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The Cannabis business has recently become a mainstream channel for business opportunities. What was too risky for large and institutional investors a few years ago has now turned into a good business prospect. According to experts, the Cannabis industry will continue to prosper in the next years, as its legalization expands.
Eight years ago, Cannabis might have seemed like an odd market for private equity firms to focus on. For the past few years, we have experienced a series of fundamental changes in the global economy. Now, over 30 states in the U.S have legalized medical Cannabis and 8 more allowed the recreational use of it. Canada has joined this revolution by legalizing recreational marijuana with some giant companies even going as far as developing cannabis-infused beverages.
Cannabis-related businesses constitute as one of the fastest growing industries in North America. In 2016 the medical marijuana market was worth $4.7 billion and it is expected to reach 13.3 billion by 2020. There’s no doubt the marijuana industry has become an attractive opportunity for investors, offering revenue and expansion across the continent.
At Best Business Hub we are well aware of the potential of cannabis, which was the reason why we have decided to explore the therapeutic potential of the plant. We aim at becoming a premium supplier to the medical marijuana consumers; we plan to accomplish this through the introduction of our high-quality product line in the global market.
Our innovative business model offers agricultural opportunities to investors with any budget, seeking for smart investment projects. We are proud to be the first company in Colombia to offer micro-investment plans in the agricultural industry in general and in the medical cannabis sector specifically.
This is a very smart investment indeed! The cannabis industry is experiencing unprecedented growth globally and it is expected to triple in the next five years. Cannabis has even made its way to Wall Street; this is how investors have been able to generate profits from this industry so far.
The stock market price of some producers of medical cannabis has shown a rate of growth much higher than that of traditional sectors or new technologies over the past year and the traditional pharmaceutical industry has not ignored this boom in the cannabis sector. Major pharmaceutical companies have established strategic alliances mainly with Canadian companies, to gain the market for the production and distribution of cannabis preparations for therapeutic purposes.
BDS Analytics says the market looks totally promising as it exposes figures where global spending on cannabis products will have more than doubled to $32 billion by 2020. In terms of the IED “greenfield”, Colombia ranks second behind the US, as it has targeted 15 projects valued at approximately $1.05 million, according to the Financial Times (FT) data service that monitors the transboundary investments.
Our company is based in Colombia because the country has positioned itself as a leading producer in the global cannabis industry and has become the second largest destination for foreign direct investment (FDI).
Mild weather and proximity to North America have turned Latin America and the Caribbean into one of the fastest growing regions for cannabis production and research, and Colombia ranks first in this business.
According to the Cannabis Financial Network Agency:
Colombia is currently the only country where cannabis exports are openly promoted, making it the current center for the development of cannabis. The combination of a government-led approach to exports, an ideal growth climate and extremely low cost of production make Colombia a crucial focus for short-term development.


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Andrew Lloyd Webber’s upcoming Broadway musical, “Bad Cinderella” has announced a partnership with The Broadway Exchange, a marketplace for digital collectibles, to launch a series of online souvenirs tied to the show.
With this partnership, “Bad Cinderella” becomes the first Broadway production to incorporate digital collectibles into its fan engagement and revenue plans. The Broadway Exchange officially launched with three initial digital collections, aka NFT collections, for Broadway Cares, the musical “May We All” and Off-Broadway’s “Stranger Sings!”
The Broadway Exchange will work with more partners, like “Bad Cinderella,” to create collectibles, which are 3D multimedia objects. In terms of sales, 90 percent of profits from the collectibles benefit the show while the Exchange donates 3 percent of all sales to various Broadway industry charities.
Digital objects are minted on a blockchain system known as Flow, where each item requires less digital energy than common internet functions like a Google search or Instagram post.
The “Bad Cinderella” series launched on Feb. 7, via the Exchange’s website, with a free collectible: an invitation from the character of the Queen to enter Belleville, where the musical is set. Fans who claim this collectible will gain early access to upcoming content from the production.
The entire initial collection for “Bad Cinderella” will be free. Fans who collect the full set will be entered into a contest to win autographed merchandise.
Overall, digital collectibles provide fans with an innovative way to interact with a show. The purchase of collectibles will allow fans to receive exclusive content and the opportunity to win tickets, merchandise and other show-related experiences.
“This represents an evolution in fan engagement,” Christine Schwarzman, president of No Guarantees (lead producer of “Bad Cinderella”), said in a statement. “We know that theater fans are passionate about their favorite shows, both old and new, and to give them a new way to feel like they are part of the experience is exciting. This partnership will provide a pathway to inspire and digitally engage lovers of musicals and live theater.”
“Bad Cinderella” begins previews on Feb. 17 ahead of an official opening night at the Imperial Theatre on March 23. The musical is produced by No Guarantees and Really Useful Group, and is executive produced by Wagner Johnson Productions.

domain: news


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Brand brand brand New bank scam also fooling professionals
The CyberGuy Kurt Knutsson in the bank that is sophisticated benefiting from customers and apps with subscription-models integrated recharging users a huge selection of bucks.
Fraudsters are prowling online online dating sites in their look for visitors to scam, in accordance with the FBI.
Read On Below
A lot more than 18,000 individuals reported into the FBIвЂ™s Web Crime Complaint Center, or IC3, just last year to state they certainly were victims of relationship fraudulence. They destroyed a combined $362 million, the IC3 said this week. That has been up by 70 per cent through the losings reported.
In an attempt to assist individuals avoid becoming victims, the IC3 shared information on the way the scam works and what online daters can perform to safeguard on their own.
The scammer begins by gaining the victimвЂ™s trust, authorities stated. Normally it takes months. Most of them claim to be always a U.S. resident situated overseas, such as for example user associated with army or a small business owner.
MORE FROM FOXBUSINESS.COM
Fundamentally, the fraudulent dater may require gift suggestions, or ask for the money supposedly for journey to meet up with the target, authorities stated. Leggi tutto “How exactly to protect your self from a dating that is online, duping victims away from millions”


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04 4月 2022, EUR/USD
EURUSD trading plan:
Euro zone manufacturing growth slowed sharply last month as Russia's invasion of Ukraine tightened supply chain bottlenecks, dampened demand and whacked confidence, a survey showed as soaring energy costs drove a broader surge in prices. Final manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index fell to a 14-month low of 56.5 in March from February's 58.2, below an initial "flash" estimate of 57.0 but still well above the 50 mark that separates growth from contraction. An index measuring output, which feeds into a composite PMI due next week and is seen as a good barometer of economic health, sank to 53.1 from 55.5, its lowest since June 2020, when the bloc was enduring the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic.
Investment idea: sell 1.1054 and take profit 1.0975.


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More than half of the world’s turtle species are endangered or threatened, and overhunting of wild species is a major cause.
You can squash small bugs by stepping on them, but can you crush even tinier microorganisms like viruses and bacteria? It turns out that you’d need to apply a lot of pressure.
Despite the recent Kinder chocolate recall, there’s no cause for wider concern about chocolate safety.
Reptiles get a bad rap, but this is because they’re misunderstood. Promoting healthy reptile pet ownership can contribute to conservation and education efforts.
‘When in doubt, throw it out’ – and more tips to make sure your festive feast won’t make you sick.
Water at informal settlements, where sanitation and waste management facilities were absent, had high bacteria levels.
Identifying the emergence of a disease often relies on sick people seeking medical help. Wastewater monitoring can identify pathogens days or weeks earlier.
Americans love their supplements, but some of the products are contaminated with heavy metals, bacteria and toxic fungi. The FDA has little control because of a law passed in 1994.
Talk of bioterrorism might provoke fears of smallpox and anthrax, but mundane threats like salmonella may pose greater danger. And experts say that the U.S. is not prepared for an attack.
A food safety expert offers six tips on safe food handling that many cookbooks and cooking shows fail to deliver.
Millions of people travel during the holidays, eager to spend time with loved ones. That travel, along with exposure to new bacteria, can make you more vulnerable to foodborne illnesses.
Don’t eat raw cookie dough in a house, with a mouse, or here, there or anywhere, wrote the FDA commissioner last week. A public health scholar sees – and tastes – things differently.
Antibiotic resistance is a major and growing global health threat. These five recent examples show us how dangerous it can be.
In the wake of a norovirus outbreak traced to raw oysters from British Columbia, our expert explains how to eat this culinary delicacy safely.
The “sniff test” doesn’t work every time, and other food safety tips.
When day zero arrives in Cape Town, the routine surveillance systems that monitor disease outbreaks will be enhanced to pick up new diseases.
A new study raises concerns about raw meat based dog food, but not for the reasons you think.
Despite new findings, the deaths can’t be blamed on enteric fever alone.
Lurking in the garden are some nasty bacteria with the potential to cause you serious harm.
Don’t panic: just follow these basic rules.


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The story of the vending machine that has replaced a village shop in Derbyshire has now gone global.
ITV News Central told you last week about the new giant vending machine in Clifton which sells everything from milk to toilet paper.
You can see the coverage around the world by clicking the links above.
More top news
We put together a guide on what's on this weekend for you in the Midlands.
A would-be jihadi bride has been found guilty of helping a young man to fight in Syria after they struck up a long-distance romance online.
Mainly dry and rather cloudy this evening and overnight. Some clear spells may develop at times.


