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The first amendment says that we have the freedom of speech. So the things that we text and call one another about shouldn’t be searched right? Well, the police are allowing themselves to look through the phones of suspects to get information. There are many criminals that have been caught because of this. Here is a time where it benefited the police:
David Riley was detained in 2009 for having an expired vehicle registration and driving with a suspended license. When authorities impounded the Lexus, loaded weapons were found hidden under the hood.
After the college student’s subsequent arrest, San Diego police took a look at his smartphone. Text messages, contacts and video in the touch-screen device led officers to believe Riley had organized crime connections, and a photograph of another vehicle owned by the suspect was linked to an earlier drive-by shooting.
He was convicted in state court and received a 15-year jail sentence.
The problem with this is that it does go against the first amendment, but if it going to help us then why not?
When I was on a plane last week, we had a connect flight in Charlotte, North Carolina. We went from Newark to Charlotte to Paris and it was just so unnecessarily long. On the way back, we went from Rome to North Carolina to Newark which was out of the way. It would usually take about 8 hours to go to Newark but instead it took us 10 to go to North Carolina. But that wasn’t the problem of the flight. There were TV’s on the back of every seat, so we were able to watch movies, shows, listen to music, and track the GPS of the plane. When we first got on the plane on the way back, they told us that we can’t access the GPS because it will shut our TV down. As the flight continued and they kept repeating that, the only thought in my head was that they didn’t want us to see where the plane was going. Of course I was overthinking the whole situation, but after the Malaysia Airlines plane situation, I didn’t know what to think! Yes, I’m crazy I know.
I love Apple productions. My phone and Mac are the best, but sometimes I can say that my phone isn’t always the best thing on this earth. I personally don’t like any other products, such as samsung or LG’s because I am so used to having an Apple phone. Well, as we all know, if you have the 4s or 5s, you have the ability to use Siri. Honestly, I never use Siri. Most of the time I accidentally click it and it goes off. Well, I don’t use Siri because half the time it doesn’t work. My friend has a windows phone, and he recently got the update to get Cortana.. the Siri of Windows. I hate to admit it, but Cortana works so much better than Siri. It just does what it is told instead of responding “I don’t quite get what you are saying” Ugh maybe Apple will eventually update Siri’s ability to actually understand.
So last week I went to Europe and spent the whole week touring. This time there is 6 hours a head of us, so you can only imagine how I felt when we landed. I was able to sleep normally and comfortably every night due to the first day where we spent all day traveling. My body and everything was exhausted, so I slept like a baby every night although it was only 5 pm here. Now that I am home, I go to sleep at 11 pm because my body thinks it’s 5 am, and I wake up at 9 or 10 because my body thinks its about 3-4 pm. Usually this only lasts a few days, but its been almost a week and I’m still exhausted!
I am guilty of being extremely jealous of Mark Zuckerberg and his success. Facebook has always been successful on both the computer and on the mobile app. In January, it was determined that for the first time ever, Americans used smartphone and tablet apps more than PCs to access the Internet. Facebook has reported that it has went up $2.5 billion in first-quarter sales, up 72% versus a year ago. The company recorded $642 million in profit, triple what it recorded a year earlier! And now that Facebook own the WhatsApp after buying it for $19 billion, I definitely can assume that it will continue to go up!
Most of us use elevators pretty often, especially if we live on campus. Well, in Hitachi, China, they are planning to build the fastest elevator in the world in the CTC building. This building contains 111 floors, which is understandable why they want to create fast elevator. The elevator is intended to go 45 mph (thats pretty fast) and it will officially be announced at the fasted elevator in the world, right behind the correct record holder. Currently, the speed record is held by Taipei 101, which has an elevator that can go 37.65 miles per hour, launching passengers from the fifth floor to the 89th in 37 seconds! Hitachi’s planned record-breaking elevators are just 2 out of 95 total elevators. Out of those elevators, 28 are going to be double-decker elevators and a bunch of others will still be high-speed. This construction is planned to be completed by 2016.
I am a huge fan of Apple. I love my iPhone, and I love my Mac, and I definitely love how they connect to one another so easy. But all honesty, the fact that Apple comes out with a new iPhone every 6 months with very little changes is just unnecessary. I still have my 4s because I haven’t seen or liked any new iPhone that has come out. Well they announced that there will be an iPhone 6 about a few months ago and that it would come out predicted this fall.
The iPhone 6 is intended to come in 2 sizes which I think is pretty cool. They will be offering a 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch variations this year. But now they are saying that they might have to delay the release by a YEAR because of battery production issues. It is having an issues since the iPhones have become so thin, so now the battery is smaller. So I guess we might have to wait until 2015 to see that new iPhone 6!
Google Maps is extremely popular and recently they came out with an awesome feature. Google Maps says now you can go back in time! It is called “Street View” which lets you view what neighborhoods looked like in the past 7 years. This feature attracts more than 1 billion people a month and has become an extremely popular. An awesome feature about this is that its free since the whole usage of google maps is free! The photos only date back to 2007, but some of the neighborhoods do illustrate dramatic changes. For instance, in situations like New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Sandy, and the new Freedom tower. I think this feature is really cool and I definitely will use it!
Have you ever bought that new smartphone and you were so excited to bring it home to play around with it? I always notice when I bring it home it works perfectly for a solid 2 weeks and eventually I find glitches in the software. When I got my iPhone a while ago, I was obsessed with it, now I find so many problems with it and it’s sad when you spend so much money for a phone that isn’t up to par.
Well.. the Galaxy S5 recently came out, and what do you think happened? There are glitches of course. Recently an article was posted about the top 5 problems with the Galaxy S5 and the solutions on how to fix them. The 5 problems:
- no download booster
- lag or stutter
- water damage
- slow camera
- camera failed
Hopefully eventually we either come to realize we will never buy a perfect smartphone, or a perfect smartphone finally comes out!
One of the most shocking events that happened in the past few years was the Sandy Hook shooting that killed 26 kids. Although there are a lot of controversies about this topic, Sandy Hook as a whole was an extremely devastating time. One of the Grandfather’s of a little boy who died in the event has come up with a campaign to raise money for a good cause. Ben Wheeler’s grandfather, Carmen Lobis, has come up with a campaign to raise money for a a biometric locking station for firearms. What this will do is it will lock any firearms you had in a carrier that can only be opened by the owner’s fingerprint. I think that this is an awesome idea and especially will all the controversies on gun rights, it might help!


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Noted former fashion designer turned photographer Hedi Slimane’s “California Song” exhibition is coming to MOCA in Los Angeles. Best known for his stints at Yves Saint Laurent and Dior Homme as an art director and designer, Slimane made a foray into photography in recent years, photographing people like grunge heiress Frances Bean Cobain. His latest show will be at the MOCA Pacific Design Center, running from November 12, 2011 to January 22, 2012.

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5 Aug 2022, 13:21
Did you know, when you buy a band’s T-shirt or some other item of merchandise at a gig, that many venues will take a cut of the sale?
Well, now there is a campaign to stop this happening, with over 400 venues having signed up so far.
The Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) created a new directory at the start of the year, which highlights and celebrates music venues that don’t charge commission on the sale of merch. On their website, the FAC points out that “One of the key revenue sources for touring artists is the sale of merchandise at gigs. Often, that revenue represents the difference between a gig breaking even or losing money.”
The FAC says that “when fans buy merchandise from artists that they love, they want and expect that their money will go to supporting that artist.”
In order to champion the venues who charge zero commission on the merchandise they sell at gigs, and to tackle the unfair distribution of revenue - the FAC have launched something called 100% Venues.
As reported by NME, the FAC has revealed that, despite hundreds of music spaces having signed up, some of the UK’s large arenas and venues still aren’t not part of the database.
Peter Hook of Joy Division and New Order said: “You’re treated like gods in the dressing room and then robbed blind on the merchandise stall. I fully support this campaign and have been very vocal about this injustice to artists and fans for years. I fail to understand why these charges are so high?”
Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess is also a supporter of 100% Venues. Speaking to NME about the importance of merch money to bands, he explained: “Back in 1990 you could sell 100,000 copies of a single on vinyl, so merch was important but not half as much as it is now. Streaming means new bands don’t have record sales to keep them going.”
With many music fans getting behind the campaign, Tim added: “So many said that they bought merch as a way of supporting the band and thinking it helped with costs of being on the road. It was a wake-up call. It’s a start, and I’m glad that lots of venues are listening.”
As well as signing up, several venues have tweeted their support, including SWX Bristol, Room 2 Glasgow and Electric Brixton.
Find out more about 100% percent venues (and if you are a venue, you can sign up) at the FAC directory.


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The Call of Duty franchise is quickly becoming the lynchpin of Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Because Sony filed a protest with the cartel’s guards, Microsoft promised the Japanese company that it would also offer “CoD” games on Playstation in the long term. Now Microsoft is going a step further: “Call of Duty” games will also be offered on Nintendo Switch consoles.
This promise, shown publicly by Microsoft managers, is part of a charm offensive with which Microsoft not only wants to rack up bonus points in the gaming community, but also wants to appease cartel inspectors. The planned acquisition of US publisher Activision Blizzard is being closely scrutinized by various authorities. Cartel watchdogs in both the UK and the EU have launched extensive investigations. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission is preparing to file a lawsuit against the agreement.
An important question here: would Microsoft block its competitors if it were actually allowed to take over Activision Blizzard? This happened after the takeover of Bethesda, whose titles, including “Starfield”, will only be released for the Xbox platform. But with Activision Blizzard, Microsoft is taking a more conciliatory tone in the face of increased pressure from antitrust authorities. The company almost never misses an opportunity to promise Sony the long-term release of “Call of Duty” on Playstation consoles. The Playstation group has strongly protested to the competition authorities against the acquisition.
“Call of Duty” for the first time on Switch
But the commitment to Nintendo goes one step further: before, the “Call of Duty” games were not available on Switch. Actually, there are several reasons that could speak against a change version of “Call of Duty”. For one, there’s the fact that there’s no established “Call of Duty” fanbase on the Switch.
The technology is also an issue: while the ports between Microsoft and Sony consoles aren’t an issue due to the power of comparable hardware, the Nintendo Switch is extremely weak by comparison. Porting the games requires considerable development effort, if possible at all. So some studios, including EA Sports with their popular “FIFA” series, are developing stripped-down versions for the Switch from scratch that don’t have much to do with the other consoles anymore.
However, Microsoft has now reached a ten-year deal with Nintendo, Xbox boss Phil Spencer writes on Twitter. It is not clear from the post if these are the main games or the separately developed versions. Microsoft president Brad Smith uses this to criticize Sony: “As soon as Sony wants to sit down and talk, we’d be happy to work out a ten-year deal with them.” So far, Sony has not responded to Microsoft’s offer.
The lucrative Call of Duty franchise is one of Activision Blizzard’s core brands. The latest spin-off, Modern Warfare 2, is just off to a record start with sales of over $800 million in its first three days; If Call of Duty were to disappear from the Playstation, it would be a huge blow to Sony.
“Extreme gamer. Food geek. Internet buff. Alcohol expert. Passionate music specialist. Beeraholic. Incurable coffee fan.”


