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WINDHOEK – The expected contraction in economic growth of 1.7 percent in 2019 will be the worst recession the country has experienced since independence. Driven primarily by a dismal performance of the agricultural sector due to the intense drought, the projected negative growth will be second only to a contraction of 1.6 percent experienced in 1993 and is bested only by a pre-independence performance of -1.8 percent in 1983.
The Bank of Namibia’s (BoN’s) latest Economic Outlook 2019 stated that domestic economic growth was expected to contract by 1.7 percent in 2019, followed by a small recovery in 2020.
“The projected contraction in 2019 is attributed to the prevailing drought and projected contractions in major sectors such as agriculture, diamond mining and wholesale and retail trade,” read the outlook. The report added that global economic growth is also projected to slow during 2019, on account of weaker growth for both advanced and major emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) before rising in 2020.
“Growth in the domestic economy is expected to remain in a deeper contraction in 2019. The domestic economy is projected to contract by 1.7 percent in 2019 from a minor contraction of 0.1 percent in 2018.”
This latest growth projection for 2019 by BoN represents a downward revision when compared to April 2019, largely due to the projected weaker performance in agriculture and wholesale and retail sectors.
“Year-to-date information about economic activity for 2019 so far suggests that growth estimates for agriculture, wholesale and retail trade as well as net taxes on products are likely to be weaker than what was predicted in the April 2019 Economic Outlook Update. Risks to domestic growth include a slow recovery in international commodity prices, particularly uranium and copper, as well as continuing trade tensions between the US and China. The risks to the domestic growth outlook remain more pronounced in primary industries, with the persistently low international prices for uranium and copper, which may cause mines to either reduce output or completely cease production as their operations remain unprofitable.”
In addition, BoN is of the opinion that ongoing trade wars between the United States and China have the potential to negatively affect demand for Namibian minerals and worsen the growth outlook.
On the regional front, growth in Sub-Saharan Africa is projected to strengthen to 3.4 percent and 3.6 percent in 2019 and 2020, respectively, compared to 3.1 percent in 2018.
Nigeria, which is Africa’s largest economy, is projected to grow by 2.3 percent and 2.6 percent in 2019 and 2020, respectively, from 1.9 percent in 2018. Growth in Angola is also expected to increase to 0.4 percent and 2.9 percent in 2019 and 2020, respectively, from a contraction of 1.7 percent in 2018.
On the contrary, growth in South Africa is projected to edge lower to 0.7 percent in 2019 before rising to 1.1 percent in 2020, from 0.8 percent in 2018.
Meanwhile, according to the World Economic Outlook (WEO) Update for July 2019 by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), global growth is projected at 3.2 percent in 2019 and 3.5 percent in 2020. The projected growth for 2019 represents a 0.4 percentage point decline from the 3.6 percent recorded for 2018.
Growth in advanced economies (AEs) is projected to slow during 2019 and 2020. Advanced economies are projected to grow by 1.9 percent and 1.7 percent in 2019 and 2020, compared to a growth rate of 2.2 percent achieved in 2018.
Similarly, growth among EMDEs is expected to slow down slightly in 2019 before picking up in 2020. EMDEs growth is estimated at 4.5 percent for 2018 and is projected to slow down marginally to 4.1 percent in 2019, before improving to 4.7 percent in 2020.
“The balance of risks to the global outlook remains mainly on the downside. Risks to the global growth outlook remain intensified and include uncertainty surrounding trade agreements, technology tensions, a protracted increase in risk aversion and disinflationary pressures making servicing debt harder and constraining the ability to use monetary policy in downturns. Further, the prospect of a no-deal Brexit has increased,”BoN’s outlook says.


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A GROUP campaigning for parking reform in the town centre has denied the Carter’s Square car park tariff will have any impact on encouraging shoppers into the town centre.
Jonathan Hart, of Lingfields, said Asda is ‘likely’ to offer two hours free parking when motorists spend five pounds in store.
He also announced there will be five start-up units available for small businesses to rent on short-term contracts, to allow smaller firms to start out in the town centre.
The final unit of Carter’s Square is currently with the solicitors, and is expected to be announced in the next six to eight weeks.
David Denny, chairman of the Uttoxeter parking reform group, said: “We have always lobbied for free parking of some sort in the town centre alongside a range of other initiatives to increase footfall in the high street.
“Asda’s parking scheme will only benefit Asda shoppers of course, and not even other businesses in Carter’s Square or anywhere it seems, but they are in the business of selling groceries and not re-generating Uttoxeter town centre.
“Anyone who waits for businesses to contribute to regenerating a town centre economy will wait a long time.
“It’s similar to the way that you can claim your Maltings car parking fee back at the Co-operative, nothing will really change.”
David Hunter, owner of Indulgence Coffee Lounge, said: “I think the Asda offer is absolutely fantastic.
“Tesco does well in the town with free car parking so I think it will increase footfall in town for business.
“To improve car parking in town, I think the borough council should consider a pay-on-exit scheme for council-owned car parks if free parking is not plausible as the issue is if you don’t have any change to hand.”
Malcolm Barrett, Uttoxeter business owner and borough councillor, said: “It’s a good thing, most people can do what they need in two hours. It’s what we need to boost the town economy.”
Graeme Jones, leader of the town team tourism group: “I think any means to introduce an element of free car parking into town can only be a good thing.
“What I’d really like to see is the borough council offering selected hours free of charge to boost slow times of day.”

domain: news


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After 30 days and 30 nights, Yahoo is about to unveil its new logo. On the eve of this momentous occasion, I think it's about time for a new brand.
Yahoo's tantalising teases of questionable typography are supposedly a taster for the new brand but all they've shown us is the schizophrenic face of a company in flux.
Presenting 30 options to the world is tantamount to presenting none. Worse still, it belies a lack of strategic direction. If Yahoo had a strategy at its core, 30 valid options would be inconceivable to present their brand (i.e. who they are). If you consider this alongside their recent acquisition spree, Yahoo's direction has become less clear with every iteration of the logo.
It's time for Yahoo to put a stake in the ground. It's not about a press release detailing their growth strategy but something much more fundamental – it's about defining who they truly are, what they stand for and how they will conduct their business in this age of Renaissance for them. They should express this in a brand with solid foundations, not just a redesigned logo.


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HARBINGER 2023: RBI Announces 2nd Global Hackathon
The Reserve Bank of India recently announced the “HARBINGER-2023”.
- The theme of the hackathon is “Inclusive Digital Services”.
- Competitors from 22 different countries will participate in the hackathon.
- This includes Israel, the Philippines, Singapore, Sweden, the USA, and the UK. RBI also received 363 proposals from Indian candidates.
- The hackathon is to be conducted in four segments namely Digital Banking, regulations, transactions, and the use of blockchain in transactions.
- The central bank invited fintech to participate in the Hackathon.
- They will develop solutions that will aid the differently abled to access digital financial services.
- Also, the fintech will work on increasing the reach of digital currencies of the central bank.
- Participants of the HACKATHON will get opportunities to interact with industrial experts.
- Some of them will be mentored by them. Also, new fintech can exhibit their innovative solutions.
- The winner of the hackathon will be awarded Rs 40 lakhs and the runner will receive Rs 20 lakhs.


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When Vancouver entrepreneur Jackee Kasandy moved to Canada from Kenya as a student, she was keen to start her own business.
However, she finds that she cannot secure a business loan due to her lack of credit history and capital.
CEO and co-founder of Black Entrepreneurs and Businesses of Canada Society, Kasandy now wants to help other aspiring black business owners. Many of them still face financial barriers.
That’s why the association launched a new contest on Friday to help black entrepreneurs secure $25,000 in funding to start their businesses.
Kasandy said the Black Pitch Contest aims to help black entrepreneurs who have been excluded from traditional investment vehicles such as loans, grants and business capital. He also owns a shop on Granville Island called Kasandy.
Kasandi grew up in Kenya and moved to Toronto as a student. She then moved to British Columbia, where she thought she wanted to start a shop in Granville Island, but she could not get a loan. So she ran out of credit on her card and subleased a rented apartment through AirBnb until she finally managed to build a business.
“Because of the system and how it works, it was also seen as ‘non-fundable’ by financial institutions and investors and was struggling to raise money,” she said.
“My experience with the problem of funding to start a business and get to where I am is why I want to support the thousands of Black entrepreneurs who are blocked or blocked by their business in an unfair system.”
Barriers black entrepreneurs still face include poverty, lack of home or other collateral, or poor credit, she said.
Kasandy said she wished she had an organization that supported black entrepreneurs when she started her own business.
She doesn’t just want to highlight the winners of the contests the association will offer each year. The plan, she said, is to showcase the many ideas submitted by the participants so that people can see the innovation coming from the community.
Cassandi said it’s now “really easy” to enter the contest online.
“A lot of the community is immigrants. They may not have families or homes here, they are renters. There is no fairness to them,” she said.
“And perhaps we have made financial mistakes like most of us made with credit cards and student loans. increase.”
The competition is designed to be barrier-free, so anyone aspiring to be a Black entrepreneur can apply, regardless of age, gender identity, or experience level.
“Data consistently show that systemic racism limits or prevents black access to business capital. , to make the initial application as easy as possible.”
Applications are being accepted until December 15th.
The pitch contest finalists will be featured at the Virtual Black Business Summit in February. For more information, visit the Black Entrepreneurs and Businesses of Canada Society website (https://www.blackentrepreneursbc.org/black-pitch-contest/).
Those who wish to donate money to the Entrepreneurship Fund can do so at its website.
New competition aims to help black entrepreneurs raise money
Source link New competition aims to help black entrepreneurs raise money


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The last time we heard or saw anything on Bioshock Infinite was at the VGA’s in 2011. A countdown timer for a new trailer appeared on Bishock Infinite’s official page yesterday. It seems that 2K Games is finally ready to roll out some new information for the extremely anticipated game.
The game was first announced about two years ago with a teaser trailer and a Gameinformer cover story. About a year later Irrational showed off the game at E3 2011 where it won multiple best in show awards. The last time we heard anything about Bioshock was at the 2011 VGA’s. Bioshock Infinite is still due out on February 26, 2013.


