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The iPhone Price increased in France by Apple and that too quite unofficially. The French Apple site iGen highlighted the news first. The price increase however isn’t that great and the new buyers will only have to spend €10 or €18 extra to get the device now. Only the iPhone 5S and 5C observed this price increase.
The original prices of the iPhone 5C were €599 and €699 for the 16GB and 32GB models respectively. These prices are reported to have jumped to €609 and €711 respectively.
Similarly, the iPhone 5S’ 16, 32 and 64GB models, originally priced at €699, €799 and €899 have moved up to €709, €811 and €917 respectively.
Both the phones were released in France on September 20, and have been doing some great business over there like the rest of the world.
The sudden price increase however is something still kinda unexplainable. The most probable reason could be the fluctuating economy of the country. Apple had to stay balanced and so it increased the phone prices.
The price increase can also not be linked to some new taxes introduced by the government and is purely confirmed to be one of Apple’s decisions.
The new iPhones are doing Apple some really good business. Verizon reports to have activated more than 51% of only Apple smartphones in the current year. The other 49% is shared by Samsung, Nokia, HTC and the several other smartphone companies.
The abrupt and silent price increase and that too in only France does not explain much however. It might be some sort of a signal or just a basic price increase to cope with the fluctuating economy of the country.


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Coffee controversy: Starbucks holiday cups over the past 20 years. For the past 20 years, this cup has inspired a wide variety of reactions, from holly jolly feelings to indignation. Dec 13, 2017. Starbucks 20th anniversary of holiday cups photographed on. traits seen in how the Starbucks logo is used to resemble a Christmas wreath. Every Starbucks holiday cup over the last 20 years.
The first one was NOT red. By Jess Edwards. Enter the White Chocolate Mocha, in the Starbucks Christmas cup that also looked like a present. This Year’s Starbucks Christmas Cup Controversy Is The Most Fake Yet November 21, 2017 By Mollie Hemingway The New York Times — the Grey Lady, our paper of record — has a very important. Just a year after Starbucks stores were accused of not being Christmas-y enough with their minimalist red cups, the coffee chain has landed in hot water again: this time over green cups.
Nov 1, 2017. Starbucks is getting festive with its new holiday cups for 2017. Starbucks' years -long war on Christmas is over. The coffee giant wasted no. Nov 20, 2017. The interlinked hands on the 2017 Starbucks holiday cups have some. This year's cup features nods to Christmas tradition, including a.
In a recent press release, Starbucks' vice president of design and content Jeffrey Fields explains the plain red cups — devoid of the Christmas trees or ornaments of years past — were part of.
Starbucks is famous for its holiday-themed cups, but this season you may have noticed something different. What Starbucks Christmas red cups have looked like over the last 20 years Ellen Scott Friday 10 Nov 2017 10: 28 am Share this article via facebook Share this article via twitter Share this article.
Starbucks holiday cups have undergone some major evolutions over the years — here's how they've changed Kate Taylor and Samantha Lee Oct. 27, 2017, 8: 41 AM What Starbucks Christmas red cups have looked like over the last 20 years Ellen Scott Friday 10 Nov 2017 10: 28 am Share this article via facebook Share this article via twitter Share this article. Starbucks Is Criticized for Its Holiday Cups. Yes, Again. This year’s cup features nods to Christmas tradition.
arguments over the Christian bona fides of seasonal Starbucks cups appear. By Heidi Peiper / Starbucks Newsroom. For 20 years, the return of the Starbucks holiday cups have marked the arrival of the season. It’s a ritual for many that’s as beloved as that first sip of Peppermint Mocha.
It’s not easy to find the very first Starbucks holiday cups, which made their debut in stores in 1997. It appears the “War on Christmas” has become the “War on Trump. ” This is a more extreme, election-fueled version of last year’s uproar over Starbucks’ design for their winter beverage.
Starbucks' years-long war on Christmas is over. The coffee giant wasted no time getting into the Christmas spirit this year, releasing its new holiday-themed cups and holiday beverages on Wednesday. This year's holiday season red cups at Starbucks have stirred up critics who accuse the company of waging a war on Christmas. Starbucks said it removed" symbols of the season" used in the past.
Starbucks' 2015 holiday cups. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri. A Starbucks worker leaked a photo of what appears to be the chain's 2017 holiday cup. The new cup diverges from the" red cup" trend of years past. Starbucks' holiday cups have been a. Starbucks is bringing back its plain red cups for the holiday season starting Nov. 10, the company announced Friday. When the cup debuted last year, some consumers accused Starbucks of waging war. Starbucks has been putting out red cups to celebrate the merriment of the holiday season since 1997, which is probably long before many of you took up a caffeine addition.
Winking snowmen, quotes, ornaments and more festive trimmings adorned the Starbucks cups in years past, which makes 2015's simple design all the more dramatic. Only time will tell which is actually the official holiday cup, but this isn’t the first time that Starbucks customers have freaked out over the company’s holiday cups.
Another wrote, “Great new# christmas campaign from @Starbucks featuring# lesbian couple on the Holiday Cup. ” Great new# christmas campaign from @Starbucks featuring# lesbian couple on the. Starbucks seasonal cups through the years. 1 / 19.
Back. the Starbucks holiday cups were decorated with a white pattern resembling Christmas lights and the line. Starbucks has designed the cups to be customised, with plenty of white spaces to be coloured-in or illustrated in your own style. All the Kardashian Christmas cards over the years Starbucks accused of" war on Christmas" with holiday cups. But some critics say the image of this year's holiday cup was like waking up to a lump of coal Christmas morning, reports CBS News.
The 2015 edition of Starbucks’ annual red holiday cup has some Christians taking to social media to protest the design’s lack of overt Christmas themes. The cup, which this year features a. For many, when Starbucks red cups return, it’s a signal that the holiday season is drawing near.
Since 1997, Starbucks has welcomed the holidays with a special red cup that celebrates the spirit of the season. Over the years, designs have ranged from the modern, using whimsical brushstrokes in. After last year’s minimalist red cup caused a not-so-festive storm, Starbucks (sbux) has opted for a more decorative approach to this year’s Christmas coffee cups.
Featuring 13 more. Starbucks launched its first Christmas cup in 1997 and each year has produced a new design for the festive season. This year's offering was created to" usher in the holidays with a purity of. Every Starbucks holiday cup over the last 20 years. Starbucks cups over the years christmas first one was NOT red. By Jess Edwards. Enter the White Chocolate Mocha, in the Starbucks Christmas cup that also looked like a present.
Nov 9, 2015. 'Tis the season for merriment and Christmas cheer!. ornaments and more festive trimmings adorned the Starbucks cups in years past, which makes. Take a look at the evolution of the red holiday cup over the past decade:. Here's How Starbucks Holiday Cups Have Changed Over the Last 20 Years.
you'll be cradling the latest edition of the chain's popular holiday cup series. Every year Starbucks unveils a new design. Even Donald Trump weighed in on the Starbucks Christmas Cup controversy during a rally in Illinois on Monday. have drawn on white cups for years. new cups. " Starbucks removed Christmas. It's Nov. 1! That means Halloween is over, Christmas is coming, and it's finally the most wonderful time of the year: the time when people get super pissed off about Starbucks holiday cups.
The Inanity of the Starbucks Christmas Cup ‘Controversy’. Starbucks is a global company that serves millions of customers per day at over 23, 000 stores in 68 countries, including the United. Nov 2, 2017. The controversy over the cups began in November 2015, spurred by a. The Starbucks red cup isn't red this year and Christmas is ruined. The 2015 Starbucks Holiday Cups feature a plain red design with no Christmas symbols, but this is not Starbucks cups over the years christmas the coffee chain has an anti-Christian attitude.
upset over the supposed. Starbucks Christmas cups have seen some major changes since the red-cup controversy. See Starbucks holiday cups over the years, dating back to 97.
Watch video · Starbucks, however, maintains that its holiday cups were meant to be a blank canvas for customers to create their own stories, inspired by the doodles and designs that customers have drawn on white cups for years.

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Fredo Santana Reveals Special Edition ‘SSR’ Nike Air Force Ones
Fredo Santana’s new kicks are icy af. The Savage Squad boss took to social media to give fans a glimpse of his new “SSR” Nike Air Force Ones.
The white and gold sneakers are limited edition. The “Walking Legend” rapper says he is making only 20 pairs available for purchase.
The sneakers may be made available for purchase on Fredo’s website fredosantanaonline.com. Fredo sells his clothing line on this site, including shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies with the wording “Trappin Ain’t Dead,” “Savage Squad Records” and “Fredo In The Cut.”
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I've said it many times before, the US economy is headed to a severe downturn or recession. There are a number of reasons for this, but ultimately it boils down to consumer choices and spending patterns. The biggest problem the US voter faces is the rate of inflation, it is completely out of control and constantly rising. Basis economics tells us that the greater supply of a recourse, the less value it will hold. For example, gold is expensive because it's hard to find and difficult to mine. However, if every stream and river were filled with gold, then gold would become worthless. The same rules apply to money; the greater the supply of money, the less value it has. With a weakened dollar, prices will appear to rise. The Federal Reserve went on a money printing spree called Quantitative Easing after the 2008 recession, in the vain hopes that it would spur economic growth. Their scheme failed
This CNN article attempts to paint a rosy picture of the economy and it's very sluggish growth; however, the article's author as well as many economists failed to account for the underlying factors that have resulted in the current situation.
Continuing the discussion of supply and demand. The amount of printed US currency is currently estimated to be about $1.5 Trillion by the Federal Reserve, but the amount of total us debt is about $47 Trillion. Of that $47Trillion in debt, $19 Trillion is US government debt, $14.6 household debt, and $13.4Trillion was business debt. Of the $14.6Trillion household debt, $1.2Trillion was due to student loans. What do all these giant numbers mean? The amount of debt is money that has already been spent and must be paid back. Let's consider, the greater the supply of money the less it's value. Therefore, if taken to it's logical conclusion, the amount of debt is also adding to the rate of inflation. People are beginning to ask why the cost of higher education has risen so quickly over the past twenty years. The answer lies in plain sight: the Student Loan programs are a guaranteed source of revenue for schools. Colleges can keep raising their prices because they are certain that their customers (students) can borrow the money and pay the costs. The medical care industry is operating in the same manner. Hospitals and doctors can keep raising prices because someone: the patient, insurance, Medicare, or some other program will eventually pay.
The US economy will continue to be sluggish, right up to the point that it begins fall into a recession. Regardless of who won the election, these problems will not go away without an extended period of economic deflation that will correct the many imbalances in the economy.


