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How this social currency card is helping nano-influencers encash their influence
Wyld is a social currency card that helps people earn cashbacks for their influence on social media platforms.
Some people are known for giving the best recommendations on everything — from food, shopping, to fashion and anything in between. If we really ponder, these people are nothing less than influencers.
It is these influencers that Yash Sakhlecha, Dishant Sanghvi, and Aashna Sakhlecha wanted to bring to the limelight with their startup.
Launched in 2021 in Tardeo, Maharashtra, Wyld is a phygital social currency app built on the principle that the influencer market needs to accommodate beyond the elite few and help everyone monetise their influence.
The startup raised $350,000 in pre-seed funding led by Better Capital. The round also saw participation from renowned entrepreneurs such as Aman Gupta and Sameer Mehta, co-founders of; Aditi Shrivastava, co-founder of ; Malini Agarwal, founder of ; Nikunj Lotia, popularly known as BeYouNick, and others.
In October 2021, luxury lifestyle influencer Rij Eappen joined the founding team of Wyld.
For the everyday influencer
“Everyone has an influence,” says Yash, Co-Founder, and CEO of Wyld.
An IIT-Mumbai alum, Yash and Co-Founder Dishant pivoted from engineering to the influencer economy with the belief that the future of e-commerce growth will be creator and influencer-led.
Wyld claims to have worked with more than 200 brands, and 10,000 influencers, with a combined social media reach of 64 million during its previous three product iterations, before finally arriving at the current model. The startup has a small team of around 10 people.
To explain the premise of Wyld, Yash asks, “When was the last time you bought something that some celebrity or influencer recommended versus something that was recommended by your friends or family members?”
“We are tapping into this influence that people have within their immediate circles, which is much more powerful and authentic than that of a big influencer,” he adds.
Brands already keep aside capital for influencer marketing. However, there is no guarantee if the money spent is actually creating the expected influence. This is where Wyld comes in.
“One of the significant feedback we have received is that influencer marketing campaigns are not necessarily market-driven with limited return on investment. So, brands are increasingly turning to nano influencers with good social media activity,” says Yash.
Nano influencers are Instagram users with between 1,000 and 10,000 followers. These influencers are niche players with high engagement. Rij added that brands are slowly recognising the potential of these influencers in creating a more authentic market for their products.
The workings of the currency
According to Wyld, it hands out a social currency card that gets credited with money based on a Wyld score — an AI social scoring system determined by the number of followers, reach, engagement, frequency of posts and other such parameters. This, it says, takes away the sole focus on only the follower count to the real and organic traction that the person acquires on a daily basis.
“All you have to do is that the next time you buy something from our partner brands, post about it while tagging the brand. Based on your Wyld score, money would be credited to your account or Wyld card. It is essentially digitising word-of-mouth,” says Yash.
The partner brands provide the users cashback ranging from 30 percent all the way up to 100 percent of the purchase value within 30 days. Some of the partner brands of Wyld are from sectors such as fashion, sports and activewear, footwear, food and beverages, groceries and more. The Wyld card can be used as a regular debit or credit card for making payments.
Like any other fintech company, the revenue model for Wyld involves charging an interchange fee in every transaction using the Wyld card. It also gets a share in the cashback offered by the brands.
Building the product and the challenge
Wyld believes that the team’s experience in the influencer marketing ecosystem along with continued research contributes to USP.
“It’s our nuanced understanding of the market which comes from experience and time. One of the biggest benefits of the product is that it solves the chicken-and-egg problem. Instead of prioritising only the brand’s benefits from tapping nano-influencers or helping customers encash their influence, Wyld caters to both the stakeholders,” Yash says.
Rij, who has worked with the influencer economy for more than five years now, says that there is an enormous potential to attract a portion of the $4 billion worth of digital marketing happening in India. However, this comes with its own challenges, and one of them is developing trust among the users.
“People question if this can really happen. The idea of encashing your social influence is pretty novel in India. Many of those whom we approached have said. ‘Oh, but I am no influencer, I don’t know how to make content’’. We say, ‘We don’t want influencers. Just tag the brand when you make a purchase of the brand and get the cashback.’ It is that simple,” says Yash.
While the concept of social currency is prevalent in the form of loyalty cards such as those offered by Starbucks, Westside and other referral marketing programmes, the concept of Wyld is still new and needs a fair amount of marketing to make it popular.
The team behind Wyld says the influencer economy is growing at an exponential rate across the world.
In 2021, it was predicted that the influencer industry in India itself was valued at Rs 900 crore (approximately, $120 million). The industry’s value is expected to rise as more millennials pick it up as a side or sole hustle.
Some of the companies in the space include Ainfluencer, Plixxo, OPA, and others. However, Wyld says it is focused on the social currency of individuals and not celebrity influencers.
Wyld plans to grow its user base to 100,000 users by the end of 2023. The team is currently developing a card variant for established influencers and content creators who already have a large following across social media platforms.
Edited by Affirunisa Kankudti


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The Troutman Pepper Tobacco + Nicotine Team will attend the Total Product Expo in Las Vegas, January 31 to February 2. TPE is a business-to-business trade show that brings manufacturers, distributors and retailers together under one roof, providing an opportunity for companies to exhibit their products, connect with buyers, network with industry professionals, and obtain
Bryan Haynes serves clients by developing and implementing creative solutions for complex issues. Specializing in tobacco industry regulatory compliance and enforcement matters, Bryan efficiently assists clients in complying with regulatory obligations and managing risk, consistent with clients’ business objectives.
The Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products (“CTP”) has released a strategic plan intended to guide the Center’s activity for the next five years. While the strategic plan highlights the laudable goals of regulatory clarity, stronger enforcement against non-compliant actors and more timely and transparent application review, the plan is problematic in that it promotes an agenda of burdensome new regulations and does not provide a clear emphasis on the promotion of less harmful alternatives in the tobacco and nicotine marketplace. Continue Reading FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products Publishes Strategic Plan
In December, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued warning letters to online retailers for reportedly selling unauthorized e-cigarette products. Consistent with the Center for Tobacco Products’ (CTP) recent focus, the letters target unauthorized products, which FDA states are particularly appealing to youth — including Lost Mary, Funky Republic/Funky Lands, and Elf Bar/EB Design. These warning letters follow FDA’s recent issuance of civil money penalty complaints against 25 brick-and-mortar retailers for failing to comply with prior warning letters. Those civil money penalty complaints, which we previously discussed here, continued the agency’s approach of seeking the maximum penalty approved by law.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently filed new injunction and civil money penalty proceedings against unauthorized, flavored e-liquids and electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) manufacturers and retailers. The agency has been criticized for not doing enough to fight the sale of unauthorized vapor products, but these actions should at least remind manufacturers and retailers that the agency’s warning letters are not empty threats.Continue Reading FDA Continues ENDS Enforcement with New Injunction and Civil Money Penalty Proceedings
Bryan Haynes and Agustin Rodriguez of the Troutman Pepper Tobacco + Nicotine team will attend the Food and Drug Law Institute 2023 Enforcement Conference on Wednesday, December 6 in Washington D.C.
The conference will have two panels discussing hot topics in tobacco and nicotine enforcement and litigation matters. Bryan Haynes will moderate a panel discussing…
Recently, NJOY LLC filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against more than 30 foreign and domestic defendants that manufacture, market, distribute, and sell tobacco products in an (indirect) effort to force them to comply with federal and state laws. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company and R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company (collectively, RJR) also recently filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) against more than 25 foreign and domestic manufacturers, distributors, and retailers (collectively, the respondents) that seeks to prevent the import and resale of certain tobacco products. These lawsuits serve as two examples of how industry is trying to take independent legal action to target allegedly noncompliant actors and force them to comply with applicable law.
A new bill, the “Tobacco Tax Equity Act of 2023” (S.2929 and H.R.5715) has been introduced in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. The bill would:
In September, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued two new rounds of warning letters to online retailers, manufacturers, and distributors for reportedly selling or distributing unauthorized e-cigarette products. Notably, FDA’s most recent letters target several popular disposable flavored products, including Elf Bar, EB Design, Lava, Cali, Bang, and Kangertech, which FDA states are particularly appealing to youth. FDA also sought civil money penalties against 22 retailers for failing to comply with prior warning letters and, for the first time, sought the maximum penalty allowed by law.Continue Reading FDA Ramps Up Enforcement Against Flavored Disposable E-Cigarettes as External Pressures Mount
Last summer, we wrote about the Iowa Attorney General’s $133 million suit against the tobacco manufacturers that are signatories to the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA). Brought in Iowa state court, this suit alleged that those manufacturers (commonly referred to as “Participating Manufacturers”) acted in bad faith by disputing (and delaying the ultimate payment of) the amounts they owe to the state under the MSA. On August 22, 2023, Iowa compromised its past and future claims under the lawsuit and joined 37 other states that have settled similar disputes. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird announced that the state reached a settlement with the Participating Manufacturers that will result in the state receiving payments of more than $171 million over the next six years. Continue Reading Iowa Reaches MSA Settlement with Tobacco Manufacturers, Ending 18-Year Legal Dispute
On August 22, 2023, the Troutman Pepper Tobacco + Nicotine Team attended the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products (“CTP”) virtual listening session on the development of CTP’s strategic plan. We previously blogged about CTP’s intent to issue a finalized five-year strategic plan by December 2023, including the agency’s five proposed strategic goals. Continue Reading Takeaways from Listening Session on the Development of FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products Strategic Plan

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According to this Blue’s News story regarding some striking similarities between point and click adventure Limbo of the Lost and Bethesda’s Oblivion, TriSynergy – publisher of the former – had no idea about any of this and is expecting to release a statement on the matter shortly.
“TriSynergy says they are just as shocked as everyone else at the screenshots showing elements from other games in Limbo of the Lost, saying they had absolutely no knowledge of this situation until it was uncovered by the gaming press,” said the piece.
More through the link.
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Aug. 11, 2020—Anthony Levandowski, a former engineer for Google, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for trade secret theft across his employment in the self-driving industry.
After his time at Google, he took his experience—among other things—and founded a self-driving truck company called Otto. In 2016, Uber bought Otto, which opened Uber up to a lawsuit from Google's self-driving branch, Waymo. Waymo alleged that Uber conducted trade secret theft via its acquisition of Otto.
Eventually, Uber and Waymo were able to reach an agreement, according to the Verge. But Levandowski still owes nearly $1 million in restitution to Google, a $95,000 fine, and according to a separate court ruling, he has been ordered to pay Waymo $179 million for poaching its engineers.


