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Scientists in Japan have found that a cure for baldness could be found using a chemical that is also used to cook McDonald's fries.
Dimethylpolysiloxane, which is found in silicone, is added to oil to cook french fries at the fast-food restaurant. Researchers at Yokohama National University (YNU) in Japan released a study that found using this chemical is able to mass produce hair follicles in mice.
Initial tests suggest this "simple" method could also be used to treat hair loss in humans, they say. The chemical is usually added to fries to prevent the hot oil from bubbling up and spitting out while it cooks.
In a paper published in the journal Biomaterials the scientists reported they were able to generate on a large scale hair follicle germs (HFG) - up to 5,000 simultaneously - which is "one of the more challenging obstacles to hair regenerative medicine''.
''We demonstrated that the integrity of the oxygen supply through the bottom of the silicone chip was crucial to enabling both hair follicle germ (HFG) formation and subsequent hair shaft generation,'' YNU Prof Junji Fukuda, who conducted the study, said.
The germs were then transplanted into bald mice that began to sprout new fur within days.
The reason for the growth, scientists added, was that the chemical allows oxygen to easily pass through it, encouraging hair growth.
According to Prof Fukuda, "The key for the mass production of HFGs was a choice of substrate materials for culture vessel. We used oxygen-permeable dimethylpolysiloxane (PDMS) at the bottom of culture vessel, and it worked very well."
While PDMS is good for growing experimental hair, the chemical does not on its own trigger hair growth. So eating more McDonald's fries probably won't make you less bald.
Fukuda's team is hopeful that this method can eventually be used to treat human hair loss.
Fukuda added, "This simple method is very robust and promising. We hope that this technique will improve human hair regenerative therapy to treat hair loss such as androgenic alopecia.
"In fact, we have preliminary data that suggests human HFG formation using human keratinocytes and dermal papilla cells."


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Better Business Bureau Issues Warning About Broken Arrow Business
BROKEN ARROW, Oklahoma - The Better Business Bureau is warning people about doing business with a Broken Arrow company. The consumer agency says several people claim the owner is collecting money up front, but not finishing the job.
That business owner tells News On 6 he is an honest man. The Better Business Bureau says it's received more than six customer complaints against S&M Fence and Stain in 6 months.
Bixby resident, Tom Lippert, says he asked the company to stain his fence back in March of last year.
"He whips out these contracts and says being a small business owner he says I really need to have half of it up front because I need to buy supplies," said Lippert.
Tom says he wrote S&M Fence and Stain the check and was told the job would be started in the next week.
"We haven't seen the guy since," said Lippert, "I kept on texting, calling, emailing everything I can do and all I got was broken promises."
The Better Business Bureau says Lippert is one of six people who have filed complaints against S&M Fence and Stain, claiming customers are paying upfront deposits from $400 to $1,000 and then the service isn't completed. The BBB issuing a statement today warning people to be cautious when doing business with the company.
It has been a little under a year since Lippert says he paid a deposit for S&M Fence and Stain to finish his fence, Tom says he ended up painting it, himself.
"It is not even getting the money back for me anymore. The only reason I am doing this story is to make sure other people are aware," said Lippert.
News On 6 called the company on Tuesday, the owner says he has thousands of happy customers and complaints like these are ruining a business he has spent 25 years building.
He says he is an honest man and the projects continued to get pushed back because of weather.

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Conagra Brands cut its outlook for the year with inflation outpacing the price hikes put into place by the major food producer.
The cost of goods increased 10.1%. during the quarter, and on Thursday, the Chicago-based company, which has deep Omaha roots, said it expects full-year gross inflation to be approximately 16% compared with its previous guidance of 14%.
Another round of prices will be needed, the maker of Birds Eye, Slim Jim and Reddi-wip said Thursday.
“We experienced higher-than-expected cost pressures as the third quarter progressed and expect those pressures to continue into the fourth quarter, particularly in certain frozen, refrigerated and snacks businesses,” said CEO Sean Connolly. “In response, we have taken steps to implement additional inflation-driven pricing actions.”
Higher prices being rolled out by ConAgra will not become evident until the first fiscal quarter of 2023, Connolly said.
The Chicago company lowered it’s adjusted per-share earnings expectations by 15 cents, to $2.35. That’s well below the $2.42 per share Wall Street had been projecting, according to a survey of industry analysts by FactSet.
During the third quarter, ConAgra earned $218.4 million, or 45 cents per share. A year earlier it earned $281.4 million, or 58 cents per share.
Stripping out certain items, earnings were 58 cents per share, which met Wall Street’s expectations.
Sales for the period ended Feb. 27 rose 5% to $2.91 billion from $2.77 billion partly on higher prices. This beat the $2.85 billion analysts called for.
Foodservice segment sales surged 18.9% as restaurant traffic continued to improve amid an easing of COVID-19 restrictions. Sales for the grocery and snacks unit climbed 6.2% on increased prices and favorable brand mix.
Looking ahead to the fourth quarter, ConAgra expects adjusted earnings of about 64 cents per share. Gross inflation is anticipated to be approximately 16%.
Wall Street predicts earnings of 70 cents per share.
5 charts that show how the economy is doing in Lincoln and Nebraska
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The German grocery story chain, Aldi, is planning to open a location on the central coast.
Officials said they expect to have a store open in the renovated shopping center on Grand Avenue in Arroyo Grande by October.
The company has submitted plans for a building permit. If approved, it would be the first Aldi store on the central coast, with the potential for more in the future.
The chain is known for high-quality produce, meat and grocery items with low prices. The first Aldi store to open in the U.S. was in 1976. The company began expanding across the U.S. in the last two years.
Aldi Grocery store plans to open in Arroyo Grande


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JCB chairman Sir Anthony Bamford has promised his family-run business will invest in the future despite announcing poor final-year sales for 2009.
Amid the deepest ever recession in the global construction equipment industry, the UK-based manufacturing firm saw sales drop by a third to £1.35 billion last year but was able to increase profit before tax marginally to £29 million.
It further increased its market share to an all-time high of 12.2% to reinforce its position as the world's third-largest construction equipment manufacturer.
Bamford (pictured) said: "2009 was hugely challenging. The entire JCB organisation pulled together magnificently to respond decisively to the unprecedented downturn, which was particularly severe in the first half of the year. "
Yet the company, which was founded 64 years ago by Bamford's father, has now embarked on a £20 million investment in a new generation of its backhoe loader machine.
"Despite the economic difficulties, we continued to invest in new products, with 11 innovative machines launched so far this year," said Bamford, who further commented that he has seen a "strong recovery" in emerging markets such as India, Brazil and China, although the traditional markets of Western Europe and North America remain weak.
JCB employs 7,000 people on four continents. Click here to read our exclusive 2004 interview with Sir Anthony.
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Seventh edition of Vadodara Marathon, scheduled on January 07, 2018
The seventh edition of Vadodara Marathon, the second largest marathon of India, is scheduled on January 07, 2018 continuing its legacy of ’Sports-Seva~Swacchta’. MG Motor India is title sponsor of the marathon to raise health awareness in the region.
The seventh edition is full of attractions, pre-events and social messages to be spread through out the marathon. A medal designing competition is also going to happen where the creative brains can design medals for Marathon 2018 and the selected design will be felicitated and awarded by Team Marathon.
The marathon will have various categories like full marathon of 42 kms, half marathon of 21.9 kms, 10km Run, Fun Run of 5kms, Divyang Run, Jawan Run and Pledge Run. From this year, the marathon will be flagged off from Pologround. The finalised Route will be declared after AIMS approval.
This year, the VM has introduced a new category called THE HOME COMING RUN, for the Indians staying overseas. About 200 plus NRGs have already given confirmations about the participation in THE HOME COMING RUN, which will be a 5km Fun Run.
The title sponsor for the seventh edition of Vadodara Marathon is MG Motor India, which recently. entered India through its First Car manufacturing facility in Halol in Gujarat.
Along with the other causes , Vadodara Marathon also aims to bring awareness about right of voting, in the forth coming elections. Keeping this in mind the organisers has planned VOTATHON, an awareness walkathon at Vadodara which will be a pre-event to Marathon.
"The seventh season of Marathon is very special as we are introducing the home coming run for the Indians staying abroad. We want them to reconnect with their roots here. Having them run on our soil here will be a great way to revisit their country and culture. As per our tradltlon, Vadodara Marathon will promote various causes through this marathon," said Tejal Amin Chairperson of Vadodara Marathon.
Dr. Bhagwatiben Oza will be the brand ambassador of Vadodara Marathon’s seventh edition. This is probably the only marathon to have an 82 year active sports woman as its brand ambassador.
Speaking on the occasion, Rajeev Chaba, President & Managing Director of MG Motor .lndia Pvt. Ltd, said,"To spread greater awareness around .the importance of fitness and health of the people here, MG Motor lndia which inaugurated its first manufacturing facility in Halol last month, is proud to be associated with the sporting event Vadodara Marathon.”
"MG Motoro marks the company’s first initiative to work towards the overall benefit of the citizens here at large. ‘Run with Red’ exemplifies the can-do spirit of the people in their quest towards an overall sustainable and healthy environment,” added Chaba.
The sixth season of Vadodara Marathon had already received an overwhelming response with more than 78,000 registrations. The online registrations for the seventh season have already begun with marathon runners started registering for the marathon 2018.