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Windows 8.1 Update Afflicted With Trouble
The hardest-hit are those with Microsoft's own device -- Surface RT tablets.
Microsoft has been rocked by the trouble-plagued update to Windows 8.
It's the last thing Redmond needs, as Windows 8 stumbled out of the gate intially, and Windows 8.1 was supposed to fix a lot of what users said was wrong with it.
That hasn't happened though, and has forced Microsoft into the embarrasing position of having to publish recovery media software for Windows RT users whose devices got "bricked" by the recently-released Windows RT 8.1 upgrade.
The trouble started with Microsoft's Windows RT 8.1 upgrade that was available via the Windows Store on Oct. 17. It became apparent over the weekend that some users applying the update were getting either blue screens or systems that wouldn't respond (known as "bricked"). Users with this problem saw the error code "0xc000000d," plus the following message:
Your PC needs to be repaired
The Boot Configuration Data file is missing some required information
As one solution to the problem, Surface RT users can create a USB drive using Microsoft's newly released recovery media, available here, which will roll them back to Windows RT 8. Alternatively, they can contact Microsoft's support for Surface to make arrangements to send in their device for servicing, according to Microsoft's description of the problem.
However, those creating a recovery drive need to observe some caveats, according to Microsoft's instructions. They will need a second, non-bricked Surface RT device to download the recovery software. Next, they need a 4-GB USB drive to create the recovery media, but doing so will wipe out any other data on that drive.
Microsoft apparently first removed its Windows RT 8.1 update from the Windows Store as of Oct. 18. At that time, a Microsoft Community post indicated that the company would "provide updates as they become available." As of Monday, Oct. 21, there was no updated information in that forum about when the Windows RT 8.1 update would be available.
Microsoft has claimed that the glitch had affected "less than 1 of every 1,000 (or less than 0.1 percent) Surface RT customers who have installed Windows RT 8.1," according to a statement from the company issued to veteran Microsoft watcher Mary Jo Foley.
The problem seems tied to Microsoft's hardware product, the Surface RT, and not to other equipment makers' Windows RT-based products. Microsoft may be the last sole maker of new Surface RT machines after Dell ended its production. Dell apparently stopped selling its Surface RT-based devices last month.
Kurt Mackie is senior news producer for 1105 Media's Converge360 group.


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Travel Site Mafengwo Accused of Tolerating Fake Orders, Reviews
Behind any part of the Chinese internet that relies on mass engagement, there lies a shadow ecosystem of vendors and buyers peddling fake content to drive traffic and make money.
Chinese travel site Beijing Mafengwo Network Technology Co. Ltd. — dubbed China’s answer to TripAdvisor — is the latest company to find itself accused of facilitating fake forms of engagement. The firm has allowed registered merchants to place spurious orders in order to beef up their onsite rankings and attract more views, multiple sources told Caixin.
Mafengwo touts its user-generated content as a major selling point. User reviews of restaurants, hotels, destinations and local activities help travelers schedule their trips more efficiently, the company says. The 9-year-old Beijing-headquartered firm generates revenue through ad placements — making it reliant on users clicking on reviews — and earns commissions from hotel bookings and other orders.
Since the end of 2018, however, the company has turned a blind eye to user malpractice, allowing fake reviews and orders to proliferate, several business owners that use Mafengwo told Caixin.
Part of the problem is Mafengwo’s vendor ranking system, according to business owner Zhang Miao. Zhang claimed that Mafengwo marketing staff told him that during off-seasons, the site prioritizes merchants with higher conversion rates — a measure based on order volume divided by the total number of clicks — in order to generate more traffic.
This strategy has given rise to unfair competition between merchants, some of whom artificially inflate their conversion rates, another business owner, Li Zhongping, told Caixin. While fake orders account for around 10% of all orders on competitor site Feizhu, on Mafengwo it’s about 30%, he claimed.
This comes as the company prepares for a new round of fundraising in which it will try to convince investors that it has the potential to turn a profit.
Mafengwo announced in May that it would receive $250 million in investment from a group of investors led by internet giant Tencent Holdings Ltd., which would value the business at $2 billion. Caixin has learned that the two sides were in talks since the second half of 2018.
Responding to the allegations, a spokesperson for Mafengwo told Caixin that the company had upgraded its risk-control systems and capabilities several times this year, and regularly updates its protocols for controlling fake traffic on its website.
This is not the first time allegations of fake content have been lobbed at Mafengwo. In October, the company came under fire for allegedly using bots and hired writers to fabricate as much as 85% of the reviews that were supposedly posted by users. Mafengwo later responded that such reviews make up just 2.19% of its user-generated content, and the percentage of fake accounts among its total users is tiny.
Mafengwo Vice President Yu Zhuo told Caixin in October that allegations wouldn’t affect the company’s operations and that the firm expects to list on the Nasdaq in two to three years.
Contact reporter Tang Ziyi (firstname.lastname@example.org)
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The Daily Green
July 1, 2011
Keratin hair straighteners, like the Brazilian Blowout, are “unsafe” for use at home or salons, according to the industry’s Cosmetics Ingredient Review panel.
Expressing concern that the combination of formaldehyde and heat in hair-straighteners like Brazilian Blowouts “may not be safe” even in salons with ventilation, the Cosmetics Ingredient Review panel has voted to label use of these products “unsafe.”
“Based on the unique circumstance of formaldehyde/methylene glycol use in hair smoothing products intended to be heated, the likely production of substantial amounts of formaldehyde gas, and the absence of any assurance that adequate ventilation could/would be available, the Expert Panel determined such use of formaldehyde and methylene glycol to be unsafe,” the panel writes.


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Source: Business Standard
8 July 2015
The move was a sign of the evolution of compulsory licensing in India, say experts
Hyderabad-based Lee Pharma, which applied for a compulsory licence of international drug major AstraZeneca’s patented diabetes medicine Saxagliptin last month, said this was the most efficient substitute for insulin injectables.
The multinational company was not able to meet the demand for Saxagliptin, sources at Lee Pharma said. Lee Pharma, a Rs 200 crore drug manufacturer, filed an application on June 25 with the Controller of Patents, Mumbai, seeking a compulsory licence in its favour for Saxagliptin sold as Onglyza as a standalone drug and Kombiglyze as a combination with Metformin. The patent was granted to Bristol-Myers Squibb in April 2007 and was transferred to AstraZeneca AB.
This is the third application for a compulsory licence in India, the first being one by Natco Pharma for Bayer’s cancer drug Sorafenib (brand name Nexavar) and the second by BDR Pharma for Bristol-Myers Squibb’s cancer drug Dasatinib (Sprycel). While the first application was granted, the second was rejected by the authority.
“AstraZeneca is aware of Lee Pharma’s application filed with the Indian Patent Office and we are reviewing our options. AstraZeneca has complete confidence in its intellectual property and does not believe that such intellectual property is a barrier to access to medicines in developing countries,” AstraZeneca said in a statement.
Lee Pharma contended the patent owner had not taken adequate steps to manufacture Saxagliptin in India, the product was not available at a reasonably affordable price, and that the public requirement was not being met.
According to Section 84 of the Patents Act, 1970, any interested person may make an application for a compulsory licence to a patent on these grounds after three years from the date of its grant.
Lee Pharma alleged the cost of importing one tablet of Onglyza was Rs 0.80 but it was sold at Rs 41-45 and the cost of importing one tablet of Kombiglyze was Re0.92 and it was sold at Rs 49.
Lee Pharma claimed it had the capacity to manufacture 1 million Saxagliptin and Saxagliptin-Metformin combination tablets a day. It proposed a price of Rs 27 per Saxagliptin 2.5 mg tablet and Rs 29 per Saxagliptin 5 mg tablet. It also proposed the combination of Saxagliptin and Metformin extended release be priced at Rs 30 a tablet for 5/500 mg strength and Rs 31.50 per tablet for 5/1000 mg strength.
Onglyza 2.5 mg costs Rs 43.2 per tablet and a strip of 14 tablets costs Rs 605, making the monthly cost Rs 1,269.4. Onglyza 5 mg — for which Lee Pharma says prices are expected to increase with the new batch — costs Rs 41.5 per tablet and Rs 1,245 per month. The combination drugs Kombiglyze XR (5/500 and 5/1000 mg), are priced at Rs 49 per tablet and Rs 1,470 per month. Both are once-daily dosage.
Lee Pharma said the population of Type II diabetes in India was around 60 million, and there were four key medicines available for treatment: Linagliptin (Trazenta), Sitabliptin (Januvia), Vildagliptin (Galvus), and Saxagliptin. It added if 1 million patients were prescribed Saxagliptin, it would require 365 million tablets a year, whereas imports for 2013 were 8,23,855 tablets, about 0.23 per cent of the requirement. “Thus there is more than 99 per cent shortage of Saxagliptin in the Indian market,” Lee Pharma said.
Company sources said in the case of Nexavar, the difference between the price of the originator’s drug and the price quoted in the compulsory licence application was huge, but the patient population was less. In the case of Saxagliptin, the patient population was huge and a smaller difference in price would also result in several crore rupees collectively, they added.
Lee Pharma, incorporated in 1997, has three manufacturing units in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam. Its medicines are sold locally and are exported to 48 countries.
While the application for Saxagliptin was only the third in the country so far, the move was a sign of the evolution of compulsory licensing in India, said Swaraj Paul Barooah, editor-in-chief of intellectual property blog Spicy IP and visiting faculty at Nalsar University of Law, Hyderabad.
“The emergence of Lee Pharma, which seems to be new to the patent litigation field, indicates some generics manufacturers may be willing to test the boundaries of what the law recognises as abuse of patents. There are several drugs on the market that appear susceptible to compulsory licences, so regardless of the outcome of this application, this seems to be good. As long as the Patent Office continues to take a balanced approach, these developments will help improve the compulsory licensing scenario in India,” he said.
Another expert said it must be seen whether there were other drugs available at an affordable price before concluding that a compulsory licence was required. Similar diabetes medicines are available in the market, including generic versions of Saxagliptin.


