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Calvin senior Jonathan Borak and junior Josiah Gamroth came in third at the Regional Business Plan Competition last Tuesday.
Calvin senior Jonathan Borak and junior Josiah Gamroth came in third at the Regional Business Plan Competition last Tuesday with a business plan detailing a solar company that would stand out in the world of alternative energy.
Their plan blossomed after Gamroth, a small business management major, took an interest in the solar energy market in Michigan, “After about 2 weeks of research, brainstorming and relentless typing we came up with our 30 page business plan for the competition.” Their idea for a solar company was unique in the way that they would lease out solar panels to public buildings.
Gamroth stressed how good of an opportunity the competition was for both himself and Borak, a philosophy and political science double major hoping to go into business contract law someday. “Neither Jon nor I had competed before, but I am currently in the small business management class with Professor Medema and he gave me encouragement to go out and do it.”
Many colleges, many winners
Students came to Calvin for the competition from Hope College, Davenport University, Aquinas College, Cornerstone University, Grand Valley State University and Calvin to present their business ideas after winning at their own schools.
“The Regional Business Plan Competition gives student entrepreneurs from our seven area schools the chance to learn and grow as they develop their ideas into business plans and ultimately businesses which are attractive to customers and investors,” said Director of the Calvin Center for Innovation in Business and business professor Robert Eames, who acted as host for the competition.
The competition was judged by five professionals from Ernst & Young, Varnum LLP, Grand Angels, TEDxGrandRapids and The Perissos Group. There were prizes for a first, second and third place, as well as a People’s Choice award, chosen by the audience.
First place and the People’s Choice award both went to Miles Smith of Grand Valley State University for his idea for the Break Away Coupling, which holds together a fishing lure and line. The idea behind the project is to minimize lost lures and broken lines from the lure getting caught. Smith’s prototype works to bend at a determined tension to help the lure become unstuck. Smith did well in the competition because of “the strength of his presentation and on the viability of his product concept.” said Eames.
Coming in second place was Scott Brandonsio from Hope College, who developed the idea for the Vital Sleep Band, a device that looks like a headband, but that is used by hospitals to automatically take the vitals of a sleeping patient. According to his business plan, the device would allow for a more restful night of sleep, allowing the patient to recover more quickly, as well as being efficient and low cost. “His idea solves a real problem and is viable for further development.” said Eames.
For the competition, the students have created their business plans “in an intense, hands-on way which prepares them to take the leap of faith required of entrepreneurs,” said Eames. This teaches the students the experience of “actually starting up successful new businesses, which serve our community and our world with innovative products and services and also with new jobs.”


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RBI hikes repo rate by 25bps taking benchmark interest rate to 6.5%
The Indian economy is strong despite the uncertainty of the global economy
New Delhi : The key benchmark interest rate in India was increased by 25 basis points (bps) to 6.5 percent on Wednesday, as announced by RBI governor Shaktikanta Das. The vote in the MPC was 4-2. The 2023 increase is the first increase in rates. An increase of 35 basis points was made to the repo rate on December 7.
Since the “situation does not look so grim now,” Das added, the MPC has decided to shift its attention to ending its “accommodative stance.” On February 6, the MPC convened, and by February 8, they had wrapped up their deliberations.
According to Das, the Indian economy is strong despite the uncertainty of the global economy. Domestic growth would be stifled, however, by sluggish exports and a generally dismal economic climate. The bank will keep a “vigilant eye” on the economy.
The GDP growth prediction for FY23 was raised by Das from 6.8 percent to 7 percent. The growth forecast for FY24 is 6.4%. Latest Economic Survey from the Finance Ministry predicted growth of 6.8% in FY2023-24.
“To meet the challenges of the growth vs. inflation matrix, RBI has kept its overall stance unchanged and has not yet moved to neutral. The RBI has reduced its GDP growth forecast for the coming year to 6.4% due to the ongoing uncertainties and volatile global scenario; this is still competitive with other major economies “A statement by Resurgent India’s MD, Jyoti Prakash Gadia.
According to the RBI governor, “the world economy does not look so grim now,” and inflation has been declining. Inflation at the register should average 5.7% in the fourth quarter. However, the “stickiness” of the core inflation continues. Our inflation forecast for FY23 remains unchanged at 6.5%. Inflation is forecasted to average 5.3% in FY24.
In addition, he predicted that even though inflation will decrease in the next fiscal year, it will still be above 4%. With a 2% buffer on either side, the RBI is tasked with maintaining inflation at 4%.
Das also mentioned that the hours of operation of the government securities market returned to their pre-pandemic norms of 9am to 5pm. The RBI has finally approved G-secs for borrowing and lending.
Banking and credit rates are governed by RBI policy. If the repo rate goes up, then the interest rates on deposits and loans will also go up. Likewise, when the repo rate is lowered, the pattern persists.
“As we approach the apex of the current interest rate hike cycle, we can expect to see a slowdown in discretionary spending as the effect of higher interest rates begins to take hold. For the next two to three quarters, we will face difficulty as a result of the slowdown in demand until we enter a cycle of interest rate cuts. Inflation will begin to slow after that, and the pent-up demand that results will help get the consumer goods sector back on its feet. Budgetary stimulus from the cut in individual tax rates and a successful Rabi crop planting will boost rural and urban consumption in the near term, while the Centre’s emphasis on capex will maintain infrastructure growth. We do not expect the recent RBI rate hike to have any noticeable effect on the economy, as the central bank’s commentary and announcement were generally in line with street expectations “Right Horizons PMS CEO and Chief Investment Officer Anil Rego said.
“It is anticipated that the banking industry will also respond favourably, leading to increased depositor real interest rates and robust expansion of the credit market. To focus on inflation right away while still encouraging growth in the medium term, RBI opted for a pragmatic approach ” said Gadia.

domain: news


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These days, when only 20 percent of U.S. businesses survive year one, it is a major accomplishment when a business reaches a milestone anniversary such as 25, 50, or 75 years in business. But how many make it beyond that point to their centennial celebration?
Only about 0.5 percent of businesses survive for an entire century, according to a Standard & Poor’s analysis done for USA Today. And one Tacoma accounting firm, The Doty Group, hit this rare milestone a couple of years back, when it celebrated its 100th birthday.
The Doty Group launched in 1918 with four manufacturing company clients that are still with the business today. Now, the firm boasts customers in several industries, but the original four have long been part of the brand’s bread and butter.
“Nurturing the relationships (with our clients) has always been the main priority,” said Paul Doty, The Doty Group’s managing partner.
Though The Doty Group has been around a long time, the firm’s brand has gone through many iterations. When the business opened its doors as the first accounting firm in Tacoma, it was known as Busch and Webb.
The name morphed as new partners, all of whom rose from in-house, took over. It became Allen, Nelson, Turner and Rush, then Allen, Nelson, Turner & Co. Next it became Doty, Beardsley, Rosengren & Co. In 2015, it was rebranded to its current title, with Doty as managing shareholder and Dianne Stoehr and Shelley Drury as additional shareholders.
“Busch and Webb didn’t just start the first CPA firm in Tacoma; they built a foundation of relationships with clients and the community,” Doty said of the firm’s founders.
Customer service has been another high priority for the firm. Much has changed over the last 100 years, and the economy has fluctuated and evolved. But it’s the top-notch customer care that has kept the company in business, Doty said.
“Our bonds strengthened over time,” he said. “The company culture always centered around caring for its clients with excellent customer service. That foundation resists being shaken by economic downturns, personal challenges, and changes to the industry.”
The company can’t divulge the names of its current customers, but it can boast the now-defunct firm St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company as one of its former clients.
The Doty Group has stayed mostly in the downtown core, with the exception of about 10 years at the Tacoma Mall Office Building.
Its new office downtown reflects its many years of business. From the midcentury decor to the historical relics showcasing the company’s past signage and accolades, the office shows its perseverance.
With all those years under its belt, the company knows that the only constant is change. As clients’ needs evolve, The Doty Group adjusts its offerings.
“Our services are expanding based on our clientele’s needs,” said Sarah Gray, The Doty Group marketing supervisor. “For example, we’ve added a staff attorney, and we are now doing estate planning for the children of our original clients.”
Trends in the accounting industry are forcing the firm to change as well. A hundred years ago, the industry was mostly bookkeeping. Now, the company must adapt to hot trends like block-chain technology. If The Doty Group keeps adapting the way it has, another centennial celebration in 2118 is highly likely.


