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David Jones chairman Peter Mason will leave the department store business in the wake of investor anger at controversial share trading by two of the company’s directors.
Mr Mason has announced he and director Leigh Clapham will step down within three months, while fellow board member Steve Vamos has decided to leave the company immediately.
The resignations follow investor anger at the purchase of more than 32,000 David Jones shares by Mr Vamos and Mr Clapham in October last year.
The purchase, which was approved by Mr Mason, was made the day the company received a merger proposal from Myer and days before a better-than-expected sales report prompted a spike in the company’s share price.
David Jones later rejected the Myer proposal, saying it did not represent fair value to shareholders.
The Australian Securities and Investment Commission investigated the purchase but decided not to take any action.
Jane Harvey, another member of the company’s board of directors, has been promoted to deputy chairwoman and will lead the search for three new non-executive directors.


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Beaverton, OR - Beaverton-based Nike Inc. has been added to the Dow Jones industrial average in a six-company shakeup of the most widely known barometer of the U.S. stock market.
The footwear and sports apparel company was added along with Visa Inc., and the Goldman Sachs Group Inc. The average is dropping Bank of America, Hewlett-Packard and Alcoa, its three-lowest priced stocks.
The changes will take effect at the start of trading Sept. 23.
- CDA students fuse technology, creativity and garner international attention
- Carlyle to stop providing assisted living housing in October
- Monday least expensive day to fill up at the pump
- Accidental drug overdoses on the rise in Spokane
- Local businesses worried about transients next door
- Spokane woman writes letter to man who broke into her car

domain: news


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In less than 80 days Frankfort will celebrate Christmas.
Downtown Frankfort is coming alive once again with activities planned for the busy Halloween, Thanksgiving, Shopping and Christmas season.
Frankfort Main Street Director Kim Stevens held her weekly Frankfort Merchants Meeting this morning and recapped some of the downtown plans coming to Frankfort in the next 80 days.
- Trunk or Treat on the Square Sunday October 31, 2021. 5:30 to 7:00. Usually 30 to 45 businesses, churches and organizations participate. If your organization is interested in participating, contact Kim Stevens by October 22 if possible. 765-654-4081.
- Downtown Christmas Open House. The Downtown Frankfort open house week kicks off on the same week as the popular 40th Annual Library Fine Art Exhibition and Sale. Frankfort Community Public Library celebrates its “Ruby Jubilee” 40th year of the event. The Library Art sale is November 12,13 and 14. The Downtown Frankfort Christmas Open House will be November 9-14. Keep an eye out for hours announced by each business. Hours and specific days vary from one business to another.
- Small Business Saturday Downtown. Think small. Buy Local. Small Business Saturday in downtown Frankfort will be from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM Saturday November 27. Small business Saturday promotes shopping with your friends and neighbors who have an interesting selection of gifts and items. Local shopping enables area businesses to support the area community with local payroll checks to employees, local donations, local taxes and increased shopping options.
- Frankfort Christmas Parade: “It’s a Whoville Christmas” Parade begins on Saturday December 4th. Frankfort Main Street is expecting 50 to 60 units to participate. Judging categories will be announced soon. Hoosierland TV will broadcast and archive the Downtown Frankfort Christmas Parade LIVE and World-wide on Hoosierland TV once again. Parade is set to begin Saturday December 4 at 3:00 PM.
- Celebration of Lights Santa House location and downtown Frankfort Pictures Caroling and Live Nativity activities will be announced by Frankfort Main Street as soon as plans are confirmed.
Stay tuned to Community Radio WILO 96.9 FM, WILO 1570 and Clinton County Daily News for more Downtown Frankfort information.
Remember: Buy Local or Bye-Bye Local! :>)


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By News-Argus Staff
Published in News on July 2, 2009 1:46 PM
Greensboro resident Mark McCall reported Tuesday that 20 bundles of tweed-colored shingles were stolen from a construction site in the 1800 block of Maple Street, Goldsboro police said.
Vending machine toppled
Hilda Bedford, an employee of Creative Sewing, reported Tuesday that someone had overturned a Pepsi vending machine at the business. The soda machine sustained about $100 in damages, Goldsboro police said.
Purse taken at retailer
Kathy Young of Old Grantham Road told Goldsboro police her pocketbook was stolen from her shopping cart Tuesday afternoon at the Spence Avenue Wal-Mart, authorities said. Ms. Young was shopping at the time, according to the report. The missing purse and its contents were valued at $385, police said.
Other Local News
- Care in the sky: Members of the aeromedical evacuation crew fight to get injured troops back to their families


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When I wrote about Curalate in June, its office was in Center City, it employed five and it was six weeks into the public launch of its platform for helping organizations track activity around their brands on Pinterest.
It’s now getting ready to move out of First Round Capital’s University City digs, it employs 14 plus three interns, and it just got a $3 million Series A venture capital financing from the three firms, including First Round, that provided it with $750,000 in seed funding.
“We just kind of hit the market at the right time,” said its CEO, Apu Gupta. “Pinterest had become so top of mind for brands and agencies and there was really only one significant solution available at the time, and that was us.”
Curalate originally had nothing whatsoever to do with Pinterest, a website that enables users to create virtual bulletin boards on which they can pin images of things they find on the Web, as well as peruse bulletin boards created by other users.
Gupta and the company’s other co-founder, Nick Shiftan, started it as Storably, which had a website that allowed people to rent out parking spaces in their driveways and storage space in their homes. When that model proved unsuccessful, Gupta and Shiftan, with their investors’ blessing, changed the company’s name and model to its current one.
The two started building its platform in late 2011, relying on Shiftan’s programming skills to develop technology that can analyze and match images.
“In March, 2011, we started inviting a handful of brands — more like begging a handful of brands — to try out the platform and give us their feedback,” Gupta said. “If you would answer our emails or our tweets … you would get access to the system because we didn’t know anybody. We had like five mom-and-pop shops trying out the platform at that point.”
They got the feedback they needed and opened Curalate to the public in May. It took off because only 10 percent of the images on Pinterest mention a brand’s name, making tracking activity on the site impossible for social media monitoring software that is based on word recognition.
In addition to helping organizations track their brands on Pinterest, Curalate now aids them in developing promotions on the site.
One of its clients, Gap Inc., took advantage of Curalate’s platform to launch a campaign that ran simultaneously in nine countries encouraging people to share Gap images on Pinterest.
Curalate also has developed technology that enables organizations to measure how much revenue their Pinterest campaigns generate for them.
In addition to finding new office space, Curalate plans to use its latest funding to expand the functionality of its software, including developing versions of it to track activity on photo-sharing site Instagram.


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The allure and danger of the Internet of Things
The newly released fifth issue of the Internet Inside journal is dedicated to one of the most popular issues of today, the Internet of Things (IoT).
Editor-in-Chief Andrei Robachevsky writes in his preface that today we are witnessing a new stage in the evolution of the internet. It has become possible to connect practically any physical object, from the smallest sensor to huge mechanisms, to the internet. The growing number of connected things has resulted in qualitative changes. We are speaking both about new opportunities the IoT offers to everyone, as well as new and very serious risks.
The latest issue includes articles focusing on various aspects of the IoT: architectural solutions, certain technological elements of the IoT, security issues and the prospects for the IoT`s development in Russia.
An article by William Stallings, "The Internet of Things: Network and Security Architecture", features a detailed review of the IoT and the network and security architecture that will help to develop, implement and deploy the IoT. It contains interesting infographics on the subject, which give examples of how the IoT is becoming a big part of our lives. Other authors discuss IoT protocols and standards, the efforts of the IETF to standardize the IoT. Head of the IoT Association Andrei Kolesnikov writes about the development of the IoT in Russia and what is to be expected in the nearest future.
Several articles focus on security, a pressing issue nowadays. Andrei Robachevsky believes that the solution is complicated by the absence of a clear definition of the problem, partly due to the fact that IoT connects virtual reality to physical reality, bringing cyber problems into the real life.
The issue also features traditional sections, Multi-Stakeholder Stories, and Travel Notes, as well as the calendar of interesting events in the Russian internet for 2017.
The Internet Inside journal is published with the support of MSK-IX on the website www.internetinside.ru. The project aims to introduce readers to the technologies, protocols and architecture of the global network, and help them understand not only technical but also social and economic facets of the internet.
The Internet Inside is a developing new project, and its authors and publishers are happy to receive feedback. Please send your ideas and proposals to email@example.com.


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Uber is, quite simply, the most valuable startup in the world. It’s worth $70 billion, and operates in 75 countries around the globe. In 8 short years, Uber has provided employment to millions, forced governments to change regulations, and disrupted the entire taxi industry.
But this growth has come at a price.
Uber has burnt through $8 billion in the eight years of its existence, the company has just revealed. That’s over 50,000 crore spent on acquiring customers, subsidizing rides and entering new markets. Rs. 50,000 crore is an extraordinary amount of money for a private company — Uber’s annual burn is more than the annual budget of the Indian space program. Uber also burns more in each year than the entire Aadhar card scheme has spent in its lifetime.
While these numbers would make investors queasy, Uber’s been showing results too, even if it hasn’t been making money. Even into its 8th year, Uber’s growing very much like a startup. Its gross bookings, or the sum of all fares, rose 126% in 2016 to touch $20 billion (Rs. 130,000 crore).
Uber, of course, doesn’t get to keep all of this money. A large percentage goes to the drivers, while Uber keeps a 20-30% commission. On top of that, Uber needs to pay salaries to its 6,700 employees, conduct marketing events, and even discount fares. And it’s not left with a lot once that’s done.
Uber’s net losses last year were $2.8 billion (Rs. 18,200 crore). This didn’t include the losses in its China unit, which it ultimately sold to Didi in exchange for an 18% stake in the combined entity. Uber says that its losses in China alone were another $1 billion, taking its total losses for the year to $3.8 billion (Rs. 24,700 crore).
Uber’s tightrope walk
Uber’s playing a high-stakes, high-rewards game. Thus far, it has the results to show for all the money it’s been spending — while it’s suffered reverses in some markets, notably Italy and Denmark, it still operates in a staggering 570 cities worldwide. Investors have been willing to fund its breakneck expansion. Even after burning through $8 billion, Uber has $7 billion of cash in the bank, and a $2.3 billion line of credit. But challenges remain — there have been questions about its work culture, and threats of competitors and regulations. Uber has shown remarkable resilience in coming out of these controversies unscathed – like a cat with 9 lives, it stumbles from disaster to disaster, always managing to land on its feet. But with mounting losses, and increasing burn rates, it’ll have to keep up its extraordinary performance for a little while longer – the slightest misstep could lead to disaster.


