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All major U.S. wireless providers now offer unlimited data deals, leaving Canada far behind
No major provider in Canada offers a true unlimited wireless data plan
The U.S. is in the midst of an unlimited data revolution. Its five largest cellular providers — AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular — all now offer phone plans with unlimited wireless data.
Prices range from $50 to $90 US a month, and there are some caveats. For example, you might not get high-definition video streaming. Also, data speeds can slow down after burning through 22 to 28 GB — still, that's a lot of data.
Meanwhile, in Canada no major provider offers a true unlimited deal. That's something that frustrates many Canadians, who have a growing appetite for it.
"At this point in 2017, now, we should totally have unlimited data plans," says Toronto cellphone customer Simon Connolly.
He pays $85 a month for a plan with 5 GB, and uses his data for everything from communicating to banking. Connolly works hard to avoid getting hit with pesky overage charges for exceeding his data limit.
"I can't really afford to go over," he says. "It sort of doesn't make any sense with people's usage patterns to be limiting [data] and charging so much."
More competition leads to unlimited plans
So how come the U.S. is now getting a wide selection of unlimited deals? Tech experts say consumers can thank stiff competition in a country that's home to numerous providers.
"It's such a hypercompetitive environment in the U.S.," says Rose Behar, a Toronto-based writer for the tech site MobileSyrup.
For example, shortly after T-Mobile unveiled an unlimited data deal in August, rival Sprint introduced its own version — at a cheaper price.
And the unlimited data wars began.
Competitor Verizon had previously run a commercial that tried to convince customers they didn't need unlimited plans.
"The majority of people pay for data they never use," stated the ad which extolled the virtues, instead, of its new 5GB deal for $55 US.
Then in February, Verizon suddenly changed its tune by launching its own unlimited plan — something it now claims customers want.
"We've been working tirelessly but quietly behind the scenes to deliver exactly what you've asked for," said Ronan Dunne, president of Verizon's wireless division, in a promotional video.
Days later, AT&T made the next move, announcing unlimited data deals for all customers. Previously it only offered the plan to its TV subscribers.
America's fifth largest carrier, U.S. Cellular, then followed in step with its own unlimited package.
Why not in Canada?
Meanwhile in Toronto, customer Connolly says he waits for the day he could sign up for a reasonably priced unlimited deal. "It would be amazing to see here."
So what about Canada? Freedom Mobile (formerly Wind) offers unlimited wireless deals in a somewhat limited fashion: once customers use up the amount they've paid for, they can use additional data at no cost — but at reduced speed. Rogers' discount brand, chatr mobile offers the same deal in select regions.
CBC News could only find one Canadian carrier offering a true unlimited deal to all customers — regional provider Manitoba Telecom Services. The phone plan starts at $75 a month, and data speeds slow down after a user burns through 15 GB. But Bell just bought the company so this deal may not last.
None of the big three in Canada — Bell, Rogers and Telus — offer unlimited wireless data plans.
In Canada's less competitive marketplace, providers aren't rushing to offer them because limiting data can be lucrative, says Behar. "Data overage charges have undoubtedly been a large source of revenue."
Of course, customers don't aim to exceed their limit and run up the bill. "But in the moment, when you really need the data, of course you'll pay for it," says Behar
CBC News asked the major players why they don't offer unlimited wireless plans.
Bell said that its customers already have plenty of options including plans with "generous" amounts of data. The company also said that the usage-based approach is needed to pay for the "tremendous costs" required to build high-speed broadband networks in Canada and manage the surge in mobile data use.
As for Rogers, "It just isn't feasible to offer unlimited plans," said spokesperson Andrew Garas in an email to CBC News. He added that the company offers customers tools to manage and monitor their data use.
Telus did not respond to our request for comment.
Coming to Canada someday?
Behar believes unlimited data deals will eventually come to Canada because consumers will demand it.
"One of the big three is going to say 'OK, we'll get ahead of this and we'll launch it,'" she says.
But she warns Canadians not to get too excited. She believes unlimited plans here will be more costly than in the U.S. and could include some major restrictions. In other words, they could make Connolly's $85 5GB deal sound like the better option.
"I think that when it happens, it's not going to be all we dreamed of," says Behar.


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SPRINGFIELD, Ore. - Oregon has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. Now one Lane County company is providing hundreds of new jobs in a tough economy.
It's not the final answer, but the travel and cruise industry is helping "anchor" a jobs comeback in Lane County. The good news is unfolding at Royal Caribbean in Springfield.
"That brings that balance to $1390.41," the friendly new call taker said over the phone on Thursday.
On the other end was another satisfied customer at the expanding Royal Caribbean call center. They're looking for 140 new employees to go through training between now and November 1st.
In total the expansion has brought a 60% addition to the Springfield call center from 2 years ago. Total staff at the center tops 600, with more coming to port.
Trade support director Rita Stolze says the slowly improving economy is just part of the story.
"We are really transitioning some jobs to this market, so we can fill up the building and utilize this fabulous facility as well," explained Stolze.
Across town at the Chamber of Commerce, director Dan Egan remembers another chapter in the Royal Caribbean's history.
"We were kind of worried that there would be no Royal Caribbean in Springfield." Egan said.
These were fears business leaders had during the depths of the recession--but Egan said the call center is now a big assist for economic development.
"Just being known that there is a Symantec and there is a Royal Caribbean in Springfield gives confidence to other businesses saying, well, if they came here, there must have been a good
reason for them to look at Springfield," explained Egan.
Like the wave-shaped roof at Royal Caribbean, this rising tide of new hires is happening at exactly the right time as the company heads into the busiest time of the year. In the cruise business they call it "the wave."
"Yes--that's the time. Our wave season generally runs from January to March
or April, right in that time frame." said Barbara Otonicar in the H-R department at Royal.
All in all--steering the course for a local economy that needs a little extra steam. As more customers book cruises, Royal Caribbean wants to build the staff up to 900 at the call center.

domain: news


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NEW YORK — October 19, 2018 — We are thrilled to announce that our firm has completed 250 successful transactions since inception with the sale, earlier this week, of Social Tables to Vista Equity-backed Cvent and the sale of Barcelona-based Zhilabs to Samsung.
Over the last twelve months, Mooreland advised on a total of 26 sellside M&A, buyside M&A and financing transactions in the global technology ecosystem. Over half of these transactions involved a company sale to a private equity fund or a private equity backed strategic acquirer.
2018 also marks the 15th anniversary of the founding of our firm in 2003. We have grown to an organization of close to 60 professionals operating out of Silicon Valley, New York, London and now also Frankfurt, advising clients in North America, Europe and Asia.
We would like to thank all our team members, our clients, the entrepreneurs, the private equity funds, the venture capital funds and other technology investors as well as the global technology companies, that have chosen to work with us over the past decade and a half.
We look forward to working with you on the next 250 transactions in the global technology and growth investment community.


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APRIL 12, 2004 -- The Wichita Eagle has editorialized against incentives to lure Bass Pro Shops to town: "Tax dollars should not be used to build a Bass Pro Shops store at WaterWalk. Wichita already is in the hotel business and subsidizes AirTran Airways. If businesses cannot compete on their own merits, they should not be in business."
adidas lost a legal battle vs the patent claims of a Hungarian shoe designer. The Budapest Municipal Court (FB) has overruled an attempt by adidas and adidas Budapest to eliminate a utility model) of a soccer shoe design by Hungarian inventor László Oroszi. A UM is an initial copyright, pending a patent registration. The court also ruled that Oroszi is the true owner of the concept now registered as a full-fledged patent backdating to October 14, 1996, which automatically replaced the UM. The backdating is valid for 18 European countries where the patent exists, while adidas has no such existing patent, said Oroszi. He turned to the FB last year requesting a review of why the Hungarian Patent Office had agreed to abolish his UM at adidas' request despite a patent was still pending. adidas' had asserted there was "nothing new or inventive" about his design. Oroszi has sued adidas, claiming his technology has appeared in the Predator Precision and Predator Mania shoes. He also claims Herbert Galocke, adidas' director of R&D, had publicly rejected his offer to sell the technology back in '98…JP Morgan Chase began coverage of adidas-Salomon with a neutral rating with a EUR98 target price. The analysts expect adidas-Salomon to post healthy results from 2H 2004. They are not optimistic that adidas can improve in US market share, however. Salomon and TaylorMade-adidas Golf are expected to diversify and expand product ranges during the current year, JP Morgan said. According to JP Morgan, a recovery in the US market and an increase in adidas-Salomon's market share in Europe and Asia are expected to drive the company's sales growth. Despite increasing competition from Nike in Europe, adidas-Salomon is expected to post healthy earnings growth in 2004, the analysts added. JP Morgan believes the stock offers limited upside potential in the near term. The EPS estimates for 2004, 2005 and 2006 are EUR7.4, EUR8.3 and EUR8.7, respectively. The P/E estimates for 2004, 2005 and 2006 are 13.1x, 11.6x and 11.1x, respectively.
Footstar seems likely to close its Gaffney, SC, distribution center. It is one of three the company operates. A closure would affect 212 jobs.
Sheels All Sports will open a 177,000-square-foot store in Omaha. The two-level store will feature a three-story, 12-car Ferris wheel inside. Scheels is also set to open their new store in West Des Moines at the new Jordan Creek Town Center on August 4. The Scheels All Sports in Des Moines will be the largest All Sports store with 179,000 square feet on two levels. The focal point of the new store will be a 65-foot American Oak tree created by Naturemaker, a Carlsbad, CA-based company that specializes in realistic tree sculptures. The tree will feature the changing foliage of a crisp, cool fall day in Iowa.
GSI Commerce is considering buying a 104,000-square-foot building that has sat vacant in King of Prussia, PA, for nearly three years.
DA Davidson initiated coverage of Nike with a buy rating. The target price is $91…Puma was rated overweight in initial coverage by JP Morgan Chase.


