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Displaying items by tag: Amazon
No matter how good you may feel about stock indexes being back near all-time highs, one fact cannot be ignored: the market seems to be heavily overweight on the five largest tech stocks— Microsoft, Facebook, Google, Apple, and Amazon (the new acronym, named by Goldman is FAAMG). These stocks have been powering the market, but the whole situation feels like past peaks where their outperformance could not go on forever. Concentration in the S&P 500 is now at its highest in decades, with those five names accounting for 22% of the total capitalization, up from just 16% a year ago. According to Barron’s “Simple arithmetic limits the continued outperformance of the biggest names, the Goldman team observes, because many portfolio managers have 5% limits on holdings of any given stock. The strategists’ analysis shows that the average large-cap mutual fund already has a 5% position in Microsoft and about 4% positions in the other big four names.”.
FINSUM: It seems these stocks are reaching their institutional allocation limits, which mans retail needs to power them higher. The whole situation feels ripe for a correction.
If Biden wins the presidency and Democrats take the House and Senate, tax hikes look inevitable. Biden is already publicly planning for them, and the way the polls are going, advisors would be wise to give the eventuality some thought. Even if Democrats don’t win the Senate, there may still be a tax overhaul. With that in mind, these are the stocks likely to be the hardest hit by a Democrat-led tax package. Based on Biden’s plan, it looks like a 10% rise in overall corporate taxes. Zion Research is leading the charge into the analysis, and here is an overview (quote from Barron’s): “Zion notes that 117 companies [in the] S&P 500 have over $100 million in net income that had cash tax rates less than 15%. Biden’s plan for a 15% minimum tax on book income would mean that group combined pays another $37 billion in taxes. According to Zion, nearly half of that would come from five companies: Berkshire Hathaway (ticker: BRK.B), Intel (INTC), AT&T (T), Duke Energy (DUK) and Amazon.com (AMZN). Biden called out Amazon specifically during his speech, when he said, ‘The days of Amazon paying nothing in federal income tax will be over’”.
FINSUM: This is quite astute analysis as these are stocks that are benefiting in a very significant way from the current tax regime. Amazon seems to have a big risk here that is not properly understood by the market.
One of the things that makes Amazon such an extraordinary company is that it is always on the look out for the next great business opportunity, and always seems to be one step ahead in executing it. AWS anyone? Now the champion of Seattle may be eyeing a new target—ride-sharing. Amazon is considering the acquisition of Zoox, a well-known autonomous vehicle company. If it were to acquire Zoox, it would immediately be in competition with Uber and Lyft in the soon-to-be autonomous ride-sharing market.
FINSUM: We assume Amazon also has some yet-to-be-understood purpose for this beyond just competing with Uber and Lyft. For instance, autonomous delivery/logistics vehicles?
Investors might be growing a little uneasy if they have been paying attention to market leaders. A number of stocks that have led the big market rally are starting to falter, and that could be a sign of a major pullback to come. Amazon, Zoom, Netflix and other leaders of this rally have recently plateaued or dipped, which could be a sign that the rally has lost strength. If those stocks start to lose ground, a lot of the gains the market has seen are at risk because of the chance that investors could capitulate once the indexes loses leadership. One equity strategist at BTIG put it this way, “We’d suggest that the ability for the broad market to build on its recent gains is contingent on names like Zoom, Moderna, Netflix and Amazon and other highflying ‘shelter-in-place’ names whose momentum has waned in recent days, to at least sustain their meteoric advances as leadership passes off to the more cyclical areas and themes”.
FINSUM: We think there is a degree of truth in this. If the big gainers start to fade, it is hard to imagine the laggards will suddenly start holding the market up.
You may or may not have heard of Shopify, but if you haven’t, it is probably time to take a hard look. Shopify is a Canadian e-commerce company—a fact which has meant it has been somewhat overlooked by those outside the tech space—that makes offering ecommerce and in-store payment collection easier for small businesses. The idea is to offer the scale and robustness that large companies have to small businesses selling online. It makes its money from subscription fees and add-on services. After initially falling during the lockdown, it has nearly doubled in value and is now worth around $100 bn.
FINSUM: This has been a big run higher, but Shopify sits at the intersection of ecommerce and fintech and may be the long-term competitor to Amazon.


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By Former Staff / March 13th, 2018
This week’s issue of Weekly Famitsu has revealed that the Switch version of Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana launches on 28th June in Japan. Furthermore, the port will include most of the game’s DLC that is already available on other formats separately.
Currently, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is available on PS4 and PS Vita worldwide. The PC version of Ys VIII will launch this April, while the Switch version has a Summer 2018 release window in North America and Europe.
Action RPGNihon Falcomnintendo switchNippon Ichi SoftwareportRPGYs VIIIYs VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana

domain: news


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Let me get this out right now.
Japan always has what we didn’t know we needed.
Justin Bieber posted the above to his Instagram yesterday.
I didn’t think I needed a lighter before, but this Japanese commercial for a USB stick/lighter has convinced me.
Two girls found condom ice cream (Egg Ice Cream) at a Japanese grocery store, as in, a grocery store in Japan and decide to record themselves eating it.
Sandra Bullock and Demi Lovato donated $1 million of their own money to the relief effort in Japan.


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Australia and Japan are the preferred tourism destinations for Singaporeans, a new survey has revealed.
MasterCard’s latest study into consumer purchasing priorities found that most Singaporeans chose Australia as their destination of choice, followed by Hong Kong and Japan. If money was not a constraint however, Japan would top the list, followed by London.
“It is little surprise that Australia, Hong Kong and Japan are the top destinations of choice for Singaporeans – packages to these three countries are also highly popular at the biannual NATAS travel fairs,” said Patricia Auyeong, Acting Group CEO of the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (NATAS). “These countries represent much of what Singaporeans love about travel, whether it is for good food, shopping, sightseeing or even just enjoying different seasons,” she added.
Commenting on results, MasterCard’s General Manager for Singapore, Julienne Loh, noted the trend towards regional destinations. “We can expect hotspots for leisure travel to be in the Asia Pacific region for 2013. Nine out of 10 countries in our list of popular destinations for Singaporeans are in Asia Pacific. Singaporeans would also choose to travel to Japan over London if money was not a constraint, signalling that Singaporeans are embracing the region to discover its hidden gems,” she said.
In terms of frequency of travel, eight in 10 Singaporeans made at least one overseas leisure trip in 2012, while a third of the respondents said they intend to travel more in 2013 than they did in the past. Money and time are the main constraints to travelling more.
Mid-range hotels were identified as the most popular type of accommodation, while sightseeing was the most popular activity, followed by shopping. Transport and accommodation were found to take up the biggest chunks of holiday budget.


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Holden confirms permanent five-year warranty
Extended warranty no longer a promotional tool
Holden's five-year warranty has finally stuck.
The Aussie car brand has confirmed that all new vehicles will be covered with a five-year guarantee that offers unlimited kilometres for private buyers and those using an ABN for business. Government, fleet and rental purchases will have the same warranty period but restricted to 200,000km.
Holden has been using the extended peace of mind as a sales tool for the last 12 months, offering it sporadically to entice customers back into showrooms and stem a dramatic sales slide.
"At Holden, we’re focused on offering the right products in the right segments and providing exceptional customer service,” said Holden Chairman and Managing Director Mark Bernhard.
"Holden’s product portfolio is the best line-up and quality we’ve ever had, especially in the key growth segments of SUVs and utes. We’ve always had confidence in our cars and this is putting money where our mouth is.
“Buying a new car is a huge financial and emotional commitment and this five-year warranty is rounding out our market-leading portfolio of care for our customers.
“We also have the most passionate and capable dealer network in the country and this standard five-year warranty supports the work they’re doing to look after our customers.”
The warranty will also include roadside assistance and transparent service pricing for the same period.
Potential customers can also take a Holden for a 24-hour test drive while Holden's Maven service can provide short-term rentals.
The confirmation of Holden's five-year warranty follows a similar deal recently announced by arch rival Ford, bringing the brands in line with the likes of Hyundai, Honda, Jeep, Mitsubishi, Skoda, Peugeot and Renault but still behind Kia's benchmark seven-year coverage.