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Switzerland-based Sirin Labs has. blockchain network to connect the devices and run the economy based around Sirin’s SRN token. Starbucks and Facebook:...
Sirin Labs Releases New Information, Tech Specs for
Sirin Labs announce development. to purchase the device potential customers need to be SRN token holders.Sirin has also outfitted the Finney with an automatic token conversion.Finney is a blockchain smartphone and all-in-one PC built by the team at Sirin Labs.
Foxconn to Manufacture World's First Crypto FriendlyTaiwan-based electronics giant Foxconn is to help develop and build a blockchain phone from Sirin Labs,. conversion between tokens. Rejection Review Really.Emurgo, a Japanese company helping integrate businesses into the Cardano blockchain ecosystem has confirmed a strategic partnership with SIRIN LABS that.
Sirin Labs ICO Scores With Their New Player: Lionel Messi. By. In a paid Facebook promotional post,.
Sirin Labs Informs Users of Hack of SRN Holder | Finance
Sirin Labs Token Experiences a Minor Rise In Value
Sirin Labs – ICO Review - Altcoins Blog
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HTC to Launch “Cryptophone” Competing With Swiss SirinGet price, charts, news, exchanges and detailed analysis for SIRIN LABS Token (SRN).
SIRIN LABS token (SRN) no compres sin ver este vídeo
Cardano (ADA) aims to be the next coin to be listed onSirin Labs, the producer of a mobile phone with military-grade security, has announced on its Telegram channel that a major SRN token holder was hacked.
Chipin has published a review of the SIRIN LABS Blockchain
Sirin Labs is working on a Token Conversion. follow the team on Facebook or Medium. Follow us.
Get SIRIN LABS Token price, charts, and other cryptocurrency info.


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Mozilla claims that IonMonkey makes Web apps and games perform up to 25 percent faster.
In the Mac version, the latest Firefox also supports high-resolution Retina Display for Mac users on OS X 10.7 and up. In addition, the new browser adds preliminary support for WebRTC (for Web real-time communications), an in-development open-source API that adds browser-to-browser voice calls and video chat without requiring separate plug-ins.
Other improvements in Firefox 18 included an option that lets users disable insecure content found on HTTPS-secured sites. Mozilla also patched 28 security vulnerabilities, more than two-thirds of them marked "critical," and revoked digital certificates that were initially thought to be in the hands of cyber criminals.
Firefox for Android offers search suggestions as you type. When you start typing into the Awesome Bar, Firefox will ask you if you'd like to opt-in to search suggestions. Mozilla says that search suggestions are conducted over a secure connection to protect user data.
Firefox for Android also adds new phishing and malware features to protect users from malicious websites. Firefox for Android warns users when they encounter websites that may be used for malware or phishing to protect users from malicious websites.


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All Nippon Airways, Japan’s largest carrier, which is set to get the first of the Boeing 787 Dreamliners late this summer, and they offered an early free glimpse of what the interior of these $200-million planes might look like for international customers. Get ready for wide seats in business class that recline into beds, touch-panel LCD screens that offer movies, videos and gaming, and roomy bathrooms that will include a bidet-toilet. “We want passengers to see the difference of quality and comfort as soon as they board the aircraft,” said Satoshi Fujiki, a senior vice president for the carrier’s Americas division. “This is a game-changing aircraft.”
The new jet is smaller than the existing 747, holding 210 to 290 passengers, and its top speed is 593 mph. But the bigger changes are inside the cabin. The new 787 interior design is aimed at addressing common complaints among air travelers such as the need for more legroom, more comfort and better air quality. In the renovated economy cabin, All Nippon is offering passengers in-flight entertainment on a seat-back LCD touch screen, a plug-in port for laptops and USBs and an iPod jack on long-haul routes. Business-class passengers on international flights will have aisle access from every seat and full flat beds, along with 17-inch touch-panel LCD screens. Passengers in every class will experience more room, improved air quality, more natural light from the outside thanks to 19-inch windows and higher humidity. The plane has bigger, drop-down overhead luggage bins, and the larger windows can adjust the light coming into the cabin with the touch of button, rather than by raising a solid window shade. The Dreamliner doesn’t have traditional white fluorescent lights, instead opting for soft “blue-sky” lighting. And Boeing made the 787 with “vaulted” 8-foot ceilings and 17-foot-wide cabins, which is more spacious than previous twin-aisle planes.
The first flight schedules for the 787 and routes have not been announced, but Fujiki said All Nippon probably would be flying 787’s a month after delivery. For now, travelers interested in seeing All Nippon’s plans for the Dreamliner can visit the company’s website at:


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Over the past two weeks we’ve seen a number of firms release reports for Q4 of 2019, and the cybersecurity industry is no different as Check Point Research has unveiled its latest phishing report for that period.
In it the report looks specifically at brands those cybercriminals like to imitate in order to carry out their attacks, and Check Point identified 10 in particular that proved popular during the forth quarter of last year.
As you can probably tell from the headline, Facebook led the way, but the entire list of 10 is as follows:
- Facebook (related to 18 percent of all brand phishing attempts globally)
- Yahoo (10 percent)
- Netflix (5 percent)
- PayPal (5 percent)
- Microsoft (3 percent)
- Spotify (3 percent)
- Apple (2 percent)
- Google (2 percent)
- Chase (2 percent)
- Ray-Ban (2 percent)
As for what constitutes a brand phishing attack, Check Point explains it as an attack where criminals try to imitate the official website of a well-known brand by using a similar domain name or URL and webpage design to the genuine site.
The link to the fake website can be sent to targeted individuals via email or text message, redirected during web browsing, or triggered from a fraudulent mobile application, the firm notes. The fake website often contains a form intended to steal users’ credentials, payment details or other personal information, Check Point highlights.
Providing a bit more insight the firm adds that phishing attacks are far from random, and that cybercriminals often know exactly who they are targeting.
“Cybercriminals are using a variety of attack vectors to trick their intended victims into giving up personal information and login credentials or transferring money. Although this is often done using spam emails, we have also seen attackers obtain credentials to email accounts, study their victim for weeks and craft a targeted attack against partners and customers to steal money,” says Maya Horowitz, head of cyber research and threat intelligence at Check Point Research.
“Over the last two years, incidences of this type of attack have spiked with the increased use of cloud-based email, which makes it easier for criminals to disguise themselves as a trusted party. Phishing will continue to be a growing threat in 2020,” Horowitz concludes.
As always it’s always best to act cautiously when prompted to click on email links, regardless of what website, brand or platform they come from.


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WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- SCORE has launched the fifth annual American Small Business Championship – a national competition celebrating the best small business owners from across the nation, made possible with funding from Sam's Club. The open call for applications kicks off today, and will reward two small businesses from every state and the District of Columbia with an all-expenses-paid trip to a training and networking workshop, national and local publicity, and mentoring from small business experts at SCORE.
Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8087651-score-sams-club-american-small-business-championship/
From those 102 small business honorees, three Grand Champions will each win a grand prize of $15,000. A judging panel of small business experts will select the Grand Champions based on how effectively they utilize the initial prizes to grow their business operations or revenue.
"This program is designed to help small business owners achieve greater levels of success and sustainability through education, training, engagement with SCORE mentors and the possibility of adding funding to their business," said SCORE Vice President of Development Resa Kierstein. "We are delighted that Sam's Club has continued their support of this program, which allows us to showcase the small business owners that make up the landscape of this country."
The 2017 Grand Champions were:
- Competitive Edge Athletic Performance Center – A minority-owned multi-sports facility in Woodbridge, VA, training youth to excel in both athletics and academics
- Grillo Essentials – A woman-owned, environmentally-friendly upstate New York business selling all-natural insect repellents and educating the community about Lyme disease
- One Community Auto – An Albuquerque, NM-based business founded by a disabled U.S. Air Force veteran to help nonprofits raise money through car donations
"Over the past few years, we've been proud to support SCORE and the American Small Business Championship," said Tracey D. Brown, Senior Vice President, Operations and Chief Experience Officer for Sam's Club. "We know our collaboration with SCORE has helped entrepreneurs flourish as they take their businesses to new heights. Through the years, we've not only seen the positive impact on and great achievements from small business owners, but also the growth of SCORE and the American Small Business Championship, and we look forward to another great year."
Apply to be a Champion
U.S. small business owners can apply to be a Champion through February 7, 2018 at www.championship.score.org. Champions will be announced in late March and the Grand Champions will be revealed in September.
Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 10 million aspiring entrepreneurs. Each year, SCORE's 10,000 volunteer business experts provide 350,000+ free small business mentoring sessions, workshops and educational services to clients in 300 chapters nationwide. In 2017, SCORE mentors volunteered 2.2 million hours to help create 55,000 new businesses and 130,000 full-time, part-time and contractor jobs.
About Sam's Club
Sam's Club®, a division of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT), is a leading membership warehouse club offering superior products, savings and services to millions of members in more than 650 clubs in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. To learn more about Sam's Club, visit the Sam's Club Newsroom, shop at SamsClub.com, and interact with Sam's Club on Twitter and Facebook.


