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Udaan, a B2B platform that plans to direct this market and upset the manner in which Indian Kiryana stores work, has raised $280 million.
The assets were raised as the startup keeps on developing at a remarkable rate, energized further by the COVID 19 pandemic. The capital raise was essential for an all-encompassing Series D financing round, which saw interest from Octahedron Capital and Moonstone Capital, alongside existing speculators Lightspeed Venture Partners, DST Global, GGV Capital, Altimeter Capital, and Tencent.
Udaan portrays itself as Business-to-Business (B2B) online business platform, intended to take care of center exchange issues for little, medium and huge organizations across India. The startup offers items from a wide scope of classes, including way of life, hardware, home and kitchen, staples, leafy foods, FMCG, pharma, toys and general product.
Happy to announce that we've raised $280 Million in additional financing, further reinforcing the huge potential of b2b eCommerce in India.— udaan (@udaandotcom) January 6, 2021
We'll deploy the funds towards further market creation & bring the benefits of b2b eCommerce to small businesses.https://t.co/4ZxPfOdxX6
It plans to help tackle the distribution issues of the Indian retail market, by association Company with makers, brands, white names, merchants and so on a solitary platform. The platform likewise permits retailers to have one on one conversations with the offering gathering to arrange terms of exchange, along these lines engaging company.
Read also ReadyAssist extends its vehicle repair and service network to more Indian states
Another issue that Udaan settles is the issue of working capital. Indian organizations generally depend on having the option to sell their stock prior to getting installments, which implies that if a retailer can’t accepting more stock prior to selling the old stock. Be that as it may, since Udaan can figure the commitment of a business, it can give working capital early, in this manner encouraging trade between organizations.
These offices have permitted Udaan to locally available great many organizations all through the world, including Coca Cola, PepsiCo, Boat Lifestyle, Micromax, HP, LG, ITC, HUL, and P&G. It had figured out how to bring $585 million up in its Series D subsidizing round, and the new capital carries the complete to $865 million.
The organization intends to utilize this cash-flow to fuel development, just as presenting more classifications and items on its platform.
Remarking on the turn of events, Amod Malviya, Co-originator, udaan said “Coronavirus has quickened the all around quick computerized drove advancement of exceptionally divided and disorderly Indian exchange/retail industry.
While simultaneously, the pandemic additionally featured novel structure of Indian economy, with a huge number of kiranas and neighborhood stores turning into the life saver of our nation at the hour of emergency. udaan is at the cutting edge of this extraordinarily Indian eCommerce opportunity, arising over the most recent 4 years as one of the biggest eCommerce platforms in India, while taking an India-first portable first way to deal with eCommerce.


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What you need to know
- Cryptocurrency wallet for iOS Lumi has added Apple Pay support to its app in a new update.
The cryptocurrency wallet app for iOS Lumi has today rolled out support for Apple Pay in a new software update.
In a press release the company stated:
Multi-currency crypto wallet Lumi, which enables the purchase, exchange & storing of digital assets, expanded functionality, and added Apple Pay as an available payment method in the app. This step has opened access to an alternative purchase option for hundreds of thousands of users around the world.
From December 11th, 2020 after releasing the latest version of the app, Lumi Wallet's iOS users will be able to choose a new option to buy crypto using Apple Pay. This payment method will simplify the purchase process due to not requesting KYC verification for those users who already have an account with Apple Pay wallet.
Lumi says the new feature will roll out today in 60 countries including the US, Canada, Germany, France, UK, Australia, Singapore, Brazil, Saudi Arabi, UAE, and more. There is a $500 daily and weekly, as well as a $5,000 yearly limit. Outside of the U.S., the limit is $1,000 and $7,500 respectively.
Lumi CEO Diana Furman said adding Apple Pay was "one of the steps" on the way to making its app as user-friendly as possible, whilst making sure it has all the functions its users need.
Lumi is available on iOS, Android, and on the web, and supports Bitcoin, Etherium, and other popular cryptocurrencies.

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The 9th edition of Speciality Films & Flexible Packaging Global Summit 2022 will take place in Mumbai, India, on 5 and 6 September. The event is being organized by ElitePlus.
The Summit attracts participation from the entire value chain of the flexible packaging sector. Participants include raw material producers, converters, machinery manufacturers, additive and adhesive suppliers, printing machine manufacturers, post extrusion finishing and automation in material handling.
The annual event also attracts participation from brand owners, FMCG companies, major end users from food, pharma, personal care and agricultural sectors, and petchem.
This summit, over the years, has become the leading packaging summit in Asia, where all stakeholders gather under one roof and provide a unique platform to interact with stakeholders in this industry. It has eight business sessions, five keynote speakers, about 40 subject matter experts giving presentations and two-panel discussions.
ElitePlus is expecting over 1,400 delegates to attend this two-day summit from across all the verticals. The 8th edition, which was held in 2019, attracted 1,370 delegates spread over 510 companies and representing over 21 countries.
Packaging South Asia will once again be present at the Speciality Films & Flexible Packaging Global Summit and bring event coverage to our readers and followers.
Click here to register for the 9th edition of Speciality Films & Flexible Packaging Global Summit 2022.


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Geodis Wilson has appointed Ivy Boyer as its chief marketing officer.
Boyer will be responsible for the business development strategy of Geodis Wilson worldwide. She succeeds Kim Pedersen, who recently became executive vice president of the Netherlands-based global freight management company.
Boyer has more than 20 years of experience in the freight forwarding industry. She began her career in the Philippines before holding management positions with various transport companies in Australia, Singapore and the U.S. In March 2009, she joined Geodis Wilson as global account manager and was promoted to director of global accounts in September 2010, based in the Netherlands.


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Capcom has revealed a brand new fighter that will be joining the Street Fighter V roster, alongside new details regarding unlocking post-launch content. The announcements were made at the EVO 2015 Championships in Las Vegas. With the reveal that the latest fighter to join the Street Fighter V […]
At their conference this evening, Sony announced that while Street Fighter V would be coming exclusively to the Playstation 4 and PC, the beta will solely be available on the PS4. Alongside a brief video showcasing Birdie, M. Bison, and Cammy fighting each other, it was reported that […]
A Nintendo presentation revealed several pieces of new content in an update today for Super Smash Bros. on Wii U and 3DS. We already knew Lucas was being added along with the free Miiverse stage, but Nintendo revealed much more. Check out the list of everything below. In a surprising announcement, or it […]
Capcom has released a new gameplay trailer, screenshots and details on an upcoming beta for Street Fighter V. The new gameplay trailer and screenshots showcase the previously teased fighter, Charlie Nash. The fan favourite fighter will be making his comeback appearance in Street Fighter V and the new […]
The Project X Zone demo has been released on the Nintendo 3DS eShop, featuring the most popular characters from Namco Bandai, SEGA and Capcom.
Whoa!? A new Mega Man game!! Well not exactly, alright at least Capcom released it….oh wait that’s not true either. WELL, at least we got a new Mega Man game for his 25th Anniversary all right!? Street Fighter x Mega Man is a simple game paying homage to […]
You put the Ryu in the Megaman, and mix it all up. In an industry where fan-created content tends to get shot down by publishers simply out of spite for their fans, it’s astonishing to hear that Street Fighter X Megaman, a fan-made clash of Street Fighter characters in […]


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After petrol and diesel, CNG gets costlier by ₹2.5/kg in Delhi. New rates here
- The CNG price hike is likely to impact the operations of ride hailers such as Uber and Ola, who run on natural gas. In the last five days, prices have gone up by ₹6.6 per kg in total.
Delhi-based Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) on Wednesday hiked CNG prices in the national capital by ₹2.5 per kg. The retail cost of CNG in Delhi now stands at ₹66.61 per kg, with a total surge of ₹6.6 per kg over the span of five days.
For the neighbouring Ghaziabad, Noida and Greater Noida, the CNG fuel is being sold at ₹69.18 per kg, while in Gurugram, the price went up to ₹74.94 per kg.
Here are the latest CNG rates:
Delhi – ₹66.61 per kg
Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad – ₹69.18 per kg
Muzaffarnagar, Meerut and Shamli – ₹73.86 per kg
Gurugram – ₹74.94 per kg
Rewari – ₹77.07 per kg
Karnal and Kaithal – ₹75.27 per kg
Kanpur, Hamirpur and Fatehpur – ₹78.40 per kg
Ajmer, Pali and Rajsamand – Rs.76.89 per kg
The price hike comes in response to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. The rise in CNG prices is likely to impact the operations of ride hailers such as Uber and Ola.
Meanwhile, petrol and diesel prices were hiked once again on Wednesday by 80 paise a litre, taking the prices up by ₹10 per litre each in the past 16 days.
In Delhi, petrol is now being sold at ₹105.41 per litre, while diesel is retailing at ₹96.67 per litre, according to the latest notification by state-owned fuel retailers. In Mumbai, petrol and diesel prices per litre were listed at ₹120.51 per litre, increased by 84 paise, and ₹104.77 per litre, increased by 85 paise.


