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Google is launching its first Canadian accelerator for “high-potential, early-stage” tech startups seeking to harness the power of artificial intelligence and machine-learning capabilities, The Logic has learned.
The three-month accelerator—called Google for Startups Accelerator Canada—will be based in Waterloo, Ont., where the company has a growing physical and technical footprint. Google confirmed the launch as part of a national expansion plan announced Thursday, which includes growing its workforce to 5,000 employees by 2022 across new offices in Toronto, Waterloo and Montreal.
Google’s first Canadian incubator is part of an expansion plan that will see the company set up new offices in Toronto, Montreal and Waterloo to house 5,000 employees. The accelerator is launching 15 years after the company first established roots in Waterloo, Ont. Until now, Google had chosen to partner with startup hubs like Communitech, offering its resources and mentorship to entrepreneurs, but shied away from creating its own programming for startups. Steve Woods, Google’s senior director of engineering, told The Logic that this accelerator is trying something new by sharing both Google’s expertise and its partnerships, offering “an ecosystem of support.”
“We are at the phase of growth and maturation in Canada that we can do this,” said Steve Woods, Google’s senior engineering director.
The company first set roots north of the border in 2001 with a single employee. Its Canadian workforce currently numbers 1,500, but the company expects to add more engineers to work on cloud and security, as well as gaming developers, sales and marketing staff and AI researchers.
While 5,000 employees would represent a significant increase in Google’s Canadian footprint, it would still lag the larger workforces some of its Big Tech competitors have here. Amazon expects to have 15,000 employees in Canada by 2022; IBM currently has over 13,000.
The completion dates for Google’s new offices are “staggered,” said spokesperson Aaron Brindle. The Montreal location, which will host up to 1,000 employees on 425 Viger Ave. W. in the downtown core, may be ready to move in “as early as the end of this year.” Google’s cloud gaming firm, Stadia, made its first investment in the city last month with the purchase of Typhoon Studios.
In Toronto, the company “may have bridge spaces to accommodate near term needs, but we will not be moving out of our current location on Richmond or our offices on Adelaide [streets],” Brindle said.
The expanded plans do not mention Sidewalk Labs’ proposed Google Canada headquarters at Villiers West in Toronto. Google has been described as an anchor tenant at the site its sister company wants to develop as part of a controversial smart-city project. In its Master Innovation and Development Plan, Sidewalk Labs said parent company Alphabet was targeting 500,000 square feet of space in the development to accommodate 2,500 jobs.
“We’re in discussions with Waterfront Toronto as well as with Google and Alphabet about if we can move [the headquarters] over to Quayside,” Sidewalk Labs CEO Dan Doctoroff said at a Toronto Region Board of Trade event last month. “There’s a number of really good possibilities there, and so our focus is that we’ll be able to do that.”
Sidewalk’s proposals for the waterfront “did not factor into decisions around this new office,” said a Google source who was not willing to be identified. The company remains “very excited” about the work Sidewalk Labs is undertaking “and committed to exploring a future headquarters on Toronto’s waterfront if it continues to be part of Sidewalk Labs’ innovation plan.”
The most immediate outcome of Thursday’s announcement, however, will be the launch of the accelerator. It will accept two cohorts this year, with eight to 10 startups in each group. Applications for the first open March 2. The program will be led by Ashley Francisco, Canada startup ecosystem lead, who has been with the company for almost five years. In the coming weeks, the company will be exploring themes for the first cohort, which could range from health to graphics to gaming.
Woods said that in the 15 years the company has been in Kitchener-Waterloo, home to Google’s biggest Canadian office, he has seen the region grow from an emerging tech scene to a vibrant centre of innovation. It currently hosts almost 1,000 of the company’s engineers, along with its cloud health division.
Until now, Woods said, Google had chosen to partner with hubs like Communitech to offer mentorship and resources to entrepreneurs, rather than run its own programming. But as it looks to keep growing and giving back to the community, it wants to take on a more active role.
Woods said the new incubator will fill a gap the company has observed in Canada. While the country hosts many incubators that attract companies looking to scale up, he said Google’s accelerator will focus on revenue-generating tech startups in the seed or Series A stages—“normal kinds of startups, interesting startups.”
Big Tech-backed accelerators have been taking root across the country. Microsoft Canada announced a business accelerator in Ottawa earlier this week. Canada’s first Amazon Alexa incubator was launched late last year, also in Waterloo. IBM created its first-ever innovation incubator in Toronto four years ago.
“Accelerators are hard to define,” Woods said. “Each has a different focus.” Google, he added, is trying something new by offering the technical expertise and relationships it has garnered in the region alongside the ecosystem it has supported and become a part of.
“We’re exposing companies to an ecosystem of support, not just us. That’s rare across Canada, or even the world,” he said.
Google’s decision to set up the incubator “was less of an instantaneous change and more of a gradual decision,” Woods said. The company has spoken to all of its community members who are “on board” and will work collaboratively with the firm to create an ecosystem in which the startups can grow.
According to a 2019 economic impact report the company released Thursday, Google’s search and advertising products helped generate up to $23 billion for more than 500,000 businesses in Canada last year. The study, conducted for Google by opinion research firm Public First, claims the company’s impact was equivalent to approximately 1.1 per cent of Canada’s entire GDP.
“Canada’s digital economy is now bigger than its forestry, mining and gas industries, and the transition to digital reflects incredible momentum for Canadian businesses leveraging data and online technologies,” said Alphabet and Google CFO Ruth Porat in a statement, citing a May 2019 Statistics Canada report.
This will be Google’s 12th incubator globally; it has similar startup incubators in Japan, Brazil, India and Mexico.
The goal for the Canadian iteration is to tie Google’s success to that of Canada’s startups, Woods said, and make the country “a destination for people to build companies and grow companies.” Woods hopes the accelerator will help emerging firms retain talent and expertise.
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“This is not a zero-sum game for the region, for Canada, for anyone,” Woods said. “It’s not our incubator, it’s the community’s, who can take advantage of our capabilities.
“It’s an experiment. We’ll see how it works.”
Continue the conversation on The Logic Council, our subscriber-only Slack channel.


