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Although the medical use of marijuana has been legalized in 37 states, its recreational use is legal only in 19 states. (South Dakota voters approved a recreational marijuana initiative in the 2020 election, but it was overturned by a state circuit judge and upheld by the state supreme court.)
That is still a lot of states with legal weed considering that it was not until 2012 that the first two states (Colorado and Washington) legalized the recreational use of marijuana. In just the last two years, eight states have legalized recreational marijuana use.
What is even more amazing is that the states have done this while the federal government still classifies marijuana as a Schedule I controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) with “a high potential for abuse,” “no currently accepted medical use,” and “a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug under medical supervision.”
But the problem with marijuana legalization on the state level is not that it is still illegal under federal law. The problem is that there are so many government rules and regulations on the state and local level that the marijuana market can hardly be considered free at all.
A case in point is the city of Denver — “ home to one of the most mature marijuana markets in the world, with $689 million in sales last year.”
To counter the disproportionate number of white-owned cannabis companies, Denver, following the lead of cities like Oakland, California, and Cambridge, Massachusetts, has launched a social equity program that sets aside licenses for delivery operators and cannabis lounges for approved operators. Beginning in 2021, “Denver reserved new licenses of all types — dispensaries, producers and cultivators — solely for social equity applicants. Entrepreneurs can qualify for the program if they or a family member were arrested or convicted of a cannabis offense, or by meeting certain residency or income requirements.” The state of Colorado has also given out “half a million dollars in grants to help fund social equity applicants.” Most cannabis dispensaries aren’t actively making deliveries because local governments must pass an ordinance to allow them, and “only a handful of the state’s nearly 300 jurisdictions have OK’d deliveries.”
The libertarian position on marijuana legalization is straightforward. There should be no rules, restrictions, or regulations at any level of government for any reason regarding the buying, selling, possessing, growing, processing, transporting, advertising, using, delivering, or “trafficking” of marijuana. Neither should there be subsidies, licenses, or social equity programs. There should be a free market in marijuana just like the free market that exists in fruits, vegetables, clothes, bookcases, towels, and sheets.
Although it would certainly not be ideal, marijuana should be at least as freely available as alcohol.
Now, this does not mean that there is actually a free market in alcohol. Businesses must obtain a license to sell alcohol. Legal adults that are 18 and can get married, enter into contracts, purchase pornography, adopt children, vote, and join the military still cannot purchase alcoholic beverages until they reach the age of 21. Alcohol cannot be sold before or after certain times of the day depending on where one lives and what day of the week it is. Alcohol is heavily taxed. Some states have government liquor stores and outlaw private liquor stores. And some states still have dry counties.
Despite all that, however, almost any American who wants to can purchase as much beer, wine, and spirits as he wants, store as much alcohol in his home as he wants, and drink as much as he wants in his own home without fear of government agents breaking down his front door and arresting him for doing any of these things.
Any marijuana user should likewise be able to purchase or grow as much marijuana as he wants, store as much marijuana as he wants, and smoke as much as he wants in his own home without fear of government agents breaking down his front door and arresting him for doing any of these things.
Now, we know that in a free society, alcohol and marijuana would both be available to adults without rules, regulations, or restrictions. In a free society, marijuana wouldn’t be taxed more than anything else (and preferably not at all). In a free society, liquor stores and marijuana dispensaries wouldn’t be treated differently from other retail outlets. In a free society, business owners would decide what days and times they would offer alcohol or marijuana for sale, and in what quantities. In a free society, no one would have to get a license from the government to sell alcohol or marijuana.
The problem with marijuana legalization, then, is that it is barely legal. Marijuana legalization should never be confused with marijuana freedom.
Reprinted with permission from Future of Freedom Foundation.


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Often, the client believes himself to be fair and sometimes gives such arguments that we laugh at. Something similar happened in Minnesota, United States, when a customer, even after sending 12 masks, asked a merchant for damages for not sending a dozen masks. The good thing is that the trader maintained his hold even after this illegitimate request. Now this trader is being hailed on social media.
According to the KRFO News website, Jada McCrae is a single mom and owner of Jada Wallet. It’s an online store that sells shirts, hoodies, cards, and masks. Jada went viral on social media when email from her and one of her clients was shared on Twitter. He said he was shocked to receive mail about a wrong mask order.
“ A dozen masks means 12 masks ”
According to this email conversation shared on Twitter, the anonymous customer wrote, “Hello, I ordered a dozen masks but you only sent me 12. I need all of them. I want to withdraw the money owed. I will no longer support your business. I tried to support the business of the Jews, but you are robbing people.
After that, Jada responded very well and said that since a dozen means 12 masks, the mask he sent is correct. So I can’t reimburse you. Even after that, Jada apologized for disappointing her client and gave them a $ 5 discount voucher. In response, the customer refused to take the coupon and said he needed 20 but had never heard of it.

domain: news


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Town of Nolensville
Beer Board, Town Hall
Date: May 24, 2007, Time 1:00 p.m.
The Nolensville Beer Board met on Thursday, May 24, 2007, at 1:00 p.m. at Town Hall. Mayor Beth Lothers, Aldermen Jimmy Alexander, Tommy Dugger, Ken Thomas were in attendance. Alderman Joe Curtsinger was absent. Staff present was Counsel Robert Notestine and Recorder Cindy Lancaster. There were no citizens present other than the applicant.
An off-premise beer permit application was submitted by Mr. Se Won Lee for 7207 Nolensville Road, which currently is the Two Way Stop Market. The name will remain the same, although ownership will change.
Alderman Dugger inquired to obtaining a copy of the applicants social security card. It was noted that he could submit the number. Mr. Lee submitted his social security number to Mayor Lothers and this was given to Recorder Lancaster.
Counsel Notestine stated that it is his understanding that he must get a permit prior to obtaining ownership. Mr. Lee stated that the closing date for the sale of the property would be next Thursday. Counsel Notestine stated that the town does not normally issue beer license unless it is at the owners request. He noted that this statement is for the boards information and it could be approved contingent upon purchasing the establishment at this location.
Mayor Lothers asked Counsel for the proper method of approval. Counsel stated that the motion for approval could be that the permit cannot be issued until proof of acquiring ownership of the business within thirty days.
Alderman Dugger noted that in past the town has requested that alcohol neon signs be limited as much as possible.
It was noted that the permit was marked for an on premise request. Mr. Lee said that is an error and should be an off premise request. Mr. Lee corrected and initialed his application.
Town Recorder Lancaster stated that in speaking with Mr. Trevon Townsend, he is aware that he must surrender his beer permit within fifteen days after the transfer of ownership. Mr. Townsend stated that he has agreed to stay at the store during the 15 day period, although no longer.
Alderman Dugger made a motion to approve Mr. Lee’s off-premise permit with condition of final transfer and sale of property. At that time the current owners will relinquish their license within the 15 day period of transfer of ownership, Alderman Alexander seconded. This was approved unanimously.
Meeting adjourned at 1:21.


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The National Security Agency is still dealing with the fallout from its Prism long-term Internet spying initiative, and the Internal Revenue Service will never win any popularity contests, but according to a recent Reason-Rupe poll, respondents trusted the NSA and the IRS more than Facebook and Google.
Facebook continued its efforts to provide its users with information on government requests for data by joining other industry heavyweights in filing a motion with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court in an effort to provide greater transparency.
The changes Facebook announced last week to its data use policy and statement of rights and responsibilities have drawn the ire of consumer privacy groups, as six of them sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission Wednesday expressing concerns over the use of users’ personal data in advertising, The New York Times’ Bits blog reported.
The United Nations Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea was highly critical of Facebook in a report, saying that the social network refused its requests for information on the accounts of users suspected of involvement in piracy, and Facebook responded that it was under no legal obligation to comply with those requests.
A report last week that Facebook was testing a new type of targeted advertising, along with several third-party partners, which would allow brands to market to users based on items they have previously expressed interest in while surfing the Web was confirmed Wednesday with the social network’s announcement on its Facebook Studio blog of the expansion of its custom audiences offering with data-centric partners Datalogix, Epsilon, Acxiom, and BlueKai.
When you connect with a Facebook application, how often do you pay attention to the fine print of what information the app wants from your profile? MyPermissions has launched a tool that allows users to see what the app wants from your profile, and also lets users delete apps straight from the MyPermissions Cleaner. It wants Facebook users to get a clean and safe start to 2013, also introducing a mobile app.
A Facebook customer-satisfaction survey appears to be making the rounds, but this one sticks to the user experience, and doesn’t detour into politics, like a similar effort that was released in error last month.
Irish eyes (and those of the rest of the European Union) are finally smiling on Facebook, as Ireland’s Office of the Data Protection Commissioner announced that “the great majority” of the privacy recommendations it made to the social network to keep it in compliance with those of the EU have been “fully implemented to the satisfaction of this office.” The major concession by Facebook: Its tag suggest feature, which enabled facial recognition for Facebook photos, has been turned off for all new users in the EU, with existing users to lose access to the feature by Oct. 15.
Not all Facebook applications are created equal. Secure.me, which is akin to virus protection for pages, recently launched the App Advisor — a report card for more than 500,000 apps on the Facebook platform. On Wednesday, the site will introduce a browser plugin that rates the trustworthiness of an app (or a site that integrates Facebook), based on what kind of personal data it requires.
Not long after Germany reopened its investigation into Facebook’s facial-recognition technology, a German consumer group sent the social network a cease-and-desist letter. The Federation of German Consumer Organizations is ordering Facebook to quit giving third-party applications users’ data without their consent. If the social network doesn’t do this by Sept. 4, the Germans plan to sue.


