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Harvey’s has come up with what it thinks is a suitable thing to entice GTA residents to get vaccinated against Covid-19.
The burger chain announced yesterday that it is giving away up to $250,000 worth of Angus and Lightlife hamburgers as a reward for people who get jabbed. The “Best Shot” initiative is running at pop-up vaccination clinics around the GTA through July.
The Harvey’s RV will be on site at the various pop-ups, while Canadians outside the GTA can post a vaccination selfie using the hashtag #CanadasBestShot and tag Harvey’s in the photo. They can also comment or reply to a Harvey’s social posting sharing their “Best Shot story” about why or who they’re getting vaccinated for. Eligible entries will receive a message from containing a unique code that can be used online or on the Harvey’s app.
“Our health officials say the best shot we have at combating Covid-19 is ensuring as many Canadians are vaccinated as possible,” said Harvey’s president David Colebrook in a release. “Giving out free Harvey’s burgers is our way of saying thank you to those who are doing their part to keep everyone safe.”
While brands offering free goods or services to incentivize people to get vaccinated has become fairly common in the U.S., it remains something of a rarity in Canada.
While companies like Labatt have pushed Canadians to get vaccinated by appealing to their sense of community and a desire to return to the pre-Covid days, examples of brands actually offering rewards are few.
In March, Manulife Financial said it would award 400 Vitality Points to members of its Manulife Vitality program showing proof of vaccination, although it stressed that not receiving the vaccine would have “no negative effort” on its life and health insurance coverage.
“Rewarding positive actions such as supporting the Covid-19 vaccine is one more way we’re showing up to support the health of individuals, their families and communities across Canada,” said Manulife president and CEO Mike Doughty in a release.
And Sombrero Latin Foods, a specialty grocery store in the GTA, offered a free gift to people who tagged it in a vaccination selfie, saying “We all want this to be the last lockdown, so let’s get vaccinated!”
The lack of incentives could have something to do with Canadians’ generally positive attitude towards vaccination. According to Canada’s Covid-19 Vaccination Tracker, 59.59% of the Canadian population had received at least one dose of the vaccine as of June 4, with 6.5% of the population now fully vaccinated. About 25.1 million doses have been administered.
But as the vaccine rollout continues, Canada gets closer to bumping up against a small but stalwart group of vaccine resisters. According to an April study by Abacus Data, 8% of Canadians have said they will never take a vaccine for Covid-19, with 28% indicating that they would “prefer to wait a bit to see how the vaccine works out as others take it”, or “would prefer not to take one, but could be persuaded to.”
That puts Canada roughly in line with the United Kingdom, where 7% of adults reported hesitancy in the most recent survey (a slight tick up from 6% in the previous survey), and ahead of Australia, where 15% of adults recently indicated they were “not all likely” to get vaccinated and another 14% said they were “not very likely” to get vaccinated.
And then there’s the United States, where some polling has pegged the number of people unwilling to get vaccinated at as high as 20% of the population.
That has led several American brands to try to incentivize the population to get vaccinated, from Krispy Kreme offering a free glazed donut, to burger chain White Castle offering a free dessert-on-a-stick and Budweiser offering free beer.
And there are some examples that could only come from the U.S. States like Pennsylvania and Ohio, for example, have created vaccine lotteries, with the latter’s “Vax-a-Million” offering five $1 million prizes and five full college scholarships to residents 12 and over who have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
For some residents, it’s the very definition of a lucky shot.


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Should the Monday after the Super Bowl be a national holiday?
The consumer packaged goods giant, Kraft Heinz, doesn’t expect to get much out of its salaried workers on the Monday following the Super Bowl, so the company has decided to give them the day off. The company is also calling on others to join it in, asking Congress to make “Smunday” — Super Bowl Sunday and the Monday that follows — a national holiday.
According to a Change.org petition started by Heinz Ketchup, some 16 million people do not show up for work on the Monday following the Super Bowl. While not mentioned in the petition, it’s also likely true that too much fun on the day of the big game has many who do show up for work on Monday operating at less than optimum. The petition claims the U.S. has a productivity decline of $1 billion on the day after the Super Bowl.
While some may see Kraft Heinz’s announcements as nothing more than a publicity ploy, particularly since it did not buy any commercials on this year’s broadcast, the company insists it is serious. A commercial running on YouTube, which features actors wearing Heinz Ketchup and Mustard bottles making the case for the holiday, has attracted more than 334,000 views to date.
The petition on Change.org currently has over 46,000 supporters. It needs to reach 100,000 signatures before being sent to Congress.
Make #SMUNDAY a National Holiday 2017 – Heinz Ketchup/YouTube
“If we can make Big Game Sunday awesome, we can make the Monday after awesome too,” reads the petition. “Make that Monday more like Sunday. Make it a Smunday and have more Sunday on your Monday than any of us have ever had in our lives. Don’t settle. Sign it. For your sanity. For your family. For your country.”
- Make the Monday after the “Big Game” a National Holiday! – Heinz Ketchup/Change.org
- Kraft Heinz gives employees off on Monday after Super Bowl – The Associated Press/New York Post
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Do you think there is a legitimate case for Congress to declare the Monday following the Super Bowl to be a national holiday? What would be the implications for retail businesses if a holiday were declared?

domain: news


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How to Get a Business on Google Before it Opens to the Public
November 05, 2018 / Matt Southern
Google has introduced a way for businesses to appear in local listings even before they open to the public. Businesses that are opening in the near future can now create a Google My Business listing.
The listing will appear in Google search results 90 days before the before the opening date, giving businesses an opportunity to build an online presence and generate customer interest. Businesses can also engage with customers via Google My Business listing and answer any questions people may have before doors open. Here is a quick walkthrough explaining how to set up a Google My Business listing for a soon-to-open business.


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Sandy's destructive wrath evident in Westport
WESTPORT -- The sign on the windows at Lululemon Athletica on Main Street reads "#sandy gratitude," and a manager at the business says the sign serves as a reminder that many areas, including nearby businesses, incurred more severe damage than the workout clothing store.
Casey Sylvestro, a member of the management team at Lululemon Athletica, said the store was filled with upward of three feet of floodwater, which ruined the floor and some of the clothing at the store. Through tireless work, Lululemon was able to reopen within days of regaining electricity, but several stores surrounding it still remain closed due to extensive damage from the storm.
"When you have a natural disaster like Hurricane Sandy, it puts things into perspective," she said. "Yeah, sure, we lost our floor and some clothing, but some people lost a lot more than that. Some people lost family members. Some people lost homes."
On Saturday, the sound of belt sanders, hammers and circular saws filled certain areas of Main Street, as contractors tried to restore badly damaged businesses. Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Allen Edmons, Nike and other businesses had signs in their storefront windows explaining to customers that they were closed due to storm damage.
"It's a mess right now. You can tell," said Mel Mioli, owner of Westport Pizzeria. "A lot of stores are closed. The parking lot in back is full of dumpsters. It's still a mess, but it's getting better."
Mioli lost some equipment because of the storm. He was able to reopen within days of getting his electricity restored.
Sylvestro said a lot of shoppers on Main Street are "not totally sure what's open," and many people have been poking their head in Lululemon to see if it's open.
"We worked around the clock, because we wanted to be open for our guests," she said. "We wanted to be a hub for our community."


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Researchers have found something new to worry about on the internet. It turns out that a muffled voice hidden in an innocuous YouTube video could issue commands to a nearby smartphone without you even knowing it.
A French startup opened a crowdfunding campaign for a paper-thin sticker that adheres to the back of a smartphone or tablet, enabling wireless charging from a pad that handles multiple devices at the same time.
You soon-to-be Verizon iPhone 4 customers can learn from the experiences of others. Take it from iPhone old-timers, you're about to enter a magical world of awesome apps running on the most simplistic, addictive device on the planet.
Many reasons exist for why you might want or need to "security wipe" a BlackBerry, or completely erase all personal data stored on your handheld: You got a new smartphone and plan to retire the older device; you're trading in your existing BlackBerry for a new one from your wireless carrier; you and a friend are swapping devices; you loaded too many applications or media and just want to start over from scratch; etc.
Google's Android operating system is riding a wave of popularity that has rapidly eclipsed Apple's iOS, and by the end of 2010 it's expected to overtake RIM's BlackBerry as the world's leading smartphone platform. However, despite the relative openness and flexibility of the OS, your Android phone still isn't as powerful and customizable as it could be. To unlock all of your phone's potential, you'll need to root it.
Since the advent of the first modern smartphone--arguably the original Apple iPhone in 2007--the power of these mobile computing devices that also happen to make phone calls has advanced by leaps and bounds.
In June 2007, Apple released the iPhone, and the device quickly took off to become a major brand in the smartphone market. Yet when the iPhone shipped, security on the mobile operating system was nearly nonexistent. Missing from the initial iOS (then called iPhone OS) were many of the security features that modern-day desktop software has as a matter of course, such as data-execution protection (DEP) and address-space layout randomization (ASLR). Apple's cachet lured security researchers to test the platform, and in less than a month, a trio had released details on the first vulnerability: an exploitable flaw in the mobile Safari browser.
Even by the new standards of cell phone advertising, the run-up to the HTC ThunderBolt -- Verizon's first 4G LTE smartphone -- was elaborate and expensive. Gatefold ads in mass-market magazines and high-profile TV spots on the Oscars, NASCAR and college basketball all proclaimed that there was a new 4G phone coming from Verizon, but not much else. Inquiries made of HTC and Verizon were met with official shrugs. The company spent many millions of dollars advertising a phone and didn't tell anyone when it would be on the shelves.


