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The long-awaited ability to have more than one profile associated with Google TV is finally rolling out.
As The Verge reports, users should now have access to multiple profiles on their Google TV device, but some apps may require a reboot or reinstallation to trigger the latest feature. Once live, you'll be prompted to add a Google account per user, each of which can be customized with separate watchlists and smart recommendations based on personal viewing habits.
Following the launch of kids profiles in March 2021, the video-on-demand platform introduced a number of new features in October aimed at creating more personalized viewing experiences for adults—including profiles. Multi-user households, however, were forced to wait longer than expected as Google in December announced an unexplained delay; the company last month pledged to roll out the feature "over the next few weeks."
It appears Google TV kept its promise, automatically converting existing accounts into individual profiles and making way for additional users to log in. The feature—expected to appear on compatible TVs from Sony and TCL—is currently limited to Chromecast with Google TV, according to 9to5Google. Google did not immediately respond to PCMag's request for comment.
Those with access should be prompted to add another Google account; if not, navigate to Settings > Accounts & Sign In > Add account, and enter your credentials. Once set up, swap between users by clicking your photo and choosing "switch account." It's worth noting Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime launched individual profiles in 2013, 2016, and 2020, respectively.
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Retailers' green supply chain overhaul continues with new commitment to expand use of mines that meet sustainability criteria
The commercial opportunities that can arise from sustainable supply chain strategies were highlighted yesterday with the launch of a new service from retail giant Wal-Mart allowing customers to track where...
As the Committee on Climate Change gears up to provide its hotly-anticipated net zero advice to the government, green economy experts explain what to expect
Takeaway containers will be washed and reused under new trial launching this summer in Oxford and London
Reports suggests representatives of XR could meet with senior ministers in the coming weeks
It's hard to overstate the challenge in broadening the science-based approach for land use, water and biodiversity

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Chipotle relies on drive-thru to increase efficiency
Chipotle Mexican Grill is going full-throttle down the digital drive-thru route.
The Newport Beach, Calif.-based fast food chain, which has 3,000 locations in five countries, shared a call with analysts Tuesday (April 26) to discuss the company’s first-quarter 2022 results that the Chipotlane concept, a store behind the wheel with a track dedicated specifically to digital controls, will play a central role as the brand opens new stores.
“Over 80% of new restaurants [will feature a] Chipotlane,” Chipotle CEO and Chairman Brain Niccol said on the call. “Our digital drive-thru pickup lane continues to be a customer favorite, providing customers with easier ways to access Chipotle.”
These locations allow the brand to meet more of the demand without being as labor intensive as those that rely on in-store sales and other types of off-site orders, such as delivery. Chief Financial Officer Jack Hartung noted that the performance of these drive-thru stores “continues to be strong” and that these locations are “driving[e] the productivity of our new store at record levels.
Research from the PYMNTS’ 2022 Restaurant Friction Index, created in conjunction with Paytronix, found that 49% of restaurants offer the ability to pick up drive-thru orders. Additionally, the index also found that 35% of consumers said drive-thru pickup options would encourage them to shop at restaurants.
Read more: Loyalty programs are the best way to get customers to spend more
In recent months, Chipotle has announced a wide range of technology initiatives both consumer-facing and internally. The restaurant launched a promotion on the Roblox gaming platform that allows consumers to exchange in-game currency for real-world menu items.
See more : Restaurant brands open virtual storefronts to attract Gen Z consumers
He also announced a partnership with Cash App to roll out a $100,000 guacamole giveaway.
Read more: Chipotle teams up with the Cash app for Guac surprise rewards
And he announced the creation of a venture capital fund to invest $50 million in Series B stadium companies creating restaurant technology solutions or other products and services consistent with Chipotle’s goals.
See more : Chipotle announces $50 million venture capital fund for ResTech startups
Internally, the restaurant chain has also begun testing an artificial intelligence (AI) autonomous kitchen assistant created by Miso Robotics dubbed “Chippy,” which cooks tortillas according to the brand’s recipe.
Read more: Chipotle is trying out the “Chippy” robotic kitchen assistant
The restaurant also piloted the use of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to improve inventory management efficiency and accuracy at approximately 200 locations in the Chicago area.
See more : Chipotle tests RFID technology
Going forward, one of the tenets of the brand’s digital strategy will be the increasing personalization of its digital ordering platforms through data collected through its loyalty program.
“We continue to leverage our CRM sophistication by focusing more on personalization and using predictive modeling to trigger journeys that can influence customer behaviors and make their experience with Chipotle more relevant to them,” Niccol explained. “We are constantly learning, evolving and optimizing to increase frequency with rewards members. We are pleased with the progress to date; I believe we will improve further over time.


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They say you eat with your eyes first. You can take the most humble ingredient and raise its level to stardom with just a little care – presenting, the beet. 64 more words
Tags » Cheese
Larissa Zimberoff wrote . . . . . .
On the face of it, Camembert doesn’t seem like an endangered species.
In fact, the soft-ripened cheese seems like the opposite: Three hundred and sixty million wheels are produced annually in France. 1,021 more words
MADISON — Gov. Scott Walker is hitting the road to promote cheese.
Walker announced Friday that economic development officials, members of his cabinet, lawmakers and University of Wisconsin officials will be spreading out across the state to celebrate growing cheese companies. 79 more words
There’s something to be said for a tasty, savory recipe that you can eat at any time of day. These mini ham-and-cheese pies are delicious, and there’s basically never a time when they’re not appropriate. 421 more words


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Artists have always sought new ways to express their creativity. They are transforming the typical paint, brush and canvas ways of expressing themselves. The development of technology has had a
For today’s blog post, we have an interview with a Nigerian female developer who happens to be one of our team members, Laura. Name: Laura Eguda Role/job title: Frontend Intern
MIT technology review lists the 10 breakthrough technologies 2021 report. The report highlights innovations that will bring improvements in vaccination, data protection and others. First on the list was Messenger
Here are the top 5 web development trends in 2021 to look out for. Technology continues to evolve as we look for ways to improve processes and do things faster.
Another part of our tech dictionary series. We are breaking down some tech terms for you! SSL Secure Sockets Layer is a protocol developed by Netscape for providing a secure
Without a tech/business background, certain tech terms can be a bit confusing; today, we will try to break down some of these terms for you. Here is a list of
February 11th is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. The day is set to recognize the critical role that women and girls play in science and technology
The covid-19 crisis has brought about years of change in the way companies in all sectors and regions do business. The social restrictions have transformed the way consumers and businesses


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A shopping centre that is zoned for mixed use has come on the market in Newcastle.
The Elermore shopping centre, north west of the city, is expected to reach $18 to $20 million.
The Newcastle Herald has reported the 23,882 square metre centre has an IGA supermarket and 17 local and national specialty retailers.
Listed by Savills Australia, agent Steven Lerche said there was enormous scope for the site, which includes parking for 235 vehicles, but is otherwise largely undeveloped.
“The zoning allows for mixed use, so that could mean retail on the ground floor and some residential above,” Mr Lerche said.
“And that residential can be anything from ordinary units to aged care.”
Earlier in the year Inside Ageing reported that Newcastle is tipped as the next ‘residential and lifestyle hub’ for retirees with significant development going on in and around the city.
There will be approximately 2500 new apartments coming onto the market in the next two to three years, compared to about 250 per year previously, all of which have already sold to owner-occupiers – mainly baby boomers.
Expressions of interest for the Elermore shopping centre close at 3pm on May 3.


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Sydney Motorsport Park Ride Days is having a 24-hour sale on select events, beginning on 12:00pm Monday, 27 May.
In 2013 the MRRDA has partnered with the Reece Bancell Memorial Association to provide the Reece Bancell Award.
BMW Motorrad has announced the RR Experience, a two-part event, offering test rides on the award winning S 1000 RR as well as ride day sessions for customers on BMWs as well as other brands.
Suzuki Australia is looking to transform the Queensland Raceway into a Hayabusa Heaven next month.
Information on behalf of Monza Imports.
A world-wide campaign to recognise women riders and promote the freedom and diversity of motorcycles will reach its seventh year tomorrow.
New 500cc LAMS range and CBR250R models financed through Honda MPE Financial Services eligible for entry.
Huge sales event providing deals and discounts across the board, including free on-road costs.
One week remaining in Honda's across-the-board motorcycle sale.
Current general manager and member of the board of directors at Ducati replaces Gabriele Del Torchio.
The second stage of a widespread price reduction plan, introduced in 2011, is now in effect for Yamaha's genuine parts range.
Road motorcycle market shows 7.6 percent growth in first quarter.
Honda Dealers are offering unbeatable deals across the range as part of the Gigantic Honda Motorcycle Sale.
Kawasaki has announced that Lauryn Eagle has joined the brand as an ambassador
Tickets have just been released for Honda’s exclusive VIP Marquee at the Australian MotoGP, Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, on 18-20 October 2013.
Link International is pleased to announce availability of tyres for the upcoming Tasmanian round of the Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) on 5-7 April, for riders who choose to race on Pirelli tyres.
International Entertainment Group managing director Yarrive Konsky is putting the question to motorsport fans – should he shave or colour for a cure?
Honda is once again proudly supporting the Honda Broadford Bike Bonanza (HBBB). This two-day event which is held annually over the Easter weekend has been growing in popularity since its inception in 2009.
Triple World Superbike Champion Troy Bayliss has launched a new national cycling event.
A position exists for a Marketing Assistant to join our Motorcycle Marketing team based at Suzuki Australia’s Laverton North head office.
The BMW Group has officially sold Husqvarna Motorcycles to Pierer Industrie AG, the Austrian company owned by KTM Sportmotorcycle CEO Stefan Pierer.
Yamaha Parts and Accessories division announces re-introduction of Y-Shop B2C.
Former World 500cc Grand Prix Champion Wayne Gardner continues to support sons' careers.
Major disciplinary actions could apply for those found in breach during 2013 season.
Figures released by the FCAI show that 115,488 new motorcycles, ATVs and scooters were sold in Australia during 2012.
Australian road racing and sportsbikes the focus as CycleOnline races into the new year.
Enjoy the action of the 2013 WSBK championships at Phillip Island with Honda.
Iconic US helmet brand Bell Powersports returning to Australia this month.
Phillip Island 8 Hour entries will close on Monday, 29 October.
Road segment sales increase by promising 9.4 percent in third quarter of 2012.


