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Chris Reed: Driverless cars? Robot butlers? Cool it. Wearable air conditioning is the next big thing.
Technology could have huge implications for the fight against climate change
After years of reading breathless stories about the amazing coming era of self-driving cars, household robots and artificial intelligence so advanced that it could pass for human, I’m sure I’m one of many who feels let down that these confident predictions haven’t yet come to pass. I want nirvana and I wanted it by now.
But as a devotee of science and technology blogs, I’ve got news for those who aren’t that into futurism: Breakthroughs that could transform life as we know it are either just around the corner or a bus stop or two in the distance. Breakthroughs like wearable personal cooling and heating devices.
That concept, which is sparking excitement in tech blogs this week, is based on an 1834 discovery by French clockmaker-turned-physicist Jean-Charles-Athanase Peltier. Encyclopaedia Britannica has one of the simpler explanations that I came upon. Peltier found that ...
... at the junction of two dissimilar metals an electric current will produce heat or cold, depending on the direction of current flow. The effect ... is used in devices for measuring temperature and, with the discovery of new conducting materials, in refrigeration units.
Still hazy on how this works? Me too. Here’s another explanation from the website of the II-VI Marlow thermoelectric company.
An electric current that flows between two semiconductors faces is being heated on one side, and the energy output from that side simultaneously cools the other side. The Peltier effect can be reversed; you can use the energy to either heat something or cool something. From this, thermoelectric coolers and heaters were born.
Sony announced Monday it would start selling wearable personal cooling and heating devices for a mere $117 next year in Japan. The Engadget website reports ...
... the Reon Pocket ... slips into a pouch in a special T-shirt. The stealthy device doesn’t condition the air as such. Rather, it sits at the base of your neck and uses the Peltier effect (where heat is absorbed or emitted when you pass an electrical current across a junction) to either lower your temperature by 23 [degrees Fahrenheit] or raise it by 14 [degrees Fahrenheit], all without bulk or noise. You could wear a stuffy business outfit on a hot day and avoid looking like you’ve just stepped out of a sauna.
Sony hasn’t cornered this market by any stretch. In February, Digital Trends gave a rave review to another wearable device — one worn on the inside of the wrist — that also relies on the Peltier effect.
Developed by a team of MIT grads, the Wave [which costs $299] is essentially a wearable heater and cooler that leverages quirks in human physiology to sort of “hack” how your body perceives temperature.
“It’s a product for people that are too hot or too cold, that offers thermal relief,” explains Embr Labs co-founder Sam Shames. “What it does is it heats and cools one spot on your body and helps you improve your comfort, without changing your core temp.”
Think of how revolutionary this is. The money-saving potential of such technology is enormous. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, heating and cooling is the largest energy expense for most homes, averaging 48% of typical household usage. If a family of four living in an 1,800-square-foot house didn’t have to cool or heat all 1,800 square feet because mom, dad, daughter and son each used a Reon Pocket or Embr Wave, the yearly savings would be huge — and astronomical in places with extreme weather like Palm Springs or Buffalo.
The same holds for any energy consumer. Heating and cooling costs are the biggest bill for one-third of small businesses, according to the National Federation of Independent Business. Hard figures aren’t available for larger companies or government agencies, but there’s no question that costs are considerable, and not just if you’re based in Phoenix or Minneapolis.
Think about the implications for anti-poverty programs as well. If governments can help poor people from spending heavily on air conditioning or heating by providing them with a $117 or $299 device, that’s a no-brainer.
Then there’s this: What makes the availability of effective personal cooling and heating devices even more important is that in a wealthier world, there is nothing that the newly affluent crave more than air conditioning. As The Guardian in London reported in 2015, this demand is a huge obstacle to efforts to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions because ...
... it threatens to smash pledges and targets for global warming. Worldwide power consumption for air conditioning alone is forecast to surge 33-fold by 2100 as developing world incomes rise and urbanization advances.
Already, the U.S. uses as much electricity to keep buildings cool as the whole of Africa uses on everything; China and India are fast catching up. By mid-century, people will use more energy for cooling than heating.
And since cold is still overwhelmingly produced by burning fossil fuels, emission targets ... risk being blown away as governments and scientists struggle with a cruel climate-change irony: Cooling makes the planet hotter.
This suggests that devices like the Reon Pocket or Embr Wave won’t just be popular because they save money. They may be mandated for personal use by governments worried about the apocalyptic potential of climate change.
The immense significance of — and the global affection for — air conditioning may be surprising to those who have grown up with it. But air conditioning — invented, according to Time magazine, in 1902 by Willis Carrier in Brooklyn “as a solution to keep muggy air in a printing plant from wrinkling magazine pages” — is on the short list of the best inventions of all time. In 1947, British economist and politician Sydney F. Markham declared that the “greatest contribution to civilization in this century may well be air conditioning.”
It basically was the iPhone of the 20th century, except even more beloved. And now a new iteration is, literally, at hand.
In a telephone interview Wednesday from Embr’s headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, I asked co-founder and co-inventor Shames about the seeming lack of appreciation of his device’s implications for energy consumption and global warming. He speculated that since the Embr Wave offered a “behavioral solution” rather than a new source of clean energy, it hadn’t captured the imagination of journalists or the public.
But Shames believes, as I do, that it’s just a matter of time before the efficacy and the potential of devices using the Peltier effect to make people feel colder or warmer is appreciated.
“Over the next five, 10, 15 years, we as a society are going to have to have serious changes in how we use energy,” Shames told me. In the meantime, he said, Embr is working on making its heating and cooling devices “more powerful” in how they improve individual comfort.
Good for Shames, good for Embr and good for the world. The AC revolution is coming — the sooner, the better.
Reed, who hates that sweaty feeling and loathed the steamy summers he spent in Northern Virginia because of it, is deputy editor of the editorial and opinion section. Column archive: sdut.us/chrisreed. Twitter: @chrisreed99. Email: firstname.lastname@example.org.
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Peace on Earth, good will toward men. We honor these noble values every holiday season — and some people actually work to advance them all year long.
Other folks, by contrast, mock these values. They spend their days chasing after ever grander stashes of personal treasure.
These greedy souls love the shadows. So a few years back, the inequality weekly I edit for the Institute for Policy Studies began publishing an annual list of America’s top ten greediest. I’ve just introduced this year’s list, bringing tales of plutocrats young and old.
The oldest character on it: the 79-year-old Wall Street mover and shaker Ken Langone.
Langone began making headlines right at the start of 2014 with his advice for Pope Francis. The pontiff, he told New York’s archbishop, should cool it on the inequality front. Papal broadsides against “the powerful feeding upon the powerless,” Langone complained, could leave America’s wealthy “incapable of feeling compassion for the poor.”
Langone himself has always been a generous sort — at least for his friends. As a New York Stock Exchange director, he greased the skids for a $190-million exit package for his buddy, NYSE president Richard Grasso, in 2003.
Langone has been a bit less generous to the powerless. As a director at Yum! Brands, the home of Taco Bell and KFC, he cheered on company efforts to oppose hikes in the minimum wage. As he likes to tell regulators: “Leave us alone and let us hire people.”
Home Depot, the retail giant Langone’s financing helped propel to big-box dominance, shows what happens when you leave corporations alone. Big-box giants, notes the research group Good Jobs First, don’t create jobs. They “grow mostly at the expense of existing competitors,” many of them local businesses.
Big-box giants, on the other hand, do create massive concentrations of personal wealth. Forbes now estimates Langone’s net worth at $2.6 billion.
Among the youngest of America’s 2014 top ten greediest: the 38-year-old Travis Kalanick, the CEO and cofounder of Uber, a taxi-like service that lets travelers hail cars through a mobile phone app.
Last January, Uber was running cars in just 60 cities. Now it’s spread to 250 cities — in 50 countries. That growth has propelled Uber’s worth to $40 billion — more than long-established transportation heavyweights like Hertz and United Continental.
Not bad for a company, the AP notes, “that didn’t exist five years ago.” And Kalanick himself, Forbes estimates, is ending the year worth a cool $3 billion.
How has Uber soared so quickly? The company is pumping up profits, critics charge, by taking short cuts like not running adequate background checks on drivers. Officials in Los Angeles and San Francisco have just filed suit against Uber on driver safety checks, and governments from Spain to India have also taken legal action against the company.
Other critics include customers like Leah Kappen of Indianapolis. She took an Uber ride downtown to the December 6 Big Ten football championship game. That ride cost her $30. The 18-minute trip home after the game cost her $450. This past Halloween, an 18-mile ride home ran New Yorker Elliott Asbury $539.
Uber’s “surge pricing” — a policy that ties rates to the supposed market demands of the moment — generated these outsized fees. But anyone upset by $500 cab fare, says Kalanick, needs to start “getting used to dynamic pricing in transportation.”
Uber drivers are complaining, too. One of Uber’s competitors, Lyft, gives all the extra profit from “surge pricing” to its drivers. Uber takes a 20 percent cut. Why not, the Wall Street Journal asked Kalanick, follow suit?
“We are a business,” he replied.
So much for good will.

domain: news


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According to Le Monde, France’s largest consumer group UFC-Que Choisir has filed a lawsuit against Nintendo in Paris’s Nanterre district. The reason is that the Nintendo Joy-Con controllers for Switch console break down very quickly. Often, they fail within a year.
For a long time, users complained that Joy-Con too easy to damage. In November last year, UFC-Que Choisir warned Nintendo of France that the company should not charge consumers 45 euros for repairing Joy-Con. Group representatives said that Nintendo should repair them for free. At the same time, UFC-Que Choisir also called Switch the most problematic product last year.
A representative of the French consumer group UFC-Que Choisir said that in just 2 days they collected more than 5000 testimonials. So they started asking the experts to study this issue. The experts came to the conclusion that the printed circuit board wears out quickly. In addition, the device case easily accumulates dirt and dust, which leads to failure.
UFC-Que Choisir believes that Nintendo consciously did not use the information obtained to improve the Joy-Con. He has said that Nintendo deliberately sells products that are subject to failure within a year. According to UFC-Que Choisir statistics, 65% of Joy-Con failures occurred within one year of purchase. And the probability of problems has nothing to do with the age of consumers and the time of play. 25% of affected consumers play very rarely, but their controllers failed within six months.
Nintendo has not yet responded in any way to this.


