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General Motors’ introduction of the Cadillac LYRIQ Show Car, which occurred August 6, 2020, is a glimpse into the future of the corporation’s electric vehicle (EV) efforts for the next decade. The LYRIQ displays a modern, dynamic shape that shows a brief glimpse into the electrified future. We at Napleton.news are looking at the LYRIQ and trying to read between the lines. Our educated prognostication is that this concept is quite a bit closer to production than the “show car” moniker would have you believe. Like a TV weatherman, though, we have a 50:50 chance of being right.
CADILLAC LYRIQ WILL REDEFINE AMERICAN LUXURY
The new Cadillac LYRIQ displays a redefined example of American Luxury. From the new “face” with its wide proportions and illuminating presence that will be the face of the brand’s new Cadillac EVs, it dispenses with a traditional grille in favor of a series of architectural panels that are unconstrained by the need for a traditional radiator. Thanks to the electrification, Cadillac designers were free to push the stylistic envelope, “as only Cadillac can express,” said Andrew Smith, executive director, Global Cadillac Design. “Inside and out, LYRIQ is a thoughtful integration of design and technology and is intended to make every drive an occasion.”
Inside, the LYRIQ is keynoted by a large 33-inch LED high-definition display screen. Featuring over one billion colors, it will display the driver’s instrument panel as well as the in-car entertainment system with cellular, audio, climate and navigation features. It will also include a full readout and display of the state of the electrical system, with battery consumption gauges, a directory of charging points and more.
BATTERIES ARE INCLUDED
Power for the new LYRIQ, which is almost 90-percent production-ready, will be delivered by a single rear-mounted electric motor. An all-wheel-drive performance version, presumably with a front-mounted motor-generator, will be offered in the future. The LYRIQ will ride on GM’s BEV3 (Battery Electric Vehicle platform #3), which is designed for unibody-structured vehicles. Think of the next-generation Chevrolet Traverse, for example, as a future recipient.
Power for the Cadillac LYRIQ will come from the new platform’s Ultium propulsion protocol, which operates around a modular system that allows a variety of range and performance options. In this application, GM engineers have tested the vehicle to beyond 300 miles on a full charge during internally-conducted testing. The Ultium battery system offers approximately 100 kilowatt-hours of energy to deliver Cadillac-level performance.
The new batteries are composed of state-of-the-art NCMA (nickel-cobalt-manganese-aluminum) chemistry that has reduced the cobalt content by more than 70-percent, compared to current GM batteries. Simplified wiring and innovative packaging aid in cooling the system and allow for faster charging.
YES, BUT THIS IS A CADILLAC. WHAT ABOUT THE OTHERS?
The Cadillac LYRIQ may be the first vehicle to use the BEV3 platform, but clearly, it won’t be the last. Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC will all have similar platform-based vehicles down the road, using this and other technologies yet to arrive. Think of these as the players to be named later.
Chevrolet already has a jump on the others. The Chevrolet Bolt is a prime example. According to Phil Lienert, of General Motors Advanced Technology Group, “Chevy set the benchmark for affordable, long-range electric vehicles when it introduced the Bolt EV more than two years ago. GM is now in a position to expand our EV expertise across brands, segments, geographies and more,” he said. “As the EV market grows, both in the luxury and non-luxury spaces, the Cadillac LYRIQ is the next logical step towards our all-electric future,” he added.
“As for Chevy, the brand has been an EV pioneer and will continue to be. Stay tuned for more…,” Lienert said cryptically.


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In spite of the utility’s customer service centers being closed due to the coronavirus outbreak, officials from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said on Tuesday that customers could still pay their bills in a number of ways.
The DWPs website, ladwp. com, can still accept payments. Customers can still make cash payments by leaving them in the drop boxes outside the closed service centers along with their bill stub.
Customers who pay with cash will receive a receipt in the mail. People can also pay by mail to LADWP Payments, PO Box 30808, Los Angeles, CA 90030-0808 or over the phone by dialing 1-877-697-2939 (no cash accepted).
Customers can enroll in payment plan programs if they are having financial difficulties and need assistance making payments; enrollment is available on the DWP website.
Although DWP officials emphasized that the utility will not cut off service for non-payment during the emergency declaration, residents should pay their bills if they are able to.
They advised clients to ignore any disconnection notices they receive in the mail. DWP will not currently impose late payment penalties.
Numerous customer programs, such as program enrollment, outreach, installations, inspections, and workshops, have been put on hold until further notice.
Customers with appointments are being called by DWP staff and program contractors to inform them of the temporary suspension of in-person services. Once program services have resumed, they will offer to call the customers back to reschedule appointments.
DWP stated that it will still accept rebate submissions for a variety of programs, but customers should anticipate longer processing times for rebates.
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Checkout our official pay ladwp bill credit card links below:
A: LADWP offers a variety of payment options to our customers to make it easier to pay their bill . To see the full list, go to Residential Bill & Payment or …
Jun 27, 2014 — Credit Card Payment Option Now Available at all LADWP Customer Service Centers · Call Monday-Friday between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., or Saturday …
Can you pay LADWP with a credit card?
Beginning on Tuesday, July 1, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has increased the options for customers to pay their bills by accepting credit card payments at all of its 15 Customer Service Centers (CSCs).
Can you pay LADWP with Amex?
We apologize for only accepting Mastercard and Visa, but due to increasing associated fees, we can no longer justify accepting Amex bill payments.
How do I pay my DWP bill?
Call 1-877-MYPAYDWP or (877) 697-2939 to report outages, make payments, request bill-pay extensions, and access other services without having to speak to a customer service agent.
Can I pay LADWP with debit card?
Pay with a debit or credit card from Visa, MasterCard, Discover, Apple Pay, or your bank account.

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$250,000 Export Development Fund Launches
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
The Prince Rupert Port Authority has launched a new funding initiative to help communities and economic development agencies assess new export opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region.
The $250,000 Export Development Fund is a program to assist eligible organizations in developing new export opportunities across Canada’s northwest trade corridor. Opportunities could be related to an existing industry entering new markets, new or expanded industries that would be viable for export, or existing export industries that are not currently using the Port of Prince Rupert.
“Export-oriented industries have a disproportionately large impact on our local economies, and are critical to achieving economic growth and expansion,” said Ken Veldman, Director of Public Affairs for the Prince Rupert Port Authority. “By focusing on regional export ‘clusters’, and their need for competitive, reliable access to the markets that provide the most value, we hope to support a practical approach to growing our collective export trade portfolio.”
The goal of the Export Development Fund is to accelerate the identification and development of export opportunities, ultimately strengthening the economic vitality of communities across the northwest trade corridor. Throughout 2018 the Prince Rupert Port Authority will be working with interested organizations in a process that will hopefully see the fund fully allocated across multiple worthy projects.
Anchoring a strategic link between North America and Asia, the Port of Prince Rupert has become a trade solution for Canadian industries exporting to markets such as China, Japan, and South Korea. The value of trade flowing through the Port is equivalent to $35 billion annually, directly creating 3,100 jobs across northwest British Columbia, and supporting tens of thousands of jobs in Canadian industries like agriculture and forestry that rely on the Port to reach overseas markets.


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MILWAUKEE—Marcus Hotels & Resorts has announced leadership appointments including the addition of Susan Terry as vice president of culinary and food and beverage operations.
Terry will oversee the company’s food and beverage operations including catering, banquets and more than 40 signature restaurants, bars, and lounges across 19 properties. She will be responsible for strategic planning, financial performance, operations, talent development, and restaurant design and concepting.
Prior to joining Marcus Hotels & Resorts, Terry served as vice president of culinary operations for Hyatt Hotels Corporation, overseeing culinary as well as food and beverage operations for the Americas region. She began her 25-year career with Hyatt at the Hyatt Regency Suites on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, eventually moving to the Park Hyatt Century City. She rose to senior executive chef at the Grand Hyatt Washington before being appointed corporate director of culinary operations for Hyatt in 2006. Susan was promoted again in 2008 to vice president of culinary operations for the Americas.
In related news, Marcus Hotels & Resorts also announced the promotion of Mark Weber to director of culinary operations for Marcus Hotels & Resorts.
Weber joined Marcus Hotels & Resorts in 2005 as executive chef of Mason Street Grill. He served as one of the masterminds behind the creation and development of the award-winning restaurant, which opened in 2006 as a classic, American grill serving wood-grilled steaks, fresh seafood, and creative, regional American cooking. Weber has been instrumental in developing many menu concepts under Marcus Hotels & Resorts and further enhancing the food and beverage experience.
“Marcus Hotels & Resorts and Marcus Restaurants have a history of culinary excellence. With the addition of Susan and added responsibilities for Mark, we will be able to take the guest culinary experience to new heights, and will provide outstanding leadership for our properties nationwide,” said Joseph Khairallah, chief operating officer of Marcus Hotels & Resorts.


