text:
Valley News – In the market: buyers think outside the box
WEST LEBANON – In years past, Candace Matheson typically started holiday shopping after Thanksgiving.
But this year, the Sharon resident started in early November and is also changing her buying strategy.
“I kind of decided to shop a little more local,” said Matheson, who was visiting the Lebanon Art & Crafts Association’s annual Christmas show and sale in western Lebanon on Monday. There she would choose a birthday present for her husband’s grandmother and Christmas bows for her daughters. “(I’m trying) to make things a little more meaningful this year and not rely on big box stores.”
Matheson focuses on buying handmade gifts from local artisans and visiting resale stores. She “tries to keep things a little greener this year,” acknowledging the amount of materials used for shipping.
Due to supply chain issues, shipping delays, and a desire to support businesses in the region still recovering from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, some Upper Valley residents are starting shopping earlier and closer to home. While the region has generally shown strong support for supporting small businesses, this year looks different.
As part of this change, organizations in the region are offering more opportunities to connect with artisans in the region, including the Hanover Parks and Recreation Department, which runs every Wednesday until December 22, except November 24, at the RW Black Community Center. In some ways, it’s an extension of the Hanover Farmer’s Market, which the department took over this year.
âWe wanted to do something that was inside and still supported our community that just wasn’t our fitness and exercise classes,â said Camille Richards, program manager at the community center. While supply chain issues are not the only reason for the market, âpart of the reason we decided to move forward is because everything is local and we know there is a supply shortage and people are stressed out by holiday gifts. While chatting with the sellers, they also got the same idea that it was a good idea to sell some of their products as there is such a shortage on some things right now.
It has spread to many types of businesses. AnnMarie Smith, who helps run the family business, WA Smith Auctionhouse in Plainfield, said that since the company added online auctions to its repertoire, its clientele has rejuvenated, with over 25 to 45 years old.
âPlus, the supply chain issues got us a lot of people because you can’t order a sofa that quickly and have it show up to your door in 6-8 weeks,â Smith said. âPeople can buy them and take them home instead of continually getting emails saying orders are late. ”
Smith herself started shopping earlier and more locally. After learning that Stella’s in Lyme had pottery from Georgia Donnelly, the Norwich resident went out to buy some pieces as a gift a few weeks ago.
âIt was something that I had been seeing on her Instagram for a while and thought I might as well take a walk in there and buy now,â Smith said. âI just think about it very differently this year. I intentionally try to go shopping, a small local business.
Smith is also changing the types of gifts she purchases, opting for more individualized, non-mass-produced items.
âI will definitely buy less ‘stuff’ than more meaningful quotes and personal gifts,â she said.
Small business shopping isn’t always easy, especially when shopping for kids. Mary Kelleher, from Lebanon, shopped online early for her three grandchildren.
âThere were certain things they wanted,â she said, citing Star Wars-themed Lego sets and LOL surprise dolls. The presents are already wrapped and await her grandchildren, whom she will see on Thanksgiving.
While Kelleher typically starts her vacation shopping the first week of November and ends before December – âI’m not a Black Friday girl,â she said – this year she’s been more proactive. It’s not free.
âReally so far I haven’t been able to find what I want,â Kelleher said when shopping Monday at the Christmas Show and Sale for prizes for the family’s Thanksgiving Bunco games. âI only have a few latecomers left, my own children. Â»All the odds and ends will probably be purchased from businesses in the Haute VallÃ©e.
This is welcome information for Linda Runnion, executive director of the Randolph-based White River Valley Chamber of Commerce, who is hoping the supply shortage will send people back to city centers after the disappointing holiday season of the city. ‘last year.
âUnfortunately, retail has succumbed to Amazon, especially during times of COVID,â she said.
While some businesses have closed, others have opened as a vintage clothing store and jewelry store in downtown Randolph.
âWe anticipate that people will want to buy local,â Runnion said.
Liz Sauchelli can be reached at [email protected] or 603-727-3221.


text:
The mobile landscape is consistently evolving. Perhaps by the time you read this, a bunch of new devices will have hit the market or some new apps will have gone viral and sold millions, altering our current modes of communication.
Mobile phones have ushered in a new mobile age era. It is widely noted that the best mobile applications involve a lot of development and testing. Major constraints for mobile app testing include increased complexity, as is noted by the London Business Wire.
What makes testing mobile software more demanding than testing computer software, however, is the sheer complexity of the environment stemming from the diversity of relevant devices, operating systems and networks, call and voicemail scenarios and Bluetooth and location-based services.
According to the ABI research paper, current mobile app testing tools will exceed $200 million in 2012, of which $175 million will come from manual testing tools. Over the next few years, the market will shift from manual testing to the more dominant automation testing.
The growth of automation testing will drive revenue up to around $800 million by late 2017.
While mobile testing has largely been ground-up, with inventive startups simply filling the market gaps with their innovations, such market leaders like Kenynote’s DeviceAnywhere and Perfecto Mobileare have yet to fully evolve as extensions to the traditional software testing industry.
Disruptive entrants like Experitest and Soasta are also increasingly challenging these market leaders, and as client needs change as a result of influential app features and user interfaces, no vendor can afford to rest on its laurels.
The focus has shifted from computers to smartphones for browsing, online videos, etc. This has increased mobile app development which tends to concentrate on two main areas – data centric applications (e.g. enterprise applications and sales force automation) and devices capability-based applications (e.g. VOIP apps, camera and location-based services).
As the overall data consumption skyrockets, so does mobile usage, to the tune of 26 percent of all traffic. More mobile traffic means more running apps.
The emergence of new technologies like augmented reality, HTML5, 4G LTE networks and cloud computing attached the need for more secure and stable apps. Apps thrive on first impressions and consumers tend to be less forgiving in such aspects.
Good apps need rigorous testing to ensure they’re operational during low- and high-performance periods. Mobile apps drive productivity, and as a result, they must work and deliver their functionality to the fullest.
Edited by Braden Becker

domain: news


text:
NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Aerospace firms Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and BAE Systems on Tuesday said they will launch an e-marketplace later this year powered by Commerce One and designed to boost efficiency and value for the industry.
In simultaneous press conferences in New York and London, the industry giants said they expect to sign a definitive agreement in the second quarter and launch the procurement exchange in the middle of the year.
"The companies have come together to create a Web-based global trading exchange, which will transform the way we do business," Boeing Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Phil Condit said. "We're excited about the dramatic benefits this exchange will deliver to the industry."
Condit noted that the parties are at times competitors, partners, customers and suppliers to each other. Sales for the aerospace and defense industry are about $400 billion a year and its worldwide supply network consists of more than 37,000 companies.
"Yet each of us has come to share the same point of view," Condit said. "That the global e-marketplace is absolutely essential to drive new levels of efficiency for the industry. This will be an open exchange for the industry, and will be owned and operated by a separate company we are establishing."
Each of the founding partners will have an equal ownership stake with an additional stake reserved for other partners. Commerce One will also own a stake in the exchange.
Under that agreement, Commerce One will provide EPaccar with the technology to power Truckxchange.com, which is designed to provide goods and services to the $450 billion commercial vehicle industry. See press release.
The idea behind all the e-marketplaces is to cut the costs and time devoted to procurement.
In recent trading, Boeing BA, -0.91% which suffered through a 40-day strike this year, added 7/8 to close at 38. BAE bae closed unchanged at 11 3/4; Lockheed Martin LMT, +0.69% advanced 15/16 to close at 18 3/4; Raytheon rtna closed up 1/4 to 19 13/16; and Commerce One lost 7 5/16 to close at 206.


text:
- Q&A Columns
- Contest Photos
- Contest News
- Athlete Profiles
- Product Reviews
William Bill Irvine Of York Barbell Passes Away
By Roger Lockridge
William Irvine, the Canadian bodybuilder and owner of York Barbell, passed away in Toronto, Ontario on July 3rd at the age of 84. His family shared the news of his passing, but no official cause of death was announced.
Irvine was best known for his work with the legendary weight production company, but his ties to fitness and weight training go far beyond that. Born in 1937 and raised in Toronto, Irvine developed a passion for strength training and bodybuilding at a young age. At the age of 20, Irvine won the prestigious Mr. Canada Junior title in 1957 for both bodybuilding and strength. In that era, competitors had to showcase their physiques and perform feats of strength. There is no current record on what weights he lifted in that competition.
This victory is what is believed to inspire Irvine to move forward with York Barbell. He started his business in a small town called York outside of Toronto. There had already been a York Barbell established in York, Pennsylvania by longtime bodybuilding and fitness businessman Bob Hoffman, but the two men agreed to not attempt to take customers from each other’s countries. This agreement remained in place until 2004 when Irvine and his business partner, Peter Hallford, purchased the US based “York Barbell” in 2004. With both versions merged under their ownership, York’s products had reached gyms and health clubs in more than 50 countries around the world. Even with current companies such as Rogue Fitness and Elite FTS selling weightlifting equipment, York is still considered a leader in the industry. The company would produce many pieces of equipment for weight training, cardiovascular fitness, and even boxing under the name “BBE.” He was active with his company all the way up to his death, with customers and associates saying they would see him on the floor of the York Barbell shop in Toronto regularly. As of this writing, York Barbell had yet to release a formal statement about Irvine’s passing.
Another Canadian fitness legend, John Robert Cardillo, posted about Irvine’s death on his Instagram page.
“Bill manufactured and sold more Olympic bars and plates than anyone in history during his ownership of York Barbell. Bill was a friend and a great human being. He will be missed. Rest in Peace, Bill.”
Irvine was also passionate about antique cars, which he was a passionate collector of throughout most of his life. Irvine is survived by his wife of 61 years, Mary, and his brother, Dr. Ian Irvine. Everyone at Muscle Insider extends their condolence to Mr. Irvine’s family for their loss.