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The world has witnessed several widespread epidemics, pandemics and other[Read More…]
Insight & Analysis
According to SBM Intelligence, the characteristic high cost associated with Nigerian ports is as a result of exorbitant shipping fees, terminal fees and even bribes which importers are required to pay.
Statistically, women live longer than men, yet the World Economic Forum reported that women retire with 30% to 40% less money than men. Why does this gap exist when women have just as many reasons to save for a goal or grow their wealth?
The fintech environment was obviously affected by the pandemic. We reviewed our predictions of January 2020 and some of them did come to pass. Bitcoin, for instance, went parabolic during 2020 hitting all-time highs and it continues to rise, fall and rise daily.


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Sneaker brands have been previewing new releases left right and centre for Black Friday, one of which is the new Air Jordan 1 High Premier Varsity Red. Following on from the recent “Oreo”, images of the new design have been building hype, showcasing a more vibrant and festive deep red from its monochrome predecessor. The sports shoe features a mixture of leather and suede, a grey signature swoosh, and a white sole contrasts the varsity red uppers. The AJ1s drop on 2nd December.
Words by Kayleigh Rawlings
Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram @trappedmagazine


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The long-rumored Mario and Rabbids crossover Nintendo Switch game is apparently real, if new reports are to be believed.
Kotaku claims to have received art assets from one of their sources that confirm the development of the aforementioned Mario and Rabbids crossover. Rumored to be named Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, the game will mix characters from both franchises in turn-based combat that allows for two-player local co-op and apparently has a “goofy sense of humor.”
The report also says Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle will have eight playable characters including Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Peach and four Rabbids dressed up as Mario, Luigi, Yoshi and Peach.
The art provided to Kotaku apparently showed off Mario and the crew wielding guns that shoot laser beams, so this title may crank up the crazy battle style of the Rabbids franchise.
Kotaku’s source asked the outlet to not share the art assets, but not only did they corroborate the existence of the crossover between Nintendo and Ubisoft characters, they also claim the Nintendo Switch title will be released sometime in August or September.
At the time of publication, neither Nintendo or Ubisoft had answered Kotaku’s request for comment on the rumored Mario and Rabbids crossover.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle was first reported by Laura Kate Dale who even placed a possible September 2017 release date back in January before the official Nintendo Switch reveal event. Since then there have been little to no news regarding the rumored Mario and Rabbids crossover until this sudden report.
There is no current first-party game slated for August or September on the Nintendo Switch. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe released in late April and is a must-own title for the new hybrid console. Arms and Splatoon 2 will release on the Switch in June and July respectively, so Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle may just be that game to fill in that slot with even more games coming to the hybrid console this year.
Nintendo has stated in their 2016 fiscal year earnings report that more Nintendo Switch titles will be announced for this year, so all eyes are on E3 2017. It’s very possible Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle will be officially announced then.
There is still the reported Super Smash Bros. port coming to the Switch, as well as that Pokémon Stars rumor that could give the new console and their owners something to look forward to all the until the holiday season when Super Mario Odyssey is released.
So what do you think of this supposed Mario and Rabbids crossover for the Nintendo Switch? What do you hope gets announced at E3 this year? Let us know in the comments section below.


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Keller Williams Deploys AI-Powered Ad Campaign Platform
Keller Williams (KW), the world's largest real estate franchise by agent count, announces additional generative AI integrations and a host of powerful feature enhancements to Command, a smart CRM-plus platform and its associated mobile app.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231207026594/en/
The new Generative AI Ad Copy feature uses AI and machine learning to generate high-performing headlines and body copy primarily for listing ads. (Photo: Business Wire)
"Our new campaign platform paired with AI capabilities will save our agents more time and money, allowing them to focus on what matters most," said Heather Pollard, head of digital and design, KW.
Launched in Q3 '23, KW's new Paid Ads experience offers agents better quality leads, more available channels, easy-to-use ad creation, and new AI-powered features for listing ad types, generating more leads at a lower cost.
The new Generative AI Ad Copy feature uses AI and machine learning to generate high-performing headlines and body copy primarily for single-listing, single-image ads, single-listing multi-image ads, multi-listing carousel ads, and single-listing multi-channel ads.
"We're revolutionizing the approach to ad creation with this groundbreaking feature, setting a new standard for engaging, results-driven content," said Pollard. "Welcome to the future of CRM, where automation meets personalization, and the agents' brand messaging is fully maxiized."
Through Labs, the innovation hub of KW, the franchise continues to partner with real estate agents and teams to release software integrations and CRM features to increase productivity and eliminate pain points with lead generation, marketing, and real estate team workflow capabilities.
"We continue to roll out vast updates that give our agents an unfair competitive advantage in the market," said Chris Cox, chief technology and digital officer, KW. "In partnership with our agents, we're automating more and more functional tasks, saving them time and money."
The latest updates to Command include:
"We are the home of the tech-enabled agent," said Cox. "Our agents highly influence our roadmap through Labs. And our latest innovative and forward-leaning features and benefits of Command reflect our 'By Agents, For Agents' approach to technology R&D."
Command mobile app's latest updates include:
"We remain laser-focused on building safe, reliable, and scalable solutions enabling our agents to serve their clients better," said Cox.
In February 2019, KW originally released Command, hosted on the Keller Cloud platform, for general agent availability. In December 2021, KW released the first version of the Command app. Command has more than 170,000 quarterly active users as of September 30.
About Keller Williams
Austin, Texas-based Keller Williams, the world's largest real estate franchise by agent count, has more than 1,100 offices and 187,000 agents. The franchise is also No. 1 in units and sales volume in the United States.
Since 1983, the company has cultivated an agent-centric, technology-driven, and education-based culture that rewards agents as stakeholders. For more information, visit headquarters.kw.com.


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Posted on 17 Sep 2021
Alacriti's Payments Expert, Mark Ranta, will be speaking on the Innovation & Open Banking Panel at the Chicago Payments Symposium, taking place virtually on September 28-29, 2021.
The payments system is changing substantially, facilitated by innovations in information technology. The Chicago Payments Symposium provides an independent forum to learn from leaders from across the payments ecosystem and experience engaging dialogue on the industry’s current state and exciting future.
To learn more about Chicago Payment Symposium, visit chicagopaymentssymposium.org
Veridian Credit Union is now live on The Clearing House’s (TCH) RTP® network.
Banks and credit union clients can now enable their customers and members to make loan payments via their preferred channels, methods, and frequency.
Alacriti is a leading financial technology company dedicated to helping our clients accelerate their digital payments transformation.
Alacriti’s cloud-based platform, Orbipay, delivers solutions across the payments ecosystem, including The Clearing House’s RTP network, Electronic Bill Presentment and Payments (EBPP), and Digital Disbursements. Through our cloud-native platform, Orbipay, our solutions empower clients to deliver the innovative digital payment experiences today’s consumers demand. In addition to driving modern and frictionless digital payment experiences, our clients benefit from faster time to market and continuous innovation on a proven platform.


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Titan shines bright as jewellery business sees 98% recovery in Q2 — analysts see room for further growth
- Titan shares were trading 5% higher on October 7 after the jewellery maker said the sales are nearly back to the pre-COVID.
- Titan’s business improves in Q2, jewellery business sees 98% recovery.
- The company sees more potential in the near future with the arrival of Dussehra, Dhanteras, and Diwali next month.
“The company’s return to normalcy on the business front has been progressing well with the almost complete lifting of restrictions in a phased manner over the last few months across the country, ‘the company said in its second quarterly update to stock-exchanges.
The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the luxurious business of jewellery makers the most. Analysts predicted that the business won’t be back until next year— as the layoffs and pay cut season arrived with the dwindling economy. Titan wasn’t immune to this either. Analysts at Goldman Sachs predicted that the sales might remain muted for at least the next two years. The management of the country’s top fashion accessories maker in the last quarter itself said the full recovery from the COVID-19 crisis is unlikely until the fourth quarter of this year.
But the festive season forced people to get back to jewellery stores or shop online. “There has been greater acceptance of the new normal amongst consumers, and they have been getting back to many of their routine activities leading to a positive on the walk-ins to the stores and time spent in stores,” the company said.
|Titan’s Business Segment||Recovery rate in Q2|
|Watches & Wearables||55%|
The 98% recovery in the Jewellery business will play a significant part in Titan’s second quarterly results as the business accounts for over 82% of the total revenue of the company, according to the HDFC Securities report.
And, there is more room for growth ahead. Titan sees more potential with the arrival of Dussehra, Dhanteras and Diwali next month. “The company is now gearing up to gain well from the upcoming festival season which is expected to further uplift the mood of the consumers,” it added.
Dussehra, Dhanteras, and Diwali are huge money-making festivals for jewellery makers. And while it may not have the same feel and buzz this year— it would be enough for the companies to recover the lockdown woes. Last year, Titan shares touched a 52-week high on Dhanteras as the demand for jewellery soared during the festive season.
Investors interest in share price mirror the recovery optimism
AdvertisementThe shares of the jewellery maker are nearly back to the pre-COVID. In fact, it has gained over 33% since the beginning of the second quarter.
And, brokerages too have also revised their recommendation rating from ‘hold’ or ‘sell’ to ‘buy’ or ‘Add’. ICICI Securities believes Titan is best positioned to gain from faster than expected recovery. While HDFC Securities says that TItan is a structural growth story that will benefit from “strong market share in the jewellery and wrist watches segment, mainly driven by a wide range of product portfolio catering mainly to the premium and value add designer jewellery segment.”
Titan: The street view
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Meet the “tweens,” the moniker that media and advertising applied to the high dollar, ages eight to 14 set. They may be too young to have an income, but they’ve got purchasing power, courtesy of two working parents or doting grandparents.
Estimates peg this group – formerly known as preteens – at 27 to 30 million strong. Packaged Facts, a market research company, forecasts that aggregate spending by tweens is expected to reach nearly $41 billion by 2005, with 8 to 11-year-olds spending $14.6 billion and 12 to 14-year-olds spending nearly $26.4 billion.
Current toy marketing targets boys up to age eight, a dramatic shift from the age 12 cut-off that baby boomer marketing followed. Now it’s commonly held that eight is the age when boys begin losing interest in toys like action figures and gravitate toward electronics and video games. Psychologists call this tendency for kids to abandon playing with traditional toys at a faster pace than previous generations “age compression” or KGOY (kids getting older younger).
In response to this shift in interest, marketers are increasingly targeting boy tweens in response to their love of the video and gaming industry. Tween boys want products that have an electronic, Internet, video or sports component; and there’s a premium for portable toys and electronics because most tweens spend time traveling to after-school activities.
Tweens are in a hurry to grow up, and above all, they want what’s cool and they want to fit in with their circle of friends. And what exactly is the elusive cool product? This puzzle certainly can keep many retailers awake at night. But one thing’s for certain: celebrity endorsements are golden in the tween industry.
According to a 2003 survey by Buzzback, LLC, a New York-based market research firm, younger tween boys were more likely to say brands used by famous people are cool. Seeing their favorite TV, music and athletic idols using a brand made 72 percent of tweens surveyed more likely to want to use it.
Unlike their teen counterparts, girls do not yet influence tween boys’ buying. Many tweens are embarrassed by romance. They are not captivated by the love interest sub-story of action movies, for example. Instead, they want lights, camera, action, power and movement. Expect to see tween boys in the electronic section of department stores, playing with video-game consoles such as Xbox, GameCube or PlayStation2.
Although tween boys are easily influenced, they do their fair share of influencing as well. From computers to cars, the MediaDaily News reported in April that male tweens influence $145 billion in bigger-ticket purchases. Tween boys’ relationship with their parents is not lacking in power of the purse – the voice of the hip and cool child isn’t always silenced during deliberations over the next SUV or entertainment center purchase. Tweens don’t mind asking their parents to foot a $100 bill for the latest Nikes. It only goes to prove that Tweens may not be able to drive, but their constant requests for the latest cool product can surely drive their parents crazy!