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RBS and NatWest are committed to supporting UK enterprise. This is why they are launching a new initiative to help new and existing franchise businesses start up and grow in 2011.
The franchise sector has remained remarkably buoyant throughout the downturn. Statistics from the British Franchise Association (BFA) show that nine out of 10 franchises remained profitable throughout the recession.
Peter Ibbetson, chairman of small business for NatWest and RBS says: "Everybody wants to see banks funding business growth, as well as helping new businesses get off the ground to create jobs - this is exactly what this fund will deliver. The industry has shown itself to be virtually recession-proof, so for the many people left out of work by the recession franchising is a great way to start up a business - plus they get the support of a big brand behind them."
Recession-proof is right. At the height of the economic downturn, the franchise industry's turnover increased to £11.8 billion - with 94% of franchisors optimistic about the future. The franchise model is a low-risk, straightforward route to running a business - especially attractive to first-time entrepreneurs. And, interestingly, more women are now choosing franchising as a means to take the leap into enterprise. The BFA's annual survey shows the number of female franchisees increased by 86% in the last seven years.
Brian Smart, director general of the BFA comments: "The fund is a great way to encourage new entrants into this vibrant sector. The UK Franchise industry has performed well in recent years and we welcome the further investment to build on this momentum."
The RBS/NatWest Franchise Fund: Key points


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SoFi Stock (NASDAQ:SOFI): Dirt Cheap, Massive Growth Potential Ahead
Fintech giant SoFi (NASDAQ: SOFI) may seem like a stock to avoid on paper. It made its stock market debut last year and currently trades 83% below its all-time high price. Moreover, its link to the student loan business has impacted its near-term outlook amid the moratorium on debt payments effective for the rest of the year. However, its bull case is underpinned by two facts; its incredibly robust growth rates and low valuation. Hence, we are bullish on SOFI stock over the long haul.
SoFi Technologies is one of the most talked-about fintech firms, which started a little over a decade ago as a student loan lender. Over the years, its business has evolved, and it spread its tentacles in multiple profitable verticals, including mortgages, personal loans, direct deposits, and personal finance tools.
Growth rates for its business have been nothing short of spectacular. In its most recent quarter, it registered an impressive 50% in revenue growth with membership growth of almost 70%. Despite its amazing performances, it trades under 3x forward sales while top-line growth estimates for the next three years range from 23% to 37%. Hence, its a stock that is tough to ignore at this point and one you should have on your radar.
Interestingly, SOFI stock has a Perfect 10 Smart Score rating, implying that it can outperform the market, going forward.
Two Massive Acquisitions
A couple of acquisitions effectively changed the game for SoFi in the past couple of years. The first was the acquisition of a banking-as-a-service platform called Galileo in 2020. The platform allows various financial businesses to build their own digital banking services effectively. Moreover, it allows the firm to cross-sell its investment and banking products and services effectively.
Another massive acquisition, and arguably an even bigger one, was the acquisition of Golden Pacific Bancorp. With the Californian banks acquisition, the firm obtained a bank charter, giving it a major edge over its peers.
There had been much chatter about the bank charter from SoFis management, and many had thought it was an unlikely feat. However, SoFi has effectively cut out the intermediaries and can now hold deposits and set its own interest rates.
Consequently, its deposits shot up to $2.7 billion in its second quarter and set a record for personal loan originations, boasting 135% year-over-year expansion. With higher quality deposits, SoFi is benefiting from a lower cost of funding and has increased its flexibility to capture additional net margins and effectively optimize returns.
The banking charter will continue to play a major part in its expansion over the next few years. Its already leveraging its bank charter to build a huge deposit base with a 1.8% annual yield. Moreover, it has grown its deposits at much faster rates than other banks with its ability to cross-sell products effectively to other customers. The move seems to be paying off a great deal, with the member count rising by 69% from last year.
SoFis Push Towards Profitability
SoFi isnt profitable, and its been made aware of that fact. It continues to grow members and products, though, with an amazing surge in revenue growth rates over the past few years. Its net loss for the quarter came in at $96 million, significantly lower than the $165 million net loss in the same period last year. It adjusted its sales and EBITDA guidance for the full year and is gradually progressing toward profitability.
Furthermore, its financial services division has grown at an accelerated pace, but that growth has come at a major cost. The segment saw a substantial cash burn of $53.7 million, most of which came from credit card losses. In a potential recession, these losses should grow.
Nevertheless, the future is bright for SoFi, with it recently bumping its guidance for the second quarter, unlike most companies in the current environment. It indicated that its full-year sales would fall in the $1.508 billion to $1.513 billion range, up a fair bit from its previous guidance.
Also, it expects its adjusted EBITDA to be in the $104 million to $109 million range, a slight improvement from the prior guidance of $100 million to 105 million.
What is SoFi Stocks Target Price?
Turning to Wall Street, SOFI stock maintains a Strong Buy consensus rating. Out of nine total analyst ratings, six Buys, three Holds, and zero Sell ratings were assigned over the past three months. The average SOFI price target is $8.38, implying 71.7% upside potential. Analyst price targets range from a low of $7.50 per share to a high of $10 per share.
Conclusion: SoFi Stock Has Solid Potential
SoFi has done a tremendous job of expanding its business through its recent acquisitions and attracting new customers with higher interest rates on deposits. Moreover, its Galileo offering continues to gain traction, adding new customers at a breathtaking pace each quarter. The two catalysts put it on a solid footing at this time, which should help move its price northward again.
It is yet to turn a profit, but it looks like that might change soon. Its strong growth plans make it an exciting fintech offering with the potential for exponential growth in the foreseeable future. The market correction has the stock trading near all-time lows, which makes it a highly-attractive long-term pick.


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Sony is celebrating Thanksgiving and Black Friday with a special Co-Op Sale. During the weekend-long event, they're slashing prices on numerous multiplayer games for PS4, PS3 and PS Vita.
The new PS Vita ad, the one featuring a sultry British actress, has come under fire. Why? Because of the innuendo in the video. The euphemisms for some of those spoken acts have caused enough outrage to get Sony to pull the ad.
When you play a classic fantasy-based RPG, there are certain things you can usually rely on: Multiple classes with their own strengths and weaknesses, a tale of a tyrant being overthrown by a rag-tag band of reluctant heroes, loot, treasure, boss fights and interesting environments to explore. Rollers of the Realm--recently released for the PlayStation 4, Vita and PC--offers all of the above. What sets it apart from other RPGs, however, is the fact that itís actually a pinball game.
Fans of parkour, hidden blades and hoodies have a lot to be excited about this week as not one, but two Assassinís Creed games make their way to market. But like the stealthy killers in Assassinís Creed: Unity, these bad boys wonít be traveling alone as a new Lego Batman game hits the physical and virtual shelves, as well as a new Digimon brawler and several download-only titles for PlayStation consoles.
Itís another packed week of releases on the PlayStation Network, starting with what is likely to be one of the biggest games of the year: Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. For those of you who prefer to steer clear of gritty first-person shooters, you can also look forward to The Binding of Isaac, Disney Infinity 2.0 and more.
One of the year's big PlayStation Vita exclusives, Freedom Wars arrives this week on the PlayStation Network, alongside several seasonally appropriate games for those of you looking to get into the Halloween spirit.
PSN is celebrating Halloween with a massive sale. Various monster-themed games on PS3, PS4 and PS Vita are available at a discount for the next two weeks.
Sony is getting to the point where it hosts PlayStation flash sales on a pretty regular basis and, this week, the October Flash Sale is offering 20 discounted games and 30 discounted movies for a limited time. Break out the wallets, folks, and get ready to lighten that bank account.
At first glance, the new PlayStation Vita brawler, Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus, appears to be nothing more than a stereotypical fanservice game, overflowing with innuendo, sexually suggestive artwork and breast physics that make a waterbed caught in an earthquake look tame.
Sony has released PlayStation TV to stores throughout North America. PlayStation TV is a microconsole capable of playing hundreds of games from various PlayStation game systems.
There are a lot of games arriving on PlayStation consoles today. Like, a whole lot of games. From horror romps to board games, world builders to, um, Duck Dynasty, thereís a little something for everyone gaming on the PlayStation 4, PS3 and Vita.
If thereís one thing that Minecraft has proven, itís that people like building things. And destroying things. Now gamers will be able to both build and destroy things to their hearts content on the go, as Sony has finally announced a launch date for the PlayStation Vita version of the landmark indie game, and itís coming up a lot more quickly than you might expect.
You remember back when you were a kid (or maybe just last week for some of you who are still young at heart) when you used to set up insane courses across living room furniture for your toy cars to race across? That's exactly the atmosphere Jet Car Stunts aims to capture on the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita.
The PlayStation Vita has been up and running for a few years now but, starting tomorrow, Sony is beginning a bit of a redecorating effort, giving the portable gaming device a facelift just in time for the holidays with the introduction of official themes.
Sony has revealed that seven free games will be available through PlayStation Plus in October. The freebies range from small indies to a brand-new PS4 exclusive.


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California is one of the busiest places in the world. Here are some of the most notable business trends going on in California today.
Apr 11, 2021 ... The share of California small businesses still closed compared to January 2020, just prior to the onset of the pandemic, stands at 35.9 ...
How You Can Support California's Black-Owned Businesses. Check out this curated collection of restaurants, boutiques, and other worthy outlets.
Dec 14, 2020 ... But as California saw a dramatic surge in Covid cases in recent weeks, Governor Gavin Newsom issued stricter shutdown orders that again ...
Apr 23, 2020 ... 100% of proceeds will go to Opportunity Fund's Small Business Relief Fund and California.com will offer free business profiles and promotion ...
Add your business in our California Free Business Directory. Find a business services in the California State and surrounding areas.
Mar 20, 2021 ... From Oracle to Hewlett Packard Enterprise to Elon Musk, Texas is luring big businesses and billionaires away from California. This is how.
Nov 25, 2020 ... Small-business owners struggling to remain afloat are increasingly defying new shutdown orders, in some cases pointing to Gov.
Endorsed by the California Business, Transportation and Housing Agency, New California 100 companies are recognized here for their important contributions ...
Feb 5, 2021 ... The CEO of the L.A. Economic Development Corporation, Bill Allen, tells Inside the Issues why Southern California is a hotspot for small ...
May 13, 2021 ... Gov. Gavin Newsom shared his plans to provide billions of dollars for small businesses hardest hit by the pandemic on Thursday.