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So far, Windows Phone 8 has supported resolutions only as high as 720p HD (720×1280). But the next version is widely expected to kick that up to Full HD (1080×1920). More confirmation that it will has come now courtesy of the recently launched Visual Studio 2013 preview in which former Nokia and Microsoft engineer Justin Angel found references to the resolution.
— Justin Angel (@JustinAngel) July 1, 2013
Digging through Visual Studio, he found a number of emulator 1080p display support files that would allow developers to see how their apps look at different resolutions. Why offer such files if not to help them see what an app looks like at full HD?
1080p support is expected to be one of the features added in Windows Phone 8 GDR 3 (General Distribution Release). The update is also expected to add support for quad-core Qualcomm chipsets.
The update will finally allow manufacturers to launch Windows Phone 8 1080p devices later this year and take on the Android flagship devices that have supported this resolution for nearly a year.
Will 1080p support convince you to get a Windows Phone 8 device? Let us know below.


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Health technology devices reach new level at CES show
Nonin Medical's pulse oximeter is designed for individuals who want to monitor their pulse rate.
Several new health devices debuted at the 2014 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, including some that may help long-term care providers.
iHealth showed off a wearable, ambulatory blood pressure monitor that can connect to a smartphone through Bluetooth or a PC with a USB cable. The monitor can be set to get blood pressure readings at regular intervals, which may help physicians and nurses determine the causes of hypertension.
Qardio, a health technology company, also launched its blood pressure monitor, QardioArm, at CES. It connects through an app on a smartphone or tablet and then uploads to a cloud service, where information can be shared with providers.
iHealth also introduced a wearable ECG that can transfer data. In addition, it displayed a wearable pulse oximeter.
Nonin Medical demonstrated its NoninConnect pulse oximeter. It uses Bluetooth® Smart (low-energy) wireless technology and a proprietary algorithm that tells users if their finger is placed properly in the device.
LG Electronics introduced its Lifeband Touch, a watch that can measure activity, and Basis Science showcased its Advanced Sleep Analysis, which offers personalized sleep feedback.
Withings also focused on sleep, debuting its Withings Aura. The product has a sleep sensor that goes under the mattress, and a bedside device with LED light dimming and sound control, as well as options related to jet lag or relaxation. It can reveal data related to individual sleep patterns and help control the sleep environment, without the user wearing a device.
Epson America unveiled its Pulsense™ line of watches and wristbands for fitness, health and wellness monitoring at CEO. Pulsense is a bio-sensing wearable device that can store heart rate, calorie burn and other information. It detects continuous heart rate directly from the wrist, and the sensor measures the amount of light reflected from red blood cells. It “records a single heartbeat when the amount of light reflected changes due to a drop in red blood cell count as the blood vessel contracts,” the company explained.


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Long-running MMORPG Tera will be closing on June 30 and Gameforge and Krafton have published a video that serves as a farewell to the players.
The video is actually the recording of an in-game quest that has been implemented to say goodbye before the closure, portraying exactly that, relevant NPCs and even gods extending the player a fond and moving farewell.
If you still have an active account, you still have a few days to check out the quest (aptly titled “The Last Quest”) for yourself. Otherwise, you can watch it below and reminisce about the good times you may have had on Tera,
Tera was originally released in Korea in 2011 by what was then called Bluehole Studio. A western release followed in 2012 split between En Masse Entertainment in North America and Gameforge in Europe.
The game was met with some success thanks to its interesting visuals and action combat, which at that time was still fairly unique in MMORPGs.
Yet, only one year after, in 2013, Tera was among a wave of MMOs that moved to the free-to-play model.
In 2018 Tera was launched on console for PS4 and Xbox One, followed by the closure of En Masse Entertainment in 2020. Yet, the game still managed to survive until today handled by Gameforge and Krafton.
Unfortunately, the developer has decided to move on and stop creating content for Tera, which ultimately led to the decision to shut it down announced in April this year.


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Every few years a technology that takes over the business world captures the undivided attention of investment community. It happened with cloud, with mobile and with big data. Each of those technologies were responsible for creating an entire ecosystem of startups and investors.
Now it’s AI’s that is capturing investors’ interest.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Integrate.AI is a case in point. CEO and founder Steve Irvine left a lucrative role at Facebook to start his own AI platform development company in January in Toronto. It has already received US$5 million in seed round funding from Georgian Capital – a firm that almost exclusively invests in growth-stage enterprise companies earning $500,000 or more in monthly recurring revenues.
“It’s the first seed investment Georgian has made. But it’s a fund that really understands the AI space and what business models will be successful,” Irvine says.
“For a firm like Georgian to come to the seed stage for a company that doesn’t yet have a product — that indicates a significant trend,” says Michelle McBane, investment director at Investment Accelerator Fund at MaRS in Toronto.


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SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) – If you were thinking about dining at your favorite restaurant Friday, you’d better call ahead. Many will not be opening for awhile because of the restrictions allowing only 25-percent capacity.
Louis Barrios, whose family owns four restaurants, says they’re all opening today, but they’re treating this as a soft opening.
“When you first open a restaurant, you just open the doors and people start coming in little by little,” Barrios said. “It’ll allow us to train our employees incrementally.”
Employees will have to learn how to apply the COVID-19 protocols at work. They’ll have to learn to observe social distancing guidelines and sanitize constantly.
Barrios says they won’t be making any money with their restaurants only 1/4 full, but he says that gives them an opportunity to bring back some of their employees. Those who have underlying health issues and want to wait stay at home a little longer will be able to do so. You may have to wait awhile to get a table.
“People can sign up at the hostess stand, but then they have to wait in their car until their table is ready, so the governor has put in place that we can only have up to six people per table. The beautiful thing is that our restaurants have huge patios.
Los Barrios, La Hacienda de Los Barrios on Redland Road, Viola’s Ventanas and La Hacienda Scenic Loop are opening Friday.
“We’re very happy that we get to start opening up our economy again because the city’s got to balance the budget and the state’s got to balance the budget, and they’re going to need the revenues, too,” said Barrios. “Somebody’s got to lead the way.”


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And now, there's another surprising twist -- WWD reports that DVF has settled the case out of court!
Jennifer Halchuk and Richard Lyle of Mercy of Canada accused the designer of copying a floral print jacket of theirs for her Spring 2009 collection. In addition to offering a public apology, von Furstenberg will pay an undisclosed sum of money and stop using the design. Mercy never actually filed a lawsuit.
According to WWD, von Furstenberg said, "While this is an isolated incident for DVF, it is unfortunate that way too many others intentionally build businesses by stealing the work of other designers."
Halchuk also had something to say in the matter: "I greatly appreciate DVF coming forward to resolve this issue in such a forthright manner and for acknowledging our ownership of the jacket design."


