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Simulations Plus Inc. has signed a distribution deal in India with pharmaceutical testing equipment manufacturer Electrolab India Pvt. Ltd.
The Lancaster company, which provides modeling software and consulting services for the chemical, biotech and pharma industries, did not disclose terms of the agreement. John DiBella, Simulation Plus’s vice president of marketing and sales, said India’s pharmaceutical market has been growing rapidly over the past decade, creating favorable circumstances for the company’s products.
“To capitalize on this opportunity, we are excited to be partnering with Electrolab, an established company with strong relationships throughout India, whose sound reputation for providing high-quality products and customer support has allowed them to capture more than 70 percent of the market share in the pharmaceutical equipment space,” he said in a statement.
The contract is the second of its kind inked this month. Simulations Plus signed a distribution deal with South Korean drug developer Quantum Bio Solutions, which was announced on April 6.
Simulations Plus (SLP) shares closed Thursday up 10 cents, or nearly 1 percent, to $11.40 on the Nasdaq.


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Mersey Tunnel users are set to benefit from an improved travelling experience as work gets underway on a refresh of the toll system in both tunnels this month.
Improvements that will be introduced through the refresh, some of which are the result of feedback received from tunnel users, include:
New toll machines on both the Birkenhead and Wallasey Tunnel toll plazas: The machines will include an improved positioning of both the coin basket and the “reject coin” slot (making it easier to collect coins not accepted)
Improved coin analysers, ensuring the cash transaction is quicker for customers.
A change to the process of the “staffed” lanes, where payment will be taken by the attendant rather than the cash being handed back to them to make payment at the machine – again speeding up the transaction for the customer.
The introduction of contactless card payment into every lane, to be in operation from early 2018.
Digital displays to indicate information about your transaction in live time as well as the status of Fast Tag account balances.
A new, improved website for Mersey Tunnels and the Fast Tag system
A decision was taken to “refresh” the current system rather than wholly replace it, so as to minimise the disruption to the public and also allow long-term planning for any major changes in the future. Some preparation work has already taken place for the refresh, with two test lanes installed into the Birkenhead Tunnel in late July along with work to update the systems behind the scenes. The £3.1m scheme will see the current toll machines (which were first installed in 2001) replaced on a lane-by-lane basis from late September to January to minimise disruption for tunnel users, although customers are being advised that there may be some congestion during peak periods while the work takes place. Once that work in all toll lanes is completed, work will begin to install the contactless card payment equipment into each lane early in 2018. The new Mersey Tunnels website, incorporated into the main Merseytravel website with a user-friendly interface including a mobile site, is also due to launch in December. Gary Evans, Merseytravel’s Head of Customer Delivery said: “The work that is being undertaken over the next few months should make tunnel users’ journeys quicker and easier
“The current system is reaching the end of its life and it is essential that it is not only brought up to date, but also improved.
“A lot of hard work and planning has gone into making sure this refresh doesn’t just keep the Mersey Tunnels running as they were, but helps to speed up journeys as much as possible and takes account of customer feedback to date.
“The possibility of card payments is something that we’ve received a lot of customer feedback about over the last few years and we’re really pleased that we are able to introduce this as part of the refresh.
“While we’re working to speed up cash transactions, tunnel users are reminded that Fast Tags already offer speed and convenience, and at a reduced toll.”

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The Scarborough Beach Association (SBA) are delighted to announce the return of the ever-popular Scarborough Sunset Markets, commencing 1 November and running every Thursday night until 25 April, 2019.*
Kicking off Thursday November 1 and now spanning from the purpose-built Scarborough Square down to the crisp white sands of the Amphitheatre, each week the beachfront will once again ignite into a celebration of all that makes this location truly special – mesmerising sunsets, crystal blue ocean, crisp white sands, a foodies’ oasis, thirst quenching bevies, live music, creative artists and curated pop up stores- while encouraging locals, families and visitors to continue rediscovering Scarborough.
Last year’s inaugural season saw thousands of locals and visitors descend on Scarborough each week to spend summer nights on Scarborough Beach with their toes in the sand as they wander through a global market of culinary delights and sensory surprises.
This year promises to be filled with even more mouthwatering food, stunning retail, chilled tunes, arts and engaging entertainment, as we take full advantage of the exciting new spaces. Find out more


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TOKYO, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Japanese shares rose on Friday, and were set to end the week up more than 2%, after Wall Street's overnight gains helped boost technology heavyweights as the earnings season is set to kick off.
However, Uniqlo owner Fast Retailing was the biggest drag on the Nikkei, falling 0.5%, after the company posted a weaker-than-expected profit forecast.
The Nikkei share average was up 1.05% at 28,851.70 by 0154 GMT, and the broader Topix gained 1.17% at 2,010.22.
Both the Nikkei and the Topix are set to post first weekly gains after three straight weeks of losses, rising 2.9% and 2.48%, respectively.
"Gains in high-tech shares gave big energy to the market today. They rose because of a robust corporate outlook of overseas firms," said Shigetoshi Kamada, general manager at the research department at Tachibana Securities.
"Many Japanese companies are also expected to raise their forecast for this year. That is going to be a tailwind for the market."
Wall Street advanced, with the S&P 500 posting its biggest daily percentage advance since early March, following strong earnings of companies including Morgan Stanley and UnitedHealth.
In Japan, chip making equipment maker Tokyo Electron contributed to the Nikkei the most, rising 1.8%. Robot maker Fanuc jumped 4.18%.
Audio and game maker Sony Group and electronic-sensor maker Keyence lifted the Topix by rising 1.59% and 2.74%, respectively.
Can Do, a popular chain that sells household goods for 100 yen, was untraded on a glut of buy orders after retail group Aeon announced a takeover bid.
A decliner was department store operator Takashimaya , down 3.57%, after it cut its net profit forecast for this fiscal year.
(Reporting by Junko Fujita; Editing by Amy Caren Daniel)


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Charles Taylor shortlisted for ITIJ Insurtech Award
Charles Taylor has been shortlisted for the Insurtech Initiative of the Year in the 2020 ITIJ Awards.
The ITIJ Awards reward the extraordinary efforts made by companies from across all sectors of the travel and health insurance industry.
Over the last year, Charles Taylor has developed cutting edge technology to drive innovation, not least with its new digital tool, Venture. This helps to manage employees’ back-to-work or back-to-international-travel COVID risk assessments.
Sarah Watson, editor of ITIJ comments, “The achievements of this year’s finalists over the last 12 months are testament to the rapid changes the industry is currently undergoing and the innovative solutions that are being developed as consumer needs change and industry challenges evolve.
“Each finalist has certainly gone above and beyond in their dedication to excellence within the industry.”
The 2020 ITIJ Awards winners will be announced at itij.com/awards on 5th November, from 19:00 GMT.


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The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has come out with two separate orders as per which these products will have to conform to the specified standards and bear the standard mark under a license from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
Both the orders will come into force with effect from August 1.
“The BIS shall be the certifying and enforcing authority for the goods,” the department said in the orders.
The goods include steel tubes, tubulars and other wrought steel fitting, steel tubes for structural purposes and water wells.
The order pertaining to cables is applicable to heavy duty electric cables, aerial bunched cables, elastomer insulated cables, welding cables, shot firing cables and halogen free flame retardant cables.
The move assumes significance as the government is working to formulate technical regulations such as safety and quality standards for over 350 products to curb imports of non-essential items.
In FY19, India’s total trade deficit was a record $176.42 billion.
As per the orders, the notified items cannot be produced, sold/ traded, imported and stocked unless they bear BIS mark. The order excludes products meant for export. “Exclusion of export is for purpose that Indian manufacturers making such items for foreign market need not comply as they need to comply with the destination market standards,” said an official.
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- Indices hit Fresh Highs on Strong Liquidity Flows
Indian equities surged to fresh records on Wednesday as a spurt in the last half hour of trade helped the Sensex surpass 63,000 for the first time.Vi in Talks with SBI for up to ₹16,000-Cr Loan
Cash-strapped Vodafone Idea (Vi) has dialled State Bank of India (SBI) for a ₹15,000-16,000 crore loan to meet its immediate 4G capex needs, fund gear supply contracts for its pending 5G rollout and to clear some sizeable vendor dues, three people aware of the matter said.China Stir may Infect Key Sectors in India
The widespread protests in China against the strict restrictions under its zero Covid policy and the spreading pandemic could impact India’s consumer electronics, gold, diamonds, and engineering goods sectors, industry executives said.
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It’s not just Google that’s spending a fortune on acquisitions these days. Microsoft has splurged awallet-busting $6 billion – it’s largest acquisition ever – to complete its acquisition of online advertising company aQuantive. The deal wasinitially announced in May, 2007. Just to emphasize the deal’s importance, Microsoftturned around and created a new business unit, the Advertiser and Publisher Solutions Group (APS), to encompass aQuantive and its three companies: Avenue A | Razorfish, Atlas Solutions and DRIVEPerformance Solutions. It’s an indication of how seriously Microsoft takes online advertising, especially as competitors have already bought, or are purchasing, online ad companies. Thatwas underlined by the fact that Microsoft paid a staggering 85 percent more per share than aQuantive’s last valuation. aQuantive is based in Seattle and was formed 10 years ago. In astatement, Microsoft said this deal will help it reach its “previously outlined goal to provide the advertising industry with a world-class advertising platform across devices and media thatwill create the best experiences for users, advertisers and publishers.” APS will be in charge of marketing all the aQuantive ad platforms, as well as “emerging media,” whichwill include mobile and in-game ads. The amount Microsoft paid is three times more than it’s spent on any acquisition before, and over twice the amount Google splashed out on DoubleClick.
- 9 things you need to know about the Russian social media election ads
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- Apple acquires music-recognition app Shazam; competition review commences
- Google will ban cryptocurrency ads from its AdWords network in June
- Twitter joins Facebook and Google in banning cryptocurrency advertising