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Hi Dylan - the latest, monthly run of the Cowan LRA Model for forecasting global semi sales likewise came in at 5.0 percent for 2011's sales growth expectation.
The updated model run reflects the WSTS's June actual sales number of $27.11 billion published on Aug 3rd. The latest calculated sales growth result dropped 1.7 percentage points from last month's prediction of 6.7 percent. The latest 2011 global sales is projected to $313.4 billion and dropped from last month's forecast estimate of $318.4 billion.
Looks like many of the major semi industry market watchers are llkewise "zeroing in" on a 5 percent growth forecast for 2011 with many of them lowering their estimates over the past month or so.
Mike Cowan, independent semi industry analyst and ddeveloper of the Cowan LRA forecast model


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Wellness Pet Food Recall & Solutions. Wellness has issued a recall of one of its wellness dog food recipes. The recall applies specifically to the 12 pound bags of Wellness Small Breed Adult Health dry dog food
Daily Pet Vitamins. Researchers recently reported that pets given an over the counter comprehensive multi vitamin-mineral-antioxidant supplement containing multiple vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and trace elements helped aging dogs
Hi Dr. Carol, I sent you 2 pictures. One is our precious Tiffany that we lost last year, the other is Wilson and Patch. We got Wilson after Tiffany died. Patch was very depressed.


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Nintendo Switch just had its most successful week ever in the UK, thanks to a special Black Friday bundle featuring Mario Kart 8: Deluxe.
That's according to the latest information from GfK's senior client director Dorian Bloch.
Overall, Black Friday week saw a 3% drop in games items sold (hardware, accessories and games), but a 5% increase in revenue compared with Black Friday week 2020.
The Nintendo Switch dominance was due to a new hardware bundle, which included Mario Kart 8: Deluxe and three months of Nintendo Switch Online membership. The bundle was sold for an average selling price of £256, and it accounted for 54% of all Switch consoles sold last week.
"Only Switch had an exceptional week, PS5 and Xbox Series did not have many offers"
Overall, Black Friday week saw 22% more consoles sold, and 17% more hardware revenue than the same week last year. It is also the 44th best week for console sales since records began in 1995.
"Only Switch had an exceptional week, PS5 and Xbox Series did not have many offers and actually PS5 Digital was out of stock and Series X had a major stock drop the week prior," Bloch reveals. "In 2020, both had massive launch weeks [which were the weeks immediately before Black Friday] and therefore both had very low stock for Black Friday week."
In terms of physical games, 10% fewer units were sold this Black Friday week versus the year before, generating 8% less in revenue. Bloch says that this is "not a bad result considering last year the two weeks prior to Black Friday saw the launch of Series X and S and PS5, with a marked upturn in overall software sales for Sony and Microsoft formats."
As revealed earlier this week, because of the aforementioned Switch bundle, Mario Kart 8: Deluxe was the best-selling boxed game during Black Friday, with 64% of its sales coming from the new hardware bundle.
Bloch shared that Mario Kart 8: Deluxe has only had six weeks at No.1 since it launched in March 2017, but as a steady seller, it has spent 119 weeks in the Top Five. It has never been lower than No.25 in the All-Formats Chart.
GfK also tracks accessories and VR sales, and during the week of Black Friday 2021, 6% fewer units were sold, but 5% more money was generated from these products compared with the same period in 2020.
(Note: GfK is only counting PC and console VR headsets, it is excluding mobile VR, VR drones and VR camcorder, which it also tracks.)
"The entire 'Control' segment [controllers, gaming mice, keyboards and steering wheels] was down around 20% on the week-on-week Black Friday comparison, but remember the huge uptick that occurred last year due to the new consoles launching just prior to Black Friday week," Bloch explains.
"This affected console controllers in like-for-likes, as many consumers bought new pads last year to go with their new consoles. However, some segments within 'Control' such as gaming mice and keyboards [PC] saw modest increases, as did gaming chairs."
Gaming headsets were down 5% compared with the same period last year, which is a strong result considering the new console launches in 2020. This was due to impressive deals on PC gaming headsets, and the continued popularity of the PS5 Pulse 3D headset.
However, the big winner of Black Friday in this space was VR, Bloch says.
"This was thanks to enormous sales on Oculus Quest 2, with the entire PC VR category twice the size of Black Friday 2020 week by revenue. It brought in close to £12m last week alone. Essentially a £50 egift card discount on the main 128GB SKU, or equivalent offer, was available from major retailers. Last week was the biggest week ever for PC VR, beating even the launch week of Oculus Quest 2 back in 2020, which was at the time a huge week and remains the second biggest week on record for PC VR."
For more information on Black Friday, you can contact Dorian Bloch at GfK Entertainment, email@example.com.


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When two businesses in two states realised they shared one very similar name, both turned to innovation to survive.
When Tim Bishop and James Bowden started their business Man With A Van back in 2001, they had never heard of Michael Cummins or his similarly-named company, Man And His Van.
Until they decided to set up shop in Sydney.
"When we got our first website up, we heard from 'Man And His Van', up in Sydney," says Man With A Van co-founder Mr Bishop.
Mr Cummins was an established Sydney mover who owned the business and held the trademark for 'Man With a Van' as well as 'Man and his Van'.
"He complained about it," says Mr Bishop.
"What that meant was, we still got our trademark, but it was limited to Victoria."
So they decided to re-route their expansion plans and focus on Melbourne.
"It helped us not to think about expanding out, which I think is a benefit for us because we've really grown and got a really good business model here that we've focused so much on, instead of spreading ourselves too thin," he says.
They attribute success to their adaptability and management of casual staff who are mostly university students, while keeping customer service at the core of the business.
For Mr Cummins, customer service is key to his Man and His Van business too.
He founded it in Sydney 25 years ago, starting small before quickly scaling up.
"Without a shadow of doubt if you've got a good idea and if you're convinced it's going to take off then get it trademarked," he said.
"It's a few thousand dollars and it's well worth it."
After doing furniture removals on weekends to supplement his income, he began earning more money than his weekly income.
"So it was really the obvious decision to move into furniture removals," Mr Cummins says.
Getting his business trademarked helped insulate him when competitors like Man With a Van tried to expand into his territory.
Both businesses have expansion plans in two different directions: Mr Cummins on storage and supplies, and opening a new site, and Mr Bishop and Mr Bowden in their ongoing removals and volunteer work.
"We've co-existed for the past 15 years or so and it seems to be working out well as long as they're down there and we're up here," Mr Cummins says.


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A few years ago, LG introduced the first rollable TV concept, which became a commercial product at CES 2019. The OLED TV rolls up like a poster from a specialized box, which lets you hide the TV whenever you’re not using it. The next-gen rollable TV from LG will deliver a different innovation. Rather than rolling up from a container, the 2020 models will descend from the ceiling, just like a screen projector would.
The new design will allow users to come up with different living room designs where the TV set doesn’t have to take up any space or require specialized furniture. Placing the TV on the ceiling, however, does raise some new issues. For example, you’ll still have to power it, and you’ll still have to connect all sorts of gadgets to it, from media players to gaming consoles, which will require far more work than a standard TV would.
LG will have the new rollable TV on display at CES 2020, the company explained in a press release, next to other TV innovations, including transparent screens for airplane use (see top image), laptop-sized rollable screens for cars, as well as a brand new 48-inch size for regular OLED TV screens.
The company will also showcase Cinematic Sound OLED displays at CES 2020 that contain the sound system within a wafer-thin display, specifically a 77-inch UHD Film Cinematic Sound & Wallpaper OLED display that can be hung on a wall like wallpaper, as well as an 88-inch 8K Cinematic Sound OLED display featuring an 11.2 channel sound system. Prices were not revealed for any of these new products, but you can expect them to be a lot more expensive than any LCD TV.


