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It's getting cold out there! This week I've been breaking out the wool while DMB debates whether to grow back his mountain-man beard.
But in the wider and wilder world out there, the Navy has requested we use the abbreviation UAP instead of UFO. This generated quite the debate around the HQ. Which is ultimately better? This is important stuff for sci-fi writers! So we need you once again to weigh in and break the log jam. UAP or UFO?
Without further ado, let's take a lear at what's been happening in the writer-sphere!
Looking for an AI Study Buddy?
A Post on the Passive Voice takes a look at the role artificial intelligence is playing in higher education. For a while now schools and school curriculum have been talking about being interactive and dynamic--able to adapt to a student's learning journey.
In this case, that is actually happening! Passive Guy's post goes on to say, "Through AI, digital twins can materialize into a functional and personal study buddy."
While this sounds like a potentially great technology in real life, it sounds like an even better plot for a technology-gone-wrong sci-fi novel...
HarperCollins Inks Deal with Frienemy Amazon to Enter Backlist Titles in Kindle Unlimited!
I know! This is more proof that aliens exist, because some alien life form must have entered the executives at HarperCollins.
The New Publishing Standard reports that the details, of course, have not been disclosed, but then they go on to speculate on what all of this could mean. It's a solid read.
For my two cents, I'm wondering how this is going to impact indie authors relying on KU as their main source of income. If Amazon brings in backlist titles from HarperCollins, and eventually the rest of the big publishers, that's going to mean more competition for indies in a space where the big players have been mostly absent. Will there be fewer page reads to go around?
And if Amazon is paying out the publishers at a higher rate than the indies, what does that mean for the sustainability of Kindle Unlimited? Will the subscription price have to be raised? Will the payout rate for indies decrease? I suppose only time will tell!
Dead Cows are Rock-Solid Proof of Aliens Among Us
So...just to keep things on the weird side, I couldn't help but go down this bunny trail. You know how it happens. One minute you're researching serious stuff, and the next...
Very expensive bulls are being killed in Oregon and sucked dry of their blood! This certainly stinks for the ranchers, but it's gold for storytellers. Of course, DMB thought el chupacabra first. But it's getting cold, and we're talking about Oregon.
I'm familiar with the Grimm episode about the Wesen who need some ground up part from cattle to survive...or something like that. But, I'm putting my money on aliens.
Just last month the Navy admitted that the video footage out there with UFOs is real. Although, they ask that everyone start calling them UAPs instead of UFOs. This is a standard rebranding campaign to distance the subject from nutter-butters. But that's beside the point!
This story totally writes itself. Whoever decides to use this fiction dynamite has got to send it to me when they're done!
Well, you've survived another week! It's Friday. And you know what that means. It's time to reward yourself with a weekend of hot chocolate and...


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Reuters: Samsonite International S.A. said on Friday it would buy Tumi Holdings Inc for $26.75 per share in an all-cash transaction valuing Tumi at $1.8 billion, as the world’s biggest luggage group expands in the luxury market.
Hong Kong-listed Samsonite said it would finance the deal with bank loans and that the transaction was expected to close in the second half of the year subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals.
Investors applauded the deal, sending Samsonite shares up to as much as HK$25.2, their highest since October.
“It is a perfect match in many aspects such as retail channels and regional mix, category mix and even price points,” said Boyoung Kim, an analyst at BNP Paribas.
“It can bring huge synergies in the long term,” she added.
The deal price represents a 38 % premium to New Jersey-based Tumi’s volume weighted average price of $19.34 for the five days up to and including March 2, the statement said.
Tumi’s net sales increased 4 % year-on-year in 2015 to $548 million, of which North America accounted for 68 %. Its net income rose 8.6 % last year to $63 million.
Samsonite Chief Executive Officer Ramesh Tainwala said the company planned to expand Tumi’s presence in Asia and Europe, while strengthening its business in North America.
Morgan Stanley Asia Ltd acted as financial advisor to Samsonite, and Goldman Sachs & Co. acted as financial advisor to Tumi.
Apart from its flagship brand, Samsonite sells Lipault travel bags, high-end Hartmann suitcases, American Tourister luggage, and High Sierra and Gregory backpacks.
The company has been on an acquisition spree, buying last February Rolling Luggage, which operates stores in airports, and Italian travel luggage retailer Chic Accent in October.
Samsonite is also keen to expand its reach to offset slowing growth in China, which accounts for about 10 % its global sales. The company has previously said it expected its China sales growth to halve from the second half of the year.

domain: news


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As an Amazon Echo owner (I bought the first generation Echo when it came out a few years ago because I’m a sucker for new technology), I can confidently say that I absolutely love the thing.
My Echo is my alarm clock, Bluetooth speaker, reminder-er (?), meteorologist, list-maker and more, and it all sits comfortably on the corner of my desk. It’s kind of like my little robotic secretary.
However, most of my friends don’t share my same love for the Echo as they can’t get over the idea that it’s “always listening.” And to a certain extent, that’s true — the Amazon Echo is always technically listening — but that’s never necessarily bothered me because, well, I’m not saying anything that can’t be heard.
BUTTTTTTT being a college kid, on the other hand, is a completely different story.
College kids talk about selling Adderall and the type of drugs they tried at last weekend’s party. College kids talk about cheating on their exams and sharing homework answers in their group chat, so the last thing a student needs is a university-issued robot constantly listening into their conversations.
So, with all that said, if I’m an incoming Northeastern Student, I’m absolutely refusing the Echo Dot the school is offering me, especially considering that it will be “customized to handle basic questions about student life at the Boston-based school.”
The Echo Dots will come equipped with an Alexa skill, designed by tech startup n-Powered, that will allow them to ask questions, such as when their classes are scheduled, how much cash remains on their food cards, and how much they owe for tuition, according to USA Today. N-Powered plans to offer similar skills to other universities. The USA Today story didn’t specify whether the students would have to pay for the devices.
Northeastern, which piloted the new Alexa skill with about 60 students during the previous academic year, is hoping the Echo Dots will help reduce the flow of questions it routinely fields from students, which could mean less time for students waiting on hold for answers.
Last August, Arizona State University received 1,600 Echo Dots as a donation from Amazon to the school’s first-year engineering students. Those Dots also came with a customized Alexa skill built by Amazon. At the time, the company said it made the donation to help research the ways students use the voice-powered device.
Don’t get me wrong, Amazon Echos are fantastic, but not when they’re given to you by the school you attend, because after all … it’s always listening.


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Samsung's cheapest 5G smartphone in India launched at Rs. 20,000
Samsung has launched its latest A-series smartphone, the Galaxy A22 5G, in India. Starting at Rs. 19,999, the handset arrives as the company's cheapest 5G smartphone in the country. As for the key highlights, the device comes with a Full-HD+ display, triple rear cameras, a MediaTek Dimensity 700 processor, and a 5,000mAh battery. Here's our roundup.
The phone bears a 90Hz TFT display
The Samsung Galaxy A22 5G features a waterdrop notch with a prominent bottom bezel and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. On the rear, it has a square-shaped triple camera unit. The handset bears a 6.6-inch TFT screen with a Full-HD+ (1080x2400 pixels) resolution, a 20:9 aspect ratio, and a 90Hz refresh rate. It is offered in Mint, Gray, and Violet color options.
It sports a 48MP main camera
The Samsung Galaxy A22 5G is equipped with a triple rear camera setup comprising a 48MP (f/1.8) primary snapper, a 5MP (f/2.2) ultra-wide sensor, and a 2MP (f/2.4) depth lens. For selfies, it has an 8MP (f/2.0) front-facing camera.
It boots One UI Core 3.1 based on Android 11
The Samsung Galaxy A22 5G draws power from a MediaTek Dimensity 700 chipset, paired with up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of expandable storage. It runs on Android 11-based One UI Core 3.1 and packs a 5,000mAh battery with 15W fast-charging support. For connectivity, the device offers support for dual-band W-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, 5G, a headphone jack, and a Type-C port.
Samsung Galaxy A22 5G: Pricing and availability
In India, the Samsung Galaxy A22 5G is priced at Rs. 19,999 for the 6GB/128GB model and Rs. 21,999 for the 8GB/128GB variant. The phone will be available for purchase starting midnight (today) via Samsung's official website and other partner e-commerce sites. As for sale offers, buyers can avail Rs. 1,500 cashback with HDFC Bank cards.


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WASHINGTON, May 20 -- The U.S. Commerce Department on Tuesday set preliminary subsidy rates on imported calcium hypochlorite from China, signaling that it may impose punitive duties on the products.
The department made its preliminary affirmative determination that Chinese producers and exporters of calcium hypochlorite received countervailing subsidy rate of 71.72 percent.
Punitive duties would be imposed after both the Commerce Department and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) made affirmative final rulings, which are scheduled on Sept. 29 and Nov. 13, respectively. If the ITC makes a negative determination, the investigations will be terminated.
The U.S. Commerce Department launched the anti-dumping and countervailing duties probes over Chinese calcium hypochlorite products in January requested by Arch Chemicals based in the U.S. state of Georgia.
The company alleged that these products from China were sold below the fair value of the products in the U.S. market with dumping margins of 182.51 to 210.52 percent, while Chinese producers and exporters also received government subsidies.
Calcium hypochlorite is often used in the chlorination of water in residential and commercial swimming pools. Imports of these products from China were estimated at 8.1 million U.S. dollars last year, according to U.S. official data.
Beijing has repeatedly urged Washington to abide by its commitment against protectionism and work with China to maintain a free, open and just trade environment.