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With the direction of former CEO Steve Careers, Apple was additional than a tech firm but rather an innovation company hunting for even more remedies to advance our technological capacities.
Media studies have been blasting up all around the accusations Apple is going through by the American technological innovation company called Masimo for thieving their enterprise trade secrets and techniques. A Cupertino-dependent organization was also accused of improperly working with their health monitoring patents on their Check out.
What took place to the Apple Enjoy Stolen Concept?
Masimo is acknowledged to the globe as a medical technological innovation firm that focuses on establishing and production distinctive revolutionary and noninvasive affected person checking varieties of technologies. These technologies incorporate an array of medical gadgets and sensors which have been used to the Apple View.
This humble and silent business made a decision not to sty humble and silent any longer as they ultimately went community and accused Apple of thieving their trade mystery for the Apple Look at.
Trade techniques are a huge element of the field since they give a specified enterprise a competitive marketing and advertising gain, which is why this became a enormous deal for Masimo.
Apple Vs. Masimo
A subsidiary of Masimo referred to as Cercacor filed this lawsuit in a federal court docket with statements that the Cupertino corporation has received delicate information and facts on the grounds of merely creating a plan where they would seek the services of previous and present-day Masimo staff members to get hold of that solution.
The signal processing technological know-how was a signature for Masimo and integrated in the patent. They stated that Apple infringed 10 of its patents, which was undoubtedly a big situation for them.
Masimo and Cercacor pointed out that a particular non-intrusive detection know-how was the definite spine driving Apple’s resolution of their Apple Enjoy efficiency setbacks. Provided in this methodology was the course of action of making use of gentle transmitters and specified detectors to be capable to measure the blood oxygen stages and heart charges of users.
There was a mention in the indictment at the federal courtroom of Santa Ana, California, that the American business really contacted Masimo way back in 2013 to propose prospective cooperation with it. Apple has mentioned that they want to “master more about Masimo’s technological know-how and integrate it into Apple’s products.”
Shortly following this taking place, the Chief Health care Officer of Masimo and the Main Technology Officer of Cercacor started off stating that Apple was in a position to get confidential facts from them by poaching its workers.
Masimo and Cercacor have stated they warned Apple to regard their rights, and whilst Apple may possibly feel to be a bigger company than them, they are not going to put down the battle.
The companies said in the grievance: “Given that Apple seems to be trying to get information and facts and expertise from Masimo and Cercacor in a qualified method, Masimo and Cercacor have warned Apple to respect their legal rights.”
It is reported that four patents have been awarded to the previous CTO of Cercacor. Masimo and Cercacor are also demonstrating that their engineers have been concerned. The two businesses stated that the engineering govt figured out the suggestions at the enterprise, not by analysis. This would permit Masimo and Cercacor to have or at the very least jointly possess the 4 patents presently assigned to Apple. The two businesses also assume the lawsuits to avert the American production big from even further making use of its patents. This ongoing lawsuits begs us to inquire the dilemma “What will happen to the Apple Check out?”
Nearly everyone was energized about the Apple Watch right until the the latest lawsuit which uncovered a side of Apple that did not be sure to a great deal of individuals. Apple has been identified to be a person of the most excellent tech firms all over the world, not only mainly because of its technological contributions but also on how substantially it impacted the industry from pcs to cellular phones.


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Zoë Kravitz won’t be signing up for this.
As a Hollywood style star, the Big Little Lies actress is one to set trends with her beloved fashion and beauty looks. However, there’s one trend she’s not getting behind.
In an interview with Vogue, the 30-year-old star spoke out against using botox for sweat. “That is the dumbest, scariest thing I’ve ever heard,” she told the magazine. “Don’t do that—sweating is key.”
As for what the star is into, she told the magazine she relieves stress with wine, weed and sleep.
This week, the busy actress’ new lipstick collection with YSL is dropping daily, encouraging customers to accent their own beauty versus blending in with the trends.
“I think we’re at an interesting time right now with makeup,” the star, who is “over” contouring, told Vogue. “A lot of people are completely re-sculpting their faces and it makes everyone look the same, which to me is a shame. Everyone is unique and different in their own way—I think that’s a beautiful thing, and makeup should be used to enhance that.”
Source : Link


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Chips in free laptops to carry logo
Chennai: In an attempt to prevent beneficiaries of its free laptop scheme from selling the product or its diversion to the open market, the Tamil Nadu government has ordered manufacturers supplying the laptops to burn their logo on the chip so that it is displayed when the machine is switched on.
Similarly, the state government's logo should also be printed on the laptop's motherboard, engraved and screen printed at suitable places as per instructions of the Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu Ltd (Elcot), the issuer of the tender.
Elcot has issued an international competitive tender for sourcing 912,000 laptops. The free laptop computer scheme is the poll promise of the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party headed by Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha.
Over the next five years, the Tamil Nadu government expects to provide nearly 6.8 million laptops to students, involving an outlay of around Rs102 billion (Dh8.4 billion) at Rs15,000 per piece.
In the first year of the programme (2011-12), 912,000 laptops are to be provided, starting in September. Jayalalitha during her meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi last week asked the central government for a special grant of Rs102 billion to implement the scheme.
The tender stipulates that the laptop processor should be a minimum of Intel Pentium Dual Core P6200 or Equivalent AMD Processor (clock speed of minimum 2.1 GHZ) with 2 GB DDR3 SD RAM at 1066 Mhz speed, 14 inch screen, 320 GB hard disk drive and in-built camera.


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Retailers are disabling NFC readers to shut out Apple Pay
There's a lot of hype around Apple Pay right now, but not everyone is on board with the new mobile payments system. In fact, a significant number of merchants, including heavyweights like Walmart, Kmart, 7-Eleven, and Best Buy, are in outright competition with Apple Pay. The retailers, through a joint venture formed in 2012, are building their own mobile payment app, called CurrentC. It's expected to launch next year. In the meantime, these retailers have no intention to support Apple Pay.


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April 22, 2009
Signal Hill, CA
In a time when so many companies are cutting back or shutting down altogether, Adaptive Technologies Group, parent to Allen Products and ATM Fly-Ware, is growing.
Adaptive recently acquired a manufacturing facility in La Verne, California to further expand its production capabilities and reduce its lead times. â€œWith so many major venues on the books it was time for us to expand our capacity and this is the perfect economic climate to do soâ€? stated Paul Allen, CEO of the Adaptive companies.
â€œProduction of both our standard and custom designs will benefit tremendously and investing in todayâ€™s technology makes it so much easier. Our design team in Signal Hill can now create products and entire structures in CAD and send them straight to machines in La Verne and start manufacturing instantlyâ€? says Allen.
This additional facility will also allow Adaptive to rapidly expand its product lines, such as the increasingly popular FasPacâ„¢ Series, a system that places multiple loudspeakers into rigid planar arrays for rigging, and HoverPro, a flying display system for single and multiple LCD and plasma screens.
Since bid and order activity is back on the upswing for Adaptive, many new products and projects are being planned and this recent acquisition comes just in time to meet the needs of our re-emerging industry.
For more information about Adaptive Technologies Group, visit them on the web at www.adapttechgroup.com or contact them at their California headquarters at 562-424-1100.
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Sometimes it is interesting to observe what Internet users are looking for to know what is fashionable. It occurs in all sectors, from fashion to cars. Vandel, a German sneaker company that draws inspiration from motorsport and the competitive aesthetics of yesteryear to design its products, has carried out a study to find out the most popular premium car brands Internet. Those that focus searches on Europe and that, therefore, are the ones that arouse the most curiosity and fascination in car lovers.
Vandel has focused on knowing how many times 15 car brands have been searched: Audi, BMW, Bugatti, Cadillac, Ferrari, Jaguar, LamborghiniLamborghini, Land Rover, Lexus, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Rolls-Royce, Tesla Y Volvo, on Internet and in which countries they concentrate the most visits to define a ranking of the most popular brands and the countries that have the most motor enthusiasts.
Tesla, the most popular
As the main conclusion it is drawn that Tesla, the only electric car brand on the list, is by far the most popular. Perhaps it is due to the incipient awareness of the climate crisis or because it is the banner of electric mobility, although it has rivals from all brands, the firm led by Elon Musk leads the searches in 20 of the 32 countries analyzed. The American company accumulated 3.9 million searches in a single month, beating firms such as Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz in their own country, Germany.
The list would be ordered as follows: Tesla (3.89 million visits), BMW (3.02 million), Audi (2.43 million), Porsche (1.29 million), Lamborghini (1.19 million), Volvo (1.15 million), Ferrari (1.08 million), Jaguar (0.71 million), Lexus (0.57 million), Land Rover (0.52 million), Maserati (0.50 million), Bugatti (0.39 million), Cadillac (0.24 million), Mercedes-Benz (0.08 million) and Rolls-Royce (0.03 million). Tesla received the most searches from Germany, where it accumulated 974,000, although countries such as UK (547.000), France (443.000), Italy (381,000) and Spain (251,000), the large European markets, were not too far behind.
Solo BMW He was able to cough Tesla lightly, although in the end between the two brands there were more than 800,000 searches. BMW was able to lead in 10 countries, such as Finland, Portugal or the Netherlands, among others, so that between the Bavarian firm and Tesla 30 of the 32 countries analyzed were distributed. Audi concentrated its searches on other two, Greece and Russia.
Germany, the most ‘petrolhead’ country
As expected, the five big European markets, Germany, the UK, France, Italy Y SpainIn this order, they were the countries from which the majority of searches for premium brands were concentrated. Germany, in fact, was the country from which six companies received the most searches, Tesla, BMW, Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini Y Mercedes-Benz. Spain, on the other hand, was not the main source of searches for any brand. It is surprising that the country from which it was most searched Volvo It was Poland, with 135,000 searches.
For its part, Jaguar, Land Rover Y Rolls-Royce, all British, owe the majority of searches to the United Kingdom, as does the American Cadillac, while Ferrari Y Lamborghini (shared with Germany) do the same with Italy. France was only the main source of searches for Bugatti, a firm, precisely, French.
Eddie is an Australian news reporter with over 9 years in the industry and has published on Forbes and tech crunch.


