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While the rate of cigarette use has greatly decreased in recent years, it seems that a different tobacco product has taken its place. Vaping, or the administration of nicotine through an e-cigarette device, has become increasingly popular, especially with teens and young adults.
According to the Office on Smoking and Health, in 2013, there were three times as many high school cigarette smokers than vapers. However, by 2015, 2.39 million high schoolers vaped, which was nearly double the number of smokers.
So what has caused this large rise in vaping? One of the reasons is likely accessibility. A study by the University of California, Irvine involving 120 U.S. online stores showed that minors were able to obtain e-liquids from 116 of the 120 stores.
Another possible cause for the rise in vaping is marketing. Many e-liquids come in “kid-friendly” flavors like gummy bear, bubble gum, and cotton candy. Some purchased e-liquids even arrive with small toys or candy.
It is also becoming increasingly easier to get away with vaping. New e-cigarette devices are inconspicuous and can be easily hidden in the palm of the hand or in a pocket. These devices are so easily hidden that some students even vape during class or on campuses across the nation.
The e-cigarette device known as the Juul has become especially popular amongst teens. Reminiscent of a USB device, the Juul does not look anything like a cigarette or any tobacco product, so it is no surprise that teens are able to sneak these past unknowing adults. The vapor puffs that the product produces dissipate quickly and do not produce a strong smell like a cigarette would.
However, many teens are unaware of the potential dangers that e-cigarettes pose. Nicotine, of course, is a toxic substance. Just 60 milligrams of nicotine in its pure form can kill a person. While it is difficult to overdose through vaping, spilling e-liquids on bare skin can result in a nicotine overdose.
While most people believe that vaping is harmless to the lungs, this is not the case. Though vaping does not cause the lungs to tar, nicotine causes inflammation of the lungs and also reduces the lung tissue’s ability to act as a barrier to foreign substances. Even vaping without nicotine can be harmful to the lungs. E-cigarettes also contain lithium-ion batteries that have been known to explode, causing 3rd-degree burns.
While e-cigarettes are technically not as bad for you as traditional cigarettes, this doesn’t make them safe for use. They are intended for those 18 and older and should thus be used by that demographic.


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On Tuesday, Cuisianart issued a voluntary recall of approximately 8 million food processors after 69 customers reported finding shards of metal blades in their food, including 30 cases that resulted in “mouth lacerations or tooth injuries.”
The recall covers over a dozen models, all of which feature dicing blades secured by four metal rivets. According to the official recall page, the blades can crack over time and leave “small, metal pieces of the blade” in processed food.
Food processors with the following model numbers are included in the recall: CFP-9, CFP-11, DFP-7, DFP-11, DFP-14, DLC-5, DLC-7, DLC-8, DLC-10, DLC-XP, DLC-2007, DLC-2009, DLC-2011, DLC-2014, DLC-3011, DLC-3014, EV-7, EV-10, EV-11, EV-14, KFP-7 and MP-14.
Cuisinart has offered to give customers free replacement blades for the affected models, but as of Tuesday evening, the company’s recall page is down, reportedly due to heavy traffic. On social media, customers similarly report calls to the company’s phone line at 1-877-339-2534 going unanswered or getting dropped.
Asked for comment, a Cuisinart spokesperson told Gizmodo, “We are doing everything we can to optimize website functionality.”

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RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – An armed robbery was committed at a convenience store on New Bern Avenue Sunday afternoon, Raleigh Police said.
The robbery occurred at 1210 New Bern Ave. at the New Bern Crown Express Mart around 1:15 p.m. when two men wearing masks or bandanas around their face came into the store and demanded cash from the clerk. At least one of the men had a handgun on them, police said.
Police said the men were in quickly and out quickly. No one was injured and the men only took cash from the register and not any of the employees or customers in the store at the time of the incident.
The suspects were last seen on foot heading in the direction of Pettigrew Street.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.


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Monthly trade figures show a slowing economy. Deep dives show goods gap likely to shrink. And in advanced tech, only aerospace has a trade surplus.
But rebuttal to Sullivan’s Brookings Institution speech shows a group of DC influencers are less inclined to support local manufacturing out of concerns about allied relations, more.
On Friday, March 31, the U.S. Treasury launched their latest torpedo targeting the Inflation Reduction Act’s domestic manufacturing policies. This time, it’s over what countries have a “free trade agreement” with the United States. This is actually universally understood fact: there are twenty countries. But to grow the list beyond the twenty, so as to…
Two bills circulating in the Senate want to repeal China’s Most Favored Nation trading status. CPA trade lawyer Charles Benoit explains what it means.
A look inside the Feb 28 Senate hearing on China export controls, and the Banking Committee’s debate on how to best compete with the world’s No. 2 economy.
Should China be allowed to buy U.S. farmland? What about agribusiness operations that are near military installments?
Another day, another hearing on China on Capitol Hill. The House Foreign Affairs Committee held a hearing on Feb. 28 titled “Combatting the Generational Challenge of CCP Aggression”, with the main topic members and witnesses from the State and Commerce departments being export controls. Lastly, “decoupling” was brought up by Chairman Michael McFaul (R-TX) and…
A look at what states are banning Chinese tech companies like Lenovo, and why more are following this trend started by the state of Georgia.
Last August, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, a sweeping bill that has already led to tens of billions in private investment into U.S. manufacturing. But the U.S. Treasury department’s haphazard, inchoate implementation of the electric vehicle purchasing tax credits has led to consumer chaos and uncertainty in the new car market. Worse yet,…
A new report by the Government Accountability Office highlights the need for revamped trade deals. But missing from the discussion is the case for more local supply chains.


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Tech PR company goes virtual
Text 100, a public relations company that specializes in technology businesses, has opened its 31st office in Second Life, a virtual world that comes complete with an economy and intellectual property rights.
The office, which opened to the public Aug. 21, is designed as an experiment so Text 100 can "understand the next generation of audiences," said CEO Aedhmar Hynes, in San Francisco. Hynes said that at some point, the Second Life office will be considered a regular location on the companys home page, right between Seattle and Seoul, South Korea.
Text 100 isnt alone. In September, Starwood Hotels will open a hotel in Second Life to test out new concepts. Toss in newspapers, clothing stores and other entrepreneurial ventures, and this virtual worlds economy, which has its own currency, is booming.
So whats Text 100 going to do in Second Life? Hynes said that initially, the company will bridge the virtual and real world for clients. The idea is to get real-time feedback from more than 500,000 users. And as more companies set up islands in Second Life, Text 100 hopes to help them promote their outposts.
As Text 100 grows familiar with Second Life, Hynes said she expects a business model to emerge. In any case, Text 100 will be paid in Linden Dollars, the currency of Second Life named after the games creator, Linden Labs. Looks like the PR-free days for Second Life journalists are history.
Gartners hype cycle
On Aug. 9, Gartner rolled out its Emerging Technologies Hype Cycle, which "assesses the ma--turity, impact and adoption speed of 36 key technologies and trends during the next 10 years." The outline of the research can be found at gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=495475.
Here are some key hyped technology categories and subsectors within them.
• Web 2.0: No surprise here, since folks have been yapping about Web 2.0 for years. Within that broad Web 2.0 category, Gartner said SNA (social network analysis) is rated as high impact and could mature in less than two years. SNA is the use of information and knowledge from many people and their personal networks. "It involves collecting massive amounts of data from multiple sources, analyzing the data to identify relationships and mining it for new information," Gartner said. Other hyped hotties in the Web 2.0 category include AJAX, competitive intelligence and mashups.
• Real World Web: Acronym alert! Here comes RWW. In the RWW, real-world objects will be able to interact with their surroundings through sensing and networking capabilities, Gartner said. Within the RWW, location-aware technologies will mature in less than two years. "Location-aware technology is the use of GPS, assisted GPS (A-GPS), Enhanced Observed Time Difference (EOTD), enhanced GPS (E-GPS) and other technologies in the cellular network and handset to locate a mobile user," Gartner said. Applications will ride shotgun with those technologies.
• Applications architecture: Thats a fancy way to say SOA (service-oriented architecture) will be hot. Gartner said the "modularity and agility offered by service-oriented architecture at the technology level and business process management at the business level will continue to evolve." In this category, EDA (event-driven architecture) will be hot, Gartner said. Under EDA, software will be put into compartments and activated based on certain events.
Blogger not buying into latest research
The big question: Whats an IT manager going to make of Gartners aforementioned research? Paul Kedrosky, a venture investor with Ventures West, Canadas largest institutional venture capital firm, and author of the Infectious Greed blog, summed up the Gartner research this way:
"Im generally of the view that Gartners hype cycle releases, say, more about Gartner than about technology markets—they are really about hyping its upcoming publishing schedule," Kedrosky wrote.
—Compiled by Larry Dignan
By the Numbers
Total users in Second Life as of Aug. 15
Number of active users logged in to Second Life in the last 60 days
Source: Text 100


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Cowboy Country Staff
Cheyenne Frontier Days 2019 Schedule, Friday – Sunday
Here's a quick look at what's happening and when at Cheyenne Frontier Days
Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo Results – Wednesday, July 24
Here are unofficial results from Wednesday, July 24, at the 123rd Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo.
Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo Results – Tuesday, July 23
Here are unofficial results from Tuesday, July 23, at the 123rd Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo.
Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo Results – Sunday July 21
Sunday Rodeo Highlights at Cheyenne Frontier Days 2019:
It Was a Record Setting Day at Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo
History was made in the CFD arena with the addition of an invitational women’s breakaway roping that had 242 entries.
What Would Make You Leave Wyoming?
But, why would people leave Wyoming? We asked you that question and got a number of answers. While not a scientific poll, the responses may be illuminating.
Netflix’s ‘Spirit, Riding Free’ Coming to Life at Cheyenne Frontier Days
In a first for Cheyenne Frontier Days, fans of the animated show 'Spirit Riding Free' will be able to enjoy a live experience at this year's Daddy of 'em All.
Remember These Long Gone Frontier Mall Stores?
Opening in 1981 on the north side of Cheyenne on Del Range Boulevard, the Frontier Mall quickly became the shopping destination.
‘Great Russian Nutcracker’ Returns to Cheyenne in 2019
The Moscow Ballet will bring holiday magic to life in Cheyenne again with the Gift of Christmas Tour and the Great Russian Nutcracker.
The Cheyenne Gaming Convention is Coming
Do you like to play games? I'm talking about all sorts of games. From Fortnight to Catan to Dungeons and Dragons. Then I got some good news for ya.