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Tweetbot has received a new update with new followers widgets, themes, profile design, and app icon. The new update, version 6.8, is available as a free upgrade for existing subscribers.
Tweetbot 6.8: new widgets, themes, and profile pages
The biggest design change in this update are the new profile pages. When you go to a Twitter user’s profile, there is a lot more breathing space around the avatar, account name, description, follower count, and following counts. However, the additional empty space comes at the cost of readability as you have to scroll down to read tweets on the profile page.
Tweetbot also has a new widget type that shows the latest followers. The widget is available in three different sizes.
In terms of personalization, there are two new themes called “Lavender” and “Wine”, while there is a new “Owl” icon as well.
Here are the complete release notes for Tweetbot 6.8:
– New profile for a New Year.
– New Latest Followers widget
– New Lavender and Wine themes
– Owl icon because Mark saw two owls on his neighbor’s roof
Tweetbot had recently received an update with support for iOS 15 features such as avatars in notifications, Quick Notes, a new larger widget for iPad, the ability to disable drag and drop on iPhone, and performance improvements.
Long-time readers would know that Tweetbot has been our preferred Twitter app for iPhone and iPad here at iThinkDifferent for a long time. The app continues to keep getting better ever since version 6 was launched last year with a new subscription model and updated Twitter API support.
Tweetbot is available for $0.99 per month or $5.99 per year, which makes it a no-brainer. A single subscription works for both iPhone and iPad. The only thing that sticks out like a sore thumb is the macOS app that has not been updated with the new design and features that version 6 on iOS has.
Download Tweetbot from App Store


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Here's the kind of winter it's been:
Bottles of hand sanitizer rival pens as the most popular promotional items given away by companies that look to keep their names in front of potential buyers.
Whether buyers are looking for pens, hand sanitizers, coffee mugs or another of the bazillion items sold by distributors of advertising specialties, the business has held up fairly well in northern Nevada despite the recession.
Klaus Grimm, who owns Blue Moon Advertising and Promotional Products in Reno, says his company has parlayed aggressive marketing through the downturn into gains in market share.
"We practice what we preach consistent marketing," Grimm says. "We haven't changed the way we do our business."
His customers, however, have returned to basics buying more pens, mugs and desktop items and fewer high-end promotional items.
"It's more about cost, more grassroots," Grimm says.
Among the best selling promotional items last year were hand sanitizers carrying company logos, says Barbara Williamson of B&W Wholesale, a Reno distributor of casino supplies and advertising specialties.
The hot sales of sanitizers in northern Nevada was part of a nationwide trend.
The Advertising Specialty Institute, a trade organization, says searches on its Web site for sanitizers jumped more than four-fold between October 2008 and October 2009. In fact, the group says that only searches for pens the best-selling promotional item for many years topped the number of inquiries for sanitizers.
Stephanie Lerude, whose Executive Giftsource in Reno recently added promotional products to its lineup, says buyers are focused on return on investment.
Some digital promotional products, for instance, require a user sign-on a good indication that the advertisers' message is front of a potential customer.
"The industry is becoming more sophisticated," Lerude says.
The sophistication is necessary, she says, as many of the small businesses in northern Nevada that were potential buyers of promotional items have gone out of business, and surviving businesses watch their costs closely.
"Sales are down," she says. "People are ordering less, but they are still ordering."
Williamson says sales at B&W were up a bit in 2009 compared with the previous year, but owners of the family-run business are working hard to keep B&W in front of buyers.
"We spend a lot of time networking," she says.
Participation in groups such as the Sparks Chamber of Commerce and WE of the World as well as events such the Entrepreneur Expo in Reno in late March provide an opportunity for company executives to tell their story to potential buyers.
And B&W Wholesale is a big user of promotional items stamped with the company's logo.
"We're walking the talk," Williamson says.
Who is buying?
A study by Louisiana State University and Glenrich Business Studies says these sectors are the biggest buyers of advertising specialty items:
1. Education (schools, seminars)
2. Financial (banks, brokers)
3. Not-for-profit (charities, churches)
4. Health care (hospitals, pharmacies)
5. Construction trades, suppliers
Source: Promotional Products


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San Marzanos are a particular variety of canned tomato usually grown in the Campania region of Italy, says MakingSense. “The Italian government has granted tomatoes packed in that area its certification DOP (Denominazione di Origine Protetta, the Italian equivalent of a protected designation of origin),” says MakingSense. But the San Marzano variety of heirloom tomatoes can be grown in other areas of Europe and even in the United States: “There are quality San Marzanos from California that are the equal of, and some which are better than, Italian brands.”
There is something to be said for San Marzanos grown in Campania, though. FoodFuser has grown cultivars of San Marzano heirloom tomatoes, but always returns to buying Cento brand DOP tomatoes. shaogo likes the Sclafani brand of Italian San Marzano tomatoes, in paste. “I have yet to find a brand that is as tasty,” says shaogo.
Board Link: San Marzano brands?


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Aug 4, 2014 - After analyzing nine of the top email marketing vendors in its most recent Wave, Forrester Research found StrongView to be the strongest. Comments
Mar 31, 2014 - A new Experian report highlights survey data and gives step-by-step tips on how to address some of the most common cross-channel marketing challenges digital marketers face today. Comments
Mar 7, 2014 - Data breach, identity protection, customer security - these are terms that never concerned marketers much. But as we head into SXSW this year, marketers have customer security top of mind. Comments
Nov 26, 2012 - The greatest ever Black Friday online retail sales of $1.042 billion followed a healthy Thanksgiving Day, with $633 million in sales. comScore, IBM, Performics and Experian share the latest holiday season 2012 stats, insights, and predictions. Comments
Aug 27, 2012 - Pinterest and Instagram are niche social media darlings, making massive gains in global market share over the last year. Comments
Apr 6, 2012 - Experian also reports Facebook ads are getting 50 percent conversion rate for retail brands. Comments
Nov 8, 2011 - Local targeting lets retailers and other advertisers target based on consumers' home addresses and measure impact on sales. Comments
Oct 31, 2011 - Statistics, trends, and tips to help you get the best results from your holiday email marketing. Comments
Oct 7, 2010 - Throw out the "best practices" rule book and consider these seven "profit practices." Comments
80% of internet users say they prefer to connect with brands via Facebook. 65% of social media users say they use it to learn more about brands, products and services. Learn about how to find more about customers' attitudes, preferences and buying habits from what they say on social media channels.
Latest research reveals 68% higher revenue per conversion for marketers who integrate their search & social advertising. In addition to the research results, this whitepaper also outlines 5 strategies and 15 tactics you can use to better integrate your search and social campaigns.
September 17, 2014
September 23, 2014
September 30, 2014
1:00pm ET/10:00am PT


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February 21, 2014
Facebook has agreed to purchase mobile messaging company WhatsApp for $19 billion, in what marks the largest-ever acquisition of a company backed by venture capital. The deal, which comes in the wake of Facebook’s failed attempt to acquire messaging service Snapchat, includes $3 billion in restricted stock, $4 billion in cash, and $12 billion in Facebook shares. The deal easily outranks other notable startup acquisitions, including Facebook’s $1 billion purchase of Instagram, and Microsoft’s $8.5 billion Skype deal.
“The 55-employee company, which acts as a kind of replacement for text messaging, has seen its use more than double in the past nine months to 450 million monthly users,” reports The Wall Street Journal. “That makes its service more popular than Twitter Inc., the widely used microblogging service which has about 240 million users and is currently valued at about $30 billion.”
This deal is also a windfall for Sequoia Capital, the only VC firm that backed WhatsApp. “Sequoia invested about $60 million for a stake valued at up to $3 billion in the deal, according to a person familiar with the matter,” notes WSJ.
WhatsApp’s revenue is unclear, as its service is free for the first year of use, and charges 99 cents per year thereafter, and does not include advertisements. WhatsApp is extremely popular outside of the United States, so this acquisition could help Facebook tap into a new market.
The startup was founded in 2009 by Jan Koum and Brian Acton. The app reached 450 million users faster than any other company in history, and currently processes 50 billion messages a day. However, the company does not have any marketing or public relations employees.
The messaging service is appealing to consumers because it is extremely private, and deletes messages from the company’s servers after they are sent. This prevents government agencies from tracking individuals.
“WhatsApp is on a path to connect 1 billion people. The services that reach that milestone are all incredibly valuable,” said Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder and CEO. “I’ve known Jan for a long time and I’m excited to partner with him and his team to make the world more open and connected.”
“The acquisition supports Facebook and WhatsApp’s shared mission to bring more connectivity and utility to the world by delivering core Internet services efficiently and affordably,” suggests the press release. “The combination will help accelerate growth and user engagement across both companies.”
WhatsApp’s Anti-Ad Philosophy is Really a Broad New Vision for Mobile, Quartz, 2/20/14
The Rags-to-Riches Tale of How Jan Koum Built WhatsApp into Facebook’s New $19 Billion Baby, Forbes, 2/19/14


