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|By PR Newswire||
|November 26, 2012 08:26 AM EST||
NEW YORK, Nov. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Refinery29, the global source for all the best fashion and lifestyle news, trends, and shopping, announced today the launch of an exciting new addition to its premium original content lineup, and just in time for the holiday shopping season — Tinseltown, a multi-faceted holiday initiative that will culminate with a 3-day live shopping Bazaar.
"Inspiration-based shopping is a major focus for Refinery29," says founder, Philippe von Borries. "And Tinseltown is another means of showing users and brands how we can engage audiences, as well as the convergence of all of our greatest assets—incredible product and resources, imaginative programming, and an innovative user experience."
- Refinery29's Tinseltown features three interactive online and offline components; Live from Tinseltown (kitschy and cool video series), Tinseltown Gift Guide (shop straight from the inspiration of the videos), and the Tinseltown Bazaar (Refinery29 comes to life with the Nolita pop up!)
- The site's comprehensive holiday hub, Tinseltown, www.Refinery29.com/holiday, will inspire readers through December 25th, and be a welcomed diversion from the stresses of the holiday season.
"Live from Tinseltown":
- A daily video series that turns gift-giving into a modern-day interactive variety show, will allow users to watch, share, and shop all within the span of a 3-minute, editor-hosted romp.
- The 16-episode, unscripted, daily series will combine all the fun-meets-future trademarks the site is known for—premium programming, R29 talent, and access to editor-curated product through a brand-new online shopping technology, which will allow users to put product directly into their shopping carts throughout the span of each themed video.
- Refinery29's editors will join a slew of stylish guests, including actress and host Louise Roe, and sister-duo Danielle and Jodi Snyder of DanniJo jewelry, to bring the themed gift guides even more to life.
- To create the sparkling holiday set ("imagine a sort of winter-wonderland of the future," says Editor-in-Chief, Christene Barberich), the site reunited with star set designers, Aux Armes, based in Brooklyn and responsible for creating the awe-inspiring window installations at Hermes and Jill Stuart, among others.
"The holidays can be incredibly stressful for everyone," says Editor-In-Chief, Christene Barberich. "It was important to us that we brought all the best resources to the forefront in the way of these product-packed gift guides, but making them fun was totally key. These videos are a chance for our users to tune into the Refinery29 world in a very personal way. With this video series, it's like they are actually shopping with us."
Tinseltown Gift Guide:
- An engaging new shopping technology that further extends Refinery29's mission to seamlessly blend content and commerce in an organic way.
- The curated, constant rotation of holiday product at a variety of price-points, including exclusive pieces from Refinery29 beloved designers, such as Giles & Brother, Gryson, Loeffler Randall, and Urban Outfitters, will offer digital immediacy as hosts and experts highlight brands throughout the video that will be on their personal wish lists!
- Launching with Tinseltown is the site's first PWP, Perk With Purchase, a program encouraging users to tune in at a certain time everyday to watch each new episode and, in turn, score their very own gift with purchase.
"This is a content-first experience," says VP of Product, Josh Himwich. "Refinery29 is leading with its trademark brand of compelling editorial, and weaving commerce directly into the content. With programmed video content, our goal is to continue pushing the boundaries of discovery, through intelligent technology and the constant nurturing of the user experience, while always inspiring our audience in new ways."
- The "Live from Tinseltown" online experience will debut with a festive 3-day holiday pop-up shop in New York City from December 14-16, dubbed the "Tinseltown Bazaar."
- The first-ever event of its kind will offer an additional way to extend the brand to the community and feature special surprises from the site's editors and experts.
- The Bazaar will feature Refinery29's favorite designers and coveted labels as well as one-of-a-kind merchandise and exclusive collaborations.
Refinery29 is the world's place for discovering, empowering, and celebrating personal style. Combining daily local newsletter editions and a website that serves as a global style hub, Refinery29 offers the only 360-degree source for shopping, breaking fashion news, trends, beauty, local insider guides, and at-home sneak-peeks of fashion's finest. At Refinery29, great style isn't just a one-way obsession—it's a fast-changing world where readers talk, designers and brands engage, and great fashion influences everything. www.Refinery29.com
A completely new computing platform is on the horizon. They’re called Microservers by some, ARM Servers by others, and sometimes even ARM-based Servers. No matter what you call them, Microservers will have a huge impact on the data center and on server computing in general. Although few people are familiar with Microservers today, their impact will be felt very soon. This is a new category of computing platform that is available today and is predicted to have triple-digit growth rates for some ...
Oct. 24, 2016 02:00 PM EDT Reads: 34,134
Governments around the world are adopting Safe Harbor privacy provisions to protect customer data from leaving sovereign territories. Increasingly, global companies are required to create new instances of their server clusters in multiple countries to keep abreast of these new Safe Harbor laws. Is it worth it? In his session at 19th Cloud Expo, Adam Rogers, Managing Director of Anexia, Inc., will discuss how to keep your data legal and still stay in business.
Oct. 24, 2016 01:15 PM EDT Reads: 1,447
In past @ThingsExpo presentations, Joseph di Paolantonio has explored how various Internet of Things (IoT) and data management and analytics (DMA) solution spaces will come together as sensor analytics ecosystems. This year, in his session at @ThingsExpo, Joseph di Paolantonio from DataArchon, will be adding the numerous Transportation areas, from autonomous vehicles to “Uber for containers.” While IoT data in any one area of Transportation will have a huge impact in that area, combining sensor...
Oct. 24, 2016 01:00 PM EDT Reads: 822
SYS-CON Events announced today that SoftNet Solutions will exhibit at the 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. SoftNet Solutions specializes in Enterprise Solutions for Hadoop and Big Data. It offers customers the most open, robust, and value-conscious portfolio of solutions, services, and tools for the shortest route to success with Big Data. The unique differentiator is the ability to architect and ...
Oct. 24, 2016 01:00 PM EDT Reads: 852
SYS-CON Events announced today that MathFreeOn will exhibit at the 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. MathFreeOn is Software as a Service (SaaS) used in Engineering and Math education. Write scripts and solve math problems online. MathFreeOn provides online courses for beginners or amateurs who have difficulties in writing scripts. In accordance with various mathematical topics, there are more tha...
Oct. 24, 2016 01:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,000
The best way to leverage your Cloud Expo presence as a sponsor and exhibitor is to plan your news announcements around our events. The press covering Cloud Expo and @ThingsExpo will have access to these releases and will amplify your news announcements. More than two dozen Cloud companies either set deals at our shows or have announced their mergers and acquisitions at Cloud Expo. Product announcements during our show provide your company with the most reach through our targeted audiences.
Oct. 24, 2016 12:45 PM EDT Reads: 4,695
Successful transition from traditional IT to cloud computing requires three key ingredients: an IT architecture that allows companies to extend their internal best practices to the cloud, a cost point that allows economies of scale, and automated processes that manage risk exposure and maintain regulatory compliance with industry regulations (FFIEC, PCI-DSS, HIPAA, FISMA). The unique combination of VMware, the IBM Cloud, and Cloud Raxak, a 2016 Gartner Cool Vendor in IT Automation, provides a co...
Oct. 24, 2016 12:30 PM EDT Reads: 1,203
More and more brands have jumped on the IoT bandwagon. We have an excess of wearables – activity trackers, smartwatches, smart glasses and sneakers, and more that track seemingly endless datapoints. However, most consumers have no idea what “IoT” means. Creating more wearables that track data shouldn't be the aim of brands; delivering meaningful, tangible relevance to their users should be. We're in a period in which the IoT pendulum is still swinging. Initially, it swung toward "smart for smar...
Oct. 24, 2016 12:30 PM EDT Reads: 974
@ThingsExpo has been named the Top 5 Most Influential Internet of Things Brand by Onalytica in the ‘The Internet of Things Landscape 2015: Top 100 Individuals and Brands.' Onalytica analyzed Twitter conversations around the #IoT debate to uncover the most influential brands and individuals driving the conversation. Onalytica captured data from 56,224 users. The PageRank based methodology they use to extract influencers on a particular topic (tweets mentioning #InternetofThings or #IoT in this ...
Oct. 24, 2016 12:15 PM EDT Reads: 8,407
In an era of historic innovation fueled by unprecedented access to data and technology, the low cost and risk of entering new markets has leveled the playing field for business. Today, any ambitious innovator can easily introduce a new application or product that can reinvent business models and transform the client experience. In their Day 2 Keynote at 19th Cloud Expo, Mercer Rowe, IBM Vice President of Strategic Alliances, and Raejeanne Skillern, Intel Vice President of Data Center Group and ...
Oct. 24, 2016 11:45 AM EDT Reads: 1,511
SYS-CON Events announced today that Niagara Networks will exhibit at the 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Niagara Networks offers the highest port-density systems, and the most complete Next-Generation Network Visibility systems including Network Packet Brokers, Bypass Switches, and Network TAPs.
Oct. 24, 2016 11:45 AM EDT Reads: 1,308
Data is the fuel that drives the machine learning algorithmic engines and ultimately provides the business value. In his session at Cloud Expo, Ed Featherston, a director and senior enterprise architect at Collaborative Consulting, will discuss the key considerations around quality, volume, timeliness, and pedigree that must be dealt with in order to properly fuel that engine.
Oct. 24, 2016 10:45 AM EDT Reads: 3,860
SYS-CON Events announced today that StarNet Communications will exhibit at the 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. StarNet Communications’ FastX is the industry first cloud-based remote X Windows emulator. Using standard Web browsers (FireFox, Chrome, Safari, etc.) users from around the world gain highly secure access to applications and data hosted on Linux-based servers in a central data center. ...
Oct. 24, 2016 10:30 AM EDT Reads: 2,101
SYS-CON Events announced today that Cemware will exhibit at the 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Use MATLAB functions by just visiting website mathfreeon.com. MATLAB compatible, freely usable, online platform services. As of October 2016, 80,000 users from 180 countries are enjoying our platform service.
Oct. 24, 2016 10:30 AM EDT Reads: 830
Traditional on-premises data centers have long been the domain of modern data platforms like Apache Hadoop, meaning companies who build their business on public cloud were challenged to run Big Data processing and analytics at scale. But recent advancements in Hadoop performance, security, and most importantly cloud-native integrations, are giving organizations the ability to truly gain value from all their data. In his session at 19th Cloud Expo, David Tishgart, Director of Product Marketing ...
Oct. 24, 2016 10:30 AM EDT Reads: 2,538
Virgil consists of an open-source encryption library, which implements Cryptographic Message Syntax (CMS) and Elliptic Curve Integrated Encryption Scheme (ECIES) (including RSA schema), a Key Management API, and a cloud-based Key Management Service (Virgil Keys). The Virgil Keys Service consists of a public key service and a private key escrow service.
Oct. 24, 2016 10:15 AM EDT Reads: 1,071
SYS-CON Events announced today that eCube Systems, the leading provider of modern development tools and best practices for Continuous Integration on OpenVMS, will exhibit at SYS-CON's @DevOpsSummit at Cloud Expo New York, which will take place on June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. eCube Systems offers a family of middleware products and development tools that maximize return on technology investment by leveraging existing technical equity to meet evolving business needs. ...
Oct. 24, 2016 10:00 AM EDT Reads: 4,505
Effectively SMBs and government programs must address compounded regulatory compliance requirements. The most recent are Controlled Unclassified Information and the EU’s GDPR have Board Level implications. Managing sensitive data protection will likely result in acquisition criteria, demonstration requests and new requirements. Developers, as part of the pre-planning process and the associated supply chain, could benefit from updating their code libraries and design by incorporating changes.
Oct. 24, 2016 09:45 AM EDT Reads: 1,687
SYS-CON Events announced today that Isomorphic Software will exhibit at DevOps Summit at 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Isomorphic Software provides the SmartClient HTML5/AJAX platform, the most advanced technology for building rich, cutting-edge enterprise web applications for desktop and mobile. SmartClient combines the productivity and performance of traditional desktop software with the simp...
Oct. 24, 2016 09:00 AM EDT Reads: 3,481
Fact is, enterprises have significant legacy voice infrastructure that’s costly to replace with pure IP solutions. How can we bring this analog infrastructure into our shiny new cloud applications? There are proven methods to bind both legacy voice applications and traditional PSTN audio into cloud-based applications and services at a carrier scale. Some of the most successful implementations leverage WebRTC, WebSockets, SIP and other open source technologies. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Da...
Oct. 24, 2016 09:00 AM EDT Reads: 2,321