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A proposed class action has claimed a brand of energy bars trying to find its place in a crowded sports-nutrition market misled diet-conscious consumers to believe its low-sugar snacks are also low in carbohydrates, concealing that the bars actually pack a macronutrient punch.
In Law360's latest roundup of new actions at the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, Sazerac fights an effort to “monopolize” a simple whiskey name, Mattel cites a little-known Sotomayor opinion to protect Barbie, and NBA superstar Russell Westbrook shoots for a registration for his charitable foundation.
A Colorado federal judge has blocked Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. from appealing his refusal to disqualify attorneys from representing workers who sued the company over alleged wage violations and had those claims sent to arbitration, saying the motion was part of an "unseemly" attempt to sidetrack the case's resolution.
Bankrupt Applebee’s restaurant franchisee RMH Franchise Holdings Inc. said in a Delaware court filing Tuesday that it had reached a settlement agreement with the restaurant chain that will pave the way to a much smoother Chapter 11 confirmation process than anticipated.
A New York federal judge on Tuesday denied a bid by a former confidant of the ex-wife of Chobani Inc.’s founder to have her lawyers disqualified, calling his arguments for conflict in her legal team “speculation.”
A New York federal judge has told a group of Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. shareholders that they can't have another go at the restaurant chain, saying the supposed new information they proffered doesn't save their claims.
A group of former employees of a defunct Long Island vending machine company on Tuesday urged the Second Circuit to vacate their convictions for defrauding customers by lying about the money-making potential of the machines, with one worker citing ineffective assistance of counsel.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tuesday advised consumers across the nation who have any romaine lettuce to throw it away, saying that 32 cases of E. coli across 11 states are linked to the consumption of romaine.
Energy drink maker Vital Pharmaceuticals Inc. is facing a new proposed class action — this time, in Florida federal court — claiming the company's Bang energy drinks contain none or only small amounts of the nutritional supplement ingredients claimed on the label.
A California federal judge on Monday gave the final nod to a $16 million settlement ending class claims that Zicam LLC and Matrixx Initiatives Inc. falsely advertised their over-the-counter homeopathic remedies as able to prevent and shorten the common cold.
Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. has won a new trial in a case that had resulted in a $3 million jury verdict against it stemming from the alleged sexual assault of a minor employee by her supervisor, with a Texas appellate court on Tuesday holding the jury should have been allowed to hear about the conduct of the employee.
Architecture firm Soos & Associates Inc. asked an Illinois federal court Monday to dismiss Five Guys' counterclaims in the firm's copyright infringement suit against the burger chain, saying its former client can’t plausibly argue the two agreed Five Guys could share Soos’ restaurant design plans with a competing architecture firm.
Georgia-based Fieldale Farms has secured a $2.25 million exit from a class of food service distributors’ suit surrounding an alleged decadelong industry-wide plot by poultry producers to ratchet up chicken prices, after an Illinois federal judge gave final approval to the settlement.
A computer forensic expert took the stand Monday during the third day of a California federal jury trial over multimillion-dollar class claims that two South Korean companies fixed the prices of instant ramen noodles, testifying that the companies altered internal pricing documents before giving them to the Korean antitrust watchdog.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to review an appeal lodged by a woman found guilty by a Minnesota federal jury of a scheme to take illegal fees from foreign workers who received H-2A work visas.
Four companies spanning a wide range of industries — from biotechnology and transportation companies to a plant-based meat startup and cryptocurrency bank — filed initial public offerings on Friday that are preliminarily estimated to total $350 million and could price before the year’s end.
A Blackstone Mortgage Trust entity has reportedly loaned $211.9 million for a Florida retail and residential project, a $200 million Habitat Co. Chicago mixed-use project is said to have received the green light, and TF Cornerstone has reportedly dropped $300 million on a development site near the location of the new New York City Amazon headquarters.
A former executive at produce distributor Chiquita International Brands Inc. has urged a Florida federal court presiding over multidistrict litigation to toss tort claims that he was involved in a scheme to fund a Colombian terrorist group, asserting he had no knowledge of any such alleged payments.
A Republican New Jersey state court judge has declined to recuse himself from a supermarket competition case involving an attorney from his town who supported his Democratic political rivals, ruling that a “reasonable” person wouldn’t find that a 14-year-old election campaign would impact his impartiality.
The Tenth Circuit sided with a group of Colorado wheat farmers Friday in their lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Federal Crop Insurance Corp. over calculations that the farmers said limited their ability to insure against losses.
Missouri recently became the first state in the union to enact a ban on labeling products as “meat” unless they are “derived from harvested product livestock or poultry.” But the company that makes Tofurky has already filed suit in federal court to challenge the new law's constitutionality, says James Lawrence of Michael Best & Friedrich LLP.
The reversal last month by New York's appellate division in Daesang v. NutraSweet is an important decision for the state's courts because it helps reaffirm New York's role as a preferred venue for international arbitration, say Stephen Younger and Michael Farinacci of Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP.
In the aftermath of Justice Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation, the U.S. Supreme Court should decline review of the nation's most polarizing political questions unless and until the questions become time-sensitive, says Alexander Klein, head of the commercial litigation group at Barket Epstein Kearon Aldea & LoTurco LLP.
In this series featuring law school luminaries, Boston College Law School professor Kent Greenfield reflects on his corporate law theories, his legal battle with the Pentagon over free speech and gay rights, and important constitutional law issues to watch out for.
The Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act, signed into law in August, will significantly alter how the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States conducts its work. Emerging technology companies, and their prospective investors, must be mindful of whether investments are now subject to CFIUS jurisdiction, say attorneys at Latham & Watkins LLP.
Whether Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s prior statements may be grounds for disqualification when it comes to judging certain cases is debatable, but there are no specific recusal guidelines for the U.S. Supreme Court. The justices themselves don’t even agree on where to draw the line when it comes to perceived political bias, says Donald Scarinci, a founding partner of Scarinci Hollenbeck LLC.
As technology evolves, law firms are increasingly looking for ways to improve communication, transparency and service for their clients. Firms should put knowledge management at the core of their value proposition to create a competitive advantage, says Rob MacAdam at HighQ.
Last week, Canada reached agreement with the United States and Mexico on what is essentially a revised North American Free Trade Agreement. The new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement alters some provisions of NAFTA, maintains others and borrows a few ideas from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, say attorneys with Borden Ladner Gervais LLP.
A newly enacted Missouri law makes it a misdemeanor to use the word “meat” on labels of food products that do not come from an animal. Businesses selling meat substitute products in the state that do not meet the new labeling requirements could face liability under another consumer protection statute as well, says Martha Charepoo of Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice LLC.
Despite the large number of digital accessibility lawsuits — thousands in the last few years alone — brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act, there are still no bright-line rules that retailers can follow in order to avoid being targeted, say attorneys with Steptoe & Johnson LLP.


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Microsoft's Surface iPad killer set to go sale on October 26th - but we still don't know how much it will cost
Microsoft has confirmed that it will release its Surface tablet to coincide with the launch of its Windows 8 software on October 26.
The company revealed the date in a US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing.
'The next version of our operating system, Windows 8, will be generally available on October 26, 2012,' Microsoft said.
Microsoft's new Surface tablet is set to go on sale on October 26th
'At that time, we will begin selling the Surface, a series of Microsoft-designed and manufactured hardware devices.
The Surface tablet was announced in June, but no release date or specs were given at the time.
Microsoft has not confirmed if the 26 October release date covers the US only, or if it will extend to other markets.
While the Surface tablet release was largely expected to coincide with Windows 8 availability, this is thought to be the first time the date has been publicly confirmed by Microsoft.
The gadget will be sold with a soft case containing a keyboard when it goes on sale later this year
The announcement that Microsoft is to make its own hardware for the first time angered many of its partners, something Microsoft alludes to in its filing.
However, the firm has refused to release details of the price of the unit.
Some internet users have speculated that a top of the range model could cost in excess of £1,000.
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Tesla offered a preview of its new Giga Berlin site located about 20 miles southeast of the German capital.
To celebrate the completion of Giga Berlin, Tesla invited members of the public to a sort of county fair event that included tours of the new factory. Held on Saturday, the shindig Giga Fest was also attended by Tesla chief Elon Musk.
A video (below) released by the electric carmaker on Sunday offers a glimpse of the plant that is expected to become a key part of Tesla’s European efforts over the next few years.
Giga Berlin will assemble the Tesla Model Y for European customers and also produce batteries and powertrains for its electric vehicles.
Tesla wants to start the production line before the end of this year, and by the end of 2022, wants the plant to produce between 5,000 and 10,000 electric cars per week.
But Giga Berlin cannot begin operations until local authorities give their consent as they continue to assess the facility’s environmental impact on the surrounding area. Ever since plans for the plant were first presented in 2019, environmental protesters have insisted that building the plant would have a negative impact on wildlife and the local water supply. The dispute continues to this day, with protesters still intent on protecting parts of the site that have yet to be built.
As part of efforts to rally protesters, Musk said Tesla would plant more trees than he felled during the construction project and use as little water as possible to reduce the impact on levels. of groundwater in one of the driest regions of Germany.
Despite the difficulties, the attendees at Giga Fest seemed determined to have a good time. Bloomberg called the atmosphere “festive”, adding that visitors lined up “for Model Y trials, a ferris wheel and tours of the interior of the factory.”
Musk also retweeted footage of a dance party held at Giga Berlin as part of the Giga Fest celebrations. It is not clear whether the video shows the rave space that the CEO said he plans to include during the design phase of the Giga Berlin.
– Tobias Lindh (@tobilindh) October 9, 2021
- Musk says Tesla will start production at its German Gigafactory by year-end
- Elon Musk announces Tesla will move headquarters out of California
- TSMC builds new chip factory in Japan, warns of ‘tight’ supply until 2022
- Tesla moves headquarters to Austin, Texas
- Tesla’s Model S Plaid Sets Electric Vehicle Production Record on Famous Nürburgring Race Track in Germany


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Int'l hospitality giant IHG to expand further in China
The world's leading hospitality group IHG on Monday revealed its planned hotel openings in China through 2021, showing its confidence in further expansion in its fastest-growing region.
"Riding on the domestic tourism boom of China, we will explore more destinations and opportunities here to build our hotels," said Jolyon Bulley, CEO of IHG Greater China.
According to Bulley, IHG will continue to develop new projects in first-tier cities, and further expand its footprint in new leisure destinations and lower-tier cities.
He said that western China and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area will be especially important markets for IHG.
In 2021, IHG will open hotels in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces, both of which boast beautiful natural scenery, as well as in Shenzhen, Foshan and Chaozhou in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Meanwhile, the group also has plans to open new hotels in Shanghai and Beijing.
The company's Franchise Plus model will also continue to be its growth driver in 2021.
With international trips remaining off-limits due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese consumers are opting for destinations within China, the group said.