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With the holiday shopping season officially under way, the nation's retailers are once again counting on consumers to dig ever deeper into their pockets to make the season a happy one.
Early indications are that consumers once again won't disappoint. Chicago research outfit ShopperTrak said retail sales on Friday were almost 11% higher than a year ago, while Visa International also reported a double-digit increase in purchases over the weekend. On average, economists are looking for consumer spending to rise by 3% in the fourth quarter, compared with a year ago.
The one thing economists have been able to count on the past few years is the unfailing spirit of the U.S. consumer to keep spending. But rising interest rates and energy costs probably will crimp discretionary spending in the coming year.
Any pullback by the consumer, of course, would be bad news for retailers, regional banks and credit card companies such as
In particular, the
move to raise interest rates will make it increasingly difficult for homeowners to squeeze any more cash out of their biggest asset. Historically low interest rates the past two years prompted homeowners to refinance their mortgages at a record clip and in the process turn their homes into cash-gurgling ATMs.
Last year alone, borrowers took $312 billion in cash out of their homes, mainly through so-called cash-out refinancings, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. This year, the total is expected to reach $260 billion, with homeowners taking out a greater chunk of that cash through home equity lines of credit.
Much of the equity liquidated by homeowners was pumped directly into the economy, as homeowners used the money to refurbish homes, buy cars, purchase stock, pay for vacations and pay down some of their credit card debt.
In all, mortgage-related debt accounted for 90% of the $1.7 trillion in consumer debt accumulated during the past two years.
Next year, however, the amount of cash homeowners will be able to extract from their homes is expected to fall well below the $260 billion figure, with the refinance market grinding to a halt. Though the home equity market is booming right now, that too is expected to fall off as interest rates continue to rise and the escalation in home prices levels off.
"The consumer has been living off of monetary fiscal stimulus for the last few years," says Richard Brown, the FDIC's chief economist for risk analysis. Brown says that with the refinancing boom now over, it's not clear worker salaries will rise fast enough to fill in the gap.
Brown says many of the optimistic forecasts for consumer spending next year are banking on a continuing robust home-equity market. But he says those forecasts are assuming the housing prices in most of the country will continue to rise.
"If home prices drop a bit or just level off," says Brown, "it will have an impact on the ability of people to tap home-equity lines of credit."
A drop in housing prices reduces a homeowner's equity stake in his house and his ability to borrow against it.
To be sure, Brown isn't talking about a housing crash or the bursting of the housing bubble that many doomsayers have been predicting for months. All he's talking about is a leveling off of housing prices, something that seems plausible after several years of soaring home values in much of the country.
But if consumers are unable to turn to their homes for cash, this could have some tough consequences, particularly for those living on the margins and struggling to make ends meet.
No doubt, many consumers will resort to running bigger balances on their credit cards as a way to keep spending. Indeed, there are some early indications that that already may have begun. In the third quarter, revolving consumer debt, credit card debt that isn't paid off each month, rose by $10 billion, after falling by $6 billion in the second quarter, according to the Federal Reserve.
Yet with the average household already carrying $7,500 in credit card debt, taking on more debt isn't necessarily a good thing, except for the card companies that can collect higher finance charges. Moreover, rising interest rates mean higher credit card rates, something that also could cause consumers to think twice about buying a big-ticket item with plastic.
Brown says he's most worried about consumers who basically are living from paycheck to paycheck and are most likely to have taken out a variable-rate mortgage. The interest rates on these mortgages rise in response to a surge in bond yields, which usually move in sympathy with actions taken by the Federal Reserve.
Brown says two-thirds of the so-called subprime mortgage market, mortgages sold to individuals with poor credit histories and lower incomes, are variable-rate mortgages.
"These people are very vulnerable to higher interest rates," says Brown.
In the worst-case scenario, homeowners on the margins could lose their homes to foreclosure, or file for bankruptcy protection to avoid paying their other debts. At best, a surge in monthly mortgage payments will mean homeowners will rein in their discretionary spending.
Either way, there's a good chance Wall Street and Washington won't be able to look to the consumer as the economic savior in 2005.


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By Guy Griml
The first firings in the Israeli online gambling industry have started, as IM Intermedia dismissed half of its 100 workers yesterday.
The firm supplies services for online marketing and data mining for online gaming companies in the United States, and its customers include Intercontinental Online.
The company confirmed the report.
Yesterday’s cutbacks are just the first of many expected in the industry after the U.S. Senate approved a bill last week banning the use of credit cards for online gambling.
American banks and credit-card companies will no longer be allowed to pass on funds to Internet gambling sites.
Initial estimates are that the first companies to feel the pinch will be small- and medium-sized firms that supply services to the gambling sites.
It appears those predictions are coming true.
THE COMPLETE STORY CAN BE FOUND AT HAARETZ


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Super Mario Bros, one of the most recognizable and popular game series will celebrate its 25th birthday this week. The game was released in Japan September 13, 1985 revolutionising computer games forever. I, like most people spent a lot of time playing the various Mario games over the years.
The mushroom munching plumber has had an eventful 25 years, anyway it’s the perfect excuse to share this super RAC (Remix Artist Collective) ‘Mario Bros mix’ – it’s not new but it’s a keeper, enjoy!
Via The Music Ninja (apologizes)


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By James Wells
The leading European annual exhibition for the wine and spirits industry, ProWein, is inviting Australian wine and spirit exporters to register for the 2009 event after this year’s show attracted more than 33,000 trade visitors and 3,160 exhibitors from 46 countries.
Among the local companies exhibiting at this year’s event were: Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation, Penfolds Wines, Capel Vale, Rosemount Estate, De Bortoli Wines, Bimbagen Estate, Winestyle Australia, Sandfire Australian Wines, Yarraman Estate, Warburn Estate Wines, Rosenvale Vineyards, Nugan Estate, Logan Wines, LanzThomson Vineyards, Hungerford Hill, Fox Gordon, Cumulus Wines, Condo Wines.
Major trends at ProWein 2008 included biodynamic wines, white wines with lower alcohol content, red wines with native grape varieties indigenous to specific areas, and distilled spirits matched with foods.
According to the managing director of the exhibition, Wilhelm Niedergoeker, visitors grew by six per cent at the Düsseldorf-based event that was held in mid-March.
“ProWein’s concept is truly one-of-a-kind in the whole world. It extends unto all relative market segments and provides all manner of important orientation aids to every part of the industry,” Niedergoeker said.
“An overly high proportional number of the additional visitors came primarily from Scandinavia and eastern Europe. In the latter case from the increasingly dynamic consumer markets including Russia, Poland and the Czech Republic,” he said.
“A special cause for celebration was the fact that this year some 86 per cent of all visitors in attendance were personally responsible for their firm’s product acquisition, further attesting to the high quality of attendees.”
Next year’s event will be held from March 29 to 31, 2009. For more information on exhibiting or attending the fair contact the Australian ProWein representative Rudi Barth on 02 8966 9159 or email email@example.com.


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The upcoming iPhone 8 could very well feature bendable OLED screens if we are to believe a recent report that claims that Cupertino has placed a massive order of as many as 70 million units of bendable OLED screens from Samsung.
The report by Nikkei states that Apple intends to commence its iPhone 8 production soon and in line of that plan it has placed the order of bendable organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels with Samsung Electronics. The order of these many OLED panels also indicates what Apple’s sales targets are – 70 million handsets give or take a few million. This is in line with what IHS Markit senior director David Hsieh said about supply numbers.
“Apple has ordered 70 million units of OLED panels from Samsung this year, while Samsung is preparing to churn out as many as 95 million for Apple in 2017, in case demand exceeds expectations,” Hsieh said. If this is true, Apple is preparing ahead of schedule to ensure that there is no shortage of supply during launch, refuting previous rumours.
An earlier report indicated that the iPhone 8 may come in limited quantities when launched in September, and full-fledged availability could be delayed until the end of the fourth quarter. The reasons for delay were not detailed in the report, but constraints in OLED supply could not be the reason after all.
The report also cites Jeff Pu of Taipei-based Yuanta Investment Consulting who predicts that Apple could ship as many as 100 million new iPhones this year, and at least 55 million of them would be the iPhone 8. Lastly, the report also reiterates the addition of wireless charging, and waterproofing on all three iPhone models scheduled to release this year. The iPhone 8 is also again tipped to have a front 3-D sensor camera, and no Home Button. The report says that the other two devices will keep the Home Button intact.


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How has the Downturn in the Economy Affected You? July 2, 2009Posted by David W. King in Uncategorized.
Tags: Economy, Music, Reverbnation, Unemployment
According to the latest breaking unemployment figures, another 467,000 people joined the ranks of the unemployed in June. This brings the unemployment figures to the highest they have been in 26 years. Workers also saw weekly wages fall, suggesting that Americans have little appetite for spending.
ReverbNation recently conducted a survey of artists in an attempt to learn how the downturn was affecting their everyday lives across a variety of factors. The general perception is that this downturn in the economy has affected them in a negative way with many respondents citing that they are touring less, receiving less for the gigs that they are playing, they are being asked to split a larger percentage of the proceeds of their merchandise tables with venue owners,
Here is the results of that survey as it appeared on Hypebot:
How has the economy affected you?


