text:
Todas as seções
1) Selecione na caixa 'Todas as seções' a opção desejada
2) Selecione no máximo três opções.
3) Clique na seta direcionada para a caixa 'Seções selecionadas'
4) Para desfazer a escolha selecione a opção em 'Seções selecionadas' e clique na seta direcionada para a esquerda
Mostrando de 1
Stories about Land Rover. ... This is the last Land Rover Defender. After 68 years, production ends for Britain's iconic 4x4. Land Rover · SUVs · View image of...
The last Land Rover Defender rolls off the assembly line in Solihull amid cheers, after 67 years of production.
Sep 8, 2015 ... Land Rover's armoured Sentinel can shrug off rounds from an AK-47 and survive a blast from a duffle bag full of explosives.
Nov 9, 2015 ... As promised, Land Rover has transformed its surprising 2012 concept car into an even more surprising production model. What do you think of...
Jan 28, 2015 ... Nasa's Curiosity rover gets straight back to work after a software upgrade by drilling a new test hole.
Jul 13, 2015 ... Land Rover is recalling more than 65000 cars to fix a software bug that can unlock the vehicles' doors.
Mar 30, 2015 ... Struggling to get your head around the numerous strands of Jaguar Land Rover's Special Vehicle Operations? Then try and find room in your...
Jan 20, 2016 ... Last autumn, right on schedule, diesel versions of the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport rolled into US dealerships — the first time Land...
Oct 6, 2015 ... In the four and a half years since the Range Rover Evoque debuted as a production model, I have yet to distinguish myself as one of its more...
Oct 21, 2015 ... At the risk of revealing an unnatural obsession with open-air Land Rovers, allow me to direct your attention to the vehicle on this page: a 1973...
Jan 29, 2016 ... The Land Rover Defender has emerged from the company's Solihull factory for 68 years, which means that in car years, it roughly predates the...
Sep 3, 2014 ... Meet the Land Rover Discovery Sport. It's basically the new Freelander – a car that's been around some 17 years, spanning two generations...
Jan 25, 2016 ... The last of Jaguar Land Rover's classic Defenders will roll off the production line this week, ending 68 years of production - does this mean the...
Mar 13, 2013 ... It is built around an all-aluminium, unified body shell – a first for an SUV, Land Rover claims. And the switch away from steel has resulted in a...
Aug 1, 2014 ... Instruments on the next Nasa rover will attempt to make air and fuel from the Martian atmosphere to support future human landings.
Aug 20, 2015 ... The US space agency has issued another of the "selfie" portraits acquired by the Curiosity rover on Mars. Nasa tries to make one of these...
Feb 4, 2015 ... At any other gathering of car enthusiasts, one might see buffing cloths loaned, or perhaps a spritz of glass cleaner to remove those last few...
Dec 9, 2014 ... Scientists working on Nasa's Curiosity rover think they can now explain why there is a huge mountain at the robot's landing site in Mars' Gale...
Jan 29, 2016 ... The last Land Rover Defender rolled off the production line at Solihull in the West Midlands after the company decided to replace the model...
May 20, 2015 ... Running the same 550-horsepower V8 engine as the loutish Jaguar F-type R, this SUV is as much a hot rod as it is a mud bug, Lawrence Ulrich...


text:
The brewery, at 120 Wilkinson St. on the Near West Side sells bottled beers and draft beer in to-go jugs called growlers, plus other merchandise.
There's been a demand for Sunday hours for years, said Middle Ages owner Marc Rubenstein, who founded the company with his wife, Mary, in 1995.
It was the Rubensteins' son, Isaac, who pushed for the Sunday opening when he joined the business this year.
The brewery is also open 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday and 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
Middle Ages this week started brewing its winter seasonal, Wizard's Winter Ale, which should be available by the beginning of October. It's a little more hop-oriented than in years past, Marc Rubenstein said, with a drier finish.

domain: news


text:
Last week, we introduced the 2013 Jeep® Grand Cherokee Trailhawk, which debuted as a concept vehicle for the 2012 Moab Easter Jeep Safari. Here's another special vehicle that also began as a concept for the Moab Easter Jeep Safari, but with a twist – it actually bears the region's name. For good reason – the vehicle is as rugged and versatile as the rocky, red region itself. Introducing the 2013 Jeep Wrangler Moab Special Edition.
Mike Manley, President and CEO – Jeep Brand says that the Wrangler Moab Special Edition model "take(s) our legendary Jeep capability to new heights, offering even more off-road features and performance…" such as winch-ready steel bumpers, upgraded rock rails, and an available rear-locker.
Off-road enthusiasts familiar with the trails in and around Moab, Utah, surely know what it takes to successfully crawl the legendary terrain. Well, the 2013 Jeep Wrangler Moab Special Edition has what it takes and then some. Here are some of our favorite features.
New Chrysler Uconnect Access won't need cell phones.
Two of the major trends in car connectivity are to use a connected smartphone as the vehicle's infotainment system or for access to mobile service, or include a standalone system with its own wireless access that gains additional features when connected to a smartphone. Chrysler is apparently going the latter way with the overhaul of Uconnect, partnering with Sprint to provide wireless access so that owners will no longer need to use their own phones.
Called Uconnect Access, it will move to a subscription-based format and offer two levels, both with the 8.4-inch touchscreen. R3 is loaded up with the built-in Sprint cell service and still acts as a WiFi hotspot, and has a one-touch button for assistance services and voice-recognition for several operations including texting. R4 adds HD Radio, Sirius XM Travel Link and Traffic, and an enhanced navigation mapping. Internet searches will be handled by Microsoft's Bing, and phone connectivity will extend beyond the car with owners able to lock and unlock their cars and set the climate control.
Chrysler's press release indicates that Uconnect Access will first appear in the 2013 Ram 1500 and SRT Viper. An Automotive News report says Chrysler's head of Uconnect systems and services "hasn't yet announced" if the system will come to vehicles down the range.


text:
Santa Monica Place (SMP) which has been going through remodeling since April of 2008, is now scheduled to reopen on August 6, 2010.
The opening is scheduled to coincide with the opening of the mall’s new Bloomingdale’s which will be in the site that formally housed Macy’s. The mall’s other new anchor store, Nordstrom’s will open its doors on August 27, 2010. Nordstrom’s will be located in the area that used to be Robinson’s-May.
Ann Singleton, their Vice-President of Leasing for Macerich, told the Mirror “When the mall is completed it will contain 80-100 retailers and 16 dining operations.” In addition, those retailers that are leasing spaces which are visible from the street have to go through a design review process with the City of Santa Monica’s Architectural Review Board (ARB). This process is to help ensure that these retailers design their spaces to help enhance the mall’s pedestrian orientation. Macerich intends to announce additional retailers who will be leasing space once they have completed the ARB process. Thus far, Macerich has announced 13 retailers and five restaurants that will become part of the new mall.
Bob Abtaker, Macerich’s Vice President of Development, stated that some of the mall’s tenants would begin moving into their spaces later this year. Restaurants especially need more time to customize their areas. He also mentioned that if a business decides to make changes to a space already approved by the ARB they will have to go back to them if they decide to make significant changes to their original design.
Singleton also stressed that Macerich has had a very positive response from businesses who wish to lease space at the mall despite the recession because the mall is located in a “one of a kind location, two blocks from the beach, because Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom’s will be the mall’s anchor stores, and because of the mall’s dining deck.”
The redeveloped mall will contain 550,000 square feet of leasable space distributed on three levels. Half of that space will be occupied by the anchor stores.
Macerich officials noted during the City’s Planning Commission’s review of the project that the remodel “reflects the values heard from the public.” These values were “build something of reasonable scale, create a better connection with the Third Street Promenade, include open-air views and street retail elements, develop an environmentally sound project, pay attention to traffic and parking and make retail the primary use of SMP.” Other parameters taken into account in designing the remodel were retaining the parking decks and the area housing Macy’s and that economically, the project “pencils out.”
When asked about what opening events Macerich has planned for the SMP’s reopening Macerich’s Marketing Manager Ashley Walkley responded that the “opening events are in the works.”


text:
NEW YORK: BookSwim, an online subscription book rental service, named Trylon SMR its AOR in November, handling all media relations requirements. BookSwim launched in 2007 and allows subscribers to rent as many as 11 books at a time through the mail without paying for shipping fees.
Archaeological Institute selects Trylon as AOR
NEW YORK: The Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) has selected Trylon SMR as its AOR. The firm will handle the PR efforts behind the media relations initiatives.
MeetingWave names Trylon SMR AOR
NEW YORK: MeetingWave, an online tool that facilitates offline meetings, selected Trylon SMR as its AOR. Trylon will handle media relations for the technology company.
Air America Media picks Trylon SMR as AOR
NEW YORK: Air America Media, which runs a progressive radio network with 60 national affiliates, selected Trylon SMR as its AOR in August. Trylon will handle all media relations for the company.
Theorem hires Trylon SMR
NEW YORK: Theorem, a digital and online marketing company, has hired Trylon SMR to handle its media relations.


text:
February Auto Sales Bounce 24 Per Cent To Highest-ever Gross Sales For The Month: Desrosiers
The newest sales figures, marking the 16th consecutive month of year-over-year growth, exhibits many of the challenges faced by the business at the second are beneath management, stated Andrew King, managing partner at DesRosiers, in a release. TORONTO – February auto gross sales hit an all-time excessive for the month after leaping 24.4 per cent from last yr, DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc. stated Monday. Grand Theft Auto 6 will return to Vice City — the franchise’s stand-in for Miami — which is ready inside the broader map of Leonida . The debut trailer riffs on only a Auto News few of the bizarre and wild happenings in recent Florida history, together with the “Florida Joker,” a unadorned man doing yard work, a lady twerking atop a moving car, and several run-ins with local gators. Rockstar calls it “the biggest, most immersive evolution of the Grand Theft Auto collection yet.” FinDreams said it’s going to provide safer, more dependable batteries for electric two-wheelers, after a latest lethal accident revived issues in regards to the safety of electric…
- This means that the Soft Pedestrian 360 can now be used to judge the performance of car safety techniques in all Euro..
- “Since our launch in 2016, our mission has all the time been to offer our clients a seamless and clear car-buying and promoting expertise.
- We even have a definitive information to all the electric automobiles on sale in New Zealand.
- The refreshed Tesla Model three Performance might deliver a substantially greater punch because of a new rear motor.
- Eventually, the performance vehicles may also be launched with gas-powered engines.
- On the surface, the patent filings found by AutoGuide definitely sound like sacrilege coming from a brand that prides itself on its naturally aspirated V12.