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Hewlett-Packard changes enterprise services boss, takes $8B goodwill charge
Visentin, who was general manager of the unit, is leaving HP (NYSE: HPQ).
Nefkens will run enterprise services "on an acting basis," the company said. He's senior vice president and general manager of the unit in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. CEO Meg Whitman will be his boss.
Palo Alto-based HP also made Jean-Jacques Charhon, who's worked at the company since 2010, chief operating officer of the enterprise services unit. He was its chief financial officer and he worked in the past at General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE). Nefkens will be his boss.
HP bought Electronic Data Systems four years ago this month for nearly $14 billion. The company was started in 1962 by perennial presidential candidate and gadfly H. Ross Perot.
HP also said it will take an $8 billion charge "for the impairment of goodwill" in its services segment.
Goodwill is a tricky thing to account for -- it is a guess about how much a company's name and brand are worth. When one company buys another, "goodwill" makes up the difference between the purchase price and the actual nuts-and-bolts value of the purchased business. It's one way companies justify paying more than the actual value of another business to their shareholders.
Companies must periodically review the goodwill they carry on their balance sheets and guess if it has changed. In this case, HP said, the recent price of its shares as well as "market conditions and business trends" led to the changed estimate.
HP also increased the charge it will take for laying off some 27,000 workers. Now the company will record a charge of $1.5 billion to $1.7 billion, up from an earlier guess of $1 billion. That will be counted in the third quarter, pushing the company to a loss of about $4.31 to $4.49 per share.
Steven E.F. Brown is web editor at the San Francisco Business Times.
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[VIDEO] Drive takes a look at the Koenigsegg One:1
Drive’s Inside has recently taken a look at the brand new Koenigsegg One:1 as the clip posted below is showing Christian von Koenigsegg and the new hypercar getting ready for the Geneva show.
Originally unveiled during the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, in a world premiere, just a few weeks ago, the brand new Koenigsegg One:1 is being placed into the spotlights once again, this time with the help of a new video, which has been signed by Drive and it’s part of the Inside Koenigsegg series. The clip posted below has Christian von Koenigsegg showing off the One:1 as it was preparing for the 2014 Geneva Motor Show.
As you probably already know so far, the Koenigsegg One:1 is the fastest production supercar in the world, taking this title from the Bugatti Veyron Supersport. Unlike the Veyron, the Koenigsegg One:1 has a 5.0 liter V8 engine under its hood, which is producing a total output of 1,341 HP (986 kW) and it has a peak torque of 1,371 Nm (1,011 lb-ft), available at 6,000 rpm. The One:1 name comes from its power to weight ratio as its total weight stands at 1,341 kg. The new hypercar can reach a top speed of 450 km/h.
The French automaker has revealed the first details and also the pricing information for the UK market for the updated 508 model family.
In a segment dominated by German models, four years ago Peugeot decided to stir things up a bit and also save some costs by introducing a model that replaced ...
Can Ricciardo do a Prost ’86?For the third time this season, Mercedes faltered in their 1988-esque campaign and there’s only one man ready to pounce whenever opportunities ...


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Japan and the United States will hold informal talks next week to lay the groundwork for the second round of their economic dialogue, Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso said Tuesday.
Aso told reporters after a Cabinet meeting that he will visit the U.S. from Sept. 4 to exchange views with Vice President Mike Pence.
“We believe there are some preparations to be made” before the next round of economic dialogue, said Aso, who doubles as finance minister.
Asked whether the two will discuss issues related to North Korea’s missile launches, Aso said, “I can’t say at this point how it will be taken up.”
Japan and the U.S. launched the economic dialogue in April to discuss economic, trade and investment issues.
Aso has said Tokyo’s imposition in August of emergency tariffs on frozen beef imports from the U.S. and other countries may be discussed under the bilateral framework.
Trade has become a sensitive issue since President Donald Trump took office. Trump, favoring bilateral rather than multilateral trade deals, has taken issue with his country’s massive trade deficits with major exporters such as China and Japan.
In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.
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Tesla Delays Deployment Of Its Full Self-Driving (FSD) Beta 10.2 Software Due To Last Minute Concerns, CEO Elon Musk a tweeté early Saturday. He apologized for the delay, saying the release would likely take place on Sunday or Monday. He did not specify what the “concerns” were.
Some last minute concerns regarding this build. Exit likely Sunday or Monday. Sorry for the delay.
– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 9, 2021
The software was supposed to be rolled out to around 1,000 Tesla owners on Friday with perfect safety scores of 100 – as determined by the automaker – with gradual roll-out for those with scores of 99 and below after that, according to Musk.
Tesla has been testing the beta of its FSD software for about a year. Before a Tesla driver has access to FSD, however, the company determines their “safety score”, using criteria that assess “the likelihood that your driving could result in a future collision.” The score is calculated using data collected by the driver’s Tesla sensors.
The company has asked owners who opt for the beta of FSD to sign nondisclosure agreements and asked them to refrain from sharing video clips online about system errors. To reiterate: FSD software does not make Teslas fully autonomous; Musk himself has said he believes the “full working” version of the software will only be “likely” to drive someone from their home to work without human intervention and will still require supervision.


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More and more health professionals are establishing that vaping is harmful to users and Kentucky lawmakers are taking an aim at the new epidemic.
According to a Kaiser Health News report, Stanton Glantz, a professor of medicine and the director of the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California-San Francisco, said the scientific evidence convinced him vaping is far from a harmless substitute.
"Nobody knows what's in any of these products," Glantz told Kaiser reporter Carmen Heredia Rodriguez. "What you're actually exposing yourself to is not in any way, shape or form standardized."
The truth is, there is not enough information about vaping and its effects on users.
Kentucky Health News reporter Melissa Patrick tackled the topic in a recent post to the new organization's blog site, and detailed how some Kentucky legislators want to combat the rise in use of e-cigarettes, especially among Kentucky's youth.
"Louisville Republican Rep. Jerry Miller's most recently pre-filed bill would require all retailers or manufacturers of vapor/aerosol products that come with 'enhanced cartridges' to register with the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control and pay a $500 annual licensing fee per location annually," Patrick reported. "It would also prohibit retailers and manufacturers from selling such products online, by catalog or by phone; prohibit home delivery by outside vendors; require real-time age verification for purchase through an electronic third-party source no later than Jan. 1, 2021; and call for fines on any person under the age of 18 who tries to purchase electronic cigarettes or related products."
Health advocates say the bill doesn't go far enough because it does not ban flavored e-cigs.
"Anything short of bold and immediate action by the state to prohibit the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including mint and menthol, fails to protect the health of Kentucky's kids," says a statement from the American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and Kentucky Voices for Health.
We believe any bill passed by Kentucky lawmakers should include language that bans flavors that would be attractive to young people. Vapes and e-cigs come in a variety of flavors that attract teens like bubblegum, sugar cookie and various fruit flavors.
Kentucky Health News reports "preliminary data from the 2019 National Youth Tobacco Survey shows that 64 percent of high school students who 'vape' say that menthol and mint is their second most popular flavor behind fruit 'and this number is growing all the time.'"
Additionally, the Kentucky Incentives for Prevention survey reveals 26.7 percent of the state's high-school seniors reported they had vaped in the past 30 days in 2018, up from 12.2 percent in the 2016 survey. Use by sophomores, or 10th graders, increased to 23.2 percent from 11.3 percent; use by eighth graders jumped to 14.2 percent from 7.3 percent; and sixth-grader use increased to 4.2 percent from 2.3 percent over 2016.
In addition to the surge in use, there has been an increase in vaping-related lung illnesses and injuries.
As of Oct. 15, nearly 1,500 vaping-related lung injury cases have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 33 deaths have been confirmed.
The CDC reports 15 percent of the cases were in patients younger than 18 years old, 21 percent of them were in patients between the ages of 18 and 21.
KHN reports, "In Kentucky, 28 cases are under investigation, with six of them probable, two of them confirmed and four of them ruled out."
"Investigators suspect many of the injuries are related to bootleg cartridges laced with THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. This point is frequently played up by the vaping industry and its advocates to defend products created and sold by reputable businesses," Patrick writes.
Vaping and e-cigarette use is disproportionally and negatively affecting Kentucky's young people.
Considering the huge surge of e-cig use, Kentucky lawmakers must take steps to curb the use of e-cigs and vaping products in the coming session.
More research is needed into these products and their effects on the human body, which means there needs to be stricter regulations.


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Elon Musk loses bid to end Tesla tweets oversight deal
The ruling comes just days after the world’s richest person struck a deal to buy Twitter for $44bn.
Elon Musk was charged by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of deceiving investors with a 2018 tweet that caused Tesla’s stock price to fluctuate.
The SEC’s pursuit of Musk “crossed the line into harassment,” according to Musk’s attorneys, and interfered with his right to free expression.
“Elon Musk cannot now seek to retract the agreement he knowingly and willingly entered by simply bemoaning that he felt like he had to agree to it at the time but now — once the spectre of the litigation is a distant memory and his company has become, in his estimation, all but invincible — wishes that he had not,” Liman wrote.
It requires Musk to get Tesla’s attorneys’ permission before tweeting or making any public remarks about the company.
The SEC’s probe is about tweets Musk posted on 6 November, asking his more than 80m Twitter followers whether he should sell 10% of his stake in Tesla.
Musk has eventually sold more than $16 billion worth of Tesla shares after a majority of individuals who participated in the survey suggested he should sell the stock.
The SEC is investigating whether the tweets were approved by Tesla attorneys before they were posted, and Tesla’s stock price has dropped as a result of the poll.
Musk has been tweeting about how he wants Twitter to evolve under his ownership since the board of directors approved his buyout proposal earlier this week.
“”For Twitter to deserve public trust, it must be politically neutral, which effectively means upsetting the far right and the far left equally,” he tweeted on Wednesday.
If you would like to contact us send an email at : [email protected]


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A couple of weeks ago, Google announced that they would be making Google Assistant available to non-Pixel handsets, and for those who have yet to receive the update that brings the voice assistant software to their phones, not to worry because according to 9to5Google, it looks like the rollout is happening on a wider scale now.
While we’re not sure how Google chose which handsets to push out the update to at the start, it seems that a variety of brands and models are now receiving the update. This includes the Samsung Galaxy S7, the LG V20, the Huawei Mate 9, and the Huawei Honor 6X, just to name a few. Recently it was reported that the OnePlus 3 received an update that introduced Google Assistant to the phone.
It is rather interesting that Google is pushing out Google Assistant to Huawei handsets, especially after it was reported that Huawei would be bringing Amazon’s Alexa to its handsets, such as the Huawei Mate 9, but we guess users will at least have some options to choose from depending on which platform they think works better.
As Google noted previously, the rollout will take place over the course of the next fews, so if you haven’t gotten it yet not to worry. In the meantime it seems that Google isn’t closed to the idea of potentially bringing Google Assistant onto iOS devices either.


