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DAD Oliver Dale claims he has found the world’s longest chip — a seven-inch whopper.
The 37-year-old was making chicken and chips for his dinner when the monster dropped out of the packet.
He said: “It was absolutely massive. I turned to the missus and said, ‘Have a look at the size of this’. We were both laughing.
“I decided to measure it just for a giggle. It was seven inches long.
“I even measured it against a banana and my head. It was as big as the plate.”
Pension manager Oliver, from York, took snaps of his find before sticking it in the oven on Tuesday.
He added: “It was a pity to eat it. But that one chip alone pretty much filled me up.”
Dad-of-two Oliver said he bought the £2.29 bag of McCain frozen oven chips from Asda near his home.
He now wants to find out if his chip really is a world-beater.
The Guinness World Records states the largest chip was made in October 2018 by Chandresh Bayad in Gujarat, India, and it weighed 24lb 4oz.
But, unlike Oliver’s, that chip was moulded and not from a packet. There is no known record for the longest chip.
In McCain’s hit ad campaign We Are Family, its narrator — Royle Family actor Ricky Tomlinson — says: “It’s differences that make a family.”
Mark Hodge, marketing director at McCain, said: “Wow, that is a big chip.
MOST READ IN UK NEWS
“Looks like we over-delivered this time for Oliver but we’re glad to have brought so much joy to his plate.
“As a family business, we know families come in all shapes and sizes. It seems the same goes for our chips.”
McCain, founded in Canada in 1957, is the UK’s largest purchaser of British potatoes, buying 15 per cent of the annual potato crop and working with 250-plus growers.
- GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL firstname.lastname@example.org


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US mega franchise Madden is unsurprisingly the biggest seller in the US last month.
According to NPD, Over 1.8m copies of the American football title has been sold across PS3 and Xbox 360, a growth of almost six per cent compared to 2009.
"Madden NFL 2011 once again made August ‘Madden Month’ at retail," said NPD analyst Anita Frazier.
"The title was the best-selling game for the month combining sales of the five platforms it was released on, and bested the second best-selling game by a significant margin.
"Last August, we didn’t see as big of a sales gap between the first and second best-selling games. After Madden NFL ’10 last year, we had both Wii Sports Resort, and Batman Arkham Asylum, which both sold over 500K units in August 2009. This year the top 10 games sold 3.3 million units as opposed to 4.1 million for the top 10 last year."
The No.1 console platform for the month was Xbox 360.
Microsoft’s machine shifted 356,700 units last month, closely followed by Nintendo DS with 342,700 consoles sold. 244,300 units of Wii was shifted during August, while PS3 sales currently sit at 226,000. PSP is once again the weakest seller with 79,400 handhelds sold.
"The Xbox 360 was the top-selling hardware system for the second consecutive month, and the top-selling console system for the third consecutive month," added Frazier.
"While the system achieved significant year-over-year gains, sales softened versus what occurred in July. That said, with Halo: Reach coming to market next week, if hardware sales react in a similar fashion to what was experienced when Halo 3 was launched in September 2007, September could be a huge sales month for Xbox 360 hardware.
"The PS3 was the only current generation hardware system that realized a sales increase over July. The PS3 has now enjoyed 13 consecutive months of year-over year hardware sales increases and that momentum is reflected in the content and accessories categories as well.
"The Wii realized its lowest month since launch in hardware unit sales. With games like Wii Party or Disney Guilty Party which are fun family-oriented games that have worked so well for the Wii platform, we’ll see hardware unit sales increase."
Despite success for Madden and Xbox 360, it was a tough month for the US games industry. Hardware sales were down five per cent year-on-year while software sales were down 14 per cent compared to the year before.
The Full US Top Ten for August:
1: Madden NFL – Xbox 360
2: Madden NFL – PS3
3: Super Mario Galaxy 2 – Wii
4: Mafia II – 360
5: New Super Mario Bros – DS
6: New Super Mario Bros Wii – Wii
7: Mafia II – PS3
8: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – Xbox 360
9: NCAA Football 11 – Xbox 360
10: Wii Fit Plus – Wii
Software sales do not factor in pre-owned, digital downloads, rental, subscription or mobile sales.

domain: news


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Punitive damages are awards paid to a plaintiff exclusively for the purpose of punishing a defendant above and beyond paying for the financial costs and other harms suffered by the plaintiff. These damages are often awarded to prevent the specific defendant, or others who may be in a similar or analogous position, from repeating the type of behavior that led to the award of punitive damages.
Juries may be given the option to award punitive damages in certain personal injury, wrongful death, and medical malpractice cases when a plaintiff alleges that the defendant committed especially reprehensible behavior in causing the plaintiff’s injuries. For punitive damages to be awarded in these cases, a defendant must have not only been negligent but also behaved in a manner that warrants the additional punishment. These damages are rare but are not unheard of in certain types of cases.
Covering Up Knowledge of a Dangerous Product and Continuing to Market the Product Can Result in Punitive Damages
An example of the types of behaviors that justify punitive damages is illustrated by a recent jury verdict reached against the well-known health care products company Johnson & Johnson. A news article discussing the verdict explains that the jury found that Johnson & Johnson not only marketed a dangerous talc-based powder for women to use as a feminine care product, but also knew there was a high likelihood that the use of such powder on or near a woman’s genitals could result in ovarian cancer. The jury agreed that despite their knowledge of these risks, the company continued to market the product to women.


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Popular costume shop in Crystal Falls announces final season
CRYSTAL FALLS — After more than a decade, the costume rental shop in downtown Crystal Falls will be closing for good.
The Costume Closet has long been a one-stop store for members of the community seeking that perfect attire for Halloween, stage or special events.
“This will be the final season,” said volunteer manager Gloria Frederickson, who is retiring after 26 years.
A number of factors contributed to the decision, Frederickson said.
“The building is getting old and needs attention,” she said. She also recently lost her husband and son.
Costume Closet volunteer manager Gloria Frederickson shows a few of the pieces available for purchase. The shop will be selling Halloween costumes through the month, with items to be added to the sale in November.
“I feel it’s time for me to move downstate to be with my family,” she said.
With the pandemic and other situations, people are doing more of their shopping online, Frederickson added.
The costume rental business was established in 1995 as part of the Crystal Theatre. At that time, the volunteer-based, non-profit began collecting formal wear and robes for productions.
It initially was run from the theater’s basement, then moved to the second floor and what now is called Stage Left, Frederickson said. As the inventory grew, they opened at 304 Superior Ave. in 2008 after Jim Kunz donated the former drug store, allowing them proper space for the collection.
“I felt this type of service would be beneficial for the community,” she said. “It’s been great. We have been a part of so many things, not only Halloween — fashion shows, theatrical productions, biblical programs, school programs, Christmas skits and even weddings.”
The large, two-story building now houses hundreds of outfits, as well as thousands of accessories.
“We have it all — from head to toe and everything in between,” she said. “It’s astounding, what we have accumulated over the years.”
Since its start, the closet has specialized in creative costumes, many of them handmade and one of a kind.
“I have made many of the costumes myself,” Frederickson said. “Whatever people needed, I tried to help them out.”
These unique pieces now can be purchased. “Up until this point, we only rented to customers unless something absolutely needed to be sold,” she said.
The choices are endless when it comes to costumes — from classic clowns, witches, vampires, goblins to all the fictional and movie characters. There is even sections of classical, renaissance and foreign wardrobes.
The second floor primarily houses the children’s collection.
Sizes range from 1 to 14 for children, and from small to extra-large sizes for adults.
“Anything you can think of we probably have — just use your imagination,” she said. “When people walk in here for the first time they are amazed.”
Frederickson stressed that they have quality pieces, not the usual discount-store items.
Customers now will have to decide not just what they want to be this year but what to take for events to come.
“I hope it will be a fantastic, fun future for them,” she said.
At this time, only Halloween costumes will be sold, Frederickson said. Christmas costumes such as Santa, the Grinch and angels — as well as many wedding, fur and vintage items — will be available in November.
“There is just not enough room right now to get everything out,” Frederickson explained.
Pieces from Frederickson’s personal collection will be added as well.
They do have a lot of vintage clothing and accessories that are coming back in style, she noted.
“Volunteers will continue to sell items online after the shop closes,” she added.
Frederickson encourages theatrical programs or other non-profits to visit, as she would like to see the items go for future productions.
“The community has been so generous and supportive over the years,” she said. “I thank them for their kindness.”
After the building is cleared, the theater board will decide what will be done with the property.
Shoppers can visit the store from 1 to 6 p.m. Fridays, noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sunday and 1 to 6 p.m. through Oct. 31.
After Halloween, the shop will be open with limited hours in November; Frederickson said they will post hours before the November dates.
“I want to be done by Thanksgiving,” she said. “And I can give thanks to everyone for everything over the years — it’s never been work, it’s been fun.”


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Rovio is set to become a member of the Sega family.
Tag Games was one of the studios that Scopely had invested in in previous years. With the acquisition, more than 60 employees will join Scopely in Scotland.
Microsoft and Activision Blizzard has to prepare legal arguments until June 20.
The acquisition strengthens Entravision's presence in Spain, enabling the company to expand into the Turkish market.
Atari, one of the major console brands of the 80s, appeared to fade into oblivion for a while. However, the company’s latest acquisition of 12 classic arcade properties, including Berzerk and Frenzy, suggests that the old giant still has some moves to make.
Voicemod has announced the completion of its latest funding round, securing $14.5 million. The funds will be used to extend Voicemod’s industry position and acquire Voctrolabs.


