text:
Bitcoin (BTC) plunged almost 30% Wednesday toward $30,000 in a selloff fueled by fears of a potential Chinese crackdown on cryptocurrencies, before paring the day's losses during the European afternoon.
The world's largest cryptocurrency by market value has bounced back to around $37,000 as of 5 p.m. London time. Bitcoin has lost more than 40% of its value since hitting a record high of around $64,000 last month, after being buffeted by a series of negative news in the past week.
From bad to worse
Wednesday's rout came as a continuation of declines that started on 12 May, after Tesla founder Elon Musk said his company would no longer take bitcoin payments for its electric cars due to concerns over the cryptocurrency’s environmental impact.
Speculation over Tesla selling its bitcoin holdings further exacerbated the plunge over the weekend, despite Musk denying the rumour. The asset's losses deepened after Chinese authorities hinted this week that they would crack down on cryptocurrency dealings at domestic financial institutions.
Crypto universe roiled
All the major cryptocurrencies were impacted by the selloff. Ethereum (ETH) went close to $2,000 before bouncing back to $2,650 and Binance (BNB) went under $300 before rebounding to $360. The volatility also determined higher transaction volumes on all these crypto assets.
The overall market capitalization of global cryptocurrencies is now down at $1.66trn, from over $2.5trn just a week ago.


text:
Draper Startup House Ventures (DSHV), a unit of the Draper Venture Network, has launched a brand new world micro-fund, focusing on founders on the earliest phases of constructing tech startups.
It has additionally introduced its maiden funding in Ferne Health, a startup addressing sexual well being.
While DSHV is anchored within the US and its administration is headquartered between San Mateo and Singapore, it goals to take a position worldwide. The whole quantity of the fund might be introduced at a later date.
The fund may have an APAC predominance because of Draper Startup House International having Singapore as its headquarters. Its attain potential consists of 60 nations and 30 industries already represented on the corporate’s platform.
Its normal companions are Giulianna Crivello and Vikram Bharati, founding father of Draper Startup House International, who will co-manage the fund and long-time advisor Nick Martin.
The launch comes after the fund launched a software-based syndicate matching world funding platform in 2020.
Also Read: ‘We want to have a Draper Startup House in every major country by 2030’: Vikram Bharati
“Since inception in 2020, Draper Startup House Ventures has made 215 investor introductions to startups,” Bharati stated. “With the launch of this fund, Draper Startup House itself expands beyond our 16 physical locations of entrepreneurial hospitality and tourism to better connect, inspire, and empower a global community through direct venture capital backing.”
“Thanks to the internet, and things like Bitcoin, entrepreneurs can build startups and create stored value from anywhere,” lead investor Tim Draper acknowledged. “Whether they are in Myanmar, Estonia, or Indonesia, Draper Startup House Ventures brings them the opportunity to get funding without having to find their way to Silicon Valley.”
The fund gives entry to its personal enterprise capital fund, and the power to submit pitch decks for circulation to the Draper Venture Network, which has 24 world funds.
Its lead investor Tim Draper is understood for investing in Hotmail, Skype, and Baidu. Draper’s community corporations handle over US$2 billion throughout 24 world funds.
In April, Draper Startup House acquired Hatch Ventures Vietnam (HATCH!), a Singapore-based startup ecosystem builder.
Ready to fulfill new startups to spend money on? We have greater than a whole lot of startups prepared to attach with potential buyers on our platform. Create or declare your Investor profile immediately and activate e27 Connect to obtain requests and fundraising data from them.
Image Credit: Draper Startup House Ventures
The put up Draper Startup House Ventures launches new world fund, invests in Singapore’s Ferne Health appeared first on e27.

domain: news


text:
Meredith, Time, Monocle, Axel Springer and Condé Nast are among the first speakers announced for the FIPP World Media Congress 2019. Bringing together more than 800 international attendees over three days, the Congress is the largest and most-high profile event for the global magazine media industry.
Meredith’s Liz Vaccariello will invite attendees to ‘Meet the Parennials’ – the millennial parent demographic whose unique characteristics separate them from previous generations. Editor in chief of Parents Magazine in the USA, Vaccariello will explain how an improved understanding of their target audience has shifted the focus and content of the title with outstanding results.
D.W. Pine calls the cover of Time Magazine one of the most iconic pieces of real estate in journalism. Time’s creative director, Pine has designed, conceived and produced hundreds of covers over the last decade and knows exactly what works within the famous red border. In his session, he’ll unpack what makes an award-winning cover design.
Canadian entrepreneur and media innovator, Tyler Brûlé will share the story of London-based Monocle and the importance of independence to its development. Since launching in 2017, the brand has grown to include a radio station, retail shops, cafes and an ecommerce platform alongside the original print magazine.
Clarissa Moughrabi, head of market research at Axel Springer in Germany, will consider how ‘conscious reach’ sets magazine media apart from the rest. CEO of Associated Media Publishing, South Africa’s leading publisher of women’s titles, Julia Raphaely will present insights on the related challenge of keeping print magazines in the spotlight.
Key to the future of the media industry is tackling the opportunities and challenges presented by AI. To discuss the topic, Lindsay Silver, VP of Product at Condé Nast and Tor Jacobsen, SVP Consumer Marketing Revenue at Schibsted will join a panel discussion chaired by World Newsmedia Network CEO, Martha Stone Williams.
Hosted by James Hewes, president and CEO of FIPP and chaired by MPA president and CEO, Linda Thomas-Brooks, the Congress takes place from 12-14 November 2019 in Las Vegas. Early bird registration is open until 31 May.
More like this
The 11th edition of FIPP's flagship publication is now available. Innovation in Media 2020-21 World Report, focuses on human capital, monetisation, podcasting, sustainability, creativity and print innovations.2nd Apr 2020 FIPP News
Remote publishing workflows are, for obvious reasons, not the same as in-office workflows. Yet, says Kilian Schalk, founder of PurpleGray Consulting, many a team flounder and productivity nose-dives because they do not adjust long-established workflows for new remote working requirements.26th Mar 2020 FIPP News
VDZ and FIPP, joint organisers of the Digital Innovators’ Summit (DIS), are today announcing that the 2020 edition will be postponed until September. This is due to the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 virus outbreak.13th Mar 2020 FIPP News
For speakers, delegates or exhibitors who may be concerned about the current COVID-19 outbreak5th Mar 2020 FIPP News
After taking a look back at the pivotal moments in publishing over the last decade, FIPP Insider now looks ahead at the next 10 years. With the help of industry experts, Ashley and Charlotte explore the three key areas shaping the media: technology, business and finance; and culture.23rd Mar 2020 Features
Many brands are seeing an opportunity to innovate by adding a digital element to their print offering. In the advertising space in particular a number of brands have created ‘experiential content’ for their audiences by combining the two. Here, we explore some examples.30th Mar 2020 Insight News
Facebook has announced a $100 million investment to support the news industry with important COVID-19 pandemic coverage.30th Mar 2020 Industry News
After three years of ground-breaking work, Time launched its immersive VR project, The March in late February, which brings Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech and the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, to virtual life.30th Mar 2020 Features
With the world in the grips of a pandemic and the crisis being described by some governments as the most significant since World War Two, the need for accurate and up to date news has rarely been higher.30th Mar 2020 Insight News
Visit our Youtube channelFIND OUT MORE
FIPP newsletters allow you to keep up with industry trends, research, training and events across the worldFIND OUT MORE
What’s happening now, what’s coming next


text:
Posted On: May 4, 2023
We are excited to announce the addition of self-hosted Jupyter notebooks as another mechanism to run interactive workloads via managed endpoints. Amazon EMR on EKS enables customers to run open-source big data frameworks such as Apache Spark on Amazon EKS. Amazon EMR on EKS customers setup and use a managed endpoint (available in preview) to run interactive workloads using an integrated development environments (IDEs) such as EMR Studio.
Customers currently rely on EMR Studio to run Jupyter notebooks for their interactive Spark workloads, which provides a managed notebooks solution without having to worry about customizing the execution environment where they run. With self-hosted Jupyter notebooks, customers that require such customization now have a choice of where they control the notebook execution environment, with the flexibility to decide where it runs and the ability to change how to access it, helping them meet their specific business needs.


text:
Once again, Sharper Service Solutions has been named Runner-Up in the Most Professional Servicer contest at the 2021 Appliance Service Training Institute! This is our third year in a row being named as one of the top three large appliance repair companies in the country, and we couldn’t be more proud of this incredible achievement.
The Most Professional Servicer contest is held each year by the United Appliance Servicers Association. This is our industry’s most prestigious award, and competition is fierce! As a national contest, the MPS award winners are chosen from over 100 companies competing for the right to call themselves the nation’s best.
We received Runner-up in the 8+ Technician category. Nominees were judged on the presentation of their company, including technician uniform, service vehicle, company logo, and web presence.
Annual Service Training Institute
The ASTI conference is the largest event of its kind, drawing more than 1,000 appliance repair professionals annually. Participants from around the US and Canada gather for classes in business management, marketing, and appliance technology.
Event attendees receive valuable training from top appliance manufacturers including Samsung, Bosch, Dacor, Sub-Zero, Wolf, GE, Electrolux, Whirlpool, Liebherr, Bertazzoni, True, and LG. Each manufacturer provides technical training on the latest in technology and repair trends, making the ASTI one of the most important events for appliance repair technicians nationwide.


text:
Wins Media Man Online Casino Of The Month Award
has been awarded the Media
Man and Casino
News Media "Online Casino Of The Month"
for the 2nd month in a row.
accolade was awarded based on a combination of elements
including user experience, innovation, trustworthiness,
customer service, gameplay, affiliate program offerings,
newsworthiness and company values.
is one of a number of Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment
most popular PartyCasino.com games of late include
Cleopatra, Monopoly, Sin City and Under The Sea.
Man and Casino News Media do have a b2b relationship
with PartyGaming, as they do with dozens of other
companies in the gaming and igaming industry.


