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South China Morning Post (SCMP) revealed that a research partnership between two Chinese institutes led to the development of lab-grown pig meatballs with more protein and less fat than those prepared from normal meat.
Much more sustainably, lab-grown meat is regarded a potential alternative to sourcing animal foods. Estimates indicate that culturing meat in the laboratory uses relatively little land and can significantly aid in reducing the greenhouse gas emissions associated with conventional animal husbandry.
In December 2020, the Singapore Food Agency will allow the sale of the first cultured meat products, with similar approvals anticipated in other nations. To produce cultured meat, scientists must cultivate animal cells in vast quantities in the laboratory. More significantly, cultured meat must have the same texture and flavor as actual meat.
How did researchers accomplish this?
Researchers at Tsinghua University and Nanjing Agricultural University in China independently cultivated muscle cells and fat cells in the lab before combining them in a 3D-printed mold. They then utilized an enzyme to make meatballs on a centimeter size.
The cells were grown on a gelatin-based 3D microcarrier that was edible and permeable. The micro-carrier also functions as a scaffold for cell expansion, which the researchers discovered occurred at an accelerated rate. In comparison to prior investigations, in which expansion rates were 10-fold over a seven-day period, the researchers discovered that their micro-carrier resulted in a 20-fold expansion over the same time period.
The researchers also compared the nutritional value of their cultured meat to that of shizitou, a popular Chinese meatball dish. Their investigation revealed that the cultured meatballs were composed of 70% protein, 4% fat, 6% carbohydrates, and important minerals such as zinc, calcium, and iron.
Although it contained less calories, the packaged meatball dish featured only one-fifth as much protein and three times as much fat.
Large scale manufacturing
The procedures employed by the researchers also facilitate the mass production of these meatballs. Before combining the two cell kinds with the unique enzyme and forming them into meatballs, the two cell types can be cultivated in separate bioreactors at scale.
Meatballs and sausages are often easier to produce than lab-grown beef, which required a specific appearance in order to pass for the real thing. The research team at Nanjing Agricultural University just created their first cultured pork in 2019. One year later, the team was able to generate 50 grams (1.7 ounces) of the meat in 20 days.
Now, in a handful of years, the researchers have created meat substitutes that resemble the genuine thing and are attempting to mass-produce them.


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Since the announcement of retailer TJ Maxx coming to the Newport Pavilion last August, the reception for the latest retailers signing leases have been met with a resounding shoulder shrug by the online masses.
There is now signage up for Sport Clips, which will be next to Chipotle facing Carothers Road. FTM broke that story in November. Dr. G's Weight Loss Clinic was also announced in November.
The online consensus seems to have a passionate yearning for an organic or healthy grocery, a steakhouse, a family dining eatery, another clothing outlet or a yogurt shop among many others wishes. Without the big retailer or restaurant headline signing, the most recent signee of the Pavilion may suffer through the same mediocre greeting as Sport Clips and Dr. G's received.
Without further adieu, the latest tenant to sign a lease is Family Allergy and Asthma.
Bigger picture: Newport, Dayton and Fort Thomas all have potential large parcels of land available.
Kmart's closure opens up a possibility for a large retailer, as does the Newport Shopping Center. Earlier this month, we addressed a rumor that Walmart could be interested in either of those two land parcels.
Dayton's Manhattan Harbour has finally started construction this month and along with the high end residential lots and condos, there will be 80,000 square feet of commercial space available there.
Lost in all of this is the potential to attract big retailers to the Fort Thomas Plaza. Last May we talked about the future of the plaza and since then, more retailers have left the fledgeling development. Only two possibilities can explain this.
1) Developer, Myers Y. Cooper, is utilizing the Fort Thomas Plaza as a loss leader for its other commercial properties portfolio.
2) Myers Y. Cooper is waiting for its current tenants' leases to expire to attract one big retailer to the development.
The second scenario is the most likely, however they may not get the best deal they could have with similar spaces available in the Newport Shopping Center and soon-to-be former Kmart location.

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Firms Highlight Indias Cyber Rules Fostering an Environment of Fear
Indian cybersecurity rules due to come into force will create an "environment of fear rather than trust", a body representing top tech companies has warned the government, calling for a one-year delay before the rules take effect
FREMONT, CA: IAMAI, which represents companies such as Facebook, Google, and Reliance, wrote to India's IT ministry, expressing its dissatisfaction with an April cybersecurity guideline. A new rule issued by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) requires IT companies to report data breaches within six hours of becoming aware of them and to keep IT and communications logs for six months. Reuters reported that the IAMAI called for extending the six-hour timeframe in a letter, adding that the international standard for reporting cyber-security problems is 72 hours. In addition, CERT, part of the Ministry of Information Technology, has ordered that cloud service providers like Amazon and virtual private network (VPN) providers retain the names and IP addresses of their customers for at least five years after they stop using their services.
A statement from IAMAI points out that following such guidelines may be extremely costly, and the suggested penalties for violations may lead entities to stop business in India for fear of being fined. Earlier this week, ExpressVPN pulled its servers out of India, stating that it "refuses to assist the Indian government's efforts to undermine internet freedom. IAMAI's letter follows one issued earlier this week by 11 major tech-aligned sector organizations, which stated that the new restrictions made doing business in India difficult. Recent industry backlash and damaged trade ties between New Delhi and Washington have resulted from India's increasing oversight of giant digital businesses. The new laws are necessary because cybersecurity breaches are frequently reported, but the information needed to investigate them is not always easily available from service providers.
The initiative has raised concerns about a greater compliance burden and higher expenses for the industry. Despite the concerns, India's junior IT minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar claimed there will be no adjustments, claiming that tech companies have a responsibility to know who is using their services. However, the rules have sparked significant dissatisfaction. According to a source with firsthand information, many social media and internet firm leaders discussed methods to persuade New Delhi to postpone the guidelines in a closed-door meeting this week. European regulators require data breaches to be notified within 72 hours, but reporting occurrences in six hours is challenging. India, on the other hand, is being kind, according to Chandrasekhar, because certain countries require rapid reporting.
The rules are expected to be implemented by the end of June. NordVPN, one of the world's major VPN companies, indicated it may remove its servers from India after they were announced. The laws, according to privacy advocates, are incompatible with the objective of a VPN, which is to protect the identity of persons such as whistleblowers from surveillance.


