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Microsoft Drops Xbox Price, Opens Apps to Everyone13 May, 2014 By: Chris Tribbey
Microsoft May 13 announced it will offer a $400 version of its Xbox One, slashing $100 off the original price of the console, in an effort to catch up with sales of Sony’s PlayStation 4. The price cut comes just six months after Microsoft debuted the console.
The $400 Xbox One, available June 9, comes without the Kinect, the voice- and motion-control sensor system that was standard with the original Xbox One. Microsoft will make the Kinect available as a separate add-on.
“We’re excited to respond to our fans, who’ve told us they’d like to have more options on how to get an Xbox One,” said Xbox spokesman Yusuf Mehdi.
Additionally, Microsoft announced it was opening up access to all its apps — more than 170 — to every owner of both the Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Before an Xbox Live Gold membership was needed to access everything from Netflix to Amazon Instant Video.
“Coming in June, anyone with an Xbox will be able to access popular entertainment experiences — whether or not you have an Xbox Live Gold membership,” said Xbox chief Phil Spencer. “This includes great gaming apps like Machinima, Twitch and Upload, popular video services like Netflix, Univision Deportes, GoPro, Red Bull TV and HBO Go, sports experiences like the NFL app for Xbox One, MLB.tv, NBA Game Time, NHL Game Center and more.
“We’ve heard that you want more choices from Xbox One. You want a wide variety of options in your games and entertainment experiences and you also want options in your hardware selection.”
To keep Xbox Live Gold members on board, Microsoft will offer subscribers free games, exclusive discounts and a members-only VIP area online.
Spencer stressed that the Kinect system remains “an important part of our vision.”
“We will continue to offer a premium Xbox One with Kinect bundle to deliver voice and gesture controls, biometric sign-in, instant personalization, instant scanning of QR codes, and enhanced features only available with Kinect in games such as Kinect Sports Rivals, Just Dance 2014, Project Spark and more,” he said.
As of mid-April, Microsoft said it has sold more than 5 million Xbox Ones, while Sony said it has sold more than 7 million PlayStation 4s.
Michael Pachter, analyst with Wedbush Securities, wrote in a note to investors that Microsoft was wise to close the $100 price gap between the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4, with the Kinect not being “a must-have item by many core gamers, at least not yet.”
“In our view, the sales data was not driven primarily by Xbox One’s later release date, or by inferior content (on the contrary, as EA's Titanfall was exclusive to Microsoft consoles),” he wrote. “Instead, we believe that in the minds of many consumers, Microsoft failed to justify charging $100 more than its rival for Kinect.”


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Assante Hydrostone’s blog and news updates.
November Edition of Portfolio Construction: Short-Term Pain, Long-Term Gain
The October U.S. CPI, as reported at an annualized rate below 4%, leads to some hope that the Fed’s hiking has been effective, and rates are close to terminal. Investors have re-priced terminal Fed Funds rates throughout the year, from as low as 2% to most recently 5%. The current CPI details reveal that prices of services are finally cooling while goods are under increasing pressure. Online retailer Amazon recently commented that they expect this December to be one of the toughest Christmas holiday seasons for sales as demand continuously declines in America.
Download the full report below.

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For more insights and key statistics on the biggest trends in today’s most disruptive industries, subscribe to our Chart of the Day newsletter.
This year, 102.6 million people will buy via social platforms in the US. That’s up just 5.9% from last year, following double-digit growth that’s persisted since we began tracking this metric, in 2016.
Beyond the chart: Facebook and Instagram will remain the biggest US platforms for social commerce this year, attracting 61.9% and 40.0% of buyers, respectively.
About 40% of social buyers are ages 18 to 34. Younger consumers are more likely to use TikTok, which will help propel the platform to third place with a 23.1% share.
More like this:
Read yesterday’s Chart of the Day here.
Methodology: Estimates are based on the analysis of data from other research firms and government agencies, historical trends, reported and estimated revenues from major online retailers and social network companies, consumer online buying trends and macro-level economic conditions.
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"This throws some cold water on the view that state and local governments have already bitten the bullet and are now likely to add to, rather than subtract from, growth in 2012," said Diane Swonk, chief economist at Mesirow Financial.
Government spending at all levels fell last year. That subtracted nearly a half of a percentage point from 2011 growth, which was 1.7 percent.
Joel Naroff, chief economist at Naroff Economic Advisors, said the economy would be growing at least a full percentage point faster if governments were spending at the rate they normally do three years into a recovery.
"Fiscal austerity comes at a price whether you are talking about the United States or Europe," Naroff said. "In the United States, we are taking moderate growth and turning it into sluggish growth."
Analysts think the economy is growing at a slightly faster rate this spring. Hiring has been steady and gas prices are lower, allowing consumers to spend more freely. Consumer spending drives 70 percent of economic activity.
And more demand from consumers leads businesses to step up restocking. When companies order more goods, it increases factory production and boosts growth.
Economists foresee growth at an annual rate of between 2 percent and 2.5 percent in the April-June quarter. Many expect the economy will maintain that pace for all of 2012.
Still, growth of 2.5 percent typically generates only enough jobs to keep pace with population changes. Most economists say it takes almost twice as much growth to boost hiring enough to lower the unemployment rate by 1 percentage point over a year.
The unemployment rate has fallen a full percentage point since August — from 9.1 percent to 8.1 percent last month. Part of the reason for the drop is that employers added 1.5 million jobs in that time. But another reason the rate has fallen so fast is that some people have grown discouraged and given up looking for work. The government counts people as unemployed only if they're actively looking for a job.
In a more encouraging development, major retailers reported bigger-than-expected sales gains in May compared with a year ago. Consumers bought more clothing and took advantage of Mother's Day promotions. The modest but healthy gains followed a dismal showing in April.
During the January-March quarter, consumer spending grew at an annual rate of 2.7 percent. While that was the fastest pace since the end of 2010, it was down from the initial estimate of 2.9 percent.
Jennifer Lee, senior economist at BMO Capital Markets, pointed out that some components of GDP were revised higher. Among them was housing, which is beginning to show signs of a modest recovery.
Another positive development this month: Gas prices have fallen sharply.
A gallon of regular unleaded has dropped by 32 cents since peaking in the first week of April. U.S. retail gasoline prices fell Thursday to $3.62 a gallon, according to auto club AAA.
Experts see gas falling to at least $3.50 by July 4.
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Auto companies have made great strides in improving engine efficiency in recent decades. But those improvements haven’t done much to improve the fuel economy of America’s passenger car fleet. Instead, consumers have “spent” most of those efficiency improvements on bigger, faster cars.
MIT economist Christopher Knittel has carefully quantified these tradeoffs in a recent paper in the American Economic Review (pdf; earlier ungated version here). As noted by Peter Dizikes of MIT’s News Office:
[B]etween 1980 and 2006, the average gas mileage of vehicles sold in the United States increased by slightly more than 15 percent — a relatively modest improvement. But during that time, Knittel has found, the average curb weight of those vehicles increased 26 percent, while their horsepower rose 107 percent. All factors being equal, fuel economy actually increased by 60 percent between 1980 and 2006, as Knittel shows in a new research paper, “Automobiles on Steroids,” just published in the American Economic Review.
Thus if Americans today were driving cars of the same size and power that were typical in 1980, the country’s fleet of autos would have jumped from an average of about 23 miles per gallon (mpg) to roughly 37 mpg, well above the current average of around 27 mpg. Instead, Knittel says, “Most of that technological progress has gone into [compensating for] weight and horsepower.”
This is a fine example of a very common phenomenon: consumers often “spend” technological improvements in ways that partially offset the direct effect of the improvement. If you make engines more efficient, consumers purchase heavier cars. If you increase fuel economy, consumers drive more. If you give hikers cell phones, they go to riskier places. If you make low-fat cookies, people eat more. And on and on. People really do respond to incentives.


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VMWare is showing off a mobile virtualization platform that will let people run a personal profile and a seperate, secure profile for work applications on the same Android phone.
As the first service packs for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 ship Feb. 22, they will bring better virtualization capabilities to the operating systems.
Cost-saving technologies remain a priority for IT in 2011 and virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), with its ability to streamline operations, is one of the technologies at the top of the list.
The business benefits of a cloud computing model have been well stated. You cut costs by switching to more flexible on-demand IT resources that can better handle the ebb and flow technology needs at a company.
In an effort to ease virtual machine management, Quest Software has folded its VMware replication software into its VMware backup software program, and now offers both in a single package, vRanger Pro.
Providing a vital link between internal and external clouds, VMware plans to release in March an adapter for moving virtual machines between a hosted service offering and an organization's own internal systems, the company announced Tuesday.
The Gluster open-source file system is following the well-worn path into virtualization and cloud computing with the introduction on Tuesday of Gluster Virtual Storage Appliances for VMware and for the Amazon Web Services platform.
When Dataprise Inc., an IT services company, helped a customer with a desktop virtualization project last year, it found itself dealing with desktop virtualization's dirty little secret: No one -- including vendors -- seems to know how to license the...
This week I saw two articles that captured the two visions of IT that will dominate the future. Both were interviews with senior IT leaders, one a CIO of a major technology company, the other a senior executive with a leading system integrator. One a...
VMware's Paul Maritz has given up his title of president to four senior executives who will serve as co-presidents of the EMC-owned company as it increasingly goes up against Microsoft in the virtualization market.
Surging revenue from storage, security and virtualization brought record financial results at EMC in the fourth quarter, the company reported Tuesday.
VMware's fourth-quarter revenue jumped 37 per cent as businesses increased spending on its virtualization software, the company announced Monday.
With an eye on the small and medium-sized business market, IBM is working through resellers to roll out a VDI (virtual desktop infrastructure) package that costs US$150 per user annually.
Pano Logic has launched a new version of its zero-client device, supporting video and Citrix virtualisation for the first time,
A survey of 500 information technology professionals with responsibility to assure compliance with the Payment Card Industry (PCI) security standard shows just over half find it "burdensome but necessary" in their organizations and about a third see ...
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A Twitter post from Infinity Ward has hinted that John "Soap" MacTavish may make an appearance in the next Call of Duty: Ghosts-DLC.
The tweet that was posted on April 14 and it states "Continue?" while featuring an image of Soap with a caption that reads "Continue, yes or no".
John "Soap" MacTavish was one of the main characters in the Modern Warfare story-arc. He first appeared in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare as a playable character but was killed-off in Modern Warfare 3.
Dave Owen of VG24/7 speculates that Soap may make an appearance in the Legends Pack for the multiplayer game. This is based inclusions of Captain Price and Vladimir Makarov in the previous DLC.
Several other gamer sites have also shared this theory.
Sarmad Lillah of SegmentNext notes that this may not be an official confirmation that he will be a playable character.
Call of Duty: Ghosts is the tenth game in the popular series that has sold over 100 million copies and on average has 40 million active players a month. The game has players take on the role as operatives of the Ghosts as they wage a war against the Federation in an attempt to defend America's sovereignty.
The first DLC, Onslaught, was released on January 28 while the second DLC, Devastation, was released on April 3.