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Amber Turner is currently on a wellness trip in Marrakech, Morocco, and has given her 771,000 Instagram followers a look at her dreamy trip, including sunsets and hikes with fellow The Only Way Is Essex star Yasmin Oukhellou, who is one of the stars she is enjoying the trip with.
Amber, 26, who recently revealed the sad news that her grandmother passed away, took to Instagram to share a series of workout videos, which showed a look at the blonde beauty’s fast-paced fitness routine.
The reality star, who is staying at The Wellness Retreat Marrakech, posted a series of clips to her fans of her working out, during a 45-minute fitness session.
The first clip displayed Amber doing squat jumps for one minute, with 30 seconds rest in between each set.
The gorgeous star, who showed off her body in a Sellise Sport crop top and leggings, then moved onto a second step which involved overhead presses for one minute, using a large water container.
In the third shot, Amber can be seen using battle ropes and showing off her strength, before moving onto a fourth step of overhead lunges, again using the water container.
After the lunges Amber completed a set of burpies before doing pushups for one minute.
Amber is staying at the stunning retreat alongside a number of fitness influencers.
The villa offers package deals to help guests “understand the positive impact that leading a healthy lifestyle can have on your life”.
The trip offers a six night stay in the villa, transfers, food and drink as well as one to one life coaching, a fitness programme, daily activities but, the price does not include flights.
The retreat is a favourite amongst TOWIE stars after it was launched by Reality TV star Yazmin Oukhellou.
On the website, the retreat describes itself as providing “an intimate immersive wellness experience at a luxury villa in Marrakech,” continuing: “Yazmin decided to take a break from the limelight to get away to clear her mind. This is where she realised how important mental health is and how it can affect someones wellbeing.
“She wanted to create a retreat to help people with similar issues to show them that a happier and more fulfilled life is out there for everyone.”


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Ericsson teams with SAP in M2M
In talks with operators like Telenor and Three to support expanded platform for enterprise services
Published: 7 March, 2013
Ericsson continues to expand its platforms for machine-to-machine services, which it sells directly to enterprises like Volvo, and as a managed offering for operators. It recently announced an alliance with corporate software giant SAP in this area, and now claims this is winning significant carrier support. Indeed, Telenor's M2M unit, Connexxion, has come out as its first public supporter.
The announcement of the SAP deal got somewhat lost in the furore of Mobile World Congress last week, but is an interesting departure for the Swedish giant, which like its cellco customers, knows it needs to shift its revenue mix towards vertical, business and embedded applications.
It will join forces with the German software house to sell cloud-based M2M services to enterprises on a global basis. These will be based on a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform made up of elements from both vendors. Ericsson will also provide consulting, systems integration, device and applications testing, and verification services.
In most cases, the service will not be sold directly, but via a white label offering for operators. Ericsson said it was already in discussions with a line of carriers, including 3UK and Telenor Connexion in Sweden. Per Simonsen, CEO of the latter, said in a statement: "This joint collaboration between SAP and Ericsson is key in facilitating customers' implementation of M2M, increasing the value proposition and enhancing the customer experience. In addition, this will provide great opportunities to reach new customers in different industries and markets."
Ericsson said partnerships like this - which bring together IT and networking elements, a rising trend among carriers - are essential to break down some barriers to M2M adoption. In particular, they can help address "the lack of complete multi-industry end-to-end offerings, and the deficiency of suitable global coverage connectivity solutions that are needed by multinational enterprises," it said.
It added that its joint platform could help companies reduce cost in areas such as maintenance, remote services, inventory, logistics, road transport management, vending and customer experience management.
"Global M2M service revenue is estimated to reach more than $200bn by 2017," said Ericsson CEO Hans Vestberg. "This partnership gives us a chance to unlock some of that potential."
Meanwhile, Ericsson says the customer list for its own M2M platform is expanding, and recently it has added 3 Group, MegaFon of Russia, Swisscom, TeliaSonera Sweden and XL Axiata in Indonesia.


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With the Google Pixel 7 launch successfully navigated, the next flagship phone on the horizon is the Samsung Galaxy S23 – and the latest update from the rumor mill gives us some idea of the color options we're going to see.
As per analyst Ross Young, who is usually right when it comes to mobile industry predictions, we're going to get the phone in beige, black, green and light pink when it arrives in the first few months of 2023.
That's a somewhat limited selection compared to the Samsung Galaxy S22, which across the whole range – the S22, the S22 Plus and the S22 Ultra – showed up in white, black, pink gold, green, graphite, blue, violet, cream, burgundy, red and eventually purple.
BeigeBlackGreenLight PinkOctober 6, 2022
It's also interesting to compare the color selection with the options for the recently launched Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 foldable phones: the former comes in green, black, beige and burgundy, and the latter in purple, graphite, pink gold, blue, yellow, white, navy, khaki and red.
Perhaps there's more to come in terms of colors, or perhaps Young is referring just to the standard S22 model – in which case light pink would be replacing rose gold, beige would be replacing white, and the purple option would be dropped.
These colors might end up varying depending on the region that you're in as well. All the signs point towards a February launch for the Galaxy S23 series, following the scheduling of the Galaxy S22 range, so we've got a few months to wait yet before we know for sure what Samsung has been working on.
Analysis: colors really do matter
The colors that a phone comes in may not immediately seem like the most important aesthetic choice compared with the rest of its design – and less important still when considered against the internal specs of a particular device.
It's also fair to say that colors aren't always the most exciting aspect of a phone to talk about. White and black are almost always present, and beyond that manufacturers seem reluctant to experiment too much with the different hues on offer.
However, color picks can make a big difference to consumers, and the appeal of a phone. It seems that phone makers are starting to realize this – take the green iPhone 13 that Apple unveiled earlier this year, for example.
The Google Pixel 7 and Google Pixel 7 Pro also show some bold color choices, and we'd like to see more of them in the future. Here's hoping Samsung does have some extra colors lined up for the Galaxy S23 beyond those we've mentioned here.


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Toyota, one of the world’s largest automakers, is planning to invest 4 trillion yen ($35 billion) to build a full lineup of 30 battery-powered electric vehicles by 2030.
It aims to also increase global sales of battery electric vehicles by 3.5 million units a year by the end of the decade, CEO Akio Toyoda said Tuesday.
Most of Toyota’s current electric vehicle sales are hybrid electric cars that are powered by a combination of an internal combustion engine and battery-operated electric motors. Battery-only EVs make up only a fraction of its current sales.
The Japanese automaker will increase new investments into battery technologies by 500 billion yen ($4.4 billion) to 2 trillion yen, according to Toyoda. It will be part of Toyota’s broader 4 trillion yen investment into battery electric vehicles and would include both capital expenditure as well as research and development.
Toyota also plans to invest another 4 trillion yen in other types of electric vehicles, including hybrid cars, plug-in hybrids and fuel-cell electric vehicles, which use hydrogen as a power source.
“In this diversified and unchartered era, it is important to flexibly change the types and quantities of products produced, while keeping an eye on the market trends,” Toyoda said during a briefing on the carmaker’s battery electric vehicle strategies, according to official translations of his remarks in Japanese.
“We believe that quickly adapting to changes in the future is more important than trying to predict the future, which is nothing but uncertain. We want to keep options available for our customers until the right path is known,” he added.
For its luxury brand Lexus, Toyota aims to have battery electric vehicles account for 100% of vehicle sales in Europe, North America, and China by 2030 and globally by 2035.
Despite being one of the pioneers of hybrid models, Toyota has been relatively slow in its push toward battery-only electric vehicles compared to some of its global competitors like General Motors and Ford.
Last month, at the U.N. climate conference in Scotland, the Japanese automaker declined to join a group of six major carmakers, including Sweden’s Volvo and Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz, to sign a declaration to phase out fossil-fuel cars by 2040, Reuters reported.
A top Toyota executive had reportedly told the news agency that the company does not want to be seen as an electric vehicle maker, but wants to be viewed as a carbon-neutral business instead.
Toyota is aiming for carbon-neutrality at manufacturing plants by 2035, Toyoda said at Tuesday’s briefing.
Rival Nissan last month said it will invest 2 trillion yen (around $17.6 billion) over the next five years to speed up the electrification of its product line. It plans to roll out 23 new electrified models by 2030, 15 of which will be fully electric.


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Anglesey’s Halen Môn is heading for one of the most momentous times in its 16-year history.
Described as a “first for Anglesey, Wales and the UK”, it will offer behind-the-scenes tours of the company’s relocated production facility from March 30.
The 1,000 sq metre building is clad in Welsh larch with space for offices, gift shop, visitor viewing corridor, as well as the production, packaging and storage areas.
It aims to attract 20,000 visitors-a-year with 50-minute tours costing £4-£6.
The contemporary, curved-roof building will replace the prefabricated former doctor’s surgery and portable cabins that have served the company for the past decade.
Halen Môn’s new venture comes on the heels of its nomination as one the UK’s top 50 “Food Stars”.
“I really believe that the Welsh food and drink sector is in a very strong position at the moment,” said founder Alison Lea-Wilson.
“I hope that the opening of our new Saltcote visitor centre will further help put Wales on the culinary map.”


