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Passage of the 2018 farm bill marked hemp’s evolution from a criminal substance to an agricultural crop of great versatility, opening the way for research, farming and industrial applications. Potential uses include building materials (to replace plastics and concrete), batteries, food sources and fabric. Brands such as Patagonia and Prana, which have been making hemp clothing for years, can now use domestic hemp fiber. But, the biggest boom in the newly legalized hemp industry is in cannabidiol, or CBD, an ingredient in alternative medicines for treating anxiety, inflammation, depression, chronic pain and more.
“It’s not the old ‘it’s rope, not dope’ kind of thing,” said Sunny Summers, cannabis policy coordinator for the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA). “I like to say ‘it is dope, it’s not rope.'”
Hemp cannabis and marijuana both come from the cannabis plant, but the two are grown for different levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which causes the intoxication associated with marijuana. In most of the United States, hemp must have less than 0.3 percent THC.
At the ODA, Summers connects hemp and marijuana farmers with the correct government agencies to help walk them through the regulation. She has a front row seat to the unique challenges farmers growing hemp for CBD face compared to other crops. Here are a few:
“Both of these industries [hemp and marijuana] have a number of people who aren’t used to working with government,” said Summers. “Having a friendly voice on the other end of the line helping them clearly identify where they need to go is beneficial.”
Many farmers moving into the CBD hemp sector come from Oregon’s legalized cannabis industry. It’s a relatively easy transition because hemp cannabis for CBD uses the same growing practices as marijuana. Cannabis farmers will simply seek out plants with a lower THC potency in the genetics. The cost for a growing permit is lower than for marijuana, the allowed acreage is higher and the demand for CBD oil is booming. And, many of these farmers are already familiar with working in a shifting regulatory environment.
“It all comes down to enough of it is still federally illegal that you’re best off going by the strictest possible interpretation of the rules if you want to be 100 percent operating legally,” said Bill Stewart of Half Baked Labs in Portland. “But if you’re dotting every ‘I’ and crossing every ‘T,’ a lot of your competition is going to be a couple years ahead of you, so a certain amount of discomfort is almost built into doing business in this sector.” Farmers coming in from outside the marijuana industry will be at a greater disadvantage.
Rochelle Koch, co-owner of Whole Circle Farms in Silverton, Oregon, moved into the hemp industry four years ago from a more traditional farming background. After an initial foray into industrial hemp for fiber, Koch and her husband pivoted to growing hemp CBD and processing their own CBD tinctures and salves. It is very different from farming almonds. For one thing, Koch and many other hemp farmers have a cannabis law lawyer on speed dial.
“We hire Courtney Moran [cannabis lawyer] and call her like, ‘Courtney, this is what we’re doing, are we legal?'”said Koch.
Even for business owners accustomed to working in the changing regulatory world of cannabis, the shift from pre-prohibition freedom can be hard. Some of the discomfort comes from state laws shifting to meet the federal laws, which are still in process.
“Under the ’14 farm bill, states could run a research pilot program through their Department of Ag or Land Grant University, but it’s not like USDA [United States Department of Agriculture] had the USDA hemp program,” said Summers.
“They are creating a program and writing rules on the fly.”
Andrew Gruver of Tweedle Farms — a CBD flower-focused collection of farms in Jewell, Oregon — agrees that the regulation shouldn’t necessarily move as fast as the current industry is going, “Not having to constantly reevaluate once a month would be awesome,” he said. “But I think it’s really important that the correct regulations get put into place.”
A priority for many farmers would be consistent regulations for THC potency limits and when, how and where those are tested.
A huge part of the stress over regulations is the fear of growing a hot crop — one that comes in above the 0.3 percent THC limit. Any crop above that limit must be destroyed. Along with THC, the ODA requires farmers to test for pesticide residue, moisture content, and water activity. Currently, the ODA isn’t enforcing additional penalties for hot hemp, as some other states are.
“The genetics are really variable,” said Summers. “People are still learning that differences in elevation or soil type or moisture can all affect the THC concentration. We really see it as crop failure, like if you had a fungal outbreak.”
The ODA works with farmers to till hot hemp into the soil or make a composting plan, but it’s still a huge financial burden to lose an entire crop. The difficulty of meeting the 0.3 percent limit depends, in part, on where you’re farming.
The current limit varies, with most states adopting a 0.3 percent maximum. West Virginia is an outlier, with hemp defined as anything below 1 percent THC.
Some hemp farmers are hoping for a higher federal THC threshold to ease the stress and financial burden of crop loss.
“This isn’t something that should be rushed in the end,” said Gruver. “The 0.3 percent total THC just doesn’t really work.” The limit’s based on a 1976 study by Canadian researchers Ernest Small and Arthur Cronquist, who suggested it as an “arbitrary” number when tested from the leaf, rather than from the dense flower, as states like Oregon do. Doug Fine, hemp farmer, author and activist, agrees with Gruver’s take on the future of regulation.
“If we’re going to take this arbitrary 0.3 percent, let’s at least take this fairer way of testing for farmers,” he said. “And even if we wind up raising that federal level to, say, 3 percent, moving the decimal point, which I think should happen, too, we should stick with the leaf testing.”
In chaotic marketplaces, most business owners can at least rely on institutions such as banking and insurance. Not hemp farmers.
Banking and insurance woes
Many farmers thought the farm bill would smooth the way for their banking and insurance needs, but banks are just as confused as the hemp industry.
“When President Trump signed the farm bill, we thought, oh my gosh, we’re going to have banking, we’re going to be able to have insurance, we’re going to be able to be in the normal ag crop for commodity,” said Koch. “Actually, the opposite of that happened. Our credit card processing has all been shut down.”
Some banks charge higher fees to CBD producers than other farmers, cashing in on a booming, multibillion-dollar industry. Others won’t touch the industry until the federal regulation is fully completed for fear of putting their other customers at risk. Sunny Summers frequently receives calls from banks that are struggling to figure out how to support their long-standing customers who are diversifying into the hemp industry. And, small farmers like Koch are frustrated to see CBD products — produced by large companies — in major retail outlets.
“Right now, you can go to Roth’s Grocery Store, you can go to CVS grocery store, you can go anywhere, and you can find CBD products,” she said. “You can find hemp products. And their credit cards aren’t being shut down. But anytime you’re just a small hemp or CBD company, our credit card processing is shut down. So, it just shows you where the game is being played, and who’s playing the game or not.”
Ditto for insurance. Per the farm bill, hemp farmers should be eligible for crop insurance. But that’s not happening. Farmers selling at farmers markets struggle to find insurance (a common requirement) to cover their market booth. Whole Circle Farms had to get an extra contract to ensure their insurance policy would work, but found the premium for hemp to be much higher.
“How much product do you have to sell to pay the $8,000 liability insurance at the farmers market?” said Koch.
Hemp farmers who’ve mastered the banking, insurance and regulatory problems aren’t necessarily home free. Some are experiencing difficulties getting their crops processed. In late 2018, Oregon had 534 hemp growers farming about 12,000 acres.
As of July 2019, Oregon had 1,758 farmers with hemp permits to grow over 56,000 acres, and most of that is hemp for CBD. None is for food or fiber production. Even for CBD oil processing, the infrastructure is not meeting the demands of the marketplace.
Tweedle Farms hasn’t had to deal with the processing backup because it carved out a niche in 2017 by selling flowers directly to consumers, early enough to create a loyal following. However, it’s pivoting into processed CBD in an effort to use hemp harvested earlier to avoid growing a hot crop. In an increasingly crowded market, Gruver knows the change to processing isn’t easy.
Whole Circle Farms began processing its products because they couldn’t get anyone else to do it. “That first year, there was absolutely no market, so that’s why we started creating our products,” said Koch. “Four years ago, all the older people were like, ‘This is marijuana, and this stuff is bad,’ and as soon as you start talking about hemp, you could see that their whole language was not favorable. But then the next thing you know, they’re knocking at the door, like, ‘I can’t go to bed tonight until I have some of your capsules because I can’t sleep.'”
Whole Circle and Tweedle Farms have avoided supply chain blocks by selling directly to consumers and avoiding having to dry and store unprocessed hemp until a buyer emerges. But on-farm processing and direct-to-consumer marketing can only shield them from so many supply chain woes. As more people move into hemp farming, sourcing seeds is becoming increasingly difficult, especially as farmers seek strains that will lower the odds of losing a crop to high THC values.
Rolling with it
Even with an already established marketplace, it’s hard for small hemp farmers to know if they can stick out the boom as bigger companies move in. Tweedle Farms is already looking to the future and planning for the industry to move on to the next hot hemp product.
“The other big thing that actually is going to be super exciting is the advent of minor cannabinoids like CBG, CBC, CBN, CBT, CBL,” said Gruver. “There are so many different beneficial compounds in the cannabis plant that, scientifically, the surface has only vaguely been scratched.”


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Working moms spend less time daily on kids' diet, exercise, study finds
When it comes to cooking, grocery shopping and playing with children, American moms with full-time jobs spend roughly three-and-half fewer hours per day on these and other chores related to their children's diet and exercise compared to stay-at-home and unemployed mothers, reports a new paper by a Cornell University health economist.
Male partners do little to make up the deficit: Employed fathers devote just 13 minutes daily to such activities and non-working fathers contribute 41 minutes, finds the study, which will be printed in the December issue of Economics and Human Biology and is posted online at http://bit.ly/NxDohy
The findings are consistent across socio-economic lines measured by the mothers' education, family income, race and ethnicity.
To make up for this time deficit, working mothers are significantly more likely to spend time purchasing prepared foods – takeout from restaurants or prepackaged, ready-to-eat meals from grocery stores – which are generally less nutritious than home-cooked meals.
"It's inaccurate to pin rising childhood obesity rates on women, given that husbands pick up so little of the slack," cautioned lead author John Cawley, professor of policy analysis and management and of economics at Cornell's College of Human Ecology.
The study does not prove that employment alone drives the way mothers spends their time. "For example, mothers who choose to work might be those who enjoy cooking less and who would cook less whether working or not," Cawley said.
He added that working mothers produce additional benefits for children such as more money to provide for family needs.
"It's important to remember that we can take steps to enhance childhood nutrition and physical activity without advocating that women exit the workforce," Cawley said. For instance, the authors argue, parents should be better educated about the nutritional content of restaurant and prepackaged foods. "In order to make more informed decisions, consumers need to have nutrition and calorie information available where they buy their food," said Cawley, who noted that federal health care reform rules will soon require chain and fast-food restaurants nationwide to post calorie counts of the foods they sell.
Cawley noted that schools shoulder a greater burden for supporting healthy lifestyles.
"Our findings underscore the importance of schools offering high-quality foods and physical education classes," he said. "In general, the Institute of Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are urging comprehensive changes in school environments to promote healthy eating and active living."

