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As the global economy sputters and pundits begin bringing up the term “double-dip recession,” VCs that best timed the market may generate the most impressive returns by making exits considered unorthodox for the asset class.
Private exchange SecondMarket recently reported that VC firms are among the majority of selling stakeholders now, often selling stakes to eager wealthy individual investors. There is no doubt auctioneers like SecondMarket and SharesPost have seen traffic pick up as Internet companies moved closer to eye-popping IPOs. Reportedly, Union Square Ventures has sold part of its stake in Twitter through private markets. Such a sale may have helped Union Square produce a gaudy IRR for its’ ’04 vintage fund, which UTIMCO reported was 73.4 percent.
Neither SecondMarket nor SharesPost publicize sellers, so it is difficult to determine which VCs are making the most exits pre-IPO. However, SecondMarket, in particular, has increasingly reached out to venture capital firms to solicit stake sales via their exchanges, something that industry professionals say many VC firms have responded to overtures positively.
VCs can make exits into secondary markets until right up before the IPO announcement (with the company’s blessing, of course), but once the selling stakeholders have been formalized, they will spend six months eyeing share price fluctuations if they need to recoup on their investment. Generally speaking, investors subject to share lockup agreements are held to them for 180 days (Pandora’s and Groupon’s are among them), says A.B. Mendez, senior analyst with secondary market research provider GreenCrest Capital Management. That leaves ample time for exposure to market volatility. But some VCs have found opportunities for other pre-IPO exits.
Big pre-IPO fundraisings allowed some VCs opportunities to cash out portions of investments early. For example, Rugger Ventures, New Enterprise Associates and Accel Partners took home more than $200 million from Groupon’s fundraisings.
But those bullish on the 2011 IPO crop point to evidence that suggests most VCs might want to hold onto their shares following a portfolio company’s going public. When LinkedIn went public, Goldman Sachs vacated its stake, selling all 871,840 shares in the IPO (a rare misstep), and Bain Capital Venture Integral Investors sold a portion of its holdings, as well. Sequoia Capital, Greylock Partners and Bessemer Venture Partners didn’t sell any of their shares in the offering, however and — as of right now — they look smarter for having done so. While they must have rejoiced in the professional network’s astounding first-day gains, the prospect of a softening NYSE must also unnerve them. LinkedIn’s going public translated into a massive value increase in each VC’s stake, but since the company’s meteoric debut the stock has slid roughly 20 percent from highs in excess of $100 per share.
There remains a chance VCs could get a reprieve from a market downturn via any of a number of sources. It is possible the Federal Reserve will plunge right back into another round of quantitative easing to buoy the U.S. economy, which will, in turn, give equities markets a shot in the arm. Even if QE2 ends with no new plan in place, market drops will likely one day be countered with the Facebook IPO, an offering widely anticipated to come in 2012. It is almost impossible to imagine Facebook shares would not rise following their debut, and it’s even more difficult to envision a scenario in which companies that share its business model would not benefit from the social network’s listing. Further, analysts seem to agree that even in the event of a double-dip recession, the follow-up downturn will not prove as painful as the recession that began in late 2007. If they prove themselves wrong, it will be 2011’s secondary market sellers that boast the best returns — if they are not already doing so.


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EU leaders are hoping to sign off on the EU-Canada trade agreement following a breakthrough in a deadlock that had threatened its future. Yesterday the Belgian Prime Minister confirmed that all five regional parliaments in Belgium had finally agreed to the deal. The Belgian regional parliament of Wallonia caused consternation when it recently rejected the accord. But a compromise was reached with them yesterday. Now it looks like the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement CETA will be signed into force soon. The Fine Gael MEP Mairead McGuinness says we have nothing to fear from the CETA deal.
karencolemanirl karencolemanirl "Unilateral action, effectively disapplying an international agreement such as the Protocol, is simply not acceptab… https://t.co/BlsGnWMpL7
karencolemanirl karencolemanirl Brexit back on the table following NI elections hear @MacManusChris @sinnfeinireland MEP on #EuroParlRadio https://t.co/t1NVdxxacp
karencolemanirl karencolemanirl “Eliminate dangerous chemicals” or POPs from products says @greenparty_ie @WaterfordGreens @GreensEFA MEP… https://t.co/hu2pijAIiG
karencolemanirl karencolemanirl MEPs demand stricter limits on toxic chemicals in products known as POPs #PersistentOrganicPollutants hear… https://t.co/FfdQUjnsnK

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Adobe launches Free Photoshop Camera app for iOS and Android, YouTube introduces a new “shoppable” ad format and Twitter now lets you share audio tweets.
Did you know your next tweet could be 140-seconds long? That’s because Twitter now allows select users to share audio tweets instead of the usual text-only updates.
YouTube was also in the news this week for launching a new shoppable ad format that lets viewers browse through products directly below the video they are watching. Exciting.
Here are the top 5 most talked-about stories this week:
- Adobe Launches Free Photoshop Camera App On iOS And Android
- You Can Now Pre-Order Samsung’s Ultra-Curved Odyssey G9 Gaming Monitor
- YouTube To Introduce A New Shoppable Ad Format
- Audio Tweets Are Now A Reality For iOS Users
- WhatsApp Launches Payments, Starting In Brazil
Tune in next Sunday for a new edition of our weekly social media news recap. And in the meantime, remember, Black Lives Matter and the movement continues. Support black-owned businesses, educate yourself, and push for a change in society. We love you.


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22 March 2013 - Time Magazine reported recently on the intense heat wave gripping Australia. According to its website, “Temperatures are so high that Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology has added new colors to its weather forecasting chart to represent the record-breaking heat.”
This is a serious problem for Australia. Global weather patterns could mean similar issues for other parts of the world. The Water Factor captivates any reader’s attention with an impeccable mark on water variations for foreign countries. Many families are suffering overseas and this appears to be a possible resolution to drinking clean water; things that US citizens take for granted because they do not face such atrocities. In some cases, water pollution occurs when pollutants drain into rivers, streams, lakes, and other bodies of water. Furthermore, pollutants can be in the form of chemicals from fertilizers, pesticides, oil, gasoline, antifreeze, and even mulch or dirt. Oftentimes, rainwater washes the particles into the water bodies.
“We at freshwaterFACTORY recognize the difficulties facing the World and Australians right now, and there is a really significant possibility of a fresh water shortage as a consequence,” said Wally Royal, CEO of freshwaterFACTORY.
The small company started a few years ago with the goal of creating fresh water from the atmosphere, but it fell short of getting off of the ground. It was successful in creating 3 technologies that created 150 litres a day, but they were powered by electricity, and had a â€˜cost’ associated with the end product.
“Basically, we failed because we could not generate enough capital to finalize our solar technology. The REAL end product we were aiming for……and still are. The knowledge, technology and people are there; we just need some financial help,” Royal said. “And that is why we are turning to an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to turn our vision into a reality. It will be backpack sized running off solar AND switching to electricity at night — sitting on balconys and back verandahs of homes.”
Crowdfunding is a way for startup companies, artists and anyone needing funding to tap into the rich resources of the Internet. People are free to donate as much as they choose and often get nice benefits in return. One is to have your name as an associate Editor of liner (setup installation) notes on all units sold.
“By using crowdfunding, we hope to help not only Australia, but the World gain more fresh, safe and clean drinking water Our best market is homes and apartments that can use between 100 and 200 litres of water a day for the family. Eventually, our goal is that fresh water is available anywhere for anyone – at a very low cost,” Royal added.
Those interested in learning more about freshwaterFACTORY should visit their Facebook page and download the Indiegogo sneak preview pdf at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Free-WATER/472969986083126
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The survey, conducted by Forrester Research, reports that 72% of online retailers believe that the online channel "is better suited to withstand an economic slowdown than offline channels," with 35% predicting that their business will beat expectations in the year ahead. And 33% say they expect results to be in line with their forecasts. (Some 37% concede that they have lowered their expectations for online sales to adjust to the weaker economy.)
Certainly, they expect sales to grow at a slower pace than in years past, due to dwindling consumer confidence and credit issues. But the survey finds that they are quite bullish on their own ability to prosper, even in an economy that's battering brick-and-mortar stores: 81% say their online business was profitable in 2007, and 75% say it was more profitable last year than the year before. That said, the survey also found concerns that being sensitive to consumers' worries, which may require them to lower prices and entice shoppers with free or reduced-price shipping, may eat into profitability this year.
"Although the online sales growth rate will be lower than in years past because of working against all of retail, the good news is that this growth will still outpace nearly every other sector of consumer spending," the report says.