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Tricked-out Dodge Charger SRT8 promotes the poular video game.
As if Southern California highways aren't perilous enough, drivers will now get to duck a tricked-out Dodge Charger SRT8 promoting that manliest of games, "Scarface: The World is Yours." The car (cough, publicity stunt) is being driven around by Roger Lloyd, chief operating officer of retail video game franchise Play N Trade. Images from the game digitally wrap around the car, and it has a Sony PlayStation 2 and wireless controls. Eyes on the road, Lloyd.
Yeah, we know promo cars aren't that unusual. But we can't help but wonder which other tech execs we'll see riding around in promo buggies. Sun's Jonathan Schwartz in a Sun Fire X4500 car perhaps?
(Photo: Play N Trade)


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SastoDeal, one of the biggest e-commerce companies in Nepal, has received 1 Million Dollars in funding from the Dolma Impact Fund. This is not their first time though. Exactly 2 years ago, Dolma Impact Fund had made a significant investment in SastoDeal citing their impressive growth.
The new investment is supposed to be used towards reaching Sastodeal’s milestone target of achieving Rs. 1 Billion in annual revenue within the next 18 months.
Along with it, expansion of product categories, talent acquisition, core operations, vendor empowerment, and an expansion to other regions in Nepal are its major target.
SastoDeals Significant Growth in Lockdown
When the majority of businesses were shut down, e-commerce companies saw massive growth during the lockdown. As markets were closed, e-commerce sites like SastoDeal made sure that people received their daily essentials. This helped them to reach a wider audience than before and people began to realize the importance of online shopping due to the crisis.
This recent growth in the e-commerce industry must have played a vital role in the recent investment.
To reassert Dolma’s confidence in the opportunities in Nepal’s digital economy, we have decided to commit more investment in Sastodeal.@ShabdaGyawali @nishinta_b @saugatkc1988 https://t.co/9Z1eYuZinU
— Dolma Impact Fund (@DolmaImpact) June 17, 2020
This is a high growth industry that performed a vital task during the lockdown. This new investment reflects our belief in the Sastodeal team and our continued investment in Nepal’s technology sector, alongside our healthcare and renewable energy investments. We are delighted to lead this round of financing alongside local partners., said Tim Gocher, CEO of Dolma Impact Fund.
Along with this, SastoDeal recently partnered with state-owned Food Management and Trading Company Limited to deliver essentials during the lockdown. The company has been supplying goods and essentials such as rice, pulses, and beans to the residents of the valley without any delivery charge amid the lockdown.
Future of E-commerce
E-commerce is an ever-growing industry and it’s not a surprise to see investments in companies like SastoDeal.
In fact, it is also rumored that SastoDeal has plans to reveal a big partnership with an outside firm in the upcoming days.
With Daraz already being backed by Alibaba, it will be nice to see SastoDeal stepping up with an outside partner.
Except, the most popular online shopping sites, host of other e-commerce companies have also received massive growth. Though, online shopping was slowly gaining momentum in Nepal. Lockdown has provided a massive boost and it won’t be a surprise to see further investments in such companies.
Even government-owned companies are going online to serve consumers. This is not only positive for the e-commerce industry but it’s equally good for consumers as well. After all, with growth, there will be a competition that is always healthy for consumers.
More on News:
- Now You Can Use “Khalti” Digital Wallet App in Nepali Language
- Hamro Patro Brings “Hamro Recharge”: Now Top-up Mobile Balance Using International Payments
- Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra with Enormous 108MP Camera to Launch in Nepal Next Week!
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Premier Investments has shared its 'bitter disappointment' in Myer as it acquired a further 41.1 million shares at $0.40 a share. This gives it an overall effective stake of 15.77 percent.
At the time of writing, Myer’s shares have since skyrocketed by more than ten percent (10.81 percent) and is now at the highest it has been since January 2020.
In a statement shared by Solomon Lew, the Chairman of Premier Investments, he expressed his disappointment in Myer’s ‘disastrous’ performance. “We remain bitterly disappointed by Myer’s performance which continues to be disastrous for Myer’s many shareholders, employees, suppliers and customers,” he shared. “It’s now been more than eight months since then Myer Chairman, Garry Hounsell abruptly resigned on the morning of Myer’s 2020 AGM sighting lack of key shareholder support for his re-election.”
At the time of the replacement, Acting Chairman, JoAnne Stephenson said the business was currently in the process of finding a new Chairman. “The Board has undertaken a thorough search to find a new Chairman and the search process is progressing well, with advanced discussions underway with preferred candidates. Relevant retail skills have been a priority in the search. We will update the market as soon as it is appropriate to do so,” she said.
Lew also expressed that Premier Investments are ‘stunned’ that the Acting Chairman has not contacted Premier relating to the issues. “Neither the Acting Chairman nor any of the remaining Directors have bothered to pick up the phone to the company’s major shareholder about reconstituting Myer’s emaciated Board which is bereft of the retail experience, skills and talent required to turn the business around,” the statement read.
The Board is ‘missing in action’, said Lew, and calls for the Myer Board to resign ‘immediately’. “In a market where innovative, experienced retailers are benefitting from rapid change, Myer continues to go backwards and its Board is missing in action,” he said.
“Something has to change, and Premier has put itself in a position to make change happen. “Premier calls on the failed Myer Board to resign immediately. We will work with other shareholders to reconstitute the Myer Board with directors who have expertise across retail, property, logistics and e-commerce so that Myer can reverse its decline.”
Myer reported ‘strong growth’ in its online category in its HY21 results, which were up 71 percent to $287.6 million. Online sales made up 21 percent of total sales and remain a core focus for the business moving forward. Its total sales, however, were down 13.1 percent to $1.398 million – much of this was due to the ongoing closure of stores in 2020.
“The focus remains on profitable sales and executing the Customer First Plan, which has been adapted to respond to COVID-19 by accelerating, re-sequencing and expanding various initiatives. The strengthened balance sheet provides a solid platform for investing in our digital growth engine which represents a significant opportunity,” said John King, the CEO and Managing Director of Myer in March 2021.
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Russia predicts 25% rise in domestic poultry production
Russian poultry production may increase 25% by 2020 compared with the level of 2012, predicts the president of the Russian Poultry Union, Vladimir Fisinin.
“This year we will produce 3.75, or 3.8 million tons. Our goal is 4.5 million tons by 2020. It is absolutely real, and this figure is in addition to the 500,000 tons of imports,” Fisinin said at the ‘Russia Agroholdings’ conference.
At the conference it was also pointed out that egg production in Russia may rise to 45 billion pieces this year, compared with 42 billion in 2012. According to experts, because of the implementation of the state program of agricultural development in the period 2008-2012 the production of poultry meat in Russia grew by 86%, or 1.66 million tons, while egg production grew by 9.9%, or 3.8 billion pieces over this period.
The largest producer of broiler meat in 2012, Prioskolye, produced 453,400 tons of meat accounting for 15% of total output of the Russian poultry industry. In second place Cherkizovo produced 299,500 tons accounting for 10%.
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Last-minute talks are being conducted today between Indesit UK and union Unite over the pay and conditions of over 200 drivers and warehouse staff at the white goods manufacturer – just over 36 hours before the first of three separate strikes is due to start. Following an overwhelming vote in favour of strike action last month, staff at 12 Indesit sites are scheduled to walk out for 24 hours from 6am on Friday (21 August), with a further 48-hour strike […]
Great Bear Distribution, based in Chester, has announced a new contract with soft drinks producer Cott Beverages for warehousing services in the Midlands.
Victory! Back in 2017, after campaigning from the Unite union and Truckers’ Toilets UK, the HSE ruled thatemployers in control of non-domestic premises (i.e. places of work) were required to allow all visitors to their premises, who were not employed by them, access to their toilets and washing facilities.
Fashion and lifestyle supply chain and logistics firm Bleckmann is expanding its UK operations with the opening of a major new distribution centre in Lutterworth.


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- Zelda Therapeutics has signed a distribution agreement with Health House Holdings
- This announcement aligns with the company’s strategy to launch HOPE products in 2020
- HOPE is a medical cannabis product used to treat symptoms experienced by people on the Autism Spectrum
- Under this agreement, Health House will distribute Zelda-branded products in Australasia and the United Kingdom
- Zelda is up on the ASX and is trading at 6.9¢ apiece
Zelda Therapeutics has signed a distribution agreement with Health House Holdings.
This announcement aligns with the company’s strategy to launch HOPE cannabinoid products in 2020. The deal is an important part of Zelda’s commercialisation strategy as it transitions towards revenue generation.
HOPE is a medical cannabis product, owned by Ilera Therapeutics, used to treat symptoms experienced by people on the Autism Spectrum.
Zelda recently announced intentions to merge with Ilera to create a leading medical cannabis company, rebranded as Zelira Therapeutics.
If the merger is approved by shareholders, the new company will have operations based in Australia and the United States.
Health House is a U.K. based medicinal cannabis company. It wholesales and distributes products into Australia and U.K. to community and hospital pharmacies.
Under this agreement, Health House will distribute Zelda-branded products in Australasia and the United Kingdom, areas which geologically represent some of the world’s fastest-growing cannabis markets.
Zelda’s Managing Director Richard Hopkins says this agreement marks an important milestone for the company as it prepares to bring medicinal cannabis products to the market in 2020.
“We’re delighted to be working with Tony Samios and his team at Health House, which has established itself as the premier independent specialist distribution company,” Richard said.
“We’re also excited by their ability to help expand distribution of our products into markets throughout Australasia and the United Kingdom,” he added.
The agreement also includes Zelda’s Insomnia investigation formulation, which is intended to launch in the global markets, pending a positive outcome from its Phase II clinical trial.
The outcome is expected to be received by the start of 2020.
Health House CEO Tony Samios is pleased to be working with Zelda.
“We’re excited by the potential of their Insomnia formulation as there is significant market for products that can improve sleep,” Tony said.
“We’re also looking forward to distributing HOPE, which has successfully established itself in the American market and has the potential to address a major unmet need for medicines targeting autism,” he added.
Zelda is up on the Australian Securities Exchange and is trading at 6.9¢ apiece at 11:58 am AEDT.


