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Thanks to The Pokémon Company, you can finally fulfill your childhood dream to catch ‘em all. On Wednesday, it announced it’s bringing the world’s most famous band of cuddly pocket monsters to life with Pokémon Go, a new mobile gaming app for iPhone and Android.
Developed in partnership with Niantic, Inc., formerly part of Google Labs, and Nintendo, the augmented reality app will allow users to collect virtual Pokémon in real-world environments, trade with other players and even do battle in the streets. The game represents Nintendo’s first foray into mobile gaming.
“Imagine discovering a Squirtle hiding along the waterfront in San Francisco, a Bulbasaur at Shinjuku Station or a Pikachu beneath the Eiffel Tower,” said John Hanke, CEO of Niantic, at a press event in Japan.
The company also revealed a small wearable device called Pokémon Go Plus that will connect to the app via Bluetooth and alert the user with lights and vibration when Pokémon are “nearby.” While the brand, whose sales hit $2 billion in 2014, has long focused on gaming, this move shows it’s ramping up its presence in mobile.
Available in 2016, Pokémon GO will be free to download and monetized through in-app purchases. The price of the Pokémon Go Plus watch has not yet been released.
And in case you’re still having trouble imagining spotting a Draconite strolling down Fifth Ave., the company debuted a 3 minute trailer that makes it all seem a little more real.
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company
Dopamine rush to deeper engagement: short-form video boom fuels brands’ embrace of longer-form content
Audiences craving more are now being treated to captivating longer-form narratives. It’s the addictive nature of those quick hits that has fueled this transformation.
‘Its inevitable’: Domino’s hungers for attention and context
Attention-based buying is turning into a legendary tale of patient and nonchalance. So when there’s a glimpse of progress, marketers tend to take notice. Domino’s being one of them.
Why Cars.com is driving away from performance marketing and toward influencers
To boost brand awareness, Cars.com is doubling down on its influencer marketing efforts.
SponsoredWhat the measurement and currency discussion really means to TV advertisers
Ali Mack, head of TV and agency, Experian Major streaming video providers have recently made headlines by adopting new currencies for ad measurement, threatening Nielsen’s long-standing TV ratings monopoly. NBCUniversal, for example, has certified iSpot and VideoAmp as currencies for advanced audiences and formed the Joint Industry Committee with Paramount, TelevisaUnivision and Warner Bros. Discovery. […]
Why Unity Technologies is leaning into AI as economic headwinds pick up
As one of the largest gaming companies listed on New York Stock Exchange, Unity Technologies leaned into AI during its May 10 earnings call, with Unity CEO John S. Ricciatello stressing Unity’s “competitive advantages in and around AI.”
How gamers’ engagement with short-form video is changing
To better understand how modern gamers are engaging with short-form video, Digiday teamed up with Gamesight to pull key points from an exclusive report on gamers’ shifting video consumption preferences.


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The all new Wool Classics showroom is now open on the second floor of Design Centre East. Featuring much more display space and a massive hanging rug display the new showroom offers far more carpet and rug choices. We will be having a launch party for it at te beginning of February so please contact your representative for an invitation. DCE2 (Design Centre East 2nd Floor) is the latest development within the Chelsea Harbour complex and many of the Harbours top brands are moving there. Ann Sacks and Alton Brook like us are moving out of the domes and into DCE2 and are being joined by other top brands such as Arte and Espresso Design.
We look forward to welcoming in our new showroom soon.

domain: news


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FOOTBALL superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is planning his own ready meals range.
The Portuguese ace — now back at Man Utd for a second stint — has trademarked his idea.
His legal team filed documents with the UK’s Intellectual Property Office to protect the Cristiano Ronaldo name and his CR7 logo on a number of food lines.
The ready meals include: “Prepared dishes consisting principally of meat; Prepared entrées consisting primarily of seafood; Prepared meals consisting primarily of fish; Prepared meals consisting principally of vegetables; Prepared meals containing principally eggs.”
Surprisingly, the application also covers putting his trademark on carrots.
Ronaldo, 36, is known to be health-conscious and snubbed a bottle of Coke from the tournament’s sponsor at the Euros in favour of water.
But his trademark application also covers treats such as ice cream, yoghurts, chocolate, bakery goods and cereal bars, plus tea and coffee.
Corn-based snack foods, grain-based snack foods and rice-based snack foods are also covered.
His application has been approved and the protection will run for the next ten years before another needs to be submitted.
Most read in The US Sun
Ronaldo, worth more than £350million, already has a clothes brand and hotel empire. Meanwhile, his fiancée Georgina Rodriguez has posted a gorgeous start of school picture of his son Cristiano Jr, 11, four-year-old twins Eva and Mateo and youngest Alana, three.
All of them were uprooted to the UK from Italy when the striker transferred.
Cristiano Jr, who previously starred for Juventus’ youth squad, was born in America in 2010, believed to be by a surrogate mother.
Ronaldo then announced in June 2017 that he had fathered the twins via a surrogate mother again, also in the US.
The same year, Argentinian model Georgina gave birth to daughter Alana. Ronaldo ended his last stint with Man Utd in 2009.


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Amazon’s continuous resistance to collecting sales taxes made it the first major American company to build its business based on tax avoidance. Contrary to popular belief, the company is still resisting today.
But they’re lies. You need to know why so you can spread the truth.
Lie #1: U.S. corporate tax rates are higher than the tax rates of other big economies. Wrong. After deductions and tax credits, the average corporate tax rate in the U.S. is lower. According to the Congressional Research Service, the United States has an effective corporate tax rate of 27.1 percent, compared to an average of 27.7 percent in the other large economies of the world.
Lie #2: U.S. corporations need lower taxes in order to make investments in new jobs. Wrong again. Corporations are sitting on almost $2 trillion of cash they don’t know what to do with. The 1,000 largest U.S. corporations alone are hoarding almost $1 trillion.
Why does California reward ultra-rich companies that move jobs out of the state?
We’ll tell you why. In 2009, during secret, behind-closed-doors budget negotiations, a handful of state legislators and Gov. Schwarzenegger snuck in a colossal but little-known corporate tax giveaway into the budget in the dead of night. This loophole, known as the “elective single sales factor,” gives corporations the option to reduce the taxes they pay to California by keeping jobs and investment in other states – giving companies a huge incentive to hire outside of California. The loophole has already cost the state tens of thousands of jobs, and the only ones who are benefitting from it are California’s richest corporations. In fact, 80 percent of the benefits from this loophole go to the 0.1 percent of California corporations with gross incomes over $1 billion.
It’s high time we end the practice of shelling out taxpayer money to ultra-profitable companies that kill California jobs.


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The government has announced another delay to the introduction of post-Brexit border controls on EU goods entering Britain.
The Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) includes the UK’s plan for introducing a “simplified and digitised” approach to implementing controls, including sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) checks on agrifood products.
In a statement today (29 August), the government confirmed that proposed border checks on live animals, animal products, plants and plants products would be delayed by three months and will now come into effect from 31 January 2024 onwards.
The original checks were supposed to come into force in 2021, but have been delayed five times due to the pressures businesses have faced as a result of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
A draft of BTOM – which includes a risk-based approach to conducting SPS checks – was published in the spring.
Under the plan, SPS goods will be sorted into three categories – ‘low’, ‘medium’ and ‘high’ – which will determine the level of checks and documentation that will to enter Great Britain.
The government was expected to publish the final version of BTOM earlier in the summer, with the first new checks due for introduction from the end of October onwards.
The government says that the most recent delay was due to industry feedback and hopes that the additional three months will give traders more time to prepare for the new checks.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe DBE CMG, Cabinet Office minister, said:
“By making maximum use of data and new technologies, our innovative yet risk-based approach is key to delivering a world-class border system.
“Once fully implemented, these important post-Brexit measures will, I believe, bring considerable benefits to the UK economy and to UK trade, and the government stands ready to support businesses through this transition.”
The government says the new model will lead to controls being “simplified and digitised” and is complemented by its “ambitions for the UK’s new Single Trade Window” to be introduced in the coming months.
The model also coincides with the passing into law of the Electronic Trade Documents Act, which enters into force on 20 September 2023.
The government has announced the new timeline as follows:
- 31 January 2024 - The introduction of health certification on imports of medium risk animal products, plants, plant products and high-risk food (and feed) of non-animal origin from the EU
- 30 April 2024 – New documentary and risk-based identity and physical checks on medium risk animal products, plants, plant products and high-risk food (and feed) of non-animal origin from the EU
- 31 October 2024 - New safety and security declarations for EU imports will come into force
Labour had previously criticised the government’s delay in publishing the full BTOM plan, saying it was causing “huge uncertainty” to businesses.
Institute of Export & International Trade (IOE&IT) director general Marco Forgione welcomed the “innovative approach set out in BTOM”, adding that the plans should not be looked at in isolation:
“There are several other key initiatives taking place as part of the Border 2025 strategy aimed at making the UK border one of the most effective and efficient. This approach has the potential to convert our borders into engines which support economic growth.
“In addition, we encourage the government to move as fast as possible to implement the findings of the customs initiatives announced at the Spring Budget.”


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Breaking News: Exciting Developments in the Car World
The automotive industry is constantly evolving, with new technologies and innovations being introduced at a rapid pace. In recent years, we have seen significant advancements in electric vehicles, autonomous driving features, and environmentally-friendly options. Here are some of the latest exciting developments in the car world:
1. Electric Vehicles (EVs): One of the biggest trends in the automotive industry is the rise of electric vehicles. Companies like Tesla, Nissan, and Chevrolet have been leading the way in producing EVs that offer consumers a more sustainable and efficient option for transportation. With advancements in battery technology, EVs are becoming more affordable and practical for everyday use.
2. Autonomous Driving Features: Another major development in the car world is the introduction of autonomous driving features. Companies like Tesla, Google, and Uber are investing heavily in developing self-driving technology that promises to revolutionize the way we travel. These features are designed to improve safety on the roads and provide a more convenient driving experience for consumers.
3. Environmental Initiatives: Car manufacturers are also focusing on reducing their environmental impact by implementing eco-friendly initiatives. From producing vehicles with lower emissions to using sustainable materials in manufacturing, companies are taking steps to make their operations more sustainable. This not only benefits the environment but also helps to attract environmentally-conscious consumers.
4. Connected Cars: The concept of connected cars is gaining popularity, with more vehicles being equipped with internet connectivity and innovative features. From GPS navigation systems to mobile apps that allow drivers to remotely control their vehicles, connected cars are transforming the driving experience. These features can enhance safety, convenience, and entertainment for drivers and passengers alike.
5. Electric Charging Infrastructure: As the demand for electric vehicles continues to grow, the need for a reliable charging infrastructure is becoming more pressing. Governments and companies are investing in building charging stations across the country to support the growing number of EVs on the road. This infrastructure is essential for promoting the adoption of electric vehicles and reducing our reliance on traditional fossil fuels.
Overall, the car world is experiencing exciting developments that are reshaping the future of transportation. With advancements in electric vehicles, autonomous driving features, and environmentally-friendly initiatives, the automotive industry is moving towards a more sustainable and innovative future. As consumers, we can look forward to a more connected, efficient, and eco-friendly driving experience in the years to come.