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Denim makers are making jeans stretchier to get in on the athleisure market
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If you walk into a blue jean manufacturing factory, among the piles of indigo fabric and spools of thread, you’ll find a material that’s a little different. There’s a good chance a lot of that material comes from one of the oldest denim mills in the country — Cone Denim. Kara Nicholas, vice president of product design and marketing, said they’ve been noticing a trend for some time.
“Comfort is a key attribute that consumers are looking for in their denim jeans,” Nicholas said. “People are multitasking, they need to move, they need to get things done so they want to be comfortable.”
Ten years ago, Cone Denim noticed that more women were wearing leggings, so the company invested millions in developing fabrics that would help jean makers compete.
“The way that that’s addressed is: let’s increase the amount of stretch,” she explained. “The technology in the stretch yarn advances for denim fabric and we increase the amount of stretch we put into the jean.”
The new denim fabric is a combination of spandex, polyester and cotton that gives stretch while maintaining its shape. It’s been popular. Big manufacturers like Levi’s and Old Navy along with smaller designer brands have picked it up and incorporated it into both women’s and men’s jeans.
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|What Trump’s trade policies could mean for the high-end jeans business
Ken Morris, co-founder of Boston Retail Partners, said the shift comes at a time when there’s not just demand for comfort, but also when 1970s skin-tight jeans are back in fashion. He said jean makers are hitting certain reference points.
“The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Rod Stewart and Twiggy, that time frame,” he said. “And then the infamous move with Brooke Shields with Calvin Klein jeans.”
After taking a dip for a couple of years in a row, jean sales are expected to rise more than two percent in 2017. Many fashion and retail analysts credit the advanced denim fabric technology. Nicholas isn’t worried about the future of the denim jean business.
“They’re not going anywhere,” Nicholas said confidently. “They’re just going to continue to evolve and keep up with the trends.”
Trends like a combination of jeans and leggings — jeggings. A concept a lot of people (including this reporter) are still struggling to wrap their heads around.
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HBA Issues Call for Speakers for Sept. 28-30 Conference
HBA Global Expo is seeking speakers for its educational program, which will take place Sept. 28-30 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York. Show organizers are encouraging leaders in all areas of the health and beauty business including marketers, product developers, consultants, educators, researchers, entrepreneurs and manufacturers to submit an application.
HBA attracts more than 16,000 industry professionals including the world’s top beauty brands and suppliers. The 2010 HBA educational program will feature a marketing and technical conference along with dedicated conference programs focused on green cosmetics, the global perspective, and future trends.
Sessions in the HBA conference programs are 90-minute panels and include three speakers addressing different elements of a similar topic. Some of the topics that will be covered include an in-depth look at product categories, market and distribution trends, creating successful brands, package design and consumer appeal, innovation and idea generation, regulatory update, social media, connecting to the consumer and real-world case studies.
Those interested in speaking at HBA should submit a 150-word description of a proposed topic, a brief bio (including previous speaking experience) and full contact information to Rebecca Fraimow, education program director, rebecca.fraimow@ ubm.com. More info: www.hbaexpo.com
Natural Veteran Duber-Smith Lauded by WSJ
The Dow Jones Company has presented natural products industry veteran and marketing professor Darrin C. Duber-Smith with the 3rd annual Wall Street Journal Distinguished Professor 2009 award.
Duber-Smith, president of Green Marketing, Inc. and marketing professor at Metropolitan State College in Denver, CO, was chosen among nine other professors out of 1,000 candidates who were nominated nationally to receive the honor for integrating practical business tools and experiences into the classroom.
Duber-Smith had held marketing management positions with Zand Herbal Formulas, Nature’s Apothecary, and Natural Business Communications (the founders of the LOHAS market segmentation) prior to forming Green Marketing, Inc. in 2000.
A speaker at more than 50 industry events and author of more than 60 articles, Duber-Smith most recently published an article in the January issue of Happi (“What to do about Sustainability: Applying The Green Imperative”). He will also be a featured speaker at the upcoming Cosmetics Sustainability Summit on March 26 in New York City.
IFF Perfumer Karagueuzoglou Named a Rising Star
International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (IFF) perfumer Juliette Karagueuzoglou was selected a 2010 “Rising Star” at the Fashion Group International’s 13th annual rising star awards luncheon, which was held Jan. 22 in New York City. The event honors outstanding individuals for their innovation, creativity and accomplishments.
Karagueuzoglou joined IFF in March 2002. After one year as assistant perfumer and three years of training with the top IFF perfumers in Paris, she joined the IFF perfume school in January 2006 dividing her time between the Grasse, France and New York schools. She returned to Paris, where she is currently based, and became junior perfumer in July 2007.
Cognis Creates APG Microsite
Cognis has a new microsite that provides comprehensive information about alkyl polyglucoside surfactants (APG). Obtained from natural, plant-derived raw materials such as vegetable oils and starch, APGs are used in environmentally-sound, high-performance products for the personal care, home care and industrial and institutional cleaning markets. They can help manufacturers turn formulations green without compromising on performance while fulfilling diverse worldwide environmental organization requirements, according to Cognis.
The microsite contains details about the products’ application areas, the specific benefits that APGs bring to these markets, and shows manufacturers and formulators at a glance which ecolabels and certification bodies have already approved APG surfactants. The site also provides practical examples of how APGs can open up new commercial opportunities.More info: www.cognis-apg.com
NPA Issues Natural Standards For Household Cleaners
The Natural Products Association (NPA) has extended its natural seal and standard to include home care products, such as household cleaners, laundry detergents, concentrated and ready-to-use hard surface cleaners. The formation of the home care standard is the second of its kind from the NPA. In May 2008, the NPA established a standard and seal for natural personal care products, such as lotions, balms and shampoos. More than 340 products have currently been approved and certified.
“A number of products that are mainly synthetic are being positioned as natural. This leads to significant consumer confusion about the category and products people are choosing,” said Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D., vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs at the NPA. “To provide the consumer peace of mind in the marketplace, the new natural standard for home care will inject integrity into natural for the person who matters most, the consumer,”he said.
Under the new program, products must follow strict guidelines set out by the NPA to merit bearing the seal. The criteria include, but are not limited to:
• Product must be made up of at least 95% truly natural ingredients or ingredients that are derived from natural sources, excluding water
• No ingredients with any suspected human health risks
• No processes that significantly or adversely alter the natural ingredients
• Ingredients that come from a purposeful, natural source (flora, fauna, mineral)
• Processes that are minimal and don’t use synthetic/harsh chemicals
• Non-natural ingredients only when viable natural alternative ingredients are unavailable and only when there are absolutely no suspected potential human health risks
• Transparency and full disclosure of ingredients
The full set of criteria can be found on the Natural Products Association website at www.TheNaturalSeal.org.
ACE Partners with A&E on Inhalant Abuse Prevention
The Alliance for Consumer Education (ACE) has teamed up with A&E Television to raise awareness of inhalant abuse via an hour long special devoted to the subject. “Intervention In-depth: Huffing,” which aired on Feb. 9, featured ACE Trustee Jeff Williams and others whose families have been impacted by inhalants.
When A&E learned that ACE was producing a series of public service announcements (PSA) that featured Allison, the subject of the most popular episode of“Intervention,” they sent a film crew to tape the“making of the ACE PSA.”
CAPCO Has New Website
The Consumer Aerosol Products Council (CAPCO) has a newwebsite, www.AerosolProducts.org,which delivers facts about aerosol products and has been specially designed for teachers, consumers and media.
The site includes information about the environmental aspects of aerosol products, the history of the aerosol industry, and the technology that makes possible the unique product packaging form.It also includes the answers to frequently asked questions and a special section related to facts vs. myths. An environmental section explores recycling and explains why aerosols do not harm the Earth’s upper ozone layer and why the industry removed chlorofluorocarbons from their products in the 1970s.
The new site is part of CAPCO’s social media plan, including fan pages on FaceBook and an industry blog.


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Bazaarvoice CEO discounts antitrust lawsuit's effect
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Collins, the Austin-based company’s former chief financial officer until he replaced founding CEO Brett Hurt in November, put his best spin on the effect of the lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice in early January.
“Morale is good,” he said during opening remarks. “In fact, I’d say it’s very good.”
During his subsequent call with analysts, Collins declined to comment on any tangible effect the suit has had on operations.
“We’re spending a lot of money with lawyers,” he said. “Our clients are happy with us. We’re operating our business on the front lines the way we always have.”
Bazaarvoice (Nasdaq: BV), which employs 796 workers, manages online product ratings and reviews for clients such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT).
It posted a third-quarter loss of $10.8 million on revenue of $42.6 million compared with a $6.5 million loss and revenue of $27.6 million during the same period in 2012, according to a Thursday filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
In early January, the U.S. Department of Justice filed an antitrust lawsuit against Bazaarvoice in connection with its 2012 acquisition of California-based PowerReviews Inc. The suit came two months after founder Hurt abruptly resigned his position. The company’s stock price has declined nearly 60 percent since its initial public offering last year and more than 48 percent since Hurt stepped down.
It was trading below $6.75 per share on Thursday afternoon compared with more than $20 per share in April 2012.
Christopher Calnan covers technology, finance and clean energy for the Austin Business Journal. Subscribe to the Energy Inc. newsletter
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Wosbee webshops will close in April 2013
- Launching new webshops is no longer possible
Former provider of Wosbee.com and Wosbee webshops, Smilehouse, has sold its Wosbee ecommerce business to Pulse247 Oy,
a Finnish ecommerce software developer. Due to this transaction launching new Wosbee webshops is no longer possible.
Wosbee.com and all Wosbee webshops will shut down on April 30th 2013.
Online merchants are offered an easy way to open a new webshop or transfer old Wosbee webshops into Pulse247 Oy’s own ecommerce software called MyCashflow.
MyCashflow offers customer service both in Finnish and in English.
By selling the Wosbee business, Smilehouse intends to further focus on its core business. Smilehouse specializes in building extensive ecommerce and product information control solutions for large and medium-sized enterprises.
For more information:
MyCashflow / Pulse247 Oy


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From 20-22 September 2023, BITEC, Bangkok was abuzz with industry professionals as the show floor put the spotlight on metallurgy and foundry technology alongside the wire, cable, tube, and pipe sectors at the co-located trade fairs: GIFA and METEC Southeast Asia, and wire and Tube Southeast Asia.
Well-established trade fairs wire and Tube Southeast Asia staged an impressive comeback alongside the debut of GIFA and METEC SOUTHEAST ASIA, exceeding expectations with 244 exhibitors from 32 countries, and close to 6,000 visitors from 60 countries, which included 30 percent coming from outside of Thailand.
The foundry and metallurgy industry in Indonesia can look forward to the staging of GIFA and METEC Indonesia in 2023 as these specialist trade fairs make their debut alongside the growing foundry systems, die casting technology and metallurgy sectors. Jointly organised by Messe Düsseldorf Asia and PT Pamerindo Indonesia (part of Informa Markets) the first edition of GIFA and METEC Indonesia will take place from 13 to 16 September 2023 at JI Expo, Jakarta, Indonesia.
In a strategic expansion into the growing foundry systems, die casting technology and metallurgy sectors, Messe Düsseldorf Asia will present two new specialist exhibitions to the Southeast Asian market - GIFA and METEC Southeast Asia dedicated to these industries and catering to the region. The biennial exhibitions will take place from 5 to 7 October 2022 at BITEC, Bangkok, Thailand.


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While automakers continue to roll out trucks and SUVs, there’s still a desire for sedans, as evidenced by their sales numbers.
Data from the first quarter 2023 shows that sedans and other types of cars made up 21.4% of the 3.6 million new vehicles sold, up from 19.6% in fourth quarter 2021, according to the Automotive News Research and Data Center. This marks a slight increase after years of decline. This shift is noteworthy since the share of cars has been on the decline in the U.S. since 2002.
Inflation has also caused some people to tighten their car budget and look for a more fuel-efficient ride, according to Capital One Auto Navigator. “That’s good news for sedans, which tend to cost less and sometimes return better gas mileage than comparable crossovers,” per Capital One.
Indeed, sales of the 2023 Subaru Legacy midsize sedan were up 106.9% in September, with 2,727 models delivered to customers compared with 1,318 sales in September 2022. The Legacy sedan is up 14.4% in the first nine months, with 19,622 models sold to customers in 2023.
There are reports that Subaru of Indiana Automotive, where the Legacy is manufactured, may be considering rebalancing its North American production capacity so the automaker can build more electric vehicles in the U.S. factory.
But for now, the vehicle offers a lot for the money. The 2023 Subaru Legacy Sport model that we test drove starts at $33,895 and includes the nicely powered 2.4L DOHC Turbo Subaru Boxer engine with auto start stop. With a sport-tuned suspension, the Sport version is meant to be more fun to drive. A red stripe in the grill and red stitching in the seat upholstery is special to the Sport edition.
The vehicle also features a good number of standard equipment and safety features, some which might be associated with an SUV, like symmetrical all-wheel drive.
While some drivers might find the Driver Focus Distraction Mitigation System annoying, if you bear with its prompts, it will make you a more attentive and safer driver.
The safety system also includes a vigorous blind-spot detection with red cross-traffic alert. But be forewarned: If you are trying to pull out of a driveway and a garbage can is at the curb nearby, the car will automatically brake very hard because it “sees” it and is trying to prevent a collision.
The seats were comfortable even after a 600-mile weekend road trip from Detroit to Chicago. The adaptive cruise control with lane centering worked like a charm, even in stop-and-go traffic and construction zones.
The car was easy to parallel park on tight city streets, yet still had a surprising amount of cargo space. We fit an impressive 10 medium -ized boxes and two small carryon suitcases in the back with the seats folded down.
A helpful no-cost feature was a lever in the trunk area that allowed a user to push the back seats into the down position without opening up the rear seat area.
It’s little touches like this that make the Subaru Legacy feel like a thoughtful and driver-friendly vehicle worth considering while you still can.


