat & Livestock Australia reported that the U.S. remains Australia’s highest-valued export market, significant for its racks, loins, shanks and legs (6/27/14). This year, Meat & Livestock Australia sponsored a lamb campaign in the food service sector in the Greater Miami area. The target was Texas de Brazil, “an authentic Brazilian-American “Churrascaria,” or steakhouse. With locations in 16 states across the U.S. — including Detroit, Denver and Las Vegas – Texas de Brazil offers lamb racks, leg and loin chops used on skewers – Brazilian charrascaria style.
The Livestock Market Information Center (LMIC) estimated that third-quarter national slaughter lamb prices could range from $310 to $320 per cwt. on a carcass-basis, 33 percent higher year-on-year (about $158 per cwt. on a live basis). Sixty to 90-lb. feeders in direct trade could range from $200 to $210 per cwt., 80 percent higher year-on-year.
There was a concern that the flood of California feeders into Colorado feedlots earlier this year would cause a price-depressing backlog in supply. These worries didn’t materialize (as of June!). Slaughter rates were relatively high and slaughter weights remained within a normal range at 73 lbs. dressed weight. The concern lies in where all these lambs are going. Are they being sold at retail and foodservice or headed to the freezer?
In the coming year, the industry might also face repercussions from the ongoing drought.
Drought might prompt further losses in inventory and more tender and lower yielding wool next year. In early July parts of California and Oklahoma exhibited the highest-ranking exceptional drought as reported by the U.S. Drought Monitor. In seven other states from Kansas to Oregon to Arizona drought was extreme.
Potential Halal Market Growth
There are an estimated 1.6 million American Muslims with $20 billion in food purchases annually (meatingplace.com, 6/14). Adnan Durrani, founder of Saffron Road – GMO-free, all-natural and certified halal – is the first halal brand sold nationally in stores such as Safeway, Kroger and Costco. Its Whole Foods offerings – in all Whole Foods stores – saw two years of volume and sales increases (meatingplace.com, 6/2014). In Ahold, its Saffron Roads frozen foods grew 500 percent in 9 months. Among its 16 frozen entrees, 2 feature lamb.
Mr. Durrani commented that while the U.S. kosher market is mature, U.S. halal sales have great potential to grow in the U.S., perhaps up to $5 billion over the next 10 years (Meatingplace, 6/14).
Halal foods remain important to many Muslims, but the method behind halal foods – the practices of animal welfare and safe handling – appeal to the broader younger generation, Muslim or not. This is why the segment is expected to grow. According to Mr. Durrani, “they are attracted to the values that the premium halal segment brings to the category. Saffron Road offers all-natural, antibiotic-free, organic meat, sourced from humanely raised livestock.
Halal refers to foods that are considered permitted or lawful in the Muslim Qu’ran. These foods, and in this case animals, must be treated with respect and be well cared for. When the animal is harvested, the jugular vein is cut and the blood from the animal is allowed to drain. (Muslims are not allowed to consume blood or blood byproducts.) The animal is also blessed at the time of slaughter.
July was an important month for Muslims for the start of Ramadan and the month of fasting was June 28 this year with Eid ul-Fitr – the festival of fast breaking – on July 29 to 31. Muslim holidays are based on the lunar calendar and thus fall on different dates each year. Muslim holidays typically fall 11 days earlier each year.
What’s in a Price?
Formula, negotiated, packer owned, auction….How does a producer know where to turn to determine the value of his or her lamb? Lamb prices are reported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and often by auctions across the country. If local auction prices are not available, national prices are.
However, prudent marketing requires that national prices be recognized for what they do and do not represent.
Over time more feeder and slaughter lamb trades moved out of auctions and into private conference rooms (or through truck windows on the roadside). As more and more prices were determined through formula pricing, packer owned slaughter or other marketing agreements, the open cash market (think auctions) became less valuable as a measure of industry value. Then came Mandatory Price Reporting (MPR). MPR requires reporting of otherwise private trades: that is, packer owned, formula and negotiated slaughter lamb sales.
Another lamb packer is now reporting under Mandatory Price Reporting (MPR) packer owned lambs which resulted in a spike in the volume of packer owned lambs reported in September 2013. Accounting for more lambs in the system is great news, but determining lambs’ worth is still a challenge for industry producers. This year to June, MPR prices represented 57 percent of total federally-inspected slaughter. We don’t necessarily have prices on the other 43 percent. Most are likely auction trades, but we can’t know for certain. The remainder might be packer order buyers buying at auction (no price reported). Or, smaller packers with direct marketing agreements with producers, but that fall under the MPR threshold of 75,000 head per year.
As the volume of packer owned lambs rose, the volume of formula lambs fell from over 60 percent to less than 40 percent of total MPR trades. This means now one in five, instead of one-third of lambs sold nationally was a value-added formula trade.
If we include the other national price series – negotiated sales – national prices are reported on only an estimated 30 percent of federally-inspected lambs, compared to nearly 40 percent 10 months ago.
In sum, the national prices available – either formula or negotiated – currently account for only one-third of national slaughter.
Most of these are sold on a value-added formula for which we do have carcass weights and the remainder are sold on a live basis for which we have average weights.
In June packers prioritized securing supplies (i.e., packer owned) over promoting premiums for quality lambs (i.e., formula). It is not known when formula sales are committed to packers for slaughter – it could be a week or six months out.
According to AMS a formula marketing agreement is as follows: “An advanced commitment of lambs for slaughter using a method for calculating price.
For slaughter lambs the base price is not negotiated, but is based on some other price (such as plant average or weighted average price) or value determining mechanism that may or may not be known at the time the deal is struck. The final net price is determined after application of premiums and discounts.”
What this means is that the ultimate price reported by AMS for formula lambs includes a set of premiums and discounts that is unknown to the public and a formula base price that is also unknown to the public. We do know the net price and carcass weight which are helpful in determining lambs’ value.
It is encouraged that the industry be grateful for the price information it has available, but be an educated and vigilant researcher when negotiating trades.