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Kendall Roy’s new watch on the latest and final season of Succession is hardly a quiet luxury.
The Roy scion — who on earlier seasons favored timepieces by more traditional makers like Vacheron Constantin and Patek Philippe — is now rocking a much flashier item on his wrist: a sporty RM 67-01 by Richard Mille that qualifies as a ten-table watch (meaning a watch that’s ostentatious enough to be noticeable by people 10 tables away at a restaurant).
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The watch is hardly there by mistake. Its presence signals the new chapter in Kendall’s life as he and brother Roman take the reins of their father’s company, and it was personally chosen by actor Jeremy Strong after an exec at Richard Mille sent it to him. “Those are all things that I do on my own because those details just feel really important to me, and so I take initiative in that area,” Strong told GQ last February, regarding his wardrobe choices for the character. (Among the ambassadors of Richard Mille is Michelle Yeoh, who donned a diamond-covered RM 07-02 Sapphire watch to the 2023 Academy Awards where she won the Oscar for best actress.)
Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun) is sporting a new watch as well on season four, a choice that Danny Milton, managing editor of the watch news website Hodinkee, consulted on. “Cousin Greg, I think, is everyone’s sort of favorite character,” Milton tells The Hollywood Reporter, “and through a few conversations we ended up giving him a Rolex GMT ‘Pepsi’ on a Jubilee bracelet, the modern ‘Pepsi’ GMT.” Greg’s new timepiece is a follow-up to the Rolex he bought at a party at an overinflated price in a previous season. “I think one of the coolest Rolex watches in existence right now is that Jubilee ‘Pepsi’ Rolex,” adds Milton. “It just strikes me as Greg possibly leveling up. He’s the kind of guy who has gone from blindly buying a Rolex to actively understanding what he wants — that’s kind of the thinking behind it.”
Costume designers on films and television shows don’t generally choose the watches seen onscreen. “Watches fall under the prop master’s purview,” explains Milton. “Everything that anyone can touch onscreen is put there by the prop master or their team, and that’s not a role that gets recognition at the Oscars. They’re unsung heroes.”
On Succession, the job of choosing the watches falls to prop master Monica Jacobs. She recently told Esquire that she’s been flattered by how much attention is paid to what the show’s characters are wearing on their wrists, even to the point of the watch-collecting community calling out what’s seen in paparazzi shots taken during filming. “I started seeing so many [people] that were only excited by the watch. Like, ‘Oh my god, we saw Tom walking out filming, and he’s wearing the Audemars!’ That’s what they’re looking at? It’s pretty exciting, to be like, I did that,” said Jacobs.
For this season of Succession, Milton also worked with Jacobs on choosing watches for the PR duo of Carolina (Dagmara Dominczyk) and Hugo (Fisher Stevens). Hugo wears a Panerai Radiomir, while Carolina can be spotted with “a vintage Vacheron Constantin,” says Milton. “It’s an asymmetrical watch from the ’70s with a Roman numeral dial. It’s really cool.” Over the course of the show, devoted watch spotters have also chronicled that Logan Roy has worn such timepieces as a Breguet Classique and a Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous, while Shiv Roy mostly wears Cartier Panthères and Pashas and Roman Roy favors Rolexes (though he was recently seen in an IWC Pilot’s Watch Mark XX (which retails for $6,150)
Milton writes Hodinkee’s regular “Watching Movies” column (among other stories on the website), in which he chronicles timepieces spotted in films, such as Ke Huy Quan’s Casio in Everything Everywhere All at Once and Daniel Craig’s Omega Seamaster in Glass Onion.
He’s also consulted on watches seen in Confess, Fletch (a Rolex Daytona 1680 sourced from Hodinkee’s vintage store, worn by Jon Hamm), and on the upcoming season two of And Just Like That. For the latter, he says, “We recently were able to source a vintage Speedmaster for one of the love interests on the show. We went with a watch that had a lot of patina and a lot of character. It looks like a well-loved, well-worn kind of watch.”
Milton also talks with THR about his personal favorite timepieces that he saw at the recent Watches & Wonders fair in Geneva, Switzerland, and names his fave movie watch ever.
Milton’s Favorite Watch in a Film
“My all-time favorite movie watch is a watch that’s been in multiple movies,” says Milton. “It is a Rolex Red Submariner reference 1680 that was famously Robert Redford’s personal watch, and he wore it in at least three films: The Candidate, All the President’s Men and The Electric Horseman. That’s sort of the Red Submariner trilogy. What’s great about that watch is it’s his watch, but he’s always prominently wearing it. And I don’t know this for sure, but he still owns the watch. It’s one of those ones I’m waiting for it to surface. I imagine at some point, knowing his philanthropic endeavors, that it would be something that would hit an auction block at some point. It’s one of those legendary watches for me.”
Spotting an Anachronistic Movie Watch
“The Big Short is a funny film because it takes place at the time of the 2007-2008 economic crisis. But in the film, Steve Carell’s character wears a ceramic Submariner, and those watches didn’t exist yet. It’s one of those movies where when if you love watches, it can distract you a bit, you know, from what you’re seeing. That watch does get some good screen time. It’s kinda in your face.”
Famously Unidentifiable Movie Watches
Asked to name an onscreen watch that bedevils watch spotters to this day, Milton names the timepiece that Humphrey Bogart wears in Casablanca. “You can pause that film all you want,” he says and still not be able to identify it. Milton believes the legendary star was wearing one of three watches in the film. “It’s either two types of Longines or possibly it’s a Lord Elgin. It’s obviously not a circular watch. It’s square or curved in some way. There’s a very high likelihood that it was [Bogart’s] watch … that he walked into Warner Bros. with his Longines on his wrist and, you know, never took it off.”
Milton is also interested in nailing exactly which black watch Dustin Hoffman wore in 1979’s Kramer vs. Kramer but admits that the answer so far has eluded him. “I’m a ’70s movie nut and any movie from that era really speaks to me,” says Milton. “He’s wearing what we think is a LeJour chronograph in black PVD. But there were a ton of brands producing black PVD from Heuer to LeJour to Porsche Design. So it’s really difficult to narrow it down even though we think that we got pretty close.”
Milton’s Picks of the Best New Watches of 2023
“A big favorite of mine was the gold GMT from Rolex on the Jubilee bracelet just because they have not done the gold Jubilee since the ’80s and ’90s really. I love what TAG Heuer did this year. They are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Carrera, and they came out with a 39mm chronograph that’s a refreshed redesign of one of their core models. It’s compact, and I love it. It feels like I’m wearing a vintage watch on my wrist, but when I look at it, it still has that feel of a robust modern watch,” shares Milton.
He also notes the number of watch brands that debuted timepieces in smaller diameters this year. “Panerai released an entire line of 40mm Radiomir watches. As someone who has kind of smaller wrists, that’s a much more appealing offering to me. [And] Tudor released a 37mm Black Bay 54 this year which is a watch I think nobody asked for or knew they wanted. And all of a sudden, we’re all putting it on our wrists and saying, ‘Whoa, a 37mm watch based on a heritage diver of the past. It’s amazing.'”
Another trend? Salmon-dial watches. “Salmon dials are having a serious moment. This year, you saw Bulgari do one, while the Chopard Alpine Eagle with the L.U.C. movement inside, and the salmon dial is a really beautiful piece.”
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GCash, the leading mobile wallet in the Philippines, has strengthened its partnership with the Department of Transportation-Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (DOTR-LTFRB) to promote cashless payments in the transportation sector, as the government implements more stringent health and safety measures amid the implementation of a more lenient community quarantine in certain areas.
Through this partnership, GCash will empower taxi drivers to accept digital payments through the revolutionary Scan to Pay (STP) via QR technology of GCash. Through this platform, GCash users only need to scan the unique QR code of the taxi unit they are riding to pay for their metered fare.
GCash is also offering the GCash PowerPay+ solution to taxi operators. This platform is a funds disbursement facility that enables companies to send out salary, allowances and commissions via GCash to their employees or members nationwide.
Aside from lessening the security risk in cash handling, the GCash’s payments and disbursement facilities promote transparency, accountability, and is much safer than cash, which, just like any other surface, is found to harbor bacteria and viruses for days.
“GCash strongly supports the government’s call for the use of mobile payments to lessen the risk of spreading COVID-19 through surfaces such as paper money. We laud the strong and wise decision of DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade and LTFRB Chairman Martin Delgra III in implementing the cashless payments program, as we move forward to the new normal,” GCash Head of Payments Jovitt Bajar said.
Taxi operators, under LTFRB Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 2020-018, are allowed to resume operations in areas under General Community Quarantine (GCQ). They are required to accept digital payments to promote cashless transactions.
GCash is now collaborating with various taxi operators nationwide to implement this new normal. GCash offers taxi operators and drivers a reliable platform that will allow them to comply with the new rules for the new normal, while also promoting financial inclusion for their drivers.
Aside from being a mobile wallet, GCash provides its users democratized access to different financial tools and services such as savings through GSave, credit facilities through GCredit, insurance through GCash Insurance, and investments through Invest Money.
GCash users may also use their GCash accounts to pay for their transactions both online and offline, transact with over 70,000 billers and merchants, as well as transfer funds to over 40 banks in the country. The App can now be accessed by Globe and TM users even without load and for non-smartphone users through *143#.0
“The implementation of cashless transactions for transportation in the new normal promotes greater accountability, transparency, and efficiency. It also allows drivers to participate in the financial landscape through financial technology. As a strong government partner, GCash fully supports this initiative and we are more than willing to pour in more support to other government endeavors,” Bajar said.
Globe Fintech Innovations Inc. (Mynt), which operates GCash, is part of the portfolio companies of 917Ventures, the largest corporate incubator in the Philippines wholly-owned by Globe Telecom Inc.