text:
Kutcher, who was just announced as Lenovo's product engineer, says in a phone interview, 'I hope to make their products as consumer friendly as possible.'
Ashton Kutcher has joined Lenovo as a product engineer. The announcement was made during the release of Lenovo's new Yoga tablet on Tuesday night, October 29, which was also attended by the "Two and a Half Men" actor.
"It's somewhat of a dual role," Kutcher commented on his new job in a phone interview with USA Today. "Lenovo makes really, really, really good hardware. I hope to make their products as consumer friendly as possible."
Kutcher, who left for China shortly after the announcement to meet the company's executives and engineers, also talked to Wired about being an engineer. He explained, "I'm an actual product engineer, and I know that's hard for people to understand because so many of these [celebrity endorsement] relationships have been vanity products."
"I actually am less interested in the color of the phone or tablet than in how it works. I hope I'll be able to bring some new ideas to tablet development. This partnership with Lenovo brings together my love of technology and design that makes your life better," he added.
David Roman, chief marketing officer for Lenovo, believed that their collaboration would "break new ground by challenging assumptions, bringing new perspective and contributing his technical expertise to Yoga Tablet and other devices." He explained, "Ashton Kutcher's authentic, creative appetite for technology and keen consumer insight combined with our innovation engine make this a very natural and powerful partnership." Financial terms of the deal were not revealed.


text:
A version of this story first appeared in CNN Business’ Before the Bell newsletter. Not a subscriber? You can sign up right here.
The risk to tech stocks from increased regulation isn’t new. But it’s clearly increasing.
What’s happening: A House of Representatives committee just moved forward sweeping bills meant to rein in big tech companies like Google (GOOGL) and Facebook (FB). Meanwhile, authorities in the European Union and the United Kingdom have announced new antitrust investigations into Apple (AAPL) and Google (GOOGL) this month, and India is piling on the pressure.
The push comes as existing US antitrust laws are also being tested against several of the biggest companies in ongoing court battles.
“Is it a growing risk? Yes,” Nicholas Hyett, senior equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, told me. “And it probably does limit to some degree what tech stocks can do.”
Tech companies are lobbying hard against the US legislation, which could dramatically transform their businesses if enacted. Amazon (AMZN) could ultimately be forced to choose between operating a marketplace for third party sellers or returning to the days when it was the only retailer on its platform. Google could face a court order to sell YouTube or parts of its advertising operation. And Apple could be compelled to change its policies for app developers.
On the radar: President Joe Biden recently tapped Big Tech critic Lina Khan to lead the Federal Trade Commission, which would play a major role in enforcing the new legislation, if passed.
But the United States isn’t the only place these companies face pressure. The UK’s antitrust regulator recently said it’s investigating Apple and Google’s dominance in mobile operating systems, app stores and web browsers. Meanwhile, the European Union has launched an antitrust investigation into Google’s vast advertising business. Earlier in June, France’s competition authority fined Google €220 million ($263 million) “for abusing its dominant position” in the market for online advertising.
Silicon Valley is also getting bogged down in regulatory fights in India. After a long delay getting approval for its payments system in the country, Facebook’s WhatsApp is now suing the Indian government over new rules that would require it to break encryption, for example.
Investor insight: So far, investors have acknowledged that regulatory action could hit Big Tech shares, but their concerns aren’t fully baked into stock prices. Facebook hit an all-time high on Wednesday.
Hyett said some tech companies are more exposed to antitrust action than others.
“The search space is relatively speaking uncompetitive compared to social media — where you have a giant, but several other gorillas in the room, too,” he said, noting that Facebook could ultimately be in better shape than Google parent Alphabet.
That said, in the current environment, Facebook is unlikely to be able to acquire smaller competitors like it did with Instagram in 2012.
And regulation is a headwind at a time when some investors are moving money away from tech stocks and into shares they think are undervalued because of the pandemic.
“It might hold back further share price growth in tech,” Hyett said.
Wall Street firms take a tough stance on vaccines
Wall Street banks are eager for employees to return to the office as soon as possible. And if that means mandatory vaccinations, so be it.
The latest: Morgan Stanley plans to ban workers from its New York headquarters if they have not received a Covid-19 vaccine. The rule will apply to non-vaccinated guests and clients as well.
Morgan Stanley (MS) said in a memo to its employees in the New York metropolitan area that all staff working in buildings with a “large employee presence” are required to confirm their vaccination status by July 1. The Financial Times was the first to report the news.
The company plans to expand the vaccination mandate to employees and guests in other Morgan Stanley locations in New York City and nearby Westchester starting July 12.
“Operating within a fully vaccinated environment allows us to lift restrictions like the use of face coverings and the need to maintain physical distancing, returning to more normal office conditions,” a source close to the company said.
CEO James Gorman has taken a hard line on employees returning to the office.
“If you can go to a restaurant in New York City, you can come into the office. And we want you in the office,” he said at an investing conference earlier this month.
Gorman said then that more than 90% of the bank’s workers have said they’ve already received the vaccine, and he expected this number to eventually hit 98% to 99%. He noted that the company will deal with employees who choose not to get vaccinated for health or religious reasons on a case-by-case basis.
Disclosures required: Goldman Sachs (GS) asked its employees to be back at the office last week, and it ordered staffers to divulge whether they’ve been vaccinated. JPMorgan (JPM) is asking US staff to register their vaccine status on an internal portal by the end of the month, though they can tick a box choosing not to share details with the company if they’d like.
This year’s Amazon Prime Day broke records
Shoppers aren’t showing any signs of getting tired of Amazon Prime Day, even though some sellers said they weren’t planning to offer deals this year.
Amazon said that Prime Day, held this past Monday and Tuesday, was the biggest two-day sales period for third-party sellers in the company’s history, my CNN Business colleague Nathaniel Meyersohn reports. Sales from third-party merchants outpaced Amazon’s own sales.
The details: Prime members purchased more than 250 million items worldwide on Prime Day. Robotic vacuums, coffee makers and Crest Whitestrips were some of the top-selling products.
Overall, online spending during the two-day event surpassed $11 billion, a 6.1% increase compared to last year’s Prime Day held in October, according to Adobe Analytics.
Investor insight: The event hasn’t given Amazon’s stock much of a boost, though, as Before the Bell readers were cautioned earlier this week. Shares are up just 0.5% this week as inflation and other concerns limit enthusiasm for tech stocks.
Also today: Initial US jobless claims for last week post at 8:30 a.m. ET.
Coming tomorrow: US personal income and spending data for May.


text:
Certain states have sought real-time access to annual Goods and Services Tax (GST) returns and e-way bills in order to check tax evasion, which can potentially address the ongoing fund crunch and help compensate states for their revenue shortfall, two officials aware of the matter said requesting anonymity.
Currently, these data are stored in the GST Network, which compiles reports and sends them to all the states and Union territories with a time lag.
Kerala finance minister Thomas Isaac confirmed the development and said,“Kerala may not require compensation cess at all if it is permitted to have real-time access to annual returns and e-way bills, so that tax evasion could be curbed,” Isaac said.
According to Isaac, ineffective tax collection is one of the three key reasons for tardy GST revenue collections across the country and real-time information would help many states nab evaders through the use of data analytics. The other two reasons, according to him, are the economic slowdown and steep cuts in GST rates.
“I will raise this issue in the GST Council,” he said. The GST Council is the apex decision-making body of the federal indirect tax structure that was rolled out on July 1, 2017. It is chaired by the Union finance minister and has finance ministers of states and Union territories as members.
Officials said states’ access to real-time data could be possible if they formally raised the issue at the council. Several states have been raising the issue of large-scale GST evasion at the council. In August last year, West Bengal finance minister Amit Mitra estimated GST evasion at ₹1 lakh crore and demanded an exclusive meeting on the issue.
Owing to inadequate compensation cess funds, the Centre has not yet compensated states for their revenue shortfall over two months – October and November. Ideally, that should have been paid by the second week of December. Even in the past, there was a delay of about two months in paying compensation for August and September, which was paid just two days ahead of the 38th GST Council meeting on December 18, 2019.
An amount of ₹35,298 crore was released on December 16 to pay states for their dues in August and September. The GST law assures states 14% growth in their revenue for five years and the Centre is committed to meeting any shortfall in revenue through cess money, which is levied on luxury goods and sin products such as liquor, cigarettes and tobacco products.
The finance minister of another state, who did not wish to be named, said that there was scope for improvement in GST compliance but that would not be able to meet the entire revenue gap. Commenting on the proposal on real-time access to GSTN data, the minister said, “I doubt this will eliminate the revenue deficit. The ball is always in our court , provided those at the helm allow it to be dealt with efficiently.”
Experts said access to data would certainly help states in better compliance. Common access could be given to states through login IDs and passwords. Pratik Jain, partner and leader, indirect tax, said, “Logistically it should not be difficult.”
The Union government is making all-out efforts to plug revenue leakages of both central GST (CGST) and state GST (SGST). It will hold a national conference on January 7 to address the issue, the officials cited above said. This conference is being organised to curb fraud and evasion and check fake input-tax credits.
XaTTaX is Best GST Software, Simplify your Financial matters with GST eFiling Software for Return Filing & GST Billing Software in India.
- Automate Invoicing and get Paid Faster
- Integration with all popular accounting software
- Manage your GST and E-WayBill Software anytime anywhere using multiple devices
Get Our GST Software DEMO and E-WAY BILL DEMO for FREE