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Flip Up Seminaked And Desigual Clothes You
Arrive half-naked and get an outfit fully free. That was the pitch that received Singaporeans queuing up of their bikinis and broad shorts alongside Orchard Highway at the moment.
The Seminaked marketing campaign launched by Spanish style label Desigual to kick off their sale season noticed prospects queuing from as early as 11pm on Wednesday night time. The profitable publicity stunt began in 2005 and has been held all all over the world’s main cities like Tokyo, Paris and New York. That is the primary time that its occurring in Singapore.
Singaporeans appeared to have a superb time within the shops selecting out their model new outfit, heck it’s a sale.
The one distinction was maybe that it was much less of a celebration environment within the Singapore retailer regardless of the music. Most individuals within the retailer had been there solely for the freebies and never a lot for the enjoyable stunt.
The deejay appears able to get together.
The shoppers look prepared to buy.
Effectively least everybody had a blast anyway, plus Desigual simply launched its first ever profitable Seminaked get together.
Right here’s what a Desigual Seminaked get together appears like in Paris.


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The PS4 launched in the United States today, but it looks like it is already having issues with some customers. Not only that, but some media are having issues, with Kotaku's PS4 review stating that the first retail unit it received from Sony "didn't work", and Kotaku even said that editors also used "one pre-release PS4 and three retail PS4s with no problems".
Customers who had received the borked PS4s reported that the next-gen console didn't boot, with Reddit user 'arogon' winning a PS4 through Taco Bell, receiving a DOA PS4. Another user, 'yearsoflove' claimed to also receive a dead on arrival PS4, but a replacement was currently being shipped from Sony. But all is not lost, because Sony has your back.
President of Worldwide Studios, Shuhei Yoshida, tweeted earlier today: "Be assured we are investigating reported PS4 issues. The number is very small compared to shipped, we believe they are isolated incidents".
Global gaming PC manufacturer CyberPower Inc. is now working with EVGA and are now offering mini-ITX based gaming rigs that come in a compact liquid-cooled chassis. The Hadron Hydro is designed for users that want power and space for their gaming hardware along with liquid-cooling for your GPU and CPU in a compact package. The chassis of the Hadron Hydro is 6.6" wide x 13.7" high and 12.1" deep and only 1.7" taller than the Hadron Air.
It features the same minimalist look on the front panel of the Hadron Air. The Hadron Hydro is powered by a 500 watt gold rated power supply, the Hydro can accommodate many Mini-ITX form factor motherboards including Intel's B85 to Z87 express chipsets, 4th generation IntelCore Haswell processors, and even full size GeForce GTX Titan video cards.
The water cooling kit features a 240mm radiator, high performance CPU block, stainless steel fittings, tubing, and coolant. You can choose from nine different top of the line Intel processors. Hadron Hydro has two 3.0 USB ports, support for slim slot optical drives, HD audio in/out, and two 2.5/3.5in drive bays.
When it comes to video cards designed for supercomputing, it does not get much better than AMDs new FirePro 10000 video card. The GPU features 12GB of RAM, and is optimized for use in big-data high-performance computing environments. Featuring full support for PCI Express 3.0 and the OpenCL compute programming language, this card is made for some serious number crunching.
"Our compute application customers asked for a solution that offers increased memory to support larger data sets as they create new products and services," said David Cummings, senior director and general manager, Professional Graphics, AMD. "In response, we're announcing the AMD FirePro S10000 12 GB Edition video card to meet that additional memory demand with support for OpenCL and high-end compute and graphics technologies.""
"AMD is proving again to be a key player in providing outstanding 3D graphics and GPGPU compute solutions based on the OpenCL Khronos Group standard for the industry with the announcement of the new AMD FirePro S10000 12 GB video card," said Nicolas Duny, VP R&D Technologies, Dassault Systèmes. "AMD is an industry innovator by responding to our customers' needs with cutting edge technology. The AMD FirePro S10000 12 GB card will be a welcome addition to the market and to our customers."
If you have ever wanted to visit the streets of Venice and be escorted through its historic waterways vis gondolier, then you do not have to wait any longer. Today Google rolled out a very extensive and thorough look at the city of love via its Street View service.
The tour through Venice not only hits the tourist highlights, but little visited areas of the city as well. Google utilized its Trekker backpack and Trike Street View imaging devices to capture the beautiful city in 360 degrees of glory. Head over to the source link below to visit places like Piazza San Marco and St. Marks' Cathedral, the Synagogue of the first Jewish Ghetto and even the Devil's Bridge in Torcello island.
"The narrow roads and bridges of Venice show off the need for the Trekker to bring imagery of more breathtaking places online for the world to see," a Google spokesperson said in an Interview. "Other pedestrian-only places we could take the Trekker include hiking in the natural forests and climbing the steps of ancient temples and castles."
Coin is made by a company that is based in San Francisco. It looks like a credit card but can store up to eight different cards that can either be debit, credit, gift or even membership cards. Coin uses an app and a card reader adapter for your smartphone to input all your cards into one. It uses a magnetic strip on the back much like a regular card but with a press of a button it can cycle through your cards and change the strip. Coin detects if you get certain distance away from it and will tell your smartphone with an alert sound if you accidentally leave it behind. It does this using Bluetooth Low Energy, which is the same thing used in most smartwatches and fitness tracking devices. The device does not have a changeable or rechargeable battery, but the battery in the Coin lasts two years and at that point you replace the unit.
Coin isn't available yet, but you can get your hands on one next summer. The company has started a campaign through their site and is looking to raise $50,000. At launch it'll be available for $100 but early backers can get them for $50.
Now when users utilize Google Voice Commands, their Android phone may talk back to them. In a recent Google Now update, the company has added conversational voice commands that react to user commands and queries much like Apple's Siri does. Users can give their device a verbal command such as "Send a text message," and the phone will ask who to send the message to.
The service is quite handy, but it is not completely hands free yet, as it will not read search phrases back to you like Siri does, This update greatly improves the voice command functionality on Android, and after trying it out for myself, I have to say that I like it. For now the update only affects Android phones, but it is safe to assume that Google will roll it out with search features on the iPhone eventually.
Bluetooth 4.0 is just more than an a better way to connect wirelessly, it is also a energy saving revision of the popular wireless communication protocol. Bluetooth 4.0 is designed to consume less energy when at idle as well as while in use, and this is an important feature for today's power-hungry smartphones.
A few of Nokia's Lumia Smartphones feature Bluetooth 4.0, including the Lumia 520, 620, 625, and 720. Bluetooth 4.0 came to those devices in the recent Amber Update package. Unfortunately other Lumia devices running Windows Phone 8, did not receive the Bluetooth 4.0 update and Nokia is now planning to fix that.
A new "Black" update is on its way to Windows Phone 8 Lumia devices and as soon as it arrives, Nokia says that all WP8 Lumia phones will be updated to support Bluetooth 4.0. It is unknown as to when the "Black" update will arrive, but if the company is releasing information on it already, we can not help be believe that it will be arriving soon.
Verizon announced today that it has lowered the price of any Motorola Moto X phone that is customized using the companys Moto Maker tool. The new lowered price of a customized Moto X will be just $49 which is a 50-percent price drop over its normal $99 retail price at Verizon.
The Moto Maker customization tool has only been at Verizon for just a few days now, and with the recent release of the new budget friendly Moto G from Motorola, Verizon is looking to attract more customers to the more powerful Moto X. There is no discount code to enter, nor no coupon code line to click on. Verizon customers can simply head to the Moto Maker app on Verizon's website, customize their Moto X and then check out at a price of $49. The promotion only last until November 18th so do not hesitate or you will miss it.
Yesterday I reported on breaking news that Google and HP ordered the immediate suspension and shipping of all Chromebook 11 models in the US. The news was first broke by The Verge who received a tip from an insider at Best Buy, which ordered all of its stores to cease all Chromebook 11 sales and shipments immediately.
Today we are learning just what caused the Chromebook 11 sales to stop so abruptly. Yesterday Google and HP made a joint decision to pull the $279 Chromebook from retail shelves after it began receiving reports of the devices charging brick overheating. Google and HP have launched an investigation into the issue and are working with the Consumer Product Safety Commission to identify the best way to correct the faulty chargers. Google and HP will issue a statement and contact customers when a solution is found.
Sapphire Technology has just announced that it will bundle vouchers for the hit first person shooter, Battlefield 4, with several of its AMD Radeon R-Series video cards. Originally only Sapphires flagship, the R9 290X was bundled with the voucher, but now products from Sapphires Dual X line will include the voucher as well.
Participating cards include the R9 290X, R9 290, R9 280X Dual-X, R9 280 Dual-X, R9 270x Dual-X, and R9 270 Dual-X. Sapphires Dual-X technology features an exclusive dual heat extraction technology that utilizes a highly efficient cooler and graduated heat pipes along with dual aerofoil section fans. This combination delivers great performance with an exceptionally low-noise experience.
Sapphire says that the Battlefield 4 vouchers will be available in the above listed cars beginning now, and will be available at existing retailers that sell Sapphire products. With Battlefield 4 retailing for $60 alone, this is an excellent deal for anyone looking to upgrade their PC and pick up this seasons best shooter.


