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Update, July 20: The Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce has affirmed its commitment to the “I’m In” campaign.
“We took the Georgia Safety Promise to show our commitment to creating a safe environment for employees, businesses and chamber members,” said Kit Dunlap, president & CEO of the of the Greater Hall Chamber in a news release Monday, July 20. “We’re in, as we reopen safely so we can stay open for business in Georgia.”
Original story: Gov. Brian Kemp has launched a safety program for Georgia businesses, asking them to voluntarily commit to taking precautions to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and use that commitment as a marketing tool.
Businesses that commit to the Georgia Safety Promise voluntarily agree to follow guidelines from the Governor’s Office and the Georgia Department of Public Health, including social distancing, wearing face coverings, cleaning surfaces, and washing and sanitizing hands. Participating businesses will get a digital toolkit to promote their participation, including social media posts and signage for their business.
“As we continue to fight COVID-19, we want to ensure Georgia businesses and the public are abiding by public health guidance in order to keep Georgia healthy and open for business,” Kemp said in a statement. “The Georgia Safety Promise is a pledge between business owners and the public to join together to maintain a safe environment.”
Karen Bremer, CEO of the Georgia Restaurant Association, said she hopes businesses take advantage of the program.
“Now is a vital time for businesses to do everything they can to boost and restore consumer and employee confidence,” Bremer said in a statement. “Businesses can think of the Georgia Safety Promise as a complimentary marketing asset that will help communicate your commitment to your patrons’ health and well-being.”
According to the Governor’s Office, the program has gained support from the Georgia Department of Economic Development, Georgia Department of Public Health, Georgia Bankers Association, Georgia Hotel & Lodging Association, Georgia Retailers Association, Georgia Restaurant Association and Georgia NFIB, a small business association.
Businesses can sign up at Georgia.org/SafetyPromise.


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BOOM! Studios announced that BRZRKR #1, the historic premiere issue of the original comic book series from the iconic Keanu Reeves and New York Times bestselling co-writer Matt Kindt (Folklords, Bang!), acclaimed artist Ron Garney (Wolverine, Captain America), colorist Bill Crabtree (BPRD), and letterer Clem Robins (Hellboy), about an immortal being’s eternal struggle with the hidden truth behind his existence, has sold out at the distributor level! The inaugural issue has already sold over 615,000 copies at the distributor level, making it the highest-selling original comic book launch in almost thirty years.
In response to the overwhelming support from retailers and fans, BOOM! Studios has announced the BRZRKR #1 SECOND PRINTING with brand new variant cover art by series artist Ron Garney.
The man known only as B. is half-mortal and half-god, cursed and compelled to violence…even at the sacrifice of his sanity. But after wandering the world for centuries, B. may have finally found a refuge – working for the U.S. government to fight the battles too violent and too dangerous for anyone else. In exchange, B. will be granted the one thing he desires – the truth about his endless blood-soaked existence…and how to end it.
BRZRKR #1 SECOND PRINTING will be ON THE SHELF April 7, 2021. If you a digital comic person then you can grab your Comixology copy using the link below.
Thank you for the support.
In The meantime, Don’t forget to like, share and subscribe to all things Constant Collectible to keep you up to date with news & reviews from a world of GEEK CULTURE. Our email is firstname.lastname@example.org and we will be back next time where we will find out what is ON THE SHELF.
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The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has issued a public notification regarding the discovery of counterfeit Chloroquine Phosphate tablets in circulation.
In an official statement released, NAFDAC indicated that the falsified product, found lacking Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API), was procured from an informal dispensary in Jos, Plateau State.
Despite bearing a counterfeit NAFDAC Registration Number (04-8769), it is crucial to emphasize that this product is not registered by NAFDAC and does not feature in its database of authorized pharmaceuticals.
NAFDAC has initiated nationwide surveillance, urging all state offices to monitor and confiscate any batches of the fraudulent medication.
NAFDAC further advised the public to cease sales or usage of these counterfeit tablets and promptly surrender any stock to the nearest NAFDAC office for further investigation and disposal.
The staement read, “NAFDAC is notifying the public of the sale of a falsified brand of Chloroquine Phosphate tablets.
The fake product was discovered and purchased from an informal dispensary in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. TLC screening conducted on the tablets revealed that the product contains no Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient.
Though the falsified product was observed to carry NAFDAC Registration Number 04-8769, it should be noted that the product is not registered by NAFDAC and is not in the NAFDAC database of registered products.
This product may have been distributed to several parts of the country through legal and illegal channels.
Consequently, NAFDAC has directed all state offices to conduct surveillance and mop up all violating batches of the product.
Members of the public in possession of the above-mentioned product are advised to discontinue sale or use and submit stock to the nearest NAFDAC office.”
By Ruth Sekyi – Public Sector Global


