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NEW YORK — There are plenty of happy children enjoying their Fudgesicles, Push-Ups, and Flavor-Ices this summer. Almost half of Americans say they’re happy to let their kids be big spenders at the neighborhood ice cream truck this year.
A recent poll of 2,000 U.S. residents finds that 47 percent plan to let their children participate in this summertime activity more often than they got the chance themselves. Although a third of respondents (34%) bought their own truck-sourced treats several times or more each summer, another one in five (23%) didn’t grow up in an area frequented by ice cream trucks. Another 17 percent have never ordered from any kind of ice cream truck in their lives.
Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Oatly, the survey also suggests that people eat more ice cream in the summer (45%) than during any other season. That’s despite its status as the most-loved dessert among survey respondents (82%) – so much so that 68 percent claimed to have ice cream in their freezer “at all times.” Although one in three come across these trucks much more frequently than they used to as kids, for many adults it just doesn’t have quite the same appeal.
Trucks (18%) even lost out to ice cream parlors (35%) and supermarkets (22%) as the best places to buy ice cream from. Almost half the poll (49%) even believe that their bodies “just can’t handle” the types of desserts made popular by ice cream trucks anymore.
How to tolerate lactose intolerance with ice cream
“So many people suffer from lactose intolerance, but that doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t be able to enjoy one of everyone’s all-time favorite desserts,” says Julie House, Senior Director of Product Development at Oatly, in a statement. “Without having to sacrifice on taste or performance, dairy-free alternatives are an amazing option.”
When asked about the restrictions they’ve had to consider when eating, 23 percent of respondents cited a food allergy, while another 33 percent attributed it to changes in their body’s digestive tolerance. As a result, about 30 percent claimed to eat gluten-free foods every single day, followed by 17 percent who keep their diets strictly dairy-free.
In contrast, only one in seven (14%) have never tried any dairy-free options for themselves. Many even felt they could easily tell the difference between ice cream and frozen yogurt in a taste test (62%) – but less so that they could identify dairy from non-dairy desserts (52%).
Of those polled, 46 percent would be willing to try more non-dairy ice cream in their diets, and 49 percent would generally prefer to swap foods out for healthier alternatives rather than quit cold turkey. Fifty-nine percent even admit to thinking it’s OK to “cheat” in one aspect of their diet if they’re practicing consistently good habits in other respects.


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Now that he has more than enough money to qualify for credit cards and to require a staff of financial advisers, the golfer Tiger Woods has signed a five-year contract to become a spokesman for one of the biggest providers of such services, American Express.
Mr. Woods, who is 21, will join Jerry Seinfeld as an American Express spokesman, the latest in a line of celebrity endorsers dating to the 1970's, when Senator Sam Ervin asked, ''Do you know me?'' in the company's commercials.
Clearly American Express expects that Mr. Woods, whose visibility has been surging as a result of several high-profile tournament victories, will not have to ask a similar question.
Though American Express would not disclose the deal's financial details, Brandweek magazine reported that Mr. Woods would be paid $13 million over five years, including a $5 million up-front fee. Brandweek also reported that American Express would spend $30 million on advertising and promotion to back its commitment to Mr. Woods. But a person familiar with the details of the contract characterized the $30 million sum as too high.
The only financial element divulged by the company was its donation of $1 million to Mr. Woods's charitable foundation, to benefit junior golf for minorities.
''That touched my heart,'' Mr. Woods said during a conference call.
Aligning with American Express catapults Mr. Woods from the hard-core sports business into a broader role as a corporate spokesman. He currently has five-year endorsement contracts, with Nike, for $40 million, and Titleist, the leading golf ball maker, for $20 million. Both were signed shortly after Mr. Woods turned professional last August.
''In Tiger Woods, we have a representative who has captured the imagination of many different kinds of people,'' Kenneth I. Chenault, the president of American Express, said during the conference call. He said the traits that characterized Mr. Woods -- ''discipline, hard work and preparation'' -- are the pillars of our business.''
American Express intends to associate its card, traveler's checks and financial services with the many allures of Mr. Woods: a wealthy, successful young man, with a multi-ethnic background and the longest drives on the P.G.A. Tour.
''It's hard to visualize anyone he wouldn't appeal to,'' Mr. Chenault said.
H. Spencer Nilson, the publisher of the Nilson Report, which tracks the credit and charge card industry, agreed, saying: ''This is a coup. There is no one in the world entirely like him.''
Not even Michael Jordan, Mr. Woods's sibling as a Nike endorser? ''He's older, he's fading,'' Mr. Nilson said. ''Here's a young, popular person you can use for years. It's positioning yourself with a leader.''
Peter Lucas, a senior editor of Card Marketing magazine, said Mr. Woods gave American Express ''an icon to market to potential card holders.'' He also said that Mr. Woods was already a global personality who could be used to market American Express's products in South America and Asia, where growth exists in golf and credit cards.
Currently, Visa is the leader in the card market, holding a 46.6 percent market share in total spending, with $308.7 billion in 1996, according to the Nilson Report. Mastercard's $172.6 billion gave it a 26.1 percent market share. American Express's $129.6 billion gave it a 19.6 percent share.
Mr. Woods and American Express have discussed their affiliation since last December, but they announced the agreement one day after Mr. Woods won the GTE Byron Nelson Classic by two strokes and one month after he won the Masters by a stunning 12. After only 16 tournaments as a professional, and five triumphs, he has won $2.08 million.
Mr. Chenault said the initial thrust of American Express's marketing with Mr. Woods would involve the company's financial advisory services. (Mr. Woods will add an American Express adviser to a cadre of people tending to his money.)
Mr. Wood's role will subsequently embrace the credit-card business, which the company is best known for and which has been most widely advertised. The first spot in the Woods campaign is scheduled to go on the air in the third quarter of the year.
Mr. Woods said that the American Express endorsement was part of a well-defined vision, developed with the help of his father, Earl, and his agent, Hughes Norton of the International Management Group, for how to market himself. ''We had already developed a brand plan that encompasses who I am,'' Mr. Woods said. ''American Express isn't going to branch off into areas where we're in conflict. So I'm going to be promoted in the way I hope to be perceived.'' Other card companies made offers, Mr. Woods said, but he felt at ease with American Express. Brandweek reported that Mastercard had made a bid that included $2.3 million upfront.
Mr. Lucas said that losing the Tiger sweepstakes to American Express might crimp Mastercard's efforts to further market and promote its golf sponsorship interests.
Ed Dixon, a Mastercard spokesman, said he would not discuss any talks with Mr. Woods. Kelly Presta, a Visa spokesman, said that company had not pursued Mr. Woods.

domain: news


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Motorola is actively seeking to recruit Android developers, with staffers in its Motodev developer program reaching out to the Android community via weekly podcasts, meet-and-greet events and expert video tutorials. According to Forbes, Motorola's full-court press began in mid-May--in one video, the handset maker's senior director of developer platforms and services Dino Brusco sings the praises of the Android OS and its "deep integration with mobile web services" as well as its "power to enable truly innovative applications." Brusco wraps up the video by declaring "We want all of you to join us in our partnership with Google and journey with Android," adding that Motorola will help developers create, deploy and market their applications. The company is also hosting Android-themed events, networking with more than 100 Android coders at a Silicon Valley shindig in mid-June.
Motorola confirms it is on the prowl for Android developer talent, promising it will not only help programmers distribute their applications through channels like Android Market and operator storefronts but that it plans to install some apps directly onto Motorola devices. Motorola vice president of software platforms Christy Wyatt adds the company's Android portfolio will span from consumer devices to enterprise smartphones, offered at a variety of price points--some handsets will also emphasize specific functionalities, e.g. messaging and multimedia.
For more on Motorola's Android recruiting drive:
- read this Forbes article
Brown: Motorola ‘didn't see the trends coming in smartphone and 3G'
Motorola bets future on Android, Windows Mobile


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Huobi, the largest cryptocurrency exchange has announced that its Peer-to-peer trading platform or Over the counter trading platform (OTC) is enabling credit card deposit service. The platform is now supporting both VISA and Master Card after signing a new partnership with Simplex payment processing venture.
Huobi OTC Partnered with Simplex
Per the reports, the platform has tied up with Simplex, the platform which is already serving credit card services to Binance users. Nevertheless, Simplex is EU licensed financial institution which will enable Huobi OTC users to purchase supported cryptocurrencies (including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and XRP) using their debit and credit cards.
Moreover, according to the press release, Simplex supports daily deposits of $20k and $50k monthly with an average fee of around 3.5%. However, fees may vary – wherein its minimum fee for transactions count $10.
Concerning the partnership with Simplex, Ross Zhang, Head of Marketing for Huobi Group says that;
“Partnering with Simplex will allow us to significantly minimize the obstacles our customers face – something we are always interested in,”
Beside Huobi exchange, Simplex is already offering parallel services to Liquid exchange and Trad.io. Credit card accessibility across cryptocurrency platform is certainly enhancing users experience as well as boost the usability of various cryptocurrencies. Similar to Zhang, Simplex Co-founder and CEO, Nimrod Lehavi commented on the partnership with Huobi OTC platform. He says that;
“We’re thrilled to partner up with Huobi and together enable a much better, fast, and easy experience.”
Although credit card for crypto looks pretty cool but at the same time, it doesn’t serve the countries where regulations around crypto are uncertain. Indeed, it marks a potential adoption of crypto among the countries that quickly opens up the door to innovations like crypto & blockchain.
So readers, what’s your stake on Huobi OTC platform offering credit card services on crypto purchases? Let us know in the comment below
Image source – Huobi official


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Cybersecure Your Smart Home
posted Tuesday, October 6, 2020
Internet-connected devices are helping homeowners increase efficiency, reduce costs, conserve energy and a whole host of other benefits. However, with all of these benefits come risks to privacy and security. NCSA recommends consumers connect with caution, and take steps to secure these devices.