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The topic of oversaturation has been discussed for quite some time now.
Is the UFC putting on too many cards? Well, that depends on your preference, but it’s safe to say the promotion has undoubtedly upped the frequency of fights over the past few years. This is a good thing for diehard fight fans, but it also could end up hurting cards.
Let’s take a look at the upcoming UFC 205 card, for example. The card, which is being billed as the biggest ever, at least on paper, features three title fights. While this should end up being an iconic night, the stacked nature of the card will likely hurt the cards prior to it and after it. To prove this theory, take a closer look at October 8’s UFC 204. The card features some exciting fights, but it doesn’t even come close to matching November 12’s UFC 205.
This could end up being an issue for the UFC, as an increased amount of weaker cards rather than less, but more well-rounded, cards could continue to hurt its product.


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Ford Motor Company is attempting to make more waves in the electric vehicle space. The company's CEO, Jim Farley, and Chief Officer of EVs and Digital Systems, Doug Field, recently teased out some details of the company's newest car — a battery-electric SUV with three rows of seating — during presentations at Ford Investor Day.
Among those details is a 350-mile range with only a 100-kilowatt-hour battery pack. That's a much smaller battery size than would normally have been required for an electric Ford SUV of that size, according to Carscoops. To accommodate, Ford is making this SUV lighter, with less rolling resistance in the tires.
The Ford higher-ups are describing the new SUV, which doesn't yet have a name and is set to be released in 2025 at a price point around $60,000, as a "personal bullet train," Carscoops reported. Presumably, this is a reference to the car being fast and also fitting a lot of passengers (seven seats in total).
Ford recently announced that it would begin construction on a Michigan factory that would produce lithium iron phosphate batteries — a cheaper and more sustainable alternative to lithium-ion batteries — signaling the company's enthusiasm to continue to grow its EV line.
Some EV enthusiasts believe that the excitement generated by the new SUV could be bad news for the current market leader, Tesla.
"You can't dismiss the threat," wrote one EV enthusiast, commenting on the story on Teslerati, a Tesla fan site. "FORD is going full energy. They announced the next gen Truck, even when Lightning is just in its 1st year. Farley is transparent about how 'behind' he is, as he wants to catch up. Tesla has been weak in releasing multiple products. They are, in effect, still building factories across the world."
"This is why Tesla is in a race against time," replied another. "If they want to be more than a boutique manufacturer, they need to grow and have the product/factories/infrastructure in place when everyone catches up."
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Pakistan and start “Abhi” raise $2 million to launch the employee Pay Raise application
Abhi, a City-based start-up that provides the employees with a salary advance payment is calculated on the basis of the salary has increased to $ 2 million for the initial phase.
The funding round is being led by the VND, a well-established fintech investor, and Sarmayacar, a local leader of a group of international and local investors, including the Global Village, the i2i Ventures, and Zayn’s Equity. According to a press release, which was released by Abhi, this is the first fintech investment in the Global Village in Pakistan.
In Pakistan, many of our employees are living paycheck to paycheck, and at the end of the month, most of them spend their earnings to pay for utility bills, home expenses, and in case of emergencies. Abhi’s company, co-founded by Omair Ansari and Ali Ladhubhai, we are planning to change the way people spend their money and who want to be the first and the most important financial wellness platform in Pakistan.
The founder of the Ansari, who in the past has been announced, and was invested in fintech solutions, and emerging, and frontier markets, said:” We believe that the economic well-being and access to credit is a fundamental human right, as we strive to communicate to all of our customers. Our goal is to digitize the consumer to eliminate the pain points of the manual payment process, and to be where consumers need it most. Your reward is to have your own business, and we want it to be, and this is the result of Abhi (now).”
“Before the start, Abhi memorandum of understanding of 20 companies that are currently conducting a three-month pilot program,” the statement said, adding that, in addition to this, the response was to focus on getting the information about the employees ‘ work, their needs, and what the loans were in the condition it was.
In addition, this exercise will also show an employer that Abhi is not to disturb, cash flow, or business processes, and the expenditure of the employees or of the invoice. Instead, the company will have a more motivated team of employees, which leads to productivity, and greater employee satisfaction and retention.
“The companies that are involved in the project represent the industries and sectors such as insurance, steel, and manufacturing, pharmaceutical, textile, and retail sales, which makes Abhi validate the product, as well as to gather information for the future growth of the key indicators.”
Dave Nangle, a Partner in YER said:” We are delighted to be working with Omair, who is Abhi’s team. This investment allows the VEF to carry out our mission to improve the financial well-being of the average Pakistani.”
Co-founder, Ali Ladhubhai, who previously founded Pakistan’s fintech startup KarloCompare who manages the Foree company, noted: “at least 2 million people in Pakistan have access to formal loans. We saw the need for early access to the wages and salaries of product that would allow them to access digital financial options, together with a knowledge centre, to train them to use personal finances in a responsible way, and to be of benefit to them.”
From the standpoint of the future of innovation, Ladhubhai, said: “This is just the beginning for us.” We are planning to introduce a range of digital financial services, enables its customers to conduct financial transactions and financial applications.”
Sarmayacar The General Partner, Dr. Bernhard Klemen added: “The annual rate of salary of the city, in order to engage with the employees in the 100 000 or more in the public and private sector of Pakistan is estimated at more than us $ 65 billion, however, the official reports show that only one official channel, the loan amount is a little over $ 3 billion, and millions of people to have the opportunity to buy a smaller informal channel, at low prices.
Sarmayakar, based on that statement, ” says Abhi’s faith, the vision, and I’m happy to support Omair Ali, turning the way People enter the loan, and, over time, to build the region’s leading financial wellness platform.”
Misbah Naqvi, co-founder and executive partner of the i2i Ventures, said: “the ability to capture the pay should be the right of every employee, and we’re excited to support Omair Ali, the release of innovative companies in Pakistan’.”
“A fintech is a place of interest, in Pakistan are in right now, and we believe that it is Abhi’s team has the right skills and a good opportunity to take advantage of this opportunity in the market, in order to create Pakistan’s first financial wellness platform, and enhance the economic entry to one of the largest untapped markets in the world,” he said.
The statement pointed out that the State Bank of Pakistan said that no more than 20 percent of Pakistanis have a bank account. “This is a loss, we can tell you that 80% of the population are able to get the transactions. To fill this gap, it is the first step to financial inclusion, and in the number of companies in order to understand, and you will be relieved to digital wallets, and even easier to complete the transaction model.”
Ben Kasnoha, one of the co-founders and partners in the Global Village, added: “Financial integration, has many opportunities for growth in Pakistan, and because of that a lot of people do not have access to basic banking services because of a lack of financial stability. Therefore, we believe that the state of the market is ripe for disruption, and we believe that Abhi’s model is the best way to do it. We are very happy to be with them on this journey.”
“It is Abhi’s team is preparing for the 100-year anniversary of the bike to the Y Combinator, American Gas-seed funding, objectives, equipment, start-up, with the skills and knowledge to help their ideas grow. They did this in order to increase the number of students from companies such as Airbnb, Dropbox, Reddit, and Coinbase, ” the statement said.


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Miami, FL. (PRWEB) July 03, 2013
This past March, Ken Gorin and THE COLLECTION, Miami’s foremost luxury automotive dealership, proudly sponsored the 2013 Sony Open for the second year in a row. This year, THE COLLECTION celebrated the debut of an all-new, on-site showroom at the Crandon Park Tennis Center. The custom showroom and Village grounds displayed a total of thirteen cars including an Audi A8, a Porsche 911, a McLaren Spider, an Aston Martin Vanquish, a Jaguar XJL and the new 2014 Maserati Quattroporte.
“We are proud to have kicked off the 2013 Sony Open as the tournament’s Official Dealership. It is beyond exciting to be able to display our cars for over 300,000 tennis fans,” said Ken Gorin, President and CEO of THE COLLECTION.
About Ken Gorin:
Ken Gorin, a 33-year auto industry veteran, is President and CEO of THE COLLECTION, South Florida’s premiere luxury automotive dealership housing the globe’s most celebrated automotive brands. He currently oversees all operations of the company’s seven franchises which include Audi, Porsche, Ferrari, Maserati, Aston Martin, Jaguar and McLaren. Since 1995, under Gorin’s guidance, THE COLLECTION has risen to become one of the country’s most successful luxury dealerships and is recognized for providing the highest level of customer service. In the 16 years he has lived in South Florida, Gorin has contributed to countless charities, taking special interest in children’s causes. Gorin is also actively involved in automotive and business associations including the National Automobile Dealers Association, the American International Automobile Dealer Association, South Florida Automobile Dealers Association. In addition, he is a member of the Maserati North America Dealer Council and the Ferrari North America Dealer Council as well as the Audi of North America Dealer Council. He is a past member of Porsche North America’s Dealer Board of Regents and served as Chairman of Jaguar North America’s Dealer Council.
About THE COLLECTION:
On the corner of Bird Road and Ponce de Leon Boulevard in Coral Gables stands Florida’s definitive luxury automobile destination, THE COLLECTION. President and CEO, Ken Gorin, a 33-year industry veteran in the exotic and luxury automobile business has built a world-class destination housing the globe’s most celebrated automotive brands: Porsche; Audi; Ferrari; Maserati; Aston Martin; Jaguar and McLaren. THE COLLECTION’s success is credited to outstanding service, exceeding customer expectations and to a staff that treats customers like members of their family. THE COLLECTION’s facilities include a state-of-the-art service department, parts facility, and boutique to outfit today’s high performance enthusiast. In October 2010, The Collection proudly inked a deal with seven-time NBA All-Star, 2010 NBA All-Star MVP and Miami HEAT 2012 Champion Dwyane Wade. As South Florida’s hometown hero, Wade helped lead the Miami Heat to their first NBA Championship in franchise history and the 2011 Eastern Conference Championship. He is now teamed up with THE COLLECTION as the face of the brand. To experience The COLLECTION, call 305-444-5555, or visit http://www.thecollection.com.