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The new Nokia 3310 has taken a bit of a beating in a number of online reviews. It’s too expensive, it doesn’t have enough features and it isn't as close to the original as people wanted.
Thing is, HMD – the firm that's licensing the Nokia name to put on phones – probably isn’t bothered.
The new Nokia 3310 had already done its job before it hit a store shelf, let alone before the first one was actually bought.
And I’ll be honest. If this phone was called anything other than the Nokia 3310, we at TechRadar wouldn’t have given it a moment’s thought.
We’re not a site that generally reviews feature phones, but when a handset as iconic as the Nokia 3310 is reborn it would be remiss of us to ignore the huge wave of nostalgia that hit phone fans around the world.
So here we are, in a smartphone world where a feature phone managed to steal the limelight from several high-profile, flagship devices. Yet, it turns out that many people are 'over' the retro trend already.
- Read on in-depth hands on: New Nokia 3310 review
Not the phone you're looking for
HMD knows this isn’t a phone you're going to choose over the iPhone 7, Samsung Galaxy S8 or even the budget Moto G5. The new 3310 is positioned as a second phone – something you can take to a festival, give to a child as their first handset, or keep in the car for emergencies.
It’s no different from any other feature phone on the market, and a quick search online will return a number of similar handsets with the same (and in some cases greater) specs and lower price tags.
You can even pick up an entry-level Android smartphone for the same price as the new 3310 - but it won't have a battery that lasts more than a week (you'll be lucky to get a day from a single charge) and it's unlikely to be as hardy.
There's also those who will just want to say they own the new Nokia 3310 - whether it's for a brief moment of nostalgia, or just as a bit of a gimmick.
Sure, the fact this phone is called the Nokia 3310 seems to have inflated the price tag, but what is has done to great effect is put the Nokia name back on people’s lips.
The original 3310 is a handset that’s so fondly remembered it provokes positive memories of the famous Finnish firm’s heyday – rather that the more disastrous later years when it played catch up to the iPhone and Android.
It's a simple, unabashed play that tugs on the heart strings.
'Hey you, remember that phone you loved back in 2001? Well look at this shiny new version. It doesn't do much in today's world, but have you seen our new smartphones?'
Yet, it's not working out quite like that.
Mind the gap
While the new Nokia 3310 managed to whip up a media storm at MWC 2017 back in February, it took HMD more than two months to get it on sale, in which time the initial hype managed to almost completely die down.
HMD puts the gap between launch and release down to its short lifespan.
“As a business we only came into existence on December 1, 2016, so it’s quite hard to believe with all of these products (the 3310 and three smartphones) we’re just six months old as a company," Sarah Edge, HMD Global's General Manager of UK and Ireland told me.
"I think MWC was a perfect opportunity for us to announce all these products and create the hype, but you will now start seeing activity from us.
"Although we have been quiet, we are rectifying that, and you’ll see a lot of noise from us now in the market, including some big marketing campaigns over the summer."
From my various discussions with people in the know, it seems the Android smartphones are only weeks away – but even that delay could prove costly as there’s a risk the enthusiasm may die down in the lull in-between launches.
As far as the Nokia 3310 goes though, it can take things easy. If it sells out then it's a win-win for HMD, as the phone's hard work is already done.
It may not be the reborn Nokia 3310 everyone was hoping for, but it's the only feature phone in the last decade that's even got a look-in in the smartphone dominated world - and that's worth applauding.
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John joined TechRadar over a decade ago as Staff Writer for Phones, and over the years has built up a vast knowledge of the tech industry. He's interviewed CEOs from some of the world's biggest tech firms, visited their HQs and has appeared on live TV and radio, including Sky News, BBC News, BBC World News, Al Jazeera, LBC and BBC Radio 4. Originally specializing in phones, tablets and wearables, John is now TechRadar's resident automotive expert, reviewing the latest and greatest EVs and PHEVs on the market. John also looks after the day-to-day running of the site.


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The beauty industry has always been plagued by thoughts of how to make people see how they can change when using the products, and the new technology may provide a solution for that problem. We are all comfortable with the expression try before you purchase, and at no other time has today’s purchase required such consolation when buying results of high esteem. For the beauty business, this has demonstrated a noteworthy boundary with regards to their online deals.Symptomatic apparatuses have had a technology make-over and now come as online surveys, applications or in-store gadgets. Buyers’ longing for modifying their healthy skin is more grounded than in whatever other class. Advanced applications plan to offer proficient healthy skin examination in the solace of shoppers’ homes.
Understanding the Beauty Industry and Technology
Indeed, even Google Glass, regardless of its short life expectancy, was joined by YSL to make recordings displaying how its make-up specialists utilize its items, upgrading purchasers’ involvement with the brand. Panasonic’s Magic Mirror makes the idea a stride further from attempting new make-up hopes to breaking down customers’ skin. This kind of technology, which is taking off to retail establishments in 2015, and will be accessible for home buy in 2016, could likewise be utilized to make particular item suggestions later on, as well as measure the adequacy of items, for example, anti-aging products. This will have assist suggestions for buyers’ buying choices and propensities, making new guidelines for beauty players to play with.
Tech organizations have been growing their operations past improving the purchaser experience and development, to reshaping the installment and conveyance industry. Google’s dispatch of Google Wallet and, much more essentially’s, Apple Pay has conveyed elective installment strategies to the standard. Driven by two key components, security, and comfort, computerized wallets are winding up noticeably more prominent, particularly in the US. Sephora’s most recent participation with Apple to join Apple Pay with the Sephora application and make a Sephora Wallet is displaying the expanding impact computerized wallets can have in beauty. Past computerized wallets, the rising plausibility of monetizing tweets, Amazon’s automaton conveyance administration and Bitcoin developing in acknowledgment are signs that retailers, not beauty players, are the drivers of joining technology in the beauty business.
In technology, innovativeness stays in the hands of creative new companies, along these lines helping them develop is basic to the classification’s movement. While design organizations and tech organizations have since quite a while ago coached new businesses and makers of new technology, profiting both the business and themselves, in beauty, it has been a rarer event. In any case, the mechanical push of the recent years has made it fundamental for beauty organizations to grasp the tech world straightforwardly. L’Oréal, which has officially joined Grand Central Tech in the US, guides business visionaries and helps them create while accepting the open door to coordinate the best thoughts into its business. The savagely focused scene of beauty, its profound development drove nature and shoppers’ expanding want for, and communication with technology makes an unquestionable requirement for organizations to work together amongst beauty and technology startups.


text: A chemical found in canned food linings and plastics may be linked to miscarriages. BPA is found in some canned foods and drinks. BPA is in the lining of most cans, and it can seep into the food inside of them. Bisphenol-a is also found in many plastics, like some reusable waterbottles, storage containers and food wraps. BPA mimics human hormones and is found in nearly everyone's urine. The new research says that ingesting the chemical may raise the risk of miscarriage, especially in women with high-risk pregnancies. The study does not definitively prove a link between miscarriage and BPA, but researchers say the findings are not reassuring, The FDA maintains that BPA is safe. They did ban the substance from plastic baby bottles and sippy cups, but they say that choice was made based on market trends and not because the chemical is unsafe. Research is ongoing to see what the impact of the chemical really is.


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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Better Business Bureau is advising people to not share their coronavirus vaccination card on social media.
The BBB said it can increase your risk of identity theft and other scams.
When posting the photo on social media scammers are able to see your full name, birthday and where you got your vaccine.
The BBB reports it's already happened in Great Britain when scammers were caught selling fake vaccination cards on eBay and TikTok.
If you still want to post about your vaccine, the BBB says to instead share a photo of your vaccine sticker or set a frame around your profile picture. Another thing to consider when posting, review your security settings to make sure it's set either private or public.