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all of today's podcasts by clicking play next to the selected
Click on a vendor to hear today's
Podcasts from the RentDirect Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.
RTO Podcasts from Monday, August 21, 2006
Click images to enlarge
Bertolani, SED International
Al Benson, Central File Marketing
Councill, Baseline Licensing Group
Rosen, Florida State Games
Tim Moore, DSI
Vendors shared their thoughts on everything from the status of
the rental industry to what items will be this holiday season’s
must-haves (only 18 weekends until Christmas!). Plus, we
discussed how best to attract customers to your rental store and
why opening a second concept (think wheels) might be the best
way to diversity your business.
Prime Time Buying Show began Monday. RTO Online recorded
podcasts with seven key suppliers Monday; Al Benson, Central File Marketing, Brown Councill, Baseline Licensing Group, Dennis
Rosen, Florida State Games, Ellison
Crider, RSSS, Kevin
Leary, RIMCO, Mike
Bertolani, SED International and Tim Moore, DSI. Listen
to all of today's podcasts by clicking play next to the selected
See a complete photo gallery of Monday's tradeshow here (108
Nationwide is reporting record attendance at the PrimeTime show.
"We have 35 more
vendors here than we've ever had before," said Nationwide
President Ed Kelly. "We also broke the
previous record for buyer attendance by over 300 people."
Attendance is up 15% from February of this year.
Kelly is particularly excited about the profit opportunities
being generated by innovations in appliance and electronics
categories. "Front loading laundry and other innovations are
making appliances profitable again."
Kelly said market penetration of flat panel TVs has already
reached the magic 17% threshold. Historically, he explained,
once a new technology reaches 17% penetration, it can grow to
40-45% within two or three years.
In an Rent to Own legal update held separately, Ed
Winn, General Counsel for the Association of Progressive Rental
Organizations (APRO), said he has reversed previous guidance on
contacting references for collections; the long-shunned practice
is now acceptable as long as previous consent is obtained. Winn
stated that rental dealers should now feel comfortable calling
references to discuss late payments or even skips/stolens, as
long as the customer has given the store approval to discuss
their default on an agreement with their listed references.
This change in guidance means rental dealers can now use contact
information for references to help track down merchandise they
might otherwise have no chance of getting back. As expected,
there are still rules to follow. According to Winn, “In addition
to the fact that you must get the customer’s approval when they
sign the agreement, if a customer calls and requests that you
stop calling their mother or landlord or employer, then you must
Winn also recommended that all rental dealers add a clause to
rental agreements requiring that any disputes be handled through
mandatory arbitration rather than through the court system.
Mandatory arbitration clauses have long been a staple of
commercial contracts, and the United States Supreme Court has
twice blessed the use of mandatory arbitration despite the fact
that customers, in essence, waive their Constitutional right to
have their day in court when they agree to such an arrangement.
Winn said the other major benefit to a mandatory arbitration
requirement is that, in most states, class action law suits are
Winn recommends that rental dealers perform an annual legal
checkup of their store paperwork to insure compliance with all
applicable laws. Winn says that a 25% failure rate is common
when he reviews agreements sent to him by rental dealers. The
most common errors include blank sections, missing signatures
and notes handwritten in the margins by store employees to the
customer. By appointing a person within your company as the head
of legal compliance, Winn hopes more dealers can catch the small
problems before they turn into something bigger.
Winn also reviewed recent developments within the legislature
with regard to rent-to-own, and also revisited the basic
elements of the Perez case in New Jersey that is likely, he
says, to end with a multi-million dollar settlement being paid
“This customer had five agreements opened over eight months. The
value of those agreements was $18,000 and the woman’s weekly
rental payments were $172. When you load up somebody that heavy
it is a dangerous situation,” observed Winn. In the Perez case,
Rent A Center sued Perez for non-payment causing the customer to
counter sue. According to Winn, “Suing customers is risky
business.” Winn recommends that one person in your company,
preferably the owner, be the only person with the power to file
lawsuits against customers.
“I’m not saying don’t ever sue anybody, but be aware it is one
of those places in our business where risk resides. And you, as
an owner, should not let an assistant manager be in charge of
filing lawsuits,” said Winn.
Other situations facing the industry include a recent
development in Buffalo, New York. There, the City Council is
considering regulating the rental business, thanks to publicity
generated in the wake of a study published by the Brookings
Institute called “The Poor Pay More”. There is also a bill
pending in New York State to limit the cash price of an item to
a comparable retail price plus just 25%, regardless of the
length of the agreement. Winn commented on Senator Chuck
Schumer’s recent plan to introduce the RTO Consumer Protection
Act and push for federal legislation that could essentially
outlaw the rental industry as it exists today.
Winn expressed confidence that these movements against the
industry will fade away, but reminded rental dealers to be
careful their business practices are well within the state
statues for their area.
The Nationwide RentDirect show and RTO Online’s exclusive
coverage continues tomorrow from Las Vegas.
RTO Online is the official channel for Rent-to-Own Industry News and the
only independent source of news for the rent-to-own, rental-purchase,
lease-purchase trade. RTO Online (Rent to Own Online) represents the choice
of the entire RTO Industry for trusted information, as it happens.


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This fall Balmain’s creative director, Olivier Rousteing, has created a vision of siblings for the Balmain Fall 2015 ad campaigns. According to Style.com Rousteing wanted the fall ads to embody the spirit of strength, love, togetherness, and support that is family.
Rousteing said: “While I watched Mario [Sorrenti] capture a kiss last fall, I was struck by the love and emotion that I was witnessing in front of me. Starting with a determination to once again focus on the beauty of an intimate connection, my team and I quickly concluded that a celebration of the unique and unconditional love of siblings is a natural progression from the spirit of last season.”
The ads feature supermodel Joan Smalls and her sister, Erika, wearing Rousteing’s creations for Balmain. Kendall and Kylie Jenner, Gigi and Bella Hadid also have spreads in the campaign as well.
Let us know what think! Is this sibling pair a match made in fashion heaven?


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Store chain Hema has major plans for Germany: in the next three years, it will open at least seventy new stores, which is a huge increase compared to the eleven it currently has in the country. Hema also targets shop-in-shops and stores in train stations.
Not a lot of competition
Beatrice Schnell, the German head of Hema, divulged the plans in an interview with Lebensmittel Zeitung. It will even start that expansion later this year: it will open a store in Stuttgart and has plans for stores in Berlin and Dortmund.
Germany is a highly interesting market for Hema, because there are no similar chains around. The first store, in Cologne, is even outperforming expectations.
Hema is not only working on its foreign presence in Germany: the chain has expanded in France, Spain and the United Kingdom as well. Its success abroad has even led to the introduction of its international formula in Belgium and the Netherlands. It has also helped the chain to get back on its feet after it had to deal with a huge turnover drop, mainly in the Benelux.


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For those who like to be a bit ahead of the curve, here are two opportunities!
Holland America has announced it's taking reservations for the first cruises on its new flagship, MS Koningsdam, which will sail in February 2016. It's assigned to cruises in the Mediterranean, with one-week and longer itineraries. MORE
You'll have to wait a little longer, though, for Seabourn's new offerings. They are in the "ultra-luxury" class, so you better start putting the pennies aside, anyhow. Seabourn ordered a pair of these ships, one for delivery in late 2016, the other in 2018. MORE
Interesting note: Both lines have turned to the same designer to create their interior spaces: Adam D. Tihany.


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Coca-Cola is Discontinuing 200 Drink Brands Including Odwalla & ZICO Coconut Water
Hip2Save may earn a small commission via affiliate links in this post. Read our full disclosure policy here.
Sad news for fans of Coca-Cola beverages!
Coca-Cola has been gradually announcing the discontinuation of select national brands over the past few months, including TaB diet cola, Odwalla juices, ZICO coconut water, Coca-Cola Life, Diet Coke Feisty Cherry, and regional brands like Northern Neck Ginger Ale and Delaware Punch.
This week, the company shared that it will be reducing its number of brands by about half, which means discontinuing about 200 of its brands altogether. After cutting these underperforming brands, Coca Cola will be left with approximately 200 of its most profitable “master brands” like Minute Maid and Simply. It will also be focusing more on newer products like Topo Chico hard seltzer, Coca Cola Energy, and AHA flavored sparkling water.
“Throughout this year’s crisis, our system has remained focused on its beverages for life strategy. We are accelerating our transformation that was already underway, shaping our company to recover faster than the broader economic recovery.” – James Quincey, chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company
The company has finalized its list of brands to be discontinued, but the complete list hasn’t been shared with the public yet. Quincy did say in an interview with CNN that Coca Cola’s “hydration” category would be seeing additional cuts. This news has insiders predicting that brands like Dasani, Powerade, and Vitamin Water could also be on the chopping block.


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Original title: Slow Fog: Analysis of Pseudo Electrum Harpoon Fishing Attacks
Bitcoin Wallet providers like Trezor and Electrum.
The Bitcoin desktop wallet client Electrum has released a beta version 4.0, which adds support for several important updates such as the Lightning Network. This version is nearly a year away from the previous version of Electrum 3.3.8 (July last year)
From August to September, the Bitcoin wallet Electrum was phished twice by hackers. According to statistics from various parties, the phishing attacks forged Electrum upgrade notifications have stolen at least 1,450 BTC worth $11.6 million.
Electrum-GRS Developer: Kefkius - Tyler from the United States.
Because we require users to use GitHub dual-factor authentication, this two-factor authentication system and employees use Azure Active at the same time.
Digital wallet developer Electrum has released an emergency patch saying it found a vulnerability that could lead any website hosting Electrum to steal a user's digital currency, exposing passwords to the JOHNSONRPC interface and ingelling hackers full control of the wallet. Earlier, Electrum released the first patch, but it didn't seem to solve the problem, and they released a second update urgently Sunday night local time.
In Voegtlein's speech, Thomas Voegtlein announced that Electrum would be added.
UBTC Electrum fixes local BUGs for multi-signature address call contracts.
Electrum ensures a secure, easy-to-use refrigerated wallet with multiple signature supports.