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Kenvue launches 'Versalie' - a digital 'one-stop-shop' platform for menopause
Kenvue is behind huge brands such as Aveeno, Johnson's and Carefree
Many people still struggle with the symptoms of menopause in silence. Kenvue found that 62% of those going through menopause did not discuss it with their doctors. A total of 70% of women experiencing menopause have not discussed reaching menopause with their significant other.
A one-stop-shop marketplace and support
The Versalie platform is a suite of menopause resources, a curated storefront of own-brand and third-party product options, plus in-platform virtual care appointments.
To help raise awareness, Versalie is teaming up with award-winning Actress and Producer, Niecy Nash-Betts to share her personal menopause story around the ‘Last Period; and ignite a conversation about this important chapter of life.
“It took exploring Versalie.com for me to have a menopause ‘a-ha’ moment, all these years later: so many of the symptoms I experienced back then — such as fatigue, mood shifts and thinning hair– were all connected to menopause,” says Nash-Betts.
“I’m so grateful to finally have a better understanding of what was happening to my body and only wish I had a resource like Versalie when I was going through it all.”
A global brand
Kenvue is the world’s largest pure-play consumer health company by revenue. It includes iconic brands such as Aveeno, BAND-AID, Brand Adhesive Bandages, Johnson’s, LISTERINE, Neutrogena and Tylenol.
Kenvue says it’s spent more than three years researching the menopause space - so expect serious focus on this launch and its success.
Thanks for reading FutureFemHealth! Subscribe for free to receive our weekly newsletter of women’s health and FemTech news


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The demand for commercial space—office, retail, hotel, industrial, and even medical —took a downturn during the COVID-19 pandemic, when measures were put in place to stop the spread of the virus. Social distancing, shutdowns, quarantines, layoffs, and remote work all had an impact on the way we work and the space that we occupy.
Charles County-based commercial realtor Anne Hooper, Owner of Hooper & Associates, said, “In general, what we found during the shutdown, and then initial re-openings, was that a lot of buildings remained in a large part empty. Not necessarily vacant, but empty, due to teleworking or businesses not being able to fully open due to restrictions.” (“Vacant” means no one has possession of the property, but “empty” means somebody is paying for their space but not able to use it.)
During the pandemic, expensive bills were accumulating for both tenants and landlords. Hooper said, “We found, during the initial shutdown, that people were anxious to negotiate rent deferment or rental abatement for the period the government required businesses to be closed or partially closed.” She added that most local landlords were accommodating and negotiated some form of rental deferment, especially for tenants who were already in good standing before COVID.
In her experience, Hooper said most tenants were able to negotiate some sort of agreement with their landlord to share the burden of the empty space so that one party didn’t have to take on the cost of the mandates to close businesses and public spaces. However landlords often took a bigger hit because they ended up with the expenses of owning a property that had to be maintained and paid for, whether occupied or not. If the tenants ultimately could not ride out the closures, “some local landlords offered buyout agreements or early lease terminations and regained possession of the non-performing spaces,” Hooper said.
COMING OUT OF COVID, WHAT’S POPULAR?
Coming out of COVID, most businesses have found that teleworking -- or a hybrid version of teleworking -- is the future for general office users, so they’re downsizing and releasing space back to the market. “Now, the individual offices like the business centers are doing really well,” said Hooper. People who downsized or are telecommuting may still want a small space close to home. Larger office spaces aren’t being leased or reabsorbed in the market as quickly.
Coming out of COVID, there are apparently a lot of people wanting to start restaurants. “I can’t explain it ,” said Hooper, “but I do know there’s a high demand for the second and third generation restaurant spaces.” Second and third generation spaces are former restaurants that already have many of the expensive specialized features in place, like a commercial exhaust hood and grease trap, which reduces the start-up cost of launching a new restaurant. “I probably have 10 calls a week, wanting restaurant space,” Hooper said.
Another huge (but hard to explain) demand is for events spaces. She said, “Again, it’s a phenomenon I can’t explain, but coming out of COVID, everybody wants to open an event space.” Automotive spaces are also of high demand, but this is due to the lack of available inventory or landlords that will allow this use within their properties.
PREDICTING THE FUTURE FOR CHARLES COUNTY
So, what will be different after COVID? Hooper says, “A lot of your [medical labs], spas, and other nonretail users will be going into retail spaces or spaces that have a presence for the walk-up market, where they have visibility. That wasn’t important before.” Health service providers will still go in general office spaces, though she’s seeing some of them venture into the retail space.
“What has changed on the medical front here, is that there are not as many independent sole practitioners,“ said Hooper. “Most are a part of MedStar Health, or the University of Maryland Medical System, or Kaiser Permanente, or other affiliations. Primarily, the big office use players are the medical groups that have recently expanded or come into the area.”
Another transition on the leasing front, is that Charles County is getting some national and regional recognition as the next best place to do business. “They’re seeking space across the board,” said Hooper. “The retail sector is by far getting the most attention, but we’re also seeing demand in the office and medical sectors. The industrial market is extremely strong right now. Anything under 5,000 square feet goes almost immediately.”
A STRONG MARKET IN CHARLES COUNTY
On the sales side, sales are strong. There are also several redevelopment proposals in the pipeline. “We’re coming out of COVID with a very strong commercial market,” said Hooper. “We actually didn’t expect the commercial market to come out of COVID as strong as it has.”
One reason the commercial market is so strong could be related to commuters staying at home. During the pandemic, most of the workforce that commutes outside the county has been afforded the opportunity to work from home. Now there’s more of a need for amenities at home, like grocery shopping, doctors, and local services.
As we enter the COVID recovery, Hooper is optimistic. “There’s hope for Charles County commercial development and redevelopment. We’re coming out of COVID, and we’ve come with a very strong commercial market. A lot of people see opportunities in Charles County and the business sector.”
For more about locating your business in Charles County, contact the EDD’s Chief of Development, Taylor Yewell at email@example.com or 301-885-1340, x2200. Search properties on our Find a Property page.


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Showing results for tags 'Android OS'.
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CrAKeN posted a topic in Mobile NewsGoogle Fuchsia UI Google’s I/O 2017 event offered the tech giant the perfect opportunity to announce projects that the company has been working on and the direction it intends to take in terms of AI and VR technology, among others. Earlier this month, images revealing a project that Google has been working on surfaced online. Details about Google Fuchsia first surfaced last year, but the recent report showed the OS’s System UI and revealed some features that it could incorporate. Android Police reported that during the Android Fireside Chat, Google’s VP of engineering for Android, Dave Burke was asked about one of the most exciting projects at Google, Fuchsia OS. The engineer said that the experimental project is at an early-stage and it’s one of the many projects that Google is working on. Fuchsia won’t replace Android or Chrome OS What sets Fuchsia apart is its open source nature, which allows developers to see the code and bring contributions to it. David Burke stated “How do you spell Fuchsia? Fuchsia is a early-stage experimental project. We, you know, we actually have lots of cool early projects at Google. I think what’s interesting here is it’s open source, so people can see it and comment on it. Like lots of early stage projects it’s gonna probably pivot and morph. There’s some really smart people on it, people we’ve worked with who are great. And so it’s kind of exciting to see what happens. But it’s definitely a different sort of independent project to android. And yeah, that’s basically it.” It’s worth noting that Google’s Fuchsia project isn’t being developed alongside Android, which means that Google doesn’t have any intention to replace Android OS or Chrome OS with this new project. Still, that doesn’t mean that the situation won’t change in the future, as Fuchsia OS gradually takes shape and becomes a stable operating system. Since it’s at the early stages of development, there’s still the possibility that it could be scraped to make way for other projects by Google. At this point, time will tell if Fuchsia OS will eventually progress to become a full-fledged OS. Source
vissha posted a topic in Mobile NewsAndroid Nougat is Official, Google Revealed the Name of the Next Android OS Google will release Android Nougat later this year Android Nougat wasn't out first guess when it came to the name of the upcoming Android version, but it was out second or maybe third guess. A clue regarding the Nougat name was inserted in the image that Google released a few weeks ago. At the start of this month, Google announced that the Android N name will be unveiled in a few weeks. The image that Google posted on the Android Twitter account had several suggestions regarding the name. Nougat was there in the top right corner of the picture, together with Nectar (which was a good suggestion), Nachos and Nutmeg. Android Nougat will be released later this year Today, we find out that Google has went with Nougat. This is a bit surprising considering that recently, Android VP Hiroshi Lockheimer posted tweets that hinted towards Nutella as being the name of Android N. The series of tweets showed strong hints towards the Nutella name, but something seems to have changed Google's mind and the company decided to go with Nougat. A while back, Google partnered with Nestle in order to name Android 4.4, KitKat. Such a move wouldn't have been surprising in the case of Nutella. During Google I/O, the company announced that users from all over the world could access a certain Google platform and submit their guesses for the Android N. Perhaps, the number of suggestions for Nougat surpassed those for Nutella. Either way, it will be interesting to see if Android Nougat will actually hold the Android 7.0 moniker or if it will be a smaller step to 6.5. Most likely, it will come as a brand new version that will carry the full name Android 7.0 Nougat. Introducing #AndroidNougat. Thank you, world, for all your sweet name ideas! #AndroidNReveal pic.twitter.com/7lIfDBwyBE — Android (@Android) June 30, 2016 Source
Want to try that sweet-sounding Sailfish OS, but don’t want to fork out the €399 for the first Jolla handset? Fret not as the company will allow you to sideload its OS to any Android device that you might already have. The option isn’t yet available, but it’s currently being worked on as has been confirmed by the company’s CEO Tomi Pienimäki. In an interview with a Finnish website Mr. Pienimäki stated the following:”That is the plan. We are on device business and OS business. It is fairly easy to install the OS on Android devices"”There is no such culture in these parts of the world [Finland], but there are people that are installing new operating systems on their devices. In China it is mainstream. About half of the smartphone buyers are upgrading their older or cheaper devices with a better version of Android.”“For us it is a possibility to distribute our operating system especially in China. There are websites that already distribute [OS] software and the Chinese customers are doing it ¬so we don’t have to teach them. We just have to get Sailfish to those websites – and to make sure that Sailfish will run on different kind of Android devices.” The Jolla CEO also confirmed that the company has no intention of trying to bring in cash by selling the OS itself. Instead the team consisting of former Nokia employees will rely on applications, services and advertising to monetize their efforts. This means that wider reach is key for Jolla and giving people the option to switch from Android without spending a dime certainly seems like the right thing to do. Source