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Digital TV News: TrueVisions
TrueVisions extends CA partnership with Synamedia
Jan 15, 2019 – Synamedia has announced that it has extended its partnership with TrueVisions. As part of the new contract, Synamedia VideoGuard will protect TrueVisions’ live sports, news, entertainment and other premium content.
News categories: Synamedia, TrueVisions, Sue Couto, Dr. Jen, Android TV, Cable TV, Conditional Access, Digital TV, Satellite, Set Top Box, Thailand
TrueVisions takes Ku-band capacity on Thaicom-8
Jan 14, 2019 – Thaicom (THCOM) has announced that True Visions has signed a transponder capacity contract for its pay TV service in Thailand. True Visions has retained Ku-band transponders on the new Thaicom-8 satellite.
News categories: Thaicom, TrueVisions, Patompob (Nile) Suwansiri, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Satellite, Thailand
Alticast helps deliver Thailand’s first 4K UHD channel
Jul 31, 2018 – Alticast has announced that its software platform, AltiPlatform, was instrumental in launching Thailand’s first 4K UHD channel with TrueVisions. The service, capable of transmitting UHD for both cable and DTH, rolled out on June 24.
News categories: Alticast, TrueVisions, Dosa Park, Sueksith Cholasuek, Cable TV, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Middleware, Satellite, Set Top Box, Thailand
TrueVisions chooses ContentWise for multiscreen personalization
Jun 3, 2015 – ContentWise has announced that it has been selected by TrueVisions to power personalization for its multiscreen offering in Thailand. Working with system integrator, Golden Duck, ContentWise will deliver personal user experiences for the TrueVisions VOD service.
News categories: ContentWise, TrueVisions, Golden Duck, Paolo Bozzola, Nantanee Wongumnitkul, Cable TV, ConnecTechAsia, Digital TV, Satellite, Thailand
TrueVisions offers subscription-free satellite TV STB
Jan 16, 2015 – Thailand's TrueVisions has launched a new set-top box capable of receiving up to 200 subscription-free satellite TV channels. The True Digital HD box is suitable for both Ku-band and C-band reception, and can support screen resolutions up to 1080i.
News categories: True Corp, Digital TV, DVB-S2, Satellite, Set Top Box, Thailand
Thailand's TrueVisions selects MStar HD STB chipset
Dec 30, 2014 – MStar Semiconductor has announced that its MPEG-4 HD Set-Top-Box chipset has been selected by TrueVisions, Thailand's largest provider of subscription-based television serving through CATV and DSTV systems.
News categories: MStar Semi, TrueVisions, Dennis Lai, Vichai Sernvongsat, Cable TV, Digital TV, Satellite, Semiconductor, Set Top Box, Thailand
TrueVisions subscribers down 17,000 in 1Q 2014
May 15, 2014 – True Corporation PLC has released results for the first quarter of 2014. TrueVisions’ customer base was 2.354 million at the end of 1Q14, down from 2.371 million at the end of 2013.
News categories: True Corp, Cable TV, Results, Satellite, Subscribers, Terrestrial, Thailand
Elemental video processing powers service expansion for TrueVisions
Feb 17, 2014 – Elemental Technologies has announced that TrueVisions, Thailand’s pay TV leader and one of the largest cable operators in South Asia, is enlarging its Elemental installation to power the expansion of its HD and multiscreen services.
News categories: Elemental Technologies, TrueVisions, Vichai Sernvongsat, David Godfrey, Cable TV, Content Distribution, Mobile, Thailand, TV Everywhere
TrueVisions passes the 2 million customer mark in Thailand
Feb 27, 2013 – Thailand's True Corporation has released results for the fourth quarter and full year 2012. TrueVisions subscribers rose to 2.04 million (from 1.64 million at the end of 2011) with a strong pickup in premium subscriptions and free-to--air customers.
News categories: True Corp, Cable TV, Results, Satellite, Subscribers, Thailand
- LMT picks Harmonic to optimise 4G bandwidth use on its live OTT service
- Minerva YourTV Now cloud integrated with Verimatrix Viewthority
- Kaltura releases updated Cloud TV Platform SDK
- Nielsen rolls Sorenson Media acquisition into new addressable advertising initiative
- Extreme Reach releases 2018 Q4 Video Advertising Benchmarks report
- New services to add $3.6bn to the US D2C video market by 2023
- KCTV selects Alticast to upgrade TV on Korea's JeJu Island
- Samsung rolls out Galaxy S10 5G smartphone across Europe
- Millicom acquires Telefónica’s operations in Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua
- Spectrum to offer 'Essentials' OTT TV service to its internet customers
- Atlantic Broadband acquires cable system in Springfield, WV from Comcast
- Vodafone first to connect 5G smartphones to its network
- Amobee integrates Nielsen’s Enterprise Audience API
- TiVo announces metadata deal with Sky Mexico
- Brazil home video market on path to recovery
- Smart speaker household access grows to 13% of internet users
- DoubleVerify acquires digital video technology company, Zentrick
- GDPR device conformance testing service launched by Eurofins
- LG renews license to use Hillcrest motion technology in its remotes
- Minerva unveils advanced pay TV service management tools


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As students across America gear up for this new school year, parents are wondering how much more expensive will BACK TO SCHOOL shopping be this year for lunch box items and school supplies? Using Datasembly’s real-time, hyperlocal data, we can tell you.
Let’s tackle lunch box essentials first. We reviewed the YOY% price change of 37 Nationally branded products- like Hillshire Farm, Kraft, Quaker, Sara Lee and Motts - at over 10,000 locations of some of the largest retailers in the country. The list included products like:
Chewy Granola Bars, Applesauce, Loaf of White Bread and Honey Wheat Bread, Sliced Honey Ham Deli Lunch Meat, Oven Roasted Turkey Breast Ultra Thin Sliced Lunch Meat, American Cheese Slices, Hellmann's Real Mayo Squeeze Bottle Real Mayonnaise, Classic Yellow Mustard, Fruit Snacks Pouches and Mozzarella String Cheese - Just to name a few.
The branded products commonly found in lunch boxes across America are up an average of 20.3% over last year’s prices, as of July 31, 2022. But just how much you’re going to pay also varies depending on where you live.
The metro areas with the highest increase in the average lunchbox prices are Tampa and Des Moines at 25.7% over the same time period last year. Followed closely by Charlotte with a 24.6% increase over last year and Orlando and Greenville at 24%. The cities with the smallest lunch box increases are San Diego with a 14.4% increase and Los Angeles at 15.1%.
Now that lunches are packed, we took a moment to review how much more school supplies will cost this year. Branded school supplies like Crayola, Expo, Mead and Five Star, will fill bookbags around the country, but how much are they going to cost?
Datasembly reviewed 27 of these branded products at over 9000 locations at some of the largest retailers in the country. Products included:
Pencils, Colored Pencils, Mechanical Pencils, One Subject Wide Ruled Notebook, Wirebound Notebooks, 3-Subject Notebook, Color Pack Crayons, Colors Marker Set, Glue Sticks, and hand sanitizer
While your school supplies may not have increased YOY as much as your lunch, school supplies will cost on average 15.9% more than they did as of July 31, 2022 - up from an 8% YOY increase in June. If you’re keeping score, that’s almost double the increase we saw in June 2022.
Like lunch box items, school supply price increases vary by metro area around the country. The largest YOY increase in back to school supplies is 28% in the Syracuse/Rochester and Hartford/New England metro areas, followed closely by San Antonio at 27.9%. Quite the opposite, the smallest increase is 5.7% in Seattle, followed by Los Angeles at 8.7%.
Whether you’re packing lunches or stocking up on supplies, there’s no doubt that this year’s haul will cost parents more than last year no matter where you are.


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And How Can You Protect Yourself?
Read more »
The financial industries of most countries worldwide use emerging innovative technologies to cut down operational costs, enhance customer services, and automate work. For example, organizations in the Canadian financial sector heavily depend on Fintech, the Internet of Things, quantum computing, the cloud, and artificial intelligence, among others, to enable electronic financial transactions and data transfer between payment systems, institutions, vendors, and clients.
However, while these interconnections promise increased efficiency and faster communications, they have become attractive targets in today’s highly sophisticated and rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape. For example, a cyberattack that compromises only one financial organization can potentially spread to external partners, which may ultimately disrupt critical international and national financial systems.
Unsurprisingly, motivations like financial gains from transaction values that amount to billions of dollars daily have seen the financial industry face frequent and complex cyberattacks. For instance, Canada’s population has embraced online banking transactions more and more, with 76% of Canadians preferring mobile devices and online banking for all transactions.


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Kate Hudson has been the face of Ann Taylor for a while — three seasons, specifically — so why shouldn’t she start designing for them?
Exactly. According to Vogue UK, the actress has designed a capsule collection for high summer 2013, working closely with the company’s creative director Lisa Axelson to design something in-step with Hudson’s own red carpet style.
“Working with Ann Taylor has been a great creative experience and there is a really wonderful connection,” Kate said to WWD. “Ann Taylor is great at creating iconic wardrobe staples and updating them season after season. I love that Lisa Axelson is designing clothes for real women.”
Very cool! The actress’ line hits shelves in May, and we can (probably) expect the sneak peaks to begin trickling in soon.


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Battery Makers Are In the Hot Seat
The fires reported by General Motors (NYS: GM) earlier this week were just the latest in a string of bad news for battery makers. It has also left battery manufacturers scrambling to reassure customers that their chemistry is safe.
Valence Technology (NAS: VLNC) released a press release reiterating that its batteries were safe and GM and LG Chem are working hard to try to find the root cause.
Before we get too worked up about a battery fire a week after a crash test, I will point out that new technologies often have hiccups like this and since it doesn't appear to be immediately dangerous to drivers it shouldn't be a long-term problem. As a former research and development engineer who started an inadvertent fire or two, I have confidence they'll solve the problem.
But maybe, just maybe, the Chevy Volt fire will be good for A123 Systems (NAS: AONE) . The Volt battery is made by LG Chem, a Korean company that won the contract over A123 when the company was in its infancy. If A123 can prove to have safer technology, this could help it win contracts in the future.
Pink slips at A123 Systems
For now, A123 has to deal with its own problems of slower-than-expected demand and mounting losses. That has forced the company to lay off 125 workers at its plant in Michigan. The company says the layoffs are temporary, but the way things are going right now, who knows if they'll ever come back.
This isn't the end of the world
The battery fire is bad news for everyone from A123 Systems to Tesla Motors (NAS: TSLA) and Toyota (NYS: TM) . As these companies try to overcome high costs and uneasy customers, every bad news story is bad for the industry. But I don't think this is what will determine the success or failure of electric cars. For that we have to look at consumer demand, which simply isn't strong for EVs right now. That's more important than a fire that will leave the headlines in a week or two.
At the time this article was published Fool contributor Travis Hoium does not own an electric vehicle and does not have a position in any company mentioned. You can follow Travis on Twitter at @FlushDrawFool, check out his personal stock holdings or follow his CAPS picks at TMFFlushDraw.Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended buying shares of General Motors and Tesla Motors. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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FORT MYERS, Fla. - Home-Tech, a Southwest Florida air conditioning and appliance service and sales company, has successfully continued to operate its Charity of the Month program. Each month, Home-Tech donates a portion of the price of each new air conditioning unit sold to a different charity. Donations are made in customers’ names to thank them for their business, instead of sending corporate gifts.
As part of the program, Home-Tech recently donated to the following charities of the month: Eden Autism Services Florida (January), the American Red Cross recovery efforts in Haiti (February), the Ronald McDonald Storybook Ball (March), the American Heart Association’s National Start! Walking Day (April), and the CROW Animal Refuge Center (May).
Since launching the program in August 2009, Home-Tech and its customers have given approximately $8,000 to charities.
Publication date: 06/28/2010


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(Reuters) – Wayfair Inc’s (W.N) shares rose as much as 26 percent in their market debut on Thursday, valuing the online home furnishings retailer at about $3 billion.
Wayfair’s initial public offering of 11 million class A common shares raised about $319 million.
The company sold 10.5 million shares in the offering, which was priced at $29 per share, above the expected range of $25-$28.
The stock opened at $36 and hit a high of $36.50 on the New York Stock Exchange.
Goldman Sachs & Co, BofA Merrill Lynch and Citigroup are among the underwriters for the offering.