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Recalls & Warnings
ConsumerLab.com is keeping you informed with current product recalls and warnings.
Posted March 9, 2021
CBD Seller Warned for Drug and COVID-19 Claims
On March 1, 2021, the FDA issued a warning letter to Cannafyl following a review of the company's website, which found statements made about the company's products Balance CBD Drops, Relief CBD Drops, Relax CBD Drops and Relief CBD Salve to be drug claims. In addition, the products were sold with unsupported claims that they can treat coronavirus (COVID-19).
The FDA has previously stated: "There currently are no vaccines, pills, potions, lotions, lozenges or other prescription or over-the-counter products available to treat or cure coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)."
Cannafyl CBD products were promoted with statements such as "How CBD helps manage Cancer Growth," "CBD FOR HYPERTENSION? Check out this informative article that looks into the benefits of CBD on wellness," and "While researchers continue to explore several ways to fight against COVID-19, some are diving a little deeper to see if cannabis derived CBD could possibly benefit those that are suffering from severe forms of this infection."
See ConsumerLab's answer to the question: What are natural remedies for coronavirus (COVID-19)? Do supplements like zinc, vitamin C, or herbals work?
Also see ConsumerLab's CBD and Hemp Extract Supplements Review for tests of related products.
In addition, the CBD products were found to be misbranded because they do not contain adequate directions for safe use, as required by federal regulations.
For more information, use the link below.
See Related Warnings:


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A group of investors led by Francisco Partners, a technology-focused private equity firm, is acquiring the electronic payment solutions company Verifone for $3.4 billion, the companies announced Monday.
The Verifone board of directors has unanimously approved the agreement, which will give Verifone stockholders $23.04 in cash for each share of Verifone common stock held. That's more than 50 percent higher than the company's closing share price of $15 on Monday. In addition to Francisco Partners, the investors in the deal include British Columbia Investment Management Corporation ("BCI").
The deal is expected to close in the third calendar quarter of 2018. After that, Verifone will be a privately held company.
The point-of-sale hardware/software firm competes against other incumbents in the market like First Data and newer companies like Square.
In a statement, Verifone CEO Paul Galant said the deal "reflects the progress we have made executing our transformation from a terminal sales company to a payments and commerce solutions provider."
He added, "With Francisco Partners' resources, expertise and track-record growing global technology businesses, we are confident that we will be better positioned to serve the needs of our clients around the globe."
Peter Christodoulo, a partner at Francisco Partners, said Verifone "has attractive long-term growth prospects."


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Sweden’s Largest Online Stockbroker Avanza Bank Adds Bitcoin Services
This week, Avanza Bank, Sweden’s largest online stockbroker with over 600,000 customers is now providing clients with the ability to track bitcoin and other digital assets using their account interface.
Also read: A Few Chinese Bitcoin Exchanges Bid Farewell to the Crypto-Community
Avanza Bank Offers Bitcoin Price Tracking — Says More Customers Are Investing In Cryptocurrencies
The Swedish firm Avanza Bank Holdings founded in 1999 is a well-known financial establishment in the region. The brokerage service participates in the largest number of trades that take place on the Stockholm Stock Exchange. This week the financial institution announced it would provide a feature that allows a complete picture of their customer’s portfolio; including bitcoin investments. According to the bank’s press release, Avanza customers will be able to view both bitcoin and ethereum holdings.
“More and more of our customers are investing in cryptocurrencies, and therefore it is natural that they can follow the value directly with us,” explains the stockbroker’s CEO Johan Prom.
Claes Hemberg Avanza Bank’s Savings Economist Details The Bank Did Not Ask for His Opinion
Even though the bank is moving towards cryptocurrency services, the bank’s own savings economist, Claes Hemberg, has been very outspoken against bitcoin in the past. Hemberg is “concerned” for retail investors and believes that bitcoin is a pyramid scheme. “Instead, I look forward to the possibility that the Swedish Riksbank will offer a first serious alternative – the e-krona – within 1-2 years,” explains Hemberg this past August. Hemberg has also said that he believes bitcoin is no different than the MLM scheme Onecoin.
Hemberg isn’t bothered by Avanza choosing to look at bitcoin more closely, but also says they didn’t ask him about the decision. “Avanza is developing products that they think are good, while I say what I consider to be good for the savers,” Hemberg explains to the press.
Avanza Joins Other Mainstream Banks Worldwide Offering Bitcoin Services This Year
Avanza Bank Holdings joins a slew of other mainstream financial institutions offering bitcoin services like the U.S. firm’s Fidelity and USAA, the Slovenian bank Hranilnica Lon, and Norway’s largest internet-based bank Skandiabanken. Sweden’s Avanza brokerage group also offers customers the ability to purchase bitcoin using a voucher system.
What do you think about Avanza Bank Holdings providing customers with bitcoin and ethereum price tracking tools? Let us know what you the online stockbroker offering bitcoin tracking in the comments below.
Images via Shutterstock, Avanza Bank, and the Avanza blog.
At news.Bitcoin.com all comments containing links are automatically held up for moderation in the Disqus system. That means an editor has to take a look at the comment to approve it. This is due to the many, repetitive, spam and scam links people post under our articles. We do not censor any comment content based on politics or personal opinions. So, please be patient. Your comment will be published.


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Red Dead Redemption 2 Release Date Leaked by Amazon Italy?
Red Dead Redemption 2 is expected to release in the spring of 2018, ie in the period from March to June. However, Amazon Italy has recently leaked the release date of the title, probably unveiling a more precise launch window.
According to the well-known retailer, Red Dead Redemption 2 will be released on March 30, 2018, according to the listing on Amazon Italy. Most probably it must be a placeholder indicating the release of the title at the end of the first quarter of the year.
In the past, the company has repeatedly published large-scale titles (we think of GTA IV, Max Payne, and Red Dead Redemption) between the end of April and the beginning of June, but it is not excluded that Red Dead Redemption 2 may leave in late March, or early spring.
What we have to think about is that the announcement of a precise date is upon us. Two important events will be held in the coming days. Tonight, The Game Awards event will take place and two days later the PlayStation Experience 2017 will take place.
At the moment we invite you to take this news with due precautions, as we are waiting for an official confirmation or denial by Rockstar Games and Take-Two.
What do you think? Is Red Dead Redemption 2 going to release in the first three months of the year, rather than in late spring?


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Image source: Pixabay
In an era where data is considered one of the most valuable commodities for a business, and its vitally important to be always connected to the internet, technologies and tools are under constant development to improve speed and scope.
Wi-Fi 6, the newest version of wireless communication, was announced last month by Wi-Fi Alliance, and will offer two main improvements to the current version of Wi-Fi. The first is the speed of data transfer, which will be faster by 40% compared with the current generation. The second is reducing power consumption. Moreover, as new devices are being produced, manufacturers have started to implement Wi-Fi 6 hardware, as Apple did with the iPhone 11.
However, these technologies still face many issues, and new ideas are rising to overcome them. One such technology is Li-Fi (Light Fidelity), which is the process of utilizing light waves to transmit data at high speeds.
This technology is not new. It actually dates back to 1880, when Alexander Bell and Charles Tainter were able to use sunlight to transmit voice over distance, creating the first phone ever to use photo beam instead of radio waves—they called it Photophone.
Skipping ahead to this century, and in the year 2000 the Japanese Research Center in Nakagawa started a research project to transmit data at high speed using light photons. Nine years later, they succeeded in transferring data at a speed of 100MB/s—this was at a time where 4G technologies couldn’t reach 80MB/s yet.
In 2011, Professor Harald Haas announced in his TED talk the first-ever use of Li-Fi, using LED lights as routers used to send and receive data from and to connected devices. During the event, Haas was able to transmit data at a speed of 350MB/s.
To date, only six companies around the world have announced ongoing research to use this technology and make it consumer-ready and available.
In Estonia, Li-Fi is being used to improve factory automation, by providing high-speed communication between servers and machines. Li-Fi speed has reached 1GB/s, which is five times faster than current Wi-Fi speed.
Li-Fi, like any other new technology, is still facing some problems. For example, Wi-Fi can cover a radius of 30-50 meters, while Li-Fi can cover only 10-15 meters. Also, Li-Fi cannot penetrate walls to transmit data, unlike Wi-Fi. However, Li-Fi is considerably lower in cost to implement, and power consumption is lower by 50-60% compared to Wi-Fi.
Li-Fi can offer precise positioning, as it can pinpoint a user’s location with an error margin of eight centimeters, while current GPS technologies give an error margin starting from 40 centimeters. It could also replace cables used to enable submarines to discover and explore seabeds—currently, the depth a submarine can dive to is limited by the cable length, while with Li-Fi or VLC (Visible Light Communication) a submarine could dive to up to 1,100 meters without any cables.
The new technology is also considered more secure than current Wi-Fi technologies, as it requires any user to be within the light beam, in the same room as the data—a clear deterrent for hackers.
Although Li-Fi is considerably new, it shows a promising future, especially considering the development of smart homes and connected cars. The technology provides higher-speed communication, better security, and lower power consumption, which will be the main factors to make this technology flourish.