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Crypto-Bro Bieber? Not anymore. After jumping on the cryptocurrency bandwagon in January, Justin Bieber's Bored Ape NTF has plummeted in value, taking a nose-dive from a $1.3 million purchase price to just $70,000 after FTX exchange filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, RadarOnline.com has learned.
At the start of 2022, Bieber, 28, spent 500 Ethereum — or about $1.3 million — on the Bored Ape NTF, buying into a financial fad that was widely known but little understood.
The 95% drop in value for the non-fungible token rounds out to a loss of $1.23 million for the pop star.
The cause of the plunging value? The crash of major cryptocurrency exchange firm FTX.
FTX was co-founded by Sam Bankman-Fried in 2019 as a Bahamas-based cryptocurrency exchange platform, promoting the liquidity and transactions of coins and tokens by users like Bieber.
Users could connect their wallets to the platform to engage in various financial actions, including buying and selling NTFS. At the height of FTX in 2021, the platform had over one million users engaging in transactions.
Fast-forward to November 2022 and Bankman-Fried has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, sending the crypto market into a frenzy that resulted in users panic-selling to recoup the most out of their inevitable losses.
While many users lost a significant amount of money, the musician took an especially hard hit to his pocketbook as he had already overpaid for the Bored Ape.
When Bieber dropped over a million for the NTF early this year, it was estimated he overpaid around 300% of the actual value of Bored Ape. That means Bieber could have purchased the NTF for $208,237.
Bieber's purchase was widely known after the Baby singer posted his NTF to his Instagram, along with a caption with his own song lyrics and hashtag.
"What if you had it all, but nobody to call, maybe then you’d know me. Cuz I’ve had everything but noones listening and that’s just f***in lonely. #lonelyboredape," Bieber's caption read.
On top of overpaying for the future sour investment, Bieber's "LonelyBoredApe" was highly criticized by NTF collectors, as the cartoon-like image failed to feature any of the captivating characteristics that NTFS was popular for.
While most of the Bored Ape suite of NTFS featured wild features and creative clothing — that users saw as its own personality to show off — Bieber's ape was boring at best.
Wearing a plain gray t-shirt, nonchalant expression, and simple dark blue background, the NTF failed to accomplish the creative expression that made the purchase desirable.
All-in-all, Bieber took a swing and a miss at the crypto/NTF game — and now has a major loss of funds to show for it.


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Ripple and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) have been embroiled in a lawsuit as to whether Ripple’s XRP cryptocurrency is a security. The SEC’s decision to treat XRP as a security significantly impacted Ripple’s ability to operate RippleNet in the US. RippleNet is a network of banks, payment providers and others that use XRP to facilitate cross-border payments in real time, offering businesses and consumers a massive discount compared to traditional international wire fees.
Ripple – and much of the industry – has long complained that the SEC never gave them “fair notice” that these sorts of token sales violated securities laws. Rather, they argue, the SEC is engaging in “regulation by enforcement”. In a minor win for the industry, a US District Court dismissed the SEC’s claim that Ripple should be precluded from arguing it didn’t have “fair notice”. The judge held that “[a] fundamental principle in our legal system is that laws which regulate persons or entities must give fair notice of conduct that is forbidden or required” and continued by stating that there are questions of both law and fact as to whether Ripple had fair notice that XRP was a security. In addition to the case against Ripple, this holding has further implications both on the many cases in which the SEC has made similar claims, as well as private lawsuits including, for example, the class action lawsuit against Coinbase alleging that it’s operating an unregulated securities exchange. You can access the District Court’s ruling in the SEC v. Ripple Labs, Inc. here.


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COVEX payment gateway will allow our users to effortlessly trade cryptos and fiat currencies in futures, such as the USD, GBP, and the EUR.
E-commerce has been on an unparalleled growth rate in recent times and is set to rise even further. According to Statista, global e-commerce sales are projected to rise to $ 4.058 trillion by the year 2020. Despite the massive growth of e-commerce, merchants have been encountering the following hurdles:
Reputation and trust
Costly and protracted payment processes and
Inability to tap into the growing number of cryptocurrency markets with a market capitalization of over $750 billion.
The COVEX’s Payment Gateway Platform will democratize the payment gateway and establish a trust solution based on the Blockchain by working seamlessly with a decentralized trust and reputation system where merchants will accept cryptocurrencies. The Platform will allow merchants and their customers to participate in borderless, global decentralized commerce with trust.
Learn more at


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Employees of Sanofi Bangladesh, a French pharmaceutical company, on Thursday went on a hunger strike as their demand of compensation packages are not met yet.
They organized separate press conferences and demonstrations at Sanofi head office, sales department and Tangi factory to press their demand.
There was no visible response from the country Chairman of Sanofi Bangladesh Ram Prasad Krishna Bhatt and Managing Director Muin Uddin Mazumder, said the protesting employees.
Moreover, warning letters have been sent to the sales department and the district managers to join the office otherwise, the company will stop paying them.
On October 07, workers of Sanofi Bangladesh formed a human chain in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka and sent the company a 72-hour ultimatum, demanding a severance plan.
The biopharmaceutical giant on October 27 issued the warning after its employees gave a 72-hour ultimatum demanding compensation as the company is going to shut down its operation in Bangladesh.
On October 31, the employees threatened of going on a symbolic hunger strike if their demand is not met, said General Secretary of Sanofi Bangladesh Employees Welfare Committee Sanjib Chakrabarty.


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With the Galaxy Gear and its successors, Samsung showed that it was serious about the wearables market, but when rumors emerged that the company was working on a virtual reality headset, we were skeptical and didn’t really think it was true. However, all the leaks in recent months pretty much confirmed Samsung’s plans for a VR headset, and today, the Korean manufacturer has officially announced the Gear VR, a virtual reality headset it has developed in collaboration with Oculus VR. The Gear VR offers a virtual reality experience not unlike the one seen on the Oculus Rift and other VR products, but it differs in the fact that it uses the Galaxy Note 4 and its 5.7-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display to power the entire experience.
In addition to the display, the Gear VR will also use the Galaxy Note 4’s sensors for tracking head motion. Furthermore, a see-through button will allow the user to look at the real world when they want – for example, a user might be using the Gear VR for navigation through Google Maps at one moment, then switch to the real-world view in order to see what’s in front. The Gear VR will be made further useful through various content offered by third-party manufacturers and Samsung’s own apps, and more apps will likely come along later on as developers jump on the bandwagon and make use of the VR SDK.
The Gear VR will be available in Frost White from Samsung’s retail shops and through carriers later this year for a price of €200, and will also be available as part of a bundle that includes Samsung’s Gamepad controller, with the bundle costing €250.
Samsung Explores the World of Mobile Virtual Reality with Gear VR
Samsung and Oculus collaborate to create an immersive new dimension of mobile life with the first widely available mobile VR headset optimized for Samsung Galaxy Note 4
Berlin, Germany – September 3, 2014 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today introduced the next generation in wearable technology, the Samsung Gear VR Innovator’s Edition, enabling users to fully immerse themselves in a cinematic virtual reality environment. Powered by Oculus technology, Samsung Gear VR delivers a completely new way to experience and consume mobile content. It continues Samsung’s leadership in the wearable category through innovative technology and compelling design to expand the definition of mobile life.
The result of a deep and integrated partnership with Oculus, a Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) company and a leader in virtual reality technology, Samsung Gear VR creates an immersive mobile virtual reality experience that the industry has never seen before.
“Samsung Gear VR Innovator’s Edition goes far beyond expectations of how mobile technology can be used to consume content, and is a powerful representation of the progressive innovation of the Gear series,” said JK Shin, President and CEO of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics. “We are pleased to have partnered with Oculus VR to bring this incredibly immersive mobile content experience to consumers.”
“We are thrilled to reveal the Gear VR Innovator’s Edition, a state-of-the-art mobile VR experience powered by Oculus,” said John Carmack, CTO of Oculus. “The deep technical partnership with Samsung has enabled us to create a virtual reality headset with world class resolution and performance, all on a completely mobile platform.”
Samsung Gear VR delivers an unrivaled viewing experience with the 5.7 inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display of Galaxy Note 4 providing stunning and engaging visuals at a mobile-leading resolution. With the Gear VR Innovator’s Edition, users can sit in the best seat of a theater, can be on-stage of a performance with full 360 3D video, and can enjoy gaming like it’s never been seen before – inside stunning worlds where imagination becomes reality. Samsung’s industry leading Super AMOLED display technology and cutting-edge Oculus-driven technologies fuse to create an experience that surprises and delights – all on a mobile device.
Built with soft, flexible cushioning and lightweight materials, Samsung Gear VR is comfortable to wear. It is completely wireless, so users can be fully engaged in virtual worlds without being tethered to a computer. With a robust selection of optimized virtual reality content from a wide range of top-tier creators, users will be able to enjoy a wide range of film, gaming, 360 degree video, and educational/experiential content.
Samsung Gear VR will be available in Frost White through the Samsung online channel and selectively by carriers this year. Full details and product images are available at www.samsungmobilepress.com and www.oculus.com/blog/.