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Fashion designer Swapnil Shinde presented the ‘Ford Fiesta Futuristic Collection’ at the Fiesta Café in Select Citywalk Mall, New Delhi today. The collection is inspired by Ford’s Kinetic Design philosophy which exemplifies the styling of the global all new Fiesta sedan. The event saw celebrated models such as Carol Gracias and Lakshmi Rana walk the ramp exhibiting Swapnil’s Ford Fiesta Futuristic Collection. The fashion show was choreographed by Achala Sachdev.
“The thought of being associated with the fast paced and scintillating fashion industry was exciting for us. Swapnil Shinde’s Fiesta Futuristic Collection aptly brings out the smart substance that we see appealing our target customer Ajay. I am happy to see the Fiesta Café become a hot-spot for all mall visitors and we will continue to engage with our customers here,” Michael Boneham, president and MD, Ford India, said.


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Fisker, the electric car maker based in Anaheim, California, laid off a significant number of staff this morning, including the PR team, sources have told Autocar.
Reports last week revealed that Fisker had hired a law firm, which many commentators suggested was a lead-in to filing for bankruptcy. Production of Fisker’s £65,000 Karma model – which is made by Valmet in Finland - was suspended last July.
US sources say that Fisker was also due to start making capital repayments on a government loan at the end of this month. Fisker was offered up to £350m in loans by the Obama administration, but payments were suspended in May 2012 after Fisker had drawn down around £131m. The company claimed to have delivered nearly 1800 Karmas by the end of 2012.
The company spent much of last year looking for new sources of investment, but has also been hit by a number of blows, some beyond its control. A number of early production Fiskers had to be recalled and repaired. A123 Systems, the company’s battery supplier also folded in 2012.
In October 2012 an estimated 300 Karmas were destroyed when Hurricane Sandy flooded the dockside at Port Newark in New Jersey. Last month, founder Henrik Fisker resigned from the company.
The Fisker company began life in 2007 and was founded by ex-Aston and BMW stylist Henrik Fisker and Bernhard Koehler. The Karma saloon was first shown in 2009 but it was not until autumn 2011 that it went on sale.
Work on the Fisker Atlantic sports hatch version of the Karma, and on Project Nina (a 5-series-size car that was to have been built in the US), was also suspended last year.


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Pure Extracts (CSE: PULL) is one step closer to commercializing its functional mushroom operation. The company this morning announced that it has received its registration with the Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate.
The registration enables the company to submit a Class 1 Natural Product Number for functional mushroom products, the first of which has been completed. The company currently expects to submit several such applications this year.
Sales are to occur through a new subsidiary, Pure Mushrooms Corp, with sales being direct to consumer via an e-commerce platform. Referred to as “Pure Mushrooms”, the effort is a means of the company exploring new ways to expand the use of its existing extraction equipment for the functional mushroom space. In the near term, the company has indicatred that it will be using a co-packer to meet customer demand.
“The functional mushroom wellness sector is experiencing tremendous growth and consumer awareness, we remain very excited about our new Pure Mushrooms brand. We look forward to getting our first product in consumers’ hands by the end of Q1 2021.”Ben Nikolaevsky, CEO of Pure Extracts
Pure Extracts last traded at $0.62 on the CSE.
FULL DISCLOSURE: Pure Extracts is a client of Canacom Group, the parent company of The Deep Dive. The author has been compensated to cover Pure Extracts on The Deep Dive, with The Deep Dive having full editorial control. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security.
As the founder of The Deep Dive, Jay is focused on all aspects of the firm. This includes operations, as well as acting as the primary writer for The Deep Dive’s stock analysis. In addition to The Deep Dive, Jay performs freelance writing for a number of firms and has been published on Stockhouse.com and CannaInvestor Magazine among others.


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This year can be likened to the Big Bang for crypto currencies, in May they all exploded onto the scene and inflated into the financial universe at a highly accelerated rate. This has caused exponential growth in the crypto currency market in 2017 which is now worth over half a trillion dollars. With new and old traders jumping on the digital bandwagon the charts often display some wild swings and patters not usually seen in other more stable markets such as forex or stocks.
It would be pertinent to question how much trading is being done by humans and how much do bots control. According to a report in VentureBeat bots may be accountable for a large chunk of short-term holdings. Automated bot traders could be freely manipulating the markets, artificially inflating prices, and causing individual traders to overpay on their executed trades.
Bots are software programs that are designed to trade in short-term markets. They have the advantage of not applying emotion to buying or selling and are triggered by specific events. However they can be held responsible for market crashes such as the notorious Black Friday Wall Street crash in 1987. Bots are all over crypto currency markets and they can be seen in action by looking at historical trading charts. Their purpose is to take advantage of opportunistic moments such as an altcoin or token being pumped by inexperienced investors. Pump and dumps are very common in crypto markets as social media hype is a big influence for newbie traders.
Bots can manipulate pump and dumps by falsely inflating a coin’s price which leads real traders to pay more for the asset, which pushed the price even further causing the pump. Groups of traders have reportedly collaborated in this fashion to use bots which will initiate price inflation. Newbie traders getting their insights from the likes of Facebook instead of real news outlets get a big dose of FOMO (fear of missing out) and jump on the asset which spikes the price even further.
Flash crashes are also a result of bot action; a recent example occurred with NEO on Bitfinex last month. This was caused by bots trading simultaneously causing the price to crash by 90%. Day traders using big margins got seriously burnt, those ‘hodling’ were not affected as the price bounced back up within a few seconds.
As the crypto market expands even further into 2018 we are likely to see a lot more bot action on the charts. Be aware of what is going on and look for the signs when making your trades.


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ate last year, a US District Court judge upheld a Las Vegas jury’s January 2009 verdict that validated the JCM’s infringement claim which surrounded JCM’s innovative, removable stacker mechanism, detailed in U.S. Patent No. 5,372,361, that the jury found MEI’s Cashflow products infringed on four separate claims. In his ruling, the judge awarded JCM approximately us$ 845,000 in interest on the us$ 11.4 million jury award, issued a permanent injunction against MEI, denied all post-trial motions filed by MEI and required a bond in the amount of approximately us$ 12,475,000.
The expected release of the bond to JCM will effectively bring this case to a close. The court-issued permanent injunction against sales of MEI products that deploy the design found to infringe in the Nevada litigation remains in effect, enjoining MEI from “making, using, selling or offering to sell, or importing into the United States, the Cashflow SC Series products with a removable pusher that were found by the jury to infringe upon the ‘361 Patent.”
JCM Global President/CEO Akiyoshi Isoi said: “We are extremely pleased that the appellate court affirmed the jury verdict against MEI. We aggressively defended our patents and plan to do so again in the future, should the need arise.”