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About a year ago, Bentley discovered e-cigarettes, which are battery-powered devices that release vapor to simulate real smoking. Bentley, a 30-year smoker, dabbled with disposable e-cigarettes for about a week, but it wasn't until he upgraded to a product with a tank system a couple of months later that he kicked the habit for good.
"I quit the day I got it and I haven't smoked since," said Bentley, exhaling vaporized, nicotine-infused juice from his e-cigarette this week. "I tried to quit with the patch, gum, cold turkey. None of it ever worked, but this worked the first time."
Bentley's personal success with e-cigarettes motivated him to open Twickenham Vapor, one of several new vapor stores to pop up because of explosive growth in e-cigarette use across Alabama and the U.S. More than 30 e-cigarette shops are currently operating throughout the state, according to VaporSearchUSA.com.
Bonnie Herzog, an industry analyst for Wells Fargo Securities, reports e-cigarette retail sales more than doubled last year to $1.7 billion. The product was also coined one of CitiGroup's top 10 disruptive technologies in 2012.
Bentley and other vapor shop owners are quick to point out that e-cigarettes, which are currently not controlled by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, are simply a safer alternative to cigarettes, not a smoking cessation tool.
"The way I look at it, there's more studies out there that say it's not harmful than there are that says they are," Bentley said. "My common sense tells me it's not as harmful as a cigarette. If I didn't smoke, would I start doing it? Probably not, but as a smoker, I'm willing to take the risk if this is something that will help me quit smoking."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta says cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. and takes about 480,000 lives each year.
The debate over e-cigarette safety and the future of the booming industry continues. The New York Times reported recently that the FDA will soon issue regulations on the devices, which have been banned in public places in cities like Boston and New York and states such as New Jersey and Utah.
Although last year the CDC said the devices "appear to have far fewer of the toxins found in smoke compared to traditional cigarettes, the impact of e-cigarettes on long-term health must be studied."
Tod Yarbrough and his wife, Tammy, launched Vape On! in Madison because e-cigarettes were a product the couple "could get behind and feel good about selling." Since opening next door to Saffron Indian Restaurant in May 2013, Yarbrough says business has been steadily growing.
"It's kind of a slow burn so to speak," he said. "We're not lighting the world on fire, but we increase in business every day."
Yarbrough, who smoked up to a pack and a half of cigarettes a day for 30 years, quit cold turkey after purchasing his first e-cigarette. Tammy, who stopped smoking about 14 years ago when she became pregnant with their now-teenage son, also uses an e-cigarette, but prefers bakery-inspired, non-nicotine flavors.
Vape On! – which Tammy described as a Christian-influenced business with an emphasis on education and helping smokers find safer alternatives to cigarettes – will not sell to customers under the age of 19.
fact, many north Alabama vapor shops say they forbid e-cigarette sales to minors. A CDC analysis
in September found about 10 percent of high school students tried an e-cigarette in 2012.
"We hold ourselves to a moral standard," Yarbrough said. "I wouldn't want my son being 13 to walk in here and be able to purchase this stuff, so I don't sell it to anybody else's kid."
Yarbrough said e-cigarettes typically consist of vegetable glycerin, water, food-grade flavoring, nicotine in some cases and propylene glycol, an odorless substance that has been "generally recognized as safe" by the FDA and is used in fog machines and for theater use.
Still, Yarbrough and others running local vapor businesses say some regulations are needed.
Two-year-old e-cigarette supplier Eco Smoke opened in Huntsville after co-owner Kurt Morgenweck's mother developed Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. The Eco Smoke concept was born after Morgenweck, also a former smoker who wanted to help his mom quit, struggled to find a local store that sold e-cigarettes.
The business, which recently expanded with a second location on Whitesburg Drive, sells only American-made e-cigarette liquid produced in labs approved by the FDA. Co-owner Chris Ray said regulations on online sales and the companies that produce the liquids are needed.
"I'm also expecting within the next 10 years or less, electronic cigarettes will take over the tobacco industry," he said. "Big tobacco is already making the move toward e-cigarettes, which is completely understandable. They're losing a lot of revenue and are doing what they can to pick it up."
Curt Reynolds, general manager of Beyond Vaping in Athens, said his new e-cigarette shop is open to fair regulation of the devices.
"But if the regulations are pretty much going to shut down this industry because they're so overbearing, then what are people going do?" he said. "Go back to smoking?"
Constantly fighting the stigma of being a "head shop," Reynolds and other e-cigarette shop owners say education goes a long way. Several local stores provide one-on-one or classroom sessions to teach e-cigarette users and hobbyists about the products.
Reynolds said the north Alabama vaping community even comes together for an event every two months, which started with about 20 people but has recently grown to around 135 attendees.
Eco Smoke is now offering store discounts to local companies that have employees who smoke. Ray said some businesses allow workers to vape in the office, which improves productivity by reducing the number of smoke breaks employees take throughout the day.
Ray said the e-cigarette business is "one of those industries where you literally get what you pay for."
"It is a misunderstood industry," he said. "I always encourage and invite people to come in and visit us because we do let you sample it and we don't ask you to buy anything."
Send Lucy Berry an email at email@example.com.


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GMI Continues "Manufacturing What Matters" During COVID-19 Outbreak
Written by Hans Dittmar
As a manufacturer of a variety of medical devices, GMI is committed to continuing to serve our healthcare OEM customers during this outbreak. We know that these companies always rely on GMI for a timely supply of these high-quality products – and this situation has certainly highlighted the criticality of the things we make every day.
While we navigate these uncertain times, our first concern is, of course, the health of our associates, their families and at a larger level the public. We are taking internal precautions to help avoid our most critical associates from contracting COVID-19 so we can continue to produce the needed assemblies to help keep the essential supply of medical equipment flowing.
Our tag line, “Manufacturing What Matters” could not be more meaningful than it is right now. We take our role very seriously and understand the significance of what we do.
As an important partner in producing healthcare equipment, we will continue to do everything in our power to keep manufacturing these critical assemblies through this pandemic, and we look forward to returning to normalcy.
The GMI Solutions Team


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While Monster Hunter Rise isn’t coming to PC until January 22, 2022, we are getting the Sunbreak expansion at the same time as the Nintendo Switch folk to bring some parity to the platform release schedule. The content timeline has been a tad confusing to follow so far, so it’s certainly appreciated.
We’ve only got the odd tease and trailer so far, but it looks like something more substantial is on the horizon. Developer Capcom has taken to Twitter to tell fans to “stay tuned” for more Sunbreak news when spring rolls around next year, which won’t be long before the planned summer 2022 release window. Director Yoshitake Suzuki also tweets that the team is “gearing up to share some great reveals”, so look forward to that.
“The entire development team is truly grateful for all the warm comments we’ve received since the announcement of Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak”, says Suzuki. “We’re gearing up to share some great reveals with everyone next Spring. Stay tuned!”


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Semtech beats analysts’ revenue estimates
Semtech beat analyst estimates but revenues sank again as weak mobile phone demand hampered the Camarillo-based semi conductor manufacturer.
The company reported fourth quarter and year end results March 2 for the 2016 fiscal year. Fourth quarter revenues fell 9 percent from $130.4 million in 2015 to $118.6 million in 2016. According to Yahoo Finance, that beat analysts’ revenue estimates of $116 million. Semtech made $1.25 million during the quarter, a vast improvement from a loss of almost $15.5 million in 2015.
Fourth quarter earnings per share rose from a loss of 23 cents per share in 2015 to a gain of 17 cents per share. According to Zacks Investment Research, analysts predicted gains of 15 cents per share. Quarterly profits were 2 cents per share.
Yearly revenues sank 12 percent from $557.9 million in 2015 to $490.2 million in 2016. Net losses narrowed from $27.9 million in 2015 to $11.5 million in 2016 as the company laid off 1,000 workers or about 8 percent of its global workforce.
Still, the company had profits of $27.9 million in 2015 and just $11.5 million in 2016. Because of that earnings per share fell from 41 cents in 2015 to just 17 cents in 2016.
The company’s bottom line was helped by the layoffs, which saved Semtech $20 million per year. But it paid a $3.6 million charge related to the layoffs during the second and third quarters of the 2016 fiscal year. When Semtech announced the layoffs in July, it did not say if the layoffs would impact workers at its Camarillo headquarters.
Semtech announced guidance for fiscal year 2017 and said it expects revenues between $124 million and $132 million.
• Contact Philip Joens at email@example.com


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The last Criminal Girls X update for July 2019 has been provided on Twitter, and it does a lot of teasing. The one new bit of confirmed information is a look at the 3D character model for Misora, one of the Criminal Girls players will be trying to help. However, it also talks about the next character model that will be revealed, the next voice actress that will be announced, and some other timeline details.
As far as the Criminal Girls X characters go, reveals are coming for Yuiko and Usagi. The former will have her 3D model shown off in August 2019. (Currently, only Misora and Nana’s have been shared.) Usagi’s voice actress will also be announced.
Other game updates are arriving soon too. In August 2019, details about the virtual marketplace will be revealed. There will also be information about a November 2019 event. In the tweet showing off Nana’s 3D model, September 21, 2019 was noted as a date when more Criminal Girls X information will be released. (As a reminder, Mikage noted that September 2019 is when information on an English version will supposedly be announced.)
Criminal Girls X is in development for the PC and both Android and Apple iOS devices. The current Japanese launch window for the free-to-play version is February 2020, while the full paid version has a May 2020 release window.