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Are you disappointed because IFA is now over and we’ve gotten a look at the new Android hardware that most manufacturers have to offer? Well don’t fret too much, because apparently HTC’s still got something up its sleeve.
Considering the selfie action that’s going on in the invitation and the name “Double Exposure,” it seems like HTC may be planning to announce something with a photography/camera focus. Exactly what that may be is a mystery, but at least we’ve got less than a month to wait before the quandary is solved.
What do you think HTC is planning to announce on October 8?


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From concept through to manufacture, Disney has released a video showing behind the scenes how Disney Infinity 3.0 characters are made.
In this case, Olaf from Frozen is in the spotlight:
undefined on Disney Video
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Kingdom Hearts 3 has already been confirmed for but not for Nintendo’s latest console. That doesn’t, however, mean that it isn’t going to happen as Square Enix has not ruled out releasing it on the Switch. Instead, the company confirmed that is was concentrating on completing development on Sony and Microsoft platforms first. Game director Tetsuya Nomura […]
Kingdom Hearts 3 has been on the radar for a long time and fans have been waiting for news of when they can play ever since it was announced. Now, at Disney’s D23 Expo in Anaheim California, Square Enix showed off a new world. The world of Toy Story will be joining that of Tangled, […]
When Disney and Avalanche Software released the original Disney Infinity, it was planned to be the next big toys to life experience. Instead, the game’s servers were unceremoniously shut down with little fanfare last month. We personally bought all of the figures and power discs including the Crystal figures across the three entries in the […]
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Homeowners across the UK are more likely to be thinking about decorating than they are about decorations this Christmas, according to new research released today.
The findings, from Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks, have revealed that home improvements are high on our Christmas wish list this year.
According to the research almost two thirds of us (62%) are planning to make changes to our home in the run up to December 25.
Regional Breakdown of those who plan to improve their home in the run-up to Christmas:
Perhaps not unsurprisingly it is women who are leading the Christmas DIY SOS charge with 79% of females planning to ring the festive changes in the home. This compares to just 45% of men.
Redecorating the house is the number one priority for 38% of us this year while it seems that thoughts of cooking the Christmas dinner have led to 35% of homeowners planning either a new kitchen or a new oven.
When it comes to what tops our Christmas wish list, 16% of us are hoping the home improvement Santa will deliver a new kitchen while 10% are hoping for a conservatory.
Some 7% of us would like to hang our Christmas stockings in a walk in wardrobe while a further 7% are dreaming of more ambitious home improvements such as a swimming pool, cinema room, man cave and even a wine cellar.
For those that want to move rather than improve, the focus is on securing a bargain. While traditionally a quieter month for buying a home, almost two thirds of us (65%) would consider buying a property in December if it would save money. Those in the East were the most motivated by the opportunity to snap up a bargain with 74% happy to consider a December move compared to just 56% in London.
Regional Breakdown of those who would buy a home in December if it would save them money:
Steve Fletcher, Head of Clydesdale Bank and Yorkshire Bank Retail Network, said: “Christmas is traditionally a time to share with family and friends however it can highlight concerns over lack of space for guests to stay or an oven that isn’t big enough for the turkey.
“Our research has found that as a result many people look to make home improvements in the run-up to the big day whilst others decide that it is time to look for a new home. Whether you are moving or improving Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks are here to help to ensure you have a great Christmas.”


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Justin Timberlake is now a partial owner of Myspace, and the company's new owners are very proud of him. "We're thrilled about the opportunity to rebuild and reinvigorate Myspace," said Tim Vanderhook, CEO of Specific Media, who bought the struggling site from News Corp. for $35 million on Wednesday. "We look forward to partnering with someone as talented as Justin Timberlake, who will lead the business strategy with his creative ideas and vision for transforming Myspace. This is the next chapter of digital media, and we are excited to have a hand in writing the script."
For Aaron Sorkin/The Social Network fans, the "script" jokes are easy: "A million dollars isn't cool. You know what's cool? $35 million and a shrinking user base." Or how about: "Drop the 'My.' Just 'Space.' It's cleaner."
Read the full story at The Atlantic Wire.


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Daily Buzz: Why You Should Experiment with New Tech Now
Bolder digital transformation is one risk you should be taking
Perhaps you’ve felt a little shell-shocked by the pandemic’s impact on the economy and the broader world. Maybe you’re not thinking about making big changes due to the uncertainty floating about.
But this would be the wrong strategy, said Entrepreneur contributor John Boitnott, who says that there’s more room for a bolder digital transformation now than ever. Part of the reason? Discounts abound, making experimental opportunities easier to swallow.
“Cost may have been a factor in your earlier decision to delay a digital transformation,” he writes. “However, many companies see the current health crisis as an opportunity to help out potential customers and simultaneously attract a wider audience for their digital solutions. Many companies are offering their digital tools, apps and platforms for free or at a vastly reduced price.”
Also a benefit, he notes? You likely have a lot of extra time to put things out there and kick the tires.
“Back when it was business as usual, you might have hesitated to implement new tools in case something went wrong or downtime diminished your customer experience,” he added. “During the health crisis, however, you can grab this opportunity to test various digital tools and take the digital plunge.”
Please select this link to read the original article from Associations Now.


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Last week, Chinese developer Mihoyo launched Genshin Impact. The 3D action RPG is its largest undertaking to date, and early numbers are indicating that it's set to be a success.
Niko Partners Senior Analyst Daniel Ahmad wrote a Twitter thread about the game's impact, saying that based on preliminary data, Genshin Impact is "on track" to gross over $100 million across all platforms by the end of the month. Mihoyo's RPG is not only picking up steam in the United States, but in areas like South Korea and Japan as well.
Speaking to IGN, Ahmad estimates that $50 million was made in the first week, with the majority of it coming from China, Japan, and the U.S. The game saw 17 million global downloads in its first four days according to App Annie, and it seems like estimates for the game are fairly positive.
"The game had more than 20 million pre-registrations prior to launch, of which more than 5 million were from outside China," Ahmad told IGN. "This is a huge achievement not just for a Chinese developed game, but for a new original IP too."
To some, it might seem like Genshin Impact came out of nowhere. It's certainly a bit of an outlier; it's an action RPG that is free-to-play with gacha-style monetization, where you can "roll" for different characters and weapons to add to your party with currency. Yet it's also a large RPG, with a surprisingly large scale and high production values, and it's playable on phones, PlayStation 4, or PC.
At first glance, it might be easy to draw comparisons to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Outside the climbing and gliding though, it feels like more a larger mix of different ideas: the Tales' series action, elemental combinations and weaknesses, and an almost-Dragon Quest tone. Bolstering it all is the fact that it's free and, from what both Mike Williams and myself have played of it, seemingly free to power through without the need to sink money if you don't want to.
Genshin Impact may not have been on many people's radars going into 2020. Mihoyo's RPG has made its impact though, and now, it remains to be seen what the company will do with its success moving forward.


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Facebook users in Brazil and Canada will see a new option when they open the app starting Friday. The social media giant is testing a Snapchat-like selfie camera that automatically turns on when a user begins a status update from…
For rather obvious reasons, Instagram wasn’t around in the 18th century. If it were though, this is likely what it would look like, complete with painter, horse-drawn carriage and a butler to present your 'likes.'
“You take photos, Tripstr does the rest.” That’s the tagline for Tripstr, an iOS app and accompany web app that creatively curates photos from your vacations and presents them in an interactive publication.
Photography accessory manufacturer Edelkrone has released an unusual new product that turns any smartphone into a POV camera. Povie can be attached to your neck. It might look a bit ridiculous, but it's hard to argue with the results.
Go ahead, get closer. These five cameras offer plenty of zoom, and since they're DSLR-like bridge cameras, they also offer manual modes, 4K capabilities, and a wealth of other useful features that lets you to step up your photography game.
Facebook is offering the first extensive look inside its huge new hardware lab, and the state-of-the-art machinery it houses. Inside, Facebook's engineers will build everything from internet-delivering drones to VR tech.
Manfrotto’s Digital Director for iPad received both hardware and software updates, extending native support to the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and iPad Mini 4 while updating the app with several new features, including a time-lapse mode.
Aestheticam is a new camera app for iOS that purposely strives to be “the worst possible camera experience for iOS.” After taking it for a spin and seeing first-hand how bad it is, we can’t help but agree. But it's also fun and…


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High end shoe store gets robbed in Mississauga
Published November 19, 2023 at 6:53 pm
Four suspects are on the loose after allegedly breaking into a retail store in Mississauga’s Port Credit and making off with merchandise.
On Friday (Nov. 17) at approximately 5 p.m., police say four individuals targeted a high-end shoe and athletic gear retailer situated in the vicinity of Lakeshore Road and Hurontario Street.
The establishment that appears to be the target of this crime “Pure 10” —though not confirmed by police is known to sell vintage and limited addition footwear and apparel and falls within the same area the robbery occurred.
Additionally, a photo shared by a Reddit user hours after the incident, depicts one of the exterior windows smashed of Pure 10, with shattered glass strewn across the pavement. In the image, an officer is also visible near the entrance.
Police told insauga.com that the perpetrators made a hasty departure after taking multiple items. However, the details of the stolen items and their value are still under investigation.
Authorities have refrained from disclosing specifics about the altercation or whether a weapon was involved.
It is unknown how many customers or employees were inside the store when the theft took place, however, police confirmed with insauga.com that no physical injuries were reported.
As of now, no arrests have been executed, and the investigation has been taken over by the Robbery Bureau.
The suspects descriptions or surveillance images are currently unavailable at this time.
More information to follow.insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising


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Steven Spielberg Is Creating A Horror Series You Can Only Watch at Night
Steven Spielberg is writing a new TV show which will be called After Dark. The show will be exclusively shown on a new streaming platform called Quibi. Get all the info about the new show in our video!
Although Spielberg has previously voiced his concerns towards growing streaming services, his latest project is specifically for mobile phones. His series, After Dark, will contain 10 to 12 episodes and stream exclusively on a yet-to-be released platform called Quibi.
Steven Spielberg's TV show will only be available after dark
For all the info about the legendary director's new show, head to our video above!