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A spike in the number of flu cases has been observed in the US in the past few weeks. Health officials say that the flu season will continue to get worse, and there are weeks of suffering ahead.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 42 states witnessed heavy flu-related cases in the last week of January, in which 16 more children died and took the season's child death toll to 53. The hospitalization rates are also at their highest in nearly a decade, federal health officials told USA Today.
At the peak of such a difficult season, nutritionists suggest that you can combat flu better by following a proper diet and staying hydrated. Eating nutrient-rich food can also help in recovering faster.
Here's what nutritionists advise if you are down with flu:
Having green tea will help you to be hydrated and provide antioxidants in abundance. If you drink it with honey, it will also help in soothing a sore throat or a cough.
"The flu usually involves upper respiratory symptoms, and drinking warm or hot liquids can help open airways," Rena Zelig, assistant professor of nutritional sciences at Rutgers University, was quoted as saying by Time.
"It may also feel better to drink than room-temperature water," Zelig added.
Drinking electrolyte-rich drinks will also help in keeping lack of sodium and potassium at bay. When down with flu, one doesn't feel like eating much, having electrolyte-rich drinks will provide the calories required by your body.
"Staying hydrated is the most important thing when you have the flu, especially if you're running a fever and sweating, or you're having trouble keeping food down," Jessica Crandall, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics stated, told Time.
Orange is a great source of vitamin C and helps in curing a cold or flu quicker. But make sure that you consume the juice in moderate levels as too much can also be bad for you.
"Your body can only absorb so much vitamin C at once, and if you have too much it can cause gastrointestinal issues," Crandall said.
The salt present in the soup will provide you sodium, whereas the vegetables and chicken will provide you vitamins, minerals and protein. Chicken is also known to help in curing cold by boosting the white blood cells present in your body.
Bright-colored fruits and vegetables
Eat as many bright-coloured fruits and vegetables as you can as it will help by providing antioxidants and boosting your immunity.
"It's not like if you stock up on fruits and vegetables you'll get better a day sooner," Zelig told Time.
"But we do know that antioxidants have a role in keeping you healthy and boosting the immune system, so it's certainly a good idea," she added.


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What is it?
The engine that currently accounts for around 70 per cent of Jaguar XF sales, in the new bodystyle that’s tipped to take a third of Jaguar’s sales in the executive car sector.
The Jaguar XF Sportbrake isn’t the first time that Jaguar has built an estate – that privilege belongs to the X-type – but it is the first time the Midlands manufacturer has developed one using its own platform.
Jaguar says it benchmarked the XF Sportbrake against the Audi A6 Avant, a car which it virtually matches for luggage capacity, with between 550 and 1675 litres of space. To these eyes, Ian Callum’s design team has set a new benchmark for estate car styling in the class. The Sportbrake is new from the B-pillars back. The subtle tapering of the rear has been reduced to increase space in the back and the rearmost-pillars feature a similar gloss black treatment as the XJ flagship.
The 2.2-litre unit tested here is already in service in the XF saloon, and has proved a sales success with its significantly reduced running costs while sacrificing little of the muscular, powerful appeal Jaguars are famed for.
That powerplant is provided in both 160bhp and 197bhp output, with matching economy figures of 135g/km and 55.4mpg.


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USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) in New York will host a webinar tomorrow at 7 pm about the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) specifically for maple producers.
Members of the State Maple Producers Association will also be on-hand.
The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) is available to farmers and ranchers whose commodity prices have been directly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic
New York State is the second largest producer of maple syrup in the United States and the third-largest in the world.
The webinar will be available to attend online or with a conference call phone number.
Please follow this link at the appropriate time:


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Digital transactions are growing rapidly in Bangladesh. Because, digital transactions are fast, easy, secure and convenient. Many financial services have already gone digital.
Among them card based payment, QR code based payment, fund transfer, app based utility bill payment are quite popular.
Now customers can manage their bank accounts, pay bills and do other transactions using internet banking. Apart from this, customers can buy products, pay various bills and book tickets using various apps.
The government is framing policies to encourage digital transactions. Banks are also launching new services for digital transactions. Hopefully, in the future more people will use digital transactions and Bangladesh will become a cashless society.


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Indie title LumbearJack (not a typo) is coming to Xbox One and Xbox Series S|X, but Armor Games Studios and Finalboss Games have also announced that the companies are pairing up with Ecologi to “reinforce the game’s environmental messaging with real-world action”.
Ecologi was initially founded by a group of environmentalists in Bristol, UK. They were frustrated that many of us are not able to contribute enough to the colossal climate problem.
Here’s the official word on Lumbearjack:
In LumbearJack, players don the hat and suspenders of Jack–a determined bear with a green thumb–and embark on a mission to save the place he and his friends call home. They will help Jack dismantle heavy machinery, factories and garbage to clean up and restore the forest to its natural beauty through puzzles that use elements found in the world around them. They might even get a chance to slap some sense into the humans leaving litter everywhere while they’re at it!
Manuel Usero, senior developer at FinalBoss Games says, “We created LumbearJack to humorously entertain and educate people about the environmental problem we are currently facing and we are very happy to actively help solve it by partnering with Ecologi.”
Lumberjack is coming to PC (via Steam), Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, and Nintendo Switch in 2022.


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Woody Johnson, owner of the New York Jets NFL franchise, joins WSJ's Lee Hawkins for the "WSJ Weekend Conversations" series to talk about the Jets' Super Bowl prospects, co-chairing the 2014 Super Bowl host committee, and his charitable interests.
NYS Entity Status
NYS Filing Date
FEBRUARY 28, 2014
NYS DOS ID#
320 EAST SHORE ROAD
GREAT NECK, NEW YORK, 11023
NYS Entity Type
DOMESTIC LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
2014 - 28 WOODCLIFF AVE, LLC
AROUND THE WEB
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Friday Oct 15, 2010
- Little Games, Big Engagement
Friday Sep 23, 2011
One of the challenges brands often face when they look at getting into gaming is cost and time. Concepting a game people will actually play takes a great deal of time and specialized skills. Butsometimes, the simplest games can engage thousands of people if the right circumstances come together.
- Park Ave. Branches Help Banks Pass Low-Income Lending Test
Thursday May 18, 2017
Why do banks get regulatory credit for having branches in a ritzy part of Midtown Manhattan? WSJ's Rachel Ensign reports.
- Fit City: Taking Night-Life Cue, Gyms Lower the Lights
By TATIANA BONCOMPAGNI - Tuesday Jun 13, 2017
Cycling, boxing and running studios, as well as some full-service gyms, are using sophisticated lighting systems to heighten the exercise experience.
- Bio Roundup: Trumpcare is Mean, SCOTUS Says Go, Merck’s Myeloma No
By Ben Fidler - Friday Jun 16, 2017
What exactly does the American Health Care Act, the Republican proposal to replace Obamacare, currently look like? Few people know, because the Senate version is being negotiated behind closed doors in Washington D.C. without any public hearings. We do know President Trump now thinks the version of the AHCA that squeaked through the House is […]
- Mobile, Desktop Even In Race For Video Eyeballs
Friday Mar 3, 2017
Mobile phones and desktops are neck-and-neck when it comes to video viewing. More than half, or about 57%, of consumers around the world watch videos on their mobile phones every day. That's on parwith the 58% of consumers who are checking out videos on their computer, according to AOL's State of the Video Industry Global Research Study.
- Rooted in Counterculture, Whole Foods’ Founder Finds an Unlikely Refuge
By MICHAEL J. de la MERCED and ALEXANDRA STEVENSON - Friday Jun 16, 2017
John Mackey wanted to fight off the activist investors attacking Whole Foods. He found a savior in Amazon, a company blamed for laying waste to retailers.
- With GreatCall Deal, GTCR Looks to Expand Healthtech for Boomers
By Bruce V. Bigelow - Friday Jun 9, 2017
With this week’s buyout of GreatCall, the Chicago-based private equity firm GTCR just placed a big bet that healthtech for the aging wave of baby boomers will be a big business. GreatCall operates a virtual telecommunications network that provides healthtech products and services for more than 800,000 older consumers throughout the United States. The company, […]


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Audi has revealed the newly revised Sport Quattro concept car just a week out from its official public unveiling at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Other than sporting a striking yellow colour scheme, the new version gets various styling tweaks and a powerful twin-turbo V8 hybrid powertrain.
Compared with the concept of the same name from 2010, the 2013 version features a more aggressive front end with larger intakes and lots of dark, contrasting highlights. There’s also a new carbon fibre front splitter which blends into some new side skirts.
There’s also LED headlights, revised taillights, new 21-inch alloy wheels wearing 285/30 tyres, and carbon ceramic disc brakes. Most of the panels, including the front guards, doors, roof, bonnet, and rear hatch, are made from carbon fibre leaving an overall kerb weight of 1850kg.
Why is it still quite heavy you might ask? Well, that’s down to the complex powertrain. It’s made up of a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 (also seen in the new RS 6) combined with an electric motor assist system and water-cooled lithium-ion battery.
Combined out is a staggering 515kW of power and 800Nm of torque. It’s enough to send the iconic remake off from 0-100km/h in 3.7 seconds, with a top speed of 305km/h. Incredibly, its average fuel consumption is rated at just 2.5L/100km.
Inside, the interior has been swept over for a more modern and simplistic design, with clean surfaces, polished carbon fibre trimmings, a new touch controller for the multimedia interface, and absolutely no clutter.
Although this exact car and specifications is not set for production any time soon, a new model is expected to spawn from this in the next couple of years. For now, the Sport Quattro concept celebrates the 30th anniversary of the famous Audi Quattro from the 1980s.