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Economic prospects for all industries—including refineries—look bleak. What context is missing from these stories?
Susan Grissom, AFPM Chief Industry Analyst: If we focus on the near term—say, the next couple of months—there will of course be some challenges. We’re operating in an unprecedented situation to be sure, but the short-term situation does not alter some basic truths:
- Fuel is essential to the global economy and America’s economic well-being. That will not change.
- U.S. refiners will remain an essential part of the U.S. energy supply for the foreseeable future. It’s not just about how tomorrow or next month looks; these refineries are here for the long haul and they supply not only the United States but the rest of the world.
- The U.S. refining industry is the most competitive and resilient in the world. The refining sector has proven itself to be very resilient operationally but also as well-run businesses. Some of these refineries have been around for 100 years. Their diversified business and product lines and efficiency in many respects leaves them better prepared to weather this storm.
What are some of the factors that make the U.S. refining industry resilient, even amid the challenges of COVID-19 and in a global market where Russia and Saudi Arabia are overproducing and tanking the cost of crude?
SG: One of the strengths of the U.S. refining industry as a whole is that it is not monolithic — it includes a number of different business models, sizes, and specialties.
Many U.S. refiners are diversified businesses that don’t depend solely on the sale of liquid transportation fuels for profitability, which insulates them from demand shocks like that which is resulting from efforts to address COVID-19. Others are independent and merchant refiners that have no part in upstream energy extraction or the retail sales of finished gasoline, which insulates them from things like the Russia-Saudi oversupply challenge.
A number of companies have the capability to process different kinds of crude oil and turn them into a variety of fuels, or are diversified into the petrochemical, biofuel, midstream and retail areas. These diversifications create opportunities to adjust various aspects of their business model to adapt to changing market conditions. For instance, if gasoline demand weakens, they may be able to adjust and produce more diesel, where demand looks to remain strong.
Companies have a number of mechanisms to help them survive, but perhaps the most important factor is that this current challenge will eventually pass. Liquid transportation fuels will continue to be indispensable to the U.S. and global economies and that will not change anytime soon. There are certainly short-term challenges to overcome — and the duration of the COVID-19 economic downturn, among a number of other factors, will affect how daunting these are — but the fact remains that the U.S. refining industry, and the fuels they produce, are and will remain an essential part of modern life.
The refining industry has long been designated as a “critical industry,” which the administration recently reaffirmed. What does that mean for refineries?
SG: Firstly, it’s important to remember that crude oil has no value until it runs through a refinery. Refineries therefore function as the backbone of U.S. energy — and even in these unprecedented times, emergency first responders, essential services, and even trips to the grocery store depend upon fuels produced by U.S. refiners. It’s not overly dramatic to call them a critical industry, and they have held this status for years with the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Energy.
Practically, their long standing as critical infrastructure and national security assets means that refineries are prepared for a range of disruptive events, including natural disasters and medical emergencies. This has fostered a strong culture of safety within the industry, with extensive planning, preparing, and practicing for emergencies being part of standard business.
While the COVID-19 pandemic is still a highly fluid and unpredictable situation, refiners’ experience as a critical industry has left the industry better prepared to effectively respond and adapt.
Should consumers be worried about a lack of gasoline?
SG: The short answer is that there’s no foreseeable shortage from the refining segment.
It’s important to understand, though, what’s included in the refining segment. The refining industry does not have control over either the upstream sector — the actual extraction of oil and natural gas — or most retail gasoline sales.
There are no indications refineries will struggle to get crude oil right now, especially in an oversupplied market. And we have every expectation that our facilities will continue essential operations with measures in place to keep our workforce healthy. We do not foresee there being a mass idling of U.S. refineries and a dearth of refined product resulting in fuel shortages.
If remote regional facilities cut capacity or idle due to workforce shortages, there could potentially be delays in supplying fuel to specific geographies, but those can be quickly addressed. The U.S. fuel supply chain is resilient and adaptable, well able to adjust when there’s a disruption in a particular region. The midstream energy transportation industry is notoriously clever and scrappy, and has a long history of coming up with — or building — ingenious logistical solutions to move fuel and refined product to regions experiencing disruptions with their local suppliers. For instance, after Hurricane Harvey, Magellan reversed its pipeline in order to deliver gasoline, diesel fuel and jet fuel to the Dallas and West Texas areas.
As noted above, refiners don’t tend to control actual retail sales. Many gas stations, even stations branded to correspond to an “oil major,” are independent businesses or franchisees. The “big name on the gas station sign” has no influence over whether individual stations will remain open to consumers or operate with restricted hours.
There may be short-term impacts to consumers at some point, but we do not live in a moment right now where we need to worry about a shortage of gasoline.
Washington is in the process of passing a series of supplemental appropriations bills aimed at cushioning the economic blow of COVID-19. Are the refining and petrochemical manufacturing industries seeking help?
SG: The U.S. refining industry will weather this storm, but what the industry needs most from government is for them to “do no harm” at this time. Refiners take very seriously their charge to supply America’s energy needs, and they need continued access to crude and capital to continue to deliver on this critical function.
Refiners aren’t seeking bailout relief from the government or financial stimulus, but they do need to avoid having additional hurdles thrown their way. This includes avoiding unnecessary burdens such as increased regulatory costs, operational costs, or uncertainty; keeping the energy market free and open by avoiding embargoes or tariffs that would drive up consumer costs; and where appropriate, streamlining access to capital and loans.
America doesn’t have a government-sponsored oil cartel. We’re competitive, which is our strength. And since energy is essential to every U.S. industry and consumer, the market needs to remain competitive.


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Dell's billion dollar Cloud roll out has been dramatically scaled back, with the emphasis shifting from public to private Clouds.
The type of processing that big data analytics requires means that Nvidia’s Graphics Processor Unit chips may prove to be far better suited to the task than Intel’s `industry standard’ processors
IBM becoming a Parallels partner in order to address the growing SMB market for Cloud services only serves to prompt an additional question – could Dell be next?
Dell has officially confirmed a buyout by its founder and CEO Michael Dell and private equity firm Silver Lake, but where does this leave the Cloud strategy?
As K2 Advisory reported recently, the majority of CIOs consider maintenance of legacy assets a key investment area in 2012, while half believe the channel is not up to guiding them through a period of change.


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West End’s fried-chicken spot Little Juke is closing its doors next week
We’re all familiar with Chinatown’s popular fried-chicken spot, Juke Fried Chicken (182 Keefer Street), known for its crispy, gluten-free Southern-inspired bites.
Its sister establishment, Little Juke (1074 Davie Street), launched in the heart of the Davie Village last year.
But the West End counter-service eatery recently announced it will be shuttering next week (September 22), which means its fans will have to trek a further for its deep-fried goods.
In its last week of service, the restaurant will offer free delivery on all its orders placed through Foodora and DoorDash. That means its signature fried-chicken, sticky ribs, salads and sides will be delivered without any of the pesky delivery fees.
Although Little Juke will soon be no more, the team has been working on a new concept that will debut in the same space shortly after the closure.
“We want to extend a very sincere thank you to all of our fans who supported us at Little Juke,” Justin Tisdall, who opened Little Juke last year with Juke co-owners Bryan Satterford and Cord Jarvie, said in a press statement. “Stay tuned, we can’t wait to change the dial and show everyone in Vancouver and beyond what we have in store for them.”


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INTERNATIONAL speakers gave their insights into how facing up to change can ensure companies and people in Malaysia’s meetings and incentive industry can help shape the future of their businesses and careers.
”Our Future by Design: Embracing Change” was the theme of the fourth Malaysia Business Events Week, which was held at the Genting International Convention Centre by Resorts World Genting, in the highlands of Pahang state.
The conference is an initiative by MyCEB (Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau) to create a platform for industry stakeholders to gather, network and debate issues that impact the future growth and sustainability of the business events industry.
Among the insights shared was Pádraic Gilligan’s seminar on creating a multimillion dollar destination marketing organisation through astute networking, appointments and partnering with credible agencies and suppliers. A key part of Gilligan’s strategy was to create mutual benefit by collaborating with competitors.
In the case of the early days of Ovation, which Gilligan formed with Patrick Delaney, with whom he also co-founded the Dublin-based SoolNua consultancy, it was largely a matter of outlining the unique qualities of Ireland to their target markets.
Tina Altieri (above), managing principal at Media Australasia Xchange, spoke about the importance of understanding people before networking or organising teams.
Former BBC newsreader Roy Sheppard (left) hosted the CEO Deep Dive, a forum of senior executives aimed at heightening their awareness to the challenges of change, particularly when it comes to communicating and how their conferences are organised. The title of Sheppard’s talk the next day was “Everybody Wants Innovation (But No One Wants Change)” and highlighted the themes he pressed home at the CEO Deep Dive.
Effi Setiabudi, chairman of Indonesia Exhibition Companies Association and Chua Wee Phong, chairman of Sphere Exhibits spoke about challenges and opportunities in the digital age.


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RAGE 2 Gets Extended Gameplay Trailer
During QuakeCon 2018, Bethesda Softworks, id Software, and Avalanche Studios released an extended gameplay trailer for their upcoming title RAGE 2.
The trailer, which can be found below, shows off the game’s seamless open world. Filled with explosions, vehicular combat, powers, and convoys, there is no shortage of things to do.
RAGE 2: Eden Assault – Extended Gameplay
The game will come out for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in 2019.
Arc System Works and CyGames announced at Granblue Fes 2018 that Granblue Fantasy Versus is now in development
Activision Blizzard has released a new live action trailer for the Diablo III: Eternal Collection entitled “On The Go.”
To drum up attention for Final Fantasy XV: Episode Ardyn, Square-Enix has released a teaser trailer for its animated prologue


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Three Charleston-based startups reached the semi-finals for a national pitch competition at SUP-X: The StartUp Expo, the premier annual conference that brings together startups and investors from across North America.
Chosen from hundreds of online applications and via tech accelerators, angel groups and venture funds from throughout the US and Canada, the companies will compete for $50K in prizes against fifty startups from twenty-eight North American Cities on February 16-17 in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. The event closes with a fast pitch competition of five finalists.
The Charleston startups selected as semi-finalists are:
TipHive is a team-powered collaborative community aimed at improving knowledge sharing and communication within enterprises by using “Hives” to store your team’s collective knowledge and experience, and create searchable, sharable content.
Car Payment Services revolutionizes the way the BHPH industry performs collections by helping dealers save time handling customer payments and increase revenue and customer satisfaction.
Moondog Animation is South Carolina’s first feature film animation studio. In a market saturated with shallow and disposable entertainment, MOONDOG’s dream is to offer a positive alternative to a demanding audience by creating substantial and life changing animation content that is highly entertaining.
“We had a great group of applicants this year, from Vancouver to Nova Scotia, Texas to New York and all the way down to Florida. These startups span hardware, software, apps, B2B, B2C: a really diverse group of talented companies and entrepreneurs, said Bob Fitts, founder and producer of SUP-X and president of the Boca Raton, FL, based Gold Coast Venture Capital Association.
“Our investor attendees will get to meet a great crop of some of North America’s most promising early-stage companies and the event is also a great opportunity for the startups to exhibit and meet more than 500 angel investors and venture capitalists from throughout the US and Canada.”
SUP-X: The StartUp Expo, is a two-day international conference taking place at the Greater Ft. Lauderdale-Broward County Convention Center. The expo will attract 1500+ startup and early-stage entrepreneurs, angel and VC investors and related service providers from throughout North America.
• Emcee: Gary Bredow, PBS “Startup” TV Series Host
• Keynote Addresses by Jim Jensen of Ultimate Software and Serial Entrepreneur Rachel Braun Scherk
• 50 Startup Exhibitors from 28 North American cities competing for $50,000
• 12 Panels comprised of successful investors and entrepreneurs discussing relevant topics of interest
• Special half-day forum for women entrepreneurs and women investors
• 100+ exhibitors
• 50% off General Admission Tickets for all active duty, retired and veteran US Military personnel