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09 November 2022, CA: SVG Ventures | THRIVE, a leading global Agrifood Venture and Innovation Platform headquartered in Silicon Valley, today announced a partnership with ApexBrasil, the Brazilian Agency for the promotion of exports and investments.
ApexBrasil’s mission is to develop the competitiveness of Brazilian companies by promoting the internationalization of their business and the attraction of foreign direct investment (FDI). The partnership centres around the development of an immersion program which would aim to identify and support top Brazilian entrepreneurs and innovators who are developing cutting edge solutions for the global agtech value chain and to accelerate their access to investment, partnerships, networks and business opportunities in the U.S and North America.
“The U.S represents a tremendous opportunity for Brazilian Agtech companies and we are excited to leverage our extensive network & award winning custom programming to help discover, elevate, and empower local startups to expand their footprint in the U.S” said John Hartnett, Founder & CEO SVG Ventures|THRIVE.
THRIVE is uniquely positioned to support Brazilian companies by connecting them with their extensive ecosystem and global network of investors, mentors and corporations. The immersion program which is an investment and business acceleration program will support companies across the agriculture and food sectors. The program will support companies with mentorship, programming, investor and corporate partner introductions in addition to a custom immersion week in the US.
“Brazil has a blossoming agtech innovation environment that is bringing real improvements to the Food and Agriculture Sector. Our Ventures is an important step towards globalization and showcasing the fast-growing Brazilian agriculture capabilities.” Mauro Cid, COO, North America.
(For Latest Agriculture News & Updates, follow Krishak Jagat on Google News)


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Several days after Time Warner revealed plans to split AOL into separate units housing its Web access and ad-related businesses, one of the unit’s top sales executives has done some splitting of her own.
Kathleen Kayse has left her post as VP of marketing solutions for AOL’s Platform A division to take a job as EVP of digital media sales for Discovery Communications. Kayse, who has logged 24 years with TW, was named to lead the newly created Marketing Solutions group at Platform A, AOL’s audience and ad networks division.
Discovery Ad Sales President Joe Abruzzese said Kayse would bring in new ad clients to monetize the company’s Web sites, VOD and mobile offerings.
“Kathy integrates linear and digital media skillfully, which bodes well for Discovery as we expand our advertising opportunities across our multi-platform assets,” he said in a statement to ClickZ. Discovery says its Web properties draw 25 million unique visitors each month.
AOL has begun a search for Kayse’s replacement, naming regional sales heads Matthew Arkin and Mark Ellis to fill in temporarily. Both report to Curt Viebranz, the former CEO of Tacoda who’s now in charge of Platform A. Kayse reported to Viebranz, who also previously worked for TW, under the new structure announced in December.
Time Warner continues to invest heavily in Platform A. Its latest ad-related acquisitions include buy.at, an affiliate marketing company, and Goowy, a provider of widget technology.
Prior to joining AOL, Kayse spent 21 years at other Time Warner positions including a stint as publisher of People magazine, Money and FSB: Fortune Small Business.
In a statement, Kayse said she was “drawn to the role” at Discovery after seeing how quickly it was expanding into the digital space. Discovery-owned digital properties include HowStuffWorks.com, Treehugger.com and Petfinder.com.
A lot of cool stuff is happening with email today. As an email marketer doing your job day in and day out, ... read more
Despite the fact that it faces growing competition from Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, Google-owned YouTube is still one of the most popular ... read more


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After demonstrating how tablets trump smartphones and PCs for leisurely and long-form reading, iPad’s new wave of magazine-like content aggregators is now heading to the smaller screen.
Flipboard’s new iPhone app turns its bigger brother’s page-turning metaphor 90 degrees for a new vertical flip that feels more like a Rolodex than a magazine, and introduces new algorithms to block out less relevant or duplicate content for on-the-go consumption.
“It’s not just a different screen – it’s a totally different use-case,” Flipboard co-founder Evan Doll told paidContent in a product preview.
“The iPad is getting used in the evening and is much more a casual experience, usage time is about 15 minutes; whereas, with iPhone, it has to be about grabbing five minutes when you’re walking down the street or getting coffee.”
Pages flip vertically quickly and touching the menu bar flips to the very top of the deck, whilst the new Cover Stories paradigm is “our take on what the highlights are from all your social networks and content feeds”, Doll said.
Because time is shorter whilst mobile, the new feature learns from users’ reading history and social cues to present fewer pieces of content that are more likely to be relevant right now, stripping out duplicate content posted by multiple friends.
“The more you interact with it, the better it will become,” Doll said. “We wanted to create something you get a lot of value for when you’re standing in line at the supermarket.” The technology will likely find its way in to the iPad app, too.
Flipboard’s existing 60+ iPad content partners, who have custom-designed pages, retain flavours of those unique designs through the downsizing, by tweaking a global style template, Doll said.
But the impact on their advertising, which appears to be Flipboard’s primary commercial model, is not yet certain. Though CEO Mike McCue told me, during a panel Q&A at our paidContent Advertising conference in September, that traditional large-screen display ads of the kinds found in newspapers and magazines are better than interactive web ads, the company says it is too early to talk about the smaller screen’s impact on its ad sizes, inventory and sales. But iPhone ads will nevertheless happen “very soon”, Doll said.
Flipboard’s new accounts allow users to get the same set of feeds from their iPad Flipboard on their iPhone. Ultimately, that means, if they have wordy, long-form content coming in whilst mobile, readers may choose to bookmark using Instapaper or Read It Later for reading on a larger device, Doll said.
Flipboard is not yet planning to launch on non-iOS devices and is first taking time to let its new app bed in, as well as to assess the growing number of platforms, Doll said.


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Bithumb, presently the biggest cryptocurrency trade in South Korea by buying and selling quantity, simply confirmed it has bought greater than 38 p.c of its complete possession to a blockchain consortium primarily based in Singapore, for 400 billion received, or $350 million.
As reported by CoinDesk Korea, Bithumb confirmed the deal was signed on Oct. 11 with BK International Consortium, a blockchain funding agency fashioned by BK International, a cosmetic surgery medical group in Singapore.
BTC Holdings Firm, which presently owns 76 p.c of Bithumb’s fairness, has agreed to promote 50 p.c + 1 shares of that 76 p.c possession to BK Group – a transfer that might make the latter the most important controller of Bithumb when the transaction is full.
The report added that the acquisition deal valued Bithumb at greater than 1 trillion received, or round $880 million. Subsequently, Kim Byung Gun, a plastic surgeon and likewise the chairman of BK Group, would be the largest shareholder of Bithumb.
Based mostly on the report, Kim can also be an early cryptocurrency investor, who based an preliminary coin providing (ICO) consulting agency and ICO platform in Singapore final August.
The information comes simply months after a number of of Bithumb’s shareholders revealed the crypto trade’s monetary numbers, exhibiting it made internet earnings of about $35 million within the first half of this 12 months, regardless of a tough June for the agency after a $40 million hack.
Following a tough Q3 because the agency suspended new account openings as a result of a financial institution contract subject – which led to a big drop in buying and selling quantity – Bithumb has seen $1.1 billion in exercise over the past 24 hours, primarily based on data from CoinMarketCap.
Bithumb picture through Shutterstock
The chief in blockchain information, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the very best journalistic requirements and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an impartial working subsidiary of Digital Foreign money Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups.