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In a decision that could have major implications for the way Uber does business in its home state, the California Labor Commission has ruled that a driver was an employee when she was driving for the company.
Uber has always claimed that its drivers are contractors, a classification that means Uber doesn't have to provide them multiple employment benefits, but the ruling challenges that assertion.
The decision was reached earlier this month by the labor board after a hearing on a dispute between a former Uber driver, Barbara Berwick, and Uber. Berwick had sued Uber, claiming she was owed unpaid wages, car expenses and interest.
The decision became public on Tuesday when it was filed with the state court in San Francisco. It was first reported on Wednesday by Reuters.
"Defendants hold themselves out as nothing more than a neutral technological platform, designed simply to enable drivers and passengers to transact the business of transportation," the California Labor Commission wrote in its finding. "The reality, however, is that defendants are involved in every aspect of the operation."
It said that Uber vets drivers and approves them, controls the cars they drive, monitors their ratings, manages their access to the Uber app, and controls the amount of money they can earn by setting rates.
Therefore, the labor commission ruled, the driver was an employee of Uber.
As a result, the court ordered Uber to pay the driver for the miles she drove as an employee, at the Internal Revenue Service auto reimbursement rate of 55 cents per mile. It also ordered Uber to pay the road toll charges she incurred while working for Uber.
With additional interest, Uber was ordered to pay $4,152.
Uber did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Martyn Williams covers mobile telecoms, Silicon Valley and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Follow Martyn on Twitter at @martyn_williams. Martyn's e-mail address is email@example.com


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French luxury giant HERMES has chosen the once very fashionable side of Soho in New York, the Meatpacking District for its brand new store in New York, its 36th in the U.S.. The company operates two other stores in New York, a mens store on Wall Street and a flagship store on Madison Avenue.
Other high-end stores nearby include a Tesla showroom and a Restoration Hardware flagship, are in the neighborhood while tech companies including Google are within walking distance.
“The difference here is we’ll attract the next generation of Hermès clients,” Bob Chavez, president and CEO of Hermès USA, said in an interview, adding that the 2015 opening of the Whitney Museum was the real game changer for the neighborhood and was a big catalyst behind Hermès’ decision to open a permanent shop. “We’ll attract a lot of first-time buyers—people who are discovering Hermès for the first time. … It’s another opportunity for Hermès to portray itself in a more modern and updated way. … We expect the traffic to be high.”
Appealing to the next crop of customers is crucial for Hermès and its luxury labels: Generation Y (widely known as millennials) and Gen Z contributed 100% to total global luxury market growth last year, compared with 85% in 2017, according to a Bain & Co. study in November.
The new store which covers 5,330-square-feet Hermès store features many ‘unusual’ components such as an area with bar stools—where you can hang out and order free coffee, sparkling water or wine. There is also a bigger open display of what Chavez described as “recruitment categories”—including items like perfume that costs about $100, a bargain next to the brand’s famous Birkin and other bags, which can easily cost tens of thousands of dollars—for first-time customers to try and touch.
The product assortment also signals young and active to match the vibe of the neighborhood: a skateboard bag, a bicycle, a snorkeling imprint design, sneakers and casual apparel are featured alongside the company’s signature silk scarves, ties and women’s handbags.
Employees for the first time will have a different uniform, sporting “a much more causal look,” and male employees don’t have to wear ties, Chavez said, adding that the employees will don Hermès sneakers. “That’s a big departure for us,” he said. “Part of it is to relate to the whole concept of the store, which is much more comfortable, much warmer, much more casual and very welcoming in this neighborhood.”
“We spend a lot of time training our staff to make sure they are welcoming everybody and anybody who come into the store. What you are seeing here is the next evolution of having a little café and bar area where people can just come in and sit down. You don’t have to shop. … You notice the openness. There’s a real casual feel here.”
The U.S. market is “pretty significant” for Hermès, Chavez told me, adding that the U.S. represents about a fifth of the company’s business. “The demand in the U.S. continues to be very strong and healthy. The business in New York has been very good. We are off to a very strong start.”
Demand for Hermès’ leather goods and apparel, among other categories, has also been healthy, with the company recording its “best year ever” with the Apple Watch Hermès collection, Chavez said. The silk and textiles category was the weakest performer, with a 2018 constant-currency growth rate of 3.2%, thanks to slowing demand for ties.
In a positive sign for the athleisure trend, Hermès sees continued strong demand for its sneakers and other casual assortment and plans to expand those categories, he said.
Chavez echoed many other rivals and described online as the company’s fastest-growing “store,” with customers showing little to no hesitation in how much they are willing to spend.
“At the same time, it’s still a recruitment tool for us,” he said, adding that brick-and-mortar stores remain relevant for many first-time customers who want to visit to touch and feel a scarf, tie or bracelet they want to buy. “We’ve done a great job capturing a lot of them online. Now the next step is to bring them into stores. … The (new Meatpacking District store) really portrays Hermès in a whole different light to reach the next generation of customers.”
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ZARANJ (Pajhwok): Residents of southwestern Nimroz province are annoyed by the surprisingly increased onion prices, saying they cannot afford to buy the high-demand vegetable.
Mirwais, a resident of Zaranj city, the provincial capital, told Pajhwok Afghan News the retail price of onion surged significantly during the last one month.
Previously, he said, one kilo of onion was sold for 20 afghanis in Zaranj city, but during the past one month, its price jumped to 100 afghanis per kg for being in short supply.
He added:”Onion is an essential part of any kind of savory dish, therefore its daily consumption is high. When it is so expensive, what people should use in their meals.”
Nadia, a resident of Kang district, told Pajhwok one kilo of onion was sold for 110 afghanis in the market, which was beyond the reach of the poor.
Accusing the officials of indifference, she added:”The government must think about the people, address their issues and the municipality should check and regulate market rates on a daily basis.”
Fakhruddin, an onion wholesaler in the city, said the price of onion considerably increased due to its growing export to Pakistan.
However, he said onion from Tajikistan and India would start arriving in the country in the next few days and it would help reduce the vegetable’s prices.
However, Zaranj Mayor MaulviNooruddin Hamza told Pajhwok onion prices surged due to its shortage in the market. He said it was not onion plantation season.
He added onion priced had surged in other provinces as well, but as onion was not produced in Nimroz, its pricec raised more than in any other province. “Only the price of onion in Delaram district where onion is cultivated is a little down compared to other districts and regions”.
The mayor said he did not know onion price had gone up to 100 afghanis a kilo and promised to discuss it with the head of vegetable sellers during a meeting.
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Safety researchers at Lookout I just lately linked a beforehand unattributed Android cellular spy ware known as Hermit to Italian software program firm RCS Lab. Now, Google’s menace researchers have confirmed a whole lot of Lookout’s findings, and notified Android customers whose gadgets have been hacked by spy ware.
Hermit is business spy ware recognized for use by governments, and has victims in Kazakhstan and Italy, in line with Lookout and Google. Lookout says it has additionally seen spy ware unfold throughout northern Syria. The spy ware makes use of numerous modules, downloaded from its command and management servers as wanted, to gather name logs, document ambient sound, ahead telephone calls, and gather photographs, messages, emails, and actual machine location from the sufferer’s machine. Lookout stated in its evaluation that Hermit, which works on all variations of Android, can also be attempting to realize entry to an contaminated Android machine, giving the spy ware deeper entry to the sufferer’s knowledge.
Lookout stated the focused victims are despatched by way of a textual content message with a malicious hyperlink and tricked into downloading and putting in the malicious app – which masquerades as a reliable service or branded messaging app – from outdoors the App Retailer.
In keeping with a brand new weblog publish revealed Thursday and shared with TechCrunch previous to its publication, Google stated it discovered proof that authorities companies controlling spy ware labored in some circumstances with the goal web supplier to chop off the cellular knowledge connection, possible tempting to trick the goal into downloading an app themed below communications. Star connection restore.
Google additionally analyzed a pattern of Hermit spy ware focusing on iPhones, which Lookout beforehand stated it was unable to acquire. In keeping with Google’s findings, the Hermit iOS app – which abuses Apple developer certificates permitting spy ware to be loaded onto a sufferer’s machine from outdoors the App Retailer – is riddled with six completely different vulnerabilities, two of which have by no means been seen earlier than. – or zero days – the time of its discovery. One zero-day vulnerability was recognized to Apple as actively exploited earlier than it was mounted.
No Android and iOS variations of the Hermit spy ware had been present in app shops, in line with the 2 firms. Google stated it had “notified Android users of infected devices”, and up to date Google Play Defend, the app’s safety scanner constructed into Android, to dam the app from working. Google stated it additionally pulled the plug on the spy ware’s Firebase account, which the spy ware makes use of to speak with its servers.
Google didn’t say what number of Android customers it was notifying.
Apple spokesperson Trevor Kinkade instructed TechCrunch that Apple has revoked all recognized accounts and certificates related to this spy ware marketing campaign.
Hermit is the newest government-grade spy ware recognized to be unfold by state companies. Though it’s not recognized who governments have focused utilizing Hermit, related cellular spy ware developed by hacking firms for rent, akin to NSO Group and Candiru, has been linked to the monitoring of journalists, activists and human rights defenders.
When RCS Lab was reached for remark, it supplied an unattributed assertion, which learn, partially: “RCS Lab exports its products in accordance with national and European rules and regulations. No sales or fulfillment of products takes place until official authorization has been obtained from the relevant authorities. Deliveries are made Our products have been installed and installed within authorized customers’ premises. RCS Lab personnel are not exposed to, and are not involved in, any activities of the customers concerned.”
You possibly can contact this reporter on Sign and WhatsApp at +1 646-755-8849 or [email protected] by way of electronic mail.