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Amstel launches first ever TV campaign
20th June 2016
Amstel is unveiling a new TV advert showcasing its Amsterdam provenance on screen during the England v Slovakia game.
Developed in the UK, the ad marks the first time the premium lager brand has advertised on television, reflecting significant investment focus from Heineken.
The ad tells the story of Jaap, the owner of Amsterdam’s smallest bar, and his dedication to turning it into Amsterdam’s biggest. Despite his bar only seating six people, Jaap spends his spare time collecting chairs. At home, he has over 400 chairs crammed into every nook and cranny. But for Jaap and his wife, living with so many chairs is worth it… because once every few years, when the canals freeze over, Jaap's tiny bar sprawls out onto the ice and becomes Amsterdam's biggest. It’s a place where the whole of Amsterdam comes together for an incredible time over a glass of Amstel.
David Lette, UK Brand director at Heineken said: “Amstel has seen double digit growth in the UK on- trade each year for the past five years and shows no signs of slowing down. This new TV ad, filmed in Amsterdam, will drive further awareness of the brand’s continental origins and showcase what we stand for, which is bringing people together for quality moments. We are looking forward to maximising our partnerships in the on- trade to make the most of the increased consumer excitement around the engaging new TV ad.”
The new campaign can be viewed here.« Back to News


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January 17th, 2006
Following up on our previous post, small wineries are once again crying foul in Illinois over legislation introduced by the Illinois distributor lobby. The bill would require an initial on-site purchase before off-site sales can be made and would establish a customer aggregate volume limit of two cases per year. Illinois wineries are taking issue with both the previous visit requirement as well as the customer aggregate volume limit. Fred Koehler, president of Lynfred Winery calls the two case limit “ridiculous” and estimates that they could lose up to 15-20 percent of revenues under the bill.


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The town of Mamou is located in the county of Evangeline. It covers a total area of 3.6 sq. km. The development of businesses like supplies of alternative medicine, household appliances, auto transmission, supplies of building materials, childcare services, courier service, supplies of fruits and vegetables, freight forwarding, propane gas, supplies of landscaping equipments, oil and lubrication, contracting in plumbing, sheet metal and motor freight, contribute to the local economy in a positive way. Commercial spaces are utilized by rehabilitation services, campgrounds and parking lot stations.
$14 million Investment in Cleantech Business Incubator Initiative Supports the Development of 141 Clean Energy Companies across the State (Long Island, NY) Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that 141 clean technology companies have been supported and primed for further growth through the Governor’s Cleantech Business Incubator initiative. The initiative has attracted more than $215 million in private capital and..


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For years, parents have struggled to get their children to willingly consume healthy foods. And the struggle is only getting worse—today’s tech-savvy kids are too sophisticated for old school techniques like “Here comes the airplane.”
That’s where the Argentinian firm Wunderman comes in. According to Wired, they’ve created Yumit, a blue-tooth connected dinner plate that monitors how much a child eats, then converts that information into digital “points." Once the meal is over, kids can use their accumulated points in a range of mobile games. It’s a neat teaching tool—the app not only provides an incentive for kids to eat their vegetables, but also illustrates the importance of healthy eating by converting each bite of food into virtual energy. The plate itself also lights up as kids eat more of their food, serving as a visual progress report.
The app is still in development while Wunderman works on the games to accompany their Yumit plate. (They plan to seek more funding for the concept.) But impatient parents shouldn't worry—the Wunderman team understands your plight, and is working hard to get their product out to the public as soon as possible. They hope to benefit too: creative technologist Rodrigo Gorosterrazu came up with the idea for Yumit in response to his own daughter's refusal to eat the food he'd made for her.


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Stella McCartney has announced a second take on her version of the iconic sports shoe, the Stan Smith, in collaboration with the second-largest sportswear brand globally, Adidas. Following the success on the debut vegan Stan […]
According to The Independent, British designer, Stella McCartney, and rubber boot and footwear brand, Hunter, have collaborated to launch a sustainably-sourced vegan wellington boot. The boots were showcased on the Paris runway as part of […]
Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift has collaborated with fashion designer Stella McCartney on a new fashion line. Consisting of jackets, t-shirts, hoodies and a tote bag, the line is vegan with a sustainable focus.
The Stella McCartney label has announced it has reached an agreement with luxury goods company LVMH (Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton SE) with Ms McCartney being taken aboard as a sustainability advisor. The acquisition comes […]
The steadily-growing vegan trend is not limited to food; this has been confirmed by a recent analysis of the fashion search engine Lyst. The vegan Stan Smith sneaker, designed by Stella McCartney with Adidas, leads […]
Brazil‘s largest city, São Paulo is rolling out weekly meat free meals in the city’s schools in an initiative by Meat Free Monday’s sister organisation, Segunda Sem Carne, which is dedicated to educating people about […]
Vegan fashion designer Stella McCartney has had a long-standing relationship with sports brand Adidas which spans 13 years. Her high-end luxury sportswear collection has been popular with consumers especially in UK and US markets. Now […]
The fashion industry is becoming more and more vegan-friendly, because more labels are eliminating animal products from their clothing. A designer prize for the best wool alternative has now been awarded to participating students from all […]
Miley Cyrus is an often-controversial popstar with one of the biggest followings in social media. In the past, her fame was associated with negative connotations and scandal. However, recently the 25 year-old singer has been […]
The vegan lifestyle magazine “Vegan Food and Living” will host London’s first vegan fashion show, called “Bare Show”, in the summer of 2018.
Paul McCartney, the ‘second voice’ of The Beatles, is an asset to the vegan community. He recently gave a lengthy interview in a UK newspaper about the need for change. The interview was published on […]
Vegan fashion designer Stella McCartney has launched her new spring/summer collection.


text: To kick-off the season of making New Year's resolutions, Baskin-Robbins®, America's favorite neighborhood ice cream shop, is ringing in the New Year with the introduction of BRight Choices treats. BRight Choices are better-for-you light ice cream options including fat free, dairy free, no sugar added and light ice cream offerings. BRight Choices flavors have all the great taste and quality customers expect from Baskin-Robbins but with less guilt. It's a great option for moms looking for a healthier option while out with their kids. To celebrate the launch of BRight Choices, Baskin-Robbins is celebrating the bright choices customers make each day with BRight Choices Day on Jan. 15, 2009. On BRight Choices Day, participating Baskin-Robbins shops nationwide will offer a free BRight Choices scoop to any customer with proof of a gym membership. BRight Choices flavors are indicated by a pink star decal.


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"Siri, play the top song from 1982." Apple Music's silliest element sets the new $10 subscription service apart from the pack -- but will it get you to pay?
Worldly looks and top-notch specs make the impressive, metal Samsung Galaxy S6 the Android phone to beat for 2015.
CNET's Marguerite Reardon explains to an AT&T unlimited-data customer what the FCC's historic fine against the company for misleading customers really means.
Facebook has rolled out a new tool that makes it easy to celebrate pride. Twitter adds rainbow hearts to #LoveWins tweets. And Google Hangouts get a visit from pride-filled emojis.
CNET explains what FLAC is, as well as where to buy music in the FLAC format, and how to play it on your iPhone, computer, or MP3 player.
On-demand smartphone apps are known for addressing the whims and desires of the comfortable. It turns out they can also serve the greater good.
The venerable comic book maker has inspired movies, television shows and video games. Now, for the first time, the trend is working in reverse.
Need help getting started on all-you-can-stream services like Spotify and Apple Music? Here are the six questions to ponder before you sign up.
Vinli goes beyond basic fuel economy monitoring with 4G LTE, Wi-Fi hotspotting, GPS and more.
These Bluetooth headphones sold out fast last time, and may do so again now that they're even cheaper. Plus: three bonus deals!


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Poker players will soon learn how much more fun it is to play in an immersive Web3 environment, according to Gala Games creator Eric Schiermeyer.
A new Web3 social poker game called PokerGO Play will be released as a result of a partnership between PokerGO and Gala Games, a GameFi project. Users will be able to improve and upgrade their players thanks to this cooperation, which also gives them the chance to win tangible goods. PokerGO Play will begin its beta testing phase in June, and a complete release is anticipated for later in the year.
PokerGO unveiled its Genesis nonfungible tokens (NFT) collection in May 2022, which represented all conceivable Texas Hold’em beginning hand combinations. With a floor price of 0.1 ETH and a total trading volume of 52 Ether, the collection has experienced remarkable growth. NFT owners have benefited from benefits like chances to win money, mementos, and goods when their hand emerges in winning situations.
Gala Games and PokerGO hope to give players an engaging and gratifying social gaming experience by utilizing the cutting-edge capabilities of Web3 technology and fusing them with the thrill of poker. The two sites’ cooperation creates new avenues for incorporating NFTs and blockchain technology into the realm of online poker.
As part of the May 22 announcement, developers wrote:
“PokerGO Genesis NFT holders will receive beneficial status within the game, and the two sides plan to host special events inside the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas.“
Gala is the developer behind a series of Ethereum-based play-to-earn blockchain games. On May 18, Gala developers announced that it had burned over 21 billion Gala (GALA) tokens worth approximately $640 million after the protocol’s v2 airdrop.


