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In a year where we’ve seen the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the raging wildfires in California, a hurricane season so active we’ve exhausted the alphabet, and more, “unprecedented” has become an all too familiar term. And these incomparable times have had considerable impact on the American people, particularly from a financial perspective.
Why? Because financial assistance to support those in need in times of disaster is not as easy to secure as it should be. Take for instance the COVID-19 pandemic assistance that was issued back in April. As of August, as many as 35 million people were still waiting on those payments.
In times of disaster, having access to funds when you need them most is paramount.
We just finished National Preparedness Month, and that raises the question of how prepared are we today to respond to the immediate needs emergencies bring? Certainly, faster payments exist today, but our infrastructure falls back on slower payments processing as a default. With the number of U.S. consumers receiving more than one disbursement over the past 12 months increasing by more than 52 percent over 2019, a discussion around the need for timely disaster disbursement payments seems appropriate.i
And when you factor in the reality that disbursement payments have historically been slow – in 2017, over half of disbursements took 2 to 14 days to be received - a focus on this important topic might even be overdue.ii
Today, we live in a digital-first, immediate fulfillment world. Waiting even two days for funds, particularly in a disaster when a person may have lost everything, is too long. Immediate access to money can allow those impacted to quickly begin putting their lives back together.
On the positive side, new developments show a gradual shift to a new approach. The entities providing aid are working to get money into the hands of victims as quickly as possible, and are leveraging new and emerging products and solutions to do so. For example, the Red Cross has expanded its payment delivery options. Today, victims can have funds delivered faster through EFT, PayPal, MasterCard Send, Zelle or Walmart Direct2Cash.iii
And Americans increasingly choose these newer, faster methods for funds receipt. In 2017, only 11 percent of consumers indicated they received an instant disbursement payment. By the end of 2019, that number had increased to 42 percent.iv
In fact, consumers appear to prefer these faster payout options. Sixty-five percent of U.S. consumers indicate it is important to be able to receive instant payments from businesses or government agencies that owe them money, and 70 percent report that they would select an instant payment option for disbursements if it were available. v
While there is clear progress on the faster disbursements front, more work remains. In most cases, legacy payment mechanisms still dominate as the default primary means to disburse funds to consumers, and their expectations are shifting. On average, U.S. consumers receive 18 disbursements annually, and in today’s immediate gratification society, it won’t be long until they are questioning why they need to wait for those payments. With disbursements a significant $4.6 trillion industry, payments professionals need to take a hard look at ways to improve their speed, particularly in disaster-related instances, precisely because consumers and businesses will demand it. vi
At the FPC, we recognize the value faster payments can bring to disbursement payments. Particularly in times of need, fast disbursements can make a world of difference to those trying to manage extreme circumstances. While disbursements serve as one useful application of faster payments, there are other countless use cases faster payments can solve for.
Knowing this, the FPC continues to work to advance faster payments through our many efforts – Work Groups, research, education initiatives
, and more. And we’ll continue to work so that we can meet the needs of Americans in these unprecedented times and into the future.


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A Safe Bet…
Denise Coates, the joint chief executive of Bet365, was paid almost £200 million last...Back to News and Events
Denise Coates, the joint chief executive of Bet365, was paid almost £200 million last year – more than twice as much as the entire wage bill for Stoke City Football Club.
In 2000, Coates persuaded her father, Peter, to move away from the traditional model of bookmakers and invest heavily in online gambling, mortgaging the betting shops to facilitate the investment.
By 2005 the betting shops were sold to Coral and the entire operation was moved online, clearly with some success, as bets placed through Bet365 last year totalled almost £47 billion.
Bet365 appears to be a success for business in the North West, and a success for those willing to gamble in business.

domain: news


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Vignerons check package fine print
By JAMIE KRONBORG
THE North East’s smaller vignerons are checking the fine print in a $50 million, three-year federal government plan to build wine exports and international wine tourism.
The government’s wine support package – announced last week – appears to have a regional focus but a business plan in which the strategy is detailed shows that most wine tourists visit only the major production regions close to Australia’s capital cities.
The plan reported that almost 1.1 million visitors went to Australia’s wineries in 2015.
It also showed that overall visitor numbers and cellar door sales were closely linked – with 1617 wineries maintained a cellar door outlet, according to the document.
But the proportion of wineries with cellar door had fallen from almost 80 per cent a decade ago to less than 66pc in 2016, according to the plan.
Nationals’ Victorian Senator Bridget McKenzie said the package had a twopronged approach – to build export opportunities and to encourage tourists to taste wines in the state’s wine-producing regions.
She said the aim of the visitor strategy was to attract 40,000 more international tourists to Australian wine regions by 201920, which was expected to deliver an estimated $170 million to the national economy.
The package was also designed to “capture growth” in wine regions like the Alpine valleys by offering state-based and competitive grants to strengthen wine tourism.
The business plan offered examples of projects that could be funded, including regional wine events that increase cellar doors sales, the development of regional wine trails and “wine clusters” across state borders, and common infrastructure – such as booking or reservation systems – that aid individual cellar door wineries and the region in which these operate.
Project proposals will be subjected to competitive, merit-based assessment and approved by the Australian Grape and Wine Authority board on the recommendation of an expert assessment panel before being presented for ministerial approval.
There is also some concern that smaller vignerons or regional associations might be disadvantaged by the package’s export and international tourism development focus.
CELLAR DOOR: Merriang South vigneron Bri Lewis (right) talked with Coffee Chakra’s Leonie and Vivek Sharma, who brought baby Ishanya with them, to the opening of a new wine outlet in Myrtleford on Friday.


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You Can Now Get Poutine at This Major Restaurant Chain
Their fresh-cut fries are something to rave about and it’s only fitting that we deliver this to you on National Poutine Day, Mississauga peeps.
Who doesn't love to indulge in fries, especially on a holiday (calories don’t count when it’s a special day, right)?
And now, some exciting news.
Swiss Chalet is offering up a few varieties of a Canadian classic: poutine.
There’s Taco Poutine … fries are topped with rotisserie chicken in an ancho sauce, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, then drizzled in sour cream and smothered in chalet sauce.
The Rotisserie Beef poutine comes with cheddar cheese and green onions before it’s smothered in gravy.
Finally, the Shawarma Poutine has fries covered with rotisserie chicken, feta cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, drizzled with a garlic aioli, smothered in chalet sauce and spiced with a lemon pepper seasoning.
It’s now being offered at all locations.
(Side note to tell my cousin Chris in Montreal — he absolutely LOVES Swiss Chalet and insists on stopping in whenever he’s in Ontario on business).
Are you going to try poutine at Swiss Chalet?
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- Mississauga teacher enjoying big lotto win
- COVID-19 outbreak declared at long-term care home in Mississauga
- BREAKING: Ontario reporting new high of over 1,000 new COVID-19 cases today


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BIRMINGHAM – The Alabama Retail Association, in cooperation with the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Collat School of Business, today recognized outstanding Alabama retailers representing 13 retail businesses with operationsin 51 Alabama cities and 30 other states as Retailers of the Year. This year’s winners came from a pool of almost 70 nominees. The presentations were made during the 2015 Alabama Retail Day Luncheon in Birmingham. Stu Crum, president of Bridgestone Retail Operations, made the keynote address. This marked the 16th presentation of the Retailer of the Year Awards since 1999.
Matt Meyer, managing partner of Hiley Cars Huntsville (Mazda–Volkswagen–Audi), earned the Bronze Alabama Retailer of the Year Award in the Annual Sales More Than $20 Million category. Hiley Cars Huntsville sells new Mazda, new Volkswagen, new Audi, and used cars as well as service and parts for all of those vehicles. The franchise group employs 75 people and has been in business for six years. Last year, the company broke ground on a new 20,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Audi facility that just opened May 2015.
Ken Smith, the director of research and information for the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County, who nominated Meyer, made mention of the company’s “strong growth and community involvement.” Annually, Hiley Cars Huntsville participates in activities throughout the community gives back to countless charities. Their main contributions went to the Boys and Girls Club of North Alabama, Huntsville Hospital, Leukemia and Lymphoma
Society and the Huntsville Museum of Art.
Alabama Retail Association President Rick Brown said, “Matt Meyer and Hiley Cars Huntsville is a retailer of the year EVERY year to its customers, 75 employees and the entire Huntsville community.”
Media Contact: Matt Meyer, Hiley Cars Huntsville | 256.881.1881
Media Contact: Melissa Warnke | 334.551.0631 (d) | 800.239.5423


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It’s well known that there are thousands of undiscovered species in the Amazon, but the latest find is one of the most incredible.
Scientists in Cool Earth’s Asháninka project in the Peruvian Amazon have discovered an extremely rare flower with a truly amazing property: it sings.
Orchidaceae cantus is a beautiful multi-coloured orchid that flowers high up in the canopy of Peruvian Pine trees. And when it wants to attract the hummingbirds that spread its pollen, it emits a beautiful, high pitched sound.
Dr Hannnah Peck from Cool Earth made the discovery: “I’ve travelled to rainforest regions all over the world but never seen anything like this. When several flowers ‘sing’ at the same time, the effect is mesmerising”
If you want to protect the habitat of these incredibly rare and incredibly unqiue orchids, sponsor an acre of Peruvian Rainforest today.


