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Palm Beach, FL –July 30, 2019 – Projections show rapid growth in revenues across all cannabis market segments, including flower and edibles. Research also shows that illicit sales will decrease as the legal markets mature and more retail outlets come online, making it easier to buy and at lower price points. An article in the Marijuana Business Daily said that: “Canada’s direct cannabis market will double to 11 billion Canadian dollars ($8.2 billion) in the next six years, and flower market share will halve as consumption shifts toward noncombustible methods, according to research by Ernst & Young. While the accounting and consulting firm said dried flower currently makes up 84% of sales, it expects that figure to fall to 46% by 2025. The projections are for the legal and illicit markets and do not include ancillary sales.” The article’s insight on the discussion continued with: “… by 2025, the expectation is “the percentage coming from the illicit (market) would be significantly lower, especially if quality and price of legal product is commensurate with the illicit market and if access continues to improve,” said Duncan Yang, EY Canada’s real estate and cannabis practice senior manager. Extracts, edibles and nonedible derivatives will make the biggest gains, underpinned by Canada’s upcoming regulations for those products later this year. EY estimates that extracts will grow from the current 10% of the market to 37%, while edibles will rise from the current 5% to 12% by 2025. Active companies in the industry making moves to ready that include: Choom™ Holdings Inc. (OTCQB: CHOOF) (CSE: CHOO), Aurora Cannabis Inc. (NYSE: ACB) (TSX: ACB), Fire & Flower Holdings Corp. (OTCPK: FFLWF) (TSX-V: FAF), Green Thumb Industries Inc. (OTCQX: GTBIF) (CSE: GTII), Trulieve Cannabis Corp. (OTCPK: TCNNF) (CSE: TRUL).
The report concluded with “… additional product formats will be catalysts of growth… “Retail and distribution frameworks across Canada have been implemented at a slower pace than anticipated since legalization, diverting many consumers to the illicit market,” wrote the report’s author, Zachary Pendley, cannabis real estate and valuation leader. “However, as the industry matures, access to legal cannabis products increase and higher margin derivatives come online, we expect the Canadian direct cannabis market to grow by over 50% in 2025… Average annual spending per adult consumer for all cannabis products – both recreational and medical – is expected to grow from CA$1,200 this year to CA$1,600.”
Choom™ Holdings Inc. (CSE: CHOO) (OTCQB: CHOOF) BREAKING NEWS: Choom™ an emerging adult use cannabis company that has secured one of the largest retail networks in Canada, is pleased to announce the appointment of Corey Gillon as President, effective August 26th, 2019. Gillon joins the company as a seasoned global retail executive to strengthen Choom’s management team as it prepares for rapid growth within the Canadian cannabis retail market.
Gillon’s executive leadership roles were established at Walmart and Aritzia where the corporate strategies he implemented were customer-focused and ensured operational retail development. Walmart is recognized as a global leader in retail operations and Aritzia is one of Canada’s most preeminent lifestyle retailers. During Gillon’s career, he led multibillion-dollar operations spanning multiple countries and was responsible for up to 22,000 associates. Gillon has a proven track record for delivering year over year revenue growth as a result of executional excellence, leveraging global best practices and customer-focused retail strategies. Gillon is a graduate of the prestigious Harvard Business School from their executive leadership program.
“As Choom prepares for its next phase of cannabis retail growth, it is critical to bring on a retail executive of Corey’s caliber to further grow and develop our company. Corey’s experience at Walmart and Aritzia comes with a proven record of innovation, long-term planning, driving change and developing brands for two of the world’s most innovative and fastest growing retailers.” states Chris Bogart, President & CEO of Choom. “We are thrilled that Corey is joining the Choom team in the capacity of President. He will play an integral role in the execution of our retail strategy especially during this critical time of our aggressive opening scheduled for the coming months.”
Gillon said, “I am excited to lead a growing part of the Choom business, particularly during such a dynamic and exciting period. Choom is building an iconic brand and I look forward to stewarding the expansion of the Choom cannabis retail network as it prepares for rapid growth within the Canadian cannabis retail landscape.” Read this and more news for Choom™ at: https://financialnewsmedia.com/news-choo/
Additional industry related developments from around the markets:
Aurora Cannabis Inc. (NYSE: ACB) (TSX: ACB) recently announced the launch of a joint clinical research program that will produce multiple studies under the terms of their recently announced partnership. The research will examine the use of hemp-derived CBD as an effective treatment for pain, inflammation, wound-healing, and recovery on MMA athletes.
The ground-breaking research partnership is aimed at understanding key health and recovery needs of elite athletes in such a highly physical and competitive sport as mixed martial arts. Research data will then be used to drive the development of science-backed, hemp-derived CBD topicals that will be safe and reliable. These new products will help combat the rapidly growing market of untested CBD treatments currently being used by high-performance and non-professional athletes.
Fire & Flower Holdings Corp. (TSX-V: FAF.V) (OTCPK: FFLWF) recently announced that shareholders representing more than 50% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company (the “Shares”) have delivered written consents approving the proposed transaction (the “Transaction”) contemplated by the subscription agreement (the “Subscription Agreement”) entered into by the Company on July 23, 2019 , with an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. (the “Investor”) (TSX: ATD.A; ATD.B).
Pursuant to the terms of the Subscription Agreement and upon completion of the Transaction, the Investor will have the right to acquire up to 50.1% of the Shares (on a pro-forma fully-diluted basis) as further described in the Company’s press release dated July 24, 2019 . The Company is relying on an exemption in the Toronto Stock Exchange Company Manual which permits the Company to obtain shareholder approval for the Transaction by way of a written consent instrument executed by the holders of more than 50% of the issued and outstanding Shares.
Green Thumb Industries Inc. (CSE: GTII) (OTCQX: GTBIF) recently announced that it will hold a conference call on Wednesday, August 28, 2019, at 5:00 pm ET following the release of its second quarter 2019 financial results after market close.
The earnings conference call may be accessed by dialing 877-273-8145 (Toll-Free) or 647-689-5400 (International) with conference ID: 2278778. A live audio webcast of the call will also be available on the Investor Relations section of GTI’s website at www.gtigrows.com/investors and will be archived for replay.
Trulieve Cannabis Corp. (CSE: TRUL) (OTCPK: TCNNF) recently announced the appointment of Peter T. Healy to its Board of Directors. With continuing growth of the Company in Florida and the expansion of operations into new U.S. states, the addition of Peter Healy broadens the knowledge and experience base of Trulieve’s Board of Directors and further supports the execution of the Company’s strategic vision.
“We are very pleased to welcome Peter to the Trulieve Board,” said Kim Rivers , CEO of Trulieve. “Having advised a number of boards of public and private companies alike, and with a proven track record in financing, M&A, and cross-border listings, Trulieve will benefit from the unique knowledge and perspectives that Peter offers as we continue to bring high-quality products and an industry-leading customer experience to cannabis markets throughout the United States .”
DISCLAIMER: FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates FinancialNewsMedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. FNM’s market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed FNM has been compensated forty six hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press release issued above by Choom™ Holdings Inc. by a non affiliated third party. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.
This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. “Forward-looking statements” describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as “may”, “future”, “plan” or “planned”, “will” or “should”, “expected,” “anticipates”, “draft”, “eventually” or “projected”. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company’s annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.
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We informed you earlier that Hyundai, the South Korean automaker is planning to launch the new Hyundai Tucson SUV in the Indian car market this year. Speaking to ET Auto, YK Koo, Hyundai Motor India MD said that the new Tucson will be launched in the country in year end. He further stated that the company will introduce two new products in the second half of 2016. Also Read- 2016 Hyundai Elantra spotted testing in India
Hyundai India is focusing more on SUVs to further improve its market share. At the 2016 Delhi Auto Expo, the company showcased the Carlino sub-4 metre SUV concept. If reports are to be believed, the production version of the Carlino will go on sale in the country in early 2018. It will be pitched against the likes of the Maruti Vitara Brezza, Ford EcoSport, Mahindra TUV300 and the upcoming Tata Nexon.
Coming back to Tucson, the premium SUV will be slotted between the Hyundai Creta and the Santa Fe. Unveiled at the 2016 Delhi Auto Expo, the premium SUV will take on the likes of the Mahindra XUV500 and the upcoming Tata Hexa. It is expected to be powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine that offers two states of power- 136PS and 184PS. Transmission duties are likely to be carried out by a six-speed manual and an automatic unit. The new Tucson is 4,475mm in length, 1,850mm in width and 1,645mm in height and has a wheelbase of 2,670mm. It comes with a boot space of 513-litres, which is good enough to carry your weekend bags. Also Read- Hyundai Tucson coming soon to rival Tata Hexa
Talking about new Hyundai Elantra, the saloon will get cosmetic upgrades to both exterior and interior. The vehicle will first go on sale in Q3, 2016 followed by Tucson towards the end of this year. The 2016 Elantra is likely to get 2 petrol and 1 diesel engine. The petrol options will include 1.6-litre GDi and 2.0-litre MPi units while the diesel version will get a 1.6-litre VGT CRDi unit. Transmission options are likely to include a 6-speed manual, 6-speed automatic and 7-speed dual-clutch automatic unit.

