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Dropio has launched a new applet called Playlistio that allows users to post music to the cloud in just three clicks. According to the company, users can find the file, upload it to the cloud, and stream it anywhere they can find a Web hookup and connect to Dropio. And with the help of the company's new Apple App store application, Droppler, users can even stream their Playlistio songs through their iPhone. The free applet is available now.
Every once in a while, you read something on Twitter that's just pitch-perfect, despite (or maybe because of) the microblogging service's 140-character limit.
Today's honor is bestowed upon numbers guru and "Web Analytics: An Hour A Day" author Avinash Kaushik, currently employed as Google's analytics evangelist.
On Monday, he posted a total zinger, framing it as an "OH," or overheard, indicating that he wasn't the one who actually came up with the contents of the Twitter message (or "tweet") but didn't want to openly quote the person who … Read more
Unless you have been inhabiting the underground bunker formerly occupied by Dick Cheney, you've probably seen loads of press coverage over a "25 Things About Me" Internet meme that was spreading on Facebook. Basically, members would create a Facebook "note" containing 25 facts about themselves, and then "tag" 25 friends encouraging them to do the same.
Yes, it was a bona fide phenomenon, but I avoided writing about it, because I thought the whole thing was...dumb. Internet memes of that nature have been around since goodness knows when. Breathless press hype over … Read more
It's sort of cute, really: blogger Robert Scoble went on a nice snowy stroll with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg while the two were in Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum. Of course, he wrote about it.
Most of what Scoble wrote about his conversation with the young CEO is either information that was out there already or tidbits like the fact that Zuckerberg was teaming up with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to work the coat check at the World Economic Forum's annual Women's Dinner (aww!), but there was one fairly interesting part: apparently, Facebook … Read more
Correction: Sybase reported a 13 percent increase in license revenue, based on constant currency.
Update at 7:49 a.m. PST, with comments from the conference call.
Sybase posted fourth-quarter results on Wednesday that sailed past Wall Street's earnings expectations.
With earnings driven by strong growth in its core database business, company shares jumped 7.8 percent to $27.87 in early-morning trading.
Revenues during the quarter rose to $305.1 million, up 3 percent over the same time a year ago. Wall Street was expecting the enterprise software company to make $300.3 million, according to Thomson Reuters. … Read more
There is a change brewing in information security and information management. In the early days, this discipline really came down to event detection. Security information management systems scanned a bunch of data looking for needle-in-the-haystack events that indicated trouble. All other data was considered "noise" and thrown away.
With the onset of regulatory compliance a few years ago, this model went through an initial change. The "noisy" data was now necessary information to demonstrate security controls for compliance audits. Still, event data and compliance data remained separate entities.
Now things are changing yet again. In today'… Read more
Facebook likes to trumpet the value of "trusted referrals"--recommendations and ads with the endorsements of members of your friends list. But a new study from Jupiter Research, commissioned by analytics company BuzzLogic, says that consumer purchases are more likely to be influenced by what they read on a blog versus what their social-networking rosters recommend.
Half of all those surveyed who identify as "blog readers" (people who read more than one blog per month, a fifth of total survey respondents) say that blogs are important to them when it comes to making purchasing decisions. But … Read more
Yahoo on Wednesday announced the rebranding of IndexTools as Yahoo Web Analytics (beta). Currently an enterprise product, the move brings it closer to being a consumer and small business tool, although it's not available to everyone just yet.
Yahoo acquired IndexTools back in early April and promptly made it a free service. Its big advantage over Google Analytics is that the information is updated within a few minutes of user activity. In comparison, stats from Google tend to take about 24 hours, however anyone can sign up for it. Both products feature colorful, easy-to-read charts and graphics for data reporting, deep tie-ins with each company's ad services, and a single-service user log-in that works with other company properties.
According to a post on Yahoo's blog the updated version of the service is already out to advertisers and third-party application developers, with Yahoo Small Business users to follow. If you try to sign-up on the new site, there's simply a wait list where you can subscribe to updates. Yahoo's Director of Data Insights Dennis Mortensen says the easiest way to get your hands on this before Q4 is to become an advertiser.
If you're too impatient to wait for Google to release its own iPhone app or Safari-optimized version of Google Analytics you might want to check out myAnalytics. This $1.99 iPhone application (app store link) lets you see a general overview of how your sites are doing, and stores the data locally on your device so you can access it when you're away from a data connection. Considering Google's most recent release of Analytics requires Adobe Flash, this is the easiest way to get it short of getting your hands on a real computer.
While convenient, it … Read more
Shares of data warehouse management company Teradata jumped nearly 7 percent in trading Tuesday, following an analyst report that the company would make a good fit with enterprise software applications behemoth SAP.
And while JMP Securities analyst Pat Walravens, notes that SAP has "hinted in recent weeks" it may be considering another acquisition and he believes Teradata would make a good fit, SAP sources say no such transaction is in the immediate works.


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North American polypropylene resin prices ticked down an average of 1 cent per pound in August, following a slight decline in the price of polymer-grade propylene (PGP) feedstock. Engineering resin prices in the region also saw slightly lower prices in recent months.
The 1-cent August drop comes after regional PP prices had been flat in July. It declined 4 cents in June and has fallen a total of 23 cents since April. Those declines also matched price drops seen for PGP feedstock. PP prices had increased a total of 27 cents in the first three months of 2023.
In a recent market report, PP supplier Blue Clover LLC of New York cited data from the American Chemistry Council showing PP inventories have moved lower for two consecutive months because of stronger demand and larger PP export volumes.
ACC also reported that U.S. PP demand in June was the strongest it's been since February 2022, adjusted for number of days in a month. The average days of supply of PP inventory also have tightened, dropping to 35 from a high of about 43 earlier this year.
"All of these signs point to a tighter PP market compared to what we have been used to in the April through June months," Blue Clover officials said.

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Australian intimates retailer Bonds gave tribute to all types of women in its latest ad campaign Intimately, which was launched the week before International Women’s Day.
The company’s campaign features women of diverse size and background, including body positive advocate Shanaya Peters, who recently modelled for Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty label, and transgender model and activist Andreja Pejic.
The campaign marks the first time the brand is featuring a trans model in its lingerie shoot, a huge step for the legacy retailer which was bought as part of a wider deal by US clothing giant HanesBrand in 2016. It also marks Pejic’s first Australian lingerie shoot.
“I am ‘Bonds girl’, it’s insane — it’s not that I grew up thinking I could ever be one,” Pejic told news.com.au.
The 27-year-old Bosnian-Australian model told news.com.au that while she was previously told she would not find work in the industry in Australia, there is a noticeable shift in the country towards more inclusivity.
“They’re beginning to look underneath the package,” Pejic said.
Bonds marketing manager, Emily Small, told news.com.au that the company is aimed at “every Australian woman,” and the campaign celebrates “the real, raw, upfront beauty of the modern woman.”
“We think it’s important to challenge what we see in the media with a more authentic reflection of beauty and hope to grow people’s visual vocabulary.”
Watch the campaign video below:
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The eighth annual Gustavson Brand Trust Index provides insight into what consumers look for in a company. The study is conducted by researchers at UVic’s Gustavson School of Business and is the only survey of its kind conducted by an academic institution.
They surveyed 9,189 Canadians in January of this year about 402 global and national brands and 10 regional brands in 33 categories.
They measure three different types which contribute to a brand’s overall trustworthiness and integrity: Brand Authenticity which relates to a brand’s social responsibility, Brand Ability which is how well a brand performs its main function and Brand Affinity which relates to the ways a brand interacts with its consumers. They also give brands an advocacy ranking which is how much consumers recommend the brand to others.
Key drivers in trusting a brand
“We’re looking at it from all these different angles,” says David Dunne, Director of MBA Programs and Professor of International Marketing & Service Innovation at the Gustavson School of Business. He is one of the researchers for the Brand Trust Index.
“We, as a school, believe that companies do well by doing good. If you look after your employees, look after the environment, the rewards for that are out there, and businesses are increasingly seeing it that way.”
The report is seeing it that way as well with a positive connection between a brand’s trust and its advocacy score. One of the biggest drivers of this trust in a business’s social responsibility is its treatment of employees. According to the Index, Costco, which gave their employees a permanent raise when the pandemic hero pay wave disappeared, is the leader in this area. Whereas companies like Uber and Amazon fall to the bottom.
Sometimes trust and advocacy don’t quite line up, like in the case of amazon whose practices are constantly under scrutiny but its market dominance often leaves little alternative.
“There are what we call transactional brands where people advocate them, but don’t necessarily trust them,” says Dunne.
Canada’s most trusted brands
But who were Canada’s most trusted brands overall? This year, the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA/BCAA/CMA) took the top spot followed by Band-aid in second. These brands have held high positions in the rankings for years. Third place was a three-way tie between Costco, Lego and Home Hardware.
For the fifth year in a row, A&W ranked top in the Restaurants/Takeout category. The report suggests this positioning is due to actions such as the addition of the Beyond Meat burger to their menu, packaging innovations to reduce waste, and contributing to the community.
Declining trust in social media
Some larger trends are evident looking at the past few years of study. Since 2016, social media has been declining but this year marked an all-time low.
“They’ve all had a deep slide in trust,” says Dunne. “They’re scraping the bottom of these 402 brands.”
The very bottom brand is Meta, formerly Facebook.
Trust across different categories
The weather network was the most trusted media brand. Apparently, our trust in meteorologists’ ability to predict a chaotic system is greater than our trust in news outlets these days.
Grocery stores on the other hand rank very high in consumer trust.
Interestingly, trust doesn’t mean the same thing across categories.
“In the hotel industry, the big thing has always been relationships,” says Dunne. “So relationship trust has been a big deal for them. But, if you think about a company like Tesla, Tesla’s terrible on a whole lot of dimensions, but it does very, very well on innovation.” Consumers look for different things across different industries.
The Gustavson School of Business is hosting a Brand Trust Index Webinar on May 3rd from 10 – 11:30 a.m to further discuss the findings in their report. Guests will include Gustavson Dean Saul Klein as well as presidents and executives from several brands featured in the report.