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Western Canada Continued
Costume rental shop has been a Cloverdale landmark for nearly four decades
Customers living in Vancouver and the Greater Vancouver area can now order 6,000+ liquor products online and via the INABUGGY app.
Try this at Walmart and things could go sideways fast, but a general store roaming around 17th Avenue S.W. is currently accepting a good joke as a form of payment for goods or services.
Edmonton police are investigating after a U-Haul van was used to crash into the front of a southside hobby shop early Tuesday morning.
The police officer who responded to a violent dispute at a B.C. nail salon over the weekend might have overstepped his authority, according to a lawyer following the story.


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Rounding off the set of new handsets revealed today by Nokia at their Everyone Connect event is the Nokia E5.
Cheap as chips at an expected £160, the Nokia E5 is far smarter than the budget price tag should allow for. Running Symbian S60, the phone features a wealth of connectivity options including HSDPA, Wi-Fi, a-GPs locating, as well as microSD expansion options and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
A full four line QWERTY handset, the E5 has extensive messaging, social network and email support, including Exchange support.
While the E5’s 2.4 inch QVGA screen isn’t anything to write home about, it’s a good-looking QWERTY with a mouth watering price.
Expect to see the E5 hit stores in late Summer of the Autumn.


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Table of Contents
IT’S SHAPING UP to be a hot summer for traveling—and a thorny one. According to the U.S. Travel Association (USTA), 85% of Americans plan to travel this season, which means crowded roads and airports. “After two years of travel cancellations or delays, there’s so much excitement about getting back out there to travel again,” said Daniel del Olmo, president and chief operating officer of Sage Hospitality Management, which runs more than 50 hotels around the U.S. “We’re expecting this to be a busy summer across the country.”
Those travelers will likely be paying more: Gas prices are higher than they’ve been since 2014. USTA says travel costs overall are up 12% from 2019. Flight-booking app Hopper estimates that domestic airfares have increased 7% since that year, and almost 11% from February to March, according to the consumer-price index. And while the crowds promise to be back, staff isn’t. The American Hotel & Lodging Association’s 2022 state of the industry report projects that worker shortages will continue to plague properties this year.
1. Book Early (As in Now)
“Plan ahead, book ahead,” said Jennifer Wilson-Buttigieg, co-president of Valerie Wilson Travel. Summer flights may fill up quickly, she said, because routes have shifted over the course of the pandemic. “There’s less capacity to many international cities.”
Brian Egan, CEO of vacation rental and management company Evolve, says the company is seeing more early summer bookings than usual; July 4 and Labor Day weekends are also filling up. Especially in demand, he said: nature destinations, including the areas around national and state parks. Some national parks, including Glacier, Acadia and Arches, have also implemented reservation systems for some areas, making planning ahead even more important.
2. Stretch Your Dollar
Inflation and demand are pushing up prices in popular spots. Hawaii is “crazy expensive,” said
an agent with Coastline Travel Advisors in Orange County, Calif. Mexico and the Caribbean are also booming, said Ms. Wilson-Buttigieg, and while prices normally decline during the summer months, she expects them to stay high this year, partly because tourists are avoiding areas in Europe. Ms. Wilson-Buttigieg recommends that intrepid travelers consider Turkey instead. “You get to experience both Europe and Asia,” she said, noting that both Istanbul and Bodrum have many new hotels. “And it’s a great value.”
Canada also offers decent prices, she said, and can be reached by air, train or car—a distinct advantage when people are still figuring out what transportation modes they feel comfortable with. Costa Rica and Chile also deliver great bang for the buck, said Mr. Johnson, who recently returned from Santiago and Punta Arenas. “In both cities, I was pleasantly surprised at how far the dollar went,” he said.
3. Keep it Simple
While dozens of countries have reopened for tourism, Monika Sundem, CEO of Montana-based travel-planning company Adventure Life, advises against destination-hopping. Testing requirements and policies from country to country (and region to region) are constantly in flux. Some travel suppliers mandate extra layers of testing to make guests feel safe. But any number of snafus—labs might have odd hours or run out of tests or results might be delayed—can upend your vacation.
“If you can find one eco-resort that does day tours—beach adventures, water exploring, ruins—I really think that’s the best way to go,” Ms. Sundem said. “It will be much more relaxing because you don’t have to be worried about, ‘What if I don’t get the test?’”
Among her recommendations: Hamanasi Resort in Belize; Manta Resort on Pemba Island in Tanzania; and Finch Bay Hotel in the Galápagos Islands.
4. Check Your Documents
Need a new passport? Get in line yesterday. Over the past few years, processing times for passports, as well as travel-expediting programs such as TSA PreCheck and Global Entry, have skyrocketed. They’ve improved recently but not necessarily by much.
Routine passport processing currently takes eight to 11 weeks, according to the U.S. Department of State. That’s twice as long as it took in early 2019. And though U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has been working to address the backlog for its “trusted traveler” programs, the agency expects a record number of applications this year—3.5 million, up from a high of 3 million in 2019. In some cases it’s taking months to be approved for Global Entry renewals. Interviews, meanwhile, currently take 90 days to schedule, said Michael Millich, who directs the programs for CBP.
5. Breeze Through the Airport
Airports may be inundated this summer. Get to the terminal early and leave plenty of time for waiting for taxis. You can also avoid crowds and hassle by paying for lounge access and, at some international airports, VIP services where a local representative will escort you through check-in or the security lines. “You’ll get a personal meet-and-greet and skip the lines,” said Terika Haynes, CEO of Atlanta-based agency Dynamite Travel. There are separate lounges and immigration lines for VIP guests, too. Purchase access through a travel adviser or by contacting the airport directly.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
What plans are you making for summer travel? Join the conversation below.
Copyright ©2022 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8


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Apple reinvesting in South Africa
The world’s biggest technology company, Apple, has quietly established a South African office and now appears set to grow its presence in the local market.
It’s the first time the company has had a direct office in South Africa since 1999, when it disinvested in favour of a distributor model.
The company has appointed French national Nicolas Rochas as country manager. Rochas has been with Apple since 2004 and has worked for the company in France, the UK and India.
Read the full story here:
Source: Techcentral 8 April 2015


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South Korea is not only known for its K-Pop music and tech products. Personal and beauty care products, as well as various cosmetics, are also the leading goods manufactured in the country. It is considered one of the biggest beauty markets around the world.
The beauty and personal care have become a lucrative industry in South Korea. It offers various products for skincare, hair care, as well as color cosmetics. Their industry has also shown a steady growth for almost ten years now. South Korea continues to spark new beauty trends not only within Asia but also around the world. It has become a haven, especially for people who can’t seem to get enough of makeups and other related products. Their cosmetics and personal care industries gained credibility in beauty markets globally.
According to a Washington Post article, the Korean beauty market turned out to be a billion-dollar industry. A lot of cosmetics companies that originated in South Korea conquered the fast-growing beauty and personal care markets not just in Asia but also in the Western countries like the United States.
South Korean cosmetics companies achieved nearly 6 percent of the growth in just a year compared to their competitors in the US and the UK. According to Euromonitor, the skin care sales and other cosmetics products in the country reached the value of 6.2 billion dollars in 2014.
Due to the increasing demands, South Korea has been exporting a lot of beauty products which makes the cosmetics a lucrative business. The Korean Herald published an article that cited the from the Korea International Trade Association (KITA). The indicated data for cosmetics exports for South Korean-manufactured cosmetic merchandises were exported to China. The exports were more than triple and rank as second in the Chinese market.
The demand started from the rising pop culture popularity. Promotions and reviews from influencers helped with the popularity of Korean beauty products. There has been an increased interest among beauty consumers internationally. Consumers from around the world sought the beauty care imports that’s why a lot of global brands incorporate it into their product lineups.
Beauty influence from South Korea continues to gain favor with consumers in the United States. Not only do they present new product and brand opportunities, but they are also steering in a shift toward an approach to enhanced personal care.
For many Korean women, their skincare routine is something that they look forward to, may it be a daytime or nightly. They do not consider it a chore but a regimen. In Korea, the consumers are bombarded with a lot of personal and beauty care products meant for distinct purposes. Nowadays, the western consumers have become committed to their skin care treatment.


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Transport for London has launched a new hashtag, #HomeSafeSelfie, which asks women to post a pic on Twitter or Instagram after a night out to let their friends and followers know they got home safely. It’s part of a campaign highlighting the dangers of unbooked, unlicenced minicabs and recommending people download the free Cabwise app to get a black cab instead.
There’s also a series of print ads which all show women out at night, enjoying themselves, until the last photo, which seems to picture someone about to be attacked. Each features the tagline ‘Where will your night end?’ Elspeth Lynn is the executive creative director at M&C Saatchi Group, the team behind the idea, and told Campaign, ‘The #homesafeselfie hashtag has the potential to launch a genuine movement in young Londoners’ behaviour, and beyond.’
The trouble is, it’s not clear how exactly this keeps women safe. It’s always good to keep track of your friends, and pledging not to use unbooked cabs is smart, but promising to take a photo in your PJs is hardly a defence if someone wants to attack you on the way home. Plus, the majority of attacks on women happen in their own homes. And maybe advertising your location to strangers online isn’t all that safe, either?
While many women have embraced the idea, posting photos under duvets, clutching mugs, or cuddling cats, many others have criticised the fact that it makes women responsible for avoiding crime, rather than, say, blaming criminals for perpetrating it. Making users aware that minicabs aren’t a great idea is fair enough, but do all safety ads have to trade on the idea that women are constantly at risk of being attacked? Not to mention the fact that not all black cab drivers can be trusted…
As Radhika Sanghani writes in the Telegraph, ‘Not being attacked, or sexually assaulted or mugged isn’t something that we should see as an achievement – it should be the norm. Turning it into something to celebrate makes it seem as though it’s our responsibility to get #HomeSafe – in reality, though of course we should all take sensible precautions, it’s the attackers who should be blamed.’ Maybe TfL would have more luck making us feel safe if they cracked down on criminals? That probably wouldn’t inspire such photogenic selfies, though.
Want to read more? If you’re looking to buy a wearable or activity tracker, we’ve found the best wearables to keep you safe, but, if they’re too expensive, here are the best budget wearables and activity trackers for under £70.
If you’re not bothered by wearables at all, but still want help with keeping fit, check out our feature on 10 kitchen gadgets, tools and utensils for healthy living.