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The legal maelstrom surrounding cannabinoids has recently intensified due to the growing popularity of Delta 8 THC. Hemp and marijuana plants contain over 110 of these compounds, but none are explicitly federally legal. So instead, residents of each state must check their local laws to see what the situation is with CBD and THC.
The THC most of us are familiar with is delta 9 THC. It is abundant in the marijuana plant and causes an intoxicating high. The rules surrounding it are relatively straightforward by the standards of cannabinoid laws. Conversely, the CBD industry continues to have issues with utterly confusing rules that seem to contradict one another, even on a local level.
However, if you thought the cannabidiol legal mess was the height of complexity, you’re sorely mistaken! Delta 8 is another intoxicating cannabinoid that is causing controversy and confusion across the United States.
Even in places where cannabis is recreationally legal, delta 8 is potentially outlawed. At WayofLeaf, we continue to create state-by-state guides on D8 to keep you up to date with ever-changing laws. Today, it is the turn of Colorado.
Delta 8 THC in Colorado: Is It Legal?
The simple answer is ‘NO.’ Incredibly, in a state where recreational cannabis is now permitted, delta 8 THC is not! Indeed, manufacturers are not even allowed to extract D8 from industrial hemp.
It is a huge blow to delta 8 manufacturers in Colorado. Naturally, they assumed that because delta 9 from cannabis is legal, D8 from hemp was too. However, the state’s health department moved to ban the cannabinoid in May 2021.
According to the Colorado Health Department:
“Chemically modifying or converting any naturally occurring cannabinoids from industrial hemp is non-compliant with the statutory definition of “industrial hemp product.”
There is more information contained in Colorado Senate Bill 14-184 and Title 18 Criminal Code. Article 18.
The state’s Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED) notified dispensaries of the decision. As a result, companies are not allowed to sell hemp-derived delta 8 THC.
Why Is Delta 8 THC Illegal in Colorado?
Ostensibly, the state made the decision based on health grounds. The MED said there wasn’t enough evidence available to decide whether any toxic substance is produced during the chemical modification of naturally occurring cannabinoids from hemp. The Division is concerned that customers who consume D8 products might get exposed to harmful contaminants.
Delta 8 THC Colorado: This State Law is Not for Changing
The fact that tighter laws were on their way regarding delta 8 in Colorado was expected. Licensed cannabis sellers are still allowed to sell CBD and other natural cannabinoids if directly extracted from hemp. However, they can’t do it with synthetic products or if the producer uses a chemical process.
The thing is, the United States Controlled Substances Act does not explicitly outlaw D8. However, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) says that delta 8 THC made from hemp CBD IS a controlled substance since it isn’t a natural extract.
Therefore, the ban on delta 8 was always likely to happen because there is such a small amount of it in hemp and cannabis. Extracting it requires special equipment and a chemical process that’s outlawed. Analysts have predicted the new tighter regulation by the DEA and individual states.
As a result, don’t expect Colorado to change its new laws banning D8 any time soon. In theory, if cannabis breeders can create high-delta 8 strains, the cannabinoid could make a return to the market. However, in practice, this seems highly unlikely. Also, Colorado is only following many other states’ footsteps in banning or prohibiting delta 8.
The Net Is Closing on Delta 8 Nationwide
Colorado regulators announcing that hemp-derived THC isomers such as delta 8 (and delta 10) in foods, drinks, and dietary supplements are illegal is the latest blow for D8 sellers in America.
According to David Threlfall, a CBD seller in Colorado, it was always likely that delta 8 was heading for a ban. He said that because the cannabinoid causes an intoxicating high, it was only a matter of time before the government began regulating it.
At the time of writing, 16 states have implemented measures to ban or restrict delta 8 production and sale.
This situation is playing out across the United States. At the time of writing, 16 states have implemented measures to ban or restrict delta 8 production and sale. Another six are contemplating such action. Here’s a quick overview of the rules against delta 8 in a handful of select states:
Illinois: Bob Morgan, a Democratic member of the state’s House of Representatives, sponsored a bill regulating D8 and other products. He referred to such items as a ‘public health disaster.’
Kentucky: The state’s agriculture department emphasized that D8 is a controlled narcotic. Distributing products containing the cannabinoid in the state could result in your expulsion from the Hemp Licensing program in Kentucky. It could also result in prosecution.
North Dakota: The state’s Attorney General’s office has proposed legislation to criminalize delta 8 instantly.
Vermont: The state’s Agency of Agriculture, Farms, and Markets told hemp growers that delta 8 products are illegal in Vermont.
Washington: The Washington Liquor and Cannabis Board announced that lab-created hemp products were temporarily illegal in the state.
DEA Rules About Delta 8 in Colorado
Perhaps one of the most confusing aspects of the whole situation is that delta 8 isn’t technically federally illegal. In theory, you CAN extract it from hemp as long as the plant contains no more than 0.3% delta 9 THC.
At least, that’s the argument of delta 8 and delta 10 sellers. They claim that the 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp extracts, so their products are federally legal. However, the DEA says that D8 is a controlled substance because it is manufactured from hemp-derived CBD and NOT taken directly from the plant.
As we speak, there are legal challenges against the DEA’s latest utterances. A South Carolina hemp manufacturer and the Hemp Industries Association are challenging the DEA’s rule in Washington, D.C.
It is also worth mentioning the DEA’s Interim Final Rule (IFR), issued in August 2020. The IFR said that all synthetically derived THCs were controlled substances. However, naturally occurring THCs in hemp are not.
It seems confusing but let’s clear it up in a single sentence. Delta 8 THC is federally illegal if it comes from hemp-derived CBD and NOT straight from the hemp plant. That is the DEA’s official stance. The upcoming court cases will probably do nothing to change that fact.
However, are the DEA and different states making the right decision?
Are Delta 8 Products Safe?
The lack of regulation in any market is a concern. With little oversight, companies can produce low-quality, harmful products. Unfortunately, it seems the delta 8 market, like the CBD industry before it, faces this problem.
Sales of delta 8 THC have more than doubled in the last year. Products such as tinctures, gummies, and vape pens are available online, in dedicated shops, convenience stores, and gas stations. Unfortunately, creating delta 8 is relatively easy. All you need is a mix of CBD and pool chemicals, household vinegar, or battery acid.
The prospect of any of the above being used in the D8 you consume is terrifying. However, with a lack of regulation, this is precisely what’s happening. According to a director of a poison center in Virginia, his facility has seen several people hospitalized after using low-grade delta 8 products.
The United States Cannabis Council recently tested 16 D8 products from different sellers across the country. They found that all but one contained a higher than the permitted level of THC. On average, these products contained 10 times the legal THC limit! Almost half of the samples also exceeded the legal limits of nickel, chromium, and copper.
Guido Verbeck is a professor at the University of North Texas. He co-authored a paper on delta 8 creation methods. He said that even high-quality acids could leave behind harmful chlorine or sulfate compounds. Verbeck also pointed out that you could create delta 8 using acid and CBD in an hour.
Therefore, if you plan to buy Delta 8 THC, please make sure you purchase from a well-known brand. Choose a company like Premium Jane, which offers third-party lab tests with every batch.
Final Thoughts on Delta 8 in Colorado
Ultimately, Delta 8 THC is illegal in Colorado, and it is unlikely to change. A growing number of states are cracking down on the sale of this intoxicating cannabinoid. The main reason is due to the unregulated nature of the market. In addition, there are grave concerns over the standard of D8 products available, some of which have caused hospitalizations.
Technically speaking, Delta 8 isn’t yet federally illegal, though that is set to change. You can extract it directly from hemp, but NOT from hemp-derived CBD. That’s because taking it from CBD involves using a chemical process, which is illegal, according to the DEA.


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Amid all the talk of 5G and full fibre networks, it’s perhaps unsurprising that local wireless connectivity has been lost in the shuffle. But Wi-Fi’s role in allowing end users to access the applications that next generation networks will enable should not be underestimated.
Earlier this year, the Wi-Fi Alliance decided to adopt a more consumer-friendly nomenclature, ditching technical standards like ‘Wi-Fi 802.11ac’ for a more generational approach. This means that the next major iteration of the technology – Wi-Fi 802.11ax – will be known as Wi-Fi 6.
At Broadband World Forum (BBWF), Rahul Patel, the head of Qualcomm’s Connectivity & Networking business unit, was keen to stress the role of Wi-Fi in powering connected devices around the home and declared there had been a “revival” in home network innovation.
He noted that in 2008 only a third of mobile phones had Wi-Fi, while the technological shift from 802.11b to 802.11n was just starting to occur. Back then, Wi-Fi was still considered a luxury and routers and modems were often sold separately.
Today even cheap feature phones have access to Wi-Fi and it is thought that by 2020, there will be an average of 24 devices in every home. But despite this explosion in demand, wireless connectivity hasn’t advanced at the same rate.
“A decade later and lot has changed within the home,” he said. “TVs use Wi-Fi while Netflix and Amazon Prime are mainstays. There are a lot of IoT devices such as smart speakers – even smart vacuums!”
“Most of the Wi-Fi sourced today is routed through 802.11an. We’ve come a long way in terms of consumption, but Wi-Fi is the same as it was. Today, consumers think cellular is faster than W-Fi and that’s why people don’t turn on Wi-Fi.
“Overall, satisfaction is pretty low. When people start to do more things, connection speeds come down.”
Patel claimed that a third of people think 4G is faster than Wi-Fi but in reality, wireless speeds are often three times faster. The gap between Wi-Fi and cellular is narrowing, however.
A recent study by OpenSignal found that advances in mobile networks meant some countries had faster 4G speeds than Wi-Fi, but the reality is but the reality is that Wi-Fi is a key technology thanks to its low cost and quality indoor coverage.
Patel says it’s not that Wi-Fi technology hasn’t kept up. He believes that Wi-Fi 6 and mesh Wi-Fi can make a real difference. And as more devices are added to the network, such as smart speakers, the stronger these mesh networks become.
“It’s not that Wi-Fi technology hasn’t kept up,” he said. “Wi-Fi is about two or three generations away from what it was ten years ago. Wi-Fi is using now new spectrum in the 60GHz mmWave band and Wi-Fi in the home has moved away from being a single router to a meshed network called mesh Wi-Fi.
“Mesh networking is foundational for smart home connectivity. In the US today, 50 per cent of router purchases are for mesh networking. It is one of the only categories in consumer electronics where [Average Selling Price (ASP)] has gone up. This shows the importance of Wi-Fi as consumers are not willing to compromise.”
When it comes to the Internet of Things (IoT), Patel is adamant that Wi-Fi is just one part of the connectivity story. He said that it is up to carriers and manufacturers to pick the best type of connectivity for each application, whether this is Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee or cellular.
“You call it IoT, but it comes in different flavours,” he said. “The consumer must not be burdened with picking which connectivity as devices can be connected by any of these [standards].”
But the most revolutionary element of Wi-Fi could be its future intelligence. Self-Optimising Networking technology is already employed by mobile operators, but Patel believes smart home networks will use the various elements connected to them to make decisions.
“We also believe that smart home networks have to evolve to become cognitive” he said. That’s not just a network that is smart but is going to learn and make decisions. Some examples have already started to emerge: voice and networks are coming together in a nice way.”
Networks could also start to become physically aware.
“Networks are going to sense,” Patel continued. “There are certain RF characteristics that the body presents. Over time, the networks will learn this and provide a level of decision making about what will go on the network.
“Networks will be able to recognise who is walking into a particular room, whether it’s a pet or a human being, or if someone falls. The mesh network will be able to send for help or detect whether a door is open [and alert the police]. This is way more than the smart home today.
“I think that is something consumers will want.”
- Here are the best broadband deals for December 2018