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Hungary's retail sales increased more than economists expected in January, data released by the Central Statistical Office showed Monday.
Retail sales volume increased a seasonally and calendar-adjusted 0.6 percent year-on-year in January, faster than the 0.1 percent growth economists forecast. The rate of growth was, however, slower than the 1.6 percent rise seen in December, which was revised up from 1.5 percent.
Retail sales of food, beverages and tobacco rose 1.1 percent annually, while sales of non-food products advanced 2 percent. There was an 8.4 percent year-on-year rise in clothing and footwear sales during the month, and a 2.2 percent decline in sales of automotive fuel.
On a monthly basis, retail sales decreased a seasonally adjusted 0.2 percent in January, reversing the previous month's 0.1 percent increase, the agency said.
by RTT Staff Writer
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GROWTH in retail prices for building materials in Metro Manila continued in May to reach their highest level in more than 13 years, driven by the rising cost of imports and the reopening of the economy.
According to preliminary data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, the Retail Building Materials Price Index (CMRPI) in the National Capital Region (NCR) rose 6.2% year on year in May, compared to 6.1% posted in April and the growth rate of 1.2% year on year. earlier.
The 6.2% rate was the highest for building material prices in Metro Manila since the 7.4% growth recorded in January 2009.
The May 2022 result was also consistent with February 2009 retail building materials price growth.
This brought the NCR’s CMRPI for the first five months to 4.7% from 1.2% in the prior year period.
Security Bank Corp. chief economist Robert Dan J. Roces attributed May’s increase to the cost of imported building materials, which is rising due to supply chain issues, the reopening of the economy also adding to inflationary pressures.
“However, it may also be a function of the reopening story, which is doing well, and with activity at or very close to pre-pandemic levels,” Roces said in an email interview.
Global oil and commodity prices started rising even before Russia invaded Ukraine in February. The invasion eventually pushed oil prices above $100 a barrel.
Another factor is China’s Covid containment policy, which has caused congestion at the world’s busiest port of Shanghai. It has also stalled operations in key technology and financial hubs, dampening activity in the manufacturing and trade sectors.
China’s coronavirus countermeasures have hurt its economy.
Metro Manila and other parts of the Philippines have been placed under Alert Level 1, the most relaxed quarantine setting, since March.
Growth in building materials retail prices for most product groups accelerated in May, led by joinery materials, where prices rose 2.1% in May, versus the rate of growth in 1.5% recorded in April.
Retail prices in the following categories also increased: masonry materials (3.9% vs. 3.3%), paint materials and related compounds (4.1% vs. 3.7%) and materials tinsmithing (8.3% compared to 8.1%).
Price growth for plumbing materials and electrical materials remained unchanged from the previous month at 7.9% and 4%, respectively.
Price growth for miscellaneous building materials slowed to 10.2% in May from 10.6% in April.
Retail construction prices reflect demand from small-scale construction projects, including DIY builders and small contractors.
Construction activity should continue to pick up assuming there is no longer a lockdown, Mr Roces said. — Abigail Marie Pelea Yraola


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It’s no secret that energy-hungry indoor grows have a heavy environmental cost. In Canada, it is estimated that cannabis cultivation ate up the same amount of energy as 1.7 million homes — and that figure comes from 2017, before the country’s federal legalization of marijuana.
At least one company is taking steps towards addressing the problem. Freedom Cannabis, which is expecting its first crop this December, has installed what representatives describe as one of the largest solar operations in the country, comprised of 4,574 solar modules equipped to produce at best, 1,830 kilowatts, an offset of 1,041 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Freedom has also installed a system to recycle 80 percent of the water employed by the company’s agricultural process.
“It is our responsibility to recognize our industry’s impact on the environment and work to do everything we can to minimize it,” said the company’s co-founder and executive director Troy Dezwart. He added that cannabis is one of the world’s most energy intensive industries, and that by installing the solar panels, Freedom will be saving money.
Saving Energy Comes at a High Cost
But though the vast solar installation certainly makes sense for our planet’s bottom line, its effect on the company’s may not be as positive, given a cursory glance at the numbers. The total installation ran Freedom Cannabis $2.5 million, but will account for only an estimated $300,000 savings off its power bill for the first year. (That installation cost, however, was offset by a $1 million grant from Energy Efficiency Alberta.) The solar panels will account for eight percent of the building’s overall energy consumption.
Canada requires its legal marijuana companies to produce their crops indoors, necessitating creativity when it comes to cutting costs — particularly if they are to compete with the country’s still-present illegal industry, where an estimated 70 percent of cannabis is grown outdoors.
It’s not the only country where the cannabis industry needs to take steps to reduce its environmental impact. In the United States, it is estimated that in 2017 the legal cannabis industry consumed the equivalent energy of 92,500 homes, and generated 472,000 tons of electricity-related carbon. Research agency New Frontier Data forecasts that between 2017 and 2022, legal cannabis company energy consumption will increase by 162 percent.
The problem is not limited to indoor grows. In California, studies have shown that outdoor grows have disrupted wildlife habitats, particularly trespass grows that have been constructed on pristine public and tribal lands.
Some of the response to legal cannabis’ pollution problem has been taken on by government regulatory agencies. In New Mexico, one of the most recent U.S. states to regulate recreational marijuana, a government committee has been established to hammer out regulations, including rules regarding water usage by companies.
In Michigan, the state’s marijuana regulatory agency has determined regulations regarding everything from water usage to air quality and solid waste disposal for cannabis companies.
Some cannabis companies have also launched their own initiatives to minimize their footprint. Some of these have focused on excess cannabis packaging, which is often required by government regulations to reduce the risk of kids accessing marijuana products. In Washington, one dispensary chain has created a marijuana waste recycling program, complete with customer incentives.


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PC Jeweller to raise up to $111 million from IPO
REUTERS - Jewellery retailer PC Jeweller Ltd plans to raise up to $111 million through an initial public offering opening (IPO) on December 10.
PC Jeweller said it would offer 45.1 million shares, or about a quarter of its equity capital, in the IPO. It set a price band of between 125 rupees and 135 rupees a share.
At the upper end of the price band, the issue will raise 6.09 billion rupees, and 5.64 billion rupees at the lower end.
The company has reserved 358,500 shares for its employees, and will give a discount of 5 rupees a share to employees and retail investors, it said in a statement.
SBI Capital Markets Ltd and Kotak Mahindra Capital Co Ltd are the lead advisers for the share sale, which closes on December 12.
(Reporting by Devidutta Tripathy; Editing by Anand Basu)
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The Supreme Court reinstated a ban on gay sex in the world's largest democracy, following a four-year period of decriminalisation that had helped bring homosexuality into the open in the socially conservative country. Full Article


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Siri's had a rough ride since its launch with the iPhone 4S in October.
When the phone launched, the 4S was universally deemed the best iPhone yet, and Siri one of its shining features. Hackers even jumped on the chance to bend Siri to their will. But since then, Siri excitement has waned, and disappointed fans have taken to the courts to vent their spleen against her creator.
And now it looks like Apple employees are also upset that Siri hasn't yet matured into the digital assistant of our dreams. "People are embarrassed by Siri," a former Apple employee told Fortune. "Steve would have lost his mind over Siri."
How Jobs would have reacted to Siri complaints and its evolution, only those closest to the former Apple CEO could know. But is the general anti-Siri sentiment justified?
"Siri is a useful service if you form your queries correctly and understand what the service can do. But many people expect Siri to be more robust than it is," Gartner analyst Brian Blau told Wired via e-mail. "So for these types of voice services, there really needs to be some education on the part of the consumer."
But if the consumer's education is limited to the star-studded Siri advertisements they see on TV, their disappointment may be deserved. Case in point: A number of people hit Apple with class-action lawsuit that argues Siri doesn't actually perform like it does in Apple TV spots. "Many times advertisements are aspirational and their goal is to lead to customer engagement," Blau said. "But maybe Apple missed the mark with this one."
Apple lawyers have since filed to dismiss the suit, saying the plaintiffs' complaints were incomplete, vague, and "highly individualized."
Also, it's important to note that Siri is still a beta product, "so clearly there's going to be some user experiences that differ," Gartner analyst Michael Gartenberg told Wired via email.
Nonetheless, Siri has been around for well over six months now, and we haven't seen any major updates to either its performance or capabilities. For a product in beta, you'd expect at least occasional tweaks and additions. And Siri didn't even make it onto the third-generation iPad (but there are plenty of good reasons why it would be challenging or impractical to bring the feature to non-phone devices).
Blau and Gartenberg both expect Apple to continue to improve Siri through future updates, as Apple seems very committed to the feature. But will we not see any improvements until iOS 6? "I think Apple is holding off for iOS 6," web developer and Siri hacker Pete Lamonica told Wired. "They're not really the type to introduce new functionality between major OS releases, even when they could (like with Siri)."
Competitors like Samsung are starting to emulate Apple's voice-powered assistant, and if Apple doesn't push out some killer updates soon, Siri could lose its sparkle.
I don't know if Jobs would have "lost his mind" over Siri, but I can't imagine he'd be peachy with the state she's in now.


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There’s also a second chance draw where a lucky pizza fanatic can win their own pizza party every week for an entire year.
So, just how do we get a pizza this? Well, on May 20th ahead of the federal election the following day, gather some friends to celebrate National Pizza Party Day and heading over to Pizza Hut’s website. When you order your favourite slices, give the digital ‘spin to win’ wheel a whirl.
By partaking, you will instantly have a one-in-three chance to nab some nifty prizes – including exclusive merchandise, large deep-pan pizzas, and more.
Pizza Hut Australia’s Director of Marketing & Digital, Simon Stocks said: "With National Pizza Party Day coming up, we want Pizza Hut lovers across the country to come together with friends and family to celebrate and share the good times through pizza.
"We know there's no need to have an excuse to throw a Pizza Hut pizza party, but this time around there's the added bonus of a load of very cool prizes. There really isn't anything better to do than to chuck on some tunes, call your mates and enjoy a couple of slices. It's National Pizza Party Day. It would be rude not to."
The competition is valid from Friday 20th to Sunday 29th May. For more information, visit the Pizza Hut website.


