text:
Update from the European Institutions
In view of the rapidly evolving situation, the European Commission is defining the agenda of activities on a weekly basis. The Commission has postponed several publications due to COVID-19 outbreak. The majority of Commission staff is working from home, with only those fulfilling ‘critical functions’ required to work from the Commission’s premises. Within the Cabinets of the Commissioners and at top level in the Directorate-Generals, two or three designated employees deal with COVID-19 and liaise with industry stakeholders.
The European Parliament is currently exploring how it can fulfil its duties as co-legislator in a way that complies with travel restrictions and to minimize the risks of contagion for Members of European Parliament. Although the next official Plenary session is scheduled for 1-2 April, it is likely that an extraordinary Plenary session will be called for next week 25 March to adopt the Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative. The Conference of Presidents is expected to take a decision tomorrow or early next week.
At Council level, EU Ambassadors are likely to adopt a package of exceptional Council working measures today in order to ensure the continuity of decision-making activities. The measures will allow Council members who are unable to physically attend a meeting to do so via videoconference. On 17 March, the 27 EU leaders held a videoconference discussing the measures taken at national level. They will hold these videoconferences on a weekly basis to discuss progress and additional measures.
Initiatives at EU level
- The Council of the EU approved the two most important economic initiatives of the European Commission as a response to the COVID-19 outbreak: the proposal for a regulation concerning the Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative and the proposal for a regulation extending the scope of the EU Solidary Fund were adopted without amendments. It is now up to the European Parliament to approve these proposals, after which the Council will adopt the measures through a written procedure;
- In a videoconference in the evening of 17 March, the 27 EU leaders agreed to impose a temporary travel ban to enter the EU. This excludes essential staff, such as doctors and nurses, but also people transporting goods to continue the flow of products to the EU. This is to secure the supply of goods including essential items such as medicines, foods and components that EU factories need. European Commission president Von der Leyen gave a statement together with European Council president Charles Michel after the summit. It is expected, however, to be a matter of time until internal border restrictions will be put in place as well;
- The European Commission has postponed several publications due to COVID-19. The Updated Skills Agenda, which was scheduled for publication on 18 March, will be published on 6 May 2020. The Commission announced the Digital Education Action Plan will be published on 24 June 2020;
- The European Parliament’s Committee for Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) has issued a statement in which it expresses its support for the first steps taken by the EU and Member States to tackle the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a first step to the EP’s approval of the Commission’s proposal for a Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative and an extension of the EU Solidarity Fund;
- France has officially announced its plans to support businesses, including nationalisation. As announced already yesterday, France will directly support businesses with liquidity injections of in total €45 billion. On top of this, €300 billion of state guarantees will be provided via banks.
- The Netherlands presented a package of economic measures to support companies and individuals that are economically impacted by the outbreak of COVID-19. The measures include reduced working hours (90% paid by state) on the condition the salaries are paid and no people are fired, €4.000 direct compensation for companies, three-months deferral of tax payments. There is no cap on the maximum government aid, but it is expected to add up to €10 to €20 billion in total;
- On 16 March, German Chancellor Merkel delivered a speech in which she announced drastic containment measures. All bars, restaurants and stores in Germany will close. Only supermarkets, pharmacies, banks, post offices and other important shops will stay open. Restaurants can only open between 06:00 and 18:00. Germany is taking economic measures such as deferral of tax payments, reduced working hours and liquidity injections to compensate for the economic hit these measures will deliver;
- Belgium has taken new measures to further contain the spread of COVID-19. Only essential movements will still be allowed until 5 April. Only stores that sell essential goods can stay open;
- Spain has introduced a new €200 billion financial package to help viable companies survive the economic impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. This aid comes in addition to the earlier announced €14 billion support. This unprecedented allocation of resources makes up 20% of Spain’s annual economic output. The main priority is to provide companies with the liquidity they need through public guarantees and the deferral in the payment of taxes;
- Portugal put aside €9 billion in economic support to deal with the economic downturn due to COVID-19. The package is worth 4,3% of GDP and is made up of €5.2 billion in fiscal stimulus, €3 billion in state guarantees and €1 billion related to social security payments;
- The United Kingdom has also presented a business loan package, worth £330 billion, to compensate for economic damage suffered due to COVID-19. UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak stated that the loan scheme, accounting for 15% of national GDP, will be operational as of next week.
- The Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post reported that the U.S. plans to launch an economic stimulus package of $850 billion. Finance Minister Steven Mnuchin is expected to pitch this plan to Republican senators on 17 March. $50 billion would be directed towards the aviation sector. The aim would be to have the package pass the senate by the end of the week. Official announcements on this package are expected later this week.
- The informal EP Conference of Presidents decided to hold a mini plenary session on 26 March which will replace the 1 April session. Voting will be by written procedures. Agenda will only be on the emergency measures on #COVID19 announced by the European Commission last Friday.


text:
Applying past recession lessons to Covid crisis
9 August 2020
Greg Aris, business director at McCann PR & Social, examines key lessons from past recessions and what they mean for businesses today as they respond and communicate
Spanish-born philosopher George Santayana once said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” While he might not be a household name, his quote has been used the world over.
For good reason too. There’s a lot we can learn from history – especially when it comes to dealing with the COVID-induced recession we’re facing and communicating effectively as it takes hold. Only by doing so, will we make any headway against the already eye-wateringly high 19 per cent drop in UK GDP experienced in the three months to May[i].
While there are no simple answers or silver bullets, there are three broad areas for consideration – or lessons to learn – as we continue our COVID journey. These are based on extensive research comparing the 2008 recession with current data, which McCann has undertaken with research firm, Trajectory.
Lesson one: same impact, different order
Each recession is different. Caused by many different factors. But the result is always the same: a retraction of the economy. In 2008, it was the banks not lending to one another that caused the “credit crunch”. In 2020, the banks are arguably in a stronger position. The problem has been caused by putting the economy into shutdown followed by a reluctance to spend again. This means different sectors are at risk at different times as the recession unfolds.
To explain a little further, let’s consider that some industries were already in recession as early as last year – well before COVID-19 arrived in Europe. Construction and manufacturing have been in trouble for a while, driven by Brexit fears[ii]. Furthermore, consumers had been in a recessionary mindset for two years even if we’ve not actually experienced a retraction. This means many firms were already feeling the pressure well before March.
With this in mind, each business needs to understand where it currently sits on the recessionary curve. If it can determine this, the recovery plan will we be stronger. It will also dictate the way they need to communicate.
For example, if your customers are quickly recovering, your comms plan needs to take account of this in its tone and content. But if they’ve been plunged into a recessionary mood, your story needs to be wildly different. If not, you’ll look out of step with reality, which will impact sales. In this context, communications really counts.
Lesson two: know your exposure to the headwinds
To solely blame a “recession” for a business losing value or even going under means lessons won’t be learnt the next time around. You probably never understood the problem in the first place, and perhaps accepted the inevitability of loss.
Recessions have clear causes and often just accelerate existing problems and expose the weaknesses that were already there, known or unknown. For example, we know the hospitality sector has been incredibly hard hit. Pubs and restaurants are in trouble. Yet the number of adults drinking weekly has dropped by 10 per cent since 2010. The trend for healthier living was already upon us and the crisis may have exacerbated that as people try to stay well.
Retail is also suffering. For years, people have been turning to ecommerce. Again, the lockdown merely accelerated that, forcing people to switch to buying online during lockdown. Now they’re reticent about going back, for health reasons, but also practical ones.
Knowing how the mix of trends – new and existing – affects you is key to finding ways to cope and communicate. Arguably, there are three major changes that differ to the last recession. Firstly, the “death of distance”. By this we mean that many people have been working, shopping and teaching from home through lockdown. They’ve been doing everything digitally. Think of endless Zoom calls, Amazon deliveries and online learning. People have realised they don’t need to be near the office or shops anymore. This could decimate commercial property and public transport. Yet it will benefit logistics and software firms.
Secondly, we’re all facing a “new seriousness”. People are worried about going out and engaging in leisure activities. From eating out to working out, the way people act has become far less carefree. Public attractions and gyms will suffer, but there will be opportunities for online subscriptions.
Finally, there’s a trend towards “collectivism”. By this we mean a sense of solidarity across the country. In 2008, the UK felt it had brought the crash upon itself and then looked for scapegoats in the form of bankers and regulators. It also looked to balance the books through austerity. In contrast, people feel the current situation has been thrust upon us. The result isn’t spending cuts. It’s a huge government investment in the form of furlough and public sector pay rises.
In short, when considering our second lesson, don’t accept the inevitability of a “recession”. Understand the pressures specific to your business and respond to them. From a communications perspective, keep the above trends in mind. Ensure your business talks about its ability to operate as a remote or dispersed organisation. Be aware of the new seriousness and be careful not to look carefree or reckless – or encourage others to be. Embrace the solidarity across the country, but do so meaningfully. One or two empty posts on social media about supporting the NHS just won’t do.
Lesson three: spend, but better
In a recession, the first thing businesses do is cut discretionary spend. This is exactly what the government doesn’t want to happen – as it creates a downward spiral of lower GDP. Yet the instinct is to cut back on things like marketing and communications. In doing so, a business is killing off the one thing that can keep it growing.
There is an overwhelming body of evidence tracking spend vs recovery from recessions as far back as the 1920s showing those who cut budgets stay in a recession longer. Spend the same, but in different areas, or increase and your business will recover faster than removing line items from the budget entirely. There is a strong case to increase because gaining share of voice can be cheaper as others in the market retreat.
To put it another way, the deeper the cut, the longer the recovery. Often, the effects of cuts are not noticed immediately as a brand enjoys a residual benefit from previous spending. This lulls them into a false sense of security. Give it a few months of being silent and the damage will begin to appear. It can take years to recover a pre-recession sales position and be even more costly in the end.
If you cut brand advertising by 50 per cent in one year, it takes three to recover to the same sales position. A 100 per cent cut will take five. This is perhaps the simplest of lessons we can learn from the past.
From a practical perspective, identify which channels of communication are most effective and keep using them. If you see competitors pull back in certain areas, fill the space they leave. Look for opportunities and mitigate against wastage where possible. But keep communicating.
In conclusion, we must all take heed of George Santayana’s famous words. We must learn all we can from the past. The mistakes and successes. We must combine them with a proper understanding of what is taking place around us. Moreover, we must do all we can to resist the inevitability of recession. It will be difficult, but if you can master your circumstances, they’re less likely to master you.
What are the top skills employers typically want to see from a paraplanner? Lewis Byford, co-founder of financial services...
Are you signed up to the Professional Paraplanner daily website alert? For more technical, tax, pensions, investment, retirement, protection...
With £355 billion of debt having been accumulated in the past year and a potential £204 billion or more to be...