text:
Having gone under $1, shares in Helios and Matheson now risk a delisting on the NASDAQ. As the stock fell Monday, in Los Angeles, for example, one of the few theaters available to subscribers appeared to be the Landmark.
The MoviePass parent couldn’t be reached for comment on Monday. But the latest technical difficulties mean MoviePass users weren’t able to use subscription cards to see Mission: Impossible — Fallout on its opening weekend, with or without a surcharge.
The MoviePass service boasts 3 million subscribers who pay $10 a month for a ticket per day, only to be plagued by technical difficulties through July. The latest outage follows MoviePass introducing peak pricing, whereby it charges an estimated $2 to $6 extra if users wish to see the most popular movie titles at the most crowded showings.
MoviePass has also faced new competition from AMC, as the nation’s largest movie exhibitor launched its own service where subscribers get three tickets a week for $20 a month.


text:
Nicky Hilton's Next Fashion Venture -- Turning Japanese!
While her sister Paris’s love life is always busy, Nicky Hilton, who is happily dating David Katzenberg, is spending her summer preparing for her next fashion show, at September’s semiannual Tokyo Girls Collection in Japan. Hilton, who is well known there as a clothing designer, says the island country gives her lots of new ideas. “I think I got inspired in Japan a lot,” Hilton, 25, tells PEOPLE at the 2009 NBA Championship Victory Celebration hosted by the Los Angeles Lakers. “I am launching at Tokyo Girls Collection, which is in an arena with 24,000 people. I have been trying to wrap it up and get the samples set out.” Hilton has had several clothing lines (Chick, Nicholai), designed handbags (Samantha Thavasa), both catering to women in their 20s and early 30s. Part of Hilton’s excitement for the Japan may lie in the show’s unique aesthetics, she says. “The girls, actually, as the models come down the runway, are shopping, buying clothes,” she says of September’s show. “It’s cool.” –Nicholas White


text:
Some plans are prohibitive
By Dale Gieringer California NORML
Regardless of whether Prop 19 passes, a growing list of cities are proposing ballot measures to tax medical marijuana sales at ever-escalating rates, as cities look to cash in on revenues from marijuana.
In San Jose, the city council has proposed a ballot measure to impose up to a 10-percent tax on medical marijuana. If approved by voters, that means the city’s dispensaries would be taxed at a whopping 19.25 percent including sales tax.
Oakland began the tax stampede last year by approving a modest 1.8 percent business tax on cannabis. The idea was initiated by the city’s dispensaries, who had proposed a 1.4-percent rate. That was hiked by the city council before being passed along to the voters, who approved it by a lopsided 4–1 margin.
The Berkeley City Council voted to leapfrog Oakland by putting a 2.5 percent medical marijuana tax on the ballot, rejecting patient advocates’ pleas for a more modest rate. The measure also proposes a 10-percent tax on non-medical sales in the event that Prop 19 passes, plus a tax of up to $25 per square foot on medical cannabis production facilities that would be licensed by the city.
Not to be outdone, the Oakland city council approved a ballot measure to hike the city’s tax to 5 percent on medical marijuana and 10 percent on non-medical cannabis, plus an additional 5 percent on the city’s four proposed licensed cultivation facilities. Critics warned that such high taxes would encourage patients to shop elsewhere, such as in San Francisco, where there is no cannabis tax.
Other proposed Nov. 2 ballot tax measures include:
Sacramento: 4 percent medical, 10 percent non-medical;
Richmond: 5 percent medical, 5 percent non-medical;
Long Beach: 5 percent medical, 10 percent non-medical;
Stockton: 2.5 percent medical, 10 percent non-medical.
A few cities, including Redding and Sebastopol, turned down tax proposals.
At the other extreme, Rancho Cordova proposed a prohibitive $600-per-square-foot tax on cannabis cultivation of any kind –- even patients growing for personal use. If approved, the measure is certain to be challenged as an unconstitutional violation of patients’ rights under Prop. 215.
Regardless of the wishes of patients who feel prices are too high, the bandwagon seems destined to gain momentum. This year, State Senator Ronald Calderon (D-Montebello) proposed a bill to tax medical marijuana like cigarettes. The bill wasn’t heard, but the idea is expected to return next year regardless of the outcome of this election.


text:
Firms must meet responsibilities on the environment or pay price - Naomi Pryde
Although the components of ESG are inextricably linked, they all have varying challenges and litigation risks for companies in Scotland, and beyond.
“Environmental” is the first pillar of ESG and refers to the impact of a companies’ activities on the natural world. This includes climate change, pollution, and biodiversity.
The 2015 Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. Nearly 200 countries have adopted it. Since then, the amount of climate-related litigation has doubled.
Scotland has also enacted the Climate Change (Emissions Reductions Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019, setting a target to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. The Scottish Government and non-governmental organisations will seek to enforce the country’s emission targets. Companies that don't take adequate measures to reduce their emissions could face legal action.
ESG litigation may also arise in the context of environmental harm caused by businesses. The Environmental Liability (Scotland) Regulations 2009 imposes a polluter-pays liability on businesses for environmental damage caused by their activities. Liability applies regardless of fault.
Companies may be held liable for the threat of environmental damage, not just actual damage to protected species, natural habitats, water and land. Regulations are enforceable by the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), Scottish Ministers and NatureScot. The costs of reinstating ecosystems can be high, so businesses must take proactive measures to prevent environmental harm.
The UK Government introduced new supply chain due-diligence obligations on deforestation, through the Environment Act 2021. The Act grants authority to the Scottish Ministers to regulate over certain environmental matters. This includes the charging powers of SEPA and producer responsibility obligations. Businesses and organisations must keep pace with the Government’s commitment to tackle the climate crisis.
The industry has seen a rise in ‘greenwashing’ claims where legal action is brought against companies who have made inaccurate claims about the environmental impact of activities. This can include using misleading language, making exaggerated claims, or using unverified environmental certifications or labels.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the UK’s independent media regulator, has been paying more attention to ESG related marketing, intended to appeal to environmentally conscious consumers. It has introduced specific rules on carbon offsetting, renewable energy and recycling.
Company investors are demanding greater transparency about ESG performance. It is predicted that as a result, shareholder activism will rise. This is where shareholders seek to influence the behaviour and decisions of the company to adopt more responsible and sustainable practices.
Shareholder activism can take many forms, including filing shareholder resolutions, engaging in dialogue with company management, and using shareholder votes to influence corporate decisions. Shareholders are using various methods to hold their companies to account when they fail to meet their ESG commitments, including raising derivative actions against a company’s board of directors.
Environmental charities have successfully brought cases against companies and government bodies. These disputes highlight the role of legal action in promoting environmental protection and holding companies accountable for their commitments to address environmental challenges.
Foods Standards Scotland (FSS) and the UK Foods Standards Agency have introduced new rules on labelling of food products. The aim is to help promote transparency, give consumers more information about food they're buying, and reduce waste. FSS has highlighted the legal significance of "use by" and "best before" dates.
FSS recommendations also seek to address environmental challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss. The rules promote more sustainable agricultural practices by encouraging the purchase of locally sourced, seasonal produce; assisting consumers to make more informed choices.
A company’s failure to follow the rules could lead to fines, prosecution or even imprisonment for directors. And commercially, lost sales and reputational damage.
In Scotland, pursuers can now raise group proceedings, also known as class actions, under the Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group Proceedings) (Scotland) Act 2018. This new route may give rise to more ESG-related disputes – especially now that access to litigation funding has increased.
Businesses must continue to adopt ESG strategies. Not just to avoid litigation and financial and reputational damage, but because it’s the right thing to do. “Who Cares Wins”?
Naomi Pryde is a Partner, DLA Piper
Subscribe at www.scotsman.com/subscriptions
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.


text:
These San Antonio nonprofits want to transform Texas into ‘third coast’ for fashion industry
San Antonio's up-and-coming fashion entrepreneurs might one day compete on Project Runway or have their designs featured on fashion show runways in New York City or Paris. But first, those aspiring visionaries are benefiting from a new local partnership that will help them get a better grasp of the business aspect of the industry.
Texas Fashion Industry Initiative, a nonprofit devoted to promoting local fashion communities through innovation and creating opportunities, recently signed a five-year contract with Maestro Entrepreneur Center, another nonprofit whose mission it is to help foster the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Together, the two San Antonio organizations are developing the curriculum for their new Silver Jacket Entrepreneur Program, which will formally be rolled out in February 2020. The Silver Jacket program will equip fashion artists and business owners with critical education needed to begin — and grow — their own fashion-focused venture, thus helping Texas compete with fashion industry meccas like New York City and Los Angeles.
Program curriculum will cover a range of topics, from marketing and public relations to graphic and web design and accounting. Advocates behind this partnership understand that entrepreneurs, especially in the early stages of launching a business, are usually the only full-time employee and often lack the expertise and resources to guide their enterprise in a successful way.
Upon finishing the Silver Jacket curriculum, Maestro’s 11-week cohort program will take over students’ accelerator business education, providing these new entrepreneurs with ongoing support for further business development.
“As these entrepreneurs build their fashion businesses throughout the year, the goal will be to offer a continual nurturing presence throughout this process,” says TFII president Burgundy Woods in a press release. “Their success is our success and we want to see more fashion community doing what they love full-time, not as a side gig.”
This annual cycle will lead into the city’s biggest fashion event of the year — Fashion Week SATX — held in October. Successful entrepreneurs who go through the program will be awarded their Silver Jackets on stage during Fashion's Week's San Antonio Fashion Awards.
Plus, the honorees will be deemed the new “ones to watch” in the fashion industry, as they will be showcased twice a year through the “Ones to Watch” partnership event organized by the industry initiative and Maestro.
The industry initiative is headquartered at Geekdom in downtown San Antonio, a hub for local creatives and high-tech startups. The Maestro Center is a collaborative effort between the Maestro Leadership Foundation and the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s Hispanic Leadership Development Foundation.
The center operates on San Antonio’s Near West Side, where despite a history of socioeconomic challenges, community members and leaders strive to break that endless cycle of economic disadvantages.
“At the Maestro Entrepreneur Center, we have created true economic development by helping grow our existing companies in a historically underutilized area of town,” says Julissa Cerielo in the release. A local business owner, Cerielo chaired SAHCC’s Small Business Advocacy Committee when she helped to create the Maestro Center in 2016.
San Antonio’s fashion community has been rapidly growing over the last few years. Some native designers, such as Samantha Plasencia and Anthony Ryan, have gone onto big things, including competing on Project Runway. Roger Canamar, a fashion designer and former model agent, snagged print campaigns with Vogue, Versace, and Armani. Lisa Weller, who owns a local hair salon, has been styling hair at major fashion shows worldwide.
Members of San Antonio’s fashion community are currently encouraged to nominate a peer for this year’s San Antonio Fashion Awards, which will be held October 5 at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts.
The nomination period ends at midnight on July 21. Fourteen categories will be acknowledged this year, including Local Retailer of the Year, Makeup Innovator of the Year, Hair Innovator of the Year, Jewelry Design or Accessories of the Year, Influencer of the Year, and Texas Fashion Industry Initiative Professional of the Year. Award show proceeds will go to TFII.