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Challenges Await New Disney CEO Bob Chapek
Stepping into the shoes of someone widely regarded as one of the best chief executive officers to ever helm a company is difficult.
After all, the legacy of Bob Iger, who stepped down last month as CEO of Walt Disney Co., is set in stone. Disney’s stock price, $112.59 per share as of March 5, is more than four times what it was just 10 years ago as Iger transformed the company from theme park owner/movie maker to media conglomerate.
But new Disney CEO Bob Chapek – somewhat of a surprise pick to some Disney observers who thought Disney+ executive Kevin Mayer was a more likely choice – won’t have a heck of a lot of time to worry about whether he can live up to Iger’s legacy.
No, Chapek will have his own issues to deal with.
“This is not about Chapek vs. Iger vs. Kevin Mayer,” LightShed’s Rich Greenfield, a longtime media analyst, told the Washington Post. “This is about the fact that there’s a significant challenge in nearly every one of Disney’s core businesses.”
Here are some of the items on Chapek’s agenda.
The most near-term challenge for Chapek will be how the company handles the spread of the coronavirus and the myriad issues that it brings.
According to the Washington Post, the company has already closed parks in Shanghai and Hong Kong indefinitely, resulting in a loss of $175 million by its own estimates. Tokyo Disneyland is shut down until March 16.
But the bulk of the outbreak is centered in Asia, and Disney’s entities in the U.S. – Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Lines – are far more lucrative.
To be fair, it’s a no-win situation for Disney. The company is so large, and so well-respected, that it is the bell-weather for other theme parks and public events as they wait and play the “Let’s see what Disney does first” game.
Moreover, there’s no middle ground for Chapek. Move too soon to close the parks and he risks internal scrutiny over potential lost income. Wait too long and he risks being labeled a profiteer in the court of public opinion.
For now, WDW told People magazine that it is monitoring the situation and taking precautions.
“We have very stringent sanitation procedures in place at Walt Disney World Resort. We are in close contact with health agencies for information and guidance, and at this time, we are continuing to communicate to our Cast the importance of preventative measures such as frequent handwashing and rigorous cleaning processes,” a spokesperson said. “For guest convenience, we have placed additional hand sanitizers throughout our parks and resorts and will adjust our protocols as the situation warrants.”
Working With Travel Agents
Chapek has been with Disney for 27 years, heading up such diverse businesses as home video and consumer products, but also the theme park business.
That could be an extra boon for travel agents and advisors.
“Chapek has been a part of Disney Parks, which is great for us Disney Parks fans and travel agency owners that have a focus on Disney destinations. Chapek knows how the parks operate and that keeping up with new attractions, resorts, and offerings is key,” Steve Griswold told TravelPulse.
Griswold is a former Disney employee who now owns a Disney-centric travel agency, Pixie Vacations, in Georgia. He also hosts a weekly podcast, MouseChat, with his wife and co-owner, Lisa.
“It will be interesting to see how Chapek works with Disney Inside Sales and the travel agent community to support, create and provide unique offers like Disney vacation packages to keep growing the business with travel agents,” Griswold said. “I hope expanding and growing the travel agency side of Disney will be a key focus.”
Griswold noted that when he worked at Disney and Michael Eisner was the CEO, Eisner would strive to hit a 20 percent growth target each year. That included the introduction of Disney MGM Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Pleasure Island, Euro Disney in Paris and more during his tenure.
Iger took that to a new level with deals to acquire Pixar, Lucas Films and the Star Wars saga – which spawned a ridiculously popular new Star Wars Land at Disney World – Marvel and Fox’s movie arm, making Disney a big-time content provider.
But there are bumps in the road to growing those businesses and reaping the success.
Disney owns ABC and ESPN, but the Post noted that the research firm UBS projects more than 6 million new homes will cancel traditional TV subscriptions in 2020, essentially matching the figure from 2019.
That was a huge reason that Disney got into the streaming business with Disney+, but it still has to broker carriage deals with foreign television.
From a movie standpoint, Disney movies accounted for a third of all U.S. ticket sales last year, which were almost $35 billion. But the Star Wars trilogy seemingly just ended that franchise of films, and Marvel’s ‘Endgame’ put something of a cap on The Avengers.
And now, the live version of Disney’s Mulan is set to come out later this month. Filmed partially in China, Disney was expecting big crowds at Chinese theaters, which accounted for more than 20 percent of global movie ticket sales last year. Except the coronavirus has all but shuttered movie houses in China since the government is discouraging large gatherings in the country.
“The path gets a lot harder for Disney from here on out,” Lloyd Greif, a prominent Los Angeles-based investor who follows Disney closely, told the Post. “The company has an incredibly lofty valuation, and the rubber’s going to hit the road soon.”
Much has been put into place on Iger’s watch that Chapek will have to oversee when it comes to the happiest place on Earth.
EPCOT is going through a transformation to update the park. It was Walt Disney himself who envisioned the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, spinning it as a futuristic city. But after 50 years, the future from its debut in 1971 has come and gone.
In addition comes a new hotel on the property – Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser – that will open in 2021.
And, 2021 marks Disney World’s 50th anniversary. That alone, with the pressure to put on a celebration unsurpassed by any other event, is enough to make Chapek count sheep at night.
Iger was beloved by everybody from the Disney family itself, to the Disney Co. family, to investors, to analysts, to, indirectly, anyone from the general public who ever rode Space Mountain or watched sharks swim behind glass while eating at the Land of the Seas restaurant or hugged Mickey Mouse.
For better or worse, Chapek’s tenure will be linked to – and compared with – Iger, who is remaining with the company in an expanded creative role through 2021.
And, for better or worse, Iger’s legacy will be somewhat judged by how Chapek fares.
“I think my role is now to take the strategic pillars that [Iger] so well established over the last 15 years, work on those and implement those in the marketplace – most importantly our direct-to-consumer initiatives,” Chapek said in an interview with CNBC. “But we also need to look around the corner for what disruption is going on in the marketplace that would necessitate a fresh look at those things.”
Tuna Amobi, an entertainment analyst at the investment-research firm CFRA, told the Washington Post he thinks Disney will be just fine.
“You have to remember Disney is a very cyclical company,” Amobi said. “The important thing is the fundamentals are still very much in place.”
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The Hong Kong Book Fair will return to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai from July 14 to 20, after having been postponed for a year.
The fair will run from 10am to 10pm each day, except for July 16, 17 and 20. The opening hours will be extended to 12midnight and 11pm on July 16 and 17 respectively. While on July 20, the opening hours will be adjusted to 9am to 5pm, according to the fair’s official website.
The organizer of the book fair – Hong Kong Trade Development Council – earlier postponed the July book fair in 2020 to December. However, due to pandemic developments, the council eventually decided to reschedule the event to July this year.


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AMD keeps banging on partners to sell, sell, sell
Before the beast wakes
In an effort to prove it's a grownup server processor vendor, AMD continues to push hard on a program meant to teach partners how to sell its gear.
AMD today issued a statement flaunting the arrival of 500 new participants to the Commercial Systems Channel program. This effort, which kicked off in Oct. 2005, provides VARs, integrators, distributors and the like with training material and test kit. AMD hopes this partner love will translate into more sales, as its cohorts can explain why Opteron and even 64-bit desktop chips beat out similar product from Intel.
On the surface, the channel program is little more than a marketing and training ploy. On a deeper level, however, it points to AMD's need to bulk up enterprise chip sales skills at a quick clip.
AMD will likely only maintain a broad performance edge over Intel for the next six months. Then, Intel will begin rolling out server chips around its new "Core" design that should even the playing field to a significant degree. Where AMD dominates every server benchmark today, the two companies will divvy up various wins in a few months time.
AMD sees this coming and knows it needs to hawk as much gear in the near-term as possible, which explains its rather relentless outreach to customers - and reporters - about the channel effort.
"The execution level around the commercial business is real and is happening," said Michael O’Brien, AMD's director of the channel effort, in an interview. "Our programs around partners are starting to make the impact we had planned for."
Overall, the channel promotion still seems rather obvious, and we wonder why AMD pats itself on the back so much about the program. Training customers about the performance benefits and technical specifications of your product is a must.
"Since the program's inception, more than 20,000 global channel sales and technical representatives have been educated on the AMD64 technology value propositions through on-site training, Webinars and partner events in North America, EMEA and Asia," AMD said.
A more impressive feat would have AMD team with partners such as HP and Sun Microsystems to provided detailed information on complex setups such as Oracle RAC configurations with Opteron boxes. O’Brien says guides for such designs are coming.
This ramping channel program points to the work AMD must do to catch up with the vast partner network set up by Intel over the years. It also, however, highlights a potential advantage AMD has over Intel. The open specification around Hypertransport, for example, has allowed partners to create accelerators and other types of unique products specifically for Opteron motherboards. In the coming weeks, we'll be exploring some of the technology you can expect to see from third parties for Opteron.
In the meantime, interested folks can check out AMD's partner portal here. ®


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Their paychecks are signed by hundreds of companies, but often Amazon directs, through an app, the order of the deliveries and the route to each destination. Amazon software tracks drivers’ progress, and a dispatcher in an Amazon warehouse can call them if they fall behind schedule. Amazon requires that 999 out of 1,000 deliveries arrive on time, according to work orders obtained from contractors with drivers in eight states.
Amazon has repeatedly said in court that it is not responsible for the actions of its contractors, citing agreements that require them, as one puts it, to “defend, indemnify and hold harmless Amazon.” Just last week, an operations manager for Amazon testified in Chicago that it signs such agreements with all its “delivery service partners,” who assume the liability and the responsibility for legal costs. The agreements cover “all loss or damage to personal property or bodily harm including death.”
Amazon vigilantly enforces the terms of those agreements. In New Jersey, when a contractor’s insurer failed to pay Amazon’s legal bills in a suit brought by a physician injured in a crash, Amazon sued to force the insurer to pick up the tab. In California, the company sued contractors, telling courts that any damages arising from crashes there should be billed to the delivery companies.
“I think anyone who thinks about Amazon has very conflicted feelings,” said Tim Hauck, whose sister, Stacey Hayes Curry, was killed last year by a driver delivering Amazon packages in a San Diego office park. “It’s sure nice to get something in two days for free. You’re always impressed with that side of it. But this idea that they’ve walled themselves off from responsibility is disturbing.”
“You’ve got this wonderful convenience with this technology,” he added, “but there’s a human cost to it.”
Amazon, the world’s largest retailer, is famously secretive about details of its operations, including the scale of its delivery network. In many of the accidents involving its contractors, drivers were using cars, trucks and cargo vans that bore no hint of Amazon’s corporate logo. The truck involved in Gabrielle Kennedy’s death, for example, was marked only “Penske Truck Rental.”
Amazon declined to answer questions about the demands it places on drivers, the anonymity of delivery vehicles or any requirement that these contractors indemnify Amazon.


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China has fired back at President Donald Trump’s latest tariff escalation, saying it won’t yield to “blackmail.”
Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen said he’s baffled at how the US administration appeared to put a trade war on hold after talks in May, only to slap tariffs on Chinese imports a few days later.
"If one party does not honour its words, talks cannot succeed," Wang said in an interview in Geneva on Wednesday. For negotiations to succeed, "no party should point a gun at the other party," he said.
The US is escalating its trade war with China by starting a process to impose 10% tariffs on $200bn worth of Chinese goods. The levies announced on Tuesday, together with some $50bn in the works, stand to raise import prices on almost half of everything the US buys from China.
China "never yields to threat[s] or blackmail," Wang said in separate written comments to Bloomberg. "The US side ignored the progress, adopted unilateral and protectionist measures, and started the trade war."
The tariffs, which could go into effect as soon as this fall, are in addition to the 25% duties Trump imposed on $34bn worth of Chinese goods July 6.
The world’s two largest economies haven’t held publicly announced talks since a visit to Beijing by US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in June that achieved no breakthroughs.
While China "demonstrated utmost sincerity to stabilise trade relations with the US," the Trump administration "did not honour its words, chopping and changing all the time," Wang said.
"The US behaviour represents a typical ‘trade bully,’ posing a grave threat to the global value chain," Wang said. "It will hamper global economic recovery, hurting many businesses and ordinary people around the world. It will harm the interest of companies, employees and consumers in both China and the US."
Wang said China won’t hesitate to retaliate against the Trump administration’s "completely groundless" tariffs announced on Tuesday. He defended Beijing’s response to the last round of American duties, saying its measures are in line with domestic law and international rules.
World Trade Organisation officials are concerned that if the US and China engage in a tit-for-tat trade war using unilateral domestic laws rather than the WTO’s dispute settlement processes they will undermine the Geneva-based organisation’s ability to arbitrate global trade conflicts.
"It’s time for anyone who cares about the health of the economy to sit up and take notice," WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo said in a July 5 tweet.


