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What's in a name? Ask New York's Mayor Bloomberg -- and mayors worldwide who hope to intensify their online branding via new city-specific Internet addresses.
Let me amend that a bit: Ask Bloomberg and others to weigh in once the great machinery of managing and selling these new addresses starts to unfold.
That is expected to happen late this year, when New York City residents and businesses should be able to start buying URLs with the suffix ".nyc" in place of ".com" or ".org."
New York last week became one of the first cities worldwide to announce the approval of its top-level domain by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). In a statement, Bloomberg and other city officials stressed the value of the suffix, which should work in a way similar to having a fancy Fifth Avenue or Madison Avenue address for a retailer or a Wall Street address for a finance firm.
New York City's government has turned for technical assistance with tracking .nyc addresses to Neustar, the company that manages the telephone numbering system for North America, and which also offers a range of technical and marketing services for companies using the Internet. In New York City's case, Neustar is fronting the $185,000 cost of applying to ICANN for the top-level domain suffix and will operate a registry of .nyc URLs resulting from the sale of addresses to businesses, organizations, and individuals by registrars like GoDaddy.
"Neustar believes the potential of .nyc warranted the financial commitments we've made to the City," stated Ken Hansen, Senior Director of Business Development, Registry Services, Neustar, in an email to me today.
Neustar will be collecting annual fees from registrars like GoDaddy for each name registered.
The city should also profit from sale of the new addresses: Rumor has it that Bloomberg will oversee the addition of a 1.5 percent tax on the purchase of .nyc addresses.
I could not get City Hall verification of Bloomberg's supposed decision before posting this blog. But given the momentum building for so-called generic top-level domains (gTLDs) in a host of municipalities worldwide, it seems likely to happen.
It's taken a long time for cities like New York to bid for their own domain names. ICANN has for years been embroiled in controversy over the introduction of the new gTLDs. Among the many concerns are fears that some sites will copycat trademarked names in order to gain Internet traffic and associated revenue from legitimate owners.
ICANN has barreled ahead despite these concerns, but there will be a cost -- and registrars for ICANN as well as their end customers will pay in time, trouble, and hard cash.
For instance, ICANN has established a Byzantine array of procedures for disputing or objecting to various gTLDs, and costs can mount to the tens of thousands of dollars. Add to this the rules, procedures, and fees for simply applying to ICANN for a listing, and the complexities are staggering. While registrars and registries will handle the heavy lifting, they will likely pass the costs of the hassles along to businesses.
ICANN continues to garner criticism for its overall functioning. According to KnujOn, an Internet watchdog group that monitors the Internet's Domain Name System (DNS), ICANN isn't doing its job. In a report sent to ICANN's president, Fadi Chehade, this past April (a link is available on the group's homepage), KnujOn principal investigator Garth Bruen said tests by KnujOn over the years have shown that "ICANN is falling short in its technical function and not acting in the public interest."
ICANN CEO Fadi Chehade and and Jeff Neuman, Vice President, Neustar Inc.
As the system of gTLDs unrolls over the next few months, a few scenarios could unfold: Cities and other entities may find gTLDs opening up enormous business opportunities on the web by attracting attention and traffic. Alternatively, cities could find the time and trouble invested in gTLDs just doesn't pay off. At the same time, ICANN's elaborate and expensive project could stall and possibly collapse under the weight of its complexity and confusion.
Here's a prediction: All of this will happen. Some cities will find success with the new gTLDs; others not so much. And ICANN will be forced to realize that it has shouldered more than it can carry alone. Eventually, the pressure could force some big changes to ICANN, especially if cities and other entities like the gTLDs enough to make them a big business. This is a space worth watching.
— Mary Jander , Managing Editor, UBM's Future Cities


text: Following a meeting with high-ranking executives at Apple, Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty came away with a very positive outlook on Apple’s near term future. In a note to investors on Thursday, Huberty stated her “increasing confidence” in the company and said Apple stock could soon reach $540. Huberty isn’t quite as enthusiastic as Formula Capital’s James Altucher, but her recent positions on Apple are a marked change from her stances a few years ago when she repeatedly lowered her price targets on Apple stock and consistently missed the mark ahead of Apple’s earnings reports. Fast forward to today, and Huberty is very bullish on Apple along with just about every other analyst on Wall Street. Outside of the numbers game, however, Huberty noted that Apple would be making some major software announcements at Worldwide Developer Conference next month. Apple sees its product cycles as being software driven as opposed to hardware driven, the analyst noted, writing that major iOS and Mac OS updates would drive sales even if Apple doesn’t introduce a new iPhone this summer. Huberty also noted that Apple may release an iPhone at a lower price point in the next two years, though many analysts believe the monthly cost of data plans required with Apple’s iPhone could be more prohibitive than the cost of the device itself.

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Users can turn the TV on or off, activate selected apps or search for and select content in the web browser — all without touching the remote.
What would it feel like to browse internet, watch videos and family photos or to play an Angry Bird game on your TV? Couch potatoes can now turn out active by using these Smart TVs for simple computing. The screen size can range for these TVs anywhere from 22 to 75 inches. These TVs are also driving app revolution on television sets.
Samsung, with 1,500 apps, is eying 60 per cent market share. The company has introduced new voice control, motion control, and face recognition commands to enhance user experience. Users can turn the TV on or off, activate selected apps or search for and select content in the web browser — all without touching the remote. The Samsung 2012 Smart television series feature a built-in camera that recognises movement in the foreground, as well as microphones that recognise voice.
Google TV which was launched in 2010 in US was not instant hit but has evolved over time with much simpler remote enabling better interactivity. The brand had tie up with LG to bring a new range of Smart TVs and with Sony to manufacture boxes which turn out any normal TV in to a smart TV. However, Google has announced launch date in India.
The sales of the smart TVs taking a reasonable share in the overall high-end TV sales. “Almost 50 per cent of the total TVs sold are smart TVs. The growth in internet speeds also pushed the sales and need of smart TVs,” said a major single brand retailer in Ameerpet.
On the developer’s front, Smart TV is opening another avenue to design apps. “There will not be much scope for professional applications. However, apps like breaking news, offers in the locality, reminders about paying the electricity bill and games will have more takers,” said Vishwanath Alluri, chairman, IMImobile.
Samsung, LG, Sony, Panasonic
Picasa: Turns TV in to a photo album
Youtube: No need to switch on laptop for watching a film or a video
Raaga: Almost any new music released in the market is available in the bedroom
Skype: One does not need a mobile or land phone to call friends. Just on Skype and make a video call.
Facebook: Chat with friends on big screen


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Take-Two Interactive added to the game delay disappointment by pushing XCOM back to fiscal year 2014.
The aliens vs. earthlings title won't earn a release date now until sometime between April 1, 2013 and March 31, 2014, according to Take-Two's fourth quarter earnings report.
This shooter is no stranger to setbacks since its initial release date was supposed to put the game in our hands sometime after the first quarter of 2012. Something tells me it will take some kind of actual alien intervention to get this game finished.
Take-Two's Press Release: Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. Reports Results for Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2012


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The businesses’ Richardson location on Audelia Road received shipments of the cleansing wash earlier this week and is expecting to receive the hand sanitizer next week.
As sanitizer and cleaners become harder to find and proper disinfecting becomes more important to fight the coronavirus, providing hand sanitizer and cleaner is something CBD American Shaman thought was important, said Mark Mavrikos, owner of North Plano Road location. The franchise also has a location on Audelia Road.
“We needed to find something that we could do to help the community,” Mavrikos said. “We pretty much shut down the factory in Kansas City so they could produce nothing but this right now because there’s such a need for it.”
The hospital-grade cleansing wash is made from hypochlorous acid and can be used on any surface as well as on hands, Mavriko said.
The store is selling 2-ounce bottles for $2.99 or 4-ounce bottles for $7.99, while gallon size containers are $64, according to Mavriko. Additionally, the store is giving away 2-ounce bottles of the cleansing wash with purchases while supplies last.
CBD American Shaman stores across North Texas donated 45 gallons of the cleansing wash to the Dallas Police Department as well as 100 2-ounce bottles and gloves, Mavriko said.
“First responders are literally saving our lives so the least we can do is make sure we help them in their time of need in any way we can,” Mavriko said.


text: When you're trying to sell expensive luxury cars, style definitely helps. Jaguar gets it for sure. Mercedes-Benz tends to get it, especially with their coupes like the sleek AMG GT model. But Lexus? Well, words like "comfortable" and "reliable" are usually the ones people associate with the upscale Toyota brand. But bold styling has rarely, if ever, entered into the equation. "We heard direct from our president, Akio Toyoda, that 'no more boring cars,'" said Kevin Hunter, head of the Toyota/Lexus Calty design studio in Newport Beach. The head of the entire Toyota organization instructed Lexus to turn up the wick on style, particularly at Calty, which has had a long history of creating memorable designs for the company's Toyota brand. Next up, time to turn their attention to spicing up the Lexus side of the company. "It's really pushing the Lexus taste, the Lexus brand to the next chapter of thinking of exciting and bold and sexy design" Hunter said. The initial result was a concept car called LF-LC, created in the Newport Beach studio. Like any design, hundreds and hundreds of sketches were done, then tossed. To show that coming up with an interesting design is not so easy, Lexus offered to let a few invited guests try their hands at it, including car specialist Dave Kunz. Once the LF-LC concept car was shown to the press and to Lexus dealers, overwhelming approval helped give the green light to turn the concept into a production car, which will come out next spring as the LC-500. What's unusual is that it looks very similar in many ways to the concept car. Everything is different between the LF-LC and the LC-500 in terms of dimensions. "But the essence, the taste, the spirit of the concept still lives in the production car," Hunter said. Those who follow the industry said Lexus really needed to get on the ball with bold designs. "They were just waiting for something like this to come along. A mandate like this from the top down to get creative - 'we're gonna go there,'" said Steve Siler, a longtime automotive journalist who covers Lexus, among other luxury brands. Lexus is putting other luxury brands on notice, that it's now bringing its A-game to the design table, trying to shake the "boring" label, for good.