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Technology Will thinking bots like the ones on HBO's hit series ever be a thing? PALO ALTO, Calif. — Fans of the HBO series "Westworld" know that it doesn't shy away from big and often mind-bending themes.
• We don't all have good excuses to get out of exercising.• But some people are actually "allergic" to working out.• It is called "exercise-induced anaphylaxis," and affects about 2% of people.• Doctors
Back when Rian Johnson was first hired to write and direct Star Wars: The Last Jedi, he set up a film camp of sorts for the Lucasfilm Story Group, screening six films that would relay the kind of tone
An inside look at the development of the Xbox One X, and what it means for the future of console gaming When designer Bryan Sparks explains the inspiration for the look and feel of the modern Xbox, he
Whedonesque, a popular Joss Whedon fan site, is ending operations today, Entertainment Weekly reports. The decision comes one day after The Wrap published an essay by Whedon’s ex-wife Kai Cole accusing
In a recent financial report from Sega Sammy Holdings, it reveals that Persona 5 has managed to sell 1.8 million copies globally since its release in Japan back at the end of 2016. It is worth pointing
Sony's long-developed adaptation of Stephen King's epic "The Dark Tower" finally hit theaters this weekend and won the domestic box office, though it was a very soft estimated $19.5 million on over 3,400


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Tirumala Dairy, for instance, was sold to Lactalis early last year, and many more mid-sized dairy players such as Creamline Dairy, Dodla Dairy and Dinshaw's Dairy may be sold too, according to investment bankers familiar with the matter.
“Heirs of first-generation promoters are keen on urban-centric businesses than dealing with cattle and farmers in rural areas, and are coaxing their parents to divest businesses at attractive valuations,“ said an investment banker advising a couple of dairy firms, requesting anonymity.
India Ratings estimates the Indian dairy sector, the world's largest milk producer, to reach . 5.54 lakh crore by March next ` from ` . 3.59 lakh crore in March 2013. The agency expects India to produce 151 million tonnes of milk by March 2016 from 138 million tonnes in March 2014.
Immediately after selling his firm to French dairy giant Lactalis last January, founder chairman of Tirumala Dairy Bolla Bramha Naidu told ET: “The next generation of promoters' families is not gelling well and they are not keen on continuing with the dairy business.“
A chief executive of another private mid-sized dairy firm, who didn't want to be identified, said, “Most private dairies in India were set up by multiple promoters, who got along well for decades to build their firms. Unfortunately, the next generation is neither gelling well nor interested in taking their businesses to the next level.“
While most mid-sized dairy firms need sizeable funds to scale up their operations to stay competitive and improve their margins through value-added products, multinational dairy giants and private equity firms have seized the opportunity and have either invested in them or are tapping them.
India Ratings' dairy sector analyst JB Sivakumar says successors are reluctant to remain in the dairy business, given the low profit margins and the nature of challenges related to cattle and expanding operations.
“Mid-sized private dairies are struggling to scale up operations and expand to other geographical markets owing to excess capacities in the sector and falling margins. They are also finding it tough to compete with cooperatives that are being backed by various state governments,“ said Sivakumar.
“In the backdrop of increasing interest by foreign and private equity players with deep pockets, the Indian dairy industry is headed for consolidation.“
The promoters of private equity investor Black River Asset Management-backed dairy firm Dodla Dairy are not sure if the next generation could take it forward to build billion-dollar empires. “The new generation is keen on attractive, new economy businesses with high margins. I am not sure if my daughters would take my business forward,“ said Dodla Dairy's MD D Sunil Reddy.
- Front Page
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Reining in special rights, ASBA-like system for stock trades, and allowing PEs to become MF sponsors are also on agenda.Vedanta Likely in Talks to Sell 10% in India Unit
With debt repayments up to $2 billion maturing by June, billionaire Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta Resources Ltd (VRL) has reached out to investors for a strategic stake sale of up to 10% in India-listed Vedanta Ltd (VEDL), said people with knowledge of the matter.India’s Return to Normalcy has a Price & Households are Paying It
The return to normalcy from the pandemic has turned out costly for households with office and school requirements triggering a spike in prices of items such as shirts, trousers, shoes, coats and school uniforms among others.
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A Kentucky bill banning all brand new payday loan providers within the state is passed away into legislation.
Senate Bill 145 will generate two business that is different for check cashing and deferred deposit solutions companies. Gov. Matt Bevin, R-Kentucky, finalized the measure in March 2019.
Currently, thereвЂ™s only one state permit available. Beneath the law that is new there is a check-cashing permit for companies that charge a cost for cashing a check, and a deferred deposit license for pay day loan providers that provide high-interest, short-term loans.
However an amendment that is last-minute the balance because of their state Senate president would now in effect ban new cash advance providers. That addition states that there wonвЂ™t be any brand brand new permanent deposit that is deferred. Which means a short-term moratorium on brand new cash advance licenses would now be permanent.
That moratorium that is temporary brand brand new licenses went into impact during 2009 and certainly will expire come early july.
вЂњWeвЂ™re maybe not planning to do anymore payday lenders after,вЂќ said Sen. Rick Girdler, R-Somerset, whom sponsored the balance and it is vice chair associated with state Senate Banking and Insurance Committee.
Pay day loan providers that curently have state permit are permitted to continue steadily to run. (more…)


text: Guangzhou: For Andy Liang, 32, the sharp fall in global crude oil prices has taken a toll on his business. And what he is enduring is also what is playing out at a much larger level at China's largest trade exposition here -- the 119th edition of Canton Fair, on since 1957. "I hope that oil prices go up and so does my business. This time around business at the fair will not be that great," Liang, whose company Kebo Electricals sells voltage stabilizers and inverters, told IANS at the fair, which began on April 14 and will end on May 5. "Our main buyers are from the Middle East and Africa. Not many (buyers) have come so far. Those who have, have placed small orders. Low oil prices have affected their countries' economies and their power to purchase," added Liang, who depends on oil-rich countries for exports. The low global appetite for Chinese goods -- a result of world economic downturn and China's own production glut -- has manufactures worried at the fair. The twice-yearly affair covers 1.18 million sq mts of space to host 60,233 stands set up by as many as 24,512 companies from across the world, the organisers said of the event, dubbed as China's bellwether for boosting exports. The Chinese economic growth slowed to a 25-year-low of 6.9 percent in 2015. The fall in the crude oil prices has triggered concerns among economists, who say the country's lower demand for oil is one of the reasons for plummeting oil prices that tanked to a 12-year low of $27 a barrel in January. The fair is also being held against the backdrop of a fall in foreign capital inflows to China -- fDi magazine, think tank of Financial Times, says India is now the top-ranked nation in the flow of foreign direct investment in 2015, beating China on the very turf it dominated for a few decades. The trade fair offers myriad products that range from home appliances to bicycles and skin care products to bottle openers. Your made-in-China shoes or light bulb could have been sourced from here and sold to you in your neighbourhood market. Kevin Feng, employed at a bicycle-making firm, is not very optimistic about the sales this time. "Sales may not be great this time, but responses have not been that bad either," said Feng, whose Glory Business mainly exports bicycles to Eastern European countries. Hebe Chen, salesperson at the stall of Guangdong Senhat Sporting Goods, also says the response so far has been tepid. She mistakes this correspondent for an Asian businessman and offers a visit to her company's'nearby manufacturing unit of ice skates, skate boards and inline skates. Guangzhou, the capital of South China's Guangdong province, is located on the Pearl River. The bustling city accounts for two percent of China's land and contributes 12 percent of its GDP. The deputy director general of Guangdong's foreign affairs, Luo Jun, told that he was quite hopeful exhibitors will not return disappointed from the fair. He has a ray of hope as well. Even though the slowdown has the sellers worried, some buyers said it has been in their favour. "This time we can bargain with them as the demand for their products is less," said a businessman from Pakistan. "Earlier, they wouldn't even talk to us properly."


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Wondering how you can start off with US$3,000 and buy a Maruti Alto and six months later have accumulated US$30,000, enough to buy a Porsche or Lamborghini?
Wheeler Dealers’ Mike Brewer knows how, and he’s ready to show the UAE. The host of the Discovery Channel’s show filmed an episode in Dubai on a warm Thursday morning at the Autodrome last week.
Starting in India, Brewer travelled to several countries including Japan, Sweden and Mexico where he and his crew find rundown cars, transform them into sleek beauties ready to sell at a profit. And six months later, he found himself travelling to Dubai in the hope of getting a luxury car.
Following an announcement on Radio 1, some of Dubai’s finest cars made their way to the Autodrome with Aston Martins competing alongside the Shelby Cobra for Brewer’s attention.
“I have my eye on this grey Porsche with red leather interior,” he told tabloid!. The car enthusiast returns to Dubai in March to make his selection.
The series will air in early summer on OSN’s Discovery HD channel.


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Zurich - Zurich has turned into a life sciences centre. The Bio-Technopark Schlieren-Zürich played an important role in this.
Zurich – The China Construction Bank has officially opened its branch in Zurich. With the arrival of the bank, the Zurich financial centre will become a European hub for renminbi trading.
Zurich - In 2018, the international education company EF Education First will move into the building currently inhabited by the Swiss stock exchange.
Zurich - Chinese manufacturer of electric scooters AIMA has opened its first shop in Europe in Zurich. It described Switzerland as ideal thanks to its reputation for high quality.
Zurich - The joint developed centre of the ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich aims to turn innovations into practical solutions more quickly.
Zurich - In the Greater Zurich Area, ICT, biotech and medical technology clusters are especially successful, says ETH Professor Georg von Krogh.
Zurich – The China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) is expanding its European offerings out of a campus in Zurich.
Altdorf - A massive agglomeration project is set to make Uri more attractive as a business location.
Zug - Trailblazers are bringing the digital financial sector to the fore in Zug. The so-called Crypto Valley is meant to become the global centre for cryptocurrencies.
Altdorf - The new Gotthard Base Tunnel will open in December 2016.
Zurich – Xapo, which stores the digital currency bitcoin for its customers, has decided to move to Switzerland.
Solothurn – Biotechnology company Biogen plans to build an ultra-modern biopharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Solothurn.
Zurich - Digitalisation is changing the banking industry as Swiss start-ups working together with traditional companies on financial solutions for tomorrow.
Ringier CEO Marc Walder plans to turn Zurich into the digital capital of Europe in the next ten years.
Zurich - Companies and researchers from the Greater Zurich region are at the forefront of this revolution.
Zurich - Green building is at home in Switzerland – on a small scale as well as a large one.
Zürich - Made in Switzerland – it’s label is expressing what many consider to be traditionally strong Swiss values: quality, precision, exclusivity.
Zurich – Google plans to extend its presence in Zurich. The internet giant will move into additional premises in Zurich.
Zurich - Swiss automobile parts suppliers escaped the economic crisis mostly unscathed. Diversification is one reason for this.
Zürich - The benefits of such a dual system are now increasingly being recognised abroad – and imitated.
Zurich - Innovation is the engine of our regional and national economy.
Zürich - The health care system is increasingly turning to the ICT sector to improve its services.
Zurich - It is Switzerland’s little secret, but it is having a huge impact: The precision technologies industry, particularly in and around Zurich.
Zurich - Zurich is set to become a new centre for the game industry. Although still small, the industry is growing.
Zurich - The amount of digital data is multiplying exponentially and in all corners of the world. Swiss security providers see a huge business.
Zurich - Robots are more than just machines, and soon they will be working together with – rather than instead of – people.
- Sharing explicit knowledge through our professional experts
- Support for business development in the Greater Zurich Area
- Information and recommendations related on how to start a business
- Access to a network of companies, educational institutions and local authorities