text:
Pharr, Texas – Amid the backdrop of the daily commercial activity at the Pharr International Bridge, special guests Congressman Vicente Gonzalez, State Representative Armando Martinez, representatives from the Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority (CCRMA), and other attendees from both sides of the border joined Pharr Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez, M.D. and Pharr city officials at the Go-Live! launch event of the Bridge’s new, state-of-the-art toll system.
The Pharr International Bridge is now the first and only bridge in the country along the Texas/Mexico Border to offer interoperability with a toll road for its customers. This new and innovative toll collection system is a complete modernization of every element of the existing system, from lane equipment to the customer web access. The enhancements of the new toll collection system are truly state-of-the-art in comparison to other international bridge systems and provide the City of Pharr the ultimate customer resource management tool. Customers will be able to download transaction information and keep up-to-date records of all crossings. The new system will provide customers with complete flexibility and transparency to operate their business more effectively and securely when using the Pharr International Bridge.
“As a city, we understand how important it is to continually provide our customers with the best opportunities to be successful, in order for Pharr to remain competitive as an international port of entry,” said Pharr Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez, M.D. “By implementing the latest technology, we are working to help our customers streamline their operations and more easily and effectively manage their businesses,” he continued.
The CCRMA, the entity in charge of building the new toll system, gathered a team of industry leaders to develop the first-of-its-kind complete toll system for an international bridge. The primary purpose for the partnership with CCRMA is to leverage the local expertise of the CCRMA in toll systems and create interoperability benefits for its customers traveling from the Pharr International Bridge to the Port of Brownsville via the SH 550 toll road, among many other new benefits for its customers.
“I would like to commend Mayor Hernandez and the City of Pharr for partnering with the CCRMA on this regional effort in improving the electronic toll collection system at the Pharr International bridge,” stated Frank Parker Jr., Chairman of the Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority. “This was truly a regional partnership and the Rio Grande Valley needs more partnerships like this one,” he added.
The new Pharr system offers many improvements, such as:
Customer Online Web improvements:
- Real-time transaction activity – customers can see their transactions throughout the day to better manage their business.
- Hassle-free credit card payments – customers pay online and immediately are emailed a proof of payment. They can even set up auto replenishment to make payments when their balances hit certain amounts.
- Fleet management – Customers can now add and remove vehicles as their business needs and schedules change, without having to visit the bridge office for these changes.
- Customized statement dates – Customers can download statements with customizable dates without having to wait for the end of the month.
- Interoperability Convenience – Customers can now travel to the Port of Brownsville and use the SH 550 toll road with their Pharr Tag and manage all of it within their Pharr account. This is the first international bridge in the State of Texas to offer this service to its customers.
Lane system improvements:
- The Pharr Bridge System now uses state of the art laser technology to not only count vehicle axles as they cross the bridge, but also measure the shape, width, height, and length of the vehicles.
- It uses photocell technology to capture both axles touching the ground and those that are lifted off the ground.
- It will have photo technology that will capture photos of every axle of a transaction to be stored in the system for easy audibility for the Pharr staff.
- It will have license plate reader technology to identify license plates of vehicles as they cross the bridge.
Pharr Internal Control Improvements:
- In a growing world of government transparency, the new toll system has much more available controls to improve the reporting of cash, check, and credit card payments
- Improved controls around cash handling and deposits
- Improved reports on customer and traffic trends
- Employee monitoring and auditability reports of all transactions
After the program, Mayor Hernandez rode a truck across the bridge, cutting the ceremonial ribbon to mark the occasion of the new toll system’s launch.


text:
An order for 20,000 Melky Cabrera T-shirts were nixed soon after revelations came to light that the 28-year-old All-star MVP player tested positive for testosterone. He received a 50 game suspension (and almost ruined everything, ever) due to the unfortunate doping.
"The original shirts had featured last month's All-Star game MVP but have now been replaced by a 'Gigantes' version with center fielder Angel Pagan's name on the back," Giants spokesperson Staci Slaughter explained to KTVU. "They will be handed out in a giveaway for a Sept. 8 game against the rival Los Angeles Dodgers."
This fashion ban comes on the heels of Cabrera and his associates' failed attempt to hoodwink MLB by creating a created a phony website, one selling the banned substance, to prove his innocence. Since he's been suspended, fans have appeared at AT&T Park donning anti-Cabrera attire (see above).


text:
In a Thursday night announcement, social network Facebook revealed that it has partnered with two winemakers - Robert Mondavi Winery and Chandon - to allow the Facebook users to gift wine bottles to one another via the company's newly-introduced `Gifts' feature.
According to the Facebook announcement, all the transaction involving the gifting of wine bottles will require verification from a third-party service that the buyer as well as the seller is above the age of 21 years. In case a recipient resides in a state which disallows the sale of alcohol over the Internet, there will be an option to select some other gift in place of the wine bottles.
About Facebook managing to circumvent the red tape associated with over-the-Internet alcohol sales, Facebook Gifts' head Lee Linden said - at a recent press event at the FAO Schwarz in New York - that the social network could avoid the red tape because "we (Facebook) aren't the merchant of record. In effect, we're acting as a marketing agent."
Meanwhile, in addition to announcing its partnership with the two winemakers, Facebook also disclosed in its Thursday announcement that it has worked out `Facebook Gifts' partnerships with a number of other companies, such as Brookstone, Fab, Baby Gap, ProFlowers, Random House, NARS Cosmetics, and L'Occitane; as well as with quite a few subscription services, including Hulu Plus, Rdio, and Pandora.


text:
A CHARITY bale of wool sold for 3000 cents a kilogram, or $5400, at the Melbourne wool stores on Tuesday.
Donated by Rodwells & Co and WISS Woolbrokers, the bale proceeds went to Epilepsy Foundation of Victoria.
The bale was sold on "Purple Day" – a fundraiser for the foundation.
Rodwells wool manager Michael de Kleuver said they were keen to support a cause that affected so many Australians.
The cause was also chosen in support of Paul Ferranato, a local processor who's son has epilepsy.
The 19.6-micron, 180-kilogram bale – measuring 94 millimetres and 35 newtons a kilotex – was purchased by Modiano Australia director Lou Morsch.


text:
Ninh Binh Province in northern Vietnam and Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, and Ha Tinh Provinces in the north-central region are jointly promoting a tour to well-known tourist destinations in the four localities.
The provinces have strengthened the cooperation in developing tourism over the past many years, director of the Ninh Binh Department of Tourism Bui Van Manh said at a conference to announce the tour launched by the four in Hanoi on Thursday in the framework of the Vietnam International Travel Mart 2023.
Through the joint tourism product, they want to spread their tourism messages, Manh added.
The tour connecting the four provinces lasts for five days and four nights, carrying the 'a journey – four localities – many experiences' message.
During the tour, travelers can experience and explore typical tourism products of each province.
Destinations of the tour include Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, Bai Dinh Pagoda, and Hang Mua Tourist Site in Ninh Binh; Lam Kinh Relic Site and Anh Phat Tourist Site in Thanh Hoa; Cuong Temple, Cua Lo Beach, and Sen Village in Nghe An; and Ke Go Lake, Thien Cam Beach, and Huong Tich Pagoda in Ha Tinh.
Tourists taking the tour can also enjoy specialties such as goat meat, rice crust, fermented pork rolls, and seafood.
Cooperation is an important solution for tourism recovery and development after the COVID-19 pandemic, said Nguyen Trung Khanh, head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.
He expected the collaboration of the four provinces to help leverage their potential and advantages, contributing to developing Vietnam’s tourism.


text:
NEW YORK (CBS.MW) - Semiconductor stocks rallied on Thursday afternoon while most PC stocks were held down by a dour outlook from hardware giant Hewlett-Packard.
H-P said it plans to cut 6,000 workers and warned that revenue will fall more than most on Wall Street had expected. See full story.
Shares of H-P HWP, a Dow Jones Industrial Average component, fell 6.5 percent at $24.
Compaq Computer CPQ rose 2.7 percent to $14.50 after the computer firm reported late Wednesday second-quarter results that satisfied its own pre-announced targets. But the Houston-based company noted that the current quarter's revenue looks weaker than many estimates. See full story.
Dell Computer DELL, -0.34% fell 0.5 percent to $27.87. IBM IBM, -5.52%, with limited PC exposure, rose 1.1 percent to $106. Gateway GTW fell 0.7 percent to $9.67 and Apple Computer AAPL, +0.39% rose 0.6 percent to $18.59. All of these stocks were markedly lower earlier in the session.
The entire chip sector stepped higher on reports of comments made by National Semiconductor and Cypress Semiconductor during an investors conference.
Memory chipmaker Cypress Semiconductor Chief Executive T.J. Rodgers said his bookings are up for the second quarter in a row, which signals to him the bottom has come and gone for his business. Read more about Rodgers' comments.
Jeff Weir, director of public relations for National Semi, said the company did make a presentation today, but that it hasn't changed its financial targets for the current quarter, which ends in one month. Cypress shares closed up 17 percent at $26.38 and National Semi ended up 12 percent at $30.08.
During the morning session, chip stocks were mixed. Reports overnight from two industry stalwarts were negative.
Infineon Technologies IFX, -0.29% ( 623100), Europe's third-largest chip maker, said it will fire 5,000 workers after losses mushroomed in the third quarter. Infineon's U.S.-traded shares rose 4.3 percent.
The job cuts -- equivalent to almost 15 percent of the workforce -- are aimed at saving €1 billion over the next 18 months. The firm will also introduce short-time work and squeeze savings from streamlining purchasing, logistics and manufacturing.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing TSM, -0.76% announced a profit plunge of 98 percent in the second quarter due to sluggish sales on the back of global economic weakness.
But the world's foundry leader said the semiconductor industry is likely to see an improvement in the next quarter. TSM's U.S. listed shares rose 5.7 percent on heavy volume.
Chipmakers moving to the upside: Motorola, up 7.3 percent; Linear Tech, up 14 percent; and all of the makers of chips for programmable logic devices, like Altera, Atmel, Lattice Semi, Cypress and Xilinx.