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In its 2020 State of the Restaurant Industry report, the National Restaurant Association (NRA) brims with optimism about the restaurant industry in general, the quick-service and fast-casual sectors in particular, and the demand for better-for-you menu options. According to this report, 79% of adults are more likely to visit a restaurant that offers healthy menu options, with baby boomers most inclined to hold this sentiment.
“A majority of operators across all segments are planning to add new items specifically identified as healthy or nutritious,” the NRA report states. “Many operators are also planning to add new vegetarian or gluten-free items and healthy kids’ options in 2020.”
As Hudson Riehle, the NRA’s senior vice president–research, points out, “Four out of five American adults are choosing healthy menu options. And nine out of 10 are paying more attention to nutritional content.”
But the NRA conducted its research before the COVID-19 pandemic upended the restaurant industry, with state-imposed lockdowns and shelter-in-place orders forcing many operators to close or restrict themselves to drive-through, delivery, or takeout formats. Although no type of foodservice operation has been unscathed by the spread of the novel coronavirus, many quick-service and fast-casual restaurant chains have been able to adapt to mandates prohibiting customers from dining in.
Are restaurant patrons less likely to choose healthful menu items during the pandemic? The concept of “healthy food” has always been fluid, and today’s priorities are having an impact on how consumers define “good for you,” say industry analysts.
“In mid-March, we asked what consumers’ top considerations for selecting a restaurant were, and the No. 1 answer was that the operator be clean and sanitary,” notes Mike Kostyo, a trendologist with Datassential. “That was the first time that sanitation ever trumped taste in our research.”
In addition, affordability has become essential, with the economy tanking and a recession looming. Although fresh and clean label foods have become more commonplace in quick-service restaurants—with McDonald’s Corp., for example, announcing that its seven classic burgers contain no artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors (except for the pickles)—consumers often end up paying more for organic, vegan, gluten-free, and other free-from choices, whether in a restaurant or a grocery store.
“It’s hard to project a couple of weeks out, let alone a couple of months out, but I think people’s view of what equals healthy is definitely going to change,” says Jessica Foust, vice president of culinary innovation and nutrition for The Food Group. “It’s going to be influenced by their budgets and the availability of ingredients. And when we go into a recession, people often gravitate toward comfort food because emotional health becomes equally important to nutritional health.”
U.S. consumers clearly shifted to familiar favorites at the beginning of the pandemic. “As in any time of uncertainty, consumers turned to comfort foods in a big way,” Kostyo says. “In fact, according to our post-COVID-onset research, the No. 1 thing they wanted was pizza.”
However, as the lockdown has dragged on, people have become more concerned about the adverse health effects of staying home. And as public health experts continue to note the higher death rates from COVID-19 for individuals with chronic health problems—including diet-related conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease—consumers may once again be turning their attention to wellness and nutrition.
“As things level out and normalize a bit, we’ll likely see consumers start to choose healthier options again,” Kostyo says. “That’s particularly true as they are stuck at home, may feel more sedentary, and are possibly in charge of every meal and the health of their whole family.”
Some health-focused, mission-driven restaurateurs, however, contend that interest in their better-for-you menus has not abated during the crisis, though they’ve had to close certain locations and concentrate on meal delivery and takeout.
“Plant-based proteins are the hot ticket this year,” began the NRA’s What’s Hot 2020 Culinary Forecast. Indeed, “plant-based proteins” ranked second only to “eco-friendly packaging” in the association’s latest research on foodservice trends. Because the definition of “healthy” has broadened in many consumers’ eyes to include planetary health, the “plant forward” and sustainability trends are practically inseparable. After all, a key reason that many younger flexitarians cut back on meat consumption and that vegans eliminate all animal products from their diet is the view that the meat industry causes environmental harm.
Research by Datassential also highlights the rise in plant-derived meals at restaurants. “Every year, we track which dishes, ingredients, and flavors grew the fastest from the previous year; and in 2019, the top four spots were taken up by plant-based options, including multiple plant-based burger brands,” Kostyo says, acknowledging that he has been taken aback by the growing popularity of meat analogues at traditional fast-food outlets. “These options went from futuristic and ‘out there’ to the menu at major chains like White Castle and Burger King in a surprisingly short period of time.”
White Castle’s Impossible Slider and Burger King’s Impossible Whopper are both iterations of Impossible Foods’ Impossible Burger, made from textured soy protein and a number of other ingredients, including soy leghemoglobin, which enables the patties to mimic the bleeding and flavor of beef. While White Castle and Burger King rolled out their plant-based burgers at all of their U.S. locations last year, McDonald’s is still test-marketing a version of Beyond Meat’s Beyond Burger at 50-plus restaurants in Ontario, Canada. The P.L.T., as it is called (for plant, lettuce, and tomato), is a blend of pea, mung bean, and rice proteins.
Similarly, in late 2019, Dunkin’ became the first quick-service restaurant chain to offer Beyond Meat’s Beyond Breakfast Sausage nationwide (Beyond Meat 2019). Dunkin’s Beyond Sausage Sandwich includes proprietary seasonings as well as pea protein, refined coconut oil, inactivated yeast, rice protein, apple extract, pomegranate extract, beet juice extract (for color), and other ingredients plus vitamins.
Although they generated a lot of excitement when introduced, these products have triggered considerable controversy: for being what some characterize as highly processed; for not being vegan because they are often topped with cheese or, in the case of the Beyond Sausage Sandwich, both egg and cheese; for sharing a grill with meat products; and for being just as high in calories as their real meat counterparts.
“What has led a lot of brands to embrace plant-based items is that most consumers still associate plant-based with healthier,” Foust says. “So the rise, especially in plant-based burger substitutes, has been significant. However, pre-COVID, there was beginning to be some acknowledgment from consumers that these products aren’t always healthier. When consumers look at the menu labeling and see that the Whopper and its plant-based counterpart have the same caloric density, they start to scratch their heads and wonder, ‘Is this really better for me?’” In addition, Foust notes, when consumers look at what’s in these burger substitutes, they see a very long ingredient list compared with what’s in 100% beef burgers.
Although grocery sales of meat alternatives grew during the pandemic, driven in part by meat and poultry shortages due to plant closures related to COVID-19 (Sternlicht 2020), foodservice consultant Maeve Webster, president of Menu Matters, believes that interest will wane in meat substitutes that attempt to replicate the look, texture, and taste of meat. “After months of uncertainty and anxiety, the unknown will become uncomfortable, and we’ll likely see a continued backlash against analogue products that rely too heavily on lab-based ingredients and production,” she says. “‘Let plants be plants’ will be the motto going forward.”
Webster anticipates a resurgence in “old school” plant-based burgers, “meant to be enjoyed for their own merit and based on ingredients consumers will recognize: beans, vegetables, and grains.” She also thinks pulses—including chickpeas, lentils, black beans, and adzuki beans—will become increasingly popular for their own unique flavor and nutritional profiles.
In their report Shifting Sands: Trends Shaping the Food Industry in 2020/21, Culinary Tides and Menu Matters note that fruit has not received as much attention in recent years compared with vegetables and grains. But that is changing. “In part, fruit is grabbing the spotlight thanks to the continued—and likely accelerated—rise in interest in functional foods, as many heirloom, common, and exotic varieties offer extensive health benefits,” the report states. “As with vegetables, heirloom varieties will gain greater notice as we’ve seen happening over the past year or more with apples.”
Not surprisingly, main dishes and side dishes of vegetables, fruits, and grains are much more likely to be found on fast-casual restaurant menus than on those of national fast-food chains. In fact, a number of fast-casual eateries today offer abundant healthful selections as well as more indulgent options. At Panera Bread, for example, patrons can order a large portion of BBQ Chicken Mac & Cheese, listed at 1,200 calories, and a Pepsi. But healthy choices are plentiful on the Panera menu, too. Panera offers warm grain bowls; a variety of salads, including Strawberry Poppyseed, Fuji Apple, Asian Sesame, and Modern Greek with Quinoa; and fruit-based cold beverages such as Blood Orange Lemonade, Prickly Pear Hibiscus Fresca, and a Peach & Blueberry smoothie. All of the chain’s sandwiches can be ordered with whole grain bread—with fruit instead of chips on the side.
But increasingly, fast-casual establishments are being built from the ground up with a wellness agenda. CoreLife Eatery, for one, specializes in bowls of grains or greens, freshly made bone broth–based and vegetable-based soups, and “power plates” with healthy sides. The chain doesn’t serve soft drinks and touts that the chicken and grass-fed beef incorporated into some dishes are antibiotic- and hormone-free. The grain bowls include Sriracha Ginger Tofu & Ancient Grains, Spicy Thai Chicken & Rice Noodle, and Tuna Poke Grain, among others, while the power plates feature a grilled protein topped with a sauce and side dishes of rice and grilled vegetables. The Spicy Chicken plate, for instance, consists of Thai chicken, purple rice, roasted beets or roasted sweet potatoes, falafel, spinach, pickled red onions, spicy Sriracha sprouts, and chicken bone broth, with Thai chili sauce suggested as a topping.
“The way we look at healthy eating, it’s more about whole foods and clean ingredients. It’s really more inclusive than exclusive,” says Todd Mansfield, co-owner of CoreLife Eatery. “In operating a restaurant, we have to think about taste before we can think about anything else. Then we ask ourselves, ‘How can we make this more consistent with a healthy meal, either with portion size or ingredient selection?’ It’s about the ingredients going in, the portion size, and putting the variables all together so these become really nutritious meals.”
Founded in 2015, CoreLife Eatery now has more than 50 locations in six states, from North Carolina to Illinois to Utah, half of which are owned by franchisees. The company’s expansion plans have been slowed only temporarily by the pandemic, Mansfield shares, noting that most of the locations have remained open for takeout and curbside delivery.