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Boston University Offers Online Program
Boston University has begun offering an interactive, multimedia online program for financial planners.
The program, which was started in September, is being developed with Acadient Inc., a Boston-based developer and distributor of multimedia, interactive education for the financial services industry.
Robert J. Glovsky, president of Mintz Levin Financial Advisors in Boston, is director of the program, which offers courses on personal finance, investments, taxation, estate planning, life and health insurance, and employee benefits and retirement planning. The online program is based on the university‚s classroom financial planning program, which was founded in 1981 and is one of the oldest in the country.
"It‚s our belief that we‚ve created the next generation of online training. Most online training programs follow an online syllabus, where you read a chapter and come back and read another chapter. We‚ve created an interactive program in which you can test your knowledge as you‚re going along," says Robert J. Powell III, Acadient managing director.
He adds there are about 140 classroom-based financial planning programs in the country, but only about 10% of them have online offerings.
Powell notes that the CFP Board was to decide in mid-September whether Boston University‚s online courses can be used to fulfill CFP Board of Standards requirements for instruction leading up to the CFP certification examination. Students who complete BU‚s six courses would then be able to sit for the two-day exam.
For more information, visit www.bu.edu/finplanners.
Eaton Vance Expands Team
Boston-based Eaton Vance is expanding its efforts in managed accounts by adding two positions to its managed accounts sales and marketing group.
Eaton Vance Distributors Inc., a subsidiary of Eaton Vance Corp., named Robert B. Ellerbeck and Lindsey Lambert Kidder as regional sales directors.
Ellerbeck will handle sales in northern California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming. Ellerbeck joined Eaton Vance from Simms Capital Manage-ment, where he served as principal and regional director of the West Coast Division.


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BlackBerry 10 users and Snapchat users rejoice! You’ll be pleased to know that the first, full native Snapchat client for BlackBerry 10, Snap2Chat is now available to download from BlackBerry World.
Lately we have been seeing more and more folks requesting apps that would function by Geolocation. Well the developer from Toysoft Development has answered those requests with an app called GeoToolBox and I’m sure you will be very happy with it. GeoToolBox is a headless on location base application that allows you to do so […]
For any of you folks that have a BlackBerry 10 device and are using AT&T as your carrier it appears they are pushing their 10.2.1 OS update, FINALLY!! From the reports we have been receiving it is starting to show available through BlackBerry Link and is OS 10.2.1.2273 (no reports of an OTA update available […]
MockIt! from OSBB Code Labs has made its way out of the BlackBerry Beta Zone and is now available for download through BlackBerry World. MockIt! is an app that has been developed exclusively for BlackBerry 10 devices and allows you to create custom memes from an extensive catalog or by using your favorite screenshots.
Just yesterday we let you know of a new app called Messenger (Facebook) that is being developed by Nemory Studios. Well Nemory (he’s also the developer of Snap2Chat) has been hard at work because there is an update to the new app already. This update brings the app to version 188.8.131.52 and we have the […]
In the past couple weeks we have seen ShopBlackBerry picking up their game with first offering T-Mobile customers $100 off the purchase price of a new device and then last week they started carrying the BlackBerry Z30 in white. Well for any of you that have a spare $1990 laying around you can now grab […]
Not too long ago we let you all know of the third party Facebook Messenger beta app being available to sideload, looks like BlackBerry has approved the app into BlackBerry World and those of you all who want a native BlackBerry 10 Facebook Messenger app could now experience it for $1.99. Features of the app include:


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Ford is aiming to cut up to 400 jobs from its engine plant at Bridgend in Wales, in one of the first moves of its cost-cutting ‘transformation’ of its European business.
The car firm has informed trade union officials that it will launch a voluntary redundancy drive at the plant to cut between 370 and 400 jobs, according to Sky News. Ford has been planning to shrink production at the facility, which Autocar previously reported could lead to the loss of more than 1000 jobs.
The move, which Ford confirmed to Sky News, is part of a major overhaul of its European business, and more widely of a £14 billion global cost-cutting programme. It includes cutting costs in areas such as purchasing, manufacturing and engineering, and reducing “surplus labour”, according to Ford president Steven Armstrong. The total number of jobs affected will likely be in the thousands.
The Ford Bridgend plant recently started building the three-cylinder 1.5-litre Ecoboost engine used in the Fiesta ST and new Focus, alongside a four-cylinder unit. It also produces the Jaguar AJ-V8 engine for Jaguar Land Rover, although demand for that motor has been hit by falling demand for the various models it is used in.


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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Many entrepreneurs are hearing about the huge sums of money to be made in medical marijuana, but the risks never seem to make the same headlines. Owners of these businesses are finding that the harsh reality of selling a federally illegal product never really goes away.
California, which was the first state to legalize medicinal marijuana, is experiencing raids on dispensaries from the Drug Enforcement Agency. Four locations were raided by the DEA in early March, even though the Attorney General had stated that this was not a priority and efforts should be focused elsewhere.
California law officials said it was just enforcing a law intended to cut back on the dispensaries that weren't operating within cities' guidelines. No arrests were made, but cash and cannabis were confiscated. In most of these cases, the owner rarely gets their property back, even if they are never arrested. Owners must put up a 10% "cost bond" of the value of the property and according to the Justice Department, 80% of forfeitures go uncontested in court. A study found that 80% of those whose property is seized are never arrested.
Small business owners should be aware that the DEA is heavily reliant on forfeiture money for its budgets. The Justice Department recovered over $1.7 billion in property in 2011 and it shares this booty among many departments including the DEA. Many small business owners have thousands of dollars invested in these businesses and to lose inventory, as well as cash on hand can be devastating.


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Sneak Peak: Augmented Reality On The iPad 2
Now that Apple has introduced the use of cameras on its new tablet, the iPad 2, don’t be surprised if your favorite apps begin using Augmented Reality technology. It is already being tested by Germany-based, Metaio and we’ve got the amazing video.
Bryan M. Wolfe
| March 15


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Behind the boom in second screen usage
It's more accurate to refer to them as our primary screens
October 17, 2013
The TV industry came up with the term “second screen” to apply to other devices being used while watching television, such as smartphones, tablets and laptops. But it’s become apparent that, moving forward, those screens are stealing more and more of viewers’ primary focus. That’s one conclusion from a wide-reaching report on second screens released by IPG Media Lab. It notes that 60 percent of TV viewers look at secondary devices during TV ad breaks, and viewers switch their attention between screens an average of 27 times per hour. Fifteen percent of viewers say they multitask between screens for the full duration of all TV shows, while 46 percent cop to doing so at least once or twice per program. It’s not just young people, either. The report notes that adults 55-64 are the heaviest web surfers and email checkers on tablets during commercial breaks. Natalie Bokenham, director of strategy at IPG Media Lab, talks to Media Life about why the second screen is not the enemy of the TV industry, how it has evolved over the past few years, and what media buyers and planners need to know about it.
First, can you define what you consider “second screen?”
The IPG Media Lab and Magna Global have defined “second screen” as the use of any computer device (tablet, smartphone, laptop) while the TV is on.
What did you find most interesting or most surprising about this report?
The “Second Screen Fallacy” report was a result of our search to find adequate answers for what “second screen” actually meant. In the end, we uncovered two “a-ha” insights:
First, the term “second screen” is a misnomer. This “second” screen that we’re referring to is actually the screen we take with us everywhere we go – our primary companion screen for life. Increasingly, the TV, along with all other screens, will serve as secondary screens to smart mobile devices which will soon serve as content hub, powerhouse and source of connectivity to peripheral dumb screens.
Second, the term “second screen” is something the TV industry made up, in response to the consumer attention crisis. The “second screen” represents both a threat and an opportunity.
It’s a threat because it signifies that the current single-screen TV buying strategy will not be effective for very much longer and those that do not respond will lose out. It is an opportunity because there are now new and exciting ways to recapture and measure, lost attention, even as it is fragmented across different screens.
What’s the most important thing that media buyers and planners can take from it?
The “second screen,” when utilized properly, has the power to turn TV into an interactive and participatory medium. When executed poorly its integration can fall flat.
In the report we are quite bullish about the idea that badges are dead. “Checking in” (often to get a badge) is the second least likely thing a second-screener will do, and those that do “check in” are highly unlikely to ever do it again. At IPG Mediabrands, we strongly encourage our media planners and buyers to consider how leveraging screens will add value to the consumer experience.
We also remind our teams that there is not a one-size-fits-all approach or solution for integrating “second screens.” As ever, advertisers should start with business objectives.
Second screen is nascent in the sense that it is a relatively new concept, and we are seeing an explosion of startups in the field. But any mobile experience can be leveraged for dual screen. Opportunities to leverage retail apps with large user bases and high ratings to convert inspiration to purchase instantly is particularly exciting.
For a long time it seemed that the TV industry considered the second screen the enemy. How and why is this changing?
As reflected in our research, we disagree that the TV industry ever considered “second screen” the enemy. We believe that the term “second screen” was invented by the TV industry as an insight-driven means of recapturing, and in time, re-monetizing consumer attention.
Back in early 2011 at the IPG Media Lab, we demoed ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy Sync iPad app for our clients as the first major example of a “second screen” experience.
However, today, thanks to new measurement tools, we are seeing more focus on “second screen” from the TV industry, tech companies and brands. These tools help validate why advertisers should start to shift some of their TV budgets to other screens.
What is the “consumer attention crisis” and what is being done to combat it? How much of a worry is it for advertisers?
The “consumer attention crisis” is the idea that consumers are being bombarded with thousands of media messages per day and as such, ad avoidance has become a coping mechanism for managing information overload. It’s is a huge worry for advertisers.
The IPG Media Lab is actively partnering with large-scale media owners to identify and develop new ways to re-capture consumer attention.
How is second screen creating more targeted television?
With advances in second screen technology, such as video finger-printing with Twitter Amplify, it is possible to identify engaged viewers of specific shows and retarget them on “second screen” platforms.
Are many advertisers and content creators still ignoring the second screen? Why or why not, and what are the consequences?
Well, no one leaves the IPG Media Lab ignoring the second screen.
In all seriousness, we find the second screen syndrome is something clients tend to grasp immediately, because they are experiencing it for themselves at home. The cost of ignoring second screen is increased ad avoidance–and ad avoidance will be further aggravated by the fact that the competition WILL be doing something about it.
Has the second screen become the first screen for some people? If so, who and why?
For early adopters, especially “cord-cutters” such as myself, the TV is acting as a dumb display for mobile streaming. Mobile devices have a familiar UI, easy access to a whole web/app ecosystem of content, and are generally easier to navigate.
We believe that Google’s Chromecast, which enables anyone to “cast” content from your Chrome browser for a one-off cost of $35, will help to precipitate this vision of the future.
After nearly 18 years, it’s time to say good-bye
Yet more evidence native advertising doesn’t work
A new type of cord-cutting: Snipping broadband
Coming, the collapse of radio’s iHeartMedia
Weeklies: Surviving if not thriving in digital age
Tweeter in chief: How Trump could save Twitter
Shows Trump hates are seeing big ad gains
Broadcast vs. cable: How the top shows stack up
A sign that coughs at your cigarette smoke
The word: Time Inc. sale is imminent
Rundown: Which advertisers have jumped from YouTube
Media Life’s Digital Media Transparency Initiative
HBO does hard time with Dwayne Johnson
- Arun Kumar becomes chief data and marketing tech officer at IPG
- Jenny Campbell rises to managing director at 72andSunny
- Adam Crandall becomes director of strategy at mono
- Mark Wildman rises to EVP of partnerships at Westwood One
- Kevin Craig rises to SVP of newspaper relations at AMG/Parade
- Bill Corvalan becomes VP of West Coast partnerships at AllOver Media
- Richard Just becomes editor at The Washington Post Magazine
- Gemma Lawson rises to VP and design director at Nickelodeon
- Ashley Judd joins Epix' 'Berlin Station'
- Former NBC ad sales executive Robert Blackmore dies at age 90
This week’s broadcast ratings
This week’s cable ratings
This week’s top-rated movies, songs and books
This week’s daypart ratings
This month’s digital traffic data: December 2016
Ad sales rep for a digital-only magazine
Freelance media planner/buyer available for all markets
Wanted: Media buyer in Philadelphia
Paid social media planner wanted in Detroit
Opening for a media planner at a top OOH agency