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The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) continues to strengthen their campaign to promote financial inclusion for Filipinos as they roll out another Paleng-QR Ph Plus initiative in Camiling Tarlac in cooperation with GCash, the country’s leading mobile wallet.
Under the joint initiative, market vendors, and tricycle drivers in Camiling Public Market can easily transact with their customers through GCash QR codes. With this, both vendors and consumers can have a safer and more seamless shopping experience. Moreover, this initiative ultimately boosts the growth of the digital ecosystem, especially in the grassroots economy.
With the rollout, locals can also access GTreats in the GCash booth at the Camiling Public Market for special deals and promos when they pay using GCash. With the program’s entry in Camiling Tarlac, GCash has so far onboarded a total of 553 market vendors in Camiling Public Market, and more than 150 Tricycle Operators/Drivers Association (TODA) to allow payment through the e-wallet.
In addition to providing a safer and more convenient cashless experience to vendors and their customers, GCash is also set to onboard more small merchants for GCash Pera Outlet (GPO) in the city. This feature on the app allows vendors and small merchants to earn extra income and grow their businesses by offering customers in the community convenient access to various GCash services such as Cash-in, Cash-out, Pay Bills, and Send Money.
“We are very grateful to the BSP, DILG, and GCash for pushing the Paleng-QR Ph Plus initiative in the city. Thanks to this initiative and to GCash’s convenient services, small merchants, tricycle drivers, and consumers can now enjoy a hassle-free payment experience for their everyday transactions and at the same time, thrive in the digital era. We look forward to the expansion of the program across the city as well as more strategic partnerships with the BSP, DILG, and GCash,” Tarlac City Mayor Maria Cristina C. Angeles said.
Driven by its shared vision of “Finance for All”, BSP, DILG and GCash have already on-boarded more vendors and tricycle drivers for the Paleng-QR Ph Plus initiative in various public markets in Pasig City Mega Market as well as Baguio City Public Market, Bangkerohan Public Market in Davao City, Dao Public Market in Tagbilaran City, Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association (AMTODA), Bacolod Libertad Public Market, Naga City People’s Market and Lapu-Lapu Public Market, all of which now accepts GCash cashless payments using QR codes.
With its long-standing collaborations with the public sector and Local Government Units (LGUs), GCash continues to lead Filipinos to a brighter, and more financially-inclusive future.
With the continued adoption of mobile wallets, GCash also continues to urge its users to be extra vigilant when making transactions on the app and reminds users to never disclose their MPIN or OTP, as well as to never click links outside the GCash app, especially from unknown senders or websites.
To report scams and fraudulent activities, visit the official GCash Help Center at help.gcash.com/hc/en-us or message Gigi on the website and type, “I want to report a scam.” GCash will never send private messages to ask for personal information, especially the MPIN and One-Time Pin (OTP). Customers can also reach out to the official GCash hotline 2882 for queries and other concerns.
The GCash app is available for free on Google Play and the App Store.
GCash (G-Xchange, Inc.) is the #1 Finance App in the Philippines. Through the GCash App, 81M registered users can easily purchase prepaid airtime; pay bills at over 1,600 partner billers nationwide; send and receive money anywhere in the Philippines, even to other bank accounts; purchase from over 5.2M partner merchants and social sellers; and get access to savings, credit, loans, insurance and invest money, and so much more, all at the convenience of their smartphones. GCash is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mynt (Globe Fintech Innovations, Inc.), the first and only duacorn in the Philippines.
GCash is a staunch supporter of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly UN SDGs 5,8,10, and 13, which focus on safety & security, financial inclusion, diversity, equity and inclusion as well as taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts, respectively.


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id Software appears to be working on a new DOOM game based on a job posting on the ZeniMax Jobs website. DOOM was initially released in 1993, a year after id presented the world to Wolfenstein, the forefather of first-person shooters. After the release of DOOM 64 in 1997, DOOM went on an extended hiatus until returning in the early 2000s with a third numbered version. Expansions, spinoffs and remastered versions kept the DOOM brand alive after the 2003 release of DOOM 3 but ultimately stifled advancement in certain ways.
Of course, that all changed when id Software released DOOM (2016), which gave the iconic franchise a contemporary facelift while remaining faithful to its old-school essence. In early 2020, the company shipped DOOM Eternal, which lifted the standard still more and shifted the needle in its own way, particularly in terms of in-game moments. Even though DOOM Eternal and Horde Mode helped bolster I d’s release, fans of the series are still excited to see what the development team has in store for the famous Space Marine moving forward. Is the new DOOM game in the works?
According to ZeniMax Jobs ad found by Twitter user XboxWorlds, it appears so. For “future AAA first-person action” titles, the company is looking to employ an experienced Combat Designer, according to the job description. Candidates that have a thorough understanding of id Software’s most recent projects, such as DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal, are sought for in the job description. Because of this, fans are wondering if there will be a third chapter in the relaunched series. This, of course, might lead to a variety of outcomes. Quake Remastered for consoles and PC, however, gained centre stage once rumours of a Quake relaunch circulated.
Another legendary first-person shooter from Id Software is Rage, which was released in 2012 and earned a much-maligned sequel in the early months of 2019. The latest DOOM game, DOOM Eternal, was released less than two years ago to considerable acclaim, as indicated in the paragraph above. There have been two expansions for the game – The Ancient Gods parts one and two, as well as various free updates, including current-generation enhancements and a Horde Mode. A sequel to DOOM Eternal is currently unconfirmed by the publisher.


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John wants to know if an Alcatel tablet will be good for streaming video. He can get one for cheap from T-Mobile. Leo says the price may indicate a subsidized two-year contract. And if he's going to do that, AT&T is currently offering a free tablet with a two-year commitment. Stream it from the store to see. If he can get it out the door for that price, it'll also work with MINT, an MVNO that offers T-Mobile service for less.
Terry wants to buy a device to cast to his home office TV. Would the Chromecast work or should he buy the FireTV Stick? Leo says that the Chromecast is a great device, but it doesn't stand on its own. He'll have to navigate to what he wants to watch on a phone and then cast to the Chromecast device. Stand-alone devices like Roku and AppleTV can act as their own independent devices. As for FireTV, Leo says it really serves as a portal to sell stuff from Amazon, so he's not much of a fan. Leo says ROKU Ultra is a better choice all the way around and will also stream in 4K.
Al says he's been watching Smarter Every Day on YouTube and he has learned about click farms that are designed to create bogus views and clicks on YouTube to not only earn ad revenue but to skew the recommendation engine to drive videos that wouldn't normally be recommended. Leo says that YouTube really needs to address this by 1) getting rid of comments, and 2) getting rid of the recommendation engine.
The latest news about YouTube is that the federal government is investigating the streaming video portal for violation of provisions of the Child Online Privacy Act. The problems are in the recommendation engine, which veers to strange videos, even in the YouTube Kids channel. Numerous complaints to the Federal Trade Commission questions if YouTube is collecting data on kids under 13.
Tom is watching TV and he gets pixelation while streaming. When he switches to an antenna, he gets the same problem. What gives? Leo says that's due to the digital broadcast. Digital signals don't degrade gracefully. It just gets bad. And it could be a host of things from the antenna, to bandwidth, to the streaming box. Leo has a hunch it's the service that's streaming the programming to him.
How is YouTube getting such a clean signal? Leo says they may be using fiber directly from a network.
Google has released details for their Stadia Streaming gaming service, and Leo says it's like renting a game console in the cloud for $10 a month. That's only the service though, as you still need to pay for each game separately. But it also provides high quality 60fps HDR and Dolby Stereo. But Leo says he really doesn't get the advantage here. Serious gamers have a gaming PC or game console. So who is this aimed at? But for those who are just getting into gaming and don't want to invest just yet in hardware, Stadia may be ideal.
Frank's grandkids are coming over for Father's Day and he's worried that his internet is too slow. What does he need for on-demand streaming? Leo says that Netflix has a standard of 25MB down. But Leo says its best to have twice that.
Mike watches YouTube off his laptop and he keeps getting popups requiring him to log into his Google account to watch videos. What gives? Leo says that Google is starting to get restrictive on some content, and it may be that you have to log into YouTube in order to view sensitive or explicit videos. That doesn't mean anything other than topics that aren't advertiser-friendly. Leo also says it enables Google to collect data on you, so they can monetize it. Get ready, that's the future.
Doug has a podcast called Headline Minute on Anchor.FM. He wants to know if it will play using SIRI. Leo says that SIRI is as dumb as a box of rocks, but the Amazon Echo would likely play it, as will Google Assistant. More people have Echos and Google Assistants anyway.
Patti listens to the Tech Guy with her Amazon Echo and noticed that she gets commercials from San Diego, not LA. What gives? Leo says that when listening to the stream, the radio station sometimes uses specially sold ads for the internet stream that are more regional, or national in design. So that's likely why she heard ads from San Diego. Her device may also not really know your location, so if she can go into the app, she can add the location and get more accurate ads and weather forecasts.