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Botswana’s coal startup business Masama Coal Mine has announced intentions to ramp up its production.
Minergy, the operator of Masama Coal Mine on Friday released its latest market update for the six months ending 31st December 2020, indicating the company’s appetite to increase production.
“Several opportunities to significantly increase production are currently being assessed. Depending on the economics at the time, Minergy’s objective is to double production capacity through a Phase two project, which would enable it to access a range of opportunities,” said Morne du Plessis, Chief Executive Officer of Minergy.
He said the company’s intended increase will be supplied to industrial customers and export opportunities.
The company has also highlighted that the ever-changing COVID-19 restrictions continue to impact the business.
Masama Coal mine started mining and producing coal for export to South Africa and Namibia in 2019. Enditem


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Can he blend it? Yes he can
Blendtec CEO and founder Tom Dickson prepares to blend an iPhone.
TO BE or not to be? That used to be the question. Now, in cyberspace at least, the question is: will it blend?
And it's a question that could change the face of advertising. With a cheap, cheerful, cheesy-looking ad, an American kitchen blender manufacturer has made his product the talk of the internet and a prime example of the "viral" advertising that spreads exponentially through social networks.
Blendtec's "Will it Blend iPod" video clip was posted on the YouTube website 10 months ago. It has now been viewed a staggering 4.4 million times. Remember, this is not an ad you stumble across, you have to seek it out.
On viewing, the genius of the ad is obvious. For a start, the low-budget clip is presented by the not-so-telegenic CEO and founder of the company, Tom Dickson who clad in his lab coat and safety goggles is clearly excited about his product.
Secondly, there's the iPod. Who wouldn't want to see an expensive and desirable piece of consumer electronics destroyed in a matter of seconds?
Less obvious, though, is the marketing effect Blendtec claims its online sales have spiralled 650 per cent.
YouTube is testing ads and has plans to share revenue with some advertisers. Industry estimates suggest YouTube could eventually generate more than $US250 million a year in ad sales ($A275 million).
So far Dickson has pumped out 50 Will it Blend? clips. The iPhone, released in the US in June, was almost immediately blended, and already boasts 2.4 million views.
Dickson has also blended marbles, golf balls, an oar, boxes of matches, credit cards, a McDonald's extra value meal, and a video camera that recorded its own demise.
In another of the most popular clips, Dickson whips up a jug of "Cochicken", a smoothie comprising a can of Coke and half a rotisserie chicken. "Dang, this is good Cochicken," affirms chief taster George, "the best I ever tasted!"
"These ads are great," says Andy Mallinson, managing director of Sydney's NetX digital communications agency. "They're timely, the iPhone is the most talked about gadget in the world right now so the thought of blending it is irresistible. Mr Mallinson also likes the way the idea can be repeated with different items. "You can take exactly the same joke, you know the punchline, but you still feel compelled to watch it to the end. And, at the end of the day this guy is trying to sell a product what better way to demonstrate the strength of it?"
Tim Burrowes, editor of advertising, marketing and media magazine B&T, says the Blendtec success confirms the theory that good ads must entertain first.
"The first mistake advertisers make is forgetting to engage the consumer. If you can get the consumer's attention for a moment, then you've got a chance."
And it's a fine line between a hot advertising campaign that "goes viral" and one that's stillborn. "There've been a couple of examples of ads that have tried but narrowly failed in Australia," says Mr Burrowes.
"When the Pasha Bulker ran aground in Newcastle, Toyota made an ad for their 4x4 Hilux ute hooking up a tow-rope. But it didn't quite get out quickly enough."
Another trap for advertisers is pretending it's not advertising. "When Coke Zero was launched last year, they tried to use new media creating a couple of blogs by the 'Zero Collective'," Burrowes says. "When they got busted, 'I hate Zero Collective' blogs started popping up that actually got more hits than the original sites."
With its cheesy music and the prominent Blendtec signage, there's no mistaking Tom Dickson's videos for anything but ads, but can we take our eyes off them? That's another question.


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Today's Nokia press event got us thinking about innovation. It feels like most smartphone launches today center around what the software can do. And that's good! It's what people actually see, touch, and use. But Nokia is notoriously awesome at making great hardware, which really showed during its press conference...
Free Apps Account For 89% Of All Downloads; Most Of The Rest Under $3; iOS Store Biggest Of Them All
The mobile app market, currently still led by app trailblazer Apple, is continuing to grow at a rapid pace: according to new research from Gartner there will be nearly 46 billion mobile app downloads made this year, nearly double the 25 billion downloads in 2011. Among those downloads, free will...
× Just a test of the new info bar. What do you think?


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Who brings the Easter eggs?
04/02/2021 - Reading time: 4 minutes
Current developments in the area of supply chains
Depending on the area, it is said that the Easter eggs are brought by the hare, the stork, the cuckoo or the fox. And what do we answer to the children's questions about who brings the Easter eggs? For children, depending on their age, the focus is not on a definite answer, but on the way there, through stories and fantasies. The Easter nest and not the way of the Easter nest to its hiding place, is the center of attention.
And the bridge to the topic of supply chains? Possibly a counterpoint. This is because supply chains are primarily about requiring companies to trace all inputs in the value chain for aspects that are harmful to the environment or violations of recognized labor or social standards.
Global supply chains are facing a challenging future, and not only because of the pandemic and the resulting scarcity of resources. The current European and national legislative projects, which aim to implement the social factor of the ESG criteria, further increase this uncertainty factor. Companies are faced with the challenge of additionally adapting their supply chains on the basis of the legal framework conditions that will apply in the future.
Last fall, the European Union outlined its plans to improve working conditions and social standards in global supply chains. The consultation phase was recently concluded and the results are to be incorporated into a legislative proposal by the EU Commission this year. Germany could not move fast enough on these developments and passed its Supply Chain Act in early March 2021.
EU consultation on new due diligence standards in supply chains
Already in the course of this year, the EU plans to initiate a legislative project to make globally operating companies from Europe socially responsible along their supply chains and at their production sites outside Europe. The public consultation phase has been completed and the EU Parliament recently voted by an overwhelming majority in favor of an owninitiative report, which calls on the EU Commission to create clear rules and laws in the form of an EU supply chain law.
The further roadmap now provides for the EU Commission to publish a proposal for a directive in the second quarter of 2021. According to reports, the draft will pursue two different approaches: On the one hand, concrete obligations for the management of companies in the pursuit of longterm interests are to be provided for. On the other hand, the due diligence with regard to the supply chains is to be regulated with regard to social issues, environmental impacts and human rights. Furthermore, provisions on liability and supervision are to be included. In addition to civil liability, criminal sanctions are also being discussed.
The Framework in Germany
The draft legislation to introduce a German supply chain law was approved by the German cabinet at the beginning of March this year and is expected to be passed by the German Bundestag before this summer. From 2023, all companies with more than 3,000 employees will be covered by this law, and from 2024, all companies with more than 1,000 employees. The legal requirements differ according to the different stages of the supply chain. A distinction is made between (i) the company's own business operations, (ii) direct suppliers and (iii) indirect suppliers. Among other things, companies are required to prepare a risk analysis, establish a risk management system and carry out transparent and public reporting.
If, for example, there is a breach of obligations in the company's own business area, the company is obliged to take immediate remedial action to end the breach and to initiate preventive measures. Furthermore, in the event of breaches of duty, the companies concerned face fines of up to two percent of their global turnover and exclusion from public procurement contracts.
Critics complain that smaller companies in particular, to which the law is not directly applicable, will be significantly affected indirectly. It can be assumed that, in order to ensure their own compliance, large companies will in future demand to a greater extent that their suppliers take their own preventive measures or, if necessary, even prescribe them directly due to the economic power imbalance.
Impact on Austrian Companies
Efforts for a separate national legislative initiative for an Austrian supply chain law have not yet materialized. However, due to the close economic ties between Austrian and German companies, the German Supply Chain Act will undoubtedly have indirect effects on Austrian companies as well. It is to be expected that German companies will also turn to Austrian companies as direct or indirect suppliers in order to fulfill their own obligations, to obtain information regarding the supply chain, to obtain changes if necessary or to dictate requirements in general.
Depending on the position of the Austrian company in the entire supply and value chain, it must be ensured from the perspective of the Austrian company that it is in a position to meet future requirements by transferring these information claims and obligations to its own suppliers. In practice, the use of so-called dynamic integrity clauses has proven to be effective. Such clauses in contracts and general terms and conditions are a method of ensuring the necessary flexibility in the event of future uncertain developments in order to cushion the requirements of partners in the supply chain.
So who brings the Easter eggs?
Happy Easter from the fwp.TEAM!


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Pokémon Sun and Moon Will Get A New Pokémon Soon
Nintendo hasn’t yet unveiled any details regarding the ways its players are going to receive the new mythical Pokémon – Marshadow.
Ever since it was released, Pokémon Sun and Moon has been getting constant Pokémon distribution events. These have been allowing players to collect some pretty hard to find mythical Pokémon such as Magearna. Now Nintendo has made a cool unveiling of a next mythical Pokémon which is going to be a fighting/ghost type called Marshadow.
Even if the company has revealed this new Pokémon, Nintendo did not yet brag with any details about it; they haven’t even said what its abilities are going to be and how we can get it. Still, according to Bulbapeida, the new Pokémon called Marshadow is going to be a dual-type Fighting/Ghost one with the Technician ability. The creature seems to have an area around its face that is quite similar to headgear, and this is going to turn green when it attacks and when it will use its exclusive Z-Move. The bulbs on Marshadow’s arms are also going to be able to turn green.
Marshadow is being featured in the latest Pokémon movie called Pokémon: The Movie – I Choose You, so it’s not wrong if we assume that, at least in Japan, the Pokémon is going to be distributed with the new movie, just the way is was done in the past. Regarding its distribution in US, it will probably come through a Wi-Fi distribution event.
More details are expected to come about how we can obtain the little special fellow. Anyway, we’re keeping our fingers crossed, hoping that we’ll be able to meet the new Marshadow as soon as possible, and see what cool stuff it’s going to be able to perform.