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Demna Gsavalia has just unveiled his second menswear collection as artistic director of historic fashion house Balenciaga. Take a look through the highlights from the collection above, and keep reading for a breakdown of key looks, celebrity sightings, and trend takeaways from Balenciaga's latest SS18 men's show.
A literal forest. Balenciaga made all those trendy souls trek out to the serene Bois de Boulogne in Paris, and that was the first likely clue to Gsavalia's aesthetic turn to the "great outdoors" this season.
The Show Notes
According to the show notes, Balenciaga's man is enjoying a real alfresco moment for SS18. While last season's men's collection was all about exaggerated corporate charm, Balenciaga has caught this season's guy away from the ivory corporate tower, and at home in nature with his kids. Matthew Schneier at the New York Times called it first: "Alfresco Zaddy", indeed.
Needless to say, the global style set was out in full force but Agent Dale Cooper/Kyle Maclachlan made a surprise appearance at the show.
It's basically #dadcore taken to a new aesthetic extreme. While there were plenty of individual trend-centric pieces, the whole show played out like a subversive showreel of "fun for the whole family" stock footage.
The show opened with a slew of oversized, off-kilter tailoring as though it was a kind of organic mutation of last season's corporate decadence. It quickly morphed into a parade of young dads literally carrying small children (wearing their own mini Balenciaga steez) in looks that seemed native to grainy '90s sitcoms.
Plenty of trousers were high-waisted, tapered, and belted, and there was a smattering of overstated styling tricks such as collared shirts layered over collared shirts and shorts worn over trousers.
There were a few irony-loaded, purposefully cringe moments which only dad-style can induce too such as '80s-esque prints on overblown polo shirts, dark Tropic Hawaiian shirts, dated motocross references, soulless corporate insignia, and a slew of peak-irony shopping bags.
It all ached with a nostalgic nod to '90s dad-wear but it resounded the show note's narrative of the Balenciaga corporate man taking time out, enjoying a leisurely nature moment with his kids in tow.
A personal highlight (pictured above) was the elongated leather jacket scribbled with "the power" on its arms in a not-so-subtle nod to the iconic alt-rock band Papa Roach and their distinctive logo.
You can see the collection in the gallery in its entirety above, but the standout looks included a slew of track and field jackets that really punctuated Gvsalsia's "great outdoors" shtick.
Firstly, it's easy to spot a thematic parallel between Balenciaga's latest outing and buzzy London-based designer Martine Rose's latest SS18 collection which was also heavy on the low-key outdoor-inspired gear. Rose has actually served as a consultant at Balenciaga for a while now, but she did take a break from Balenciaga this season, so it's purely coincidental that both brands have managed to tread on such similar aesthetic territory, albeit with different results.
Balenciaga took the "outdoor trail" vibe a step further, obviously, by sending out models with their own Balenciaga-branded mountain bikes, which will available exclusively at colette, as part of Balenciaga's summer takeover at the uber-trendy Parisian concept store.
Balenciaga's SS18 menswear collection is essentially a more relaxed, loose, logo-heavy rendition of its last season offering and it ultimately translates into "luxe dadcore". Yet, the collection is also a testament to Gvsalsia's own methodological cannibalization of the irony-laden "executive realness" trend that he himself pioneered last season. In fact, Balenciaga's corporate cool from FW17 has manifested everywhere from Fendi to Wales Bonner this current season. Everything comes full circle.
Balenciaga is no stranger to the polarizing accessory. The brand's now-infamous take on the iconic FRAKTA tote has inspired a runaway trend for IKEA fashion bootlegs, and the brand riled up the internet once more with the drop of its $1,100 shopping bag.
For SS18, the shopping bag was once again a massive point of focus. You'll find Balenciaga logo-heavy “bodega” bags in leather and a variety of colors including black and magenta, as well as crochet shopping bags in neon lime, and more classic retail-grade bags awash in "tedious-but-trendy" corporate aesthetics.
The Trend Takeaways
Shirting is no longer restricted to the torso. In fact, the weekend executive now has dual-purpose for his everyday gear, and tailoring now doubles as protection against the elements when on a hiking trip with the Balenciaga bunch.
It's fair to say that the street style set will follow suit and we can expect plenty of fashionistas to eschew the umbrella in favor of the shirt-scarf look at the next round of fashion week.
Plastic fantastic! Balenciaga's love for laminate was big this season. For those of you who want a thrifty hack for Balenciaga's artificial-fash, then simply swipe one of those plastic ponchos on your next trip to an amusement park and wear over your finery for immediate impact.
The puffer jacket is going nowhere. In fact, it's getting puffier. Balenciaga's latest iteration is longer and more sculptural with a distinctive funnel neck which was reprised in a load of other outdoor jackets too.
For more SS18 fashion week coverage, check out Fendi's latest collection.


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Why does Kanye WestÂ neverÂ smile?
He recently attended the Daily Front Rowâ€™s inaugural Fashion Los Angeles AwardsÂ where he present Mazdack Rassi with the Fashion Innovator of the Year award.Â Before introducing theÂ founder and creative directorÂ of Milk Studios, he seized the opportunity to get a few things off his chest in a fashion (no pun intended) only Kanye West can.
“Since this is the very first presentation of the very first Fashion Los Angeles Awards, Iâ€™m going to take longer than all the other presenters,” says Kanye. “And this doesnâ€™t mean that other peopleâ€”Iâ€™m taking up all your time so everyone else is really short.â€ The rapper then went on to elaborate on numerous topics, including his perception of fashionâ€™s ability to save the world. â€œI believe that the world can be changed, the world can be saved, through design, through unselfish design, through unselfish creation. God is the number one creatorâ€”Iâ€™m a Christian, Iâ€™m not trying to force my opinions on anyoneâ€”but in my opinion, God is the number one creator. And anytime we create were the extension of doing his work on Earth.”
He presented the award and also explained why he rarely cracks a smile in photos. HeÂ says it is a 19th century book he found in a Parisian flea market. “I looked at all these peoples photos in it and it looked so regal. And their outfits were incredible, and they werenâ€™t smiling,” he said. The same goes for paintings in old castles, he said. â€œPeople are not smiling, â€™cause it just wouldnâ€™t look as cool.”


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May 21, 2013 Interview with Doc Washburn on WBT Radio in Charlotte >> listen.
Click image above.
'90s Flashback -- SF Gate, April 1997 (See page 2) Click image above for complete article
"I don't think our problem has been expanding too fast so much as it is tough competition from Microsoft," said Vallee Hubbard [Bubak], director of corporate public relations.
"You've seen this in other companies, like Netscape. You have a strong, thriving business and they come after you, and they have so much money it's difficult for other companies to compete."
Acquiring Ashton-Tate, maker of dBASE, "was an example of too big of a bite for the company," she admitted. Still, she said, Ashton-Tate brought Borland a huge customer base and valuable employees.
Hubbard said Borland's management has learned some valuable lessons from the struggle. "First, don't think you're invincible just because you're at the top and things are growing really fast. Don't assume revenue levels are going to stay high, but plan that you could have a couple challenging quarters or years. Keep track of expenses and be a culture that is conservative in how it spends money."
"Borland has become more efficient," she said, instituting "excellent reporting systems to really keep an eye on expense levels and to be overall more cost effective.
"The second lesson is that credibility as a mature and well-managed company is as important as great products. We have a new CEO, highly respected for his leadership and operational capabilities. He brings the credibility the company needs and is demonstrating that the company is well managed. That helps customers feel good that you're here for the long haul."
"We're planning for sustainability and growth in 1998, which began April 1," said Hubbard. Part of a long-term strategy to be announced in July is a commitment to release a new product each quarter "so we have a consistent stream of revenue," she said. Last quarter the company shipped a visual development tool for corporations, and this quarter the third version of the company's popular Delphi program will be shipped.
The new products, Hubbard said, are the result of customer demand, bringing up the third lesson the company has learned - "keep focused on your customers and listen to them."


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Irish machinery manufacturers sign deals worth €13m in France
Deals worth almost €13m were signed with Irish machinery manufacturers Dromone, Samco and Dairymaster in France yesterday.
The deals came as part of an Enterprise Ireland trade mission to the world's fifth largest economy. The biggest single deal was for €9.7m between the Meath-based Dromone and the AGCO group. Samco signed its first contract with French co-op Cavac to the value of €220,000, to be a sole distributor of Samco machines and degradable plastic film for the Vendee region in western France.
Meanwhile, Dairymaster has teamed up with Genes Diffusion in a move that is expected to yield €3m in parlour sales for the Kerry company.


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Cadbury Creme Egg registered the biggest increase in Advertising Awareness for February 2024 of all brands YouGov tracks in the UK. According to data from YouGov BrandIndex, which tracks perceptions toward brands on a daily basis, the chocolate brand saw an uplift of 11.5 percentage points throughout the month.
In the lead up to Easter, Cadbury launched its annual campaign to boost awareness around the Cadbury Creme Egg. The campaign this season resurrected its ‘How do you eat yours’ tagline from two decades ago.
Samsung is the brand with the second-highest uptick in Ad Awareness. The tech brand increased from 17.7% on January 26 to 24.7% on February 17 (+6.9 percentage points). This surge in awareness could be attributed to the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra earlier in the month and the promotional efforts around the phone release.
Rounding out the top three brands with the biggest uplift in Ad Awareness in the UK this February is Tesco Woosh. The delivery brand saw a lift of 5.7 percentage points, which may be associated with Tesco Whoosh’s new sponsorship of the ‘Channel 4 Comedy’ strand of programming, a first for the brand.
Methodology: BrandIndex collects data on thousands of brands every day. A brand’s Ad Awareness score is based on the question: “Which of the following consumer brands have you seen an advertisement for in the past two weeks?” and delivered as a percentage. The data is based on the interviews of British adults aged 18+ between January 26 and February 25, 2024. Learn more about BrandIndex.