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AWS Summit New York 2018 - Keynote with Dr. Werner Vogels and Dr. Matt Wood
- published: 17 Jul 2018
- views: 16825
Watch Dr. Werner Vogels, CTO, Amazon.com, and Dr. Matt Wood, GM, Artificial Intelligence, Amazon Web Services share the latest news and announcements at the 2018 AWS Summit in New York. Learn more about AWS at - https://amzn.to/2ux9AAs....


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MUMBAI: Tata Consultancy Services, India's largest IT company, said it has opened its first Drones
Research Lab in the United States to create drone-based solutions to meet the rising demand for unmanned aerial vehicles.
Drones Research Lab – featuring both indoor labs, showcase, warehouse, and outdoor terrain footprints – aims to provides a rapid experimentation and co-innovation environment for customers to build solutions for specific industry problems in accelerated 30-60-90-day delivery cycles.
“Forward-thinking companies worldwide are at different stages of exploring drone technology
to reimagine existing operational processes and transform the way they do business,” said K. Ananth Krishnan, EVP and Chief Technology Officer at TCS. “The Drones Research Lab combines the latest in drone technology with cutting edge research from our labs, and enables our customers to rapidly build innovative solutions.”
TCS said the FAA part 107 certified TCS pilots based at the research lab fly fully equipped drones to collect data for specific industry use cases. Advanced computer vision, machine learning and deep learning algorithms enable fully automated processing of the drone captured images to reveal precise insights, it added.
The TCS Drones Research Lab is an extension of the global TCS Research and Innovation ecosystem bringing the combined expertise of its labs, start-ups, academia, and technology partners closer to customers, the company stated.
The fully operational lab demonstrates solutions for insurance, manufacturing, logistics, and transportation industries, as well as specific environmental applications.


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10/20/2017 - Bank of America Merchant Services’ Leaders to Talk Commerce, Customers, and Convenience at Money20/20
Bank of America Merchant Services, a global leader in payments, eCommerce and security solutions, will share insights on the importance of investing in digital commerce, borderless payments and security.
10/18/2017 - From the Rise of Mobile Shopping to the Decline of Cash, Bank of America Merchant Services’ Inaugural Small Business Payments Spotlight Explores Evolving Consumer Expectations
From accepting digital payments to safeguarding customer information, today’s consumers expect the businesses they patronize to make shopping faster, easier and more secure than ever before.
8/24/2017 - Bank of America Merchant Services Pledges Support for Employee Service in the National Guard and Reserve
In partnership with the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense office, Bank of America Merchant Services’ CEO Tim Tynan signed a Statement of Support for the Guard and Reserve during a special ceremony on August 23 at the company’s Charlotte location.
5/1/2017 - Bank of America Merchant Services and Bypass Team Up to Deliver a Better Point-of-Sale Experience at Entertainment and Sporting Venues
Bank of America Merchant Services and Bypass are teaming up to help arenas, sporting venues, corporate and college campuses, hospital cafeterias and other contract food and beverage operators run their concessions more efficiently through a new unified, digital commerce solution.
10/24/2016 - Bank of America Merchant Services’ Relevant Search℠ Helps Businesses Grow eCommerce Sales and Satisfy Customer Expectations
Relevant Search, a new Bank of America Merchant Services eCommerce solution, helps businesses improve their customers’ online shopping experience by delivering better search results on their website.
6/11/2015 - Bank of America Merchant Services Provides American Express® OptBlue® Program to Small Businesses
New program streamlines, simplifies American Express acceptance for Main Street
Bank of America Merchant Services, the No. 1-rated electronic payments processor in the United States, announced today the creation of the company's new Canadian merchant services operation.
Bank of America Merchant Services' Management Committee Appoints Tim Tynan as CEO and Kevin Race as CFO
For media inquiries, please contact Bryn Winburn at 980.386.2261 or firstname.lastname@example.org


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Zumba, frozen yoghurt and cycle chic named among top business opportunities for 2012
New report from Startups.co.uk outlines key openings for entrepreneurs
Zumba, frozen yoghurt and fashionable cycling apparel are among the top business opportunities for entrepreneurs in 2012, according to a new report.
The study, from Startups.co.uk, outlines the 10 most promising business openings for the coming year, based on interviews with more than 50 investors, entrepreneurs and thought leaders.
In addition to the aforementioned sectors, the report, entitled What business to start in 2012, names independent coffee shops, social betting, retail apps and smartphone repairs as key opportunities for the next 12 months.
Would-be entrepreneurs, and existing businesspeople looking to start a fresh company or diversify their business, should also consider careers advice, independent crafts businesses, and the manifold opportunities surrounding the Olympic Games.
Commenting on the report, Steph Welstead, editor of Startups.co.uk, said: “Our research, which took over two months to compile, clearly demonstrates that Britain is moving away from the big brands and ushering in a new wave of boutique and independent businesses in a range of sectors, from high fashion to dance coaching.
“One entrepreneur we spoke to has designed her own range of bags for fashion conscious cyclists; businesses like these, which capture the zeitgeist with flair and resourcefulness, will have a great chance of success this year.”


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Xiaomi unveiled its flagship smartphone Xiaomi Mi 11i in Europe in March this year, and now it seems to be working on its new version.
What is known
An insider under the nickname @kacskrz revealed this. He spotted the device with the name Xiaomi 11 HyperCharge on the manufacturer's website. Apparently the main difference between the device will support proprietary technology superfast charging. That is, the unit will get in the kit power supply for 120 watts. For comparison, in the usual version of the device charging power is 33 watts.
As for other specs, they will likely be the same. Xiaomi 11 HyperCharge will get 6.67-inch Samsung E4 AMOLED panel with 120Hz refresh rate, Snapdragon 888 processor, LPDDR5 RAM, UFS 3.1 flash storage, 108 MP + 8 MP + 5 MP triple main camera, stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support, Wi-Fi 6, NFC and 4520 mAh battery.
In Europe, the Xiaomi Mi 11i is being asked for 650 euros. The new model is likely to cost the same or slightly more.


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Different airlines are working hard to calm their passengers who are irate over the ludicrous ban on laptops and tablets aboard flights to the USA... first up Royal Air Maroc
Then there was these twelve-point suggestions from Royal Jordanian Airlines...
But the smartest response to date appears to be that of Qatar Airlines...
Qatar Airways is the only airline to offer passengers a replacement laptop on all flights to the US in response to the Electronics Ban. The ‘Laptop Loan’ service ensures business travellers can continue to work as they travel on Qatar Airways flights. A Wi-Fi special offer allows all passengers to benefit from unlimited connectivity. - Qatar press releaseFights from Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Morocco are now forced to prohibit passengers from carrying any electronics larger than a smartphone in the cabin. The United Kingdom adopted a similar ban on flights from Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Lebanon and Tunisia.
The foreign carriers are abiding by the restrictions, but they’re not happy. The International Air Transport Assn., the trade group for the world’s carriers, called on the U.S. and the U.K. to “urgently find alternatives” to the ban.
“The current measures are not an acceptable long-term solution to whatever threat they are trying to mitigate,” Alexandre de Juniac, director general and chief executive officer for the group, said in a statement. He said U.S. and British security officials have not shared information or coordinated efforts with the industry about the security threat that lead to the ban.
Meanwhile, Emirates Airlines seem to be struggling with finding a solution to the electronics ban and have come up with an awkward program that lets passengers use their laptops and tablet devices on the first leg of their trip before leaving for the U.S. from Emirates’ hub in Dubai. However, just before boarding the flight to the U.S., Emirates staff will collect and store the laptops and tablets into the cargo hold of the planes.
“Our aim is to ensure compliance with the new rules while minimising disruption to passenger flow and impact on customer experience,” said Tim Clark, president of Emirates. He added that few passengers use their own laptops or tablets on Emirates planes because they have access to the carrier’s seat-back entertainment system.
In response to the restrictions, Etihad Airways announced that its first- and business-class passengers would be loaned iPads and given free WiFi service on direct flights from Abu Dhabi, UAE, to the U.S., starting April 2.
Sadly, the laptop and tablet ban may not be the last of its kind. Beware exploding underwear!


