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How Much Is An Hour With Apple CEO Tim Cook Worth?
How much is an hour of Tim Cook’s time worth? According to his 2012 salary filed with the SEC, Cook makes about $2,000 an hour based on a 40-hour work week. But apparently people are willing to spend a shit-ton more to spend some time with Apple’s head honcho. Charitybuzz is auctioning the chance to have coffee with Cook, and the latest bid is for a whopping $600,000, and there’s 15 days left in the auction.
The opening bid of $50,000 was placed on April 24, and within two days the auction had surpassed Charitybuzz’s previous all-time high bid of $255,000 placed in a previous auction to spend a whole day with former President Bill Clinton.
Proceeds from the auction, as well as a number of other Charitybuzz sales, will be donated to the RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights. Some of those auctions include a meeting with Elon Musk and a tour of Los Angeles’ SpaceX Center.
Several of the bidders appear to be Web companies, no doubt hoping for some of Cook’s time to tout their products. But the winner should know there won’t be much shop talk during the meeting at Apple’s Cupertino headquarters. According to the auction’s rules, “the winner cannot blog, social network, talk to press, write about, take pictures or record during the experience in any way due to security regulations.” The winning bidder must also sign a non-disclosure agreement, and travel costs aren’t included. Of course, anyone who can afford a $600,000-plus coffee break can surely afford a plane ticket to California.


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Wall Street analysts forecast that Baidu Inc (NASDAQ:BIDU) will announce $0.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the current quarter, according to Zacks. Three analysts have made estimates for Baidu’s earnings, with the lowest EPS estimate coming in at $0.75 and the highest estimate coming in at $0.85. Baidu posted earnings per share of $2.60 during the same quarter last year, which would indicate a negative year-over-year growth rate of 69.6%. The company is expected to issue its next quarterly earnings report on Thursday, April 25th.
On average, analysts expect that Baidu will report full year earnings of $8.88 per share for the current fiscal year, with EPS estimates ranging from $8.46 to $9.12. For the next fiscal year, analysts expect that the firm will post earnings of $12.68 per share, with EPS estimates ranging from $11.22 to $15.00. Zacks Investment Research’s EPS calculations are a mean average based on a survey of analysts that that provide coverage for Baidu.
A number of brokerages recently weighed in on BIDU. Zacks Investment Research cut shares of Baidu from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 5th. TheStreet cut Baidu from a “b-” rating to a “c+” rating in a research report on Friday, December 21st. Daiwa Capital Markets set a $215.00 price target on Baidu and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, March 8th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “mkt perform” rating on shares of Baidu in a research report on Monday, January 14th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group set a $246.00 price target on Baidu and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, December 23rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and fourteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $248.13.
Shares of NASDAQ BIDU traded up $0.58 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $170.98. 2,557,671 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,014,452. Baidu has a 52 week low of $153.78 and a 52 week high of $284.22. The company has a quick ratio of 2.73, a current ratio of 2.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The stock has a market cap of $59.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.92, a P/E/G ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 1.47.
Baidu, Inc provides Internet search services in China and internationally. It operates through two segments, Baidu Core and iQIYI. The Baidu Core segment offers products for uses, including Baidu App to access search, feed, and other services using mobile devices; Baidu Search to access its search and other services through mobile browsers; Baidu Feed that provides users with personalized timeline to meet their personal interests reflected in their past online behaviors; and Bear Paw Account that enables verified brands and businesses to aggregate their content from Websites, wapsites, and open-platform apps.
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If you're in the wine and spirits business, no longer is it enough to open the doors and hope the customers will come.
The shopping experience counts too. And as more people drink more wine, the competition to attract customers has never been more fierce.
Binny's Beverage Depot is upping the ante in a big way. The family-owned liquor chain, which has been on an expansion tear, is turning an old printing factory in the South Loop into a sprawling, $17 million wine-and-spirits emporium, part of a move to open six new stores in the next 18 months.
The building, which most recently housed a secretarial-services firm, sits at 1132 S. Jefferson St., along the burgeoning Roosevelt Corridor where national retail chains from Home Depot to Whole Foods have been putting down stakes.
The South Loop investment -- $6.7 million to buy the property, $5.5 million to renovate the building and $5 million on inventory -- ranks among the boldest moves Binny's has made since setting up its first shop near Wrigley Field in 1947. The big bet comes as wine consumption surges in the U.S. and retailers from Trader Joe's to Costco Wholesale Corp. muscle into the wine and spirits trade.
Nearly one out of every three adults now drinks wine, according to Wine Colleagues, a St. Helena, Calif.-based wine business consulting and market research firm. That is up from 2000, when one out of every four adults considered themselves a wine drinker.
Americans consumed $26 billion in wine in 2005, up 8.7 percent from $23.9 billion in 2004, according to the Wine Institute. With that kind of sales volume, retailers are responding. Target Corp., Dominick's, even White Hen, have expanded their offerings. And the Internet has brought a whole new level of competition.
It's no surprise, then, that operators such as Binny's are banking on the shopping environment to set themselves apart.
"This will be the Toys "R" Us for adults," said Michael Binstein, 51, second-generation owner of the Skokie-based firm. "I want this to be an experience, not an errand."
The three-level store, set to open in November, at 57,000 square feet is more than double the average size of Binny's 18 other stores. It will house seven separate shops, including a 60-person wine bar, gourmet market, wine school, gift shop and walk-in wine cellar for 4,000 rare and collectible wines.
There will also be temperature-controlled wine lockers for rent and a "Cellar Master Hotline" for shoppers seeking expert tips on wine. A "Craft Beer Hotline" is in the works. Binny's already runs a "Whiskey Hotline" out of its Lakeview store, manned by Binny's specialty spirits buyer Brett Pontoni.
Binstein calls it the single biggest investment in a wine and spirits store in Chicago since Prohibition. Whether that is the case or not, the money and effort going into the store is substantial, and risky.
Across town, Binny's longtime rival Sam's Wines and Spirits, another family-owned liquor business, sold most of the company to private-equity group earlier this year, putting the onus and the financial burden on the new owner to figure out how to expand. Chicago-based Arbor Investments bought 80 percent of Sam's for an undisclosed sum. Brian Rosen, grandson of founder Sam Rosen, retains a 20 percent stake and an employment contract as president. Sam's has fewer stores than Binny's -- three outposts in Lincoln Park, Downers Grove and Highland Park -- but better name recognition, according to some wine consultants. By building a showcase store in an up-and-coming neighborhood, Binny's is taking the necessary steps to build its brand, said Hinsdale-based wine consultant Robert Barr.
"What Binny's is doing is trying to sell wine in an inviting atmosphere and strategically locating in markets that are great for selling wine," said Barr. "It's not so much about the wine, it's about the experience you have buying wine."
Indeed, Binstein expects the outpost to draw from the surge of affluent city dwellers moving into neighborhoods south and west of the Loop, as well as commuters headed home on the Dan Ryan and, yes, tourists.
Busloads of visitors are dropped off regularly to eat at Manny's Deli, the cafeteria-style diner and Chicago institution that is housed directly across the street from the new Binny's.
"We've already talked about having corned beef and Cabernet tastings," said Binstein.
Binstein took over the family business in 1995 after his father and founder Harold Binstein died. An established reporter in Washington who was working for nationally syndicated political columnist Jack Anderson, Michael Binstein was at first reluctant to leave journalism for retail.


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With its reputation for an intriguing mix of tradition and modernity, Japan has long held a strong allure around the world. That's arguably never been truer than now, with tourism witnessing explosive growth in the last few years.
In 2015, just under 20 million visitors, 17 million of them tourists, went to Japan, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization, an increase of 47 percent on the year before. Leading that wave has been...
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|More from: | MobilePaymentsToday |||
Nov. 27, 2018
InComm, an Atlanta-based prepaid card and payment technology firm, has entered a deal with Japanese pharmacy chain Welcia to provide technology to let customers of four leading payment firms to use their mobile devices to make purchases at the point of sale.
InComm is integrating its POS technology into Welcia’s systems, allowing, customers using Japan’s Line Pay, mobile phone company NTT Docomo’s d Payment, China’s Alipay and WeChatPay, to make purchases by scanning barcodes via smartphones, according to a press release.
InComm said Japanese officials have recently launched efforts to increase the use of digital payment technology in a country where about 20 percent of transactions are done with non-cash payments. The country has set a goal
About | MobilePaymentsToday |
MobilePaymentsToday.com is an information resource focusing on mobile payments projects and technology. We cover topics like banking, retail, restaurants, remittance, apps, online gaming and mobile POS. Our content helps organizations realize the cost savings and operational benefits promised by mobile payments. We provide blogs, news, videos, white papers, webinars, supplier listings, research, product reviews, and event info.