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A recent online survey in which over a thousand Australians participated show that dogs are the most popular pet, followed by cats and fish. The survey, commissioned by Coles Supermarkets and conducted by Evolve Research, also showed that two in five buy their pets from shops that offer pets for sale, and that only 10 percent of Australia’s pets have been adopted from shelters.
After dogs, cats and fish, the most popular pets among the survey takers were birds, rabbits and guinea pigs. More than 50% allowed their pets to sleep on the bed (I assume there are few fish owners in this group) and roughly 30% sing to their pet. The survey takers spent an average of $58 a month on pet food, and purchased pet health products, pet medical care and pet accessories for $550 last year. Nearly one in five admitted to watching a TV show they believe their pets like, and 17% carry a picture of their pet in their wallet. One in five has taken a sick day to care for a pet.
A lot of this probably boils down to the fact that 83% of survey takers feel that their pet makes them happy when they feel down, and nearly 70% believe that their pet can sense their mood.
A large chunk of the survey takers turned out to be fond of giving their pets gifts and other special treats. Nearly 25% cooked special meals for their animal companions, 46% bought Christmas gifts for them and 40% purchased spontaneous presents. A minority even bought Valetine’s gifts for their pets.
On a related note, the Australian Companion Animal Council has called for pets to be included as a normal part of evacuation procedures in the wake of the recent Queensland flooding.
“We understand that in some situations there has been very little time to prepare for the disasters that have affected communities and priority has to be given to ensuring people are safe,” says Council President Dr Kersti Seksel. “But, ironically, in not allowing pets into evacuation centres, people’s lives are being put at risk.”
Rather than heading for an evacuation center that won’t accept animals, many Australian pet owners choose to stay at home since they do not want to leave their pets to fend for themselves during a flood or cyclone.
“We simply have to include pets in evacuation procedures,” Seksel explains. “At a time of great stress, people are being asked to make the impossible choice of leaving family pets behind and they are just not prepared to do it.”
Lifeline* spokesperson Chris Wagner says that maintaining contact with pets during a natural disaster can provide vital support and companionship.
“This is especially true for children who can be significantly impacted by crisis and can benefit from a ‘friend’ they can connect with,” says Wagner.
In the United States, the House of Representatives passed the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The law requires states wanting federal emergency assistance to include pets and service animals in their evacuation plans.
* Lifeline is an organization that provides crisis support, suicide prevention and mental health support services. As a part of their crisis support, they help communities recover after large traumatic events, such as cyclones, flooding and earthquakes.


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A pair of Democratic state lawmakers on Thursday called for a ban on internet sales of vaping products amid illnesses believed to be linked to their use.
The measure is backed by Senate Health Committee Chairman Gustavo Rivera and Assemblywoman Amy Paulin and would, in essence, treat e-cigarettes and other vaping devices to the same standard of distribution and sale for tobacco products online.
“The alarming public health incidents involving vaping confirm the worst nightmares of parents who were already alarmed by the increased use of Juul and other vape pens by teenagers,” Paulin said.
“I have heard from student activists in my district who tell me that it is far easier to obtain electronic cigarettes and other vaping products from Internet retailers than to go to a physical store, since websites make only a rudimentary attempt to verify age. It simply makes no sense that you’re prohibited from buying addictive tobacco cigarettes online, but you can buy addictive electronic cigarettes online.”
The proposal comes as Gov. Andrew Cuomo has banned the sale of flavored tobacco products through executive action, which is being challenged in court by the vaping industry. The challenge won a delay in the implementation of the ban as the court case is being heard.
Cuomo and lawmakers, meanwhile, are promising legislative action next year on the issue. The state’s first death attributed to vaping use was reported this week: A 17-year-old resident in the Bronx.


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Fort Lauderdale, FL - Pool Deck Pros, a renowned pool remodeling company, is proud to announce its commitment to providing affordable and high-quality solutions to homeowners in Fort Lauderdale and surrounding areas. With a reputation for excellence in the industry, Pool Deck Pros is dedicated to helping homeowners transform their pools into stunning outdoor spaces without breaking the bank. With their innovative techniques and unmatched expertise, Pool Deck Pros is poised to be the go-to choice for homeowners seeking top-tier pool remodeling services in Fort Lauderdale.
Pool Deck Pros is committed to delivering unparalleled services to its clients, offering a wide range of pool remodeling solutions tailored to each client's unique needs. The company has a team of skilled professionals who deliver top-notch services that exceed clients' expectations.
"Our mission at Pool Deck Pros is to help homeowners create their dream pool space," said a spokesperson for the company. "We understand that a pool is not just an ordinary feature in a home; it's a place for relaxation, entertainment, and family bonding. That's why we strive to provide our client's customized pool remodeling solutions that meet their needs and budget."
Pool Deck Pros' comprehensive pool remodeling services include pool resurfacing, pool tile and coping replacement, pool remodeling, and many more. The company uses high-quality materials to ensure its clients receive durable and long-lasting results.
At Pool Deck Pros, the team is passionate about transforming outdated and worn-out pools into beautiful, functional outdoor living spaces. With their expertise and attention to detail, they can create a pool area that matches their client's style and personality.
"We pride ourselves on delivering outstanding pool remodeling services that transform our clients' pools from drab to fab," the spokesperson continued. "Our team works closely with our clients to ensure their vision for their pool area is brought to life. We take every project seriously, no matter the size or complexity, and strive to deliver exceptional results."
The company's commitment to quality, customer satisfaction, and affordability has made them the go-to pool remodeling company in Ft. Lauderdale. They have built a reputation for providing reliable and trustworthy services that exceed clients' expectations.
In addition to their comprehensive pool remodeling services, Pool Deck Pros also offers pool maintenance and repair services to ensure their clients' pools remain pristine. The company's team of experts has the knowledge and experience to handle any pool-related issues that may arise, making them a one-stop shop for all pool-related needs.
Pool Deck Pros is the go-to choice for exceptional pool remodeling services as homeowners in Fort Lauderdale and surrounding areas look to revamp their pools. Pool Deck Pros sets a new standard in the pool renovation industry with its comprehensive approach, innovative techniques, affordability, and outstanding customer service. To learn more about their services or request a consultation, visit their website at https://www.pooldeckfortlauderdale.com/ or contact them at (954)-637-0655 for a personalized quote.
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Cisco is warning customers that the base price of its hardware is expected to increase starting early next month amid “current industry-wide global supply chain challenges” – and sources said The Reg the increase will be 7%.
Customers probably won’t like it – no one wants to pay more for routers and switches – but it’s no surprise: CEO Chuck Robbins said in May that the company is fighting for all the components it can. buy as demand rose to 10-year highs, saying he was considering “strategic price increases”.
A Cisco spokesperson sent us a statement:
Cisco is not alone. HPE increased the price of its networking equipment over the summer, citing rising component costs, and Arista admitted it may have to mark up prices “on selective models” next year.
In its last round of financial results for calendar Q2, Arista said semiconductor delivery times were 60 weeks – double pre-pandemic standards – and campus, routing, switching and data center products were all affected.
âWe are affected on chips, memory, copper, passive components, freight, logistics, acceleration costs. I don’t know if I can identify; it affects all of our products. And the timelines varyâ¦ they’re all double, âCEO Jayshree Ullal said on a call to investors to discuss the results.
She added that the situation was “more than the worst I have ever seen, I think this will also continue. I guess we are all hopeful we will all recover from the COVID pandemic. But everything, from copper shortages to wafer inventory to assembly to labor, people, logistics, freight. Just about every aspect of it is in question. “
Extreme Networks and Juniper also reported extended delivery times over the summer.
One of the pitfalls of the current situation is that customers start to panic and order too many products. Several sources have told us that to counter this, Arista is considering policy changes that seem rather drastic – making products non-returnable or voidable unless they are faulty. We have also heard of price increases of between 5 and 15%.
We invited several official sources over to Arista to discuss it, but a senior spokesperson said: “Thanks for registering, we have no comments.” This is not an official confirmation or an official denial. Obviously.
According to the right folks at Context, which collates distributor sales data to provide insight into industry performance, a straw poll of channel executives found the majority said they were not in business. able to get only half of the networking kit they need. Laptops, printers, ink, servers and monitors were also lacking. Â®


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A savvy business friend made an observation about Birmingham’s economic future that really got my attention.
But before I disclose what he said, please review a list of Birmingham’s largest companies to determine what you think they all have in common.
Here’s a Birmingham Business Journal (BBJ) list of Birmingham’s largest privately held companies ranked by revenues of over one billion dollars (2018):
- Brasfield & Gorrie $3.31 billion
- Coca-Cola Bottling Co. United $2.81 billion
- EBSCO Industries $2.8 billion
- O’Neal Industries $2.7 billion
- McWane $2 billion
- American Cast Iron Pipe Co. $11.3 billion
- Robins & Morton $1.12 billion
- Mayer $1.07 billion
- B.L. Harbert International $1 billion
Now here’s a BBJ list of Birmingham’s public companies ranked by market capitalization of at least $1 billion (2018):
- Regions Financial $20.54 billion
- Vulcan Material $17.23 billion
- Encompass $6.35 billion
- Medical Properties Trust $5.11 billion
- ServiceFirst $2.3 billion
- ProAssurance Corp $1.98 billion
I could continue down the list of privately held and public companies and see the same commonality.
All are native to Birmingham–none were recruited.
Thirty years ago Birmingham headquartered 30 public companies. We now have 9—but every one of those public companies was born locally.
I must, however, mention one other institution—UAB–obviously also Birmingham born and bred.
UAB dominates more than 100 square blocks on the Southside and employs 22,000 people. It has an enrollment of 22,000 students with an economic impact of over $7 billion.
I’ve made my case for UAB in many articles, but my favorite is What would Birmingham look like without UAB—Anniston.
Our politicians and economic development folks spend hundreds of millions of dollars and thousands of exhaustive hours recruiting out-of-state companies.
But we need to flip our priorities–placing more emphasis on investing in start-ups, growing our existing businesses, and supporting UAB.
The good news is that our Birmingham Business Alliance (BBA) has come to the same conclusion.
According to the BBJ, Fred McCallum, interim CEO of the BBA, announced that “One of the primary focuses going forward will be on business retention and expansion, especially with young firms because that is where sustainable economic growth comes from.”
An added benefit is by supporting our local companies, CEO’s and potential CEO’s from around the country will seek out Birmingham.
David Sher is Co-Founder of AmSher Compassionate Collections. He’s past Chairman of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce (BBA), Operation New Birmingham (REV Birmingham), and the City Action Partnership (CAP).
Invite David to speak to your group for free about a better Birmingham. firstname.lastname@example.org