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Zara is in and Prada is out as Xi Jinping’s crackdown on corruption is starting to cause problems for high-end brands in China. According to a recent market survey 65 percent of luxury retailers failed to reach their targets for new store openings in 2013.
The slowdown for couture sellers is in contrast to the success of mid-range fast fashion brands, such as Uniqlo, Zara, H&M and C&A, which increased their total store count by 40 percent from mid-2012 to the end of last year.
The report, “Spotlight on China’s Retail Market 2014: Experience at the Fore in the New Retail Typology”, co-published by international property consultancy Knight Frank and global design and consulting firm Woods Bagot, singled out luxury retailing as an underperforming sector in an overall retail environment where e-commerce and fast-fashion were flourishing.
Speaking of the difficulties facing top brands, Paul Hart, Executive Director, Greater China at Knight Frank, said, “We find that many retailers missed their store opening targets last year. This can be due to a variety of factors, including the difficulty of finding good quality sites; sales were dragged by tightening government policies on anti-corruption; or a change in strategy for internal reasons.”
Retail is Up While Luxury Struggles
According to management consultants Bain & Co, China’s luxury market reached RMB 116 billion last year, achieving just two percent growth over 2012, while overall retail sales grew 13 percent.
Bain found that efforts by the party leadership to stamp out corruption and go after “tigers and flies” had particular impact on “gifting luxury”, with watches and menswear have taken the biggest hit.
Knight Frank predicted that the struggles of high-end retailers will continue in 2014. Referring to the market outlook for this year, Thomas Lam, Director and Head of Research & Consultancy, Greater China with the property consultancy commented, “The growth in luxury retail sales will slow while that in fast-fashion, mid-range fashion and F&B segments will maintain strong.”


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Video games have a representation problem. Last month at the biggest show in the video game industry (E3), just 3% of the featured games had exclusively female protagonists, while 41% had exclusively male protagonists.
The problem extends to race and sexuality as well, with most mainstream game heroes skewing heavily towards white and straight. Players with disabilities are especially under looked, mostly seeing representation in side characters at best.
Thanks to Xbox, that’s about to change just a tiny bit.
In a tweet on Sunday, Xbox head Phil Spencer more or less confirmed that wheelchair options are coming to Xbox Live Avatars at some point in the near future. Avatars are customisable characters attached to each Xbox Live account, and users can purchase clothing and accessories for their Avatars in an online store.
There’s no word on when this feature will hit or how exactly it will be implemented. We don’t know if there will just be one wheelchair to choose from, or if the wheelchairs can be customized with virtual goods like users can already do with their Avatars.
This isn’t the first time a major video game company has acknowledged its disabled fans this year. “Uncharted 4” featured accessibility options so players who have a hard time rapidly tapping buttons due could finish the game, a feature that was well-received.
These are extremely small steps forward for increased accommodation of disabled players. Since Avatars rarely show up when you aren’t shopping for accessories in the Avatar Store, plenty of users have probably forgotten they have one entirely. Unfortunately, you’re unlikely to see your new wheelchair-bound Avatar in many games.
Still, taking steps forward is better than standing still. Hopefully the folks at Xbox continue to listen to their fans and add even more options for disabled players in the future.


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Summit Entertainment has signed a deal with Myplash Prepaid Cards to release The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Prepaid MasterCard cards, an exclusive series of reloadable prepaid cash and gift cards designed for teens. (Editor’s note: And likely to be favored by tween fans of the franchise)
The Eclipse prepaid cards from Plastic Cash International land at US retail outlets on July 1, 2010 to coincide with the theatrical release of the third installment of Summit Entertainment’s Twilight Saga on June 30.
As a part of the web offers tied to the product, cardholders will be able to make purchases anywhere Debit MasterCard is accepted, including online.
Cardholders will be able to add funds to their reloadable cards at thousands of retail locations and online, as well as manage their accounts online and gain access to the Myplash Mall for exclusive promotions.


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- Lack of access to menstrual products impacts millions of women globally.
- A new program in Scotland will offer sanitary products free of cost to women and girls.
- The Scottish government is pledging £500,000 (over $640,000 USD) to the program.
Poor women around the world often lack affordable access to tampons and pads. But a new initiative in Scotland is attempting to change that, by offering free menstrual pads and tampons to women across the country.
The move follows a 2017 pilot program in the Scottish city of Aberdeen, according to the Straits Times. The government has pledged £500,000 — or over $640,000 US dollars — to rolling out a nationwide initiative. The new program — which will be operated by the food charity FareShare — is expected to serve nearly half a million women and girls.
The program is Scotland's solution to "period poverty," a term referring to the high cost of menstrual products and the lack of access low-income women have to menstrual products. According to one 2015 study, the average woman spends more than $11,000 on period-related purchases during her lifetime.
Period poverty is a global problem, recognized by the United Nations as "an enormous human rights challenge of the twenty-first century that has yet to be met." In the US, for example, Medicaid, SNAP, WIC, and other public welfare programs, don't cover menstrual products, believing that they're a "luxury."
But without access to pads and tampons, Anne M. Rios, Esq., Executive Director of Think Dignity, told Vice, women often resort to unsanitary solutions, "like using old socks, rags or clothes as pads, which can lead to significant health risks like HPV and incontinence," she said. Lack of access to proper menstrual products, reports the Independent, can also lead to increase instances of anxiety and depression.
Scotland's plan is due to roll out in the next few weeks, with products made available at schools and colleges, and FareShare centers around the country.
"In a country as rich as Scotland, it's unacceptable that anyone should struggle to buy basic sanitary products," Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said in a statement. "I am pleased that we are able to work with FareShare to make products available more widely through the services delivered by their partners."


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LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Vodafone Group VOD, +0.15% VOD, +0.12% said it added 30% more, or 7.1 million, customers in its fiscal third quarter on a comparable basis, with overall proportionate net additions at 8.3 million for the quarter. Comparable revenue grew 8% on higher handset revenue from increased volumes, though it noted Germany, Italy and the U.K. saw lower service revenue growth on increased competition and price declines. The mobile operator said comparable mobile revenue for the fiscal year should be in the middle of a 6% to 9% range, and comparable mobile EBITDA margin should be at the low end of a 1% decline to flat range compared from the previous year. (Updates to fix typographical errors.)
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Posted September. 25, 2009 07:34,
The government yesterday said it will send around 100,000 tons of rice aid to East Asian nations from next year at the earliest.
Of 720,000 tons of accumulated rice, the government will provide around 100,000 tons to East Asian nations to raise their rice reserves for emergencies. It will be Koreas largest food aid package in history, a government source said.
The food aid proposal will be announced at a meeting of agriculture ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations plus South Korea, China, and Japan slated for next month or November.
Under an agreement reached in 2002, the associations 10 member nations -- the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Brunei, Taiwan and Laos -- and South Korea, China and Japan will cooperate to raise rice reserves and sell, lend or distribute rice free in case of emergency like a food shortage.
Given that South Korea, China and Japan have abundant rice, the plan is apparently intended to support developing nations. Beijing will donate 300,000 tons of rice and Tokyo 250,000 tons, but Seoul has yet to announce how much rice it will provide.
The food aid project is also seen as a way to reduce the oversupply of rice. Park Dong-gyu, senior researcher at Korea Rural Economic Institute, said, Providing rice to developing nations can be a good way to handle a surge in rice supply and improve national image.
Domestic farmers have enjoyed abundant harvests for several years, so the price of rice has continuously fallen in rice-producing areas. Last year saw a record crop of 4.84 million tons, worsening the surplus.
As of Sept. 15, rice produced last year went for 146,900 won (123.34 U.S. dollars), falling around 20,000 won (16.79 dollars) from Sept. 15 last year, when rice produced in 2007 was traded at 161,700 won (135.77 dollars). Domestic farmers are also likely to produce more than 4.6 million tons of rice this year.
Under an agreement with the World Trade Organization, South Korea has a rice import quota since its rice market is not open to the global market. The mandatory amount of rice to be imported this year is 307,000 tons, up around 80,000 tons from 2005. Rice reserves have also jumped from 690,000 tons last year to 816,000 tons this year.
To boost rice consumption, the government plans to encourage the production of noodles and rice wine and cut the price of rice used in product processing such as rice wine, snacks and sliced rice cake around 34 percent from 1,446 won (1.21 dollars) to 950 won (80 cents) per kilogram from Sept. 28. At the same time, more rice will go to military units and schools.
Others say rice aid to North Korea should resume, saying South Koreas glut of rice is due to Seouls decision to stop food aid to Pyongyang. The South had provided 2.65 million tons of rice to the North since 1995, but stopped shipments last year.
With the harvest season coming, farmers are urging measures to handle plummeting rice prices. Farmers associations have held gatherings nationwide to say the government should reduce rice inventory by sending part of it to North Korea.


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A recent Fintech study reveals that digital banking apps are now beginning to lag behind online trading apps (in Germany) which grew by 140%.
Despite the COVID-19 outbreak, German consumers have not been using mobile banking apps as much as expected, according to a study by Adtech startup Adjust. The company found that Germany’s residents appear to be more interested in using online trading apps than digital banking solutions.
The Coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the shift towards digital platforms and services. People in Germany (and in other parts of the world) are using digital commerce platforms a lot more than they were before. They’re buying clothing items online instead of visiting physical stores and they’re also using online investing platforms more frequently now.
Berlin-based Adtech firm Adjust and Apptopia’s research study reveals that German consumers, in general, are not downloading banking apps as often as we might expect in a post COVID world. In fact, the number of banking app downloads actually declined during H1 2020.
German banking apps are also not being used as much in other areas. App installations declined by 15% during H1 2020, according to data provided by Adjust. Interestingly, banking apps in the US and the UK are being used more than they are in Germany.
Meanwhile, in Japan, the nation’s government had offered a tax break to consumers using smartphones to make payments. Japanese users were eligible for a 5% discount when they made digital payments with their mobile phones at local restaurants.
Fabian Schaeffer, Fintech analyst at Adjust, said that many German residents have already installed an app on their smartphones.
He added that it’s “why there is currently no reason for [making additional] downloads” or using even more banks apps, which can make it difficult to manage day-to-day activities instead of making them more convenient or easier.
As first reported by Finance Fwd, the number of sessions logged by users of German payment and banking apps did actually increase by 40% during H1 2020 (when compared to the same period last year).