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Oh, behave! Toys ‘R’ Us asked their stores across the country yesterday to pull PG-rated Austin Powers dolls from their shelves after an outraged mom complained it says. “Do I make you horny, baby? Do I?”
“I can’t believe this toy is approved for ages 10 and up: It’s perverted,” said Tamantha Brannon, of the Atlanta suburb of East Point.
Brannon said she was in a Toys ‘R’ Us store last week when her 11-year-old son picked up one of the underwear-clad dolls that repeats naughty lines from the PG-rated Mike Myers comedy, “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.”
The “horny” line was printed on the box – and Brannon’s son repeatedly asked what it meant.
“I’m appalled. I’m sick,” she said. “I want Toys ‘R’ Us to take every one of those disgusting dolls off their shelves so no parent ever has to go through what I’ve just gone through.”
Officials at Toys ‘R’ Us headquarters in Paramus, N.J., said they weren’t to blame: they thought they were selling a version that is clothed and toned down.
Rebecca Carious, a spokeswoman, said the company had asked its stores to remove any of the adult versions that may have ended up on their shelves
McFarlane Toys, which manufactures the doll, said the adult version should have been shipped only to record stores and novelty shops that cater to an older audience.


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When the modern e-cigarette was created, no one could have anticipated its rapid growth and unprecedented popularity. With the first models hitting the shelves in America around 2008 the growth of the product has skyrocketed at rates no one could have anticipated. Especially not regulators, who have been struggling to catch up with e-cigarette growth in America and impose regulation on the products.
In general this should be a good thing. Regulation is designed to keep consumers safe– something that is designed to keep the manufacturers in check and ensure that the best and safest product will get to the market. However, regulation stands to do a lot more harm than good. The FDA has sent their proposed rules to the United States government, and some of what is included in the initial deeming seems less like a benefit to the industry, and more like a deathblow to the booming businesses that have grown up around electronic cigarettes.
History of FDA Regulation
When the country began to notice the new product, regulation efforts began to look like the next logical idea. In April of 2011 the FDA announced they would consider e-cigarettes as if they were a new tobacco product. After a failed attempt to block e-cigarette sales, the FDA acquiesced to the fact that electronic cigarettes and their components would need to be officially considered on their own, before they were restricted. In order to do this, the FDA is adding them to the list of other items that are covered in the Tobacco Control Act. This process is called, “deeming regulations” and when approved e-cigarettes will be added to the list of other FDA regulated items, likes cigarettes, rolling tobacco, chew and snuff. Other items in addition to e-cigarettes – cigars, pipe tobacco, as well as e-liquids, will also be added to the FDA control list.
Several years passed as people speculated over what the FDA would do to impose regulation. In that time, the vaping industry only grew. In April 2014, we finally saw the proposed deeming regulations, which were followed by a period designated for open public comment. After reviewing the public comments the FDA drafted their final proposed regulations and sent them to the Office of Management and Budget at the White House in Washington D.C.
Now that the proposed rules are in Washington D.C.’s court, we are beginning to understand some of what the FDA is expecting to accomplish if they enact the regulations proposed as is. The FDA’s proposal has been called “The Cigarette Protection Act of 2015” a name that is already exceedingly misleading. While they have not released their full proposal rules to the public, they have made available the proposed deeming available to the Tobacco Vapor Electronic Cigarette Association (TVECA). The association did not release the full proposal, at the request of the FDA, but they did make the Premarket Tobacco Application approval guidance available on their web site. The Premarket Tobacco Product Application, known as the PMTA, is the document e-cigarette and e-liquid manufacturers will have to produce in order for their products to remain on the market. TVECA just released a guidance of the PMTA procedure, and that guidance document itself was over 40 pages long. The guidance gives us a glimpse of the long and arduous pathway that e-cigarette and e-liquid manufacturers will have to traverse in order to stay on the market with FDA approval.
If these proposed rules are accepted as it, it paints a pretty grim picture for the future of the electronic cigarette industry. Thousands have called, written and proclaimed their concern about these potentially destructive rules to the FDA and now to the legislators in Washington, which will hopefully lessen these cumbersome regulation hurdles and keep the smaller companies in the industry alive.
The PMTA is bar-none the thing that scares everyone in the e-cigarette industry the most. In basic terms, it means that all products sold that have been introduced to the market after February, 15th 2007 must be approved by the FDA before they can be marketed to the public. There are two ways to meet this authorization. The first is the Substantial Equivalence Report and the second is by using the Premarket Tobacco Product Application. The Substantial Equivalence basically means if a new product introduced is basically equivalent to one that was on the market before the grandfathering date of February 2007 then it can be approved. The problem? There weren’t really any e-cigarettes on the market in February of 2007. That means that almost all products are going to have to go through the PMTA to get market approval and that burdensome undertaking has many people worried.
The PMTA is a pretty hefty piece of paperwork. The companies will be required to provide a massive amount of data to the FDA in order for their products to be available on the market. Part of the PMTA will include, full reports of investigations of potential health risks, full statement of all pieces and parts, components, ingredients and physical properties, principles of operations, full description of methods of all manufacturing processes, a thorough explanation of how the product meets all the requirement and standards, samples of products and product components, proposed labeling, and basically anything else that the FDA requires at their discretion. It’s not too much to ask for a lot of these things really, but the levels at which the FDA is requiring for a qualifying PMTA may be a bit too stringent. The guidance document for the PMTA provided by TVECA details the kind of clinical and non-clinical studies that may be needed to meet the approval requirements. This may require consumer opinion studies, statistical analysis, mathematical modeling, and significantly scientific processes. Let’s face it, some of these levels of scientific analysis may be beyond the reach of a lot of your basic mom and pop e-cigarette or e-liquid companies, as well as the small vape stores that will also be effected by regulation.
However, the PMTA it isn’t as immediately damning as one might think. The FDA knows full well that very few, if any, products would be approved with the grandfathering date set to February 15, 2007. Therefore, in the proposed regulations, the FDA has allowed for what is called a “compliance policy.” This would give e-cigarette and e-liquid companies two years from the effective date of the regulation to remain on the market as long as the product and company meets the following qualification. Firstly, a PMTA for the product on the market must be submitted no later than the two year anniversary of the effective date of regulation. Secondly, if a new product is going to be introduced into the market at the end of this two year period, the manufacturers will need to obtain the PMTA before they can sell their new products.
What’s also encouraging to know is that PMTA is not impossible to obtain. Just recently the FDA announced that they approved several products using the premarket tobacco application authorization pathway. The FDA approved for sale, several Swedish Match North America SNUs, which are smokeless tobacco products. While the sale is approved, the FDA will not deem the product “safe” and will require a package warning label. The FDA also determined that the approved products would provide less toxic options if they were used as replacements for other tobacco products.
It should be noted that SNUs have been around a lot longer than e-cigarettes and while it is uncertain what scientific information was included in the PMTA for these products, it is highly likely that they have greater access to the types of scientific research the FDA is looking for. With e-cigarettes, the studies are less frequently found. While more research is being conducted every day, the results of what is out there now are so all over the board it’s hard to imagine how the e-cigarette companies are going to be able to make these kind of essentially nonexistent reports materialize in order to come into compliance with regulations and keep their products on the market.
In addition, the PMTA that the Swedish company turned into the FDA was over 100,000 pages long. It included scientific disciplines everywhere from toxicology, pharmacology, microbiology, statistics, engineering and chemistry to name a few. While this shows that authorization is possible, it also shows that it is in fact heavily burdensome, and like most experts agree, something that smaller e-cigarette companies will simply not have the time or resources to complete. So while obtaining PMTA approval is not impossible, it still presents a near impossibility to many businesses who are prevalent in the e-cigarette world today.
With these problems relating to the PMTA, it’s hard to see if there is regulation out there that can be a good thing. However, clearly with exploding e-cigarettes and harmful e-liquids there is a need out there. Is there a middle ground somewhere where people can agree the simply basic regulations, but without alienating the companies that have given vaping the popularity it now enjoys?
Despite the danger of the PMTA approval process, regulation is presenting many positives, something that must be considered before it is said that writing of regulation completely is a the best thing to do. There are many potential benefits that regulation could bring about for the industry and for overall public safety.
Potential Benefits of Regulations
Just because there is so much at stake with the PMTA approval process, does not mean that regulation may not result in some benefits to the user and the public health community.
The immediate benefit that would come as a result of FDA regulation for consumers would be exclusive access to a safer variety of e-cigarette devices and e-liquids. With the implementation of basic manufacturing standards we can hope to curtail the occurrence of exploding cigarettes and faulty devices that come when production standards are not taken into consideration.
Ingredient Lists and E-Liquid Chemical Testing
Another major benefit from regulation could help encourage a lot more safety overall in your e-liquids. Recently, there have been several unsettling reports about e-cigarette liquids containing harmful flavoring chemicals that are safe to consume, but not necessarily safe to inhale. The FDA will ensure that approved products will not contain the hazardous flavorings, and that ingredient lists will be included on the final product packaging.
Warning Labels & Child Resistant Packaging
E-liquid poisoning has become a real concern for parents of young children, who mistaken the small bottles of e-liquid for something safe to consume. While these cases have been down lately, the advent of required warning labels and child proof packaging will help ensure that unfortunate poisoning occurrences remain even lower.
Restricting Teenage Sales
Another benefit will be overall regulation that covers the concern of youth use. Even now, there are still a few states that do not outlaw the sale of e-cigarettes to minors, though many businesses opt to restrict sales to youth regardless. FDA regulation will ensure that no state, no business will be able to lawfully sell e-cigarettes or their components to a minor.
The truth is, electronic cigarette regulation is coming and no matter how you slice it, it will change things in this industry. Does this mean you should go out and buy up all of your favorite products now? Not necessarily. These are simply the initial deeming and while it is unsure how much input the White House will take, they have fielded thousands of calls on why these proposed restrictions would be overkill and virtually a knife in the back of the e-cigarette industry. There is still the possibility for change in the final rulings. In addition, even if the regulations don’t change, remember that the products you know now will have a two year window of opportunity once regulation takes effect, where they can still be on the market, even if they don’t meet the PMTA approval from the FDA.
Many critics of the approval process, however, don’t believe even two years is enough to complete the process of PMTA approval. That is why so many people aren’t fighting for change of the process, but rather for the change of the grandfathering date. Since there are virtually no products on the market that would qualify under this grandfathering date of February 15th 2007, many people are hoping the regulators will determine a different date, one effective once regulation takes place.
This simple change would allow consumer to continue buying the brands and flavors they know and love, meanwhile the companies won’t buckle from the incredible weight of regulation paperwork that would now be at their feet. Companies would still have to adhere to new standards, such as packaging and labeling requirements, but the products would remain available as long as the company continued to produce it.
Even though it’s easy to say that overall regulation is a bad thing, there are still many reason why it is ever so important to the future and safety of the industry. It’s hard to admit, but regulation is actually needed. From exploding e-cigarettes to potentially dangerous e-liquids, regulation could stand to make the necessary changes to the e-cigarette manufacturing world to truly have a safe product to offer people. The initial deeming however seem less interested in the safe and helpful regulation, and more aligned to the idea of e-cigarette prohibition.
While the larger companies, ones like Altria Group Inc., who back e-cigarettes like MarkTen or Lorillard who is behind the popular Blu e-cig, won’t have any problem hiring the researchers and man power needed to keep their products on the market, the smaller companies, the brands you know well and love, may struggle to adhere to the standards and be unable to keep their products on the shelves. Especially e-liquid companies who have hundreds of products, each of which would require their own PMTA, creating literally thousands of man hours, that could cost these small companies their business. Many are preparing, but what the majority of people are hoping for are a lessening of the proposed rules as the stand. That is why even now people are still calling White House regulators even now.
It is yet uncertain what the White House will do with the information they have received, but most vaping companies and enthusiasts are hoping that the regulators take their words of concern to heart. If regulation can move away from being a thinly disguised attempt at banning the devices, toward becoming a regulatory system of checks and balances then we have a chance. A shift of the grandfathering date would be an excellent way to accomplish this, without cutting consumers off from a product that could stand to improve the general health of thousands, if not millions of people.