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Smurfit Kappa has launched an innovative and sustainable new pack which keeps frozen and chilled foods fresh throughout the supply chain.
Made from a 100% paper-based combination of Hexacomb and corrugated, the Thermo Box keeps frozen food including fish at temperatures similar to expanded polystyrene (EPS) boxes.
Smurfit Kappa was approached by Patani Global Food B.V., a global supplier of fresh and frozen foods including vegetables, meat and fish and non-food products for the catering industry. Patani Global Food B.V. ships goods from Amsterdam to worldwide locations including to the Antilles Islands in the Caribbean using EPS boxes. However, a rise in the amount of litter... FULL STORY
Dorset Fisherman buoyed by Waitrose support United Kingdom
Waitrose has become the first major UK supermarket chain to sell MSC certified British clams, which are now on sale at counters across 150 of its stores, with sustainable British cockles due to en...


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Desktop and server chassis provider ENlight UK has signed a distribution deal with broadliner Northamber.
ENlight has targeted the consumer retail market with a new range of PC cases for PCs and media centers.
Deborah Bebbington, general manager of ENLight UK said, “We are delighted that Northamber will be distributing our PC Cases. Following the recently launched PC Extreme Gamer and Media Center Cases, we have been overwhelmed with review requests that we will endeavour to convert into sales."
Northamber UK said in a statement: “ENlight’s superb range of PC Cases and its much-increased focus on marketing was influential in our decision to work with ENlight UK. Their PC Cases are well thought out, thoroughly researched and meet the needs of today’s demanding consumers.”
A summary of what you get if you subscribe to our premium market intelligence service
Matthew Polly says CrowdStrike is looking to branch out from the UK and into mainland Europe
Southampton-based VAR states that further acquisitions are in the pipeline
With UKFast launching a public cloud consultancy, Tom Wright asks if this is the way forward for all local hosting providers


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EA and Fox have teamed up to produce an animated CG movie based on Spore.
EA will release Wii game Spore Hero and DS game Spore Hero Arena here on 9th October.
DS Spore on show at E3.
Spore is in an awkward situation. It launched and sold masses of copies. Not in the league of The Sims, but enough that commercial necessity demands Maxis work out ways to - hnngh - expand the franchise.
Will Wright has explained that he will continue to work on Spore despite having left EA earlier this month.
Electronic Arts has unveiled three new Spore titles currently in development.


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The day 29 September 2020 enters the history of art and technology in Angola. On this date, a partnership was signed between Talatona Art gallery and the Tupuca app. With this, whoever wants to know and buy the content of the Angolan art gallery will be able to do everything by cell phone.
The service is unprecedented in Angola and aims to promote contemporary art, besides expanding it to the whole country, and even to other places, like Portugal and Brazil. The novelty was first disclosed on the Planet Line website, which also added that the public will be able to access the digital content of the gallery, place the order and set the delivery date.
According to the general director of Talatona Art, Lúcia Drügg, “It is extremely important to create mechanisms for access to culture, in this case for the artistic expression that is painting ”. And she completes: “We bet and encourage the digital aspect, because we know its relevance. Some time ago, we launched the country's first virtual exhibition, with a 360º tour of the entire gallery and its works. Now, we believe that the partnership with Tupuca, beyond its purpose, has the clear message of valuing art ”.
In the opinion of the general director of Tupuca, responsible for the application, Erickson Mvezi, “It is an honor to participate in a project like this, because we are reinventing art and culture in times of social distance, that is, we make them accessible in a practical way, fast and efficient ”. And he remembers that, “With this unprecedented debut, Tupuca establishes itself as a creative and revolutionary platform in the delivery service ”.
For those who don't know, the Talatona Art gallery is a cultural space in Angola open to all artistic manifestations, with the aim of promoting, encourage and be a transformative pole of local culture and artists. The works of renowned artists are already available in the app, among them stand out Uófole, Alcides Malayka, Tho Simões, Seraphim Serlon, Ricardo Kapuka, Paulo Kussy, Guilherme Mampuya, Francisco Vidal, Fineza Teta, Armando Scott, Álvaro Macieira and master Kapela.


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After vanishing from the lineup for more than 20 years, and after the near-constant clamoring from fans for its return, the Toyota Supra is coming back. Learn all about the 2020 Toyota Supra debut below.
The 2020 Toyota GR Supra made its long-, long-awaited debut in January at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show. It will be the fifth-generation model in the Supra family and the first-ever global Toyota GAZOO Racing model, riding a racing heritage that spans over 50 years of engineering.
Set to go on sale in summer of 2019, the Toyota GR Supra will offer two different models, the 3.0 and 3.0 Premium. The standard 3.0-liter Twin-Scroll turbo-six engine churns out 335 horsepower and 365 lb-ft of torque, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission with smooth shifting and delivering exceptional driving dynamics. The GR Supra will also be the fastest Toyota car to date, with a projected 0-60 mph acceleration of only 4.1 seconds.
The 2020 Toyota GR Supra will also be a driver-friendly vehicle in other senses. It boasts power sport seats with memory (and heating with the 3.0 Premium) and the latest in infotainment and active safety. The GR Supra 3.0 Premium gets an 8.8-inch touchscreen display with navigation, Supra Connect telematics, wireless phone charging, and a 12-speaker JBL® audio system.
Watch out for the 2020 Toyota GR Supra when it launches in summer 2019. You’ll be able to see this wonderful sports car at Wondries Toyota.