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SPECIAL TWEET: Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher do it, Diddy does it and even Oprah Winfrey is hooked on it. Now Donna Karan is getting in on the social networking act. DKNY just launched an official Facebook page and is offering an inside view of the day-to-day life of a twittering “DKNY PR Girl” at Twitter.com/dkny.
“After seeing the many Donna Karan and DKNY fan sites that were being created by anonymous people and joined by thousands, we have decided that the interest and enthusiasm for our brands deserves attention beyond what our Web sites provide,” said Patti Cohen, executive vice president of global marketing and communications.
On Facebook, fans of DKNY can follow status updates and post their feelings about current DKNY-related topics. Many of the fans have been expressing their feelings about the dismantling of the iconic DKNY wall in SoHo. A Donna Karan New York Facebook page is expected to launch in the coming weeks.
“DKNY PR Girl,” meanwhile, is a DKNY public relations team group effort, and offers insights into the life of a publicist in New York, from everyday tasks to parties, runway shows and photo shoots.
“The ability to interact with our fans and potential new customers in this arena is very exciting,” said Cohen. — Marc Karimzadeh


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It has long been a "Hot" debate on what the actual use case of "Digital currency" is.
I have seen for myself the arguments and opinions on the true value and or use case of blockchain evolve over the years, from claims it's only use was to facilitate criminal activity to the realizations of the powerful positives and negatives that distributed systems inherently have.
It has always puzzled me how the obvious power of decentralized networks escapes some, but I digress, Perhaps these people just need to see before they believe or they are still in denial that anything not dug out of the ground and "Shiny" and or Issued by a centrally controlled entity can hold "Real" value, but digressing again (My bad).
But when looking towards the developing world It becomes far more evident. From Blockchain Remittance and banking the un-banked in the Philippines where over 70% of the population does not have a bank account, to blockchain enabled digital identification systems in Sierra Leone, the use case of blockchain and other digital technologies is quickly being realized in many areas of the globe.
Copia, a six-year old e-commerce and logistics startup operating in central Kenya has a business model that might perplex some. Copia has focused on catering to low-income consumers who are often under-served partly due to living outside urban areas.
"We built our business on a mobile platform to bring retail services to low to middle income African consumers — consumers who are remote, un-banked, unconnected and who may not a valid ID or address," says Tim Steel, CEO of Copia. "Other e-commerce players are focused on the top of the pyramid with middle-class and elite."
So far, Copia's model has proven enough to catch attention as it raised $26 million in a Series B round led by LGT Lightstone, with participation from Perivoli Innovations, Endeavor Catalyst, ELEA and Goodwell Investments, the Dutch-based impact investment firm.
And that is not the only recent news out of Kenya, Safaricom, by far Kenya's largest telecoms operator announced Friday the launch of "MPost" a digital postal service that will use mobile phone numbers like traditional post office box addresses. The company, part-owned by South Africa's Vodacom , targets 5 million new users of the service as it ramps up infrastructure for its fledgling electronic commerce business.
MPost, the service will be offered jointly with the Postal Corporation of Kenya, which will rent out physical post office boxes to Safaricom customers using their mobile phone numbers, at a quarter of the going rate for conventional boxes. Safaricom's more than 30 million users will access services from 625 postal outlets across the country.
On a less regionally focused and more global note, Particl a Privacy "Focused" Dapp (Decentralized Application) platform that aims to
"Give Holders of any major cryptocurrency the ability to buy, sell and trade in complete privacy". - Particl spokesperson
Announced new infrastructures coming to it's platform in the form of "Private marketplace and storefront creation" allowing anyone, anywhere to create their own decentralized marketplace or storefront, as well as the ability to advertise (Small fee) it in a decentralized manner. the whole process takes minutes to set up with No verification required as well as being free of charge.
Now some may say that e-commerce has not existed long enough to be disruptive but I disagree.
Traditional centralized e-commerce platforms carry many overheads in the forms of massive energy use and server maintenance among other necessary costs that are inherent with centralized systems, these costs are then passed on to the users (buyers and sellers) of the platform in the form of "Sales taxes". this is the reason why large global e-commerce companies could never offer near free listing or zero sales taxes that decentralized systems like Particl can, and the lack of fees can allow sellers to offer more competitive prices and therefore buyers more discounts, A win-win all around.
Furthermore , the addition of President of Spend (Spend.com) Bryan Woods as an advisor to the Particl team as announced at Money2020 in Las Vegas last month, is another interesting development.
Spend is a next-generation banking ecosystem with tens of thousands of active users. It acts as a fiat gateway and "banking services 2.0" provider. Its all-in-one mobile application allows you to hold, transfer, deposit, and withdraw multiple cryptocurrencies and fiat (currently only USD and CAD) without requiring a bank, this would give Particl many of the on-boarding/off boarding tools required to run a successful e-commerce network.
To some the Idea of decentralization, "Digital currencies" and the whole IOT (Internet of things) pitch "A connection for everything and everything connected" Might seem too much, even ridiculous. But I beg to differ.
With the use of blockchain and other forms of technology we can bank the un-banked, we can create cleaner greener and cheaper e-commerce and find new solutions to old problems, and it would appear that the developing world is fast awakening to this fact, and to that, "God speed" I say.


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Microsoft is known for pursuing anyone that pirates its software. It doesn't matter what country the counterfeiters are in, the tech giant will go after them.
In this quest, the company announced Tuesday that it settled 3,265 software piracy cases worldwide in the past year. Thirty-five of these cases were in the U.S., in 19 different states; and, 3,230 were international cases that took place in 42 different countries.
"Software counterfeiting negatively impacts local and global economic growth, stifles innovation, and puts consumers and businesses at risk," Microsoft Cybercrime Center associate general counsel David Finn said in a statement.
Microsoft said that the majority of its piracy cases got started because of tips from its customers. Typically, people report counterfeit software to Microsoft after they find malware and viruses on the items they bought or if the software didn't work correctly. According to Microsoft, 450,000 customers have reported pirated software to the company since 2005.
One of the cases settled was with the Ningbo Beyond Group in China. According to Microsoft, the company allegedly infringed on Windows, Office, Server, and Visual Studio software.
In March, Microsoft commissioned a study into the world of pirated software. The study found that 33 percent of the software on the market is counterfeit. The investigation claims that piracy and counterfeit software runs rampant through the digital universe and that many users might not even be aware that their software is fake.
Besides going after pirates with lawsuits, Microsoft also uses other means to try to stop counterfeiters. It files more URL takedown requests to Google than any other company in the world -- claiming that these sites deal in copyrighted or pirated material. Between July 2011 and May 2012, Microsoft asked Google to remove a total of 2,544,209 URLs.
(Via The Next Web) .


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Daily Report for Executives provides in-depth coverage of unfolding legislative, regulatory, and judicial news from the nation’s capital, the states, and around the world. This daily news service...
Oct. 31 — Stride Rite Children’s Group will pay nearly $1 million in uncollected sales and use taxes, damages and penalties to Illinois and a whistle-blower under terms of a settlement negotiated between the Illinois attorney general and the national retailer of children’s shoes ( Illinois ex rel. Stephen B. Diamond P.C. v. SR/Ecom Inc. , Ill. Cir. Ct., No. 13 L 13198, order 10/18/16 ).
But the tax whistle-blower in the case vigorously objected in a brief filed with the court, arguing the settlement “robs the State of Illinois of hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
Cook County Circuit Court Judge Thomas R. Mulroy on Oct. 18 approved a proposed settlement between Stride Rite, a subsidiary of Rockford, Mich.-based footwear holding company Wolverine World Wide Inc., and Illinois, pouring $978,453 into a settlement pool. The total represents roughly three times the uncollected sales tax due on shipping and handling charges for internet-based transactions attributable to Illinois customers between October 2012 and May 2014.
A substantial portion of the settlement will be paid to veteran tax whistle-blower Stephen B. Diamond P.C., which filed suit against Stride Rite under the Illinois False Claims Act. The settlement specifies that Diamond and his law firm recover between 25 percent and 30 percent of the settlement total.
A spokesperson for Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said Oct. 31 the settlement isn’t yet final. The official said Mulroy still must make a specific determination about Diamond’s share and award attorney’s fees and costs.
Diamond originally filed suit against Stride Rite in 2013, alleging the company knowingly committed a tax fraud against the state by failing to collect tax on shipping and handling charges in certain electronic commerce transactions. Diamond and his various law firms have filed more than 900 tax false claims actions against retailers in Cook County Circuit Court over the last 15 years.
The settlement generated controversy earlier this year when Diamond filed an objection, asserting he had been excluded from the negotiations. The Stride Rite case marked one of the few times a suit by Diamond, acting as qui tam relator, generated a settlement negotiated by the state and the defendant. A recent analysis by Bloomberg BNA revealed that Diamond has negotiated more than 350 settlements in false claims actions benefiting the state.
“The proposed settlement is a product of secretive negotiations from which the State and Defendants excluded Relator because Relator constantly pointed out the inadequacy of the proposed settlements,” Diamond wrote in an Aug. 1 brief filed with the court.
During oral arguments before Mulroy on Oct. 4, Diamond asserted Stride Rite’s sales tax liability covered a period 12 months longer than the settlement envisioned. Diamond insisted the settlement should cover a period prior to Oct. 9, 2012, the date on which Wolverine acquired Stride Rite and other shoe brands from Collective Brands Inc.
In the Aug. 1 brief, Diamond pointed to statements by Wolverine tax managers admitting to sales tax liability for this pre-acquisition period. He pegged the unpaid taxes plus treble damages payable to the state at between $256,353 and $434,787, depending on the way the liability is calculated.
Attorneys for Stride Rite and Illinois told Mulroy the settlement had been negotiated at “arm’s length” as required by law. The attorneys said tax professionals had been consulted during the litigation, finding that Collective Brands and its web-based retail channels had insufficient nexus in Illinois to require tax collections on shipping and handling charges prior to Oct. 9, 2012. In this context, the attorneys doubted Diamond’s ability to prove Stride Rite knowingly violated the law during the pre-acquisition period, allowing for a larger damage calculation.
Mulroy weighed the arguments and concluded Oct. 18 the state and Stride Rite had proposed an adequate settlement.
“Balancing the vagaries of litigation, the likelihood of success as to the damages claimed for the pre-acquisition period, and the heightened burden of proving scienter for fraud against the certainty of the large amount of tax the State will recover under this agreement and the compensation Relator will receive for his dedicated work in this matter, the Court is convinced that this settlement is fair, adequate and reasonable,” Mulroy wrote.
Diamond and counsel for Stride Rite declined comment on the settlement.
Stride Rite was represented by Mary Kay Martire, a partner in the Chicago office of McDermott Will & Emery LLP. Illinois was represented by Assistant Attorney General Charles F. Godbey.
To contact the reporter on this story: Michael J. Bologna in Chicago at firstname.lastname@example.org
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Ryan C. Tuck at email@example.com
Copyright © 2016 The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Some 11 fully vaccinated vendors in Bohol received bicycles and livelihood equipment assistance from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for their vending and delivery businesses.
According to DOLE Bohol officer-in-charge Jessica Uy, the livelihood package was given to the beneficiaries through BikeCINATION, a special project under the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP).
The package includes a mountain bike, insulator bag, helmet, reflector vest, tumbler, cellphone, and P2,900 worth of prepaid load card.
In a statement, Emmanuel Ferrer, DOLE-7 officer-in-charge said the program is intended to help Filipinos recover from the economic from the effects of the ongoing pandemic.
“We hope that this assistance will help them recover from the harsh impact of the pandemic. We already know that there are so many workers both from the formal and informal economy who lost their source of income. Under this program, it is our wish for them to bounce back economically,” Ferrer said.
Uy said he bicycles will help the vendors, who previously sold their products on foot, cover more ground.
“Naghinaot ta na makatabang ta sa mga naa sa marginalized sector to improve their livelihood by giving them the bikes and the accessories na madugangan pud unta ilang income,” said Uy.
She said the informal sector workers were given slots for the program on a first-come-first-served basis.
All of the recipients were also required to present vaccination cards.
“Naa tay requirements so ang nakauna og submit maoy atong na hatagan og slots, unya dili puydi ang walay bakuna,” said Uy.
Uy noted that the beneficiaries are from the towns of Anda, Antequera, Danao, Valencia, Getafe, Balilihan, Tubigon, Batuan, Alicia, Trinidad and Panglao. (A. Doydora)