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Women may represent nearly half of the gaming market, but video game companies are still catering first and foremost to heterosexual men.
A new ad reportedly published to Sony's European YouTube channel on Friday has drawn criticism for its depiction of a "sexy" female doctor that equates gaming on the PlayStation Vita handheld device to masturbation.
Representatives from Sony did not respond to requests for comment, nor did the agency that reportedly made the ad.
Despite marketing efforts like this, an increasing number of gamers are women. In fact, statistics published this year by the Entertainment Software Association say that 48 percent of game players today are female.
Still, women have struggled to gain recognition in the gaming sphere. In recent weeks, the #GamerGate controversy has put a spotlight on issues of sexism in the video game industry.
The Sony commercial advertises the "remote play" feature that allows the handheld PlayStation Vita device to act as a second screen and play games from a connected PlayStation 4 console. In other words, users could move from the big TV in the family room to another location with their Vita without interrupting gameplay.
"I know you've already done it today, and I bet you really enjoyed yourself," the ad's "Dr. Grace Powels" says. "How many times did you do it yesterday? Are you afraid you're doing it too often? In the bedroom under your blankets? Or perhaps you prefer the kitchen or in the toilet?"
"You no longer have to feel ashamed. Everybody's doing it, because it's fantastic. And now you can keep going all day long. Don't you like that? You don't even need to stop. And if you want to, you could even join me," she adds.
The ad is just the latest in a long tradition of "sexy" video game commercials aimed at straight men -- in 2008, Heidi Klum appeared in lingerie to advertise "Guitar Hero: World Tour," a 2001 ad for "Conker's Bad Fur Day" featured a writhing woman in bed who appeared to be sexually involved with a squirrel, and so on.
Outlets like BoingBoing and The Verge also pointed out that a 2012 PlayStation Vita magazine ad similarly sexualizes women in an attempt to market the handheld's unique functionality -- traditional buttons and a touchscreen on the front and a "touch pad" in the back:


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Image via Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com and 360b / Shutterstock.com
Artist Maurizio Cattelan, known for his duct-taped banana piece, has teamed up with New York’s The New Museum for a daily audio series called Bedtime Stories.
The joint series serves as “a way of staying together during these days of isolation.” Cattelan called upon several artists and performers, including Iggy Pop and artist Jeff Koons, to take part in the series by reading a story online. It could be from an existing work or their own piece; they can even burst into a spontaneous improv performance, as well.
Iggy Pop kicked off the series with his personal story on his long-lost dog, which he reflects on as “great happiness.” The story narrated by the musician is now available on Instagram or via the museum’s page.
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As part of its series of new digital initiatives, we're excited to announce “Bedtime Stories,” a project initiated by Maurizio Cattelan. Inviting friends and other artists and performers he admires to keep us company, Cattelan imagined “Bedtime Stories” as a way of staying together during these days of isolation. Each participant has been asked to read a selection from their favorite book – a sentence, passage, chapter, or more – to be shared with the New Museum’s online audiences. Some chose to read existing works, others to read their own writings, still others to create impromptu performances. Whether drawn from memory, imagination, or cherished volumes kept close at hand, the recordings by artists were captured quickly in an unfiltered fashion on phones or laptops in their homes or studios around the world. A new installment of “Bedtime Stories” will be made available each day through the end of June on our IGTV channel and at the link in our bio. First up, we have a bedtime story from Iggy Pop. @iggypopofficial @lomavistarecordings
[via NME, cover image via Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com and 360b / Shutterstock.com


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Eric Church Releasing Vinyl Record Made With Whiskey
For this year's Record Store Day (Saturday, April 20), the ACM Album of the Year winner is releasing a double-vinyl version of his new live album Caught in the Act that also includes a seven-inch single made with whiskey.
Yes, that's right. Jack Daniels was mixed into the vinyl before the singles were pressed. Sure, it's a novelty. But aren't you now just a little bit curious?
And novelty, in fact, is one of the forces that has driven Record Store Day to be such a popular annual event for hardcore music geeks (at least those still attached to physical media). For those not aware of RSD, it's a once-a-year event with a fun and noble purpose: to bring attention to the time-honored ritual of shopping (browsing the bins and mingling with fellow music geeks) in an actual, brick-and-mortar, independently owned record store. Since its founding in 2007, though, RSD has also become a can't-miss day for collectors, as artists both indie and mega–and across all genres–release limited-edition, one-of-a-kind singles and albums, many of which sell out within hours.
Most RSD releases lean toward rock, but lately a handful of country artists have gotten into the act, too. Church's vinyl version of Caught in the Act is the most unique, but this year you can also look out for these releases!
Radio.com is an official news provider for antiMusic.com.


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The Reserve Bank of India’s decision in its February monetary policy meet to hold the key interest rates was much anticipated and as per the industry’s expectations. According to industry experts, the monetary policy focused on three aspects – ensuring liquidity, road map to meet the borrowing program for FY22 and supporting economic growth by including NBFCs and new MSMEs for easier credit supply.
“The MPC decision to leave the repo rate unchanged and continue with its accommodative policy stance is as per our expectations and should aid the government efforts towards economic revival. However, I feel the main highlights of this MPC meeting outcome are the decisions to allow retail investors to open Gilt accounts with the RBI and allow banks to deduct credit sanctioned to new MSME loan applicants from their Net Demand and Time Liabilities (NDTL) while calculating their CRR,” said Naveen Kukreja, CEO & Co-founder, Paisabazaar.com.
Providing online access to retail investors to invest in both primary and secondary government securities (G-Sec) markets will further encourage and deepen retail investor participation in this segment. Retail investors will get a new window, in addition to the existing small savings schemes, to directly invest in fixed income instruments with sovereign guarantee. This should also significantly increase the investor base for the government to raise resources for financing its increased budgetary spending.
Commenting on the RBI move to allow retail investors to open Gilt accounts with the apex bank, Nimish Shah, Chief Investment Officer – Listed Investments, Waterfield Advisors, however, said, “The initiative to increase retail participation in G-Sec was put in motion many years ago, but unfortunately did not yield any result. We have not heard of retail investors investing in G-Sec. The efficacy of this move also depends on the platform they are creating from an ease of transaction and low cost perspective. Given the taxable nature of coupon income, it may not find substantial allocation in an investor’s portfolio. Most fixed investments are in mutual fund growth schemes with 3 year perspective so as to take advantage of LTCG.”
Also, AAA-rated corporate and PSU bonds offer 0.5% to 1% better yield than G-Secs. Net of tax, an FD or a Corporate Bond Fund may also give better or similar returns. “The yield on tax-free bonds is around 4.5%, which is better than a sub 4% net of tax return on a 3/5 year G-Sec. While a promising move, a lot will depend on the platform and parallel investment opportunities available,” he added.
It may be noted that the economic disruptions caused by the Covid pandemic had led banks to become extremely conservative while sanctioning loans to ‘new to credit’ loan applicants and lower income groups. “This increased risk averseness had an adverse impact on the credit access for these segments. The decision to allow banks to deduct credit sanctioned to new MSME loan applicants from their NDTL while calculating their CRR will incentivise banks to improve access to institutional credit for the new MSME borrowers and can even reduce their borrowing cost as well. I expect the RBI to extend this provision to bank credit sanctioned to ‘new to credit’ individual borrowers and those in the lower income groups as well in the near future,” said Kukreja.
Moreover, the RBI decision to announce an integrated and centralised ombudsmen scheme for banks, NBFCs and non-bank digital payments service providers should simplify the grievance resolution mechanisms for the consumers. Similarly, the decision to set up a centralised 24/7 helpline for queries related to digital payment products will enhance consumer trust and confidence in digital payment systems and, thereby, help increase the acceptance and penetration of digital payment.


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Bitcoin (BTC) is at a very early stage in its adoption and data indicates that it will enter a phase of exponential growth and exceed 10 percent adoption in 2030, according to blockchain infrastructure and user adoption by bitcoin mining company Blockware Solutions. report.
The report compares Bitcoin’s current adoption rate to other technologies’ historical data and notes that, based on Bitcoin’s short history and its current position on the expected adoption timeline, the expected adoption increase could happen even faster than other historical examples.
The S-curve appears when the historical adoption rates of disruptive technologies such as automobiles, landlines, tablets, cell and smartphones, radio, electricity, the Internet, and social media add up.
The innovators who created the first 2.5 adoption rates are entrepreneurs looking for the next best investment. The first users, according to the report, are:
“These are people with a broad outlook, directly or indirectly associated with innovators. Early adopters often face scrutiny and opposition from outsiders.”
The late majority stage is reached when the technology becomes mainstream and is used in everyday items. The last 10%, the laggards, refer to those who resisted or were in a position that made them unable to accept the new technology. When these individuals or organizations also integrate the technology in question, the S-curve peaks.
While the pace of adoption is the same for all disruptive technologies, the pace of this cycle increases over time, the report also concludes. For example, it took 40 years for stationary technologies to reach the late majority stage, while the Internet took 10 years.
Where is bitcoin?
In an effort to properly quantify the adoption rate of Bitcoin, the report takes into account the number of new objects that ever appear in a transaction and their net growth.
Compared to the world’s population, the current Bitcoin adoption rate is estimated at 0.36% in the report.
In terms of acceptance rate, the resulting chart looks like the one shown above. Remaining relatively stagnant from 2009 to 2015, adoption has accelerated exponentially since 2016.
The chart above appears when the current bitcoin adoption rate fits into the expected bitcoin adoption S-chart. While the report states that the current bitcoin community is behaving like an early adopter group, there are still four stages to go through for global adoption of bitcoin.
The report used a 10-year Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of unique users on the Bitcoin network, which it estimates is 30.8 million, and then divided by each year’s expected global population to convert the raw number of users. to a percentage of the population to predict a period of growth from the current adoption state to 10% adoption.
Blockware says it uses this CAGR up to the 10% threshold because data from past technology adoption curves is not available before it reaches this approximate threshold.
The report says that as adoption follows its proposed s-curve, the supply of bitcoin will decrease due to its code being halved.
As a result, while the adoption rate reaches the stage where Bitcoin becomes mainstream and used in everyday life, its supply will peak. The adoption rate and hence the demand will continue to rise in the coming years, while the supply will not change.
Credit : cryptoslate.com