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Getting Strong Consumer Authentication right: What banking providers need to know
Originally seen in Finextra Since the first anniversary of Open Banking earlier this year, I – along with much of the fintech industry – have been questioning the progress of the new regulations, what more we can do to improve consumer experience and outcomes, while further evolving the ecosystem. It is apparent to me that, while Open Banking is working, problems with PSD2 are proving to be counterproductive to its continued growth and success. The primary challenges facing Open Banking right now are two-fold: the unilateral application of Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) across all accounts, and the 90 day reauthorisation requirement. 1) Unilateral application: The first – and largest – challenge facing the implementation of SCA is the unnecessary application by banks on non-PSD2 account types. Per the PSD2 Regulatory and Technical Standard (RTS), SCA is only required for access to payment accounts and payment account data, and even then it’s only required on the direct interface (i.e. API). However, many institutions are planning to apply SCA to all access via the customer-facing channel (i.e. online banking), ultimately restricting customers’ access to non-payment accounts, and preventing customers’ applications from accessing data when they are not present. While this may seem secure, transparent, and protective, implementing SCA in this way will actually interfere with access to non-payment accounts like savings, ISAs, and mortgages, and break the tools customers use to manage their financial health and improve their financial wellbeing. 2) 90 Day Reauthorisation: The RTS requires consumers to re-authorise their banks to release their data for use by third party providers (TPPs) every 90 days, irrespective of how many times they had previously granted access. This introduces unnecessary friction to the consumer journey and can lead to longer-term negative outcomes for the consumer without any real security benefit. It is also anti-competitive, reduces the business viability of TPPs services, and grants the bank unilateral access to data while denying that access to the consumer and their TPP. There are longer-term negative consequences pertaining to customer outcomes and data protection that also must be accounted for. By creating a cumbersome consumer journey, SCA will likely lead consumers to counterproductive, insecure behaviours, which could put their data at risk. For example, as consumers tire of remembering different details to re-authenticate every time they seek to use a third-party tool, they may end up creating one password across accounts to simplify things. In doing so, they actually make their accounts less secure, because if one account is accessed, all accounts are subject to compromise. As SCA will likely be applied unilaterally, and most UK consumers have multiple bank accounts, up to 69% of the UK population using online banking could be at risk of fraud. So, how can we fix this? First, companies can make consumers aware of the issue and introduce risk-based step-up authentication for different banking functions. For example, while inputting username and password may be sufficient for a read-only view of account summaries, using a one-time password to make updates, add a payee and make a payment could be required for an uplift in security. Enabling users to make better financial decisions means granting convenient and secure access to their account information. The use of SCA as currently contemplated does not allow this. Given the potential impact to consumer outcomes, we must address this now. Open Banking was created to foster positive consumer banking experiences by enabling them to share their data safely and securely. While other challenges remain, we must address those related to RTS and SCA now before consumers are harmed.


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Never before has there been more interest in corporate sustainability. While this trend is already huge we are only at the beginning of what is sure to be one of the largest economic opportunities the world has ever seen.
There was a time in the recent past when sustainability was a great way to reduce costs and stand out from the competition with distinctive branding. Now sustainability is a matter of keeping up with the competition and preventing your brand from falling behind.
Almost every corporation on earth has embraced sustainability. They are flocking to sustainability to reap the savings from efficiencies, preserve reputations, best the competition and get ahead of forthcoming regulation. They realize that sustainability is a megatrend that is here to stay.
The economics of climate action make a strong case in support of sustainability. Self-interest is driving corporations to mitigate against risks like extreme weather. It is also enticing them to capitalize on the vast return potential.
Sustainability in now an imperative for businesses and investors alike. In addition to the incentives afforded by the opportunity there are also risks associated with being a sustainability laggard.
What was once the domain of forward looking visionaries is becoming the new normal. As explained in the CDP Global Climate Change Report 2015:
“The case for corporate action on climate change has never been stronger and better understood. With the scientific evidence of manmade climate change becoming ever more incontrovertible, leading companies and their investors increasingly recognize the strategic opportunity presented by the transition to a low-carbon global economy.”
The growing importance of sustainability can be measured in a number of ways. CPS’s 2015 Climate Change Report found that 90 percent of the almost two thousand companies surveyed are working to decrease their carbon emissions and 94 percent of these companies had a member of their board of directors or senior management dedicated to working on climate change. Three quarters of these companies offer incentives for improving climate performance. Over the last five years cuts to the intensity of the GHGs of the companies surveyed have more than doubled.
Sustainability is proving to be an increasingly important issue for consumer as well. It has been shown that almost 6 in 10 consumers consider a company’s impact on the environment to help them make their buying decision.
Research also bears out other advantages that are provided by sustainability. This includes benefits to the brand image, cost reduction and increased productivity. Benefits also include attracting and retaining employees, diminished footprints and a host of competitive advantages. These companies are also well positioned to survive inevitable regulatory changes and mitigate against risk. All of these factors make sustainability very attractive.
In the US corporations that have invested in renewable energy are welcoming the Clean Power Plan this includes companies like Apple, Google, Amazon and Microsoft, Ikea and Mars. The Clean Power Plan will actually reduce electricity costs. This is the argument filed in court briefs on April 1.
The growing invovement of governments in the wake of the Paris Climate Ageement will propel sustainability to new heights. The word”s two largest carbon emitters, the US and China, have announced plans to ratify the Paris Climate Agreement on Earth Day, April 22.
“This is really an example of how climate change is a mainstream thing businesses need to pay attention to,” MIT professor Noelle Selin said in an interview with Environmental Leader. “Of course, Paris is agreed to by countries but businesses have to go home and implement it.”
“If you’re planning strategically, you need to take climate change into account because it will affect you,” Selin says. “It’s a management of risk. Businesses that are out in front of this will see benefits because they will be able to compete better.”
Like an unstoppable freight train climate change policy is coming. Sustainability is now synonymous with good governance and good business practices.
Companies are already reducing their emissions consistent with the science based targets in the COP21 climate deal. This includes companies like Coca-Cola Enterprises, Dell, Enel, General Mills, Kellogg, NRG Energy, Procter & Gamble, Sony, Thalys, Pfizer, Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company AG and International Post Corporation.
Sustainability has reached a tipping point. However a new report by Trucost on behalf of the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) program sponsored by United Nations Environmental Program, suggests that business, investors and governments will have to do considerably more to tackle climate change.
The gap between where we are and where we need to be is huge. This also implies that the size of the opportunity is equally massive.
Rather than asking why corporations are embracing sustainability, it is more prescient to ask how there can still be a few who are not yet on-board.


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At the start of the pandemic in March we took the decision to make online access to our news free of charge by taking down our paywall. At a time where accurate information about Covid-19 was vital to our community, this was the right decision – even though it meant a drop in our income.
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Groups in Mid Argyll keen to battle food waste have teamed up with Lochgilphead Co-op to save unsold food from going to landfill.
The ACT Now project, funded by the Climate Challenge Fund, aims to reduce food waste as research indicates that one million tonnes of food is wasted in Scotland every year.
The Co-op’s Foodshare scheme, tying in with the aims of ACT, links stores with not-for-profit groups to donate unsold produce that would otherwise be thrown away.
ACT at Blarbuie Woodland, the project bringing it all together, is the hub of Lochgilphead’s newest Foodshare partnership.
Each day ACT Blarbuie Woodland co-ordinator Bek Hawkby-Whitwell collects unsold ambient food from Lochgilphead Co-op and takes it to polytunnels at the food growing area in Blarbuie Woodland.
She said: ‘Each morning I collect food from the store; one day I might have two cabbages and the next 300 carrots and 60 baking spuds.
‘The foodshare is used by the community and has become a bit of a focal point, with people popping up and having a chat while collecting their veggies.
‘So far we have saved more than 400kg of food from going to landfill and we even have some people donating fresh eggs for people to collect which is fantastic.’
Anyone can help themselves to food from the tunnel between 10.30am and 4pm, and check what is up for grabs on the ACT at Blarbuie Woodland Facebook page, which also has recipes shared between users.
Jamie Joyce, project officer for ACT Now, added: ‘Aside from the social issues food waste raises, food that goes to landfill rots and produces methane – a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide.
‘Working with our Co-op member pioneer, we recently teamed up with the MS Centre in Lochgilphead to ensure any surplus fruit and veg goes to support the centre’s service users. Going by the social media response, this has been well received.
‘The vast majority of food wasted in Scotland comes from households and the Act Now project is looking to build on this Foodshare scheme by supporting Mid Argyll residents in their homes.
‘We have materials and upcoming workshops that will assist in reducing food expenditure and food wastage.’
Lochgilphead Co-op manager Mark Crawford commented: ‘It has been great to see how much food has already been saved from going to landfill through our partnership with ACT Now and ACT at Blarbuie Woodland.
‘One of the Co-op’s mission areas is Fair Access to Food and we believe we are striving towards this through the Foodshare scheme.’