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Music funding platform beatBread has inked a series of new “white label agreements” with music distributors based in North America, Europe and Africa.
The news of the partnerships follows company’s recent $34 million seed round (in February) led by Fintech-focused venture capital firm, Deciens Capital.
Since launching in November 2020, beatBread claims to have made advances to almost 400 artists and labels “across multiple genres, six continents, and a broad range of career stages”.
BeatBread says that its ChordCash tech engine evaluates artists’ streaming and social data to generate advance offers which – when combined with a “streamlined” verification and documentation process – leads to advance funding landing in artists’ bank accounts within days.
Today (August 9), beatBread has announced partnerships with an additional 11 distributors, who are now using the comapny’s chordCashAI technology to offer automated advances.
Those new partners include B Pure Sounds (UK), Catalog Masters, Family In Music (Finland), F.A.M.E. (Finding Artists Making Empires), FOMO (Future of Music Offering), Golden Path Music (Canada), KMG Distribution, The Music Federation, and Vital Music. Partnerships with M.A.D. Solutions and Digital Music Commerce & Exchange (launched as Orin Fund) sees beatBread establish partnerships in Africa for the first time.
Advances offered through beatBread range from $1,000 to as much as $2 million per artist for a limited share of existing catalog revenues, with options also available for unreleased music.
beatBread says that advances are repaid from a share of an artist’s streaming and airplay revenues, over a period of the artist’s choosing.
In June, the company reported to have closed its biggest deal yet with an artist, announcing what it said was a “seven figure artist financing deal” with singer-songwriter Elley Duhe, and Not Fit For Society, her management company and independent label.
In March, beatBread launched an Artists Advocacy Council featuring the likes of Mike Caren (Artist Partner Group) and Dave Dederer (Label owner and founding member of The Presidents of the United States of America) as founding members.
“Artists across the world are looking for alternatives to traditional label deals.”
Peter Sinclair, beatBread
beatBread CEO Peter Sinclair said: “Artists across the world are looking for alternatives to traditional label deals. They’re still right for some artists, but a growing number of artists are not well served by the old model.
“And those that would be well served by a traditional label sometimes can get more leverage by obtaining less restrictive funding first, so they can hold out for bigger and better deals. More choice means a better music industry for artists.”Music Business Worldwide

domain: news


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Car tech on display at CES 2014
Audi showed off a prototype self-driving feature it calls "Piloted Driving" in a model A7 outfitted with cameras, radar and lasers.
(Read more: A high-tech year ahead for automakers)
BMW demonstrated self-driving and self-drifting ConnectedDrive prototypes equipped with cameras, radar, ultrasonic sensors and, of course, GPS.
And for music-loving drivers, Ford displayed a 2014 Ford Fusion with music streaming via iHeart Radio, a Ford F-150 Raptor SVT with SiriusXM satellite radio and a 2014 Ford Fiesta with streaming music via Pandora.


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Studies have shown that pharmaceuticals are present in our nation's rivers. As EPA scientists and other researchers continue to investigate the environmental effects, the agency suggests one straightforward way that consumers can help out — by properly disposing of expired and unused prescription drugs. The federal government has developed guidelines that strike a balance between environmental protection and human health risks for poison or abuse from discarded medications:
· Take unused, unneeded or expired prescription drugs out of their original containers and throw them in the trash.
· Mix prescription drugs with an undesirable substance like unused coffee or kitty litter, and put them in impermeable containers like empty cans or sealed bags.
· Flush prescription drugs down the toilet, but only if the label specifically instructs doing so.
· Participate in community pharmaceutical "take-back" programs that allow the public to bring unused medications to a central location for proper disposal.


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1771. DR. T. SUMATHY (a) THAMIZHACHI THANGAPANDIAN:
Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state:
(a) whether it is a fact, that though the Government‘s claim that GST collections for the financial year 2022-23 touched Rs. Seventeen lakh and fifty thousand crore but the actual GST collection is much lower due to the various factors affecting the collection of GST;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
(c) whether it is true that since the inception of GST, more than ten lakh crore of GST claim from about ten lakh companies is still pending for realization;
(d) if so, the details thereof; and
(e) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to claim the GST dues pending realization as on 31 March 2023?


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Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered is coming to PC, PlayStation Studios have confirmed. Revealed at today’s June 2022 State of Play briefing, Marvel’s Spider-Man will be swinging its way to PC courtesy of Insomniac Games and dedicating PC porting house Nixxes.
In case you missed it, Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered includes the entirety of the base game in addition to all of the DLC released to date, while also bringing massively upgraded visuals to the table that include full 4K resolution, 120 frames per second screen update, ray-tracing and much more besides.
Spider-Man Remastered has been confirmed for PC Release on August 12, 2022.
In addition, it was also confirmed that Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales would also release on PC this fall, too.
You can catch our review of Marvel’s Spider-Man on PS5 right here and the first trailer for Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered on PC below.


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We started introducing the concept of Response Lead time (RLT) in the early days of COVID when it was becoming clear that disruptions in supply chains were significant and were going to be long lasting. Of course, the continuation of COVID and its massive lockdowns, the invasion of Ukraine, the increasing devastation of climate change etc. etc. have exacerbated that trend and it will continue unabated. We emphasized that resiliency in supply chains was going to be far more important than LEAN and JIT and that we had to fundamentally change our mental models of supply chain including getting rid of concepts like Just In Time. And here it is – the replacement for JIT – it’s called Just In Case (JIC). And as the name implies, it’s almost the exact polar opposite of JIT.
Where JIT pushed for lean inventories and delivery of raw material tied closely to production (I’m sure you remember it all), JIC pushes for redundancy and resiliency. “Long-standing supply chains of manufacturing have been turned upside down,” said Nancy Pallares, international business development director at the defense industry company Teledyne FLIR, “Companies are moving from ‘just in time’ to ‘just in case’,” Pallares said, adding that resilience and responsiveness to unexpected developments were becoming essential. Many companies were trying to find suppliers closer to home and stocking up on their inventories to reduce their exposure to supply chain disruptions.
And if you don’t believe a small consulting company like TMG from 3 years ago (😊), perhaps our predictions are now supported by a study by the business consultancy Boston Consulting Group that found that firms with resilient supply chains consistently outperformed their peers, especially during crises. And again, it makes logical sense. If you are managing a supply chain today, you are going to look for suppliers that have the most resiliency – ergo, point proven. Those resilient suppliers have a competitive advantage over their peers.
These issues are also going to manifest themselves in things like trade policy where diversification of supply chains is going to be the key. The dependency on China and the disruption caused by COVID are causing major shifts towards onshoring and near shoring already. Europe is fast trying to reduce its dependency on Russia for energy because of the geo-political risks and similarly for grain production. Production of chips is fast becoming a national security risk for many countries because of the risky supply chains.
Naturally, this also has an impact on things like industrial real estate. Here is a current headline: Supply Chain Strategies Shift: Near-Sourcing & Just-in-Case Modeling Now Dominate Industrial Real Estate. This is putting pressure on the real estate industrial market raising rents and making space scarce. Think about this – The average wait time for materials used in the manufacturing process was a month longer in March 2022 than it was in March 2021, according to the Institute for Supply Management’s latest survey. Organizations today are near sourcing as well as diversifying their suppliers while holding more inventory.
While Response Lead Time (RLT), when we introduced it, may have seemed like a passing fad that would soon lose its importance, it has actually proven to be the exact opposite. It has gained significantly in its relevance and importance and is now becoming a buzzword with its own set of three letter acronyms – the official sign of acceptance and approval. The challenge facing our profession will continue to be to educate our stakeholders that it’s not about price anymore and that’s where a major shift to Stakeholder Value Drivers in our conversations will need to take place.
Latest posts by Dalip Raheja (see all)
- Category Management: If You Don’t Know How to Sell, FUGGEDABOUTIT! - August 25, 2022
- Category Management – A Deeper Dive into This Thing Called VALUE - August 11, 2022
- Category Management: A Historical Perspective from about 15 Years Ago!!! - July 28, 2022