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HP Earnings Outlook Clouds, Stock Price Declines
October 4, 2012 8:37 AM
comment(s) - last by
HP expects good news in fiscal 2014
HP was once one of the most profitable and stable companies in the technology and computer industry. The company's fortunes have changed as more consumers move away from traditional desktop and notebook computers to
tablets and smartphones
. HP CEO Meg Whitman issued a warning yesterday of an unexpectedly severe decline in earnings for fiscal 2013.
The announcement warned investors and analysts that revenue would fall in every single HP division except software. The decline in revenue sent shares in HP plunging to a nine-year low. Whitman has been banking on transforming HP into a significant player in the enterprise computing environment to take on both IBM and Dell.
Analysts on Wall Street hoped for better signs of progress on Whitman's plan to turn the ailing computer giant around. Whitman told investors that signs of recovery for HP would become visible in fiscal 2014 when the company's investments begin to pay off. Blame is placed on an unexpected executive turnover during the past several years as a reason for delaying the turnaround at HP.
"I was surprised that nothing new was really said in terms of strategy, and the problem here is there is lack of investor confidence in the current strategy," said Shaw Wu, an analyst with Sterne Agee.
HP CEO Meg Whitman [Image Source: Silicon Angle]
On Wednesday, HP's stock price declined by 13% marking the largest single-day decline since August of 2011. HP's enterprise services division is looking at a particularly dark outlook. Revenue from HP's enterprise services division is expected to decline between 11 and 13% for fiscal 2013 while barely turning a profit. Reuters reports that operating margins for the enterprise services division will be somewhere in the range of 0 to 3%.
"The single biggest challenge facing Hewlett-Packard has been changes in CEOs and executive leadership, which has caused multiple inconsistent strategic choices, and frankly some significant executional miscues," Whitman told the investor conference in San Francisco.
"This is important because as a result it is going to take longer to right this ship than any of us would like," she added.
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
new direction for HP
10/4/2012 10:14:47 AM
HP needs a New Direction,-- and that would be: Customer Support.
in a market where products have become commodities the best customer support can be a factor in market share
I have a HP 6500a Deskjet. The print driver doesn't work right* and anything scanned or copied or faxed using the document feeder leaves a vertical steak down the center of the page.
I called HP support about the print driver and they demanded money. where i come from the only people who have to pay when the other party makes an error work for Dilbert.
now my plans for the HP 6500 are: Junk barrel.
* I can't scan from my Windows system; only from my Linux box. The Linux box doesn't use the fancy HP device support package.
RE: new direction for HP
10/4/2012 12:08:49 PM
Better yet, why are print drivers 500MB? I can't figure out how to write a program that big!
I think people in Palo Alto need to ask what the Q in CompaQ stands for. (COMPAtability and Quality).
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text:
A new admission from Mitsubishi Motors has widened a scandal engulfing the company.
Managers have now admitted they have been using an improper fuel-efficiency testing method since 1991.
The company said this concerns the Japanese domestic market and the number of vehicles involved is not known.
Last week Mitsubishi admitted submitting misleading data on the fuel efficiency of more than 620,000 cars.
Its offices have been raided by Japanese authorities and US vehicle safety authorities have also asked for more information.
The company is the world’s sixth-largest car manufacturer and the new revelations have plunged it into crisis.
Forty percent has already been wiped off the value of Mitsubishi’s shares on the stock market.


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How do you get more women into the world of tech? Easy. Apparently, you just photoshop them in.
The photo, which includes LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman and Dropbox CEO Drew Houston, was digitally altered to include two female CEOs, Lynn Jurich and Ruzwana Bashir.
The original image featured 15 tech entrepreneurs during a visit to designer Brunello Cucinelli in Italy. Apparently, the two women were on the trip, but they weren’t around when the photo was taken.
The photoshopped image, which has now been removed, was posted on Brunello Cucinelli’s personal Instagram account on May 30 and was set to serve as the lead image for GQ‘s June 4 story about the “Solomeo Summit”.
Yet after doing a little digging, BuzzFeed found an all-male version of the photo on LinkedIn, which posted two weeks ago by Ferdinando de Bellis, a partner at a communications firm that worked with Cucinelli.
A representative for Cucinelli said in a statement: “When we realized we didn’t have a shot where all attendees were represented, we added in photos of two female CEOs taken during the weekend.”
“The photos were shared and approved with all the participants including the two women, Lynn Jurich and Ruzwana Bashir, before posting them on Instagram and they also shared the group photo on their own Instagram handles. We meant no harm or had any malicious intent in doing this and we are sorry.”
GQ, however, claimed it had no knowledge of the doctored photo.
The magazine ran an update at the bottom of its story saying it removed the photo, and a spokesperson told Buzzfeed News: “An image provided by a Brunello Cucinelli representative did not meet GQ’s editorial standards. The image had been altered and GQ was not made aware.”
Please login with linkedin to commentGQ
Aussie coastal lifestyle brand SurfStitch has announced a bold repositioning with a new brand identity and campaign, “Ready for Everywhere”. Reflecting the brand’s commitment to inspiring people to embrace their lifestyle, whatever it may be, the strategic shift reflects a commitment to facilitating style that adapts to the life its customers lead across a broad […]


text:
First screenshot of Skype PSP, Sony launches USB microphone
Sony is pouring on the goodies for PSP users as it releases a first-hand look at what the new Skype service will look like on the gaming handheld.
Furthermore, the previously Talkman-exclusive USB microphone accessory will soon become available as a separate peripheral, according to a recent announcement from Sony.
More details in the full article after the jump!
After hearing all about it from various sources over the past month, Famitsu has finally taken some conclusive evidence of the upcoming Skype service on Sony‘s PlayStation Portable. From the screenshot above, you can pretty much tell that the well-renowned Internet telephony software will indeed be hitting the gaming handheld soon.
While it doesn’t exactly show the actual software in action, at least it gives a pretty solid look at what it will be like when it’s released.
In other news, Sony has also announced the launch of its new USB microphone peripheral for the PSP. Originally bundled with the UMD game Talkman, the new stand-alone accessory is set to hit Japan this January 24 for 2,500 yen (US$ 23). It will also be available in a two-piece set priced at 4,000 yen (US$ 46).
This definitely spells good news for PSP users looking to extend the functionality of their handhelds beyond their usual gaming habits.


text:
MOUNTAIN VIEW (AP) - LinkedIn and Facebook will celebrate the anniversaries of their IPOs just a few days apart this week. But their experiences as publicly traded companies couldn't be more different.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Lower-priced gas allowed Americans to step up their spending at retailers in April, from cars and clothes to electronics and appliances. The rebound from a weak March suggests consumers remain resilient in the face of higher taxes and could continue to drive economic growth this spring.
NEW YORK (AP) - Joyce Brothers, the pop psychologist who pioneered the television advice show in the 1950s and enjoyed a long and prolific career as a syndicated columnist, author, and television and film personality, has died. She was 85.
SAVAR, Bangladesh (AP) - Several of the biggest Western retailers embraced a plan that would require them to pay for factory improvements in Bangladesh as the three-week search for victims of the worst garment-industry disaster in history ended Monday with the death toll at a staggering 1,127.
WARREN, Mich. (AP) - General Motors Co. says a new supercomputing data center and a fledgling shift to bring software development in-house should help it limit the size of future safety recalls.
Benefit cuts rare
NEW YORK (AP) - A bloodless bank heist that netted more than $45 million has left even cybercrime experts impressed by the technical sophistication, if not the virtue, of the con artists who pulled off a remarkable internationally organized attack.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. government reported a rare surplus of $113 billion for April - the largest in five years and a sign of the nation's improving finances.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Internal Revenue Service apologized Friday for what it acknowledged was "inappropriate" targeting of conservative political groups during the 2012 election to see if they were violating their tax-exempt status.
SACRAMENTO (AP) - California's attorney general sued one of the nation's largest banks Thursday, alleging that JPMorgan Chase & Co. used illegal tactics in its efforts to collect debts from more than 100,000 credit card holders.
Test driving a new car isn't just for people looking to put a shiny set of new wheels in their driveway.
NEW YORK (AP) - A worldwide gang of criminals stole a total of $45 million in a matter of hours by hacking their way into a database of prepaid debit cards and then draining cash machines around the globe, federal prosecutors said Thursday - and outmoded U.S. card technology may be partly to blame.
FREMONT (AP) - The Tesla Motors Inc. Model S electric car has tied an older Lexus for the highest score ever recorded in Consumer Reports magazine's automotive testing.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Republican-led House on Wednesday approved a measure that would give private sector workers the option of trading overtime pay for extra time off weeks or months later.
NEW YORK (AP) - The Dow Jones industrial average rose, closing above 15,000 for a second day after breaching the landmark level for the first time Tuesday.
NEW YORK (AP) - After posting yet another disappointing quarter, McDonald's CEO Don Thompson said Tuesday the company hasn't been keeping up with the times and that changes are in store for its U.S. restaurants.
NEW YORK (AP) - Toys R Us is pulling its four collectible dolls based on characters from AMC's hit series "Breaking Bad" after taking heat from a Florida mom who launched a petition campaign last week.
NEW YORK (AP) - America has rejected the idea of cappuccino-flavored Lay's potato chips.
CUPERTINO (AP) - Apple's mobile payment system, Apple Pay, made its debut Monday. Now you can flash your new iPhone in the checkout line to pay for food, clothing and other goods. There's no need to pull out your credit card.
ATLANTA (AP) - UPS says it is raising rates for a number of its shipping services by an average of 4.9 percent for 2015.
CUPERTINO (AP) - The iPhone again proved to be the engine behind Apple's blockbuster financial performance, driving quarterly results well past expectations.
NEW YORK (AP) - Cord cutters rejoiced last week after HBO and CBS announced plans to sell stand-alone streaming services, a move that cable and satellite television providers have resisted for years. Customers tired of paying big fees for hundreds of channels they never watch just to have access to a few favorite shows might be expected to start cancelling cable service in droves. Get Netflix, throw in HBO, add a network here and there - why would anyone sign up now for cable?
CUPERTINO (AP) - Apple unveiled a thinner iPad Thursday with a faster processor and a better camera as it tries to drive excitement for tablets amid slowing demand. The company also released an update to its Mac operating system and introduced a high-resolution iMac model that might appeal to heavy watchers of television over the Internet.
MOUNTAIN VIEW (AP) - Google's third-quarter earnings slipped as the Internet search leader hired nearly 3,000 more employees while pouring more money into its zest for innovation and quest for new markets.
CUPERTINO (AP) - Apple showed off thinner iPads and a new iMac with a high-resolution display on Thursday. Sleek and stunning, yes, but not likely to spark the next iRevolution. The tech giant's bigger strategic bet is that mobile pay service Apple Pay, debuting Monday, will be the next thing you didn't know you needed - but now can't live without.
MESA, Ariz. (AP) - A manufacturer of sapphire glass that Apple Inc. uses in iPhones plans to eliminate 727 jobs at an Arizona plant.
MOUNTAIN VIEW (AP) - Google is coming out with bigger, more expensive versions of its Nexus phone and tablet to attract more of the affluent consumers who faithfully buy each new generation of Apple's iPhone and iPad. It's also releasing a new streaming video and music device, Nexus Player, to compete with Apple TV and Roku, among others.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - This is a sequel that Netflix shareholders never wanted to see: The world's largest Internet video service has once again turned off potential viewers with a price increase that is punishing the company's stock price.
NEW YORK (AP) - Next year HBO is cutting the cord and selling its popular streaming video service HBO Go as a stand-alone product, as more Americans choose to watch the Web, not the TV. Viewers longing to see "Game of Thrones", "True Detective" and "Veep" will no longer have to pay big bucks for cable and satellite contracts. So, is this the end of pay-TV as we know it?
NEW YORK (AP) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. cut its revenue outlook for its current fiscal year as it announced it is scaling back its expansion plans for its supercenters next year and stepping up investments in its online operations.