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Chinese automaker BAIC could use in the future Mercedes platforms to manufacture vehicles.
As Mercedes struggles to reach its rivals Audi and BMW in China, it came up with a strategic plan which includes buying a 12% stake in BAIC, its local JV partner, for 640 million euro.
“The value of our stake will continue to grow with every support that we can provide to BAIC. But there is no final decisions, whether components and platforms can be used by BAIC in the future, and if so which ones,” said Finance Chief Bodo Uebber.
But the fact that Mercedes offers BAIC its entire vehicle platforms is seen as a desperate measure and underlines the tough situation which both companies currently face. BAIC plans to boost volumes relying on its new model, the C70G sedan, manufactured on Saab technology, a company which it acquired during its bankruptcy.
On another matter, last month BAIC announced that actor Nicolas Cage will be the brand ambassador for the company and will appear in a TV commercial in May. The automaker said that it chose the 49-year-old actor because he is well-known to the Chinese audiences, especially the 40-year-old targeted buyers.
“Cage will be our ambassador for the Senova D series that will hit the market soon,” said Alex Qu, a spokesman for the company.


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Previously, two senior executives of Sony’s PlayStation business, Nishino Hideaki, who was in charge of marketing also explained the issue of 1440P resolution in an interview with the media. Sony officially issued
a new announcement today, announcing the start of testing new features for the PlayStation 5, including the introduction of 1440P resolution and allowing players to choose from compatible TVs and monitors. However, it is worth noting that the 1440P resolution does not support variable refresh rate (VRR). Sony began rolling out variable refresh rates to the PlayStation 5 worldwide in April this year, requiring access to an HDMI 2.1-compatible TV or PC monitor to enhance visuals while minimizing or eliminating afterimages.
In addition, Sony has also added a game list function and a new social function in this beta version. The former is designed to make it easier for players to organize games on the console and can be created from the game library, with support for up to 100 games per list and a maximum of 15 lists. The latter adds features such as a Request Share Screen andJoinable Game Notification.
It is understood that the beta version is currently only available to invited users in the United States, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France for Sony’s evaluation, and it may be open to all PlayStation 5 players in the coming months.


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Last month, the head of the pistachio association, Mohsen Jalalpour, said prices at home have been affected by the rising price pistachios get on the international market - compounded by the rial's fall.
The campaign to boycott the nut was launched on Facebook head of last month's Persian new year, or Nowruz. Demand for pistachios hits an annual high with the new year celebrations, when the nuts are served on nearly every table. Still, they are a treat, not a staple.
Last year, another Internet-driven campaign tried to fuel a boycott on chicken after a similar price spike. That appeal fell flat because chicken is central to the Iranian diet.
The boycott of pistachios, in contrast, has gained a wide following.
"This is the first time that such a campaign has been answered widely," said Hamed Shabanali, a specialist in information technology. "Word has spread among ordinary people."
Another information technology specialist, Mahmoud Tehrani, said the boycott showed "how Facebook and virtual world are effective in the Iranian society, now."
Leila Alipour, a housewife, said she learned about the boycott from her son's teacher.
"I will not buy any nut this year," Alipour said in a Tehran bazaar. "It is too expensive.'
Initally, the government in February responded to anger over the rising prices by banning exports of pistachios to increase stocks at home and reduce prices. But it quickly reversed course, lifting the ban within a week and subsequently backing the boycott when it was launched.
State TV, which reflects the views of the ruling clerics, even paid notice of the boycott in an economics show earlier this month. It reported a survey of 1 million people with 87 percent supporting the pistachio boycott.
Ahmadinejad, in a February television interview, called the boycott a "good job."


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Yesterday's House of Commons debate featured some discussion on the forthcoming copyright reform bill. Industry Minister Jim Prenticee expanded on the government's plans:
Our government is aware also of the need for copyright reform and that this is essential to ensuring that Canada remains competitive. We will introduce legislation in the next few months that will provide legal measures for rights holders, clarify the rules relating to copyright as they apply to Internet service providers, address the educational and research use of copyrighted materials and address consumer interests.
No big surprises here – the bill is coming, it may be Industry rather than Heritage that leads, the bill will include DMCA-style provisions (the "legal measures for rights holders"), ISPs will get their safe harbour, and the government may try to curry favour with the provinces with an Internet exception for education. The inclusion of consumer interests is noteworthy – I've argued that the government must surely include a strong consumer package to generate popular support for the bill and this is the first indication that the bill might include such provisions.


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Welcome to Mobile Apps Australia, a site to bring you news on everything to do with mobile apps for Android, apps for iOS, iPads, tablets, BlackBerry, Windows devices and tablets. Any of today's mobile devices use mobile apps, and we will share latest updates, releases and more. With the birth of mobile phones, we experienced a device to provide us with the means to achieve wireless … [Read More...]
A great new service – Telstra adds BlackBerry App Purchases to Monthly Bills.
Telstra has expanded it’s bill services to accommodate Telstra users of BlackBerry a convenient service. This new service allows BlackBerry users the ability to charge purchases of apps from BlackBerry App World directly to their monthly Telstra Mobile bill.
According to a recent post [...]
An initiative by DBO – Driving Business Online Opens Up Regional Markets across Australia – with the goal of getting more offline or brick and mortar businesses to get online.
These days, the skyrocketing effects of e-commerce and online promotions and purchases means that there are small businesses out there who are experiencing downturns in sales, [...]


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Swan Hellenic's latest build is on the way to the Antarctic.
Swan Hellenic CEO Andrea Zito made the happy announcement, “We are immensely proud to have welcomed our first guests aboard this wonderful new ship to live unique new experiences that advance the revered Swan Hellenic tradition, taking them to see what others don’t in exceptional comfort and style." The Minerva sailed from Ushuaia on her maiden cultural expedition cruise of the Antarctic, a nine-day voyage.
Delivered from Helsinki Shipyard, the vessel recently made its way south to Antarctica where its under the command of Captain Tuomo Leskinen with Hotel Director Philipp Reutener overseeing the onboard product. Also onboard are Expedition Leader Pablo Brandeman, polar expert Steve Blamires and renowned ornithologist Andy Bunten.
Chef Jörg Lehmann is bringing Swan Hellenic’s distinctive new food and beverage vision to life onboard, according to the company, presenting varied menus of freshly cooked delicacies that include original Italian and Asian fusion dishes, created in partnership with multi-award-winning Consultant Chefs Andrea Ribaldone and Sang Keun Oh.


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The INTA committee voted in May on the draft resolution for a trade instrument to ban the import and export of products made or transported by forced labour. The resolution was adopted by 37 votes, with no votes against and five abstentions. The draft resolution is scheduled to be debated in June and it is expected that the resolution will feed into the Commission’s proposal on how to ban forced labour products. The new legislative instrument is planned for September 2022. The European Commission has now launched a public consultation where you can provide your feedback on this proposal until 20 June 2022.
The European Parliament has asked for a legislative proposal on an effective traceability mechanism for goods produced through forced and child labour. This could pave the way for a complete ban on the importation into the EU of goods produced through modern forms of slavery or forced labour, especially forced work of vulnerable groups extorted in violation of basic human rights standards.
The Parliament considers that forced labour and child labour need to be taken into account in international trade relations. Therefore, it has called on the EU to reflect on ways of finding evidence of these practices, and in particular to establish an effective traceability mechanism for the goods being produced by means of forced or child labour in order to ban imports of these goods. The recommendation to the Commission to initiate a legislative proposal on a traceability mechanism banning the import of goods produced using modern forms of slavery or forced labour was put forward in a 2010 resolution on human rights, social and environmental standards in International trade agreements.


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When you sign up for a service, you give away your personal data such as name, email address, and perhaps more like your phone number or address. This kind of digital information shared online is highly interesting to cybercriminals for various reasons: an email address can be used to initiate a phishing attack to extract sensitive data, a saved credit card number to empty your bank account, and so on. In other words, every time you hear about a data breach, it means bad news for all the users of that hacked service, because customer data has become extremely valuable in the digital era.
Data breaches occurred frequently in 2018, enough to be part of the weekly news cycle. The number of victims is measured in billions and you may even be one of them. For example, a massive Facebook loophole allowed third-party services to access user data. Does this sound familiar? Yes, this was the Cambridge Analytica scandal, which kick-started the year and gave weight to data breaches.
Timeline of Major Data Breaches in 2018
The Cambridge Analytica scandal set the tone for 2018: first disclosed to the public on March 17, the misuse of 87 million Facebook users’ data triggered an uproar among internet citizens and instigated the #DeleteFacebook movement. While this wasn't an actual data breach, it should still be counted as the software developed by Cambridge Analytica used a loophole in Facebook's API that allowed third-party developers to access customer data from everyone in users' friends networks on the popular social media platform.
Orbitz announced that an attacker had gained access to a legacy system that compromised customer data such as names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and payment card information.
The biggest data breach of the year was publicly disclosed in this data and affected 1.1 billion users. India’s state-owned ID database Aadhaar had been leaking details of every system user, with security researchers revealing the fact to the media after nothing was done to secure the leak caused by a weak endpoint API. What caused security experts to take this action was the irresponsible handling of 1.1 billion users’ data containing the names, the unique 12-digit identity numbers, bank details, and other private information of almost every registered user.
Under Armour, the creator of the MyFitnessPal, disclosed a data breach affecting 150 million customers. The hackers accessed usernames, email addresses, and encrypted passwords.
Twitter invited all of its users to change their passwords after discovering a bug that stored unmasked passwords in an internal file.
An internal security tool alerted Marriott about an attempt to access the Starwood guest reservation database. The company learned that it had been leaking user data since 2014, and the estimated number of affected customers reached 500 million. The company later confirmed in 2019 that, after investigation, approximately 8.6 million unique card details and 20.3 million unique passport numbers were leaked in encrypted format. However, an additional 5.25 million passport numbers were leaked unencrypted.
Quora reported that a malicious third party accessed its systems but provided no other details. Roughly 100 million users were affected by the breach.
While the initial report came in October, a second data breach that exposed the personal information of 52.5 million Google+ accounts for six days to third-party Google+ apps was disclosed by the search giant on this day in December. This prompted Google to close down its poorly performing social media platform months earlier than originally expected.
What to Expect in 2019
In light of the above, it’s easy to expect data breaches to increase in 2019. The reason is very simple: any company can be breached, especially if its security policy doesn't involve the use of two-factor authentication. If you don't want to live in the woods away from such risks –there will be other, different threats in the forest, by the way – and want to enjoy the convenience of internet-based services, then it’s necessary to be prepared. In other words, always assume that your data might be exposed.
The best way to protect your data is to avoid giving it away on every platform. Use web services wisely and, more importantly, secure your online account with a secure password generated by a password manager. If you are using a password management service, it will help you create unique passwords for every account being used, warning you if a password reset is required due to a data breach.
Best Password Managers of 2020
|Editor's Choice 2020|