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Espresso will charge Rs 20 per order only when clients make a profit through intraday trades across segments such as equity, F&O, commodity and currency while there will be no brokerage for the delivery based transactions.
Espresso brand, according to the management, has been built with the purpose “We care that you succeed”. As a testimony to this philosophy and taking into account that most traders would have both, winning and losing trades, no brokerage will be charged on loss-making intraday trades while delivery trades will be free of brokerage, the company said in a press note.
“For us, it was not about when we entered discount broking. Our quest was to find the right value proposition for the new generation of traders & investors. Once we arrived at ‘we care for your success’ as our main reason to be, the resulting ‘Pay When You Profit’ part was a natural outcome,” said Jaideep Arora, CEO, Sharekhan.
“We will continue to find more such promises to help people become better at trading & investing. Only then can one truly champion retail participation in equity markets,” he added.
- Front Page
- Pure Politics
- Companies & Sports
- RBI may Opt for a Smaller Rate Hike this Week: Experts
Easing inflation expectations both in India and abroad, indications of slower rate hikes in the US and worries over a global economic slowdown are likely to ensure a smaller interest rate increase by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) this week, bankers and economists expect.Rules for Indian Financial Sector Need to be Reviewed
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) rules restrict Indian banks from lending to companies for takeovers. The Indian central bank always viewed lending against shares as a risky activity because a sudden collapse in stock prices could leave banks holding worthless paper. They can lend only up to Rs 20 lakh, a rule that was set after the so-called Harshad Mehta scam of 1992.Deadline for Filing Charge Sheet in Focus
A special CBI court judge, while dealing with a bail application in India’s biggest bank fraud case, called for legislation to extend the deadline for filing of charge sheets in “highly serious” cases, highlighting the difficulties faced by investigating agencies in completing complicated case probes.
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News & Views
New Survey Explores Impact of COVID-19 on MedTech industry
Jul 17 2020
A poll conducted among medical device manufacturers internationally by Prisym ID, a leading provider of data-led label and artwork management solutions, indicates that many have faced significant disruption as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The survey, conducted among 30 of the world’s leading medical device companies, found that the majority of respondents (70%) had experienced interruption to manufacturing as a result of COVID-19, across all or most of their business.
More than a third of respondents (36%) said the pandemic had caused more than two months of interruption, while 17% said it had been longer than one month and the same number said it had been less than a month. 30% had not experienced any disruption.
With regards to sources of guidance, advice and support on achieving best practice around social distancing, the majority of respondents (43%) relied on the Government and a similar number (40%) were looking to their internal leaders.
However, the research suggested that more support may be needed to help people understand how the rules on COVID-19 relate to their organisation, as 50% of respondents said they fully understood the rules, while just over 23% understood them to ‘a greater extent’ and the same number ‘to some extent’. 3% ‘did not understand them at all’.
The social distancing rules, with various standards in place across different countries, would clearly create problems for many companies. Asked whether manufacturing lines would need to be reconfigured to meet social distancing requirements and the use of PPE, the majority (70%) said there would be some impact with regards to physical and process changes. One in 10 said it would require significant changes; while 3% said it would make social distancing impossible. 17% said there would be no impact.
Warren Stacey, SVP of Sales at Prisym ID, said: “While many medical devices have remained in high demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, our survey shows that, overall, it has hit many manufacturers hard, with 70% of respondents saying that they had experienced interruption to manufacturing.
“The survey also shows that a large proportion of medical device companies will need to change their working practices as a result of the pandemic. Product labelling is one key area in which they can streamline their activities and we are committed to helping them achieve this through the use of innovative labelling software.”
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Two weeks after the latest economic data dump from China showed a continued slowdown in the local economy, the latest PMI surveys confirmed that the weakness in China’s manufacturing sector was accelerating.
According to the official NBS manufacturing PMI which was released on Sunday, sentiment dropped further in September, despite what has been a mild upward seasonal bias in recent years. All sub-indexes showed weaker growth momentum. The Caixin manufacturing PMI also declined in September, reflecting the nation’s economic slowdown and fallout from the trade war with the U.S. The NBS non-manufacturing PMI was stronger, however, due entirely to a surge in the construction PMI.
China’s NBS manufacturing PMI fell to 50.8 in September, from 51.3 in August and below the Bloomberg consensus of 51.2. While this was the first September drop since the NBS manufacturing PMI series was released, it was also the 26th consecutive month of prints above the 50-point mark that separates growth from contraction.
Looking at the components, all the major sub-indexes showed weaker growth momentum in September. The production sub-index moderated 0.3pp to 53.0 and the new order sub-index was 0.2pp lower at 52.0. Trade indicators softened as well—the new export order sub-index fell to 48.0 from 49.4, and the imports sub-index declined 0.6pp to 48.5. Both indexes were at the weakest levels since February 2016. The employment sub-index fell 1.1pp to 48.3, and the suppliers’ delivery times sub-index rose 0.1pp to 49.7 (higher suppliers’ delivery times imply weaker demand conditions). The raw material inventories index was 0.3pp lower, and the finished goods inventory index was unchanged vs August. Inflationary pressures increased mainly at the input level – the input price index rose 1.1pp to 59.8, and the output prices index was unchanged at 54.3.
Separately, the Caixin manufacturing PMI – which better reflects sentiment among smaller, private firms – declined to 50 from 50.6, the lowest since May 2017 and ending 15 months of expansion, with export orders falling the fastest in over two years as U.S. tariffs are starting to take a toll on the economy.
The output sub-index fell 1.4pp to 51.1, and the new orders sub-index was 50.1, 0.5pp lower the August. Similar to the NBS manufacturing survey, new export order index in the Caixin manufacturing survey softened in September, with companies citing “the China-US trade war and subsequent tariffs” as contributing factors according to the Caixin survey.
“The further slowdown in China’s official manufacturing PMI in September reflects the intensifying impact of the U.S.-China trade war on China’s manufacturing export sector,” said IHS Markit APAC chief economist Rajiv Biswas. “The near-term outlook for the Chinese manufacturing export sector remains weak, albeit the Chinese government may apply some further stimulus measures to support growth.”
It was not all gloom, however: the official non-manufacturing PMI picked up to 54.9, signaling that domestic demand for services and construction remains strong enough to mitigate some of the external headwinds that the economy is facing, largely the result of the bubble housing sector. While the services PMI reading was the same as August at 53.4, the construction PMI spiked to 63.4, 4.4pp higher from August (which might reflect the unwinding of previous drag from adverse weather conditions). That construction uptick, if sustained, could be a sign that the measures aimed at boosting infrastructure investment are starting to kick in.
According to Goldman’s Maggie Wei, the decline in the manufacturing PMI surveys “indicates that growth faced increased downward pressures in the manufacturing sector, driven by weaker export growth, possibly due to a combination of slower global demand and increased trade tensions, has possibly weighed on activity growth in the manufacturing sector.”
Goldman’s assessment is that as a result, “more policy easing measures (such as targeted RRR cuts as discussed in the recent state council meeting) could be announced in the near future to help buffer growth downside.”
Others agreed: “the government’s support policy will start to have an impact in the fourth quarter, which could offset the damage of the trade war,” said Gao Yuwei, a researcher at Bank of China. “The efforts to shore up infrastructure investment has been driving up construction activity, and services industries normally perform better in the third and fourth quarter.”
As Bloomberg notes, officials have promised fiscal stimulus in the form of tax cuts and infrastructure spending to buffer the domestic economy somewhat from the effects of the trade dispute. Analysts also expect China’s central bank will continue topping up liquidity in the financial system to support economic growth.
And while there are pockets of strength, primarily within construction, whatever stimulus China has injected has yet to reach the broader economy.
While private companies fared worse than state-owned enterprises, discrepancies in that data suggest that the picture for Chinese manufacturers may be worse than officially-reported growth rates show, according to Bloomberg.
More ominously, the official PMI report also indicates rising unemployment in the manufacturing sector, with CIC Corp’s Wenqi Liu writing that she will “continue to closely watch infrastructure and property investment growth, as they might lead the cyclical stabilization.”
For now, however, the attention of China’s manufacturing sector remains squarely focused on the growing danger of escalating trade war with the US, and as long as there is little hope of a solution, sentiment will continue to deteriorate.


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6 Things You Didn't Know about Chipotle Mexican Grill
In its regulatory filing Wednesday, the company said it could not determine or predict the amount of any "fines, penalties or further liabilities" it might face in connection with the federal investigation. A Chipotle spokesman, Chris Arnold, said in an email the company does not discuss pending litigation, but that it intends to co-operate fully with the investigation. Doug Beach, a manager of the food program at Ventura County's Environmental Health Division, said the U.S. Attorney's office requested records from the his office regarding the Chipotle case about a month ago. "That was a first for us," Beach said in a phone interview. Beach said Chipotle had been co-operative with the county's investigation, which uncovered issues such as unclean equipment and employees without the necessary food handling permits. He also noted that Chipotle started getting complaints about illnesses on Tuesday, Aug. 18, and shut down its restaurant the following Friday. Yet the company did not alert the county of the matter until Saturday — after it had already reopened the restaurant, Beach said. The emergence of a criminal investigation after a norovirus outbreak is unusual, said Bill Marler, a food safety lawyer representing Chipotle customers who were sickened in Simi Valley. Outbreaks at restaurants are typically caused by an infected employee. Marler couldn't think of a reason for a federal investigation, other than employment violations. To rehabilitate its image, Chipotle has taken out full-page ads apologizing to customers in dozens of newspapers around the country. It also vowed changes to step up food safety at its restaurants, in part by tweaking its cooking methods and increasing testing of meat and produce. Co-CEO Steve Ells has said the company will likely never know what ingredient was to blame for the E. coli cases.