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Join 9,987 subscribers that get monthly fashion updates.
The news of Kim Kardashian working alongside Karl Lagerfeld for a special set of pics showing her baby bump came about a week ago; and now the team has released the first video of the collaboration.
The behind-the-scene video made by Karl Lagerfeld and Riccardo Tisci unveils Kim wearing a gray sweatshirt, putting on an oversized sweater dress and multi-colored overcoat or posing fearless in an opened black top and bra, exposing her belly.
“The day before Kim Kardashian eight months pregnant is allowed to fly back to L.A.” is written across the screen, as Karl photographs the new mummy.
The video ends with Kim joking around and laughing with Carine and Riccardo. The photo shoot took place in Paris in May. See more pictures below.


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It's been 10 years since cofounders Jerry Yang and David Filo, two doctoral students from Stanford, turned a hobby into a full-time job.
On March 2, Yahoo, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, garnered national press by offering registered users an online coupon for a free scoop of ice cream from Baskin-Robbins. According to the AP, Yahoo's creators separated themselves from the rest of the dot-com crowd with their desire to create a profitable business as quickly as possible - a contrarian concept in the days of economic delirium.
Most frequent messages
1. Yahoo has grown to more than 7,600 staffers with an audience of 345 million per month
1. Anniversary celebration invited users to download a scoop of free ice cream
1. Secret to Yahoo's success was creating a profitable business model early
1. Cofounders Yang and Filo became billionaires early but stuck around as Yahoo chiefs
1. "Work hard, play hard" culture remains intact
Based on 30 media articles from Feb. 25-March 3
Evaluation and analysis by Cymfony


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סין אסרה על עסקאות קריפטו בבנקים הגדולים ביותר
Bitcoin got noticeably worse over the weekend when the price of the main cryptocurrency on the market fell below $33,000. One of the reasons for this could be the latest news from a large Chinese bank.
One of the financial giants of the Middle Kingdom, the Agricultural Bank of China (ABC), announced a ban on financial transactions related to digital currencies. Information about this began to appear in local, and then in international social networks. The bank itself soon deleted its official statement, but, apparently, a short period of time was enough to sow FUD on the crypto market.
The bank announced that it does not conduct any commercial activity with cryptocurrencies and intends to further strengthen the monitoring of customer transactions. In case of detection of prohibited types of transactions, representatives promise to suspend all activity on the account and terminate the contract with clients immediately. In addition, once again, citizens of the country were asked to report transactions related to cryptocurrencies, if any.
It looks like the bank's austerity will apply to both individuals and legal entities. The ABC News stated that bank accounts, products, and services should not be linked in any way with digital currency financing.
A little later, additional information appeared from the Chinese publication that the leadership of the People's Bank of China appealed to the five largest banks in the country, urging them to restrict all transactions related to cryptocurrencies. The list also mentioned the popular Alipay payment system.
Departments of the People's Bank of China noted that cryptocurrency trading disrupts financial and economic “order”, creating risks of illegal transactions and cross-border remittances in the equivalent of a new asset class. Thus, the main reason for the ban was the safety of citizens and their savings.
Perhaps, over time, severe restrictions will be lifted, but so far it does not seem that China intends to soften its policy towards digital currencies in all its manifestations.


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A to Z of the Sunday newspapers
HERE is This is Money's round-up of some of the bigger stories in the newspapers this weekend.
Independent on Sunday
Attempted online fraud has almost doubled since chip and PIN technology, intended to make credit card transactions safer, was introduced.
Sir Callum McCarthy, the chairman of the Financial Services Authority, will unveil a fundamental shake-up of the regulator's much-criticised enforcement procedures on Tuesday.
The price of surfing the web may have rise to cover the costs of new anti-terrorism laws, internet providers have warned.
Tom Glocer, the chief executive of Reuters, is to unveil a new cost-cutting programme as part of a major strategy presentation which analysts believe will save the electronic and media group up to £120m every year.
Troubled DIY chain B&Q, the subject of bid rumours, is looking at scores of job cuts across its 28,000 workforce.
Cable company Telewest is in talks with Setanta, the Irish pay-TV group, about forming an alliance to bid for the television rights to the football Premier League.
The British housing market will record zero growth this year, according to data out this week. That would make it the worst performance since 1995 and reignite fears of a prolonged slowdown.
The British government has failed to investigate serious corruption allegations suggesting that hundreds of millions of pounds from a BP-sponsored pipeline project could directly benefit Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
The Government is set to rule out the privatisation of Royal Mail when it announces the terms of reference for a review of the postal business.
UK households take on more uncertainty about the levels of their mortgage payments than borrowers in almost any other country in the world.
Shareholders in Wembley are set for a bigger than expected payout after the company, which once owned the famous football stadium, finally gained legislative approval to sell its remaining US assets.
Richard Fletcher and William Lewis Marks & Spencer's second-highest ranked executive has been secretly negotiating to join Britain's biggest cash-and-carry firm.
Louise Armitstead and William Lewis Roman Abramovich was last week served with a court order instigated by Sibir Energy, a rival based in the UK
P&O, the ports and ferries operator, is drawing up plans to auction its refrigerated warehousing division for about £200m as part of its restructuring.
Elena Ambrosiadou, founder of Ikos Partners, has built one of the most successful hedge funds in the world — and become Britain’s best-paid businesswoman.
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Last week, we had a "belt tightening" meeting at work. Travel restrictions, a hiring freeze, warnings of lower pay raises and profit sharing pay-outs, training cuts, and possible elimination of employee recognition events were all mentioned. And we were all encouraged to watch ever expense. A tough message to hear no doubt, but much better than the alternative which at this point in time would mean layoffs.
All of these measures are a prudent response to the current economic conditions. And the economic impact from our company taking these steps is not significant. But when you consider that thousands of other businesses across the country--world in fact--are doing the exact same thing you can see that the consequences for airlines, hotels, restaurants, service providers, etc. can be quite drastic indeed. And for the broader economy the fact that companies are no longer hiring is having a huge impact.
Because with some firms laying workers off and most others not adding to their payrolls, the individual consumer is pulling back as well. Paying off credit card debt, saving more from each paycheck, putting off planned purchases, and learning to live without some of life's little luxuries are some examples of this. Again, these are prudent responses given the current conditions. But like the business belt tightening, these cutbacks by millions of consumers have a cascading impact on the economy.
It's difficult to see how any government stimulus--even with tax cuts--is going to break either of these downward cycles, especially consumer spending. No company or individual is going to start spending and investing again until there is some restoration of confidence. Counting on government spending to be the springboard to bring that back seems like a pretty slim hope.
UPDATE-- Philip Levy is skeptical of the economic impact of stimulus spending:
Our government announced one plan and implemented the other. When it added this uncertainty to the unpredictability of the broader economic environment, it was hardly a recipe for encouraging private activity. An $800 billion tax-and-spending package would likely rework incentives in many parts of the economy.
In other words, there is very little science behind arguments that an additional $800 billion stimulus should do the trick.
A pragmatist might contend that this is no time to quibble about economic theories. We need measures that get proven results. If so, the record of discretionary fiscal spending -- the stimulus spending beyond the deficits we naturally get in a falling economy -- is pretty weak.
Despite all the recent cries of "Shovels at the ready!" it is very difficult to agree on and disburse emergency spending quickly and effectively. Fiscal stimulus is among the weakest tools available to counteract a contraction. Japan's failed attempt to spend itself out of recession in the 1990s and the U.S.'s futile stimulus of last year underscore the point.
Atomizer Sez: There's no belt tightening going on here at the southeast field office of Fraters Libertas. In the past two weeks we've purchased a new car, a new washer and dryer and have booked a trip to Florida see a few Twins spring training games. Consume like hell... that's our motto.
The Elder Applauds: Atomizer, I don't use the word "hero" very often, but you are the greatest hero in American history. Keep on a consumin' baby. And maybe try to throw a post together every month or so.