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Refinery29 is laying off about 10 percent of its staff as it shifts its video strategy, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
The cuts account for more than 40 employees at the New York-based company, primarily affecting people in the product, engineering and video divisions. The ad-sales team is also being reorganized.
The restructuring comes as the digital brand, which focuses on lifestyle and news content aimed at millennial women, expects to miss its revenue projections for the year by about 5 percent. It is the second round of layoffs in the last year for the company, which cut about 34 employees in December.
Thirteen-year-old Refinery29, which is led by co-CEOs Philippe von Borries and Justin Stefano, began as an editorial site for fashion-minded young women and eventually evolved into a media brand with articles around news, food, travel and other topics. Like many of its peers, it made a push into social video a few years ago, driven by a demand for more of this content from Facebook and other social platforms. But now the company says it will refocus its video efforts on the types of projects that it can license to television networks and streaming services, resulting in a shift away from the shortform videos that populate social media.
“While this type of content has been driving views, it has not yielded a great monetization strategy to justify the same level of continued investment,” the CEOs wrote in their memo to staff.
Despite the cuts, the executives still painted a rosy picture of the company, noting that international revenue will be up 100 percent for the year and that its live events business, driven by the 29Rooms installation, will be up over 300 percent. “It’s important to note that the overall performance of the business this year has grown in a tough environment and that we have successfully diversified our revenue streams,” they wrote.
Refinery29 has raised more than $125 million in financing from Turner, WPP, Hearst, Discovery and other investors. It is among a number of digital media companies that have conducted layoffs within the last few years, including BuzzFeed, Vice Media and Vox Media.
The Wall Street Journal first reported on the layoffs.
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While global M&A activity slowed in 2022, VC still poured money into the gaming acquisitions as industry organizations addressed lingering concerns about in-game advertising and measurability.
2022 M&A Gaming Activity Surges
For many VCs, gaming represents a safe haven amidst economic uncertainty, according to Kurt Ma, a corporate partner at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP. Because gaming success is primarily driven by user experience, Ma stated powerful gaming franchises tend to produce reliable profits as long as users get their money’s worth.
“Gaming is quite different from a traditional business because gaming studios, on the whole, don’t get distressed in the same way,” said Ma. “You stand or fall on the strength of what you put out, and that’s true whether you’re a big player like Microsoft or an individual writing brilliant code in your bedroom.”
In 2022 M&A investment rose to $38.1 billion in 2022, up from $33.4 billion in 2021.
The flurry in M&A activity reflects an emphasis on strategic investment growth among VCs seeking to consolidate competitive advantage as gaming audiences and marketplace values rise.
“The investment landscape in 2022 has been hindered by a crypto winter, macroeconomic headwinds, high-interest rates, inflation, and recession concerns,” the report reads. “Despite these challenges, our data shows that 2022 was still the second-best year in the video game industry for games funding, mainly driven by acquisitions as large gaming corporations acquire mature and established businesses.”
That drive towards consolidation will likely continue, some analysts suggest.
“Despite the short-term turbulence, the deal activity will remain strong,” according to a recent report by InvestGame. “There is potential for a few significant deals to occur in 2023, as the industry continues to consolidate, supported by strong investors’ interest and enough cash to pursue transformative deals.”
According to Pitchbook’s Launch Report: Gaming report, many of 2022’s deals focus on emergent tech and monetization.
“Although VC funding is evenly distributed between early- and late-stage VC, the content segment has proven to be the impetus for most late-stage funding,” the report states. “Early-stage funding is skewed toward emergent technologies, such as Web3 infrastructure and generative artificial intelligence (AI), in addition to gaming content.” In addition, the report reads, “deal value is also flowing to startups helping content, and intellectual property (IP) owners monetize gamers.”
As new money flows towards proven gaming properties and audience monetization, measurement and addressability is becoming a priority in the industry.
Measurement Stays Top Of Mind For Gaming and In-Game Advertisers
In July 2022, The IAB and IAB Tech Lab, in collaboration with the Media Rating Council (MRC), in releasing its Intrinsic In-Game (IIG) Measurement Guidelines to provide updated measurement guidelines for in-game ads. The goal was to support agencies, brands and gaming platforms as the marketplace evolves and how audiences interact with advertising changes. A lack of understanding about in-game ad metrics is hindering in-game advertising investment, according to Jack Koch, SVP, Research & Insights, IAB.
“Buyers want to make good quality buys that align with their brands and drive all the way through to purchase,” said Koch in a press statement. “And while that is absolutely possible in gaming today, perception lags reality.”
Despite a global audience of more than three billion gamers, advertisers have yet to view game advertising as a platform for reaching a wide audience like they might look at social media, according to the IAB. A recent IAB-Mediascience survey of 40 brands, agencies, ad tech companies, game developers, and publishers revealed that gaming ads represented less than five percent of their marketing spend.


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International dairy markets turn negative on the year
After showing surprising strength and resilience during Q1 2022, global dairy prices met resistance and have lost all YTD gains, turning net negative last week’s Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auction. Overall results from Jul. 5 showed aggregate dairy product prices sank a dismal 4.1 percent, their second-largest drop since the start of the year.
Most product categories saw price losses save for cheddar cheese, the single nominal gainer. Core products suffered the most, with anhydrous milkfat (AMF) down 3.1 percent, skim milk powder down 5.1 percent, whole milk powder down 3.3 percent, and butter dropping the most, giving up 9.1 percent. The butter drop was overdue and finally brings its price more reasonably below that of pure butter oil or AMF.
The latest auction saw 147 active bidders and 23,461 MT of product traded. At this time of year, bidding is typically less active and lower volumes are offered, making the price drop still more surprising.
Also interestingly, the cumulative results of the auctions this year now show a net negative overall result. Prices rallied sharply through most of Q1 on optimism that the worst of COVID-19 was behind us, but as prices rapidly rose, central banks began raising interest rates on fears of inflation. Likewise, new cases of COVID-19 and developments such as the BA5 sub-variant have proven harder to control, skirting both vaccines and natural immunities. Spikes across China prompted sudden quarantines and lockdowns followed in the pursuit of a strict zero-COVID policy. The closures have threatened the country’s economic growth as businesses shut down and mass testing was imposed.
Coupled with growing fears of recession and the potential for lower demand growth, buyers balked at high prices and retreated from the market. As a result, all the Q1 price gains were given back in Q2, and the cumulative price movement is down now 3.4 percent.
Cumulative GDT Auction price changes
Source: Global Dairy Trade
Posted by: Information Services Our Information Services team assists our clients with understanding commodity and ingredient market dynamics. Using our extensive database of intelligence, we also produce regular commodity and commercial market publications covering supply and demand fundamentals, news alerts on events that shape the markets, and resource guides to give you a complete picture of the industries we monitor.


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VietNamNet Bridge – Chinese merchants have been flocking to fishing ports in Khanh Hoa province to collect seafood materials. Meanwhile, the local authorities still do not know what they should do to settle the problem.
Two months ago, the Khanh Hoa provincial market control taskforce seized 40 tons of fish from two Chinese merchants at the Vinh Luong fishing port. However, Chinese merchants do not intend to give up the job. A lot of Chinese merchants still can be seen at the fishing ports in the locality, while many of them even go to the ships to examine products.
Some Chinese names have become well known at the ports, because they usually collect seafood materials in big quantities. Three or four Chinese men always wait at the ports for the fishing boats to return.
“They only haggle prices, while they do not pay much attention to the quality,” a Vietnamese fisherman said.
Chinese businessmen collecting seafood under the names of Vietnamese
Deputy Head of the Board of Management of the Vinh Luong fishing port Nguyen Thanh Hau said that many Chinese merchants have returned to China to celebrate Tet holiday and they have not returned. However, there always some people present at the port to collect fish.
As local newspapers have reported to the local authorities about the seafood material collection by Chinese merchants, the market control force has strengthened their inspection. Therefore, Chinese merchants now rarely go the port. They only had a quick look at the products and then leave the ports. Meanwhile, the other works are being taken by Vietnamese.
“This means that Chinese merchants still keep collecting Vietnamese seafood materials, but with the assistance of Vietnamese people,” Hau said.
According to Nguyen Minh So, Head of the Market Control Team in Khanh Hoa province, the Vietnamese laws do not prohibit Chinese merchants to collect seafood, but the merchants have to register their business and pay tax.
So went on to say that the illegal seafood collection has not only caused the loss of the tax collection to the sate budget, but has also badly affected authentic businesses.
“The fact that Chinese merchants collect materials in Vietnam has made Vietnamese businesses angry, because this has created an unhealthy competition,” So said.
According to him, Chinese merchants are now collecting seafood in two different ways, either they collect materials directly from farmers, then hire people to carry the materials to workshops for processing, or they collect materials under the names of Vietnamese people.
In the former case, it is easy to find the frauds because there is clear evidence. Meanwhile, if Vietnamese people come forward and collect seafood with their names, it would be more difficult for the management agencies to discover and punish.
It’s difficult to discover fraud; it’s more difficult to punish violators
Nguyen Van An from the Khanh Hoa provincial market control taskforce has admitted that it is really difficult to treat Chinese merchants.
“They speak to Vietnamese people in Vietnamese, but when we meet them, they said that they cannot speak Vietnamese. They always ask for interpreters and lawyers,” An said.
“The biggest challenge for us is to define the investment source, which goes beyond our capacity,” he added.
It is difficult to discover fraud, while it is even more difficult to treat the cases. The provincial authorities released the decision to impose fine on two Chinese merchants Lin Da Quang and Zheng Quan Xing and seized 40 tons of fish. However, to date, the two have not paid fines.
According to An, it is impossible to find out the accommodations of the two, while the 40 tons of fish have been kept at the cold storage of an enterprise which costs one million dong a day.


