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Maharashtra's farmer-to-consumer markets and APMC reforms are changing the state's agriculture sector, long-burdened by economic and political pressures
Mumbai: These days, Lata Arun Dimble is out at 8am in her farm in Khed Shivapur. Along with husband Arun and son Ajit, she picks brinjal, tomato, chilly, cucumber, spinach, radish, bitter gourd, cabbage, cauliflower, and green peas. By 11am, the vegetables are loaded onto a mini-truck her husband owns.
It’s the same story at neighbouring farms in Khed Shivapur affiliated to Kanifnath Shetkari Bachat Gat, a farmers’ group. Fruits including pomegranate, guava and banana are also loaded on to vehicles. Around 1pm, a small convoy of four-five mini-trucks with vegetables and fruits grown by 15 members of the group starts for Pune, Maharashtra’s second largest city which is 25km away.
Forty minutes later, the trucks empty their contents at Shetkari Grahak Athavadi Bazaar (farmer-consumer weekly market) off Pune’s Sinhagad road. The farmers spread their fresh produce at the stalls put up by farmers’ groups themselves, farm produce companies or farm produce cooperatives. In 15 minutes, Dimble gets her first customer.
From the farm to the customer, all it took was six hours.
Dimble’s group is one of the 60 such groups enrolled with Pune-based Shri Swami Samarth Shetkari Utpadak Company, registered with the Registrar of Companies. Narendra Pawar, one of its directors and a farm activist himself who has spiritedly piloted the deregulated farmer-consumer markets, says this change was long overdue. One of the 800-plus such companies operating in Maharashtra, Pawar’s Shri Swami Samarth is connected to around 2,200 farmers through 60 groups.
The Maharashtra State Agriculture Marketing Board (MSAMB) operates 31 such farmers markets in the state involving farmers’ cooperatives, farm producers’ organizations (FPOs), farmers’ self-help groups (SHGs) and farm produce companies. Out of these 31 markets, 25 are in Pune. According to Bhaskar Patil, a senior assistant manager at MSAMB, there are plans to open 100 such markets across the state.
A government agency, MSAMB also supervises the functioning of Maharashtra’s APMC (agriculture produce marketing committee) markets constituted under the APMC (Regulation) Act of 1963. “Except milk and sugar cane, APMC markets in the state are licensed to carry out transactions in all farm commodities," Patil says. “But it is not mandatory on farmers to bring their produce to APMC markets only. The legal provision is that buyers licensed by Maharashtra’s directorate of agriculture marketing can purchase farm produce from farmers."
Maharashtra has 305 principal and 603 secondary APMC market yards. The APMC Act mandates that these markets must have facilities like auction halls, warehouses, weigh bridges, shops for retailers, police station, post office, bore-wells, farmer amenity centres and a soil-testing laboratory.
It is not mandatory on farmers to bring their produce to APMC markets only. The legal provision is that buyers licensed by Maharashtra’s directorate of agriculture marketing can purchase farm produce from farmers- Bhaskar Patil, Maharashtra State Agriculture Marketing Board
“But most of the APMC markets offer very few of these facilities and the systems to buy produce from farmers, auction it, and sell to wholesalers and retailers through traders are very opaque and they leave enormous scope for malpractices," says an official from the directorate of agriculture marketing requesting anonymity.
What is new?
There are three key differences between the APMC markets and farmer-consumer markets. One, at the APMC markets, farmers do not sell directly to consumers. Two, the produce is handled at multiple levels. Three, farmers have to pay 10-20% of the value of their produce as market fees, commission, and charges for loading, unloading, and weighing. At the farmer-consumer markets, it is the farmer who is directly selling his produce to the consumer, cutting out all these steps. There are no levies either. The produce, as farmers like Dimble demonstrate, is transported fresh from the farm with least handling, which helps it retain freshness.
Changdev Bhisare, a vegetable farmer at Bhiwri village near Pune, says at the APMC market, vegetables and fruits travel from farms to consumer through a multi-tier system. “The produce first reaches adtiyas (commission agents) at the APMC market yards, who auction it by negotiating the price with the buyers who are traders. This system leaves a lot of scope for farmers getting exploited because it is not transparent. We do not get to know the price of our produce immediately after auction. The final price is determined by the commission agent and we get paid the price by another transaction agent a week after the auction. The transaction agent also charges 3% of the price as service charge," he points out.
At farmer-consumer markets, it is the farmer who is directly selling his produce to the consumer, cutting out the middlemen involved in APMC markets
After the farm produce is auctioned, the traders licensed by APMC take it to APMC-regulated wholesale markets, where retail buyers and hawkers buy the vegetables and fruits. At the next level, the produce is sold to the consumer. As the produce travels from farm to consumer through multiple stakeholders and handlers, its retail price goes up by 50% over the price that was negotiated by the commission agent at the auction. Also, Bhisare says, the produce suffers at least 25% damages since it is handled at multiple levels. “We don’t get the benefit of price appreciation but the consumers pay for it," he says.
Patil calls farmer-consumer markets as part of “the second generation reforms in Maharashtra’s agriculture marketing sector", after the first generation introduced a decade ago. “In 2006, Maharashtra came up with a model APMC Act which established private agriculture markets, direct marketing licence to bulk buyers and contract farming ventures. It also had a provision for farmer-consumer markets but it did not get implemented till June 2014 when we opened the first such market in Pune’s Kothrud area," he says.
Patil also recalls resistance to these markets. “In Mumbai, for instance, the APMC traders would not allow a single truck of farm produce to move beyond the Vashi APMC market. The ordinance has effectively limited the jurisdiction of APMC Act to APMC markets only and not beyond," he says.
Pawar of Shri Swami Samarth confirms that it has been extremely difficult for farmers to reach out to consumers, despite legal backing. “I have been named in two police first information reports filed against me for opening farmers’ markets outside APMC," he says.
At Shirur, about 95km from Khed Shivapur, 23-year-old farmer Sagar Kolpe starts his daily grind a little earlier—at 7am, as he has to cover a longer distance than the Dimbles. “We have to transport our produce nearly 80km from Shirur to Pune," he says. But Kolpe is happy. He points out that farmers like him could benefit from this only because they formed small SHGs, FPOs, and farm producers’ companies, and because these ventures have tied with government to create infrastructure. “I cannot do this alone. No single farmer can bear the cost of transport and paying the rentals for markets outside APMC," says Kolpe.
Pawar concurs. “We also take produce to the Mumbai market on Sunday. Farmers start collecting vegetables late Saturday afternoon and load them on vehicles by evening. They leave around midnight for Mumbai and reach by 5am. The return journey starts around 12 noon. This is not logistically possible for one farmer," explains Pawar.
At the other end of the chain, consumers are delighted. At the Nariman Point market, a middle-aged banker, who refused to give his name, says he has visited the market on three consecutive Sundays with his wife. “I read about it in the newspapers and wanted to see it for myself. Normally, we buy from superstores in the neighbourhood. This market is not as clean but it is not filthy also like the average sabji mandi. There are no stray cattle and dogs loitering about the place," he says, carrying two bulky bags.
Kirti Diwan, homemaker and one of the regular consumers at Pune’s Sinhagad market, says it is a great concept as farmers bring “fresh from the farm" produce. “Before this market opened, I would buy vegetables from local sellers who rarely had fresh produce but still charged the same price. This market is much better and has a lot more variety," says Diwan.
Madhukar Jogdand, another regular buyer says he does not mind paying more if his money is going directly to the farmers and he gets fresh vegetables. “Earlier, I was not sure if I was buying from farmers or traders. Now, I know I am buying stuff from the one who has grown it. The produce here is also least handled and so much cleaner. I don’t know why it has taken the government so long to start a thing as simple as this market," he wonders.
Earlier, I was not sure if I was buying from farmers or traders. Now, I know I am buying stuff from the one who has grown it. The produce here is also least handled and so much cleaner- Madhukar Jogdand, a regular buyer at Pune’s Sinhagad market.
The answer is hidden in the labyrinth of regulations that rule agriculture markets in India. Maharashtra has tried to clear some of the regulatory roadblocks on the way from the farm to the consumer.
In 1963, when the APMC Act was enacted, the intention was not to create a monopolistic behemoth that it became. “The idea was to ensure that farmers get regulated markets close to their farms, and price for their produce. Regulations were put in place to protect farmers from getting exploited by traders and middlemen," says MSAMB’s Patil.
To be sure, the APMC Act is not exclusive to Maharashtra and several other states have their own APMC Acts as agriculture is a state subject. Also, Maharashtra is not the first state to allow farmers to sell directly to consumers either. The Congress-ruled Karnataka is the pioneer here, concedes Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. In fact, Bihar got rid of the APMC Act in 2006 and Madhya Pradesh delisted fruits and vegetables from the APMC Act in 2012. In September 2014, Delhi denotified fruits and vegetables from the APMC Act, allowing producers to sell outside the APMC markets of Azadpur, Keshopur and Shahdara. (According to Economic Survey 2014-15, Azadpur is India’s second largest APMC market in terms of annual income with Rs90.9 crore in 2013-14).
In 1963, when the APMC Act was enacted, the intention was not to create a monopolistic behemoth that it became
A 2015 status report on APMC reforms prepared by Small Farmers’Agri-Business Consortium (SFAC), an autonomous body promoted by the Union government’s department of agriculture, cooperation and farmers welfare, said at least seven states including Maharashtra have notified rules to establish farmer-consumer markets.
What is special about Maharashtra’s APMC reforms then?
There are strong economic and political reasons why Maharashtra has become a template case of this great conflict between monopolistic and severely regulated farm produce markets and the new models of market reforms. According to the 2014-15 Economic Survey, the state is home to two of India’s biggest APMC-regulated markets earning the highest annual income. The APMC market in Navi Mumbai’s Vashi—the gateway to Mumbai—is India’s top such market yard with an annual income of Rs126 crore in 2013-14, the survey said. Pune’s Gultekdi APMC market was fourth on the list of five such markets with an annual income of Rs47 crore in 2013-14. The survey said India had 2,477 principal APMC-regulated markets and 4,843 sub-markets.
The state is also home to 36 private markets licensed by MSAMB under the 2006 reforms. The APMC Act specifies the jurisdiction of these principal and secondary markets. The membership of each APMC comprises farmers in that specified market area, traders and commission agents licensed by the directorate of marketing and chairman of the cooperative society which does the job of processing and marketing the produce in the specified market yard. The committee is elected every five years.
Maharashtra has become a template case of this great conflict between monopolistic and severely regulated farm produce markets and the new models of market reforms
Congress leader and Maharashtra’s former cooperation and marketing minister Harshawardhan Patil, who controls some of the APMC market committees in Pune and Mumbai, outlines the scale of the APMC machine: “The entire agriculture market turnover in Maharashtra is worth more than Rs1 trillion. The APMC markets complete transactions worth Rs55,000 crore in a year. Transactions worth Rs30,000 crore per annum take place at smaller informal markets. Private contracts worth Rs20,000 crore are signed outside these two markets. There are 40,000 adtiyas in Maharashtra."
Jaydatta Holkar, elected chairman of the APMC in Lasalgaon near Nashik, which is Asia’s biggest wholesale market for onions, says the APMC markets in Nashik district, thanks to the Lasalgaon APMC, have a daily turnover of Rs15-20 crore. “In a normal onion season, the Lasalgaon APMC sees a daily offloading of 2 lakh quintals of onions," he says.
Maharashtra, these figures confirm, accounts for a large pie of this regulated farm produce economy. It is here that the government’s intent to carry out market reforms will be tested the most. There are multiple stakeholders and lobbies at work and the politics around reforms is severe, agree both Fadnavis and his predecessor from the Congress party Prithviraj Chavan, who did his best to push some of these reforms but was thwarted by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