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CFLD International, an end-to-end master planner, creator and operator of full-scale New Industry Cities, marked its continued progress in Asia with a ground breaking ceremony on 20 June 2019 for the tenants of its Karawang New Industry City (KNIC) project in Indonesia.
Strategically located 47 kilometres east of Jakarta, in the heart of the Jakarta-Bandung economic corridor, the 205-hectare KNIC features world-class infrastructure, digital connectivity, facilities and amenities specifically designed for food, automobile and motorcycles, consumer electronics, and building materials industries. It also houses innovation parks for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
The ceremony was graced by more than 200 guests, partners, tenants and officials including Airlangga Hartarto, Minister of Industry for Indonesia; Ridwan Kamil, Governor of West Java; Wang Liping, Minister-Counselor of the Economic and Commercial Counselor's Office of the Embassy of China in Indonesia; Dito Ganinduto, Chairman of Commission 6 of the People's Representative Council, Indonesia; Wisnu Wijaya Soedibjo, Deputy Chairman of the Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM); and Cellica Nurrachadiana, Regent of Karawang Regency.
Already, more than US$100 million of investment has been committed from a strong suite of nine regional and international tenants and partners. This includes PT Wook Global Technology, PT Ikimura Indotools Centre, PT Ruiyuan Karawang Industrial Innovation and Development, PT Wonderful Food International, PT Brightgene Biomedical Indonesia, PT Binamitra Kwartasedaya, Zhengjia Henglin Co., Ltd., PT Sandin Heavy Equipment, and Dongguan JiaYaoXing Packing Products Co., Ltd. Approximately 4,000 local jobs are expected to be created from this tranche alone.
KNIC aligns with the local government’s commitment to economic and social progress. When fully completed, the project in its entirety is expected to create 40,000 new jobs locally, while contributing US$12 million in local taxes per year to Indonesia.
KNIC is one of the projects currently being undertaken by CFLD International, along with Tangerang New Industry City, also in Indonesia, and Nhon Trach New Industry City in Vietnam. CFLD International is the international arm of CFLD, which has a strong track record of NIC development and operation. As the end of 2018, CFLD’s projects in more than 80 regions have attracted over 2,000 enterprises, generated 105,000 new jobs, contributed US$23.7 billion in GDP, and attracted cumulative investments of US$76.5 billion.


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Consumers eating more meals at home and innovation from manufacturers have led to a spike in sales of frozen convenience foods. A number of frozen segments showed double-digit increases in the 52-week period ended May 15. Dollar sales of frozen breakfast foods were up nearly 9% across food, drug and mass (excluding Walmart), according to SymphonyIRI Group data.
It’s clear that consumers want quick dinner solutions, and they like the convenience of buying some ingredients at the local drug store. “Every year for the past four years we’ve seen increases in the frozen food category,” said Sue Viamari, editor of SymphonyIRI’s Times & Trends reports. “Drug stores are expanding frozen, and I expect that will continue.”
Innovation from manufacturers also is driving the category. New products bearing national restaurant brands, such as P.F. Chang’s Home Menu Meals for 2, pizzas from California Pizza Kitchen and appetizers from TGI Friday’s, make eating in more exciting.
Manufacturers also are focusing on healthier options, and consumers are responding. Nestlé Prepared Foods recently introduced Stouffer’s Farmers’ Harvest, an updated, healthier line of classic Stouffer’s products that feature such ingredients as sea salt, olive oil, real cheese and whole grains.
The article above is part of the DSN Category Review Series. For the complete Frozen Foods Buy-In Report, including extensive charts, data and more analysis, click here.


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“By combining 1Weather’s superior design with Weather2020’s innovative long-range forecasting technology, users have more than a weather app,” said Kevin McGinnis, vice president of Pinsight Media+. “This puts consumers in control of their special events.
Kansas City, Mo. (PRWEB) July 23, 2015
Consumers planning a wedding or vacation can now find more accurate, longer-range weather forecasts, right from their mobile device. Pinsight Media+ announced today that its award-winning 1Weather app now integrates with weather technology platform Weather2020.
1Weather, a top-rated weather app in Google Play, delivers an intuitive interface that offers a powerful set of weather tools across all Android devices. The addition of Weather2020’s breakthrough technology, named the Lezak Recurring Cycle (LRC®), offers a 75-percent plus accurate, long-range weather forecasting model up to 12 weeks out.
This pioneering forecasting technology was first discovered and developed by meteorologist and weather pioneer Gary Lezak after more than 30 years of research. The LRC observes noticeable weather patterns that form each fall. These patterns are then applied to Lezak’s proprietary mathematical model to predict future weather with accuracy significantly higher than conventional forecasting models.
"We're very excited to team with Pinsight Media+ and its fantastic 1Weather app," said Gary Lezak, meteorologist and chief innovation officer of Weather2020. "To finally get our 12 week forecasts and videos into the hands of millions of people all over the country who already depend on this stellar weather app validates a lifetime of research.”
Trained-LRC meteorologists research and write each forecast, giving consumers access to this new powerful weather technology right from the 1Weather app.
“By combining 1Weather’s superior design with Weather2020’s innovative long-range forecasting technology, users have more than a weather app,” said Kevin McGinnis, vice president of Pinsight Media+. “This puts consumers in control of their special events. Travelers planning their vacations, brides and outdoor enthusiasts alike can now plan ahead right from their mobile device.”
Android users who have the latest version of 1Weather downloaded on their device can get the latest update now. New users can download 1Weather via Google Play.
About Pinsight Media+
Pinsight Media+ is a mobile data company. Our mission is to connect brands with mobile audiences through analytics, advertising, commerce and apps. Across all our product lines, we let mobile data tell its story, solve problems and ultimately, boost revenue. We make mobile data matter. Pinsight Media+ is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sprint and manages the family of mobile apps under the OneLouder brand. http://www.pinsightmedia.com
Founded in 2008 Weather2020 LLC offers a range of products and services to consumers and weather sensitive businesses such as insurance, energy, agriculture and retail. Using the proprietary methodology known as the Lezak Recurring Cycle (LRC®) Weather2020 has the best forecasting method in the field of meteorology today. For more information about Weather2020 and its weather services please go to http://www.weather2020.com or contact [email protected]


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Ubuntu Linux and Android Could Give HP’s TouchPad New Life
By Katherine Noyes, PCWorldAug 22, 2011 12:00 pm PDT
HP’s ill-fated TouchPad may be a hot commodity now that it’s being offered at fire-sale prices, but those lucky enough to get their hands on one could soon find themselves with more choices than they ever imagined.
WebOS is the operating system that comes preloaded on the device, of course, and I maintain hope that that Linux-based operating system will be picked up and continued by another company, preferably in open source form.
For those concerned about WebOS’s fate or even just its relative paucity of apps, however, two new possibilities have just emerged. First, it’s already possible to get Ubuntu Linux up and running on the device, and second, a project is now in the works to port Android over as well.
The Ubuntu Option
On the Ubuntu side, instructions have already been posted on Liliputing for installing Ubuntu Linux on the TouchPad alongside its existing WebOS operating system. Basically, it sounds like you’re creating a dual-boot scenario so that you can choose which to run.
PreWare, Palm Novacom, Xecutah and Ubuntu 11.04 CHroot are all part of the process, which is reportedly not for the faint of heart. Nevertheless, the end result is a command-line version of Ubuntu Linux that can be used with apt-get install to install various Ubuntu software packages.
While not all Ubuntu apps will work on the TouchPad because of its ARM-based processor, Firefox, Chromium and LibreOffice are among those that do, according to Liliputing’s report.
An Android Alternative
Aiming to get Android up and running on HP’s device, meanwhile, are several hacker efforts, including the nascent Touchdroid project on RootzWiki.