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The first half of 2020 should have been a stand-out time for Aston Martin Lagonda, following the opening of a new factory and the arrival of the company’s first SUV. Instead, sales took a dive in almost all markets, the share price collapsed and Andy Palmer was replaced as CEO. New boss Tobias Moers has much to do but at least in terms of future models, there is much in the works.
Many are the sceptics who wonder how long Aston Martin can last as they point out the number of times the firm has been bankrupt.
Will Aston survive, let alone thrive? Though the odds don’t look too good, what kills financially distressed companies isn’t hard times but a lack of cash. AML has money, at least, and some rich backers. Crucially, they seem to be keeping the faith. Perhaps their belief is that if and when the economies of countries where the brand formerly did well turn positive again, then so too will the finances of this boutique luxury car maker.
In Aston’s favour, the model range is just about the freshest it has ever been but there is no denying the fact that the current rate of worldwide sales is nowhere near enough to generate the necessary cash for the cars and low or zero emissions powertrains which will be needed fairly soon.
Questions remain over how a move to electrification will be funded. Still, there are possibilities which look realistic. That topic could also be key to working out why a man who appeared to be on a trajectory to the top of Daimler AG has instead just taken on the job of fixing AML.
Might it be that the German giant plans to lift its holding from the current five per cent to majority control, but not until it assesses whether or not one of its former rising stars has been able to set the company on the path to Ferrari-level profits? If that’s the plan then the basics are already in place, starting with highly rated cars and now, an SUV too.
More than half a decade on from when we first saw the DBX concept at the 2015 Geneva motor show, production of the first SUV in the history of the Aston Martin marque has begun. The company says the order bank is strong and has particular hopes for China, a market that seems to be rapidly shaking off the deep and sudden downturn of earlier this year.
The DBX is the first vehicle for AML’s St Athan plant in South Wales, series production having commenced on 9 July. It uses a bespoke architecture and for now at least, the only engine is a modified AMG 4.0-litre biturbo V8 with outputs of 550 PS and 700 Nm. Drive goes to both axles via a nine-speed torque converter automatic gearbox.
A V12 sourced from Ford Werke in Cologne as well as Aston’s own TM-01 V6 (see below) could potentially be added at a later date, along with other low-emissions electrified options courtesy of Mercedes-AMG.
Another potential way of bringing AML back into profit would be creating a second SUV. The ‘DBY‘ would be based on the DBX but have either a longer body in the style of the BMW X7 or be a coupe-SUV along the lines of the X6. If this project gets the green light, it could in production by 2023/2024.
Next out of the blocks this year should be the Valkyrie, a low volume, hyper-priced hypercar. Announced four years ago, the car started off as a collaboration with the ex-McLaren and Red Bull Formula 1 team engineer Adrian Newey. A total of “between 99 and 150” road cars will be built, AML says, as well as 25 track cars.
Multimatic, which manufactures the Ford GT, will supply the carbon monocell, Cosworth will be the source of the 6.5-litre V12, and a seven-speed transmission will come from Ricardo. The normally aspirated engine’s outputs are claimed to be 1000 hp and 740 Nm (545 lb ft), while it will rev to 11,200 rpm. Combined with the motor, power rises to a claimed 1,160 hp with torque of 900 Nm.
Rimac will supply the lightweight hybrid battery system; Robert Bosch will be the source of the ECU, traction control and electronic stability program systems; while Wipac is responsible for the LED headlamps and tail lamps.
The Valkyrie is expected to weigh just 1,030 kg. Production had been due to commence in July but it won’t now start until the fourth quarter.
A post-Valkyrie hypercar would be launched in 2021, the company stated in September 2018, with the model name, Valhalla, confirmed in June 2019. That was three months after a preview concept called AM-RB 003 was revealed at the Geneva motor show.
Under the direction of the new CEO, this car might now be delayed until 2022 as tweaks are made to bring down costs and find ways of boosting potential profits.
The company has said that it intends to build 500 units of this mid-engined coupe, “built around a lightweight structure and powered by a turbocharged petrol-electric hybrid engine”. Both right- and left-hand drive cars will be available and the engine will be a 3.0-litre V6 of Aston’s own design. While no specifics of what kind of hybrid system it means, the company says “the full powertrain will be electrified”.
The Valhalla’s engine is called ‘TM-01’ and named after Tadek Marek (“celebrating Aston Martin’s illustrious engineer of the 50s and 60s”, the company says). This, Aston boasts, will be its first self-developed engine since 1968.
Six to twelve months after the arrival of the Valhalla should come the production version of project AM9. Aimed at the Ferrari F8 Tributo and looking like the Vanquish Vision concept from last year’s Geneva show, the new Vanquish should be powered by a detuned TM-01 V6. The previous Vanquish S went out of production in February 2018 and was replaced by the DBS Superleggera.
Reports for many other manufacturers’ future models are grouped in the OEM product strategy summaries section of just-auto.com.
Future platform intelligence
More detail on past, current and forthcoming models can be found in PLDB, the future vehicles database which is part of GlobalData’s Automotive Intelligence Center. That includes Aston Martin vehicles not reported on above.
The next OEM to have its future model plans looked at will be General Motors (including SAIC GM Wuling). The list of brands includes Baojun, Wuling, Chevrolet, GMC, Hummer, Buick and Cadillac.