text:
ID theft disconnect: We fear it but still engage in risky behavior
Statistics enthusiast focused on data-driven content
As reports of sensitive information breaches increase, the widespread fear of identity theft follows. However, a survey conducted by Harris Interactive for Experian's ProtectMyID reveals that consumers are still at a high risk for identity theft as many continue putting their identities and resources in danger with risky behavior.
ProtectMyID's survey of 2,000 U.S. adult consumers confirmed that a fear of identity theft is prevalent: 93 percent of consumers acknowledged that identity theft is a growing problem and 67 percent worried that identity theft will affect them personally.
Three of every five survey respondents (61 percent) admitted that it wouldn't be difficult for someone to steal their identity.
And no wonder. According to the survey, released Oct. 21, 2013, Americans under-protect their digital devices and overexpose their personal data through risky online shopping habits. For example, 43 percent of smartphone owners report rarely or never using a password to protect their device. Ninety-one percent of adult consumers shop online, but 55 percent don't check to make sure a site is secure before completing a transaction.
Exposing too much information on public social media sites and freely writing Social Security numbers on job applications and medical forms are just a couple other common practices that could jeopardize one's identity, according to the report.
"This survey clearly shows that, while people are more aware and concerned about identity theft, they are not doing what they should to be protected, especially when it comes to online activities," Ken Chaplin, senior vice president of marketing for Experian's ProtectMyID, said in a press release. "Consumers clearly don't want to become victims, yet they continue to put themselves in danger."
To use the graphic on your site, use the following code:
- Credit overtakes debit as preferred bill payment method – Since 2016, consumers have preferred credit over debit for online retail, travel and digital media. A new study shows paying bills online is now on that list ...
- Most drivers swipe debit at the pump in lieu of rewards-earning credit cards – While credit cards seem an obvious choice for pay-at-the-pump convenience while also potentially earning rewards, more drivers are swiping a debit card for their fill-ups ...
- Millennials most likely to rack up card debt with things they don?t need – Americans have plenty of expenses they consider non-essential these days. And for millennials, those discretionary purchases are taking a big bite out of their budget ...


text:
South Korea’s leading U.S. and Europe management agency, REELS Corporation Inc., said on its website on December 9 that the artist on their partner’s label topped the Billboard chart for the first time since their debut.
They were founded in July 2020 and are only 4 months old, but they have achieved tremendous growth. Their CEO, Sunghyun Yoo, was a famous marketer who was in charge of marketing such as LVMH, Matchesfashion, YOOX, Net A Porter, etc. at an affiliate of the Korean conglomerate Hanwha Group.
They took control of the U.S. market in a short time. According to an interview conducted in Korea, he spent more than a year traveling between the U.S. and Europe for the project and met with many music industry officials.
They say they aim to earn Recording Academy Membership (Grammy) within 2021 and nominate artists with partner labels for the Billboard Music Awards. Most importantly, it depends on how fast REELS Corporation Inc. can dominate the Korean market. They have already acquired PRESSREELS, a famous American magazine, through aggressive M&A. The magazine is registered as a partnership with Google News and already has a lot of traffic.
Billboard No. 1 proving REELS Corporation Inc.’s POWER
It is very important that they are ranked No. 1 on the Billboard chart. Because it took only 4 months for many Korean K-pop artists and entertainment companies to achieve what was difficult even after years of hard work.
How were they possible? According to the explanation on their website, ‘localization strategy’ is the most important factor. Until now, K-pop’s overseas marketing strategy has mostly depended on ‘Youtube’ and ‘twitter’. That is an undeniable fact. However, they suggested a new direction. “Do big pop stars like Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj, and Katie Perry make as many YouTube videos as Korea does? No, follow the way they do locally.” This is the solution they put forward.
They offer a variety of solutions. They advised that the XXL-like magazine should be used to curate Amazon Music, iTunes, and actively use playlists for Spotify and YouTube. In addition, they advised to actively promote artists through various overseas broadcasts and appear in various interviews and blogs. REELS Corporation Inc. is working with several local managers with artists such as Lady Gaga and Chris Brown. Along with the managers, they actively promote their artists on the radio.
Already, American Music industry is on the side of REELS Corporation inc.
There is something that K-pop entertainment should consider the most important. That is, the American music industry is on the side of REELS Corporation. The reason is very simple. Structural problems and expertise. The Korean music industry system is very unique, One company is exclusively responsible for producing music, marketing, publishing, and so on. It’s a very different system than the U.S.
REELS Corporation is building a perfect position in the middle(About American Music Industry – Korean Music Industry). It’s a perfect company that solves mismatched interests due to industrial differences.
The large entertainment group in the United States, which has already requested anonymity, is pushing REELS Corporation inc. to the fullest extent. According to them, there were several reasons why they chose REELS Corporation inc.
First of all, it was “the most perfect partner condition”. REELS Corporation inc. does not disclose artists and labels that they have marketed to the outside world. Most of the time, a lot of marketing companies go out and talk about the artists they promote to make even a little more money. But they don’t. The reason is to protect the ‘Artist’s brand’. They value artists more than money, and sincerely wish them success in the U.S. So it was the most perfect partner condition.
Next is detail and professionalism. They’re a group of experts. Talk about the current status of artists in Korea with curators, editors, and promoters in the U.S. and consider and execute marketing of albums from 2 to 3 months ago. Their meticulous strategy has surprised the big label and entertainment industry in the U.S., and that’s why they have higher expectations for them.
Will they be able to produce the next BTS and BLACKPINK?
All experts rate their abilities highly, but there is only one problem. It’s a fund. The entertainment industry needs astronomical funds. However, they are just starting companies as startups.
Their expertise is acceptable, but their financial strength is one of the most disturbing factors. Korea is very reluctant to invest in entertainment startups. In that situation, they are doing well, but many American experts have bluntly stated that if they don’t solve the funding problem, they won’t be able to do better.
According to our coverage, they are meeting with various investors to talk about various things, but they have practical difficulties. Due to the large change in sales depending on the artist’s release schedule, most investors from a financial perspective are holding off on investment. However, it is known that the company is engaged in discussions with various Korean investors because of its high attractiveness in terms of strategic investment.
Countless U.S. music industry figures have said that if this problem is solved, they can create the next generation of K-pop world stars in the U.S. market, following BTS and BLACKPINK.
Rather, some expect REELS Corporation Inc. to perform better than YG Entertainment. According to a marketing director for an American music label, REELS Corporation Inc.’s strategy is more localized than the marketing strategy BLACKPINK uses to make inroads into the U.S., suggesting that strategic investment between REELS Corporation Inc. and YG Entertainment might rather be a way for BLACKPINK to surpass BTS in the long run.
However, it did not provide a concrete plan. The director advised that for K-pop, dealing with REELS Corporation Inc. with all possibilities open would be the best way to make a debut in the U.S. market. But, Korea labels also need to be careful of them. Under the structure of the Korean music industry, labels should have strong sovereignty of their own, but it should always be considered that too dependent on REELS Corporation Inc. could be passed on.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a problem if we formed a long-term partnership and continued to work together as labels and agencies, but REELS Corporation Inc. commented that for short-term results, it could rather be “poisoned chalice”
Will REELS Corporation Inc. be ‘Momentary’ or ‘Permanent’?
At the end of this article, the most important thing we need to look at is their sustainability. We should look forward to seeing whether they will be able to take root and succeed in Korea and the Global. Perhaps, the American music industry will expect their success. But, the Korean music industry may not think so.
Because Korea labels would only want to be supplied by their own artists. We’ll have to wait and see how they’ll get over this difficulty.
This is a Contributor Post. Opinions expressed here are opinions of the Contributor. Influencive does not endorse or review brands mentioned; does not and cannot investigate relationships with brands, products, and people mentioned and is up to the Contributor to disclose. Contributors, amongst other accounts and articles may be professional fee-based.