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Personal injury lawsuit filed against makers of contaminated drug Heparin
CAMDEN, N.J. A personal lawsuit against Baxter Healthcare has been filed following a near fatal reaction to the contaminated prescription drug Heparin, according to published reports.
Accounts of deaths and hundreds of severe allergic reactions stemmed from an active ingredient in the drug, which was identified as a chemically altered form of chondroitin sulfate. According to published reports, the chemical serves as a dietary supplement made from animal cartilage that is used to treat joint pain.
The contamination was rooted in China, where the drug is manufactured. The Federal Drug Administration filed a report on March 19 alerting the public of the dangers of taking the Heparin, and the medications were almost immediately recalled as a result.
“Prescription drug manufacturers have a duty to produce products that are safe and free of dangerous ingredients,” stated Wendy Fleishman of the New York City office of the national plaintiffs’ law firm Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein. “Only through a lawsuit or otherwise making a claim against Baxter can patients obtain compensation for their injuries. The American public needs the drug companies, like Baxter, to take responsibility for the safety of their products—especially those like Heparin, which are manufactured in part in China.”
The suit claims that Baxter did not adequately inspect the product before selling it, making them negligent, and as a result contributing to many unnecessary deaths.
Rite Aid posts sales increase for March
CAMP HILL, Pa. Rite Aid on Thursday reported a same-store sales increase of 2.6 percent (which does not yet include the Brooks/Eckerd acquired stores) for the four weeks ended March 29.
Pharmacy same-store sales increased 1 percent, which included an approximate 493 basis points negative impact from new generic introductions. Front-end same-store sales were up 5.7 percent. March same store sales were positively affected by a shift to a March Easter this year from an April Easter last year (March 23 this year as compared to April 8 last year).
Total drug store sales for the four-week period increased 50.7 percent to $2 billion. Prescription revenue accounted for 67.6 percent of drugstore sales, and third party prescription revenue represented 96.2 percent of pharmacy sales.
FDA grants orphan designation for MELAS syndrome drug
WASHINGTON Sirtris Pharmaceuticals has been granted orphan drug designation for resveratrol by the Food and Drug Administration, according to published reports.
Resveratrol is a drug used to treat MELAS syndrome, a progressive fatal aging disease that produces symptoms of muscle weakness, fatigue, recurrent headaches and seizures. The government’s grant is usually offered in cases in which companies are discovering treatments for rare drugs, and the grant would allow the company to speed up their testing period.
Sitris has decided to focus on the SIRT1 gene, which is a gene tied to the aging process. SIRT1 is being studied as a possible source in treating MELAS or type 2 diabetes. According to published reports, the grant has resulted in Sitris being offered seven years of marketing exclusivity for its formulation of resveratrol.


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E-commerce giant Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) currently has two different music-streaming services, Prime Music and Music Unlimited. Prime Music has a fairly limited catalog of just 2 million songs and is included as a free perk for Prime members that pay $119 per year, while Music Unlimited is a paid service that costs $8 per month and includes access to 50 million songs, making it comparable to Apple Music or Spotify (NYSE: SPOT) Premium. Amazon has vaguely previously said that it has "tens of millions" of music subscribers, but that includes Prime members.
Amazon is reportedly working on a third music-streaming service.
Taking down Spotify
Billboard reports that the serial disruptor is developing a free, ad-supported music-streaming service. The service would naturally be available through Amazon's popular line of Echo smart speakers, although the catalog would be relatively limited, according to the report. Amazon is said to be negotiating licensing agreements with record labels and would pay per stream independent of how much advertising Amazon has sold to monetize the service.
The move represents a potential major threat to Spotify, which had 116 million ad-supported monthly active users (MAUs) at the end of the fourth quarter. Spotify's ad-supported segment isn't very profitable but serves as a strategically important source of premium subscribers. The company has estimated that 60% of gross premium subscriber additions come from the free tier.
"As a reminder, Ad-Supported Gross Margins are relatively strong in our top five markets and relatively weak in our 73 other markets, including newly launched markets," Spotify wrote in its fourth-quarter shareholder letter. "As these markets grow, we believe margins should too."
Once Spotify is able to convert free users to premium subscribers, it typically takes about 12 months for the company to break even, CFO Barry McCarthy said last year. Offering the free tier also allows the Swedish company to expand its presence and market share in regions like emerging markets, where local consumers may be unwilling or unable to pay monthly subscription fees.
An obvious addition to the ad-supported portfolio
As Amazon has been growing its advertising business, it has also been adding to its mix of ad-supported services. The company's IMDb subsidiary launched Freedive earlier this year, which is available for free on IMDb and Fire TV devices. Advertising is also one of the primary ways Amazon monetizes Twitch, the dominant live-streaming platform it acquired in 2014.
Rumors surface every few years that Amazon is considering adding ads to Prime Video, its main video-streaming platform, although the company has shot down the speculation on numerous occasions. "We have no plans to build an ad-supported Prime Video offering for free at this time," Director of Investor Relations Dave Fildes said in October.
An ad-supported music-streaming service is a no-brainer for Amazon, given its dominant position in the smart speaker market. Spotify better watch out.
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John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Evan Niu, CFA owns shares of Amazon, AAPL, and Spotify Technology. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Amazon and AAPL. The Motley Fool has the following options: long January 2020 $150 calls on AAPL and short January 2020 $155 calls on AAPL. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.


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Did you know that 80 percent of SEOs think they should be working “more” or “much more” closely with writers and marketing team members? Google recently announced search will help users find in-depth articles, not just basic information.
There has been conversations the last couple weeks around forums and industry sites about various fluctuations in traffic, both good and bad, and the writings on the walls of an upcoming update.
Like many industries, online marketing has its own lingo and jargon that can sound like a foreign language to those not familiar with the field. These acronyms are meant to speed up and streamline the communication of thoughts and ideas related to internet marketing, but what’s the point in using them if the person you’re talking with doesn’t understand them or vice versa?
We had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to the top of SERPs, we were all going direct the other way. We can all remember the days of keyword insights.
I remember the day vividly. September 23, 2013, our friends over at Search Engine Watch posted a blog post that made me gulp. That post headline read Goodbye, Keyword Data: Google Moves Entirely to Secure Search.


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"Big Four" auditing firm PwC's Luxembourg branch will accept cryptocurrency payments from clients starting next month.
PwC Luxembourg said it partnered with a local exchange to facilitate the payments. It did not identify the exchange or say which coins it will accept.
Taking crypto may help PwC serve its blockchain clients, by providing day-to-day insight into “AML/KYC-enhanced due diligence… public/private keys… and risks of custodial solutions,” said the Luxembourg office's director of blockchain and crypto-assets, Thomas Campione, in a statement.
PwC has been working with cryptocurrencies since 2014. Four hundred of its 250,000 worldwide employees work on “crypto-topics,” supported by a 100-member technical team devoted to blockchain.
The firm’s Hong Kong office accepted a bitcoin payment in 2017 for work related to cryptocurrency auditing.
In June, the firm announced the Halo data auditing suite, which monitors cryptocurrency transactions for a number of institutional clients.
PwC image via Pres Panayotov / Shutterstock
CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.


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Google CEO Eric Schmidt had some scary things to say about privacy, reports PC World. In a nutshell, he said there's an almost incomprehensible amount of data out there about all of us--much of which we've generated ourselves via social networks, blogs, and so on--and we are totally unprepared to deal with the implications of that fact. Schmidt was speaking at the Techonomy confab, currently underway at California's Lake Tahoe, where large-brained people gather to talk about how technology and the economy intersect. Schmidt wasn't really trying to draw disaster scenarios. He noted that a lot of positive benefits can...
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Customers across Canada will be offered the opportunity to hire an Avon-approved lawyer in addition to a range of beauty products.
The service, named My Advantage, is set to begin in the New Year in Canada only.
Agreements with Avon-approved law firms across the country have not yet been finalised, but according to an interview in Canada's National Post, many of the firms have already agreed to free initial consultations.
“Women trust Avon, so if we can offer a group of services and companies to them, they will feel comfortable going to them”
Roberta Lacey, Avon
The cosmetics company is considering charging a membership fee to customers for the plan. Roberta Lacey, spokeswoman for Avon Canada, said: “Women trust Avon, so if we can offer a group of services and companies to them, they will feel comfortable going to them because they know they have been screened by us.”
The company will also be offering services such as accountancy, plumbing and insurance.