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Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell surely expected to have some breathing room after taking the first step this month to dial back the Fed’s emergency aid for the economy.
Just a week later, though, the government reported that consumer prices grew over the previous 12 months by the most in three decades. The inflation spike has squeezed consumers, posed a threat to the Biden administration and intensified pressure on Powell to act.
Some economists — and some Fed officials — want the Fed to move faster to rein in its ultra-low-rate policies. Other policymakers favor a more patient approach to interest rates. The result is a split within the Fed that Powell will likely have to settle, with potentially far-reaching consequences for the economy.
It all comes just as President Joe Biden is about to announce whether he will offer Powell a second four-year term as Fed chair or instead nominate Lael Brainard, the leading alternative, who is a member of the Fed’s Board of Governors. Powell’s term as chair expires in February.
The question of whether the Fed should act faster to withdraw the enormous aid it injected into the economy to fight the pandemic recession highlights the extraordinarily delicate task before the Fed as it seeks to contain inflation without slowing an economy that is still 4 million jobs short of pre-pandemic levels.
The main source of disagreement at the central bank’s next meeting in December will likely revolve around whether it should accelerate the reduction, or tapering, of its monthly bond purchases. The Fed bought $120 billion a month in Treasury and mortgage bonds beginning last summer until Powell announced Nov. 3 that the Fed would taper those purchases, which have been intended to lower longer-term rates and encourage more borrowing and spending.
Powell said the purchases will be pared by $15 billion a month in November and December, which would end them altogether by June. But the Fed did not commit to sticking to that pace; it held out the possibility of accelerating the pullback. Doing so would give the Fed the option to raise its key short-term interest rate as early as the first half of 2022. A rate hike would, in turn, lead to higher consumer borrowing costs for things like mortgages and credit cards.
Many economists have been moving up their timetable for an initial Fed rate hike. Goldman Sachs now foresees two rate increases next year, nearly a year earlier than their previous projections.
Some Fed officials, though, want to take a more patient approach, allowing the taper to continue through June and then taking time to assess whether rate further rate hikes are needed
Spending on goods has jumped 15% since the pandemic, economists at Wells Fargo note. After the last recession, goods spending didn’t rise that much until eight years after the downturn began. That powerful demand is clogging ports and overwhelming the freight trains and trucks that deliver them.
Consumers are likely to shift some of that spending back to services as the pandemic fades, which could slow inflation, said Michael Pugliese, an economist at Wells Fargo.
Powell suggested that he was thinking about this very issue during a news conference after the Fed’s recent meeting, when he said consumers will likely shift some spending back to services soon.
The debate is intensifying as Biden nears a decision on whether to reappoint Powell as Fed chair. The president told reporters Tuesday that he would announce his decision as soon as this week.


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Crypto roundup: China’s crackdown effect continues; Bitcoin whales active; market on edge
Link copied to
Thought that was it for the China FUD for now, did you? (Incorrect-answer gameshow buzzer sound.) The repercussions of the crackdown continue to drag crypto prices lower on another unsettled, red day.
At the time of writing, the entire crypto market cap is down more than four per cent from this time yesterday, missing its two-trill status, wandering around, soul searching at about US$1.925 trillion. It’s actually shed roughly US$73 billion in a day. Fun times.
The market has been on a knife edge for the past 24 hours and it’s continuing in this fashion for now, with Crypto Twitter playing its usual guessing game of bull or bear. We generally follow the ones who take more educated guesses, of course.
The final purge before the rip… 🔥🚀
— Dr. Jeff Ross (@VailshireCap) September 28, 2021
Pennants come with a continuation bias and are also an indication of indecision
— Bitcoin Trading with Mick (@MICKrypto) September 28, 2021
Bitcoin (BTC) is changing hands for US$41,258, down about four per cent since this time yesterday but still in a kind of no-man’s-land consolidation range, according to analysts.
Dutch trader Michaël van de Poppe’s view is, if it does go further down from here, the OG crypto needs to absolutely hold the US$38K to $US40K range if the short-term bullrun thesis is to remain intact. If not, he expects “serious pain” with a dip all the way down to around US$30K.
Our take on it (and, by the looks of it, data analyst Benjamin Cowan’s) is: Bitcoin and its whale investors need to turn down the noise from China and turn up Toto’s “Hold the Line”…
Hold the line #Bitcoin!
— Benjamin Cowen (@intocryptoverse) September 28, 2021
You can do it, Bitcoin – crypto’s biggest influencers believe in you. Well, some of them do…
Eventually bitcoin is going to play this game of temper tantrum chicken with the market
And the market is just going to move on and finally ignore it.
It will be the best day in crypto.
— Alex Becker 🍊🏆🥇 (@ZssBecker) September 28, 2021
I'M NOT SELLING https://t.co/ki9wUSamOc
— il Capo Of $NOIA (@CryptoCapo_) September 28, 2021
The effects of China’s latest crypto ban reiteration may well be continuing to play out, with two of the most popular crypto market-data websites – CoinGecko and CoinMarketCap – now made inaccessible to China-based users.
Additionally, the Chinese e-commerce beast Alibaba has announced it will no longer permit sales of crypto mining equipment on its platform, from October 8.
The crypto-business dominoes are falling in China, and it shouldn’t really be any surprise to market participants. Nevertheless, the market seems to love reacting on stale news.
As for Bitcoin’s whales, they’re active…
Whales have been moving record amount of #Bitcoin last two weeks.
Total transfer volume of $10M+ transactions keeps staying at ATH lately.
It's even higher than when the price was at $55-60k. pic.twitter.com/FXvcCPPl57
— Lex Moskovski 🔺 (@mskvsk) September 28, 2021
What does this mean? It’s not necessarily easy to tell.
But, according to Cointelegraph, which cited data from on on-chain analytics resource Material Indicators, it seems “smaller” whales have been selling in reaction to the China news, whereas the larger-volume investors have been buying and adding to their significant positions.
#FireCharts #CVD chart shows #whales sold #BTC, mega whales bought and purple whales followed with another buy order. If you are trying to understand these whale games, look to the thin liquidity they are trying to play to the upside. #NFA #crypto #Bitcoin https://t.co/ac1lWzaEC2 pic.twitter.com/CT2Nw8IqAW
— Material Indicators (@MI_Algos) September 28, 2021