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Posted Wed Jul 1, 2009 at 10:00 AM PDT by Tom Landy
Fox details a catalog crime thriller heading to high-definition this fall.
'High Crimes' starring Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman is coming to Blu-ray on September 1.
The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include a commentary by Carl Franklin, “A Military Mystery” featurette, “FBI Takedown in Union Square” featurette, “A Different Kind of Justice” featurette, “Liar Liar: How to Beat a Polygraph with Sue Ducett” featurette, “The Car Crash” featurette, “Together Again” featurette, and the theatrical trailer.
Suggested list price for the Blu-ray has been set at $29.99.
You can find the latest specs for 'High Crimes' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under September 1.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
The latest news on all things 4K Ultra HD, blu-ray and Gear.


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LG Display’s new OLED Fab in Guangzhou, China faces mounting delays with mass production now not expected until the second quarter of 2020 at the earliest.
There have been numerous reports of the delays facing LG Display’s newest 8.5 Gen OLED panel production facility, often followed by a ‘we’ve got it sorted now’ statement giving the impression that things were starting to get back on track.
However, the latest comments coming out of the display industry seem to point to a downturn in expectations for the Guangzhou factory again as equipment issues, low yields and now the Covid-19 coronavirus all conspire to delay production of the expected 60,000 substrates per month, which was planned to rise to 90,000 per month as production ramped up.
April 2020 is seen as the absolute earliest that meaningful substrate numbers will be produced.
With cases of coronavirus infection on the rise in South Korea, the local Chinese authorities informed LG Display that its South Korean employees would have to face a 14 day quarantine period. Given that this would increase delays, an appeal to the authorities resulted in a change of policy such that workers could be allowed in the factory provided they took the necessary individual precautions. Since the facility is a joint venture between LG Display and the Guangzhou Development District, it’s in the local government’s interest to get the factory up and running as soon as possible to benefit the local economy as well as supply Chinese TV manufacturers such as Skyworth and Conca who are waiting for their OLED screens from the plant.
Proposed back in 2017 but held up by bureaucracy until its greenlight in July 2018, the Guangzhou manufacturing plant was seen as important to provide the production facilities to support LGD’s ‘OLED first’ business strategy. The plant was due to open at the end of August 2019 and commence mass production by the end of the year but a series of problems soon meant the company had to put back its schedule.
Some of these issues, such as the low yields, were a result of changes in both equipment (which was supplied by Chinese firms rather than the usual Korean firms used in LGD’s Paju factory back home) and new manufacturing techniques which were designed to be more efficient but which have taken longer to stabilize than anticipated. On top of that, LGD opted to use a new OLED stack to improve efficiency and productivity.
Another reported problem is one related to the encapsulation process, which is a finishing stage designed to increase longevity of the display by excluding damaging elements such as moisture and oxygen. Several samples sent from the Guangzhou facility to LG Electronics have reportedly failed the quality check and this poor encapsulation is yet another headache for LG Display.
Industry analyst IHS Markit recently downgraded its expectation of total OLED TVs produced in 2020 from 5 million to 4.5 million and there’s now a reason to anticipate that figure will drop further as the delay extends, such is the reliance on LG Display's production capacity.
The peak of over 1 million OLED TVs sold in the final quarter of 2019 indicated that the TV buying public is increasingly interested in OLED and with LG Display’s many clients, including Vizio, Xiaomi, Panasonic and Sharp, ready to tap into that interest with their new OLED ranges, including the brand new 48-inch screen size models from LG Electronics and Sony, the pressure is undoubtedly on for LGD to get the Guangzhou Fab up and running as soon as possible.
So, if you’ve been waiting for a brand new OLED TV from one of this year’s ranges, you might have to be prepared to wait a little bit longer.


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Renault and Fiat are the latest manufacturers to sign up to Boris Johnson’s discount scheme for drivers needing to replace larger vans and minibuses ahead of next year’s expansion of the Low Emission Zone.
Under the scheme, which was introduced by former Mayor Ken Livingstone in 2008, vehicles entering Greater London which do not comply with emissions standards face a potential fine for every journey.
The scheme’s third phase, which applies to vans and minibuses, is due to come into effect in January after being given the go-ahead by Mr Johnson.
Last month the Mayor announced manufacturers including Citroën, Ford and Volkswagen have agreed to provide “more affordable ways to buy new, cleaner vehicles” including discounts which “in some cases amount to thousands of pounds off a new vehicle.”
The addition of Renault, DAF and Fiat to the scheme means drivers will have a wider choice of discounted vehicles.
Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, said: “I want to make the air cleaner and greener in this great city with the minimum of financial impact for those who need to upgrade their vehicles.
“I’ve already given extra breathing space during the depths of the recession before these standards are introduced and I am pleased that a number of manufacturers are now offering new discounts to aid us in our efforts.”


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New York -- As cash-strapped consumers curtailed holiday spending, department store retailers felt the pinch and some performed better than others in an uncertain environment. The strongest performances were turned in by Macy’s and Nordstrom, both topping estimates.
Overall, analysts looked for 3.3% same-store sales growth for December across 17 chains, down from 4.2% growth in December 2011, according to Thomson Reuters.
Macy's reported a rise in December same-store sales of 4.1%, edging Wall Street’s expected 4% rise, and a total monthly sales gain of 3.6% to $5.102 billion. But the department store heavy-hitter cuts its guidance for the fourth quarter and detailed a series of “normal-course adjustments” to its store portfolio that include closing six underperforming stores. The chain will open nine other Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s around the country to rebuild its total store count.
CEO Terry Lundgren said the rate of comp growth was less than the retailer expected, but that was due partly to uncertain economic news and the lingering effects of Superstorm Sandy.
“Last month was our fourth consecutive December with same-store sales growth, which is indicative of the sustainability of our key business strategies,” said Lundgren. “While the rate of growth was somewhat less than we had expected in the first two months of the fourth quarter, it came amid some significant headwinds from uncertain economic news and the lingering effects of Hurricane Sandy.”
Kohl’s Corp. saw same-store sales rise 3.4% in December, along with a total sales increase of 4%, falling below company expectations. “December sales were lower than planned,” said CEO Kevin Mansell. “Additionally, sales came late in the holiday shopping season and, as a result, were at deeper discounts than planned. We are taking the necessary markdowns in the fourth quarter to manage our inventory as we transition into the spring season.”
Among other department stores reporting:
• Nordstrom recorded an 8.6% rise in December same-store sales, beating the 3.6% estimate; and
• Bon-Ton Stores grew 2.4%.


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Apple has long been rumoured to enter the TV space, either with a television set of its own, or a TV service with support from the big networks, or, indeed, both. While wait for the mythical Apple TV - the television - continues, a new report has disclosed some rather interesting details of Apple's TV service.
There's new fuel for the fire that Apple's working on technology for an updated TV set-top box or TV platform.
Apple plans to offer monetary compensation for any loss of revenue that may result from the ad-skipping. Based on the report, the initial response from networks doesn't seem to be very positive, though the negotiations are likely to continue for a while.
Apple's TV set-top box remains limited to prerecorded content instead of live TV channels, though that's expected to change. Apple has dabbled in offering live programming, but only its own presentations, like keynote addresses and concerts. A series of rumors has pointed toward the company expanding from selling content a la carte to a subscription that would rival what people purchase from their cable providers. Earlier this month, Apple was said to be in late-stage talks with Time Warner Cable to add live channels to the set-top box, presumably inside an app.
Apple would not be the first company to offer users a way to skip ads on TV programming. TiVo and ReplayTV offered the feature to consumers more than a decade ago, and it's since permeated to the DVRs cable providers offer to customers. More recently, companies like Dish and its Hopper technology can skip commercial blocks, though the feature can be limited on certain programming and has raised legal ire from major broadcast networks which say it violates copyright law.
The report claims the discussions have been "highly secretive" and CEO Tim Cook and Senior Vice President Eddy Cue held talks with some media companies as recently as last week at a conference in Sun Valley.