domain: news


text:
The Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating whether Tesla Inc. Chief Executive Elon Musk and his brother Kimbal violated securities laws by selling company stock late last year, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The regulator’s investigation focuses on transactions that took place just before Elon Musk polled his Twitter followers about whether he should sell a 10% stake in the company. The SEC is investigating whether insider trading rules were violated, said the person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified because the investigation is private.
The SEC declined to comment. Tesla, Elon and Kimbal Musk did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The investigation was previously reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Shares of Tesla plunged after the CEO’s Twitter poll on November 6, closing at the highest in five months. Tesla board member Kimbal Musk had sold 88,500 Tesla shares worth about $109 million on Nov. 5, according to a filing filed after the market closed that day.
This month, Tesla revealed that it had received a subpoena from the SEC on November 16 seeking information about its governance processes and compliance with a settlement it reached with the agency in September 2018 over Elon Musk’s tweets.
As part of that settlement, Tesla agreed to implement controls to monitor the CEO’s communications, including his tweets, after the SEC alleged that the world’s richest person had committed securities fraud by saying on the social media platform that he had obtained funds for the company to go private.
Musk and the SEC have been at odds ever since. The agency sought a judge to find the billionaire in contempt of the settlement the following year when he tweeted about Tesla’s production prospects without getting prior approval. The two sides agreed in April 2019 to modify their agreement by adding specific topics that the Tesla boss could not tweet about, or otherwise communicate in writing, without the approval of a company lawyer.
The dispute gained new momentum last week, when Musk’s attorney told a federal court that the SEC was targeting Musk and the electric car maker with a “relentless investigation” because the CEO is “an outspoken critic of the government.” “. The second has denied the accusation, and Thursday a judge refused to hold a hearing on the claims.
Bloomberg writers Ed Ludlow, Bob Van Voris, and Craig Trudell contributed to this report.


text:
Novo Nordisk A/S Upbeat on Tresiba Insulin's U.S. Prospects
Published: Nov 09, 2012
Denmark's Novo Nordisk sees strong commercial potential for degludec, its long-acting insulin, which is poised to receive the green light from U.S. regulators. Shares in the company rose 10 percent on Friday morning after a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel on Thursday night recommended approval of the drug, despite possible cardiovascular risk. Novo has estimated that degludec, which will be marketed under the brand name Tresiba, could become a blockbuster drug, generating more than $1 billion in sales within five years of launch. "I think the commercial potential is going to be significant in the U.S.," Chief Executive Officer Lars Rebien Sorensen said on an analysts' call. The labelling of the drug in the United States, where Novo expects to generate the bulk of future sales, will be key. It said on Friday that talks with regulators about the labelling are expected to begin soon. "Until we see that final wording and how that might translate into market material, of course, we should be a little careful about estimating what the commercial potential is," Sorensen said. Shares in Novo Nordisk, the world's biggest insulin producer, climbed nearly 10 percent in early trade and were up 8.9 percent at 1005 GMT.


text:
February 28, 2017
Boston Business Journal
Eight Mass. tech companies raised $282M in February
Massachusetts tech started strong in February 2017, with two different companies hauling down $100 million-plus rounds within the first eight days of the month.
Things slowed down after that, but venture capitalists continued to focus on hot areas of the Boston economy like travel tech and 3D printing.
And the city continued to attract talent from abroad. Voysis, an Irish company that's building artificially intelligent voice technology, announced it will use part of its recent $8 million to open up a U.S. headquarters in Boston.
Here's a breakdown of the biggest tech fundings of the month:
- Fuze, a Cambridge-based maker of integrated communication software for large companies, raised $104 million in new funding led by Wellington Management Company LLP with participation from another new addition, Greenspring Associates. It's the company's second round to top $100 million in as many years. Fuze now has more than $300 million in funding to date.


text:
In the realm of video games, the resurrection of a long-lost title can stir the hearts of enthusiasts and historians alike. Such is the case with “Daredevil: The Man Without Fear,” a game that was initially set to grace the PlayStation 2 but met an untimely cancellation nearly two decades ago.
Now, after years shrouded in obscurity, a playable prototype has surfaced, offering a glimpse into what could have been for fans of the blind superhero.
The game, developed by 5,000 Ft. Studios, was ambitious for its time, aiming to translate the visceral experience of Daredevil’s crime-fighting escapades into a third-person beat ’em up adventure.
The project began as a series of vignettes, highlighting key moments from Daredevil’s lore, but it soon expanded in scope, aspiring to an open-world format that would coincide with the release of the 2003 Daredevil film.
However, the project was fraught with challenges. Creative differences between Sony and Marvel, the adaptation of the RenderWare engine to the game’s evolving needs, and internal strife within the studio led to missed deadlines and a reduction in the game’s scope.
The situation was further exacerbated by reports of substance abuse among staff members, contributing to a work environment that was less than conducive to the game’s success.
Despite these setbacks, the prototype, now released by the game preservation group Hidden Palace, showcases the potential of “Daredevil: The Man Without Fear.”
The gameplay, while riddled with bugs and incomplete features, echoes the early 2000s era of superhero games, drawing comparisons to titles like “The Incredible Hulk” and “Spider-Man.” It tells an original story based on the “Elektra Lives Again” comic, with Daredevil’s nemesis, The Kingpin, playing a central role.
The prototype’s release is not just a novelty; it’s a testament to the enduring interest in video game history and the importance of preservation. While the full game never saw the light of day, the prototype offers a tantalizing “what if” scenario for Daredevil fans and gaming historians.
As the gaming community reflects on this unearthed piece of history, there’s a glimmer of hope for the future. With the success of Insomniac Games’ “Spider-Man” series and a “Wolverine” game on the horizon, perhaps Daredevil will once again have the chance to leap from the comic book pages into the digital world.


text:
Opt-out collective actions for breaches of competition law moved a step closer to reality last week after the Consumer Rights Bill began its passage through Parliament.
The bill has its second reading in the House of Commons today, and opt-out actions are likely to prove controversial, with the CBI claiming that they will introduce US-style class actions to the UK.
However, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) said last week that research by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) showed that businesses view the current approach to private actions as the least effective aspect of the UK’s competition regime because they are so complex to bring.
The bill puts forward a three-prong approach to tackling the problem. First, it proposes reform of the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), including allowing the CAT to hear stand-alone cases – where the alleged breach of competition law is not already the subject of an infringement decision by the European Commission or OFT – grant injunctions, and introduce a cost-capped fast-track regime aimed at SMEs.
This fast-track regime will have an emphasis on injunctive relief, and there will be a presumption that an SME case will be suitable for the fast-track.
The second element is to promote ADR to ensure that the courts are the option of last resort
This will see the introduction of a new opt-out collective settlement regime in the CAT and a new role for the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in certifying voluntary redress schemes.
Under the collective settlement regime, any representative consumer group or trade association, together with a business which has broken competition law, could jointly approach the CAT to agree on a level of damages without having to take a case through the court process. Any settlement would then be binding on eligible consumers, unless they opted-out of the settlement.
Under the certifying redress scheme, the CMA could approve a consumer compensation scheme put forward by a business which had broken competition law. Consumers could then come forward and claim their compensation.
Finally there is the “limited” opt-out collective actions regime to sit alongside the existing opt-in regime. Under the latter, only Which? can take forward a collective action on behalf of a group of consumers.
The provisions in the bill will allow any representative consumer group or trade association to bring an action, and eligible consumers or businesses would automatically be included unless they actively opt out.
Safeguards to prevent the emergence of US-style litigation, BIS said, include certification by the CAT of whether the case should be opt-in or opt-out; no treble damages and no contingency fees.


text:
The five-month growth spurt by local manufacturers lost a little steam during July.
Local manufacturers said their businesses grew in July at the slowest pace since March as growth slowed in both production and the flow of new orders, according to a survey of purchasing managers in the Buffalo Niagara region.
“It was another positive month,” said Jay K. Walker, the Niagara University economist who compiles the monthly business activity report for the National Association of Purchasing Management-Buffalo. While the survey showed that the expansion by local manufacturers that began in March remained in place during July, the pace of that growth slowed.
“The overall index was in expansionary territory, but eased a little from June,” Walker said.
The group’s business activity index slipped to 57 during July – down from the eight-month high of 64.2 in June – leaving the index still comfortably above the tipping point of 50 – the dividing line between a growing and contracting manufacturing sector – for the 15th time in the last 17 months.
The survey showed growth in nearly all of the categories, but a slowing rate of expansion in most of them.
The rate of growth cooled in production and new orders to their slowest levels since March, while prices rose faster and inventories shrank. Employment grew at a fairly stable pace.
The flow of new orders remained solid, extending an expansion that began in July 2013. Slightly less than half of the companies surveyed said they booked more orders last month, down from 60 percent in June, while more than a third said their bookings were lower in July.
Production also grew at a slower pace, with roughly 4 in 9 managers surveyed saying that output increased at their factories, down from half in June.
The pace of hiring, which had been a weak spot throughout the fall and winter, grew for the fourth time in the last five months, with slightly more than a quarter of the managers surveyed reporting that their companies hired more workers last month, up from 20 percent in June.
Inventories shrank for the first time since February, while commodity prices rose at their fastest pace since May.