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In the past few months, a relatively new social networking site has taken the internet by storm. A recent report even stated that Pinterest is now the third most-visited social networking site behind Facebook and Twitter. How many Americans have signed up for the site, and how recent have they caught the Pinterest bug?
In Ask Your Target Market’s latest survey, 15% of respondents said they currently have a Pinterest account. Of those users, 31% said they signed up for Pinterest within the last month. 44% said they signed up for Pinterest about two or three months ago. 9% said they signed up about four or five months ago. 12% signed up six months to a year ago. And just 5% signed up over a year ago.
But the report that named Pinterest the third most-visited social networking site didn’t just take into account how many users the site had, but also how frequently people visited. In AYTM.com’s survey, 10% of Pinterest users said they log on multiple times per day, and another 10% said they log on daily. 41% said they log onto Pinterest multiple times per week. 17% said they log on about once a week, 14% said they rarely log onto Pinterest, and 9% said they have logged on a few times in the past but don’t really use the site anymore.
Aside from Pinterest, 79% of respondents said they have a Facebook account. 44% have a YouTube account. 42% have a Twitter account. 21% have a Google+ account. 15% have a LinkedIn account. And 8% have a Tumblr account.
The widget below shows the results of the AYTM.com survey in full. Be sure to click “open full report” for full details.
What do you want to know? If you need some consumer insights on a particular topic, let us know in the comments below and we’ll consider it for an upcoming survey post.
Results were collected on April 11 via AYTM’s online survey panel.


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In 2022, Google will kill the (internet) cookie. In this TriPod episode Ross + Chris discuss one of the biggest Marketing stories that we’ve had in a while.
Show notes for show #3 of Tripod: A Marketing podcast by Tricycle Creative
A collection of our favorite Marketing + Ad campaigns during the 2018 holiday season.
It's so simple and easy, there's no reason NOT to be using this SEO service. PLUS, it's been increasingly showing up in search results!
You knew it was coming. It's being reported that Facebook plans to sell a video chat device called "Portal" for $499 later this year.
Is Google on to something with their cheeseburger emoji or is it blasphemous? The Internet, of course, sounds off.
Facebook is testing placement of Pages and Publishers on a separate feed and NOT on News Feed. Does this mean Facebook will become "pay to play"?


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For American Express, it’s all hearts for Instagram — and visuals in general on social platforms.
The platform is the company’s fastest-growing platform, seeing 18 percent follower growth in the last quarter and double this year to 98,000 followers. And what works? Photos of credit cards — as financially sensitive as that may seem.
The brand’s vp of social media communications, Mona Hamouly, told Digiday that she noticed that people really loved posting pictures of their AmEx cards on Instagram. The security team at AmEx had also noticed: They usually reach out to users posting photos of their cards and issue them new ones.
So Hamouly took that insight and applied it to the brand’s own Instagram channel. “It’s bizarre, but images where the card is included are our highest-performing images,” she said.
So AmEx is getting much more visual with its social content in a much more obvious way. The idea across social, said Hamouly, is to not reuse marketing collateral but connect everything more visually with the physical credit card itself.
The brand has also tapped artists to design card images in a series called “Card Art,” and those images typically get twice the number of retweets on Twitter and double the likes on Instagram — photos with cards average about 1,000 likes.
The brand, of course, uses generic card numbers owned by “CF Frost,” the Ogilvy & Mather ad exec who worked on the brand’s account in the 1960s and is now immortalized in the card images the brand uses in its advertising.
Snapchat doesn’t have AmEx quite convinced, yet. For American Express, which has long been at the forefront of social media when it comes to customer service and brand messaging, the ephemeral messaging platform doesn’t quite appeal, according to Hamouly. “There has been a lot of conversation, and there is interest in it,” she said. “But we’re always looking for an ‘elevated’ experience on social and right now, there isn’t one with Snapchat.”
By “elevated,” Hamouly is talking about AmEx’s multiple links with social media that have used platforms to connect what she calls the offline experience with the online. While American Express has always positioned itself as an exclusive brand for “cardmembers,” social media has allowed it to democratize itself.
For example, it has been one of the few brands to embrace the “couponless deal,” asking customers to sync cards with Facebook, Twitter so people could get deals on the brands they liked or followed every time they made a purchase. Tweeting certain hashtags like #AmexWholeFoods gets users credits on purchases made there, for example.
Facebook is “still critical” for AmEx, although the brand has been slowly pushing video on the platform more than other content. It gets exceptionally high measurement numbers, but Hamouly said that that’s mostly because of autoplay, which has made comparing video metrics on Facebook versus other platforms messy. “We just stopped comparing numbers from this year with last year,” she said. “That’s pretty much all we can do at this point.”
And on YouTube, AmEx lets members and non-members live stream concerts that cardmembers get “exclusive” access to. This week, Airbnb and Amex launched a tech integration that will let people create an Airbnb account using AmEx credentials, get reward points, checkout and let hosts see “AmEx verified” potential guests in the listings.
“We do a great job talking to cardmembers, but we definitely realize that we need to reach out to different segments,” said Hamouly. “There has been a real effort across the company to position ourselves as a brand that’s more relatable.”
More in Marketing
TikTok has officially launched its new e-commerce platform, TikTok Shop, earlier this month on August 1. Using the new e-commerce platform, brands and creators can sell products directly on the platform, potentially creating new revenue streams, and tap into the short-form video platform’s growing popularity.
‘The influencer industry can be really vile’: Confessions of an influencer marketer on the industry’s unfair hiring practices
While the influencer industry might sound exciting and like it’s full of opportunities, one marketer can vouch for the horrific scenarios that still take place behind the scenes.
After a tumultuous 12 months, marketers are getting a clear picture of how they really did during a time of true uncertainty. And, as it turns out, it wasn’t all that bad.
Ad position: web_bfu


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Those who remember Wet 'N' Wild when business was booming are tweeting about their disappointment at the company entering administration.
At the water park in North Shields, the new answer phone message reflects the change...
More top news
The pressure group Ashley Out has called for demonstrations outside every Sports Direct store within a 20-mile radius of St James' Park.
A look ahead at your weekend forecast for the North East.
The two Geordie stars are home to perform songs from their musical, The Last Ship, to mark the tenth anniversary of the Sage Gateshead.


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People love Five Guys burgers, but not everyone can enjoy their food – particularly if they have a peanut allergy.
In fact, all Five Guys locations across the US have a sign in their windows warning potential diners of the peanut dangers. However, despite some people having allergies, Five Guys embraces the humble peanut, even going as far as offering a complimentary peanut snack to its customers.
But with peanut allergies being one of those really common allergies, why does Five Guys do it? Well, according to a report by Mashed, there is a reason for it – and it’s quite interesting!
Back in 2017, a former employee for Five Guys posted to a Reddit AMA why the chain has the peanut bins. Simply put, the employee wrote, “The peanuts are to distract the customers so that they won’t stare at us.”
If anyone has ever been inside a Five Guys, this tactic actually makes a lot of sense. In a Five Guys, the burgers will often take a little longer to cook since they don’t smash the meat down like other places. This might mean it takes longer to cook, but it also ensures that the meat stays juicer.
But for some people who are used to fast food being synonymous with fast service, waiting isn’t what they want to be doing. That is why giving out free peanuts as a snack option can help to keep customers happy while they wait in line.
While it’s a good idea, it still doesn’t explain why they wouldn’t go for something less likely to cause an allergic. But as Stan Phelps reports, it also doubles as another reminder for people with allergies – who might not have seen the signs – that Five Guys loves their peanut oil.
Yes, if you don’t know, Five Guys cooks its fries in peanut oil. While their fries are incredibly delicious, someone with a peanut allergy should not be eating there. Even though they say on the menu that all fries are cooked in peanut oil, it can be easy to miss – especially if there’s a line behind you and you’re rushing because you don’t want to hold anyone up.
But you know what isn’t hard to miss? Big bins of peanuts – particularly if you’re someone with a peanut allergy. Seeing this would definitely make you inquire about the use of peanuts or peanut products in their food.
It is more than likely that these free peanuts are here to stay so long as the company continues to use the peanut oil in their fry making. What do you think about Five Guys’ free peanuts? Let us know!SKM: below-content placeholder


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Fairmont Hotels and Resorts is encouraging North American travel through “The Great North American Bucket List” compiled from Fairmont concierges across the continent.
Travel and hospitality
- No categories
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is launching a program called “Energy by Four Seasons” to promote daily well-being among guests.
Rosewood Hotels and Resorts announced the opening of its first Chinese property in Beijing’s Central Business District in the Chaoyang neighborhood.
Vacation rental Web site Luxury Rentals from HomeAway is quickly expanding its luxury section to capitalize on the travel trends of affluent consumers.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is extending the alliance between Starwood Preferred Guest and Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team.
Private aviation provider Magellan Jets is opening a new office in Orlando, FL, to better serve its Floridian consumers.
Four Seasons Resort Nevis in the West Indies is attracting guests looking for a tropical getaway this holiday season through a partnership with Magellan Jets.
The Peninsula Hotels is expanding its holiday “SnowPage” efforts this year to facilitate its annual philanthropy campaign.
Swiss skincare maker La Prairie is expanding its retail footprint by keeping travelers in mind.
Holiday gifting in the United States is expected to reach $77.5 billion this season with online sales trumping in-store purchases, according to a new survey by Time Inc. and YouGov.


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The UK's first and only Barbie shop has opened - and it looks like our childhood dreams have come true.
The shop opened in Liverpool on Friday morning to mark International Day of the Girl.
The colour scheme, as you'd imagine, is pink and inside its walls are filled with dolls from the brand, neon signs and even a Barbie truck.
It's like someone asked our eight-year-old selves what we wanted in a shop.
It's not just toys either, there is also a collection of Barbie clothing which can be bought as well as accessories too, Liverpool Echo reports.
The pop-up shop will be open for six weeks and is based in the premises which previously homed Fat Face and before that Real Buzz.
The opening was teased two weeks ago when hoardings around the site went up letting customers know what to expect.


