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GoFundMe created to support Peter’s Market in Weston
WESTON — Peter’s Weston Market has served its community for more than 40 years no matter the occasion, and now the community is returning the favor.
Jim Magee, owner of Peter’s Market, said after facing the financial impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, he reluctantly started a GoFundMe to support the business. And as of 1:40 p.m April 11, the business’s online donation site has logged more than $106,000.
“I never expected this,” Magee said. “It’s unbelievable how generous people have been. The response has been overwhelming.”
Magee said he believed it was important to remain open on behalf of his longtime staff members and because he said he has a community responsibility.
“We want to make sure we’re there for the people of Westport and Weston who has been there for us for years,” he said.
Magee’s connection to Peter’s and the community runs deep. He’s been involved for more than 30 years and even met his wife at the store. On April 10, they celebrated the 36th anniversary of their first date and she continues to help run the business alongside her husband.
“It’s been a family business for years and years,” Magee said.
From running the business through the 2008 recession to serving customers through Hurricane Irene in 2011, he said he’s seen it all.
But because of the nature of the coronavirus, Peter’s, like many other businesses, has had to rapidly change in an ever-changing landscape. Now the store has transitioned online while only allowing 15 to 18 customers to shop inside.
“It’s really changed the way we operated,” Magee said. “We have to limit the amount of people in a store at a given time.”
The funds raised through the GoFundMe will help Peter’s transition into an online model, he said. With more than 75 vendors, the funds will also help keep items in stock for customers.
“What’s good about a small business like ours is we can be a little bit more nimble as long as we have the funds,” Magee said.
Over the past couple of years, consumer habits were already moving toward online, he said. But even after the coronavirus’ spread has slowed, a push toward online services may be part of the new normal, he said.
“I think people’s shopping habits may change for good,” he said. “I think it’s the future.”
Magee said he continues to be appreciative of his employees and the generous support of the community.
“We’re just trying to keep going and keep serving the community like we have been for years,” he said.


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RESIDENTS in Cramlington are being given the chance to get fit and healthy.
The Life&Soul Fitness Centre is getting active as part of the government’s social-marketing campaign to increase the public’s awareness of the benefits of regular physical activity and an active lifestyle.
Inactivity and obesity-related illness cost the UK economy nearly £16bn last year and is likely to cost £50bn by 2050.
Becoming more active (the government recommends 30 minutes of moderate exercise five times per week) would significantly decrease early mortality rates in the UK and save tax payers billions.
Life&Soul Fitness Centre is helping spearhead the local delivery of Change4Life: a national initiative run by the Department of Health.
Change4Life aims to get people to eat well, move well, and live longer.
Thousands of fitness facilities like Life&Soul Fitness Centre are linking with their local communities to help achieve this goal.
Change4Life includes a wide range of partners in the public and private sector including retailers, food and beverage manufacturers, national and local media and physical activity groups.
Eric Fail, co-owner with his wife Nicola of Cramlington’s Life&Soul Fitness Centre, said: “It’s fantastic to hear of so many gyms, leisure centres, private businesses and the government working together within the local communities to really drive this fantastic initiative to encourage people to lead a healthier lifestyle.
“Life&Soul Fitness Centre is proud to be a delivery partner and the more businesses that get involved the better.”
The centre is based at Suite 2, Hubbway House, Bassington Industrial Estate.

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Thursday thoughts . . .
By Stefanie Wallace
July 26, 2012 – From coffee to mashed potatoes: in her latest blog, Canadian Vending and Office Coffee Service web editor Stefanie Wallace muses over consumer coffee trends, conferences and crazes.
July 26, 2012 – It’s no surprise that Canada loves coffee. A recent report from The NPD Group reveals interesting trends on the coffee habits of Canadian consumers. The survey found that two-third of Canadians surveyed brew coffee at home as opposed to purchasing it at a retail location, and 41 per cent of single-serve machine owners revealed they used their single-serve machine more this year. The report goes on to explain that while auto-drip coffeemakers are popular in the house, single-serve machines are commonly used in the afternoon and evening hours. Twenty-seven per cent of respondents reported they are drinking more coffee than they did last year, and they consume the beverage less when they are out.
This is all well and good, but what happens when people get to work and need a coffee fix? The report reveals that the novelty of the single-serve coffee maker is still alive, and indulgent drinks, like espresso and iced coffee, are often consumed in the afternoon. When 3 p.m. rolls around, are you offering what people want, or are you forcing people to leave the office fulfill a cappuccino craving?
Click here to read a summary of the report.
On the coffee subject, the National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) is holding its fifth Coffee, Tea and Water (CT&W) show in New Orleans in November. The show has grown substantially since its inception in 2008 and this year will feature more than 150 tabletop suppliers. Details can be found here. And, while we’re on the topic of trade shows, the 2012 Canadian Automatic Merchandising Association (CAMA) show is quickly approaching. This year’s show will be held in beautiful Niagara Falls, Ont., from Sept. 27-29. An expanded educational program promises to offer something for everyone. Click here for more details.
My last blog looked at interactive machines that have garnered much media attention. More recently, vending machines that offer food have been making the news, like the mashed potato and gravy dispenser at 7-Eleven stores in Singapore. We’ve seen other food items from machines around the world – the Let’s Pizza machine in Italy (which is coming to the United States), live crabs in China and cupcakes in Los Angeles, to name a few. And interactive machines are picking up in Canada and worldwide too. But as a commenter noted in my last blog, while the media loves to bring attention to these offbeat machines, reports often fail to mention how profitable the machines are. Will the novelty of a hug for a free beverage or a fresh pizza made in three minutes ever wear off, or are these wacky machines here to stay?
Let us know in the comments below, or via e-mail.


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Chain reaction: 50 bikers help Borivali cops chase down petty thieves
On a quiet evening in Borivali, a bike whizzes past vehicles lined up at a red light. It is quickly followed by another, unsurprisingly ridden by a man in his twenties wearing a t-shirt and jeans. What’s odd about this scene is that the second bike has an unusual pillion rider – a policeman in uniform – and seems to be chasing, rather than simply following, the first.
People watching slowly realise what’s happening – the first biker is a chain snatcher. What they don’t know is that the second biker is a volunteer crime fighter for the Borivali police.
For a month now, 50 men from various biker groups have been helping the Borivali police take on chain-snatchers, who have for long operated in the area with impunity. The bikers patrol the suburb with policemen in shifts. They don’t get paid for their work; what they do get is an identity card from the police and some tea and snacks at the police station between the morning and evening rounds.
The affluent western suburbs have always been a favourite hunting ground for chain snatchers. Borivali, which has easy access and a large middle-income population, is their first choice, according to an officer at Borivali police station. “The number of chain snatchings has continued to rise, and with more bikers escaping the police, we wanted to know how they managed to flee so quickly. We learnt that many of them ride vehicles that have been modified for extra speed,” said a senior officer.
Realising that the their generic bikes were no match for these souped-up machines, the Borivali police turned to groups of professional bikers and chose 50 men to help chase down chain snatchers. Of these, 25 were brought in as riders, while the rest ride pillion with policemen.
“The bikers are posted at various points in Borivli (W) and each biker is accompanied by a constable. They have been trained to identify suspects. We have shown them the list of wanted chain snatchers in the area so they can easily identify our targets,” said an officer from the Borivali police.
Among the group is a 20-year-old biker who is in his final year of junior college and wishes to pursue an MBA. But for now, he is focused on curbing crime. Asked how he manages to juggle academics and crime fighting, he said, “I can always find time to do something good. We have been doing this for almost a month now. It is a good feeling to help someone.”
The Borivali police said the initiative has already shown positive results, with chain snatching cases down from the previous month. While 51 chain snatching cases were registered in Borivali last year, the first seven months of 2015 have seen only 15 chain snatching cases. The Borivali police are now in talks to replicate the initiative in other parts of north Mumbai.
Apart from bringing in some much-needed speed to tackle the problem, the initiative has also led to increased patrolling in the area. Senior officers, including the assistant commissioner of police, now begin patrolling as early as 6am.
The police have also put together a public announcement system and mounted it on a vehicle, which is driven around Borivali with a pre-recorded message that warns citizens about chain snatchers and urges them to be vigilant.


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Following the June acquisition of Bourne Digital, a prominent Australian digital design agency, Accenture's SAP Business Group in Australia has officially become part of the global SAP AppHaus Network.
In conjunction with this partnership, Accenture has opened a new collaborative locale in its Melbourne office, expressly dedicated to SAP design and architectural thinking.
With its new membership in the SAP AppHaus Network, Accenture will help upgrade user experiences and foster the adoption of SAP processes and functions among customers, suppliers, and employees.
Interestingly, the first partner to establish an SAP AppHaus in Australia was Bourne Digital, the firm Accenture acquired earlier this year. Accenture has now taken over this role of fostering SAP-driven innovation and design. A special launch event for clients and SAP representatives will be held by Accenture at its Collins Street office in Melbourne.
Stacy Pence, Enterprise and Technologies lead for Accenture Australia and New Zealand, discussed Accenture's new collaboration, emphasising their role in assisting clients with business transformation using SAP technology and accelerating their move to the cloud. By becoming part of the SAP AppHaus network, Accenture gains access to the latest design-thinking methodologies and tools in the Melbourne design space. This enables them to help clients unlock value from their SAP investments more swiftly and efficiently.
Stacy Pence said, "At Accenture, we help clients transform their businesses with SAP technology and move to the cloud more quickly."
"By joining the SAP AppHaus network, Accenture can now leverage the very latest design-thinking, methodology and tools in the Melbourne design space to help our clients unlock value from their SAP investments more rapidly."
Selim Ahmed, CEO of Bourne Digital, now under Accenture, expressed the significance of the strategic union with SAP AppHaus. Ahmed emphasised the value of designing a technology strategy around end-user needs and behaviour. SAP AppHaus, with its shared global innovation toolkit, human-centred approach, and dedicated teams of creative and technical experts, assists clients in transforming data into value.
Ahmed highlighted that this approach enables the implementation of SAP solutions informed by customer insights, ultimately improving adoption and user experience and leading to better outcomes for clients.
Selim Ahmed said, "Today's technology leaders understand the value of designing their technology strategy around end-user needs and behaviour."
"SAP AppHaus combines a shared global innovation toolkit, a human-centred approach, dedicated creative teams and technical experts to help clients transform data into value."
"Simply put, it helps us implement SAP solutions that are informed by customer insights, which improves their adoption and user experience, resulting in a better outcome for our clients," says Ahmed.
Accenture's latest endeavour with the SAP AppHaus network is integral to keeping clients at the forefront of digital innovation and enhancing its design proficiency across the board. The directive continues Accenture's mission to glean the most value from their clients' SAP investments and ultimately push the boundaries of what's possible in the realm of technology.