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As the conversation around life style changes grow due to the increased concern about the climate change, a key component is food wastage. And the situation as per the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Food Waste Index Report 2021, is not very good.
The report is conducted in partnership with a British nonprofit, WRAP that is focused to reduce global waste. It found that 931 million metric tons (1.03 billion tons) of food was wasted throughout the year by households, retailers and restaurants combined.
In 2019, approximately 17 per cent of food produced and sold around the globe ended up in waste bins. This amount would be sufficient to load 23 million food trucks, which if lined up bumper-to-bumper, would be enough to circle the planet seven times, as per the report. Some food is also lost on farms and in supply chains as well. The study reveals that households discard 11 per cent of food at the consumption stage of the supply chain, while food services and retail outlets waste five and two per cent, respectively.
All in all the numbers indicate that overall a third of food is never eaten.
The study represents the most comprehensive food waste data collection, analysis and modelling ever done, and offers a methodology for countries to accurately measure loss.
"If we want to get serious about tackling climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste, businesses, governments and citizens around the world have to do their part to reduce food waste" said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP.
Although food waste had been thought of as a problem mostly affecting rich countries, the report found levels of waste were surprisingly similar in all nations, though data is scarce in the poorest countries. This has substantial environmental, social and economic impacts, according to the report, which points out that eight to ten per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions are associated with unconsumed food.
"Reducing food waste would cut greenhouse gas emissions, slow the destruction of nature through land conversion and pollution, enhance the availability of food and thus reduce hunger and save money at a time of global recession", added Ms Andersen.
In 2019, some 690 million people were impacted by hunger and 3 billion were unable to afford a healthy diet.
Against that backdrop and with the ongoing covid-19 pandemic threatening to exacerbate these numbers, the study urges consumers not to waste food at home. It also pushes for food waste to be included in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), plans through which countries commit to taking ambitious climate actions in the Paris Agreement.
Meanwhile, target 12.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aims to halve per capita global food waste at retail and consumer levels and minimize food losses along production and supply chains. "The UN Food Systems Summit this year will provide an opportunity to launch bold new actions to tackle food waste globally", Ms Andersen said.
Of the growing number of countries measuring food waste, 14 have collected household data in a way that is compatible with the Food Waste Index, while a further 38 countries use methods similar to the SDG 12.3 compatible estimate. While the household breakdown between edible and uneatable food, like shells and bones, is available only in select high income countries, there is a lack of information in lower income countries where proportions may be higher. The report emphasizes that it is crucial to fill this knowledge gap, according to the report.
UNEP said it will launch regional working groups to aid countries' capacities to measure and record food waste in time for the next round of SDG 12.3 reporting in late 2022. It will also support these countries as they develop national baselines to track progress towards the 2030 goal, and design strategies to prevent food waste.


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The new version of Itama 62 has been unveiled at the Cannes Yachting Festival 2016. The legendary Italian brand of open [...]
The new Riva convertible wins the award for “Best Exterior Design” in the 50-80 foot category.
Yet another award i [...]
The show, a co-production between Ferretti Group and the Yacht Club de Monaco, featured Sir Elton John performing his gr [...]


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Imagine walking into a room to find 300 people glued to their seats, fixated by a speaker with a microphone and a slideshow. Imagine these hundreds of people have come from four different countries and all over the U.S. Imagine them ranging from hipster naturalists to handlebar-mustached cowboys.
According to data by the USDA’s Economic Research Service, in 2014 the U.S. imported 2.95 billion pounds (lbs.) of beef and veal. This compares to 2.57 billion lbs. exported in the same year, making a trade deficit of 380 million lbs. The most recent World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report projects trade this year will be 2.


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Back in December I wrote a post about how SaaS was making inroads into the ERP market, citing studies from both Aberdeen Group and Forrester Research. It's hardly making huge inroads, however. As Panorama Consulting President Eric Kimberling revealed during a recent webinar, 58 percent of the companies in his company's research of 250 ERP implementations completed last year employed a traditional on-premise model for their ERP projects. (Slides from the presentation and an audio replay are available to those who become members of Panorama's website. Membership is free.)https://o1.qnsr.com/log/p.gif?;n=203;c=204663295;s=11915;x=7936;f=201904081034270;u=j;z=TIMESTAMP;a=20410779;e=i
Twenty-one percent of respondents used what Kimberling called a "hybrid cloud" approach, with a single-tenant instance of ERP that was hosted off-site by a third party. A perplexing 5 percent used an unexplained "other" approach, and 16 percent used a multi-tenant software-as-a-service model. The latter number was essentially flat from last year's survey. However, Panorama did not break last year's question about cloud ERP into SaaS and hybrid categories, so there has been growth, Kimberling added. "Nearly one in three ERP implementations now somehow involves cloud," he said.
While cloud is beginning to gain momentum with Panorama clients, Kimberling said most are more interested in a hybrid approach than in true SaaS - at least for broad ERP implementations. SaaS is more popular for point solutions and among SMBs.
Still, while at this point the hype about cloud-based ERP far outpaces actual deployments, Kimberling said he expects to "see the mix continue to shift over time where more companies look to the cloud in one capacity or another."
I got a similar story when I interviewed Computer Economics President Frank Scavo a few months ago. He told me:
As companies have pleasant experiences with cloud CRM or HRMS or expense management, people are starting to say, "Why can't we have our entire ERP system delivered in this way?" It's more popular right now among smaller companies but it's moving up market. And I think it's happening a lot more quickly than people expected.


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Dual-camera setups seem to be the next big thing. Just recently, the honor 8 was officially introduced. Not surprisingly, the device is packing a dual-camera system, much like the honor V8 and Huawei P9. Now, if recent leaks are to be believed, Xiaomi appears to be coming up with something similar as well.
The picture above was leaked online not too long ago; it shows Chinese actor Haoran Liu holding a mysterious Xiaomi device. What is particularly interesting about the device is the dual-camera system, which would be a first for Xiaomi.
However, unlike Huawei’s dual-camera setup on the P9, the rear cameras of the Xiaomi device are quite far apart. Chances are, this dual-camera system is akin to the one found on the LG G5, where the lenses don’t work in tandem, but act independently as two different shooting modes. Of course, this is merely an educated guess at this point.
Looking at the design of the Xiaomi device itself, it bears a striking resemblance to the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3. This, coupled with the fact that Haoran Liu just signed up to be the official spokesperson of Xiaomi’s Redmi lineup, makes it pretty clear that this will be a new Redmi device; it could just be the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4.
Then again, these images do not originate from Xiaomi itself, so their legitimacy is questionable. Hopefully, it won’t be long until we learn more about this mysterious Xiaomi device, including its specifications. After all, Xiaomi will supposedly unveil a new “flagship product” this month.


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LOWER POTTSGROVE PA – The top price for a home sold within the township from Sept. 15-19, 2008, fell to the mid-$100s from the mid-$300s in the previous week, the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper reports.
The home – at 410 Maple Glen Cir. – sold for $165,000. In the previous week, the top seller in Lower Pottsgrove was a Continental Drive dwelling that went for $345,000. This week’s top reported price was listed Sunday (Jan. 4, 2009) in “The Top 50,” the newspaper’s weekly review of highest prices paid for homes sold within the city of Philadelphia and the townships in its surrounding counties.
By contrast, during the same period, the top home sales price in Pottstown Borough, immediately to the west was $249,500; Limerick Township, east, $483,000; New Hanover Township, northeast, $362,990; Upper Pottsgrove Township, northwest, $245,000; and no sales were reported for North Coventry Township.
- What They Sold For, Sept. 8-12, 2008
- What They Sold For, Sept. 1-5, 2008
- What They Sold For, Aug. 25-29, 2008
- What They Sold For, Aug. 18-22, 2008


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Yesterday Google hosted an event in New York City, during the nation’s solar eclipse no less, where it finally unveiled the name of Android 8.0. Following the Oreo statue’s reveal, we had the chance to spend a few minutes talking with Sagar Kamdar, an Android Product Manager from Google.
Nomad case for Pixel 3
Further, Sagar told us more about how Project Treble is playing a role in making updates easier for OEMs and how Google is “treblizing” every new phone that launches with Oreo — and how that will further affect future updates like Android P. Sagar also mentioned that Google is currently working with 11 partners on launching Android Oreo on devices by the end of the year.
Lastly, we asked Sagar about the custom Oreos we received at the event. Following KitKat’s in-store advertising, many were curious if there was anything in store with Oreos. Unfortunately, the answer was no.


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BMW recently reported that it has recorded a 21.7% increase in overall global sales for the month of February 2011 over the previous year. The figure includes all BMW Group vehicles, including Mini and Rolls-Royce.
While Singapore has its very obvious reasons for a spike in sales for premium brands, I wonder what could possibly cause the increase in demand for BMW cars worldwide as well.
OK, the burgeoning Chinese market, with its rapid economic growth churning out thousands of nouveau riche customers, can be explained. But what about other regions? Especially with fuel prices going up at the rate it is now.
Rolls-Royce saw an increase of 276.1% in the same period. That two hundred and seventy-six per cent.
What can I say? The rich are getting richer. The world has forgotten about what happened barely two years ago now.


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Capitola Mall hosts Bunny Hop on March 25
The Capitola Mall will be hosting the Bunny Hop event 2 to 4 p.m. March 25 near Macy’s at the mall, 1855 41st Ave.
There event will include crafts, face painting with unicorns and bunnies, tattoos, photo opportunities, balloon twisting and a chance to meet the Easter Bunny and fairies.
There is a $5 donation fee per family with a maximum of four kids. Ticket sales benefit Jacob’s Heart Children’s Cancer Support Services.
To buy tickets go to classy.org.
For information, visit shopcapitolamall.com.
If you have a news event or announcement for Coast Lines, email firstname.lastname@example.org and place “Coast Lines” in the email subject line. Coast Lines items are run at no charge. Please include contact information for questions. Information: 831-706-3252 Tuesdays to Saturdays. To view previous Coast Lines items, visit SantaCruzSentinel.com/topic/Coast-Lines.