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FarEye expects GCC e-com logistics to boost revenue by 30% after noon.com deal
Carrier-agnostic software as a service (SaaS) platform FarEye is targeting the multi-billion dollar GCC e-commerce market, expecting to fulfil about 30% of its revenue from the region.
FarEye is enabling Digital Logistics for regional e-commerce giant, Noon.com and the world's largest retailer, Walmart. The UAE and Saudi Arabia will be the two key markets for FarEye’s e-commerce sector activity in the region, according to a statement.
With its new technology designed for shipment companies for freight visibility, FarEye’s predictive technology integrates with IoT and ELD devices, and supports enterprises by reducing significant costs in logistics.
The technology helps shippers (retailers and manufacturers) predict when their freight will arrive at its destination by analysing location data from trucking companies, weather and traffic information, as well as information about wait times at warehouses.
With high levels of disposable income, internet and smartphone penetration, e-commerce is transforming the retail landscape in the GCC region.
Customer convenience and logistics are at the heart of the industry and define the runway for the organisations in the region.
FarEye supports businesses with optimising and simplifying the movement of goods – to ensure that they reach the end-customer with speed and efficiency.
The market for ecommerce is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 30% from US$ 5 billion in 2015 to US$ 20 billion by the end of 2020.
“We receive requests every day from companies in the region looking for the right type of technology to succeed in e-commerce logistics,” said Gautam Kumar, chief operations officer & co-founder, FarEye.
“With the GCC transforming itself into a digital economy, and with the rapid growth of e-commerce in the region, it is essential that the logistics industry continues to innovate. With the increase in the popularity of e-shops and delivery companies, the logistics e-commerce business keeps growing,” he adds.
“It faces more and more challenges, as the customers need companies to be quick and increase their logistics performance more than ever before. Logistics firms need to embrace technology-driven solutions in order to stay relevant,” he said.
FarEye has created world's first programming language to build logistics applications with a simple drag and drop feature, enabling enterprises to reduce time to build new logistic delivery processes from quarter(s) to week(s) including testing and scaling.
With a presence in more than 20 countries, FarEye executes more than 500 million shipments annually for more than 100 clients.


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- Used car prices rose just 0.2% in July, a sharp slowdown from the surge seen over the three prior months.
- The category was the largest driver of stronger inflation during reopening, but its surge is ending.
- Most economists expect vehicle inflation to cool further as demand wanes and shortages are addressed.
Prices of used cars and trucks skyrocketed as the economy reopened and powered much of the US's stronger inflation over the last few months.
It's the latest development in a debate engulfing economists over whether strong inflation will stick around and endanger the recovery, or fade away as the economy normalizes. Soaring prices for used vehicles sat at the center of the debate.
But the surge already seems to be over.
Used vehicle prices rose just 0.2% in July, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said Wednesday. That's the weakest inflation in that category since February, when prices slid by 0.9%. It also marks a sharp deceleration from the previous three months, which each saw prices climb at least 7.3%.
From April to June, used vehicles were easily the single-largest contributor to soaring inflation. The reasons were simple. A global semiconductor shortage hampered auto production, forcing Americans to eye used vehicles instead. Since the supply of used vehicles is fairly limited, the sudden uptick in demand left dealers raising prices at breakneck speed.
Now, that growth has practically slowed to a standstill. The drop helped the core Consumer Price Index — a popular inflation gauge that leaves out quickly changing food and energy costs — climbed 0.3% in July, short of the 0.4% estimate. The standard CPI gauge rose 0.5% last month, matching estimates and marking a slowdown from June's 0.9% leap.
For most economists, the tepid inflation for used vehicles probably wasn't a surprise. The consensus view around inflation maintains most of the overshoot is linked to supply shortages and the sudden reopening of the US economy. While Americans immediately boosted their spending when lockdowns ended, producers weren't so quick to respond. That mismatch helped inflation swing higher in recent months.
Yet as supply chains heal and demand wanes, experts anticipate that faster price growth will fade. The Biden administration and thehold the same view, with the latter repeatedly characterizing the stronger inflation as "transitory." While the Wednesday CPI report is just one set of data, it suggests the consensus outlook could prove correct.
July figures revealed "significant cooling in transitory inflation," Bank of America economists led by Alexander Lin said in a note. Data shows persistent inflation "holding firm," and transitory factors linked to reopening are "likely to soften further going forward," they added.
Used cars are among those factors set to soften. The bank expects prices for used cars to decline starting in September.
A similar trend emerged in airline tickets, which saw prices skyrocket as people got back to traveling. Fares dipped 0.1% in July after rising sharply through summer. Prices still sit nearly 10% below pre-pandemic levels, and high-frequency travel data suggests the recent uptick in virus cases could lead ticket inflation to flatline for some time, the economists said.
The transitory argument, then, is winning out. And with the Delta variant threatening new economic restrictions, strong demand is likely the least of economists' concerns.


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The organic versus conventional debate has been fueled by attacks from organizations and companies in both fields of farming. The most recent marketing move claiming superiority comes from the Clif Bar Family Foundation. The organization's initiative called Seed Matters includes an animated video condemning genetically-modified seed -- the predominant production method used by today's U.S grain farmers.
Reminiscent of past attempts to demonize modern farming methods, the video stars an organic seed taking a dim view of his genetically-modified counterparts. Farmers and others in food and agriculture are justifiably angry about such unflattering and openly hostile representations. As with other assaults on today's agriculture, it might be tempting for farmers and other food system stakeholders who support conventional practices to attack companies like Clif Bar for their inaccurate and inflammatory approach. Even when opinions are outlandish and inaccurate, as is the case with Mr. Seed, attacking the attackers may not be the best strategy. Reacting with anger and indignation could reinforce a perception that modern agriculture is heavy-handed and wants to quash dissenting opinion, while also drawing additional attention and viewers.
With the understanding that both conventional and organic farming have a place in the market, a key question is: what's the best way to engage with consumers to encourage a more balanced public discussion?
At The Center for Food Integrity (CFI), our research shows that a better approach is to engage those who are taking part in the conversation by introducing them to real farmers -- the boots on the ground who can demonstrate the approach of today's agriculture, using technology to farm responsibly and sustainably. Connecting with consumers on the things that matter most to them, like safe food, responsible animal care and environmental stewardship, builds trust and helps farmers better align with the values of the vast majority of Americans -- and show that they are nothing like the unsavory characters portrayed by Clif Bar.
Engaging in the conversation, much of which may be online, allows the food system to connect with those who are interested without inadvertently promoting the agenda of the videos.
Agriculture today is diverse and there is room for everyone at the table, from Clif Bar's organic farmers to the conventional farmers planting genetically-modified crops. Instead of fueling the fire, those in agriculture have the opportunity to embrace the differences that allow consumers to have a choice in their food decisions. Adopting this approach encourages a more informed dialogue and limits additional attention to those who hope to spark an inflamed diatribe to promote their agenda.