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- CBA on
- CBA Media
CBA Letter for the Record Senate Commerce Hearing on Federal Data Privacy
May 1, 2019
The Honorable Roger Wicker
Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation
512 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
The Honorable Maria Cantwell
Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation
512 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Chairman Wicker and Ranking Member Cantwell:
On behalf of the Consumer Bankers Association (CBA), I write to share our views on a national data privacy framework for the Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee’s hearing entitled “Consumer Perspectives: Policy Principles for a Federal Data Privacy Framework.” CBA is the voice of the retail banking industry whose products and services provide access to credit for consumers and small businesses. Our members operate in all 50 states, serve more than 150 million Americans, and collectively hold two-thirds of the country’s total depository assets.
The State of Data Privacy
In light of recent data breaches and abuses, consumers are rightly concerned about the manner in which their personal information is being collected and how this sensitive information is being both shared and protected. In 2018 alone, the number of data breaches in the U.S. totaled more than 1,200 according to the Identity Theft Resource Center. No industry was immune from breaches in 2018: business sector (46 percent), healthcare/medical industry (29 percent), banking/credit/financial industry (11 percent), government/military (8 percent), and the education sector (6 percent). However, it is important to note that the non-financial business sector, which is not subject to national data security requirements, was responsible for the overwhelming majority (93 percent) of the personal records compromised. In addition to breaches, there have been several noteworthy examples of misuse of customer data in the past year which warrant a review of industry practices and the scope of federal privacy laws and regulations, e.g. Cambridge Analytica gained access to private information on more than 50 million Facebook users.
CBA members take seriously their responsibility to clearly explain the uses of consumers’ data and to safeguard it against improper use and criminals attempting to steal it. Since the passage of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) in 1999, financial institutions have been required to provide their customers a clear privacy notice detailing information collection and sharing practices, which includes an opt-out for the sharing of information with non-affiliated third parties. This notice is provided at the beginning of the customer relationship and annually thereafter. GLBA and subsequent regulations also require banks to have in place data security protocols to safeguard sensitive consumer information and to report to federal authorities and affected consumers when a breach occurs. Banks are examined by their prudential regulators on these standards and if found to be non-compliant may face fines or other penalties.
The low breach-rate of personally identifiable information (PII) at financial institutions compared to other sectors can be attributed to the common-sense safeguards required by GLBA and the industry’s commitment to security. As a result, consumers trust financial institutions more than any other type of organization to keep their financial information secure, according to an August 2017 poll by Morning Consult.
CBA supports consumers having reasonable control concerning the collection, use and sharing of personal data. However, we caution against national privacy legislation that may inhibit banks’ ability to fulfill their contractual obligations to consumers. Compared to other industries, banks are subject to more stringent rules and lead in protecting consumers’ PII and their privacy.
Pursuant to the GLBA, banks are required to protect the security and confidentiality of consumer records and information, and the law also requires banks to disclose their privacy practices and limits sharing PII with nonaffiliated third parties. Any Federal privacy law must consider the GLBA and other existing Federal privacy laws and preempt the growing patchwork of state laws that provide differing and inconsistent consumer protections. Otherwise, a consumer’s privacy protections, including their ability to understand their rights, will depend on the state where the individual resides. While these state laws may be well-intentioned, they must be crafted to not hinder the free flow of data needed to provide consumers and businesses with financial products and services and process financial transactions.
As Congress considers the creation of a national data privacy framework, we must first recognize the differences in data collection among industries. Banks are required by federal law to collect certain information to conduct a customer transaction. For example, if a consumer wants to open a checking account, at a minimum pursuant to the Bank Secrecy Act, the bank must obtain certain information to fulfill its Customer Identification Program requirements, such as date of birth, address, and identification number. As an additional benefit to customers, banks also use personal data to develop banking products and services that are customized to a customer’s needs. Utilizing consumer data to conduct financial transactions authorized by the consumer is far different than a social media platform collecting consumer data to sell to marketers.
It is also important that a federal privacy standard should not expand the scope of data that banks are responsible for protecting. GLBA requires banks to protect consumers “nonpublic personal information”, which is defined, in part, as “[. . .] personally identifiable financial information, (i) provided by a consumer to a financial institution; (ii) resulting from any transaction with the consumer or any service performed for the consumer; or (iii) otherwise obtained by the financial institution.” Consumer is defined to mean “an individual who obtains or has obtained a financial product or service from you that is to be used primarily for personally, family, or household purposes, or that individual’s legal representative." An expansion of the definition of covered data or covered persons pursuant to a national standard would subject banks to unnecessary regulatory burden.
A national data protection and privacy law must also seek to promote innovation, investment and competition in the marketplace. The United States Constitution authorizes Congress to regulate interstate commerce, which includes the free flow of goods, services and consumer data. A patchwork of privacy laws at the state level will lead to higher costs for consumers and create barriers to innovation and investment. The assumption that preemption weakens existing state laws is a fallacy. In a world that is increasingly mobile, Americans and their devices constantly cross state borders. Consumer protection should not depend upon which state you reside, but consumers should be covered by one unified, comprehensive federal standard.
From an international perspective, CBA also supports an open global economy that enables growth through the secure and efficient transfer of data across international borders. National data protection and privacy legislation should continue to support consumer privacy while also respecting and coordinating differences between U.S. and foreign privacy regimes.
National data protection and privacy legislation should be enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), unless a determination is made that it is appropriate for a different regulator to be the enforcement agency, e.g. prudential regulators for banks and credit unions. CBA is concerned that if state attorneys general are allowed to bring enforcement actions in federal court, there is a risk that each state will enforce the law differently. In addition, a national consumer privacy law should not provide for a private right of action.
Lastly, the California Consumer Privacy Act is the first major consumer privacy law to be adopted at the state level. This legislation was written hastily, and the state government is currently reviewing and revising portions of the law through both legislative and regulatory processes. As the California privacy law continues to evolve, it would be prudent for Congress to monitor issues with implementation and use their observations to draft a federal data privacy and security standard. Considering the importance of this issue and the impact it will have on both consumers and businesses, it is imperative that Congress is thoughtful in drafting meaningful legislation to protect consumers and provide businesses with certainty.
Data Security and Breach Notification
It is also critical that any conversation around data privacy also take seriously the security of data and the protocol for notifying customers in the event of a breach. Banks are on the front lines consistently monitoring for fraud and working to make consumers whole, no matter where a breach occurs. From operating advanced fraud monitoring systems to reissuing cards, CBA members spend considerable resources on preventing fraud. As a result, consumers rely on their financial institutions to communicate what to do in the event of a breach and to employ defenses to prevent fraud and identity theft.
Subsequent to Section 501(b) of GLBA, the financial regulators issued guidelines requiring banks to implement comprehensive, risk-based information security programs that include administrative, technical and physical safeguards to protect customer information. These safeguards are not static but flexible and scalable – applying to banks of all sizes. A similar framework should be applied to non-bank companies to ensure consumers’ sensitive information is protected throughout the payment system.
Banks must also implement a risk-based response program in the event of a breach. The program includes an evaluation of the incident and an effort to prevent further unauthorized access as well as notice to the institution’s primary federal regulator, appropriate law enforcement, and, importantly, the customers whose information was breached and could be misused. CBA supports legislation to require others in the payment system to provide timely notification to their customers in the event of a breach.
Today, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have enacted legislation requiring private or governmental entities to notify individuals of a security breach of information involving PII. Twenty-four states currently have data security laws requiring a level of security procedures and practices to be in place to protect personal information.
Congress has the constitutional authority to regulate interstate commerce through the Commerce Clause, which was written to prevent fragmentation of markets and to encourage the free flow of goods and services, including information, across the nation with minimal interference. Congress should take seriously its authority and enact a federal data security and breach notification standard and preempt the current patchwork of state laws. With the recent breaches that have put millions of consumers at risk, the need to pass legislation to establish such a standard could not be more evident. Protecting consumer information is a shared responsibility of all parties involved.
On behalf of our members, I would like to thank you for your consideration of our views. We look forward to working with the Committee to foster an environment that prioritizes the protection and privacy of consumer data while promoting consumer access to credit.
President and CEO
Consumer Bankers Association


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Nokia plans to start designing handsets again once a pact with Microsoft allows it to do so in 2016, its CEO told Germany’s Manager Magazin.
“We are looking for suitable partners,” Rajeev Suri said in an interview on 18 June. “Microsoft makes mobile phones. We would design them and make the brand name available to license.”
Finland’s Nokia sold its business to Microsoft in last year after its declining sales failed to keep up with innovations led by Apple’s iPhone.
But months later it launched a new brand-licensed tablet computer, produced under license by Foxconn, aiming to follow up with more devices.
Many analysts expect Microsoft to write off all or part the $7.2 billion it paid for Nokia’s handset unit, a deal that left Microsoft with a money-losing business and 3 percent of the smartphone market.
Microsoft manager Stephen Elop, whom the US software giant installed as Nokia chief executive, is now leaving Microsoftand back to its core software business.
Nokia in April announced a 15.6 billion Euro ($17.8 billion) takeover of Alcatel-Lucent to boost the network equipment business that is its mainstay.
When queried whether there were any preferred bidders for the high-definition maps business, Suri said, “Anybody who can improve the business in the long run is a good buyer.”
It is also hiving off its mapping business, which has drawn interest from German carmakers BMW, Audi and Mercedes, as well as Silicon Valley, Chinese Internet and technology businesses.


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Financial fraud is a multi-million dollar problem for Canadian businesses, and the risk of falling victim to it is growing. According to results from a Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA Canada) survey, almost a third (32 per cent) of participants was a victim of financial fraud at some […]
A recent survey found that 33% of B.C. businesses report being victims of fraud. From accounting processes to information security, it’s more important than ever for you protect your business from the potential risks.


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Like the PlayStation 4 game, the Xbox One version of Battlefield 4 was scheduled for an update to fix its ongoing crashing and online instability issues. That patch should have appeared during the week of December 2, but for reasons not made public never did. Instead, DICE has decided to roll the changes of that patch into the game's next update, which should appear at the end of this week or the beginning of next.
"The update that was originally meant to go live the week of Dec 2 was delayed, but we decided to bring those fixes to the next upcoming Xbox One update," stated DICE representative "trydling" in the studio's latest Battlelog update.
"This new combined Xbox One patch is currently in testing and certification, and we will release it as soon as possible. We are hoping to get it live late this week or early next week. We will keep you updated."
It's unknown exactly what this patch will fix, though we're told that full details will be made available shortly before the update appears. For the moment, DICE will only say that it "will focus on stability and some of the feedback we've seen from the community, including a fix for the one-hit kill bug and Commander EMP blur effect."