“We seem to be getting bigger week by week,” he says. “Our sides are becoming more and more popular, and people are exploring the menu a little deeper. A lot of people are thanking us for being open because they do want to eat something healthy and they don’t want to always have to cook it themselves in the oven. That has been a real positive for us.”
Championing healthful lifestyles, not just better-for-you meals, CoreLife Eatery forges partnerships with fitness and wellness organizations in the communities it serves. “We reach out to people who have a common mission, whether it be yoga, CrossFit, or mindfulness,” says Scott Davis, the chain’s president and chief concept officer. What’s more, every year the company holds its CoreLife Challenge—a social media–promoted event urging customers to make a 21-day commitment to reduce sugar, fat, and other substances in their diet; exercise more; and take steps to relieve stress and make other improvements to their emotional health.
LYFE Kitchen, a three-restaurant fast-casual chain in Chicago, similarly focuses on preparing fresh, wholesome, and healthful, yet delicious, food. Owned by L3 Hospitality Group, the chain derives its name from the acronym for “Love Your Food Everyday.”
“‘Healthy eating’ has become such a broad term, and we’re always talking about what it means for us,” says Emily Paulsen, L3 Hospitality’s director of marketing and sales. “A big part of the LYFE Kitchen core brand has always been that eating healthfully does not mean sacrifice—that you should not be sacrificing the dishes and the flavors that bring you comfort and joy. Our mission has been to create flavorful, functional foods that taste amazing while you’re eating them and that leave your body feeling fulfilled and nourished for hours after.”
Salads, bowls, tacos, and sandwiches make up a large portion of the LYFE Kitchen menu. The salad lineup includes the Superfood Salad, which contains organic chopped kale, roasted sweet potatoes, pickled red onion, sprouted buckwheat, raw pepitas, a toasted pecan almond crunch topping, and tahini Dijon vinaigrette. Called the Mediterranean Chop, another salad features organic chopped romaine, arugula, local tomatoes, toasted falafel almonds, feta, lemon and dill chickpeas, red onion, pepperoncinis, cucumber, and red wine vinaigrette. The Mediterranean Halloumi Bowl, in turn, consists of grilled high-protein halloumi cheese, red lentils, roasted cauliflower, local tomatoes and red onions, house-made chimichurri, and herb aioli. The wide selection of beverages ranges from Hot Ginger Tonic to Strawberry Beet Smoothies to Lavender Lemonade.
A big part of LYFE Kitchen’s health-oriented mission is to use high-quality local ingredients whenever available, Paulsen points out. “We work with over 20 local growers, bakers, makers in and around Chicago to source those ingredients as close to home as possible,” she says. “We also utilize as much organic produce as we can. And we never use artificial ingredients or sweeteners.”
LYFE Kitchen also bans monosodium glutamate from its restaurant kitchens and uses color-coded separate sets of cookware to prevent cross-contamination and ensure the integrity and safety of vegan dishes, gluten-free dishes, and nut-free dishes.
To create new recipes, LYFE Kitchen pairs newly trending ingredients with “craveable staples,” Paulsen says. For example, she notes that ashwagandha—a mushroom-derived adaptogen said to reduce anxiety and stress—is trending in the “hyper-wellness community” right now. LYFE Kitchen will introduce such functional ingredients to its customers through fun and tasty recipes.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, LYFE Kitchen has temporarily closed two of its restaurants to focus on one located in Northwestern Memorial Hospital that is doing a brisk business in takeout and delivery. The company has given away free coffee and meal vouchers to health-care staff and has encouraged its longstanding customers to “pay it forward” by purchasing LYFE Kitchen meal vouchers for those on the front lines of the pandemic.
Americans may be turning to comfort food during this time of intense stress, but that doesn’t just mean cheeseburgers, meatloaf, and macaroni and cheese. “After decades of expanding food comfort zones, what constitutes a comfort food has shifted to include global options,” Webster observes. This is especially true in ethnically diverse locales, such as many of the neighborhoods served by Everytable, a unique Los Angeles–based fast-food concept chain founded in 2015.
As stated on its website, Everytable’s mission is “to make nutritious, fresh food affordable and accessible to all.” Through the company’s differential pricing strategy, locations in economically disadvantaged areas such as the Watts neighborhood and Compton, Calif., charge less for meals than those in more affluent communities. The chain’s nine-and-growing retail locations are served by a central kitchen. The stores offer grab-and-go packaged meals that can be heated and eaten on-site when California’s restaurants are fully open for business.
With a total of $2.5 million in investment funding from the Annenberg Foundation and the California Wellness Foundation, Everytable plans to open 25 franchise locations to be owned by “entrepreneurs of color,” furthering the vision of cofounder and CEO Sam Polk, who wants to eliminate food deserts (Jennings 2020).
Among its many internationally inspired items, Everytable’s menu features a Vietnamese Noodle Salad, consisting of lemongrass tofu, Romaine lettuce, rice noodles, pickled carrots, cucumbers, fresh herbs, and soy ginger dressing, and Jamaican Jerk Chicken, with coconut grains and beans, collard greens, sweet plantains, and jerk barbecue sauce.
“We really try to make sure that our menu reflects the diversity and the vibrance of the communities that we serve,” says Monica Rutkowski Grippo, Everytable’s director of marketing.
She notes that Everytable’s best-selling dishes are two “warm bowls”: Trap Kitchen Curry Chicken, a Jamaican-style curry chicken with roasted Yukon Gold potatoes, roasted carrots, brown rice, baby spinach, and curry onion gravy, and the more recently launched Turkey Taco Bowl, which includes seasoned ground turkey, roasted corn salsa, white cheddar cheese, black beans, brown rice, chili-lime crema, and fresh cilantro.
“Our Turkey Taco Bowl is very simple, and it’s so delicious,” Rutkowski Grippo says. “That’s the core of what we’re trying to do. We’re taking very basic whole ingredients but adding spices and homemade sauces to make them very indulgent and satisfying.”
Everytable keeps its prices to $5 to $7, depending on the item; prices in financially better-off communities are a couple of dollars more at most, according to Rutkowski Grippo.
It can be a challenge to source high-quality ingredients and maintain reasonable prices, she says, but Everytable is fortunate to be able to buy “upwards of 80% or 90%” of its produce from California growers, depending on the season. Never-theless, “we have to keep our fingers on the pulse of what different ingredients cost at any given time, so we can keep our dishes as low-cost as we can,” Rutkowski Grippo notes. “Sometimes that means choosing to swap out a protein that we initially wanted to use because it would have been delicious. But we also want to make sure that our food is as affordable as possible.”
In addition to its stores, Everytable has a subscription meal-delivery service. As a result of COVID-19, that part of the business has taken off exponentially, as the company has gotten grants to provide meals to elderly senior citizens and other low-income individuals in the Los Angeles area. “This has been a tremendous shift,” says Rutkowski Grippo, noting that Everytable is on target to deliver a million meals in three months and recently moved from a 5,000-square-foot to a 20,000-square-foot central kitchen. “We feel we are called right now more than ever before to fulfill our mission because so many people are in need of food.”
Most national fast-food chains, in contrast, need to please a broader and more mainstream customer base. Still, over the past several years, they’ve tried to make their menus more and more healthful. For example, many of the enhancements to McDonald’s Happy Meals began in 2013, when the company joined forces with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation on a set of commitments to increase families’ access to fruit, vegetables, low-fat dairy, and water in 20 major markets by 2020. “Through these changes, we’ve served more than 3.4 billion fruit, low-fat dairy, and water options in U.S. Happy Meals since 2013,” observes a McDonald’s spokesperson.
In 2018, McDonald’s launched its “Global Happy Meals Goals,” which include global nutrition criteria for Happy Meals for the first time. “Specifically, we’re focusing on offering more balanced meals, simplifying ingredients, providing transparent nutritional information, and marketing our food responsibly,” says the McDonald’s spokesperson. The company’s latest healthful menu introduction for Happy Meals is a reduced-sugar, low-fat chocolate milk launched in January 2020.
In recent years, Taco Bell has earned kudos for being one of the healthiest fast-food chains (Taylor 2016). “For us, it’s not about touting Taco Bell as having a health halo per se, but rather about making it easier for customers to understand what’s in our food and make informed decisions,” explains Missy Schaaphok, Taco Bell’s manager of global nutrition and sustainability. “We believe that everyone has the right to bold flavors delivered at an incredible value, which is why we pride ourselves on being a place where every type of lifestyle can find exactly what they’re craving. Everything on the Taco Bell menu can be customized, so fans can make any item fit their needs, whether that’s vegetarian, keto, low-calorie, or otherwise.”
Schaaphok notes that in 2005, Taco Bell was the first quick-service restaurant chain to post ingredient statements and full nutritional information online. “Since then, we’ve reduced sodium, removed all artificial flavors and colors, switched to cage-free eggs, removed antibiotics important to human medicine in our chicken, and much more,” Schaaphok says. “For fans looking for items lower in calories and fat, simply order items ‘Fresco Style,’ which replaces mayo-based sauces, cheeses, reduced-fat sour cream, and guacamole on almost any menu item with freshly prepared pico de gallo. Customers looking for a high-protein bowl under 510 calories can check out our Power Menu.”
The trends the NRA predicted for 2020, such as the rise of specialty burger blends, may come to fruition later than expected, thanks to the pandemic. But there is no turning back changes to the American palate. “Americans are more knowledgeable about different cuisines, seasonings, and spices than ever before,” notes the NRA’s Riehle. And as food industry trendologists observe, the growing passion of many consumers for wellness and the environment will likely survive the COVID-19 global health and economic emergency.
Beyond Meat. 2019. “Dunkin’s Beyond Sausage Sandwich Available Nationwide!” https://www.beyondmeat.com/whats-new/dunkins-beyond-sausage-sandwich-available-nationwide-nov-6th/.
Jennings, L. 2020. “Everytable Wins $2.5 Million Investment to Recruit Franchisees of Color from Underserved Areas.” Restaurant Hospitality, Jan. 29. https://www.restaurant-hospitality.com/owners/everytable-wins-25m-investment-recruit-franchisees-color-underserved-areas.
Sternlicht, A. 2020. “Alternative Meat Sales Soar Amid Pandemic.” Forbes, May 5. https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexandrasternlicht/2020/05/04/alternative-meat-sales-soar-amid-pandemic/#1a9b8776edfd.
Taylor, K. 2016. “Taco Bell Has Subtly Become One of the Healthiest Fast-Food Chains.” BusinessInsider.com, Feb. 23. https://www.businessinsider.com/taco-bell-as-a-healthy-fast-food-chain-2016-2.