“I am glad Fadnavis is taking forward some of the reforms we initiated. I had also drawn up a list of reforms including deregulating fruits and vegetables from the APMC Act and the Congress party had the intent to carry them out. But I faced severe opposition from the NCP, which has a nexus with APMC traders and labour unions. Since it was an alliance government, we could not go ahead," says Chavan. The Congress veteran, however, cautions Fadnavis against being “brash" about these changes. “Reforms are welcome but you have to get all stakeholders on board. This government does not seem to be doing that and it is also doing things with a political intent," says Chavan.
There are multiple stakeholders and lobbies at work in In Maharashtra agriculture sector and the politics around reforms is severe. Former CM Prithviraj Chavan, did his best to push some of these reforms but was thwarted by the NCP
Political claims and counterclaims apart, Chavan and Fadnavis, from ideologically rival camps but similarly committed to agriculture market reforms, have more in common: neither are farm leaders themselves, nor do they come from any of the stake-holding lobbies.
In the national context, the reforms in Maharashtra are a representative case. In July 2015, the Union cabinet approved setting up of a National Agriculture Market (NAM) between 2015-16 and 2017-18 with an estimated budget of Rs200 crore. The scheme proposes developing a common e-market platform that would be deployed in 585 regulated agriculture wholesale markets across the country. The Union government’s department of agriculture, cooperation and farmers welfare appointed SFAC as the nodal agency to implement the programme. In order to qualify for the e-NAM project and integrate select mandis with the common e-market, the Union government mandated states to carry out three reforms in their APMC Acts—a single licence to be valid across the state, single point levy of market fee and provision of electronic auction to determine price. By December 2015, only 138 APMC mandis in five states including 30 in Maharashtra qualified for this project. A project review report issued by SFAC in 2016 says 15 more states and Union territories have proposed to integrate another 400 mandis. In his 2016 budget speech, while making a strong case for reforms in the state APMC Acts, Union finance minister Arun Jaitley said 12 states had qualified for e-NAM. Fadnavis says the number of qualifying APMC mandis in Maharashtra has gone up to 40.
In September 2003, the Union government came up with what is now known as the State Agriculture Produce Marketing (Development and Regulation) Act of 2003 or the Model Act 2003. The government also asked states and Union territories to enact similar laws in tune with the Centre’s legislation. Thus, in 2006, Maharashtra came up with its own model Act which put in place the first set of reforms.
A farm sector expert, who spoke on condition of anonymity, argues that farmers never had any restrictions on selling their produce to anybody. “It was only in 2006 that a legal mechanism was provided to establish private agriculture markets, contract farming, and farmer-consumer markets," points out the expert. He, however, agrees that the NCP, which was an alliance partner in the previous Congress-led government in Maharashtra, resisted these reforms. “Wherever farmers could resist the NCP pressure, they could actually implement the reforms," he says.
Pankaj Khandelwal, chairman and managing director of INI Farms, a Mumbai-based integrated horticulture firm focused on pomegranates and bananas, says the reforms seem to be in the right direction to put in place a legal and enabling framework. “The fundamental role of the government is to create an enabling environment which it seems to be doing with these reforms. But a lot more needs to be done to create the right infrastructure, provide farmers better access to market, and ensure competition and fair trade," he says. Purnima Khandelwal, wife of Pankaj Khandelwal and chief executive of INI Farms, thinks the direct market between farmer and consumer is a good idea. “At INI Farms, we source pomegranates and bananas directly from farmers so that the quality of the produce meets export standards and expectations of our overseas consumers. In that sense, the farmer-consumer market is a great concept," she says.
The farm sector expert cited earlier is sceptical. He says the government is still not creating a level-playing field between the markets outside APMC and the APMC markets. “Even though the government is claiming that markets outside APMC are not regulated, it continues to stifle the APMC market itself with regulations which prevent a level-playing field. How will a parallel system and supply chain get created when you continue to regulate the APMC," he asks. The expert also points out that states which have carried out similar reforms much earlier have not been able to develop a marketing infrastructure and supply chain parallel to APMC.
The fundamental role of the government is to create an enabling environment which it seems to be doing with these reforms. But a lot more needs to be done to create the right infrastructure, provide farmers better access to market, and ensure competition and fair trade- Pankaj Khandelwal, CMD of INI Farms, a Mumbai-based integrated horticulture firm.
“Kerala never had APMC Act. Has it attracted private investment in agriculture marketing and developed a parallel supply and value chain? Bihar scrapped the APMC Act in 2006 but has it created better markets for farmers? In Delhi where fruits and vegetables were deregulated, there has not been any effort to create parallel infrastructure and farmers have gone back to the APMC markets. This simply means that APMC itself is not a problem. The state’s failure to reform APMC and simultaneously create competition by encouraging private investment is the problem," says the expert. Private investors, will not come in this sector since this is a “low margin, high volume activity", he says. “The government needs to make special efforts for private enterprise to come in and develop a supply chain." Even efforts like farmer-consumer markets have their limitations, he says, and adds: “How many markets can the government open? In urban spaces, there are severe limitations on making places available for these markets. As it is, the turnover at these markets does not account for even 2% of the APMC trade."
APMC itself is not a problem. The state’s failure to reform APMC and simultaneously create competition by encouraging private investment is the problem- A farm expert
Agrees Shetkari Sanghatana’s Maharashtra unit president Raghunathdada Patil, who says 95% of the total transactions in agriculture market still take place at APMC markets only. “At most APMC markets, even these reforms are not being implemented," he says.
At the end of the day at Sinhagad market, Dimble’s 20-year-old son Ajit counts their earnings. “Today, we carried produce worth Rs7,000 and made around Rs2,000. On an average, on each truck that we load with produce worth Rs6,000-7,000 we make Rs1,400-1,700. This is our net income after deducting transport expense and our contribution to the group to pay for the stall and other facilities," he says. And his mother adds that this is so much better than APMC markets.
Big reforms or not, Dimble is delighted to actually see her consumers, talk to them and receive customers’ compliments about the “fresh cucumbers and spinach" that she brings to the Sinhagad market.
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Puttshack Signs Lease with Brickell City Centre
Immersive mini golf experience set to open in Brickell Miami
CHICAGO (February 11, 2020) – Puttshack, the upscale, tech-infused mini golf experience, announced today that it has signed its third U.S. lease to join Brickell City Centre, Miami’s premier destination in the city’s bustling financial district that brings four levels of unparalleled shopping, dining and entertainment.
The very first three-story location, Puttshack Miami will occupy 29,000 square feet spanning three levels, including an expansive outside terrace that overlooks an unmatched view of the Miami cityscape. It will feature three nine-hole competitive mini golf courses complemented by best-in-class food and beverage offerings and event space with its own private rooftop on the third floor, perfect for hosting social and corporate events. Puttshack Miami is set to open later in 2021.
“The Puttshack Miami location will be a unique, high-energy space with multiple floors, outdoor areas and amazing views, and it is sure to be a can’t miss destination for everyone in the Miami area,” said Joe Vrankin, CEO of Puttshack.
From the co-founders of Topgolf, Flight Club and AceBounce, Puttshack is the latest leading concept in the emerging and growing market of competitive socializing. An entertainment triple threat, Puttshack combines its patented ground-breaking technology with a first-class, immersive social environment to elevate the game of mini golf into a cutting-edge, high-energy experience that is unlike anything currently on the market and keeps guests coming back time and again. Since opening its first location in 2018, Puttshack now has three London locations with ambitious global plans for expansion.
“As Brickell continues to be one of the fastest-growing neighborhoods in Miami, Brickell City Centre shoppers can always expect to discover new and exciting concepts that take the retail experience beyond online shopping,” said David Martin, vice president of retail for Swire Properties Inc. “With the opening of Puttshack, our shopper’s experience will be brought to an entirely new level by creating the only place in Miami where you can take the kids, a date or friends to play high-tech mini golf and indulge in exceptional food.”
This announcement follows the social entertainment brand’s U.S. lease announcements with The Interlock in Atlanta, Ga. and Oakbrook Center in Oak Brook, Ill., and is expected to begin opening its first U.S. location in spring 2021. Puttshack appointed Emerging Concepts as master broker in 2019 and is actively working on securing additional locations.
For more information about Puttshack and the Miami location, including job opportunities, please visit www.puttshack.com.
Puttshack is a leading concept in the emerging and growing market of competitive socializing. Combining a tech-infused mini golf game with exceptional food and beverage service, Puttshack is an entertainment triple threat that is redefining mini golf for the next generation (while appealing to all generations). Patented Trackaball technology allows guests to play a point-scoring game in an immersive, upscale and exciting environment. It is the perfect place to come together, to host a company event, to celebrate a birthday, to escape for a date night or simply to play a round with friends. Since opening its first location in 2018, Puttshack now has three London locations and leases signed in Atlanta and Chicago, with ambitious global plans for expansion.
Puttshack was founded by Steve and Dave Jolliffe, founders of Topgolf and World Golf Systems, and Adam Breeden, co-founder of Flight Club, AceBounce and All Star Lanes. The company has its global headquarters in Chicago, Ill. with a UK headquarters in London. For more information, please visit: www.puttshack.com.
About Brickell City Centre
Brickell City Centre (BCC), developed by Swire Properties Inc, is a $1.05 billion mixed-use development landmark in the heart of Miami’s bustling financial district, Brickell. The nine-acre property includes almost five million square feet of retail, office, luxury residential, hotel and entertainment space, plus an unprecedented two-level, seven-acre underground parking garage. Coined Miami’s “city within a city”, BCC unveiled its first phase in November 2016, comprised of two luxury residential towers – REACH and RISE, two mid-rise office buildings – TWO BCC and THREE BCC, and tony EAST, Miami Hotel, all towering above the ultimate amenity – a 500,000 square foot open-air retail center boasting 125 storefronts and three levels of unparalleled shopping, dining and entertainment anchored by an ultra-modern Saks Fifth Avenue, luxury dine-in theater CMX and Italian food hall Luna Park. The project’s three city blocks are all connected by its architectural crown jewel, the CLIMATE RIBBON™; the larger-than-life canopy of steel and glass that spans 150,000 square feet acting as a sophisticated environmental management system protecting shoppers from South Florida’s heat and rain. For more information visit http://brickellcitycentre.com/
About Swire Properties
Swire Properties Inc, headquartered in Miami since 1979, is one of South Florida’s leading international developers of urban office, hotel and condominium properties. Known for its $1 billion master‐planned development of the island of Brickell Key in downtown Miami, Swire continues to shape the Miami skyline with its latest project, Brickell City Centre, a landmark $1.05 billion mixed‐use complex comprising a gross floor area of 4.9 million square feet, including an underground carpark and 2.9 million square feet of office, residential, hotel, retail and entertainment space. The Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of the publicly-listed Swire Properties Limited based in Hong Kong. For more information, visit www.swireproperties.us