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It was announced in September of last year that Killing Bites is getting a new PS4 and PS Vita game, and while we haven’t heard much about it since then, it was revealed on the official Killing Bites game website that it’ll no longer be a 2016 release in Japan.
The above is a look at the Killing Bites game’s Tokyo Game Show 2015 teaser trailer. While not much was revealed for the game, Killing Bites is a manga series written by Murata Shinya and illustrated by Sumita Kazusa, featuring human-animal hybrids. Think of it as a newer Bloody Roar with a mix of Monster Musume.
As for the delay that will push its release outside the initial 2016 window in Japan, the main reason is for enhancing functions for its multiplayer focus. It was also announced that the publisher for the Killing Bites game has been changed from Nex Entertainment to Fields.
Killing Bites is in development for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita


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By Teri Slavik-Tsuyuki
The experience of living “life from home” during the coronavirus pandemic has many Americans – both owners and renters – wanting to move sooner than previously planned. The America At Home Study conducted online April 23-30th of 3,001 US consumers 25 to 74 years of age with household incomes of $50,000 plus revealed changes some Americans have already made in their homes and what that means for future home design. Consistent with the strong pace of sales reported by home builders through June and July, the study found evidence of pent-up potential new housing demand.
According to those surveyed, 4 percent of current homeowners say COVID-19 has moved up their plans to move – representing potential new housing demand of 2.1 million households. And 46 percent of renters asked are now more inclined to want to buy a home as a result of COVID-19 – representing potential new housing demand of 7.4 million households. Understanding what “home” means today, and how that impacts future new home design will be key to meeting this potential new demand.
The study was fielded in mid-April after the majority of the nation had been under stay-at-home orders for many weeks and included questions about changes already made to homes as a result of living life from home. Fully 92 percent of those surveyed had made one or more change to their homes, indicating various levels of dissatisfaction. Paying attention to those behaviors provides clues about new home design opportunities post-pandemic.
What Current Owners Want in their Next Home and Are Willing To Pay For
Millennial and Gen X homeowners are the most motivated to buy a different home, and they’ve already made the most changes to their current homes. According to the survey, three motivating factors rise above all others as reasons to buy for these groups: health and wellness, technology and energy efficiency, and specific space needs.
“Disinfecting things more” is the top behavioral change made related to health and wellness, with 68 percent of Millennial homeowners and 74 percent of Gen X homeowners saying this is their new normal. And when asked what they were missing in their current home that they’d be willing to pay for in their next one, health and wellness-related factors topped the list:
- Germ-resistant countertops and flooring (60 percent Millennials, 78 percent Gen X)
- Washing area off the mudroom or entry (59 percent Millennials, 80 percent Gen X)
- Sanitized garbage and recycling area (58 percent Millennials, 76 percent Gen X)
- Touchless entry to the home (51 percent Millennials, 70 percent Gen X)
The realities of working and schooling from home have put a strain on both home technology and use of space. Fully 63 percent of Millennials and 73 percent of Gen X current homeowners surveyed have upgraded their technology. And if working from home becomes a lasting change, new floorplans that offer some form of permanently flexible space will be in high demand. Starting next month, the team behind the study is collaborating to plan and design a concept home based on the survey’s findings, that will be built by Raleigh-based Garman Homes. Movable walls, outdoor spaces that can accommodate home offices and family entertaining and spaces in the garage that can be converted for different purposes are all elements being considered.
Both Millennials and Gen X owners said they were “using rooms for combined purposes such as home office, kids schooling, exercise, sewing, art” in significant numbers. This translaties into new home design opportunities for home office spaces – both better ones (60 percent of Millennials) and options for more than one home office space (80 percent of Gen X) – and for kitchens that are not just showpieces but are better equipped for cooking and storage.
What Impact Does COVID-19 Have On Preferred Community Amenities?
Both the home and the community are key influencers when deciding where to buy. For current homeowners, the community lifestyle and access to neighborhood amenities have taken on even greater importance as stay-at-home orders in many states cut off access to other public spaces. By now most of us have experienced examples of cul-de-sac happy hours, neighborhood check-ins, garages turned into home gyms or fitness spaces, and more people walking and biking than ever.
If home equals “a safe place” as 91 percent of those surveyed responded, then it’s no surprise that concerns about safety and hygiene are impacting community amenity preferences as well. When asked to rank which community amenities were very important and would influence their decision to buy, a “controlled environment for safety, sanitation and maintenance” was at the top of the list for homeowners motivated to buy a new home, and “clubhouse/gathering spaces” was at the bottom. Survey results indicate the top-ranked amenity preferences for current homeowners more motivated to buy a new home as a result of COVID-19:
- Controlled environment for safety, sanitation and maintenance: 72 percent of respondents
- Trails: 60 percent
- Large park with open fields and green space: 58 percent
- Pool with access limited to a smaller number of people at a time: 56 percent
- Health/wellness clinic in the community: 55 percent
- Healthcare or access to tele-health through HOA fees: 52 percent
- Picnic, BBQ areas, open pavilion: 50 percent
- Dog park: 50 percent
Earlier pandemics have brought lasting changes in both floorplans and materials used in the home, including built-in closets and white subway tile. There’s reason to believe the impacts of COVID-19 will leave lasting changes on both home and community design. The America At Home Study will be repeated in the fall to either refute or confirm whether these new preferences will stick long-term. The concept home will go even further, taking the insights off the page and beyond just data, to an actual physical home where the learning can continue.
Teri Slavik-Tsuyuki is the principal of tst ink, bringing a customer-focused “how might we?” approach to creating communities and brands that connect and engage with how people want to live their lives.


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THE HELMET THAT COULD REVOLUTIONISE SAFETY
Giro’s brand new flagship helmet, the Aether, incorporates an entirely new protection standard called Mips Spherical.
For those not familiar with Mips, it’s a concept designed by a Swedish brain surgeon whereby a moveable plastic layer, or ‘slip plane’, inside a helmet helps to reduce the rotational forces that can cause brain injury in a crash.
Until now Mips has only existed as a ‘ingredient’ product – a separate piece placed inside a standard helmet – but in what could be a significant step Giro has collaborated with Mips at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm to better integrate the benefits into its latest helmet.
Mips Spherical uses two separate layers of EPS to allow a structural part of the helmet to act as the slip plane, one part rotating inside the other like a ball and socket joint.
Visually, outside and in, the Aether is low on bulk and big on vents, which Giro claims beats its current best, Synthe Mips, on both cooling and aero performance while weighing just 245g (size medium).
A new, more adjustable fit system plus eyewear docking ports are proof the finer details haven’t gone unconsidered either. Finally, as Giro’s director of design, Eric Horton, admits, ‘No one will wear a helmet that looks terrible no matter how advanced it is, so we spent three years working out how this would pass the mirror test too.’
Whether he has succeeded on that point is up to you.