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MOSINEE, WI — Wausau Paper
recently announced its first-quarter figures, which includes a slight increase in net earnings per share versus last year''s first quarter, according to a press release
Wausau Paper''s tissue segment earned a record first-quarter operating profit of $11.1 million, the release stated.
Net earnings for the three-month period were $2.9 million, up significantly from a net loss of $1.4 million in the year-ago period, the release noted.
According to the release, net sales increased 7 percent to $256 million and shipments rose 9 percent to 168,000 tons.
Thomas J. Howatt, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Wausau Paper, said: "First-quarter earnings improved from year-ago levels despite a $12 million increase in fiber costs and only modest demand improvement in most market categories. Our results reflect the continued growth of our highly profitable tissue business and benefits associated with the recently completed restructuring of our paper segment. With economic conditions slow to improve and fiber costs nearing record high levels, we remain focused on further penetrating core market categories and containing costs to drive near-term results. At the same time, we are committed to the strategic growth of our businesses to increase long-term profitability and shareholder value."


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In May of this year, Vogue magazine editors at all 19 publications/countries took a pledge called the 'Health Initiative' which included not using models under the age of 16.
However, two editions of Vogue have broken the pledge. 15-year-old Ondria Hardin appeared in in Vogue China’s August issue and 14-year-old Thairine Garcia posed for pictures to appear in the December issue of Vogue Japan, reports wwd.com.
The owner of Vogue magazine, Condé Nast International, told wwd.com: “The Health Initiative banning underage models is very serious and we will reinforce it. We apologize for the error that took place in China. We will do everything possible to prevent future errors.”


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We partnered with Catbytes in London to support their laptop donation scheme and help them repair their devices. Our volunteers were happy to help increase the number of laptops available for reuse by people in need.
“Repair is Essential” – this is the theme we chose for this year’s International Repair Day. In London, an online team of volunteers mapped 45+ repair businesses in London to be considered for inclusion. Small groups met repair businesses in Crystal Palace, Shepherd’s Bush and Tooting.
Normally on International Repair Day we run a large Restart Party, to celebrate the day together with as many of our volunteers as possible. This year, on 17 October we invite Londoners to help us celebrate the independent repair shops who help us all stay connected, especially during lockdown.
The Repair Directory lists reliable repair businesses in London. We are asking the public to submit their favourite London repair shops!
The need for electronic devices is high. We look at how Hackney Fixers, a community repair project in London, is reusing donated laptops to support students.
It’s been a big fortnight for those watching big tech and their impact on the planet, here in the UK and beyond. Apple came out with some big announcements, which we’ll evaluate in this post. But first, some reminders of what their competitors are up to. (Or rather, what they are not up to.)
Last night we wrapped up the second edition of Fixfest UK, the first online edition! Thank you to the 200+ people who “attended” Fixfest UK over the past month.
Last week, we were invited to give oral evidence to the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee (EAC). We gave examples of how the current system is broken, and how we can prevent waste through the three pillars to the right to repair.


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Warren Buffett told shareholders he didn't want to "go to war" with Coca-Cola and explained why he thinks revealing executive pay hurts shareholders.
"This is something going really wrong, really fast," said Stephen Schwarzman, chairman and CEO of $272 billion Blackstone Group.
From Pez dispensers to duck decoys, passionate but savvy investors are amassing collections of offbeat and oddball items for both love and money.
Travel insurance can add to the cost of your trip--or save you hundreds of dollars. How to decide when and what kind of protection you need.
If you still haven't changed your password, now is the time to do it.
Employees at Pfizer Inc's U.S. research centers may want to dust off their resumes if the company's proposed acquisition of Britain's AstraZeneca comes to fruition.
When it comes to Mother's Day, flowers are second only to greeting cards. Here's how to make sure you're getting the best bloom for your buck.
Homeowners are increasingly looking back at their own homes for makeovers rather than looking ahead to move up.
US secretary of state John Kerry has threatened Russia with further sanctions unless the country stopped backing separatists in eastern Ukraine. The FT reports.
Nnew research suggests that, even without a match, some popular e-cigarettes get so hot that they, too, can produce a handful of the carcinogens found in cigarettes and at similar levels. The NYT reports.
Few corporations can pivot fast enough to recover after going bankrupt. Here's some inspiring turnarounds that made history over the last 25 years.
The US has offered a $5 million bounty and filed new charges against a Chinese businessman.
Brewery Ommegang is stealing a page from the luxury brand playbook.
Berkshire's leader spoke to CNBC after telling shareholders some CEOs are "operating outside of their circles of competencies."
Federal dollars for highways funded by gas taxes are drying up, and the White House may want states to pick up the slack.
Thanks to the new Amazon Wearable Technology store, it has never been easier to tell tech companies, 'shut up and take my money,' NBC News reports.
Although it is unlikely that we will endure another bank-led crisis soon, the question remains: Have we actually learned anything from 2008?
To save on your summer vacation, you'll need to get creative. Here are six tricks to cut airfares and hotel stays with minimal effort.
The block-chain protocol ensures that all bitcoin transactions are recorded on a public ledger. What if we built something similar for equity trading?
A handful of this year's Derby horse owners didn't grow up as part of the Churchill Downs set.


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Liquor store reopens after fire damage
Just three weeks after a large fire caused smoke damage to all the inventory, Pete’s House of Spirits will reopen for business Friday.
The fire, which originated in a courtyard behind the building at 1560 North Ave., took place Feb. 21. It caused extreme smoke damage to the store’s liquor, walls and ceiling.
“It caused about $16,000 in damage,” said Pete Martinez, owner. All of the damaged beer was sold to a liquor liquidator or disposed of.
Martinez had to remodel the entire inside of the showroom including new drywall for the ceiling and walls, new carpet and insulation. A new ATM machine was also installed. “It looks completely different now,” he said.
“It’s been tough and stuff to get back on track,” Martinez said, “but it’s just been so amazing the response from our customers so we just want to get back open for them.”
Martinez said that many of his loyal customers have stopped by to offer help and his employees have worked hard to get the store open again. He added that he doesn’t believe the adjacent stores damaged by the fire will ever reopen.
Pete’s House of Spirits will open at 8 a.m. Friday morning and resume normal business hours until midnight.


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The World Bank has trimmed its projection for Thailand's economic growth this year to 3.8% from 3.9% estimated earlier, due to a global slowdown and elevated trade tensions between the United States and China.
The revision was made in its twice-yearly Thailand Economic Monitor, published on Wednesday.
"Weaker global growth will likely impact the export performance of Thailand and restrain manufacturing activities in export-oriented industries," Kiatipong Ariyapruchya, World Bank senior economist for Thailand, said in a statement.
Continued implementation of public infrastructure projects and economic reforms can help catalyse domestic demand in 2019 and support medium-term growth, he said.
For 2018, growth is estimated at 4.1%, driven by strengthening domestic demand stemming from an upswing in private consumption and investment, the World Bank said.
Thailand's central bank predicts growth of 4% for this year after it estimated a 4.2% expansion for 2018. Official 2018 gross domestic product (GDP) data will be released on Feb 18.
Southeast Asia's second-largest economy expanded 3.9% in 2017, the best pace in five years.


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More From The DC Retailer Roadshow
A few other bits and pieces still dribbling out from the DC Retailer Roadshow that happened in the Warner Bros Burbank lot on Friday. The second is in Fort Worth/Dallas on Monday, so we'll be listening out from anything more that squeezes out from under the cone of silence.
DC is giving retailers an additional 30% kickback if they set up a DC Digital portal on their sites.
There will be a deal for split payments from retailers for print comics, essentially giving them twice as long to pay for half their order.
The previously announced 10% return fee will be replaced with a 20 cents per copy return fee, which is more expensive in terms of the $2.99 books, cheaper for the $3.99 books. (Apologies, I was working from the wholesale price, not the retail price. That means it's cheaper for both).
THUNDER Agents will return, and yes, will still have Nick Spencer writing.
Nicola Scott is working on an upcoming DC project.
Most of the released solicitation images for the DC Relaunch are not the covers for the first issue – so look forward to all those being announced soon as well.
Action Comics and Justice League are set in the past, the Green Lantern, Batman and LSH books are all continuing without a reboot. DCU Presents and Hawkman are picking up where Brightest Day left off. But for everything else, yes, it will be more of a reboot/restart. They are basically keeping the books going that were financially successful for them and restarting everything else.
The DC Retroactive material was set up to keep the publishing schedule full so people didn't fully notice a lot of the key creative teams were "missing" and using the time to get books done in advance. It was also set up as the first part of an initiative to pull back lapsed readers.
The Flashpoint books were also being done by teams not being used in the reboot to help give those guys more time.
DC Co-Publisher Dan Didio was quite worked up over retailers who objected to, basically the reading of Previews for almost two hours, and DC Co-Publisher Jim Lee had to jump in to calm things down…
Hope it will be calmer on Monday in Dallas!