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This story requires our association with BI Prime. To read the full article, click here to claim your offer and access all exclusive Business Insider PRIME content. WeWork is hiring at least 50 people in Edison, New Jersey, to work in a new 200,000 square foot factory, according to job offers. The works appear …
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WeWork is hiring at least 50 people in Edison, New Jersey, to work in a new 200,000 square foot factory, according to job offers. Roles appear to be designed to create a production operation from the ground up, including roles in technical operations, supply chain management, quality assurance, human resources, and finance. In addition to the technology focal point, the company will invent modular glass and aluminum systems. WeWork is preparing to relocate the public, which has become a daunting task as the company's high valuation and corporate governance are criticized. For additional WeWork tales, click here. WeWork has already expanded its industry lines, from managing new workspace for entrepreneurs to overseeing living facilities, college, gyms and more. The company is now preparing to be a manufacturer of favorite glass and aluminum veneers in its unique interiors, with a 200,000-square-foot facility located 55 kilometers from its New York headquarters. The company is looking to hire at least 50 people to work from oven operator to manufacturing director in Edison, New Jersey, for new jobs on LinkedIn. New hires will work on a new facility with "state of the art" instruments in line with job offers. The abolition of the company's beauties carefully relies on glass and aluminum to divide the rooms. Entering manufacturing represents a huge pivot of WeWork's positioning as a technology company operating in the real estate industry. The factory's manufacturing process occurs as WeWork's parent We Company prepares to relocate the public, a difficult task that has questions about company management, hobby conflicts, and the industry's frequent dummy. The company has been trying to partner with landlords by signing long-term leases, and has helped other companies abolish workspace as a possible formulation to alleviate large losses. See more: WeWork charters its path to profitability – and most of its choices devour the slowness of its mind-blowing order, WeWork spokeswoman declined to comment, citing the company's quiet break before its preliminary public offering. The pre-IPO of the company that sent the thinnest month signaled its strength to cut costs again for “vertical integration” – making additional additions to apartments: through a combination of better economies of scale as a result of the growing size of our worldwide network, vertical integration of our task of abolition and construction, and high employment of technology. ”A handful of indispensable real estate builders receive attempts to further defend a fixed eye on their supply chain and minimize costs with their own-built vegetation. Connected Corporation, which is creating New York's Hudson Yards neighborhood, built a wall manufacturer in Linwood, Pennsylvania. Awareness is uncommon as versatile workspace vendors value WeWork, which has taken an extra asset-intensive approach to its industry than its peers. Trying to get structures instead of renting them out, the company began raising a deeper real estate fund in 2017, finally wrapping the fund in an investment platform called ARK this spring. The CEO of Knotel, a flexible workspace provider that grossed $ 400 million in the slimmest month at a $ 1.3 billion valuation, said WeWork's move to manufacturing was once strange. Amol Sarva praised Business Insider that “although you're presumably in the real estate market, it's a lively way.” A Connected-valued developer, as an illustration, can invent his extra supply chain atmosphere by owning a plant and overseeing production. as a change of supplies. More: Mutual Funds Appreciate Constancy's Distinguished Contrafund Receives Low Ratings on Its WeWork Stakes Sarva said he is all in favor of innovating in other facets of the abolition and construction industry, which he said is prone to general change. "All portions of the labor industry space have not been affected by the weather," he said. But as a change in the change of manufacturing task prized by WeWork's attempt, Sarva said he is in favor of reducing the amount of waste generated by the manufacturing space of the works.
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The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday released new recommendations against the use of artificial or non-sugar sweeteners, citing evidence that suggests they provide no weight control benefit and could pose health risks in the long term.
For its new recommendations, WHO conducted a systematic review of 283 studies on non-sugar sweeteners. The review included both randomized controlled trials and observational studies.
Based on results from the randomized controlled trials, non-sugar sweeteners only had a "low" impact on reducing body weight and calorie intake compared to sugar. They also had no effect on intermediate markers of diabetes, such as insulin or glucose.
Similarly, observational studies found that non-sugar sweeteners had a low impact on body weight and fat tissue and did not affect calorie intake. However, these studies found that the sweeteners were associated with a small increase in risk for Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease. There was also very low risk for bladder cancer and death from any cause.
According to WHO, consuming non-sugar sweeteners "does not confer any long-term benefit in reducing body fat in adults or children" and could have "potential undesirable effects," such as an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Based on the currently available evidence, WHO recommends people avoid consuming "all synthetic and naturally occurring or modified non-nutritive sweeteners that are not classified as sugars," such as acesulfame K, aspartame, advantame, cyclamates, neotame, saccharin, sucralose, and stevia. Individuals with preexisting diabetes are not included in the recommendation because of a lack of data on the group.
"Replacing free sugars with [non-sugar sweeteners] NSS does not help with weight control in the long term. People need to consider other ways to reduce free sugars intake, such as consuming food with naturally occurring sugars, like fruit, or unsweetened food and beverages," said Francesco Branca, WHO's director for nutrition and food safety. "NSS are not essential dietary factors and have no nutritional value. People should reduce the sweetness of the diet altogether, starting early in life, to improve their health."
However, WHO also noted that its new recommendation is "conditional," meaning that the association between non-sugar sweeteners and disease outcomes could be confounded by other factors such as patient characteristics.
"This signals that policy decisions based on this recommendation may require substantive discussion in specific country contexts, linked for example to the extent of consumption in different age groups," WHO said.
In a statement, the Calorie Control Council (CCC), said it strongly disagreed with WHO's recommendation, arguing that it "does not provide the full picture regarding the efficacy of these ingredients and has the potential to negatively impact public health."
"A substantial body of evidence shows that low- and no-calorie sweeteners provide effective and safe options to reduce sugar and calorie consumption," said CCC president Robert Rankin. "Along with exercise and a healthy diet, low- and no-calorie sweeteners are a critical tool that can help consumers manage body weight and reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases."
The International Sweeteners Association (ISA) also pushed back against WHO's recommendation, saying that it's a disservice to consumers.
"Low/no calorie sweeteners are one of the most thoroughly researched ingredients in the world and continue to be a helpful tool to manage obesity, diabetes and dental diseases," ISA said. "They offer consumers an alternative to reduce sugar and calorie intake with the sweet taste they know and expect." (Hunt/LaMotte, CNN, 5/15; Parker-Pope, Washington Post, 5/15; Martuscelli, Politico, 5/15; Rubin, New York Times, 5/15; Kindelan, ABC News, 5/15; Choi, The Hill, 5/15; WHO press release, 5/15)
Writing for the Washington Post/Consumer Reports, Sari Harrar debunks common misconceptions surrounding diet and blood sugar control and offers five tips to help individuals regulate their blood sugar levels. Read the full story below.
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Most recalls related to steering systems involve a loss of power steering. It's harder to turn the wheel without power steering, but it's not impossible, so you can still get to where you're going with a little extra effort. But what happens when your steering wheel does nothing? That's what Subaru is currently dealing with.
The automaker issued a recall covering 48,500 examples of the 2016-2017 Subaru sedan and crossover, all of which have manufacturing dates between 29 February 2016 and 6 May. Many of these vehicles are still on dealer lots.
The reason for the recall is the steering column. Evidently, the parts in question might have been machined improperly. In affected vehicles, this defective steering column may result in nothing happening when the driver turns the steering wheel. Unless you live on a drag strip, or exist in two dimensions, that's not going to be OK.
The recall fix won't be in place until later this month, but when it is, Subaru will inspect and replace steering columns as necessary. As is (backward by 21st-century standards) tradition, owners will be notified by first-class mail. Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is applied.


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Affluent consumers face not just stagnant, but declining incomes — which challenges marketers at the upper-end of the market
The latest news cycle carriedÂ a story that caught my eye â€“ Jay Leno, host of The Tonight Show, Â just took a 50 percent pay cut!Â While his adjusted annual salary of $15 million still puts him among the very highest earners in the country, it points to an unsettling trend that is happening among the affluent:Â a trend toward downward income mobility. Â
Once unheard of, the downward mobility of the luxury class presents special challenges to marketers that target this elite group of upper-income customers.Â What happens when affluent customers just arenâ€™t willing to â€˜pay to playâ€™ in the luxury market any longer?Â
Research shows the fortunes of the affluent are not so fortunate any longer
The Census Department provides the authoritative look at the American peopleâ€™s income and it presents a sobering view of where the American population stands in terms of income.Â Under a link entitled Income Inequality, youâ€™ll find the latest data on the key income segments in the population.Â For example, in 2010 dollars, the incomeÂ that defines the affluent top 20 percent has declined nearly 5 percent in the five-year period from 2006 to 2010 and it was basically flat in the preceding five years from 2001 to 2005. Â By contrast the income limit grew 10 percent from 1996 to 2000 for the top quintile.Â At the top 5 percent of incomes, the trends are basically the same, rising rapidly from 1996-2000, flattening out from 2001-2005, then moving down from 2006-2010.Â
The average income for the affluent 20 percent and top 5 percent tells an even more explicit story of downward mobility among the affluent.Â Average income for a household at the top 20 percent dropped 7.5 percent from 2006 to 2010 and 12.7 percent for the top 5 percent in the same period.Â For the five preceding years, average income for both the top 20 and top 5 percent was flat, after having risen a stunning 14.3 percent from 1996-2000 for the top 20 percent and 17.1 percent for the top 5 percent.
I apologize for reciting all those numbers (call me at 717.336.1600 if youâ€™d like to see the data) but the picture that it paints is an affluent consumer segment, the prime target for luxury marketers, that is experiencing a real drop in their income.Â Because these same consumers are significantly invested in their high-end lifestyle with income committed to a wide-range of fixed expenses to maintain that lifestyle, itâ€™s in discretionary spending where they are going to take their cuts.Â So that translates into less money to spend each month for clothes, shoes and handbags, jewelry and home decorative accessories.Â These folks have plenty of all that stuff already, so it is the easiest, most painless way to adjust oneâ€™s budget when there is less money coming in each month.
Â That said, while the average income of a household at the top 5 percent may have declined from $358,700 in 2006 to $313,298 in 2010 â€“ a painful 13 percent drop â€“ those $300k+ households still have tremendous spending potential.Â That just brings into focusÂ luxury marketers’ new challenge:Â to compete more aggressively for the remaining discretionary spending power of those top 5 percent.
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Research-based insights into the minds and motivations of luxury consumers is key to beating the competition
Gaining new insights into the purchase motivation and spending power of the affluent consumer market is critical for luxury marketers to create a marketing strategy that will position their brand to beat the competition.Â The days where the affluent 5 percent could â€˜shop till they dropâ€™ are over â€“ Reduced income means consumers, even the affluent, have to be more selective about where and how much they spend.Â That is one reason a value-oriented marketer like Costco is so successful today.Â
Unity Marketing can help luxury marketers gain new research-based consumer insights that can be used to find a new path to success in an increasingly competitive marketplace for luxury spending.Â
- The Luxury Report 2012: The Ultimate Guide to the Luxury Consumer Market:Â This annual report gives you a top-level view of the behavior of affluent consumers over the past four years, including their favorite brands and retail destinations and the amount spent on luxury in a variety of home, personal, and experiential categories.Â It probes into key demographic segments in the affluent consumer market, including differences in purchase behavior by gender, age, income and wealth.
- Unity Marketingâ€™s Luxury Tracking Study & LCI:Â Providing the source data for the annual luxury report, this customized quarterly survey of 1,200+ affluent luxury consumers gives marketers detailed tracking information about current luxury purchases and spending, as well as forward-looking guidance on future shifts in luxury consumer behavior in Unity Marketingâ€™s proprietary Luxury Consumption Index (LCI), a measure of affluent consumer confidence that historically predicts shifts in luxury consumer spending in subsequent quarters.
- Wealth Wave:Â Millennials and their Luxury Aspirations:Â This in-depth report, which includes an executive summary of key findings and take action strategies, plus the detail focus group report with quotes and summary of the discussion, gives marketers new insights into the future direction of the next generation of luxury consumers that will come to the fore in the consumer market starting about 2018 or so.Â Get ahead of the curve by studying the differing needs and desires of your future luxury customers.Â This report will be especially valuable to luxury brands in these key core segments which were discussed in the groups:Â luxury jewelry; fine dining; luxury hotels and hospitality; luxury fashion, apparel and fashion accessories; luxury wine; and luxury retail including online and internet shopping destinations.