text:
FACCNE presents “Let’s Chat!”: a serie of online chats, putting the spotlight on our very talented members via short, sharp and casual conversations.
Click on each picture below to know more about our members, what they do and their latest news.
To be featured in our next “Let’s Chat”, contact us!
Keolis is a leading provider of passenger transportation services, carrying millions of people throughout the world via train, metro, bus and bike each year. Clément Michel, the President and CEO of its North America’s branch shares with us in this short interview the challenges they are facing in this market, how Keolis is helping cities everyday to become more sustainable and finally why they chose Boston to relocate their North American headquarters.
Emmanuel Arnaud is the CEO of HomeExchange, a world leader in the home swapping market. Emmanuel is also the President of French Tech Boston, a community of more 85 French entrepreneurs and C-level executives in tech startups with global or US headquarters in New England.
Alexandra, partner at Axelia Partners, a service firm providing one-stop shop consulting and back office solutions to European companies, share her experience and insights for entrepreneurs who would like to set up their businesses in the US. “Be well prepared and well supported by experts” that would be her first advice.
Arnaud Mentré, Consul General of France in Boston | 7/14/2020 | 7 min
Happy Bastille Day! On this 14th of July 2020, we are delighted to welcome Arnaud Mentré, Consul General of France in Boston. Since his assignment in Boston in 2018, Arnaud Mentré and his team at the French Consulate have been working on strengthening transatlantic relationships with universities and businesses and also providing support to the 20000 French citizens based in New England, especially in the last couple of months with the pressing challenges they have endured with the travel and visa restrictions.
OFALycée™ is the first institution to offer online, supplemental French Baccalaureate education to students in the United States or anywhere else in the world. In this short chat, watch why Géraldine Guillermin, co-founder and Head of School decided to create this unique digital educational approach combining schooling in an American high school with a French education from the 6th to the 12th Grade.
Renaud is a passionate serial entrepreneur. After 20 years in the supply chain industry, Renaud decides to make the switch and acquires NFI Corp, now the global leader in high performing printed graphic solutions. Renaud runs four successful businesses and with the current pandemic, managed to switch production to the manufacturing of disposable face shields, floor labels and signage for hospitals, restaurants and any businesses reopening in this ‘new normal’.
Restaurants have been greatly impacted by the pandemic so after more than two months of lockdown, Jérôme is thrilled to welcome patrons again on the terraces of his two restaurants in Back Bay and Brookline. They are also offering the delivery of delicious French food for lunch and dinner. Check their menus with fixed priced menu or À la Carte, you will feel like you’ve been transported to France!
Pauline has recently joined the International School of Boston as the director of the Elementary school. She is passionate and dedicated to the wellbeing of her students. She is sharing with us how the entire teaching team is working hard preparing the ‘rentrée’ (back to school) in the fall. She also announced the launch of a new Toute Petite Section (TPS) for two-year old children.
Charles started Toucan in 2014. In just a few years, Toucan is now recognized as the leader in data storytelling and completed its first-ever round of funding in 2019 for $13 Million. Despite the lockdown, they are growing their team in Boston and hired four new employees. And they are still looking for new talents!


text:
On Sunday morning, a suspect attempted to steal guns from Dunham’s Sports in Benton Township. The incident took place around 10 am and was reported by VSJM radio. The suspect entered the store, put on a mask and broke the glass on the gun case in an attempt to make off with the firearms. However, when store employees began to respond, the suspect fled without taking any of the firearms.
This is not the first time that this store has been targeted by criminals. In December, two people were charged with kidnapping a store manager and stealing two large coolers filled with weapons. The recent incident has raised concerns about the store’s safety and security, prompting authorities to urge anyone with information to contact the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office at (269)-983-7141. It is important that the community remains vigilant and reports any suspicious activity to prevent further criminal incidents.


text:
LaMontavia and her children, ages 13, 9 and 5, lived in a high-crime Miami neighborhood rife with multiple shootings per month and drug deals, she said. So the mother of three moved to Orlando in 2014 “to have a better life.”
“I didn’t want my kids to grow up where I was staying,” LaMontavia said. “I was living in the projects, and they were shooting everybody. There were drug deals going on, and little girls growing up too fast.”
Life has been better in Orlando, she said, but LaMontavia struggles with living off of a low-income wage. She had to throw out everything in her current home because of a bug infestation.
So The Mustard Seed assisted the family with new furnishings.
“As a single mother for my three children, it has really been a blessing to know that my kids and I have help to get things we need for our home and bring light to our lives,” LaMontavia said. “We are truly thankful for the blessing, and the things that will help make life much better.”
October 10, 2018
The Mustard Seed is honored and thrilled to be a recipient of a National Philanthropy Day award in the category of Social Entrepreneur & Innovation. The award is in recognition of our successful Mattress Recycling social enterprise. Since 2011, The Mustard Seed has recycled more than 120,000 mat… read more
October 8, 2018
Fierce Entertainment Management Presents: Fashion Seeded with Compassion!
Join us for a fashion show benefit featuring fabulous styles and brands from The Mustard Seed’s boutique and fashion designers! The show will take place Nov. 8 from 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. upstairs at the Orlando Fashion Square … read more


text:
A long-running supermarket chain trading in Padiham for more than 100 years has finally closed.
The Co-Operative store in Burnley Road shut its doors to shoppers last weekend because of poor trading performance barely 18 months after Tesco opened an £11m. supermarket next door.
Bosses at the retail giant said 14 of the 19 staff have been made redundant – but five have been transferred to neighbouring stores.
Despite persistent rumours of Aldi taking on the site, the future of the building remains uncertain.
However, Co-Op chiefs said the leasehold building is currently being marketed to potential suitors.
Padiham Town Coun. Bob Clark said the closure marked the end of an era for the Co-operative in Padiham but hoped the store would be taken on by another business soon.
He said: “I am really sad to see the Co-Op go after more than 100 years trading in Padiham. The shop has closed now and there are just people there clearing it out.
“I do hope that the premises are taken over as soon as possible because the fact is that these days empty premises very quickly become a target for thieves and vandals.
“People break into these places to steal copper. A derelict site can soon become a hazard and an eyesore
“I hope it is taken on by someone else because it would be a great site in the centre of the town.”
A spokesman for the Co-Operative confirmed there had been 14 redundancies and said the lease was being marketed at present.
Aldi refused to comment on whether the chain was planning to locate a new store in Padiham on the site of the former Co-Op.


text:
Esposito, Annarita Video That Leaked Goes Viral On Reddit, And Twitter Is Annarita Esposito a Myth? Time of Birth and Full Video Clip TikTok star Annarita Esposito is currently on the rise. Annarita has amassed a significant online following due to her prolific online video posting and general online activity. Annarita is quite prolific on social media, posting everything from photographs of product endorsements to a wide range of comedic films. Several pictures of Annarita are gaining traction online. As well as her online social activity, it speculated that Annariat has joined the cyberpunk collective OnlyF. Look inside Annarita and see if she is the lone person in the world.
Inappropriate Video of Annarita Esposito Uploaded Online
Annarita has a sizable fan base not only on TikTok but also on Instagram. She shares videos on TikTok showing her engaging in a wide range of activities, and she uses Instagram to showcase her many fashion choices and endorsement work. Annariat is a famous TikTok influencer because she has over two million followers. Annariat’s rise to fame and popularity began shortly after the birth of TikTok when she posted a series of videos featuring her and her now ex-boyfriend, Giuseppe Morra. Annarita benefited from Morra’s status as a well-known influencer.
>>> Who Is Kimmy Granger, Anyway? Famous Performer Claims Her Dad Is Now Her Manager
Annarita and Morra’s popularity and success skyrocketed after they released a series of relationship-themed comedy videos. Annarita said on Facebook that she was “very proud of herself and being a self-made person,” which she said was a statement about their path. She also claimed to be an Italian woman whose monthly income of several thousand euros was unheard of for the average woman until she became recognized and launched her career. Annarita, now 21, has a stable job and a lovely home in Dubai with her family, where she and they feel safe.
Annarita has boasted on her social media pages that she has been working to earn and influence others since she was 16. Images of her can seen on the web nowadays, and the rumor that she appears regularly on OnlyF is credible. Annarita Esposito has published some engaging and stunning images online, and she recently disclosed that she would be joining the OnlyF community and uploading photos and videos there. Since Annariat has only recently made her announcements, it is unclear how much her website will cost. The followers are waiting for her to post videos on OnlyF.


text:
A £150,000 investment is being made by the new joint venture partner of Hull’s Specsavers.
David Proudfoot has added the city centre outlet to his original Kingswood Retail Park outlet.
A third branch in Cottingham will open later this year, and three new optometrists are being sought to bolster the team.
He said: ‘We’re making several changes to the customer journey in our stores – a whole refit across the business - which will ensure we have the same level of team expertise, kit and experience in place, to provide the best eye and hearing health care across Humberside.
“Aside from the top talent in store, we’ve also expanded our Specsavers at Home service, providing domiciliary care for patients in the comfort of their own home.”
The refurbishment includes the installation of a brand-new test room alongside cutting-edge kit and comes as the 35th anniversary looms.
Higher grade optical and audiology technology for customers, to accommodate for post-lockdown demand, is part of the move.
The cutting-edge equipment will include a 3D scanning OCT machine, which will give the store’s specialists the ability to undertake Specsavers’ most advanced eye test to date.
It will have the ability to detect retinal detachments, macular holes, macular degeneration, post-cataract complications and many other serious eye conditions.
Mr Proudfood said: “An OCT scan helps us to view the health of people’s eyes in greater detail than ever before, by allowing us to see what’s going on beneath the surface.
“With OCT, we can spot many underlying, sight-threatening eye diseases; sometimes up to four years earlier than traditional techniques, and we can spot signs of other diseases which affect the optic nerve and retina, like blood pressure problems and even brain tumours.
“At Specsavers, we always strive to put the customer at the heart of everything that we do. That's why we can’t wait to welcome back the Hull community once our new services and technology are in place, so they can have a look for themselves at the investment made and so they can benefit from the array of advanced optical and hearing tech we’ve got at our disposal.”