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Chinese “rip-off bars” in Ueno and Akabane target middle-aged and older customers
A lot of arrests! Frequent attacks in Ueno and Akabane, where Chinese customers are drunk with high-alcohol Chinese liquor and then taken to ATMs.
Late at night on weekends, middle-aged men in a state of intoxication are sucked into a convenience store in Ueno, Tokyo, one after another. These men operated ATMs with women and withdrew large sums of money. After receiving a wad of cash, the woman quickly leaves the scene.
After leaving the convenience store alone, I spoke to a man who appeared to be around 60 years old, who was slumped on the street like a shell of his former self.
I followed a Chinese tout who offered me an all-you-can-drink deal for 5,000 yen, but she made me drink Chinese shochu over and over again in one gulp and charged me 70,000 yen. I couldn’t even use my card at the store, and she took me to an ATM. ……”
In the downtown area, which had regained its pre-COVID-19 crisis liveliness, there are now frequent cases of rip-offs. According to the Hon-Fuji Police Station, which has jurisdiction over the Yushima district of Ueno, there were 22 consultations about payment-related problems at restaurants by September 10 this year. Similar incidents have also occurred in Akabane, Tokyo, where 20 Chinese women and others touting in the Akabane Station area between June and August of this year were arrested on suspicion of violating the Entertainment Establishments Control Law, theft, and other crimes.
The women touts call out to them on the street and take them to stores, where they make them drink high-alcohol Chinese liquor and get them drunk. She then charges them a hefty fee, saying, “This drink is extra,” and takes them to a nearby ATM. In one case, a total of 900,000 yen was withdrawn from an ATM on three separate occasions.
Mr. X, who provides recruitment services to Chinese-affiliated nightclubs, revealed the inside story: “As far as I know, there are no such cases in Ueno.
As far as I know, there are three groups in Ueno and two groups in Akabane, but all of them are mainly from Fujian Province. They have opened more restaurants by taking over restaurants that went out of business due to the COVID-19 crisis, and there are about 20 rip-off restaurants in both areas. That’s more than double what they were before Corona.
The amount of money ripped off varies depending on the intoxication and pocketbook of the person being ripped off, but “anything over 200,000 yen increases the risk of police action,” says X. “But why is it that the majority of the victims are in the Ueno area? But why are the victims mainly in Ueno and Akabane?
The main reason is the result of “segregation. In Shinjuku, Kabukicho, and Ikebukuro, you have to talk to Japanese gangs and semi-gangs to get into trouble, but in Akabane and Ueno, their territoriality is not so strong. It also has something to do with the “Anti-Bokkari Ordinance” enacted in ’00. Ueno in Taito Ward is a designated area under the ordinance, but many areas in Yushima in the adjacent Bunkyo Ward are not covered. Akabane was also not a designated area under the ordinance until recently. Until recently, rip-off stores in Ueno and Akabane have been caught, but only for violations of the Entertainment Establishments Control Law and touting ordinances,” said Mr. X.
Hirotaro Kato of the Kato & Asakawa Law Office, an expert on malicious business practices, explains.
If it is a violation of the anti-bargaining ordinance, the store can be ordered to suspend business for up to eight months. However, if the store is outside the designated area of the ordinance, it will be found in violation of the Entertainment Establishments Control Law or the touting ordinance, and only the nominal manager of the store can be arrested. In many cases, the stores expect this and reopen for business a few days later with a different manager in place.
So what should you do if you become a victim of rip-offs? Attorney Kato continues.
“Leave the amount of money you think is reasonable and walk away, then go to the police on the same day. You are not obliged to pay any additional fees that have not been explained to you in advance, and if they forcefully keep you, you may be charged with confinement. Of course, it is an ironclad rule not to follow the touts.”
In response to the frequent incidents of damage, Akabane has enacted a so-called “anti-bargaining ordinance. The city is waiting for the elimination of bad stores as soon as possible.
From the October 21, 2022 issue of FRIDAY
Reporting and writing： Writer: Yuuki Okukubo PHOTO： Yuuki Okukubo (2nd photo) Takeo Yuzoku


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Love’s is now open
Love’s Travel Stops is now open in Great Falls at the I-15 interchange at the airport exit.
The company opened the Great Falls location, as well as one in North Dakota, one in Iowa and one in Texas on Dec. 9, according to a company release.
Business Bites: Love’s underway; former Holiday Motors demolition; Touro medical school project ongoing; C.M. Russell Museum expansion underway; airport requesting TIF funds for industrial park, one tenant will be truck wash; reading at Cassiopeia
The Great Falls location is more than 9,000 square feet and is open 24/7.
The location features a Chester’s Chicken, Godfather’s Pizza and Subway. Those restaurants open Dec. 13, according to the company.
The Great Falls stop has 56 truck parking spaces; 49 car parking spaces; five diesel bays; four showers; laundry facilities; a CAT scale; and a dog park.
In honor of the grand openings, Love’s is donating $2,000 to nonprofits in each town and in Great Falls, the donation is going to CASA-CAN.


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Carlton Cards Retail Inc. has paid $100,000 in a settlement and has replaced its credit card machines because they allegedly created an easy way for identity thieves to steal customers' credit card numbers.
The Orange County District Attorney's Office announced the settlement Monday. The State Attorney General's Office also was involved in the case.
A January 2004 civil code made it illegal for any electronically printed credit card receipt to contain more than the last five digits of a credit card account number, according to the DA's office. An April investigation showed the stores were failing to comply with the regulation and printing the entire credit card number on customer receipts.
The company since has upgraded all its credit card processing machines at the more than 40 Carlton Card locations statewide. Carlton is a subsidiary of Cleveland-based American Greetings Corp. (NYSE: AM). The card company is required to pay $75,000 in civil penalties and another $25,000 in investigation costs.


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- Xalles Holdings recently reported its fifth consecutive quarter of revenue production and is building an acquisition and valuation strategy for further revenue generation in e-commerce sectors
- Electronic, non-cash payments continue to grow in popularity as a result of increasing mobile device use for financial transaction payments worldwide
- Xalles initiatives expected to be deployed during the coming year include development of a proprietary system for auditing and reconciling complex financial transactions, as well as acquisition of a revenue-generating mortgage business
Payment auditing services company Xalles Holdings Inc. (OTC: XALL) recently reported its fifth consecutive revenue-producing quarter and expectations for future revenue growth, as well as asset value growth utilizing the expense management know-how that it markets to B2B and governmental clients.
“The structure and growth plan for the company contains a balance of diversity and synergy so that we can effectively use limited resources to obtain the best results,” Xalles Holdings CEO Thomas Nash stated in announcing the company’s second quarter financial filing (http://nnw.fm/Wpom9).
Nash added that, during the second half of 2019, the company “will see the culmination of the fundraising efforts, acquisitions and organic growth” in preparation for “tremendous growth in 2020.”
Xalles Holdings anticipates cumulative profitability through its seven subsidiaries. This includes Xalles Limited’s development of a proprietary X2X system for reconciling financial transactions in business and government payment applications, as well as post-payment auditing. The new version of the system is expected to be deployed in 2020.
Subsidiary Xalles Financial Services is in the process of preparing to promote a tested cryptocurrency trading engine this year and aims to boost its value through multiple cryptocurrency asset portfolio acquisitions. The company is also completing its due diligence for the acquisition of LYC Mortgage, which is expected to drive dramatic new revenue next year as mortgage business portfolios are acquired.
Aside from the Xalles-branded companies are the company’s unique subsidiaries of Co-Owners Rewards, Amazing Living Enterprises and the Global Savings Network. All three are expected to reach profitability in 2020 as they expand and market new products as part of Xalles’ strategy to become the dominant provider of fintech solutions.
Xalles’ core operations focus on providing payment solutions to consumers while building solutions to support more complex payment management needs for governmental entities and large businesses. Two key areas of strategic market plays will include electronic payments and B2B eProcurement and eCommerce, according to the company’s Q2 report (http://nnw.fm/Ot1fM).
Noncash transactions are poised to exceed 1 trillion for the first time in 2023 as the use of cash continues to drop worldwide, according to Business Insider Intelligence (http://nnw.fm/3hnR7), which predicts that increasing mobile electronics use for transacting payments will be the biggest driver for e-commerce despite the ongoing popularity of physical finance cards – comprising 44 percent of the $1.9 trillion forecast to be traded by e-commerce in 2024 and 68 percent of the $760 billion traded through peer-to-peer (P2P) computer networks.
Capgemini’s and BNP Paribas’ World Payments Report for 2018 predicted that global non-cash transaction volumes will see a CAGR of 12.7 percent for the period between 2016 and 2021, rising from the 482.6 billion transactions it reported during 2015-2016 as developing markets continue to advance their ability to be responsive (http://nnw.fm/9izQX).
For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Xalles.com
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Reinventing the wheel
Albright's prepares to mark 100 years
MISHAWAKA -- Foster Asbury Albright started his bicycle shop in South Bend in June of 1914.
It was a time when Ford Motor Co. was paying its employees $5 for a full day of work and trouble was brewing overseas as the assassination of Grand Duke Ferdinand of Austria triggered World War I.
Family members believe the business may have started out in a garage, but it didn't take the entrepreneur long to relocate to his own shop in South Bend, where he sold bikes, automotive batteries and tires and may have even dabbled in motorcycles.
The shop weathered both World Wars, The Great Depression and many economic downturns. It changed hands from father to son. After 34 years in South Bend, it moved to an old car dealership at 2720 Lincoln Way W. in Mishawaka.
Albright's Cycling and Fitness has been in its Mishawaka location for 66 years now and is still family-owned and operated.
Katie Albright started working in the shop with her husband, Foster Asbury's grandson, in the 1970s.
"It was kind of a tradition," she said. "There were only two bike shops back in the day and the one on Washington Street was more of a hobby shop."
Today, the 80-year-old runs the shop with her son, Greg, and grandson, Drew. And she's been researching its history in advance of its 100th anniversary bash
later this month.
She found an article about how her father-in-law, J.P. Albright, loved to advertise. He put up billboards and painted advertisements on the outside walls of the shop's second location.
"He had a full-sized ad in the paper for tires that I think were a dollar," she said. "I'm going to frame that."
He wouldn't believe the increase in bike prices today,
Greg, a fourth-generation Albright, explained: "A lot of guys used to come in here and tell me, 'Your grandfather sold me a bike on time. I was a paperboy and I'd put a dollar down and pay a dollar a week.' "
There was a "bike boom" in 1972, Katie said, and every bike was sold before it entered the store. Only the display bikes were in the shop and customers kept asking if they were going out of business.
"We had a waiting list and when the bikes came in we assembled them and called the customers," she said.
Her children grew up in the shop -- dusting, washing windows and test-riding bikes -- which has given Greg a strong background knowledge of bikes.
"Bicycles have changed for the better," he said. "They are a lot more sophisticated as far as suspension and now you have electronic shifts on bikes. It's come a long way."
Today, the shop sells the Trek, Giant, Electra and Torker brands, he said. It also sells accessories like computers, helmets, mirrors, pannier bags, baskets and water bottles. Car racks have also become a very popular product.
Over the years, the shop has been heavily involved in the community. In the '80s, it held BMX shows in the Bonnie Doon Drive-In's parking lot next to the shop. It has participated in the kid's triathlon every year since its inception.
Albright's has many long-time customers -- and once sold a bike to Joe Montana when his daughter was attending the University of Notre Dame -- but new bikers often drop in, too.
When the recession hit in 2008 and gas prices spiked, a lot of people were looking for bikes to commute to work, Greg said. And, in more recent years, customers have been interested in comfortable bicycles.
"You just see more people out riding bikes, whether it's for physical activity or just casual riding or commuting," he said. "People aren't just riding, though. They're actually putting the bikes on cars and going places."
He attributes the rise in recreational biking to city bike paths, riverside paths and biking events like Bike the Bend and Bike 31.
With these upcoming events and Michiana Bike to Work Week starting Sunday, the repair and tune-up side of the business has also picked up, Greg said, adding the shop started getting busy about two months later than usual because of the tough winter.
"It's like the lawn mower industry," he said. "When the grass starts growing, they think about getting their lawn mower in good condition."
Katie walked through the shop, pointing out the new fat tire bikes and a couple of bikes with wild or retro designs. Even the bike business is driven by the need to change and innovate with lighter weight materials, more gears and more specialty bikes.
By the door she pointed out a tandem bike.
"We sell a few," she said. "It comes and goes. You don't sell any and pretty soon people are asking, 'You got any tandems?'"
Lots of flexibility and change is inevitable for any business that has been around for 100 years.
Albright's Cycling & Fitness will celebrate 100 years June 21 with a sale and party at the store. The store is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Michiana Bike to Work Week
The week began at 12:01 a.m. Sunday and ends at midnight June 14. To register with a team, visit www.michianabiketowork.org.
Bike 31: One and Done
Enjoy a noncompetitive bicycle ride along the new US 31 Highway before it opens to vehicular traffic. The event will be from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. June 14. The route is a 24-mile loop, which will allow riders to choose their distance. All participants are required to wear helmets and sign a waiver.
Parking is available off U.S. 31 at Pierce Road/Indiana 4 just north of Lakeville at the stoplight.