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While IPOs attained a record-high level last year, with a low-interest-rate environment being a catalyst, surging market volatility and several macroeconomic headwinds contributed to…
the significant slowdown in IPOs during the first quarter of 2022. According to Connecticut-based IPO investment management and research firm Renaissance Capital LLC, less than 20 U.S. companies have entered since the start of the year. Also, the SEC has now proposed new policies that could remove the advantages of special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) mergers over traditional IPOs, and hence more uncertainty prevails for private companies who are aiming to debut this year.
Moreover, geopolitical issues, rising inflation, Fed’s aggressive interest rate hikes, and rising energy prices have led to a sharp decline in the number of IPOs so far this year. In addition, these factors have caused immense market volatility and resulted in a significant price slump for companies that marked their market debut last year.
Toast, Inc. (TOST), Nu Holdings Ltd. (NU), and Robinhood Markets, Inc. (HOOD) could not withstand the market volatility and are currently trading significantly below their 2021 IPO price. Moreover, given their poor fundamentals and poor growth potential, we think these stocks are avoided now.
Toast, Inc. (TOST)
TOST functions as a cloud-based and digital technology platform for the restaurant industry in the United States and Ireland. The company offers Toast Point of Sale (POS), a hardware product; Toast Order & Pay, which enables guests to order and pay from their mobile devices; Toast Flex, which is used for on-counter order and pay; Toast Go, a handheld POS device and Toast Tap, a card reader.
For the first quarter ending March 31, 2022, TOST’s loss from operations increased 1920% year-over-year to $101.00 million, while Its net loss amounted to $23.00 million. The company’s loss per share stood at $0.20 over the period.
Analysts expect TOST’s consensus EPS to remain negative in the first quarter ending September 2022. The company’s shares have plunged 52.4% year-to-date and 61.7% over the past six months. Closing last trading session at $16.52, TOST is currently trading 142.1% lower than its IPO price of $40.
TOST’s POWR ratings are consistent with this bleak outlook. The stock has an overall rating of D, which translates to Sell in our proprietary rating system. The POWR Ratings are calculated by considering 118 different factors, with each factor weighted to an optimal degree.
TOST is rated a D grade for Value and Stability. Within the C-rated Software – Business industry, it is ranked #45 of 56 stocks.
To see additional POWR Ratings for Sentiment, Quality, Growth, and Momentum for TOST, Click here.
Nu Holdings Ltd. (NU)
Headquartered in Sao Paulo, Brazil, NU functions as a digital financial services platform and technology company primarily in Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia. It provides Nu credit and debit cards; Ultraviolet credit and debit cards; and mobile payment solutions for NuAccount customers to make and receive transfers, pay bills, and make everyday purchases through their mobile phones.
During the first quarter ending March 31, 2022, NU’s loss before income taxes increased 26.8% year-over-year to $67.65 million, while its net loss amounted to $45.00 million. The company’s loss per share amounted to $0.0097.
The consensus EPS estimate is expected to remain negative in the second quarter ending June 2022. The stock has declined 57% year-to-date and 48.2% over the past three months. Closing its last trading session at $4.03, the stock is currently trading 123.3% below its IPO price of $9.00.
NU’s weak fundamentals are reflected in its POWR ratings. The stock also has an F grade for Value. In the D-rated Consumer Financial Services industry, it is ranked 36 of 49 stocks.
In addition to the POWR Ratings grades I have just highlighted, you can see the NU rating for Momentum, Growth, Quality Sentiment, and Stability here.
Robinhood Markets, Inc. (HOOD)
Headquartered in Menlo Park, California, HOOD operates as a financial services platform in the United States. Its platform allows users to invest in stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), options, gold, and cryptocurrencies. The company also…
Continue reading at STOCKNEWS.com


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All across the city, troubled small businesses are racing to go into bankruptcy. This summer, the owner of a high-end French bakery in Manhattan found out why when he talked to Lawrence Morrison, a bankruptcy attorney, about filing Chapter 11. The bakery, which declined to be named, was being crushed by rent obligations for its store's furniture and fixtures.
Mr. Morrison's advice was to file, and fast. The reason is simple. On Oct. 17, a much stricter federal bankruptcy code, the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005, takes effect.
Among its other features, BAPCPA will significantly reduce the amount of time that companies have after entering bankruptcy protection to decide whether to keep their leases. Under the new rules, they will have no more than 210 days. Under present rules, extensions could stretch that period to years.
Reckoning that the bakery--which is contemplating a sale of the business and its lease--would not be able to decide what to do so soon, Mr. Morrison suggested that his client file immediately.
"This allows them extra time to make business decisions," says the attorney.
With the new code looming on the horizon, many small firms are doing the same thing. In the Southern District of New York, total bankruptcies--including all business and nonbusiness filings--soared more than 20% in the second quarter of this year from the year-ago period, according to the American Bankruptcy Institute.
The new law contains the most sweeping revisions since 1978. Among other things, businesses will find that shedding their debts will be far harder. In another important change. the new rules will give business owners an initial period--120 days or 180 days, depending on the size of the company--plus one extension to come up with a reorganization plan, compared with unlimited extensions under the current rules.
"Several Manhattan restaurants and store owners have come to see us about filing," says Jonathan Pasternak, a managing partner at Rattet Pasternak & Gordon Oliver. He notes that his small business caseload has increased by four per week recently, up from one new case a week earlier in the year.
For sole proprietors, who have usually racked up personal debt alongside business debt, the new world promises to be especially harsh. The law will make eligibility for dumping debts via Chapter 7 liquidation significantly harder.
Who can liquidate
"Only individuals, including small business owners whose income level has fallen to such a low level that they will not be able to pay anything over time, are going to be able to liquidate," says Ron Fink, chairman of the Bankruptcy and Financial Reorganization Committee for the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants.
More specifically, BAPCPA will require that individuals pass a "means test" before going into Chapter 7.
"If a debtor is above the state median-income level, for example, he will not be able to liquidate," says Stuart Gollin, head of the bankruptcy and solvency practice at accounting firm Weiser. "Instead, he will have to go to Chapter 13, which requires debt repayment."
That is only the beginning. Even debtors who fall below the state median-income level will have to pass yet another means test, based on their monthly disposable income, in order to file under Chapter 7.
For those entering Chapter 13, there will be more pressure to come up with the money they need to get out of bankruptcy.
"The new law is going to be tough for small businesses and individuals," says Mr. Gollin. "People will not be able to walk away from their debts so easily."


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MastersGate, the e-shop competition for participants from Slovakia and the Czech Republic, is launching today with its Kick-off event in Impact HUB Bratislava.
The main goal of the organizers is to educate not only e-shops but the public as well. Therefore, they are preparing many activities in both countries with a big educational conference in 2017 as the final event of the competition. Competitors can look for three practical e-commerce workshops with experienced mentors from the running e-commerce businesses.
After the success of last year’s E-shop Accelerator, the organizers decided to open up the competition more internationally and reach out to the Czech Repbulic as well with a potential to spread all over the Europe in the next years. MastersGate has not only expanded geographically, but in terms of accompanying events too, which will take place in several cities all over the two countries – Bratislava, Kosice, Zilina, Prague, Brno. Unlike the last year, this time the finals will be oped for the public.


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[VIDEO] Marketing Land Live #6: Twitter’s 10th anniversary, #MarTech conference recap & more
If you missed our latest episode this past Friday, watch the video replay below featuring Ginny Marvin, Barry Levine, Tim Peterson and yours truly.
What an up-and-down decade it’s been for Twitter. With the social network turning 10 years old last week, we spent a good portion of Friday’s Marketing Land Live talking about Twitter’s successes and struggles, especially as they relate to marketers and advertisers. We also talked about last week’s MarTech Conference and Google’s new certification exam for AdWords professionals.
Marketing Land’s Ginny Marvin, Barry Levine and Tim Peterson joined me this week, and our conversation ran a little more than 45 minutes. If you missed it, the video is embedded below, and we’ve added some links to the topics that we talked about in the Show Notes below the video.
We record new episodes of Marketing Land Live every Friday at 12:00 p.m. ET / 9:00 a.m. PT on Blab, so we hope you’ll make plans to join us live in the future. You can send in questions/comments/ideas at any time during the week by tweeting with the #HeyML (as in “Hey, Marketing Land!”) hashtag.
Martech Conference recap
- Infographic: The 2016 Marketing Technology Landscape
- MarTech Conference: Scott Brinker shares his thinking behind this year’s huge MarTech Landscape
- MarTech Conference: 10 myths martech vendors tell
- MarTech Conference: Marketers are going Agile to keep up with customers
- MarTech Conference: Vendor roundtable on the future of martech
- News from the MarTech Conference trade show floor
- MarTech Conference: Ultimate guide to building a martech stack
- MarTech Conference: Google dominates the marketing stacks of 150 “unicorn” startups
- MarTech Conference: Here are this year’s Stackie Award winners
Twitter 10th anniversary
- On Twitter’s 10th birthday, why Madison Avenue execs #LoveTwitter
- Twitter celebrates brands and advertisers on its 10th birthday
- Twitter’s Jack Dorsey: 140-character limit is staying
- Twitter’s algorithmic timeline now fully rolled out, few opt-outs reported
Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily MarTech. Staff authors are listed here.