text:
The massive processing power of quantum computers would help Volkswagen in a few different areas. One is traffic optimization, which will become especially important if and when autonomous vehicles begin to swarm our roads. It can also help those cars perform better through artificial intelligence and machine learning. Third, quantum computing can help VW develop new material structures as the company searches for breakthroughs in high-performance batteries for electric vehicles.
"Volkswagen's collaboration with Google marks the beginning of quantum computing in the automotive industry, and is a paramount step to addressing modern mobility challenges unlikely to be solved with binary digital electronic computers," said VW of America Executive Vice President Abdallah Shanti. "Through this partnership, Volkswagen intends to unlock the potential of this technology, and share our learnings to motivate the development of quantum computers and algorithms."
Are you a little confused about what quantum computing actually is? You're not alone, as it's pretty advanced stuff. An interview with Google computing and AI gurus Hartmut Neven and Martin Hofmann helps clear things up. Suffice it to say that quantum computers are exponentially faster and more powerful than conventional computers that use bits for memory.


text:
Toyota Motor announced about changing the leadership of its small car division Daihatsu in connection with the crash testing scandal. The president, chairman of the board of directors and director of Daihatsu lost their posts.
Back in April, Daihatsu admitted falsifying the results of side impact crash tests for 88 thousand cars. Subsequently, an independent commission conducted an investigation and declared serious violations against all 64 models and 3 engines produced by Daihatsu. The audit showed that falsification of crash test results was allowed at Daihatsu in previous years.
Daihatsu faces fines for these violations, and the Ministry of Transport may require the recall of previously sold vehicles. By estimates Nikkei, Daihatsu’s losses due to the crash testing scandal could reach $700 million.
December 20 company announced about the suspension of deliveries of all its models produced both in Japan and abroad. And on December 21, employees of the Japanese Ministry of Transport conducted search at Daihatsu headquarters.
Today’s report notes that Toyota yesterday managed to partially resume production and deliveries of cars for which Daihatsu is responsible. We are talking about the Toyota Probox and Mazda Familia models, which are produced at the Daihatsu plant in Kyoto.


text:
In a significant business expansion move, Bengaluru based Instamojo Technologies on Tuesday announced the launch of a new platform to enable small businesses and direct-to-consumer brands set up their independent ecommerce stores.
The move comes over a year after Instamojo’s acquisition of Times Internet owned ecommerce enabler GetMeAShop (GMAS). The cash-and-stock transaction was valued at $5 million.
“Putting together the expertise of GMAS and our learning from serving millions of MSMEs, Instamojo is now venturing full-fledged into the space of ecommerce,” Sampad Swain, co-founder and CEO of the startup, said in a statement. “We are aiming to redefine online store business, and possibly be one of the first to build a do-it-yourself (DIY) SaaS business for small businesses and DTC brands in India,” he added.
While Instamojo already offered a free online store builder, the new platform goes a step ahead and offers merchants a variety of tools to not just run and manage their business website but also build an online profile. The platform will include Instamojo’s existing business solutions such as online payments, instant pay-outs, logistics, and credit services as well as advanced ecommerce-critical solutions such as analytics, marketing, and CRM (customer relationship management) tools.
The platform also comes with a do-it-for-me (DIFM) option, wherein Instamojo’s tech experts take over and build the website for the merchant in a hassle-free manner.
Since coming out beta in February 2021, the ecommerce platform claims to have clocked more than 100% growth across key performance indicators, including subscriptions, active paying customers, and net subscriber addition. It also claims a retention rate of 95%.
The company aims to rope in over 1 lakh direct-to-consumer brands with its ecommerce offerings by the end of this year.
Founded in 2012 by Swain, Akash Gehani and Aditya Sengupta, Instamojo competes with Tiger Global Management backed Razorpay and Naspers backed payments company PayU in the MSME payment space. On the lending side, it competes with players such as Lendingkart and CapitalFloat.


text:
There is already evidence that the post Brexit slump in the value of the pound is seeing prices for overseas holidays come down to bolster demand.
Economist Adam Dent, a research analyst for Spanish bank Santander, told a World Travel Market breakfast event co-hosted with the Travel Trade Consultancy, consumer behaviour post the June referendum was already changing.
He said September saw the biggest increase in the cost of domestic holidays in the 30 year history that data has been kept while overseas holiday prices fell by the most in that time.
“Record falls in foreign holidays and record rise in domestic cannot be a coincidence,” he said. “We see this as the staycation effect – UK holidaymakers worried about how far their pound will go overseas shifting towards UK hotels.”
Dent said this has seen UK hoteliers raise prices while overseas suppliers are having to reduce prices to tempt people overseas.
“This shows behaviour is adapting already and so far nothing has actually happened about Brexit,” added Dent.
Thomas Cook UK and Ireland managing director Chris Mottershead told a debate on Brexit at WTM on Monday: “The UK inbound business is positive for the outbound business because the more people come to Britain the less [British] people will want to stay in Britain because it will drive up the costs for those who stay in the UK and people will see the great value of taking a holiday outside of the UK.”
This is a community-moderated forum.
All post are the individual views of the respective commenter and are not the expressed views of Travel Weekly.
By posting your comments you agree to accept our Terms & Conditions.


text:
Apple is already expected enough to be announcing the next-generation iPad 5 with powerful A7-processor, which will boosts the sales of iPad devices all over the world. The new iPad 5 is also expected to carrying a new look for iPad lovers, and will make its own place in the market. According to a new research by analyst suggests that iPad 5 with A7 processor is seriously going to hurt computers market, and people will ditch PC’s over all-new iPad series.
An investment note from Deutsche Bank Equity Research claims that PC shipments going to face decline in 2013, and as well as 2014 due to new iPad series introduction in public.
In the past, analyst forecasted that PC shipments would be declined 6% in 2013, and 8% in 2014. However, after the rumors of A7 processor coming in iPad forces him to update his claims of decline. The analyst research shows that PC shipments would face 8 to 10% decline in the next two years.
Apple is expected to announce the next-generation iPad 5, and iPad Mini 2 with upgraded tech-specifications. Alongside iPad series rollout, we will have OS X Mavericks launch for OS X users including new Mac hardware.


text:
Venkatesh Kini, President, Coca-Cola India quits
Kini has cited personal reasons behind the decision
Global beverages giant Coca-Cola is changing its leadership in India. T. KK Krishnakumar, the present Chief Executive of Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB), will be taking over as the President of Coca-Cola's India and South-West Asia business unit from May 1, 2017. Venkatesh Kini,the current president, has decided to quit the firm and move back to the US. He has cited personal reasons behind the decision.
Krishnakumar, who is the CEO and South West Asia Regional Director of HCCB, will be replaced by Christina Ruggiero. Presently, Ruggiero is theChief Procurement Officer for Coca-Cola System in North America and President and CEO for Bottler's Sales & Services LLC, which is a limited liability company owned by 68 Coca-Cola Bottling members.
“It’s a very important period in our company's transition globally. Our focus is to come up with more consumer-oriented businesses and a stronger total beverages portfolio, spread in multiple categories, particularly in the developing markets,” said James Murphy, president, Asia Pacific Group, The Coca-Cola Company.
“The Indian market has tremendous growth potential and we believe the revitalizing system leadership structure that we announced today will enable us to continue consolidating India as one of the most important growth engines for The Coca-Cola Company globally,” said Irial Finan, president, Bottling Investment Group (BIG).
Kinihas so far spent 19 years at Coca-Cola and has been heading operations in the region since 2012.For more updates, be socially connected with us on
WhatsApp, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook & Youtube


text:
- Contact Information
- Subscribe to these events
- Send to a Friend
- Send to Social Media outlet
- A Minute With... Home
- 10906 views
Branding expert Cele Otnes
The expected birth of another heir to the British throne later this month has experts and royal watchers predicting a “baby bump” for the British economy. Cele Otnes is a marketing professor in the University of Illinois College of Business and studies consumer rituals. Otnes, who also is a co-author of a forthcoming book about the branding of the British royal family titled “Royal Fever: The British Monarchy in Consumer Culture,” spoke with News Bureau business & law editor Phil Ciciora about the likely economic impact in Britain from the firstborn child of Prince William and the former Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge.
What effect will the royal baby have on the British economy?
I think it will be a minor blip for the British economy – it’s certainly not the Olympics, but I would guess that it will be a big deal simply because there hasn’t been an heir to the throne born since Prince William over 30 years ago. And the reason why it’s a big deal is that the British royal family has expertly integrated themselves into consumer culture, both in Britain and in the U.S.
One British retail research organization predicts sales of around 250 million pounds ($373 million) in royal-themed baby merchandise. And, of course, if the baby is a girl, that would mean it’s the first direct female heir to the throne, which may translate into even bigger sales.
Will the boost come more from merchandise or tourism?
I think there will be a boost in tourism. There will be a lot of media interest in this child – special baby issues, that sort of thing, because who doesn’t love stories with pictures of cute babies? Especially when he or she will be heir to the throne.
What kind of merchandise will be spawned from the birth of the royal baby?
We’ll see a mixture of both nice and kitschy things, since a lot of merchandise will be sanctioned by the Royal Collection, which is controlled by the crown. But we’ll also see things from other retailers that are a little more down-market – cookie tins, iPhone cases, commemorative portable potties for toilet training – things of that nature.
Will there be a “Kate-effect” for the baby gear the royal couple uses in public, and will that function as an unintended royal endorsement for certain products?
Absolutely. There’s been a “Kate-effect” for a lot of the off-the-rack clothing that she’s been photographed wearing. Whenever she wears something, it’s analyzed and dissected, and then the tabloids usually run a piece on how you, too, can get the “Kate-look.” For example, the navy-blue engagement dress she wore was readily available and then immediately sold out after she was pictured wearing it. They couldn’t keep it in stock.
So I am absolutely convinced that we will see some sort of retail bounce from the accessible goods that they buy for the child. I don’t see how it would be any different. The interesting thing about Kate is that she does blend the high-end stuff with off-the-rack stuff. And it’s not because she’s consciously trying to include the public – I think that’s just her taste. She knows how to buy on a budget.
We’ll still hear plenty about all the baby bling for this child, and we’ll no doubt hear about the outrageous gifts that different countries send them.
After the royal wedding, the diamond jubilee and last summer’s Olympics, aren’t we all royal-ed out? As a brand, will this child be the final jewel in the royal crown?
More like another jewel in the royal crown. I would say the long-term effect will be an increased interest in tourism. People have called this generation, the queen’s grandchildren, the “Young Royals,” because they’re all in their 20s and 30s and they’re hanging out in pubs and clubs. Now these young royals are transitioning into adulthood, and that’s a very interesting thing.
It’s also inevitable that at some point in the next 10 years we’re going to start having some royal deaths. Prince Philip is 92 years old, and Queen Elizabeth is 87. So we’re going to have all this celebratory stuff – new babies, maybe Prince Harry settling down – and then we’re going to be brought back down to earth.
But it’s also inevitable that, at some point, we will have another coronation, which will be a huge, huge deal. With people living longer, coronations of the British monarchy are fewer and farther between. So the more rare an activity is, the more interest there is in it. And those kinds of events are the sort of thing that keeps brand equity high; it reinvigorates the personality of the brand. And given Prince Charles’ proclivities for having to have the best of everything – the queen, for example, serves potato chips at parties while Charles prefers caviar – I imagine that his coronation will be something to behold.
A Minute with… is provided by the News Bureau | Public Affairs as a venue for Illinois faculty experts to comment on current topics in the news. Faculty experts on a wide range of socially important topics are available to news media through the News Bureau, (217) 333-1085.
An index of previous A Minute with… features is here.