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A Metroid Prime game is unlikely to be developed for the Wii U, claims the series’ producer.
Speaking to Eurogamer, Kensuke Tanabe suggested that work on such a title had not yet begun. He also claimed that given development could take up to three years, any Metroid Prime game “would likely now be on Nintendo’s NX console”. More details on the firm’s new hardware is expected next year.
Tanabe pointed to the difficulties of developing HD games as one of the reasons development had not previously begun on the title.
“Truth be told, making HD games takes a lot of time and resources," he said.
"I haven’t been able to collect a team or the resources to do it."
The Wii U has struggled to gain traction amongst consumers since it was launched in 2012, and the console has lacked significant third-party support. Early on, Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto also admitted that Nintendo itself had underestimated the scale of HD development, and the additional time and resources required to make games for its console.
“When it comes to the scale of software development, Wii U with HD graphics requires about twice the human resources than before,” said Miyamoto at the time.
“Please allow me to explain that we may have underestimated the scale of this change and as a result, the overall software development took more time than originally anticipated just as we tried to polish the software at the completion phase of development.”
News of a lack of movement on a new Metroid Prime title is likely to anger a section of fans. The announcement of Metroid Prime: Federation Force for the 3DS, which features multiplayer and sports modes, has angered some who had anticipated a shooter along the lines of the Gamecube and Wii titles.
A petition has even been started on Change.org calling for the cancellation of the game. More than 12,000 people have signed the petition so far, with some calling the newly announced game “disgusting” and a “disgrace”.


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March 17, 2010 09:00 AM by Nancy Floyd
Anoop Desai may not have won the eighth season ofÂ American Idol but that’s not stopping him from continuing to chase his dream. The singer is set to release a new single titled My Name on March 23rd and it’s just the first among many songs that will be available to fans in the coming months. Keep reading for more details on his budding music career…
Anoop Desai finished in sixth place onÂ American Idol‘s eighth season and even though he hasn’t landed a record deal yet, the star is set to release a new single and an EP this spring. His first single titled My Name will be released on March 23rd. Those in attendance of New York City Fashion Week got a sneak peek at the new song which is a unique mix of pop, R&B, and Indian influences.Â ”The chorus is ‘I’ll have you calling my name,’?”Â Anoop Desai says about the song. “In one sense it’s seductive, in the other it’s a declaration of all the people who made fun of me before.”
A new single isn’t the only thing in store forÂ American Idol finalist,Â Anoop Desai. He also has an EP that’s slated to be released the first week of May. The album titledÂ All is Fair, which includes six tracks,Â will be released on iTunes and Amazon on May 4.Â ”The album has a pop/R&B feel,” he says. “I’m straddling the line between a Jordin Sparks-type thing and a Trey Songz-type thing. That’s where I’ve always felt comfortable.”
Anoop Desai is independently releasing the EP and has a unique plan moving forward. To keep things fresh and exciting for fans of theÂ American Idol star,Â Anoop Desai plans to release new EPs every six months through iTunes and Amazon.


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Belgians are being asked to make the ultimate sacrifice and up their intake of hot chips to twice a week.
In one of the best government requests we’ve seen during the coronavirus era, the aim is to prevent the wastage of more than 750,000 tonnes of glorious spuds, a result of major buyers like restaurants and festivals not stocking up during the global pandemic.
While takeaway shops in the country that sell the carby treat have been allowed to stay open during the pandemic, sales are still down.
Belgapom, the country’s association of potato producers, has started a campaign to encourage Belgians to eat frites (chips fried twice and a national delicacy FYI) at home twice a week, which would drastically increase the consumption of potatoes around the country.
“Let us all eat French fries twice instead of once a week,” said Romain Cools, secretary-general of Belgapom.
They’re also planning to donate 25 tonnes of potatoes a week to food banks through to the end of May.
If the Belgians need any help, we’re here to volunteer in tribute.


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Assadollah Asgaroladi, who is head of the Iran-China Chamber of Commerce and Industries, warned that investment in Iran from China has dropped significantly.
To a group of reporters today, Asgaroladi, one of the most influential merchants in Iran after the revolution, said that Chinese investment in Iran in 2011 “had reached close to three billion dollars, but in 2012 this became less […] and had only reached 400 million dollars.”
The question of China arose when a reporter asked, “Under sanctions, are we not forced to sell oil for consumer goods?” Asgaroladi responded that “if we are forced to sell oil in order to buy inferior goods, then why have we built factories?”
China is one of Iran’s top customers for oil. Many Iranians blame their government for allowing Chinese companies to flood the market with cheap and inferior products, causing a strain on Iranian factories and even forcing some to close operations altogether. Asgaroladi continued that “under these conditions we must find a way to help factories bring down prices so that they can compete with imported goods.”
When asked by a reporter what could be done to address this issue, Asgaroladi said that “this is the weak point of management. The reason merchants bring in inferior goods is that we haven’t been able to produce these goods domestically ourselves.” The Iranian government has introduced economic plans such as “The Year of Economic Jihad” and “The Year of National Production” to address the overall economic problems. However, it’s difficult to ascertain how fruitful, if at all, these plans have been.
In regard to the sanctions, Asgaroladi said “we have still not been able to be free [from the effects] of sanctions. The Americans have carrots in one hand and a hammer in the other, and we don’t accept this type of politics.”
Asgaroladi predicted another difficult year for the Iranian economy due to the presidential elections in June. “Political fighting will push the issue of the economy to the side before the elections,” he said, adding that when the new government takes office, in “the first six months, the new government must specify their plan and then have their ministers approved, and this process will go until the end of the year.”
In Other News
At the opening ceremony of a refinery plant, President Ahmadinejad said yesterday that “we cannot still say that our oil has been nationalized, and the day that we can claim our oil has been nationalized is when all of the earnings of oil is in the pockets of the Iranian nation.”
Oil in Iran was nationalized after the 1979 revolution but has had a long and contentious history, serving as a rallying cry in Iranian modern history for political parties from Islamists to secularists. Despite being one of the top oil producers in the world, Iran still needs to have much of its oil refined abroad.
At the ceremony, Ahmadinejad told the oil minister and those in charge of the refinery that “today, I want you to make a refinery that […] is completely Iranian and from now on; instead of waiting for others to do something for us, we’ll have others waiting for Iranian capabilities.”
The president stated that “we want to reach a point where we won’t export any crude oil. In this case, the refineries will at least double, and this will have a lot of benefits for our country.” Ahmadinejad believes that Iran can sell refined oil at “three to four times the price of crude oil.”


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News tagged ‘lte’
Thursday, 30 May 2013
The much rumored Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini is now official after Samsung took the wraps off it earlier today. A smaller version of the 5-inch Galaxy S4, the 4.3-inch Mini will be available in white frost and black mist color options.
Friday, 22 Feb 2013
The NVIDIA Tegra 4 will empower ZTE devices to provide ultra-fast web browsing, improved app load times, and more realistic gaming experiences - all without compromising on battery life - made possible by the processor's 72 custom NVIDIA GeForce core and quad-core ARM Cortex-A15 CPU.
Tuesday, 19 Feb 2013
HTC officially launched its latest flagship phone, the One which will be available globally in more than 80 countries and regions starting in March.
Friday, 11 Jan 2013
ST-Ericsson (STE) has unveiled its latest quad-core processor, the NovaThor L8580. It can be clocked up to 2.5GHz and consumes 50% less power than its competitors.
Tuesday, 8 Jan 2013
Qualcomm has announced its answers to NVIDIA's next-gen Tegra 4 processor, the quad-core Snapdragon 800 and 600 processors. Both processors will be available in commercial devices from mid-year and Q2 2013 respectively.
Wednesday, 12 Dec 2012
Apple managed to capture more than a quarter of the world's LTE market share less than three months after the launch of its iPhone 5. Its arch rival, Samsung continues to lead the market for the seventh straight quarter with 40%.
Tuesday, 2 Oct 2012
HTC has just unveiled the One X+, an upgraded version of the One X. It runs on HTC Sense 4+, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and is powered by a 1.7GHz quad-core Tegra 3 processor.
Friday, 31 Aug 2012
Korea Times has reported that Samsung plans to sue Apple if it releases an LTE phone.
Wednesday, 11 Jul 2012
Powering on the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich platform, the both smartphones sport a 4.5-inch HD ColorBoost display, measure just 8.4mm thin, and made Kevlar strong. They are also enveloped in a high-tech, invisible nano-coating which acts as a splash guard not only on the outer shell but also on the electrical circuits boards inside.
Thursday, 19 Apr 2012
An unnamed Samsung executive mentioned that the company's upcoming Samsung Galaxy S III will be powered by Samsung's very own Exynos quad-core CPU with an on-chip LTE, adding on to the list of rumors surrounding Samsung's next Android smartphone.


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Braveheart investment buys automated face mask production line
Braveheart Investment Group announced on Friday that Pharm 2 Farm, in which it has a controlling interest, has placed an order for an automated face mask production line, which is expected to be delivered in November and commissioned by the end of December.
The AIM-traded firm said the face mask production line, manufactured in Europe, had the capacity to produce up to five million standard or antiviral face masks per month.
“Conventional surgical type masks typically consist of three layers, with the inner layer acting as a physical barrier to viruses and bacteria,” the Braveheart board said in its statement.
“However, they are only recommended for up to two hours of continual use as this layer can become moist and fail, thereby allowing the virus to penetrate through.
“Pharm 2 Farm has developed a second defensive layer that incorporates its own nanotechnology, which is engineered to kill viruses and bacteria.”
It said that, combining the new active layer with the physical barrier layer, to produce four layer masks, was expected to improve user safety over prolonged use.
The new material was currently undergoing testing, specifically with respect to the time taken to kill viruses, including Covid-19.
Those tests were being undertaken at the University of Nottingham, with results expected by the beginning of October.
“Following a satisfactory outcome of the tests undertaken at the University of Nottingham, it is envisaged that manufacture of the antiviral face masks will commence in the first quarter of 2021.
“In the event that these tests do not provide a satisfactory outcome, the production line will be used to produce conventional surgical type masks, which Pharm 2 Farm believe could still be produced on a profitable basis.”
At 1142 BST, shares in Braveheart Investment Group were down 4.55% at 21p.