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With factors like manpower crunch, rising cost of ingredients, and difficult customers, life in F&B is definitely no walk in the park.
To top it all off, vendors also have to deal with hefty rental costs too.
And for some of them at this year’s Geylang Serai Ramadan Bazaar — which runs from March 17 to April 21 — their rentals can go up to a painful $18,000 a month.
Speaking out about this in a Facebook post on Tuesday (March 21), Makansutra founder KF Seetoh said this is “easily the world’s most expensive pasar malam stall”.
He also pointed out that despite the high monthly rental, the stall offers an “unproportionately (disproportionately) cheap menu”.
“Even top pop-up markets in prime time New York or Los Angeles cannot hold a candle to this,” he remarked, adding that this rental justifies our “world’s most expensive city reputation”.
KF Seetoh currently runs Urban Hawker food hall in New York, which features a variety of Singaporean cuisines.
As a comparison, the Nasi Ambeng stall in Urban Hawker in New York commands a monthly rent of US$10,000 (S$13,000), reported Berita Harian.
From $10k to $18k rent
Rental at the Geylang Serai Ramadan bazaar hasn’t always been this high.
In fact, a few years back, it was almost half the price.
In an interview with CNA on March 21, Stephen Suriyah, founder of The Original Vadai, shared that eight years ago, he paid between $8,000 to $10,000 for a stall space.
Today, a similar lot will cost him a whopping $18,000.
He would know better as his stall has been a regular fixture at the bazaar for the past 30 years.
In hopes of turning around a profit, Stephen has increased his prices by 10 cents across all five of his stalls at the bazaar.
According to The Original Vadai’s website, one chilli vadai costs $1.20, while a prawn vadai costs $1.30.
Empty stalls, even in high-demand spots
Apart from that, Stephen noted that this year, there are plenty of empty stalls — even along one of the main stretches in the bazaar.
“I’m also quite surprised. These are all the spots that actually get taken up really fast so you need to call the organisers to ‘chope’ your spot,” he said.
“But this year, that’s not the case, probably because of the high rental (costs). This year is one of the highest we’ve noticed.”
According to CNA, about a fifth of the stall units at the bazaar are still empty even though the bazaar started last Friday (March 17).
Out of the 900 stall spaces available for rent, around 200 units have not been taken up.
To fill the remaining units, the bazaar’s organisers are letting businesses who cannot afford to pay the rent in cash upfront to do so with a percentage of their sales after the event has ended.
Event organiser Mustaffa Shah explained to CNA: “For example, for every $10, we take $2 or $3, depending on the value of the shop space.”
He also revealed that the cost of setting up the bazaar came up to nearly $2.5 million this year.
ALSO READ: Exodus of 15 hawker stalls at Amoy Street Food Centre, high rental bids cited as main reason


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Here is an Op-ed of mine that ran earlier today in the Hill Times. The post below includes endnotes not in that article.
In his Hill Times Op-ed (Canadian copyright reform requires a fix on the fair dealing gap, Dec. 5, 2016) Michael Geist takes issue with the need to address the “value gap” that is hurting Canadian artists, writers, and other members of the creative class. He argues instead that Canada faces a need to address a “fair dealing gap” in our copyright laws. There is no such need and his arguments don’t withstand scrutiny.
Over 2000 Canadian creators have signed a joint letter to Heritage Minister Joly as part of a Focus On Creators coalition campaign lamenting a condition that has come to be recognized widely as a “value gap” and demanding that it be addressed.
The creators are concerned about what was recently described by Jonathan Taplin in an article in the New York Times as the “enormous reallocation of revenue” which “has taken place, with economic value moving from creators of content to owners of monopoly platforms” such as Google and Facebook which have “built their advertising businesses as ‘free riders’ on content made by others”.
Geist did not deny that there is a value gap. However, he summarily concluded that “the ’value gap’ has nothing to do with legislative change” (emphasis added). This is clearly wrong. Online providers of services such as YouTube and Facebook would unquestionably be liable for substantial copyright infringements but for the safe harbours established around the world including in the U.S. under the DMCA. These legislative exceptions – which were pushed for by technology companies precisely to limit their liabilities – have enabled technology companies to avoid paying licensing fees (or fair market value fees) for which they would otherwise have been liable.
Calls for the value gap to be addressed are coming from many quarters internationally. The U.S., for example, has been holding Congressional hearings on whether the safe harbours in the DMCA need to be changed. The drafters of the DMCA safe harbours law did not anticipate that technology platforms would build their businesses free riding on unlicensed content or the overly broad interpretation the U.S. courts have given the safe harbours that enabled this to happen.
In the EU, the European Commission has a Proposal for a Directive on Copyright. It includes provisions to make hosting providers like YouTube pay their fair share of royalties for music they make available. There is also a proposal for a new right for press publishers to authorize the uses of their publications to facilitate online licensing. The European Commission made it clear that rightsholders under current law “face difficulties when seeking to license their rights and be remunerated for the online distribution of their works”. It “is therefore necessary to guarantee that authors and rightholders receive a fair share of the value that is generated by the use of their works and other subject-matter.”
Calls to address the Value Gap in Canada came recently in a speech by Music Canada President Graham Henderson entitled “The Broken Promise of a Golden Age”. Geist inaccurately claimed that this speech criticized the WIPO Internet Treaties. However, there was no claim that the treaties or their implementation in Canada was unbalanced. The speech explained that the problem was with the quid pro quo for implementing the treaties. It started in the U.S. where technology companies insisted on the enactment of safe harbours from liability in return for implementation of the WIPO Treaties. This became a template implemented around the world – including in Canada – and “led to an unfair balance favouring technology companies” which in turn resulted in a “value gap” – a gross mismatch between the volume of content enjoyed by consumers and the revenues being returned to the creative community.
Geist claims that “the Canadian and U.S. digital copyright experiences…are very different”. He says “Canada did not implement the U.S. DMCA notice-and-takedown system nor grant safe harbours from liability in 1998.” “Rather, it ultimately gave the industry what it asked for”.
It is true that we didn’t modernize our copyright laws until 2012. But, when we did, the 2012 amendments included the same categories of safe harbours for network providers, hosting providers and search engines as exist under the DMCA, although the wording and conditions associated with each differ. The amendments resulted in the creation of new, broad exceptions, some without precedent anywhere.
Geist doesn’t say what “industry” got what “it asked for” in Canada. But, contrary to what Geist asserts, artists, writers, performers, publishers, copyright collectives and others in the creative class consistently opposed the broad exceptions enacted in 2012 as part of the quid pro quo for implementing the rights needed to ratify the treaties.
Geist used his inaccurate claim about imbalances in the treaties to argue for a change in Canada’s copyright protection for technological protection measures (TPMs), measures that were enacted in order to ratify the treaties and to support innovative digital business models. Geist says they are “among the most restrictive in the world and badly undermine the traditional copyright balance in the digital world”. He says there is a need for a fair dealing exception to address an imbalance.
Geist is wrong. The anti-circumvention prohibitions in our copyright law for TPMs are in line with those of our trading partners. In fact, they are less protective than the laws in many other countries, including the Member States of the European Union. Under EU law, Member States must prohibit the circumvention of access and copy control TPMs. Our law only prohibits circumvention of access control TPMs. Thus, it is permissible in Canada to circumvent a copy control TPM for fair dealing purposes, contrary to what Michael Geist suggests.
Geist also neglects to point out that Canadian law provides two safeguards unique in international law to ensure balance in our TPM laws. First, it permits the government to establish exceptions by regulation where a TPM could adversely affect the use of a work including where a TPM could adversely affect a fair dealing. Second, the government has the power by regulation to require the owner of a copyright to provide access to a work to a person who is entitled to the benefit of an exception where the copyright owner is not making it possible to exercise the exception.
These powers under our copyright laws are broader and more flexible than what exists anywhere else in the world. Thus, even if there was a problem, there would be no need for any legislative change to address it.
There is no need to re-open the copyright TPM provisions. There is a need, however, to address the value gap.
 The joint letter stated, in part:
The carefully designed laws and regulations of the 1990s were intended to ensure that both Canadian creators and technological innovators would benefit from digital developments. We hoped that new technology would enrich the cultural experiences for artists and consumers alike. Unfortunately, this has not happened. Instead, our work is increasingly used to monetize technology without adequately remunerating its creators. Income and profit from digital use of our work flow away from the creative class to a concentrated technology industry. Allowing this trend to continue will result in dramatically fewer Canadians being able to afford to “tell Canadian stories,” much less earn a reasonable living from doing so.
 See, Daniel Adrian Sanchez, Is YouTube Really Shortchanging Artists? A Look at Some Actual Data., ICMP The Value Gap, Luiz Augusto Buff, YouTube’s Value Gap, Jonathan Taplin, Forget AT&T. The Real Monopolies Are Google and Facebook, Rebecca Blake, The DMCA Notice: “Take Down” is Letting Down Artists, PlagiarismToday, Take Down and Stay Down – Rethinking the DMCA; European Commission Staff Working Documents – Impact Assessment (On the music industry problem: “Additional uncertainty arises from the question of whether specific service providers that store and give access to content uploaded by a third party can benefit from the hosting service provider status provided under the Directive 2000/31/EC437 (E-Commerce Directive-“ECD”). It is up to the courts to assess on a case by case basis whether a given service qualifies as a mere technical, automatic and passive hosting service provider. National courts have often found that user uploaded content services were covered by Article 14 ECD. However, in a number of recent cases, national courts have deemed such services to go beyond Article 14 ECD, highlighting the importance of protected content for the business models and the revenues of user uploaded content services. Consequences: The situation above has led to the situation where rightholders are confronted with large use of their content on user uploaded content services, have no or limited control over the use of their content, and fail (or have difficulties) to enter into agreements for the use of their content and obtain a remuneration.” On the problem of press publishers: “Press publishers have attempted to conclude licences with online service providers for uses of their content online, and sought to participate in the advertising revenues generated by their content on third parties’ websites. However, they have generally not managed to do so, despite the fact that these services often engage in copyright-relevant acts.”) On the problem for publishers, see, also, Hugh Stephens, The EU Digital Single Market and Publisher’s Rights: Protecting the Public Interest (“in many cases the bulk of online ad revenues are not going to those who generate the content but rather to commercial content aggregators who use snippets of content—headlines, key paragraphs, photos and images—lifted from news publications and organized into categories to attract readers.”); AAP Letter to President Elect Donald Trump (“Provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”), which Congress enacted in 1998 to encourage online availability of popular copyrighted works while promoting a balance of interests and cooperation between copyright owners and Internet service providers in dealing with online infringement of such works, wildly succeeded in encouraging such availability. However, the relevant DMCA provisions do not achieve that intended balance and cooperation due to numerous instances of judicial misapplication and the unanticipated appearance of service provider business models that foster, exploit and profit from online infringement by their users while offering only token compliance with the law.”) Piracy of copyright materials is also a major factor that contributes to widespread downloading and streaming of infringing content without compensation to copyright holders. See, for example, David Price, Sizing the Piracy Universe, NetNames Envisional, Sept.2013.
The practise of infringement is tenacious and persistent. Despite some discrete instances of success in limiting infringement, the piracy universe not only persists in attracting more users year on year but hungrily consumes increasing amounts of bandwidth.
The free and simple availability of copyrighted content through piracy ecosystems continues to drive the popularity of hundreds of web sites, the actions of hundreds of millions of internet users worldwide, and the consumption of thousands of petabytes of internet bandwidth. Users of piracy ecosystems, the number of internet users who regularly obtain infringing content, and the amount of bandwidth consumed by infringing uses of content all increased significantly between 2010 and 2013.
See also, Barry Sookman, Is unauthorized online copying theft and does it hurt creators?, Barry Sookman, Canada: online piracy a problem hurting artists, creators and the economy, Barry Sookman, IIC estimates global economic and social impacts of counterfeiting and piracy.
 Barry Sookman, An FAQ on TPMs, Copyright and Bill C-32, December 14, 2010, Barry Sookman Change and the Copyright Modernization Act, November 7, 2012.