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Researchers have recommended that they shut up when a driver is distracted by the road situation around them.
Psychologists have determined that it takes almost half a minute to regain full attention after issuing voice commands in a car.
After a quick check in with the Department for Transport we can confirm your Apple Watch is illegal whilst driving.
Google wants to introduce an 'Android Eyes Free' search interface to help users keep their attention on the road, not their phones.
CES 2014Android in the car has been a major theme of CES this year and ZTE has now upped its existing app.
UPDATEDWith free lifetime traffic information and more friendly guidance features, Garmin's nuvi hopes to be the only driving assistant you'll ever need.
Steering wheels which vibrate to signal when to turn are being tested as an alternative to screen-based sat-navs.
Volvo has been trialling the latest 'road train' tech in Sweden, which effectively allows cars to drive themselves.
Ford has revealed its latest in-car entertainment and control systems, with its new MyFord tech including the option to have Twitter feeds read to drivers.


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– Paige and Alberto Del Rio are planning to get married soon.
According to this week’s issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, their wedding is tentatively scheduled for May. The reason it’s tentative is due to their respective schedules.
– While hosting Saturday Night last month, actor and comedian Aziz Ansari wore an nWo Wolfpac sweatshirt. This could be a trend as Kendall Jenner was seen wearing an nWo Red & Black shirt this week.
The Keeping Up with the Kardashians star and fashion model walked the runway at Michael Kors fashion show in New York City on Tuesday wearing the famous nWo Wolfpac shirt and then out in public afterward.
— Kevin Nash (@RealKevinNash) February 15, 2017
— Peter Rosenberg (@Rosenbergradio) February 15, 2017


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SQUID Game cryptocurrency jumped 2,400% in one DAY after Shiba Inu skyrocketed and Bitcoin recovered.
Shiba Inu rallied an incredible 800 percent this month, hitting a record high of $ 0.00008870.
According to CNBC, the crypto SQUID traded at $ 2.22 in 24 hours on Thursday, while its market cap exceeded $ 174 million.
Meanwhile, Bitcoin rebounded in the early hours of Thursday morning, as Shiba Inu again posted gains in the crypto market.
Bitcoin went from a 24-hour high of $ 63,064 on Wednesday to $ 58,500 on Wednesday morning. But by early Thursday, it was back above $ 61,000, according to CoinBase.
Read our live cryptocurrency blog for the latest news and updates …
BANKS CAN REGULATE THE CRYPTO
U.S. officials are said to be exploring how banks could hold cryptocurrencies, with the aim of regulating the asset.
Crypto is growing rapidly and if it continues to grow outside of banks, federal regulators will not be able to control it.
DIGITAL WALLET, CONTINUED
As with other cryptocurrencies, people will be able to buy and sell Libras on exchanges for traditional currencies.
Facebook said its alternative currency paves the way for smoother online transactions and payments.
The project, however, faced regulatory resistance due to concerns about safety and reliability.
In December 2020, Libra changed its name to Diem and moved its operations from Switzerland to the United States as part of a “strategic shift”.
WHAT IS A DIGITAL WALLET?
A digital wallet is a gadget or software that securely stores payment information and user passwords for many payment methods.
They allow users to store cryptocurrencies, make purchases online or in stores, and track their finances.
In 2019, Facebook announced its intention to introduce a cryptocurrency that was called Libra at the time.
Titan tecg said it wants to create a separate private currency system to make it easier for users to make cross-border payments.
THE SWISS REGULATOR APPROVES THE FIRST CRYPTO FUND
The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority has approved the first Swiss crypto fund, Bitcoin.com reported.
FINMA revealed that the fund is called “Crypto Market Index Fund”.
It noted that it is an “investment fund under Swiss law belonging to the category ‘other funds for alternative investments’ presenting particular risks”.
CHINA PREVIOUSLY CLOSED TRADE IN CRYPTO, PART II
While the creation and trading of crypto has been illegal in China since 2019, new crackdowns this year by Beijing have warned banks to suspend related transactions and shut down much of the country’s vast network of bitcoin miners.
Thursday’s statement from the central bank sent the strongest signal yet that China is closed to crypto.
CHINA PREVIOUSLY CLOSED TRADE IN CRYPTO
This isn’t Beijing’s first step against digital currency – in 2017, China shut down its local cryptocurrency exchanges.
Despite the war on crypto, Chinese mines fuel nearly 80% of the global cryptocurrency trade.
ALEXIS OHANIAN ON THE CO-FOUNDER OF ETHEREUM, VITALIK BUTERIN, CONCLUSION
“I have never been so excited about the potential of the Internet”, Ohanian added.
“And that’s largely thanks to Vitalik Buterin.
Buterin is the co-founder of Ethereum and also co-founded Bitcoin Magazine in 2011.
ALEXIS OHANIAN ON ETHEREUM CO-FOUNDER, VITALIK BUTERIN, CONTINUED
“No one could have imagined all the uses of Ethereum, but it took a person’s idea to launch it,” Ohanian added of Buterin.
“From there, a new world opened up and spawned new ways to harness blockchain technology, some of which I have invested in.
“Whether it was startups like Sorare reinventing fantasy sports or Rainbow users showing off their NFT collections, none of this would have existed without the creation of Vitalik. “
ALEXIS OHANIAN ON THE CO-FOUNDER OF ETHEREUM, VITALIK BUTERIN
“Thanks to Reddit’s r / Ethereum community, I had the privilege of following Vitalik Buterin’s career from the start, which is why I took some pride in seeing his legacy grow.” Ohanian wrote from the programmer.
“Of course, we can talk about the value he created as a co-founder of the platform, including Ethereum’s impressive market capitalization of around $ 400 billion, the dazzling world of apps. decentralized and this year’s boom in the NFT trade. “
“What makes Vitalik so special, however, is that he is a builder of builders.”
ONE OF ETHEREUM’S CO-FOUNDERS NAMED AT TIME 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSON
One of Ethereum’s co-founders, Vitalik Buterin, has been named one of the 100 most influential people of 2021.
Former Reddit executive chairman Alexis Ohanian praised him in a post for the article.
GOXX: “DECISION TUNNELS”
The amount to be traded is determined when Goxx goes through one of the two “decision tunnels”.
Depending on the tunnel it goes through, the amount it will buy or sell the cryptocurrency changes in increments of $ 20.
All data is transmitted to a computer which performs real-time transactions on behalf of Goxx.
THE CREATORS OF GOXX
Speaking to the BBC, the two Germans in their 30s behind the channel explained that the idea started as a joke.
“We felt that everything continues to get more expensive these days and that it is very difficult to save construction costs with high rents to pay,” they said.
“It seems like most people in our generation see no other chance than to throw a large chunk of their savings into the crypto market, without having a clue what’s going on there.
“We were joking about whether my hamster would be able to make smarter investment decisions than us humans.”
HAMSTER CRYPTO-TRADING, CONTINUED
The four-legged financial demon does not carry out transactions on his own, of course.
Instead, Goxx’s business decisions are made inside an “office” equipped with a camera and strapped to its usual cage.
Each day when he walks into the office, a feed is started on Twitch and a tweet is sent to his followers to let them know that trading has started.
The hamster then operates on an “intention wheel” which chooses one of 30 different cryptocurrencies to trade.
A HAMSTER CRYPTO-TRADING OUTPUTS THE MARKET
A hamster in Germany trades cryptocurrencies and has consistently outperformed the S&P 500.
The furry animal, called Mr Goxx, has been working since June, thanks to a specially adapted cage.
He determines which currencies to buy or sell by running on his wheel or walking through one of the two tunnels.
Mr. Goxx began trading on June 12 of this year.
The site states that the page is for fun and does not offer financial advice.
WALGREENS OFFERS COINSTAR KIOSKS
“Coinstar, in partnership with CoinMe, has launched a pilot project that allows its customers to use cash to buy Bitcoin,” a Walmart spokesperson told CBS MoneyWatch. “There are 200 Coinstar kiosks located in Walmart stores across the United States that are part of this pilot.”
SQUARE CAN BUILD BITCOIN MINING EQUIPMENT
Square CEO Jack Dorsey said the company could create a Bitcoin mining platform in a recent tweet, according to Business intern.
“Square plans to create a custom, open source silicon-based bitcoin mining system for individuals and businesses around the world,” said CEO Dorsey. said in a tweet.
“If we do this, we will follow our hardware portfolio model: building in the open in collaboration with the community. “
CHINA’S CRYPTO REPRESSION IS “A GREAT OPPORTUNITY” FOR US
China’s crackdown on cryptocurrency transactions “is a great opportunity for the United States,” according to Pat Toomey, the top Republican on the Senate Banking Committee.
It comes as the United States Securities and Exchange Commission has pushed for more cryptocurrency regulations.
WHAT IS COTI?
Coti is a blockchain platform with tools that allow organizations to build their own payment solution.
For example, traders can create branded stablecoins to improve payment options for customers.
The platform also has its own token of the same name.
The Coti group was first launched in 2017, “Coti” being the acronym for “Internet currency”.
WHAT IS THE CRYPTO HBAR?
Hashgraph is similar to a blockchain and was created in 2017 by American computer scientist Leemon Baird.
The Hedera Hashgraph System is a distributed ledger built on Hashgraph and was created by Baird with Mance Harmon.
HBAR is the cryptocurrency of Hashgraph Hedera.
The company itself explains, “HBAR is the native and energy efficient cryptocurrency of the Hedera public grid. “
CRYPTO AUDIO STREAMING, CONTINUED
According to Audius, more than 5.3 million people have used the platform this month.
Audio has been listed on CoinMarketCap since October 2020 and has gained in value following a deal with Chinese social media giant TikTok.
CRYPTO AUDIO BROADCAST
Audius is a cryptography-based music streaming platform.
It is owned and controlled by the token holders – and the tokens are called Audio.
NEW CRYPTO-CURRENCIES RELEASED IN 2021
BitClout is an open source cryptocurrency project and social media platform.
Users can buy and sell “designer pieces” – based on their reputation.
For example, when they do something positive, the coin increases in value.
When the coin hit the market in June, it started trading at £ 129.
RISKS OF INVESTING IN CRYPTOS, PART V
Finally, the truth in Promotional material is a risk in investing in cryptos.
Businesses may overestimate product returns or underestimate the risks involved.
RISKS OF INVESTING IN CRYPTOS, PART FOUR
Another investment risk are charges and fees.
Consumers should take into account the impact of fees and charges on their investment, which may be higher than those of regulated investment products.