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Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection comes to Switch next month
Three classic Assassin's Creed titles come to the Nintendo Switch this February.
Back in 2016, Ubisoft released Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection, a bundle that packaged together Assassin’s Creed 2, Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, and Assassin’s Creed: Revelations. All three games feature Ezio Auditore da Firenze as their protagonist. Now, the saga of one of the franchise’s most beloved characters will live on a new platform. Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection has been announced for the Nintendo Switch with a February 2022 release date.
Ubisoft announced the Switch release for Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection with a new trailer on the publisher’s YouTube channel. We get a look at gameplay from the three games featured in the bundle, all graphically enhanced from their original releases. Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection will be released on February 17, 2022 for the Switch. In addition to Assassin’s Creed 2, Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, and Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, the bundle also includes all DLC for the three games as well as two short films Assassin’s Creed Lineage and Assassin’s Creed Embers.
This is not the first time that the Assassin’s Creed franchise has appeared on the Switch. Assassin’s Creed 3 Remastered and Assassin’s Creed: The Rebel Collection (Black Flag and Rogue) were both ported to Nintendo’s hybrid console back in 2019. That said, the games featured in the Ezio collection are arguably some of the most beloved in the entire franchise.
Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection is already available on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation platforms, and will join the Switch library on February 17, 2022. The announcement is surely a pleasant surprise for fans of the series that would love to have these iconic games with them on the go. For more on the games both new and old coming to the Nintendo Switch, stick with us here on Shacknews.
Donovan Erskine posted a new article, Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection comes to Switch next month


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The US called the claims "unfounded", with its Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer saying: "Canada's new request for consultations at the WTO is a broad and ill-advised attack on the US trade remedies system". "It's nearly like Canada is fighting this on behalf of the global community ..."
Almost half the cases the Trudeau government is championing in its WTO filing are instances in which the United States has penalized shipments from China that it considers subsidized or dumped at below-cost prices. "Canada's complaint is bad for Canada".
He further called Canada's accusations "unfounded" and said that they "could only lower U.S. confidence" that its neighbor is committed to mutually beneficial trade.
"Canada is acting against its own workers' and businesses' interests", Lighthizer added.
The complaint marks Canada's most exhaustive attempt yet to counter recent import duties imposed by the USA, particularly on Canadian softwood lumber products.
If the United States decides to continue recognizing the WTO's dispute-settlement mechanism to decide on the fairness of US trade remedies, then a decision in Canada's favour would support Canada's claim that the USA system is biased, making it easier to argue in favour of keeping chapter 19.
Former WWE Women's Champions Returning For Royal Rumble
She hasn't wrestled for the company since she lost a "Loser Leaves WWE" match against Layla at Extreme Rules in 2011. She returned for a one-night appearance in the Miss WrestleMania battle royal at WrestleMania XXV .
MEA confirms India-Pak NSA talks; says focus was on terror
Asked if the way the two women were treated came up at the NSA talks, he said: "The focus was on terror and cross-border terrorism".
Samsung shows its automotive hand at CES 2018
The third new system revealed by the two brand at CES is known as Driveline, its next stage in autonomous driving technology. At the heart of the announcement is a trio of connected technologies for automotive, consumer, and enterprise markets.
"These duties are unwarranted and without merit and we 100 per cent support the federal government's WTO filing position". Mr. Trump has complained the organization, which came into being because of US support, is biased against American interests. "We lose the lawsuits, nearly all of the lawsuits in the WTO". "It's an escalation for sure", said Prof.
They fear that it could ultimately prompt United States President Donald Trump to invoke NAFTA's article 2205, notifying partners of intent to withdraw from the pact after a period of six months. The negotiations certainly aren't unfamiliar with shows of muscle or grandstanding; think of the Trump administration's outrageous NAFTA demands, the threat to leave NAFTA, the softwood lumber dispute, the Boeing-Bombardier dispute and most recently, the newspaper dispute.
Steep import duties leveled by the US have become a regular fixture of the industry, according to Joel Neuheimer, a vice-president at the Forest Products Association of Canada.
In the 32-page complaint, Canada detailed areas where they argue that the United States' tariff investigations and reviews have been inconsistent with its obligations under several WTO agreements.
With its WTO filing, Canada is forcing the United States to put its logic to the test.
Chad Bown, an economist and trade expert at the Peterson Institute in Washington, said Canada's WTO move sends a stark message to Mr. Trump amid NAFTA talks: If you kill the deal, this is how Canada will fight you in trade disputes. Such notice would not automatically mean a withdrawal: It would only give the United States the option to pull out after the six-month period elapses.


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Online spending on travel now accounts for more than a third of total e-commerce, according to a new study.
The report by Expedia Media Solutions and comScore found that the global online travel market was worth US$58 billion in the first half of 2013, or 37% of total online spending. This marks growth of 8% year-on-year, while the amount of time customers are now spending browsing online content has jumped 93% in the last three years.
Online travel agencies (OTAs) are visited by 80% of travellers during the booking process, while 26% of consumers were exposed to travel-related content on Facebook.
And this growth is largely being driven by mobile devices. Twenty-eight percent of total travel searches are spent on smartphones and tablets, and 24% of travellers access travel content exclusively on their mobile devices. The amount of time customers spend on mobile travel websites has increased 45% in the last year, while minutes spent on PCs climbed just 2%.
Noah Tratt, Expedia’s global vice president of media solutions, explained that travellers are now looking at a number of different online sources, before committing to a booking.
“Rather than a linear path to purchase, the research and booking process of today’s traveller looks like an ongoing and multi-directional flight map, with each stop providing an opportunity for brands to reach and engage with travellers,” said Tratt.
The report found that the hotel and accommodation sector was the most commonly researched sector of the market, accounting for 55% of online time. This was followed by information about weather/climate (46%), airfares (45%) and activities (42%). In terms of mobile research however, weather and climate information topped the list, followed by restaurant reviews.
Upon return, 45% of travellers will post travel-related content on social media or write reviews.


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— -- Every year there are 700,000 car thefts in the United States, according to the FBI. Experts say many of those stolen cars are chopped up and sold for parts, but there's another way of selling a stolen car that’s even more profitable for car thieves.
It's called VIN Cloning, and it's a sophisticated scheme, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) and Carfax, a company which makes vehicle history reports.
Here’s how it works: thieves steal a car. Then to mask the theft, they take a vehicle identification number or VIN number, from another similar make and model of car and make counterfeit VIN plates (see photo) that they will install onto the stolen car.
That's the big problem with VIN cloning is it leaves several innocent victims in its wake.
One of those victims was Mike Cella, a retired school teacher and football coach. Last November he went to trade in his 2008 GMC Yukon Denali for a new one, but received shocking news about his SUV instead.
A car dealer in Massachusetts said he couldn’t give Cella the full "Blue Book" trade-in value for his truck because a Carfax report showed that it had been in four accidents.
"I looked at him and said, ‘What are you nuts?’” Cella, 64, told ABC News. "He says, 'Well, your car shows up in Wisconsin.'"
Four accidents? Wisconsin? Cella knew something strange was going on.
It was. It turns out that over seven years ago, according to West Palm Beach County Sheriff's office, two thieves stole a 2007 GMC Yukon Denali similar to Cella's. Later on, thieves cloned a copy of Cella's VIN number and put it on the stolen Yukon Denali to mask the theft. The car was sold and switched several hands, and over the past seven years it’s been in four accidents, according to its Carfax report.
"It's a very expensive crime and there's a whole bunch of victims involved here," NICB Senior Special Agent Buzz Burzynski told ABC News.
The stolen Yukon Denali finally ended up in the hands of a woman named Misty, who asked that her last name be withheld. She unknowingly bought the SUV from an equally-duped dealership in a small town in Wisconsin –- and it has the identical VIN number as Cella’s truck. Two trucks, one VIN.
"It’s just crazy that something like this happens in a small town," Misty said.
In most states, drivers like Misty who buy the stolen clone are left holding the bag after the vehicle is seized by police.
"After the police take your vehicle, it’s your problem," Burzynski said. "You lost your car. You lost your money. So sorry for you. You have to get an attorney and try to be made whole by the people who sold the vehicle to you.”
But lucky for Misty, Wisconsin law mandates that the car dealer who sells someone a car with a stolen VIN number must pay the customer back, according to the NICB.
The people behind the West Palm Beach Denali theft have not been identified.
"I've got to give them credit though. The way they did it is pretty smart," says Cella. "Pretty clever."
Clever or not, buying a clone can be avoidable. Here are some helpful tips to help protect yourself:
Check the VIN in multiple places on the car for mismatches or signs of tampering
Make sure the seller’s name and VINs match on all vehicle docs (title, registration, insurance, etc.)
Get a vehicle history report such as Carfax. Investigate further if something fishy comes up.


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Americans struggling to pay their mortgages or put food on their tables are likely to cut back on their gift-buying this holiday season.
But the tight economy might actually work in some shoppers' favor as retailers slash prices -- offering bigger and earlier sales this year -- to lure customers away from their dollars.
Shoppers just need to look carefully for the best deals and play a game a chicken with retailers -- holding out for the best price, but not waiting too long for the risk of facing empty shelves.
Marshal Cohen, chief retail industry analyst for NPD Group, said that consumers feel obligated to buy gifts for some folks on their list, but he generally is calling this a "ho hum holiday."
The pain will be felt everywhere, from high-end stores to discounters.
"No level of retailer is insulated from this downturn," Cohen said.
"Consumers will be keeping careful watch on their credit card spending this season," Cohen added. "I think many will refrain from purchasing an indulgence or splurge gift, and for the first time in years, may actually cut people from their shopping lists."
Plenty of retailers will be offering sales well before Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving when the Christmas shopping season traditionally starts.
"For consumers, it's good news. They can get anything, anywhere at any price," Cohen said. "Consumers can ask for additional discounts."
Lori Wachs, a retail analyst with Delaware Investments, said that she is already seeing some retailers, including big names like Sacks and Macy's, offer big sales.
"You just never see that kind of stuff in October. You really never see promotions, on a small scale, starting to happen until November," she said.
Wachs predicts there will be "deals to be had across the board."
"I don't think I'm unique is sensing that it's going to be a very difficult holiday season with promotional levels like we haven't seen in a long time," she said.
Even before the shopping season starts, there is new bad news for retailers.
Electronics retailer Circuit City is considering closing at least 150 stores and firing thousands of people to avoid bankruptcy, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.
Most retailers thought they were being very conservative when they placed orders for the fall last spring, Wachs said, but they had no idea about how bad the economy would be.
"They all have been pretty upfront by saying: we thought we had our inventories lean enough, we did not," Wachs said.
One bright side, she said, is lower gas prices. Lower-income shoppers, for the most part, don't have money in the stock market and have been hurt more than others by this summer's high gas prices. Now that prices are abating, they and teenagers might be more likely to spend extra cash on gifts.
U.S. consumers plan to spend an average of $832.36 on holiday-related shopping this year, according to the National Retail Federation. That's up, in the trade group's words, "a paltry 1.9 percent over last year's" planned spending. That's the lowest increase since the survey started in 2002.
One area of cutbacks: gifts to family members. Expect either slightly cheaper gifts or no gifts for more distant relatives.
"People feel like family members will understand a little bit more that money is tight this year," said Kathy Grannis, a spokeswoman for the retail federation.
And yes, Grannis said, expect plenty of sales.