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This will be a busy and important week in the US for data and earnings, but today’s slate is rather quiet with just CB Consumer Confidence. Earnings includes Facebook, Microsoft, Mastercard, Tesla, Qualcomm, Boeing and Ebay all in a single day . Hence as we are in the midst of Earning Season, the focus turns to three tech giant Facebook and Microsoft and their first Quarter earnings release for 2020 after tomorrow’s closing bell on Wall Street.
Facebook’s consensus recommendation is “Hold”, corresponding to the majority of the consensus recommendation for the Online Services peer group. According to Zacks Investment Research, the social network giant is expected to have $2.57 in earnings per share during the first Quarter of 2020, which represents an incline of about 1.59% since the reported EPS for the fiscal Quarter ending March 2019. For the previous quarter, the company was expected to post earnings of $1.91 per share and it actually produced earnings of $2.12 per share, delivering a surprise of 10.99%. Revenue is expected to be released 14.7% up from previous quarter.
Similar to the rest of the tech giants, and to Alphabet report posted yesterday, Facebook earning’s report could provide a timely view into Facebook’s business and the impact of COVID-19 on advertising spend.
Last month, Facebook announced a contradictory statement, stating that it is experiencing a massive spike in usage in areas most affected by the pandemic including Messenger, Instagram and Whatsapp , but at the same time warned of weak advertising revenues due to the lock-down in businesses globally. Total messaging increased more than 50% in March while voice and video calling more than doubled on Messenger and WhatsApp in many of the countries hit hardest by the virus. For instance, time spent across Facebook’s apps jumped by roughly 70% since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak in Italy, which is one of the worst affected countries.
In order to tap the booming demand for video conferencing triggered by the coronavirus outbreak, Facebook launched a videoconferencing tool, which allows users to host video calls of up to 50 people. The tool will be rolled out gradually. The social media giant also unveiled other video-calling and livestreaming features for a newly developed platform on Messenger, called Messenger Rooms. In particular, the company expanded WhatsApp group video and voice calls to allow up to eight people from four previously and will introduce video chats on Facebook Dating in the coming months.
If we turn to the FX market, Facebook is a part of both the USA500 and USA30 indices. Hence despite the boost in demand, the hit on advertising sector for Facebook will be the key element to be watch on tomorrows report. It is worth noting here that 98.5% of Facebook’s 2019 revenues came in from advertisements.
According to Facebook management “our business is being adversely affected like so many others around the world. We don’t monetize many of the services where we’re seeing increased engagement, and we’ve seen a weakening in our ads business in countries taking aggressive actions to reduce the spread of COVID-19.”


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Exhorting its members to shift to digital format for business, industry chamber Assocham on Friday said the demonetisation drive would not only check the menace of black money and corruption but would also bring a large part of the informal economy into the organised sector."The digital transactions through banking, para-banking and non-banking channels leave a trail that would be the biggest hurdle for those unscrupulous sections in public life and bureaucracy which resort to rent-seeking that ultimately falls on common citizens," Assocham President Sunil Kanoria said in a statement here. "A slew of incentives announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on digital payments at essential services and public utilities, coupled with a simultaneous policy level push being devised by a high level committee of Chief Ministers, top policy makers and bankers would take India straight into the next level of digital economy.
"Such a leap-frogging would be unprecedented anywhere in the world and would place the Indian economy at par with some of the developed nations in terms of smooth commercial transactions," he said. "We would reach out to our members, particularly in the MSME segments to shift towards digital formats of businesses," he added.Kanoria urged the public sector banks to upgrade and launch more and more user-friendly applications which can be cost effective. West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra had however said on Thursday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of making India a cashless economy is "impractical" because the mass of population was unequipped and mostly not digital savvy."How can an unprepared population move towards a digital economy. Only 17 per cent population in India have intelligent phones," Mitra told a TV news channel citing surveys."There are 21,000 unorganised mandis in the country where cash is the mode of transaction. There are 383 lakh unorganised units in the country...does the Prime Minister live in the real world?" he asked.


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Windows 8, an overhaul of Microsoft's flagship operating system
released in October to appeal to mobile users, has failed to
reignite the ailing PC market, where shipments plummeted by their
largest margin on record in the latest quarter, according to
research firm IDC. Best Buy, the world's largest
consumer-electronics retailer, posted an $81 million first-quarter
loss amid mounting online competition.
Microsoft follows Samsung Electronics in
striking an agreement with Best Buy. In April, Samsung started
opening mini-stores in Best Buy outlets staffed by its own
employees. That's an advantage for Best Buy compared to Internet
retailers that don't have physical locations for consumers to test
gadgets, according to Hubert Joly, the retailer's CEO.
Samsung is spending a portion of its marketing budget to
generate traffic to Best Buy stores, Mr. Joly recently told
analysts. "We're the only place of scale in the U.S. where they can
showcase the fruit of the billions of dollars of R&D investment
they make every year," he explained.
Best Buy's own marketing team has been undergoing changes as of
late. Earlier this year Drew Panayiotou, senior VP-U.S. marketing
quietly left the retailer and was replaced by Scott Moore. Mr.
Moore reports to Scott Durchslag, president BestBuy.com and global
e-commerce. The retailer has not had a CMO since Barry Judge
departed in May 2012.
--Bloomberg News with contributions from Natalie


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HAMBURG (Reuters) - Russia’s sudden announcement of a grain export ban from August 15 after its harvest was ravaged by the worst drought in over a century is sparking fierce competition among rival exporters to take over the business.
Russia was expected to have been the world’s third largest wheat exporter in the new 2010/11 season with forecast sales of 17.5 million tons, larger than Argentina’s entire wheat crop.
Existing supply contracts will be stopped by the ban, so importing countries will need to award multi-million dollar contracts quickly for replacement supplies.
Here are possible scenarios for the scramble to take Russia’s business:
EUROPEAN UNION HAS MAJOR SALE SURGE
France and Germany are seen as well placed to make quick sales to the main Middle Eastern and Arab North African grain importing countries.
“I expect France to book heavy sales to Egypt and other countries looking for standard quality wheat in coming weeks,” a European grain export trader said. “Germany and the Baltic States also have good opportunities for importers seeking higher quality.”
Traders stress France has started dominating Egypt’s wheat imports; with the north African country’s state purchaser GASC buying 360,000 tons from France after the ban was announced. In four wheat tenders before the ban, Russia had made massive sales of 540,000 tons to Egypt.
“Despite a heatwave in Europe this summer, there is belief that EU wheat harvests will be big enough to handle a strong rise in exports,” a trader said.
French grains analyst Strategie Grains has raised its forecast of EU wheat exports in 2010/11 by almost 3 million tons against its previous estimate before Russia’s export ban.
Jordan bought 100,000 tons of German wheat on Thursday, its first non-east European wheat purchase for about seven years.
But the general strength of the euro may burden EU sales in more distant markets away from the Middle East.
UKRAINE, KAZAKHSTAN WILL NOT FILL GAP
Russia’s rivals Ukraine and Kazakhstan, which have both massively expanded wheat exports in recent years, are not likely to get Russia’s business.
Unconfirmed reports say Ukraine’s government is considering export restrictions to conserve its own crop. Traders say Ukrainian authorities are already unofficially hindering exports.
Landlocked Kazakhstan is expected to face major bureaucratic problems in exporting its wheat via Russian or Ukrainian Black Sea ports, traders say.
“It doesn’t make any difference whether the Kazakhs want to export or not. The Kazakh wheat is going to be cut off by the export bans,” one European trader said.
U.S. WILL MAKE MAJOR SALES
The U.S. and Canada are expected to make major new sales in coming days and weeks, both of wheat and also of animal feed corn (maize) to replace lost Russian feed barley.
Strategie Grains on Thursday raised its forecast of U.S. soft wheat exports by almost 6 million tons following Russia’s export ban. “This would make U.S. wheat exports in 2010/11 among the highest in the last 20 years,” a trader said.
Major new U.S. sales were also reported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday.
One trader said: “U.S. wheat sale prospects are very good and are likely to be held back only by ocean shipping costs in the near future. Tenders this week have shown that U.S. wheat is cheaper than European.”
U.S. wheat was offered $5 cheaper than French wheat in Egypt’s tender on Wednesday. But as shipping costs from the U.S. to Egypt were $10-$15 more expensive than from France, France got the business.
“We are still likely to see U.S. wheat popping up in markets which only a few weeks ago were seen as belonging to Russia,” a trader said. “I expect new sales of U.S. wheat to exotic destinations, especially high quality and durum.”
“There is market talk today of a large U.S. wheat shipment to Syria, the first I have seen for 20 years,” a trader said. Sales of U.S. corn are also expected to surge, partly as a replacement for Russian animal feed barely in the Middle East. Israel is among importers turning from Russian feed grain to U.S. corn.
AUSTRALIA, ARGENTINA TO GAIN
The two southern hemisphere producers Australia and Argentina are both seen gaining major sales as both have good harvest prospects.
“Russia has made major inroads into Asian markets such as Bangladesh and Philippines in recent months,” a trader said. “Australia looks likely to get a lot of replacement business both to Asia and the Middle East.”
“Big new Australian wheat sales are expected for August to October shipment.
Argentina’s government currently has no export restrictions which is likely to boost sales.
SHIPPING MARKET TO CHANGE TO LONGER DISTANCES
A restructuring of the ocean shipping market is expected as grain will probably have to be shipped longer distances, especially to the key Middle East market.
Freight brokers said there had been growing grain fixtures since Monday from the U.S. Gulf to Europe due the Russian export ban.
“The ban on grain exports from Russia has also altered trade patterns boosting demand for bulk carrier services,” said Nicolai Hansteen, chief economist with broker Lorentzen & Stemoco.
Ship operators say a switch in origins to the United States, Australia and possibly Argentina would boost ton mile demand -- a key indicator of ship demand -- which measures the volume of cargo transported multiplied by the distance of the voyage.
“As we have seen more wheat fixtures from the U.S. Gulf, this development is an early boon for the U.S. grain export season,” said Andrew Winkler, analyst with dry bulk consultants Commodore Research.
Additional reporting by Gus Trompiz in Paris, Sarah McFarlane and Jonathan Saul in London; editing by James Jukwey
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


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Global Gaming continues to find it hard in the Swedish market. The company has been denied a request to resume the operations for the online casino yet again. The Online Casino license of the Global Gaming was revoked in Sweden earlier this year.
Spelinspektionen, the regulatory body of Sweden revoked the license in June this year. The license was held by the Global Gaming 555 AB’s Subsidiary SafeEnt Ltd. It is the Ninja Casino site in Sweden. The regulatory body considered insufficient efforts of the company towards the Anti-Money laundering and Responsibility Practices.
Global Gaming announced on Tuesday that the Supreme Administrative Court of Sweden has rejected the appeal of the company against the revocation. The company did not offer any other details regarding the verdict, however. Tobias Fagerlund termed this decision as disappointing. He further added that the company is currently examining the decision in detail. There is a possibility that an appeal will be made in the Administrative Court of Appeal said, Tobias.
Global Gaming isn’t the only operator that is struggling to cope up with the strict regulation of the country that has been formulated recently. However, it is currently suffering the most. The primary Swedish brand is lost that has made the company cut the payroll in half. The company has also transferred the NinjaCasino.se domain to Viral Interactive Ltd. The company has interestingly started Nano Casino another Swedish-facing online casino with the Finnplay local license. Finnplay is a subsidiary of Viral Interactive Ltd.
However, there are more troubles for Global Gaming and Ninja Casino. The Consumer Ombudsman of Sweden is also hearing a case against Ninja Casino. It is accused of violating the ‘moderate’ advertisement activity. Interestingly, the ‘moderate’ condition is ill-defined and this would be a supreme opportunity for the authorities to layout some tougher and clear rules and regulations for the promotional activities.