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With what might supposedly be known as the”G Pad 5″, South Korean technology important LG may be seeking to revive its tablet computer company, two years after getting out of this match.
Not merely has LG been outside of the pill for more than two decades, but the Snapdragon 821 chipset only looks too old to be accessible at this period.
But, references to the G Pad 5 and LM-T600, code called TF10, have been creeping up all around the area, GSMArena reported Saturday.
Another tablet computer LM-T600 has obtained a radio certificate by National Radio Research Agency (RRA) in South Korea. It was also seen in a current kernel source code upload entrance to the LG’s servers.
The LG”G Pad 5″ packs in hardware that is poor to the Galaxy Tab S4 2018, but is marginally aggressive with the Galaxy Tab S5e, based on XDA Developers.


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The Edison Awards, celebrating 29 years of honoring excellence in innovation and the development of new products and services, has announced that the ZPower Rechargeable System for Hearing Aids was voted a Bronze Winner for innovation at the event at The Capitale in New York City. Ross Dueber, president and CEO of ZPower, joined hundreds of senior executives from some of the world’s most recognized companies to help celebrate the hard work and commitment of all of the 2016 Edison Award winners.
The ballot of nominees for the Edison Awards was judged by a panel of more than 3,000 leading business executives including past award winners, academics, and leaders in the fields of product development, design, engineering, science, and medical.
“ZPower is honored to be recognized by Edison University as an Edison Award finalist for 2016, and this award, coupled with our CES Award, highlights our breakout year extremely well,” said Dueber. “ZPower batteries allow companies and consumers to access smaller, safer products. As we continue to revolutionize the hearing industry, you will see new industries enabled to innovate with our technology. Several contracts have been procured this year, indicating that 2017 will be an even bigger year for us.”
In addition to the Awards Gala, the annual Edison Awards program encompassed a full-day “Meet the Innovators Forum” and the “Innovators’ Showcase,” which offered guests a hands-on experience with many of the winning products, including the ZPower Rechargeable System for Hearing Aids.
Source: ZPower LLC
Image credit: Edison Awards
A Atlantic Hearing Aid Center opened its doors in January 1971 and has been serving the hearing community ever since! We have always been conveniently located in beautiful Fort Lauderdale, Florida at 2310 East Oakland Park Boulevard.
2310 E Oakland Park Blvd
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 33306, United States
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Only a handful of people are actually wearing the single hottest fashion item for Spring 2010. It's not being mass-produced. It's barely sold in stores. It'll run you up to $10,000, and that's if you can get your hands on a pair. Which you can't.
Alexander McQueen's "armadillo boots," those giant claw-like pedi-crustaceans that lifted models a foot off his Paris catwalk last fall, are unquestionably the oddest and most brilliant thing to come out of couture in recent memory. Beer heiress and Steven Klein muse Daphne Guinness has a pair. So does Barbie. Lady Gaga, who first wore the gem-encrusted hooves in her "Bad Romance" video, can't seem to take them off.
In its sheer exorbitant inimitability, the armadillo is the Avatar of shoes.
Not since Jean Paul Gaultier strapped his infamous cone bra on Madonna in the 1990s has such a defiantly impractical wardrobe item become a cultural touchstone.
At a time when most news out of the fashion world revolves around the ill effects of a down economy—labels folding, stores closing, once-great houses like Christian Lacroix now struggling to survive—it's nice to see a designer make something that towers so high above the bottomline. Who cares if you can't buy or walk in them? This is art.
"It's almost like having a Brancusi on your feet," says Guinness, who wore a tan-colored set to a party in November celebrating the 15th anniversary of NARS cosmetics. They were four sizes too big, she says, but surprisingly comfortable. "I know it sounds bizarre. They look difficult but they aren't. They're not heavy. They're very, very deceptive and very clever." The editors of British Vogue disagreed, blogging about their efforts to take a stroll in the boots, which ended when they "miserably failed to make it further than the Vogue fashion cupboard."
McQueen, a London-based designer who has always had a flair for the avant garde, debuted the shoes in a collection called "Plato's Atlantis" and inspired by Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species, among other sources. An early Twitter adopter, McQueen teased the shoes for weeks with dispatches lobbed out from earlier stages of the creative process: "HUBBLE PALLET," "NEBULA," "MEDUSA," he tweeted in rapid succession on Sept. 21; "The Creationist?" on September 22; and finally, on September 24, "Today we Christened…The Armadillo." The world finally got a look at the mammoth boots when McQueen became the first major designer to live-stream his runway show on October 6. It was the ultimate democratic experience of high fashion: Everyone could see them, no one could have them.
In all, 21 pairs of the shoes exist—20 from the runway show and one additional—and good luck if you want a pair. According to a McQueen press officer, most have already been sold to private collectors, "people who understood they are pieces of art rather than just 'shoes.'" The company has been inundated with requests and is now considering auctioning off what few pairs remain, "for charity purposes." They range in price from $3,900 to $10,000, depending on the material and embroidery, according to a clerk at the New York McQueen store.
Each pair of armadillos was hand-made in Italy, in an elaborate process that spanned five days and involved 30 people, using material from three suppliers and passing through three factories. The heel is 24 cm high, or nearly 10 inches. They are, in the words of a representative for one down-market shoe company that does a healthy business "adapting" high-end styles just beyond the reach of copyright law, "not knock-offable." In its sheer exorbitant inimitability, the armadillo is the Avatar of shoes.
(And McQueen knows from knock-offs. Two days after debuting the armadillo, he filed a lawsuit against Steven Madden Ltd., accusing the mass-market shoe purveyor of ripping off the Faithful bootie from his fall collection.)
In the months since their debut, the shoes have had a polarizing effect, drawing jeers from some who find them offensively impractical and raves from most corners of the fashion world. The New York Times called them a case in which "form topples function." New York Magazine found them to be "beautiful hooflike monsters." Women's Wear Daily had one word: "scary." That no models fell during the runway show was generally taken as a miracle.
"To me, it's beauty and the beast," says Beth Dincuff Charleston, a fashion historian at Parsons The New School for Design. "It's almost like they're orthopedic or corrective. It's scientific. It's fashion design but it takes into account an awareness of the body that's beyond even most brilliant designers." She compares the armadillo's current cultural moment to Yves Saint Laurent's groundbreaking use of see-through fabrics in the 1970s and Issey Miyake's molded plastic bustiers.
None of this is to say the boot is remotely sexy. But neither is natural selection, the melting of the polar ice caps, the return of humanity to the same primordial sea from which we emerged. After his show, McQueen told The New York Times that he had no interest in "playing it safe" in these uncertain times, that "the world needs fantasy, not reality." That he gave us a $10,000 dystopian fantasy about the outer limits of evolution is of a piece with his usual genius. That these crazy shoes have become a hit with a 23-year-old pop princess and her legions of admirers should be taken as a good sign: Not everything is cheap or cute, not even now.
"My boyfriend does not like that sort of thing, and I think that is where there are clothes that please men or conservative tastes, and there are these other explorations," Guinness says. "I imagine the conflict with these types of pieces lies in the question, 'Is fashion art?' To which I would reply, 'Yes.'"
Plus: Check out more of the latest entertainment, fashion, and culture coverage on Sexy Beast—photos, videos, features, and Tweets.
Rebecca Dana is a senior correspondent for The Daily Beast. A former editor and reporter for The Wall Street Journal, she has also written for The New York Times, The New York Observer, Rolling Stone and Slate, among other publications.