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Because of how meat affects the climate, Haarlem, Netherlands, plans to outlaw the majority of meat advertisements in public places.
It will begin enforcing the ban in 2024, in what is believed to be the first such action by a city.
The meat industry and other people who claim it stifles free speech have opposed the motion put out by GroenLinks, a green political party.
According to the UN, animals produce more than 14% of all greenhouse gasses created by humans, including methane.
“Meat is very harmful to the environment. We cannot tell people that there is a climate crisis and encourage them to buy products that are part of it,“ Ziggy Klazes, a councilor from GroenLinks who drafted the motion, told the Trouw newspaper.
The 160,000-person city’s administration claims that a decision has not yet been made regarding whether sustainably produced beef would be exempt from the ad ban.
Additionally, members of the Christian Democratic Challenge party backed the measure.
The meat industry quickly retaliated.
“The authorities are going too far in telling people what’s best for them,” stated a spokesman from the Central Organization for the Meat Sector.
According to the right-wing BVNL party, it “would be fatal for pig farmers” and was an “unacceptable violation of entrepreneurial freedom.”
“Banning commercials from politically born motives is almost dictatorial,” stated Haarlem BVNL councilor Joey Rademaker.
University of Groningen law professor Herman Bröring warned that the restriction on free speech could result in legal action from distributors.
According to Statistics Netherlands, although more than half of Dutch people consume meat, only about 95% of them do so daily.
Ads for the aviation and fossil fuel industries have already been outlawed in Amsterdam and The Hague.
Methane emissions from greenhouse gases, which include those from beef, are the highest. The environmental impact of lamb is the second largest, but these emissions are 50% lower than those of beef.
Source: “Dutch city of Haarlem may be world’s first to ban most meat ads” by BBC
Vkind is the U.S.’s largest fully-vegan search platform and listing app. Give our search tool a whirl and find any vegan product, service, or experience you desire.


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Tamil Nadu-based Indian semiconductor manufacturing company, Polymatech announced an investment of $1 billion to expand its chipset manufacturing and packaging facilities in the country. Nandam Eswara Rao, founding president of Polymatech, said that the first phase of its semiconductor chip manufacturing and packaging facility will have the capacity to produce 250 million chips per year.
Rao added that the company has filed for a 25% subsidy on capital expenditure through the government’s production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for semiconductor manufacturing, and has received “in-principle approval” for its first phase of investment. Under this phase, Polymatech has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu state government, and made an investment of $130 million to expand its facility in the state.
Chipmakers around the world are believed to be in talks with the union government to build chip manufacturing, assembly, testing and packaging facilities in the country. In May this year, a government official who requested anonymity told Mint that multiple companies, including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) — the world’s biggest chipmaker by volume — are in talks with various state governments to set-up semiconductor manufacturing facilities.
The first chip manufacturing facility was tipped to be sanctioned by the end of 2022, the official added.
On July 20, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, union minister of state for electronics and information technology (IT), told the Parliament that the Ministry of Electronics and IT (Meity) had received 23 applications for the semiconductor PLI scheme. Announced in December last year, the scheme offered incentives of up to ₹2.3 lakh crore, in a bid to attract firms engaged in semiconductor manufacturing, testing, packaging and design.
Polymatech claimed that its semiconductor manufacturing and packaging facility will start producing chips within the next “couple of weeks”.
Rao added that the company will look to “indigenise” various components required in semiconductor chip manufacturing. “We are now importing silver paste (a component required in chip manufacturing), and high-temperature co-fired ceramic substrates. We are importing them today, but will produce them in-house eventually,” he said.


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Yesterday we reported on a man who was forced to sell his PlayStation 5 after his wife discovered it was not an air purifier since he lied about it to her before purchasing the console. However, we found yet another story that probably hurts even more than selling your latest gaming console which also happened to be worth a lot of money. Gamerant spotted a gamer who found out about the near-total loss of his collection that comprised of rare PlayStation 1 games and consoles. It was estimated the entire collection was worth $500,000 or Rs 3,69,17,750 approximately.
An employee of a gaming store based in New York City took to social media and posted his reaction to the situation. The gamer had been storing video games at his old family home which consisted of rare titles and even past consoles.
The gamer joked in a now recently deleted tweet "People are gonna die. I just found out my mom a few years ago threw out ALL my PS1 games. 500+ games half still sealed. I am going to kill somebody.” The gamer estimated in the thread that his collection was "well over $500K worth of games.” The mom not only threw out the games, she also threw out rare vintage consoles that could be worth a lot of money as well. These included the Famicom (Japan Exclusive), Super Famicom, Atari, the very rare NeoGeo AES, amongst others.
Well, the pain doesn’t end there as the mom also tossed out other gaming merchandise that was part of the collection. She also tossed out music gear, a drum kit, 14 effects pedals and two Marshall amps. She also threw out his rare Magic: The Gathering cards, comic book collection and other rate items.
What’s weird about this story is that the gamer realised this situation after his entire collection had been thrown out for years. It is unfortunate that his entire collection that was worth crores was thrown out in the trash as a part of a deep clean out. However, it seems better communication between the mother and son could have prevented this situation.
Having said that, it would have been painful for the gamer to realise his lifelong collection was simply thrown out in the trash. Vintage games and consoles have started to increase in price and recently a copy of Super Mario Bros 3 sold for $153,000 and its the most expensive game ever sold. If you are like this gamer who likes to collect rare items; we advise storing it in your own home or at least let your mother know how much it is worth. Maybe, just maybe she might decide not to throw it out in trash if she knew the value of your prized possessions.
Main image for representation purposes only
Photo: © Pinterest (Main Image)


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If there’s one word to define 2023 in Las Vegas, it was: chaos. Sure, there was the usual Vegas news. Restaurants closed. Celebrities moved in with new projects. Food festivals returned after pandemic-related hiatuses. But this year had an unprecedented number of larger-than-life happenings around the Valley. Remember the MGM cyber attacks? What about the first time you saw the Sphere crest the horizon? Then there was the shitshow that was the months-long road repaving for the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix. And that’s not to mention the return of paid parking at the casino parking garages.
The year also had lots of exciting news. Two new resorts opened their doors in December — which also meant dozens of new restaurants entered the Las Vegas market. The Culinary Union secured the largest wage increase ever negotiated in the union’s 88-year history — and avoided a strike. And announcements came for new restaurants, grocery stores, and bars that will debut in 2024.
Below are the top ten stories that caught the attention of Eater Vegas readers last year, plus a handful of stories you may have missed.
Service industry workers in Las Vegas voted in September to authorize a strike that had the potential to impact 22 casino resorts on the Strip — which meant bartenders, cooks, cocktail and food servers, guest room attendants, porters, bellmen, laundry, and kitchen workers statewide could hit the picket line at any time. Tensions rose until a last-minute deal was made in November — hours before the strike deadline.
Rumors about the Korean grocery chain with a cult-like following have filtered around Las Vegas for years, with several shopping center spaces looking like they may finally bring an H-Mart with its Asian groceries, copious snack aisles, and food court to the Valley. It now has a sign on the door and is expected to open in 2024.
Celebrity chef Bobby Flay is opening his third Las Vegas restaurant on the Las Vegas Strip. His newest venture at Caesars Palace will focus on French fries.
A breastaurant chain that has been described as “Mexican Hooters” partnered with a Las Vegas hospitality company to open what it called the “first-ever hotel-casino dedicated to the Latino community.” While the Las Vegas Valley is home to several exceptional Latinx-owned restaurants and sports bars, the Ojos Locos Sports Cantina Y Casino ambitiously positioned itself as a destination for Latinx customers.
For 16 years, the casual restaurant occupied the highly visible space on the first floor of Fashion Show Mall, facing out to Las Vegas Boulevard. It served some of the best burgers on the Strip — chef Rick Moonen once called it the best hangover cure he ever experienced.
Not one, but two new casinos opened in December of 2023. The second of the resorts to open was the Fontainebleau. In the last 16 years, the property has changed ownership, changed names, started and stopped development, and now — finally — has opened its doors.
Just months before the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix — and its associated dollar signs — hit Las Vegas, the Bellagio Resort and Casino debuted a super exclusive, hard-to-find, obscenely expensive new bar. The Vault’s signature cocktails go for around $55. Its vintage cocktails are priced at closer to $135. And the top shelf retails at $30,000 per bottle.
The long-awaited Durango Casino and Resort opened in southwest Las Vegas in December of 2023. And the lead up to grand opening had locals clamoring for details about the newest off-Strip resort. This story charted all the news, announcements, and updates — including the 200 hotel rooms, convention and meeting spaces, a pool, and 15 bars and restaurants.
Who could have predicted that Las Vegas is so enamored with mini golf? The London-based adults-only mini golf course is teeing off on the Las Vegas Strip in the new year with five golf courses, a carnival-like setting, and cocktails delivered by caddy.
The celebrity-helmed restaurant opened with ample fanfare at the Horseshoe Las Vegas in March. Months later, it quietly shut its doors.
Other Stories You Might Have Missed
As Red Rock Casino continued to roll out changes to the Station Casinos resort, it permanently closed the Hearthstone Kitchen & Cellar.
Bottled Blonde is moving into a crowded corner on the Las Vegas Strip with a $50 million restaurant.
Shaquille O’Neal opened a second location of his Las Vegas chicken restaurant Big Chicken.
Well — apparently it’s opening in 2024.