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“The Future of Supply Chains”
Communications of the ACM, July 2021, Vol. 64 No. 7, Pages 19-21
By Paul Marks
“Until regulators stop butting heads, drone delivery rollout likely will continue to lag well behind ground robots in the autonomous delivery stakes.”
Today’s supply chains are labor-intensive and expensive to run. A number of autonomous systems that reduce the human factor are about to change all that.
What do the sidewalks around us, the airspace above us, interstate freeways, and deep ocean shipping lanes have in common? The answer is that they are all places where developers of autonomous technology are trying to revolutionize the economics of supply chains. The plan is to use robotic technology to deliver anything from packages to take-out food, groceries, or bulk freight in ways that can reduce the logistics industry’s dependence on that most expensive of supply chain costs: human labor. if the use of electric drivetrains can cut carbon emissions too, so much the better.
currently, van-based delivery over the last mile to homes may comprise as much as 40% of the overall transportation cost, even if a package delivered in Europe or the U.S., say, originated in Asia. This final stretch, also known as the “last mile,” has long been an early target for roboticists. A number of last-mile robots have moved from early trials into full-scale operations, as wheeled delivery robots now ply city sidewalks, delivering everything from groceries to pizzas; drones deliver food from the clubhouse to golfers on the green, and medical delivery drone services launched before and during the COVID-19 pandemic ferry drugs, tissue samples, coronavirus tests, and medical supplies to end users.
On the roads, makers of emerging breeds of driverless trucks are preparing to begin tests of autonomous, long-haul semi-tractor-trailers that they hope to run on high-volume freight routes between cities, shifting goods from city depot to city depot. At sea, the shipping industry—one of the world’s worst polluters as a result of its use of a filthy, sulphur-rich diesel called bunker fuel—is developing cleaner, electrically-driven, autonomous ships with artificial intelligence (AI) at the helm.
About the Author:
Paul Marks is a technology journalist, writer, and editor based in London, U.K.
- Constant, S. NHS launches UK’s first COVID test drone delivery service in Scotland, Skyports, Feb. 23, 2021 https://skyports.net/2021/02/nhs-launches-uks-first-covid-test-drone-delivery-service-in-scotland/
- Edwards, D. UPS to use drones to deliver medicines to retirement homes in Florida, Robotics & Automation News, May 26, 2020. https://roboticsandautomationnews.com/2020/05/26/ups-to-use-drones-to-deliver-medicines-to-retirement-homes-in-florida/32453/
- Gan, M., Qian, Q., Li, D., Ai, Y., and Liu, X. Capturing the swarm intelligence in truckers: A foundational analysis for future swarm robotics in road freight. Swarm and Evolutionary Computation, April 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.swevo.2021.100845
- Greengard, S. When Drones Fly, Communications, November 2019, Vol. 62 no. 11 https://cacm.acm.org/magazines/2019/11/240357-when-drones-fly/fulltext
- Kern, J., Robinson, C. Automating the Last Mile – A Market Research Report, Lux Research, March 12, 2020, https://www.luxresearchinc.com/automating-the-last-mile-executive-summary
- Marks, P. Eyes On The Skies: Delivery Drone Privacy Issues Arise, Communications, Feb. 2, 2021. https://cacm.acm.org/news/250268-eyes-on-the-skies/fulltext
- Rupprecht, J. The Truth About Drone Delivery No One Is Talking About, Feb. 4, 2021 https://jrupprechtlaw.com/drone-delivery/
- The Mayflower Autonomous Ship https://mas400.com/
- The Autonomous Ship Project: Key Facts About Yara Birkeland https://www.kongsberg.com/maritime/support/themes/autonomous-ship-project-key-facts-about-yara-birkeland/


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A new Center for Disease Control study uncovers the danger of exposure to diacetyl by various workers at coffee processing plants.
Studies reveal that diacetyl occurs naturally in coffee roasting even without flavoring and dangerous fumes from diacetyl coffee are released in greater quantities during the grinding process.
Diacetyl (2,3-butanedione) and acetyl prpionyl (2,3-pentanedione) have been blamed for hundreds of lung injuries and many deaths in the popcorn and flavoring industry.
Diacetyl and acetyl proprionyl are volatile organic compounds (VOCs) known as alpha-diketonoes that are added as ingredients in food flavorings and used in some food products such as microwave popcorn, bakery mixes, and flavored coffee.
It now appears that non-flavored coffee workers are at similar risk since diacetyl occurs naturally in coffee.
The August 2017 Health Hazard Evaluation Report has been released, with recommendations on steps coffee roasting facilities can take to protect their workers.
In addition, a medical monitoring program should be established to protect employees who work in the production area.
Early identification of symptoms from inhalation of diacetyl is imperative in protecting workers.
Suspicions about work-related lung injuries occurring in the coffee industry are not new.
In 2013, the CDC identified workers in a coffee-processing facility in Texas who experienced progressive shortness of breath that was not properly diagnosed with a diagnosis of work-related obliterative bronchitis.
Early diagnosis with the flavoring-related lung disease at the Texas plant may have prevented others from getting sick and could have helped in the treatment of these two coffee workers.
The two cases of bronchiolitis obliterans identified in 2013 at the coffee-processing facility suggested the expansion of the number of workers potentially at risk for the flavoring-chemical related disease.
In November 2015, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH, which is the research arm of the CDC) followed the CDC identification of these two coffee-plant workers with an article and a dedicated website about the health hazards of exposure to diacetyl at a coffee processing plant.
In addition, NIOSH published standards and recommendations to prevent exposure at coffee processing plants and called for additional research into how coffee roasting, grinding, and storage could negatively affect the health of coffee production workers.
NIOSH followed their 2015 recommendations with further visits to coffee roasting plants in 2015 and 2016 as noted in the August 2017 Health Hazard Evaluation Report.
During visits to a Wisconsin coffee roasting facility at two separate times, researchers collected air samples and sampled coffee beans to measure the real-time air levels of diacetyl.
They also administered health questionnaires and performed breathing tests with several of the coffee-plant employees.
This further research found that coffee plant workers were four times more likely to report respiratory symptoms than the normal U.S. population.
Eye, nose, and sinus symptoms were the most commonly reported symptoms.
Wheezing was the most common lower respiratory symptom.
With over 25 years of legal experience, Jessie is an Illinois lawyer, a CPA, and a mother of three. She spent the first decade of her career working as an international tax attorney at Deloitte.
In 2009, Jessie co-founded her own law firm with her husband – which has scaled to over 30 employees since its conception.
In 2016, Jessie founded TruLaw, which allows her to collaborate with attorneys and legal experts across the United States on a daily basis. This hypervaluable network of experts is what enables her to share reliable legal information with her readers!
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Camp Lejeune’s water contamination issue spanned several decades starting in the 1950s. Exposure to these chemicals has been linked to various serious health issues, including cancer, organ diseases, and death.
Legal action is being taken against manufacturers of Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF), a chemical used in fighting fires. The plaintiffs allege that exposure to the foam caused health issues such as cancer, organ damage, and birth and fertility issues.
The FDA is warning consumers and healthcare professionals that Percussionaire’s December 12, 2023 recall of its High Frequency Transport Phasitron Breathing Circuit Kits has been listed as Class I, the most serious type, because use of the product may lead to major injuries or death.
Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Zingerman’s Bakehouse has recalled its individually-packaged and 4-pack packages of Zingerman’s Bakehouse Black Magic Brownie because there is reason to believe the product may contain walnuts, a major allergen not declared on the ingredient statement. Individuals who live with an allergy or
According to the FDA, Mexican Style Street Corn Bites, which contains Cotija cheese, has been voluntarily recalled by The Perfect Bite Co., of Glendale, California, because the product may be contaminated by the microbe Listeria Monocytogenes. Officials say the product’s Cotija Cheese, which was produced


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Netflix's stock price appears to be heading for another down day after the company predicted it would post losses for 2012.
The admission, revealed in an S-3 form the company filed on Monday, states that "as a result of the relatively flat consolidated revenues and previously announced increased investment in our International segment, we expect to incur consolidated net losses for the year ending December 31, 2012." Netflix had previously projected that it would lose money only for the first few quarters of 2012. Previous estimates by analysts were for a profit of $1.11 per share for 2012.
The company noted in the filing that "consistent with our Q4 guidance, our domestic streaming and DVD gross cancellations continued to steadily decline in October and the first half of November." However, "gross additions of new streaming subscribers remained strong." The filing went on to predict that the company expects domestic streaming net additions to be flat for November, but then pick up in December. The fallout of subscribers canceling their DVD-by-mail subscriptions — a result of Netflix's decision to raise prices over the summer — will continue through the next year, the company projects.
Netflix made the filing on Monday related to a $200 million stock offering via T. Rowe Price Associates at $70 a share. Netflix raised another $200 million through the private placement of convertible notes to funds affiliated with Technology Crossover Ventures, according to a statement from Netflix.
Investors once again punished Netflix in early morning trading. Shortly after the opening bell sounded, Netflix's stock price fell more than 6% to less than $70 a share.
For an expanded look at Netflix's fall from grace this year, check out the charts below:
Image courtesy of Flickr, Ross Catrow