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In January 2018, privacy-first messaging service Telegram surprised the cryptocurrency world by announcing that it would hold a token sale—also known as an Initial Coin Offering (ICO)—in order to launch a new platform. ICOs are the issue and allocation of Bitcoin-like cryptographic coins (or “tokens”) to raise money for a project; in recent months they have become an increasingly popular (if controversial) financing method for startups. ICOs are mostly fueled by speculation, as tokens are traded on online exchanges in the same way Bitcoin is traded. But Telegram’s move—and the fact that its ICO secured the backing of VC bigshots Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Benchmark and Sequoia Capital—shows that launching a new cryptocurrency could help small projects and incumbents alike to bypass institutional investors.
As Bitcoin’s price rollercoaster keeps stealing headlines, it is not only privacy-aware startups that are looking at cryptocurrency with keen interest. In August 2017, fast-food giant Burger King announced the WhopperCoin, a “blockchain fidelity programme” launched in Russia that rewards customers with cryptographic tokens that can be parlayed into free burgers.


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Group seeks strong action
GROWCOM is not happy with the imbalance of bargaining power between supermarkets and suppliers and has called for change.
Growcom chief advocate Rachel Mackenzie said Growcom was unconvinced the imbalance of bargaining power between supermarkets and suppliers was properly addressed.
“Growcom has repeatedly argued that the fruit and vegetable sector is characterised by a large number of small suppliers trading in a highly perishable product, which puts the industry at a unique disadvantage in negotiating fair terms with retailers,” she said.
“The general consensus from growers who supply the major retailers, about this voluntary Code, is that there are too many caveats and opportunities for alternatives to be negotiated.
“If the fundamental issue centres on a lack of power at the negotiation table, then small suppliers are hardly likely to be able to argue against supply agreements that are not in their favour.
“The dispute resolution mechanism is too weak and does not address the inherent issues of imbalance of power as it is too reliant on an in-house complaints procedure.
“The voluntary Code as it stands has no teeth to do what it was written to do.
“We’d like to ask the Senate Committee how ... no change was needed, given the number of voices calling for stronger regulation.”


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UK Regulators Warn Investors Against Crypto Derivatives… again
After a comprehensive study of the crypto space, UK Cryptoassets Taskforce has released its conclusions and painted the regulatory prospects for the national crypto industry.
Christopher Woolard, Executive Director of Strategy and Competition at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), has presented the latest conclusions of the large-scale study launched by the British authorities to explore digital assets and the blockchain technology.
In his speech given at The Regulation of Cryptocurrencies event that took place in London this week, Woolard delivered the study’s findings and described the prospects of crypto assets regulation in the UK, including a possible ban on some crypto-based derivatives.
To better understand distributed ledger technology (DLT) and cryptocurrencies, many governments have created special taskforces assigned to find out the potential threats and benefits of digital assets in financial services as well as ways of their proper regulation.
In the UK, the Cryptoassets Taskforce was formed in March by representatives of the FCA, HM Treasury and the Bank of England. At the end of October the Taskforce published its final report, and now Woolard is reaching out to share the authorities’ conclusions and views on the national crypto industry. As an important step to future regulation, the Taskforce has categorized crypto assets and defined key industry terms. It also recognized a number of advantages offered by blockchain-based financial innovations, such as higher speed, lower costs and easier cross-border transactions.
Regarding risks to consumers, he explained that inexperienced customers might face dishonest service providers and suffer huge financial losses, and confirmed that the watchdog is considering a ban on some crypto-based derivatives. The Taskforce first came up with this recommendation last month.
“We’re concerned that retail consumers are being sold complex, volatile and often leveraged derivatives products based on exchange tokens... Given this, the FCA will also consult on a prohibition of the sale to retail consumers of derivatives referencing certain types of cryptoassets (for example, exchange tokens), including contracts-for-difference, options, futures and transferable securities,” Woolard warned.
Commenting on the issue of using crypto assets for illicit activity, he announced a very ambitious response from the British regulators. Woolard said they would do even more than standard EU laws require, and consider broadening the scope of regulations on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing.
Woolard added that the authorities also plan to assess the current boundaries of crypto assets’ regulation. The FCA intends to have consultations by the end of this year in order to determine which digital assets fall within its “regulatory perimeter”. After that, the Treasury will be involved in further discussions in order to decide whether this perimeter needs to be extended to other crypto assets.
Also, the Treasury announced another round of consultations coming early next year aimed at new risks related to exchange tokens, exchanges and even wallets. The authorities will consider a new regulatory framework that would be able to effectively address such risks.
“However, we also recognise the limits of domestic action on this global, cross-border issue. We will, therefore, also seek to work collaboratively with international counterparts,” Woolard emphasized.


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Dry shampoo brand Batiste has partnered with the LGBT Foundation to support charity schemes and programmes across UK communities.
The Church & Dwight-owned brand has pledged £30,000 from product sales to support the foundation’s services.
According to Batiste, the LGBT Foundation supports more than 40,000 gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans people each year looking for advice and information.
“Batiste celebrates and supports diversity,” said Michael Benson Church & Dwight’s Marketing Director.
“We are delighted to be partnering with the LBGT Foundation to do just that.”
The announcement follows Batiste’s limited edition fragrance launch Love is Love, which has removed all gender-led how-to directions.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Batiste on the launch of their Love of Love Dry Shampoo,” added LGBT Foundation’s Assistant Director Debra Nixon.
“Together we will be celebrating the diversity of our communities around important dates in the LGBT calendar.
“Our partnership will ensure that we are able to deliver valuable services that save lives, also ensuring that our message of ‘equality wins’ reaches a wider and more diverse audience.”
She continued: “Together, we will amplify the voices of LGBT people celebrating diversity and creating a safe, healthy and equal future for all LGBT people.”


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Qualcomm has confirmed the release date of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, which is expected to offer significant improvements in performance and power efficiency over its predecessor. The company will announce the new flagship SoC earlier than usual – October 24-26.
According to tradition, Qualcomm will hold the Snapdragon Summit in Maui, Hawaii, but this time it is about a month earlier than last year. As far as we know, the chip will use the new 1+5+2 architecture instead of 1+2+2+ 3 for Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and Gen 2 series.
The SoC is said to run on 1x Cortex-X4 prime core and 5x Cortex-A 520 cores and 2 Cortex-A520 cores and Adreno520 GPU, promising a significant performance boost. The CPU pack also updated its L3 cache from 8MB to 10MB.
Digital Chat Station, a well-known Chinese salesman, claimed that Xiaomi 06 ) series took the lead in November to adopt Qualcomm’s new flagship chip vivo X 70 series, iQOO 520 series, Redmi K70 series, OnePlus and the Realme GT5 will follow suit in the coming months.
Source 1 | Source 2 750


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How would you like a gold MV Agusta? No worries, says the premium motorcycle manufacturer on the shores of beautiful Lake Varese in north Italy.
For several years now MV Agusta hasn’t made any new models. Instead, they have made a lot of limited-edition motorcycles for rich customers.
In 2016, MV made a one-off F4Z for a Japanese businessman in a joint collaboration with car designer Zagato.
The latest one-off special is a Dragster 800 RC with a golden mirror finish.
It includes plenty of carbon fibre and an SC Project Reparto Corse exhaust.
There are no details on the all-money-and-no-taste buyer, but MV Agusta gave them a X-lite X-803 Ultra Carbon helmet with golden livery to match.
New MV bikes?
So when will MV Agusta get around to making some new models?
In May, they announced they will produce the Superveloce 800 which was unveiled in concept form at last year’s EICMA motorcycle show in Milan.
However, the solo-seat Superveloce is not a new platform. It is just another variant of the F3.
And it will be yet another limited-edition Serie Oro (gold series) with delivery of the first 300 units expected in March 2020.
Earlier this year the company launched their fourth limited-edition model in collaboration with five-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton.
It is the Brutale 800 RR LH44 and only 144 bikes will be made, each with Hamilton’s race number “44”.
They will cost $A38,880 ride away, which is about $14,00 more than the RR version and $10,000 more than the RR America.
We’ve lost count of the number of “limited-edition models” they have released in recent years as the company has struggled under financial constraints.
It sort of makes a mockery of the term “limited edition” when they produce so many.
Top of the range of limited-edition models was last year’s $A125,012 Claudio F4 which pays homage to former company president Claudio Castiglioni.
Meanwhile, MV Agusta have produced only a couple of new models since 2013 and suffered from a frustratingly slow supply chain. We know of one rider who waited six months for a sump plug!
Instead of fixing supply, updating their bikes or launching new models, MV continued to churn out limited-edition models with a lick of paint, some extra farkle and a hefty price tag.
Since then they launched the “all-new” 2019 MV Agusta Brutale 1000 Serie Oro.
The hyper-naked has a record top speed of 312km/h with 158kW (212hp) of power (probably with an optional track ECU kit).
It is now available for order in Australia at $68,880.