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Check Out the New ‘Toy Story’ Watch Faces for the Apple Watch
Apple released its latest operating system for its popular Apple Watch yesterday and along with some new features, it also has these awesome new 'Toy Story' inspired watch faces.
Users can either choose Woody, Buzz, Jessie or the "toy box" which includes all those characters plus some surprises that randomize everytime you look at the watch.
I'm surprised the amount of the variety in the animations, there are a lot of variations so you won't get bored with them anytime soon.
Clearly, Apple and Disney have a friendly relationship being that they've previously added Mickey and Minnie Mouse watch faces, this Star Wars fan is hoping for some watch faces from a galaxy far, far away.


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CSA honors Breakout Retailers winners at SPECS
Chain Store Age honored five dynamic retail and restaurant brands at its annual Breakout Retailers Awards presentation, held at CSA’s annual SPECS Conference in Dallas.
The winning lineup for 2018 included Indochino, Punch Bowl Social, Shinola, Sweetgreen and Untuckit. The awards were sponsored by Heritage Fire and Security.
“The Breakout Retailers awards recognize innovative retail and restaurant concepts that are redefining their industry segment and are on their way up … brands that have crossed the “newbie” line, and are on track for growth,” said CSA editor-in-chief Marianne Wilson during the event.
Executives from the five winning brands were on hand at SPECS to accept their awards, and to share insights into their companies during a panel discussion. Representing their companies were:
• Janet Jensen, VP of experience, Indochino;
• Robert Thompson, founder & CEO, Punch Bowl Social;
• Chris Delusky, head of store development, Shinola;
• Eslam Khalil,director of store design and construction, Sweetgreen: and
• Brent Paulsen, managing director and head of retail, UNTUCKit.
Here is an overview of the Breakout Retailers concepts:
Indochino: A digitally native brand, Indochino offers made-to-measure suits and shirts with thousands of customization options. The company opened its first permanent retail space in fall 2015 and has since expanded to 22 locations.
Indochino’s brick-and-mortar format brings its online personalization experience to life in a contemporary, stylish-looking space that reflects its overall brand aesthetic. Customers are assisted with style guides who help each shopper build his one-of-a-kind suit, which is then delivered directly to their door within three weeks. The company plans to open 18 locations in 2018.
Punch Bowl Social: An expanding player in the “eatertainment” category, Punch Bowl Social offers a multi-dimensional experience that combines diner-inspired, made-from-scratch food and craft beverages with an array of social games and activities, including bowling, Ping-Pong, , karaoke rooms, shuffleboard, and more. All that takes a lot of space— Punch Bowl Social locations average 25,000 sq. ft. and some are even larger.
The Punch Bowl environment is playful and visually dazzling, with Victorian, mid-century modern and industrial design details. With 11 locations to date, the company has six new locations in the works for this year.
Shinola: Shinola is brand with a single goal: American job creation through the manufacturing and sale of expertly crafted, well-designed watches and other lifestyle goods. Its dedication to craftsmanship and community has earned Shinola a loyal following.
A similar commitment applies to its stores, which are designed as stylish destinations, each one unique to the community around it. With 31 stores nationwide, Shinola continues to expand. Its goods are also sold by select retailers around the globe. Shinola is based in Detroit, where it operates a watchmaking factory and a leather goods factory. Later this year, it will branch out in a new direction with the opening of the Shinola Hotel in its Detroit hometown.
Sweetgreen: Sweetgreen offers a healthy and customizable take on fast-food eating — with the added bonus of seasonal dishes and sustainable sourcing. The restaurants are designed to emphasize the chain’s food transparency, its healthy, cook-from-scratch focus and local community orientation. Sweetgreen’s embrace of technology includes a no-cash policy, an online ordering platform and a strong mobile presence. It even has its own video channel on YouTube.
With 86 locations and the trend to healthy eating accelerating, Sweetgreen sees plenty of room for national expansion. It will open at least 10 sites this year.
UNTUCKit: A simple idea — men’s shirts designed to be worn untucked — proved just the taking off point for UNTUCKit, which has expanded its lineup to include boy’s and women’s offerings. Mirroring its strategy online, the brand’s growth in physical retail has benefitted from high-touch customer service. Associates help customers choose from the selection of “try-on” sample shirts on display. When the customer has decided on the style, size and fit, the associate retrieves the fresh item for purchase.
UNTUCKit opened its first store in 2015, and has since grown to 26 locations. It plans to double its store count by the end of 2018.
For a more detailed look at the 2018 Breakout Retailers, click here.
Eataly drops anchor in Los Angeles
Upscale Italian marketplace Eataly has opened its largest location to date and first on the West Coast.
Eataly L.A., resigned by Studios Architecture and built by Clune Construction Company, is located at the newly renovated Westfield Century City mall in Los Angeles. The three-story, 67,000-sq.-ft. space includes four restaurants, multiple kitchens, nine take-away food counters, a cooking school, extensive retail, and two chilled wine storage rooms. Two interconnected spiral staircases link all three floors.
The project included the construction of a clean room designated for the on-site preparation of gelato and mozzarella. Customized pasteurizers were installed to replicate the authentic taste of gelato and mozzarella from Italy.
Eataly L.A. was designed by Studios Architecture and built by Clune Construction Company. It is the fifth Eataly in the United States, and 39th globally.
Sears’ CEO gives rare interview—here are some highlights
Eddie Lampert, the reclusive chairman and CEO of Sears Holdings Corp., has given a rare interview (to Vanity Fair) in which he discusses everything from his decision to manage his embattled company from a distance as to why he chose to invest in Sears’ online business as opposed to its stores.
Here are some highlights from the article, which author William Cohan calls Lampert’s first one-on-one first-person interview in 15 years.
• Lampert, who lives in Florida, dismissed criticism that he rarely visits Sears’ headquarters (some say only once a year, for the annual board meeting), and said he is a big believer in handing over power to his management team.
“There are cultures where people work from home, and they still get things done,” he said. “The ability to trust people, the ability to empower people, that’s the model.”
• With regard to the merger of Sears and Kmart in 2005, Lampert believed that Sears and Kmart were differentiated enough from Walmart to be complementary, not competitive. Lampert said he invested a lot of capital in Kmart stores, but did not get a return on his investment.
“I’m not sure Kmart on its own could ever be a great retailer,” he says. “But you put Kmart and Sears together, in combination they had a chance … Kmart had the locations and Sears had the brands.”
• In recent years, the company has been heavily criticized for the deteriorating condition of Sears and Kmart stores. Lampert defended his decision to target his capital on improving customers’ online experience rather than on the in-store experience.
“I could have put a lot of capital in a Kmart or Sears store and it could look like Bloomingdale’s or it could look like Saks, but we didn’t have access to products that would be consistent with that,” he said. “In other words, if I built an equivalent of Nordstrom’s, it’s not like all of a sudden Nike would be selling to us.”
On the other hand, Lampert believed the company had a better chance of competing with retailers like Nordstrom and Saks online than in stores.
“I did believe that people are going to be one click away from the best possible experience, the cheapest price, and whatever product they want,” he said. “And I could have a better website than Nordstrom’s. I could have a better website than Bloomingdale’s. In other words, I don’t need to invest in fixtures, but I do need to invest in the features and the experiences.”
• Lampert did not sugarcoat Sears’ current situation.
“We’re fighting to survive — that’s pretty clear,” Lampert said. “I believe in what’s possible, and we’re doing things that are necessary to keep the company going …. It’s definitely not just humbled me, but it’s expanded my awareness of real issues that exist in our society…. I feel like I can make a contribution by being involved, O.K.?”
• He still holds out hope.
“If I didn’t believe that this company could be transformed still — the window is definitely shrinking — but if I didn’t believe that, I would try to take a different path,” he said.
To read the Vanity Fair article, click here.


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After a year of sales consistently trailing behind 2013 figures, can the market turn around in time for another record breaking result?
New car sales in Australia were up 2.5 percent compared to the same month in 2013 – an encouraging outcome that’s broken months of lagging results.
With the exception of Tasmania and Western Australia, new car sales were up across all Australian states. The Northern Territory and New South Wales posted the healthiest results (up 6.1 and 5.9 percent respectively), followed by the ACT, South Australia, Queensland and Victoria which all experienced growth.
As we’ve seen throughout the year SUVs remain a popular choice, with 30,027 examples finding their way into Aussie drive ways – up 14.6 percent on August.
This strong SUV performance, along with encouraging results from the light commercial market (up 2.9 percent on last month) helped Dealers move a total of 94,978 units in September.
This brings year-to-date figures up to 832,953.
Whilst this is still 16,991 less compared to figures from the same time last year, competitive end-of-year incentives from manufactures are expected to create plenty of interest in showrooms.
Judging by current trends, many shoppers will be looking for SUVs – since almost one in every three new cars sold in Australia is currently a high-rider.
Notable thriving SUV brands include Land Rover and Jeep, both of which posted impressive figures in September, whilst the Mazda CX-5 and Hyundai ix-35 medium SUV models both landed a ‘Top 10’ spot.
The title of Australia’s most popular car is still anyone’s game – with the Mazda3 and Toyota Corolla battling it out for top spot. The Corolla leads the Mazda by just 23 units.
Meanwhile, the Australian-made Holden Commodore has surprised many by consistently selling in stable numbers, with sales up 26.5 percent to the end of September. Despite this, Holden was pushed out of a top three spot by Toyota,
Mazda and Hyundai as the strongest selling brands in September.
Time will tell whether Ford’s upcoming Falcon will help revive interest in the large car, as well as the brand, which experienced a disappointing month with sales of 6227.
With only a couple of months left in the year, stay tuned for the final sales tally for 2014 in our next issue.