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The SA Treasury said there could be fewer than the initially estimated 5,000 job losses after the sugar tax has been introduced, because of exemptions on some sweetened beverages.
According to a Cape Times report, Treasury officials have told Parliament that exemptions on some sweetened beverages could save many jobs.
Chief director in the tax policy unit Yanga Mputa told the joint committees on finance that following extensive consultations on the sugar tax, they had decided to put exemptions on some of the beverages to stave off job losses. However, employers falling under a threshold set by the Treasury would be allowed to apply for exemptions.
Mputa would not say how many jobs could be saved, saying they needed to do another study.
The report says Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan announced the sugar tax in his Budget last year, and discussions have already started in Parliament. Mputa told MPs that in the current proposal, following consultations, they had decided to tax fizzy drinks and concentrated juices. “After consultations last year, we exempted some juices because of potential job losses. What is in here is your Coca-Cola and iced tea,” she said of some of the sugary products to be taxed. However, they had exempted some of the sweetened beverages. They had received submissions from farmers and would exempt some of the products from them to save jobs.
Mputa said they would be able to conduct another study soon to look at the impact of job losses. During their consultations last year, the question of job losses was raised by stakeholders. According to the report, she would not say how soon the study would be completed.
The Guardian reports, meanwhile, that Mexico’s sugar tax appears to be having a significant impact for the second year running in changing the habits of a nation famous for its love of Coca-Cola, and will encourage countries troubled by obesity and contemplating a tax of their own.
An analysis of sugary-drink purchases, carried out by academics in Mexico and the US, has found that the 5.5% drop in the first year after the tax was introduced was followed by a 9.7% decline in the second year, averaging 7.6% over the two-year period.
The report says Mexico has high rates of obesity – more than 70% of the population is overweight or obese – and sugar consumption. More than 70% of the added sugar in the diet comes from sugar-sweetened drinks. Coca-Cola is particularly popular and holds a place in the national culture, while former president Vicente Fox was the regional head of the company.
Health experts worldwide have been watching the progress of the Mexican tax closely because it could potentially lower the rates of obesity-related diseases and type 2 diabetes in a country with a population of more than 122m. The report says the scientists cannot yet calculate the effect on health but they say: “These reductions in consumption could have positive impacts on health outcomes and reductions in healthcare expenses in Mexico.”
The Mexican tax, if successful, may pave the way for taxes in other countries. “At the global level, findings on the sustained impact over two years of taxes on the beverages in Mexico may encourage other countries to use fiscal policies to reduce the consumption of unhealthy beverages … to reduce the burden of chronic diseases,” they say.
The report says the study has been carried out by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health and the Mexican Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (National Institute of Public Health). They found that the tax, which is just 1 peso (4p) per litre of sugary drink, had its biggest impact on the poorest households, where the decline in purchases was 18.8ml per person per day in 2014 and 29.3ml in 2015. Purchases of other untaxed drinks went up on average by 2% over the two years, although the second year showed a decline.
There is evidence from other data, however, of an increase in the production of still bottled water two years after the tax began, which the authors say may suggest some consumers are turning to water instead. “Overall the results from our study contradict industry reports of a decline in the effect of the tax after the first year of its implementation. We found a greater reduction in purchases of sugar-sweetened beverages in 2015 than in 2014. Moreover, both the absolute and relative reductions were highest among households at lower socioeconomic levels,” said the paper.
Barry Popkin, distinguished professor in the department of nutrition at Gillings and one of the authors, looked forward to collecting data on the health impact. “It will be important for us to continue to monitor this tax and see how this actually will affect overall diets, diabetes prevalence and other biological markers of the many noncommunicable diseases linked with excessive sugary beverage consumption,” he said.
Adam Briggs, of the Nuffield department of population health at Oxford University, said in the report that the results of the study were “really encouraging, particularly from a UK perspective where the sugar-sweetened beverages levy is due to be introduced in just 12 months’ time.
“These are very important data for policymakers considering implementing soft drink taxes and it will be fascinating to see how sales continue over time … measuring independent health outcomes of such isolated policies is really challenging but, as the authors say, these reductions in consumption would likely have important population-level health benefits in terms of diabetes and obesity-related diseases.” The UK planned levy is different to the Mexican tax in its design and structure, he said. “However, the principle that price change leads to sustained behaviour change remains important.”
Gavin Partington, director general of the British Soft Drinks Association, said: “Given their fervent belief in the principle of taxing soft drinks we should at least be encouraged that the authors accept causality cannot be established in terms of the impact of the tax in Mexico and the claimed falls in consumption. Nevertheless, while it seems obvious that price can have an impact on sales levels, it is far from clear that the tax on soft drinks in Mexico has had any impact on levels on obesity.”
A new report from Euromonitor International said that 19 countries had so far introduced what it called “sin taxes” on food and drinks and more would do so in the near future, with the aim of reducing sugar consumption by 20% in line with guidance from the World Health Organisation.
Euromonitor suggested the Mexican tax may be too low to have the desired effect and that the higher tax of 33 US cents per litre introduced in Berkeley, California, has been a bigger success. Berkeley “is said to have reduced SSB (sugar-sweetened beverage) consumption by 21% and increased water consumption by 63%. In comparison, other cities in the US reported a 4% increase in SSB consumption, and only 19% increase in water consumption in that time,” said the report.
It pointed to countries that might want to introduce “sin taxes” in the near future. “According to the NHS in the UK, consumers should not exceed more than 70g of fat and have no more than 90g of total sugar a day. Euromonitor’s Passport Nutrition data shows that 37 of the 54 (69%) researched countries exceed the fat intake recommendation, and 38 (70%) exceed the sugar recommendation. The top three sugar consumers are Chile, the Netherlands and Belgium, while the top three fat consumers are Germany, Sweden and Austria,” it said.
Mexico implemented a 1 peso per liter excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages on January 1, 2014, and a previous study found a 6 percent reduction in purchases of taxed beverages in 2014. In this study we estimated changes in beverage purchases for 2014 and 2015. We used store purchase data for 6,645 households from January 2012 to December 2015. Changes in purchases of taxed and untaxed beverages in the study period were estimated using two models, which compared 2014 and 2015 purchases with predicted (counterfactual) purchases based on trends in 2012–13. Purchases of taxed beverages decreased 5.5 percent in 2014 and 9.7 percent in 2015, yielding an average reduction of 7.6 percent over the study period. Households at the lowest socioeconomic level had the largest decreases in purchases of taxed beverages in both years. Purchases of untaxed beverage increased 2.1 percent in the study period. Findings from Mexico may encourage other countries to use fiscal policies to reduce consumption of unhealthy beverages along with other interventions to reduce the burden of chronic disease.
M Arantxa Cochero, Juan Rivera-Dommarco, Barry M Popkin, Shu Wen Ng


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THE 100 MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES were AT VIVA TECHNOLOGY.
Worldwide exclusives presented in the entertainment world
ABOVE – 2LUXURY2.COM’s exclusive interviews from the show. BIG THANK YOU! to our HauteLuxe correspondents in Paris – Philippe Mihailovich and Caroline Taylor
Virtual or augmented reality, robots, drones, 3D printing, driverless cars and more: all the innovations that will revolutionize our daily lives were on display at the last week Viva Technology Paris (30.06-02.07) to deliver a unique experience. Through more than 300 inspiring sessions, interviews and keynotes spread across 8 stages, viewes were able to find out what’s happening on the cutting edge of business and technology. The luxury sector was presented with LVMH’s Luxury Lab, a curator of 50 startups in the luxury industry. Watch 2luxury2 & hauteluxe.com coverage of the event on youtube.
Let’s take an exclusive first look at the latest technological innovations in the hall of tech:
The hotly anticipated SeaBubble and a prototype from the Self-Driving Car Project were showcased for the first time in Europe. Ingenica Rius, Kristonic, and Robotswin presented the most advanced robots while IBM Watson, Google DeepMind, and Facebook offered an insight into their latest advances in artificial intelligence.
Vivatech immersed visitors into the virtual world with the best of augmented reality available through Facebook’s Oculus, Google’s Tilt Brush, PMU Partouche’s virtual roller coaster and more. The newest trends in connected objects will enhance daily life in many areas with innovative fabrics, connected clothing and other smart products like Music in Baby and Google’s Jacquard Project.
Seabubble – the car that flies over water, presented by LVMH luxury group;
A driverless electric car in the shape of a bubble, capable of driving over water, lakes or rivers with zero emissions, zero sound and zero waves.
Facebook’s Innovation Pop-Up highlights the work of internet.org, a project that promotes internet access around the world while also working on groundbreaking artificial intelligence.
TILT BRUSH BY GOOGLE
Recently launched by Google,Tilt Brush is a virtual reality app that allows you to paint in 3D space using a digital brush and wearing a connected HTC Vive headset.
THE JACQUARD PROJECT BY GOOGLE
Project Jacquard makes it possible to weave touch and gesture interactivity into any textile using standard, industrial looms. Everyday objects such as clothes and furniture can be transformed into interactive surfaces using digital fibre.
PMU VIRTUAL ROLLER COASTER
A virtual roller coaster set in the heart of an integrted resort thanks to a VR headset.
Viva Technology offered the chance to test out worldwide exclusives presented in the entertainment world. Visitors attended meetings with digital gaming players (YouTubers, pro gamers, etc.), they have watched virtual performances, competed in video game battles (League of Legends with PMU), took part in the augmented reality racing game INGRESS, and appreciate a masterpiece through digital immersion. And even more: robot races, drone races, Roller Blaster, etc. In addition, kids had the chance to take part in workshops designed especially for them.
The event recorded over 45,000 visitors in 3 days, over 10 million euros distributed to startups, and 300 seminars with the world’s biggest names in tech. Viva Technology Paris will be back in 2017.