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Mandi Smallhorne says government should be taken to court for its wasteful expenditure.
Terry Bell explores the connection between poultry, poverty and desperation.
Have the Guptas' new auditors mastered how to look the other way on cue, asks Solly Moeng.
SA's youth should be proactive by being on the lookout for specific schemes rather than waiting for the government to come and deliver at their doorsteps.
Government should be taken to the Constitutional Court for inefficient, wasteful and ineffective use of the country's resources, says Mandi Smallhorne.
The influx of cheap poultry into SA will likely cripple the local industry with the loss of still more jobs right along the supply chain, says Terry Bell.
Zimbabwe could end up running out of food, electricity, fuel and medicine unless the central bank intervenes, says Malcom Sharara.
Have the Guptas' new auditors been mastering the age-old art of looking the other way on cue, asks Solly Moeng.
Husband and wife team started a business from selling their house, today they sell 800 litres of ...
Voluntary and early retirement packages are increasing while jobs are being frozen.
SA is unlikely to avoid a recession and over 100 000 jobs may be in the line, says analyst.
StokFella App aims to help stokvels manage their activities via a smartphone.
In the midst of calls for more tax breaks, South Africans need to address their own behavior, say...
SA's challenge lies in ‘How to do it’ rather than ‘What needs to be done', an analyst says.
Seven tips to help you make the most of your home improvements.
Zuma’s personal tax liability for Nkandla presents SA with another test for the rule of law.
Jacob Zuma is not SA's primary problem but merely a symptom of a much deeper malaise that afflicts the governing party, says Terry Bell.
The formulation of strategy may be a sprint, but its execution across the span of huge companies is a marathon, says Ian Mann.
Someone is getting fat on cheap chicken imports and it isn't the hard-pressed South African consumer struggling to put decent food on the table, says the SA Poultry Association.
Inefficiency not only costs money but could also impact stress-related issues like road rage and interpersonal aggression, warns Mandi Smallhorne.
State capture, wealth accumulation, political office, impact on the state: the Guptas aren't the only threat to South Africa, says Mcebisi Jonas.
Amid growing signs of Chinese worker unrest, it seems a supreme irony that SA labour still sees the country as a model for prosperity, says Terry Bell.
Demand and prices steadily slip, causing economic and political turbulence.
If rating agencies are to plunge SA into junk economic status, they should at least provide clear reasons for doing so, argues a group of academics.
Ten startups have been shortlisted for the finals of the #Hack.Jozi Challenge and R1m prize which seek to create an entrepreneurship culture in Johannesburg.
Is good - it will ease the burden on consumers
Won’t dent the economy much
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Faster legal sales of marijuana snuffed out; Black advocates cheer
Jeremy M. Lazarus | 3/3/2022, 6 p.m.
The rush to start legal retail sales of marijuana next September has been snuffed out.
With Black advocates cheering them on, five Republican delegates in the General Assembly halted Democratic efforts to push the start of sales to Sept. 15, or at least 16 to 20 months sooner than previously envisioned.
Legislation that passed last year called for legal recreational sales to start after January 2024 when a new state regulatory commission finalizes the rules and regulations.
The 5-3 party line vote earlier this week in the Republican-controlled House General Laws subcommittee essentially prevented the advance of the bill by Democratic Sen. Adam P. Ebbin of Alexandria to speed up sales.
That’s just fine with a host of Black advocates and organizations who decried many elements of the legislation as a Democratic betrayal of their most loyal voting bloc, Black supporters.
It also put the advocates at odds with members of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, who helped push the Ebbin bill. One VLBC member, state Sen. L. Louise Lucas of Portsmouth, is a co-owner of a cannabis-focused retail shop in South Hampton Roads.
“Advocacy by many from across Virginia has been a solid undercurrent that led to the death of an inherently bad bill, a bill that was bad for Black families and communities across the state,” according to the Rev. Lester D. Frye, a founding member of Today’s Black Agenda and first vice president of the Baptist Ministers Conference of Richmond and Vicinity.
In a statement issued on behalf of the statewide Cannabis Equity Coalition of Virginia, Rev. Frye, founding pastor of the Healing and Living Waters Ministry in Richmond, stated that he and others in the coalition “are already planning for the work needed to help build 2023 legisla- tion that fully includes many who always seem to not be included in such impactful legislation.”
Former Richmond City Councilman E. Martin “Marty” Jewell, chairman of CECVA, said that he and others who have pushed for Black inclusion in the potentially multibillion-dollar marijuana industry, opposed the Ebbin bill because it sought to advantage white-owned companies and leave out Black-owned businesses.
The Ebbin bill would have authorized the handful of state-licensed medical marijuana production and sales companies and 40 large hemp growers to pay big fees and open retail operations long before anyone else.
According to Sen. Ebbin’s bill, the fees — $6 million from the licensed medical marijuana dispensaries and $500,000 apiece from the hemp growers — would have created an investment pool to provide grants to support the efforts of Black and Brown entrepreneurs, including ex-marijuana convicts, to launch start-up marijuana retail businesses.
Still, the early advantage to the handful of dispensaries and hemp growers did not sit well with CECVA and other groups.
“Allowing the big boys to buy their way to a more than one-year head start favors oligarchs and is obscene,” Mr. Jewell stated.
He and other coalition members also expressed concern that only 30 percent of the sales tax revenue from marijuana sales would be earmarked to be invested in Black and Brown communities to “repair the damage from excessive enforcement.”
CECVA has been pushing to increase the community investment share to 70 percent of collections from the special 21 percent tax the state plans to impose on marijuana sales, instead of allowing the lion’s share to go to fund universal pre-kindergarten.
Chelsea Higgs Wise, in a statement on behalf of the Virginia CannaJustice Coalition, also hailed the House decision to snuff out the Ebbin bill.
“Cannabis equity advocates are encouraged that more time will be spent” in creating legislation that would provide for “a more equitable transition,” stated Ms. Wise, executive director of Marijuana Justice.
Ms. Wise stated that the CannaJustice Coalition strongly opposed Sen. Ebbin’s proposed language that would recriminalize possession of more than four ounces and less than one pound of marijuana as a misdemeanor, instead of retaining it as a civil offense subject to a small fine.
She and others in the coalition, including Kalia Harris, executive director of the Virginia Student Power Network, also were disappointed that Democrats did not use the Ebbin bill to support the CannaJustice push to ensure automatic re-sentencing of those serving time for marijuana possession offenses that are no longer crimes.
She called the Ebbin bill an “attempt to re-activate the Drug War.”
“Legislating new crimes associated with the possession of marijuana is working backwards,” the organization stated, and would continue to “empower racist policing,” given that the largest number of arrests for previous marijuana offenses occurred in Black and Brown neighborhoods.
The coalition is supportive of a separate House bill that could open a pathway to resentencing of those convicted.
Like CECVA, Ms. Wise also condemned the Ebbin bill for attempting to “legislate a limited-access market to benefit oligopolies and exclude social-equity operators and small entrepreneurs,” who are to include people formerly convicted for marijuana offenses.
Members of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus have not responded to requests for comment on the issues raised by CECVA and CannaJustice.


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Starting from 15 June, O2’s pay monthly and business customers will be able to make and receive calls and texts as well as use their data allowances in 47 countries - including popular holiday destinations France, Greece and Spain - at no extra cost, the company announced on Tuesday.
The company said it will inform customers about the changes from 15 May adding that users would not need to take any action to take advantage of the benefits.
The move follows similar initiatives from rivals Vodaphone, EE and Three.
It comes as the European Union is expected to abolish roaming charges for its 28 member’s states in June.
However, it remains unclear if UK operators will be able to reintroduce roaming fees from 2019, when the country is expected to exit the EU.
According to a leaked document created by the European Parliament’s committee on industry, research and energy, regulations on roaming “will no longer apply with respect to the UK impacting business and other travellers to and from the UK.”
After that, it will be up to the UK Government to strike a deal to prevent British customers from facing steep mobile bills when travelling in what will then be the 27-member-state bloc.
More than 9 million UK mobile phone users suffer from so-called “bill shock” from using their phones while holidaying abroad each year, according to research published last year by comparison website uSwitch.
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The Ministry of Agriculture, Jigawa, said it has taken measures to check the circulation of unwholesome meat and keep the 20 abattoirs in the state free from infections.
Dr Abdullahi Haruna, the Director of Veterinary Services in the Ministry, made this known in an interview with our reporter in Dutse on Wednesday.
Haruna said that part of the measures was the distribution of sanitary and protective items to all the slaughter houses in the state.
He said that the state government also provided cleaning agents, germicides, disinfectants, brooms, shovels, rakes, wheelbarrows and buckets, among others to all the 20 abattoirs.
The director added that it was to ensure the production of hygienic and healthy meat for human consumption in the state.
Haruna further told our reporter that the protective items were provided to the facilities/animals/meat inspectors in order to protect themselves from infections while on duty.
He listed the protective items to include safety boots, hard-duty gloves, hooks and knives.
“They are to use the gloves, while inspecting the animals or the meat, the hooks to hold the meat and the knives to cut the meat while inspecting,” he explained.
The director also listed nine major towns and 11 local and international markets that benefited from the items distributed as MalamMadori, Hadejia, KafinHausa, Gumel, Kazaure, Ringim, Dutse, Gwaram and Birninkudu.
Others are: Firji Market in Kazaure Local Government, Yarkirya Market and Kanya Market in Babura Local Government, Maigari International Market in Maigatari Local Government, Shuwarin International Market in Kiyawa Local Government and Gujungu International Market in Taura Local Government.
The rest are: Dingaya Market in Gwaram Local Government Area, Balangu Market in KafinHausa Local Government Area and Kussa Market in Birniwa Local Government Area.
The director urged the benefiting abattoirs and personnel to ensure regular use of the items in order to protect themselves and consumers from infections.
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Latest fitness tracker news
The Fitbit Versa 2 adds Alexa to the popular fitness tracker, meaning you can be in control of your fitness and your smart home devices.
Garmin's new entry-level running watch, the Forerunner 45 and 45S, have seen big discounts on Amazon.
What better way to say "get fit" to your gift expecting friends and family that a shiny new fitness focused gadget.
Affordable toolbox for your fitness.
Bring the workouts into your home.
The Fitbit Charge 3 is one on the most popular models in the Fitbit range, bringing plenty of fitness functions to your wrist.
The Garmin Forerunner 35 has been discounted for a limited time. Snap up this excellent running watch deal.
The Fitbit Ionic was Fitbit's first proper fitness smartwatch and it's been a popular model, offering a full range of tracking.
Garmin has announced two updates to its bike computers, with the Edge 1030 Plus becoming the new flagship and the Edge 130 Plus.
A big name from the motorcycle world, Triumph, is getting into the electric bike market.
Cowboy's new e-bike brings a new transmission and a choice of colours for the first time.
Xiaomi's Mi Band series has been a bit of a quiet marvel over the last couple of years.
Fitbit has started a research project that wants to investigate whether wearable devices could play a role disease detection.
Strava has changed how it organises its subscriptions as the company looks to focus on serving its paying members.
There can be something pretty intimidating about a lot of exercise bikes, but not CAR.O.L
Fitbit has kicked off the Fitbit Heart Study to "validate the use of its wearables" for detecting atrial fibrillation (AFib) or heart rhythm irregular...
How to setup the virtual run tracking system, accessories to boost your training, and much more in our how-to guide for Zwift Run.
Fitbit's been making trackers for people's children for some time, most notably in the form of its Ace line of trackers.
Withings has had a lock on the top spot of our list of the best sleep trackers on the market for some time, and now it's got a new model.
Polar has announced a new addition to its collection of wearable fitness devices, this time taking bold approach to the great outdoors.
Garmin Connect is more than just a place to view the data gathered by your Garmin watch. It's a portal to a whole world of features and functions.
Many of us have been forced to change the way we live our lives, with gyms closing and lockdowns imposed. Here are some ways to stay fit with tech.
Fitbit has announced its latest Charge model, the Fitbit Charge 4 and it's fully loaded.
Here's everything you need to know about Fitbit Pay, including which banks are supported and how it works.
It looks like a new Fitbit device is coming down the pike, according to a leaked promotional video shared by Roland Quandt.
Smart home device maker Wyze has announced its first two fitness products.
This feature explains what Fitbit Premium offers, how much it costs and what extra features you get compared to the standard Fitbit experience.
It looks like a new Fitbit device is coming down the pike, according to images of the device that have surfaced online.
It looks like a new Fitbit device is coming down the pike.
Adidas has teamed up with Google and EA to make a smart tracker that can slip into whatever pair football boots you're rocking in five-a-side.
A recent software update is pushing a new blood oxygen tracking to the Versa, Ionic and Charge 3
Huami's Amazfit brand is becoming a bit of a one-stop shop for solid fitness gear at lower prices than many competitors. Now, it looks like it's had a
Suunto is one of the oldest names in navigation, moving its expertise over to sports devices to rival the likes of Polar and Garmin.Looking to disrupt
Polar has confirmed that there's an update to the Polar Vantage V and Vantage M coming down the pipeline.The company's smarter sports watches will get
A comprehensive guide to all the tips and tricks of the Fitbit app to help you get the most out of your Fitbit fitness tracker.
Fitbit has announced its OS 4.1 software update that will bring a number of features to the company's smartwatches, comprising the Fitbit Versa 2, Fit...
If you own a Fitbit device, you may be concerned about how Google plans to use your health data after it buys the wearables company.
Here are the Pocket-lint Awards nominees for Best Fitness Tracker 2019 and details on how to vote for your favourite.
The Polar Vantage V and slightly lower-tier Vantage M have received some hefty updates, bringing with them a range of new features and improvements.Mu...
First, there was Apple Pay, Android Pay, and Samsung Pay. Then, there was Fitbit Pay. Now, we have Garmin Pay.
Ant Middleton, best known as the stern face of Channel 4's SAS: Who Dares Wins, describes himself as a technophobe - but is he?
I've spent the last week sleeping while wearing the Garmin Fenix 6. It's a magnificent device and the sleep tracking that it offers feeds data into on...
Garmin has refreshed the Vivoactive - its lifestyle sports watch - bringing it into version 4 with new health tracking features and workout options. O...
Garmin has launched a new watch, equipped for the first time with an AMOLED display
Asus has used its IFA 2019 press conference to announce the Asus VivoWatch SP, a new wearable that will track not only your exercise, but a range of v...
A leak with details has emerged suggesting that - for its Fenix 6 series - Garmin is launching seven models.
Sir Bradley doesn't think e-bikes are "cheating" when it comes to getting out on your bike and in fact they are a good thing.
Garmin has dominated the sport-tracking fitness watch market, and if leaks are accurate, that dominance won't end any time soon
A pre-order page appeared on Amazon prematurely, revealing the 6X Sapphire and Sapphire Solar.
Swing is an Apple Watch app that uses machine learning to track how you hit a ball on the tennis court.