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New Restaurant Opening In Duluth’s Lincoln Park Neighborhood
Just reading this will make you hungry so consider yourself warned. It looks like a new restaurant is opening in the Lincoln Park area of Duluth and by the sounds of it, it is going to be an incredible addition to the area.
The spot will sell burgers and beer, according to Perfect Duluth Day. It will be called Burger Paradox and located in the former Coach's Bar and Grill location along Superior Street. I didn't know that the bar and grill had closed down until I learned about the new restaurant that will be taking over.
The exact address of the new spot will be 2113 West Superior Street and the burgers will be anything but ordinary, with high-quality ingredients but also at a price that is affordable, according to the report on the new restaurant.
There will also be sides, like french fries, Brussels sprouts and other classics. The new spot will seat seventy people and I am already excited to dive in and try it out! Lincoln Park is definitely having a renaissance of sorts over the past few years and this will only add to that.
We will learn more details as the new restaurant gets closer to opening up, including an opening date and more about the menu! As for the old Coach's Bar and Grill, the last time they posted was late last year and did not announce why they closed.
The new Lincoln Park addition will be down near the Salvation Army. Some may know it more as the former Mitch's Bar & Grill, located next to what used to be the West End Thrift Store. It should also be noted that this spot will be owned by the same company as Duluth Grill and OMC Smokehouse so you know it is going to be incredible.


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Dunkin’ Donuts suggested Saturday that the “layout” of one of its Brooklyn shops is actually to blame for the rude treatment a pair of NYPD cops experienced there.
Dunkin’ Brands spokeswoman Michelle King continued to apologize for last Sunday’s incident, when the cops were refused service at a Dunkin’ Donuts/Baskin-Robbins on Atlantic Ave. in Bedford-Stuyvesant — insisting the company has “ a long history of supporting the NYPD.”
“The franchisee has informed us that he has made temporary adjustments to the store signage to be followed by a more permanent solution to avoid situations like this in the future,” King said.
She added: “The franchisee posted a temporary sign on the ice cream dipping cabinet that states to guests to place their order at the Dunkin’ Donuts register.”
Law enforcement sources told the Post that the two cops with the 73rd Precinct’s detective squad who went into the store to buy ice cream — were simply ignored by a clerk. “I don’t serve cops,” the clerk said, the sources said.
Police were stunned by the company’s apparently amended mea culpa.
“Basically, Dunkin’ Donuts is saying that the two officers in the store were too stupid to know where to order — while every other customer came in and knew where to order,” said Sergeants’ Benevolent Association boss Ed Mullins. “ It’s an insult to all members of law enforcement.”
Meanwhile, civilian anger is also brewing at the chain.
“I will never go into a Dunkin’ Donuts until you fix this situation. I know most of their stores are franchises but if you had any brains, you would apologize and offer free coffee to all on duty cops for the near future,” John Azzopardi, 63, of Pa. seethed on Facebook on Saturday — as civilians showed their support for New York’s Finest.
Using the hashtag “boycottdunkindonuts” Joe Hearn showed his true blue solidarity by tweeting: “Bring a thermos f** em all.”
The incident triggered the detectives union to call for an NYPD boycott of the coffee chain. On Friday, the NYPD captains’ union joined the ban, which police sources affirmed “is still on.”
Even those who chose to patronize the shop blasted the snub.
“Everybody should be served in the community,” said Ruben Sud, 29, who called the anti-cop treatment, “absurd.”


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General Motors Co. announced the temporary suspension of Chevrolet Volt production and the layoffs of 1300 employees, as the company is cutting Volt manufacturing to meet lower-than-expected demand for the electric cars.
“Even with sales up in February over January, we are still seeking to align our production with demand,” GM spokesman Chris Lee said. The car company had hoped to sell 45,000 Chevy Volts in America this year, according to the Detrot News, but has only sold about 1,626 over the first two months of 2012.
Of course this isn’t really a failure of green products, per se. This is a failure of the government attempting to drive markets through force of will. Planners in the Central Bureaucracy attempted to force the market for this vehicle by offering production incentives, mandates and purchase credits to buyers. It didn’t work.
Centralized planners cannot detect consumer preferences, shortages, and surpluses with accurately and therefore cannot efficiently co-ordinate production. It just can’t be done.
This is the “economic calculation problem” and it was first proposed by Ludwig von Mises in 1920 and later expanded by Friedrich Hayek.
Mises and Hayak argued that the only rational way to allocate resources in any market is through price. Socialist planners lack the the information provided by market prices and, therefore, lack a method to rationally allocate resources.
Obviously Volts would sell if they cost, say, $5,000. Unfortunately they cost many times that to produce. The disparity between price demand and cost creates a net loss in production. The Administration believed they could overcome this via subsidies to producers and tax incentives to buyers. They were wrong and have, as a result, socialized the lost of billions to tax payers and the loss of hundreds of jobs that have proved to be unsustainable.
Remember, corporatism is not capitalism.


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Could these events influence the course of the cryptocurrency? As Russian national Alexander Vinnik discovered when he was taken into custody. How did Stolen do it? If you do it People just spoke of two administrators cum programmers named Alexander bitcoins Alexei who worked in Skolkovo Russia's equivalent of Silicon Valley. But I'll go as far to say that many of the operations launder not related to money laundering. Once we learned where the coins coming out of MtGox were going, it was how to start grouping his addresses together and detecting his entire holdings over time.
No one knows who controls an address from the block chain alone. Fri, 19 Jan While probably not definitive in the eyes of the law, WizSec's findings are fascinating, as they were assembled by following the trail of money on Bitcoin's blockchain. A Stealth Address is another privacy-related feature in the works for Bitcoin. In a few hours, you could move the coins around so much that it would be very difficult for anyone to keep track of them coming and going.
Buying things requires a shipping stolen and leaves a record on the blockchain. In his words, the platform had a good reputation in the business world bitcoins large companies used launder, "but this exchange always worked in the gray zone and it didn't have any permits to conduct financial activity. A tumbler can launder stolen bitcoins by mixing bitcoins distributing them to other people and back to you. From here, the scammer simply buys launder own music: While probably not definitive in the eyes of the law, WizSec's findings how fascinating, as they were assembled by following stolen trail of money on Bitcoin's blockchain. Only after his arrest did I realize it was actually his real name. How method starts, funnily enough, with making some real music, the scammer said.
How do you move all that stolen internet money so you can buy that yacht you always wanted? Buying things requires a shipping address and leaves a record on the blockchain. Selling bitcoin in person for cash is hard to move high volumes. If your name is Alexander Vinnik, you open a bitcoin exchange.
Users will transfer you money for the stolen coins which will get mixed in with the legit coins. From outside the exchange bitcoin moves in and out, but no one knows what goes on off the blockchain.
All you need is a cool name like BTC-e, sounds perfect! As Russian national Alexander Vinnik discovered when he was taken into custody. Now you might be asking yourself how did Vinnik come into the possession of so much stolen bitcoin? Now a bitcoin exchange sounds like it would be like Fort Knox right? MtGox stands for Magic the Gathering online eXchange.
Never heard of Magic the Gathering? The hacker stole the MtGox hot wallet keys. Most of the money is in the vault, incase the bank gets robbed. In the case of a crypto exchange this is an offline wallet, referred to as cold storage. So the hackers cleaned out the hot wallet. Forcing MtGox to take bitcoin out of cold storage to continue operating. The hackers were able to keep taking bitcoin out of the hot wallet. Do you close your doors as the number one global bitcoin exchange?
Bitcoin is on its way to the moon. Nor does he deny that Dark Wallet might enable heinous crimes like child pornography, murder-for-hire, and terrorism. It turns out that bitcoin is a terrible tool for money laundering. The trouble is that all bitcoin transactions are tracked so if they want to catch you, they can go back into the system and figure out who you are. Bitcoin bypasses the banking sys To see this in action, you can go to the darknet markets subreddit where you'll find a thriving community that almost k people have subscribed to.
With all of this said, it's clear that laundering bitcoin works and using bitcoin casinos to do that is only one of the many ways to launder. If you do it The incident occurred in North Vancouver on Jan. While bitcoin, the world's largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, is recovering slightly from a major crash earlier this week, one bear on the Street warns investors to steer clear of the digital currency space.
Fri, 19 Jan People eager to cash in on the cryptocurrency boom through mining have been targeted by Facebook ads touting bitcoin mining rigs, made by industry giant Bitmain, that contain a link to a false website. At first glance, the link leads to Bitmain. I stumbled across the scam Thu, 18 Jan In stocks and investment hot days, some people will commit suicide because of the crash in the stock market.
Of course, some people also commit suicide because of the soaring and plummeting virtual digital currencies such as bitcoin. Later, however, Tue, 16 Jan Online classifieds site Gumtree says there has been an increase in the number of South Africans swapping their cars and other high-value items for Bitcoin.
7 Jan Bitcoin's main problem is that every transaction is public. Such features make it difficult to launder stolen bitcoins. Take this $5m thief as the example. 27 Jul CoinDesk points to a report by Bitcoin forensics company WizSec, released Thursday, that pinpointed Vinnik as the "chief suspect for involvement in the Mt. Gox theft," claiming he controlled the keys to Bitcoin wallets to which the stolen bitcoins were sent. The report claims some , of the bitcoins. It is unfortunate that there are too many of these laundering services posing as ' privacy' services, yet how many have tried to establish a coin insurance project that would create blacklists of stolen bitcoin keys for people to insure their own wallets against accepting or having their coins mixed with, and for coin sites like.