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When Rose Granite goes to the bingo hall in Clarence, she sometimes spreads the word about what her granddaughter Ashley Hamilton is up to.
After all, it usually has to do with a pierogi stand Hamilton started about three years ago, which is featured this year for the first time at the Centre County Grange Encampment and Fair.
Granite, 83, also known as “Rosie” to her friends and “bubba” to her grandkids, was the inspiration behind the small business, Rosie’s Pierogies.
“I named it after her,” Hamilton said. “It’s all her original recipes, but we spice things up a bit.”
What Hamilton called “new age” pierogies puts a twist on the traditional potato and dough recipe.
Ashley Hamilton’s pierogies include bacon- and jalapeño-flavored
Her specialties are bacon- and jalapeño-flavored pierogies.
On Thursday, she even served more than 2,400 including Thanksgiving-themed pierogies made of turkey, stuffing and potatoes inside the dough with a gravy topping.
“That was our biggest seller, but here at the fair we’re selling a lot of the bacon kind,” Hamilton said.
Rosie’s Pierogies sells about 2K pierogies at the Grange Fair daily.
On average, she sells about 2,000 pierogies a day.
When she sells at other events, such as the Bellefonte Cruise or Tussey Mountain Wing Fest, Hamilton said the jalapeño pierogies are the most popular.
“It’s just varies based on where we are,” she said.
Pierogies are a traditional Polish dumpling-type dish, but Hamilton said her family is of Slovakian descent.
“It’s just one of those things we grew up with,” Hamilton said.
Inspiration for Hamilton’s business came from her grandma who she calls “bubba”
Hamilton said her inspiration came after spending the day cooking with her grandma.
“I was with my bubba and we were just messing around,” she said. “I was like, ‘I want to make pierogies.’ You don’t know what it’s all going to take and you don’t know how long your grandparents are going to be around, but you want to get their recipes so they’re not forgotten after they’re gone.”
Hamilton made dozens of pierogies and offered a taste test to her business partner and Canyon Pizza owner Greg Nau.
“He was like, ‘You have to sell these,’ so we came up with a plan and here we are,” Hamilton said.
She serves pierogies daily from the Canyon location in downtown State College where she uses its certified kitchen to cook and store some of her goods, and brings her food cart to local fairs and festivals.
But the pierogi business isn’t all she does.
“It’s been busy because I’m a full-time grad student (at Penn State) and trying to do this at the same time,” she said.
Hamilton is studying school counseling with an emphasis in elementary education.
This school year, she has an internship at Bellefonte Elementary School.
Everything I do, I do with passion. My goal is to be a school counselor, but to run the stand in the summers and carry on my family name.
Ashley Hamilton, owner of Rosie’s Pierogies
“Everything I do, I do with passion,” Hamilton said. “My goal is to be a school counselor, but to run the stand in the summers and carry on my family name. My calling is to work with kids, but my other passion is doing this for my family with the hopes of establishing this into a longtime thing for my family and my future kids.”
Hamilton said she is also experimenting with buffalo chicken pierogies, and making Reuben pierogies that are made with rye dough, and are deep-fried with Thousand Island dressing.


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In an update report for 2021, DigiMax Global (CSE: DIGI) said its shareholders can expect “an ongoing concentration on revenue growth” in 2022. This comes after the firm acknowledged not meeting its revenue targets this year.
For the first nine months in 2021, the company reported $0.07 million in revenue and $7.6 million in net losses, excluding $1.9 million in unrealized gains. It also recorded $3.0 million in cash expenses and $4.7 million in non-cash expenses.
“During 2021, DigiMax has prioritized its engineering efforts to ensure that its product offering is developed and maintained on a world-class quality standard and infrastructure,” the company said in a statement.
On top of this, the company also named challenges to its baseline coming from its platforms. Its price trend predictor CryptoHawk has its recurring subscriber base remain below 1,000 users despite having more than 5,000 unique visitors.
Further, several institutional investors are asking “for 6 or more months of track history” for its CryptoHawk-based Crypto Fund before investing. The fund was launched in September 2021 and the company said it will continue to operate the fund to drive new revenue next year.
“DigiMax has not met its revenue targets for this year and is taking significant steps to improve upon this,” the company further stated.
Among the areas of revenue sources slated for next year include the launch of CryptoHawk on Apple and Google stores and a ‘freemium’ version of the service to increase users. The firm is also expected to launch CommodityHawk Fund and to introduce a carbon credit prediction service for investors and businesses.
The AI tech firm also reported that it is poised to end the year with a strong balance sheet, notching $9.0 million in cash and cash equivalents as of November 30, 2021.
DigiMax Global last traded at $0.085 on the CSE.
FULL DISCLOSURE: DigiMax Global Solutions is a former client of Canacom Group, the parent company of The Deep Dive. Information for this briefing was found via Sedar and the companies mentioned. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.


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Overwatch fans love coming up with their own skin designs for their favorite heroes, and one creative player finally gave Moira a monocle.
Moira is the closest thing to a moustache twirling villain about to tie a damsel in distress to some railroad tracks as an oncoming train approaches that Overwatch has, so a monocle definitely fits with her character.
In their concept skin, dotPaperCrowndot replaced the metallic augment over Moira’s left eye with a monocle, and it makes it look like the hero is ready for a high society function alongside Socialite Ashe and B.O.B.
But the eyewear is only the beginning of this skin concept, which, based on the responses on Reddit, would be a very popular concept among players.
She’s got a purple jewel over an ascot on her shirt, and what looks like a black greatcoat over her shoulders instead of her usual cape, which just helps to complete the supervillain look of this skin.
This skin would have been the perfect addition to Overwatch’s new Anniversary skins or even for the Archive event, provided it were real.[ad name=”article3″]
When will we get more new Overwatch skins?
The next Overwatch event following Anniversary is the Summer Games event, which according to Overwatch Director Jeff Kaplan, will happen sometime in August.
Along with the new event, Hero 31 will also come out sometime this summer as well, but Kaplan didn’t get any more specific than that.
As far as the Summer games go, it’s a fair bet to say Baptiste, Ashe and Hammond, who have all been released in the last year, will be getting new skins, but whether Moira will or not remains to be seen.


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Author: MOS Ruiqiu
Swedish multinational clothing retailer H&M is facing a boycott within China for not buying cotton produced in Xinjiang. Mainland Chinese media reported that H&M products were removed from all major Chinese e-commerce platforms, including JD and Taobao.
China is H&M’s fourth-biggest market with sales of 2.9 billion Swedish crowns ($339 million) in 12-month through November 2020.
In fact, H&M made this decision and posted this statement online in the past year, expressing that “H&M group is deeply concerned about reports from civil society organizations and media that include accusations of forced labor and discrimination of ethnoreligious minorities in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).” The statement also stated H&M’s decision that “We do not work with any garment manufacturing factories located in XUAR, and we do not source products from this region.”
While H&M addressed the issue last year, ironically, the boycott against H&M came just a day after the sanctions between the CCP and the western nations. This week, the US, European Union, and Canada imposed coordinated sanctions on CCP’s officials as accused of human rights abuses in Xinjiang. CCP China immediately denied the claims and hit back with sanctions on European officials and organizations. It seems that the H&M incident could be a CCP’s retaliation.
According to the LUDE media report, the “H&M incident” could be the beginning of economic decoupling between CCP China and the western countries.
LUDE explained that multinational companies are not only chasing economic interests, they also follow ethics and industry rules. For example, H&M decided not to buy Xinjiang cotton as H&M followed Better Cotton Initiative’s (BCI) rules. Because BCI has decided to suspend licensing of BCI cotton in XUAR as “it has become increasingly difficult to conduct credible due diligence in the region”; thus, as a BCI member, H&M has to change its supply chains and stop purchasing Xinjiang cotton.
LUDE also analyzed that if more western industries and associates announce rules on regulating economic cooperation with CCP China, then, more multinational corporations have to distance themselves from ties to CCP China in order to keep their bigger western market. It could cause economic decoupling between the CCP Chinese companies and the western companies.
On Thursday morning, H&M’s boycott in China has extended. Meanwhile, Nike, Uniqlo, and Adidas have become new targets on Chinese treading news and social media over their stance to remove Xinjiang cotton from their supply chains.
The situation puts multinational corporations in a sensitive position. Many companies in clothing, footwear, and other industries have to evaluate the benefits and costs regarding the cooperation with companies in CCP China.


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Kazakh investors look to import Georgian produce
By Shorena Labadze
Friday, August 8Kazakh investors have visited Georgia to investigate the Georgian agricultural sector and negotiate the export of fruit and vegetables to Kazakhstan.
The representatives from Mangystau province arrived in Georgia at the beginning of August to conduct talks with the government of coastal Adjara province and the central Agriculture Ministry.
The investors were interested in developing trade with Georgian regions with large agricultural output and visited Adjara, Shida Kartli and Kvemo Kartli.
According to Agriculture Ministry spokeswoman Bela Giorgadze, a memorandum between the investors and the Ministry was signed on fruit and vegetable exports and discussions held on possible citrus sales.
She noted the popularity of Georgian agricultural goods in the Kazakh market: “Georgian fruit and vegetables have become very popular in Kazakhstan, they are very well known there.”
An exhibition market will be held to display the quality and variety of Georgian produce to Kazakh consumers and investors. The market will “improve the popularity of our local products in [Kazakhstan’s] Mangystau region,” Giorgadze told the Messenger.
In Adjara the investors visited citrus processing factories and met with representatives of the Adjara Agriculture Ministry to discuss increasing trade between the two regions.
Giorgadze highlighted the visitor’s interested in the important citrus crop.
“In Adjara they are mostly interested in citruses and citrus products. Whether or not a final agreement can be reached on the export of these goods depends on the final decision of both parties.”
The citrus crop is of particular concern to the residents of Adjara who have found it difficult to sell their produce at an attractive price.
Residents hope that a new deal on citrus will help them to get better returns on their labor.
“No one cares about Adjara and its residents having to do unbearable work all year long and then sell produce for small change. I would be very glad if something changes. We love our region and our farms, but we must see results after all our hard work,” says Nino Davitashvili, a 53-year-old resident of Adjara.
Fruit and vegetable export is planned for September when harvests begin.
Mangystau is an oil-exporting province in southwest Kazakhstan that according to the Agriculture Ministry imports around 80 percent of its vegetable supply.