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Microsoft has spoken out against Sony’s claims that its ongoing bid to acquire Activision Blizzard would be anti-competitive, particularly when it comes to Call of Duty.
Last month, Sony told Brazilian regulator CADE, which is investigating the acquisition, that the acquisition could entice gamers to switch from PlayStation to Xbox.
At the time, he claimed, “Call of Duty is so popular that it influences users’ console choice, and its community of loyal users is deep enough that even if a competitor had the budget to develop a similar product , he would not be able to compete with him.
Now, according to the ResetEra member IdasMicrosoft responded to CADE with a lengthy response dismissing Sony’s claims.
As Idas reports, Microsoft said, “Unsurprisingly, Sony was the only third party to convey a significantly different public opinion from MS/ABK and third parties regarding the transaction’s competitive analysis.
Microsoft claimed that Sony doesn’t want to see Call of Duty games on Game Pass on day one because it “can’t get over having to compete with Microsoft’s subscription service.”
“Sony’s public outcry over subscription games and the company’s response are clear: Sony doesn’t want attractive subscription services to threaten its dominance in the digital console games distribution market,” says- he.
“In other words, Sony protests against the introduction of new monetization models capable of challenging its business model.”
Microsoft also refutes Sony’s assertion that Call of Duty is a “category of games unto itself”, stating, “The PlayStation itself has a foundation laid by loyal gamers to the brand.
“This finding, however, does not support the conclusion that PlayStation – or any branded product with loyal consumers – is a separate market from all other consoles.
“Extrapolating from such a finding, the extreme conclusion that Call of Duty is a ‘game category unto itself’ is simply unjustifiable under quantitative or qualitative analysis.”
It also lists five reasons opposing Sony’s claim that adding Activision Blizzard games to Game Pass would lead to an unattainable lead in subscription services for Microsoft. According to Microsoft, this claim is false because:
- this is not part of Microsoft’s strategy to remove player content, and COD will still be on PlayStation as a paid title
- data shows gamers view subscription services as only way to pay for games
- Sony’s claim ignores the “dynamic nature” of subscription services, and the fact that Sony has its own too
- (information redacted)
- there are many other game distribution channels and subscription services, many of which include content not available on Xbox
Microsoft also claims that arranging exclusivity deals has been central to Sony’s strategy to strengthen its position in the games industry, and that in addition to having its own first-party exclusives, it has also exclusive agreements with third-party publishers.
He also claims that Sony is actively trying to hinder the growth of Game Pass by paying certain developers “blocking fees” to prevent them from adding content to Game Pass.
Finally, Microsoft claims that not having Call of Duty games on PlayStation wouldn’t make business sense, as it would only be profitable if enough people jumped onto Xbox to make up for the money lost by not selling games. PlayStation copies.
In its first response to Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard released in January, Sony said it expects Call of Duty games to remain cross-platform due to “contractual agreements”.
Microsoft’s head of games also later confirmed plans to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation platforms once Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard is complete.
However, it was later claimed that Activision Blizzard had contractually committed to releasing only the next three Call of Duty games for PlayStation consoles, including that year’s Modern Warfare 2.


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Jaguar Land Rover withdraws its SUVs from the Chinese marketFebruary 10, 2019
The review turned out to be quite small, but the problem, due to which the car needed repair, is quite serious. Due to one faulty unit, the engine of these premium SUVs may stall at any time.
Jaguar Land Rover has announced in China the recall of its luxury SUVs. According to local media, the service action will affect 44 brand cars imported into the country last fall. “Problem” copies will fall into the hands of specialists due to engine problems that pose a safety risk to the driver and his passengers.
Due to a damaged crankshaft pulley, SUV engines may suddenly stall, which can lead to serious adverse effects. Defective parts promise to replace as soon as possible. Of course, all work will be carried out for free.
It is known that six brand new Range Rovers that came off the assembly line from October 10 to 17 last year, as well as 38 Range Rover Sport, produced from October 10 to 19, 2018, will be sent for repairs.
- Germany has experienced a flying taxi
- Renault broke the record Nurburgring among front-wheel drive cars
- Skoda introduced the updated Superb
- New Opel Corsa received an electric motor
- In Mexico, supercars will be put up for sale to help the poor


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SEATTLEWith HTC's One S and One X getting glowing reviews, it looks like more slim, touchscreen slabs are in the smartphone maker's future.
Here at Frequencies, a bloggers' event thrown by HTC, top HTC designers have been laying out the company's choices. HTC is picking slim phones over huge batteries, camera quality over megapixels, pure touchscreen phones over QWERTY, and is seriously looking at Wi-Fi Display for the future, executives said.
The most controversial quote of the day came when HTC's vice president of phone strategy Bjorn Kilburn said that the company had rejected models with giant 3000mAh batteries similar to the one attached to the Motorola Razr Maxx.
Kilburn said consumer research had shown that buyers prefer smartphones between about 8mm and 10mm in thickness nowadays. A strapping, strap-on battery threatened to bust that limit.
"We experimented with putting in a lot more battery, making the device thicker, but consumers don't want to buy it," Kilburn said. "So we spent a lot of time finding other ways [to maximize battery life] than the brute force approach."
Motorola has managed to have it both ways, though, with the Razr Maxx measuring only 8.9mm thick with a 3300mAh battery. HTC's flagship One X phone is 8.9mm thick with an 1800mAh battery.
HTC pointed out that the One X uses a Super LCD 2 screen, which the company said is more power-efficient than the AMOLED technology used by the Razr Maxx.
"When a product gets much above 10mm there's a sort of demand in the market to make it thinner," Kilburn said. "We're making judgments based on what people tell us."
Hardware QWERTY keyboards are another feature HTC is moving away from, HTC designer Claude Zellweger of design firm One & Co said.
"The QWERTY keyboard, we're moving away from it in general," he said. "There's sort of a die-hard community that keeps wanting it, but we feel that putting too much effort into that would take away from our main focus," he said. "The real innovation is going to come through what will happen [with] on-screen [keyboards.]"
From the camera perspective, HTC is shying away from super-high-megapixel cameraphones (the current Titan II is an exception) in exchange for a wider aperture, bigger individual pixels, and extended depth of field.
HTC uses EDOF to improve its autofocus, letting images stay in focus even if the subject moves a little bit away from the focus point. A wider aperture lets in more light, offering better low-light performance, and bigger pixels reduce noise.
Once you've got your high-quality image, look for HTC phones to move it to your TV using Wi-Fi Display in the future, Kilburn said.
HTC's new Media Link HD TV dongle uses some of the same core technologies as Wi-Fi Display, and "it's definitely something that I would be shocked at not seeing in the future," he said.


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Square Enix denies Babylon's Fall is in jeopardy
Babylon's Fall received extremely poor reviews on launch. Despite this, Square Enix and PlatinumGames will continue work on the title.
Babylon’s Fall Review - Lost in Translation
Despite a strong pedigree and interesting concepts, Babylon’s Fall is a boring, laborious, and unfulfilling action game experience.
PlatinumGames criticises Konami for NFT adoption
Hideki Kamiya: 'If it smells like money, Konami’s going to be there in a heartbeat!'
PlatinumGames CEO indicates a move to live service games
PlatinumGames CEO Atsushi Inaba would reportedly like the company to focus on games that can be enjoyed long-term.
Scalebound director Hideki Kamiya has shared more about the game's cancellation
Hideki Kamiya has opened up about how inexperience led to the game's cancellation.


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BlackBerry may soon launch a new smartphone in India which is codenamed as ‘Ghost’. The BlackBerry Ghost has long been rumored and now it is reported that smartphone is coming to India very soon. Thanks to the leakster Evan Blass who tweeted about the possible release of the smartphone.
The Blackberry Ghost smartphone has been in the rumors for quite a long time. Earlier, back in February, Evan Blass leaked a rendered picture of the smartphone showing a sleek design. Now, he has confirmed the BlackBerry Ghost launch is expected in this summer. Also, the phone is coming with dual rear cameras.
After nothing new on these BlackBerry Ghost handsets from Optiemus for awhile, finally hearing that a summer release is expected. (Also told that the dual rear cameras feature low light enhancement and optical zoom.)
— Ev (@evleaks) May 24, 2018
BlackBerry Ghost Features
The previously rendered image of the BlackBerry Ghost revealed a sleek frame with curved sides, SIM card tray on the left and antennae line on the top part. The display configuration is still not visible, only the leak suggests that the smartphone will come with a full bezel-less display.
BlackBerry 'Ghost': a bezel-less, premium Android handset from licensee Optiemus; coming soon to India. pic.twitter.com/KTAvKbDl5v
— Ev (@evleaks) February 26, 2018
According to the latest leak from Evan Blass, the smartphone is expected to come with dual rear cameras with low light enhancement. The dual camera setup might also feature optical zoom in the smartphone.
The smartphone is said to be coming to India in coming months and it will be made by Optiemus Infracom. BlackBerry KEYone was designed, manufactured and sold by Optiemus Infracom in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
We will keep you updated with the latest news about the BlackBerry Ghost when some official announcement comes from the company.