text:
Today saw an announcement from Apple before their WWDC event in which they revealed their schedule and what you can expect to see at the annual event. Included in that schedule was confirmation that there will be a preview of their latest Mac OS X, Lion at the event as we previously predicted.
Today we have news of a previous look at the software before the final preparations of the product before WWDC called Developer Preview 3. According to the article at Apple Insider the new build was adjudged to have a ‘more polished login screen,’ by Dan Bennet who showcased the OS.
The new build also featured status information without having to login such as wireless signal and the clock. Its Safari Reading List feature is now functional and has an iOS style tray that allows users to open unread articles or all articles in new tab or window for preference.
The final, tweaked build of the Mac OS X Lion will be unveiled at WWDC as we know, but in the meantime you can check out more about the software in the full article at Apple Insider by clicking the link above.
What do you think of the new OS so far?
*Identifying Monetised Links - outgoing links that we monetise are marked with an '*' symbol.


text:
New bacon-laden Whataburger item debuts today
Whataburger’s newest creation, the Sweet & Spicy Bacon Burger, is unleashed today at 3 p.m. in stores, according to a company spokesperson.
The new burger features two beef patties, bacon strips, grilled onions, Monterrey Jack and American cheese slices, mustard, and a new sweet and spicy pepper sauce.
Ask for extra napkins.
You probably stopped reading after we mentioned bacon though. It will only be in stores for a limited time, as Whataburger items are normally fleeting comets in the fast food universe unless they acquire a large following.
Last week someone on Reddit’s Texas board leaked a photo of an in-store diagram of the new item, designed to show employees how to construct it on the make line.
In Whataburger news closer to Houston, the city of La Marque is getting a new location soon, complete two drive-thru lanes to help serve more customers faster during peak hours. The dining room is also supposed to be double the size of a standard location, and will come complete with LED lighting and a mural, according to a Whataburger spokesperson.
Employees can look forward to working in a state-of-the-art kitchen, company reps say.
The new restaurant is located at 6300 Gulf Freeway and replaces a 22-year-old location nearby. It should be open for business later this summer.


text:
New Delhi: Kia Motors India has announced a price hike of its Seltos SUV, effective from 1st January 2020. The price hike ranges between Rs 20,000 to Rs 35,000 across variants, claims the automaker in a release.
The South Korean automaker also claims that it has delivered 45,294 units of the Seltos SUV in 2019. In December 2019, the carmaker sold 4,713 units. Kia Seltos was launched in India in 2019 at an introductory price of Rs 9.69 lakh (ex-showroom).


text:
The 2013 Honda Accord arrived in Rancho Santa Margarita about a month ago, but the retooling of the popular vehicle experienced a grand unveiling Thursday night.
With invited guests of owner Bob Carmendy, the new model was the featured performer during a four-hour VIP party that included customers who currently own Accords and Civics.
- Sign up to receive the daily Patch newsletter, or follow RSM Patch on Facebook and Twitter.
- If you're a business owner or manager, read about your free listing or watch a video; claim the free listing for your business here.
Rancho Santa Margarita Honda, one of the manufacturer's fastest growing dealerships, had its showroom filled with several of the new sedans and coupes as guests milled about them enjoying chocolate covered strawberries, wine and cheese.
Carmendy said the new model is a significant redesign from the 2012 model, but not a drastic departure from previous models in appearance. Though the car is 3 1/2 inches shorter, it sports a roomier interior and a number of technological advances—plus the all-import "Econ" button that's the somewhat comical focus of Honda commercials right now.


text:
DA hitting the right virtual digits
Ananova, the cyber newsreader launched earlier this year and sold to Orange for £2.4m, is the highest-profile Avatar - or 'virtual person' - created by Glasgow technology group Digital Animations. It is now busy creating virtual bank managers or insurance salesmen for online financial services companies.
It charges £100,000, plus follow-on technology fees, for each one. September half-year profits were £1.18m pre-tax, compared with £492,000 losses last time, on sales trebled to £1m. At 68 1/2p, up 6p, DA is valued at just £21m and has £11m cash.
Most watched Money videos
- Door comes off Volkswagen Sharan during Euro NCAP safety tests
- What will 2020 hold for investors and the UK stock market?
- Durability of Tesla Model X examined in Euro NCAP clip
- Urban Electric's new pop-up chargers rise from the pavement
- Wireless charging network will be installed in Britain from 2020
- Introducing the new Ford Puma with fuel-saving powertrain technology
- Euro NCAP safety tests of new Porsche Taycan shown in clip
- Volkswagen unveils concept for robots to deliver chargers to cars
- How a biotech trust invests in the future of medicine
- Will the UK election result boost or sink the stock market?
- Blue Whale: We want companies that can grow whatever happens
- Unique road concept that sucks up harmful emissions revealed


text:
Google must wonder what the French have against them. First they openly challenge its library book project then they fine them in a trademark case and now they fund the development of a new European search engine. They originally had the backing of Germany for this rather significant technological undertaking but that appears to have been withdrawn. Nevertheless the French are pushing ahead with Quero, a search engine that one of its developers described on the BBC today as being different from Google by offering ‘serendipity’ through its searches. I bet that’s not the word Google is using.
Back in January I wrote about the NASDAQ ticker for tech stocks, IXCO, and my hopes that the tech sector would have a break out year. Two months later..the breakout has yet to happen. The IXCO has retreated to 900s having broken above 1000 for a while. This is despite an economy that’s doing well, despite the major companies all reporting solid numbers and even despite RIM settling its lawsuit, thus keeping the Blackberry addicts online.
Now I spent the weekend with a VC whose optimism is addictive and whose ideas for new devices and services seems to filter into every conversation. Indeed, I woke up this morning convinced that the problem the technology industry faces is not a lack of opportunity. If only a fraction of the ideas I heard this weekend come to life the tech industry will be twice the size it is today. No, the problem is that Wall Street has not been convinced that the market really is going to get that much bigger. I firmly believe Wall Street views all the new ideas not as new markets but simply more competition for the existing one. It’s no shock therefore that the stock prices of Microsoft, IBM, Oracle, Intel, Cisco and Dell have either stayed flat or have even retreated. Indeed only Apple, Google and HP have showed any signs of life. Google’s stock has been very volatile of late, Apple seems to have stalled and HP is really only getting back to where it should have been. Not a great report card.
I don’t believe the reason for this is poor performance by the tech vendors. Indeed, out of the companies I’ve mentioned all have reported revenue and earnings growth in the last twelve months. No, the problem it would seem is, as I’ve already said, Wall Street doesn’t view the tech market as one that is going to grow, or at least not one that is going to grow fast enough. This is of course counter intuitive. We all know that there are still large parts of the world yet to be brought online. We also know that our personal consumption of technology has far from reached its limit.
Solving this will require the tech titans to promote messages of market expansion far more aggressively. It will also require Wall Street to listen which may prove to be the hard part. After all, they heard this message a few years ago only to see it turn out to be an ‘overstatement’.


text:
Intel may have just launched the new 12th Gen Core "Alder Lake" CPUs but the new 13th Gen Core "Raptor Lake" CPUs will launch next year -- and then in 2023 we'll see the 14th Gen Core "Meteor Lake" CPUs which we have a closer look at right now.
CNET recently walked through Intel's new chipmaking facility in Arizona, where they snapped some beautiful photos of Intel's new 14th Gen Core "Meteor Lake" mobile processors. Inside of the Intel Fab 42 facility in Chandler, Arizona, CNET snapped some photos of the new Intel Meteor Lake-M processor, which should debut in a couple of years time.
Intel's next-gen Meteor Lake-M should arrive with a 5W to 15W TDP, with multiple tiles on the package with Intel Foveros technology and could have up to 3 tiles. This should be split between the Computer Die (which would be the biggest tile on the photo), the SoC-LP for I/O operations, and then a graphics die. The GPU side of things would see something between 96 and 192 Execution Units (EUs or GPU cores).
- > NEXT STORY: Battlefront 3 was never greenlit by EA, new singleplayer games coming
- < PREVIOUS STORY: Halo Infinite to last 10 years, 'this is Halo-as-a-service,' 343i says


text:
Zalando has become one of the first retailers to implement a two-stage authentication process for online orders as the deadline for the process to be rolled out across the EU looms.
The online retailer announced today that it has partnered with Adyen to introduce the new payment procedure, which will require customers to offer two separate authentication methods in order to pay online.
These can include a password, a pin number, a mobile number, a payment card number or something unique to the customer like a fingerprint.
This comes ahead of the introduction of the new Payment Services Directive or PSD2, following on from 2007’s PSD.
Any markets in the EU’s single market will be required to implement PSD2 by September 14, a move that is largely expected to cause trouble for many UK retailers who are unprepared for the change.
Not only is there confusion surrounding UK retailers relationship with the single market after Brexit, but many fear it will lead to increased abandonment at the checkout stage due to greater friction.
“Customer focus in combination with technology and speed are part of our DNA,” Zalando’s managing director of payments Kai-Uwe Mokros said.
“We are therefore pleased to be one of the first companies to successfully implement SCA together with Adyen.”
Adyen’s country manager for Germany Alexa von Bismarck added: “We’re delighted to work with Zalando as it takes a pioneering role in implementing Strong Customer Authentication.
“For Zalando and Adyen, our top priority is to make sure that customers can pay securely online, with a great shopping experience. This is exactly what Adyen’s 3DS 2 solution can guarantee.”