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Wednesday, March 29, 2017
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Diesel hike may flare up food & beverage raw material prices by 20-30%
Tuesday, 25 September, 2012, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
Abhitash Singh, Mumbai
The food & beverage industry, which has been reeling under multiple pressures – inflation, drought, and hike in electricity and water charges – has received yet another jolt in the recent increase of Rs 5 for a litre of diesel.
Once again a cascading effect is expected and the industry fears that prices of all raw materials including vegetables and fruits may go up by 20 to 30 per cent in the coming days.
M A Tejani, president, All India Food Processors' Association (AIFPA), and MD. Gits Foods, said, “Diesel hike will have a cascading effect on all essential commodities. Increase in diesel prices will give rise to transportation cost. Further, it will lead to hike in DA of drivers, wear and tear of vehicles, and so on. Our government is messy and not disciplined like China. We as a tax payer have to bear the burden of government’s wrongdoings.”
Echoing his view, Mohan Gurnani, president, Federation of Associations of Maharashtra (FAM), said, “The diesel hike is going to have a cascading impact on all essential commodities. The government is killing the common man by slowly poisoning them. It is really difficult for the poor to survive in this situation.”
Explaining the ripple effect of the price rise, Narendra Patil, a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) member of the legislative council (MLC) and a leader of the Mathadi workers' union in Mumbai, said, “It is a-given that every transporter will increase freight charges.”
He pointed out, “The prices of vegetables and other agricultural produce will fluctuate according to the demand-supply factors. After the diesel price hike, the prices of all essential commodities started increasing by Rs 5-10 per kg and will see a further increase of 20 to 30 per cent in the next few days.”
He added, “Big retailers like Reliance, More, Big Bazaar and HyperCity can bear the burden of diesel hike because they have the money, but small traders find it difficult to survive.”
Kirti Rana, director, spices market, APMC, said, “Due to the diesel hike, there will not only be an increase in the prices of essential commodities, but also bus and other transportation services. The government has hiked diesel prices by Rs 5, but for branded variants (of the fuel), customers will now have to pay Rs 19 more.”
“Earlier, I used to fill 60 litre turbo diesel at Rs 3,800 and now it cost me Rs 5,100. They have directly increased the rates by Rs 1,300. How will the common man survive this burden,” asked Rana.
Sanjay Yadav, a vegetable and fruit vendor at Vashi, Mumbai, observed, “The prices of vegetables and fruit will increase even further after diesel hike. We have no option because vegetables and other commodities go through multiple phases of transportation before they are delivered to the end consumer.”
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Brewers Association Reports Annual Growth Figures for Small and Independent Brewers
Boulder, CO • March 16, 2015—The Brewers Association (BA), the trade association representing small and independent American craft brewers, today released 2014 data on U.S. craft brewing(1) growth. For the first-time ever, craft brewers reached double-digit (11 percent) volume share of the marketplace.
In 2014, craft brewers produced 22.2 million barrels, and saw an 18 percent rise in volume(2) and a 22 percent increase in retail dollar value. Retail dollar value(3) was estimated at $19.6 billion representing 19.3 percent market share.


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Manhattan is a city of seasons.
Baseball season. Fashion season. Even seasonal holiday decorations.
Should it come as a surprise that there’s also a wine tasting season?
The springtime iteration of Tasting Season in Manhattan has been underway this week, with winemakers hitting the streets with their current vintages and latest releases.
Tasting Season in New York arrives in cycles, roughly every May and September, that coincide with the wineries’ release of new wines. Distributors, importers, and portfolio managers host tastings — all over town and at all hours of the day and night — to introduce new wines to buyers and sommeliers, with an eye toward landing spots on restaurant lists and store inventories in time for the busy summer season.
A similar process happens in September, in time for the winter holiday season when most outlets’ revenue reaches its annual peak.
Such direct access to wine producers and their premium offerings is a perk of working in the wine trade in Manhattan. Its sophisticated consumer base plus its unmatched buying power make the city the ultimate target for many producers from around the world.
As the gatekeepers of that trade, restaurant sommeliers and their retail counterparts find themselves in an enviable position, that is, on the right side of the buyer’s market.
With a different mix of sommeliers, buyers, salespeople, and winemakers themselves gathered frequently in the same room multiple times throughout the week, Tasting Season is an excellent opportunity to identify trends and developing nuances of the market.
Here are three that I noticed this week.
Individual Requests Are on the Rise
Sommeliers and buyers are increasingly able to “pull” wines of their choice into their inventories, rather than waiting for pre-selected options to be pushed over to them by sales reps.
Howard Horvath, Italian Fine Wine Manager for Southern Wine & Spirits of New York Inc., gives the example of a sommelier at a popular restaurant with an opening on their list for a Brunello. “They can call three or four sales reps, and taste a range of options the next afternoon,” he said. Previously, there would be an elaborate approval process that dragged on, but now the turnaround time on the request is much faster.
The frequency with which salespeople respond to individual requests is also higher than it was even two years ago, said Adrian Goodlad, Eastern Division Sales Manager at Mionetto USA. “New technology such as Coravin helps with that, especially with premium wines like Terre Alte from Livio Felluga winery in Friuli,” he said.
Coravin technology enables sales reps to sample a single bottle over a period of one or two weeks, rather than the one or two days that was previously the window of opportunity for tasting before the wine would oxidize. Since the bottle lasts longer, sales reps can reach more potential buyers at less expense.
Older Vintages Are Re-Released
“I’m just starting to see an uptick in events like this,” said wine consultant Aleck C. Ross-Frye at last night’s 30th Vintage Celebration of the Terre Alte wine, held at Riverpark restaurant in the Kips Bay neighborhood. “Wineries are starting to pull out reserves from cellars for restaurants only, and sommeliers love it. We’re sick and tired of pouring baby wines.”
Because storage space is so scarce in Manhattan, restaurant owners don’t want to be holding onto a lot of inventory in their cellars. The burden of that dilemma is falling back onto wineries, Ross-Frye said, who are holding onto some vintages and not releasing them until later. At the Terre Alte tastings this past week, sommeliers and buyers were exposed to a vertical of the winery’s older vintages, including 2009, 2006, and 1998.
Communication Increases Within The Industry
New York’s professional wine community is enjoying what Ross-Frye called an “explosion of ownership” of trade and educational organizations such as the Court of Master Sommeliers. That momentum opens the door to an increased flow of communication among sommeliers and buyers, as well as more diverse career paths and supplemental income opportunities such as teaching, consulting, and staff training.
Well-defined groups like the Court of Master Sommeliers also enable producers like Livio Felluga to reach their primary audiences more easily and in more defined settings. “Our strategy is to reach targeted groups of trade and media rather than larger, more impersonal gatherings,” said winemaker Andrea Felluga.
Follow me on Twitter @cathyhuyghe.


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GPX Changes Name, Expands Line
If CES attendees have trouble finding the GPX booth this year, that’s because the company used the show as the launch pad for its new corporate identity as Digital Products International. DPI is now the name for the company with a portfolio that includes GPX, GoVideo, WeatherX, Crayola and the new iLive.
In the iLive Studio Series line, the company showed two new bar-style speakers made to mount under flat panel TVs. The iHT387DT ($299) features two speakers in a single cabinet with a built-in subwoofer. It includes a motorized iPod dock and AM/FM radio. The iHT8817DT is a virtual 5.1 system all-in-one bar-style unit that includes the radio and iPod dock of the iHT387DT ($399) but adds a slot-loading DVD player. It decodes Dolby Digital and Dolby ProLogic II and uses SRS TrueSurround 3D with TruBass.


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Tiwa Savage at The NYFW
Tiwa Savage is definitely having a swell time in NYC. The music star attended the Pyer Mossshowcase during the ongoing New York Fashion Week.
New York is clearly giving Tiwa happy times. Just a few days ago, her new single ‘49-99’ appeared on New York Times Square electronic billboard.
Tiwa Savage shared photos of her look to the showcase as she struts in her elegance in Pyer Moss.
See Photos Here
Photo Credits – Tiwa Savage
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Accessing online sexual imagery online in the UK will soon mean proving your age and that probably means a credit card. » Read More
By: Herb Weisbaum
A 40-year old technology blogger is charged with numerous violations of the Washington Consumer Protection Act, reports NBC News. » Read More
Gaming may be king of the virtual reality world, but the technology is being adopted by a host of other industries — from retail to travel.
Twitter will discontinue Vine as it looks to slash costs and focus on its live-streaming offerings.
Donald Trump bashed a foe for what he called a "sex tape," but he once made a cameo in a Playboy softcore porn video, BuzzFeed reports.
Pornhub’s latest charitable scholarship offers $25,000 to a woman pursuing careers in the sciences or math.
Former porn superstar Sasha Grey loves virtual reality, but not when it comes to sex.
Ex-wrestler Hulk Hogan was awarded $115M in damages by a Florida jury in an invasion of privacy case against Gawker.com.
Kevin Spacey and Carlos Moreira, CEO and founder of WISeKey security, talk about piracy and the importance of cybersecurity.
The pornographic rival to Playboy is throwing in the towel on its print edition.
Employees at Sheri's Ranch say as lifelike as the experience may be, it will never replace the real thing.
Pamela Anderson will be the the last person to pose nude for Playboy, ending the magazine's more than 60 year publishing tradition.
The next phase in Playboy's massive brand transformation has officially begun.
According to one marketing expert, Playboy's rebranding strategy will require it to "spin straw into gold."
As part of a redesign unveiled next March, the print edition of Playboy will no longer feature fully nude women, the NYT reports.
MysteryVibe has all the characteristics of a winning startup, but finding funding was challenge, until the Rise Hong Kong tech conference.
Activists are campaigning against the sale of so-called sex robots, which may be "harmful and contribute to inequalities in society."
Avid Life Media announced Friday its CEO stepped down, effective Friday.