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Paris headquartered blockchain-based soccer fantasy gaming startup Sorare has announced that it has raised as much as $4 million in seed funding in a round that was led by e.ventures. This round also saw the participation of German professional soccer player Andre Schurrle, venture firms Partech, Fabric Venture, Cygni Capital, and Semantic Ventures as well as Thomas France of Ledger wallet.
Pre-seed round investors also reportedly took part. The seed funding adds to the pre-seed funding in which the Ethereum-based startup raised €500,000 (~$570,000) in May of 2019.
The company launched back in 2018 to offer users the chance to buy and trade soccer player collectibles. It is an age-old practice with team sports fans especially in the West, but now there is a new way to do it – using blockchain.
By hosting the platform on the popular Ethereum blockchain, Sorare can secure the authenticity of the cards as well as ensure the digital scarcity of these assets. Since December 2019, Sorare claims to have increased monthly sales by a factor of over 10 from $30,000 to $350,000 in June 2020. In a blog post on Thursday, the company’s co-founder Nicolas Julia stated that the startup was “already profitable.”
In that same period, the company was able to sign up close to 70 football clubs spanning in origin from Europe to the United States and Asia. For instance, right after securing their pre-seed funding in May last year, Sorare almost immediately signed a contract with football giants Atlético Madrid, Valencia CF, and Schalke 04.
Additionally, since then, they have onboarded other major clubs including Cristiano Ronaldo-led Juventus and Olympique Lyonnais. So far the startup has attracted over 20,000 active users a majority hailing from the countries of France, Russia, the U.S., Italy, and the U.K.
Sorare is planning to channel the funds into two main functions the first of which is employing more staff. Over the next few months, the company will be seeking to double its staff from the current 10 – 12 to as many as 25 employees.
According to a talent-seeking board on which the company has posted job openings, they are looking for full-stack engineers, designers, a game economist as well as company spokesperson. Also, the company will be pumping funds into more contract licenses especially from leading football clubs across the world.
“Our goal is to sign with the top 20 football leagues in the world to create a truly global fantasy football game.”
E.Ventures Partner Christian Miele said
“We are incredibly excited to be backing Sorare on its way to becoming the dominant global fantasy football game. Rarely have we come across a team that achieved so much in such a small amount of time, be it around delivering a flawless gaming engine, partnering with over 70+ clubs in less than 12 months.”
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China's food safety officials will tighten supervision over farm produce safety, focusing on fresh vegetables and aquatic products, according to a top official from the Ministry of Agriculture in Beijing on Monday.
At a national meeting on quality safety of produce, Minister Sun Zhengcai announced that authorities would intensify daily monitoring and special testing of produce as well as production materials.
This would particularly affect inspections of fresh produce such as vegetables, livestock and aquatic products at production bases, wholesale markets and supermarkets.
These would focus on pesticides, animal medicines, feed additives and fertilizers banned or with limited application.
The official monitoring and test results would be made public, said Sun.
Recent cases of food safety problems include carcinogenic mandarin and turbot fish, and ducks and hens that were fed cancer-causing Sudan Red dye to turn their egg yolks red.
Sun said agricultural authorities above county level would dispatch quality inspectors to wholesale produce markets depending on the conditions.
He also instructed agricultural officials to create environmental safety evaluation mechanisms and begin monitoring produce production bases, introduce quality safety supervisors in townships to improve business production, and implement a labeling system for genetically modified food and milk.
The government would also boost the development of farmers cooperatives and flagship agricultural businesses, and set up emergency response systems to deal with produce quality incidents.
(Xinhua News Agency January 23, 2007)


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Protecting people and planet: Why we’re joining forces with EJF
The Durham University Charity Fashion Show (DUCFS) has been the most profitable student-run charitable event in the UK for the last two years, campaigning to raise awareness about the most pressing issues for our generation. We, the 2019 executive committee, are determined to continue this trend in 2019 and to raise even more money for charity than ever before, topping last year’s record-breaking £106,000 raised for leading UK mental health charity, Mind.
What seemed obvious for this year’s DUCFS was the need to fuse the core aspects of ‘charity’ and ‘fashion’. As a fashion show we have a responsibility to confront the environmental and humanitarian issues that surround the fast fashion industry. That is why this year we are overwhelmingly proud to support the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF). An incredible environmental charity which is also concerned with human rights abuses, EJF aims to secure lasting change for people and planet.
Environmental issues are at the forefront of current public discourse. The alarming problem of plastics in our oceans is more prevalent than ever, highlighted by David Attenborough’s ‘Blue Planet’ series, the most-watched TV show of 2017. A study from the World Economic Forum revealed that nine million tons of plastic enter the ocean every year, a figure expected to double by 2030. Marine life is threatened; at least one hundred million marine mammals suffocate every year from plastic floating in the oceans.
From forest fires and droughts to floods and storms, extreme climate conditions are on the rise. Closer to home, we experienced a stiflingly hot summer with temperatures soaring to 35°C - the joint hottest summer on record. The effects of climate change are more rampant and more perceptible than ever. It’s the time to act on it.
What is not so widely acknowledged is the devastatingly harmful impacts of the fashion industry on our environment. Fast fashion exists by relying on speed and low costs in order to meet changing fashion styles on a quarterly basis.
In recent years, demand for fashion has increased enormously, with 400% more clothing being bought each year, compared to twenty years ago. In turn, tonnes of waste pollute and abuse the earth. The fashion industry particularly affects water consumption, chemical pollution, energy use and human rights abuses, subjects which are core to EJF’s work.
EJF focus primarily on the following campaigns:
Oceans – protecting marine environments, biodiversity and livelihoods;
Climate – securing international protection for climate change refugees;
Pesticides – calling for an end to toxic pesticides;
Cotton – eradicating the human and environmental abuses associated with White Gold;
Activist Training – supporting tomorrow’s environmental defenders;
and most recently, their Plastic Promise.
EJF use film to produce hard-hitting reports about environmental and human rights abuses across the world. Through these films, they target decision makers and endeavour to change laws and policies for the greater good. With thirty members of staff based in eight countries leading their dynamic campaigns, EJF’s work is targeted and effective. What’s more, EJF work with the community to empower new environmental defenders. By working on a local level, the global call for change is strengthened.
Awareness and activism are fundamental to DUCFS 2019. We aim to promote this spirit of environmental activism amongst the Durham student population and further afield, through a year-long charitable venture. It’s not just a fashion show. It’s a movement, which together with EJF will get people thinking and talking about environmentalism and sustainability.
With twenty five Exec members, fifty models and the whole Durham student population, we hope to maximise fundraising. But, as well as a huge cheque, we’re aiming to raise awareness, encourage sustainable habits, and make positive changes to help save our people and planet.
EJF is at the heart of DUCFS, and we hope you will be too.


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Apartments in Turkey Available for Purchase Using Bitcoin
The owner of the MiaVita Beytepe project in Ankara, Turkey, has announced that its luxury apartments are available for purchase using bitcoin. The apartments are expected to comprise the first real estate transactions to be made using cryptocurrency in Turkey. Also Read: Luxury Dubai High Rise Apartments Will Be Sold for Bitcoin Luxury Apartments in Turkey […]
The post Apartments in Turkey Available for Purchase Using Bitcoin appeared first on Bitcoin News.
Samuel Haig September 24, 2017 0


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There’s no doubt that plant-based eating is on the rise. According to a 2018 study by Dalhousie University, more than half of all Canadians report they are willing to reduce their meat consumption.
That will not be news to the more than 20,000 expected to attend this year’s Montreal Vegan Festival. On Sept. 21 and 22, the annual event at the Palais des congrès will include everything from food samples to workshops, cooking demos, vegan cleaning products, clothing and talks with vegan athletes.
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For Marc-Olivier Brouillette, who went vegan in 2016 while playing for the Montreal Alouettes, the growing awareness of plant-based eating means he will be able to spend less time answering the question “Where do you get your protein?”
Brouillette is now retired from football and working as a lawyer in Montreal while training for triathlons. He says his answer to the question about protein hasn’t changed: it’s actually not that hard, thanks to tempeh, seitan, tofu, lentils, beans, protein powders and faux meats. As the spokesperson for this year’s festival, he will be presenting a talk in French about becoming vegan while playing professional football. He will also be part of the All Gain No Pain: World Class Vegan Athletes Break Stereotypes panel in English with Georges Laraque and U.S. athlete and influencer “Bad Ass Vegan” John Lewis.
Dietitian Mélanie Olivier is president of Vivaï, a Montreal group of sports nutritionists that works with high-level athletes. She says anyone can be healthy on a vegan diet as long as they get enough energy and protein. That can be difficult for people with trouble digesting major vegan protein sources, such as soy and legumes, especially professional athletes who have greater nutritional needs. But generally,, vegan diets can lead to an improved microbiome and better overall health, she says.
Brouillette made the switch to a plant-based diet partly to make dinnertime easier (his wife had recently gone from vegetarian to vegan and was doing most of the cooking) and also to get an edge up on other players.
“Especially at the professional level, everyone is talented and works hard, so you’re trying to find that little edge wherever you can. I came across a lot of literature to the effect that eating an alkaline, high-nutrient, dense, high-protein diet was the best for recovery and energy levels and overall health. So almost overnight, I was all in.”
The effects were almost immediate, he says.
“I felt great during workouts.”
He didn’t lose much weight — he never wanted to — but his body fat percentage went down and strength and muscle mass went up. He has lost weight since retiring from football, but that happened naturally as he took up training for triathlons and no longer needed to weigh 210 pounds.
“It was a nice release for my knees, ankles and back,” he says.
Getting enough fuel, rather than protein, for his multiple daily workouts was a bigger challenge, Brouillette says. Even now, with 5 a.m. runs or bike rides along the Lachine Canal, he’s more worried about eating too little food than too much. That isn’t the problem most Canadians face in a country where, according to Statistics Canada figures for 2016 and 2017, more than one in four people is obese.
But for high-level athletes, the key is calories, says Montrealer Nicole Ayalon, who competed in the World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF NO-GI Championships last year.
“I think a lot of people have a misconception that vegans only eat lettuce.”
After training, she will down a blender-sized smoothie of frozen bananas, spinach, mixed berries, protein powder and nuts or seeds. Later in the day, she will have something more substantial to recover and gain energy for the next training. Recently, that has meant dumplings, a new obsession, she says.
”We’re so lucky nowadays that pretty much every non-vegan food has a vegan version.”
Ayalon initially went vegan because of animal welfare concerns, but improved strength and endurance was a positive side-effect.
“I was running a lot of long distances at the time and my endurance was improving like crazy, not to mention I don’t get as sore or tired after an intense training,” she says. “My body also doesn’t hold onto excess fat anymore. I’m naturally lean now.”
Olympic gold, silver and bronze medal figure-skater Meagan Duhamel went vegan almost overnight in 2008 after reading about veganism. She quickly saw changes in her body — glowing skin, higher energy, lower weight, feeling more rested. Now retired from figure skating, veganism has became more of a lifestyle than a diet for her and she’s currently finishing a holistic nutrition program.
Duhamel starts her day with a kale and fruit granola bowl with non-dairy milk, her morning exercise leaning more toward yoga than 5 a.m. runs. Brouillette prefers overnight oats, slow-burning carbs that get him through his morning workout until he gets home and can turn on the blender without disturbing the family. And marathon swimmer Xavier Desharnais makes “boosted oatmeal” the morning of a race, a recipe he will demonstrat at the Montreal Vegan Festival.
Desharnais’s vegan transition came in 2012.
“I was curious to see if having a plant-based diet could give me an edge in my sport,” says the two-time champion of the Traversée international du Lac St-Jean and the top-ranked marathon swimmer in Canada.
At first he found he had more energy that lasted all day. Then he found that his mental focus was stronger.
“In open-water swimming, you have to make quick decisions or you lose the pack. I noticed that I was faster to think and take those decisions.”
His favourite vegan meal is a homemade wrap made of smoked tofu veggie patty, avocado and chipotle vegan mayo. As for restaurants, it’s Copper Branch followed by Vegano, Sham, Radis and Souchi’s.
“There are so many!” he says.
Brouillette’s vegan meal preferences haven’t changed much since his pro days, he says.
“It’s generally bowls, just tossing together vegetables on a base of grains and some chickpeas or lentils. I’ll throw some flavoured tempeh on there or marinated tofu.”
His fridge is always stocked with fresh vegetables and his cupboards with cans of chickpeas. Often he will whip together a tahini sauce with cumin, garlic and lemon or a peanut sauce with rice vinegar and ginger. With two kids, he and his wife don’t have much time to cook elaborate meals, he says, but once a week they will break out a favourite cookbook, like Thug Kitchen or The Thrive Diet.
Brouillette eats less overall now, but still thinks about balancing fats, carbs, proteins and other macronutrients, plus the occasional treat.
“Ben and Jerry’s and Häagen-Daaz coming out with their non-dairy ice-cream options was a gift and a curse.”
With caloric needs double those of the average person — Brouillette says he needs about 4,000 calories a day — and a high metabolism, he probably shouldn’t beat himself up about the occasional pint of vegan ice cream.
But there are different ways to be vegan, some healthier than others, he says. His homemade date balls don’t result in the sugar crash associated with commercial vegan brownies, cakes, breads, pasta or cookies made with refined flours, starches and sweeteners. He says he wouldn’t eat a Beyond Meat burger the night before a race. But they’re convenient, meat-free and widely available.
For Brouillette, health is a balance of knowledge, self-awareness and discipline, and he is not likely to give up veganism as long as he sees improved athletic performance.
“At the end of the day, if you’re eating healthy and listening to your body and adjusting accordingly, I don’t think there’s any reason to be so strict about what you’re eating.”
That is, as long as it’s vegan.
AT A GLANCE
The 2019 edition of the Montreal Vegan Festivaltakes place Sept. 21 and 22 at the Palais des congrès. The event includes talks by vegan athletes, animal rights experts and health experts, and visitors can sample vegan sausages, cheeses and desserts and read about environmental, ethical and health issues related to veganism. More info at festivalveganedemontreal.com.