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When your Viagra revenue is at stake, you'll do what it takes. To fight rampant counterfeiting of prescription drugs--including the oft-copied erectile dysfunction remedy--Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) fields its own crime-fighting force. Ex-U.S. customs officials, former FBI agents, Turkish narcotics experts and erstwhile Hong Kong police included.
And, as Bloomberg reports, they've delivered. Just consider the case of Martin Hickman, a dealer in fake Viagra. He may have made millions selling the knockoff pills--enough to buy a Spanish beach villa, a Bentley, and a London flat--but Pfizer has been on his tail, eventually freezing his assets to win a £1 million settlement. An investigation in China put a counterfeiting kingpin behind bars for 17 years.
The company has spent some $3.3 million on investigations and legal fees, recovering about $5.1 million. Plus, Pfizer estimates that it has kept 58 million counterfeit pills off the market since 2004, worth more than $860 million, Bloomberg reports.
Counterfeiting has become a huge business. Experts estimate that it's a $75 billion industry on its own, with suppliers that manufacture authentic looking holograms and packaging, plus manufacturing and distribution. By 2015, the global fake drug trade is expected to reach $90 billion.
- see the Bloomberg story
- check out the Top 10 Pharma Cargo Thefts, 2009/2010
ED meds safe, but tough to compare
New drug ingredients to fight counterfeiting
China: Another crackdown on pharma fakery
Savvy marketing boosts fake pharmacies


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The market may have bottomed out Friday morning for suites at Levi's Stadium for Super Bowl 50.
SuiteHop, a sports luxury box marketplace based in Denver, listed one suite for the game at $150,000. That's the lowest price site founder Todd Lindenbaum recalls seeing a Super Bowl suite sell for.
"The NFL and the Super Bowl host committee thought that they could sell out by selling suites for $500,000 to $1 million each," Lindenbaum said. "But at least for the ones still on the market, the pricing wasn't going to hold up."
The $150,000 suite, which includes 16 tickets, food and beverage, works out to $9,375 per person, which is cheaper than some club seats are going for.
Many suites did sell for high asking prices, given the wealth in Silicon Valley, but for the suites that were still available a week ago, there was no movement.
Robert Smith of Dallas-based Sold Out Sports recently acquired some suites for the game.
"The original pricing was probably right for most of the suites, but once you get down to the final 10 or so, where I think we are now, companies have to be incentivized by price to make a last-minute decision to send many people to the game," Smith said.
The $150,000 suite is the lowest price Smith said he has seen in his six years trading in Super Bowl suites.
"If we could sell what we have now for $150,000 a suite, I'd be damn happy about it," he said.
Smith said he wants to keep a couple of suites intact, but he already has broken up one suite and is selling individual tickets, including food and beverage, through StubHub.


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SPRINGFIELD (CBS) — A local supermarket chain is giving its “retail heroes” a break. Big Y will close Easter Sunday, April 12, and Monday, April 13, allowing store workers who have been on the front lines in the fight against coronavirus to rest.
“We want to thank all of our retail heroes,” CEO Charles D’Amour said in a statement. “We hope that this break will allow our employees to spend more time with their loved ones and give them much-needed rest.”
All stores will be restocked and cleaned before reopening on Tuesday, April 14. Store hours will stay the same with the 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. hour reserved for seniors and those with compromised immune systems.
Springfield-based Big Y said all stores now have social distancing markers and clear shields for cashiers, and workers are being encouraged to wear masks.


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A Berkeley company called Sky Vegetables says the sky is the limit when it comes to local food. Their business is farming the rooftops of grocery stores. They plan to harvest ripe vegetables and sell them downstairs in the supermarket, eliminating up to 80% of the cost of production and distribution. The model calls for constructing these sustainable hydroponic greenhouses so that they are in use all year round.
Founder Keith Agoada, 22, saw a growing demand for fresh, affordable, and nutritious produce by consumers and decided that the economic potential for local food production on a commercial scale, such as Sky Vegetables' model, is an idea whose time is ripe.
"While Sky Vegetables' business model is for the rooftops of supermarkets, since that's what our current research supports, there's no reason the Sky Vegetables urban garden concept couldn't work successfully on the rooftop of any structure, and grow to include other markets. Any business that is interested in serving or selling the finest, freshest, locally-grown produce is a natural fit.” - Agoada
The pilot program is being launched in the Bay Area and Sky Vegetables plans to have the first unit operating and ready for harvest by fall of 2009.
Sky Vegetables also hosted a summit of industry-leaders from around the world at a first-ever Building-Integrated Sustainable Agriculture (B-ISA) Summit in December and expressed their goal of developing a draft-design of an open source rooftop farm prototype. They gathered ideas from the disciplines of architecture, controlled environment greenhouses, composting, alternative energy, aquaculture, hydroponics, sustainable farming, water economics, urban agriculture, and green business, trying to develop a strong network of support.
If you dig what they're doing, head over to Sky Vegetables and contact them. Tell 'em we sent ya.


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Excess meat can put you at risk of diabetes
Too much of meat can put you at the risk of diabetes and it does not matter if you eat fruits and vegetables along with meat.
Sort 2 diabetes is the most widely recognized manifestation of the ailment and records for in the vicinity of 90 per cent of the 2.9million Britons diagnosed with diabetes.
A long haul investigation of more than 60,000 ladies has interfaced meat, cheddar and different elements of an 'acidic eating methodology' with sort 2, or grown-up onset, diabetes.
The ladies who consumed the most harsh corrosive structuring sustenances were 56 per cent less averse to advance the condition than those whose who consumed the slightest.
Just about one million more cases are accepted to be undiagnosed.
Foods grown from the ground didn't totally adjust for the impact and, shockingly thin ladies were at specific danger.
It is generally joined to heftiness and sugary nourishments yet the most recent study focuses the finger at meat and different sustenances that handle harsh corrosive in the wake of being processed.
It is thought the harsh corrosive raises chances of diabetes by make it harder for the figure to transform the sugar from the nourishment we consume into energy.
New Zealand News
- Porsche reportedly developing electric version of 718 sports car
- Tesla Model Y Performance becomes little bit more expensive to order in China
- Porsche’s recently unveiled Mission R Concept previews electric race cars of future
- Chinese manufacturer GAC’s Aion V e-SUV can charge 0-80% in just 8 minutes
- Oshidori International exits Japanese casino race, citing serious ethical irregularities
- Plug-in cars’ share grows to 32% in Netherlands in September 2021
- Italian motorcycle racer Valentino Rossi enters e-bike business with VR46 MTB range
- Micro Mobility shows off production version of Microlino 2.0 and 3-wheeled e-scooter
- Chinese electric motorcycle maker Evoke Motorcycles to set up shops in Spain


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Donga Ilbo, Korea
Outlook Hopeful as Trade Talks Begin
4 February 2006
by Seung-Ryun Kim
Kim Hyun-jong, Korea’s trade minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Robert Portman, the United States Trade Representative, declared the start of preliminary ROK-U.S. ROK-U.S. free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations at a joint press conference in the main hall of Capitol Building in Washington D.C. yesterday.
“The ROK-US free trade talks will provide the momentum to take bilateral relations to the next level ever since our two nations formed a military alliance in 1953,” Kim said. “Korea’s largest trading partner is China, but Korea’s most crucial partner is the U.S. We are embarking on FTA talks, but in the process, we will take into account the nation’s geopolitical location and the significance of our bilateral alliance.”
Portman said, “You can’t find any other country that better symbolizes the bright future of the open market, democracy, and economic reform than Korea. I hope that our two nations can enhance the bilateral alliance even further by successfully concluding FTA talks.”
In response to the question, “Will you accept products from the Gaesong Industrial Park as Korean?” Portman answered, “The core of the issue is whether to acknowledge another country’s products as Korean. In this regard, the issue isn’t appropriate for the ROK-U.S. FTA talks, and it isn’t being discussed.”
The preliminary talks are scheduled to continue for three months before the formal talks start on May 3 due to procedural requirements under U.S. law.


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Although July’s total sales figures declined 21% compared with July 2020, the total number of sales (1,724 freehold and condo properties) is not far off the five-year average of 1,775.
The same cannot be said for sale prices though.
Average sale prices for both residential (freehold) and condo properties increased 17% over July 2020, and year-to-date average sales are significantly higher as well. At the end of last year, the average condo sale price was $361,337 (an increase of 18.8% over 2019) and the average freehold sale price was $582,267 (an increase of 19.7% over 2019). The current year-to-date average sale prices for condominium and freehold properties are $422,339 and $728,107 respectively representing another significant increase.
Low housing inventory and high demand over the past 18 months has meant sellers have had the upper hand. However, housing inventory has been slowly increasing, so if you’re planning to list your home this year, you may have to temper your expectations. This will be welcome news for buyers!


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With only one compound in late-stage testing and that compound's study results coming out in the next few months, 2008 will be a make-it-or-break-it year for MannKind
MannKind's only potential near-term revenue-generating drug is its inhaled insulin Technosphere, which is in multiple phase 3 studies as a treatment for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. This year, we'll get to see a multitude of data from those phase 3 trials. If the data is good enough, an FDA marketing application for Technosphere may follow.
Top-line data from one of the upcoming pivotal efficacy studies in type 1 diabetes should be released in the third quarter, and data from a phase 3 trial testing the drug in type 2 diabetes patients is guided to be out before year's end, according to MannKind. The last of the three crucial studies MannKind needs to successfully get Technosphere onto the market is its two-year safety study, the results of which will be publicly announced either prior to MannKind's Technosphere marketing application or in conjunction with it.
Speaking of marketing application, if everything goes according to plan, MannKind is also projecting filing for approval with the FDA in 2008. This timeline puts the earliest chance for possible approval of Technosphere in the second half of 2009.
In its fourth-quarter conference call yesterday, MannKind's wonderfully successful founder and CEO Alfred Mann gave a spirited denunciation of the other inhaled insulin products like Eli Lilly's
MannKind is an active Hidden Gems Pay Dirt pick. Eli Lilly is an active Income Investor pick.