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Published on July 8th, 2015 | by Daniel Sherman Fernandez0
Chevrolet opens new parts centre in Shah Alam
Parts centres are critical to the upkeep of cars, and for the convenience of customers. Without a local accessible parts centre, getting spare parts that aren’t stocked on hand in a service centre can be very tedious and time consuming, forcing the customer to leave their vehicle for a few days if the component is critical. Companies that have localized parts centres tend to have better customer satisfaction, as their work can be carried out quickly and efficiently.
NAZA Quest Sdn Bhd marks another milestone with their brand new Parts Centre here in Shah Alam. Located at the Chevrolet Malaysia headquarters with a space of 10,000 sq ft, NAZA Quest will hold up to more than RM5.5 Million worth of Chevrolet spare parts in stock comprising over 55 thousand line items.
The parts centre will cater to all existing Chevrolet owners in the country which amount around 24,000 units as at end 2014. The new parts centre is expected to shorten delivery time of parts to all Chevrolet 3S centres and spare part dealers nationwide. With an increase in sales expected for 2015 and beyond, the centre will be able to address the concern of parts availability which will lead to greater customer confidence in the Chevrolet brand.
The parts centre is also expected to carry additional parts in the coming months as NAZA Quest seek to introduce more models to enhance its current models line up in Malaysia. Existing models sold are the Sonic 1.6, Cruze 1.8, Malibu 2.4, the Colorado 2.8 pick-up and also the Orlando 1.8 MPV.


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This is Biratnagar-based family-run electric goods company is going new heights by diversifying and expanding its business and brands.
"A dream doesn't become reality through magic. It takes sweat, determination and hard work," says Satya Narayan Agrawal, the chairman of Kailash Trading Company (KTC). It was in 1974 when Satya Narayan Agrawal with his humble beginning and a dream to serve the public with high quality electrical products started his journey in the electrical goods business with a small shop in the eastern city of Biratnagar. Today, KTC is one of the market leaders in supplying electrical goods and appliances all over Nepal having a network of over 150 dealerships across the country with four sister concerns namely, NG Electro Power, NG Electricals Pvt Ltd, NG Traders and Electra Electric Nepal Pvt Ltd. The company offers complete electrical solutions to its customers, introducing modern electrical product range such as lighting, switches, switchgears, wires, fans, heaters, geysers etc. The company is also engaged in providing complete industrial electrical solutions such as MCB, MCCB, ACB, VCB, motor protection devices and control panels.
It has been a fascinating and rewarding 44-year journey for KTC, its owners, employees and its customers. With the mantra of "quality assurance and product safety" Satya Narayan moved ahead and ran the business on his own for almost two decades. In 1989, the group partnered with renowned brands such as Usha and Mex to become their authorised channel partner for Nepal.
From around the mid-1990s, his two sons - Nandip Agrawal and Gopal Agrawal started helping him and began to learn the aspects of electric trade by working at the shop at various times as school and college students.“My father and brother would always motivate me to join the business. Once I completed my high school, I started getting many responsibilities of the business,” recalls Gopal. After completing their studies, both brothers started giving their full time to the business started by their father. Today, both of them work as the directors of KTC.
“Gradually following the direction shown by my father and under the guidance of my brother, we started getting associated with different brands one after another and the business also expanded,” says Gopal.
In its journey to become one of the major players in the country’s electrical goods markets, Kailash Trading collaborated with different Indian and international electric manufacturers like Havells India Ltd, Crabtree India Ltd, Larsen and Toubro Ltd, HPL Pvt Ltd, Multispan and Siemens Ltd in addition to Usha International Ltd and Mex Switchgear Pvt Ltd. The company’s business grew remarkably especially over the last decade after the Agrawal brothers changed the business model drastically.
It was not an easily achievable dream of Satya Narayan Agrawal. It was an era when domestic manufacturing companies faced a threat from both cheap products and high quality multinational products. But it was his dream, strength, strategy and support received from his sons which worked out in staying in the market even during those tough times of long civil war and political instability in the country when economy was badly affected.
“What has paid in the long run is our continuous investment in electrical products and a large distribution network across the country that has kept us ahead and helped us win the hearts of millions of Nepali consumers,” expresses Gopal.
According to Gopal, each and every tie-up that KTC established with international brands which was a turning point for the company. Besides that, the end of load-shedding in the country came as a major turning point. “The market of electrical goods has grown significantly in Nepal after the end of power cut commonly known as the load-shedding. The credit for this goes to Kulman Ghising, managing director of Nepal Electricity Authority,” he says.
KTC launched its own brand Electra Electric in 2015. “That too was a major turning point for us. Since then, we have been manufacturing our own products in India and bringing them into the Nepali market,” shares Gopal. For the promotion of its Electra Electric products, the company had also organized a grand event for the first time in electrical segment in 2015 in Kathmandu where different new electrical switches and switchgears of the brand were launched.
Gopal shares that KTC has witnessed a threefold growth over the last decade. Unlike many other companies which have their head offices in the capital, KTC has its head office in Biratnagar and a branch office in Kathmandu. “We have a network of more than 150 dealers across the country. We have been distributing the products of our own brand and the products of other multinational brands with which we are associated with in all the major cities of Nepal through our present infrastructure. We are planning to expand our network even to the inner parts of the country.”
For strong bonding and satisfaction of its customers, the company has specific teams for different segments. Nandip Agrawal leads the team overseeing the industrial segment of the company. Switch gears, motors, reactive power solutions, earthing solutions, industrial fans, metering and controllers, etc are the products under this segment. Likewise, the consumer segment, headed by Gopal Agrawal, includes products like switches, fans, wires and cables, electric heaters, water heaters and lighting. According to Gopal, Kailash Trading is only the company in Nepal with multiple electric brands in multiple segments.
Four years ago, KTC started NG Electrical Pvt Ltd, one of its sister concerns. “Some of the major multinational brands we are associated with such as Havells, Usha, HPL and Mex have been placed under the roof of NG Electricals,” shares Gopal. Under its own Electra Electric brand, the company produces nano premium plate switches, EL Guard MCBs, EL-LINE DBs among other products.
“We can rank ourselves as one of the leading companies trading in electrical goods,” shares Gopal. According to him, the company maintains an adequate share in the electrical business and is planning to open branches in the western parts of Nepal too. “We plan to be the market leader in the electrical product segment in the country. To expand our market presence, we are going to launch more products in the coming days.”
Gopal says that new companies trading in electrical goods keep coming up in the market challenging the existing companies. The company has been closely following the market trends and taking steps to cope up with the challenges.
Importing electrical goods and appliances from India through the Biratnagar customs office is another challenge for the company. “For the last 10 years, we have been hearing that the Biratnagar dry port will be ready very soon. But that is yet to happen. As a result, we are compelled to import the goods through a flood-damaged bridge on the Indian territory that has not been completely repaired yet. Because of this, sometimes it takes additional time just for the imported products to cross the border into Nepal. Obviously, it increases the transportation costs,” says Gopal.
•Own brand and dealers
•Multiple brands in multiple segments
•Long business history
Weaknesses/ Areas to Improve
•Need to enhance management
•Need to boost after-sales service
•Becoming the market leader
•Emerging need for multiple brands in multiple segments