text:
A major European retailer which is set to open at Derby’s Meteor Retail Park is recruiting staff to work in the new store.
In September, Danish furniture firm JYSK confirmed that it will be open its first ever outlet in the city early next year.
When is does open for business, the new store will create 10 new jobs - and JYSK is currently looking to fill those roles.
It is looking to recruit a store manager, as well as retail supervisors and sales assistants.
The store manager role is a full-time position, which comes with a starting salary of £25,000. The retail supervisor and sales assistant roles are part-time positions.
Candidates have until November 25 to apply via JYSK’s recruitment website https://job.jysk.co.uk.
In a statement advertising the jobs, JYSK said: “Are you willing to go the extra mile to make a sale? Do you enjoy working in a fast-paced environment with constant challenges? And do you get a kick out of performing in a team? Then you might just be the one we are looking for.
“JYSK has expanded from one store in Denmark in 1979 to more than 2,500 stores worldwide today. To secure future growth, we need the best employees. Seize this great opportunity to become part of JYSK. If you bring dedication, you will meet possibilities.”
JYSK sells a range of household goods such as mattresses, furniture and interior decor.
It already has stores across the Midlands and the North. Currently, its nearest store to Derby is at The Pipeworks Retail Park, at Swadlincote, which opened in 2016.
An exact date for the opening of the new Derby store has not yet been set, but when it does open it will be one of JYSK’s new “Concept 3.0” stores.
The new format offers “room-set inspirations and aspirational product groupings”.
Products are arranged by colour as well as type and offers a “clean and uncluttered environment”, according to JYSK.
The firm said that its first Concept 3.0 store opened this summer in Doncaster has so far proven popular with customers.
To download the IOS app click here.
To download the Android app click here.


text:
- Nokia is currently developing 3 Android-powered smartphones
- Leaked reports indicate that we will get a powerful Android smartphone
- Nokia needs to get the pricing right in order to avoid a fate like HTC’s
The anticipation is almost palpable as Nokia readies itself for a return to the smartphone market. The company – long relegated to the sidelines as it first stuck to Symbian, then adopted Windows Phone and eventually sold off its mobile phone division to Microsoft – is set for a comeback to an industry it once dominated.
Nokia, as per its deal with Microsoft, was not allowed to sell phones with its own branding till the end of 2015. With the restrictions lifted, leaks have been pouring over the last year, with at least three Android-powered Nokia smartphones said to be in the offing.
And there is a lot to be excited about if we go by what the leaks suggest and what we saw of the N1 tablet launched by Nokia early last year.
Mike Wang, the president of the joint management team at Nokia China, in August confirmed that the company will release 3-4 devices, but did not give separate figures for smartphones and tablets. However, reports have suggested that two flagship and one mid-range smartphone are in the works.Nokia’s upcoming smartphones tablets and feature phones will be developed and distributed by HMD Global, a firm floated by former Nokia and Microsoft devices employees. HMD Global plans to get the smartphones and tablets contract manufactured by Foxconn. Interestingly, Microsoft sold its Nokia feature phone business to a Foxconn subsidiary earlier this year.
While Nokia has not released any phone under its own branding, the Nokia N1 tablet seems to be a good indicator with respect to what we can expect from a Nokia-made Android smartphone. The biggest problem for the trio of Android-powered Nokia X phones that Microsoft released in early 2014 was with the software: Redmond’s version of Google’s mobile OS was clunky and unpolished, and was more a vehicle for its own apps than a software designed with the customer in mind.
On the other hand, Nokia’s Z Launcher, which we have seen in the N1 tablet, is smooth, refined and uncomplicated to use. Plus, it brings a few software features not seen on other Android devices, such as learning from your usage habits to change which apps the homescreen displays. For example, it can show work-related apps on the homescreen by default during the day and Facebook, WhatsApp etc during the evening as it learns your app usage habits. It’s likely that Nokia will use a version of the Z Launcher (or maybe something better) in its upcoming smartphones. This may well be the kind of OS that Nokia phones have deserved for long.
Hardware of the upcoming Nokia smartphone seems promising enough, or so the leaks suggest. You can expect top-of-the-line features, such as 2K OLED screen, water and dust resistance, and Snapdragon 820 processor, from the two flagship models, which is competitive enough for the high-end market today.
Another factor in the mix is the love for Nokia smartphones across the world, especially in India. The adulation that the brand enjoyed in its heydays persists to this day, though it may have lost some of the sheen. But it is still not too late, especially considering that Nokia has lost the Microsoft influence that has kept it from the Android ecosystem for so many years.
Pricing may be a deal breaker for Nokia’s Android smartphones, so hopefully the HMD Global management realises the importance of saddling its first few devices reasonably. Otherwise, the company may not be able to recover from the snub the market will give it, similar to what has happened to the likes of HTC over the past three years. And it may be nearly impossible for the Nokia brand to recover from a snub like that.


text:
To defend itself against hackers, Apple has decided to give out up to $1 million to any cyber security expert who find any loopholes in the security of iPhones.
This is the highest sum a company ever offers to prevent itself from future hackers. According to sources, they claimed this is an unusual initiative by Apple and instead, this offer is not only for selected researchers but for all researchers who can find security flaws on iPhone and cloud backup, even on other areas like on Mac software and more.
Meanwhile, the list of rewards varies and the $1 million can only be won by those who will find a way to access the kernel of an iPhone remotely without taking action on the user’s smartphone.
Therefore, Apple will provide researchers with special iPhones to facilitate their research for any available bugs.


text:
LinkedIn, the professional social network Microsoft purchased back in 2016 is reportedly getting ready to enter the market of freelancer platforms currently dominated by Upwork and Fiverr. According to a new report from The Information,
Hello, everyone, and welcome to the 22rd episode of OnPodcast: The OnMSFT.com Podcast. This is our weekly podcast series featuring our contributing writers, Kareem Anderson and Arif Bacchus. This week, there was a lot that happened on the OnPodcast.
Welcome back to our Windows 10 news recap, where we go over the top stories of the past week in the world of Microsoft’s flagship operating system. Microsoft may market upcoming Windows 10X as “The New Windows” New leaks suggest that Windows 10X,
Microsoft news recap is a weekly feature highlighting the top Microsoft news stories of the past week. Sit back, grab some coffee,
This is a four part piece article is a feature story on my Windows Development journey; the good, bad and ugly. This is Part 2 of my bad Windows development journey with the launch of failed two video games from Transparent Machines teaser hype to the bad launch of Hinder video game.
Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft is still using Android, just like the majority of smartphone users. In a recent interview with CNBC and NYT journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin, the tech industry legend explained why Android remains his mobile operating system of choice.
Microsoft is currently experimenting with a new feature for its Edge browser, which will allow users to delete multiple saved passwords at once. This capability is available in the Edge Canary build 90.0.807.0, as spotted by Reddit user Leopeva64-2.
Microsoft Teams is slated to get a host of new capabilities to improve the new built-in Polls feature in meetings, according to an update to the Microsoft 365 roadmap. These updates have been designed to enhance the Teams meeting experience and make virtual meetings more productive and engaging.
The recently announced Blizzard Arcade Collection is now live and ready to play on Microsoft Xbox One and Xbox Series X console families.
Madden NFL 21, the latest installment in the popular American football video game franchise is coming to EA Play and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on March 2.
Microsoft’s Remote Desktop app received its first update for the year for Apple’s iOS devices today. This update, a pretty big one, makes some UI improvements, adds a new zoom slider, and fixes a couple of bugs that were frustrating some users.
LONDON — A revamped shoe polish factory, a primary school, an Art Deco office block and a refitted book shop were among the big winners at the RIBA London Building of the Year Award Monday night.See also:
魅族科技（MEIZU）今天早晨宣布将于9月23日下午2 : 30 ，在北京国家会议中心举行“PRO 新品发布会”。以下是官方邀请全文：GO PRO，不单意味魅族在产品上的不懈追求，更意味品牌格局的再一次提升。
精选商品参与“首届零售自有品牌消费节”活动 上海2015年9月14日电 /美通社/ -- 驰名海内外的2015年上海购物节已经正式拉开了帷幕。
LONDON — It's edging closer by the day, folks.See also: Jaguar Land Rover unveils the new Bond cars for 'Spectre'It's now not much more than a month before the new Bond film Spectre explodes its way onto our screens,


text:
Druva, the leader in converged data protection, today announced that it has been chosen by AlwaysOn as one of the AlwaysOn Global 250 winners. Druva was specially selected by the AlwaysOn editorial team and industry experts across the globe, based on a set of five criteria: innovation, market potential, commercialization, stakeholder value, and media buzz.
Inclusion in the AlwaysOn Global 250 signifies industry leadership and contributions of game-changing approaches and technologies that are likely to disrupt existing markets and entrenched players in Silicon Valley. Druva was honored for driving a revolution in the data protection industry and helping companies bring data-center class availability and governance to the mobile workforce. With a single dashboard for backup, availability and governance, Druva streamlines IT management processes while reducing overall corporate data risks.
“The AlwaysOn Global 250 are the best-of-breed private companies in consumer and business-to-business applications, and cloud and mobile infrastructure sectors—representing the fastest growing and most highly valued new companies on the planet,” explained AlwaysOn founder and editor, Tony Perkins. “The consumer companies continue to explode, along with the mobile boom and the proliferation of billions of other connected devices that make of the long heralded as ‘Internet of Things.’ The business market continues to be reinvented by a new generation of big data and analytics companies and new efficiencies in cloud technology and services.”
The AlwaysOn Global 250 winners were selected from among thousands of domestic and international technology companies nominated by investors, bankers, journalists, and industry insiders. The AlwaysOn editorial team conducted a rigorous three-month selection process to finalize the 2015 list.
“We are excited to have been recognized by AlwaysOn as a Global 250 winner for bringing innovation and disruption to Silicon Valley,” said Jaspreet Singh, CEO, Druva. “Since the beginning, we’ve dedicated ourselves to being the leader in data protection and ensuring both end-user productivity and corporate governance needs are met for business data beyond the data center. This award is a strong validation of our leadership and success in transforming the data protection industry.”
Druva and the AlwaysOn Global 250 companies will be honored at AlwaysOn’s 13th annual Silicon Valley Innovation Summit at the Computer History Museum on July 8 & 9, 2015. This exclusive event gathers the brightest minds for a lively exchange on the top trends, along with identifying the most promising entrepreneurial opportunities and investments in the global tech industry.
Druva is the leader in converged data protection, bringing data-center class availability and governance to the mobile workforce. With a single dashboard for backup, availability and governance, Druva’s award-winning solutions minimize network impact and are transparent to users. As the industry’s fastest growing data protection provider, Druva is trusted by over 3,000 global organizations on over 3 million devices. Learn more at www.druva.com and join the conversation at twitter.com/druvainc.
AlwaysOn is the leading business media brand connecting and informing the entrepreneurial community in the Global Silicon Valley. Founded by Red Herring founding editor, Tony Perkins in 2003, AlwaysOn’s mission is to continue to lead the industry by empowering its readers, event participants, sponsors, bloggers, and advertisers like no other media brand.
Senior Manager, Public Relations