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Car crashes into jewelry store in Sharon
A jewelry store in Sharon had quite the shock Wednesday afternoon when a car crashed into the building.
Details of this story are very limited at this time, but Mercer County Dispatchers confirmed with 21 News that the crash happened at Gold Mind Jewelers on East State Street.
21 News spoke with a neighboring business who told us that two cars were coming from the opposite direction and crashed into each other with one of the cars crashing into the store.
21 News crews on scene observed caution tape along with a makeshift gate blocking the entrance to the store as well as some broken glass windows.
Our crews spoke with store owner Mark Multeri who tells us he was in the back of the store when all of a sudden he heard a loud crash.
"Apparently there was an accident on the corner of East State Street and Railroad and a lady was hit and it forced her right into the window [at] the front entrance of my store," Multeri said.
Multeri tells 21 News the woman had to cut out of the vehicle by first responders at the scene. Her condition is unknown at this time.


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The Toronto Blue Jays unveiled their new uniforms the other day at their Winter Fan Fest at the Rogers Centre. The new jerseys are a theme from the past jerseys with the baby blue color. The look great and will be available to purchase online starting Feb 1st. Click Here to see what will be available in the new Toronto Blue Jays Nike 2020 jerseys. Also, the new uniforms will feature the Nike swoosh on the jerseys this year, since Nike is now the official on field jersey maker of MLB.
Below is a video on the presentation of the new uniforms at the Blue Jays Winter Fan Fest.


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WHERE TO WATCH
iPic Entertainment Creates Ultimate Theater Experience
January 12, 2018
Updated 4mo ago
Hamid Hashemi, Founder and CEO of iPic Entertainment, says the company is looking to raise $40 million to continue its growth. The theater operator has 16 locations with 121 screens.
Cheddar Awards: Jeff Bezos Is 2018's Biggest Flirt
Nov 24, 2017
MoviePass Lets You Go to Theaters For Less than $7 a Month
Ted Farnsworth, CEO at Helios and Matheson, which recently increased its stake in the subscription service, discusses MoviePass’s unorthodox approach. Its selling point? Let users go to movie theaters up to 30 times a month for less than the average cost of a movie ticket.
Dec 26, 2017
A Netflix Co-Founder on Why This Generation Loves MoviePass
Mitch Lowe, an early executive at the video-streaming giant and now CEO of MoviePass, says his new company's flat-fee model and flexible access appeals to the subscription-based generation.
Nov 29, 2017
Interactive NFL Experience in Times Square Brings the Players to You
Danny Boockvar, NFL Experience President, tells Cheddar all about the pro football league's new interactive exhibit.


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A rural Oregon McDonald's franchise is being sued for $1.56 million after a 14-year-old girl allegedly suffered serious burns after being scalded by a cup of hot water the restaurant served.
The two plaintiffs in the Oct. 4 lawsuit allege that on July 29, 2017, a McDonald's employee at a Madras-area franchise served them a cup of dangerously hot water which spilled on the teenager. The lawsuit was filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court on behalf of the girl, who WW is not naming because she is a minor, and her mother Shirelle Thomas.
As a result of the accident, the girl allegedly suffered partial thickness burns on her abdomen and lower body.
Partial thickness burns are often referred to as second-degree burns, and indicate that the both the external layer of skin, the epidermis, suffered damage along with the lower layer of skin, the dermis.
As a result of the burns, victims can suffer long-term consequences including painful blistering and scarring, and if a burn covers more than 10 percent of a victim's body, there's a high likelihood the person could go into shock. It's unclear what percentage of the girl's body was burned, but the complaint alleges she experienced significant and extensive scarring as a result.
The Oregon lawsuit calls to mind the famous 1990's case of Stella Liebeck, who suffered third-degree, or full-thickness burns, as a result of spilling hot McDonald's coffee on her legs. Liebeck was later awarded nearly $3 million in punitive damages in that case, drawing quite a bit of criticism. After all, she just spilled coffee on herself and who hasn't done that, right?
Well, the issue in the Liebeck case is more complicated—and similar to the issue in the Thomas case.
It's not that the beverage was spilled, it's that McDonald's allegedly served it at an unreasonably hot temperature. Typical coffee out of your home coffee pot isn't going to cause third-degree burns; similarly, hot water from your tap is unlikely to cause second-degree burns immediately on contact. Liebeck's burns were so severe that she required skin grafts on her thighs, and they were almost instantaneous. At the time, it was revealed during the trial that McDonald's instructed franchisees to hold coffee at temperatures around 180 degrees Fahrenheit.
In the Thomas lawsuit, however, we don't know exactly how long she was exposed to the hot water, or the temperature the water was when it was spilled on her. However, once water is heated past 120 degrees Fahrenheit, serious burns can occur rapidly. Full-thickness burns can occur in just three seconds of exposure to 140-degree water, well below water's boiling point (212 degrees Fahrenheit).
The McDonald's franchise is in Madras, a Central Oregon town about 120 miles southeast of Portland. Neither the McDonald's corporate office, nor the local franchisee, Taylor Enterprises Inc, immediately responded to requests for comment.
Shirelle Thomas and her daughter are represented by E.B. Miller Law, and have not immediately responded to request for comment.


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Stock Market Falls Over Concerns Tied To Johnson And Johnson Vaccine: Live Updates - The New York Times
Consumer prices rose in March at their fastest pace in nearly nine years, an increase that may fuel inflation fears but that likely overstates the extent of the acceleration. The Consumer Price Index, a closely watched inflation measure, rose 0.6 percent in March from February, the Labor Department said Tuesday. That was up from February’s 0.4 percent increase, and a bit faster than economists’ expectations. Core inflation, which ignores volatile food and energy prices, rose 0.3 percent, up from 0.1 percent in February. Prices were up 2.6 percent from a year ago.


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The big box retailers are hiring tens of thousands nationwide, but some are cutting back this year. Still, the jobs are out there and ready to be filled right now.
Toys R Us will hire more than 40,000 seasonal workers. The jobs are available now and that sounds good to Toni Lomax who has started looking for seasonal positions.
"It is something I would be interested in. I enjoy retail and I'm interested in the fast-paced environment," Lomax said.
Lomax should have no trouble finding a seasonal job because right now thousands are opening up.
At Macy's the company is looking to add 78,000 jobs nationwide. Kohl's is hiring 40,000 seasonal workers nationally.
While the numbers look good, Best Buy is only hiring 15,000 seasonal workers, which is about half the number from last year. If you want a seasonal job, now is the time to act.
"The good thing about seasonal work is that a lot of times those turn into permanent jobs and they will keep the best of the best," said Debbie McGarity with Workforce Solutions.
McGarity says her agency is listing hundreds of jobs and not all are in retail. The best way to find those jobs is turn to the company websites or come to a Workforce Solutions office.
"They can come in, register, and if they are computer savvy, if they know how to use a computer, they can get a lot of that on their own; if not, they're welcome to speak to an employment councilor," McGarity said.
While big retailers get a lot of attention with seasonal hiring, you can find jobs at locally owned companies too.
"It's extremely busy, it's non-stop," said Danelle Sherwood with Design It Yourself Gifts.
Sherwood says corporate seasonal orders will add 10 to 30 jobs to her business over the holidays.
"We love to have someone with creativity, especially for the designing and the wrapping, someone with shipping experience for our shipping department," she said.
Another way to find out about seasonal jobs is to go into stores you like and ask them if they are hiring, most retail places do add workers. Again you can go to a Workforce Solutions office to find openings or even do that online.