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Cattle prices fall as Japan digs in
CATTLE prices have fallen sharply in Chicago since Japan said it would maintain its ban on US beef imports, two weeks after the discovery of mad cow disease in the US. The crisis deepened as Canada's chief vet Brian Evans warned that more infected cows could have been shipped to the US.
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Hu to focus on regional trade, growth
Updated: 2011-11-11 10:29
By Wu Jiao (chinadaily.com.cn)
President Hu Jintao and his wife Liu Yongqing (right) arrived in Hawaii, Honolulu on November 10, 2011.[Photo/Xinhua]
Upon landing at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam just before 8am, Hu, together with his wife Liu Yongqing, waved on the tarmac and smiled before leaving for Honolulu where he will attend the annual Economic Leaders Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and meet business representatives from across the region.
China and the US now stand as each’s second largest trade partner, with trade volume rising 150 times to $385 billion in 2010 since they established diplomatic ties in 1979. Diplomats said Hu’s direct talks with major US businesses are expected to be fruitful.
Amid wide coverage of the summit and of Hu’s attendance by the US media, the Hawaii News Now website reported that Hu is “one of the highest-profile APEC delegates”, noting that “this is the Chinese president’s first visit to the islands”.
The APEC leaders’ meeting, with the theme of “seamless regional economy”, will focus heavily on issues such as regional economic integration, green growth, energy security and regulatory cooperation.
Hu is expected to speak at the meeting on Sunday, focusing on improving global economic governance, shifting growth methods and promoting global and regional economic integration, Chinese foreign ministry officials said earlier this week.
Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Hailong said the president will also explain “China’s stand on the issues of free and open trade and investment, green growth, the adjustment of economic structure and regulatory cooperation”.
During the Sunday meeting, Hu will join other APEC leaders in a discussion with the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) on issues including regional economic integration, reform of the international monetary system and food security.
The Chinese leader is also scheduled to deliver a speech titled “Redefining the Future” at the APEC CEO summit Saturday. Among his many other commitments, he is expected to hold bilateral meetings with leaders of APEC economies, including US President Barack Obama and newly elected leaders such as Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and the Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang.
“China hopes the meeting will further promote free and open trade and investments in the Asia-Pacific region, push forward economic and technology cooperation, support multilateral trade systems and oppose trade protectionism to inject vitality into the world economic recovery,” Assistant Commerce Minister Yu Jianhua said at a press briefing earlier this week.
The 21 member economies of APEC, a major economic forum for the Asia-Pacific region, now account for 43 percent of global trade and 55 percent of global economic activity. It has contributed more than 70 percent of global economic growth during the past decade. Observers say continuous growth in the bloc matters not only to the region but to the global economic recovery.
The region currently faces economic uncertainties, with some of APEC’s developing members mired in over-investment ventures, inflation and rising energy prices.
The depreciation of the US dollars and the gloomy global economic outlook is adding to the vulnerability of the region where developing economies rely heavily on exports to developed countries.
China, which joined the regional forum 20 years ago, has become a major growth engine for the bloc and a top trade and investment partner for many of the bloc’s members. A survey of 320 business CEOs within the Asia-Pacific bloc by PricewaterhouseCoopers, released this week, show that more than 40 percent of the investments by both domestic and non-Chinese companies, are aimed at China.
Observers said it is not only important to the region that economic growth continue among the organization’s members, but also to the world.
Even so, they face economic uncertainty, especially the members that still have developing economies. Many of them are experiencing troubles stemming from over-investment, input inflation and increasing energy prices.
Chinese diplomats, even though they in general look with favor upon the agenda set by the US, have said some of its goals are “too ambitious”.
For instance, the US, a maker of many varieties of green technology, is trying to persuade other countries or regions in Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation to limit the tariff rates placed on a broad range of green products and services to a maximum of 5 percent by 2012.
The organization’s members are divided over what products and services should be subject to the proposed rule.
“On the whole”, they look favorably on the US’ proposals, but think some of Washington’s expectations would place too great of a demand on “the abilities of the majority of the developing member economies”, Wu Hailong, assistant foreign minister, said on Monday.
Such members have already expressed “concerns”, and all of those involved expect the meeting to produce “balanced and concrete results”, Wu said.
The developing countries and regions also want the US and other developed countries to make a greater commitment to transferring technology.
Su Hao, director of the Asia-Pacific research center at China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing, said the US’ proposals are meant to strengthen its trade advantages in the Pacific Rim and to cause developing countries and regions to become more dependent on its technology.
Lu Jianren, an Asia-Pacific Research Center expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the arrangements will set a “very high standard” and the vast economic disparities that exist within the Asia-Pacific make it difficult to integrate the region as quickly as the US wants.
“For example, developing economies usually have higher tariffs than developed economies,” he said. “A sudden cut in tariffs will only benefit rich economies to the detriment of some vulnerable domestic industries in developing economies.”
Zheng Yangpeng contributed to this story.


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Sept 15, 2021: PM Imran Khan will leave for a two-day visit to Tajikistan tomorrow, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement on Wednesday.
According to Foreign Office spokesman Asim Iftikhar, the Prime Minister will visit the country at the invitation of Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon. During his visit, PM Imran Khan will attend the 20th Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
Iftikhar added that the Prime Minister would also hold one-on-one meetings with other participating leaders on the occasion. The Prime Minister will also inaugurate the first session of the Pakistan-Tajikistan Business Forum. According to the spokesman, a delegation of Pakistani businessmen will also visit the country’s capital Dushanbe.
Two days ago, on September 13, Abdul Razzaq Daud, Trade and Investment Adviser to PM Imran Khan said that a transit trade agreement between Pakistan and Tajikistan would be signed soon and would help boost trade between the two countries.
The adviser added that the launch of transit trade between the two countries would serve as a new beginning for the region’s bilateral economic and trade relations. He further said that it would also facilitate Pakistan in enhancing ties with other countries. Daud said that Pakistan was also working to boost bilateral trade and economic ties with Central Asian states.
During his visit to Tajikistan, PM Imran Khan will attend an investment and trade conference in Dushanbe, Daud said. The prime minister will also meet with leaders of various countries in the region and hold talks with the Tajik business community, he said.
Stay tuned to BaaghiTV for latest news and Updates!


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Actis presents national STA award to designers of 25 ‘climate positive’ homes
The designers of what has been billed ‘the most sustainable development in the country’ have been presented with a Structural Timber Association award by Actis northern region sales director Jemma Harris.
Actis sales manager Liane Bayliss in line for national award
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Insulation specialist Actis launches updated U-value simulator with new features
An online tool aimed at helping builders, architects and specifiers work out the potential U- value of a project has been updated with extra user-friendly features.


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Rubb has designed, manufactured and delivered a warehouse storage facility for racking and food packaging at a farm in Oxfordshire, UK.
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Material handling equipment manufacturer Liebherr has opened a new £26 million R&D centre in Germany
CML host Brexit forum to educate and inform its customers of the potential impact that Brexit may have on logistics operations.
Warehouse and logistics expert CML came to the rescue after John Wycliffe Primary School in Lutterworth was affected by a break-in.


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New Kia in Kenosha WI
Kia is continuing its momentum.
When you’ve achieved so many sales gains in the past several years, it becomes difficult to continue the momentum. Yet Kia has found a way – with more sales records just this past month. The stylish Kia cars are proving to be more than just a pretty face as consumers are understanding the value that they really provide. At Palmen Kia, we are proud to be the premier outlet for customers to get a new Kia in Kenosha, WI. Read the rest of this entry
Kia got some good laughs from its Super Bowl commercials.
2014 Kia cars in Kenosha WI
As millions of viewers saw recently during the Super Bowl, the 2014 Kia Forte and 2014 Kia Sorento are on the way. At Palmen Kia, we are excited about the prospects of the 2014 Kia cars in Kenosha, WI. The cars promise to bring something new to the segment and offer completely redesigned rides from the former versions. They will be welcomed new cars in Kenosha when they do show up. Read the rest of this entry


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How many of you have upgraded to Windows XP? Less than you might think. Also check out Intel’s Asian “convergence” alliance and other technology news stories for Tuesday, October 15th.
Conexant Systems Inc. has introduced a Homeplug-certifed powerline networking gateway, another step in the technology’s slow rise to prominence.
In anticipation that future portable computers will need a strict set of design guidelines, the IEEE standards body will form a committee to define next-generation batteries.
ARM’s latest embedded processor will cross over into the Pentium II class of performance Monday, offering a new range of computing possibilities to mobile and embedded devices.
Is IBM’s new 64-bit chip the heart of tomorrow’s Macintosh? What can H.264 do for Internet video? These and other technology news stories for Monday, October 14th.
Are motherboards rotting on West Coast docks? Which long-distance provider is now selling WiFi equipment? The answers to these questions, plus technology news stories for Friday, October 11th.
A U.S. district court ruled that Intel Corp.’s Itanium processor infringes the intellectual property of Intergraph Corp., and ordered Intel to pay $150 million in damages.
Supplies of the AMD Athlon XP 2400+ should begin reaching U.S. dealers by within the next two weeks, although enthusiasts will have to wait for the faster processors.
Intel will release the “Nehalem” desktop processor in 2004. Microsoft eases up on XP copy controls. Read these and other Web news stories for Thursday, October 10th.
RIAA’s new initiative would require copy protection to be added to radios, answering machines, talking bathroom scales, and yes even Big Mouth Billy Bass.
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The unspoken style of the U.S. Presidential candidates as they stump for votes. Alicia Powell reports.
As election day draws closer, the candidates are pulling out all the stops to ensure a win - and that includes dressing for votes. Lauren Rothman, the founder of Styleauteur, a Washington, DC based fashion consulting firm, says the goal is to convey their message. SOUNDBITE: Lauren Rothman, trend expert, saying (English): "That message usually ends right below your shoulders. So that look is important and getting the message with the visual cues to end at eye level is critical." During an interview at Tysons Galleria mall, Rothman says the most standard uniform for a male politician is a rich navy suit, red tie and white shirt. But also says the style of suit is changing. SOUNDBITE: Lauren Rothman, trend expert, saying (English): "Men only wore pleated pants and very conservative suits without a lot of personal unique touches and I've seen that evolve, I'd say in the last 6-8 years, where all of a sudden that image management in the political world has become infused a little bit by the fashion magazines." But the key to pulling off this look is a well tailored suit. SOUNDBITE: Lauren Rothman, trend expert, saying (English): "The trick to nailing the look is the fit, so it is all about the trim athletic fit." When it came time to define the style of the current U.S. presidential candidates, Rothman was quick to praise President Barack Obama's look, calling it clean cut. SOUNDBITE: Lauren Rothman, trend expert, saying (English): "His style doesn't give us anything to judge him on and that is exactly what a politician should be doing." And her assessment of Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney's style was simply 'well-dressed and rich.' SOUNDBITE: Lauren Rothman, trend expert, saying (English): "I think he shops his closet and it's a private bank account closet." The job of President of the United States will be decided on November 6, 2012.