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Hershey sues Colorado edible pot company - 0 Comments
DENVER — The Hershey Co. has sued a Colorado marijuana edibles maker, claiming it makes four pot-infused candies that too closely resemble iconic products of the chocolate maker.
The trademark infringement lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Denver this week against TinctureBelle LLC and TinctureBelle Marijuanka LLC.
It alleges TinctureBelle's Ganja Joy, Hasheath, Hashees and Dabby Patty mimic Hershey's Almond Joy, Heath, Reese's peanut butter cups and York peppermint patty candies, respectively.
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At the launch of the second edition of Amazon Exports Digest, Amazon today announced that its Global Selling program has now achieved the significant milestone of crossing $1 billion in e-commerce exports sales from India in just three years since its launch in the country!
Launched with just a few hundred sellers in May 2015, more than 50,000 Indian exporters are now part of the Amazon Global Selling program, selling over 140M ‘Made in India’ products to Amazon customers across the globe through its marketplaces worldwide such as Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, etc.
“Six years ago, we started operating in India with a vision to enable every motivated Indian seller to reach customers across India and every country in the world. Amazon launched the Global Selling program in India four years ago, aligning with this vision. The program has scaled up extensively since then and has reached a cumulative $1 billion annualized from India. This program is helping government’s vision on exports, encouraging ‘Made in India’ products go global and enabling over 50,000 Indian MSMEs to reach the doorstep of 300MM+ global customers without leaving their homes. Over the next five years ‘India to Global’ has the potential to become huge and Amazon is confident that the Global Selling program will hit the $5 billion mark by 2023 fueling the growth of lakhs of Indian manufacturers, exporters and small enterprises.” said Amit Agarwal, Senior Vice President and Country Head, Amazon India.
He added, “The multiplier impact of this growth on the Indian economy will be significant with new infrastructure built-up, employment generation especially as the successful micro, small and medium- sized enterprises will in-turn reinvest in their local communities – creating jobs and supporting local economy- and thus boosting the entire ecosystem around them.”
Amazon today released the second edition of its annual Export Digest, revealing a growth of 56% in the number of global sellers from India in 2018. Amazon’s international marketplaces also saw a rise of 55% in the selection of Indian products offered globally and 71% growth in sellers who are part of Fulfilled by Amazon program this year vis-a-vis last year. Amazon Exports Digest in its second edition, reveals interesting insights and reflects significant increase in demand for Indian products across global marketplaces, growth of Indian exporters selling globally, and most popular and emerging product categories offered by Indian exporters abroad.
This year’s report also includes performance numbers about growth of Indian sellers exporting to Australia, a new marketplace for Indian sellers which was added as part of Global Selling Program in 2018. Within a short span of time, more than 500 Indian exporters are now offering over 12M products to customers across Australia. The report also highlights the growth of the Global Selling B2B program which allows Indian exporters to serve business customers across the globe. The Global Selling B2B program in just one year has over 6000 Indian B2B sellers.
The Annual Exports Digest showcases top Indian states & cities with international exporters and most popular product categories abroad. Delhi, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana emerged as the leading states with most international exporters on Amazon in 2018. Home, Books, Apparel, Jewelry, Kitchen and Health & Personal Care witnessed a huge demand from international customers across ethnicities.
2018 has been a breakthrough year for the Amazon Global Selling program in India which accelerated with partnerships with various trade bodies such as FICCI, CII, FISME and with export associations from Tiruppur, Karur, Agra, Surat, Guwahati and other towns and cities to empower micro, small & medium enterprises. Connecting Indian sellers to customers worldwide, Amazon has a dedicated team as part of the Global Selling program which currently enables thousands of exporters of all sizes and scale to sell across eleven Amazon marketplaces worldwide.
Gopal Pillai, Vice President, Seller Services, Amazon India said, “Amazon Global Selling program is a unique initiative that enables MSMEs to reach over 300MM global customers, empowering them with tools and technology and leveraging Amazon infrastructure in destination countries. It’s interesting how the program has scaled in the country, with more than 80% of these exporters coming from non-metro and tier 2 and below cities. Amazon wants to expand and grow the program further to bring more and more small businesses to unleash the potential of ‘Make in India’ initiative by enabling e-commerce exports and leveraging global customer access.
Amazon Exports Digest 2019 highlights-
Amazon witnessed a growth of 56% in the number of e-commerce exporters from India in 2018
Amazon’s international marketplace saw a phenomenal increase of 55% in selection of Indian products offered globally
71% growth in Indian exporters using Global Fulfilment by Amazon (Amazon’s own fulfillment channels)
Delhi, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh emerged as the top 5 states with most e-commerce exporters
New Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai, Indore and Surat topped the charts with most e-commerce exporters along with emerging cities such as Cuttack, Darjeeling, Kankroli, Peermade, Rampura Phul with exporters selling globally
Emerging product categories- Art and Crafts, Musical Instruments, Baby Products, Video DVD, Pet Products
Major sale events – Prime Day saw an increase of 69% in number of sellers, Cyber Monday saw an increase of 30% in seller base and Black Friday also witnessed an increase of 30% in seller numbers
Region-wise top emerging categories exported:
• North India – watches, camera, pet products, outdoors, home entertainment
• South India – board games, shoes, home entertainment, sports gear, camera bags
• East India – watches, furniture, personal care appliances, tools, electronics
• West India – Arts & Crafts, Music, Luggage, Videos & DVDs, Personal Care Appliances
Top 5 cities in the US from where Indian sellers are receiving maximum global orders from and the top Indian products bought in the US:
• Top 5 cities – New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Brooklyn, Houston
• Top Indian products – Home, Health & Personal Care, Books, Beauty, Apparel
Top 5 cities in Europe from where Indian sellers are receiving maximum global orders from and the top Indian products bought in Europe:
• Top 5 cities –London, Manchester, Berlin, Madrid, Rome
• Top Indian products – Home, Health & Personal Care, Books, Office Products, Wireless
Top 5 cities in Asia Pacific from where Indian sellers are receiving maximum global orders from and the top Indian products bought in Japan:
• Top 5 cities – Tokyo, Beijing, Osaka, Busan, Seoul
• Top Indian products – Sports, Toys, PC, Musical Instruments, Health & Personal Care
Top 5 cities in Australia from where Indian sellers are receiving maximum global orders from and the top Indian products bought in Australia:
• Top 5 cities – Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Portland
• Top Indian products – Books, Home, Beauty, Apparel, Health & Personal Care
Amazon unveiled its Global Selling program in India in May 2015 in an attempt to provide transformative opportunities for Indian sellers and help them grow & scale through e-commerce exports. Currently, over 50,000 Indian manufacturers, traders and brands are using this platform to sell their offerings across eleven Amazon marketplaces worldwide. Through the program, Amazon provides the most comprehensive suite of services to sellers of all sizes and scale to enable them to sell across the globe. These services have been created to meet their specific requirements at every stage of their business lifecycle.
To smoothen the selling experience for MSMEs, Amazon offers fulfilment services under the program that allows sellers to focus on their product and pricing, offers imaging and cataloging support to sellers by getting their photo shoots done as per Amazon standards at nominal costs, provides access to third parties that can provide tax guidance services and other export related modalities by connecting them to concerned advisory agencies.
Furthermore, through its various spike sale events across the world, Amazon provides a lucrative platform for Indian sellers to engage with global audiences. Whether it’s Prime Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday, Amazon enables thousands of sellers to delight global customers with wide selection, greater value and a reliable and trustworthy shopping experience.
To enable sellers to familiarize themselves with the tastes & preferences of the destination country and to launch relevant selection, Amazon’s global teams also help sellers understand the demand patterns in various countries. The team also gives guidance on how sellers can improve discoverability of their products on each marketplace. Some of this includes guidance on the type of deals they can run, the kind of advertisements they can run on these platforms and how they can use social media channels to drive awareness about their listings on the various marketplaces.


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Malaysia’s leading employment platform, JobStreet has introduced the SME Incentive Helpdesk in an effort to help businesses recover from the devastation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
This initiative, among others, is aimed at providing clarity to businesses which may be confused about various business financial aids and grants that they could apply for.
JobStreet Managing Director, Vic Sithasanan said that, despite most restrictions under the Movement Control Order (MCO) having been lifted, the reality today is that numerous businesses continue to face challenging times.
“We have made it our mission to help rebuild the economy and to do whatever we can to help businesses recover within today’s ‘never normal’ environment,” said Vic.
“As SMEs form the cornerstone of the Malaysian economy, it is imperative for this community to be firing on all cylinders again.”
According to the SME Association of Malaysia, SMEs represent 97.2 per cent of overall business establishments throughout the country.
Its National Secretary General, Chin Chee Seong said that the MCO has brought the SME community to its knees due to pandemic-induced restrictions and hindrances.
“Now that Malaysia is on the road to economic recovery, it is an opportune time to also nurture back to health SMEs that had been badly bruised by the pandemic,” he said.
He welcomed JobStreet’s ‘SME Incentive Helpdesk’ initiative and is looking forward to other such industry intiatives to assist SMEs recover from the pandemic.


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A total of £17million worth of Tesco Clubcard vouchers need to be spent in the next two weeks or they will expire, shoppers have been warned. Tesco told customers not to miss out at the end of April for vouchers that expire at the end of May.
Coupons first issued in May 2020 must be used by the end of the month. Otherwise, they cannot be redeemed, reports Birmingham Live.
Alessandra Bellini, Tesco chief customer officer, said in April: "We know it’s tough right now, which is why we want to show customers all the ways we can help them spend less, and leave them with more money in their pockets - to manage the rising cost of living, or to treat themselves and their loved ones."
Ken Murphy, chief executive at Tesco said: "Our priority is to be the most convenient retailer. That means serving customers wherever, whenever and however they want. No matter where our customers live, or how they shop."
Tesco Clubcard vouchers are issued every three months, in February, May, August and November. They are valid for two years. You can check if you have forgotten vouchers by logging into the Tesco Clubcard website with your account details.
It comes after it emerged Tesco plans to scrap its automatic statements and vouchers so that they will no longer arrive through the letterbox under a new shake-up to the loyalty scheme.