text:
Oman’s economy is expected to contract by 2.8 per cent this year, the biggest slump since 1987, hammered by the impact of COVID-19 outbreak and lower global oil prices, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
As per the forecasts in its World Economic Outlook (WEO), the IMF expects Oman’s economy to recover with a growth of 3 per cent in 2021.
In line with its forecasts of a severe global recession this year, the IMF said all the Gulf economies will record negative growth rates for 2020. It said the damage would be much worse than the region’s last major shock, the 2008-09 global financial crisis, when it managed to post modest growth.
The IMF expects Oman’s current account deficit to increase to 14.2 per cent of the sultanate’s GDP in 2020, before easing to 11.1 per cent in 2021. The fund expects Oman’s consumer price inflation to average at 1 per cent this year and to further rise to 3.4 per cent in 2021.
Elsewhere in the Gulf, Saudi Arabia, the region’s largest economy, is headed for a 2.3 per cent contraction this year, according to the IMF estimates.
The UAE economy is projected to contract by 3.5 per cent. Qatar and Kuwait are expected to slide by 4.3 per cent and 1.1 per cent, respectively.
The IMF estimated that the world economic growth will shrink 3 per cent this year.


text:
Editor in Chief
- Jan 5, 2011
It looks like the European Union is wading into the patent wars to see if they can put a stop to things, and they are doing it by going after Samsung first. While some could easily argue that Samsung is the victim in many of the patent wars, especially when it comes to Apple's attacks, that doesn't mean they aren't culpable in some ways. Regardless of which side you choose to take, (or no side at all), the EU feels that charges will need to be filed against Samsung. This is because they were seeking product bans in court against Apple in a fight over some FRAND essentials patents, which you are not allowed to do under EU patent law. Here's a quote with some additional detail,
EU regulators are poised to accuse Samsung of breaking competition rules in filing patent lawsuits against rival Apple, in the EU's first formal challenge to the consumer electronic industry's patent wars.
"We will issue a statement of objections very soon," the European Union's competition chief Joaquin Almunia said on Thursday, referring to the Commission's charge sheet.
Technology companies are increasingly turning to the European Commission as the EU's competition authority, to resolve their disputes, with the EC also investigating Google and Microsoft.
Apple and Samsung, the world's top two smartphone makers, are locked in patent disputes in at least 10 countries as they vie to dominate the lucrative mobile market and win over customers with their latest gadgets.
The filing of competition objections is the latest step in the Commission's investigation. After notifying Samsung in writing the company will have a chance to reply and request a hearing before regulators.
If the Commission then concludes that the firm did violate the rules, it could impose a fine of up to 10 percent of the electronic firm's total annual turnover.
Other current cases under investigation by the EC involve Google-owned phone maker Motorola Mobility, Microsoft and Apple. Microsoft has also complained about Google while Google has complained about MOSAID, a so-called patent enforcement company which makes money by licensing the use of acquired patents.
Earlier in the week, we saw reports that Samsung was dropping several of their European patent infringement lawsuits against Apple. We decided not to share that story because we caught wind of some intel that the reason wasn't altogether altruistic, so we wanted to see how things developed. It turns out we were correct to wait. The reason that Samsung dropped some of their lawsuits against Apple was because they knew that The EU was going to be bringing charges against them soon for this.
One could argue that Samsung was just trying to defend itself in any way it could, but the reality is they likely did violate the European laws regarding FRAND patent lawsuits. We will keep you informed as this continues to develop.


text:
A Labour government would offer motorists interest-free loans to buy electric cars, Shadow Business Minister Ed Miliband will announce.
It's part of a plan to boost the car industry by helping manufacturers as they switch to building electric vehicles.
Warwickshire-based Jaguar Land Rover, which has plants in Castle Bromwich and in Solihull as well as an engine-production facility in Staffordshire, has set out plans to become a producer entirely of electric vehicles. But the proposals also leave the long-term future of the Castle Bromwich plan in doubt, and the firm has announced it is to lose 1,000 roles worldwide.
Mr Miliband will say: "To back the car industry and create jobs, Labour would bring forward ambitious proposals to spark an electric vehicle revolution in every part of the country."
Plans include making electric vehicle ownership affordable by offering interest-free loans for new and used electric vehicles to those on low to middle incomes to remove the upfront cost barrier; and trialling a national scrappage scheme.
A Labour government would also subsidise the creation of three car battery "gigafactories" by 2025 with investment of £500 million for each of them, Mr Miliband will say. This is a total of £1.5 billion.
This is expected to include the proposed gigafactory at Coventry Airport, backed by the West Midlands Combined Authority, although proposals would need to be approved by a future government.
Giant factories to make batteries for electric vehicles (which are not the same as traditional car batteries) are seen as vital for the future of the nation's car industry.
The Government has promised funding of £500 million to develop gigafactories, but has not so far awarded the money to specific proposals.
And a Labour government would make it easier for people to drive an electric vehicle, wherever they live, by accelerating the roll-out of charging points on streets. The West Midlands, Yorkshire and the North West would be first in line for new charging points.
The West Midlands currently has 20 charging points per 100,000 people while London has 69 charging points per 100,000 people.
Mr Miliband will say he wants to make owning a zero emission vehicle possible for every motorist.
In a speech on Thursday, he will say: "By extending the option to buy an electric car to those on lower incomes and accelerating the roll-out of charging points in regions that have been left out, we would ensure that everyone could benefit - rather than bake in unfairness.
"And we would invest in securing the industry's future. While it’s right that government has said the sale of new petrol and diesel cars will end, it’s wrong it is imposing a massive transition on our manufacturers from Whitehall then washing its hands of responsibility.
"It’s not fair, it will damage our manufacturers, and it will mean losing out on the chance to be the world-leader in the electric vehicle market. Labour would back our manufacturers and the communities with proud histories in the industry, but the Government is asleep at the wheel."
Liam Byrne, Labour MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill and the party's candidate for West Midlands Mayor, said: ""We welcome this support from Ed Miliband, he is a respected voice on environmental issues.
"The next generation of electronic cars will create thousands of new clean, green jobs. We want those jobs here in the West Midlands where we have the skills and suppliers to support the green industrial revolution."


text:
New Delhi: Korean auto major Hyundai will make the global debut of its new crossover model, i20 Active in India next month as part of its plans to bring new products to touch the 5 lakh sales milestone in the country.
“Designed at Hyundai Motor’s Design Centre Europe in Russelsheim, Germany, i20 Active is scheduled to make an official global debut in the Indian market in the month of March 2015,” Hyundai Motor India said in a statement.
While revealing the design renderings of the “SUV looking car”, the company said it has “sporty refinement, with the enhanced practicality and quality” without sharing details.
Earlier this month, the company had launched the updated version of its mid-sized sedan Verna priced up to Rs 12.19 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).
Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Rakesh Srivastava had said the company’s “aspiration is to achieve the 5 lakh sales mark in the domestic market” and the updated Verna would play a significant role in achieving the milestone.
In order to achieve the target, he stated HMIL has lined up a slew of products for this year, including models in new segment.
The i20 Active will be competing with the likes of Toyota Etios Cross and Fiat Avventura in the newly emerging premium hatchback-crossover segment in India.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
Sign me up for the newsletter!
Notify me of follow-up comments by email.
Notify me of new posts by email.
Annual Day Celebration at VIBGYOR
LiL’Goodness and sCooMeal Announce $400k seed funding
Vietjet officially launches two direct routes linking New Delhi with Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi
FICCI FLO Pune Chapter concluded its 5th Edition of the Pune FLO Half Marathon presented by Bridgestone on Sunday 8th December 2019
Girish Chandra Chaturvedi, Appointed as the Chairman of the Governing Board of NSE
2014 The Global Indian New Network (TGINN)


text:
FDA Rejects 'Love' as Granola Ingredient
Sorry, it can't be made with love
The bible says love is patient and kind. Pat Benatar told us it was a battlefield. But all the heartless souls at the FDA know is that “love” is not a real ingredient in Nashoba Brook Bakery granola.
That’s right: A Concord, Massachusetts, bakery was issued a cold reprimand from federal bureaucrats for listing “love” alongside the other ingredients in their granola. While the company claims that it’s symbolic of the fact that their bakers pour their heart and soul into preparing the rolled oats-based breakfast item, the FDA made it clear it has no patience for such shenanigans.
In a letter that reads like it was written by a robot in the first act of a movie in which said robot eventually comes to understand human emotions, the regulatory body said “Your Nashoba Granola label lists ingredient "Love"... [which] is not a common or usual name of an ingredient, and is considered to be intervening material.”
Naturally, Nashoba CEO was dismayed by the soulless example of unnecessary government overreach. “I really like that we list ‘love’ in the granola,” he said. “Situations like that where the government is telling you you can’t list ‘love’ as an ingredient, because it might be deceptive, just feels so silly.”
It’s worth noting that listing a vague emotional concept as an ingredient wasn’t the only thing the FDA called out in its report, however. Inspectors also observed unsanitary conditions like flour buildup, and other mislabeled products. Still, the FDA had to issue a statement saying that the “love” label was “not among the agency’s top concerns.”
It’s not clear what will happen to the happy, love-filled granola that’s currently being sold in 120 Massachusetts and New Hampshire stores, but Gates says he’ll address the FDA’s complaints. In the meantime, he and his 75-employee business can at least enjoy the free publicity. Just more proof that love always wins.