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Early Harvest trade deal signals a shift in India’s reluctance to pursue FTAs
India and the UK aim to launch free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations on November 1, 2021, with the two sides agreeing to an early harvest deal by March 2022, allowing the two to establish selective gains in raw materials and services. The decision was taken after a meeting between Indian Minister of Trade and Industry Piyush Goyal and his British counterpart Elizabeth Truss on September 13. The announcement comes at the start of India’s biggest ambitions to speed up its FTA negotiations with several other countries, namely the European Union, Australia, the United Arab Emirates and Canada. India is optimistic about reaching an Early Harvest trade deal to liberalize tariffs on certain products with these countries, followed by a full FTA. An Early Harvest program serves as a precursor to an FTA between two countries to help them identify certain products and services for tariff liberalization in order to further build trust between the two trading partners.
India is optimistic about reaching an Early Harvest trade deal to liberalize tariffs on certain products with these countries, followed by a full FTA.
The Indian government has reorganized its FTA strategy, to move beyond protectionism and engage with the rest of the world to avoid being excluded from global markets. The proposed FTA between India and the UK is expected to open up business opportunities and generate jobs on both sides. Earlier this year in May, the two prime ministers, Narendra Modi and Boris Johnson, announced the Enhanced Trade Partnership (ETP) to realize the full potential of India-UK trade and trade relations. The ETP is an integral part of the 2030 Roadmap for India-UK relations to revitalize investment and collaboration between the two parties by removing trade barriers in key sectors such as agriculture, health, education and social security, with the ultimate objective of the road map. 2030 being the establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) between India and the United Kingdom. The UK has such agreements with just four other countries: Australia, Canada, Japan and South Korea. As part of the design of the 2030 Roadmap, a Joint Trade Working Group was formed to understand each other’s ambitions and interests in reducing and removing barriers to market access. on both sides. Negotiations with the UK and the West are an integral part of India’s trade strategy to institute fair and balanced trade agreements with key economies to boost trade, especially in the context of the withdrawal from the United States. India of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in 2019.
As mentioned above, India aims to sign multiple FTAs ââby the end of next year, which would be monumental as India has not signed any FTAs ââunder the Modi government after decades of mixed returns on various free trade agreements. India’s main concern with FTAs ââhas been a high trade deficit with its trading partners, as Indian exports barely penetrate Southeast Asian markets; however, to avoid such an event, India would have to focus on increasing its export capacity with the UK. The Commerce Ministry expressed concern about the stagnation in the value of exports over the past decade, indicating the desire to export high-value products rather than low-value products and raw materials. India’s reluctance to an FTA was based on its assessment of existing agreements where overall export growth remains weak as India’s trade deficit with ASEAN, South Korea and Japan has widened after FTAs ââwith imports greater than exports. The India-UK FTA offers both parties the opportunity to expand their current relationship by converging in key progressive areas such as sustainable and green technologies, intellectual property, data regulation and privacy in the context of the next Indian presidency of the G20 in 2030.
Negotiations with the UK and the West are an integral part of India’s trade strategy to institute fair and balanced trade agreements with key economies to boost trade, especially in the context of the withdrawal from the United States. India of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in 2019.
Table 1: India – UK trade statistics 2017 – 2021
|India-UK trade statistics (2017-2021)|
|Exports (US $)||Imports (US $)||Exports (US $)||Imports (US $)||Exports (US $)||Imports (US $)||Exports (US $)||Imports (US $)|
US $ billion
Source: Ministry of Trade and Industry, Government of India (2021)
Table 2: Economic indicators for India and UK (2020)
|India||The United Kingdom|
|Population||1.392 billion||68.278 million|
|GDP (PPP)||US $ 10.51 trillion||US $ 3.17 trillion|
|GDP per capita||US $ 7,333||US $ 47,089|
|Trade (percent of GDP)||39.47||55,091|
|Export (percentage of GDP)||18,077||27.377|
|Import (percentage of GDP)||18,393||27,724|
|Services, value added (percentage of GDP)||49,266||72.79|
|Agriculture, value added (percentage of GDP)||18.319||0.575|
|Industry, value added (percentage of GDP)||23.199||16,916|
|Ease of doing business (ranking)||63e||8e|
Source: World Bank Database, Department of International Trade (2021)
Currently, there are structural differences between India and UK as UK trade openness is higher than India’s followed by UK service sector being relatively higher than India. The share of manufacturing and agriculture is higher in India with 18.31 percent of contribution as a tertiary economy for India compared to the meager 0.575 percent of UK. In 2021, India is the 15th of the United Kingdome largest trading partner and the UK is the 18the major trading partner with exports of manufactures accounting for over 90 percent of India’s exports to the UK, including clothing, medicinal and pharmaceuticals, metal manufacturers, organic chemicals and gemstones. A major concern for New Delhi would be the reluctance of Downing Street to lower its tariffs and non-tariff barriers (NTBs) below EU levels in agricultural exports, as the share of agricultural exports to the UK has increased. a decrease from 14.4% to 7.85 percent between 2000-2020. India has invested in 120 projects and created more than 5,000 jobs in the UK to become its second source of foreign direct investment (FDI) behind the United States. Since Brexit, the UK has sought to expand its markets and has therefore signed several FTAs, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region, which is home to some of the largest and fastest growing economies. The UK has concluded 68 deals since Brexit and has signed key FTAs ââwith Vietnam, Singapore, Japan, South Korea and Australia, all of which are important UK partners in the Indo region. peaceful. India is a key ally / pillar for the UK in the Indo-Pacific region both in terms of market share and defense, the latter having been highlighted by the signing of the Defense and Security Partnership between India and the UK in 2015 to maintain and strengthen the rules-based international system to combat global threats. The UK is no stranger to the Indo-Pacific region as it already has bases in Kenya, Bahrain, Oman, Singapore and the British Indian Ocean Territory. As a result, the defense partnership with India is gaining momentum albeit slowly.
India has invested in 120 projects and created over 5,000 jobs in the UK to become its second largest source of foreign direct investment (FDI) behind the United States.
In the past, India has pursued FTAs ââwith minimal benefits, however, changes in national and trade policies have the potential to right the mistakes of the past. Signing the Early Harvest deal would provide India and the UK with a wide range of benefits that would help boost economic recovery in the post-pandemic era, and build confidence and momentum before signing the the. India’s renegotiations with its trading partners should complement its national policies, namely âMake in Indiaâ and âAatmanirbhar Bharatâ. Since meticulously planned trade negotiations with supportive national policies can increase India’s exports not only to the UK but also to its other potential economic partners, thus achieving Aatmanirbhar Bharat’s goals of making the India an integral part of the global market. economy. With regard to the United Kingdom, the signing of an FTA with India is at the heart of the British post-Brexit strategy, as India is an emerging market with a large economy, a constantly increasing growth rate. , and with whom he shares a vast historical, cultural experience and diasporic ties make this partnership attractive. The start of the Early Harvest deals will not only mark a new start in India’s perception of trade deals, but also propel its international stature over the next decade, not only as an alternative market to China. , but as the fastest growing and strategic economy in the world. growing region.


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Almost everything in Japan comes neatly wrapped in plastic, from individual fruits and vegetables to on-the-go snacks, but that won’t be the case in the country’s 7-Eleven convenience stores for much longer.
Seven & i Holdings Co., the parent company of 7-Eleven, announced on Monday that it will start packaging its popular rice balls, called onigiri, in bioplastic wrappers as soon as July. The company has also shared its plans to exclusively provide biodegradable or reusable packaging and completely shift from plastic to paper shopping bags by 2030. The initiative will be implemented in all 7-Eleven stores across Japan — just about 21,000 franchises.
The changes are part of a larger campaign to reduce plastic waste and consumption of materials manufactured from fossil fuels, supported by a wave of Japanese companies looking to implement greener, plant-derived packaging.
The collective push is the result of the government’s new plan to reduce plastic waste and, in turn, marine litter. Every year, more than 8 million metric tons of plastic enter the world’s oceans, endangering the diverse marine life found under the surface. As landfills become overwhelmed by large volumes of trash and single-use plastics, plastic waste travels from highly-populated cities into rivers, vast oceans, and other bodies of water, where they become hazardous pollution.
According to the United Nations, Japan uses more plastic, on average, than both China and the European Union as a whole. Now, the government is aiming to cut the country’s plastic consumption by 25% over the next decade. Earlier this month, it unveiled its plan to do so, which includes creating more plastic collection sites, increasing river and beach cleanup efforts, and working to produce biodegradable packaging.
Japan’s environment minister, Yoshiaki Harada, also announced this month that a new law requiring supermarkets, convenience stores, drugstores, and department stores to charge patrons for plastic bags, is in the works.
However, environmentalists are already saying that the government’s plans do not go far enough as they have failed to prioritize reducing the production and consumption of harmful plastics.
“A lot of retailers and restaurants are starting to change, but the big resistance is from manufacturers who don’t want to change their ways,” Kenji Fuma, chief executive of sustainability consultant firm Neural, told the Washington Post.
“Japanese manufacturers are way behind their European and American competitors, and the Ministry of Economy doesn’t say anything about reducing plastics use.”
But some companies, like 7-Eleven, have stepped up to take action. The convenience store company said it plans to swap certain packaging ingredients with materials derived from sugar-cane, a more eco-friendly alternative. If successful, the company estimates that it could decrease the plastic waste it generates by 260 tons and lower its carbon dioxide emissions by 403 tons annually.
And 7-Eleven is not acting alone. Japan’s second-largest convenience store chain, FamilyMart Co., recently began using recycled plastic materials to package its cold noodles. And Ohsho Food Service Corp., operator of 729 chain restaurants across Japan, announced last week that it will substitute single-use plastic straws and spoons with bioplastic or biodegradable alternatives, starting next month.