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iPhone 12 SAR-lowering software update approved by French authorities. The iPhone 15 series has dominated the previous two weeks, but the three-year-old iPhone 12 has just experienced an odd development in France. The National Frequency Agency (ANFR) discovered that the stock iPhone 12 was producing electromagnetic waves at levels that were greater than permitted.
As a result, the regulator forbade Apple from selling the product locally and demanded Cupertino release a software upgrade. According to a recent ANFR report, the regulator has finally given the go-ahead for Apple’s iPhone 12 software update (version 4.06.02), which according to testing by the French agency reduced Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) values to 3.94W/kg.
iPhone 12 SAR-lowering software update approved by French authorities
According to the press release, Apple is now responsible for providing the latest update to all iPhone 12 customers in France. The SAR of the iPhone 12 was determined to be 5.74 W/kg prior to the most recent upgrade, exceeding the EU guideline of 4.0 W/kg for a device kept in a pocket.
It should be emphasized that testing procedures in France are different from those in other nations since they involve SAR tests for limbs, which the iPhone 12 failed (i.e., holding the phone in the hand). Intriguingly, the French agency adopted its new SAR for limbs testing procedures in 2020, the same year that the iPhone 12 was originally released, despite not being over the SAR criteria.


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SoftBank’s Vision Fund, the brainchild of company founder Masayoshi Son, has faced a number of headwinds, including falling tech stocks as a result of rising interest rates, a tough China market and geopolitics.
Kentaro Takahash | Bloomberg | Getty Images
SoftBank posted one of its biggest losses at its Vision Fund investment unit for its fiscal first quarter, as tech stocks continue to get hammered amid rising interest rates.
The Japanese giant’s Vision Fund posted a loss of 2.93 trillion Japanese yen ($21.68 billion) for the June quarter. This is the second biggest quarterly loss for the Vision Fund.
That contributed to a net loss of 3.16 trillion yen for the quarter for SoftBank versus a profit of 761.5 billion yen in the same period last year.
SoftBank’s Vision Fund, which launched in 2017 and invests in technology companies, has been hit by a slump in high-growth stocks as a result of runaway inflation that has prompted the Federal Reserve and other central banks to raise interest rates.
Masayoshi Son, SoftBank’s outspoken founder and the mastermind behind the Vision Fund, said in May that the company would go into “defensive” mode and be more “conservative” with the pace of investments after posting record losses 3, 5 trillion Japanese yen in the investment unit. for the last financial year.
SoftBank said it saw a decline in the share prices of a wide range of its portfolio companies, which was “primarily caused by the global downward trend in share prices due to growing concerns about an economic slowdown due to inflation and rising interest rates.”
Shares of companies ranging from South Korean e-commerce company Coupang to DoorDash in the United States were hit hard in the second quarter of the year.
SoftBank said share prices of private companies in its portfolio also fell.
This is breaking news. Check back for updates.


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Microsoft had a rather significant event yesterday with their keynote at their Worldwide Partner Conference down in Florida. After the keynote, ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley was able to speak with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella about Microsoft's strategy – and more importantly – plans for mobile.
The 30-minute transcribed interview is truly fascinating to read in its entirety. Nadella is very precise in his language, and it is clear he certainly has an impressive albeit abstract vision of the company and Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile. Although you should read the interview yourself, for now we are just focusing on one area that Foley focused on for a few questions: Windows Phone.
Much has been made of Microsoft's decision last week to cut back on Lumia models and to seemingly scale back investment on the consumer side of mobile. Some pundits are claiming that this is the beginning of the end while others like myself see this as a smart – and necessary – shift in strategy (see also my #AskDanWindows Episode 2).
'We'll build them'
Microsoft's strategy appears to be the one I have put forth: let their OEMs build devices for Windows Phone. Foley asks about the highly interesting letter by Microsoft COO Kevin Turner, which mentions a Surface strategy being applied to mobile. Nadella's response is thought-provoking:
Nadella reiterates the message later on:
Those three segments are Enterprise, budget phones, and flagship devices. My reading of Nadella's response is that Microsoft is committed to having Windows Phones now and in the future. Ideally, Microsoft's OEM partners build the bulk of those devices. However, if they do not step up, Microsoft fills that gap.
This mobile approach is the very same as the Surface one to bootstrap PC and two-in-one device manufacturing and sales. I think at this time, this is the right approach too.
Universal apps and a 'path dependent' strategy
Later in the interview, Foley raises the issue in downplaying Windows Phone, and how it could affect Microsoft's Universal Windows Apps plans for Windows 10. Without a phone story, Windows 10 becomes a lot less attractive. Foley gets right to the point:
Q:"Why as a developer do I now want to build an app that runs on Windows Phone if there's going to be even fewer Windows Phones?"
Nadella answers with a not obvious but well thought out response. In short, developers do not want to build apps for Windows Phone , that is the point. However, they may wish to build an app for the millions of Windows desktop users. Once they commit to that, however, they are now on a path since they can easily add that app to Xbox, HoloLens or even Windows Phone:
This point is exactly what I mentioned on Friday. Developers still won't want to make apps for Windows Phone, but that is okay since they can go for millions of users on the desktop. Since the Universal Windows app tools allow a one app package, companies can just as easily publish their app to Windows Phone. After all, why not? It costs them nothing, and they can grab a few million more users.
Mind you, this is still a big risk. Microsoft is assuming that developers want to make apps for Windows 10. This desire has yet to be demonstrated, and it all hinges on that point. If companies still do not see a value in making Windows 10 apps, then the phone is very much dead. The bet here is on millions of Windows 7 and Windows 8 users taking Microsoft up on that free Windows 10 update, which is just a means to an end: the Windows 10 Store.
Is that chancy? You bet. However, leveraging Microsoft's strongest point – the desktop OS – is the smartest path to success. Stop trying to win on the phone directly when you can do it indirectly.
Nadella clarifies and reinforces this strategy as Foley presses him more:
When I hear from developers now that the outreach budgets to make Windows Phones apps has been slashed, which is true, by the way, it makes sense in this context. Why bother sinking money in getting Windows Phone specific apps when you are betting on all of Windows 10? It is about the big picture here.
"When I think about our Windows Phone, I want it to stand for something like Continuum."
Finally, Nadella also brings up Continuum, something that he claims is his favorite part of Windows 10 and Windows Mobile (and mobile, with a lowercase). Nadella does not see Microsoft competing head on with Apple or Android for smartphones. In that sense, yes, Microsoft is giving up at least on the traditional model.
Nadella though is focusing on the next era, what comes after smartphones. His vision and answer to this is Continuum, or broadly speaking the idea that your device adjusts to your environment. For PCs, this is the ability to remove a keyboard and switch to tablet mode. For a phone, this is the capacity to attach a mouse, keyboard and display to make it run Universal apps like a computer. Here is how Nadella talks about it:
The Intel Windows Phone gambit
We have already seen what Continuum for phones brings when Microsoft's next flagships launch this fall. However, what about going further? Someone asked me about "Intel-powered phones" and if I thought they were coming.
I can now answer you: yes , early next year. Microsoft does have an Intel plan in the works. Would that make a good use of the Surface brand once you have an x86 phone that can be a true computer?
Perhaps it would, perhaps it would.
Source: All About Microsoft (ZDNet)
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Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007 when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and for some reason, watches. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.


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An Alberta Chemical Engineer Is Sharing A DIY Hand Sanitizer Recipe After Stores Sold Out
The coronavirus panic is real. As people all over the country are emptying out their local grocery stores in fear of a pandemic, a Reddit user in Alberta has shared a neat little recipe for homemade hand sanitizer. As it turns out, you only need two ingredients to keep your hands bacteria-free, as per this DIY hand sanitizer recipe.
Reddit user shsh_gaurav says they are a chemical engineer with a background "in petrochemicals, oil and gas, and specialty chemicals." Today, they took the time to share a little DIY magic with the online community.
This engineer posted a super-easy recipe for making your own hand sanitizer at home after claiming that "most Costcos and Walmarts ran out of hand sanitizers and tissue papers yesterday."
Indeed, Narcity spoke to Costco, and they've informed us that they've sold out of hand sanitizer all over the province except for locations in Medicine Hat and Grande Prairie.
Customers have been placed on an order list as the stores restock their shelves.
We are already seeing stores getting cleaned out by panicked Albertans. Toilet paper, water, and hand sanitizer seem to be items in high demand.
Thanks to this Redditor, we won't have to be disappointed by empty shelves in the pharmacy anymore. With the help of two ingredients, we can make our own Pinterest-perfect hand sanitizer.
According to the post, we need two things only: isopropyl alcohol and aloe vera gel. Mixing up two parts isopropyl alcohol with one part aloe vera gel will result in this homemade solution that's no different than your name brand hand sanitizer.
According to an article by USA Today on the same recipe, Chemistry expert Anne Marie Helmenstine confirms that it's totally okay to make DIY hand sanitizers with two parts rubbing alcohol and one part aloe vera gel.
Her recipe is corroborated by a professor of medicine at the University of Southern California, Dr. David Agus, who says that as long as the sanitizer has close to 70% alcohol content, it should be as effective as name-brand sanitizer.
The isopropyl alcohol shouldn't be too difficult to find, it's just a fancy way of calling rubbing alcohol, most drug stores should have it, and there's a boat-load of it on Amazon.
And you can find aloe vera gel at tons of retailers, both online and in-store. Walmart, Amazon, Shoppers have aloe vera gel listed on their websites.
Aloe vera has lots of health benefits in addition to being part of this DIY duo.
According to Medical News Today, aloe vera helps to heal burns, improve skin health, reduce wrinkles, and even lower blood sugar levels.
In addition to sharing their recipe, this Reddit engineer goes on to tell us that we should wash our hands for as long as it takes to sing the "Happy Birthday" song twice.
The World Health Organization advises the public on how they can cope with the outbreak, especially if it spreads in our own country.
Washing our hands is the first point of advice on their list, followed by maintaining social distance, and avoiding touching our eyes, nose, and mouth.
Hand sanitizer is flying off the shelves, so we may need to start making our own.