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Kyle Krause talks about his future plans, Krause Gateway Center
Kyle Krause’s first involvement with his family’s companies began at age 9 when he helped fill orders for what is now Solar Transport.
At age 10, he began doing odd jobs at Kum & Go, the convenience store chain started by Krause’s father and grandfather in 1959.
“They’ve been part of my entire life,” Krause, 60, said of Kum & Go and Solar Transport.
Krause’s relationship with the convenience store chain and fuel transportation business ended today with their sale to Utah-based Maverik for an undisclosed price.
Krause was 35 when he started Kum & Go LC, an organization that operated four convenience stores separately from stores owned by his father, William Krause. Within six years, Kyle Krause had grown his business to 250 stores. In 2004, Krause became CEO and president of a company that included his father’s convenience store business as well as the one he launched in 1998.
“Kum & Go has grown into a fantastic branded company with great people,” said Krause, founder and CEO of Krause Group, the parent company of nine U.S. and Italian-based businesses that include professional soccer teams, wineries, a hotel, sheep farm and real estate development group. “To have a company that was created 64 years ago and still have it wonderfully successful today is because of the great people we’ve had working here.”
Deciding to sell Kum & Go was not an easy decision, Krause said. Several options were considered, including adding majority or minority investors, he said. Krause mulled several offers before deciding to accept one from Maverik that included acquiring both Kum & Go and Solar Transport.
The sale to Maverik “is the best possible outcome for our employees, customers and the community,” Krause said. “Maverik is a family business. They think long term. They take care of their people. They’re highly philanthropic. They balance doing good and profitability in a good way. … In the end, we ended up with a wonderful buyer.”
Krause’s plans for money from sale
Among the things Krause has done with the money from the sale of the two companies is give employees a bonus. “Every single person who works for us got a bonus as a ‘thank you’ because they are the ones who allowed this [sale] to happen,” Krause said. “Without their effort, there’s not a sale.”
Investments will also be made in expanding and transforming Krause Group, formed in 2021. The company could explore opportunities in food, fashion, media or social investing, Krause said. He emphasized that there are no acquisitions currently being considered.
However, Krause has priorities he hopes to pursue, including pushing forward development of the Pro Iowa stadium in Des Moines and developing the real estate that surrounds the proposed project and launching a USL Championship soccer team.
If the stadium project fails to move forward, “we do something else,” Krause said. “What that is, I don’t know.”
In addition, Krause said he hopes to expand his businesses in Italy, including building a soccer training facility and stadium in Parma, developing a women’s soccer team, buying more wineries and expanding Krause Group’s hospitality footprint.
Krause said that he and his wife Sharon donate at least 10% of their business profits annually and will continue to do so.
“We tend to do our philanthropy in the markets in which we do business, so Des Moines will be becoming a much bigger market for us,” Krause said.
Krause Group will also continue enhancing its Corporate Social Responsibility goals, which focus on gender equality, climate change and inequities among people. Kum & Go had been the face of much of the philanthropy and Corporate Social Responsibility efforts, Krause said. “We’ll continue to do those things but through Krause Group.”
Will Krause stay in Des Moines?
The sale of Kum & Go isn’t an indication that Krause is ready to retire or leave Des Moines, Krause said. “I get asked if I’m retiring. I am not. I still have nine companies that will keep me very, very busy.”
Krause also said he and Sharon have no plans on leaving Des Moines. Three of the couple’s five children live in the area, as do three grandchildren.
“This is our home,” he said.
Krause also said he has no plans to sell or donate the Krause Gateway Center, Krause Group’s headquarters at 1459 Grand Ave. in downtown Des Moines. The building, which was completed in 2018, was designed and constructed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop in collaboration with OPN Architects, and general contractor Ryan Cos. US Inc.
The building features include an abundance of natural lighting, collaborative workspaces, outdoor meeting spaces, a rooftop garden and a first-floor art collection.
“From the day we built this, you knew it was ours,” Krause said. “It’s not an office building built for someone to lease out. It was built because of a desire for the design and what we did. So, this is ours.”
The Gateway Center currently houses about 100 people who work for Krause Group as well as those who are Kum & Go and Solar Transport employees. Within the next few months, employees of the convenience store and fuel transport company will relocate to other office space in the Des Moines area. If development of the stadium moves forward, Krause Group will hire additional people to work on the projects, Krause said.
“We will use this building more, not just for real estate development and soccer but for holding more events and opening it up to the public more,” Krause said.
Over the years, Krause has regularly stopped at Kum & Go to fill his vehicle with gas and talk with staff to get a sense of how things are going.
“The first time I stop at a Kum & Go, it’ll probably be a little bit melancholy knowing it’s not yours anymore,” he said. “But, you still have pride in what our people did to create this [convenience store chain]. A year from now, five years from now, the stores will probably look a little different and that’s okay. … You just know that you’re giving up control.”
RELATED ARTICLES: Deal closed: Maverik buys Kum & Go


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The solar PV market is poised to rise from the ashes of its 2011 crisis to grow to US$155 billion in 2018, according to analysts at Lux Research.
According to the company's latest report latest report Market Size Update 2013: Return to Equilibrium, the recent solar crisis will become a boon, as record low prices boost demand, more than doubling the global market to 61.7GW driven by a healthy 10.5% compound annual growth rate.
Lux Research provides a more long-term view claiming the PV market will rapidly ramp up to 61.7GW in 2018.
“Manufacturers’ nightmare is turning into a long-term boon for the industry. Record low prices pushed gross margins to near zero or below, but they’ve made solar installations competitive in more markets,” said Ed Cahill, Lux Research associate and the lead author of the report.
“Supply and demand will come back into balance in 2015, easing price pressure, returning manufacturers to profitability and restoring the industry to equilibrium.”
Lux Research analysts used a detailed levelised cost of energy analysis in 156 separate geographies, accounting for 82% of the world’s population, to determine the viability and competitiveness of solar in each market.
Analysts also concluded that the US, China, Japan and India will take over where Germany and Italy left off. With an 18% CAGR to 10.8GW of installations in 2018, the United States will emerge the world’s second largest market. But China will leapfrog it, growing over 15% annually to 12.4GW in 2018.
Utility-scale installations are expected to grow the fastest from 8.6GW in 2012 to 19.9GW in 2018. Commercial installations will however make up most of the market as markets like the US and Japan move to large rooftop installations.
Although analysts in general concur that China is becoming a major market, IHS and NPD Solarbuzz are downplaying China’s contribution for this year stating the government’s target of 10GW of installations is too optimistic and believes around 6GW is a more realistic expectation.
On the other hand, IHS is forecasting another year of record installations topping 35GW.


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Sustainable lifestyle brand Koskela will launch its new concept space and branded quarters later this week at the redeveloped area of Sub Base Platypus, a former submarine base in North Sydney.
The space will see the best of Australian furniture design showcased throughout, and will also host exhibitions from a number of First Nations artists from around the country.
“We are excited to open this curated space to provide a new experience for our customers. The role of the store has changed since COVID and we believe our new location reflects the type of experience customers are looking for,” says Sasha Titchkosky, co-founder of Koskela.
“We want to connect and create memories with our visitors, bringing real connection and meaning to the pieces they own…hoping to make them heirlooms to cherish and hold on to as a piece of Australian history. At a time of peak growth for the brand, we believe the destination store will only strengthen our relationships and further diversify the brand’s reach. »
The 500m² split-level store is made of Australian solid timber and Sydney sandstone, two key features of the site and the region. Koskela has also collaborated with three-time Archibald Prize finalist and Koori artist Blak Douglas on a permanent installation that will be unveiled in the coming weeks.
Sub Base Platypus lived its life as a torpedo factory, submarine base, and gas plant before being redesigned for Koskela by ASPECT Studio and lahznimmo architects. Their work saw the two practices win the 2021 Walter Burley Griffin Prize for Urban Design, and is one of Sydney’s newest centers for leisure and community work, featuring a scenic waterfront promenade with views of iconic Sydney Harbour, a shaded BBQ area with seating, and a pocket play area.
Harbor Trust executive director Janet Carding says the union of Koskela and Sub Base Platypus is harmonious.
“Koskela’s reputation for ethical and sustainable design and its commitment to supporting First Nations creators made it a natural choice for the Harbor Trust. Sub Base Platypus is growing into a vibrant community, and this latest collaboration will help breathe new life into this former sea base in an innovative and commercially sensible way.
Platypus Subbase operated as a submarine base from 1967 until it was closed by the Royal Australian Navy in 1999. In 2005 the Federal Government handed over the site to the Harbor Trust, leading to the development of the Platypus renewal.
“Looking for a new space, we focused on finding a place that captured the essence of Sydney and naturally the harbor was always front and center. We are delighted to have found a new home in this remarkable location – steeped in history and with beautiful waterfront views. Even the HMAS Platypus motto ‘Nothing too difficult’ seems appropriate for our new home,” says Titchkosky.
The operations move comes at an opportune time for Koskela, which recently renewed its ambition, purpose and promise with branding agency Frost*collective. Koskela Sub Base Platypus will open on Saturday, March 19 and will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit koskela.com.au.