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The worst earthquake to hit the Caribbean in 200 years struck Haiti on Tuesday. The 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck near the Haitian Capital of Port-au-Prince, where it devastated the tiny nation, causing an unknown number of deaths and widespread de...
Networking, Wireless & VoIP
Although 802.11n Wi-Fi technology was found in less than 1 percent of Wi-Fi-enabled smartphones last year, in 2014 at least 87 percent of Wi-Fi-capable smartphones, such as Apple's iPhone, will feature this latest of the 802.11 protocols.
Mobile printing has never been easier. For a busy office, reliable and easy-to-use tools are essential. Samsung's latest smart printers are equipped for wireless printing from mobile devices. Find out more about what is all about.
Aruba Networks is adding support for wired networks to the next version of its AirWave network management tool, it said on Monday.
Skype is introducing high-definition video calling that it plans to make interoperable with corporate videoconferencing gear, so individuals could join conferences at high resolution for little cost. The news was unveiled last week during the Consume...
Chinese telecommunications equipment vendor Huawei Technologies plans to start having some equipment manufactured in India, a company spokesman said on Monday. The company also plans to invest US$500 million over the next five years to expand its res...
Aircell, the company offering the Gogo in-flight Wi-Fi service on many airlines, will launch an in-flight video downloading service later this year.
CES may have "consumer" right in its name, but this year's show featured plenty of hot new products aimed squarely at small and midsized businesses.
MagicJack is demonstrating a device near the International Consumer Electronics Show this week that it claims will let consumers make VoIP calls using any GSM phone.
Cisco Systems Chairman and CEO John Chambers demonstrated on Wednesday how the company's TelePresence videoconferencing technology could be developed into a consumer product, showing off the long-awaited system at a press conference ahead of the Inte...
Klipsch has developed a device that combines a wireless speaker and LED light and installs into most standard light sockets. Called the LightSpeaker, it uses a base station transmitter to stream music to each unit, up to 50 feet away, using 2.4 GHz w...
Cisco this week said it will trial a home telepresence service in the United States this spring with Verizon, and in France later this year with France Telecom.
LG Electronics MobileComm plans to demonstrate a next-generation cellular modem that can download data at speeds up to 100M bits per second.
The concept of powering devices without wires may sound still sound awesomely sci-fi to many users. Today's near-field devices remain hampered by their short range and inefficiency.
Huawei Technologies, the fast-growing Chinese vendor of communications network gear, reached global contract sales of over $US30 billion last year, the company said Tuesday, marking a rise of nearly 30 percent from the year before.
Skype users can now make high-definition video calls as long as they have an HD webcam and sufficient bandwidth and processing power, Skype said on Tuesday. The company also announced that HDTVs will ship later this year with its Internet calling sof...
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Mia Maguire is now a commerce editor at The Daily Beast. Previously, she was a shopping and e-commerce editor at STYLECASTER in Los Angeles. She has also freelanced for Variety and has worked as...
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According to the study at Future Market Insights (FMI), the global automotive plastic market is expected to secure US$ 28.5 Million in 2022 and reach US$ 45 Billion by 2032. During the forecast period from 2022-2032, the market is likely to display a CAGR of 4.67%. The growth of the market can be attributed to the manufacturers’ increasing focus on reducing vehicle weight.
Players in the industry are taking various initiatives to strengthen their position in the market during the assessment period. For instance, in 2021, Covestro AG rolled out a new product, recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (rPET). The recycled PET has been optimized for 3D pellet printing. This technology is also called fused granulate fabrication (FGF). It allows for speedy and economically viable additive manufacturing of large-size parts.
Governments across the globe are focusing to curb emissions and introduce fuel economy regulations for vehicles. Implementations of such regulations have forced automotive OEMs to boost the application of lightweight materials like plastics. Advanced plastics aid in ensuring the fuel economy of a vehicle while assuring safety and performance.
Request Sample @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-br-81
For instance, the U.S is regulated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and EPA. As per the regulations, the rule establishes standards that would demand an industry-wide fleet average of approximately 49 mpg for passenger cars and light trucks in the model year 2026, by increasing fuel efficiency by 8% annually for model years 2024 and 2025 and 10% annually for the model year 2026.
On the contrary, safety issues associated with the consumption of plastic are expected to hamper the automotive plastic market during the forecast period. Ban on plastic application is projected to limit the industry for automotive polymers as they create disposable issues that harm the environment. Such factors are expected to hinder the market in the forecast period.
Key Takeaways from the Study:
- The global automotive plastic market is expected to secure US$ 28.5 Billion by 2022
- The global automotive plastic market is anticipated to display a CAGR of 4.67% by 2032
- The global automotive plastic market is projected to hold a value worth US$ 45 Billion by 2032
- China is expected to have claimed 69% of the global automotive plastic market revenue
- The Interior Furnishing segment is likely to have claimed about 30% of the global automotive plastic market revenue in 2021
“Increasing demand for EVs and growing implementation of stringent rules to curb carbon emission are expected to benefit the market significantly during the forecast period,” says an FMI analyst.
Key players in the global automotive plastic market include LyondellBasell Industries Holdings B.V, Evonik Industries, BASF SE, Arkema Group, DuPont de Nemours, Inc., The Dow Chemical Company, Hexion Inc., Momentive Performance Materials, Hanwha Group, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), Formosa Plastics, Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd., Mitsui Chemicals, Inc., Zoltek, Covestro AG, and Eastman Chemical Company.
Recent Updates from the Industry Include:
- In May 2020, BASF rolled out the new styling polymer Luviset 360 which provides a flawless styling performance in six dimensions. The product is flexible, has a long-lasting hold, is strong, and has low flaking. It allows for new textures and supports anti-pollution claims.
- In June 2021, LyondellBasell and Neste inked a long-term agreement under which LyondeBAsell will source Neste RE, a feedstock from Neste that is being manufactured from 100% renewable feedstock derived from bio-based sources like residual oils and fats and waste. The feedstock will be processed through the cracker at LyondellBasell’s Wesselling, Germany, plant into polymers and sold under the brand name of CicrulenRenew.
More Valuable Insights
Future Market Insights, in its new offering, presents an unbiased analysis of the global automotive plastic market, presenting a historical analysis from 2017 to 2021 and forecast statistics for the period of 2022-2032.
The study reveals essential insights on the basis of Material Type (Polypropylene (PP), Polyurethane (PUR), Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Polyethylene (PE), Polystyrene (PS), Polycarbonate (PC), Polyamide (PA), Acrylic (PMMA etc.), Plastic Composites, Others), by Application (Interior Components, Exterior Components Frame), By End Use (Conventional Vehicles, Electric Vehicles), Region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East Africa, and Latin America).
About the Chemical and Materials at Future Market Insights
The chemicals materials team at Future Market Insights offers expert analysis, time efficient research, and strategic recommendations with an objective to provide authentic insights and accurate results to help clients worldwide. With a repertoire of over 100+ reports and 1 million+ data points, the team has been analyzing the industry lucidly in 50+ countries for over a decade. The team provides a brief analysis on key trends including competitive landscape, profit margin, and research development efforts.


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Weekly Review of Slovene Economy from 24 to 29 April
Ljubljana, 29 April - Retail prices dropped 0.1 percent in April over March this year for the first time after June 1990. The rate of inflation in April was thus minus 0.1 percent, according to the National Office of Statistics. Retail prices rose 2.4 percent in April 1995 over December 1994, and 14.1 percent over April 1994. These figures mainly resulted from lower prices of electrical energy for households, which decreased by 14.9 percent on the average, and from 2 percent lower prices of vehicles on the average. The price of one kilowatt hour of electrical energy for households dropped 33.3 percent due to the summer season, but rose 15 percent at the same time. Prices of fresh vegetables, fruits, eggs and fish dropped 6.4 percent, while prices of processed food rose 0.2 percent, of beverages 1.1 percent, and of services 1.6 percent. Prices of necessaries of life dropped 0.2 percent on the average in April over March, and went up 3.4 percent over December 1994, and up 15.3 percent over April 1994.
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The cloud removes toxic maize grains
Swiss company Bühler AG has unveiled a cloud platform for digital services in the food and feed processing industry. The platform is based on Microsoft’s Azure cloud technology.17 Oct 2018 Roland Freist
Bühler Holding AG , based in Uzwil bei St. Gallen in Switzerland, is one of the market leaders in various grain processing technologies for flour and feed, as well as for the production of pasta and chocolate. At Microsoft’s Ignite Conference in Orlando, Florida, Bühler has now, in cooperation with Microsoft, unveiled the IoT platform ‘Bühler Insights’ , which offers customers a number of its digital services through Microsoft Azure.
Customers can, for example, access MoisturePro, a service that can reduce energy consumption in industrial drying processes. Two additional Bühler Insights solutions are LumoVision, which can identify and remove maize grains that have been contaminated with toxic aflatoxin, and TotalSense, for controlling the quality of rice. The TotalSense solution leverages a mobile analyzer, which takes pictures of rice samples using a light tent and smartphone camera, sends the images to the cloud for analysis via an app, and then returns the results to the smartphone. With GrainiGo, Bühler also offers a similar service for maize.
Bühler is currently collaborating with Microsoft on a model to test the possibilities of a blockchain for total traceability of food, to increase food safety and transparency across the entire supply chain.
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In an effort to match rival Google and Yahoo offerings, MSN has launched a beta of its local-search function, integrating mapping and satellite image technology to help searchers pinpoint the locations they want to find, CNET writes. The new tools will offer up White Pages and Yellow Pages directory information from specific cities and regions. Each search result will come up as a numbered pin on a map from Microsoft MapPoint Web Service, and TerraServer-USA aerial images will also appear, if available.
Microsoft said its local search offering will eventually incorporate a technology called Virtual Earth that will allow results from multiple searches to be layered atop a single map, the AP reports.
Localized information can make online search more practical for consumer and will therefore drive online ads from local smaller businesses - and larger ones, too, of course.
The local-search market is lucrative and relatively untapped. Sales of local online advertising is expected to grow to $5 billion by 2009, with $3.4 billion of that from search engines, the Kelsey Group has forecast. That compares with $670 million in 2004, with $162 million from search engines.