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KARACHI: Many operational bank accounts of Pakistanis in Japan are being suspended for certain reasons, said Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) President Daroo Khan Achakzai. He was discussing issues pertaining to bilateral trade and economic relations with officials of the Japanese Ministry of Economy and Trade and Industry (METI). The issues under discussion included opening of new bank accounts, said a statement issued on Tuesday. METI officials pointed out that the problem of suspension of bank accounts was also being faced by Japanese nationals in Pakistan, which was hampering bilateral trade. The FPCCI president assured METI officials that he would take up the matter with the government of Pakistan and a joint meeting would be held in August 2019 to discuss bilateral banking procedures. The FPCCI president also met newly appointed Ambassador of Pakistan to Japan Imtiaz Ahmed and discussed promotion of bilateral trade and economic relations between Pakistan and Japan.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 24th, 2019.


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Federal Injunction Against The SBA Thrown Out, Costing Small Businesses Billions of Dollars
American Small Business League
October 19, 2016
PETALUMA,Calif., Oct. 19, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American SmallBusiness League's (ASBL's) controversialinjunction against the Small Business Administration was thrown out today.
Aftera rocky litigation riddled with several eyebrow raising moments, (the SBA triedto reword the ASBL's accusations that they were not hitting their small businesscontracting goals, and the initial hearing was canceled at the last minute infavor of a private ruling) Judge Vince Chhabria has ruled against theinjunction. "This is not unexpected" says ASBL President LloydChapman, "This case would uncover over $2 trillion in fraud from the ObamaAdministration. If the Federal courts can't stop fraud in federal smallcontracting, where do you go?"
Federallaw mandates small businesses receive a minimum of 23%of all federal contracts. Within that goal are separate goals for smallbusinesses owned by women, minorities and service-disabled veterans.
TheASBL estimates that as opposedto the $276 billion legitimate small businesses should have received in 2015,they likely received between $35 to $40 billion or just 3% of all federalcontracts.
Inaddition, the ASBL seeks to stop the SBA from divertingbillions of dollars in federal small business contracts to Fortune 500 firmsand their subsidiaries.
AGovernment Accountability Office investigation uncoveredthe SBA had falsified the government's compliance with the 23% small businesscontracting goal by including billions of dollars in federal smallbusiness contracts to over 5,300 Fortune 500 firms and other large businesses.
ProfessorCharles Tiefer, one ofthe nation's leading experts in federal contracting law and former Commissionerof Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan, submitted a declaration insupport of the ASBL case. "Today's ruling locked the courthouse doorwithout even giving this very real and meaningful suit its rightful day incourt," says Tiefer. "If the lawsuit had been allowed to get itsrightful day in court on the merits, the lawsuit would have required the SBA togive all small businesses -- and doubly so for minority, women-owned,and disabled veteran businesses -- a larger and proper share of federalprocurement." "Dismissing the suit frustrates the legitimate rightsof small businesses to their proper share of the true scale of governmentcontracting."
Toview full press release, click here: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/federal-injunction-against-the-sba-thrown-out-costing-small-businesses-billions-of-dollars-300347877.html


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Business Meeting & Entertainment Guide
Meetings that float: Planners set sails for Cup gusher
Companies already renting boats for business events during races
Though the America’s Cup competition doesn’t start until next year, the sails of certain businesses have already caught wind. Excitement has already spread to local sailing and yacht clubs, and many are seeing a spike in interest from companies planning to hold meetings and corporate events out on the water.
Sailing boats and yachts offer a sophisticated business venue and can impress clients, said Marti McMahon-Diamond, president of Brisbane-based Yacht Connections International.
“The America’s Cup puts a buzz in people’s ears that the Bay is really an amazing place,” she said.
Several companies interested in renting yachts for the America’s Cup World Series events in August have already contacted her, and Yacht Connections is sold out for races in October.
Some of that business is a result of the event coinciding with this year’s Fleet Week, said McMahon-Diamond, but overall bookings have increased. Several investment firms and banks have contacted Yacht Connections expressing interest in holding large corporate events during next year’s races, she said.
In preparation, McMahon-Diamond is upgrading the interior of her fleet, outfitting each vessel with a satellite system to view live coverage of the races. Yacht Connections has also designed a series of catered-cruise packages specifically for next year’s events.
Hornblower Cruises and Events has also heard from companies interested in booking events and watching the America’s Cup races. The company may bring up several of its vessels from its Southern California ports to handle increased demand, said Tegan Firth, a spokeswoman for Hornblower.
Hannah Esqueda is an intern in the San Francisco Business Times newsroom.
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The much-anticipated release of the next version of the iPhone, presumably the iPhone 5, has been hotly debated. But if what former vice president and current Apple Inc. board member Al Gore believes is true, consumers can expect the new iPhones to be here in October.
Gore spoke Wednesday at the Discovery Invest Leadership Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, The Associated Press reported. Toby Shapshak, a summit attendee and the editor of Stuff Magazine's South African edition, told the AP that, when speaking about computing's exponential growth, Gore said, Not to mention the new iPhones coming out next month. That was a plug.
Shapshak said he recorded Gore's comments on his iPhone; they were reported earlier by TheNextWeb. If Gore is correct, that could be an indication that Apple will introduce more than one model, according to the AP.
An Apple spokesman declined to comment.


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FieldWeb, a Field Services Management (FSM) application by CoreField Technologies built primarily for small and medium businesses, is growing at 45 per cent month-on-month. FieldWeb aims to provide SMBs with a value-priced, easy-to-use application with multilanguage support available for all mobiles and that works well on low network configurations.
“Our vision is to build a vertical SaaS ecosystem for the field services industry. We are bringing about a change by digitising the way all small and medium businesses in the Field Services industry manage, generate leads, market, sell, recruit, finance, invoice, get paid, and organise their businesses,” Amit Dhawan, founder and director- FieldWeb, told Khaleej Times in an interview. “Looking at the current scenario and the response of our target customers, we are aiming for $2 million in annual recurring revenue of total turnover in the next financial year,” he added.
FieldWeb is especially designed for business owners to track and manage their field business operations digitally. FieldWeb offers a large set of features such as real-time task scheduling, annual maintenance contract management, accounts management, asset management, customer relationship management, income and expense management, the customer app, report generation, etc. to ensure smooth operations and overall management to optimise field services.
“Our target audience is any field business owner who has field service technicians who go out to the customer’s place and provide services. For example: HVAC, AC Services, RO Purifiers, CCTV & Security, Printer Repair, among others.
Currently, FieldWeb is targeting India and the Gulf markets. In the next phase, we plan to expand in the Indian sub-continent, the USA, Canada, the UK, and Southeast Asia in the coming years.
The Field Services Management (FSM) industry is experiencing several trends that are shaping the overall industry’s landscape.
According to Dhawan, a few of the latest trends are:
The shift towards mobile solutions continues to gain momentum, enabling technicians to access information, update job statuses, and communicate with the back office all in real time using smartphones and tablets. According to a survey by Capterra, 90 per cent of FSM software buyers are looking for mobile capabilities in their solutions.
The Internet of Things (IoT) has made its way into FSM, allowing for the integration of connected devices and sensors. This enables proactive maintenance, real-time monitoring, and predictive analytics. A new research by Markets and Markets predicts that global IoT in the field service market will reach $5.1 billion by 2026.
AI and ML technologies are being leveraged to optimize field service operations. These technologies can automate scheduling, predict equipment failures, and provide intelligent recommendations for technicians. According to Gartner, by 2025, AI will be integrated into 50 per cent of FSM software solutions.
AR and VR are being used to provide remote assistance, virtual training, and interactive visualizations in field service. These technologies enhance troubleshooting, reduce travel costs, and improve the overall customer experience. The AR market in field services is projected to reach $2.6 billion by 2026, as estimated by Markets and Markets.
The abundance of data generated in FSM operations is being harnessed for data analytics and predictive maintenance. By analyzing historical data, patterns, and trends, businesses can optimize maintenance schedules, reduce downtime, and improve asset performance. A report by the Aberdeen Group states that companies implementing predictive maintenance experience a 20 per cent reduction in maintenance costs.
FieldWeb caters to more than 50 industries. A few of them include HVAC, AC services, lifts and escalators, RO purifiers, cable service, CCTV & security, printer repair, plumbing services, and computer repair, among others.
Dhawan said several business owners and fieldworkers in the UAE use the app while creating 1,000+ tasks every day. The high engagement has resulted in more than 25 per cent revenue growth, a 27 per cent decrease in customer churn rate, and a 32 per cent increase in workers’ productivity. The solution by FieldWeb is specifically designed to streamline processes, reduce costs, and improve customer satisfaction for all small and medium business owners worldwide.
Dhawan feels that in the Gulf region, there is a significant market for field service business owners who continue to operate their businesses in a manual fashion. “Unfortunately, this traditional approach often leads to several inefficiencies, improper staff and customer management, and ultimately, a loss of potential business opportunities. The primary reason behind this manual operation is the lack of affordable digital solutions available to these businesses. As a result, they are unable to transition from their outdated processes to more streamlined and efficient methods,” he said.
Recognising this challenge, FieldWeb offers a tailored solution designed specifically for small and medium-sized business owners in the Gulf region. “Our goal is to help them digitise their operations in a cost-effective manner. By leveraging our platform, businesses can streamline their processes, reduce costs, and significantly improve customer satisfaction,” he added.
The revenue model of FieldWeb is based on a subscription model. FieldWeb’s pricing in the UAE market has been $12 per user per month and is billed annually.
FieldWeb has robust plans to strengthen its presence in the Gulf markets. “Our initiatives include market penetration through targeted campaigns and partnerships, enhanced localisation to cater to regional needs, proactive customer engagement and support, strategic alliances with local partners, and continuous product development to stay at the forefront of field services management technology,” Dhawan said. “With the increase in the number of clients, we also plan to set up FieldWeb offices in the Gulf markets soon,” he added.
Copyright © 2022 Khaleej Times. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).