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MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A recent criminal case against two unlicensed car dealers in Memphis is now serving as warning for potential buyers.
At a hearing Wednesday, prosecutors decided not to move forward with charges against Lamonte Gray and Geno White.
The men were facing several charges included theft and forgery related to accusations they sold cars with salvage titles without telling customers.
Just a day after the charges were thrown out, NewsChannel 3 learned complaints against the men are now mounting in another state.
WREG confirmed attorneys with Legal Aid in Arkansas have already started receiving customer complaints.
Meanwhile, customers in Memphis say they hope their ordeal will serve as a warning for others.
WREG has been exposing these complaints against Gray, White and others connected to these sales for several years.
While prosecutors decided not to pursue criminal charges, one victim did get her money back.
Plus, WREG’s investigation forced the Memphis Police Department to listen to customers.
While the sales mainly start online, Gray and others have operated at several locations with different names over the years.
The West Memphis location is run by, Andrew Collins, another man with a history of curbstoning, and connected to Gray.
Collins has a used car dealer license in Arkansas, but was flagged for no further licensure in Tennessee.
State regulators also fined Collins and Gray $90,000 last year for operating as unlicensed dealers.
As WREG previously reported, the latest customers say they make initial contact in Tennessee, or online, then, they’re told to go to Nationwide in West Memphis to have their car inspected, and then get a title.
Carlis Stanton told WREG she bought a car in March and wasn’t able to get a clean title.
She showed up at Wednesday’s hearing to support one of the alleged victims.
Plus, she has some advice for other, potential buyers.
Stanton told WREG, “I wanted to see what happened, and I saw what happened, and as my sister just said, the city did fail.”
WREG asked, “What do you hope happens with all the other people who have gone to the police since this case, like yourself?”
Stanton replied, “I`m hoping that everyone watches the news… so that way they won`t get caught up like we did.”
Tips for Buying Used Cars
- Conduct a simple internet search on the dealership or individual
- Get a vehicle history report
- Conduct a title search
- Be careful turning over large sums of cash
- When dealing with individuals, never walk away without a title
- Verify a dealer’s license, along with previous disciplinary action


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Latest Heavy metal subgenres Stories
List features technology providers that influence the global food and beverage supply chain POTTSVILLE, Pa., Dec.
Annual list showcases the 20 Most Promising Logistics Technology Solution Providers.
EXTOL Business Integrator and Viewlocity Control Tower Platform provide end-to-end visibility of integrated supply chain applications and systems POTTSVILLE, Pa., Sept.
Updated EXTOL Business Integrator delivers performance enhancements for integration development that reduce time to delivery and risk POTTSVILLE, Pa., Sept.
Customer satisfaction and high retention rate prove to be a testament to 25 years in business POTTSVILLE, Pa., July 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- EXTOL International, a leading provider
POTTSVILLE, Pa., July 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- EXTOL International, a leading provider of e-business integration software and services, is pleased to announce that Generac Power Systems, the
B2B integration software provider hires industry veteran to lead global sales initiative POTTSVILLE, Pa., July 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- EXTOL International, a leading provider of e-business
Company achieves record revenue and maintains impressive customer retention rate to start 2014 on a positive note POTTSVILLE, Pa., Jan.
- To befool; deceive; balk; jilt.
- An illusion; a trick; a cheat.


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TheRecorderNews: Sowing seeds of education: Hawlemont's agriculture-based curriculum gets going whole-hog. (link) (link)
GreenfieldPD: September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Please visit (link) to... (link)
UMassAmherst: Amazon won't have Res Hall delivery this weekend. Choose Amazon@UMass as shipping address to pick up in Campus Center (link)
SportsRecorder: RT @BobMcGovernJr: Judge Berman has issued at least eight orders in non-#Deflategate cases today. Say what you will, but the man is working.
UMassAmherst: Traffic will be rerouted on several roads at UMass Amherst during move-in, Fri 9/4 - Sun 9/6. (link) (link)


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Mahindra REVA makes the connected car a reality with IoT connectivity from Vodafone
Bangalore-based Mahindra REVA is a pioneer of electric vehicle technologies and one of the most experienced electric vehicle manufacturers in the world. After coming up with the concept for a new breed of ‘connected’ car – enabling owners and service teams to remotely access various features and functions of their vehicle – it needed to find a reliable way to deliver data connectivity to vehicles across India and around the world.
Vodafone has helped Mahindra REVA make its vision a reality – providing secure managed connectivity between the cars via its Internet of Things network.
Reliable IoT connectivity enables drivers to access various features of their vehicle remotely using a smartphone app or a dedicated webpage
Owners can check the state of charge in the battery of their car, control its air-conditioning, lock or unlock doors, find the nearest charging station and use many other innovative features
Mahindra REVA’s connected car – the e2o - also automatically provides SMS alerts when a door is left unlocked, a parking brake is not applied or a charging point fault
In addition Mahindra REVA service teams use the IoT platform to monitor a vehicle’s condition and proactively warn drivers when issues are likely to arise
Overall the partnership has helped Mahindra REVA to move one step ahead of its competition, while Vodafone’s global footprint will provide support for international expansion plans
"Overall it was a great example of collaborative working between two companies with a similar vision of global innovation."
General Manager Mobility Solutions and Business Development, Mahindra REVA Electric Vehicles


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Last year when the clock struck 12 at midnight proclaiming the start of the first day of July, the Indian Parliament in a special joint session formally announced the country’s move towards a unified tax regime in the form of the Goods and Service Tax (GST). The finance minister had warned about teething troubles in the beginning but the shoddy implementation made it a headache for businesses, small and big. At the completion of one of year of GST, it is time to review the impact it had on the economy and what more can be expected in the time to come.
Inflation: The new tax subsumed a lot of older ones like excise duty and state VAT which for most items added up to almost 25% while about 50% of the articles fall under the 18% tax slab now.
Widening Tax Base: A large number of businesses applying for GST registration in India during this period suggests that the complete digitisation of the process has helped in formalisation of the economy helping in a drop in tax evasion rates while bringing more number of people under GST’s ambit.
Unified Taxation: Finally there was a single tax applicable on a particular item in every state of the nation and with checkposts vanishing from every state border, it helped corporations in organizing their distribution network.
Weak IT Infrastructure: The critics as well the supporters of the system agree on one point after the completion of one year of GST that a process touted as completely paperless had such a frail information technology system which made the whole compliance procedure a headache for everyone involved.
Cumbersome Claims and Refunds: The three stage process of claiming input tax credits every month has not been smooth and similarly the Integrated GST refund procedure is also quite time consuming resulting in slow functioning and reduced efficiency of businesses.
Unhelpful Cesses: Numerous taxes were scrapped with the advent of this new system but the purpose was somewhat defeated with the introduction of new levies and surcharges in the form of cess especially on luxury and sin goods. There are indications that a cess on sugar may be brought while automobiles have already been included.
Lesser Tax Slabs: The Prime Minister has ruled out a single slab by saying that milk and Mercedes cannot be taxed at the same rate,but there is a case for merging of slabs and reducing their number to two. There is also the case for reducing the maximum tax for quite a few goods.
Broadening of the ambit: There are many products which are still not under the new system’s purview and some important items like electricity and petroleum products like petrol, diesel and kerosene should be brought under the GST umbrella.
Easy Returns Filing Process: A new and better procedure for filing of returns is being expected to roll out in the next few months and it will bring much needed relief to entrepreneurs by easing compliance.
At the completion of one year of GST, it can be said that though the various processes associated with the new taxation system are still evolving, the benefits outnumber the drawbacks but constant improvement is needed to make it a really advantageous proposition for consumers as well as businesses.