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Easing off the gas: Tesla trucks are here
Monday, November 20, 2017
Even if you'd only gotten into the logistics game yesterday, you'd be hard-pressed to miss the dire warnings about the state of truck driver shortages in the industry. It's a perfect storm of job popularity flagging with the younger set, an older generation of drivers aging out and wages falling while expectations are on the rise.
Without drivers, trucks can't run, and that means huge, ongoing disruptions in nearly every facet of the domestic supply chain. For all the hype about driverless cars, the technology is still slow going. The idea of autonomous trucks, however, holds far more sway in an economy driven — no pun intended — by a need for inexpensive goods delivered quickly and reliably.
Tesla, long a company in the spotlight for vehicular innovation, unveiled the much-hyped Tesla Semi truck Thursday in response to increasingly loud demands for a logistics vehicle that balances driver comfort, pollution control and potential growth into a fully automated model.
The center-mounted driver's seat relies heavily on cameras rather than mirrors — a unique strategy that bears real-world testing at the hands of seasoned drivers — as well as two monitors that display those feeds. The cab feels far more like a futuristic cockpit than anything resembling a current traditional truck cab, giving the driver plenty of room to move.
The one sticking point is the lack of sleeping quarters in the Tesla Semi, though word has it that future models will be adding this feature.
Externally, the lines of the truck follow the same sleek playbook as Tesla's passenger cars — futuristic, again, is the key adjective that springs to mind. This design looks appealing, of course, but where it really shines is aerodynamics. With a 500-mile range on a single charge, every inch of this electric semi truck is meant to glide effortlessly through wind and weather alike.
When it comes time to "fuel" up, options are still limited. If the new truck stop-like charging station in Kettleman City, Calfiornia, is any indication, look to see higher roofs to accommodate electric trucks in new charging stations popping up across the country.
While any innovation this big is arguable a gamble, it already looks to be paying off for Tesla founder Elon Musk. The most visible American name on the Tesla Semi preorder list is likely Walmart, who committed to ordering 15 electric semi trucks — five for use domestically and another 10 for use on Canadian shipping routes.
Volume-wise, however, Canadian grocery chain Loblaw's looks to have them beat, signing up for 25 of their own trucks in a hope to drive down logistics costs on the infamously slender margins of grocery products. Chicago-based grocery chain Meijer signed up for a more modest quartet of trucks, and transportation firm JB Hunt would only confirm that they'd ordered "multiple" semis to work into their own fleet.
While Musk's electric semi truck isn't yet driving itself, the existence of these models and the hefty preorders are definitively paving the way. Once these vehicles have some significant road time under their proverbial belts — they don't come out until 2019 — the push to partially or fully autonomous operation won't be an uphill battle.
While logistics professionals are sure to keep a close eye on the progression and market saturation of these intriguing new truck options, don't look for classic transportation to pull over just yet — they've still got quite a few miles left on their diesel-powered engines.
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- Waste Management & Environmental
- Battery issues: Understanding your RV’s electrical systems
- Back to the future with Ford bioplastics
- Can solar energy compete with fossil fuels?
- US vs. Europe: Comparing different approaches to renewable energy
- Defying the Porsche owner stereotype
- The environmental benefits of LED lighting
- Stemming the tide: Let’s save the manual transmission
- The best Porsche that was never built
- Dementia risk linked to severe gum disease
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- 7 sensational sites for wildflower watching
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Time Warner and China’s leading investment fund focusing on media and entertainment, China Media Capital (CMC), today announced formation of a strategic investment partnership meant to capitalize on China’s rapidly expanding media sector. The announcement came during the 2013 FORTUNE Global Forum, happening through June 8 in Chengdu, China.
As digital devices proliferate among China’s 1.3 billion citizens, the partnership with CMC offers Time Warner a unique window into one of the world’s largest and fastest growing media and entertainment markets.
“Increasing our global presence is one of Time Warner’s strategic priorities and China is one of the most attractive territories in which we operate, but it is complex,” said Time Warner Chairman and CEO Jeff Bewkes in the release announcing the partnership. “This alliance will give all our businesses a savvy and accomplished partner as we strive to bring our leading brands and storytelling to people everywhere, across a wide range of devices.”
The Chinese media and entertainment market is among the largest and fastest growing in the world. Box office revenue is projected to reach $4.4 billion in 2013, and with an estimated 45% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2009 and 2013. Animation revenues are projected to reach $7.1 billion in 2013, with a 27% CAGR over the same period, and online video revenues are projected to reach $2 billion in 2013 with a 64% CAGR between 2009 and 2013.
The partnership is just one more example of Time Warner’s dedication to finding opportunities for growth in expanding international markets.


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In order to further enhance the travelling experience of frequent flyers, Oman Air has launched the all new Sindbad mobile app. The latest mobile app will be available on both Android and IOS platforms. According to Oman Air, the new Sindbad app comes packed with numerous useful features that will enable Oman Air’s customers to enjoy an unmatched travel experience.
Features like checking miles balance and claiming the missing ones are one of the highlights of the Sindbad app. Apart from this, travelers can also use the app to request any redemptions, track their Tier progress, view their family accounts and check future booking details on Oman Air from anyplace, at time via their smartphones.
Talking about the new app, the GM Marketing for Oman Air, Mohammed Al-Shikely said that the new app is the latest addition to the digital developments of the airline, which will offer more convenience to their customers. He said the services are available in both English and Arabic in addition to a Manage Booking feature.
The app also enables members to display and store their Sindbad membership cards, so they can avail several benefits and privileges at the airport. Non-members can use the Sindbad app to become a registered member and earn their miles straight away.
Travelers are expected to receive an improved customer experience with the launch of the new Sindbad app.
Dubai, U.A.E. - Careem, the leading application based car booking service has become the first in the Middle East region to make use of Twitter Customer Feedback Tool to improve the experience offered to customers. With Twitter Customer Feedback, people...Read More
For the first time in Dubai, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) one of the leading banks in UAE has partnered with NCR Corporation, a leading company in omni-channel solutions to provide voice-activation technology on its ATM machines across UAE. This...Read More
The Department of Economic Development (DED) has launched a drive-through service at TAAJEEL Centre for business registrations and licensing in government departments to ensure better customer experience and timely service in UAE. The Drive-Through service is an initiative to ensure...Read More


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Recently The Gooligan malware attack targeting Android devices has infected more than a million Google accounts and growing by 13,000 new users a day. It affects devices running Android 4 (Jelly Bean, KitKat) and Android 5 (Lollipop), according to Check Point.
- How to Protect yourself from Phishing Scam
- Know your Google security and privacy tools to stay safe online
- Google safety tools that Every Google User Must Know
Gooligan spreads via apps from third-party app stores and malicious links in phishing attack messages. It downloads a rootkit to steal authentication tokens to breach data from Google Play, Gmail, Google Photos, Google Docs, G Suite, Google Drive and other programs. It also installs app that can steal your account information to post fake ratings and reviews to raise the profile of these apps.
How to Check Breached of you Google Account using Check Point
About Check Point
Check Point Software Technologies Ltd., the largest pure-play security vendor globally, provides industry-leading solutions, and protects customers from cyberattacks with an unmatched catch rate of malware and other types of attacks. Check Point offers a complete security architecture defending enterprises’ networks to mobile devices, in addition to the most comprehensive and intuitive security management. Check Point first pioneered the industry with FireWall-1 and its patented stateful inspection technology.
I hope you like my Article about How to find out if your Google account has been Breached If you like it, do me favour by sharing it with your friends. You can also leave a comment in comment section. You may consider Subscribing to Techfloyd by Email for latest technical tips. You can also follow Techfloyd on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.


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A lot of people on line date. And it’s not just because it’s simple. Online dating is additionally a good way to meet new people.
For instance, in america, one in five Us residents uses an online dating website or app to find a charming partner. In britain, they have about one out of eight. Nevertheless despite the numbers, a recent research by OpinionMatters shows that men and women usually are consistently matched.
Moreover, a current study by Kaspersky Research laboratory indicates that online dating is in your home slam dunk. According to the company, almost half of the respondents to its survey were not pleased with the service plan. It also located that the most popular sites are still limited in scope.
A lot of people use online dating to meet other folks with similar interests and life-style. As a result, they may be more likely to be considering relationships with other interesting and fun-loving people.
In fact , a report by Pew Research Center finds that more than two-thirds of American adults have used an online dating site or app at least once. The most popular sites are Meet. com and Tinder.
Although there’s no https://www.focusonthefamily.com/marriage/9-reasons-to-get-married/ proof a relationship started internet is better than one started off-line, a recent review by Michigan State University located that those that do end up in divorce happen to be about two times as likely seeing that those that perform.
Some other study by B2B Worldwide found that online dating can be equally effective seeing that meeting persons in actual life. However , it usually is mongolia women hard to tell the difference among someone who’s just out to have a few drinks and someone who’s looking for appreciate.


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New Orleans by John Biguenet ~
City Guide for Poets & Writers
More suitable for serious work is Fair Grinds Coffee House (3133 Ponce de Leon Street), just down the block from the city’s newest and tiniest bookshop, Maple Street Books at Bayou Saint John (3141 Ponce de Leon Street). A former bookie joint, Fair Grinds takes its name from the nearby Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, whose finish line can be seen with binoculars if one stands on a kitchen chair in its backyard. For two years after the levee collapse as the former owners fought with insurers to rebuild the business, regulars brought their Times-Picayunes and thermoses of coffee to gather each Sunday in front of the ruined shop. Community organizer and ACORN founder Wade Rathke purchased the coffeehouse last year. Reopened with free Wi-Fi, a library lamp on each table, and a large covered patio, it is a favorite hangout of writers and musicians.
By Crystal Qian, JCamp Live Reporter, and Lillie Martin, JCamp Live Photographer
By The Lens Nola
Coffee becomes a hot commodity after Isaac
POSTED: 03:58 PM Friday, August 31, 2012
BY: Jennifer Larino, Staff Writer
Wade Rathke, owner of Fair Grinds Coffeehouse, stood outside his business in a t-shirt, jeans and flip-flops on Thursday and patted the running 5,500-watt generator growling on the shop’s small side patio, normally home to a few quiet patrons perusing books and newspapers.
Rathke, who purchased the coffee shop in 2011, didn’t expect to be one of the few businesses up and running in the Bayou St. John neighborhood following Hurricane Isaac’s tear up from the Louisiana coast and through New Orleans as a Category 1 storm.
He made a last-minute trip to Lowe’s the Monday before Isaac made landfall and picked up the last two generators in the store, mostly to keep the ice in the shop’s ice machines from melting. The shop closed at 2 p.m. Tuesday and three of the five-person staff evacuated for the storm.
But when Rathke braved the drive from his Bywater home to the shop at 5:30 a.m. Wednesday to check on the generators and found the storm had yet to knock out power to his shop, he decided to throw a sign up on the front.
“We’d been a bit arrogant about it,” Rathke said on Thursday, laughing as he waved customers wandering in up to the dimly lit counter.
The power at Fair Grinds was out by the time Rathke returned again at 5:30 a.m. Thursday.
Still, he decided to open with limited offerings, mainly iced coffee and teas. His son, Chaco, helped work the counter with another employee.
“Coffee is a low-margin business,” Rathke said. “We’re not in this to make a ton of money. At this point reopening is something we’re doing for the community.”
About dozen customers, most bedraggled having gone more than 24 hours without power, wandered in, searching their pockets for cash and thanking Rathke and the staff for opening their doors.
Down the block, locals lined up outside of Canseco’s grocery store for bags of ice and other essentials.
Around noon, Rathke borrowed his mother’s one-gallon percolator to make hot coffee for customers, instead of running the expensive and power-sucking brewing machines.
Rathke, 64, a New Orleans native, noted the power outages, downed tree limbs and other damage left behind in Isaac’s wake are minor compared to previous storms that area has seen.
Still, he said getting a coffee shop back to business, keeping in mind health codes, customer experience and other factors, was a balancing act still new to him.
“Every time you think you’ve learned something you’ve got to learn it all over again,” Rathke said.