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Truefit CPAP supplies hit walmart.com
BOSTON – PBM Capital has announced that its Truefit CPAP supplies and accessories are now available nationwide through Walmart.com. The Truefit line of products includes filters for more than 60 popular CPAP machines; replacement hoses and tubing; and a full line of accessories, such as chin straps, headgear, cleaning solutions, gel pads and hose wraps, according to a press release. “Until now, CPAP supplies have been sold exclusively through medical supply stores making them expensive and inconvenient for consumers to access,” the release states. “Truefit is the first full line of CPAP supplies sold through Walmart.” The release echoes a recent brochure touting the availability of the Truefit line of supplies and accessories at Walmart.


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We've all been there. You reach into your pocket, slowly pull out your iPhone, only to lose your grip and send your phone flying. Bang. It lands face down. You pick up the phone, turn it over and there's a new crack.
Apple Insider reports Apple is developing mobile technology to protect our cellphones from damage after an accidental drop or fall. The in-phone system would detect when the device is falling and shift the phone's center of mass to ensure it lands safely, according to Apple's patent application for the "protective mechanism for an electronic device" submitted this week.
The protective mechanism will protect "more vulnerable" parts of the phone -- mainly the glass screen. After detecting the free fall, the system will change how the object is falling and how it lands. One idea involves deploying "gas outside the device to change its orientation." Another includes activating an air foil to reduce the "velocity of the free fall." We can't wait for invincible iPhones of the future.
[via Apple Insider]


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ValuEngine upgraded shares of Boingo Wireless (NASDAQ:WIFI) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report released on Friday, ValuEngine reports.
Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. BidaskClub cut Boingo Wireless from a sell rating to a strong sell rating in a research report on Saturday, June 29th. Oppenheimer dropped their target price on Boingo Wireless from $39.00 to $32.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 9th. Zacks Investment Research cut Boingo Wireless from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, May 16th. Northland Securities assumed coverage on Boingo Wireless in a research report on Monday, April 22nd. They issued a buy rating and a $30.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Craig Hallum reissued a buy rating and issued a $29.00 target price (up from $28.00) on shares of Boingo Wireless in a research report on Thursday, May 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. The stock has an average rating of Buy and an average price target of $29.78.
Boingo Wireless stock opened at $13.20 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $625.03 million, a PE ratio of -440.00 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89, a current ratio of 0.95 and a quick ratio of 0.95. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $17.77. Boingo Wireless has a one year low of $12.60 and a one year high of $35.98.
Boingo Wireless (NASDAQ:WIFI) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 8th. The technology company reported ($0.12) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.10) by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $66.47 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $65.74 million. Boingo Wireless had a negative return on equity of 4.49% and a negative net margin of 1.88%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Boingo Wireless will post -0.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
In other news, Director David Hagan sold 98,346 shares of Boingo Wireless stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.15, for a total transaction of $1,784,979.90. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,056,229 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $19,170,556.35. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Derek Peterson sold 11,628 shares of Boingo Wireless stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.77, for a total value of $253,141.56. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 57,447 shares in the company, valued at $1,250,621.19. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 147,756 shares of company stock worth $2,713,919. Insiders own 3.80% of the company’s stock.
Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Swiss National Bank increased its position in Boingo Wireless by 2.5% during the 2nd quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 79,350 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $1,426,000 after buying an additional 1,900 shares in the last quarter. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC increased its position in Boingo Wireless by 6.8% during the 2nd quarter. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC now owns 694,238 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $12,475,000 after buying an additional 43,988 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SA increased its position in Boingo Wireless by 25.9% during the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SA now owns 10,756 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $193,000 after buying an additional 2,216 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP acquired a new position in Boingo Wireless during the 2nd quarter valued at about $312,000. Finally, NJ State Employees Deferred Compensation Plan increased its position in Boingo Wireless by 7.1% during the 2nd quarter. NJ State Employees Deferred Compensation Plan now owns 30,000 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $539,000 after buying an additional 2,000 shares in the last quarter.
About Boingo Wireless
Boingo Wireless, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides wireless connectivity solutions for smartphones, tablets, laptops, wearables, and other wireless-enabled consumer devices worldwide. The company offers distributed antenna systems and small cell networks at managed and operated locations; high-speed Wi-Fi services for residential consumers on military bases and at multifamily properties; and wholesale Wi-Fi services to network operators, device manufacturers, technology companies, enterprise software and services companies, venue operators, and financial services companies, as well as retail Internet access services.
Read More: Price-Sales Ratio
To view ValuEngine’s full report, visit ValuEngine’s official website.
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The super-buff Kangaroo named Roger that went viral online in 2015 has died at age 12
Dec. 10, 2018, 2:49 PM
10 viral brain-teasers that stumped the internet — can you spot the hidden images?
Dec. 10, 2018, 10:15 AM
The sold-out singing 'Baby Shark' toys are so popular that third-party sellers are offering them for more than 10 times their original price
Dec. 7, 2018, 5:04 PM
How this artist crafts Hobbit-inspired woodland mugs
Dec. 7, 2018, 1:18 PM
An Australian veterinary clinic rescued an adorable golden possum that actually looks like Pikachu
Dec. 6, 2018, 5:11 PM
There's a money bag hidden among Christmas presents in this brainteaser — can you spot it?
Dec. 10, 2018, 2:05 PM
The average time to solve this Christmas brainteaser is 3 minutes, how fast can you do it?
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25 ways you can revamp your home
Dec. 7, 2018, 1:19 PM
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McDonald’s released Chicken McNugget string lights that would be perfect on Christmas trees
Dec. 6, 2018, 4:41 PM
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Made in NYC


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FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. (CBS.MW) -- Sunglasses and apparel maker Oakley cut its fourth-quarter financial targets Wednesday but raised its expectations for 2002 after announcing a three-year agreement to distribute its products through Luxottica Group's Sunglass Hut retail stores.
For the fourth quarter, Oakley reduced its profit target from 9 cents per share to 4 cents per share because of slow sales. Oakley now says fourth-quarter sales will be about $85 million, down from the original expectation of $90 million.
Shares of Oakley OO soared $2.25, or 16 percent, to close at $16.30.
For fiscal 2002, Oakley narrowed its range to the upside. The firm said it expects earnings per share in a range between 77 cents per share and 85 cents per share, up from a previous range of 70 cents to 85 cents.
Foothill Ranch, Calif.-based Oakley said it expects revenue for the year to come in between $500 million and $550 million. The firm had previously forecast revenue of $475 million to $550 million.
The increased earnings expectations are a direct result of the Luxottica agreement, which will see Oakley's products sold in Sunglass Hut locations in the United States, Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom.
Analyst Eric Bieder of Ladenburg, Thalmann & Co. said he had heard rumors that the deal was in the works, and pointed out that Sunglass Hut International's Web site had run out of Oakley products in the past three to four weeks.
The retailer had stopped buying Oakley merchandise at the end of the second quarter and had been essentially burning off inventory, Bieder said.
But Sunglass Hut customers weren't happy, and "voted with their feet."
Still, Bieder said the agreement was a bigger win for Oakley.
Oakley has not backed away its patent-infringement lawsuit against Luxottica, filed Nov. 6, over the sale of products with green and blue lenses. Oakley obtained a preliminary injunction against Luxottica on Dec. 3.
"You have to divorce one from the other," Bieder said of the lawsuit and the new commercial agreement.
"This is not something rare and unusual," he said, noting that with more than 600 patents, "[Oakley has] always been very aggressive in protecting its patents."