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Nissan Motor reported a 671 billion yen ($6.2bn / Dh22.8bn) net loss for the latest fiscal year and unveiled a plan to turn the carmaker around by eliminating about 300bn yen in annual fixed costs, cutting capacity and reducing the number of car models.
The result – the biggest loss in two decades – includes restructuring charges, the Yokohama-based company said in a statement Thursday. The car maker didn’t issue a forecast for the current fiscal year, citing uncertainty over the business because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The four-year plan calls for more drastic measures to turn the manufacturer around by cutting marketing, research and other costs. The company will make fewer models, less than 55 from the current 69, while cutting production capacity by 20 per cent to about 5.4 million vehicles per year. Nissan said it intends to close its Barcelona plant, in addition to the one it is planning to shutter in Indonesia.
The restructuring plan is part of a broader push by Nissan and alliance partners Renault and Mitsubishi Motors to focus on costs and profitability to weather a collapse in car demand due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Nissan has been in turmoil since the November 2018 arrest of former chairman Carlos Ghosn, who had pushed for volume growth. This all comes as the industry is being disrupted by the shift to electric vehicles and autonomous driving.
Sales fell 15 per cent to 9.9 trillion yen. Shares of Nissan have slumped 29 per cent this year, outpacing the declines by competitors Toyota and Honda.
As part of the three-way alliance, Nissan is focusing on its main markets of the US, Japan and China. Among the three regions, China is a bright spot as its economy sputters back to life after shutting down in the early days of the virus outbreak. Nissan’s sales volume in China climbed 1.1 per cent to 122,846 vehicles in April, helping it claw back some market share, figures showed earlier this month.
Nissan said it has “sufficient liquidity to steer through this challenging business environment”, with cash and cash equivalents of 1.5tn yen and access to about 1.3tn yen in credit.


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It's been a tough week for the Made In Chelsea star, but she's determined to bounce back
There was resounding sadness in the LOOK office last week, when Millie Mackintosh announced she would be closing her self-titled fashion range. The business, Cammac, will be liquidated after it was revealed the label owes £584K, with Millie personally losing £178K.
Announcing the closure on Instagram, Millie revealed the business had struggled with the current financial climate, saying: ‘[It] has proved immensely challenging and the business is no longer sustainable.’
We imagine it’s a rather gloomy time for Millie, 28, but despite the news, a source speaking exclusively to LOOK has revealed that she’s in positive spirits, determined to focus on projects and endorsements set for the following year.
She’s also getting married to former Made In Chelsea co-star Hugo Taylor, 31, and throwing herself into planning the wedding.
‘Millie is devastated that her business has gone bust – but she allowed herself a couple of days to feel sorry for herself and is now vowing to come out fighting and get her life and career back on track,’ explains a friend.
There are apparently three endorsement offers on the table for the star and last year, Millie launched her first beauty line with Boots, which is set to continue. Our insider reveals she’s been hard at work on the next range, with new products set to drop in September.
There are rumours the former reality star is liquidating the business, only to be starting another one, but LOOK can reveal this isn’t the case.
‘Millie is not about to launch a new fashion label,’ her agent told us exclusively.
We think there could be a potential move into fitness this year, though. ‘Millie’s been spending lots of time in the gym, which has helped her stay in a positive and motivated head space,’ says a close pal.
‘Hugo has played a big part in lifting her spirits, too. Planning the wedding has been a great distraction and has been her salvation through all of this.’
We’re truly gutted for Millie, but we know she’ll make a brilliant comeback. In the meantime, it seems the wedding countdown is officially on…
For more on Millie Mackintosh, pick up this week’s issue of LOOK.


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Contis Group, one of Europe’s leading e-money institutions, has posted impressive year-end growth figures following a period of corporate expansion and diversification, supported by continued demand from the growing global prepaid market and the addition of new products and services.
The company has built upon its platform and licensing developments in 2012, which gave Contis total end-to-end ownership of all implementation and programme management processes including an E-Money License covering all EU states and Principal Membership of Visa, to successfully position its flagship divisions. Firstly, the company’s e-money current account, Visa debit and rewards programme, credEcard, has continued to contract credit unions, housing associations and other welfare support providers as they move to support their members with ethical financial services.
Recently, Contis launched its new flagship brand, The Gift & Loyalty Company to develop Contis’ successful activities in the closed and open gift card sector into an internationally positioned brand, dedicated to the development of disruptive gifting solutions in the changing world of retail, travel and entertainment. Finally, Contis Financial Services has demonstrated significant contract wins and growth demand for its white label Visa products, with projects such as its Visa prepaid debit card in partnership with the Latvian National Airline, airBaltic, prepaid current account Ffrees and international haulage company TCS Ltd which have all delivered significant revenues since launch.
These factors have seen Contis grow its annualised monthly recurring revenue at a compound annual growth rate of 202% between June 2012 and March 2014. Expansion in the total number of prepaid accounts operating on Contis’ platform by 385% between June 2013 and March 2014 has contributed to this overall growth, in addition to the number of monthly prepaid transactions rocketing by 339% between January 2013 and March 2014. With year on year revenue having grown 93% for financial year 2014, management is forecasting further growth of 147% for financial year ending March 2015.
Peter Cox, Executive Chairman of Contis Group, comments: “We have an aggressive growth plan for the next five years which includes further expansion in the UK and Eastern Europe, following the launch of our Baltic HQ in Latvia. This activity will focus on Scandinavia, the Baltics and the CIS region where there is a proven demand for our bank-like card-based solution. Through our in-house development team we are continuing to deliver innovative products and services across a range of vertical markets and to further refine our current financial services offering which continues to demonstrate its ability to deliver the services associated with traditional banking to people across Europe.
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“This aggressive growth will require additional funding and we are working to secure a significant capital inflow which will place us in an even stronger position to take advantage of the rapidly growing prepaid sector and the ground swell of opportunities being presented to the Group.”
According to Capgemini, the prepaid card market is one of the fastest growing non-cash payment markets in the world with global, open loop prepaid card transaction volume growing at a 20%+ compound annual growth and is expected to reach 16.9 billion in 2014. The Boston Consulting Group expects the global prepaid market to reach $840 billion by 2017, with Europe expected to represent $156 billion.


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Find Out Why This Guy Made Over 500 Trips To The Grocery Store (Hint: He's Not Shopping For Himself!)
He started helping seniors in his community during the Covid-19 pandemic. Now he's making a whole new career out of it.
As people begin to return to their normal lives after coronavirus restrictions ease in cities all over the country, some folks are emerging from the lockdown with new goals, new careers and a forever-altered outlook on life.
George Dailey is one of those people.
When a stay-at-home order in Dailey's hometown of East Windsor, NJ forced his frame shop to close, he wasn't sure what he was going to do. Thankfully, Dailey has a second job delivering newspapers, so he was able to keep making an income.
Dailey and his family have made over 500 trips to the grocery store to shop and deliver food to seniors. Erin Dailey
Typically, Dailey throws the papers in the front yards or driveways of people along his route. However, when an elderly woman asked him to toss the paper closer to her door so that she could get to it more easily, it made him think.
"If she can't walk 20 feet to get her newspaper, how is she getting groceries?'" Dailey told CNN. "So, I called her and asked if she needed anything."
The woman graciously accepted his offer and asked if he minded picking up some items for her neighbor, who is also elderly and was nervous about going to the grocery store.
Dailey is careful to follow the proper social distance precautions when taking orders from his customers and making his deliveries. Screenshot: CNN
Once Dailey dropped off the groceries and saw how grateful they were for his help, he got an idea.
"I deliver (newspapers) to 450 customers who live in senior developments," Dailey said. "These are two people who live within a hundred feet of each other who can't get out to get groceries. What about the rest of them?"
So, Dailey typed up a note and stuck it in with the newspapers for his next round of deliveries.
Dailey included a note for his 800+ customers to contact him if they needed help getting essential items during the Covid-19 pandemic. Kazan Today/Facebook
The note read: "I understand during these trying times it is difficult for some to get out of their house to get everyday necessities. I would like to offer my services free of charge to anyone who needs groceries, household products, etc."
Dailey left his phone number and email address, and within hours he received over a dozen requests. Soon, Dailey's family stepped in to help him with the shopping trips and his daughter created a spreadsheet to keep track of the orders, which average between five to ten per day.
Since Dailey started the project, he's taken over 500 orders and him and his family haven't taken a day off except for Easter Sunday.
Dailey shops for groceries with his family while wearing masks.Erin Dailey
But, for Dailey, the reactions from the people he's helping makes all of the hard work worthwhile.
"Some of them, honestly, want to talk. They're lonely. Others just stand behind their door and give me the prayer hands," he said. "It just melts your heart. The interaction just eliminates me being tired. It lifts you up and gives you energy because they're so grateful."
Dailey's customers are always happy to say him and say that he has been a lifesaver during the pandemic. Erin Dailey
Dailey plans to re-open his frame shop now that coronavirus restrictions have eased in his county, however his work helping the senior community is far from over.
Along with continuing with the shopping trips, Dailey recently joined Love-A-Senior, a Florida-based organization that helps senior citizens, and has agreed to open a New Jersey chapter of the group.
As for his regulars, who he has come to know pretty well over the last few months, the bonds they've made are priceless.
"I honestly can't wait to give these people a hug," he said.


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Both the alloy and oxide markets in the second week of January were at prices last seen in July 2018.
Moreover, there has been an abundance of spot ferro-molybdenum available since the past quarter, as well as lower oxide prices.
Lower prices in Asian regions such as China and South Korea have also influenced price movements in the West, with Chinese prices already showing signs of being weaker in the near term.
The price of ferro-molybdenum, basis 65%, dropped to $26.80-27.00 per kg, in-warehouse Rotterdam, on Wednesday January 9, down by $1 per kg from the preceding Friday. Offer...


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Riyadh & Jeddah face hospitality performance headwinds
Knight Frank has released the Riyadh and Jeddah Hospitality Market Review, Winter 2017 edition. The report provides insights on current market trends alongside commentary on the outlook of both markets.
The hospitality markets in Jeddah and Riyadh have faced headwinds in terms of performance throughout the first half of 2017, attributable to economic conditions and recent additions to supply.
The Kingdom’s hospitality sector is likely to see an increase in Saudi-national participation in light of the recent regulatory changes to residency and dependent fees. In the short to medium term, the tourism industry is anticipated to be a major source of employment for young Saudis with an additional 375,000 hospitality related jobs anticipated by 2020.
In both cities the supply composition remains heavily imbalanced in favour of five star hotel developments, which indicates that there are significant opportunities for developers in the quality midscale segment over the coming years.
Given the opacity of the market, financial forecasting is often challenging, particularly in Jeddah in which project delays are systemic.
Leisure related initiatives such as ‘Entertainment City’ will help to present the Kingdom as a more leisure friendly destination and diversify the existing demand base.