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OnePlus announced last month that it would combine its product development department with OPPO to streamline it, but OxygenOS will stay. The latest information reveals that OxygenOS and ColorOS code will be combined to make them work better together.
Gary C, head of product at OxygenOS, said the two companies are in the process of integrating key code to work on both systems, so that in the future OPPO and OnePlus will work better together. and set a central standard for what the system should be able to do
The executives at both companies said the change would take place quietly. in the operating system code Users will not be affected or changed in any way. After this, BBK Electronics (OPP’s parent company) will make it easier to maintain the code of the mobile operating system.
This change in the operating system development process has resulted in major update changes for each mobile phone model. After this will change accordingly.
- Flagship lineups like the OnePlus 8 will receive at least three years of major updates. After that, security patches will be continued for another year. for a total period of 4 years
- Mid-range handsets such as OnePlus Nord, Nord CE will receive a big update for two years. And continue to update security for another year. For a total period of 3 years
- Budget mobile phones, such as the OnePlus Nord N, various models will receive a major update once. and security updates after another two years of major updates A total of three years


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Recent reports revealed that former Gov. Jeb Bush, in some advice he emailed to current Gov. Rick Scott, suggested Scott look into collecting state sales taxes from online transactions.
Florida misses out on at least $1 billion a year in sales taxes this way, according to groups that support efforts to begin collecting them. The numbers will only go up as more people shop online.
When Bush, who cut billions of dollars in state taxes during his two terms as governor, is open to collecting the sales tax for online purchases, that speaks volumes. Of course, Bush would use the additional revenues to cut other taxes. Fair enough.
“It seems to me there has to be a way to tax sales done online in the same way that sales are taxed in brick and mortar establishments,” Bush wrote to Scott. “My guess is that there would be hundreds of millions of dollars that then could be used to reduce taxes to fulfill campaign promises.”
I’m not sure what I think about this, but the fact is that Jeb Bush was a great and very conservative governor of Florida. And SC Gov. Nikki Hailey does agree with Jeb on this.


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Jet2 pushes back holiday start date due to travel uncertainty
A Tweet by the company linked to a notice saying: “Because of the continued uncertainty following the release of the Global Travel Taskforce framework, it is with a heavy heart that we have taken the decision to extend the suspension of flights and holidays up to and including 23rd June 2021.”
Customers with bookings will have their holidays automatically cancelled and be issued with a full refund.
Steve Heapy, Jet2 chief executive, said his firm had studied the Global Travel Taskforce’s framework and is “extremely disappointed at the lack of clarity and detail”.
He said: “After several weeks exploring how to restart international travel, with substantial assistance and input from the industry, the framework lacks any rigorous detail about how to get international travel going again. In fact, the framework is virtually the same as six months ago.
“Following the publication of the framework today, we still do not know when we can start to fly, where we can fly to and the availability and cost of testing. Rather than answering questions, the framework leaves everyone asking more.”
The government’s travel framework shows how travel could potentially resume from 17 May at the earliest.
A traffic light system will categorise countries based on risk alongside the restrictions required for travel. But which countries will be in which category is not yet known. All UK arrivals will need to take pre-departure and post-arrival Covid-19 tests.
The government’s plans were also criticised by Airlines UK, the industry body representing UK-registered carriers.
Tim Alderslade, CEO of Airlines UK, said: “This does not represent a reopening of travel as promised by ministers, and the insistence on expensive and unnecessary PCR testing rather than rapid testing – even for low-risk countries – will pose an unsustainable burden on passengers, making travel unviable and unaffordable for many people.
“It is also a further setback for an industry on its knees and the UK’s wider economic recovery, with many businesses and exporters reliant upon our domestic and international connectivity and a thriving aviation sector.
“All the evidence suggests you can reopen travel safely and in a risk-based manner with more proportionate measures, and we urge government to work with industry on a faster, cheaper and less complex solution.”


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Verizon iPhone Carries World-Mode 'Gobi' Chip From Qualcomm [Updated]
Repair firm iFixyouri has started taking apart the Verizon iPhone and 9 to 5 Mac notes that the device carries a Qualcomm "Gobi" MDM6600 wireless chip inside it, technically offering "world-mode" compatibility with both CDMA and GSM networks. iFixit is also performing one of its usual high-quality teardowns of the Verizon iPhone and has seen the same chip.
The MDM6600 supports
HSPA+ data rates of up to 14.4 Mbps, as well as CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rev. A/Rev. B. Apple of course has not included a SIM-card slot in the Verizon iPhone, and thus the device can not actually be used on GSM networks.
The use of the dual-mode chip in the Verizon iPhone does, however, increase the likelihood that Apple will use a similar solution in the fifth-generation iPhone and could thus offer a single model supporting both GSM and CDMA networks.
Update: iFixit's Kyle Wiens speculates that keeping separate CDMA and GSM devices for the time being may have made it easier for Apple when it comes to antenna design given the number of frequencies involved across the standards. The Motorola Droid Pro currently uses the same Qualcomm chip to offer both CDMA and GSM compatibility.
iFixit also notes that the vibrator on the Verizon iPhone has been redesigned and moved, yielding a "quieter, softer feel" with a less-jarring noise when the device is lying on a table.
Earlier this week, The Information's Wayne Ma outlined struggles that Apple has faced during the development of its long-rumored AR/VR headset. Now, in a follow-up report, he has shared several additional details about the wearable device. Apple headset render created by Ian Zelbo based on The Information reporting For starters, one of the headset's marquee features is said to be lifelike...
With around four months to go before Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 14 lineup, the overwhelming majority of rumors related to the new devices so far have focused on the iPhone 14 Pro, rather than the standard iPhone 14 – leading to questions about how different the iPhone 14 will actually be from its predecessor, the iPhone 13.
The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are expected...
Sony this week came out with an updated version of its popular over-ear noise canceling headphones, so we picked up a pair to compare them to the AirPods Max to see which headphones are better and whether it's worth buying the $400 WH-1000XM5 from Sony over Apple's $549 AirPods Max.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. First of all, the AirPods Max win out when it comes ...
Apple now plans to release a new 27-inch display with mini-LED backlighting in October due to the Shanghai lockdown, which has resulted in production of the display being delayed, according to display industry consultant Ross Young.
In a tweet, Young said Apple is in the process of moving production of the display from Quanta Computer to a different supplier and/or location, resulting in a...
Apple is working on an updated version of the HomePod that could come in the fourth quarter of 2022 or the first quarter of 2023, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo says that there "may not be much innovation in hardware design" for the new HomePod, and there is no word on what size the device will be and if it will be a HomePod mini successor or a larger speaker. Apple would ...
Solid markdowns on the AirTag, AirPods 3, and a few iPad models were introduced this week, and below you'll find all of the best deals of the past few days that are still available to purchase.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.


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The Pahrump Nugget will be the spot to go for seniors on Friday.
The Nevada Senior Expo Series is heading to the Nugget, and a list of offerings is slated for those age 50 or older.
“Seniors are feeling isolated and bored due to the pandemic restrictions and the Senior Expo is a good day for them to get out and socialize with other seniors and local businesses in a safe, healthy environment,” said Craig Levine, the event producer.
The expo, part of a series of events across Southern Nevada, expanded to Pahrump this year.
According to a release, “These senior expos help educate and inform local seniors on the latest products, services, and opportunities to help keep them in a state of youngness. With 35 vendors on-site sampling, selling, and demonstrating hundreds of products and services, this new expo is an opportunity to get off the couch and spend the day with other seniors.”
The expo will feature a “spin to win” wheel, where attendees can take home prizes donated by vendors.
Additionally, the first 100 visitors to attend will receive a goody bag to collect more giveaways from vendors, including mini-brooms, Band-Aid containers and jar openers, just to name a few items available.
“The vendors really put a lot of time and effort into introducing themselves to the local seniors. They want to make a good impression and they are going out of their way to offer the attending seniors real opportunities,” said Levine.
The expo has moved across the state in recent months.
“We just ran eight senior expos in October and November in Las Vegas and Henderson casinos and our safety precautions are very sound,” stated Craig Levine.
The Pahrump Senior Expo will kick off at 10 a.m. on Friday at the Pahrump Nugget and is free to attend for all seniors.
The one-day event comes to a close at 3 p.m.
“So, if you are over 50 and feeling cooped up, you do not want to miss going to the Senior Expo,” a press release stated. “It is a great way to learn what your local businesses can and will do to help you in making the most of your later years.”
The Pahrump Senior Expo is produced by LocalEvents.vegas, a consumer exposition company, that hosts a series of 16 annual senior expos throughout Southern Nevada. For more, call 702-331-1350 or email Info@LocalEvents.vegas
Interested parties can also visit the event’s website at www.SeniorExpo.vegas for more information.
Attendees who have not been vaccinated are required to wear a face mask, but no social distancing is required.


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If Jubilee party revellers are not sure what to serve at their event, they should just think of what traditional British food is to them.
According to the Live Life for Less blog on guardian.co.uk, there are all sorts of options that people can choose from if they are organising a party for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee over the first weekend of June.
Cupcakes, trifles, tarts, biscuits, strawberries and cream are among the desserts that Brits could lay out on the tables at the function venues they use for the celebration.
“Jubilee eats are about tradition. Think homemade pork pies, scotch eggs, British cheeses with chutneys, grapes and crackers, egg and cress sandwiches and miniature Cornish pasties – and no Jubilee celebration is complete without coronation chicken,” the Live Life for Less blogger remarked.
For those who want to serve up something a little unusual – yet very British – on the day of their party, liverpoolecho.co.uk reporter Jade Wright suggested making a meal using the canned meat spam.
Ms Wright pointed out that spam was a popular food at the time when Queen Elizabeth II first ascended to the throne in 1952, making it the ideal cuisine for the occasion. She recommended making spam sandwiches or using the pre-cooked meat to make canapés.