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Lucknow: These three graduates in their 20’s respond to years of struggle against poverty in a unique way.
They took up a daunting task of selling tea and earning reputation and recognition in the society through a trade which is otherwise gawked at as undignified and practiced by uneducated lot.
According to news published in Hindustan times, the tea- shop is located outside Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in the Uttar Pradesh capital with its signboard: ‘Graduate Chaiwale’ owned and managed by three brothers.
“Running my own business is a better idea than working for someone else. I couldn’t afford to start a big business, so I thought it would be better to start with a small one,” says 25-year-old Govind Tripathi, who started the tea stall in August.
Govind, the eldest of sibling after graduating in computer applications from IGNOU in 2012 worked at Lucknow-based call centres. But the pay wasn’t worth it, and not sufficient to meet family expenses.
“The degree was not of much help. For better jobs you need to know English, which we didn’t because of our background,” Govind says.
When his brothers — Madhav, 21 and 23-year-old Gopal—graduated from ASBD Memorial College in Hardoi this year, they also faced the similar fate.
“They were initially reluctant after I discussed the idea of a tea stall. But I convinced them, it was not a bad idea for financial stability,” Govind says.
With their small-scale entrepreneurship, they fetch around Rs 350-400 a day after abstracting material and operational costs.
The income is much more than what Govind used to get at call centres. “I was getting about Rs 5,000 a month. The workload was unbearable and salary irregular.”
The “Graduate” in the shop’s name point towards the brothers’ idea of making an effort to be different in a small-time business, regard as a stepping stone for big things.
The siblings now take turns to manage the shop. “When we have enough money, we will start a chain of tea stalls in the city,” says an optimistic Govind.


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Virgin Media is "actively exploring" plans to copy its US rival Cablevision in launching a nation wide Wi-Fi hotspot network in the UK. According to The Telegraph, Cablevision had rolled out its own Wi-Fi network in New York in partnership with TimeWarner for $300 million.
Microsoft has banned Call of Duty: Black Ops players from adorning their player logo with a swastika in player and team customisation on Xbox Live.
Kuwait has banned the use of Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras in public places for anyone who is not a journalist. The ban, which was passed by the unanimous agreement of the country’s Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Information and Ministry of Finance, prevents the public from using DSLR devices on the streets of the Middle Eastern State.
Google has donated $100,000 to a group campaigning to save papers written by UK codebreaker Alan Turing, which go on sale at Christies auction house today. According to THINQ, the papers written by the mathematician, who was responsible for breaking German codes in World War II, are expected to fetch £300,000 and £500,000.
Oprah Winfrey has named the iPad as her favourite thing of all time as the end of her famous 25 season-long chat show approaches. According to CNET, the iPad was unveiled as Oprah’s “ultimate” favourite thing to the audience in a theatrical scene, where the device was lowered from the ceiling adorned with a small pair of angel wings.


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Passion comes in many forms. For hundreds of visitors to Cuba this month, it's brown, rolled and good with brandy.
Cigar fanatics, deterred by neither money nor distance, travel across the world and pay thousands of dollars to experience the supreme stogie at its source. Those making the pilgrimage to Cuba for the annual Havana cigar festival say the smokes bring them pleasure, peace and, often, big bucks.
"This is my life," said Jimmy Ng, a Malaysian who left the travel business to become a cigar merchant some 10 years ago.
Ng, 46, spends most waking moments devoted to his new trade. He owns hundreds of books on cigars, and smokes from five to seven stogies a day.
At his La Casa Cubana in Singapore, he only sells Cuban cigars "I'm a purist," he says to a clientele that is 75 percent foreign, including officials and businessmen from Indonesia and Thailand.
Ng started smoking cigars when he was in his 20s, for "status" and to attract women. "But after five or six years, you get the right crowd, and you learn to really appreciate cigars from the brothers, the other aficionados," he said.
Ng, now married and a father, meets with a group of 30 friends every month in Singapore for a cigar dinner.
"Even with the SARS outbreak, there we were, still puffing away. We believe cigars actually give you immunities," he laughed.
Extolling such virtues is common among fanatics. Frenchman Guillaume Boudin says cigars helped him quit smoking cigarettes. He considers it a form of meditation.
"I know if I'm going to smoke a cigar, I have to take time to do it properly," he said. "It really clears my mind, and let's me come up with ideas and answers to problems."
The aficionados in Havana scoff at those who throw down large sums of money for cigars but don't know how to smoke them, reports AP.


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It said the response rate of these merchants’ overseas clients improved by 32 per cent when their business correspondence was polished by OKKI.
Alibaba International Digital Commerce (AIDC), the business group that operates retail and wholesale marketplaces including Lazada, AliExpress and Alibaba.com, has become one of the e-commerce giant’s fastest-growing units at a time when domestic retail sales have turned sluggish.
Alibaba.com, which is touted as “the leading business-to-business e-commerce platform for global trade”, has more than 200,000 merchants offering made-in-China products to markets around the world.
During the September quarter, the combined order growth of AIDC rose 28 per cent year on year, driven by solid performance from all major retail platforms. In the same quarter, this group’s revenue increased 53 per cent from a year ago.
Temu has expanded to more than 40 countries since last year’s launch in the US.


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The Management of Orange Liberia has announced the launch of the 2019 Orange Talents, which is a new major program to discover Liberia’s next big musician and fashion designer. The announcement was made at the company’s head office on Capital Bypass on January 30th.
Mr. Noel Chateau, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for Orange Liberia said the Orange Talent was being held as part of the company’s ongoing effort to empower young Liberians by discovering new talents and giving them the support and exposure needed to reach the next level. “We know that there are a lot of amazing talents in Liberia and so we want to use this platform to expose those talents and give them an opportunity to make a big entrance on the national stage,” said Mr. Chateau who went on to say that the Orange Talents was opened to young people between the ages of 18 – 35 from the fifteen counties. “The participation of young people from every county is very important to us,” Mr. Chateau concluded.
The music component of the competition is being organized by Billikon Entertainment, which was represented by its Chief Executive Officer Mr. Lyee Bility while the fashion component is being spearheaded by the House of Fashion also represented by its Chief Executive Officer Mrs. Courage James Sackie. Both Executives welcomed the partnership with Orange Liberia and said that it would have a significant impact on Liberia’s music and fashion industries.
For his part, Mr. Bility highlighted that auditions would take place in five locations ahead of the finale in Monrovia. He pointed out that auditions would take place at the YMCA Gym in Monrovia on March 8th and 9th, at the Methodist Gym in Ganta on March 22nd and 23rd, at the Gboveh High School in Gbarnga on April 5th and 6th, at the City Cinema in Kakata on April 19th and 20th and at Elizabeth Village in Buchanan on May 3rd and 4th. The Grand Finale will be held on May 18th in Monrovia with one winner walking away with a cash prize of US$1,000 and the production and marketing for a new album. Each two days of audition and concert would give the chance to applicants to demonstrate their talents and win their ticket to the Grand Finale, sharing the stage with renowned artists.
Mrs. Sackie explained that the fashion component would have one audition on the 30th of March at Courage Fashion shop, TM Mall, Mamba Point in Monrovia. Once that audition will have been completed, qualified candidates would participate in a series of elimination rounds leaving 5 finalists who would design a collection for a fashion show scheduled to take place at TM Mall in Monrovia on June 1st. “For many of these young people, it will be the first time for their designs to be included as part of a major fashion show, and that alone is an incredible achievement.” She noted that one winner would walk away with a grand prize of US$1,000 as well as the chance to have their products displayed and sold at the House of Fashion.
Mr. Chateau explained that participants interested in joining the competition may submit their application online at http://www.orange.com.lr/OrangeTalents or by calling the Orange hotline for free by dialing 111 and informing the representative that they wanted to have and application filled to participate in the 2019 Orange Talents.