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A gunman killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida last Valentine’s Day. Now families of two of the victims are suing the firearm manufacturer and the store that sold the weapon.
Federal law enforcement said a Smith & Wesson M&P 15 .223, an AR-15-style semiautomatic rilfe, was used in the attack.
Fred and Jennifer Guttenberg lost their daughter Jaime, 14.
“If you go back to 2003, the year that my daughter was born, Smith and Wesson didn’t even manufacturer an AR-15,” said Fred Guttenberg at a press conference covered by NBC Miami. “If you look over the years since at the incredibly steep rise in the manufacturing of those weapons, they knew – they had to know that by putting all of those weapons on the streets that innocent people like my kid are going to die.”
They filed in Broward County Circuit Court. The Guttenbergs are joined in the lawsuit by Max Schachter, who lost his son Alex, 14, in the attack.
The manufacturer American Outdoor Brands, and the gun store Sunrise Tactical Supply were named as the defendants. The lawsuit may not even get off the ground, however. Plaintiffs said they want a judge to first resolve an apparently unclear Florida law. It prohibits lawsuits brought by state entities against firearm manufacturers and distributors if a weapon is used in a crime. The statute says nothing about victims.
“A confusingly written Florida statute stands in the way,” said the complaint obtained by The Sun-Sentinel. According to the lawsuit, if the manufacturer and gun store argue that this law protects them from claims, and if the court agrees, then plaintiffs would have to pay the defenses’ legal fees.
American Outdoor Brands did not immediately respond to Law&Crime’s request for comment on Thursday. Neither did attorney Douglas Rudman. In February, he spoke on behalf of the owners of Sunrise Tactical Supply, Lisa and Michael Morrison, after it was reported that their store sold the semiautomatic to the alleged Marjory mass shooter, Nikolas Cruz.
[Image via RHONA WISE/AFP/Getty Images]
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Gnewt Cargo, the zero-emission final-mile delivery firm, has ordered an additional three Mercedes-Benz Vito E-CELL vans to work across central London on its TNT Express contract. The business ordered its first Vito E-CELL three months […]
DX Group sales and marketing director Paul Doble has warned that online retailers are in danger of overwhelming capacity on their distribution networks in the run up to Christmas. Financial services firm Experian has predicted […]
Netherlands-based post and parcel firm PostNL – parent company to TNT Post -has sold part of its stake in TNT Express.


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Consumers have been a bright spot for the U.S. economy, but their outlook may be tenuous. Here are the five things we learned from U.S. economic data released during the week ending August 30.
Consumers’ spending spree continued in July. The Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that “real” personal consumption expenditures (PCE) grew 0.4 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis during the month, up from June’s 0.2 percent advance and matching the increases for both April and May. Spending rose for goods by 0.8 percent, with solid gains for both durable (+1.1 percent) and nondurable goods (+0.6 percent). Services spending grew 0.3 percent. Without adjustments for inflation, nominal PCE rose 0.6 percent. The increased spending outpaced gains in nominal personal income (+0.1 percent), nominal disposable income (+0.3 percent), and real disposable income (+0.1 percent). As a result, the savings rate narrowed by 3/10ths of a percentage point to +7.7 percent. Over the past year, personal spending has risen 2.7 percent as real disposable income advanced 3.0 percent.
Q2 GDP growth was smaller than previously believed. The Bureau of Economic Analysis‘ second estimate of Q2 2019 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has the U.S. economy growing at a seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) of +2.0 percent, down from 2.1 percent gain reported a month ago. The downward revision was the product of lower than previously estimated levels of state/local government spending, exports, private inventory accumulation, and fixed residential investment. Counterbalancing those revisions was a higher than previously reported estimate for consumer spending. In fact, consumers were by far the most significant positive contributor to Q2 GDP growth. The same report finds corporate profits rose 5.3 percent during the quarter to an annualized $2.113 trillion. The BEA will revise its Q2 estimates of both GDP and corporate profits again in late September.
Economic growth also was modest in July. The Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI) plummeted by 39-basis points during the month to a reading of -0.36. Only 26 of the weighted index’s 85 components made a positive contribution to the CFNAI as only 30 improved from their June marks. All four major categories of index components made negative contributions: production (-25 basis points), personal consumption/housing (-6 basis points), sales/orders/inventories (-5 basis points), employment (-1 basis point). A bright spot is the 16-basis point improvement for the CFNAI’s three-moving average, growing June’s -0.30 reading to -0.16 in July. The moving average’s reading, however, is indicative of below-average economic growth.
Aircraft orders boosted durable goods orders in July. The Census Bureau estimates new orders for manufactured goods jumped 2.1 percent during the month to a seasonally adjusted $250.4 billion, following a 1.8 percent gain in June. Much of the increase came from the 7.0 percent surge in orders for transportation goods, with substantial monthly gains in orders for civilian aircraft (+47.8 percent), defense aircraft (+34.4 percent), and motor vehicles (+0.5 percent). Net of transportation goods, durable goods fell 0.4 percent in July, reversing a 0.8 percent increase during the prior month. Rising were new orders for electrical equipment/appliances (+1.1 percent) and computers/electronics (+0.2 percent). Orders fell for primary metals (-1.0 percent), fabricated metals (-0.9 percent), and machinery (-0.6 percent).
Consumer sentiment waned in August. The University of Michigan’s Index of Consumer Sentiment suffered its largest single-month drop in nearly seven years with an 8.6 point decline to a seasonally adjusted 89.8 (1966Q1=100). Whereas the measure tracking current sentiment decreased by 5.4 points to 105.3, it was the huge drop in longer-term optimism that pulled down the headline index. The expectations index plummeted by 10.6 points to 79.9. The press release notes that trade tariffs were the chief cause of weakening confidence, with one in three survey respondents “spontaneously” noting the issue in their comments. Those concerned about tariffs were more likely to “voice higher year-ahead inflation expectations, more frequently expected rising unemployment, and expected smaller annual gains in household incomes.”
The Consumer Confidence from the Conference Board slipped by a more modest 7/10ths of a point to a seasonally adjusted 135.1 (1985=100). The present conditions rose to a nearly 19-year high at 177.2 (up 6.3 points versus July 2019) while the expectations index shed 5.4 points to 107.0. A robust 42.0 percent of survey respondents described current business conditions as “good,” while 51.2 percent said that jobs were “plentiful.” The press release did warn that “if the recent escalation in trade and tariff tensions persists, it could potentially dampen consumers’ optimism regarding the short-term economic outlook.”
Other U.S. economic data released over the past week:
– Jobless Claims (week ending August 24, 2019, First-Time Claims, seasonally adjusted): 215,000 (+5,000 vs. previous week; Unchanged vs. the same week a year earlier). 4-week moving average: 214,500 (-0.1% vs. the same week a year earlier).
– Pending Home Sales (July 2019, Index (2001=100), seasonally adjusted): 105.6 (-2.5% vs. June 2019, -0.3% vs. July 2018).
– FHFA House Price Index (June 2019, Purchase-Only Index, seasonally adjusted): +0.2% vs. May 2019, +4.8%. vs. June 2018.
– Case-Shiller Home Price Index (June 2019, 20-City Index, seasonally adjusted): Unchanged vs. May 2019, +2.1% vs. June 2018.
The opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of Kevin’s current employer. No endorsements are implied.


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According to Berg Insight, market potential for consumer asset tracking is substantial. In Europe and North America, there are significant numbers of potential users, including 70 million children aged 4-10 years (a typical age group for kids' GPS watches), 350 million dogs and cats, 500 million passenger cars, and 135 million other consumer vehicles.
It's estimated that the installed base of active consumer asset tracking devices in Europe and North America reached 11.2 million by the end of 2021. With a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.4 percent, the number of active units is expected to reach 28.3 million. The market's value is projected to grow from €1.4 billion in 2021 to €3.7 billion in 2026. The growth of the consumer asset tracking market is fueled by its ability to enhance safety, security, and convenience for users, while at the same time becoming more accessible and efficient. 1NCE sees a high relevance of IoT to Consumer Asset Tracking as the number of customers providing such devices is constantly expanding within the client base.


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ESB (enterprise service bus) technology as a category of its own has been gaining increasing numbers of followers lately. Microsoft, however, isn't one of them, according to a position paper that the company recently published.
Instead, the software giant is positioning its BizTalk Server integration and process server and its planned Indigo Web services technology as its solution in the ESB space, the paper states. Microsoft doesn't believe ESB is a stand-alone product category but "customers looking to purchase an ESB will find that Microsoft offers a significant superset of ESB functionality," the company said.
An ESB does not meet all the needs of users, said Scott Woodgate, group product manager in the Connected Systems Division at Microsoft and a co-author of the position paper.
"We don't believe that customers will benefit significantly from the ESB products," Woodgate said in an interview on Wednesday afternoon.
Usually viewed as a mechanism to provide Web services-based application integration in SOA environments, companies such as Sonic Software, Cape Clear Software, and, as of early this month, BEA Systems, are offering ESB. But Microsoft characterizes an ESB as ambiguous.
"The recent buzz around ESB is rivaled only by the ambiguity by which the term is defined," Microsoft states in the paper.
BizTalk Server 2004 enables decoupled integration with a range of systems, including MQSeries, SAP systems, and Web services, according to Microsoft. "BizTalk Server provides for all the capabilities of traditional ESBs," Microsoft said in its paper. Business activity monitoring and other related functions also are provided.
Indigo, which is now officially being called the WCF (Windows Communication Foundation), is Microsoft's next-generation Web services technology; it offers a framework for secure, reliable and interoperable software based on industry standards, Microsoft said.
"I think the key thing from a Microsoft perspective is that customers are looking to integrate applications inside their enterprises, customers are looking for vendors to provide solutions all the way across the stack," Woodgate said. Customers want business process infrastructure, connection of applications and business activity monitoring, but an ESB only includes the messaging infrastructure, Woodgate said.
Although Microsoft's combination of products amounts to a Windows-centric solution, Woodgate said WCF will provide interoperability across all platforms. BizTalk Server, he added, offers adapters to link to non-Microsoft environments.
"While a growing number of ESBs are supporting Web services standards in order to remain competitive, WCF provides the broadest support for the WS-* (spoken as ws-star) specifications," according to Microsoft in its position paper. These specifications include SOAP, WSDL, WS-Addressing, WS-Security and other related specifications. WCF, which includes a framework for building Web services, will debut in 2006 in the Windows Vista operating system. It also will be available for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.
The ESB term has "permeated the IT vernacular of many organizations looking for a new 'magic bullet' to the ongoing challenge of connecting systems," Microsoft said.
Although there is no industry-standard definition of an ESB, general characteristics include brokered communication, address indirection and intelligent routing, and basic Web services support, according to Microsoft. Some ESB vendors also offer message transformation, validation, logging, and auditing.
Microsoft with WCF will offer a superior alternative to an ESB, one analyst said.
"Fundamentally, what Microsoft is putting together is much better than an ESB," said Jason Bloomberg, senior analyst at ZapThink, in an e-mail response to questions. "Basically, WCF is a quantum leap above ESB -- it's essentially a framework for building a whole range of different tools, including ESBs. So yes, the combination of WCF and BizTalk does much of what today's ESBs do, but that undersells the power of Microsoft's vision and technology, especially as they move to the Vista wave."