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De Montfort University (DMU) Final Year Contour Fashion student Sian Whitefoot has won the global final of the Triumph Inspiration Awards at Shanghai Fashion Week.
Whitefoot, who beat 15 other students to win the UK final with her design Ecliptic Renewal earlier this year, will take home the grand prize of E15,000.
On winning the UK final, Whitefoot told Lingerie Insight: “I am just so shocked, I can’t believe it. It’s such a good experience. I won the popular competition, but I thought it was just my mum getting people to vote.”
DMU course leader Gillian Proctor said: “This is the most prestigious student competition in intimate apparel… We’re absolutely thrilled!”


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The Surface Pro 8 for Business model adds in just enough pro-business functionality to make it a solid choice of a detachable tablet for the business pro.
Apex Legends Mobile is bringing the popular battle royale to Android in 2022, and now players around the world are
Google I/O 2022 will return as an in-person event on May 11-12. The event will be livestreamed in front of a limited live audience.
Google today announced that its annual Google I/O developers conference is set to take place on Wednesday, May 11 and


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Murgitroyd's revenues inched up by £300,000, or 0.8%, to £36 million during the financial year to the end of May, it revealed yesterday. Pre-tax profit rose a healthier 2% to £4.5m as the company clamped down on costs.
Chief executive Keith Young said: "It is a good thing that the market we are in still sees growth in the amount of activity.
"In keeping with what other law firms are finding, accountancy practices are finding and other advisers, I think what has happened in the last few years is a rebasing of what business are willing, or in some cases able, to pay for professional services."
"There is great price competition between providers," he added.
Murgitroyd, which operates 15 offices in eight countries, has given more work to its cheaper paralegal staff, leaving its attorneys free to focus on higher margin business, particularly that with large corporates.
Staff numbers increased slightly from 240 to 235, with a slight fall in attorney numbers.
Mr Young said he hoped a pick-up in the economy, notably in the UK, would lead to greater business as trademark work has been hit by falls in advertising and marketing spend.
"There is no doubt that there is part of our market where work is discretionary," he said.
He added: "If we continue to see an improvement in the UK economy, and there is not just the green shoots of recovery, we would expect to see some trademark recovery as well."
He said that pick-up in investment, such as research and development, might also lead to more business for intellectual property attorneys.
But he noted that the level of patent applications coming from the UK is "well behind" the likes of Germany.
Following the increased profits, Murgitroyd announced a final dividend of 8.75p to be paid on November 4. This means a total payout for the year of 12.5p, an increase of 0.5p, or 4.2%, year-on-year.
Chairman Ian Murgitroyd said: "In a challenging macro environment, Murgitroyd has once again delivered increased sales and profitability.
"Investment in the business remains a key focus and the board is confident that Murgitroyd can continue on its steady growth path."
James Tetley, analyst at house broker N+1 Singer, wrote in a note for clients: "Revenue growth has been driven by a focus on winning new filing work from large corporate clients, primarily in the US.
"The results reinforce our confidence in Murgitroyd's ability to deliver sustainable earnings growth over the long term, driven by favourable market dynamics, continued investment in overseas expansion and tight cost control."
Shares in the Alternative Investment Market-listed company closed down 20p or 3.8% at 505p.


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Support for restaurants unveiled: information now needed on how restaurants will be opened – “no need for many tables” in June
A two-part support package has been unveiled for restaurants which will, on the one hand, support re-hiring of staff, and, on the other, compensate for the disadvantages caused by restrictions. Restaurants were closed on 4 April with the exception of takeaway and deliveries. The total cost of the package is €123 million.
Staff canteens have been allowed to remain open. The Finnish government announced on Monday 4 May that restaurants and cafés can partially reopen from 1 June 2020. However, restrictions on things like customer numbers and alcohol serving hours will be in place.
Minister for Employment Tuula Haatainen announced re-hiring subsidy measures during the evening’s press conference. The subsidies will be subject to application. The sum is €1,000 per full-time employee.
“The requirement is for each employee’s pay to total at least €2,500 over a three-month period after the restrictions end.”
That means restaurants do not have to open immediately after the restrictions are relaxed if it is not profitable for them do so. Restaurant businesses with more than 800 employees may not apply. The cost of these re-hiring subsidies is approximately €40 million. Other supports may affect the total re-hiring subsidies received. The re-hiring subsidies are assessed on the basis of the wage information the restaurant has filed with the Incomes Register.
About 3,000 Suomen Yrittäjät members are active businesses in the hospitality and catering sector. Mikael Pentikäinen, President and CEO of Suomen Yrittäjät, is satisfied with the support package for restaurants.
“It’s good that measures are being taken to support restaurants, as parliament demanded. It’s sorely needed by many business owners in the field.”
Compensation to restaurants for restrictions on business
The second part of the package, which parliament also required as compensation for the damage caused by restrictions, will only be paid to restaurants whose April 2020 sales were smaller than the average sales in January–February. The support is equal to no more than 15% of a restaurant’s drop in sales, and no more than €500,000.
This compensation is not paid to large companies with average sales of over €1 million in January–February. The amount of compensation a restaurant gets depends on how much sales have decreased. This compensation is for fixed overheads, not material, wages or investments, for example.
“The compensation is calculated for the period restaurants’ business was restricted, 4 April–31 May,” Minister Haatainen says.
This compensation will cost the Finnish state around €83 million for a total of two months.
Restaurant owners must apply for this compensation. The ELY Centres and the KEHA Centre, which is the TE services’ development and administration centre, will pay the compensation.
“Actual payouts will start a couple of weeks after the text of the bill has been finalized,” Antti Neimala, senior director at the Ministry of Employment and the Economy, said at the press conference.
Pentikäinen says the planned model feels balanced.
“The model emphasizes support for small businesses, as it should. It also supports employment. It’s worth remembering that there are also lots of business owners in the catering value chain who have stopped operations because of a lack of demand.”
Business owners are now waiting for the promised decision on a crisis subsidy which can be paid to businesses in any sector.
“The government’s restriction decisions have also hit other sectors. It’s clear that different sectors should be treated equally and that the support given to the restaurant sector should indicate the size of a general or crisis subsidy,” Pentikäinen says.
Information now needed on how restaurants will be opened – “no need for many tables”
There is no exact information available on future restrictions on opening hours. If establishments are allowed to stay open after midnight, that will not have a large effect on restaurants.
Sakari Tainio, an entrepreneur and CEO of the restaurant company A&S Ravintolat, says, “The virus isn’t more contagious in the day than at night. I don’t think restaurants like ours are going to be affected, time-wise. We’re more likely to be affected by how many customers we can have on the premises.”
“If we opened all our restaurants at the start of June, we’d lose more money than if we didn’t open all of them. Our clientele consists of three segments: corporate, private and tourists. We can forget about two of these, while the number of private clients is lower than normal. There’ll be no need for many tables.”
Tainio says his company will probably open 4–5 restaurants in Helsinki on reduced hours. The Rovaniemi restaurants have been completely closed because of coronavirus.
Anne and Sakari Tainio’s family business includes the well-known Helsinki restaurants Šašlik and Saari, on the island of Sirpalesaari. The Tainios have been forced to lay off almost all of their staff until further notice. A&S Ravintolat and Nams Oy employ around 120 people.
“This support package will not solve this crisis in any way, but any support is necessary and beneficial. Our sales have dropped 95%.”
Yle reported yesterday that the Southern Finland Regional State Administration Agency is already preparing for a surge in applications after the government’s decision on restaurants. Restaurants may be interested in expanding and applying for permits for outdoor seating to ensure safe distances between customers.


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Based on the Urban EV Concept of 2017, Honda's new electric car will enter production by the end of 2019.
Two years ago, Honda showcased a small and sweet looking electric vehicle concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Dubbed the Urban EV, this concept was slated for a 2019 market launch. Post that, however, there was a deafening silence, and most of us actually forgot about it. But while we thought the project was silently junked, it wasn’t the case. In fact, everything is on track, and the Honda Urban EV is going to enter production by the end of 2019. Honda has officially confirmed this, and they’ve also said that a production prototype of this brand-new EV will be unveiled at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show.
As it happens with these global product launches, Honda is keeping all the details close to their chest. That said, the Japanese automaker has released a teaser image of the upcoming EV, and the good news is that the prototype retains the chic and retro look of the concept. Apart from that, though, there isn’t much to discuss right now.
Although details are sparse at the moment, we think we can speculate about a couple of things based on the information that’s been shared by Honda on its official website. Sure, the company hasn’t revealed any technical details, but under the product overview section, it does suggest that this small city runabout will have a range of up to 100 miles or 160km. It also says that there’ll be less 'moving parts' and the car will have a seating capacity of four.
All told, we’ll only find out about the actual deal at the Geneva Motor Show in March. So, stay tuned . . .