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I recently read a number of articles dealing with the tipping habits of Millennials. Most were in agreement that they are “stingy,” to say the least. The first article referenced here was written by Betsey Guzior, Bizwomen engagement editor, and the other by Riley Griffin of Bloomberg. Both referred to a recent survey conducted by CreditCards.com.
Ms. Guzior set the stage with her opening comments: “When it comes to tipping, Millennials are the worst!” She went on say:
“According to a new survey by CreditCards.com, 10 percent of Millennials say they leave nothing for a tip when dining at a restaurant, compared to just 3 percent of other age groups. Sixty-three percent of Millennials between the ages of 18 and 37 tip less than 20 percent at restaurants. When given a choice of pre-entered tipping options, 14 percent of Millennials pick the lowest one or none at all.”
She also confirmed a fact that I have known and written about for years: Diners are happier when they can tip. Here again, the mood factor plays a major significance in tipping.
Ms. Guzior reported: “But the survey offers some insight into the Millennial mindset. Many would prefer to do away with tips altogether and have a service charge included in the cost of their meals. About 27 percent of Millennials say they favor that option to the existing system. And, CreditCards.com notes that diners with more money tend to tip more. Young adults as a whole have lower incomes than people who are further along in their careers.”
Mr. Griffin pointed out that: “Older, more educated Americans are the most generous. U.S. millennials are quick to whip out their wallets for pricey avocado toast and craft beer. But when it comes to rewarding waiters and bartenders who serve them, those wallets stay closed.”
He went on to say: “And those millennials who do tip at restaurants tend to leave a median gratuity of 15 percent, less than the overall average. Gen-Xers, baby boomers and the oldest Americans, the so-called Silent Generation, are more generous, leaving between 18 and 20 percent.
“The study was conducted for CreditCards.com by market-research firm GfK, which gathered data last month [May 2018] from 1,000 Americans aged 18 and older. Millennials were defined as between the ages of 18 and 37.
“Beyond those poor waiters, taxi drivers and baristas fared even worse with their millennial customers. Apparently even the suggestion that a tip is expected puts some of these young people off. Eighteen percent of millennials surveyed said they typically decline to leave any amount when presented with pre-entered tipping options—say, if they’re in a taxi or taking a Lyft or Uber.
“Why are these American youths, many of whom work in tip-reliant industries, so cheap? The answer may be economic. ‘Millennials’ financial struggles are a big reason they tip less,’ Matt Schulz, CreditCards.com senior industry analyst, said in an interview.
“But twenty- and thirty-somethings aren’t the only skinflint demographic. Men, southerners, westerners, parents with young children, lower earners and the less educated said they tip less in restaurants than the overall median of 18 percent, according to the study.
Who, then, leaves the largest tips?
“The study found people who are college educated, over the age of 65, from the Northeast and Midwest, and women all reported leaving a median of 20 percent—an above average tip.”
Over the years, I have viewed many surveys dealing with Millennials, but only one has described in detail the results of a study by the research firm of Harmon Group, for the United States Potato Board. While the study focused on how this group ordered and prepared potatoes, it also gave us a look at eating. The study, taken online, consisted of 2,000 participants. I found the information very helpful in understanding their preferences, and you might agree. After all, they do continue to represent one of the largest groups of the eating-out populace.
- 55 percent prefer communal tables at restaurants.
- 68 percent ask friends before selecting a restaurant.
- 87 percent will splurge on a nice meal even when money is tight.
- 40 percent will order something different every time they eat in a restaurant.
- Millennials eat out most frequently at lunch.
- They tend to eat four meals a day, at nontraditional times of the day.
- 30 percent eat foods that are certified organic (as compared to 21 percent of Gen Xers and 15 percent of boomers).
- They prefer whole foods over processed foods.
- They will spend more on ethically sourced meats and farm-to-table experiences.
- 80 percent want to know more about how their food was grown.
- The food companies among Millennials’ top most trusted brands are Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Ben & Jerry’s, and In-N-Out Burger.
When reviewing additional surveys dealing with restaurant consumers in general, I’ve found the following is almost universal. When asked what is most important when choosing food, in general, the top-scoring attribute was “good value for the money,” at 36 percent. Good value was also a top scorer when respondents were asked what is most important when choosing food from a restaurant. Thirty-nine percent said “value matters most.” In a few words, this is what Millennials want: Meals that are fun and exciting, yet natural and unprocessed; convenient and fast/easy, yet healthy; and of high quality, yet affordable.
Don’t we all?


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Hi-Rez Studios is hosting their annual Hi-Rez Expo event in Atlanta, Georgia this week, and are giving fans a good reason to watch the action unfold on Twitch. The developer announced today that fans who watch the SMITE and Paladins championships on Amazon’s popular streaming service will be able to get special loot drops. To be eligible, players will have to link their Hi-Rez and Twitch accounts over on the studio’s official website.
Twitch Prime subscribers will also be able to get an exclusive skin for one of SMITE‘s most popular Gods. Players that pony up for a Twitch Prime subscription will be able to claim an exclusive JT-6000 skin for Janus, the Roman god of beginnings. That’s not all, as the studio is also planning to give subscribers “additional rewards to be announced at HRX that will become available later in January.”
Here’s the full line-up of events that will be going on at the Hi-Rez Expo 2017 (description courtesy of Hi-Rez Studios):
- WORLD-CLASS ESPORTS: This year’s Hi-Rez Expo rings in the new year with more competitive esports than any previous Hi-Rez event. Twenty-two teams from across the world converge in Atlanta to determine the SMITE PC World Champion, the SMITE Console World Champion and the Paladins $150,000 HRX Invitational winner. Full details for each championship are at esports.smitegame.com and esports.paladins.com.
- COMMUNITY COSPLAY CONTEST: This year’s annual HRX Cosplay Contest features $15,000 in prizes across multiple categories. Judging occurs on Saturday, Jan. 7, with the winners presented on the main stage between the first and second SMITE PC semifinal.
- SPECIAL GAME REVEALS: Fans will learn about upcoming new content and events in SMITE, Paladins, and SMITE Tactics, as well as other things coming from Hi-Rez Studios.
- EXPO HALL: The HRX Expo Hall will feature playable versions of never-before-seen content across Hi-Rez’s games, as well as partner booths, meet-and-greets and more!
Those that are unable to make it to the sold out event in Atlanta, Georgia can also watch a viewing party of the grand finals of the SMITE PC World Championship on Sunday, January 8. Select Cinemark Theatres locations will be holding viewings at 5 PM EST. Showings can be found here.
PlayStation LifeStyle will have more on the Hi-Rez Expo, which begins Thursday, January 5 and ends Sunday, January 8, as we’re covering the event live from Atlanta, Georgia.


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Microsoft Fined $731 Million by EU Over Browser AccordAoife White
Microsoft Corp. was fined 561 million euros ($731 million) by European Union regulators for violating the terms of a settlement to give users a choice of web browsers aside from its Internet Explorer.
Today’s fine -- about 1 percent of the company’s 2012 revenues -- brings to 2.24 billion euros the penalties imposed on Microsoft in its EU antitrust clashes over the past decade, including an initial 899 million-euro fine for failing to obey an order to share data with competitors.
The world’s largest software maker agreed in 2009 to offer access to other browsers as a part of a settlement to repair its relationship with the bloc’s regulators. The company said last July it only learned that month that it didn’t offer its browser choice software on some 28 million computers running Windows 7 Service Pack 1, or 10 percent of the computers that should have received it.
“This is a big fine, but it’s a big company and a sophisticated company that made a commitment and they failed to honor it,” said Charles Whiddington, a lawyer at Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP in London. “Commitments are really important to the commission because they lubricate the efficiency of its policing of the rules.”
Microsoft took “full responsibility for the technical error that caused this problem and have apologized for it,” the company said in an e-mailed statement.
“We provided the commission with a complete and candid assessment of the situation, and we have taken steps to strengthen our software development and other processes to help avoid this mistake -- or anything similar -- in the future,” Microsoft said.
The Redmond, Washington-based company fell 1.3 percent to $27.98 at 12:02 p.m. in New York.
Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer’s yearly bonus was cut last year to $620,000, partly as a result of the company’s browser problems with the EU and also due to the disappointing performance of its online services unit.
Microsoft ended more than 10 years of EU antitrust investigations with its 2009 pledge to give consumers who bought personal computers using its software a choice of the 12 most widely used browsers to install in addition to, or instead of, Internet Explorer. The company told regulators in December 2011 that it was complying with its commitment to display a browser-choice screen to Windows operating system users. The new fine marks the first time a company has been sanctioned for failing to stick to the terms of a legally binding settlement.
EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said regulators were “more naive than today” in letting Microsoft monitor its own compliance. In the future, the EU will detail what they expect from a trustee appointed to monitor a settlement and check reports more carefully, he said.
“I hope this decision will make companies think twice,” Almunia told reporters today. “We trusted in the reports about the compliance.”
Google Inc. is negotiating its own settlement with EU regulators to end a probe into claims it discriminates against competitors in its search results. Microsoft, the operator of the Bing search engine, is one of several companies that have complained about Google’s behavior. Almunia said last month that an accord could be finalized later this year.
The penalty is the fourth levied on Microsoft since it was fined 497 million euros in 2004 for abusing its position as the world’s largest supplier of desktop software to hinder rivals for server and media programs. It was fined 280.5 million euros in 2006 and another 899 million euros in 2008 for not supplying interoperability information to server rivals on fair terms.
The 899 million-euro penalty was reduced to 860 million euros by the EU’s General Court last year. That fine is only exceeded by a 1.06 billion-euro sanction against Intel Corp. which is also being challenged in court.
Mozilla Corp. General Counsel Harvey Anderson said in an October blog post that daily downloads of his company’s Firefox browser fell by 63 percent prior to Microsoft fixing the browser-choice issue and that the company may have lost as many as 9 million potential downloads as a result of the glitch.
Microsoft was also warned by the EU last year to modify how it presents Internet Explorer in Windows 8 to avert another antitrust clash.
Google’s Chrome was the most popular web browser globally in February, with 37 percent of market share, according to statistics from web analytics firm StatCounter. Microsoft’s Internet Explorer followed with 30 percent, while Mozilla’s Firefox accounted for just over a fifth of users.