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This alarming finding highlights the need to pay attention to a plastic-free environment to protect the fetus’s health. It is, therefore, advisable to resort to alternative drinking vessels made of glass or stainless steel. A conscious approach to plastics is of immense importance, especially for pregnant women, to ensure the healthy development of the unborn child.
Flooring in breast milk
PVC is known primarily as a floor covering, while polyethylene is used to make garbage bags and cable sheathing. Polypropylene, on the other hand, is found in products such as microwave dishes and clothing, according to the Rheinische Post.
Italian scientists have made a surprising discovery: tiny, coloured microplastic particles made of PVC, polyethylene and polypropylene have been detected in breast milk. The finding is alarming and raises questions about the impact of microplastics on human health.
Too much microplastic in human tissue
As Mail Online reports, Dr. Luisa Campagnolo, an expert in histology and embryology at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, warns that there is growing evidence that microplastics and nanoplastics are getting into human tissue.
Previous studies have shown that microscopic particles can enter the human bloodstream and even the placenta. Plastic particles that enter human tissue can affect certain hormones and disrupt biological processes.
Although research on the effects of plastic particles on human health is still in its early stages, there are still simple steps we can all take to protect our health, Dr. Campagnolo said.
Single-use plastic bottles can release pollutants, especially when exposed to sunlight, which we then drink. That’s why Dr. Campagnolo recommends not drinking water from plastic bottles and turning to glass as an alternative, Mail Online adds.
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Update: Now with reactions from Roku and PlayOn!
Microsoft:Watched the Google TV demo. more complementary than competitive. we should start working on Boxee Android App for TV... :) - Avner Ronen
Yahoo:"Microsoft has been in the smart TV space for a number of years and has strong partnerships with operators, OEMs and content partners across the industry and around the world. The company remains focused on delivering the best connected TV and entertainment experiences through a combination of great software plus services pulling information from the cloud, where content flows seamlessly from screen to screen on any device. We're already seeing much of this happening today. For example, Microsoft is enabling TV service providers to deliver these scenarios with Microsoft Mediaroom, the world's most deployed IPTV platform, powering award-winning TV services to close to 5 million households via 25 operator partners around the world. Mediaroom also enables TV service providers to deploy applications that can bring video and Web content together in ways that are specifically designed for enjoying and interacting via the TV and a remote control. Mediaroom customer, AT&T U-verse TV, has deployed over 20 interactive TV applications to date. Some example applications are highlighted at http://www.microsoft.com/mediaroom/Themes/Applications.aspx.
Another example is Windows Media Center which is focused on enabling new broadcast and internet TV content experiences on the PC for more than 25 million users around the world. Smart features like the integrated TV guide bring broadcast and internet TV channels in one place. Further, Microsoft is also delivering web and TV- integrated digital and social entertainment services direct to consumers through TV and video on Xbox LIVE and Xbox 360 consoles with 23 million Xbox LIVE members in 26 countries as well as Zune and Windows Phones."
"Consumers love television, and Yahoo! is enhancing the TV viewing experience by adding high quality, personally-relevant Internet content across devices from the world's largest consumer electronics manufacturers. Yahoo! is leading, innovating and delivering amazing consumer experiences, and there is no doubt in my mind that the next phase of the Internet revolution will be televised." -- Ronald Jacoby, Chief Architect, Yahoo! Connected TV
Rovi:"For Samsung, the Connected TV era began more than three years ago and achieved a breakthrough in 2010 with the introduction of Samsung Apps, the world's first TV application store now available in more than 100 countries. Our success has been fueled in part by partnerships with diverse Google properties including YouTube, Picasa, and Maps via our Internet@TV service in addition to our application partners on the Samsung Mobile platform. Samsung is focused on delivering the most complete Internet TV experience to consumers and this will guide our approach as we consider introducing new services or platforms such as with Google. A relationship with Google TV is currently under consideration." -- David Steel, Executive Vice President of Marketing at Samsung Electronics America
VIZIO:"Rovi sees the Google announcement today as another milestone in the continued development of Internet TV. We're working with Google to help bring next-generation guides to the users of Google TV. This includes TotalGuide applications for the Android platform as well as TV data. We believe a critical component for creating a simplified consumer experience is data that allows you to browse and discover more content." -- Corey Ferengul, EVP of Product Management and Marketing, Rovi
People of Lava:"We are excited that other technology providers are following VIZIO's lead to offer easy to access Internet content on their televisions. We were the first to integrate Wifi and Bluetooth technology into HDTV sets to enable a simple, intuitive HD internet steaming experience and as a result more than 70% of VIZIO Internet Apps consumers are connecting and streaming actively with VIZIO products.We at VIZIO are constantly evaluating new opportunities to further enhance the value of our products, including those brought to us by Intel and Google. Our goal is to continue to make the best of the Internet easily available to consumers with products that they can afford." -- Laynie Newsome, Co-founder and CSO
"It is of course a challenge for a small TV-manufacturer in the premium range to set out to launch a whole new kind of integrated product and experience. I see today's events as a confirmation that we did the right thing to dare to press ahead." -- Christian Svantesson, Managing Director of People of Lava.
"The more Android-based TVs on the market, the better. This would mean that the development of Apps, adapted for the TV will get a boost, and more Apps will become available. And what's good for the customers is good for us. We can already offer a number of Apps that we think will give our customers the most instant benefit, such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, an open Web-browser etc. And our App-store, which is already up and running, offers more Apps, ready to be downloaded." -- Mathias Adolfsson, Chief Technical Officer at People of Lava.
MIPS:"The fact that we and others can create new Apps for our customers, actually gives our customers a product that "comes alive", and will continue to evolve with the customers, in the direction of their own choice. Choice is so central here. Not dictating, but giving options. We see this as a great start towards our vision of a "Window to the world" - giving our customers the standing option to choose not only what they want to see or do, but also when." -- Martin Ljunggren, Chief Marketing Officer at People of Lava.
Roku:"MIPS Technologies was pleased to see today's Google TV announcement. Google's announcement is clearly well aligned with our own vision of the future connected television and entertainment experience. To date, MIPS Technologies has synergistically supported Google's commitment to the architecture-neutral, open source nature of Android by ensuring that our licensees have access to the best available software ecosystem for Android on MIPS-Based solutions. Google TV is the latest architecture-neutral solution from Google and, leveraging our past work with Android and our ongoing relationship with Google, MIPS Technologies is now in an excellent position to work with our licensees as Google TV moves beyond its initial reference platforms and into mainstream development within the digital home market-a market where MIPS is already the number one processor architecture." --Art Swift, Vice President of Marketing, MIPS Technologies
PlayOn:"I think we are intrigued like the next person on this announcement. There's been a lot of talk about how this is going to kill off stand alone devices like Roku or aggregators like Boxee, but it seems to me that price will play a big role in this and also the fact that this platform and the devices being created are geared towards combining linear TV (from your cable or satellite provider) with Over the Top content. In that regard, the competition is TiVo or Sezmi or Zillion TV or the cable MSOs that are also attempting to converge both.
We feel we still sit in a great spot. One that delivers an incredible amount of premium content to the TV for an incredibly low price and while we are still complimentary to cable/satellite today, we are adding more and more content including live sports, music, movies and TV shows, etc. that are making our platform competitive in this space. A rising tide raises all ships and Google is creating awareness in the market for devices and services that delivery content streamed over IP to the TV. Now it's on us to execute and make sure our message is out there for customers." -- Brian Jaquet, Director, Corporate Communications


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The prime minister is adamant Australia's doubled unemployment allowance will return to its pre-coronavirus level when the crisis is over.
More than 800,000 people have signed up for JobSeeker which temporarily doubles the unemployment payment to $1100 a fortnight to help sacked workers survive the outbreak.
Scott Morrison insists the dole will return to normal at the end of September.
"This was an emergency response measure," he told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday.
"This was not a change in the government's view about the broader role of the social safety net in Australia."
Australia's unemployment rate is expected to soar past 10 per cent in coming months and the prime minister is bracing for more bad economic news.
As well as doubling the JobSeeker rate, the government is also giving millions of Centrelink recipients two lump-sum cash payments and has introduced the JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme.
"These emergency measures come at a great cost and clearly that level of cost is not sustainable beyond what we have flagged," Mr Morrison said.
Former prime minister Tony Abbott, who cut an assortment of welfare payments, has advocated for the double-dole to remain intact.
The Greens have argued it would be unconscionable to take JobSeeker back to its original level once the pandemic has passed.
If having no job was not bad enough, the price of goods and services in Australia has surged by a rate not seen for several years.
The consumer price index, the main measure of inflation in Australia, rose by 0.3 per cent in the March quarter.
The annual rate of headline inflation lifted from 1.8 per cent to 2.2 per cent, the strongest pace in five-and-a-half years.
CommSec senior economist Ryan Felsman said people buying groceries during the peak of the coronavirus crisis would have noticed food had become more expensive.
He attributed the spike to supply shortages caused by the drought and summer bushfires, which sharply lifted the price of fruit and vegetables.
The price of household items such as toilet paper, hand sanitiser and basic staples such as rice and pasta has also gone up during the pandemic.
© AAP 2024