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Antonition is the President and CEO of Space Coast Credit Union
“Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Roger Marshall (R-KS) are pushing for legislation that would change our payment systems for the worse, harming Floridians.”
Consumers across the country already feel the cost of inflation, whether they are at the grocery store or at the gas station. Here in Florida, many families and businesses are working to recover from the devastating impacts of Hurricane Ian.
Yet, Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Roger Marshall (R-KS) are still pushing for legislation that would change our payment systems for the worse, harming Floridians.
The Credit Card Competition Act of 2022 puts more power into the hands of the government by placing a federal mandate on credit card transaction routing.
While supporters of this legislation claim it would bring down the cost consumers pay at the store by limiting the already small fees that merchants pay when they accept credit card transactions, empirical data proves this is a failed policy. These claims were made in the past, and there is no evidence that they became a reality.
After the original Durbin Amendment, which targeted debit card fees, was implemented in 2011, a Richmond Fed report found that 98% of merchants did not pass savings from debit regulation to consumers and over 20% of merchants actually increased prices.
Furthermore, this mandate forced many financial institutions to eliminate debit card rewards programs that many families used to make the most of their dollars. Now, it appears Senators Durbin and Marshall want to take away credit card rewards programs entirely. Eliminating these programs would strip families of all income levels of the travel rewards and cash back they have come to enjoy.
While credit unions and banks rely on retailers to pay a very small fee (typically 2% of a transaction) to help with the fraud protection of accounts, big-box retailers would prefer the cheapest, often less secure payment processors to control the market.
We know that reduced interchange income will result in less time and fewer resources allocated to protecting members from fraud, issuing replacement cards, and investing in the latest security. Everyone has a role in protecting consumer data, and this legislation does not take this into consideration.
To make matters worse, now there are efforts to attach this credit card legislation to the National Defense Authorization Act, otherwise known as the NDAA. Attaching non-defense legislation to the defense spending bill is a disservice to our military members and their families.
At Space Coast Credit Union, we pride ourselves on our military background and our unparalleled ability to serve those who defend and protect us. We were chartered in 1951 as Patrick Air Force Base Credit Union to serve as a savings institution and create a source of credit for military personnel stationed at the base.
While our name has changed as our footprint has expanded, our mission has remained the same. We exist solely to serve members.
At this time, we have a full-service branch at Patrick Space Force Base and two additional ATMs. We are proud to offer low-cost, responsible financial services to members across Florida’s east coast, from Flagler to Miami-Dade counties.
Efforts to force expensive routing mandates onto Americans, especially through defense legislation, should raise serious concerns. The fact that this legislation has never even been vetted by the appropriate Senate Banking or House Financial Services committees is further proof of how desperate supporters of this legislation truly are.
Historical data proves this legislation is ineffective and unsuccessful at bringing down consumer costs. Rather than proposing new routing mandates that will further hurt consumers at a time when they are already struggling, Congress should preserve the ability for consumers to access affordable credit and rewards programs at community institutions like Space Coast Credit Union.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Timothy M. Antonition is the President and CEO of Space Coast Credit Union, where he has worked to support and grow membership for more than 30 years. He was the credit union’s executive vice president and chief operating officer and is a 25-year credit union veteran, having joined SCCU in 1992. His impressive career has been marked by numerous promotions and accomplishments.
Antonition has his Bachelor of Science from the Florida Institute of Technology and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Central Florida.
Space Coast Credit Union was chartered in 1951 and is headquartered in Melbourne, Florida. The credit union serves more than 370,000 members with assets of over $3.9 billion through a network of 58 branches and over 100 ATMs located throughout Florida and through its website sccu.com.
Space Coast Credit Union is open for membership to anyone who lives or works in the fourteen Florida counties it serves. Locations can be found at sccu.com/locations.
The post Timothy M. Antonition: Americans Will Bear the Cost of the Credit Card Competition Act appeared first on Space Coast Daily.


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PROMATION USA - a world class supplier of capital equipment for micro-electronics manufacturers - has recently launched a "Soldering Technology Initiative" campaign designed to educate industry professionals about the latest technology being introduced into the world of soldering.
PROMATION has taken aim on electronics manufacturers in all industry sectors; to educate individuals and companies on the latest and greatest technologies taking place in the manufacturing industry.
To compliment a few of PROMATION USA's more recent accomplishments such as, the introduction of a new solder tip pressuring monitoring solution available on select robotic soldering systems, heated Nitrogen Kits for Lead-Free Soldering, and much more - PROMATION USA has looked to get companies and individuals (not yet ready to take the plunge into automatic or robotic soldering) to turn their attention towards technologies being used in these automated systems - now becoming available in the manual soldering marketplace.
One of the more recent services available through PROMATION USA, allows customers interested in improving their manual soldering process to take part in a complimentary service that allows companies or individuals to submit solder spools to PROMATION's PROlab for a "perforation service".
"The complimentary Solder Spool Perforation Service" - Mike Goldberg of PROMATION USA states, "gets people thinking about the applicability of these technologies in their common everyday practices".
The concept behind solder wire perforation is to perforate or score the flux-cored solder wire to allow for an improved out-gassing of the inner flux core.
During the soldering process, the flux that has been extruded into the core of the solder wire, performs a specific task of removing oxidation on solder pads and solder leads to prepare the parental substrates for the formation of an inter-metallic bond. Flux, however, is flammable and secretes gasses during this process that can lead to a multitude of different results or faults such as: Solder Joint Pin-holes, Solder Ball Defects, Flux Splatter, and non-activated flux being left on the solder joint.
"The driving theory behind peripheral perforation devices is that they allow the gasses created during the solder process to escape more efficiently reducing defects and allow for an improved bond to take form," continues Mike Goldberg. "The fact that companies and individuals are turned-off from exploring these technologies due to the perceived notion that they are only available on robotic solutions is a serious mistake. Many of our current customers and solder wire suppliers have provided incredible data and feedback on the performance of these types of solutions and we are delighted to now have the opportunity to present these technologies at an affordable and easily attainable price."
Complimentary services like these are designed to open the eyes of industry professionals and remind everyone that there are a plethora of emerging technologies that offer solutions to common well-known industry problems.
"Perforation technology is well on its way to becoming a common technology practice among electronics manufacturers; as its benefits are easily seen and documented during lab testing and real world applications," concludes Mike Goldberg.
PROMATION USA features a full line of perforation technology products - not just on the robotic soldering side - but also on the manual/ hand soldering spectrum.
Perforation Products Include: The QUICK 300 Series Perforation and Respool Station, the QUICK 376DI Semi-Automatic Soldering Station, QUICK 372B Table-Top Perforation Solder Feed Station, and many more.
For more information on solder wire perforation technologies and application specific inquires, please contact PROMATION USA direct at: 1.262.764.4832


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Officials at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have issued an advisory that warns about potential contamination of oysters harvested from Deep Bay harvest area BC 14-8 in British Columbia, Canada. Consumers and retailers are warned to not eat or serve raw oysters harvested from this area due to potential contamination with norovirus.
The FDA alert says they are working with federal, state and local officials along with Canadian public health authorities on a norovirus outbreak linked to raw oysters from British Columbia, Canada.
Currently, illnesses have only been reported in Canada with no known cases of norovirus associated with these oysters reported in the US. The FDA is alerting restaurants, retailers and consumers because it is possible that states received these oysters through distribution to the US.
Contaminated shellfish can cause illness if eaten raw, particularly in people with compromised immune systems. Food contaminated with norovirus may look, smell, and taste normal.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) reported receiving multiple reports of illness linked to the Deep Bay area in Subarea 14-8.
Individuals who order raw oysters from a restaurant should ensure they were not harvested from harvest area BC 14-8. Oysters from harvest area BC 14-8 should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F for 15 seconds to kill potential norovirus.
Symptoms of Norovirus infection may include vomiting and/or diarrhea, nausea, muscle aches, fever, and headache. Symptoms typically start 12 to 48 hours after consumption and can last for one to three days. Most people recover without treatment.
People with Norovirus infection can spread the infection easily to others. To prevent others from getting sick always wash hands carefully with soap and warm water after using the bathroom or changing diapers. Use soap and water to clean toilets or other areas that may be soiled with stool or vomit. Hard surfaces can be disinfected with 1/3 cup household bleach mixed with one gallon of water – always wear gloves when handling bleach-based cleaners. Wash soiled clothing and bedding in hot water and detergent. Soft surfaces that cannot be laundered can be steam cleaned.
A similar situation was reported last year in April which also involved oysters from Deep Bay harvest area BC 14-8.


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Valve's next TF2 update is going to be a biggie, overhauling some of the multiplayer shooter's most iconic weapons and fixing items that have been unbalanced for years. When Valve announced the changes in June (opens in new tab) it didn't say when the update was due. After a blog post (opens in new tab) from the developer yesterday we still don't have a precise date, but we do have a much better idea.
"We're putting the finishing touches on a mammoth new update, and it'll be shipping in the very near future, we promise. How near? Well, very. Imminent. Not this week imminent, but you know. Really soon."
Hmm. The language suggests that it could arrive later this month. I really hope so, because it's the first TF2 update for a while that I'm actually excited about. There's tweaks across the board but some classes, such as the Scout or Spy, are getting a lot of attention (the Scout's triple jump-enabling Atomizer bat is now much less viable, for example), while others like the Demoman are being left mostly alone.
You can read more about the changes in Valve's "sneak peak". (opens in new tab)
Every player will have a different view of the planned changes, but personally I'm looking forward to a nerf to the Spy's Dead Ringer, a cloaking device that players use to feign death that is really frustrating to play against. Ammo kits and dispensers will no longer fill the device's meter, so Spies won't be able to use it as often.
How do you think the changes will impact the game?