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Canada Pension Plan Investment Board decreased its stake in shares of Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE) by 1.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 4,995,171 shares of the footwear maker’s stock after selling 85,814 shares during the period. Nike comprises about 0.8% of Canada Pension Plan Investment Board’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 27th biggest holding. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board owned about 0.31% of Nike worth $423,191,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of NKE. Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in Nike in the second quarter worth about $104,000. BDO Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Nike by 1,044.3% in the second quarter. BDO Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,396 shares of the footwear maker’s stock worth $111,000 after acquiring an additional 1,274 shares during the last quarter. Stelac Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Nike in the third quarter worth about $115,000. CSat Investment Advisory L.P. bought a new position in Nike in the second quarter worth about $119,000. Finally, Polaris Greystone Financial Group LLC bought a new position in Nike in the third quarter worth about $119,000. 64.72% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
In related news, EVP Monique S. Matheson sold 17,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.15, for a total transaction of $1,413,550.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 104,737 shares in the company, valued at $8,708,881.55. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Johnathan A. Rodgers sold 16,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.05, for a total transaction of $1,360,800.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 26,963 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,293,203.15. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 50,000 shares of company stock worth $4,219,350 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.
Nike (NYSE:NKE) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, September 25th. The footwear maker reported $0.67 EPS for the quarter, beating the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.63 by $0.04. Nike had a net margin of 5.57% and a return on equity of 40.69%. The business had revenue of $9.95 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.92 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.57 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Nike Inc will post 2.62 EPS for the current year.
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, December 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.23%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 30th. This is a positive change from Nike’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. Nike’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 33.06%.
A number of equities analysts have issued reports on NKE shares. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Nike in a report on Thursday, September 13th. HSBC set a $92.00 target price on shares of Nike and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, September 6th. Daiwa Capital Markets set a $85.00 target price on shares of Nike and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 1st. Pivotal Research set a $85.00 target price on shares of Nike and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, September 21st. Finally, Oppenheimer raised shares of Nike from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $90.00 target price on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 18th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have issued a hold rating and twenty-four have issued a buy rating to the stock. The company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $85.74.
TRADEMARK VIOLATION WARNING: “Nike Inc (NKE) Shares Sold by Canada Pension Plan Investment Board” was first published by WKRB News and is owned by of WKRB News. If you are accessing this piece of content on another website, it was copied illegally and republished in violation of U.S. & international trademark & copyright law. The correct version of this piece of content can be accessed at https://www.wkrb13.com/2018/11/25/nike-inc-nke-shares-sold-by-canada-pension-plan-investment-board.html.
Nike Company Profile
NIKE, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, markets, and sells athletic footwear, apparel, equipment, and accessories worldwide. The company offers NIKE brand products in six categories: running, NIKE basketball, the Jordan brand, football, training, and sportswear. It also markets products designed for kids, as well as for other athletic and recreational uses, such as American football, baseball, cricket, lacrosse, skateboarding, tennis, volleyball, wrestling, walking, and outdoor activities; and apparel with licensed college and professional team and league logos, as well as sells sports apparel.
Featured Article: Why investors pay attention to retained earnings
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On Saturday, about 1,200 personnel of a factory unit in Srirangapatna affiliated to the most significant clothing manufacturer and exporter, Gokaldas Exports, had been laid off. The business has informed the personnel that they would be specified a part of the salary for the next two months. The garment workers’ union is predicting closure of the factory ultimately. At least 4 apparel production units in Bengaluru, of Backyard Town Manner, Sonal Garments, Texport Industries and Punith Creations, have shut their functions or laid off fifty percent their workforce in the past two-three months, according to the workers’ union and industry insiders. Numerous factories are envisioned to tread the exact same path.
Garment factories in Karnataka make use of extra than four lakh personnel, largely ladies, and the uncertainty and layoffs are very likely to have an affect on countless numbers of family members who are dependent the industry for livelihood.
Some of the industry associates ET spoke to reported it may possibly consider at least six months for demand to decide up. Due to the fact a considerable range of Indian apparel companies source goods to overseas customers, the factories resuming functions in full scale will mostly count on the sector behaviour in Europe and the US.
“There are problems mostly pushed by end-user demand. Most of the retailers abroad are just about reopening and it is extremely early to see how the demand will decide up. There is an apprehension that the financial crisis may perhaps press customers to be conservative. There could be extra demand for minimal-value garments than significant-value apparel,” reported the CEO of a top rated fabric production business, who did not wish to be named.
Meanwhile, some companies are building adjustments to their solution traces as they resume functions.
At Mandhana Industries in Peenya industrial location that employs about 1,000 personnel, fifty percent the workforce is back again at get the job done. Like lots of other garment units, Mandhana too has briefly switched to building PPEs that include facemask for top rated brands like Wildcraft, and full physique fits. “We will resume functions in full scale when we get new orders from our customers overseas,” reported common supervisor Rajashekhar Murthy M.
The business managed to export 20,000 items of apparel to Sweden and Spain in the course of the lockdown, but export price has now improved, Murthy reported, as the pandemic has impacted air and sea freight services as very well, driving up tariffs. “Earlier, the cargo fees had been a hundred and forty for every kg, but it has doubled now. Also, our customers are asking for a thirty% price reduction since of the slipping demand across the world. It is not feasible,” he reported.
The industry is hoping to get some visibility on the sector in six months. “We can not predict how quickly the demand will grow. But, hopefully we will get an concept about the sector revival in the next six months,” reported Naseer Humayun, the honorary secretary (south) of the Clothing Suppliers Affiliation of India.


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China's Golden Week Travel
Travel bookings for one of China's busiest holidays, the October 1 National Day Golden Week are gathering speed in Beijing.
Overseas travel and vacation bookings began in early August and the first wave hit by the end of the month, 20 days earlier than last year, Family vacation bookings dominate the Golden Week market. Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Italy and other European hot spots are almost half booked already. Some travel agencies have decided to push some less popular destinations such as Israel, Jordan and Tunisia. For example, some travel agencies have opened bookings for a "Holy Land" vacation to Israel. Tourists will visit Jerusalem, the Dead Sea and other attractions in the Middle East. Prices range from 16,800 to 22,600 yuan.
Taiwan has become the latest favorite spot since July this year after the mainland and Taiwan signed an agreement in June to boost transport and tourism links. Thirteen cities and provinces have received the green light to travel to Taiwan, Jinmen, Mazu and Penghu. Travelers from the mainland can only go on scheduled charter flights.
Most Taiwan travel packages range from six to eight days, with prices from 6,800 to 9,400 yuan.
Apart from new destinations, some travel agencies expect ocean passenger liners to yield remarkable profits in the first post-Olympic holiday.
First introduced earlier this year, passenger ocean liner tourism is getting a good response from young and well-off travelers.
A single booking for a five-star liner to Japan and Korea costs 5,299 yuan. The Ocean liners to Europe, Mexico and Caribbean Sea cost more than 20,000 yuan. Some luxury cruise plans are priced at 29,999 yuan or more.
Travelers are expected to pay 10 percent more for their trips in the National Day holiday than during the summer. Higher fuel oil taxes, strong demand for flights, and hotel rooms are pushing up prices.
Tourism slumped heavily in the first half of the year due to the snowstorm in southern China and the earthquake in Sichuan. The outbound tourist flow hit its lowest point in the summer when many travelers opted to stay home and watch the Beijing Olympic Games.
Most travel agencies expect tourist traffic to rebound during Golden Week and the Chinese New Year early next year.
However, the overall domestic tourism picture doesn't look good.
Due to a lower demand for Golden Week, many agencies are offering 400-500 yuan discounts to attract budget-conscious domestic travelers.