text:
Larger sample size has a cost factor too, says Sunil Lulla; foresees Mahabharat between TV and OTT
GN Bureau | December 4, 2020
Countering the criticism of a minuscule sample size for TV audience measurement to gauge the viewership taste of a large Indian population, Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India CEO Sunil Lulla has said that only a drop of blood is enough to give test results of a person’s DNA and you do not need to five litres of blood for that.
“A drop of blood can give your whole DNA, for which I don’t need to pull five litres of blood out of your body. It’s a sample and a sample is the representation of the universe. It is supposed to be the projected estimate of how the universe behaves,” he said.
Lulla was in a webinar conversation with Kailashnath Adhikari, MD, Governance Now, as part of the Visionary Talks series held by the public policy and governance analysis platform.
Watch the video:
To watch this and previous episodes of the series, click here: www.governancenow.com/Visionary-Talks-series
He spoke on a range of issues including the audience measurement model, advertising, TV, and digital platforms. Defending the measurement system in place, he said that it is one of the largest samples in the world and built taking into consideration all the key factors that influence viewing. It is being certified by enough audit firms and statistical institutes both Indian and international. He also added that the stakeholders are not ready to pay for a larger sample size.
“At the end of the day, you want to do a sample which is a million homes instead of 50,000 homes. Somebody has to pay for it… We are a stakeholders’ body. Our stakeholders are not interested in paying for it… There may be individuals who have different opinions but the stakeholders are not interested in paying for a larger sample because it does not create for a better return or the economics. There is a percentage you pay for measurement of investment in your business. An advertiser who advertises Rs 5-10 crore on TV will only pay an X amount to the media agency or for measurement of its advertising. A broadcaster whose job is to gain audiences of a certain kind and get monetised for audiences will pay only an X amount for measurement… And what is the benefit for that? So the channel which may have a lower presence in any of the stake samples needs to appreciate the variability in their data,” he explained.
The media veteran asked who started the concepts ‘weekday’, ‘prime time’, manic, hyper-competition and why, and said that advertisers don’t behave like this. “In this time period when we are not releasing new data… volumes of advertising on news channels have only gone up….. advertisers are smart enough to know what channels to choose and what data to use.. and their partner agencies are extremely smart in making these choices. We should not discount this smartness. I believe the sample size we have today is right,” he reiterated.
“I am not averse to increasing the sample size by 100%.Let somebody pay for it and understand the benefits of it,” he said.
Lulla said that advertising stimulates demand and plays a very important role in the Indian economy. The US has a subscription-based market and advertising is 3% of GDP, while in India, he said, it is only about 0.4% , which is less than half of that in the US and still has got a long way to go. “A developed economy has 1% ratio between advertising and GDP. Advertising influences people.”
He further said that as custodians of the industry, we need to respect what the industry produces. Because many broadcasters are also players on digital screen, they may have on offer different services. Subscription alone on TV is very hard. “You need to monetise the screen smartly which everyone is watching. Advertising is part of building the Indian economy and will continue play a very strong role. If there is a goal to build a 5 trillion economy advertising will play a very pivotal role in creating consumption and demand. It is one of the levers which is going to get to the bet. Every day will not be like 2020. Consumption will increase.”
Speaking on advertising and revenues, Lulla said that when in March 2020 there was considerable amount of advertising, later, even though there was a peak in viewership there was a trough of advertising. That gap has never been seen before. Now the advertising volume is back (with large spends on hygiene, digital including gaming and education) and higher as compared to last year, but advertising values will take some time to get back to original levels.
Giving his views on subscription-based services and content with ads, he said that the Indian market will have a market for both. “Subscription-based services may reach out to 25 million people but for 75% of India, the masses, content with ads is the only way to inform, educate, share and entertain, share and educate. We have headroom to grow,” said Lulla.
On digital advertising, he said that in 2020 digital advertising has overtaken TV advertising in the US and the same is likely to be the case in India before 2030 as it is already growing at a fast pace here. “It is a question of the quality of service, the economic situation and how people choose to access their phones… It’s about screen time. There will be a growth in advertising, in digital advertising in very big numbers in the next few years,” he said.
The TV medium, Lulla observed, is sustaining and not dropping. “TV is still the best medium [for] a mass campaign across Indian households and if it continues to attract certain sizeable niches, TV will sustain itself. While YouTube is an ocean, curated content and OTT will take time to grow that factor. The content of TV has to change to take on the battle of digital. There will be Mahabharat between TV and OTT.”
Former World Health Organisation (WHO) chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan takes charge as chairperson of M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) from February 1. Founded by her father, the legendary agricultural scientist M S Swaminathan, MSSRF was set up to accelerate the use of m
The digital revolution is being led by India. Digital governance is a key component of the government's ambition to transform India into a society where everyone has access to the internet. It includes both M-governance and E-governance, which are major methods for the delivery of services via mobile devic
Saundarya Lahari: Wave of Beauty Translated from the Sanskrit by Mani Rao HarperCollins, 218 pages, Rs 399 ‘Saundarya Lahari’, usually ascribed to Adi Shankaracharya, has a unique status among the religious-spiritual works of Hinduism.
This year, as the nation commemorates the 75th death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on January 30, Rajesh Talwar, a prolific author who is also a legal advisor to the UN, is all set to release a play for children on non-violence chronicling the life of Mahatma Gandhi, ‘The Boy Who Became the Mahat
Neha Lakra, 20, doesn’t forget to practise hockey, at least for four hours, every day. Whether at home or at the Panposh sports hostel in Rourkela where she is training under the guidance of coaches, her routine doesn’t change. “I can’t sleep unless I have worked on the ground,&rdqu
Somewhere Among the Stars: Reflections of a Mystic By Adi Varuni Kali/BluOne Ink, 282 pages, Rs 395 Decades ago, when an unknown N


text:
EBay CEO Donahoe: Dorman a `Good Addition' to Board
April 10 (Bloomberg) -- John Donahoe, chief executive officer of EBay Inc., talks about the company's agreement with activist investor Carl Icahn to end his proxy fight by adding another independent director to the board. EBay agreed to appoint David Dorman, chairman of CVS Caremark Corp., as an independent director, bringing the number of independent members to 10 on the 12-person board. Donahoe speaks with Erik Schatzker on Bloomberg Television's "In the Loop." (Source: Bloomberg)
Most Recent Videos
Soylent: The Food of the Future?
09:35 - Rob Rhinehart, Soylent's chief executive officer, discusses the company's quest to disrupt the food industry. He speaks with Bloomberg's Emily Chang on "Bloomberg West." (Source: Bloomberg)


text:
Nokia in possible Android tease
There have been months of rumours that Nokia were working on an Android based handset even before the proposed takeover deal by Microsoft. This has since intensified with various images and leaks and now Nokia are the subject of a possible Android tease.
For ages now we have been hearing about a Nokia Normandy handset that is believed to be a budget device destined for emerging markets, although more recently there have been rumours that Nokia were also now working on some high specification Android phones.
Now as the guys over at Android Authority are reporting that Nokia has changed its Facebook and Twitter pages to green, which has always been a colour associated with the Android platform. Despite the takeover by Microsoft of Nokia almost reaching the final stages of completion it hasn’t stopped continuous leaks about an Android based Nokia handset.
It has longed been claimed that the device in question will have an Android based operating system that will be similar to what is seen on the Amazon Kindle Fire devices, but Nokia did recently send out invites to an event at MWC that had the moniker to meet Nokia “under the tree”.
So this could be where the new green colour scheme is coming from or the company could be about to introduce some more environmentally friendly mobile devices later this month.
What do you think this new colour scheme is referring too?


text:
The fans are McLovin’ it.
McDonald’s is reportedly bringing back the fan-favorite Oreo Frappé for a limited time in the spring and summer, according to the Fast Food Post.
The chocolate drink will be available starting May 17 at select locations, the website said.
The fast food giant has yet to officially confirm the drink’s return.
The Post has reached out to McDonald’s for comment.
The frozen drink was described by one outlet as “dessert in a cup.”
“A refreshing confection made from mocha, a touch of coffee, and Oreo cookie pieces,” the item’s product description reads. “Mixed with ice and then hand topped with whipped cream and a few more Oreo cookie bits for good measure.”
Clocking in at 460 calories for a mini-size Frappé, the drink was discontinued in 2015.
A McDonald’s general manager told the Fast Food Post that some participating locations will receive “a whole Oreo cookie, and it even comes with a blue scoop so you can serve it like sundae.”
Several Twitter users were also very excited to hear about the return of Oreo Frappé.
“Oreo frappe sounds on,” tweeted an user
“As long as it tastes like years ago, I’ll have one several days a week,” exclaimed another.
“Patiently waiting for @McDonalds to launch the Oreo Frappé”, tweeted a third person
Other social media users were less thrilled with the announcement.
“I went into this thinking it was snack wrappers, but it’s a silly Oreo Frappé,” struck an user
“McDonald’s isn’t making a ‘big announcement’ and it’s just the Oreo Frappé… I thought the Southwestern salad was coming back.” chided other.
The return of the caffeinated drink is one of several changes to the Golden Arches menu.
In 2022, the fast food company announced that the popular McRib sandwich, which debuted in Kansas City in 1981, would briefly reappear on the menu as part of its “farewell tour” before being discontinued for good.
Despite facing a spate of online leaks about how its food is prepared, McDonald’s recently announced it will revamp its iconic burger to make it juicier with softer buns, stickier cheese and more onions and sauce.
The news also comes as the restaurant chain was forced to lay off hundreds of employees at its corporate offices and cut pay and benefits for others.


text:
FROM monitoring your shut eye to giving your bedroom a blissful makeover, follow these steps to ensure sweet dreams.
27th Oct. 2018 4:10 AM
GET your own Fitbit Versa FREE with the Daily News and you can also keep on top of your heart rate, steps and more.
18th Oct. 2018 5:10 AM
Brendan Young has challenged his staff from Harvey Norman Kingaroy to walk two million steps this month.
13th Sept. 2018 5:09 AM
THIS might look like an Apple Watch, but it’s actually a much cheaper alternative from a well-established fitness brand.
28th June 2018 6:06 AM
Researcher's at La Trobe University have developed wearable motion sensors for livestock.
14th Feb. 2018 12:02 PM
THESE maps were supposed to be a bit of promotional fun but they could potentially reveal very compromising military...
29th Jan. 2018 1:01 PM
FITNESS trackers including the Apple Watch are Fitbit surge are ‘way off the mark and overestimate the calories you burn’...
25th May 2017 1:05 PM
A partnership with Fitbit will give Swimming Australia's top athletes unprecedented insight to their preparation.
02nd March 2017 7:03 PM
IF THERE is one warning Fitbit doesn’t put on the packet, it’s the tendency for users to become obsessed. But it’s...
13th Oct. 2016 12:10 AM


text:
AMC adds electric cranes
31 August 2021
UK-based crane rental firm AMC has invested in an all-new fleet of electric mini cranes. The company has added six Maeda MC285CB-3, and five Hoeflon C6e fully battery-powered mini cranes, based across its two depots in Liverpool and London.
The new high-spec and environmentally friendly equipment is said to offer additional health and safety benefits due to the silent operation which improves on-site communications.
Each one of AMC’s new electric cranes have been custom painted in the company’s new livery in line with their recent rebrand, and given their own individual name (some named after employees and their families), including Levi, Charlotte and Zeus.
Mark Davenport, owner and managing director of AMC, commented, “Our new electric cranes will help us provide our customers with more choice, quality and reliability in bespoke lifting solutions. I am proud to see the company leading the competition in this arena as electric cranes are the future of our industry.”
The new arrivals have already contributed to AMC winning new UK contracts in 2021, including the Moxy Southampton hotel, Livingstone Academy Bournemouth (both using a C6e as work was internal where diesel fumes were not permitted), and Borough Market close to London Bridge. This is in addition to working alongside material manufacturer MICAM at Heathrow Airport Terminal 2, to help replace the iconic ‘Wall Of Honour’ glass sculpture that references the people who helped build Terminal 2.
AMC has also invested in seven eco-friendly cars for its sales team across both depots, including an all-electric VW Golf and six BMW 330 plug-in hybrids.
Receive the information you need when you need it through our world-leading magazines, newsletters and daily briefings.
POWER SOURCING GUIDE
The trusted reference and buyer’s guide for 83 years
The original “desktop search engine,” guiding nearly 10,000 users in more than 90 countries it is the primary reference for specifications and details on all the components that go into engine systems.