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Aankomende week zal er een grootschalige veiling plaatsvinden van islamitische kunst in Londen. Onder andere bij het bekende veilinghuis Sotheby’s.
Auctions of art from India and the Islamic world are among my favorites. So many objects are exquisitely made, bursting with color and historically compelling. These regions will lead at London auction houses next week as painting, calligraphy, pottery, metalwork, glass, ornate weapons, textiles, jewelry and coins go under the hammer.
This Indian miniature of the Maharaja of Jodhpur in discussion with a prince on a palace terrace (circa 1840) is estimated at £3,000-£4,000.
Bonhams will follow on Tuesday with a general sale that includes delightful 16th- and 17th-century Iznik pottery from Turkey and 17th- and 19th-century Indian miniatures. “The Turkish and Indian markets are extremely strong,” says Bonhams specialist Alice Bailey. An Iznik dish from circa 1750, decorated with cobalt-blue peonies, is expected to fetch £50,000-£70,000; and an Indian miniature from circa 1840 featuring the Maharaja of Jodhpur talking to a prince on a palace terrace, both dressed in fiery orange robes, a more moderate £3,000-£4,000.
Tuesday through Thursday, Sotheby’s will hold a series of sales covering Classical to contemporary art and objects. For the first time, Sotheby’s will include an Orientalist auction in its Islamic week. Up until now, this sector—primarily consisting of works by 19th-century Western artists visiting North African and Middle Eastern countries—was embedded in sales of 19th-century European art. “Orientalist art has traditionally attracted a great number of 19th-century collectors. Then, in the early 21st century, there was a rise in interest from the regions where the paintings were made. Now there are synergies with Islamic sales,” notes Sotheby’s specialist Claude Piening.
The most highly estimated work in Sotheby’s 33-lot “Masterpiece” Orientalist sale is “The Scholar” (1878) by Turkish artist Osman Hamdi Bey, included because he was the first Turkish artist to use a European painting style. In this captivating work, a man lies in an elaborately decorated corner of a mosque reading a book (estimate: £3 million-£5 million).
Another top lot will be Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky’s breathtaking “View of Constantinople and the Bosphorus” (1856), estimated at £1.2 million-£1.8 million. Fascinated by the Orient, the Russian artist of Armenian descent became a court painter to Ottoman sultans.
Sotheby’s general sale will also have a superb weapons section, headed by a 17th-century Ottoman dagger of gold and jade, estimated at £400,000-£600,000.
Christie’s will hold a number of sales during the week. On Thursday, a private collection of works on paper, donated to benefit the University of Oxford, will be spearheaded by a 13th-century example of “mufradat” by Islam’s most famous calligrapher, Yaqut Al-Musta’simi. (Mufradat demonstrate the perfect way to combine letters). “It is absolutely gorgeous,” says Christie’s specialist William Robinson (estimate: £800,000-£1.2 million). Another gem will be a 16th-century Quran, written entirely in gold (estimate: £200,000-£300,000).
On the same day, Christie’s general 373-lot sale will include highlights such as a 13th-century glass bottle from Syria, decorated with Arabic and Greek Byzantine inscriptions and small animals (estimate: £600,000-£800,000).
Bron: The Wall Street Journal


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Chocolate and cheese ... two great tastes that taste great together?
Velveeta thinks so, and it’s just parnered with chocolate company Compartés Chocolatier to make TruffVels, the first-ever chocolate cheese truffle. Starting today (May 9), a five-pack of Velveeta x Compartés TruffVels are available for $24.95 on Compartes.com while supplies last.
TruffVels are white chocolate infused with Velveeta and offer “a unique sensation unlike any other,” according to the brand, which added: “TruffVels bring the deliciously creamy and iconic Velveeta drip to the world of chocolate, combining the two foods known for hitting the bull’s-eye of pleasure: chocolate and Velveeta.”
The Kraft Heinz brand has been on a luxury kick for a while through its “La Dolce Velveeta” campaign from Johannes Leonardo. New spots in that campaign dropped a couple of weeks ago. Its previous luxury-tinged stunts have included Velveeta martinis, a spread in Vogue, a sculpture in Central Park and a line of nail polish.
“Two of life’s greatest pleasures are cheese and chocolate and we’ve already seen our pleasure seekers experiment with this combination across social media, so this collab was a no-brainer” said Kelsey Rice, senior brand communications manager for Velveeta. “As a brand that’s all about making outrageous pleasure a way of life, we decided to bring these two flavors together to create the most outrageously elevated version of a cheesy, chocolatey recipe for our fans to enjoy.”
For the record, Velveeta fudge is apparently a thing.
“This exciting and unique collaboration is delicious, decadent, delightful and unexpected,” said Jonathan Grahm, CEO and lead chocolatier at Compartés. “I love the idea of pushing the boundaries of chocolate making and creating a unique product unlike anything that’s ever been done before. With TruffVels mixing two of life’s greatest pleasures, chocolate and cheese, we can all live the good ‘La Dolce Velveeta’ life this summer.”


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Meta has announced the launch of Meta AI in South Africa with built-in Llama 3 on WhatsApp. This is a leapfrog step for…
Silicon Valley based SA entrepreneur Vinny Lingham says he has lost track of the number of times he has appeared on initial coin offerings (ICOs) as a fake adviser.
“I am well known to be a fake adviser,” said Lingham, adding that one Canadian company recently raised $200-million using his name as an adviser.
Last month Lingham revealed that fellow South African Eran Eyal, who faces fraud charges in the US, “fraudulently misrepresented” him by claiming that he was an adviser to his startup Shopin.
On Monday (1 October) Lingham again commented on what he says is Eyal’s misrepresentation of him on the Shopin’s $42.5-million ICO, which concluded in April.
“The other advisers he had weren’t big names, they weren’t going to attract a lot of attention. He needed my name because of the crypto (association). So, he raised all that money on the back of my name, basically,” said Lingham
I am well known to be a fake adviser says Silicon Valley based SA entrepreneur Vinny Lingham
“I am sure he told investors that I was involved, verbally. And I’d love to hear what people say. Because he must’ve sent that (pitch)deck to someone,” he added.
Lingham said it’s why he and has his startup Civic earlier this year unveiled their ID Codes product and service — which conducts an ID verification and allows a user to put snippets of code on their website. He added that while the product is still in the private data stage, “it works” fine.
‘ICOs are not using real money’
He also hit out at the large number of ICOs which commonly flop.
“These companies have no revenue model… and it’s not real money, they’re just raising tokens — it’s an an all-circular economy of printed money, of printed tokens. Meanwhile we’re in a (bitcoin) slump, there are no real businesses out there, very few,” he said.
Lingham said he and his team from Civic were lucky in that they had already cashed out the $33-million that the startup raised in an ICO which concluded in June last year. “We already cashed it out over a year ago. We were holding cash, we weren’t holding crypto,” he added.
He said while he believes the blockchain will make an impact — in things like increasing financial access in Africa — it would be over the next five years and not the next 12 months.
But he believes the current cypto bubble is far from the biggest that we will yet see. Said Lingham: “I am almost certain there will be a bigger bubble than we see today”.


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The Hamburg-based fintech Deposit Solutions, a pioneer of open banking and leading international platform for savings deposits, announced the closure of a new round of funding, according to a press release on August 15, 2018. The round was led by the London based private equity firm Vitruvian Partner joined by Sweden’s Kinnevik and existing shareholders including Deposit Solutions‘ first institutional shareholder e.ventures in a transaction worth a total of USD 100 million. The deal brings the value of Deposit Solutions and its two brands Zinspilot and Savedoto to over USD 500 million. This is the second-highest round of financing ever for a German fintech, according to the Hamburg industrial website Finanz-Szene.de.
Pioneer of open banking
Dr. Tim Sievers, CEO and founder of Deposit Solutions, said: “We are delighted to welcome Vitruvian and Kinnevik as new shareholders. They are experts in supporting high-growth companies, which makes them ideal partners for us. Their deep industry expertise and financial firepower will help us achieve our mission of making open banking the new standard for the global USD 50 trillion market for savings deposits.”
Successful B2B and B2C offers
Deposit Solutions was able to accelerate its growth in 2017. At present, the company has more than 70 banks from 16 countries connected to its open banking platform, including well-known financial institutions such as Deutsche Bank or Fidelity’s subsidiary FFB. Deposit-seeking banks can access over 30 million savers via the platform, who can invest money directly with third-party banks via an existing banking relationship without opening new accounts. Deposit Solutions’ owns the B2C distribution channels Zinspilot and Savedo, which market selected deposit products from partner banks to savers. Both distribution channels are also growing exponentially. The volume of deposits brokered in direct business has more than doubled in the past nine months and now comes to over EUR 9 billion. During the same period, the number of customers has risen to over 155,000. Founded in 2011 by Sievers, the financial start-up now employs 250 people and has offices in Hamburg, Berlin, London and Zurich.
Hamburg among Europe’s top 10 financial centres
A recent study by the China Development Institute (CDI) and London-based Z/Yen Partners shows that Hamburg offers an excellent breeding ground for fintechs: The Global Financial Centres Index now counts Hamburg among the top 10 players in Western Europe and 29th out of 96 global cities. Hamburg was first included in the renowned index in autumn 2017. The city has climbed a remarkable 38 places in the spring 2018 evaluation and ranks alongside Frankfurt and Munich.
Successful financial start-ups, fintech hub and Fintech Week
The Elbe metropolis is currently home to more than 40 innovative financial technology companies, which are revolutionizing the banking business with digital solutions. In addition to Deposit Solutions, the scoring company Kreditech, the crowd investment platform Exporo and the loan comparison portal Finanzcheck.de are among the major, international players in the Hamburg fintech landscape. The Hamburg-based consumer credit platform recently completed one of the largest German fintech exits. In addition, the first Fintech Hub is currently being built in HafenCity.
From October 15-20, 2018, Hamburg will once again become a financial hotspot and venue of the third Fintech Week, hosted by the newsletter finletter and the Hamburg’s co-working space betahaus. Considered one of the largest events of this kind in Germany, it brings together the established financial world with innovative fintechs. The first one-day conference on the the future of finance will also be held during the week.
Sources and further information:


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It’s now a ritual: Apple releases a new iPhone model, and U.S. imports soar.
That’s precisely what happened in August. U.S. imports rose 2% to a seasonally adjusted $233.4 billion, helping to push the nation’s trade deficit to a five-month high.
The increase in U.S. imports stemmed mainly from a 30% jump, to $9.1 billion, in a category known as “cellphones and other household goods.” Millions of iPhones were shipped to the U.S. in August so retailers would be ready to start selling them in September after the official launch.
Cell phones account for more than half of all the revenue and most of the growth in that category, which also includes dozens of unrelated items such as photo albums, knitting needles and hair clippers.
After more than a decade of explosive growth, cell phones have become one of the most heavily imported products into the United States. They now represent about 2.3% of all foreign-made goods that enter the country, U.S. Census data show.
The only imports of greater dollar value are autos, oil, computers, heavy machinery, clothing and telecommunications equipment — stuff like cell towers needed to enable wireless phones to work.
In the early 1990s, cell phones were a negligible part of the U.S. trade picture. Yet sales began to soar later in the decade as wireless networks and phones improved and the technology spread from business clientele to consumers.
The value of cell-phone imports posted double-digit percentage gains from 1994 to 2008, with most companies eventually shifting production to Asia to take advantage of lower costs.
Huge spikes in cell-phone imports first became a phenomenon in 2004 after the release of the first truly iconic device of the modern era: the Motorola Razr. It quickly became the industry’s best selling phone ever.
The Razr and other devices from Nokia
After a tidal wave of great early reviews, sales of the original iPhone soared. Demand was so strong that sales rose even as the U.S. fell into its worst recession since the Great Depression. The U.S. government also began to track cell-phones imports as distinct category for the first time.
Cell-phone sales and imports hit new heights in 2010 after Apple
Last year, cell-phone imports broke through the $50 billion barrier and they are on track to easily surpass that level again in 2015. Last week, Apple said it sold 13 million new iPhones in the first three days after they went on sale to set a new record.
That said, the iPhone is not built in America. Virtually all cell phones are manufactured in China or other low-cost Asian countries, though some parts are sourced from the American suppliers, and U.S.-based Apple engineers develop the designs and software.
Not surprisingly, the U.S. trade deficit with China, where most of Apple phones are made, climbed almost 15% in August to $32.9 billion.


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In one of the first moves under new digitally focused president and publisher Larry Kramer, USA Today has launched a daily online and print guide to help readers navigate the tangled web of Internet video. While there are numerous other Internet video programming guides available, this is one of the first from a mainstream newspaper. Original Story
Any commercial link will be deleted and reported to Mollom as SPAM. As such, we highly recommend against including commercial links in comments. Even comments with a reasonable amount of relevancy to the subject will be deleted and reported as SPAM.


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History of CBD and Cannabis: Bulgaria
As a former Soviet state, Bulgarian officials’ attitudes towards cannabis reform policy is patchwork and often needlessly complex. After becoming a late adopter of cannabis criminalization, the state has more recently moved to loosen their harsh sentences for nonviolent drug offenses.
Cannabis, CBD, and Bulgaria
In early 2019, Bulgaria became the first European state to fully legalize the sale of any CBD product for all purposes. Although most European countries haven’t outright banned CBD, none have ever dropped all restrictions on its sale or the production of hemp crops.
Rather, Bulgaria’s Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Forestry have decided to allow the full permission for agriculturalists to sell CBD-infused products. Now, Bulgaria is defaulting to European Union policy on the issue of border sales and “novelty food” restrictions.
The policy move was seen as especially bold and confusing, considering that cannabis is classed as a very illicit drug in the country. In fact, marijuana is still legally regarded similarly to heroin, cocaine, and amphetamines.
Despite its classification, marijuana has been used openly and widely by the general public for many decades in the country. All the way up until 2004, consumers could carry personal sized doses without receiving any legal penalty.
Interestingly, laws only started to tighten by 2006 when officials criminalized cannabis. Possession of small amounts could land a user six years in prison and a large fine of over 5000 euros.
Unlike other countries, Bulgaria was a comparatively late adopter of marijuana criminalization policies. Part of this occurred due to new conservative officials percolating through the government. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the newly formed state had to take time to define its new stance towards illicit substances while building up law enforcement resources.
Experts believe it’s only a matter of time before the state adopts a broader range of cannabis legalization policies. As a member of the EU, Bulgaria would have to fight a losing battle against the growing trend of European legalization.
In 2015, governmental officials started discussing the possibility of full legalization. However, many are worried that key departments lack the resources to support a fully fledged cannabis market in the country.
Even though public opinion is on the side of legalization, there are many complex statewide issues to figure out. Unregulated yet legal marijuana could increase criminal activity and expose vulnerable populations to underground organizations, rather than solving the untenable issues caused by cannabis criminalization.


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PA’s research creates a detailed overview of the digital agritech market, tracking 136 deals - including partnerships, acquisitions and investments - for 11 of the biggest agritech businesses and 200 start-ups and technology companies operating in the space since 1997.
The report offers five insights into the digital agritech market, including the need for closer collaboration between the established players and start-up companies. The companies that fail to collaborate will be left behind, says Oliver Lofink, lead author of the report and a digital agriculture expert at PA Consulting Group.
“Big names in the machine, equipment and agriscience sectors are now fully alert to the opportunities presented by digital agritech. They’re racing to engage with the technology companies and start-ups, who are assembling and analysing data from different sources to unlock new insight and help farmers make smarter decisions,” says Lofink.
There’s plenty at stake: the consumer world has shown that the first companies to capture a significant share of users normally goes on to dominate the sector. Apple, Amazon and Google all capitalised on their early success in winning users. They were then able to develop economies of scale, make their platforms attractive as a host for third-party apps, and overpower other contenders who were slower out of the blocks.
“The prize of a leading platform is up for grabs. It’s not yet clear which platform will dominate but, for now, Monsanto and John Deere look to be ahead,” says Lofink. Monsanto’s Climate FieldView platform, which it acquired after paying $930m for The Climate Corporation, has already captured more than 100,000 users and covers more than 120 million acres. Meanwhile, John Deere has established no less than 12 partnerships to broaden its own platform, MyJohnDeere.
So where next for the agritech revolution? Lofink says many of the products and services that agritech companies are developing only cover individual parts of the data value chain: data capture, data analysis or decision support. To maximise value for users, the different parts need to be integrated.
“Technology companies developing drones or in-field sensors are involved with data capture, for example – but the data has no value until analysed, perhaps by an innovative start-up developing sophisticated algorithms. And the output from this analysis has no value until it is translated into insight and made available to farmers via farm management software, or directly translated into an automated action, such as spraying or harvesting,” Lofink says.
The report also notes that 75 per cent of the start-ups researched lacked a visible revenue model. Lofink says that even if the main driver is to set up a business for acquisition, these companies also need to define a sustainable revenue model, in case they don’t get bought up.
“These companies are largely funded by venture capital and private equity and are therefore able to rapidly develop new products and services. But many are in the dangerous position of doing this without having clearly identified customers or routes to market,” said Lofink.


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There are many reasons to be excited about insurtech in 2017!
Insurance Australia Group (IAG) is looking to build an insurtech hub in Singapore. The new unit, Firemark Labs, will act as an incubator for IAG and help teamwork between start-ups and research and tech partners for new products and services across Australia, New Zealand and Asia. Julie Batch, chief customer officer, IAG, says “customer lifestyles […]
You can read about fintech accelerators quickly with our latest round-up. Featuring RBS, BNP Paribas, Ben Franklin Technology Partners and the info on how to apply. Scotland has got its “first” fintech accelerator with the launch set for May. The new hub will be based in Royal Bank of Scotland’s (RBS) Entrepreneurial Spark business centre […]
Citi’s global perspectives and solutions team has issued a 100-page report on digital disruption in the fintech industry. It has analysed venture capital (VC) investments in the fintech industry between 2010 and 2016, as well as the emerging technologies across the globe.
Stockholm Fintech Hub – an independent not-for-profit innovation hub – will open its doors in Q1 2017. Its aim is to promote and accelerate the development of fintech, insurtech and regtech start-ups.
There has been a tremendous amount of excitement and discussion about the potential of blockchain technology to transform the financial services industry and beyond. But the only thing that is clear at the moment is that there is still a lot of work to be done to implement wide scale use cases, clear up any regulatory uncertainly or barriers and educate institutions and employees about the technology and its potential.
Finland-based Aurora Exchange, a consumer loans exchange, has teamed with two firms for its P2P lending platform launch. Maiden Life, based in Sweden, brings its payment protection insurance to cover “all loans” against borrower’s death, permanent and temporary disability with lenders as beneficiaries. Mangopay will act as Aurora Exchange’s custodian and payments technology provider. Mangopay […]