domain: news


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With all other problems in their state solved, California Assembly Members Evan Low (D–Cupertino) and Cristina Garcia (D–Los Angeles) have introduced a bill that would require all stores to have a unisex section for children’s clothing and products in the name of “inclusivity” or whatever.
“Brick-and-mortar shops would have to display the majority of their products and clothing aimed at children in one undivided, unisex area on the sales floor,” reports Reason. “They’d also be barred from putting up signage that would indicate whether a product was intended for a boy or girl.”
The bill doesn’t just target brick-and-mortar shops either. California-based retailers would also be required to include a page on their website that presents the aforementioned products in a gender-neutral way, with the section being titled “kids,” “unisex,” or “gender-neutral.”
Low introduced a similar bill last year, arguing that children must be “able to express themselves without bias,” but the bill was sidelined to prioritize COVID-related efforts.
As ridiculous as this idea is, what’s even more offensive is that stores that dare to keep dresses in a separate girls’ section would be subject to a $1,000 fine. The policy would only apply to stores with over 500 employees.
A 2017 Gallup survey estimates that only 4.5 percent of the American are LGBTetc, while a Williams Institute UCLA School of Law study estimated that a mere .6 percent of American adults identify as transgender.
Some stores, like Target, have voluntarily shifted toward gender-neutral sections. Reason notes that “regulating how companies market their products online and in their stores could potentially raise First Amendment challenges.”
Matt Margolis is the author of Airborne: How The Liberal Media Weaponized The Coronavirus Against Donald Trump, and the bestselling book The Worst President in History: The Legacy of Barack Obama. You can follow Matt on Twitter, Gab, Facebook, MeWe, Heroes, Rumble, and CloutHub.


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Nouriel Roubini, one of the most notorious cryptocurrency critics, has stated that blockchain is “no better than an Excel spreadsheet.”
Roubini is also known for having predicted the 2008 financial crisis, earning him the moniker of Dr. Doom.
Speaking during a panel at the Blockchain Economic Forum in Davos, Roubini defined blockchain as “the most overhyped technology ever,” while noting that Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are the mother of all bubbles. He also pointed out during the talk that blockchain and crypto have nothing to do with fintech and private distributed ledger technology (DLT).
Private DLT, according to Roubini, is nothing more than a fancy database, since it is neither trustless nor decentralized. He also pointed out that, just like DLT, central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) don’t have anything to do with blockchain and crypto either. Roubini sees CBDCs mostly as a way to extend access to the central bank register to every individual, instead of granting access to banks only.
Furthermore, Roubini expressed his idea that CBDCs will dominate cryptocurrencies and change banking in radical ways. Moreover, while he foresees that fintech will change finance and that cash will disappear, he is of the opinion that blockchain and crypto won’t play a role in this change.
Nouriel also harshly criticized what he described as the “tokenization of everything,” explaining that having a token for everything would be equivalent to going back to barter. He also pointed out how the characters in the famous Flintstones cartoon have a currency, which is seashells, arguing that tokenization is worse than that.
Talking about privacy, Nouriel pointed out that no government or regulator will permit the use of anonymity-centric cryptocurrencies such as Monero. As Cointelegraph reported in June of last year, Japanese self-regulatory body Virtual Currency Exchange Association (JVCEA) banned the trade of anonymity-oriented altcoins such as Zcash and Monero.
Roubini’s negative stance on cryptocurrency is not a new opinion for him: in an interview with Cointelegraph in October last year, he declared that, according to him, 99 percent of cryptocurrencies are worth zero.
Source: , CoinTelegraph
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Domino’s Offering $1 Pizzas For 100 Minutes On Saturday!
You can’t get much for $1 these days, but this Saturday you will get a chance to get an entire pizza for this small price.
That’s right, this Saturday Domino’s Pizza will be celebrating their 100th location in Chicago and will offer one topping, medium pizza for 100 cents! 🙂 ~ aka $1.
The offer will run 100 minutes beginning at noon and ending at 1:40 pm at every pizza restaurant in the area. There is a catch though… Limit 5 pizzas per customer.
“We are thrilled to meet this milestone of 100 stores and look forward to celebrating with our customers by offering this great promotion,” said Ray Montez, Domino’s Pizza Franchise Owner. “We are dedicated to this area and we look forward to continuing to grow and serve the residents in these communities.”
SHARE with your friends and get YOUR $1 pizza this Saturday!


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Tax credits for advanced vehicles seem to be a staple of U.S. energy policy. Established by last year's energy bill, the credits mainly promote hybrid- and diesel-powered personal vehicles, but they also cover advanced commercial vehicles.
Eligibility is capped at 60,000 vehicles annually per company. High gasoline prices are keeping politicians under pressure to address the energy situation, and the president and some lawmakers are proposing more expansive credits.
Whether by lifting the cap or adding coverage for even more advanced (and more expensive) options such as plug-in hybrids, politicians have latched onto technology tax credits as a tool of choice for reducing the security and environmental risks of oil use.
Hybrid drive is indeed a wonderful technology. However, market realities suggest that technology tax credits make little sense for cars and light trucks. They do make sense for advanced, fuel-efficient commercial vehicles, such as delivery vans or other heavy trucks.
Understanding why requires a look at differences between the commercial and personal vehicle markets, as well as a wariness of having politicians second-guess the market on car design.
Freight trucks are part of running a business and cost is paramount, trumping the style or image in the choice of a vehicle. That's why a brand-new delivery van is a no-frills affair compared with the latest SUVs or crossovers, which often have more horsepower even though they rarely haul more than a few hundred pounds of people, pets and groceries.