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|By Business Wire||
|July 2, 2014 07:28 AM EDT||
NewsCred, the leading content marketing platform, and Outbrain, the leader in content discovery, today announced a global strategic partnership. Pairing NewsCred’s end-to-end content marketing software and solutions with Outbrain’s content discovery and amplification capabilities, the partnership gives clients access to the most comprehensive content marketing offering in the industry.
This multi-faceted partnership is a huge opportunity for marketers seeking to reach relevant audiences authentically, easily, and at scale. Through the partnership:
- Marketers will seamlessly gain access to the fully licensed articles, images and video from over 4,500 content providers within NewsCred’s Publisher Network.
- NewsCred customers will be able to distribute their content via Outbrain Amplify*, and its global audience of more than 550 million monthly unique visitors**, in addition to social distribution via Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
- NewsCred is also an Outbrain Preferred API Integration Partner, making it possible for joint customers to access Outbrain Amplify directly from NewsCred’s Content Marketing Cloud software. With one-click, marketers can now have their content discovered across the 150 billion personalized content recommendations that Outbrain serves each month.
“The expanding and fragmented nature of the content marketing ecosystem has made it nearly impossible for marketers to find truly comprehensive solutions,” said Gregg Freishtat, Senior Vice President for Strategic Alliances at Outbrain. “This relationship takes us a big step closer to removing that pain point, and that’s a huge opportunity for our customers. NewsCred's licensed content represents additional fuel for our content discovery platform and this partnership is really a pairing of two companies who care about surfacing premium content and helping brands reach audiences in an authentic way.”
“NewsCred and Outbrain’s partnership provides a simplified solution for brand owners and marketers to create, curate, and distribute premium content that will resonate with their audiences,” said Scott Lehr, Vice President of Content & Strategic Partnerships, NewsCred. “By integrating Outbrain directly into the NewsCred Content Marketing Cloud, we’re truly delivering on our promise of a technology platform that makes marketing simpler, faster, and more impactful.”
The Content Marketing Cloud, NewsCred’s end-to-end content marketing platform, drives brand awareness, engagement, and sales for the world’s leading brands. It provides marketers with a single software platform to manage, discover, publish, share, and measure their content marketing at global scale.
Outbrain, the first to market with its content discovery platform, has expanded far beyond the standard “related links at the bottom of the page” formula - now empowering publishers and marketers with real-time analytics and content insights. Outbrain supports digital newsrooms worldwide to further leverage authentic, trustworthy organic and promoted stories to better monetize and increase engagement on their desktop and mobile properties.
Notes to Editors:
* Outbrain Amplify: Amplify is Outbrain's platform for marketers and content producers wanting to promote their stories at scale. With a discovery engine that employs 50+ algorithms to seamlessly surface content that is relevant, interesting and personally appeals to users, Outbrain Amplify delivers engaged audiences from leading publishers worldwide [www.outbrain.com].
** Numbers according to comScore Media Metrix - March 2014
NewsCred is the leading content marketing platform. Fusing cutting-edge software with world-class content, NewsCred helps brands tell incredible stories.
NewsCred’s Content Marketing Cloud provides the first end-to-end solution for content workflow, creation, publishing and analytics. In one place, brands gain unprecedented access to the world’s largest content marketplace, including licensed content from over 4,500 publishers and original content from our award-winning journalist network.
Through NewsCred, global brands like Pepsi, P&G, Dell, General Electric and AIG have seen explosive growth in social sharing, engagement and lead generation.
Founded in 2008 by Shafqat Islam, Iraj Islam and Asif Rahman, NewsCred has offices in New York, London and Dhaka and is backed by FirstMark Capital, Mayfield Fund, IA Ventures, Interwest Partners, Greycroft Partners and others.
Outbrain (http://www.outbrain.com/) is the world’s largest content discovery platform, bringing personalized, relevant online, mobile and video content to audiences while helping publishers understand their audiences through data.
Outbrain serves over 150 billion personalized content recommendations every month and reaches over 553 million** unique visitors from across the globe. Outbrain's expansion to some of the web's largest global properties is a reflection of its rapid growth and its successful innovations in supporting a new era of digital publishing. Top-tier premium publications that currently leverage the Outbrain platform include: CNN, ESPN, Le Monde, Fox News, Reuters, The Guardian, Slate, The Telegraph, New York Post, Times of India and Sky News.
Founded in 2006, the company is headquartered in New York with a presence in more than 17 locations globally, including the U.S., U.K., Israel, Singapore, Japan and Australia.
The recent trends like cloud computing, social, mobile and Internet of Things are forcing enterprises to modernize in order to compete in the competitive globalized markets. However, enterprises are approaching newer technologies with a more silo-ed way, gaining only sub optimal benefits. The Modern Enterprise model is presented as a newer way to think of enterprise IT, which takes a more holistic approach to embracing modern technologies.
May. 25, 2015 11:00 PM EDT Reads: 5,902
The true value of the Internet of Things (IoT) lies not just in the data, but through the services that protect the data, perform the analysis and present findings in a usable way. With many IoT elements rooted in traditional IT components, Big Data and IoT isn’t just a play for enterprise. In fact, the IoT presents SMBs with the prospect of launching entirely new activities and exploring innovative areas. CompTIA research identifies several areas where IoT is expected to have the greatest impact.
May. 25, 2015 09:00 PM EDT Reads: 4,729
Every day we read jaw-dropping stats on the explosion of data. We allocate significant resources to harness and better understand it. We build businesses around it. But we’ve only just begun. For big payoffs in Big Data, CIOs are turning to cognitive computing. Cognitive computing’s ability to securely extract insights, understand natural language, and get smarter each time it’s used is the next, logical step for Big Data.
May. 25, 2015 08:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,854
The 4th International Internet of @ThingsExpo, co-located with the 17th International Cloud Expo - to be held November 3-5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA - announces that its Call for Papers is open. The Internet of Things (IoT) is the biggest idea since the creation of the Worldwide Web more than 20 years ago.
May. 25, 2015 07:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,509
There's no doubt that the Internet of Things is driving the next wave of innovation. Google has spent billions over the past few months vacuuming up companies that specialize in smart appliances and machine learning. Already, Philips light bulbs, Audi automobiles, and Samsung washers and dryers can communicate with and be controlled from mobile devices. To take advantage of the opportunities the Internet of Things brings to your business, you'll want to start preparing now.
May. 25, 2015 07:00 PM EDT Reads: 5,688
With major technology companies and startups seriously embracing IoT strategies, now is the perfect time to attend @ThingsExpo in Silicon Valley. Learn what is going on, contribute to the discussions, and ensure that your enterprise is as "IoT-Ready" as it can be! Internet of @ThingsExpo, taking place Nov 3-5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA, is co-located with 17th Cloud Expo and will feature technical sessions from a rock star conference faculty and the leading industry players in the world. The Internet of Things (IoT) is the most profound change in personal an...
May. 25, 2015 04:00 PM EDT Reads: 2,429
P2P RTC will impact the landscape of communications, shifting from traditional telephony style communications models to OTT (Over-The-Top) cloud assisted & PaaS (Platform as a Service) communication services. The P2P shift will impact many areas of our lives, from mobile communication, human interactive web services, RTC and telephony infrastructure, user federation, security and privacy implications, business costs, and scalability. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Robin Raymond, Chief Architect at Hookflash, will walk through the shifting landscape of traditional telephone and voice services ...
May. 25, 2015 03:00 PM EDT Reads: 4,178
Explosive growth in connected devices. Enormous amounts of data for collection and analysis. Critical use of data for split-second decision making and actionable information. All three are factors in making the Internet of Things a reality. Yet, any one factor would have an IT organization pondering its infrastructure strategy. How should your organization enhance its IT framework to enable an Internet of Things implementation? In his session at Internet of @ThingsExpo, James Kirkland, Chief Architect for the Internet of Things and Intelligent Systems at Red Hat, described how to revolutioniz...
May. 25, 2015 02:00 PM EDT Reads: 4,723
The 17th International Cloud Expo has announced that its Call for Papers is open. 17th International Cloud Expo, to be held November 3-5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA, brings together Cloud Computing, APM, APIs, Microservices, Security, Big Data, Internet of Things, DevOps and WebRTC to one location. With cloud computing driving a higher percentage of enterprise IT budgets every year, it becomes increasingly important to plant your flag in this fast-expanding business opportunity. Submit your speaking proposal today!
May. 25, 2015 02:00 PM EDT Reads: 4,131
All major researchers estimate there will be tens of billions devices - computers, smartphones, tablets, and sensors - connected to the Internet by 2020. This number will continue to grow at a rapid pace for the next several decades. With major technology companies and startups seriously embracing IoT strategies, now is the perfect time to attend @ThingsExpo, June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City. Learn what is going on, contribute to the discussions, and ensure that your enterprise is as "IoT-Ready" as it can be
May. 25, 2015 01:15 PM EDT Reads: 1,809
The security devil is always in the details of the attack: the ones you've endured, the ones you prepare yourself to fend off, and the ones that, you fear, will catch you completely unaware and defenseless. The Internet of Things (IoT) is nothing if not an endless proliferation of details. It's the vision of a world in which continuous Internet connectivity and addressability is embedded into a growing range of human artifacts, into the natural world, and even into our smartphones, appliances, and physical persons. In the IoT vision, every new "thing" - sensor, actuator, data source, data con...
May. 25, 2015 01:00 PM EDT Reads: 6,150
Container frameworks, such as Docker, provide a variety of benefits, including density of deployment across infrastructure, convenience for application developers to push updates with low operational hand-holding, and a fairly well-defined deployment workflow that can be orchestrated. Container frameworks also enable a DevOps approach to application development by cleanly separating concerns between operations and development teams. But running multi-container, multi-server apps with containers is very hard. You have to learn five new and different technologies and best practices (libswarm, sy...
May. 25, 2015 12:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,797
SYS-CON Events announced today that DragonGlass, an enterprise search platform, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. After eleven years of designing and building custom applications, OpenCrowd has launched DragonGlass, a cloud-based platform that enables the development of search-based applications. These are a new breed of applications that utilize a search index as their backbone for data retrieval. They can easily adapt to new data sets and provide access to both structured and unstruc...
May. 25, 2015 12:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,742
There's Big Data, then there's really Big Data from the Internet of Things. IoT is evolving to include many data possibilities like new types of event, log and network data. The volumes are enormous, generating tens of billions of logs per day, which raise data challenges. Early IoT deployments are relying heavily on both the cloud and managed service providers to navigate these challenges. In her session at Big Data Expo®, Hannah Smalltree, Director at Treasure Data, discussed how IoT, Big Data and deployments are processing massive data volumes from wearables, utilities and other machines...
May. 25, 2015 10:00 AM EDT Reads: 4,039
Buzzword alert: Microservices and IoT at a DevOps conference? What could possibly go wrong? In this Power Panel at DevOps Summit, moderated by Jason Bloomberg, the leading expert on architecting agility for the enterprise and president of Intellyx, panelists will peel away the buzz and discuss the important architectural principles behind implementing IoT solutions for the enterprise. As remote IoT devices and sensors become increasingly intelligent, they become part of our distributed cloud environment, and we must architect and code accordingly. At the very least, you'll have no problem fil...
May. 25, 2015 10:00 AM EDT Reads: 1,726
SYS-CON Events announced today that MetraTech, now part of Ericsson, has been named “Silver Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 9–11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York, NY. Ericsson is the driving force behind the Networked Society- a world leader in communications infrastructure, software and services. Some 40% of the world’s mobile traffic runs through networks Ericsson has supplied, serving more than 2.5 billion subscribers.
May. 25, 2015 09:45 AM EDT Reads: 1,072
The worldwide cellular network will be the backbone of the future IoT, and the telecom industry is clamoring to get on board as more than just a data pipe. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Evan McGee, CTO of Ring Plus, Inc., discussed what service operators can offer that would benefit IoT entrepreneurs, inventors, and consumers. Evan McGee is the CTO of RingPlus, a leading innovative U.S. MVNO and wireless enabler. His focus is on combining web technologies with traditional telecom to create a new breed of unified communication that is easily accessible to the general consumer. With over a de...
May. 25, 2015 06:00 AM EDT Reads: 4,649
Disruptive macro trends in technology are impacting and dramatically changing the "art of the possible" relative to supply chain management practices through the innovative use of IoT, cloud, machine learning and Big Data to enable connected ecosystems of engagement. Enterprise informatics can now move beyond point solutions that merely monitor the past and implement integrated enterprise fabrics that enable end-to-end supply chain visibility to improve customer service delivery and optimize supplier management. Learn about enterprise architecture strategies for designing connected systems tha...
May. 25, 2015 05:00 AM EDT Reads: 5,827
Cloud is not a commodity. And no matter what you call it, computing doesn’t come out of the sky. It comes from physical hardware inside brick and mortar facilities connected by hundreds of miles of networking cable. And no two clouds are built the same way. SoftLayer gives you the highest performing cloud infrastructure available. One platform that takes data centers around the world that are full of the widest range of cloud computing options, and then integrates and automates everything. Join SoftLayer on June 9 at 16th Cloud Expo to learn about IBM Cloud's SoftLayer platform, explore se...
May. 25, 2015 04:45 AM EDT Reads: 3,049
SYS-CON Media announced today that 9 out of 10 " most read" DevOps articles are published by @DevOpsSummit Blog. Launched in October 2014, @DevOpsSummit Blog offers top articles, news stories, and blog posts from the world's well-known experts and guarantees better exposure for its authors than any other publication. The widespread success of cloud computing is driving the DevOps revolution in enterprise IT. Now as never before, development teams must communicate and collaborate in a dynamic, 24/7/365 environment. There is no time to wait for long development cycles that produce softw...
May. 25, 2015 04:15 AM EDT Reads: 4,023


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Of money laundering accused Lori Loughlin says innocent
15 april 2019 17:27
Last update: 2 minutes ago
Update: 2 minutes ago
Full Houseactress Lori Loughlin, who is suspected of money laundering, has said Monday his innocence. Her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, says that he is not a great amount has been paid to their two daughters at the university.
This is evident from rechtbankpapieren that they Monday have submitted, writes The Hollywood Reporter.
The set will, therefore, not in the court appearance. It is the first time that they publicly react on the matter, that much attention has been given to international and American media. Also, other parents have said not to be guilty in this case.