text:
Discount supermarket Aldi has set its sights on upmarket retailers like Fortnum & Mason and John Lewis with the launch of a new luxury range of Christmas hampers.
The Specially Selected hamper range will be available for UK consumers to pre-order from 14 November and brings together a range of ‘specially selected’ products sourced from specialist producers and British artisan suppliers by Aldi’s team of buyers.
All priced to undercut higher-end offerings, the most expensive is the Exquisite hamper, which includes luxury wine, pudding, truffles, champagne, biscuits and luxury chocolate. At £98.37, it is more than £150 cheaper than Fortnum & Mason’s equivalent Fortnum’s hamper, Aldi said.
The cheapest in the Specially Selected range is Aldi’s Chocolate Lover’s hamper, which, for just under £20, contains chocolate cream liqueur, chocolates, truffles and hot chocolate.
It will be the first festive period that Aldi has offered hampers as part of its Christmas range, and the move underlines the discounter’s ongoing commitment to increasing the quality and perception of its product offering.
Tony Baines, joint managing director of corporate buying for Aldi, said: “With Christmas being a magical time of indulging loved ones with the finest foods, wines and gifts, amazing quality needn’t cost a fortune.
“We believe that everyone should be able to afford the very best, which is why we simply refuse to be beaten on price, especially at Christmas when the average household shopping bill can exceed £794.39, with gifts making up a spend of £473.46 per family.”
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2021
World Beverage Innovation Awards – NOW OPEN FOR ENTRIES!
The awards celebrate excellence and innovation across the global beverage industry.
Don’t miss out on having your innovations recognised on a global scale.
Deadline for entries 23 July – enter now!
Don’t get left behind
Start your free Foodbev magazine trial today and join thousands of fellow industry professionals in receiving food and drink trends direct to our business.
Click here to start your free trial


text:
Retail Design Student Awards 2017
Designed to celebrate, encourage and promote the future stars of retail design, Retail Design Student Awards 2017 is set to be a huge successful event.
For 2017, students from six colleges will take part with those from Portsmouth, Kingston, Glasgow, Huddersfield, Manchester and Middlesex, being respectively mentored and supported by:
- Helen Shelley, Creative Director of MWorldwide
- Tim Greenhalgh, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of FITCH
- David Judge, Creative Executive Director of Start JG
- Ross Hunter, Director of Graven Images
- Lloyd Blakey, Founder and Creative Director, Innovare Design
- Jon Lee, Creative Director, 20.20
Entrants from Portsmouth and Middlesex will work on a live brief from Adidas, those from Kingston and Glasgow will work on a live brief from Majestic Wines, while Manchester and Huddersfield will tackle a brief set by Pret a Manger.
All shortlisted work will displayed at the Retail Design Expo 2016 and the winners will be announced on the first day of the conference.


text:
During the last couple of days a new thread on the Neogaf forums has gained a lot of popularity. Centered around 'The Doctor' from Metal Gear V: The Phantom Pain and his resemblance to Italian Head Transplant Doctor Sergio Canavero.
The Doctor was first introduced at GDC 2013, while Cadavero revealed his plans to perform first ever human head transplant in July 2013. According to the Neogaf post, Cadavero is doing a talk in Cyprus, which is where the hospital in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is located.
Dr. Sergio Cadavero is being branded as a real-life Victor Frankenstein
Dr. Sergio Canavero is an Italian surgeon developing HEAVEN, a procedure for transplanting the human head. He is now being branded as a real-life Victor Frankenstein, the fictional scientist who assembled different human body parts.
Dr Canavero believes that impossible is only a way of the mind. By changing perspective, everything becomes attainable.
He proved so when in three months at age 27 worked out the mechanism of one of the most intractable medical mysteries ever, central pain syndrome.
Against accepted neurological lore, he restored partial consciousness in patients in the persistent vegetative state and introduced motor cortex stimulation for the treatment of movement disorders and stroke rehabilitation.
In 2013, he made worldwide news with his project of cerebrosomatic anastomosis (Head Transplant) and again in 2014 with his cortical stimulation proposal for the treatment of psychopaths.
He authored several books and more than 100 scientific papers. He directs the Turin Advanced Neuromodulation Group, a Think Tank for the advancement of neuromodulation.
Dr Canavero believes that the brain does not generate consciousness, but only filters it. His goal is to open the filter and see what lies beyond.
Kojima's name as well as the Kojima Productions logo have been removed from Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Box Art
Following Hideo Kojima's recent departure from Konami, and the subsequent changes that resulted, there is chance some details in the game might have been altered. Kojima's name as well as the Kojima Productions logo, was even removed from Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain box art.
Even though there has been talk regarding Kojima's control over the game series, as well as the Fox engine powering MGS V and other Konami games, like the Pro Evolution series, both rights belong to Konami. Hideo Kojima has previously stated that he wanted MGS V to be his last metal Gear game and that he wanted to move ahead with other projects.
Konami plans to continue the Metal Gear series, and even though Kojima's departure will certainly have a big impact on the development of future installments, his guidance over many years of development, has surely molded a few deserving people, that could prove to be worthy of following where Kojima left off.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is set to launch on September 1, 2015 for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, the Xbox One and the Xbox 360. PC gamers need to wait a few weeks to get their hands on the game, which comes out on September 15, 2015 for the PC. We will bring you any new information on Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain as soon as it becomes available. Be sure to check out our previous coverage of MGS V for more, here and here.


text:
IIFL Asset Management Ltd has floated its second seed fund that seeks to raise $143 million (around Rs 985 crore), a spokesperson said.
The company is reaching out to existing and new investors across India and abroad for the fund.
The IIFL Seed Ventures Fund II will focus on companies across financial services, consumer, healthcare and technology segments mainly at the growth stage. "We will look to invest in companies which leverage on technology to create a competitive advantage," the spokesperson said.
Separately, a US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing showed that the fundraising will take more than a year.
"Fund I is fully deployed and has delivered stellar returns. It's currently valued at two times, with average holding period of less than two years," the spokesperson said.
The seed fund's portfolio firms include food delivery services firm Box8, conversational artificial intelligence (AI) startup Uniphore, digital lending platform NeoGrowth and online fashion marketplace Fynd.
IIFL Asset Management is part of IIFL Wealth Management, which in turn is part of the financial services company IIFL Group.
Earlier this week, VCCircle reported that Sequoia Capital India has floated a separate seed fund.
This followed the launch of its startup accelerator and incubation programme called Surge to make early-stage investments earlier this year.
The launch of the seed funds is good news for startups in India as deal volume has fallen from the highs of the boom year 2015 even as a bunch of domestic early-stage venture capital firms have emerged in the market. Investors, for their part, argue that 2015 was a one-off year and they have now become more selective in their investments now.
Domestic early-stage venture capital firms that are on the road to close their new funds include Blume Ventures, Endiya Partners and India Quotient.


text:
Fri, 07 May 2021 13:32:34 GMT
The latest CleanMyMac campaign places Macs in life-or-death situations. Two ads laced with dark humour and impending computer rage, created by TBWA\Helsinki, portray an agent discovering a bomb, and a group of aerospace specialists on a mission to save the Earth.
The campaign was built on a key market insight: CleanMyMac was positioned as a category leader but the entire category lacked relevance at the consumer end.
"Because the Mac is such an outstanding computer, its users held a general belief that it requires no additional maintenance software. But even the greatest computer might need a little help from time to time. This is where CleanMyMac steps in, clearing unnecessary junk and speeding up slow Macs. We found that demonstrating this would be the best way to build trust between us and the consumer," says Halyna Kuzmovych, brand manager at CleanMyMac.
The two films were written to dramatise key product benefits in extreme contexts, ushering audiences to ‘Make sure you can trust your Mac’. The creative partner behind the idea is TBWA\Helsinki.
“We trust our computers to solve any given problem at command. But what would happen, if our trusted Macs failed us at the worst possible moment? Imagining the worst case scenario is always fun, because the characters are extremely relatable. We’re all lazy until it bites us in the backside,” says Emma Kanninen, copywriter at TBWA\Helsinki
The films were directed by Nalle Sjöblad, and produced by Mjölk.
Genres: Dialogue, Comedy, Storytelling, People
Categories: PCs and Laptops, Consumer ElectronicsTBWA\Helsinki, Fri, 07 May 2021 13:32:34 GMT


text:
Stealing PINs lands Folsom man in pen
SACRAMENTO -- A federal judge sentenced a former Verizon Wireless employee Tuesday to 70 months in prison and ordered him to pay $21 million for illegally accessing personal-identification numbers for prepaid cell phones.
Timothy Charles Mattos, 34, of Folsom (Sacramento County) admitted to stealing the PINs and selling them to retailers across the country while he worked as a customer service representative in 2002 and 2003. He continued his crimes for four months after he left Verizon, authorities said.
Mattos pleaded guilty in February to two counts of fraud. The company uncovered the fraud and alerted the U.S. Secret Service. No customer information was affected by the case, authorities said.