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The European Commission has launched an anti-dumping investigation against Chinese manufacturers of solar glass following a complaint filed last month.
Dubbed EU ProSun Glass, although unaffiliated with the original EU ProSun that filed anti-dumping and countervailing claims against Chinese cell and module manufacturers last year, the group claimed that nearly 90% of imported solar glass from China was negatively impacting the European solar glass industry.
Tim Richter, spokesman for the Alliance for Affordable Solar Energy which opposes tariffs against Chinese manufacturers, told PV-Tech: Tariffs on solar products and their components are bad for the entire European solar industry since they would lead to price increases and significantly dampen demand.
“Solar energy is playing an important role in enabling the EU to meet its climate change goals. However, for solar energy to be able to compete with traditional energy sources, the cost efficiency of solar energy must continue to rise. Any increase in costs will thus endanger the aim of grid parity which is already within grasp in several European member states”, concluded Richter.
The Commission is expected to issue provisional findings on the solar glass complaint – a market valued at less than €200 million (US$262 million) – within nine months of the start of this investigation.


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Hydroponics Shop Owners Say Growing Pot is Expensive, Challenging
As of December 6, anyone 21 or older in Michigan can smoke pot, and they can also grow it inside their homes.
With this option on the table, many are beginning to examine what this process looks like.
David Overholt says it’s a challenging one.
“It took me a good year (to get it down),” Overholt explained, adding that it takes two to four months just to grow and harvest the plants.
Overholt runs a hydroponics store in Sheridan. He says the one thing they can’t legally sell are the marijuana seeds, but inside his store you can find everything else you’d need.
However, he says those supplies are not cheap. It will set you back a few thousand to get started.
Before businesses can sell marijuana, hydroponics shops like AAA Hydroponics say they plan to take advantage of the opportunity.
“It’s gonna be a rocket business,” Overholt said. “Think of it as a Kirby dealer, you know. How they come knocking door-to-door. So, we drop a bunch of people into nice communities and go knocking door-to-door and see who’s interested.”
*Text sourced to WOOD TV8* Click here for the full story.


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Clairfield advises Frigo‘s‐Heerenberg on the sale to Lineage Logistics
Frigo’s‐Heerenberg, a Dutch cold store company providing temperature‐controlled storage of food products, was sold to Lineage Logistics, the world’s largest provider of innovative temperature‐controlled logistics solutions.
Advisor to the seller
Mergers & acquisitions
Countries involved :


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Ireland should collect up to €13bn (£11.1bn, $14.5bn) from Apple in back taxes, according to EU regulators. This is the largest ever tax penalty the EU has ever handed out.
EU regulators said earlier tax arrangements struck between Ireland and the US technology firm broke European rules on state aid, as they allowed Apple to pay less tax than rival firms.
Competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager said: "The commission's investigation concluded that Ireland granted illegal tax benefits to Apple, which enabled it to pay substantially less tax than other businesses over many years.
"In fact, this selective treatment allowed Apple to pay an effective corporate tax rate of 1% on its European profits in 2003 down to 0.005% in 2014."
Ireland's finance minister and Apple said they both intend to appeal against the decision.
The EC said two tax agreements agreed between Ireland and Apple in 1991 and 2007 gave the tech firm "a significant advantage over other businesses that are subject to the same national taxation rules".
The Commission concluded: "Ireland must now recover the unpaid taxes in Ireland from Apple for the years 2003 to 2014 of up to €13bn, plus interest."
Irish finance minister Michael Noonan said he intends to appeal the EU ruling, adding that he disagrees "profoundly" with the Brussels decision.
Noonan said: "The decision leaves me with no choice but to seek cabinet approval to appeal."
"This is necessary to defend the integrity of our tax system; to provide tax certainty to business; and to challenge the encroachment of EU state aid rules into the sovereign member state competence of taxation."
Apple warned the ruling threatened the creation of new jobs in Europe. It added it is responsible for 1.5 million jobs across the continent, including developers, suppliers, as well as staff who work directly for the tech giant.
The tech firm said: "The European Commission has launched an effort to rewrite Apple's history in Europe, ignore Ireland's tax laws and upend the international tax system in the process.
"The Commission's case is not about how much Apple pays in taxes, it's about which government collects the money. It will have a profound and harmful effect on investment and job creation in Europe."
"Apple follows the law and pays all of the taxes we owe wherever we operate. We will appeal and we are confident the decision will be overturned."
The EC opened its investigation into Apple's tax arrangements with Ireland two years ago.
Online giant Amazon and fast food chain McDonald's face similar EC probes over taxes in Luxembourg, while coffee chain Starbucks has been ordered to pay up to €30m to the Dutch state.
A €300m order handed out this year to Swedish engineer Atlas Copco to pay the Belgian government is the second highest EU back tax bill.
The EC is also understood to be studying the European tax arrangements of online search giant Google.
However, the US Treasury Department warned that EU's Apple ruling threatened the existing bilateral "spirit of economic partnership".
A spokesman said: "The Commission's actions could threaten to undermine foreign investment, the business climate in Europe, and the important spirit of economic partnership between the US and the EU."
"We will continue to monitor these cases as they progress, and we will continue to work with the Commission toward our shared objective of preventing the erosion of our corporate tax bases."
The US Treasury is understood to be concerned that a big EU tax bill for Apple, will then see Apple offset at least some of that charge against the tax it would otherwise pay in the US.
The US Treasury Department warned last week that the EC was in danger of becoming a "supra-national tax authority" overriding the tax codes of the 28 states that currently below to it.
When the EC started its probe into Apple in 2014, it suspected Ireland of dodging international tax rules by letting Apple shelter profits worth tens of billions of dollars from tax collectors in return for maintaining jobs.
Apple employs almost 6,000, or about a quarter of its Europe-based staff, in the Irish city of Cork, where it is the largest private sector employer. It has said it paid Ireland's 12.5% rate on all the income that it generates in the country.
Ireland's low corporate tax rate has been a cornerstone of its economic policy for some 20 years, attracting multinational companies whose staff account for almost one in 10 workers in Ireland.
Apple chief executive Tim cook added: "We now find ourselves in the unusual position of being ordered to retroactively pay additional taxes to a government that says we don't owe them any more than we've already paid."
The tech giant's £13bn tax bill could build 20 new hospitals, or almost triple the scope of the Irish government's social housing programme, said The Irish Times.
Apple's shares fell more than 2% in pre-market trading in New York after the EC announced its ruling.
Naeem Aslam, chief market analyst at broker Think Markets, said: "This is really an eye popper for other firms which also have a favourable deal with Ireland and have their operation in this country."
"As for Ireland, the country will leave no stone unturned to defend its industry from crumbling because if these major tycoons start to rekindle their longer term strategy by leaving or moving major operations, it could be devastating for its growth."
A tax partner at one of the big four accounting firms said a final decision may take "several years" while the case is appealed in higher EU courts.
However, the partner added that Ireland may have to begin collecting the back tax from Apple within two months, with any monies collected held in an escrow account until a final court decision is reached.
Apple reported earnings of $18bn last year, the biggest ever reported by a company. The tech group also has cash reserves in offshore accounts that total around $200bn.


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Meg Whitman, the current chief executive and Leo Apotheker, the former CEO, are among a number of HP board members named in a lawsuit brought by shareholders angry at the "waste of billions of dollars of HP assets".
Executives including Ms Whitman "knew or disregarded … many red flags about Autonomy", including "opposition" from Catherine Lesjak, the HP chief financial officer, and numerous issues with the presentation of the financial position of the business.
Court papers filed in California claim that board members "knew non-public inside information concerning accounting improprieties relating to HP's acquisition of Autonomy" before the deal was made.
The shareholders also allege that directors "breached their fiduciary duty of loyalty and good faith" by failing to conduct "proper due diligence".
Board members "either participated in or allowed the improper statements" about Autonomy to be made, the lawsuit alleges.
"No reasonable person would have paid the price" for Autonomy that HP did, the shareholders claim.
It said that over $5bn of that charge related to “accounting improprieties, disclosure failures and misrepresentations” – accusations strongly denied by Mr Lynch.
“HP came in with about 300 people, crawled over everything and you know what? They found nothing. And you know why? There was nothing to find,” Mr Lynch said at the time of the write-down.
HP, the world’s largest PC maker, called in regulators and saw its chairman and two board directors resign in the wake of the disastrous acquisition.
The lawsuit alleges that HP was warned that Autonomy was engaged in “round-trip transactions” to artificially pump up sales figures.
For example, Autonomy allegedly sold $9m worth of software to a customer while agreeing to buy about $13m worth of licences for data from the same business. “HP knew that revenue recognition was an accounting red flag at Autonomy,” the court papers allege. They add that HP knew “revenue recognition was an identified problem but went ahead … without performing requisite due diligence”.
The American IT giant was also given warnings that the British company was wildly overvalued and told of “suspicious growth in Autonomy’s reported operating margins”, the shareholders claim.
The complaint claims that Ms Whitman said that during due diligence, KPMG, which had been hired to review the work of auditor Deloitte LLC, did not uncover any problems.
However, the lawsuit alleges that KPMG denied being hired to audit Deloitte and said it merely did “a limited set of non-audit related services”. HP could not be reached for comment but has previously said that the write-down was “linked to serious accounting improprieties, disclosure failures and outright misrepresentations discovered by HP’s internal investigation into Autonomy’s practices prior to and in connection with the acquisition”.
A spokesman for Mike Lynch declined to comment.