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Warren Buffett is one of the most successful investors on Wall Street. The Berkshire Hathaway CEO is known for a long track record of market-beating returns, evident in the exemplary gains in Berkshire’s Class A shares since 1965. Over the past 57 years, the widely followed Berkshire Hathaway portfolio has generated returns of over 3.64 million percent. In other words, if you had invested $100 in Berkshire in 1965, that investment would be worth more than $3.64 million today. That works out to be an increase of around 20% compound annually, more than twice that of the S&P 500 over the same period. That stellar performance is why investors may want to take a page out of Buffett’s playbook and consider striking up a position in some Berkshire-held potential long-term winners.
The 92-year-old investing legend maintains the same buy-and-hold investment philosophy that has defined much of his success over the past six decades. Historically, the Oracle of Omaha has favored reliable blue chips in industries like healthcare, consumer goods, financials, and energy and tended to avoid unprofitable, speculative, high-growth potential stocks. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any growth stocks in Buffett’s collection. In this list, we’ll look at three disruptive, high-growth names Buffett sees as fit for adding to Berkshire Hathaway’s $700 billion portfolio.
A company with 400 million ‘patents’
One company has quietly compiled more than 400 million official trade secrets.
Trade secrets are like patents in that they protect valuable and proprietary information…
But unlike patents, trade secrets take less time to register… and more importantly, they never expire.
Which is a huge advantage for this little-known company.
You see, this company is using these trade secrets to build the world’s largest “codebase,” which will bethe key to it becoming “America’s Next Big Monopoly.”
Not surprisingly, Wall Street is starting to take notice. And the smart money is already pouring in.
Tech investor Cathie Wood has invested over $80 million already, and Microsoft founder Bill Gates has invested as well.
Get the details here before this story hits the mainstream media.
It should be no surprise that Buffet owns a significant stake in Apple (AAPL) stock, considering its strong earnings, returns, and management. As the Number 1 stock in Berkshire’s portfolio by market value (worth a whopping $123.66 billion at the end of September), Apple makes up nearly 41% of Berkshire’s total equity portfolio.
In the third quarter of 2022, Buffet added to the firm’s tech investment with a sizeable stake in the world’s largest contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM). Also known as TSMC, Taiwan Semi is at the top of the list when it comes to the semiconductor manufacturing group. The company makes chips for the likes of AMD (AMD), Nvidia (NVDA), and Qualcomm (QCOM), and it’s a key chip supplier to Apple.
After hitting a two-year low due to a sharp slowdown in global chip demand, TSM’s share price jumped when Berkshire disclosed its more than $4.1 billion position in the stock. Still down more than 40% from its January 2021 peak, anyone on the sidelines might consider now an appropriate time to strike. “Only a small number of companies can amass the capital to deliver semiconductors, which are increasingly central to people’s lives,” said Tom Russo, a partner at Gardner, Russo & Quinn in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, who is bullish on Berkshire Hathaway and TSM.
U.S. investors have been cautious when betting on the Taiwan-based chipmaker as it would lose all Western contracts in the event of a Chinese takeover of the island. However, the company is working to reduce its geopolitical risk with a new $40 billion foundry in Arizona, expected to be operational by 2024. The investment has Washington’s support as it comes amid a U.S. push to boost domestic supplies of semiconductors and Congressional passage of the $52 billion CHIPS and Science Act.
Taiwan Semi reported earnings of $1.79 per share from $20.23 billion in revenue in the third quarter, surpassing consensus expectations of $1.41 EPS from revenue of $19.96. Management reiterated its outlook of Q4 revenue in the range of $19.9 billion to $20.7 billion. Gross profit margin is expected to be between 59.5% and 61.5%. Operating profit margin is expected to be between 49% and 51%.
TSM has a 90% Buy rating from the 38 analysts offering recommendations and zero Sell ratings. Anyone on the sidelines may want to consider striking up a position in this Buffet stock and holding on for years.
Bezos, Musk, and Yellen Planning Behind the Scenes [$150 Trillion]
While most Americans were distracted by mainstream media headlines predicting a stock market crash…
PhD Investigative Journalist Nomi Prins found evidence that shows the elites are spending trillions of dollars to “transform” the economy.
Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk have pledged billions of dollars to make it happen…
And Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is working with 131 countries, 234 cities, and 695 of the world’s biggest companies –including Bank of America, Nike, and Exxon Mobil –to overhaul everything about the American way of life.
Go here right now to see what it means for your family and your money
At the end of the third quarter, Berkshire also disclosed its position in the leading Brazilian fintech company StoneCo Ltd. (STNE). The firm reported owning close to 10.7 million shares, currently valued at more than $110 million, amounting to a roughly 3.4% stake in the company.
Stoneco provides back-office software, loans, and other financial services to small and medium-sized businesses with a focus on reinvesting the cash it generates to acquire or build new financial products for its customer base. Since early 2019, the company has grown the number of small and medium business clients by 3x, revenue by 2.3x, and net income by 2.2×.
Stoneco has developed a range of payment solutions utilized by e-commerce for businesses and merchants all over Latin America. In the third quarter, the company reported about $390 million in revenue and earnings. Small and medium-sized businesses using the platform surpassed 2.3 million, and total payment volume in the quarter grew to nearly $14 billion.
Stoneco stock is down close to 47% this year on news of rising interest rates, macroeconomic risks in Brazil, and some operational blunders. But base interest rates in Brazil seem to have peaked. A potential decline in the second half of 2023 is expected as Brazil’s inflation normalizes, reducing the margin pressure from rising financial expenses. Meanwhile, StoneCo’s revenue growth should benefit from increasing digitization of payments, higher take rates, and elevated growth in banking and software. STNE stock currently trades at roughly 1.4 times projected forward revenue and 33 times forward earnings, which seems fair for a disruptive, fast-growing company in a developing market.
Buffet isn’t the only institutional investor who’s recently raised an investment in StoneCo. Cathie Wood’s Ark Innovation fintech exchange-traded fund (ARKF) owns roughly 2.55 million shares of the payments company valued at more than $26.5 million. STNE has a Hold rating from the pros who cover it and a median target price of $12.20, representing a 19% increase from Wednesday’s closing price.
The Forever Battery: Making Gas Guzzlers Obsolete
Only 2% of cars sold in the U.S. today are electric vehicles… but that’s about to change — FAST.
A new battery breakthrough is ready to hit the market. It could revolutionize the $2 trillion automotive industry … and could soon make gas guzzlers obsolete.
This technology is predicted to cause a 1,500% surge in electric vehicle sales over the next four years.
The company pioneering this new battery could be the investment of a lifetime.
Snowflake provides cloud-based ways for companies to better utilize their data over the internet. The company offers cloud-based data storage and analytics, generally termed “data-as-a-service.” Snowflake’s platform offers Data Cloud, an entire ecosystem that enables customers to consolidate and share data. They also provide a tailored version of their Data Cloud, explicitly aimed at the media and advertising industry.
Although Snowflake is a minor constituent of Berkshire Hathaway’s portfolio, the stock has the qualities investors look for in a potentially parabolic stock. The company provides customers with crucial tech infrastructure, and its share price has plunged 65% from its peak last year.
For the third quarter, Snowflake’s revenue surged 67% year over year, driven by the healthy growth in its customer base and increased customer spending. The company reported a 34% year-over-year spike in the total number of customers. Moreover, the number of customers who have spent more than $1 million on Snowflake products over the past year nearly doubled. The company’s pipeline of contracted future revenue that is yet to be realized also shot up 66% year over year to $3 billion. Snowflake should sustain such impressive growth, with addressable market management claims could be worth $248 billion by 2026.
Analysts are expecting 295% annual revenue growth over the next five years. However, investors will have to pay a rich 25 times sales to own shares of SNOW. But that represents a considerable discount from last year’s price-to-sales-ratio of 97. Investors on the hunt for high-growth-potential stocks that the Oracle of Omaha owns may want to give SNOW some thought.


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LANSING, Mich. – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel warned Menards to stop engaging in practices that may endanger customers and employees during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
According to Nessel’s office, the company has been violating an Executive Order issued by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Menards can remain open but can only supply goods that are “necessary to maintain and improve the safety, sanitation and essential operations of a residence." The company must also have as few employees as possible working.
“We have asked that Menards cease any and all practices that run contrary to the spirit and intent of the Governor’s Stay Home, Stay Safe Order, including marketing sales to draw large numbers of the general public into their stores for non-emergency purposes,” Nessel said.
Last month, Nessel sent a cease and desist order to Menards after reports that the retailer was jacking up the prices of cleaning supplies and masks.


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Support staff in warehouses have been most affected by the moves, just the latest cuts as retailers trim costs in the face of falling sales.
Chief operating officer Jon Massey said: "We have been cutting staff in the last few weeks. Any prudent business is looking at costs. It's appropriate in the current climate and it would be surprising if people were not doing it."
The sofa firm employs about 3000 in all. Retail analysts say furniture shops are always among the worst hit during economic downturns.
Robert Clark of Retail Knowledge Bank predicts most shops will shed 5% of their staff in the next 12 months. He tells Retail Week: "There will be a steady stream of laying staff off, mostly done through non-replacement of people who have left."Reuse content


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L’Oréal has released its first Palm Oil Progress report, which looks at the company’s ongoing progress in achieving its aim of 100 percent responsible sourcing of palm oil and palm oil derivatives.
Looking for total sustainability while using palm oil, the French beauty giant has stated that it uses less than 400 tons of palm oil a year ‘but purchases derivatives in a quantity equivalent to 60,000 tons of palm oil.’
Having been certified by RSPO for 100 per cent of its palm back in 2012, the company is now looking for full transparency for its production to ‘ensure a deforestation-free and responsible palm production.’
According to the report L’Oréal managed to trace back 80 percent of its derivatives up to the level of refineries, and 50 percent up to the mills in 2015.
Alexandra Palt, L’Oréal Chief Sustainability Officer, said, “This encouraging first outcome demonstrates that tracing back derivatives is feasible. By end of 2016, L’Oréal will have achieved 100 per cent traceability, a first step to ensure compliance to Zero Deforestation among the concerned suppliers.”
Alongside its commitment to supporting independent smallholders through a multi-stakeholder partnership, the company also created a Sustainable Palm Index plan. This is stated as being a ‘new evaluation criteria for assessing palm derivatives suppliers based on their commitments and achievements as regarding supply chain knowledge, sustainable sourcing practices and compliance with L’Oréal Zero Deforestation policy.’
Palt continues, “By end 2016 L’Oréal will publish this new Sustainable Palm Index and make it available for all companies, business and partners of the palm sector. The aim is to support the effort of all stakeholders to commit to sustainable palm sourcing and achieve Zero deforestation.”


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Toyota Yaris Cross Named 'Best Small MPV' in Euro NCAP's Safest Cars of 2021
Euro NCAP have kicked off a New Year in car safety by crowning its best-in-class cars of 2021. Among the 33 new cars tested in 2021, 22 achieved the top 5-star rating with the Toyota Yaris Cross claiming victory in the ‘small MPV’ category.
The Japanese motor retailer received impressive scores of 86% and 84% in the adult occupant and child occupant categories, and 81% in the safety assist category for their hybrid model.
Euro NCAP (otherwise known as the European Car Assessment Programme) are the leaders in car safety, providing consumers with information on the safety of new cars, by carrying out rigorous safety tests.
The Euro NCAP Best-in-Class is awarded to cars which perform best overall in categories and they must have also achieved a 5-star rating, and no critical body region coloured in red in the full-scale tests.
Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP Secretary General, says “2021 was a tough year for the car industry: a shortage of parts, semiconductors in particular, was the sting in the tail of the Covid crisis, affecting development timelines, production and sales. Still, we saw quite a number of new car models coming to the market, many of them electric or hybrid, and many of them achieving five-star ratings despite the demanding requirements. Well done to the winners as well as to the runners-up, some of which were very close contenders for the top slot in their respective categories.”
Other notable winners included Skoda who scooped top spot in the “Large Off-Road” and “Small Family Car” categories, Nissan Qashqai was named best “Small Off-Road”, and the Mercedes-EQ EQS claimed the top spot in the “Executive Car” and “Pure Electric” categories.


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Sprint announced the BlackBerry Bold 9930 last week, but didn't reveal the date it would be available for purchase, stating simply they would be available "this fall". We've been saying for awhile now that August 21st would be the date, and now that's been confirmed through the Sprint Playbook as well as the price which is listed at $499 outright or $249 on a two year plan. Awesome!!
A new 5G BlackBerry Android smartphone with a keyboard will arrive in 2021
A new joint announcement from BlackBerry, OnwardMobility, and FIH Mobile lays out the plans for a new 5G BlackBerry Android smartphone with a physical keyboard to be brought to market in North America, and Europe within the first half of 2021.