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West Virginia member wants small business deduction made permanent
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 26, 2022) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, today released the latest video in a series featuring small business owners explaining how Washington’s proposed tax increases would hurt their ability to operate, survive, and thrive.
The video series “In Their Own Words” features small businesses from across the country and is part of NFIB’s Small Business Survival campaign, a coordinated advocacy effort that highlights why tax increases would be harmful to America’s small businesses.
The latest video in the series features NFIB member Christian Marsh of Quality Machine Co., Inc. in Bridgeport, West Virginia. Quality Machine Company is a family business started by Marsh’s grandfather and father. The company is tied to the energy sector.
Marsh explains: “We have benefited by the pass-through deduction and that really helped us survive…these last few years have been very tough. We had the kind of decline of oil and gas and then immediately following we had the pandemic. Right now, we have about one-third less workforce than we had four years ago. That’s a huge decline for us and that also shows in our gross sales and everything else. We would hate to see the pass-through deduction be taken away, not become permanent…that would be awful. It’s considered a tax on our net profit, but you know, this is not money that we’re stuffing under the mattress. This is money we’re using to survive and like I said, we’re surviving at a far less workforce…smaller gross volume of business as well. I think that would be adding insult to injury to take that deduction at this point with the current economic conditions.”
Watch the new Small Business Survival: In Their Own Words video featuring Christian Marsh here:
The Small Business Survival campaign is a coordinated advocacy effort that includes targeted traditional and digital advertising, media initiatives, research, grassroots, lobbying, and other efforts that will highlight why tax increases would be harmful to small businesses while holding members of Congress accountable for their support of tax hikes and mandates.
More information about the campaign can be found here: NFIB.com/SmallBizSurvival and here: https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/national-federation-independent-business-survival-campaign.


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Cheddar’s Casual Café reportedly has made a “confidential” filing toward an initial public offering, a new avenue provided in federal legislation enacted in April.
Reuters cited sources who said the Irving, Texas-based casual-dining chain, which is owned by investors that include private equity firms Catterton Partners and Oak Investment Partners, would make the IPO in the second quarter and raise about $100 million. Don Breen, Cheddar’s chief financial officer, said the company has no comment on the report.
According to Nation's Restaurant News’ 2012 Top 200 research from data supplied by Cheddar's officials, the chain had U.S. systemwide sales of $438.3 million for the fiscal year ended in December 2011, an increase of 20.5 percent compared with a year earlier.
Cheddar’s ended 2011 with 106 restaurants, including 61 company-operated and 45 franchised locations, marking a 17.8-percent improvement over 2010's total.
Cheddar’s Restaurant Holding Corp. had revenues of $246.5 million in 2011, up 22.6 percent from the prior year. Those revenues were derived from company store sales, initial franchise fees and franchise sales royalties.
The Jumpstart Our Business Startup (JOBS) Act, which was signed into law in April, allows companies with less than $1 billion in revenue to file confidential statements with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission before an IPO. Qualifying companies do not have to disclose details about the company until 21 days before the start of a road show, where it markets itself to potential investors.
Reuters said Cheddar’s has selected Morgan Stanley and Piper Jaffray to lead the IPO.
Alan Liddle contributed to this report.


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Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) shares rose this morning on third-quarter results that were mixed compared to the consensus forecast — with the company predicting a Q4 uptick.
The Fridley, Minnesota-based medtech giant posted profits of $1.5 billion, or $1.10 per share, on sales of $7.8 billion for the three months ended Jan. 28, 2022, for a 16.5% bottom-line gain on a minor sales decline of 0.1%.
Adjusted to exclude one-time items, earnings per share were $1.37, 1¢ ahead of Wall Street, where analysts were looking for sales of $7.9 billion.
Medtronic saw revenue growth in its cardiovascular segment (3.4%), medical surgical segment (1.2%) and neuroscience segment (0.8). However, the company’s diabetes business dipped 7.3% year-over-year in sales.
“We continue to transform Medtronic, advancing our pipeline, launching new products, and winning share,” Medtronic Chairperson and CEO Geoff Martha said in a news release. “The impact of the COVID-19 resurgence on healthcare procedure volumes, particularly in the United States, peaked in the final weeks of our quarter in January, causing our revenue to fall short of our expectations. We expect healthcare procedures to reaccelerate post-omicron, and our commitment to durable and higher growth remains steadfast.”
Medtronic said it now expects to log adjusted EPS of between $1.56 and $1.58 for the fourth quarter, factoring in an expected uptick thanks to a recent positive impact from foreign currency. The company expects Q4 organic revenue growth to come in at approximately 5.5%, which falls in line with Wall Street projections. If recent foreign currency exchange rates hold, Medtronic said fourth-quarter revenues will be negatively affected by approximately $185 million.
MDT shares were up more than 3% at $104.23 per share in late-morning trading. MassDevice’s MedTech 100 Index — which includes stocks of the world’s largest medical device companies — was up 1%.


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New feeding guidelines for infants released in the United States confirm Aussie parents may be introducing certain foods too soon. That's according to Western Sydney expert Dr Amit Arora, who notes that the new guidelines recommend parents avoid giving their children food and drink with added sugar for the first two years of life.
"This goes further than current recommendations in Australia, which state that discretionary foods should be avoided in the first year of life," Dr Arora said in a statement.
The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE) specifies that core foods are made up of the five major food groups - cereals, fruit, vegetables, meat and alternatives, and milk and alternatives. What experts call "discretionary foods" have high levels of saturated fat, added sugar and/or added salt.
According to Dr Arora, Australian research previously revealed that parents may be introducing these foods too early and may need further education and support.
These findings come from the Healthy Smiles Healthy Kids (HSHK) cohort, which tracked the health of families born in Sydney public hospitals in 2010 - and continues to study them to this day.
Dr Arora and co-author Dr. Narendar Manohar analysed the responses of 934 women, who were interviewed when their bubs were eight, 17, 34 and 52 weeks of age. Mums were asked how often they fed their babies specific foods over the prior seven days and the age their babies first tried these foods.
The findings, published in the journal Nutrients, indicated that 12 per cent of infants received core foods before 17 weeks of age. In addition, a whopping 95.3 per cent of babies received discretionary foods before they were one year old.
"Clearly, at the time that the data was collected, the infant feeding recommendations were not getting through to new parents, or were not well understood," Dr Manohar explained.
While the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends solid foods be introduced 'from' 6 months, the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) in 2012 recommended 'around' six months of age.
"More recently, the 2016 Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) recommended the introduction of solid foods from four to six months of age, and the Australian Infant Feeding Summit has clarified that the 'from four to six months' wording is intended to encourage parents to start solid foods when their infant is developmentally ready," Dr Arora said.
Reflecting on the Aussie findings, Dr Arora noted that 17 weeks is "very early for foods to be introduced to infants".
"That 12 per cent of parents in the HSHK study were introducing core foods before this age, is a potential cause for concern," he said. "In stark contrast to the new US and current Australian guidelines—95.3 percent of respondents had introduced unhealthy foods prior to 52 weeks of age, and the median age for introducing these foods was 28 weeks. This is also concerning."
"We need to ensure that parents today are receiving enough clear information to inform their food habits and choices, and critical to this is ensuring that infant feeding recommendations are consistent across all guidelines," he said.
According to the newly released US report, "every bite counts."
"Nutritional exposures during the first 1,000 days of life not only contribute to long-term health but also help shape taste preferences and food choices," it states.


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January is Thyroid Awareness Month, and given the correlation Kaitlyn Carmo, MMS ‘21
, made between thyroid disease and the amount of vitamin D we receive from sunlight during the research for her Physician Assistant (PA) Studies capstone project, it seems fitting.
For much of the world, especially the countries in the northern hemisphere, the cold, blistery weather of January brings with it little sunshine. This is exactly the type of weather, as Carmo explains, that sometimes requires vitamin D supplementation and monitoring for those with or at risk of thyroid disease.
“Some of the research I found actually showed that people who live above a certain degree of latitude…almost everyone, especially during the winter months, have vitamin D deficiency,” she said. “One of the research articles I found actually showed that [vitamin D deficiency] had a strong correlation with thyroid disease. So, there was a connection, but more research needs to be done on what the connection actually is.”
Carmo’s capstone project was titled “Should guidelines for vitamin D deficiency screening be altered in the management of patients with or at risk for thyroid disease?”
As someone who suffers from subclinical hypothyroidism herself, Carmo brought passion and curiosity to this project and hopes her findings can induce more research on the connection between vitamin D and thyroid disease. Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid doesn’t produce enough of the thyroid hormone.
“When I was thinking about what to do for the project, I was thinking about things that related to my own life,” she said. “And, subclinical hypothyroidism is when TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone Test) is high, which is the screening for thyroid disease, but everything else seems to be normal - that's why it's called subclinical hypothyroidism.” As a patient with the same clinical diagnosis and with an interest in vitamin D deficiency, she wanted to see if there was a correlation between the two.
“I found research that showed there is a connection. How strong of a connection? It was a significant correlation, but there wasn't enough research that was replicated to show that, so more research needs to be done,” she said. "And, treating subclinical hypothyroidism and thyroid diseases that were autoimmune, the body kind of attacking itself, there was research done that showed since it was subclinical, maybe the patients weren't taking any treatment to start with for their thyroid disease, or they weren't having any symptoms, but just the lab markers showed that they had this. If they were treated with just vitamin D itself then it actually improved those lab markers, which was very interesting because that showed just replenishing and being sufficient with vitamin D can improve the markers of thyroid disease.”
So, what exactly is the right amount of vitamin D? That’s where Carmo said more research needs to be conducted. Adequate vitamin D levels range between 20 to 50 nanograms/milliliters and less than 12 ng/mL indicates a deficiency. According to Dr. Daniel Pavlik, PA program director,
technically below 20 ng/mL is considered deficient but 12 ng/mL is the threshold where interventions would occur.
“More research needs to be done to make a benchmark number to say how much vitamin D is needed because all the research used different vitamin D amounts and symptoms are very subjective, so it's hard to say whether this improved patients’ lives as well. But just showing that the lab markers improved in subclinical hypothyroidism and autoimmune thyroid disease was really cool to see,” she said.
But what Carmo’s early findings did show was that the population over a particular latitude is the most vitamin D deficient. These are the people who could potentially benefit most from more data becoming available on the connection between vitamin D and thyroid disease. “It's 37 degrees latitude, so it would be around Virginia, it would include basically the entirety of Europe, but in the United States, it's the line that runs right across Tennessee…So more than half of the United States,” she said.
Carmo hopes if more data becomes available regarding this topic that it will lead to updated preventative screening guidelines, which don’t currently cover vitamin D as a routine lab marker.
“That's one of the biggest reasons that I wanted to bring attention to it because most people don't get their vitamin D labs drawn because it's not suggested unless you're having symptoms, but the whole basis of my project was subclinical hypothyroidism. You aren't showing symptoms,” Carmo said. “So, if you could prevent diseases from happening before it becomes significant — I think preventative medicine needs more of an emphasis. Currently vitamin D screening is not suggested by the United States preventative task force because there's no agreed upon lab marker for what is actually vitamin D deficient and no proven research to say that you have to be above a certain amount to be ‘sufficient.’ But thyroid disease wasn't examined in that review, so just to change guidelines to say we should look at vitamin D deficiency with thyroid disease, I think that should be the next step for research, ‘Hey, there's a correlation. What does this mean?’”
Carmo warns it’s not as easy as most people think to get the proper amount of vitamin D, especially in northern states like Pennsylvania. In these states, it’s really only the summer months that allow for significant vitamin D absorption through the sun. And even then, if you’re wearing sunblock or covering your skin with clothing, you’re not absorbing the sun. While protection from the sun is also important, these hurdles are what Carmo says puts even more emphasis on vitamin D supplementation.
“It's only a short amount of time, especially in Pennsylvania, that you would actually be able to get enough vitamin D to be sufficient,” Carmo said. “So, supplementing or just trying to get enough from your diet — getting enough in your diet is hard enough because there are only certain foods that would have vitamin D in it — but supplementing with a multivitamin is the best way to go.”