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Cisco Systems said Monday it plans to buy Springpath Inc., an early partner in the so-called hyperconverged-systems market, as part of a shift to selling software and services to help turn around the struggling company.
NYS Entity Status
NYS Filing Date
FEBRUARY 20, 2014
NYS DOS ID#
NYS Entity Type
FOREIGN BUSINESS CORPORATION
2014 - H. SOFTWARE SYSTEMS, INC.
AROUND THE WEB
- Cisco to Buy Springpath for $320 Million
Monday Aug 21, 2017
- Federal authorities end probe into Walmart police shooting
By DAN SEWELL, Associated Press - Tuesday Jul 11, 2017
CINCINNATI (AP) — Federal authorities announced on Tuesday they have ended their investigation of the fatal police shooting of a black man in a Walmart store, concluding there wasn't enough evidence to charge the white officer who killed him.U.S. Attorney Benjamin Glassman and the Department of Justice said Tuesday they found insufficient evidence to pursue charges against Beavercreek police Officer Sean Williams, who fired the fatal shot.The government would be required both to disprove his (Williams') stated reason for the shooting — that he was in fear of death or serious bodily injury — and to affirmatively establish that Officer Williams instead acted with the specific intent to violate Mr. Crawford's rights," they said in a statement, adding that the evidence "simply cannot satisfy those burdens.The lawsuit by Crawford's relatives, who say he was "shot on sight," was filed against Beavercreek police and Bentonville, Arkansas-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and alleges negligence and civil rights violations.
- NY AG presses TransUnion, Experian for cybersecurity details
By DAVID KLEPPER, Associated Press - Tuesday Sep 19, 2017
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is pressing TransUnion and Experian to explain what cybersecurity they have in place to protect sensitive consumer information following a recent breach at Equifax that exposed the data of 143 million Americans.In letters to executives at the two credit monitoring companies, the Democratic attorney general asked them to describe their existing security systems as well as what changes they've made since the Equifax cyberattack."The unprecedented data breach experienced by Equifax Inc.
- Business News Roundup, July 6
By Chronicle News Services - Wednesday Jul 5, 2017
Baidu Inc. has enlisted more than 50 partners for its Apollo driverless project, signing up big firms in areas from mapping and ride sharing to automaking to aid the Chinese search giant’s foray into artificial-intelligence-powered vehicles.The move opens up part of Baidu’s autonomous car software in the same way that Google released its Android operating system for smartphones.By encouraging companies to build products using them, Baidu hopes to fine-tune its systems and overtake research efforts by the likes of Waymo, which is part of Mountain View’s Alphabet, as is Google.Baidu listed four Chinese carmakers, suppliers Robert Bosch GmbH and Continental AG and technology companies including Microsoft as part of the Apollo alliance.Southeast Asian ride-hailing giant Grab and mapping systems company TomTom are also joining the program.Widely considered the Google of China, Baidu hopes research into artificial intelligence will create a generation of products to help revive revenue growth.True Religion Brand Jeans filed for bankruptcy protection Wednesday, the latest retailer upended as Americans increase spending, but largely in places other than clothing stores.The European Union and Japan have agreed “in principle” on a free trade deal that will affect an overwhelming majority of commerce between the two economic giants and will be officially endorsed at a summit of their leaders.EU Council President Donald Tusk and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will meet Thursday and will be able to shake hands on the landmark deal, which took four years of negotiations.EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said in a tweet that “We’ve reached political agreement” and “now recommend to leaders to confirm this” at their short summit.
- Amtrak Picks Delta’s Former Chief to Lead It Through Challenging Time
By PATRICK McGEEHAN - Monday Jun 26, 2017
Richard Anderson, who retired from Delta last year after nine years of running the airline, will serve as co-chief executive with Charles Moorman until Dec. 21.
- Future Software: Only as Good as the People Who Build It
By Charles Babcock Editor at Large, Cloud - Wednesday Aug 2, 2017
In a world increasingly dependent on software, we may need to develop the art of falling back to the most recent system that worked.


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Show Was Well Attended, And There Was A Lot Of Flying
The inaugural Deland Sport Aviation Expo brought out many of major players in the sport aviation industry, and while official attendance numbers have not been released, the show appeared to be fairly well attended, and there was a lot of flying going on.
The exhibitors included such well known names as Bristell, Pipistrel, Kitfox, Vans Aircraft, RANS Aircraft and Cubcrafters. There were also several gyrocopter and ultralight manufacturers represented on the field. In the exhibitor's tent, visitors found avionics geared to the sport aviation industry, as well as headsets, and other aftermarket items available for sale.
Jabiru introduced its new J170-D to the U.S. market at the show. The airplane, as well as several others, have base prices starting at under $100,000 for a new, ready-to-fly LSA. Of course, adding options can still push the price well north of the $100K mark.
The weather was very cooperative for the event, and there was a lot of flying activity going on at the airport during the show. Many manufacturers were offering demonstration rides to potential buyers and media.
The Expo featured a keynote address from EAA’s Charlie Becker, the Director of Chapters, Communities & Homebuilt Community Manager. He also spoke at two of the kit building forums.
Ted Lubbers of EAA Chapter 635, the local chapter at Deland, noted that there were a lot of younger people at the show. Of particular interest were Kyle Petesch, Tony Tianyuan Zhoo and Victoria Jingsi Li ... three Embry Riddle Aeronautical University students who were displaying a battery powered aircraft that they said would be able to fly for about 2 hours with a battery pack weighing a little over 300 pounds. This pack would be made up of 2700 small rechargeable batteries about the size of AA batteries. The electric engine they were demonstrating was running quietly with its standard size prop turning in a safety cage on the field.
Then, there was Rachel St. Louis, a 15-year-old entrepreneur who handcrafts aviation-themed jewelry to finance her Bush Cat homebuilt airplane. The frame of the airplane was on display in front of the trailer from which she was selling her jewelry. She already has about 150 hours flight time in her dad’s Cessna 172 and has completed 10 takeoffs and landings in a seaplane, according to Lubbers.
While this initial show was small, it has potential. The second annual event is already being planned for November 2-4, 2017.


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High-end supermarket Finelife on February 3 opened its fourth store named Finelife Supermarket Urban Hill at 51A Nguyễn Văn Linh Street in HCM City’s District 7.
Companies that import fruits and foods expect lower demand during Tết (Lunar New Year) next February due to the impact of Covid-19 pandemic and plan to reduce import.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, an agency of the US Department of Agriculture, will send officials to Việt Nam to check the quality of fruits to be exported to the US.
Việt Nam’s fruit sector should focus on gaining trust from domestic consumers before focusing on exports, said deputy general director of the Plant Cultivation Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) Nguyễn Như Cường.
With many fruits entering harvest season, large volumes of them have been making their way to HCM City in recent weeks, dragging their prices down.
Chinese enterprises importing Vietnamese fruits to the country must provide information about the origin and quality of such fruits while following import procedures from April 1, 2018.
Many supermarkets are launching attractive promotion programmes in the days ahead of Tết (Lunar New Year) to attract customers. Tết falls on February 16 this year.


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// Nike warns retailers on cutting supplies of limited edition trainers if they do not stop staff quietly offering them to resellers
// Limited edition trainers sees demand outstrip supply, prompting them to sell for more than double the retail price in the resale market
// Resellers found to “tap up” store staff for additional supply and create bots to avoid queues on Nike websites
Nike has launched a crack down on retailers by threatening cut supplies of limited edition designer trainers if they do not stop staff quietly offering them to resellers.
According to The Sunday Times, the sportswear giant has warned retail partners that it would restrict supplies of its newest products amid concerns many find their way to individual operators who then “flip” or sell them on for profits.
Nike tightly controls the supply of limited edition trainers – such as the Air Jordans and Max Dunks – through product campaigns known as “drops”, which attract huge crowds to stores and drive traffic to the brand’s website.
- Nike to start selling used and refurbished shoes at a discount
- Nike China boycott could actually be boosting sales say analysts
- Nike revenue rises but Europe sales drop due to Covid-19 restrictions
Often the limited edition trainers sees demand outstrip supply, prompting the products to often sell for more than double the retail price in the resale market.
The Sunday Times reported that potential profits made through reselling have encouraged resellers to “tap up” store staff for additional supply and create bots to avoid queues on Nike websites.
This subsequently makes it difficult for actual Nike customers to secure the new trainers.
Nike is reportedly set to notify customers on this issue by increasing the supply of limited edition trainers in its drops.
The news comes shortly after found that the son of Nike’s North America general manager, Ann Herbert, was making more than $50,000 a month reselling limited edition trainers online.
Herbert resigned shortly after Bloomberg Businessweek story broke in February.


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Argentina’s Minister of Agriculture Carlos Casamiquela met on Monday [14 September 2015] with visiting Deputy head of China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) Zhang Qinrong. The two leaders signed a protocol for Argentina to export bales of alfalfa to China and made modifications to three existing agreements, allowing Argentina to export pet food as well as bovine embryos and semen to China. “The agreements signed today create more opportunities for our producers and will boost national production,” said Casamiquela after the meeting…Full Article: Xinhua Sept 2015
- In addition to alfalfa, China has recently eased trade restrictions on Argentinian pears, apples, sorghum, blueberries, grapes, and mutton (i.e. sheep meat).
- From January to June 2015, Argentina reportedly exported 17,051 MTs of beef to China.
- From 25 March to 1 April 2015, Chinese AQSIQ officials inspected honey production areas in Chaco province (northern Argentina) and in western Buenos Aires province.
- From 2010 to 2014, Chinese imports of forage crops (i.e. alfalfa hay, clover, etc.) increased from 228,190 MTs to more than 1 million MTs. The USA was the dominant supplier, while Australia acted as a minor secondary supplier.
- In August 2013, China permitted the importation of 60,000 metric tons of GMO Argentine corn. The corn was to be used for chicken and hog feed.
- In 2012, Argentina’s Ministry of Agriculture and China’s State Administration of Grain (SAG) signed Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation relating to grain.