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The brewers at the 405 Brewing Company in central Oklahoma say they make art out of alcohol. A project brewery, the 405 Brewing Company is among the newest craft brew businesses that have opened in Oklahoma, and with specialty beers found nowhere else, they are quickly becoming a favorite.
The new interest and laws in Oklahoma are paving the way for an industry that is coming into its own. “Our business model was different enough that we would have pursued our business anyway, but it helped knowing there is such a consumer demand for craft beer,” said Trae Carson, who opened 405 with Jonathan Stapleton. “Had craft breweries not been sustainable, we may have thought twice about it. But the market was right.”
Within the decade, Oklahoma has brewed up an award-winning craft beer culture, and this movement is forming a flourishing industry that combines great taste, entrepreneurship and community throughout the state. For years, Oklahoma ranked 48th in breweries per capita, but thanks to more forgiving liquor laws and a heady desire for locally created brew, Oklahoma now boasts of more than 20 local breweries and numerous brewpubs.
“Oklahoma has traditionally been grossly under-served in craft brewing,” said Charles Stout, owner of the Bricktown Brewery and president of the Oklahoma Craft Brewers Guild. “But Oklahoma is home to a lot of great breweries now that are producing some exciting products.”
From the pioneer breweries like Choc, Coop Ale Works and Marshall Brewing Co. to newcomers like Twisted Spike Brewing Co., 405 Brewing Co. and Vanessa House Brewing Co., brewers are toasting the success of craft beer in Oklahoma.
“I think others are seeing the success of the established breweries and are encouraged,” he said. “Right now, craft beer is trendy and sustainable. People want to consume products that are created locally, and they are being educated that craft beer is much fresher and much more interesting in taste than what they’ve been used to.”
This past summer, Gov. Mary Fallin signed into law a bill that allows craft breweries in Oklahoma to sell full-strength beer for the first time. In November, Oklahoma voters approved a much debated proposition, which among other things, allows full-strength beer and wine to be sold in convenience stores and grocery stores.
“We are experiencing the best of times right now,” Stout said. “Being able to sell our beer cold will have a huge impact on the industry. This can be a huge game changer.”
Having access to additional markets like convenience stores and grocery stores will also boost sales of locally created beer, he said.
“Will Oklahoma be able to sustain an influx of new breweries?” Stout asked. “I think so. It will be tougher to do a mediocre job, and having new breweries increases competition and forces all of us to stay on top of our game to produce quality, interesting beers. I think having more breweries in the state naturally increases the desire for the product. More breweries means Oklahomans have more options to enjoy craft beer.”
New Breweries On Tap
The success of Oklahoma’s established craft breweries is now inspiring others to create their own frothy businesses.
Vanessa House Brewing of Oklahoma City officially hit the market with their first beer the last week of September. Founded by Andrew Carrales, and six others, the company was inspired by a love of craft beer.
“We started home brewing, but that became very expensive,” said Carrales. “We started to research breweries in Oklahoma and what it would take to open a brewery. We took nearly five years to start the brewery.”
Since Oklahoma isn’t oversaturated with breweries yet, Carrales said the partners saw an opportunity to make an impact on the market. “With the new laws, I think we have a real opportunity to introduce a lot of people to craft beer,” he said. “If we were in someplace like Denver, we would have a tougher road as far as shelf space and marketing. In Oklahoma, we have a chance to really get into the market.”
Twisted Spike Brewing Co. is another brand new brewery, located in the heart of Oklahoma City, which opened in December. Offering a Belgian Blonde, a saison and a milk stout, the brewery fills its own niche in downtown Oklahoma City.
“I’ve always had a huge passion for beer,” said founder Bruce Sanchez. “In the last few years, there has been a growing beer culture here. We saw a big movement to have our liquor laws change, and when we saw the changes coming, we began timing things out so we could open our business. It’s nice that we can now focus on our passion and share great craft beer in Oklahoma.”
Try A New Brew
Twisted Stache Milk Stout by Twisted Spike
Holy Beer Belgian Quadruple by Twisted Spike
Grapefruit Sour Sour Beer by 405 Brewing
FDR Imperial Coffee Stout by 405 Brewing
401KCream Ale by Vanessa House


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Apple has released new updates for TV, Apple Watch and MacBooks — tvOS 12.4.1, watch OS 5.3.1 and MacOS Mojave 10.14.6. All these updates are now available for download and install for all users. But before this, there is a new in three updates here.
IOS 12.4.1: What’s new?
The major updates will not appear on this iOS update and the update on the phone says “provides important security and stability updates”. According to the report of Tmonews, the update aims to address the harm of starting jail breaking. The bug was reported to be a patch on iOS 12.3 but was accidentally unpatches in iOS 12.4, so now Apple has made it with this iOS 12.4.1 update May be attached again.
MacOS 10.14.6: What’s new?
These three updates are small ones that focus on resolving errors and improving performance instead of introducing new features. For MacOS, it is expected that the new updates will solve the problem of causing to close MacBooks in sleep. According to the developer note for MacOS Mojave 10.14.6, the update will also address the growing performance issue when users are working on large files. There are also some improvements that solve the problem of preventing updating of pages, keynote, numbers, Aimovie and garage band.
Apple iOS 12.4.1, watch OS 5.3.1, MacOS 10.14.6 release: Here’s what’s new
Apple offered updates to MacOS, which focus on resolving errors and improving performance instead of adding new features. Image: Pixabe.
TvOS 12.4.1 and watchOS 5.3.1: What’s new?
As per the report, the TVs 12.4.1, watch OS 5.3.1 and MacOS Mojave 10.14.6 company TVs 13, watch OS 6 and MacOS Cadina software can be the last updates we see as they are likely to release soon. The TVs do not have large updates on 12.4.1 and according to the website, “Use after solving a free problem with better memory management after a better issue “. A larger update is expected from the TVs 13 only.
The Watch OS 5.3.1 also focuses on resolving errors instead of adding new features.
The upcoming Apple event is scheduled for next month. Along with the new software, it is alleged that the company could also release a new iphone, two ‘ pro ‘ iphones, 16-inch MacBook Pro, two ipad pros, cheaper ipad, better airpods and a new homepod.
Apple may unveil a new-generation Apple Watch that includes OLED screens in this upcoming event.


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Accor and Huazhu Hotels Group (also known as China Lodging Group) have sealed an extensive and long-term alliance to create the most prominent and diversified hotel company in China, with more than 2,000 hotels and the strongest pipeline in the country.“This ground-breaking collaboration will leverage the strengths of Accor’s global brands with a leading player in Chinese hospitality,” said Sebastien Bazin, Chairman and CEO of Accor. “Joining Huazhu’s unparalleled local expertise with our brands will create a hospitality powerhouse which will deliver unprecedented value to both groups and to our customers.”
Huazhu founder, Chairman and CEO, Ji Qi, said the collaboration was an unequivalent alliance in the global hospitality industry. “With an extensive brand portfolio, and strong distribution and loyalty platforms, Accor and Huazhu share a lot of common values. By combining forces we can facilitate growth and attract more customers to the expanded network,” said Ji Qi.
Strategic alliance signals new era in hospitality
This major alliance will rapidly accelerate both groups’ expansion in what is today one of the largest and fastest-growing domestic travel markets and the world’s largest outbound travel market.
The objective of the alliance is to bring together the best of the two respective groups, combining Accor’s internationally recognized brands and powerful global distribution network with the extensive coverage, local reputation and strong development capability of Huazhu Hotels Group in China.
Together the groups have more than 500 hotels in the pipeline in the region and the alliance is expected to further accelerate development to new levels and see faster expansion of Accor’s brands in China.
Similar goals, similar vision
Huazhu is a leading and fast-growing hotel group in China, with a portfolio of over 1,900 hotels. It is the 13th largest hotel group globally in 2013(1). Huazhu’s hotel brands cover the full spectrum of the market from Upscale (Joya, Manxin) to midscale (JI Hotels, Starway) and Economy (Hanting, Elan and Hi Inn), making the group a perfect match with Accor. Huazhu has the strongest pipeline of any hotel group in China to fuel future growth.
Accor currently has 144 hotels in China across eight brands including Luxury/Upscale (Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Grand Mercure); Midscale (Novotel, Mercure) and Economy (ibis, ibis Styles). The group has been present in China for more than three decades and is the leading hotel group in Europe, Latin America, Africa and the Middle-East, as well as Australasia.
Pursuant to the transaction, Accor’s economy and midscale platform in China will become part of Huazhu. Under the arrangement, Huazhu will become Accor’s exclusive master-franchisee operating and developing in Mainland China, Mongolia and Taiwan for the economy (ibis, ibis Styles,) and midscale segments (Novotel and Mercure), as well as the upscale Grand Mercure brand.
Accor will continue to lead the ownership and development of all its Luxury and other Upscale brands in China, including Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery and The Sebel. Huazhu will become a minority shareholder in Accor’s Luxury and Upscale business in China (10%) and will help support future development in the country, thanks to its in-depth relationships with key Chinese real estate investors.
All Accor’s existing hotels in China will continue to be operated under their current international brand standards, benefitting from current global distribution and loyalty platforms, together with the added support of Huazhu’s networks and domestic reputation. They will maintain their identities, specificities and international standards, while benefitting from Huazhu’s extensive on-the-ground support capabilities and local expertise.
Under the arrangement, Accor will take a 10% stake in Huazhu and will have a seat at Huazhu’s board of directors.
Together: accelerated expansion, unrivalled distribution, powerful loyalty
This strategic alliance aims at accelerating expansion by leveraging Huazhu’s strength in development, real estate investor relations and experience in operating a sizable hotel network in China. Huazhu plans to open 350 to 400 new hotels under the Accor brands in the next five years.
The agreement will offer the customers of both loyalty programs (together 47 million card holders) the opportunity to access a network of over 5,600 hotels globally.
“This major step is key to our digital transformation as the agreement will link the power of both groups’ reservation and loyalty platforms, providing an expanded distribution capability,” said Sebastien Bazin. “This agreement will provide travelers and loyal members more access and more choice of hotels.
 Source: annual ranking of the world’s biggest hotel companies by HOTELS in 2014
“China is today the largest outbound tourism market in the world; in that context, creating one of the largest hotel groups in China will lead to growth globally as those travelers come to recognize Accor and Huazhu’s brands and expand their travel internationally,” said Sebastien Bazin.
“This agreement will also help us better anticipate customers’ expectations and strengthen our leadership in the Chinese market over the long term.”
“We are thrilled that our long-time friendship with Accor matures into a long-lasting alliance,” said Ji Qi. “We believe the collaboration will become the largest hotel business in China, and make the Accor-Huazhu alliance an unprecedented success.”
The conditions to the closing of this transaction include the obtaining of requisite governmental approvals and the completion of certain corporate restructuring. Both Accor and Huazhu will use due efforts to achieve the closing conditions in an expedited manner.