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Press Releases 2007
The latest international survey in which the Consumer Council of Fiji participated shows how the world’s three leading fast food outlets are still marketing meals with high levels of fat, sugar and salt to children.
The Consumer Council is calling on Telecom Fiji Limited (TFL) and Fiji International Telecommunications Limited (FINTEL) to resolve the issue over international access calls as it’s the consumers who are being affected directly by these two companies.
Contrary to the view held by some critics, the Consumer Council of Fiji firmly believes that the Air Pacific Board must intervene to stop pathetic service provided by the Air Pacific. It is high time the Board must assess the situation and give guidance to the management team to curb disruptions because such disruptions are affecting our economy. This is a money making period for exporters and importers and most importantly the tourism industry.
The Consumer Council of Fiji is concerned that the exorbitant prices consumers pay for meat is not reflective of the quality of meat purchased. The Council, being conscious of the high meat consumption during the festive season has concentrated its efforts in surveying the marketplace to check on the quality of meat sold to consumers and the prices charged. The surveillance, which was conducted in conjunction with the Prices and Incomes Board, has revealed disappointing information on the quality of meat sold in Fiji’s marketplace.
The Consumer Council of Fiji is concerned at the exorbitant prices consumers have to pay when purchasing meat especially overseas lamb from certain supermarkets and shops. A market surveillance survey conducted by the Council’s research section revealed that importers and distributors of meat, particularly lamb related products charge exorbitant prices to small shops and other retailing outlets which practically means that these importers and distributors are charging a higher mark up price percentage than that required by the Prices and Incomes Board (PIB).
The Consumer Council of Fiji is alarmed at the announcement on the increase in the price of flour and sharp made by the Prices and Incomes Board. This is the fourth increase this year which means that consumers will have to fork out extra from their pockets to obtain such essential household goods as flour and sharp.
The Consumer Council of Fiji in its response to Sefanaia Tuivaga’s letter would like to say that the Council name is erroneously being used. The Council is in receipt of Tuivaga’s letter which alleges the Council has approved a fare increase for bus companies and has allowed Tacirua Bus Company to charge a different and much higher fare.
The Consumer Council of Fiji applauds the move by LTA to design bus information which would include bus routes and route number, stage location, fare schedule, bus operator etc. The bus commuters would greatly benefit with the provision of these information, which undoubtedly needed to be addressed.
The interim administration is finally taking the bull by its horn by deciding to deregulate the telecommunications industry. However, the ATHL monopolies are not making the decision an easy one with their major compensation claims for the loss of exclusivity rights. With deregulation will come competition, which would lead to possible reductions in international and local communication charges, wider consumer choices, product innovation and increased number of consumers using the communications services, be it mobile, Internet or land-based network.
The Consumer Council of Fiji is gravely concerned about the quality and safety standards of some of the electrical products sold in the country. The concern comes as one consumer who bought the Premier rechargeable emergency lamp nearly had her house burnt down due to the melting inwards of the product. The rechargeable lamp provides no information at all to consumers such as on the country or place of manufacture, no warranties or guarantees and no installation instructions.


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The Democratic Party will hold a two-day debate event, starting tonight. It's time to brush up on the positions of the leading candidates on policies and politics relate to housing, climate change, and infrastructure.
Late last month, the UK became the first country to commit to a legally-binding target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. A new academic research group recommends reduced auto ownership, regardless of how they are powered, to meet the target.
California Assemblyman Phil Ting has tried unsuccessfully for the last two years to end the sale of new gas and diesel-powered passenger motor vehicles by 2040. He achieved some success by securing funds in an approved budget bill to study a ban.
Currently, electric vehicles pay a $17.50 annual registration fee in Illinois. A bill to double the 19 cents per gallon gas tax, unchanged in almost 30 years, would also increase the EV fee over 57-fold to $1,000.
Auto analyst John Voelcker discusses the electric vehicle market in the U.S. on NPR. Ominous clouds belie the excellent sales figures for last year, and policies pushed by Trump only ensure that motor vehicles will continue to gulp more gasoline.
Colorado will join California and nine other states in requiring that a percentage of new light-duty vehicle sales are zero-emissions, thanks to the first executive order signed by Democratic Gov. Jared Polis on Jan. 17.
U.S. sales of plug-in electric vehicles, including those with internal combustion engines, increased by 81 percent in 2018 over 2017. But if you remove the best-selling Tesla Model 3 from the mix, the increase drops to 11 percent.
What's the best way to ensure that electric vehicle drivers pay to maintain the roads they drive on, considering they don't pay fuel taxes? A new report from the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies was sent to the California legislature.
While Trump wants to end the EV credit program, in part to punish GM for closing unprofitable car manufacturing plants, Norway is scaling back the generous perks that have enabled EV sales to comprise almost half on new auto sales.
According to a new report by the California Air Resources Board, even if electric vehicle sales were to increase tenfold, it would not reduce emissions from transportation enough to meet a 2030 climate goal. A major reduction in driving is needed.
As California tries to stem its increasing greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector, its capital, Sacramento, may prove to be a model for other cities as it embraces electric vehicles and strategies to reduce driving.
It's well known that an electric vehicle is only as clean, from a greenhouse gas perspective, as the electricity it consumes to power it. A new study finds that the electricity used in the manufacturing of car batteries also must be considered.
A new report from the International Energy Association projects that petrochemicals will be the largest driver of oil consumption, greatly increasing greenhouse gas emissions and offsetting the effect of electric vehicles on oil demand.
Neighborhood electric vehicles may become more popular in California's second most populous county thanks to legislation signed by Gov. Jerry Brown. The small zero-emission vehicles are prohibited from crossing streets with speed limits above 35 mph.
The good news: the Clean Air Vehicle program for electric vehicles will be extended for at least three years. The bad news: not all EVs that have a decal now will be able to be renewed. Congestion on HOV and HOT lanes is a major concern.
On the second day of the Global Climate Action Summit, co-host Gov. Jerry Brown signed 16 bills onboard a new plug-in hybrid electric ferry in San Francisco Bay to spur sales of zero-emission vehicles and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
An exemption to an existing law was removed Monday when Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill that affords tenants in rent-controlled buildings the same right to request electric vehicle charging capability as renters in unregulated apartments.
Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. (California)
A controversial new sales tax on motor vehicles in a state with no sales taxes survived a court challenge. As a result, Oregon consumers will have another reason to consider purchasing or leasing an electric vehicle: receiving up to a $5,000 rebate.
On Thursday, the U.S. DOT and U.S. EPA announced one of the Trump administration's most consequential rollbacks of environmental and efficiency regulations that will have a detrimental effect on climate change, air pollution, and oil consumption.
New York Times climate reporter, Brad Plumer, comments on California's landmark accomplishment in reducing emissions, observing that with the low-hanging electricity generation fruit picked, reducing transportation emissions will prove formidable.


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Nisa member Sands, widely recognised as one of the UK’s most progressive convenience store chains with an annual turnover approaching £20m, boasts a current store portfolio of 18 outlets across in Fife, Kinross and Perthshire. A further two are set to come on stream before the end of the year, one of which is a new-build store in Burntisland.
The 27,000sq ft warehouse at Bridgend Industrial Estate also incorporates some 8,000sq ft of office space for administrative, buying and operational staff, and the group’s training centre.
Managing director David Sands said: “As the company has grown over the years, so have our stores and we have expanded them by converting storage space into more profitable selling space. “Today, our new warehouse is, in effect, one big storage area for each store and we are delivering to most of them up to seven days a week. We can now be even more efficient and focused on their requirements on a daily basis.
“Our strategy is very much one of growth and we now have the infrastructure and IT systems in place to forge ahead with new acquisitions, possibly even another convenience store chain.”
David was the first retailer in Scotland to introduce VoiteQ, the voice-based stock control system, at its former warehouse in Milnathort more than two years ago. This technology, which gives warehouse pickers spoken instructions on the top-up stock requirements of each company store - based on epos data - has now been fully incorporated within the new Kinross warehouse.


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Xiaomi, the Chinese company, after presenting its new flagship models Xiaomi 12, Xiaomi 12 Pro and Xiaomi 12X, has decided to fix its efforts on enlisting the arrival of the new franchise terminals of its Redmi brand: the Redmi K50. With this, it has just been announced that they have confirmed the landing of the devices that will have a ultra-fast 120W charging.
The user XDA-Developers leaked on your forum a tweet with a graphic piece published by the official Redmi account on the Chinese social network Weibo, where reveal certain specifications of the new equipment.
In the poster it was observed that the new generation of terminals of the Redmi K series incorporate a 4,700 mAh battery with 120 W ultra-fast charge which would allow this battery to be fully charged in only 17 minutes. Everything would indicate that this capacity is reserved for the base model, since the premium version (Redmi K50 Pro Plus) is expected to be equipped with a 5,000 mAh battery.
Regarding the rest of the specifications, in previous leaks it was reported that they will be equipped with the most recent processor of Qualcomm: the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. It was also announced that they will present a new heat dissipation technology called Dual Vapor Chamber the one that will be in charge of keeping the new chipset of the American manufacturer fresh.
The new Redmi K50 series is expected sold in February in China and that it ends up arriving to the rest of the world with another name.