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If you were at the 2016 Smart Kitchen Summit, you probably noticed a huge growth of smart kitchen startups in the space. From creating brand new smart appliances to printing 3D food to growing food inside your own kitchen, there are no shortages of companies trying to come up with the new big thing in kitchen tech. A few of those startups have made big waves in recent years, including smart oven maker June. The June Oven, which includes a unique heating architecture, HD camera and a built-in food thermometer, promises to take literally all the work out of cooking your food. It’s got built-in Wi-Fi and an app that lets you control, monitor and even see your food as it cooks. And after a half-year delay, the company announced it has begun shipping the $1500 appliance to its early backers.
June’s co-founders Matt Van Horn and Nikhil Bhogal debuted the oven in mid-2015 after leaving startup Path (both had solid resumes, including stints at startup that became Lyft and Apple). They were pretty secretive about what they were up to, and when they came out to debut their new concept for cooking, there was some skepticism. But they quickly pointed out that kitchen innovation had been stale -- Van Horn commenting, “there hasn’t been any real innovation in the kitchen since the 70s with the introduction of the microwave oven.” And maybe he was right -- looking around the kitchen today, we see products that might look sleeker, but basically function the same today as they did 30 or more years ago.
But what does the June Oven do that’s so unique -- and why does it cost $1500?
Unlike the majority of other early attempts at smart kitchen devices, June’s Intelligent Oven goes beyond connectivity and app control and puts a heavy focus on artificial intelligence (AI) to help consumers cook food. Powered by a quad-core NVIDIA processor, the oven’s Food ID technology uses an internal HD camera and AI software to identify the food and recommend multi-step cook programs. Once programmed, the June oven kicks into guided cooking mode, monitoring and shifting cook modes based on internal temperature readings from the oven’s internal thermometer. The oven can currently recognize 25 food types and the company expects that to continue to grow.
And while some balked at the hefty price tag for what looks like a countertop toaster oven, investors have flocked to the company, helping June raise a Series A round of $22.5 million in early 2016. In many ways, June is attempting to replace more than just your dumb oven sitting against the wall. It’s trying to replace your microwave, toaster oven and even your cookbook.
Initially targeted to ship in spring, the company said the delay was due to updates to the heating mechanisms and materials. The delays may have been worth it, as early reviews of the product seem positive, important in a market that is likely to become much more crowded in the coming year. For now, however, June is the first truly AI-powered smart oven available to consumers.


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Fragrance giant Inter Parfums has reported a strong 2021 with a 23% sales rise and surging earnings compared to 2019. Net sales reached $879.5m last year while the gross margin rose to 63% from 2019’s 62%.
The Council of Fashion Designers of America has released its official New York Fashion Week lineup for February, which sees a host of new and big-name designers set to showcase their latest collections in the Big Apple.
If any fashion house has got its act together in this pandemic, it has to be Anna Sui, who unveiled another swish, upbeat collection and charming video on Tuesday morning, the halfway point of New York Fashion Week.
When many women finally get their wish post-Covid to spend half their lives in the charm of the countryside with all sorts of witty and stylish pals, Anna Sui’s latest collection is what many of them will be wearing.


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Wendy's Co. reported revenue that fell less than expected in the second quarter as the fast-food chain continues to unload company-owned restaurants.
Like many other restaurant chains, including McDonald's Corp. and Burger King, a unit of Restaurant Brands International Inc., Wendy's has sought a more stable cash flow and higher profits by selling off its company-owned restaurants to franchisees.
Wendy's said Wednesday that its plan to reduce ownership of company-operated restaurants to about 5% of the overall total remains on schedule. In 2017, the first full year after it expects to complete its restaurant sales, 80% of Wendy's earnings will come from franchisees' royalty and rental fees.
Revenue fell 3.2% to $489.5 million in the quarter ended June 28 because of the ownership of 141 fewer company-operated restaurants in the period.
Chief Executive Emil Brolick told investors that franchisees are experiencing wage pressure in markets where lawmakers have passed minimum-wage increases and that "there's a war on talent" in certain places, which has forced franchisees to raise wages in some cities.
In places like New York, where the state's fast-food wage board last month recommended raising the minimum wage for the industry to $15 an hour by 2021, Mr. Brolick said, franchisees are likely to reduce staff, cut workers' hours and make other cost reductions. He said raising menu prices isn't likely to be enough to offset the wage increases.
In the quarter, Wendy's posted a profit of $40.2 million, or 11 cents a share, compared with a year-earlier profit of $29 million, or 8 cents a share. Excluding certain items, earnings were 8 cents a share, down from 9 cents a share a year earlier. Analysts had expected earnings on a per-share basis of 9 cents on revenue of $486 million.
In North America, same-restaurant sales increased 2.2%, beating analysts' expectations of a 1.6% increase. For the year, the company said it now expects higher adjusted earnings but slowing same-restaurant sales.
Wendy's shares were up 1.8% at $10.47 in midmorning trading.
Wendy's has been struggling to identity the right price points to attract cost-conscious consumers. Mr. Brolick said the company is seeing a shift in consumers seeking bundled meals in the $4 to $6 range and that the company is currently testing some value promotions that it expects to pay off in the fourth quarter. "We know that our 'Right Price, Right Size' menu alone is not a sufficient value proposition to consistently attract the contemporary value-seeking consumer," Mr. Brolick said.
Mr. Brolick also announced that the Dublin, Ohio, company planned to repurchase $165 million in stock, in addition to the $850 million of shares recently acquired.
Wendy's is projecting adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of between $385 million and $390 million, up from its previous range of $375 million to $385 million. However, it sees sales at restaurants opened at least 15 months rising 2% to 2.5%, below its earlier outlook for growth of 2.5% to 3%.
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The focus at OMMA Mobile, and at OMMA in general this week, has been advertising, and what it encompasses when “native” is the adjective preceding it. That was especially true at OMMA Mobile on Wednesday.
But one presenter talked about mobile from the functional application perspective. There is perhaps no sector where that question is a bigger issue than in personal banking. Melissa Stevens, director, global Internet and mobile banking program at Citi Connections, pointed out that once upon a time people picked their banks for proximity and person-to-person connection: can I get there in 10 minutes and does the person across the counter know who I am? “Now, people are choosing their banks for the online banking experience they provide,” she said.
Banking, she added, is becoming app-centric and most 18- to-34-year-olds favor the quality of mobile banking over access. Citi -- which is in 36 markets globally, with banking apps in 31 of those markets -- is seeing a huge growth curve in their use, per Stevens. "Fifty-nine percent of our customers are using mobile today versus 22% in 2012. I wouldn't be surprised to see that go over 70% next year," she said. "And the bar isn't just ease of access, it's how do we holistically address how customers are interfacing with the bank and what their needs are."
She said when the company launched its first downloadable app in 2007, consumer expectations were that this was a way to access account information. Now, she said, people are opening accounts on their devices. "At the core, people want to get something done on the go."
In February this year, the company relaunched the mobile app and a significant addition to a new platform was push notification about one's account requirements, activity, etc. It also introduced a new level of ease of access to information, including users' ability, through a feature called Citi Mobile Snapshot, to see balances and account activity without having to log in.
"It has to start with the needs and expectations of customers. It's about channel of choice. Optimize form factors and the interaction points for the life you lead," she said.
To test the app, the company did something unusual for the banking sector: it launched it in beta in California and then did market research, probing users about what worked and what didn't. "Today," says Stevens, "we are launching nationally to every customer in the country. We have refined the communication and enrollment flow and now can put it out to everyone."
The company, she said, is also addressing a typical bugbear of service providers, retail banking or otherwise: data convergence. "The consumer expectation is that because we have their information, everything is connected across the channels." This means, in practical terms, a customer shouldn't be speaking with a service rep one minute, live or on the phone, then, after going to another channel to address the same action or problem, finding him or herself having to digitally introduce him or herself all over again about the same subject. "Connectivity across channels -- thinking about what customer is actually doing is our focus," she said.
Citi is also building out technology flexibility to enable nimbleness, because while app adoption rates after launch can be glorious, they can drop as quickly as a bowling ball in a trash chute if there are bugs. "Five years ago, we wouldn't be talking as much about mobile. It's really a different place, and we have to adapt because while people adopt apps quickly, they drop them quickly, too."


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After several weeks of speculation, we’ve finally received confirmation: Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) is, in fact, launching the new Toyota Corolla Cross here in our market. The Japanese carmaker has just sent us the official invite for the launch event that’s scheduled for August 20, 2020.
It certainly comes as exciting news, considering how the Corolla Cross made its global debut in Thailand just a little over a month ago. Is our market blessed? We’d like to think so.
To get you even more excited about the launch, TMP has also confirmed that the hybrid model will be made available here on our shores as well. “There’s a new hybrid in town,” read TMP’s teaser from last week. Look:
TMP, however, has yet to provide any further details about the Corolla Cross apart from the official launch date. That said, we already have some guesses as to what’ll be under its hood. It only debuted with two powertrains—a gasoline and a hybrid—both of which we’re expecting to be made available here.
The hybrid setup features a 1.8-liter powertrain combined with an electric motor mated to an electric CVT, which boasts a total system output of 120hp. The gasoline setup, on the other hand, is comprised of a 1.8-liter petrol mill that generates 138hp and 177Nm of torque, also paired to a CVT. Both variants are front-wheel drive.
No details on pricing were provided, either, but we did mention in our previous story that the hybrid Corolla Cross could be priced at P1,650,000 and the petrol-powered variant at P1,285,000. And similar to the other launches that TMP hosted just recently—the new Wigo and Vios, to be exact—it will also be holding a public online launch shortly after the media event. If you’ve been anticipating the Corolla Cross’ arrival, we suggest you mark your calendars.