text:
Rogers Communications is cutting the size of its digital content and publishing team by about one-third.
The Toronto-based company says about 75 full-time employees have been laid off, reducing the size of that team to about 150 people.
Rogers says the job cuts reflect the “headwinds” faced by its industry, which has been dealing with a years-long change in consumer reading habits and a loss in advertising revenue at most established publishers.
Lianne George, editor in chief at Chatelaine, also tweeted that she has decided to leave the magazine and Rogers.
It’s with a heavy heart that I’ve decided to leave Chatelaine and Rogers. It’s been the greatest joy to work for this publication, and with this wonderful, big-hearted group. I know the team will continue to do great things.
The Toronto-based company has one of Canada’s biggest media businesses, active in print and digital publishing, radio broadcasting and television including the Sportsnet specialty channels.
However, Rogers Media is much smaller than the company’s wireless and cable divisions.
It says that all of its current publishing brands will continue and the company remains committed to producing high-quality editorial content.


text:
LONDON, United Kingdom — The Savigny Luxury Index (SLI) lost 6.9 percent in September, underperforming a flat-ish MSCI World Index (MSCI) by nearly seven percentage points. Burberry’s profit warning sent the sector into turmoil mid-month and no amount of good news from the likes of Prada and Michael Kors could lift investors' spirits.
- Burberry announced a substantial slowdown in sales growth, with same store sales growth dropping to nothing in the ten weeks to 8 September, and warned that its full year profit will come at the lower end of expectations. The company did not say where the slowdown was, causing concern that it may be in all of its key markets.
- Swatch came out with a muted view for the year, confirming its sales target of CHF8 billion but highlighting that it would have to work very hard to achieve it.
- On the flipside, Prada, Luxottica and Michael Kors all came out with positive news. Prada posted another set of exceptional results, with its first half EBITDA growing by almost fifty percent, with Greater China being its fastest growth market. Both Michael Kors and Luxottica hinted that their interim and full-year results will be higher than expected.
- In a surprising move, Richemont announced the acquisition of US luxury fashion and golf brand Peter Millar. Zegna, Marzotto and Loro Piana clubbed together to buy a controlling stake in Pettinature Di Verrone, a combing mill.
- Brunello Cuccinelli is the only stock in the SLI family to have risen this month, adding nearly two percent. This does not look justified by its near-term growth prospects, which stand below our sample (see table below).
- Burberry lost more than a quarter of its market value following its profit warning and now trades at a discount to the sector.
- Mulberry’s share price continued its descent, losing a further 16 percent this month. Nevertheless the company’s EBITDA multiple is still at a 30 percent premium to the SLI average.
What to watch
- There is some uncertainty as to whether Burberry’s profit warning highlights issues about the sector’s outlook or whether it is company-specific. Burberry does have a greater reliance on apparel sales then most of its luxury peers. Also, its programme of buying back licensees, which bought in turnover and profits, is now mostly behind it. Forthcoming quarterly sales announcements by LVMH and Dior (both in mid-October), and PPR (at the end of October) should help shed some light on this.
- The Chinese government’s well-publicised crackdown on corruption will undoubtedly have an impact on the market for conspicuous luxury gift items. Sales of expensive wines and complicated watches are reported to have taken a nosedive.


text:
Last Updated on January 3, 2020 by Danielle
Moose Toys partners with Build-A-Bear Workshop to feature Shopkins in stores.
The Licensing Shop is responsible for completing the deal between the two toy companies. With the proposed deal, starting this summer, Build-A-Bear Workshop stores around the world and online at www.BuildABear.com will begin stocking an assortment of Shopkins plush and accessories.
Recently, Build-A-Bear Workshop announced its expansion plans with a new magazine in the works. With the company’s 20th birthday on the horizon, the Build-A-Bear magazine is expected to launch sometime before its big birthday celebration.


text:
The 27-year-old Chinese-Australian fashion influencer has been appointed as editor-in-chief of Vogue China, becoming the youngest person to hold the position at any of the magazine’s international editions.
It wasn’t all about lost jobs and failing businesses last year. A new study reveals 835,494 new businesses were registered in the 12 months to January 2021, with the online retail sector the main beneficiary.
E-tail took another socially positive step forward Thursday to improve its somewhat tarnished image with eBay announcing it’s planning to invest millions of pounds in creating jobs and opportunities in the UK.
Prepare for the footfall surge. With the 12 April date set for the long-awaited reopening of non-essential retail in England, UK stores can expected a 47.9% week-on-week leap in footfall, according to Springboard data.
Consumers have shifted to e-shopping in the past year, but when stores reopen, they'll be glad to get back to physical shopping. Yet digital habits are ingrained for consumers globally and social commerce is on the rise.
John Lewis’s buying director of fashion is set to stand down after many years at the firm. But it seems the move isn't linked to the retailer’s general restructuring. Christine Kasoulis will leave to focus on her MBA.


text:
Larry Ellison may no longer be CEO of Oracle, but he's not going anywhere anytime soon. Indeed, as executive chairman and CTO, Ellison is now in a position to focus solely on creating new products and services that will cement his legacy as he enters...
Microsoft has created an aggressively priced CRM Online product bundle that includes both Office 365 and its Power BI tool, in a bid to steal customers away from rival Salesforce.com.
SugarCRM customers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland -- especially those concerned about privacy and data access issues -- look to be the prime beneficiaries of a deal for Deutsche Telekom to host the company's customer relationship management serv...
Oracle CTO and executive chairman, Larry Ellison, who just a few years ago famously mocked the notion of Cloud computing, has positioned the company as one set up to become the industry's largest cloud player, with something to offer customers at all...
It seems that a week doesn't go by these days without major software vendors announcing updates to their marketing software portfolios, and the past few days were no exception as rivals Oracle and Salesforce.com both made some news.
Microsoft is poised to release a major update to its Dynamics CRM and marketing applications in a bid to gain market share against rivals such as Salesforce.com.
Add Tibco to the list of vendors pushing a full stack of so-called "customer engagement" software, which companies use to track and analyze consumer behavior in hopes of building deeper relationships with them and ultimately, selling more products an...
Salesforce.com's development teams are continuing their steady pace of improvements to the Salesforce1 mobile application, which first debuted at last year's Dreamforce conference.
Philadelphia is set to use a slew of Salesforce.com technologies in order to create a next-generation version of its 311 system for public information and citizen reporting of nonemergency situations around the city.
Infor has acquired SalesLogix in a bid to compete with Salesforce.com in the cloud CRM (customer relationship management) software market, particularly for customers seeking industry-specific features.
Microsoft has expanded the availability of its cloud CRM software into 17 additional countries in a move sure to step up its rivalry with Salesforce.com.
Salesforce.com recently launched a new product called Social Studio in spite of the fact that an existing, competing product had already used that name for years, marketing software vendor StrongView Systems alleges in a new trademark-infringement la...
Oracle has hooked up its SRM (social relationship management) software suite to LinkedIn, a move to give marketing and customer support staffers a way to reach the business-oriented social network's 300 million users.
Microsoft is continuing its dogfight with Salesforce.com in the customer relationship management software market with a new Dynamics CRM Online cloud service for U.S. government agencies.
Salesforce.com is rollling out enhancements to its Salesforce1 mobile application, with new reporting and dashboard capabilities that give users a way to dig deeper and more broadly into CRM data.
Most Popular Reviews
- 1 Witness a 241% Australian price hike: Dell Latitude 7370 review
- 2 Is this the best value phone on the market? Moto G4 Plus review
- 3 Sony Xperia X Performance review: Sony’s most disappointing product in years
- 4 Huawei P9 review: lifting photography to another level... sometimes.
- 5 Huawei Mate 8 review: probably the best all-round Android phone you can buy
Join the PC World newsletter!
Best Deals on PC World
Latest News Articles
- This new Outlook feature will organize your inbox for you
- Taxi hailing apps Mytaxi and Hailo will merge to counter Uber in Europe
- Cybersecurity firm offers users reimbursement for ransomware infections
- Amazon testing parcel deliveries by drones in the UK
- AMD packs 1TB SSD into a GPU for better VR and gaming
GGG Evaluation Team
First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.
- FTSocial Media AssistantQLD
- CCService Lead - Cloud hosting and storageNSW
- CCSenior Tester - Automation / Telecommunications (Urgent)NSW
- FTDesktop EngineerNSW
- CCContract Analyst Programmer (Java/SQL) 160721/AP/624Asia
- FTDesktop Support Engineer (Renewable Contract)Asia
- CCSenior Back-end .Net DeveloperNSW
- CCContract Analyst Programmer (HTML/JAVA/UNIX) 160804/AP/172Asia
- CCAssociate Engineer (Communications Engineering)Asia
- CCPeoplsoft Technical SupportACT
- FTEmbedded Software EngineerWA
- FTChange and Release ManagerVIC
- CCSenior Test AnalystWA
- FTCitrix SpecialistACT
- CCAgile Scrum MasterACT
- CCSenior Business Systems AnalystVIC
- FTMobile DeveloperWA
- CCPractice Lead - Java, FrontendVIC
- CCMiddleware ConsultantVIC
- CCTest ManagerVIC
- CCSQL DeveloperNSW
- CCAgile Delivery ManagerACT
- CCSolutions ArchitectQLD
- CCContract Analyst Programmer (Java/J2EE/MyEclise) 160721/AP/vmpAsia
- CCIncident ManagerSA


text:
Want to join the conversation?
Fashion specialty retailer $JWN said it has appointed Kumar Srinivasan as Chief Technology Officer. In this new role, Mr. Srinivasan will focus on optimizing engineering and software productivity and effectiveness. He was previously co-founder and CEO of Evocalize and has also worked at Amazon, where he led Amazon Payments Merchant Solutions.
$NFLX a monster move, going up. Expect making some money on Monday.
$AMD down more than 6% even after posting above consensus third quarter results.
$MCD stock rose more than 2% after it posted better than expected 3Q16 results, driven by global same-store sales growth. Meanwhile, earnings and revenue were lower than last year, hurt by refranchising efforts.