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Facebook is increasingly looking like a real media company.
The social media giant hired the former leader of BuzzFeed Studios, Matthew Henick, to lead Facebook’s video and content strategy and planning, as well as Mike Bidgoli, former head of advertising product at Pinterest, to lead Facebook Watch, the six-month-old streaming service that Facebook put out last year to fill a void in its product mix. Henick and Bidgoli announced their new jobs on social media on Monday.
One of the two new hires’ immediate challenges will be to figure out a clear roadmap for Watch, which has yet to make a compelling case in the crowded streaming business dominated by Netflix and Amazon.
Ricky Van Veen, Facebook’s head of global creative strategy, said recently that Facebook wasn’t planning to compete with Netflix and Amazon in prestige hour-long dramas but would instead focus on leveraging its social user base for a competitive edge.
For example, one of Watch’s unique offerings is real-time audience interaction with show creators. For each show streaming on the platform, there is a dedicated chat group for fans to share their thoughts.
Industry observers would agree with this vision.
“Consumers want Facebook to do a better job of integrating relevant and engaging content, based on their profile, into their individual news feed—else it becomes like broadcast TV where viewers are treated to an onslaught of video commercials, many of which have no relevance,” Jim Fosina, CEO of Fosina Marketing Group, told Observer in January.
Identifying video as the fastest-growing sector of content consumption, Facebook began fine-turning user experience for its existing video products in 2016, adding new features such as group video chat in FB Messenger, “video for TV” apps, and automatically minimizing video windows while users scroll for other content (similar to YouTube).
Soon after, Facebook introduced Live in April 2016 and Watch in 2017 to expand its video portfolio.
“I’ve always thought of Facebook as a storytelling platform at its core—every status update, every photo, every ‘it’s complicated’ has a story to tell,” Henick wrote in a Facebook post on Monday.
Henick has a track record of producing original content for a millennial audience using the platform’s existing assets.
During his four years at BuzzFeed Studios, he led the development of Brother Orange, a film adaptation of a writing series on BuzzFeed by editor Matt Stopera, and What Happened to…Jessica Chambers, a documentary series based on the reporting by Katie J.M. Baker about the mysterious death of Mississippi teen Jessica Chambers.
“The future of storytelling is social. As media learns to wield the advantages of the digital world, a completely new video experience is emerging on mobile, with a potential for social and interactivity that we’re only beginning to tap. It resists silos like ‘first’ and ‘second screens.’ I think everyone in the world should be able to touch this experience—whether they want to consume it, create for it or even monetize it — in a singular, unified way. Facebook is in an amazing position to offer that,” Henick wrote.
“The broader media space is going through an unprecedented transformation as creators have more opportunities to produce incredible content and to deliver this content to viewers through new means enabled by mobile broadband and new platforms. Facebook will play a huge part in unlocking this creative energy and connecting creators with their fan communities,” Bidgoli wrote in a Medium post on Monday.


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January stats are in… According to a report in CBC News, the average price of a home sold in Canada on MLS was $328,537. This is up by 19.6% from January 2009. But sales seemed to taper off from December’s record high by declining 2.8%. The supply of homes for sale is also down around 18% with 170,000 homes listed for sale on MLS.
It’s amazing how statistics can be tossed around and can be manipulated or misunderstood… If you look deeper, you will see that 2009 started off very rough for house sales as the U.S. Mortgage crisis was just starting to take it’s effect… but then as we approached May and June, interest rates dropped and house sales started to increase…. A sort of pent-up demand was being fulfilled.
Watch for a traditional Spring market with good resale figures as buyers take action to benefit from record low interest rates and before the new HST comes in effect this summer.


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Fans of a popular vintage shop and café in Cleethorpes have spoken of their sadness after the owners announced it would close its doors for good later this month.
Maranta, in Highgate, will welcome customers for the final time on Friday, December 23. "It's with a heavy heart that we say this, but we will be closing the doors (and website) at Maranta for the final time," staff at the quirky homeware store said.
Customers will be hoping it is not quite the end, however, after the owners hinted at "new challenges and adventures" ahead. "Watch this space," they added.
Taking to their Facebook page to announce the news, staff at Maranta said they had been "absolutely blown away" by the support from local people since it first opened in 2020. The owners wrote: "Hey babes. We have some news. It's with a heavy heart that we say this, but we will be closing the doors (and website) at Maranta for the final time on Friday 23rd December.
"The last couple of years have been absolutely incredible, but the time has come for us to take on some new challenges and adventures!"
They continued: ""We've been absolutely blown away by the support from everyone locally and have met some incredible people... many of them we're now lucky enough to call friends! We're so thankful for each and every one of you that's walked through the door and for every purchase anyone has ever made.
"We've had an absolute blast and hope you all have too! So, I guess what we're saying is… come and hang out with us whilst you still can!"
Hinting at a new venture, the owners added: "And lastly, don't unfollow us just yet. You're probably still going to be interested - watch this space!"
Customers wished the owners well. "That’s really sad!" wrote Sarah Woodward. "Good luck with your next adventure!"
Danny Booth said: "Sad times, but excited to see what the future has in store." Vanessa added: "Oh no, we popped in at the weekend again and agreed you serve the best coffee! Good luck for whatever you do next."
Grimsby Live has contacted Maranta for further comment.


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BEIJING, China –A dehumidifier recall has been made by the Midea Company. Midea is recalling several dehumidifiers due to a serious fire and burn hazard.
So far, the company has received 38 reports of smoke and fire totaling in about $4.8 million in property damage. No injuries have been reported.
The dehumidifiers were sold at Lowes, Menards, PC Richard and other stores nationwide from January 2003 through December 2013 for between $100 and $300. To determine if your dehumidifier has been recalled, enter the model number at https://www.recallrtr.com/dehumidifier.
If you have one of the recalled dehumidifiers, you should immediately turn it off and unplug it. Then contact GD Midea for either a replacement unit or a partial refund. Consumers whose dehumidifiers were manufactured before October 1, 2008 will receive a partial refund, not a replacement. The manufacturing dates can be found on the back of the units.
You can contact GD Midea at 800-600-3055 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT Monday through Friday or online at www.midea.com/us/ and click on Product Recall for more information.


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The annual NRN Power List is the definitive list of people setting foodservice trends today and shaping them for tomorrow. See the full list >>
Dawn Sweeney, president and CEO, National Restaurant Association
As president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association for the last decade, Sweeney has championed its efforts to advance policy issues on behalf of the restaurant industry and overseen the development and rollout of products and services promoting the industry.
In addition, Sweeney has led the association’s Educational Foundation, which is focused on developing a strong workforce and fostering the next generation of industry leaders.
The NRAEF has rolled out an apprentice program in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor that focuses on the managerial aspect of the restaurant industry. The program currently has a 94 percent retention rate.
Sweeney, a major advocate for gender diversity, is also working to ensure more of those leaders are women. At the 2018 Women’s Foodservice Forum last March, Sweeney said “If we can move the needle in this industry, we can change, quite literally, the whole employment world.”
Her efforts have been widely recognized, most recently by The Penn State School of Hospitality and Penn State Hotel & Restaurant Society, which recently named Sweeney 2019 Hospitality Executive of the Year.
This year the National Restaurant Association is celebrating its 100th anniversary with a bang.
Among the notable changes planned: Sweeney has said the 2019 NRA Show in Chicago, the anchor event of the association’s centennial celebration, will be less of a traditional trade show and more of a unique experience.


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Los Angeles A new survey by PriceGrabber.com, a division of Experian, has found that new holiday shopping behaviors will emerge from the downturn.
The survey, Holiday Forecast Consumer Behavior Report, released on Monday found that 70% of consumers are researching and comparison-shopping online. That compares with 38% last year
Consumers are shortening their gift-giving lists, deleting acquaintances (57%) and coworkers (53%).
Other findings include: 53% of consumers plan to spend less this holiday season. Of those who are planning to spend less this year, 48% said that one of the reasons that they are spending less is due to an increase in prices (necessities, gas, etc.); 45% cite lack of confidence in the e


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Or at least that’s the way it seems these days. As a recent Slate article points out, no new consumer privacy legislation has been passed by United States Congress since 2009 (yes, that is 6 years). And in response, many advocates are focusing their efforts on the state level where more seems to be getting accomplished.
The article focuses on the alarming lack of legislation surrounding invasive facial recognition technology, and recent frustrations among consumer privacy advocates attempting to propose guidelines. We wholeheartedly agree that there needs to be more consumer privacy legislation as this technology continues to proliferate, but what we found particularity salient about the article was its suggestion of turning to state government to enact change. As stated by Alvaro M. Bedoya in the article:
“There is hope—in state government. While Congress may have passed zero new consumer privacy laws since 2009, the state of California alone passed more than two dozen. California is not alone. More and more, it’s state legislators and state attorneys general who are taking the lead in creating and enforcing cutting-edge consumer privacy protections. People who care about their privacy would do well to reorient their efforts away from Washington, and toward their state capitols.”
While we’d never suggest anyone abandon the fight in Washington, we agree that focusing on the state level is a good idea. Texas, for example, is leading the charge in protecting online privacy and passed an email privacy bill. Golden Frog frequently conducts efforts on the state level, and recently testified about privacy issues in front of the Texas House subcommittee.