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De Beers has announced the 2015 Forward Contract Sales (FCS) programme for its Auction Sales business. As a result of customer feedback, the new programme includes a number of changes from the programme first launched in 2014.
The company said revealed that in response to customer demand for greater availability of Forward Contracts in the first half of the year and for increased range and quantity of products, a single FCS event will take place in March 2015.
At the event, registered customers will have the opportunity to bid for future supply of a wider range of products (from the +2 Cts, Grainers and Smalls categories), available in multiple-unit volumes and over one, two, three and four-cycle contract durations.
FCS was launched in 2014 in response to feedback from customers seeking either to lock in short-term security of supply that spot sales cannot provide, or to complement their existing long-term supply contracts. They allow buyers to bid on all future contracts offered, or any combination, and to bid for the volumes of products they require in each contract. This allows buyers the flexibility to construct their own bespoke supply contracts.
“FCS got off to a successful start in 2014 with over 300 contracts sold and customers demonstrating a willingness to pay a premium for short-term security of supply. This year, in response to customer feedback, a wider range of products will be made available including some of our +2ct products for the first time,” Neil Ventura, De Beers’ Executive Vice President of Auction Sales said.
“Furthermore, the one-off set of FCS auctions will provide our customers with a highly convenient way to secure the products they require for delivery in any one of the four cycles between March and July, or any combination of these delivery periods that suit their needs.”
Customers with a track record of demonstrated demand in the products being offered for sale will be notified and provided the full details in due course. Any customers new to Auction Sales or yet to participate in FCS can find out more via their account managers.


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Alex Wong/Getty Images
A series of trade restrictions imposed by the Chinese government within China, including administrative controls, requirements to transfer sophisticated technology, state subsidies to favored domestic companies and so-called indigenous laws meant to favor homegrown businesses, have angered many American manufacturing and high-tech companies, which are rapidly finding themselves cut out of the world’s fastest growing market.
The result is that the two countries have to resolve a wider range of economic tensions, including what American multinational corporations see as a deteriorating environment for investing and making money in what has become the world’s second largest economy.
So it is no longer just a fight over cheap Chinese textile, electronic and toy imports. China won that battle years ago. Now the question — reminiscent of trade tensions with Japan in the 1980s — is whether General Electric and Microsoft and other American companies that dearly want to expand into China’s rapidly expanding markets will find themselves beaten at their own game by Chinese companies, backed by the Chinese government, “competing at every point in the technology spectrum,” said Eswar Shanker Prasad, a former economist with the International Monetary Fund who now teaches trade policy at Cornell University.
Myron Brilliant, a senior vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said, “It’s no longer just a question of Nucor complaining about dumping,” referring to the American steel manufacturing company that has accused China of selling steel fasteners and bolts at below-market prices abroad. “Those concerns may not be going away, but the noise out there now has additional voices. The voices are not just low-cost products coming here; the competition is about China’s marketplace.”
For Mr. Obama, the shift gives him stronger backing from American businesses for a tougher approach to China when he sits down with Mr. Hu. The Chinese president arrived in Washington on Tuesday afternoon for two full days of high-level meetings that began with a private dinner at the White House on Tuesday evening.
“The business community has historically been the bastion of support for the U.S.-China relationship,” said Michael Froman, the deputy national security adviser for international economic affairs, in an interview. “Now that support is more qualified.” Mr. Froman said that Mr. Obama and American officials would be “underscoring the importance of addressing these issues if we’re going to have a level playing field.”
American companies have always had a love-hate relationship with China — with the manufacturing companies in the South and steel companies in the Midwest urging the government to take tough action against China, and advanced manufacturers and high-tech companies that want access to the Chinese marketplace pressing for a more conciliatory tone.
Now, both sides seem to want the administration to get tough. Last year, Jeffrey R. Immelt of G.E. complained to a meeting of business leaders in Rome that it was getting harder for foreign companies to do business in China, and he expressed a growing irritation that China was protecting its own national companies at the detriment of American companies.
Google last March moved its Chinese service out of mainland China to avoid censorship rules. The American Chamber of Commerce in Beijing has also complained that is members are facing an increasingly difficult regulatory environment.
Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner signaled the Obama administration’s stance in a speech last week, when he said that the United States would grant China more access to high-tech American products and expand trade and investment opportunities within the United States only if China opened its own domestic market to American products. That push for market access, administration officials said, will be at the top of Mr. Obama’s agenda with Mr. Hu, both during their one-on-one meetings and when they meet with the business leaders.
American multinational corporations, experts said, are hurt by Chinese regulations that openly favor Chinese companies over foreign ones for government contracts. These rules, which are intended to stimulate technological innovation in China, have the effect of cutting American and other non-Chinese companies out of many of the big contracts there.
“U.S. companies have issues with China in many different business sectors,” said John Frisbie, president of the U.S.-China Business Council in Washington. “But if I were to point to one single issue over the last year, it has been China’s innovation policies and how they link to government procurement.”


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Nearly 70% of Minority Business Owners Fear Omicron Will Hurt Their Business
The COVID-19 Omicron variant is punishing small businesses across America, including those run by Black entrepreneurs.
A fresh Alignable’s Omicron Pulse Poll shows that 69% of minority business owners are worried that the latest variant will affect their recovery and could hurt their business. That was the highest rate out of four different business segments surveyed.
Minority businesses are not the only ones expressing concerns; 52% of women small business owners—or most of those firms—have similar sentiments.
An online referral network for small businesses, Alignable’s poll last month of 5,632 small business owners reveals overall that 44% of small businesses are concerned about Omicron hurting their economic recovery, which was already challenging before the most recent poll. The latest figures show that minority businesses fear being hit harder by Omicron than some of their small business peers.
Black proprietors are usually hit harder than their counterparts by sudden or expected events. For instance, Black-owned businesses are 20% less likely than their White peers to get a loan from a large bank. Any emerging problems can potentially make matters worse.
Ownership rates for Black-owned businesses fell 41% between February and April 2020, based on a U.S. House Small Business Committee report. That was the greatest decline of any racial group. Furthermore, some 53% of Black business owners have seen revenues fall by 50% or more since COVID-19 became a widespread concern, versus just 37% of White business owners.
Despite the new fears, 43% of small business owners report Omicron does not worry them. Some 10% indicated they don’t know enough about it to decide if it’s a threat or not. Many who are not concerned and run entirely digital businesses report they are “sick and tired of worrying about COVID.”
Asked what actions they are taking to get ready for Omicron, 40% of small business owners disclosed they are boosting basic safety procedures. They consist of wearing masks and urging people to stay six feet apart again. Additionally, 24% said they’re not doing anything different, 23% said they’re getting a booster shot, and 21% report they are increasing marketing efforts for their businesses.


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Search results for "economy"
Indonesia's Largest Automotive Group Sees Production Recovering
... that the Coordinating Minister for Economy Airlangga Hartato hoped would increase ... cars. "In fact, if the economy recovers faster, vaccinations are effective ...
16 Mar 2021 | 11:35 AM
Museum MACAN Welcomes Back Visitors After Almost a Year of Closure
... -related closure. Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno recently gave ...
12 Mar 2021 | 07:14 PM
Gojek Joins Grab in State-Backed Digital Payment LinkAja
... wider impact on the Indonesian economy, especially for people who have ... would strengthen Indonesia’s digital economy. “As two leading national companies ...
10 Mar 2021 | 09:50 AM
Indonesia’s B2B Export Startup Lends Helping Hand to SMEs
... surpluses. Southeast Asia’s biggest economy booked $1.96 billion in ...
04 Mar 2021 | 01:48 PM
Bali Now Has Southeast Asia's First Covid Vaccination Drive-Thru
... with the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry, Health Ministry, and Bali ... to keep the wheel of economy turning." According to President of ... recovering the tourism and creative economy sector. [...] This is a concrete ...
28 Feb 2021 | 05:07 PM
Swiss to Provide $71.8m Grant for Indonesia's Economic Development
... more competitive, resilient, and equitable economy." Voting on Palm Oil The ...
26 Feb 2021 | 02:29 PM
Microsoft Follows Amazon to Build Its First Data Center in Indonesia
... would help the largest digital economy in Southeast Asia to ... train talents in the digital economy. "As a leading global ... Plate, said. Indonesia's digital economy would generate $124 billion in ... country to reach its digital economy potential. The government has ...
26 Feb 2021 | 10:40 AM
It's Never About Tesla Car Factory: Luhut
... in Southeast Asia's largest economy, which never includes a plan ...
25 Feb 2021 | 02:33 PM
Prabowo Tops Presidential Survey But No Dominant Figures Emerge
... . They include Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno, West Java ...
22 Feb 2021 | 04:29 PM
BI Bets on Record Low Rate, Zero Down Payment to Woo Consumers to Spend
... in Southeast Asia's largest economy. This was the first cut ... half of the country's economy, Bank Indonesia also relaxed the ... that could move the real economy," Sunarso said.
19 Feb 2021 | 03:01 AM
Indonesia Adds Pace to Covid Vaccination after Fresh Sinovac Shipment
Police Prepares Cross-Border Manhunt for Self-Proclaimed Prophet
Finance Minister Offers Insight into Massive Covid Relief Funds
This Could Be Us: India's Covid-19 2nd Wave Serves as a Warning for Indonesia
5.7-Magnitude Quake Hits Southwest Maluku
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Athletic apparel company lululemon and biotechnology company LanzaTech have teamed up to create what could be the world’s first yarn and fabric using recycled carbon emissions.
LanzaTech uses nature-based solutions to produce ethanol from waste carbon sources and is working with India Glycols Limited (IGL) and Far Eastern New Century to convert ethanol into polyester.
The process of capturing and recycling carbon before it is released to the atmosphere is an innovation that LanzaTech has brought to airlines, home care companies and now textile production.
By capturing industrial emissions and reusing the carbon to make yarn, the finished garments not only have a lower carbon footprint but ensure community pollution levels are reduced.
If these chemicals are made into new products such as textiles, once they reach the end of their life and become waste, they can be gasified and fermented by LanzaTech’s process.
The company believes recycling carbon is a fundamental element of the circular economy and with a lower carbon footprint, this innovation could transport lululemon’s products and the apparel industry.
Jennifer Holmgren, CEO, LanzaTech said: “We must radically change how we source, utilise and dispose of carbon. Carbon recycling enables companies like lululemon to continue to move away from virgin fossil resources, bring circularity to their products and achieve their climate change goals around carbon reduction. We call this being ‘CarbonSmart’.”
In October, lululemon released its first Impact Agenda, outlining its strategies to address critical social and environmental issues with 12 goals to drive progress and its partnership with LanzaTech is one of the many ways it is focused on bringing new technologies to the business.
Ted Dagnese, Chief Supply Chain Officer, lululemon added: “lululemon is committed to making products that are better in every way – building a healthier future for ourselves, for our communities and for our planet. We know sustainable innovation will play a key role in the future of retail and apparel and we are excited to be at the forefront of an innovative technology.
“Our partnership with LanzaTech will help lululemon deliver on our Impact Agenda goals to make 100% of our products with sustainable materials and end-of- use solutions, moving us toward a circular ecosystem by 2030.”