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Emagia Brings New AI Platform For Finance Executives
Technology : Business Intelligence
Called Gia, the new platfom will be ready for deployment globally at launch and available for Indian customers as well.
Indians Are Willing To Pay For Prompt Customer Service: Study
Technology : none
The study also noted that over 60 percent of consumers would discontinue using a brand or product due to poor customer service…
Privacy Issues Impede Indians From Adopting IoT Devices
Technology : Networking & Communication
Seventy percent of Indian customers have rated privacy or security concerns as one of the main reasons for not using an IoT device, says a study.


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Much-anticipated West Loop building breaks ground
It’s been a long time coming, but late last week, Developer JK Equities, announced that construction has officially commenced at the future site of 1400 Monroe.
“These have certainly been unprecedented times, however we’re very pleased that we’ve been able to press ahead with construction and strong sales,” Jerry Karlik, principal of JK Equities, said in a press release.
The 42-unit, seven-story luxury condominium building in the West Loop is currently more than 40% sold and expected to be delivered by summer 2021. Sales are being led by ON Collaborative, which was recently sold by NRT back to its president and founder, David Wolf.
Wolf said the price range for the building’s units — from the $760,000s up to $1.39 million for a mix of two- and three-bedroom condos — puts the development in a competitive sub-niche for the luxury market. “It’s impossible to not see the value of 1400 Monroe, especially in the mid-range luxury market that families and young buyers are seeking out,” Wolf said.
While it’s been put off for now, there are plans to host a traditional groundbreaking celebration once the city has reopened enough to allow for larger events.
Gateway Northbrook launches clean-air initiative
In response to concerns sparked by the novel coronavirus, Deerfield-based The Jacobs Companies announced a new “Healthy Home” initiative at its development in Northbrook.
The eco-friendly features that will now be considered standard at the townhome community include cabinetry that has fewer emissions of formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds, hypoallergenic hardwood flooring, enhanced HVAC systems with MERV 13 filters and low-VOC paint. The company is also offering a $10,000 credit so that buyers can make additional enhancements to their homes, such as enhanced water or air filtration systems.
“Healthy, sustainable homes have been at the forefront of our efforts at The Jacobs Companies for years, but it has taken on a heightened importance during COVID-19,” Keith Jacobs, president and CEO of The Jacobs Companies, said in a press release. “We have always believed that if we improve the indoor living space and strive to make a low impact on the environment, we can improve the health and wellness of our homeowners as well as the world we live in.”
M/I special discounts on offer June 20
Now that its sales centers around Chicagoland have reopened for in-person visits, M/I Homes is celebrating by bringing back its “Midnight Madness” sale on June 20. The company will have a variety of special offers available during a 12-hour period between noon and midnight this Saturday.
“We’ll be offering a range of bonuses and discounts on features, finishes or home sites, which vary from community to community,” said Cheryl Bonk, vice president of sales and marketing for M/I Homes. Buyers will have access to credits and savings that won’t be announced until the day of the sale, but also, M/I Homes will handle portions of closing costs for qualifying buyers who use M/I Financial to fund their purchase.
Due to continuing social distancing guidelines, the company is encouraging interested buyers to make an appointment, and is asking all attendees to wear face coverings when visiting sales centers.


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Surabhi Chauhan, a Delhi-based fund manager, discovered a new concept on weddings when she got married last November with nearly 400 guests attending her wedding. Two of those guests on the list were people she has never met before: Carly Stevens and Tim Gower.
Stevens and Gower are Australian travel bloggers, who paid roughly $200 for a two-day invitation to Chauhan’s wedding through a start-up named ‘Join My Wedding.’ “The concept was pretty new,” Chauhan told CNBC, adding that she discovered the start-up while booking her wedding venue. “We were also getting to know people from other countries. We were very much excited and open about it, given the fact that it was new.”
“We were chatting and coordinating, we had a brief introduction about each of us, what exactly we do, our respective profiles (and) what are the arrangements that will be there, the kind of attire they’re supposed to wear — all those conversations happened,” Chauhan said.
Join My Wedding allows Indian couples to list details regarding their wedding on the website. Then, international travelers can purchase tickets to the nuptials they desire to attend. Most of the revenue from the tickets will go to the couples, however, the start-up does take a portion.
“If you think about it, there’s nothing more cultural than a wedding because you have every cultural element present: The local people, local food, customs, the outfit, the music, basically every cultural element is right there,” the start-up’s co-founders, Orsi Parkanyi, told CNBC.
Parkanyi went further into details, explaining the idea for Join My Wedding came from her own experiences in missing out on her friend’s personal weddings. The company chose to focus on Indian weddings primarily, because they are “world-famous” and most non-Indians do not get the opportunity to attend one unless through their own personal connections. Parkanyi reports, travelers attending more than 100 Indian weddings through the start-up to date.
“Experiencing all the cultural elements at once, meaningfully connecting with the locals in India, that’s a huge motivating factor for the travelers,” she said. “It’s a safe experience. You attend an event with hundreds of people, you’re a distinguished guest, people look after you.”


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Hiring for sales representatives in Chula Vista is going strong. Employers in the industry posted 14 new jobs over the past week, and 46 in the last month, ranking first among top job categories in the local area, according to ZipRecruiter, a leading online employment marketplace.
Local sales representative also came in first in terms of local employers adding new jobs by occupation. In the past month, 15 companies listed open jobs for Chula Vista-based workers in the industry.
Top companies seeking local sales representatives include an unnamed customer service and management firm, as well as Curbell Plastics and 4WP.
Jobs posted by the unnamed firm in the past month in the area also included sales associates, marketing managers and customer service representatives.
This story was created automatically using local jobs data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


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South Bend, Ind.– Believe it or not, cooler temperatures are on the way. That means winter will be here before we know it, but are you prepared? More specifically, is your car prepared?
Thursday morning NewsCenter 16 spent some time at the Compton Family Ice Arena on Notre Dame’s campus to learn about driving safety and winter tire technology. Folks from Tire Rack and Bridgestone talked about the difference between an all-season tire and a winter one.
The winter season is just around the corner and now may be the time to start preparing your car for the cold temperatures.
Bridgestone and Tire Rack have partnered for the Winter Driving Experience on Wednesday. The event started at 5 a.m. and will continue until 3 in the afternoon.
NOTRE DAME – Fingers crossed it won’t be happening for awhile, but snow will eventually makes its way to Michiana so now is the time to start thinking about getting the car ready for it. That includes putting winter tires on your car.
Tire Rack and Bridgestone held a demo at the Compton Family Ice Arena on Wednesday morning to show what winter tires are capable of. They had one car with winter tires and another with all-season tires. Through various courses and exercises the winter tires showed how they better handled accelerating, breaking, and taking corners.
Online retailer Tire Rack Inc. awarded the Michelin Premier LTX the top score in recent road and track tests of all-season crossover/SUV touring tires.
Tire Rack’s recent testing also included the Kumho Crugen Premium and the Yokohama Geolandar G055, with the Michelin showing its advantage primarily in wet conditions, the South Bend-based company said.
Tire Rack Inc. compared three models of CUV/SUV touring all-season tires: the Kumho Crugen Premium, the Michelin Premier LTX and the Yokohama Geolandar G055.
The tires were mounted, at full tread depth, on the 18×8.0 wheels of a 2016 Porsche V6 Cayenne and evaluated on Tire Rack’s own test track and along a six-mile road loop.


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Spy photos appear to show the front half of the upcoming Ducati Streetfighter V2, as well as what is expected to be a Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak variant.
Since the launch of the Ducati Streetfighter V4 based on the Desmosedici Stradale engine, there have been rumors that Ducati is introducing a smaller mid-weight Ducati Streetfighter V2. With the Streetfighter V4 receiving rave reviews, both from enthusiasts and Ducati fans, it seems it’s only a matter of time before Ducati product strategists concoct a more accessible and affordable naked sport based on the Ducati Panigale V2. The assumption is that it’s still a Panigale V2 at heart, but without the bodywork and fairings for that classic streetfighter look.
Read also: Ducati Panigale V2 test
Read also: Everything you need to know about the Ducati Panigale V2
But these spy shots are at best an estimate of motorcycle testing in Italy. The photos don’t even clearly show the Streetfighter V2’s design, let alone the engine details. But what we can expect is the same 955cc super-quadro L-twin engine that puts out 155bhp at 10,750rpm and has a maximum torque of 104Nm at 9,000rpm from the Panigale V2. And compared to the Streetfighter V4, the bare average weight will be a more affordable version, but the price will only be slightly lower than the fully faired Panigale V2.
Read also: Everything you need to know about Ducati Streetfighter V4
We’re also expecting a full electronics suite, with an inertial measurement unit (IMU), powering traction control, freewheel control, and will also come with cornering ABS. At this point, it is not known if and when Ducati will present the new model. Our bets are on the next EICMA 2021 show in Milan in November 2021, or World Ducati Week, where the bike will be unveiled to the public.
For the latest automotive news and reviews, follow TUSEN.com on Twitter, Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel.