text:
When toy maker Mattel (MAT 25.21) reported its fourth quarter earnings in late January, its stock was up 15% in 2017. That fourth quarter report, however, turned out to be a big disappointment, and as of Thursday's close, shares of MAT were down 8.5% in 2017. Unfortunately, the stock looks poised to extend that decline as it is trading 7% lower in pre-market action following a first quarter earnings report that was similarly disappointing.
The first line of the earnings press release got to the heart of the matter: "Worldwide net sales and gross sales down 15% as reported and in constant currency."
The inference is that demand for Mattel's products was weak -- or at least not strong without the inducement of heavy promotional activity.
The first quarter struggle was a remnant of the fourth quarter struggles as Mattel was dealing with a retail inventory overhang coming out of the holiday period. The company believes it has now worked through the majority of that overhang, yet it clearly did so at a notable cost to its bottom line.
Mattel's gross margin rate for the first quarter declined 680 basis points to 37.9% of net sales and it incurred an adjusted operating loss of $122.1 million. Its adjusted net loss per common share was ($0.32), versus ($0.14) in the year-ago period, and was well below analysts' average expectation. Net sales of $735.6 million also fell well shy of analysts' average expectation.
There wasn't much to brag about in terms of sales by brand.
Worldwide gross sales for Mattel Girls & Boys Brands were down 16% to $441.1 million, paced by a 13% decline in the Barbie brand, a 34% decline in Other Girls brands, and a 27% decline in the Entertainment business. The Wheels category was the outlier, as sales for that category increased 4%.
Worldwide gross sales for Fisher-Price Brands decreased 9% to $246.9 million while worldwide gross sales for American Girl Brands dropped 12% to $82.2 million. The Construction and Arts & Craft Brands saw a 38% decline in worldwide gross sales to $38.5 million.
On a geographic basis, gross sales decreased 24% in the North America region and 2% in the International region.
Mattel claims to see a clear runway to improving growth and profitability over time, yet with the depth of the sales declines across virtually all leading brands, investors are struggling with the notion that any significant improvement will be achieved anytime soon.
Hence, the focus after the first quarter report isn't on the aforementioned runway to growth so much as it is on the landing strip of persistently weak sales from the past. To that end, the first quarter marked the twelfth time in the last fourteen quarters that Mattel has reported a year-over-year decline in revenue.


text:
What if your car consumed carbon monoxide instead of spewing it out? Just such a vehicle was unveiled at last month’s SAE Congress in Detroit, which showcased some exciting green trends in the automotive industry. BMW stole the spotlight with its hydrogen-powered 7-series sedan that emits less carbon monoxide than is present in its environment. The car’s engine breaks down and converts carbon monoxide, essentially cleaning the air as it is driven.
BMW’s carbon cutting sedan features a six-liter hydrogen combustion engine that delivers performance on par with its gas-guzzling counterpart. The vehicle takes a step beyond BMW’s efforts to create a hydrogen/gasoline hybrid with astonishing results: tests conducted by Argonne Laboratories show that the car’s emissions are so low that they are undetectable by standard emissions tests.


text:
Walgreens, the largest US drug store chain operates more than 7,600 drugstores nationwide that provide access to nearly two-thirds of the U.S. population within three miles to a Walgreen store. The drugstore chains are getting even more convenient with new smart phone augmentations in the hands of many Walgreens customers nationwide. The drug store chain said within four months of launching a “Refill by Scan” app accounts for more than half of all prescription refills ordered through Walgreens mobile applications.
Refill by Scan enables customer to use the camera on their phone to scan the barcode printed on a prescription label to order a refill. The feature also gives users the option to change their store pickup location as well as the pickup time and day. Users also get a text alert, when their prescription is ready for pickup. That simply saves heir waiting time at the store.
The new, innovative technology was launched on the Walgreens mobile application in 2010 and has been available for both Android and iPhone platform since November. The application is free and available for download via iTunes and the Android.
Our customers have enthusiastically adopted our...
mobile applications and we’re continuing to bring innovative technology to our online and mobile platforms to enhance the customer experience,? said Sona Chawla, Walgreens President of E-commerce. “With refill by scan, prescription text alerts, unique photo features and the ability to shop or browse products all available on a mobile device, we’re adding new levels of choice, control and convenience for our rapidly-growing numbers of mobile customers.”
Another mobile feature – “Prescription text alerts” which notifies customers via text message when their prescriptions are ready, has surpassed 1 million subscribers since launching in March 2010.
If you are interested in getting prescription text alerts, you can sign up at any Walgreens pharmacy or by visiting www.walgreens.com/textalerts.


text:
Chief Economist’s Corner: Sure don’t look none too prosperous
As a child I watched John Steinbeck’s social realist masterpiece “The Grapes of Wrath” on TV. In this film Henry Fonda stars as Tom Joad, a farm worker who because of the severe drought in the US during the Great Depression of the 1930s is forced to uproot his family and move from the Midwest to seek fortune in California.
It is a very disturbing film and at the time it made a huge impression on me. Maybe this is why images of a desperate Henry Fonda flash before my inner eye when I think about the severe drought that has hit the US and is sending prices of corn and other crops skyhigh.
Fortunately, the social consequences are not quite as serious today as back then as the US Administration has already stepped in, offering massive financial support to the drought-affected farmers. Nevertheless, it is worth keeping an eye on developments. The rising food prices will erode households’ purchasing power around the world at a time when the global economy is in crisis and it is difficult to foster renewed growth. Consequently, the drought in the US may contribute to delaying the global economic upswing. Especially in poor countries there is a risk that the rising food commodity prices could cause huge problems. In these countries food still takes up a large proportion of household spending – as was the case in the US and Denmark in the 1930s.
Taxes hit as hard as the drought
Food prices in Denmark have also tended to rise – again. The reason is twofold: the US drought and rising indirect taxes. In July consumer prices rose by a hefty 2.3% y/y, but adjusted for all tax changes over the past year, the increase was actually only 1.6%. This is quite a difference, and for some wage earners the higher taxes are the main reason why their real wages and purchasing power are currently shrinking. Moreover, the indirect taxes hamper Danish competitiveness, limiting the effect of the government’s kickstart of the domestic economy.
Hot potato and the Tom Joads of today
Not surprisingly, against this backdrop the (quite extensive) indirect tax system in Denmark now and then becomes a political hot potato – also because some taxes do not have the desired effect. One example is the surcharge on foods that are high in saturated fat. This fat tax took effect on 1 October last year and was introduced to make us all eat more healthy food – and boost the government’s coffers. However, surveys show that we eat just as much saturated fat as before. But after the introduction of the fat tax we buy food products of a poorer quality or – just as a Tom Joad of today – we rush to the land of plenty south of the border (Germany) to fill our trailers with beer and soft drinks and other taxed goods at the flourishing border shops.
Consequently, the effect of the fat tax is limited – both in terms of reducing waist sizes and boosting the government’s coffers. This is something that the MPs should keep in mind during the upcoming budget talks where new indirect taxes no doubt will pop up on the agenda.


text:
2019 Ford F-150 Raptor what you should know! – After the recent redesign of near rivals, we are hearing a lot of stories approximately the 2020 Ford F-150 Redesign. However, the fact is that the current, 13th generation of the most legendary truck in the world is yet well-ventilated ample to compete like younger rivals. It is upon the push for virtually four years. Moreover, it usual a facelift recently, thus are lovely sure that the current form will remain for another couple of years.
Therefore, the 2020 Ford F-150 will actually arrive pretty much unchanged. The recent update has brought a lot of visual novelties, as well as a couple of new engines. The interior has been upgraded as well. every in all, Ford still has strong cars in its hands.
When it comes to performance and off-road capability! The 2019 Ford F-150 Raptor has no competitor making it a Super Truck in the Dream Car Driving community.
This Ford F-150 Raptor is available at https://www.lillistonford.com/new/Ford/2019-Ford-F-150-0a596b6c0a0e0ae85513f9f6ad2c98d6.htm?searchDepth=1:4
More info contact Sales Manager!
Jonathan A. Park
Ford F-150 Photos:


text: According to the First Financial News, on April 10, Jinshan Cloud established a strategic partnership with Xiaomi Finance and Xinwang Bank. It is understood that Jinshan Cloud will provide AI, big data, blockchain and other blessings for Xiaomi Finance. Xiaomi Finance mainly relies on the resources accumulated in the upstream and downstream of the industry chain to provide customers with technical solutions. Today, the important fulcrum of financial technology is technological innovation, not innovation of business form, which needs to provide protection through technology. For example, some small and micro enterprises have demand for cash flow and corporate credit in the process of capital flow. At this time, blockchain technology can ensure that assets and credit lines are more transparent. He also pointed out that the biggest problem at present is to reach a consensus on the technical knowledge of blockchain.