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By Brian Abel
Nigeria has long been considered Africa’s largest economy in terms of GDP, this should come as no huge surprise, especially considering its population of over 200 million, making it the largest in the continent, and boasting an abundance of natural resources, as well as strong trade links with its neighbouring countries. However, as vast as the Nigerian economy may appear to be, it is still very much going through stages of growth.
Helping to drive this evolution is the rapid digitalisation of many economic sectors. Consider the financial sector, for example, while Nigeria has been a major centre of African banking for many years, recently, it has also become the leading fintech player in the continent. Moreover, of Africa’s handful of unicorns (start-ups valued at more than $1 billion), the majority are, in fact, headquartered in Nigeria.
Rapid digitalisation has also impacted the world of advertising, with the country’s current digital advertising sphere worth over $179.20 million. And, as we know, digital advertising isn’t static, it’s constantly evolving, driven by ever-shifting trends, a fact that remains as true now, in 2023, then it has ever been. With that in mind, it is beneficial to understand the major trends and recognise which are set to impact Nigerian digital advertising over the course of the year.
Twitter to build on its return
At the start of 2022, the Nigerian government reversed its seven-month ban on Twitter. At first, ordinary Nigerians and advertisers alike were a little cautious when it came to returning to the social network. After all, once a service has been banned, it’s hard to imagine that the same might not happen again.
Fortunately, Twitter and the Nigerian government were able to come to an agreement, developing a Code of Conduct in line with global best practices. Over the months that followed, Twitter continued to make gains and once again proved its worth. The platform is slowly but surely securing its stance as the best location for advertisers to reach mass audiences, enabling them to build brand recognition, whilst developing trust, establishing relationships, increasing sales, and improving the customer’s experience.
While the government is keeping a close eye on the social network, especially following Elon Musk’s acquisition, it is set to remain a valuable digital advertising platform in 2023.
During the peak of Covid-19 between 2020 and 2021, came an unexpected shining light for digital marketing and technology companies alike. With strict lockdowns in place globally, people were mostly confined to homes, and it should come as no shock that the need to connect took on new forms as the masses flocked to their online devices to reach loved ones, purchase goods, and seek a sense of normality.
However, as we stepped back into the outside world again, both tech and digital marketing witnessed revenue hits. Nigeria was not spared this cooling-off period, which was exacerbated by internet access issues for people during the year. That said, as connectivity becomes more reliable, ubiquitous, and affordable, digital marketing should continue its rise, with some analysts predicting that the sector will be worth close to $259 million by 2027. Not to mention, once the Pan-African telecommunications service provider, Seacom, launches their West African hub in 2023, that number could be reached even faster.
Marketers leverage entertainment and media
As far back as 2017, PwC predicted that Nigeria would be the world’s fastest-growing entertainment and media market. While Turkey currently holds the top spot, E&M growth in Nigeria remains strong. In fact, analysts predict that spending in the sector will increase by an average of just below 9% in the next five years.
One of the most visible areas of growth can be seen in music streaming. Since its Nigerian launch in February 2021, Spotify has achieved impressive growth in the country. Within a year after launching in Nigeria, music fans in the country had curated some 1.3 million user-generated playlists. Additionally, during the same period, nearly 21,000 songs were added to the platform. In fact, Nigeria was the country with the second most streams after Pakistan, among new markets, with Kenya following behind third in the ranking.
Digital marketers and media platforms have embraced the potential that comes with this advertising growth. Spotify, for example, has a 3D audio feature which allows brands to provide high-quality advertising through an immersive, dynamic, and sensory audio experience. Advertisers around the world have also realised this power, and spend is expected to increase in Nigeria and on a global scale.
Demand for digital marketing skills grows
One of the effects of the accelerated growth in Nigeria’s digital advertising sector has been a growing gap between the available skills and those required to operate effectively. While it’s a figure that applies to more than just digital advertising, research from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) reveals that approximately 230 million jobs across Africa will require digital skills by 2030.
Fortunately, a number of players have stepped forward to try and turn the situation around. Our own Digital Ad Expert Programme, for instance, aims to educate, certify, and connect thousands of Africans with the digital skills they need, enabling them to succeed in this increasingly digitised economy. Whilst these skills will, of course, open the door to an array of career opportunities in digital advertising, they will also accelerate the broader digital economy and provide much-needed jobs on a global scale.
Ultimately, whilst at present, we foresee these trends to be the 2023 drivers for the world of digital advertising and marketing, it is important not to dismiss the possible emergence of others throughout the coming year. Thus, the ability to understand and navigate these shifts will be your key. This can, however, be not notoriously difficult, and therefore using a media buying partner with significant experience in Nigeria and across the biggest digital platforms to guide you through the maze can go a long way.
Brian Abel is the Regional Sales Manager for West Africa at Ad Dynamo by Aleph
Mouka Donates Mattresses to GNOSIS for Domestic Violence Victims
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
To bring succour to victims of domestic violence and abuse, Nigeria’s preferred brand of mattresses, pillows and other sleep products, Mouka, has partnered with a non-governmental organisation (NGO), GNOSIS Help Initiative.
The company donated some mattresses to the NGO at its head office in Lagos on Wednesday to help improve the living condition of the displaced persons sheltered by the organisation, in line with its mission of adding comfort to life.
According to Mouka’s Chief Commercial Officer, Mr Dimeji Osingunwa, the company truly cares about the wellbeing of its consumers and will continue to support worthy programs such as the GNOSIS Help Initiative that seek to alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians. He also called on other corporate organisations to lend a helping hand in making the lives of the victims easier in their journey of healing.
In his response, Barrister Olumide Kayode-Omosebi, Founder of GNOSIS Help Initiative (GHI), said, “When I reached out to Mouka, I did not expect they would respond with such a grand gesture.
“I am thankful as this would go a long way in making the victims feel comfortable in the places of shelter we provide.”
He said with the donation, Mouka has truly demonstrated it is interested in the comfort of all Nigerians, even victims of abuse.
According to him, domestic violence and abuse cases are increasing. In the past year alone, GNOSIS Help Initiative has handled hundreds of abuse cases involving women, children and even men.
“We also engage secondary and tertiary institutions in the country to enlighten the students on how to identify abuse and seek help to break this vicious cycle as most times, the abuser was once a victim or witnessed a loved one being abused,” Mr Kayode-Omosebi stated.
The founder and his co-founder, who is also his wife, shared numerous heartbreaking stories of abuse by spouses and parents that have, in many cases, resulted in grave physical injuries and, many times, death.
Mouka’s National Customer Service Manager, Mr Femi Yussuf, also expressed his gratitude to GNOSIS Help Initiative for this opportunity to give back to society.
According to him, Mouka has given away thousands of mattresses in the past two years to worthy causes, including the first babies born in the year, COVID Isolation centres, internally displaced person’s camps, flood victims, and orphanage homes as part of its CSR programs.
Mouka is a member of Dolidol International Group, Africa’s leading brand of sleep products, with headquarters in Morocco.
The company has a wide range of products specially designed to meet the various needs of consumers based on their age, body build, lifestyle and budget to provide quality sleep to enable them to wake up refreshed and ready to take on the day.
Rite Foods Attributes Success of Products to Investment in Research, Technology
By Dipo Olowookere
The Managing Director of Rite Foods Limited, Mr Seleem Adegunwa, has disclosed that products of the company have continued to maintain market leadership because of the decision of the management to invest heavily in an ultra-modern factory with up-to-the-minute technology, with artificial intelligence and research in line with global best practices.
According to him, this is because of the company’s quest to come up with sustainable and innovative products that will satisfy its consumers.
Rite Foods boasts a diverse range of unique products that cater to the needs of consumers across Nigeria and the continent.
The firm, which is recognised in the Africa 150 Report as one of the continent’s innovative brands with unrivalled flavours, has on the shelf 13 Bigi variants of carbonated soft drink, the Bigi Table Water, the Fearless energy drink consisting of the Fearless Classic and Fearless Red Berry, the five variants of Sosa Fruit Drink as well as the Rite and Bigi Sausages.
“Research is critical to us, and we value that a lot. Our products are leaders in flavour innovation. On the Cola brand, there is a clear edge over the competition, and we lead on flavours like in the Apple and Tropical segments.
“Our brands are enhanced by having many products under them, which is why they look bolder and bigger on the shelf among competitors,” Adegunwa stated.
On the Sosa Fruit Drink, the new entrant into its market segment, the Rite Foods boss stated that the brand is a symbol of quality and a new way the company has attained excellent reviews.
“I think one of the things we are known for and the important thing that we must build on is that symbol of quality. Looking to the future, we are ready to ensure that anything concerning our logo is of a very high standard, and we are strongly committed to that cause to produce world-class products,” he said.
On the premium Fearless energy drink that has topped the list in the Nigerian market, Mr Adegunwa averred that, “Fearless is currently the market leader in the energy drinks segment in Nigeria, and to ensure that we stay on top and prevent competition, we intend to introduce new flavours, and for us, it is constantly about ingenuity and adding new brands to expand our business.”
The company, which began operation with the slogans Truly World-Class and Proudly- Nigerian, describes the quality of what it tries to achieve by competing favourably at the global level, with a DNA and heritage that are completely Nigerian. As a pacesetter, it intends to expand across Africa, hence its new slogan Proudly-African.
“This has been intentional not just to limit us to Nigeria, especially as the product is already expanding across the borders,” Mr Adegunwa explained.
Zoho Upgrades Bigin to Redefine Small Business CRM Market
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A leading global technology company, Zoho Corporation, has upgraded its customer relationship management (CRM) solution for small businesses, Bigin, with new features for better performance.
According to the firm, the platform has been fortified with new capabilities like team pipelines, toppings, and developer centres, which will allow users to manage all types of customer operations.
It is believed that the upgrade will redefine the small business CRM market as it would provide small and micro businesses with the tools and insights they need to maintain and grow meaningful and high-value relationships with customers in a challenging economic environment.
“Small businesses face challenges in choosing the right technology for managing their customer-facing operations because of constraints related to time, cost, and software implementation,” the Country Manager for Zoho Nigeria, Kehinde Ogundare, stated.
“Bigin is the only solution that brings together all customer operations like sales, onboarding, delivery, training, advocacy, and more into an intuitive interface that takes only 30 minutes to deploy.
“By bringing together all the facets of customer operations into a single view, Bigin allows small businesses to have a more accurate understanding of the customer’s journey.
“These insights help them attract and retain customers, ultimately growing the business. The fast-growing adoption of Bigin shows the expanding appetite of small businesses who want and need CRM technology suited to their particular needs, helping them move beyond old-school spreadsheets,” Ogundare added.
Since its launch in 2020, Bigin has stood out as a robust, easy-to-use, and welcoming CRM solution thanks to its 30-minute set-up promise. Bigin saw a revenue growth of 161 per cent in 2022 in Nigeria, indicating the revenue has doubled compared to 2021.
Zoho has observed that around 65 per cent of Bigin’s global customers have never used a CRM previously, making it the ideal choice for business owners who are looking to move away from spreadsheets.
When they outgrow Bigin, Zoho also offers them an easy migration to its full-fledged CRM solution. Bigin now boasts 20,000 customers and continues to help small and micro businesses manage all of their customer-facing operations within a unified platform.
The introduction of Team Pipelines allows customer-facing teams to manage their distinctive operations using a set of pipelines and sub-pipelines within a single Bigin account.
Competitive offerings often cater only to a single function — like sales — whereas Bigin is an efficient solution for all customer-facing teams. New features compile customer operations into one place and enable tighter alignment and collaboration between individuals and teams without compromising the simplicity that makes Bigin stand out.
The Connected Pipelines feature automates the flow of customer data across processes, improving the customer experience and saving time on manual data entry, while the Toppings feature allows the addition of additional functionality and third-party integrations to address specific business needs. Examples include the ‘Email-In’ topping, which maps emails to customer records and the ‘File Cabinet’ topping, which automates file collection and management.
The Dynamic Display allows users to customize the appearance of records in their pipelines, while the Developer Centre gives room for global app developers and partners to create custom solutions for unique business needs.
With various tools and components like custom fields, buttons, links, widgets, related lists, and REST APIs, developers can create new Toppings and monetise them in the Bigin Marketplace.
Bigin by Zoho CRM starts at N2,100/user/monthly (billed annually) for the Express edition and goes up to N3,600 user/monthly (billed annually) for the Premier edition, though a free edition is also available.
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A shipping container shortage has caused prices to increase and availability to shrink across the world, but it isn’t actually a shortage – the issue is that shipping containers aren’t traveling across the world to the US as fast as they used to.
The COVID pandemic increased demand for imports, decreased production, created labor shortages and limited capacities, triggering the “shortage.” But delays at ports all over the world are growing since last year, throwing shipping containers off their normal routes.
When ships transporting containers don’t arrive at their destination ports on time, it snowballs down the supply chain, making it harder for companies that rent, sell or customize steel containers to increase their inventory.
China manufactures more than 90% of the shipping containers in the world. The reason the US stopped making them is labor and materials cost too much here to compete. So, companies that rent, sell and modify containers typically buy their inventory from manufacturers, carriers or brokers globally.
Since the disruptions began, shippers have been extending their container leases for longer than normal, and ocean carriers have raised freight rates to record-high levels. The combination of the long leases, high rates and delays led to 20 and 40-foot shipping containers doubling in price and heavy competition when buying them for inventory.
Because of the delays, more than half of the world’s shipping containers sit waiting on anchored ships. And many other containers are stuck in parts of the world that are on lockdown due to ongoing COVID outbreaks.
In years prior to the pandemic, only one ship – if any at all – had to anchor off the coast to wait to dock. But the average is up to 30 freight container ships per day this year (2021), with many ports setting records for traffic congestion. For example, Southern California ports set a record in January when 38 ships sat idle along the coast to wait to dock.
Container ships aren’t only piling up outside of ports, they’re also spending more time at anchor. Before COVID, container ships spent only one day on average at United States ports. This year, the average wait time at the Port of Los Angeles, the busiest port in the western hemisphere, is 10 days for container ships.
Two bills proposed by US Congress in 2021 hope to improve conditions at American ports by investing $16 billion into port and waterway infrastructure to lessen backlogs and increasing regulations on ocean carriers to limit delay-related fees. But these acts still need to be passed and won’t fully or immediately solve the current global supply chain issues.
Plus, the problem isn’t only in the US. Ports all over the world also have longer wait times, delaying trade routes globally. Unexpected accidents and natural disasters have only added to the problem.
For example, cargo ship Ever Given accidentally got stuck in the Suez Canal in Egypt for a week on March 23, 2021. As a result, it disrupted 12% of the world’s sea trade and delayed the 18,000 freight containers on the ship by two months. Four months later, Typhoon In-Fa forced 150 container ships to evacuate at Yangshan Deep-Water Port, the world’s busiest port, creating a huge backlog that increased delays worldwide.
As ports and countries continue to shut down due to COVID cases and other disruptions emerge, the shipping container “shortage” will go on, with experts predicting it will last into 2022.
This is why it’s pricier and harder to get ISO containers for uses outside of shipping, such as portable offices at construction sites, commercial storage, residential moving or customizing containers for living, workspace, education, healthcare or government.
Despite the challenges stemming from all of these circumstances, SMS works hard to ensure we can always provide you with high-quality Conex containers and fair prices whether you rent, buy or modify. Here’s how we continuously have your back during the global shipping container shortage.