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Silicon Valley in San Francisco Bay, CA is the home for most startup companies, is no longer number one in the world for startup talent. The 150-page report is based on a 10,000 startups and 300 partner companies.
Silicon Valley is no longer #1 for talent says huge global startup report
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A handwritten message scrawled on parchment and taped to the inside of the glass door recounts one perspective of the abrupt closure of the Great Harvest Bread Co. location in Kalispell at the end of March.
“Dear loyal customers,” the sign reads. “It’s with great sadness that I have to inform you that we will be permanently closed. Both staff and customers were given no notice and ownership/mgmt has disappeared.”
The note goes on to thank loyal customers for their years of patronage, but does not offer any further explanation for the locked doors and dark store.
Nancy Gordley owned the franchise store for 14 years, but sold it to a chef on Dec. 31, 2017. She said her family had some medical problems to deal with, and it made sense to sell the store with everything going on.
She said she didn’t know why the fall from successful business to shuttered doors had been so swift. She has had conversations with employees who were left out to dry because of the decision, which she said she found upsetting.
“I owned it for 14 years and I built a good business and I feel bad for the customers,” Gordley said.
The bakery chain, which now has over 200 franchises in the U.S. and a handful of international locations, was started in Great Falls in 1976. The Kalispell store was the second location, and opened in 1978. Its corporate headquarters are in Dillon and the company still makes all its bread from wheat harvested nearby, according to information available on the company’s website.
According to a statement from the Great Harvest Bread Co. CEO and Chairman of the Board Mike Ferretti, the decision to shutter the Kalispell bakery was made without notice to any of the employees who work at the store.
“As a franchise, we are equally as disappointed in the closure of this iconic bakery,” Ferretti said. “It is unfortunate that this store has closed. We proactively worked with the manager to keep the bakery open. He became unresponsive to repeated attempts by the GHF staff to make contact with him.”
A Bigfork-based property management company that is listed in county records as the owner of the building didn’t return a request for comment on the status of the space.
Ferretti said the corporation was interested in opening another store in the Kalispell area, depending on if they find a suitable franchisee.
As of now, the nearest stores are in Missoula, Helena, Great Falls and Spokane, Washington.
Reporter Peregrine Frissell can be reached at (406) 758-4438 or email@example.com.


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Chinese President Xi Jinping and his USA counterpart, Donald Trump, agreed in Buenos Aires Saturday to continue the trade talks between the two countries and stop imposing new tariffs, said Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. China also agreed to boost its purchases of agricultural and industrial goods to reduce its trade imbalance with the US, she said.
Trump and Xi agreed to "immediately" begin talks on Chinese industrial policies, including coercive licensing of US technology, trade secret theft and non-tariff trade barriers.
A limited truce was reached in that war, as the two leaders agreed not to escalate - not to add new tariffs - after January 1, 2019.
Mr Trump also said that if talks were unsuccessful, he would carry out a threat to hit the remaining $267bn of annual Chinese exports to the United States with tariffs of 10-25%.
According to Chinese media the leaders have reached a consensus that trade talks should continue and have agreed not to impose any additional tariffs, at least for now.
The Trump administration had threatened to more than double the tariffs it has already slapped on $250 billion worth of Chinese imports, while Xi's government has put targeted tariffs on $110 billion in USA goods. I think that one is really necessary. "This is not a worst case outcome but the hard work is ahead of them", said Paul Haenle, Director at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center in Beijing.
Chinese officials also reacted positively to the talks. "China has agreed to start purchasing agricultural product from our farmers immediately", the White House said.
"It's an incredible deal", Trump said. "What I'll be doing is holding back on tariffs".
The U.S is unhappy with what it says is the WTO's failure to hold Beijing accountable for not opening up its economy as envisioned when China joined the body in 2001.
Chelsea vs Fulham, Premier League
Chelsea reportedly face a battle to convince youngster Callum Hudson-Odoi to pen a new contract at Stamford Bridge. He's really very able to do this. "But I want to see him in a match when he has to play in a defensive phase".
Charlie Nicholas states his prediction for PSG v Liverpool FC
Going into the game Klopp and his team knew a loss wouldn't knock them out, though a win could get rid of PSG from the competition.
Saudi Crown Prince sidelined in G20 family photo
Trump administration officials on Sunday continued to stress that point and emphasised the importance of the United States' maintaining a close relationship with Saudi Arabia .
The U.S. has imposed import taxes on $250 billion worth of Chinese products, citing predatory trade practices by the Chinese, and China has countered by targeting $110 billion in U.S. imports. "It'll have an incredibly positive impact on farming, meaning agriculture, industrial products, computers, every type of product".
State Councillor Wang Yi, the Chinese government's top diplomat, told reporters in Buenos Aires that the two sides believed the agreement "effectively prevented the expansion of economic frictions between the two countries".
"We will probably end up ending up getting something that will be good for China and the United States", Trump said. Trump said at the time that he would raise the issue of Chinese fentanyl making its way to the USA with Xi as a top priority.
President Trump stated: "This was an fantastic and productive meeting with unlimited possibilities for both the United States and China".
Qualcomm and NXP did not immediately respond to requests for comment late on Saturday.
At Trump's request, China agreed to label fentanyl a controlled substance due to its contribution to the United States opioid crisis.
The Chinese, as they have done many times before, have also agreed to talk with the administration about their technology transfer and cyber crime concerns - and do more to stop the flow of fentanyl into the U.S.
The United States and China are locked in a dispute over their trade imbalance and Beijing's tech policies.
"Facts have proven that China and the USA have more common interests than differences, and have greater need for cooperation than friction".
He called on both China and the United States to handle the development of bilateral relations from an overall perspective and push for long-term, healthy and stable development of bilateral ties.


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With new $89 a month subscription, Rent the Runway takes aim at fast-fashion retail
Rent the Runway is expanding its “closet in the cloud” as it aims to eradicate the closet in your bedroom.
The designer clothing rental company announced on Monday a new $89 per month subscription tier more than one year after debuting its Unlimited plan in early 2016.
The new plan, RTR Update, which targets households making $75,000 and up, marks the company’s latest move in making its product accessible to the mass market, while edging toward its “nirvana vision” of eliminating the need for “archaic” closets as we know them.
“It makes no sense that we live in a world today that we have to buy hundreds of things keep them in a closet and never use them. A closet is just a storage facility,” Rent the Runway CEO Jennifer Hyman told AOL Finance. “We think that closets are going to be a relic of the past just like landlines and DVDs and CDs, so in this world, we want to make a subscription to fashion accessible to tens of millions of more people.”
For $89 a month, subscribers have access to four pieces that they can hold onto for a month, which Rent the Runway believes is price competitive with the likes of Walmart, Target, Amazon and H&M at $22.50 per piece per month.
The Unlimited plan, which by contrast allows users to swap their monthly items as many times as desired, was also refreshed on Monday with an increase from three to four items per month and a new $159 monthly fee. Existing users will be “grandmothered” into the original $139 price forever.
It’s no matter that women have to return their clothes each month, Hyman claims, as “that’s how women actually are using their closets anyway.” Only 20 percent of the closet is used regularly, according to the Wall Street Journal.
“What we’re trying to do with our subscription is make renting more and more frictionless as time goes on and make it a bigger part of how you get dressed,” Hyman said.
Already, scores of women are buying into the rental thesis. Rent the Runway has seen 125 percent year-over-year growth in users, with many reporting wearing eight to 15 rented outfits per month. Subscribers are also seen renting bold styles, like bright colors, prints and trendy, seasonal items, which differs from the “basics” typically seen sold in stores.
The perception that Rent the Runway is primarily a prom or cocktail dress rental service was shattered by the launch of the company's first subscription plan in 2016, which showed that subscribers -- 90 percent of whom are working professionals -- are using the program to get dressed for work. With RTR Update, Hyman expects to see another shift in consumer behavior, with users holding onto seasonal, utility-oriented items, like handbags, jewelry or a chic leather jacket, for the duration of the month.
Hyman, who had a baby earlier this year, relied heavily on RTR Unlimited during her pregnancy; she only purchased two pairs of maternity jeans and rented the rest of her wardrobe, knowing that she wasn't investing in clothing that she "certainly was never going to wear again."
“From a very rational standpoint -- beyond the fact that this is the enabling you to have access to your dream closet -- for me, nothing in my real-life closet really fits me, so I actually need it,” she said.