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Top state officials will meet with executives at Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn, Mich. Wednesday to discuss the future of the St. Paul Ford assembly plant.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty, St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and Minnesota's Commissioner of Employment and Economic Development Dan McElroy will present a variety of tax breaks that they hope will convince Ford executives to keep the plant open beyond next year.
McElroy said he's not confident Ford will reverse the decision to close the plant, but said it's important to make the state's case in person.
"They've told us that they think it's unlikely that they'll have a product for the Ford plant, but we don't give up easily," said McElroy. "There are great men and women who work there. It has a great history. We are going to make a concerted effort to sell them on the benefits of the Ford plant, but we're realistic on the challenges in front of us."
A spokeswoman at Ford said in June that the company's decision on the plant hasn't changed, but it appreciates the state's efforts to create a more favorable business climate.


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Last week we discussed a couple of reasons some farmers choose to sell their farm products locally at farmers markets, roadside stands, and pick-your-own sites. While selling locally is an important market for some farmers, others are venturing into new markets through international trade.
The following appears courtesy of NC State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Agriculture and agribusiness — food, fiber and forestry — make up an $84 billion a year industry in North Carolina, contributing one-sixth of the state’s income and employees, according to the latest figures from NC State University economist Mike Walden.
In calculating value-added incomes for 2014 (the latest year for which figures are available), Walden found that food, fiber and forestry industries contributed more than 17 percent of the state’s $482 billion gross state product.
These industries also accounted for 686,200 of the state’s 4 million employees, according to Dr. Walden, a William Neal Reynolds professor and North Carolina Cooperative Extension economist. That’s up 23,000 from the previous year.
Walden said that overall value-added income from the state’s agricultural and agribusiness sector grew by 10 percent from 2013, when it contributed $76 billion to the state’s economy.
Walden says that the rise in North Carolina agriculture and agribusiness coincides with overall national economic growth of 2.2 percent in 2014, with much of the increase coming from the processing sector.
“Both tobacco product and food processing had big gains in value-added, the value of production at the processing level, in 2014. This reflects the rebound in those sectors consistent with a general economic rebound,” he said. “There was also a more modest improvement in wood product processing.”
Last week, we talked about the benefits to consumers of buying farm products locally at farmers markets and roadside stands. Today, we’re going to discuss a couple of ways farmers can benefit from selling farm products locally.
Love fresh produce? With more than 250 farmers markets and roadside stands opening this spring, there are plenty of opportunities for you to purchase fresh groceries. Let’s take a look at five reasons you should support your local farmers market or roadside stand.
Nearly everyone who has traveled a North Carolina highway has been behind a log truck or seen trees being cut down. Maybe this drums up thoughts of a forest industry working to provide everyday items like paper towels and toilet paper, toothpaste, paints, furniture or 2x4s for your next home improvement project. On the other hand, maybe it brings to mind questions about how many trees are being cut down and how this affects the environment. Since yesterday was “Forestry Day in the Legislature”, we’ll take a look at five things that everyone should know about North Carolina’s forestry sector and hopefully debunk a few misconceptions along the way.


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Taylor, who is currently group president of global beauty, grooming and health care, has been with P&G since 1980, helping to build many of the core businesses, including baby, family, hair and home care.
He has worked closely with Lafley over the past two years as P&G disposed of billions of dollars-worth of its businesses to narrow its focus on fewer and faster-growing brands. The latest move came earlier this month as the group agreed to offload 43 brands, including Clairol, Wella, Max Factor and Hugo Boss and Dolce & Gabbana perfumes, from the beauty business to Coty for $12.5bn.
Lafley, who ran P&G as CEO from 2000 to 2009 before returning from retirement in 2013, will stay on as executive chairman, leading the board and providing advice to Taylor on “business strategies, portfolio choices, and organisation decisions”.
“We are leading P&G’s most comprehensive transformation in our history,” Lafley said. “We are a more focused and balanced company, committed to winning with consumers and creating value for shareholders. We have strengthened our brand and product innovation pipeline, while streamlining our cost structure.
“With our plans for portfolio realignment essentially complete, P&G is positioned to deliver improved results.”
Taylor added: “I believe in the power of P&G people, brands, products and values. P&G is transforming to be a faster-growing, more profitable company.”
P&G, which owns a host of household names, including Pampers, Fairy, Gillette, Lenor, Always and Head & Shoulders, is now organised into four industry-based sectors, with a portfolio of ten categories and 65 brands.


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|Hsin Chu, Taiwan, Oct. 8th, 2003- Vanguard International Semiconductor Corporation (VIS) announced today that the sales revenue for September 2003 was NT$ 966 million, with a significant increase of 70.93% to the same period of 2002. The cumulative revenue for January through September 2003 totaled 7.61 billion, on a year-over-year basis, also increased 18.81% to 2002.
Mr. Robert Hsieh, spokesman and vice president of Vanguard, addressed that due to the increase of customer demand and VIS's good performance both in Sales marketing and operation, the company achieved a revenue record high to the past 29 months. On a month-on-month basis, gained of a 12.2% increase over 861 million, reported in August. It is expected that company will still perform well because of the estimated grow-up of customer demand and wafer order.


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A petition was started calling for Big W to remove a Christmas themed slogan shirt saying "Nice Baubles" from sale.
The petition to Big W, calling on the store to remove shirts with sexual overtones was started by Rebecca Holloway of Qld. She wrote on the petition:
For BigW, a supposed family store to sexualise Christmas is just so offensive. There is so much over-sexualised material in marketing. What is this teaching our children, particularly our young girls? Women are sick of being objectified for our body parts.
When asked about the shirts for an article in the Daily Mail, Collective Shout spokesperson Coralie Allison had this to say:
'These Tshirts can often have a double meaning and young girls can be innocently wearing them without realising the sexual connotation,' said Ms Alison.
'I expect more from a family department store like Big W. There should be checks and balances in place to ensure products that could be harmful to young girls are not ordered and approved for sale on the retail floor,' she said.
"Street harassment and violence against women is such a big problem in our culture and this Tshirt draws unnecessary attention to women and girl's chests and can encourage passers by to comment.'
Big W's other Big Fails
Sleazy Christmas slogans for girls underwear
It appears Big W didn't respond to the petition about the 'nice baubles' shirt - despite receiving over 800 signatures - but it was forced to respond to a similar issue when customers took their complaints to talk back radio.
The issue - yet another range of sexualised, Christmas themed merchandise - this time underwear.
Continuing to sell misogynistic video game Grand Theft Auto 5
In what was a very successful campaign calling on major department stores to stop selling GTA V, Big W refused to act.
In response to a petition from survivors of violence and prostitution, Target and Kmart pulled the game from sale. Just weeks earlier, leading New Zealand retailer The Warehouse Group had removed the game from sale after being approached by NZ anti sexual exploitation group Stop Demand. The retailer was praised for not only pulling this game but for taking the proactive step of de-ranging all R 18+ games and DVDs.