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September 01, 2021
International fashion retailer Primark will be the latest addition to Fashion District Philadelphia when the new store opens Sept. 16, becoming the brand's third location in Pennsylvania and 12th in the United States.
Known for its accessible pricing, Primark sells trendy clothing and accessories for men, women and children, along with homeware, footwear, beauty products and confectionary.
The new location at Fashion District Philadelphia will bring 350 jobs to the mall, which was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic less than a year after it opened in the East Market section of Center City.
"We are delighted to welcome Philadelphians to our latest Northeast location in the U.S., bringing Primark’s unique formula of quality fashion, beauty and homeware with an amazing price tag," said Andy Stewart, president of Primark U.S. "Our Fashion District store will mark another important milestone in our ongoing expansion in the U.S. and bringing our amazing fashion at amazing prices to more and more customers."
Primark has been bullish on the Philadelphia region, open shops in recent years at the Willow Grove Park Mall and the King of Prussia Mall.
In advance of the grand opening at Fashion District Philadelphia, Primark will be hiring for retail positions at the store. The opening event on Sept. 16 will include giveaways and a DJ.
Based in Dublin, Ireland, Primark has expanded to nearly 400 stores across 12 countries.


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The sad demise of Steve Jobs-the Apple co-founder who recently quit his position as a CEO-spread a mourning wave across the world. Jobs died on Wednesday, at the age of 56, after his long battle with a rare form of pancreatic cancer, since his operation in 2004.
A cofounder of the benchmark companies such as Apple and NeXT Inc, and a wide contributor to the success of the Pixar Animation Studios-the maker of the world’s first fully computer-generated feature movie, Toy Story–led a revolutionary life adoring technology. However, in his later days, in an interview with Gary Wolf, he said that he didn’t care about revolutionizing society as technology could not solve the most important problems we face.
Outpourings of sympathy swept from various parts of the world as fiends, rivals, state leaders and fans gathered to pay their last respect to the man who touched countless lives through Macintosh, iPod, iPhone and iPad.
Recently Steve Jobs resigned his position as Apple’s CEO and handed it over to a long-time operation chief, Tim Cook, saying that he could no longer fulfill his duties as a chief executive.
Apple has been similarly guarded about the circumstances of his death, saying only that their chairman was surrounded by his wife Laurene and immediate family. Jobs had four children from two relationships.
Pulitzer Prize nominee Walter Isaacson is heard of writing Job’s biography. On questioning Jobs as to why he wanted his biography written he said, “I wanted my kids to know me.” In his final interview at his home in Palo Alto, California, Jobs told Isaacson “I wasn’t always there for them, and I wanted them to know why and to understand what I did.”
The story of an Icon who drove technology
Jobs led a secretive or rather ascetic life. Starting with Apple in his parent’s garage with one more partner, Jobs in real sense, was a college drop-out and led a mediocre life during his graduation period. Jobs excellence spoke through the technical revolution he brought about in the world.
Soon after his birth, Jobs was given for an adoption by his young, unwed, college-graduate mother. His adoptive parents belonged to a mediocre, working class people who never went to the college and saved for Jobs education, but he dropped after six months.
Sources revealed that Jobs worked and earned some amount to get his both ends meet. He considered every set back as a chance that opened new opportunity. Even in his last days, when Isaacson visited Jobs in his house, he found Jobs curled up in some pain. Jobs had abandoned his first floor bedroom and opted for the one downstairs as he was weak to climb up the stairs, repeatedly. “…But his mind was still sharp and his humor vibrant,” Isaacson wrote in an essay on Time.com.
Jobs changed the technology world in 1970s, when Apple II became the first popular personal computer. With Macintosh in 1984, Jobs showed his charisma again. A rebel streak got him out of the Apple in the year 1985; however, he returned with a bang in 1997 and released the iPod, iPhone, etc…
In the absence of a computer wizard and Apple’s godfather, Apple faces challenges as Google Android’s software are gaining share in the Smartphone market, and there are questions about what Apple’s next big product will be. Jobs was the marketing guru and its worth watching how good Cook performs his role as a new CEO of the Company that changed the word “Technology”.


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Free Starbucks For The Next 5 Days
Love your Starbucks coffee everyday? Get it for free!
According to Today.com:
Starting Dec. 27, the PSL purveyor is planning 1,000 pop-up parties across the country to close out the holiday season. The mini parties (which include free beverages!) will be taking place at over 200 Starbucks stores between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. local time
The giveaway starts today through New Year's Eve!


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Two people are booked under IPC 420, Merchandize Act and Copyright Act for illicitly selling duplicate product of Miraj.
Nitesh Jain and Mohanlal Jain, were arrested by Surajpol Police after being caught in a raid conducted today, at Nada Khada and Machchla Magra areas.
According to sources, Vijay Maheshwari, Marketing Official of Miraj Production Ltd., has informed police about a man at Nada Khada, behind Bapu Bazaar who is involved in selling fake product with Miraj’s label.
Acting on the tip off, police team led by Ramlal, A.S.I., raided the place and arrested Mohanlal Jain with 3 cartons of fake products. In the initial interrogation, Mohanlal revealed that he purchased the goods from another person Nitesh Jain from Machchla Magra.
Following the information, Police arrested Nitesh and also found one box of fake Miraj products.
Both are arrested under IPC 420, Merchandize Act and Copyright Act.


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On August 23, 2022, a Missoula Police Department officer was contacted regarding a potential bike theft. A Bicycle Hanger employee informed the dispatcher that a man he recognized as 27-year-old Kincaid Jensen from previous contact had entered the store to attempt to have the suspension adjusted to suit its size and weight. Police public information officer Lydia Arnold picks up the story.
“The employee knew Jensen because of the history of bike theft that Jensen and his twin brother have in our community,” Arnold said. “The serial number was traced back to the original retail store and the bike shop confirmed that the owner had recently reported the bike stolen. The employee was able to explain that the bike Jensen brought was not not suitable for Jensen’s size. The employee told Jensen. Jensen acted nervously and quickly left the store.
The bike carrier contacted the Missoula Police Department and explained what had just happened.
“The bike was originally reported to the police department the day before,” Arnold said. “An officer located Jensen on the bike near the Poverello center. The officer knew Jensen as Jensen is well known to law enforcement and has a history of stealing bikes. The officer knew that Jensen and his brother were homeless and unemployed and it would be unrealistic to afford to buy a bike or receive a bike of this value.
According to Arnold, the bike’s serial number was stolen and Jensen was arrested.
“Under Miranda, Jensen provided a statement that was not true,” Arnold said. “The officer was able to inform Jensen that the time frame provided by Jensen was not accurate and at that point Jensen changed his story. This story illustrates the importance of community involvement and contact with the 911. The Missoula Police Department appreciates the work done by the local bike shop who took the time to recover the stolen bike.
Because the value of the stolen bike exceeds $5,000, Jensen was charged with one count of felony theft.
The information in this article was obtained from publicly available sources.
24 Closed Missoula Businesses We Wish We Could Bring Back
We asked Missoulians which of their favorite businesses that have shut down would they like to see make a triumphant return. Here’s what they found.
24 Missoula businesses that have closed in the past two years
A large number of Missoula businesses have closed over the past two years for various reasons. Retirement, COVID-19, change of ownership…here’s a list of 24 businesses we’ve lost.


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Air Miles launches Ramadan offer
Dubai, September 1, 2009
Air Miles, a leading multi-participant loyalty programme, has launched a Ramadan promotion in conjunction with one of its key partners, Abela Supermarkets.
The promotion – which will be running daily throughout Ramadan – gives Air Miles members using their card in an Abela supermarket in Abu Dhabi the chance to win Dh600 ($163) worth of vouchers everyday, which can be redeemed in store.
Dave Battiston CEO Air Miles, Middle East said: “Ramadan is an extremely special time for people working and living in the Middle East, and to honour this we have teamed up with one of our top participants, Abela Supermarkets to offer a daily reward to one lucky Air Miles member.
“Air Miles staff will be on hand at branded kiosks in Abela Supermarkets to help new members to sign up and begin benefiting from earning loyalty points. This will also ensure that even people who don’t currently possess an Air Miles card can sign up and then stand a chance of winning the prize,” added Battiston.
Air Miles has also recently introduced an instant redemption service throughout Abela Supermarkets which enables its members’ miles to be instantly exchanged for items in store. – TradeArabia News Service
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Salix receives patent for IBS drug
RALEIGH, N.C. The United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued a patent to Salix Pharmaceuticals for a drug used to treat irritable bowel syndrome, Salix announced Tuesday.
The patent, U.S. Patent No. 7,452,857, protects the drug rifaximin as a treatment for IBS caused by small overgrowth of intestinal bacteria. Salix has an exclusive license to the patent from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to make, use, sell and import licensed products related to the use of rifaximin, which it will market under the brand name Xifaxan.
Salix is assessing the use of the drug as an IBS treatment.
“We are pleased with the issuance of this additional property protection for rifaximin in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome,” stated Salix president and chief executive officer Carolyn Logan. “We view patent protection as an essential component of our product lifecycle management strategy to protect the products in our portfolio.”
FDA, SciClone meet agreement on distribution of melanoma treatment
NEW YORK The Food and Drug Administration has reached an agreement with a drug maker on the design of a phase 3 trial of a skin cancer drug.
SciClone Pharmaceuticals announced Monday that it had reached the agreement with the agency concerning the drug thymalfasin, which it sees as a potential treatment for stage 4 melanoma.
“Patients suffering from stage 4 melanoma have very few treatment options available,” SciClone chief medical officer Israel Rios said in a statement. “Based on the positive data from an earlier phase 2 trial, thymalfasin could provide new treatment modalities for this high unmet medical need.”
The drug, if approved, will be sold under the brand name Zadaxin. The full name of its active ingredient is thymosin alpha 1.
Teva releases generic version of AstraZeneca’s Pulmicort
NORTH WALES, Pa. The world’s largest maker of generic drugs has introduced a generic version of AstraZeneca’s Pulmicort Respules.
Teva announced Wednesday that it had launched budesonide inhalation suspension, a treatment for asthma, in 0.25-mg-per-2-milliliters and 0.5-mg-per-2-milliliter strengths.