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Esteban Carranza, the 32-year-old owner of Blissed Out Skate Shop at Carson Mall, summed up the spirit of the small business:
“It’s scary,” he said, “to take everything you have and hope it works out.”
As one of the newest companies in Carson Mall, Carranza is not alone. The mall has more than 20 stores. Most of them are corner shops. The mall also has a variety of restaurants. Together and individually, companies have prepared for the holiday shopping season, including Small Business Saturday on November 26th.
On Monday, the Appeal toured the mall with Ronni Hannaman, executive director of the Carson City Chamber of Commerce, and Chelsea Lavender, the mall’s advertising director.
“It’s the oldest indoor mall in Nevada,” Lavender said, noting that the mall was built in 1972. “We are almost at 100 percent capacity.”
The mall is now decked out for the holidays, full of kaleidoscopic offerings, not only from the established store fronts, but also from the vendors at the festive craft exhibition that will run until Christmas Eve.
In recent years, it hasn’t just been holiday cheer.
“After COVID, it was just dead,” Lavender said. “There was a ghost town in here.”
In discussions with companies, one topic quickly emerged: resilience.
“We are slowly recovering from two years of COVID,” said Jo Moore, co-owner of Ogres-Holm Pottery.
The pottery shop doubles as a studio and houses 15 to 25 artists, each offering up to five pieces for sale. Moore has been busy with family members preparing for their “Empty Bowls” fundraiser on Dec. 2.
“We work closely with FISH (Friends In Service Helping),” she said, noting that they have raised up to $15,000 for FISH over the past few years. “Carson City is coming back.”
According to survey results collected by the Nevada Small Business Development Center this summer, many small businesses in the Silver State are still struggling with inflation, supply chains and other issues. It takes strength to persevere, to grow evenly.
“I’m not done with the beer game,” said Pat Duncan, a 2004 graduate of Carson High.
In July, after taking a hit with his first beer store during the pandemic, Duncan made the leap to a brick-and-mortar store in the mall. The Beer Studio showcases local beers, including those from Carson-based Shoe Tree Brewing Co.
Duncan remembered visiting the mall as a kid.
“This is my hometown,” he said. “As more and more people find out about this hidden place, they’ll come out of the woodwork.”
He said some Carson residents don’t even know the mall has an indoor space.
“(Beer) is the way to every heart,” he said. “I feel like we have a good line-up now.”
Adjacent to the Beer Studio is the Wild Horse Gallery, a seller of jewelry, antiques, and collectibles. Owner Jim Castaneda has been running an eponymous store in Virginia City for 25 years. He’s been at the Carson Mall for more than five years.
“We have our own customers, and that’s a good thing,” he said.
He said the store’s jewelry is one-of-a-kind.
“You can’t just order it online,” he said. “Everything I have here is different.”
Blissed Out’s Carranza is also trying to offer something unique. The shop specializes in skateboards and accessories from skater-owned companies. They offer skate shoes made from vegan materials.
“We’re just making sure we keep it by skateboarders for skateboarders,” Carranza said.
The skate shop has already sponsored two young skaters from Mills Park. Carranza said “joyful” describes the euphoria of landing a hard trick.
“When you skateboard, you get rid of your thoughts and you only have feelings,” he said. “We want to pass on the feeling of happiness.”
Hannaman said small businesses — those with fewer than 500 employees — define the capital’s character.
“They give you their passion and their journey,” she said.
Isabella McConnell, for example, co-owns Magical Moments with Lavender. The gift shop was a source of passion for McConnell.
“Everything is handmade by me,” she said, “down to the bows on the tree.”
Due to Lavender’s role as promo director, Magical Moments acts as a point of contact for other businesses in the mall. Lavender listed all of the upcoming holiday events: the Festival of Trees from December 1-20, a tree lighting ceremony on December 4, and story time with Santa Claus on December 4-20. She said it helps everyone get people into the mall.
Carson Home Furnishings is no small part of that. The 20-employee operation has both a main store and an outlet store in the mall, anchoring the north and south sides and attracting customers. Blane Cox owns the business with his wife Melissa. It’s her first business and he said he was scared when they started.
“The first thing people tell you when you start a new business is that only 50 percent of new businesses survive,” he said.
The closures during the pandemic hurt, Cox said, but they’ve been able to thrive because people still needed furniture.
“People were kind of called to their homes,” he explained.
“I don’t even want to remember those days,” Hannaman added, recalling how many small businesses suffered as a result.
Cox, who moved from California to start the company, said he is in escrow for a new home in Carson, an investment in the community.
“Support local and shop local. I live and die at it,” he said.
According to the US Small Business Administration, Small Business Saturday was founded by American Express in 2010 and has been sponsored by the SBA since 2011.
“Historically, reported projected spending by U.S. consumers shopping on Small Business Saturday at independent retailers and restaurants reached an estimated $23.3 billion, according to the 2021 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey commissioned by American Express ‘ the SBA website says. “This year, we know small businesses need our support now more than ever as they navigate, adapt and adapt to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.”
According to the Retail Association of Nevada, an estimated 1.7 million Nevadans will shop over the holiday weekend.
“RAN forecasts that Nevada’s consumer retail sales for the holiday shopping season will grow 8 percent this year to reach a record $6.5 billion,” the association said in a Nov. 16 news release.
Shopping from small businesses makes a difference, Hannaman said.
“They preserve the character of the city,” she emphasized.


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In the face of such exotica, MERCEDES’ announcement of the first replacement CLS looked almost mundane at the Paris Show. In fact, the new car is less dramatic than the CLS that broke cover seven years ago, and created what was then known as the first “four-door coupe”—a contradiction in terms, but a beautiful piece of automobilia. The numberthat sold here stunned Mercedes-Benz South Africa, the car essentially being pretty much style before practicality. The new car, which incorporates the trademark chiselled nose, looks more modern, but less elegant. But it’ll tick all the modern boxes, such as reduction in fuel consumption by up to 25 per cent, a significant new electro-mechanical steering system, and it’s the first car to be fitted with LED-only headlamps.
Text by Stuart Johnston


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Technology companies like Apple,Google and Microsoft are fighting each other on many fronts in Hardware and Software .Google has been the dominant player in the Internet Search Market for a long time.The Company has executed almost perfectly in this Technology Segment with “Google” becoming a common verb in countries around the world in search for information.Other search engines have become distant “also rans” to Google despite numerous attempts .
However the massive marketshare enjoyed by Google is under some pressure from the Microsoft-Yahoo combine.It is difficult for Google to add marketshare given its high level plus it is facing Regulatory Pressure from Europe (privacy issues) and China ( Internet Freedom).Microsoft has upped its game by tying up with Yahoo to partner in Search and added new Zing to it Bing Search platform.This has led to a gain of 4 percentage points in the last year compared to the flat growth of Google.This has forced Google to make some changes in its layout recently leading one to believe the Google perceives some threat from Microsoft.
Note Google and Microsoft are competing against each other on multiple fronts like Operating System( Android vs Windows) ,Mobile Search,Smartphones (Android vs Windows Mobile),Tablets (soon to come) ,SAAS and Office (Google Apps vs Microsoft Office) Software.
In April about 12 percent of all Web searches were performed using Microsoft’s year-old search engine. While that doesn’t exactly make Bing a Google (GOOG) killer, it seems to be holding its own. Searches on Bing are up 4 percent since its launch a year ago, according to comScore (SCOR). Meanwhile, Google’s share is flat at 64 percent. “I do hear people saying ‘I Binged it,’ ” says Danny Sullivan, who runs the search-analysis Web site Search Engine Land.
Bing moved away from Google’s minimalist formula of a plain white page with a search box that produces a list of 10 blue links. Instead, Bing’s home page showcases a daily high-resolution photo. There’s the usual column of results in the middle, and a list of relevant categories on the left. If you Bing Lady Gaga, for example, these categories include “Lyrics” and “Albums.” This month, Google unveiled a redesigned search page with a similar layout.
Bing may never come close to passing Google as the top search engine, but it may not have to. A 2009 deal with Yahoo! (YHOO) makes Bing the search technology that Yahoo will use on its Web sites, though it won’t use the Bing name. If Yahoo and Microsoft hold their current shares, Bing will power nearly 30 percent of all searches. “At that size, advertisers can’t ignore them,” says Rosoff.


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Sony Stops Licensing Of Digital Streams As It Allows DRM-Free Music
from the interesting-timing dept
The timing on this one may be something of a coincidence, but it’s worth noting that at just about the same time that Sony is getting a ton of press for finally realizing that DRM doesn’t make sense, the company has also told the Harry Fox Agency to stop licensing its music for digital streaming (via Mathew Ingram). As Ingram points out, this decision is really about the rather arcane details of copyright law and two (of the many) different license requirements that are out there. The RIAA labels have all been pushing (not surprisingly) for whatever combination of licenses that will bring them the most money. This isn’t new, of course. We saw it in the battle over what licenses satellite radio had to pay. The same battle is now happening with digital streaming services. The Digital Media Association has asked the copyright board for a ruling saying that an audio stream should only be required to pay a performance license (as it’s a performance) rather than a reproduction license (like for a product that’s actually being distributed). Because of that, Sony has basically said it won’t be distributing any more music for streaming until this is settled. It’s likely the other labels will follow as well. It’s hard to see how they can really argue that an audio stream isn’t simply a performance, since the whole point of a stream is for it to be fleeting, like radio, rather than a fully stored download. Yet, when you’re unwilling to look at new business models, it’s no surprise that you look for any opportunity to use whatever laws and government subsidies you can to your advantage.


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- Randy Fenoli told Insider he disagrees with the black wedding dress trend.
- He said he thought it was a bad business decision for wedding dress designers.
- Fenoli also said he thinks black “should be reserved for funerals.”
Randy Fenoli has seen many bridal trends come and go as a wedding dress designer, bridal consultant and fashion director at Kleinfeld Bridal’s “say yes to the dress“celebrity.
And there are a few trends he can’t fit in with.
Speaking with Insider about his career in bridal fashion and his 15th birthday on “Say Yes to the Dress” – currently in its 20th season – Fenoli shared that he didn’t like it when oversized dresses became popular in the 1960s. 1980 and said he would never be a proponent of see-through wedding dresses.
He also said he is “not a fan” of black wedding dresses, even though they are becoming more popular with brides.
Fenoli said he dislikes black dresses, both because he dislikes the aesthetic and because he thinks they are bad business for wedding dress designers because they can make white dresses less attractive.
“Once we as wedding dress designers start making colorful wedding dresses, they become evening dresses,” he said. “So we put ourselves out of work. Anyone can go to any store and buy a black dress or a red dress.”
“There are so many girls who look beautiful in black, but it’s the only day you can wear white,” Fenoli said, adding that he thinks soft pastel tones are appropriate for wedding dresses.
“I think black personally should be reserved for funerals,” he continued. “And that’s just my opinion. And I’m going to stand by it 100 percent.”
Despite his strong feelings about black wedding dresses, Fenoli hasn’t ruled out the possibility that he might design one himself one day.
“I might do one someday just for a joke,” he said.
You can watch new episodes of “Say Yes to the Dress” on TLC Saturday at 8 p.m. ET.