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An open air installation
The opening of the Flagship store in Florence, that is set to take place on 9th January 2013, on the occasion of Pitti Immagine Uomo, is going to be celebrated with an open air installation. This is the fifth Italian store, after those in Milan, Rome, Verona and Riccione.
The 307 images of the book “Stone Island Archivio ‘982-‘012”, will be beamed on a curtain of thin nylon threads crossing the street for all its width. The 15 metres high installation will be visible to guest as well as to passers-by. The book was launched last June in Florence on the occasion of STONE ISLAND 30, the exhibition at Stazione Leopolda celebrating the 30th anniversary of the brand, produced by Stone Island in collaboration with Fondazione Pitti Discovery and under the patronage of City of Florence.
“I am proud to open a store in the heart of Florence, a city with such an extraordinary cultural heritage which is as well a landmark of modern culture, because of its openness of mind, of its international cultural vocation always enquiring the future. We are opening in the location where Gerard Company showcased avant-garde fashion research for decades. It is a venue that I know well, where our collections have always been hosted and that will now, with great respect to the soul of the place, embody our image”. Carlo Rivetti.
The venue covers an area of approximately 80 m2, covering two floors at 18/20R, Via Vacchereccia, a road leading off of Piazza della Signoria, in the very center of the city. It will house the Stone Island, Stone Island Shadow Project and Stone Island Junior collections.
The interior design of the new store sees an interpretation of Stone Island’s Item / Unit 2 * system, applied respecting the identity and the history of the place.


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Artisan chocolate supplier Willie’s Cacao is extending into small bars and milk and white products to make the range more accessible.
Confectioner Willie Harcourt-Cooze, dubbed The Chocolate Man, is expanding into smaller 50g bars in flavours such as Milk of The Gods (milk), El Blanco (white), and dark chocolate with hazelnuts and raisins. Brand Opus has also spruced up the design of the entire range.
“I got a lot of flak when I said I was doing white and milk chocolate,” said Harcourt-Cooze. “Over the years a lot of big guys have bought out chocolate for price as opposed to flavour.”
The bars are hitting Waitrose and independents now (rsp: £1.80).


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Ultra Europe Music Festival in Split to Go Ahead
- by croatiaweek
- in Latest
The uncertainty over whether this year’s Ultra Europe Music Festival will go ahead is over.
The largest music festival in Croatia will go ahead as planned at Split’s Poljud Stadium on 14-16 July 2017, despite questions marks over whether it will go ahead or not.
Fans had been left wondering if the festival would happen after it was revealed in the media that organisers held a meeting with Croatia’s Ministry of Tourism looking for financial support to the tune of 1 million euros to help make this year’s festival go ahead.
With no confirmed lineup, contract with Poljud stadium, and according to reports in the media, a lack of finances, fans were uncertain what would happen, but a statement today has answered many unanswered questions.
“For the 5th edition of Ultra Europe, we from ULTRA Worldwide brand, in partnership with our local partners, have made an important step to ensure that this edition will be celebrated to the high standards which our brand requests. We thank all our fans and performers, partners and others who gave their support for Ultra Europe”, a statement from ULTRA Worldwide said today.
Local organisers MPG says they are excited to be organising the jubilee edition of ULTRA Europe 2017 in Split.
The line-up and more information will be released in the coming days. Check out the official Facebook page here.


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SA Yahoo! website goes live....again
Yahoo! has officially re-launched its South African dedicated website.
As African Business Review reported, a Twitter account named @YahooNewsSA was created in November, sparking rumours that the US giant was planning to get its South African portal up and running again.
A new Yahoo! homepage and Yahoo! News section is now in service on the website. Matt West, Director Content Partners and Expansion Markets for Yahoo! commented: “This is a great opportunity for Yahoo! to bring its existing and new users in South Africa the best of Yahoo!’s services and content alongside great local content.”
READ MORE FROM AFRICAN BUSINESS REVIEW:
- Elon Musk - The man behind PayPal, SpaceX and Tesla
- Understanding viral marketing content
- Clickatell CEO on why SMS remains king of communication
To read this month's issue of the magazine, click here
The company had a South African presence in the 1990s, although the site was pulled from the net for unknown reasons. However West added that Yahoo! is confident of greater success this time round.
“This is a first step – there’s more to come – and we are enthusiastic about the bright future we see for everything that’s digital in South Africa. Internet users are coming rapidly online and Yahoo!’s unique combination of Science, Art and Scale positions us well to work with advertisers and agencies in growing the online advertising here.”
In January, South African users of Yahoo.com will be redirected to Yahoo.co.za.
African Business Review is now available on the iPad. Click here to download it


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Jul 28, 2023
Food and Travel Nation
with Elizabeth Dougherty
The TRUTH about Food and Travel
Broadcast Date: 7/22/23
The mayor and city council of Amsterdam have taken unprecedented steps to "clean up" the city's reputation over the past year. Now, it appears they're pushing away cruise ship passengers from the docks.


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Aston Martin have recently released their most powerful SUV to date, the DBX707. With production of the vehicle soon to start, Aston Martin are looking to increase the number of technicians to help with the manufacturing. Aston Martin are now looking for more than 100 new technicians at their ultra-luxury manufacturer’s plant in South Wales, St Athan.
For those out of the loop, the Aston Martin DBX707 is one of the most premium SUVs available out there. Under the bonnet is a 4-litre turbocharged V8 engine that outputs an incredible 707PS and 900Nm of torque. Due to the amount of specialism required to manufacturer the vehicle, Aston Martin will need to acquire skilled technicians at their plants.
Tobias Moers, Chief Executive Officer of Aston Martin Lagonda said: “As we ramp-up production of DBX707, we are delighted to have the opportunity to increase our team at St Athan and create more employment opportunities for the local community.
“Our DBX SUV is the first Welsh-built production car for nearly 50 years and these new positions are an opportunity to join a team delivering our truly incredible new DBX707 derivative which is setting new benchmarks for performance in the luxury segment.”
Simon Hart, Secretary of State for Wales said: “The creation of more than 100 jobs working with a world-class and globally-recognised brand is a huge vote of confidence in the skills and expertise of the Welsh workforce.
“Wales remains a highly attractive location for cutting-edge automotive technologies and the UK Government will continue to work to secure and support the investment of companies like Aston Martin Lagonda as they drive economic growth and create jobs.”
Those who are interested in applying for the job can go to https://www.manpower.co.uk/, where they can look for the recruitment. As for those interested in learning more about the DBX707, you can check it out here.