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Iris Singapore has appointed Yashas Mitta (pictured left) and Uni Lee (pictured right) as deputy creative director and senior creative respectively. Mitta will work on Samsung and report to executive creative director Ed Cheong, while Lee will work on Starbucks and report to deputy creative director Cheng Shu Yau.
Mitta was previously creative director of MediaMonks Singapore. According to his LinkedIn, Mitta also worked at 22feet Tribal Worldwide and Creativeland Asia in India. Meanwhile, Lee was senior art director at TBWA\. He also worked at BBH for approximately two years, according to his LinkedIn.
The agency also appointed Yasee Poh (pictured centre) as senior visual designer to strengthen its growing design department. She reports to design lead Jenson Lee. The appointments follow a series of new account wins over the last several months including Tiffany & Co, Lagardere Sports and the extensive regional growth of Starbucks.
“With distinctly different expertise and points of view, we’re thrilled to welcome Mitta, Lee and Poh into the creative family. Intelligent and inquisitive, the talented trio will definitely inject their personalities into our creative work. Off the back of our recent pitch wins, there will be plenty of opportunities to say the least,” Cheong said.
In May this year, the agency hired Natalia Tan and Simone Raspagni as business directors, and Cheryl Cheong as the associate account director. Tan is tasked to lead the new and growing Starbucks relationship with a focus on expansion from digital into customer and retail experience. Meanwhile, Raspagni is focusing on the growth and management of two of the agency’s cornerstone clients Samsung and Lego. Cheong is currently responsible for driving creative and strategic excellence across Chang and MBS.
Last year, the agency underwent a global rebrand and launched a new proposition “For the Forward”, which focuses on streamlining and strengthening its multi-specialist network offering for clients.
Iris Singapore bolsters creative team with new hires
Hugo Boss, Kerry Foods and Jägermeister tap iris Singapore for brand and creative duties
iris Singapore bolsters client servicing teams with new hires and promotions
Craig Mapleston relinquishes Iris Singapore MD position, moves into APAC role
Iris Singapore hires head of culture to grow PR capabilities


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Last week, a House-Senate panel approved the 2018 Farm Bill, thereby ending a months-long stalemate over a piece of legislation that provides critical subsidies to farmers. While much of the bill mirrors current law, the legislation, if passed, will bring an end to five decades of hemp prohibition. Hemp was afforded limited legal protections in 2014, when Congress passed a farm bill that authorized states to develop pilot programs for its research. The 2014 Farm Bill eventually gave rise to a patchwork of state regulations regarding hemp and hemp-derived CBD.
While the hemp industry experienced substantial growth under the 2014 Farm Bill, the new bill is undoubtedly a watershed moment for the entire cannabis industry, as its changes to current law are more far-reaching than its predecessor. If passed, the bill would remove hemp’s low amounts of THC from the Controlled Substances Act, allow the U.S. Department of Agriculture to regulate the crop like any other agricultural commodity, and permit hemp products – like CBD – to be introduced into interstate commerce. Further, it would lift restrictions on advertising, banking, and other financial services.
The bill would also:
- Allow hemp production in all 50 states for any use, including flower production and CBD or other cannabinoid extraction; states may also submit their own plans to regulate hemp
- Allow interstate commerce for hemp and hemp-derived CBD
- Authorize the USDA to oversee hemp production, with direction to define rules “as expeditiously as practicable”
- Legalize hemp production in U.S. territories and on Indian tribal land (which was not included under the 2014 Farm Bill)
- Give the industry access to federally backed farm support programs, including crop insurance, federal water access, and low-interest loans for new farmers
- Allow hemp producers to “bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary agricultural jobs”
- Remove barriers to getting intellectual property protections under federal law
- Set a 10-year ban under which state or federal drug felons cannot participate in the hemp program, except for people already growing hemp under a state pilot project (as established by the 2014 Farm Bill)
- Require the USDA to consult with the U.S. attorney general on the hemp regulations
Passage of the measure would effectively end the need for U.S. hemp companies to go public in Canada, as they would be allowed to directly access U.S. exchanges like the Nasdaq Stock Market or New York Stock Exchange. While the political climate in Congress is often unpredictable, the bill appears to have momentum: it passed the Senate 87-13 last Tuesday and managed to clear the House 369-47 the following evening. President Trump now has mere days to sign the $867 billion bill into law before Congress’ session ends on Dec. 21st.
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Verizon Eliminates Companywide Chief Marketing Role
LOS ANGELES (AdAge.com) -- Recognizing just how paramount its wireless business has become, Verizon Communications is eliminating the company's chief marketing officer role and re-drawing the responsibilities of John Stratton, who will now assume duties for plugging the company's mobile offerings.
Mr. Stratton, 48, was Verizon's marketing chief companywide, looking after the marketing of both landline and wireless products for the country's No. 2 advertiser. Verizon Communications owns 55% of Verizon Wireless; Europe's Vodafone owns 45%.
The leading wireless carrier is melding its residential and business landline units, Verizon Telecom and Verizon Business, into a single business, saying the restructuring will move "marketing execution closer to customer-facing operations, while retaining the benefits of centralized management of key marketing issues." A company spokesman said he did not know when Verizon would name a marketing chief for its non-wireless business.
Verizon said Mr. Stratton's new post was not tantamount to a demotion. "A centralized marketing role is no longer necessary," a spokesman said. "This is in no way a reduced role. Wireless is Verizon's growth engine." Last quarter, wireless accounted for about 58% of Verizon's revenue, up from 50% a year ago. It also accounts for the bulk of the brand's $3.7 billion marketing budget, handled on the creative side primarily by lead agency McCann Erickson, New York.
"By putting marketing execution entirely with the restructured business groups, we will gain speed against our competition and respond better to our customers' wants and needs," said Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg in an internal memo. "By making this move we are again tightening up our processes by moving execution closer to our customers, while maintaining our focus on a single Verizon brand image." The memo said the wireless and landline groups will cooperate to divvy up marketing efforts that have a centralized mandate.
Industry analysts said Verizon made the right move to consolidate the residential and business units and carve out a distinct area of focus for Mr. Stratton, enabling him to sharpen his focus to reinforce Verizon's dominant position in the wireless market. "They're shedding the structure that worked in the old days, and [Mr. Stratton] will now have a clear direction for a major business," said Bob Rosenberg, who heads up telecom research firm Insight Research Corp.
Telecoms are losing residential customers at the rate of about 14% a year, said Mr. Rosenberg, while their wireless business is accelerating as more consumers sign up wireless data plans and portable devices such as e-readers and netbooks gain traction.
Having a dedicated marketing chief for wireless should bode well for Verizon, as it brings focus to an important business; besides, the idea of selling bundled wireless and landline services has been more talk than reality so it really isn't necessary to have the same person coordinate that proposition, some said. "It's two different businesses completely," said Larry Swasey, an analyst at wireless research firm Visant Strategies. "You really need to concentrate on each product and advertise to their strengths."
Mr. Stratton, who was appointed chief marketing officer in 2007 after a six-year run as Verizon's head of wireless marketing, will report to Lowell McAdam, president-CEO of Verizon Wireless. Mr. Stratton previously reported to Verizon President-Chief Operating Officer Denny Strigl, who announced his retirement several weeks ago. It was under Mr. Stratton's tenure that Verizon Wireless introduced the "Can You Hear Me Now?" campaign.