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Mayor celebrates Small Business Saturday, kicks off '#5onMain' campaign
Mayor Martin J. Walsh this weekend celebrated Small Business Saturday and launched the "#5onMain" campaign, the City of Boston's seasonal initiative for small businesses in Boston, encouraging residents to shop local this holiday season. The City of Boston has over 40,000 small businesses, and 20 Boston Main Streets districts, which work to create, build, and sustain healthy commercial districts throughout the City of Boston.
"I am thrilled to collaborate with WCVB again to support the small, local businesses throughout Boston's Main Streets and neighborhoods. Boston's small businesses invest in our local economies, employ neighbors, and enhance our City, and I am proud to once again support this creative initiative," said Mayor Walsh. "I look forward to seeing residents and visitors explore our local business districts and enjoy the holiday season with family and friends."
Mayor Walsh visited Dorchester boutique "The Cue" to encourage residents to shop locally this holiday season, and joined a celebration held at the Roslindale Village Main Street holiday tree lighting in Adams Park to announce the launch of the "#5onMain" campaign, a partnership with WCVB Channel 5 designed through on-air promotional spots to inspire holiday shoppers to support Main Streets and other local commercial districts during the holiday season.
Mayor Walsh and WCVB collaborated to create the "#5onMain" campaign, which encourages holiday shoppers to support businesses through the City's 20 Boston Main Streets districts and neighborhood business districts during the holiday season at least five times throughout the season. Participants pledge support either by purchasing gifts, dining out, or participating in local holiday events in Boston Main Streets districts, which will help drive traffic to local businesses and boost local business economy. Holiday shoppers are encouraged to amplify the message via social media, using the hashtag "#5onMain."
Boston's 40,000 plus small businesses generate around $15 billion in annual revenue and approximately 170,000 jobs, representing roughly 44 percent of employment and 37 percent of revenues for the city's private, for-profit businesses. Released in March 2016, the City of Boston's first-ever Small Business Plan tasked the Mayor's Office of Economic Development, other city departments, and external partners to make Boston's small business economy thrive, enhance neighborhood vibrancy, and foster economic and social inclusion and equity.About the Mayor's Office of Economic Development
The Economic Development Cabinet's mission is to make Boston an appealing and accessible place for working families, entrepreneurs, businesses, and investors to innovate, grow, and thrive in a way that fosters inclusion, broadens opportunity, and shares prosperity, thereby enhancing the quality of life for all Bostonians and the experience for all visitors. Learn more on their website.About Boston Main Streets
Developed out of a partnership between the City of Boston and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Boston Main Streets initiative was created in 1995 as the first urban, multi-district Main Streets program in the nation, with the goal of establishing thriving commercial districts throughout the city. Boston Main Streets is a successful model for urban commercial district revitalization that strengthens local business districts through strong organizational development, community participation, resident and merchant education and sustainable development. Boston Main Streets continues to empower individuals in the small business sector to have a direct role in the economic health, physical appearance, and development of their own community.About WCVB Channel 5
WCVB is Boston's broadcast/digital media leader, providing news, weather, sports, community service and entertainment on multiple platforms including WCVB Channel 5, wcvb.com, WCVB mobile and MeTV Boston. Founded by community leaders in 1972, WCVB is committed to its mission to serve the region with quality local content. In addition to nearly 45 hours of NewsCenter 5 coverage each week, original offerings include Chronicle, the nation's longest running local news magazine; CityLine, a weekly urban magazine program; and On The Record, a weekly political roundtable. The station has been honored with numerous prestigious national broadcasting honors including the RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Awards for "Best Newscast" and National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation's "Service to the Community" award. Additional top honors include the National Headliner Awards, Gracie Awards, Gabriel Awards, the regional Emmy's, Associated Press Awards, Walter Cronkite Award, and duPont Awards. WCVB, Boston's ABC affiliate station, is owned by Hearst Television, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hearst, a leading media company whose global holdings include 30 television stations and two radio stations. Follow us on Facebook (wcvb5) and Twitter (@wcvb).


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Samsung has reported a record 5.05 trillion won (€3.3 billion) in net profit for the March quarter, on the strength of its burgeoning handset business.
The UK's Health Protection Agency says there is still no conclusive evidence using mobile phones causes cancer, or other health risks.
Two former Sun Microsystems CEOs have given conflicting opinions about whether Google was required to license Java APIs, during an Oracle's intellectual property lawsuit.
The US FTC has hired a high-profile outside litigator in connection with its antitrust probe into Google, signaling that it is willing to take the search giant to court.
Amazon's loss-leading strategy for its Kindle Fire tablet appears to be paying off by stimulating more sales of digital goods – the company roundly beat analysts' expectations with its quarterly results.
Samsung will include a quad-core processor with a clock speed as high as 1.4 GHz into the next iteration of its Galaxy smartphones.


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11th August 2015
Despite the grumbles energy firms inspire, a third of consumers cannot be bothered actually reading their bills claims a new study.
The analysis from comparison site uSwitch.com found that people only tend to look at the amount they need to pay as opposed to paying any attention to the detail included.
The group has warned that by avoiding checking information like energy usage, or if the bill is based on an actual or estimated reading, consumers run a greater risk of missing errors or getting into high amounts of credit or debt with suppliers.
The findings also revealed that, even though customers could save hundreds of pounds by switching to a different tariff, less than one in 10, at 8%, use the information on their bill to compare prices or switch supplier. Elsewhere in the new study, consumers consider washing up dishes, going food shopping and doing the laundry as more important than paying bills.
The survey coincides with the launch of uSwitch’s ‘Compare, Switch, Save’ iPhone app which includes new QR (Quick Response) code scanning functionality, which aims to help people to switch suppliers or shop around for better deals at home or on the go. Following new Government rules, all major energy suppliers are now required to display QR codes on bills to help consumers get an instant cross-market comparison. Each code contains information about the customer’s current tariff, energy consumption, postcode and other information needed to easily search the market for the best deals.
Those aged 55 and over read bills in most detail, studying them to understand their usage – with 47% doing so compared to the average of 38%. In contrast, 18-34 year olds pay the least attention to their bills, with just 30% studying them in any detail.
There is also a wide gap in understanding energy bills amongst age groups. Some 49% of 18-34 year olds are the most likely to call on help to understand their bills but are also the least likely, at 14%, to have the confidence to provide others with advice.
Ann Robinson, director of consumer policy at uSwitch.com, said: “The number of people turning a blind eye to their bills is extremely concerning. There is a huge and very real risk that people are missing errors or racking up significant debt. And bills don’t always deliver bad news – those leaving bills unopened could find their provider actually owes them money. In fact, we recently found that 12m homes could reclaim over £1bn of credit from energy suppliers.
“Bills should be easy to understand and not create feelings of dread. QR codes could be a real game changer by breaking down consumer apathy, especially among younger people who are time-poor but tech savvy. Our new app is designed to equip people with clear information on current deals available to them. People should feel empowered to take the cost of their energy bills into their own hands using their mobile and switch more regularly.”
Lord Bourne, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Wales; Energy and Climate Change, added: “We will continue to work closely with energy suppliers and comparison websites to ensure the services they provide meet the needs of British bill payers, so they can get the best price that works for them.”


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Fines of 449 million yuan ($71.9 million) for price monopoly levied against Kweichow Moutai Co and Wuliangye Group, China's top two liquor firms, prompted mixed responses but no apologies, according to Tuesday reports.
Moutai Group's office director Zou Xin told china.com.cn Tuesday that enterprises that have made mistakes should be allowed opportunities for correction.
A Wuliangye staff member was cited Tuesday by sina.com as saying that the company had rectified its price-limiting conduct, but had yet to receive the penalty notice from the NDRC.
Neither of the two firms responded to calls by the Global Times.
Moutai will be fined 247 million yuan and Wuliangye will be fined 202 million yuan by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).
A fax sent to the NDRC by the Global Times was unanswered by press time.
Both firms had set price floors for their distributors, and penalized some at the end of 2012 for selling products below the suggested retail prices, which aroused anti-monopoly investigations by the NDRC in January.
"Floor price policies are common practices used by luxury companies to maintain their brand images, but they are unreasonable both for distributors and for consumers, so the NDRC's move could help create free market competition," You Yunting, an economic lawyer at DeBund Law Offices, told the Global Times Tuesday.
According to Moutai's financial data, its revenue amounted to 35.2 billion yuan in 2012, with an expected net profit of 13.1 billion yuan. Wuliangye's data put its total revenue at 27 billion yuan in 2012, with net profit up to 9.8 billion yuan.
Following the news on Tuesday, Moutai's stock price closed down 0.97 percent to 177.94 yuan and the share price of Wuliangye closed down 1.55 percent to 24.81 yuan.
Moutai said on January 16 that it would halt such marketing policies and had revoked penalties for distributors, and Wuliangye said on January 17 it would also cancel such measures.
The fines are a new blow to high-end liquor firms, which have seen declines in both prices and sales following reports of excessive plasticizer (DEHP) in liquor, as well as the reduction of official banquets due to a nationwide campaign against extravagance in December, Yang Qingshan, an independent liquor analyst, told the Global Times Tuesday.
The current retail price of Moutai is about 1,300 yuan per bottle, compared with 2,300 yuan one year ago, he said, noting that prices of high-end liquor products will further decline because their sales rely heavily on official consumption.
As prices drop, high-end liquor firms, especially Moutai, will gradually change their major customer bases to business banquets and ordinary consumers, Yang said.
The anti-monopoly fines by the NDRC aim for orderly competition, and such fines will be a warning for all sectors, urging them to meet national laws and regulations, he noted.
Following the fines, luxury firms will relax their control on distributors and adjust their marketing strategies, You said.


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Cyprus Airways announced that during November, the airline operated 239 flights (406% annual increase) and carried 29,820 passengers (up 1260%), registering a load factor of 74%, a substantial jump of 24 p.p over last year.
“I am happy to note that Cyprus Airways continues with its positive trend and results even in Winter.
“These figures are remarkable, even when compared with those registered in November 2019, before the start of the pandemic.
“Last month, we carried 1260% more traffic and operated 406% more flights than in November 2019,” said Chief Financial Officer Natalya Milovanova.
In December, Cyprus Airways said it is seeing “strong demand” for seats.
To service this requirement, it made plans to increase seat capacity between 15 December and 15 January 2023 to Athens, Yerevan, and its newly launched route of Paris, to facilitate incoming tourists and Cypriots returning over the Christmas Period.
To continue boosting demand, targeting Christmas shopping enthusiasts, the airline has issued special offers on day trips to Athens and other offers on its recently launched routes of Paris and Rome.
“We continue our steadfast commitment to boost tourism demand and facilitate travel to and from the Island.
“As the sole Cypriot flag Carrier, we are working for the benefit of the economy and its tourism industry all year round,” added Milovanova.
The airline operates two Airbus A320s on an 18-scheduled destination network.
Winter destinations include Athens, Beirut, Tel Aviv, Yerevan, Paris and Rome.
Summer destinations include Basel, Zurich, Milan-Bergamo, Prague, Santorini, Skiathos, Rhodes, Heraklion, and Cairo.