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680News staff 2010/04/26
A new ReMax survey has found sales of luxury homes are soaring so far this year.
The study of real estate in 13 major Canadian centres points to improved economic performance, increased personal wealth, immigration and foreign investment all contributed to a big boost in sales between January and March.
Sales compared to last year, which was in the midst of the recession, are up 263 per cent in the Greater Toronto Area. In Kelowna, sales are up 700 per cent.
A high-end home in Toronto is now defined as being listed for $1.5-million.


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Canonical has disabled the SPI driver in the latest version of Ubuntu in order to stop BIOSes on computers being corrupted. The new update is classified as Ubuntu 17.10.1 and is supported until July.
The PC market has been in a slump for the last several years, but the recently concluded holiday season seems to offer hope that shipments of PCs are finally stabilizing and primed for a turnaround.
Microsoft's Partner Showcase at CES 2018 included a number of the third-party devices that were announced at the event, such as the Lenovo Miix 630, HP Z 3D Camera, Spectre 15 x360, and more.
It would seem that Lenovo has learned a lot from the first generation of its ThinkPad X1 Tablet, as it made quite a few changes to its 2018 model. It's now bigger, has a new kickstand, and more.
Lenovo refreshed its lineup of ThinkPads this year at CES again, but the X1 Yoga doesn't have an OLED variant this time around. Instead, it uses Dolby Vision. Have a look at the two side-by-side.
This week at CES 2018, Lenovo became the third PC manufacturer to announce a Snapdragon 835-powered Windows 10 PC. The device is a tablet that includes an attachable keyboard and pen support.
At CES 2018 today in Las Vegas, Lenovo announced the Mirage Solo with Daydream, a standalone virtual reality headset. The company also introduced the Mirage Camera, for capturing 360-degree content.
Following up on last year's Alexa-powered Smart Assistant, Lenovo has announced the Smart Display, a Google Assistant-powered touchscreen that comes in 8- and 10-inch form factors.
At CES 2018 today, Lenovo announced the Miix 630, a Windows 10 tablet with an attachable keyboard that uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor and offers gigabit LTE as an Always-Connected PC.
Lenovo today announced its newest flagship Windows 10 PCs from its ThinkPad X1 lineup, including a new Carbon, Yoga, and Tablet. The Carbon and Yoga include Dolby Vision HDR, and more.
Today, multiple companies are announcing that they're bringing Amazon's Alexa voice assistant to Windows 10 devices. It will arrive in 2018, and will run side-by-side with Microsoft's Cortana.
Alongside a refresh of its ThinkPad laptops and convertibles, Lenovo today has announced a pair of new ThinkVision monitors, the X24 and the P32u, promising a "near-edgeless" display.
Ahead of CES 2018, Lenovo announced refreshes to its ThinkPad range of laptops and convertibles, which now include Intel's new quad-core U-series chips, USB Type-C charging, and more.
Lenovo's Moto X4 heralds the return of the company's beloved Moto X lineup. The new handset features Project Fi and mid-range specifications for a reasonable price. Here's our review.
Following the rollout of Android Oreo for the Moto X4, Motorola's Z2 Force smartphone is finally receiving the latest version of Android in the United States, but only for T-Mobile users as of now.
We've known about Lenovo's Mirage headset for AR, but new documents have been uncovered showing a new standalone VR unit, running on Google's Daydream platform, that requires no smartphone or PC.
Moto X4 Android One edition is now receiving the Android 8.0 Oreo update in the United States. The over-the-air update is rolling out so it may take some days to reach all devices.
Canonical temporarily pulled the Ubuntu 17.10 release on Wednesday after users reported that their BIOS was being corrupted when installing the operating system on specific machines.
Day eight of Microsoft's 12 Days of Deals is upon us, with savings of up to $200 being offered across a number of Windows Mixed Reality headsets with motion controllers, while supplies last.
It's Day 7 of Microsoft's 12 Days of Deals, and today you can score up to $600 off the top end of gaming PC, and hundreds off other PCs, plus save on selected accessories, while supplies last.
On the third day of its annual 12 Days of Deals, Microsoft discounted gaming PCs, Windows Mixed Reality bundles, convertible laptops, and high-end laptops from Lenovo by up to $600.
Lenovo's new V730 is aimed at businesses, but it's not part of the Think lineup. It includes a 13-inch 1080p display, and comes in metal casing as opposed to the ThinkPad's carbon fiber.
If you own a Motorola handset that can take advantage of Moto Mods, you might want to check out this sale. The prices have been slashed by 50% off, which is quite an impressive sum.
Motorola today announced a new Moto Mod that allows users to instantly print out their images, called the Polaroid Insta-Share Printer. It will be available on November 17 at Verizon and Motorola.com.
Today, Lenovo announced three new workstations from its Think lineup, including the ThinkStation P520, the ThinkStation P520c, and the ThinkPad P52s, promising a workstation on a budget.
Lenovo has just announced its Moto Tab Android tablet that will feature a 10.1-inch display and the ability to be used for productivity with its own folio case with keyboard and trackpad.
Lenovo's new flagship convertible, the Yoga 920, includes Intel's new eighth-generation quad-core U-series processor, a 13.9-inch 4K display, and more. Here's our review of the new device.
Today, Lenovo announced that its Moto Smart Speaker with Amazon Alexa will be available for pre-order beginning on November 7 for $149.99, with availability beginning on November 13.
Lenovo and Disney teamed up on a new augmented reality experience called Star Wars Jedi Challenges. Most importantly, you can get in a lightsaber fight. Here's our review of the device.
Lenovo's new Moto X4 is the return of Motorola's Moto X lineup of devices, including a dual-camera configuration, a Snapdragon 630 chipset, and Amazon's Alexa. Here's out unboxing video.
Lenovo is bringing a new variant of the Moto X4 to the US, which does not require a Project Fi or Amazon Prime subscription, and is available unlocked for a price of $399 through various retailers.
Have you ever wanted to get in your own lightsaber fight? Of course you have. Lenovo's new augmented reality experience, Star Wars: Jedi Challenges, is here, and we're unboxing it today.
Lenovo's ThinkPad P71 seems to be the ultimate portable machine for those that need to perform powerful tasks, including an Intel Xeon processor, 64GB RAM, and more. Here's our review.
According to the report from Canalys, the smartphone shipments in India reached almost 40 million in the third quarter of 2017, a growth of 23 percent year-over-year, overtaking the United States.
Lenovo celebrated the 25th anniversary of its ThinkPad lineup by releasing a limited edition laptop that has a classic design, along with modern specifications. Here's our review of the ThinkPad 25.
If you were looking for opulence in the form of the Motorola Z2 Force, look no further, as Lenovo has debuted the Moto Z 2018 Kingsman Special Edition. The phone will cost around $1500.
If you didn't have your fill of Motorola's Moto Mods, you're in luck. Through a new leak, it appears that the firm will be partnering with AT&T, and will be releasing a media streaming stick.
Earlier this year, we reviewed Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Yoga, but now the model with an OLED display is here, and it's absolutely lovely to use. Here's our review of the convertible PC.
Android updates aren't as common as they should be and it has been a huge issue as of late. Lenovo is now promising updates to Android 8.0 on its K8 series handsets but in eight months time.
As Microsoft previously announced, Windows Mixed Reality head-mounted displays are now available for purchase from the Windows Store, with headsets from Acer, Dell, HP, and Lenovo.


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OTTAWA, Ont. — Canada’s exports rose 2.8% in November, halting two consecutive declines, with increases in all sectors but agriculture and forestry, according to the monthly report from Statistics Canada. Imports inched up 0.4% for the month.
Companies exported merchandise worth $38.1 billion in November while imports stood at $33.5 billion.
Exports to the United States surged 3.6% to $29.4 billion, with gains in exports of energy and autos. This was in contrast to a downward trend in exports to the United States that has dominated the second half of 2006 in the wake of retreating energy prices and falling shipments of lumber and autos.
In fact, these second-half declines, combined with rising demand for metals, chemicals and aircraft from countries other than the United States, have changed the composition of Canada’s exports, Statistics Canada points out in its Daily Bulletin. The United States, our biggest trading partner, accounted for only 77% of all merchandise exports in November, compared with 82% a year ago and 84% in November 2002. Exports to the United States were 1.7% lower in the first 11 months of 2006 compared with the same period a year earlier.
On the other hand, exports to countries other than the United States were up 13% for this 11-month period.
Exports to the European Union were up 15.7% compared with January to November 2005, thanks to higher exports of gold, uranium and aircraft. In terms of other Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, Mexico is the leading destination for exports, registering increases in iron and steel, telecommunications equipment, as well as auto parts.
For the rest of the world, exports to India were also up, with wheat, aircraft and metal ores leading the way. Brazil and Russia have also shown large gains in 2006.
Exports to China have registered an increase over 2005 levels. Canadas exports of metals to China, such as nickel, have recorded a large jump. This has been partially offset by declines in agricultural materials, such as potash.
Truck News is Canada's leading trucking newspaper - news and information for trucking companies, owner/operators, truck drivers and logistics professionals working in the Canadian trucking industry. All posts by Truck News


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Turkey's industrial production and retail sales grew at a softer pace in January, data from the Turkish Statistical Institute showed on Friday.
Industrial production rose a calendar adjusted 9.6 percent year-on-year in January, after a 11.9 percent increase in December. Economists had expected a 7.0 percent rise.
Manufacturing output grew 8.2 percent annually in January.
Among other main sectors, mining and quarrying gained 8.5 percent, and electricity, gas, steam rose 3.8 percent.
Production of intermediate goods, non-durable consumer goods, capital goods, energy, and durable consumer goods increased in January.
On a month-on-month basis, industrial production fell 0.2 percent in January, after a 1.9 percent rise in the preceding month.
A separate report showed that retail sales increased 9.6 percent annually in January, slower than a 11.9 percent rise in December.
On a monthly basis, retail sales decreased 0.8 percent in January, after a 1.1 percent increase in the prior month.