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U.S. Senators Byron Dorgan (D-ND), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), John McCain (R-AZ), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) introduced critical drug importation legislation today that will reduce the cost of prescription drugs in the United States. The Senators said their legislation, the "Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act," will bring consumers immediate relief and will ultimately force the pharmaceutical industry to lower drug prices in the United States.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill would save American consumers $50 billion over the next decade, including more than $10 billion in federal government savings.
The bill allows U.S.-licensed pharmacies and drug wholesalers to import FDA-approved medications from Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan and pass along the savings to American customers. This approach will allow Americans to benefit from prices in these countries, which are 35 to 55 percent lower than in the U.S., while still enabling consumers to receive medications at a local pharmacy. The legislation would also allow individual consumers to purchase prescription drugs for personal use from safe, reliable, FDA-inspected Canadian pharmacies.
The legislation contains strong safeguards to prohibit drug counterfeiting or any other practices that would put the consumer at risk, and applies only to FDA-approved prescription drugs produced in FDA-approved plants from countries with comparable safety standards.
Dorgan and Snowe introduced bipartisan legislation that had over 30 Senate co-sponsors in the last session of Congress, including President Obama and Senator John McCain.
The President signaled support for this legislation, stating in the 2010 Budget proposal, "The Budget supports the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) new efforts to allow Americans to buy safe and effective drugs from other countries "
"This is a common sense measure that will save both everyday Americans and the federal government billions of dollars, and improve the overall health of millions of people," said Dorgan. "The U.S. consumers are paying the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs, and that's unfair. By allowing access to identical, less expensive FDA-approved prescription drugs, we will be providing some relief to the American consumers, and force pharmaceutical companies to re-price their prescription drugs here in the U.S."
"As Americans struggle with increasing health care costs during the deepest recession since World War II, more and more individuals are forced to skip doses or split pills, neglecting their health needs to keep food on the table," said Senator Snowe, a member of the Health Subcommittee. "By implementing a safe prescription drug importation program, we will increase competition within the domestic prescription drug market which, in turn, will ensure more Americans have access to safe and affordable medications. While we still have much to do to ensure universal access to health care, no solution will be sustainable if we do not address the fact that our health costs are approximately double that of other industrialized nations. This bill takes a critical step to reduce those costs to make affordable access a reality."
"For far too long Americans have seen health care costs - especially prescription drug costs - increase year after year," said Senator John McCain. "Re-importation legislation would allow access to safe and effective prescription drugs at much lower prices than are available in the United States. If enacted, the legislation will provide the much needed relief to American families, especially seniors and others on fixed incomes, who are facing tough economic times."
"This legislation provides a safe and secure framework to allow our government to help citizens and businesses lower their health care costs. We in Michigan know too well the price discrepancy between U.S. and Canadian drugs," Stabenow said. "Across Michigan's three bridges to Canada, my constituents could buy safe, FDA-approved drugs at a fraction of the cost compared to their neighborhood pharmacy. Unfortunately, no one except the drug companies can import prescription drugs. Pharmacists in my state would like to be able to do business with their counterparts in Canada and other industrialized nations so that they can offer their customers medicine at the best prices."


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Badger Paper Mills Inc. has abruptly shut down its operations after failing to complete the sale of the firm to a shareholder.
The closure results in the layoff of 99 employees, according to a mass layoff notice filed with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. Layoffs began Monday and were expected to continue through Oct. 31.
The company's paper mill in Peshtigo has been completely shut down, according to a report from WBAY-TV in Green Bay. Its employees have been told in letters from company management to expect the layoff to be permanent.
A company spokesman was not immediately available for comment.
The closure comes after Badger Paper announced Monday that a final agreement on a plan to sell the firm to shareholder and businessman James Azzar could not be reached. Azzar was planning to buy the company for $1.25 per share.
Badger Paper immediately took steps to remove its listing from the Nasdaq SmallCap Market exchange and end its reporting requirements with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission.
In its letter to the Workforce Development department, Badger Paper said the sale was expected to ensure the continued operation of the Peshtigo facility. Badger Paper is also cutting all health care benefits to employees as a result of the permanent layoff, the letter said.
The company was facing cash flow troubles and weakening business conditions in the third quarter. Badger Paper said in June that it was shutting down a paper machine and laying off 100 employees as a result.
Badger posted a $1 million loss in the first quarter of 2005, attributing a decline in revenue to reduced demand and a "challenging fine paper pricing environment." It did not report second quarter results.


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By Kelly Corbett
Social Media Editor
Fashion week rolled into New York City earlier this month, from Thursday, Sept. 10, to Thursday, Sept. 17, as some of the most elite designers showcased their upcoming masterpieces on the runway, attracting A-list celebrities to the front row.
This year, instead of taking place in the historic Lincoln Center as in prior years, the shows took place in various locations in midtown and downtown New York, most notably the Skylight at Moynihan Station and Skylight Clarkson Square.
According to Fashion Week Online, $900 million was shelled out for the week.
The week began at the New York City Ballet, where one dancer fell, only to leap back onto her feet seconds later. Audience members found out later in the show, as other models took a stumble, that these falls were indeed staged.
The opening ceremony also treated the audience to a “lush garden with vibrant geometric stained-glass light installations and wall frames,” according to CNN Style. The ceremony was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright, an American architect, known for designing structures in sync with nature.
Public School, known for their minimalist approach, showcased their pajama-inspired street chic runway looks and carefree drape-styled dresses and pants, CNN Style reported.
Quite the opposite of Public School was Jeremy Scott. He premiered his collection of bold colors and prints and even had articles of clothing made of plastic.
According to CNN Style, Scott showcased funky prints such as big, bold polka dots, cartoon caricatures and black and white high school yearbook pages.
Themed around female empowerment, Diane Von Furstenberg showcased her collection on some of the industry’s most popular icons. CNN Style reported that Furstenberg surprised the audience with not the usual bow at the end of her showcase, but by shaking hands with the audience and happily throwing her hands in the air, pleased at the success her show was.
In honor of the earthquake that hit Nepal in April, killing more than 8,000 people, Prabal Gurung, a Nepal native, used his show to introduce his collection of saffron, mustard yellow and deep red attire, but also to pay respect to his homeland and the catastrophe that rattled it, reported CNN Style.
The 9/11 attacks were also commemorated during Fashion Week by French brand Givenchy, using a backdrop overlooking twin light beams in the distance. The set, designed by a close friend of Givenchy, envisioned the, “spirit of a Brazilian favela” according to Vogue.com. The show exhibited men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, new denim and couture pieces.
Kanye West also made an appearance during Fashion Week to debut his collection, “Yeezy Season 2” collection.
Another week of runways and debuts travelled to Britain’s capital. London Fashion Week kicked off on Thursday, Sept. 17, and ended on Tuesday, Sept. 22, according to CNN Style.


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MADISON — Standalone or strip-mall based retail stores will be able to offer in-person shopping for up to five customers at a time under a new emergency order issued Monday by Governor Tony Evers.
The new order allows drive-in theaters to operate with some restrictions. But safety precautions and guidelines outlined in the Safer at Home order still need to be adhered to, according to a press release by the Governor’s office.
“In addition to added flexibilities and steps, we have already taken for businesses. This is another disciplined turn of the dial that will allow Wisconsin’s business owners to safely get back to work and Wisconsin consumers to support their favorite local spots,” Evers said. “Both customers and workers need to be confident in their safety, so we need everyone to be diligent in following best safety practices so we can continue to move our state forward while keeping our neighbors, families, and communities safe and healthy.”
Somewhere between 20 and 60 percent of adults could contract the virus, and about a fifth of the people who get COVID-19 could need to be hospitalized, according to officials at the Harvard Global Health Institute.
The number of known cases is significantly less than predictive models. As of Sunday, May 11, the state reported 400 deaths and 10,219 positive cases of the 115,382 people tested in Wisconsin.
Health officials have voiced concerns that the spread of the virus could mean more significant numbers of people will need medical care. If that happens, hospitals will not be able to deal with a higher volume of patient care. The term flattening the curve refers to fewer people contracting the virus and having less of an impact on the state’s healthcare system.
The order represents a measured approach to re-opening the state. A prior order allowed golf courses to operate, aesthetic, and optional lawn and construction services performed by a single person. It also allowed for curbside pick-up for public libraries and for all businesses to provide deliveries, mailings, and curbside pick-up and drop-off services.
The order issued today goes into effect immediately.