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If you wanted to lower electric energy prices in the US, what would you do? If you answered, “Cripple the domestic railroad industry,” you'd be in surprisingly good company. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office” />
That's precisely what, according to the Wall Street Journal, major electric utilities like American Electric Power want to do in their maneuverings to re-impose severe regulation on the railroads. Senator Jay Rockefeller (D.-W.Va.) has agreed to help them by cosponsoring the Railroad Competition Act to roll back most of the reforms since the Staggers Act of 1980 that have gotten America's railroad back on its feet. This would be an extraordinarily retrograde step, the legislative version of cutting off one's nose to spite one's face.
Before the Staggers reforms, the American rail industry was on its last wheels. About 20 percent of railroads were bankrupt. Investment was well-nigh impossible. Government imposed artificial rates for shipping goods that kept shippers happy but starved the railroads of much-needed funds. The service was nationalized in all-but-name. The fact that it was apparent to all but the shippers that this situation was untenable is shown in that it was the Carter Administration, of all things, that began the deregulation initiative.
The resulting Staggers Act breathed new life into the railroads. They were free to charge shippers market rates. For some this meant an increase. For others, a decrease, with the result that consumers have saved about $10 billion annually on the cost of goods shipped by rail. Railroads were at last able to get the income streams that they needed to fund investment. Staggers freed a staggering $360 billion to be spent on maintaining, upgrading and expanding the rail network, which had been crumbling before the Act. Perhaps most importantly, safety improved dramatically. Accident rates have declined by two-thirds.
It has taken 25 years, but the benefits of the Staggers Act have finally led to a couple of the large railroad companies earning a respectable return on their investment, sufficient to persuade Wall Street that they are worth financing. The major railroads will be investing another $8 billion in new track and other investments next year, a full 18 percent of their revenues. This compares with the average of 3.5 percent of revenues invested by manufacturing industry, which includes many industries that ship their goods by rail. The industry is even beginning to talk about “Star Trek” investment — building infrastructure where no railroad has gone before.
Now Senator Rockefeller and the utilities want to play the role of the Klingons, eliminating the freedoms that have enabled American railroads to build an infrastructure second to none. In doing so, they are calling on many rhetorical tricks to obscure the reality that their plans will badly hurt the infrastructure they depend on; none tugs the heart-strings more than the line that government-imposed rail rates will help America's energy security (by allowing more coal to be shipped, which would mean the companies would be less dependent on expensive gas-fired energy bought via the spot market).
Yet the fact is that even as energy prices have sky-rocketed, rail rates have stayed flat. Other factors are to blame for the increase in energy prices. The railroad industry is a mere scapegoat.
Moreover, the consequences of re-regulation should be plain for anyone to see. The railroads will have less money to invest, meaning a weaker infrastructure. The railroads will be forced to carry some shipments at the expense of others, which will mean an increase in the price of many goods for Americans. And safety will be compromised. The year 2005 was the safest ever on American railroads. If Senator Rockefeller and his associates have their way, that record is likely to stand for some time.
Perhaps the best antidote to rail re-regulation is to consider what would have happened had the Staggers Act not passed. The rail system would likely have collapsed and, in all probability, been nationalized. Goods would be shipped around the country by a freight version of Amtrak, a body that has consistently misallocated resources and provided poor service to its customers. Rail rates would almost certainly be higher than they are now, or the entire body would be kept afloat only by massive Congressional subsidy. Either way, the American consumer would not be the beneficiary.
Re-regulation is not the answer to the problems facing America's—or West Virginia's—utilities. They could do with acting more like America's railroads, sorting out their own problems rather than continually looking to government for the answer. America's rail system is a jewel in our crown. Re-regulation would turn that jewel into a lump of coal.


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GMC unveils 2015 Sierra All-Terrain HD: a premium pickup designed for the jobsite (PHOTOS)
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When the band Men Without Hats named their lone hit, “The Safety Dance,” it’s unlikely they had this in mind.
Up until today, the most clever hack I’d seen on a walking sign was some carefully placed electric tape covering enough fingers of the blinking red “Don’t Walk” hand to make it flick off all passersby. Someone has now come up with a considerably higher-tech application, however, and in the name of safety too. It’s a dancing, pixelated Don’t Walk man–and he wants you to get down instead of go across.
Adorably tiny car manufacturer Smart, which has been known for marketing efforts that live up to the brand’s name, recently launched a safety campaign called WhatAreYouFOR that discourages jaywalking in favor of jay-dancing. The rollout involves building a little dancing booth that looks like an enormous concert amp you can walk into to record users moves for motion-capture broadcast on the flashing Don’t Walk silhouette.
Early reports claim the installation has brought about 81% more people stopping at the light instead of jaywalking, and 100% more doing the Shmoney Dance than before. Watch a video for the campaign below.


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Fashion trends change at lightning speed. What’s also keeping pace with changing trends is the change in the ways consumers are shopping for their apparel and accessories. Consumers today no longer want to go to stores to purchase products. They expect brands to come to them within a couple of clicks and want their purchase journeys to be without any ‘friction’. What’s friction? It’s an unnecessary additional effort that consumers have to put in while buying products.
Today, it’s pretty clear that brands cannot use the same marketing strategies to convert consumers that they used to. Consumer attention spans are decreasing, and brands and marketers have to figure out strategies to ensure all friction is eliminated from the consumer’s purchase journey. The purchase journey from awareness to consideration to intent has to be seamless.
According to Eliminating Friction in Fashion Path to Purchase, a report by Facebook authored by KPMG and Nielsen, nearly 20% of apparel customers in India abandon their purchase decisions due to friction. More than two-thirds of this friction is caused by media.
In the fashion accessories market, nearly 22% of customers drop out of the purchase journey, two third is media friction, with almost 80% of media friction at the intent stage. Mobile to the rescue According to Facebook and KPMG, mobile phones could reduce friction in the fashion world and increase sales by $14 billion ($5 billion in the apparel market and $9 billion in the fashion accessories market), while bringing down CPA (cost per acquisition) by 5%.
Mobile reduces friction in apparel
Mobile reduces friction in accessories
By 2022, mobile internet users in India are expected to rise to 677 million from 420 million users in 2017. Almost 7/10 fashion purchases is expected to be influenced by mobile by 2022. Mobile and Facebook Influence on Apparels path to purchase.
Mobile & Facebook influence in Accessories Path to Purchase
This translates into a $110 billion opportunity for the fashion accessories market, and a $66 billion opportunity for apparel. In both categories, Facebook is expected to influence over half the purchases. In fact, the report says that the mobile-influenced opportunity in fashion can be as high as $190 billion. That’s a whopper of a number!
What works in mobile’s favour is that the journey of a customer is very compact on a phone compared to his offline experience. Mobile-enabled journeys in the apparel world are 14% shorter, and 25% shorter for fashion accessories.
Good marketers know that new tech brings new opportunities. As marketing mixes evolve, we will see a greater integration of offline and online techniques to target their customers.
All brands have to do is optimise mobile in the marketing mix. Mobile has the potential to reduce media friction by 3 percentage points in the apparel purchase journey and 4 percentage points in the fashion accessories journey.
The path from awareness to purchase will see digital playing an important role at all stages. Expect rapid enhancement in consumer-friendly tech such as AR/VR, consumer analytics through AI, machine learning and personalised offers.
India’s fashion market is expected to grow at a CAGR (compounded annual growth rate) of 15% until 2022. As digital influences the purchase journey to make it increasingly non-linear, the fashion industry is looking at a frictionless future. Click here for the complete Zero Friction Future Report.
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Updated Date: Aug 20, 2018 13:36:10 IST


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Inflation hits 0 per cent record low
The UK inflation rate has fallen to a record low of 0 per cent.
The official data for February reveals the lowest rate since records began.
Economists had broadly predicted the rate would drop to 0.1 per cent and the Bank of England targets inflation of 2 per cent, which it neared last June at 1.9 per cent.
Price movements in recreational goods and food, furniture and furnishings helped to cut the rate from 0.3 per cent in January.
February’s figure is the lowest rate of Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation since estimates of the measure began in 1988.
The rate of Retail Prices Index (RPI) inflationn fell to 1 per cent from 1.1 per cent.
The drop in the CPI measure was sharper than many analysts had expected, with most expecting a rate of 0.1 per cent
Liz Cameron, chief executive of Scottish Chambers of Commerce(pictured), said: “The fact that inflation now sits at 0.0% reveals just how out of step business rates increases have become. Instead of annual rates increases being in step with inflation, next week will see bills rise by 2%, far in excess of the current rate of inflation.
“Indeed, since the last revaluation in 2010, business rates revenues in Scotland are projected to have increased by £731 million by 2015-2016, which represents some £470 million over and above the rate of inflation.
“With the Scottish Parliament’s basket of taxes growing and a full review of business rates being implemented in England, it is time for constructive change here in Scotland.”
Rain Newton-Smith, director of economics at business lobby group the CBI, said: “Despite inflation dropping to zero, it is unlikely we will see falling prices for a prolonged period, particularly as the pressure from lower oil prices fades.”
However, she added: “With the Monetary Policy Committee still alert to the risk of very low inflation becoming entrenched, a rise in interest rates anytime soon seems off the cards.”
Howard Archer, chief UK and European economist at IHS Global Insight added: “Given the weakness of food and oil prices, and with utility price cuts to still to fully kick in, a brief period of deflation now looks imminent over the coming months. However, the fact that oil prices have climbed off their January lows dilutes the chances that there will be extended, marked deflation in the UK.
“While UK inflation expectations have weakened in recent months, there is crucially no evidence that deflation - let alone prolonged, meaningful deflation - is considered a possibility by consumers.”