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Supermodels stand by 50-year-old Helena Christensen after ex-Vogue editor shames her outfit
Alexandra Shulman, the former editor of British Vogue, is being criticised by members of the fashion industry for calling 50-year-old model Helena Christensen ‘too old’ to wear a strapless bustier.
“We might like to think that 70 is the new 40 and 50 the new 30 but our clothes know the true story,” wrote the 61-year-old journalist and author, who was at the helm of the fashion publication for 25 years.
Shulman made the controversial judgment call in her Mail on Sunday column, in an opinion piece entitled, “I’m sorry Helena Christensen, you are too old to wear that”.
Shulman questions why “stylishly understated” Christensen wore a “tacky, black lace bustier” for fellow model Gigi Hadid’s 24th birthday party.
READ MORE: Tess Daly hits back at ageism facing women on TV
The piece also reflects on the perception of older women’s bodies as “disturbing”.
“When women’s bodies no longer serve any child-bearing purpose, we find flaunting them disturbing and slightly tragic. I don’t claim that this is fair. But it’s true.”
The supermodel appears to have indirectly responded to Shulman’s comments on her Instagram account, posting a photo of herself wearing the top and asking women to “continue to elevate and support each other”.
Fashion industry names including fellow supermodels Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista have since rushed to Christensen’s defence in the comments section below the post.
“She has no right or claims to be writing such a ridiculous article,” wrote Campbell. “I’ve known you 30 years and whatever you wear, you wear it well with class and dignity!!”
“She should be ashamed of herself. You are a goddess,” added Evangelista.
“You are BEAUTIFUL inside and out,” wrote current British Vogue editor Edward Enninful.
“U always do, my beautiful friend,” wrote actor Julianne Moore.
Fashion designer Roger Loayza also took to Instagram to say he was “disappointed” by Alexandra Shulman’s column.
Yahoo UK has contacted Shulman for comment.


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SHANGHAI, Jan. 5(SMM) –80% of Chinese tin smelters surveyed by SMM are pessimistic that tin prices will fall this week.
Those pessimists expect spot tin prices in Shanghai to fall to RMB 90,000/mt and LME tin will test support at USD 14,400/mt or USD 14,000/mt, citing a series of negative factors. 1. Chinese A-share market tumbled; 2. Small and medium smelters in China began resuming supply last week, easing tightness in spot market; 3. Many downstream producers have closed early for the 2016 Chinese New Year holiday due in early February due to a lack of orders; 4. Uncertainty remains over the Chinese economy.
The rest 20% expect spot prices in Shanghai tin market to stabilize between RMB 92,500-94,500/mt. 1. The US dollar index will face downward correction after rising last week, which will giving some relief to LME tin; 2. Tin ore suppliers hold back goods, tightening raw material supply for tin smelters; 3. Production cuts at tin smelters will cut market supply.


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One of Los Angeles’ most famous restaurant franchises, Crackling, declared bankruptcy following the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The company said in a public statement today that the legal filing is “a direct result of the financial impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the casual dining industry.”
By catering company, the Orange County-based Sizzler currently operates 107 locations but has been unable to meet much of the overhead during the ongoing pandemic. Kind of like with the Souplantation founded in Californiawhich closed permanently earlier this year, and the Cheesecake Factory, landlord issues and high overhead have come to crush much of the fast-casual restaurant business.
Major national chains like Sizzler have been devastated across the country as malls and other gathering areas remain closed, while their clientele retreats to food delivery apps, local restaurants and home cooking. Sizzler’s sales were already down before the pandemic, and it’s still unclear how many locations, if any, will return after the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company says it owns 14 restaurants (the remaining 93 are franchises) and will seek to renegotiate lease terms with the owners of those locations, at least.
In a subsequent statement sent to Eater by representatives of Sizzler, the company clarified that its Chapter 11 bankruptcy specifically targeted these 14 company-owned sites; the franchise locations, while obviously affected by any bankruptcy of its parent company, are not specifically included in the record. “Sizzler USA expects to reach agreements with a majority of owners and is confident that most of its restaurants will remain open,” they add.
Sizzler has a long history in Southern California. The restaurant was founded more than 60 years ago in Culver City by Del and Helen Johnson, selling inexpensive steaks and offering a buffet format that appealed to casual diners and families. This style of restaurant has become increasingly anachronistic in recent years, and many wonder how the modern buffet restaurant will survive the pandemic. For now, much like California Pizza Kitchen, Sizzler will enter bankruptcy proceedings in hopes of shrinking its footprint, consolidating losses, renegotiating important business terms, and surviving in a post-COVID-19 world. It will certainly not be easy.


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iPhone 4S Comes to Bulgaria on November 11
The iPhone 4S, Apple's fifth-gen smartphone, would go on sale in fifteen countries, including Bulgaria, this month, the company announced.
Apple said the iPhone 4S will be available on November 11 in Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, El Salvador, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Malta, Montenegro, New Zealand, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Romania and South Korea.
The iPhone 4S will be available for preorder on November 4 except in Albania, El Salvador, Guatemala, Malta, Montenegro and Panama, it said.
Apple said the iPhone 4S will be available in more than 70 countries by the end of the year.
The iPhone 4S was launched on October 4, one day before Apple co-founder Steve Jobs died following a long battle with cancer.
Computer fans and experts in the field have insisted that the newly launched iPhone 4S stands just for "iPhone for Steve".
- » Plamen Dimitrov, CITUB: ' I expect a Restart Of The Trilateral Dialogue'
- » Sofia to Send Next Week Its Position on EC antitrust Case Against Gazprom
- » Bulgaria With Potential to Contribute to EU-China Partnership
- » US Technological Giant Tesla To Step on Bulgarian Market
- » Eurostat: Eurozone Inflation Accelerates to 1.9% in April
- » Bulgarian Business Climate Improved Slightly in April, 2017
Perhaps, camera is one of the useful apps that we can found in our cell phone. But the question is - Is the photographer in you tired of being tied to the view your iPhone camera gives you? Want to change it up sometimes? How about a close-up from next door? Do you would like a bigger angle to see the beautiful sunset behind your topic? Or simply you need to make your pals look like aliens with a fisheye lens. Photojojo's new iPhone Lens Dial gives you all those options. And it all comes in one gadget that needs no attachment. Read more here: http://www.appisaurus.com/iphone-development/


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Sugar industry challenges growing
Competition and low sugar prices putting pressure on local sugar growers
by Lynda Edwards
February 4, 2014
Louisianans may wonder why sugar prices are at record lows yet the price of popular candy bars continue to rise.
“Look on the back of a candy bar wrapper and you’ll see that not much sugar is actually used in the ingredients,” American Sugar Alliance policy director Jack Roney told a crowd of hundreds of sugar farmers, mill and refinery owners as well as their workers.
The Sugar Cane League summit was overflowing Tuesday as hundreds listened to speakers urge them to hang on for another year of bruisingly low prices and ferocious Brazilian and Mexican competition, not to mention artificial sweeteners. Roney also described how the state’s 483 sugar farms and 11 sugar mills produced 1.59 million tons of raw sugar in 2013 despite two snaps of freezing weather during harvest.
“It’s amazing you’re all sitting here, a miracle so many of you survived,” Roney said, suveying the standing-room-only audience.
“The long term future does look bright. There is excitement, even fright, over how sugar production will keep pace with consumption in the long term.”
One audience member described hearing a newscast Tuesday morning that mentioned a study showing that sugar caused heart attacks. But the newscaster launched into breaking news about Justin Bieber rather than discuss the study.
“By that time, I was ready to have a heart attack,” the man said and the crowd laughed.
Roney said he thought it would be more helpful if a study included all heart risks such as sodium intake, stress, lack of exercise and obesity rather than focus on a single food.
He later told the Daily Advertiser he sees the growing middle class in China and India as game changers. He said that consumer studies show that as African, South American and Asian “developing nations grow more affluent and people can afford a food as a treat, not just subsistence, they instinctively reach for sweets. They experience the pleasure of a luxurious treat with something sweet more than with a salty or savory snack.”
But America has lost half its sugar mills since the 1980s and B&T Farms’ Dale Berard from Breaux Bridge says equipment, fertilizer and fuel prices have so outstripped sugar’s profits, this could be the worst struggle he has faced in his career. Roney partly blames the North American Treaty Organization for allowing Mexico to own a fifth of its sugar sector while flooding the U.S. to compete with Louisiana product.
By the way Louisiana sugar cane farmers talked Tuesday, it’s clear they are not working for riches or easy dollars. Their crops are craved, loved, shunned and demonized worldwide. Through it all, they say they feel they are helping Louisiana’s economy as much as oil or rice.
Despite all obstacles, Berard’s daughter Kassi, a University of Louisiana at Lafayette graduate working for her master’s in business administration, said she enjoys helping her dad with his fields and attended the summit with him. Another summit attendee, Manuel Brito from Jeanerette, said he has put several children through college by working for the sugar cane industry. He is proud of his work and plans to stay in the industry as long as it exists in Louisiana.


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Food And Beverage
The Western brewer most exposed to the Russian market, Carlsberg, expects its decision to sell its enterprise there to result in a writedown of about DKK 9.5 billion ($1.39 billion).
The firm, which operates eight breweries and has over 8,400 employees in Russia, announced late last month that it would sell its complete business in the nation, joining an exodus of Western firms since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Danish multinational brewery group, which owns Russia’s most prominent beer brand Baltika, has more exposure to the country’s market than any other international brewer and earns 9 percent of its total revenue in the eastern European country.
According to Carlsberg, the writedown did not consider any external offers for the business and was subject to a very high degree of doubt and volatility. The firm added that the sale could take up to 12 months.
Additionally, Carlsberg reported a currency loss adjustment to its Russian business worth DKK 4 billion triggered by the sanction-led depreciation of the Russian rouble.
Last year, Carlsberg generated 10 percent of its revenue and 6 percent of its operating profit in Russia, where it took complete control of the Baltika group of breweries in 2008.
Carlsberg’s Dutch rival, Heineken, has also said it will exit operations in Russia, and last month the firm said it expected to book-related charges of about 400 million euros ($437 million).