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Surprise: Desktops are far less reliable than laptops these days. In this year’s version of PCWorld’s annual Reliability and Service Survey, 30.7 percent of survey respondents report having had a problem serious enough to render their desktop inoperable. Only 20 percent of laptop owners report such problems.
When it comes to support, 1 in 5 desktop users (21 percent) report that their problem was never resolved by the manufacturer (with laptops, the rate is slightly higher at 23.4 percent).
The three As–Apple, Asus, and Alienware—topped the desktop category. Alienware’s impressive showing is good news for the Dell subsidiary, which builds high-end gaming rigs. Two years ago, Alienware customers reported a higher-than-average number of out-of-the-box problems. But this year they say the company’s PCs are highly reliable. (We didn’t get enough responses to include Alienware in last year’s survey.)
Apple had another stellar showing in our survey. Apple desktop users gave the company above-average ratings in all five of our reliability measurements, and in all four of our service measurements. And when Apple desktop owners do have problems, they’re generally satisfied with the company’s response. Just under 9 percent of Apple desktop users in our survey report their problem was never resolved by the company’s support team, a figure significantly lower than the 21 percent industry average we found.
HP, the largest seller of PCs in the United States, disappointed again this year, showing up at the bottom of the rankings for the reliability of its home desktops, and for its ability to support them. Dell, the second-largest seller of home PCs in the U.S., also earned poor marks in these areas.
We discuss Dell and HP’s general poor performance elsewhere.
But saying that Dell and HP performed poorly in the home PC market doesn’t tell the whole story. Both companies profit more from their business computer lines. So this year we separated Dell and HP business and home users in the laptop, desktop, and printer categories, in order to compare the satisfaction levels of the vendors’ corporate and consumer customers.
Not surprisingly, we found that Dell and HP business customers are far happier than Dell and HP home computer owners.
Dell’s professional PC users tell us that the manufacturer’s support is relatively good at resolving problems, while its home customers say that Dell’s problem-solving skills are mediocre at best. Similarly, the owners of Compaq and HP business notebooks seem far happier about the reliability of their machines than the owners of HP consumer laptops.
Dell’s desktop business systems earned one above-average grade and eight average grades in our nine reliability and service categories. Home desktops fared far worse with six below-average scores.
Click on the chart thumbnail at left for a full summary of our survey results for desktops, by brand. For more on the measures used in the chart and the survey methodology, see “The Tech Brands You Can Trust.”
In the main story of this package, we dig further into the question of why the two companies’ home PC customers seem to fare so much poorer in both the quality of their machines and the quality of the support they receive.
After reading this article, you may want to jump to PCWorld’s Facebook page, where readers can add their own stories of product reliability and vendor service.


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to say, The competition authorities of the EU, the huge group behind Beck's, the beer in Belgium is cheaper - although this is actually possible.
The beer in Belgium can be cheaper. So, it looks the EU competition Commission. They imposed on Monday against the brewing giants Anheuser-Busch InBev, a penalty of EUR 200 million. The company - the world's largest brewer, is also behind the brand Beck's - have need of its dominant position, EU competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager.
In Belgium covers AB InBev, according to the EU Commission alone with his brand Jupiler 40 percent of all beer sales. Due to its high market share, the group could increase independently of other beer manufacturers, prices, as the competition authorities. In the Netherlands more competitive. Therefore, I offered to AB InBev be there Jupiler cheaper than in Belgium.
The company had also tried that Belgian supermarkets and wholesalers price value Jupiler shopping in the Netherlands and in Belgium. The delivery according to the Commission, for example, about some of the packaging for the Dutch market and quantity restrictions for the local customers.
The EU Commission acknowledged that AB InBev and self-corrective measures proposed have to cooperate. Therefore, we have granted in the case of a fine, a reduction of 15 percent.


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Yesterday, the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) announced that Binance Markets Limited is not permitted to undertake any regulated activity in the UK. Binance Markets is part of the Binance Group.
The FCA stated that n other entity in the Binance Group holds any form of UK authorization, registration or license to conduct a regulated activity in the UK. The regulator said Binance.com was offering a range of products and services to UK individuals.
This news arrives at a time when crypto exchanges are garnering more scrutiny as regulators and policymakers believe that investor protection rules remain lacking. In fact, SEC Chairman Gary Gensler has mentioned on multiple occasions that crypto exchanges are falling short in comparison to other regulated marketplaces.
The FCA cautioned individuals to be wary of promotions that promise high returns on investments in cryptoasset or cryptoasset-related products. The FCA added that most firms promoting crypto are not authorised by the FCA.
To quote the FCA:
“While we don’t regulate cryptoassets like Bitcoin or Ether, we do regulate certain cryptoasset derivatives (such as futures contracts, contracts for difference and options), as well as those cryptoassets we would consider ‘securities’ – find out more information. A firm must be authorised by us to advertise or sell these products in the UK – check our Register to make sure the firm is authorised. You can also check our Warning List of firms to avoid.”
Earlier it was reported that Ontario had decided to block Binance from doing business in the province. This most recent regulatory actions give rise to the question as to whether, or not, additional jurisdictions will seek to block the world’s largest crypto exchange.


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New technologies mark the new times and these augur a very different period for the banking business. Beyond the recent mergers, digitization is becoming the key point of what will be its future. This progressive digitization, together with the huge boom of Bizum, could be the prelude to the almost complete disappearance of cash. It is more than likely that the use of physical currency as a payment tool will end up becoming obsolete, sooner rather than later.
What is clear is that the payment sector is doomed to experience one of the biggest transformations in the market. The already more than widespread mobile payment also adds to the potential revolutions such as cryptocurrencies that could displace the bank as an intermediary.
Also of interest:
· The last commission of the banks: goodbye to withdrawing money for free at the teller window
· War for bank commissions: do not be cheated on your account “without expenses”
Currently, almost any banking operation can be done from a mobile phone. Photo: Getty Creative,
Every time the conditions to which banks are binding to allow their clients to get rid of commissions are tougher. You have to hire insurance, investment funds or credit cards so that the cost of the transactions is zero.
The reason? Large banking entities are in low hours due to the policy of economic revitalization set by the European Central Bank. Low rates pushed them to expand other avenues of income linked to insurance or real estate after the crisis. But neither the progress nor the profitability that has been achieved in this way has been ideal.
Now the Spanish bank is losing weight. The impending branch closures have destroyed thousands of jobs. Increasingly, customers abandon physical treatment in offices and the use of ATMs to carry out all transactions and payments online. Bizum has become the catalyst for this particular phenomenon.
Digital banking advances, although traditional banking is not exhausted
The digital operation coexists with the traditional one, without a clear winner. But given the speed that technologies evolve and, consequently, the fintech sector, it will not take long for banks to adopt more drastic measures that will completely transform the sector.
The Bizum phenomenon
Bizum is the online payment giant that is sweeping right now. And this with a chillingly small workforce of just seven employees, Bizum has managed to conquer more than 15 million users in March 2021 and want to reach 20 million before the end of the year.
But, although it may seem otherwise, Bizum does not compete with banksInstead, it participates in a joint project with Spanish entities in which it plays an essential role in the transition towards digitization.
Currently, Bizum is focused exclusively on the national market, where there are already 27 member banks that have more than 99% market share, thus being able to reach any client with an account in Spain. However, its alliances are not exclusively with Spanish banks or with traditional banks. In fact, the long-awaited agreement with ING came last summer. And since July 2020 they allow the clients of the Dutch entity in Spain to use this service.
But banks are not his only target. Right now, Bizum is already available in 10,000 online stores. A figure that has accelerated since just a few months ago giants such as El Corte Inglés and the DIA supermarket group decided to join their project.
Since its birth in 2016 and until 2019, only one Bizum could be made between individuals. And to this day this is still the most popular service, with more than 14.7 million active users. However, e-commerce payment has accelerated in the last year, driven in large part by the pandemic.
Among the large companies, Iberdola was one of the pioneers in adopting this payment model. The energy company allows its customers to pay bills on its website. You just have to request a code from Bizum in advance to use when you choose this payment method. Also companies such as Alsa, Yelmo Cines or Decathlon joined to facilitate online payment to their customers. And throughout 2020, firms from all sectors such as Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, Baleria, Destinia, Jazztel or Waynabox joined.
New competition for banking
Bizum does not compete for banking clients, but recently, names from other sectors have joined its business. At Carrefour, for example, you can sign up for a credit card with Carrefour EFC finance company. Not only that, in France, it has already launched a bank account, which makes it an entity as such. It would not be surprising if it expanded services to other markets.
Orange will also officially open a mobile bank in mid-May from which a wide variety of financial products can be contracted. Competition in the traditional sector has been declining since the financial crisis, but technology has allowed the entry of new players.
Only time will tell how our relationship with banks will be in the future, although if one thing is clear, it is that it will be very digital.
The other side of the coin


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The world’s leading manufacturers of news photo equipment have both declared themselves the winner after counting the cameras used by photographers at the London Olympics.
Nikon Corp. says surveys at 64 locations found its cameras outnumbered those of Canon Inc. by a third.
“In some venues the margin was seven to three,” said Junichi Ito, executive vice president of Nikon, in a news conference on Aug. 8.
But Canon disputes the claim, insisting images of the photographer pens show a clear lead for Canon. It gave no figures.
The rivalry is as customary a part of the Olympic Games as its sideshows, such as crowd-pleasing antics by grandstanding athletes.
During recent tournaments Canon was judged to have had a solid market lead, but the 2008 Beijing Olympics saw Nikon edge closer.
The subject is hotly contested by photographers themselves, from amateur photo circles to pro sports snappers.
Ahead of the games both manufacturers released new high-end models. Canon is pushing its EOS-1D X while Nikon says its D4 has won high acclaim.
Both would welcome the exposure of an Olympic victory. Japan’s leading SLR camera makers are suffering from a strong yen, which elevates the price of exports.
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“Dark Souls 3” noted excellent sales during its launch, but the developers are ensuring that the players still have more things to look forward to as just shortly after its release, there are already DLCs planned for the title.
Bandai Namco has confirmed that the first expansion for the game is expected to come in fall, reported Video Gamer. After which, the second DLC is expected to be released later on. At this point, almost no details have been revealed yet as to what will come in the upcoming add-ins, but as earlier announced, fans may look forward to new bosses, enemies, weapons, armors, and even new locations.
Fans who already decided to get the DLC may purchase a season pass, which is priced at around $30. No word has been indicated yet for individual prices.
Meanwhile, the game was released in Japan on March 24, while the rest of the regions got their copies just last week. According to Game Spot, “Dark Souls 3” noted a record-breaking debut as the most successful first day sales from publisher FromSoftware in Japan. Aside from this, the game continues to enjoy sales as more and more players become interested in buying and trying out the title.
Similarly, the United Kingdom has also noted excellent sales during its first week. On the other hand, nothing has been released yet regarding its standing in the United States, but it is highly possible that the game has also been received well by the market.
Upon its release, there were identified issues, particularly for PC users, but according to WCCF Tech, the recent test already noted a significant improvement in the performance, at least compared to the performance of its console counterparts.
“Dark Souls 3” is available for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 platforms.