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Lost your COVID-19 vaccination card? It's easy to get a new one.
With only half the nation fully vaccinated and the coronavirus pandemic rebounding with force, Americans may soon find themselves needing to prove they got their shots.
Many of the nation’s large-scale employers – including Walmart, Disney, United Airlines and Walgreens – will require some or all of their workers to be vaccinated. Vaccinations are also needed to board some cruise ships and to avoid time-consuming quarantine when traveling to some international destinations.
Vaccinations are also likely to become necessary to attend many large entertainment events. For example, Live Nation, one of the largest concert organizers in the country, announced this month that artists can require concert attendees to be vaccinated.
In short, that vaccination card you got earlier this year – a forgettable piece of card stock that inexplicably doesn’t fit in a wallet – could slowly become an entry pass to everyday life. It is not implausible that flashing proof of vaccination could soon become as commonplace as showing an ID card to buy a beer.
But … what if you lost it?
Fortunately, if you did lose your card, there are ways to get a new one in Louisiana.
Digital copy through LA Wallet
In Louisiana, there is a digital option to have your vaccination record handy. Gov. John Bel Edwards announced in May in a press release that the LA Wallet app has been expanded to include an individual’s COVID-19 vaccine verification information for those who opt-in.
“If someone wants to have a digital copy of their vaccination record, they should be able to easily get one at no cost, which is what this optional feature of LA Wallet allows them to do. This enhancement is about connecting people with their own personal health information in a simple, secure way,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said.
LA Wallet launched in 2018 as Louisiana’s Digital Driver’s License App. It is available on both the Apple App store and the Google Play store.
How to get a printed copy
According to the Office of the Governor's website, printed copies of their vaccine records can be obtained from any provider that administers vaccines and uses the LINKS system. Residents can also print their complete immunization record through the MyIR website.
COVID impact on high school games:LHSAA announces that high school teams must forfeit games they can't play due to COVID-19


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SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Millions of us have been adding colorful emoji characters to our messages. But have you ever wished for an emoji that isn't there? Two Bay Area women just got theirs approved. 7 On Your Side's Michael Finney has a look at you how you can, too.
It began with yellow smiley faces on your phone. Now, you can choose from more than 1,000 emoji characters. There are 70 new characters coming out next month. But who gets to decide which ones?
Emoji characters now come in a variety of skin tones and Google has proposed adding representations of women in the workplace.
Now, a San Francisco group says everyone should have a voice in deciding the future of the emoji, and guess what we found out, you can have a voice.
The tiny characters spice up text messages, but some say they are more than silly cartoons. "Emoji is a global digital language that is evolving right now," Jennifer Lee said.
Lee and designer Yiying Lu wanted a voice in that evolution. And it all began with a text message about dumplings. "My friend Yiying wanted to send me a dumpling emoji and there wasn't one," Lee said.
Her iPhone had emojis for pizza, hamburgers, even dancing girls, but no Chinese food. "If there is no dumpling emoji then whatever system is in place has clearly failed," Lee said.
So, who decides which emojis get on our phones? "They're highly defined and regulated by an organization called the Unicode Consortium," Lee said.
A little known tribunal of engineers in Mountain View adopt all keyboard characters worldwide. Emojis are a tiny part, but their explosive popularity brought the obscure group out of the shadows "We were taken a bit surprised by how quickly it developed," Unicode Consortium President Mark Davis said.
"The decision-making process around emoji and the discussion process should be more open," Lee said.
Eleven engineers pay $18,000 a year for a voting membership on Unicode Consortium. Most represent tech giants like Google, Apple and Microsoft. Davis insists it's not exclusive. "A lot of people are surprised that anyone can propose an emoji," Davis said. "Anyone can propose an emoji."
So Lee and Lu fought for their dumpling. They raised money on Kickstarter to buy a seat at the Unicode Consortium. In the end, they didn't need it. "The power is in everybody's hands it's just a matter of awareness," Lu said.
Lu designed the dumpling. Lee wrote the proposal and the Unicode Consortium gave its blessing.
Their dumpling will appear on your phones next year, so will their Chinese takeout box and a fortune cookie.
But not everyone gets their wish. "It's a shame that redheads seem to be the only natural hair color that's not included," Emoji petitioner Emma Kelly said.
Kelly's group "Ginger Parrot" petitioned Apple to include a red-headed emoji. Others demanded a giraffe, a lobster and a leprechaun. "We expect people that are proposing an emoji to make a case for it. Is it going to be used a lot?" Davis said.
Seventy new characters made the cut and are coming out next month. You'll see one rolling on the floor laughing, fist bump and the avocado. "If you had a runner that would be nice," one woman said.
Folks we talked to had their own ideas. "Emoji with a tractor," a boy said.
"A guy with a helmet, and then you could create your own team," one man said.
Lee and Lu formed a "Emojination" whose motto is "emoji for the people by the people."
They hope you will submit your own proposals.
Click here to submit your proposal for a new emoji.
Click here for the new emoji list.