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By Paul Lewis
Presenter, Radio 4's Money Box
Some online customers have spotted mystery debits
The Information Commission has warned online shoppers to avoid inadvertently agreeing to allow retailers to share their details with other firms.
Customers of several online companies told the BBC that they did not realise they were agreeing to join discount services when clicking on links.
They uncovered it when amounts of up to £99 were taken from their accounts.
The companies involved denied being unclear and said customers who had complained were refunded.
Veronica Hayton told Money Box on Radio 4 that she bought some storage bags from spacebags.co.uk.
A month later the company called to see if she was happy and then asked if she wanted a holiday discount brochure.
"I noticed it referred to a 30-day free trial but then next thing I knew a firm called Break4Free had taken £99 out of my current account without my authority.
"I wasn't aware that debit card details had been passed on by the original supplier."
Veronica questioned the transaction but when she asked for a tape of the phone conversation was told it had been deleted. She was refunded in full.
Another listener, David Strange, told Money Box that he had bought a ticket on thetrainline.com and then was asked to click a link to get a £15 discount off his next purchase.
Mr Strange then re-entered his card details, believing this was necessary to receive the discount.
But he was surprised to find money was then taken from his account by a company called Shopper Discounts and Rewards.
Mr Strange argues that this was not made clear enough at the time of purchase:
"Having seen the website again it states there is a £10-a-month charge.
"But a lot of people might not realise and might not check their account to notice the £10 a month charge."
Deputy Information Commissioner David Smith warned companies that they did not just have to comply with the letter of the law.
"Some businesses [think] so long as it is there in the small print somewhere that's good enough. But it isn't.
"It is not about complying with the law it's about making sure your customers know what's happening with their information."
Spacebags admitted that bank details were passed on to Break4Free.
But Break4Free told Money Box it would refund people who complained.
Shopper Discounts and Rewards also promised to refund unhappy customers.
"It is very important that all customers understand the benefits before they join so we ensure that offer pages are clear and straightforward."
David Smith said: "These notices have to be upfront and obvious and if there is financial information and a charge involved you'd expect it to be up there in flashing lights.
"We do have some cases involving Spacebags.co.uk and Shopper Discounts and Rewards.
"If we are satisfied their practices are improper and they won't change voluntarily we will use our enforcement powers to require them to do so."
But he warned that customers had to be smart when shopping online too.
"The responsibility isn't all one way. Consumers shouldn't go to websites with their eyes shut or blinkers on."
BBC Radio 4's
is broadcast on Saturdays at 12 noon, and repeated on Sundays at 2100h. Download the


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Last week was a sad week for foodies everywhere as the iconic restaurant chain Sizzler decided to close its doors after 35 long years. The beloved buffet dining restaurant will finally shut up shop on November 15 as it closes its nine remaining stores across the country.
Despite being known at one point as one of the country’s most popular family picks, the brand was hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic and was forced to shut down in response to its slow recovery.
So, as yet another classic restaurant shuts its doors, it’s time to take a walk down memory lane to remember the best old dining options Aussies used to loved back in the day.
These popular roadhouses were once all the rage around the country – particularly for families who were on the road travelling through regional Australia. A quick pit stop into a Golden Fleece meant filling both the car and your belly up at the same time.
After a day of being squished in the back seat, there was usually nothing more exciting for a kid in the 1960s than to see that iconic golden ram out the car window which usually meant they were in for a treat. This was often something along the lines of a pie with chips and a cold coke to fight the lack of air conditioning in the car!
This classic fish ‘n’ chippery was Australia’s first ever seafood shop and was previously one of the most well-known seafood franchises out there. While it was once a household name in multiple states, it has since disappeared across the country – except for South Australia where it still has 14 locations.
Although Pizza Hut is still in business, the number of stores across the country has shot down quite significantly. But that doesn’t mean the memory of its prime isn’t still fresh in people’s minds such as Starts at 60 blogger Edna who remembered Pizza Hut’s beloved “all you can eat” buffet fondly.
“There were candles on the red and white checked plastic table clothes and every possible combination of pizza you could think of,” she wrote. “When being wooed, a bottle of Rose went well with the pizza. Was it Mateus Rose in an oval shaped bottle? Very romantic when I was 17 and earning $66 per week.”
Meanwhile, its biggest competitor at the time, Pizza Haven, was forced to shut its doors in the 2000’s when it was bought out by Eagle Boys. Not soon after that, Eagle Boys was bought by Pizza Hut which essentially completed the full pizza circle.
Denny’s was a perfect example of a chain that boomed in the United States and Canada but tanked when it moved Down Under. The company opened restaurants all over the country but things quickly went down hill.
The chain was then sold to a Canadian-owned company and rebranded to be The Keg. Similarly however, after an initial successful run, the chain disappeared just like its predecessor.
She became a member of Starts at 60 and got access to amazing travel deals, free masterclasses, exclusive news and features and hot member discounts!
And she entered to win a $10K trip for four people to Norfolk Island in 2021. Join now, it’s free to become a member. Members get more.


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Nintendo to Win Console Wars
GameDaily has an interesting article today about a press conference that Tokyo Nintendo President Satoru Iwata gave. He said that Nintendo intends for the Wii to be a successful business within the first year. They aren't going to lose tons of money just to build and distribute the console like Sony and Microsoft. And at the same time they're ramping up production of the DS Lite.
For a number of years, I've been saying that Nintendo will win the console wars. I remember telling them that (during a telephone interview in 2003) I believed that Sony and Microsoft were going to waste a lot of resources fighting each other and Nintendo would just build quietly and slowly until it took over the market. They've already got control of the handheld market, and by far. Sony can't touch the numbers on GBA and DS. And Microsoft isn't even in that market, yet.
Nintendo, the innovator, will ultimately move ahead of Sony and Microsoft. They're not about faster processors, they're about games that people want to play. It's a very different focus. The Wii simply floored me out at E3. The controller is innovative and made the games that much more fun to play. Gaming is not straight numbers, a console isn't better simply because its specs are better.
The war of attrition going down between Sony and Microsoft is going to take some time. They're both huge companies. This is like a horse race. The two speed horses break out into the front of the pack and race against each other. They tire each other out and then the horse that was just keeping a quick pace pours on the speed and passes them. I'm saying that I think Nintendo is that winning horse.


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‘Online buying, selling of goods gaining popularity in Pakistan’
E-commerce, an online buying and selling of goods; is gaining popularity in Pakistan, but has yet to witness a boom that the western countries has seen; however online businesses platforms are growing in the country and cheetay.pk is one of the latest entrant, which deals in online food delivery. Cheetay.pk head of marketing Zeeshan Ali is optimist that e-commerce will gain momentum in the country. He has been in the e-commerce business since 2012 and launched the biggest online brand in the country: Daraz and Kaymu.
While talking to Business Recorder here on Friday, he said that e-commerce provides immediate benefits to the consumers in terms of abundant variety and a price advantage. “Since e-commerce stores are not bound by space and physical proximity, you can find virtually everything on a single platform. Because there is no central location, everyone in the world can have access to the same goods. This is exactly why people throughout the world prefer shopping online in today’s world, since not only does it make it convenient for the customer but for entrepreneurs as well in terms of negligible storage cost and increased margins,” he added. However, he observed that this has not taken off in Pakistan due to poor order fulfillment with less focus on logistics and payment solutions. This prompted them to come up with a platform that addresses these issues. “We are building a platform and a marketplace where people get instant gratification for easy and prompt delivery on the same day of the order,” he added. According to him, the first product they have ventured into is food delivery because people love to eat. Cheetay.pk provides them with a platform to conveniently order anything through our website and mobile apps from any restaurant of their choice in Lahore. The whole idea is to provide people with an instant logistics service by integrating pragmatic payment solutions to make it very simple and prompt. According to him, the response to date has been overwhelmingly positive, as more and more people are using their service since they deliver from wherever the customer desires to eat. Their focus is to make sure the end user is satisfied and eventually uses our service again.
Cheetay.pk marketing head Zeeshan Ali further said that they are aiming to become the biggest e-commerce player in the country by having a geographic focus in Pakistan, expanding from one city to another. He assured a complete transaction security through its integrated payment solution. “The whole idea of integrated payment solutions is to ensure security and transparency. Everything happens on a single platform (purchasing, transactions and online payments), security is compromised when the user has to leave the website and go elsewhere. We are trying to build security measures into our system and make a fool proof system, which is safe for everyone to use,” he added.


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Usually Apple’s media events are exclusive shows, and you have to be a member of the tech press (like us) to see them happen live. Not today’s event. Today, if you have an Apple TV or an up-to-date version of the Safari browser, you can watch the Apple press conference live. On an Apple TV, click the “Apple Events” icon; in Safari you can watch it here. The show starts at 1 pm EST/ 10 am PST.
While we can never be sure exactly what products Apple will show off at their press events, the smart money for today’s show is on a 7.85-inch iPad mini. Rumors also suggest they might introduce a 13′ Retina MacBook Pro, an update to their desktop Mac lineup, and possibly an updated iPad 3 with a lightning connector.
Of course, not everyone will be able to stream the video live, so we’ll do a liveblog to deliver a blow-by-blow of the announcements as they happen. That’s perfect for anyone who wants to follow the show but doesn’t have the hardware to view the live stream, or if you want to keep up to speed discretely at work. Either way, it’s always good to be informed.


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The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) 2022 State of Logistics Report, the 33rd version, was unveiled on June 21. Its title — and underlying theme — was that our nation’s supply chain was “out of sync.”
I found the title ironic because the report was very much out of sync with the traditionally high expectations for it. Perhaps “A Blinding Flash of the Obvious” would have been a better title. The headline — that logistics rose to 8 percent of GDP — totally ignored the implication that the US economy grew just over 5 percent.


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Cake DeFi’s latest product would make it easier for users to maximise their returns in the decentralised finance (DeFi) space.
Cake DeFi, a Singapore-based fintech platform that makes DeFi services and applications accessible to everyone, announced the launch of its Borrow product earlier today.
According to the press release shared with Coinjournal, Borrow would grant Cake DeFi users the opportunity to strengthen their crypto portfolios and potentially boost their returns.
Cake DeFi said Borrow allows its users to borrow Decentralized USD (DUSD) by pledging Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Tether (USDT), USD Coin (USDC) and DFI as collateral.
Traders and investors can use a combination of these cryptocurrencies as collateral, as long as at least 50% of the collateral is DFI.
Dr. Julian Hosp, co-founder and CEO of Cake DeFi, said;
“We are excited to launch Borrow to provide users with more liquidity to invest in DeFi services while holding on to their assets. DeFi empowers people to generate passive income on their cryptocurrencies without the constant need to trade. It is our goal at Cake DeFi to keep bringing such innovative services to our users.”
The team added that the borrowed DUSD could be used to purchase items or invest in products that generate passive income, such as Cake DeFi’s Lending, Staking and Liquidity Mining.
According to Cake DeFi, Borrow presents its users with better options than just HODLing their tokens. The liquidity they provide to the network is rewarded with the passive income they receive.
Cake DeFi prides itself as a regulated fintech platform focused on providing users with access to DeFi services. The platform recorded huge growth last year, with more than $230 million paid out to users as rewards over the course of the year.
The company said it is focused on growing its customer base in a bid to have $10 billion in assets under management before the end of the year.
The post Cake DeFi launches its Borrow service to maximise user returns appeared first on Coin Journal.