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Though the Stem Cell industry is a new practice on a global platform, it’s less known that the first stem cells were discovered in human cord blood in the year 1978. Major discoveries on the subject have taken place since then. Today, the industry is well known as both developed and developing nations are working on adopting it extensively.
The upgraded technology – Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) were staged in 2006 for the first time in world medical history. Since the discovery of iPSCs, its products are sold in huge volumes worldwide. The segment has recorded an annual growth rate of 14.7%. The researchers (22% of them) who self-report on stem cell products have admitted to have used iPSCs within the research work.
In the initial stage, there were only 2 companies providing iPSCs research products. Within a year this count increased to seven companies and since then there has been an explosive growth. The increase in the industry is displayed on a year-on-year basis above.


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Archive for March, 2016
Save USB Drives As An ImageNexcopy Releases Free Image File Creation Tool To Their Reliable Registry Cleaning Tool; USB Scrub
Household 3D PrintingThe 3D printer for the average consumer is here and it goes by the name of OLO. Shattering its Kickstarter goal in a matter of hours, OLO is a device designed to work in tandem with a smartphone to create a fully functional 3D printer. The reason for its surprising success? Backers can now have a 3D printer in their home for just $99.
Self-Adjusting EyewearA new use for the phases of liquid crystal, changing the nature of eyewear, and even pushing the boundaries of the mechanic assisting the organic. DeepOptics is looking to accomplish all of the above and more with a new omnifocal which adjusts in response to the activity of our eyes.
Home Integration from AmazonResponsive robots may have begun as a dream and subsequently a Jetsons character but as we get closer to the broadly defined sci-fi “future”, more and more of those futuristic ideas are becoming a reality. Alongside Apple’s Siri, and Microsoft’s Cortana, the Amazon Echo features a similar computational companion, Alexa.
The AlphaGo AI VS. The Strongest Go Player in the WorldIt’s over 2500 years old and the rules are deceptively simple, but Go is an incredibly complex game. The rules are simpler than those of chess, but a player typically has a much more vast choice of moves. The game is played with white and black stones and the aim is to capture territory as well as your opponent’s pieces. Stones can be captured by surrounding them but the control of the board is a much more complicated matter which is why a true competitive AI has been rather difficult to create. In a landmark victory against the European champion in October it was proven that the efforts of the DeepMind team and subsequently Google’s efforts on the AlphaGo project had found success in what had been thought impossible since the early years of computing.
Glove-like Controller from SonyWith the advent of Virtual Reality consoles upon us, now is as good a time as any for accessories which can be used in tandem with the technological leap. Electronics giant Sony has recently filed for a trio of patents and they look to be taking VR to an interesting new place.
Quick Tips to Increase Wi-Fi EfficiencySlow internet connections can turn the most innocent web browsing session into an absolute struggle to maintain sanity but luckily there are a variety of steps available to increase speeds once again.
Custom USBs At Your FingertipsBranding products isn’t a new concept in today’s marketing world, but Nexcopy has made it a lot more accessible to brand one of the most versatile pieces of technology in the industry. With the new USB7P full color inkjet printer, anyone can bring their designs or images to life on their flash drives. Check out the video illustrating the product with its features and benefits.
A Breath of Fresh…
Helium?The gas most commonly associated with balloons and chipmunk voices has recently seen use in Western Digital’s hardware. The memory provider unveiled a new set of their helium-filled drives this week, aimed at personal and small business use. While some of their sizing options are above and beyond what many users would care for, bringing these kinds of options beyond just server use can be a step in an uplifting direction.


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Jan Ballandt now Sales Director Europe
The sales engineer has already been responsible at JAEGGI for the regions Southern and Eastern Germany from 2008 onwards. On 1 January 2018, he took over the position as Sales Director Europe at the renowned manufacturer for hybrid dry coolers and condensers.
Jan Ballandt graduated from BA Riesa (vocational college) with a supply engineering degree and has, in addition to his technical background as project manager also for major building engineering projects, many years of experience in sales. His goal as Sales Director Europe is to consolidate JAEGGI's sales activities and to expand them across Europe.