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US venture firm 500 Startups and Enterprise Singapore (ESG) have entered a two-way partnership to nurture the growth of startups in Singapore and San Francisco, ESG announced in a press release on Tuesday.
500 Startups is the latest partner to join ESG’s Global Innovation Alliance (GIA), a network of Singapore and overseas partners in major innovation hubs abroad. GIA is a joint initiative between ESG and Singapore’s Economic Development Board.
Under the new partnership, 500 Startups and ESG have teamed up to run Global Launch, a new acceleration programme under the GIA.
500 Startups will run the Global Launch programme in San Francisco, which will support Singapore-based startups in establishing a presence in the city. Up to 20 startups will be selected to be part of this 16-week programme, with the first cohort set to begin in November.
Global Launch will conduct a week-long series of workshops that will help the startups develop their market strategy for the US. This is followed by a two-week intensive boot camp in San Francisco where they will be coached on sales, marketing and pitching.
More from my site


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Welcome to CAR’s coverage from the 2010 Los Angeles auto show. We have a team of reporters covering the LA auto show and will be publishing all the news, first pictures, new model launches, comment, reviews and photos direct from Tinseltown. Come back over the next 12 hours for all CAR Magazine’s coverage of the Los Angeles auto show 2010. NB start at the bottom and scroll up, in blog style; all times in the Live Blog are local LA o’clock.
>> Click here for the CAR Live Blog
>> Click here for editor Phil McNamara’s analysis
The CAR Live Blog: the news as it unfolded at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Wednesday 17 November 2010
5.37pm: That’s all folks
It speaks volumes that the LA show is over so quickly. This is a very compact show compared to the world’s larger auto expos. More news to follow in separate articles, and we’ll have a new analysis piece on the LA show 2010 in the morning. Plus more pics and plenty of stuff we’ve missed off here. Thanks for tuning in!
4.49pm: Chrysler and the new Fiat 500
Chrysler appears to be getting better, albeit at a snail’s pace. Fiat made its return to the US market at the LA show, where the 500 made its US debut. It’ll be badged Cinquecento in the States and built locally in South America once the factory’s up and running. Evidence of downsizing is everywhere at this year’s show. Meanwhile, Chrysler said it’s selected 130 dealers to represent Fiat in the US from 2012. Dodge has refreshed the Journey and Durango, while the Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Summit and Jeep Liberty Jet speak volumes for the scale of all-new product at the LA show chez Chrysler…
4.12pm: More detail on the AMG-Ducati deal
You’ve asked for more detail on the Ducati deal, and here it is. AMG and Ducati announced a partnership at the LA show, signed by the chiefs of the two firms. The deal will see the two firms combine marketing activities and they say their focus on racing and driving passion will allow each to access new customers. The deal means that AMG will be a sponsor of the Ducati Moto GP team from 2011; in return, customers at AMG events will be able to sample Ducati bikes. Expect more cooperation in future.
3.32pm: Tie-ups with Bentley and more strange goings-on at Porsche
Just out of CAR’s meeting with Mr Muller, who confirms that Porsche is working on a four-cylinder ‘boxer’ engine based on the existing flat six, and that it’ll power the Cayman and Boxster, but not the company’s rear-engined sports car. ‘The 911 is the icon of Porsche. I do not like any risk for it, so there will be no four-cylinder or diesel to risk the image and the Porsche brand.’ Also under development is a plug-in Panamera using the existing V6 engine rather than a smaller downsized combustion engine, but it’s not on the cards yet – next year’s Panamera Hybrid will be the same full hybrid as the Cayenne. Meantime, Porsche will make a decision on its future models for the next decade in the first quarter of 2011 (including the baby Boxster, for which Porsche has mock-up models and ‘all the facts and figures’). Future strategies will likely include a tie-up with Bentley for the next-gen Panamera.
2.28pm: Breaking news in Hethel by California
Breaking news from LA-la-land: Lotus is up to its celebrity tricks, and it’s actress Sharon Stone unveiling the Esprit concept. If I remember correctly, there was an Esprit driven by a mostly naked nutter in Basic Instinct. Lotus CEO Dany Bahar says Shazza inspired him as a youngster, which summons up a load of wrong images. Billy Baldwin is back, whipping the covers off the Elan. Meanwhile, Paul Stanley from Kiss and some rock star whose name I didn’t catch unveil the Elite (slogan ‘designed for life’, so maybe they should’ve hired the Manic Street Preachers). Then the budget runs out, and Lotus staffers do the rest. And industry warhorse Bob Lutz, whose ‘this company is well funded and well managed’ rhetoric feels almost a little try-hard. It’s amazing how the unveiling of five new cars can drag on a little; they should have done these five new Lotus sports cars in instalments.
2.15pm: Is that tumbleweed?
It has to be said, the LA show’s not exactly packed with new metal. Things are quietening down already. Lotus press conference coming up, though. What publicity stunts can we expect there?
1.55pm: Subaru – the big design masterplan
Let’s go through the time tunnel back to 11.40am, when I sat down with Subaru head of design Osamu Namba, before his Impreza concept was unveiled. Hard to believe considering the brand’s fall from grace in the UK, but Subaru has doubled its US sales in the recession and cracked the top 10 automotive brands here. Next year’s new Impreza will bring more quality, more space, boost fuel economy and generally turn up the desirability. There’s a lot to take in with the concept: some hyperactive Bangle surfacing, athletic proportions, a gaudy grille: it’ll certainly get the Impreza talked about, instead of ignored. Namba agrees with my contention that Subaru has been wildly inconsistent in the Noughties, but dismisses my point that the concept looks more family oriented: he wants plenty of aggression. Subaru is admitting the current Impreza isn’t much cop, abandoning the typical seven-year life cycle two years early. The concept certainly looks promising – but they’re bound to water it down, especially that low roofline…
1.40pm: Honda’s new EV
Honda CEO Takanobu Ito unveils not a car, but the new plug-in tech that will feature in medium and large Hondas in future. We’ll see the first car in 2012 and the lithium ion batteries will let it travel up to 15 miles in EV mode. Then there is a new electric vehicle, and exactly what it is has been kept secret until this moment. Sadly it’s just a Honda Fit, a Jazz to us Europeans. Worthy, but it also leaves us thinking where has Honda’s flair gone?
1.33pm: A face from CAR of yore
Bumped into former CAR Magazine editor Angus Mackenzie, lording it at his hometown show. Angus’s iPad app version of Motor Trend goes on sale tomorrow and he’s very excited by his new ‘toy’. Neat idea with the cover: Trend’s car of the year is beneath a sheet, and as you slide your fingers across, it reveals the winner. The clue’s in the cover lines: ‘US built. Breakthrough…’
1.20pm: Nissan’s usual madness
Quick visit to Nissan to see the rather nice Ellure concept and the WTF convertible Murano. Is there a reason we don’t often see open-top 4x4s? I think so…
12.57pm: Ford’s business in focus
Over at Ford, Mark Fields is in evangelical mood. It’s like he’s addressing investors: ‘The Ford Focus represents our best option for profitable growth,’ he vows as he unveils the production US-spec Focii. He adds that C-segment sales are up from 14 to 20% of the US market. Ford is betting the farm on that continuing.
12.29pm: Dealer specials
Porsche is present at LA, but smaller sports car brands tend to be represented by local dealers. It’s why the Rapide on Aston Martin’s stand is sitting on a very aftermarket set of rims.
12.20pm: The Subaru unveiling… Moment of truth as Subaru unveils its future design direction and gives big hints to the new Impreza due by the end of 2011. A bit of dry ice, blue light and Subaru of America staff in Burberry shawls! Did they not hear of Jonny Smith’s Chavalier hammering the brand… Strewth. It’s the bastard lovechild of a Mondeo, Mazda and an Evo X!
12.05pm: Lotus blowing their trumpet again
Over to Lotus, who will unveil five new concepts later today. Not five more new ones, we presume. All, stupidly, are still under covers, even though the world has seen them all before. Wonder if the Baldwin brothers will turn up this time, after their Paris appearance. It’s vital for Lotus to crack the US market, so a big splash in LA will help no end.
11.50am: Kia’s eyes for Caddy
Catch Kia design chief Peter Schreyer checking out the Cadillac ULC. He tells me he’s very keen on the Evoque, but will only smile when I ask if his company will do their own version of the imminent Hyundai Veloster (think the Scirocco from Korea). Schreyer’s staying mum, but I sense it’s likely – it could finally realise the promies of the Kia Kee concept car.
11.43am: Gatecrashing Fox TV
I dare to walk up to a lovely red five-door Range Rover Evoque, next to which chief designer Gerry McGovern seems to be idly waiting. The next moment, I’m being frogmarched in the opposite direction by security, having nearly stumbled into a live broadcast with Fox News. Ian Callum then talks the tanned hosts around the C-X75 before they switch to the Rangie.
11.30am: Saab news
Saab top brass are full of beans, as usual. News just in: the new 9-5 wagon will be at Geneva motor show 2011. The new platform being readied for 2012’s new 9-3 can be upscaled for the next-generation 9-5 and 9-4X – but now shrunk for the mooted 9-1 or 9-2 (whatever you choose to call Saab’s hoped-for Mini rival). That’s why they still need a small car partner. And what of diesel engines? Having announced a deal with BMW to provide petrol 1.6 turbos, we’ll soon be hearing of a derv partner. No word yet on who, though.
11.20am: The Cadillac supermini
Most interesting new concept in the west hall is the Cadillac Urban Luxury Concept. Designed by 37-year-old Brit Niki Smart, which is a most appropriate surname for the diametric opposite of the neighbouring Escalade. ‘We’ve been exploring a small premium project for a long time,’ says Smart. It’s the size of a Mini and it’s surprising how well Caddy’s Art and Science design language works on a monobox. The ULC is not based on an existing architecture to ensure the freedom to create good space for four passengers and the airy feeling of luxury. Up front is a turbo three-pot, an electric motor spins the back axle for Peugeot-style 4wd. Best thing at LA so far.
10.45am: Merc to join forces with Ducati
Blimey. Who’d have thought it? Mercedes’ AMG arm is doing a joint deal with bike specialist Ducati. More news soon.
10.30am: Jaguar spying on Acura? You’d better believe it!
Just seen Jag’s advanced design chief Julian Thomson and two acolytes checking out the interior on Acura’s X6-alike. Don’t panic – it’s professional interest only. An ungainly crossover is not on Jag’s model wishlist. Yet.
10.28am: Saab and the new 9-4X
Just arriving in the soothing calms of the Saab stand. Plenty of Scando wood and cool colours. About to interview top brass Jan Ake Jonsson and Victor Muller, CEO and chairman respectively. Bound to hear all about the new 9-4X, so I must ask why they’re mad enough not to even plan a diesel engine. The pair are always frank, so it should be fun.
10.22am: Float or sink time?
Much chit-chat among the halls over GM’s flotation. They announced today that they’d increase the stock sold from 365 million to 478 million shares. They’re obviously feeling punchy; GM’s already upped the price range for common stock to $32-$33 per share.
10.02am: Credits or not, you’re not coming in
Woops. It seems CAR’s ever-scatty Chris Chilton has forgotten his accreditation. That’ll be straight to the back of the queue to re-register for a media pass.
9.20am: Models and supermodels at VW
Meet editor Phil McNamara at the Volkswagen press conference. The facelifted Eos is introduced and gets mobbed. I’m intrigued. It doesn’t look that different to me, and not a little cautious. I then spot supermodel Heidi Klum, the sleb of choice who ushered it on stage. Every hack wants of photo with her. The newly refreshed Eos looks like the Golf. Heidi looks gorgeous.
9.07am: Chevrolet, green and mean
It’s taken four years for Chevrolet to launch the Camaro Convertible, but now it seems we’ll have to wait even longer. This press conference is all about the Volt, and the CEO has driven his all the way down from Detroit. Dan Akerson claims he’s previously driven 1100 miles and only filled up once. Are we about to be taken over by Voltmania? Hardly. GM’s only going to build 12,000 in 2011. Then they’re onto rorty and naughty cars. The Camaro Convertible is rolled out, and the press conference ends.
9.00am: Treats in store
Stick around tonight for an intriguing motor show. LA 2010 holds a few surprises in store. We say surprises, but we’re about to ruin it for you. There will be an electric Honda concept, a new Lamborghini and a break-through Subaru concept. Plus a few more we can’t mention yet. Stay tuned.
8.53am: Manna from Munich
The Chevy press conference appears to be running late, so I head to BMW. Tucked away behind the X6 Hybrid is the Naughty Stuff: an X6 M, an ALMS M3 racer and an M3 Coupe. Not the hardcore one, however; this one sports a sunroof, not a carbon roof. How LA.
8.46am: Lexus – a posh, restrained upmarket brand?
Err no. I rush past the Lexus stand on the way to the first press conference of the day. Front and centre of the stand is a be-winged GS and an LS so low its sills are half hidden in the plush carpet. Lexus has always stood for refined luxury, so these two SEMA cars seem utterly at odds with everything else on the stand.
8.20am: An American jam
It wouldn’t be LA without some time spent in traffic. And our hotel isn’t near Downtown, so it’s taking an age to reach the Convention Center.
8.00am: The show is about to begin
CAR has a team of three roving reporters at the LA show. Two flew out yesterday and should be jet-lagged to high heaven. One has been on a secret assignment and has had time to adjust. It should be fun: there are some big American launches in the offing, a smattering of big European debuts and some big-hitting Japanese unveilings planned too. Stay tuned today as CAR guides you around the 2010 Los Angeles auto show.