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Advanced Aqua-Hot Hydronic Heating Systems that provide unlimited hot water and quiet, evenly-distributed interior heat will continue to be optional and standard equipment on many Monaco RV LLC 2010/2010 models, according to a news release.
“We think Aqua-Hot makes great products and more importantly, so do our customers,” said Monaco RV Marketing Director Ryan Lee. “They help bring a residential feel to our motorhomes that our customers are looking for. They want the same features and benefits in their RVs that they have in their homes and Aqua-Hot delivers.”
Aqua-Hot Hydronic Heating Systems are standard on Monaco Signature, Dynasty and Camelot, as well as the Holiday Rambler Navigator and Scepter. Employing the latest technology, self-contained Aqua-Hot Systems provide continuous, on-demand hot water, as well as quiet, uniform cabin heat by circulating hot water through subtle heat exchangers. This reduces fuel consumption and eliminates the need for a storage tank.
“Aqua-Hot helps enhance our motorhome offering,” said Lee. “Our customers love the system and we always strive to offer products that exceed our customers’ expectations.”
Headquartered in Coburg, Ore., with substantial manufacturing facilities in Indiana, Monaco RV is the nation’s leading builder of recreational vehicles, including Monaco, Holiday Rambler, Bison and R-Vision brands. It produces Class A and Class C gasoline and diesel motorhomes, as well as travel trailer and fifth wheels. From value-packed, entry-level models to top-of-the-line, custom-made luxury RVs, the company has an RV for everyone.
“We’re extremely happy with our relationship with Aqua-Hot,” said Lee. “They have been a great partner for many years, deliver a quality product and back that product up with tremendous service after the sale.”
For more than 20 years, Aqua-Hot Heating Systems has been making the road a more comfortable place. The state-of-the-art units run on diesel or propane and are available in sizes for Class A diesel motorhomes through smaller RVs, towables and park models.
Contact Aqua-Hot Heating Systems, 15549 E. Highway 52, Fort Lupton, Colo. 80621; (800) 685-4298 or (303) 659-8221; Fax: (303) 857-9000; email@example.com; www.aqua-hot.com.


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What a difference a day makes.
The major indexes were pointing toward a positive start, after solid earnings from the likes of Boeing and AT&T washed away the sour taste of Tuesday’s session. Dow Jones industrial average futures were off morning highs but still up 39 points less than half an hour before the open, while S&P 500 futures added 6 points.
Boeing’s third-quarter earnings were down from a year ago, but better than the Street’s expectations. More importantly the aircraft maker upped its guidance for the remainder of 2012, and recorded a 13% increase in revenue at a time when top-line growth has proven difficult to achieve. Shares were up 2.5% pre-market.
AT&T inched up 0.1% after edging quarterly estimates. Revenue dipped, but were up 2.6% when excluding the sale of an advertising solutions unit.
Facebook joined in on the earnings fun. The social network rocketed 27.1% higher, after reporting third-quarter results Tuesday afternoon that included news the company is making $3 million a day from its main mobile advertising product, up from $1 million at the start of the quarter. Given that the ability to monetize mobile is one of the chief doubts skeptics have expressed about Facebook’s prospects, Wednesday morning’s rally, and upgrades from analysts at Citi and BofA-Merrill, seems a fitting response.
Elsewhere in the tech space, Netflix investors were hardly in a celebratory spirit. Shares of the video service plunged 17.3% after its fourth-quarter outlook came in softer than expected. The company expects subscriber growth to a total of 27-27.1 million streaming customers, about 1 million short of consensus estimates.


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World Cotton Day: FIFA to turn “world’s spotlight” on African cotton producers
World Cotton Day, celebrated this year on 4 October, has a special significance for FIFA as it continues working with the World Trade Organization (WTO) to explore how football can help small producers, many of them women, in the Cotton 4 (plus) countries in Africa.
FIFA signed an MoU with the World Trade Organization one year ago
Focus on improving access to football apparel value chain for Cotton 4 (plus) countries
Baseline study will be carried out by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization
Last year, FIFA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the WTO which, among other avenues, is exploring ways in which football’s global appeal can be used to promote economic inclusion.


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A new study released by Castrol draws on the views of consumers, fleet managers and automotive industry leaders from across the country to reveal the factors driving EV buying decisions.
The study, ‘Accelerating the Evolution’, reveals that for consumers in India, a price point of Rs 23,00,000 (or $31,000), a charge time of 35 minutes and a range of 401 km from a single charge represent the ‘tipping points’ to achieve mainstream EV adoption.
The research also estimates that the annual EV market in India could be worth $2 billion by 2025 if all three tipping points are met, pointing to a possible EV-powered low-carbon recovery for the automotive industry.
Sandeep Sangwan, Managing Director at Castrol India Ltd, said: “Castrol’s global research shows that consumers are positive about making the switch to electric; buyers in India are keen to do so earlier than those in other markets. Although consumers in India are seeking a lower price point than consumers in other countries, they are also willing to accept a slightly longer charge time and a slightly shorter range.”
Based on research from eight of the world’s most important EV markets, Castrol’s study examines five critical challenges that should be addressed to promote further growth in the EV market – highlighting the differing priorities for consumers and fleet managers.
The key findings from the opinion research, which was conducted from December 2019 to January 2020, include:
2022 – the year of the EV?
On average, consumers in India said they would consider purchasing an EV by 2022. This is two years earlier than the global average (2024). However, two-thirds (67 pc) of consumers in India said they are adopting a “wait and see” approach. Over 40 pc of fleet managers said they are waiting for competitors to make the switch before they do.
Price is front-of-mind
Price is the number one priority for consumers in India with 67 per cent of those surveyed saying that EVs are currently beyond their budget. The Rs 23,00,000 (or $31,000) ‘tipping point’ for consumers in India is lower than the global average of Rs 27,00,000 (or $36,000).
The study also finds that misconceptions about maintenance costs could be stopping consumers making the switch: 83 pc of Indian consumers say that these costs were preventing them from buying a fully electric car. This suggests that many consumers are unaware that the overall average cost of ownership of an EV over its lifetime tends to be lower than an ICE vehicle.
Shorter charging times
Charge time was identified as the second most important challenge to the mainstream adoption of EVs, and consumers in India said they require an average charge time of 35 minutes before they would consider purchasing an EV. This is several minutes longer than the global average of 31 minutes. Nearly three quarters (72 pc) of those questioned believe EVs will only dominate on the roads once they can charge in a similar amount of time as it takes to refuel an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle.
‘Range anxiety’ is real
Range was ranked third on the priority list, with 64 pc of Indian drivers agreeing it is a significant barrier to mainstream adoption of EVs. On average, they expect a range of 401 km (from a single charge), approximately equivalent to the distance between Ahmedabad and Indore. This is significantly lower than the global ‘tipping point’ range of 469 km.


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A leaker claims that 343 Industries is working on DLC for the Halo Infinite campaign, but unfortunately, it looks like we’ll have to wait a while longer.
Post-launch support for Halo Infinite has sparked considerable controversy among fans of the Halo franchise. The game was launched as a “10-years” product, so expectations were similar to other similar titles such as Fortnite, Apex Legends and League of Legends. Expectations were understandably not met. One area of particular excitement was the campaign DLC that expanded the story of Halo Infinite. While no official announcement has been made regarding this yet, a leaker claims to have good news about Halo Infinite’s future campaign DLC.
YouTuber Sean W recently shared a video in which he claims an anonymous source shared surprising details about Halo Infinite’s future campaign DLC.
To start with, the leaker claims that the campaign DLC is already in the works. However, development may not be progressing as Halo fans expected or as 343 had planned initially.
The leaker claims that 343 Industries is working on DLC for the Halo Infinite story, but the decision is surprisingly recent. While no timeframe was specified, the leaker says there was a period when 343 suspended work on the story DLC. While this has now changed, it obviously takes a significant amount of time to complete the development of an addition of this nature.
According to the leaker, it is unlikely to arrive before 2025 – but it could even be later.
The leaker also shared some details about the Halo Infinite campaign DLC. They say that the DLC’s campaign will be the same size as what’s currently available in the game so that it will be significant. The campaign will focus on battling the Infinite in a world called “varied”. A leaked trademark in late 2021 did hint that 343 was working on something related to Endless, though it’s unclear if the two leaks are related.
Obviously, there is no way of knowing whether Sean W’s information is reliable or not.
This whole leak could be made up, and it could be years before official information is available to confirm it. However, there is nothing in it that necessarily raises suspicion. It’s entirely possible that it was always 343’s plan to release a massive campaign DLC when it could have otherwise released a sequel.
Considering the state of Halo Infinite, 343 and Xbox’s plans may change by 2025. It could be that the DLC becomes a standalone game or a sequel to Infinite, but it could also be that plans change more dramatically for Halo. At this point, it’s hard to speculate anything about Halo’s future, but fans have a glimmer of hope that 343 is still planning campaign DLC sometime in the dim future…


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Tech obsessed? Go on a digital detox holiday
The latest concept aimed at Silicon Valley's stressed-out tech junkies is California's Camp Grounded, a summer camp for adults who leave their gadgets behind and get back to basics with bunk beds and bonfires.Updated: Apr 03, 2013, 11:53 IST
The latest concept aimed at Silicon Valley's stressed-out tech junkies is California's Camp Grounded, a summer camp for adults who leave their gadgets behind and get back to basics with bunk beds and bonfires.
For US$305, which includes meals and bunk-bed accommodations, campers check in their laptops, mobile phones, social media accounts, and work jargon for an "off-the-grid weekend of pure unadulterated fun."
The camps are organized by Oakland, California-based wellness organization Digital Detox, which offers monthly retreats and device-free cocktail parties. The company is also launching, for the first time, three international retreats this spring, with ventures planned for Cambodia, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica.
Recently the hotel industry has tapping into the digital detox trend by requiring guests to hand over their electronic devices at the front desk. They range from a simple "Be Unplugged" option at the Quincy Hotel in downtown Washington, DC, to more developed unplugged packages like one offered by St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Here guests are asked to leave their devices at home as part of the digital-detox package; also, when reserving, guests receive a booklet explaining how to function without access to technology, and an onsite coach is on hand for extra help. The Seattle company Via Yoga also offers digital detox packages at its luxury yoga and surf retreats in Mexico and Costa Rica.
Another option to be unplugged is to look for a "dead zone," an area out of the reach of mobile reception, or where reception is so painfully slow you won't be bothered to try. According to Skyscanner, some of these places include Death Valley National Park in the US and Kent and Sussex in the UK.