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Nigeria's long quest for a made in Nigeria Car, seems on the verge of bearing fruit, as the Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing company (IVM), draws close to completing its Automobile factory in Nnewi. (continues below... )
The new factory will assemble up to 100 vehicles a day, using about 30% local content at start of operations, which will be scaled up to the world average of 60% local content as the operation builds. The remainder content will be sourced as CKD (completely knocked down) parts imported from China's Wuling Auto.
Innoson, a giant local manufacturer of plastic goods, motorcycles and 3-wheelers, already has a workforce of 3,000, and is reported to have already produced over 260 units of mini/midi vans and luxurious buses, many of which are being used satisfactorily by inter-state transporters all over the country, as well as SUVs ("Jeeps").
The launch of the new plant is expected to drop the price of the mini buses and trucks to under ₦1 million, as well as impact the nation's various other manufacturing and job producing sectors in a positive way.
Responding to questions on quality assurance by delegations of impressed visiting Government representatives, the Chairman of the Innoson group, Chief Innocent Chukwuma says:
"Every item I put in my vehicles is high in quality, so that the product will be durable and able to compete favourably with others in the market".
He also explained that every finished product - mini, midi, luxury bus, pick-up or SUV, is tested from lowest to highest speed without the vehicle moving an inch, in an in-house simulator, under conditions similar to the real road situation.
The Enugu State Government is reported to have ordered for close to 100 units of city buses, to be used in the next phase of its transport scheme, even as the FG has promised to support the Automaker, with enabling environment and demand.


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Marsh Supermarkets CEO Joe Kelley abruptly resigned Tuesday, and the Fishers-based chain launched a search for its third chief executive in a little more than a year.
Kelley, a veteran of New York-based Price Chopper Supermarkets who took the helm at Marsh in May 2011, left "to pursue other interests," Marsh said in a brief statement.
The company has named chief operating officer Bill Holsworth, who joined the company in 2006, as its interim CEO.
Florida-based Sun Capital Partners, which owns Marsh, has launched a national search to select a new leader for the chain of 70 Marsh stores and 26 MainStreet Markets in Indiana and Ohio, the statement said.
Marsh has struggled to restore market share it has lost over the years to its primary rival, Kroger Co., along with newer grocery offerings from the likes of Walmart, Meijer and Target. At last check, Kroger had local market share of 27.5 percent, compared to Marsh's 16.5-percent share.
Sun, which acquired the floundering supermarket chain in 2006, tried to sell it a few years ago but couldn't find a buyer. That's when they brought in Kelley, who told IBJ for a September 2011 story that turning around Marsh was a three- to six-year project.
Kelley launched a new competitive pricing strategy and plotted a revamp of the chain's Fresh Idea loyalty program. He vowed to spend $60 million over three years to build up to 10 new stores and remodel several more. He also hired another former Price Chopper exec, David Siegel, in the newly created position of senior vice president of merchandising and marketing strategic initiatives.
In January, Kelley joined Mayor Greg Ballard to announce the chain's plans to build the first new Marsh store since 2004, as the anchor of an $85 million mixed-use development bounded by Michigan Street, Capitol Avenue, Vermont Street and Indiana Avenue.
It appears the company still plans to build the downtown store. Holsworth, the interim CEO, in the statement said he looks forward to implenting "very strong growth plans for the future, including a new state-of-the-art store we are building in downtown Indianapolis."


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Coke bottler may find Brazil market still has fizz
Coca-Cola Femsa may find that Latin America’s largest consumer market still has plenty of fizz. The Coke bottler’s $448 million purchase of Companhia Fluminense de Refrigerantes, at 11.2 times operating earnings, was a sound deal. Middle class Brazilians may no longer stomach corrupt politics, but they continue to gulp more Coke. The transaction may usher more deals among Brazilian bottlers.
For KOF, the world’s largest Coke bottler, acquiring Fluminense, a small Brazilian bottler, implied no wallet-busting effort. The all-cash deal was the smallest in dollar terms of its last six acquisitions. Indeed, the purchase marks KOF’s return to more conservative investing. For starters the deal’s 11.2 times earnings multiple sits in the mid range of what KOF has typically paid for bottlers over the past three years, according to Credit Suisse estimates. Plus, it is a sound price to pay for Fluminense’s 17 percent operating returns. This is an improvement from the eye-watering $1.35 billion, or 13.5 times operating earnings multiple, KOF paid in 2012 for 51 percent of a Philippines bottler that generated just 9 percent returns. What’s more, expanding in Brazil, a familiar turf for KOF, offers considerable cost-saving advantages – nearly $14 million a year by the bottler’s own estimates.
Still, Fluminense needs work. The bottler’s operating margin falls short of KOF’s 19.3 percent estimated returns for 2013, based on data compiled by Bloomberg. Credit Suisse reckons product penetration in Fluminense’s territory reaches merely 35 percent, a far cry from KOF’s 60 percent level in its established Brazil operations. Already Coke consumption per capita in Brazil lags behind Mexico, home to the most soda-thirsty consumers in the world. But sales growth is still there. KOF’s soft drink sales in Latin America’s largest economy have risen an average of 2 percent a year since 2010, despite weak economic growth. KOF’s record of strong management could do much to improve Fluminense’s outlook.
But perhaps the more most interesting aspect of the KOF deal is its timing. Brazil has lost its former shine as the go-to destination for investors. The country’s Bovespa equity index is down nearly 26 percent this year, making it the worst performer in emerging markets. And protests by a middle class fed up with ineffective government continues to scare off investors. That KOF chose to expand at a time of turbulence suggests there may be good deals to be had in the bottling sector. With Fluminense, KOF will control 30 percent of the market for Coke in country. But with 11 independent bottlers serving 36 percent of Brazil’s Coke volumes, KOF has plenty of opportunities to continue growing.
Brazilians may be angry, but they may still have the time and money to have a coke and a smile.


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Apple has made yet another key hire from the fashion industry: Chester Chipperfield, the Vice President of Digital and Interactive Design at Burberry. Chipperfield was “responsible for User Experience and Digital Design for all channels” and was “highly involved in digital retail initiatives” at Burberry, according to his LinkedIn profile. He confirmed the move to Apple on his profile as well as on Twitter…
9to5Mac ▪ January 23
9to5Mac ▪ January 12
The latest iOS 8.2 beta for the iPhone adds support for Apple’s next major product launch: the Apple Watch. Inside of the Bluetooth Settings menu is a new panel specifically for pairing an iPhone with the Apple Watch. Additionally, the instructions inside of the Bluetooth menu specifically indicate that Apple will release a dedicated “Apple Watch app” for setting up and controlling the wearable device. An early preview of the Watch explained the standalone app as follows:
9to5Mac ▪ December 15, 2014
As they’ve done in years’ past, some Apple retail stores this holiday season will repurpose the Genius Bar for additional product space, pick-ups, or other uses as Apple attempts to make the shopping experience for customers as smooth as possible, 9to5Mac has learned.
The repurposing for the holidays will only arrive in some stores depending on needs and traffic, with some stores scheduled to use the Genius Bar area to complete express sales and hold products scheduled for pick-up. Other changes, however, will go beyond the holidays as the stores under new retail chief Angela Ahrendts evolve to better deal with increased foot traffic. expand full story
9to5Mac ▪ November 11, 2014
9to5Mac ▪ November 9, 2014
9to5Mac ▪ August 28, 2014
Apple has just sent out press invites for its latest event, via The Loop, where the company is expected to announce the iPhone 6. The event is scheduled for 10 AM Pacific Time on September 9th. Atypically, Apple is holding the event at a new venue, the Flint Center for the Performing Arts in Cupertino. This is the same venue that Apple introduced the original Mac, over 30 years ago. Apple has constructed a ‘three-story structure’ at the site, which may be used as the hands-on area after the presentation is over. Usually, Apple’s demo areas are only the size of a large room and do not span multiple floors.
Yesterday, Recode reported that Apple will also show off its new wrist wearable device (‘iWatch’) at the September 9th event. Unsurprisingly, the invite does not reveal specifics about what Apple will announce, bearing a rather bland image of the Apple logo coupled with the slogan ‘Wish we could say more’. Feel free to speculate what you think will be announced in the comments. A full screenshot of the email is after the break. expand full story


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Grammy award-winning and Academy award nominated artist, actress, producer and entrepreneur Mary J. Blige will host a performance for one-night-only to celebrate her life and music that will be available to stream exclusively on Apple Music in over 165 countries on July 27th at 04:00 CAT. Blige’s performance at New York City’s historic United Palace will feature a career-spanning setlist and reflections from her unparalleled career in music.
Blige will be the latest artist to take the stage for Apple Music Live, the exclusive live performance series on Apple Music giving the biggest stars in music a global platform to connect with audiences around the world.
Mary J. Blige quote: “The last year of my career in particular has been an exciting ride. From continuing to act, to recording and releasing my 15th studio album, growing and expanding different businesses like Sun Goddess and Sister Love Jewelry, to performing at the Super Bowl, launching my Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit and now getting ready to go back on tour, it feels amazing to take this opportunity to celebrate, reflect and have an intimate night with my fans through this platform Apple Music is providing me.”
Apple Music is inviting Mary J. Blige fans in the greater New York region the opportunity to register for free for a chance to be in the room as the influential artist takes the stage for this can’t miss one-off performance. Fans can register to attend HERE.
In anticipation of her exclusive Apple Music Live performance and to mark the 30th anniversary of her landmark debut album ‘What’s the 411?‘, on July 27th Apple Music Hits will devote the entire day to all things Mary, including exclusive programming, music, and interviews showcasing the key moments from her legendary catalog and career. Tune in all day HERE.
Mary J. Blige reached new heights on Apple Music in 2022, with the release of her fifteenth studio album, ‘Good Morning Gorgeous’, and her performance in the Super Bowl LVI halftime show. The week following the halftime performance was her biggest week in Apple Music history, with 325% more streams than she saw the same week in 2021. Blige’s saw songs new and old have reached the Daily Top 100 in countries worldwide. "Family Affair" hit the Daily Top 100 in a number of countries, including the U.S., Canada, Norway, and Denmark. All told, Mary J. Blige has hit the Daily Top 100 in 38 countries, and her music has been featured across many major editorial playlists on Apple Music, including R&B Now, '90s Hits Essentials, Brown Sugar, and more. Blige is also a frequent guest on the Zane Lowe Show and Ebro show on Apple Music 1 where she regularly shares new music and connects with her fans around the world.