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Is fast furniture a threat to sustainability in Australia?
Consumption of fast furniture has dramatically increased in recent years due to a number of factors that reflect behavioural changes and living trends and nomadic lifestyles of younger generation consumers.
And it will only be a matter of time before thousands of tonnes of furniture purchased during last year’s pre- and post-Christmas sales will be heading to landfill sites that are already struggling to accommodate an annual deluge of furniture waste, says Australian Furniture Association (AFA) CEO, Patrizia Torelli.
“Like fast fashion which is mass produced, relatively inexpensive, easy to purchase and abandon, fast furniture will only be used for a short period before it ends up as landfill in a tragic cycle of buy and discard that has become a rapidly growing and immensely concerning consumer norm,” she says.
“Like fast fashion clothing that’s made to be discarded after only a few wears, fast furniture is viewed similarly as an affordable one-season fling that isn’t meant to last for generations, repurposed, repaired or reused―and in doing so, we are creating an untenable problem for the future.”
Indeed, with home ownership declining in Australia (in 1994-95 it stood at 71.5 per cent and it’s now around 66% and falling) many consumers are only able to rent and tend to update their decor when they move from place to place…and abandoning old furniture in the process, she adds.
“The Australian furniture industry has a well-deserved reputation for sustainable and environmentally responsible practices, but the viability of the sector is under threat from fast furniture produced overseas and made from cheap materials that are not meant to last―often using unethical practices and treatment of workers that expose them to harmful sawdust and carcinogens used in the manufacturing process.”
The circular economy is a different way of thinking and methodology to tackle fast furniture by eliminating waste and pollution and contributing positively to the environment.
Furthermore, the circular economy approach will protect and create jobs, encourage new skills, make Australia’s furniture industry more resilient, influence buying habits and protect the environment, says Torelli.
“The Australian furniture industry has taken significant and positive steps forward to position the sector for the future by adopting latest technology, processes and environmentally sustainable practices.”


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NEW YORK, April 09, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OTCTranscript.com conducted a wide ranging interview with American Premium Water Corporation CEO Ryan Fishoff (OTC: HIPH) where he discussed a number of different topics. Below is the transcript of the interview.
The Company released a study this week that analyzed the Company’s proprietary nano-technology. Can you go into more detail what this means for the short and long term future of the Company?
Science is an important part of the Company. We are making a concerted effort to emphasize science in our branding and marketing, and not just in our LALPINA CBD product. The Canyon Create portfolio has great compounds and products; Vanexxe is a great product that solves a cosmetic problem that afflicts millions of Americans which currently lacks a topical cosmetic solution. The growth potential is huge and I am looking forward to the
... read more at: https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/04/09/1799854/0/en/American-Premium-Water-Corp-OTC-HIPH-CEO-Ryan-Fishoff-discusses-Uplisting-Distribution-Growth-and-New-CBD-THC-Product-Launches-in-Interview-with-OTCTranscript-com.html


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Amazon announced today that 2011 was the best selling year ever for the Kindle. While they didn’t say exactly how many Kindles they sold, the company revealed that throughout December, they sold more than 1 million Kindle devices per week.
Kindle eBook sales were up too. According to the Amazon press release: “Gifting of Kindle books was up 175 percent between this Black Friday and Christmas Day compared to the same period in 2010.” As in the past, Christmas Day was biggest day for Kindle book downloads.
This news extended to Amazon’s international sites as well. eBookNewser has more: “And Amazon’s good news extends to their other sites, as well. The Kindle is also the best-selling product on Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Amazon.es and Amazon.it this holiday season.”


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» Zodiak Bintang Leo
Zodiak Bintang Leo
Zodiak Bintang Leo on Technology News and Updates AdmaTechnology.com at Sunday, April 20, 2014
The use of female anime characters are cute.
On Monday (10/29), Microsoft Corp Chief Executive Steve Ballmer said that since its launch last week, the rate of sales of Windows 8 exceeds the rate of sales of Windows 7, which is the top-selling version [...]
Back presents two new features that users are better known Like and Star.
Since the year 2008, the user has to know that the Favorite feature is available and become part of Twitter.
In order to further popularize the feature, Twitter has redesigned [...]
The design is minimalist.
Leaked photo of the latest BlackBerry smart phone cellular seemed talkative use touch screen technology, rated following the design of the iPhone from Apple.
The photos leaked to tech site Vietnam, Tinhte.vn it, believed to [...]
Unfinished news about the iPhone 5S, the latest info is precisely focused on the iPhone 6.
Quoted from BGR, Wednesday (1/5), an analyst mentioned that this smartphone will be released in June 2014.
Analyst named Peter Misek it seems pretty confident [...]
The sound that tells you if there is a comment, leave, and other messages.
Facebook reportedly tested a sound alert system to notify the owner of the account when there is a friend who wrote, leave a message, comments, and so on.
Unpublished experiment [...]
Seven planets in the Milky Way that have environmental conditions similar to Earth.
Search for life in outer space does not seem to need to reach planets beyond our galaxy, the Milky Way. Seven planets in the Milky Way has a huge potential to life after [...]
The news about BlackBerry 10 smartphone presence in the cheaper version of the more widely heard.
This time, the phone will be called the BlackBerry R10 predicted that re-emerged in cyberspace, but with different colors.
Quoted from Ubergizmo, Monday [...]
Lenovo’s new hotshot in laptops for SMBs, M490s, offers several security features and maintenance through LSSB (Lenovo Solutions for Small Business).
Among them is a Software Monitor that works to improve security by ensuring the safety of the [...]
Increasingly sophisticated technology. Now charger technology created without cable. Wireless Charger technology names.
Another name Wireless Charger is Inductive Charging. This technology utilizes magnetic force to deliver power between the two objects.
HTC launched its newest product to sail in 2013. This time, they introduced Android smartphone named HTC One.
Quoted from Ubergizmo, Wednesday (2/20), one of the most highlighted features of the Taiwanese manufacturer is Ultrapixel camera.
Through these [...]
The good news for you smartphone users had Windows Phone OS. Angry Birds can now be downloaded for free.
Quoted from Ubergizmo, Thursday (2/5), Angry Birds has changed the status of being free is the original version, that is Angry Birds first.


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FORT WORTH, Texas (April 21, 2009) – Hillwood leased more than 1.2 million square feet at its AllianceTexas development during the first three months of 2009. It is the second most square footage ever leased in a first quarter at the development, which began in 1989. In 2005 the company leased 1.5 million square feet in the first quarter at AllianceTexas. Last year Hillwood leased 710,000 square feet in the first quarter at the 17,000-acre development.
In addition close to 600 new jobs were created at AllianceTexas in the first quarter of 2009.
Highlighting activity in the first quarter of 2009 at AllianceTexas were the lease of 292,500 square feet to Alliance Brokers for its new heavy-load container facility and the lease of 365,440 square feet to Q-Edge for its new computer assembly plant, which the company is moving from California.
“The value-added services and inherent costs savings at AllianceTexas are appealing to companies, particularly at a time when they are under pressure to trim expenses in a slow economy,” said Mike Berry, president of Hillwood Properties.
Strong construction activity also took place during the first quarter of 2009 on property that Hillwood sold to companies over the past year. Health Care Service Corp., the parent company of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, is building a 250,000 square-foot data center on 53 acres it purchased at Alliance last year.
Deloitte is expected to begin construction soon on its 750,000 square-foot learning and leadership development center in the Circle T Ranch section of AllianceTexas. The company acquired 107 acres from Hillwood in 2008. Earlier this year Galderma moved into its recently completed 50,000 square-foot office building at AllianceTexas.
On the retail side, Sam Moon Trading Co. is wrapping up construction on its 168,000 square-foot retail center that will open in May at Alliance Town Center. In addition Rooms To Go will begin construction this spring on a 35,000 square-foot store at Alliance Town Center.
Residential sales have also done well in the first quarter at the two single-family communities of AllianceTexas. Twenty-eight new homes were sold at Heritage, while 16 new homes were sold at Saratoga during the first three months of 2009. Strong interest in these neighborhoods prompted Hillwood to develop of a 119-lot phase that is just being completed at Saratoga and a 75-lot phase that will begin construction soon in Heritage.
The 17,000-acre AllianceTexas development includes the Alliance Global Logistics Hub, the Monterra Village apartment home community, Alliance Town Center, the corporate campuses and golf courses of Circle T Ranch, and the Heritage and Saratoga residential communities. The development houses more than 200 companies, 29 million square feet and 28,000 employees. More than 60 companies at AllianceTexas are ranked on the Fortune 500, Global 500 or Forbes List of Top Private Firms.
Hillwood, (www.hillwood.com) a Perot company, is ranked as one of the top commercial real estate developers in the country and the top residential developer in Dallas-Fort Worth. The company’s developments currently house facilities for close to 90 companies listed on either the Fortune 500, Global 500 or Forbes List of Top Private firms. In addition to AllianceTexas, Hillwood is best known for its development of AllianceCalifornia near Los Angeles and the $420-million American Airlines Center and Victory district near downtown Dallas.
# # #


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Fish oil became a popular supplement after its ingredients, especially omega-3 fatty acids, were linked to benefits such as improved heart health and sharper cognition. The health craze took off at the same time as the rapid increase of fish consumption across the world: We now consume twice as much fish per capita as we did in the 1960s.
Scientists have been keen to find vegetarian, conservation-minded ways of fulfilling our demand for omega-3 fatty acids, without having to rely on fish. According to a new study published in Nature Biotechnology, researchers at Dow AgroSciences have found one such alternative. They have genetically engineered canola, a type of rapeseed oil, to produce additional omega-3 fatty acids.
Even though we get a lot of omega-3 fatty acids from fish and some from meat, those animals don’t actually produce them. It’s the plankton that fish eat and the grass that animals eat that produce omega-3 fatty acids. The fatty acids accumulate in the animals, thus making them rich sources of the nutrient.
Researchers at Dow wanted to exploit this fact. So they took genes of a microalgae, a type of plankton known to produce omega-3 fatty acids, and added them to canola plants. The resulting seeds contained as much as 200 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids in a single tablespoon of oil. Previous efforts at enabling plants to produce omega-3 fatty acids have been successful, but they haven’t been able to produce commercially viable amounts.
“This approach allows the engineered seeds to produce additional fatty acids instead of just converting existing fatty acids into polyunsaturated fatty acids, a strategy used in earlier efforts,” explains Kan Wang of Iowa State University. ”Finally, an omega-3 enriched salad dressing can be expected from grocery stores, if it is approved by regulatory agencies.”