text:
Restaurant point-of-sale developer SpeedLine Solutions announced a new payment and guest-rewards integration with Mercury StoreCard.
Punchh, a brand-centric mobile customer engagement platform for restaurants, is teaming up with CiCi’s Pizza to build a loyalty app.
National Coney Island restaurant chain is reaping benefits of a new rewards program.
Currito's presence in Google Wallet comes just one month after Google announced plans to pre-install Google Wallet on all Android phones.
Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises (LEYE) has moved its 25-year-old Frequent Diner Club loyalty program to the Paytronix Rewards platform.
Fishbowl's Guest Analytics solution analyzes POS, loyalty, email, social, online ordering, reservations and guest satisfaction data.
Uncle Maddio's Pizza Joint will launch a new IT strategy in Q1 aimed at improving customer engagement and franchisee satisfaction.
According to new research from YouGov, Jimmy John’s, Chipotle, Chick-Fil-A and Whataburger, have the highest current millennial customer loyalty among all major limited-service brands from throughout the past six months. According to a news release, the research looked at purchase...
The new Cloud Connect integration will enable Paytronix to integrate, maintain and deploy its solution across NCR’s install base of more than 100,000 restaurant locations.
App users can to view detailed nutrition information for each entree and search for selections that meet specific dietary requirements.
The webinar will cover the value of menu boards, interactive screens, mobile payments and proximity marketing.
The new Argo LoyalTEA app will allow users to pre-order and pay for beverages for immediate pick-up at the bar station upon arrival.
Thanx Inc., a loyalty solution provider, has officially launched nationwide today. The company announced direct relationships with MasterCard and Visa, as well as $5M in Series A funding from Sequoia Capital for its rollout. According to a news release, Thanx...
United States consumers made $1.3 billion in mobile payments in 2013 and the coffee retailer accounted for over 90 percent of those purchases.
Chefs compete to get their items featured on the Black Market Menu, which often leads to a spot on the brand's core menu.


text:
NEW HDT * South Africa - From UD TRUCKS
* Pretoria - UD Trucks launches new heavy-duty truck range in SA
UD Trucks Southern Africa (UDTSA) has launched its new Croner heavy commercial vehicle (HCV) range. Featuring 13 variants, the new product range offers up to 21 configurations... The range will be assembled from semi-knockdown kits (SKD), at the company’s plant in Rosslyn, Pretoria, and will be introduced to other markets in the region during the next year... The SKD kits for assembly will be imported from Thailand, similar to the Quester extra-heavy truck range... South Africa remains the Japanese truck maker’s biggest market outside Japan. The company is active in more than 60 countries... UD Trucks became a part of the Volvo Group in 2007...
Rosslyn, Pretoria, SA - Engineering News (South Africa), by IRMA VENTER - 9 June 2017
Labels: truckmakers news South Africa


text:
Read the text below.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) put forward a proposal for new regulations on over-the-counter sun protection products.
Recently, the FDA announced that it hopes to further ensure the safety and effectiveness of sunscreens. The organization wants to review the current ingredients used in sunscreens and improve the labels on such products. The regulations will entail classifying which sunscreen ingredients are generally safe and effective and which are not. In addition, the organization will require manufacturers to list the chemical ingredients on the front labels of sunscreens.
The proposal was developed after the FDA recognized that the existing regulations are now outdated. The regulations were last updated in the early ‘90s; since then, newer studies on cosmetic ingredients have been published, leading some people to question the agency’s approval of some ingredients. With the new regulations, the FDA would be taking the findings of modern studies into consideration.
Furthermore, the agency would be setting the conditions for selling sunscreens in the United States. Over-the-counter sunscreens need FDA approval to be marketed in the country. Currently, several sunscreen ingredients lack sufficient data providing their safety and effectiveness. Hence, the FDA would be running more tests on those ingredients before allowing the products containing them to be sold.
Although sunscreens are currently under scrutiny, experts hope that people will not give up using these products. A former president of the American Academy of Dermatology said that the sunscreens available in the market are satisfactory so far. In addition, one of the FDA directors noted that using sunscreens has its benefits, such as protection against harmful rays that can cause skin cancer.


text:
Harker’s Organics in Cawston paid tribute to the Similkameen’s 102-year-old apple tree at its annual farm-to-table five-course meal last October on the property where it stands.
“It’s kind of neat to sit beneath the tree where all the food that is harvested,” said co-owner Sarah Harker.
That famous apple tree has been around almost as long Harker’s Organics, which has been in the Similkameen Valley since 1888. For five generations, the family-owned business has been making the community well-known as the organic heart of the Similkameen Valley.
The current owners and operators, Sarah and Troy Harker, took over the business in April 2016.
Sarah Harker, who has been the winemaker since 2005, said the key to its long term success comes from not putting all their eggs in one basket.
Last spring, when the worst wildfire season in B.C. history resulted in a decline in tourists in the Okanagan, Harker said they could rely on one of the business’ recent addition, the sit-down Barn Door Bistro, to supplement its income.
The patio bistro at the storefront managed to attract enough business from locals to offset the decline, said Harker. It keeps with the company’s dedication to wild, organic and fresh from the farm philosophy.
The menu has four different sandwiches and the ingredients are rotated based on what is seasonally ready at that time. For example, if the customers order the herbivore sandwich on the menu, it has whatever vegetables are in season at the time.
“We’re not using asparagus year-round. We’re not using tomatoes year-round. We use those products as they come in off the field. The focus is to eat seasonally and showcase that product seasonally and just offer good healthy organic options,” Harker said.
As the fifth generation of farmers, husband-wife team Troy and Sara Harker remain committed to the family’s longstanding values of sustainability.
Harker said the goal is to ensure that organic farming remains sustainable and the business can be passed down to the next generation.
“It means working with customers who are willing to pay more for the product. It means utilizing products that are not saleable in the fresh food market but are perfect for turning into wine or cider or preserve and giving growers a return on those products.”
On its 30 acres, the farm, which also includes the Rustic Roots Winery, produces tree fruits and ground crops, as well as forty different types of heirloom tomatoes, 80 varieties of hot peppers, sweet peppers, potatoes, tomatillos, four varieties of apples, two varieties of pears, five varieties of peaches, nectarines and cherries.
Food security is an important tenant of the business, Harker added.
“If you look in organic orchards in the fall when the apples are being harvested, you won’t see many apples on the ground and the reason for that is, in the organic sector, there is demand for the juice grade fruit or the number two fruit, and so that is consumed. A lot of times growers are actually penalized for the fruit that growers take into the packing house that is not perfect,” she said.
“It’s coming up with different avenues of selling number two fruit,” she explained. The company recently partnered with a yogurt company on Vancouver Island and so it’s just being creative the demand exceeds supply on the number one product, but it’s trying to find a better avenue on the number two fruit to see less food go to waste.”


text:
‘It takes two to have a conversation’: Prime Minister responds to China trade tensions
The Prime Minister will argue for stricter trade rules when he meets other world leaders at the G7 summit.
Australia has taken action against China in the World Trade Organisation, over Beijing’s sanctions on our barley.
Speaking with 6PR’s Liam Bartlett Scott Morrison said making sure the World Trade Organisation’s rulings are respected will be on the agenda.
“We will always stand up for what we believe in, we will always be consistent and clear about where we stand on these issues,” he said.
“A world that is run by rules and laws that all countries are accountable to is very important, that protects us, and that is what we are standing up for.
“It takes two to have a conversation and when China is prepared to have that conversation we are very pleased to do so.”
Press PLAY to hear the full interview