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Watch the livestream
Chrome Dev Summit 2020 will be virtually held at goo.gle/cds2020. We will share more details as we get closer to the event. You can watch the livestream on December 9-10 starting at 9:30 a.m. PST each day.
Featured speakers & agenda
We’re excited to announce that this year’s summit will kick off with a keynote address by Ben Galbraith and Dion Almaer. Throughout the event, we’ll also have speakers from Google and from partners like Adobe and Indian e-commerce giant, Nykaa, among others.
View full agenda
Join the conversation
Be sure to join the conversation on Twitter by using #ChromeDevSummit and check us out on YouTube!


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*Amazon expected to expand food sales at home and abroad. BERLIN, July 8- Big retailers are taking a calculated hit to margins to invest in online grocery operations, in the hope they can persuade consumers to add more profitable items like clothes and computers to their orders of fruit and vegetables.» Read More
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is eager to eliminate the government's relatively small budget deficit and restore the reputation Canada had before the financial crisis as having the strongest fiscal record in the Group of Seven major economies.
Today Show investigative correspondent Jeff Rossen ordered flowers from some of the biggest names in the business, including 1-800-Flowers, and compared the arrangements to their advertisements.
Feb 5- Strong demand for a product designed to prevent NSA-style snooping could speed online file-sharing services provider Accellion Inc's plans to go public, CEO Yorgen Edholm said.
A Reuters study found that Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei controls a massive financial empire built from property seizures from ordinary Iranians.
Kasper Rorsted, Henkel CEO, provides his views on the state of the global economy and Europe's economic recovery.
Amid a slow-growth environment for US manufacturing, one American company is bucking the trend as Americans embrace juicing, which has driven sales higher.
WD-40 has been a staple in American households. Now, they aim to fix the world’s problems. "There's still lots of squeaks in China and lots of rust in Russia!" the CEO said.
The tragic Sandy Hook shooting sparked a surge in sales of an unexpected product: bullet-proof backpacks.
The stock market is risky as it is, Cramer said, adding investors should have to worry about software glitches, as well.
It might have a broken stock, but “Mad Money” host says it’s not a broken company.
The “Mad Money” host offers his earnings expectations for Time Warner, CVS Caremark, Garmin, Allergan and Clorox.
Find out why he thinks Kimberly-Clark has been the "underdog" of the industry.
Avon Products on Monday named Sherilyn S. (Sheri) McCoy as chief executive officer.
Discussing the consumer's greater willingness to purchase something of better quality for a higher price, with John Paul De Joria, Paul Mitchell CEO/Patron Spirits owner.
With the poor job market and uncertain recovery, hundreds of thousands of Americans have put off moving out on their own — and that's depriving the economy of a lot of activity. The New York Times reports.
Forget about the bag, the shoes and the lip gloss. Nails are becoming spring's most important accessory. And its a trend that can withstand any uncertainty in the economy.
You may think you're seeking security in these kinds of stocks, but Cramer said it could be false safety.
The "Mad Money" host reveals what earnings he plans to monitor in the days to come.
The "Mad Money" host compares three companies to illustrate this important lesson.


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Lowered prices in EU countries and the European Union has introduced ceiling has made that the Danes are not pale to use the phone whilst on holiday.
Data consumption abroad is growing tremendously for Danes who are on holiday in the EU countries. After prices were lowered, so dry this summer the Danes now finally use your mobile phone. It shows the preliminary statements from the four major Danish telecommunications companies for the month of July, which is the main holiday month. It writes our site.
However, it is not because they are calling or writing much more than before, but on the other hand, data usage has grown significantly. However, all reports from the foreign mobile companies have not yet come to Denmark.
The numbers from TDC shows that their customers have actually spoken and sent a little less text messages than it was in July last year. On the other hand, is the number of data sessions increased by 35 percent since July 2010. But most interesting is the fact that the amount of data in two years has grown with 474 percent.
Our site’s customers have immediately spoken as much as last year, while data usage has doubled from July 2010 to 2011 – and this year it tripled since last year. Our site sees the same pattern.
The telecommunications company also joins the data traffic has grown by them. In the period 1. to 24.July has been the growth of 60 percent since 2011.
-“It’s probably not only prices, that means something. The Danes also found out the ceiling of 450 euros which the EU has introduced as the highest, you may have to pay. It means a lot, for it provides peace of mind, “said 3 ‘s communications Chief Stine Green Paulsen to Business.dk.
Prices in the next three years, the EU will continue to decrease, while it is still outside the EU is an expensive affair to use mobile phone.


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SparkPost, the cloud email service that delivers 3 trillion emails per year, has been made available on AWS Marketplace, the company announced today. The arrangement brings enterprise email workloads to AWS, while allowing marketers to integrate SparkPost into Amazon Web Service-based applications, the firm says.
The SparkPost subscription is integrated into the AWS bill to provide access to users, including technical account managers and email deliverability experts, the company adds.
Starting in December, clients will also be able to subscribe to SparkPost’s premium support services through the ASW Marketplace.
Claiming to be the only cloud-native email delivery service on AWS, SparkPost says it can deliver higher peak email volumes than traditional data centers, and that it can “elastically” scale up to meet demand.
In addition, developers can use SparkPost to “implement email notifications, app-onboarding, welcomes, user invites , prompts, account management and security alerts, all that traffic that apps increasingly generate under the banner of transactional, notifications,” says SparkPost CEO Phillip Merrick.
Via SparkPost, those apps can “take advantage of real-time engagement around the email stream,” Merrick adds.
When a user opens an email, for example, that will be known when they visit the website or a mobile app. Or, Merrick notes, a marketer can “route it to a call center and have someone call that individual.” Merrick adds that reliance on in-house data centers is "the 2005 way."
SparkPost also provides security features, including company-wide SOC2 Type 1 assessment.
Amazon’s services such as Simple Email Service (SES) purportedly do not offer advanced features and access to experts.
SparkPost claims that it delivers over a fourth of the world’s non-spam email. Numerous firms use the firm’s API email technology, and clients include LinkedIn, Comcast, Pinterest, The New York Times, Twitter and Zillow.
SparkPost states that large-scale email delivery had not previously been available through cloud-based systems.


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Davidoff has added another Flagship Store location in Hong Kong, China, with the opening of a nearly 1,100 square foot store on the Mezzanine Floor ML10 in the Kowloon building at the Peninsula. The Peninsula is the most prestigious and home to all the international luxury brands. In Hong Kong, Davidoff also has stores at The Landmark, Central and Acanta stores in Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui and The Park Lane Hotel, Causeway Bay.
“We are delighted to expand our first Davidoff location in Asia and introduce our new retail and lounge concept for the first time in Hong Kong. The challenge in designing this cigar boutique was to preserve the company’s history but to continue our mission to delight and surprise our customers worldwide by delivering unique brands and unrivalled retail experiences,” explained Laurent de Rougemont, Managing Director of Davidoff Asia, in a press release announcing the new store.
Complete with a larger cigar lounge that can accommodate around 20 guests, a walk-in humidor, a dedicated spirits corner and an accessories zone that offers a wide range of cigar humidors, cases, cutters, ashtrays, lighters and pipes, the Davidoff Flagship Store at the Peninsula was designed according to Davidoff’s globally-standardized retail concept. The store resembles a cigar box and has an elegant, stylish and warm interior design that combines lush woods with natural earth tones that remind visitors of the color of cigars.


text: Instagram, Weibo searches blocked in China and FireChat takes off BBC reports that Instagram and Weibo (a Chinese social networking platform) photo searches including the terms “Occupy Central” and “Hong Kong students” are being blocked. BBC’s Beijing bureau was able to confirm the blockage of the terms. The Chinese government has already banned Facebook, Twitter, Google services (Google Maps, Gmail, Google+, YouTube), and search terms that it considers politically sensitive. Instagram confirmed reports that users were having difficulty accessing its services and that they were “looking into it,” according to PCWorld. Student activist leader Joshua Wong encouraged protestors to download FireChat, a messenging app that uses Bluetooth wireless signals over radio waves instead of an internet connection, to communicate. FireChat broadcasts messages to people in the area that also have the app installed. Messages are not protected and can be read by anyone in the vicinity with the app, Tech in Asia and BBC report. Over 100,000 downloads occurred in Honk Kong after Wong’s post, with over 33,000 Hong Kong users clocking in simultaneously. eBay and PayPal to split Bay Inc, the parent company of eBay and PayPal, has announced the split of its two services in 2015 on Sept. 30. eBay bought out PayPal in 2002 for $1.5 billion. “For more than a decade eBay and PayPal have mutually benefited from being part of one company, creating substantial shareholder value. However, a thorough strategic review with our board shows that keeping eBay and PayPal together beyond 2015 clearly becomes less advantageous to each business strategically and competitively,” CEO John Donahoe said. “The industry landscape is changing, and each business faces different competitive opportunities and challenges.” The Board of Directors concluded that the “benefits of the existing relationships between eBay and PayPal will naturally decline over time.” Investor Carl Icahn called PayPal a “jewel” and said that “eBay is covering up its value.” Forbes cited increased competition from Alibaba’s Alipay and Apple Pay to be factors that could “change the entire payment game.” PayPal co-founder Elon Musk also cited his concern for PayPal should it have remained part of eBay: “[PayPal] will get cut to pieces by Amazon Payments or by other systems like Apple and by start-ups if it continues to be part of eBay… It will either wither or be spun out.” PayPal is expected to hit a market cap of $100 billion by former COO David Sacks. Windows 10 brings back start menu Microsoft has announced Windows 8’s successor, Windows 10. Skipping over the Windows 9 name, Microsoft gave a sneak peak of Windows 10 Sept. 30, BBC reported. Windows 10 marks the return of the start menu, a feature that Windows 8 took away. The revamped start menu will feature resizable tiles to the right with links to their respective applications. It will also feature notifications from email, social media, and weather forecasts. Unlike Windows 8, Windows 10 is not planning to have a touch mode and a desktop mode. David Johnson, a Microsoft consultant at the firm Forrester, said that the start menu is “critically important” to Windows 10 being adopted by more desktop PCs. “The start menu is perhaps the most important thing that will make the desktop experience familiar to business users, and will help it reduce resistance to its installation,” Johnson said. About 20 per cent of enterprises offer Windows 8 to their employees, according to Johnson, with Windows 7 currently being the standard. Across all desktops, over 50 per cent use Windows 7 as their operating system, with nearly 24 per cent running Windows XP. Only 13.4 per cent run Windows 8. Net Applications reports almost seven per cent use Apple’s OS X and three per cent use Windows Vista. Developers will begin to have early access to the new operating system in October, with Microsoft planning to roll it out to consumers before the end of 2015.