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Bees have been trending in skin care for a while now, with both honey and royal jelly being used as star ingredients in creams and serums to help protect, hydrate and heal skin. Now, brands such as Valmont and Esthederm have begun adding another bee-derived fluid to their formulas: propolis. “Propolis comes from plant and tree resin, so think of sap as a base material,” says Carly Stein, founder of the Canadian B Corp-Certified wellness company Beekeeper’s Naturals. “The bees pick it up, combine it with their own enzymes and then use it as the immune system of the hive.”
According to Stein, propolis can be of benefit to the skin because it has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. “A lot of people use it to protect against sun damage and premature aging but more and more I’ve seen people using it for acne because it’s anti-bacterial,” she says. Although originally intended as a daily nutritional supplement, her B.Powered Honey can also be used as a weekly face mask. Containing honey, royal jelly, bee pollen and propolis, a spoonful can be applied to the face for 15 to 20 minutes before being rinsed off in a circular motion. “It’s a hive all in one,” Stein says.
Beekeeper’s Naturals B.Powered Honey, $40 through beekeepersnaturals.ca.
Need some advice about your skin and hair care routines? Send your questions to email@example.com


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EarthLink and AT&T are the leading bidders for the Chicago network: AT&T has previously bid only in conjunction with MetroFi for municipal Wi-Fi projects. AT&T is focused on Chicago; EarthLink said they'll reach out to suburbs, too, if they win the bid. (MetroFi has been working with some suburbs, although a recent change in their business model that requires cities to make minimum municipal service purchases seems to have caused Batavia and two other cities to rethink a deal.) NextWLAN has apparently made a proposal as well that calls for indoor wireless to supplement outdoor systems.
Sprint has also chosen Chicago as one of its early mobile WiMax rollout cities, which could give residents an abundance of choices. AT&T is relying on a multiple play, with DSL to the home, wireless via the former Cingular, and Wi-Fi allowing them to have a rich bundle of services. EarthLink has the experience in building networks, and could be seen by Chicago as a useful alternative to the incumbent.
The article doesn't misstate WiMax's properties, but the fact that individual Wi-Fi transceivers span hundreds of feet and WiMax miles isn't important if you're building dense service. You still have to build out densely placed WiMax nodes to have enough service available to cover a busy network, just as you need many Wi-Fi nodes. You need more Wi-Fi nodes than WiMax per square mile, but Wi-Fi is also cheaper to deploy, especially when you factor in license costs for WiMax.


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Mark World Osteoporosis Day by giving up dairy
Numerous health groups all over the world are reminding people to take care of their bone health in the run up to World Osteoporosis Day, 20 October 2014. The charity Viva!Health are going against the flow encouraging people to cut dairy out of their diet.
The UK is one of the biggest dairy consumers in the world yet has very high rates of osteoporosis (brittle bone disease). One in two women and one in five men over the age of 50 suffer a bone fracture, mainly because of poor bone health.
Viva!Health campaigner, Veronika Powell, says: “Osteoporosis is not a disease caused by the lack of calcium but mostly by increased bone loss. There are many scientific studies showing that people eating a diet high in dairy products and animal protein have high bone loss, a fact that even the World Health Organisation recognises. On the other hand, research has repeatedly confirmed that fresh fruit and vegetables protect and strengthen our bones.”
It makes sense as for most of our evolution, we didn’t drink milk after weaning and we developed strong bones. And nowadays about two thirds of the world’s population still don’t consume milk either at all or very sparingly yet they have better bone health than we do.
We can get enough calcium from plant sources such as green leafy vegetables, sesame seeds, almonds, pulses and enriched plant milks. And as we now know, milk and dairy products consumption doesn’t offer any protection from fractures or osteoporosis later in life.
We certainly don’t need dairy to be healthy and cutting it out for good can bring about many health benefits such as better digestion and skin, reduced risk of some cancers and can improve health conditions such as asthma, eczema, IBS. What we do need is a healthy diet including fruit and vegetables, pulses, whole grains, nuts and seeds. To get the maximum benefit from such diet and increase bone health we should also do some weight-bearing exercise daily (even walking or using the stairs rather than a lift counts!) and get adequate vitamin D supply through sunshine or a supplement.
To get all the crucial information on bone health including many diet and lifestyle tips, go to: www.whitelies.org.uk/bones
Viva!Health also offer a free practical guide for anyone considering cutting dairy out of their diet: Everyone’s Going Dairy-free


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The continuing demand for Mexican cuisine plus the thriving Mexican fast-casual franchise makes Pancheros a best-bet investment
Entrepreneurs seeking a viable business opportunity to invest in should look no further than Pancheros Mexican Grill franchise. As one of the iconic brands in the Midwest, with a cult-like following that grows in both passion and numbers every time we announce the opening of a new restaurant.
Even better, new franchise owners can capitalize on this as nearly 80 percent of millennial parents visit restaurants at least once a week, according to Technomic data. This not only makes this demographic the highest restaurant users of any group, but this generation also is expected to be the biggest food and beverage spenders within 10 years, notes this data.
“We worked to make our concept as simple as possible,” says Rodney Anderson, President and founder of Pancheros. “We have been in business for over 25 years, and we have franchisees who have been with us for over a decade now. Our concept is consumer-tested, and we’ve built a model that can help our franchisees thrive. We’ve done very well in our original core market of the Midwest, and we have been equally successful in the Northeast. We’re opening new Pancheros locations in new markets across the country, and we’re really looking for the right people to join our franchise family.”
Pancheros has won millions of devoted fans who crave our fresh-pressed, handmade tortillas, our outstanding burritos that actually stand up on their own, and our ability to deliver a perfect bite each time because of our famous “Bob the Tool” technique. Since our founding in 1992, Pancheros has grown from one location in Iowa City, Iowa, to more than 71 locations in over 13 states. Now, the secret is out and Pancheros is ready to capitalize on the tremendous demand for Mexican food by rapidly expanding across the United States.
Now is the perfect time to open a Pancheros franchise
While the market has a few nationally recognized brands, the demand for Mexican food is skyrocketing. The Mexican fast-casual QSR restaurant segment earns more than $52 billion annually and is poised to continue well into the future.
It should come as no surprise, because American’s love of Mexican food continues to rise. According to the U.S. Census data and Simmons National Consumer Survey, more than 230 million Americans used Mexican food and ingredients in 2019.
As a franchise owner, entrepreneurs can capitalize on this demand with our simple business model. With only five items on our menu and a commitment to training staff, Pancheros’ approach to simplicity is beneficial to both customers and franchisees. Not only is our business model built to be labor efficient, but we also have developed a comprehensive training platform that provides ongoing coaching and marketing support. Additionally, Pancheros has invested in technology to make inventory and daily management more efficient, which ultimately helps our franchisees thrive in business.
“Simplicity is the core belief within Pancheros,” says Ryan Murrin, VP of Marketing and Franchise Development with Pancheros. “We only have five entrees on our menu, and our recipes are never more than a page long. They are easily understood, easily trained and easily replicated to ensure that we deliver delicious and consistent food. We make sure that all employees are cross-trained, which allows us to be more fluid, and keeps our labor model very lean and very efficient. It’s easy for our customers to understand, it’s easy for our employees to understand, and easier for our franchisees to execute on a daily basis.”