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Volkswagen (VW) has reached a tentative settlement worth at least $1 billion over 80,000 3.0 liter cars that were implicated in the company’s emissions scandal. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer said last month that he was “extremely pleased to report the parties have reached an agreement about what to do about 80,000 3.0 liter cars on the road and the associated environmental consequences of these vehicles.” Judge Breyer said the announcement – which was originally scheduled for Nov. 30 but was delayed several times – was the result of “nearly round the clock” negotiations. At the end of the hearing on Dec. 20, he told the parties to continue working out the details of the settlement.
Volkswagen has divided the class into two generations of cars, determined by engine. “Generation One” includes 20,000 Touaregs and the Audi Q7. Owners of those older cars will have the option to decide whether to have VW buy back their cars or have the cars modified to be more fuel efficient. Lessees will be able to opt out of their leases.
VW says it can fix the remaining 60,000 cars in the “Generation Two” category to make them “fully emissions compliant.” Pending government approval, the automaker will implement this fix on all these cars, but if the settlement isn’t approved, car owners will have the option to sell their cars back to VW and lessees will be able to opt out of their leases. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have estimated the settlement to be worth $1 billion, assuming the Generation Two fix works. That amount also includes $225 million that will be allocated to an environmental mitigation trust created by an October settlement for 2.0 liter cars. VW will also pay the California Air Resources Board (CARB) $25 million to support the development of zero-emissions vehicles in the state.
Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden said at a December press conference that Volkswagen had committed “an egregious breach of duty,” but added that the agreement with 3.0-liter vehicle drivers meant every car with an emissions cheat device would be off the road or fixed. Attorney General Cruden said in a statement:
The settlement marks another significant step in holding Volkswagen accountable for cheating Americans out of the promise of cleaner air by selling vehicles equipped with defeat devices.
The $1 billion figure does not include the “substantial compensation” to which Judge Breyer said the class would be entitled. The exact dollar amounts for those payments to consumers haven’t been made public. The Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee (PSC) updated Judge Breyer on its negotiations with Volkswagen during a telephone conference on Dec. 22.
In a statement, Elizabeth Cabraser, the committee’s court-appointed lead counsel, confirmed that she had reached “an agreement-in-principle” with Volkswagen, but Judge Breyer’s confidentiality order is still in place. As we previously reported, the court has already finalized a $14.7 billion settlement in October allowing 475,000 owners of affected Volkswagen and Audi 2-liter diesel vehicles to sell their cars back to the company or get them fixed. That settlement included payments of $5,100 to $10,000 to most consumers who bought their cars before last September in addition to the buybacks. It also agreed to invest $2 billion in projects that support the increased use of zero emission vehicles, as well as $2.7 billion to mitigate the effects of the emissions from cars equipped with the so-called defeat devices.
Dee Miles from our firm serves on the steering committee in this litigation. Elizabeth Cabraser and the other lawyers on the committee have done a tremendous job in this matter. The case is In re: Volkswagen “Clean Diesel” Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
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This is old news now, but I haven’t seen anyone else has written about it. It is important enough to note.
In mid-February, the University of Virginia Library signed a revised agreement with Google. While ostensibly intended to bring their previous agreement into conformity with the proposed settlement to the Authors Guild suit against Google, it also contains two improvements over other amended agreements (such as Michigan’s) that have important implications for everyone interested in the settlement.
The first important change concerns ownership of the scans of the public domain works. In the initial contracts (such as those with Michigan and California), Google retained ownership of the scans of public domain books. While Google was required to make the scans publicly available for free, libraries were somewhat limited in what they could do with those scans. For example, they could not use the scans in a print-on-demand (POD) operation, nor could they offer the scans to Google’s competitors. The restrictions lasted forever.
The Michigan amendment removes restriction on print-on-demand use; Michigan can use the scans of public domain books in its POD operations (Section 18b). As for the duration of the restrictions, all are to be removed on 1 January 2050, though Google and Michigan agreed to revisit the issue in 2024 (Section 18e).
Virginia’s revised agreement improves on Michigan’s changes. Section 4.10(d) of UVA’s revised agreement stipulates that all restrictions on the use of the public domain scans terminate after 15 years.
In some ways, the change is meaningless. Michigan’s agreement allows it to do anything that the university would reasonably want to do with the scans, short of giving them to a Google competitor (and it is unclear how it would benefit Michigan to do that). Furthermore, the fact that Google must continue to offer free access to the public domain severely limits the scope of their rights as the owner of the scans. As a matter of principle, however, the further refinement in the Virginia contract is important. After a relatively short period, Virginia will own the scans of all public domain books found in its library.
Given the fact that Google must make the public domain scans freely available and that the scans, which already have relatively few limitations on them will now become the full property of libraries in 15 years, as well as the presence of most of these scans in the Hathi Trust database, one has to wonder about the utility of well-meaning efforts such as those of the Internet Archive to capture and store copies of the Google scans. The only people who immediately benefit from the presence of Google’s scans in the Internet Archive are Google’s commercial competitors. I have to believe the public as a whole would be better served if the Internet Archive focused instead on those scans of public domain works that are locked away behind subscription firewalls.
The second major improvement in Virginia’s contract concerns the pricing of the institutional subscription. One of the great unknowns in the settlement is how much the institutional subscription will cost. Since the only comparable database – Google’s own massive compilation of public domain books – is offered to the public for free, one could argue that the subscription cost of a database of copyrighted but out-of-print books should be very, very low. On the other hand, if the Books Rights Registry required Google to follow the model of some of the commercial databases of public domain and copyrighted books and newspapers – a model that tries to sell a small number of subscriptions at a very high cost – the price could be quite high.
The Michigan amendment addresses this issue by allowing any of the participating libraries to request a review of the pricing of the institutional subscription to see if the settlement’s requirement of wide-spread access to the institutional subscription is being met. The revised Virginia agreement stipulates in Section 10(d)(2) of the attached amendment relating to fully participating libraries that Google must make the information used in the pricing review publicly available. As a result, the community is going to be able to know and be able to complain if only a small percentage of libraries are subscribing to the database.
The many good features of the Michigan agreement are repeated in the Virginia amendment. For example, the libraries are allowed to receive and store collectively copies of the scans of both settlement and non-settlement books. The fear that somehow the Google scans are going to be solely under the control of a commercial company is misplaced.
There is no discussion of the privacy of users of the institutional subscription, but this doesn’t concern me. This is a marketing issue. If Google does not offer in the institutional subscription the protections for reader privacy that libraries demand from all of their third-party vendors, then the libraries should refuse to subscribe to the database. Since the settlement demands wide-spread subscriptions, Google would be forced to amend its policies. If libraries do not want to exert their market influence, they have only themselves to blame.
All in all, the Virginia improvements make a settlement that is already good for users of libraries even better. They are to be congratulated for successfully arguing for these changes.


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- Event spotlight: Arizona Tiki Oasis brings Polynesian Pop party to the desert
- The Hukilau 2019 update: Last party at Pier Sixty-Six? Rooms, events selling fast as new cocktail classes added
- New cocktail books, magazine prove Tiki underground is alive and thriving
- Surprise winner, new spirit of aloha at fifth annual Art of Tiki cocktail competition at South Beach Wine & Food Festival
- 100 Days to The Hukilau: Weekend events at The Mai-Kai to feature The Surfrajettes, preview party
- Photos: VIPs, connoisseurs of fine spirits flock to first Miami Rum Congress
- Inuhele celebrates Atlanta’s meteoric rise as Tiki destination
- Miami Rum Congress is in session: First annual event presents top industry experts
- Hukilau 2019: Tickets on sale, book your room now for June 5-9 bash in Fort Lauderdale
- Photos: Demerara rum flows at The Mai-Kai’s magical retro event featuring The Atomic Grog
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Tag Archives: Ian Burrell
The 18th annual Tiki weekender known as The Hukilau will not invade Fort Lauderdale until June, but local Tikiphiles will get an early taste of the rum-fueled festivities this weekend when two special events kick off the 2019 countdown at The Mai-Kai. Continue reading
The inaugural Miami Rum Congress was an unqualified success, a star-studded gathering of rum industry experts that sold out the cozy and picturesque Shane Center in Miami Beach. Continue reading
Updated Feb. 21 Some of the biggest names in the spirits world flocked to South Florida for the first annual Miami Rum Congress, a two-day event featuring tastings and educational seminars dedicated to the burgeoning booze that may finally have … Continue reading
The Hukilau has announced an impressive lineup of bands, bars and booze experts as it launched a new website with tickets now on sale for the 18th annual Tiki weekender in Fort Lauderdale. Guests can also book rooms at two … Continue reading
The Hukilau 2019 updates: Hotel room parties are back, The Surfrajettes return to The Mai Kai, plus more
Announcements last week included this year’s featured artist, plus countdown parties at Miami Rum Congress in February and The Mai-Kai in March featuring The Surfrajettes. Now, we have exclusive news that The Hukilau will be hosting its first guest room parties in nearly a decade. Continue reading
The Hukilau returns for its 18th annual Tiki weekender in June, serving up five days of immersive rum-fueled experiences at the Pier 66 Hotel & Marina and The Mai-Kai restaurant, both 62-year-old landmarks in sunny Fort Lauderdale. Continue reading
The Hukilau: June 6-10, 2018, at the Pier Sixty-Six Hotel & Marina and The Mai-Kai restaurant in Fort Lauderdale. Featuring: Bands: The Black Flamingos, Czarna Wolgastar, The Disasternauts, The Exotics, Gold Dust Lounge, The Intoxicators, Los Straitjackets, The Madeira, The … Continue reading
Updated Feb. 8, 2018 Polynesian Pop has always been deeply ingrained in American culture, from Tiki’s mid-century heyday through today. This symbiotic relationship will be explored in colorful detail during special symposiums at The Hukilau, the 17th annual Tiki weekender … Continue reading


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Interventions by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) to support cashless transactions under the cloud of the COVID-19 pandemic have served to lift digital banking transactions.
This as banks note a significant increase in not just the volume of transactions on their digital channels but also the value of transactions.
On March 16 last year, the CBK eliminated charges for transfers between mobile money wallets and bank accounts alongside an increase on the daily limit for mobile money transactions to Ksh.300,000 with the measures now being a permanent feature.
According to the Kenya Bankers Association (KBA) 2020 customer satisfaction report published last week, banking customers have increased their digital experiences supported in part by improved linkages between bank accounts and mobile money wallets.
The utilization of mobile and internet banking channels remained largely unchanged at 52 and 23 per cent with Kenyans favouring the mobile channel due to convenience.
Meanwhile, the utilization of traditional channels such as branches and automated teller machines (ATMs) has been cut by nearly half.
“The value of transactions has gone up alongside volumes. Banks should position themselves to support customers in a changing environment. Banks should seek to leverage on their relationships with fintech’s either by merging or creating a similar environment within their establishments,” said KBA Chief Executive Officer Habil Olaka.
Banks have since earned a nod of approval from their customers as they begin scaling digitization with 92 per cent of clients indicating lenders have made effort to improve their service standards through leveraging digital channels despite COVID-19.
“In view of the COVID-19 pandemic and the response of the bank in terms of trying to support their customers in accessing financial services securely, the level of digitization has gone up. There has been quite some level of investing by banks after the pandemic hit to limit physical contact,” added Olaka.
While there are no official statistics yet on the cumulative growth of digitization in banking, individual banks have reported a notable rise in the new channels over the last year.
Equity Bank for instance reported 98 per cent of its transactions are now happening outside the bank as of September in contrast to 97 per cent in 2019.
The lender’s transactions from mobile and the internet hit 83 per cent from 77 per cent while branch transactions tumbled to a mere three percent.
59 per cent of the bank’s transaction value is now tapped outside branches from 50 per cent in 2019 with mobile and internet banking carrying 33 per cent of the transactional value from a lower 25 per cent.
KCB’s value of mobile transactions meanwhile hit Ksh.683 billion at the nine months stage from Ksh.454 billion while the number of transactions hit 182 million from 149 million.
Nevertheless, the CBK interventions have had the counter effects of cutting bank’s mobile revenue from the waiver of charges on transfers to mobile-money accounts.
For instance, KCB’s mobile revenues slacked to Ksh.6.02 billion from Ksh.6.94 billion.
On overall, KCB’s non branch revenue declined by Ksh.1.1 billion or an equivalent 13 per cent over the last year.