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The deal is believed to include a wide range of opportunities for Collin, including appearances in Popeyes advertisements, social media campaigns, and events.
The move is considered to be a significant step for Popeyes as it continues to expand its footprint in the competitive fast-food market.
Dieunerst Collin, who is a well-known athlete and public figure, brings a wealth of experience and a large following to the partnership. The company hopes to leverage his reputation and influence to reach new audiences and build brand loyalty.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dieunerst Collin to the Popeyes family,” said a spokesperson for Popeyes. “His energy, passion, and dedication to excellence align perfectly with our values, and we are excited to see the impact that he will have on our brand.”
For his part, Collin expressed his excitement about the partnership, saying:
“I’m excited to be joining the Popeyes team and helping to bring their delicious food to even more people. I’ve always been a fan of the brand, and I can’t wait to work with them to create some amazing campaigns and experiences.”
Terms & Conditions
The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it’s expected to be a multi-year partnership, with a scope of opportunities for both Popeyes and Collin to mutually benefit. The partnership, which is expected to bring exposure and revenue for both parties, is a reflection of the growing trend of NIL agreements between businesses and individual athletes.
This collaboration comes as Popeyes continues to expand its menu options and improve its marketing strategies in order to increase its market share in the fast food industry.
With the involvement of a prominent athlete and social media personality like Collin, the company hopes to broaden its appeal and attract new customers.
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Nest And Google’s Top 10 Biggest Acquisitions
Google’s announcement that it is snapping up home automation firm Nest for a cool $3.2 billion in cash had us looking back at Google’s other big acquisitions. The internet giant has purchased nearly 150 companies — some for people, some for parts or both. Here’s the countdown of Google’s 10 biggest acquisition deals so far, […]
Google’s announcement that it is snapping up home automation firm Nest for a cool $3.2 billion in cash had us looking back at Google’s other big acquisitions. The internet giant has purchased nearly 150 companies — some for people, some for parts or both.
Here’s the countdown of Google’s 10 biggest acquisition deals so far, and a look at how the acquired companies have been brought into the Google fold.
10. AdMeld – $400 Million, June 2011
When Google bought AdMeld, the four year-old ad tech company already had relationships with big publishers including the Weather Channel, IDG TechNetwork and The New York Times Company. AdMeld is a sell side platform (SSP) designed to help publishers optimize web and mobile ad inventory. Google integrated many of AdMeld’s features into the DoubleClick Ad Exchange (AdX) to combine “the strengths of an SSP and an exchange into one platform”.
9. Wildfire – $450 Million, August 2011
When the news broke that Wildfire would be Google’s next big acquisition of 2011, reports put the deal at $250 million. An investor then verified with TechCrunch that the acquisition price was in fact $350 million plus another $100 million added to the pot in earn-outs and retention bonuses to ensure Wildfire’s 400-odd employees stuck around. That puts the total price tag for the social media marketing platform at $450 million. Google made the bid for Wildfire after reportedly losing out on its competitor Buddy Media to Salseforce.
8. Postini – $625 Million, July 2007
Postini’s enterprise-level software security and compliance solutions, which include message security, archiving, encryption, and policy enforcement solved the security piece for Google Apps. Then Google CEO, Eric Schmidt said of the deal, “With the addition of Postini, our apps are not just simple and appealing to users — they can also streamline the complex information security mandates within these organizations.” In 2013, Google transitioned Postini’s services to the Google Apps platform and Google Apps Vault, which includes Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets and Slides.
7. ITA Software – $676 Million, July 2010
In a controversial move, Google announced it would buy travel reservations software company ITA, and let the world know it was bracing for a regulatory battle. As Greg Sterling wrote when the news broke, “ITA is behind the reservations systems for many major airlines around the world, as well as travel sites such as Kayak, Orbitz, Hotwire and many others. Bing Travel also relies on the software. Google, if allowed to complete the acquisition, would thus own the ‘infrastructure’ behind its direct competitor’s travel product.” Federal scrutiny did come, but in April 2011, the Justice Department OK’d the deal with conditions including the requirement to license ITA software to airfare websites on reasonable terms through 2016. Google Flights, which launched in September 2011, is powered by ITA technology.
6. AdMob – $750 Million, November 2009
It looked like Google would face an FTC fight when it moved to acquire mobile display ad network AdMob in April 2009. Just over a year later, the FTC opted not to block the deal, largely in reaction to Apple launching its own mobile ad network, iAd. Google got both the AdMob technology and talent with the deal. DoubleClick for Publishers is integrated with the AdMob Network. In June 2012, Google announced it had finalized the integration of AdMob’s mobile app inventory into AdWords. Google announced several more updates designed for app developers at the 2013 I/O Conference.
5. Waze – $1.3 Billion, June 2013
Rumors first started flying that Google would buy crowd-sourced (i.e. social) mapping and traffic app in January 2013. Google made the announcement official in June. Google avoided an anti-trust challenge by the FTC and moved ahead with product integrations after sealing the deal. In August 2013, Google added Waze traffic to Google Maps and search for Waze users. Then in November 2013, the Traffic with Waze card rolled into Google Now, and comedian Kevin Hart became the first celebrity Waze voice.
4. YouTube – $1.65 Billion, October 2006
At the time it announced it would be snapping up the less-than-two-year-old YouTube, Google had a market capitalization of $128 billion. Today Google’s market cap tops $375 billion. After struggling to make money for several years, YouTube is on a roll, reportedly taking in $5.6 billion in gross ad revenues in 2013, netting close to $2 billion. The video site is now at the heart of Google’s efforts to attract more brand dollars.
3. DoubleClick – $3.1 Billion, April 2007
Now demoted to Google’s third-largest acquisition, the DoubleClick deal put Google in the display advertising game, and turned out to be worth spending over 20 times its estimated revenues at the time. It’s amazing to think DoubleClick was already 11 years-old when Google beat out Microsoft in a bidding war for the ad software and network firm. Having launched in 1996, it’s two years older than Google itself. MySpace and America Online were listed among its customers at the time of the acquisition. Today, Google’s display ad network has generated over $3 billion in ad revenues in each of the last five consecutive quarters.
2. Nest – $3.2 Billion, January 2014
Drumroll please … the sizable Nest deal lands at number two on the list. Google’s bid for the smart thermostat and smoke detector maker comes less than two weeks after Re/Code reported that the startup was closing in on a $150 million round of funding, which would have put its value over the $2 billion mark. Google’s entry into the smart home raises even more consumer privacy concerns. In attempt to assuage fears, Google says Nest will continue to operate under current CEO Tony Faddell and as its own brand. Given its track record and the clear product synergies, though, it’s hard to take that promise at face value.
Over the past year, Andy Rubin’s stealth robotics group at Google picked up eight robotics companies, including the December acquisition of Boston Dynamics. The terms of those deals have not been disclosed. What role Nest will play here remains to be seen, but there are clear synergies in the areas of robotics and better machine learning, not to mention Google Glass, that they’re certainly thinking about.
1. Motorola Mobility – $12.5 Billion, August 2011
This was a doozy of a deal. Google bought Motorola Mobility for its patents and mobile hardware to boost the Android ecosystem. Motorola Mobility had already been running all of Google’s Android smartphones. Nest skeptics can at least look to Motorola as an example of Google keeping an acquisition as a separate entity (forced by regulatory concessions), if not for its economic performance. The patent portfolio Google placed much of its bet on hasn’t held its value, and the division continues to lose money. Google seems to be taking the long view, though; Motorola continues to roll-out new Android phones.
Other notable Google acquisitions that didn’t make the list include Zagat, the restaurant reviews site, was bought up for $150 million in September 2011 and is now incorporated into Google Maps and Google Places. The product feed management service, Channel Intelligence, now incorporated into Google Shopping, was acquired in February 2013 for $125 million.
Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily MarTech. Staff authors are listed here.