text:
EAST HARTFORD — The red awning above the small brick storefront on School Street serves as an invitation for customers of Granny’s Pie Factory to open the door and walk inside.
Once within the friendly confines of the front counter, however, the uninitiated may seem a bit confused. Instead of several cases featuring a large number of the different pies Granny’s bakes, there is just one small case of only a few customer favorites. But just behind a door marked “Employees Only,” the full-time staff of eight stays on task producing the 54 types of pies that Granny’s offers to retail and wholesale customers alike.
“We’re a small family operation, but we can produce a lot of product,” says Niko Harovas, vice president of the company. “We love pies because they are something people enjoy with others. Whether it’s a holiday, special occasion, or just a night when everyone is together.”
Granny’s Pie Factory opened in its current form in 2006 with Tony and Joan Harovas — Niko’s parents — running the business. Tony Harovas has been in the restaurant business most of his life, starting with Grandma’s Country Pies in the ’70s and ’80s.
“We had a big menu and large choice of pies,” Tony said. “We were successful, but things change.”
Niko joined his parents in 2008, two years after Granny’s opened and right after he graduated from Trinity College. It was an unexpected career move.
“My dad let me work here one summer when I was a kid,” Niko recalls. “I really didn’t want to and I was fighting him the whole time. I was a terrible employee. But after graduation I didn’t know what I wanted to do. My dad offered me a job and where the business was and my family was at the time ... I wanted to do it. Surprisingly.
“The original plan was to stay a year, but then you realize a year is nothing. You can’t do a lot in terms of learning. I am still learning a ton every day, 10 years later.”
The business of pies is more intricate and perhaps even more successful than Niko might have thought.
“I inherited pies,” he said. “If I wasn’t raised with this I would be surprised it was a functioning business.”
But function it does — and in several different markets.
About 40 percent of the company’s sales come from walk-in customers or fundraisers for organizations. The rest of their business is from wholesale customers. Granny’s website currently lists 72 outlets where its pies are available, including 13 farmers markets.
Of the 54 types of pie Granny’s makes, 22 are fruit and 32 are cream pies. Two stand out as the biggest sellers: apple and chocolate cream.
“Customers call up and ask if we have apple or chocolate cream,” Tony Harovas said. “I say, ‘if I don’t have those, I’m out of business.’”
Granny’s also sells pie shells and 2-gallon containers of filling for people who want to bake their own pies at home.
Not surprisingly, Niko Harovas lists Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter as his busiest times of the year
“The Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving we sell between 3,000 and 3,500 pies to walk-in customers. We don’t take orders. We are here cranking out pies and 90 percent of our menu is available. We get so busy the police direct traffic.”
The staff can typically grow to about 25 employees around the major holidays.
“It’s really built up the last couple years,” he says. “It’s comparable to a few days before Christmas. Engineers from Pratt & Whitney come in and buy pies.”
Harovas cited a new “holiday” celebrated March 14 that is growing his business: Pi Day.
Joan Harovas, Niko’s mother, came up with the idea for a Pi Day contest. If a customer could recite the first 10 digits of pi they would get a free 6-inch pie. Recite the first 20 digits and the prize was a 10-inch pie.
“We had a kid who was 10 or 12 years old and he memorized 64 digits,” Niko said. “He won two pies.”
No matter the holiday or time of year, Niko is confident in the quality of his favorite pie.
“I think we make the best pecan pie commercially available,” he says. “Maybe your grandma makes a better pecan pie, but I don’t think you can buy a better one.”
Granny’s Pie Factory
ADDRESS: 103 School St., East Hartford.
HOURS: Tuesday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Closed Sunday. Check web page or facebook fro Monday hours.
PRICES: 6-inch pies $7-$8.50; 8-inch $11-$13; 10-inch $14-$17.
MISCELLANY: Pie shells and filling available as well as fundraiser opportunities for groups.
CONTACT: (860) 291-1164; grannyspiefactory.com


text:
Apple CEO Tim Cook met with Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing yesterday to discuss intellectual property rights and, most likely, the ongoing iPad trademark dispute with beleaguered monitor manufacturer Proview.
According to M.I.C. Gadget, which provided footage from Chinese TV of the meeting between Cook and the Vice Premier, Li "is a vice commerce minister and official of the National Development and Reform Commission, and will almost certainly be preparing to become China's prime minister."
Chinese news agency Xinhua said that the Vice Premier promised Cook that China would boost intellectual property rights protection. In return, Cook assured Li that Apple would strengthen its cooperation with the Chinese and conduct business "in a law-abiding and honest manner."
Li also called on multinational companies like Apple to "pay more attention to caring for workers in China," something the company has made a priority in 2012. Video of the meeting is included below.


text:
Unfair Taxation of Regulated Marijuana Must End
- The cannabis industry and cannabis consumers are unfairly taxed in general.
- Americans want cannabis made federally legal.
- The Senate has the chance to pass the SAFE Banking act.
- Doing so would allow cannabis businesses to claim their expenses on their taxes and permit banks to do business with them.
- Now some lawmakers are pushing a different bill that adds a 25 percent federal sales tax on top of already high state taxes, putting the SAFE banking act at risk.
There comes a point where people have to stand up and say, enough is enough. And when it comes to taxing cannabis users — both medical and adult recreational — enough, already! With marijuana taxes already far too high, some lawmakers in Washington want to pile on another 25 percent marijuana sales tax.
And here’s why this is a mind-boggling bad idea.
As young as it is, the cannabis industry is already one of the most highly regulated industries on earth on par with financial services, gambling, and healthcare. In some regions, sales tax is collected at the state, county, city, and even district levels.
The problem is that in many places legal marijuana dispensaries cannot compete with black market prices meaning more money goes to criminals and less money goes into government coffers.
On top of that, cannabis companies are unfairly taxed by the IRS, costing states and consumers even more money.
What’s the holdup, Washington?
Why is the federal government so slow on cannabis policy reform? Unbelievably, the current situation goes back nearly 100 years. And our cannabis laws are still far from sorted out.
Are you aware of the reason marijuana was made illegal a century or so ago? The fact is, it really had nothing to do with marijuana. Actually, the hemp industry posed a threat to the powerful lumber industry. And in an attempt to stomp it out, a blitzkrieg of propaganda was unleashed on the American public the likes of which had not been seen before.
The plan was to paint marijuana as a dangerous drug used by colored people, Mexican immigrants, and jazz musicians. In the now-classic (more like comic) movie, “Reefer Madness,” pot smokers were painted as psychotic rapists and murderers.
It was half a century before there was any serious pushback at all from cannabis advocates. But as soon as there was some pushback the federal government invented the War on Drugs.
It certainly has been a battle ever since.
Today, two-thirds of Americans agree that marijuana should not be federally regulated. Rather than owning up to the failures of federal policy, the majority of U.S. legislators — our so-called “representatives” — refuse to give up on the notion of marijuana as the “evil weed.” And in doing so, they have wasted billions upon billions of our tax dollars. Enough is enough.
One federal agency keeping the cannabis industry down and marijuana prices up
While marijuana is now legal in one form or another in more than two-thirds of U.S. states and counting, marijuana is still a Schedule I controlled substance on par with heroin and LSD at the federal level.
The Drug Enforcement Agency and U.S. Justice departments will hold that position until congress tells them otherwise. Thankfully, however, the DEA and DOJ have been softening their stance in states where marijuana is legal.
But there is one particular federal agency that still bedevils the cannabis industry and anyone who consumes cannabis — and in a big way. That’s the Internal Revenue Service.
The IRS figures, well, if we’re going to let the cannabis industry exist, then they’re going to have to pay taxes. On the other hand, since the business they engage in is federally illegal, cannabis operations are not permitted to write off any of the costs of doing business like a normal company.
This arbitrary decision is laid out in an IRS code Section 280E. And it wasn’t even invented for the cannabis industry. The IRS wanted to collect income taxes from a big cocaine trafficker in California who claimed he should then be able to write off his business expenses. Thus 280E was invented.
Today, state-legal cannabis businesses pay federal income taxes on every dime they take in, even if it goes right back out the door to keep the business running. To give you some sense of the magnitude of this problem, the profits of a typical business are generally under ten percent. The other 80 percent is the cost of doing business.
Then there’s the banking issue
The specter of federal government intervention also haunts the banks and credit unions. Because marijuana is still federally illegal, most banks will not do business with cannabis companies for fear of facing racketeering accusations brought by some overzealous fan of “Reefer Madness.”
In fact, banks and credit unions are required to inform federal authorities if they even suspect a customer might be engaged in any type of illegal activity or they could face severe penalties.
Although some regional banks are beginning to lighten up, still well over half of cannabis businesses have no bank accounts.
So, to add insult to injury, those dispensaries and growers that do not have bank accounts have to pay their taxes with massive mountains of cash. And they have to provide security for that cash. Which is another expense they can’t write off
But wait, there’s more!
The federal government is not the only devil tormenting the cannabis industry. In addition to imposing unreasonable regulation, many states also demand fealty in the form of collecting income taxes on marijuana sales.
In some U.S. states, combined state and local sales taxes reach into the 40 percent range. The amount of money now collected from marijuana sales far exceeds the taxes paid on cigarettes and alcohol — both of which cost Americans billions every year in damages.
Tax revenues from cannabis now total more than $2 billion annually. And those taxes are passed along to the public.
As a result, in many cases, the going rate for dispensary marijuana is higher than the street price for black market weed. So consumers have a choice. Pay the high price to be legal and to enjoy safe, organic, lab-tested products, or stick with whatever you can get on the street.
Many medical users have little choice but to remain criminals and to give their money to drug dealers because they can’t afford to buy overpriced, state-sanctioned marijuana.
The fewer marijuana consumers shopping at dispensaries, the less sales taxes can be collected. On top of that, the cost of chasing down illegal marijuana is costing taxpayers billions. Making legal marijuana cheaper would drastically reduce the cost of enforcing drug laws.
Here’s the kicker...
Now, some lawmakers in Washington are backing a proposal to add another 25 percent sales tax on top of that! We can’t let this happen.
Sadly, before this new nonsense, the SAFE Banking Act would have fixed the banking and tax situation. It had the 60-plus votes it needed to pass the Senate. And it has already passed the house three times. Instead of working to push the bill across the finish line, some lawmakers are piling on other pork fat issues that can be tackled in a future bill.
The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act being pushed ahead of the SAFE Banking Act in the Senate calls for a brain-numbing 25 percent national sales tax on all marijuana sales. If passed, it would make legal marijuana more expensive than black market marijuana pretty much nationwide and by a big margin.
One problem facing lawmakers is that passing the SAFE Banking Act would drastically cut the tax revenue being sucked out of the cannabis industry by the IRS by allowing cannabis companies to write off their businesses expenses.
On the other hand, what they’re not getting is that legalizing marijuana would not only be the right thing to do for we the people, it would also save the federal government billions in law enforcement costs. If the bill fails, the federal government gets to keep raking in tax revenue but continues to spend billions of dollars on upholding prohibition.
If a 25 percent tax is passed, then a $50 ⅛ ounce of marijuana would cost $62.50 — plus up to 47% state tax bringing the total up to as high as $82.50 for 3.5 grams bringing the total up to $23.50 per gram. That’s more than twice the black market price!
Does this make sense to anyone — outside of Washington, or California?
Organizations such as the Marijuana Policy Project and cannabis industry trade groups are working to lobby some sense into the few senators that are holding things up. We all need to make our voices heard. Contact your U.S. senators — send them a quick email — let them know you want the SAFE Banking Act passed this year, and before they tackle more complex issues related to cannabis.