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Dawn Food Products named Clabber Girl Corp. the Dawn Distributors Advantage (DDA) Vendor of the Year for the company’s service and performance in 2011.
The DDA program is a large-volume buying network through which Dawn finds the best sources and deals across baking product categories. Clabber Girl, founded in 1850, supplies chemical leaveners to more than 40 countries.
“Much like Dawn, our partners at Clabber Girl are passionate about delivering great quality every time and on time,” Carrie Jones-Barber, CEO of Dawn, said in a press release. “We are proud to recognize the ongoing work that Clabber Girl team members are doing to ensure DDA customers succeed.”
Clabber Girl’s president and COO Gary Morris accepted the award at the DDA awards dinner during the group’s annual meeting on Jan. 10 in Phoenix.


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As of October of this year BeReal is at 10 million daily active users and is now valued at over $600 million. She’s still going hard despite the competition of TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter.
Did you know the app started in the basement of a burger shop at Harvard University?
Students were offered free admission to a party at Tasty Burger if they downloaded BeReal and shared it with 5 friends. What college kid would turn down free food?
BeReal kickstarted an ambassador program that swept the nation. The entire program is built around empowering their ambassadors, a big risk. Unlike other ambassador programs, BeReal ambassadors manage a marketing budget, host parties, and execute their own creative, and get PAID.
Here’s their College Class of Fall 2022 application.
The more signups you got, the more money you made. And that meant more users on BeReal’s app. BeReal identified who they wanted using their app, aligned incentives with their ambassadors, and grew.
What to learn from BeReal:
- People trust people more than they trust brands. When done right, ambassador programs are extremely effective.
- Authenticity works. Consumers are craving authenticity. Brands that can be human and real will be way ahead of their competition
- People want to follow people, not companies. Again, Be Human
🎤 Listen to The Sauce Pod every week on Twitter Spaces where we share tips, news and the secret sauce for content creators and digital entrepreneurs.
This content appeared in this week’s edition of The Sauce newsletter. Subscribe here.


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The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled that Cereal Partners UK must remove two adverts that compared the nutritional value of Cheerios to croissants and Nesquik to jam on toast.
Cereal majors Kellogg and Cereal Partners Worldwide (CPW) are reviewing the UK Department of Health’s (DoH) front-of-pack voluntary labeling scheme, but one nutrition policy expert says they will never sign....
Nestlé says its newly launched coconut water-based frozen snacks will hold great appeal among US consumers.
Oxfam will step up its campaign to improve the treatment of people and resources that form part of the supply chain of the world’s biggest food conglomerates, after it cast...
Associated British Foods – worst-in-class in an Oxfam report critical of 10 food giants for essentially operating under a corporate social responsibility (CSR) “veil of secrecy” – has hit back, slamming the...
Nestlé’s share price fell 2.3% on Thursday as the company announced its slowest growth in three years, with developing markets hit by natural disasters and continued market weakness in Europe...
Malaysia will house production of Nestlé breakfast cereals for the first time and export brands to neighbouring Asian countries.
Food and nutrition giant Nestlé has reported improved sales in its 9-month results driven by growth in emerging markets, but Q3 was a little slower than last year.
Cereal Partners Worldwide’s reformulation plan for 20 of its Nestlé breakfast cereal brands must happen gradually and unobtrusively to succeed, warns a nutrition policy specialist.
Nestlé UK has responded to critics of its cereal advertising that are claiming it contravenes Advertising Standards Authority rules, claiming the ASA has given the campaign the thumbs up.
A court in Brazil has ordered Nestlé to impose mandatory labelling for all its products in the country highlighting more than 1% genetically modified (GM) ingredients.
Food giant Nestlé has opened two new plants in South Africa, one of which will produce Milo and Cheerios breakfast cereals.
Looking at images of calorie-rich foods could affect how the brain processes tastes, leading to greater appreciation for even neutral tasting foods, suggest researchers from Nestle.
Food giant Nestle has been fined £180,000 in a UK criminal court after it failed to implement basic safety measures that led to a worker’s death.
Food giant Nestle has confirmed to ConfectioneryNews.com that it has suspended trade on its entire product range in Azerbaijan due to ‘supply problems’.
William Reed Business Media invites you to participate in a virtual event focussed on cutting packaging waste, reducing environmental impact and driving costs down for manufacturers
Food giant Nestle has recorded modest growth in 2011 driven by strong performance in China and other emerging markets leading its CEO to say wealth potential is moving from West...
‘On-the-go’ food and drink consumption has increased significantly in recent years in Germany, finds new research from Nestlé.
Nestlé has leapt to the defence of its Nesquik milk-based drinks brand, after the Children’s Food Campaign (CFC) lodged a ‘super complaint’ with the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), complaining...
Food giant Nestle has increased its stake in Israel-based food manufacturer OSEM by around 5% in a deal worth €75m (ILS 371.7m).
Nestle UK has announced today that it is to move its head offices from Croydon to a site near Gatwick by the end of 2012.
Nestle has become the first food company to allow the Fair Labor Association (FLA) to investigate whether children are working on cocoa farms supplying its factories as the company said...
Nestle has announced plans to expand production of its Wagner brand of frozen pizzas following a 400% export boost since Nestle acquired the brand in 2005.
A matter of weeks after it achieved Novel Foods approval for its ingredient Brana Vita, Belgian start-up Fugiea has announced a partnership with Nestlé to develop bran fibre foods.
Nestle UK has scooped an award for its use of methane trucks that has reduced CO2 emissions by 14% compared to diesel trucks with further potential to slash emissions in half.


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For the second time, plans by Amazon to substantially expand its presence in the New York area have been abandoned after labor and community groups mobilized in opposition.
In 2019, Amazon abruptly canceled plans to build a second headquarters in New York City after facing a barrage of criticism that it did not anticipate. This time, the e-commerce giant was unable to complete a deal for a cargo hub at Newark Liberty International Airport.
The project, which hinged on a 20-year lease worth hundreds of millions of dollars, attracted opposition after the Port Authority disclosed it last summer.
“Unfortunately, the Port Authority and Amazon have been unable to reach an agreement on final lease terms and mutually concluded that further negotiations will not resolve the outstanding issues,” Huntley Lawrence, the Port Authority’s chief operating officer, said in a statement on Thursday.
Advocacy groups and unions involved had said they could not support the lease unless Amazon made a set of concessions that included labor agreements and a zero-emissions benchmark at the facility.
“This victory signals that if Amazon wants to continue growing in New Jersey, it’s going to have to do it on our terms,” said Sara Cullinane, director of Make the Road New Jersey, an advocacy group that had questioned the deal.
Amazon, which expressed confidence in May that the deal would close, expressed disappointment in a statement, adding that “we’re proud of our robust presence in New Jersey and look forward to continued investments in the state.”
Amazon had estimated that the project would create more than 1,000 jobs, though many of those jobs could still be created if the Port Authority awards the lease to another company. Two other companies bid on the project.
“The growth of air cargo and the redevelopment of airport facilities in a manner that benefits the region as well as the local community remain a top priority of the Port Authority,” Mr. Lawrence, the chief operating officer, added in his statement.
The bigger long-term impact may be on Amazon’s ability to deliver packages efficiently in the Northeast, which it serves with airport hubs near Allentown, Pa.; Hartford, Conn.; and Baltimore. “Newark was the obvious choice,” said Marc Wulfraat, an industry consultant who closely tracks Amazon’s facilities. “It is right there on the doorstep of New York City.”
Understand the Unionization Efforts at Amazon
Mr. Wulfraat said Amazon could look for other commercial airports in the region, even if their locations were less ideal, to support the growing package volume.
It was in part the company’s prominence in the state that attracted opposition to the project. A report produced by groups seeking to block it pointed out that the number of Amazon facilities in New Jersey grew to 49 from one between 2013 and 2020, helping to nearly triple the number of warehouse workers in the state. Over the same period, the average wage for those workers fell to about $44,000 per year from over $53,000 per year, adjusting for inflation, according to Labor Department data.
New Jersey is one of the more unionized states in the country, while Amazon has opposed unionization efforts at its facilities.
Amazon said that average starting pay for its hourly workers is more than $18 nationally. The median hourly wage in New Jersey was about $23 last year. The company also cited its benefits, including full health coverage for full-time employees as soon as they start working; a 401(k) plan with a 50 percent company match; and up to 20 weeks of paid parental leave.
The Port Authority revealed the proposed lease with Amazon in August, the day its board voted to authorize the deal. The authority said that it expected the lease to take effect on or around Nov. 1, according to minutes of the meeting.
“It was something that they were trying to slip in without notifying the community, which was quite unfortunate,” said Kim Gaddy, executive director of the South Ward Environmental Alliance, which focuses on environmental issues affecting Newark residents. A spokesman for the agency said the lack of transparency was standard for its competitive procurement process.
Under the proposed deal, Amazon tentatively committed to investing $125 million in renovating two buildings at the airport, and to paying the Port Authority more than $300 million over 20 years — including $150 million up front.
By September, the groups led by Ms. Cullinane and Ms. Gaddy, along with other advocacy groups and unions like the Teamsters and the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, began to coordinate their opposition. The groups circulated petitions that collected thousands of signatures from residents and staged public events like rallies and a march.
The project appeared to stall after the November timetable for finalizing the lease passed without any announcement.
In late March, a spokeswoman for Gov. Phil Murphy, who had initially praised the deal, said in a statement that “the governor encourages anyone doing business in our state to work collaboratively with labor partners in good faith.” (The governor’s office declined to comment on Thursday.) Other politicians in the state appeared to grow skeptical after the Amazon Labor Union’s election victory this year at a Staten Island warehouse, a result Amazon is contesting.
Amazon has opened air hubs in recent years to move products through its own logistics network, rather than rely on outside providers. It prefers to fulfill customer orders with local inventory, for cheaper, quicker delivery, but when the product a customer wants is not in a nearby warehouse, it will fly the product to meet its shipping promises.
Its operations expansion went into overdrive during the pandemic as e-commerce sales boomed. “We doubled our capacity that we built in the first 25 years of Amazon in just 24 months,” Andy Jassy, the chief executive, told investors in May.
But the company has acknowledged that it overbuilt, expanding and hiring more than demand required, and in April it posted its first quarterly loss since 2015. This year Amazon has pulled back from some investments. “We’re trying to defer building activity on properties where we just don’t need the capacity yet, and we’re going let some leases expire as well,” Mr. Jassy said.