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His departure comes just days after senior vice president Roy Taylor announced his departure from the distributor
Data Select director of marketing Jason Kemp has left the business by mutual consent after eight-and-a-half years with the distributor.
It comes just days after senior vice president Roy Taylor announced his departure from the Marlow-based Data Select after nine years. He is leaving to care for his wife who is suffering from an aggressive form of cancer.
No decision on whether to appoint a successor to Kemp has been made and his responsibilities will be absorbed by marketing manager, Tina Jones, purchasing director, Steve Hankey and sales director, Ian Miller.
During his time at Data Select, Kemp (pictured) was part of the management team that launched partner group, the Platinum Club, JCB Toughphone and the recently launched trade-in and buyback service.
Kemp told Mobile News that Taylor’s decision had made him look at his own personal circumstances which had seen him based away from his Staffordshire home for most of the last decade.
He will take the summer off before deciding the next step in his career.
Kemp said: “It’s time to reevaluate my priorities and living away from home four nights a week for eight years has taken its toll. It’s time to go home.”
Richard Daly, CEO of Data Select parent company Brandpath added:
“Jason has been a great asset to Data Select over the years and we wish him all the best for the future.”
Prior to Data Select, Kemp held a number of other telecoms roles including executive marketing manager at Caudwell Communications and marketing manager of 20:20 Logistics.


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On average, 40%–45% of a company’s revenue goes to procurement spend. This makes spend management a critical business function; arguably the most critical.
Yet, a recent IDC survey revealed that more than 50% of organizations are still working with fragmented applications to manage spend. They’re feeling the impact in the form of excessive logistics costs, high inventory-carry costs, and challenges in driving compliance.
If your organization is looking to move to the next level of spend management, this infographic provides some interesting findings from the IDC survey.


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All information in this COVID-19 Response Resource issue is effective as of April 15, 2020.
Today Governor Little announced that Idaho’s Stay-at-Home Order is extended two weeks to April 30, 2020, consistent with President Trump’s guidelines and the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
But for those Idahoans who want to open businesses and get employees back to work, your ability to do so (if your company is not deemed essential under the Governor’s order) will depend upon your company’s ability to provide your product or service under social distancing guidelines. If your business can comply with Idaho’s guidance on maintaining social distancing while operating, you are safe to open May 1 without official approval of your re-open plan.
In his press conference, the Governor made clear that in addition to those businesses deemed to be essential, another wave of businesses should be able to open once they reformulate policies and procedures to comply with the new order. Governor Little hopes the guidance will be robust enough to avoid an approval process for every company’s operations plan.
If you are currently a business not deemed to be essential by the Governor’s March 25 Order, and your company can handle delivery or curbside transactions — barring any change to Idaho’s key health indicators — your company is free to open if you can operate with the following plans in place:
- Maintain social distancing for staff and patrons
- Provide adequate sanitation and protective coverings for employees, vendors and patrons
- Offer curbside and pickup delivery
- Limit the number of people in your business at any one time to provide for safe distancing
- Direct the flow of people in the operation to avoid close contact of staff and patrons
And be aware that additional guidance will be issued. Because the next two weeks is designed to be a period of time for companies to prepare operation plans to comply with such guidance, it is prudent for “non-essential” businesses to plan, prepare, draft policies, and run scenarios for re-open, and to stay informed when more guidance is available.
Governor Little expressed in his press conference that Idaho’s stay-at-home order has been successful and that the curve in Idaho is flattening. Because of this, we should see an increasing amount of businesses begin to reopen under the amended stay-at-home order after the end of the month.
If you have any questions about the new order, whether your business can comply or how to bring your employees back to work under the new order, please contact Amy A. Lombardo by calling (208) 562-4900 or send an email to email@example.com.


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Before reprinting today’s Visa Inc. press release, these thoughts:
Our merchant interchange antitrust litigation is based on many years of alleged illegal activities. Just as if a convicted bank robber apologizes and cleans up their act, they are still in violation of the law. So too are Visa and MasterCard. Because most of the same banks that control a large percentage of Visa’s newly public shares are also owners of MasterCard, we expect that the same decision will be forthcoming by the other credit card association.
Moving forward, this is a smart decision and one more confirming action that Visa recognizes that they were in error and are quickly trying to fix their business model; from creating an independent board, to less ownership by the banks, to posting interchange rates online (although mostly as an attempt to respond to merchant concerns) and now this.
The Visa Inc. May 9th press release is reprinted below.
Move Seeks to Increase Company’s Transparency
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, May 8, 2008
Visa Inc. announced today that it will for the first time make its Visa International and Regional Operating Regulations available publicly, effective May 15, 2008.
The Operating Regulations, which will be available on Visa’s corporate website at www.corporate.visa.com, are the set of rules which govern the participation of issuing and acquiring financial institutions in the Visa system.
“As Visa continues to evolve to meet the needs of customers, we are committed to providing our partners and interested parties with greater insight into Visa’s operations,” says Joseph W. Saunders, Chairman and CEO, Visa Inc. “Greater transparency is one of the ways we hope to strengthen our working relationships in the marketplace.”
Previously, Visa Inc. made its Visa USA Operating Regulations available to merchants and third party agents under a non-disclosure agreement. On May 15, Visa’s rules will be publicly available to interested parties, including all Visa rules related to merchants’ participation in the system. However, to protect cardholder and merchant safety and the Visa system, Visa has omitted proprietary and competitive information, as well as certain details from the rules relating to the security of the network. For example, in the merchant rules, Visa has omitted authorization limits by country and processing codes which could aid fraudsters.
“Today’s announcement builds on our commitment to making Visa transparent in an increasingly competitive environment,” adds Saunders. “While our operating regulations only govern our client financial institutions, we believe that merchants and others will benefit from access to the rules, which provide a greater understanding of the complexities of electronic payments.”


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All’s fair in love and war - and in online dating, apparently. While Bumble and Tinder spar over who really “invented” the swipe right, we looked at the most popular online dating services (apps [...]
Last week, at Facebook’s annual F8 developer summit, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the company’s plans to launch dating features. How would this new dating app stack up to the likes of Tinder, [...]
With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, we decided to revisit a particularly popular section of our Social Media Index: which are the most addictive dating apps?
Swipe right with caution: new Verto Analytics data reveals some surprising news about Tinder users.


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New COVID-19 program gets Texas restaurants up to speed on proper protocols
The Texas Restaurant Association has launched a program designed to help restaurants wade through necessary protocols during these coronavirus times.
The state-wide organization cites a survey stating that 77 percent of consumers say they plan to reduce visits to restaurants in the future. To stoke consumer confidence, TRA, along with Dallas College and an organization called A Closer Look, have launched a program, paid for via a grant from the Texas Workforce Commission, that will train, evaluate, and certify restaurants on the additional protocols that must be followed per Texas' minimum standard health protocols.
Restaurants that have earned certification will get a decal they can put on their doors, as a reassuring signal to the diner.
The program consists of five courses focused on key roles within a restaurant:
- takeout/delivery line staff
- kitchen staff
- cleaning crew
A minimum of five employees must complete the program, and restaurants will undergo third-party evaluation by A Closer Look, mystery shopping and customer experience company. A member of A Closer Look’s team will visit multiple times, providing feedback on training and improvement.
The initial grant from TWC will provide funding for 500 restaurants to be evaluated and certified with 2,500 of their employees receiving training. TRA and Dallas College plan to continue expanding grant funding from the Texas Workforce Commission to ensure all restaurants and employees can participate.
The first class will start on June 25. More information can be found online.
Dr. Emily Williams Knight, TRA President and CEO, calls it a big win for the industry, stating, "This comprehensive program allows restaurant owners and their staff to demonstrate to the public that they have done everything possible to safely receive guests in their dining rooms."


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What happened in music:tech today?
- Watch our video recap of our 2012 FlashFWD Awards
- Sony’s “Music Unlimited” Challenges Spotify with iOS Release
- Our Gadget of the Week is Incident Technologies’ gTar
- We took a look at Bedphones, the headphones you can wear to sleep.
- Indaba Music launched their Social Contest Suite
From around the web:
- Billboard reports that Rdio is working on a plan to directly compensate artists. Digital Music News isn’t buying it.
- VEVO Sees 600% Increase in Facebook Traffic After Redesign – via TechCrunch
- Developer Explains Why Android Sucks for Some Audio Apps – via evolver.fm
- Digital Music News asked Spotify if they would discuss any of their royalty payments. They wouldn’t.
- A Streaming Music Service You’ve Never Heard Of Has 10.5 Million Active Users – via hypebot
What did we miss?