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CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Intertek, a leading Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide, has developed comprehensive safety and quality solutions to assist hoverboard manufacturers with the design, production, and marketing of self-balancing scooters and similar devices. The services include physical property testing, battery testing, risk assessment, chemical testing and software and mechanical evaluations, drawing off Intertek’s expertise and the guidance of a recently released electrical safety standard, UL 2272.
Intertek has also launched an education program for manufacturers in the U.S. and China, where a majority of hoverboards are manufactured. The educational outreach includes webinars, as well as a recent seminar in China on global market access requirements for self-balancing scooters, held in partnership with Shenzhen Institute of Standards and Technology and Shenzhen Academy of Metrology & Quality Inspection.
“As demand for emerging technology like hoverboards continues, it is important for manufacturers and retailers to develop a comprehensive testing regimen to infuse confidence and trust into the market place,” said Rich Adams, Senior Vice President at Intertek. “These services are part of Intertek’s commitment to provide comprehensive solutions to our customers that enable them to bring safer, higher quality products to market.”
Self-balancing scooters have become increasingly popular in recent years, with sales estimated to surpass $6 billion in 2016. However, until recently, no standard was in place to help ensure the safety of these devices, which include electrical charging components and lithium ion battery packs. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently announced that all self-balancing scooters manufactured, imported, distributed, or sold in the U.S. must comply with UL 2272. This decision was echoed in others markets including the European Union and Australia, making it essential for manufacturers to implement higher levels of quality assurance and address safety concerns at the design and testing stage well before it goes to market.
As a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL), Intertek draws on a history of innovation and expertise to meet the requirements of regulatory agencies to help ensure the safety and quality of products. Our range of services include physical property testing, chemical assessments, battery evaluations, knowledge of new and existing standards, software testing, risk assessment and analysis and other electrical testing. For more information on our hoverboard services, visit: http://www.intertek.com/batteries/hoverboard-testing.
Intertek is a leading Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide. Our network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and over 40,000 people in more than 100 countries, delivers innovative and bespoke Assurance, Testing, Inspection and Certification solutions for our customers’ operations and supply chains.
Bringing quality and safety to life.


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NII Won’t Get Brazil’s Approval to Buy Unicel, Veja Reports
NII Holdings Inc. (NIHD), which sells wireless service under the Nextel brand name in Latin America, won’t get approval from Brazil regulator Anatel to take over Unicel do Brasil Telecomunicacoes Ltda, Veja magazine reported, without saying where it got the information.
NII filed a request on Oct. 29 to buy Unicel, according to a filling published on Anatel’s website.
The column item contained no comment from NII. Claudia Restrepo, an NII spokeswoman, didn’t respond to a telephone call and an e-mail today from Bloomberg News outside of regular business hours.
To contact the reporter on this story: Ney Hayashi in Sao Paulo at email@example.com


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According to research, one in eight women get breast cancer and it’s the most common form of cancer in women. But it has a 100 per cent five-year survival rate at stage one. That means that if you catch it early, you’re going to be fine.
This month is your opportunity to wise up, get checked and support various causes that are doing something to raise further awareness. Here’s how you and your girls can get involved.
Throughout October, several Mediclinic facilities in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain will be offering 50 per cent off screening mammograms as well as complimentary consultation with a relevant specialist. To find your nearest clinic, check out their website.
One of the most traumatic experience a breast cancer patient goes through is har loss. Dabur Amla, leading hair oil brand has joined forces with Friends Of Cancer Patients and Tips & Toes to launch ‘Strong Hair Stronger You’ campaign to encourage UAE residents to donate their hair. Hair collected across 23 participating outlets will be used to create prosthetics for breast cancer patients. The initiative will then continue till December 15, 2020, to reach out to more patients suffering from different types of cancer. You can also plait your hair and cut it off, insert it into a sealed plastic bag and drop it in the donation box at participating Tips & Toes branches, or avail a free hair cut at the salon. To start you should register here.
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To encourage women across the UAE to check their breasts, Etihad has introduced #CheckTheEngine initiative. Throughout the month they will will be sharing images of aircraft engines on social media that have been visually changed to highlight the earliest symptoms of breast cancer. All you have to do is take a close look at them and see the if you spot a change in shape and size, swelling and lumps.
Head Ritz Carlton JBR this month and enjoy a pink afternoon tea and a rose awakening spa ritual. Not only will you feel great but you’ll be doing some good as a portion of proceeds being donated to Brest Friends in partnership with Al Jalila Foundation.
Estee Lauder’s bestselling Advanced Night Repair is having a pink makeover this month and also comes with a collectable pink ribbon bracelet. The radiance-boosting serum will not only do wonders for your complexion but if you purchase it this month the company will donate 20 per cent of the price to Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
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Drink to her
Bounty Beet’s, aka one of the pinkest eateries in town, is serving up a special pink mocktail at Dhs50 per drink. All of the proceeds will go to the Al Jalila Foundation. The perfect excuse for a ‘Sips in The City’ ladies night with your besties or a delicious breakfast.
Hi Maintenance, UAE based online fashion boutique is showing their support for Pinktober by offering a 10 per cent off on all pink items from their website. The will also donate 15 per cent of all jewellery sales for the entire month of October to the Al Jalila Foundation for its breast cancer research and treatment support for patients in need in the UAE. Whether pink is your colour or note, this is the best excuse to expand your wardrobe.
A sweet gesture
Our favourite mini cupcake destination Sugargam has created a Breast Cancer Awareness box and will donate Dhs5 from each box sold to the Al Jalila Foundation. Available on Deliveroo and ChatFood this month, if you purchase the Dhs30 Breast Cancer Awareness box you will receive an assortment of five delicious bite size cupcakes and will also be aiding in the effort to find a cure and fund patient support.
– For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram
Images: Instagram, main image instagram.com/halpernstudio


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The employees at a bank branch office were sweetly rewarded this week by a grateful customer who is also a regular at the nearby A Piece of Cake Bakery.
"It was a huge cake with marble and butter cream frosting with the words `Thank you' on it," said Abbie Yefko, branch assistant. . "It had that really sweet frosting that I love so much."
"We all had our piece of cake, that's for sure," said Yefko, of the Savings Bank of Rockville.
Joseph Gaudette, 59, who works at the bakery with his daughter, owner Donna Sobol, 36, said the elderly man who ordered the cake asked not to be identified.
Sobol, who opened the bakery last month, said business has been good because of the town's friendly atmosphere. Word-of-mouth recommendations have brought in many new customers, she said.
"It's small and real country - everybody knows everybody," Sobol said. "Being in a small town has helped business because it's more neighbor-oriented."
A Bolton resident, Sobol said she decided to open her bakery in town because she could corner the market on freshly baked goods. The bakery at 612 Main St. in Playhouse Plaza is the only one in town.
"That's why I chose Somers; there is nothing out here," said Sobol, who worked as a secretary for 18 years and owned a part-time catering service for 10 of those years. "The less competition the better."
Sobol said she has confidence that her business will survive tough economic times.
"No matter who you are, everyone wants something sweet," Sobol said. "Even if someone is on a diet, they'll have something small."
The bakery features a variety of fresh offerings, including cakes, muffins, cookies, pies, pastries and breads. The bakery also handles any special orders, she said.
Connie Carenzo, an administrative secretary in town hall, said she stops in often to buy her 3-year-old granddaughter cupcakes with white frosting and sprinkles.
"She thinks she makes them special for her," Carenzo said. "She eats the frosting first and then she eats the cake."
Carenzo also said, "I think it's wonderful. We've needed a bakery in town for a long time."
The bakery is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. It is closed Mondays.


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Mike Tyson Ear Gummies Banned In US State
| Last updated
Featured Image Credit: @miketyson/Instagram/TikTok
Mike Tyson's cannabis ear-shaped edibles have been banned in a US state over fears of children eating them.
In 1997, the former heavyweight world champion bit off a chunk of Evander Holyfield's ear. "I bit him because I wanted to kill him. I was really mad about my head being bumped and everything," he said in an earlier interview.
The incident is one of the boxer's most defining moments, even inspiring a product under his cannabis brand: weed gummies, shaped like a bitten ear.
These ears actually taste good!— Mike Tyson (@MikeTyson) March 15, 2022
Iron Mike has been selling cannabis products since 2016, reportedly earning around $1 million each month from his Tyson 2.0 business and 420-acre weed resort near Desert Hot Springs in southern California - because obviously, weed is legal in this state.
'Mike Bites' have already rolled out in California, but amid plans to launch elsewhere, they've been somewhat banned in Colorado.
This is the result of HB 1436, a bill passed in 2016 which sought to ban THC-infused lemon drops, gummy bears and other edibles that could 'entice' children.
The bill's text reads: "A prohibition on the production and sale of edible retail marijuana products that are in the distinct shape of a human, animal or fruit.
"Geometric shapes and products that are simply fruit flavoured are not considered fruit. Products in the shape of a marijuana leaf are permissible. Nothing in this subparagraph applies to a company logo."
As per Westword, Tyson's ear-shaped edibles are 'directly applicable' to the law, according to Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division's communications director Shannon Gray.
However, this isn't the end of the world for the product: instead of being released as they are, they'll be manufactured in the shape of a 'T' in Colorado, Tyson 2.0 said.
Tyson doesn't take a hands-off approach with the business: he tries every single product, assuring his gummy ears 'actually taste good.'
He said: "Each Tyson 2.0 product has been personally tested and approved by me.
"I’m better today thanks to the healing powers of cannabis, and I’m eager to share what we’ve created so others can benefit from this magical plant the way I have.”
Speaking to The Times, Holyfield said he was 'glad' Tyson bit his ear, as it 'cost [him] a lot of grief' but allowed him to 'talk about what forgiveness is.'
He said: "What people don't know is Mike is a lot more knowledgeable than they think. They think he is crazy, but he's a businessperson now. You can't be the same way when you get older."
If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected]