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Taylor Swift’s ‘1989’ Fifth Album Ever to Stay in Billboard 200 Top 10 for a Year
Taylor Swift’s 1989 was not only the star's first fully pop record, but her first to achieve something only four other artists have done. Swift joined the ranks of some of music’s biggest stars when the record officially crossed the one-year mark for having remained in the Billboard 200’s Top 10. The all-genre chart is an honor to top, which 1989 did for 11 non-consecutive weeks, but to remain in the Top 10 for its entire first year is nothing short of an iconic accomplishment. The other four albums to achieve this honor are Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the USA (1984), Adele’s 21 (2011), Celine Dion’s Falling Into You (1996) and Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours (1977). 1989 was released Oct. 27, 2014, debuting at No. 1 and becoming the best-selling album of last year, despite having been released just over two months before the ball dropped to ring in 2015. It was one of only four albums to be certified platinum in 2014 — Jason Aldean’s Old Boots, New Dirt and Eric Church’s The Outsiders included on that list. The RIAA honor indicates sales of at least one million units, which has become an increasingly difficult feat in the digital age. Swift was a point of discussion earlier this year when she did not allow 1989 to be streamed via Spotify, citing unfair royalties for artists. She also planned to withhold the record from Apple Music, but the new streaming service changed its policy (and therefore, Swift's mind) on the free trial, allowing artists to collect royalties during the first three months a consumer uses the service. The 1989 album has produced several hits over the last 12 months, not to mention a wildly successful world tour that has featured everyone from Mick Jagger and Idina Menzel to Bentley and Miranda Lambert. Swift's global tour wraps up this December in Australia.
Watch Taylor Swift Perform With Miranda Lambert


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Jack Daniel’s has launched its first truly global creative campaign, 'Make it Count'. The campaign showcases a new way of thinking for the 154-year-old brand that celebrates the people who drink it.
Launching in the UK on Monday 12 October, the new ‘First Timers’ ad celebrates the brand’s global audience and showcasing the Jack Daniel’s fans who choose to live boldly and try something they’ve always wanted to do. You can watch the video here.
The 20-second film was created by creative agency Energy BBDO and is part of a cross-channel campaign including TV, social, digital, and out of home, both within the UK, and throughout over 100 countries worldwide.


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Resident Evil - Ducati Diavel Carbon Ridden!
Jul 04, 2012 By Aneesh Shivanekar
We’ve just signed up for a new devil-worshipping cult. Don’t blame us!
Audi to buy motorbike maker Ducati for $1.1 bn
Apr 18, 2012 By Reuters
The purchase will make Ducati the 11th brand in VW’s portfolio
Ducati Monster 795 review - Mighty Duck
Mar 19, 2012 By Kyle Pereira
We ride the hot-headed Ducati made in Asia, for Asia
Deal! Ducati 795 now at Rs 5.99 lakhs!
Jan 09, 2012 By BSM desk
The most affordable Ducati is now a better deal than ever before
Ducati to rev up superbikes for Indian market
Dec 16, 2010 By BS Reporter
Aims to sell more than a couple of thousand bikes in India by 2014-15
Angel and Demon - Ducati 1198 S
Aug 11, 2010 By Kartik Ware
There's two sides to Ducati's heart-stopping 1198. We ride it!


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So new, it hadn’t even been labelled when it claimed a top trophy at the Hawke’s Bay A&P Bayleys Wine Awards last month, the Trinity Hill Wine Single Vineyard Prison Block Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 (RRP: $120) is now available to purchase for a limited time.
Only 60 dozen bottles of this extraordinary wine will be offered – the majority through the Trinity Hill cellar door, with a handful available via selected retailers and premium restaurants.
The wine, grown on a small parcel of Gimblett Gravels land once earmarked by the government as the site of a new regional correctional facility, is “genuinely rare and special,” according to Trinity Hill Marketing Director Michael Herrick.
“It’s a celebration of both the region, and the soil – an outstanding example of time and place,” Michael says. “We think it’s one of the most incredible Cabernet wines we’ve produced to date – distinctive and rich, with notes of blackcurrant, cedar and cigar box. It’s very rare to find an example of single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon in Hawke’s Bay.
This represents an exciting new journey for Trinity Hill to champion Hawke’s Bay and celebrate how exceptional these special sites can be.”
Michael says the site, nestled against the banks of the Ngaruroro River, is the ideal environment for Cabernet Sauvignon. “It is one of the stoniest parts of the gravels, just on the other side of the hill from the winery. You can still see the area that was marked out for the prison. We’ll be forever thankful that those in office in the 1980s figured out the soil was actually very special, and better suited to vines over villains.”
Chief Winemaker Warren Gibson and Senior Winemaker Damian Fischer have carefully handcrafted the Prison Block Cabernet Sauvignon – which nabbed the prize for Hawke’s Bay Champion Single Vineyard at the regional wine awards on October 16th – along with two other single vineyard wines also available now.
The Single Vineyard L’Eritage Syrah 2018 (RRP: $120) is named for the heritage Syrah clones gifted to Trinity Hill’s founders by celebrated French winemaker, the late Gerard Jaboulet.
The Single Vineyard 125 Gimblett Chardonnay 2018 (RRP: $80) references the address where the parcel of Chardonnay grapes grow – a lower area of land with heavier silt, ideal for Chardonnay.
Each of the three wines will benefit from cellaring, Michael says – the Single Vineyard Prison Block Cabernet Sauvignon for up to 15 years.
More information on each wine can be found on the Trinity Hill website: www.trinityhill.co.nz and wines can be purchased online.


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ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - New York Sen. Charles Schumer is calling for a federal investigation into why a decline in retail milk prices hasn't matched the steep drop in what dairy farmers are paid for what they produce.
Schumer says that while the price paid to farmers has fallen by nearly 50% since January 2008, the price consumers pay in stores is down just 15%. He's asking Thursday for an investigation by the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission.
The U.S. Agriculture Department announced last month it would temporarily raise the price paid for milk and cheddar cheese through a dairy price support program. The price paid by dairy processors to farmers is set by the government, based on commodity markets that rise and fall with global demand.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or


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Winter break has arrived! With the kids out of school, or back home from college, it's the perfect time to bring them in to either location and get them set up with a new account, debit card and more. See a list of banking services for teens and college students – including our new Visa College Real Rewards Card – on our website.
This year we issued a challenge - for each Oostburg State Bank customer that switches to paperless statement before the end of 2018, we'll plant a tree in Sheboygan County. We're in the final push. Click the link below to find out more, and remember: The more people who switch, the more trees we plant!
This year is quickly coming to an end. Now is a great time to start developing goals for your business in 2019, and Oostburg State Bank is here to help. Whether you're starting a new business, or looking to expand, we have the banking solutions you need to be successful.
Now accepting scholarship apps Celebrating 40 years of service -- A loan to an innovative company -- Affording your dream home -- Mergers and a new branch in Raleigh View this email in your browser Forward to a friend
Your Market News update for May 30, 2019 | View online Market News News that's moving the market now As Trade-War Worries Linger, Market Seems to Lack Buying Conviction May 30, 2019 8:40 AM | JJ Kinahan 6 min read | Daily Market Update


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Comcept has just released a new gameplay trailer for Mighty No. 9, showing off some of the action packed modes like Boss Rush and multiplayer. Check out all… Yo! Continue reading!
Category: Wii U
After nearly 3 long years of anticipation, Xenoblade Chronicles X is finally launching this week. And I’m more than happy to report the game is reviewing quite well…. Yo! Continue reading!
Last week, a news story came out that Wii U was in the top three items sold on Target online during Thanksgiving. But it has now been revealed… Yo! Continue reading!
Nintendo will be at this year’s Game Awards hosted by Geoff Keighley, and they will be bringing some new content to the show. However, they will not be showing… Yo! Continue reading!
Got a massive PE X Nintendo for you guys this week! New information on The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess HD, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Shakedown Hawaii, The Game… Yo! Continue reading!
Nintendo has released the 4th episode in the Xenoblade Chronicles X Survival Guide.
Koei Tecmo has released a brand new gameplay trailer for Skull Kid in Hyrule Warriors Legends. Check out all the action past the link.