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Smokin' with the Doggfather: Snoop Dogg Launches Death Row Cannabis!
After decades of producing hit songs, the storied West Coast Hip-Hop label Death Row Records has announced its foray into cannabis: Death Row Cannabis! Led by the iconic Snoop Dogg, the first drops will feature OG strains such as Runtz, Strawberry Gary, and Tropicana Cookies, all packaged in limited edition commemorative metallic bags that feature a reworked version of the hooded prisoner logo seated in an electric chair on the front - and taking a puff of a fat doobie! Curated by Snoop himself, Death Row Cannabis was hand-selected by AK, a renowned cultivator famed for his work with Wizard Trees and DEO Farms. It arrives in select Cookies stores in California on January 2nd and will soon expand to other states. So keep your eyes peeled and light up - or get down with the Doggystyle!


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Regal Cinemas has announced that they will reopen around 500 of their locations starting April 2.
According to Regal Cinemas:
Select theatres will be opening April 2, in time for Godzilla vs. Kong. Additional theatres will be opening in the weeks to follow. We are excited to open our doors and begin sharing our love of movies with our fans.
Regal has a deal with Warner Bros. to show their 2021 movies day-and-date and to secure a 45-day window for films released in 2022 and beyond.
As lockdowns ease, Regal Cinemas will reopen around 500 locations in the U.S. after six months of being shuttered. https://t.co/mZnAywbJKi
— NECN (@NECN) March 23, 2021


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US electric car maker Tesla has partnered with Japanese electronics giant Panasonic to for the large-scale production of photovoltaic cells and modules in New York state.
The collaboration is dependent on Tesla’s $2.6bn acquisition of SolarCity, announced in June last year, which is due to be completed in November.
With the aid of installation, sales and financing capabilities from SolarCity, Tesla will bring an "integrated sustainable energy solution to residential, commercial and grid-scale customers".
Tesla will use Panasonic’s cells and modules in a solar energy system that will work with its energy storage products Powerwall and Powerpack (pictured).
Shuuji Okayama, vice-president of the Eco Solutions arm of Panasonic, said: "Panasonic PV cells and modules boast industry-leading power generation performance and achieve high quality and reliability."
JB Straubel, co-founder of Tesla, said: "By working together on solar, we will be able to accelerate production of high-efficiency, extremely reliable solar cells and modules at the best cost."
The collaboration will extend Tesla and Panasonic’s relationship, which includes the production of electric vehicle and grid storage battery cells at Tesla’s Gigafactory.
The parties intend for Panasonic to begin cell and module production at the Buffalo, New York facility in 2017.
Image: The Powerwall behind a Tesla car (Tesla)


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Last week, Google announced the “Android Device Manager“. The best way to think of it is to look at Apple’s “Find my iPhone” service. You can see where your phone is, you can make your phone ring (even if it’s on silent), and you can remotely wipe your device. According to Android Police, the service is now live.
How do you make it work? It’s surprisingly braid dead simple. Visit this website, tell it to send your phone a notification to enable remote wiping, and that’s it. You’re done. How did Google make this so easy? They slipped the code needed to make the Device Manager service work into an update to the Google Play Services application on your phone, which is incredibly smart on their part.
If you were using another company’s product, like Lookout Security or Cerberus, well, now you don’t need to! Granted, those two companies offer far more functionally, such as the ability to turn on your phone’s microphone so you can hear what the person who stole your phone is saying. That in it of itself is pretty awesome.


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Music Gear News
Legendary drummers plan collaboration
Queen star Roger Taylor looks set to step out from behind his drum kit for a new project.
The legendary musician has revealed that he is planning to collaborate with fellow drummer Taylor Hawkins next year.
Speaking to BBC 6 Music, Taylor described the Foo Fighters star as an "awesome" musician and said a quick tour with him could be a lot of fun.
"He's got such a great, open approach to life," he commented.
The pair have worked together before, as Taylor and Queen's electric guitar player Brian May have made several guest appearances with the Foo Fighters over the years.
Hawkins also performed backing vocals on C-Lebrity, a track from the recent Queen and Paul Rodgers album The Cosmos Rocks.
Taylor, who wrote Queen hits including A Kind of Magic and Radio Ga Ga, is currently gearing up to release a solo single later this month.
This week also saw the release of Queen's Absolute Greatest album, a new compilation featuring many of their best-known songs, such as Bohemian Rhapsody and We Will Rock You.Posted on 18 Nov 2009 17:00 to category : Band / Celebrity News
Related Music News
At the 2018 Brit Awards Ed Sheeran teamed up with Ashton Miranda and the Roland LX-17 Digital Piano. Now Roland is giving away the same piano - worth £4399 and signed by Ed and Ashton!
Through a collaboration with Martin, Sheeran's latest signature model features artwork from his latest album '÷' and has been built to his exact specifications.
An icon who helped propel the rock 'n' roll movement to new and unprecedented heights. Chucky Berry is praised by many as a founding father of modern music.
Founding guitarist of legendary LA band Y and T Joey Alves passes away due to complications relating to Ulcerative Colitis. Documentary on soon to follow.
Destroyer Cola is to be the latest release in rock veterans Kiss' long line of merchandise currently available to the general public for purchase
In a recent unconfirmed report, frontman of famous rock and roll outfit Guns N' Roses is said to be heading into the studio with Australian rock veterans AC/DC
Recent Music News
Here at Gear4music we have a great relationship with Zildjian Cymbals and this year we were lucky enough to be invited to the factory and headquarters over in Norwell, Massachusetts, USA.
Click here to read the latest news about music equipment, product launches, industry news, and more.
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AKAI's MPC software has been updated to Firmware 2.3, introducing three new plugin instruments and enhanced functionality.
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CHICAGO — The snack daypart is a booming business in the U.S., with almost half of consumers snacking at least twice per day, according to a new report from Technomic, a Chicago-based research firm.
“Recent consumer research indicates snacking is becoming a larger part of consumers’ daily lives,” said Darren Tristano, Technomic’s executive vice-president.
“Pressure from the nutritional disclosure legislation has prompted the foodservice industry to reduce calorie counts in meals. As a result, Americans are now more inclined to “graze” throughout the day, seeking snacks that provide fuel between traditional meal parts.”
The new study, “Snacking Occasion Consumer Trend Report,” also identifies impulse snacking as a driving force with 62 per cent of survey respondents reporting their away-from-home snack consumption is impulse purchasing.
For more details on the report, visit technomic.com.


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US: Apparel groups applaud bill to 'fast-track' trade pacts
US apparel groups and retailers are calling for swift passage of legislation introduced on Thursday (9 January) that would help to 'fast-track' international trade deals.
The so-called Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) allows Congress to approve or reject trade agreements, but not amend them once submitted.
The legislation is seen as critically important for the US to conclude on-going trade negotiations with Asia and Europe, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.
The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) said the bill "empowers the Administration to pursue an ambitious trade agenda, and it empowers Congress to provide the Administration with clear negotiating objectives that promote American competitiveness and participation in global value chains."
Likewise, the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) said the restoration of TPA would restore US credibility in negotiating trade agreements.
Without TPA, Congress could change significant terms of a trade agreement that is already negotiated, AAFA says - noting that trade negotiating partners might choose to hold back key concessions at the bargaining table knowing they might be altered by Congress at some future date.
"The trade agreements that will follow this legislation will strengthen our recovery and provide the framework for future economic and employment growth," added Matthew Shay, president and CEO of the National Retail Federation (NRF).
"New trade promotion authority provides our nation's trade negotiators with the clarity and flexibility they need to deal with our current and future trading partners."
TPA would be authorised for four years, with an option to renew for an additional three years. The most recent iteration of TPA expired in 2007.
"Not only is it a key indicator of whether the US is likely to move ahead on the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, but it could also serve as a vehicle to move other trade legislation like a renewal of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), a miscellaneous trade bill or an extension of the one-for-one apparel matching programme in Nicaragua that promotes the use of US yarns and fabrics," explained Nicole Bivens Collinson, president of trade negotiations and legislative affairs for Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg.
An interactive databank with intelligence on the major apparel sourcing countries
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- Lies and statistics – the sustainability version
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- Ten key trends in apparel and footwear markets
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- Clothing & Footwear Retailing in China – Market Summary & Forecasts
- Nike Inc in Apparel and Footwear (World)