text:
Fans who pre-ordered Football Manager 2023 can now play the game early via its "near complete" beta.
The Early Access Beta is live now via Steam and the Epic Game Store, and expected on the Microsoft Store "in the coming days".
Sega's full Football Manager 2023 doesn't launch until 8th November, but this early access build is basically the full thing, albeit with a warning of some yet-to-be-ironed-out "bugs and issues" still lingering behind the scenes.
Access to the beta will continue to be granted to pre-order customers up until launch, during which period the game is also priced at 20 percent off (£36 instead of £45).
This year's game adds UEFA Club Competitions, revamped player animations and role improvements, a fresh squad planner and a new Supporter Confidence system so you can keep an eye on what your loyal followers are asking for.
Football Manager 2023 will be available for both mobile and consoles - including PlayStation 5 for the first time, following an earlier kerfuffle with Sony over access to development kits.


text:
Article presented by Otter PR.
For a decade, vaginal problems plagued Natasha Semago. “My vagina smelled up an entire room,” Semago openly recalls, “I thought that there’s no way this is normal or fair. I didn’t want to have sex or date.”
Semago faced struggles that many women face and are hesitant to talk about, even sometimes with their doctors. She tried endless prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, and doctor visits, trying to find the source of her vaginal issues and an eventual cure.
It was a doctor suggesting a more natural-remedy approach to her issues that was finally the key to vaginal wellness for Semago. She noticed near-instant results and knew that she had to share her discovery with others. Knowing full well that women talking openly about their vaginas was taboo, especially when they’re delving into topics of smell or discharge, Semago set out to not only spread the word about her solution but create a safe space for women.
“I felt like I could live again and wanted to help other women achieve the same results,” she explained.
The result was VeeFresh, a self-described “Fem Care Revolution” that offers natural feminine products that work and is tackling the stigma of chronic vaginal conditions.
From Pipe Dream to Reality
Semago was working as a court reporter and was a new mother. She didn’t know how she would make her idea into a real business, but she was determined to try. She had no experience in product development or sales, but she knew she had landed on something revolutionary.
With the idea bouncing around in her head, Semago set out to make her pipe dream a reality.
She spent years mired in trial and error, attempting to land on the exact mix of ingredients and products that would give her customers the results she had experienced.
The product line that eventually became VeeFresh includes VeeCleanse products that tackle strong vaginal odor, Boric Acid suppositories, and D-Mannose and hibiscus flower supplements.
“We formulate our products at VeeFresh as a team effort,” explains Semago, “I work directly with product manufacturers. Our team vigorously tests product samples, then send back edits to our manufacturer, going back and forth a few rounds, and ultimately decide on the finalized product.”
What sets VeeFresh apart from other health and wellness companies is not only their focus on a topic that has traditionally remained hush-hush, but the community that has been built around the brand. The Veebabes group has taken a topic typically relegated to closed-door discussions and put it all out there, openly sharing the frustration, the feelings of depression, and the sense that one is all alone.
Semago knows well the feeling of being ignored and the feelings of shame that can creep up when you’re walking around with unresolved vaginal issues. Her mission with VeeFresh was to ensure other women didn’t have to experience those feelings.
“The most common and frustrating challenges our customers face is all the back and forth with their OB/GYNs, the crazy amount of misinformation online, and the emotional toll having feminine care issues can take,” said Semago.
The Veebabes Facebook group also offers positive and judgment-free advice, as well as exclusive access to OB/GYNs, sex therapists, and feminine care resources. For Semago, the combination of tried and tested natural products — and the input from thousands of women who know what it’s like to have issues “down there” — has led to the “Fem Care Revolution” she touts on the VeeFresh page. To date, thousands have found relief in the VeeFresh products and a supportive community in the Veebabes group.
Making It Work
Semago has always been a working mother but tackles the challenge of also being a business owner with pride. Following a challenging childhood that included abuse, drug use, and her mother’s death early on, she has used these past tragedies as motivation, nudging her towards a brighter future for herself and her family. With the success of VeeFresh, she hopes to give back to the community, help at-risk youth, and donate to women’s organizations.
“The hardest part of being a momtrepreneur is balancing quality time with family and children when an online business never stops,” says Semago. Nevertheless, she sees the benefit in being a beacon of inspiration for her children by bringing a needed product and service to thousands of women.
“The biggest reward of starting VeeFresh has been the lives we’ve changed,” she explains, “I know personally the struggle and emotional weight these problems can bring, so seeing thousands of women have their struggles alleviated feels amazing.”
Deal of the DayThis Bestselling Kimono Is on Sale Right Now for Just $18 View Deal
Have a tip? Send it to us! Email In Touch at firstname.lastname@example.org.


text:
Despite its leading global role, the country has never produced a software giant like SAP or Infosys, or a $10bn start-up – known as a decacorn – to rival the likes of Uber or Airbnb.
I recently came across a prime example of this phenomenon as part of my ongoing research with Duncan Chapple, a PhD student. Two digital start-ups were both initially described by industry insiders as “extremely promising” and “potentially disruptive”. But where one is now, in their CEO’s words, “going toe to toe with the likes of IBM and Oracle”, the other is floundering - despite being technologically at least as good, or perhaps better. The difference? The former is from Chicago while the latter is based in Glasgow.
The story is not a one off, nor is it new. A decade ago research by my University of Edinburgh colleague Professor Richard Harrison had already pointed out that software start-ups in the US were likely to grow to twice the size and twice as fast as their UK counterparts.
So what’s going on?
UK tech start-ups lack credibility. Not so much in their ability to innovate – British firms are known the world over for that – but in their capacity to attract top investors. Access to the top table requires endorsement from an ever growing and shadowy network of US-centric Industry Analysts. UK firms don’t know how to play the game because, frankly, very few of them know the game exists.
So massive is the volume of tech start-ups that burst on the scene each year to vie for capital, Gartner, Forrester, IDC and others have built a $6 billion dollar industry out of doing the legwork to find the next big thing and ensure venture capitalists and angel investors don’t end up pouring their cash into lemons.
Rankings like Gartner’s Magic Quadrant and Forrester’s Wave have become the go to cheat sheets for the biggest of the big money. If your start up isn’t on their radar, it may as well not be on anyone’s. It’s no coincidence unicorns like Dropbox, Nest and Instagram were named ‘Cool Vendors’ by Gartner in their early years. Likewise, the Chicago start-up we spoke to only began to gain real traction after making it into the Forrester Wave. That’s how the endorsement economy works.
Of course, geography plays a role. More than two thirds of analyst firms (around 400) are headquartered around US innovation hubs San Francisco, Seattle and New York, including all three major players. Compare that to Europe, where there are just 200 – typically much smaller, boutique operations – covering the entire continent. Moreover, analysts are notoriously short-sighted and seem to pay attention only to those companies on their doorstep. Of the 150 ‘Cool Vendors’ we surveyed from Gartner’s latest ranking, 15 were British and 98 were from the US.
Background of success
But by far the main barrier for the UK’s tech firms breaking into the endorsement economy is not knowing how to pitch themselves to analysts, or indeed to the right ones. Despite what tech entrepreneurs might think, this second pitch is a very different game to their first round.
We studied these second important pitches up close and saw how they could become fractious and bad tempered affairs as pitchers misunderstood the format and what the analysts were looking for. It’s not unusual for all parties to come away from these meetings with a negative impression of the other.
Founders tend to come from a background of success, used to getting their own way, and they have got this far on the back of selling themselves and their ideas. But analysts too can be difficult characters to handle. They are refashioning the industry hierarchy, and are comfortable to play a leading role amongst the new digital elite. Analysts don’t go in search of the next big Silicon Valley CEO. The CEOs come to them.
Digital enterprises’ success relies on the ability to navigate the endorsement economy, something for which they need support. In the last 20 years alone, a secondary industry of nearly 1,000 analyst relations firms have sprung up in the US, offering start-ups support to pitch themselves to the right targets, in the right way.
These firms coach entrepreneurs over a number of years, sharing knowledge on how analysts’ mindsets work, and converting what are typically product or technology stories into a great business model story.
For those companies who are further afield from the US, engaging with this endorsement economy, requires a lot more effort.
The UK’s firms need to drastically up their game if they’re ever going to truly compete with their rivals and our policymakers must offer more support in this area. With Brexit on the cards, the stakes for our country’s tech entrepreneurs and our economy as a whole couldn’t be higher.
Neil Pollock, Professor of Innovation and Social Informatics, University of Edinburgh Business School (opens in new tab)
Image Credit: SFIO CRACHO / Shutterstock


text: According to InsideEVs.com, the only change for the 2014 C-Max Energi will be some new order codes. The website said the 2014 C-Max Energi will start production on July 8th at the Wayne Michigan Assembly plant. InsideEVs also speculated that the 2015 model year will have “bigger changes” (which isn’t hard if the 2014 year doesn’t have any). Quoting InsideEVs: “…as the platform has been around since 2011 and is due for a refresh…which is most likely the culprit behind the model’s feature freeze for 2014. (For 2015, think integrating the vehicles lithium battery that now resides in the trunk elsewhere in the car).” Earlier, Motor Trend speculated that the 2015 Ford C-Max, updated in North America in 2014, will have an Aston Martin-styled grill (see, Most Important Features for The Next Ford C-Max Update).