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Two years to win the city's "non mainstream" interest headlines to achieve listing in the United States
Authors: Li Tian and Zhang Jingchao
On Sept. 14, the mobile content aggregation platform finally made headlines on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange. The stock code is "QTT". It is understood that the main underwriters of the IPO are Citibank, Deutsche Bank, UBS Group and Certificate International. The final price of the IPO is $7/ADS, excluding 12 million shares issued by green shoes. The National Depositary Receipt, with a financing of $84 million and a market value of about $2.1 billion, provides financial advisory services for interesting headlines.
Interesting headlines were launched in June 2016, and then grew rapidly into a dark horse in the mobile information field.
Analytical data from third-party research institutes show that in July 2018, the daily penetration rate of interesting headline APP reached 4.2%, second only to today's headlines in this area. According to the prospectus, the interesting headline APP reached about 48.8 million MAUs in July, with an average DAU of about 55.6 minutes and a cumulative installed capacity of 154 million.
The capital soon sniffed the smell of blood and knocked on the door.
In March, the headlines completed more than $200 million in B-round financing, and in the second half of 2008, the headlines introduced strategic investors, including the People's Net fund, with an investment of nearly $60 million. In the IPO subscription, Jingdong has offered $40 million subscription intention.
"It may be urgent to go public now, but on the contrary, it is not easy to find investors in the primary market. If the secondary market can go, it is also a good choice." A former VC practitioner told the China business newspaper reporter.
There was advertising revenue in the early years of creation.
Interesting headlines show the characteristics of "not taking the unusual path" from the beginning.
The "loyalty score" is the way to get customers. Users can read and comment according to the rules of the platform to generate a certain loyalty score, which can be converted into cash. Interesting headlines through this way to mobilize interpersonal communication, and produced a "higher than the market stranger customer transformation effect". Similar ways of getting customers have been used for online advertising and dividends, while interesting headlines have been used for news and information.
The 345 tier cities and other sinking markets are a solid market. According to the statistics from Yiguan, in 2017, more than half of mobile Internet users concentrated in the sinking market, with a total population of 1 billion people and 500 million mobile devices, with an average of 0.5 mobile devices per person.
Some capitalists believe that the third demographic dividend of China's Internet is the mainstream consumer market of urban households in the 345 front-line cities. They are the 400 million to 500 million people who finally entered the mobile Internet in China. Fast hand and millet are essentially the market.
This is also true in the mobile content domain.
Previous interesting headlines to reporters, for example: "The content needs of people in the sinking market and second-tier groups have some differences, such as they like square dancing, health care content, and now most of the content platform is to serve the first-tier and second-tier market groups, the content needs of people in the sinking market can not be met." The social environment of the corresponding group is relatively closed, and the demand for online entertainment content is relatively high.
Seeing and meeting this market demand makes interesting headlines form a differential competitive advantage in the industry. It is reported that most of the interesting headline users are their own seed users, and their overlap with today's headline users is only 20%.
In addition, two years ago, China's Internet community was rife with the idea of using subsidies to trap users before building a business model, but interest headline executives initially equated user growth with business liquidity, making interest headlines a good cash flow from the first year.
According to the prospectus, the main source of interesting headlines is information stream advertising, which bills advertisers per click or per thousand displays. In 2016, Interesting Headlines achieved revenue of 58 million yuan, in 2017, revenue rose 517 million yuan, in the first half of 2018, Interesting Headlines revenue has reached 718 million yuan.
Interesting headlines to achieve advertising revenue mainly through Baidu and a number of third-party advertising agency platform cooperation. Reporters noted that the fun headlines had quietly passed the capital operation as their own revenue increase. In February 2018, Interesting Headlines acquired an advertising agency that operates a programmed advertising system to help it reduce its dependence on third-party platforms such as Baidu.
An interesting headline operator told reporters that if advertisers seek to settle in, interesting headlines will conduct a comprehensive review of their qualifications, including whether they have done similar operations in the platform of friends. In the view of this operator, information flow products are also part of the platform content, and should be treated strictly according to (content) auditing standards.
In terms of interesting headline operating expenses, the prospectus shows that sales and marketing costs account for about 80%, which is mainly reflected in the cost of customer loyalty points. In 2016, the expenditure was 54 million 630 thousand yuan and 495 million yuan in 2017. At present, interest headlines are in a state of loss. The net loss was 10.9 million yuan in 2016, 94.8 million yuan in 2017 and 514 million yuan in the first half of 2018.
Although interest headlines are not profitable yet, compared with their revenue, operating cash flow provides ammunition support for the development of interest headlines. In addition, interesting headlines have completed two financing this year, together with the post-listing fund-raising, will create a pool of funds for interesting headlines.
It is understood that fun headlines are increasing the flow of purchase costs, to achieve pull new. Interesting headlines to reporters mention its business logic: Interesting headlines are currently basically over 100 million users, user penetration is not low, objectively need to find a more diverse way to get customers. Based on the integral operation mechanism of interest headlines, the external flow of interest headlines will become new seed users and bring more users, so it is necessary to purchase outside.
The new opportunity lies in the content ecology matrix.
Quest Mobile, a third-party data analyst, argues that interesting headlines are highly efficient, but should not be long-term independent. Quest Mobile suggests incorporating them as part of the business logic or building a complete business loop based on this core to avoid the risk of sudden and complete overthrow due to regulation.
At present, the controversy around interesting headlines basically lies in whether its unique means of operation can be benign and sustainable. It is understood that foreign countries have similar operation model, but can continue as interesting headlines for two years very little time, which seems to have proved that the way to face the domestic community can be practical. At present, this mechanism still has the competitive potential. The user login rate of other information aggregation platforms is less than 30%, and the user login rate of interesting headlines can reach 95%.
From the information displayed in the prospectus, the "ambition" of the interesting headlines is indeed not limited to the existence of this mechanism alone. In advertising advertising, interest headlines are considering increasing direct sales of advertising solutions. Reporters noted that the IPO fund-raising funds will be used primarily to expand and strengthen the content system.
At present, the content of headlines is close to the traditional way. It cooperates with more than 200 institutional media and more than 230,000 private media, with content auditing departments taking the lead. It is reported that there are more than 1000 employees interested in headlines, of which nearly 600 people do audit work.
In terms of content, interesting headlines have gone through the vulgar stage of being questioned, and there are similar queries in the process of preparing for listing. Some people in the industry believe that the unique operation mode of interesting headlines naturally leads to the output of social and entertainment, which is unavoidable, and after the early expansion of interesting headlines are doing quality content introduction, seeking transformation.
Interesting headlines hope to create an eco-matrix of content. The prospectus shows that interesting headlines plan to enrich their presentation by introducing new forms of content, including literature, casual games, animation, comics, content-driven e-commerce and live broadcasting platforms, and interesting headlines pay for content. Count.
After the listing, investors can provide strong support for the follow-up development of interesting headlines. Tencent's Image Flag Investment (HK) Limited holds 5.42 million common shares, or 7.8 percent, according to the prospectus.
"We look forward to working more closely with Tencent in various areas, which we believe will bring us strategic benefits, bring us better growth prospects, and improve our access to capital." The prospectus reveals the vision of the headlines for alliance with Tencent.
Some people in the industry commented to the media that the listing of interesting headlines was also a key step taken by Tencent in the mobile content aggregation platform.
Opening the pace of investment and mergers and acquisitions will become practical, with interesting headlines aimed at potential targets for content and technology. Perfecting the licence will become a sufficient information provider, or it will be an interesting part of the headline.
It is reported that the core members of interesting headlines have worked in the grand network, and chairman Tan Siliang also has some investment experience, familiar with the capital market, the core team itself may also be one of the advantages of interesting headlines. In the future, whether these developments are likely to land, how to maintain a rapid momentum, how to sustain valuation, and whether to avoid the risk of being maliciously short will be the answer to the team.
Waonews is a news media from China, with hundreds of translations, rolling updates China News, hoping to get the likes of foreign netizens


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An attachment of Banco Santander from Spain, Santander UK accidentally recompensed out£ 130 million pounds ($ 170 million) to thousands of its guests due to a specialized glitch that caused listed payments to be managed doubly, The Times reported.
The glitch that impacted over deals has affected over marketable and commercial accounts, according to Business Insider. Although the glitch has ago been linked and remedied, numerous people in theU.K., temporarily entered a Christmas perk that they weren’t waiting for at all. The deals included both, regular payments similar to stipend as well as one-off payments made to guests that ended up being duplicated due to the glitch.
According to the Business Bigwig report, stipends were paid in duplicate over two days. The alternate payment, still, wasn’t made from the accounts of the guests but the reserves, leaving the bank poorer by this quantum due to a computer glitch. A prophet for the bank speaking to Daily Reuters verified that none of the other guests were left devoid of any cash in their accounts due to the glitch.
Due to the nature of the payments, numerous of the deals redounded in payments made into accounts of other banks, which is likely to make the recovery process a little harder. Unlike cryptocurrency-grounded deals, however, banks generally have a process to recover moneybags that have been transferred to accounts. According to Daily Reuters, the bank has put into action its”bank error recovery process” that enables it to recover the finances from the unintended donors.
Business Bigwig reported that a sale for one of the donors was reversed on the seventh day after the indistinguishable deposit was made. The bank will continue to recover the plutocrat over the coming many days as well. Still, there’s no evidence over how long it might take to recover the entire quantum or if the quantum in its wholeness can indeed be recovered.
In 2020, U.S.- grounded Citibank accidentally transferred out$ 900 million to lenders of an ornamental company of which over$ 500 million wasn’t freely paid back, Daily Reuters reported. In 2018, Deutsche Bank transferred 26 billion euros to a clearinghouse which was instantly returned.