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What does RIM have in store for us on the gaming front with BlackBerry 10
We all know that gaming has not been one of the strong points of owning a BlackBerry in years gone by. That is all going to change in Q1 next year when BlackBerry 10 is released. Finally the gaming experience will be as good, if not better, than on the likes of iOS and Android.
Recently at BlackBerry Jam Americas RIM gave a brief demonstration of what we can expect to see when the new OS launches. As you can clearly see from the video below BlackBerry users will at last be able to have not only the best communication tool but also a amazing gaming and media smartphone.
You can catch the video below and please let us have your thoughts in the comments section. Is BlackBerry 10 going to make you come back to the platform if you are now a iOS/Android or Windows Phone user?
Posted by: James


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Google shares breach $500 barrier
Shares in internet search engine Google have breached the $500 mark.
They hit records of $510 during trading on the Nasdaq stock market, before closing $14.60 higher at $509.65.
Google shares have been boosted by strong growth, and expectations that the firm will continue to capitalise on the online advertising market.
It has also benefited from problems at its closest rival, Yahoo, which has suffered from a downturn in financial and car advertising in recent months.
Last month, Yahoo said quarterly profits had fallen 38% to $158m on the back of weak advertising revenues.
As a result analysts have been questioning Yahoo's long-term strategy, fearing that it is less nimble than some of its rivals.
Read More ...
|All times are GMT +5.5. The time now is 16:05.|


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Moments ago, SCS released a short video test of enhanced multi-monitor setup system for creating custom views.
A sneak peek for American Truck Simulator – a video gameplay with the game in Alpha build 0.1.60 stage.
Here it is antoher video with American Truck Simulator posted by Squirrel. A “behind the scenes” type of video showing exclusive footage of ATS.
February 20, 2015 – was at some point the date set for the release of American Truck Simulator game by SCS Software.
In December last year, SCS Software posted an article about a new feature that will be introduced in American Truck Simulator – Weigh Stations.


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Google’s Psychedelic AI Art Takes Twitter by Storm
Last month, Google blew the lid off of a trippy psychedelic image of a squirrel that had the internet confused: Had the strange images of dogs and noses been designed by a human, or a computer? It turned out that it had, indeed, been created as part of Inceptionism, a project that showcases images generated by the company’s image recognition algorithm. Androids, it was declared, do dream of electric sheep. Google released an open-sourced version of the neural network learning algorithm on July 1, dubbed DeepDream, and the internet has spent the last week going wild with it. Programmer Zain Shah created a simple interface for applying the algorithm to a jpeg, and now, warped, psychedelic remixes of the Doof Warrior, Johnny Depp, Jackson Pollock’s No. 5, and a scene from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas are out, covered in puppyslugs and disembodied eyes, and there’s nothing you can do about it.
Artists like Memo Akten and KyttenJanae are already incorporating the algorithm into their practices, and a DeepDreams Twitter bot has appeared, courtesy of Japan’s Psychic VR Lab. With these tools, you, too, can produce your own deepdreamed videos, GIFs, images, video games, and more, which has the double-positive of finding crazy patterns in your own face and giving researchers more material to learn about how machines learn. Check out a few of our favorites below.


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Are toys made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) safe? No doubt many parents have heard the claim that they are not — that toxic substances can leach out of rubber duckies and other playthings as children chew and suck on them. Still, government agencies have held steadfast that chemicals released from PVC in toys aren’t significant enough to bring harm to children. The debate re-ignited earlier this year with the Consumer Safety Product Commission’s (CPSC) decision to r eject a petition requesting a ban on PVC in children’s products; the recent release of a survey on PVC use by toy companies has also sparked controversy.
PVC, commonly known as vinyl, has been used for over 50 years, and its use is not restricted to toys. It is also found in many everyday items, including pipes, siding, caulk, furniture, adhesives, nail polish, hospital supplies, and even food packaging. PVC itself is not the primary object of concern. It is the chemicals with which it is mixed that have raised red flags. PVC alone is very hard and brittle, and degrades fairly easily. It must be combined with other substances to make it useful. For example, lead and cadmium can stabilize PVC, and a group of chemicals called phthalates (pronounced THAL-ates) can plasticize it, causing it to be softer and more flexible without losing durability. The most common phthalate found in PVC is diisononyl phthalate (DINP), but others are also in use. Such additives (especially phthalates, which are not tightly bound to the PVC polymer) could theoretically leak out of a product over time, and put a user at risk, depending on the amount of exposure. PVC opponents cite certain animal studies, which indicate that extremely high levels of some phthalates can cause liver, kidney, and reproductive damage. They also point to the well-known dangers of ingesting high doses of lead or cadmium.
Beginnings of the toxic toy scare In 1996, a number of children were poisoned by large quantities of lead released from vinyl miniblinds; the CPSC promptly issued warnings about the problem. Soon after, Greenpeace, the non-profit pro-environment organization, examined other vinyl products that children were likely to encounter. They found that many playthings contain potentially toxic substances, such as phthalates and lead. Since then, the group has been on a mission to inform parents. But even before it turned the spotlight on toys, Greenpeace was a staunch opponent of PVC in any capacity, stressing that its production, use and disposal result in the release of hazardous chemicals into the environment. It is important to note that there was — and still is — much debate about whether any chemicals are released from PVC toys in quantities sufficient to do harm. Nevertheless, many have assumed the worst and have started to take action. The European Union and Japan have placed restrictions on phthalate use in toys. In addition, in 1998, the CPSC recommended a voluntary withdrawal of phthalate-containing teethers, rattles, and pacifiers from the market.
CPSC denies petition to ban PVC Keen to see a tougher stance in the United States, 12 organizations, including Greenpeace, submitted a petition to the CPSC in 1998. They asked for a ban on PVC in all products intended for children 5 years of age and under, and for the issuance of a national health advisory about PVC toys. However, in February, the CPSC voted unanimously to deny their request. The CPSC concluded that PVC toys are completely safe, that the levels of phthalates, lead or other chemicals that might possibly be ingested by children during normal play are far below the acceptable daily intake (ADI) level for these substances. The CPSC based its conclusion primarily on three pieces of information: The first was an independent scientific panel’s estimate that, based on the level of DINP released by PVC toys, children might be at risk only if they mouthed toys for more than 75 minutes per day. The second was a behavioral study showing that children, on average, actually mouth toys for only 1.9 minutes per day. The third was a 1997 finding that lead and cadmium were not released from PVC toys in appreciable amounts. All of the relevant reports can be found on the CPSC website (www.cpsc.gov).
CPSC spokesperson Ken Giles summarizes the commission’s decision: “The dose makes the poison. The mere presence of a substance does not indicate risk.” Giles also addresses the impression by some PVC opponents that other countries are taking a tougher approach to the issue than the United States. “They are concerned any time there is chronic exposure, even if there is no proven risk.” The CPSC’s conclusion about lead and cadmium begs a question: Why would lead be released from vinyl miniblinds, but not from vinyl toys? According to Giles, the answer lies in the type of normal product use. “In the miniblinds, exposure to ultraviolet light for many hours every day can cause the PVC to deteriorate, and allow the lead to come to the surface.” He says this should not be a concern with vinyl toys. The chemical and toy industries have long maintained that toys that contain PVC are not toxic, and the CPSC decision bolsters their stance. The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) supports the commission’s ruling. “The CPSC decision assures parents that PVC products do not pose a hazard to children and confirms what we have believed all along," says JPMA president Robert Waller. "These durable hygienic products have been safely used for decades. Parents can be assured they are safe." Jennifer Szwalek, JPMA vice president of communications, elaborates: "We hope groups that had mistakenly championed this cause will focus resources on reducing real world hazards to newborns and infants. Our goal has always been to reduce demonstrable risks to newborns and infants from SIDS, childhood diseases and accidents." Rick Hind, legislative director of the Greenpeace Toxics Campaign, strongly disagrees that PVC toys are harmless. He insists the CPSC’s average toy-mouthing time is far too low. Furthermore, he says the amount of contact children have with toxins is consistently miscalculated. “Cumulative exposure of children [to phthalates and other PVC additives] is much higher than estimated with just toys,” Hind says. “Children touch and lick everything in the home.” Hind also says the risk from lead, cadmium and other chemicals found in PVC has been misjudged by the CPSC.
Toy information Other than the CPSC report, much of the available information about the safety of PVC and phthalates comes from three major sources — the toy industry, the chemical industry, and environmental watchdog organizations like Greenpeace. With these different agendas and viewpoints, parents are still left to decide whether or not they should allow their children to play with vinyl toys.
If you do decide to keep your children away from PVC or phthalate-containing toys, how can you identify them? There are no obvious signs, so some research is necessary. Greenpeace provides a good place to start. In 2000, the group issued a ‘report card’ on toy manufacturers. It surveyed each company, asking for a truthful assessment of both PVC and phthalate use in their products. In February, Greenpeace released an update to the survey. Interested parents can find details and company contact information at its website (www.greenpeaceusa.org). According to the report card, several toy manufacturers appear strongly committed to phasing out PVC entirely, meriting an A rating: Brio, Chicco, Evenflo, Gerber, International Playthings (Primetime and Early Start), Lamaze Infant development, Lego Systems, Sassy, and Tiny Love. Two companies, Discovery Toys and Manhattan Baby, will phase out PVC in a few products (B rating). Three companies — First Years, Little Tykes and Mattel/Tyco/Fisher Price — plan to eliminate phthalates in toys intended for children under 3 (C rating). A couple of manufacturers, Munchkin Inc. and Shelcore, intend to remove phthalates only from toys intended for the mouth (D rating). Finally, many that were given D or F grades by Greenpeace in 2000, did not respond to repeated 2003 survey requests: Disney, Hasbro/Galoob/Playschool, Kids II, Safety First, and Warner Bros. According to Hind, Greenpeace will continue to pressure toy manufacturers to prevent backslides because of the CPSC decision.
Given that alternatives do exist, why do toy companies continue to use a controversial substance at all? Lisa Marie Bongiovanni, a spokesperson for Mattel/Tyco/Fisher Price, says: “PVC has been studied for over 50 years, and any new materials need to be as safe or safer than current products. We are not at the point where we think that any [of the alternative plastics] are as safe in several regards. Our greatest concern is the safety of children. We use only materials that have been rigorously tested.” She cites resistance to microorganisms and durability (that a toy will not break under heavy use to produce sharp edges or small parts) as two of the main considerations.
Toxins, toxins everywhere? Many parents worry about their family’s exposure to toxins, especially in New York City. Numerous groups claim that there are hazardous substances all around us. There is even a scary-sounding name for a person’s internal concentration of contaminants — the “body burden”. Earlier this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its Second National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals (http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/), which assesses just how exposed the general population is to 116 chemicals. The Centers are quick to stress that just because a chemical is present does not necessarily mean that it poses a threat. In addition, the results of another similar study are available from the Environmental Working Group (http://www.bodyburden.org/). On this site, it’s possible to find out what chemicals, including phthalates, might make up your own “body burden” (http://www.ewg.org/reports/bodyburden/usertest/). Parents may be wondering how much of all this toxic talk is hype and how much is really cause for concern. Clearly, the world does not agree on the answer. In the end, each family must make their own decisions about what to eat, what to drink, where to live — and what their children should play with.
Product Registration Cards for Children’s Products? CPSC says no, but legislation introduced In a move that seemed to signal an unwelcome defeat to consumers, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) voted 2-1 last month to deny a petition to require product registration cards (PRC) for children’s products. But in light of the CPSC move, legislators reintroduced a bill several days later that, if passed, would require manufacturers of certain consumer products to establish and maintain a system for providing notification of recalls of such products directly to the consumers who buy them. The current recall notification system relies upon the media to convey the news of product recalls to the public. Return rates for recalled products are relatively low — only 16 percent in 1997, the most recent year for which data is available. Many of these recalls involve children’s products. In 2002 alone, the CPSC issued recalls for 84 children’s products, including more than 11 million actual goods. Recalls often occur because of choking, strangulation, suffocation, burns or serious fall hazards. The petition, submitted to the CPSC by the Consumer Federation of America, requested that the Commission require manufacturers, distributors, retailers or importers of children’s products to include a product registration card with their products. Such a requirement, consumer advocates urged, would help decrease the number of injuries and deaths caused by recalled products that are not returned. The three-member Commission rejected the petition despite the fact that it is has been involved in ongoing comprehensive research to improve recall effectiveness; a recall effectiveness roundtable that will include CPSC staff, consumer advocates, members of industry, marketing professionals and social scientists will be convened next month. Commission members cited several reasons for their decision, including the lack of legal authority the CPSC has to enforce a PRC database, the likelihood that a rule requiring a PRC for such a broad range of products would violate the equal protection clause of the Constitution, and the costs associated with enforcing such a vast system. CPSC chairman Hal Stratton, who moved to deny the petition, said of his vote: “If interpreted broadly, such a rule would encompass a wide variety of products, from giveaway toys from fast food restaurants to children’s clothing, bedding, art supplies, and toys, which are generally manufactured for children. It might also encompass products that may be used by both children and adults, such as televisions, computers, radios, furniture, kitchen products, and practically any other product.” Stratton went on to say that the many types of products covered by the petition have significantly different product live — some lasting for years, others for only a single use, and others passed from person to person so that the original owner no longer knows who possesses the product. “A one-size-fits-all rule as contemplated by the petition to cover such a broad scope of products is not practicable,” the chairman noted, calling for a more targeted approach to products to be affected to increase product recall effectiveness. The newly introduced federal legislation, known as the “Product Safety Notification and Recall Effectiveness Act”, would give the Commission the authority to establish and maintain such a product safety card system for providing recall notification. The CPSC is currently conducting its own comprehensive study — which includes a product registration system for certain types of products — that evaluates consumer behavior and explores ideas for improving the recall process; its completion is expected by fall 2004.