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It is ever confusing for any consumer of news over the past few months as to the status of the financial crisis. As it is changing day by day, everyone naturally has an opinion of how serious this economic crisis is and particularly the effects on retail and some of their own hypothesis. A lot of it is not hyperbole as many US retailers have slashed staff, prices and some have had to liquidate so it is reality and as we saw in the last week of December, the mighty Chanel, a bastion of luxury has announced they are cancelled further Mobile Art exhibitions and reducing at least 200 of their head office Paris staff. There are signs of weakness across both commercial and high end retail. The big question is for how long and what core elements are needed for survival.
In an article in today's WWD titled "The Coming Fallout: Who's Vulnerable", Ron Frasch, president and chief merchandising officer of Saks, recently explained to analysts: “We must make the hard decisions on a brand-by-brand basis. Those brands that are nice to have can’t exist in the new environment. Each brand must lend both financial and strategic [value] to the company.” Already Saks has revealed plans to shutter 16 of its 18 bridal salons — affecting bridal lines including Amsale, Carolina Herrera, Reem Acra, Monique Lhuillier and Oscar de la Renta — to make room for higher-growth categories.
In separate conversations, Frasch told WWD that brands with a strong consumer resonance, such as Cartier, Graff and Chopard, will weather the financial storm. Jim Gold, president and ceo of Bergdorf Goodman, pointed to collections such as Chanel, Bottega Veneta and Nancy Gonzalez. Brands at high price points lacking a connection with consumers are more vulnerable.


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Outdoor Channel has launched in Scandinavia on TeliaSonera's IPTV platform in Sweden and Finland, with upcoming launches planned for Norway and Denmark.
"Hunting, fishing and the great outdoors are enjoyed by millions of Swedes, and we're confident Outdoor Channel will attract many new viewers," noted Kent Jonsson, head of consumer business, broadband services at TeliaSonera Sweden in a statement.
The deal was put together by Chello Zone, a subsidiary of Liberty Global Inc.'s international media division Chellomedia and is part of a joint venture between Chello Zone and the Outdoor Channel announced last year that plans additional international launches of the Outdoor Channel.
The Outdoor Channel's first launched international launch occurred last on Orbit Showtime Network in the Middle East and the TeliaSonera deal markets its first entry into Europe. For the Scandinavian launch the channel is subtitled in Swedish and Finnish.
"The launch of Outdoor Channel on TeliaSonera marks the first stage of our plans to expand the channel's global footprint and roll-out across" Europe Middle East and Africa, noted Chello Zone's VP of affiliate sales, Louise Cottrell, in a statement. "The channel's unrivalled line-up of original high quality HD entertainment allows viewers to experience the great outdoors through the eyes of world-renowned experts, passionate enthusiasts and celebrities, making it the number one destination for outdoor TV."
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Microsoft’s much talked about Surface Pro 3 tablet is out, but our technology analyst says it could be priced kind of high considering that $899 doesn’t get you the optional keyboard attachment.
Facebook is gearing up to take on Snapchat once again by launching its own disappearing messaging app, Slingshot.
A new measure proposed by the Obama Administration would give federal officials the authority to set restrictions on the use of mapping and traffic apps if they are deemed to be dangerous.
Microsoft is making headlines during the E3 conference by announcing that last year’s roll-out of the Xbox One was flawed.
If the back of your computer looks like a bird’s nest you’ll be happy with Intel’s announcement this week. The chip maker is aiming to eliminate all those pesky PC cables by 2016.
Despite reaching its 10th year in production, Sony has announced plans to stop making their gaming device, PlayStation Portable.
Apple’s Mac operating system will have easier ways to share and search, while the iOS software for iPhones and iPads is getting new features for keeping tabs on your health and controlling home devices.
Google is taking the first step in complying with a European court ruling that gives people the right to be forgotten online.
Yahoo! appears to be getting ready to launch a new video service aimed at challenging YouTube by tapping into their viewers, while paying content creators more for ad traffic than the Google-owned company.
More Facebook users can expect to see a blue cartoon dinosaur popping up in their feeds, reminding them to check their privacy settings.


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Drug Shortages Hit Canada, India
The Globe and Mail reports that Canada is in the midst of a serious shortage of the bladder cancer drug, bacillus Calmette-Guérin strain tice (BGC). The shortage was caused by manufacturing issues that occurred at manufacturing plants operated by two different pharma companies. Without BCG to control symptoms, patients could be facing surgery to remove their bladders, which could result in other serious complications. To ration the supply, doctors could temporarily treat patients using one-third of a regular dose.
In addition to Canada, India is facing a shortage of medications to treat AIDS/HIV because of payment delays to manufacturers and other procurement issues. Some of these medications include tenofovir-lamivudine, nevirapine, and lopinavir-ritonavir. In order to prevent shortage, the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) would need to supply roughly six million fixed dose combination tablets of tenofovir-300mg and lamivudine-300mg to avoid a shortage.


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Lenovo, the world's largest PC vendor that also is looking to expand its reach in servers and mobile devices, is taking steps into the small but fast-growing wearable device market, where it will compete with a broad array of established vendors and startups.
On its Website, Lenovo is showing off a wrist device called the Smartband SW-B100, aimed at "young people who take care of their personal health and are interested in new tech trend products," according to the company. The device monitors such fitness information as steps and distance traveled, calories burned, heart rate and sleeping patterns.
It also comes as wearable device stalwart Fitbit launches three new activity and sleep trackers for the wrist, and newcomer Pivotal Living introduces Life Tracker 1, which monitors and records similar data but for only about $12 a year.
The wearable device market is expected to top 19 million units this year, and jump to 111.9 million units in 2018, IDC analysts said in April. Canalys analysts in September said the wearable band market will grow 129 percent a year, hitting 43.2 million units in 2015. Of those, 28.2 million will be smartbands, with the other 15 million being basic bands (which, unlike smartbands, cannot run third-party applications), the analysts said.
It's a market that is attracting a range of vendors, including such top-tier players like Apple, Samsung and Google. Chinese companies, like Xiaomi and its Mi Band, are helping drive prices down, according to Canalys analysts. In addition, as prices continue to fall, smart bands will see their popularity increase, they said.
"The basic band vendors, such as Fitbit and Jawbone, will enjoy the advantages of their lower pricing for the immediate future," Canalys Vice President and Principle Analyst Chris Jones said in a statement. "Eventually, however, stronger smart band competitors to the Apple Watch will likely emerge and push smart band pricing down, threatening the basic bands. The market will undergo disruption similar to that suffered by feature phones when smartphone prices fell."
After announcing in January their intent to buy IBM's x86 server business and Motorola Mobility from Google (the company also is rumored to be interested in buying BlackBerry), Lenovo executives said their goal was to ensure that the company was among the top vendors of all computing devices, from smartphones and tablets to PCs and servers. Lenovo now is looking to enter the wearable device market.
There was no indication on the Website about when Lenovo's Smartband SW-B100 will hit the market. On the Website, Lenovo indicated that the device will work with smartphones and tablets running Google's Android 4.3 and above operating system and Apple's iOS 7.1 and above.
Fitbit is introducing three new smart bands, each targeting users at different levels of exercise and fitness. The Fitbit Charge tracks a user's activity and fitness in real time, and includes a Caller ID feature on the device. It tracks the number of steps taken, distance traveled, and calories burned, and it also monitors sleep quality, according to the company. In addition, the device displays exercise statistics in its dashboard. The Charge also vibrates when a call is coming in and shows the caller's number, and offers up to seven days of battery life.


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LOEWE: THIS IS HOME
‘I like the idea that fashion can explode into the household,’ says LOEWE creative director Jonathan Anderson, who conceived the line as a collage of diverse elements that combine into a fully abstracted, inhabitable world. ‘This is how the LOEWE character lives.
The collection debuted at CASA LOEWE Milano on April 4 to 9, as part of the Salone del Mobile 2017 and will now travel to iconic department store Liberty London, from 2 to 21 May. It will subsequently travel to Madrid in October.
One of the highlight of the collection is a set of solid oak items designed by Anderson and manufactured by the company of Robert ‘Mouseman’ Thompson, a 5th generation furniture-maker known for a signature mouse that is carved into every piece it produces.


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StormX CEO announced the growing adoption of digital currencies, and Dogecoin was called a pyramid
StormX CEO announces the growing adoption of digital currencies
StormX CEO Simon Yu is confident that the current bullish cycle is significantly different from the growth of BTC in 2017. Recently, digital assets have become much more popular among all categories of users.
“Cryptocurrencies have been growing steadily in popularity over the years, but 2017 left a bitter taste in a lot of people’s mouths when the market took a swift downturn. But fast forward to 2021 and it’s clear to see times have changed,” Simon Yu says.
The CEO of StormX also noted that the business does not need artificial scenarios for the use of cryptocurrencies. Today, support for digital assets is being added in order to improve the quality of services and make them more popular with customers.
Dogecoin was called a pyramid
The head of the Federal Reserve Bank (FRB) of Minneapolis, Neil Kashkari, expressed the opinion that dogecoin is a financial pyramid. The economist said this in a survey of the Chief legal officer at Coinbase Paul Grewal.
Grewal asked subscribers on the social network LinkedIn how to correctly pronounce the name of the DOGE crypto coin. He reported that he heard two people talk about how to pronounce the second syllable in dogecoin.
“You have to pronounce the Pong-chi scheme,” the head of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis wrote in response.


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Such a tax even set at 1% could be thought to raise about $1 billion each year, as laid out in the initial statement from the Treasury.
Lucy Frazer, financial secretary to the Treasury, said: “We want to see thriving high streets and a fair economy.
“It’s right that, given the growing consumer trend to shop online, we work with stakeholders to assess the appropriate taxation of the retail sector.”
Since online shopping continues to grow year on year, many high street stores have complained that they have had to pay business rates based on the value of the brick-and-mortar outlets they use, a system that favors Internet trades.
Therefore, this online sales tax would be put towards funding business rates relief. The consultation invites opinions on key factors such as which of the many goods and transactions in the retail sector the online sales tax should apply to, in addition to whether it should be applied to B2B commerce and intermediary vendors.
The consultation is expected to last three months.