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After weeks of investors speculating a merger, Churchill Capital IV (CCIV) has confirmed a deal with Lucid Motors. However, the CCIV SPAC's (special purpose acquisition company) stock plunged after the announcement. As part of the transaction, Lucid will receive $4.4 billion, including a $2.5 billion PIPE (private investment in public equity). What are the details of the PIPE in Lucid, and did CCIV investors get a raw deal?
Almost all SPAC mergers involve a PIPE, to which a group of well-known investors or accounts managed by leading fund managers commit money subject to the deal's closure. The PIPE investors buy at the IPO price, which is around $10 per share in most cases.
Lucid Motors' PIPE deal
The CCIV SPAC has broken the tradition of PIPEs, instead pricing it at a 50 percent premium to the IPO price of $10. The price is also a massive discount to what CCIV stock was trading at on Feb. 22, at less than a third of CCIV's price.
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Lucid Motors' largest shareholder, has also committed funds to the PIPE. It was joined in the PIPE by funds and accounts managed by Fidelity Management & Research, BlackRock, Neuberger Berman, Franklin Templeton, Wellington Management, and Winslow Capital Management.
As part of the deal, the PIPE investors' lock-in period is Sept. 1, 2021, or the date when PIPE shares are registered—whichever is the latest. While CCIV has touted it as the biggest PIPE deal ever, CCIV shareholders may be left with the short end of the stick.
The deal vales Lucid Motors at a premium
The merger with CCIV values Lucid Motors at an implied pro forma equity value of $24 billion. According to Reuters, as of Feb. 22, Lucid had a market capitalization of $64 billion. After the merger, the combined entity will trade under the ticker symbol “LCID.”
In contrast, Chinese premium EV (electric vehicle) maker NIO has a market capitalization of around $80 billion. And General Motors, which plans to sell only EVs by 2035, has a market cap of around $75 billion.
Is Lucid Motors overvalued in the CCIV merger?
Lucid isn't making revenue at this point, and it's not until later this year that it plans to deliver its Lucid Air model to customers. In comparison, NIO delivers over 7,000 cars per month and had cumulatively delivered almost 83,000 EVs up until January 2021.
While many compare Lucid Motors to Tesla, the companies target different customer segments. Also, Tesla’s market capitalization is almost $700 billion. It delivered nearly half a million cars in 2020 and expects its deliveries to rise 50 percent annually in the near future. The company is sustainably profitable and has generated consistent positive free cash flow.
In its investor presentation, Lucid said that it expects to become EBITDA-positive by 2024 and free cash flow–positive by 2025. By 2026, it foresees its EBITDA rising to $2.9 billion, and expects free cash flow of $1.5 billion.
The company expects to deliver 20,000 cars in 2022 and forecasts that figure rising to 251,000 by 2026. According to Lucid, its Arizona facility is capable of producing 365,000 units annually once it starts operating at scale.
All said, after the news of the PIPE being priced at a discount to CCIV and the massive valuation the merger has allotted to Lucid, we’re seeing a sell-off in CCIV stock. The stock was trading near $37 at 8 a.m. ET on Feb. 23, down 35 percent in premarket hours.


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The collaboration to combat low user awareness and rising e-commerce threats in China is officially launched, garnering 23 million users since its pilot deployment in January.
Apple has shown that having control over the hardware and software has its advantages, and BlackBerry once demonstrated that same success. Can this same model be applied to Android and Windows Phone?
Silicon Valley is turning to Hadoop to tackle big data, and Intel is attempting to get involved at ground level through integration on its chips.
The number of Apple Stores worldwide is lagging behind the booming sales at the company, an analyst has said.
They are powerfully intelligent, expensive and rare. You could argue that they don't even exist. So why does every business executive think they need one?
Mozilla's Firefox OS, shown off at Mobile World Congress, is gaining traction with operators, particularly those in emerging markets, but what does the future hold for the platform?
Android is the platform that isn't. There are a lot of players, but lump all of the Android phones and tablets together and Samsung still beats them all.
Microsoft and developers continue to fill the Windows Phone Store with a selection of apps, and they are seeing record downloads from consumers.
Oracle no doubt got the bang for the big bucks it paid for MySQL via its Sun acquisition. But the original developers of MySQL won't let it die and as developers and customers begin to defect to their increasingly popular MySQL Fork -- MariaDB.
SumAll offers an analytics dashboard for organizations struggling to get their arms around their social data.
The success of Samsung in the Android ecosystem is causing worries within Google, according to a report.
Data breaches top the list, up from No. 5 just two years ago, in Cloud Security Alliance report.
Developers are working to bring the Ubuntu Touch operating system to more than 20 varieties of smartphone and tablet.
In a nutshell, Engine Yard is aiming to allow developers to focus on building cloud applications by abstracting infrastructure platforms.
Microsoft is releasing to the Web the final version of IE10 for Windows 7 in 95 languages worldwide.
Based on a study of 2,000 office workers, Steelcase has identified nine new postures invented by our mobile devices. What do you call how you're sitting right now?
Samsung and Visa are promoting NFC as a mobile payment technology, but there are still a lot of obstacles to tackle before it becomes a mass-market proposition.
Are we a mobile first society? And, if so, how are developers keeping pace with the shift? Looking at recent data, Jeffrey Hammond is worried that development teams are not prepared .


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A Newport News company whose bread-and-butter is developing high-tech wound-healing products had two major announcements in February, including receiving substantial funding that could help it capture a share of the defense industry in addition to its pursuits in the consumer realm.
Soluble Systems LLC announced it received $800,000 in federal funding to conduct a clinical study of its flagship product, TheraGauze.
Congress approved the funding from the 2010 Defense Appropriations Bill with the hope that TheraGauze can be proven to be a successful new battlefield wound dressing.
TheraGauze, which the company manufactures in Hampton, is a complex piece of gauze that has the ability to sense and respond to moisture within a wound. If part of a wound needs less moisture, the product can absorb it. If part of the same wound needs extra moisture to promote healing, the gauze helps produce that moisture, jump-starting or speeding up the healing process. The company calls this its proprietary Skin Moisture Rebalancing Technology.
The science behind TheraGauze came to be in the late '90s when Dr. Guy Levy, a local dentist, now the company's chief technology officer, secured a patent for a polymer intended to help combat dry mouth in Levy's dental patients.
Levy and attorney Allan Staley, now the company's president, "ultimately discovered [the polymer] had a lot more attributes than originally anticipated," Staley said.
Without getting into its patented chemical specifics, the polymer seems to magically know how to handle moisture in a wound. From there a wound-care dressing was developed and the two brought in CEO Kerry McCarter, a former Johnson & Johnson exec.
Finally in late 2007, after raising $5.9 million, Soluble Systems was able to bring TheraGauze to market. It's manufactured in a high-tech clean room in the facilities of the Arc of the Virginia Peninsula, a group that helps put individuals with developmental and other disabilities to work.
In addition to studying its moisture capabilities, one of the goals of the Department of Defense-funded study will be to further confirm the product's ability to deliver antibiotics to a wound, particularly serious wounds and infections seen in battle.
The study will take place at multiple sites including Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Harvard Medical School, Johns Hopkins Medical Center and The University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
The study will begin later this year and will run for about two years, Staley said, and more funding will be sought from DOD to supplement the initial $800,000. It sought $4 million for the study initially.
The other big news for Soluble Systems came when it received notice that it was granted trademark protection on its skin graft product known as TheraSkin.
TheraSkin refers to cryogenically preserved grafts of human skin that are applied to wounds that are not healing properly. The technology behind this product provides important skin elements such as cytokines and collagen to and around the wound to jump-start the healing process.
TheraSkin was launched in 2009 after the company secured a partnership with Virginia Beach-based organ procurer LifeNet for its supply of human skin.
"We were looking to expand our product line and wanted to create a synergistic product expansion," Staley said. "[TheraGauze and TheraSkin] work together as part of the wound solution."
That combination of products, and a few more undisclosed Thera-brand ideas up its sleeve, gives Soluble Systems reason to be excited for the future.
The company employs 22 workers, including a sales force that calls on 10 major markets all over the U.S.
It is approaching $1 million in annualized sales, Staley said, with a target of just under $2 million in total sales for 2010.
It's in the midst of raising a second round of private capital, some of which will come from local investors, though its track record now allows it to look elsewhere for funding.
The money will be used to expand its sales efforts into 20 markets with 65 sales reps over the next five years.
Its biggest challenge, Staley said, remains competing with its multinational competitors and getting the Thera-brand and Soluble Systems names out there. The market in which TheraGauze competes is ripe with competition. TheraSkin, however, has just two main competitors, Staley said, both of which use bioengineered tissue rather than actual human skin.
TheraGauze has been plugged into the industry distribution chain and is available to consumers by the box or the case with a prescription.
A 2-inch-by-2-inch piece of the gauze runs about $8. The price goes up for larger versions.
Soluble Systems hopes to one day sell TheraGauze as an over-the-counter product.
It has been selling TheraSkin to customers such as VA hospitals since the fall.
The big question - what's the end game for Soluble Systems?
The biotechnology industry is a frontier for venture capital, acquisition or even going public.
For now, "we're looking to grow a company - to build a company here in Virginia," Staley said. "We'd like to employ more than 22 people."
Availability of private capital and a disdain toward public offerings will keep an IPO off the table for now, he said.
"It truly is an exciting opportunity to build this company and help the patient population to heal better and faster," Staley said, "and ultimately provide a solid return for our investors." nib


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Apple Podcast subscriptions pushed to June
Apple announced the Apple Podcast subscriptions during their Spring Loaded event in April this year. This update to the Podcast app is expected to “freshen things up” for both the creators and the listeners. Apple announced three tiers for the new Apple Podcast subscriptions for the users - Free, Freemium (you pay for additional content and benefits), and Paid.
The new subscriptions were scheduled to be available to users by May, and pricing for each subscription was to be set by creators and billed monthly by default, or annually. Apple announced that it was going to offer its Podcasters program to creators for ₹1,799 per year (price for Indian podcasters) and creators can enroll in the Apple Podcasters Program through Apple Podcasts Connect. And subscribers would be able to share their subscriptions with family and friends, as their plan allowed.
Now, there seems there is going to be a delay. According to reports, Apple sent an email to its creators and also told The Verge in a statement that some of these changes they've made have not been well received and the company is currently taking feedback from iOS 14.6 into account for a future update. Apple also said that they have plans to update the ‘Library' interface of the Podcasts app over the coming weeks. Additionally, some creators have reportedly been experiencing issues uploading content through the Apple Podcasts Connect portal.
Thanks to these changes, Apple has decided that they are going to delay the launch till next month to “ensure” that they deliver “the best experience for creators and listeners”.