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Chipotle Mexican Grill is leading what I hope will become a strong movement in the U.S. The company, which serves Mexican fast food, is model for other fast food restaurants in terms of health-conscious and sustainable products. This article on Fortune even likens Chipotle to “the fast-food equivalent of yuppie supermarket chain Whole Foods Markets”.
The key take-away from the article is that deviation from the norm is being driven by the producer, not the consumer. Chipotle could serve junk food like most fast food chains but it doesn’t. The average consumer is too occupied by his daily grind to seek out or create alternatives – they must be presented to him. That is why it is vital businesses grow a conscience. Steve Ells, the founder and chief executive of Chipotle says:
“As I toured confinement operations and looked at how the animals were treated and what the workers were subjected to and the effect on the environment, I knew that I didn’t want my success to be based on that kind of exploitation,” Ells says. (In response, Cindy Cunningham of the National Pork Board says: “Farmers live on the farm. They breathe the air. They drink the water. It’s in their best interest to protect the environment, and they do. The same goes for animal care – an animal that is not well cared-for is not going to produce well.”)
From an economic stand point, liberals and conservatives have always been on opposite ends of supporting big business. Personally, the hardest part about supporting big business is accepting their ignorance of social and environmental issues. If business was about making money, but not at any cost, more people would be able to see eye to eye on many policy issues society currently finds divisive.
By e-mail, Lederhausen, a Chipotle director, told me that that he thinks the company’s values are vital to its success. Chipotle, he says, is “one of the best examples in the marketplace of a business with deeper values, deeper meaning and ultimately deeper connections with their customer base, WITHOUT being pretentious, boring or finger pointing. Any business that can define a purpose bigger than their product,” he says, “will outperform businesses that are just selling product.” It’s tough to argue with that.


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For the last few days, there has been a lot uncertainty about the release dates of both the Sankranthi biggies, Sarileru Neekevvaru and Ala Vaikuntapurramuloo. While Sarileru was earlier supposed to hit screens on January 11, Ala Vaikuntapurramuloo was scheduled to release on Jan 12.
However, in an unexpected development, speculations are rife that Ala Vaikuntapurramuloo may now open in cinemas either on Jan 10 or 11th, pushing the makers of Sarileru and the trade circles in a fix. As a result, Team Sarileru didn’t mention the release date on the latest poster that was unveiled yesterday.
Now, the latest buzz is that Ala Vaikuntapurramuloo’s makers will announce the release date today after the film completes the censor formalities shortly. And then, am announcement from Sarileru’s team is expected tonight. All said and done, let’s hope that the release date suspense ends soon.
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Microsoft Windows News
News on Microsoft Windows continually updated from thousands of sources around the net.
53 min ago | Hispanic Business
Classification Code: D - Information technology services, including telecommunications services Contact: Kathleen A Kern, Contracting Officer, Phone 2023146104, Email kathleen.kern@NTSB.gov - for Transas NS4000: AIS Transasponder 3; 1st additional station; additional station; TX97 US Chart Folios; TX 97 Professional Chart Maintenance ; USB Dongle.
4 hrs ago | TechTarget
Cybersecurity remains a top source of contention between the United States and China.
9 hrs ago | Dr. Dobb's
The lowercase forward slash fans at /n software inc. have released the IP*Works! V9 and E-Business Integrator products for Microsoft Windows Runtime development.
13 hrs ago | Business Wire
* The company's research arm, StatCounter Global Stats also finds that despite Microsoft's ending of support in April this year, Windows XP refuses to die and remains the world's second most popular operating system version.
This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued.
More trouble for Microsoft is brewing in China as a special government investigation team gave Microsoft 20 days to respond to an anti-monopoly investigation that alleges software "compatibility issues" in Windows and Office, which may boil down to Microsoft's use of anti-piracy verification codes.
While shellbags have been available since Windows XP, they have only recently become a popular artifact as examiners are beginning to realize their potential value to an investigation.
The example bellow demonstrates how to implement a service running on Raspberry Pi which captures video from the camera and streams it to a .NET client which processes it and displays on the screen.
Windows Server 2003 will reach its end of life in less than a year and, as enterprises look to refresh their infrastructure, HP is playing the stability card to win more enterprise deals as rivals IBM and Dell are mired by uncertainties.
Several commenters pointed out that Mr Bernecky had an "old" phone - an original Galaxy S, a model that was released in June 2010, just over four years ago.
Inspect2GO recently released new software for large scale remote surveys and audits.
Microsoft's new certification process, in particular, asks for clear and accurate names that "reflect the functionality of the app," more accurate categories, and differentiated icons to ensure apps aren't confused with one another.
Low-cost PCs, Chromebooks and Windows XP migrations continue to help, but competition from other devices means declines in the future.
Why do people stand in line every year for a new iPhone? Why is iPhone technology changing so fast? Conversely, why are iPad sales more or less ho-hum? Why isn't iPad technology exploding? I want to reflect on that situation.
Updated: Tue Sep 02, 2014 07:40 pm
Copyright © 2014 Topix LLC