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World Cup Fans Lose Their Trousers Over Sports Promotion
By Bernice Hurst, Managing Director, Fine Food Network
John McEnroe asked the question decades ago when he exclaimed at a referee’s
call, “You CANNOT be serious???!!!”
Unfortunately, sponsors of major sporting events take themselves very seriously
indeed. The Dutch fans attending their football team’s World Cup match against
the Ivory Coast were penalized for wearing garish, bright orange trousers known
as lederhosen by making them strip before entering the stadium. FIFA officials
were not amused that they carried the name of a favorite Dutch beer, Bavaria.
Advertising for a product that conflicted with that of a sponsor (Budweiser
in this case) is absolutely not acceptable.
This is not the first sporting event where fans’ behavior has been dictated
by big companies with bigger advertising budgets:
At the cricket world cup in South Africa in 2003, stewards searched fans’ coolboxes
for fizzy drinks made by the sponsor’s rivals and one man was evicted for actually
drinking a can of someone else’s product.
At the 2004 Champions Trophy cricket tournament, fans were given a list of
drinks and snacks they could take onto the grounds.
A school event in Evans, Georgia, climaxed with a group photograph for which
all students wore branded Coca-Cola T-shirts. The single student who unveiled
a Pepsi shirt underneath, just as the camera clicked, was suspended.
An entire football team was fined in 2002 for wearing corporate logos on their
shirts from a major rival of a major sponsor.
This time, though, it was the big crowd that apparently caused the problem
by conducting what was deemed “ambush marketing.” FIFA says it has done nothing
wrong in making 1000 fans remove their trousers before supporting their team.
A spokesman said that visitors could wear their normal clothing or replica shirts
with or without advertising, irrespective of the manufacturer’s or sponsor’s
logo, a policy that apparently applied to “individuals,” not groups.
Moderator’s comment: Are these prohibitions self-defeating?
Or are advertisers entitled to ban rivals from events which would not take place
without their financial contribution?
The comedy American pundits on the Budweiser commercials
shown on British television have been accused this week of being the most annoying
people on our screens. One Guardian columnist vowed never to drink Budweiser
ever again, exhorting readers to follow suit. But they will probably be remembered
for years to come along with all the other high and low points that will be
repeated ad nauseam. Which might mean that the advertising budget was money
well spent after all. –
Bernice Hurst – Moderator


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Viet Nam's Aquaculture Sector Needs $14 Million Boost03 January 2013
VIET NAM - The General Department of Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has announced that VND301 billion (about $14 million) will be needed to further boost the development of Viet Nam’s aquaculture sector in 2013.
In 2013, the sector will step up inspection of inputs for production, multiply the model of fishing teams, modernise the fleet and encourage private enterprises to participate in breeding, said Deputy Minister cum Head of the Department Vu Van Tam, VietnamInvestmentReview reports.
It is hoped that the sector will continue to develop sustainably whilst producing more value-added products and maintaining competitiveness.
The sector also set out other goals such as increasing aquaculture area and output and increasing seafood catch.
In 2012, the total output of aquatic products reached an estimated 5,876,000 tonnes, up 8.8 per cent compared with the set goal. Exports brought home $6.12 billion, representing 94.2 per cent in comparison with the set plan and equivalent to the 2011’s figure.
TheFishSite News Desk


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AutoVerify buys Car Media 2.0
AutoVerify announced it has purchased Car Media 2.0, which provides vehicle inventory imaging services to dealers.
With shoppers expecting to be able to get detailed interior and exterior vehicle imagery online, this move “enables AutoVerify to help dealers provide this type of interactive customer experience in a way that’s simple to integrate and does not interfere with current dealership processes,” the company said.
“This is an important acquisition that will help move AutoVerify forward,” AutoVerify co-founder and CEO James Hayes said in a news release. “It is our fourth major acquisition, bringing us closer to achieving the overall goal of providing North American dealers with an end-to-end solution that allows them to transact with customers who are researching and purchasing a vehicle digitally.”
AutoVerify co-founder and chief financial officer David Brebner added: “There is a lot of knowledge and expertise at Car Media and we are excited to bring that into the AutoVerify fold. By integrating these AI and machine learning powered products into our organization along with the people who built them, we can advance our core values which are focused around the concept of being better. This acquisition will help our team, our customers, and our industry continue to learn and be better.”
Bart Tecza is a partner and the founder of Car Media. In the release, he noted: “AutoVerify has made their commitment to the North American automotive industry very clear. We are aligned on a vision to deliver game changers, and we're giddy about what's coming up!”
This move continues a line of purchases for AutoVerify.
The company announced August itacquired iDealerPlus, a dealer-facing software platform that aims to match consumers to a specific vehicle in a dealer’s inventory based on their credit profile and the dealer’s profitability guidelines. In June, the company announced the purchase of ShopDesk.


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Domtar CEO John Williams wants you to keep printing those emails, guilt-free.
According to a story by The Globe and Mail, Williams said people should feel comfortable in using paper and that those “Think before you print” messages at bottom of emails are “bull.” The company is launching a new advertising campaign called “Put it on Paper” which the company hopes will de-stigmatize consumer and office printing.
“There is an appropriate use for paper. You should feel comfortable to
use it appropriately and you shouldn’t be feeling there is some
environmental negative when you use it,” Williams said at a news
According to the report, in addition to print ads, Domtar will also pursue a younger audience via social networking sites. “We’ve got to do some work about having them believe and feel that printing isn’t a sort of environmental negative.”
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Price comparison site mySupermarket’s Groceries Tracker has revealed that the cost of the average weekly grocery shop in the UK dropped seven per cent in March in comparison to the same period last year.
According to retail-week.com, the new research found that a basket of 35 staple products cost £87.70 in March, down from £93.95 in March 2014.
Food products that have taken a hit this year include pasta sauces (which are now down 4.4 per cent £2.37 per 500g) and frozen pizzas (also down 4.4 per cent to £1.87 per 350g).
Carrots had the biggest drop in price this year, falling 7.5 per cent to £2.51 per kilogram.
Retail-week.com reported that the mySupermarket Groceries Tracker research also revealed that retail giant Morrisons dropped the prices of 130 own brand items.
Discounter Aldi's own brand goods were cheapest in five of the 13 grocery categories analysed. The research showed that Aldi has the best value for its own brand dairy and eggs, ready meals and tins, fruit and vegetables, jars and cooking and own brand bakery.
Online supermarket Ocado is thriving in categories such as packets and cereals and baby along with beauty and health, while Asda’s own brand products were cheapest in the snacks and sweets category.
© 2015 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news.


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Alipay shared a study on the spending habits of Chinese visitors on the payment app over the Labour Day holiday (1–3 May) this year. The number of Chinese visitors in Singapore over the Labour Day holiday period almost doubled from last year.
In addition, the average Chinese traveler spent SGD 325 (RMB 1,611) in Singapore during the Labour Day holiday – higher than in any of the other SEA countries, and a 13% increase from the same period last year according to Alipay.
Key Singapore-specific findings reveal:
- Grocery and fresh food supermarkets, followed by department stores and fashion brands saw the highest growth among Chinese visitors during this period
- The most popular merchants in Singapore were taxis (in-street and via taxi-hailing apps), airport merchants and resort merchants
General findings from the study reveal:
- Average overseas spending per user on Alipay increased by nearly 11% to RMB 1,790 (SGD 361)
- Spending was highest in Europe, the Middle East and North Asia
- In terms of the number of transactions, Thailand was the second-most popular destination for Chinese tourists
- Malaysia and Singapore ranked seventh and ninth in terms of the number of transactions
Chinese seniors are an up-and-coming tourism trend – transactions made by those born in the 1940s and 50s more than doubled, with average spending per user in this age group jumping to RMB 1,622 (SGD 327).
About 65% who used Alipay overseas during the Labour Day holiday were female. Transactions made by those born in the 2000s increased eight-fold, on average to RMB 506 (SGD 102) during the same period.
In Southeast Asia, tens of thousands of merchants already accept Alipay as a payment platform for Chinese tourists. An earlier joint study from research firm, Nielsen and Alipay found that more than 90% of Chinese tourists would use mobile payment to pay overseas if given the opportunity.
Alipay has been working with various government bodies, financial institutions and businesses in Southeast Asian countries to further enhance guest experiences and enable seamless access to tourism attractions for Chinese visitors.


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Like every year, India International Garment Fair (IIGF) once again hosted its mega bi-annual event at India Expo Mart, Greater Noida on 16th, 17th and 18th January. Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani released a fair directory at the 62nd edition of the mega event on Day-1. The fair showcased autumn/ winter 2019-20 collections during the three day affair and hosted a number of manufacturers who displayed products including high quality fashion wear in women, men and Kids segment besides bags, fashion accessories, etc. for a slew of buyers.
The IIGF takes pride in providing world- class business platform to Indian exporters fraternity and meeting sourcing requirements of major global buyers in readymade garments and fashion accessories.
The IIGF promotes international trade through its apparel trade body, Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC). AEPC and IGFA organize two major events every year in the month of January and July.
The events are aimed at helping exporters from India showcase their latest designs and apparels for the upcoming season. Importers from all across the world are invited to participate in this event. Every year, buyers from various countries visit the fair and do business worth millions of US dollars.
However, manufacturers this year complained of phenomenally less number of buyers owing to reasons like, the timing of the event, season, etc.
“Its been good but could have been better. The number of buyers has reduced from previous year. The timing for the show this year is very wrong because there are a lot of overseas shows also going on and majority of European buyers are busy with them. Since India caters to European markets, this is affecting the event this time. Also, there have been phenomenal changes in the buyers’ behaviour. Earlier, they used to buy in huge bulks but now they have spread the numbers in lots of styles. They are trying to play safe now.” – Anbhay Sadh, CEO, Nehklank Textiles
Talking about the US-China trade war, Sadh said that this will affect India in a very positive manner now that China is in bad books of US.
The event also facilitated many manufacturers with mementos. The IIGF has been the stepping stone to success for most of the exporters in India and though many of the big ones do not participate now, they owe their growth to this platform.
Today, IIGF represents creativity, smaller orders and all things that India is known for. More than 200 garment manufacturers-cum-exporters participated in the fair that spread in a gross area of approx. 10,368 sq.mtrs. The exhibitors in four categories including womenswear, menswear, kidswear and fashion accessories, put up their stalls for buyers from different countries. The next IIGF showcasing spring/ summer collection by manufacturers will be held on 4th, 5th and 6th July, 2019.


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Dothan-powered notebooks could hit in January
This report over at DigiTimes suggests that Intel's "Dothan" Pentium M processor could be released by the end of the year and on shelves in notebooks as early as January of 2004. Dothan will be built on a 0.09-micron manufacturing process and feature a staggering 2MB of L2 cache.
What's particularly interesting about the DigiTimes article is this little snippet:
According to Taiwanese notebook makers, Centrino notebooks now account for about 50-60% of their total notebook shipments. The ratio is expected to rise to 75% later this quarter, thanks to Intel’s price cuts on October 5.
The article doesn't specify whether those notebook shipments include laptops based on AMD chips, but Centrino's quick uptake is impressive nonetheless.