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Sunday, July 28, 2013
RBI MEASURES - TO ADDRESS RUPEE VOLATILITY -WHAT SBI CHAIRMAN SAYS - WHAT CAN BE DONE,INSTEAD
RESERVE BANK OF INDIA
MEASURES TO ADDRESS EXCHANGE MARKET VOLATILITY
WHAT SBI SAYS
WHAT CAN BE DONE - INSTEAD
As we know, RBI has announced various Additional measures to address Exchange Market Volatility on23rd July 2013. The extracts-summary of the same are hereunder :
(1) The overall limit for access to LAF by each individual bank is set at 0.5 per cent of its own NDTL outstanding as on the last Friday of the second preceding fortnight. This measure will come into effect immediately, i.e., from July 24, 2013 and will remain in force until further notice.
(2) Currently, banks are allowed to maintain their Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) prescribed by the RBI on an average daily basis during a reporting fortnight, with a minimum of 70 per cent of the required CRR on a daily basis. Effective from the first day of the next reporting fortnight i.e., from July 27, 2013, banks will be required to maintain a minimum daily CRR balance of 99 per cent of the requirement.
(3) The total quantum of funds available to a bank under Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF) will be capped at 0.5 percent of the individual bank’s Net Demand and Time Liabilities (NDTL). The above changes in LAF will come into effect from July 24, 2013. For the purpose of arriving at an individual bank’s limit, the NDTL would be the same as being reckoned for the purpose of maintenance of CRR during a reporting fortnight. Accordingly, the earlier instructions issued vide RBI circular RBI/2013-14/142/FMD.MOAG.No. 80/01.01.001/2013-14 dated July 16, 2013 regarding cap on overall allocation of funds at Rs. 75,000 crore under LAF stand withdrawn.
(4) Presently, an additional LAF repo is conducted on reporting Fridays. Under this arrangement, the cap for the individual bank will apply to the combined allocation of funds in the morning and additional LAF repo.
OPINION OF SBI CHAIRMAN :
State Bank of India chairman Pratip Chaudhuri has said the Reserve Bank of India should have used transparent measures to raise interest rates to manage the rupee and should not have choked liquidity for banks.
"Today the repo rate is 7.25, but funds are not available and from (another) window money is available instead at 10.25 per cent. It doesn't help anybody in covering or camouflaging the repo rate. If the repo rate has to be taken to 10.25 per cent, so be it, but do it in a transparent manner," Chaudhuri said.
"To prevent the inflation from going out of hand, please increase the interest rate (but) don't choke liquidity," he said at a Banking Conclave organised by Ficci in Kolkata.
MY COMMENTS :
There is strong logic in what the SBI Chairman has said.
But, while he is only seeking a more transparent measure, I feel, a more focused measure is needed.
It is necessary that RBI has to manage the Rupee volatility against Dollar and other currencies. But, perhaps, it can be done in a more focused manner – concentrating more on all FOREX and FOREX related transactions rather than adversely affecting all sectors of the economy.
In the earlier instance of raising interest Rates to curb Inflation, this BLOG had pointed out that the main components of inflation related to the food and agricultural products – and the impact of raising interest rates is close to NIL on food inflation.
Food inflation will only respond to additional supplies of food products and not to Bank Interest Rates.
In fact, all agricultural inputs and agri loans must be available at subsidized rates, so that food output can go up thus bringing down the food articles prices. Any raising of the input costs through interest rates will only adversely affect the food production and only raise food inflation further. This seems to be happening already.
Government, on its part, must have released the stocks available with it, of rice, wheat etc into the market at subsidized rates to tackle the inflation. This should have been done in the last 2 years, during which period, food inflation continued to be very high and RBI was raising Interest rates to curb inflation.
Secondly, exports of inflation-prone products should have been curbed and imports of products in short supply should have been encouraged. These supply side measures from Government would have added strength to RBI measures in curbing Inflation.
How will Government implement its much touted Food Security Bill, if it is unwilling to take these supply side measures, to improve production and supply in the market?
There must be greater debate and transparency on the modalities for efficient implementation of the Bill for the next 5 years at least - and not for just a few months in this election year. There is no denying that FOOD SECURITY is needed. But, how can it be done without the food and without the money needed to buy it? Government must make it clear where from the food and the money for it will come in the next 5 years.
On the RBI’s part, my feeling is – can it not think of measures, more directly impacting the concerned sectors of economy, rather than straining the whole economy, with its generalized measures.
For instance, if RBI directs Banks to apply enhanced rates of interest for import-based industries (like Gold, for instance) and lower interest rates for export based industries, perhaps, imports will come down and exports will go up, releasing the pressure on the Rupee. Likewise, Industries and companies, under heavy strain should have been exempted from higher Interest Rates. The Heavy taxes by Government and the Heavy Interest Rates on their loans by the Banks - on these Industries under heavy strain – seem to be a case of killing the Goose that lays the Golden Eggs. They must be made to live and limp back to health. Then, they will any way contribute again to the Government and Banks at normal rates.
As of today, the high interest rates are hurting too many Industries. The NPAs of all Banks, especially the large public sector Banks, are rising at a rapid rate, quarter after quarter, and they are covering a wide spectrum of Industries. Government and RBI must investigate the causes for near collapse of so many companies in so many Industries in detail and take measures for ensuring the health of these companies in these Industries.
If Industries collapse at this Rate, where from will higher revenues come for the Government? Some Industries may not have defaulted to Banks, but, their slipping into bad days is clearly visible. Like, for instance, the Auto, and steel Industries. There is continuous fall in demand for Auto Industry products, and therefore, for the steel Industry products too. In a developing economy like India, this should not be occurring at this point of time.
The benefits that may flow to the people from welfare measures like the food security Bill will be wiped out if the NPAs in Banks rise this fast, indicating directly the collapse of so many companies in so many Industries. The people suffering because of the Industries’ collapse may be different from the people benefitting from the Food security Bill – but, overall, the economy will slide down adversely – if we do not address these concerns.
Welfare State and all welfare Measures are Possible- only if the Economy is Growing Fast in all the Agri, manufacturing and service sectors – and not if all of them are shrinking.
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The April 20, 2010 Denver Post reports that a proposed Colorado law would allow health insurers to give discounts to customers who choose healthier lifestyles.
The program is still subject to numerous state regulations. So it doesn't create a free market by any means.
In a fully free market, insurers would be able to offer any prices they wished to customers, who would in turn be free to accept or reject those terms.
Many would likely choose to offer steep discounts to healthy customers (who would presumably incur smaller medical bills in the long run) as a win-win. And this would create a virtuous cycle, as insurers competed with each other to lower prices to gain healthier customers, and customers responded to these incentives by improving their health (for both financial and the usual non-financial benefits).
Still, I'm glad to see a proposal to partially reduce the levels of regulation. Insurers and patients should insist on more such proposals.


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Xi sends letter congratulating on International Tea Day
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday sent a letter expressing warm congratulations on a series of activities marking the first International Tea Day.
Xi stressed that the United Nation's decision to set up the International Tea Day showed the international community's recognition of and emphasis on the value of tea, and the move is of great significance to revitalizing the tea industry and carrying forward tea culture.
Noting that tea originated in China and became popular in the world, Xi said China, a major producer and consumer of tea, is willing to work with all sides to nurture the sustained and healthy development of the global tea industry, deepen cultural exchanges on tea, and allow more people to relish lives accompanied by tea.
Tea is one of the three major drinks in the world, produced in more than 60 countries and regions worldwide and enjoyed by over 2 billion people. In December 2019, the United Nations declared May 21 the International Tea Day, in order to commend the economic, social and cultural value of tea and foster the sustainable development of global agriculture.
During celebrations for this year's International Tea Day, China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs will launch a series of promotional activities online in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the government of east China's Zhejiang Province.


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Gamers who use the Sony PlayStation Network were unable to connect to the service on Monday, the fifth consecutive day of interrupted service, after it was infiltrated by hackers last week.
On Friday, Patrick Seybold, senior director for corporate communications at Sony, wrote a short post on the company’s Web site stating that the PlayStation Network had been compromised on Wednesday by an “external intrusion.” After the attack, Mr. Seybold said, Sony had turned off the PlayStation service to investigate.
“We are doing all we can to resolve this situation quickly, and we once again thank you for your patience,” Mr. Seybold wrote. “We will continue to update you promptly as we have additional information
Sony did not respond to a request for comment about the shutdown and whether any of its customers’ personal information was also compromised.
The PlayStation Network connects gamers who use a PlayStation 3 or PlayStation Portable system. The Sony Qriocity service, which is used to stream audio and video to Sony devices, was also compromised in the attack.
On Saturday Sony said it had decided to rebuild its network with the goal of strengthening the system’s infrastructure. “Though this task is time-consuming, we decided it was worth the time necessary to provide the system with additional security,” Sony said in a statement.
Customers became frustrated over the weekend, complaining on Twitter and Sony gaming forums, as the company’s updates remained short and sporadic and there seemed to be no end in sight to the shutdown.
Mr. Seybold wrote a short follow-up post on Monday noting: “Unfortunately, I don’t have an update or timeframe to share at this point in time” regarding when the PlayStation Network would be active again.


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The rumours have been bubbling up all month about Kanye's next fashion move but it has now been confirmed by Fashionista that Kanye West will present his Yeezy Season 5 show during New York Fashion Week.
But what kind of spectacle can we expect this time?
Yeezy Season 3, the one that was part fashion show part listen-to-my-entire-album-now at Madison Square Gardens was for all parts, entertaining. Yeezy Season 4 (currently waiting to hit stores) was for lack of kinder words, a total disaster.
But, unlike his previous more pop-up style shows, Yeezy will be added to the official NYFW schedule with the show happening on Wednesday 15th February at 5pm - the same time of dream dresses makers Marchesa.
Whilst being on schedule certainly gives more kudos to the collaboration it also means Kanye will have to be time and location sensitive to not throw off the schedule for the rest of the day.
Undoubtedly there will be some kind of jaw dropping extravaganza packed into his one hour slot and since Kanye has had a bumpy couple of months: called his sold-out tour, spent some time in rehab, meant with President Trump and dyed his hair blonde (read yellow) who knows what we will see.