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Expands footprint for thin-cut Lay’s Wafer Style across the country
· Available in three delightful flavours – Salt & Pepper, Tangy Treat & Sundried Chilli
New Delhi, 13th December 2021: Expanding its brand footprint in the country, Lay’s, India’s favourite chip brand, is introducing a new flat cut chip and its thinnest range of chips ever - Lay’s Wafer Style. Aimed at consumers seeking an innovative, sleek, and crunchy flavorful experience, Lay’s Wafer Style is the thinnest chips from the house of Lay’s and will be available in three delightful new flavours – Salt & Pepper, Tangy Treat & Sundried Chilli – providing a delicate crunch in every bite to consumers.
Tailor-made to suit the changing tastes and palates, Lay’s Wafer Style aims to offer a ‘Paper Thin, Wafer Thin’ experience to the audience with differentiated flavours.
Expressing his delight on the new launch, Anshul Khanna, Senior Director and Category Head – Foods, PepsiCo India said, “As market leaders, we at Lay’s continue to bring exciting category innovations that are attuned to the evolving preferences of the consumers. We are delighted to introduce ‘Lay’s Wafer Style’, flat-cut chips and the thinnest chips from the house of Lay’s in three great tasting flavours.. We are confident that the audience will love the new Lay’s Wafer Style just like our other innovations in the past.”
Lay’s Wafer Style is now available in three special flavours – Salt & Pepper, Tangy Treat & Sundried Chilli – at INR 5, INR 10 and INR 20 across all leading retail and e-commerce platforms in India. For Lay’s Wafer Style, a new TVC campaign will be unveiled featuring Lay’s brand ambassador and Bollywood superstar, Alia Bhatt, and popular actor Siddhant Chaturvedi across multiple platforms.
Launched in 1995 in India, Lay’s is one of the marquee brands from PepsiCo India and has always been known for bringing in flavours of the world along with Indian flavours that our consumers love. Lay’s has a wide range of offerings under its umbrella, with unique and indulgent flavours that cater to both local and international tastes. It is available in six flavours.
About PepsiCo India
PepsiCo entered India in 1989 and has grown to become one of the largest MNC food and beverage businesses in India. PepsiCo India has been consistently investing in the country and has built an expansive beverage and snack food business supported by 62 plants across foods and beverages. PepsiCo India’s diverse portfolio includes iconic brands like Pepsi, Lay’s, Kurkure, Tropicana 100%, Gatorade and Quaker. In less than two decades, the company has been able to organically grow eight brands, each of which generate Rs. 1000 crores or more in estimated annual retail sales and are household names, trusted across the country.
PepsiCo’s growth in India has been guided by our vision to Be the Global Leader in Convenient Foods and Beverages by Winning with Purpose. “Winning with Purpose” reflects our ambition to win sustainably in the marketplace and embed purpose into all aspects of the business. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com
For any media queries, please contact:
From PepsiCo India:
Amit Nanchahal| Amit.Nanchahal@pepsico.com
Shriya Yadav | Shriya.email@example.com | +91 9971230399
Parushi Sharma | Parushi.firstname.lastname@example.org | +91 83770 43010


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Production of streaming devices is the latest industry to be hit by inflation, with S&P Global Market Intelligence reports estimating a 1.2% drop in shipments, bringing the total number of units down to 80 million in 2022.
S&P Kagan’s subsidiary media research group found that although demand for streaming saw a massive spike at the start of the pandemic, manufacturers are now struggling to keep up with supply which has drastically dried up in 2021. and 2022.
One of the main contributors to this supply chain issue has been the shortage of certain chips and components, which has severely affected the manufacturing of new hardware after the pandemic. This in turn prevents vendors from revising product lines and updating inventory, which brings market growth to a screeching halt.
Although the current market situation is far from ideal, Kagan remains confident that it will stabilize and develop further in 2023 and beyond. S&P’s analysis predicts a massive market surge that could push shipments of streaming media (SMD) devices to nearly 100 million units by 2026.
“The main challenge to a steeper growth curve for SMDs is the continued evolution of smart TV interfaces and processing power,” said Neil Barbour, research analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence. “As smart TVs become more capable streamers, there is less demand for external hardware solutions. SMD vendors seem to recognize the threat and have actively sought partnerships to deploy their operating systems to smart TVs.


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Smash your way through the arena with Alice or Hook in Smash Legends, the exhilarating new multiplayer PvP from LINE Games Corporation. Following its soft-launch on iOS and Android in the UK and Nordic territories earlier this month, the casual brawler has now expanded its soft-launch to include the rest of Europe and Canada (where it’s also now available for PC via Steam Early Access).
With eight unique “Legends” to choose from, players can knock each other out of the arena in fast-paced three-minute battles or go on a fun eight-player free-for-all while making the most of the fairytale-inspired characters and their unique skill sets. There are six game modes - including a 3 vs. 3 Team Deathmatch and a Capture Point mode - that can keep adrenaline junkies busy, all done in a vivid 3D environment.
Meanwhile, the community in the US and Asia can now pre-register for notifications on the official launch of the game. All players who register will receive Peter’s skin as a cool thank-you, while those who pre-register on Google Play will nab additional Keys as well.
Smash Legends supports mobile-PC cross-play along with five language options, namely, English, German, French, Spanish (Latin America), and Italian. You can check out the official website or stay updated on the latest developments on Facebook and Discord.
Want more? Check out our growing collection of Smash Legends news stories!


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Last week the Develop 100 2008 saw many Tiga members climbing the ranks. Tiga’s three founding members - Blitz Games, Kuju Entertainment and Rebellion - all made it into the top 100, with Rebellion’s rise to No.16 making them Europe’s leading independent developer.
Chris Kingsley of Rebellion says,
“The games industry has grown exponentially over the past 15 years. Thanks to Tiga, many games businesses have adapted and grown significantly. Tiga brings valuable benefits to developers of all sizes, either independent or publisher-owned, ensuring that the UK continues to produce some of the best games developers in the world.”
Jason Kingsley supported this by saying,
“Rebellion was a founder of Tiga and we’ve always been committed to supporting and building Tiga’s offering. In turn, Tiga has been our voice in addressing many issues affecting studios at both the governmental and publisher level. Tiga is an essential part of UK PLC and we’re happy to be a partner with them in support of UK developers.”
In response to the Develop 100 rankings, Richard Wilson, CEO of Tiga says,
“We are very proud of all UK games developers and wish to congratulate Tiga members whose hard work and success has given them a place in Develop 100.
“Development is a significant creative and economic force in contemporary Britain and has the potential to be a continuing success story for the UK.
“Tiga’s purpose is to make the UK the best place in the world to do games business. The Develop 100 results confirm the strength of the UK games development sector.”
Notes to editors:
1. Tiga is the national trade association that represents games developers in the UK and in Europe.
2. We have 157 members, the majority of whom are games developers, but we also have outsourcing companies and technology businesses as members who provide services to games developers.
3. For additional information, please contact: Dr Richard Wilson, Tiga CEO on: 0845 094 1095; mobile: 0787 593 9643; or: email: firstname.lastname@example.org.
Press release - 17th April‘08


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United States President Donald Trump’s decision to impose curbs on steel imports will not have any immediate impact on India, Steel Secretary Aruna Sharma said on Friday. The US on Thursday announced that from next week it will levy 25% tariff on steel imports and a 10% tariff on imported aluminium.
The United States cited Section 232(b) of its Trade Expansion Act, 1962, to levy such hefty tariffs to protect American producers of steel. This section of the law gives the US Commerce Secretary the right to investigate whether certain imports pose a threat to national security.
“We have only 2% exports to the US, so no immediate dent, but validity of Section 232 is stretched to be used as tariff barrier,” Reuters quoted Sharma as saying.
Stock markets around the world, meanwhile, saw shares decline on Friday in reaction to the US decision. The Nikkei 225 index in Japan closed 2.56% down, while the Hang Seng index in Hong Kong fell 1.51%. The Kopsi index in South Korea declined 1.05%. On Thursday, the American indices Dow Jones, S&P 500 and Nasdaq saw shares decline. The Indian benchmark indices were shut on Friday on account of Holi.
“We must protect our country and our workers,” the US president tweeted on Friday. “Our steel industry is in bad shape. If you don’t have steel, you don’t have a country.”
The president had earlier said that trade wars are “good and easy to win” since the United States was already losing “billions of dollars on trade with virtually every country”.
China, whose steel manufacturers will be affected as a result of the US decision, criticised Trump’s move, PTI reported. “If countries around the world follow US measures it will harm the world trade,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying told reporters.
She urged the US to follow multilateral trade rules, pointing out that the global economy is still unstable and was slowly recovering. “All countries should make concerted efforts and cooperate to resolve relevant issues instead of taking measures unilaterally,” Hua added.