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Android continues to roll. Although the last few days have been slightly bumpy for Google–buggy Gmail app angering the faithful, then a Gmail web refresh receiving mixed reviews–at least it can count on its world beating mobile OS to deliver the goods.
According to Nielsen which just reported on Q3 mobile share, Android gained 4% Q/Q, while others stayed flat (Apple iOS) or fell (RIM). When it comes to smartphone vendors, though, Apple still comes out on top with 28% share of the US market.
Is the mobile market saturated?
Of particular interest were the levels of market saturation. With a penetration rate of 62%, 25-34 yr-olds are the most likely to own a smartphone. According to Nielsen, “After younger adults, the segment with the second fastest-growing smartphone penetration rate is those aged 55-64. Smartphone penetration among this older group is only 30 percent, but it jumped 5 percent this quarter.”
What continues to amaze me is that just a few years ago Google was not even a player in the space. That means in a period of about 24-months the company was able to (1) bring to market an open source OS; (2) sign-up significant numbers of partners (HTC, Motorola, Samsung) to design and sell handsets; (3) establish strong presence at point of sale (most notably Verizon in the “early” days); (4) persuade a massive army of developers to build apps; and, most importantly, (5) get consumers excited and ready to buy an Apple smartphone alternative with equal appeal.


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Y C Deveshwar named 'business person of the year' by UK government
02 November 2006
Y C Deveshwar, chairman, ITC Limited, has been named the 'businessperson of the year 2006' by UK Trade & Investment, the UK's overseas businesses promotion body.
Deveshwar received the award from Prince Andrew, duke of York, at the India Business Awards ceremony in Mumbai. The award acknowledges Deveshwar's significant role in promoting Indo-British business relations. As the president of CII, he was a key figure behind the success of Tony Blair's EU-India summit in 2005.


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Toyota is the world’s most reputable company for the year 2008, a study by Reputation Institute, a New York based research firm concluded.
The Japanese company is currently the world’s largest auto maker, ahead of General Motors, the company it overtook since the last two years. Apart from the Toyota brand itself, it also owns other best selling vehicle brands such as Lexus, Scion, and Daihatsu in the form of compact cars, sport utility vehicles and trucks.
Other than the automotive business, Toyota also provides financial services such as financing, equipment leasing and related financial products.
On the second position was Google, which breaks into the top spot for the first time. The world’s largest search engine, which has won numerous business awards in the recent years, came as a little surprise, with the company’s reputation and value rising up almost unstoppable.
Sweden’s IKEA, Italy’s Ferrero and America’s Johnson&Johnson came third, fourth and fifth respectively.
More than 600 largest companies were researched to find those with the best global reputation. Toyota, which is headquartered in Tokyo, Aichi and Nagoya, Japan, was ranked 6th in the last two years - 2006 and 2007. In July 2008, Toyota was named as the world’s 5th largest company in the world, behind Wal-Mart, Exxon Mobil, Shell and BP.


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So-called “Trump coins” are being offered for sale, but in many cases should not be mistaken for rare coins, cautions the Professional Numismatists Guild. In some cases, the items being offered are not even actually coins despite how they’re advertised, according to the PNG.
“Buyers today may be bitterly disappointed tomorrow if they mistakenly thought these kinds of souvenir items would be great investments,” stated PNG Executive Director Robert Brueggeman.
“The so-called ‘Trump coins’ now in the marketplace are either privately issued tokens or medals and not legal tender coins; or are genuine U.S. Mint-produced coins that have been deliberately altered by private parties after they left the Mint; or are coins produced by foreign countries but usually intended only for collectors and not for circulation in those countries,” explained Dana Samuelson, PNG president.
Some of the “Trump coins” being sold to the public are touted as gold- or silver-plated, but PNG cautions that can be confusing or misleading to potential buyers.
“The plating may be simply a microscopically thin layer of silver or gold that’s worth only a dollar or two. These should not be considered as investments in precious metals,” said Brueggeman.
PNG officials recommend that buyers and sellers contact members of their Accredited Precious Metals Dealers program. PNG-APMD members must adhere to a strict code of ethics in the buying and selling of coins and precious metals.
Information about APMD and a directory of accredited dealers can be found at www.APMDdealers.org.
This article was originally printed in Numismatic News Express. >> Subscribe today
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The latest U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) cotton projections for 2010/11 indicate that world cotton mill use is forecast to decrease about 2 percent as prices continue at unprecedented levels amid tight supplies. This season’s modest decline follows 2009/10’s 8-percent increase that followed the global economic crisis.
China and Pakistan, two of the world’s three largest spinners, are projected to have lower cotton mill use in 2010/11. However, with mill use rising in India this season, the combined share of global cotton mill use for the 3 countries remains near last season. In 2004/05, these 3 countries accounted for 59 percent of the world’s cotton mill use; for 2010/11, these countries are projected to contribute more than 67 percent. China’s share dominates, spinning over 40 percent of the global total since 2006/07. Shares for India continue to grow and are expected to reach 18 percent in 2010/11, while Pakistan is forecast to account for around 9 percent.


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On October 9, Patently Apple posted a report titled “Apple Information an Enchantment in Epic Video games Case that would doubtlessly delay modifications to the App Retailer for years.” Then on October 23, we posted one other report titled “Epic Video games has opposed Apple’s Tactic to pause Antitrust Trial Orders that may enable different types of in-app fee techniques on the App Retailer.”
Final evening a brand new report surfaced outlining Apple’s objections to permitting app builders to hyperlink to third-party fee choices forward of a listening to subsequent month that would decide whether or not a set of antitrust court docket orders is placed on pause.
In accordance with Reuters, “After a prolonged trial earlier this 12 months introduced by ‘Fortnite’ creator Epic Video games, U.S. District Courtroom Choose Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers issued a ruling that was largely favorable to Apple. Nevertheless, she ordered Apple to cease its ban on “buttons, exterior hyperlinks, or different calls to motion that direct prospects to buying mechanisms” past Apple’s personal fee techniques.
Apple has till Dec. 9 to implement the order and within the meantime has filed an attraction asking that the decide’s order be placed on maintain whereas the attraction performs out. A listening to on the request is about for Nov. 9.
Apple on Friday for the primary time signaled that its strongest objections are to the necessities to permit buttons and hyperlinks that present a “mechanism” for outdoor funds. The submitting supplied the primary suggestion that Apple objects much less strongly to permitting builders to supply details about different methods to pay.
Apple has said that hyperlinks and buttons hurt its potential to require builders to make use of its in-app funds (IAP), which the court docket upheld.
“Restrictions on linking out are inextricably tied to Apple’s requirement that builders use IAP for purchases of digital content material—a requirement this Courtroom thought of intimately and upheld towards Epic’s problem,” Apple stated. For extra, learn the total Reuters report posted on Yahoo! Finance.


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Atomic Books to expand, open wine and beer bar
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Now in its 21st year, the store has long been known for selling hard-to-find publications and other obscure items. Its record shop, currently located in the back of the bookstore, will move to an expanded area next door to make way for the bar.
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In 2021 the UK’s sales in the retail industry hit £465.25 billion, an increase of £28.5 million from the previous year. We know all too well of the challenging times on the high street, and the ever increasing competition in the world of ecommerce, so here are three statistics to help you prepare your online retail business:
1. 48% of shoppers abandoned their cart and purchased from a competitor after a poorly personalised experience.
Website personalisation is an emerging B2B ecommerce trend, however, in the world of B2C this has long been ‘a must have’. According to data from Forbes, 80% of consumers are more likely to purchase from brands offering personalised experiences and are willing to pay up to a 16% price premium for it.
Additionally, an estimated 87% of shoppers will abandon a cart if a checkout process is too complicated. Having a less complicated address form in your website, that quickly populates, will help reduce cart abandonment as well as increasing conversion.
2. Only 17% of customers would trust a company who had misused personal data.
Consumer concerns are growing over data governance. The Customer State of Mind survey expresses that 60% of consumers are uneasy at the prospect of companies using their personal data for analytics. Already this year we’ve witnessed two major breaches of the GDPR from both British Airways and Marriott International. These two companies are facing a combined penalty of £282 million.
Taking extra precautions to protect and keep your customer data accurate will help avoid disasters such as misdeliveries and unsolicited marketing. This contributes to consumer trust and customer retention. Furthermore, 54% of customers aged below 26 years would spend more money with companies whom they trust with their personal data. This reinforces the connection between trust and willingness to spend more.
3. UK ecommerce fraud hit nearly £400 million in 2018.
According to UK Finance, the above figure accounted for 78% of card not present (CNP) fraud, which has been fuelled by an ongoing data breach epidemic. The 2017 Equifax data breach affected a total of 209,000 payment card numbers and expiration dates. Understandably, 71% of internet users are worried their personal data could be used to commit fraud against them if stolen in a breach.
Validating customer payments with accurate data will ultimately help your business to mitigate the risk of fraud and erroneous payments. Subsequently, this will save you time and money whilst instilling your customers with confidence.
, updated 24th May 2023.