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“Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam,” says the traditional cowboy song. American bison, commonly known as buffalo, are making themselves at home in the Inland Northwest.
Instead of running wild, they can be found in the fenced pastures of discriminating ranchers who traditionally raised cattle.
Randy Durheim, of Four Mound Prairie Bison Ranch in Nine Mile Falls, is a genuine cowboy. “I wanted to ranch ever since I got out of school,” he said. That dream became a reality when the sawmill he was working for shut down. Durheim decided to take over the family ranch that originally belonged to his grandparents.
At the time, Durheim’s father was running 15 head of cattle, he said. Since then, Durheim has grown that herd of cattle considerably and added a herd of 35 bison to the ranch. “Bison are pretty enjoyable,” he said, “their personalities are distinct.”
Durheim runs bison on just 200 of the 2,100 acres the ranch owns or leases. “Bison require less work and fencing than cattle,” he said. “I studied up on bison for a few years before deciding that was the way to go, then I just jumped into it.”
While Durheim chose to start raising bison in 1993 due to the sudden drop of beef prices, Marland and Glenda Ray, of Mead, have been raising bison since 1976. They own a herd of 75 bison that their son tends just north of Cusick, Wash., at the Wild West Bison Ranch. The Rays chose to raise bison because they require less care, eat more roughage and don’t compact the ground like cattle do. “They are a neat animal to have around,” Marland Ray said. “You can have three bison on what two cattle will eat.”
Earlier this month, Ray attended the 11th Annual Wild West Buffalo Stampede Show and Sale in Ogden, Utah, put on by the Western Bison Association. He sold more than 100 calves. “There is good demand for breed stock,” he said. He also bought a grand champion bull for $13,000 and a bred heifer for $25,000 to improve his stock. Most bison sell for less. The average yearling costs about $1,000 to $1,500, Ray said.
Bison are also known as exceptional cutting animals. In cutting, an equestrian event, a horse and rider must separate a single animal from a herd, typically of cattle. Many cutting-horse trainers use bison calves to train their horses. “Bison are a lot faster than beef cows, cutting (turning) on their front feet,” Ray said. The Durheims often sell calves for this purpose, then buy them back after cutting season is over.
Both Durheim and Ray raise bison for their meat quality, selling half or whole animals. The Durheims sell bison meat for $2.65 a pound hanging weight, plus the buyer pays for the butchering and wrapping of the meat. Ray said that in stores, bison meat is commonly sold for about $5 a pound for burger and $20 or more for steaks in stores.
Bison meat is in constant demand because it is one of the “leanest meats without a gamey flavor,” said Maureen Durheim, Randy’s wife. “If I gave you a bison steak, you would think it was a really, really well-cooked beef steak,” she said.
According to industry officials, bison meat has less fat and cholesterol, and fewer calories than beef, pork or chicken. “Bison meat does not marble with streaks of fat like beef,” Ray said. “Bison meat has 3 percent fat versus beef having 10 to 25 percent fat. People tend to overcook it.”


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There’s a dark cloud on the horizon. The behavior of cloud infrastructure providers, such as Amazon, threatens the viability of open source. I first wrote about this problem in a prior piece on TechCrunch. In 2018, thankfully, several leaders have mobilized (amid controversy) to propose multiple solutions to the problem. Here’s what’s happened in the last month.
Go to Amazon Web Services (AWS) and hover over the Products menu at the top. You will see numerous open-source projects that Amazon did not create, but runs as-a-service. These provide Amazon with billions of dollars of revenue per year. To be clear, this is not illegal. But it is not conducive to sustainable open-source communities, and especially commercial open-source innovation.


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The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has revealed that it will be working with Bitt Inc. as the technical partner to launch Nigeria’s eCurrency – eNaira. The CBN’s Governor Godwin Emefiele disclosed this last Monday in Abuja.
According to the CBN, ‘in choosing Bitt Inc, the CBN will rely on the company’s tested and proven digital currency experience, which is already in circulation in several Eastern Caribbean Countries; Bitt Inc. was key to the development and successful launch of the central bank digital currencies (CBDC) pilot of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank in April 2021’.
Bitt Inc. is a Barbados-based fintech company that leverages blockchain and distributed ledger technology to enable safe peer-to-peer transactions with seamless mobile money across Bitt’s software and mobile apps with payment systems that promote social inclusion, financial empowerment and economic growth.
While the nation’s apex bank has clearly stated that their selection of a technical partner was hinged on the company’s tested and proven experience in dealing with CBDC, some Nigerians have argued that the project would have been assigned to a local startup to ensure the ecosystem and nation’s economy thrives.
Was Executive Order No. 5 Breached?
In February 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Executive Order No. 5 (EO5) for planning and execution of projects, promotion of Nigerian content in Science, Engineering and Technology this proclamation directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to engage local professionals in the planning, design and execution of national security projects as well as maximize in-country capacity and talents in all contracts and transaction that has to do with science, engineering and technology.
President Buhari said the executive order's strategic intent is to harness domestic talents and develop indigenous capacities in science and technology to promote national competitiveness and productivity across all sectors of the economy.
However, the E05 directed that foreign companies and firms with demonstrated and verifiable plans for indigenous capacity development can be awarded contracts when local professionals are lacking expertise – in terms of qualification, competence and experience of management in the execution of similar contracts.
Could It be that local professionals are lacking expertise?
Some commentators alleged that competent Nigerian companies that could have taken up the job declined...; the name of the company and whether the allegation is true is unconfirmed at the moment.
However, we can deduce one of two things - either the CBN is saying that there are no competent Nigerian firms to handle the project, or working with the government has become so much of a cesspit that corporations would rather forgo the opportunity to do so.
Per an interview with Techpoint, the Vice Chairman Blockchain Industry Coordinating Committee of Nigeria, Chimezie Chuta disclosed that local technical partners might not be the best option given that the Blockchain network — Hyperledger Fabric — the CBN chose to run the eNaira is created by a consortium of “big entities including IBM and a couple of other big organizations that are not local.” Nevertheless, Chuta affirmed that there are local companies that can help launch the eNaira.
CBN to Own Stake In Bitt Inc.
One of the objectives of the CBN is to enable the eNaira to be the backbone for several digital-enabled financial transactions in Nigeria such as enabling payment by utility companies, helping the government collect taxes and facilitating e-commerce.
In an exclusive report Nairametrics stated that Bitt Inc will register in Nigeria as a Limited Liability company thereby allowing the central bank to own shares in its Nigerian entity - this intends for a mutual benefit to both the economy of the country and company.
Meanwhile, Osita Nwanisobi, CBN's Director of Corporate Communications said that with the significant explosion in the use of digital payments and the rise in the digital economy, the CBN’s decision follows an unmistakable global trend in which over 85 % of Central Banks are now considering adopting digital currencies in their countries.
Who is Bitt Inc.?
Globally, 81 countries including Nigeria are considering a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), out of these countries, five have launched their digital currency, out of which Bitt Inc. is said to have built four of them. They also created the first CBDC hub.
The company was initially built to enable digital financial infrastructure in the Caribbean. In 2018, Gabriel Abed, a Co-Founder at Bitt was appointed as the special technology advisor to David Burt, the premier of Bermuda.
Abed has led presentations and engaged in discussions with the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the United Nations, the Commonwealth Secretariat.
According to Nwanisobi, 'the CBN’s selection of Bitt Inc, from among highly competitive bidders, was hinged on the company’s technological competence, efficiency, platform security, interoperability, and implementation experience'
Amidst the uproar on the choice of CBN's technical partner, it is obvious that the Executive Order No 5 was not violated going by the submissions made by the Vice Chairman, Blockchain Industry Coordinating Committee of Nigeria, Chimezie Chuta.
While we continue to closely observe the development as it unfolds, what can key actors in the ecosystem learn from this incidence?


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Celebrities and fans weigh in on Bloom vs Bieber, declaring on Twitter if they are #TeamOrlando or #TeamJustin.
Sony Legacy released The Essential NSync to the surprise of the ’90s boy band’s own members. The compilation includes NSync’s biggest hits and rarer tracks.
Sports Illustrated model Hannah Ferguson and Paris Hilton teamed up for a Carl’s Jr. commercial for their Texas BBQ thickburger.
Everyone uses devices with a USB port, but now some analysts are saying USB has a serious security flaw. Here’s what you need to know in order to stay safe.
Here’s your chance to win a brand spanking new Xbox One!
David Tutera is at it again, taking on celebrities who dream about their wedding day …
Katy Perry and Diplo are still dating. Although there were rumors the two had split, they were spotted in Vegas on Monday.
Tony DeFrances committed suicide after critically wounding his boss following a recent demotion. The shooting caused havoc in Chicago’s financial district.
Zebra Technologies will be changing the way football fans experience NFL games. Learn all about Zebra’s sensors, which will be worn by players on the field.
Say hello to Brielle Biermann, the spunky teenage daughter of Kim Zolciak from Don’t Be Tardy. Check out the facts on her maybe boyfriend, her dad, and more.
NBA referee Violet Palmer publicly came out in announcing her marriage to her girlfriend of 20 years, Tanya Stine.