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We received some very exciting news today: the .CO top-level domain (TLD) has been approved by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) to proceed with full commercial operations in China.
This is a mouthful, but essentially the adoption of .CO in China allows the tens of thousands of Chinese entrepreneurs and companies who own domain names ending in .CO to operate and manage their domestic Chinese websites from Chinese servers, marking .CO among some of the first foreign TLDs approved by China!
“The final barrier our Chinese .CO domain owners have faced has now been overcome. Domain names ending in .CO are now fully approved in China along with China’s own .CN top-level domain, and other well-known global domains, such as .com and .biz.” – Crystal Peterson, .CO Internet Director of Sales and Marketing
Since launching for worldwide domain registrations in 2010, vast numbers of technology innovators and entrepreneurs have chosen .CO web addresses. Regularly identified with successful startups and world-famous brands, .CO’s “halo effect” — a certain credibility granted to startup companies adopting .CO domains — is a powerful benefit that is already enjoyed by millions of brands, businesses and entrepreneurs, and will now be available to the Chinese market.
.CO’s partnerships with leading startup incubators and accelerators, such as Shenzhen’s Startup Salad, starting in 2015, provide generous support to the thousands of early-stage startups passing through Startup Salad hackathons. .CO has become a “household name” in the minds of tech sector leaders and China’s startup community has quickly emerged as the world’s most exciting and dynamic.
“Just as Startup Salad chose ‘salad.co’ as our domain name, China’s future unicorns are choosing their own cool .CO domains. Now, with the full approval of China’s government, startups can host their .CO domains here in China, leading to the fastest possible websites for the online services of tomorrow.” –Jim Zhao, Startup Salad CEO
Female entrepreneurship is also booming in China and .CO is increasingly becoming the choice for new generation Chinese women entrepreneurs. Chinese women have always enjoyed equality under China’s progressive social policies, and with the proactive support of China’s government, more and more women are leading China’s boom in the startup culture.
Over the last several years, the .CO brand has won the trust of top China female innovators. Leading influencers such as Vicky Law (VSFS.co) and Yijia Chen (OX3TV.co), were selected as .CO Startup Ambassadors, demonstrating the credibility of .CO domains as an inclusive place for innovators.
We’re thrilled that even more startups, entrepreneurs, and forward-thinking businesses will be able to enjoy .CO’s reputation, stability, and passion for technological advances. And we can’t wait to see the innovative businesses, brands and ideas that will grow and flourish in China, and throughout the world, thanks to today’s exciting news!


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BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DataRobot, the leader in machine learning automation, today announced a new milestone in AI adoption: since January 2015, customers have run more than 200 million predictive analytics models in the DataRobot Cloud. LendingTree, the online loan marketplace that connects consumers with multiple lenders, banks, and credit partners, achieved this milestone for the company.
Using DataRobot, companies quickly deploy machine learning models to uncover hidden opportunities and predict future outcomes from vast amounts of data. Previously deployed by expensive and elusive data scientists, these sophisticated models have the ability to learn without being explicitly programmed, making them fundamental to big data strategies.
With DataRobot, LendingTree remains the market leader through an AI-driven approach to product development. LendingTree uses DataRobot Cloud to improve the consumer experience by providing personalized options, while also predicting the likelihood of a consumer taking a loan.
“The number of models run in the DataRobot Cloud - which excludes DataRobot on-premise enterprise customers - is an indicator of the adoption of machine learning in business decision making,” said Jeremy Achin, CEO and cofounder of DataRobot. “What was once the domain of costly data science projects now becomes a mainstream function for business users in modern companies. This milestone demonstrates the growing adoption rates of DataRobot while showcasing the robustness, scalability and performance capabilities of the DataRobot Cloud."
“At LendingTree, we recognize that data is at the core of our business strategy to deliver an exceptional, personalized customer experience. DataRobot transforms the economics of extracting value from this resource. Our business professionals are involved in most projects, freeing our data scientists to focus on our most complex challenges,” said Akshay Tandon, vice president of strategy and analytics at LendingTree. “Learning that we had executed DataRobot's two-hundred-millionth model is both exciting and telling of AI’s importance in business decision making.”
LendingTree (NASDAQ: TREE) is the nation's leading online loan marketplace, empowering consumers as they comparison-shop across a full suite of loan and credit-based offerings. Since inception, LendingTree has facilitated more than 65 million loan requests. LendingTree provides free monthly credit scores through My LendingTree and access to its network of over 450 lenders offering home loans, personal loans, credit cards, student loans, business loans, auto loans and more. LendingTree, LLC is a subsidiary of LendingTree, Inc. For more information go to www.lendingtree.com.
DataRobot offers an enterprise machine learning platform that empowers users of all skill levels to make better predictions faster. Incorporating a library of hundreds of the most powerful open source machine learning algorithms, the DataRobot platform automates, trains and evaluates predictive models in parallel, delivering more accurate predictions at scale. DataRobot provides the fastest path to data science success for organizations of all sizes. For more information, visit www.datarobot.com.


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We have written often of the danger to consumers of unfettered corporate power.
As we close the book on 2017, the most egregious examples of abuse by corporations in America in the past year are worth examining. Here’s just a partial list:
- Wall Street’s push to repeal a rule limiting forced arbitration;
- Equifax profiting from its massive data breach;
- Monsanto ghostwriting of scientific studies;
- Takata’s cover-up of potentially lethal airbags;
- Fox News’ massive sexual harassment cover-up and payouts;
- Drug companies and distributors knowingly contributing to America’s opioid crisis.
Let’s look at a couple of these in greater detail starting with corporate America’s push to expand the use of forced arbitration. From Wall Street to your local nursing home, corporations are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to lobby the Congress to limit the ability of consumers to sue corporations that cause meaningful harm.
As a replacement for what is a fundamental right, corporate America increasingly wants consumers to use what is called forced arbitration to litigate any complaints. In forced arbitration, consumers “agree” to surrender fundamental constitutional rights, often without even realizing it. All legal disputes are funneled into a closed (some would say secret) arbitration system where there is no right to go to court, no right to a jury, no right to a written record, no right to discovery, no legal precedents to follow, no judicial review, and often little or no control over the “arbitrator” chosen to hear a case.
What about Equifax?
Equifax is one of the largest credit reporting agencies in America. In September, the company revealed it had suffered a massive data breach that compromised the personal data (e.g., social security numbers, birthdates, and more) of over half the U.S. population.
Yes – you read that correctly.
What’s more, they had been warned about the vulnerability of their data in March (’17) – almost two months before the data hack occurred. It took Equifax another two months before they discovered the breach.
So what did they do in response to the crisis?
They launched an identity theft protection product offering it to their customers as a free service in the first year. Subsequent use would cost customers $17 a month. By October 2017, over 7.5 million consumers had signed up for the free service. In a Senate Banking Committee hearing, Senator Elizabeth Warren (MA) revealed that if just one million of those 7.5 million customers renewed (at $17 per month) or simply forgot to cancel the service, Equifax would make $200 million.
Oh – and by the way – Equifax tried to rely on a forced arbitration clause on their website to deny the constitutional rights of individuals harmed by the data breach in the first place.
And then there is the news from the chemical giant, Monsanto.
Turns out that employees of Monsanto ghostwrote scientific reports relied on by the EPA to determine whether glyphosate, a chemical used in the herbicide Roundup, was safe and did not cause cancer. Emails discussing the ghostwriting were revealed as part of a mass litigation by farmers and others claiming that Monsanto failed to warn that Roundup could cause non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
What does each of these examples illustrate?
How important it is to have a strong civil justice system to protect consumers and workers and hold corporations accountable for their misconduct. These examples perfectly illustrate our belief that when corporations put profits before safety and customer and employee welfare, and the regulatory system proves unable to force change, our courts are the last, best line of defense for consumers.
If you are worried about protecting your consumer rights – call your Congressman and U.S. Senators and let them know you are watching and that you care. In a democracy – activism trumps big money and powerful lobbyists most of the time. Do your part to protect your rights before it is too late.
If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective product, call a qualified Connecticut product liability lawyer. A knowledgeable product liability attorney can help to ensure that your rights are protected. What’s more, our product liability lawyers have received local and national recognition for our handling of cases like these.
We have a great team of legal experts dedicated to product liability cases in Connecticut. Please contact us if we can help you.
The consultation is free and there is no obligation of any kind.