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ATLANTA – June 18, 2013 – The International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IFAMA) today announced Novus International President and CEO Thad Simons will be the new president of the organization’s Board of Directors. IFAMA is a leading agribusiness nonprofit that brings together the best minds from all sectors of food production and consumption to improve the industry. IFAMA made the announcement at its 23rd Annual World Forum and Symposium.
Simons succeeds Mary Shelman, director of the agribusiness program at Harvard Business School. During her term as IFAMA president, Shelman was instrumental in expanding the global footprint of the organization.
“Mary’s work sets an impressive standard for IFAMA’s leadership,” said Simons. “I look forward to the opportunity to build upon her initiatives and further IFAMA’s efforts to ensure the agribusiness industry will meet the world population’s need for affordable, sustainable food sources.”
During his two-year term as IFAMA’s president, Simons specifically seeks to focus the organization’s efforts on global talent development for agriculture.
“From my first encounter with IFAMA, I understood the unique value that the organization creates by providing a connection to talent around the world,” stated Thad Simons. “IFAMA is uniquely positioned to serve agribusiness because we stand at the nexus of education, industry and the future – our student stakeholders.”
Simons brings to IFAMA extensive agribusiness experience and industry know-how. As the president and CEO of Novus International, a global health and animal nutrition leader, since 2001, Simons pursues the company’s vision to feed the world affordable, wholesome food. Simons does this by creating an environment friendly to developing market-specific solutions based on the company’s core technologies. Simons also has been recognized as an industry leader, most recently receiving the 2013 Agribusiness Leader of the Year award from the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA).
The International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IFAMA) is a nonprofit organization that unites industry, students, academics, government leaders and other key stakeholders across the value chain of food production and consumption – to improve the global food and agribusiness system in response to the changing needs of the world. Founded in 1990 IFAMA fosters information sharing, knowledge advancement, discussion, debate, networking and career development through members across more than 50 countries. The annual IFAMA World Forum and Symposium is the organization’s cornerstone event, where leading experts address the most current and pressing issues in food and agriculture. Visit www.ifama.org to learn more.
About Novus International, Inc.
Novus International, Inc. is headquartered in metropolitan St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A. and serves customers in nearly 100 countries around the world. A global leader in developing animal health and nutrition solutions, Novus’s products include ALIMET® and MHA® feed supplements, ACTIVATE® nutritional feed acid, ACIDOMIX® preservative premixture, ADVENT® coccidiosis control, CIBENZA® feed additive, MINTREX® chelated trace mineral, SANTOQUIN® feed preservative, MERA™MET aquaculture feed additive, AGRADO® feed antioxidant and many other specialty ingredients. Stratum® Nutrition, a division of Novus Nutrition Brands, LLC, focuses on human nutrition through specialty and functional ingredients for manufacturers of foods, beverages and dietary supplements (www.stratumnutrition.com). Novus is privately owned by Mitsui & Co. (U.S.A.), Inc. and Nippon Soda Co., Ltd. For more information visit www.novusint.com.


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Driven by health-conscious consumers, social influencers, technology, people who are increasingly adopting flexitarian diets, millennials, and the rise of Gen Z, food and beverage indies are witnessing double- and triple-digit growth rates. Some of the key product types offered by these indie companies include protein-based, meat-alternative, and plant-based products.Continue reading
Most of the 650,000 outlets that offer professional skin care products in Europe have been closed since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic, with no clear indication of when most re–openings will occur. In fact, COVID-19 may mark a permanent closure for many of them, particularly those in the spa channel. For marketers with a digital footprint—be it via their own website or other e-tail channels—the loss will be slightly less impactful.
Cannabis has emerged as the new buzzword across many U.S. industries as a result of the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized the cultivation, sale, and distribution of hemp. The overall market for cannabis-infused food and beverages achieved strong double-digit growth of over 70% in 2019, while CBD health and wellness products are expected to approach $1 billion by 2024 with strong growth each year. Driving market growth is strong word-of-mouth and growing consumer interest in new and natural ingredients.Continue reading
The professional skin care market registers a strong growth of about 7% in 2019, across key markets including China, Europe, India, and the United States, according to Kline’s recently published Professional Skin Care Global Series. All four markets register positive growth, with developing country India registering double-digit growth and Russia registering the highest growth in Europe.
The professional skin care market continues to witness a healthy growth of more than 7% in 2019 across key markets such as China, Europe, India, and the United States, according to our soon-to-be-published Professional Skin Care Global Series report. China continues to be the largest market; however, developing markets such as India register the strongest growth of more than 12% in 2019. This solid increase is driven by various factors including rising incomes, an emerging middle class, a growing millennial population, and increasing awareness of skin health.Continue reading
Cannabis has been popping up as the “it” ingredient everywhere, from skin creams to pain relievers and now food and beverages. The food & beverage industry in the United States is on the verge of crossing a new threshold due to changing consumer perceptions and the growing acceptance of CBD, combined with substantial investments being made in this market by private equity firms, start-ups, and leading beverage companies alike.
As a plant, cannabis benefits from the halo effect of being natural and “good for you,” which plays well into overarching consumer demand for natural and health-conscious products. CBD has already started to impact other consumer packaged goods industries, including the beauty and personal care and nonprescription drug markets.Continue reading
The Professional Beauty London trade show is one of the largest platforms for marketers participating in the professional beauty business to showcase their innovations and treatments. The 2019 event was crowded with a mix of marketers from various categories including skin care, aesthetics, nail care, hair care, and lash extensions. There were many large, medium, and small brands displaying their products/treatments and educating consumers and beauticians about their efficacy.Continue reading
As 2018 closes, we are looking back at the salon hair care market’s performance wondering what changes the year has brought to the industry and where did the market land in comparison to its historical performance. Between 2017 and 2018, the salon hair care industry grew at a steady pace of around 3%, although the category and country market performance varied. For example, while the U.S. market shows some slowdown compared to previous years, the Chinese market blossoms, driven by the development of e-commerce. In light of the recent changes on the global landscape, some of the key questions salon hair care players should be asking themselves include:Continue reading
The Chinese professional skin care market grows by nearly 7% in 2018, higher than the global market growth of 6%, according to Kline’s just-published China volume of our annual Professional Skin Care Global Series report. China continues to be the largest market for professional skin care products, accounting for approximately 40% of global sales in 2018. Significant growth of the medical care providers and retail channels primarily drives overall sales of the Chinese market.Continue reading
The professional skin care market in Europe and the U.S. continues to register strong growth in 2018, according to our soon-to-be-published Professional Skin Care Global Series report. The increase in both these markets is mainly driven by the medical and retail channels, and consumer demand is high for products containing retinols, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin C in both markets.
The professional skin care market in Europe continues on a steady growth trajectory, completing another dynamic year in 2018 and registering higher growth than the year prior. The U.K. registers the highest growth of over 6%, followed by Poland. However, all other segments comprising smaller markets, including Scandinavia and the Nordics, register strong growth in 2018.


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Realme announces its participation in IFA 2020 'Special Edition'
The IFA organisation is calling the 2020 version of its flagship Berlin event a "Special Edition". This is mainly because the event, which normally pulls in hundreds and hundreds of visitors in the real per hour, is restricted to only a few thousand actual attendees this year. These measures will be in line with the city's prevailing social distancing and anti-contamination regulations; however, the conference's actual content may still be available online.
This may be why many OEMs are still planning to take part in IFA Special Edition this year. One of these is Realme, which has just confirmed its attendance at the show. One of its senior staff members, Madhav Sheth, has also stated that the brand has a "big announcement" to make in conjunction with the major European tech show.
In teasing Realme's contribution, IFA's Twitter account has posted an image of the X3 SuperZoom, as if to hint at the nature of this announcement. However, this phone is already on sale in Europe, at a price of €499 (~US$570).
Therefore, the presentation in question may concern another, similar phone: the rumored X3 Pro, perhaps? This device is thought to be the flagship of its series, as it is predicted to rock the Snapdragon 865 SoC and UFS 3.1 storage.


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AgroActiva: 330 Successful Interviews in the International Business Round
AgroActiva 2018, the 24th edition of the renowned fair, offered its traditional International Business Round, organized by ProCórdoba Agency, the Federal Investment Council and the Government of the Province of Santa Fe, with the support of the National Institute for Agricultural Technology, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship of the Nation.
Luis Gilli, ProCórdoba’s Trade Promotion Manager, referred to the over 330 business round interviews:
“This is the 12th edition of the business round we have organized. On this occasion, we have selected operators from new markets that are visiting the fair for the first time. They are foreign importers working in the agricultural machinery and agroparts industry, who are strategically related to markets we have been working to transform into long-term markets, such as African countries like South Africa, Kenya, Angola and Uganda; other countries like Ukraine or Germany, Australia and New Zealand; and, from Latin America, Colombia — which is becoming a strong market — and Brazil. Argentine entrepreneurs have risen to the challenge, successfully facing the demand, and each has had the opportunity to hold an interview with all the international operators.”
Importers also shared their thoughts on the experience. Viet Nam’s Hai Son representative Huyen Dihn said,
“We are a leading company in the import and export agricultural machinery market. We were invited to the fair and I feel very lucky to have had this great opportunity. Argentina is a country with extensive expertise in agriculture. It can offer modern technology and everything we need to learn in order to improve our company. Thanks to this trip, we have been able to learn about many techniques and we have discovered companies that provide high-quality spare parts for the development of rice crops. We are interested in applying GPS technology to our crops. ProCórdoba has been a great host. We have felt more than welcome, and I definitely want to come back.”
Uganda’s South Farmers Co. representative James Nyikole talked about the expectations they had regarding this visit to AgroActiva and their participation in the business round:
“Our company works in South Sudan, Uganda and Rwanda. The experience has been very positive. We have met with potential machinery providers and we will continue our business relationship with them in the near future.”
The Cordobese company TBeH participated in the fair as an exhibitor and also in the business round. The firm’s representative, Martin Dosetto, explained that the company is devoted to the manufacture of agricultural vehicles. He added, “On this opportunity, we met with operators from Brazil, South Africa, Australia, Uganda, Colombia, and Ecuador. We’ve made great, serious, responsible contacts who gave us good feedback on our line of products. We have seen a good response on the part of Colombia, with whom we had already had some talks, and we were able to analyze specific aspects about the business. Operators from Brazil also expressed an interest in our line.”
Dosetto further noted the interest shown by the Ugandan operator, “since, despite the operator not being familiar with our product line, he identified a market niche in Uganda that may be satisfied by our company. We believe there’s a chance we will close some deals with them.”
Finally, he referred to TBeH’s relationship to ProCórdoba,
“We have been working with the Agency for ten years, participating in business rounds and trade missions abroad. All these experiences have yielded positive results and armed us with useful information. They are a good way of encouraging companies to enter the export market. For an SME like ours, exporting is a big challenge that is not free of doubts and fears; but whenever these appeared, we turned to ProCórdoba and obtained answers to each issue.”
The agricultural market’s biggest fair in Argentina took place in Armstrong (Santa Fe Province) on June 6-8, and welcomed a large number of national and international visitors. Manufacturers of agricultural machinery and agroparts had the chance to exhibit their products before operators that visited Argentina with the sole purpose of learning about our country’s offer.