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Venison schedule rises continue, as the chilled season commences and industry plans to expand this business should improve returns at the farm gate.
Feeding animals for production to achieve early chilled venison targets is expensive, so margins for finishers need to be grown to allow this European game meat market to be met, and if the chilled season can be extended to better utilise all of the spring pasture, better margins will be achieved.
The weakening Euro is helpful in improving the competitiveness of this product, but on farm production levels need to be lifted as well, to ensure better profits.
Some more chilled lamb schedule price lifts this week, but frozen product demand is weak with price levels falling, as processors look to reduce stocks.
Lack of confidence remains in our two main markets of the UK and China, and although this week’s big fall in the currency will help, weak short term demand is the main issue.
Local trade lamb prices have lifted in the south as butchers compete in a market rapidly running out of supply, and saleyard prime lamb prices moved upwards after months of stagnant values.
Silver Fern Farms state they are on track to reduce their debt to $150million, as the announcement of the capital readjustment plan is awaited with interest.
They have also sold their share in a rendering partnership as they look to trim the operation to the bone, but plan to market and sell their meal and tallow through the existing operation.
More scanning results in Canterbury reveal areas gripped by the drought have seen a 25% reduction in conception, as these farmers feel the affects of the adverse weather.
Blue Sky Meats were fined heavily for effluent breaches in Southland, as regional councils ensure all businesses follow the resource consent laws to ensure our ground waters stay clean.
Last weeks south island auction saw a weaker currency help stimulate prices from the last north island sale, but prices were back from the previous southern sale in late June.
Indicator values are ahead 60-90c clean per kg on last year, and with a shortage of supply, some of which is climate induced, prospects look good to maintain these price levels.
Beef schedule prices lift again, even in the face of a record Australian drought enforced kill, but with herd rebuilding in that country due to start soon, the resulting reduced global supply, should ensure NZ’s bouyant beef prices should continue.
Beef contracts have reached $6/kg for supply in the spring, and reports suggest there is strong demand for dairy bull calves to rear.
Big lifts are also being seen in local trade beef schedules as winter supply shortages due to an early kill push the prices, and top saleyard prime steers have passed the $3/kg lwt mark.
AgResearch has developed a new skin test for TB that show less false positives than the present test, and if implemented will return big savings to the sector.
A new rural service provider has rebranded Elders to Carrfields, as it’s new owner looks to improve competition in the sector by providing a good range of rural services.
Many sheep and beef farmers will be concerned at the present poor prices in the dairy sector, as dairy support has been a valuable part of their farming systems and margins are sure to be trimmed as that sector looks for ways to survive.


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SALES DRIVEN BY PRICE GOUGING, PATENT THICKETS & PRICE HIKES
AbbVie’s eye-popping sales for Humira have been driven by a concerted strategy to block competition by building a patent thicket around the drug, and by consistently increasing the price of the drug.
- Humira was the #1 selling drug in the world with $21.2 billion in sales in 2022.
- Humira’s price almost doubled from 2012 to 2018 – from about $19,000 to $38,000.
- AbbVie has secured 166 patents total for Humira, with 94 percent of them filed after the drug’s initial FDA approval.
- Humira was first approved in 2002, meaning the drug has gone almost 20 years without any biosimilar competition.
- AbbVie has hiked the price of Humira each of the last five years – including at the start of 2023.
SIGNIFICANT COST TO PATIENTS, TAXPAYERS
AbbVie’s egregious tactics around Humira come at great expense to American patients and taxpayers.
- Price Hikes On Humira Were Not Supported By Clinical Evidence And Led To A More Than $1.8 Billion Increase In Unnecessary U.S. Drug Spending. Price hikes on AbbVie’s Humira were not supported by new clinical evidence and accounted for an unnecessary increase in U.S. drug spending of more than $1.8 billion from 2017-2018 according to ICER. (Arlene Weintraub, “AbbVie’s Humira, Roche’s Rituxan top ICER’s list of worst price- hike offenders,” FierceHealthcare, 10/8/2019)
- The Lack Of Biosimilar Competition To Humira In The U.S. Is Estimated To Cost American Payers And Taxpayers $14.4 Billion. According to I-MAK the lack of biosimilar competition to Humira in the U.S. is “estimated to cost American payers and taxpayers an excess of $14.4 billion.” (“Overpatented, Overpriced,” I-MAK, 10/1/2020)
- Sales Of Humira Plummeted Over 35 Percent In The First Year The Drug Faced Biosimilar Competition In International Markets. Sales of Humira dropped 35.2 percent in the first year after patent exclusivity expired in international markets — allowing more affordable biosimilar competitors to enter the market and drive down prices. Over the same period, U.S. sales of Humira climbed by 7.7 percent where AbbVie maintains monopoly status on the drug. (Zacks Equity Research, “AbbVie (ABBV) Beats Q2 Earnings and Revenues, Shares Up,” Yahoo Finance, 7/26/19)
- AbbVie’s CFO Boasted About The Company’s Patent Strategy In The U.S. In September 2018, AbbVie’s Chief Financial Officer Bill Chase boasted about extending Humira’s U.S. monopoly, even as more affordable competitors were brought to market in Europe, saying, “you’ve seen us execute very nicely with our legal strategy and the settlements around the U.S. events to delay the onset of [competition].” (Bob Herman, “AbbVie Boasts Of Extending Humira’s U.S. Monopoly,” Axios, 9/12/18)
- AbbVie has secured 166 patents total for Humira, with 94 percent of them filed after the drug’s initial FDA approval. (“Overpatented, Overpriced,” I-MAK, 01/24/23)
- The company derives 40 percent of its U.S. pharmaceutical revenue from Humira. (“Overpatented, Overpriced,” I-MAK, 01/24/23)
- Two-thirds of Humira’s U.S. sales came after the expiration of the primary patents on the drug. (“Overpatented, Overpriced,” I-MAK, 01/24/23)
- The drug will have brought in over $100 billion for the company by the time it first faces generic competition in the U.S. (“Overpatented, Overpriced,” I-MAK, 01/24/23)
PRICE HIKES & MASSIVE SALES
- AbbVie’s blockbuster arthritis drug Humira, notched the top spot for the world’s best-selling drug for a tenth straight year in 2022, reporting sales of $21.2 billion.
- AbbVie has hiked prices on 44 prescription drugs so far in 2023. This included an eight percent increase each on the company’s blockbuster autoimmune drug Humira.
- AbbVie also increased Humira’s price in 2022, 2021 and 2020.
- In 2022, Humira brought in more than $21 billion in revenue, more than all 32 NFL teams combined.
PAID FOR BY CAMPAIGN FOR SUSTAINABLE RX PRICING


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In an effort to protect online consumers, the government has recently made it rule for e-commerce companies from January 2018 to print not only the MRP on goods but also explain information like expiry date and customer care details.
A modification in this regard has been made to the Legal Metrology (Packaged commodities) Rules, 2011 by the consumer affairs ministry last month. Further, a six-month limit has been issued to the companies to obey with the new rule.
"Consumers deserve the same protection online as offline. At present, only MRP (maximum retail price) is printed on the goods sold online. We have asked the companies to declare additional details on the label," a senior official in the consumer affairs ministry said.
All along with MRP, the companies should also have to announce the manufacturing date, expiry date, net quantity, country of origin and consumer care details on the label, he said.
As per the official, sufficient time has been allotted to the companies for obeying with the new norms. From January 2018, it is been made a must that goods sold via e-commerce platform should have all these declarations else the companies will face severe action.
Also, it is been advised to the companies to make these declarations in bigger font size so that consumers can effortlessly read the same.
The changes come in the background of e-marketplaces posturing novel and multifaceted consumer guard issues with the ministry getting quite a few complaints as regard to information deficit on online products/goods.


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Hotel Indigo San Antonio at the Alamo is offering a novel promotion — letting guests booking two nights get one night free based on a coin toss.
Guests that book a two-night stay between Aug. 24 and Dec. 30, 2011 will receive a coin toss at check-in. If the guests win the coin toss, the 91-room upscale lifestyle hotel will comp the first night of their stay. The deal applies to rooms booked at the “Flip Ya For It” rate, which is the same as the hotel’s regular rate. It does not apply to rooms booked via third-party websites at discounted rates. This is the first time the hotel has individually offered such a steep discount deal since opening in April 2010.
“We’ve only been open a year, and we’re trying to create some traffic so that when guests come back, they stay here,” said Holly Evans, general manager at the hotel. “It’s just trying to create a buzz and make things more fun.”
While she did not have hard numbers projected, Evans said the potential loss of revenue from the deal could be made up by increased traffic both while the deal is on, during the slower part of the tourism season in San Antonio, and afterward as guests that enjoyed the hotel return to stay at it for future trips. The hotel is located in downtown San Antonio down the street from the Alamo.
“We’re hoping that the increase in occupancy will counteract the decrease in revenue. The increase in traffic ups your revenue from other outlets at the hotel like guests parking their car with the valet, eating at the hotel restaurant,” Evans said.
The idea for the promotion came from the hotel’s managing company TNJ Group of Companies, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Pranav Patel, TNJ’s vice president of operations, management division was at a bookstore/coffeeshop that was offering a free cup of coffee for customers if they won a coin toss, and Patel decided this could be applied to hotel rooms.
“If it’s a huge success, there will be others that follow in our footsteps,” Evans said. “We’re willing to take the gamble and be the guinea pig. It could go viral.”