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A stunning collection of Joey Dunlop race machines will be exhibited in the race paddock at the 2014 Isle of Man Classic TT Races presented by Bennetts.
The exhibition is part of the Isle of Man Classic TTs Joey Dunlop Road Racing Legend tribute theme, which also includes a parade lap featuring his greatest rivals and an ’80s themed fancy dress paddock carnival and party.
The free pop up exhibition, which runs from Friday through Monday (August 22-25), will feature 25 authentic machines raced by 26-time IOM TT winner Joey Dunlop in his 24-year career, including a number of his Isle of Man TT winning machines.
Collectors, friends and members of Joey’s own family have loaned the machines to the Classic TT Race organizers.
As you would expect Honda, the marque synonymous with Joey Dunlop, dominate the exhibition including iconic RC45s, RC30s, RS250s, RS125s, CBR 600’s and his 1986 Senior TT winning RS500.
However, the exhibition, will also feature other machines from earlier in his career including Yamaha’s and Suzuki’s along with the 350cc Aermacchi he rode in the Classic MGP Races.
David Cretney, the Isle of Man Government’s Minister for Fun, who will open the exhibition ahead of Thursday’s qualifying session, says “We wanted to pay an appropriate tribute to one of road racing’s greatest names and what better way than to assemble the finest collection of his race bikes for the first time.
“We have had a brilliant response from the bike owners in loaning their machines and are very grateful for their generosity. From a personal point of view, as someone who was involved in the TT races during Joey’s career, it will bring back many great memories and I hope that as many fans as possible visit the exhibition.”
Tickets are now on sale and selling fast for the 2014 Classic TT Races presented by Bennetts. VIP experiences, Grandstand tickets, Classic TT Heroes Dinner and Classic TT Party tickets can be purchased from www.iomtt.com or by phoning 00 44 (0)1624 640000.
Travel and accommodation packages to suit all budgets and requirements are available from Official Classic TT Travel Agency Regency Travel on +44 (0)1624 694456 or email@example.com.


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Wrigley "Energy" Gum: Why?
Wrigley recently announced that it will tap into the exploding energy products market by offering up caffeinated chewing gum for adults. Alert Energy Caffeine Gum, aimed at consumers aged 15 to 49, is packed with 40 milligrams of caffeine apiece -- as much as a 16-ounce soda or half-a-cup of coffee.
Wrigley says Alert will prominently display its ingredients and have warning labels. They plan to sell the gum in a unique hexagonal shape about the size of a nickel. It'll also be priced at about twice what regular gum costs. The gum comes in minty or fruity flavors, although Wrigley says it will have a somewhat bitter taste to dissuade those from chewing the gum "for enjoyment."
But seriously, folks, there's no way to stop kids from buying a pack. It's not like gum is illegal… but come to think of it, neither are those high-octane energy drinks.
The gum's launch comes at an auspicious time, when government agencies are focusing more attention than ever on so-called "energy boosting" product. Last week, the city of Chicago began considering a ban on energy drinks containing 180-milligrams or more of caffeine per container (that's the common amount found in energy drinks). The FDA is also investigating reports of people who've died after drinking the beverages.
Obviously Americans crave an energy rush, with caffeine showing up everywhere, from Jelly Belly Sport Beans to Cracker Jacks. But why does Wrigley have to incorporate caffeine, a psychoactive drug, into food that is familiar and easily accessible to children?
More from health


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February is National Cancer Prevention Month, yet one might never know it given the lack of publicity and media efforts invested in preventing cancer. Instead, even during the month designated for focusing on prevention, the lions share of attention continues to be awarded to “cancer Cancer Pre” and huge charities such as the Susan B. Komen Foundation, whose ventures are largely centered around “finding a cure”.
Obviously, the best way to beat cancer is to avoid getting it in the first place. Yet the big cancer charities continue to focus on early detection and dangerous procedures such as mammograms. Little attention or research is directed towards,what is by far, the number one cause of cancer: toxins. Sadly, the lack of consideration given to prevention and toxins is mainly due to two factors:
First, cancer has become a bloated $400 Billion Dollar a year Goliath and there is no profit in preventing cancer. Secondly, programs such as Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) have been a pre-calculated deception from the start and few people who participate, donate or buy pink-themed products are aware of the “pinkwash” which has helped “do-gooder” sponsors hide their own culpability while promoting products which cause cancer.
In the beginning
Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) was launched in 1987 by Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI), a British chemical company that has been a world leader in manufacturing cancer-causing pesticides, plastics and other products. From day one, ICI and its later spin-off, Zeneca, have used BCAM to direct research and prevention programs away from chemical carcinogens.
To this day, not a word can be found in any of the BCAM literature suggesting that decreasing exposure to chemical carcinogens or dietary changes play a part in cancer prevention.
Listed below are some BCAM sponsors who promote cancer causing products:
General Electric (GE)
GE, a major polluter of carcinogenic PCBs in a 200 mile stretch of the Hudson River, sells upwards of $100 million annually in mammography machines. BCAM emphasizes the importance of the annual mammogram. The trademark slogan is “Early Detection is Your Best Prevention.” Though it is too late to prevent cancer once it has been detected, 37 percent of American women believe that mammograms somehow prevent breast cancer.
While mammograms have never prevented a single instance of cancer, radiation from routine mammography causes tens of thousands of cases of breast cancer each year. The National Cancer Institute reports that mammography may cause 75 cases of breast cancer for every 15 it identifies in younger women. Additionally, mammograms misidentify tumors 70 percent of the time, resulting in huge numbers of unnecessary and invasive biopsies.
Biotech giant Monsanto is a major sponsor of BCAM’s high profile event, the Race for the Cure. At the same time, Monsanto reaps huge profits from products which cause breast and other cancers. A study published in the October, 2012 edition of the Journal, “Food and Chemical Toxicology”, provided unprecedented evidence of the cancer causing dangers of the combination of Monsanto’s genetically modified corn and it’s herbicide Roundup.
Cow’s treated with Monsanto’s genetically engineered rBGH growth hormone produce milk with up to 10 times the normal Insulin-like Growth Factor- 1 (IGF-1). IGF-1 has been identified as a leading risk factor for breast cancer as well as other cancers. Studies have shown that women with elevated levels of IGF-1 are seven times more likely to develop pre-menopausal breast cancer.
DuPont, another huge chemical company and major polluter, supplies most of the film used in mammography machines. Like GE, DuPont aggressively promotes mammography screening of women in their 40s, despite the risk of its contributing to breast cancer in that age group.
The cosmetic giants
Cosmetic and body care companies, including such industry powerhouses as Este’ Lauder, Avon, Revlon, and Mary Kay annually market pink-ribboned products during BCAM. Many of those same products contribute to breast and other cancers.
Hormone-mimicking chemicals such as parabens and phthalates found in cosmetic and body care products increase the risk of breast cancer and cause a broad range of birth defects. A study published in the Journal of Applied Toxicology in 2012 detected paraben esters in 99 percent of breast cancer tissues sampled.
Other cancer causers
In addition to the above list, a host of other sponsors also promote their cancer-causing products as part of BCAM, including KFC, Coca Cola, alcoholic beverage makers and many more.
For an in-depth look at the deception of BCAM, see:
“Breast Cancer Deception – Hiding the Truth Beneath a Sea of Pink”
Follow, Subscribe, & SHARE:
1. X, Formerly known as Twitter: https://twitter.com/TTAVOfficial
2. Telegram: https://t.me/TheTruthAboutCancer_Vaccines
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7. Bitchute: https://www.bitchute.com/channel/vX3lcHH4Dvp0/
9. Brighteon: https://www.brighteon.com/channels/thetruthaboutcancer


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Monetisation and partnership strategies, these will be the main focus subjects on the quest towards developing the innovation sphere in Africa during the 12th edition of the East Africa Com. The event which focuses on the growing ICT sector in Africa. ‘The East Africa Com programme reflects the dynamism of the East African market, with representatives from the region’s foremost operators, alternative service providers, innovative start-ups, creative developers and more.’
East Africa who are “representing the most advanced region in Africa of growing in mobile and digital communications, mobile money and ICT development,” will have their key targets as start-up companies within the ICT industry.
In partnership with ‘I hub’, they are launching an Entrepreneurs Hub “a mentorship programme” which will give opportunity to young entrepreneurs to learn how to run a business from a professional manner. According to East Africa Com “This content will be vital to young entrepreneurs to gain a better understanding of how big business operates and thinks. You will be encouraged to put forward at least one mentor to the programme.”
Attendees will benefit from critical insights into the following themes: “Transforming into a digital enterprise”, “the evolving role of the East African CIO” and “Building digital leadership while renovating core IT infrastructure”, these themes.
The long list of speakers includes: Teressa Belete, Chief Enterprises Officer EthioTelecom; Bulle Jarso, Hub Engineering Manager IWayAfrica; Joel Imitira, Assistant Director, market Analysis and Tariffs Communications Authority of Kenya; and Tom Omariba, Managing Director MTN Business Kenya.
Over the years east Africacom has attracted many people and influential speakers, with the highest attendance reaching over 600 in 2014. Amongst those attendees were a list of influential people from Africa’s ICT sector.
The 11th edition was magnificent that some guests had nothing but praise for the event.
“Simply Awesome!! Thanks for the opportunity. The Informa team has put up a brilliant show. Enjoyed meeting a vast pool of telecom professional from across Africa/Middle East/ India & Europe.” Mahesh Gera, Vice President Africa & Middle East, Airtel Group Co.
Other notable speakers includes, Adil El Youssefi Managing Director Airtel Kenya, Kai Wulff Access Field Development Director Google James Byaruhanga COO Roke Telekom Uganda Richard Bell Vice Chairman Wananchi Group & CEO East Africa Capital Partners.