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End the Monopoly Coalition Submits Letter to the House Economic Matters Committee
I mentioned back in November that the effort to end the liquor monopoly in Montgomery County was creating strange allies and adversaries, including pro-market forces being on the same side of the issue as Comptroller Peter Franchot and Delegate Bill Frick.
Now there is an End the Monopoly Coalition led by Adam Pagnucco, former blogger for Maryland Politics Watch and longtime foil to Red Maryland. His coalition sent the following letter, below, to the members of the House Economic Matters Committee today.
It’s worth noting again that fact that you have Democrats divided between those supporting the pro-market solution of ending the County liquor monopoly and those anti-market Democrats who wish to retain country control over the market. But even many of those working to end the monopoly are left-wing Democrats who Republicans often find little common cause. The sponsors of the bill include Frick, Senators Brian Feldman and Nancy King, along with Delegates Kirill Reznik, Aruna Miller, and Kathleen Dumais. These are not our traditional allies on the right.
The rest of the Democrats in Montgomery County are left with a Catch-22; they can do the right thing and end the monopoly, or they can keep doing the same old same old. If they do that, it creates an opportunity for Republicans to exploit the issue in 2018 as another example of anti-consumer Democrats and would help conservatives build momentum toward picking off a House or Senate seat.
Trending: Alan Walden for Mayor of Baltimore
More to follow, but there seems to be at least some momentum toward change.
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Dear Members of the House Economic Matters Committee:
I am writing to you on HB1237 and HB1033 as the organizer of the End the Monopoly coalition in Montgomery County. We are an alliance of small business owners and consumers who are seeking to end Montgomery County’s monopoly on alcohol sales.
Montgomery County has had a complete wholesale monopoly on alcohol sales along with a retail monopoly on spirits since the end of Prohibition. The Department of Liquor Control, which administers those sales, is the worst run department of county government. It is unable to maintain a stock of beverages that matches private distributors in other jurisdictions. Its warehouse was, until recently, run with sticky notes and rife with shortages. Its employees have been caught by the press drinking and driving on the job and skimming liquor to sell for cash. Its stores are poorly lit, unattractive, deficient in products and staffed by people who, for the most part, know little about beer, wine or spirits. And during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve last year, it had a complete delivery meltdown, leaving many licensees short of product at an incredibly busy time.
I understand that representatives of the Maryland State Licensed Beverage Association and the Restaurant Association of Maryland, as well as individual licensees, will be sharing with you their experiences with the liquor monopoly. Please consider the following additional data from the perspective of consumers.
1. The Comptroller collects per capita licensee sales data by county. In FY14, Montgomery County ranked 13th of 24 jurisdictions in per capita wine sales, tied for 23rd in spirits and dead last (by far) in beer. This is despite the fact that Montgomery residents have more disposable income on average than any other county except for Howard.
2. Total Wine, the nation’s largest alcohol retailer which has its headquarters in Bethesda, refuses to open a store in the county because of the liquor monopoly. The company estimates that over 20% of its McLean store sales and nearly 25% of its Laurel store sales are accounted for by MoCo customers.
3. There are seven liquor stores in the District of Columbia within four blocks of our border. The only county liquor store near the border is shutting down because it can’t compete with private sector D.C. retailers.
4. A consultant hired by the Department of Liquor Control criticized it for a lack of administrative flexibility, staffing shortages and stores “in obvious need of basic repairs or refurbishment – including scarred floors and counters, old racks, lighting and entrances.”
5. Consumer flight is so pervasive that the state’s Bureau of Revenue Estimates issued a report that an end to the monopoly would generate $193.7 million in new economic activity, 1,364 additional jobs and $22.8 million in state and local taxes and fees per year.
Two bills are before you on the liquor monopoly.
HB1237 would allow Montgomery County voters to decide whether to end the monopoly through a referendum. We enthusiastically support this bill. I am attaching more than 2,000 petition signatures, as well as comments, of citizens who support HB1237.
HB1033 is a more limited bill that would allow licensees to purchase special order items – that is, beverages that are not in the Department of Liquor Control’s regular stock – directly from private distributors. This bill is seriously flawed. First, because most purchases would continue to go through the county, private distributors would be restricted to small deliveries – and the economics of that won’t work for many. Second, the bill would allow the county to levy a “surcharge” on all such transactions, which further deters distributors from participating. Third, the bill indefinitely postpones REAL reform, which is ending the monopoly once and for all. I am attaching a letter from the state’s largest distributors saying this proposal won’t work and they won’t participate.
The “surcharge” in HB1033 bears a closer look. Article 2B § 12-102 of state law prevents wholesalers from charging different prices to different customers on the same product. So if a distributor sells a product under HB1033 and has to raise the price to pay for the surcharge, all customers everywhere around the state would have to pay the same higher price.
Why should consumers in the rest of the State of Maryland have to pay higher prices just because Montgomery County can’t get rid of its liquor monopoly?
The county’s liquor monopoly is a blight on our restaurant and retail industries and it chases away consumers. We support HB1237 because it would give voters the right to decide the monopoly’s fate. We don’t support band-aids that entrench the monopoly and don’t provide meaningful change.
Thank you for considering our point of view.
Organizer, End the Monopoly


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Instead, Razer Phone uses an LCD. The phone comes with sharp edges and think display bezels. Wonderful audio quality is also ensured for users especially when they listen to sounds making using of a good headphone. The firm made its first step towards manufacturing smartphones after acquiring mobile manufacturer Nextbit earlier this year. The fingerprint sensor is integrated into the power button, located on the side.
Microsoft hasn't confirmed its plan to sell the Razer phone yet but the report claims that it would sell the Razer's phone with special green logo. It offers Apple iPad Pro like refresh rate up to 120Hz. You aren't going to notice the difference between a 60Hz and a 120Hz refresh rate when staring at the Android lock screen, and 8GB of RAM isn't going to make Google Hangouts run more quickly.
Razer Unveils The Ultra Powerful Razer Phone
As a smartphone built for gamers, by gamers, the Razer Phone could potentially be the phone I didn't know I wanted or needed. Razer is releasing 1,337 limited edition versions of the phone that feature the logo in its original iconic green instead.
The Razer Phone is a stout, wide phone that feels radically different in my hands, which have grown accustomed to the longer, skinnier 2:1 screen aspect ratio that's trendy in flagships this year. In terms of storage, the offering from Razer features 64GB of internal storage which can be expanded up to 2TB through its microSD card support.
The Razer Phone's sleek, 8-mm-thin aluminum body is a beauty to behold and to hold. At the front is an 8 megapixel fixed-focus camera with f/2.0 aperture.
The Razer Theme Store allows gamers to customize their phone, changing wallpapers, icon packs and colors throughout the phone. They're big time - and they're a welcome change to the big lack of front-facing speakers on the market today.
HTC's New Midrange Phone Proves the Company Isn't Dead Yet
This is all being powered by a 3,930mAh cell inside the phone that HTC hopes will last you the whole day from a single charge. HTC just launched a new pair of smartphones that are both impressive and frustrating for United States consumers.
Razer also says the phone will offer "true-to-life cinematic audio" by including Dolby Atmos technology and front-firing stereo speakers in the device - both unusual and powerful features to find on a smartphone. Unsurprisingly though, there's no headphone jack, which is the future trend, whether we like it or not.
Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2 and NFC.
Razer told me repeatedly that it was always part of the plan to come out with a phone, even if that means launching a phone into a mature marketplace. Their new smartphone carries these performance gaming genes and could prove to be the toughest competition to Samsung's Galaxy series smartphones so far.
Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 To be Launched in India - Buy @ Flipkart (Exclusively)
Most of the internal specifications of the two devices are the same - Snapdragon 835 chipset, 3.3 Ah battery, 6 GB of RAM etc. RAM is 6GB, on board storage is 128GB with a dual-SIM slot and support for a microSD for expandable storage .
- Los Angeles Dodgers roll again, push Arizona Diamondbacks to edge
- Why no progress in Amethi, asks Shah
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- Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens
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- Animal Crossing Pocket Camp Hits the Great Outdoors on Mobile
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- Your Password-Protected Wi-Fi Isn't Safe From Snooping
- Prospective iPhone X buyers may be waiting until 2018 for the device
- Rohingya boat toll rises to 23 as more bodies found


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Wild Ivy, a women-owned and operated boutique, is hosting a grand opening on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 27, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The store is located at 3933 Market St., among the shops at Nolan Mains at 50th & France. The Edina location is an expansion for the women’s clothing and goods brand, which opened its flagship boutique in Owasso, Oklahoma in June 2020, according to a press release.
The grand opening will feature a tasting with Ida Graves Distillery, fresh cookies for guests and giveaways.
“We are thrilled to open our second location in such a welcoming community as Edina,” Owning Founder Sara Downing said in the news release. “Our drive is to provide high quality, ethically-sourced products that offer a clean foundation to any look, so each woman’s personality can shine through. Whether you are twenty or sixty-five, a stay-at-home mom, or a career-driven boss, Wild Ivy promises a beautifully-curated collection and we hope Twin Cities customers will come take a walk on the Wild side.”
The clothing and goods sold by Wild Ivy have a minimalistic aesthetic and a muted, earth-toned color palette with a hint of bohemian influence and showcase a wide variety of texture and material sources. Products range from shoes and apparel to seasonal wear, including jackets and swimsuits, as well as goods like handmade jewelry and gifts.
Downing, a two-year veteran of the retail industry, is accompanied in operating Wild Ivy by District Manager Bethany Terry, a Minnesota native with a decade of retail experience.
“I’ve been with Wild Ivy for two years and to be part of opening a boutique here in my home state is a dream come true,” Terry said in the news release. The duo For more information, go to shopwildivy.com.