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Businesses, especially small businesses, have been steadily adopting new technologies for some time now. While adopting new technologies is a great move, formalizing your business structure as an LLC can also provide benefits, find out more about how to form an LLC to protect your assets and gain tax advantages. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic saw sudden and enormous transformations in the fields of both business and technology. While 2020 opened new opportunities that tied business to technology, many were apprehensive and saw this as a temporary phase that would pass soon. However, 2021 proved that these new trends up are here to stay, and businesses will never operate the same way again.
Consequently, the year witnessed many small businesses adopting numerous technologies to a wider and deeper extent for better business continuity and growth. Here are 8 technologies small businesses welcomed wholeheartedly and adopted in 2021 for more smooth operations and better profitability.
Video Conferencing Tools
As the pandemic gave an enormous boost to previously lesser-known WFH (Work From Home) practices, with meetings, conferences, and lectures all moving online. Businesses restricted due to lockdowns started using online video communication tools such as Google Meet, Zoom, MS Teams, BlueJeans, GoToMeeting, Webex Meetings, Skype, and more.
Digital Payment Systems
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused customers and businesses to rely more on online, digital tools and channels and less handling of paper currency. Many enterprises have therefore started giving more importance to computer systems for transactions, such as POS machines, credit card readers, and e-wallets during 2021.
Work Collaboration Tools
Online work collaboration tools are another type of technology that small businesses adopted widely because of the pandemic. This has allowed small businesses to continue their operations remotely, keeping all staff coordinated while working on a specific project, whether remotely or in the office. Team collaboration tools such as Google Docs, Karbon, GitHub, Trello, Asana, and Dropbox have a range of features that help teams stay on track and meet their deadlines.
Medical Safety Devices
Medical safety, health, and hygiene became a significant concern this year when businesses and offices re-opened as lockdowns relaxed. This has relied on certain technology and approaches to keep staff, visitors, and customers safe while continuing to conduct business. Social distancing, touch-free devices, and diagnostic tools have become popular this year. To this end, thermal scanners, touch-free sanitiser dispensers, and access control systems based on eye scanning, facial detection, and automated doors are just some of the technology that many small businesses adopted this year.
Social Media Marketing
Social media is where the largest number of people gather online. With 2.74 billion monthly active users, there are more Facebook than the most populous country in the world. Additionally, more people are using their mobile phones to accessing services, shop, and pay their bills.
These factors have led to small businesses focusing more on social media and other online platforms to expand their customer base. Facebook Marketplace is one such example where small businesses can showcase their products and services to reach a wider audience and many enterprises find such tool an excellent asset for their marketing.
Artificial Intelligence, or AI, has become a commonplace technology today. Many small businesses have embraced this technology, mostly in the form of chatbots. These thinking digital assistants help answer customer queries, make suggestions of products based on what they learn about the customer’s preferences and inclinations, and even assist them with aftersales service. AI-based chatbots use Machine Learning (ML) methodology to study each customer by following their online activity to offer better and more personalised services.
As more businesses moved online, this has generated more data for them to handle, and small businesses have found it easier to rely on cloud technology to store and manage their business transactions as well as customer information. Cloud storage is convenient and economical, and allows businesses to do away with massive infrastructure such as servers and other physical systems to store and process their data. Moreover, cloud service providers also take the responsibility of keeping all data confidential and secure using state-of-the-art cybersecurity software. Therefore, this technology allows small businesses to save money, time, and space.
The shift to an online presence and the use of digital business tools due to the pandemic has also become a reason for many small businesses to adopt cryptocurrency payments. This opportunity promises a host of new global customers since the cryptocurrency network has no geographic limits. Not to mention that crypto offers cheaper and faster transactions.
Since the onset of the pandemic, many small businesses have realised the potential of modern technology and innovation. Technological advancements are also becoming more and more affordable and accessible, further encouraging small businesses to adopt them. Many entrepreneurs are now convinced of the potential benefits they can reap by leveraging emerging technologies such as Cloud computing and Artificial Intelligence. 2021 has set the ground that will define the path enterprises and businesses will follow in the coming years.


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Matalan expects full-year profits to be in line with analyst expectations at£55 million to£60 million.
Sales growth through new space also slowed from 6.3 per cent for the same period last year to 2.4 per cent. For the full year, new space growth was 3.5 per cent.
'The financial year has been characterised by a difficult trading environment,' according to the discount retailer, which added that trading since its last update in January was 'in line with the last 26 weeks'.
'Home has continued to disappoint, compounded by a poor performance from the Christmas gift ranges. Our move towards improving profitability has led to a reduced level of promotional activity with a consequent reduction in like-for-like sales. However, market share on clothing was maintained at 3 per cent,' Matalan said.
The company is focusing on gross margin, which was up 0.5 per cent in the 26 week period and up 1.6 per cent on clothing - offset by additional markdowns taken to clear underperforming Home ranges.
'Matalan is continuing to maintain its market share in clothing and is taking action to address the issues in its Home operations,' said chief executive John King.
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Here’s what’s coming to Xbox One this week
Microsoft has shared the full lineup of new games coming to Xbox One over the next few days.
This week sees the long-awaited release of Crysis Remastered. The previously delayed remaster launches September 18th and features up to 8K textures, HDR and ray tracing support, temporal anti-aliasing, new lighting settings, and more.
Also launching this week are multiplayer arcade experience WWE 2K Battlegrounds, Vampire’s Fall: Origins, and eFootball PES 2021 Season Update. The season update features the same gameplay as PES 2020 with the latest team and player information.
Take a look at the full list of upcoming games below:
- eFootball PES 2021
- Active Neurons 2
- Johnny Rocket
- Dog Duty
- Exp Parasite
- Shotgun Farmers
- Welcome to Elk
- Vampire’s Fall: Origins
- Crysis Remastered
- Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle
- Harvest Moon: Light of Hope SE
- The Secret Order: Return to the Buried Kingdom
- WWE 2K Battlegrounds
Matt is one of the longest-serving members of the EGMNOW team. An ability to go many hours without sleep and a quick wit make him ideal for his role as associate editor at EGMNOW.com. He often thinks back to the days when the very idea of this career seemed like nothing but an impossible dream.


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ALBERTVILLE, Ala. (Jan. 11)—Two rubber molders in Tennessee have been purchased by an industry veteran, moved to Albertville and combined into a new firm, Pell Rubber Co. Joseph Pell, who began his career in the industry as a factory worker in the early 1970s, purchased Phillips Rubber Co. of Lebanon, Tenn., and JADE L.L.C. of Watertown, Tenn., for undisclosed amounts. The acquisition included 20 compression presses, hydraulic equipment, mills, extruders, deflashing equipment and miscellaneous machinery, Pell said. Pell did not buy either building but did get the customer base from each company. He purchased a 4,000-sq.-ft. facility in Albertville and moved the machinery to the site, which took two months to set up. The company was fully operational in the latter part of 2000. The firm processes SBR, nitrile, neoprene, natural rubber, EPDM and silicone. It makes a vast assortment of rubber parts and does rubber-to-metal bonding.
Pell launches rubber molding company
Rubber News wants to hear from its readers. If you want to express your opinion on a story or issue, email your letter to Editor Bruce Meyer at [email protected].


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Families Came To RV, Camping Show
Families geared up for a summer outdoors by stopping by the Central Wisconsin RV and Camping Show Sunday (March 9) in Rothschild, television station WFSX reported.
Event leaders said thousands of people, mostly families, attended the event throughout the weekend.
Vendors said this year, one of the most popular RV models is one that sleeps up to nine people.
Salesmen said people are ready to put winter behind them.
“I think that people are getting cabin fever, they’re thinking about spring, bringing their kids over and looking at our bunk house models,” said Mitch Fredrickson of Link Ford and RV.
In addition to the RVs, the show featured a variety of camping booths.
For the full story and video, click here.


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KUALA LUMPUR (February 14): NWP Holdings Bhd has received a formal notice from Seri Tiara Development Sdn Bhd regarding unpaid rent, service charges and late payment interest.
The 100% subsidiary of the company, NWP Resources Bhd, had received on February 11 the notice issued by MM. Joseph Ting & Co on behalf of his client Seri Tiara Development.
NWP Resources had defaulted on the payment of unpaid rent from October 2021 to February 2022, as well as service charges and default interest totaling RM2.6 million for the premises in Block A, Desa Commercial Center on 8 February.
The late payment is because there are no sub-tenants for the premises and therefore no revenue is being collected for rental payments, according to NWP in a scholarship filing.
The company said it negotiated with Seri Tiara, but the negotiations did not lead to a final or favorable conclusion.
“There was a chance of receiving [a] Seri Tiara’s liquidation petition and the ongoing late payment interest charges, the final amount of which could not be identified at this time,” he said.
The wood products manufacturer also added that there will be no immediate impact on its business and operations. The group will seek to continue its business and operations despite the default.
NWP shares closed up one sen or 4.35% at 24 sen on Monday, February 14, giving the group a market capitalization of RM126.34 million.