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As a way to protect against everything from drive-offs at gas stations to hotel rooms from being damaged, some businesses have policies in place that may be harmful to their customers’ finances – putting an electronic hold charge on people’s credit and debit cards.
“In 2007 when gas prices hit an all-time high, holds were put in place by companies to protect themselves because people were driving off,” said Tim Alford, branch manager of Aberdeen’s Cadence Bank. “It’s not a bank issue. It’s done by the vendor.”
One Amory gas station owner, who wished to remain anonymous, said the practice is called a holding security deposit.
“I get a complaint about it every two or three days,” he said. “The duration of the hold is typically two to three days, especially if payment is made near the end of a billing cycle or around a long weekend. The charge is easy to identify because it’s always a round figure.”
With a credit card, customers’ credit lines are temporarily reduced by the hold amount. With a debit card, the available balance is reduced. When the purchase is totaled, the difference between the hold and the purchase is credited back to the consumer.
It’s easy for an account to be depleted or even go through an overdraft because of holds placed on debit cards.
According to a Capital One customer service representative, holds on credit and debit cards are common practice at some hotels, car rental services and retailers. Alford added some retailers have similar policies.
“Once the products are sent out, the holds are released,” Alford said.
In the case of gas stations, some locations may place a hold between $1 and $100 on credit and debit card accounts to confirm validity and that the funds to cover purchases are available.
“You may spend $10, but the hold is for $75. It’s all an electronic process, and there’s nothing a bank can do. It’s on hold,” Alford said.
Car rental services may have holds of as much as $200 that roll off after the car is returned. Holds at hotels could be as much as $250 after a reservation is made.
Alford said banks don’t determine how long a hold is; the card processors do.
In the hypothetical instance a hold carries over to a bill through a change in a billing cycle, customers are recommended to call their credit card companies immediately so the company can dispute the transaction and adjust the charge.
As a security measure for consumers, Alford recommends for people to use debit cards inside at gas stations, rather than when paying at the pump. He also recommends for people to use PayPal accounts for online purchases enabling people to pay either by credit or debit cards through one secure location. Another tip is for people to have a usage alert on their debit cards.


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McDonald’s is testing the waters with Krispy Kreme doughnuts: It’s about to start selling them at nine locations in and around Louisville, Ky. Other chains are being bolder, with national permanent rollouts of menu items: KFC has a new Buffalo ranch sauce, Pizza Hut has new melts that are rather like Papa John’s Papadias, introduced in 2020, Qdoba is offering Quesabirria, Twin Peaks has a new flatbread line, and Noodles & Company has introduced a plant-based version of chicken.
Papa John’s, for its part, is bringing back it’s Shaq-a-roni, which is a really just a pepperoni pizza sliced a little differently, but some of the proceeds do go to charity.
Boston Market and Cava are introducing new sauces for their chicken, Firehouse Subs has a new prime rib sandwich, Fazoli’s is testing new subs, and Pret à Manger has a new limited-time sub, but only for customers who order ahead using the chain’s app.
Sweetgreen has turkey meatballs and miso salmon, Eegee’s has chicken tenders, Cowboy Chicken has turkey specials, and Charleys Philly Steaks has apple items.
Tous Les Jours has Halloween treats, MOD Pizza has a pumpkin spice cake, Lemonade has a bunch of new seasonal items and Velvet Taco’s Weekly Taco Feature is inspired by Jambalaya
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected]


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Wayne Bivens-Tatum of the Library Journal gets specific in his post “What I Want from Library eBooks.”
Publishers Weekly reports Kobo has added Marvel digital graphic novel titles to its catalog.
Digital Book World says the American Library Association is pleased to see Adobe taking steps to clean up its act regarding the transmission of reader data from its Digital Editions eBook reading software.
Re/code test drives the OverDrive eBook library lending service.
GoodeReader posted reasons why eBooks are better than Print books.
According to the Columbus Dispatch the eBook Revolution is ready to take off in libraries, but some publishers are holding it back by limiting access to their titles.
Digital Book World outlines how and why its time to publish eBooks for browser-based reading.
A Comic Book Movie post announces the launch of the Thrillbent app for iPad owners and fans to read Thrillbent and Comixology comics in the PDF, CBZ or CBR formats.
The Guardian comments on some of the challenges facing eBook subscription services.
GoodeReader reports that the Polish eBook industry is showing significant growth .


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As individual states have passed legalization measures, citizens and activists, as well as lawmakers, have struggled to adjust those laws to reflect the reality of people’s needs. Even states that have legalized cannabis for adult recreational use, hiccups in the rollout of their laws have caused a broad range of issues.
Sometimes, a failure to understand the contents of the law leaves individuals vulnerable to criminal consequences. Other times, the law simply doesn’t adequately address certain scenarios. As a result, addendums, modifications, and amendments to cannabis laws are common. Even the most libertarian of states is not exempt from this process.
Alaska is currently moving forward with a potential change to their legalization law that could impact what people experience at retail cannabis dispensaries. On Thursday, December 20th, 2018, Alaska’s Marijuana Control Board voted to approve new regulations for dispensaries. These regulations will theoretically allow retail cannabis stores the right to let people use cannabis on the premises. The potential regulations passed in a 3-2 vote, and they still need to be reviewed by the Department of Law and signed by the lieutenant governor before the change could take effect.
Freestanding cannabis retail shops will have the right to seek endorsements for on-site consumption. They can then sell products to consumers, who will have the ability to use them on sight. People have compared this kind of establishment to bars and restaurants that sell alcohol. They would likely become social hangouts for individuals who enjoy cannabis.
The law will not allow the use of cannabis concentrates while at a shop. It is also important to realize that the consumption area must be separate from the rest of the store. Unlike alcohol licenses, which sometimes allow individuals to bring outside alcohol into a facility if they cannot serve it there, dispensaries will not have the legal right to allow people to consume cannabis purchased elsewhere on their premises.
After 4 years of arguments on this topic, it is very exciting to see that Alaska is finally making some progress. Hopefully, within the next few weeks, these new regulations will move through the legal process of becoming official. Until then, Alaskans will have to be content to take their retail, recreational cannabis back to their homes for consumption.
For previous articles about legalization, click here.
Photo Credit: Frank K via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY 2.0


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May bankruptcy filings drop 4 percent
The American Bankruptcy Institute reported May filings dropped both on a sequential and year-over-year comparison.
According to data provided by Epiq Systems, total U.S. bankruptcy filings came in at 67,307 in May, representing a 4-percent decrease from the same month last year when 69,732 cases were filed.
Officials indicated the 63,982 consumer bankruptcy filings in May also decreased 3 percent from the May 2017 consumer total of 66,057.
Total commercial filings fell 10 percent in May, as the 3,325 filings dropped from the 3,675 commercial filings registered in May of last year.
Total commercial Chapter 11 filings showed the sharpest decline, dropping 23 percent to 447 in May from the May 2017 total of 579.
While the figures show declines, ABI executive director Samuel Gerdano said, “Increased borrowing costs added to mounting debts have intensified the financial strain on struggling families and businesses
“Two ABI initiatives are aiming to modernize the Bankruptcy Code to provide remedies for struggling households and businesses seeking a financial fresh start,” Gerdano continued.
Gerdano noted that Congress is considering the recommendations of ABI's Commission to Study the Reform of Chapter 11 for restructuring small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
ABI’s Commission on Consumer Bankruptcy, which recently submitted comments to a Department of Education regulatory evaluation of student loans in bankruptcy, will release its recommendations next year.
Turning back to the latest data, ABI pointed out that total bankruptcy filings for May decreased 4 percent when compared to the 69,760 total filings recorded during the previous month.
Total noncommercial filings for May also represented a 4-percent drop from the April noncommercial filing total of 66,510.
Conversely, officials noticed May’s commercial filing total represented a 2-percent increase from the April commercial filing total of 3,250.
Commercial Chapter 11 filings registered an increase of 14 cases over the 394 filings in April.
ABI calculated the average nationwide per capita bankruptcy filing rate in May was 2.51 (total filings per 1,000 per population), a slight increase from the 2.47 filing rate during the first four months of the year.
Average total filings per day in May were 3,059, a 4-percent decrease from the 3,170 total daily filings in May.
States with the highest per capita filing rates (total filings per 1,000 population) in May included:
1. Alabama (5.67)
2. Tennessee (5.48)
3. Georgia (4.49)
4. Mississippi (4.36)
5. Illinois (3.87)
ABI has partnered with Epiq Systems, a leading provider of managed technology for the global legal profession, in order to provide the most current bankruptcy filing data for analysts, researchers and members of the news media.


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Chasing Runtz in Beantown? Look no further. Ayr Wellness, a leading vertically integrated multi-state cannabis operator, has announced its new partnership with floral brand Lost in
Researchers at the University of Jerusalem have managed to manipulate the number of cannabinoids in a cannabis plant. According to The Jerusalem Post, research increased the plant&
The Grow-Off is a super dope competition, and I recently jumped on Zoom to speak to some of the winners about what strains they are working on, excited about, and favorite smokers.