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There’s already a ton of pop-ups in Windows 10, and it looks like Windows 11 will have even more, according to insights noticed by PCWorld.
The new pop-ups will come from the improved Tips app, which will help new users learn more about the operating system.
The Tips app has received a total design overhaul to match the rest of the system, and Microsoft has added over 100 new tips for users, including ones on shortcuts and optimization, as well as Office tips to boost productivity.
In a a recent blog post, Microsoft said: “And it doesn’t quite stop there with the Tips app — you’ll notice tips appear throughout Windows 11 to help you discover new things as you go!” That translates to more pop-ups, basically. These pop-ups are designed to further teach users about Windows 11.
Pop-ups have been a divisive feature since the days of Windows 8. Notifications from apps and web browsers can quickly grow out of control, and that’s not even counting Microsoft’s previous deceptive attempts to convince people to upgrade to Windows 10 or to use Edge as their web browser.
Hopefully, these new pop-ups aren’t too intrusive, or can at least be managed easily.
This news comes as part of an announcement of Windows 11’s Preview Build 22458, which otherwise includes information about performance improvements and new features. It’s important to note that these pop-ups may not be seen in the final version of Windows.
Build 22458 is part of the Windows Insider program, and the OS is still subject to change before it launches.
Windows 11 is set to release on October 5, and it promises to be a significant update. Microsoft has overhauled the interface with an “acrylic material” design language. Some of the largest changes include a visual redesign for the Taskbar and Start Menu. There are also new animations, sounds, and widgets, giving Windows 11 an aesthetic more akin to MacOS.
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By Sophie Mir
Non-alcoholic drinks remain a top mealpart at Canadian restaurants. Per Technomic’s Ignite menu data, almost all Canadian operators (99.4 per cent) menu non-alcoholic beverages. (If not menued, then they’re almost certainly available.) According to Technomic’s 2018 Canadian Beverage Consumer Trend Report, beverage consumption from foodservice has remained steady over the past two years, with consumers purchasing 3.3 beverages per week on average. That popularity has given operators the chance regularly test out new trends, both to quickly gather data and keep things exciting, and operators’ efforts are driving three major trends in non-alcoholic drinks — functional ingredients, innovative mocktails and cold-brew coffee with new twists.
Function and Form
This infusion of exotic, functional ingredients in beverages is meeting consumers’ desire for both health and innovation. According to Technomic’s 2018 Canadian Beverage Consumer Trend Report, 23 per cent of consumers said they would like to try new and unique beverages offered at restaurants, with 18- to 34-year-olds reporting significantly higher than consumers ages 35 and up (31 per cent to 18 per cent, respectively). At the same time, 38 per cent of consumers overall report that they would like restaurants to offer healthier beverages. When asked if they would be likely to order beverages that offer functional benefits, 23 per cent of consumers said they would, which skews even higher for younger consumers.
Both limited- and full-service restaurants are increasingly featuring trendy functional ingredients in a variety of beverages. Asian-inspired flavours in particular are growing rapidly, with turmeric up 80 per cent in non-alcoholic drinks since last year. Likewise, cardamom and matcha also rose by 33.3 per cent and 4.7 per cent in beverages, respectively and kombucha saw a 26.9 per cent bump. For example, Good Earth Coffeehouse recently debuted its Turmeric Latte and Earls Kitchen + Bar offers KeVita Ginger Kombucha, spotlighting its beneficial probiotics in the online menu.
Turmeric, matcha and beverages like kombucha not only offer distinct, bold flavours, but also connote health and wellness benefits. For example, kombucha provides both a tart and slightly sweet flavour addition to popular drinks, but it is also packed with antioxidants. With 41 per cent of consumers reporting that they are ordering kombucha, operators should incorporate it, and they shouldn’t stop there.
Among consumers who have had a mocktail in the last month, 43 per cent ordered from a foodservice location or restaurant. Operators are responding to consumers’ interest in mocktails, with menu mentions increasing by 9.1 per cent in the past year. The top restaurant segments that serve mocktails are upscale casual dining (50 per cent), fine dining (43.2 per cent) and contemporary casual dining (33.3 per cent), meaning there’s still a lot of room for limited-service restaurants to expand their current offerings. In all segments, however, operators are finding new ways to diversify their mocktail selections with fresh and uncommon flavours.
In the past year, both hibiscus and rose saw massive growth in menu mentions in mocktails, up 100 per cent and 300 per cent, respectively. For example, Cactus Club Cafe rolled out its Hey Hibiscus mocktail made with a blend of hibiscus and rose, and Wolf in the Fog in Tofino, British Columbia, spotlights its The Body is a Temple mocktail, featuring hibiscus grenadine. Mocktails are still dominated by fruit, including lime, lemon, strawberry, pineapple and orange, but there’s consumer demand for operators to explore less-charted territory.
Seasonality counts with beverages, too. According to Technomic’s 2017 Canadian Flavour Consumer Trend Report, 29 per cent of consumers reported that their preferences changed with the season, so come spring and summer, operators should spotlight warm floral flavours. Seasonal preferences resonate particularly strongly with women, with 35 per cent reporting seasonal preferences compared to just 22 per cent of men.
In what’s perhaps a sign that mocktails are joining non-alcoholic beer in the mainstream, non-alcoholic spirits are finding their way into commercial foodservice. Seedlip, a non-alcoholic spirit mimicking gin, is popping up in mocktails like Earls Kitchen + Bar’s Spring Gimlet. It appeals to the 33 per cent of consumers (including 41 per cent of younger consumer) that say they would likely purchase mocktails that taste like they contain alcohol, and normalizes the mocktail offering, potentially attracting new consumers.
New Twists in Cold Brew Coffee
Cold-brew coffee’s popularity continues to grow, with a 35 per cent increase of cold brew menu mentions in coffee. In addition, 15 per cent of consumers say they would like more restaurants to it. And as cold brew saturates the foodservice market, restaurants are adding a new spin on it as well. Starbucks Canada recently added cold brew blended with plant-based protein, bananas and dates. Second Cup Coffee recently menued a salted butterscotch cold brew coffee, while Jugo Juice developed a line of smoothies featuring cold brew as well. Since 34 per cent of younger consumers say they’d like restaurants to offer more flavour combinations in drinks, operators should continue to experiment unlikely combinations featuring cold brew, and that differentiate themselves from competitors.
Another way concepts are diversifying their cold brew selections is by offering and spotlighting dairy alternatives, including coconut- and almond-based milks. For instance, two of Jugo Juice’s three cold brew smoothies feature non-dairy milk, and along with its salted caramel cold brew, Second Cup menued an almond milk cold brew mocha, which should be unsurprising: almond milk is the fastest-growing ingredient in coffee.
Different Drinks, Same Trend
The overall trend shows up on different menus in different places and in different way, but overall, non-alcoholic beverages continue to provide opportunities for innovation among Canadian foodservice operators, with 65 per cent of consumers agreeing that they are more likely to visit a restaurant that offers new flavours and 62 per cent stating that they are likely to return to the same restaurant if they like a new flavour. As a result, operators shouldn’t be afraid to explore unusual seemingly unusual combinations and layer different trends on one another to invigorate their non-alcoholic beverage menus. Restaurants that do it best will undoubtedly stand apart from competition and gain new patrons.
Sophie Mir is an Associate Editor for Technomic Inc., a Chicago-based foodservice research and consulting firm. Technomic provides clients with the facts, insights and consulting support they need to enhance their business strategies, decisions and results. The company’s services include publications and digital products as well as proprietary studies and ongoing research on all aspects of the food industry. Visit technomic.com for more information.


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SAP has a confusing cloud computing roadmap that is putting customers off deploying its on-demand applications, according to new research.
The SAP User Group conducted a survey with 100 of the firm's customers and found that 58 per cent of them believed there to be a lack of clarity over SAP's cloud roadmap, while 27 per cent of them did not even know what SAP's cloud computing offerings were.
Many of the respondents – 59 per cent – said they were particularly confused by how to upgrade or integrate SAP's on-demand modules with its on-premise applications.
SAP will need to act fast to make its cloud roadmap clear to customers, particularly as 80 per cent of the professionals surveyed said they plan to deploy SAP's on-demand applications in the future.
"I don't understand the cloud computing roadmap but SAP is obviously doing a lot of work in the area," SAP UK User Group chief executive Craig Dale told V3.
"I think SAP is getting better at giving customers understanding. It is holding quite a bit of conversation around its roadmap and what customers' cloud architecture should look like."
Dale also said that from his conversations with SAP customers, he has found that many worry the cloud will add to their data protection woes.
SAP's cloud strategy has been centred largely on its Business ByDesign offering. It was launched in 2007, although technical difficulties meant that it was 2010 before it was ready for large-scale use by customers, with the release of Business ByDesign 2.5.
Recently, SAP has begun focusing on integrating Business ByDesign with its on-premise offerings to encourage more widespread use across organisations. SAP has also begun marketing the on-demand applications to large enterprises as well as small and medium-sized businesses.
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