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Expanding Trading Partnerships in the Western Hemisphere
A two-day event in Los Angeles allowed southern California companies to learn about new export opportunities and ways to use Department of Commerce resources to penetrate new markets in the Western Hemisphere.
by Monica McFarlane
Canada and countries in the Caribbean and Latin America are some of the best trading partners for the United States. They are very familiar with U.S. brands and highly receptive to U.S. products. On May 27–28, 2009, more than 200 businesspeople heard about how they can capitalize on those advantages during the Americas Business Forum, which was held in downtown Los Angeles, California, and centered on creating jobs through exports.
(Story continues below.)
|Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke addresses The Americas Business Forum, held in Los Angeles, California, on May 27–28, 2009. The event was an opportunity for representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises to learn about opportunities in the Western Hemisphere. (photo © Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce/Rick Schmitt)
The forum was a collaborative effort involving the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, the City of Los Angeles, and the Anderson School of Management at the University of California–Los Angeles.
Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke, who gave the event’s keynote speech, emphasized the economic importance of trade. He told attendees that one of his highest priorities “is to help the United States expand and develop strong and fair trading partnerships in this hemisphere and around the globe. Trade can create jobs and economic growth for American workers and companies.”
Senior Commercial Officers Bring In-Depth Knowledge
The first day featured presentations by government and private-sector experts, who shared their insights on the legal aspects of exporting, the best ways to protect intellectual property, new opportunities created by free trade agreements, the successful management of logistics and channels of distribution, the effective identification of new business opportunities, and ways to adapt to local business practices.
Later, during breakout sessions, forum participants explored the Canadian, Caribbean, and Latin American markets in more detail, with briefings given by senior commercial officers posted in U.S. embassies throughout the region.
Forum participants gained valuable insights from specialists who know those markets the best. Breakout session topics included the Andean Free Trade Market, Ecuador and Venezuela, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) area, the Central America–Dominican Republic–United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA–DR), and the Common Market of the South (MERCOSUR).
Focus on Small Businesses
The second day was devoted to a series of 20-minute, one-on-one meetings between senior commercial officers and participating representatives from small and medium-sized enterprises. Trade specialists from the five U.S. Export Assistance Centers in southern California coordinated the meetings.
More than 280 meetings were held, which allowed participating companies to receive immediate feedback on the potential of their products and services without having to spend a lot of time and money traveling to each location. In many cases, senior commercial officers researched the potential in advance, thus allowing companies to discuss specific opportunities and market-entry strategies.
Agreements Facilitate Trade
The United States currently has four trade agreements in those regions: two multilateral agreements—NAFTA and CAFTA–DR—and two bilateral agreements with Chile and Peru.
The trade agreements have helped open new markets for U.S. products and services, expanded opportunities for U.S. workers, and made U.S. firms more competitive.
In 2006, for example, U.S.–Chile trade was two and one-half times greater than in 2003, before the free trade agreement went into effect. And trade with Chile continues to grow. In 2008, U.S. exports to Chile grew 49.4 percent over 2007. U.S. exports to NAFTA and CAFTA–DR partners have also continued to rise—by 6.5 percent and 12.5 percent, respectively, from 2007 to 2008.
Prosperity and New Markets
Businesses in southern California are in an ideal location to explore the tremendous export potential in the Western Hemisphere. “As a gateway to the Americas, southern California businesses have a tremendous untapped opportunity in Latin America,” noted Gary Toebben, president and chief executive officer of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce.
Events such as the Americas Business Forum help highlight those opportunities and are part of the Department of Commerce’s strategy to lead the way for U.S. firms seeking to do business in those regions. “We are focused,” emphasized Locke, “on creating a broader foundation of prosperity that opens new markets, expands trade, and powers new growth all across the hemisphere.”
Monica McFarlane is an international trade specialist with the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service.
For More Information
U.S. companies wishing to learn more about opportunities in the Western Hemisphere and how to export their products and services can call on the resources of the USFCS, which is the trade promotion unit of the Department of Commerce. The USFCS includes a network of more than 100 domestic offices nationwide—the U.S. Export Assistance Centers—and a team of experts in many U.S. embassies overseas. For more information, visit www.export.gov or call the Trade Information Center toll-free at 1-800-USA-TRAD(E) (1-800-872-8723).


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Considering the strong performance by most automakers in November it might be easy to downplay the numbers from Volkswagen AG. After all, the maker reported a gain of “only” 29% for the month, less than half the increase of little Subaru.
It was, nonetheless, the best VW has done in nearly four decades – since November 1973, to be more precise – when the original Beetle was still the most successful import product in the U.S. market and names like Toyota, Nissan and Honda were barely on the radar for American car buyers.
Things would change rapidly in the mid to late-1970s. Buoyed by the sudden surge in demand for high-mileage products in the wake of twin Mideast oil shocks, Japanese makers rapidly gained traction. VW tried to fight back with the little Rabbit but its early success was short-circuited by higher prices and lower quality, twin problems that nearly sank the German maker.
“It wasn’t just the frequency of repairs, but the high cost of repairs,” said analyst David Sullivan, of AutoPacific, Inc.
In fact, by 1992, with sales at barely 50,000 – little more than a tenth of their one-time peak – Volkswagen officials gave serious thought to pulling out of the States. They ultimately decided to stay, but the U.S. market remained little more than an after-thought as VW shifted focus to China and other emerging markets.
That began to shift as company officials laid out an aggressive plan for world domination. It became clear that VW couldn’t brush back rivals like General Motors or Toyota without re-establishing a serious presence in the American market. And that meant developing products specifically tuned for U.S. buyers.
The latest-generation Jetta began that shift, followed by the 2012 Passat – for which the German maker also opened its first U.S. assembly plant since closing a long-troubled factory in Westmoreland, Pennsylvania nearly three decades earlier.
The two new offerings have scored big, sales of the Passat, in particular, increasing 75% for November and a whopping 543% for the first 11 months of 2012. Jetta gained nearly 11% in November, though it is slightly down for the year-to-date.
But VW has also gotten a big boost from its littlest model, the third-generation Beetle jumping 20% last month and 426% for the first 11 months of the year.
That helped push a 29% jump in November — the 28th consecutive monthly gain — and a 35% increase since the beginning of January for the Volkswagen brand.
The maker begins December with plenty of momentum – and a key new product, the Beetle Convertible it is showing for the first time at the 2012 LA Auto Show.
And more is coming. “I think they know they can’t hit their target with the line-up they have today,” said analyst Sullivan.
Among the products in the pipeline, VW has at least one new crossover-utility vehicle coming to the States, possibly two.
“We’re not complacent,” proclaimed Jonathan Browning, CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, during the maker’s LA Auto Show news conference. “We are not yet satisfied with the results.”
Along with the new product, VW is amping up its marketing efforts. It has scored big during the last two Super Bowl ad extravaganzas and hopes to repeat in February 2013.
The goal is to finally beat the all-time annual sales record – 569,696 set in 1970 – during the latter half of the decade. That would help position parent Volkswagen AG as the world’s biggest automaker.
There are still plenty of obstacles ahead, but considering Volkswagen of America’s recent momentum the maker is more optimistic than it has been in decades.
Joe Szczesny contributed to this report.
Tags: Jonathan Browning, LA Auto Show, VW sales, Volkswagen, Volkswagen Beetle, auto news, car news, foreign car sales, import auto sales, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau, volkswagen sales, vw beetle convertible, vw news


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Another amusement show is upon us and this time it’s the annual GTI Asia Taipei Expo, currently being Taipei, Taiwan. Almost 100 exhibitors are there to show off their products and over the next few days we hope to have some material to show you. It’s already been announced that IGS has a couple of new games there, such as Anger Explosion and Three Kingdom War but so far there are no details on what either of those games entail (could Three Kingdom War be a new beat ’em up?) at the moment.
While details are scant so far on what’s at the show, we already have one video showing off a new touch screen music game called Theia, by Taiwanese company Hypaa. (The Mozarc video was removed by the user who posted it)
UPDATE: The resourceful guys at Bemanistyle found out who makes the game and found their website. Created by Hypaa they also found out that there is another music game beyond Mozarc called Theia, which was their first game. It looks like Mozarc is a newer project and Theia is an older one no one had heard of before. While Mozarc works like a Beatmania clone, Theia is more of a vertical DJ Max Technika clone as you can see above. Bemanistyle also says that a uBeat clone is at the show called Magic Box. It’s unfortuante that because of the similarities of all these games to other music titles that the makers probably won’t get very far without being sued.
UPDATE#2 another video of Mozarc is back
The original video I had found of Mozarc is back online and now with a new part. Hopefully the user won’t pull it again.


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Over the last year, TikTok became the platform that brands wanted to be a part of. Building on its long history as a social agency, Day One Agency was able to set clients up for success.
See all of Ad Age's A-List 2022 winners here.
“Other platforms are about an individual's feed, or channels,” said Josh Rosenberg, co-founder and CEO. “But TikTok is an ecosystem. You have to be active and aware of what’s happening elsewhere.”
When clients including American Express, Nike, Chipotle and Walmart wanted to do more with social video, the indie agency created Day One Studios in 2021 to bulk up its social storytelling production services. In a prime example of using the TikTok ecosystem, Day One Agency made Chipotle a part of a separate Miley Cyrus campaign. The singer was promoting her new album, Plastic Hearts, using a TikTok trend that had users posting videos with the prompt, “If Miley Cyrus comments on this TikTok I’ll (________)." As Cyrus commented on the videos, TikTok users had to follow through on their promise—getting tattoos, naming babies and even getting married on the spot.


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Solae acquires ISP product line from Cargill
July 11, 2007
by FoodBusinessNews.net Staff
ST. LOUIS — The Solae Co. has completed the acquisition of Cargill’s isolated soy protein Prolisse product line, which includes the patented membrane technology to process ISP.
"The combination of Solae’s ISP business and Cargill’s Prolisse product line is a perfect fit," said Tony Arnold, president and chief executive officer, Solae. "We are committed to the soy ingredient industry, and this investment will enable us to continue serving customers with quality and reliability."
The financial terms of the transaction were not released. Solae will transition Cargill’s products and technology into an existing plant.
"With this purchase, we gain new technology that will enhance our ability to take new products to market and will allow us to offer more solutions for our customers," Mr. Arnold said.
Solae is a joint venture between DuPont and Bunge Ltd.