text:
With the rapidly expanding population, pure drinking water is increasingly becoming one of our most important commodities.
Therefore it is no surprise to learn that the worldwide demand for water treatment products is estimated to increase 6.2% per year for the next three years.
That means that the water purification equipment industry will be worth an amazing $65 billion by the year 2015.
Most of this growth will be coming from China, which is already responsible for vast economic growth in sectors such as mining energy and minerals. With the world’s fastest growing economy, China has to deal with the resultant pollution which makes water purification a necessity.
Indeed the entire Asia Pacific region is performing well in the water filtration industry with an 8.1% increase in growth. However that is unsurprising as this is one of the most robust parts of the world in the current financial climate. More encouraging is the performance of North America (4.7%) and Europe (4.4%) in the market at a time when the progress of the overall economy is uncertain for everyone.
The growth in the water filtration industry is being spurred by the drive to reuse water and improve the quality of water for everyone on the planet. Water is the foundation for life and it is essential for drinking, cooking and home maintenance.
That makes products such as the home water filtration services offered by Aquatec Bristol indispensable. The system works to soften water in hard water areas. That has been shown to have benefits for home appliances by extending the life of kettles and washing machines.
Soft water is also better for people who have skin conditions such as eczema, according to some testimonies.
Above all everything tastes better with soft water, from the cup of tea that you have in the morning to the vegetables that you boil in the evening.
Contact Aquatec Bristol on 01179 109 988 to find out how you can be a part of the water treatment trend.by


text:
Cinnabon to launch into Sydney
SEPTEMBER 18, 2022
US-based chain Cinnabon is expanding its Australian presence with its first store in Sydney soon to open. . Scheduled for late November or early December, the store be located in Darling Square, expanding a network that is currently confined to Queensland and Melbourne.


text:
- Instagram meme account with 14 million followers banned for coronavirus scam
- Turn off your Screen Time notifications for your own good
- TikTok love story documents next-level dating in the time of quarantine
- I slept without my phone for a week, and now I want a new alarm clock
- Apple's iPhone 12 might be 'months' late
- Naked man crashing school's video call is a privacy lesson for all
- Slack has seen a massive surge in users during coronavirus pandemic
- YouTube shifts default video quality to standard definition globally
- Social distancing isn't fun but Group FaceTime can help you get through it
- Tech How to clean and disinfect your filthy keyboard or laptop
Malaysian e-learning platform FullAMark goes free for a month to help schoolkids study for exams at home
Learn for free from home!
Tech Facebook is working on a coronavirus... reaction button?
It’s happening. Yup.
Tech 5 essential Zoom hacks to improve your virtual hangouts
If you're stuck Zooming with your friends, you can at least make the experience a little easier for yourself.
Tech Hackers are exploiting Zoom’s newfound popularity amid coronavirus pandemic
Be careful when you use Zoom.
Tech E-wallets could stop the spread of coronavirus. Here's how.
The little things that matters.
Tech Indonesia is developing a tracking app in an effort to curb coronavirus spread
It's under final tests right now.
Tech Zoom is a work-from-home privacy disaster waiting to happen
"Does Zoom sell Personal Data? Depends what you mean by 'sell.'"
Tech Google wisely cancels this year's April Fools' jokes
Google has officially canceled its April Fools Day prank tradition this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.


text:
Xitsonga music icon Eric Nkovani, popularly known as Papa Penny Aheee, has announced that he has ventured into funeral cover business.
ALSO READ: Papa Penny Ahee Is Returning For Season 3
Taking to Instagram to make the announce, Penny Penny posted a flyer of the company trading as Penny Penny Funeral Cover. According to the flyer, people who buy his funeral plan will get benefits such as a tombstone, cows, groceries, airtime and a free tent.
Speaking to The Juice, Papa Penny’s nephew Laas, who is reportedly a partner in the company, said this is one of the many ways Penny Penny has chosen to give back to his community.
“He is serving people in his community. He has been using his salary to feed people. So he thought about this business and came up with a cheaper [funeral] policy.”
The policies are underwritten by 3Sixty Life, a black-owned insurance company established in 1993 and also provides policies to Doves funeral company.
Speaking to TshisaLIVE Papa Penny said: “I am a people’s person and want to help disadvantaged people that couldn’t afford funeral costs. The premiums are expensive so I wanted to introduce a policy at a cheaper price.”
“We are planning to open mobile offices across the country in the near future so even those people who haven’t seen it online can learn about it and it can help them. It is for the young and old. It is for everyone. We want to take it to neighbouring countries and bring cheap funeral cover to people who need it,” – he told the publication.
Image Courtesy: instagram.com/penny_penny_shaka_bundu


text:
Following announcements from LG and Acer, HTC has also revealed some of its upcoming products several days before the official start of IFA Berlin, held September 6-11 First in line is the BoomBass, a Bluetooth subwoofer that adds some heavy bass to the tunes played on your smartphone. The BoomBass is a black cube-shaped speaker […]
If you’ve ever bought a print version of a book on Amazon, you can now buy the Kindle edition at a hugely discounted price — from free to $2.99. Amazon announced on Tuesday a new program called MatchBook, giving customers incentive to buy a digital version of any physical book ever purchased on the site. […]
While EE might no longer have the monopoly on 4G, it's got a serious head start. On the same day as the others' launches, the operator announced it had switched on its 100th city. It seems unlikely that the timing was coincidental. That leaves just 3 …
August presented a fairly standard crop of viral ads. There was the requisite number of game trailers (three) and sports-themed videos (eight), plus some die hard videos from previous months (three) In other words, the usual fare floated to the top once again. The only new wrinkles were the phenomenon of athletes letting their hair […]
It’s a spectacular feat. Right in front of our eyes, a group of marketers helped build billions of dollars of brand equity on products like Facebook, Twitter, AirBnb, StumbleUpon, Zynga, Dropbox, Reddit and LinkedIn. Stunningly, these brands were built without traditional advertising, brand partnerships or celebrity endorsements — in less than a decade. And the […]
When Bill Hader left Saturday Night Live, many were left wondering where the funnyman would show up next. Low and behold Hader shows up as the face of T-Mobile's JUMP! upgrade program, an appearance which had a few pundits scratching their heads.
You no longer need to imagine what a world would be like where ads leap out at you, customized to your surroundings. That world has arrived, though the recently launched Field Trip app for Google Glass. Sure, Field Trip isn’t really showing ads yet. Sure, Google Glass is still only in limited… Please visit Marketing […]
Kantar Worldpanel ComTech today reported that Windows Phones are seeing meaningful share gains across a number of European countries. In particular, Germany, UK, France and Italy are emerging as strong markets for the platform. The Microsoft OS has also grown in a number of other countries such as… Please visit Marketing Land for the full […]


text:
The Lumia 920, Nokia's (NYSE:NOK) new flagship phone, appears doomed to follow in the 900's footsteps. Unknown industry insiders have scolded the device makers for only making "incremental improvements" from the Nokia 900, their initial flagship phone, which only sold 4 million units. Despite being a flagship product, those sales don't begin to compare to the behemoth of sales that both Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) and Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) have accrued through their devices. It seems Nokia is caught in the first generation of the smartphone war, one which highly depended on gadgets like wireless charging, improved camera, etc. Meanwhile, companies like Google and Apple have successfully refocused onto ecosystem centric devices.
Nokia doesn't really seem like the next wave, fools, so which company is? It's still Apple. With the impending release of the iPhone 5, and Apple TV on the horizon, the stakes have never been higher for the company. If you’re looking for a recommendation on how to play Apple, along with continuing updates and guidance on the company whenever news breaks, we’ve created a brand new report that details when to buy and sell Apple. To get started, just click here now.


text:
How does a quad-core HTC phone and tablet combo sound to you? Good, because that's precisely what the Taiwanese firm will be introducing at Mobile World Congress, according to a report from the Commercial Times. The story goes that HTC is currently planning to take the wraps off of an Nvidia quad-core-powered (aka Tegra 3) Android tablet and smartphone at MWC in February, the latter of which could be the Edge that leaked out a week ago. As for launch details, the Commercial Times believes that the tablet may launch before the end of Q3 2012 but made no mention of the smartphone's release. The report also alleges that HTC will unveil a second, non-quad-core Android phone at MWC, which may be the HTC Ville that we saw leak last week.
Considering that we expect to begin seeing Tegra 3 Android tablets before this year is up, it wouldn't be a surprise to see HTC unveil a pair of devices packing Nvidia's latest and greatest at MWC. There may not be many other details available about the products right now, but it's worth noting that HTC CEO Peter Chou said last week that his company is interested in crafting a tablet that'll help it "stand out" in the market, so it should be interesting to see what HTC can come up with to avoid releasing a "me-too product."


text:
Holland & Barrett, the UK’s leading health and wellness retailer, is continuing its global expansion by launching its official flagship store on China’s leading e-commerce site, Tmall.
The health and wellness retailer launched over 40 products on the website today, marking its entry in the Chinese market. Tmall is owned by tech and online retail giant Alibaba Group, China’s second-largest company by market capitalisation (around £410bn).
To support marketing of the new store, Holland & Barrett has also launched three new social channels across the platforms Weibo, WeChat and RED
Holland & Barrett head of international business development Tom Pamment said: “We have been really encouraged by the initial performance and we’re excited by the potential for Holland & Barrett to become a destination for local Chinese customers who are seeking a trusted, high quality health and wellness brand with strong provenance, exciting innovation and offering great value.”
With over 150 years’ experience of bringing wellness to all, Holland & Barrett is already popular with Chinese customers in the UK, Europe and Middle East, and has long standing partnerships in South Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong where it takes part in popular sales promotions such as Chinese New Year and Singles’ Day.
“We chose to launch our flagship store on Tmall Global because of the platform’s reach and good alignment to our target customer base,” said Holland & Barrett head of international business development Tom Pamment.
https://www.z2u.com/tmall/Top-Up-2-16485 is the top one among many marketplaces with integrity and reputation, It is a professional supplier of cheap and safe Tmall Supermarket Card, also, we can promise that it will complete 100% handmade Cheap Tmall Supermarket Card and deliver within 15 minutes after placing an order.Any question for 24/7 customer service, who are happy to give help and create an enjoyable shopping experience for you.