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San Francisco pet sales ban proposal
Lawmakers in San Francisco are considering a ban on pet sales. The Humane Pet Acquisition Proposal hopes to protect everything from Great Danes to goldfish. The proposal would slap a ban on the sale of all pets in the city to shore up the adoption of unwanted creatures from shelters and rescue organizations. According to the Los Angeles Times, representatives of the pet industry call the idea "by far the most radical ban we've seen" nationwide and argue that it would force small operators to close. Animal activists say it will save small but important lives, along with taxpayer money, and end needless suffering. What do you think - should pet sales be banned to force adoption of animals in shelters and rescues? Click on comment to voice your opinion. We may publish it here and/or use it on Eyewitness News First at 4:00 p.m.


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News bites: floods, farmers & furphys
While floods continue to cause heartache and devastating losses across NSW and Queensland, hospitality heroes are stepping up to support those affected. But there is some good news for our farmers and fishers, as you’ll find out below. Also making food news this week, a study confutes the claim that we’re confused by plant-based meat products. Plus, an Aussie ice cream icon gets a makeover in time for the Easter Bunny.
Farmers worried about climate change
A new report commissioned by Farmers for Climate Action has revealed that climate change is putting our food supply chains at risk. Climate change is leading to a higher frequency and severity of extreme weather events such as floods, bushfires and droughts. As climate change accelerates, the associated risks to food supply arising from these events are growing. While farmers and others along the supply chain have risk management plans for such events, the more often they occur, the more likely it is that supply chains will become overwhelmed and fail, leaving bare supermarket shelves. The report states that, “If climate change continues unabated, this likelihood will become a certainty”.
Seafood industry bounces back
The newly released ABARES Australian Fisheries and Aquaculture Outlook 2022 report shows the sector will reach $3.55 billion GVP this year, the highest since 2002-03. Seafood Industry Australia (SIA) has welcomed the news. SIA CEO Veronica Papacosta says, “It’s no secret it’s been an extraordinary two years for the Australian seafood industry. We’ve dealt with natural disasters, trade export restrictions and the impacts of COVID-19. To see a return to growth shows we are on the right track. This needs to be celebrated.”
New market for dairy farmers
A new open milk market has been launched, empowering dairy farmers and providing greater price transparency for the industry. The Australian Milk Price Initiative (AMPI) will give dairy farmers more choice of who to sell their milk to. It also means farmers can lock in long-term pricing for their milk. “There is no more transparent price signal than an open market price,” says Australian Dairy Farmers President, Rick Gladigau. “AMPI will improve risk management across the supply chain with back-to-back pricing from customer to processor to farmer, providing the ability to lock in margins across the chain. Better margins and risk management enables better planning, which, in turn, drives investment and growth across the supply chain. More investment means a strong dairy industry.”
Confusion over meat-free labels unfounded
The meat, poultry and seafood industries claim Australians are confused when it comes to plant-based meat labelling. But a new study by the Institute for Sustainable Futures shows we know exactly what we’re eating when we choose plant-based products. The study surveyed more than 1000 Australians in all parts of the country. It found that we’re unlikely to be “duped” into eating plant-based meat. Animal-product labelling can, however, lead to consumer confusion. Forty-one percent of plant-based respondents said they’d bought a product to later discover it contains animal ingredients. Only four percent of people surveyed inadvertently purchased a plant-based product because of label confusion.
Gerard’s Bistro to host flood-relief dinner
Some of Brisbane’s top chefs are joining forces to hold a special Farmers Flood Relief dinner. Hosted by Gerard’s Bistro, chefs from OTTO, Stanley, Joy, ESSA, Yoko and Agnes will join Executive Chef Adam Wolfers in the kitchen to cook up a feast and show their support for the local farmers that have been hardest hit by the recent devastating floods. The Farmers Flood Relief dinner will be held on Wednesday, March 30. All proceeds will go directly to farmers to help them rebuild. Small-scale farms and producers that will be supported by the event include The Falls Farm, Neighbourhood Farm, Loop Growers and Noosa Reds. You can book your spot here. But you’d better hustle. Seats are limited.
Team effort delivers to those in need
Celebrity chef Miguel Maestre has also been working to show his support for those affected by the floods. Maestre put out a call asking for help to cook up almost 1000 portions of paella. Woolworths jumped on board to provide all the ingredients. OzHarvest was able to provide a van to pick up and transport the meals to Foodbank Australia, which distributed the food to those in need in flood-affected areas in the Northern Rivers region in NSW. You can donate to the Foodbank NSW floods appeal here; the Qld floods appeal here.
Beers for Mates
Australian Venue Co will be raising money in all venues nationally to assist those affected by the Queensland and NSW floods. Until March 31, “Beers for Mates” will be donating $1 for every schooner and $2 for every pint sold to the Red Cross Qld and NSW floods appeal. With more than 180 Australian Venue Co venues across the country, it’s hoped many thousands of dollars will be donated through the campaign. In Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia, donations will come from the sales of Furphy beer. In Queensland and the Northern Territory, fundraising will be through sales of XXXX Gold. To find the nearest Australian Venue Co pub or bar, head to ausvenueco.com.au.
More support needed for WA hospitality
Restaurant & Catering Australia (R&CA) has called for more support for businesses after the WA government announced Level 2 public health measures on Thursday, March 3. “If the WA government is going to refuse to learn to live with COVID like the rest of Australia, they can at least make up for this loss in business and weakening of consumer confidence by boosting the currently inadequate support for WA’s more than 4000 restaurants, cafes and catering businesses,” says R&CA CEO Wes Lambert. “If the government is going to make it hard to do business, they should at least compensate venues for their loss.” R&CA will continue to advocate for an easing of restrictions on WA hospitality venues.
The Printing Room
Since COVID, private dining rooms have become the go-to for combining the food and service of a restaurant with the privacy and relaxed environment of home. Tasmania’s recently opened Italian-inspired restaurant, Peppina, at The Tasman, has a stunning 18 seat private dining room called The Printing Room. It sits within the original sandstone walls of the circa 1860 room that once housed the printing presses for the surveyor’s department. A single 18-seat table runs the length of the room. Original windows and doors, as well as two heritage fireplaces, create a truly unique and intimate dining experience. Guests can expect a daily evolving menu featuring seasonal pastas, locally sourced meats and seafood cooked on the grill, as well as a selection of antipasti. To book, head to peppinarestaurant.com.
Easter gets an Aussie icon
Bubble O’Bill fans can enjoy their favourite ice cream in a new format this Easter. For the first time ever, Bubble O’Bill will be available as an Easter egg. Created in collaboration with Chocolatier Australia, the 160g egg is coated in strawberry-marbled chocolate. This has been mixed with crunchy caramel and chewy berry pieces. Inside, you’ll find five of the biggest bubble gum noses in the west. Chocolatier Australia’s Golden Gaytime Eggsellence Easter egg will also be making a return this Easter. You can find Bubble O’Bill in egg form at Woolies. The Golden Gaytime egg will be available at Coles and Woolies.
Also making food news this week…
Are you getting your daily veg? The nutrition and agriculture sectors have joined forces to make increasing our national vegetable consumption a priority for our COVID recovery. To celebrate Australian fresh produce, we shared the fruits and vegies that are now coming into season as autumn draws in. Autumn also means the beginning of cold and flu season, so we showed you how easy it is to boost your immunity with eggs. On the alternative protein front, two nutrition academics explored why Aussies aren’t eating insects. And finally, we profiled the Byron Bay Chilli Co, which is celebrating 30 delicious years.
Want to keep up to date with all the latest local food news? Just sign up for our newsletter in the box below. You can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram. We’ve got more good food news to inspire and entice you next week, so stay tuned!


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The 15-year-old Birmingham outpost of fast-casual flatbread sandwich chain Cosi will shutter this year, reports Downtown Publications. The building's owner Peter Sobelton confirms the closure and notes that several other business including restaurants and retail are already vying for the space. It's unclear how soon Cosi will vacate, however the restaurant's lease ends on July 31.
Both liquor licenses and bistro licenses are hard to come by in the city of Birmingham, which could make opening a new restaurant in the building a difficult maneuver. Last fall, former Top of the Pontch chef Justin Vaiciunas applied for a bistro license for a new Birmingham Asian fusion concept called Toshi. The restaurant would have filled a space next door to Cosi, however the license application was rejected.