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About twelve hours from now Apple is set to make a big announcement, and the smart money is on it being the Beatles catalogue appearing in the iTunes music store.
Five years ago, this would have been breakthrough news. Legal digital downloading was still struggling to prove itself and each big name that signed on further legitimised the idea of buying music without its plastic box and liner notes. One by one those big names came on board, sometimes reluctantly, and the Beatles went from being the must-have property to being a curious hold-out against the inevitable.
What's being proved today? It's two years since iTunes overtook Walmart as the number one music retailer in the USA, physical or digital. Apple, Amazon and their competitors don't need anybody to reassure them that they're "it", they know already. The Beatles signing up with iTunes might be a personal milestone for Steve Jobs, but outside Apple, even for a huge fan of the group such as myself, it's a bit meh.


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“It’s a big phenomenon before being a business,” Riccardo Pozzoli, cofounder and chief executive officer of The TBS Crew, said of the rise of bloggers, which has in turn given birth to the digital influencer.
Pozzoli played a pivotal role in the creation of one of the most followed fashion bloggers to date, Chiara Ferragni’s The Blonde Salad, as well as parent company The TBS Crew, which operates The Blonde Salad and retail arm Chiara Ferragni Collection. In seven years, The TBS Crew has become a multimillion-dollar business.
“It’s a social revolution because social media now is making people become the media. Not only a person, but if they have content and the right style they can communicate and become a media [channel] for the world and even collaborate with brands,” he continued.
Pozzoli acknowledged that being an influencer and “putting your face on something” has become a great responsibility, specifically for Ferragni, who has seven million Instagram followers and another 500,000 who view her Snapchat stories daily.
Ferragni is the face of a multifaceted business that is split between herself as a brand (she’s become a celebrity in her own right who regularly appears in ad campaigns and covers of magazines), The Blonde Salad as a media site, The Blonde Salad as an e-commerce destination (as of last month), and a contemporary footwear collection that generates millions of dollars in retail sales per year. Ferragni signed a yearlong deal with Pantene for 2016 as a global ambassador with the option to renew for 2017, and starting in February, appeared in TV commercials for the brand in Italy, Spain and Portugal.
Milan-born Ferragni and Pozzoli were at the forefront of the blogger revolution. The two started The Blonde Salad blog while they were in college, dating and spending a cold winter interning in Chicago in 2009. Within two months, page views to the site ranged from 30,000 to 50,000 per day — an indication of early success and Ferragni’s appeal to readers. By 2010, they got to work on building a real business, and today, The TBS Crew employs a team of about 20 people and also manages the career of Ferragni’s little sister, Valentina Ferragni.
But Pozzoli believes that the next iteration of digital influencers, or “2.0” as he referred to it, won’t be nearly as dramatic as the shift the industry experienced when the first fashion and personal style bloggers hit the scene about a decade ago.
It’s already widely accepted that digital influencers are inking major brand deals, and going forward, influencers like Ferragni will continue to carefully grow their brands and deepen relationships with followers and brands even further. For him, the revolution is that “people are media” now, and these individuals must take cues from established media entities — he cited Vogue and Marie Claire — to adopting a professional approach.
Pozzoli said that theblondesalad.com, which shifted from Ferragni’s personal style web site to a lifestyle platform that has an editorial team of six, now garners more than 13 million page views a month. As for the newly launched e-commerce component, which carries exclusive product from 50 brands that created from one to three customized products, half of all stock sold out within one month.


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With a 31 price-to-earnings ratio ($125 billion in market capitalization divided by $4 billion in trailing net income), and consensus expectations of 39% annualized earnings growth over the next five years (which works out to a 0.8 PEG ratio by the way), semiconductor company Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) looks like the very definition of a “Growth At a Reasonable Price,” or “GARP” stock.
And yet, investors may wonder: Why won’t Deutsche Bank recommend buying it?
In a note previewing AMD’s Q4 earnings report, due out next Tuesday, Feb. 1, Deutsche Bank 5-star analyst Ross Seymore explains why despite AMD having a lot going for it, and despite the very high likelihood that AMD is going to report some tremendous sales and earnings growth next week, he still can’t quite bring himself to recommend the stock — and rates AMD a “hold.”
“We expect AMD to deliver a solid report/guide and to provide a robust 2022 outlook on its upcoming earnings call,” predicts Seymore. “Cloud demand” for AMD products remains “robust.” And the fact that Intel reported “lackluster trends” in cloud computing, observes the analyst, was less reflective of any broad trend in the semiconductor industry. Rather, it was “largely the result of continued share shift towards AMD.”
Or put more plainly, AMD is beating Intel in the cloud, stealing Intel’s market share — and Intel’s weakness this is a good thing for AMD, not a bad thing.
Accordingly, Seymore is expecting to see relatively strong results from AMD next week, and strong guidance as well. Although he only expects AMD to meet consensus forecasts for earning ($0.76 per share pro forma), he believes that 15% growth in the company’s Enterprise Embedded and Semi-Custom segment (EESC) segment will help lift Q4 revenue past consensus targets of $4.51 billion, to $4.56 billion instead.
Gross profit margins, on the other hand, are expected to be only 49.5% — in line with management forecasts.
On the subject of guidance, Seymore expects AMD to say that:
Revenues will slump only slightly, sequentially, in Q1 2022, and rise 29% year over year to $4.45 billion.
Gross margins will hold mostly steady at 49.4% in the second quarter.
And pro forma profits will be about $0.71 — slightly ahead of Street projections for $0.70.
Farther out, Seymore thinks investors can expect AMD to continue to rely heavily on EESC growth, as well as Data Center graphics processing units (GPUs) and to a lesser extent Client GPUs, to power 25% or better full year sales growth. Gross margins should hold steady all year long at 49.5% or so, and on the bottom line, the analyst sees AMD ending this year with $3.30 per share in pro forma profits, slightly behind Street predictions of $3.34.
All that being said, Seymore believes that investors in general are leery of investing in growth stocks right now, and therefore may not give AMD full credit either for the growth it produces in Q4, or what it promises in Q1 2022 — or indeed, the growth it expects to achieve over the course of the year. Calling the shares “sufficiently valued at current levels,” Seymore is content to sit tight with a “hold” rating, and perhaps reevaluate after new numbers come out next week. (To watch Seymore’s track record, click here)
So, that’s Deutsche Bank’s view, let’s turn our attention now to rest of the Street: AMD’s 12 Buys and 5 Holds coalesce into a Moderate Buy rating. There’s plenty of upside – 51% to be exact – should the $155.73 average price target be met over the next months. (See AMD stock forecast on TipRanks)
To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’ Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks’ equity insights.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analyst. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.


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Legal victories taste so sweet!
A judge has now issued an injunction preventing Haven Beauty from using any photos at all of the sisters.
However, even with this win, the case is far from being settled. We'll keep you updated!
[Image via WENN.]
Jesus has taken the wheel and he's driving to the nearest beauty supply store!!!
It's just been announced that Carrie Underwood is teaming up with Nicole by OPI for a limited edition nail polish collection!
The collection will feature 14 shades with Carrie-centric names like Southern Charm and American as Apple Pie.
The brand's executive vice president Suzi Weiss-Fischmann explained:
“This is the first time Nicole by OPI has ever designed a signature shade for one of our celebrity partners."
Ha! Take that, every other celeb who's had a collection with OPI!
Sadly, you'll have to wait all the way until January to get your polish-thirsty hands on them, but we're sure you'll be blown away by them when they do arrive!
[Image via Axelle Woussen/BauerGriffinOnline.]


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What’s different about this newly announced NOAA program is not just the potential “big data” scope of the program but the way in which private sector cloud vendors are involved as intermediaries not only to the public but also to potential data vendors and resellers.
It’s common on the social media aiwaves these days to hear Apple pegged as declining due to a “lack of innovation.” Let’s assume that’s true. The question can then be asked, “If that’s the case, what difference does it make and to whom?”
In “How Google plans to rule the computing world through Chrome” Peter Toffel describes a scenario for how Google plans to “take over” desktop computing by running more and more services — some exclusive — through its popular Chrome browser.
In 2010 I posted Sometimes a phone is just a phone and a web site is just a web site. It discussed what I thought at the time was important in a smartphone, e.g., phone service, web access, email — the basics — and was based on recent Blackberry experience and anticipation of getting an iPhone.