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PAC-MAN was originally first released in Japan on May 22, 1980. PAC-MAN was a huge hit and became immensely popular in the United States. Believe it or not, PAC-MAN is still one of the most popular games in the world to date. I remember my first time playing PAC-MAN, it was simple but yet addicting and I could not let it go.
Today being the 30’th anniversary of PAC-MAN, Google has made PAC-MAN playable on the Google homepage for just 2 days. Just visit Google.com and press the insert coin button and play with your arrow keys on your keyboard. An Easter egg was added by Google, if you press the insert coin button again you can add Ms PAC-MAN and control her using the WASD keys. Google has announced this on their blog.


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How counterfeit products are damaging multiple industries
In 2022, authorities destroyed millions of dollars worth of counterfeit and illegally traded goods, but many more items still reached unsuspecting consumers. Almost all industries are impacted by the roaring counterfeit trade, and the signage and labelling industry is no exception.
MAX printers and consumables, sold exclusively in Australia and New Zealand by Wiremarkers® Australia, are quality tested and of the highest standard. Cheaper, lower-quality imitations regularly hit the Australian market, costing customers time and money when they don’t last as expected. Wiremarkers Australia General Manager, Jarryd Crampton, explains the quality assurance process behind their products.
“We’ve always believed in providing the highest quality products and service. I despise seeing businesses effectively ripped off and tricked into buying inferior products claiming they meet our consumables and material standards when they clearly do not. Our red and yellow GN vinyl has officially been IEC Specified, and UV tested beyond 1000 hours. It’s suitable for all telco and NBN applications.
“We’re ISO 9001 accredited and work hard to ensure our products remain top quality. When companies use counterfeit vinyl with the MAX Bepop, for example, the results fail to meet their industry standard. I’ve seen warning labels fade within a year, whereas ours have been tested to last more than 10 years, and more than 30 years with our UV Block Overlays,” said Jarryd.
While counterfeit products are regularly destroyed in Australia and offshore, the law is slow-moving, and it often takes time for them to be removed from the market. This gives unscrupulous operators plenty of opportunity to take advantage of unsuspecting customers.
“It’s frustrating for us to see counterfeit products on the market because we know anyone who buys them will need to replace their signage in the near future. We’ll continue to report and take action against companies that breach our IP, but unfortunately, we know they’ll probably continue to pop up under a different name.
“We’re the only supplier who tests to the standards we do, so we regularly have customers coming to us after they’ve been burned by these fake products. They then have to re-do all their signage and work with labels that will actually last and meet their industry requirements. This costs our valued customers mounds of labour and re-work costs!” said Jarryd.
Genuine MAX labels and signs have been specified for use by Optus, Vodafone, NBN, and multiple other telecommunications companies. Get in touch with the Wiremarkers® Australia team to discuss your needs.
Customers who have purchased counterfeit goods can lodge a report with the ACCC.


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BLIZZARD is going to use its annual Blizzcon shindig for "several significant launch announcements", according to a Goldman Sachs investor note. Activision-Blizzard investors should expect Diablo 4, "a Blizzard mobile title" and a "possible" Overwatch expansion to move the needle on the firm's share price, according to advice revealed on Reddit. Blizzcon is Blizzard's biggest event of the year, with approaching 40,000 fans paying £150-£570 each for two days of announcements, panels, events, and the chance to play new and unreleased games or expansions from the house of Warcraft. This year's event is also playing host to the Overwatch World Cup finals. Overwatch itself was announced at Blizzcon in 2014, had its release date confirmed there in 2015, and had new maps and characters confirmed alongside the formation of the all-pro Overwatch League itself in 2016 and 2017. Last year Blizzard revealed details of Battle for Azeroth, the latest World of Warcraft expansion, along with … [Read more...] about Overwatch expansion AND Diablo 4 could be revealed at Blizzcon in November say Goldman Sachs
A MYSTERIOUS great white shark lair has been discovered in what experts once thought was a "blank, barren" stretch of the Pacific Ocean. The surprising discovery shocked scientists, who had no idea the area was home to sharks – and assumed the region couldn't support their diets. Each year, California's great white shark community makes a mysterious pilgrimage to an area dubbed the "white shark cafe". Hundreds of the deadly sea creatures swim for months to spend their winter and spring in a far-flung area of the Pacific Ocean. The area, which lies between Mexico's Baja California and Hawaii, has proved a major mystery for scientists. But now researchers have tracked the sharks, and visited the "middle-of-nowhere spot", as first reported in the San Francisco Chronicle. What particularly confused scientists was why sharks were swimming huge distances. It seemed especially odd, because it was assumed that the region was "lacking the kind of prey" that great whites prefer. By a joint … [Read more...] about Hundreds of great whites swim for MONTHS to dine at ‘secret shark cafe’ in mysterious Pacific Ocean lair each year
TWITTER has finally made it possible to set your timeline in reverse chronological order. It rolls back a controversial change to the site that saw tweets listed out of time order, based on a popularity algorithm. When Twitter first launched in 2006, tweets appeared as they were posted. That meant at the top of your feed, you'd see the tweets most recently posted by the people you follow. Then in 2016, Twitter created a new version of the timeline based on algorithms. This would promote content it thinks you are likely to enjoy to the top of your feed, demoting newer content in the process. It sparked fury from Twitter's fans at the time, who complained that they were missing out on new posts. To appease users, Twitter eventually added a toggle setting that would let you revert to time-order tweets – but there was a catch. If you turned it off, you'd still see "In case you missed it" tweets at the top of your feed. You'd also see recommended tweets from people you don't follow. … [Read more...] about Twitter FINALLY lets you put your tweets back in time order – here’s how to do it
A NEW iPhone app that measures real-world objects could revolutionise the humble "d**k pic", according to Twitter users. But right now, it's mostly been used by people who want to measure the size of their cats. The Measure app became available last night, as part of Apple's iOS 12 update for iPhones and iPads. It uses clever camera technology to determine distances, giving you reasonably accurate read-outs of how long or wide objects are. Now Twitter is being flooded with screenshots of people measuring their cats. People are uploading cute pics of their moggies, showing off the size of their heads and bodies. Apple probably intended the Measure app to be used for wholesome activities, like carpentry or home redecoration. After all, the app comes bundled with a virtual spirit level that lets you check if surfaces are straight. This uses your iPhone's accelerometer, tracking how your Apple handset is titled across three different axis. For now, it seems that cats are the main target of … [Read more...] about iPhone Measure app could create new ‘era of d**k pics’ – but people are using new iOS 12 feature on their cats instead
JAPANESE art billionaire Yusaku Maezawa has been named by Elon Musk as the mystery passenger who will travel around the moon on the SpaceX mission. But who is the entrepreneur? Here's what we know about the Elon's rocket man. Who is Yusaku Maezawa? The Japanese billionaire is an art collector and entrepreneur with a fashion brand empire. Yusaku, 43, briefly moved to California with a girlfriend aged 18, where he fell in love with American art, music, fashion and culture. He later moved back to his native Chiba Prefecture where he was a passionate skateboarder and a drummer in band, Switch Style. The band was signed by a major label, BMG Japan, in 1998 - but his musical exploits fell away when his businesses took off. Elon Muskcmystery 'passenger' on a SpaceX trip around the MOON How did he make his billions? In 1995, Yusaku started his first business selling imported CDs and music records. Three year's later he launched the company company Start Today. In 2004, his company opened … [Read more...] about Who is Yusaku Maezawa, how did he make his billions and what’s his SpaceX moon mission?


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Anybody who thinks this is going for less than $35 has no experience in these wild takeovers.
Last time something like this happened it was Maytag when pundits smashed it down to $12 and the takeover was completed at $18.
Reasons China would benefit from a takeover of CTB
1. CTB has a 5,000 employee plant in China.
2. China is adjacent to Russia where tires are needed, especially Cooper truck tires.
3. China needs more presence in USA and this would make a perfect match with its need to manufacture in both China and USA.
4. Carbon based products (synthetics) will be much less expensive to manufacture in USA as natural gas supplies come into surplus. This will make companies like Cooper far more competitive.
Great idea, then you get six months of the political posturing from the nudnicks in D.C.. A dozen or so Joe Tireworkers standing behind some politician at a podium, you get the picture. Holder's DOJ would step in just like the AA/US airline merger.