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While high priced industrial grade 3D printers remain the largest, and fastest growing, sector of the 3D printing market, the low-cost desktop market is expected to rapidly expand in the next five years. Despite the recent market problems of Stratasys and 3D Systems, the 3D printing industry’s two largest companies, the desktop printer market continues to flourish. As 3D printing becomes more common in larger industries, smaller companies are looking to explore the technology without committing to high-priced 3D printer options and long-term maintenance and supply contracts. Instead these companies are turning to lower-priced desktop 3D printers that offer a similar level of technology for a significantly smaller price tag.
Global online market research database Research and Markets has just added a new report to their extensive inventory. The “Opportunities in Low-Cost 3D Printers: Technologies, Materials and Markets – 2016” report exclusively examines the low-cost 3D printing market, including related technology and materials. The report includes ten-year predictions for the low-cost printer hardware market, the 3D printing materials market and the market share of the top 3D printer manufacturers in the industry. It also offers predictive perspectives on how the low-cost 3D printer market is expected to grow, and who will primarily benefit from it.
According to the report’s authors, SmarTech Markets Publishing, the revenues generated by the low-cost 3D printer sector are expected to grow to over $4 billion by the year 2021. 3D printer hardware sales are predicted to account for $2.3 billion of the market, while the materials market should fill in the rremaining $1.7 billion. The 3D printer manufacturers that are expected to remain at the top of the market include MakerBot, the desktop 3D printing arm of Stratasys, which despite their recent financial troubles probably won’t be leaving the low-cost, desktop 3D printer market like 3D Systems did when they phased out the Cube ecosystem.
The SmarTech Report also showed that despite an uneven marketplace this year, 2015 had a large jump in actual global 3D printer sales. Last year more than 270,000 desktop 3D printers were sold all over the world, a huge jump from the 190,000 3D printers that were sold in 2014. A primary reason for this jump in sales is due to businesses and companies purchasing low-cost desktop 3D printers for use in rapid prototyping and design applications. SmarTech expects that the two fastest-growing types of businesses purchasing 3D printers will continue to be product design firms and architects. Currently the largest segment of the low-cost 3D printer market are RepRap kits, followed closely by Ultimaker and XYZprinting.
Currently, the low-cost 3D printed materials market will continue to be dominated by the thermoplastic filament market, and it is expected to grow to $1.5 billion by 2021. Additionally, SmarTech predicts that the next few years will see a growing number of partnerships form between specialty material developers and larger plastic raw materials manufacturers. It is expected that they will be driven by growing need to create specialty and advanced thermoplastic filaments for a wider number of 3D printing options. The report is predicting that the low-cost 3D printing materials market will continue to expand by 3.6 percent year over year. Discuss further in the 3D Printers Market forum over at 3DPB.com.
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Dairy Crest hasn’t delivered what the City had hoped for today. The milk and cheese-monger disappointed the deal-hungry City by admitting it has no plans to stock up its food cupboard.
Instead of embarking on a food fest to add to its Cathedral City cheese and Clover brands, chief executive Mark Allen said he will spend the money they raised when it sold French spreads business St Hubert on “internal capital projects” and will “restructure” the balance sheet. This might be sensible stuff but it is no way to excite the City.
Panmure Gordon’s Damian McNeela is so disappointed with the news from the milkman that he has slashed his rating from Buy to Hold.
McNeela does admit that “restructuring the balance sheet clearly has its merits and repaying debt is likely to be earnings enhancing” but he says this is “clearly not to the same degree as an acquisition”. He upped his price target to 430p but shares were off 11.6p to 410.5p. Dairy Crest has been through a tough period after last year’s milk price scandal and it has now restructured its milk-processing business.
But its branded food business, which had been its strength as the dairy business suffered, saw sales for its brands including Country Life and FRijj milkshakes, decline in the third quarter. McNeela said the 5% sales growth, with volumes up 4%, for the nine months to the end of December “is slightly below our expectations”.
Dairy Crest said it still expects to report “mid-single digit growth” when it updates on its full year in May.
On the benchmark index, investors were trying to remain positive but eurozone concerns held back any real gains. It hung around the 6300 mark, rising 1.92 points to 6297.26.
Difficult trade in Europe was the reason for the fall in fourth quarter profits for Smith and Nephew. The artificial-hip and knee maker reported fourth quarter profit at $272 million (£173 million) — above expectations — and shares climbed 6.5p to 712p.
On the mid-tier index, online gaming software specialist Playtech was boosted by its 29% stake in William Hill Online — the joint venture which is likely to be bought in full by bookmaker William Hill. Playtech reported a 51% rise in income and the shares triumphed 7.5p to 488.7p.
Traders were still gossiping about inter-dealer broker Tullett Prebon. There was vague gossip it might be looking at a possible merger again — after talks with British-born but New York-based billionaire trader Mickey Gooch’s GFI — but shares edged back 2.4p to 270p.
Pub group Punch Taverns toasted a 2.75p gain to 13.38p after it said it has potentially identified a restructuring solution for its capital structure.
Snap up shares in Hargreaves Lansdown, Canaccord Genuity urges, raising it from a Hold. The broker found yesterday’s first-half numbers from the fund manager’s “impressive”, particularly assets under administration — the “key catalyst to growth” — which rose 30% to £30.4 billion. Shares are 734p just now with a target price of 850p.
Reduce shares in Homeserve, Seymour Pierce advises. The broker says the third-quarter update from the home-repairs business “was not particularly encouraging” and adds it is “concerned with the scale of losses in the US”. It gives a target of 210p for shares presently at 236p.
Hang onto shares in flybe, Investec recommends. The broker says the deal to create flybe Ireland with Ryanair “looks like a substantial value creation opportunity” for the airline. However, it depends on a successful bid by Ryanair for Aer Lingus about which, Investec adds, there is some “uncertainty”. Shares are 44.8p but have a target of 68.0p.
- More about:
- Dairy Products
- Gambling And Lotteries
- Mergers And Acquisitions
- New York City
- The Super-Rich
- William Hill


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We have been supporting the Austrian Film Institute for many years and designing both the annual film industry report and the annual activity report. The 2019 activity report is just fresh from the printer!
We have just received our first edition of our annual calendar 2021 hot off the press. ✨✨✨ 2021 will be a great year & always by your side – a perfect companion!
We are fully operational for every order and all projects & for the time being we are mainly working from home for our safety.
LinkedIn announced in May that it plans to combine its live and event tools into a coherent offering for virtual events. Now LinkedIn has published a new guide with lots of tips for these virtual events.
While hashtags on Instagram or Twitter have become everyday occurrences, they have been the subject of discussions since their introduction on Facebook in 2016. In the past, your integration on Facebook was considered suboptimal, this seems to be changing now that Facebook has started to push the integration of hashtags.
The ever-increasing use of voice assistants – on smartphones or as smart home devices – has created a new area of marketing, voice marketing.
Google has announced that it will change its ranking factors in 2021. With “Page Experience” the UX (User Experience) is now even more significant.


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(Yicai Global) June 1 -- Leading German automotive manufacturer Continental AG [FWB:CON] today teamed up with Chinese search giant Baidu Inc. [NASDAQ:BIDU] and new-energy vehicle maker NextEV in separate contracts, Jiemian.com reported.
The first agreement will see the German parts maker team up with Baidu in driving automation, telematics and smart transport technology development, with projects including the advancement of sensors and software for self-driving vehicles.
The second partnership pairs Continental with NextEV, a Chinese car maker looking to compete with Tesla Motor Inc. [NASDAQ:TSLA], and will cover electric cars, smart transport and driving automation technology and products.
The German firm will also be involved in developing NextEV's newest models, with the first step being the provision of air suspension, tires and other auto technologies for the ES8, an electric sports-utility vehicle. The cooperation will expand to include wireless charging, driving automation, smart cock-pits and new-generation brake and suspension systems.


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May 24, 2016: Proposal by the UK National Obesity Forum calls for a major overhaul of current dietary guidelines and emphasizes whole foods over processed foods.
May 20, 2016: FDA's Nutrition Fact Label that appears on the side of packaged food is changing, will include 'added sugars' starting in July, 2018.
May 17, 2016: San Francisco becomes the first city to require sugary beverage ads to carry health warnings of increased risks of obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay.
April 25, 2016: Insulin resistance is a spectrum. Perhaps diet approaches should be personalized according to insulin sensitivity?


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Idea2IT, a Silicon Valley-based IT firm with a delivery centre in Chennai, has given 100 Maruti Suzuki cars to its employees as a token of appreciation for their hard work and loyalty. The models include the S-Cross and the Baleno, for which the company has spent approximately Rs 15 crore. Ideas2IT maintains that this is not an attempt to retain people solely because the company has a 2.5% attrition rate, but rather a way to express gratitude to its employees and demonstrate that it values their hard work and contribution to the company’s success.
The company, which has a delivery centre in Chennai, decided to share its success and profits with all employees who have worked for the company for at least ten years, regardless of role. Murali Vivekanandan, founder and chairman of Ideas2IT, believes that the company’s loyal and deserving employees have earned these cars.
While this is the first time the employees have received cars, the Company is known for sharing its wealth and success with its employees. Employees have previously received gold coins and iPhones as gifts. The company began as a consulting firm with a small team of six engineers and has since expanded to a 500-person workforce. It has offices in several countries, including India, Mexico, and the United States. Its clients include Microsoft, Facebook, Motorola, Bloomberg, Oracle, and Roche, and it has experienced rapid growth in the last four years.


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Dry cargoSee all articles
DL on the way back
Indonesia's state-owned shipping company Djakarta Lloyd (DL) is seeking new business after settling debts.
President director Arham Torik said the company wanted to shift its focus towards logistics through deals with other state companies like Pertamina.
“I am eyeing other state-owned companies as new customers and I hope that the state companies can synergise with each other,” he told the Jakarta Post.
It has no plans to add new vessels and will aim to improve its ship management instead.
DL prefers to charter-in ships as it feels the value of new vessels would drop, hurting the company.
The owner came to the brink of bankruptcy with big debts in recent years.
But creditors accepted a proposal to repay debt over 18 years with a five-year interest-free period.
It has also won a 32.5% haircut worth IDR 420bn ($34.95m).
And creditors have agreed to swap debt for equity, giving them 70% of the company, compared to the government's 30%. But they have no voting rights.
DL has a contract with PT PLN to transport about 1m tons of coal per year.
The owner controls six containerships and one bulk carrier.
Many of its dry cargoships were previously seized by creditors and auctioned.


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Bhubaneswar: BharatPe, India’s leading fintech company for merchants,today announced the roll out of its financial services in Bhubaneswar.This launch is part of the aggressive expansion plan of the company, as it plans to scale its footprint to 300 cities by March 2023. The company recently announced its launch in the North eastern part of India with the kick start of its operations inGuwahati. BharatPe has set a target to onboard 1 lac merchants in the city of Bhubaneswar by October 2021. It will be looking at merchants across categories including Grocery, Food and Restaurants, Colleges and Educational Institutions, Pharmacies, Amusement Parks, amongst others. It also announced that it has set a target of building a merchant network of 2 lac merchants in Orissa in 2021.
BharatPe is committed to help small merchants and kirana store owners grow their business. It has an entrenched network of over 6 million merchants across 100 cities in the country.This announcement is in line with the company’s aggressive expansion strategy with the focus to become the preferred financial services partner for small merchants in the country. The company aims to make the most from the augmented demand in UPI as well as card payment acceptance by merchants, triggered by the change in customer behaviour over the last few months.
Speaking on the expansion, Mr. Suhail Sameer, Group President, BharatPe, said “In the last one year, India has witnessed an exponential increase in digital payment acceptance across the country as millions have resorted to digital modes of payment.Interestingly, digital payment is no longer a phenomena limited to Tier-1 cities of the country. We have seen a huge surge in the adoption and use of digital payment modes across tier-2 and beyond cities. Our payments business has grown 5x over the last 12 months, with tier-2,3 and 4 cities contributing considerably to the growth. For our next phase of growth, we aim to venture into the lesser explored markets and drive financial inclusion for the merchant community in these regions.”
Speaking on the expansion, Mr. Nishant Jain, Chief Business Officer, BharatPe, said, “Bhubaneswar has emerged as one of the fast-growing, important trading and commercial hub in the state of Orissa and in eastern India. As UPI is gaining popularity in becoming the most preferred payment platform even in smaller cities, I firmly believe that we will contribute significantly in incentivising businesses of merchants in Bhubaneswar. I am confident that the merchants in the citywill choose to partner with us for their financial services requirements. We aim to become the No. 1 fintech partner for small businesses in East India in the next 12 months.”
BharatPe aspires to become a Digital Bank for merchants that can serve as a one-stop destination for all merchant needs and lending business will play a key role in this journey. The company has set a target of 4x growth in its payments business and aiming for US$30B TPV by March 2023. It also has plans to grow its lending business manifold and aims to build a loan book of US$ 700M of loans to small merchants and kirana store owners by March 2023. The company’s office in Bhubaneswar is in Esplanade mall, Rasulgarh industrial estate, Bhubaneswar.