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The largest U.S. banks are scrutinizing members of the Federal Reserve for any insight into how the central bank will tinker interest rates.Banksread more
The U.S. and China restarted their trade talks, but signs are showing a comprehensive deal could be a long way off, if it happens at all.Marketsread more
"The charts, as interpreted by Carley Garner, suggest that the upside in the stock market has gotten more limited," Jim Cramer says.Mad Money with Jim Cramerread more
U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Washington and Beijing have a long way to go on trade, adding that America could place tariffs on an additional $325 billion...Asia Marketsread more
Facebook's cryptocurrency project has already been met with skepticism from policymakers around the world.Technologyread more
Stone, 66, a notorious Republican political operative who has described himself as a "dirty trickster," had previously been dressed down by the judge for his public remarks...Politicsread more
Delta is gathering more data from customers than ever in hopes of avoiding customer service problems and increasing customer satisfaction, its CFO says.At Workread more
The Biden team's second-quarter Federal Election Commission filing shows that the campaign wrote a check of just over $5,300 on June 28 to Sheehan Associates for "strategic...2020 Electionsread more
See which stocks are posting big moves after the bell on July 16.Market Insiderread more
While the vote served as a show of solidarity for Democrats, it recommended no substantive penalty against Trump.Politicsread more
United Airlines' second-quarter profit tops estimates but questions about the 737 Max linger.Airlinesread more
While many media outlets focused on the story of Yahoo being a once-great company that was crushed by competition and its CEO Marissa Mayer, Cramer saw a different story emerge from the deal.
"I think this need for a competitive edge is the real story, not whether Marissa Mayer stays or goes — I think she goes — or whether she has done a good job or a bad job managing Yahoo," the "Mad Money " host said.
When Cramer spoke with Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam back in February, McAdam confirmed Verizon's interest in purchasing Yahoo and marrying the assets under the leadership of AOL's Tim Armstrong.
McAdam shared his game plan, and then executed on it because he had to. Verizon needs Yahoo more than any other company in the U.S. right now, Cramer said.
Cramer is an equal opportunity critic of both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump's policies, and the damage they could do to the stock market. He has some major concerns and refuses to be complacent about them.
"I know many of you believe that at least one of these platforms is right for the country, but I'm telling you that neither would be good news for the stock market. They are, in a word, bad, and I don't think you can be complacent about them," the "Mad Money " host said.
With Trump's recent commentary stating that the World Trade Organization is a "disaster" and discussing the repeal of N.A.F.T.A. at the Republican convention, Cramer was concerned.
"Is he trying to make it so the estimates will be slashed for the majority of American companies that sell products overseas? I've got to tell you, if Trump actually does what he says he's going to do, that's what you will get," Cramer said.
Democratic nominee Clinton also presents problems, but in a different way. Among Clinton's economic plans, she proposed a financial transaction tax to reduce high-frequency trading.
"I am not a fan of high-frequency trading, but I sure don't want any sort of transfer tax. We have enough people exiting the market as it is. Throw in this tax on trading, and it will be one more nail in the stock market's coffin," Cramer said.
Cramer spoke with Nucor's chairman and CEO John Ferriola, who confirmed that overcapacity still remains a major challenge for the industry.
"But I'll tell you, things are looking better in terms of our ability to work with our allies and with the United States government to finally get something done on overcapacity," Ferriola said.
With the market in the middle of the most confusing part of earnings season, Cramer warned investors to be extra careful.
Kimberly Clark is the consumer packaged goods company responsible for brands such as Kleenex, Huggies and Scott paper towels. It reported what appeared to be a strong beat on Monday morning, but the stock fell, down almost 2 percent.
Cramer attributed Kimberly Clark's cut to its organic growth forecast as the earnings point that spooked investors. He spoke with Kimberly Clark's chairman and CEO Tom Falk, to find out if the market's judgment was too harsh.
"We had a really solid quarter. Volumes were up 4 percent overall, which I think is the right underlying metric to focus on. Currencies aren't hurting us as bad as we thought at the beginning of the year … With that kind of volume growth, we expect to have a pretty solid year here," Falk said.
Marriott Vacations Worldwide also reported a solid quarter last Thursday, with an earnings beat and raise of its full-year earnings-per-share guidance. Marriott is the vacation rental company spun off by Marriott International five years ago.
When Cramer last spoke with Marriott's CEO Stephen Weisz back in October, the stock had just been slammed hard, down 15 percent following a weaker quarter that was impacted by a strong dollar. Since that time, the stock has roared back 25 percent, and is up more than 35 percent for the year.
Weisz explained the strength of Marriott, stating that competitors such as Airbnb have not taken market share from the company. Instead, its structure to move away from a capital intensive business model has reduced the requirement for customers to provide significant amounts of cash up front for vacation ownership.
"Clearly Airbnb has a place in the business world and they are certainly being successful at what they do, but they really don't compete in our space," Weisz said.
In the Lightning Round, Cramer gave his take on a few caller favorite stocks:
Taser International: "Taser is very, very good. It's a very undervalued company, unfortunately with the conflict going on in so many cities. I'm surprised the stock isn't going higher."
Gartner: "People don't ask enough about Gartner. I think it's doing incredibly well. I think it's very expensive, but you know what? It's got great growth."


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Rose Brand, U.S. Largest Stage-Curtain Supplier, Promotes Social Distancing With Its Campaign: Distance is Resistance
August 19, 2020
The motto is now on items such as masks, T-shirts, and banners to help spread the word about social distancing, while contributing to the GlobalGiving's Coronavirus Relief Fund. It supports frontline responders and people who are most vulnerable to the pandemic.Check out the Distance is Resistance (DIR) Campaign and products at: DistanceIsResistance.com .
THE DIR CAMPAIGN BEGINS
Rose Brand has 400 employees and two locations – Los Angeles, California, and New Jersey. It’s the largest U.S. firm supplying stage curtains, fabrics, printed backdrops, production hardware, and supplies to the entertainment and event industries, officials say. The company has equipped concerts of the famous, such as Elton John and Lady Gaga, and the less famous, such as high school theaters.
In March, President Josh Jacobstein wanted to help lift employee morale as COVID-19 spread and employees were furloughed. The marketing department was tasked with developing a concept.
Marketing Director Louis Peter explains it had certain requirements: A concept that they could digitally print onto a roll of 140-foot-long fabric, placed in the company parking lot, photographed, and then sent to employees.
Rose Brand employees roll out the new campaign in the company parking lot.
“I woke up the next morning with a brainstorm and developed the slogan: Join The Resistance, Keep Your Distance,” Peter writes in an email. “I married the slogan to a patriotic image of the American flag, which was subsequently modified to include Lady Liberty as well.”
The concept became bigger. Officials wanted to encourage people to spread the word about social distancing (a new concept when they initially developed the campaign in March) as well as share the product sales with a COVID-related charity. The company gives 25% of the DIR revenue to charity.
The campaign received nationwide attention when Scripps Media picked up the story and its TV affiliates aired the segment.
See it here: https://www.pix11.com/news/national/coronavirus/theatrical-fabric-supplier-finds-new-mission-in-support-of-social-distancing
ROSE BRAND HISTORY
Rose Brand was created 99 years ago. Peter explains the company initially sold cleaning rags, including those that were used to clean The New York Times printing presses.
CEO George Jacobstein expanded the company in 1975, Peter explains, when it started selling theatrical fabrics and then custom-sewing services for curtains and backdrops. Last year, George’s son, Josh Jacobstein, was appointed president and leads daily operations. Jacobstein senior remains very involved.
“Eventually, we added production supplies to our inventory; a West Coast office and warehouse; an in-house digital printing capacity for large, seamless backdrops; a curtain track manufacturing division, and other technical services,” Peter writes.
Although there’s a reduced staff, Rose Brand still does some business during the pandemic.
“We are currently quite busy, albeit with a vastly reduced staff, in our traditional areas of custom drapery manufacturing and technical services, such as curtain-track manufacturing and installation,” Peter writes in late-August. “We’re fortunate in that we stock much of our fabrics and hardware in-house, so we have had little, if any, supply chain issues on our traditional businesses. We have tons of velour on hand, which we have used to a great extent to fulfill orders related mostly to venue renovations.”
Peter adds: “We are hopeful and fight every day to put ourselves in a position to rehire employees as business returns.”
ROSE BRAND TIMELINE
1921 - Rose Brand opens selling rags in Manhattan.
1970s - Theatrical fabrics added and custom sewing.
1986 - First product catalog published.
1995 - Rose Brand West Facility opens in Los Angeles.
2004 - Rose Brand West moves to larger facility.
2007 - East Coast operations move to Secaucus, New Jersey; Facility space doubles.
2015 – New Jersey facility expanded by 42,000 square feet.
2015 - George Jacobstein celebrates 40 years at Rose Brand.
2015 - Rose Brand acquires Swag Decor, growing its Florida market for event and decor services.
2016 - Rose Brand celebrates 95 years of business.
2017 - Rose Brand West again outgrows its space and moves to larger facility; Rose Brand creates Printhead Studio Digital Printing.
2018 - Rose Brand buys Automatic Devices Company.


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The rumor mills has been grinding that Verizon is going to get a CDMA iPhone. And rumor started to gather in bits and pieces, but now finally we have got an almost confirmed news from major reputed sources like Wall Street Journal that Verizon is going to announce its CDMA iPhone to the public today in a special event.
And invitation for this event has leaked out in the web (find it below)
The even is scheduled on 1-11-11, really a special event.
Every one is expecting Apple CEO Steve Jobs at that event. Lets see when the iPhone hits Verizon stores.
Update: Its officially confirmed by Tim Cook Apple’s Chief Operating Officer that iPhone 4 is available on Verizon.
iPhone 4 is already available in Verizon’s site and Apple has also confirmed it in its official site. rel=“nofollow>
iPhone 4 is available for pre-order online from February 03 onwards.