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Mercedes tells owners of 292K vehicles to stop driving them
DETROIT (AP) — Mercedes-Benz is telling the owners of more than 292,000 vehicles in the U.S. to stop driving them because the brakes could fail.
The automaker is recalling the vehicles and says it will offer free towing so owners can get them to a dealership for service.
The recall covers certain ML, GL and R-Class vehicles from the 2006 through 2012 model years.
Mercedes says moisture can get into a brake booster housing and cause corrosion. That can cause a vacuum leak, which would decrease brake performance.
Mercedes says in a statement Thursday that in rare cases the brakes can fail.
The company says it has no reports of crashes or injuries. Dealers will inspect the booster and replace parts as needed. Owners will be notified by letter starting May 27.


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Epic Games became a much more exciting studio the day they palmed their Gears albatross off on People Can Fly and began work on Fortnite, a clearly Minecraft-inspired co-operative hatch-battoner that didn’t feel the need to sell the new Unreal engine with used coffee filter visual FX.
In the process, however, the Warsaw-based subsidiary did start to look an awful lot more like, well, a subsidiary – rather than the fairly-independent ideas hub that produced Painkiller and Bulletstorm. Two new bits of information seem to reinforce that sense: a new role, working alongside Epic HQ on Fortnite. And a new name, in Epic Games Poland.
“We’ve changed the studio’s name from People Can Fly to Epic Games Poland,” a rep told Pixel Enemy. “We’re a global company with talented people working toward one goal across the world. We think this helps better reflect that.”
Flush from getting away with channelling Bono, the rep added that “Multiple Epic studios, including Epic Games Poland, are working on Fortnite”.
Those studios include Epic’s North Carolina base of operations, so it’s not as if Fortnite has been dumped in People Can Epic Games Poland’s driveway a la Gears. This here’s a collaborative, multi-studio effort – of the kind major publishers like Ubisoft, Rockstar and 2K are now commonly engaging in. Big game development got really big, y’all.
Epic have had a majority share in People Can Fly since 2007, but acquired the studio outright in August last year. Key figures Adrian Chmielarz, Andrzej Poznanski, and Michal Kosieradzki departed shortly afterwards to start new indie outfit The Astronauts.
That Fortnite PAX video did look like a lot of fun. But be honest: had you forgotten all about it?


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With the major theme of "building a digital life," the upcoming IT Month exhibition is scheduled to showcase a wide range of state-of-the-art information technology products and services to help the public gain a better understanding of future industry developments.
The expo, which starts on Saturday and runs until Dec. 12 in Taipei, will display how digital concepts can be integrated into peoples' daily lives using information technology, household appliances and mobile devices, organizers said.
"As wireless applications are taking the lead in today's IT industry, the concept of a `digital home' should serve as the locomotive to push the development of the next burgeoning industry," Raff Liu (劉瑞復), chief of the exhibition's committee, said at a press conference yesterday.
Wireless Internet services are currently available through mobile phones and some hot spots at various fast food chains, as well as coffee shops and airports.
The Taipei and Kaohsiung city governments are planning to expand the applications next year with the aim of building wireless metropolises.
While the Kaohsiung government is preparing budgets to introduce wireless services, Taipei will use private investments to deploy access points on wire poles or traffic lights to offer a more convenient life, Liu said.
"Because the merging of IT services and household electronic appliances will be the future trend, digital scenarios will be shown in the exhibition, allowing the public to have a feel for the new lifestyle," he said.
One of the pavilions will showcase a virtual shopping mall, which combines a shopping experience with interactive games for visitors wearing 3D glasses.
Winners of the shopping competition can take home prizes such as laptop computers or smart phones.
The expo also features 350 exhibitors, occupying nearly 1,800 booths in Exhibition Hall I and III at the Taipei World Trade Center.
The event will then tour a few other cities, stopping in Taichung from Dec. 17 to Dec. 22, Tainan from Dec. 28 to Jan. 2 and finally Kaohsiung from Jan. 7 to Jan. 12. Admission is free.
While most manufacturers are slated to offer discounts on their IT products, the latest inventions will also be displayed.
Dopod International Corp (
With a 2.8-inch (71mm) screen, the 150g phone can play films and also be used as a 1.3-megapixel digital camera, said Katherine Hsiao (
ViewSonic International Corp (優派國際) will introduce its WMG80 wireless media adapter, as well as a wireless media gateway, which is used as a storage device and has a 80GB hard drive.
The models were rolled out in the US last month and will be available in Taiwan in the first quarter of next year, according to ViewSonic's product manager Mike Chiang (


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Covid-19 has transformed consumer behavior. Cash is less common, cards are less shiny, and contactless pay is catching on.
Since March 2019, the use of contactless pay in the US has increased by 150%, according to research by Visa. Amid this increase, QR codes are seeing a lift, too.
Since the spread of Covid, QR codes have seen an 11% boost in new US users, according to Mercator’s 2020 survey.
This payment method was originally invented in Japan in the 90s to serve the automotive industry. It has spread since then. Nowadays, people scan QR codes to get information, visit a website, and make payments.
QR codes were popular before the pandemic as well, but mainly outside the US. In Asia, for example, 46% of e-commerce transactions in the region are done through digital wallets.
In the US, though, QR code usage has been historically low and slow in adoption. While the option to use them has been around for a while, people just haven’t shown much interest until now.
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The 10th edition of Signature IIJS and 4th edition of the India Gem & Jewellery Machinery Expo (IGJME) sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry and organized by the Gem & Jewelry Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) of India, a four-day event held at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Goregaon, came to a successful conclusion on Thursday, February 9, 2017. The show held hard on the heels of the Government of India’s demonetization exercise that precipitated a liquidity crisis and a total shut down of the gem and jewellery market for two to three months with a recovery only in late January, 2017, was closely watched by both the Indian and international gem and jewllery trade for signs of recovery. According to the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council of India the industry had faced multiple challenges both local and international during the year 2016. Hence, most exhibitor’s who attended the show had cautious expectations, and were now returning generally satisfied with the overall results achieved. The GJEPC believes the holding of the 10th edition of Signature IIJS and the 4th edition of IGJME, had given the Indian gems and jewellery industry a shot in the arm heralding its recovery after the days of uncertainty.
Most of the exhibitors who took part in the show were upbeat about the future of the industry. A regular participant at Signature IIJS shows for the last several years, Kamlesh Punamiya of Punamiya & Sons, a manufacturer of plain gold jewellery, said, “Signature this year was a very good show, with the response even better than we had expected. Business has been slowly recovering from the standstill after demonetization, and here we saw that people are now looking ahead. There are less of the look-and-see visitors and most of the footfalls are of serious buyers who are here to see what’s new and place orders.”
Continuing further Kamlesh Punamiya said, “2017 is an important year for the gold jewellery industry with many auspicious days for weddings between now and June. The retailers are stocking up to cater to this demand and sentiment is improving all around. Over the last couple of years, the weeks preceding the Budget had seen orders slowing down since there were expectations of a reduction in import duty. However, since that did not happen, trade has picked up again and the impact was seen here over the last few days.”
He further stressed, “A jeweller has to adapt to changes if he wishes to succeed. Consumers still want large looking ornaments, so we have been creating designs that use less metal, but still appear big. Jewellers are willing to stock ornaments starting from lower price points to say an upper price range of Rs 1-2 lakhs. This range has done well at the show.”
Ashish Gandhi of Osia Gems, another regular exhibitor at Signature IIJS shows.said,“This year’s show has been OK for business. It was of course slower than in some previous years, but we are satisfied with the number of new contacts that we got among retailers in the North. However, walk-ins from the East and South were comparatively lower.”
Continuing further, he said, “These are good leads and we have to follow up and convert them into long term relationships. Forging strong ties was particularly important in the loose diamond business, and more so for his company which deals mainly in the smaller sizes of non-certified goods. We at Osia Gems go the extra mile to build confidence by screening all the stones to guarantee our customers that they receive 100% natural diamonds only.We have had devices installed in both our offices and factory for some years now, and at this show we have made inquiries about the new screening machines being offered by GII through GJEPC, which are quite affordable.”
Another exhibitor, Sudeep Sethi of Intergem, a well known manufacturer of designer jewellery studded with diamonds and precious stones, commenting in the same vein, said, “The show has been satisfying as far as we are concerned. Business hasn’t been about huge numbers and footfalls could have been higher, but the show as always has provided a good platform to interact with serious buyers.”
According to Sethi, the motivation for jewellery purchases is changing. Investment has been less of a driving force and consumers want jewellery that can be used, that satisfies a need. For many customers design is now a more important factor than ever before. In the current atmosphere where there is a feeling that financial transactions are being closely monitored, investment driven purchases are almost at a standstill. He said, “We have been taking this into account in our jewellery offerings at the shows.” In this context he pointed to the use of gemstones with white diamonds, rather than fancy coloured diamonds that were used in the past. “Prices today are therefore around Rs one lakh or so even for bigger pieces,” he said. He also pointed to necklaces manufactured with strings of ruby or emerald beads which he says are being well appreciated.
One of the participants at the India Gem & Jewellery Machinery Expo (IGJME), Christopher Sanger of the De Beers’ International Institute of Diamond Grading & Research (IIDGR)developers of the state-of-the-art diamond detection instruments that can screen out simulants, synthetics and treated stones, said the show was good for the company. “We have had walk-in customers who have inquired about our machines and services and we have received some orders as well. We have also received many leads that will have to be followed up over the next few months. IIDGR’s melee testing service and the screening machines for melee diamonds to separate confirmed natural diamonds from others that have to be submitted for advanced testing, is increasingly popular. Apart from this there is also a lot of interest in IIDGR’s recently introduced educational programme.”
The final word on the moderate success of the show was expressed by the Convener of GJEPC’s Exhibition-National Committee, Saunak Parikh, who said, “From the feedback the Council had received it appeared that the show went off very well despite all the challenges that it faced. The mood among both the visitors and the exhibitors was very positive and the business was very good. Across product segments it seems that all are happy with the results of the show.”
Finally in response to one of the commonly voiced concerns of many exhibitors, Saunak Parikh said, “the Council had almost finalized the schedule for next year’s show and it will almost surely have a weekend as well!”