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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — U.S. Attorney General William Barr released new details on the Department of Justice's China Initiative during a speech Thursday at the Gerald R Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids.
According to the Attorney General, about 80 percent of all economic espionage cases prosecuted by the Department of Justice claim that the alleged conduct would benefit China. In cases where trade secrets are stolen, about 60 percent have some connection to China, says Barr.
Since 2018, the DOJ has been focuses on cases involving the theft of trade secrets, hacking, and economic espionage against U.S. corporations. In that time, more than 48 individuals have been charged with helping send resources and information to China.
To see a list of cases, click here.
Barr spoke on China's rising influence in the world and the threat he says that poses.
“China is no longer hiding its strength, nor biding its time," Barr said. "From the perspective of its communist rulers, China’s time has arrived.”
Efforts like currency manipulation, tariffs, cyber attacks, industrial espionage, artificial island-building and harassing fishing boats in the South China Sea have all challenge the U.S. and other countries' leadership roles in the world, according to Barr.
“The PRC seeks not merely to join the ranks of other advanced economies, but to replace them altogether,” Barr said.
Barr says that China's efforts aren't the only problem.
U.S. businesses and tech companies have also helped China.
For example, Hollywood will often censor or change aspects of its films to match them more closely with Chinese beliefs so that they won't alienate the market. Barr gave the example of 2013's "World War Z," which initially had its zombie virus originate in China until filmmakers changed that detail to avoid upsetting the country.
And corporations such as Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and Apple have shown themselves all too willing to collaborate with the CCP, Barr said.
For example, Barr said, Apple recently removed the news app Quartz from its app store in China, after the Chinese government complained about coverage of the Hong Kong democracy protests.
During the early months of the coronavirus pandemic, China "hoarded" personal protective equipment (PPE) for itself, blocking exportation of masks to other countries that needed them, Barr said. They also instructed Chinese hospitals to only buy products made in the country.
As China's manufacturing output continues to exceed that of the U.S., Barr says the pubic and private sectors will need to work together to resist.
"If we rekindle our love and devotion for our country and each other, I am confident that we—the American people, American government and American business together—can do it again," Barr said. "Our freedom depends on it."
Watch the speech:


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Narrow your search
Publisher's plans to build out new sites for magazines like Details have been suspended indefinitely, according to a MediaBistro post.
Arem Duplessis, who was behind the magazine's covers for almost a decade, will join the tech giant as a creative director.
Amazon's publishing arm will publish short bios of "icons" who exhibit varying degrees of goodness, such as Jesus, Josef Stalin, J.D. Salinger, and David Lynch -- but no Jeff Bezos.
After a humiliating gaffe following a San Francisco plane crash, KTVU uses the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to have clips of the event removed from the Internet.
Not only did the Internet TV channel give out a Twitter ID that doesn't belong to new anchor Eliot Spitzer, but it turns out the former New York governor doesn't even use Twitter.
Twitter becomes a high-fashion accessory with artist's Data Necklace, a year's worth of tweets laser-etched into a unique piece of jewelry.
By updating its iOS and Android apps and releasing an all-new iPad app, Twitter aims to bring more users than ever back into the fold.
Peer-to-peer software company has agreed to distribute shows for NBC Direct site.
Founder's predictions about the fate of online advertising have been some of the most bearish--and well-publicized. Company, meanwhile, continues to trim editorial staff.
The teen girl social-networking site plans to shut down on December 16, according to an e-mail sent to users.


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Update: Sellers in forum.lowyat.net are selling Nexus 5 16GB for around RM1400-RM1600 depending on seller/version and Nexus 5 32GB can be found from RM1600-RM1750. However, keep in mind that sellers from forum.lowyat.net typically does not provide warranty but may assist you in claiming for warranty but all costs would be borne by the buyer. Still, if nothing happens to your phone, these prices are far more attractive compared to those found in lelong.com.my. Added link to forum.lowyat.net below.
In less than a week after the Nexus 5 launch by Google, mobile phone dealers in Malaysia has already started bringing in the Android 4.4 KitKat powered device for sale. Malaysia typically doesn’t get Nexus devices that quickly since Google does not sell it via the PlayStore in Malaysia. Therefore, these dealers are selling it with a local/shop warranty (usually 2 years). However, the prices are currently a little high. The only sets available so far are 16GB versions in either black or white and priced very unattractively at RM1999 (not inclusive of shipping). The same price can be found from 3 lelong.com.my retailers, namely DirectD, Paul1978 and SatuGadgetDotCom.
5 minutes before 1am on Monday morning, 6th May 2013, Barisan Nasional has been once again been given the privilege of ruling Malaysia after achieving a simple majority in the 13th General Elections (Pilihan Raya Umum) and what is believed by many to be THE dirtiest elections ever.
Allegations of hiring foreign nationals to vote for the ruling party, using police force to protect the busloads of foreign nationals going to voting centers, causing “accidental” blackouts during vote counting and last minute shipping in of illegal ballots to help losing candidates are causing widespread disappointment and dissatisfaction to many Malaysian nationals.
In my home state of Penang, BN was desperate to recapture the state by holding big concerts, holding free food fests (with beer, which is deemed non-halal by Islam no less) and clear money giving. However, the people of Penang held fast (took their food, money and concerts in some cases) but still cast their votes for Pakatan Rakyat parties. While I’m happy that Penang still remains in the able hands of PR, I am very disappointed by the dirty politics that was played.
However, I do not see a realistic end to this unless the elections is allowed to be handled by a well-known democratic outsider country like Britain, USA or Greece (hey, its the birthplace of democracy so why not). If our dear EC/SPR is allowed to continue what they have done so far, BN will continue ruling the country for decades and centuries to come.
It is indeed a black day for Malaysia.


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Choice continues with grocery price comparison push
Consumer group Choice has not let the Federal Government’s decision to scrap the GroceryChoice website stop them from comparing supermarket prices across the country.
The national survey of grocery prices in Coles and Woolworths found residents of Geelong, Victoria, and the Central Coast of NSW enjoy the cheapest basket of goods in the country – while consumers in Bunbury (WA) pay up to 11% more.
The independent price survey – which was carried out on a basket of 35 items, including bread, rice and bananas – varied in cost from $123.15 in Geelong to more than $136 in Hobart and Bunbury, south of Perth.
Shoppers in NSW, Qld, ACT, Vic and SA paid $125-128 for an average basket of groceries from the two major chains compared with those in the NT, Tasmania and WA who paid $133-135.
The reasons for higher prices in some areas are a result of less competitive pressure, higher transport costs and reduced economies of scale, the consumer group said.
Choice sent undercover shoppers to 145 supermarkets in 24 cities around the nation including Coles, Woolworths/Safeway, Aldi, IGA and FoodWorks.
The figures show that nationally the price difference in a basket between Coles ($127.67 and Woolworths ($126.87) was negligible. A comparable basket of ALDI home brand products cost 25% less at $94.30. The independents IGA ($142.68) and FoodWorks ($154.73) were most expensive.
“The presence of ALDI in the eastern states provides more competition to Woolworths and Coles, which encourages the big two to price more keenly,” Choice spokesman Christopher Zinn suggested.
“By buying items that were on specials the basket price was about $10 cheaper but it’s generally the suppliers who have to wear the cost, which can disadvantage smaller players. Fresh food prices vary a lot so it pays to shop around.”
Major price changes over past couple of years
Since the last survey in 2007 of specific brands the packaged rice went up by almost 26%, the dog food by 22% and pasta spirals by 19%. But the cheapest available middle rasher bacon and sliced white bread both dropped by about 11%.
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Oregon has been home to legendary cannabis growers for years. Now, after two and half years of doling out licenses for recreational weed cultivation, Oregon growers are sitting on a 1 million pound surplus. And since marijuana is still federally prohibited and cannot legally be shipped out of state, all of the herb goes into storage until the market can absorb it.
Oregon has a rich history of cannabis cultivation, especially in the southern part of the state, which sits at the top of the United States’ “cannabis bread basket” in what’s known as the Emerald Triangle. Most of Oregon’s growers are concentrated in Multnomah, Jackson, Lane, and Clackamas Counties respectively.
Oregon officials began granting licenses to marijuana growers in January of 2016 with minimal barriers to entry, hoping to entice black market growers to convert to the regulated market, which they did. June 5th was the applicant cutoff deadline.
According to the latest data from The Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC), there are currently 1,009 active licensed growers in the state. Of the growers that have applied, there are still 1,012 that have not been approved.
Oregon has six types of marijuana business licenses and cannabis farmers hold a majority of them. Including unapproved applicants, there are 2,021 producers registered with the OLCC. The category with the next highest amount of registered applicants is retail licenses coming in at 775.
There’s no shortage of workforce. There are currently 48,392 marijuana workers registered in the state, but system records show that there are still over 17,000 worker applicants that haven’t paid the $100 permit fee, and nearly another 2,000 applications are still being processed.
Adjustments Being Made
When farmers were growing their crop in early 2017, cannabis prices were at about $1,400 per pound. But as harvest arrived, fresh flower flooded the market, and prices dropped fast. Some big farms and grow ops were able to integrate vertically and form bonds with wholesalers and dispensaries early on. But a large percentage of growers have felt a big impact from the dramatic fluctuation in the market.
Many of Oregon’s cannabis farmers are now considering getting out of the business, cutting back production, selling clones, or switching to hemp.
For example, since being licensed, Ashland Productions has produced more than 5,000 pounds of cannabis for Oregon’s recreational market. And, like many of Oregon’s rec growers, they are still sitting on plenty of stock from last fall’s harvest. Now the company has pivoted to provide hemp cultivation services for a client who plans to grow some 40,000 plants, with plans to process the flowers to make CBD oil.
It’s not over yet for Oregon’s cannabis industry, but how low prices can go still remains uncertain. Growers must remain adaptive to the market in order to survive long enough for the supply to decrease.
The OLCC is supposed to review the state’s oversupply crisis over the next year and present a report to the Senate for further policy consideration.
Aaron Matthew is a cannabis writer, digital nomad, independent musician, and now a regular contributor to Growbay.com.