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How many Romanians have crypto coins? According to the latest market research conducted by IPSOS Romania for Tradesylvania, 4 in 10 Romanians have or had cryptocurrency. This is astonishing news for most, but it’s the naked truth.
Almost half the population is caught in this crypto fever. But why Romanians are into crypto?
Most of the people are not investors, even though they are looking to get some quick gains. They are simply looking for ways to double or triple their investment in a very short time. This is highly improbable.Anne-Marie M., Growth Hacker at Cryptomarketing Center
The main findings of the research on crypto currency in Romania
96% of Romanians heard about crypto
According to the research, 96% of Romanians have heard about crypto. This is not surprising, as almost anybody with a good internet connection, navigating these days on social media or even watching TV couldn’t miss the latest news on crypto markets.
4 in 10 Romanians have had or have crypto coins
4 in 10 Romanians who heard about crypto coins have had or have cryptocurrency at the moment. Moreover, 84% of those questioned admitted they intend to be active in this market in the future.
It’s a sign that Romanians have an interest in crypto coins, manifested, as the research finds out, more for the people between 18 and 44 years of age.
Bitcoin is the most popular crypto currency for the Romanians
Bitcoin was mentioned by 70% of the respondents. Also, two-thirds of Romanians have bitcoin in their portfolio.
Other crypto coins known by the Romanians are Ethereum and Dogecoin. Egold (EGLD), the Romanian cryptocurrency built on the Elrond platform, was mentioned by 1 in 5 respondents. 8% of them have EGLD in their portfolio as well.
Half of Romanians heard about NFT – Non Fungible Tokens
Half of Romanians have heard about NFT – Non Fungible Tokens, and from those who heard about NFTs, 1 in 5 have already bought such tokens.
The study concludes that Romania is a country where the adoption of cryptocurrency and NFTs is already happening properly. 41% of the people prefer to get the necessary information from specialized websites.
We are delighted to know that, apart from crypto marketing, we also contribute to the education of the people interested in investing in coins or tokens. This is why we think about developing a good section on our platform and bringing even more information, such as market trends, analyses and investment advice, to those who want to buy, sell, invest, mint or trade these assets.Anne-Marie M., Growth hacker at Cryptomarketing Center
One of the greatest successes achieved on the NFT market in Romania is the “Stramosi project”, developed on the Elrond ecosystem. The company minting the 10,000 NFTs got around 4 million USD in just weeks.
This section is powered by Crypto Marketing Center – Crypto Marketing Agency.


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If Bitcoin Fails, Who Will Replace it?
Bitcoin’s dominance – measured in terms of market share of the overall cryptocurrency market – has dropped substantially in the past twelve months. In February 2017, bitcoin’s dominance stood at 85%. Today is at 35% as the value of the altcoin market ballooned due to the over 400 initial coin offerings that took place in 2017 as well as the substantial increases in market capitalizations of leading altcoins such as ether (ETH), litecoin (LTC), and ripple (XRP).
Bitcoin’s dominance as the world’s leading digital currency has also been challenged to due the cryptocurrency’s scalability issues, which the community clearly felt in 2017 when average bitcoin transaction fees skyrocketed to never before seen highs of over USD 30 in December and some transactions took days to confirm. Needless to say, that made bitcoin temporarily unusable as a spending currency and expensive for international remittances.
While the Lightning Network is showing a lot of promise as a solution to bitcoin’s scaling issues and more and more bitcoin wallets and exchanges are enabling SegWit, the jury is still out on whether a viable long-term solution will be found and implemented on the Bitcoin network to ensure that bitcoin (BTC) maintains its top spot as the leading alternative online spending currency.
SegWit critics say that it is only a short-term solution that kicks the scalability can further down the road, while it is unclear how many bitcoin service providers will adopt Lightning Network transactions. There is, therefore, room for another cryptocurrency to come and take bitcoin’s top spot as the leading digital currency for remittances and day-to-day spending.
Here are the three most likely candidates that could topple bitcoin off its thrown.
Love it or hate it, the most likely contender to replace bitcoin as the leading digital currency is probably Bitcoin Cash (BCH) as it features all of bitcoin’s popular characteristics as a digital currency but has the potential to scale better due to its larger block sizes, which allow for more transactions per block, lower fees, and faster transactions than bitcoin (BTC) does.
However, increasing the block size makes for a more centralized coin. Larger blocks mean full nodes are more expensive to operate, which leads to fewer hashers running the nodes.
Bitcoin Cash is backed by some of the wealthiest players in the bitcoin community, such as Roger Ver, who are actively trying to promote Bitcoin Cash as the “real bitcoin” that Satoshi Nakamoto formulated in 2008. Hence, there is a reasonable chance that Bitcoin Cash could become the number one digital spending currency despite the ongoing “war” between BTC and Bitcoin Cash supporters, while bitcoin could result in becoming a pure digital gold-like investment asset.
Litecoin (LTC) is another top contender to replace bitcoin as the number one digital spending currency. Litecoin was launched in 2011 by Charlie Lee as the “digital silver” to bitcoin’s “digital gold” and, until recent years, has managed to keep its position as the number two coin behind bitcoin in terms of market capitalization.
Litecoin differs bitcoin in that its transactions are faster and cheaper, which makes it the superior coin for peer-to-peer remittances as well as online shopping. Furthermore, Litecoin has managed to maintain its spot in the top ten digital currencies despite the emergence of many promising altcoins over the course of the last few years and has already established a certain degree of merchant adoption.
As the public awareness surrounding Litecoin is high and it already has a large community that supports it, it would not be too far-fetched to see Litecoin overtake bitcoin as the go-to digital spending currency at some point in the future.
The privacy-centric digital currency Monero (XMR) is the third most likely contender, as it is not only able to scale well due to its dynamic block sizes but it also provides completely anonymous payments through the use of stealth addresses, ring signatures, and confidential transactions. This appeals strongly to the libertarian and anarcho-capitalist views of many early bitcoin adopters who prefer not to have anyone’s spying eye overlook their financial transactions. Moreover, it also provides an added layer of security for users who do not want to reveal how much cryptocurrency they are holding in their wallets once they have made a transaction.
Monero, therefore, provides all the popular features of that bitcoin originally had, such as decentralization, fast payments, low fees, and personal financial sovereignty but adds a layer of privacy on top, allowing anyone to truly be their own bank without anyone being able to track their financial transactions.
Of course, there are more potential competitors for bitcoin among the almost 1,500 cryptocurrencies available in the market today. Digital currencies such as Dash (DASH), Zcash (ZEC), Vertcoin (VTC), and PIVX (PIVX) all also offer improvements over bitcoin. Nonetheless, the three above-mentioned digital currencies are currently the most likely to overtake bitcoin as the world’s alternative online spending currency.


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Turkey has lifted the import ban on scrap metal from Lebanon. The move to lift the 2018 ban was announced by Lebanon’s economy minister and will, Amin Salam said, boost Lebanon’s economy by $100 million a year.
“During my meeting with Turkish officials as part of Lebanese President Najib Mikati’s visit to Ankara, we discussed the steps we can take to boost trade levels to higher levels than in the past,” Salam said. “As a result of these bilateral talks, we succeeded in a first step in lifting the ban on scrap exports to Turkey.”
Official data reported by MTV showed that Lebanese scrap metal exports to Turkey accounted for more than 40 percent of all scrap metal exported before 2018.
“Minister Mehmet Mus contacted me and informed me that the decision has become official and Lebanon can immediately return to exporting scrap metal,” Salam added. “This positive initiative by Turkey supports the Lebanese economy at a very critical time when our country is asking for support to emerge from its acute crisis on the path to recovery and reform.”
In addition, the Lebanese official said, “Upon the recommendation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey has expressed the willingness of its companies to implement major infrastructure projects in Lebanon, including the reconstruction of the port of Beirut.”
READ: World Bank slams Lebanon’s elite over ‘zombie’ economy