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Chocolate weakens heart attacks. Although more research is needed to confirm this one, a new study showed that regular chocolate eaters who had heart disease were less likely to die following a heart attack compared with the people who didn't treat themselves to the dark and dreamy stuff. (Here's more on chocolate's heart-smart qualities.)
Chocolate has a cavity-fighting compound. Okay, so you don't necessarily want to trade in your toothbrush for a chocolate bar. But some interesting new research shows a compound in chocolate -- theobromine -- may be just as good as fluoride at hardening tooth enamel. So the compound could find its way into toothpastes and mouthwashes one day. Until then, keep in mind that most commercially prepared chocolate has lots of sugar in it. Get healthier teeth and gums with these three easy dental tricks.


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INDIA SALES ANALYSIS CY2015: Commercial Vehicles
A smart sales performance by the medium and heavy commercial vehicle segment over the past 12 months even as LCVs see flat growth has helped pep up overall numbers.
M&HCVs power overall CV sector sales in 2015, LCVs remain in slow lane
Commercial vehicle sales, which comprise medium and heavy commercial vehicles (M&HCVs) and light commercial vehicles (LCVs) in calendar year 2015 grew to 7.37 percent to 650,993 units (2014: 606,255 units). This growth is mainly thanks to the sterling 30.03 percent growth achieved by the M&HCV sector, which sold 280,388 units in 2015 (2014: 215,634). The sector's performance helped reduce the overall impact of the LCV segment, whose sales fell by 4.72 percent. While good times have still to arrive for LCV manufacturers, it is important to note that the rate of sales decline has slowed down substantially.
The Indian CV market ranks among the top six global markets and will likely witness robust growth in the next decade as the country strives to develop a modern infrastructure spanning the metros, Tier 1, 2 and 3 towns. Recognising the growth potential of India, almost all the major global OEMs have set up base here and are eyeing a slice of the large market.
Home-grown players like Tata Motors (44 % market share currently) and Ashok Leyland (18% market share currently) have dominated the market for the past decade and more. The same decade has also seen premium European players like MAN Truck, Daimler Trucks, Scania and Volvo enter the Indian market. This has turned the M&HCV market very competitive, resulting in some very modern trucks and also improved dealer networks and aftersales practices, with a sharp focus on total cost of ownership.
In the domestic market, Tata Motors sold 290,437 units in 2015 compared to 286,735 units in 2014 to post just 1.29 percent year on year growth.
Mahindra & Mahindra, as a result of its outstanding performance in the small commercial vehicle and pick-up segment, has become the second largest player with a market share of 24 percent in the overall CV segment. During CY2015, the company sold a total of 158,588 units against 160,042 units in 2014.
Ashok Leyland, which sold 117,751 units in 2015 as compared to 83,834 units in 2014, recorded strong 40 percent growth. During CY15 the company has registered tremendous double-digit growth in the Medium and Heavy commercial segment (M&HCV).
VE Commercial vehicle increased its sales by 18 percent, selling 40,411 units. Clearly, the Eicher Pro Series of trucks is given a new fillip to the company's sales.
Force Motors registered 12 percent growth, selling 22,419 units against 19,990 units in 2014.
While most CV manufacturers saw sales growth in 2015, Piaggio Motors and AMW Motors saw their sales decline by 21 percent and 55 percent respectively. They will be looking to re-invent their growth strategy in 2016.
With Q4 of the fiscal year 2015-16 underway, automakers will be looking to drive gains. However, there are challenges to be faced, even as poor demand from the agricultural sector has kept growth in check. India’s Index of Industrial Production (IIP) for November 2015 contracted 3.2 percent compared to 9.8 percent growth in October. Also, the ongoing diesel ban in the Delhi-NCR region will be dampener on sales, at least till March 2016.
SIAM's FY2016 Q3 review, released on January 11, forecasts that 2015-16 will see M&HCV (cargo carrier) sales continue to grow in double digits due to an improvement in industrial GDP and higher replacement demand.
It helped that regulatory changes like ABS implementation and NGT ban sales led to pre-buying in August and September 2015 and helped boost sales. Meanwhile, sales of tractor-trailers are up due to improvement in passenger car movement, along with demand for supply of steel and cement. The tipper market has recovered due to speedier execution of construction of national highways as also resumption in mining activities in a few mines in Orissa, Karnataka and Jharkhand.
For the bus market, there will be demand for LCV buses from schools and educational institutes while for M&HCV buses, the improving profitability of operators due to low diesel prices is expected to boost sales of this segment.
The LCV goods carrier market, however, is going to see flat demand, due to slow revival in private final consumption expenditure.
Overall, though, CV OEMs are optimistic that growth will come their way this year, across M&HCVs and LCVs, with improved GDP to boot.
Three-wheeler market leader Bajaj Auto increases its dominance in both passenger and cargo model sales with best-ever fi...
TVS Motor Co, which has a longstanding strategic partnership with BMW Motorrad since April 2013 for manufacture of the 3...
With its best-ever exports of 280,712 units, Maruti Suzuki retains PV exporter crown in FY2024; Hyundai with 163,155 uni...


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Sega has announced the Sega Mega Drive Mini, a new mini-console pre-loaded with 40 classic Sega games.
The mini-console – which was revealed at Sega Fes 2019 over the weekend – will release on September 19th, 2019. It sees Sega join Nintendo and Sony with its own mini-console replica, although it remains to be seen if the console will set tills ringing like Nintendo’s inaugural NES Classic.
The ports have been developed by M2, the same company that worked on Sega Ages and Sega 3D Classics Collection. The 16-bit console will include a host of “legendary games” although right now the publisher’s only confirmed ten of them: Ecco the Dolphin, Castlevania: Bloodlines, Space Harrier 2, Shining Force, Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Machine, ToeJam & Earl, Comix Zone, Sonic the Hedgehog, Altered Beast, and Gunstar Heroes.
Pre-orders for the plug-in-and-play system are now live and retailing for $79.99 US / £69.99 / €79.99 / AUD$139.95.
In other Sega news, the company has exhausted almost 97 per cent of its stock of Judgment, the Yakuza spin-off that was withdrawn from sale earlier this month after one of its performers was arrested on alleged drug charges.
The company called the event “highly regrettable” and decided to withdraw the game from sale both physically and digitally as it considered how best to proceed. It remains unclear how long Sega plans to withdraw the game for, or how it might affect the game’s intended worldwide release later this year.
Sega had been hoping Judgment would help reverse its fortunes following a year-over-year profits drop of 62 per cent. In its financial reporting on the first half of the fiscal year, Sega saw consolidated net sales fall by 12 per cent year-over-year (YoY) to ¥171 billion ($1.5 billion), and its overall profits drop 62 per cent to ¥6.7 billion ($59 million).
In the Entertainment Contents Business – in which sits Sega’s video game business – things were a little more positive with a 5.6 per cent net sales rise to ¥107 billion ($951 million), but the operating income also fell by almost 39 per cent to a little over ¥6 billion ($55 million). Sega’s plans to launch multiple new titles “that capitalize on existing and new IPs” included specific reference to “Project Judge (working title)” – also known as Judgment.
Update April 2nd: Sega has confirmed Earthworm Jim will be available in place of ToeJam and Earl.


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For 23 years, Souq Haraj has been the shopping destination for those who wish to buy home appliances and accessories at cheap prices as it is the only market in the country that sells second-hand goods.
But recent news reports say the market might soon face the bulldozers to make way for a huge and posh commercial avenue and twin hotels, giving nightmares to tenants of the 400-odd shops in the souq, particularly newcomers who have invested millions in their businesses.
Some citizens, however, argue that it is high time the souq was demolished and relocated.
Jassim Al Malki, vice chairman of the Central Municipal Council, said he supported the demolition because Souq Haraj lacked enough facilities and did not conform to safety standards.
Second-hand goods sold at the market cost nearly the same as new ones sold in malls and other souqs, so customers do not really get a discount, he added.
Souq Haraj, Al Malki said, was not located in the right place as it was surrounded by buildings, and it should have been built in an open area where shoppers could move freely.
The demolition won’t hurt Qatari businessmen as more than 80 percent of the traders in the souq are expatriates, he added.
“I hope the market is relocated outside Doha and service shops such as car repair shops are built there instead,” he said.
Prominent Qatari businessman Ahmed Al Khalaf is of the same view, saying that demolishing Souq Haraj is the right step because “the place lacks safety standards and parking space and the streets are very narrow; they cause traffic problems as many people frequent the market.”
He also feels that the souq is in the wrong place and distorts the cityscape, being situated downtown.
“This market should be transferred to another place outside Doha, like in Al Wakra or Al Wukair. It should be established over a bigger area to accommodate all the shops,” he said, adding the new location should be identified before the demolition to allow the traders to move.
With land prices in the area where Souq Haraj is located rising, it is not viable to keep the market there, according to Al Khalaf. Instead it would be practical to put up businesses which would be more profitable, such as hotels or malls, he said.
The proposed demolition, however, would affect not just the businessmen but thousands more who earn their livelihood from Souq Haraj, including carpenters, plumbers and drivers, others point out.
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Akhtar Nawab was a protege of celebrity chef Tom Colicchio. David Chang of Momofuku fame considers him a mentor. Nawab has restaurants in New York, D.C. and Birmingham, Ala.
His next move? A Mexican restaurant in New Orleans' The Standard building at the South Market District development.
"We're eager to spend time there to get to know the community," Nawab said. "We want to be part of a community that seems very tight with food and very tight with each other."
The restaurant, which will open in early 2019, does not yet have a name.
Nawab said his New Orleans restaurant will be similar to Alta Calidad, his Brooklyn restaurant where he cooks inventive Mexican cuisine.
"We've created our own version that is still rooted in the big flavors that you associate with (Mexican cuisine)," he said.
The current menu at Alta Calidad includes crispy tempura shrimp tacos with celery root remoulade, Mexican Coca-Cola marinated lamb ribs, and queso fresco dumplings with savory horchata purée.
Nawab is eager to explore the ingredients of Louisiana, particularly the seafood.
"As a chef, that's enticing for me," he said.
The chef, who was raised in Kentucky and is of Indian heritage, discovered Mexican cuisine late in his career.
In 2008, he opened his first restaurant, Elettaria in New York. It was a critical success, but battered by the recession it closed after a year.
"I was a very young chef at that time. I was 32 years old," he said. "I wasn't prepared for business management beyond things being perfect."
Along with the professional setback, he also faced turmoil in his personal life when his marriage ended.
"I was feeling demoralized and sad and rundown," he said.
He was offered a job to open a large, upscale Mexican restaurant in New York.
"Embracing a new food and immersing myself in a different culture felt like it was the right thing for me," Nawab said.
He has restaurants that are not Mexican, like Prather's on the Alley in D.C. and Fero, an Italian restaurant inside a Birmingham food hall. His own take on Mexican food, however, continues to be his main focus, both at Alta Calidad and the casual New York chain Choza Taqueria, in which he is a partner.
Nawab finds similarities between the layered, complex cooking of Mexico and the Indian food he grew up on.
"We're really trying our best to give those flavors a different shine," he said.
Check back to NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune for updates on Nawab's new restaurant.