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- Experts in the cryptocurrency field have made predictions that foresee the value of Bitcoin going over US$100,000 by 2023, with some even seeing us on the brink of higher value jumps by January 2022, making holding and use by the general public more tempting
- The cost and speed of completing transactions has been a problem when conducting business on the traditional blockchain, but the Lightning Network has reduced the fees and wait times for settlement
- LQwD launched its Lightning Network PaaS offering on November 17, aiming to hep more users complete crypto-based transactions instantly, securely, and inexpensively worldwide
The interest in Bitcoin has skyrocketed since the beginning of 2021, making it a hot topic among investors and popular culture. Even U.S. government officials and the Biden administration have expressed interest in new cryptocurrency regulations (https://ccw.fm/pjMab). It does not matter what the public’s personal opinion is of cryptocurrency – it is becoming more mainstream each day. Recently, El Salvador adopted Bitcoin as the official currency, a move made effective in September with the Bitcoin Law. And companies like LQwD FinTech (TSX.V: LQWD) (OTCQB: LQWDF) are working hard towards increasing Bitcoin adoption, making cryptocurrency transactions faster and more affordable for everyone.
The price of Bitcoin depends on the influence of specific economic factors – scarcity, mainstream adoption, regulation, and mining cycles. In recent weeks, the value of…
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to LQWDF are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ccw.fm/LQWDF
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Heave a sigh of relief, Bay Area residents. The Khapra beetle, an invasive and "extremely destructive" arthropod, has been foiled -- for now -- in its evil designs upon the human race's grain silos by agents with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
In a news release today, CBP announced that a team of its agriculture specialists had detected live larvae of the beetle -- "considered one of the world's most destructive pests of grain products and seeds" in a shipment of rice coming into Oakland from Pakistan.
Left to its own devices, the Khapra, which is native to India, can
reportedly eat its way through up to 70 percent of grain stores to which
it has access. It was eradicated in the U.S. in 1966, and has been
subject to federal quarantine since then.
The larvae themselves aren't easy to recognize. "The diligent effort required in spotting this pest is underscored by the fact that the specimens are extremely small, and they were nestled in among a container full of palletized goods," Richard Vigna, San Francisco director of field operations for CBP, said in a statement.
Forget giant, mutant insects. It's the little guys you have to worry about. Way to justify that budget, Homeland Security.
Follow us on Twitter at @SFWeekly and @TheSnitchSF


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One of the major selling points of Sony’s upcoming next-generation console is that it will drastically reduce load times, which should improve the experience for fans.
We already knew Sony would be moving to an SSD-based memory system for the PlayStation 5 console.
By using this system Sony hopes to achieve their “no loading times” promise, which fans are very excited about.
And it appears that the massive global tech company Samsung could be the one to deliver the PS5 speed boost.
The tech firm revealed at its Samsung SSD forum in Tokyo this month that they are working on a new NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) SSD which will be installed on a games console which is being released in 2020.
At the time of writing, Samsung has yet to say which console this new NVWe SSD will be used in. However, a slide show which was shown during the forum featured an image of a DualShock 4.
Make of that what you will.
The loading time comparisons between a hard drive, an SSD and a NVMe SSD was also shown.
It showed load times with a NVMe SSD would be reduced by more than a third when loading games or booting up hardware.
While it hasn’t been officially confirmed Samsung will deliver the SSD, we know Sony will be using it.
In April, PS5 architect Mark Cerny said the console’s SSD would be a “true game changer”.
And Sony has already shown off how quickly the PS5 can load PS4 games.
Marvel’s Spider-Man took less than a second (0.083 to be precise) to load. This takes about eight seconds to load on PS4 Pro.
If you want to see exactly what that would look like, check the video in the tweet above.
Want to know more about the upcoming PS5? You can read more about the PS5 release date and price .
And another leak seemed to give us a first-look at the PS5 controller pad .


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KTM India is all set to raise the benchmark once again when the new generation Duke range arrives in the country later this week. While the 2017 KTM 390 Duke will be miles ahead of its predecessor; the 2017 200 Duke will also see significant updates and was recently caught testing on Indian roads just days ahead of its launch. The new generation Duke range will be officially launched in the country on 23rd February.
While the camouflaged test mule shares little about the new model, the new 2017 KTM 200 Duke will see major upgrades. The styling takes inspiration from the Super Duke R with the sharp fuel tank and revised headlamp. Unlike the 390 Duke though, the 200 does not get a full LED headlamp cluster and instead uses a halogen bulb with integrated LED DRLs. The Trellis frame has been tweaked with a new rear subframe and the seating has been contoured for better comfort.
The 2017 200 Duke gets the Super Duke R inspired styling
Much like the new RCs, we expect the new and more comfortable cushioning on the new 200 Duke, with a slight increase in the seat height. Interestingly, the digital instrument cluster from the existing Duke range continues on the new 200 as well; whereas the 390 Duke will be getting a larger LCD screen with phone mirroring tech.
Other smaller yet significant changes on the 2017 KTM 200 Duke include the tank mounted ignition key, RC style grab rails for the pillion rider, wider rearview mirrors, improved ground clearance thanks to the new side-mounted exhaust, which replaces the underbelly unit seen on the outgoing model. A new saree guard is also part of the changes.
With respect to the powertrain, the 199.5 cc single-cylinder will continue to power the 2017 KTM 200 Duke. The motor, which is now BS IV compliant, makes the same 24 bhp of power and 19.2 Nm of torque, paired to a 6-speed gearbox. The refinement levels, however, will be better than the current model. Also, a change is expected in the weight of the model that will affect the power-to-weight ratio of the bike. The bike will continue with the MRF Revz tyres at the front and rear that offer appreciable grip. ABS, on the other hand, won't be seen time either.
Coming to the pricing, the 2017 KTM 200 Duke will see a marginal hike in numbers owing to the limited changes, which should keep the Austrian bike maker's entry-level model affordable for most. More details on the complete new Duke range will be available on 23rd February, so make sure to keep watch this space for all the updates.
Spy Image Source: Motoroids.com


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As people all over Ireland get the last of their Christmas shopping done, Gardai have warned consumers to avoid buying counterfeit goods.
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Gardai have seized thousands of counterfeit products over the last few weeks, as unscrupulous traders seek to benefit from unquestioning and uninformed consumer choices.
Speaking on Wednesday, Sergeant Michael Walsh stated: 'In recent weeks, An Garda Siochana have seized thousands of of counterfeit goods, including mobile phones and gaming consoles.
'These items we believe were potentially destined for Christmas markets and online selling sites such as DoneDeal.
'If you are offered any such items for sale, we urge you to stop and think. If an offer is too good to be true, it usually is.'
The Galway sergeant continued: 'Counterfeit products have no warranty, and therefore you lose all your consumer rights; there are no safety standards, including fire safety; and you are supporting criminality.
Don't buy counterfeit goods this Christmas - Advice from Sergeant Michael Walsh, Galway pic.twitter.com/Ds1FgDbb0P
— Garda Info (@gardainfo) December 16, 2020
'Don't ruin your Christmas: choose trusted, reputable traders for all your Christmas shopping.'
The stark warning from An Garda Siochana comes after the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) destroyed over 50,000 counterfeit toys deemed dangerous and unsuitable for purchase.
The CCPC warned members of the public to remain vigilant to fraudulent goods, advising consumers to stick to reputable traders and to ensure that all products bear quality and safety standard assurances.
The CCPC urged particular caution when it comes to buying presents, especially toys, for young children, as unregulated goods can present fire safety risks and choking hazards.


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Great news for London fans of Patrick Wolf - the innovative performer has confirmed a large-scale show on the city's South Bank next spring. The Queen Elizabeth Hall will host a concert on 6th April 2013, a few weeks after Wolf's previously-announced UK tour winds up.
Set to be a show on the grandest of scales, given the venue's space, tickets will be in huge demand. We will have them on sale from 9am on Wednesday 21st November, priced at £17.50/ £22.50.
The earlier UK leg of the European tour also includes Oxford on 4th February, followed by Norwich, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Wolverhampton (of course) and Southampton on the 13th - all on sale now.
In addition to this and his tour next year (details below), Wolf will be performing a short set at an in-store signing session at Rough Trade East near Brick Lane on 5th December. It's free but it WILL be busy - you'll need to have visited the store in advance to pick up a wristband when buying the new Patrick Wolf album "Sundark and Riverlight".
For the past decade Wolf, christened Patrick Apps, has been 'pushing boundaries' and 'crossing barriers', steering his flamboyant ship from port to port, unleashing a mix of electronic, folk and tech-pop that has, for the most part, captivated a loyal legion of fans. Last year's "Lupercalia" vaulted Wolf into the Top 40 but, typical of the man, he's eschewed the restrictions of a major-label for his most recent project.
"Sundark and Riverlight" is a stripped-back round-up of previously issued songs and brand new tracks and has been the topic of his most recent shows since its release earlier in the autumn. Already his most imminent shows have almost sold out - just Glasgow on 25th November and Brighton on 11th December remain available - so next year's schedule should follow suit.


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RETAIL CENTER SELLS FOR $4.35 MILLION IN CORAL SPRINGS, FLA.
CORAL SPRINGS, FLA. — Drew Kristol and Kirk Olson of Marcus & Millichap's Miami office represented a Miami-based company in the disposition of the Gardens of Miami Center. Located on Miami Gardens Drive in Miami, the 52,670-square-foot shopping center sold for $4.35 million. The two-story center was 50 percent occupied at the time of closing. The buyer was not released.