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FMSI is celebrating its 50th EGCS commissioning - a significant milestone in seven months that have seen rapid change and growth.
A new state-of-the-art, 40,000 square metre production facility in Batam is operational 24/7 and can produce up to 50 EGCS per month. Depending on vessel needs, EGC units can be delivered within 3 months of ordering. FMSI has been able to respond quickly at a time when other manufacturers are seeing a decline in orders or their production facilities are at capacity. Overhaul of processes and systems and investment in a highly skilled workforce have enabled FMSI to flourish. Above all, the highly experienced and specialist team of Korean line managers, a global sales team, plus new design and R&D facilities has ensured that production remains at the cutting edge.
Mr. CS Jung, COO of FMSI, states: “The 50th EGCS commission is a really significant achievement for all involved. It’s not just a number or list of leading vessel owners – it’s recognition of the significant changes the team has implemented successfully.”
A Reference list, including the commissions is available from the FMSI sales team. Find your nearest sales contact via this site.


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Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania and its U.S. parent, Rhode Island-based RBS Citizens, have been fined a combined $10 million and ordered to pay $3.9 million in restitution to 340,000 customers for what regulators termed deceptive practices related to its overdraft protection program, checking rewards programs, and stop payment process for preauthorized recurring electronic fund transfers.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) said Tuesday it had reached a settlement with Citizens Bank, which it regulates, for violating the Federal Trade Commission Act. The bank, which is the third largest in the Philadelphia region by deposits, agreed to pay a $5 million and provide restitution of approximately $1.4 million to more than 75,000 affected consumers.
Citizens Bank is the third-largest financial institution in the Pittsburgh region, according to the 2013 Pittsburgh Business Times Book of Lists. It has 132 branches and about $6.8 billion in deposits in the region.
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), which regulates RBS Citizens, fined the company $5 million and ordered it to pay $2.5 million in restitution to 265,000 customers for the same violations. The OCC called the activity “a pattern of misconduct” when it announced the sanctions Tuesday.
Citizens Bank said Tuesday it would soon be releasing a statement regarding the regulatory orders.
The FDIC said by agreeing to the issuance of the order, Citizens does not admit or deny liability. But it said the Philadelphia-based bank engaged in deceptive practices in the marketing and implementation of the aforementioned products and services.
The FDIC and OCC said they coordinated their separate actions. Both regulatory orders require Citizens and RBS Citizens to correct the violations, ensure future compliance, and prepare and implement a comprehensive restitution plan for affected customers.
The OCC’s more extensive order against RBS Citizens, the U.S. banking arm for Royal Bank of Scotland, goes into much greater detail of the alleged misconduct, including:
• Before Aug. 15, 2010, some RBS Citizens employees attempted, on an ad hoc basis, to allow customers to opt out of standard overdraft protection practices, but did not disclose to these consumers certain technical limitations of the opt-out that prevented it from being effective for all transactions. Some customers that chose to opt out were charged overdraft fees as a result.
• Between at least May 2010 and July 2012, RBS Citizens distributed an overdraft opt-in notice to its customers that stated that the bank would charge a fee for “paid or returned” items to customers who opted in to its overdraft protection program, when in fact, the bank did not charge fees for certain items.
• Between September 2007 and September 2011, RBS Citizens’ written customer agreement for its savings account overdraft protection program did not disclose that the bank would not transfer funds from a customer’s savings account to cover overdrafts in a linked checking account if the savings account did not have funds to cover the entire overdrawn balance on a given day, even if the available funds would have covered one or more overdrawn items. Certain consumers were charged overdraft fees as a result of available savings funds not being transferred.
• RBS Citizens personal deposit account agreement stated that the bank would stop pre-authorized recurring electronic fund transfers at the customer’s request, if notice was given at least three business days before the payment was scheduled to be made. But the OCC said due to technical limitations that were not disclosed, it was unable to process such stop payments between at least Jan. 1, 2008, and August 1, 2010. Some consumers were charged overdraft fees as a result.
• Between October 2008 and September 2011, RBS Citizens’ checking reward program disclosures stated that its customers who have at least 10 eligible checking account transactions in a calendar month would receive rebates based on those transactions, without disclosing posting date requirements for those transactions. As a result, some consumers did not receive anticipated rewards.


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Shining a new light on screen printing: can creative coatings give traditional tech a brighter future?
Wednesday 06. October 2021 - With many print businesses taking a fresh look at market opportunities, reevaluating their strategies and redesigning their long-term roadmaps, could creative new coatings be the key to giving traditional technologies like screen printing a new lease of life - and giving printers a new set of tools to carve themselves out amongst competitors?
The past year has unquestionably been a universally challenging one throughout the print and packaging landscape, and appears to have summoned an era in which, ironically, change is the only certainty.
As spending patterns have made an irreversible shift, countless businesses have been forced to change direction, think outside the box and respond to a brand new industry landscape as it continues to unfold.
With the industry making a tentative recovery and competition increasing once again, the need for brand differentiation is paramount, driving demand for more creative and exciting packaging solutions. Fortunately, we are seeing the packaging world respond with innovation and ingenuity, finding new ways to reinvent traditional print forms with both functionality and creativity at the core.
ACTEGA has recognized the importance of high-quality finishes in screen printing and has significantly expanded its product range. A variety of coatings specifically developed for this process allow customers to combine the advantages of screen printing technology with unique and creative new solutions, ranging from the highest gloss to premium matte, soft/wet touch, sand effects and matte/gloss reliefs, among others.
By combining staple, proven technologies such as screen printing – which many brands rely upon for its substrate versatility, vivid colour reproduction and opaque whites, amongst other reasons – with high-quality finishing and impactful new effects, brands are able to venture beyond just aesthetics. The versatile finishes transform and elevate the consumer experience from simply visual to tactile, arguably one of the most effective ways to make packaging and print products stand out.
However, as a business who puts sustainability so firmly at its heart that it has achieved a 100% conversion to green electricity, a 50% reduction in water consumption and pledged a commitment to being completely carbon neutral by 2025, ACTEGA was naturally set on pushing the envelope further and innovating not only for more impressive finishing solutions, but for greener ones too. Where screen printing has traditionally just been associated with UV or solvent-based systems, ACTEGA’s portfolio now also includes water-based coatings, meaning the impressive range of effects can be teamed with critical eco-friendly capabilities.
Whilst this technology is relatively new to the screen printing industry, ACTEGA is already working with likeminded customers, such as German screen printing specialist, LackWerkstatt, to deliver these solutions to a number of pioneering brands. LackWerkstatt is the newest venture from Managing Director, Torsten Uhlig, who boasts over 30 years’ experience in the graphic arts industry and, much like ACTEGA, is committed to making screen printing more sustainable. “Naturally, every solution has its place within the market. However, the call to minimise plastic use and shift towards more eco-friendly solutions is huge, and rightly so, which is why we continually strive to find solutions that both open new doors creatively and lead us in the right direction environmentally,” explains Uhlig. “Working with ACTEGA, we have been able to find a diverse range of clever, impressive alternatives to standard coatings that can create visually similar effects, for example by adding pigments to water-based varnish. This means that we can foster real design creativity and allow brands the high-end, refined, luxury finish that they need to differentiate their products, but with critical environmental benefits too.”
Whilst LackWerkstatt is relatively new, the business is already making impressive strides in providing creative, impactful and sustainable print and packaging solutions to customers across Europe. With close proximity to ACTEGA, the two businesses have also been able to build a close, flourishing working relationship, enabling them to maximise ACTEGA’s expert manufacturing advice, share information and work together to continue improving customer experiences. “Many screen printers are not yet used to working with water-based coatings, whereas water-based production already accounts for around thirty percent of what we do here at LackWerkstatt, putting us in a strong position to drive the technology forward,” continues Uhlig. “In another year’s time, I’m hoping that water-based production will reach fifty percent of the business, or perhaps more. We are continually discovering new uses and capabilities of the technology, and there’s no doubt that we have a very exciting journey ahead.”
Like many longstanding staples of the print and packaging worlds, UV and solvent-based coatings still undoubtedly have their place in the current market and continue to form part of a robust portfolio for businesses. However as both environmental accountability and regulatory restrictions in print and packaging continue to rise, it seems only logical that the uptake of sustainable water-based coatings will continue to do the same, forming a key building block in the creation of a sustainable print landscape. Indeed, with three quarters of consumers now willing to pay more for sustainable packaging1, innovating for greener practices and solutions in print and packaging might eventually prove not only one of the greatest challenges of our time, but perhaps one of the greatest opportunities too – particularly when these environmental benefits also come hand in hand with a host of creative advantages and opportunities. With this clear vision in mind, ACTEGA is already looking for further routes towards making it a reality, with screen printing tests now underway with a bio-based coating from its ACTGreen Sustainable Coatings product line.
With the global market for packaging printing projected to grow from $352.1 billion to $433.4 billion from 2020 to 20252, and the demand for sustainable printing identified as a driving factor for growth3, there appears to be both an undeniable opportunity for the real, effectual progress in sustainable practice and also enormous potential for creativity and business growth – with screen printing sitting at the intersection of these. With pioneering organisations such as ACTEGA not only seeking to develop new materials and solutions to excite customers but also exploring ways in which these can transform traditional practices for the benefit of the environment and wider industry, the future of screen printing might perhaps appear to be brighter than expected – and certainly greener.
If you want to learn more about ACTEGA’s innovative product range, see printed samples and receive application advice, don’t miss our first ACTEGA FocusDay on 07 October 2021.