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Your humble blogwatcher has selected these bloggy morsels for your enjoyment.
Dan Goodin registers his discontent:
Federal authorities have charged a previously indicted hacker with breaching additional corporate computers and stealing data for at least 130 million credit and debit cards, the biggest identity theft case ever prosecuted in the United States. Albert "Segvec" Gonzalez and two unnamed Russians were indicted on Monday for attacks that hit credit card processor Heartland Payment Systems, retailers 7-Eleven and Hannaford Brothers, and two unidentified companies. The 28-year-old resident of Miami already stood accused of perpetrating a breach on stores owned by TJX.
Documents filed in US District Court in Newark, New Jersey claim that ... the trio used SQL injection attacks to install sniffer software on the companies' servers to intercept credit card data as it was being processed. ... The breach has proved to be a major embarrassment for Heartland, which ... has so far allocated $12.6m to cover costs stemming from the loss of sensitive card-holder data. ... If convicted, each faces a maximum of 35 years in prison and $1.25m in fines. MORE
Kim Zetter adds :
The constellation of hacks connected to the TJX hacker is growing. ... these are just the latest in a string of high-profile breaches that have been connected to Gonzalez. He and 10 others were charged in May and August 2008 with network intrusions into TJX, OfficeMax, Dave & Busters restaurant chain and other companies. Jury selection is slated to begin Sept. 14 in one of those cases.
Gonzalez was a Secret Service informant who once went by the nickname “Cumbajohnny.” He was a top administrator on a carding site called Shadowcrew when he was arrested in 2003. Authorities discovered his connection to Shadowcrew and soon put him to work undercover on the site ... [which] led to the arrest of 28 members of the site in October 2004. After the site went down, Gonzalez changed his nick to “Segvec” and moved to Miami where he allegedly resumed his life of crime. MORE
Jacqui Cheng asks, "Feel like checking your credit report yet?":
The [TJX] theft ... occurred, unsurprisingly, due to glaring security holes in the computer systems that process and store payment information. Gonzales' success came for similarly stupid reasons.
It turns out that one of the systems in the payment processing chain had been infected with an unidentified bit of malware designed to track and report the magnetic information stored on the back of a credit card as that data was sent through the system. Though Heartland said that no personally identifiable information was transmitted, that magnetic data could easily be transferred to a new physical card. MORE
Dennis Fisher says it's "Sadly familiar" :
The news ... shows that law enforcement is indeed stepping up its work on cybercrime. But it also provides what is probably the clearest evidence to date that the people executing these attacks are highly competent, organized and motivated. ... What IT security teams and other interested parties should be concerned with are how these attacks happened and the level of organization and professionalism involved.
This was not something that this group did on a lark. They put a considerable amount of time and effort into this plan. They knew what they were looking for, they knew where to find it and they knew how to get it. And once they had their plan in place, it appears that their targets made it all too easy for them to succeed. SQL injection vulnerabilities are a pervasive and insidious problem, but they're also well-understood and there are effective methods for finding and fixing them. MORE
Objects in J.R. Raphael's mirror may be closer than they appear :
Put into perspective, the Heartland case is far above and beyond any data theft in the past; ... the number of affected accounts in the hack is equal to nearly half the total number of compromised accounts in all breaches on record since 2005.
To be fair, that total number is likely on the low side: Many breaches have unknown numbers of affected records ... and some cards may have been breached multiple times. Still, it provides a rough estimate of where this hack stands in the big picture. MORE
Rich Mogull rolls his eyes:
It looks like we now know exactly how all these recent major breaches occurred.
No surprises. All preventable, although clearly these guys know their way around transaction networks if they target [Hardware Security Modules] and proprietary financial systems. Seems like almost exactly what happened with CardSystems back in 2004. No snarky comment needed. MORE
This story, "Getting Serious about SQL Injection and the TJX Hacker" was originally published by Computerworld.


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Google may have acquired Viewdle, according to emerging rumor
There is a rumor that Google has acquire Viewdle, an augmented reality startup specializing in facial recognition technology. According to the Russian branch of Forbes, Viewdle’s board of directors approved the company’s takeover by Google in a $30 million deal. Neither Viewdle nor Google have confirmed or denied the rumor, but if it is true, it could have serious implications for Google’s endeavors with augmented reality technology. Currently, the only thing backing the rumor is Google’s interest in both augmented reality and facial recognition technology.
Viewdle proves popular with investors
Viewdle was founded in the Ukraine in 2006 and shortly thereafter found a home in California. The technology operates through Europe and much of South America and has won accolades for its facial recognition technologies and work in augmented reality. Investments in the company have been steady and significant, which suggests that the company’s operations and technologies have won a great deal of favor amongst tech-savvy investors.
Google has a history of acquiring promising technology companies
Since 2006, Google has been acquiring companies that specialize in augmented reality, facial recognition, and biometrics. The most recent of these acquisitions was in 2011, when Google absorbed PittPatt, a company specializing in facial recognition technology. Some in the business world suggest that these acquisitions were meant to remove potential competition from the market. These acquisitions give Google access to patented technology, however, which could go a long way in the company’s plans for augmented reality for its new products.
Facial recognition and augmented reality technology hold promise for Google projects
The fact that neither companies have confirmed or denied the rumor may be proof enough of the acquisition. Facial recognition and augmented reality technology are beginning to gather a great deal of attention for their possible uses in wearable electronics. Google’s Project Glass, for instance, could make use of the technologies to provide consumers with social networking services. Time will tell whether the rumor surrounding these two companies has any bearing.


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Fertilizer maker Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc. (NYSE: POT) is expected to report earnings on Thursday, and post earnings per share (EPS) of $1.02 on revenue of $2.37 billion. A year ago the company put up EPS of $0.96 on sales of $2.19 billion. The EPS estimate for this year has dropped by $0.05 since the end of the first quarter, which should make it easier for Potash Corp. to hit the earnings target.
Most of the expectations for fertilizer companies like Potash Corp., Mosaic Co. (NYSE: MOS), Agrium Inc. (NYSE: AGU), Syngenta AG (NYSE: SYT), CF Industries Inc. (NYSE: CF) and Intrepid Potash Inc. (NYSE: IPI) are based on the poor outlook for this year’s crops. The thinking goes that purchases will rise as farmers buy more fertilizer to boost next year’s crop. That is probably true to some extent, but it is worth remembering that not all fertilizer is created equal.
The heaviest demand for fertilizer for the coming year is expected to fall on nitrogen. In the first quarter of this year, both Agrium and CF Industries pounded analysts’ estimates on higher sales and prices of nitrogen products. Potash Corp., Mosaic and Intrepid posted weak results as prices for phosphates rose and potash prices fell.
Mosaic, which reported quarterly earnings last week, posted EPS of $1.19, which was better than analysts had expected, and the company’s board doubled its dividend payment to an annual $1.00 per share.
Because crop plantings were pulled forward this year due to the unusually warm winter weather, second-quarter sales and profits could be lower than expected for potash companies. Fertilizer companies, especially potash producers, could have seen all the boost they are going to get for a while.
The Market Vectors Agribusiness ETF (NYSEMKT: MOO) is inactive in the premarket this morning. The shares closed at $48.99 last night, in a 52-week range of $39.86 to $56.22.
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British Business Bank chief executive Keith Morgan gets a 36% pay boost to £450k
Keith Morgan, chief executive officer of the British Business Bank
The boss of the bank set up to increase funding for small companies was paid nearly £450,000 last year.
British Business Bank chief executive Keith Morgan topped up his salary of £299,000 with pension payments of £29,900 and long-term incentive awards of £119,600.
His total pay of £448,500 was 36 per cent higher than the £329,000 he took home the previous year.
The British Business Bank, which is based in Sheffield, was set up by the Coalition government in 2012.
The total amount of finance provided to firms through its programmes rose by 24 per cent to £9.2 billion last year.
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Chocolate consumption could lead to reduced insulin resistance
The food can help people with diabetes by reducing blood sugar and insulin levels, the researchers said.
A team of scientists from the US found that chocolate increases ‘good’ cholesterol - high-density lipoprotein - when consumed between 200 and 600 milligrams a day.
The benefits depend on the amount of cocoa taken, making plain chocolate better than white or milk varieties.
In the study experts examined the cardiometabolic health of 1,139 volunteers who consumed chocolate flavanols - found in fruit and vegetables - in 119 different trials.
Dark chocolate could have health benefits
More than 80 per cent of participants claimed to eat an average of 24.8g of chocolate a day
Atudent Xiaochen Lin, who worked with Dr Liu on the study, added: "We found that cocoa flavanol intake may reduce dyslipidemia (furred arteries), insulin resistance and systemic inflammation, which are all major subclinical risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases."
The study was funded by the American Heart Association, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and Mars.
Xiaochen Lin said: "The treatment groups of trials included in our meta-analysis are primarily dark chocoLate - a few were using cocoa powder based beverages.
"Therefore the findings from the current study apparently shouldn't be generalised to different sorts of chocolate candies or white chocolates, of which the content of sugar/food additives could be substantially higher than that of dark chocolate."
The study also found that those who claimed to eat chocolate were younger, more physically active and had higher levels of education than those who claimed not to eat chocolate on a daily basis.
'Huge rise' in diabetes, World Health Organisation warns
A small amount of chocolate each day could help prevent diabetes
The authors concluded: "Our study highlights the urgent need for large long-term RCTs that improve our understanding of how the short-term benefits of cocoa flavanol intake on cardiometabolic biomarkers may be translated into clinical outcomes."
The study was published in the Journal of Nutrition.
More than 80 per cent of participants claimed to eat an average of 24.8 g of chocolate a day.
Earlier this year, research findings from the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), the University of Warwick Medical School, the University of South Australia and the University of Maine found including a small amount of chocolate each day could help prevent diabetes and insulin resistance.
Researchers analysed data from 1,153 people aged 18 to 69 years old who were part of the Observation of Cardiovascular Risk in Luxembourg (ORISCAV-LUX) study.