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Kaching, a revolutionary new mobile platform from Australia’s Commonwealth Bank, allows users to make payments to anyone via either their email, Facebook account or phone number. Users can opt to have transactions occur instantly, or generate a unique code for recipients which gives them online access to the payment at a later time.
Commonwealth says Kaching provides a new level of convenience. For instance, someone could easily split a dinner tab with their friend needing nothing more than their email address. Or they could pay the plumber knowing only their mobile number.
“The idea is to let you pay your friend as quickly as you can send your friend a text message,” said Commonwealth’s David Lindberg at a launch event for Kaching.
The Kaching app ports into the phone’s address book and can interface with a user’s Facebook contacts, providing the ability to create peer-to-peer payments without leaving the app.
Payees don’t have to be Commonwealth Bank customers to receive funds via Facebook and email. Non-bank customers are directed to an external collection site. Any un-retrieved funds are credited back to the payer after 14 days.
The Kaching app was designed to be a complete banking interface for smartphones, so users can also do all the things they could in NetBank, Commonwealth’s online banking system. Users can view balances and transfer money between accounts, as well as schedule payments via BPAY, the bank’s online bill pay platform.
Commonwealth Bank’s NetBank online banking platform has more than 6.2 million registered users, with 57 million logons in August 2011 — over 16 million of those from mobile devices. That reflects a one-year increase of 229%. 79% of all NetBank mobile logons were from an iPhone, 12% from Android devices. Today, 28% of logons to Commonwealth’s NetBank platform are from mobile devices, which is quite remarkable considering that it was just 2% two years ago.
Commonwealth Bank customers who download Kaching need to first complete an online registration process, including their existing NetBank login details.
Commbank Kaching users who also add iCarte to their handset can make payments up to $100 with a simple tap of their phone at certain point-of-purchase locations. Adding iCarte technology requires snapping an extension onto the phone, or by using a specially designed case.
This NFC (Near Field Communications) payment system only works in those retailers with MasterCard PayPass enabled terminals. However, there are currently over 42,000 such readers installed across Australia, and over seven million MasterCard PayPass cards already in circulation. In August this year, the number of Mastercard PayPass transactions processed in Australia topped million for the first time.
An estimated 50% of all mobile handsets predicted to be enabled with the technology by 2014, delivering up to $50 billion of mobile payment transactions globally.
The Kaching app initially launched with versions for iPhone 4 and 4S only, much to the dismay of many Android users. However, Commonwealth says an Android version will be following shortly.
Commonwealth says it has deployed password encryption technology to ensure that someone will not be able access a user’s personal banking details should their phone be lost or stolen. Kaching is authorized to be used on only one handset, and no personal banking information is stored on the phone.
The bank says it expects Kaching to be released sometime before Christmas, about seven weeks away.


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The consumer price index (CPI) rate of inflation is forecast to come in at 5.1% for October, slightly down on the three-year high of 5.2% the previous month.
But it is still more than double the Government's 2% goal - and comes on the back of forecasts that unemployment figures also look set to soar further.
The biggest pressure on British households for the month is tipped to once again be rises in gas and electricity bills.
Npower and EDF both introduced tariff hikes in October, following previous rises from British Gas, SSE, Scottish Power and E.ON.
There is expected to be some relief at the checkouts with heavy discounting campaigns from food retailers, including the UK's biggest supermarkets, which have been engaged in an aggressive price war.
But the figure will still be high enough to trigger an explanation from Bank of England governor Sir Mervyn King, who will be at Buckingham Palace to be formally knighted by the Queen when the CPI rate is released.
The Bank is expected to slash its forecasts for growth and inflation in its quarterly inflation report on Wednesday, as a raft of key indicators all point towards the economy heading into reverse.
The weaker growth outlook is likely to push down the inflation projection - but this will be slightly offset by the impact of the £75 billion round of quantitative easing unleashed in October.
But evidence suggests the slight decline in the CPI rate will be the start of an extended, marked downward trend as the impact from VAT hikes drops out in 2012 and energy prices stabilise.
Elsewhere, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said shop price inflation fell back markedly to 2.1% - its lowest point this year - from 2.7%.
The BRC said the dip was down to a supermarket price war triggered in October by Tesco's £500 million price-cutting campaign.
Tesco's biggest rivals soon responded with their own schemes, including Sainsbury's Brand Match campaign and Asda slashing prices at the petrol pumps.