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- The Black Eyed Peas, the Grammy-winning hip-hop group led by rapper Will.I.Am, released an augmented reality (AR) mobile application on Black Friday to go with its graphic novel “Masters of the Sun: The Zombie Chronicles.” Readers who hold a smartphone over the pages of the comic will see the story come to life through animated features and voice-overs from several celebrities. A virtual reality (VR) version on Oculus is in the works for early next year, TechCrunch reported.
- Jamie Foxx, Queen Latifah, Mary J Blige, Rosario Dawson and Snoop Dogg are among the performers who help to tell the story of a California hip-hop group that battle an alien deity who turns drug dealers and gangsters into zombies. Marvel Comics chairman emeritus Stan Lee narrates the AR experience, which features a score by Will.I.Am and Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer, per TechCrunch.
- Marvel Comics in August published the graphic novel, which was co-written by Will.I.Am and Benjamin Jackendoff and illustrated by Damion Scott. The app was developed with Trigger Global, a mixed-reality company that's previously developed content for brands like AMC, Google, Mattel and Red Bull. The app is available now for $1.99 on iOS and Android.
The development of an AR-powered comic book is a creative experiment with multimedia content, as more companies seek ways to use emerging visual technology in smartphone apps. Apple’s ARKit and Google’s ARCore platforms promise to unleash the creative powers of millions of software developers worldwide, especially as the tech giants offer the possibility of reaching a vast audience of mobile users. The AR market needs a wider variety of content to encourage greater adoption of the technology, which means media and gaming companies have an opportunity to stake a claim early on in a burgeoning market.
The Black Eyed Peas aren't the first to bridge the gap between online and offline experiences with a print publication. In April, Ford partnered with Marvel to promote the film "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" through a digital and limited print comic. Mercedez-Benz in October created six digital comics on Instagram for the Nov. 17 release of Warner Bros. Pictures film "Justice League." This trend of developing fun digital content is growing as marketers' strategies continue to expand in an attempt to connect with younger consumers who aren't interested in traditional ads.
Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.I.Am isn’t a stranger to technology as the founder of I.Am+, a Hollywood-based technology company that has had a mixed history of marketing consumer electronics including iPhone cases, wearable “smart bands” and wireless Bluetooth headphones. However, I.Am+ is making better headway in the enterprise market. The company this month raised $117 million in venture funding to support the development of its voice-activated digital assistant Omega. The company is targeting customer service apps in the enterprise market. Deutsche Telekom, the German telecom giant and parent company of T-Mobile, has been using Omega to power an artificial intelligence (AI) customer support chatbot since June, according to Reuters.
Total spending on AR and virtual reality products is estimated to jump from $11.4 billion this year to about $215 billion in four years, per an August study from the International Data Corporation. Games will likely dominate AR and VR tech with total spending reaching $9.5 billion by 2021, the researcher said.


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Andrew Griffith/HM Treasury
The Edinb-urgh Reforms… a year of missed opportunities for fintechs
Twelve months on from the launch of a series of financial services reforms aimed at spurring innovation much work needs to be done, writes Luke Kosky
After a year in which we traded two Treasury Select Committee Chairs, three Prime Ministers, four chancellors and fourteen Treasury ministers, 2022 went out with a bang for Financial Services.
The ‘Edinburgh Reforms’ landed just before Christmas last year, to make the UK the most innovative and competitive global financial centre. It was an ambitious package that the industry, including us, billed as a boon for fintechs.
A year on though, and the pile-up of government interventions announced in the Reforms has only crept along.
While (then) City Minister Andrew Griffith promised “2023 is proving to be a banner year for reforming our financial services”, in reality, the bang of the Edinburgh Reforms has fizzled out, plagued by slow consultation, complexity and missed opportunity.
Indeed the Treasury Select Committee has concluded that “none of the achievements to date will make a substantial difference to the UK economy”.
As we look towards an election year, many fintechs may be waiting even longer for meaningful change.
Crucially, we have seen some marked successes, including the landmark Financial Services and Markets Act which gained Royal Assent in June. A major success of the Act was to introduce a new, secondary objective for the FCA and the PRA to promote the growth and competitiveness of the UK economy.
Additionally, a new Digital Securities Sandbox was given legislative footing and has subsequently been consulted on, with 19 firms expressing interest so far. Further, the first steps of transitioning EU law to UK law post-Brexit has also progressed through the FSM Act, though the actual transition will take years.
The Getting There
Many of the objectives in the Reforms are complex, and there is a necessary consultation period to go through. Critical elements including review of Solvency II, the introduction of a “Digital Pound”, and reform of the Consumer Credit Act fall into this category, with many questions asked, but few answers offered.
The last of these is particularly pressing: reform of consumer credit regulations will be complex but is urgently required, as the painstaking process of BNPL regulation demonstrates. The Treasury has tried to build a bespoke regime on the decrepit Consumer Credit Act, and BNPL remains unregulated as a result.
There is no doubt that the Reforms were ambitious, meaning the iterative progress is inevitably slow. The Treasury has set out to do a lot: indeed, over the next two weeks before Christmas we are supposed to see three final statutory instruments published.
However, some of the Reforms’ stated objectives were doomed from the start due to a lack of joined-up thinking.
For instance, the new rules to counter the awful scourge of authorised push payment scams enabled by powers in the Act may inadvertently kill off innovative payment technologies like Open Banking.
Further, efforts to safeguard the provision of cash in the Act did not recognise the connection to rising fees on card payments, meaning retailers as well as consumers are impacted by an uncompetitive payments sector.
Meanwhile, the Treasury Select Committee’s review also suggested that many of the measures will not constitute meaningful reform in of themselves, but instead tee up opportunities for the future.
Finally, yet another example of a missed opportunity in the last twelve months has been the stagnation of Open Banking. This £4bn Fintech sector is part of a phenomenon used by over seven million UK consumers and was once the envy of the world, inspiring copycat regimes across five continents.
This lead has been all but eroded after twelve months of working group after working group, leading the Chair of the Treasury Select Committee to suggest that “anti-competitive forces” may be engaged in “simple sabotage” of the initiative.
We welcomed the ambition to legislate for open finance in the November Autumn Statement, as well as the continued passage of the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill, where the powers to do so will be delivered.
But we cannot hide the fact that twelve months on from the Edinburgh Reforms, we are no closer to realising the true potential of Smart Data in financial services.
We have made baby steps, and many ambitious reforms have begun, but there is much work to be done in 2024 to realise the goals of the Edinburgh Reforms.
The Government must lend its support to the regulators and we must hit the ground running from January. Thank goodness we’ll have a quiet year to get on with it.


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Guinness and Johnnie Walker take top honours at the Uganda Marketing Excellence Awards
Last week was one for the books, as corporates, professionals and marketing practitioners gathered for the second edition of the Uganda Marketing Excellence Awards (UMEAs) at the Kampala Serena Hotel.
The black-tie event saw several organisations and individuals in the marketing profession receive awards for the excellent marketing ideas, campaigns and outstanding execution.
Uganda Breweries’ brands, Guinness and Johnnie Walker emerged top winners of the evening for their disruptive campaigns.
Guinness emerged overall winner, as their Black Shines Brightest campaign was named the Marketing Campaign of the year, while The Walkers campaign by Johnnie Walker, won the Best Use of Experiential Marketing.
“It is such an honour to be recognised here tonight. A lot of hard work and creativity was put into the Black Shines Brightest campaign. I wish to say that tonight is a reflection of the statement; Team Work Makes the Dream Work,” Elizabeth Mutamuliza, the Brand Manager Premium Beers at Uganda Breweries Ltd, said in her acceptance speech.
Winners of the night were chosen based on big concepts (ideas), insights driving the ideas, integration of the communication across different platforms, impact as well as execution.
Christine Kyokunda, the Johnnie Walker Uganda Brand Manager dedicated the award to consumers and everyone that worked on The Walkers campaign; “This award is by, and for the team that worked effortlessly on The Walkers campaign. This award is for the Walkers and our consumers that welcomed us in the different parts of Uganda where we turned up with our Walkers campaign, thank you,” Kyokunda said.
According to Evolve Africa Co-Founder Shafique Ssemakula, the nominees of the Uganda Marketing Excellence Awards (UMEAS) 2022 were carefully selected by a six-member jury that comprised of respected top marketers.
While the public vote determined the winners for seven of the eleven categories, the jury solely determined the winners of the four top categories that included; Agency of the Year (digital), Agency of the Year (traditional media), Marketing Campaign of the Year and UMEA most accomplished Marketer of the year.
Members of the jury included, Dr. Benedict Mugerwa, Head of Professional Courses at Uganda Management Institute, Ngulumi Immaculate Nabatte, Chief Marketing Officer, Centenary Bank, Johnpaul Okwi, Manager Sponsorships and Events, MTN, Jackie Rukare Namara, CEO, Iguru Consult Ltd, Rogers Anguzu, Head of Marketing, Vision Group and Barbra Arimi Teddy, Head of Marketing and Communications at National Social Security Fund (NSSF).
Some of the other notable winners of the night included Dr. Benedict Mugerwa, who took the UMEAs Most Accomplished Marketer award, while the Agency of the year (digital media) award went to Zeus the Agency.
The first physical edition of the UMEAs was powered by Evolve Africa and sponsored by; Kampala Serena Hotel, Centenary Bank, NSSF, Radio City, Matooke Republic and Kadanke Brand House.
Source: PML Daily