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Procter & Gamble plans to distribute more than 40,000 samples Wednesday in New York City to help consumers tie the P&G name to its brands. "It's the world's biggest stage," said Jodi Allen, vice president of North American marketing and brand operations. Products from 25 brands will be given out, including Crest, Pampers and Cover Girl.
P&G plans NYC sampling blitz
SmartBrief Job Listings for Food & Beverage


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GameStop will be selling PlayStation 5 consoles in some of its stores this Friday, October 22.
âSome stores will have limited quantities of PS5 packs available for purchase in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Houston, San Antonio, Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, Chicago and Boston, âaccording to the retailer.
You can check if your local store is participating by entering your preferred city or zip code on GameStop website.
PlayStation 5 September Showcase – Opening Sizzle
GameStop regularly offers limited packs of PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles for purchase online.
Two PS5 packs were sold online earlier on Tuesday, although access to consoles was restricted to GameStop Pro members for the first hour.
At the end of September, US retailer Best Buy sold limited quantities of PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles in stores for the first time this year, drawing large queues to many places.
On Monday, market research firm NPD Group said the PS5 ended Nintendo Switch’s long streak as the best-selling console in the U.S. market.
Prior to September, Nintendo’s console was the top-selling console in the United States for a record 33 consecutive months based on units sold.
But the PS5 took home the unit and dollar sales price last month after Sony was able to make “a lot” of the limited-offer console available to consumers, according to NPD analyst Mat Piscatella.
Despite some recent signs of increased availability, the PS5 is expected to remain difficult to find for some time, given the lingering challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The boss of AMD, which makes the processors and GPUs inside the PS5 and Xbox Series X / S, recently said that she expects the chip supply issues to end. gradually attenuate in the second half of 2022.
Consumers based in the United States who wish to purchase a PS5 console can now register their interest directly with Sony for the chance to do so. The company is making a limited number of PS5 consoles available for customers in the United States to purchase direct from PlayStation this holiday season.


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Cryptocurrencies were mixed Friday morning, with the leader Bitcoin trending lower and its close rival Ethereum gaining modestly. Speculation was rife that the recent downturn in the Bitcoin price was caused by sales by a “whale”, as traders with big crypto holdings are known.
Read Full Story
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New York, NY - Toronto, ON – January 28th, 2020 – NexTech AR Solutions (the “Company” or “NexTech”) (OTCQB: NEXCF) (CSE: NTAR) (FSE: N29) NexTech AR Solutions, the industry leader in augmented reality, is pleased to announce a new partnership with Jolokia a leading enterprise video platform provider to the healthcare industry. This partnership will expand NexTech's reach into the L&D market which was estimated at 366.2 billion U.S. dollars, according to Statista. Jolokia has joined forces with NexTech AR, to offer a compelling video learning experience (LXP) that crosses the boundaries from interactive video to Augmented Reality (AR).
Pete Mastin, CEO of Jolokia comments, “We are very excited to partner with NexTech AR, a leader in the AR space. We believe the combination of Interactive video and AR will create a new generation of L&D products that will gamify the learning experience in a way that has not been seen before. He continues, “With the addition of NexTech’s AR, our platform called Inferno is now the world's most advanced Video Learning Experience Platform (LXP) with Interactive Video, Artificial Intelligence, and AR enterprises now have the ability to create the world’s most engaging learning experiences anywhere”.
Evan Gappelberg, CEO of NexTech commented “With our state of the art AR combined with Jolokia’s best of breed video learning experience platform, we have the potential to transform the $366 billion dollar corporate training market. Over the coming weeks, Jolokia will be showcasing the new AR capabilities to its significant list of clients including many fortune 100 companies. In the next few years as AR learning starts to accelerate it’s going to completely change the way employees learn on the job".
According to Statista:
A significant trend in L&D over the last five years is the growth in the use of technology-assisted teaching. One study found that the number of technologies used by L&D departments has doubled between 2012 and 2017. Accordingly, 71 percent of companies reported using technologically assisted teaching such as online training courses. This figure can be expected to continue to increase in the near future, with 69 percent of L&D departments planning to spend on technology.
Jolokia is an intelligent online video service provider whose product, Inferno, an online training and Learning Experience Platform (LXP), that supports clients that require integration with enterprise systems, custom workflow, cognitive search and discovery, translation and accessibility, interactive video and secure multi-CDN streaming in front of and behind the firewall.
About NexTech AR Solutions Corp.
NexTech is one of the leaders in the rapidly growing AR/VR industry, estimated to hit $120 billion by 2022, according to Statista. NexTech, the first publicly traded “pure-play” AR company, began trading on the CSE on October 31st, 2018. NexTech has a two-pronged strategy for rapid growth including growth through acquisition of eCommerce businesses and growth of its omni-channel AR SaaS platform called ARitize™. NexTech has an exclusive license to a portfolio of patents 7,054,831, 7,266,509 and patent-pending applications 15351508, 62457136, 62559487, related to interactive gaming, interactive advertising, and augmented reality (“AR”) technology.
The company is pursuing five multi-billion dollar verticals:
Launching in Q1 2020, Virtual Reality (VR) has the ability to disrupt many multi-billion dollar industries such as; real estate, live events, retail, education, health care and military industries. Having VR capabilities is part of the company’s omni-channel platform approach which includes: AR for eCommerce, AR in Chat, its ARitize App and AR University for education and training. The new VRitize platform will include an app for both iOS and Android, will work on most if not all VR headsets including Facebook's Oculus and will continue to leverage all current 3D asset creation technology.
ARitize™ 3D-AR-360 Advertising Platform:
Launching in Q1 2020, the ad platform will be the industry's first end-end solution whereby the company will leverage its 3D asset creation into 3D, 360, AR ads. In 2019, according to IDC, global advertising spend will be about $725 billion.
ARitize™ For eCommerce:
The company launched its technologically advanced webAR for eCommerce early in 2019 and has been rapidly signing up customers onto its SaaS platform. Customers include Walther Arms, Wright Brothers, Mr. Steak, and Budweiser. NexTech has the first ‘full funnel’ end-to-end eCommerce solution for the AR industry including its 3D product capture, 3D ads for Facebook and Google, ‘Try it On’ technology for online apparel, 3D and 360-degree product views, and ‘one click buy’.
Having launched in June 2019, the app-based solution allows companies and educational establishments to leverage all of their existing 2D assets - YouTube videos, PDF documents, PowerPoint decks, images, etc. - and then overlay immersive 3D-AR experiences on top of that content for an interactive training experience that drives productivity.
ARitize™ Hollywood Studios:
Expected to launch in Q1 2020, the studio has created a proprietary entertainment venue for which it is producing immersive content using 360 video, and augmented reality as the primary display platform.
On behalf of the Board of NexTech AR Solutions Corp.
CEO and Director
For further information, please contact:
Chief Executive Officer
The CSE has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Certain information contained herein may constitute “forward-looking information” under Canadian securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as, “will be”, “looking forward” or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results “will” occur. Forward-looking statements regarding the Company increasing investors awareness are based on the Company’s estimates and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements of NexTech to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, including capital expenditures and other costs. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. NexTech will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws.


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Now you can get your trendy plant store fix and your museum fix at the same time. Little Leaf, the 14th Street plant shop from the Salt & Sundry team that’s always blowing up your Instagram feed, will host a pop-up at the United States Botanic Garden to celebrate cherry blossom season.
From April 4 to 7, leaf-lovers can stop by the garden’s lobby to purchase air plants, botanical prints by local artist Eva Calonder of Printed Wild, seed kits, soy candles, and other trinkets (and, of course, everything will likely fit Little Leaf’s minimalist-cool aesthetic).
As of now, the garden does not have an official gift shop, but there’s a possibility Little Leaf will create a more long-term store there down the road, says Salt & Sundry and Little Leaf owner Amanda McClements, who’s also behind the Eckington event space the Sun Room.
And when the garden initially reached out to the team about the idea a few months ago, it was a no-brainer, she says—after all, it is one of her favorite places in the city to take out-of-town guests.
“I’m a big believer in the power of plants, both in nature and for the wellbeing of us all,” says McClements. “We’re so thrilled to support their mission of sharing the importance of plants.”
A portion of the pop-up shop’s proceeds will benefit the Friends of the U.S. Botanic Garden, a nonprofit that supports the some-200 public programs the garden hosts each year. You can check it out each day it’s open from 10 AM to 5 PM.
U.S. Botanic Garden; 100 Maryland Ave. SW