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The Kroger Co. is diving deeper into the fast-growing ghost kitchen space. The country’s largest grocery retailer is partnering with ghost kitchen startup Kitchen United to provide customers freshly prepared restaurant food for takeout or delivery in select Kroger locations.
Foot Locker is looking to grow its footprint beyond malls and accelerate its expansion in Asia (and the premium fashion sneaker market) via two separate transactions. The company has entered into a deal to acquire U.S.-based athletic footwear and apparel retailer Eurostar Inc., or WSS, for $750 million.
A large majority of North American construction projects are being delivered late and significantly over budget compared to the owners’ original plans, according to a new survey by research firm IDC. The survey conducted in May and June found that 75% of owners were over planned budgets on their projects.
U.S. home prices rose the most on record in the second quarter as buyers battled for a scarcity of listings. The median price of an existing single-family home jumped 23% from a year earlier to an all-time high of $357,900, the National Association of Realtors said.
Retail sales in July got a big boost from the Child Tax Credit and pent-up consumer demand, posting their 11th consecutive month of growth. That’s according to Mastercard SpendingPulse, which reported that U.S. retail sales (excluding auto and gasoline) rose 10.9% in July over the year-ago period.
Dick’s Sporting Goods continues to expand its national footprint with new banners. The sportings goods giant has redesigned its Golf Galaxy store at Shoppers World, in Framingham, Mass., and will reopen it on August 28 under a new banner: Golf Galaxy Performance Center.
Northern Tool + Equipment is assembling a pricing approach based on advanced artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms. The Minnesota-based specialty retailer of tools and equipment is deploying the intelligent pricing platform from Revionics, an Aptos company.
REIT share prices declined slightly last week, with a total return of -0.1% on the FTSE Nareit All Equity REITs Index, ending a five week string of consecutive weekly gains. Broader markets rose, with a 0.6% return on the Russell 1000 and a 0.8% return on the S&P 500.


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Three has announced that low-cost 4G networks in the UK will soon be a reality. The 4G LTE standard has been slow to roll out in the UK compared to other countries. Currently iPhone 5 owners in the UK (and owners of compatible WiFi+Cellular iPads and iPad minis) have just one option: the carr...
The US isn't the only country whose residents are up early pre-ordering the iPhone 5 today. Other countries like the UK are also kicking off sales of the next generation iPhone. In the UK, customers have a variety of carriers, several different price points and even multiple retail stores from ...
UK mobile provider Three has jumped the gun a bit and listed the white iPhone 4 for sale already on its website. You can't actually order the much-delayed device from them at this time, as the page appears to be a placeholder for now. Three UK lists an "earliest delivery" date as April 20th, wh...
Software Updatesmore updates
- Apple Remote Desktop updated with Yosemite support
- OS X Yosemite 10.10.2, iOS 8.1.3 updates now available
- Sports Illustrated 120 SPORTS channel comes to Apple TV
- Logic Pro X update brings AirDrop support, new effects, tools, and more
- Parallels Access 2.5 released, adds file manager, computer-to-computer remote access
- The Google Translate iOS app is about to get a lot smarter


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Motorola is soon to launch a new smartphone in the Indian market, which the company has teased through Twitter. The company gave information about the launch of the new smartphone on Twitter and apart from publishing the teaser on Flipkart, it also revealed the availability of the phone. However, the company has not yet disclosed the phone launch date, but according to Flipkart, this new smartphone will knock on August 24. Motorola has not yet disclosed the name of the phone. However, we will not have to wait much longer to get official information related to the smartphone.
Also Read: Redmi 9 To Be Launched In India On August 27, Is Rebranded Version Of Redmi 9C
Motorola informed about the new smartphone launch via Twitter. The company has also shared a video with it, which talks about the upcoming phone’s camera and performance. Apart from this, the teaser also has a glimpse of the rear fingerprint sensor of the phone, which has been given the Motorola logo. Apart from this, the volume and power buttons are placed next to the screen. Not only this, the USB Type-C port on the bottom of the phone and the speaker grille is also shown in the teaser. Although the name of the phone is not mentioned in the teaser poster, the availability information has been made clear through Flipkart.
Also Read: Realme C12 launched in India, Price 9999
Flipkart has also informed about the arrival of new Motorola phones through its app. It has been revealed in the teaser that this phone will be launched on August 24. However, Motorola has not yet clarified any information about this. The outline of the phone indicates that the phone will be given thin edges, while the physical button is given on its right side. Apart from this, Flipkart has also mentioned the ‘BIG’ surprise, which could be an indication of its larger display.
Also Read: Realme C15 launched in India, Price 9999
As we said, at present, neither Motorola and Flipkart have disclosed the name of the smartphone. It is believed that this could be the Moto E7 Plus, which has been a part of many leaks and reports in the recent past. However, all this is only speculation from our side, the official information will be revealed only on the following Monday. Talking about the Moto E7 Plus, according to the recent leaks, this phone will be equipped with Snapdragon 450 processor and 48-megapixel dual rear camera setup.


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By Barbara Kollmeyer, MarketWatch
On the bond beat, Germany sold 30-year bonds offering no interest for the first time ever.
Among retailers shares of Lowe’s /zigman2/quotes/205563664/composite LOW +0.81% and Target /zigman2/quotes/207799045/composite TGT -0.12% are climbing after forecast-beating results. Walmart /zigman2/quotes/207374728/composite WMT +0.44% is suing Tesla /zigman2/quotes/203558040/composite TSLA +4.09% over roof fires at several of its stores that the retailer says were caused by the electric-car maker’s solar panels.
Kinder Morgan /zigman2/quotes/208455654/composite KMI +0.14% is up after the energy transportation and storage company said it will sell the U.S. portion of the Cochin Pipeline /zigman2/quotes/208399120/composite PBA -0.08% for $1.55 billion to Pembina /zigman2/quotes/208399120/composite PBA -0.08%
Existing-home sales figures are coming after the stock market opens, and, later in the day, those Fed minutes.
Thousands of customers of movie-ticket subscription company MoviePass—owned by Helios & Matheson Analytics /zigman2/quotes/208158842/composite HMNY 0.00% , may have had their credit-card data exposed.
“Deeply insulting to the people of Greenland and Denmark.”—That was Helle Thorning-Schmidt, former prime minister of Denmark, in a Twitter reaction to news that President Trump has canceled his official visit to the country over a spurned plan to buy Greenland.
The Internet is in an uproar after reports of a dispute over Spider-Man profit-sharing between Disney /zigman2/quotes/203410047/composite DIS +0.31% and Sony /zigman2/quotes/208567357/composite SNE +0.35% . Sony owns the film rights to the character, who may now not appear in future movies made by Disney.
Prayers for the Amazon after daytime blackout in Sao Paolo caused by fires
Trump backed off supporting stronger background checks for potential gun owners.
Saudi women travel without permission from men for the first time.
French musician seeking sounds of nature killed by bear.
Struggling families in the U.K. are living in shipping containers.
Stop wasting everyone’s time reposting this Instagram terms-of-service hoax.
Need to Know starts early and is updated until the opening bell, but sign up here to get it delivered once to your email box. Be sure to check the Need to Know item. The emailed version will be sent out at about 7:30 a.m. Eastern.


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Tickets for Norwich City's home Sky Bet Championship game at home to Brentford on Friday, December 22 (7:45pm) are now on sale to members and season ticket holders.
With the fixture coming just days before Christmas, admission for the game will be priced from:
Adults - £10
65+ - £5
Under-18s - £1
Remaining tickets will go on general sale from 9am on Friday, December 1.