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The suit by Medicine Dispensing Systems and Kind Clinics says Cox's statements about use of the machines damaged the company's reputation and were "falsely derogatory." It objected to Cox characterizing the devices as "vending machines that sell marijuana without any prescription to the general public and at convenience stores." This interferes with the company's business and damages it, the lawsuit says. The suit claims defamation and also a trademark violation for using the company's trademark in an altered fashion at a news conference. The lawsuit against Cox and the Family Council Action Committee said:
Strict security of Plaintiffs' product and control over access to medications are key features of the MDS. Defendants' false statements, altering the appearance of Plaintiffs' product, and displaying it at the news conference at the Arkansas State Capitol irreparably harmed Plaintiffs and will continue to harm Plaintiffs unless enjoined by the Court.
Tuesday, Cox spoke at a news conference at the Capitol against the medical marijuana initiative. According to the lawsuit, he had "an exact cardboard replica of the MDS. The replica had the words "Medbox" printed on it, and it was an exact representation of a MDS. The Defendants altered the MDS by pasting a large marijuana leaf to the MDS."
The suit seeks compensatory and punitive damages and also injunctive relief against further statements by Cox, among others, that imply the MDS may be used 24 hours a day or at places other than licensed dispensaries (Cox raised the issue of convenience store availability). The lawsuit also seeks a public apology for false statements.
I've asked for a comment from Family Council. UPDATE:
“A lawsuit has been filed against us by a company in California,” Cox said. “We have no response to the specific allegations in the lawsuit itself. The matter has been referred to our attorney.”
Cox went on to say, “Family Council Action Committee has taken a stand for what’s right for many years. The people
of Arkansas are well aware of that, and most appreciate it. However, not everyone agrees with us. When you operate
in the arena we do, lawsuits can and will be filed against you.
“This is a national issue. People from all over the country are watching to see what Arkansas does. We addressed the
broad issue of marijuana and vending machines.
“This does not change any of the problems with the measure. Issue 5 is still a backdoor effort to legalize marijuana in
"Most"? What's "right?" I guess that's in the eyes of the beholder, Jerr.
The lawsuit outlines the steps by which the system aims to prevent unauthorized use.
Medicine Dispensing Systems is a distributor of state-of-the-art, highly controlled drug dispensing systems. The machines are used in hospitals, pharmacies, urgent care centers, and doctor's offices to maintain inventory control and accountability for employees dispensing medicine to consumers. The MDS uses pre-registered biometric scans and key cards to identify authorized users.
After obtaining a prescription from a doctor, the patient must then be registered with the medical clinic. The patient is issued an additional card, similar to a debit card, that is used only on the MDS and in a medical clinic. When a patient purchases medical marijuana in a clinic from the MDS, she/he must first swipe her/his card and enter her/his personal PIN number. Then, the machine scans and verifies the patient's thumbprint to continue with the purchase. The entire transaction is recorded on camera.
The MDS tracks and restricts usage ofprescription medicine and delivers unalterable
reports that reflect dispensing activity. The machines provide a high level of security to hospitals, pharmacies, urgent care centers, and doctor's offices, and ensure that only authorized users have access to the medicine.


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Jeff Gaspin, president, NBC Universal Cable Entertainment, Digital Content and Cross-Network Strategy, oversees entertainment content for NBC Universal’s digital platforms. Heading into the broadcast upfronts, he discussed telcos, online branding and NBC’s multiplatform philosophy, dubbed “TV 360,” with B&C’s Anne Becker.
Why does this seem to be the year of the multiple platforms?
Over the year we’ve heard from advertisers and we’ve just felt it from producers.
[The introduction of] Apple’s video iPod was a big moment for everybody to realize the media landscape was really changing.
The initial success of the video iPod and the continued success of it was a partial tipping point. But the truth is, throughout the year we all realized that things are moving very quickly in a multiplatform direction.
How is the frenzy surrounding digital content different from what we saw during the dotcom boom?
To a large extent it’s back to the future, back to 10 years ago when “interactive TV” was a big buzzword.
The dotcom craze of the late ’90s—it’s back in full force on all fronts. Two huge differences this time are that the technology has caught up and the advertisers are onboard. This is something that was slowly happening, but it really felt this year like it all happened all at once.
Once we all realized that advertising on the Web went from $2 billion to $10 billion in the past few years, we had to pay attention, and it raised our eyebrows. We’re all coming to terms with it at the same time. This isn’t early adopters leading others. This is everybody kind of realizing it at once.
Jeff Zucker has said that “TV 360” will be the focus of NBC’s upfront pitch this year—what exactly does that mean?
TV 360 means that we are considering all platforms. You have content in the center—the show, the idea—and you consider all the platforms that go around that, wireless, online, on-air, interactive. Whatever distribution platforms—iPod or whatever—are available, is there some way to exploit that content on some of those platforms? Not every [program] is going to have them all.
It’s a big part of what we’re presenting at upfront. You will see that any show that gets picked up for series will also have other elements that go along with it.
Do you give equal attention to each of the emerging digital platforms?
When most people talk about digital, the focus is online. Understand that it’s much bigger than that and that interactive TV is starting to play a role.
This isn’t just about branding or launching online services. You really have to look at everything about the digital universe. Online is just the biggest player at the moment, but that can change as new set-top boxes come out.
You’re going to see the phone companies entering this space in a much bigger way than they already have, so mobile is going to be a huge part.
You really have to look at all the possibilities, and that’s what 360 is about, not just looking at online.
People focus on Web sites when they think about this new digital world, and it’s certainly the most prevalent of the new digital technologies, but it’s going to be shared with a lot of others, which is why experimenting on multiple platforms is important.
NBC has announced NBBC, the broadband project with your affiliates. What about a broadband site for your entertainment properties?
You can look forward to many announcements from NBC in the coming weeks.
I mean, we’ve already talked about Webisodes and The Office. We did ask all our shows this year, certainly the ones we own, to come up with digital elements beyond their pilots that could exist, if they were picked up in series, as companions to those series. You’ll see a lot of that from us.
What you’ve seen from a lot of the Big Four other than Fox is, we’ve been building our on-air brands online. Fox actually went and concentrated on online brands. With our [$600 million] purchase of iVillage [in March], you’re getting some of the same from us.
I would call iVillage an online brand. I would call NBC an on-air brand. I think you can have successful companion online brands, but I think their upside is limited. iVillage or MySpace [which News Corp. acquired in July for approximately $580 million] are true online brands.
You’re on the team to integrate iVillage into NBC U. How is that going?
We don’t own it yet, so there’s very little you can do. The thing about iVillage and our assets is, there’s not a lot of overlap, as opposed to when we merged with Universal and had two cable-distribution groups.
The integration is more just getting them on our systems, getting them to understand our processes—things more from a backroom operation.
What can you tell me about your upcoming Web-based talent search show called StarTomorrow?
StarTomorrow is an online series that will allow the user to watch five minutes at a time or an hour at a time.
We’re going give them the pieces to create their own show in five-minute increments. They’ll have the option of building the show the way they want to.
We’ll release content on a weekly basis. We’ve partnered with Tommy Mottola. It will be sponsored and will be highly integrated [with brands].


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The services are expected to be available this year
MoneyGram has announced a new partnership with Airtel Africa PLC, a leading money service provider with a presence in Africa’s 14 countries.
This way, Airtel Money’s customers will be able to quickly receive MoneyGram transfers directly into their mobile wallets.
Once they receive the funds, they can be accessed immediately and used. That’s about paying utility bills, goods, and services, transferring to other people or converting to cash at any of Airtel Africa’s branches, kiosks, and agents.
We’ve reported that MoneyGram International has announced a partnership with Korean fintech Global Money Express (GME). This way, GME customers can connect to the MoneyGram platform and distribution network in over 200 countries.


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The upcoming BlackBerry 10 mobile computing platform will not be available on any BlackBerry 7 handsets, RIM CEO Thorsten Heins has confirmed.
Appearing at BlackBerry World 2012, Heins spoke about the BB10 platform and how it will impact on current BB7 handset owners.
In a frank and honest talk Heins made it clear that BB10 is a completely new operating system, built from scratch, and thus it's not possible to run it on handsets built for BB7.
A new platform is a new platform
Heins said: "As tough as it is, we have to build a new platform for the next decade. BlackBerry 7 has reached its level of perfection, but the architecture and technology is unable to take us forward into the next decade."
BB7 isn't going to be left high and dry, with Heins confirming: "We will keep a dedicated team of 200 for BB7 and continue to innovate in that space."
So the short term future has been secured for current BlackBerry devices, but there will come a time in the future where BB7 will be completely phased out, to be replaced totally by BB10.
PlayBook 4G on its way
If you're a PlayBook owner then you'll be pleased to hear that the tablet will get the upgrade to the BlackBerry 10 platform.
TechRadar spoke to Andrew Bocking, SVP of Software Product Management, who confirmed "all PlayBooks will be upgradeable to BB10", which is expected to launch later this year.
Heins has also confirmed that a 4G version of the PlayBook would be available later in the year, however Bocking noted that it would ship with the PlayBook OS 2.0, with an update to BB10 coming later.


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National retail chain with stores in Crawley and Horsham to close all shops permanently
A national retailer with stores in Crawley and Horsham has revealed all its branches will permanently shut.
Adam Goddard, retail director at Thorntons said the chocolatier will shut its retail stores due to ‘severe obstacles’ the firm faces in high street trading.
In a statement released yesterday, March 15, he said: “Like many companies, we have been operating for a long time in a tough and challenging retail environment.
“We have been committed to transforming and growing a successful Thorntons business - investing over £45 million into the brand.
“This has included an investment to open new format stores and cafes and ensuring we had stores in the right locations for our customers.”
But the changing dynamic of the high street, online shopping and the impact of lockdown and covid forced the firm to trade in the ‘most challenging circumstances’, he added.
Mr Goddard said: “Like many others, the obstacles we have faced and will continue to face on the high street are too severe and despite our best efforts we have taken the difficult decision to permanently close our retail store estate.
“We will now go into full consultation with our colleagues across our 61 Thorntons-owned stores.
“Our colleagues have been fantastic during this challenging time, and we would like to thank them for their continued support. We understand that this will be an uncertain and concerning time for our colleagues and we will actively support them during this period of consultation.”
The consultation affects around 600 roles and Mr Goddard said the firm would have to consider redundancy.
He said: “We will continue to support our colleagues with enhanced redundancy and outplacement support, including one to one career coaching.
“All impacted colleagues will also have the opportunity to apply for vacancies at our Greenford and Alfreton sites and if successful, we will provide relocation support where needed.”
As customers continue to change the way they shop, the firm must change with them, he added. Thorntons has seen a strong growth in its online presence with a 71 per cent increase in net sales over the last year and this will remain a key strategy for the company.
Mr Goddard said: “We continue to invest in building our brand in the grocery channels with our partners in order to meet the demand from our loyal customers.
“Our factory in Alfreton remains key and has recently become a Centre of Excellence for assortments. We are continuing on our journey to produce more assortment products for the international market – the first being our Golden Gallery collection now available in the USA and Canada. We also remain committed to innovating in the UK market.
“We remain committed to this iconic British brand and will continue to invest further in the future potential of Thorntons to ensure we evolve with the times.”