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PORTLAND — Aren’t all doughnuts holey?
That’s the first question people ask when they hear the name of Portland’s newest doughnut shop.
The Holy Donut opened a week ago last Friday at the former site of Terroni’s Market on Park Avenue, near Hadlock Field. Leigh Kellis, the owner, had been using the kitchen at the East Ender and selling her products wholesale at Coffee By Design, Whole Foods and Bard Coffee.
Her new retail space has a comfy sitting area with brown sofas, and a little coffee bar where customers can help themselves to the Holy Donut blend created specially for the store by Coffee By Design.
After the first week, her biggest seller appears to be the Dark Chocolate Sea Salt doughnut.
But there’s a lot of competition for customers’ affection. Just look at these doughnut flavors Kellis is creating: Buttermilk Mocha, Sweet Potato Ginger, Buttermilk Maple, Bacon Cheddar, Molasses and about 10 more varieties that rotate from day to day.
Kellis, a single mom, says she develops flavors in her head on a whim. “I’m really passionate about doughnuts,” she said, “so I just try to make things that I would want to eat.”
But why doughnuts?
“I feel like doughnuts are a cheap thrill,” Kellis said. “They’re not expensive, but they’re so incredibly pleasurable. I found that I craved them all the time.”
Kellis started researching doughnut recipes and experimenting — and feeding her friends. She went on pilgrimages to other cities in search of old-fashioned doughnuts made by hand in mom-and-pop doughnut shops. It became kind of an obsession.
When Kellis finally had one she thought worthy of sharing — her Maine Potato doughnut, made with potatoes that have been peeled, boiled, then riced — she took it to Coffee By Design and they said yes, they’d sell it for her.
Some of her other flavors, including the Dark Chocolate Sea Salt, have as much potato in them as the actual potato doughnut. Even the Bacon Cheddar is a Maine potato doughnut, only it’s stuffed with crispy bacon and local cheddar cheese that melts inside.
The Bacon Cheddar doughnut has developed a small cult following, Kellis said, “but I don’t go near it, because it’s like crack (cocaine). If I have one, I’ll have three. They’re that good.”
All of the doughnuts are $1.50 each, $8 per half-dozen and $15 per dozen.
The Holy Donut is open from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
Kellis said she expects to extend the hours soon because she’s going to start selling ice cream and, eventually, sandwiches in addition to doughnuts.
Her next doughnut creation? She says it will be a doughnut ice cream sandwich.
Holy – well, you know.
Staff Writer Meredith Goad can be contacted at 791-6332 or at: [email protected]


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These days you can have all the personal rights you want...as long as you toe the liberal line and embrace the liberal agenda. Go against them and the liberal brownshirts will punish you severely. There is no longer room for alternative points of view.
Eden Foods is quite a wonderful food producer. They are dedicated to producing healthy organic foods for the American table. But Eden Foods is guilty of the same crime as Hobby Lobby; they won't fund abortions as part of their healthcare plan.
So the liberal brownshirts are punishing them severely. They have pressured grocery co-ops to boycott all Eden food products and many of the co-ops in San Francisco and New York City and other liberal bastions have fallen in line and stopped carrying Eden Food products in their stores. The "brownies" are also writing Obama to ask if his FDA Czar can't do something to stop Eden Foods from doing business in America.
On another front, last year gays in Denver filed a suit against a Christian run bakery that refused to make a wedding cake for a gay wedding. Thousands of gays crawled out of their holes and descended on the Denver bakery and harassed anyone who tried to go in to the bakery. The bakery closed down late last year....out of business because they didn't believe they could support gay marriage.
Then, this week Cynthia and Robert Griffith, who host weddings and wedding receptions at their bucolic New York farm. Both Christians, the Griffiths were approached to host a wedding and a reception at the farm for a female gay couple from New Jersey. As a compromise, the Griffiths agreed to host the reception but didn't feel their religion would allow them to host the wedding. The two gays took the Griffiths to court and one of the thousands of America's liberal judges fined the Griffith's $13,000 dollars and ordered them to host the wedding ceremony. The Griffiths decided just to close their business because their Christian beliefs won't allow them to go against their religious teachings.
A couple of years ago Arizona, who had Christian businesses under assault by the LGBT crowd, passed a law that gave businesses the right to refuse providing a service if it went against their religious beliefs. The law passed the Arizona House and Senate but didn't make it through the ultra liberal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. The liberal minions there shot it down...ruling that gays have the right to demand service even if that service goes against the personal beliefs of Christians.
If your skin color is Black or Brown, you're in. If you like to cross dress at work, hey you're protected. If you're "queer in the rear" that's all good too. But God help you if you are still clinging to some outmoded Judeo-Christian ethic....you will be punished severely.


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Baby and child-specific products continued to record strong growth in Asia Pacific in 2019, driven by the popularity of these products among parents for use on their offspring. While 2020 will see significant societal disruptions due to Coronavirus (COVID-19), the pandemic is unlikely to have any major impact on baby and child-specific products, aside from providing a boost to sales of baby wipes. Further strong growth is expected in the region over the forecast period.
This report comes in PPT.
Baby and child-specific products saw strong growth throughout the historic period in Asia Pacific. Sales were particularly dynamic in China, which accounted for three quarters of the new retail value generated in 2014-2019. Japan was registering declining sales, largely due to the falling birth rate. It is experiencing a significant population decline, with the dwindling number of newborns having a direct negative impact on demand for baby and child-specific products.
While half of baby and child-specific product sales are made online in South Korea, in terms of shaping the overall region’s internet retailing share, the advances made by e-commerce in China are having the biggest impact. With online sales seeing strong growth in China, leading players are putting increasing efforts into improved collaboration with e-commerce platforms to expand their business. Cross-border e-commerce in particular is now considered one of the best ways for brands and companies to enter the Chinese market.
Parents are increasingly looking for natural products or ingredients in baby and child-specific products. This saw Johnson & Johnson (India), losing value share to new companies with organic and natural product offerings, focus on removing chemical dyes and adding natural ingredients in its baby product line in 2019. Pigeon launched a new baby and child-specific skin care line in Japan in 2019 under the filbaby brand, using natural ingredients for soft and moisturised skin.
Although growth will slow in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it will remain strong, and will also quickly return to higher rates from 2021. As in the historic period, baby and child-specific products is expected to record a retail value CAGR of 9% over the forecast period.
This is the aggregation of baby and child-specific products, bath & shower, deodorants, hair care, colour cosmetics, men's grooming, oral hygiene, fragrances, skin care, depilatories and sun care. Black market sales and travel retail are excluded.See All of Our Definitions
If you purchase a report that is updated in the next 60 days, we will send you the new edition and data extraction Free!


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Study Reveals Child Car Seats Not Properly Aligned
A recent study conducted by Ohio State University, Wexner Medical Center, reveals that manufacturers of child car seats may be following design guidelines not aligned with auto manufacturers.
The researchers analysed data collected from over 3,600 combinations of car seats and 34 physical installations. The results show that around 4 out of 10 car seats do not align properly, making the installation more difficult for parents and possibly proving hazardous on the road.
According to Julie Bing, lead author of the study and engineer at Ohio State College of Medicine’s Injury Biomechanics Research Center, the research does not in any way imply that child car seats are unsafe. The manufacturers no doubt follow federal regulations. The problem lies in the alignment between the base angle of the car seat and the angle of the child car seat set by the maker.
Being said that the main objective of the study was to encourage more communication between manufacturers so that standards can be aligned to optimize safety. She recommends that parents should base the purchase of the child car seat not only on comfort and ease of installation as specified by the car seat manufacturer, but also take into consideration the measurements and specifications of the vehicle. This will help to ensure a better fit for the car seat and avoid make-shift arrangements like adding extra stuffing behind or under the seat to make it fit better.
The study, which will be officially published next quarter, was funded by The National Science Foundation Center for Child Injury Prevention Studies (CChIPS). A collaborative effort of researchers from OSU, CChIPS is focused on research for Child Injury Prevention.