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CHICAGO -- A couple living in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood told the ABC7 I-Team a food delivery man stole their packages on his way out the door. They blamed an Uber Eats driver and his so-called accomplice.
"I'm furious, it shouldn't be happening," says Hayley, who did not want to give her last name. "First of all it's a safety issue; there's only supposed to be the driver that, you know."
Haley showed Consumer Investigative Reporter Jason Knowles security footage. On it, the Uber Eats delivery driver pulls up, a passenger gets out with the ordered food and gets buzzed into the mid-rise apartment building.
Later on the footage, when the mystery passenger leaves, he isn't empty handed; he has two packages in his hands. The boxes go into the backseat of the Uber Eats car, where there appears to be more boxes.
"It is the holidays, everyone's ordering gifts," says Hayley. "And we don't want anyone else's stuff to get stolen."
Hayley was not the Uber Eats customer, but said her packages, seen on the video, were taken from inside the condo building.
She said the merchants replaced her items.
"Well, there was motor oil, dental floss, and eye and ear protection for the shooting range because my husband is a vet," she said.
The resident who ordered the food through Uber Eats provided the I-Team with screen shots of the pizza order. It was registered as being "completed" just seven minutes after the time stamp on the video shows the car in question leaving.
Hayley filed a police report and her husband tweeted Uber.
"I think it's ridiculous that Uber has been so unresponsive when they have the information, when they have the data, they have the car, the driver's license plate, the driver and they've done absolutely nothing about it," she said.
So the I-Team contacted Uber, who replied, "...Our support team strives to provide high quality customer service each day and we are disappointed this standard wasn't met here."
Uber said representatives spoke to Hayley and her husband, who shared a recorded phone conversation:
Uber Manager: "Obviously there has been pretty poor support experience... one, we apologize for this pretty poor experience, but then also I can let you know that the driver in question who did take your packages is permanently deactivated from Uber, and also we are working with any inquiries that we get from police on this matter."
Uber also told the I-Team that it "permanently removed" the drivers' "access to the platform."
Hayley said the vetting process hasn't worked. Uber maintains that "delivery-partners," who are the drivers and sole food deliverers, go through a screening process prior to gaining access to the app. A spokesperson also confirmed with that the passenger who delivered the food was not the "delivery partner." Uber said that is a violation of its terms and conditions.
If you're ordering food on an app it will usually have driver information and a picture. Uber Eats even provides the make and model of the vehicle and the license plate. You should use it to make sure the right person is making your food delivery.
To protect holiday packages you can have them delivered to UPS or Fed Ex drop off locations, or an Amazon Locker. You can also require a signature at drop off.
VIDEO: Uber Eats delivery passenger caught stealing packages, couple says
More TOP STORIES News


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Socialbaker studied the pandemic’s effect on the influencer industry over the last three months.
The report found that with marketing budgets tightening due to uncertainty during the crisis, brands are reducing their influencer partnerships. The number of companies working with influencers has dipped by 37%, while the efficiency of influencer marketing has dropped by 41%.
Brands are increasingly valuing nano and micro-influencers – which provide better ROI and lower costs - over highly-priced celebrity influencers. The number of influencers cooperating with businesses that used “#ad” decreased by 30% in April 2020, as compared to April last year.
Though overall, the efficiency of influencer marketing went down, specific sectors like Healthcare (4.2X) and Finance (3.9X) saw better efficiency scores. Socialbakers’ CEO Yuval Ben-Itzhak says despite uncertainty, brands are still investing in influencer marketing.
[4 minute read]


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Samsung announced recently that it will spin off its LCD business, which has struggled in recent quarters, to instead focus on manufacturing its OLED displays. In a statement issued on Monday, Samsung explained that it will merge Samsung LCD into Samsung Electronics and then eventually dissolve the company. The objective of the move is to “nurture the LED business as the future growth engine of Samsung Electronics’ component business by utilizing its advanced technology, manufacturing competency, and global sales network,” Samsung said. The merger is set to take effect on April 1st, 2012.
Samsung’s LCD display unit had an operating loss of $666 million in 2011, Reuters said Monday, noting that other LCD makers such as Sharp, Sony and Panasonic are all expected to lose as much as $17 billion this year. Research firm DisplaySearch expects the LCD TV market will fall by 8% by 2015, to $92 billion in annual sales. Meanwhile, the OLED TVs are expected to own 16% of the television market and bring in $20 billion in annual sales by 2018.


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Glamour has named Lupita Nyong'o its Woman of the Year, an honor that caps a remarkable yearlong run for the 31-year-old actor and model who has broken down industry barriers while proving that America's long-rigid beauty standards may be starting to crumble.
In 2013, the Huffington Post conducted a survey looking at the racial makeup of all the cover models between September 2012 and September 2013. Not surprisingly, the tally betrays a serious disparity in terms of cover girl diversity.
Enter Nyong'o. Since her Oscar-winning debut as Patsey in 12 Years a Slave, the actress' rise has been the feel-good story of 21st century Hollywood — that of a dark-complexioned black woman, an industry rarity by any measure, who emerged from nowhere and became an Internet celebrity, Oscar-winner, fashion icon and avatar for all manner of narratives around race, talent and beauty in a notoriously white industry.
In addition to Glamour, Nyong'o was named a Lancôme ambassador and People's Most Beautiful Person this year. Her newfound prominence is a focal point of her Glamour interview, which also addresses the troubling beauty standards that govern much of the excitement around Nyong'o's success.
"European standards of beauty are something that plague the entire world — the idea that darker skin is not beautiful, that light skin is the key to success and love," Nyong'o told Glamour. Kenya, where she spent much of her youth, is "no exception."
"When I was in the second grade, one of my teachers said, 'Where are you going to find a husband? How are you going to find someone darker than you?' I remember seeing a commercial where a woman goes for an interview and doesn't get the job. Then she puts a cream on her face to lighten her skin, and she gets the job! This is the message: that dark skin is unacceptable."
Unfortunately, this is also the message sent too often in Hollywood, where actress Gabourey Sidibe made the cover of Elle only to have her face lightened substantially using photoshop.
Nyong'o's journey toward overcoming this white supremacy narrative is also a major point in her now-iconic speech at the Essence Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon in February:
Affirming that a dark-skinned black woman can shape the Hollywood beauty conversation is an encouraging, if incomplete, development. The real measure of Nyong'o's impact will show in the long term — i.e. once significantly more women who look like her gain access to an industry that traditionally marginalizes and devalues them, especially women with darker skin.
Meanwhile, add this Glamour cover to Nyong'o's already remarkable string of recognitions. Hopefully it opens many doors for others as well.


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Discount retailer B&M has announced that it is expanding one of its Hampshire stores to make it "bigger and better for customers". The decision to revamp the Fareham shop comes after feedback from regular customers who reportedly said they wanted a larger shop with even more products.
The store along Newgate Lane, Fareham, will be closed later this month while work is carried out. The store team has confirmed that the existing shop will close at the end of trading on Monday, September 12 in order to complete the final phase of the expansion.
However, customers will not have to wait for long to experience the new improvements. The closure will only be in place for five days, with the official launch of the improved shop scheduled for 9am on Saturday, September 17.
After the development, the 30,904sq ft store will offer an even bigger selection of bargains, from big brands across a variety of departments, including groceries, pet food and homeware. The discount supermarket also sells a range of seasonal products, cleaning items, DIY essentials, electricals, toys and games.
The B&M in Fareham is home to a large garden centre, which will also be undergoing a transformation. The store has said it will be expanding its garden centre to 7,919sq ft, selling hundreds of plant varieties and gardening essentials.
The new B&M will be unveiled by local charity The Moving on Project after colleagues were asked to nominate a local organisation they think should be recognised for the work they do for the community. The Moving on Project has been providing one-to-one counselling for young people aged 11 to 25 since 1995.
It is a not-for-profit organisation based in Fareham and Gosport that relies solely on grants and donations to provide their services. The Moving On Project mission is to provide quality counselling to support the young people in the local community and help them move forward in their future.
The store manager at B&M Fareham said: "The Moving on Project really stood out for us, so we wanted to give them some VIP treatment as a thank you for all the hard work that they have done. We hope that our donation can help them to continue the great work."
The manager said work is already underway to improve in-store experiences for customers, adding: "Our colleagues have been working really hard to get the store ready for opening day and we're all really excited to welcome our customers through the doors."
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Rockstar has received a lot of press lately, thanks to the huge success of GTA V, and they’ve crossed yet another milestone. In an earnings conference call, their parent company Take-Two reported that Rockstar has shipped a total of 250 million games.
It’s not surprising that the GTA franchise accounts for at least 157.5 million of those shipments. It is by far their most successful series. They view it as a “permanent” franchise, and it’s so far holding up to their expectations.
The rest of the 250 million shipped games come from Rockstar’s other titles, such as Max Payne, Red Dead, L.A. Noire, Bully, etc.
It’s great to see that Rockstar is doing so well, although we’re a little disappointed that when asked about a PC version of GTA V, Take-Two’s president gave another non-answer by claiming “there is really nothing for us to say.”
What do you think? Sound off below!