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The summers in India are intolerable due to the scorching sun and the searing heat but the season brings its goodness in the form of mango which is known as “King of Fruits”. Mangoes are acknowledged to be luscious and succulent. The fruit has its several health benefits but consuming more than moderate since it is a high-calorie fruit may lead to health problems.
As a result of unfavorable weather conditions much the state’s dismay, the unexpected rain since the beginning of the year, severe damage was caused to the mango flowering. These untoward conditions have lead to low yield and affect to the quality of fruits.
It is mid-May and the supply to the city of mangoes is meager. Denizens are yet to relish the fruits this year. Horticulture officials’ said that there is 40% drop in the production in Visakhapatnam district. Both the growers and traders have reported during November that the flowering has occurred but the fruit formation will take time. But they hoped that with the increasing and better weather conditions during April, the crop will yield better quality of fruit.
The most well-known varieties of mangoes in Andhra, ‘Banginapalle’ and ‘Chinna Rasalu’ from Krishna district, ‘Cheruku Rasalu’ and ‘Panchadara Karisalu’ from twin Godavari districts and the sweetest variety from the north coastal ‘Suvarnarekha’ and many other categories are exported to other states and foreign countries because Andhra being the first in producing mangoes but the whole state has experienced damage to the flowering and downfall of the production.
Because of supply and demand problem in the market, the denizens of Vizag have to pay more for small quantities and for a few varieties. Currently, the mangoes sold in the market lack in flavor and aroma. Consumers tend to pay double in the retail stores than for the ones sold in the Rythu bazaar. Those who are willing to buy some mangoes cannot help but compromise on the quality as the majority of them are coated with calcium carbide and ethephon. The people who have already tasted the fruits have affirmed that they taste sour.


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Google Pay for Wear OS Smartwatch is now also available in Austria
In November 2020, Google Pay will be in Austria gestartet - So far, however, it has not been possible to use the service with the Wear OS Smartwatch. That is changing now. Google activated the option in nine other countries, including Austria.
Apple Pay with the Apple Watch, Fitbit Pay with the Fitbit tracker - all of this has been possible in this country for a long time. Only Google took its time with Google Pay and the Smartwatch. Now you can also pay with your own Wear OS watch.
Pay with Google Pay on the Wear OS Smartwatch in Austria - that's how it starts
You don't have to do anything to get started. Possibly check the app again for an update or, if in doubt, restart the smartphone and the Wear OS watch. And yes, the info is so new that Austria is on the German help page Google doesn't even appear. But if you look at the English support page Austria appears there alongside other new countries. Of course, a corresponding payment method must be set up in the Google Pay app on the smartphone in order for it to work.
We explain how to set up a payment method and what the requirements for the service are in this article.


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Further south, some 160 miles down the M1, Dan in Chesterfield – or @OptaDan_TSC to his Twitter followers - resorted to expletives: “So Amazon are now on the scene for showing premier league games, which of course means the public have to stump up more cash. Will Sky and BT be reducing their packages as a result? It’s rhetorical. Of course they fucking won’t. Con artists.”
Still, the fan of Manchester United and Heart of Midlothian also sees an upside. “It shakes things up – hopefully anyway.” He’s already subscribed to Sky Sports and BT Sports, and is now getting ready to sign up for Amazon Prime. Dan hopes that Amazon will “make a big enough splash” to create a “more competitive market, which hopefully makes it cheaper for people like me”.
The losers will be pubs, traditionally the place for English football fans to congregate and celebrate or mourn the performance of their teams. Jo Cliffe, who worked in pubs for many years and also took to Twitter to vent about the deal, says that most have poor internet connectivity, especially in the countryside. Fans won’t be pleased when the live-streaming of a tackle near the penalty area will suddenly be replaced by a scrolling circle as the feed buffers to a halt. “Unless fans are willing and able to pay for high bandwidth, streaming will be unavailable to them,” says Cliffe.
Fans like Cliffe have a point, says Paolo Pescatore, an analyst at CCS Insight. Most of the UK still has low fibre broadband penetration, so for Amazon delivering even ten games at the same time will be tricky. “Given the needs for faster speeds, customers might be forced to upgrade their fixed line broadband connection.” But while it might be bad news for fans in the short-term, Amazon’s entry into the UK’s Premier League broadcasting duopoly could have positive long-term effects.
Why, oh why?
But what’s in it for Amazon, given that its rights package covers just two days of the football year?
For starters, it’s a great publicity stunt. All the media coverage helps the brand to establish itself on par with its bigger rivals (bigger in terms of sports coverage, that is). There are still people who are not Amazon customers, and they might be intrigued by, say, a free Amazon Prime trial to watch the games, says Julian Aquilina of Enders Analysis. Once the matches are over, some of these new Prime customers are likely to stay, boosting Amazon’s opportunity to gain marketshare.
Amazon is probably also playing the long game, waiting for the next auction of Premier League rights, scheduled for three years from now. During that time, Amazon will have plenty of time to experiment and find the best way to monetise sports rights, says Ed Barton, an analyst at Ovum. Data capture from digital audiences to target advertising in live sports streaming is one area Amazon is likely to experiment with, he adds - something that the traditional TV industry hasn’t quite developed yet. While Amazon does target advertising very efficiently across many of its platforms, right now this exists neither on Amazon Prime Video nor on its main rival, Netflix.
Sport live streaming on Prime could transform the industry’s current oligopoly of rights holders. It helps that sports rarely get time-shifted. People want to watch it live, says Barton. “Big brands love it when huge audiences watch their ads all at the same time. So in acquiring sports rights, you are acquiring a type of media where your audience is much more likely to watch the ads live at the same time and not over the next few days,” he adds.


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Southwest Distributors building new facilityPublished 12:05am Friday, September 7, 2012
NATCHEZ — A familiar business face in downtown Natchez will soon begin construction to move out of downtown and into a new facility.
Southwest Distributors, an Anheuser-Busch wholesaler based in Summit and Natchez, will be moving from its current location on High Street to U.S. 84 near McNeil Road.
“We’ve outgrown our little corner in historic downtown Natchez,” said Stephanie Hutchins, vice president of public affairs.
The company will kick off construction of a new facility with a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday. The new facility is scheduled to be complete in December 2013.
Hutchins said the company chose to relocate because its current location makes it difficult to maneuver delivery trucks.
“We’re very excited to move out there,” she said. “And I’m sure some of our neighbors will be excited since there have been some accidents with delivery trucks.”
The company was assisted by Natchez Inc. in choosing a new location.
“This spot was chosen specifically because it will give much easier access for large delivery trucks,” Natchez Inc. Project Manager Chris Hinton said.
Southwest Distributors has 19 employees and has been at its current location for approximately 50-60 years, Hutchins said.
“Right now I don’t have any plans for our current location,” Hutchins said. “It’s a little early, so we’ll wait and see.”
The groundbreaking ceremony will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the new location.


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Microsoft has confirmed that customers can purchase upgrade media and an upgrade license at a discounted price to move from Windows XP to Windows 7. However, customers need to do a clean installation of Windows 7. The pricing details of XP upgrade licenses are not yet known.
An operating system upgrade offers users the option of choosing between in-place upgrades, with installed applications & data in-place in the machine and a fresh installation which overwrites the hard drive's contents. By eliminating in-place upgrades, users can have a reliable installation after backing up all their data and applications. But still considering the huge number of XP systems in use, it is going to be a tedious upgrade as a lot of backup has to be done. ComputerWorld