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Today, Apple launched a 24-hour streaming video channel called Apple Music TV that will harken back to the early days of MTV by playing mostly music videos—but in this case, it's ad-free.
Viewers will be able to watch the channel in either the TV app (on an Apple device like a Mac, iPhone, or Apple TV) or the Music app (it's found in the Browse tab). Additionally, you can find it at apple.co/AppleMusicTV.There is no live chat, there aren't any interactive features, and there's no integration at all with the Apple Music app (like the ability to favorite songs), so users may find the service is barebones compared to some other music-focused streaming offerings.
However, those who just want the return of the early MTV formula of marathoning music videos 24 hours a day with few additional frills will find a lot to like here.
It currently seems like the channel will stream human-curated music videos the vast majority of the time. The opening act for the channel is a marathon of the top 100 music videos streamed on Apple Music. Other special events will follow—like a day-long Bruce Springsteen event featuring videos and interviews on October 22 to coincide with Springsteen's new album. Also, Apple Music TV will debut new music videos each Friday.
Apple Music TV will not require a subscription to Apple Music or Apple TV+, but for now, the channel is only available in the United States, likely due to licensing restrictions.
Offering this channel will give Apple a place to air some of the music-related content it has already produced, though the company hasn't yet said whether it plans to air documentaries (like the award-winning, Spike Jonze-directed Beastie Boys Story on Apple TV+) there.
The channel's availability on hundreds of millions of active Apple devices will also make it a marketing tool for the company, especially in terms of promoting artists that have a relationship with the Apple Music service.
Listing image by Samuel Axon


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Yat Siu, VC Animoca Brands Chairman, has announced that the team will cut down the new Web3 and Metaverse Fund investment to $1 billion for Q1 2023. The new fund is set to target the upcoming or leading Web3 startups and developers in the space.
The side effects of the FTX-Alameda collapse that hit the whole industry haven’t gone yet as Hong Kong’s biggest venture capitalist reduces its investments.
Animoca Brands was among the most successful investment firms in Web3. The company empowered many gaming and NFT projects by supporting them financially. It also survived the two big market crashes, showing its stability in the industry.
In a Twitter Spaces session with Bloomberg, Siu shared that Web3 Fund generated around $1 billion. He is currently discussing this with potential investors for the growth of blockchain-based metaverse and NFT startups.
The new fund will target talented developers and give them a chance to showcase their work to be part of Animoca Brands’ projects.
Last year, Animoca made 216 funding deals amounting to $2 billion, according to Nasdaq’s report.
Siu and his team have shown quite a good pace regarding investments. When FTX collapsed, he expressed his worries about the overall reputation damage. But Animoca Brands seems to be recovering that image by promoting the optimistic side of development, currently needed in the space.
Last year in December, Siu in an interview shared that he would raise $2 billion with Animoca Capital. Nonetheless, he expressed his optimism about moving forward with the existing money for investment and development.


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Wearable computing technology is nothing new in the movies; think James Bond watches or -- okay, this is a stretch -- the wired colander brain scanner Rick Moranis wore in Ghostbusters. But in the real world, wearable tech has not made much of a dent yet with consumers or business. The exception is the healthcare industry, where wearable devices, particularly Google Glass, seem to have found their first enthusiastic home.
Today's wearable tech movement got its start with Nike+ technology, which began as sensors in running shoes designed to track performance. That was in 2006, when Nike and Apple teamed up on the first killer collaboration for a wearable technology, the Nike+iPod Sport Kit.
So it should come as no surprise that fitness is where the wearables sector did most of its early growing, with occasional forays into vests and jackets that contained torn-down laptops connected to heads up display goggles -- and the truly unfortunate keyboard pants.
Then Google came out of left field with Google Glass, slightly cumbersome-looking eyewear that functions as a wearable computer when paired with a smartphone that has a reliable cellular connection to the Internet.
While late-night talk-show hosts made comic hay with nerd jokes, Google couldn't keep the developer-and-press-only Glass in stock, even at $1,500 a pop for a very early beta product. That's because developers and entrepreneurs appreciated the potential of having an augmented reality display available while you were doing your job -- be it as a field technician accessing an online repair manual or a doctor calling up a patient's record during an exam. Explore our slideshow to see five innovative ways healthcare is using Google Glass and other wearable tech.
Image credit: gbfans.com


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A specially decorated Royal Mail postbox featuring the first ever commercially produced Christmas card was unveiled in Bath today (December 1).
The one-of-a-kind postbox in Lower Borough Walls honours Sir Henry Cole, who was born in the city in 1808 and commissioned the first festive card.
As a distinguished civil servant, he played a key role in the development of the Penny Post under Rowland Hill, and later became the first director of the Victoria & Albert Museum.
In 1843, Sir Henry commissioned John C Horsley to design the Christmas card, which featured Cole and friends enjoying “Old English festivity”.
One thousand cards were produced using a lithographic printing technique and then hand coloured.
Once Sir Henry had sent all the cards he required, the rest were made available for purchase. They cost 6d (sixpence) each, making them a luxury item at the time.
Wera Hobhouse, MP for Bath, said: “It is great to see this special postbox commemorating the first ever commercially produced Christmas card.
“Sir Henry Cole had a lifelong interest in art and design, and it is wonderful that this piece of Christmas history is being celebrated in the city where Sir Henry was born.
“I am sure the residents and visitors to Bath will enjoy using this unique postbox over the Christmas period.”
The card that Sir Henry commissioned is recognised as the first commercially produced Christmas card ever made.
It led the way for an industry that now sees over 1.13 billion Christmas cards being purchased in the UK each year, according the Greetings Card Association.
Recent Royal Mail research confirmed that the appeal of Christmas cards has endured in the digital age, with almost 80 per cent of people saying they prefer to receive a physical card over an e-card.
Bath Delivery Office manager Matt Curtis said: “It is fascinating to hear that a figure like Sir Henry helped usher in both the modern postal system and the modern Christmas card.
“It just goes to show what a special role Royal Mail has played in delivering Christmas for over 500 years. All of us at Bath Delivery Office and around the country are proud to continue this role today.
“As Christmas is our busiest time of year, we would encourage our customers to beat the rush this year and get their Christmas mail posted early.”
The Bath Chronicle has launched a WhatsApp group to help you keep up to date with the latest news. If you'd like to receive breaking news alerts, save the number 07939 497390 to your phone - we recommend saving the contact as 'Bath Chronicle News' - then send the word NEWS to us via WhatsApp. We will send you a maximum of four messages a day and your phone number won't be shared with other members of the group or used for any other purpose.


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KCC chairman Chung Mong-jin has officially announced his intent to acquire U.S. silicone maker Momentive Performance Materials Inc.
Chung issued a personal statement on Sept. 4 to make it clear that KCC Corp., South Korea's largest maker of building materials, will push to take over Momentive as planned.
According to investment banking (IB) industry sources, Chung has decided to come to the front as concerns are growing in the market about KCC’s takeover plan. Skeptics note that the company lacks experience in merger and acquisition (M&A) and may not be able to raise funds required to purchase the U.S. company.
Chung issued a press release after the stock market closed, saying, “KCC is very serious about acquiring Momentive. KCC will carefully review all related issues and thoroughly prepare for the M&A.”
Considering the fact that a company usually don’t show its hand until the last minute of completing an M&A procedure, Chung’s remarks are truly exceptional, according to industry analysts. A source who is well-informed with the internal matters of KCC, said, “Chung has led the M&A plan and made his bid for victory.”
However, the IB industry’s negative view of this acquisition is one thing Chung has to overcome. Momentive, formerly General Electric Silicone, was created from the sale of General Electric (GE) Advanced Materials and its former joint ventures GE Bayer Silicones and GE Toshiba Silicones to Apollo Management, L.P. in December 2006. The company has been running business for 75 years and posted 2.6 trillion won (US$2.33 billion) in sales as of the end of last year. Momentive is the world’s second or third largest producer of silicones and silicone derivatives with a great number of original technology patents.
In contrast, KCC’s silicone business is in its infancy compared to the company’s businesses related to building materials and paints, which post trillions of won in sales. An official from the IB industry said, “It is impossible to know how large KCC’s silicone business is, as it is categorized as ‘other’ business in its financial statements. But the securities industry estimates its sales at about 200 billion won to 300 billion won (US$178.97 million to US$268.46 million). The latest takeover battle is like David trying to gobble up Goliath.” In addition, the fact that KCC has no notable track record in the M&A market under Chung’s leadership strengthens the negative outlook for the latest acquisition .
However, KCC says that there is no problem with the acquisition since it has sufficient cash assets. In regard to concerns over the company’s financing capabilities, Chung said, “There is a risk of specifying the whole process of the M&A because we are participating in a takeover battle in the form of a consortium consisting of KCC, SJL Partners and Wonik and are dealing with one of the top firms in the global market. KCC is now trying to find the best means to riase more than 1 trillion won (US$894.85 million) of payment guarantee while closely discussing it with SJL Partners and financial institutions such as banks and investment firms. The company has very sound financial status and is planning to secure funds for the acquisition in various ways, including cashable assets.”
When KCC succeeds in taking over Momentive, its annual consolidated sales are expected to nearly double to 6 trillion (US$5.37 billion) from 3.4 trillion won (US$3.04 billion) as of 2017. Particularly, KCC, which has been developing and producing silicone manufacturing technologies on its own for the first time in the domestic industry, will be able to consolidate its position in the global market, beyond the simple expansion of the silicone business. An official from KCC said, “With the acquisition of Momentive, we can complete the business portfolio ranging from advanced materials to paints, glasses, flooring materials and doors and windows, based on the main silicone business. So we will expand our business not only to the domestic market but also the global market.”