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OneStack Secures $2 Million In Funding With this new funding, OneStack plans to digitize over 1,000 cooperative banks and credit societies this year
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OneStack, a company focused on empowering cooperative banks and credit societies in India, has raised $2 million in its latest funding round. This investment will power the company's growth, drive team expansion, foster innovation, and establish nationwide offices, propelling it to unparalleled success.
"This infusion of funds does more than merely enable us to augment our product suite and broaden our footprint across India; it propels our growth journey at an accelerated pace. With these additional resources, we are on the cusp of a revolution, empowering cooperative banks and credit societies to stand their ground in this digital epoch. We are set to transform the banking landscape, revolutionizing customer service and fuelling unprecedented growth," said Amit Kapoor, founder and CEO, OneStack.
In an official release, the company further added, with this new funding, OneStack plans to digitize over 1,000 cooperative banks and credit societies this year, marking a significant milestone in its mission to empower these financial institutions.
OneStack is launching OneCBS (Core Banking Solution), which will further revolutionize the cooperative banking landscape. OneCBS is a cloud-based platform with integrated mobile applications and switch connectivities. This innovative solution enables banks and societies to streamline their operations, enhance customer experiences, and make data-driven decisions, the statement further added.
"With their innovative white-labelled app, OneStack is empowering cooperative banks to provide a personalized digital banking experience to their customers. They have emerged as the catalysts, bridging the divide for the underserved segment by opening the gates to essential digital banking services and contributing both to the Digital Bharat initiative and the Government's financial inclusion goals," said Ishpreet Singh Gandhi, founder and managing partner, Stride Ventures.


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Ahmed has been working with the Emirati Hospitality brand since 2018 as the Executive Chef at Royal Central Hotel The Palm.
New initiatives to boost hotel performance in the capital, as well as key regulations, upcoming developments and challenges facing the tourism sector.
A hotelier with three decades of experience, Nahas will leverage his expertise to drive further growth at all three of Rotana’s Capital Centre properties.
More than 250 attendees from 25 countries, business owners, operation heads, chefs and experts will discuss the latest consumer trends.
Once visitors buy a ticket, they can get an instant e-Visa simply by logging on to www.sharek.sa and following the step-by-step instructions.
Aleph Hospitality, which currently has nine hotels in its portfolio, manages hotels directly for owners, on a franchise basis or as a white label operator.
IFFCO Group leads the market with a USD 44 million revenue. It distributes London Dairy, Igloo and Quanta. Mars GCC is second with a USD 16 million.


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Last year, Apple made a major security commitment by announcing an array of new safety features for the iPhone, including iCloud Advanced Data Protection and iMessage Contact Key Verification. While the former has already been rolled out, the latter has remained in the pipeline – until now.
The latest iOS 16.6 Beta reveals the inclusion of settings related to the anticipated iMessage Contact Key Verification feature. Currently, these settings are not functional, suggesting that Apple is still in the process of completing its development.
Apple, being characteristically tight-lipped, has yet to disclose when the Contact Key Verification feature will be officially launched. However, with WWDC 2023 looming on the horizon, it’s doubtful that Apple would defer the introduction of this significant feature until iOS 17.
So, why does the iMessage Contact Key Verification matter?
This novel security feature is designed to provide users with an encrypted channel for enhanced security, augmenting the existing end-to-end encryption already activated on iMessage. The Contact Key Verification allocates unique encryption keys to the participants in a conversation. Only after a successful key verification can the conversation proceed normally between the two or multiple parties involved.
In the unlikely event that Apple’s iMessage servers are compromised or subject to other extreme circumstances that could disrupt encryption key verification, iMessage will automatically alert the participants that their conversation is no longer secure.
Given the increasing importance of cybersecurity in our connected world, Apple’s focus on strengthening communication security is a welcome move, and we look forward to learning more about these developments at WWDC 2023. Stay tuned as we keep you updated on Apple’s journey towards enhancing user security.


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The challenge of opening a new hotel during a pandemic
As every hotelier knows all too well, the COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be a challenging (at best) and terrifying (at worst) time in this industry. Many plans for expansion, new construction, and increased services have been put on hold. Some hotels have closed, and many are in a holding pattern while the world slowly gets back on track and the ship begins to right itself.
But, in spite of the uncertainty, some properties are implementing new plans for growth and looking to a more certain future. For example, when news began to spread about the upcoming launch of Meliá Chiang Mai, the first five-star hotel to open in Thailand since the onset of the pandemic, the response was generally one of surprise, if not outright pessimism.
“Wow, you’re brave.” “It’s a grim time to run a hotel, much less open a new one.” “Why, of all times, open a new hotel now?”
Despite the arched eyebrows, there’s indeed a list of compelling reasons behind this new 260-key urban hotel’s opening, and there are lessons to be learned that can be implemented in properties big and small, old and new.
Chiang Mai hasn’t welcomed international tourists for 18 months and counting. The devastation on the ground is palpable. According to the Northern Chapter of the Thai Hotels Association, a survey of some 40 hotels in Chiang Mai has revealed less than 10% occupancy throughout the pandemic. And it’s estimated that more than 70% of people in tourism-related businesses have lost their jobs, many of whom have mouths to feed and bills to pay.
But Meliai Chiang Mai will open with about 150 employees and will eventually employ a total of 240 people, more than 99% percent of whom are Thai nationals, thus providing much-needed employment and wages, which will allow the workers to support and take care of their families.
As there isn’t much else happening in Chiang Mai at present, word about the new hotel spread like wildfire throughout the local hospitality industry. During construction, the hotel received hundreds and hundreds of job applications from people locally and across Thailand even before making an earnest effort to advertise positions or conduct recruitment drives. These job seekers are people with strong hospitality experience who lost previous jobs as a result of COVID-19, so the large number of quality applicants isn’t surprising.
As can be expected, there have been some issues opening a hotel during these unprecedented times. There have been delays with the shipment of construction materials and supplies from overseas, and the pace of construction has been impacted by interprovincial lockdowns, causing challenges with regards to labor and the movement of goods.
But, in contrast to what many in the industry are reporting, hiring hasn’t been as big a challenge because the people in this area are keen to be part of something exciting happening in their industry and the local talent pool is immense. This is at least partly due the relative lack of alternative employment options currently in the area, but it has been proven that a healthy workplace culture can attract workers in a place even where jobs are more competitive.
In addition to being hugely beneficial for local workers and their families, prompting a ripple effect for the local economy, Melia Chiang Mai has provided a morale boost for the local tourism industry, sending a signal that things will get better, though it’s still difficult to pinpoint exactly when the industry and economy will improve thanks to COVID-19’s constant moving of the goalposts.
LESSONS FOR ALL
Opening a new hotel or expanding an existing one doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing proposition, particularly during a pandemic even though business will be tough while international travel is still restricted. But, taking a glass-half-full approach, this affords management teams a unique opportunity to fine tune operations before large numbers of travelers return. Despite all the research that’s conducted before a hotel opens or a new service is added, there are always things we expect to appeal to guests that don’t and vice versa.
For example, it’s much more difficult to improve your culinary landscape and wellness offerings when you’re tied up with the demands of the hotel’s daily operations. Based on what a hotel initially learns about its guests’ preferences, management can better focus on scrutinizing and improving the guest experience relatively quickly wherever possible.
Selfishly, we can’t help but be optimistic about the future of Chiang Mai’s tourism industry, as it’s one of the most popular places to visit on any travel itinerary to Thailand. But, that doesn’t mean expansion is limited strictly to hotels in exotic locales. The bigger picture is that the economy will rebound and business as usual will return. The pandemic has lasted a long time and there’s a lot of pent-up demand for travel. Will you be ready?
There’s no playbook for launching a hotel, or even operating an existing one, amid a pandemic. We’re all writing this story ourselves as we go, all the while thinking about how we’ll put it all into action. As the old adage goes, fortune favors the brave.


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Unreleased music from (and pictures of) “SAD!” artist XXXTentacion will quickly debut as non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
YellowHeart – The Chainsmokers-backed ticketing and non-fungible token platform behind Kings of Leon’s multimillion-dollar NFT album – revealed the upcoming public sale of the XXXTentacion NFT assortment right now, through a formal release in addition to a brief video. The artist, whose full title was Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy, handed away from gunshot wounds in June of 2018.
Set to turn into out there to followers subsequent Monday, Could tenth, at 9 AM PST, mentioned “history-making” assortment (as the primary to embody NFT music from an artist who handed away) will coordinate with the official launch of YellowHeart’s NFT market. people can have till Saturday, Could fifteenth, to put their bids.
It goes with out saying that YellowHeart’s market seems poised to host a considerable variety of music-related NFT auctions and gross sales transferring ahead, given the quick-rising digital property’ appreciable presence within the trade. On this entrance, YellowHeart founder and CEO Josh Katz famous that “there was a large gold rush over the previous a number of months, with new corporations within the area launching nearly each day,” however his crew has labored “tirelessly on launching our NFT market for over three years.”
The four-year-old firm will settle for each credit-card and cryptocurrency funds from prospects, who can have the prospect to amass NFTs that includes XXXTentacion “tracks which have by no means been commercially launched,” in addition to “never-before-seen” content material from the Plantation, Florida, native’s 26-stop Revenge Tour.
Lastly, by way of the NFT public sale’s nuances, YellowHeart intends to “donate the proceeds from the gathering to the XXXFoundation, a nonprofit the rapper’s supervisor, Solomon, and mom, Cleopatra Bernard, began after he handed.” This NPO is an extension of the Serving to Hand Problem that XXXTentacion spearheaded and which “aimed to help youngsters in foster care and other people in group houses.”
Addressing the quick-approaching NFT public sale in an announcement, Solomon Sounds, XXXTentacion’s property supervisor, mentioned: “An important factor for me since X has handed is rising and defending his legacy. With NFTs changing into such an vital device for artists, it’s nice to have the chance to develop X’s legacy into the digital area the place it may be shared and treasured by his present and future followers.”
Late March noticed NFT startup Open Sea elevate $23 million in a funding spherical led by A16z Crypto, a division of Andreessen Horowitz – although Motion Bronson, in an look on The Joe Rogan Expertise about one month later, requested a clear-cut rationalization of NFTs’ nuances.
Individually, Demise Row Information – which The Harry Fox Company and SESAC proprietor The Blackstone Group acquired in its $385 million buy of Hasbro’s eOne Music – has launched a number of multi-thousand-dollar NFTs.
In different cryptocurrency information, Dr. Luke’s Prescription Songs introduced early final month that it could present songwriters with the choice of receiving their royalties in Bitcoin transferring ahead. Additionally in April, Nas earned a reported $40 million from an eight-year-old funding that his QueensBridge Enterprise Companions made in cryptocurrency-exchange platform Coinbase.