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Earlier this month, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR), a nonprofit advocacy group that "challenges concentrated economic and political power, and instead champions an approach in which ownership is broadly distributed, institutions are humanly scaled, and decision-making is accountable to communities," released research meant to push back against the spread of Dollar Stores, which the group argues are "targeting struggling urban neighborhoods and small towns."
Generally, Dollar stores are mid-sized retails stores that sell "a wide range of inexpensive household goods."
The ILSR research focuses largely on the sale of what it deems substandard groceries by dollar stores, criticizes their spread as the cause and effect of economic malaise, and urges cities and towns "to check the spread" of dollar stores through local legislation. Steps the ILSR urges cities and towns to take include setting limits on chains, creating buffer zones around existing stores (of the sort food trucks have often endured in many cities), increasing red tape, and subsidizing locally owned groceries.
But the research makes several assumptions that don't stand up to scrutiny, writes Baylen Linnekin.
View this article.
This post first appeared on FREEDOM BUNKER: The Best Libertarian News And Chat, please read the originial post: here


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In today’s top stories, censorship concerns have precipitated a mass exodus from Tencent on the part of ESG funds. In cars, Stellantis, owner of Citroën and Peugeot, announced it is to return €4.2bn to shareholders, while Bentley has initiated its shift to electric. The FTC will not challenge Amazon’s acquisition of One Medical, and the Citigroup boss became the only major Wall Street CEO to see a pay rise this year. Lastly, Coinbase is responding to a punishing quarter by doubling down on resilience.
ESG funds exit Tencent
Concerns about China expanding its control of the internet through censorship has triggered a mass exodus from Tencent [0700.HK]. Dozens of ESG-focused funds have cashed out of more than $1bn worth of shares over the past six months, reported Bloomberg. “Risks in Chinese companies are hard to assess, and the development in China is not going in the right direction,” Carina Silberg, head of governance and sustainability at Alecta, which sold its entire stake, told the TV channel.
Stellantis announces a €4.2bn dividend
Shares in Citroën and Peugeot owner Stellantis [STLA] were up on Wednesday after the full-year bottom line topped analyst expectations, and EV sales increased by 41%. The automaker announced it would be returning €4.2bn to shareholders, while a €1.5bn share buyback will be completed by the end of 2023. Elsewhere, Bentley [BSY] is ending production of its 12-cylinder engines by April 2024 to focus on EVs. On the topic of buybacks, Baidu [BIDU] has announced a $5bn share buyback programme following earnings beat..
Amazon/One Medical purchase to go ahead
The FTC will not challenge Amazon’s [AMZN] acquisition of One Medical [ONEM], which should now close by the end of this week. The internet giant announced it had agreed to pay $3.9bn for the national chain of clinics last summer. The move is part of Amazon’s broader push into health care, with a view to diversifying its revenue from consumer goods, ecommerce and entertainment.
Citigroup boss gets 9% pay rise
As a number of Wall Street banking bosses see their pay packets cut amid a slowdown in profits, Citigroup [C] has gone against the grain and increased CEO Jane Fraser’s pay by 9% to $24.5m for 2022. Citigroup is currently undergoing a major restructuring under Fraser’s leadership. Elsewhere, Lloyds [LLOY.L] announced profits that were almost double last year’s, but warned its rate hike boon is ending.
Coinbase’s trading volume tumbles
Contagion from the FTX collapse led crypto traders to rein in their trading activity at the end of last year, causing Coinbase’s [COIN] fourth quarter (Q4) revenue to plunge 75%. While the crypto trading platform swung to a quarterly loss, it did beat expectations. CEO Brian Armstrong has reiterated Coinbase’s ambition to be “an all-weather company” that can survive the crypto winter. The stock has become a target for short sellers, who could be at a risk of being squeezed according to Barron’s.


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The e-commerce and logistics sector accounted for 44% of occupied warehouse space in Singapore last year. This figure is mentioned in a report presented last week by real estate service provider and investment manager Colliers International.
The third-party logistics (3PL) and logistics sector comprise e-commerce firms, freight forwarders, transport agents, supply chain and logistics support companies, delivery services and storage
services, while other warehouse occupiers are the manufacturing sector (30%); distributors (10%); food, chemicals and pharmaceuticals (6%); oil, marine and energy (5%); and IT and technology
According to the head of research for Singapore at Colliers International, Tricia Song, the figures show that “Singapore is a top class logistics hub with the world’s busiest transshipment port, second busiest port in terms of total cargo tonnage handled, and the 12th busiest airport by cargo traffic as at 2018."
The emergence of e-commerce in recent years has had a positive spillover to the 3PL and logistics sector in Singapore, she added.
A Business Times (BT) report quoted Colliers as stating that regional trade and growth in e-commerce should channel to stronger warehouse demand in the long term and benefit the city-state given its logistics hub status.
However, the small market size as well as greater efficiencies in inventory forecasting and stock management could potentially moderate the need for drastic warehouse expansion, Colliers noted.
The BT report said a newly released e-Conomy 2019 report by Singapore government-owned Temasek, Google and Bain & Company estimates South-east Asia’s Internet economy to be worth US$100 billion by end-2019, with e-commerce taking the lion’s share at US$38 billion. That represents an increase of almost six times from US$5.5 billion in 2015.
Four criteria under the magnifying glass
As there is about 117 million sq ft of total warehouse space in Singapore, and more than 80% are located in the east and west regions, the Colliers’ research team evaluated the logistics micro-markets against four criteria: presence of an existing logistics cluster and supporting infrastructure; availability of quality warehouse stock with consideration of both existing and future supply, as well as vacancy rate; accessibility to airport or sea ports; and rent premium compared to island wide average.
Changi region gets best marks
On the basis of these four criteria, the region around Changi tops the list due to its proximity to Changi Airport, although it has limited warehouse space with unit sizes generally smaller than the locations at Tuas and Boon Lay/Jurong West, the three regions on the west coast of Singapore. Due to strong demand, the Changi micro-market has the highest occupancy rate among major logistics locations in Singapore, said Colliers.
Colliers noted in its report that It does not expect a sustained oversupply of warehouse stock as Singapore’s logistics hub status should benefit from both domestic and regional growth in e-commerce. It expects overall warehouse supply to ease, with annual expansion averaging 1.5% of warehouse total stock over 2019-2023 versus 7.6% for the previous four years over 2014-2018.
Startups are backed
With new supply tapering off, it forecasts the overall vacancy rate to stabilise at 10.8% in 2020.
In another logistics development, Reefknot Investments, a joint venture between Singapore's Temasek Holdings and Kuehne + Nagel, has launched its inaugural US$50 million global fund to invest in startups "at the forefront" of the logistics and supply chain industry, the company said in a statement.
Based in Singapore, Reefknot Investments backs startups at the Series A and Series B stages of growth that disrupt supply chain and logistics. Its first fund will back six to eight startups in verticals such as AI, digital logistics and trade finance.
Nol van Fenema
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MoffettNathanson reports that pay-TV subscribers in the US fell by another 7 per cent (6 million) year-on-year in 2019, with Q4 alone seeing 1.5 million homes cut the cord.
AT&T was the biggest loser in Q4, dropping 1.16 million subscribers. Comcast fell 149,000 while Charter lost 101,000 subscribers. From a high in 2009, when pay-TV penetration was at 87.8 per cent, this figure now stands at 65.3 per cent of US homes.
“Operators across the pay-TV distribution map are reassessing video strategies, and they are universally shifting, albeit to varying degrees, towards strategies that accommodate, or even encourage, cord-cutting. As video distributors change their pricing and marketing strategies, the media industry is finally facing that long-feared moment of accelerating cord-cutting,” said the analyst firm.


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Interest rates on Rhode Island loans no credit check online loans frequently reach 1,000 percent.
вЂњthey donвЂ™t follow I 164 Griggs that is,вЂќ said they’re not licensing in state. Internet companies that offer in Montana can be faced with theoretically breaking the legislation and operating without any license. But the state that is continuing surely got to find one to charge. Complaints about illegal online financial institutions are filed along with the state, but it is frequently nearly impossible to find the firms which are real make a move against.
вЂњThe issue is someone this is certainly finding offer. Often, we can not figure out where the business that is ongoing,вЂќ Griggs said. Billings lawyer John Heenan relocated so far as to join up a training course action lawsuit this fall in Yellowstone County against online lender LoanPoint united states, from the section of customer Tiffany Kelker. Heenan reported Kelker ended up being charged about 780 percent on that loan she took straight straight down with LoanPoint.
вЂњMs. KelkerвЂ™s damages that are specific pretty little, but we think there is large amount of gents and ladies just like Ms. Kelker. Our company is looking to have them their money back,вЂќ Heenan reported. GriggsвЂ™ office and so the continuing state Attorney GeneralвЂ™s workplace continue to issue consumer warnings regarding the risks of utilizing online loan providers.
вЂњWe tell people to never take advantage of them,вЂќ Griggs reported. 1 we tell everyone else, no real matter what (the answer is) will not produce specific information that is economic the world that is online. You add on your own at a danger this is certainly significant these people will harass both you and overdraw your bank account and wonвЂ™t be wiling to focus youвЂ™re struggling in order to make your re repayment. alongside you ifвЂќ
The Montana Community Foundation, through its ladiesвЂ™ first rung on the ladder toward Montana, was in fact considered one of the lead organizations marketing we 164.