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While content creators have been flooded with work recently, they've also had to contend with a flood of copycats. But lax legislation and hesitancy for creators to take action remain pending issues.
Users have complained that loss of accuracy may put off brand partners.
Instagram's latest offering aims squarely at YouTube. What do brands need to know about IGTV?
HONG KONG - Founded by media entrepreneur Ivy Wong, VS Media is Hong Kong's answer to Makers Studio and Thoughtful Media. The creator's network launched in Hong Kong last week. Read the linked articles below for background.
Top news, insights and analysis every weekday
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Cable warns independent Scotland will have expensive food and children's clothes
Who said politicians were scaremongerers? Not Vince Cable that’s for sure. Speaking in Glasgow yesterday, the Business Secretary refused to stoop so low when (presumably) canvassing for a No vote in a Scottish independence referendum.
What Cable did do, according to Scottish paper The Daily Record, is merely to warn Scots, out of a touching concern for their pockets, that if they chose to vote Yes, they could end up paying more for children’s clothes and food than if Scotland chose to remain within the comforting arms of the rest of the UK.
Not wanting to be seen “fishing for a headline that says ‘Alex Salmond will impose a new tax on children’s clothes’”, Mr Cable also threatened roaming charges on mobile phones, international stamp costs and increased costs for Scottish hauliers in a report he described as “positive and optimistic in tone”.
But does he have a point? Not that Alex Salmond is going to prioritise a school uniform tax, but there is an underlying issue to do with VAT. Children’s clothes and staple food items are zero-rated for VAT purposes in the UK, meaning the VAT on them is charged at a pocket-friendly 0%. However, under EU law, which governs VAT throughout the Union, the UK’s zero rate is actually not allowed, as countries are supposed to have just two rates, a standard rate (generally around 20%) and a lower rate for concessionary items. The UK zero-rating is only still here because it has been around so long, and the EU have so far turned a blind (ish) eye.
If Scotland were to become independent, it would need its own Revenue authority, and its own VAT rules, and as a new member, it may not be able to implement an outdated, non-sanctioned zero-rate. The implication is, therefore, that things like children’s clothes and food could, at best, be reduced rated, which assuming a 5% reduced rate, would make these things 5% more expensive.
The Daily Record produced a handy school uniform graphic (above) showing the extra 5% that could possibly in the middle distance future be levied on poor Scottish parents. We just want to know where they got school shoes for £10 from…


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Here is an article that was published in the Chico Enterprise Record. The article can be found at: http://www.chicoer.com/business/20150829/biz-bits-chico-gets-another-scuba-shop
You think of scuba shops being near the ocean, but there are opportunities for underwater investigation around here, says British-born Rich Astley, who just open Chico’s newest dive shop, Scuba Hut at The Esplanade and East Avenue, not far from Hula’s Barbecue.
Chico’s also centrally located to inland diving in local rivers or Lake Tahoe or Whiskeytown, but the ocean really isn’t that far away, he notes.
Astley and his wife, Debbie Nowling created the business. She’s a graduate of Chico State University and the couple wanted a safe place to raise their children. They met and lived on the island of Utila in Honduras, where they linked with a resort and the diving industry as instructors. They’ve been back in Chico about a year.
Stocked at Scuba Hut is equipment for rent or purchase for diving, snorkeling and other water sports. There are also diving lessons as well as CPR lessons. Astley believes that safety education never hurts.
The company also helps with dive trips back to Utila or anywhere in the U.S. or world. With access to a Chico pool, they can provide lessons here and then link students up with dive shops at their holiday destination. Astley is hoping to create a dive club as well. Details about the business are on its website, www.scubahut.org
Astley got into diving during a school-days trip to Australia, then continued on in England, which likely doesn’t have the most desirable diving conditions.


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While the world whets its appetite for the official details on the 2015 Ford Mustang, Chevy is aiming to steal a bit of that thunder, announcing the debut of the 2015 Corvette Z06, due next month at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show.
The Z06 will be the range-topper in the new Stingray line (for now, at least, until the supercharged/turbocharged versions arrive).
While stats and performance figures remain under wraps, we expect the new Z06 to pack as much as 600 horsepower from a V-8 engine of some sort--rumors include a twin-turbo 4.5-liter and normally aspirated 6.2-liter and 7.0-liter options.
Whatever comes of the C7 Corvette Z06's specs and stats, however, we fully expect it to be the best Corvette ever--the standard Stingray with the Z51 package is already darned close.
This article originally appeared


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8,600 Motel 6 have been retrofitted with occupancy sensors that cause the thermostat to readjust when guests go out.
A trial program has been rolled out at 650 hotels that aims to cut energy consumption by 25 percent.
450,000 incandescent bulbs have been replaced with compact fluorescent ones, and more than 250 hotels have earned an Energy Star efficiency label from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Lexington, Mass., is fully loaded with Energy Star appliances, LED lighting, and top-notch ventilation systems that saves enough energy annually to power 236 homes.
The company’s aim is to reduce water use by 10 percent by 2014. Already nearly 90 European properties have installed water-saving toilets, showerheads, and tap.
North American properties have “low-flow” showerheads (which use a maximum of 2.5 gallons of water per minute) and toilets (1.6 gallons of water per flush) which has reduce the chain’s overall water consumption by 3 percent.
Has added some 400,000 low-flow showerheads and toilets to all of its locations worldwide and they also buys 1 million towels annually that don’t require prewashing, conserving 6 million gallons of water each year.
All new Element hotels will have low-flow water fixtures in rooms and water-efficient landscaping saving up to 1 million gallons of water per year.
The company will only use key cards and shampoo and lotion containers made from recycled plastics.
140 Candlewood Suites properties donated old furniture and linens to local families following renovations — helping to cut back on landfill


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Five Takeaways from CHAMPS 2023
Handblown glass competitions, new product launches and an unparalleled counterculture legacy are what make CHAMPS one of the premiere B2B events. And the Las Vegas winter show is the proverbial jewel in the glittering crown of cannabis trade shows. CHAMPS 2023 ran from February 8-11, and while the temperature outside was cold, inside the glass-blowing competition was hot. Snoop Dogg with his new brand, Death Row Cannabis. PHOTO Dabsel Adams / CHAMPS Trade Shows Two thousand booths selling cannabis products, vapes, pipes and other consumption devices gave the 16,000 attendees plenty to look at. Celebrity guest appearances from Mike Tyson, Snoop Dog, Trailer Park Boys, several pro football players and pro wrestlers Rick Flair and Floyd May Weather Senior drew large crowds around their respective booths. One of the show’s enduring highlights, the Glass Games, attracted an impressive crowd, and over $100,000 in cash and prizes were awarded to the talented artists. Pipe Raider by California’s Adam Whobrey, otherwise known as Hoobs Glass, took home the coveted first place and $20,000 in prize money. A genuine sense of community among the vendors and attendees is a testament to the show’s longevity and continued relevance in today’s ever-changing industry. The overall atmosphere inside the Las Vegas Convention Center was fun, friendly and informative. “The love and comradery on the show floor was amazing,” said Jeff Hirschfeld, founder and owner of CHAMPS. “I had multiple retailer buyers tell me that CHAMPS Trade Shows have helped them keep their doors open and remain vibrant and profitable. It brought tears to my eyes!” Masters Finals winner “Pipe Raider” by Hoobs Glass. PHOTO D MiLL / CHAMPS Trade Shows Stand Out Brands from CHAMPS 2023 But the real MVPs of the 2023 Vegas CHAMPS were brands that are striving for true innovation and pushing legalization forward.…
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Source : Five Takeaways from CHAMPS 2023
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CHARLOTTE, NC -- Lance Inc. and Snyder's of Hanover Inc. announced the completion of their merger, first announced in July. [see story]
The new company, named Snyder's-Lance Inc., will maintain the stock ticker symbol "LNCE" with shares traded on the Nasdaq exchange.
The combined company's well-established portfolio of snack food brands will consist of pretzels, sandwich crackers, potato chips, cookies, tortilla chips and nuts under brands including Snyder's of Hanover, Lance, Cape Cod, Tom's, Jays, O-Ke-Doke, Stella D'oro, Krunchers! and Archway.
Officials said the merger gives Snyder's-Lance a national distribution footprint, including one of the largest direct store delivery networks in the U.S. The new company will compete against PepsiCo Inc.'s Frito-Lay in the salty snacks business.
"We expect to drive our business through the strength of nationwide distribution, national advertising, and an excellent portfolio of products and capabilities that consumers prefer," said Carl E. Lee Jr., president and chief operating officer of the combined company.


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iOS 16.4 Jailbreak Now Possible Thanks To Palera1n Update
iOS 16.4 jailbreak is now possible on select devices thanks to latest Palera1n update. Here’s everything you need to know.
Apple has only just made the first iOS 16.4 beta available to developers but that hasn’t stopped jailbreak developers from getting busy. Now, the Palera1n jailbreak has been updated to add support for iOS 16.4 as well as deal with a few fixes here and there.
The Palera1n jailbreak is compatible with all iPhones and iPads running older A11 Bionic and lower chips, but it’s also a semi-tethered jailbreak which means that it isn’t going to be for everyone. However, a new update does add support for Apple’s latest iOS 16.4 release even though it hasn’t yet been made public.
That of course isn’t the only change in this Palera1n version 1.4.2 release. There are other changes including various bug fixes and tweaks to other aspects of the jailbreak itself.
If you’re keen to install iOS 16.4, this is the jailbreak update you’ve been waiting for. But remember that you’ll need to have an iPhone X or older or one of the iPads running Apple’s A9 through A11 chips.
While jailbreaking isn’t as popular as it once was, there are still some who like to hack their iPhones and iPads. But for most, many of the reasons they previously jailbroke have now been dealt with by Apple including multitasking, widgets, and more.
If you do choose to go the jailbreak route, do remember that there are risks involved and make sure that you have all of your data backed up just in case.