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Apparently, LaSorda ordered BBDO executives to "put your nose to the grindstone" to make sure their ads comprehensively communicated all the brand and product messages.
Fair enough, but at the time LaSorda's outburst seemed a desperate lashing-out by a troubled company in search of places to apportion blame. For some observers, LaSorda need have looked no further than his own marketing department, where the roots of the rot were said to lie.
Now as Chrysler hurtles towards Chapter 11 administration, BBDO has been revealed as the car giant's second-largest unsecured creditor. When you consider all the other suppliers a motor manufacturer has, the notion that its ad agency could be its second-largest unsecured creditor is staggering, though it's the unsecured bit that is the definer - and the killer.
Chrysler owes BBDO a massive $58.1 million. It's an eye-watering amount even in boom time (though, probably, it would never be an issue in a boom). In the current climate, it's potentially disastrous. Though not necessarily for BBDO and its Omnicom parent.
Randall Weisenburger, Omnicom's financial chief, said last week that if Chrysler goes under, Omnicom's cash exposure would be "probably $25 to $30, $35 million" and Omnicom's share price barely stuttered. It's a dismal scenario, but not nearly as bad as it could be. If Chrysler goes into administration, Omnicom will apply to the US government's "critical vendors" emergency fund for compensation. And Omnicom has also sought to limit its exposure with "sequential liability" clauses in its negotiations with media owners. That's where the crunch will really come.
The majority of that $58 million is said to be owed to media, predominantly the local TV stations where spots have been booked on Chrysler's behalf. The principle of sequential liability means that if the agency does not get paid, then the agency's suppliers - in this case the media owners - will have to take a share of the hit.
You might remember when Omnicom shocked the production industry recently by trying to impose sequential liability on its terms of business with production companies. Same thing. As I said back then, don't imagine this issue will go away. The way the industry does business is changing fundamentally as a result of the current recession and some of the old contractual givens will disappear forever.
So, while Omnicom could take a significant hit from Chrysler's demise, the reverberations for the rest of the communications industry could be more dramatic. And long-lasting. Some suppliers could go out of business, many will be forced to rethink their models and restructure for a less predictable future.
And that's even before we consider what might happen if General Motors tips into administration too. Interpublic Group has already acknowledged that by the end of February, its exposure from GM, from work in progress and media booked, had reached $150 million. Again media accounts for the majority. And again, it's the media owners who are looking most vulnerable. Unfortunately, unlike the big global holding companies, so many of them are too small to do much about it other than suffer.
What do you make of the new T-Mobile ad then? Fifteen thousand people crammed into Trafalgar Square singing Hey Jude.
The core of the crowd was recruited from T-Mobile customers, social networking sites also drummed up interest ahead of the event and there was a fair amount of passing trade that got involved. The result is a two-minute extravaganza that launched in a break in last weekend's Britain's Got Talent, just 48 hours after the Trafalgar Square shoot.
The sheer scale of the achievement and the personal connections made are really impressive. The ad itself is so-so, but as so often these days, so what?


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E.l.f. Beauty: Fiscal 4Q Earnings Snapshot
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) _ E.l.f. Beauty Inc. (ELF) on Thursday reported a loss of $341,000 in its fiscal fourth quarter.
On a per-share basis, the Oakland, California-based company said it had a loss of 1 cent. Earnings, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, came to 10 cents per share.
The results surpassed Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of nine analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 5 cents per share.
The cosmetics company posted revenue of $74.7 million in the period, also surpassing Street forecasts. Seven analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $66.8 million.
For the year, the company reported profit of $17.9 million, or 35 cents per share. Revenue was reported as $282.9 million.
E.l.f. Beauty shares have fallen 11% since the beginning of the year. In the final minutes of trading on Thursday, shares hit $14.43, an increase of 19% in the last 12 months.


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Keep up-to-date on the latest product and company news, along with useful information for the maintenance, repair and overhaul industry.
Our insight categorised as 'Acorn CDC'
Following the appointment of Gavin Stacey as Sale Director, ACORN are proud to announce the promotion of two more employees who will fill the roles of UK Sales Manager and Customer Service Manager.
Gavin Stacey has been announced as the new Sales Director of Acorn Industrial Services Ltd.
It's '88, there's big hair and even bigger fashion statements (we have the pictures to prove it!). Most people are still recording every sale and piece of stock on paper - and as ACORN begins to grow, Sheila joins the team as an Office Assistant.
In 1988, ‘The Only Way is Up’ was topping the charts, Die Hard was in the cinema, David Hirst was SWFC’s top player and Adrian was starting at ACORN! Lots has change over the 30 years since Adrian joined so we talked to him about his time here.
Cheryl started with ACORN as a Sales Advisor in March 2008.
After joining the business in May 2017, Harley has made an immediate impact with her positive attitude to her work. Harley received nominations from both branches and directors – an outstanding achievement for someone so new to the business. Congratulations, Harley!
Clive Simkins has worked at Acorn for over a decade, after joining the business in November 2006 as Acorn’s Bearing and Maintenance Product Manager. Prior to joining Acorn, Clive racked up over 18 years of experience at SKF, the world’s leading bearing manufacturer.
Simon Beatson competes in the WCB Ultra White Collar Boxing match to raise money for Cancer Research
Lee Rodgers is presented with his ten year service award. Lee joined ACORN back in November 2006 to work in our central distribution centre warehouse based in Rotherham. We quickly recognised Lee’s potential and flare for sales
The employee of the month award for November 2016 has been awarded to John Ellis


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What has Apple done in the past few years? Since Steve Jobs passed away in 2011, the spirit of innovation seems to be gone. Apple has mainly been getting by on product updates that are not all that exciting. Ooh. A smaller iPad! A bigger iPhone! iYawn!
Maybe Apple is employing the rope-a-dope strategy that Muhammad Ali famously used against George Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle in 1974. Google could be expending a lot of energy (and cash) on various acquisitions while Apple sits back and waits for the best opportunity to finally punch back. (Since Google is Foreman in my analogy, does that mean Nest will soon make an indoor grill that talks with your fridge? Hmm.)
But even if Apple is biding its time, absorbing everything Google has to throw at it and hoping that Google will suffer a misstep from doing one deal too many, it's clear that Apple will eventually have to fight back. And sooner rather than later.


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INDIANAPOLIS (April 29, 2015) – Email marketing service provider and strategic campaign consultancy Delivra is opening the doors to its newly renovated Indianapolis headquarters Thursday, May 14 from 4 to 7 p.m. for a free open house event.
The event, which will welcome the city’s top business leaders and marketing professionals as well as Delivra clients and partners, will feature an address from Chief Executive Officer Neil Berman about the company’s vision and plans to open 20 satellite offices across the U.S. by 2017.
Delivra’s open house event will also feature:
An Official IndyCar Race Car – Get an up-close look at an official car from Delivra partner Andretti AutoSport.
Tours of the New Delivra HQ – The unique office space includes an open-floor plan, whiteboard walls, outfitted kitchen, and comfy lounge area.
Craft Beer, Foodand Entertainment – The city’s best craft beer and food will be accompanied by a live DJ and photo booth.
“Indianapolis has played a leading role in our growth, and we couldn’t be more excited to bring the local community together in our new space as a small token of our appreciation,” said Berman. “Our team has worked incredibly hard, but it's the support we’ve received from our local community of friends and partners that’s enabling us to accelerate our growth and extend our services to new markets and partners across the country.”
Located at 8415 Allison Pointe Boulevard, Suite #100 in Indianapolis, Delivra brings unparalleled customer service and support to assist small-to-medium sized businesses in achieving their goals.
Delivra is an emailmarketing platform that has helped businesses execute effective marketing campaigns for more than 15 years. Known for its industry expertise and unrivaled customer service, Delivra helps businesses engage in meaningful conversations with customers that produce tangible results. Delivra empowers organizations to achieve business goals through a suite of professional services, including strategic campaign consulting, email design, content strategy and more. Delivra has implemented dynamic marketing solutions for nearly 500 companies representing varying industries. Visit www.delivra.comfor more information.


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The upcoming Honor V10 got certified by TENAA (China’s equivalent to the FCC). This listing dates back to November 9, though it’s only now making the rounds. The Honor V10 will be announced on November 28 in China, Honor had confirmed that much already, while the phone will likely be introduced for the international market in December. In any case, this TENAA listing revealed not only the Honor V10’s specifications, but also the phone’s design, so read on if you’re interested.
As you can see in the gallery down below, the Honor V10 will sport rather thin bezels, though not as thin as some flagship handsets out there. All of the phone’s physical buttons will be located on the right, while the device will utilize on-screen navigation keys. The phone arrived at TENAA with a model number ‘BND-AL00’, and this handset has been leaking all over the internet for weeks at this point. As you can see, the fingerprint scanner will be included on the back side of the device, while the phone itself will be made out of metal. A dual camera setup is placed on the back side of this phone as well, while you’ll notice the ‘Honor’ branding on both the device’s front and back sides. The Honor V10 will sport a 5.93-inch fullHD (2160 x 1080) display, along with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage. It’s worth noting that Honor may introduce a 6GB RAM variant of the phone as well, and chances are that the 6GB RAM variant will arrive with 128GB of internal storage.
TENAA also confirmed that the Honor V10 will sport a 3,240mAh non-removable battery, while Android 7.0 Nougat will come pre-installed on the phone, along with Huawei’s Emotion UI (EMUI) skin which will be included on top of Google’s OS. The Honor V10 will support both FDD-LTE and TD-LTE 4G LTE connectivity, while the phone will be announced in Gold, Black and Blue color variants, if TENAA is to be believed. The source also says that the phone will measure 156.5 x 75.3 x 7.6mm, and weigh 165 grams. Honor had already scheduled a press conference in the UK for December 5, though we’re still not sure if the company plans to introduce the Honor V10 during that press conference, or something else entirely, stay tuned.