text:
In the first of a two-part series, Matthew Wittemeier and Dr. Eva Savelsberg of INFORM GmbH outline strategic and emerging tech trends for 2020.
In 2018, we released our first emerging technology articleand kicked off 2038: A Smart Port Story Part 1 – our vision ofthe port and terminal industry in 20 years’ time.
As our second installment of the emerging tech article from 2018, this two-part series will explore a handful of emerging technologies that are starting to shape, or have a high probability of shaping, the future of our industry in Part 1.
We have also elected to go one step further this year and add in some of the strategic trends that are also impacting the adoption of technology in Part 2.
There are four emerging technologies that are worth monitoring in 2020, namely 5G, gamification blockchain, and artificial intelligence (AI). Like in 2018, let’s define each and then look at a usage example within the ports and terminals industry.
Fifth-generation wireless, or “5G,” as it is commonly known, is the next generation of mobile technology. 5G utilises abroader spectrum of frequencies moving into the infrared range allowing for much lower latency (faster data exchange) and more simultaneous connections. The application of these improvements is well documented and, notably for maritime, they include machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, improved autonomous vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications and coordination, and improved wireless network connectivity over traditional wireless networking protocols and standards.
While there is currently a lot of hype about 5G, the reality is that the standards that will ultimately govern the technology are not yet fully in place globally. We are expecting this year to be a big one for 5G as these standards start to come into effect and an increasing number of manufacturers include this as a standard in their equipment. In short, stay tuned.
Read the full text now.
Read Online or Download


text:
Marissa Mayer Did Not Make the Invite List for This Exclusive Tech Conference
Yahoo (YHOO) CEO Marissa Mayer has reportedly not been invited to Allen & Company’s exclusive Sun Valley conference for media giants and tech tycoons.
Mayer, who received an invite last year but apparently did not attend, did not make the cut for 2016 according to a list obtained by the New York Post.
Allen & Company is an investment bank that helps orchestrate media mergers and acquisitions. Its conference takes place in Idaho, and according to CNNMoney, there is no public list or agenda.
Verizon (VZ) CEO Lowell McAdam and Tim Armstrong, the head of Verizon’s AOL unit, are both expected to attend. The telecom giant has its eyes set on Yahoo. As growth in its traditional telecom business slows, the company is looking to buy Yahoo’s ad and content business to make money from digital advertising on mobile devices.
The possibility of a sale comes at a time when Mayer’s role at Yahoo is unclear. The CEO is under heavy pressure from activist investor Starboard Value, which has been especially critical of her efforts to right the ship. But Yahoo, which originally hired Mayer to help revive the company, has since dropped off of the Fortune 500, and back in January, Starboard’s chief, Jeffery Smith, called her to step down, saying that, “the existing leadership continues to destroy” the company’s value.
Warren Buffett is also among the list of Sun Valley attendees this year, according to the Post. Last year, Apple CEO Tim Cook, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, GM CEO Mary Barra, and Tesla founder Elon Musk all went.
Fortune has reached out to Yahoo and Allen & Company and will update this story if they respond.


text:
Koenig & Bauer develops new fields of business with digital products
Koenig & Bauer has already transformed the world of print on any number of occasions. It has long since transitioned from a classic manufacturing company into an agile technology provider, and numerous digital products and offers complement its printing machinery. With a new group-wide unit focussed on the digital transformation, Koenig & Bauer is now intensifying its development of new business models and digital solutions covering the full lifecycle of print products.
Koenig & Bauer’s group strategy EXCEEDING PRINT adopts global megatrends as a basis to further advance the company’s digital transformation and to continue its development of digital business models. New digital products associated with the company’s core product – printing presses for practically all substrates and technologies – are being added to the portfolio, and ensure that customers can continue to rely on maximum productivity and availability in the future. “The digital transformation is ‘people business’. The realignments in corporate and innovation culture, combined with the development of modern software products for our customers, are driving the company’s transition from a machine manufacturer to a technology provider,” says Ralf Sammeck, member of the Executive Board and CDO at Koenig & Bauer. “We are becoming ‘digital trusted advisors’ to our customers and can use data to derive recommendations for action, for example to make production more efficient.”
The new digital unit has been operating at group level since 2022, coordinating and supporting the development, implementation and market launch of digital products and services – from the initial idea through to commercial viability. “We direct our focus at our customers and provide them with support wherever they can make their businesses even more profitable with digital solutions,” says Sandra Wagner, Vice President Digitalisation and head of the interdisciplinary team. As the former Head of Sales and Marketing at group subsidiary Koenig & Bauer Coding, she helped to give a face to artificial intelligence: The digital assistant Kyana offers every option for smart production support, from remote service to predictive maintenance. Wagner and her team are planning to further expand this service and intend to integrate Koenig & Bauer’s already existing capabilities for recording, analysing and interpreting machine data using artificial intelligence into a central, AI-assisted platform for customers.
Furthermore, the market launch of a digital product that unites two key components of the group strategy EXCEEDING PRINT, namely sustainability and digitalisation, is imminent. After all, Koenig & Bauer and its global customers not only exert a decisive influence over the world of print and packaging, but also share responsibility for structuring production processes sustainably.


text:
Speculation is rife about the future prospects of Twitter, the social networking site that is the new craze of the Internet world. This week, co-founder Biz Stone put this speculation to rest, announcing that there were no plans to sell the company, at least for now.
The tech market has started resembling an oligopoly in recent years, with new start-ups such as YouTube or Blogger immediately absorbed by big players such as Google and Microsoft. The average life span for a start-up before it gets acquired would be roughly around two or three years. By that standard, Twitter is already of age.
So, will Twitter prove to be the start-up that stands on its own? That’s a possibility, considering the phenomenon it has become: According to Nielsen Research, the site grew 1,382% this February, with 7 million unique visitors that month.
Alternatively, as it starts earning revenue, the start-up is entering a new stage, one that may well fail. At that point, the company may just become unattractive. So, are Twitter’s founders making the right choice now?


text:
The company expanded production of its antibacterial household surface cleaners to ensure availability in stores.
Colorado Hemp Honey’s line of Beef and Chicken Full-Spectrum Hemp Bone Broths contain natural collagen, raw honey and more.
In fact, more pet parents may be traveling with their animal companions this summer.
The new website offers several new features.
Out & About CBD's first premium THC-free CBD chews are fit for small dogs under 25 lbs.
Dog owners in Thailand will now have access to v-planet's non-GMO dog food.
Celebrity pet adoption advocates will raise awareness of the need for pet adoption and directly support those who permanently adopt their foster pets.
Hill's Pet Nutrition is helping to fund disaster relief grants to shelters impacted by COVID-19.
Choice Pet Products is expanding its distribution portfolio.
Tender & True Organic Smoked Salmon Jerky Treats contain USDA certified organic salmon.
The company's donation is going to Toronto Humane Society and ASPCA to support pets and pet parents amid COVID-19.
The company also increased the monetary value of these awards.
The new additions to PSC's board and staff demonstrates its resiliency and growth during the pandemic.
The automatic feeder is included on a list of must-have lifestyle products from Walmart.
These are the factors that every pet specialty retailer should consider when devising a strategy for doing business after the COVID-19 crisis subsides.
From initial spikes to sharp declines, the COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed the face of pet retail over the past few months.
The pet care community has a great obligation to provide the products and services that our pets need to stay healthy and happy.
Pets still need loving homes, even during a pandemic. Here are tips to share with potential owners for virtual adoptions.
The company received the award for its packaging design.
The company shared over 12,000 bags of its Crazy Dog Train-Me! treats with the rescue group.


text:
By Nawara Fattahova
KUWAIT: There has been a rise in the theft of vehicle catalytic converters recently, allegedly by workers at some auto repair shops as well as from parked cars. The catalytic converter is an important part that controls emissions produced from the vehicle to protect the environment and curb pollution. The part is expensive, ranging from KD 250 for a Mitsubishi Pajero up to KD 490 for the Nissan Z and even higher for more expensive vehicles.
One of the main reasons catalytic converters are stolen is because they contain expensive metals like platinum, palladium and rhodium. They are also sold to used spare part dealers in the scrap area or to garages. A catalytic converter is an exhaust emission control device that converts toxic gases and pollutants in exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine into less-toxic pollutants by catalyzing a redox reaction.
In February this year, the Environment Public Authority signed a memorandum with interior ministry that added a new condition to the technical inspection of vehicles – that car emissions should conform with special standards while renewing car licenses. But according to a car inspection center, this law has not yet come into force.
A mechanic in Shuwaikh said police have conducted several raids at garages in Shuwaikh industrial Area and confiscated catalytic converters found at these garages. “The police warned garage workers that it’s not allowed to remove this part from the vehicles. I guess this came after customers complained catalytic converters were stolen from their vehicles, especially after it was announced that emissions tests will be done during the technical checking, for which this part is essential,” he told Kuwait Times.
“Some drivers used to remove the catalytic converters from their vehicle based on the advice of the garage, as the vehicle apparently runs faster without it. The garage even used to pay the customer around KD 50 for the converter. But after the police raids, most garages won’t remove it even if the customer pays for it,” he added.
A salesman at an auto dealership confirmed more people are now asking for catalytic converters. “I’ve heard many people in Salmiya, Maidan Hawally, Hawally and Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh were victims of theft of this part from their vehicles. The driver will realize the catalytic converter is missing when they start hearing loud noises from the exhaust,” the salesman told Kuwait Times. Another mechanic at a garage in Shuwaikh said he knows a customer whose converter was stolen by a tow truck driver while transporting the car to the garage.