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Nvidia said the restrictions could damage its ability to complete improvement of new products on schedule. Nvidia closed down about 5%, whereas Broadcom and Marvell slipped about 2% and 1%, respectively. The U.S. Department of Commerce introduced Tuesday that it plans to prevent the sale of extra superior synthetic intelligence chips to China in the coming weeks. A fast-growing Sydney-based share buying and selling platform and a on line casino big run by a pair of Melbourne-based twenty-something billionaires are locking horns.
The firm advises readers on the method to deal greatest with disputes and sophisticated offers, among other topics. MoreThanDigital is a world leading ISSN submission the place leading experts share their knowledge simple to understand and for everybody accessible. Founded by Spencer Haws, Nichepursuits is a one cease store web site to search out online business concepts, marketing tactics and more. Find business news, webinars and events, e-book suggestions, and interviews with profitable entrepreneurs. The website is updated every day and even has a journal for longer-form items. He additionally discusses the autumn in grocery value inflation with Tom Steel from Kantar.
Saudi sovereign spreads – or the premium traders demand to hold its bonds quite than these of the United States – have widened by around 15 foundation factors so far this month. The stress on industrial real property is ready to get worse, writes Greg Friedman. “The blistering replace on spending might be seen as a hawkish growth and contributed to bearish sentiment in the bond market,” stated Stephen Innes, managing partner at SPI Asset Management. U.S. stock futures fell early Wednesday as benchmark bond yields touched recent 16-year highs and geopolitical angst hit international sentiment. Nvidia said on Tuesday in an SEC filing that the restrictions apply to the company’s A100, A800, H100, H800, L40, L40S, and RTX 4090 chips. It also mentioned that it affected whole systems offered with these chips, together with its DGX and HGX techniques.
However, analysts have famous that wage progress has slowed barely, which could presumably be good news for Bank of England policymakers who use wage progress as an indicator of inflationary pressures. Despite the recent falls in the headline price of inflation, the Bank of England was still expected to raise Interest charges once more in September. Alternatively, if the financial institution cuts rates of interest, borrowing becomes cheaper, and folks have more cash to spend on different issues. Higher interest rates mean folks need to pay more for his or her mortgages, for example, which suggests they’ve much less cash to spend on other things. This influences the saving and borrowing charges charged by High Street banks to people and companies.
Pm Modi Unveils Ambitious Gaganyaan Objectives: Indian Area Station By 2035, First Indian On Moon By 2040
In addition to Loper’s own commentary, he interviews established side-hustlers to achieve professional insight on what does and doesn’t work. Loper’s give consideration to aspect hustles feels incredibly well timed in a post-pandemic business world, the place traditional ways of working have gotten much less and fewer common. More than a hundred,000 listeners tune in to this weekly podcast, and episodes are out there in beneath an hour each. If you’re a woman looking to learn about financial literacy, Nika Farb has you coated with The Miss Findependent Show. Farb releases one episode per week and retains each simply digestible with an average run time of about 30 to 60 minutes every.
mastodonmesa.com Is the Best Blog that You must visit and mastodonmesa.com contain about Business Information
The capital raised by Adani Green Energy shall be used to repay an impressive $750 million, three-year bond issued in 2021 that is due next 12 months. The money is more probably to be saved in a devoted redemption reserve account and paid on the due date, said people conscious of the matter. Kristen Bell, William Jackson Harper, Ted Danson, Jameela Jamil and D’Arcy Carden from The Good Place.
Eu Fur Ban: Is The Ecu Fur Trade In Danger?
Auto sector has witnessed a wholesome retail uptick during Onam and Ganesh Chaturthi, it’s anticipated that retail gross sales in the course of the upcoming festive season might be sturdy compared to the earlier year. With 27% returns in 6 months, the Nifty Auto index is among the many greatest sectoral performers and is led by sturdy upside in Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki, M&M and Hero MotoCorp. Data on Wednesday showed China’s GDP grew 4.9% in July-September from the yr earlier, higher than a Reuters poll expectation for a four.4% increase. “Like August, September month-to-month exercise got here in stronger than anticipated. This is encouraging,” said JPM economists led by Haibin Zhu, adding that China’s financial recovery momentum is expected to proceed in the coming months. Erginbilgiç is planning to update buyers next month on his plans for Rolls-Royce over the following few years. Some analysts have suggested the ability methods division could probably be a candidate for a sale, but an effort to extra closely integrate it into the the rest of the business would make that less probably.


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Optimizely is moving the Opticon20 conference to virtual. Opticon20 is also now free to attend. Opticon20 US will be on September 16th and 17th, and the Opticon20 EU will be on September 29th and 30th.
According to Optimizely, leaders from category-defining companies including AMC Networks, Charles Schwab, and Github will be sharing their success stories, strategies, and best practices for improving product development and driving growth.
Optimizely’s product team will be announcing the latest improvements to Optimizely’s platform and providing a sneak peek at Optimizely roadmap.


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Tuesday Morning Market Prepper
Morning News - Reads
Yahoo to Change Name to Altaba
Macau Gaming Off To
“Exceptional” Start In 2017
[Bernstein comments, via @barronsonline]https://t.co/GYJ24JMtZI pic.twitter.com/cxpjJQ0m8z
— Tom Wrigley (@WrigleyTom) January 10, 2017
US Briefing 10-Jan-17: OPEC Oil Production Cuts In Focus, EMFX Still In Vogue pic.twitter.com/feWfDvpfhP
— Anthony Barton (@AntBarton89) January 10, 2017
Chart: Americans Are Loading Up on Credit pic.twitter.com/DgfRyRj0rI
— (((The Daily Shot))) (@SoberLook) January 10, 2017
Morning Coffee from Seeking Alpha:
At a Deutsche Bank conference coinciding with the Detroit Auto Show, General Motors (NYSE:GM) will tell investors today what they can expect from the No. 1 U.S. carmaker in 2017. Ford (NYSE:F) CEO Mark Fields is also expected to outline forecasts for financial performance. Global automakers yesterday continued talking up their American production, as Toyota (NYSE:TM) announced a $10B investment in the U.S., following sharp criticism from President-elect Donald Trump.
China is vowing to contain high corporate debt levels and further cut excess coal and steel capacity, as investors scrutinized inlation data for signs of improved demand in the world's second-largest economy. The consumer price index for December climbed about 2.1%, on higher pork and fuel prices, while the producer price index jumped 5.5%, the fastest pace since September 2011.
Ban Ki-moon is due to return to South Korea on Thursday, where political parties will lock horns to recruit him. Having stepped down last month as the secretary-general of the United Nations, Ban is leaving New York and moving back to Seoul to presumably seek the presidency as his home country grapples with its worst-ever political crisis.
Mexico's new foreign minister has pledged to negotiate with the United States "without fear" and is looking to support trade ties with Donald Trump, despite his threats to penalize companies shifting jobs south of the border. "We will negotiate with great confidence in ourselves... knowing how important Mexico is for the U.S. in economic, social and political terms," Luis Videgaray told Mexican ambassadors.
President-elect Trump has named his son-in-law as a senior adviser, who will work with incoming Chief of staff Reince Priebus and chief strategist Stephen Bannon on Middle East issues and trade negotiations. Jared Kushner will not receive a salary while serving in the Trump administration, which could help alleviate legal problems stemming from federal anti-nepotism law.
Before handing over power next week, President Obama will give his farewell address in Chicago. Reflecting upon his eight years in office, the speech will likely be Obama's final appeal to preserve his achievements as President, discuss the nation's economic growth during his tenure and "offer some thoughts on where we all go from here." Tonight's event will begin at 6 p.m.
Amid pressure to build products at home, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) is seeking to conduct "high-tech manufacturing" and assemble data center server gear at one of its plants in Mesa, Arizona. "The nature of the product is not for end users but for other global data centers what will be supported from the site," according to a notification published by the Federal Register.
Donald Trump had a "great meeting" with Alibaba's (NYSE:BABA) Jack Ma on Monday, when they discussed creating 1M new American jobs in five years. Some are calling the assertion a stretch, however, based on the company's definition of the goal. "Alibaba will create 1M U.S. jobs by enabling 1M American small businesses and farmers to sell American goods to China and Asian consumers on the Alibaba platform."
Facebook will begin testing "mid-roll" ads in videos on its platform, a move aimed to help media companies and the social network generate revenue from their growing video audiences. The firm has been testing the ads that run in the middle of clips for its live-streaming product, Facebook Live (NASDAQ:FB), but the new effort would extend that program into regular videos.
In a post-Brexit win for the U.K., Snap (Private:CHAT) has established its international headquarters in Britain, where it will book all sales made outside the U.S. The move by the owner of Snapchat is an unusual one among top American tech companies. Most have chosen the the U.K.'s neighbors to take advantage of lower-tax regimes, but pressure may be building following illegal state aid rulings by the European Commission.
After inking a deal to sell its Dendreon cancer business for $820M, Valeant (NYSE:VRX) is continuing to shed non-core assets to repay debt. The drugmaker has just sold three skincare brands - CeraVe, AcneFree and Ambi - to L'Oreal (OTCPK:LRLCY) for $1.3B. According to the French cosmetics maker, the acquisitions "will nearly double the revenue of our Active Cosmetics Division in the U.S." VRX +12.4% premarket.
Japan's Takeda Pharmaceutical is willing to bolster its drug portfolio through fresh acquisitions after agreeing on Monday to buy Ariad Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ARIA) for $5.2B. "Should the right deal come along we have the capacity," CEO James Kehoe declared. At the end of its last business year that ended on March 31, Takeda (OTCPK:TKPYY) had ¥438B ($3.8B) in cash and cash equivalents.
Deepening its integration with brick-and-mortar stores, Alibaba (BABA) is leading a $2.6B bid to privatize Intime Retail Group (OTC:INTIY), a leading department store chain with 29 outlets and 17 shopping malls across China. In 2015, Alibaba acquired a 20% stake in Suning, which operates over 1,600 Chinese stores that sell consumer electronics and appliances.
In a response that usually includes divestments or product pricing commitments, ChemChina and Syngenta (NYSE:SYT) have submitted proposed remedies to the EU's antitrust watchdog to address concerns over their $43B merger. The European Commission opened an in-depth investigation into the takeover in October, saying the companies had not allayed concerns over the deal.
Wall Street's largest back-office processing service is partnering with IBM (NYSE:IBM) to upgrade how payments and record-keeping for credit-default swaps are handled by putting the system on a blockchain by early next year. "This will be one of the first globally where we are using distributed ledger technology to become a piece of the infrastructure in a very critical market," said Depository Trust & Clearing Corp. CEO Michael Bodson.
Continuing to shed some of its bolder ventures, Google (GOOG, GOOGL) is mulling over the sale of its SkyBox Imaging satellite business, now called Terra Bella, which it had acquired for $500M in 2014. The most likely suitor is said to be Planet Labs, a startup that provides high-definition satellite images and videos of the Earth for commercial purposes.
Pokemon Go and other augmented reality games are unlikely to be rolled out in China any time soon, after the state censor said it would not license them until potential security risks had been evaluated. Although not yet available in the world's largest smartphone gaming market, the game - developed by Niantic and Nintendo (OTCPK:NTDOY) - took the world by storm when it was released last year.
Yahoo will whittle down its board after completing its $4.8B deal with Verizon (NYSE:VZ), as CEO Marissa Mayer, co-founder David Filo and others step down as directors. Following the sale of its core internet business, Yahoo's (NASDAQ:YHOO) RemainCo, which will hold $36B in Alibaba (BABA) shares, will change its name to Altaba (a combination of the words "alternate" and "Alibaba").
According to Bloomberg, Blackstone (NYSE:BX) is no longer in talks to buy a $5B stake in assets owned by Energy Transfer Partners (NYSE:ETP), the company building the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline. The discussions fell through after WSJ disclosed them last month, as ETP shares jumped as much as 5% on the report, hurting the economics of the deal.
ExxonMobil did business with Iran, Syria and Sudan through a subsidiary while Rex Tillerson was a top executive of the oil giant and those countries were under U.S. sanctions as state sponsors of terrorism. ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) said the transactions were legal because Infineum was based in Europe and the transactions didn't involve any U.S. employees, but the connection is still likely to surface at Senate confirmation hearings tomorrow.
In Asia, Japan -0.8%. Hong Kong +0.8%. China -0.3%. India +0.7%.
In Europe, at midday, London +0.4%. Paris flat. Frankfurt +0.1%.
Futures at 6:20, Dow flat. S&P flat. Nasdaq flat. Crude +0.5% to $52.24. Gold -0.1% to $1184.30.
Ten-year Treasury Yield flat at 2.38%
Today's Economic Calendar
6:00 NFIB Small Business Optimism Index
8:55 Redbook Chain Store Sales
10:00 Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey
10:00 Wholesale Trade
1:00 PM Results of $24B, 3-Year Note Auction