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Port of Sacramento picks an operator
The Sacramento-Yolo Port District Commission has selected Stevedoring Services of America Pacific Inc. to operate the port terminal in West Sacramento.
The commission voted 5-0 Wednesday in favor of this subsidiary of Seattle-based SSA Marine, the largest U.S.-owned port terminal operator. Commissioners Illa Collin and Heather Fargo were absent.
The company will be entitled to 25 percent of annual shipping revenue up to $4 million, and an increasing share after that, according to a staff report.
After a competitive bidding process, SSA Marine entered into negotiations with port officials in June. SSA Marine replaces Marine Terminals Corp. of Oakland, which had been handling cargo at the port for years.
Port officials had sought a minimum annual guarantee of about $3.9 million from its future cargo-handler. But because of the port's financial woes, and the fact that the port's current cargo customers don't have long-term contracts, none of three finalists to submit proposals included such a guarantee. SSA Marine presented the port with an alternative revenue-sharing proposal that "gives the financially challenged port the best chance to achieve the greatest amount of revenue in the near term," according to a staff report.
The terminal operator agreement expires on Dec. 31, 2016.
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Her armada of changes would be highly disruptive (for example, to the 156 million Americans who have private health insurance) and expensive (at least $23 trillion over the next decade). To her credit, she proposes to pay for all that spending — but with a mountain of new taxes that would increase federal revenues by more than 50 percent. Talk about expansionary government.
Less discussed is her intention to impose vast new regulatory burdens and to revamp the way business functions, which could have an even more negative effect on our economy. Many of America’s global champions, like banks and tech giants, would be dismembered. Private equity, which plays a useful role in driving business efficiency, would be effectively eliminated. Shale fracking would be banned, which would send oil and natural gas prices soaring and cost millions of Americans their jobs. And on and on.
Most significantly, the system of state chartering of corporations would, for businesses with more than $1 billion in revenues, become a federal function. Companies could lose their charters if they failed to adhere to an often vague set of principles, including considering in their decision-making the interests of employees, customers and their communities.


text: The speed at which money moves between people and businesses in the United States lags well behind international standards. Slow payment speeds lead to inefficiency across the economy, drive demand for high-cost credit products, and have hampered the federal response to 2020’s pandemic-driven economic crisis. To speed up the payment system, the Federal Reserve (“Fed”) has announced its intention to build “FedNow,” a publicly operated, real-time payment platform, which would compete with a privately run platform in the interbank payment market. Critics claim that the Fed’s plan represents a historically unprecedented—and possibly illegal—encroachment on turf that properly belongs to the private sector. Against the Fed’s critics, we argue that the FedNow plan holds the capacity to achieve three objectives at the heart of payment policy in the United States: to catalyze innovation, enhance access to developing payment networks, and shore up financial stability. We also argue for expanded use of alternative Fed tools to achieve payment objectives. We show how the Fed can harmonize its activities as operator, market participant, supervisor, and regulator of the payment system to press system development forward. More broadly, we argue that the Fed’s multiple roles are not troublesome bugs or unfortunate byproducts of political compromise, but rather are valuable features that afford the Fed a range of creative tools to motivate development and adoption of faster payment platforms in the United States.


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Hispanic producers see opportunity as China slaps tariffs on Australian wine
By Javier Triana
Beijing, Dec 11 (efe-epa).- The recent tariffs of up to 212.1 percent that China slapped on Australian wine, over alleged “dumping practices,” have opened a window of opportunity for competitors vying to capture the world’s largest wine market, with Chile and Spain touted to be leading the race.
The tariffs have dealt a severe blow to the market leader of imported wine in China in terms of value: as Australia had upstaged the traditional dominance of France in 2019 after being allowed to sell wines within Chinese territory with zero tariffs, a privilege also granted to Chilean and New Zealand-based producers.
However, due to a probe carried out since August at the request of the local wine industry, in November Beijing decided to impose the temporary tariffs on Australian produce – set to last until March for now – citing indications of exporters selling at a loss.
Although many sources of the sector from Spanish speaking countries told EFE that they viewed the measures with concern, there was a sense of anticipation over future developments within the next few months, especially over a possible boost in the import of their products.
In October, anticipating possible tariffs due to the investigation, importers of Australian wine stocked up: according to Chinese consultancy ASKCI, import of Australian wine in the country jumped 9.3 percent year-on-year during the month, while imports fell drastically for other competitors.
“Many stocked up with an eye on the Chinese New Year,” Nicolai Samsing, the Asia head of promoter Wines of Chile, told EFE, referring to the most important festival in the country, set to be held on Feb. 12 in 2021.
This wine would not be subject to the new tariffs as it was purchased before their imposition, and therefore the impact of the duties would not be too serious until the festival.
It would be only later, when the Australian stock ends and Beijing evaluates whether to extend the tariffs for another five months, when the competition can weigh in and readjust strategies to increase its market share.
Currently, Chile is the largest Hispanic wine exporter to China, both in terms of volume – having sold 15.7 percent of total bottled wine imported in 2019 – and value: around 12 percent.
Spain, cornering 11.2 percent of the import volume and 5.9 percent value last year, was placed fourth in the list of largest importers by volume after Australia – 26.5 percent volume and 37 percent value – and France, which accounted for 29.6 percent of the import volume and 29 percent value.
Argentina – 1 percent volume – and Uruguay have also increased their market share in recent years in a country where around 40 percent of the total wine consumption consists of imports.
Wine constitutes 10.3 percent of the alcoholic beverage market in China – which is dominated by beer with 81.6 percent market share – according to market research firm Euromonitor International.
Most of the sources consulted by EFE said that for now they would continue with earlier sales strategies.
“Our strategy is not based on price or volume. We always maintain a plan based on the consumer and placement in the HORECA (hotels, restaurants, cafes) network,” said Daniel Ramirez of the Pierola winery in Spain, with others echoing the sentiment.
“The news (of the tariffs) is very recent, but also very transcendent. It will especially affect competitiveness, but most of the Uruguayan chateaus are going to continue with their (earlier) plans,” said Federico Lage, the trade in-charge at the Uruguayan embassy in Beijing.
Argentina, which registered a strong growth in the imported bottled wine market during the past year, showed a keener interest.
“We are in contact with different Chinese wineries that traditionally import Australian wine and testing the possibility that they diversify in wine and types of grapes,” said Ezequiel Coppari, the trade in-charge of the Argentine diplomatic mission in Beijing.
“We want to see if they can incorporate Argentine winemakers as suppliers of new labels, varieties and qualities,” said Coppari, although admitting that the sector was currently witnessing “a scenario of uncertainty.”
Meanwhile, Hispanic winemakers have continued efforts to stand out in a market which considers wine a luxury product signifying western taste and sophistication.


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Ohio City — Remember the phrase "Cash Is King"? Well, apparently not anymore. In fact, a recent study found only 12% of people prefer using cash over credit or debit cards.
But paying with your phone could soon surpass all three. About a third of people are doing it already.
And a Cleveland-based company has launched a new service that’s very different from the services out there now. And even I could figure it out.
Because for those of us of a certain age, paying with anything but cash or cards sounds crazy.
But what if you're at a place that doesn't accept credit or you need cash and have none on you?
And how many times have you gotten caught in a situation where you’re like, where is the nearest ATM?
Well the nearest ATM can now be in your pocket with Mezu.
Here's how it works. Let's say you owe a friend money or you want to give someone a tip.
You just whip out your phone and enter a one- time four digit code.
Share it with to the person you want to pay and go from “give” to “got”.
"It's a way for you to give and get money without sharing your personal information, so it also protects your privacy," says company Co-Founder Yuval Brisker.
And that's the key difference with this app.
With other mobile payment options like Venmo or PayPal, you're sometimes exposed to strangers.
"In order to exchange money you either needed to give them your phone number or your email or you social handle," Brisker explains.
Think this is above your paygrade? Well, I would have never tried this in the past.
But I downloaded the app, linked my bank account (you can also use a credit card), and I was in business.
In fact my intern Henry downloaded the app in the middle of our interview, and I transferred him money within seconds. I don't even have his telephone number!
Now, Mezu isn't Brisker's first go around in Northeast Ohio. He Co-Founded software company TOA technologies in Beachwood, which was purchased by Oracle in one of the biggest buyouts ever in Ohio.
"I started really enjoying myself and loving the place and really appreciating the community. And then I became a die-hard Clevelander," Brisker told us.
It's why he chose to set up shop at the Limelight, a co-working space in Ohio City, and where he hopes the community will help make his start up a success.
Brisker says, "It's about giving Cleveland the kind of global technology company that we can all be proud of, and point to and say this was started here, it was supported by the community, because we can all help make this a success."
And here’s a bonus: If you sign up over the next few weeks the company will give you $5 dollars to start your account.
Mezu is the first two syllables of the word "cash" in Hebrew. Brisker is an Israeli immigrant who's been bringing ideas to life in Cleveland for the past fifteen years.
And that's One for the Money.


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Cataract Surgery Unlikely to Affect the Progression of AMD
In addition, dietary fats may have varying effects on macular degeneration risk
MONDAY, Nov. 16 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with non-neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataract surgery is not associated with an increased risk of AMD progression. In addition, dietary fats may have differential effects on the risk of AMD, according to two studies in the November issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology.
Li Ming Dong, Ph.D., of the Stony Brook University School of Medicine in New York, and colleagues studied 108 patients with non-neovascular AMD who underwent cataract surgery. After 12 months, they found that neovascular AMD developed in only three of 65 eyes (4.6 percent) that did not have neovascular AMD at the preoperative visit or the one-week postoperative visit, in line with an estimated one-year progression rate in the general AMD population.
Niyati Parekh, Ph.D., of New York University in New York City, and colleagues studied 1,787 women ages 50 to 79 years enrolled in the Carotenoids in Age-Related Eye Disease Study, whose fat intake was assessed between 1994 and 1998 and whose eyes were assessed for AMD between 2001 and 2004. Compared to women in lowest quintile of ω-6 and ω-3 polyunsaturated fat intake, they found that women in the highest quintile had a two-fold higher prevalence of intermediate AMD. They also found that AMD prevalence was reduced in women with a higher intake of monounsaturated fatty acids.
"These results support a growing body of evidence suggesting that diets high in several types of fat may contribute to the risk of intermediate AMD and that diets high in monounsaturated fatty acids may be protective," Parekh and colleagues write.