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If smartphones are smart, these phones will be geniuses
Here's how Huawei is building truly intelligent devices.
Promotional Feature by Huawei
Oh the times they are a changin’. Yes, it’s more than 50 years since Bob Dylan crooned about the ever-evolving world, and half a century on, things have only quickened in their rate of development. That’s no truer than in the technology space, where new developments are constantly lurking, waiting for their moment in the spotlight.
With personal computers, TVs and portable audio players having all had their day, it’s now the smartphone’s time to shine, and thanks to manufactures such as Huawei, the glow of these pocket powerhouses is only getting brighter.
Huawei’s flagship smartphones, such as the brilliant Huawei Mate 9 and stunning new Huawei P10, aren’t just following the trends; they’re actively contributing to and enabling a more immersive, connected world for consumers. And that’s a very, very good thing for you. Here’s why…
At the heart of the consumer tech revolution, is the one device that connects the world like no other: the smartphone. Within a decade, the smartphone has transformed from novel luxury to a must-own gadget that’s capable of everything from browsing the web and taking photos, to replacing your wallet and even unlocking your door.
While we’re constantly amazed by what our smartphones can do, and the problems they can solve, there’s always an excitement and anticipation around what’s coming next. And rightfully so.
According to Huawei, the next major frontier in smartphone evolution is going to be a rise of phones that aren’t just smart, but are intelligent too. No, we’re not talking the sinister robot uprising movies have taught us to fear, but artificially intelligent phones that know what you need, before you even need it.
Before we can look too much to the future, however, we must first address how we got here with a trip down the smartphone memory lane.
GETTING TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY
Smartphones have undergone rapid evolution of the past 10 years, and Huawei has worked tirelessly to stake its claim in the market. Specifically, the company has spent years refining its craft in order to get to the place it is now; one of the world’s top three global smartphone brands.
Having shipped more than 139 million smartphones in 2016 alone, Huawei’s success has been built around the three pillars of the brand, including passion, collective wisdom and a constant desire to achieve meaningful innovation. Sometimes the most meaningful innovation is that small but revolutionary step that transforms the phone in your pocket.
Huawei’s Kirin 960 chipset is such an example. It is born fast and stays fast by learning about your usage patterns and making small but significant changes to the way the chipset allocates resource to various tasks.
The company isn’t resting on its mounting success though, oh no. Instead, Huawei continues to push forward, with the next wave of smartphone development and innovation the constant driving factor.
With the company having invested a staggering $9.2 billion in research and development last year, this meaningful innovation is being driven forward at a faster rate than ever before. The long term future might be filled with currently unanswered questions, but the next big step, thanks to Huawei, is now coming into focus, and it is reason to get excited.
AN INTELLIGENT PHONE FOR AN INTELLIGENT WORLD
Smartphones are great, but intelligent phones are the future. According to Huawei, the next wave of connected pocket rockets won’t just help you achieve certain tasks, but will be contextually aware enough to anticipate what you’re going to want and need, and offer up solutions before you even realise you have a problem.
It’s a movement that’s already started with Huawei’s own EMUI 5.1 user interface. The software, which sits on top of Android on the company’s latest phones including the Huawei P10, is capable of leveraging advancements in machine learning and artificial intelligence.
The result? Phones that can anticipate what you’re going to do next and streamline your interaction options accordingly. Analysing your behaviour patterns means your device can anticipate your app usage and manage RAM, making it so the apps and services used most often load faster over their course of their lifetime.
It’s not just the software on the phone itself that’s making this possible though. Given the evolution of digitisation, we’re moving to a world where everything is seamlessly interconnected. The smartphone is the centre of this new intelligent world though, with handset designs even becoming an extension of who we are and starting to emulate our capacity to interact with the surrounding world.
COLLABORATING WITH LEADERS TO MAKE VISION A REALITY
Although Huawei is helping lead the push, changing the future of the consumer technology space isn’t a job for just one company. To help speed things along, the smartphone maker has partnered with a number of leading experts across industries to accelerate the rate of updates and evolution.
As well as an ongoing partnership with camera specialist Leica to enhance the imaging abilities of current and future phones, Huawei has also penned partnerships with giants of the tech space such as Amazon and Google to ensure your next phone is as cutting edge as possible.
We’re not talking minor updates either. These partnerships will completely change the way you interact with your phone, and even let you look into the future, literally.
That’s because Huawei is bringing Amazon Alexa – the retailer’s brilliant voice activated digital assistant – to today’s mobile consumer experience, including the Huawei Mate 9. Letting you talk to your phone as if it was your own personal butler, you can now make vocal requests for everything from weather reports and sports scores to a ordering a taxi or a pizza for delivery.
It’s widely expected that this is one of two key future means of smartphone interaction. The other, VR, is something Huawei has partnered with Google on to create its own VR headset compatible with the new Daydream VR platform.
Letting you put yourself in other worlds, with Huawei and Daydream, this VR revolution is moving from the realms of novelty to widespread reality, and you’ve been invited along for the ride. Huawei Mate 9 Pro and Porsche Design Huawei Mate 9 will be Huawei’s first devices to support Daydream.
It’s not just now that we’re reaping the benefits of this collaboration. These partnerships should, over time, lead to more rewarding integration and technology evolution. It’s a selfless move, and one that it’s hoped will help bridge innovation and technology to significantly enhance the way people connect with each other.
Not only will this help the industry as a whole, but it will ensure that the next smartphone you buy, and all of the ones after that, offer features that continue to offer joy, excitement and experiences that change how you live your life.


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McDonald's, the world's largest and most popular fast-food chain, has announced that, starting as early as next week, it will start listing calorie information on its menus in nearly 14,000 restaurants and drive-thrus across the United States.
This welcome move comes on the eve of a crucial vote on New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's controversial proposal to ban super-sized colas at local restaurants and, more pertinently, ahead of the introduction of a national health law that will mandate restaurants, with 20 or more locations, to mention calories and other nutrition details on their menus.
The state of California and cities like New York already require restaurants to clearly list calorie information on the menus but many major chains have ignored the call, in the absence of legislation and threat of fines.
Requiring to post calorie counts of Big Macs and french fries is one of many measures US officials are contemplating as they seek to combat the burgeoning obesity crisis.
The problems of overweight people and obesity have worsened sharply in the US since the 1980s with the result that America is today called one of the fattest nations on earth – two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese as are a third of the children.
Obesity increases the risk of heart diseases, diabetes, hypertension and other chronic illnesses.
McDonald's has been vilified for refusing to assess the impact of its foods on childhood obesity.
McDonald’s has responded to any criticism by claiming that it has incorporated changes to its menu, introducing more fruits and vegetables, reducing the French fry portion by more than half and including apples in Happy Meals for children.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued two proposed regulations that would ensure calorie labeling on menus and menu boards in chain restaurants, retail food establishments, and vending machines with 20 or more locations.
But the million-dollar question is: Does calorie labeling help diners make informed choices?
No, according to a New York University study which found that menu labeling, which came into force in March 2011, has had no impact on consumers' food choices. Even 18 months after the rule took effect, there's no discernible change in the food habits.
Taste almost always triumphed over calories!
Do you think McDonald's has done the right thing, or is there something more it can do? Please leave your comments below.


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OBD 2 compliant Yamaha Fascino 125 launch soon, details leaked
Having updated its motorcycle range to meet OBD 2 compliance, Yamaha Motor India will soon introduce its updated scooter range as well and ahead of the launch, details of the 2023 Yamaha Fascino 125 have been leaked online. As per RTO documents, the 125 cc scooter is now equipped with an onboard diagnostics (OBD 2) system.
This is in line with future emission norms and the OBD 2 device monitors emission levels on the vehicle in real-time. Not just the Yamaha Fascino 125 but the document also includes the Cygnus Ray ZR and the Cygnus Ray ZR Street Rally. Do note that Yamaha dropped the Cynus name from its scooters with the previous update and the models are badged as Ray ZR and Ray ZR Street Rally.
Also check these Bikes
All three Yamaha scooters draw power from the same 125 single-cylinder, fuel-injected motor. Apart from OBD 2 compliance, the motor gets no other change and continues to produce 8 bhp at 6,500 rpm.
Yamaha Motor India recently updated its motorcycle portfolio with the launch of the 2023 YZF-R15, MT-15, FZ-S, and FZ-X. Now, the company is expected to introduce the updated variants of its scooters very soon. While the Indian arm of the Japanese manufacturer is yet to announce the launch details, the type approval certificate has revealed the specifications of the upcoming scooters. The peak torque on the current version stands at 10.3 Nm.
The document does not mention any feature upgrades but Yamaha India could update its scooter range to get a few value additions. The models already come with a LED headlamp, Bluetooth connectivity, a multi-function key switch, 21 litres of under-seat storage, alloy wheels, combi-braking and more.
The Yamaha Fascino 125 is presently priced from ₹77,100 onwards, while the Ray ZR is priced from ₹82,230 onwards and the Ray ZR Street Rally is priced from ₹91,030 onwards. All prices are ex-showroom, Delhi. Expect to see a marginal hike in prices with the 2023 model year. We also expect Yamaha to roll out the OBD 2-compliant Aerox 155 as well alongside the 125 cc scooter range. The launch is likely to take place in a few days.


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The tourism industry is delighted that pre-departure testing ends at 23:59 on Monday June 20, just in time for the ski season, says Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA).
The new date will see New Zealand align with much of the rest of the world, giving travelers the confidence to book a trip to our shores.
Throughout the pandemic, TIA has supported the health-based response that has clearly saved many lives.
“Abolition of pre-departure testing will make it easier for potential visitors to choose New Zealand when determining where to vacation,” said TIA chief executive Rebecca Ingram.
“We are delighted to now be able to move into the next phase of recovery and confidently welcome more international manuhiri (visitors) to our shores.”
Ms Ingram said the earlier date would be a boost for the ski industry, with news following Queenstown’s biggest snowfall in years over the weekend.
© Scoop Media


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W J King, one of the fastest growing dealer groups in the South East and Kent who operate six franchises from 12 locations, is delighted and extremely proud to announce that the company has won a regional award for their work with the Motability Car Scheme. The accolade is part of a new programme of awards to reward local Motability dealerships that provide outstanding customer service in their area.
KIA REVEALS PRICING AND SPECIFICATION FOR ALL-NEW STONI...
Posted on: 21st Sep 2017
Kia today releases first details of the specification and pricing for the all-new Stonic, the company's first offering in Europe's booming small CUV/SUV market. Stonic will go on sale on October 23, 2017, order books are open now.