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Spanish plastics recycling operation Fosimpe will enter the mixed-plastics processing sector in the coming weeks, driven not only by the global regulatory environment but by greater public interest in domestic material processing.
France has started requiring electronics OEMs to calculate and disclose repairability scores to consumers, and officials in Malaysia raise concerns about recent e-scrap importation in that country.
With OEMs struggling to produce and ship new electronics during coronavirus-triggered shutdowns, a new willingness to buy refurbished devices has sprouted in Europe, according to Deutsche Welle.
A new report notes more and more fires are breaking out in electronics collection and processing facilities around the world, and experts say damaged batteries are typically the culprit.
An Irish electronics recycling firm has converted its refurbishing line to focus on assembling ventilators. Meanwhile, the medical devices are drawing focus among right-to-repair advocates.
A former U.S. e-scrap executive pleads not guilty to federal charges related to business practices, and an infamous scrap site in Ghana grabs more headlines.


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June, 2017: Sustainability is no longer a niche issue, it is front and center on the global stage.
As society becomes increasingly concerned with sustainability issues, particularly younger generations, more and more companies are choosing to be more proactive in addressing this topic in some way, realizing that if they do not, it can have a negative impact on their bottom line. From environmental concerns such as the climate, to the ethical treatment of employees or animals, consumers have become increasingly focused on how the companies they buy from handle such issues. As a result, investors are also putting greater emphasis on sustainability. Given the growing importance of sustainability within the alternative investment industry, the New York Hedge Fund Roundtable recently held its second day-long Sustainability Investment Leadership Conference (SILC), where attendees were surveyed about the topic.
“Companies need to look at the impact they have on humans,” Anita Househam, senior manager Senior Manager, Global Compact LEAD & Supply Chain Sustainability for the United Nations Global Compact, told attendees at this year’s SILC event. “We’re seeing that not just governments, but organizations at grass roots levels, have the ability to highlight what they see in the supply chain,” she said, adding that while consumers don’t expect companies to be perfect, they do expect them to acknowledge any areas of concern that exist within their supply chains. Added Tensie Whelan, director of NYU’s Stern School of Business’ Center for Sustainable Business: “If there is a consistent intention to mislead, it will eventually come out.”
Roundtable members seem to have embraced the value of sustainability as well. 65% of respondents to this year’s survey indicated that they think sustainability reporting is worth the added costs to companies, compared with 60% of respondents who felt this way in 2016 and only 46% in 2015. “While it is clear that there is still a long way to go before companies produce consistent and high quality sustainability reports to measure themselves to their peer groups and to show their own progress over time, it would be impossible to ignore the growing importance of sustainability within the alternative investment industry,” said Adam Weinstein, President of the New York Hedge Fund Roundtable and a managing director at an alternative asset management firm. “We want to thank all those who were involved in SILC. The New York Hedge Fund Roundtable will continue to highlight and discuss the important topic of sustainability in the future,” he said.
New York Hedge Fund Roundtable members had the opportunity to weigh in on this topic both at the SILC event, as well as through an online electronic poll.
*Of the respondents to this survey, 28% were fund managers; 17% were allocators; 24% were risk management or trading; 21% were service providers; and 10% were other industry participants.
Following are some of the key findings to this year’s survey, compared with answers to the same questions in recent years:
- Asked whether their firms consider whether or not companies practice sustainability reporting when choosing where to invest, 51% of respondents said they do, while 49% do not. Comparatively, when asked the same question in 2016, 54% of respondents said it is a factor, while 46% said it wasn’t.
- When asked whether sustainability reporting is worth the added costs and the additional time needed to produce such reports, 65% of respondents think it is, compared with 60% of respondents in 2016 and 46% in 2015; 32% said they believe it is still too early to know whether investors will eventually hold it against companies that don’t report on their sustainability efforts, compared with 31% of respondents in 2016 and 49% in 2015; and 3% think the focus on sustainability will be short lived and isn’t worth the effort, compared with 9% in 2016 and 5% in 2015.
- 70% of respondents said they believe sustainability reporting is equally important for all companies, compared with 65% of respondents in 2016 and 41% in 2015; while 30% believe it is far more important for large, international companies, compared with 35% in 2016 and 59% in 2015.
- Asked if they believe sustainability reported could ever become a common practice among companies without regulatory involvement, 48% of respondents thing that companies may voluntarily product reports, but that regulatory involvement will be necessary to ensure high quality reports and consistency, compared with 26% of respondents in 2016 and 30% of respondents in 2015; 44% think that sustainability can have a big enough impact on a company’s ultimate profitability that companies have started to realize it is in their best interest to focus on the issue and produce reports, compared with 49% of respondents in 2016 and 46% in 2015; and 8% think that regulatory requirements are the only thing that could ever bring about market-wide reporting, compared with 25% of respondents in 2016 and 24% in 2015.
- When asked if sustainability reporting is likely to become more or less important within the next decade, 51% of respondents said that investors are starting to put enough emphasis on such reports that companies that fail to generate sustainability reports risk the loss of investor support, compared with 43% of respondents in 2016 and 61% in 2015; 22% think there is still enough investor uncertainty about how such reports can translate to stronger long term performance for companies that it is still too early to know, compared with 20% of respondents in 2016 and 21% in 2015; another 22% think sustainability reports will need to become more uniform and concise before they can become a critical factor in the companies investor choose, compared with 33% of respondents in 2016 and 15% in 2015; and 5% think sustainability reporting is only a fad and won’t gain long-term traction, compared with 4% of respondents in 2016 and 3% in 2015.
- Asked whether their acceptance of sustainability would change if it focused more on things like building a company’s reputation, health community involvement and good employee relations, versus environmental issues such as global warning, 51% said there would be no change in their attitude toward sustainability, compared with 46% of respondents in 2016; 42% said they would be more likely to embrace the concept, compared with 45% of respondents in 2016; and 7% said it would be less likely to accept sustainability, compared with 9% in 2016.
Bonus Question: With Elon Musk’s SpaceX making the possibility space tourism a reality, people were asked if they would be willing to assume the risks of flying into space for a trip around the moon if money weren’t an issue. Respondents were equally split, with 50% saying yes and the other 50% saying no.


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Local folks — much less the rest of the world — have little understanding that Windsor-Essex has morphed into an automation technology hub, and some say it’s time for the region to shed its modesty.
“What’s going on here is remarkable, and that message is not getting out,” said Stephen MacKenzie, CEO of the WindsorEssex Economic Development Corporation.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
More than 300 local companies are now engaged in engineering, designing and manufacturing cutting-edge automated industrial manufacturing systems for clients stretching the globe.
“That’s a staggering figure — this is where innovation is happening,” said Brent McPhail, president of Windsor-based Brave Control Solutions. His company, which for the third straight year has been listed as one of Canada’s fastest-growing companies in the PROFIT 500 report compiled by Canadian Business and PROFITguide.com, uses software developed for video games to help manufacturers develop new industrial technology.