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Barrow Christmas markets
Published at 10:55, Monday, 03 December 2012
THOUSANDS of people flocked to a weekend of festive fun marking the return of Barrow’s Christmas markets.
Blue skies and crisp winter air set the mood for the event, which is now in its second year. Mayor Councillor Wendy
Maddox officially opened the event.
Fun fair rides, an ice skating rink and a range of wooden cabins, selling everything from home gifts to vodka shots, brought in the crowds who revelled in the Yuletide cheer, served up by the Evening Mail.
The two-day event drew thousands of shoppers into the town centre to sample some of South Cumbria’s best food, drink and Christmas entertainment.
Opening the event, Cllr Maddox said: “It’s a bit of a cold day but the sun is shining.
“I hope everybody has a good spend!”
Cllr Maddox, wearing her new ceremonial robes, designed by Lily Myers, added later: “There are plenty of people about. The event has brought people into town.”
Walney musical theatre group KS Musicals gave their first public performance, singing a range of Christmas carols and festive favourites. Among those watching was Russell Brown, of Dalton, watching daughters Daisy and Poppy.
He said: “This is much better than last year, it’s really good. It gets everybody in the right spirit.”
As the sound of Christmas carols filled the air, excited children waited for their chance to speak to Father Christmas himself.
Dawn Chapman and Shawn Rayney were with their five-year-old daughter, Faith Rayney, who was one of the first to meet Father Christmas at this year’s market.
Mr Rayney said: “I couldn’t come last year because I was working. We came down to have a look around, Faith is excited about Christmas. I’m quite impressed with it all. It’s getting into the spirit.”
The event drew in visitors from across South Cumbria. Christine Carney travelled to the event from Millom with her friend Pauline Altree.
Mrs Carney said: “It’s nice to see something that keeps people in Barrow. A lot of people go out of town because they’re looking for something like this.
“It’s great because this will help other shops in town too and we’ve certainly got the weather for it.”
Mrs Altree added: “This is much better than we expected.”
Sarah Potter, of Norfolk Street, Barrow, was with her three-year-old nephew Cohan Webber, who was enjoying the ice rink, sponsored by Poole Townsend.
She said: “I brought Cohan down to have a little look around.
“It’s lovely, it’s really nice to see something like this going on in Barrow.”
A fun fair provided thrills and spills for all the family with tea cups, roundabouts and other rides.
David Turner and his wife Christine, of Hertford Street, in Barrow, were with their children, Logan and Conall.
Mrs Turner said: “It’s busy. It’s good to see an event that brings people out – it makes it feel a bit more Christmassy.”
Frank Stretton, commercial director of the Evening Mail, said: “I’m delighted to have seen so many people at the market.
“We’re committed to community events in Barrow and South Cumbria. I’d like to thank the mayor, Cllr Maddox, and all of our sponsors for the event. There really was something for all the family.
“Hopefully we’ll see even more people at next weekend’s event.”
Barrow Christmas Markets return next weekend, complete with a Santa parade and a 60ft high ferris wheel.
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk
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Cinte Techtextil China, taking place form September 2-4, 2020 in Shanghai/China, intends to confront the given state of flux in the global economy as well as the textiles sector.
Several international economists did predict a contraction in the general economy in Q1 2020 because of the corona virus. However, they remain optimistic that the economy would bounce back in Q2 2020. China’s technical textiles and nonwovens sector has shown considerable and steady growth in 2019. Annual output of nonwoven fabrics of large-scale Chinese companies last year reached 5.03 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 9.9%.
The corona virus is expected to present special opportunities for the personal hygiene and protective wear sectors. Since there is a supply shortage of one key raw material for surgical mask production, new industrial solutions for meltblown equipment and nonwovens in general are now needed more than ever. Therefor the need for events like Cinte Techtextil China is imminent as well.
Cinte Techtextil China is organized by of Messe Frankfurt (Hk) Ltd., Hong Kong/China, the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, the Sub-Council of Textile Industry (CCPIT), Beijing/China, and the China Nonwovens & Industrial Textiles Association (CNITA), Beijing/China. The 2018 edition saw 485 exhibitors take part, nearly 40% of which were international brands, while the fair recorded 13,203 visits from 55 countries. Product categories cover 12 application areas, spanning the entire industry, from upstream equipment and raw materials providers to finished fabrics, chemicals and other solutions.


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Flickr redesigns search results...
Yahoo maybe 'under the influence' of Microsoft and 'powered by Bing' when it comes to their searchengine, there are still a lot of other Yahoo products on the web. Most of them pretty succesfull. One of them is Flickr, the photo-service which allows you to store and share your pictures online.
Flickr made several changes which can be seen right away when searching for images.
Some of the changes Flickr has made are:
The changes look good and make it a lot easier finding the images you are looking for. Flickr says it will be bringing more changes in the future. Let's hope they are as usefull as these. It would for example be nice if they added even more 'social' elements. They now have the opportunity to add stuff like Twitter sharing, delicious-sharing, user- finding, alerts and so forth.
Tagcloudmaps video iphone search engine strategies search engines privacy realtime china social media baidu street view youtube images mobile bing spain event twitter interview linkbuilding yahoo funny internet blog blogger smx app google apple matt cutts research google wave london news google tools ppc business seo ads social


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Industry News: Bidding Barneys a Farewell, Cancel Culture, and Meghan's Wimbledon Photo Ban
August 04, 2019
Happy Sunday! We're so glad to be back in the thick of this sweltering Dubai summer!
Helping me kick off season 2 of DM FM is Grace Gordon - Fashion Director, travel enthusiast, and overall human extraordinaire.
In this week's episode we're discussing, the likelihood of retail giant Barneys filing for bankruptcy, how this will continue to impact the ever-changing retail landscape, and what this suggests about evolving consumer behavior. Has the luxury e-commerce space killed brick and mortar flagships for good?
In other news, HRH Meghan Markle, The Duchess of Sussex continues to be barraged by the public/ media for her unprecedented demands for privacy; most recently coming under fire for her infamous Wimbledon photo ban, as well as the less than welcoming social protocol put into place for fellow residents and neighbors in and around Windsor.
Grace and I also discuss the inherent toxicity of "cancel culture", and how this continues to affect audiences consuming the digital space.
Finally, we shed light on the concept of sustainability, and how I'm dubbing it the new sexy thing in fashion!


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According to an interview with GameSpot, Atari and Chuck E. Cheese founder Nolan Bushnell is working on an MMO.
Here’s how it went down:
GS: You’ve got a hand in a lot of the big gaming trends right now, downloadable content, casual games, social gaming… Do you have anything in massively multiplayer games?
NB: [Long pause.] Yes. [Laughs.]
No further details were offered, but. given his track record for massive culture shifting enterprises–the dude invented Atari, after all–we can’t wait to see Bushnell’s offerings.


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What are the problems?
All palm oil’s plus points have led to a huge demand globally, which has had devastating consequences. Forests are destroyed to be turned into plantations, displacing people and wildlife and releasing greenhouse gases. When peatlands are drained to grow palm, they become flammable and serious fires can result, causing even more carbon emissions, as well as health problems for people breathing in the smoke.
According to Greenpeace, more than 900,000 people in Indonesia have suffered acute respiratory infections due to the smoke from fires in 2019, and nearly 10 million children are at risk of lifelong physical and cognitive damages due to air pollution.
In the first 10 months of 2019, these fires released an amount of CO2 close to the UK’s total annual greenhouse gas emissions.
What are companies doing?
Company approaches to the issue vary hugely, from some providing no information at all about palm oil sourcing, while listing palm oil derivatives in ingredients lists, to others going to great lengths to reformulate products to avoid using it at all.
We spoke to one skincare company, Queenie Organics, which had done extensive research into emulsifiers and how they’re made. It turns out that even ingredients which technically contain no palm, may be made from a process that uses palm as a feeder material. Queenie Organics’ founder, JC, told us that non-palm oil-based emulsifiers tend to be fairly expensive in comparison, around 4-10 times the price.
Manufacturers of these products do clearly state if they are indeed 'palm oil free', as it is an exception to the rule and used as part of their eco-friendly credentials. Apparently, Cetearyl Alcohol is the most widely used emulsifier in skincare, and also found as a blend within other emulsifiers. Manufacturers of Cetearyl Alcohol often state that it is made from coconut oil and MAY use palm oil, but JC has not found a palm-free Cetearyl Alcohol yet.


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Nearly €1 million – this is the amount that MV GROUP Production is planning to invest in their Anykščių Vynas wine factory in 2021. Most of the planned investments will be allocated for the development of the factory’s cold cellar, as well as the renovation of the laboratory.
According to Algirdas Čiburys, CEO of MV GROUP Production, the need for solid investment was determined by the particularly rapid development of Anykščių Vynas production.
“In 2020 alone, the production volumes of Anykščių Vynas increased by 36% compared to the previous year. We witnessed the largest jump in production in wine category (85 percent), as well as cider (57 percent) and natural juices (20 percent)” says Čiburys.
According to Nielsen data, the brand Voruta has a 7% market share in sales in the natural fermentation wine category in Lithuania. It is currently the No. 1 wine brand in the country in terms of sales, value and volume, based on 2020 data from Nielsen’s modern retail chains research.
According to the CEO, the expansion of production volumes was partly due to the strengthening position in foreign markets. Last year, Anykščių Vynas launched three new export directions – Lithuanian products began to be sold in Japan, Hong Kong and the Netherlands.
Revenue from sales of products under the Voruta brand in foreign countries alone jumped by almost 90%, and in Lithuania the brand has also become the absolute leader in the sector. Meanwhile, the total growth of MV GROUP Production’s export sales revenue exceeds 30%.
“In addition, after installing a modern production line costing more than €0.6 million in the factory, we significantly expanded the basket of our products – over the past two years, Anykščių Vynas has provided consumers with the most product novelties from all factories managed by MV GROUP Production, which managed to receive not only consumer but also expert recognition. For example, last year, the non-alcoholic winter wine Voruta Winterspice won a design award for innovation in product packaging in NAPA Packaging Design Awards. The product portfolio has expanded at several times, so we have reached a point where we are forced to substantially increase our technical capabilities” says Čiburys.
MV GROUP Production will allocate a major part of the investments in Anykščių Vynas planned for this year, more than €400,000, for the expansion of the cold cellar.
It is planned that the cellar area will increase by 800 sq. m., and 28 new stainless-steel tanks will enable the additional capacity of over 350 thousands liters.
“After producing hundreds of thousands of liters of products at different stages of production, before pouring them into containers, we have to store it – to give time for fermentation, maturation, other relevant processes during production. In addition, raw materials for the production are also stored in the cellar. The expansion of the cold cellar in the factory has already started, it is planned that the project will be implemented in separate stages. Investments in the cold cellar include not only complex construction work, but also the installation of modern equipment to ensure a specific microclimate in the cellar, as well as storage capacity” says the CEO of MV GROUP Production.
More than €200,000 is being invested in the renovation of the Anykščių Vynas laboratory.
“The laboratory is one of the key parts of the factory structure, basically involved in all production processes, starting with the research of primary raw materials, continuing with intermediate and final product quality inspections. Due to the significant increase in production volumes, the available laboratory capacity is no longer satisfactory, therefore we will substantially renew the laboratory, applying the latest standards and implementing the most modern technologies” says Čiburys.
Meanwhile, the remaining number of planned investments is intended to be allocated for the ongoing improvements of the technological processes of Anykščių Vynas.
According to the CEO, such investments in Anykščių Vynas also dictate the need for new specialists. Currently, the factory with 92 employees is actively looking for a junior craftsman in the production bar, while at the beginning of the fruit and berry processing season, company will announce an active search for temporary specialists (production operators, product preparers).