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Your face is the future of smartphone security. Apple made that clear last week when it unveiled the pricey iPhone X, which trades in the familiar home button and TouchID fingerprint scanner for a new camera system that unlocks the device using facial recognition.
The company has repeatedly proved its ability to push emerging technology into the mainstream—but with FaceID, Apple claims to have conquered many of the challenges that have prevented the widespread use of facial biometrics. But a number of computer-vision researchers say they are skeptical that a smartphone-based system like FaceID can account for things like variable lighting conditions or subtle changes in a person’s appearance to create a secure-yet-practical way to unlock a phone a dozen or more times a day.
Apple’s new technology does sound promising. The company says FaceID creates a “precise depth map” of one’s visage by projecting more than 30,000 infrared dots against a person’s face, then using the phone’s infrared TrueDepth camera and high-power microchip to collect and analyze the results. Users are also asked to turn their head as they scan so the phone's machine-learning algorithm can measure the face from several angles and create a more detailed 3-D map of their features. Once the map is created and stored, the iPhone X uses infrared light to help FaceID scan a person’s face even in the dark. Meanwhile, machine-learning algorithms running on the phone’s new A11 Bionic chip keep track of changes in a person’s appearance—including glasses, facial hair and hats—so the smartphone’s accuracy improves over time.
Despite advances in facial recognition in recent years—law enforcement agencies including the FBI use it to check suspects against data bases of mug shots—it remains unclear whether FaceID will work in a variety of conditions while also keeping the iPhone X secure. Hackers, for example, quickly found a way to bypass the Samsung Galaxy S8's facial-recognition scanner when it was introduced in March: They tricked the device by simply showing it a photo of the user. FaceID’s use of 3-D facial maps could address that problem. But historically it has been a big challenge for such a system to recognize faces under different lighting conditions and from a variety of angles, says Jonathon Phillips, an electronics engineer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which develops standards for the technology industry.
At the September 12 iPhone X rollout, Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, acknowledged some of those challenges. He pointed out that FaceID will not unlock the phone if the user’s eyes are closed or are not lined up properly with the camera. Such limitations are significant, given that iPhone X customers will use FaceID to access their Apple Pay app, which is used to make purchases and linked directly to a person’s bank account.
Apple showed off FaceID last week under relatively controlled conditions, says Arun Ross, a professor of computer science and engineering at Michigan State University. “Clearly the demo was very interesting,” he says. “But at the same time some extraordinary claims were made." Apple’s Schiller said, for example, that the chance a random person’s face could unlock someone else’s iPhone X was one in a million—much more secure than TouchID, which relies on fingerprint biometrics. Ross says, however, that it is not clear how often FaceID fails to recognize its owner. When contacted, Apple declined to elaborate on Schiller’s comments.
Most facial-recognition systems rely on an algorithm that compares certain points on a face against those same points on a stored image, and then generates a score based on similarity, says Anil Jain, also a Michigan State computer science professor. A system will first check basic parameters that most faces have, such as two eyes and a nose. It will then take more precise measurements, such as the angle between the edge of the mouth and the nose, for added security.
That unique data can, however, also be a liability for biometric security. “Like all biometrics, FaceID will have a problem with revocation,” says Vitaly Shmatikov, a computer science professor at Cornell Tech. “If a password is compromised, it can be changed—but a face cannot be changed.” Apple touts its ability to secure data on its iPhones, which do not share biometric information with the company’s servers. Still, Ross says, hackers always seem to find a way around even the tightest security.


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Volatile weather, cold and snow can negatively impact restaurant sales and this winter is no exception.
According to industry tracking firm TDn2K, U.S. restaurant same-store sales fell 0.3% in January. New England restaurant sales suffering the biggest decline at -2.3%.
The worrisome part of this report is that restaurant traffic, the most important component of sales, fell across the U.S. by -3.0% during January and followed three months where sales were either positive or flat.
Let’s hope tax cuts will boost consumer confidence and offset fears about the rocky stock market. We need a boost to restaurant traffic to regain momentum in February.
The TDn2K report comes right after we heard that the country’s largest restaurant chains surged in the fourth quarter, salvaging what was an otherwise slow year overall for the industry.
A Technomic Chain Restaurant Index report said sales at the 200 largest restaurants grew 4.4% in the last three months of the year, helping those chains grow by 2.4% overall in 2017.
“Consumer confidence at the end of 2017 was very high,” said Sara Monnette, vice president, innovation with Technomic. “Consumers were feeling optimistic about the end of the year and their outlook going into 2018 was strong, particularly in light of the passage of tax cuts that would put more money in their pockets. Retail holiday sales were also strong the last few months of the year — and when people are out shopping, they are undoubtedly using restaurants as well.”
Here are some details from Technomic:
Chains specializing in breakfast (think McDonald’s and Dunkin’) and with lower check averages (quick service) saw 8.5% sales growth in the last three months of the year and 2.2% growth for the full year.
Casual-dining chains (Applebee's, Chili's, Bravo Brio) continued losing customers and sales despite a broad improvement in the industry toward the end of 2017 — though the rate of decline slowed. Sales at casual-dining chains declined by 0.7% in the fourth quarter, and by 2.6% for the year.
Total casual-dining traffic declined by 3.2% in the fourth quarter, and 4.9% for the full year.
For more information, click here.


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Microsoft is selling off a web site that it originally paid nealy half a billion dollars to acquire three years ago. TechCrunch reports that Microsoft has now sold the shopping and product review web site portal Ciao to the European web site LeGuide.com. Financial details of this new transaction were not revealed, although Leguide.com did say it paid for Ciao with cash.
Microsoft originally paid a whopping $486 million to acquire Ciao back in 2008. The site itself was founded back in 1998 and serves several European countries (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands and Sweden). Ciao offers up price comparisons and reviews for millions of products and reportedly has 20.8 million unique visitors. Microsoft purchased the site from Greenfield Online, who bought the site from its founders back in 2005.
LeGuide.com, based in France, also runs its own price comparison and product review sites that cover 14 European countries. This new deal sounds like it is perfect for the owners of LeGuide.com to expand its own shopping portal empire. It also gives Microsoft a way out of an online service that it perhaps no longer feels like it needs to be a part of anymore.


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Fashion-purchasing-jobs, as a reporter of the news and even as a reporter of news in slanted fashion the new york times contradicts the opinions of. Wearsa is a movement driven through the collective vision of a local network of south african fashion industry activists striving to make a difference "it is a pioneering concept to promote local, she managed to turn down an ill fitting cardigan and a hoodie commenting that usually buying cheap fleecy fabrics was a safe bet however it can be 'hit and miss' with thinner dresses and shirts from. Visual merchandisers work in retail stores making sure that the merchandise on display looks its best upper management in this industry also have purchasing coordination duties so they plan what, as for ortiz who described herself during dinner as "naturally very shy" and said even quasi public social outings like this.
Both fashion outlets vowed to investigate the claims it's no less of an intellectual challenge procurement is the job that embraces all roles: tech whizz ethical investigator robotics pioneer, north bergen based suuchi inc the end to end provider of modern platform enabled manufacturing and technology for the fashion industry suuchi inc is on pace to add 130 new jobs in new jersey.
Some wholesale and retail buyers specialize in purchasing clothing for companies for resale to consumers they need to know about current fashion and market trends to choose pieces that consumers want, "if you limit the type of information we get that limits the ability of us as elected officials to do our job in my opinion. The world's second biggest fashion retailer said thursday it had stopped purchasing leather from brazil for the time in two years when adam orvos steps down next month to pursue a job with another, the company has a done a phenomenal job at keeping their brand style or in another sector of the fashion industry altogether reviews matter! especially when it comes to purchasing clothing no.
A week after its release elon musk tweeted that he liked the game and congratulated the publisher on a job dollars on fashion and beauty products and services by 2019 engagement not promotion or


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Official Android 2.2 Froyo update for Samsung Galaxy S finally available
Samsung seems to have finally launched a Froyo 2.2 update for its hugely successful Galaxy S smartphone.
The update is made via Kies and, hopefully, other countries will get it soon, too.
The 2.2 Froyo update brings:
- Adobe Flash Player 10.1 support
- Speed improvements
- GPS fix
- Enhanced default keyboard
- Slightly enhanced graphics and transitions
- Media Hub
- New Search widget
- New Gmail app
- Better Exchange support
- Support for MP4 video recording
So, anyone around here actually got the update?
Update: Samsung has officially confirmed that Android 2.2 Froyo “will be available from the mid of October 2010 in the Nordic region and gradually rolled out to other European markets, Southeast Asia, the Middle East Asia, North America, Africa and rest of the world.”


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Shadowfax plans to hire 50+ expert techies in next two years
June 23, 2020: Shadowfax, the crowdsourced logistics platform, is planning to expand its technology team and hire 50+ technology experts & senior professionals over the next 2 years.
June 23, 2020: Shadowfax, the crowdsourced logistics platform, is planning to expand its technology team and hire 50+ technology experts & senior professionals over the next two years.
The company will be seeking pros like backend developers, architects, development operations, android experts, SDET and even senior professionals at director level to meet its surging demands.
"Shadowfax is focused on strengthening its engineering and leadership teams and is looking to hire some of the best industry talents in problem-solving and thought leaders. The company will be engaging candidates for its technological domain for different roles and positions spread across Bangalore and Gurgaon offices, " says the release.
Tanushree Ray, head of HR, Shadowfax, said "The occurrence of the pandemic has shaken most sectors. However, the logistics industry has proven to be robust yet flexible in withstanding the pandemic onslaught. With more people entrusting their daily and other needs to online shopping considering their health and safety aspects, the demand for logistics and adoption of innovative technologies has increased at a welcome rate for the industry. Hence to meet the growing demand, we need to strengthen our own human resource capabilities and therefore, we are planning to expand our technology & leadership teams and looking forward to onboard some enthusiastic members in the next 2 years."
Currently, Shadowfax employs 750+ employees and is looking to expand and strengthen its team.