text:
彩神app是真的么White House economic advisor again urges Fed to cut rates
WASHINGTON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Larry Kudlow, the director of the White House National Economic Council, said Friday that the U.S. Federal Reserve should cut interest rates to stimulate economic development despite a seemingly strong first quarter growth number.
Calling the 3.2 percent annual growth rate of real gross domestic product (GDP) "a blow out," Kudlow told CNBC that the current economy is in a "prosperity cycle" that is "gaining momentum."
He said, however, the inflation rate continues to slip "lower and lower," adding that even by the Fed's own measure, the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) deflator for inflation has dropped during the past few months, which "could open the door to a target rate reduction."
The Fed's preferred inflation measure, core PCE price index, which excludes the volatile food and energy prices, rose at a 1.3 percent rate in the first quarter, down from the central bank's 2 percent inflation target, according to the GDP report just released by the Commerce Department.
Kudlow has repeatedly urged the Fed to cut interest rates since it decided to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 2.25 percent to 2.5 percent after concluding a policy meeting in March.
Addressing a press conference last month, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said the policymaking Federal Open Market Committee believes that the central bank "should be patient" in assessing the need for any change in the stance of policy.
"The Fed is independent. I am just expressing my own view," the White House economic advisor said, adding that the president agrees with his view.
The 3.2 percent annual growth rate for the first quarter indicated an acceleration of economic expansion from a downwardly revised annual rate of 2.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2018, the report showed.
The pickup is mostly driven by strong exports and private inventory investment, while growth in consumer spending and nonresidential fixed investment has softened.
In its latest economic projections, the Fed cut its forecast of the U.S. economic growth in 2019 and 2020, expecting a rate of 2.1 percent and 1.9 percent, respectively.


text:
Zero-percent financing offers are the most appealing coronavirus-related incentive for car shoppers.
Forty-eight percent of consumers said zero interest offers would make them more likely to buy a new or used vehicle during the coronavirus pandemic.
Thirteen percent of consumers said no incentives would make them more likely to buy during the ongoing crisis.
Autolist’s data also shows the beginnings of a rebound in consumer sentiment.
Zero-interest financing offers would have the biggest impact on car sales during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new survey by Autolist.com.
The auto-shopping website asked current car shoppers what type of offer would make them more likely to buy a new or used vehicle during the current COVID-19 crisis. The most popular choice was zero-percent financing, with nearly half (48 percent) of respondents choosing this offer.
“These are highly unusual and uncertain times for all consumers thanks to the coronavirus,” said Chase Disher, analyst at Autolist. “So it’s no wonder that car shoppers prefer the long-term stability that zero-interest loans provide.”
Autolist’s poll was conducted during April 2020, and it surveyed 1,436 car shoppers.
Respondents were asked to pick up to three types of incentives that would make them more likely to buy or lease a new or used vehicle during the coronavirus crisis.
Here’s a look at the incentive types respondents could choose from and the percentage that chose each:
- Zero-interest financing: 48 percent.
- Flexible payment plans for loans or leases: 32 percent.
- Deferred payments at the beginning of the loan or lease: 27 percent.
- Limited-time payment forgiveness if a buyer loses their job: 24 percent.
- Owner loyalty cash: 17 percent.
- Waiving of late fees on loan or lease payments: 16 percent.
- Other: 10 percent.
- Unsure: 10 percent
Additionally, 13 percent of respondents said none of these offers would make them more likely to buy a car during the coronavirus pandemic.
Numerous automakers are currently offering zero-interest financing on some, if not all, models. These brands include FCA (Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram), General Motors (Buick, Cadillac, Chevy, GMC), Hyundai/Genesis & Kia, Nissan/Infiniti, Mitsubishi, Lincoln, Toyota, and Volkswagen.
A full rundown of the incentives that automakers are offering during the COVID-19 pandemic is available here.
Auto sales in the U.S. have taken a beating this spring because of the coronavirus, with deliveries dropping an estimated 50 percent in April.
However, there are already signs of recovery in late April, and some analysts are expecting the beginning of a rebound in May. Though many automakers did not report April sales, J.D. Power issued a report that showed four consecutive weeks of sales gains in April, as states across the country began lifting their respective shelter in place policies.
Those sales gains mirror the results of Autolist’s ongoing survey looking at car-shoppers’ economic anxiety throughout the coronavirus crisis. Consumer confidence began trending upward in the second half of April as numerous states ended their shelter-in-place orders and businesses reopened.
“Consumers’ mood really bottomed out in late March and early April, according to our poll,” Disher said. “And while there is still a lot of uncertainty about recovery in the next few months, our data is showing that car shoppers are feeling confident in the long-term health of the economy and their decision to buy a car in 2020.”
Autolist published the initial results of that poll in late March. The monthslong survey has continued running through the COVID-19 crisis, and we will be publishing an update on consumer sentiment and coronavirus-economic anxiety because of coronavirus later in May.
Autolist will continue to survey car shoppers throughout the coronavirus crisis and after it, to gauge its impact on the auto industry and the economy as a whole. We will publish future surveys regularly throughout 2020.


text:
Contributor Gary Thill looked at at four different reports, from different organizations— Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS), the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), and the American Hardware Manufacturers Association (AHMA)— and what each says about the current and future state of the housing market. What Thill finds is that all four reports came up with different conclusions on the growth of the industry.
1. Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies predicts that there will be a growth in remodeling and repair projects into 2017 with an 8.6% spending increase by the end of the year.
2. National Association of Home Builders' report is less confident than JCHS, but predicts “modest” future growth with small declines.
3. National Association of Remodeler’s Industry says that growth is happening, but at a modest rate. The report says that the key here is trying to get consumers to become more comfortable with making decisions to move forward and not be hesitant to take on larger projects.
4. The American Hardware Manufacturers Association found in its index, which surveyed its members on their “mood” towards the economy, that members reported that sales were above current levels from the previous year, but fell from 68% in February to 63% in March 2016.


text:
Sensient Technologies Q1 Profit Tops Estimates; Revenue Up 3.8%
(RTTNews) - Sensient Technologies (SXT) reported first quarter net earnings of $33.65 million, down 9.2% from last year. Earnings per share was $0.80 compared to $0.88. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected the company to report profit per share of $0.78, for the quarter. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items.
First quarter consolidated revenue were $369.0 million compared to $355.5 million, a year ago. Analysts on average had estimated $370.07 million in revenue.
Sensient said the company is reconfirming its expectation for 2023 GAAP earnings per share to be flat to low-single digit growth compared to 2022 reported GAAP earnings per share of $3.34. The company continues to expect 2023 earnings per share to be flat to low-single digit growth on a local currency basis compared to 2022 adjusted earnings per share. Sensient continues to expect 2023 revenue to grow at a mid-single digit rate on a local currency basis.
For more earnings news, earnings calendar, and earnings for stocks, visit rttnews.com.


text:
Latest Light-emitting diodes Stories
Qualite Sports Lighting, LLC, along with partner, Ephesus Lighting, Inc.
Leading supplier of explosion proof and industrial grade lighting Larson Electronics has announced the release of a Class 1 & 2 Division 1 & 2 Portable Explosion Proof LED Light mounted
DUBLIN, January 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets ( http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/ft9htk/global_smart) has announced the addition of the "Global
NEW YORK, Jan. 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Analyst report issued by Small Cap IR.
LED Lighting Inc.
Larson Electronics has announced the release of a 40 watt telescoping LED flood light that produces illumination comparable to a 400 watt metal halide without the high heat, fragile construction,
LumaStream in LED Driver of the Year Category ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Jan.
Featuring a revolutionary lightweight design, the new Green Creative Cloud BR30 LED bulbs are making their debut at 1000Bulbs.com. Garland, TX (PRWEB) January
With over 40 years as a leader in the industrial and commercial lighting industry, Larson Electronics continues its commitment to providing high grade lighting equipment to specialty markets with
Industrial lighting specialist Larson Electronics has revealed a new design for their three foot 14 watt LED drop light.
- A political dynamiter.


text:
Google recently previewed a new feature that shows artificial intelligence at its best. Check out the video here.
Continue reading Google Assistant Can Now Make and Interact On Phone Calls For You.Cool or Scary?
The super-popular video game Fortnite will soon have a huge cameo guest: The primary villain in Marvel’s blockbuster movie Avengers Infinity War.
Continue reading Fortnite To Team Up With The Avengers
Does that Facebook ad on your phone seem creepy? Weren’t you just talking about that?
Continue reading Is Facebook Secretly Spying On You?
The dual screen smartphone flips out or better yet folds out to become a mini tablet. Check it out here!
Continue reading Do You Remember Flip Phones? Check Out ZTE’s New Flip Phone Design….
Monday, Facebook debuted a version of its popular Messenger app for children under the age of 13.
Continue reading Facebook Launches Messenger For Kids
Nike is expanding its foothold as NFL equipment supplier.
Continue reading Nike Developing 3D Printed Shoes For NFL
Elon Musk continues to wow consumers with the latest announcement of two new Tesla vehicles.
Continue reading Tesla Motors Rocks The Trucking Industry With The Release of Its New Semi
Ray J has landed a multi-million dollar deal to find his tech-transportation business.
Continue reading Ray J Agrees To $31 Million Deal For His Tech Company
Ever wonder how our hands may evolve over time based on our heavy use of smartphones? Me neither…but it’s pretty damn scary!
Continue reading How May Human Hands Evolve Due To Smartphone Use?


text:
As one of the most abused properties in the business, Napster has gone through many incarnations since it was among the first controversy-stricken file-sharing platforms to preview the wrath of the RIAA. Lawsuits followed by bankruptcy transformed the once-booming site into a modest subscription service, and low market value had all but wiped the company off the radar.
Well, most radars. By way of The Daily Swarm, word comes that Best Buy has snapped up the company for $121 million, double what it was trading for last Friday.
As it often was, Napster had been on sale since late August, but it previously seemed unlikely that it had many suitors. But with the purchase, retail monster Best Buy has its own prerogative: Armed with a new digital customer base of about 700,000, it hopes to bolster its place in the music-sales business as in-store revenues become less sustainable.
“This transaction offers Best Buy a recognized platform for enhancing our capabilities in the digital media space and building new, recurring relationships with customers,” Brian Dunn, president and chief operating officer of Best Buy, said of the purchase Monday. He said Best Buy will leave the company in basically the same shape, so for now, the digital marketplace looks to remain constant.
News: U.K. talking about taxing music downloaders
News: Napster jumps on the MP3 train
Yahoo!: Business details on the acquisition
Got news tips for Paste? E-mail firstname.lastname@example.org.