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METHUEN — When voters step into the voting booth on Tuesday, Nov. 2, they will be doing more than just casting ballots for mayor, City Council and School Committee members. Residents are also being asked to decide if — five years after voting down the legalization of marijuana in Methuen in 2016 — cannabis should be allowed in the community.
Voters will be asked to approve retail, cultivation and delivery of cannabis in the city.
The ballot question reads as follows: “Should the City of Methuen enact local legislation allowing the cultivation, transportation, and sale of marijuana/cannabis for all purposes presently deemed legal in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, including, without limitation, adult recreational use, within the City of Methuen.” Voters are asked to vote ‘yes’ or ‘no.’
In the 2016 election, 11,050 Methuen voters voted to legalize marijuana, while 11,869 did not support the ballot measure, a difference of 819 votes.
If the ballot question passes Nov. 2, local leaders would begin to draft and pass an ordinance as to how, when and where cannabis is allowed in the city. Zones would also need to be mapped out to limit where licensed marijuana establishments could be located in the city. Then, businesses interested in coming to Methuen would enter into host community agreements with the city and be granted special permits. All cannabis businesses must also be fully licensed by the state Cannabis Control Commission before opening.
A local Cannabis Policy Working Group was established in 2018 by then-Mayor James Jajuga to discuss details related to marijuana in Methuen. That group included city stakeholders from the planning, police and legal departments, among others.
In 2019, that group surveyed more than 1,000 residents about their thoughts on cannabis.
The survey indicated that 57% of residents strongly agreed or agreed with allowing marijuana retailers to open in Methuen; 55% strongly agreed or agreed with allowing marijuana cultivators to open in Methuen and 55% strongly agreed or agreed with allowing marijuana manufacturers to open in Methuen.
The survey said that residents favored locations that were industrially zoned as well as the business zones along Merrimack Street, Pelham Street, Lowell Street and Pleasant Valley Street.
At that time, the city went through a lengthy process of creating an ordinance and zoning rules and restrictions, but there was enough opposition that the proposal was withdrawn by one of its authors, then-Council President James McCarty.
Joel Faretra represents Methuen’s central district, and says allowing cannabis in the city could prove a “huge” financial boost through revenue and job creation.
“Our location makes Methuen desirable for either retail, cultivation or delivery service. With the access to Interstates 93 and 495, we have an advantage over our neighbors, which is why many in the industry would want to come to Methuen,” Faretra said. “Any time a desirable business comes to the city, it provides a boost to those businesses around it. Whether it’s getting a meal, picking up groceries or running other errands, people will do other business while in the city.”
“Everyone wants a Wegmans or a Trader Joe’s in Methuen, but if they wanted to set up shop here, they would have by now. This industry is looking to come to Methuen,” Faretra added, pointing to the 3% tax paid on products that would stay in the host community. “Shops in Haverhill are writing checks for $300,000 to their city.”
One such business owner keeping an eye on the Nov. 2 vote is Andre Colon. Colon, who lives in Methuen, is the CEO of True House Cannabis, a company he said he hopes will provide safe, quality-controlled and tested marijuana to locals. Colon said that if the ballot question passes, he hopes to enter into a host community agreement with the city.
“Individuals can benefit from medicinal cannabis and if we can help educate the public on safe cannabis use, we can help heal communities,” Colon said. “People that buy off the black market don’t know what they are putting into their bodies: They can be buying cannabis that could have been contaminated or have mold.”
Those in opposition to allowing cannabis in Methuen include Linda Soucy, the founder of the Methuen Arlington Neighborhood, Inc. nonprofit, which aims to assist local children and families in one of Methuen’s inner-city neighborhoods.
Calling marijuana a “gateway drug,” Soucy believes approving cannabis will have an impact on Methuen youths.
“It’s sending the wrong message to the children of our community that it is okay to sell drugs in Methuen and if the city allows it, how could it be harmful to them,” Soucy said.
Councilor-at-Large Jessica Finocchiaro hopes that residents make sure to read the fine print before voting on Nov. 2.
“Using the term ‘without limitation’ with no specific plans or information on where these locations would be or any other details is not a fair, equitable, or transparent plan,” Finocchiaro said. “As someone who has lost close family and friends to addiction, and as an elected official who has seen things go truly wrong in government firsthand, I’m concerned about unintended consequences with this overly broad language.”
Others, however, say residents need not look further than neighboring communities like Haverhill or Amesbury to see the benefits cannabis dispensaries have provided to their host communities.
“Nearly two years of legal cannabis sales (in other communities) provides Methuen voters with excellent data to inform their vote,” said James Borghesani, communications director for the 2016 legalization campaign and a current industry consultant. “There have been no sales to minors, no increase in teen use, no increase in emergency room visits, no increase in crimes around dispensaries and no increase in public safety or public health costs to communities. The biggest issue is towns deciding how to spend the significant new stream of tax revenue from these businesses.”
Methuen Mayor Neil Perry, who said he voted in favor of cannabis in 2016, said he will act in accordance with the will of the community. He also underscored the difference between the legal and illegal drug trade.
“It’s an opportunity that’s bypassing us,” Perry said. “I’m not saying we set up retail shops — I want to be clear on that — but I think there’s a prevailing thought that if we open up distribution, we’re going to open up (the city) to the illegal drug trade. People who are buying it illegally are going to still buy it illegally. This is going to be housewives and your everyday people.”


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The boom is not over yet: 10 regions positioned for further growth
While housing values in Sydney and Melbourne are declining, an expert has highlighted that there are markets across the ...
A regulator warns property investors to be cautious of investment schemes, citing a string of recent legal actions against property promoters.
The NSW Department of Fair Trading this week issued a warning over property investment schemes, stating that regulators are putting ‘property spruikers’ on notice.
NSW Fair Trading Commissioner Rod Stowe said so-called ‘property promoters’ need to be aware of the financial and legal penalties they can face if they disregard consumer rights.
“We are sending the message to the industry that they have to act fairly with consumers or face action by consumer law regulators using the Australian Consumer Law,” Mr Stowe said.
He said that one of the most common tactics used by unlawful property spruikers was to mislead consumers about the benefits of an investment.
“Regulators across Australia have initiated court action to stop promoters who promise financial benefits they cannot deliver, or who fail to tell people about their cooling-off rights to get out of a service they were pressured into buying at a ‘free’ seminar.”
According to the department, 10 entities and their associates faced legal action following investigations by consumer law regulators between 2013 and 2015.
These cases involved:
• No Loan Home Pty Ltd, trading as’s Easyhomes WA, Filip Butkovic, Nikola Butkovic, Patricia Susilo, Bryan Susilo and Rowan Lines (led by Consumer Protection Western Australia)
• We Buy Houses Pty Ltd and its director Rick Otton (led by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in a coordinated investigation with NSW Fair Trading)
• Benjamin David Chislett, Creative Property Australia Pty Ltd and Benny Bull Pty Ltd (led by Consumer Affairs Victoria)
Fair Trading urged prospective investors to conduct their own research and seek independent financial and legal advice before engaging in any transactions with property scheme promoters.


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The average cost of weddings has gone up and OMG, we spend a lot of money getting married
For the people who know they want to get married someday, thinking about how much it costs can give you a little bit of a headache — because weddings are anything but cheap. The Knot has just released some new data that proves we’re actually spending more money than ever before on weddings, so it might be time to start saving up if you want to get hitched.
Ever year since 2006, The Knot has conducted a Real Weddings Study, in which they gather all kinds of information about weddings across the country, how much they cost, what the money is being spent on, etc. This year, they found that from the 13,000 couples they surveyed across the country, Americans are spending an average of $35,329 on their weddings.
Compared to 2015, when the average was $32,641, the average cost has increased $2,688.
Keep in mind this doesn’t even include the honeymoon! Of course, it depends on where you’re getting married. For example, an everyday wedding in L.A. costs around $44,000, but you can tie the knot in Tennessee for around $27,000. No matter where you are, though, there seems to be an increase in all prices, whether we’re talking flowers, catering, or venue.
On average across the board, a photographer costs around $2,783, the reception band is $4,156, and the cake is $582. Couples are most concerned these days with personalization of just about everything, as well as an “unforgettable” guest experience, so they’ll dish out the cash for things like food trucks, photo booths, gospel choirs, and live portrait artists.
Probably because brides and grooms are more concerned with quality over quantity these days, the average head count at a wedding has decreased from 149 in 2009 to 141 in 2016. At the same time, though, the average cost per guest has gone up. It was $194 in 2009, and now it’s $245.
Whatever your wedding flavor is, keep in mind you don’t have to spend an exorbitant amount on your big day if you don’t want to. There are definitely cheap options out there, and these numbers are just an average at the end of the day.