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Maybe it’s the crack-like 340-calorie, 85-gram sugar-bomb large lemonade talking, but I’ll admit it: I’m a sucker for the nuggets at Chick-fil-A, the popular Georgia-based fried chicken chain known for luring food-court trollers with free samples at shopping malls across the country.
Call it a guilty pleasure, heavy on the guilt.
Not only are these greasy golden-brown morsels (retail price: $4.69 for a 12-pack) packed with sodium (1490 mg) and cholesterol (105 mg), among other dubious things, but the tasty nugs come loaded with sociopolitical baggage, too.
In recent weeks, news broke that a Maryland-based franchisee of the national fast-food chain would soon roll out a new food truck, slinging its signature chicken sandwiches and nuggets on the streets of D.C. The upshot: A reignited debate about the company’s apparent conservative agenda and whether your lunch money is better spent elsewhere.
Critics point to millions of dollars in donations by the chain’s charitable arm, the WinShape Foundation, to a number of groups whose espoused views on gay rights lie somewhere along the spectrum between Rick Santorum and Kirk Cameron. These reported financial ties have inspired boycotts and protests at Chick-fil-A locations around the country. Just last month, students at Northeastern University voted to block Chick-fil-A from opening on its campus in Boston.
Last year, company president Dan Cathy publicly downplayed the controversy, telling the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “We’re not anti-anybody. Our mission is to create raving fans.”
Yet the raving goes on from both fans and foes alike.
Locally, outposts of the chicken chain at both American University and Howard University have quietly closed in recent years, leaving only a single location, a stripped-down, ready-made, highway truck stop-style outlet at Catholic University as the District’s last remaining licensee of the fried fowl franchise.
With that glaring greasy finger food gap in mind, Keith Singletary, operator of two Chick-fil-A stores in Prince George’s County, developed the food truck concept “as an opportunity to reach out to new potential raving fans,” he says. “Eventually, Chick-fil-A will be in Washington, D.C.,” Singletary predicts. “Until that time, we’re going to do everything we can to help pave the way.”
Singletary is hoping to rev up the engine and internal fryers by the end of April.
For undaunted devotees of the chain’s pressure-cooked, peanut-oil-soaked chicken, the forthcoming food truck promises a more convenient way to satisfy their cravings than schlepping out to Arlington or Silver Spring for a fix. For detractors, meanwhile, it may present a new and constantly moving target for dissent.
Asked to address the latest uptick in anti-corporate rhetoric, a spokesman at Chick-fil-A headquarters would not comment.
For his part, Singletary largely sticks to the company line. “Chick-fil-A really is a neutral organization,” he says. “The company is founded on biblical principles, but our philosophy, if you go into any Chick-fil-A restaurant, is that you’ll never see any signage or statement that we support this candidate or that candidate or anything like that. Our goal is to get the message out to eat more chicken. That’s really the only issue.”
Singletary adds that he doesn’t expect any protests or anything of that sort when his food truck finally gets moving in the District, though he acknowledges the possibility. “If that happens, we certainly can’t control what others might do,” he says.
Official dismissals aside, the company’s financial dealings may be enough to a make any self-professed progressive-minded diner think twice about ordering those tasty nuggets. And, yet, every time I pass that red cursive logo with the cutesy chicken beak protruding from its capital ‘C,’ I find it terribly difficult to resist.
Does that make me a homophobe by proxy? Maybe.
The Chick-fil-A fracas is only the most recent politically-tinged controversy over District dining. Last year, after the proprietor of Adams Morgan gastropub the Black Squirrel appeared to beat up on immigrants in online comments, critics organized a boycott. Sample Twitter brickbat: “Dear Black Squirrel, you’re a bar. I come to you for good beer, not to support political grandstanding,” wrote @consciousstream.
But can you enjoy the beer—or the chicken nuggets—without worrying about the grandstanding?
If you believe that every dollar you spend and every bit of food that you pile into your pie hole is, in a sense, a political statement—and, in this town, with its prevailing ethics on local sourcing, organic goods and sustainability, an awful lot of people sure seem to—then, no. It’s a simple case of following the money. In regard to Chick-fil-A, for instance, your fast-food dollars support the local franchisee, who, in turn, pays fees to the corporate honchos in Georgia. The bigwigs then pour excess profits into the causes of their choice. As a paying customer, you’re financially complicit, however marginally, unwittingly or indirectly it might seem.
For conscientious objectors, there appears to be only one solution for guilt-free eating. It’s something Bible-thumping conservatives tend to talk a lot about: abstinence.
Staging a boycott, though, may have its limits. Refraining from drinking beer at your local pub over an owner’s politically charged comment could have immediate financial consequences for a small business like Black Squirrel. Or not. “I’m sure some people stayed away,” says co-owner Tom Knott. “Does it still resonate today? I don’t know.” Regardless, Black Squirrel is still in business.
When you’re talking about a multi-billion-dollar corporation like Chick-fil-A, however, losing even a few thousand offended diners could prove inconsequential to the overall bottom line. Even if D.C. diners entirely snub their noses at a Chick-fil-A food truck, that, in itself, probably won’t have much impact on which social causes a handful of corporate execs in suburban Atlanta decide to support.
In the face of such daunting odds, an otherwise righteous diner might as well just throw up his hands and say, “Fuck it. Holding on to my $3.19 isn’t going to change anybody’s beliefs. I’m hungry, and I want my chicken sandwich.”
There may be a better way to support equal rights without resorting to self-deprivation at the chicken counter. I like this approach: A friend of mine, Trey Pollard, offers a clever—albeit slightly more costly—way to offset the karma of his chicken sandwich purchases. He now matches every dollar he spends on food at Chick-fil-A with an equal donation to an organization that supports gay rights, either the national Human Rights Campaign, or an outfit right in Chick-fil-A’s backyard, Georgia Equality. So far, his personal poultry-laden charity drive has totaled nearly $100 in matching donations.
It’s a far cry from the millions in play from Chick-fil-A’s foundation. But, if it takes away the curse of dogma-laden food truck nuggets, count me in.
Illustration by Brooke Hatfield
Eatery tips? Food pursuits? Send suggestions to email@example.com.


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Customers in 12 more countries around the world got a chance to buy Appleâ€™s latest version of the iPad today, and TUAW features a great video from South Korea that shows all the usual queuing and excitement when the doors open and the people get to rush inside and get their hands on the newest iPad. We might not be able to understand what they're saying, but we definitely know how they're feeling! Aside from South Korea, the newest iPad also went on sale today in Brunei, Croatia, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Malaysia, Panama, St Maarten, Uruguay and Venezuela. Then next week, on Friday, April 27, the launch frenzy will happen all over again in a further nine countries: Colombia, Estonia, India, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, South Africa and Thailand, making a total of 56 countries throughout the world where Appleâ€™s latest version of the iPad will be available after April 27, with doubtless more territories on their way soon, possibly including China, which has been mysteriously missing from the list of launches so far, maybe due to Appleâ€™s recent legal problems in China regarding trademarks.
Source: Video from South Korean launch of new iPad | TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog


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In May of 2018, the European Union enacted the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). To date, over 500 actions have been taken against non-compliant companies, and over €260 million in fines have been levied. GDPR compliance is projected to cost Fortune 500 companies almost $8 billion each year.
Now, over 100 jurisdictions—countries, states and cities—are enacting their own data privacy laws. These “local GDPRs” will add up to a global maze of legal obligations that will disrupt the operations of virtually any global company that touches a consumer. It is like a second set of tax codes — high costs, high risk, complex execution, and where absolute non-compliance is not an option.


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“Smoked food is unpretentious, delicious and perfect for grab and go,” says Afron Mitari, operations manager for Aidan Hospitality. That’s why, in a pandemic pivot, Aidan Hospitality decided that Prohibition Social House at Queen Street East and Broadview Avenue would open the Riverside Smokehouse inside of the temporarily shuttered Prohibition space.
Prohibition Gastrohouse is known for its curated list of beer and comfort food classics, including mac and cheese, nachos and breakfast poutine. “At Prohibition, we have always had a few menu items featuring smoked food, so we thought now would be a perfect time for our chef and kitchen team to really show off our barbecue,” Mitari says. “Also, we have one of the biggest — if not the biggest — smoker in the entire city, so we wanted to put it to good use.”
Prohibition and Riverside Smokehouse’s chef Kiru has a background in making smoked meat, which has allowed the team to hit the ground running. The menu features barbecue favourites, including pulled pork and beef brisket, as well as nachos, coleslaw and brisket poutine. Beverage wise, the takeout options include a DIY New York Sour Cocktail Kit as well as a selection of beers.
“We took over at Prohibition during the start of the pandemic, around June,” says Mitari. “While we anticipated the pandemic to be going on for a while, nobody expected this. While the community has been supportive, we found that people don’t want to pay restaurant prices for takeout.”
“By creating a ghost kitchen, we were able to focus on the takeout without changing our Prohibition brand, but continuing to offer our community great quality products at affordable prices,” he adds.
As dining restrictions persist and Riverside Smokehouse continues to garner a fanbase, Mitari and Aidan Hospitality are rethinking their original idea for the ghost kitchen.
“Initially our plan was to halt it when Prohibition reopens, but I think the Riverside community would be so sad to see it go,” he says.


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Instagram new black market for fake IDs
Recently, Instagram has emerged to be a shopping centre for a wide variety of fake goods. According to the Global Industry Report these commodities can...
Identity is the new currency. Every day we exchange our identity currency for goods, services and access. In fact, it is difficult to buy goods,...
RFID technology and identification
Sonakshi Bengani & Shreyans Bengani The world of technology is truly living proof of the saying “change is the only constant.” Just when the world...
Ravi Das There is no doubt that the smartphone is a vital aspect of modern life. We have discovered the convenience of online shopping using...