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By Patricia Resende / Mobile Tech Today. Updated September 03, 2008.
The market for smartphones is heating up and forcing competitors to make smart choices. With lots of players, including Apple going global with its iPhone 3G and HTC's Google Android-based phone, companies like Nokia-owned Symbian are paying attention.
On Tuesday, Symbian said it shipped 19.6 million mobile phones in its second quarter and 225.9 million since it was formed in 1998. Symbian, based in London, has a strong lead with more than 150 models available through eight vendors, a 30 percent increase from last year. An additional 92 models are in development, according to the company.
Still, is that enough to compete with the 800,000 iPhone 3Gs Apple is selling per week, and the more than six million first-generation iPhones it has already sold since its launch in July 2007? Symbian executives think so.
"In 10 years we've achieved an enormous amount," said Nigel Clifford, Symbian's chief executive. "Together with our customers we have invented, built and continue to lead the smartphone market."
Nokia purchased all of Symbian's shares earlier this year and made Symbian's operating system free to others, so that alone may put Symbian and Nokia ahead of competitors. Carriers and device makers may choose Symbian over other operating systems such as LiMo, Windows Mobile, or Android.
"It is a very competitive market because there are so many players," said IDC analyst Ramon Llamas. "We are, however, at a point historically both in the U.S. and worldwide where there is a lot of space to play in. In 2007 there were 120 million smartphones sold worldwide, and if you paint that against 1.2 billion handsets, there is a lot of space for them to play."
New Smartphone Features
Shipments of mobile phones in North America increased from last quarter, with vendors introducing a number of features in advance of the release of the iPhone 3G.
In many cases, these offered touchscreen, music or GPS, according to IDC. During the same time, the converged mobile-device market saw faster growth than the overall mobile-phone market and accounted for nearly a fifth of total mobile-phone shipments.
Vendors have been wary of the decrease in demand for mobile phones, according to Llamas.
"That has not stopped vendors from experimenting with and releasing a host of midrange and high-end devices with GPS, touchscreens and multimedia," he said. "This also goes for hotly contested emerging markets, where vendors are introducing phones that offer features in addition to voice telephony."
Consumer reception toward the devices has been warm, adds Llamas, but demand for the devices will increase as the holiday season approaches.
"Basically what this means for the consumer is that there is a smartphone for everyone," Llamas added. "Smartphones are coming in all shapes sizes and colors. If you want something robust as the iPhone with touchscreen, you can have it; if you want something with a Qwerty keyboard they have something for that, too, and that is why RIM is doing well with its Blackberry and Palm with its Trio."
An Early Holiday Gift
The second half of this year is expected to push Symbian forward as Nokia and other vendors launch additional models. Even with more than 20 new devices announced during the first half of the year, more models are expected from Nokia in the second half, according to a July 2008 report by IDC.
"Smartphones are still seeing growth rates hovering around 40 percent year-over-year, while the rest of the industry is growing at roughly 10 percent," said Ryan Reith, an IDC senior research analyst. "The rise of the feature phone has created a battle at the high end of the market, with the main difference between smartphone and feature phone being the high-level operating system."


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LOGAN - A one-night event at the Logan County Airport that features craft beer tasting, a chili contest and more will soon be back for its fourth year.
Known as West Virginia Fire and Ice and hosted by the Logan County Chamber of Commerce, the annual event is primarily a craft beer tasting and chili cook-off festival that comes complete with other activities such as a silent auction, merchant and food vendors and live music.
The festival has featured notable national recording artists in the past, such as blues artist Johnny Rawls in 2018.
The musical entertainment on tap for this year's Fire and Ice is the Santa Cruz Band, a touring group that performs their renditions of pop hits from every decade.
According to their website, the Santa Cruz Band has shared the stage with acts like The Temptations, Martha Reeves, Barbara Mandrell, Kathy Mattea, The Four Freshmen and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra.
On the food side, the public is invited to walk around the festival and taste the complimentary chili that will be offered as part of the tasting competition.
Attendees can then vote for their favorite chili, which will be tallied into a people's choice, although three judges will have the final say on which chili is the best.
The chili cookoff will also include a best decorated booth competition. Other food vendors will be at the festival also.
They include Fat Boys Tacos, Dem 2 Brothers & A Grill BBQ and Rockin' Rolls Cinnamon Rolls.
Various merchandise vendors, which include the Magical Preasts Design Co. and A Slice of Heaven, will also be at the event.
"Folks can actually shop a little on the side and pick up some great gifts even for the fall or for the holidays," said Logan County Chamber of Commerce Director Debrina Williams.
A silent auction will remain a mainstay at this year's Fire and Ice. The auction will be hosted by the Leadership Logan program, which is a part of the Chamber of Commerce. All money raised through the silent auction will benefit Leadership Logan.
In addition to the craft beer, Williams said some West Virginia wine will be available for tasting as well.
Several representatives from the craft beer industry will be on hand, and attendees will be allowed to ask general questions about the particular drink they are tasting.
Those with a business sponsorship are admitted at 6 p.m. while general admission begins at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20, at the Logan County Airport, 3247 Bandmill Hollow Road, Ethel.
Tickets are $30 at www.eventbrite.com, at the Chamber office at 325 Stratton St., in downtown Logan or at the gate on the day of the event. All attendees must provide a valid state-issued ID to enter.
"It's a great opportunity to network with other people," Williams said.
"It's a beautiful venue. What I have seen, people just thoroughly enjoy being on top of the mountain, so not only is it just a scenic view, but it's just a really laidback atmosphere and, again, it's just a great networking opportunity to meet up with folks, friends and family to just spend the evening just conversing and talking about West Virginia and all it has to offer."
Dylan Vidovich is a news reporter for HD Media. Contact him by phone at 304-896-5196.


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Home Economy Boost for Midlothian and Borders firms to capitalise on tourism
£350k worth of support to include business events, workshops and a travel trade tourism development programme for the regions
Businesses in Midlothian and the Scottish Borders are set to benefit from a £350,000 funding boost as part of an initiative to develop tourism in the area.
They are to have access to a series of business engagement events, innovation workshops, product knowledge sessions, learning journeys, market research initiatives, international market development, and a travel trade tourism development programme delivered through the Midlothian and Borders Tourism Action Group (MBTAG) to help them capitalise on the opportunities presented by the Borders Railway, which launched in September 2015.
By engaging with the wider tourism sector, as well as businesses along the Borders Railway corridor, the two-year MBTAG project – comprising the Midlothian Tourism Forum, Midlothian Council, Scottish Borders Council, Borders Tourism Partnership, ScotRail and VisitScotland – has secured £150,000 from the Borders Railway Blueprint Group and a further £200,000 from Scottish Enterprise’s Tourism Destination Development Fund to implement its tourism development plan.
It today (Tuesday, 17 January) unveiled its plans for the funding and announced that its new steering group, which is made up of private sector tourism leaders from across both regions, is to be chaired by Abbotsford House chief executive Giles Ingram.
MBTAG has pledged to work collaboratively with local businesses to build upon the success of the Borders Railway Tourism Development Programme which has been delivered since 2015.
It plans to significantly grow Midlothian and the Scottish Borders’ – which already have an annual tourism value of £314 million – tourism industry worth by 2020.
Specific activity set to take place over the coming years includes a series of business engagement events, business innovation workshops, product knowledge sessions, learning journeys, market research, international market development, and a travel trade tourism development programme.
Acccording to MBTAG, the Borders Railway has already driven an increase in tourism in both areas since opening in September 2015, with visitor numbers increasing and a rise in the number of businesses setting up or growing in Midlothian and the Scottish Borders to service the surge in additional visitors.
The group says it will now look to encourage businesses to develop products and services linked to digital technology, and create new visitor experiences which can be enjoyed and explored using the Borders Railway.
Its first digital event for business will take place on February 21.
Giles Ingram, MBTAG chair and Abbotsford House chief executive, said: “The launch of the new action group is very positive news for both existing businesses in the Scottish Borders and Midlothian, and potential tourism enterprises. Through close collaboration with the business communities outside of the railway corridor, we hope to further increase their offering to the growing tourist population that the areas now command.”
Councillor David Parker, leader of Scottish Borders Council, said: “With an increase in the numbers of businesses and visitors to both areas thanks to the Borders Railway, it makes sense to capitalise on this early success and cement the economic benefit right along the new line. Through this new two year funding package we are looking forward to nurturing and developing businesses to deliver authentic experiences to tourists visiting Midlothian and the Scottish Borders.”
Midlothian Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Cllr Jim Bryant said: “The project will help businesses focus on their key markets and ensure they work collaboratively to deliver new experiences and products. This additional funding will help all of us to enhance the quality of the visitor experience and generate increased spend to both areas.”
Edward Maitland-Carew, family trustee at Thirlestane Castle, said: “We are delighted to host the launch event for MBTAG at Thirlestane. With the castle back to its former glory after major restoration work, we are excited to be part of this new initiative to promote the Borders and Midlothian, and to welcome many more events and visitors to the area.”