text:
MEXICO CITY, May 17- Mexico's annual economic growth slumped in early 2013 to its weakest in three years, prompting the government to cut growth estimates and backing expectations of another interest rate cut.» Read More
Feb 21- Shares of credit card swipe machine maker VeriFone Systems Inc nearly halved in value after the company warned that a wave of problems including delayed orders would slash its quarterly profit and that it faced more weakness ahead.
SAO PAULO, Feb 21- Gerdau SA cut its five-year investment plan by 17 percent, as the world's No. 2 maker of steel for builders faces global economic uncertainty and slumping profits.
SAO PAULO, Feb 21- Gerdau SA cut its five-year investment plan by 17 percent, as the world's No. 2 maker of steel for builders faces global economic uncertainty and slumping profits. "Considering the uncertainties clouding the global economic scenario, Gerdau is now turning more selective on the evaluation of future capital expenditure plans," it said.
Feb 12- Goodyear Tire& Rubber Co, the top U.S. tire maker, on Tuesday posted a stronger-than-expected quarterly profit, but cut its 2013 forecast due to weakness in the European automotive market. Excluding one-time items, Goodyear earned 39 cents a share, almost double the 20 cents analysts polled by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S had expected.
Feb 6- Cummins Inc posted a 30.5 percent drop in profit that was less steep than Wall Street had feared and warned that sales could fall as much as 5 percent this year as it copes with falling demand for its heavy truck engines.
*China restaurant sales down sharply. *Company warns of further China sales declines. Feb 4- KFC parent Yum Brands Inc warned on Monday that it expects 2013 earnings to shrink rather than grow as it struggles to manage a food safety scare in China, and sees no return to growth in restaurant sales there until the fourth quarter.
*Sees 2013 adjusted EPS $5.32- $5.46, revs $12.8- $13.0 bln. His belief was bolstered by a conversation on Wednesday with Francis Collins, the head of the National Institutes of Health, and by meetings with Republican members of Congress last week.
*Facebook, Apple bulk orders shift by two quarters. Jan 30- Fusion-io Inc slashed its fiscal 2013 revenue forecast as key customers Facebook Inc and Apple Inc delayed orders, sending the storage drive maker's shares down 21 percent after the bell.
*Earnings worries hit Saipem, Imperial Tobacco, Antofagasta. LONDON, Jan 30- European shares fell from two-year highs on Wednesday, dragged lower by concerns over earnings in the tobacco and oil services sectors, including a profit warning from Italy's Saipem.
*Komatsu cuts annual operating profit forecast by 12 pct. TOKYO, Jan 29- Japan's Komatsu Ltd, the world's second-biggest maker of construction machinery, cut its annual profit for a second time as demand for mining equipment in Indonesia tumbled on the back of steep declines in thermal coal prices.
POSCO, the world's No.5 steelmaker by output, reported a 51 percent slump in quarterly operating profit as tepid demand and falling prices offset lower raw material costs helped by a firmer local currency.
Keith McGregor, head of restructuring at Ernst and Young, tells CNBC that the retail sector is omitted from the survey because they successfully reset market expectations to expect lower earnings.
HONG KONG, Jan 21- Hong Kong shares slipped from a 19-1/ 2 month high on Monday, with China's second-largest telecommunication equipment maker ZTE Corp weaker after a profit warning. The China Enterprises Index of the top Chinese listings in Hong Kong ended up 0.2 percent.
HONG KONG, Jan 14- Hong Kong shares ended higher on Monday, with financials and property stocks leading gains, although global exporter Li& Fung Ltd tumbled 15 percent after a profit warning. Hong Kong markets were also buoyed by a rise in China shares to their best close since June.
HONG KONG, Jan 14- Hong Kong shares are set to start higher on Monday, although global exporter Li& Fung Ltd fell 15.3 percent after it issued a profit warning, triggering concern over earnings prospects for corporates with high exposure to foreign markets.
Dec 13- MetLife Inc warned that 2013 earnings might be well below Wall Street expectations and said it did not expect to buy back any shares next year, a blow to investors who have been waiting more than a year for a capital return.
MANILA, Dec 13- The Philippine central bank kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at a record low on Thursday, saying the economy needed less support with strong domestic demand seen extending into next year, but it saw risks from strong capital inflows.
Nov 29- Tiffany& Co lowered its fiscal-year sales and profit forecast for the third straight quarter after weak quarterly sales of its high-margin but inexpensive silver jewelry and a drop in quarterly same-store sales in its key Asia market.
Nov 29- Tiffany& Co lowered its fiscal-year sales and profit forecast for the third straight quarter and reported lower-than-expected revenue and earnings after a drop in same-store sales in its key Asia market.
Nov 29- Tiffany& Co lowered its fiscal-year sales and profit forecast for the third straight quarter on Thursday as it reported lower-than-expected revenue and earnings, hit by a drop in same-store sales in Asia and disappointing sales of silver jewelry. It projected a full-year profit of $3.20 to $3.40 per share, down from an earlier range of $3.55 to $3.70.


text:
“At the time the parties entered into the agreement in mid-February, the outbreak of Covid-19 in other countries was universally public knowledge, as was its potential to impact the economy,” the lawsuit says.
The transaction would make PersonalizedMall.com LLC, or PMall, a wholly owned subsidiary of 1-800-Flowers, which would also get an Illinois distribution facility.
It was supposed to close March 30, but 1-800-Flowers “abruptly” declared March 23 that it was putting the deal on hold “due to generalized uncertainty surrounding Covid-19,” according to the Chancery Court complaint.
A 1-800-Flowers spokeswoman denied that it was reneging on the transaction and said the company would “vigorously defend” itself in court.
“While we still desire to proceed with the transaction, we maintain that the conditions to closing the transaction have not been satisfied in light of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the shut-down of the PersonalizationMall.com facilities until at least April 30, 2020,” the spokeswoman said.
But according to the complaint, the company initially requested a postponement until April 30, “without offering any assurances that the closing would happen on that date or on any date.” When Bed Bath responded by offering “to be flexible,” 1-800-Flowers allegedly decided “unilaterally” to postpone the deal indefinitely.
That move breached the purchase agreement, according to the complaint. Although the contract allowed the deal to be modified if a “material adverse event” (MAE) affected PMall in particular, it “specifically excluded” industrywide or marketwide changes, the suit says.
The exclusion allegedly covers “changes in general business, financial, political, capital market, or economic conditions (including any change resulting from any calamity, natural or man-made disaster or acts of God, hostilities, war, or military or terrorist attack).”
“1-800-Flowers is well aware that no MAE has taken place,” the suit says, “because PMall is in the same situation as millions of businesses worldwide facing the impact of Covid-19.”
The complaint acknowledges that it’s “a challenging time for all businesses (including Bed Bath).” But 1-800-Flowers is “a sophisticated counterparty” that “should not be permitted to unilaterally delay its obligations,” the suit says.
Cause of Action: Breach of contract.
Relief: Specific performance of the purchase agreement; costs and fees.
Attorneys: Bed Bath is represented by Richards Layton & Finger PA and Proskauer Rose LLP.
The case is Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. v. 1-800-Flowers.com Inc., Del. Ch., No. 2020-0245, complaint filed 4/2/20.
To contact the reporter on this story:
To contact the editors responsible for this story:


text:
Meta Platforms Inc. shares rose on Monday, with the Facebook parent company leading an advance among big-cap technology and internet stocks amid signs of strong demand for its Oculus virtual reality headset during the holiday season.
The stock gained 3.3% and closed at its highest level since Nov 15. US stocks were broadly higher on Monday, with tech names among the leaders, and Meta got a boost after KeyBanc Capital Markets wrote that Oculus was likely a popular gift over the holiday season.
The firm cited the rankings of the Oculus app in Apple Inc.’s app store, which “suggest a solid Christmas selling season.”
In a Dec 26 note, analyst Justin Patterson wrote that Oculus was “a top 5 entertainment app in five countries and a top 10 overall app in the US,” on Christmas Eve, and that the ranking “was even greater on Christmas Day,” as it was the #1 overall app in the US.
Meta shares are up almost 13% off a low hit earlier this month, although they nearly 10% below a September peak. Among other megacap tech stocks, Apple rose 2.3% to close at a record on Monday, while Microsoft Corp. gained 2.3% and Alphabet Inc. rose 0.7%. Nvidia climbed 4.4%. – Bloomberg


text:
Rio Tinto has announced that Middle East luxury jeweller, Dhamani has become a Select Atelier for Argyle Pink Diamonds, joining an exclusive group of master craftsman and luxury jewellers with access to a direct supply of Australia’s rare Argyle pink diamonds and entrusted with transforming Argyle pink diamonds into exquisite jewellery.
The announcement coinicided with the official launch of the jeweller’s DPINK collection showcasing more than US$25 million of Argyle pink diamond jewellery against the backdrop of Dubai Shopping Festival. Established in 1969 Dhamani is a second generation family business with a passion for rare diamonds and heirloom pieces of jewellery.
Argyle Pink Diamonds manager Josephine Johnson said, “Dhamani is an exciting Middle East luxury jeweller with over four decades of heritage and superb craftsmanship. The DPINK Collection is a glittering tribute to the beauty of Argyle’s pink diamonds and a powerful statement of Dhamani’s world-class luxury.”
Dhamani chief executive officer and managing director Amit Dhamani said “Since 1969 our family has been tirelessly devoted to working with the world’s rarest diamonds. Our new relationship with Argyle Pink Diamonds is a wonderful honour and showcases our commitment to working with the finest partners to support our prized client base of international jewellery connoisseurs.”