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Starting from July 1, mobile phone users will be able to use SIM-cards, watch videos, download pictures, check the status of their social network accounts and send e-mails much cheaper. The new EU regulation provides for a price cap for data roaming – downloading data over the Internet on mobile networks.
The new data roaming regulation will allow businessmen, traveling around Europe, to save more than 1000 EUR per year. Projected savings for families that spend their annual vacations in other EU countries exceed 200 EUR. The new regulation will also reduce price caps for conversations and text messages, the European Commission reports.
In general, the improved EU regulations on data roaming – including conversations, text messages and data – reduce consumer expenses by 75%, compared with 2007 prices. It is expected that Europeans will pay 5 billion EUR for roaming services this year; i.e., by around 15 billion less than if they were required to pay for the same services according to prices before the first EU roaming regulations in 2007.
«Price cap on data roaming is an important step for the smartphone era. Nowhere else in EU it will be allowed to charge inappropriate prices. The EU has managed to achieve that more and more money initially meant for paying for mobile services is left in the wallets of EU citizens,»- Deputy Chairman of the European Commission Neelie Kroes notes.
The new price cap, which is set to become in force on July 1, 2012, is as follows: 29 cents per minute for outgoing calls, 8 cents per minute for incoming calls, 9 cents for text messages and 70 cents per MB for downloads or internet surfing while abroad. All prices are stated without VAT rates.
In July 2009, many roaming operators demanded more than four EUR per MB; from now on these prices will be six times lower. With the continued reduction of prices, in 2014 the price cap for downloads will be only 20 cents per MB plus VAT; therefore, by 90% lower than many current tariffs.
Operators can offer lower prices. Price limit is the maximum allowed level, which serves as a precautionary measure, but the influence of competitiveness in prices should fall even lower.
Additionally, starting from July 1, those people traveling outside of the EU will receive a warning text message, e-mail or a popup window that the fee for downloads is nearing 50 EUR or some other previously stated level. It will help avoid any unpleasant surprises when receiving an invoice. To continue data roaming, the user will need to confirm that he wants to exceed this level. This rule widens the current EU warning system.
The first EU roaming price cap regulation became in force in 2007, when mobile phone users around the EU started paying similar roaming tariffs.


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I Googled Black Friday Riots and this is a list of snipets I came up with:
Are Black Fridays a Preview of Civil Unrest?
"If people are willing to riot to save money on a cell phone, what would they be willing to do to feed their families? "
Riot breaks out over Smart Phones Moutrie, Georgia
Seven Dead and Dozens Injured in Black Friday Riotshttp://www.policymic.com/articles/19491/black-friday-riots-black-friday-is-now-a-holiday-hunger-games
I just can't wait until next Black Friday.


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Seasoned Legal, Operations and ESG expert joins the company’s board during increased market demand for supply chain sustainability solutions
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, February 14, 2024 – Assent Inc. (Assent), a leading solution provider in supply chain sustainability management, announces Ann R. Klee as the newest member of its Board of Directors. Klee’s expertise in environmental law, regulatory compliance, and risk management will enhance Assent’s strategic focus on advising manufacturers to address supply chain sustainability trends and regulations. Klee also serves on the boards of the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, WGBH, Wabtec Corporation and Sotera Health.
Klee brings over 35 years of leadership experience across the private and public sectors to Assent’s board, where she will provide strategic counsel to help drive the company’s long-term sustainable growth and success. An environmental lawyer, Klee previously held positions with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the U.S. Senate. Klee also spent ten years of her career practicing environmental law for various Fortune 500 companies before joining General Electric Company (NASDAQ: GE), where she served as the Vice President of Environment Health & Safety for eleven years. Most recently, Klee served as Executive Vice President of Suffolk Construction, where she led the company’s business development strategy, government affairs, and external engagement.
“I’m excited to join the Assent Board of Directors as the company continues to expand the scope of its technology solutions for supply chain sustainability management,” said Ann Klee, Assent Board Member. “I look forward to leveraging my experience to collaborate with Assent’s executive team and advise industrial manufacturers on compliance given the increasingly complex environmental regulations they are facing today.”
Assent’s Board of Directors provides the organization and its leadership team with counsel and diverse expertise across technology, sustainability and manufacturing issues, and raises opportunities impacting the electronics, industrial equipment, medical devices, automotive, and aerospace and defense industries. Klee’s appointment will support Assent as the company addresses growing market demand for supply chain sustainability management solutions.
“Ann brings a valuable combination of leadership and sustainability expertise, and I am thrilled to have her join our Board of Directors,” said Andrew Waitman, CEO of Assent. “As manufacturers are facing increased regulatory demands, we are on a mission to create immediate awareness and action to address their growing supply chain sustainability needs. Ann’s deep experience as a visionary strategist and transformational leader will help us accelerate our next stage of growth as we continue to scale our business and lead the industry.”
For more information about Assent and its leadership team, please visit: https://www.assent.com/company/leadership/.
About Assent Inc.
Assent provides a leading supply chain sustainability management solution that supports manufacturers across the globe in addressing their product compliance and ESG needs. Founded in 2010, the company helps manufacturers collect and manage the supply chain data needed to meet environmentally and socially responsible product standards. With advanced technology and deep regulatory expertise, Assent enables companies to collect data that is aligned with regulations and industry standards to manage risks, accelerate market access, and foster sustainable practices. For more information, visit: www.assent.com.
Media Contact: Katie Padilla, email@example.com or (202) 845-4982.


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As a prelude to the launch of the all-new Chevrolet Onix Sedan in Brazil, General Motors has just shared some interesting details about the new compact sedan. Specifically, the automaker has confirmed that the new entry-level subcompact sedan, revealed a few weeks ago in China, will be the first member of a new family of Chevrolet vehicles developed specifically for global developing markets on the GEM platform.
Short for Global Emerging Markets, the GEM vehicle architecture will underpin various entry-level vehicles with different body styles developed specifically for developing markets such as South America, China, and Southeast Asia.
In addition, GEM will mostly underpin Chevrolet-branded vehicles, though it will also derive a few Buick models. Some of these models will be modified to meet the preferences of consumers in each region.
“The new products will amaze [our clients] with maximum levels in innovation and unheard-of technologies,” said Carlos Zarlenga, President of GM South America, in a statement translated by GM Authority from Brazilian Portuguese. “Consumers continue to choose Chevrolet as the preferred brand [in Brazil], which continues to give current Onix and Prisma models complete leadership in the region. That creates an opportunity to create new and improved products within each segment.”
The all-new Chevrolet Onix Sedan will go on sale in Brazil during the second half of 2019. It will be powered by a new-generation powertrain. No details about the engines and transmissions that will be offered in the region have been released at this time.
We should also note that the current, first-generation Chevrolet Onix is sold across South America as the Chevrolet Prisma, while the five-door hatchback version of the model is called Onix. With the introduction of the all-new, second-generation Onix, it’s possible that the Prisma name will be replaced either by the Onix Sedan or the Onix Plus nameplates, according to sources familiar with Chevrolet’s plans in the Mercosur region. By changing the name, Chevrolet is looking to capitalize on the widespread recognition and overly positive reputation of the Onix name.


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NS8 to Launch Generic Zoloft in China
2/10/2011 11:48:26 AM
February 10, 2011 -- NS8, an Israeli pharmaceutical firm, announced the China launch of sertraline, an antidepressant of the SSRI class commonly known as Zoloft. NS8 recently received SFDA approval from the SFDA for 50mg and 100mg tablets of the drug. The company said it is filing several additional ANDAs for new drugs, including some technologically challenging products. More details....
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GENEVA (Reuters) - Protectionist measures taken by different countries during the financial crisis had little overall impact on trade, a World Bank economist said on Monday.
Hiau Looi Kee said research she and her colleagues have undertaken shows that protectionist measures such as tariff increases or anti-dumping duties accounted for less than two percent of the contraction in world trade in the crisis.
The economic downturn resulting from the financial crisis that broke in 2008 prompted fears that countries would defend themselves with protectionism, leading to a rerun of the 1930s Great Depression when governments reacted to the 1929 Wall Street Crash with a series of beggar-thy-neighbour trade moves.
And while G20 leaders immediately promised to keep markets open, in practice many did implement protectionist policies.
Such measures have been documented by Global Trade Alert (GTA) (www.globaltradealert.org), a project by independent economists, whose latest report last month showed protectionist policies were continuing to mount.
But Kee said that analysis of the same data used by GTA gave a different picture, when examined for its impact on trade flows, the share of affected goods in overall trade, and the responsiveness of trade in those products to the measures.
“It’s quite sensational to read about all the countries raising tariffs and anti-dumping duties, but if you actually do the math it doesn’t look like a great deal of effect,” she told Reuters by telephone from Washington.
Kee said that at the very most, protectionist policies had resulted in a decline of $43 billion (28.2 billion pounds) in trade between July 2008 and September 2009, the latest period for which detailed tariff data are available.
The World Trade Organisation estimates that trade contracted by 23 percent in value terms in 2009 to $12.5 trillion.
She said the research had looked only at quantifiable protectionist measures such as tariff increases or duties, not at “murky protectionism” such as stimulus packages or Buy National policies whose economic effect was hard to assess.
Many economists have argued that the reason for the biggest contraction in trade since World War Two was the collapse in demand prompted by the crisis, with its accompanying loss of business and consumer confidence.
Rich economies like the United States and European Union had little scope to raise tariffs under WTO rules, and most of their measures took the form of anti-dumping duties -- taxes imposed on imports sold allegedly for less than they cost to produce and a frequent source of trade disputes.
Developing countries on the other hand were able to use both anti-dumping and tariff increases.
“Given that trade is recovering well, the urgency to use protectionist policy is less than one year ago so I do not foresee trade policy will have a lot of action ... from now on,” Kee said.
But she said stubbornly high unemployment in rich countries could lead governments to adopt some protectionist policies.
Kee’s analysis is in line with that of the WTO, which has concluded that the global trading system has withstood the crisis and protectionist pressures well.
The World Bank is one of several institutions that funds Global Trade Alert.
Editing by Jon Hemming