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Ixaris, a global electronic payments company, has launched Opn Cardworks, a payment application which enables businesses to quickly set up a personalised prepaid card programme and embed it into their own online and mobile payment services.
Ixaris Opn Cardworks provides the necessary infrastructure and supporting services, including all the necessary banking partners, as well as a comprehensive risk and compliance platform to ensure that its customers meet obligations such as know your customer (KYC) checks.
Alex Mifsud, chief executive officer (CEO) of Ixaris, said: “As the growth of mobile apps and services continues, there is an increasing demand for integrated solutions that can improve the speed and efficiency of payments through these channels. Opn Cardworks will enable merchants of all sizes to further extend their payment applications through an extremely cost-effective prepaid card service.”
A report by broking group Marsh examines the repercussions from the administration of the South Korean company, which filed for bankruptcy protection at the end of August.
Global research by C2FO suggests that smaller businesses are less concerned with the repercussions of Brexit and the upcoming US presidential election.
A squeeze on skilled talent means it now takes an average of seven weeks to fill open permanent roles in finance in the UK according to new research from financial services recruitment firm Robert Half.
Early-stage merger and acquisition deals in Asia-Pacific show nearly 10% year-on-year growth in recent months.


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U.S. Commerce chief: metals tariffs helped save some U.S. jobs
WASHINGTON — U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said on Wednesday that tariffs imposed during the Trump administration have “helped save American jobs in steel and aluminum industries.”
“What do we do with tariffs? We have to level the playing field,” Raimondo said at a White House briefing. “China’s actions are uncompetitive, coercive, underhanded — they’ve proven they’ll do whatever it takes.”
In 2018, former President Donald Trump imposed 25% tariffs on imported steel and 10% on imported aluminum from most countries, arguing that these protections were necessary for U.S. national security to maintain healthy domestic production.
“There is a place for tariffs,” Raimondo said.
In February, the U.S. Court of International Trade upheld Trump’s “Section 232” U.S. national security tariffs on steel imports on Thursday, denying a steel importer’s challenge to the duties.
Trump invoked Section 232 of the Trade Act of 1962, which allows the president to restrict imports of goods critical to national security.
The American Iron and Steel Institute, which represents steelmakers, and industry groups welcomed the decision. They had urged Biden to maintain the tariffs to protect the industry from a flood of excess global production, largely centered in China, that has only grown since the tariffs were first imposed.
Biden has signaled he is likely to keep the tariffs in place, when he reversed a tariff exemption on aluminum imports from the United Arab Emirates that had been granted by Trump on his last day in office.
Raimondo declined to answer if she agreed with the Trump administration’s position that Chinese-based ByteDance must sell short video sharing app TikTok’s U.S. operations.
After a Biden administration request, several courts agreed in February to hold government appeals of lower court rulings blocking restrictions the Trump administration imposed on TikTok. (Reporting by Jeff Mason; writing by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Aurora Ellis)


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A storm is brewing at Tesla, and Elon Musk is at the center of the company's troubles. The CEO and chairman of the electric-car manufacturer faces two crucial votes at Tesla's annual shareholder's meeting on Tuesday: One could curb his power while the other could increase the independence of the board. Tesla and Musk have been under fire recently after several automobile crashes, difficulty meeting production goals, and growing concerns from Wall Street that it will have to raise funds. Musk has said it will not.
Here's what you need to know about these two critical shareholder votes.
1. Breaking up the top job
One investor proposal is encouraging Tesla to split the roles of chairman and CEO, saying "it is more and more difficult [for a single person] to oversee Tesla's business and senior management," according to The Washington Post. However, it's rare for companies to make that change when investors push for it, the Post reports. While many companies have a separate CEO and chairman, the average vote in support of dividing those duties in 2018 was 31 percent, according to the shareholder voting data firm Proxy Insight. What's more, such a vote hasn't received majority approval since 2015.
2. Voting out directors
CtW Investment Group, an activist group that works with pension funds sponsored by unions, wrote a letter to Tesla investors urging them to vote against three directors--including Musk's brother, Kimbal--who are up for reelection at this year's meeting. The group argued that Kimbal Musk, venture capital investor Antonio Gracias, and 21st Century Fox CEO James Murdoch are either lacking the experience necessary for the job or not independent enough. It's unclear whether shareholders will vote against the three directors.
Even if the company prevails, the campaigns could amplify the need for change at the company or apply pressure on Musk. "Now that Tesla's IPO is eight years in the past, a modernization of the Tesla board is long overdue," CtW wrote in its letter.


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No exact date yet, but the Apple Card is officially launching this August. Apple has confirmed that it's going to begin accepting applications for its new credit card experiment announced this past spring. The Cupertino brand made the announcement at its 2019 third fiscal quarter earnings call.
According to CEO Tim Cook, thousands of Apple employees are using the Apple card on a daily basis as part of a beta test and that it's finally time to let the general public take advantage of the card.
Coming in both digital and physical variants, the Apple Card works much like traditional credit cards, but with a few notable exceptions. For instance, it doesn't use a conventional 16-digit card number, CVV code, or expiration date as a personal identifier. Instead, it will generate those numbers randomly per transaction to keep purchases as secure as possible. These numbers are generated on-device, meaning there's no "processing" happening via the cloud, and Apple claims Goldman Sachs, its partner for this project, won't be able to track and see where users have shopped, what they've bought, or how much money they've spent.
Goldman Sachs is providing Apple with the software tools for the Apple Card, as CNBC notes, while Apple itself will provide the service inside the Apple Wallet app. People will be able to use the Apple Card at supported stores by tapping an iPhone at a payment terminal or by using a physical card made of titanium that Apple will be shipping to users.
While Cook confirmed an August launch, he failed to give a specific date, only confirming that the card rollout will ramp up following the initial launch.
Apple Card Perks
In addition to secure transactions, Apple Card users will also be able to take advantage of a sophisticated interface, which shows them where each purchase was made. This interface will also include a breakdown of their purchases into different categories, such as entertainment, food, shopping, and others, so they know how much they've spent on certain items and services each month.
As for the incentives, the Apple Card will provide daily cashback instead of a rewards points system. This is quite comprehensive, so make sure to visit Apple's website to learn more. The company also promise there won't be annual fees, late fees, over-limit fees, or cash-advance fees.
Tech Times has published a short guide on why applying for an Apple Card might be a good idea, so make sure to check that out.


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It takes more than an eye for style to make a mark in fashion these days. A deft touch with a keyboard may be more important in advancing a career.
Design students still learn the basics of the fashion industry the old-fashioned way: by hand. But just as other industries have quickened their pace and accuracy with the help of technology, the next step for fashion designers is learning sophisticated software to turn an idea into a sale from a retail rack.
The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago requires students to take courses to learn software applications for computer-aided design, patternmaking and supply-chain management. They use Adobe Photoshop to illustrate concepts for clothing lines and software programs specially made for fashion designers, such as one that helps turn a size 8 dress pattern into a size 2.
Natalie Swindell, a fashion design instructor at the Illinois Institute of Art, said companies have called and asked for graduates who know software for technical drawings.
"If you're willing to go to the computer end, there are probably more opportunities and obviously there's going to be more money," Swindell said. "It's come a long way since I've been in school."
Kay McNally, who graduated more than a year ago from the Illinois Institute of Art, said it's difficult for fashion-design firms to find people with both talent for patternmaking and computer-aided design skills.
"The industry's in a transition period," McNally said. "For a lot of traditional patternmakers who are incredible patternmakers and have been doing it for years, [computer-aided design] is not an easy thing to pick up."
McNally's knowledge of patternmaking software helped her get a job at Custom Couture Corp. in Chicago, where she spends eight hours a day working at a computer.
"It makes things a little bit cheaper to do, it makes things quicker," McNally said. "We're altering the fabric before it's even cut."
Erin Shea, program director for fashion design at the International Academy of Design and Technology in Chicago, said the school's associate degree program attracts people looking for a technology-based education to move forward in their careers.
"Some companies are doing a terrific job of training employees. Others are not. Oftentimes we see people coming to get that training," Shea said.
Communications, too, are now more vital because of the quickly changing nature of fashion.
With product data-management software, someone in Chicago "might be sitting at 6 o'clock in the evening doing a fitting with your factory in China. That's helping designers react to consumers much faster than they ever have before," Shea said.
Some newer software that fashion design schools use include computer-aided design programs such as U4ia, used to design patterns and prints, and a program that scans the body to calculate sizes.
Body-scan software is what some hope to use for "mass customization" to specialize fit for a particular individual while appealing to the masses.
Jeansmaker Levi, Strauss & Co. has tried out the concept for its Original Spin line of customized jeans, and others in the industry hope it will help them attract customers in the competitive retail apparel business.
Still there are some fashion niches that have remained untouched by technology. Some of the "purists" in the industry are the haute couture designers that high-fashion Hollywood-types patronize.
For them, Shea said, technology "is not as necessary, it's not as prevalent, it may not even be appropriate."