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In 2015, former Virginia state Del. Rob Krupicka left state politics to focus on running a donut shop in Alexandria. Seven years later, a combination of economic factors is forcing Krupicka to give up the dream and leave a donut hole in the Braddock neighborhood.
Krupicka announced on Twitter that Elizabeth’s Counter (formerly Sugar Shack), will close on Sunday, August 28. Krupicka is planning on shutting down the store and reopening with a new restaurant called Railbird Kitchen later this year.
Railbird Kitchen will focus on comfort food and cocktails, Krupicka said, while continuing Elizabeth’s Counter’s emphasis on offering good vegan options. Gone, however, are the handmade donuts that made Sugar Shack a local icon.
After 7.5 years, I’m ending my dance with the donut business this Sunday. Elizabeth’s Counter will have its last day on Sunday and a new concept, @RailbirdKitchen will launch late fall/winter. Donuts have been fun, but it’s time for a change. More here: https://t.co/9cX198ulPl
— RobKrupicka (@RobKrupicka) August 24, 2022
“We will have a number of vegan options to build on the customer base,” Krupicka said. “We’ll have more vegan options than a normal restaurant has, but more traditional options as well… Vegan options aren’t going away, but vegans have non-vegan friends, so we want something for them, too.”
The comfort food selection will include fried chicken, chicken sandwiches, and the sides that go with it.
Krupicka launched the Northern Virginia branch of Richmond-based Sugar Shack in 2015 to great local acclaim. The little Braddock shop’s hand-made donuts with a wild array of flavors were popular enough that Krupicka was able to expand into Arlington and D.C.
As the franchise further south started to get embroiled in infighting, Krupicka relaunched the Northern Virginia franchise as an independent chain called Elizabeth’s Counter. Elizabeth’s Counter continued producing handmade donuts but added more traditional restaurant fare with an emphasis on vegan options.
Around the same time, Krupicka launched Captain Gregory’s, a speakeasy adjacent to the main restaurant.
But that relaunch hit in March 2020, right as the COVID-19 pandemic started shutting down restaurants — many of which would never reopen. Elizabeth’s Counter remained open in Braddock, but the other locations closed within a year. Two years later, Krupicka said rising costs coupled with an office market that never fully returned has made handmade donuts unfeasible.
“The restaurant industry has changed a lot since the pandemic,” Krupicka said. “We have rising labor and ingredient costs. It got to a point where the labor and ingredient costs didn’t make sense for a handmade donut. We never used machinery in our kitchen, we made everything by hand, but it contributed to a higher-cost product.”
Krupicka said one of the big markets for donuts were local offices, but offices haven’t filled up the way they did pre-pandemic.
“People haven’t been going back to the office, and we’ve lost our going to the office donut business and it hasn’t come back,” Krupicka said. “I love donuts. My kids love donuts. This is entirely a business decision. I don’t have any regrets. I’ve loved the last seven and a half years doing donuts [and] we’re excited about the new business that’s coming.”
Krupicka said throughout September and October, he’ll be testing Railbird Kitchen menu items at Captain Gregory’s. Meanwhile, Elizabeth’s Counter will close for a couple months for cosmetic interior changes. Krupicka says he hopes to reopen in late fall or early winter.
A 27-year-old Maryland man has been charged with robbing two separate Alexandria banks in March and April. Jaquan Royal, of Prince George’s County, was arrested on May 24 in connection…
It’s been another busy week in Alexandria as the city heads into Memorial Day weekend. For those driving this weekend, be aware that some of the major roads are likely…
Virginia’s junior U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine was in Alexandria today to discuss early childhood education and said that the current debt ceiling fight in Washington should be wrapped up by…
It might take some time, but Alexandria City Public Schools has opened the door to collective bargaining with its employees. On Thursday, the School Board conducted its first work session…
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Time flies when you’re having fun! The T.C. Williams High School Class of 1973 will hold its 50th reunion July 21-23, 2023 in Alexandria. All graduates and their adult nears and dears are welcome. Events include a Friday evening icebreaker, Saturday dinner dance, and a Sunday brunch. For more information: tcwilliams73.com, 770.789.3534.
Spring Fling at Rising Sol Yoga School
Join us for a day of FREE hot yoga. Experience our class styles and meet our teachers. Buy a bite at the Bake Sale to benefit The Carpenter’s Shelter, peruse some special vendors, take advantage of in-person only discounts on


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Farm Fresh shoppers, your eyes (and wallets) have not been deceiving you. If the baseline prices for items now on sale seem higher, well, they are.
But Farm Fresh officials say that's just part of the business when a store wants to liquidate its inventory.
Customers, including many online, noticed the change in prices as Farm Fresh began its steep discounts, starting at 10 percent and now reaching 40 percent for some items.
Krista Dietz of Virginia Beach says she was surprised to see one of her staples, a 12-ounce container of mozzarella cheese, priced at $12.99 at Farm Fresh. She said she saw the same cheese for $6 or $7 at the store before the liquidation sales began.
"That is bizarre," said Dietz, who admitted she hasn't been a frequent patron of Farm Fresh. "I've never, ever seen mozzarella cheese at $12.99, anywhere, ever."
John Aguiar of Virginia Beach has not only seen higher prices, but has his receipts to prove it. For years, he's been buying the same cereal, Essential Everyday Wheat Bran Flakes, for an older relative at the Farm Fresh on Great Neck Road, and it has always cost the same: $1.99. Now, it's $2.19, a 10 percent increase.
Other things he had been buying in the weeks and months ahead of the sale got pricier, too.
- Coca-Cola case: $2.79 to $2.99, a 7 percent increase.
- Nature’s Own wheat bread: $2.99 to $3.49, a 16 percent increase.
- Mushroom couscous: $2.19 to $2.59, an 18 percent increase.
Sure, it's only four items out of thousands carried in stores, but what gives?
Farm Fresh says there's no deception at play. The prices customers now see on shelves have been stripped of any previous reductions, discounts and deals. All items are set at the original retail price, then discounted as part of the going-out-of-business sale.
"Farm Fresh is not raising prices on items before marking them down for liquidation," said spokesman Michael Wilken in an email, adding that removing temporary price reductions is a standard industry practice.
Jeff Metzger, publisher of grocery industry magazine Food World, hasn't personally observed Farm Fresh's liquidation sales, but he said companies typically suspend their normal promotions and begin a systematic markdown process.
"Week one, you may not see much," he said of discounts. But the goal is to gradually deplete the rest of the inventory as owner Supervalu winds down Farm Fresh's operations, adjusting discounts as the grocer gets closer to its exit.
"A month from today, the conversation will be different," Metzger said.
Farm Fresh deals, before and after liquidation
In many cases, prices and promotions advertised in the grocer's circular three weeks prior to the liquidation sale (March 7-13) were better than the initial store-closing deals. We did some price comparisons on March 29.
Asparagus: Before, $1.49 per pound before. After, $3.99 per pound. Considering the 10 percent discount at the time, it still put the vegetable at about $3.59 per pound.
Roma tomatoes: Before, 99 cents per pound. After, $1.99 per pound. With the 10 percent off discount, that was $1.79 per pound.
The Philly Steak "14 all beef sandwich steaks" : Before, $5.99. After, $8.99 with 10 percent taken off.
Cheez-its: Before, $1.99. After, $4.59. A 20 percent discount brought it down to $3.67 a box.
Fruity Pebbles and Honey Comb cereal: Before, $2.99. After, $3.11 with a 20 percent discount.
Any deals? North Star Novelties popsicles were 40 cents cheaper than the sale ad with the 20 percent discount. Smuckers strawberry jelly was $3.19 after the 20 percent discount versus $3.49 in the earlier sale ad. Jamestown Brand pork sausage was $1.43 after a 10 percent discount compared to a two for $3 deal three weeks earlier.
Kimberly Pierceall, 757-446-2588, firstname.lastname@example.org


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She rarely goes a week without updating her loyal legion of her fans with sizzling snaps and her wild lifestyle online.
But on Thursday (January 12), Katie Price took a break from her usual content to flog some of her old size 16 bras to her adoring fans.
The former glamour model seemingly wanted to clear out her wardrobe as she put a number of her miniature swimsuits and underwear sets up for sale on the popular online marketplace Depop.
READ MORE: Katie Price kisses Hugh Hefner as she reflects on 'dream' after Playboy shoot
It comes after the mum-of-four recently revealed her biggest ever boob job as she showed off her inflated chest following her split from ex-fiancé Carl Woods.
One of the items currently available is a used size 16 bikini from the fashion brand Misguided which is on sale for just £10, but the star warned that there would be no refunds for the swimsuit.
Alongside her tiny two-piece were a number of tankinis and lingerie sets for fans to fight over on the public platform.
But this isn’t the first time the TV personality has put her old underwear and swimsuit tops up on sale which have been snatched up by fans up and down the country.
Katie was determined to take a step towards owning the biggest boobs in Britain when she had her 16th breast augmentation, now boasting 2120 CC implants.
However, her latest cosmetic dream could be short-lived after sources claim her latest operation has caused her plenty of grief.
Despite showing off her enhanced curves in a number of sexy photoshoots, the star has allegedly been suffering “back pain” since her operation last year.
For more of the latest showbiz and TV news from the Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.
Speaking to The Sun, the insider said: “Katie has been in agony with her new boobs as they are too big for her tiny frame, so they are giving her constant backache.
“She’s having sleepless nights because she can’t get comfy, so she’s already having second thoughts about going so big with them.
“She had this exact issue the last time she got massive implants in, and that was a big part of the reason why she had them taken out in 2016, but she’d hoped this time would be different.”
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Source: Read Full Article


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BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Two new restaurants will open in the Inner Harbor in Baltimore on July 1.
Matthew Kenney Cuisine will open Double Zero, the fourth location of its pizzeria, and Liora, which the company said is a unique restaurant serving locally sourced fare in a seasonally crafted menu. The locations will be in the 400 block of Light Street.READ MORE: In Gee Chun Wins The Women's PGA Championship By One Shot
Liora also will feature a wine list of organic and biodynamic varietals, a menu that pays homage to local cuisine, including crab cakes and barbecue, according to a statement from the “plant-based lifestyle brand celebrity chef Matthew Kenney founded.READ MORE: Protests Continued In Maryland Saturday Over A SCOTUS Decision To Overturn Roe V. Wade
Double Zero offers what MKC describes as plant-based pies and a healthy perspective to pizza. Options include truffle, eggplant parmesan, bianca and spicy pepperoni pizzas.
Besides the crab cakes at Liora, the location also plans to serve cacio e pepe made of kelp noodles, as well as a plant burger and barbecue beets.MORE NEWS: Man Found Dead Near His Walker On Anne Arundel County Roadway Saturday, Police Say