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All In Amazon
Amazon Alexa Guard Plus is $49 per year alarm monitoring service. Amazon also adds free Energy Dashboard service.
Jason Knott · January 26, 2021
Epson aims to ensure consumers aren’t misled and can easily measure and compare brightness specification based on industry standards; suits filed against Vankyo, WiMiUS, GooDee and Bomaker.
CE Pro Editors · November 25, 2020
Amazon Ring has announced a recall of 350,000 video doorbells due to potential installation using the wrong screw.
Jason Knott · November 13, 2020
Greg Simmons becomes VP, Industry Partnerships for SnapAV, which announced personnel promotions as well as Charlie Kindel’s departure; product development investment for ‘centers of excellence.’
Arlen Schweiger · November 12, 2020
CEDIA Propel program launches with IoT and wellness providers bringing wholesale pricing to association members.
Jason Knott · November 06, 2020
Amazon Pro Portal hosts how-to guides, tax-exempt buying info, and order tracking for integrators buying products at discounted prices.
Jason Knott · October 26, 2020
With more than 100 million devices sold globally, Fire TV customers are streaming billions of hours each month. Amazon.com, Inc., has just announced the next-generation Fire TV Stick. Specifying its latest product, the company says its new Fire TV Stick Lite, and reimagined Fire TV experience is more personal and customized. “We are passionate about […]
Robert Archer · September 29, 2020
At Amazon event, Ring introduced the Always Home Cam drone for flying indoor footage, plus new car alarm and camera; latest Echo devices shown as well.
Arlen Schweiger · September 24, 2020
New Alexa for Residential service enables property managers to offer residents a move-in ready Alexa-enabled smart apartment with no setup.
Jason Knott · September 03, 2020
A story from the website Gear Hungry states that St. Louis residents have the most understandable accent for voice control platforms, while Maine residents have the least understandable accent.
Robert Archer · July 23, 2020


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Slotegrator got in touch with Zakaria El Maaroufi, Head of Business Development at SiGMA, to find out how the company has adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic, what SiGMA is planning for 2022, what iGathering attendees can expect, and why the group has big plans for Asia.
Hello Zakaria, thank you for the opportunity to have a chat! The past year marked a return to networking events for the industry after the chaos of 2020. From a human perspective, how did it feel getting back on the road?
Although networking has changed dramatically since the COVID-19 outbreak, it is still critical in our sector. With millions of people forced to live in isolation as a result of the pandemic, and in-person gatherings, which are at the heart of SiGMA's activities, being canceled left, right, and center, there's no doubt that we were among the most hit. SiGMA's European summit was originally scheduled for November 2020 but we had to postpone it twice. Our team's ability to adapt to the pandemic has astounded me. We used this opportunity to reflect and develop.
SiGMA has grown into a full-fledged media platform with content extended to ten languages, and has even created a new academic program, SiGMA College, through its charitable arm, the SiGMA Foundation. SiGMA College is a Netflix-style diploma that is still in its initial stages and it aims to provide an online educational programme at no cost worldwide, giving anyone the opportunity to self-educate and join this fast-paced industry. The iGaming sector as a whole fared quite well in 2020; however, COVID hit us particularly hard, and seeing the company come back on track is a credit to my team's tenacity and inventiveness in keeping the company flourishing and growing. This fills me with pride.
From the outside, 2021 looked like a great year for SiGMA. Can you give us a recap of the achievements, highlights, and milestones of 2021?
SiGMA Group has ushered in the year 2021 by revealing its new global vision with a fresh makeover, marking the beginning of a new era. Despite the logistical challenge in synergising the different aspects of SiGMA and the effects of the ongoing pandemic, 2021 saw SiGMA adapting and growing. This reflected the group’s forward-thinking mentality into a ‘more globally-minded gaming industry’.
In a first for SiGMA Group, an initial expo outside of Europe was also introduced in Dubai in 2021 through its sister companies AIBC and AGS, with the Government of Dubai also showing their strong support, saying that they welcomed the event. In 2021 we also brought not one but 4 events under one roof for what was undoubtedly our biggest event yet – Malta Week.
Organising events right now must be trickier than ever. How did SiGMA manage to tackle the challenges presented by Covid so effectively?
SiGMA was on the verge of having to quit doing what it does best, which is connecting people through its renowned physical events, but thanks to the team's quick adaptability, the company was able to relocate the events online instead. SiGMA pioneered the virtual event industry with its virtual roadshows, which targeted a different region each month covering the entire globe.
Although we have made the most of virtual events, nothing compares to the excitement of a real-life event of course. Since we also had no other choice SiGMA Europe 2020 also moved online. SiGMA Europe Virtual broke all records with 6,500 delegates, 4,500 total active people, and 1,485 maximum concurrent viewers marking it the largest virtual expo of the year.
What are the key trends that the SiGMA 2021 events highlighted?
Top trends highlighted during the event in 2021 were:
- The rise of play to earn and gamify
- The further expansion of digital gaming because of the pandemic
- The change of global attitudes towards gaming regulations
With 2021 in the rear-view mirror, what can we look forward to in 2022 from SiGMA?
SiGMA currently has a number of offices around the world, including in Malta, Belgrade, Cyprus, and Manila, and 2022 will see the brand expand to other locations internationally. This year will also see SiGMA Group take its mother company SiGMA to Dubai's event for the first time. June will also be the stepping stone for the Group to step foot into the Canadian market with the brand launching the expo in this region. When it comes to SiGMA Europe, expect bigger and better.
The first SiGMA event of 2022 — SiGMA Asia — is quickly approaching. What’s your take on the future of iGaming in the region?
The fact that the Asian continent is at the forefront of a more prosperous global economy is apparent. There are three billion gamers worldwide, with the Asian region accounting for more than half of that total, as a result, the gaming business is currently one of the hottest investment markets out there.
SiGMA Group will travel eastwards in 2022, with 5,000 attendees expected, to link Dubai’s best brains in businesses ranging from gaming to cryptocurrency. The SiGMA Conference in Asia is striving to gather pioneers from across the continent and beyond, with everyone from Gulf nations to South Asian states looking to join the Industrial Revolution 4.0 and the essential pillar that is iGaming in places like Japan and the Philippines.
Brazil 2021, Canada 2022… with the USA quickly regulating its iGaming markets, can we expect a SiGMA Americas conference to take place there in the near future?
We are focusing on a global expansion that matters. Various other big names in the same niche are all in the US (ICE, G2E, and SBC to name a few), which is why we decided to launch our North America show in Canada. We’re looking at bringing new aspects to the market, we don’t want to offer more of the same. But then again, I’m not putting the USA out of the equation. We love a challenge.
SiGMA is truly bringing together the world of iGaming, even when being physically together is impossible. We’ve been impressed by the SiGMA Roadshow concept — what can you tell us about these events? What feedback did you get from attendees?
Yes, you’re right, given the pandemic, being physically together was close to impossible but SiGMA Group decided to rebrand the roadshow experience into two/three-hour webinar-style sessions every month. These online mini-conferences would delve into 5 key areas of debate, bringing key themes specific to the region – such as regulation, tax and compliance, and emerging tech – to a table of thought leaders and academics at the top of their game, using a global agenda of gritty conference topics. A virtual expo floor was also designed making it possible for our virtually logged-in delegates to strike connections and network. Last year, the monthly event took off with a global tour of 14 nations, and all the informative speeches were later made available as a podcast.
Along with great speakers, previous SiGMA Virtual Roadshows welcomed over 2,500 delegate registrations and over 1,500 conference views. Former roadshows saw over 75 exhibitors with the number of total booth entries hitting close to a 6k mark. These educational roadshows were offered for free, to everyone, and in two languages. The first is English and the other is the language targeted that month.
Speaking of exciting concepts with a global footprint, tell us about the iGatherings. The calendar looks packed, and they seem like a next-level networking opportunity. How hard are they to organise? How effective can they be?
Catering to a guest list is strictly limited to 200 prestigious c-levels our famous iGatherings ensure intimacy and exclusivity, with attendance only secured through invitation. From luxury restaurants to sunset cruises and pool parties, the renowned series of iGathering events take place across three continents. Hotspot locations such as Sofia, Armenia, Canada, and Belgrade amongst others expect 2022's calendar to be packed with opportunities to meet the right people in the right place.
Before signing off, tell us a bit more about yourself. How did you get into the iGaming industry? What was your career path — in SiGMA and before?
I chose the iGaming industry as it offers an innovative and competitive market to explore but is also volatile. Sectors in this market offer plenty of opportunities for growth, and qualified professionals in this sector are always sought after.
I left my home country almost 5 years ago to start a new adventure and chose to settle in Malta because of the country’s laidback lifestyle and climate.
I joined SiGMA as an Intern, moving up the ladder to an Account Manager and now appointed to the Head Of Business Development. I must say that it wasn’t an easy path as I had to work and study at the same time, but all in all, it was worth it as this whole journey lead me here.