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29th September 2017
Early in September, David Seymour, New Zealand’s ACT Party leader urged the country to fix the tax loopholes allowed to commercial businesses run by charitable organisations. Because of their registration as charitable or not-for-profit trusts, these commercial companies have been exempted from paying income tax.
A Church behind a cereal maker
Weet-bix, a favorite breakfast cereal of New Zealanders, which is produced by Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing Company, was originally established in 1898 by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Its main purposes back then was to produce and promote healthy foods made from plants.
As the company has grown, they have never paid income tax. The reason behind this is that, legally, all of Sanitarium’s shares are owned by the New Zealand Conference Association, a registered charitable trust created by the church. In New Zealand, the church is exempted from paying income tax due to its charitable mission.
"I don’t know what their [Sanitarium's] purpose is. They would argue they do charitable stuff to the same value as what they would have paid in tax," Mr. Seymour said following the statement from a Sanitarium Spokesperson.
The company raised the point that if its tax condition were to be reviewed, the discussion should cover all non-profit and charitable organisations, i.e. Maori trusts, unions, lobby groups, environmental groups, and sporting clubs.
Giant holding company for charity
Apart from Weet-bix, there is also Ngāi Tahu Holdings whose main interests are in tourism, fisheries, property, and forestry. The company’s sole shareholder is Ngāi Tahu Charitable Trust, which is also registered as a charitable organisation and is therefore exempted from paying income tax.
In 2016 the holding company earned $210 million in net profit. However, only $4 million was distributed to the trust. It stated that the rest of the profit was used as a reinvestment into Ngāi Tahu Holdings Corporation.
Meanwhile, Seymour noted that it was the charitable tax loophole that enables Ngāi Tahu’s Go Bus business to have an advantage when bidding for the Auckland Transport bus contract.
Spilt business from charity
While Britain fixed the same kind of charitable tax loophole in the 1920’s, the ACT Party leader wishes that New Zealand does the same.
"People should be able to get a tax exemption for donating to charity, but when you’ve got those companies that are kind of like charity, kind of like a business, then it would make sense to split them," he said. He suggested that by splitting the organisations, a commercial side can then donate to its charitable side. And the commercial side can even claim the 33.33% tax credit as usually applied to all charitable donations.
To regulate part of the issue, New Zealand has passed laws that deal with companies trying to achieve charitable status, and around 527 groups have been rejected since 2014. One opinion from Dr. Michael Gousemett, of University of Canterbury, suggested that the loophole creates an issue when there is a business competition between a for-profit company and a charitable company with income tax exemption. The latter one always has a fiscal advantage, especially if that company is already running a successful commercial business.


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The milestone comes as consumer demands shift in favor of non-GMO and organic products, which has drawn farmers, major food companies and private equity investors to the organic market.
Tag Archives | data snapshot
David Widmar, agricultural economist at Purdue University, told Agri Investor that the difficulties US farmers will face in the upcoming 2017 season are likely setting in.
National Australia Bank expects cattle prices to fall further in 2017 due to softening demand abroad but is optimistic that weaker Australian dollar will help exports.
The latest ag economic survey from Purdue University and CME Group shows that producer optimism continues to climb further into record territory despite mixed views on commodities prices and limited confidence in farm financials.
Despite the strength in exports, the separate 2016 Farm Sector Income Report shows continued weakness.
Lower commodity prices could cause US farmland values to fall by as much as 20 percent by 2018, but the decline will not compare to the crisis of the 1980s.
US pistachio production fell in the last year as did demand in China, but Australia, the US and China stepped up almond and walnut production as Japanese, Chinese and European demand rose.
After VC investors flooded the agtech sector with a record $4.6bn in 2015, this year has seen a decline reflecting a broader slowdown in venture funding.
A USDA report shows gains in Southeast and Pacific cropland were outweighed by declines in the major grain-producing regions of the US.
US permanent cropland continues to outperform row crops, are also falling much more gradually.


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The co-founders of new podcast partnerships agency Just Add Joy have a simple but effective mission: they want to help brands fully utilise all the untapped potential in the podcast space.
Kate Mander and Dani Murphy set up their company in 2023 to challenge the status quo in the industry. With more than 20 years of combined experience – from working at Acast, Stylist, Wavemaker and Havas Media Network, among others – the duo is well equipped to push podcast collaborations to the next level.
- Kate Mander and Dani Murphy set up Just Add Joy to help brands get more out of podcast partnerships
- The duo has an average dwell time of more than 30 minutes for the campaigns they have worked on, and they have also organised live events that sold out within hours
- Key advice? Dare to be different, think beyond audio and create commercial content to be enjoyed, not just endured
- Podcasting will become more interactive and there’s a movement towards creators setting up their own networks
“Just Add Joy is a real call to action for the podcast industry,” Mander tells CORQ. The duo points out that only the top few percentages of podcast hosts make a sustainable income that allows them to work full-time on their shows. Additionally, brands aren’t yet utilising the influence and dedicated communities podcasts create. “I would like to see more competition. Because we’re one of few, if not the only, podcast partnership agency,” Murphy says.
Mander and Murphy highlight several ways brands can get more out of podcast partnerships. “What immediately springs to mind for me is not to think about podcasts as purely audio,” Mander says. Popular shows often bring with them live events, social media accounts, merchandise, fan groups and video content, for example. While a brand podcast collaboration might be grounded in audio, it can reach so much further.
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Daring to be different is another piece of advice from the founders. MailChimp’s partnership with the US podcast Serial, which started in 2014 before the format properly became mainstream, is one example of a risk that reaped rewards as Serial went on to become one of the most successful true crime shows of all time. Mander also highlights BrewDog’s collaboration with That Peter Crouch Podcast – “You can really tell that they have listened to the producers and the podcaster about their community,” she says. The partnership has included pub quizzes, live recordings and audio clips, which led up to the launch of a co-branded beer.
One of their own favourite campaigns is their work with Klarna, where they, for instance, teamed up with Kate Thornton’s White Wine Question Time and Vicky Pattison’s The Secret To… They created conversation cards designed to help make it easier to discuss financial issues – initially only for the podcasters to use. Some fans of the shows were also given the products, which resulted in a huge waiting list for the conversation cards. Klarna then turned it into a digital game with tens of thousands of plays. “People played it on Twitch, influencers played it – it became bigger than the podcasting,” Murphy says.
Murphy points out that premium and luxury brands rarely collaborate with podcasts, and that this is an area brands could see impressive results with. The founders also note that some brands have done incredible work in terms of podcast reach, but could now benefit from shifting to more in-depth, creative partnerships. “We’ve always challenged brands to be brave. That’s where the innovation is going to happen. That’s where we’re going to push the industry forward. And I can’t help speaking in sound bites, but that’s where the joy happens as well,” Mander says.
“This is a very valuable media”
The Just Add Joy founders believe commercial podcast content should be enjoyed, not just endured. “It’s very much our message to brands that this is a very valuable media, the dwell time is incredible. It’s not like you get that anywhere else, including TV,” Mander points out. The campaigns the Just Add Joy founders have worked on have an average dwell time of more than 30 minutes. They have also produced sponsored episodes that have performed better than regular instalments – as anyone in influencer marketing can tell you, this is no easy feat.
Several of the branded podcast events they have organised have sold out within just a few hours. This was the case with a live recording for Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware in partnership with Sainsbury’s. The event was only promoted through one social post, which demonstrates the engagement of a dedicated podcast audience. The supermarket had supported the show for a long period before the announcement, making it a natural development for the collaboration.
As for the future of podcasting? The Just Add Joy duo highlights creators setting up their own networks as a development to keep an eye on. Examples include US podcaster Alexandra Cooper of Call Her Daddy creating Unwell, and Jamie Laing with Jam Pot Productions. “Podcasters are now realising that they can do it themselves with the right team around them, and they want to work with strategic partners and advertisers that work with them in really meaningful ways,” Mander says. This mirrors the shift among social media creators as well, where more influencers are moving their content to paid subscription platforms such as Patreon and Substack. Others, such as YouTube collective Sidemen, are creating brand new platforms just for their content.
Murphy also points to Spotify’s autogenerated transcripts, which launched in 2023, as a notable shift. Adding text, images and links to shows allows for a more interactive experience, and is something Chinese podcast platforms have been doing for years already. Additionally, transcriptions and artificial intelligence open the door for easy translation of foreign shows. Virtual gifts, which can now be seen on TikTok, are also popular in China and could become part of the podcasting landscape around the globe, Murphy highlights. “The idea that podcasts are just an audio file is almost laughable now,” she says.
By Dina Zubi, CORQ news and features writer. Picture credit: Just Add Joy


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Obama says "Yes, we can" to hybrid Hummers
The military is very interested in electric power trains because they offer many advantages on the battlefield like shorter supply lines and quiet operation. Obama has also been a very big supporter of hybrids even calling for every single government car to be a plug-in hybrid when it becomes possible. While, technically, GM can hybridize their Hummers and celebrities like Paris Hilton are willing to voice support for such a plan, GM probably won't make a hybrid Hummer.
[Source: Wired News, ABC News]
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