text:
3 years ago, 696 views, By AKick Software Inc.
Akick Software Inc. has announced the official release of innovative Data Recovery Software, which is use to recover lost and deleted files from multiple storage devices. It is now available in latest version of Data Recovery Software 1.0.
3 years ago, 681 views, By AVN Global
Vikramshila Hindi Vidyapith, Bhagalpur, Bihar has felicitated the young engineer and online entrepreneur Mr. A.K. Sharma with Honorary Doctorate in its 21st Conference organized in Ujjain (MP).
3 years ago, 675 views, By TheMaharajaExpress.org
To offer opulent luxury and the perfect extravagant journey experience on board the Maharaja's Express train is offering a special discount for people planning to travel from Delhi to Mumbai.
3 years ago, 639 views, By Addaera Research & Polls Centre
The results of the survey were declared at a press conference organized by Dubai Police on 14th December 2016 at the Dubai Police Officer's Club.
3 years ago, 633 views, By Heritage of Grace
New Movie Alert! 'Crystal' to Premiere at The Fountain of Life Church, Ilupeju Lagos. Heritage of Grace and Nidus Aquilae Networks presents 'Crystal', an intriguing drama on choices and consequences.
3 years ago, 614 views, By BarcodeMaker.net
School ID Card Badge Printing Software is useful to design multiple student ID cards using various image designing tools like line, text, barcode, signature, picture and many more
3 years ago, 597 views, By Public Interest Law Professor John Banzhaf
UK Ruled, With No Due Process, "California Girls" Included "Language of a Sexual Nature"
3 years ago, 540 views, By Five Star Economy
In the internet age, when one wayward online review can stagger a business, reputation matters more than ever. With a smartphone in seemingly every pocket, potential consumers, and critics, lurk everywhere.
3 years ago, 530 views, By TFE Times
Best Business School Rankings | Top MBA Program Rankings | Top Business School Rankings
3 years ago, 508 views, By Bharat Book Bureau
Bharat Book Bureau provides the report; on " Global GIS Market in the Transportation Industry". The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects.
3 years ago, 474 views, By MoneyMaker Research Pvt Ltd
the fastest-growing large economy defeating China said media reports
3 years ago, 408 views, By Oldfield's Appliance
"For the past five years, the period between Thanksgiving and New Year's has been the best time to buy," according to local expert Joel Rimmer in a new video [insert link] interview.
3 years ago, 399 views, By Yuliya Kachko - ONE Sotheby's International Realty
The development of the real estate industry has been under tremendous improvements of late. This has boosted the rate of the real estate market in this part of Miami and in US overall.
3 years ago, 398 views, By HealthyWiser
HealthyWiser is a well-known brand in the fields of personal health, wellness and beauty and one of its products in the market is the TDS and EC meter, and test kit for water testing. Among the water systems that it tests are water purifiers at home.
3 years ago, 384 views, By USOH
Hindus have welcomed reports of East Meadow School District (EMSD) in Westbury (New York) adopting Diwali, most popular of their festival, as an official holiday on the 2017-2018 school year calendar.
3 years ago, 373 views, By Vouchers UK
Sports Direct is the best and cheapest sports & outdoor goods retailer around UK and many more countries. You can find anything about sports goods and fashion for Men, Women & Kids.
3 years ago, 367 views, By ICFAI Business School
Last date to apply for IBSAT 2016 will end on18th December 2016.
3 years ago, 365 views, By Local Plumbing Heroes
Panic is a usual response of a homeowner when something goes wrong in the plumbing system of the house. It is to understand the reason behind such reaction.
3 years ago, 358 views, By Web Brain InfoTech
Web Brain InfoTech, a renowned player in the field of digital marketing and web designing, is here with it's amazing digital services at an equally amazing prices on the occasion of Christmas.
3 years ago, 339 views, By iicybersecurity
Volatility Bot fue creado por expertos de seguridad web para resolver estos tipos de problemas.
3 years ago, 339 views, By Bank & Entrepreneur Africa
Nigeria's leading publication on entrepreneurship, Bank & Entrepreneur Africa magazine, is celebrating a remarkable six months (June - December 2016) of providing life-changing opportunities for poor and disadvantaged Nigerian ladies - through the...


text:
As the range of delicious plant-based options available across Europe expands, we look at what this year's Veganuary launches tell us about what to expect from sustainable proteins in 2022.
Don’t be afraid to reach out – that’s the advice from a researcher working on a project to develop new techniques to produce cultivated fish fillets.
2021 was a breakthrough year for plant-based foods, cultivated meat and fermentation.
There is one sector that was completely absent from high level discussions, despite causing 21% of global emissions: animal agriculture.
Nearly half of European consumers who want to eat less meat by switching to plant-based products think not enough options are available.
GFI will be on the ground in Glasgow, encouraging national governments to include sustainable proteins – making meat from plants and cultivating it from cells – into their national plans.
GFI Europe’s new market research reveals the key challenges facing plant-based and cultivated meat in Europe


text:
Telltale Games has officially announced that a Walking Dead videogame is in development, but it’s not based on the TV show.
The Walking Dead has become an extremely well-known property after going from a popular comic book to an even more popular television show. Its profile has been raised so much that now it’s also coming to the videogame world, courtesy of Telltale Games.
Telltale has announced a “multi-year, multi-platform, multi-title” deal with Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman to produce videogames based on the comic book. Notably, these games won’t be based on the television show, which is what broke Walking Dead into mainstream popularity, but doesn’t precisely follow the original storyline.
Kirkman told IGN that the first Walking Dead game is still in the planning stages, but it will be episodic as is typical for a series made by Telltale Games. Kirkman did not reveal if the games would diverge from the story in the comic book, or what they’d follow at all. My guess is that Telltale and Kirkman will take players behind the scenes of the Walking Dead characters’ lives, or maybe even follow a brand new cast.
With potential platforms encompassing the PC, Mac, consoles, handhelds, mobile phones, and social gaming platforms, The Walking Dead could infect our gaming lives wholeheartedly. Telltale expects to release the first Walking Dead game in the fourth quarter of 2011.


text:
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has decided against banning textured breast implants, despite hundreds of reports linking the devices to a rare form of cancer called breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL).
The agency apparently doesn’t believe that the available data on BIA-ALCL meets the standard for imposing a textured breast implant ban. In a statement issued on Thursday, the FDA indicated that it would instead ramp up its efforts to disseminate information about the risks associated with textured devices and other types of breast implants.
BIA-ALCL is slow-growing form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that develops in the scar capsule that eventually develops around breast implants. Signs and symptoms of the disease include:
The FDA had received more than 450 reports of BIA-ALCL as of last September, and at 16 women died of the disease as of January 1, 2019. The vast majority of cases occurred in women with textured devices, which account for fewer than 10% of breast implant sales in the United States, but roughly 80% of sales worldwide.
Health Canada suspended Allergan’s license to market Biocell breast implants on April 4th, after a review found that 24 of 28 Canadian women with BIA-ALCL had received those textured devices. Similar cancer concerns prompted France’s National Agency for Safety of Medicines and Health Products announce a textured breast implant ban involving several devices, including the Biocell implants, just a day later.
Both textured breast implant bans followed Allergan’s decision to remove products from the European market after their certification expired last December.
The FDA has so far been unable to establish a causal connection between breast implants and so-called “breast implant illness,” but agreed that evidence suggests some women experience systemic symptoms, including chronic fatigue, cognitive issues, join and muscle pain, that may resolve once the devices are removed.
According to yesterday’s statement, the agency is considering several actions to ensure women and doctors are aware of the risks linked to breast implants, including a black box warning and requiring that doctors go over a checklist with their patients prior to surgery.
The FDA also said it would require breast implant manufacturers to file individual reports on adverse events that will be made publicly available in the coming weeks. Previously, the manufacturers were only required to provide the agency with a summary of patient problems or concerns, but that method apparently allowed the FDA to miss “unusual, unique or uncommon adverse events, which, in the case of breast implants, included BIA-ALCL.”
Jamee Cook, co-founder of Breast Implant Victim Advocacy, told CNN she was hopeful the FDA would implement the black box warning and checklist requirements, but expressed disappointment over the decision to nix a textured breast implant ban.
“Not banning the textured implants is very discouraging to us and to the patients who have lymphoma,” she said. “We’re going to continue to push for that ban, even though that’s not a move they are willing to make yet.”


text:
Cottonelle Paper towels are often found on sale in supermarket and convenience stores.
They are commonly used for cooking and cleaning purposes.
They have also been found to be the source of cottonelle papers, paper towels and paper towel layer in several states including California, Oregon, Texas and Washington.
The Australian Cottonelle newspaper and newspaper paper are widely available in grocery stores and have recently been sold in supermarkets and convenience outlets.
But the Australian cottonelle has been found with other products including cottonelle tablets and paper towels in the past.
According to the Australian Cottonell Paper towels were recently found in a Cottonelle bag in a shopping centre in Brisbane.
In Queensland, the paper towels were found in the Cottonelle Bag and in a bag at a Woolworths store in Brisbane, Queensland.
It comes as a shock to many who have bought cottonelle in the Australian market, as they have come to expect the paper towel to be available in the stores.
But Australian Cottonells paper towels are not a household staple.
It is commonly found in restaurants and convenience shops, and in supermarkets, convenience stores and supermarkets in the United States.
It can also be found in health food stores.