text:
Tamron can’t keep up with customers’ demand for their newest lens. Again
A few days ago, the $900 Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 Di III RXD for Sony FE was officially released for preorders. The new lens seems to have got many Sony users excited. So excited, that Tamron can’t keep up with their demands, so the lens won’t be shipped on the scheduled 25 July to everyone who preorders it.
Tamron has issued an apology to the customers, and here it is Google-translated from Japanese:
Thank you very much for your continued patronage of Tamron products.
The new product “17-28 mm F / 2.8 Di III RXD (Model A046)”, scheduled to be released on July 25, 2019, has a reservation significantly exceeding our expectations , It is predicted that the production number will not catch up with the customer’s request.
We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to the parties concerned, including customers who are waiting for the release of the product.
Delivery to some customers who have already made a reservation may be after the release date. In addition, customers who will be making reservations in the future will also be delivered one by one, so it may be time to deliver the product.
We will do our best to deliver as quickly as possible, so we ask for your understanding.
The same scenario happened in 2018 when Tamron released the 28-75mm f/2.8 Di RXD lens. It was scheduled to start shipping on 24 May, but the company publicly apologized said that they couldn’t keep up with the customers’ demands.
It’s possible that Tamron is having some regular shipping delays and they’re just building hype around the new 17-28mm f/2.8 lens. But another scenario is that they’ve actually underestimated the popularity of their lenses and didn’t have enough confidence in their own product. Whatever the case is, the lens is still up for preorders, it will be shipped to you – just not in the predicted time.
[via Sony Alpha Rumors]
Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.


text:
There was much hype about the SciPhone G2, most of it due to the makers of the phone claiming that it would run Android, which would have made it the first Chinese phone to run Android and only second to the T-Mobile G1 to run the Open Source OS. However we found out not too long ago that infact the phone did not run Android but ran a new version of the OS that runs most China made CECT phones but its interface had been made to look like that of Android.
I have used this phone and confirm it does not run Android, the overall UI is very slick, much nicer than most CECT phones, Java program work well, the touch screen is responsive and the overall UI looks very clean and slick. Its a real shame that the makers of this phone choose to just rip off the look of Android, clearly they took the effort not only to make the UI look similar but even improved on the normal CECT OS to make it run smoother and added more features, if it wasn’t for the blatant lie they keep peddling that this phone uses Android, i would say the phone is quite nice and works well.
We will be selling this phone shortly and it won’t cost more than $170 at the most (free 1GB microSD card, Quadband, Edge/GPRS).Lots of images on the blog


text:
NFT Group, the chilled foods logistics business backed by Hong Kong-based GP EmergeVest, has acquired Welsh competitor NR Evans Logistics in a deal valued at more than £20m.
Company has raised €20m so far over two funding rounds
HV Holtzbrinck and Lakestar also participate in the round for the dental technology startup
IK VIII held a final close in November 2016 with €1.85bn and was 87% deployed as of December 2019
With the GP's support, Bomi intends to pursue an intensive buy-and-build strategy


text:
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A thief crashes his car into a cell phone store near Orange Mound just hours after Christmas.
It happened early Tuesday morning on Park Avenue at South Highland Street.
“It’s driving your car through the door. Now they’re basically doing the same thing everywhere,” said a manager at Smooth Wireless.
It has become an all too common trend in the Bluff City.
Robbers have broken into various businesses and left chaos behind.
This time, thieves raided Smooth Wireless on Park Avenue.
“They did more damage to the door frame,” the store manager told FOX13.
The store manager did not want us to use his name to protect his identity.
He provided FOX13 with surveillance footage of the thieves driving into the store.
The video shows the silver car cracking the windshield door and backing up smoothly and wirelessly.
After a while, about 6 criminals rush in.
One by one, the thieves ransacked the store, taking everything they could.
Police said they stole iPhones, Android phones, karaoke speakers, electric scooters and other items.
The store manager said, “It’s unfortunate.”
According to the Memphis-Shelby Crime Commission, property crimes are up 26% compared to last year.
A manager at Smooth Wireless said in-store repairs would cost more than $25,000.
But he said they will remain open for customers.
“I feel like there’s too much going on around here. There’s definitely a lot going on in this neighborhood right now. We can’t stop shoplifters around here,” said the Smooth Wireless manager.
FOX13 reached out to Memphis Police for an update.
Related: 15 people charged in police sting targeting robbery in Memphis, Metropolitan Police Department announces
No suspects are in custody, but the investigation continues. If you have information, please call CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH.
Download the FOX13 Memphis app to receive alerts from breaking news in your neighborhood.
Click here to download


text:
The Nаsdаq futures drоррed mоre thаn 1% оn Tuesdаy, whiсh mаy leаd tо а sell-оff in the mаrkets tоdаy. Federаl Reserve will be releаsing the Арril inflаtiоn report оn Wednesdаy. Anаlysts аre exрeсting а rise in the inflаtiоn rаte.
Like other leading store operators, Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ: COST) went into overdrive when people stockpiled on essential items after coronavirus threw normal life out of gear in early 2020.
Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) reported first quarter 2022 earnings results today. Total revenue increased 16% year-over-year to $12.2 billion. Net income rose 23% to $1.9 billion while EPS grew 22%
Warehouse chain Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ: COST) reported higher earnings and revenues for the fourth quarter of 2021. The results also topped expectations. Fourth-quarter net sales grew 17.5% annually to


text:
Wahlburgers, a Boston-area based restaurant corporation, announced Monday that CEO, Rick Vanzura, has resigned his position to accept a CEO position with another restaurant chain. Vanzura will remain with the company through June 15. Patrick Renna, the company’s CFO, has been named interim CEO. The company has begun a search for Vanzura’s successor.
“On behalf of Mark, Paul and our entire family, we are grateful for Rick’s years of tireless dedication to this company and being a key part of our brand growth and franchise development,” says Donnie Wahlberg. “We understand and support his decision to step down and appreciate all of the years he worked with us and wish him and his family the very best.”
Vanzura says, “It has been an extraordinary gift to be able to build this phenomenal business with the Wahlbergs the last six and a half years. Mark, Donnie and Paul have been more than I could ever ask for in terms of the commitment and heart they’ve put into Wahlburgers. I’d also like to thank our staff, franchisees, vendors and our incredible group of managers and crew that bring this awesome brand to life every day in our restaurants. I will always be available to help them any way I can, and I know the business is in very good hands with Patrick.”
Renna has experience as both CFO and CEO within the restaurant space, currently serving in the CFO role with Wahlburgers and Chef Paul Wahlberg’s fine dining restaurant, Alma Nove; and in the same position and CEO with Boloco, a family of New England based fast casual restaurants.
“I’m incredibly excited when I think about the future of Wahlburgers and our evolution as a company,” Renna says. “From the expansion of our restaurants domestically and internationally, to food trucks and our recently launched at-home retail beef program, I think the sky is the limit.”
Wahlburgers currently has 26 locations throughout North America.


text:
How to buy a drone in Australia
Australia is a global leader in the field of drone technology, with some of the world’s most advanced drone systems already in operation.
But the country is also the home of one of the biggest regulatory hurdles for the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, and there’s little appetite in the international community to allow the use in the country.
“I think we’re a little bit behind the curve,” says the former Australian foreign minister, Bob Carr.
“It’s very much a work in progress.”
Carr was speaking in Brisbane this week to explain why the use or export of drones should be regulated in Australia.
“Australia has a long history of a very different approach to drone technology from the US,” he said.
A key hurdle for Australia’s drone industry The Australian Government has introduced legislation to allow use of drones for research and development purposes. “
That’s not the case in the United States, and that’s a key reason why we have to be looking at drone law in Australia.”
A key hurdle for Australia’s drone industry The Australian Government has introduced legislation to allow use of drones for research and development purposes.
This has come after the US and Canada both enacted similar laws.
The legislation will also allow the Australian Government to acquire and use drones for the purpose of research.
However, Carr says Australia is “not ready for the day that we’ll be able to do this.”
He says the government is “committed to trying to develop our own drones” but said there are “huge uncertainties” in the market.
“We have the technology and we know what we’re doing, but we’re still in the dark about what the market looks like for that technology,” he says.
“The government is doing a lot of things to try and get this right.
But we need a regulatory framework that’s based on the best science, that is sensible and that doesn’t create a lot more uncertainty.”
The Federal Government says it has “an extensive, well-regulated system of regulations for commercial drones” and that it is “very clear” that drones are not a commercial commodity.
“What we do know is that the market is not ready for commercial use of these technologies,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
“But we also know that they’re highly effective at delivering humanitarian aid and disaster relief, helping to reduce poverty and inequality and supporting economic development in remote areas.”
But Carr says this does not mean the Australian Drone Association has abandoned drone technology.
“They’re still trying to make that happen, because we’re the only country that has a fully functioning, regulated system of drones,” he explains.
“So we are a good place to start.”
Australia has the world leading drone industry, with an estimated 2.2 million drones in operation across its airspace, according to industry figures.
But Carr is concerned the technology is not being properly monitored.
“In the US, where you can go and fly drones for a living, they’ve got a very good, rigorous oversight system, where they have people who have to report any suspicious activity to the government,” he explained.
In addition to being a major exporter of drones, Australia also has a significant number of small and medium-sized companies that make and sell drones. “
But Australia doesn’t have that kind of oversight.”
In addition to being a major exporter of drones, Australia also has a significant number of small and medium-sized companies that make and sell drones.
But while the government’s new drone regulations may be a step in the right direction, Carr believes the current regulations are still not strong enough.
“For all the technical advances that we’re making, and I know the government has been really good at that, they don’t have a strong regulatory framework,” he argued.
The Federal Government has said it will allow Australian businesses to use drones in the future.”
And we have the ability to do that, but there’s a lot that needs to be done in terms of the oversight system.”
The Federal Government has said it will allow Australian businesses to use drones in the future.