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by Robert Davidman on May 26, 1:20 PM
Digital offerings now come in a wide variety of flavors. But should marketers rush to advertise to people watching "Desperate Housewives" on their video iPods?
by Lynn Russo on May 26, 1:13 PM
Robust spending in the sector is hurting newspapers Online recruitment advertising is healthy and growing. The category nearly tripled in size in 2005 to $3.5 billion, according to Borrell Associates, capturing more than one-third of all recruitment media budgets. And the research firm projects that online recruitment revenues could triple again in 2006, noting that, in a few years, online will garner more share and more ad dollars in recruitment than all newspapers. By comparison, newspaper revenue grew 17 percent in 2005 versus 2004, Borrell says, while overall recruitment spending across all media grew a …
by Stephen Governale on May 26, 1:11 PM
Conversion isn’t the only valid metric for search terms I was sitting with one of the brightest minds in our agency recently, and we were talking about measurement of search: what’s right and wrong about it. We spent a lot of time talking about how clients tend to manage their entire set of search terms against a single, conversion-driven metric. While we love the ability to see how each term contributes to the bottom line, we agreed that measuring all terms against a single barometer is inherently flawed. Search has the ability to influence potential …
by Bryan Wiener on May 26, 1:07 PM
When measuring the return on investment of search engine marketing campaigns, retailers may be giving branded terms far more credit for conversions than those keywords deserve.
by Larry Dobrow on May 26, 1:04 PM
Few groups excite marketers more than young Asian-American males. There's one problem, though: The very phrase "Asian-American" is probably among the most misleading demographic classifications there is.
by Todd Friesen on May 26, 1:00 PM
Any major Web site overhaul presents an opportunity to implement new search engine optimization techniques.
by on May 26, 12:57 PM
Mollie Spilman has a big job: She's responsible for all of Advertising.com's marketing initiatives, which run the gamut from product marketing and development to corporate communications, from market positioning and public relations to research....
by Phil Leggiere on May 26, 12:56 PM
Think globally, act locally is not just a political slogan. It’s also a marketing goal that global brands want to accomplish more efficiently. The challenge of buying local media, however, is that it’s always been a spot market, which makes it hard to target. MediaSpan, based in Research Triangle Park, N.C., has created an ad network platform designed to make local targeting easier. “For years we’ve provided local publishers and broadcasters with content management, back office, and Web development tools,” says Chief Marketing Officer Mark Zagorski. “The logical next step was to provide delivery and tracking of …
by Sheree R. Curry on May 26, 12:54 PM
TV fans love interacting with characters on their favorite shows; they enjoy deciding which couples should hook up or break up. Movie fans scream at the screen to warn a chick in a horror flick not to go upstairs. Hard-core fans often get together online and write their own scripts, and that’s the audience FanLib says producers and advertisers should chase. “The media landscape is changing. Marketers have to go where the eyeballs go,” says FanLib CEO Chris Williams, who created the concept that allows clients, such as Showtime’s “The L Word,” to monitor fans who are …
by kyle , Daisy Whitney on May 26, 12:53 PM
The video iPod is the hottest new distribution venue for shows like "Lost" and "The Office." But these shows aren't yet ad-supported on iTunes.


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British Airways (BA) and EasyJet (EZJ.L) have gone against EU guidance in refusing to refund unused vouchers for flights cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to an investigation by consumer group Which? some passengers willingly accepted vouchers in place of cash refunds when their flights were cancelled because of coronavirus, believing they were helping the airlines.
However others claim that they weren’t told they were also entitled to cash refunds for cancelled flights, or that they were duped into accepting vouchers they didn’t want.
Which said: “The European Commission issued guidance in May recommending that airlines automatically refund any unused vouchers 14 days after they expire. However, this is only guidance, not a legal requirement.”
Ryanair has said its vouchers can be cashed in at any time, while BA and EasyJet have said that once used, their vouchers cannot be exchanged for cash.
Passengers could be left hundreds of pounds out of pocket if they fail to us them before they expire.
Which? found that when flights are cancelled by an EU airline or by an airline flying from an EU airport, passengers are entitled to a cash refund under EU Regulation 261 within seven days of the cancellation.
But after the pandemic grounded most flights leaving the UK earlier this year, all of the UK’s biggest airlines failed to meet this legal requirement, and many passengers were given vouchers instead.
READ MORE: Coronavirus: Norwegian Air dealt huge blow as it is snubbed for government support
Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: “BA and Easyjet must immediately make it clear that passengers will not face losing their money if they are unable to use a voucher, while all airlines should be offering cash refunds to passengers prevented from travelling by lockdown laws.
“Major airlines have acted shamefully and without fear of consequences during this pandemic – the government must urgently review the CAA’s powers as part of its aviation recovery plan to ensure passengers have a regulator that can effectively stand up for them.”
BA customers in particular complained after the airline removed its online refund form from its website and directed people to its overwhelmed customer service line, which played an automated message before hanging up on the passenger, according to Which?.
Which? reported that BA denies its claims process is misleading, saying that it has issued more than 2.1 million cash refunds. It said it is clear that customers must call to request cash refunds, and insists that they only get a voucher if they fill out a form that clearly states they are requesting a voucher.
Easyjet told Which? passengers can request a refund online when their flight is cancelled, some willingly accepted vouchers to help support the airline. But some passengers now may not be able to use their vouchers because the airline has cut back on some routes in recent months, and Easyjet has said it will only refund vouchers in “exceptional circumstances as a gesture of goodwill.”
The revelations come following the news that an estimated £1bn ($1.3bn) in holiday refunds from cancelled travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic are still yet to be paid to consumers.
According to the research, also from consumer watchdog Which?, that total was out of an estimated £8bn worth of package holidays that were cancelled since the pandemic swept the globe.
Watch: Why can’t banks just print more money?


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Ian's slices its way into the East Side pizza scene
Hungry bar crawlers and lunch-seeking East Siders can rejoice: there's a new pizza place in the neighborhood, and you're gonna like it.
Ian's Pizza By The Slice, already a staple in Madison and in Chicago's Wrigleyville, neighborhood opened on New Year's Eve at 2035 E. North Ave., to a line out the door, according to General Manager Ryan Donovan.
"At 10 p.m. when we opened the door, there were like eight people standing outside," says Donovan. "Some of them knew about us from Madison."
Open from 11 a.m. to "bar time" -- that's sometime after 2:30 a.m., or whenever customers stop arriving -- Ian's serves up something different than your average slice.
A rotating menu offers lots of different choices, options like Philly Cheesesteak pizza, chicken and mashed potato pizza, or quesadilla pizza.
You can get a slice of cheese and sausage for $2.50, but all the other slices cost the same at $3.50 -- and they're way more fun.
Of course, Milwaukee -- and specifically, the East Side -- offers no shortage of well-known pizza places, some that stay open late, like Ian's neighbor, Topper's.
But at this new place, it's all about the slice.
"We're probably faster than most fast-food places," says Donovan. Pizzas are par baked, then thrown in the oven for a quick finish -- from order to eating takes but a few minutes.
Ian's was founded in 2001 by Amhurst University grad Ian Gurfield, who opened his first restaurant on Madison's North Frances Street and University Avenue.
Now, each of the four locations has its own identity, says Donovan. Madison's State Street location gets a good lunch crowd, while Chicago's is more oriented toward late-night dining.
"Here, we're hoping for both," Donovan says.
At the moment, Ian's is rather Spartan, with bare orange walls devoid of even menus, but those are coming soon.
Donovan says, this way, the customers talk to the staff, which is more than willing to explain what's up with the black bean feta avocado tomato slice or the chili cheese burrito pizza.
Additionally, Donovan says the location may soon open a salad bar -- a option recently added in Madison -- sourced with local ingredients when they're in season.
Ian's will also do delivery, but right now, Donovan is still hiring drivers and hoping to begin that phase of the business when the UW-Milwaukee semester starts in a few weeks.
Fix your web site, Ian. And where is the menu BTW? Sort of important when advertising a restaurant, no?
I went here today for lunch - had the buffalo chicken pizza - it was delicious! true NY style...big slices, great crust. One of the best slices I've had in the city. It had me wanting a second slice while leaving.
I am way too excited by Ian's arrival here after being embittered by finding out they opened a Chicago location first. Too bad that sweet mac and cheesiness is too good for me to hold a grudge :)
steak and fry along with mac n cheese where better than good a great alternative to the other pizza joints.
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A few months back at Comic-Con, Nintendo and LEGO put up a “King-Sized” 14 foot tall LEGO King Bowser statue to commemorate the announcement of the associated LEGO figure.
Now, to coincide with the actual release of the figure, LEGO has released a behind the scenes video showing off how the figure was put together. This includes the design stage of planning the construction, followed by the actual building process. The figure itself required 3,290 hours to put together, comprising 663,900 bricks.
Check it out below:
What do you think? Let us know in the comments.


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DM Keith has acquired Martyn Beever York Seat and Skoda for an undisclosed sum.
The acquisition now expands DM Keith’s network to five outlets in Yorkshire.
It’s the first time DM Keith has taken on the Seat brand, but it will be the group’s fifth Skoda dealership.
All staff have transferred over from the Martyn Beever business to DM Keith.
The acquisition comes off the back of DM Keith’s win as Skoda’s Retailer of the Year award earlier this year.
The Martyn Beever business increases DM Keith’s reputation as the largest Skoda dealer in the UK, which will now account for over 1,400 sales a year for the manufacturer in the UK.
Skoda's objective is to reach 58,000 sales this year, with a nine-car model range.