text: But dulling of US demand could hurt the trade-driven city, economist says Rising world crude oil prices are expected to have only a minimal direct impact on Hong Kong's financial health, although the knock-on effect of weakening US demand could trickle through to the city's export-driven economy. 'Hong Kong is fairly well protected,' JP Morgan economist Ben Simpfendorfer said. He said the present level of car ownership in the city was not expected to be much higher than the 5.7 per cent of the population cited by the World Bank in 1999. An insignificant manufacturing sector and a relatively low dependence on oil by local businesses also meant that Hong Kong was likely to suffer only a 'small impact to its GDP'. Inflation might creep up by 'a few tenths of a percentage point'. Even if the price of crude tops US$60 a barrel, as some speculators believe, Mr Simpfendorfer said Hong Kong's real economic growth this year should still be within the government's forecast of between 4.5 per cent and 5.5 per cent. For Hong Kong manufacturers and exporters who rely on trade with the US, however, the spectre of high oil prices pushing up the cost of plastic and dampening US consumer spending could have serious economic repercussions. David Yip Yun-kuen, president of the Toy Manufacturers Association of Hong Kong, warned that factories would be forced to accept fewer or smaller orders if the price of crude surged past US$60. They would also be faced with higher freight and energy costs. However, Mr Yip does not expect the situation to result in any factory closures in the short term. 'They will just have to take the higher prices one year at a time,' he said. Rickly Wong Wai-ki, sales director at Universal Plastic & Metal Manufacturing, said it was difficult to pass volatile oil prices on to customers through constant cost adjustments. This time last year, the manufacturer of plastic products such as bags, gloves, aprons, shower caps and raincoats, paid US$970 per tonne for low-density polyethylene. Today, the price has gone up to almost US$1,300, an increase of more than one-third. Plastic accounts for 50 per cent to 60 per cent of the company's total product costs. 'When plastic costs were more stable, we were able to maintain our order prices for up to a year for regular customers. Now, we can only maintain prices for two to three months at a time before adjusting them,' Mr Wong said. 'We need to adjust our product prices based on the order.' Toy manufacturers did not enjoy such flexibility, Mr Yip said, as prices were usually adjusted towards the end of each year, during the Christmas shopping season. As a result, surges in the price of crude that occur in the middle of the year were more difficult to pass on and might not be fully covered. Consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble also said that a worsening oil crisis might force it to seek alternatives to the crude oil byproducts used in its manufacturing process. The company sells everything from cosmetics to cleansing agents.


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Wonky control aside, the original NES Strider was a good game. Too many people dismissed it for not being the arcade favorite, but the 8-bit game made up for that with adventure and intrigue. Sure, the locales couldn’t impress like … Continue reading
TakuCast Zero: Back with Avrevengence! Lovable Irish rogue GUN is joined by his hideously deformed assistant podcast host Badger as they discuss what’s hot in gaming news for the first time for 2014. In this weeks episode: Titanfall 6v6: Is … Continue reading
Batman: Arkham Origins, the prequel to Arkham Asylum and Arkham City that is being developed by Warner Bros. Games Montréal, instead of Rocksteady who made the previous games is due to be released in October for Xbox 360, PS3, WiiU and … Continue reading
Konami had their pre-E3 show today, and to the dismay of many fans Kojima revealed Big Boss’s new voice actor. The new voice of Big Boss will be the star of the hit series 24, Keifer Southerland. The reasoning Kojima … Continue reading
Square-Enix have released the latest trailer for Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII as part of the E3 Event which is due to start on Monday June 10th, 2013 (but really begins tonight with Konamis conference), the trailer can be seen … Continue reading
Square Enix has finally released the first real trailer Murdered Soul Suspect,along with the trailer they released some more info on the game which you can read about here. The game is coming to PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and the … Continue reading
Lionhead Studios announced that they are developing Fable Anniversary, a HD remake of the original Fable,the game is coming to the Xbox 360 sometime this holiday season. The game includes- The Fable: The Lost Chapters content A new user interface, … Continue reading
In a recent interview with IGN bungie hinted at a possible PC release of their upcoming Scifi-FPS Destiny,you can see the quote below. “We haven’t said yes, and we haven’t said no,” Bungie senior writer Eric Osborne told IGN. “The … Continue reading
Keep bringing the Disney remakes!! Though personally I wish they left it 2D and took the Ducktails approach of remastered art, but beggars can’t be choosers right?. The game is expected to hit XBLA, Steam, and PS3. (IGN says it’s also coming to WiiU, but the source has not … Continue reading
Killer Frost and Ares are the latest (and possibly final) on-disc kombatants to be revealed for Injustice: Gods Among Us, the DC Comics-based fighting game made by Mortal Kombat devs Netherrealm Studios, check out both characters in action below: Injustice: Gods … Continue reading
Judging from this pic, it’s fairly obvious that Poker Night at the Inventory 2 has either been leaked/revealed. Probably leaked. But anyways yeah it seems this time the sequel will host 4 new characters: Brock Samson of The Venture Bros. … Continue reading
Oh my gosh, Woo-oo!
To those who don’t know: The DLC is free until the third of April, so catch it soon. It’s also exclusive to the PS3 in North America, while not exclusive in Europe.
For those who don’t know Kojima’s new game, MGS:Ground Zeroes is “…going to be treading a lot of taboos, and a lot of mature themes that really are quite risky.” but none of us really know what these Taboo’s are. The … Continue reading
Introduction I’m a pretty major fan of the Metal Gear series, I’ve played all the main titles from 1-4, Peace Walker, and a hell of a lot of MGO. I’ve read most of the database replayed each of these games … Continue reading


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I had my first opportunity last week to swing by and check out the goings-on at Craft and Draft, Columbia’s newest craft beer shop, and I was mightily impressed. A lot of care and thought obviously went into the shop, evident in everything from the shop’s stance of only featuring local beers on its 12 taps to its handcrafted, repurposed wood shelves. So it makes sense that Wednesday night’s meeting of Columbia’s Girls Pint Out will be held there from 6 to 8 p.m., since the meeting is all about crafts. Shanika Pichey of local website Gather and Craft will teach attendees a (free!) class on how to make origami bouquets while they enjoy a pint of that good local beer.
New Columbia Brewery Launches
Speaking of good local beer, you might have had the opportunity to try some new good local beer last week at the Tasty Tomato Festival as Columbia’s third brewery, Swamp Cabbage, debuted its amber ESB. If you missed out, the Boyd Brothers (as I will be referring to Swamp Cabbage’s founders from now on) will be rolling out their full launch lineup next week at several different locations. They kick things off with a launch party Tuesday, July 29, at Craft and Draft. Then they follow it up with growler launches at Morganelli’s on Wednesday, July 30; Green’s on Piney Grove on Thursday, July 31; and Total Wine & More on Saturday, Aug. 2. Why nothing on Friday, you ask? That’s because they’ll be pouring their beers at Brew at the Zoo that night. Launch beers will include the aforementioned ESB as well as a chocolate brown ale and a blonde ale. Here’s to more great Columbia beers in the very near future.
Let us know what you think: Email email@example.com.


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Photo of the Week: Coffee Leads to Prosperity in Rwanda
December 14, 2012
Byagatonda Emmanuel and his wife Murerehe Speciose live in a prime coffee-producing area in Rwanda, but for years they produced low-quality coffee in small quantities.
Byagatonda Emmanuel and his wife Murerehe Speciose live in a prime coffee-producing area in Rwanda, but for years they produced low-quality coffee in small quantities. TechnoServe advisors trained them in practices such as applying fertilizer, managing pests, pruning trees and controlling erosion. In just one year, their yields and quality improved, and their coffee income grew more than fivefold. With the higher income, Byagatonda and Murerehe were able to buy health insurance for their seven children.
Your support makes this type of change possible. Donate to TechnoServe today to help us continue supporting enterprising people like Byagatonda and Murerehe.
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The authors of the new book From Silicon Valley to Swaziland discuss their encore career in development work, and why they are donating the proceeds from their book to TechnoServe.
TechnoServe’s business accelerator program in Burkina Faso is connecting entrepreneurs with business advisors to help grow the next generation of businesses.
A new TechnoServe study points to a lack of financing options for smallholder coffee farmers in Central America, where a total of $1.5 billion is needed to replant farms that have been devastated by coffee leaf rust.


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EA recently held its annual company earnings call on 29 October 2019, revealing several details about the publisher’s near-future plans for its existing video game IPs. According to Niko Partners games industry analyst Daniel Ahmad, there won’t be a new Battlefield title in 2020.
It’s been confirmed that EA will only be releasing a new Battlefield instalment in the fiscal year of 2022, which actually takes place between April 2021 and March 2022. This marks the first time since 2008’s Battlefield: Bad Company that the publisher won’t be following its usual one-and-a-half or two-year cycle for the military FPS franchise.
EA notes that Apex Legends will be the main service shooter that they focus on next year. The game is planned for mobile, new platforms, China and esports scene.
— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) October 29, 2019
The reason for this is because EA would prefer to shift its focus onto Apex Legends for the FPS genre. The battle royale game has reached 70 million players, with the recently-started Season 3 the best performing one yet since the game’s initial launch in February 2019. The publisher is also planning to release Apex Legends to mobile and other platforms in the future.
The most recent instalment in the Battlefield franchise was 2018’s Battlefield V, which returned the game to its roots of World War 2 after years of modern settings and World War 1 in 2016’s Battlefield 1.
It remains to be seen if this will ultimately be a good decision, especially with the next gaming console generation to arrive in 2020, which means that the Battlefield franchise will be missing out as a potential launch title for either the PS5 or Xbox Scarlett.


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Culp, Inc. to Broadcast 2014 Fiscal Fourth Quarter and Year End Conference
Call Live on the Internet
HIGH POINT, N.C. -- June 6, 2014
Culp, Inc. (NYSE: CFI), today announced that it willprovide an online,
real-time webcast and rebroadcast of its fiscal 2014 fourth quarter and fiscal
year conference call on Friday, June 13, 2014, at 11:00 a.m. ET. During this
call, Culpwillreview thecompany’s financial and operating results for the
fourth quarter and fiscal year ended April 27, 2014. Resultsfor the fourth
quarter ended April 27, 2014, will be issued after the closeof market trading
on Thursday, June 12, 2014.
The live broadcast of Culp’s quarterly conference call will now be available
online atwww.culp.com on June 13, 2014, beginning at 11:00a.m.ET. To listen
to the live webcast, please visit the website at least 15 minutes early to
download and installany necessary audio software. An Internet replay of the
call will be available for 30days using the same links.
Culp, Inc. is one of the world's largest marketers of mattress fabrics for
bedding and upholstery fabrics for furniture. The company's fabrics are used
principally in the production of bedding products and residential and
commercial upholstered furniture.
Kenneth R. Bowling, 336-881-5630
Chief Financial Officer
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