text:
According to the PanGu team, they have been working on a jailbreak for the iOS 10.3.1, which supposedly wears the codename Janus. People were expecting it to be released immediately after the launch of the iOS 10.3.2 version update. Needless to say, up until now neither PanGu, nor other famous jailbreaking group managed to release a working iOS 10 jailbreak. Despite this, Luca Todesco succeeded in creating and releasing it to the public.
Why Is It So Hard to Release a Jailbreak?
Together with the iOS 10, Apple has included such security measures that make it almost impossible to find a loophole in the system. The company used a new type of file system that goes by the name APFS. Because of this file, the jailbreakers cannot create a tool that easily.
However, Luca Todesco succeeded. His tool, the Yalu iOS 10, works on iOS 10.1, 10.1.1 and 10.2. It works only with the 64-bit iPhones that were released before the launch of the iPhone 7. It can also work on iPhone 7, but it is only compatible with iOS 10.1 and 10.1.1. The creator of the jailbreak declared that the is not going to release the support for the iOS 10.3.3 included in the Yalu tool because he wants to quit the jailbreaking industry.
What is surprising is that people were, in fact, expecting PanGu to release the jailbreaking tool, and this because back in April, the team was the one that demonstrated an iOS 10.3.1. However, it’s been more than a week since Apple launched the iOS 10.3.2 and the team did not bring anything new. This is quite a bad marketing move, since people will be disappointed in the fact that they are not providing the jailbreak.
Keep in mind that most tools advertised online as being jailbreaks for iOS 10 are fake and they can even infect your device!
Get more stuff like this
in your inbox
Subscribe to our mailing list and get interesting products and updates to your email inbox.
Thank you for subscribing.
Something went wrong.


text:
TABS Analytics acquires data analytics firm Pivotstream
SHELTON, Conn. — TABS Analytics is bolstering its capabilities with its latest acquisition. The company has acquired Seattle-based global data analytics firm Pivotstream, which operates in the CPG space and has strong ties to the wine and spirits industry.
“Pivotstream greatly enhances our technology and business intelligence capabilities,” TABS Analytics CEO Kurt Jetta said. “The combination of massive data scale, end-user self-service BI, and analytics capabilities against large datasets will enable TABS’ current and future clients to amplify the ROI on their data and intelligence investments.”
Pivotstream currently has three of the top U.S. wine and spirits distributors as clients. Moving forward, TABS said that the Pivotstream platform will become a core component of the company’s service offerings.
“We are very excited about being part of TABS Analytics,” Pivotstream founder and CEO Jeff Elderton said. “TABS is well-known as the leader in analytical innovation and has a robust arsenal of intellectual property as well as deep consultative expertise. This acquisition accelerates product development and improves the delivery of our joint solutions.”
Kellogg’s intros chocolate Frosted Flakes
BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — A new addition to the Frosted Flakes line will be hitting stores in November. Kellogg’s on Tuesday announced the introduction of chocolate Frosted Flakes.
"We stay close to our fans to make sure we are delivering the cereal experiences they want most, which is what resulted in the delicious flavor of cinnamon Frosted Flakes launched last year," Kellogg’s senior director of morning food marketing Brad Schwan said. "So, when we found out chocolate was the next most requested flavor, we set to work right away."
The new flavor’s development included the input of consumers, who weighed in at nearly every step of the process, testing how different cocoas interacted with the cereal flake and milk.
The cereal is set to hit all major retailers and grocery stores, carrying a suggested retail price between $4.69 and $5.79.
Hostess brings Molten Lava Ding Dongs to freezer aisle
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As part of its efforts to move beyond the snack aisle, Hostess Brands has introduced a new addition to the freezer section with Molten Lava Ding Dongs. The launch follows the company’s first foray into the freezer aisle last summer with Deep-Fried Twinkies and a line of ice cream flavors inspired by classic Hostess treats.
“The introduction of Molten Lava Ding Dongs, which comes on the heels of last year’s launch of Deep-Fried Twinkies, demonstrates Hostess’ commitment to expanding its presence in the frozen food category,” Hostess Brands SVP and chief marketing officer Burke Raine said. “With this new product, Hostess continues to push the envelope of innovation, bringing consumers restaurant-ready versions of their favorite snack cakes which can be enjoyed at home in seconds.”
The Molten Lava Ding Dongs can be prepared in the microwave in 20 seconds, and feature a 30% larger cake with 60% more crème filling and 20% more chocolate coating than original Ding Dongs, the company said.


text:
Did you know that an estimated 900,000 women in the UK have quit their jobs because of the menopause?
As one member of the Royal Family recently pointed out, women's health issues often go completely unrecognised by employers, resulting in thousands of women every year having to leave behind careers they've spent years building.
From PMDD to struggles with fertility, menopause and pregnancy loss, women's health is often an oversight in even the most progressive of companies' paid leave policies; leaving many unsure of their rights around issues like miscarriage leave.
But one major company has just made significant progress in changing that.
ASOS, the online fashion and beauty behemoth, has announced a number of new policies offering paid leave at short notice to staffers experiencing the menopause, fertility treatment or pregnancy loss.
Staff dealing with pregnancy loss, including miscarriages and abortions, will be allowed 10 days of leave, with the policy also applying to the partners of those who were pregnant, as well as surrogate parents. Those undergoing fertility treatment, meanwhile, will be permitted five days paid leave per cycle (with no limit on the number of cycles), to ensure that appointments can be attended.
The gender-neutral policies, which have been introduced with immediate effect, are intended to support staff "going through health-related life events", and also offer up to six weeks of paid leave to staff undergoing various other health issues, including cancer treatment and gender reassignment surgery.
Marie Claire Newsletter
Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!
ASOS staff fleeing from domestic violence will also benefit from paid leave per the new policies.
"All of us face unexpected challenges in life, and sometimes these can create very difficult circumstances which mean we need to step away from or change how we work," ASOS chief executive Nick Beighton said of the company's new stance.
"We’ve launched these new policies to reassure all ASOSers that they will continue to be supported, personally and financially, throughout those difficult times. We’re here, no matter what it is and every step of the way."
The company added that its new health policies will "enable ASOSers to take the time away from work that they need, while also increasing awareness of the impact of such common life events".
The retail company, which bought the Topshop, Topman and Miss Selfridge brands earlier this year, follows in the footsteps of online bank Monzo, who announced paid leave for employees affected by the loss of a pregnancy back in May.
Monzo's policies currently give either partner up to 10 extra days of paid leave if they have lost a baby due to abortion, miscarriage or stillbirth.
Here's hoping that it won't be long before many more businesses follow suit.
Kate McCusker is a freelance writer at Marie Claire UK, having joined the team in 2019. She studied fashion journalism at Central Saint Martins, and her byline has also appeared in Dezeen, British Vogue, The Times and woman&home. In no particular order, her big loves are: design, good fiction, bad reality shows and the risible interiors of celebrity houses.
Quick – the whole fashion team is adding these £36 crystal ballet flats to basket
Shining, shimmering, splendid
By Natalie Hughes
Olivia Munn opens up about her medically-induced menopause following breast cancer diagnosis
"I figured, as a woman, I can't escape menopause. So I'd rather just take it on now."
By Jadie Troy-Pryde
16 pieces of spring workwear from COS, Aligne and Jigsaw that are genuinely worth the investment
Nail your spring workwear wardrobe with minimal effort
By Valeza Bakolli


text:
In the middle of March 2020, Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) looked doomed. The company was closing stores across America as the novel coronavirus pandemic started to spread like wildfire in the company’s core market. The stores that remained open were limited to drive-thru orders and were stung by significant traffic declines. Worse yet, there was no end in sight to the pandemic, Starbucks’ financial woes, or SBUX stock declines.
For all intents and purposes, it looked like the end of the world. And Starbucks stock reflected that reality. From Jan. 23 to March 23, Starbucks stock dropped from $95 to $50.
Since March 23, things are have turned for the better. The coronavirus pandemic has started to slow, with new cases plateauing and even declining in major urban areas. Starbucks stores in China have started to re-open. Huge doses of fiscal and monetary stimulus have been poured into the economy.
In other words, we can finally see a light at the end of this tunnel, and the government has given the U.S. economy a lifeboat to make it to the other side. In response, Starbucks stock jumped from $50 to $75.
While the best of this rally has already come and gone, I think SBUX stock is going to keep heading higher for five big reasons:
- China store operations will normalize in the second and third quarters of 2020.
- U.S. operations will get whacked in the second quarter before more normalizing in the back-half of 2020.
- The company has sufficient liquidity to weather a sharp downturn in U.S. operations over the next few months.
- Fiscal 2021 numbers will be really good.
- SBUX stock remains undervalued.
SBUX Stock Looking Better As China Rebounds
China has been reporting near-zero transmission of the coronavirus for several weeks now. As a result, China has gradually re-opened its economy. Employees are back at work. Stores and shops are open. Consumers are out in the world, spending money.
Starbucks’ recent second quarter update affirms that this rebound in China’s economy is corresponding to a rebound in Starbucks’ China business.
Around 95% of the company’s China stores are now open. They are operating at reduced hours with restricted traffic caps. Still, they are open. And because they are open, traffic trends are rebounding. Comparable sales growth dropped as low 90% in mid-February. Sales trends have gradually recovered since then. In the last week of March, comparable store sales declined by “just” 42%, representing the seventh consecutive week of sequential improvement.
Management expects economic normalization in China to continue and for comparable sales growth trends to keep recovering. Within two quarters, management believes its China stores will be back to normal.
The consistent comparable sales trend improvement in China over the next six months will provide firepower for Starbucks stock to keep rallying.
U.S. Will Rebound Soon
The U.S. is behind China in terms of coronavirus developments. While China is already in the recovery stage, the U.S. is in the “flattening of the curve” stage.
Consequently, the U.S. economy remains largely shut down, a lot of Starbucks’ U.S. stores remain drive-in only, and Starbucks U.S. comparable store sales dropped by 60% to 70% in the last week of March.
But the coronavirus is progressing much in the same way it progressed in the U.S. That puts the U.S. in the recovery stage by May or June.
Once that happens, Starbucks U.S. comparable sales trends will start to improve, much in the same way they are already improving in China. Assuming a similar time-line (about six months), then Starbucks U.S. stores should be back to normal by the end of the year.
Rebounding U.S. comparable sales trends from April into December will help carry Starbucks stock higher.
Strong Balance Sheet
Starbucks has ample liquidity to weather a sharp downturn in U.S. operations over the next three to six months, without risking insolvency or putting too much pressure on the balance sheet.
The company recently reported that they had $2.5 billion in cash and equivalents on the balance sheet. Coupled with $3.5 billion in short-term borrowing facilities, this gives Starbucks more than enough cash on hand to absorb significant losses over the next one to two quarters.
It’s also worth mentioning that Starbucks is not in a zero-revenue situation like cruise line operators. Instead, 58% of Starbucks stores are drive-thru locations. About three-fourths of those drive-thru locations are still open. Yes, they are operating at reduced hours, with reduced traffic.
However, they are still generating revenue. This revenue generation will help alleviate cash burn over the next several months.
Fiscal 2021 Will Be Good for SBUX Stock
Long-term investors should forget about fiscal 2020 numbers. They won’t be good. And they won’t be good because of a “Black Swan” pandemic.
Instead, investors should focus on more normalized fiscal 2021 numbers. Those numbers should be quite good.
By fiscal 2021, the coronavirus pandemic should largely be in the rear-view mirror and the economy will be in a good position. That’s because companies are presently sitting on record amounts of cash, with borrowing and spending costs as low as they’ve ever been. Thus, once the coronavirus pandemic passes, U.S. corporations will have tons of cash to spend, and plenty of incentive to spend that cash.
As capital spending picks up, labor markets will improve. Consumers will have jobs again. Those jobs, coupled with pent-up demand from being stuck inside, should propel robust consumer discretionary spending.
As consumer discretionary spending rebounds big next year, Starbucks numbers could go from being really bad in 2020, to really good in 2021.
Starbucks Stock Is Undervalued
Zooming out, Starbucks is still the world’s number one retail coffee chain with a long history of outstanding growth, and a long runway ahead for even more growth through international unit expansion, delivery, and digital business vertical development.
At $75, Starbucks stock is still cheap considering those long-term growth prospects.
After taking into account coronavirus-related disruption, I now see Starbucks earning less than $2 per share in 2020 (versus management’s previous guide calling for over $3). However, my long-term estimates on Starbucks remain little changed, based on the assumption that coronavirus-related disruption is constricted to fiscal 2020, and the company’s growth tailwinds in retail coffee consumption persist over the next several years.
Consequently, I still see Starbucks earning somewhere around $5.50 per share by fiscal 2025. Based on a 22.5-times exit multiple — which is a trailing five-year average valuation for restaurant stocks — and a 10% annual discount rate, that implies a 2020 price target for Starbucks stock of nearly $85.
Bottom Line on SBUX Stock
Starbucks stock is a long-term winner that is going through a near-term rough patch. However, the storm is passing, and the skies are starting to clear up. They will continue to clear up over the next few quarters. As they do, Starbucks’ growth trends will continue to improve, and Starbucks stock will keep rebounding.
Luke Lango is a Markets Analyst for InvestorPlace. He has been professionally analyzing stocks for several years, previously working at various hedge funds and currently running his own investment fund in San Diego. A Caltech graduate, Luke has consistently been rated one of the world’s top stock pickers by various other analysts and platforms, and has developed a reputation for leveraging his technology background to identify growth stocks that deliver outstanding returns. Luke is also the founder of Fantastic, a social discovery company backed by an LA-based internet venture firm. As of this writing, he was long SBUX.