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Insights on digital supply chain transformation
Controlant works with global pharmaceutical companies to streamline digital processes to one system across multiple manufacturing sites, helping companies transform the logistical side of their operations with single-source-of-truth visibility.
Dino Liquito, Global PM at Roche, and Gísli Herjólfsson, CEO Controlant, presented at LogiPharma EU 2023 and explained how the two companies have collaborated to extract maximum value from automating the product release process. They illustrated a value case from Intelligent Automation of product release processes – achieving 99.5% release of products with zero human intervention – and a 97% reduction in average release times.
Watch this fireside chat with Tomas Fant, Pfizer’s Head of Temperature Controlled Logistics Projects, and Martin Thaysen, CCO at Controlant, at the LogiPharma EU 2023 event.
Moore than five billion doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine have been administered around the world, with Controlant’s Cold Chain as a Service® solution helping to achieve a 99.99% successful delivery rate.
Distica is the premier logistics, warehousing, and distribution firm that handles pharmaceuticals, life sciences, and medical products to hospitals, pharmacies, and health clinics throughout Iceland.


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Monday, September 16, 2013, 03:17 pm PT (06:17 pm ET)
iPhone 5c cases already showing up for some pre-order customersAhead of this week's launch of the iPhone 5c, some customers who pre-ordered the device are finding that their colorful phone covers are arriving just a bit ahead of time.
Apple's silicon-rubber iPhone 5c cases are an integral part in how the company is marketing the lower-cost model, and iLounge reports that some customers are already seeing pre-ordered cases arriving. Apple has been heavily pushing the first-party covers as a way of allowing users to further differentiate their colorful new iPhones.
The 5c case retails for $29 on Apple's site. Its design allows for easy access to all of the iPhone 5c's controls, including the sleep/wake button and volume buttons. The main feature of the case is an essentially polka-dotted section that allows the color of the actual iPhone 5c unit to show through. In total, there are 30 possible phone-cover color combinations.
iPhone 5c cases are now showing a shipping lead time of 1-2 weeks on the U.S. Apple Store. The iPhone 5c, along with the iPhone 5s, will launch on Sept. 20.
On Topic: iPhone
- CVS joins Rite Aid in blocking Apple Pay in "CurrentC" plan to collect more customer data
- Sprint expands 'iPhone for Life' plans with new 12-month lease option
- Nearly half of Gazelle's early iPhone upgrades ordered Apple's larger, more expensive iPhone 6 Plus
- Amazon Rewards Visa Card adds support for Apple Pay
- iPhone 6 Plus users report persistent unexplained crashing issues, possibly tied to large app libraries


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The loot box controversy continues to circulate, with legislators now calling for loot boxes to be considered as part of the ESRB’s rating system.
United States senator from New Hampshire, Maggie Hassan, recently submitted a letter to the ESRB president Patricia Vance, urging the agency to “denote when loot boxes are utilized in physical copies of electronic games,” and consider them when determining a game’s rating. The senator’s full letter can be read below.
Dear Ms. Vance:
I write to today regarding an important gaming issue that was recently brought to my attention by a constituent.
The Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) has an important mission in both providing parents with the necessary information to make decisions about the suitability of games, and their content, for children, as well as ensuring that the industry is following responsible marketing practices.
The ESRB rating system is of great value to parents across the country, empowering parents to make informed decisions on behalf of their children. As technology advances, ESRB must work to keep pace with new gaming trends, including the in-game micro-transactions and predatory gaming tactics, particularly as they are deployed on minors.
The prevalence of in-game micro-transactions, often referred to as ‘loot boxes,’ raises several concerns surrounding the use of psychological principles and enticing mechanics that closely mirror those often found in casinos and games of chance. The potential for harm is real. Recently the World Health Organization classified “gaming disorder” as a unique condition in its recent draft revision of the 11th International Classification of Diseases. While there is robust debate over whether loot boxes should be considered gambling, the fact that they are both expensive habits and use similar psychological principles suggest loot boxes should be treated with extra scrutiny. At minimum, the rating system should denote when loot boxes are utilized in physical copies of electronic games.
To that end, I respectfully urge the ESRB to review the completeness of the board’s ratings process and policies as they relate to loot boxes, and to take into account the potential harm these types of micro-transactions may have on children. I also urge the board to examine whether the design and marketing approach to loot boxes in games geared toward children is being conducted in an ethical and transparent way that adequately protects the developing minds of young children from predatory practices.
Further, I urge the ESRB to consider working with the relevant stakeholders—including parents—to collect and publish data on how developers are using loot boxes, how widespread their use is, and how much money players spend on them.
Finally, I ask that you develop best practices for developers, such as ethical design, tools for parents to disable these mechanisms, or making them less essential to core gameplay.
Following an inquiry by PC Gamer regarding the letter, an ESRB spokesperson offered the following statement:
We received Senator Hassan’s letter and appreciate her confidence in and support of the ESRB rating system. For more than two decades we have earned the trust of parents around the country by helping them make informed decisions about the games their children play. As the industry evolves, so does our rating system, and we will continue to make enhancements to ensure parents continue to be well-informed. We will also continue to provide information about additional tools, including parental control guides, that help parents set spending and time limits and block potentially inappropriate games based on the ESRB-assigned age rating.
The senator also used a Q&A session with FTC (Federal Trade Commission) commissioner nominees to suggest that the government should get directly involved with the issue if the ESRB fails to answer the call. The senator’s primary question to the nominees is transcribed below, followed by a video of the address, as posted to the senator’s YouTube channel.
“Do you agree that children being addicted to gaming, and activities like loot boxes that might make them more susceptible to addiction, is a problem that merits our attention? And, depending on how the ESRB responds to my inquiry, would the FTC be willing to look at loot boxes as an issue independently?”
All nominees the senator addressed agreed to look into the issue further.
Senator Hassan isn’t the first legislator to recently take action against loot boxes and the possible risks they pose. Hawaiian lawmakers detailed intentions to draft a bill against the predatory state of loot boxes late last year, which more recently took the form of bills that would ban the sale of games that use loot boxes to anyone under the age of 21, as reported by Ars Technica.
While popularized by the mobile games market at first, loot boxes have become increasingly more predominate in mainstream gaming over recent years. As of November 2017, the mild tensions loot boxes formed between gamer and publisher boiled over when Electronic Arts’ Star Wars Battlefront II featured a wildly imbalanced monetization system that gave players a competitive advantage for spending more money on loot boxes. The ability to pay for loot boxes was removed from the game before launch, but EA recently announced that it intends to bring them back with unspecified changes.
Source: PC Gamer


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India Yamaha Motor today became the latest OEM to launch BS VI-compliant motorcycles, five months ahead of the new emission norm kicking in. The first Yamaha motorcycles to mark the upgrade to BS VI are the 149cc FZ-F1 and the FZS-F1 priced at Rs 99,200 and Rs 102,700 respectively. Other Yamaha two-wheelers, starting with the 150cc bikes, will join the BS VI product line-up in the near future.
The new FZ-FI and FZS-FI are powered by the same 149cc Blue Core engine which develops 12.4 PS of maximum power and 13.6 Nm torque. Both are equipped with a single-channel ABS in the front wheel and front and rear disc brakes along with an LCD instrument cluster and a single-piece, two-level seat.
Motofumi Shitara, chairman, Yamaha Motor India Group of Companies, said, “The BS VI-compliant FZ motorcycles will be available across Yamaha showrooms from November. FZ is an iconic brand and many this popularity was of concern to the company while planning for its BS VI variant. Yamaha strived for optimum cost control and achieved to peg it around 2.5 percent higher. The new BS VI models in 150cc are also expected to yield Yamaha’s strong presence in the deluxe class two-wheeler category.”
The new FZ-FI and FZS-FI with ABS were first introduced in India in January 2019, alittle after Yamaha had rolled out the 'The Call of the Blue' brand campaign.
In the April-September 2019 period, Yamaha Motor India has sold a total of 326,957 units, which constitutes a sales decline of 23 percent year on year. This gives it a two-wheeler market share of 3.37 percent at present. It has 5.05 percent of the scooter market (157,483) and 2.71 percent of the motorcycle market (169,474).


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Lack of business model for public charge stations stimying buildout
Electric cars like the Nissan LEAF and the Chevy Volt will start hitting showroom floors this fall and there is a considerable amount of talk--and even some concern--about where exactly we will be in terms of building-out the charging infrastructure needed to keep those zero-emissions vehicles up and humming. With travel range on most passenger electric vehicles (EVs) somewhere near 100 miles per charge, potential buyers want to be assured they will not only be able to charge at home, but also when they're on the road.
While several factors have slowed the buildout of the charging infrastructure thus far, a new report published last week by the cleantech market research firm Pike Research, suggests there will be some serious catching up over the next five years with the addition of nearly five million new EV charge points.
The report,"Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment", estimated that there will be 4.7 million residential, public, private and workplace charging stations installed during the period from 2010 to 2015. And in the U.S., there will likely be almost 1 million charging stations by 2015.
“The success of hybrid vehicles in the 2000s gave drivers a taste for propulsion by electric power,” says senior analyst John Gartner, “and governments around the world are now highly focused on creating the charging infrastructure to support the arrival of EVs in significant numbers.”
Pike's forecast of 4.7 million charge stations was downgraded from their 2009 figure of 5 million charge points installed between 2010 and 2015, due to a dip in projected rate of sales for EVs, and a continued lack of a clear business model for public charging stations.
“The economics of selling a few kilowatt hours per charge are very challenging," said Pike analyst Gartner. "Public charging station deployments will be driven mainly by government initiatives over the next several years.”
The report also found that the market for EV charging equipment is likely to become increasingly crowded by the end of next year as tech firms like GE, Panasonic, Samsung, and Siemens jump into the EV charger sector. The moves will put more pressure on niche players like Better Place, Coulomb, ECOtality to push ahead with their plans of developing charging networks in the U.S. and Australia and Europe.
Hat tip: cnet


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We’re probably just hours away from the full set of the official BMW X1 photos hitting the web, but in the mean time, the BMW marketing machine released some “teaser” photos of the X1 on their Facebook page.
As a refresher, with the X1, BMW offers a new perspective as a compact premium Sport Activity Vehicle. It will be oriented towards younger BMW fans and most important, as an urban vehicle. Even though initially there were no plans to release the car in the U.S., sources close to BMW speak of the possibility of seeing this car sometimes next year.
BMW is going for a broad reach with the X1, which will come with the option of three petrol and three diesel engines from the outset. The petrol engines include two 2.0-liter models with 141 horsepower and 168 horsepower, and a 254 horsepower 3.0-liter six-cylinder unit. On the diesel side there will be three of 2.0-liter common rail fours producing 141 horsepower, 175 horsepower and 201 horsepower.
The first models will feature the BMW xDrive system, but in the future, a rear-wheel drive option will be offered as well.
Stay tuned for more photos and information!