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Tagged: mass effect 3
BioWare learned lessons from Mass Effect 3
Mass Effect 3, despite being critically acclaimed and liked by gamers, faced a severe backlash due to its ending. There was a lot of debate regarding the ending, but BioWare had eventually kneeled to the fans by releasing extended versions of the game’s three endings. This was an industry first, and it’s still seen as an intrusion into artistic license by many.
Keeping all this in mind, BioWare learned a lot of lessons, and they’re going to heed them for their future titles. Casey Hudson, the game’s executive producer, noted how they had “underestimated how attached people [had] become to the characters.” He adds that the excellent Citadel DLC was born out of the desire to respect this love.
“We’d never imagined that as we ended the trilogy, all people would want to do was spend more time with the characters, sort of bathing in the afterglow—getting closure and just having some time to live in the universe that they fought to save,” he said. “This, and many other learnings, will be built into our future games.”
This sentiment is echoed by producer Mike Gamble, who commented that fans’ feelings about the characters were “just as strong as [BioWare’s]”.
As it stands right now, BioWare has only hinted that the next installment in the series is in the works. The company has recently been gauging interest in various aspects like timeline and multiplayer, so it remains to be seen what the future holds for us.
Mass Effect 3’s Citadel trailer brings together old friends for one last adventure
I can’t help but be excited about Citadel, the final piece of single-player DLC for Mass Effect 3. Conspiracies, hanging out with friends, and going on one last adventure with old friends and partners? Definitely the last hurrah for Shepard and crew. It comes out tomorrow.
Mass Effect 3 facing Rebellion on May 29
Mass Effect 3’s multiplayer mode is getting another expansion on May 29. Dubbed “Rebellion”, the new DLC pack adds more gear, weapons, maps, and kits to the game’s online modes. Best of all is the fact that it’s free for everyone who redeemed their online pass.
The pack includes two maps (“Firebase Jade” and “Firebase Goddess”), three new weapons, and six new characters to the multiplayer roster. BioWare and EA recently released the “Resurgence” pack that added to multiplayer gameplay.
These two packs don’t add anything for single-player adventurers. No need to worry though, as BioWare is working on the “Extended Cut” DLC that adds new single-player content and expands the ending of the game. It will be free.
Hackett and EDI are confirmed to appear in Mass Effect 3 DLC that expands endings
EDI and Admiral Hackett are two characters who have now been confirmed to appear in the upcoming “Extended Cut” DLC for Mass Effect 3. The content will expand upon the game’s ending, which was received negatively by gamers and critics.
Lance Henricksen and Tricia Helfer, who play Hackett and EDI, respectively, confirmed their appearances during a press junket for a new animated series called Tron: Uprising.
“I just did another session with [BioWare],” said Henricksen. “So we did a whole series of things to add to the end of the game, to live up to the quality they’ve been doing.”
Mass Effect 3 gun looks even better in real life
Mass Effect 3’s guns were quite a sight to behold. They were intricately detailed and seemed to be designed with passion. Bill Doran of Punished Props took up the challenge, making a real-life replica of the M-6 Carnifex Hand Canon. It’s a glorious sight to behold.
He has pictures and videos of the creation process up on his website. There are more amazing things to check out on the site, too.
Mass Effect 3 trailer shows off Special Forces
There’s a new video out for Mass Effect 3 that shows off the game’s multiplayer in action. It also showcases races and classes available as “Special Forces”.
The game is due out on March 6 and 9 in US and Europe, respectively, on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.


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Woolworths stores to close within days as buyer not found
Woolworths stores are poised to close down within days after administrator Deloitte failed to find a buyer, reports Retail Week. Bargain hunters are expected to flock to Woolworths today as a store closure sale starts at all its 815 outlets across the UK. The failure to find a buyer could put Woolworths’ entire staff - totalling some 30,000 - at risk of redundancy. The closure comes despite last minute efforts by former head of Kingfisher Geoff Mulcahy to save the retailer he once ran. David Buchler, former Chairman of Kroll Europe, and property tycoon Ardeshir Naghshineh, the largest shareholder in the company, were also interested in saving the Woolworths brand. It is understood no firm offers emerged for Woolworths, with sources saying the retailer cannot be saved. A sale of EUK, Woolworths' wholesale arm, is also looking unlikely and could also be liquidated soon. A closing-down sale is set to start within days. The Woolworths stores are likely to be packaged and sold off to retailers including Iceland, Poundland, Tesco and Sainsbury's.
Какие офлайн-магазины будут востребованы?
С начала года прослеживается тенденция по выходу из бизнеса региональных сетей под давлением федеральных ритейлеров, причем как в продуктовом сегменте, так и в DIY, и в сегменте детских товаров. ...
Новые модели взаимодействия с покупателями


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BY the end of business on 3 October, the SA Post Office’s system for SASSA social grant payment had already paid out 72 per cent of the month’s SASSA grants in almost 9,8 million transactions.
The SA Post Office (SAPO) formally taken over the full payments of SASSA social grants after the contract that SASSA had with CPS expired on 30 September.
“We are thrilled to be fully in charge of all social grants payments. Together with SASSA, we have put in a lot of work over the past few months to build the capacity of our systems and refine the payment processes inside our retail outlets and through the other payment channels,” said Lindiwe Kwele, SAPO Chief Operations Officer.
SAPO’s launch of a new SASSA card in July 2018 saw it embark on the mammoth task of migrating social grants recipients. To date, SAPO has migrated 6,9 million grant recipients to the new card. The new card gives recipients benefits that include a free cash withdrawal per month inside the Post Office, unlimited free purchases and three merchant till withdrawals as well as ATM withdrawal functionality.
ALSO READ: Post Office delivers on grant deal
“The card swap process is proceeding as about one million people are still on the old SASSA card. We also believe we can win back the beneficiaries who chose other financial services providers during the earlier periods of the transition. We have proven that we can successfully pay SASSA grants and our product offers superior benefits and prevents any undue deductions from the money intended for the sustenance of the vulnerable poor,” explained Kwele.
SAPO also announced that its branches nationwide remain open until they have served all beneficiaries and where necessary, hours on Saturday are extended to 2pm.
It also rolled out biometric verification systems at its branches to enable SASSA beneficiaries to withdraw their grants with biometric verification instead of a PIN.
“This functionality is intended for recipients who experience challenges with a PIN and electronic banking services. The PIN reset data for the August payments run clearly demonstrated the need for this move and we thank the panel of experts for their input in this regard,” said Kwele.
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The British Fashion Council, in partnership with luxury fashion e-tailer STYLEBOP.com, celebrated the London Style Suites – an initiative to promote a selection of Britain’s most talented red carpet designers in Los Angeles – with a party held at the Chateau Marmont on Friday.
Kiernan Shipka, who knows a thing or two about red carpet dressing despite her tender years, donned a Preen Spring 2014 white top with a colourful floral-and-geometric print with a white skirt with a jagged edge.
Taking inspiration from the runway, she styled the look with two-tone sandals, completing her look with cute curls and glossy pink lips.
Credit: Style.com & Getty
MORE FROM RED CARPET FASHION AWARDS:
Posted by Catherine Kallon on November 11th, 2013 In:


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Over 80 percent of suppliers on the government's G-Cloud IT procurement framework have never made a sale through the platform, V3 has learned.
G-Cloud is a framework agreement combined with an online "CloudStore" to allow public-sector organisations to buy cloud products and services. It was created in 2012 in a bid to level the playing field between small IT suppliers and global tech giants such as IBM and Microsoft, thereby saving taxpayers money by making public-sector IT more competitive.
Last year, the platform had its initial budget of £1m boosted and its staff count doubled in a bid to improve public sector uptake.
Following a freedom of information request submitted to the Cabinet Office by V3, it has emerged that the platform is not being used as intended. In November 2013 – when the latest figures were available – just 181 of the 1,058 suppliers present on G-Cloud had made sales.
The figures highlight problems in the way G-Cloud is used by public-sector organisations. V3 interviewed a number of small and large IT suppliers that are present on G-Cloud, and while they were universally supportive of the scheme, they all pointed towards G-Cloud being used as a "shop window" instead of a place to make transactions.
Total public sector spend on G-Cloud has reached £92m with 56 percent of money spent going to smaller IT firms. However, the figures obtained by V3 indicate that the figure could have been higher if more transactions were made through G-Cloud. Instead, public sector buyers are working around it.
Mark Fenna, head of public sector at cloud customer relationship management software firm eGain, explained: "We've had enquiries through G-Cloud but none of those have yet converted into contracts. Of all the interactions we've had so far we'll probably transact them outside of G-Cloud."
While it is a fairly low-risk exercise for a larger business to be on G-Cloud, Fenna said the platform is not suitable for more complex buys, meaning they end up taking place outside of the platform.
Matt Franklin, public sector sales director at systems integrator Logicalis, said G-Cloud is important for the company's brand. "It's an important shop window for us," he said.
"There's a lot of positivity around the brand and the association with G-Cloud, which recognises us as a supplier. It's been an effective tool that's enabled our customers to validate our credentials. In reality [our services are] typically then procured through alternative frameworks."
Kevin Long, UK business development director for data warehousing firm Teradata, added that the design of the CloudStore and its terms did not lend itself to more complex deals. "I think it is very hard to find services and to use the current infrastructure to compare alternatives," he said.
"We're finding people find an entry like ours and then go through traditional ways of finding more information, and go for a more bespoke approach," he explained.
The Cabinet Office, which oversees the Government Digital Service, which in turn runs the G-Cloud project, said being listed on the CloudStore does not guarantee sales.
"There is no guarantee of business under any framework agreement, but all suppliers services are visible to customers via the CloudStore for selection based on their fit with the customers' needs and value for money," a statement read.
A Cabinet Office spokesperson added: "We are constantly looking at how CloudStore itself can be improved to assist buyers and suppliers."
Yesterday, V3 revealed that the Cabinet Office has removed around 100 irrelevant services from the CloudStore as it looks to clarify the scope of the G-Cloud framework.
New light-guiding nanoscale device can control and monitor a nanoparticle trapped in a laser beam with high sensitivity
Optical traps are scientific instruments in which a focused laser beam is used to exert an attractive or repulsive force on a microscopic object to hold it in place
Scientists estimate that the exoplanet has already lost up to 35 per cent of its mass over its lifetime
The observations were made using the Atacama Array in the Chilean desert
J1043+2408 was observed for more than 10 years, and its radio light curve exhibited a periodic signal repeating in about 563 days