text:
You have searched for "Open Day"
Showing 31-40 of 64
Mohd Nur Ismal Mohamed Kamal fields the 10 questions posed by our readers.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank) called off merger talks with RHB Capital Bhd due to lack of value-creation.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) hopes the result of its bid for the expansion of the Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz Airport in Madinah will come out by year-end.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;
KUALA LUMPUR: The Government has identified 33 of its companies as ready for divestment. Under the plan to rationalise the portfolio of government-linked companies (GLCs) in Malaysia, the Government will reduce its stakes in some of these companies, list a few others and sell the rest.
BERLIN: Germany on Saturday rebuffed renewed calls that eurozone countries should issue joint euro-denominated bonds and have a joint finance minister, arguing that would only be possible if fiscal policy were collective already.
PORT KLANG: Port Klang, the country's largest container port, is optimistic of achieving double-digit growth in cargo handling this year, said Port Klang Authority (PKA) Chairman Datuk Dr Teh Kim Poo. He based the optimism on the fact that Port Klang, the world's 13th largest container port, was undergoing rapid growth and was expected to become one of the most important and busiest container ports, globally.
LANGKAWI: The Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI)is formulating a new approach in the trade and industry sector to avoid Malaysia being impacted adversely by the uncertain global economic conditions at present.


text: Shares of 58.com, which runs mainland China’s largest online classified advertisements site, surged 3.9 per cent to US$52.31 at midday on Monday in New York, after it raised US$300 million by selling new shares to investors including e-commerce giant Alibaba and global investment firm KKR. Jumei International, China’s largest online cosmetics retailer, gained 3.3 per cent to US$11.54, while Qunar, a Chinese travel search engine controlled by Baidu, jumped 4.5 per cent to US$36.62, as investors bought up shares in the fast-growing services sector ahead of Beijing’s announcement of its 13th five-year plan late this month that analysts expected to include policies promoting the growth of services industries. Qunar rival Ctrip, the nation’s biggest online travel agency, gained 2.3 per cent to US$68.80. New Oriental Education and Technology Group, China’s largest provider of private education, climbed 3.8 per cent to US$22.18. Meanwhile, the Deutsche X-trackers Harvest CSI300 China A-Shares ETF jumped 3.9 per cent to US34.93, after the Shanghai Composite Index closed 3.3 per cent up on Monday to its highest level in seven weeks after the central bank took steps to inject more liquidity into the slowing economy and on expectation of further government economic stimulus measures in the new five-year plan. The iShares China Large-Cap ETF tracking Hong Kong-listed Chinese shares edged up 0.23 per cent to US$38.75.


text:
New year, new price increase. That’s the word from natural gas provider Fortis BC who said this week that its customers should expect “an overall increase to their bill” in 2021.
The increase is set to take effect as of January 1, with storage, transport, and delivery costs, being cited as the reasons.
“There are a number of items that make up an energy bill, including the costs to store, transport, and the delivery of energy, “which have all increased,” said Fortis BC’s Diane Roy in a release.
Residential natural gas customers in the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, Interior, Whistler, Vancouver Island, and the Kootenays monthly natural gas bills will increase by approximately 8% (or about six dollars) based on average usage (7.5 gigajoules per month), the company said.
- See also:
“We understand that energy costs are an important decision in household budgets and that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have unprecedented impacts on many of our customers,” said Roy. “I want all of our customers to know that they are our primary focus.”
For those customers who need support with their bills, Roy advised them to contact Fortis BC and “we’ll work with you to find a solution.”


text:
General Motors To Seek Reversal Of Order Prohibiting Plant Closure
Firm states that the decision sends a concerning message to potential future investors.
General Motors plans to appeal against rejection of its plant closure application by the Maharashtra government.
It is well known that General Motors is exiting India and that it signed a term sheet for sale of its Talegaon factory to Great Wall Motors in January of 2020.
With the term sheet for sale set to expire by the middle of this year, the work on completion of sale is pending FDI approval. Meanwhile, the automaker had filed for a closure application on 20th November 2020 and stopped production on 24th December.
However, the Maharashtra government rejected the General Motors plant closure application earlier this week, a decision that the automaker wants reversed.
George Svigos, General Motors Spokesman, stated that the government’s decision is surprising and “diverges sharply from Maharashtra’s business-friendly reputation” since it seeks to prevent the exit of a long-time investor.
He added that this move sends a concerning message to potential future investors who want to bring jobs to the State as the government’s decision potentially requires the company to remain in operation when there is no work to be done.
The issue is that the firm is negotiating with its employees at Talegaon to accept its severance terms, while the General Motors Employee Union is seeking assurance on employment from the plant’s prospective buyer.
Having filed a petition with the Bombay High Court against the plant closure, which contended that the automaker cannot file an application for closure of an already sold site, the union said the firm forced and coerced its employees to opt for Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) which, according to it, was not fair.
What the union wants is for the 1550 employees to have a secure job no matter who buys the factory. But, the transfer of workforce is not part of the sale agreement and the carmaker has requested to union to negotiate a separation package and cease spreading, in its view, misinformation.
Claiming that the firm has a credible track record of labour relations, Svigos stated that General Motors is committed to offering a “more than fair separation package to the workforce”, adding that the offer is well in excess of the legal minimum of 15 days per year of service.
Source – ETAuto.com


text:
With few new hotels in sight for Singapore, hoteliers are ready to raise room rates.
A recent report from DBS Bank has revealed a dramatic slowdown in new hotel launches, one which could jeopardise Singapore’s ambitions to keep growing its tourist industry.
Singapore has seen tourist numbers grow by an average of 6% over the last 10 years, supported by a growth in hotel rooms of 4.2% in the last four years. After all, tourists need a place to sleep, so it is logical that hotel room growth rate should track tourist arrivals.
But with new hotel rooms expected to grow by just 0.7 % over the next four years, the concern shifts to where these tourists will stay, and if that will dampen Singapore’s tourist outlook.
Data from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) revealed that tourism receipts (TR) reached $13.1b in Q2 2019, a decline of 3% compared to the same period last year, whilst hotel room revenue dipped 0.1% to $1b. This was even though international visitor arrivals rose 1.7% to 4.6 million in the quarter compared to the same period last year.
In an interview with Singapore Business Review, Govinda Singh, executive director of valuation and advisory services at Colliers International, noted that upcoming hotel supply in the pipeline was in the mid-scale and economy sector. “We note that a significant number of the supply pipeline was in the mid-scale and below sector, which would inherently reduce overall market fundamentals [and] thus exacerbate the impact on the overall market trends,” he said.
With visitor arrivals edging up steadily by 2.1% YoY to 14.3 million for the first 9 months of 2019 and the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for hotel supply expected to slow to 0.7% between 2019 to 2022, analysts agreed that increased profitability is just what the market needs right now as Singapore braces from waning business and consumer confidence. Against this backdrop, hoteliers have every incentive to raise rates in an effort to stay afloat.
“From a trading performance perspective, with limited new supply expected in the next three years and growing tourism demand, the overall outlook on trading remains positive in the short-term,” said Giuliano Esposito, senior vice president for strategic advisory and asset management Asia, JLL hotels and hospitality.
“Looking ahead, the hotel market is expected to benefit from the robust supply and demand fundamentals in the short to medium term,” he added.
High volume of events
In their report, DBS also highlighted the high volume of upcoming events in Singapore as a possible driver of growth for the sector. Wendy Teo, director of sales for Grand Hyatt Singapore, shared a similar view, particularly noting that the growing focus on wellness and sustainability amongst Singapore’s real estate sector will drive the 2020 MICE Industry.
“Delegates are increasingly seeking event venues that are able to help them achieve and complement their wellness and sustainability goals,” said Teo.
To meet this, Teo shared that their hotel has focused on sustainable initiatives in food sourcing, food waste management, energy and water, and hotel operations, amongst others. In October, the hotel also hosted the Global Wellness Summit.
Headwinds will hit harder
Even with a huge pipeline of events supporting the sector’s growth, Colliers’ Singh reflected a more subdued outlook, as he believed that ongoing issues in the region will likely dent any expansion in the market.
“Given the high correlation of hotel demand to disposable incomes, we could expect some slowdown as businesses and consumers remain cautious. We already note from the recent Singapore Tourism Board (STB) data that tourism receipts, and that specifically spent on accommodation has slowed,” he said.
Instead, more travellers are opting for budget-friendly options to make up for their weakened spending power—a trend Singh and Colliers International expects to continue up until 2020.
But JLL remains optimistic, given that RevPAR has registered a stable growth for the year. As at YTD September, RevPAR for the luxury segment remained “broadly stable”, whilst the upscale segment recorded a 2.5% YoY growth and the midscale & economy segment a 2.1% YoY growth.
For Colliers, the market was never in decline anyway.
“In our opinion, the market was never in decline but absorbing the new supply. As the supply has been absorbed, the market is now moving towards maximising yield even as demand continues to grow,” said Singh.
Colliers expects RevPAR to moderate to a 1% growth in 2020, as any large bi-annual MICE events will only mitigate slowdowns in corporate and leisure travel driven by cautious business and consumer sentiment.
Do you know more about this story? Contact us anonymously through this link.


text:
You can’t stroll through local shops without a start from Halloween, which is front and center already, everywhere you look. The holiday is still weeks away, but the costumes and decorations are up, out and ready for shoppers of all ages.
This year, WebLoyalty predicts that Irish consumers will spend €41-million on Halloween. That’s about the same as was spent in 2017, officials say that although it’s not an increase it does show that Halloween is holding stead in it’s aim to become a serious contender for holiday spending with retailers.
They predict ‘Glamoween’ a thing this year, already seeing spikes in sales of glitter, glue-on bling, ghoulish make-up and temporary tattoos.
Predictions are that characters from Fortnite, (a video game) Game of Thrones and celebrities including Kim Kardashian and Tonya Harding will figure high on a lot of adult lists. Clowns, dinosaurs, fairies and zombies are said to be high on the list of kid costumes, as usual.
And of course the spookiest part of it all, is that Christmas is already edging out Halloween merchandise.


text:
The DHL-UPS deal was expected to last up to 10 years and infuse Atlanta-based UPS with up to $1 billion in annual revenue, if completed as first proposed in May.
UPS, the world's largest shipping carrier, has said the contract with DHL, which it has been working to finalize, would mostly involve the transport of DHL packages between airports in North America — not the pickup or delivery of DHL packages to customers.
If DHL made significant cuts to its ground operations in the U.S., it wouldn't necessarily affect UPS and DHL reaching a deal since their talks have solely involved air delivery of packages, not ground delivery. But Deutsche Post's announcement Monday went well beyond the elimination of ground products within the U.S. Deutsche Post said it will discontinue U.S. domestic-only air and ground products on Jan. 30 to focus entirely on its international offering.
Deutsche Post, which cited heavy losses and fierce competition for its decision to curtail U.S. operations, noted it is not pulling out of the market entirely. It said its international shipping services to and from the U.S. would continue.