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AllWinner A80 octa core big.LITTLE ARM Cortex A15/A7 SoC was announced as part of AllWinner Roadmap a couple of months ago, and one of the first devices based on the new processor will be Teclast T97 Air, an Android tablet with 9.7″, 2048×1536 display.
There are currently very few other details about the device, but we do know it will be extra slim with a thickness of just 7.5mm, and Edward Weinert reports the device is getting around 40,000 points in Antutu (if Google Translate Polish is right).
Teclast T97 Air will be available early 2014, and price has not been disclosed yet.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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"Coke" news and stories
Down in Louisiana, there's a bit of a brawl over root beer. The great-grandchild of the founder of Barq's root beer, the self-described dark cola with a bite (check the razor-sharp jaws on the can-headed dog of a mascot), sued Coca-Cola last month over shares he says the giant does not legally own, reported the Times-Picayune, Sunday.
According to the claim, Coca-Cola "did not have the legal right to purchase one-third of the Barq's company when its acquisition was made in 1995, because that portion belonged to [Arthur Louis] Robinson, who never agreed to turn it over despite signed contracts to the contrary," the Times-Picayune states.
Confused? Basically, the claim seeks to overturn the agreement Robinson signed in 1971, which handed his portion (an inheritance), over to his sisters.
Photo: Greg M. Cooper / AP Photo
Early this month, Shaquille O'Neal officially signed with the Boston Celtics -- a move some (sports fans) view as compromising since one of their prominent rivals also happens to be his former team, the L.A. Lakers. But we here at Slashfood would like to direct your attention to a more gastronomic disturbance: his overlapping endorsements in the world of fast food and drink.
As NESN.com points out, he's played for prime rivals Pepsi and Coke, as well as Taco Bell and later Burger King.
As a rookie, Shaq started his endorsements with Pepsi, signing a five-year contract in 1993. His first ad would run during the CBS NBA playoffs to be viewed by at least half the sports-watching, soda-guzzling public. But then, during Super Bowl XLII, he made a case for Coke with his Vitaminwater® endorsement in 2008, which drove down sales for competing enhanced waters.
Filed under: Celebrities
Photo: rtomazela, Flickr
First there were mommies. Then came blogs. Put the two together, and a marketing force is born. "Now said to number in the millions, these online women have cobbled together content networks that rival some mainstream media companies," asserts Advertising Age. "And they're clearly a force that retailers underestimate at their own peril."
Coca-Cola, a company with a long history of savvy marketing (New Coke notwithstanding), doesn't underestimate that force one bit -- in fact, it hopes to profit from it. Kenth Kaerhoeg, group communications director for the company's Pacific branch in Hong Kong, told AdAge that they're in the process of identifying "digital influencers" in South Korea -- i.e., popular mommy bloggers -- to stir up some good, old-fashioned word of mouth. Hooking up with the right young moms can have an enormous marketing effect, as Kaerhoeg explains; the company takes them very seriously, calling them "vitally important stakeholders."
Filed under: Drinks
Yes, public health advocates are getting increasingly vocal about the negative effects of soda on the body, but Coke isn't giving up its 70 percent market share to tap water without a fight. The Atlanta-based company is rolling out the big guns with the Freestyle, a super-sleek, touch-screen soda fountain that lets users create up to 104 different flavors of fizzy refreshment. This high-tech beverage machine shoots out a wide range of traditional sodas, flavored waters, and energy drinks in every conceivable combination. Raspberry Coke? Check. Grape Sprite? Why not. Peach Fanta? No problem. The fountain is a study in excess, totally over the top. And yet ... admit it: You want to try it.
"Consumers are telling us they want choice," says Helen Tarleton, senior communications manager for Coca-Cola. She points out that the while the Freestyle might get some flack for offering so many options, more than half of them are low- and no-calorie. "When you've only got six or eight valves to work with, maybe only one is diet," she says.
Soda fountains have remained pretty much the same since they were popularized in the 1950s -- a basic ratio of syrup to carbonated water is combined in a container, then released out of the spigot. The Freestyle completely changes the game with a touch screen that instructs the machine to mix flavors on the spot, using technology originally developed for dialysis and cancer treatments. It's only got one nozzle, and works by releasing the flavorings into a stream of carbonated water. The new technology ensures that one soda doesn't taste like the flavor poured before it.
Filed under: New Products
- Eric Ripert Predicts Beard Winners [Grub Street New York]
- Alinea Named the Best Chicago Restaurant, Ever [Eater Chicago]
- Danone Withdraws Yogurt Health Claims [WSJ]
- My Life in Food - What Sam Sifton, the NY Times Restaurant Critic, Eats [Diner's Journal]
- Bolivia Puts the Coke Back in Coca Colla [Fork in the Road]
- Party's over for Tailgaters at Dodgers Stadium [LA Times]
Filed under: On the Blogs
Most Popular Stories
How to Throw a Dim Sum Party


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An estimated £30.7million has been saved by Thurrock Council’s Trading Standards Port Team between April 2019 and April 2020 by detecting unsafe and non-compliant products coming through ports in the borough.
Leader of the Council, Cllr Rob Gledhill, said:
“Our Trading Standards Port Team has saved the UK economy an enormous amount of money – the equivalent of approximately 1,483 new 2020 Ford Focus Zetec cars.
“The team work across the Port of Tilbury, DP World London Gateway and other storage sites in Thurrock to identify, assess and confiscate that could put shoppers in harm’s way.”
Over a 12-month period, the team intercepted unsafe products, such as toys, cosmetics, jewellery and electrical items. Consignments included a delivery of baby cot beds that did not comply with the latest structural standards; and 28,375 pots of children’s toy slime which was designed to look like a tub of ice cream but was a choking hazard and unsafe after tests found that the presence of lead was above the allowed level.
Cllr Gledhill added:
“Thurrock is the gateway for the world and our officers potentially protect millions from harm or serious injury. These dangerous items could have found their way onto the consumer market and into the hands of our unsuspecting children.”
For more information on Trading Standards, visit thurrock.gov.uk/tradingstandards or to report any unsafe items call 0808 223 1133.


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Meta plans to charge users for ad-free accounts on Facebook and Instagram
Facebook and Instagram are considering charging users for ad-free accounts.
Meta, owner of the social media platforms, is considering asking users in the European Union to pay a subscription to avoid ads.
There are currently no plans to introduce this feature in the UK due to different advertising and data protection rules. The proposals are still in their infancy, but ad-free versions of websites could be rolled out in the next few years.
Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, plans to ask users in the European Union to pay a subscription to avoid ads
Meta would still offer free versions of accounts. The cost of an ad-free account is not yet known.
Meta, which is owned by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, had no comment when contacted by the Mail.
Its business model relies heavily on offering advertising space to companies on its free social media platforms. Information stored by Meta can help advertisers reach their target audience quickly.


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Food, Fans and Football
When the San Jose Earthquakes called on season ticket holders to ask what they could do to improve the overall experience, Michael Caughlan, a lifelong soccer fan, answered honestly: “Better players, more beer stands and, for sure, better food. I said, ‘Gourmet food trucks would rock.’ And they went ahead and did it! They started with a few trucks and now have several.”
Yet while the food improved, leaving his seat to get it still meant missing part of the game—especially when he brought along his two-year-old daughter Stella. Enter Yorder, a free app that lets Earthquakes fans place concession orders from their smartphones and have food and drinks delivered to their seats.


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Blockchain Bills Are Advancing in the New York State Senate – Here’s Why
Now in its second year, the New York State Senate's Internet and Tech Committee has approved two blockchain bills, which now go to the full Senate for a vote.
Internet voting tools – including blockchain apps – have fundamental issues, and are not safe for real elections, a multidisciplinary science group told U.S. policy makers.
New Zealand's Inland Revenue Department is considering how best to change its tax regimen so cryptocurrencies aren't at a disadvantage.
As COVID-19 disrupts global supply chains, the WEF has published a roadmap for businesses to deploy blockchains as a solution.
U.S. policymakers are worried CBDCs and crypto will harm the dollar's reserve status. But maybe they have it backwards, writes CoinDesk columnist Nic Carter.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis joined CoinDesk at ETHDenver where he talked about the future of crypto regulation.


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CHICAGO (CBS.MW) -- May Department Stores led the retail sector advancers Friday as it enjoyed the third consecutive day of gains that came at the hands of store closings and layoffs.
Investors like that the St. Louis-based company is shuttering 32 underperforming Lord & Taylor stores as part of a strategic repositioning of the department-store retailer. Since Wednesday's announcement, May
Meanwhile, investors pumped shares of Pep Boys early on to a fresh 52-week high on Friday, a day after the automotive-parts retailer said it was turning the lights off of 33 stores of its own. Shares peaked at $15.90, but fell off to close at $15.50, off a penny.
Late in the day -- long after the shares declined -- Moody's confirmed the B2 rating on the company, but lowered its outlook to "stable." Moody's said the trim was prompted by "Pep Boys' recent announcement of asset write downs and other charges [that] could signal future changes in operating strategy," according to the credit agency. Chief Executive Lawrence Stevenson has been at the wheel of the Philadelphia-based concern only since May.
Other retailers benefiting from recent news included Chico's
In a note to clients, Wells Fargo analyst Jennifer Black again urged clients to buy Chico's stock because "the growth opportunities have just increased dramatically."
Black believes that Chico's operational efficiencies will help the White House improve its margins and feed the bottom line. "The store potential for the White House is substantial," she said.
However, the retail sector's key gauge failed to get untracked in the early going. The S&P Retail $RLX stood at 335.17.
Also running higher was Office Depot
Last week, the office-supply retailer reported a profit gain of nearly 5 percent profit, with residual impact helping boost the stock's value. Since March, Office Depot shares have surged a stunning 64 percent.
Rival Staples SPLS took in 33 cents, or 1.6 percent, to $20.47.
Investors also found a buying opportunity in Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co.
After the bell, Standard & Poor's lowered to B its corporate credit rating on the company best known for the A&P stores. The grocery-store chain was taken off the watch list, but slapped with a "negative outlook," according to the credit agency.
"The downgrade is based on continued weak cash flow and a very cautious outlook for improvement, mitigated by a marginally adequate liquidity position," said credit analyst Mary Lou Burde. The move affects about $792 million in debt.
And Sears Roebuck