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Cloud Imperium Games knows that some of Star Citizens’ fans are unhappy with the pace of development. After five months, they’ve provided an updated roadmap for when they’ll actually publish an updated roadmap. There are no dates on the roadmap for the roadmap, either.
Star Citizen has announced that access to the game, which had previously been available for a $45 backing pledge, is now split into two packages with a total $60 cost. The game’s enormous ambitions have likely driven the price increase.
Star Citizen just broke the $100 million mark and released Alpha 2.0 of its long-awaited game. The snapshot offers an early taste of what designer Chris Roberts has promised will be an unbeatable combination of combat, exploration, and robust single-player story-telling.
The cyclical nature of culture means that the stuff in our past just keeps coming back to haunt/amuse/entertain us. It was quite clear that the innovation industries aren’t immune to this, as we saw the return of SimCity, Wing Commander, and homebrew computing.
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Home Tags Orion
The 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV/Bolt EUV will be its last model year
Next year, the Orion factory will be reorganized to assemble the new Silverado EV pickup truck. The Chevrolet Bolt EV first appeared in 2016, as a 2017 model year. The new Chevrolet Equinox EV will become the brand's most affordable EV starting from...


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(Yicai Global) Sept. 26 -- Shenzhen Capchem Technology will offer USD1.2 million to acquire the electrolyte business of German chemical giant BASF in the European and North American markets and their related technologies, brands and customer lists.
Capchem Technology, a main maker of electrolytes for China's new energy batteries, recently struck a deal to buy BASF's US unit New Jersey-based BASF Corp., Capchem Technology said in an announcement yesterday.
BASF Corp.'s US electrolyte factories will stop their production in December after the acquisition concludes. Their remaining purchase orders will afterwards come from Capchem Technology's plants in China, and BASF Corp. may not sell the subject electrolyte products to companies on their customer lists for the next three years, the announcement stated.
Electrolytes are substances that become an electrically conducting solution when dissolved in water or another polar solvent, public information shows.
The products made with the target assets include electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors. Many globally renowned companies, new energy battery startups and universities are downstream clients, per the announcement.
The completion of this acquisition will help Capchem Technology explore the European and North American markets and coordinate development with the manufacturing bases in Poland the company has invested in and which are under construction, after the acquisition of BASF's electrolyte business in China and production base in Suzhou in East China last year enabled it to assume a leading position in the domestic and Korean and Japanese markets, per the announcement.
Capchem Technology's Poland-based unit has offered PLN4.93 million (USD1.35 million) to buy 80,188 square meters of land in Olawa in the country's southwest to build its local electrolyte projects there, the announcement said.
BASF's electrolyte business in Europe and North America, which Capchem Technology is acquiring, and its Suzhou plants formerly belonged to US-based Ferro, but BASF bought them in 2012, the announcement stated.
The electrolyte business the acquisition targets are under BASF Corp.'s functional materials and solutions division, the announcement added.
Editor: Ben Armour


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(C) Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Clients, wearing protective face masks, queue in line in front of a Louis Vuitton shop inside the department store Le Printemps Haussmann in Paris following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in France, May 28, 2020. REUTERS/Go
PARIS (Reuters) – Sales at French luxury giant LVMH grew by 20% in the third quarter, fuelled by appetite for high-end fashion from consumers eager to splash out following months of pandemic lockdowns.
LVMH, which sells a range of luxury products spanning Moet & Chandon champagne and Bulgari timepieces, said on Tuesday like-for-like sales, stripping out the effect of foreign exchange fluctuations, rose to 15.51 billion euros ($17.90 billion) in the three months to September.
Growth was roughly in line with an analyst consensus forecast for a 21% rise cited by Barclays (LON:BARC), after a stellar second quarter which saw revenues surge by 84%.
Luxury giant LVMH says third quarter sales grew by 20%
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On a recent Saturday in February, it was bridal mayhem at RK Bridal in Manhattan. Brides lined up to try on dresses. Bridal consultants ran around the shop, weighted down with alteration gear. Hovering mothers fussed over their daughters.
The main attractions weren’t the brides but the dresses on display that day. There were six new ones (from a total of 15) designed by Justin Alexander that were created especially for curvy women, sizes 18 to 32.
Mr. Alexander was on hand to show off his new styles and his “Be You” campaign.
“A plus-size girl doesn’t want to be limited to one or two traditional looks, but wants fashion, like an interesting ruffle,” he said. “They can’t try that on because it’s not available to her. We’ve developed a diverse range where they can try on a fit-and-flair with a sweetheart neckline, or something that’s beaded. We don’t want someone to come into the store and not be able to try on the dress of their dreams.”
This inability to try on dresses had long been a fear for Josefina Rodriguez, a plus-size bride. In need of support, she had arrived at RK Bridal armed with her mother, sister, best friend and matron of honor.
“I struggle with my size,” she said. “I have anxiety trying on dresses.”
Ms. Rodriguez, a 25-year-old social worker from Bronxville, N.Y., went to RK Bridal because of the show, having seen an ad in a bridal magazine, and for the opportunity to meet Mr. Alexander. “It’s comforting to know no one here is going to say, ‘We’ll see what we can do. I don’t know if we have your size.’”
Her mother, Josefina Rodriguez, 64, said “its time designers accommodate plus-size women. Mr. Alexander is a blessing.”
Her daughter, she added, is “short and curvy. It’s a double whammy. We’re all chunky in this family.”
Mr. Alexander is just one of several designers introducing fashion lines intended for the full-size bride. In March, Don O’Neill, the designer for Theia, unveiled Theia Curve Collection, a plus-size bridal line, sold exclusively at Lovely Bride, an independent bridal boutique with 14 locations in the United States. Thiea is one of many plus-size collections Lovely Bride is offering as part of its recent initiative to embrace all body types.
Lanie List, the founder of Lovely Bride, says she had been just as frustrated with the lack of options in plus sizes as the brides. “We didn’t have larger sizes from manufactures because retailers haven’t pushed for them,” she said. “Last spring we recognized there were no good indie options for these brides who want a chic look and fun vibe without the stuffiness.”
Ms. List approached Theia to see if the brand would offer their best-sellers as a capsule collection in sizes 18-24. The answer was yes.
“Over the years this need has been building,” Mr. O’Neill said. “Designers shied away from larger sizes. I empathize with these women who are told you’re not small enough or pretty enough.”
Mr. O’Neill’s dresses got attention thanks to their stretchy material, comfortable-yet-snug fit, and exquisite beading. Aside from a raised back for extra support, beading and artwork modifications, few changes were needed to create the collection.
Mr. Alexander, recognized for his vintage inspiration and progressive details, also did minimal alterations. “The pattern grading for our gowns at a 2 or a 22 are generally the same,” he said. “For a larger size we may add fullness to certain patterns, or give a little more in the hip and armhole. Many of our dresses have shapewear mesh in the lining, which benefits a plus-size bride because it holds in their curves.”
Designer trunk shows, like the one recently held at RK Bridal, have become almost like focus groups. “Designers are realizing there’s an underlooked part of the market,” Mr. Alexander said. “By creating this show, we’re allowing stores to bring in dresses they wouldn’t normally try. And we’re learning a lot about what the plus-size bride wants and how dresses fit her.”
Retailers had long been wary about trying out new merchandise, preferring to stick with styles likely to sell the fastest. “As designers, we’re always trying to push the envelope on the runway,” Mr. O’Neill said. “I’ll show 25 dresses, and we end up producing 12 max because the stores aren’t willing to invest in the others.”
Consumers, therefore, have been left to advocate and demand change. “Plus size on the runway has been a consumer-driven necessity, it’s not a trend.” Mr. O’Neill added. “Until now, stores have been divided between regular size bridal dresses and plus size. There are not a lot that cater to both.”
Mr. Alexander says he has been working with retailers to create programs that recognize the needs of women who wear larger sizes, and make the try-on process more convenient. “Plus-size women have had to squeeze into something that wasn’t in her size and envision what the dress would look like. I didn’t feel good about that, and the girls didn’t feel good about that.”
Mrs. Rodriguez felt good about her daughter’s options that recent Saturday at RK Bridal.
“This is a great moment in my daughter’s life,” she said. “She feels beautiful in something she didn’t think she could wear because it wasn’t available to her. Mr. Alexander is speaking to her body, which nobody has done before.”
At the end of the day, Ms. Rodriguez had a bigger problem than when she arrived. Rather than fearing she wouldn’t find anything, she fell in love with two dresses. For the first time ever, her choice came down to style, not size. (She finally decided on Mr. Alexander’s Beaded Metallic Lace Mermaid Gown with Tiered Ruffled Skirt, size 20, around $2,300.)
“It’s amazing and surreal to know something is going to fit and is in my size,” said Ms. Rodriguez, who walked proudly down the store’s aisle, faux flowers in her hand and a veil on her head. A line of family and friends watched, clapped, cried and took photos. “Before there weren’t options,” she said. “I don’t have to leave disappointed.”


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YOU can now buy a two-headed Christmas jumper so you can spend the festive season with your nearest and dearest – literally.
Studio is selling the novelty double jumper which features a Santa design on one side and an elf on the other.
The cosy knitwear which costs just £12, down from £18, has ‘Claus’ on one side and ‘Buddy’ on the other.
Studio said: “Get closer together this Christmas with this fun twosie jumper… You'll literally be joined at the hip!
“Basically, it's two jumpers joined together, all you have to do is decide who's Santa and who's the elf.”
The jumper is the perfect accessory for snuggling up on the sofa with your partner, but some people are planning on wearing theirs out and about.
- Christmas Two-Headed Santa and Elf Jumper, Studio, £12 – buy now
Commenting on Instagram, one person said: “For our Christmas night out?.”
Another suggested: “Please can we get this for work???.”
A third said: “Our Xmas jumper."
While this person wrote: “This is made for us.”
Most read in Fabulous
Meanwhile you can now buy a Christmas jumper with a Gregg's bakery design on it.
In other festive news, Asda has launched an entire sausage dog Christmas collection with lights, cushions and bedding starting at £6.
Plus Yankee Candles are better than half price at Robert Dyas and shoppers are stocking up for Christmas.