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South Korea is truly crypto crazy. While the country has less than 1 percent of the world’s population, estimates indicate it is responsible for 30 percent of all cryptocurrency trading in the world. Steve Lim, CSO of South Korean crypto exchange Coinone said in an interview last year: “People are crazed over it. Grandpas and grandmas come to our office lobby and say they want to put [in] half a billion won ($447,000). We ask them how they heard about us, and they say, ‘I heard about you through a friend who invested a couple thousand and made a killing, and I want to do it too’ … but they have no idea how to use the app or email.”
South Korea is the only nation were investing in cryptocurrencies is truly mass market. Housewives, grandparents, millennials, boomers — people from every age group — have invested in a cryptocurrency. Some estimates state at least 30 percent of South Koreans have invested in them. Simon Kim, CEO of Hashed (Korea’s leading crypto fund) told me that number could be as high as 50 percent among white-collared professionals. Comparatively a recent study in the U.S. estimated that 8 percent of the population has invested in a cryptocurrency.
While people in other countries may be hesitant to take the leap on something so new and unproven, South Korea has a track record for quick adoption of new tech offerings — even ones that are truly culture-changing. Koreans created the first online microtransactions and MMORPGs (1996 by Nexon), social networking (1999 by CyWorld), one of the first major VoIP companies (Dialpad Communications founded in 1999), and mobile messaging content distribution (2010 by Kakao). South Korea has also been the worldwide leader in broadband technologies and adoption since the late ‘90s and the leader in wireless technologies and adoption. So it isn’t surprising that South Koreans would move so quickly into cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology.
Some people have cited Korea’s economic factors or job security issues of young people in South Korea as the causes of this crypto craze without really knowing how deep and long Korea’s history with virtual currencies has been. South Korea’s crypto craze is based on a foundation of ubiquitous technologies and a strong and wide early adopter base in this country of 50 million. When I lived in Seoul from 2000 to 2004, as an American, I assumed each of these technology crazes were due to some “Asian quality” or extra geek factor that coursed through their veins.
When I first witness micropayments of 50 cents within Nexon’s virtual economy and Hangame’s casual online games, I said to myself, “Only in Korea or Asia could this happen. Americans would NEVER pay 50 cents for such services.”
Around 2001, when camera phone sales exploded in Korea, once again I said, “Only in Asia would people be taking pictures like crazy with their phones!” Hollywood movie imagery of Japanese tourists being camera-happy filled my mind. I simply couldn’t imagine Americans taking to camera phones in the same way that Koreans and Japanese had. But American consumers proved me wrong. Soon after I came back to the U.S. in 2004, the camera phone market exploded here as well.
I moved to Korea in May 2000, years after leaving as a toddler, to launch HeyAnita Korea, a voice portal (think Siri over landlines), with Jimmy Kim (my cofounder at SparkLabs Group) and fresh money from Softbank. That same year I met David Moon, who became a good friend, and learned he was working at a startup, founded by a first-time entrepreneur Beom-Su Kim, called Hangame. Hangame was a Korean online gaming company that pioneered microtransactions through casual games. When I worked at a boutique investment bank in Hong Kong, both Hangame and Nexon became my clients in 2001, so I became further engaged beyond my personal relationships.
Hangame was charging users a fee of less than a dollar to do things like extend playing time, get power-ups, and host private group games for its stable of casual online games, such as Battle Tetris, blackjack, chess, and pool. In 2001, Hangame’s revenues hit $30,000 per day on micropayments of 50 cents on average. Within a year, that number had risen to $80,000, and by 2004 revenues per day exceeded $254,000 and accounted for more than $93 million for the year. The in-game currency people had to purchase was called Hancoin, and by this time over 50 percent of the population was using Hancoin and becoming conditioned to the alternative reality of virtual currencies.
Over 25 million of South Korea’s 50 million population became comfortable with the notion of a virtual currency having real value and the ability for people to earn money through trading platforms and black markets. It was a real tangible asset for many Koreans even to the point where grey markets were becoming rampant. As early as 2001, Korean gangs were creating trading businesses around Hangame and Hancoin.
I asked David Moon to recall the story he told me the first 17 years ago: “We first realized Hancoin had become liquid in secondary markets around the summer of 2001. One day a contingent of square-headed gangsters barged into our offices, back when we only had about 20 employees, and proceeded to throw fire extinguishers around and kick over water coolers. They claimed to have come on behalf of some disgruntled users and demanded that we reactivate dozens of accounts that had been suspended for suspicious activity. When we got over the shock of the incident, I could only marvel at how enterprising and tech-savvy even gangsters were in Korea.”
During 2001, Hangame merged with Naver, Korea’s leading search engine, to become Korea’s leading Internet company, NHN Corp (which is also the parent company of LINE, which recently announced it is launching a cryptocurrency exchange). David Moon eventually became Head of Corporate Development at NHN. Beom-Su Kim would eventually become CEO and then leave in 2009 to launch Kakao, Korea’s leading mobile messaging platform.
This merger made Hancoin even more ubiquitous as this virtual currency would become the foundation for South Korea’s cryptocurrency craze. This is a nation where virtual trading, of items and currencies, has been in existence for over 20 years. Two generations — maybe three — have been comfortable with this idea of virtual currencies. So it’s no surprise Koreans have been so quick to invest in cryptocurrencies.
Last year, South Korea was the third largest market for Bitcoin trading and the largest market for Ether trading in the world (it accounted for at least 35 percent of Ether’s global trading volume). The country has also been quick to adopt the tech powering such currencies. Large companies from Hyundai Motors to Samsung have integrated blockchain technologies in their enterprises — and these are not just pilot projects. While government officials in South Korea hammer out and hopefully will soon define a regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies, the people and companies of South Korea have become the doers of the crypto world.
I believe that, once again, South Korea is a global trend indicator for the permanency of a new technology. From online microtransactions to social networking to camera phones, cryptocurrencies and their underlying technology, blockchain, are here to stay. The pump-and-dump schemes we’ve been seeing with cryptocurrencies, and the short-term mindset many investors in this space have — will pass. Especially once major nations (top 20 OECD nations) launch their own cryptocurrencies and major institutions become truly active within this market. I believe most alt coins will disappear and only the top 10 to 20 will remain, alongside national cryptocurrencies. Then they will become as commonplace as mobile phones and a Neymar injury in a soccer match.
Bernard Moon is Cofounder and Partner at SparkLabs Group, a network of startup accelerators and venture capital funds. Follow him on Twitter @bernardmoon.
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Suggesting to adopt a slow and staggered way for lifting lockdown, an industry chamber on Sunday advocated cautious approach to reopening various sectors based on classification of geographies as red, amber and green, depending upon the number of novel coronavirus cases.
Emphasising on textiles and apparels, pharmaceuticals, food processing, minerals and metal, besides e-commerce, automobiles and chemicals as the key sectors, the CII in a report has highlighted the need to restart operations in a calibrated manner.
However, prior to the lifting of the lockdown, there has to be adequate notice given to all and also the announcement of an economic package, the CII report, Exit from the Lockdown, said.
The report has suggested a stagewise and zone wise restart of industrial operations to, meet all essential needs of the economy, ensure protection of livelihoods and jobs, protect export market shares and meet export obligations besides helping manage the import dependence of the economy.
“Given that the number of cases has rapidly increased and hotspots have emerged in the country over the last few days, and that the opening up across the country would need to be slow and staggered, it would be desirable to have three classifications of geographies as red, amber and green, based on the incidence of COVID cases.
“The principle should be that we look at opening up in concentric circles around the red zones. The radiating heat map should turn from red in the inside to green on the outside. In other words, ‘Lock inside out’,” said Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII.
A more complex point is whether all industries can open in the green zones and which ones should open in the amber zone, assuming that none would be operational in the red zones other than essential and exempt services.
The point to stress is that all facilities that reopen must have requisite health, sanitation and screening systems in place to protect workers. Various measures have been suggested such as thermal check, social distancing, factory sanitisation and so on. Any enterprise which does not comply with this on a self-certification basis should be subject to stringent penalties, the report stated.
However, prior to the lifting of the lockdown, there has to be adequate notice given to all and along with that there should be announcement of an economic package, it said.
Prioritisation of industrial sectors is essential for restart to gain from the control measures employed to reduce the spread of the pandemic while minimising the Economic impact of the lockdown affecting exports, livelihoods and jobs.
“As we begin to plan the restart of industry operations post COVID-19, CII has looked into the health, social and economic impact of lockdown to arrive at the prioritisation of the industry sectors.
CII has used four key indicators for prioritisation of sectors for restart. These include sectors that are part of and support the essential goods and services ecosystem, labour intensive sectors that support jobs and livelihoods, sectors that are essential for protecting India’s export market share and gain the confidence of global markets besides sectors that will help us manage our imports to a minimum based on essential requirements for further production and export” said Banerjee.
Textiles and apparels, 100 per cent operationalising pharmaceuticals sector, food processing, minerals and metal besides, ecommerce, automobiles and chemicals are the key sectors that have been suggested for restart among the industrial sectors that need to restart operations in a calibrated manner.
“The Government could consider stage by stage opening of key industry sectors what fall in Green and Amber zones to maintain the gains from the lockdown while we look at restarting the ailing economy. We have suggested sector wise health, safety and sanitation protocols to be followed by the industry to help industry prepare for a restart,” Banerjee said.
Stage I opening of sector, according to the CII report include 100 per cent pharmaceuticals manufacturing, textiles and apparels, food processing and minerals and metals.
Stage II would entail opening with a gap of one or two weeks after the first stage sectors start their operations and includes agri market operations, Ecommerce including food and groceries delivery, automobiles, chemicals especially those used for sanitation and other healthcare purposes and those that support pharmaceuticals and other essential sectors.
And Stage III could be the remaining sectors after one or two weeks after the second stage sectors start operations, said the CII report.
Sectors that fall into green and amber zones are based on the levels of labour intensity of the sectors. Green zone sectors are those which are less labour intensive while sectors that fall into amber zone are labour intensive.
These sectors are recommended to be opened in a calibrated manner while maintaining strong health, sanitation and social distancing protocols.
The CII report outlines detailed sector wise protocols for maintaining health and sanitation and social distancing besides guidelines for maintaining the shop floors.


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U.S. economic output is expected to return to its pre-pandemic level later this year, but the episode will leave lasting scars on the economy, says Moody’s Investors Service.
In a new report, the rating agency examined whether the economic disruption inflicted by the Covid-19 pandemic has caused any permanent damage — a “hot topic among market participants.”
Moody’s said it believes the effects will last for years, notwithstanding a relatively quick recovery.
“We expect economic activity as measured by GDP to return to its pre-coronavirus path by the end of 2021, but an elevated unemployment rate and a lagging recovery in the hardest hit sectors will leave visible bruises,” it said.
Additionally, the growth in both government and corporate debt is “likely to last for several years,” it said.
In the short term, though, Moody’s said the prospects for a return to pre-pandemic GDP levels this year look good. The downturn “has not stressed the financial sector, does not result from a burst credit or real estate bubble and pandemic-related supply disruptions will pass,” it said.
Typically, the recovery following a financial crisis or a burst real estate bubble takes a long time “because damage to banking system balance sheets keeps banks from providing credit to the economy for years” and it takes time to repair corporate and household balance sheets
In this crisis, the number of bankruptcy filings and defaults has been lower than usual, Moody’s said.
“Pandemic disruptions are creating losses on capital stock (for example, hotels and aircraft), but these are a small share of the economy, and the disruptions are also spurring new investment in digital technologies,” it said.
“Once the pandemic has receded and lockdown measures are rare, consumers will regain confidence,” it noted.
That said, it also suggested that businesses in the hardest-hit sectors will take longer to recover.
“For high-contact travel and tourism-related sectors, recovery will likely lag until anxiety about coronavirus wanes and international restrictions are lifted,” it said.
The recovery will be faster in sectors such as retail, health care and education that pivoted to digital delivery during the pandemic, but the labour force will need to “re-skill for the new digital economy, which will take time,”


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On Friday night, fashion, music and art came together at The Music Box in Hollywood for Project ETHOS' 13th show, Love Sick. "Project Runway's" Nick Verreos hosted the night's attractions, including musical performances and DJ sets, art gallery, full fashion show and even a boutique of accessories.
While fall 2010 fashion shows for designers such as Katorey Swimwear, Akra, B. Vika, and Nicholas Tarr ruled the indoor runway, guests could also enjoy the art exhibition and music courtesy of the night's deck masters. In addition to the various forms of entertainment on hand, cocktails from the bar ensured there would not be dull moment the entire night. Project ETHOS will be back with more fashion and art in October for L.A. Fashion Week so be sure to snap up tickets when they go one sale.