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Fast times for technology sector
According to Beco Capital, a regional venture capital (VC) firm, funds raised in the region last year were six times larger than in 2013 and deal flow was four times bigger in the same period.
"In 2015 entrepreneurs will be tackling all sectors of the economy using technology to make things more efficient," Dany Farha, the chief executive of Beco, told The National.
While the large rise is partly due to 2013 being an unusually quiet investment period as VCs spent much of the time raising money not deploying it, there has also been a tremendous increase in activity on the entrepreneurial front.
"Fresh venture capital funds raised in Mena [Middle East and North Africa] last year totalled $175 million, compared with $29m raised in 2013.
The region is gaining momentum and is on the way to experience its own boom in the technology sector in the next five years, following on India's success story," Mr Farha told the Middle East Investment Conference in Kuwait on Tuesday.
For Beco the Middle East and North Africa is actually a "slimmed down" version with the focus on the GCC, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt.
iMena Group, which operates online businesses in the region, has a narrower definition, targeting Saudi Arabia and the UAE. It now has plans to enter Egypt and hopes by the end of the year to expand into Morocco, says its founder and managing director Khaldoon Tabaza.
The firms are among investors circling the potential big winners of the region's tech gene pool such as e-retailer souq.com, the jobs site Bayt.com, the online chauffeur service Careem, the online food ordering service Talabat led by chief executive Mohammed Jaffar, the car sales site Sellanycar.com, the classifieds site Dubizzle, the internet estate agent Propertyfinder founded by Michael Lahyani and a handful of others that also have the potential to break the $1bn barrier.
The Maktoob founder Samih Toukan's Souq.com, for example, has some 24 million visitors a month. Talabat operates in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and this country, working with restaurants such as Burger King, KFC and Pizza Hut. Dubizzle, Bayt, Propertyfinder, Careem, Sellanycar and Souq are among those based in Dubai.
What is most startling, according to Mr Farha, is that half of these firms did not exist six years ago while the rest were very small.
Now combined turnover for the group of firms is $900m, the combined headcount is 2,600 employees - revenues and staff numbers are growing 100 per cent year on year - and they have a total net worth enterprise value of $2bn, according to Beco's calculations.
Propertyfinder is one of Beco's portfolio investments in which it has invested a total of $5m so far including injecting more liquidity into the group in December to help its push into Saudi Arabia.
Sellanycar.com, started in 2013, offers consumers the opportunity to quickly dispose of their used vehicles, a service which iMena believes taps into a fundamental need in the region.
"2015 is shaping up to be another great year for the online industry in the region," says Mr Tabaza. "In my view for the next three to five years you will see growth in the region because of the pent-up demand for online products and services.
"Sectors we are excited about include classifieds, e-commerce market places including automotive like sellanycar.com and restaurants such as reserveout, transport like Easy Taxi and payment/finance services like Telr."
He says that after this period of fast growth the next phase of the industry will see more consolidation as the region's online sector matures.
What is driving growth this year, investors say, is the sheer number of people online, the high smartphone penetration - it is around 80 per cent in the UAE - and the relatively large amount of consumer spending on telecoms.
Sales of smartphones reached 64 million units in the second quarter of last year across the Middle East and Africa, a growth of 27 per cent year-on-year, according to International Data Corporation (IDC).
The demographics and macro picture mirror what has been happening in another fast-growing market - India - says Mr Farha. About $2.1bn of venture capital is currently being invested in India compared with $800m in 2009, Beco says, with the largest global players attracted to the country.
Flipkart, India's biggest online retailer, said in May that it had received $210m of funds from a group of investors led by DST Global, an investment company controlled by the Russian billionaire Yuri Milner, which has also backed Facebook, Twitter and Groupon.
Snapdeal, another Indian online retail firm, last year raised $100m from investors including the US investment firm BlackRock.
The Middle East is set follow India's example, Beco says.
"When four or five of the current technology winners grow into the $1bn tech companies they promise to be, they will attract international VC investors. When this happens, it is going to be a quantum leap for the region," Mr Farha said in Kuwait.
To compare, VC investments per capita in Mena were at $0.56 in 2013, around a third of that of India, at $1.44.
This region offers a deep pool of entrepreneurial tech activity.
Mr Farha says Beco has come across about 600 opportunities since 2012 and almost 60 per cent of the companies it has seen were revenue-generating with more than 20 per cent close to break-even.
Beco's own portfolio companies achieved a net internal revenue return of 35 per cent over the past two years, it says. However, the VC model presents its own challenges. It does little at the start-up phase, preferring to deploy at levels above $750,000.
With bank lending to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in this country at a low 4 per cent and a nascent accelerator and incubator scene this presents a wide funding gap in the private sector for any potential entrepreneurs. "For seed capital, there are incubators, accelerators, seed funds and investors that will write smaller cheques but, for the most part, the capital is being provided by angel investors, super-angel investors [highly prolific and/or very sophisticated, well connected individuals], friends and family - and entrepreneurs' own savings," says Mr Farha. "Which is good. When you have skin in the game you work that much harder to succeed. We like that. In the US its really no different."
Another problem with the VC model, says iMena's Mr Tabaza, is that it can sometimes lead to friction between founder entrepreneurs and the venture capitalists. Both Beco and iMena advocate an invest, guide and operate model to mitigate some of this.
Regardless of the investment model applied significant challenges remain for the overall sector including the cost of expanding into neighbouring countries in the region and regulations required to enter the biggest markets Saudi and Egypt, says Mr Tabaza.
The biggest potential cloud on the horizon is for online retailing. While the overall market will continue to grow, competition from international players will erode regional companies' competitive advantage.
"Online retailers will face a challenging period. The market for e-retail will grow," says Mr Tabaza. "Online retail is growing into a global business model rather than a regional model. Increasing competition from international players who are setting up regional fulfilment centres will erode the regional player's current delivery advantage."
India again illustrates the point. Amazon's entry into India in 2013 shook up the sector, triggering increased competitiveness, according to research by Technopak, an Indian consultancy.
International players have also started to stalk the Arabian Gulf region. Last year Pay Pal said it would launch an Arabic-language mobile payment app.
On Wednesday, Germany's Rocket Internet said it had agreed to buy Talabat and the UAE's 24h.ae. It paid about ?150 million (Dh624.6m) for Talabat but did not disclose the deal size for 24h.ae.
"The Middle East is one of the most attractive markets with significant growth potential and highly attractive ebitda [earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation] margins," Rocket's chief executive Oliver Samwer said on Wednesday. "The online food takeaway sector is currently undergoing tremendous change.
"We believe in the long-term growth potential of this space and are excited to take advantage of opportunities to build out our global leadership."
Rocket is trying to create one of the world's biggest delivery networks - called Global Online Takeaway Group - and has previously invested hundreds of millions of euros to increase its stakes in the grocery services HelloFresh and Delivery Hero.
The presence of global players in the region does indicate a healthy outlook for the technology space, however it is no guarantee of anything other than fiercer levels of competition.
When in 2009 Yahoo acquired Maktoob for $164m it seemed a watershed for the Middle East's fledgling internet sector. Yet last month Yahoo said it had cut half its staff in Dubai as part of its global restructuring efforts.
In the face of increasing competition from Google and Facebook as well as Twitter, which have all taken a greater interest on the region, the local website, which did reach about a million unique visitors a day, could not drum up the advertising revenue it and its parent needed.
Suggest your top innovator by emailing email@example.com or tweet @thenationaluae using #UAEinnovators
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Published: February 12, 2015 04:00 AM


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The Maltese government is seeking building space in Tokyo to open its first Maltese embassy in Japan, with which Malta has a positive trade balance of over 80 million euro a year.
Foreign Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela said that the decision of having a Maltese diplomatic representation in Japan was the result of a solid political relationship and existing great trade opportunities.
Avifilm company is based at the San Ġwann industrial estate, with 40 workers employed in the manufacturing of material, including specialized and recycled labels used on various products that are exported to 14 countries, including Japan.
General Manager, Robert Cassar, said “Japan was a difficult market to penetrate; last year we were fortunate when Trade Malta organized a delegation in which we participated and we met Japanese stakeholders who were interested in our products and trade talks started”.
Avifilm is among 44 Maltese companies who export to Japan for a total of almost 150 million euro a year. Last year, Malta imported €66.8 million from Japan.
At the end of a meeting of the Maltese-Japanese Chamber of Commerce, Minister Carmelo Abela said that political and trade relations between Malta and Japan will be further strengthened in the coming weeks through an important political decision taken by the cabinet.
“The Maltese government decided to open an embassy in Tokyo which will give a new push in our relations that will be improved and provide space for other opportunities in trade. This is a strong statement, not only political and diplomatic but also in trade”.
The President of the Maltese-Japanese Chamber, Anthony Micallef said that he noticed a substantial increase in recent months by Japanese entrepreneurs in Malta and the presence of a permanent diplomatic mission will assist.
Minister Abela said that the Government took the decision due to the great potential in trade between the two countries following the entry into force of the agreement between the EU and Japan for the removal of tariffs.


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Dish Networks Chairman Charlie Ergen denied that the satellite TV company’s Hopper DVR — which lets users wipe out commercials — is simply a tool to pressure broadcasters to lower transmission fees. “We don’t want to pay retransmission money but it’s not a leverage game. It’s really that tech has changed,” Ergen told an audience at the California media event Dive Into Media.
The Hopper DVR lets users record television and then instantly fast-forward past all the commercials. Today, Dish put out a new ad (yes, there’s some irony here) that offered an “in memorium” for TV commercials — the concept is that sitting through commercials is something people did in the past but no more.
The Hopper’s ability to skip ads is the subject of a heated legal dispute between Dish and broadcasters. So far, courts have refused to issue a preliminary injunction to shut down the service for copyright reasons. “The lawsuits going on today will ultimately decide the fate of commercials. Be careful what you wish for. If broadcsaters win, they’ll outlaw the DVR,” warned Ergen at the event. He says the service is legal under the law because it doesn’t erase the commercials, but simply lets consumers skip past them.
Some people in the Industry have suggested the fight over the Hopper is really a way for Dish to pressure broadcasters to lower retransmission fees — the money they charge Dish for the right to broadcast their over-the-air shows. While Ergen denied the Hopper is a leverage device, event host Peter Kafka pressed him on why the Hopper only fast-forwards past broadcast shows and not cable ones. Ergen claims this is due to technology limitations related to the way shows are streamed.