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As Covid-19 began to clobber the U.S. in February, sales of medical marijuana jumpedat Trulieve Cannabis. The Florida-based chain sold 50% more smokable stuff in the month’s third week than in the same week of January. By March’s third week, new Covid cases in the state were soaring and Trulieve’s sales had jumped another 50%, to more than 21 thousand ounces in the week ended March 19. Medical-marijuana customers were loading up on a product they thought essential in a disaster.
“We are very accustomed to hurricanes here,” says Kim Rivers, chief executive officer of Trulieve (ticker: TRUL.Canada). “There was a rush of activity prior to any potential stay-in-place order.”
Cannabis operations in every state that allows them to operate are reporting a rush on dispensaries, which have been deemed “essential services” as states close other retail activities. Recreational sales are up, too. “Like alcohol, people cope with stress by using cannabis,” says Matt Hawkins, who runs $165 million in cannabis private-equity investments at Entourage Effect Capital.
The burst of pandemic panic complements a steady rise in U.S. cannabis sales that investors have largely overlooked amid the financial debacles of better-known Canadian names like Aurora Cannabis (ACB) and Canopy Growth (CGC). Aurora’s NYSE-listed stock sank 90% in the past year as the company blew billions of dollars on production for Canada’s nationally legal—but feeble—market. Meanwhile, marijuana’s illegality under U.S. federal law has consigned U.S. operators like Trulieve to the obscure Canadian Securities Exchange. So, Trulieve and U.S. rivals like Curaleaf Holdings (CURA.Canada) and Green Thumb Industries (GTII.Canada) trade at discounts to their unprofitable Canadian counterparts, even though U.S. operators are producing positive cash flow on sales that dwarf Canada’s. This backwards valuation makes these decently well-funded U.S. outfits look like bargains.
“Contrary to popular belief,” wrote Stifel/GMP analyst Rob Fagan in a recent note, 2019 was a great year for U.S. cannabis sales.
Legal sales of pot in Canada have plateaued at a $1.3 billion annual level, notes Green Thumb CEO Ben Kovler, while U.S. sales are going at a $13 billion annual run rate in the 33 states that allow them under their laws. He thinks the U.S. industry could ultimately exceed $50 billion. “Our products are in high demand,” Kovler says. “We’re not worried about whether people are going to be interested in cannabis.”
A year ago, a large field of competitors was racing to build U.S. pot empires and the U.S. operators’ Canada-listed stocks traded at valuations that were almost as extravagant as U.S.-listed Canadian favorites like Tilray (TLRY).
Back then, private placements in cannabis companies were better deals than the publicly traded stocks, says Jason Wild, whose JW Asset Management has over $700 million in health care and cannabis investments. Now, the public pot companies are generally cheaper. And compared to Canada’s bumblers, Wild finds the superiority of U.S. operators to be “a no-brainer.”
At the peak of cannabis-stock giddiness, Canopy bet $3.4 billion on the U.S. chain Acreage Holdings (ACRG.U.Canada)—a deal whose extravagance contributed to the ouster of Canopy founder Bruce Linton by his company’s controlling shareholder, Constellation Brands (STZ). Poor execution at Acreage has cut its shares from 22.50 Canadian dollars (or US$15.89) to C$2.08. Other ambitious contenders like MedMen Enterprises (MMEN.Canada) and Harvest Health & Recreation (HARV.Canada) have run up losses and called off mergers they’d arranged at the market’s peak.
Now, capital is hard to come by for all but the largest and sturdiest U.S. operators. Leading that pack is Curaleaf, with 54 dispensaries in 17 states—including a giant location on the New Jersey shore that is the East Coast’s biggest. Among all the operations it manages, sales hit an annualized level of $325 million in the December quarter, up 134% from the prior-year period. The company ran a net loss on the quarter, but excluding noncash and one-time charges, Curaleaf says its annualized cash flow represented $55 million in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (Ebitda). It finished the year with $42 million in cash and has since secured another $300 million in a term loan. At a recent C$5.08, Curaleaf stock values the fast-growing business at $1.9 billion.
Curaleaf board chairman Boris Jordan said that the capital-deprived industry presents interesting acquisition opportunities for the company’s cash. He’s optimistic that voters in New Jersey and Arizona will approve ballot initiatives this fall to permit recreational cannabis. He’ll need to look beyond many of the states where he already operates, since Curaleaf has the maximum allowed licenses in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Florida.
For Chicago-based Green Thumb, December-quarter sales more than tripled year over year, to an annualized level of $300 million. Like its peers, Green Thumb had a net loss, but before noncash charges its adjusted-Ebidta reached $57 million annualized. Year-end cash was $47 million and the sale and leaseback of some facilities has since raised another $57 million. It has 41 stores open in eight states. Green Thumb’s stock price of C$7.92 values the business at $1.2 billion.
Green Thumb’s home state just started recreational sales this year and investor-relations chief Andy Grossman says Illinois demand was outstripping supply even before the pandemic stockpiling. “When we get in front of sophisticated investors and they see our same-store sales growing north of 50% year over year—their jaws drop to the floor,” he says.
Compared to other U.S. leaders, Trulieve has chosen to go deep, not wide. Of its 47 stores, 45 are in Florida, where it dominates the state with more than half of Florida’s sales. Its December-quarter results won’t be out until April 8, but analysts surveyed by FactSet expect that sales more than doubled year over year to $315 million annualized. Trulieve has always led the industry in profitability and analysts estimate that annualized Ebitda approached $130 million. At C$12.58 a share, Trulieve is valued at $1 billion.
Although Trulieve has footholds in California, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, CEO Rivers says that Florida’s continued growth has rewarded Trulieve’s commitment. “The opportunity in Florida continues to be robust—to say the least,” she says.
The powerful growth and better-than-40% cash-flow margins put up by Trulieve show the possibilities for American pot producers.
There are still a number of smaller operators jockeying for place behind America’s big three. Among them are Cresco Labs (CL.Canada), iAnthus Capital Holdings (IAN.Canada), and TerrAscend (TER.Canada)—and each gets a Buy rating from Stifel’s Fagan, along with the three leaders. In a March 18 note, Fagan said sales by these companies have met high expectations, even though valuation multiples have fallen 60% in the past six months.
Investor Jason Wild recently put his money where his mouth is by joining a $33.5 million infusion in TerrAscend, an operator with licenses in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and California. Wild is chairman of TerrAscend’s board. Canadian producer Canopy took warrants in the company last month and made a $57 million loan—perhaps as a hedge on Canopy’s deal with Acreage.
While Covid-19 accelerated demand for cannabis, the industry would probably suffer with the overall economy if the coronavirus produces a sustained downturn. Curaleaf’s Jordan worries about the effect of an economic shutdown on his medical-marijuana customers. “Honestly, many medical-marijuana users are not in the upper economic stratosphere,” he said. “They are using cannabis as a cheap form of pain medicine or for sleep maintenance.”
But so far in the pandemic, cannabis spending isn’t looking like it’s discretionary. Jordan proudly notes that U.S. operators are showing impressive results despite disadvantages that include exclusion from national banking and capital markets, punitive federal tax treatment, and the inability of institutional investors to buy their stock.
Curaleaf and its peers are hiring restaurant workers and drivers displaced by the crisis. The cannabis companies hope states will take notice of the industry’s job creation and tax revenue when initiatives for legalizing recreational sales come up in states beyond the 11 that now permit such sales.
“Our people have been on the front lines,” says Jordan. Among them is his daughter, who came down with Covid-19 in the course of running Curaleaf’s New York stores.
In the long run, things can only get better for the country and this industry.


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Over the past few days i came across some interesting news/facts which deserves some limelight.
Fannie & Freddie Help Out
Government-backed mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae
(FNM) and Freddie Mac
(FRE) will help out struggling mortgage holders to avoid foreclosures. Fannie Mae has planned to give borrowers the option of refinancing out of adjustable loans especially for subprime lenders. Fannie Mae will also ease its credit requirements to allow more borrowers to qualify. Fannie Mae will also buy 40-year loans as well as 30-year loans in the secondary market, which will help reduce the monthly payment by about 5%. Freddie Mac will be putting 30- and 40-year subprime loans with reduced margins and longer fixed-rate periods into the market by the summer.
Google (GOOG) recently acquired online ad network DoubleClick for $3.1 billion. This deal will put Google far ahead of the field in the $28.8 billion global online ad market and giving it the capability to provide advertisers with graphical display ads as well as text ads. Microsoft (MSFT) and AT&T (T) has raised concern over this deal. They are urging regulators to investigate the deal for antitrust violations. There are rumors that Seattle-based online ad company aQuantive Inc. (AQNT) is an acquisition target too.
GM Goes To Asia
General Motors’ (GM) commercial vehicle is forecast to increase sales by more than 20% this year and is expected to continue to lead the Chinese market’s minivan segment. GM is also reported to be in talks to manufacture cars in Indonesia. GM’s overall vehicle sales in China (second-largest car market in the world) rose 25% in Q1. In other news, GM is considering an increase in auto parts sourcing from India. GM is aiming for 10% of the rapidly growing Indian market by 2010.
ABN Amro Takeover
3 of the biggest banks The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBSPY), Spain’s Banco Santander Banespa Spa and Belgium’s Fortis has approached ABN Amro (ABN) about a possible takeover. ABN Amro is under pressure from active shareholders to go ahead with the takeover and breakup ABN’s retail and wholesale operations. Royal Bank would take over ABN’s U.S. retail bank, LaSalle, and ABN’s wholesale bank in London; while Santander would take ABN’s assets in Brazil and Italy and Fortis would acquire ABN’s Benelux assets.
Student Loan Provider Buyout
Student loan provider Sallie Mae has agreed to be acquired by two private equity firms and two investment banks for $25 billion. JC Flowers & Co. and Friedman Fleischer & Lowe will share a 50.2% stake in the company while J.P. Morgan (JPM) and Bank of America (BAC) will each hold 24.9%. The group beat out the Blackstone Group, which considered making a $20 billion offer for Sallie Mae over the weekend. Sallie Mae was an attractive deal because student lending is growing and is generating strong cash flow.
Sony To Cut 160 Jobs
Sony Corp. (SNE) may eliminate up to 8% of its PlayStation
unit in Europe in an effort to reduce costs. Sony sent e-mails to employees that restructuring measures, including possible job cuts, are needed to trim expenses. PlayStation losses would be bigger than expected because Nintendo’s Wii
currently outsells PlayStation 3 two-to-one in Japan and the U.S.
Yahoo Down & Intel Up
Yahoo (YHOO) shares slid 11.8% to $28.31 after the company reported an 11% drop in Q1 profit. Q1 net income fell to $142 million from $159.9 million a year ago. Intel (INTC) shares rose 2% after the company announced profits rose 19% during the first quarter. Net income was $1.61 billion and EPS $0.27, up from $1.36 billion and EPS of $0.23 a year earlier.
Search Engine Market Share
Google remains ahead of Yahoo and MSN in U.S. search engine market share for the month of March. Google’s market share stands at 48.3%. Yahoo came in second with 27.5%, followed by MSN 10.9%, Ask Network 5.2% and Time Warner Network 5.0%. There were 7.3 billion internet searches in March, of whic Google had 3.5 billion searches.
Time Warner In India
Entertainment giant Time Warner is in talks with Indian real estate developers to set up a chain of multiplexes across India, but that talks are still at a nascent stage. Foreign entertainment players favor teaming with Indian realty companies, which helps them get prime locations in major cities.
Vonage = Bankruptcy
Vonage (VG) said the Verizon (VZ) patent suit could force the VOIP provider into bankruptcy. The lawsuit is filed since the company is found in violation of 3 Verizon VOIP patents. There are also rumors that Vonage (VG) has held talks about selling itself to Sprint Nextel (S).
Products & Services
(Source: Seeking Alpha)