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2014 nissan nv200 mobility taxi
Nissan has been making hay with its NV200 light commercial vehicle in New York. We've known since last year that the van will see service as a taxi in the Big Apple, and more recently, we learned that a variant will be kicking around to rescue ailing Gibson guitars. At its press conference this ...


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Prof. Marcelle Machluf joined ATS board members and supporters at the Fall National Board Meeting in Chicago and discussed pioneering research in the Technion’s Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, the only one in Israel, and the Carasso FoodTech Innovation Center. Researchers at the Technion are developing high-protein food alternatives such as milk produced without cows, honey without bees, and falafels made from seaweed, as well as food packaging that is biodegradable and will keep food fresher longer. In November 2022, Prof. Machluf also launched Meatafora. The foodtech startup grows meat directly from animal cells in a scalable, affordable, and sustainable process without harming animals.
After Prof. Machluf’s presentation, she and Prof. Wayne Kaplan held a dialogue on the future of food and answered questions about Israel and the Technion’s position as a global leaders in the field.
A full video of Prof. Machluf’s presentation and Q&A with Prof. Kaplan is below.
Historic Gift to Establish Stewart and Lynda Resnick Sustainability Center for Catalysis at the Technion
H2Pro’s Hydrogen Deal: “A Milestone in Moroccan-Israeli Relations”
Could Food Tech be an Antidote to Climate Change?
Turning Barren Lands into Forests Won’t Reverse Climate Change


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Lily Robotics, which three years ago set out to create a flying camera, is shutting up shop and returning $34m to customers who had placed pre-orders.
The firm announced yesterday that it had conceded defeat in its race against the "clock of ever-diminishing funds" despite the capital raised for the $899 camera-copter.
Lily Robotics said it was winding the company down because it simply hadn't managed to secure the necessary financing to manufacture its first units, in but the latest whimper of the heralded quadcopter camera market.
GoPro's shares nosedived last year following a terrible third-quarter revenue report, and a recall of its Karma camera drone after reports that several units had lost power mid-flight.
In 2015, the company behind the troubled ZANO nano-drone project pulled the plug, leaving thousands of Kickstarter backers in the lurch, and the hotly anticipated Drone Racing League™ has fallen somewhat short of eclipsing other spectator sports.
Lily had reckoned it was on to a winner with what it called "the world's first throw-and-shoot camera", pitching that all consumers had to do was "throw it in the air to start shooting" as the copter "flies itself and uses GPS and computer vision to follow you around".
Alas, the company stated that an automatic refunding process will be taking place over the next 60 days, and will be directed to the payment card used for the original transaction. Those whose cards have expired will need to fill out a form. ®


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The lengthy development of the ambitious crowdfunding space simulator Star Citizen from the Cloud Imperium Games (CIG) studio progressed a little further the day before. This time – before Alpha version 3.20.
The Fully Loaded content update released on September 20th brought a major overhaul to Arena Commander, the largest since its launch in 2014.
Version 3.20 includes new maps for races, air battles and skirmishes, experimental modes (Gun Rush, Tank Royale, Mirror Match and others), locations, missions, automated cargo transfer and a new packaging system.
Among other things, the patch added new spaceships to Star Citizen, including the “legendary” cargo ship MISC Hull C. The purchase will cost the user $500 – real, not virtual.
The 3.20 release trailer also promises travel capability “Seamlessly between worlds”. fans spotted This is a swipe from CIG at Bethesda’s space role-playing game Starfield, which does not have such an option.
Fundraising for the development of Star Citizen began back in 2012. Ten years later, the Cloud Imperium Games project is considered one of the most controversial in the history of the industry – even the developers were accused of fraud.
What you can’t take away from Star Citizen is the amount of donations for the creation and development of the game. At the end of August the figure was over $600 million, and at the time of publication it reached 3.20 million thanks to the efforts of just 4.8 million investors (the average contribution was more than $125). 604 million dollars.


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One of the most popular Metal Gear Solid fan remakes is now getting shut down. There is no telling why (whether the volunteers decided to quit or if they got into some copyright issues with Konami). Shadow Moses, the team that is responsible for the remake has decided to end the run of the Metal Gear Solid remake action. Based on how they have decided to drop everything and close shop makes me think that they may have been approached with some copyright issues, and decided to take the safe route.
There is no telling if we will see another action video game that comes close to Metal Gear Solid’s stealthy play. Until then we are sure that Konami will try to keep an eye on possible remakes and find ways to keep the MGS gamer fanbase happy.


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Teva will exit the mountain-bike category by the end of 2014, just three years after the outdoor and lifestyle brand introduced its first freeride shoe, the Links.
The reason, according to Teva's PR manager Jaime Eschette, is to allow the brand to better position itself to focus on its core business as it heads into its 30th anniversary next year.
Eschette said the company made the decision shortly after Interbike and began telling its athletes immediately following Rampage. Shoes that are already in production, like the Pivot, Links and Pinner, will be available through the end of next year. The Virgin, the sticky rubber mid-sole shoe that is still in the prototype stage, won't make it to market. Teva is also ending sponsorship of all its international and regional competitions.
The news is disappointing not only because the product was solid (Bike’s editor Brice Minnigh selected the clipless Pivots as his favorite shoes of the year in the upcoming December issue), but also because Teva had quickly made a name for itself in the industry. From the get-go, it committed to sponsorship of marquee events such as the Best Trick Showdown at Crankworx in Whistler and the slopestyle contest at the Queenstown Bike Festival, and funded a freeride team of influential athletes like Jeff Lenosky, Cam McCaul, Kurt Sorge and Kelly McGarry, who just backflipped his way into second place at Rampage.
Lenosky, who helped Teva design the Links and was essentially the face of the brand when it launched into mountain biking in 2011, said neither the athletes nor Teva's internal product and marketing team, saw this decision coming. Joel Heath, the former president of Teva and a staunch supporter of the mountain-bike category, was replaced by a new president shortly before Interbike, but the company said that leadership change bore no impact on the decision.
Lenosky said he always felt like Teva was very committed to the category, and that the company was in it for the long-haul as he developed and promoted his signature Links shoe and the Pivot.
"I kind of feel like that guy who brought my friend to the party and vouched for him, and then my friend ends up being a jerk," Lenosky said.
That's not to make light of the difficulty of the decision to bow out of mountain biking, which was no doubt extremely tough, but Teva is owned by a publicly traded company (Deckers Corporation) and thus, must answer to shareholders. Perhaps sales of the shoes weren't as robust as leaders had hoped—shoes are notoriously difficult to sell through independent bike shops, ask any sales rep for any shoe brand—and Eschette said Teva was still in the infancy of building its network of brick-and-mortar customers. Most sales were through Teva.com.
Although it may have seemed like a quick decision, Eschette said discussions about the future of bike actually occurred off and on over the years.
"The bike program in itself has always been a labor of a lot of peoples' passions within our team," Eschette said. "It's something that's super close to a lot of us personally. The way the industry supported us, it's been amazing. We didn't make this change out of anything other than a business decision."