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© CIAT/Neil Palmer/Flickr
Unilever has claimed that its Sustainable Living brands delivered more than 60% of the company’s growth in 2016, and have grown 50% faster than the rest of the company’s business.
This announcement was made as part of a presentation to industry and UK government figures at Unilever’s headquarters in London, which reviewed the progress of the Sustainable Living programme, now in its sixth year.
The programme aims to promote sustainable business practices by reducing the company’s environmental impact by half, improving the health and well-being of consumers and providing greater opportunities for its suppliers.
According to Unilever, 18 Sustainable Living brands are now present in the top 40 brands in the company’s business portfolio based on growth, up from 12 in 2015.
Brands such as Ben & Jerry’s, Hellmann’s and Brooke Bond tea were identified as particularly strong performers, all achieving above-average growth.
Unilever CEO Paul Polman said: “We have made great progress. Our results show that sustainability is good for business, with increasing evidence that our ‘sustainable living brands’ do better.
“There is no doubt that the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan is making us more competitive by helping us to build our brands and spur innovation, strengthen our supply chain and reduce our risks, lower our costs, and build trust in our business.
“It is helping Unilever to serve society and our many consumers, and in doing so, create value for shareholders.
“By continuing to work with others, we hope to mobilise a new kind of growth, one that taps into the economic opportunities that the Sustainable Development Goals present.”
Unilever has made a number of recent commitments to reduce its environmental impact, most recently joining with companies such as Arla and PepsiCo in the UK Plastic Pact, which aims to tackle plastic waste levels.
The company also formed a partnership with Indorama Ventures to trial a new technology which converts PET plastic waste back into food-grade plastic packaging, in order to reduce plastic waste.
Meanwhile, the company has made recent commitments to improve sustainable farming practices, including an agreement with Indonesian palm-oil producer PT Perkebunan Nusantara to accelerate sustainable agricultural practices.
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2020


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Rivian is attending Amazon’s re:MARS 2019 event this week, an information and networking conference sponsored by the online retail giant focused on artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and other related Earth and space technologies, including self-driving.
The latest research, scientific advancements, and industry innovations are shared during four-days of networking, keynotes, and information sessions, and speakers from companies such as Walt Disney Imagineering and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory are on the schedule. The event takes place from June 4-7 at the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Amazon re:MARS Twitter account posted a tweet announcing Rivian’s appearance, which was then retweeted by CEO RJ Scaringe. “What happens when you combine a thirst for adventure with automotive tech and AI? Meet the world’s first Electric Adventure Vehicle at #reMARS to find out,” it said. The tweet was also tagged with “#alexaauto”, possibly indicating Rivian’s inclusion of Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant in its upcoming R1T truck and R1S SUV. Another electric car maker has already opted for this route – China’s Byton has Alexa integrated into its vehicle operating system.
What happens when you combine a thirst for adventure with automotive tech and AI? Meet the world’s first Electric Adventure Vehicle at #reMARS to find out: https://t.co/41ICnYmPNN #alexaauto @Rivian pic.twitter.com/gRG2kZh3mI
— Amazon re:MARS (@AmazonreMARS) June 2, 2019
re:MARS stands for Machine Learning, Automation, Robotics, and Space, and the event is described on its website as follows:
“re:MARS brings together innovative minds with diverse skill sets who share an inventors spirit, a builders mentality, and a desire to use AI to initiate change and shape the future. The event is designed for business leaders and technical builders (including developers, engineers, data scientists, ML [machine learning] experts, and roboticists) who translate customer problems into real-world technology solutions using AI.”
Given re:MARS’s description, Rivian’s plans for including self-driving in its R1T and R1S make its presence particularly relevant to the focus of the event. The camera and radar hardware on Rivian’s production vehicles will be capable of Level 3 autonomous driving that’s upgradable via over-the-air software updates. The initial vehicles will ship with Level 2 capabilities and use data accumulated from its customers’ driving sent to the cloud to develop its Level 3 transition.
Amazon has also invested heavily into Aurora, a self-driving startup led by ex-Tesla and ex-Google executives, and an information session hosted by the company as part of the re:MARS event. Rivian’s self-driving plans could possibly cross over with Aurora’s autonomy developments as both companies share an Amazon business linkage. The description of the Aurora information session is as follows:
“The Future of Self-Driving Technology: Aurora is improving self-driving technology with the Aurora Driver, the computer system that powers and coordinates signals from its perception system to control vehicles of different makes, models and classes. Hear from Aurora to better understand the role of AI in self-driving technology and the longstanding impacts of self-driving cars for our future.”
A map of re:MARS’s tech showcase location shows Rivian mingled with Alexa & iRobot | Smart Home, and Cybic, an electric bike company using Amazon’s Alexa digital assistant.
Amazon’s $700 million dollar investment into Rivian also likely plays a part in Rivian’s appearance at re:MARS. CEO Jeff Bezos recently referred to the electric car industry as “fascinating” and said he was excited to participate in its developments along with vehicle connectivity. Specifically referring to Rivian, he complimented Scaringe, saying he’s “one of the most missionary entrepreneurs I’ve ever met.”
RJ Scaringe has made reference to Rivian’s vehicles hosting self-guided tours fashioned like those seen in the classic 90s movie Jurassic Park. Given Amazon’s investment in the all-electric startup and the car maker’s subsequent appearance at an Alexa-focused event, perhaps the Rivian AI tour guide won’t be modeled after a classic Hollywood actor and narrator after all, an idea which was admittedly driven by imagination to begin with. “The voice you’re now hearing is Richard Kiley. Heh, we’ve spared no expense!” Richard Hammond, the fictional owner of Jurassic Park, exclaims in the movie while the tour group advanced through the dinosaur exhibits. Alexa, take me to the Tyrannosaurus rex, anyone?
While Rivian’s presence at Amazon’s re:MARS event hasn’t yet produced many details to confirm any speculations, it’s at the very least a nod towards the company’s exciting, technology-driven future.


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Loan troubles drive change among local auto dealers
Shakeout likely to continue as buyers, banks adjust
- Lisa Biank Fasig
- Staff Reporter
The evaporation of loans to ordinary consumers is letting the air out of the auto industry both nationally and in Greater Cincinnati, as vehicle sales and dealerships continue their decline and manufacturers tighten financing terms.
The National Auto Dealers Association estimates a net loss of 500 to 600 dealerships across the country in 2008, the worst decline since the 1990-1992 recession. The sale of cars and lightweight trucks is expected to drop to about 14 million in 2008, from more than 16 million in 2007.
And in the Tri-State, roughly a half-dozen dealers have been acquired or closed in the past six months.
“Sales are definitely down, I’d say more than 10 percent,” said Josh Sweeney, treasurer of Jake Sweeney Automotive Group, of his 2008 receipts. He doesn’t predict 2009 to be much better. “I’m not a pessimist, but I am a realistic person, and I would say they would be flat or relatively the same as they are in 2008.”
Several local dealers have merged and consolidated operations this year as declining sales have forced auto manufacturers to reduce their inventories and franchise operations. In early summer, Northern Kentucky dealerships Robke Ford in Covington and Champion Dodge in Florence shuttered operations, while Terry Lee sold his local Chevrolet dealership to McCluskey Chevrolet in April. And on Oct. 8, the Jeff Wyler Automotive Family announced it would acquire its larger rival, Florence Buick Pontiac GMC, and combine its Alexandria operations into the site. Wyler said it is part of a strategic plan by GM to reduce the number of franchises it operates.
Banks, meanwhile, are making it harder for car dealers, as well as consumers, to get credit. Chrysler is changing its financing plan for dealers as of Jan. 1, mandating that they can borrow money against a used car for only 90 days. As for new cars, they must repay 50 percent the value of any 2009 models that remain on the lot after one year. For 2008 models, they must pay 10 percent a month, one year after Jan 1.
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There’s a pretty distinct set of reasons why, for the most part, it’s a good thing or a bad thing to be an early adopter of any piece of tech that comes out. On the one hand, you’ve got the latest and greatest gadget on the planet, and you can happily show it off to all your friends. On the other side of the coin, you’re usually faced with software/hardware glitches of some kind, and then there’s that impending feeling that sooner than later, your device will be obsolete. We’re not saying that’s happening here with the Zune HD, but if these rumors are true, we may have to strike our words.
According to the rumors floating around, the Zune HD2 would be more like an iPod Touch, whatever that means. Size, perhaps. Considering the HD2 has arguably (or not) better hardware than the iPod Touch, that’s really the only thing we can say that insinuates. If the sources speaking with ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley are to be believed, than the Zune HD2 is certainly on the way, and has a real shot at being released later this year. And, we all know what other thing is launching at the end of this year, and, whoa, look at that! They’re made by the same company!
We don’t think that would be a bad thing. Yes, the Zune HD came out last year, and yes, it’s a great Personal Media Player. But what Microsoft needs is more than just a few phones coming out at the end of this year rocking their Windows Phone 7 Series mobile Operating System. Just like Apple has done with their iPhone Operating System, Microsoft can capitalize on the fact that WP7S looks and works great on a bunch of devices. And sometimes, even across those platforms. There’s also the glaring fact that the current Zune HD won’t be playing those nifty XNA Game Studio 4.0 titles, so it’s time to update anyway. Right, Microsoft?