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The pandemic continues to cause unprecedented disruption across industries worldwide.
Get detailed insights regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the market.
The global disposable masks and respirators market was worth around US$ 38 Billion in 2019.
According to the estimates by IMARC Group, the global disposable masks and respirators market will exhibit strong growth during the next five years.
The high prevalence of several infectious diseases, coupled with the growing consumer awareness towards effective immunization for eradicating infections, represent some of the primary drivers augmenting the growth of the global disposable masks and respirators market.
The rising adoption of disposal masks and respirators due to the surging cases of the coronavirus infection represents one of the key trends in the global disposable masks and respirators market.
Sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has catalyzed the demand for disposable masks and respirators as a part of the preventive measures that are adopted to minimize the risk of coronavirus infection.
On the basis of the product type, the market has been classified into surgical mask, respirator mask, and dust mask. Among these, surgical mask holds the largest market share.
On the basis of the end use, the market has been classified into healthcare, industrial, and personal. Currently, the healthcare sector dominates the global market.
On the basis of the distribution channel, the market has been classified into pharmacy, hospitals and clinics, and online channel. Among these, pharmacy holds the largest market share.
Region-wise, the market has been classified into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, and Latin America, where Asia Pacific dominates the global market.
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Half of UK concerned internet is eroding personal privacy
Almost half of the UK's online population are concerned the internet is eroding their personal privacy, according to market research firm GlobalWebIndex.
Some 48% of the online population of the UK aged between 16-64 worry about the internet’s impact on their privacy, although the UK only ranks 24 out of 32 in a study that ranks how concerned countries are towards privacy.
|Country||% of people concerned web is eroding personal privacy||Number of people (millions)|
The study of 170,000 individuals, which was timed to coincide with today’s (28 February) Data Privacy Day, found that globally 56% of people are concerned the internet is eroding their privacy, with the South Koreans and Chinese being most worried.
|Period||% of people concerned web is eroding personal privacy||Number of people (millions)|
GlobalWebIndex’s research claims some 1.4 million of the
The research additionally found that there are 1.95 million Snapchat users in the
Services including Snapchat have been accused of not doing enough to secure privacy of their users in the past.
Snapchat fell victim to a hack that led to 4.6 million usernames and number being published by a site called SnapchatDB.info.
This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk
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Tim Ferreira and his fiancé, Kristin, aren’t yet married.
But the Ontario couple already work together like a bona fide team, doubling up their efforts to try their luck at Best Buy’s 20th anniversary contest. And they won.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
The contest held earlier this year required would-be winners to comment on Best Buy’s Instagram posts sharing their stories of technology then-and-now.
Ferreira religiously made numerous comments over the course of the 20-day contest but credits his fiancé, who did the same, for constantly reminding him to do so.
“I was thinking, ‘yeah, sure, I’ll play along,’ and was never thinking I’ll win this,” he says.
Indeed, they were up against thousands and thousands of Canadians pushing to take home the prize package which includes about $20,000 worth of the latest-and-greatest technology and everything from a Nintendo Switch to a Samsung Z Fold (it’s $1999.99 right now,) a Dyson V15 vacuum and big-screen television that retails for nearly $5,000.
Ferreira confesses to sometimes “foolishly,” buying lottery tickets but other than that time he won a Buffalo Bills’ jersey as a kid, concedes he has never had much luck.
Maybe that’s all changed.
First, he received an Instagram direct message saying he qualified to win the grand prize.
The 28-year-old thought it was spam.
But when Best Buy asked for more information and for him to sign something, it became real.
“It wanted to know you were over 18 and said ‘winner’s signature,’ at the bottom. That’s when it started to click,” says Ferreira, a transit operator with the city of Brampton. “We were just over the moon shocked. We were actually celebrating with friends that night because they just found out they were pregnant. It just turned out to be a great night of celebration.”
As for the gifts, of course, the couple will be sharing.
They have yet to fixture out how they will use the drone, are working their way through instructions to set up the Breville espresso machine and ordered a wall mount for their new 75-inch TV.
Temperature-controlled mug keeps drinks set to how you like it
Best Boxing Day deals on Amazon Canada 2021
Our 2021 Holiday Gift Guide has something for everyone
The prize package also includes a Samsung watch,Vitamix, Dell laptop, Echelon fitness bike, AirPods, a GoPro and a Dyson hair straightener, which Ferreira graciously gave to his future wife.
“I did have long hair during the pandemic but since then got it cut and don’t think I’m going back,” he says.
Besides, he is focussed on something else which arrived in the shipment delivered just two days after his birthday and a few weeks prior to Christmas.
“Right now, I’m in the middle of using the PlayStation 5. It’s the first thing I unpacked,” he says.
“The PlayStation 5, alone, would have been a birthday/Christmas gift combined.”
What’s on Ferreira’s Christmas gift wish-list now?
Best Buy has Daily deals run until Dec. 24, 2021 and we will highlight some of the savings right here during that time. Here are highlights for today’s one-day offerings which, yeah, are valid today only.
Shopping Essentials is a new category that features highly-researched products, new and exciting launches or behind-the-scenes info — learn more. All prices are accurate on the day of publication.


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Jamie Oliver has to be a little pissed off these days, and rightly so.
Oliver demonstrated how pink slime is produced, and did all of this on U.S. broadcast television … in April 2011.
Okay, so most Americans weren't paying attention. And Oliver wasn't even the first person who has brought this up. Oliver, though, is famous and showed us on TV, where we get most of our news.
In the premiere episode of Season 2, Oliver demonstrated the process in Jamie's Kitchen, washing machine and all. My take at the time?
"The bits and trimmings of the inedible meat, then separated in a washing machine, and mixed with water and ammonia — boy that was hard to watch, even if you are an omnivore."
Jamie's words got lost due to poor ratings, a key reason for the gap between the first two episodes and the rest of the show. By the time the momentum kicked in for the series during Friday airings in June, Oliver's pink slime demonstration was lost in the shuffle.
The recent push of events that has had so many companies run screaming away from "pink slime" demonstrates why getting better food quality has to be an ongoing battle.
Previous coverage: USDA needs better reasons to avoid telling us that we're eating pink slime
"The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" took on the topic last week, coming late to the party. But as often happens, Stewart put what we were eating in perspective, and why we'll eat whatever is in front of us.
"McDonald's walked away from it? McDonald's doesn't think it's an appropriate thing to eat? These are the people that molded a pork disk into a rib-shaped sandwich that contains no ribs. But this stuff, pink slime, that's too fake for McDonald's."
Ask any of the school systems, chain restaurants, and grocery stores whether they thought pink slime was a big deal, they know the key issue is public relations. Companies ran away from high-fructose corn syrup not because of the nuances of sweeteners, but as a way to stand out in the marketplace and pressure from the public.
The beef industry isn't thrilled with this change of events, because it was winning the Orwellian war. Calling ammonia-treated bits and trimmings of inedible meat "lean, finely textured beef" instead of "pink slime" — PR genius, unless you have to eat it.
Iowa State Sen. Brad Zaun (R) tried to get the PR advantage in writing a letter to the editor in the Des Moines Register. However, Zaun was unscrupulous in disparaging BalanceofFood.com friend Michelle Simon. You be the judge.
Simon: "So let’s hope this week’s groundswell of interest in pink slime inspires Americans to demand labeling, buy organic, or stop eating ground beef all together."
Zaun: "So let’s hope this week’s groundswell of interest in pink slime inspires Americans to … stop eating ground beef all together."
Simon's point is that consumers should know what they're eating. Zaun's point was to be deceptive to try and discredit legitimate concern over what we're eating.
Despite what we think sometimes, the Daily Show is about comedy first. So in search of a punchline, Stewart admitted what we all fear. If it's in front of us, we will eat it.
"Pink slime. Face it. It's probably no worse than the shit you already eat."
Let's hope from now on, we'll be eating less pink slime and less of the other … er, well, crap.


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SpaceX to Start Testing Direct-to-Phone Starlink Service This Year
Mar 14, 2023, 10:36 AM by Rich Brome
A SpaceX executive has confirmed that — this year — the company plans to "start getting into testing" its new service that will let regular cell phones connect directly to its next-generation Starlink satellites. SpaceX announced plans for the service last year and a partnership with T-Mobile to offer the service in the US. In the US, the service will use a small, unique frequency band called the G block of band 25 (1910–1915 MHz for uplink and 1990–1995 MHz for downlink). T-Mobile has exclusive nationwide rights to that band in the US. Existing T-Mobile phones are compatible with the band, and setting it aside exclusively for satellite use should avoid conflicts with land-based networks. The service for phones requires new second-generation Starlink satellites with larger antennas. SpaceX intends to launch most 2nd-gen. satellites on its new Starship rocket, but has already started launching a "mini" version of the new satellites on its existing Falcon 9 rockets. It's unclear if the "mini" version includes the larger antennas necessary for service to phones.
Jan 14, 2021
Samsung today officially unveiled its Galaxy S21 series of flagship phones for 2021. All three models sport a distinctive new "Contour Cut Camera" design where the metal frame extends around one corner to surround the rear cameras.
Mar 23, 2021
OnePlus today announced the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro, its newest flagship phones. The 9 Pro is a true flagship-class phone with a QHD AMOLED display with variable refresh from 1 to 120 Hz, and IP68 water rating, starting at $969.
Feb 9, 2022
Samsung today announced its lineup of flagship phones for 2022: the Galaxy S22 series. The top-end S22 Ultra sees the biggest changes as it essentially absorbs Samsung's Note series with an integrated S Pen stylus and a more Note-like shape and design, instead of the Contour Cut design of the other models.
Aug 10, 2022
Samsung has announced its newest generation of foldable phones: the Galaxy Z Fold4 and Galaxy Z Flip4. Both have similar designs and features compared to their predecessors, with a slew of small updates and refinements across the board.


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In all the commotion today surrounding economic reports and the drastic sell off by the Dow Jones Industrial Average, this blogger hasn’t written on a whole slew of stock price moves. To make amends, here’s a roundup of some names that slipped through the cracks this morning.
- Monsanto (MON) fell 2.8% to $99.19 after its Chief Technology Officer Robb Fraley said sabotage is being considered as a possible cause of the finding of unapproved genetically modified wheat in a field in Oregon. Monsanto also said that testing reaffirms that the finding was an isolated incident.
- Mattress Firm (MFRM) rose 7.1% to $40.24 on strong first-quarter earnings that topped expectations. Fellow mattress and bed companies also posted gains, including Tempur-Pedic International (TPX) and Select Comfort (SCSS).
- Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) rose 2.4% to $68.59 after analysts at Nomura upgraded the household goods retailer to a Buy and raised its price target by $10 to $82.
- Bob Evans Farms (BOBE) rose 4% to $47.85 after fiscal fourth-quarter earnings beat expectations.
- Callaway Golf (ELY) fell 3.5% to $6.82 after Wedbush downgraded the stock to Neutral and cut its price target to $7, arguing that uncooperative weather and “unusually heavy, and perhaps even somewhat irrational,” promotions by golf-club maker TaylorMade could hamper sales and margins.
- Cyberonics (CYBX) rose 3.4% to $49.28 after the medical device maker issued full-year financial forecasts ahead of analysts’ estimates after reporting a better-than-expected quarter.
- Fastenal (FAST) fell 5.7% to $48 after an analyst at Susquehanna suggested recent sales data was indicative of a weaker manufacturing economy and business-spending environment. Shares of industrial-goods supplier W.W. Grainger (GWW) also fell Wednesday.