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Fossil Fuels' Link To Climate Change Behind Calls For Custom Warning Labels
Custom warning labels are a feature on many products used throughout day-to-day life. However, Canadian consumers may receive a shock the next time they fill up on fuel - and this time it's not in relation to the price of gas.
The Centre for Social Innovation recently called for warning labels to be affixed to gas pump nozzles in an effort to raise awareness among consumers about the environmental dangers presented by using such fuels.
"The future of the planet is literally in the palm of your hand (when you pick up the nozzle)," Robert Shirkey, lawyer and founder of Our Horizon, said according to The Canadian Press. "Imagine if we see these labels every time, how long will it be before we demand more from government institutions."
Custom Warning Stickers Would Feature Endangered Wildlife Our Horizon, the organization behind the call for custom warning stickers, said the labels would alert consumers to the link between fuel consumption and environmental damage.
The pictures depicted on the labels would show at-risk arctic caribou, hungry families in Africa and an unhappy-looking child.


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April Fools' Day 2015 has arrived, and Microsoft is already making a lot of waves with its MS-DOS Mobile app. However, that's not all the company is doing to celebrate the day. Here's a look at what Microsoft and other Windows-related companies are doing to loosen up today.
Shake to Save on OneDrive (New)
The OneDrive crew took to Twitter to share their joke: Shake to Save. The idea is you take a selfie and then shake your phone at the clouds to save it to OneDrive. Although it sounds kind of lame, the video they posted was quite funny.
Cute Cloud on Bing.com
The Internet is already flooded with cute cats pictures and videos, so Microsoft decided to up the ante with the "Cute Cloud" page on Bing, with links to image search results feature lots of cute cats and other animals. The Bing.com homepage in the US has a video clip of three adorable kittens today as well.
Cute Cloud page on Bing
Clippy is now available as open source for today only
Yes, you can download the C++ code used to create the annoying Office assistant for today only on the GitHub website
Get the Windows Central Newsletter
All the latest news, reviews, and guides for Windows and Xbox diehards.
Office for Cats 2016 preview
Continuing the "cute cats" theme, the Office Twitter page says that it has released a 2016 preview of a suite of apps for cats like "PowerPounce, OneNap and Meow." Spoiler alert: There are no real downloads for this.
Bing UK launches Palm Search technology
If you live in the UK, your version of Bing is now enabled with "Palm Search" technology, where you place your hand on the screen to search for stuff with your brain. Actually, that's not true but it does sound cool.
Outlook.com's new ground service
The Outlook.com Twitter page has announced this "new" ground service for emails. Somehow, we don't think this will catch on.
Tweetium's April Fools' Day features
Our favorite third-party Windows Phone and Windows 8.1 app Tweetium has some special April Fools' Day features for people who both love and hate the day.
Download Tweetium for Windows Phone 8.1 ($2.99, buy once, buy everywhere)
Download Tweetium for Windows 8.1 ($2.99, buy once, buy everywhere)
Skype's non-April Fools' Day
Skype's Twitter feed tries to launch an April Fools' Day joke but then decides it's not worth the bother.
Did we miss any official Microsoft April Fool's Day jokes or gags? Let us know in comments and we'll add it later!


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Sometimes you find a great deal when your out “thrifting”. How about this one? A painting purchased for $4.09 from a donation center for household goods in South River, Ontario, was subsequently discovered to have been painted by David Bowie in 1977. The painting is now up for auction, and the auction house says the painting, titled D Head XLVI, is part of a series the singer created between 1994 and 1997. The painting is being sold as part of Cowley Abbott’s International Art Online Auction and is expected to fetch a high bid of $9,000 to $12,000. Check it out!
The president of Cowley Abbott Fine Art in Toronto says a quick valuation pegs it at between $9,000 and $12,000; however, at recent auctions, other paintings by Bowie have fetched over $30,000. https://t.co/QUnZdWreFN
— CBC News (@CBCNews) June 15, 2021


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14 January, 2023 - 17 January, 2023
Riva del Garda, Italy
01 February, 2023 - 02 February, 2023
New York, United States
13 March, 2023 - 15 March, 2023
22 April, 2023 - 26 April, 2023
North Carolina, USA
17 June, 2023 - 20 June, 2023
Riva del Garda , Italy
Stephan Winkelmann returns to Automobili Lamborghini as the new President and CEO, effective December 1, 2020.
Stephan Winkelmann succeeds Stefano Domenicali, who will take over as CEO of Formula 1 from 2021. According to Lamborghini, during his time as President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini from 2005 to 2016, Winkelmann transformed the company into a global leader among super sports car manufacturers. “Under his leadership, iconic and cutting-edge models were introduced, starting from the derivatives of the Gallardo and ranging through introductions of the V10 Huracán and V12 Aventador, as well as limited editions and one-offs, setting numerous new sales records”, said the manufacturer. The Super SUV Urus was announced in 2015, thus marking the beginning of a new era for the company.
Since joining Automobili Lamborghini in 2016, Stefano Domenicali is said to have continued the process of transformation with the introduction of the Super SUV Urus in 2018 and a significant growth of the brand on the world stage. Over the last four years, the production site in Sant’Agata Bolognese has doubled, more than 700 employees have been hired, and a total of 8,205 units were delivered to customers, marking a doubling of volumes in comparison to the period before introduction of the Urus. Lamborghini said that sales records were set in all three principal market areas of the Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific, with a turnover of €1.81 billion in 2019.