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Bad vibrations surround suit over tongue toy
First Janet Jackson put erotic body-piercing jewelry on center stage in Houston.
Now tongues are wagging in a Houston courtroom over a patent lawsuit involving two vibrating devices that do more than adorn the tongue.
Austin-based JJK started the fight after it found out that a competitor, KPlus, received a patent on a similar product.
The lawsuit landed in Houston, court documents suggest, after JJK's Houston attorney arranged for the local purchase of an item from California-based KPlus to establish jurisdiction here. Federal law stipulates that cases be held wherever the defendant conducts business.
JJK Industries' vibrating jewelry, dubbed Tongue Joy, applied for its patent on the adult toy in May 2000 and received it two years later.
KPlus says it invented The Tiggler and filed for the patent before JJK Industries, but didn't receive it until after JJK.
Did the Patent Office make a mistake? JJK Industries and KPlus think so. They're suing each other in federal court, spewing accusations in a case that has dragged on for more than two years.
Along with patent infringement, KPlus filed counterclaims accusing JJK Industries of slander, libel and unfair competition. The charges spring from a letter JJK officials handed out at an adult trade show in Las Vegas that called Klein's distributor a "patent infringing knockoff company."
"How could I steal their idea if I filed my patent before them?" said Eric Klein, president of KPlus. He got the idea for the Tiggler from watching Rosanna Arquette's profusely pierced character in the movie Pulp Fiction explain that her tongue stud served a sexual purpose.
"I thought, 'That doesn't make a lot of sense, but if it vibrated, then that could work,' " Klein said.
The 40-year old software engineer went full time selling the Tiggler three years ago and hopes to follow up with a line of playthings for people 18 and older.
Klein is also accusing JJK of violating Texas obscenity laws.
Klein says his product doesn't break the law because he only sells to a distributor in Florida and markets through body jewelry stores. However, the company's patent application describes the shiny barbell as being primarily more than ornamental.
Texas bans the sale of vibrators, although adult stores tend to get around the law by dubbing them as novelties, medicinal or educational.
Passions in Klein's case escalated last month when attorneys for the companies scuffled at a deposition in San Francisco. Both filed assault and battery charges against each other.
In addition to the defamation charges, KPlus asked the court to fine and remove Charles Rogers, an attorney for JJK Industries, from the case for his "egregious misconduct" in disclosing some confidential documents to third parties.
Rogers declined to comment for the story. But in court documents, JJK has denied the allegations and said the request was part of a personal attack on Rogers.
Klein also filed a grievance with the Texas State Bar against Rogers, which has been dismissed.
One of Klein's attorneys, Erik Osterrieder, said he also plans to file a motion to invalidate JJK Industries' patent for other "inequitable conduct." Osterrieder wasn't involved in the California shoving match.
If the two companies can't agree on a settlement, the quarrel will go to trial in September.


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When Nicolas Ghesquière sent his first look down the runway for Louis Vuitton's spring 2016 collection on the final day of Paris Fashion Week, the designer presented a brand new phone case that could very well rival the next "It" bag of the season.
The accessory is a tech-friendly version of Ghesquière's Petite Malle, an "It"-worthy handbag that the designer created for his debut runway show for the French fashion house back in 2014. It's a modernized and miniature version of Louis Vuitton's signature travel trunks.
The day before the show, Ghesquière gave his followers on Instagram a low-key sneak peek of the new accessory — emblazoned with a classic LV-logo motif and iconic hardware details. On the runway, there were plenty of reiterations, like gold and silver metallics, checkerboard patterns, as well as red and nude-colored crocodile leather. With so many options at the ready, we have a feeling Ghesquière is banking on the success of these cases for next season.
We reached out to the Louis Vuitton team for additional information and will update this post as we learn more. Though the brand's current offerings of phone cases go for between $295 and $445, we have a feeling these new styles will ring in at a much higher price; prices for the Petite Malle bag usually start at $5,500.
Click through the gallery below to see Louis Vuitton's newest phone cases from its spring 2017 collection.


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Lakelands Hospice in Corby is hoping holiday-makers will help boost its funds.
It has teamed up with independent on-line travel agent Savvi Travel, which is based in the town, to launch a new scheme to raise much-needed cash. People are invited to join Lakelands Travel Club and for every holiday booked up, the hospice will receive a donation.
Savvi Travel’s sales director Dave Batley said: “As we are independent we have access to many tour operators which gives us a large selection of holidays from luxury long-haul to European and worldwide city breaks.
“We are delighted to be supporting Lakelands with this new venture.”
To help launch the travel club, Villa Select have offered a week’s stay in a luxury apartment as a prize.
To be in with a chance of winning, people can sign up to receive the travel club’s monthly newsletter until August 31 and the lucky winners will be announced in September. There is also a prize of seven nights in a luxury apartment for the first holiday booked through the club.
Lakelands community fundraiser Paul Marlow said: “We are really excited about the launch of the travel club.
“As well as giving our supporters great deals, it will also generate funds for the hospice. The prizes on offer to support the launch are really fantastic.”
Following the introduction of Lakelands’ Hospice at Home scheme, it must now raise in excess of £475,000 a year to pay for the services it provides for patients and their carers.


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Consumers have been opening-up to the prospect of purchasing jewellery online in recent years, with the share of online sales across the US and Western Europe doubling between 2018 and 2019 (Gartner L2). While digital technology is making it easier for customers to appreciate the choice and quality that brands have to offer, the International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA) have recognised a subsequent desire for appointment-only business transactions, even amidst the pandemic.
While US Spring lockdowns in 2020 led to inevitable jewellery sales shortfalls, Summer sales for the period rebounded spectacularly, generating $1 billion growth year on year (The New York Times.) Engagement rings, jewellery upgrades and a timely trend towards self-gifting have all been reported as drivers of the boom – as consumers put greater importance on celebrating “the moment”.
As consumers sought to “offset the sense of unease” that pervaded 2020, the industry witnessed a move towards more minimalist, timeless jewellery styles that typify ‘rational’ investment pieces. In 2021, Global Corporate Marketing at Platinum Guild International (PGI) foresees sees bolder, more assertive and adventurous designs leading the style charge as consumers embrace the opportunity to (finally) dress up and stand out. With this decade already being described as the “new roaring twenties”, it is anticipated that safe seasonal trends and run-of-the-mill cycles are set to be upended in their tracks.


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The EU is expected to approve Microsoft’s search deal with Yahoo this week.
According to Reuter, sources said that the EU is not intending to extend the deadline for approval past Friday.
Under the deal, Yahho searches would be powered by Bing, with Yahoo gaining revenue from search ads sold on its site.
Last Friday was the deadline for the EU to go back to Microsoft with further requirements; it didn’t, indicating that it’s likely to approve the ten-year deal without imposing any extra restrictions.
Working in the two companies’ favor, for once, is Google’s extraordinary dominance of the search market, which means that even a combined Microsoft/Yahoo wouldn’t look remotely monopolistic.
Yahoo and Microsoft’s Bing currently hold a measly ten percent or so of the search market – totally eclipsed by Google’s 90-odd percent.
The two companies still need to gain approval in the US. While they have a rather better joint market share there – about 28 percent, according to ComScore – it’s still not likely to hold up the deal.
US approval should come early this year.


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The world now produces nearly 400 million tons of plastic pollution every year, and each piece takes some 400 years to break down. Less than 10% is recycled. Clearly, we have a serious problem. But what do we do about it? Plastic protects nearly everything we buy, it’s the building material for home goods, and is essential to industries like health care, in which non-plastic alternatives to vital items such as surgical gloves are hard to imagine. Plastic pollution is killing wildlife, clogging our waterways and even contaminating our blood.
Meet some of the USC Dornsife students and alumni finding innovative ways to stem the plastic tsunami.