text:
POLICE HAVE registered a case against unidentified persons who placed a card-cloning device in a private bank’s ATM kiosk in Sector 35-D.
A customer noticed that a device was installed in the ATM machine, following which he informed the bank. The police recovered the device.
The Sector 36 Station House Officer (SHO), Inspector Ranjodh Singh, said that they received a complaint from Dr Sohan Lal, Assistant General Manager (AGM) of Canara Bank, who is posted in bank’s Sector 34 branch. The complainant stated that some unknown persons installed a device in the ATM machine of bank’s ATM kiosk in Sector 35-D.
“A customer entered the ATM for withdrawing cash. He saw that a black device was hanging with the ATM machine. He got suspicious and called the bank and informed them. After receiving the call, the bank officials and our team reached the spot and recovered the device,” the SHO added.
Inspector Ranjodh said that the device looked like the cover of an iPad. The fraudsters installed the device above the keyboard of the ATM machine. The device had a memory chip and micro cameras to copy the ATM card user’s password. He added that during the preliminary investigation, they found that the device was not installed properly and it was hanging.
Explaining further about the card-cloning device, the SHO said that it was 6 * 6 inches device which was carrying a memory card, a micro camera, a battery and a small chip. He added that they also recovered a duplicate card reader which the fraudsters fixed on the card reader point of the ATM machine.
Asked how such devices could be detected, Inspector Ranjodh said that whenever any customer enters the ATM kiosk, he must once check the card reader point by holding it and if there is a duplicate card reader, it would easily come off. He added that the customers should also check the area above the keyboard.
“We handed it over to our IT experts to know whether any ATM password was copied,” Ranjodh said.
The SHO said that they were yet to trace the people who installed the device. He added that they obtained the CCTV footage of the camera installed inside the kiosk.
Replying to a question as to how the customer came to know that it was a card-cloning device, Ranjodh said that the customer had told them that he watched a video clip in a WhatsApp group on how fraudsters install the card-cloning devices.
Acting on the complaint of the bank official, the police registered a case under sections 420 (cheating) and 511 of the Indian Penal Code at the Sector 36 police station.


text:
I just got back from Washington, D.C. And there was one topic everybody wanted to discuss…
This is indeed a national security issue. We will not allow digital-asset service providers to operate in the shadows.
That’s what Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said about Facebook’s Libra cryptocurrency last week.
He added that the Treasury Department has “very serious concerns that Libra could be misused by money launderers and terrorist financiers.”
And Mnuchin isn’t alone.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said that Libra “raises serious concerns regarding privacy, money laundering, consumer protection, and financial stability.”
Even President Trump made his feelings about Libra known:
So these high-profile policymakers are taking aim at Libra. But I think it has little to do with concerns over money laundering…
The Facebook Coin
You see, Libra is a stablecoin. A stablecoin is a cryptocurrency that’s pegged to an existing asset. In this case, Libra will be backed by a basket of international currencies.
Libra will be governed by the Libra Association (Facebook, plus a group of 27 other companies). Facebook claims it’ll allow the currency to be governed openly and transparently—and that it won’t give any single company too much influence over Libra.
As a stablecoin, Libra will have low volatility. This will be attractive in countries without stable currencies, like Venezuela and Argentina.
Stablecoins are also attractive for making daily purchases. After all, who wants to use a currency that might fluctuate 10% a day? It’s very difficult to budget for daily necessities with high volatility levels.
So Libra could be used for small value payments and as a store of value in certain markets. And with Facebook’s global user base of 2.4 billion, it won’t take long for the coin to gain adoption.
So why are government officials taking aim at Libra?
Well, the usual line is that it’d be used to finance terrorism or other illicit activities. But bitcoin’s critics have been saying this for years, too.
So let’s think about this rationally…
Bitcoin on the Dark Web
The dark web is a hidden part of the internet. Since you can’t find it with normal web browsers, you need specific software. And it includes online markets for drugs and other illicit goods.
Now, according to a report from blockchain analysis company Chainalysis, $1 billion worth of bitcoin will be spent on the dark web this year.
This will surpass the previous high of $872 million in 2017—which corresponded with bitcoin’s price run up to $20,000.
And there’s widespread perception that bitcoin is primarily used for illicit purposes. But nothing could be further from the truth.
For one, $30 billion worth of bitcoin trades on legal digital asset exchanges every day. And remember, these exchanges verify all users’ identities.
So that’s 30 times more legal bitcoin activity in a single day than illegal bitcoin activity in an entire year.
Plus, a Global Financial Integrity report estimates that up to $652 billion is spent on drugs every year. And up to $1.1 trillion is spent on counterfeit and pirated goods.
These transactions are in fiat currency—with U.S. dollars making up the biggest portion.
So bitcoin is used in just 0.15% of illegal drug transactions each year. And with counterfeit goods, it’s used in less than 0.06% of all illicit transactions. That’s just a drop in the bucket.
Now, I believe we’ll see a similar pattern with Libra. But if the concern isn’t money laundering, then what is it?
New Reserve Currency
Again, Facebook has a user base of 2.4 billion people. That’s roughly 35% of the global population. So Libra would certainly gain immediate adoption.
This would create a multibillion-dollar business for Facebook overnight, thanks to transaction fees.
But it’d also accomplish something else.
Remember, Libra will be backed by a basket of currencies. It’ll be relatively stable and completely fungible. Users will be able to convert it into other digital assets like bitcoin… or into U.S. dollars, yen, pounds, euros, and so forth.
So Libra could rival existing currencies—including the U.S. dollar—and become a global reserve currency itself almost overnight.
We have to appreciate the chutzpah Facebook demonstrated. It’s launching a global central bank (the Libra Association) that it’ll control.
Libra will be a global reserve currency, effectively controlled by one corporation (or let’s say a cabal of corporations), that’s more transferable, fungible, secure, and divisible than any fiat currency on earth.
You can see why the U.S. government might be a little wary of Libra. It could directly threaten the government’s “monopoly” on currency creation.
Some politicians are very open about this, too. Congressman Brad Sherman said this about cryptos in May:
An awful lot of our international power stems from the fact that the dollar is the standard unit of international finance and transactions… It is the announced purpose of the supporters of cryptocurrencies to take that power away from us.
But I have bad news for crypto skeptics like Congressman Sherman…
You see, digital assets are here to stay. There’s no putting this genie back in the bottle. The technology has already been released to the public. Some might even say it’s been unleashed…
And if America doesn’t want to get left behind, we need to embrace blockchain technology—not hide from it.
As part of my work with the Chamber of Digital Commerce, I’m speaking with policymakers to educate them on the benefits of blockchain tech across all industries and applications.
That’s why I was in D.C. recently. We were advocating for a light regulatory touch, so innovation in blockchain tech can prosper in the U.S. and other stable democracies around the world.
The shift from fiat to digital is inevitable.
There will come a day when we walk into a store and see a sign: “We accept Bitcoin, Libra, or U.S. e-dollars.”
The currency revolution isn’t years away… It’s already started.
Editor, Exponential Tech Investor
P.S. Before I go, I want to thank the thousands of readers who showed up for my Accelerated Profits Summit last week.
I pulled back the curtain on the world of early-stage tech… And I showed you how to get in on early stage companies alongside the top venture capital firms. I even revealed my system for reaping triple-digit profits with these trades over and over again.
If you missed it, don’t worry. I arranged a special replay. As a Palm Beach Daily reader, you can watch it for free right here.


text:
Facebook has apologised for featuring a dating advertisement using the photo of a teenager who committed suicide after falling victim to cyber-bullying.
The social media company said on Wednesday that it has banned the advertiser that used photographs of 17-year-old Rehtaeh Parsons, from Halifax, Canada, who took her own life after months of cyber-bullying and an alleged sexual assault.
The abuse started after a photo circulated on the Internet showing her alleged rape by four boys.
A Facebook user noticed the ad, and posted screen grabs to Twitter, provoking immediate outrage and a quick response from Facebook.
"This is an extremely unfortunate example of an advertiser scraping an image from the Internet and using it in their ad campaign," a spokeswoman for Facebook said in an email.
She said the ad was removed as soon as it came to their attention, and the advertiser's account was permanently deleted.
"This is a gross violation of our ad policies," the spokeswoman said. "We apologise for any harm this has caused."
The ad was for the online dating site ionechat.com, which placed the photo of Parsons next to text that read "Meet Canadian girls and women for friendship, dating or relationships. Sign up now!"
Parsons' father, Glen Canning, condemned the ad.
"I am completely bewildered and disgusted by this. This is my daughter, Rehtaeh. They have her in an ad for meeting singles. I don't even know what to say," Canning wrote in his blog.
The website for ionechat was not available for comment on Wednesday.


text:
When ads contained specialised video effects, they saw a 13 percent increase in downloading a coupon, 9 percent lower abandonment rate, and a 12 percent increase in purchase intent, the study found.
GenArts used videos featuring sports company Puma to measure the impact visual effects have on the overall effectiveness of video promotions. The study tested two versions of the same Puma sneaker promotion, one with visual effects and one without. The video with effects significantly outperformed the one without.
“Advertisers are challenged to make their ads as effective as possible, but it’s not always clear which tools enable you to do that. This case study shows that visual effects are a cost-effective and actionable way to significantly increase the appeal and credibility of your brand, and ultimately increase viewer purchase intent by as much as 12 percent,” Katherine Hays, CEO of GenArts, said in a statement.
According to comScore, advertising currently makes up 15 percent of online video. In October alone, 7.5 billion video ads were viewed in the United States, MediaPost reported.