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Prices are recovering in Vancouver as buyers previously put off by affordability issues and housing policy jump back into the market.
“In the Fraser Valley and Greater Vancouver, prices have been recovering in recent months after having dipped in the second half of last year,” CREA said in its latest housing release. “On a year-over-year basis, home prices in the Fraser Valley and Greater Vancouver remain well above year-ago levels (+19.4% y-o-y and +12.7% y-o-y respectively).”
Recovery, albeit slow, appears to be underway in oil country as well.
Of the 10 markets CREA compiles stats for, six experienced home price growth year-over-year in March.
Sales were also up in 90% of Alberta markets, led by Calgary with 2,384 sales (+21.9$ y/y) and Edmonton with 1,753 (+12.4%).
Home sales and average price were down in Saskatchewan last month.
A total of 971 homes were sold (-1.9% y/y) at an average price of $294,787 (-1.7%).
Manitoba, meanwhile, enjoyed slight upticks in both prices and sales; sales were up 3.9% year-over-year, and the average home price jumped 4.4% year-over-year to $289,503.
“The current strength in national home sales mainly speaks to what’s going on in and around Toronto,” said CREA President Andrew Peck. “Elsewhere, sales either remain slow or well below previous heights.
High home prices in the GTA continue to encourage spill over to outlying markets.
Oakville unseated York Region as the priciest market in Canada last month, with the average home selling for $1,209,880.
Montreal was one of the leading cities in terms of sales growth in March.
“March sales were up from the previous month in more than half of all local markets, led by the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, London & St. Thomas and Montreal.”
Agents in New Brunswick enjoyed a busier March than usual, with home sales jumping 10.4% to 628.
Home sales were down in Halifax (-5.6% y/y), the province’s largest market, but the average price jumped 5% to $294,246.
PEI and Newfoundland
PEI had a quietly solid month with the average price increasing 2.8% to $187,977 in March.
Newfoundland & Labrador, meanwhile, saw both unit sales drop (-9% y/y) and the average price (-2%).
CREA releases latest stats, warns against further housing policy
Institute argues against foreign buyer tax
According to the latest housing stats released by the Canadian Real Estate Association.


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Moët & Chandon, the champagne of success and glamour since 1743, celebrated its momentous 270th anniversary with a stylish celebration in New York City.
Hosted by global icon and Moët & Chandon brand ambassador Roger Federer, the fête at Chelsea Piers attracted international stylemakers to toast the world’s most-loved champagne, including singer-songwriter Emeli Sandé, DJ Bob Sinclar, Anna Wintour and Josh Lucas, to name a few.
270 Years Has Never Been so Stylish
The “Tribute to Success & Glamour since 1743” unveiled the House’s modern new advertising campaign with Roger Federer, as shot by Patrick Demarchelier.
Federer was announced as the House’s brand ambassador in November 2012, and is the contemporary face of Moët & Chandon’s longstanding history of success and glamour. The new campaign embodies the values of boldness, elegance and generosity that have guided the House throughout its 270-year history.
“We couldn’t be more pleased to be in New York City to mark Moët & Chandon’s 270th anniversary, and to celebrate alongside our brand ambassador Roger Federer, with whom we introduce this stunning new campaign,” said Stéphane Baschiera, President and CEO of Moët & Chandon.
“Over the course of 270 years, the very words ‘Moët & Chandon’ have become synonymous with the most venerable of traditions, the most modern of pleasures, and the most generous range of champagnes for all occasions. Tonight we raise a glass to those who have contributed to this formidable heritage throughout the centuries.”
The anniversary celebration featured an exclusive music showcase by Emeli Sandé, as well as music by DJ guest Bob Sinclar. The stunning “Centuries of Success & Glamour Cake by Moët & Chandon”, designed by the event’s official caterers Potel & Chabot, was a towering marvel featuring a replica of the Statue of Liberty.
Flanked by cake layers with miniature bottles of Moët Impérial champagne, the cake created a mesmerizing pyramid effect reminiscent of the House’s own grand gesture of a champagne pyramid.
At 270 Years, Success is a Matter of Style
Established in 1743 by the successful wine merchant Claude Moët, the House was founded upon the pursuit of excellence, and born from a family legacy of boldness, elegance and generosity.
Today Moët & Chandon shares the magic of champagne with the world, and carries out this mission from the red carpet of international cinema, to the winners’ podium of sports competition, to stylish celebrations around the globe.
A Nod to a Love Affair With New York City
In 1929, the House honored aviators Dieudonné Costes and Maurice Bellonte who made the first Paris-New York non-stop aviation crossing.
In 1993, the worldwide voyage of Moët & Chandon’s hot-air balloon the Spirit of 1743 included a memorable stop at the Statue of Liberty.
In 2006, the House illuminated the Statue of Liberty – New York’s iconic landmark and a symbol of friendship between France and the US – for the statue’s 120th anniversary.


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- The Latest
- Here’s What Your Apple D ...
New iOS will bring some big (and small) improvements to Apple devices.
Every year Apple holds its spring event, WWDC and I wonder what’s left to add to the operating system? Apple introduced its next operating systems, (iOS 13 for the phone, Watch OS6 and the new iPad OS) on Monday. So what’s new? One of the biggest announcements is about what’s gone.
In Watch OS 6, Apple is finally giving users two apps that should have been included in the first place:
calculator and Voice Recorder. Why calculator hasn’t been on our wrist since the Apple Watch was released is beyond me. Ditto with a voice recorder. Users have been downloading third-party apps for that task but will see the feature build into Watch OS6 when it’s released this fall.
Watch OS6 will have a feature specifically for women to track their cycles which can be displayed on the watch and will sync with Apple’s Health app.
New Features in iOS 13 for iPhones
With the iPhone, Apple Maps is getting a much-needed redesign with features most of us are familiar with by using Google Maps. In the past year, Apple has deployed hundreds of vehicles to map the highways across the country. In the demonstration Monday, the interface looks very similar to Google Earth. You’ll be able to zoom in to street views, quickly move down the road visually and see more details about businesses and attractions you see along the way.
Also announced Monday is that app downloads and updates will be smaller so they will launch faster. Dark mode changes the bright white display to a dark mode allowing users to see the screen better in bright day
A feature everyone has been asking for is finally coming to the iPhone and iPad this fall. Dark mode will transform the display from an all-white bright screen background to a dark background that will make things easier to see in daylight and keep from waking up the person next to you in bed at night.
Signing into a new app or service is simple when you use your Facebook profile or Google account, but that also gives those apps access to your personal information. Apple on Monday announced, “Sign in with Apple”. When you sign up for a new account, simply use your Apple account and Face ID. You can choose what information to share with the service and if you’d like to keep your email hidden, Apple will create a temporary secret iCloud email address which will be forwarded to the email address you use. When you no longer wish to use the app or service, Apple will destroy the secret email address and the third-party company will not have your information.
iOS 13 will also send you notifications if installed apps are tracking you.
iMessage will get new Memoji options where users can choose makeup, hairstyles, and other detailed looks. Your Memoji will also be shareable when sending an iMessage to anyone. Apple will also have a pack of Memoji stickers for each user.
Photo and video editing have more options and the Photos app will better organize the photos and videos you have on your phone. It will also take care of a frustrating part of organizing images. If you take photos of receipts or snaps of screenshots you know those are visible with all of the other photos and images you’ve taken and stored on your phone. Now the Photos app will hide those and duplicates so it’s easier to see and find the photos you’re looking for.
But one of the biggest announcements was Apple is killing off iTunes. The software platform that has organized our music for 18 years is going away later this year, replaced for Mac users with individual apps for music, TV, and podcasts. When a Mac user connects their phone to a Mac desktop or laptop, nothing pops up on the screen which is what iTunes does so that the phone can be synced and playlists added. Those options will now appear in the Finder panel.
What about the millions of PC iTunes users? How do you manage your music library or sync the phone to the desktop if there is no iTunes? Apple did not mention PC users in the announcement Monday.
Apple did delete or scrub the Facebook fan page for iTunes and the software program did not seem to be working at all on Monday afternoon. iTunes would not load and any music purchases would go through Apple Music rather than the iTunes store. What will become of your iTunes playlists is unknown though many reports are that the files, playlists and sync abilities will remain for the time being.


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Cyber scammer hacks email of woman, steals Rs 1.5 lakh from account in Jammu
Jammu, Dec 31: A Cyber scam has appeared in which a cyber-fraudster hacked a woman’s email account and stole Rupees 1.5 lakh from her bank account in Jammu on Saturday.
According to the report, a cyber criminal hacked an email account of a woman identified as Vasudha and stole one and half lakh rupees from her bank account.
Ms Vasudha told the media that a person hacked her mobile’s gmail id and got access to her bank account numbers from the mails which she received from the shopping deductions of money in Jammu.
“He first hacked my e-mail and might have gained access to my bank accounts through the mails which I received from the money deductions when I use to shop from differnet shopping websites. At first, I received two mails of money deductions of Rupees 4,000 on my mobile, and till now approximately he has stolen Rs 1.5 lakh from my account”, she said.
She further said that the local residents of Jammu should be vigilant of such cyber criminals in Jammu and appealed the people to forward her message.