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EDP enters into strategic partnerships in electric mobility
EDP Comercial became the exclusive energy partner of "Associação de Utilizadores de Veículos Elétricos" (UVE) - the "Electric Vehicle Users Association" in English - and joined Charge Up Europe, taking important steps in the promotion of electric mobility at the national and European levels.
EDP Comercial has just become the reference partner of UVE, the association that represents and advises users of electric vehicles in Portugal. This partnership reinforces EDP Comercial's commitment to informing and educating electric vehicle users about electric mobility, seeking to leverage means and resources to support them, and helping the consumers to make more conscious and sustainable decisions regarding mobility.
As a UVE exclusive strategic partner in the energy and electric mobility sector, EDP Comercial will soon implement campaigns and offer benefits on energy solutions, inside and outside of their homes, to UVE members. It is thus intended, for example, to facilitate the charging of vehicles, at home and elsewhere, as well as to support the transition from combustion driving to a more efficient and environmentally friendly alternative.
“This partnership intends to continue the work we have been developing on electric mobility and on supporting energy transition for our customers, and aims to support the industry's growth and development from the customer's point of view. As a company that wants to lead the transition to electric mobility in our country, it makes perfect sense to cooperate with UVE, so that together we can accelerate this path of electricity and decarbonization," says António Coutinho, Executive Board Member of EDP Comercial.
“In 2020 we will celebrate five years of activity. One of the goals of our Association was to achieve a Strategic Partnership that would allow us to consolidate UVE, create better conditions for us to work and receive our associates, facilitate meetings with the various entities involved in electric mobility, as well as to fulfill the goals we set for 2020, and, of course, to offer all our associates a set of advantages and benefits when charging their electric vehicles outside their homes, when consuming electricity in their homes, purchasing charging equipment at home or the condominium, as well as to implement a set of innovations in which we will cooperate with our new strategic partner, EDP Comercial”, says Henrique Sánchez, president of UVE's board of directors.
Partnership with ChargeUp Europe to foster the European charging network
In addition to this partnership, EDP has also just become a member of ChargeUp Europe, an European association whose founders are Allego, ChargePoint and EVBox. Based in Brussels, ChargeUp Europe is an alliance representing electric vehicle charging infrastructure companies.
This association's member companies represent more than 160.000 charging points in the 27 member states of the European Union. EDP is the first Portuguese company to join this group that intends to facilitate access to high-quality modern charging infrastructures, serving the needs of electric vehicle users.
"EDP Comercial has sought to develop a set of strategic partnerships, aiming to enhance its ambition of leading the energy transition. This justifies its partnership with ChargeUp, to eliminate obstacles at the European level to implement electric mobility and, at the national level, the collaboration with UVE, understanding its essential role among electric vehicle users", says Vera Pinto Pereira, president of EDP Comercial.
About Charge Up Europe
Charge Up Europe, based in Brussels, was created with the aim of accelerating the transition to cleaner, zero carbon emissions mobility and ensuring a unique experience for electric vehicle drivers, providing access to high-quality charging infrastructures available throughout Europe. Currently, ChargeUp Europe's member companies – Allego, ChargePoint, EDP, EVBox, evway, Fastned, GreenWay, and URL-0 – represent more than 160.000 charging points in the 27 European Union member states.
UVE - Associação de Utilizadores de Veículos Elétricos, is a non-profit organization that has the goal of promoting electric mobility in Portugal and acts in several areas (dissemination of electric vehicles for sale in Portugal and market innovations; holding meetings, conferences and training on electric mobility; promoting and providing information on public and private charging infrastructure; building a political solution of public incentives, among others), seeking to support users of electric vehicles with current and relevant information regarding electric mobility.


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South Korean Bank Announces Completion of (CBDC)
South Korean bank Shinhan, has announced the completion of the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) pilot. The Project claims that the CBDC pilot is in a bid to get the bank ready for the consequent launch of the nation’s digital won by Shinhan. The project was put through in synchronization with LG CNS.
Shinhan Bank Accomplished CBDC Pilot
With the thrust of always looking for better ways of doing things, Central Bank Digital Currencies have become the hottest theme on the lips of banks all across the world. Since digital currencies have proven to look right in terms of efficiency, both local and cross-border payments have become secured and transparent.
Established in 1897, Shinhan Bank (formerly Hanseong Bank) is a Seoul-based lender. The Korean bank has joined forces with LG CNS. The information technology subsidiary LG CNS conduct a digital won CBDC pilot.
The Digital Won Project and South Korean Bank
In the practical world, apex banks do not allocate fiat to the end-users without any intermediary. Smaller banks under the surveillance of the central banks are responsible for obtaining the fiat currency and distribute them among customers.
Shinhan presumes that the issuance of digital won by the bank of Korea will function in the same way. The CBDC pilot designs a virtual apex bank that issues and distributes the mock digital currency on the blockchain and sends it to Shinhan bank. Which in turn will be circulated among the clients.
The blockchain-based digital won outlines the permission to individuals and merchants to easily transform their account balances to the digital won. They can carry out a vast array of transactions, including money transfers, local payments, foreign exchange, and a lot more.
In September 2020, the Bank of Korea was on the hunt for CBDC consulting partner to work out the architecture of its digital won project. It appears everything is going as exactly as planned.
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Toronto Stock Exchange Symbol: DND
MISSISSAUGA, ON, Aug. 27, 2012 /CNW/ - Cipher Pharmaceuticals Inc. (TSX: DND; OTC: CPHMF), announced today that Larry Andrews, President and Chief Executive Officer, is presenting at the Rodman & Renshaw 14th Annual Healthcare Conference, which is being held in New York City from September 9-11 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Mr. Andrews will provide a corporate update and participate in a Q&A breakout session on Tuesday, September 11, 2012 at 10:50 AM ET in the Palm Room.
Cipher's presentation will be available on their website www.cipherpharma.com.
About Cipher Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Cipher Pharmaceuticals (TSX: DND; OTC: CPHMF) is a growing specialty pharmaceutical company that commercializes novel formulations of successful, currently marketed molecules. Cipher's strategy is to in-license clearly differentiated products, advance them through the clinical development and regulatory approval stages, and out-license to international marketing partners. The Company's first product is a fenofibrate formulation marketed in the United States as Lipofen®. Cipher's second product, an extended-release tramadol, is marketed in the United States as ConZip™ and is marketed in Canada as Durela™. Cipher's third product, a novel formulation of the acne treatment isotretinoin, was recently approved by the FDA and is expected to be launched in Q4 2012 as Absorica™. The product is also currently being reviewed by Health Canada. For more information, please visit www.cipherpharma.com.
SOURCE: Cipher Pharmaceuticals Inc.
For further information:
For more information, please contact:
The Equicom Group
(416) 815-0700 ext 278
(416) 815-0080 fax
President and CEO
(905) 602-5840 ext 324
(905) 602-0628 fax


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Faster Payments Scheme Limpited (FPSL) has increased the limit on its real-time payments service from £100k to £250k, effective today.
The increase, the first since 2010, was made to meet demand from large corporate clients; the scheme’s 11 participant banks and building societies are expected to raise their individual limits over the coming months.
Made in order to satisfy demand from large corporate clients, the limit increase was made possible by a recent change to the way banks and building societies settle payments with one another. The ‘pre-funding’ settlement process, introduced in September of this year, eliminates shared risk along with any implicit obligation for smaller participants to underwrite a share of larger participants’ transactions.
Craig Tillotson, chief executive of Faster Payments, said: “We believe that increasing the maximum payment value to £250,000 will continue to broaden the appeal of the service, helping to meet all the service users’ needs and opening up opportunities for business to provide new services to their customers enabled by our higher value 24/7 service.”
A further review of the scheme limit is planned for 2016.
Mastercard is working with Stripe to expedite the payment process for American sellers on the latter's marketplaces using the instant payouts feature from Stripe.
Lloyds has launched biometric finger print authentication for mobile banking.
Barclaycard has partnered with Case Station, a company that makes personalised phone cases, to embed contactless technology in the latter's smartphone cases.
Digital challenger bank, N26, which has been live for one and a half years and has more than 200,000 customers, rolled out a new feature that allows its customers to transfer money using Siri. All they have to do is talk to it.


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Recently there’s been a number updates coming from Facebook which are aimed to make the social platform even more attractive for online sellers.
The big ecommerce push started at the beginning of the year when Facebook announced their new Product ads which made it easier for online retailers to promote their products on Facebook and target users who have shown previous interest in their products.
Soon after a Shop tab has been launched for pages for ecommerce businesses which has been made available to Shopify’s US merchants back in September.
That move might have seemed like an obvious extension of what Facebook offers already – it gives online sellers an
opportunity to connect directly with their customers and according to the platform itself, it is a place where people come to shop and get ideas and reviews for their next purchases. In fact Facebook’s survey suggested that nearly half of all users come to the platform “to actively look for products, with a majority of them discovering new products in News Feed, Pages, and Groups.”
And now Facebook has announced even a bigger update geared towards ecommerce sellers – it just announced a release of a shopping feature in Favourites tab allowing users to discover, share and buy products while using the mobile app.
The feature is now only available to a small number of US merchants who can test the beta version.
However if this all works out, the project will be made available for European sellers in the near future.
Why is Facebook investing in ecommerce?
There are few reasons why the social media giant is rolling more and more new updates aimed to make selling and shopping on the platform possible.
First, ability to buy products means that users are more likely to spend longer periods of time on the platform. They will not be distracted or tempted to move to other websites if they have everything available in one place.
With Facebook other app developments (including native content/blogging platform) the user will no longer have to leave the app/website in order to find everything he needs. News, shopping and information – it’s all there.
Other reason is a bit more obvious – money. Ecommerce is proving to be the gold mine of the internet – just look at eBay, PayPal or Amazon for example.
There’s no reason why Facebook shouldn’t get on it as well. Traditional social advertising is getting a bit tired and a lot of brands pump less and less money into it. It’s about time Facebook offered its users as well as brands something new, and a little more tangible.
Is it time you pay more attention to your Facebook page?
Even though Facebook shopping features for ecommerce might not be available in Europe just yet, online retailers should start preparing now in order to optimise their pages before the update arrives on the other side of the pond. A well-maintained Facebook page with significant following is going to boost the potential reach and effectiveness of Facebook’s ecommerce features.
But setting up and maintain successful Facebook page is time-consuming. This is why it is worth considering if our customers are actively using Facebook and they will be willing to connect and engage with you?
If you are a consumer brand Facebook is definitely a good bet for you.
If you are selling items to more professional customers, Facebook might not be the best channel for you. Your customers are much less likely to shop through Facebook and it will be more difficult for you to reach the right users.
Social selling is going to be the next big thing in European ecommerce. With Facebook and Pinterest partnering with online commerce solution Shopify, it has become even easier for smaller merchants to use social media as another selling channel. However this updates might still be a while away for UK merchants.