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Prices for goods on the web ongoing to slow in May perhaps, in accordance to new data from Adobe launched on Thursday.
In May possibly 2022, on the internet rates elevated 2% year-over-calendar year, down from 2.9% in April and the history 3.6% enhance in March, according to the Adobe Digital Value Index (DPI).
Additional from Footwear Information
Though this month marks two total several years of inflation on line, Might is the 2nd month the place on line selling price boosts have slowed, Adobe stated. The bulk of classes tracked by the DPI (10 out of 18) noticed thirty day period-in excess of-month value decreases in Might.
Price ranges for electronics and clothing — significant classes that manufactured up 33% of the e-commerce commit in 2021 — have ongoing to draw down, Adobe noted. Price ranges for clothing, exclusively, improved 9% year-more than-year, but were down from the 12.3% increase observed in April.
There is however no reduction for foods and other family essentials, on the other hand. According to Adobe, online grocery charges have not eased, climbing 11.7% 12 months-in excess of-year — a record increase for the category. This is the initial month where by prices for groceries have risen the most of any classification, overtaking attire.
In May perhaps, shoppers expended $78.8 billion on the internet, which represents 7.1% progress 12 months-above-12 months, Adobe mentioned. It is about $1 billion extra than the month prior, when customers put in $77.8 billion on the web, and beneath the $83.1 billion that was spent in March. According to Adobe, in 2022 so far, consumers have invested a whole of $377.6 billion on-line, expanding 8.9% calendar year-over-year.
“Despite the modest improve in consumer expending on the web, an uncertain economic weather and increasing costs in core places like groceries are placing a damper on over-all demand,” Patrick Brown, VP of progress marketing and insights at Adobe, stated in a assertion. “Slower consumer spending on discretionary items has pushed slower, solitary digit e-commerce development considering that March, and this pullback mirrors the easing in on the web inflation.”
Adobe’s details echoes the quantities the Bureau of Labor Stats produced for April past month. The bureau stated that although shopper costs rose by 8.4% in April, this variety was down from the 8.5% development in March, which represented the optimum inflation rate given that the 12-thirty day period interval ending in December 1981.
Within footwear, costs grew 4.7% in April as opposed to very last calendar year, in accordance to details from the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA). This marks the slowest progress in the very last nine months, trailing driving March’s 6.6% increase and February’s 7% enhance. On the other hand, charges are still growing at quicker fees than common.
Men’s footwear was up 2.5%, women’s was up 6.4% and kids’ was up 5%. Footwear price ranges are up 6.1% yr-to-day compared with the to start with four months of 2021.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ pricing data for Might is anticipated to be launched on Friday.
Very best of Footwear Information


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WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - U.S. consumer confidence bounced back in November as gasoline prices retreated, the Conference Board said Tuesday.
The consumer confidence index jumped 13.7 points to 98.9 in November from a revised 85.2 in October. It was the largest jump since just after the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Read the full report.
Economists expected an increase to about 90, according to a survey conducted by MarketWatch. See Economic Calendar.
All three economic reports released on Tuesday were far more robust than expected. New home sales jumped 13% to a record 1.42 million annual pace in October. See full story. Orders for durable goods rose 3.4% in October. See full story.
Treasurys fell sharply on the strong economic news. U.S. stocks continued to rally. See Market Snapshot.
"Nothing in this data suggests to us that the economy is on the verge of slowing sharply in the near future," said Drew Matus, an economist for Lehman Bros. "This means that we also continue to expect more tightening from the Fed."
Consumer confidence had fallen in September and October as hurricanes whipped the economy, driving gasoline prices to historic levels and depressing job growth.
The confidence index peaked at 106.2 in June before rising energy prices pushed it down to 105.5 in August. Hurricane Katrina struck on Aug. 29, pushing up gasoline prices even further.
"The shock of the hurricanes and subsequent leap in gas prices has begun wearing off just in time for the holiday season," said Lynn Franco, director of consumer research at the private research organization.
"Despite this latest boost in confidence, holiday spending will be driven by the bargains consumers have come to expect," Franco said.
"The consumer never really missed a beat, and now attitudes are beginning to catch up to reality," said Stephen Stanley, chief economist for RBS Greenwich Capital. "Once again, watch what they do, not what they say."
Average retail gasoline prices fell from $2.97 per gallon at the beginning of October to $2.20 at the end of November, according to the Energy Department.
The present situation index rose to 114.0 in November from 107.8 in October. It was at 123.8 in August.
The expectations index surged to 88.8 in November from 70.1 in October. It's the biggest increase since April 2003. The expectations index was at 93.3 in August.
Consumers' assessment of the economy improved in November. The percentage saying the economy is bad fell to 17.3% from 18.4%, while the number saying it is good rose to 25.5% from 23.3%.
The labor market is also improving, the survey suggests. The number saying jobs are plentiful was nearly unchanged at 20.8%, but the number saying jobs are hard to get fell to 23.2% from 25.3%.
Expectations also improved significantly. The percentage expecting the labor market to improve rose to 14.2% from 12.3%, while the percentage expecting fewer jobs plunged to 17.7% from 24%.


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Paper or plastic will soon be paper nor plastic.
That's because as of March 1, plastic bags will be illegal statewide in New York, making what was once a staple in all grocery stores a soon-to-be relic.
"This is another step to saving our Earth, saving our city," said NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio at an event in Union Square, where he was handing out neon-colored reusable bags — of which the city has already given out 800,000.
De Blasio said that having reusable bags is not a new concept, but rather something that until 50 years ago all previous generations always had done.
“New Yorkers, we have another alternative for you or you can choose one of your own," he said. "These bags are going to help us have a clean earth and a future for our kids and grandchildren."
But the bag ban meant to cut down on trash and litter is making many deli and bodega owners across NYC uneasy. In fact, an association of 6,000 convenience store owners statewide opposes the state's efforts to allow stores to hand out only thick, reusable plastic bags that the industry says it can't yet produce. They are backing a lawsuit to try and block the ban.
The are a few exemptions to the new law. Bags used for restaurant takeout food, plastic bags used to wrap meat or fish, and bags used for prepared food will all still be allowed. Additionally, bags meant for newspapers, garments and trash are exempt.
Single-use paper bags will still be allowed, but counties have the option of imposing a 5-cent fee.
And while the bill is designed to reduce waste, some are now questioning how they are going to take care of their animal's waste.
"I pick it up with a plastic bag. What am I going to do now that we can’t," said dog walker Kristen Suarez, who was walking canine named Chili. "That’s a good question. I haven’t thought out it."
One thing Suarez did know: Paper is certainly not a viable option.
Although the law it set to take effect this Sunday, New York state will wait until April 1 to penalize stores that violate the ban, the state's top environmental official said Friday.
Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said Friday that the state has agreed to delay enforcement as it fights the lawsuit in Albany County court.
"We have consistently said since the beginning of our outreach campaign that we will focus on education rather than enforcement and today does not change that," Seggos said.
The state has planned to enforce the ban by issuing a warning to retailers who violate the law for the first time. Retailers could eventually face a $250 fine for a subsequent violation, and a $500 fine for violations in the same calendar year.
New York's ban has also drawn criticism from environmental groups who don't want New York to allow any plastic bags at all.
The law passed last April bars many types of businesses from using the thin plastic bags that have been clogging up landfills, getting tangled in trees and accumulating in lakes and seas.
State environmental officials are encouraging New Yorkers to start using reusable bags often made out of canvas or polyester. The state said it has purchased over a quarter-million reusable bags to give out to food pantries and shelters.