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Disney have announced that they are making a sequel to The Incredibles and a third movie of the Cars films.
Many people were extremely excited about the announcement of Finding Dory which is set to be released next year, and it seems it has set the ball rolling for Disney as they have announced the makings of two new long awaited films. The CEO of Disney revealed the news in Oregon on Tuesday, although no other news about the two films were revealed. But we were told that the original Incredibles will be re-released in 3D as well as Ratatouille.
In 2007 Brad Bird, the director of The Incredibles talked about the sequel” I have pieces of things that I would love to see in a sequel, but I haven’t got them all together yet, and I certainly wouldn’t want to come out there with something that is less than the original.”
The original film was released in 2004 and took more than $631 million at the global box office as well as winning two Oscars. Now, a decade later The Incredibles 2 may see how the new generation of superheroes including baby Jack- Jack are getting on.
Cars was released in 2006 and it was huge success all around the world, however the sequel was not received well critically but still sold a lot of merchandise. The new film is set to be bigger and better than those before it.
Although no new Pixar films will be released this year we can still get excited about the release of Finding Dory in 2015 as well as Inside Out which is set inside the mind of an 11 year old girl.


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Alibaba Group Holding Ltd - ADR BABA is conducting the world’s biggest 24-hour shopping event. Alibaba’s “Singles' Day” event is held on Nov. 11 each year and this year’s event is expected to be a record-breaking day.
What Is Singles Day? In China, Singles' Day is like an anti-Valentine’s Day. Singles' Day is a relatively new holiday in China created by young Chinese students to celebrate being single. The literal English translation of the holiday’s name is “bare sticks holiday,” and Nov. 11 was chosen specifically as the date because its numerical representation (11/11) is comprised entirely of ones.
Singles' Day originated at China’s Nanjing University back in 1993 and spread to other local universities throughout the 1990s. The holiday was initially only celebrated by men. Today, single Chinese men and women alike get together to party with other singles every Nov. 11.
This year, Alibaba added a second phase to its Singles' Day event from Nov. 1-3.
The Numbers: Singles' Day 2019 totaled more than $38 billion in sales for Alibaba, up 24.6% from a year ago. For perspective on those numbers, Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN reported about $10.4 billion in sales during its two-day Prime Day event in October. Singles Day 2019 also far surpassed the $9.4 billion spent on Cyber Monday and the $7.4 billion sent online on Black Friday.
Singles Day 2020: This year, a survey by AlixPartners found only 15% of Chinese shoppers plan to spend less during Singles' Day this year than they did last year, while 39% plan to spend more. Analysts are expecting another record year for Alibaba on Wednesday.
Ther Chinese online retailers also hold their own Singles Day events. JD.Com Inc JD reported $29.1 billion in Singles Day sales last year.
Truist analyst Youssef Squali is projecting Alibaba’s 2020 Singles Day GMV will be between $48 billion and $49.92 billion representing 25% to 30% growth compared to last year.
"If they grow [Singles Day sales] 30% or more, we will definitely view it as a successful event, but it wouldn't necessarily mean that they would kill it for the entire quarter," Squali said.
Benzinga’s Take: Alibaba will have to report some extremely good Singles Day numbers this year to draw attention away from the recent suspended IPO of Alibaba affiliate Ant Financial. Alibaba shares have also been weighed on by a large rotation out of large tech stocks since the US election.
© 2023 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.


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The 2015 WRX, the latest in a line of high-performance sports sedan from Japanese carmaker Subaru, made its debut at the 2013 Los Angeles Motor Show last month.
Featuring Subaru’s rugged all-wheel drive system and a distinctive Boxer engine, the WRX has a long reputation of being a ‘Do it all’ vehicle, combining sports-car rivaling performance with four-door sedan practicality. Much of it can be seen in this new video which Subaru has just released.
At its heart is a new, high-performance 2.0-litre horizontally-opposed, turbocharged Boxer engine, which offers more performance over the outgoing 2.5-litre model. The new engine produces 270PS of power and 350Nm of torque. The engine can be had with either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a newly developed CVT with an 8-speed shifting mode as an option.
Subaru has revealed that the new WRX will go on sale in North America and Japan later in 2014. However, the company has not confirmed whether it will be sold in the UK yet.


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John Doerr, a senior partner with Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, speaks at the TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2013 conference. David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
The UpTake: John Doerr has been a big advocate of investing in local and social companies. With Nextdoor, he's found the ultimate example, and led a $60 million funding round.
John Doerr is so high on social, local, and mobile that he coined the phrase "SoLoMo." Now the legendary venture capitalist has bet big on a company that's all about the phrase, or at least two thirds of it.
Doerr and Mary Meeker of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Tiger Global Management have led a $60 million funding round for Nextdoor, described as Facebook for the neighborhood. The San Francisco company founded by Nirav Tolia had a valuation in this round north of $500 million, the Los Angeles Times reports.
In all, the company has raised more than $100 million in a little over a year.
So what makes Nextdoor, which has yet to generate significant revenue, so attractive to big money players?
“It’s the neighborhood water cooler,” Doerr told the Times. “I think there is a big, big market opportunity for a company that is a social network for our local lives. I have long believed that there are just monster market opportunities around local services, local commerce and local use of these technologies,”
Tolia told me last year he wanted nothing less than to boost the sense of community in neighborhoods. If he can do that, revenue is likely to start rolling in.
And he's off to a good start. So far, 22,500 neighborhoods are using Nextdoor. So far, though, much of that growth has been limited to the United States. The latest round of funding will be used to expand internationally, TechCrunch reports.
Since coming aboard with Upstart’s parent company, Kent has covered sustainability and business, entrepreneurs, technology, and venture capital. Now, he covers all the ways upstart businesses get their money.
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Acronis Cyber Protection Operation Center’s researchers have uncovered an ongoing Magecart campaign that uses realistic-looking fake payment screens to steal sensitive data from unsuspecting users. Magecart is a term used to describe several cybercrime groups that use online skimming techniques to steal personal data from websites, including customer details and payment information on e-commerce websites.
The latest iteration of the campaign injects a skimmer called Kritec to intercept the checkout process and display a fake payment dialog to victims. Kritec impersonates legitimate third-party vendors, like Google Tag Manager, to evade detection. After harvesting payment card details, a fake error message is briefly displayed to the victim before redirecting to the actual payment page. The threat actors use different domains to host the skimmer, each with a name suggesting that the attacks target different online stores with custom modals.
What is Magecart?
Magecart is a type of cyber attack that targets e-commerce websites in order to steal payment card information of customers. The attack involves injecting malicious code into the website's payment processing system, typically through vulnerabilities in third-party scripts or plugins used by the site.
Once the code is injected, it can capture the payment card details entered by customers and send them to the attackers' server. This can allow the attackers to conduct fraudulent transactions using the stolen card information, or sell the data on underground markets for profit.
Magecart attacks have affected a number of high-profile companies, including British Airways, Ticketmaster, and Newegg, among others. The attacks can be difficult to detect and prevent, as they often involve compromising third-party systems that are beyond the control of the website owners themselves.
How Can Ecommerce Sites protect themselves from Magecart?
To mitigate the risk of Magecart attacks, e-commerce sites should regularly update their software and plugins, monitor their payment processing systems for suspicious activity, and employ security measures such as encryption and two-factor authentication. Customers can also protect themselves by using payment methods that offer additional security features, such as virtual credit cards or payment services that do not require entering card details directly on the site.