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Microsoft books $8.4bn write-down
LOS ANGELES, July 22
Microsoft booked an $8.4 billion charge in the fourth quarter, swallowing a bitter pill by writing off the Nokia phone business it bought just over a year ago. It narrowly beat analysts’ depressed expectations for a quarter that also saw a steep decline in personal computer sales even as it prepares to launch its latest operating system, Windows 10.
The Redmond, Washington-based software giant posted a net loss of $3.20 billion, or 40 cents per share, reversing a profit of $4.61 billion, or 55 cents per share, a year ago.
Adjusted to exclude the charges, the company posted a quarterly profit of 62 cents per share, beating the average estimate of 15 analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research of 31 cents per share.
The write-down was expected after CEO Satya Nadella announced 7,800 job cuts two weeks ago. The company will continue to make phones on a smaller scale, paring down its lower-cost offerings.
Nadella told analysts on a conference call he’d like Windows phones to be more targeted at high-end businesses and their employees, much like its Surface tablet, which saw upbeat sales. “We have a formula there that I would like to apply more broadly,” Nadella said.
The difficult quarter comes ahead of the launch of Windows 10 on July 29, a free upgrade for users of Windows 7 or 8 for the next year. The company hopes that better integrating its store into the revamped start button and powering more internet searches through Bing will compensate for the temporary dip in Windows revenue.
Microsoft plans for Windows 10 to be its last version of Windows before transitioning the business to a fee-for-service model, although how that will work is unclear.
The firm gave an outlook for revenue of $20.7 billion to $21.3 billion for the first fiscal quarter through September that was below the $22.6 billion expected by analysts polled by FactSet.


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Regardless of who ends up owning Hulu, the Internet TV company’s viewers will be seeing less of Zooey Deschanel in Fox’s “New Girl” — and most likely a lot less of the most popular primetime broadcast series.
On Monday, Netflix began offering all 24 episodes of the first season of “New Girl” to U.S. streaming subscribers, under multiyear pact with Twentieth Century Fox Television with exclusivity for online distribution. Netflix will have full access to second season of the popular comedy when the third run of “New Girl” bows in September.
Under Fox’s deal with Netflix, Hulu will no longer have rights to full seasons of “New Girl” on Hulu or the Hulu Plus subscription service. Instead, Hulu and Hulu Plus will provide the five most recently aired episodes.
New episodes will be available to Hulu Plus subs and customers of Fox’s pay TV partners the day after after, with those coming to the free Hulu service after eight days. Fox implemented the authentication change of new episodes in the fall of 2011; pay TV partners currently include Dish Network, Verizon FiOS, AT&T U-verse and seven smaller operators. For “New Girl,” starting with the fall season, Hulu will have a rotating mix of only five episodes from seasons 1 and 2 at any given time.
Walt Disney Co. and 21st Century Fox, two of Hulu’s owners along with Comcast, have solicited bids for the company and are seeking at least $1 billion, with content rights a key piece of the negotiations. Originally binding bids were due last week, but the deadline was extended to July 5.
SEE ALSO: Yahoo Unlikely to Stay in Hulu Bidding
Entities expected in the final round of Hulu bidding include DirecTV, Guggenheim Partners, Silver Lake with WME, Time Warner Cable, KKR & Co., and the Chernin Group with AT&T.
Under the sale terms, 21st Century Fox (newly split off from News Corp., which retains publishing biz) and Disney are asking for specific licensing restrictions. Those include the right to hold back certain TV episodes from Hulu for 30 days or even pull hit shows off the service entirely for exclusive distribution — conditions described as “onerous” by one party, according to a report by TheWrap.com. A source familiar with the negotiations downplayed the report as spin, claiming bidders have known about the content licensing terms for some time.
The very reason Disney/ABC and Fox want to exit Hulu is because they see Hulu’s mission as divergent with their goal of extracting as much money as possible from their TV programming through a variety of licensing and distribution deals.
In any case, this week’s Fox-Netflix deal clearly demonstrates that Fox, at least, is looking to shop around high-value TV properties to Hulu’s detriment.
If Fox, ABC and NBC move to curtail access to top TV shows on Hulu, that would obviously weaken the website’s appeal. Hulu has added several exclusive and original series, but the bulk of its viewing remains first-run broadcast TV shows.
Moreover, if the media companies cut more exclusive deals with the likes of Netflix for past seasons of popular programming, that will dilute the value proposition of the $7.99-per-month Hulu Plus premium service, which has more than 4 million subscribers.
SEE ALSO: Hulu’s Executive Exodus Accelerates


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The Warnaco Group Inc. on Monday posted third-quarter profits well below prior-year numbers, but that were in line with the company's strategic rationalization of its swimwear portfolio.
As a result, Warnaco raised guidance for fiscal 2007.
For the three months ended Sept. 29, net income fell 69.7 percent to $4.4 million, or 10 cents a diluted share, from $14.6 million, or 31 cents, in the same year-ago period. On an adjusted basis, taking into account discontinued operations and restructuring charges, income rose 36.7 percent to $20 million, or 43 cents a diluted share, from $14.6 million, or 32 cents, a year ago. The company said on Sept. 18 that it intends to exit all of its swimwear group's private label and designer swimwear brands, with the exception of Calvin Klein swimwear.
Revenues for the quarter rose 13.1 percent to $474.8 million from $419.6 million. On an adjusted basis, revenues rose 13.3 percent to $472.6 million from $417.1 million. Sportswear and intimate apparel revenues soared 14 and 19 percent, respectively.
For the nine months, net income gained 76.2 percent to $56.2 million, or $1.21 a diluted share, from $31.9 million, or 68 cents, in the same year-ago quarter. Adjusted for discontinued operations and restructuring charges, income jumped 135.8 percent to $75.3 million, or $1.62 a diluted share, from $31.9 million, or 68 cents, last year. Revenues for the nine months rose 14.7 percent to $1.39 billion from $1.21 billion. On an adjusted basis, revenues rose 15.3 percent to $1.35 billion from $1.17 billion.
"The power of our brands and the diversity of our global business model are evident in the strong results of our ongoing business we reported today," said Joe Gromek, president and chief executive officer, in a statement.
During the quarter, the Calvin Klein Jeans business continued its momentum, posting a 21 percent increase in net revenues, the company said. In intimates, strong global growth in Calvin Klein Underwear's wholesale and retail businesses drove gains in both areas, with retail revenues growing 35 percent due in part to new store openings.
For fiscal 2007, the company said it expects net revenues to grow 11 to 12 percent over adjusted fiscal 2006 levels, and forecasts diluted earnings per share from continuing operations in the range of $2.10 to $2.18.The company is presently exploring options for its Lejaby intimates business, including a possible sale of the operation.
From overseeing America’s fastest-growing speciality retailers to codifying cool, WWD talked to the women who are leading the way for the future of beauty. Check out our Instagram Stories to see how these women built today and are creating tomorrow. (📸: @hannah_khymych) #wwdbeauty
For @laperlalingerie's spring 2018 show, the brand chose to host their event at @thevenetianmacao. With Chinese megastars @bingbing_fan and @hubing in attendance, La Perla debuted a rock ‘n’ roll-inspired collection. The show marked the start of Sands Macao Fashion Week, which runs from October 19 to 24 — the city’s first such event. Pictured here are models backstage with glimmering eyes. #wwdfashion (📷: Cheuk-Yin To)
Trending for spring 2018: top stitch design. Gone are the days of stitch just for seams — designers are using the once-minimal detail to create strong decorative elements. (📷: Paola Testa; Styled by @andrew_shang) #wwdfashion
@tradesy is turning the concept of a showroom upside down with its new space in Santa Monica. Here, the company plans to hold events, art exhibits and a showcase rare fashion pieces like this Louis Vuitton boxing set. Get all the details on Tradesy’s first showroom on WWD.com. #wwdnews
Spotted last night at the @erdem x @hm launch event: Kate Bosworth, Rashida Jones, Kirsten Dunst and Selma Blair. The party, which took place in LA, also marked the opening of their pop-up shop. “I was interested in creating a collection that wasn’t in any way disposable. It was about pieces you’d create and keep forever, things that have a permanence to it,” designer Erdem Moralioglu said. #wwdeye (📷: Katie Jones)
Renee Zellweger in yellow in 2001 and again in 2017. Chosen as one of the 12 @pantone Leading Spring Colors (and dubbed “Meadowlark”), it only makes sense that the bright hue stands the test of time and is making a resurgence this season, seen already on stars like @blakelively and @gigihadid. (📷: Donato Sardello & @rexfeatures) #wwdfashion #tbt
Dior’s 70th anniversary celebration continues with a new exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. “Christian Dior,” which is scheduled to run through March 18, takes a look at the founders tenure from 1947 to 1057 and feature 40 designs. Pictured here is an evening gown from the Ailée, fall 1948-49 haute couture collection. #wwdfashion (📷: Brian Boyle)


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A few weeks ago, news broke on internet that the 22 year old Brazilian model Valentina Sampaio becomes the first transgender model hired by Victoria Secret. And for Sampaio also, this is more than just another job.
In an interview with Elle.com , Sampaio says, “This represents a victory for society, not just the trans community but for all people who currently underrepresented in fashion. We are experiencing a moment, an evolution and it is a positive one. Brands are finally learning and catching up to the importance of inclusivity and diversity,” the Brazilian catwalker continued. “It is hugely important moment not only for myself, but my community and beyond.”
Indeed, she feels the weight on her wings. She also told that the outlet that she plans to use her voice and presence to “try to change the status quo not only in fashion industry but also in society.”
When she was asked about the brand’s transphobic history and controversial CMO, Ed Razek has since announce his retirement, Sampaio agent swiftly stepped in. “The world and the society are changing super fast,” Erio Zanon said. “So I think that even fashion industry must follow these changes in order to satisfy the new customers demands.”