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Alphabet Rides Advertising Strength to New
Bloomington PantagraphAlphabet Rides Advertising Strength to New HighsBloomington PantagraphAdvertising comprised the bulk of Google's revenue, as usual, rising 18.8% year over year, to $21.411 billion. Within that, ad revenue from Google sites rose 21.5%, to $17.403 billion, with the largest contributor being healthy growth from mobile search.Alphabet Earnings Up as Ads Surge on YouTube and Mobile DevicesFortuneOnce again, Alphabet made a lot of money on Google advertising and this time Wall Street is thrilledQuartzGoogle's search for non-ad revenue puts spotlight on cloud, PixelReutersThe Straits Times -TheStreet.com -Silicon UKall 381 news articles »
Posted on 28 April 2017 | 5:29 pm
The "Fearless Girl" statue netted
Marketplace.orgThe "Fearless Girl" statue netted $7.4 million in free advertisingMarketplace.orgTurns out, the "Fearless Girl" statue is not just a feminist symbol, it's also generated millions in free advertising for the financial firm that commissioned it. Apex Marketing crunched the numbers and found that since State Street Global Advisors ...and more »
Posted on 28 April 2017 | 12:11 pm
Walsh New Business Manager at PM Advertising
Walsh New Business Manager at PM AdvertisingBloodHorse.com (press release) (registration) (blog)PM Advertising announced today the hiring of Caroline Walsh as business manager of the Lexington, Ky., agency. In this newly-created role, Walsh will work closely with PM's management team in the areas of new business development, project management ...
Posted on 28 April 2017 | 11:38 am
Blockchain Tracker: Blockchain's Role In
PYMNTS.comBlockchain Tracker: Blockchain's Role In Digital AdvertisingPYMNTS.comOn the tip of everyone's tongue in the digital advertising arena is blockchain technology. Just as recent as this January, ethereum-based blockchain technology company adChain partnered up with decentralized application studio ConsenSys with the goal ...and more »
Posted on 28 April 2017 | 8:01 am
'I'm just wired differently': Why
'I'm just wired differently': Why advertising seems to have so many ...DigidayGrowing up, Rich Silverstein had a tough time. The ad legend, who is co-chairman and partner at Goodby Silverstein and Partners, struggled through most of his ...and more »
Posted on 27 April 2017 | 9:03 pm
SPONSOR MESSAGE: Guide To Social Advertising
Social advertising challenges a brand to think differently about both social engagement and advertising. It requires marketers to appeal to the prospect in new ways. This Grande Guide from Oracle Eloqua is about advertising in the social media sphere- what ...
Posted on 27 August 2015 | 4:51 am
More Advertising Opportunities Come to
On Thursday, Growmobile — Perion’s social and mobile marketing division — announced the support of Instagram advertising through its mobile user acquisition platform. Growmobile was one of the first Facebook Marketing Partners to receive early access ...
Posted on 27 August 2015 | 3:11 am
AT&T Tries Injecting Extra Online
Users browsing the web through one of AT&T's WiFi hotspots recently may have noticed a few extra ads online. The company was using its WiFi service to inject ads on top of those that websites already run, according to Stanford University computer science ...
Posted on 27 August 2015 | 2:50 am
BuzzFeed in first global advertising deal
Deal, worth tens of millions of dollars, will give WPP agencies and clients unprecedented access to the digital news organisation BuzzFeed has entered the big leagues of advertising, striking its first global agency deal with Sir Martin Sorrell’s WPP ...
Posted on 27 August 2015 | 2:14 am
UK's Advertising Authority Brings Down Its
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the UK's independent regulator for advertising across all media, has recently taken an interesting stance on some F2P tactics when it ruled that the way some F2P games directly pressure children to make in-game ...
Posted on 27 August 2015 | 2:04 am


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Are you an Android developer? If so, now you can whip out apps in Firebase. The company, which lets you create interactive apps with only frontend code via the Firebase API platform, announced support for Android in a blog post last week.
Apple's iOS Camera APIs make the iPhone a manual camera—for third party developers. Fleksy to be early out of the gate on iOS 8, but could use more APIs. Plus: Australian startup says it owns the "HealthKit" name, and Contract Logix a API integration.


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A new-style South African start-up accelerator has changed the traditional business model by not taking any equity in new tech businesses.
“There are a number of reasons that we have decided to go with a no equity approach. First, it is a better deal for the entrepreneur,” Paul Smith, co-founder and CEO of Ignitor told Fin24.
Traditional accelerators take up to 20% equity in start-ups as reward for investing in new businesses. They usually make profit when they sell their shares in subsequent rounds of funding.
But Smith said that their model reduced the potential for mercenary start-ups looking to exploit funders.
“There is really only an upside in getting involved in a programme and this means we can attract better quality entrepreneurs. With jobs being a major problem in this country, we believe that any accelerator that can consistently help launch successful companies will not have a problem finding sponsors.”
Standard Bank, First National Bank and Microsoft are major sponsors of Ignitor which attracted a large number of participants at a look-see phase of the programme.
“Over 400 entrepreneurs have attended our three day Bootcamp, which we use to select participants,” said Smith.
Around 10% of the businesses that joined Ignitor have seen some success, he added.
“We have had a little over 40 businesses go through the accelerator and have helped 30 turn their ideas into profitable businesses: That is they are past breakeven and the founder is taking a salary.”
Ignitor allows an exit after 12 weeks of coaching to find profitability in small businesses, but is open to continued support to help grow small companies.
“Our aim is to help entrepreneurs get to breakeven, or be on their way to breakeven, as well as, find a profitable business model that will allow them to keep growing after they exit the programme,” said Smith.
Entrepreneurs are usually expected to sign exclusivity agreements when engaging with start-up accelerators. Recently, Cape Town group developed an audio widget that is intended to help the BBC disseminate its radio content in SA.
But that innovation is subject to a specific agreement that gives the UK-based news organisation rights to develop the technology exclusively.
“We require no exclusivity agreements with the businesses that we engage. The only requirement is that the companies keep in touch with us so that we can monitor revenue, profitability and job creation figures for reporting purposes,” said Smith.
Johannesburg incubator applications close in June and July, while the next round for the Cape Town leg is yet to be confirmed.


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Hero MotoCorp surged 6.73% to Rs 2094.35 after the two-wheeler major announced re-opening more than 1500 customer touchpoints including authorized dealerships and service centers.
These outlets contribute to around 30% of the company's total domestic retail sales. Around 10,000 units of motorcycles and scooters have already been sold since the re-opening of these customer touch points, the company said in a release.
All of Hero MotoCorp's manufacturing facilities across the globe had halted operations since 22 March 2020 as a precautionary preventive measure against COVID-19. Accordingly, there were no vehicles manufactured and dispatched to dealers in the month of April 2020, the company had informed on 4 May 2020.
The company reported a consolidated net profit to Rs 901.81 crore for Q3 December 2019, up by 16.3% from net profit of Rs 775.26 crore in the same period last year. Net sales declined year-on-year 10.9% to Rs 7074.53 crore in Q3 December 2019.
Hero MotoCorp is a motorcycle and scooter manufacturer. The company is the largest two-wheeler manufacturer in the world.
The stock has added 9.1% in the past one month while the S&P BSE Auto index has gained 5.4% during the same period.
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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)


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(hennemusic) Metallica are streaming audio of a pre-production rehearsal version of their 1991 classic, "Holier Than Thou", from the forthcoming expanded reissue of their self-titled fifth album.
Recorded live during pre-production rehearsals at Bayview Studios in Richmond, CA on October 4th, 1990, the track is featured on the "Pre-Production Rehearsals" CD included in the Remastered Deluxe Box Set of The Black Album.
The Limited Edition Deluxe Box Set containing the remastered album on 180G 2LP, a picture disc, three live LPs, 14 CDs (containing rough mixes, demos, interviews, live shows), 6 DVDs (containing outtakes, behind the scenes, official videos, live shows), a 120-page hardcover book, four tour laminates, three lithos, three guitar picks, a Metallica lanyard, a folder with lyric sheets, and a download card).
The reissue will be available in multiple configurations on September 10, including 180 gram Double Vinyl LP, Standard CD and 3 CD Expanded Edition, and digital formats.
"Metallica" delivered the California band's commercial breakthrough as their first record to top the US charts while going on to sell 16 million copies in the country and more than 31 million worldwide.
Metallica are currently scheduled to appear at a series of US festivals late this year, beginning at Kentucky's Louder Than Life event in September; they recently announced a new November 6 date at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA, with general public tickets available Friday, July 16. Stream the song


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atWith the Euro 2016 tournament just around the corner, hotels haven't wasted any time increasing their room rates.
In fact, the average room price in the ten host cities during the period – June 10th to July 10th – has shot up by 80 percent, according to a study from consumers group UFC Que Choisir.
The stats compare the prices on match day, and on the same day one week earlier.
It means that a couple will pay €167 for a room on a game day, compared to just €93 a week earlier.
The study pointed out some examples of hotels that had grossly upped their prices, including the Best Western in Marseille, which raised prices by over 1,100 percent for a match night.
The Hotel Ibis at Saint-Denis Stade Ouest had rooms up 946 percent on the week before.
So surely fans can opt for a more sensibly priced home rental, right?
Wrong! Another survey, released by holiday comparison site Likibu, has found that these sites have also jacked up their prices, this time by 54 percent.
These prices were especially bad in cities like Lille at a 71 percent hike, Toulouse at 60 percent, and Lyon at 53 percent.
In Paris, the prices only went up 12 percent, as football fans have plenty of other options when it comes to short term rentals.
The study found that Paris would have an 88 percent occupancy rate in its rentals – ten percent higher than normal.
Bordeaux and Lyon, meanwhile, will see jumps to 90 percent, from an offpeak rate of 73 and 72 percent respectively.
The Euro 2016 tournament will see 51 matches played in French cities: Bordeaux, Lens, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Paris, Saint-Denis, Saint-Étienne, and Toulouse.
Accommodation for fans has already caused a few headaches, especially after Uefa announced it would be teaming up with vacation rental site Abritel HomeAway as its “official fan accommodation service”.
The move prompted hotel unions to threaten to stop paying tourist taxes over the period of the tournament in frustration that the rental site still doesn't.