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Nikon Tuesday announced a pair of new Coolpix cameras, one of which includes a 14-lumen internal projector.
The 14.1-megapixel Coolpix S1100pj includes the projector, which is 40 percent brighter than previous models and includes a built-in scan and touchscreen. The camera also includes a slideshow function and HD 720p movie recording. The camera will arrive in September at an MSRP of $349.95.
The other camera, the 12.2-megapixel Coolpix S5100 also includes one-touch HD 720p movie recording. It arrives in October at a $179.95 MSRP.


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I wrote about my interest in lithium on July 26th, you can read it here in case you missed it.
Long story short, we’re going to be producing tens of millions of electric vehicles and the industry is standardizing on lithium ion batteries. We need a whole lot more of them than can currently be produced and we’re going to need a lot more lithium than is currently being captured and refined.
This week, a new piece at Bloomberg Business looked at the story:
Starting about two years ago, fears of a lithium shortage almost tripled prices for the metal, to more than $20,000 a ton, in just 10 months. The cause was a spike in the market for electric vehicles, which were suddenly competing with laptops and smartphones for lithium ion batteries. Demand for the metal won’t slacken anytime soon—on the contrary, electric car production is expected to increase more than thirtyfold by 2030, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
There are only a handful of ways to invest accordingly. Once again, you can go back and check out what I think the implications of this are from my original post.


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We take a look at the all-new Porsche 911 GT3 RS -- designed for circuit racing and everyday use -- to find out what all the fuss is about.
To celebrate its partnership with Porsche, Chopard releases the Chopard Superfast 919 Porsche Motorsport Chronograph in autumn.
Guests were treated to an exclusive look at the newly-launched Porsche 911 Targa with a special appearance by designer Mr. Grant Larson.
The new 911 Targa is the latest remake of a classic vehicle that first debuted in 1965.
As the Porsche's 50th anniversary year draws to a close, we look back on a classic and iconic sports car that has set the benchmark for sports cars world over.
The new 911 Carrera 4S from Porsche delivers traction and dynamic performance to the fourth power.
Boasting higher efficiency and performance but still looking as sleek as ever, the world’s most famous sports car, Porsche 911, will be launching the new Carrera 4 and 4S in Singapore in the first half of 2013.
The launch of the new Porsche 911 Carrera 4 at Novus.
In a launch fitting of its much-anticipated seventh generation Porsche 911 and 911 Carrera S, guests dressed up to the nines, and were treated to a night of lavish buffet spreads and free-flow alcohol at Ritz-Carlton Millenia.
From long haul flight drama to mesmerising city strolls - local jewellery designer Carrie K takes us on a trip to New York City.
Yenn Wong, Philippe Orrico and Maximal Concepts headline this month's must-try new Hong Kong restaurants.
Whether you're going vegan for the Gin Jae Festival in Bangkok, or you just fancy trying a novel menu, these three venues will give you your veggie fix.
Ever wanted to buy a horse? Emily Hwang shares her insights and experiences into what must be a very thrilling business.
From ultra-hip gigs to superstar speakers and Michelin-starred dining; get booking for Bangkok's hottest upcoming events.


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FastMP3Search.com.ar is the latest alleged spyware operator to get caught in the crosshairs of consumer and advocacy groups.
The Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) and StopBadware.org were expected to file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Thursday claiming the site’s free plug-in installation contains adware and Trojan horse applications.
In addition, the complaint claims the free download disables the Windows firewall, changes homepage settings, sabotages valid Web addresses for legitimate security companies and impairs the performance of computers.
According to StopBadware.org, the downloads are made without consumer consent and are virtually impossible for the average user to uninstall.
The complaint seeks immediate FTC action against the sites’ owners and operators.
“In the past year, we’ve come across dozens of malicious programs available on hundreds of Web sites, and without question, the FastMP3Search.com.ar Plugin tops our list of the worst actors,” John Palfrey, co-director of StopBadware.org and executive director of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School, said in a statement.
Palfrey added StopBadware, and CDT decided to target FastMP3Search.com.ar with an FTC complaint because “they’ve combined so many things in a single bundle. It’s a parade of horribles.”
Ari Schwartz, deputy director of the CDT, said beside the harm to consumers, “scams” like FastMP3Search.com.ar damage the Internet as a whole.
“Beyond the quantifiable harm they inflict on their victims, these scam artists strike at the heart of the consumer confidence that sustains the Internet as a vibrant tool for communication and commerce,” Schwartz said in the joint statement with StopBadware.
The November settlement between controversial adware distributor Zango and the FTC began with a complaint from the CDT.
Zango agreed to return $3 million in “ill-gotten gains” to settle FTC charges of unfair and deceptive practices. The Bellevue, Wash.-based Zango, formerly known as 180solutions, also agreed not to download its adware without consumers’ consent and to provide consumers with a way to remove the adware from their computers.
“Every time the FTC goes after one of these scammers, it sends an important message to those who seek to turn a profit by exploiting unsuspecting Internet users,” Schwartz said.
StopBadware is also expected to issue a new report Thursday naming the FastMP3Search.com.ar to its “Badware List.” The report was prepared by Harvard’s Berkman Center and Oxford University’s Oxford Internet Institute.
“The FTC complaint and our report are part of an ongoing effort to identify bad code on the Internet, so that Internet users won’t have to retreat to digital walled gardens,” Jonathan Zittrain, StopBadware.org co-director and professor of Internet Governance and Regulation at Oxford University, said in a statement.
Zittrain said the owners and operators of the site have “covered their tracks” well, with StopBadware, CDT, Harvard and Oxford unable to correctly identify the persons responsible for the site or even the site’s true country of origin.
“By filing a formal complaint with the FTC, we hope to bring additional effort to bear against rogue sites and software,” Zittrain said. “We hope the Commission, through its authority to challenge practices affecting commerce that are deceptive and unfair, will investigate the owners and operators of FastMP3Search.com.ar and take appropriate action.”


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Penske Truck Leasing Opens New Facility in Everett, Washington
Penske Truck Leasing has recently opened a brand-new facility in Everett, Washington. Located at 2140 Railway Avenue, it is the first new build by the company in the state of Washington. The new facility serves a much greater capacity within its existing market and offers competitive rates and exceptional personalized service.
At this location, Penske offers consumer and commercial truck rental, full-service truck leasing and contract truck fleet maintenance. It is also outfitted with the company's proprietary fully digital and voice-directed preventive maintenance process and connected fleet solutions, a value-added resource to help customers address issues and options related to onboard technology systems (ELDs, telematics, onboard cameras, etc.).
“Moving to this new state-of-the-art facility will improve customer service levels and support the aggressive growth projections we expect to achieve,” said Senior Vice President of the Western Region, Ed Mendoza.
The location is 15,589-square-feet and sits on 10 acres. It has three truck service bays, an automated wash bay, and a full-service fuel island.Penske currently employs 28 associates at the new facility, and is hiring truck technicians, customer service representatives, management trainees, hikers, and drivers locally and nationwide. For a list of open positions in the Everett area and at other Penske locations across North America visit gopenske.com/careers for more information.
By "Move Ahead" Staff


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3. They set prices too high. U.S. retailers often times price their products at a premium in Canada to compensate for their investment in the country, and to account for its steeper operating costs, including a higher minimum wage and cross-border duties. This is a particular concern given how cutthroat the market is in terms of prices, Sozzi said.
Antony Karabus, the Toronto-based CEO of Hilco Retail Consulting advisory firm, said because a many Canadian consumers shop in the U.S., they are aware of stores' prices. As a result, they often refuse to pay prices they think are unreasonably higher. Both Target and J. Crew suffered backlash over this misstep.
Read MoreFormer Sears exec calls for retailer to liquidate
"Prices often have to be higher. The question is how much higher," Karabus said.
4. They take on too much too quickly. Opening 124 stores in one year was too big of an undertaking for Target, which didn't yet understand the intricacies of the Canadian market, Karabus said. Aside from a separate consumer base, these include a different set of government regulations and a different supply chain.
Karabus said the supply chain is particularly difficult to nail down in Canada because the country is so large, and the population so spread out. On top of that, the people differ significantly by city. For instance, in Quebec, the official language is French.
"It was a superhuman effort," he said of Target.
A.T. Kearney's Hillier said a further challenge lies in the constrained real estate market, which makes it difficult to secure top locations in the primary cities. What's more, Canadian provinces are not states, and "they have distinct rules and regulations and ways of engaging consumers."
5. They do not fill a hole in the market. One of Target's biggest issues was that Wal-Mart, Costco and domestic chain Giant Tiger have a huge hold over Canada's discount shoppers, Karabus said. The large penetration of discount retailers also played a role in Sears Canada's potential demise, as consumers looking for cheap products at a one-stop destination would rather shop at Wal-Mart or Costco than Sears, Sozzi said.
Karabus said retailers who will perform well in the country are those who offer Canadian shoppers something different than what is already being offered by a domestic retailer.
"If you have a unique differentiation you will do well," Karabus said.
6. They overlook domestic competitors. There are a number of popular retailers in Canada that already have a stronghold on shoppers' loyalty. Some of the country's most formidable names include Canadian Tire, which sells products from sporting goods to housewares, as well as Giant Tiger, Karabus said. Retailers also cannot disregard the country's major shoe chains—Aldo and Town Shoes, or men's retailer Harry Rosen, he said.
—By CNBC's Krystina Gustafson.