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Welcome to our ‘News In Brief’ column in which we digest all the news releases for you in no more than five paragraphs. Below are snippets of all the media releases we received from September 25 till the end of the week.
Win $5,000 for Your Small Business!
Sydney, Oct 3: Attention all small business owners! It’s that time of the year again, and we are thrilled to announce the return of the 51st BizGiver grant program by BizCover, in celebration of our upcoming 15th anniversary. This year, we’re taking it up a notch and offering a spectacular $5,000 award to one exceptional small business owner.
BizGiver held biannually, is dedicated to spotlighting the unwavering dedication, passion, and relentless spirit that small business owners pour into realizing their dreams. Since its inception, BizGiver has been a catalyst for small business growth, having granted nearly $100,000 in goods and services. If you have a business wish that can be invoiced, BizCover is on a mission to help make it come true.
Ellen Burns, the proud owner of We Bar None, a health-conscious snack company, emerged as the winner of the 36th BizGiver grant. Ellen stressed the significance of such initiatives, saying, “There are very few grants available for micro-businesses.” Her wish was granted with a much-needed laptop, which greatly facilitated her operations, especially after transitioning to 100 percent home compostable packaging.
Last year’s BizGiver winner, Georgi from Paid 4 U Café, also emphasized the community impact of the grant. “Paid 4 U Café is all about community support and services. Winning this grant will also spread awareness of our business, and more people will come to know about our project,” shared Georgi.
The BizGiver grant program warmly welcomes entries from all small business owners, regardless of their affiliation with BizCover*. If you’re a small business owner with aspirations to soar, you can participate by simply creating a one-minute video expressing your wish for a product or service that would elevate your business or simplify your journey. The competition is currently open and will close on October 20, 2023. Finalists will be announced on November 14, and the lucky winner will be unveiled on November 22.
Sharon Kenny, Head of Marketing at BizCover, perfectly captures the essence of the BizGiver Grant: “At BizCover, we firmly believe that small business is the backbone of our economy, and our commitment is to find ways to make their already hectic lives easier, not only by providing protection but by helping them flourish and prosper.”
For more details or to submit your entry, please visit bizcover.com.au/bizgiver.
RFI Global: New CEO Announcement
Sydney, Oct 3: RFI Global has appointed Matt Lawrence as its new CEO, taking over from founder Charles Green, who led the company for 17 years. Lawrence, a seasoned C-suite executive with nearly two decades of experience in investment banking and the creation of a global financial data company, expressed his enthusiasm for the role.
Lawrence stated, “It is an honor to join the RFI team at this exciting stage in the company’s development. I’ve been impressed with the quality and breadth of insights that RFI Global provides to financial service companies worldwide. I look forward to building on the strong foundations laid by Charles and the team.”
Charles Green shared his excitement about the transition, saying, “RFI has reached a stage where it’s appropriate for me to pass the reins to a leader who can drive the next phases of growth. I’m thrilled to welcome Matt, whose experience, dynamism, and vision for the business are fantastic. I eagerly anticipate assisting Matt in realizing the global opportunities ahead.”
While stepping down as CEO, Green will continue working with RFI, focusing on key global and strategic accounts, as well as special projects aimed at further growing RFI into a leading insight and data provider in the financial services industry.
RFI Global, originally founded in Sydney in 2006 to provide financial intelligence for the Australian financial services market, has since expanded into a global company serving 49 markets.
In 2020, Los Angeles-based investment partners Diversis Capital made substantial investments in the organization, propelling RFI Global onto a path of exponential growth. This expansion included establishing a local presence in New York, Dubai, Paris, and San Francisco, in addition to its longstanding offices in London, Sydney, Singapore, and Toronto.
MADCash Secures RM5 Million Investment
Kuala Lumpur, Oct 3: Fintech startup MADCash, dedicated to providing zero-interest microfunds to women entrepreneurs, has successfully completed its pre-series A funding round, securing RM5 million in investments. This funding round was led by Artem Ventures, with strong support from MSW Ventures and ScaleUp Founders Fund. The newly acquired funds will be utilized to enhance MADCash’s online platform with AI technology, cover operational and marketing expenses, and explore expansion opportunities in Southeast Asia.
MADCash focuses on supporting unbanked and underbanked women entrepreneurs, aiming to create an alternative credit scoring system to enhance their future bankability. Nuraizah Shamsul Baharin, Managing Director of MADCash, expressed her excitement about the partnership and the upcoming launch of MADCash Academy, emphasizing the impact it will have on society.
Tunku Omar Asraf, Principal of Artem Ventures, highlighted the importance of financial inclusion and capacity-building for underserved women entrepreneurs, acknowledging MADCash’s role in fostering entrepreneurship and economic growth in the Southeast Asia region.
Archistar Transforms Building Approvals
Melbourne, Oct 3: Archistar, an award-winning prop-tech innovator, has partnered with Digital Twin Victoria (DTV), a Victorian State Government initiative, to launch “Archistar Comply.” This innovative digital compliance tool aims to streamline the approval process for Victoria’s Small Lot Housing Code, addressing housing supply challenges in the region.
Archistar Comply offers a groundbreaking feature, providing feedback on a 3D digital model of a new house in just seconds. It performs over 90 complex compliance checks against the Small Lot Housing Code in 90 seconds, potentially reducing the building approval timeline by up to four weeks.
This technology has been developed and tested by industry professionals through the DTV eComply project. It will also promote the adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in residential home development.
The partnership between Archistar and Digital Twin Victoria represents a significant step forward in addressing housing supply issues and promoting efficiency in the building approval process in Victoria.
Finance Leaders Adapt
Sydney, Oct 4: Stripe, the financial infrastructure platform, has released a report highlighting how finance leaders are navigating economic shifts, AI’s ascent, and the ongoing quest for profitability.
A global survey of over 1,700 CFOs and finance leaders revealed that many are grappling with an abundance of systems. Over 63 percent use more than 10 systems, and in larger enterprises, nearly 25 percent employ over 50 systems.
Karl Durrance, Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand at Stripe stressed the importance of arming CFOs with the right tools.
Finance teams are spending over 10 hours monthly on error reconciliation, with 35 percent revisiting financial records or restating earnings each quarter due to errors.
To address these challenges, 55 percent plan to consolidate software programs in the next one to two years. They seek centralization, cost reduction, and revenue maximization. Automation is a priority, with “digital technologies to automate financial operations” ranking highest on CFOs’ digital roadmaps, garnering nearly 40 percent of interest.
Despite automation’s promise, finance leaders still value human control, envisioning automation to enhance rather than replace manual workflows.
Riquelme Triumphs in Panos
Sydney, Oct 4: José D. Riquelme of Spain emerged victorious at the 2023 Epson International Pano Awards, securing the title of Open Photographer of the Year and winning the Nature/Landscape category with stunning entries “The Bridge,” “Alone in the Dark,” and “Ghost Cave.”
“The Bridge” captured Iceland’s beauty from above, forming a bridge-like composition with flowing lines and abstract shapes. “Alone in the Dark” presented Namibia’s enigmatic landscape, featuring a majestic petrified tree against a starry backdrop, while “Ghost Cave” showcased the iconic Kirkjufell in Iceland with a breathtaking panoramic effect.
With 4,414 entries from 102 countries, the competition highlighted the global appeal of panoramic photography, underscoring its dynamic and evolving nature.
Teo Chin Long from Singapore received the RAW Planet Award for “Yellow Net 1,” and Swee Choo Oh from the USA earned the Epson Digital Art Prize for her interpretation of the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.
The 2023 Pano Awards celebrated exceptional talent, pushing the boundaries of panoramic photography in a dynamic and diverse global competition.
Alibaba Cloud Powers SAINS
Sarawak, Oct 4: Alibaba Cloud has announced its collaboration with Sarawak Information Systems (SAINS), a leading ICT systems integrator and solutions provider in Sarawak, fully owned by the Sarawak State Government. This collaboration marked the launch of SAINS’ Private Cloud, a highly secure cloud solution powered by Alibaba Cloud, the first of its kind in Malaysia. The partnership aims to accelerate digital transformation in the region, bringing advanced cloud computing and innovative technologies to public services, businesses, organizations, and educational institutions in East Malaysia.
Central to this initiative is Alibaba Cloud’s deployment of its Apsara Stack solution, offering flexible implementation for different businesses and providing reliable hosting services to SAINS’ customers. This deployment aims to reduce recovery time objectives, ensuring maximum uptime and reliability for applications and services.
SAINS, known for developing various applications over the years, decided to implement fast auto recovery of customer applications due to advancements in mobile and cloud technologies, raising customer expectations for application reliability and disaster recovery.
Alibaba Cloud’s infrastructure solution is designed for hyperscaling and financial-grade disaster recovery capabilities, aligning with SAINS’ future expansion plans and high-security standards. With two Availability Zones for disaster recovery, Apsara Stack in Sarawak, SAINS, and the Sarawak Government can ensure applications run actively across both zones simultaneously.
Busiai Seman, CEO of SAINS, stated, “Our customers have high expectations of us in terms of application service reliability and service restoration times. Thus, we have decided to implement private cloud-based platforms with automatic disaster recovery capabilities from our partners such as Alibaba Cloud.”
The collaboration was facilitated by VSTECS Pericomp, the distributor for Alibaba Cloud in Malaysia. The partnership is part of Alibaba Cloud’s commitment to empowering Malaysia’s digital transformation journey with advanced technologies and solutions, further establishing Malaysia as a forefront digital economy hub.
Airbnb Boosts Malaysian Tourism
Kuala Lumpur, Oct 5: New research by Oxford Economics highlights Airbnb’s pivotal role in Malaysia’s tourism industry, significantly contributing to GDP and employment.
Commissioned by Airbnb, the report reveals that in 2022, Airbnb guests spent around RM 7 billion in Malaysia, spanning restaurants, retail, and transportation.
These activities contributed over RM 5 billion to Malaysia’s GDP and supported nearly 57,000 jobs, accounting for approximately 4.9 percent of the tourism industry’s GDP contribution in 2022.
Airbnb guest spending in Malaysia extends its impact throughout local communities, with most spending occurring beyond accommodation expenses.
Spending on non-accommodation items was over six times higher than spending on accommodations.
The top five Malaysian states and territories benefiting the most from Airbnb’s activities were Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Johor, Penang, and Sabah.
Selangor, in particular, saw a significant increase, with Airbnb guest spending reaching approximately RM 1 billion in 2022, an 85 percent rise compared to 2019.
The report underscores the vital contribution of Airbnb guests to domestic tourism, revealing that 81 percent of all guests in Malaysia in 2022 were domestic travelers, up from 63 percent in 2019.
Domestic Airbnb guest spending in 2022 totaled nearly RM 4 billion, constituting 58 percent of the total Airbnb guest spend in Malaysia, up from 35 percent in 2019.
Furthermore, the report explores two notable shifts in travel behavior since the pandemic: the dispersion of tourism from urban to rural areas and the growth of long-term stays due to flexible work arrangements.
James Lambert, Director for Economic Consulting in Asia at Oxford Economics, emphasized Airbnb’s role in Malaysia’s tourism sector’s resilience following the COVID-19 pandemic, including the shift towards rural travel and the demand for long-term stays.
Amanpreet Bajaj, Airbnb’s General Manager of Southeast Asia, India, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, emphasized the crucial role of domestic travelers in Malaysia’s tourism sector’s resilience and dispersion.
He also highlighted Airbnb’s contribution to local businesses and job opportunities, enabling economic growth in rural and regional areas.
As Malaysia’s tourism sector continues to recover, Airbnb is committed to working with governments and communities to rebuild tourism economies in an equitable, inclusive, and sustainable manner.
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Silk vs. Silk
February 28, 2013
Wearing a silken, silver dress, a model takes to the catwalk during the Chanel Haute-Couture show during Paris Fashion Week on July 3, 2012. Months later, Blake Lively stepped out in a shorter version of the silk dress at the celebration of Chanel Fine Jewelry's 80th anniversary of the Bijoux De Diamants collection created by Gabrielle Chanel on October 9, 2012 in New York City. Which dress is silky smooth?