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In 2018, approximately $1 billion was illicitly laundered through various transaction types. That number very nearly tripled to $2.8 billion in 2019 of not-so-funny money run through cryptocurrencies and, increasingly, online businesses used with or without the owners’ knowledge as fronts for washing ill-gotten gains. This is estimated to cost $200 billion annually in the U.S. alone in an average year. What about an “anything but average” year?
When the world went off its axis in 2020 due to COVID-19 and the utter disruption of life as we knew it, cybercriminals rejoiced in that chaos. Resulting cybertheft outbreaks attending the pandemic have put anti-money laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) firmly in the spotlight of financial institutions and merchants, as they are on the hook for security.
It’s a daunting problem, accelerated like so many things by the pandemic. According to the PYMNTS September-October 2020 AML/KYC Tracker done in collaboration with Trulioo, “The United Nations estimates that up to $2 trillion — or 5 percent of the global gross domestic product (GDP) — is laundered each year, with criminals leveraging tactics as basic as exchanging gift cards and as elaborate as setting up brick-and-mortar businesses through which they can funnel cash.”
Identity solutions remain the best line of defense against cyber fraudsters in a time of remote onboarding on a global scale. New and enhanced solutions are being deployed with greater urgency now as the scope of pandemic-era fraud and cybertheft begin to be felt across the financial world, from government disbursements to instant money apps.
Just the right amount of friction
Remote onboarding is the way of the things now, and it’s manageable when businesses are equipped with the right tools. It comes down to identity, and identity can be made secure.
“With the rise in digital payment usage also came more fraud and online crime. As a first step to safeguarding against bad actors, companies must ensure they’re paying close attention to the onboarding process,” Trulioo Chief Operating Officer Zac Cohen told PYMNTS. “By taking a holistic approach — using a variety of identity verification and authentication methods to deliver the right level of risk protection — businesses can prevent these bad actors from accessing their customers.”
PYMNTS’ September-October 2020 AML/KYC Tracker notes, “Consumers may find it frustrating to encounter difficulties in account opening, but they do recognize the need for ironclad security.”
The new Tracker cites a recent Trulioo study finding that 62 percent of consumers prefer onboarding experiences that rank security over velocity across all industries except gaming. Fully 73 percent of consumers reported having “become less tolerant of these deficiencies over the past few years,” the Tracker states. It’s a strong argument for the right kinds of friction.
Visibility, transparency and verifiable identity
Illustrating issues and answers around the remote onboarding conundrum, PYMNTS’ new AML/KYC Tracker converses with Amit Sagiv and Volodymyr Tsukur, co-heads of Wix Payments, the payments processing wing of web development firm Wix.
As the new Tracker observes, “Having a detailed and holistic view of customers’ typical transactions helps payments processors identify and flag unusual ones that could be the result of money laundering.” Wix’s Sagiv added, “We know what they’re about to sell, what products they added and removed; we know where they’re doing their marketing.”
In other words, “It’s a 360-degree overview from both the buyer perspective and the merchant perspective,” he said, “and with all the data points that we’re collecting, we could really pinpoint the [merchants] that should be expelled from the platform.”
Visibility, transparency and verifiable identity comingle into a defensive matrix that cyberthieves are finding it increasingly difficult to breach. And customers can sense it.
As Cohen told PYMNTS, “It is worth noting that customers expect safe, seamless and quick onboarding when they’re signing up for a new mobile app. However, achieving a balance can be tricky. If companies make onboarding too complicated, they’ll lose customers; on the other hand, if they don’t have the right due diligence in place, they risk falling victim to bad actors. This is why having technology partners that can provide real-time identity verification in a safe and trusted way is crucial in today’s digital environment.”
Optimize Identity Verification for Regulatory Compliance
Featured Blog Posts
Business Verification (KYB)Enhanced Due Diligence Procedures for High-Risk Customers
Identity VerificationProof of Address — Quickly and Accurately Verify Addresses
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The Google Pixel 6 Pro’s camera has a lot of consumer expectations behind it given the Pixel 5’s success and the new Tensor processor, but it also faces a lot of work to do to compete against the Galaxy S21 Ultra, the best camera Samsung has ever put on a phone. I took both the Samsung and Google phone out for the day to take a selection of photos, to answer the question: Which Android flagship has the best camera?
The Google Pixel 6 Pro’s 50-megapixel main camera is joined by a 48MP telephoto camera with 4x optical zoom, plus a 12MP wide-angle camera.
Our Google Pixel 6 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra crowns an Android phone champ A Google Pixel 6 Pro Read more
Samsung currently has two premium flagship phones on its roster, both offering cutting-edge features for a four-figure price. So which Read more
Surprisingly enough, the side-by-side timed speed test thing is, well, still a thing. And now that a new top dog Read more
The iPhone 13 series is finally official and it is composed of four variants, just like last year. The most Read more
The iPhone 13 Pro Max takes on the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra for the title of best phone Any battle Read more
Apple’s iPhone 13 range is official, and the iPhone 13 Pro Max is the big and shiny flagship phone leading Read more
Apple has unveiled the iPhone 13 Pro, which is the company’s second-most expensive smartphone currently available. But how does it Read more
The foldable phones by Samsung which transform into tablets reached the third generation and now the Korean giant literally dominates Read more
Samsung now has three high-end smartphones to choose from: the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra ($1,199.99), the Galaxy Z Flip 3 Read more
Mi MIX4 is the latest flagship mobile phone released by Mi Mobile. It is equipped with a 100 million pixel Read more
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 looks to join the Galaxy S21 Ultra at the top of Samsung’s smartphone lineup EDIT: Read more
Google’s Pixel devices have long offered some of the best cameras on Android phones. The company has, despite not pushing Read more


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Press Release: Bisley 2018 MATTER OF FACT at CDW
Having relocated to an impressive new showroom in Dallington Street in the heart of Clerkenwell, Bisley, the British storage specialists, are opening the doors to visitors of Clerkenwell Design Week (May 22nd-24th) for the first time as residents.
On Tuesday a private ceremony by the furnishing industry’s charity The Furniture Makers’ Company at which the highly respected Design Guild Mark’s will be announced will take place in the event space. Design Guild Mark’s are issued annually to products by either British designers or design practices which demonstrate design excellence. Bisley is proud to have been issued a Mark in 2017 for their own MultiDrawer, the iconic storage cabinet which this year turns 60.
That very same afternoon the exhibition Bisley 2018 Matter of Fact opens. Curated in collaboration with critically acclaimed design magazine Dirty Furniture, this exhibition explores how human storage needs have changed in contemporary times and in the age of digital media. The featured works included are by Sam Jacob, Jurgen Bey, El Ultimo Grito, Parsons & Charlesworth, Tobias Revell, Birgit Severin, Talin Hazbar, Aric Chen, Jo Anne Butler and Théophile Blandet. Each contributor has been asked to put forward an object that they think encapsulates 2018, and that they think it is important to carry forth.
Anna Bates and Elizabeth Glickfeld, co-editors of Dirty Furniture say: “This exhibition gives us the opportunity to reflect on the power of objects as storytellers. In this age of fake news and digital media, perhaps things are now the most reliable way we have of documenting the truth.”
Displayed in specially designed cabinets engineered and manufactured at Bisley’s Newport factory, the objects within have been chosen to encapsulate the present day. Inspired by time capsules, the conceptual cabinets themselves have been designed as a piece of furniture for the home, in which households of the future will place their most cherished objects, keeping them safe and sound for future generations to enjoy.
Join us between 6-8pm on Tuesday 22nd for the official opening of Bisley 2018 Matter of Fact in London and the launch of Dirty Furniture’s latest issue Closet, which explores questions such as ‘How have human storage needs changed in contemporary times and in the age of digital media?’. Dirty Furniture’s Anna Bates and Elizabeth Glickfeld will be joined by designers Sam Jacob and Tobias Revell, contributors to the exhibition.
Helen Owen, Director of Business Development Bisley, says: “We’re thrilled to be staging the Bisley 2018 Matter of Fact exhibition with Dirty Furniture during Clerkenwell Design Week and look forward to welcoming visitors to the exhibition in our London showroom and in future, as it tours our spaces in New York, Paris, Dublin and Dubai.”
The new showroom space on Dallington Street draws on the extensive ranges of contemporary storage and working solutions designed and made by Bisley. Used across the large open floorplan, ranges including the sleek noise dampening Glide cabinets, smart and simple Lateralfile lodges and lockers and Be, the agile workplace system, carve out colourful spaces for collaborative or concentrated work and create opportunities for group meetings or impromptu communication.
Visit during CDW to see Bisley 2018 Matter of Fact and discover how Bisley is shaping the workplace.