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Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo’s CEO for the past 12 years, will be stepping down from her post on Oct. 3. But she will still be the chairwoman of the company’s board of directors until early 2019, CNN reported.
Indra Nooyi grew up in a middle-class household in India. She has been with the company for 24 years. She previously worked with Mettur Beardsell, Johnson & Johnson and Boston Consulting Group before joining PepsiCo in 1994, where she initially served as Senior Vice President for Strategic Planning until 1996.
She then became Senior Vice President for Corporate Strategy and Development from 1996 to 2000. After that, she was named as Chief Financial Officer and managed to help the company with its acquisitions, including Quaker Oats’ purchase. She was then named as President and CEO in 2006, becoming one of the few women leading Fortune 500 companies.
Pepsi’s global operations chief, Ramon Laguarta, will replace Nooyi as PepsiCo’s CEO. Laguarta was previously appointed as PepsiCo Europe’s CEO in 2014. He eventually moved to the U.S. in 2017 and was appointed as PepsiCo’s president. Nooyi believes that Laguarta is “exactly the right person to build on our success.”
PepsiCo is a food and beverage company and is the parent company of several brands such as Pepsi, Tropicana, Gatorade, Quaker and Frito-Lay. It operates in different business segments — Frito-Lay North America (FLNA), Quaker Foods North America (QFNA), North America Beverages (NAB), Latin America, Europe Sub-Saharan Africa (ESSA), and Asia, Middle East and North Africa (AMENA).
During Nooyi’s 12-year tenure, she managed to help with the company’s growth especially in Q2 2018. She also led its shift to a more environment-friendly direction. In fact, PepsiCo launched a 100 percent plant-based PET bottle in 2012. According to company filings, she earned $31 million in the past year.
Apart from being CEO, she is an independent director of the International Cricket Council, the chairwoman of U.S.-India Business Council and a member of Board of Trustees of World Economic Forum, among others. She was also part of Trump’s business council in 2016 but remained open about her stand on violence in the U.S.
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MANGALORE: The Government should provide relief to consumers by reducing sales tax on petrol and diesel, Dakshina Kannada District Youth Congress president Bondala Jagannath Shetty said here on Wednesday.
Addressing presspersons, he said the price rise was an inevitable result of international market pressures. But reducing sales tax would take away some burden from consumers. Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra had reduced sales tax on petroleum products, especially diesel, he said.
But here, although the tax component on the price of petroleum products was as high as Rs. 22.65 for petrol and Rs. 13.37 for diesel, the Government had not done anything about it. "The Government should reduce sales tax,'' he said.
Referring to an announcement made by Deputy Chief Minister that Rs. 1 crore would be released for a feasibility study for a sky bus system in the city, Mr. Shetty said the Government should focus on funding the construction of a vented dam at Thumbe.


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"It's amazing how you can have a 25% decline in coffee - pet food wasn't that good either," Cramer said, referring to Smuckers.
Watch all of Jim Cramer's latest videos, right here:
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Behold the futurists among us, for they have hope.
They see a world where the IEEE 802.11n standard is ingrained in all portable communications devices, and allows "Warp Factor 5 Mr. Sulu" communications.
Well, maybe not Warp Factor 5, but 540 MB a second- more than 100 times faster than 802.11b and 10 times faster than g.
Yea, but when?
There are products out there referred to as 802.11n, but they aren't quite there yet. In fact, three weeks ago, the first 802.11n routers were placed into the pipeline by Linksys, Netgear, Buffalo Technology, Belkin, and D-link. But the fastest they can go is 300 Mbps- and that with networking, equipment and hardware infrastructure not quite ready to handle such speeds on a stupendously consistent basis.
The IEEE loves consistency, which is why the IEEE 802.11n task force has been pushing for technical standards that would bring a sense of order to this great leap forward.
Earlier this week the IEEE 11n task force failed to move forward on the initial 11n Draft 1.0 document it had approved in March with an 87% majority vote. But this week's vote didn't even get a simple majority. We're talkin' 46%.
Part of the problem is buggy pre-alphas of products based on rival builds of these 802.11n chips. That's according to NetworkWorld.com's John Cox.
"But the first products based on these early rival chips are being received with tepid reviews," he writes. A benchmark test of five MIMO (Multiple Input-Multiple Output) products in a rented home, performed by wireless consultancy The Farpoint Group, Ashland, Mass., found that the Airgo-based Linksys SRX400 access point delivered higher throughput over longer distances than four other products, one using Marvell silicon, the other three (including another Linksys product) using Broadcom."
Cox adds that according to The Farpoint Group principal Craig Mathias, interoperability among the various brands of access points and client cards was also a letdown. "In no case could we get any heterogeneous combination of the 'draft compliant' clients and [wireless] routers to connect at more than typical 11g (20-24Mbps) rates," Cox notes that Mathias wrote in the test report.


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Well, this is a new one. Google has decided to beat smartphone leakers at their own game by showing off the Pixel 4's back and camera on its own @madebygoogle Twitter account. The image shows a square-ish camera module, presumably one that will hold multiple lenses -- that'll be a first for a Pixel phone. This comes right on the heels of a leak showing a similar design.
— Made by Google (@madebygoogle) June 12, 2019
If you've paid any attention to the smartphone game in the past few years (and we're guessing the answer is yes, if you're reading this post), you know that companies like Apple, Samsung and Google have all had their fair share of trouble keeping new hardware under wraps. Google's Pixel line in particular has been widely revealed before launch -- the recent Pixel 3a and 3a XL were even out on sale at a Best Buy ahead of an official announcement last month. Last fall, meanwhile, we were able to get our hands on the Pixel 3 XL at a shop in China days before it was officially revealed. And that all happened after months of leaks ahead of time. Google getting in on the leaking game is certainly a fun way of acknowledging that if these reveals can't be stopped, it might as well have some control over it.
Meanwhile, it's also good to know that Google has seemingly decided to upgrade the optics in its next flagship phone. While the Pixel 3 featured undeniably outstanding image quality, many of Google's biggest competitors are simply able to offer different photography perspectives through the use of multiple lenses. It's exciting to imagine what Google will do combining a new optics system with its computational photography prowess -- but we're surely going to have to wait until the fall to find out.


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There have been a flurry of stories in the last week or so about Target's partnership with the online resale outfit ThredUp.
But there's probably something else you should know about it: the program ended weeks ago.
The Minneapolis-based retailer had done a modest test at 11 Twin Cities area stores that started in May where customers could pick up a "Clean Out" bag to fill with used clothes and then either drop it off at those select stores or mail it in. ThredUp would then evaluate the clothes (it is mostly interested in name-brand women's and kids clothes in good condition) and then would send customers a Target gift card for the items it wanted to resell.
If the item was listed on ThredUp's website for under $60, customers would be paid upfront. But if it was more than that, customers would only be paid back once they sold the item. The amount customers are paid back is calculated using a ThredUp formula.
While many on social media have been buzzing about Target's affiliation with the program this week, Angie Thompson, a Target spokeswoman, confirmed that the program ended at the end of September. But customers who have already picked up a bag still have until the end of November to send in their clothes and get a Target gift card, she added.
The ThredUp website was recently updated to note that the Target program has concluded.
Thompson said it is yet to be determined whether Target will resume or expand the program in the future.
"The team is still in the process of evaluating it," said Thompson. "So I don't have anything to share at this point."
But consumers who are interested in the program can still order a bag online from ThredUp and then mail it back in. Any money they get back is tranferred into store credit on ThredUp or into cash through PayPal. Customers can also use the money to donate to a cause.
ThredUp, which received 3.8 million items from sellers last year and tens of millions of funding, is one of a number of sites that has been trying to revolutionize the secondhand clothes market for the digital age.


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Last Updated on Tuesday, 13 August, 2019 at 10:58 am by Christian Keszthelyi
International energy drink Kabisa announced to enter the Maltese soft drink market and expects to be available soon in local shops, popular supermarkets, bars, cafes and restaurants across Malta and Gozo soon, according to a press statement sent to Business Malta.
The energy drink is currently available in 12 countries around the world, according to the press statement sent by Maltese company Ryan M. Camilleri Ltd, who will be the distributor of the drink. In 2018, the company announced a threefold increase in sales.
In a commitment to offer consumers high-quality products, the Maltese distributor claims to apply a careful selection of products, local entrepreneur Ryan Mark Camilleri says. “KABISA contains only natural sugar, no aspartame nor any artificial sweeteners, it is vitaminised, vegan, gluten and fat-free,” says Mr Camilleri.