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Stefan Simmonds, chairman, said: 'We are being extremely cautious, planning and hoping for things to improve. We are optimistic things will improve.'
The company, whose worsted cloth is turned into suits, trousers and jackets sold in Marks & Spencer, Woolworth, Next and Debenhams, saw turnover fall from pounds 43m to pounds 40m. Profit margins were squeezed by operating problems, arising mainly from a pounds 2.8m restructuring coupled with the introduction of high-technology machinery.
'It should be recognised that the difficulties we have experienced have been brought about by the problems associated with the rapid expansion of the group's activities,' Mr Simmonds said.
He added: 'Our turnover has doubled in the last five years, and we are now the largest wool-based apparel manufacturer in the UK.
'The principal objectives over the next 18 months will be to focus our efforts and resources on recovery in our core activities.'
Excluding the recent pounds 3.7m sale of the South African operations, the company suffered a 'slight' cash outflow in the year. Net assets at the year-end were pounds 11m, and gearing was 60 per cent.
Some cash is being conserved with the dividend being passed. Loss per share was 22.6p.Reuse content


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Camso today announced the launch of its new Steel over-the-tire (OTT) track solution, confirming its leadership as the industry one-stop source for all skid steer tire and track needs.
The addition of Camso’s skid steer product line complements its well-known offering of OEM and aftermarket skid steer tires, CTL tracks and Rubber OTT tracks. “Traditionally, Camso has offered rubber products, but we know our customers are looking for more than that. They’re in the market for off-the-road solutions. It’s our job to deliver high-performing products, whatever the application calls for,” says Andy Gaffney, Product Line Manager – Construction Tracks, at Camso.
The move to a steel product now allows Camso distributors to offer the widest range of tracks. Camso believes a Steel OTT product is the perfect option should an application call for a track solution, but a user is not willing to bridge to a Compact Track Loader (CTL). “Compact Track Loaders are becoming increasingly popular and although our Steel OTT track won’t change your rubber-tire machine into a tracked machine, it will improve a skid steer’s traction, mobility and performance in extreme muddy applications when users need it,” adds Gaffney.
Source: Camso press release


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TP-Link has announced that their TP-Link Smart Bulbs are now supported by Amazon Alexa in the UK with the “TP-Link Kasa” smart home skill.
Amazon Alexa can now be used to change the color of the TP-Link Smart Bulbs and also turn them on and off.
“TP-Link’s dedicated research and development team always strives for new ways to enhance the smart home experience of our customers,” said David Li, CEO of TP-Link Research America Corporation. “Our successful ongoing collaboration with Amazon allows us to continue developing new ways for consumers to personalize their smart homes.”
The enhanced TP-Link Kasa smart home skill for Amazon Alexa makes it easier than ever to select the perfect lighting for any mood or setting. Users can tell Alexa to make bedroom lights warmer in the evening to improve sleep or ask Alexa for cool white light in the office, to help concentrate on work. It’s also easier than ever to adjust brightness levels, change the temperature of white light or quickly flip the lights to the colours of your favourite sports team. You can even change the colour to a romantic pink or bold red for date night, simply using the sound of your voice.
“TP-Link is strongly committed to the smart home category,” said Lewis Wu, executive vice president at TP-Link USA. “Through our relationship with Amazon’s Alexa team, we continue to find new ways to innovate and offer consumers feature-rich products that will make their lives easier.”
You can find out more details about the “TP-Link Kasa” smart home skill and Amazon Alexa at the link below.
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The update, which rolled out worldwide at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, was designed to emphasize YouTube channels, allowing users to easily select and subscribe to their favorites. Coupled with a streamlined process for sharing on Facebook and integration with Google+, the social network owned, like YouTube, by Google, the change was intended to help foster a more social, interactive experience.
A black navigation bar on the left encourages users to log in with a big button and presents a list of categories. Recent and popular videos, including Lady Gaga’s latest music video and rapper Mac Lethal, featured yesterday in the Daily Dot, take up the center column. On the right, there are “Recommended” videos. An ad with a playable video embedded stands on top of the page.
So advertisers and certain content creators may be happy. But YouTubers, the people who spend hours on the site daily as a replacement for TV, aren’t nearly as excited.
YouTube actually implemented some of the new homepage features and layouts at various points this year, and each change was met with heavy criticism from the community, with the consensus being less-than-positive. Even the new YouTube layouts were turned into a Downfall parody video.
So it’s not surprising that the latest upgrade to the homepage layout has been equally contested.
“I come home, sit in my chair, and type in youtube dot com. And it wasn’t like yesterday. Oh no, now everything is all crunched up in the middle, all confusing and everything,” says YouTuber RobyCtv, in his vlog uploaded yesterday.
YouTube celebrity Phillip DeFranco, who noticed his fans “freaking out” about the new changes to layouts and the homepage, decided to make an eight-minute tutorial video.
“Calm down. You’re not going to leave, really. You’re like, I’m gonna go to vimeo,” DeFranco says, impersonating a frustrated YouTuber. “So, I am going to try and hold your hand through the very scary changes.”
YouTubers have taken to complaining about the new layout in comment threads and on Twitter. Some don’t like the colors, others say it’s too much like Facebook. Quite a few admitted to getting lost on the homepage, including YouTube celebrity Kingsley. (YouTube did post an updated user manual.)
There were some positive reactions on YouTube, however.
“I honestly enjoy the new layout. YouTube is trying their best to improve general AND hardcore user experience, which is paramount to their continued success as far as curated content goes,” wrote Hughes.
“They’re making the right steps moving forward in a well prioritized fashion.”
Photo by Marcin Wichery


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Tag Archives: Ford F-150
Corning has partnered with Hyperformance Glass Products (HGP) to manufacture hybrid laminate replacement windshields for Ford F-150 owners, which feature Corning’s Gorilla Glass. The company’s glass is also used in other applications including many smart phones and tablets. “We’ve actually … Continue reading
Auto Glass Week™ 2018 will be giving away a brand new truck to one very lucky attendee. Come, learn and you just may drive home on some new wheels. Here’s how it works. Every two hours on the trade show … Continue reading
The evolution of Ford’s F-150 has been chronicled in news nationwide such as The Washington Post in recent days. Join us at this year’s Auto Glass Week™ and watch a full installation of every piece of glass on this groundbreaking … Continue reading
Ford knew that along with new material for its best-selling F-150s would come new insuring and repair challenges—so the company took action. Teaming up with AllState Insurance Company’s research group, Tech-Cor Applied Research, the two companies prepared repair adjusters and … Continue reading
A number of owners of 2010 Ford F-150 trucks have complained to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that an alleged glitch in their rear defrosters has caused their backlites to shatter or spiderweb in cracks in recent months. … Continue reading
More than 30 owners of the 2010 Ford F-150 model have complained to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that an alleged glitch in their rear defrosters has caused their back lites to shatter or spiderweb in cracks. Continue reading


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entral Bedfordshire Council have set up few businesses support programmes which are funded through Central Government to support our local businesses as we recover from the pandemic:
Cranfield School of Management: we are working in partnership with Cranfield School of Management to offer 90 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) the opportunity to apply for a scholarship place on Cranfield’s leading businesses growth courses Ready for Scale and Business Growth Programme.
Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce: we are working in partnership with the Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce to support businesses trading or wanting to trade internationally. We'll do this by delivering a comprehensive package of global trade services – for example, helping businesses overcome barriers to trade and adopting a global mindset. To find out more, businesses can visit Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce's website, call 01582 522448 or email email@example.com.
University of Bedfordshire: we are working in partnership with the University of Bedfordshire to support the Central Bedfordshire Productivity Programme (LEAN SIX SIGMA) which aims to help local businesses. Benefits of the programme include new product and process ideas, routes to new funding and inward investment. To find out more, businesses can visit the University of Bedfordshire's website or email firstname.lastname@example.org.
South-East Midlands Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP): we are working in partnership with SEMLEP to deliver a staggered 12-hour business support and mentoring programme to help businesses impacted by coronavirus continue to trade, adapt, diversify and grow. There will also be an opportunity to access a grant of between £1,000 to £3,000 that businesses on the programme can spend on specialist professional support from the local business community. To find out more, businesses can visit the SEMLEP website.
In addition to these programmes, you can also apply for funded support through the Green Business Network’s free Membership scheme and newly launched Green Connectors programme, an exclusive networking group for businesses offering green products and services.
If you have not already signed up to the Council’s Let’s Talk Business Newsletter then please do so, as this provides you with regular bulletins/alerts on the latest news, events and funding. Follow us on Linkedin or Twitter.