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WH Smith has today issued a trading update, which amongst other things indicates that 1500 staff could loose their jobs.
In the trading statement issued today they said :-
In High Street, our 203 stores that host Post Offices remained open through the pandemic to provide vital postal and banking services to their local communities. Given we kept stores open in these locations, we were well advanced with our reopening plans for the stores that had temporarily closed.
Since June, we have reopened our remaining High Street stores with 575 now open, though high street footfall is significantly down on 2019 levels. Our online businesses have continued to perform strongly.
As a result of the impact on passenger numbers and lower footfall on the UK high street, we have taken the difficult decision to review our store operations across both our Travel and High Street businesses. We are now starting a collective consultation on a proposed restructure which could lead to up to c.1,500 roles becoming redundant.
This has been a very difficult decision and we are committed to supporting all our colleagues throughout this process and ensuring it is conducted fairly. Based on our initial assessment, we believe that the costs associated with the restructure will be in the region of £15m – £19m1, reflecting the Group’s enhanced redundancy policy.
Following the impact of Covid-19 in the second half of the financial year, the Group expects to deliver a headline loss before tax for the financial year ending 31 August 2020 of between £70m and £75m.
WH Smith Group Chief Executive, Carl Cowling, commented:
“Covid-19 continues to have a significant impact on the WH Smith Group. Throughout the pandemic, we have responded quickly and taken decisive actions to protect the business including substantially strengthening our financial position. We have also welcomed support from Government where available.”
“In our Travel business, while we are beginning to see early signs of recovery in some of our markets, the speed of recovery continues to be slow. At the same time, while there has been some progress in our High Street business, it does continue to be adversely affected by low
levels of footfall. As a result, we now need to take further action to reduce costs across our businesses. I regret that this will have an impact on a significant number of colleagues whose roles will be affected by these necessary actions, and we will do everything we can to support them at this challenging time.”
“While we are mindful of the continuing uncertainties that exist, we are a resilient and versatile business. The operational actions we are taking along with the financing arrangements that are in place, put us in a strong position to navigate this time of uncertainty and we are well positioned to benefit in due course from the recovery of our key markets.”
WH Smith PLC will announce its 2020 Preliminary results on Thursday 12th November 2020.


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Former search engine giant Lycos, has revealed that they are rolling out a new, proprietary search engine in 2013 in an attempt to regain its status as a (the) leading search engine. The current Lycos search engine is powered by Yahoo but the new version will signal a return to its roots. Lycos CEO Rob Balazy told Next Web:
“In the coming year you will see us introduce a new proprietary search product. I don’t want to say too much about it as it’s still in the planning stage but we have a vision to merge the notion of a search-type activity with a curated content experience. We think the benefit to the consumer is huge. It removes the process of trial and error from clicking on search results and hitting ‘Back’ in the browser.”
Balazy explained how the new search engine intends to coexist with Google:
“I don’t think that we aspire to take on Google. Google’s big push has been to index the entire Web and be the definitive ‘Library of Congress for the Web’. We’ll focus more on the head terms, the search queries that are important and matter to people and really focus on the presentation layer, making the user experience really intuitive, really beautiful and take the same data-driving approach we’re doing with our homepage.”
Lycos was established in 1994. It began as a research project by Michael Loren Mauldin of Carnegie Mellon University’s main Pittsburgh campus and became one of the first profitable Internet businesses only four years later. It is now owned by Ybrant Digital, an internet marketing company based in Hyderabad, India. Other Lycos properties include Angelfire, Gamesville, Hotbot, Tripod.com, and Weather Zombie.


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Amazon tops UK retail brand charts
29 September 2011 - 11:03 by Graham Miller
Amazon has come out on top in yet another poll in the UK, this time one which determines how consumers perceive the various retailers available to them, both online and on the high street.
According to a study commissioned by Kelkoo, Amazon is trusted to deliver safe shopping online that is consistent and convenient, outdoing rival firms like Tesco and Asda.
Although Amazon may not have the sales figures to match up to the competition, it is still seen as a valuable brand that is worth trusting and the sole e-commerce entry in the top 10 for this year's brand analysis report.
Kelkoo spokesperson, Mark Haupt, said that UK consumers appreciate the world of products and services currently offered by Amazon, which means that they are spending more of their cash with the site.
This has allowed Amazon to encroach on the market previously dominated by supermarket chains, by offering a wider variety of products which can be bought via safe shopping online.
Mr Haupt said that despite the lack of mainstream advertising campaigns from Amazon, in a world where the big retailers tend to use television to publicise their latest deals, the e-commerce company was still intelligent in its use of marketing tools.
Fifteen hundred people took part in the study and 54 per cent said that low prices were the driving force behind their shopping habits in the current climate.
In terms of value for money, the respondents ranked Amazon in first place, pushing Asda and Tesco into second and third place respectively.
Tesco is still top when it comes to rewarding customer loyalty with clubcard points and deals, with Amazon placed fourth in this particular category.
Consumers' trust in Amazon is second only to Marks & Spencer, suggesting that the e-commerce giant has managed to make a name for itself as a respectable and worthy place to shop online.


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Big Blue courts the small fry
IBM benefits by partnering with small and medium tech companies. Florida is a key center for this outreach.
By DAVE GUSSOW
Published November 8, 2005
TAMPA - Saru Seshadri's tech company has 30 employees. IBM has more than 300,000 worldwide, with more than 1,000 just in its Tampa office. But the two are partners, a relationship that Seshadri says benefits both.
"There are business partners and there are business partners," said Seshadri, founder and president of Tampa's Ultramatics. "We are constantly speaking to the IBM team on a daily basis."
For the privately held Ultramatics and other tech startups, IBM provides resources they can only dream about. For IBM, the small companies develop products that IBM can use in its own consulting and services work, as well as contacts to other startups and potential customers.
These days, IBM, known as Big Blue, is thinking small and medium business. That segment already makes up more than 20 percent of the company's revenue, which was $21.5-billion in the third quarter. And Florida is a key center for reaching out to this segment.
Founded in 2001, Ultramatics offers consulting and business system services from offices in Florida and India to clients such as Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, CSX, Panasonic and United Healthcare. IBM is a client as well.
Ultramatics uses IBM technology in its work and gets access to IBM resources, including virtual innovation centers to test products and even IBM staff to help during development.
IBM also assists Ultramatics and other small companies with marketing.
In return, small companies develop products that enhance IBM's core business and provide IBM access to their clients and markets. That's a shift for IBM, known more for its work with major corporate clients.
"A lot of our startup firms have really helped IBM better serve a broader number of customers than we ever could have in the past because they actually have great applications for customers," said Mark Hanny, IBM vice president for independent software vendors.
Hanny was in the area last week to talk to executives about IBM's "Partner World" program. Big Blue plans other events to build on the 80 Florida businesses that have signed on so far.
It's also another indicator of the importance of the small and medium business market to major players.
In June, Orlando Ayala, in charge of Microsoft's small and midmarket business efforts, visited the area to talk to customers.
Each company emphasizes that they don't directly compete, since Microsoft is software and IBM consulting and services. But they are going after the same market.
Alan Taetle, general partner at Noro-Moseley Partners, a venture capital firm in Atlanta, says IBM provides expertise and a specific contact that helps the firm assess potential investments. In return, IBM gets to check out potential partners.
"There are other companies that have comparable concepts," Taetle said. "But they're not as well executed as what IBM does."
Metastorm, known until recently as CommerceQuest, in Tampa has a longstanding relationship with IBM, according to Paul Roth, the company vice president. Metastorm works on applications and processes that help businesses automate operations.
"A little company looks like a much bigger company because of the relationship IBM extends to us," Roth said.
Hanny calls IBM's program an "ecosystem." In addition to working with venture capitalists and startup companies, IBM also is investing time and money with universities, such as the University of South Florida and University of Tampa.
The company wants more technology integrated into the curriculum across the board, so a more tech-savvy work force heads to the job market.
And it wants to encourage more students to study math, engineering and science.
"This is an area we have to address as a society because they don't have this problem in Russia and China and India right now," Hanny said.
--Dave Gussow can be reached at email@example.com or 727 445-4165.
[Last modified November 8, 2005, 02:15:36]
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The recall covers the Dodge Ram 1500 and Dakota trucks from 2009-10. Chrysler says a rear axle nut can get loose because there's no glue to hold it together. If that happens, drivers could lose control.
Chrysler will notify owners of the recall next month. Dealers will install a retainer to secure the axle for free.