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Fertile time for Peaceful Valley
A controversy over federal organic farming regulations two years ago sparked 280,000 comments to the federal government, one indicator of the public’s interest in organic food supplies.
That same interest in organic food has helped a Grass Valley business grow.
Peaceful Valley Farm Supply has doubled its revenues in the last five years, said Eric Boudier, who owns the business with his wife, Pattie.
That has come on top of revenues that more than doubled from 1989, when organic growing started to catch on, to 1996 when the Boudiers bought the business. They had experience in retail, but not in organic farming.
“The business has grown significantly over the last decade,” said Eric Boudier, who jokes that it is now a “large small business.”
Much of that is due to more organic food consumption. Though organic farming comprises a relatively small part of the nation’s agricultural sector, about 5 percent says Boudier, there are many people concerned about chemicals in their food.
“Our success has mirrored the success of organic farming and gardening in general,” Boudier said.
The business on Spring Hill Drive sells organic farm supplies to organic growers at every level, large or small, from gardeners to Central Valley commercial growers.
The farm supplier will be awarded the Quarterly Community Appreciation Award by the Economic Resource Council at a May 21 breakfast.
Larry Burkhardt, the ERC’s president and chief executive officer, said the company was picked because it has a longstanding history in the community, with current owners taking the business to another level.
With the community’s agricultural roots, it’s good to bring attention to some of the successful farming businesses, noted Burkhardt.
This month is the company’s seasonal peak, a three-month period which began in March. Peaceful Valley employs 38 people, who are busy getting 300 packages a day out of the 14,000-square-foot warehouse in what Boudier describes as a “tsunami of orders” when the season starts and the company’s catalogs hit the mailboxes.
Boudier said United Parcel Service has told him the company is the largest shipper in western Nevada County.
Peaceful Valley has a retail section, but most of its sales – 85 percent – leave the building in trucks for shipments via UPS, Federal Express or other shippers. The company does 50 percent of its business in California, and the rest in other states.
The Internet is also an important component of the supplier’s sales. Peaceful Valley went online in 1997, only a year after the Boudiers bought the company. Its Web site, http://www.groworganic.com, attracts 500 visitors a day and 20 percent of the business.
Some customers are not deterred by the costs of shipping even a large, heavy bag of phosphate, suggesting pure economics is not their only motivation.
The company’s most popular product is a $7.95 bag of phosphate used for fertilizer. Peaceful Valley gets orders from the East Coast, despite shipping costs of as much as $40. Even Florida residents order the bags of phosphate, a substance which is mined there.
The company also issues a yearly catalog, that at one point in the organic regulations debate had a clip-out form for people to object to genetically modified organisms in their food – a controversial early proposal.
Because the company has made the effort to increase its visibility through the Web site and a catalog, Pattie Boudier said she is not surprised at the company’s growth.
“I think that we also put an effort into exposing ourselves to a lot more people,” Pattie Boudier said. “We increased advertising like crazy when we first bought the business, we did the Web site, we made ourselves available to a lot more people, too, so that’s why I said I wasn’t surprised at the growth.
“Even though it’s maybe a trend, I think it’s a trend that’s here to stay, and the more people who know to shop for things like this, the better we will be.”
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With a 5.9% unemployment rate, Nevada County ranked 12th out of the state’s 58 counties in employment rate last month, according to the latest data released by the state Employment Development Department.


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Rafael A. Fernandez moved to Holyoke in 1969 from Puerto Rico and worked in that city's paper mills for 15 years before opening a restaurant.
What started as a neighborhood eatery has grown into a thriving restaurant, banquet hall and catering business that draws hungry patrons from around the region.
His three daughters, all in their 20s, are taking a larger role in running the business.
Armando Chairez came to the region in 1993 from northern Mexico to visit an aunt living in Berkshire County. Following marriage, a child, and a succession of restaurant cooking jobs, he finally fulfilled a long-time dream and opened his own place this summer.
At La Fiesta in downtown Springfield, Chairez serves up burritos and tacos from his native Mexico.
The two restaurant owners are part of a growing number of Hispanic-owned businesses in the nation and the region.
"The growth in Latino businesses in the United States is bigger than you might have expected," said Hector Bauza, president of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Western Massachusetts.
The U.S. Census Bureau said there are 1.2 million Hispanic-owned businesses in the nation, with combined annual sales of $186 billion.
Almost 70,000 of those businesses are owned by Puerto Ricans. Their sales total $7.4 billion.
The largest proportion of the businesses are in construction, motor freight, restaurants, small grocery stores, social services, engineering and accounting, the U.S. Census reports.
As the number of Hispanic residents of the region grows, business-minded Hispanics have sought to serve the area.
"They call me, asking where are the opportunities to open a business," Bauza said.
Traditionally, service and retail businesses have appealed to Latino entrepreneurs, he said. A recent trend has been in businesses that focus on accounting or tax preparation, Bauza said.
The largest proportion of members of the chamber are owners of "bodegas" or small convenience stores, as well as clothing and other retail stores.
But Hispanic businesses in the region include doctors, lawyers, appliance repair firms, car dealers and marketing companies.
When Fernandez moved to Holyoke in 1969, there were one or two bodegas in the city and a record shop catering to Puerto Ricans.
"There wasn't even one restaurant," he said.
In the mid-1980s, Fernandez and his brother opened a restaurant, and the customers were primarily other Puerto Ricans craving a taste of roast pork or other popular island dishes.
"It was a little difficult starting a business because of the language barrier," Fernandez said.
Non-Puerto Rican customers were rare early on, but as the years went by, more and more people of all ethnic backgrounds came to enjoy the Fernandez Family Restaurant.
"You have to show them that you can do what you do well, and today I count on a large Anglo-Saxon clientele, for which I'm grateful," Fernandez said.
Fernandez moved in 1999 to a new location on High Street in a building he owns. The step from paying rent to owning his locale was a big one, Fernandez remembered.
"It gives us much more freedom," he said, to make changes in the appearance of the restaurant.
Chairez, 32, represents a later wave of immigration to the area by Latinos not of Puerto Rican origin. He said he was drawn to Springfield by the presence of a Hispanic population in the mid-1990s.
Chairez began working as a preparation chef for chain restaurants in West Springfield. But he dreamed of more.
"I always told myself that I was going to one day open my own restaurant," he said. "I never knew how complicated it was."
Finding a suitable location was the first challenge, one he eventually resolved when walking by the site of the former Athens Restaurant on Main Street in downtown Springfield. He rented the site, installed kitchen equipment, decorated and got his needed permits.
After first considering making his restaurant a pizza parlor, he decided the area lacked a Mexican restaurant.
"I heard there were more Mexicans moving to the area, and everyone likes Mexican food," he said.
His restaurant opened this summer and has attracted a steady business, Chairez said.
"Here I am, giving it my best shot," he said.
Fernandez, 52, believes the future for Hispanic-owned businesses is rosy.
"I've always been a very positive person. There are people here, there's a buying public, so there will be a lot of Hispanic business."


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Sysomos has separated from Marketwired Inc, a portfolio company of OMERS Private Equity (OPE). Sysomos will now operate as an independent entity led by former Microsoft Corp executive Lindsay Sparks as its CEO. With the support of OPE, it plans to accelerate growth by expanding the company’s global team, releasing new product innovations, and making investments in research. Founded in 2007, Toronto’s Sysomos is a provider of social media analytics and monitoring. It has grown its revenue more than 1500 percent since the company was acquired by Marketwired in 2010, Sysomos said. OPE is an investment arm of Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System.
Newly Independent Sysomos Re-emerges to Transform Social Intelligence
Company Separates From Marketwired, Names Former Microsoft Executive Lindsay Sparks CEO
TORONTO, ON and SAN FRANCISCO, CA–(Marketwired – Feb 10, 2015) – Sysomos, the largest social intelligence company, today announced its separation from Marketwired and named former Microsoft executive Lindsay Sparks as its new CEO. Immediately in 2015, Sparks plans to further accelerate the company’s significant growth of the last three years by expanding its team in San Francisco, Toronto and around the world; releasing a number of new product innovations and making major investments in its world-class research teams. As part of the OMERS Private Equity portfolio, Sysomos comes to market with a partner prepared to support the company’s expansion and solidify its leadership in the industry.
Founded in 2007 and acquired in 2010 by Marketwired, Sysomos has grown its revenue more than 1500 percent since acquisition. The company’s core products MAP (Media Analysis Platform) and Heartbeat have become the go-to social intelligence tools trusted by 80 percent of the world’s most valuable brands as ranked by Interbrand. Over 1300 companies use Sysomos to easily search 500 billion online conversations for answers about how best to engage customers and grow their business. Under Sparks’ leadership, Sysomos plans to expand its social data capabilities, innovate around predictive social analytics and release new products that adapt to the changing social advertising landscape.
“Social intelligence is one of the fastest-growing segments of the $15.1 billion business intelligence market, and Sysomos is leading the way, thanks to our amazing products and one of the industry’s largest war chests of social data,” said Sparks. “As the largest independent provider of social intelligence with the incredible support from our board and existing investors, Sysomos is now positioned to extend our product offering and grow the business to best meet the social intelligence needs of brands around the world.”
In addition to leading Sysomos, Sparks is a board member on a number of private equity and venture capital-backed companies. Specializing in driving high growth technology companies, Sparks has successfully sold three technology and media companies and helped position four companies for IPOs or sales in the next 18 months. Previously, Sparks was a corporate vice president of Microsoft who incubated the managed services business, as well as running global small and medium business, the world wide partner teams, and the development of Microsoft’s E-business. He has established a number of technology startups including software defined networking technologies and mobile platforms around identity and personal security.
Sysomos is a state-of-the-art social analytics and monitoring engine that offers instant and unlimited access to all social media conversations. An indispensable source of business intelligence, the Sysomos engine collects data from blogs, Twitter, social networks, message boards, wikis and major news sources through the use of contextual text analytics and data mining technology. To learn more about Sysomos and its products, please visit: www.Sysomos.com.
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