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Blog: H&M and M&S talk clothing recycling schemes
Petah Marian | 6 December 2012
Retailers offering clothing collection schemes has become a bit of a theme today with H&M launching a clothing recycling scheme and Marks and Spencer extending its Shwopping scheme into workplaces.
H&M said it the move is part of its efforts to find technical solutions to reuse and recyle textile fibres on a larger scale and that one of the goals of its Conscious Foundation - to support innovation on closing the loop on textiles and social projects along H&M's value chain.
Meanwhile, M&S, which garnered lots of attention for the launch of its Shwopping scheme earlier this year, plans to extend the scheme into people's offices, by placing Shwop Drops in their offices for a one day eco drive.
The retailer will deliver the Shwop Drops and provide marketing materials such as banners and notices. Oxfam, M&S' partner in the programme will collect the clothing and re-sell, re-use or recycle it.
And every employee who recycles will receive a money off voucher.
Adam Elman, head of Plan A delivery at Marks & Spencer, said: "We're passionate about giving used clothes a future. One man's old shirt is another's retro classic and we can even transform tatty clothing into new products, such as mattress or car seat fillings. There's no excuse for sending textiles to landfill and that's why we're doing everything we can to make it easy for people to recycle with Oxfam."
H&M and M&S aren't the only two retailers to take back consumers' old clothing, with Uniqlo launching a recycling programme in Japan during 2006 after starting a fleece recycling programme in Japan in September 2001.
Fresh from their disappointment at seeing the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade deal abandoned last month with an executive order by President Donald Trump, the US apparel and footwear sector...
With the ultimate aim of ensuring all the cotton in its products is sourced sustainably, value clothing retailer Primark is adamant that having a business model focused on offering the lowest prices o...
Last week we marked the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States by taking a closer look at what's at stake for the textile and apparel trade – especially his promises t...
Continuing our look at what lies ahead for the apparel industry and its supply chain in 2017, the panel of industry experts consulted by just-style last week tackled likely shifts in the sourcing land...
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- Hard hit Turkish industry is not knocked out
- China leads US apparel sources with falling prices
- US apparel sector braces for potential cost hikes
- Vietnam grows share of US apparel imports in 2016
- US Q4 in brief – Foot Locker, Nordstrom, Carter's
- Inditex and H&M boycott Dhaka Apparel Summit
- JC Penney to close 140 stores amid lower sales
- Macy's will "do the right thing", says Lundgren
- Bangladesh government steps in on labour crackdown
- When Things Go Wrong - A Practical Guide to Managing Common Problems in Apparel Sourcing
- Outdoor performance apparel 2016: A broader perspective
- Technical textile markets: product developments and innovations, December 2016
- Southeast Asia strategic sourcing review – a focus on Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar
- Global market review of lingerie – forecasts to 2022


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The company, which last week announced it was making 900 redundancies, is also in the final stages of appointing a UK-focused consumer marketing director to help increase its UK market share.
AOL is stepping up promotion of its new ad-serving platforms too. It is poised to launch new products for UK brands and agencies from early next quarter, as well as a series of new ad formats.
The refocus follows a year-long acquisition spree in which it invested over $500m (£312m) in online publications and an enhanced ad-serving offering. AOL will now focus on pairing advertisers with web audiences across its cluster of distinct titles, such as The Huffington Post and Engadget, instead of encouraging visitors to remain within the AOL portal.
Kate Burns, AOL’s senior VP of sales and operations and European head, says the AOL brand is now “secondary” to those of its newly acquired titles.
She adds: “If you were on those websites you probably wouldn’t even know they were AOL brands, which is what we wanted to achieve. As a portal, we’ll continue to drive good content, but we’re now as much about delivering premium content as we are about the AOL brand itself.”
The content provider has also identified online female audiences as a premium demographic to pursue, drawing it into competition with more established female portals like Netmums and iVillage.
Burns says: “We identified this as a ’white space’ at the end of last year. Around 60% of the AOL audiences are women and we can see that they consume the most content and purchase more online.”
AOL is also appointing a UK consumer marketing director. It is understood the successful candidate will head a five-strong team and have a multi-million-pound annual budget.
In addition to its efforts to win consumer market share, AOL is increasing promotion of its network to advertisers, although this won’t include enhanced commission rates.
It has developed new ad formats, dubbed Project Devil, in-house following the acquisition of online branded content distribution platform Pictela in December.
Rob Blake, AOL’s VP of advertising in the UK, said the new formats are aimed at simplifying how agencies book and monitor their display ad campaigns. They will offer enhanced data analytics capabilities and will be targeted towards both agencies and publishers.
This story first appeared on newmediaage.co.uk


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By Ryan Elizabeth Cope –
There is a shift happening in Canada… can you feel it?
If you’re of the environmental mindset (and you likely are if you’re perusing this publication), then you might already know where this is headed…across the country, Canadians are waking up to the revolution against single-use plastics, joining the fray, and standing up for better practices in their communities. We are saying no to the plastic bag, despite criticism and debate determined to keep us swirling about in minutiae. We are finally seeing our waste as just that: waste! It is a great time to be alive and 2018 has a lot in store us, and this movement.
The global journey towards a zero-waste economy is still in its infancy, but as we look around and tune in to the rallying cry of the plastic-free people, it’s clear that this is movement is not just a fad. Over 16 years ago as of this writing, Bangladesh became the first country to ban outright the use of plastic bags, and since then, many countries around the world have followed suit, either with their own bans, or with a fee imposed for using bags. In fact, there are so many countries, cities, towns, and municipalities making an effort at eradicating this flimsy waste item that an entire Wikipedia page (1) has been created to keep up with the times. In the digital age, this feels fairly significant. While it is obvious that this sort of thing is quite popular and widespread across the pond, we Canadians can take heart knowing we own a piece of that pie (2) and our piece seems to be getting bigger every year. All told, eight cities across four provinces now hold some kind of bag ban, with Victoria, BC being the most recent addition to the list. Vancouver could be next, given its proximity to Victoria, and the fact that it is currently undertaking a “Single-Use Item Reduction Strategy” project, surveying Vancouverites to determine what their usage of specific items of plastic are (beverage cups, take-out containers, and bags both paper and plastic), their habits, and how best to deal with these waste streams (reducing consumption, offering a reuse/deposit program, fees, recycling, or outright bans). The mere fact that a city as large as Vancouver is taking the initiative with this strategy is a testament to the changes that are a foot in this country.
But it doesn’t stop at bag bans! No, the movement is extending beyond the bag, as many people are waking up to the fact that most of the plastic being recovered during beach cleanups, or during scientific research cruises at sea, is coming from our habit of convenient consumption. Even if we don’t want to admit it, we love our convenience, and that convenience often comes shrouded in plastic. From packaged sandwiches to cold-pressed juices encased in plastic bottles, plastic is all around us and it’s often hard to escape. To be fair, many of us are busy and don’t always have time to plan ahead, DIY, or keep a mug at the ready for an impromptu coffee date. In addition, because we’ve structured our society around convenience, it’s almost harder to avoid the stuff and still have tasty-yet-convenient options.
Enter in the concept of zero-waste shopping. There are now entire stores being built around the idea of zero-waste! Just as we are starting to see bag bans implemented across the country, so too are low-to-zero-waste grocery stores coming to the forefront. These shops offer everything from coffee beans and produce to household cleaners and self-care essentials, and they are so fun, simple, and dare-I-say-it…convenient?!
In BC alone, there are at least four scattered across the province, including on Salt Spring Island (Green (3)), the Lower Mainland (The Soap Dispensary & Kitchen Staples (4) and soon-to-open Nada (5) with a mission to “empower shoppers to decrease food waste and unnecessary packaging”), and in the Okanagan (Unless Market (6) in Kelowna). Moving east to Alberta, locals there enjoy frequenting The Apothecary (7) in Inglewood (Calgary) along with Community Natural Foods (8) (multiple locations across Alberta!), which allows customers to shop for bulk goods with their with their own containers and in some cases, allow customers to remove produce from its plastic packaging before purchasing. All of these places carry a variety of goods, some with food options and all supporting the local movement.
And that’s not all, folks! If you find yourself in Ontario, NU Grocery (9) in Ottawa is the place to be, having just opened up shop this past summer. After that, you might as well hop on over to Quebec, where Méga Vrac (10) in the Rosemont neighborhood of Montreal, also recently opened its doors with over 700 refillable options, from olives to olive oil. And finally, if you live anywhere close to a Bulk Barn, Canada’s chain of bulk grocery stores found nation-wide, you are now welcome to BYOC (Bring Your Own Container) as part of their Reusable Container Program (11). Great Scott, it just keeps on a’comin’!
The good news? This is by no means a comprehensive list. Across the country, coffee shops and restaurants are opting out of things like straws, to-go cups, and extraneous, single-use items that normally get thrown away. Pop-up markets offer temporary low-to-zero waste goods and farmers markets everywhere are tuning in to the sound of the plastic-free drum. The better news? All of these grassroots initiatives are fuel for the fire that we need in order to effectively advocate for similar initiatives in our own communities.
This movement, fighting against plastic pollution, is so important, now more than ever. Recent news tells us that China (12) is no longer accepting our often-contaminated recyclables. While this is proving to be a major point of contention for municipalities already overwhelmed with our trash, perhaps we should take this as an opportunity to ask some hard questions and re-evaluate our habits. Let’s jump on this waste-free bandwagon and grow our presence in the global movement towards a world free of single-use plastics. Given all that is currently happening in Canada, this is an entirely achievable goal, and a good one for 2018. Who’s next to join the zero-waste movement?
Ryan Elizabeth Cope is a Kelowna, BC-based advocate for plastic-less, healthful living. She has lived and worked in several places on the coasts of both the Atlantic and the Pacific, from Hawaii to Maine. She blogs at Seven in the Ocean (https://sevenintheocean.com/) where she marries her love of food with her disdain for plastic-wrapped garbage. When not ranting ad nauseum about plastic, she can be found playing with her chickens, or concocting fresh juices in her kitchen.