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If you want to add convenient payment and frequency rewards to your restaurant business, look no further than your phone – there’s an app for that! In September 2014, program restaurant Kahwa Coffee launched their own app that lets customers earn credits and pay through their phones, and the app has already proven to be a successful business tool that is helping Kahwa grow.
Husband-and-wife team Raphael and Sarah Perrier opened Kahwa Coffee in St. Petersburg in 2005 as a wholesale business and moved into retail with the first store in St. Petersburg in 2008. Since then, Kahwa Coffee has expanded to six Tampa Bay area locations and is looking to open two or three more stores in the area over the next year.
With this rapid growth, the Perriers knew Kahwa Coffee needed to find a way to compete with the coffee shop Goliaths. “Our main competition is Starbucks,” said Raphael, “and the only way to compete with them is to create an app for payment.”
The convenience factor is one of the biggest reasons apps bring success in the restaurant industry, especially for drive-thru business. “It’s easier to scan your phone, especially for coffee shops like we are,” said Raphael. There is also a benefit of increased customer spend. “People spend more on their phone than from their wallet,” Raphael explained. “You have that impulse to buy on your phone, and that’s known in the industry.”
Taking the lead on app development, Sarah worked from scratch with Level Up on how to design the app. Intensive planning and development was required, and the whole process took about three and a half months. “Even though you’re working with corporations that know what they’re doing, it takes a lot of time, especially when payment is involved,” Raphael explained.
As a partner in the development process, Level Up helped with the user sign up and initial rewards processes, as users receive a $3 credit to use through the app when they download the app and register.
In addition to convenient mobile payment, the app includes a credit/reward feature, which tracks how much a user has spent on the app and how much they’ve earned in credits to use at the store. Kahwa’s app users earn $3 in credit for every $50 spent through the app. Users also earn a $3 credit when someone they referred also registers on the app.
As of the end of November 2014, there are over 1,700 users on the Kahwa Coffee app and numerous 5-star ratings on iTunes and Google Play. Since launching the app, Kahwa Coffee has seen a 16% increase in overall sales. Though this could be attributed to the growth of the business in addition to the app, it’s a significant amount in this short timeframe.
Already seeing measured success, Raphael and Sarah are looking towards app developments to add even more convenience. This includes pre-ordering, which would allow users to place an order in advance. When their phone comes within 400 feet of the store, a signal sends to that location to start processing the order. Customers only need to pick up the order, since they’ve already paid on their phone. “Convenience is key and we work very hard in this country every day,” said Raphael. “If you have kids, you have work, and you can shave minutes off your day with something like this, you’re going to do it.”


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Now, more than ever, our gardens should be a place of relaxation and tranquillity. So says luxury garden furniture company, Bridgman which, despite its five showrooms being closed due to the current crisis is still able to offering fast, safe and free delivery.
“These are uncertain times so it’s important to take pleasure in the places we cherish and feel at home”, says the company which has been designing and manufacturing quality furniture for over four decades.
“With the sun shining, we can turn our attention to the garden, creating a space where we can find peace outdoors. It’s a time when we can take a moment to smell the flowers and relax in our favourite spot. While our showrooms are temporarily closed, we are pleased to still be open for online and phone orders so that customers can get new luxury furniture in as little as three days”.
Bridgman will let customers know if there are any unexpected delays but assure us that things are currently running smoothly.
All of the Bridgman team are well-versed in the latest advice regarding COVID-19; hygiene, travel and social distancing. Their drivers are regularly washing their hands and work areas are deep cleaned regularly.
For the safety of all of the Bridgman Community, staff and customers alike, they are offering a kerbside, no-contact delivery service.
Stay Home, Stay Safe
If you can, take this time to lay back in your garden; read your favourite magazine and soak up the sunshine. “Better days are on the horizon” say the company, “but first, we need to get through this and be there for those who need it”.
Bridgman can be contacted anytime via email, phone, letter or social media – and they are always interested to hear how they can help support their local communities, especially during these trying times.
Bridgman can be contacted on 0208 804 7474 (8am – 8pm 7 days a week) and their website illustrates their full range plus special offers.


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I read today in the Economic Times and on Forbes.com that Hermes has launched its saris again. Last time Hermes launched saris, it was a limited edition for it’s Millenia collection. Recently it expanded in China with leather goods and opened a flagship store in Mumbai.
Clearly, luxury and fashion are moving East.
To me, this brought further clarity to what Amitabh Bacchan said on the the Lead India campaign regarding the two Indias. One India has come so far, that there are 27 story private homes, and printed saris for $6000-$8000 – 3 to 4 lakhs.
The other side of me recognizes that it’s not just any printed sari. There’s value in the Hermes print and logo on 6 yards of beautiful fabric. It also fills me with pride, that the Indian sari has become such an icon, that Hermes recognizes its importance and value. There have already been rich Indian prints on many Hermes scarves. But now Hermes is going one step further to pay homage to the Indian tradition.
And it’s true. That while Indian women and girls wear Western clothing very commonly now, there is definitely a strong pull towards the traditional and graceful sari. For formal occasions and weddings, most women still prefer to wear the sari.
There’s definitely a graceful elegance that is inherent in the sari, and the Hermes prints will no doubt add to this. There are a total of 28 saris, created in Paris, in fabrics varying from cashmere to twill silk. One line of saris is priced at 3 lakhs, while the other is at 4 lakhs. Obviously, only the wealthy can afford this gorgeous luxury. Two of Forbes top-ten billionaires reside in India, though (Lakshmi Mittal and Mukesh Ambani). It’s not hard to imagine the French couturier’s target clientele.
Did you also know that a recent global affluence study show that India has more wealthy households than many European nations, including Germany and France. Of course the West is coming back to India as soon as India is getting rich again.
Can you predict what the celebrities or Ambani women will be wearing at their next event? I can!
Speaking of which…It’ll be interesting to see what kind of impact this has on the top Indian designers, who until now, were the only creators of designer saris around the world. Hermes’s foray into this niche market isn’t very surprising. Hermes adds a layer of chic luxury to the already sophisticated, elegant sari. I’m hopeful that the price tag and lack of traditional quality inherent in Hermes will keep a large percentage of the wealthy from having or wanting wardrobes of Hermes saris.
But, this is a note to Indian designers. You must now do more than splatter paint, dye, and/or Swarovski crystals all over the sari to charge over 3 lakhs now. Step it up!


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American International Group Inc 4 Hour Price Update
Updated July 21, 2020 04:34 PM GMT (12:34 PM EST)
AIG’s price is up $0.86 (2.72%) over the past four hours of trading. For context, American International Group Inc’s peers in the in the Insurance industry are up 2.23% on average in this time, while the broader Financial Services sector is up by an average of 2.45%.
American International Group Inc Daily Price Recap
American International Group Inc is down 2.21% ($0.71) since the previous day, marking the 2nd day in a row a decrease has occurred. The price move occurred on volume that was up 0.72% from the day prior, but down 40.61% from the same day the week before. Let’s take a look at the daily price chart of American International Group Inc.
American International Group Inc Technical Analysis
Notably, American International Group Inc is now close to its 50 day averages, located at 30.88 respectively, and thus may be at a key juncture along those timeframes. The clearest trend exists on the 90 day timeframe, which shows price moving up over that time. It should be noted, though, that a trend in the opposite direction, going down, exists on the 30 day timeframe. This may setup an interesting opportunity for traders looking to buy dips in anticipation of the primary trend resuming. For additional context, note that price has gone up 16 out of the past 30 days.
Overheard Around the Web
Here’s what one trader on StockTwits recently had to say in regards to AIG:
Midday: $AIG $VZ $PG are our stock suggestions for selling short. More information about sell price range, charts, expected sell returns and option prices are given in our Midday video (7/17/2020), only on JusTrading YouTube channel, check it out. If you would like our daily suggested stocks report, you can join us on Patreon as Collaborator, Supporter or Winner. Thank You! (Part 2)


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Drinking a lot of coffee every day could potentially cut the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), new study says.
Researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Johns Hopkins University in Maryland and the University of California, Berkeley, looked at two studies.
In the Swedish study, participants were asked how many cups they drank per day across different ages, from when they were 15-19 years old, through to when they were over 40. In the US study, they were asked about their maximum daily coffee consumption and how old they were when they started drinking coffee on a regular basis.
They were then able to use the information to look at coffee consumption at and before the start of MS symptoms and compare it to people in healthy control groups. Even after taking into account factors like smoking and weight, they found the risk of MS was higher among people who drank less coffee.
In the Swedish study there was a 28-30% lower risk of developing the neurological condition among people who drank more than six cups per day. In the US they found a 26-30% reduced risk in people drinking at least six cups. They also found the higher the quality of the coffee, the lower the risk.
MS is a condition that affects the central nervous system. In MS, the coating around nerve fibres is damaged, resulting in a range of symptoms depending on which part of the central nervous system is affected. It can include vision and balance problems, fatigue, as well as affecting memory and emotions. Symptoms normally start to appear in the 20s and 30s.
The team suggest that because coffee is a central nervous system stimulant, it has protective properties and can suppress the production of chemicals involved in the inflammatory response to MS. However, because this was an observational study, they warn more research is needed before firm conclusions can be made.
“Further studies are required to establish if it is in fact caffeine, or if there is another molecule in coffee underlying the findings, to longitudinally assess the association between consumption of coffee and disease activity in MS, and to evaluate the mechanisms by which coffee may be acting, which could thus lead to new therapeutic targets,” they wrote.
In a related editorial, José Maria Andreas Wijnands, Elaine Kingwell, also from the University of British Columbia, say that while there are several limitations to the study, the findings warrant further investigation: “Although it remains to be shown whether drinking coffee can prevent the development of MS, the results of these thorough analyses add to the growing evidence for the beneficial health effects of coffee.
“The intriguing findings indicate that the role of coffee in the development of MS clearly warrants further investigation, as do the mechanisms that underlie the relationship. In turn, this could potentially contribute to a better understanding of MS aetiology and the development of novel MS therapies.”