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As many of you have heard by now probably, Steve Jobs has resigned as CEO of Apple Inc. Here is his resignation letter:
To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community:
I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.
I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.
As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.
I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.
I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.
(Courtesy of Mashable)
Across the internet, emotions are mix as people reflect on the man and on Apple as a company. Comments located on various news sites and blogs range from, “Good luck Mr. Jobs” and “God Bless Steve Jobs” to “Steve Jobs resigned? YES!”
I was, and yet wasn’t, shocked by the news of his resignation. I knew this day would come. Steve had been fighting various health issues including liver cancer and complications from surgeries. Bloomberg reported not too long ago that he had been house-ridden for the last several weeks, but was able to work and attend today’s board meeting (yesterday as of this posting).
Apple’s stock dropped 5-6 percent in after hours trading last night, but recovered and was only down by tenths of a percent after the news hit investors in the morning. Investors have been told by analysts, and I agree with them, that there is no need to panic. Apple can and will still function just fine with Tim Cook, former COO now CEO. Plus, Steve Jobs isn’t saying goodbye to Apple. He is merely taking a new role as chairman of the board of directors. Also, just a FYI, he is not leaving his post at Disney either.
Many of us in the blogging / news industry knew that Steve’s health has been deteriorating since he had his liver transplant. It was only a matter of time when we would hear that Steve resigned, but again, I don’t think there’s no need to panic. Tim Cook shares the same Apple values as Steve. Time does not want Apple to change. Tim just sent an email to Apple executives & staff.
I am looking forward to the amazing opportunity of serving as CEO of the most innovative company in the world. Joining Apple was the best decision I’ve ever made and it’s been the privilege of a lifetime to work for Apple and Steve for over 13 years. I share Steve’s optimism for Apple’s bright future.
Steve has been an incredible leader and mentor to me, as well as to the entire executive team and our amazing employees. We are really looking forward to Steve’s ongoing guidance and inspiration as our Chairman.
I want you to be confident that Apple is not going to change. I cherish and celebrate Apple’s unique principles and values. Steve built a company and culture that is unlike any other in the world and we are going to stay true to that-it is in our DNA. We are going to continue to make the best products in the world that delight our customers and make our employees incredibly proud of what they do.
I love Apple and I am looking forward to diving into my new role. All of the incredible support from the Board, the executive team and many of you has been inspiring. I am confident our best years lie ahead of us and that together we will continue to make Apple the magical place that it is.
(Courtesy of TUAW)
Personally, I’m glad to hear that Apple won’t be changing. I think Apple, as it stands, is a great company. They will continue to be innovative in the technological industry, continue surprising its customers and fans all over the world, and keep making awesome products with awesome customer support backing said products. It also helps that Apple employees not just know that they’re selling good products, but believe they are selling good products. Most Apple employees were very happy with the Steve Jobs era. iDownloadBlog recently posted an article saying that out of 1,000 employees, only 3 percent say that Steve Jobs could have done a better job. I can understand why! As a former Apple employee myself, I definitely saw Steve’s hand at work inside the retail store I was employed at. Even the employees down at the bottom of the totem pole felt apart of the Apple Culture.
I know many employees and Apple fans are sad that Steve is no longer CEO. I am saddened by the news as well, but I also know that Apple will continue to continue what they do best…make the most innovative products the world has ever seen. As steve said in his resignation letter, “I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it.” And I think he’s right. Since Steve is staying on the board, I know he’ll keep informed on the latest and greatest Apple gadgets. I’m sure we’ll continue to see Steve’s hand in all future products until he completely resigns from Apple.
Steve saved Apple back in 1997. Apple was on the brink of bankruptcy when Steve took over the dying business. But Steve surrounded himself with the brightest people in the tech industry and turned the company around to become the largest company in the world in terms of market capitalization. Not bad for a company that started in a garage in Silicon Valley in the 1970’s. I’m glad that Apple is doing well currently, but I do hope they continue to flourish and thrive as an industry. There’s a lot of talent at Apple and I know we’ll see good things from them in the future.
Steve showed the world that it doesn’t matter if your product sounds crazy and it won’t do well. If you believe in your product, it will succeed. He taught people that the American dream is very real. He and his friend, Steve Wozniak, showed us that you can make a strong company out of very little. And, later on, you can turn the same company over from bankruptcy to profitable.
Thank you Steve for all that you’ve done with Apple. I’m honored I had the privilege to work for you in the past and I will continue to do business with you in the future. I hope your health improves so you can enjoy the rest of your life.
Here’s a link for Steve Jobs Biography, which will be available for order in November.
Here are some of Steve’s memorable moments on video:
Stanford Commencement Address:
Steve Introduces Original iPhone:
Steve Jobs introduces the Macintosh!


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Google Search gains location awareness, answers contextual questions
Android’s voice search features are already pretty powerful, and with word of Google Now on Tap arriving at I/O the other week, it sounds like the voice-driven Android experience is only getting better. But while we’re still waiting for Now on Tap to be ready for public release, Google’s got another big upgrade it’s deploying right now, as it brings location awareness to Google Search.
With location services enabled on your phone, Google can now answer questions with contextual awareness of where your are at the moment. That means that if you’re in a mall and wonder how much longer you have left to shop, you can just ask your phone, “What time does this place close?” Search will use your location data to understand what “this place” means and deliver the appropriate response.
It’s not just business that are supported, and Google Search should be able to answer questions about monuments, local attractions, and public services.
Maybe the best news is that it’s already live – at least in the US. While there still seem to be some limitations as to the sort of answers it’s able to provide, location awareness is still a major step forward for Google’s voice search efforts, and we’re sure we’ll only be seeing more along these lines as we get Now on Tap with Android M.
Location Aware Search is live unannounced feature in Google Search App. Ask about things nearby without naming them pic.twitter.com/ML7APC6Msc
— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) June 9, 2015


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Branding The Essence of New ZealandThursday, Mar 8, 2001
Richmond Meats has made a strong claim in the past few weeks that they are food producers - not meat
This is a significant shift in attitude by a major player in an industry that has been reluctant to
change from old practices. The old practice of not owning the product in the market.
The most significant component of such a shift in attitude is how producers will become part of that
shift in attitude and how they will be profitably included in the new 'food' industry. .
The news item below illustrates the complexity of the task that the marketers of the old meat companies,
now re-born food companies will have, when determining what the customer will be wanting and
how to integrate producers into the equation.
Analysis of the the actual sales trends by a major US supermarket chain must worry proponents of the
low fat - no fat and natural - organic products who have claimed theirsas an unlimited market.
Is this an early warning that so called healthy/organic foods will not command a premium and not establish
a significant share of the market for all food sales?
That markets' acceptance of irradiation as easily as it currently accepts pasteurisation of milk shows
food safety is high in the consumers mind and that is perhaps an unexpected outcome. Plus the safety
assurance demanded is more biased to the control of damaging food born bacteria such as e coli
and listeria rather than concerns for 'chemical free' foods.
The word 'quality' is rapidly becoming a useless descriptive term for food as it now seems to mean whatever
any lobby wishes it to mean.
There is a growing reliance on the term 'clean and green' as a description of the qualities of New Zealand
products. But it too is a term that has been stolen and probably bastardized; by Australian
exporters. Also it has suffered severe denigration by the green lobby in New Zealand who do not see
NZ food as clean and green and have told the world so.
However the US supermarket survey below surprisingly indicates that markets acceptance of the ultimate
assurance of food quality as is defined by the word 'Kosher'.
It is time for NZ food producers to re-define, brand and promote the overall qualities that uniquely
represents New Zealand foods and wines.
Without such a quality brand to stand in the market, like the word 'kosher', we the producers, will
be led up many expensive blind alleys. Particularly if as seems to be the intent of or current crop
of politicians we should expect words like 'organic' or 'chemical free' to describe NZ food and
stand the scrutiny of a critical consumer.
Producers are a significant part of the production and marketing of quality foods. It is time for farmers
to be included in the planning of the new food industries as they push to be food marketers
rather than wholesalers.
Quality should not be defined by airy-fairy nonsense but in terms that the consumer learns to trust
and standards producers can produce to.
Producers must have an opinion on that.


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If we stop mentioning that the Final Four takes place in Indiana, does it actually take place in Indiana?
With the backdrop of the state of Indiana passing a law that could open the door to legalize discrimination against the LGBT community, much has been said about the prospects of Indianapolis hosting future tent-pole sporting events like the Final Four or the Super Bowl. We've seen companies pull funding, job creation and event participation from the state, but we haven't heard much about the present impact of such a big sports gig -- the native marketing of the state through association with the game.
Every one of the Final Four teams trailed at some point in their Elite Eight games. But each of their coaches made in-game lineup adjustments and strategic shifts that led their team to victory. The institutions at the center of college basketball's signature weekend need to be similarly adaptive to respond to the cultural flashpoint in Indiana.
We've heard NCAA president Mark Emmert say that he'll "closely examine the implications of this bill and how it might affect future events." The NCAA isn't likely to detract attention from the games by standing up against the law now, but if it had the desire, it could do so in real time.
Brands could also use this cultural moment to act in real time, right now, in a way that responds smartly without disrupting the games themselves -- but make a strong statement to quietly admonish Indiana.
It doesn't mean frantically searching for a new location, desperately reorganizing the travel of thousands of people, and jeopardizing millions of dollars in investments. It means adapting the strategy to cut location out of the conversation.
Yes, Indianapolis has already extracted the majority of the games' value through housing, as well as the dollars that will be injected into local businesses this weekend. But there is also great value to the state and city municipalities in the exposure they get from the Final Four (VisitIndy, the city's tourism board, has stated they hope the Final Four is a platform to attract other visitors and events).
So, for brands and organizations whose desire is to join the number of companies protesting the new law, there are ways to remove the spotlight from the state -- not the game. Here are some ideas:
1. Make it about the fans. Instead of overhead video of the stadium and the city's skyline, let's see more live shots of Badgers and Blue Devils fans or hometown heroes.
2. Feature team-local culture. Instead of Jim Nantz talking up the host city's local cuisine, how about sparking discussion about Carolina vs. Kentucky BBQ?
3. Curate your material. Capital One's
4. Shift the focus. The NCAA can encourage and help partners to drop the Final Four lockup (which features "Indianapolis" in big block letters) from their end cards in favor of the broader, locationless March Madness icon.
5. Make it count. Each time there is a reference to the state, visual or spoken, there could be a donation made to an Indiana-based LGBT cause -- emphasizing the NCAA's commitment to tolerance.
In my role, I'm constantly in search of ideas that adaptively keep brands culturally relevant. But in this case, we need ideas that will help a sport, broadcast networks and brands avoid cultural irrelevance. And in doing so, it's an opportunity for this event to show what it stands for.