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PepsiCo has appointed its Europe and Latin America chief Laxman Narasimhan to the newly created role of global chief commercial officer.
The packaged goods giant behind Pepsi and Walkers has made the appointment alongside changes to its senior leadership team in North America. PepsiCo said it wanted to be "faster and more locally focused".
Narasimhan has been tasked with shaping PepsiCo's integrated long-term growth strategy and leading the development of commercial and marketing capabilities.
He will oversee the company’s Global Category Groups, Insights, Commercialisation, Design, Global R&D, E-Commerce and Strategy and report to Ramon Laguarta, PepsiCo’s chairman and chief executive.
Narasimhan was formerly chief executive for Latin America, Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa, where he oversaw the company's food and beverage businesses across the regions, with a focus on unlocking new growth opportunities, harmonising commercial strategies and operating practices.
He will be replaced by Silviu Popovici, the former president of Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa who reported to Narasimhan.
Laguarta said: "As we pursue our new vision to 'Be the Global Leader in Convenient Foods and Beverages by Winning with Purpose', we have taken some important steps to reorganise our leadership team.
"We believe these changes will enable us to better capture growth opportunities by getting closer to our consumers and deploying our global capabilities in a way that allows us to win locally in each of our markets."


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Leapmotor nabs 4.5 billion yuan in new financing round
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Chinese EV startup Leapmotor announced on August 18 it has completed a new funding round with 4.5 billion yuan ($694.723 million) raised.
Leapmotor C11; photo credit: Leapmotor
The newly-closed financing round was led by China Capital Investment Group, and also attracted China Securities, CITIC Dicastal, as well as the State-owned Assets Supervisions and Administrations Commission of Hangzhou Municipal Government. The governmental arm poured up to 3 billion yuan ($463.149 million) in this funding round.
Leapmotor said the collaboration it formed with the aforesaid investors will contribute to a faster product R&D, branding promotion, and sales network expansion.
The startup plans to file for an IPO in the second half of this year, and is expected to go public at the end of 2021 or in early 2022.
As of July 2021, the EV manufacturer delivered a total of 26,148 new vehicles in total. For the first seven months of this year, Leapmotor received 28,055 new vehicle orders, 6,540 of which were generated in July.
The company said last month it expected its annual sales to reach 62,400 units this year and aimed to sell 800,000 vehicles per year by 2025. Supported by the Hangzhou municipal authority, Leapmotor is striving to crack the first-tier ranks of Chinese NEV startups at a faster pace.
Gasgoo not only offers timely news and profound insight about China auto industry, but also help with business connection and expansion for suppliers and purchasers via multiple channels and methods. Buyer service:email@example.comSeller Service:firstname.lastname@example.org


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KABALE – Butchers operating at Kabale Police Barracks playground in Central Division have hiked meat prices following quarantine imposed on the movement of pigs and related products within the district.
Two weeks ago, over 70 pigs died of a strange disease which forced the district authorities led by the Kabale District Veterinary Officer Bernard Kabagambe to send samples to the National Animal Disease Diagnostics and Epidemiology Centre in Entebbe.
The samples which were returned last week on Tuesday, September 3, tested positive of African swine fever.
An investigation and exclusive interview with our reporter revealed that the butchers hike in meat price was prompted by their relocation from Kabale Central market to Kabale Police Barracks playground as part of the process to pave way for the planned reconstruction of a new market under the Markets and Agricultural Trade Improvement program – MATIP III.
The market is set to be constructed at a cost of 24 Billion Shillings with funding from the African Development Bank-ADB and the government.
They claim that the abattoir has been near to Kabale Central market and they now have to incur 5000 to 10000 shillings to transport the meat to their new lockups.
The butchers says that a kilogram of beef is now at 12,000 up from 10,000 shillings while a kilogram of goats meat costs between 14,000 and 15,000 up from 12,000 shillings.
Richard Sunday, a butcher at new lock-up number 6 says that they now incur more costs to transport meat from the abattoir to their lockups.
Mr. Sunday says that they have been paying 1000 for those transporting meat to their lock-ups in the Central Market but they now pay between 5000 to 10,000 shillings to their new place.
“We have always found it less costly in transporting meat from the abattoirs to our locks but now the cost is high, we cannot keep the prices we’ve been selling at yet we are incurring much in ensuring that we serve our customers,” narrated Mr. Sunday to justify the hike.
Anthony Muhangi, another butcher says that the price for goats meat and beef have both been increased since more customers are coming following the outbreak of the African swine fever.
Mr Muhangi who is also the Kabale Municipality Slaughterhouse tenderer says that they have been slaughtering between 18 to 20 goats every day before the outbreak of African swine fever, but they now slaughter around 37 to 45 goats on a daily basis.
“Now that pork joints are no longer operational, many people have turned to goats’ meat and beef since it’s the only escape zone to enjoying their meals,” noted Mr. Muhangi.
Samuel Kyomukama alias Uncle Sam operating at lockup number 7 says that following the quarantine imposed on the movement of pigs and its products in the district, the demand for goat’s meat shot up since those people who were engaging in selling pigs and those operating pork joints have resorted to goats.
Hotels and restaurant operators in the municipality are already feeling the pinch of the increments.
Annet Kyomugisha, who operates a restaurant in Kigongi trading center told our reporter that they have also adjusted their food prices upwards following the increments so as to match the current stake.
Ms Kyomugisha says that a plate of beef used to sell at UGX 3,000 is now at UGX 4000. She says that a plate of goats’ meat also increased to UGX 6,000 up from UGX 4500.
“We also found it necessary to slightly increase the prices of the food having experienced a lot of input and costs in accessing what to offer to our daily customers,” Ms Kyomugisha added.
The African swine fever outbreak was reported in Ibanda district at the end of July but authorities confirmed it was contained after it claimed over 200 pigs.


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There's a reason some jokers in business refer to their finance group as the "sales prevention department." Corporate CFOs and controllers take very seriously their responsibility for safeguarding company resources, especially cash. When it comes to investing in new technology, the typical CFO is likely to say "no" right off the bat, and force the person making the capital request back to the drawing board.
Investing in blockchain technology, whether as a penny saver or game changer, should involve a different dynamic. People on the business side should be extra careful to avoid hype and instead argue the strategic benefits of exploring and experimenting with this new approach to data storage and verification. CFOs, for their part, will want to check their natural impulses and keep an open mind.
Unlike 3D TV, blockchain tech is here to stay. According to survey findings published in December by Deloitte Consulting LLP:"While blockchain is not quite ready for primetime, it is getting closer to its breakout moment every day. The academic hypotheses of five years ago are steadily becoming a reality. Momentum is shifting from a focus on learning and exploring the potential of the technology to identifying and building practical business applications."
A clear majority (78 percent) of business executives who responded to the survey believed their firms stand to lose competitive advantage if they do not eventually implement blockchain. The sampling of opinion involved more than 1,000 senior managers from seven countries.
The key word here is "eventually," a concept that does not fit neatly into traditional financial metrics for assessing the business value expected from new tech tools. Consider one common yardstick CFOs use: payback period. That metric ignores the potential economic bonanza generated after the break-even period. Worse, it's terrifyingly narrow in the face of inventions that will change the way businesses operate over the long run.
CFOs need to think differently about blockchain technology, which any sane person will agree is in its early days. Deloitte notes that "84 percent [of survey respondents] said that blockchain will eventually reach mainstream adoption." The big "but" is that half said blockchain is either (a) not listed among their organizations' top five strategic priorities or (b) not considered a priority at all.
The apparent contradiction is understandable. Industries and individual enterprises stationed at the bleeding edge are just now moving out of the proof-of-concept stage and starting to build applications that will be improved, chucked out, or reinvented as times goes by. And many large enterprises prefer to wait and see, letting the early adopters fail first, then coming up from behind to grab the lessons learned.
Deloitte says the best move now is for CFOs and their C-suite counterparts to set aside the tech-oriented debates and focus instead "on how blockchain will potentially disrupt or shift your operating model." The advisory firm went on to suggest that "at the very least, keep an eye on blockchain so that [you] can take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves." Take pains to understand the transformative nature of blockchain and insist that senior team leaders set up listening posts inside and outside your industry. Finally, take steps now to evolve with the stories of success as well as failure.
It is also smart to have a small, internal pilot or two. "It may be best to focus on an internal issue such as intercompany transactions," says Deloitte. That process is known for being slow, error-prone, and labor intensive. The firm refers to one case (name withheld) of a large global company that has more than 2,000 people working to track, store, audit, and account for transactions involving the transfer of data and payments among 1,000+ worldwide subsidiaries. The cost of maintaining this broken legacy is no doubt off the charts. CFOs should put away yesterday's performance metrics and educate themselves and their teams on how blockchain applications could possibly help.