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Samsung revealed its Galaxy S6 Active smartphone on Monday, just hours ahead of Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference.
The new Galaxy S6 Active, which was the subject of numerous information leaks in recent weeks, “is designed with the active lifestyle in mind,” according to Samsung. “It gives you the durability you want while boasting a sleek, lightweight design and all of the innovation the Galaxy S6 has to offer.”
The Galaxy S6 Active is mostly similar to the default Galaxy S6 with added features more suited to an adventurous lifestyle (or a clumsy owner), like water resistance and dust protection.
Click here to read more.
SOURCE: TIME, Fortune, Benjamin Snyder


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Loblaws unionized workers in Ontario reject deal, prepare for strike
28,000 employees at various Loblaws-owned chains in Ontario would be involved in walkout
Unionized workers at Loblaws Great Food and Superstore are poised to go to the picket lines after voting to reject the framework of a labour deal made between their negotiating committee and the company.
The United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 1000A, which together with other locals speaks for roughly 28,000 employees of Loblaws Great Food and Superstores, Zehrs, Zehrs Great Food and Superstore, and Fortinos stores across Ontario, said in a statement late Sunday that members voted to reject their deal in a series of ballots cast in the seven days leading up to Sunday.
"The final [vote] percentages will be provided early this week once all segregated ballots have been considered, but the fact the tentative agreement was rejected won't change," the union said, adding that strike preparations are underway after members had previously given their union a strike mandate with 97 per cent in favour.
The move does not mean that a strike, should it come to that, would affect all Loblaw-owned grocery stores in the province. Local 1000A represents workers in the Ottawa and Greater Toronto Area, and has posted a list of the Great Food and Real Canadian Superstores locations where it represents employees on its website.
For its part, the company declined to offer any specifics about what locations could be affected by job action. "We have a standing agreement with the union that we will not offer details, comments or speculation at this time," Loblaw spokesman Kevin Groh said in a statement.
The union, meanwhile, says it is proceeding with strike preparations.
"As part of the preparations, picket captains have been called upon for training which will be conducted this week," the union said, but adding that a strike is not a fait accompli as union leadership will be "reaching out to the company … to seek a return to the negotiations table."
Workers could be a in a legal strike position as early as July 2, the union said. Working hours, scheduling, wages and benefits have all been issues in the negotiation process.


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Cyber Risk Advisory
The California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA)
What is the CPRA?
The California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) was passed in November by voters in California. Adding another entry to the alphabet soup that is privacy regulations, the CPRA (known as Proposition 24 when it was on the ballot) expands on the state’s landmark consumer privacy law, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). The CCPA formally came into effect on January 1, 2020, and the final text of the implementing regulations has been released by the California attorney general’s office. The CPRA both expands the protections put in place by the CCPA and makes it harder for businesses to sell or share personal information.
What is new in CPRA?
- The CPRA creates (and funds to the tune of $10 million) a California Privacy Protection Agency that will be in charge of enforcing California privacy laws. This agency takes over the responsibility that currently rests with the California attorney general’s office. The funding and establishment of the new Privacy Protection Agency will likely take place very soon.
- The fines for violations of the privacy protections around the data of children (those under the age of 16) have been tripled.
- The CPRA establishes a new category of “sensitive personal information” that is similar to the European GDPR’s (General Data Protection Regulation) sensitive information – including race, medical data, geolocation data, information about sexual orientation or sex life, biometrics, etc. Consumers will have the ability to tell businesses not to use categories of sensitive information about them. There are also additional notification obligations around the categories of sensitive personal data collected.
- The Act expands the right to opt-out of data sharing. This makes the “Do Not Sell My Data” even more explicit, so it is much closer to “Do Not Share.”
- Businesses will likely be required to respect a “global opt-out mechanism,” something that might look a lot like the recently proposed Global Privacy Control (essentially an updated Do-Not-Track).
- CPRA cuts “targeted ads” from the list of approved “business purposes.”
- It adds new requirements for data minimization and purpose limitation.
- It places limits on data retention.
- It calls for annual audits and risk assessments for “high-risk processing.”
When does the CPRA take effect?
The CPRA takes effect in January 2023. So, there is still some time before organizations have to be fully up to speed, but that groundwork should begin now. For any organizations that have already spent time getting ready for CCPA, that time has not been wasted. Becoming compliant with the CPRA will be a matter of adding some sophistication and a few more layers to privacy programs that are already in place.
The regulations making up exactly how the CPRA will be implemented will be released and iterated on (similar to the CCPA process) during 2021-2022. The new Privacy Protection Agency may begin exercising its rulemaking authority as early as July 1, 2021, or six months after the agency provides notice to the California attorney general that it is prepared to begin rulemaking. The final regulations must be adopted by July 1, 2022.
What about federal privacy legislation?
The CPRA passing in California once again raises the specter of national privacy legislation, an issue that has been quietly simmering for some time. We’ve seen drafts proposed from both sides of the aisle – two of the most recent are Sen. Wicker’s SAFE DATA Act proposed in September and Sen. Gillibrand’s Data Protection Act put forth in February. The two biggest sticking points seem to be: 1) whether to have a private right of action (meaning that individuals could sue companies for violations), and 2), whether or not a federal law would preempt state laws like California’s. It remains to be seen how much of an appetite the next congress will have for tackling this thorny issue.
In the meantime, states are continuing to tackle the issue of privacy regulation without waiting for action at the federal level. In addition to California’s CPRA, the Washington Privacy Act in Washington state is likely to be reintroduced in the next legislative session. Stay tuned – the Coalfire Privacy Team will continue to provide updates as we get them.