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LAST UPDATED : Aug 05, 2021, 07:23 PM IST
- Outdoor furniture: Dining sets for outdoor lounging and dining
The right outdoor furniture will prove to be an entertaining game-changer. Not only will outdoor furniture make your balconies, terraces much more inviting, they will also provide a comfortable space to dine and drink with friends and family.
- Group of 60 feeds Covid-affected within society
With several gated communities becoming clusters for Covid-19, a group of 60 women at Meenakshi’s Sky Lounge in Hitech City have developed an in-house food delivery system for families affected by Covid-19. In August last year, the group from the gated community with 400 flats started this initiative to cook and deliver home-cooked food for those in home quarantine within their society.


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With the government’s announcement, and reconfirmation that the sector will reopen on 4th July, Award-winning commercial kitchen design and fitting company Sprint says it’s ready to support the UK hospitality and catering industry – and other businesses – to get back on their feet.
Pershore-based Sprint is an award-winning company that designs, installs and maintains high quality commercial kitchens, bars and server counters throughout the UK.
In recent months, with a new managing director at the helm to assist owners Ross and Luke Ryan, the Sprint team have supported Caprice Holdings , which owns some of London’s smartest restaurants, and the Ivy Collection portfolio of restaurants, with a charitable initiative to provide thousands of cooked meals to frontline workers across the country.
Now, the Group are focused on helping the heavily-hit hospitality and catering industries as they prepare to reopen their premises in a safe way especially with many owners and managers encountering issues as they turn on equipment again.
Sprint Group have a team of directly employed, fully trained engineers ready to undertake maintenance and equipment checks, gas safety certificates and certifications, inspections as well as a descale and sanitisation service.
The company have also started to supply other important safety equipment to enable operators to get up and running – such as hand sanitiser stations, thermal screening, fever detection equipment and disinfectant products.
Simon Carpmael, MD, says: “This is an exciting announcement for the industry – we know operators will be turning on their equipment for the first time since it’s been mothballed and our team of experienced engineers are ready to help. They’re strategically located for a rapid nationwide response and carry extensive van stock to complete instant on-site repairs. The only thing we can’t organise for 4th July is the weather!”


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Earlier today, eBay CEO Jamie Iannone revealed on a CNBC interview that the online marketplace titan is actively looking into the possible integration of non-fungible token (NFT) auctions and crypto payments options.
According to Iannone, one of the most compelling traits of eBay is its capability to get on with the current trends without much struggle and in no time. The CEO adds that the integration of NFTs and the like could prove again just that.
Although particular sections of specific NFTs are already transacting within eBay, the platform has yet to pay attention. On top of that, some users are also seemingly allowed to list Bitcoin (BTC) on eBay as up for sale even without any official sanction from the marketplace itself.
Considering that, Iannone’s recent comments imply that the platform does not intend to halt such. In fact, it is now seemingly in the effort to streamline the entire process for its millions and millions of buyers and sellers all around the world.
There is still no conclusive confirmation or plans on when and how exactly crypto payments could be integrated within the platform as of press time.


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With summer in full swing and Eid just around the corner, it's time to update your summer holiday style... but this time, it's not in the form of a cute little off-the-shoulder dress - it's your actual suitcase. Since Alexandre Arnault (son of LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault), took the helm of luxury luggage label Rimowa in 2016, he has been spearheading a revamp of the iconic Italian brand.
Backed by LVMH, the millennial CEO has put his main focus on designer collaborations, and we just can’t get enough of them. Creating the first luxury suitcase with Fendi last November, featuring the iconic double “F” logo with black and yellow accents, it was top of everyone’s Christmas list. Now, just in time for Eid, a second drop of the cabin trolley bag has been introduced in two new colours, blue and red, with the additional option of Fendi’s customisable strap and leather paper plane-like charm – the ultimate jet-set accessory.
Putting Rimowa on the map with the next generation, this year the brand has taken things one step further by teaming up with the best of the streetwear brands. From the biggest hype in Rimowa’s history to date – Supreme’s bright red and black cases which sold out in just 16 seconds when they were released in April – to “Anti Social Social Club” emblazoned in hot pink over black hard cases, they've been every Insta stars dream.
Breaking into the accessories market with a little help from Parisian teen-made brand Nasaseasons, this month Rimowa has created limited-edition caps emblazoned with the slogan, “I need space” in reference to Nasaseasons' urban collection. Coupled with 14 playful luggage stickers for you to create your own collage masterpiece using your Rimowa suitcase as your easel, the stickers are the perfect standout personalisation travel accessory for you to get creative this summer.
But the most recent - and may we add, most exciting Rimowa collaboration to date - and the one that broke the internet when it was first announced on Instagram in September 2017, has to be Virgil Abloh’s Off-White partnership. Set to make their official debut on 20 June at Off-White’s Paris menswear show, the distinctive transparent polycarbonate carry-on cases will soon be filling your Instagram feeds. The clear design, accented with black handles, wheels and discreet branding on the locks, follows Virgil’s recent collaborations with Ikea and Nike.
Playing on the concept of today’s not-so-private privacy culture, Virgil kept the cases see-through; the point being to show off your personal belongings to the world. Either that, or it's a mechanism to bypass airport security a little quicker. Never a bad thing.


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Based on a new report and scorecard (see below) which graded 20 of the largest food retailers in the U.S on their policies and practices regarding pollinator protection, organic offerings and pesticide reduction, 17 top food retailers received an “F” for failing to have a publicly available policy to reduce or eliminate pesticide use to protect pollinators. As we recently discussed on Rural Mom, since we all need to eat, we need the bees and the bees need us. We also greatly need our grocers to help save the bees!
Only Aldi, Costco and Whole Foods received passing grades by having a publicly available policy to reduce or eliminate pesticide use to protect pollinators.
“U.S. food retailers must take responsibility for how the products they sell are contributing to the bee crisis,” said Tiffany Finck-Haynes, food futures campaigner with Friends of the Earth. “The majority of the food sold at top U.S. food retailers is produced with pollinator-toxic pesticides. We urge all major retailers to work with their suppliers to eliminate pollinator-toxic pesticides and to expand domestic organic offerings that protect pollinators, people and the planet.”
The report “Swarming the Aisles: Rating top retailers on bee-friendly and organic food,” comes amid mounting consumer pressure on food retailers to adopt more environmentally-friendly sourcing policies. A coalition led by Friends of the Earth and more than 50 farmer, beekeeper, farmworker, environmental and public interest organizations sent a letter urging the food retailers to eliminate pollinator-toxic pesticides and increase USDA certified organic food and beverages to 15 percent of overall offerings by 2025, prioritizing domestic, regional and local producers. This effort follows a campaign by Friends of the Earth and allies that convinced more than 65 garden retailers, including Lowe’s and Home Depot, to commit to eliminate bee-toxic neonicotinoid pesticides.
“Over 750,000 SumOfUs members have spoken out advocating that U.S. Hardware stores take action to protect our pollinators. And after years of pressure, Home Depot and Lowe’s have finally enacted more bee-friendly policies,” said Angus Wong, lead campaign strategist at SumOfUs, a consumer watchdog with ten million members. “And the findings of this poll show that a vast majority of consumers want to eliminate neonicotinoids from their grocery stores too. This is why food retailers must commit policies that protect our bees immediately.”
The report found that while consumer demand for organic and pesticide-free food continues to show double-digit growth, only four of the top food retailers, Albertsons, Costco, Target and Whole Foods, have adopted a publicly available company commitment to increase offerings of certified organic food or to disclose data on the current percentage of organic offerings or organic sales. In addition to these retailers, Aldi, Food Lion, part of the Delhaize Group, and Kroger disclosed data on the current percentage of organic offerings or organic sales. None of the retailers have made a publicly available commitment to source organic from American farmers.
“To protect pollinators, we must eliminate pollinator-toxic pesticides from our farming systems and expand pollinator-friendly organic agriculture,” said Dr. Kendra Klein, staff scientist at Friends of the Earth. “Organic farms support 50 percent more pollinator species than conventional farms. This is a huge opportunity for American farmers. Less than one percent of total U.S. farmland is in organic production — farmers need the support of food retailers to help them transition dramatically more acreage to organic.”
Sixteen of the top 20 food retailers were predominately unresponsive to Friends of the Earth’s requests for information via surveys, calls and letters. Primary sources of information for this scorecard include publicly available information, including company websites, company annual reports, SEC filings, corporate social responsibility and sustainability reports, press coverage and industry analyses.
The full report, Swarming the Aisles: Rating top retailers on bee-friendly and organic food, survey results, tips for consumers and letters to retailers can be found at www.foe.org/beeaction.
As consumers we vote with our food dollars. Plain and simple, in addition to telling your favorite grocery store that you need them to help protect pollinators, you can give them the message loud and clear by choosing to spend your food dollars at stores that are helping to save the bees!


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Xbox App Could Be Coming To Your TV Next Year
Xbox head Phil Spencer suggests that the next big expansion for Xbox will be a streaming app right on your smart TV.
Microsoft has been setting its sights on expanding the definition of "Xbox" for some time, and its next step could make the platform widely available on any smart TV. Xbox head Phil Spencer said recently that Xbox will become a TV app sometime in the next 12 months.
Asked what's stopping the company from putting Xbox on TVs, Spencer told The Verge, "I think you're going to see that in the next 12 months. I don't think anything is going to stop us from doing that."
Spencer didn't speak specifically about the functionality of an Xbox TV app, but the question was in the context of streaming games, which Microsoft has already started with its xCloud technology on mobile devices. The Xbox TV app would presumably use the same basic tech, scaled for use on TVs. Spencer went on to say the tech would have to work well if, for example, his kids wanted to play the same game on multiple TVs.
And while Spencer did acknowledge that this would lead to a big hardware change, he pushed back on the idea that streaming would herald the end of home consoles.
"I just push back a little bit on--this is not exactly what you said--that when streaming comes, all the consoles go away, or all my local devices that play video games go away," Spencer said. "I'm not quite as sold on that. I think we just have to be nimble and watching what players want."
Currently the streaming option is available as part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which also offers a subscription of downloadable games on PC and Xbox consoles. Game streaming is only available on Android devices for the time being, but Microsoft is reportedly looking into a browser app solution to run it on iOS devices.