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Cheyenne, WY – For all local merchants that accept credit cards for payments, there’s a monumental change taking place in their world effective on October 1, 2015. That’s the date that the liability shift associated with the new EMV chip credit cards takes effect.
To help merchants get through the challenges ahead, Meridian Trust Federal Credit Union is hosting a free seminar titled: “Are you Really Prepared for EMV Chip Credit Cards?” This seminar is open to all businesses and merchants, whether they are members of the credit union or not.
The seminar will be presented by Chris Garza, Territory Manager with TSYS Merchant Solutions, a Top 10 Payment Processor. Chris has 15 years’ experience in the payment acceptance industry with in depth knowledge of Retail, e-Commerce, Virtual terminals as well as PCI Compliance and most recently EMV (EuroPay, MasterCard, and Visa) compliance and regulations that go into effect October 1st.
The seminar will take place from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 19th at Meridian Trust Federal Credit Union, East Branch, 4349 E. Lincolnway in Cheyenne.
Business people will get all of their questions answered at this free seminar. Registration takes place online at Meridian Trust’s website (www.MeridianTrustFCU.org) or by calling 1.800.726.5644.
Meridian Trust Federal Credit Union provides financial services to more than 22,000 members, with Wyoming branches in Cheyenne, Lander, Rawlins, and Jackson, along with a branch in Scottsbluff, NE; and PowerTrust branches located in Casper and Rock Springs, WY. For more information, visit www.MeridianTrustFCU.org.


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Nike has launched a new digital experience for Mexican customers. The new part of Nike’s global #makeitcount campaign is created by JWT Mexico and uses the idea of ‘sweat’ as currency.
A special Facebook app uses Nike +, the program that tracks a user’s runs through their smart phones, iPod nanos, or Nike+ wristband. It syncs the data received from users’ Nike + account and counts their auction credits- the more kilometers runners have logged, the more buying power they have in the Nike products auctions. Auctions last for 15 days and are only for one specific product.
The current auction is for a pair of women’s Nike Free.0 sneakers. The app shows a runner’s total kilometers for a specified time period and the current bid. A runner who has run more than the current bid can make it higher. The bid motivates runners to keep running in an attempt to ‘catch up’ the desired product and be able to put in a bid later on during the auction.


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The grandmother of slain baby Evelyn Boswell has been cited for shoplifting at a Tennessee Walmart along with her boyfriend, authorities said.
Angela Boswell, 42, and William McCloud, 33, approached a cash register with $45.02 worth of merchandise in a grocery cart, according to a Kingsport Police Department report. The couple failed to pay for the items and tried to leave the store when they were stopped by a loss prevention officer, police said.
Police issued both of them misdemeanor citations for shoplifting and said they had been banned for life from all Walmart properties.
Boswell and McCloud then left the store on foot, according to the report. Both also face theft charges in connection with the case of 15-month-old Evelyn, who was reported missing in February after relatives said they had not seen the baby in months.


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Though every other media company appears to be starting a streaming service, Netflix is facing an on screen challenge from another corner: Fortnite, which ultra popular, multiplatform videogame, seems like a powerful foe.
We compete with Fortnite more than HBO, Netflix stated in a letter to shareholders Thursday, while the company reported its quarterly profit. There are hundreds of competitors in this extremely fragmented market vying to amuse consumers.
On the heels of the holiday 3rd quarter, Netflix’s latest earnings report has been met with mixed reviews.
Although the loading
giant’s subscription growth beat analyst anticipation – Netflix reported 8.8
million new additions when compared to the 7.5 million new subscribers that
analysts projected – the video streaming company’s shares fell about 3% in
Netflix’s global paid subscriber additions also exceeded their own forecast of 7.6 million.
The very fact that investors reacted negatively to what amounted to a strong performance indicates the level to that Netflix has set up a high bar, stated EMarketer media analyst Paul Verna. The bottom line is that Netflix remains the uncontested leader in the subscription video room.
Thursday’s announcement comes two days following the streaming media titan flexed its pricing power, phasing in a U.S. Subscription price increase during the next 3 months for existing subscribers.
The new deals will
become effective instantly for new subscribers. The company reported that a
total of 393.3 million members worldwide.
Throughout the same October December period last year, Netflix added 6.6 million paying subscribers and 8.3 million total subscribers. The company is projecting it’s going to add 8.9 million brand new paid clients throughout the first quarter, which can be lower than analysts projected.
earnings per share of 56 cents with earnings of $4.49 billion, compared with
analyst estimates of 83 cents and $4.61 billion in earnings. Netflix announces
only advice on paid membership subscriptions, as opposed to the total number of
memberships which consists of individuals who could be utilizing a free trial.
It stated in October it’ll stop including end-of quarter free trial subscriber
numbers in its reports.
The world’s biggest paid on-line Television network is raising prices by 13 percent to 18 percent, which is the 12 year old company’s biggest cost hike ever. Its most popular monthly service program will rise to $12.99 from $10.99.
The least expensive plan will increase to $8.99 from $7.99, and the superior plan will rise to $15.99 from $13.99. The price increase might have an impact on adding new U.S. Subscribers going forward, according to Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter.
We don’t anticipate significant churn given the usefulness supplied by the service to existing subscribers, but bring new subscribers will probably be harder due to the higher costs, Pachter said. We change pricing every once in a while as we keep investing in fantastic entertainment and enhancing the entire Netflix expertise for the benefit of our members, a spokesman for Netflix said in an announcement to USA
As the spilling monster pushes to depend on its TV and film studios to make its very own greater amount content, as opposed to authorizing content, watchers can hope to see new periods of hit demonstrates like Making a Murderer, House of Cards, The Crown, and Stranger Things.
A portion of the streamer’s significant interests in ability and programming will hit screens little and enormous in 2019, including arrangement The Umbrella Academy, and Martin Scorsese wrongdoing show, The Irishman.
The income report comes in the midst of developing challenge in the gushing space in 2019. AT&T, presently the proprietors of Time Warner’s immense substance library (counting HBO), plans to dispatch a gushing offering in the not so distant future. As does Disney, which is securing 21st Century Fox’s film and TV studios.
In the organization’s income talk with, Netflix made an amazing move, uncovering a portion of its viewership information.
In the fiercely prominent intuitive motion picture Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, the principal decision in the story was a morning meal oat: Frosties or Sugar Puffs? Netflix uncovered that 73 percent of individuals picked Frosties.
Netflix’s Chief Product Officer Greg Peters said that watchers can hope to see increasingly intelligent excitement later on.
“There have been a couple of false begins on intelligent narrating in the last couple (of) decades. This one has storytellers salivating about the conceivable outcomes,” said Netflix’s Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos. “We have a hunch that it works over a wide range of narrating. Probably the best storytellers on the planet are eager to dive into it.”
Netflix additionally said that 80 million part family units have watched its spine chiller featuring the on-screen character Sandra Bullock, Bird Box, in its initial a month.
Generally, Netflix said it serves around 100 million hours of video for each day, procuring an expected 10 percent ever spent before the TV in the U.S.
“One thing this quarter that has been staggeringly energizing is the point at which you see a major number like Bird Box and You,” Sarandos said amid Netflix’s income meet. “These shows are playing extraordinarily all inclusive. So it’s a fascinating thing when you can take advantage of the worldwide zeitgeist with something, which gets me exceptionally amped up for the potential size of the substance business when the world is amped up for something.”
The Los Gatos, California-based organization announced income of 30 pennies an offer, beating examiner appraisals of 24 pennies an offer.
Netflix announced overall gain of $133.9 million, or 30 pennies an offer, on offers of $4.19 billion.


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Associates Joining Wal-Mart Health Insurance Program
By George Anderson
Even Wal-Mart’s critics have something good to say about the company’s announcement that it has enrolled 70,000 employees in its healthcare benefits programs for next year.
According to a report in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, about one-third of the new enrollees have signed up for the cheapest program offered by the company.
Wal-Mart Watch, an organization that opposes the retailer’s personnel policies, saw the announcement as a positive sign. Tracy Sefl, a spokesperson for Wal-Mart Watch, called
it “a step in the right direction” saying her group believes “in giving Wal-Mart credit when it does the right thing.”
“We firmly believe our efforts are having an impact in convincing Wal-Mart to embrace their role in solving America’s healthcare crisis,” she said. “We’re dragging them slowly,
slowly, slowly toward reform. It’s a 12-step program. The first step: admit they have a problem.”
Wal-Mart spokesperson Dan Fogleman, said the company “wants to be part of the national discussion about how to lower the high cost of health care.”
Moderator’s Comment: Does the retail industry need to develop a unified stance on addressing healthcare costs in the country? Should there be universal
access to healthcare? Who should be responsible for providing it? –
George Anderson – Moderator


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OPPO Reno4 Pro is all set to launch in India on July 31 in an exclusive online event. The launch event will begin at 12.30pm where the company will make all availability and pricing details official. The OPPO Reno4 Pro variant that is being launched is the first in India, ahead of a global release. It is said to come with localised features for the Indian market as well.
The company is going to host an AR launch event for the Reno4 Pro in India. The launch event will begin at 12.30pm IST, and it will be live streamed on YouTube via the OPPO Mobile India channel. As per a recent leak, the device could be priced at Rs. 32,990 in India. The device is tipped to come in Starry Night and Silky White colour options and will go on sale on Flipkart.
The Reno4 Pro teasers have confirmed that the device will have a 3D borderless sense hole-punch screen with the cut out placed on the top left of the screen. It is also teased to come with 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 fast charging technology that claims to fully charge the device in just 36 minutes. The phone is set to come with a 90Hz display refresh rate as well. Teasers also confirm a quad camera setup at the back with the four sensors aligned one below the other.
The device is tipped to come with Snapdragon 720G SoC, 8GB RAM, and 128GB of internal storage. The rear camera setup will include 48-megapixel main camera, 8-megapixel secondary sensor, and 2-megapixel sensors. There’s expected to be a 4,000mAh battery on board. All the other specifications are reported to be identical to the China model including the 32-megapixel selfie camera. And the device is going to run on Android 10-based ColorOS 7.2.