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XRP cryptocurrency, a digital asset developed by FinTech startup, Ripple Labs, has been one of the largest cryptocurrencies by market cap for years now. XRP and Tether have fought for the 3rd spot this year, driven by the large following behind XRP and the Ripple ecosystem.
After all, this is a cryptocurrency whose goal is to be THE method for making international payments.
By now, most people in the crypto industry know what Ripple’s goal is. The company is looking to partner with banks, financial institutions, payment platforms, and alike, to offer them the use of its payment products. This comes at a time when the world is entering a digital economy, yet the legacy financial system lacks many resources to drive financial innovation.
Ripple payment products allow for instant international transfers of money. For example, Ripple envisions a world where you could go to a bank and request a transaction to your family member, friend, business partner, or other acquaintance on the other side of the world.
The payment that you would send would be in fiat. However, along the way, it would be transferred into XRP, instantly delivered to the recipient’s bank, and then exchanged once again into a fiat currency of their choice. By leveraging XRP as a “bridge currency,” Ripple has the opportunity to monetize core inefficiencies in the global payments industry such as speed and cost.
Basically, XRP cryptocurrency would allow the banks to remain relevant and useful in a world where instant international payments are becoming available through decentralized systems offered in the crypto industry.
With Ripple being one of the few digital asset companies that is trying to work directly with centralized parties, it has created an environment where its fate could depend on how financial institutions and regulators perceive XRP cryptocurrency.
So why has Ripple been silent throughout 2020 in terms of macro adoption? In December of 2019, many XRP enthusiasts believed big news was coming to fruition this year after Ripple announced that 2020 would be the “year of the digital asset.” This hype followed announcements in 2018, when Ripple CEO, Brad Garlinghouse stated that “Dozens of banks would use its cryptocurrency product in 2019.”
XRP Cryptocurrency / Ripple In 2020
XRP has had a tough existence thus far, and the same can be said for its parent company, Ripple. The coin and the firm were accused of being a scam time and time again, and Ripple has countless lawsuits under its belt regarding XRP being an unregistered security.
Former investors have been taking it to court for years, but the firm always managed to bounce back from these lawsuits, and prove that it is legitimate, and not a scam, as many have accused it to be.
For some time, it even seemed like the situation regarding Ripple and XRP might finally settle down. However, this lack of progress and notable developments for months at a time has re-awakened suspicion and mistrust in the company.
It’s not like Ripple and XRP cryptocurrency were never mentioned in 2020. However, most of it did not have much, if anything, to do with actual improvements to the coin, or Ripple’s systems and products.
Early in 2020, XRP was targeting Asian countries with its remittance systems, trying to help Vietnamese workers in Japan and elsewhere. They struggled with large fees and long waiting periods while sending their hard-earned money to those who needed it back home. Ripple was able to offer them technology that made such payments cheap and nearly instant. It also targeted South Korean companies, partnering with them in order to expand its ever-growing ecosystem, and get them to use RippleNet.
It also partnered with some major names, such as Santander, and it even filed four US trademark applications last month, in August 2020.
Which Bank Uses Ripple?
Aside from partnering with Santander, many investors had high expectations entering 2020 based on Ripple developments in 2019. According to a press release by the company in November 2019, Ripple had surpassed 300 customers on RippleNet, which is the companies network of banks and other financial institutions that are affiliated with Ripple in some capacity. Some of the top banks in the world have expressed interest in the payment infrastructure such as:
- BNP Paribas
- Japan Post Bank
- Banco Santander
- Royal Bank of Canada
- HSBC (Through Saudi British Bank)
- Standard Chartered
- Bank of Montreal
- DZ Bank (Through Reisebank)
- Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings
- Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
- Nomura Holdings Inc
- Itau Unibanco
- PNC Financial Services
- Banco Bradesco SA
- Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB
The problem here is that these institutions don’t necessarily have to use XRP cryptocurrency. That has been one of the biggest debates in the XRP environment. RippleNet’s closed-source banking software is sold to financial entities, but RippleNet was previously splintered into 3 different product; xCurrent, xRapid, and xVia. xRapid is the only solution that actually leverages XRP. In an environment where regulations are still uncertain, many of these customers are using the non-crypto solutions. Banks can arguably settle cross-border payments with less volatility by using traditional fiat currencies opposed to XRP.
As for XRP Cryptocurrency itself, the coin has shown the worst performance in Q1 of this year.
Keep in mind that most of this data came in the pre-coronavirus period, as the virus truly started expanding in mid-March, as the quarter was coming to an end. However, while Ripple was successful in attracting new partners, and it even raised $200 million in a funding round — XRP had the worst performance among the top 25 largest cryptos by market cap.
The price spent most of this time moving sideways, and not even the partnerships, or the company’s growth in Mexico could fuel price growth.
Was There Any Development In 2020?
One report towards the end of Q1 stated that Ripple was working on a next-gen trading platform based on its XRP cryptocurrency. This was more of a tease than a real announcement, as Ripple did not really announce any relevant information on this project. Instead, it posted a job opening that suggested the development of something new.
The job description said:
“We’re looking for an engineering manager to lead and shape the team responsible for the ODL customer experience, integration into our next-generation trading platform and be a critical part of defining the future trajectory of On-Demand Liquidity and RippleNet.”
Another noteworthy revelation was made in an episode of Ripple Drop, which also came at a similar time. Back then, David Schwartz revealed that the firm is working on a feature that would allow firms to issue assets on the XRP Ledger, and have them tied to an external value of another asset or currency.
Basically, Ripple was working on a feature that would allow people to issue stablecoins, and potentially other cryptos that would be based on the XRP Ledger.
There was also some work on improving Xpring’s interoperability between XRP and Ethereum, which would be based on the Interledger Protocol (ILP). This was mentioned by a Ripple developer, Warren Paul Anderson, who spoke of the importance of creating a strong and stable bridge between not only XRP and ETH but also XRP and other Ethereum-based tokens, particularly ERC-20 tokens.
This matters for Ripple, as its own systems do not have a function that would allow for smart contract issuance or participation in the DeFi sector. Since 2020 appears to be the year of DeFi, it is hardly surprising that even Ripple wants to get involved in this aspect of the cryptocurrency industry.
After all, many other projects either started working on creating their own sub-category of DeFi, such as Binance, or they started issuing an Ethereum-based version of their coin with the ability to participate in the DeFi sector on Ethereum itself. These so-called wrapped coins, such as Wrapped Bitcoin (wBTC) also saw a lot of popularity this year.
Ripple in Q2 2020
As Ripple’s Q2 2020 report came out, it did not reveal much about the coin’s performance, other than the fact that the sales have increased from $1.75 million in Q1 to $32.55 million in Q2. Without much information, the industry was left to speculate whether the reason for this was increased demand ( possibly due to COVID-19 ), or if the company was simply dumping the coins at a faster rate.
Meanwhile, the firm itself, which previously revealed plans to pause its programmatic sales , announced that it planned to continue with this strategy. Ripple stated that their goal was to focus on XRP market liquidity.
In late July, Ripple made a surprising move by paying a massive $15.1 million to MoneyGram, a US-based money transfer company with which it partnered. Ripple noted that the payment was for ‘market development fees.’ MoneyGram itself defined this as the compensation for providing liquidity for Ripple’s ODL network.
The two seem to have a strong connection, as Ripple decided to buy a stake in MoneyGram back in mid-2019. The company invested $50 million in MoneyGram as part of their two-year partnership. Back then, the partnership did wonders for the price of MoneyGram’s shares, as the company’s interactions with the blockchain promised cheaper payments.
The partnership also came at just the right time for MoneyGram. The company was facing competition from newer rivals, and this partnership with Ripple gave it the edge it needed to stay afloat. At the time of the deal, MoneyGram stock nearly doubled, before selling off to conclude the year.
XRP Cryptocurrency Price
At the time of this report, XRP price currently hovers around $0.23769. Over the last 1 year, XRP is basically flat. The chart below outlines where price was in September 2019, vs price in September 2020. In comparison to price action over the last year, Bitcoin has grown +31.53%, and Ethereum has surged +107%.
The information above outlines some of the notable events for Ripple and XRP cryptocurrency in 2020 so far. The company has not done a lot of development, apart from vague hints that it might be working on various projects. There is a big difference between working on something, and then having that product/service make a significant impact. There still seems to be a disconnect between Ripple and XRP. There is no doubt that Ripple has the opportunity to become a powerhouse FinTech company, but many believe that Ripple is just using XRP to fund its operations.
Ripple allegedly invested quite a bit of money in partners who are helping it build liquidity, based on the reports that came out during the past nine months.
With September 2020 coming to a close, Ripple has another quarter in which it might potentially shine with a major update on its hidden works — provided that there are any. Doing something like that would reveal that Ripple did, in fact, make progress in 2020. Up until this point, Ripple’s statement regarding “2020 being the year of the digital asset” has shown little substance. Additionally, despite Ripple on-boarding “partners” from large banks, we have yet to see any synergy between these banks and XRP.


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Release - Alicia Keys will bring summer tour to Tampa
April 18, 2023
Tickets go on sale Friday, April 21 at 9:00 am
TAMPA, FL – Alicia Keys announced today that she will be launching a North American summer concert tour, coming to Tampa’s AMALIE Arena on Friday, June 30 at 8:00 p.m., the KEYS TO THE SUMMER TOUR follows her sold-out and critically acclaimed The Alicia + Keys World Tour which brought Keys across Europe, North America and will soon head to Latin America.
The KEYS TO THE SUMMER TOUR will bring the GRAMMY Award-winning global superstar back to North America for 23 arena dates and an all new, completely reimagined and redesigned concert experience and set list. The tour will feature Keys, for the first time ever, in a 360-degree, “in the round” production setup which will allow fans to experience her live performance in an entirely new and exhilarating way. Keys, known for incorporating innovative and engaging production design into her live performances, worked with director Diane Martel (who directed “If I Ain’t Got You” and “Like You’ll Never See Me Again” – two of Keys’ most powerful videos) and designer Chiara Stephenson to design the concept and staging of the KEYS TO THE SUMMER TOUR.
Of the first-time, “in the round” production staging, Keys says, “The KEYS TO THE SUMMER TOUR is going to be completely unforgettable and unmissable! I describe it as a celebration of freedom and self-liberation! It’s going to be colorful, magical and will light up your body, soul and all of your senses! This is my first time creating a 360 experience and we’ve made sure it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen! I’m so excited to see y’all this summer!”
The tour will also offer a variety of VIP packages and experiences for fans to take their concert experience to the next level. Packages vary and will range from inclusion of premium tickets to the chance to join Keys in an exclusive, intimate and inspirational “Soulcare Session” before the show. For more information, visit vipnation.com.
Critically acclaimed for her stunning live concert performances, Keys’ last North American tour earned rave reviews from press with the Tampa Bay Times calling it an “outstanding live performance that cemented her as one of the greatest musicians and singers of all time.” VIBE dubbed the show “beautiful to witness” and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said Keys set Atlanta “on fire.”
Alicia Keys is a 15-time GRAMMY Award-winning singer, songwriter, musician, producer, founder of Keys Soulcare, New York Times best-selling author, film/television and Broadway producer, accomplished actress, entrepreneur and a powerful force in the world of activism. Since the release of her monumental 2001 debut album, SONGS IN A MINOR, Keys has sold over 65 million records and built an unparalleled repertoire of hits and accomplishments. Alicia has become the No. 1 RIAA certified Female R&B artist of the millennium with over 27.5 Million worldwide certified digital sales (U.S.) and 20 million album sales (U.S.). She released her eighth studio album, KEYS (Original and Unlocked) - a double album, in December 2021. A first look from the new music was featured in Alicia’s YouTube Docu-Series titled, Noted: Alicia Keys The Untold Stories. Alicia released her book, “More Myself: A Journey” via Flatiron Books which debuted and spent multiple weeks on The New York Times Bestseller List. In March, she released her first graphic novel titled, “Girl On Fire” with HarperCollins. Alicia kicked off her sold-out ALICIA + KEYS World Tour in June of 2022 which was followed by the release of the Deluxe edition of her critically acclaimed KEYS album in August. Keys released her first-ever holiday album SANTA BABY on Nov. 4, 2022 which includes four original songs including the single “December Back 2 June.”
ABOUT LIVE NATION
Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts and Live Nation Sponsorship. For additional information, visit www.livenationentertainment.com.
TICKETS: Tickets for this event go on sale Friday, April 21 at 9:00 a.m. at Ticketmaster.com. Ticket prices are $35.75, $45.75, $65.75, $95.75 and $145.75. Prices do not include facility fee or service charges. Advanced parking passes are available at ParkWhiz.com. Visit amaliearena.com or call 813.301.2500 for more information.
– AMALIEArena.com –


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By Debbie Hauss, Editor-in-Chief
Retail TouchPoints is now welcoming nominations for the 2013 Customer Engagement Awards! In its third year, the Customer Engagement Awards will recognize retailers who are using creativity and innovation to deliver on the promise of customer-centricity….
By Alicia Fiorletta, Senior Editor
A while back, we were hearing a lot about the concept of social commerce — or the ability to drive sales through social networks.
Remember when all those retailers opened Facebook storefronts, and most of them were quickly shut down? Yeah, that …
Patent reform has arrived in Congress. Last Tuesday, Chairman Bob Goodlatte’s (R-VA) convened a hearing on the “Innovation Act,” a bipartisan bill to eliminate alleged abuses of America’s patent system by making it far more difficult for people to “troll” for patents by filing…
בקיצור. ויין וידאוקליפים ככלי שיווק דיגיטלי של מותגים. כל העובדות, המספרים והטיפים
טוויטר ערוץ סושיאל מדיה שיווק דיגיטלי אפקטיבי we like the New Gamisfaction Groups! Amplify the viral effect of your tweets