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Weedcraft Inc appears in Steam on 11 April
Publisher Devolver Digital announced the release date Weedcraft Inc — an economic simulation of growing marijuana from Polish Studio Vile Monarch. Steam users will be able to run your virtual business April 11, that should please the majority of Ukrainians. Gamers will also appreciate this unusual simulator that allows to become a true Escobar.
Reportedly, Weedcraft Inc will combine both the economic elements and the plot: in particular, the developers promise to make an excursion into the history of America and to consider the financial, political and cultural side of the growing pot. This means that the game will definitely engross all gamers, and not let go until the end of the story.
In the process of building his criminal Empire gamers will have to look for the best ways of business development, learn to communicate with law enforcement and even to influence the political order and society. Let’s hope that the company will be able to implement this idea successfully.
Interestingly, the trailer length is 4:20 — this is probably a reference to the term that is used in certain subcultures to denote a popular time Smoking marijuana.
Recall that Apple leaked details about the future of the service a week before the presentation. It is reported that this will be a paid service that will allow iPhone owners to receive the newsletter, as well as different magazines. However, whether this feature is relevant now is unknown. Almost all interesting events in the world can be read in the media.
Before Snaige reported that the future GTA 6 is under threat. It is reported that Sony wants to buy the rights to future games from RockStar can redeem Sony to make the game exclusive to the next console Sony PlayStation 5, the output of which is scheduled for 2021.
Know.Eeyore wrote that Oppo has shown the smartphone Reno, who received the top chamber. It is noted, the device is able to shoot with the 10x zoom without loss of quality, and even showed the smartphone in the case. However, not the fact that this is another marketing trap to attract the camera’s attention. Well, let’s see what the device after its release.


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United Parcel Service Inc. has for decades been the company that delivers packages to your doorstep with its signature brown trucks, but the company has quietly begun expanding into drone delivery.
The UPS Foundation announced Monday it has entered into a partnership with drone startup Zipline and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to deliver blood for transfusions by drone throughout Rwanda. UPS offered an $800,000 grant to kick off the deliveries.
While major corporations like Amazon.com Inc.
Drone delivery of blood has the potential to be a life-saving technology, particularly in Rwanda, where roads often wash out and it can be impossible to quickly get medical supplies to more rural areas. A drone can carry just over 3 pounds of weight over a distance of 75 miles round-trip.
With endorsement from the Rwandan government, Zipline is going to start making as many as 150 blood deliveries a day from its central base in western Rwanda to 21 transfusing facilities within about a 37-mile radius. Zipline aims to be within a 30-minute delivery radius of 11 million Rwandan citizens by the end of 2016.
“This is an elegant solution to a difficult problem,” said Dr. Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. “This would have been great in the Ebola outbreak, when we actually had a boat delivering vaccines because of the poor road infrastructure.”
UPS Foundation President Ed Martinez says UPS’s role is in supply-chain consulting on such issues as managing shipments and handling of equipment.
“We’re traditionally a company of trucks and warehouses and people,” UPS Foundation President Ed Martinez said.
Zipline competitors like Menlo Park, Calif.-based startup Matternet are taking a similar approach by carrying out drone deliveries to underdeveloped countries. Matternet CEO Andreas Raptopoulos told MarketWatch that in countries where there is a pressing need, regulatory hurdles are generally overcome more quickly.
Not to mention, more crowded airspace in the U.S. and strict laws around commercial drone operations make it nearly impossible to carry out a drone-delivery operation on a broad scale.
“You might think the first place this would happen is the U.S. or Europe, but the reality is Rwanda is on the cutting edge,” Zipline CEO Keller Rinaudo said. “People in rural areas will receive the same access to medicine as people who live in cities.”
“Rwanda has an amazing aircraft regulatory group,” Rinaudo said. “They move faster than the FAA. It’s not a lack of regulation, it’s just easier.”
Rwanda’s limited airspace activity has also enabled Zipline to set out predetermined flight routes for its drones that won’t conflict with commercial flights. Predetermining routes wouldn’t be viable for a hypothetical Amazon Prime Air service, in which drones would need to deliver directly to customers’ homes.
Read more: Drone delivery is already here—and it works
Here’s how Zipline works: A doctor sends a text message stating what type of blood they need to Zipline, which has a central base with two employees—one to manage all the drones and another to load the drones with supplies. When the Zipline center receives a delivery request, a worker immediately loads up the pouch of blood (and eventually vaccines or other medical supplies), enters in the drone’s destination, presses a button to launch it, and the drone flies to that medical center based on a predetermined route.
The drone automatically sends a text message to the doctor a few minutes before its approach, and then drops the package outside over preset GPS coordinates. The drone then returns to its base for its batteries to be changed and to await its next delivery.
The cost of a Zipline drone delivery in Rwanda is similar to what a delivery by car or boat would cost, but Zipline CEO Keller Rinaudo says delivery by drone is 20 times faster.
Neither UPS nor Zipline have explicitly expressed the intention to carry out drone deliveries beyond medical-use cases or in developed economies, but the Rwanda project may prove an essential first step in testing out the technology.
“If we can be successful in this pilot, we can be successful in other parts of the world,” UPS’s Martinez said. “This is going to be a learning process for us.”


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Across all industries, 3D printing has come to the forefront as a disruptor in developing completely new products and more efficient manufacturing processes. It is now offering a solution for custom prescription lenses. 3D printing has the most impact where there is a need for volume, and individual customization, which is exactly what prescription lenses are all about.
3D printed lenses do not require huge inventories, a complex supply chain or have a limited product design. 3D printing offers ophthalmic labs and eyewear companies an opportunity to maximize the industry’s potential. A key element is the customization of the lenses to tailor the needs of the patient. Optimizing the lens design for 3D printing results in a good looking lens that satisfies the patient.
Topics: 3D printing
It was great to meet you at Vision Expo East 2019. During the event, attendees got the opportunity to try out 3D printed lenses. The 2019 edition of Vision Expo East was a highlight for Luxexcel. 3 years ago we introduced the technology for 3D printed lenses, 2 years ago we announced our partnership with IFB Solutions and this year’s edition of Vision Expo we are excited to be able to show we have reached the milestone of the commercial phase, shipping lenses daily to patients at IFB, the certification from Colts lab… and the 5000 lenses printed by Luxexcel printers worldwide.
3D printed lenses by Luxexcel have been independently tested by COLTS Laboratories and are found to be compliant with the ophthalmic industry standard quality tests.
EINDHOVEN, THE NETHERLANDS – Luxexcel, developer of 3D lens print technology and IFB Solutions a North Carolina based nonprofit, celebrate one year of partnership. To mark the anniversary, nearly 20 local schoolchildren received a free pair of eyeglasses and a comprehensive eye exam. The eyeglasses featured lenses made with IFB’s 3D printer developed by Luxexcel. The 3D printer at IFB Solutions is the world’s first commercial 3D printer of ophthalmic lenses.
To mark the first year of partnership, IFB Solutions and Luxexcel provided 17 local schoolchildren a free pair of eyeglasses. The eyeglasses featured lenses made with IFB’s 3D printer developed by Luxexcel. It is the world’s first commercial 3D printer of ophthalmic lenses.
Prior to receiving their eyeglasses, most of the children were seen at IFB’s optical center to select the frame of their choice. The children received a comprehensive, dilated eye exam, by an on-site Optometrist to determine their prescription and check the health of their developing eyes.
For several of the children, this will be their first pair of eyeglasses and something both IFB and Luxexcel hope will help them in the classroom. According to Prevent Blindness America, one in four school-age children have vision problems that, if left untreated, can affect learning ability and adjustment in school.
“The children will now be able to see what is happening on the board and have greater clarity when they are reading,” said Dan Kelly, Chief Operating Officer for IFB Solutions. “Plus, they will have bragging rights that their lenses were printed with this very cool 3D technology.”
IFB Solutions and Luxexcel have been partners in bringing 3D printing to the optical industry. Luxexcel optimized the 3D printing technology for the ophthalmic market with IFB coming on board in late 2017 to install the first commercial 3D printer in its optical lab. IFB Solutions uses the technology to help service its optical contracts with the Dept. of Veterans Affairs. IFB’s optical lab, staffed primarily by individuals who are blind, averages nearly 1,200 pairs of eyeglasses per day with the majority going to military veterans and their families.
3D printing has changed many industries. Typically, the impact is biggest where the product touches people because that requires customization which is exactly what ophthalmics is all about.
Topics: 3D printing
In the traditional way of lens manufacturing, there is a lot of cutting away of material, which results in waste which can't be re-used. With 3D printing you start with a bottle of ink and you add material to build a lens. This significantly reduces the material waste of your lens.
Topics: 3D printing
Luxexcel VisionMaster enables users to fully customize the lens and even create lenses that do not exist today.


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Celine Dion's heart may go on "near, far, wherever you are," but her songs are being taken off the in-store playlist at big-box Walmart.
The store is also splitting up with Justin Bieber — Walmart employees are sick of his songs, too.
The chain's promise to pull Dion and Bieber from store soundtracks was just one of several promises Walmart made at an employee rally held in Fayetteville, Ark., on June 3 before its annual shareholders meeting. The company is also relaxing the employee dress code and adjusting store air-conditioning.
A day before the rally, Walmart promised to raise the starting hourly wage for more than 100,000 managers. In February, the company announced they would be raising the wages of 500,000 full- and part-time associates.
Reese Witherspoon spoke at the employee rally, attended by about 3,000 employees. Walmart sold the thing she wanted more than anything else as a child: a bright, pink Barbie car. But the rally wasn't about her, it was about the store's future, she said.
Walmart employees will soon be able to wear black or khaki-colored denim. Overnight workers will be allowed to wear blue denim and T-shirts. Right now, the employee dress code only allows navy or khaki pants with white or blue collared shirts.
Walmart U.S. President and CEO Greg Foran wore a Walmart vest when he spoke to the crowd.
"We know you need the tools to do your job well," Foran said. "You make a difference for customers, so our job in Bentonville is to get you what you need."
Employees right now need a temperature adjustment, and Walmart has promised to deliver.
Air-conditioning at Walmart outlets across the country is controlled centrally at chain headquarters in Bentonville, Ark. Store temperatures in the East and central regions will be raised one degree. Temperatures at Walmarts in the West will be lowered from 76 to 75 degrees.
"You told us we've made it harder for you to do what you do best, which is serving customers," said Walmart COO Judith McKenna. "Taking care of our customers begins with taking care of you. It's that simple. My commitment to you is that we will continue to listen, and, more importantly, act on what we hear."