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Crypto law commentator Brian Fyre interprets the draft bill as treating blue-chip NFT PFP collections like Bored Apes as securities.
The European Union’s landmark and now-finalized Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) draft legislation asserts that NFTs sold as components of large collections possess little to no distinctively unique qualities or utility, and, therefore, would be subject to the same regulatory scrutiny as cryptocurrencies, according to a leaked draft of the legislation obtained by Decrypt.
According to University of Kentucky law professor Brian Fyre, the legislation’s language amounts to the EU labeling major blue-chip NFT collections like Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), Cryptopunks, and Doodles, among others, as securities.
“This sounds like Europe saying it thinks securities regulators should be looking at big PFP [profile picture] projects as securities, for regulatory purposes,” Fyre, who specializes in NFTs and securities law, told Decrypt.
MiCA—the EU’s answer to a comprehensive crypto regulatory framework—has been anticipated for years, and is expected to take effect in 2024. The MiCA draft obtained by Decrypt, dated September 21, is expected to be the final version of the legislation, hashed out after months of negotiation between the European Parliament, the European Commission, and the European Council.
The legislation, which first and foremost deals with the matter of regulating cryptocurrency activity in Europe, exempts from its scope digital assets that are “unique and not fungible…including digital art and collectibles” that possess “unique characteristics” and grant “utility…to the token holder.”
The bill, however, specifies that “the issuance of crypto-assets as non-fungible tokens in a large series or collection should be considered as an indicator of their fungibility.”
The legislation continues: “The sole attribution of a unique identifier to a crypto-asset is not sufficient to classify it as unique or not fungible. The assets or rights represented should also be unique and not fungible for the crypto-asset to be considered unique and not fungible.”
According to Fyre, that language takes a direct shot at dominant NFT collections like Bored Ape Yacht Club, which are comprised of 10,000 visually similar NFTs, but distinguished by numbering mechanisms (e.g., Bored Ape #6443) that allegedly grant each NFT holder full-throated intellectual property rights.
“What they are saying is that when you sell a 10,000-NFT collection, what you’re really selling is shares in the project as a whole,” Fyre said. “In other words, each NFT is functionally just a fungible share in the value of the entire project.”
Essentially, MiCA’s language, in Fyre’s interpretation, asserts that in the eyes of the EU, each Bored Ape NFT holder does not own a unique piece of art, but instead a share in the collective value of the Bored Ape brand, and the collection’s owner, Yuga Labs.
Though the distinction may appear semantic, it could have massive implications if enacted as law and interpreted as such. It would effectively treat and regulate popular NFT collections—such as BAYC, CryptoPunks, and Doodles, among others—as securities.
That would likely establish a far more hands-on relationship between such NFT collections and the European government than currently exists.
SEC could regulate NFTs similarily
The question of what components of the crypto industry should be considered securities by government regulators has long been a hot-button issue, which has recently escalated. Earlier this week, the SEC in the U.S. implied in a federal lawsuit filing that the entire Ethereum network should be considered a securities exchange under American regulatory purview.
If the EU were to begin classifying blue-chip NFT collections as securities, Fyre believes the impact on American regulators would be unavoidable.
For years, Fyre has lobbied the SEC to clarify its position on whether NFTs should be classified as securities.
“I think the SEC will notice this,” Fyre said. “They ignored me when I said it. But they won’t ignore this.”
The London Crypto Exchange is a publisher of financial information, not an investment adviser. We do not provide personalized or individualized investment advice. Cryptocurrencies are volatile investments and carry significant risk including the risk of permanent and total loss. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Figures and charts are correct at the time of writing or as otherwise specified. Live-tested strategies are not recommendations. Consult your financial advisor before making financial decisions.


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Super Saturday logged the highest level of sales in US retail history writes Kevin Downs of the New York Post (abridged):
Democrats have been warning of a recession, but evidence that the economy remains strong keeps growing.
The latest: Super Saturday — or Panic Saturday, as shoppers think of the Saturday before Christmas — logged the highest level of sales in US retail history.
American consumers spent $34.4 billion on Dec. 21, a phenomenal figure that exceeded expectations and easily broke last year’s Super Saturday record of $31.9 billion. Between Nov. 1 and Christmas Eve, retail sales grew 3.4% over that time last year.
The markets, too, continued to hit record highs before and after the holiday. Unemployment, at 3.5%, remains at a 50-year low; the number of Americans filing for unemployment fell for a second straight week before the holiday. And weekly wages are increasing faster than inflation, putting more money in workers’ pockets. […]
What’s behind it all? For starters, Team Trump deregulation, the 2017 corporate tax cuts, passage of the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement and news of a Phase 1 deal with China.
And it’s driving a 20-year high in consumer confidence: A CNN poll just found that 76% of Americans rate the country’s economy very or somewhat good, up from 67% this time last year. Better numbers haven’t been seen since 2001.
Plus, with consumer spending fueling 70% of GDP, the country’s mood as 2019 closes suggests a good 2020 as well.


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A new feature from Instagram called Your Activity is an effective tool to check the time you spend on the app and also reduce it. You Activity includes a tool to set daily time limits and an option to temporarily mute the notifications on the app.
Managing time on the mobile device is one of the new features that companies are rolling out. Apple’s Screen Time on iOS and Google’s Digital Wellness are examples. Facebook too had promised last year to introduce a similar feature. Looks like Instagram will be the first to do so before the parent company.
For better Mental Health
You Activity can be found when you click on the icon on your profile page’s upper right corner. Over the past week, the dashboard on Facebook and Instagram show the amount of time a person spends on the app. It’s also newly launched a button to mute push notifications. All these new efforts come in as users and advisors globally believe that spending a lot of time on social media apps can be harmful to mental health.
“Your time on Facebook” is the name of the feature that’s similar to Your Activity. However, Facebook is yet to roll it out globally and hopefully, it does so soon.
Vietnam shuts down one of its hottest Instagram spots over safety fears—again
Government may withdraw one-time spectrum charge for telecom operators
Tata Sons wins much-awaited bid for acquiring Air India
Ola delays the launch of its much-awaited electric scooter
International Data Corporation’s report suggests that healthcare providers in Asia will now spend more on IT
© 2022 CIO Bulletin. All rights reserved.


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Thanks to hundreds of thousands of dedicated Customers around the world, Isagenix has seen massive success and growth throughout the years! On 23 March, Isagenix celebrated our 15th anniversary with special guest Arizona, Gilbert Mayor, Jenn Daniels, who proclaimed 23 March Isagenix Day. We were thrilled to learn that we reached $5 billion in cumulative global sales! These exciting new milestones are a testament to all of our Associates and Customers and our ongoing commitment to becoming the largest health and wellness company in the world.
Like any evolving customer-driven company, we are constantly looking for innovative ways to support you by creating industry-leading tools and resources to help with sharing our no-compromise products. As we continue our efforts to expand globally and reach more Customers, we remain focused on enhancing our user experience. As part of our 2017 Customer First initiative, we have released new functionality on our corporate website. The incredible new website is designed to:
- Provide viewers with a simplified, interactive user experience.
- Provide added visual depth and a more engaging user experience with new parallax scrolling pages that are mobile friendly.
- Simplify the product ordering process.
- Be more intuitive and deliver a unique Customer experience depending on each individual user’s health and wellness goals.
- Highlight our four solutions: Weight Loss, Energy, Performance and Healthy Ageing to allow users to easily view and purchase product within that solution.
- Provide Customers with recipes and success stories related to the products and solutions they choose.
- Allow users to search the site using specific key words with a new search box feature.
- Auto-populate the Customer’s country of residence without requiring them to have to select it manually. This will be based on IP address.
While navigating the new website, be sure to experience the five brand-new solution videos developed in tandem with everyone’s favourite, ‘Today is the Day’ video. Watch and share these videos designed to inspire your new Customers. These new videos are also available to share via ANZ.IsaMovie.com. Get sharing!
Beginning next week, more details will continue to be posted on IsagenixCustomerFirst.com. Be sure to check back often.
Stay tuned to ANZ.IsaFYI throughout 2017 as we continue to announce new digital enhancements and improvements that will allow us to reach more health-minded individuals and improve their Customer journey with Isagenix.


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CEO of the payment service RozetkaPay Alexander Lapko supported the idea of introducing crypto-payments by Ukrainian crypto-companies and legalizing this sector. He stated this in an interview for Speka.
According to Lapko, cryptoassets, as a payment method, can be successfully integrated into the existing e-commerce infrastructure. However, for this to happen, the sector needs to have a regulatory framework in place, he added.
“Right now it’s a gray area. It is quite difficult for large players to use this payment method. They will immediately find themselves in the spotlight, which will raise questions about how they do this in the absence of legalization of the sector,” Lapko emphasized.
He also stated that the service was considering the possibility of integrating crypto payments. However, they turned out to be more expensive compared to bank cards, and this, according to Lapko, is another limiting factor.
At the same time, he highly appreciated the prospects of the sector:
“I think there is significant potential for us to use crypto payments.”


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Tool added to UnrulyEQ Max platform to mark International Women’s Day.
Over the past seven days, brands have been posting and tweeting about Wimbledon over 5,000 times. Unmetric took a look at the brands that joined in on the conversation.
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For a time, you could order an Audi A4 or A5 with a manual transmission at no-cost. But that option will be going away when the 2019 models begin arriving at dealers.
Car and Driver reports that low demand for the option has Audi pulling off the option sheet. Audi points out that only five percent of U.S. buyers picked an A4 with a manual transmission. The news isn't that surprising as more automakers are dropping them due to low demand and automatic transmissions returning better fuel economy figures.
If you really want to get your hands on an A4 or A5 manual, you might want to hurry to your nearest Audi dealer. Car and Driver says there is still a sizable amount in inventory.
Source: Car and Driver