text:
15 big brands including Coca-Cola, Danone, L’Oreal, Marks & Spencer, Mars, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, and Unilever endorse Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s new report, “The New Plastics Economy — Catalyzing Action,” released at the recent World Economic Forum in Davos
The report was also endorsed by 40 global leaders. It recommended replacing polystyrene (PS), expanded polystyrene (EPS), and polyvinyl chloride as packaging materials globally. The report singled out these three materials as “uncommon” plastic packaging materials whose replacement would make a “huge impact.” Replacing PVC, EPS, and PS would enhance the economics of recycling and reduce the potential negative impact of these materials as “substances of concern.” It noted that EPS is often used for takeout food packaging but is rarely recycled and often contaminated with waste food, making it harder to recycle.
The report was endorsed by leaders of 15 big brands including Coca-Cola Co, Danone, L’Oreal, Marks & Spencer, Mars, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, and Unilever. Another prominent signatory was Dow Chemical Co., a manufacturer of styrene, polystyrene and the vinyl chloride monomer used to make PVC. Dow’s CEO Andrew Liveris praised the report as “a key step in delivering science-based solutions by providing options that help us close resource loops for plastics…” EPS has estimated annual global sales of $13.2 billion.
More than 500 NGOs globally launched a campaign called Break Free From Plastic last September, which appears to be gearing up to press for phase out of wasteful single use plastic applications, which have become commonplace in our convenience-centered society.


text:
Irvine, Calif. Birtcher Development & Investments and Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers purchased a 21.6-acre land parcel in Anaheim, Calif., on which the joint-venture partners will develop a build-to-suit warehouse/distribution center for Northgate Gonzalez Markets.
The family-owned grocery store chain has signed a 15-year lease to occupy the 375,000-sq.-ft. support center, which will consist of a state-of-the-art warehouse and DC. According the companies, the facility will be built to LEED standards.
Development is expected to begin in fourth quarter 2009 with an estimated completion in 2010.
“Our ability to secure financing for the acquisition and development of a build-to-suit property in this economy speaks to the strength of our relationships, flexibility in transactions and reputation in the marketplace,” said Shannon Hondl, senior VP development/acquisitions, Birtcher Development & Investments. “After pursuing this exceptional site for six years and winning a rigorous bidding process that was supervised by the Bankruptcy Court, we’ve proven our ability to close a deal, even in the toughest market, when others couldn’t.”
Cornerstone, on behalf of one of its clients, provided the construction financing and the equity for the deal.


text:
News:The International Monetary Fund(IMF) has said that the world has entered into a global recession due to the coronavirus crisis.
- A recession is a period when economic activities are in a general decline typically accompanied by unemployment, falling income and consumer spending.
- To overcome recession, countries generally react by loosening their monetary policies by infusing more money into the system.
- The Financial crisis of 2008 is the most recent example of a recession.
- Depression:It is a deep and long-lasting recession that lasts for many years.During this period, the decline in GDP exceeds 10% and an unemployment rate that touches 25%.


text:
Note ban: Rs 500, Rs 1,000 notes exchange ends tonight; exemptions stay till 15 December
Rs 1000 notes has been banned from public use from now on including for essential activities listed under the exemptions.
The central government on Thursday said over the counter exchange of old Rs 500, Rs 1,000 currency notes will be stopped with effect from midnight. Also, the Rs 1,000 notes has been banned from public use from now on including for essential activities listed under the exemptions. The government has also extended the deadline for exemptions, where old Rs 500 notes can be used till 15 December.
"It has been observed that over the counter exchange of the old currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denomination has shown a declining trend. It has further been felt that people may be encouraged and facilitated to deposit their old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes in their bank accounts," the Finance Ministry said in a release on Thursday evening.
"This will encourage people who are still unbanked, to open new bank accounts. Consequently, there will be no over the counter exchange of old Rs, 500 and Rs 1,000 notes after midnight of 24 November," the release said.
Banks will, however, continue to accept old Rs 1,000 notes as deposits, the release said.
On 8 November, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced one of the biggest demonetisation exercises India has seen in several decades by banning the Rs 500, Rs 1,000 notes stepping up the government's attack on black money, counterfeit notes and terror finance. The move resulted in massive disruptions in public life with bank branches and ATMs running out of cash in the subsequent days. The move impacted small traders, vendors and thousands in the informal economy, triggering political protests. The Government has also been receiving various suggestions in this regard.
Subsequently there have been modifications in these measures. The release said the government has been reviewing the issues arising out of the cancellation of the legal tender character of the high denomination notes.
The government further clarified that foriegn tourists will be allowed to exchange foreign currency up to Rs 5,000 per week
Following are the list of places where the old Rs 500 notes will continue to be accepted till 15 December:
- All government Schools will accept old Rs 500 notes as academic fees up to a limit of Rs 2,000 per student.
- Central or state government colleges will also accept fees in cash in old currency notes.
- Citizens can now recharge their pre-paid mobile phones in old currency up to a limit of Rs 500 per top-up.
- Consumer cooperative stores will also accept old Rs 500 notes, however, there will be a limit of Rs 5,000 at a time.
- Individuals and households can pay current bills and arrear dues in old currency for water and electricity only.
- The toll charges remain suspended till the 2 December and thereafter payment can be made in old Rs 500 notes. This facility will be available only till 15 December.
Nepal writes to RBI to declare banned new Indian currency notes legal
Nepal has asked the RBI to declare newly circulated Indian currency notes of denominations higher than Rs 100 legal tender in the country, according to a media report on Sunday.
Demonetisation: Shame on RBI for recommending note ban says P Chidambaram
P Chidambaram questioned the Narendra Modi government whether its demonetisation decision was designed to convert black money into white
RBI says no data available on demonetised Rs 500, Rs 1,000 notes used at petrol pumps
The RBI in reply to an RTI query said it has no data on the old 500 and 1,000 rupee notes used to pay for utility bills such as fuel at petrol pumps -- payments that are anonymous and are believed to have formed a good part of the demonetised currency that returned to the banking system


text:
The latest adventure in The Legend of Zelda series may finally have a release date. According to a new listing on Target’s website, the game will release on June 13th, 2017. The listing is only for the Wii U version of the game, but we can assume both will release at the same time. The listing gives credence to the rumors last week that Breath of the Wild will face a delay once again. It’s worth noting that Nintendo has yet to confirm this, so take it with a grain of salt.
The delays that Breath of the Wild have gone through are, dare I say, legendary. The last main console adventure, Skyward Sword was released five years ago and we’ve been patiently waiting ever since. In the meantime, Nintendo has released two brand new handheld titles, and a remake. Link between Worlds, Triforce Heroes, and Majora’s Mask 3D have come and gone and still no Breath of the Wild. Not to mention the spin off, Hyrule Warriors, which was going to hold us over until Zelda Wii U.
When Breath of the Wild was given a full-blown reveal at E3 2016, it was widely assumed that it would release with the Switch in March. The Amiibo associated with the game was to be released at around the same time. In the code for the listing of the Amiibo it had a March 4, 2017 release date. All the while, Nintendo kept quiet on the game’s release date.
A rumor last week said the latest Zelda was running into problems during localization. A process that wouldn’t be complete until the end of December. After localization was finished, that would leave four to six months to test and fix the bugs. In a game of this size and magnitude, fixing all of the bugs is essential. This rumored release date seems to have said fixes in mind. Breath of the Wild is an incredibly ambitious game; these delays will only make it better.