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We’re all about recognizing creativity here at What’s Up, USANA?, and hands-down one of the more creative things I’ve seen recently is courtesy of Nick Kelly. You know Nick. He’s a USANA Associate in Virginia who is all over social media — Facebook, Twitter and he even has his own blog (Nick Kelly: Addicted to Octane). Plus, he’s probably got Rev3 Energy coursing through his veins 🙂
Here is a cool how-to video he created and posted on his blog. Whether or not you have a motorcycle, this is a pretty neat instructional video demonstrating one of the many uses of a Rev3 can. And excellent advertising to boot. Thanks, Nick!
If you’re unable to view the video, please click here.
For a Good Cause
We’ll have a post later this week discussing the incredible Mt. Kilimanjaro/African Serengeti trip, which took place late last year and was led by expert mountain climber Werner Berger. Leading up to that trip Heshie Segal, a USANA Ruby Director and part of Team Africa 2010-11, bought clothing, school supplies, and other necessities to distribute to orphans in Africa.
In all, Heshie has acquired over 800 new clothing items and many school supplies for distribution to orphans in Africa. “My USANA business allows me to follow my passion, helping those who are less fortunate,” she says.
Thank you, Heshie!
Face of Fitness
We were alerted to this wonderful story thanks to Shauna Farver. She let us know about LeAnne Tracey, a USANA Associate (Believer) who last week competed in Fitness magazine’s “Face of Fitness” contest. While LeAnne fell short in the overall voting, her story is well worth reading.
“I have and always will love the Chocolate Whey Nutrimeal blended with a frozen banana and water,” says LeAnne, who started taking USANA products in 2008. “I don’t think I could make it without the HealthPak, either!”
A typical workout week for LeAnne includes three days of running, three days of lifting, one to two days of Zumba, and a rest day. “I have shifted roles from client to personal trainer and fitness instructor,” she says, “and from USANA consumer to Associate! There is no way I would be this successful without USANA!”
Way to go, LeAnne!
In the News
USANA and its immediate family is making headlines. Here is a sampling of the press mentions over the last month or so:
- Dave Wentz seemed to be everywhere the last month promoting The Healthy Home. Perhaps the most noteworthy was his extended interview on CNN’s American Morning. Of course, he also taped a segment for The Nate Berkus Show. We’ll keep you posted on when that will air.
- Celebrity Fitness Expert and USANA Spokesperson Kathy Kaehler appeared on Good Morning America Health promoting Nutrimeal. She also shared “5 Tips for a Flatter Belly” in this projo.com article.
- Dr. David Geier, a prominent sports medicine doctor, mentioned USANA in an article for the Post and Courier, explaining “The [WTA] deems supplements from USANA to be pure… its athletes can only take supplements from USANA and no other company.”
- Finally, USANA’s own Dr. Brian Dixon, a Senior Scientist, talks about the importance of supplemental health in this TimesUnion.com article. If you’re in Utah, look for him on local TV on Thursday. We’ll post the link on Facebook.
What’s the Buzz?
- The Healthy Home took the nation by storm in the month since its launch. A three-country book tour and media blitz, designed to spread the word about hidden household dangers, helped vault the book to No. 2 on the New York Times Best-Sellers List in the Advice category. Check out the The Healthy Home Facebook page to get caught up on all the excitement. Oh, and be sure to visit this photo album featuring Dave Wentz and Dr. Myron Wentz ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange.
- No story has lit up the blog, Facebook or Twitter like this news: The Champ Chooses USANA. Did you read about it?
- Women’s Ski Jumping was approved for competition in the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi! Great news for the USANA-sponsored Visa U.S. Women’s Ski Jumping Team.
- Looking for a few tasty Vanilla Nutrimeal recipes? Look no further…
So much is happening in the United Kingdom (in addition to the Royal Wedding, of course). Pro rugby player Tom May is tweeting about USANA, soccer powerhouse AFC Bournemouth is on a path to the playoffs, legendary “Cake Boy” Eric Lanlard is answering questions for the blog, and Mel B. — a.k.a. Scary Spice — is enjoying pregnancy and Strawberry Nutrimeal.
And now, we’re excited to launch our very own Facebook Page designed specifically to share all this exciting UK news and more! It joins our other market-specific pages that are up-and-running in Australia-New Zealand, Mexico, and Canada. Even if you’re not in the UK, go ahead and “like” it. What could it hurt?
Cats seem to be obsessed with the goodness of USANA. Thanks to Xylia for the messenger bag photo and to Danielle for the Rev3 pic.
UPDATE: Oh, and our buddy Edward Rondaris sent this one in (it slipped past me in the initial post):
USANA Notebook is an occasional series of posts in which I compile various tidbits from within the corporate walls or from out in the field. The series will also at times include commentary on what’s happening throughout our industry and in social media. As always, please share this information with your networks and feel free to send along information that could be included in future posts. View previous Notebooks here.


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Trader Joe’s Instant Cold Brew Coffee is being recalled due to potential glass in the product.
The company issued the recall for the product (SKU# 67436) with expiration date codes 6/13/2024, 11/26/2024 and 12/30/2024 on Thursday.
According to the company website, no injuries have been reported to date, and all potentially affected product has been removed from the shelves.
Customers who have purchased the instant coffee are being asked to throw the product away or return it to any Trader Joe’s for a refund. Customers can contact Trader Joe’s with questions calling (626) 599-3817 or via email.


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FUEL price management software company PriceAdvantage, a division of Skyline Products, has announced a strategic alliance with TLM Technologies to drive sales in the UK. The alliance follows the addition of one the UK’s leading forecourt retailers – Euro Garages – to the PriceAdvantage customer portfolio.
“The addition of Euro Garages, along with our global growth, prompted us to expand our world-class support with the addition of a UK-based support team,” said Chip Stadjuhar, president and CEO of Skyline Products. “We found the ideal match in TLM. They share our philosophy that it takes more than just a great product to create a satisfied customer – it also requires a great overall customer experience.”
TLM will also specialize in the sales and support of PriceAdvantage to UK forecourt retailers who utilize the Oracle Retail Fuel Station POS. The integration between PriceAdvantage and TLM will allow UK forecourt operators to push new prices from headquarters to the EPOS, pumps and electronic price signs.
“PriceAdvantage has really challenged the market in terms of what fuel pricing software can do,” said Bob Laidlaw, TLM business development director. “This software is easy to install, easy to use, and offers functionality never before seen within our market. It’s a real game-changer for forecourt operators.”
PriceAdvantage software allows fuel marketers to easily gather competitor prices, replacement costs, historical data and market insight as well as leverage economic modelling to determine and push new fuel prices to the street faster and more accurately. TLM said PriceAdvantage can be installed in weeks, allowing a rapid return on investment.
TLM Technologies has also announced the successful deployment of its Evo Head Office solution with leading Top 50 Indie HKS Retail, for the management of seven of its recently-acquired sites.
Supporting business processes such as finance, promotions, stock control and logistics, the system gives independent groups like HKS greater control and visibility across their estates.
HKS managing director Shane Thakrar said: “We set the team a very tight implementation window to fit to the acquisition of the sites and they hit the target. Evo Head Office provides up to date technology to allow us to effectively manage stock and margins at site level from head office, saving significant time and effort at both head office and site.”


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The European Commission has ordered Luxembourg to collect around 250 million euros ($A369 million) in back taxes from US online retail giant Amazon.
The commission found that the small European country granted illegal tax benefits to Amazon by allowing it to pay much less in taxes than other companies.
"As a result, almost three-quarters of Amazon's profits were not taxed," said Margrethe Vestager, European commissioner for competition.
The European Commission launched an investigation into Amazon's subsidiary in Luxembourg, Amazon EU, in 2014. That company had been paying a tax-deductible royalty to another legal entity (Amazon Europe Holding Technologies) that was not subject to corporate taxation in Luxembourg.
As a result, most European profits of Amazon were recorded in Luxembourg, but not taxed there.
This tax structure was implemented between May 2006 and June 2014. Amazon's structure of operations in Europe since that period was not part of the current investigation.
Vestager said Luxembourg must recover the approximately 250 million euros in unpaid taxes plus interest.
Both Amazon and Luxembourg defended their action and said they would study the ruling.
"We believe that Amazon did not receive any special treatment from Luxembourg and that we paid tax in full accordance with both Luxembourg and international tax law," Amazon said in a statement.
"We will study the commission's ruling and consider our legal options, including an appeal."
Luxembourg's Finance Ministry noted that the commission's decision referred to a period going back to 2006.
"Over time, both the international and the Luxembourg legal frameworks have substantially evolved," the ministry said in a statement.
"As Amazon has been taxed in accordance with the tax rules applicable at the relevant time, Luxembourg considers that the company has not been granted incompatible state aid."


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@Hardware & Software
Digital Commerce, IoT To Drive SCM Market, Says Gartner
The supply chain management market will exceed $13 billion in total software revenue by the end of 2017, up 11 percent from 2016, says Gartner.
7 Attributes Of A Service Provider For Filing GST
Since GST is already so complicated that the common vendors are having a hard time to understand its implications, it is important that the cloud and mobile interface developed by the ASPs help uncomplicate GST for the masses.
What GST Has In Store For The Healthcare Segment
While this new GST system is set to kick off from July this year, we see that the healthcare industry has been put on the exemptions list.
Thomson Reuters, NSDL Partner To Offer GST Solution To Enterprises
Thomson Reuters offering will be an added service on NSDL E-Governance’s existing GST Suvidha Provider portal.
Google Hires Apple Chip Architect For Pixel Phones
The Pixel is designed by Google, but still relies on a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor like many other Android devices
GST: Short-Term Pains; Long-Term Gains
GST will be one of the biggest tax regimes of India evoking change management challenges at the Central and State Government and the Businesses and general public.
GST Challenges For Consumer Electronics Segment
If strict measures are not taken while implementing the GST, it could very well turn around to be the biggest tax loss to the country instead of the biggest tax reform to reform it.
Are Businesses Ready For GST Rollout?
GSTN is a pretty sophisticated technology. However, in the process of implementation, the two most common challenges presented would be APIs (Application Program Interface) and Cloud.
GST: An Opportunity In Disguise For Business Transformation
GST will impact organizations and business ecosystem beyond taxation, financial planning and reporting
Weekly Rewind: Top 10 Stories On CXOToday (Jun 5-9)
Here are some of the top stories of the week on CXOToday you would not want to miss.


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initial public offering
China’s iQiyi Readies IPO to Raise $1.5 Billion
The video-streaming unit of search-engine giant Baidu needs capital to fund content development as it competes with Tencent and Alibaba.
Should You IPO?
Unless your company is big, profitable, and a category leader, the wisest choice may be to wait.
ADT Shares Tumble on First Day of Trading
The IPO priced below the original target range as the home security firm went public only two years after being taken private.
Will 2018 Be the Year IPOs Come Roaring Back?
If economic and market conditions hold, issuance could surpass $50 billion next year, says Renaissance Capital.
Altair’s Debut Keeps Up Tech IPO Momentum
The computer-aided engineering software company's shares surged 41% on their market debut, with 12 million shares being sold to raise $156 million.
Regulations Both Help and Hurt IPO Pace
Companies have good reasons for factoring in the regulatory environment when deciding whether to go public.
SEC Unfairly Seen as Scapegoat for IPO Slump
The commission and Congress have actually done much to ease the way for new IPOs, a capital markets attorney says.
MongoDB Prices IPO to Raise $152 Million
The startup is aiming to disrupt the $44 billion database software market by offering a "modern, general purpose" platform.
Roku IPO Priced at $14, Values Firm at $1.3B
The offering is priced at the high end of Roku's expected range and would raise $126 million for the digital streaming company.
Switch to Raise up to $500 Million From IPO
The data center company's offering would be the third-largest of the year in the tech sector behind Snap and Altice.
BP to Spin off US Pipeline Assets MLP in IPO
The oil giant is following some of its competitors by selling units in a tax-advantaged master limited partnerhip to the public.


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Kim Kardashian Tweets Lingerie Pic To Remind You to Watch Her Show
May 23 2012 12:35 by Patpoh
You have got to give it up to the Kardashians for knowing how to entice people to watch their show. Its misdirection but it works sometimes. Here's the photoshoot that the Kardashians did for their brand of lingerie that Kim tweeted to remind everyone to watch out for the new season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians:
"Season 7 of Keeping Up With the Kardashians starts tomorrow!!!! OMG"
So having said that, are you excited? Or do we even care?