text:
How can a CIO act as a business co-creator within his organization? That’s a question you ought to ask Dhiren Savla.
Real challenge faced by CTO's today is - migration from old system to new one where in traditional system; scale, extensibility at this stage to enable Analytics and ML was not conceptualized.
Nikhar Aggarwal of ETCIO in an interview with Saurabh Chandra, IIM-A (Ex- Engineering Head, Amazon) and Rekha Jain, Professor, IIM-A, holding the Executive Chair of the IIMA-IDEA Telecom Centre of Excellence and Ph.D. from the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, India on developing successful use case of ML & Analytics system in the Indian retail sector.
From newer roles competing with that of CTOs and the latter being more involved in decision making decisions, technology leadership hiring is no more as you knew it. Read on to know what will change and its impact.
Many firms struggle to utilize technology, software, and human labor for better business outcomes. A study suggests that analytics-driven decisions yield better outcomes.
Vijay Sethi, CIO, CHRO, Head-CSR, Hero Moto Corp cracks the code of successful analytics projects with 10 proven best success mantras.
For years now, HPCL enjoys the reputation of implementing large scale impactful schemes and projects. It is all thanks to IT. Read on to know more about the initiatives that was felicitated at the ETCIO Annual Conclave 2019.
Saurabh handled the e-commerce technology and business and enabled few patents pertaining to India business.
Predictable outcomes of a public service are the hallmark of development. For instance, banks and mobile phone companies and air services give us predictable outcomes.
Tech company sets separate targets for sub-segments of digital technology services business to achieve $1 billion each in revenues, as per the targets set by CEO Parekh
ETCIO BFSI Conclave 2019: CIO & CDO should speak with one voice to get investments on digital initiatives: Aruna Rao
At the recently concluded ETCIO BFSI Conclave 2019, Aruna Rao, Sr. EVP & Group CTO of Kotak Mahindra Bank shared her thoughts on the role of a CIO in the era of CDO in a fireside chat with Sneha Jha.
Equifax InterConnect is a secure, cloud-based, decision management system that enables financial institutions to enhance customer acquisition and optimize loan decisioning, facilitating application to decision in seconds, KM Nanaiah, Country Head, Equifax said in an interview with ETCIO.
The system brings together real-time data on every market, breaking news, in-depth research, powerful analytics, communications tools and world-class execution capabilities in one fully integrated solution. (Brand connect initiative)
Western Digital is looking to shed its reputation as a hard disk drive provide. The company has transformed itself in recent years and now boasts a much-expanded tech portfolio.
Advanced analytics and supply chain software would be your backbone to prepare the organization for the future that has automated, intelligent warehouse and smart factory.
The spotlight has been on the shift from traditional reporting to businesses in India adopting a strategic, modern approach to analytics.
The rural NBFC has rolled out new technologies like Blockchain and robotic process automation, and utilising analytics in a big way to meet customer expectations and streamline Mahindra Finance’s operations.


text:
Malaysian car maker Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd. (Proton), is keen on buying a car manufacturing plant in Indonesia which will allow the carmaker to qualify for incentives under the Asean Free Trade Area agreement, Dow Jones said, citing a local news report.
Proton’s chief executive officer Mahaleel Ariff reportedly said Proton currently owns a marketing firm in Indonesia with local partners, but he didn’t elaborate on the Indonesian plant.
Further, Mahaleel reportedly said, Japan’s Mitsubishi group hasn’t offered to sell its car manufacturing plant in Adelaide, Australia to Proton but he said if approached Proton will consider an offer to buy the plant.
Last week, citing Mahaleel, Australian press reports said Proton was interested in acquiring the Australian plant, Dow Jones noted, adding that Proton began operations in central Selangor state in 1985 with technical and engineering expertise provided by the Mitsubishi group.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below formBy GlobalData


text:
As the consumer watchdog for the energy market, Citizens Advice responds to the news that four suppliers have failed - bringing the total number of supplier failures to 21 this year, affecting nearly 2.5 million customers in total.
Gillian Cooper, Head of Energy Policy for Citizens Advice, said:
“Suppliers continue to fall like dominoes. It’s customers who are paying the price, with uncertainty, inconvenience and ultimately higher bills.
“Last week, Ofgem set out how it intends to ‘raise the bar’ for supplier standards and improve their resilience in the short-term. This is a positive step, but it's clear that existing rules and their enforcement, has not been enough.
“Longer-term, Ofgem will need to do more to make sure companies are financially sound and provide good customer service. This should include protecting people from the loyalty penalty, which prior to the cap allowed companies to profit from those who didn’t or couldn’t switch.”
Advice for customers:
We recommend taking a meter reading for your own record. Wait to find out who your new supplier will be - it can take a few weeks, but they will be in touch. Your credit balance will be carried over to the new company once they’re appointed. In the meantime, be assured that energy supply will continue as normal.


text:
Today, I’m joining over 150,000 people who have gathered in Las Vegas, Nevada for the 2014 International CES. Over the next four days, those who shape the future will unveil the latest products, services and networks that will impact the future of innovation and our interaction with the world today and in years to come. The global consumer electronics and consumer technology trade show will showcase over 2700 exhibits…From 4K TV (ginormous105” curved HDTVs) to the latest in wearable technology (move over Fitbit)… New apps for smart cars… and predictions from big tech stars are just a few of highlights at 2014 CES…
I’m among 40+ educators from across the country taking part in the 2014 IRTS Faculty Seminar “Reaching Audiences in a Multi -Device World.” Thanks to the International Radio Television Foundation, the seminar includes a visit to the 2014 CES. On Monday, we heard from experts in the communications industry who weighed in on the future of innovation as it relates to journalism education. We also got a chance to do a group exchange on innovative teaching practices. Thanks to my colleague from Syracuse University, Dan Pacheco, I got a chance to test out Google Glass. The head mounted-wearable technology has all the resources of a smartphone that you access through voice commands without using your hands…. Really cool. Hope I can get one for my multimedia reporting class! (Are you listening Google??).
Stay tuned for my updates from 2014 CES. Remember…What happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas and … on Social Media!
Cheers, @sunnyfridge #CES2014


text: Paris-based cosmetics giant L'Oreal has expanded a factory in central China's Hubei Province into its largest production base in the Asia-Pacific region. Covering an area of more than 70,000 square meters, the production base, located in the city of Yichang, has been put into operation after two years of construction, the company announced on Monday. The production base, with a total investment of 200 million yuan (32.8 million U.S. dollars), will be able to produce 250 million units of cosmetics annually. By building its largest Asia-Pacific production base in China and moving its Asia-Pacific headquarters to Shanghai in July, the company has shown its confidence in the market in the region, said Alexis Perakis-Valat, chief executive of L'Oreal China. L'Oreal has 42 factories worldwide, including two in China. The other Chinese factory is in Suzhou, a city in east China's Jiangsu Province.


text:
Thousands of illegal cigarettes have been seized from shops across Tyneside in a series of morning raids.
Almost 2,000 black market cigarettes were found in newsagents, food shops and off-licences across the city - totalling thousands pounds worth of illegal products.
The cigarettes, branded under names such as Jin Ling and NZ, were found thanks to specially trained dogs as part of Operation Beagle, a Newcastle Council-led initiative to halt the sale of counterfeit cigarettes across the city.
And shop owners caught with the illegal products now face prosecution by the local authorities.
The raids come after the Trading Standards body acted upon intelligence from anonymous tip-offs about the sale of the products in shops across the city.
The cigarettes, hunted by the two sniffer dogs, Spaniel Alfie and Black Labrador Indie, along with officers from Trading Standards, were found carefully hidden inside three different shops.
Inside a fourth, sniffer dog Alfie located a bag that still carried the scent of the illicit products - suggesting that they had recently been stored at the shop.
The haul of products, which were confiscated and bagged up, comes just months after thousands of illegal cigarettes to the value of £15,000 were found in similar raids.
This time, in one convenience store alone, Global Supermarket in Elswick, 1,360 illegal cigarettes were found stuffed in the pockets of a jacket lying just behind the shop counter.
Sniffer dog Alfie searched the shop’s floor, basement and a property above the convenience store before finally locating the cigarettes just behind the counter.
And the findings in yesterday’s raid come only six months after 3,100 illicit cigarettes were found under the counter in the same shop.
Trading Standards officer Paul Leighton said: “Typically stuff gets kept in the back of a shop, it almost seemed too obvious to have them hidden in a jacket at the back of the counter.
“Some businesses are perhaps savvy that we do this and are wary of stocking to much.”
Elsewhere at Bedronksa, a shop selling Eastern European food products, 700 counterfeit cigarettes were seized after they were located hidden in a hoover in the back of the shop.
But at another shop selling Eastern European products, no illegal cigarettes were found, while only a multipack of Marlbrough cigarettes were found at a shop in Walker, which the owner said were his for his own use.
And at another shop in Walker, only a bag smelling of the tobacco products was identified by the sniffer dog.
Paul said: “The bag which the dog had clearly had some tobacco in it at some point. Seeing the dog getting a sense of there having been some somewhere and then coming away empty-handed is disappointing.”
Coun Stephen Powers, cabinet member for community safety and regulation, who also attended the raids, said: “There is no room in our city for illegal tobacco. It causes the same health problems as ordinary tobacco but is also associated with organised crime, so we will do everything that we can to stamp it out in our communities.
“Our trading standards team have been out acting on intelligence received from a range of sources including members of the public which has resulted in seizes of illegal tobacco.
“We are sending a clear message to businesses that where illegal tobacco is found, it will be seized, destroyed and the people who pedal it will be prosecuted as a result.”