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Windows Phone 7.8 will bring new features in addition to the homescreen ?
At the official launch of Windows Phone 8 event occurred a few weeks ago Windows Phone Summit, Microsoft announced that current smartphones on the market will receive a reduced version of Apollo named Windows Phone 7.8.
This reduced version of the new Windows Phone 8 will start on the current screen smartphone, unfortunately it was not stated whether it also includes all services and applications that will be introduced by this new update. Microsoft has stated that the presentation would show all the new features and functionality that will introduce Apollo, so when we do not know what the full capabilities of the next update. In a conference held at TechEd 2012, Microsoft Senior Larry Lieberman, had to answer some questions from the audience raising a lot of hope for those who would like other features in Windows Phone 7.8. The following questions and answers between a developer and a Microsoft employee:
Windows Phone 7.8 will get new features accessible to us developers? Maybe. We have not yet announced. Everything we have announced is the new start screen. Sorry, currently we have nothing new to announce. You're asking me things that I can not answer.
Microsoft probably has some surprises in tow for owners of Windows Phone devices of first and second generation. Recall that Windows Phone 7.8 will arrive a few months later than the launch of Windows Phone 8. This could be a reason to implement new features in it than those declared at the time.


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The owners of Jenny’s Kuali, a popular Malaysian restaurant in South Bethlehem, will now close up shop for the final time next week due to an influx of customers wanting a last bite at the brick and mortar location.
The owners Jenny and Roy Lim announced on Facebook late last month the restaurant would close Sept. 24 to rebrand their business with a focus on catering, cooking classes and pop-ups. The restaurant will now close Sept. 27 to accommodate the influx of reservations they’ve received since the announcement, Jenny said.
“We will be open on the 26th and 29th (11 a.m. to 7 p.m.) to make room for all the people that still want to come,” she said.
Because of the increased number of customers trying to score a final bowl of Tom Yum before the transition, the restaurant is no longer accepting walk-ins, Lim said. Reservations can be made at the shop’s new number 215-709-5598, she said.
Customers are recommended to follow the restaurant’s Facebook and Instagram for updates about cooking classes, pop-up locations and new website, which is still in development.
The couple attempted to sell the Jenny’s brand last year, but were unsuccessful. They were able to sell their lease for the space and their equipment, she said.
“We thought it would be good for them because Jenny’s has such a following but people wanted to do their own thing,” Lim said.
An unannounced project is still in development for the spot at 102 E. Fourth St., Jenny said.
South Bethlehem residents might still catch the Jenny’s Kuali team working in the space from time to time, using the kitchen for their pop-up business, she said.
Jenny and Roy opened Jenny’s Kuali in 2012 after 35 years of running the Chinese restaurant House of Chen at 732 Hamilton St. in downtown Allentown. The site now houses Brü Daddy’s Brewing Company and prior to that, Roar Social House.
Jenny and Roy, who are natives of Butterworth, Malaysia, came to the United States in 1976 and 1980, respectively. Their family has five decades of combined experience in the culinary industry. Jenny’s sister and brother-in-law, Sue and Bruce Yeung, currently own Ho Yi, a Chinese eatery in Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County and formerly owned China Garden, also in Wilkes-Barre.
“We are forever thankful and grateful for all the support and kindness from so many of you. Without you, none of this would have been possible,” the couple wrote in a farewell post on Facebook. “(and) Jenny’s will live on.”
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Glenn Epps can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org or glenn_epps_ on Twitter.


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Nearly 230 jobs at 77 small businesses in Grays Harbor and Pacific counties received the support of the state’s small business emergency grant program, according to the state Department of Commerce.
Restaurants, wineries, bakeries, childcare, health care, auto repair, clothing, fitness, manufacturing, and salon businesses were among first to receive state emergency assistance grants, according to Commerce.
A total of 31 businesses in Grays Harbor County and 46 in Pacific County were among those announced in the first group of grant approvals Tuesday, designed to keep small businesses afloat during COVID-19 related impacts. The initial 500 grants issued statewide ranged from $556-$10,000 to cover allowable costs for businesses with up to 10 employees, including rent, utility bills, supplies, inventory and other operating expenses.
In Grays Harbor County 31 businesses were granted a total of $184,300, allowing the retention of 93 jobs that otherwise could have been lost, according to the department. According to Commerce’s breakdown, the businesses included nine retail establishments, seven restaurants, three health care businesses, three salons, two auto repair businesses, and one each of the following: construction company, fitness facility, trucking company, social service, insurance business, tree service, and manufacturing company.
In Pacific County, 46 businesses received grants totaling $154,555, which allowed for the retention of 134 jobs. Commerce said, as of Tuesday, grantees included 12 retail establishments, 10 restaurants, seven construction companies, five hospitality establishments, three farms, two health care businesses, two manufacturing companies, one fitness facility, one campground, one landscaping business, one auto repair business, and one fishing company.
“The economic impact of COVID-19 has been profound, and today I am pleased to report the first of $10 million in grants are on the way to help some of our smallest Main Street businesses keep their doors open and keep Washingtonians working as we continue to reopen our economy safely,” Gov. Jay Inslee said.
“These grants support very small businesses, many of which have not been able to access federal business assistance programs,” said Commerce Director Lisa Brown. “We know this is not enough to meet the need. We are focusing where we know funds will immediately recirculate and strengthen communities, and we continue seeking more resources to help small businesses survive and innovate as we all prepare for a ‘new normal’ in the aftermath of coronavirus.”
The grants are funded with $10 million from the Governor’s Economic Development Strategic Reserve Fund – $5 million from the Working Washington strategic reserve fund and an additional $5 million from the state’s $200 million COVID-19 emergency response package approved by the Legislature in March, according to the Commerce statement.


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Proposed legislation requiring gas stations to disclose sharply higher credit card prices on curbside signs would fine repeat violators up to $1,000 and shut down their stations for 10 days, the Long Island state senator sponsoring the bill said Tuesday.
And a counterpart in the Assembly said he will introduce a bill of his own, a move increasing the odds such a proposal could become law.
State Sen. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley), who chairs the Senate's Consumer Affairs Committee, said his legislation, to be introduced this week, would require stations to post the credit price on their curbside signs if it is more than 7 percent higher than the cash price. Violators would face $500 fines for a first offense, $1,000 for subsequent violations and, for a third offense, would have their station shut down for 10 days or until its signs were in compliance.
Separately, Assemb. Jeffrey Dinowitz, a Bronx Democrat who chairs that body's consumer committee, said a bill he's introducing this week would require that stations post both cash and credit prices on curbside signs if there is any difference at all between them. "Hopefully we can work out the differences between the two bills," he said.
The legislation is in response to motorist outrage over a relatively small number of stations charging as much as $2 more per gallon for credit card purchases, although their cash prices usually are relative bargains. "This legislation will help end the deceptive practices that some bad actors are using," Zeldin said.
At one of several stations he cited Tuesday as offenders, a Mobil on Sunrise Highway in Islip Terrace, Dowling College student Lindsey Ohland, 21, was paying $4.959 via charge card for the regular gas she was pumping into her Nissan Altima -- $1 more than the cash price. She said she forgot to bring cash but needed gas. "It's absolutely ridiculous," she said.
Station operator Steve Keshtgar said later that he posted the $1 and, briefly $2, differences at several of his stations to protest credit card fees, which he said are higher than his squeezed profits, and to offer cash customers significant savings. He said they have responded in droves: "My volume went from 20,000 gallons a day to 200,000 gallons at all my stations."


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Reports that Snapchat is looking to work with ad tech companies and agencies by opening an API show the social network is keen to move beyond offering just reach as it aims to become a “fully fledged social advertising platform” and give advertisers the chance to target and measure the effectiveness of their advertising.
Marketing Week columnist Mark Ritson is as well known for his colourful turn of phrase as he is his razor-like insight, the former bringing the latter to life. Relive some of his 2015 highlights, or “Ritsonisms”, below and the articles from where they were born.
In a year that has seen campaigns shaped by virtual reality headsets, emojis and marketers focusing more on diversity and ad blocking, Marketing Week looks back at some of the key trends of 2015.
As the furlough scheme comes to an end, the realities of the impact of Covid-19 on the economy and jobs is becoming ever clearer. In our new series, our secret marketer takes us behind the scenes to offer some catharsis and lessons on what to do if you find yourself made redundant.
While the UK ad market is not expected to decline by as much as previously feared in 2020, it now won’t offset this year’s losses until 2022.
With the pandemic still around and the economic outlook gloomy, agencies need to help brands find creative solutions to the problems they face.
An ability to drive positive change, disrupt the norm and form authentic partnerships is helping brands from Adidas to TikTok to Gymshark achieve cultural relevance in the world of sport.


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Today, Android One is expanding even further. Google is bringing its affordable smartphone program to six different African countries with the launch of the Infinix HOT 2. The Hot 2 features a 5-inch quad-core MediaTek processor, 1/2GB RAM, 16GB storage, 8-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front-facing camera, 2200mAh battery, dual-SIM support and Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. All of those features can come in a body with color options of black, white, red, blue and gold.
The Infinix Hot 2 will be available in Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Egypt and Morocco, with availability in Nigeria beginning today through retail stores as well as online through Jumia. Pricing is set at N17,500 or about $88 USD. Other countries will gain availability within the coming weeks.
Google has also announced some software changes. The biggest one is that a new streamlined version of Google Search is rolling out around the globe that increases faster performance, particularly on phones with low RAM. It also has the ability to reduce the amount of data used on the results page by up to 90 percent, saving you some megabytes. In addition, YouTube offline access will expand through Android One to Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana and Egypt within the next few months, allowing users to pre-download videos in order to use less data.
It’s good to see Android One continuing to expand, particularly after it hit a rough patch a little while ago. And with the added software changes from Google, things just keep looking up for the program.