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Last week, the Taoiseach was in Warsaw for political talks and to promote trade between Poland and Ireland, urging entrepreneurs and researchers to deepen their business and academic relationships.
Increasing links between the two countries makes a lot of commercial sense, because it follows one of the keystone principles of Ireland's success as a trading nation - leveraging affinities. It is no coincidence that Ireland's two biggest trading partners are the UK and the US. The Irish diaspora has established itself in the workplace, in public administration, in commerce, in culture and - most importantly of all - in interpersonal relationships.
Before Poland joined the EU in 2004, contacts between the two countries were limited. But with the opening up of the borders and the advent of low-cost air travel, the level of contact jumped exponentially. Initially, the links were developed by Poles travelling to Ireland to work. Their experience has been almost a mirror image of the Irish diaspora. They have developed a reputation as hard-working people who are easy to get along with. Consequently, social integration has been hugely successful and there are 150,000 Poles living in Ireland.
The Taoiseach shared some Irish success stories at the Irish-Polish Innovation Forum hosted by Enterprise Ireland at the Google Campus in Warsaw. He outlined how the Government has invested in innovation to develop sales abroad and jobs at home. Kenny also referred to the Government's ambition for the Irish research and business community to secure €1.25bn in funding from the EU's €80bn R&D fund, Horizon 2020 and urged co-operation between Polish and Irish entrepreneurs and academics.
Irish SMEs such as 3D4Medical, MagGrow, and Cylon were among the companies present that illustrate the value of R&D in growing an internationally focused business.
Irish business has developed strong economic links with Poland over the past decade. Poland is Ireland's 12th-largest overseas market, worth about €2bn in exports last year - and growing at a double-digit rate. Trade between the two countries is worth €3.4bn overall.
Irish businesses also use Poland as a platform for developing opportunities in Central Europe - a market of nearly 300 million people. Over 50 Irish companies - such as Portwest, Mercury Engineering, PM Group, ID Tech, JFC, EI Electronics, IPL Group, PPI Adhesive Products - now have operations in Poland in sectors such as ICT, print and packaging, construction and client service.
Poland also offers skillsets in short supply in Ireland, particularly those based on Stem subjects. Beata Janota, the Warsaw manager of an Irish recruitment firm Sigmar, told me that while the Irish excel in sales and relationship management, Poland offers a wealth of technically-proficient labour thanks to long traditions of excellent mathematical education.
Many Irish companies are making use of this advantage - 3D4Medical employs almost 20 3-D graphic designers on anatomy visualisation; while S3 Connected Health has located its global centre of excellence in Wroclaw.
Ireland has become home to many Polish entrepreneurs who have set up businesses or used Ireland as a springboard into the UK and US, including Mike Sikorski, the Poznan-born founder of the ingenious digital marketing tool Huggity, who was supported by Enterprise Ireland and now has clients on five continents.
With the high level of practical and political support outlined by the Taoiseach here last week, Irish businesses seeking partnerships in Poland can be assured of a céad míle witamy.
Bartosz Siepracki is the manager of Enterprise Ireland office in Warsaw, Poland


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GUEST OPINION by George Tsoukas, ANZ Manager, Gigamon: In a recent study, 60 percent of CIOs and IT executives surveyed said they expect a decline in their budgets as a result of the pandemic. Simultaneously many CIOs and IT managers are being told to find ways to accelerate digital transformation to provide an improved customer and user experience.
Small to medium businesses around the world continue to cite budget constraints and a lack of time and personnel to research new security threats, as the main obstacles facing the implementation of their IT security roadmap, according to a new report.
Rob Hull was a chief financial officer who figured there must be a better way to run a business than constructing annual Excel-based budgets. So, he started his own company to make it happen.
We often hear that IT needs to reduce ongoing costs to free up funds for new initiatives. That assumes IT budgets really are fixed, but is that true?
A worldwide study of both male and female CIOs shows that females are more risk-aware than their male counterparts and are more concerned about under-investment in risk initiatives than the men.
Australia is bucking the global trend in declining public sector spending on IT and technology products, with federal, state and local governments here forecast to grow by 5.8% to $10.8 billion by the end of this year, and to almost $12 billion by 2019.
I purchased a NOVOO USB C Hub 8 in 1 USB-C Dock back in 2020 for my Dell XPS-15 when[…]
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Hi Bob,Yes, it looks like $89 is the best price. https://www.staticice.com.a...Not sure how to answer whether that price is expensive[…]
I was only able to find one entry for an Australian retailer selling this device. Cost was $89. Personally I[…]
Thanks David. It is unfortunate that programming has become enslaved to really bad languages and programmers are forced to work[…]


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India will soon launch a 'do-not-call' registry where subscribers can list their telephone numbers to avoid telemarketing calls and text messages, an Economic Times report said.
The report quoted the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India as saying that this was essential as unsolicited commercial calls 'disturbed a large number of subscribers by forcing them to respond, invading their privacy.'
TRAI cited the growing dissatisfaction among consumers on this issue, and said the exercise was aimed at reducing the bulk of unsolicited commercial communications. These include telemarketing calls, SMSs, or other commercial or marketing messages.
'It is essential to maintain the privacy and reduce the inconvenience to subscribers who do not wish to receive such calls or messages, yet not ban the activity of telemarketing itself,' TRAI chairman Nripendra Misra said.
The telecom industry has welcomed the proposal.TRAI said it has no intention of banning telemarketing, adding the process was only aimed at reducing the number of telemarketing calls to people who do not wish to get them.


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Source : Daily Monitor. A senior official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has revealed floating plans to make the three East African countries of Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania reapply to join the Common Markets for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) as a single East African state.
This means Uganda and Kenya will have to first disengage their current subscription to COMESA while Tanzania also disengages from SADCA.
Addressing auditors and accountants during the 10th annual seminar of Institute of Certified Public Accounts of Uganda at Imperial Resort Beach Hotel in Entebbe, the East African Community and Ring State Division in the ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Denis Manana, said to solve the problem of belonging to a multiplicity of regional blocks in trade arrangement, it is imperative that the East African states belong to regional blocks using the East African Community umbrella.
Complaints have been raised by the private sector, stakeholders and government entities that belonging to different regional trade blocs is hampering trade development within East Africa, especially in terms of free movement of goods and natural persons.
Manana called for the effective implementation of the provisions of the Customs Union protocol and decisions regarding provisional and administrative measures that concern integration in general and in particular, those in respect to free movement of persons, labour, services, capital, and right of establishment of residence.
“There should be greater harmonisation and convergence of macroeconomic policies (fiscal, monetary and financial) as a prerequisite for monetary integration, focus on measures that spur growth of the productive sectors and development of supply capacity in industry, agriculture, tourism and natural resources, as well as infrastructure,” he said.
However, he points out that these challenges notwithstanding, and as a result of the strengthening of trade cooperation between the three countries has been picking up, growing from 6 percent in 1991 to 18 percent in 2002, on average. Manana said:
“Overall though, the levels of trade still remain low, with Kenya continuing to register a trade surplus vis-à-vis the other two partners. However, the economies of the other two partners, Tanzania and Uganda, have been growing on an average of 5 percent in the last ten years as Kenya’s has been lagging.”
He said recent data on the overall trend in economic activity in the region shows that in spite of some bottlenecks, things are looking up.
“Trade in goods is growing as is trade in services such as transportation, communication and financial services (banking, insurance, accountancy, brokerage). Kenya’s economy is picking up, growing at an average of over 1.5 percent in the last three years. The sectors that have registered significant growth include agribusiness, fisheries, ICT (particularly telecommunications), financial services, tourism and mining,” he said.
Regional integration and cooperation is increasingly being recognised and appreciated around the world as a vehicle for development.
“However, to put the rationale for regional integration in perspective, we need to remind ourselves of the dire state of affairs in Africa,” Manana said.
He revealed that the Report of the Commission on Africa (among other surveys and studies, such as the annual UNDP Human Development Reports) gives a familiar picture of what is Africa today.
“In terms of its share of global trade and total GDP, the whole of Africa, the second largest continent with more than 650 million people, contributes a paltry 1 percent and 1.8 percent respectively, a drop from about 4 percent and 4.2 percent, respectively in the early 1980s,” he said.
Africa hosts the largest number of LDCs in the world and is the only continent where poverty has been increasing in the last twenty years.