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Lisa Vanderpump is going all out to celebrate some four-legged friends by hosting her 6th annual 'World Dog Day'!
The 'Real Housewives' star (and her pup) joined "TMZ Live" to give us the lowdown on this weekend's festivities in West Hollywood, which raises awareness about global dog abuse.
Lisa tells us, "World Dog Day' is a real feel-good factor ... especially coming amid some very tough times in America, around the world ... and even for Lisa's charity Vanderpump Dog Foundation.
From the sounds of it, it'll be a whole 'lotta fun ... Lisa says, they're doing it big for all the furry folks -- live music and a DJ, vendors with doggy treats ... also a dog water park, pie-eating contest and even a fashion show with dog models!
While the foundation puts on a great show for pleasure, it also gets down to business too. The org has rescued and adopted over 2,300 dogs domestically and hundreds internationally ... even more of a reason to celebrate!
This year's event is co-sponsored by WeHo as a part of the city's celebration of Pet Week.


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The new menu at Prado, located at the Omni Scottsdale Resort at Montelucia in Paradise Valley, reflects the traditional dining style of the Rioja region it emulates.
Tag: Scottsdale Restaurant
The third annual Arizona Breakfast Weekend is July 27-30 and gives diners an opportunity to find a favorite new brunch or breakfast spot with prix-fixe pricing.
Old Town Gringos, occupying the space formerly known as Dos Gringos, touts itself as “Scottsdale’s best patio bar.”
Salt and Lime Modern Mexican Grill on Shea Boulevard takes the classic formula of Mexican food and margaritas and brings it up a level.
Kona Grill has been serving Scottsdale since 1998, but it’s fifth Arizona location at Scottsdale Quarter may be the best one yet.
For summertime, Executive Chef Josh Bracher has taken the dishes that have quickly made Sonata’s a favorite for foodies in the Valley and made them more summer-friendly.
Christopher Brugman is the Executive Sous Chef at the new Mountain Shadows resort in Paradise Valley. Originally from Los Angeles, Chris has followed his culinary passion and landed his largest role at arguably one of the hottest new spots in town.
The new Mountain Shadows resort in Paradise Valley is undoubtedly one of our favorite new places in town. So we are thrilled that its restaurant Hearth ’61 is equally as fabulous as the rest of the property.
Liberty Station American Tavern & Smokehouse is the newest concept from the team behind North Scottsdale favorite Market Street Kitchen.
True Food Kitchen recently rolled out their new spring menu items, featuring healthy, springtime ingredients, including avocado, radish, mushroom, snap peas, and artichoke.


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WASHINGTON, Jan 31 (Reuters - U.S. consumer spending rose steadily in December, but tepid income gains pointed to moderate consumption growth this year, which could confine the economy to a slow growth lane.
The Commerce Department said on Friday consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, increased 0.3% last month as households spent more on health care after an unrevised 0.4% rise in November.
Last month's increase in consumer spending was in line with economists' expectations.
The data was included in the gross domestic product report for the fourth quarter, which was published on Thursday. The government reported that growth in consumer spending slowed to a 1.8% annualized rate last quarter after expanding at a brisk 3.2% pace in the July-September period.
The economy grew at a 2.1% rate in the final three months of 2019, matching the third quarter's pace.
Cooling consumer spending in the face of a deepening slump in business investment likely sets the economy on a lower growth trajectory in 2020. Still, a recession is unlikely in the near term as the economy draws support from the Federal Reserve's three interest rate cuts last year.
The U.S. central bank on Wednesday left rates unchanged, with Fed Chairman Jerome Powell telling reporters that he expected "moderate economic growth to continue" but also acknowledged some risks, including the recent coronavirus outbreak in China.
Though monthly inflation picked up last month, price pressures remained muted. Consumer prices as measured by the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index rose 0.3% last month, the biggest gain since April. The PCE price index was driven by a 1.5% surge in the cost of energy goods and services prices. Food prices were unchanged.
The PCE price index edged up 0.1% in November. In the 12 months through December, the PCE price index increased 1.6% after climbing 1.4% in the 12 months through November.
Excluding the volatile food and energy components, the PCE price index increased 0.2% last month after edging up 0.1% for the previous four months. That lifted the annual increase in the so-called core PCE price index to 1.6% in December from 1.5% in November.
The core PCE index is the Fed's preferred inflation measure. It missed the U.S. central bank's 2% target every month in 2019.
When adjusted for inflation, consumer spending nudged up 0.1% in December after rising 0.3% in the prior month. That likely sets a lower base for consumer spending in the first quarter.
Personal income gained 0.2% last month after an increase of 0.4% in November. There was a $36.2 billion decrease in farm proprietors' income, reflecting a drop in subsidy payments to farmers caught in the 18-month U.S.-China trade war.
Wages increased 0.3% in December after rising 0.4% in the prior month. With income growth lagging consumer spending, savings fell to $1.28 trillion last month from $1.30 trillion in November. (Reporting by Lucia Mutikani Editing by Paul Simao)


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Hey there, smartphone aficionados! Guess what? Google has hit the jackpot with over 1 billion users hopping on the RCS (Rich Communication Services) bandwagon. It seems like their bet on RCS is turning out to be a winner, and they’re not shy about flaunting it. So, what’s the buzz all about? Well, buckle up because Google is not just celebrating the milestone; they’re throwing in some cool new features for Android Messages users.
First things first, if you’ve ever wondered about the army of green bubbles versus blue bubbles in your messaging app, Google might just have the answer. The tech giant is dropping a feature bomb for Android users that aims to level the playing field with iPhone users. But before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s take a quick detour into why RCS matters.
RCS, or Rich Communication Services, is Google’s answer to the limitations of SMS. It’s the cool cousin that doesn’t have character limits, keeps your messages encrypted, and even lets you throw in emoji reactions like confetti at a surprise party. Now, if you’re thinking, “But what about iPhone users?” Well, hold on; we’ll get there.
The latest Google Messages update is like a tech carnival. Ever wanted to turn a photo into an emoji reaction? Enter “Photomoji.” You can now react to messages with customized emojis spawned from your own pictures. Now, this could either be a game-changer or a recipe for hilarious chaos – only time will tell.
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Next up on the feature train is “Voice Moods.” Imagine adding a splash of art to your voice messages, setting the vibe for the listener even before they hit play. Angry rants? They’ve got an upgrade too, thanks to improved bitrate and sampling rates between RCS users. Your voice will be loud, clear, and ready to vent.
But wait, there’s more! Google is tossing in “Screen Effects” because, let’s face it, who doesn’t want their messages to come with vibrant animations? Type those magic words like “I love you,” and watch your screen come alive. It’s like a mini firework show for your conversations.
Now, some features might feel like they’re borrowed from the cool kids on other platforms. Animated emojis, Profiles that resemble iOS’s verified Contact Cards – it’s like a tech potluck. Oh, and here’s a tidbit for those in the iPhone vs. Android bubble war – Custom Bubbles. Now you can change the color and background of your conversations, hoping to end the notorious green bubble stigma. But will iPhone users see the change? The plot thickens.
Sure, it might seem like Google is playing catch-up with other messaging apps, but hey, Android users need their moment in the sun too. Maybe Google just wanted to keep the party going after Apple reluctantly joined the RCS club. It’s almost like a soap opera, with tech giants battling it out for dominance in the messaging universe.
Excited to try out these new features? Well, here’s the scoop – they’re rolling out to beta users first before reaching the entire RCS user base. If you’re eager to get in on the action and avoid FOMO, sign up and be the first to experience the messaging revolution.
So, whether you’re team green bubble or blue, one thing’s for sure – the messaging game just got a serious upgrade. Happy texting, everyone!


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Apple Maps Updated to Show Apple Park 3D Models, Campus Walkways
Apple has recently updated Apple Maps to show detailed 3D models of their new Apple Park campus, as well as all the walkways the run through the site.
The updated data in Apple Maps also includes various points of interest around the campus, including the Steve Jobs Theatre,the R&D facility, fitness center, and above ground parking structures. The map is so detailed that it even shows the manmade pond inside the main ring.
The company first added data about Apple Park to its Maps app in March, offering a sneak peak of the campus through various satellite images. This update does not include any new satellite imagery.
Apple has already started moving 12,000 employees to Apple Park. The move in process is expected to take six months to complete.