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On Friday, Gannon and Benjamin, a Vineyard Haven shipyard that specializes in the construction and restoration of wooden vessels, celebrated the refit of the gaff-rigged schooner Calabash.
Shipwright and Gannon and Benjamin partner Brad Abbott refurbished Calabash for about a year and a half after it was acquired in Bermuda. The vessel happens to be the first schooner Gannon and Benjamin ever made. It was built in 1988 as the Lana and Harley for fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto, according to Nat Benjamin, the other partner in the shipyard.
“It had been languishing in Bermuda for about 25 years, and not cared for well at all,” Benjamin said. “And I went over and surveyed it a couple years ago, gave the owner news about the condition of the boat, which they already knew, and made a deal to buy it, and brought it back here.”
“She was still floating and able to sail,” Abbott said. “The deck was leaking badly over a period of years, so we had to take the deck off, put a new deck on.”
Abbott said the deck house was compromised from water intrusion, and there were frame issues from too much immersion and haul-out of the boat.
The deck was rebuilt differently than it originally was, Abbott said. “The deck is no longer teak, it’s a plywood deck covered in fiberglass,” he said. That adds useful stiffness.
“We brought it back basically for our yard to rebuild — to save the boat from deteriorating anymore,” he said. “And then after starting the project, I realized it’s a boat that I was very interested in.”
“Brad thought this would be a perfect boat for him and his family,” Benjamin said.
Abbott, who resides in West Tisbury, said his family enjoys liveaboard life in Vineyard Haven Harbor in the summer.
While the refit didn’t include the engine, it encompassed plenty of other things, including a replacement compass. “It had a good engine in it, so that same engine is in there, but it’s completely rewired and replumbed — new tanks — everything fresh in that regard,” Abbott said.
The vessel didn’t have an electric windlass previously, but Abbott said he installed one as a convenience.
Back in 1988, Benjamin said the Lana and Harley “probably cost $150,000” to construct.
Today, Abbott said, the vessel would run $750,000 to $900,000 to build. “At least,” Benjamin said. “$30 or $35 a pound, at 30,000 pounds.”
“It’s a million-dollar boat,” Abbott said. “That’s another reason it’s worth rebuilding.”
Benjamin described the schooner as “44 feet on deck, about 50 [feet] overall.”
Benjamin said he expects masts shortly. “The main mast is almost ready,’ he said. “That will go in fairly soon. The foremast needs a little bit of work, but the rig will go in within the next couple of weeks, I bet.”


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VenueNext, SeatGeek Partner on Mobile Ticketing App for Minnesota United FC
Self discipline kills tilt
Tuesday April 02, 2019
Shark Academy is a monthly-membership plan for ambitious grinders. It includes access to premium courses, strategy libraries and up to 50 live poker webinars sessions per month. Check it out The post Self discipline kills tilt appeared first on Best Poker Coaching.
Stadium integration platform VenueNext has partnered with Minnesota United FC to build a mobile ticketing app for the 2019 MLS season. The app will use SeatGeek’s ticketing technology, making the company the official ticket provider for Minnesota United.
The app will be part of MNUFC’s plans to shift to a 100 percent digital ticketing system for all events at the club’s new home, Allianz Field. The new stadium is expected to open in March. VenueNext has previously built apps for the Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota Timberwolves, providing fans with game-day services such as mobile ticketing, mobile concessions and merchandise, and team news.
Bulgarian Breakout: Ivaylo Takes $5,300 Score in Bwin Tournament
Wednesday November 07, 2018
It was worth a shot. The $33 Six-Max tournament was part of the Bwin/PartyPoker Monster Series and featured a $50,000 guaranteed prize pool. The tournament had already been underway by the time BPC student Ivaylo Stoimenov registered on Oct. 30 at 11 p.m. Along with the Six-Max, the 38-year-old from Sofia, Bulgaria, registered for three
The post Bulgarian Breakout: Ivaylo Takes $5,300 Score in Bwin Tournament appeared first on W88.
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The McLaren Senna Is an Insane $1.8 Million Supercar
Wednesday April 24, 2019
GO READ MY COLUMN! http://autotradr.co/Oversteer The McLaren Senna is an amazing supercar. Today I’m reviewing the McLaren Senna to show you all around it, and show you all the amazing features of the Senna. I also drove the Senna and I’m going to show you all the quirks of a $1.5 million supercar. FOLLOW ME!
The post The McLaren Senna Is an Insane $1.8 Million Supercar appeared first on W88.
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Debut Trailer for Cyberpunk Simulator Cloudpunk Simulator
Friday November 09, 2018
The first trailer of the Cloudpunk cyberpunk simulator came out. The game was developed by German indie studio ION LANDS, which previously released the adventure game about Phoning Home robots. The Cloudpunk action takes place in the futuristic city of Nivalis, where the semi-legal Cloudpunk delivery service operates. The main heroine of the game, Rania,
The post Debut Trailer for Cyberpunk Simulator Cloudpunk Simulator appeared first on W88.
“Our goal with this app is to provide a door-to-door experience for fans that supplements and enhances what we know is going to be a one-of-kind game day atmosphere at Allianz Field,” said MNUFC CEO Chris Wright in a team press release. “Allianz Field will have so much to offer fans and this app is going to be the best way for fans to get easy access to all that it has to offer.”
Minnesota United’s new app will represent the first time that a VenueNext-built platform is fully integrated with the SeatGeek ticketing marketplace. Outside of buying and selling tickets, the new app will offer fans access to exclusive team video and news content, as well as an integrated maps system to help navigate the new stadium. The app is scheduled to launch in early 2019 according to MNUFC’s official press release.
“Our partnership with MNUFC expands our footprint in Major League Soccer and marks our first integration of SeatGeek’s ticketing technology into our platform,” said Anthony Perez, chief executive officer at VenueNext, in the press release. “VenueNext’s platform allows teams to build stronger connections with fans by providing a seamless and dynamic experience, using our rich data and powerful marketing tools. We look forward to the grand opening of Allianz Field and helping MNUFC to deliver a truly mobile-first experience.”
VenueNext has also built mobile apps for the Charlotte Hornets, Orlando Magic, and San Francisco 49ers. The Silicon Valley company was founded in 2013 and recently announced plans to expand its mobile technology platform into European stadiums. This partnership with Minnesota United is another step forwards for SeatGeek within an extremely competitive mobile ticketing industry. The company has previously integrated its mobile ticketing marketplace into popular apps such as Snapchat and ride-sharing company Lyft.


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Hydrogen and the Consumer
To help change the direction of government policy on domestic heat and hot water, which has become increasingly focused on heat pumps to the detriment of other technologies and fuel choices, specifically hydrogen.
Creating the link between government policy and people’s homes, we challenged the prevailing narrative by highlighting the high installation cost and disruption of heat pumps.
We conducted consumer research and used the resulting ‘Too Close To Home’ report to spark conversations about the cost, and demand consumer choice over the heating technologies people put in their own homes. We demonstrated that, while consumers support climate change efforts, the government needs to take seriously concerns around choice and affordability.
Targeting national, industry and trade media, we amplified the argument and research findings using video content and through a targeted Twitter campaign.
The launch of the report, and subsequent follow-up to seize topical opportunities, secured significant media attention:
- 12 national hits including The Sun, Sunday Express and The Independent
- Nine articles in leading trade titles, including Building Design & Construction and H&V News
- More than 50 pieces of coverage across national, regional, green, HVAC, construction and building services press
The strongly performing Twitter campaign positioned content in front of those following high-profile accounts, including @MayorofLondon, @UKLabour, @Conservatives and @KwasiKwarteng.
- Generated a cost-per-click of £0.42 against a benchmark of £1.50
- Achieved a total of 1,087 link clicks (KPI 305) and 165,750 impressions.


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— The Williamsburg location of Parm still hasn’t reopened after it closed in January due to a plumbing issue, and rumors are flying that Major Food Group has abandoned the outpost. But the restaurant group insists that the location of the Italian American restaurant will live again soon. They are aiming to reopen on May 1.
— The recently closed Greenpoint bar Nights and Weekends will soon reopen as a new restaurant called One Bedford. Owner Alexandra Siwiec tells Bedford and Bowery that it will be a daytime-to-late night cafe and restaurant serving Devocion coffee, cocktails, and frozen punches. Dinner items include seafood flatbread pizza, tomato spaghetti, and kale salad.
— Is David Chang’s delivery-only restaurant Momofuku Ando doing okay? The app launched on Seamless not too long ago, and now, they’re trying another tactic that seems off-brand — deals for people having “The Bachelor” watch parties.
— Greenpoint pizza stalwart Paulie Gee’s is finally serving liquor. The popular restaurant has served Neopolitan pizza in the neighborhood for seven years, only with beer and wine. Most of the new cocktail list will be simple, but some wacky ones will be on the menu — like a pickleback martini with The Pickle Guys juice.
— Several cheeses from Catskills company Vulto Creamery have been recalled for a Listeria outbreak. Six people in several states have gotten sick from the cheese, and two of them have died. It’s sold at stores like Whole Foods.
— A new tamale restaurant debuted on the Lower East Side. Factory Tamal at 13 Essex St. serves sandwiches, soups, salads, and of course, tamales.
— The new Soho location of Parisian steak frites restaurant Le Relais de Venise L’Entrecote looks like it’s almost ready to open:
The restaurant with an overseas cult following has had a Midtown location since 2009. The new outpost at 15 Watts St. will be the second one in the city.
— Locations of Domino’s across the state have been forced to pay $480,000 to employees for alleged wage theft and overtime violations. Three franchisees of the pizza chain owned ten locations in New York state.
— Finally, take a look at Brooklyn classic Brennan and Carr:


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news High-profile FUT accounts were taken over via phishing attacks and then stripped of points and coins.
news FIFA reportedly wants more than double what it was previously charging for videogame license rights, and EA isn't interested.
news It sounds like people might be more willing to spend money if they know what they're getting.
news Loot boxes are extremely lucrative for Electronic Arts, but they're still a lightning rod for controversy and criticism.
news The plaintiffs alleged that EA was using its 'Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment' technology to keep people buying loot boxes.
News The technology is accused of shaping players' buying behaviour, but EA calls the claim "baseless."
news Apex Legends, FIFA, and Madden NFL live competitions are suspended indefinitely due to the coronavirus outbreak.
news Players can still use coins and the transfer market, but the points used to purchase FUT packs will no longer be available.