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The grand opening of Cineco 3, a three cinema multiplex operated by Qatar Bahrain International Cinema (QBIC) was held at Al Khor Mall yesterday.
QBIC has invested over QR12mn for the project, which has a total of 505 seats. While Screen 1 has 146 seats, Screen 2 has 82 seats and Screen 3 has 277 seats.
Cineco 3 had a soft opening at Al Khor Mall on March 24 with a world premiere of Batman Vs Superman.
All the cinemas of Cineco 3 are equipped with silver screen for 2D and 3D movies, with the latest technology of 4K digital projection systems.
“With Al Khor Mall Cinema, QBIC is the largest cinema company in Qatar with 30 screens at three different locations in the country,” said QBIC’s chief operating officer Khalil Amin.
“We will continue our expansion strategy in Qatar and will announce the opening of an additional 13 screens very soon,” he added. LuLu Group International director Mohamed Althaf pointed out that Al Khor Mall, which has more than 100 existing tenants and a large food court, has served over 25mn shoppers and visitors since its opening three and a half years ago.
“With the multiplex opening, the visitor flow is going to further improve. Considering such high loyalty and patronage from the customers and majority of the families, the mall has also added new retail concepts to enhance the shopping atmosphere,” he added.
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After a decade on the road, the BRZ coupe is celebrating with a very special and likely very limited variant which is on its way to Australia
Subaru has confirmed the BRZ 10th Anniversary Special Edition ‘S’ is on its way to Australia and is expected to roll onto local showrooms later this year.
As the name suggests, the special edition is a celebration of the Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86 coupe’s 10 years on sale together, after first going on sale locally in June 2012.
Toyota will bring its own version of the GR86 10th Anniversary Edition to Australia in September, with just 86 examples slated to be sold locally.
Subaru hasn’t stated how many special-edition BRZs will be sold in Australia but confirmed that the variant will be sold exclusively in ‘WR Blue’ and feature a number of unique interior and exterior styling details.
While the full list of changes has yet to be revealed, the images show key modifications such as a 10th Anniversary logo imprinted on the sides of the doors and rear window, as well as a contrasting blue stripe and stitching on the front seats.
The images also show that the 8.0-inch touchscreen has been removed in the special edition, likely to preserve a more pure driving experience without distraction, though it’s equally likely that this screen could make an appearance in Australian-delivered models.
It’s unlikely that any performance changes will be made to the chassis or drivetrain, though the choice of either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission could be offered.
The second-generation BRZ is currently fitted with a 2.4-litre flat-four petrol engine that sends 174kW of power and 250Nm of torque straight to the rear wheels.
All prices listed are before on-road costs.
Car news today: Next Tesla Model 3 Performance info leaked ahead of reveal, Mazda debuts CX-80 luxury SUV, and more – 19 April 2024
Car news, 18 Apr ’24: Audi teases facelifted RS E-tron GT Performance flagship, updated Mercedes-Benz EQA and EQB go on sale
Car news, 17 Apr ’24: Near-production BYD ute shown without any camouflage, Nissan Qashqai gets a brand-new look, and more
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Subaru BRZ 2024: new prices confirmed as order books open for tS, manual variants nab safety upgrades
Subaru BRZ 2022: order books reopen with “uncapped” numbers for sports coupe following sales success


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At a high level, Verizon had a very good fourth quarter for customer growth. It brought on board an additional 2.07 million subscriptions, upgraded many old feature phone customers to new 4G smartphones and connected 1.4 million new tablets to its network. But there were also definite signs that Verizon’s formidable wireless citadel is showing weaknesses as competition from T-Mobile and a recently rejuvenated Sprint increases.
[company]Verizon[/company]’s churn rate was the highest its been in more than two years, hitting 1.39 percent. A carrier’s churn is the percentage of overall customers who leave each quarter. Carriers with a lot of prepaid and transient customers tend have a lot higher churn, but Verizon, with its huge focus on postpaid contracts and family plans, historically tends to have the lowest turnover rate in the industry.
Of particular note, Verizon’s fabled postpaid churn rate — usually below 1 percent – jumped to 1.14 percent, which represents about 1.16 million of Verizon’s most valuable contract and family plan customers abandoning ship.
Just because a churn rate is high doesn’t mean a carrier is shrinking. It just has to court new customers more aggressively. That’s exactly what Verizon did in the fourth quarter, luring customers over from other carriers and encouraging existing customers to connect more gadgets. But CFO Fran Shammo said Verizon was only prepared to be so aggressive. Many of those departing customers left because prices were cheaper at the competition, and Verizon isn’t willing to engage in price war, preferring instead to let those customers go, Shammo said at Verizon’s earnings call.
It looks like [company]T-Mobile[/company] was the primary beneficiary. It hasn’t reported earnings yet, but earlier this month it released its subscriber numbers for 2014, showing 2.1 million net new subscribers in Q4. [company]Sprint[/company] also saw 1 million new net customer additions in the last quarter. [company]AT&T[/company] hasn’t yet released its subscriber numbers for the quarter.
Verizon by no means is crumbling under the pressure of T-Mobile’s Uncarrier strategy, but an increasing churn rate is definitely something to keep an eye on. The last time Verizon’s postpaid churn rate popped up above 1 percent was in Q1 of 2014, when Verizon actually lost phone customers for the first time in recent memory.
Verizon ended 2014 with 108 million total postpaid and prepaid connections. Though Verizon reported profits for the full year of $2.42 per share, it suffered a loss in fourth quarter of $2.15 billion, or 54 cents a share.
During the company’s earnings call, Shammo was also asked about the possible threat of Google entering the carrier biz by becoming a mobile virtual network operator. The CFO didn’t seem too worried. He pointed out MVNOs have been around for 15 years with posing any huge threat to Verizon. Shammo has a point. By becoming a virtual operator, [company]Google[/company] would need the carriers to give it wholesale access to their networks. It’s difficult to challenge an industry when you’re entirely dependent on that industry to survive.


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After the launch of the Mi 6, industry analyst Pan Jiutang had hinted that the Xiaomi Mi 6 Plus would be launched in about two months time from now. But a new rumour has appeared in the Chinese social media that alleges that the Mi 6 Plus has been scrapped entirely by Xiaomi.
The implication of this latest rumour is that this year’s Mi 6-series would only be made up of one model. Well, maybe Xiaomi will continue with the line next year. The post which appeared in a group discussion also reveals that the Mi Note 3 would instead be released in the third quarter of this year. This is actually an affirmation of the earlier rumour of a Q3 launch for the Mi 6 Plus shared on Weibo and which we reported but this latest rumour pegged the launch precisely in September.
Before the Mi 6 was launched, the Mi 6 Plus was rumoured to come with a full display screen similar to the Mi Mix but surprisingly Xiaomi never mentioned anything about a Mi 6 Plus. Fans who were holding on to Pan Jiutang’s prediction that the Mi 6 Plus may find this disappointing. But then, it’s still a rumour as Xiaomi is yet to confirm or deny anything concerning the Mi 6 Plus.


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Philly Startup Leaders Entrepreneur Expo, presented by Linode
Philly Startup Leaders' Entrepreneur Expo is the largest annual showcase of tech companies in Philadelphia. Entrepreneur Expo is an official event of Philly Tech Week, presented by Comcast!
On Wednesday, May 8, PSL will showcase 100+ tech companies at The Fillmore. These companies will be at the Entrepreneur Expo.
Come discover the innovative energy flowing through Philadelphia and meet the companies behind some of the greatest tech our city has to offer!
New this year:
We are hosting a wellness lounge on the second floor for your self-care needs. There will be chair massages, facials, VR meditation and more. There's also plenty of spaces for you to have quick meetings with people you've been meaning to connect with!


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Shop safe at farmers markets
- Published: Monday, April 27, 2020
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Shopping at farmers markets is a great way to get healthy fruits, vegetables and other foods while supporting local farmers, says Londa Nwadike, University of Missouri Extension food safety specialist. Nwadike, who has a joint extension appointment with MU and Kansas State University, offers some guidelines for safe shopping at farmers markets even in the midst of COVID-19:
Be prepared. Call the market or check its website or social media pages to see which vendors and items will be available. Give yourself extra time. Shopping might take longer with extra safety measures in place, as many Missouri farmers markets have updated their procedures to provide extra safety to customers and vendors. Make a list so you can efficiently find the items you need.
If you’re running multiple errands, make the market your last stop to minimize the amount of time perishable foods sit in the car.
Before entering the market, remind yourself to avoid touching your face and cellphone. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing a mask or other cloth face covering when in places where social distancing can be difficult. Make sure to use a designated entry point when going in. The farmers market may have established separate entrances and exits to avoid bottlenecks of people coming and going.
Choose items with your eyes, not your hands, Nwadike says. Let vendors handle the products you select. Stay at least 6 feet away from other people as much as possible.
“You want to avoid standing shoulder-to-shoulder with other customers while examining items. Be patient and courteous while people ahead of you complete their purchases,” Nwadike says.
Avoid using cash when possible. Many vendors and markets accept debit, credit and EBT/SNAP cards.
Make use of handwashing stations or hand sanitizer. CDC recommends handwashing with soap and water, but if handwashing is not available, hand sanitizer can also be used.
For now, resist the temptation to socialize while shopping. “Farmers markets are normally a place to enjoy the atmosphere and visit with the vendors and other friends,” Nwadike says. “But right now, farmers markets are most importantly a source of food and a way to support local farmers.” Consider sending just one household member to the market at this time.
Wash all produce before eating. “Even though there is currently no evidence that COVID-19 has been transmitted through food or food packaging, it is always important to use good food safety practices, which will help control foodborne illness as well as COVID-19,” she says. That means washing the whole produce, even if you don’t eat the peel. Wash items such as cantaloupe and potatoes with a produce brush.
Nwadike says commercial produce washes have not been shown to be more effective than water from the kitchen faucet. “All the research shows that clean, running water is the best way for consumers to wash produce,” she said.
Safety recommendations change regularly. For the most current information on the spread of COVID-19 and the government’s response, consumers should contact their local or state health department or the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov). MU Extension also has a number of resources related to COVID-19 at extension.missouri.edu/covid-19-resources-public.
See also: COVID-19 and Farmers Markets: Steps for Customers to Shop Safely (PDF)
Writer: Curt Wohleber
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Ready-to-eat salad with meat products that contain a corn ingredient have been recalled due to possible salmonella and listeria monocytogenes contamination, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.
More than 700 pounds of salad products were recalled by a Green Cove Springs, Florida, establishment known as GHSE LLC.
The possible contamination was discovered Oct. 15 after the establishment received a notification that the corn used was recalled by their corn supplier due to concerns over salmonella and listeria monocytogenes.
The recalled salad was shipped to stores in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.
"There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products," the USDA said.
Details on the product recalled below:
- The ready-to-eat salads with steak were produced from Oct. 11, 2018, through Oct. 14, 2018.
- 15.25-oz. clear plastic clamshell packages containing “Marketside™ FIESTA SALAD WITH STEAK” and use by date from 10/17/2018 through 10/20/2018.
- The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 45781” inside the USDA mark of inspection.
Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a health care provider.
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