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20th July, 2018 1 Min read
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Thales announced the results of its 2018 Thales Data Threat Report, Retail Edition. According to U.S. retail respondents, 75% of retailers have experienced a breach in the past compared to 52% last year, exceeding the global average.
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U.S retail is also more inclined to store sensitive data in the cloud as widespread digital transformation is underway, yet only 26% report implementing encryption – trailing the global average.
While last year’s report showed an encouraging decrease in breaches, this year U.S. retail data breaches more than doubled from 19% in the 2017 survey to 50%. This massive increase drove U.S. retail to be the second highest vertical polled to experience a data breach in the last year, ahead of healthcare and financial services and only slightly behind the U.S. federal government.
According to the report, 95% of U.S. retail organizations will use sensitive data in an advanced technology environment (such as cloud, big data, IoT and containers) this year. More than half believe that sensitive data use is happening now in these environments without proper security in place. Each of these technology environments comes with unique security challenges. As the attack surface increases, unique data security challenges need to be addressed.
Read more: Help Net Security
As we navigate through the evolving landscape of IT infrastructure, a closer look at the cost trends for 2024 reveals significant shifts. From cloud expenses feeling the pressure of economic changes. With global cloud spending expected to hit over $1 trillion and various sectors facing unique challenges, staying informed is more crucial than ever. Dive […]
EX.CO is a video technology platform that enables publishers to monetize video content on websites.
Justt is a chargeback mitigation startup based in Tel Aviv. Chargebacks, as defined, are demands by a credit card provider for a retailer to reimburse losses on fraudulent or disputed transactions. Justt’s objective is to assist merchants worldwide in combating false chargebacks using its proprietary artificial intelligence technology.
The cloud used to be viewed as a place of significant cost savings: rather than purchasing and maintaining dozens of server stacks, organizations could outsource this and purchase compute power on an as-needed basis. In the ensuing rush to cloud architecture, however, many companies simply lifted-and-shifted their old financial bad habits. The sheer speed of […]
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Copenhagen Fashion Week joins its neighbours Oslo, Helsinki, and Amsterdam in banning the use of fur in this year's show.
Copenhagen Fashion week has announced it has banned the use of animal fur in this year’s show.
The event, which takes place from August 9-12, follows in suit of Amsterdam, Helsinki, Oslo fashion weeks which have all ditched the cruel material.
Copenhagen Fashion week
Last year, the fashion week was was targeted by animal rights acitivists from Anima International, Dyrenes Alliance, and PETA UK.
Protestors with skeletons painted on their face held out grave stone-shaped placards with slogans such as “I wouldn’t be caught dead in animal skin” and “Fur is dead”.
Now, PETA UK has praised the event for the move. The charity’s European Vice President Mimi Bekhechi said: “PETA and compassionate fashionistas everywhere are celebrating the news that Copenhagen Fashion Week will go fur-free.
“This move follows a consumer awakening brought about by PETA supporters internationally, who piled on the pressure, pointing out that Danish “high-welfare” fur is a cruel and unsustainable scam.
Bekhechi added: “Today, fur is as dead as the animals it was stolen from. Designers around the globe are embracing sustainable, innovative vegan fabrics such as vegan leather. Milan and Paris fashion weeks must now follow suit.”
A ‘major turning point’
According to Hypebae, Thomas Pietsch of FOUR PAWS, described the move as a “historic moment and major turning point”.
He then added: “What we are witnessing is consumers saying en masse that they want the brands they buy from to be in favour of animal welfare.
“Paris and Milan fashion weeks have still not decided to go fur-free which is wholly unacceptable. Both events must immediately decide to join the majority of the European shows in banning this promotion of this inhumane and unsustainable practice”.
Many people are moving away from fur in favour of faux.
But is real fur or faux better for the environment?
Featured image by Ryan McVay via Getty.


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Hundreds of Rovers fans turned up to see their heroes at the official launch of the new Nike home kit at Ewood Park.
Star striker Jordan Rhodes and new boys Alan Judge and Chris Talyor delighted the hoards of supporters at the Roverstore by signing autographs and posing for photos yesterday.
The Rovers stars sported the hugely popular new shirts – including the brand new away shirt, available for pre-order now.
Jordan, said: “It is nice to come and see faces and to see people who queue up to get your autograph. It really brings it all home and it puts a smile on your face.
"It is great to see the kids come in and everyone else at such a great occasion like the kit launch.
Returning Rover Alan Judge, added: “As a first team player it is good to see the Rovers fans right in front of me. I was only a youth team player when I was here first.
"It was a massive turnout from the fans and that is great to see."


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Canada’s inflation rate rises up to 2.4% in January
Gas, food and cars got more expensive whereas, tuition fees and phone bills got cheaper.
The price of living went up by 2.4 per cent in January from a year earlier, a slight uptick from December’s level.
Higher gasoline prices were a major factor in the uptick. Pump prices were 11 per cent higher in January than they were a year earlier, a month during which a global supply glut pushed them down at the time.
TD economist James Marple noted that the reintroduction of a carbon tax in Alberta in January was a factor in the gas price surge. But he does not expect it to last.
“While oil and gasoline prices rose at the start of January, they plummeted through the month as news around the COVID–19 outbreak spread,” Marple said, noting that oil prices are down 12 percent on average so far in February from January’s level.
If the impact of gasoline is stripped out of the numbers then Canada’s yearly inflation rate would have been two per cent for the month. The 2.4 per cent inflation rate is an increase of 0.2 percentage points from December’s level.
Another factor- Food
The high prices for fresh vegetables were also a factor in the higher inflation figure. Tomatoes got 10.8 percent more expensive in the past year, more than twice the five percent increase seen in other types of fresh vegetables
“The higher prices stem from inclement weather in growing regions in the United States and Mexico,” the data agency said.
Clothing prices were also an unexpected source of strength in the numbers. The price of new clothes increased by 3.9 per cent in the year up to January — the highest yearly figure since 1991.
“Just to give a sense of how unusually strong that is, this category has averaged a yearly price decrease of 0.8 percent over the past 20 years,” BMO economist Doug Porter noted.
Overall, the inflation rate increased everywhere but Quebec and Ontario, where it stayed flat.


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Yesterday, we found out that Nintendo started to claim ad revenue from YouTube Let's Plays. We asked what you thought on Facebook and Twitter. Here's some of the responses you gave:
Results were heavily weighted towards no. Twitter on the other hand, was more inclined to side with Nintendo.
@ign If the dev contracted someone to document opinions of gameplay that's one thing, but Nintendo has every right to doc of their IPs
— John Groh (@DefiningPlay) May 16, 2013
@ign Yes, if there is no analysis or educational elements to the video, it's fair play for the publisher to claim it.
— Michael (@RedChannels) May 16, 2013
@ign It's their IP they should be able to make money off it. It's not like they have asked for them to be taken down.
— Deric Beisel (@Deric_B) May 16, 2013
@ign People who make money off Let's Plays don't deserve it. Play for the game, not the money, Nintendo deserves it.
— SQEX☆GAL (@sqexgal) May 16, 2013
@ign Of course it is.And this precedent wont go unnoticed. Expect Sony and MS to cash in soon too.
— Alex (@The_Alex) May 16, 2013
@ign of course. How many of those videos are made from emulator and roms? They profit off piracy. It's @nintendoamerica property.
— Eric G. Stevens (@ericgstevens) May 16, 2013
@ign it's totally fair. Anyone who argues is just being ignorant. Heck maybe Nintendo will start paying people to do lets plays
— Thomas Kehoe (@wickedtimefox) May 17, 2013
@ign Each Let's Play constitutes an individual performance by the person that created the video. Nintendo shouldn't profit from their work.
— Michael Burns (@nvsblgamer) May 16, 2013
@ign no. It's free advertising. They are already getting money out of their games. Stuff like this will cause the extinct of let's plays.
— Neil Rodriguez (@hloppi32) May 16, 2013
@ign Hell no. The Let's Players already paid for the games, and they're essentially providing free advertisements for Nintendo.
— GeneralSecura (@GeneralSecura) May 16, 2013
@ign They created the games so they do deserve some money but they should also realize that they're getting free advertisement from LPers
— Zach (@Zrox456) May 16, 2013
@ign Fair yes, smart no. PS4 "share" is really there for the devs/pubs: it's free advertising. "Look at that, wow! I WANT IT!"
— Andy (@akmrzr) May 17, 2013
@ign It may be legally "fair," but it's a painfully out of touch business move that's only going to alienate customers and lose money.
— Brock McCord (@DeusExBrockina) May 16, 2013


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Shareholder move for private Facebook sets up a public future
Facebook has established a dual-class stock structure to ensure voting control by existing owners, but has no plans to become a public company, it said.
'We did introduce a dual class stock structure because existing shareholders wanted to maintain control over voting on certain issues, to help ensure the company can continue to focus on the long term to build a great business,' said Larry Yu, a Facebook spokesman.
'Facebook has no plans to go public at this time.'
Face it: The move is seen as paving the way for a public offering
An analyst said he found the move unsurprising, because the social networking company has in some ways been modeling itself on Google, which long ago went to a dual-class structure.
'That is the exact same thing Google did,' said Ben Schachter of Broadpoint AmTech.
'The structure is a way to protect longer term interests against short-term pressures.'
Schachter said that, without a dual-class structure, a majority of shareholders could force business decisions for short-term gains at the expense of the long-term success sought by the company's founders.
The social networking company has signed up more than 300 million users.
Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said in May an IPO was 'a few years out.'
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