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Man tried selling girlfriend’s baby on Craigslist
Paul Marquez thought it would be funny to post an ad selling the baby and giving the girls number to an interested buyer
By John M. Annese
Staten Island Advance
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A Castleton Corners man was so annoyed that his potential love interest's newborn daughter was taking up too much of her time that he decided to post an ad selling the baby on Craigslist, police allege.
Paul Marquez, 22, posted the ad twice on the website's "baby+kids" section, according to law enforcement sources, set the price at $100, and gave out the mother's number to a possible buyer who contacted him.
That spurred two calls to the NYPD's 121st Precinct, and when someone notified the city's Administration for Children's Services, the NYPD's Computer Crimes Squad got involved, issuing a series of subpoenas that tracked the posting back to Marquez's apartment.
Marquez was arraigned in Stapleton Criminal Court Thursday on charges of second-degree aggravated harassment, endangering the welfare of a child, and two counts of a social services law violation called "authority to place or board out children," according to information from District Attorney Daniel Donovan's office.
- Bizarre Beat


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Gary Laben Selected as New CEO of Research Now
PLANO, Texas, March 16, 2016 /CNW/ -- Research Now, the global leader in digital data collection to power analytics and insights, today announced that Gary Laben has been chosen as the new Chief Executive Officer effective as of March 29 and will become a member of the Board. He succeeds former President and CEO Kurt Knapton, who tendered his resignation in October 2015, but remains on the Board.
Laben brings over 25 years of executive leadership and industry experience in using data to power marketing decisions for clients, most recently serving as Chief Executive Officer of KBM Group and as Global Chief Data Officer of Wunderman. KBM Group, a data-driven marketing solutions company, and Wunderman, a digital and direct marketing agency, are both part of WPP. As CEO of KBM, he led the company through the successful integration of several acquisitions and mergers, directed its global expansion, and is recognized for having built and unified the management teams.
Research Now also announced today that John Rothwell, the company's Chief Operating Officer has been appointed President and Chief Operating Officer. Rothwell, the first employee of Research Now, returned to the company four years ago and now leads the company's market-facing functions.
"The Board of Directors of Research Now is very excited about Gary joining the company as its CEO," said John Civantos, Board member and Managing Partner at Court Square Capital Partners, the majority owner of Research Now. "He is an executive with substantial demonstrated leadership success; and we are thrilled to have him leading Research Now, along with John Rothwell and the rest our exceptional management team. His experience in growing businesses both organically and through acquisitions will further support Research Now's innovation, customer focus and growth in this dynamic industry."
"Research Now is at the forefront of an evolving industry," said Laben. "The organization is preparing to offer extensive data and technology solutions to research problems, and continues to be the dominant player in data collection for the market research industry. I am thrilled to join at this exciting time."
About Research Now
Research Now Group, Inc., is the global leader in digital data collection to power analytics and insights. It enables data-driven decision making for its 3,000 market research, consulting, media, and corporate clients through its permission-based access to millions of deeply-profiled consumers using online, mobile, social media and behavioral data collection technology platforms. The company operates in more than 36 countries, from 23 offices around the globe, and is recognized as the quality, scale and customer satisfaction leader in its industry. For more information go to researchnow.com.
SOURCE Research Now
For further information: Allison M. Allison, [email protected], 214-354-4688, http://www.researchnow.com


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Raphael van Lierop, Director for Hinterland Games, recently discussed his team’s decision to leave /r/thelongdark back in May of 2017, expressing the need for developers to stand up to abuse from community members.
A Bit of Background
In the Spring of 2017, The Long Dark developer Hinterland Games posted a nondescript countdown timer on their website. Massive excitement and speculation ensued from early-access fans who had spent years waiting for the game’s story mode to be released. They waited with bated breath for May 4, when the countdown would finally tick down to zero.
Unfortunately, the end of the countdown was almost universally regarded as underwhelming, as the only news that broke that day was an impending launch date for both the “Wintermute” story mode and the Long Dark’s official release, still months away. The countdown had led to another countdown. The reaction from the vocal fanbase was harsh, eventually leading to the studio cutting ties with /r/thelongdark amidst the wrath of some particularly scornful users.
Van Lierop Explains His Decision
In late December, following the release of the Long Dark’s Rugged Sentinel update, van Lierop sat down to answer questions on the game in a Reddit AMA. Speaking about the studio’s abrupt departure from the game’s subreddit months earlier, van Lierop cited the way in which certain members of the community chose to react in the aftermath of the countdown drama.
“The sub became extremely abusive/toxic to me and my community team…” van Lierop said. “I don’t feel the need to participate in communities that think abusing developers is ok. We don’t tolerate it in Steam or our official forums, but we don’t moderate Reddit…I think it’s important for developers to be willing to draw a line at it, because it’s become so ‘normal’ online and it’s turning people away.”
Van Lierop’s claims speak to an ongoing and increasingly volatile problem in the games industry: abusive player feedback and interaction in unmoderated internet spaces like Reddit and Twitter. Abusive language is rampant in these arenas, and can be especially concerning for indie developers who may lack the means to utilize professional marketing and PR teams.
On January 8, Defiant Development Founder Morgan Jaffit published an article on Medium entitled “The topic every game dev is talking about behind closed doors: The cost of doing business.” In the article, Jaffit echoes van Lierop’s sentiment about the normalization of abusive language directed at developers, saying “We developers have internalised that abuse is the cost of doing business” and “…in the long term it renders indie dev too hostile a space to have any chance of attracting the best possible talent.”
So, what is the long-term impact of Hinterland removing itself from the Long Dark’s subreddit? How does van Lierop’s decision to speak out effect the play into the movement to draw attention to issues of verbal abuse in the gaming community? It’s impossible to know so soon, but it’s hard to deny that what we’ve seen so far is a positive change.
Now months after van Lierop pulled Hinterland from the subreddit and took a stand against the abuse he felt they were receiving, the game is perhaps healthier than it has ever been, having found an additional home and broader audience on PlayStation 4 (and a potential port to the Nintendo Switch in the future). The studio is growing, and they continue to interact with their community through moderated channels like Steam and the Hinterland forum.
The Long Dark subreddit, for its part, has seen a drastic shift in attitude. Its front page is now regularly covered with stories of adventure and beautiful scenic screenshots, with criticisms of the game expressed in mostly constructive and honest ways.
Unfortunately, though, this story is neither the beginning nor the end of abuse in the games industry. The Internet-age relationship between gamers and developers is complex and rapidly evolving, and torrents of abusive conduct still plague the greater gaming community. Hopefully, as people like van Lierop and Jaffit continue to speak out, the industry and its outspoken consumers can reach a place where civil discourse is once again the norm.


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A kebab shop will open on Christmas Day this year to host a soup and rice kitchen for the homeless and those in need.
The Istanbul Kebab shop in Neath is now collecting for the special event, where it will also be giving out presents, food parcels, toiletries and warm clothing.
It will take place at the shop on The Parade, and Michael Bates, a spokesman for the store, said: “We have been thinking about doing something like this for a while.
'It’s just gone mad'
“Christmas is all about helping other people. We didn’t expect quite such a good response from the appeal – it’s just gone mad. It seems as if it’s going to get even more crazy.
“It seems to have connected with people in a certain way and they are recognising the true spirit of Christmas.”
Mr Bates said most of the people organising the day who work at the Turkish kebab shop are Muslims, and so don’t celebrate Christmas.
Mr Bates, who will run the event along with shop owner Ismail Cem, added: “We had a conversation about it and they said it’s in the spirit of Christmas, and it’s about doing stuff for others. They might be Muslims but they are human beings.
"They said they’d like to help the less fortunate no matter what religion you are from or what skin colour you have.
“You see all of the bad things being reported in the news, but things like this show religion is no barrier and it’s such a nice thing to do, for people of different faiths to come together.”
Mr Bates said whatever is left over from the day will be given out to charities, but as to which ones they would be, he said they were “still working it out”, and that it would likely be local homeless charities.
'Bigger than we ever imagined'
He added: “The response is going to be bigger than we ever imagined.
“People have been going out in their numbers so we have already collected things – parcels and presents, foodstuffs, toothbrushes and loads more.”
On the day, staff from the kebab shop will be running the event alongside volunteers from the local community between 12pm and 4pm, and Mr Bates added: “We are all looking forward to it, and having more than we expected to distribute among the homeless and those less fortunate than us is a nice problem to have to deal with.”
The shop is still on the lookout for donations of food parcels, toiletries, warm clothing, socks, boots, waterproofs and other goods, ideally new or in very good condition.
To donate, drop it to the shop any day after 4pm, or visit their Facebook page here .


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SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Video game publisher
Electronic Arts Inc reported higher profit for the third
quarter on sales of games for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4
consoles and digital offerings.
For the three months ended Dec. 31, the company posted
non-GAAP revenue of $1.57 billion compared with $1.18 billion a
year ago. It reported a non-GAAP net income of $398 million, or
$1.26 per share, compared with $176 million, or 57 cents per
share, a year ago.