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UPDATE 2-Waters Corp Q2 slips below market view, shares fall
* Q2 adj EPS $0.78 vs est $0.79 * Q2 sales $362.8 mln vs est $363.0 mln
* Raises '09 EPS view to $3.28-$3.38 from $2.95-$3.30
* Shares down as much as 7 pct (Recasts, adds analyst comments, updates share movement)
By Anuradha Ramanathan and Vidya L Nathan
BANGALORE, July 28 (Reuters) - Waters Corp (WAT.N: Quotazione) posted a second-quarter profit that missed market estimates by a cent, on weak sales to industrial customers involved in the manufacture of consumer goods, sending its shares down 7 percent.
"The buy side was looking for a beat. So it was a little disappointing in that regard... That is why the stock is down today," Leerink Swann analyst Isaac Ro said.
Shares of the company fell $2.44 to $50 in afternoon trade on the New York Stock Exchange. They touched a low of $48.64 earlier.
However, the life sciences tools maker raised its 2009 profit forecast on strong demand for its research-oriented instruments. [ID:nWNBB4011] Waters is expected to benefit from the Obama Administration's stimulus plan, which includes $10 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), of which $8 billion is earmarked for funding medical studies and the rest to upgrade research facilities.
Waters estimates that it will begin to see the benefit of the federal stimulus plan on healthcare spending by the fourth quarter, a company executive said on a conference call with analysts. Continua...


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By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera
Primary Industries Minister Daya Gamage said yesterday investigations into the import of 156 containers of pepper for re-export had been handed over to the CID.
He told Parliament that a cabinet decision has been taken to completely stop import of pepper and cinnamon for re-export.
“A CID investigation is underway to probe the import of pepper based on reports of the customs department. A mechanism has been introduced to check the export of Sri Lankan pepper in India. This will help verify if the stock was exported from Sri Lanka or elsewhere,” he said.
The minister said this in reply to a question raised by UPFA MP Mahinda Amaraweera during the committee stage debate of the ministry of Primary Industries.
MP Amaraweera said pepper cultivators faced numerous hardships due to the import of pepper.
A CID investigation is underway to probe the import of pepper based on reports of the customs department


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Some flat-pack furniture and a £1,500 overdraft was all that Richard Evans needed to launch his online tutoring
service, The Profs, which connects a roster of professional educators with students in need of some extra help.
"We founded it out of my bedroom" says Evans, who teamed up
with his brother and co-founder, Leo, to get their edtech concept off the ground.
"We bought some Ikea desks and ran the whole thing from our mobile phones, which rang day and night because we were doing the operations, sales and everything else."
The company's third co-founder, Rory Curnock-Cook, was an
old school friend and brought some business experience to the table, having worked in a resourcing role at British Airways.
The trio were driven by a desire to improve what they believed to be a flawed lecture-based method of teaching.
"It fails to target the individual student's weaknesses," explains
Evans, who's a tutor himself. "In trying to appeal to a broad range of people, lectures target the average student and often isolate the strongest and weakest. They suffer gaps in their knowledge and fall behind; it's really tough to regain your footing without some additional help."
While Evans came at it from the tutoring side, his brother, a lecturer at Imperial College Business School, had the view from the lectern.
"He saw first-hand that lectures could be too passive for students,
many of whom disengaged from the material," says Evans, who also had a personal reason for co-founding The Profs: tutoring had its downsides.
"It's a fantastic career, but only really takes place between 5pm and 7pm on a weekday, which is difficult if you want to have a personal life," he says.
"Before online tutoring, you might also have to travel five hours a day – it's bad for the soul and wastes precious time that could be spent earning."
Evans' eureka moment was combining the two to create an online solution; university students wanted professional tutors, and tutors wanted daytime hours, more flexibility and greater student satisfaction. So the trio launched The Profs in September 2014.
The company, which teaches in 52 countries, now has a London headquarters and a team of 15 employees. It registered turnover of £2m last year. The Profs charges a flat fee of £50 upon the successful introduction of a student to one of its tutor, and then
takes a 25pc commission of the revenue generated by that match over its lifetime.
The three founders own 100pc of the business, having reinvested profits back into the operation. Evans is proud of that fact, but it has brought challenges – namely an absence of funding for long-term marketing.
"We can't take a £1m risk on a campaign – nor anything like it," states the co-founder, who estimates that his competitors have about 33 times his advertising spend. To combat this, Evans has tried to encourage word of mouth marketing as much as possible.
The key to it, he says, is to ensure that your service is both excellent and good value for money.
In the case of the The Profs, it's circular; satisfied students tell their friends about the service. "Tutors take pride in that and become ambassadors, telling their friends and colleagues about us," says Evans. "As a result, our roster [of tutors] becomes much more competitive, which brings our standards up."
He adds: "We're selling something that's an average of £80 an hour to the student – it's an expensive luxury service aimed at one of the poorest segments of society."
It therefore has to be outstanding value for money, he explains.
"It's not about the cost or price of your service; it's about the return on [the customer's] money – and that value is what we've focused on."
The business owner adds that a bit of shameless self-promotion can also help, so flaunt your awards, Trustpilot scores and positive testimonials on your website and social media profiles.
The firm's focus on excellence extends to selecting tutors, all of whom are interviewed by The Profs. "It doesn't matter if you've got 25 years of experience teaching at the most prestigious university; you still have to prove to us in 20 minutes that you can teach us something," says Evans.
"Having tutored for more than 6,000 hours, I know where students tend to trip up, so I replicate these into the interview."
He estimates that 60-70pc of interviews result in rejections.
"We're highly selective and proud of it," adds Evans, who claims that The Profs is one of the highest and fastest paying in the space.
About 40pc of revenues last year came from online tutoring,
which is helped by the company having its own online collaborative teaching tool, called BitPaper. Co-founded by Leo and business partner, Suzy Ferreira, it enables tutors and students to sketch notes and diagrams together in real-time. They can save and download these later.
Evans is quick to challenge those who claim that online tutoring can't replicate an up close and personal teaching experience.
"There's a fallacy that online isn't face-to-face," he says, adding that students and tutors will spend more time listening and looking at each other through audio-visual tools than if they were in a lecture hall.
"That isn't to say that traditional tutoring isn't great, but the
Luddite view of holding up scruffy pieces of paper into a pixelated webcam, with scratchy audio and a dodgy internet connection is long gone."
Most tutors are now kitted out with multiple screens, headsets and super-fast internet connections.
"It's like something out of The Matrix," jokes Evans.
"The mistake that people made early on was to take face-to-face tutoring and [translate] it online, but you've got to embrace technology and augment the experience." That includes recorded lessons that
can be reviewed later and digital resources such as games that can be made and shared in minutes.
He adds: "You've got to put the tech into education, rather than
take an educator and put them into the technology."


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In addition to unique capabilities, owners of Galaxy smartphones (at first only S5 smartphone, but then — and other devices) who will use the service will receive 12 free books per year. Every month, users will be offered to choose 4 famous books, selected specifically for the owners of Galaxy (no matter what it means).
Samsung already has a lot of own services like the Internet-radio Milk platform, a special application store and even the existing Samsung Books bookstore. Of course, do not forget about the availability of the standard Kindle application for Android. In any case, the new proposal is unlikely to interfere. Kindle launch for Samsung will take place in the next two weeks. By the way, the service will probably be available on the Tizen platform.


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This from the NBR…
KiwiRail Group's announcement of Jim Quinn as its new group chief executive has surprised industry sources, who expected current acting CEO William Peet to continue in the role.
KiwiRail and Kiwibank chairman Jim Bolger announced Mr Quinn as the new chief executive yesterday. Mr Bolger has worked closely with Mr Quinn before; Mr Quinn is currently CEO of Express Couriers Limited, a joint venture between New Zealand Post and DHL. Mr Bolger is chairman of New Zealand Post and Express Couriers.
"Jim Quinn combines experience in the private sector and with a major state owned enterprise. He brings to the rail industry experience from his work in the postal, electricity and transport sectors as well as a strong customer service dimension from the courier business,” Mr Bolger says.
Awesome stuff! Kiwirail needs vision and leadership. Jim will surely do this. He also has industry knowledge to actually work along side transport companies as customers and to improve the service.
All that said, a political hot potato to have with a new government. I wish Jim all the best.


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The American College of Cardiology's annual conference conculed Monday and something curious happened with respect to Boston Scientific and its release of data from a clinical trial related to its Watchman Left Atrial Appendage closure device.
The company broke an embargo when it released results to investors instead of presenting them at the conference as planned. Later it ended up pulling the presentation altogether.
|Photo Credit: Flickr use Eva the Weaver|
And that wasn't the only controversy related to the trial known as PREVAIL.
But the bigger question now is whether FDA approves the device given that it only met two of its three end points.
Senior Analyst Glenn Novarro at RBC Capital Markets that FDA approval is now less likely for the Watchman, whose results were eagerly anticipated at the ACC conference. Novarro pegs the odds for an approval at 50/50.
He expects that the product will end up in front of an FDA panel in the second hald of the year.
The product comes from Boston Scientific's acquisition of Minnesota-based startup Atritech for up to $375 million provided it met revenue and regulatory milestones.
At the time, executives hailed the Watchman device.
"Left atrial appendage closure represents a significant growth opportunity for Boston Scientific. We are impressed by Atritech's technology, and we have the sales and marketing infrastructure to help realize the full potential of the Watchman device," said former CEO Ray Elliott, in a news release announcing the acquisition in January 2011.
-- By Arundhati Parmar, Senior Editor, MD+DI