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70 per cent sales growth is no less than extraordinary! And that’s what Canada’s Lululemon Athletica has witnessed in the first quarter in China. The shares too have gone up by almost 4 per cent.
The sales and profits for the Canadian athletic apparel retailer surpassed all the predictions of the analysts, much to the surprise of trade experts.
What is more surprising, however, is that the sales of its men’s dresses, which is comparatively new, has shot up by a fairly impressive 26 per cent.
For the first quarter up to 5 May, net income grew to US $ 96 million from US $ 75.2 million. The revenue too increased to US $ 782 million, much higher than what was predicted by analysts (US $ 755 million).
The sales surged by 14 per cent as far as same-store sales were concerned.
Pleased over the sales performance, Calvin McDonald, Chief Executive Officer, Lululemon Athletica, said that Lululemon continues to see strong momentum across the entire business.
With Asian sales going up by 40 per cent steered by 70 per cent growth in China alone, the Canadian retailer intends to add 12 more stores in the country by the end of the year.


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According to CFIUS’s statement, the review may have an effect on the finalization, timing, and terms of any such deals.
According to a filing that was made on Friday, United States Attorney Damian Williams stated that the Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States (CFIUS) will review transactions that were made by the bankrupt cryptocurrency lender Voyager Digital Holdings. According to the CFIUS, this move may have an effect on the finalization, timing, and terms of any such deals.
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) reviews foreign entities’ proposals to acquire companies that have operations in the United States. If the Committee believes that a transaction would compromise U.S. national security, it can block the transaction.
Binance.US was not mentioned in the document that was submitted on Friday; however, a separately managed subsidiary of Binance.com, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world, recently reached an agreement to purchase the assets of Voyager for $1.02 billion.
Binance.com had been one of the initial bidders for Voyager’s assets back in September, but it was ultimately outbid by FTX, which has since gone out of business. CoinDesk published an article at the time stating that the offer made by Binance to acquire the American company Voyager had been rejected due to national security concerns.
Changpeng Zhao, the founder and chief executive officer of Binance, was born in China but now resides in Canada. According to their website, Binance is a “international company.”


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GASDA creates New Discount Auto & Liability Insurance Programs for Gasoline & Auto Repair Shops Owners – Click Below for more information.
Low Retail Gas Prices Encourage Consumers to Travel this Summer
Around about Memorial Day weekend, gas prices began to steadily climb, increasing by 22 cents in just three weeks, but industry analysts suggest that the commodity has most likely peaked for the year. Retail prices often drop right around June as refineries finish up seasonal maintenance and switch to summer fuel grades, with prices declining by an average of 12 cents per gallon at this time over the last five years. The Energy Information Administration predicted the week of Memorial Day experienced the highest demand for gas since August 2007, and the lowered fuel prices are demonstrating the consumer’s desire to take more road trips during this season.
Other than refinery maintenance in June, the price of crude oil also plays a role in determining gasoline’s market performance. Production appears to be rallying in America as well as OPEC’s largest crude oil producing countries, including Iraq which has been receiving attention from engineering firms so that they can increase efficiency in Iraqi energy operations. Crude oil, being the key ingredient to gasoline, has evidently been stabilizing over the past few weeks which is leading industry experts to the conclusion that summer gas prices will be at their lowest since 2009.
Cheap gas has made smaller dents in consumers’ wallets, allowing them to take advantage of the $2.75 per gallon value and drive across the country for the summer vacation. Some have reported that it now only takes $40 to fill up their family cars, a stark contrast between their expenditure around this time last year when they had to pay $55. But not all consumers seem to be too happy with low gasoline prices. Tyler Morning Telegraph interviewed Ronald and Vivian Deshotels who were fueling up at a station along Interstate 20. Vivian expressed her concern for all the layoffs while Ronald added on why we need the higher prices, saying, “I like the high prices. It puts more rigs out there.”
Although history indicates that fuel prices will decline soon, gas can be just as unpredictable as oil. Prices could certainly rise this season due to factors such as prolonged fighting in the Middle East, hurricanes in the Atlantic, and unexpected interruptions in major gas refineries.
Published in CSP Daily News By-Samantha Oller, Senior Editor/Special Projects Coordinator
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — As a Kansas federal judge prepares to evaluate proposed settlements from long-running litigation involving “hot fuel” this summer, many of the industry’s largest fuel retailers— QuikTrip, Circle K, Kum & Go, Sheetz, Wawa and 7-Eleven, among them—have filed an objection over the terms.
In a class-action lawsuit dating back seven years, plaintiffs had charged that more than two dozen fuel retailers were shortchanging customers who purchased “hot fuel”—referring to the fact that the volume of gasoline rises along with its temperature. Consumers were, in effect, paying a full gallon price for less than a gallon of fuel, plaintiffs alleged, because these retailers did not have automatic-temperature-compensation (ATC) devices installed at the pump that would adjust the price based on the fuel volume and did not alert consumers to the fuel’s temperature.
More than two dozen fuel retailers, ranging from major oils to retail chains such as Casey’s General Stores, Sam’s Club and Valero, had settled on the case, although they denied any wrong-doing. Three different settlement groups emerged. Six of the companies, including the major oil companies, agreed to settlements that would put $22.925 million into a fund to reimburse retailers for installing ATC equipment. Four of the defendants, including Casey’s and Valero, agreed to settlements to install ATC pumps at their branded sites over time. And the remaining 18 defendants—including CITGO and Thorntons—agreed to pay into a fund totaling $1.577 million that would help state weights and measures agencies ensure ATC upgrades were done lawfully.
But as U.S. District Court Judge Kathryn H. Vratil prepares to review the proposed settlements this June, two objections were filed this week on the terms, according to court documents obtained by CSP Daily News. One of the objections comes from more than a dozen of the industry’s largest petroleum-retail chains; another is led by Theodore Frank, founder of the Center for Class Action Fairness, according to Law.com.
According to the objection filing by the retail chains, one big problem with the settlements is the fact that consumers would get none of the payments. Nearly two-thirds of the settlement money going to fuel wholesalers and retailers.
Both objections also cite the payments going into a fund for weights and measures agencies as especially problematic. Because no states yet approve of ATC for motor-fuel retail sales, the objectors argue that the fund would influence regulators who might be opposed to ATC to change their positions in favor of legislation approving its use to receive the money.
The retailers’ objection filing describes it as “a de factoslush fund that will make payments to state governments if and when states change their laws in accordance with the named plaintiffs’, and plaintiffs’ counsels’, wishes,” and raised constitutional red flags.
Convenience retailers named in the objection include QuikTrip, 7-Eleven (which fought the litigation and won), Circle K, Kum & Go, Murphy Oil, Pilot Travel Centers, Flying J, RaceTrac, Sheetz, Speedway, The Pantry and Wawa. Frank with the Center for Class Action Fairness, a law firm and nonprofit that represents consumers in class-action lawsuits, described the settlement as “uncomfortably close to political bribery.” “It’s a zero-dollar settlement,” Frank told Law.com. “The lawyers are the only people getting paid, and the relief is to require lobbying for a means of selling gasoline that would make consumers worse off.”
A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, June 9, when Judge Vratil will determine whether to give final approval to the settlements.


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Apple reportedly passed on a semi-biographical drama, which featured legendary hip-hop producer Dr. Dre, more than a year ago because of the graphic nature of the show.
The “Vital Signs” screening showed characters snorting cocaine, an orgy scene and guns, The Wall Street Journal reported. People familiar with the company’s entertainment direction told the newspaper CEO Tim Cook determined it was too violent.
Apple did give the green light for a psychological thriller produced by M. Night Shyamalan in February, according to Variety. However, Apple executives needed the show to make some concessions.
Apple brass wanted crucifixes removed from the main couple’s home and didn’t want the storyline to veer into anything religious, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Producers, agents and writers told the newspaper they weren’t sure where Apple draws the line and while other networks go the way of producing edgier content with nudity and law language, Apple appears to be going in a different direction.
“I’m not sure myself what they’re after,” producer Shawn Ryan told The Wall Street Journal. “I do adore Zack (Van Amburg) and Jamie (Erlicht) and trust in their taste. I think we’re all curious to see what it’s going to be.”
The company reportedly stepped away from a #MeToo-inspired series featuring Whitney Cummings, while spending top dollar for a series featuring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon.


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Can the Entertainment Industry Afford Not to Diversify to Mobile Devices?
As The Mail Online announces its mobile audience has increased by 5.7million, the emphasis for news and entertainment providers to offer secure and accessible mobile optimised sites has drastically increased.
Naturally, this will lead to decisions regarding methods for monetising content on the rapidly expanding mobile platform. Many newspapers have already introduced a pay-wall to manage content and payment access to their online sites, but what is the best payment solution for companies crossing platforms? And how will this affect the user experience?
With demand increasing for mobile sites and print media decreasing, the importance is firmly placed on newspapers to expand the channels they reach. Seven out of 25 daily newspapers were found to have a mobile site, with a third offering an iPhone app, but half of these were lacking a mobile optimised site.
Daily Mail have seen their unique monthly online readership increase from 1.5m to 7.18m, and their iPhone app extend past 61,00 daily users, which is evidence of the increasing mobile audience. This also reflects recent statistics that indicate that by 2013 mobile internet audiences will overtake those surfing on conventional computers. In this climate therefore it is vital that mobile apps run in parallel with the mobile site. Chris Anderson, in Free: The Future of Radical Price, indicates that freemium offerings will be the future for the app world, Free apps that allow the customer to access a basic product for free but with a chargeable premium service offered. This plays well into the importance of competing for readership whilst supplementing advertising revenues for companies.
By diversifying their content into online and app based streams, content providers will have to boast a new level of integration for payment methods. The ability to accept credit and debit card transactions isn’t sufficient, with a need for subscription management, pre and post pay micropayments and even one-click transactions, it is clear that the new sites require a level of dexterity for payments which they previously would not have needed. For companies to truly be successful in their delivery and diversification they must understand that the number of different channels offered needs to be mirrored by the breadth of payment integration offered.
MPP Global offers integrated, secure and bespoke eCommerce payment solutions for online and mobile devices.