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DENVER -- Marijuana dispensaries, strip clubs, and liquor stores – you name the vice – Colorado welfare recipients are using tax money to enjoy them.
Fox31 Denver’s investigative team first revealed how welfare debit cards were used at ATMs inside at least 19 separate pot shops just in the month of January.
Now we learn some Colorado lawmakers are worried the state risks losing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal low-income, community funding if they don’t figure out how to stop welfare abuses.
It's against both federal and state law to use a Quest welfare debit card and pull cash out of an ATM at a liquor store, but Fox31 Denver found more than a hundred such transactions last month alone.
Records show a few welfare recipients also used ATMs inside strip clubs, pulling money from a tax funded account aimed at helping needy families.
The same scenario occurred at nearly two-dozen marijuana dispensaries. The proof is in the cash receipts we acquired under the Colorado Open Records Act.
Marijuana dispensary owner Tim Cullen, who didn't install a private ATM inside his store like many other pot retailers, says his colleagues better watch out.
“I guess I'm not shocked that you found that, but I'm a little bit disappointed,” Cullen told Fox31 Denver after seeing our initial ATM welfare cash for pot story.
“We'd like to avoid the federal government shutting down this amazing experiment that's been really successful in Colorado - based on the actions of a few individuals.”
According to some lawmakers, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has already warned Colorado; it needs to take welfare abuse prevention seriously or risk losing enormous amounts of low income program grant money.
State Senator Vicki Marble says Democrats killed her bill last month that would have made strip clubs and pot dispensary ATMs off limits for welfare recipients.
“This bill will come back next year and with the work you're doing - I can't thank you enough because it's work like that that proves it's a necessary bill to pass.”
We asked Democratic leadership for comment, but were not granted an interview.
State House minority leader, Representative Brian Del Grosso, R-Loveland, says it’s been a frustrating process to not be able to create what he sees as common sense rules to deter welfare abuse.
"Under current law you cannot use those inside a casino or liquor stores or bars so we try to say, 'You know what - this marijuana industry is new and why should we not line that up with what we have in current law.'"
Fox31 Denver discovered another problem that might need addressing before any agency can properly monitor where welfare debit cards are being used.
Colorado does not regulate private ATM machines -- the kind we found in nearly every marijuana retailer and liquor store we visited.
That's a serious concern for the feds who want to monitor any signs of money laundering.


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By Ishaan . April 25, 2014 . 12:01pm
As reported in the past, first-print copies of Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth will come with a music CD titled “Persona Q: Sound of the Labyrinth”.
This CD, Atlus have announced, will contain arranged versions of the music from Persona Q, with the arrangements being done by the Atlus Sound Team.
The Sound of the Labyrinth CD will also be included with the Persona Q limited edition Nintendo 3DS XL bundle that will launch alongside the game on June 5th.


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Major department stores are promoting “lucky bags” to get customers to loosen their purse strings at the start of the year.
“Practical things will likely gain popularity,” said an official at Daimaru Inc., which is readying lucky bags with goods geared to catchphrases including “arafour,” referring to women of around 40, and “konkatsu,” or activities having to do with getting married.
The Seibu store in the Ikebukuro district in Tokyo will put on sale a lucky bag containing five shirts for ¥5,000. It is also preparing ties and socks.
“We hope these things will be helpful to our customers,” a Seibu official said.
To coincide with the Year of the Ox in 2009, Takashimaya Co. will have a bag featuring Miyazaki beef, along with vegetables and fruit from the prefecture, each month for six months to let consumers make gourmet selections while also cutting back on spending.
The Miyazaki beef will come to 6 kg over six months and is worth ¥100,000. The sale price is ¥11,290 — a number able to be pronounced as a play on words meaning “good meat” in Japanese.
The Daimaru store in Osaka’s Umeda district is taking reservations for a lucky bag filled with popular brand clothing priced at one-fourth to one-fifth the usual cost. It is part of a strategy to help customers avoid long lines on New Year’s Day.
Many department stores are targeting single women in the arafour generation, who are considered to have a lot of spending money.
The Matsuya Co. store in Ginza, Tokyo, has produced a “marriage activity support lucky bag” of women’s “make-or-break clothing” selected by male employees who have frequently attended mixers. The bag targets “arasa,” or women around age 30. The Takashimaya department store in Shinjuku, Tokyo, will prepare a ¥2,009 konkatsu lucky bag, as well as a package featuring fashion and makeup guidance from professionals, and a talk by the author of the best-seller “The Era of Konkatsu.”
The Takashimaya in Kyoto as well as Hankyu and Hanshin department stores are coming up with lucky bags for couples holding wedding ceremonies and receptions.
“Next year is rich in lucky bags offering customers the chance to experience events rather than having products,” a Mitsukoshi official said.
Seibu and Sogo Co., under the wing of Millennium Retailing Inc., have prepared a ¥200,000 package for men to receive lessons from former Olympic swimmer Masami Tanaka, and for women to receive guidance from Yoshio Koide, who coached Naoko Takahashi, the marathon gold medalist in 2000.
Tokyu is preparing an Okinawa mangrove tour for ¥450,000 for two, and the Mitsukoshi branch in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, is offering a ¥20.09 million Antarctic luxury tour for two.


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11 Mar Health Buzz: Coffee Tied to Lower Stroke Risk
Study: Coffee Lowers Stroke Risk in Women
Good news, coffee lovers: Having a cup—or five—a day may slash your stroke risk, a new study suggests. Swedish researchers followed nearly 35,000 women ages 49 to 83 for 10 years, and found that those who drank at least one cup of joe per day had a 22 to 25 percent lower risk of stroke than those who drank less or none at all. The benefit was seen regardless of whether the women downed one cup or more than five daily, according to the study published Thursday in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. Although the women didn’t specify if their brew was regular or decaffeinated, very few people drink decaf in Sweden, the researchers said. Exactly why coffee may protect against stroke is unclear, but the researchers speculate that it reduces inflammation and improves insulin resistance—both risk factors for stroke. Coffee is also packed with antioxidants, which are known to benefit health. “Coffee drinkers should rejoice,” Sharonne Hayes, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic, told the Associated Press. “There really hasn’t been any study that convincingly said coffee is bad. If you are drinking coffee now, you may be doing some good and you are likely not doing harm.” Still, there’s no reason to develop a coffee habit based on the results. The study doesn’t prove cause and effect, and the authors say more research is needed to understand the health effects of coffee consumption.


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Don't miss the latest stories
Starbucks Opens A Cruise-Shaped Café, Hop On To Keep Your Caffeine Fix Afloat
By Alexa Heah, 05 Apr 2021
Image via Starbucks Taiwan
It’s likely your post-COVID getaway is still months away, so why not experience sailing the high seas at Starbucks’ first cruise ship-shaped store?
With over 500 Starbucks outlets already established across the country, Taiwan’s first cruise-shaped store opened its doors to customers earlier this month. Spanning two stories, this spacious 124-seater Starbucks outlet is the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of city life.
According to local news site UDN, its architectural concept is inspired by a cruise liner, integrating geometrical patterns with floor-to-ceiling windows boasting scenic views.
Meanwhile, the interior is lined with wooden accents, making it a chic and cozy hideaway in the city.
If you’re in Taiwan, come aboard if you’re experiencing some wanderlust—sea legs not required.
[via Taiwan News, cover image via Starbucks Taiwan]
More related news
Also check out these recent news


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The ACLU or The American Civil Liberties Union, a nonprofit organization whose stated mission is “to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States, has been attempting to raise awareness of Amazon’s Rekognition software for some time.
The ACLU says that it “raises profound civil liberties and civil rights concerns.”
Although Amazon did not seem to be much worried regarding the raised concerns and sais, “As a technology, Amazon Rekognition has many useful applications in the real world.”
Now in an attempt to get attention ACLU said it used Rekognition to scan images of every current member of Congress. It claimed the software falsely matched 28 members of Congress with arrest mugshots.
“The members of Congress who were falsely matched with the mugshot database we used in the test include Republicans and Democrats, men and women, and legislators of all ages, from all across the country,” the organization writes in a statement.
Those tagged, however, “were disproportionately of people of color, including six members of the Congressional Black Caucus, among them civil rights legend Rep. John Lewis,” it adds.
But naturally, Amazon had outright dismissed these findings claiming that such technologies are used to narrow down results, rather than make arrests.
“We remain excited about how image and video analysis can be a driver for good in the world,” it said in a statement.
That the service appears to have an outsized target on people of color, however, does add fuel to the ACLU’s existing privacy complaints. Earlier this month, Microsoft president Bradford L. Smith called for additional regulation for these technologies as they continue to become more of a mainstay for law enforcement.
“Facial recognition technology raises issues that go to the heart of fundamental human rights protections like privacy and freedom of expression,” Smith wrote.
“These issues heighten responsibility for tech companies that create these products. In our view, they also call for thoughtful government regulation and for the development of norms around acceptable uses.”
However there may be some bad news for Amazon as it appears that ACLU’s attention seeking stunt actually worked. A trio of Democratic Congress members have written a letter to Jeff Bezos, demanding some answers.
It reads, in part, “While facial recognition services might provide a valuable law enforcement tool, the efficacy and impact of the technology are not yet fully understood. In particular, serious concerns have been raised about the dangers facial recognition can pose to privacy and civil rights, especially when it is used as a tool of government surveillance, as well as the accuracy of the technology and its disproportionate impact on communities of color.”
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Facebook is a new nonsense-Tech-Crunch
Welcome to 2019, where we learn.
Apple history revels “It has spent the least on startups out of all the Big technology & most valuable companies in U.S.”
To date,Apple has more cash than.
Run clients would now be able to utilize Apple Business Chat to achieve a specialist – TechCrunch
Run today reported it will bolster.
Flutterwave and Visa start African shopper installment administration GetBarter – TechCrunch
Fintech startup Flutterwave has banded together.