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Starting a national conversation around food
3 min read
We have great opportunities before us. Our departure from the Common Agricultural Policy has allowed us to put in place a whole new system of support for farmers and growers. We were clear in our manifesto that we want people at home and abroad to be lining up to buy British.
We will be launching our food white paper, and our independent trade policy will open up new opportunities for UK food producers and manufacturers.
During the pandemic, the food sector has gone above and beyond. In what has been the greatest health challenge this country has faced in our lifetime, those who provide our food have worked around the clock to keep the nation fed – in our fields, our fish markets, processing plants, factories, wholesalers, stores, takeaways, and all those moving goods around the country and to our homes.
The pandemic has also highlighted the vital role that farmers and food manufacturers have to play in delivering our food security.
The food sector is also central when it comes to the government’s “levelling up” agenda. Food and drink is the biggest manufacturing sector in the UK – bigger than the automotive and aerospace industries combined. And it is more evenly dispersed across the country.
Food manufacturers provide employment, they offer apprenticeships and opportunities for the next generation, they invest in research and development, and they give local areas a real sense of identity.
There are often misconceptions about what goes on behind the factory door, but the jobs available are often highly-skilled, technical and offer good opportunities for progression.
I am very much on a mission to ensure we are encouraging people to buy British
From Melton Mowbray pork pies to Wensleydale cheese, Cornish clotted cream, Welsh salt marsh lamb, and Scottish salmon, we have so many fantastic food manufacturers. I am really looking forward to getting out and about at the agricultural shows this year, meeting more small businesses and talking to them about the opportunities ahead – and of course eating their products.
We want to boost UK agri-food exports and showcase our fantastic produce around the world. We have already announced we are adding eight new agri-food attachés in priority markets to help secure access for a great range of products. They will cover the US, India and the Asia-Pacific region, among others.
At home, I am very much on a mission to ensure we are encouraging people to buy British. With our upcoming white paper, we have the opportunity to rethink the food system to make sure everyone has access to high-quality, nutritious and sustainable food. There are some challenging issues to grapple with, including public procurement, and the growing interest of consumers in the environment.
During the pandemic, people became very aware of supply chains, where their food comes from, and how it is produced. Television programmes such as Clarkson’s Farm, which broke records for Amazon Prime Video when it began a year ago, have inspired a renewed interest in farming and how we grow our food.
It’s fair to say there are exciting times ahead and our conversation about food is only just beginning.
Victoria Prentis is Conservative MP for Banbury, and minister of state for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Get the inside track on what MPs and Peers are talking about. Sign up to The House's morning email for the latest insight and reaction from Parliamentarians, policy-makers and organisations.


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Meanwhile, relocating may interest workers but not if it means a pay cut
Canada’s employment situation will be increasingly in focus this year as businesses are forced to face stark realities.
Although the Bank of Canada is confident that the economy will enjoy a boost from the summer, that may come too late for many independent businesses who are hanging on only because of government support programs.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) warned Thursday that 181,000 small business owners are considering closing permanently, risking more than 2.4 million jobs.
One in three businesses in the high-contact sectors such as hospitality and gyms are most likely to be considering pulling the plug.
"Although there is still time for business owners to reverse course if conditions improve, it is alarming to see an increasing number considering permanent closure, compared to our first estimate last summer. We are not headed in the right direction and each week that passes without improvement on the business front pushes more owners to make that final decision. The more businesses that disappear, the more jobs we will lose and the harder it will be for the economy to recover," said Simon Gaudreault, Senior Director of National Research at CFIB.
The latest ADP Canada jobs report shows that 28,000 jobs were lost in December 2020 with goods producers and professional services suffering the largest declines. Financial services lost almost 5,000.
Pay beats location
Despite growing demand for relocating to less-populated areas, fuelled by the pandemic, professionals are not prepared to reduce their income.
A new report from Robert Half Canada shows that 44% of professionals would consider relocating if their employer would allow long-term remote working, but only 16% would be willing to take a pay cut to do so.
In the survey, around one third of respondents wanted to relocate for a change of scenery or for a lower cost of living. But 84% would not move if it meant a reduced salary.
It has been suggested that those working from home should be taxed for the privilege once the pandemic ends.


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This payment solution is implemented by HSBC bank across all Cinépolis outlets.
Rodrigo Perez Morales, CFO, Cinépolis India further added “Our patrons can now watch movies without worrying about the cash payment as UPI will smoothly allow the transition to a cashless economy by providing a unique identity (VPA) for any consumer holding a smart phone and a bank account.”
Devang Sampat, Director – India Strategic Initiatives, Cinépolis India said, “We are delighted to partner with HSBC India and launch Unified Payments Interface across all our properties. UPI allows users to send and receive money through their smartphones with the help of VPA (Virtual Payment Address). Patrons will just have to share their VPA at the booking counter and they will receive one notification on their mobile app to approve the transaction. In future, we will keep on adding new digital mode of payments at Cinépolis to give our patrons options to transact digitally.”
Earlier this month, ET reported that digital payments through UPI had continued its surge even after the end of demonetisation-induced cash shortage.
The payment system witnessed almost 20% jump to Rs 2,000 crore in March, up from Rs 1,660 crore in January. This growth is driven majorly by the government-promoted BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) and non-bank payment apps such as PhonePe and Trupay, industry experts say.
While a majority of UPI transactions are coming from P2P (peer-to-peer) payments and remittances, the share of merchant transactions is expected to go up sharply after the full scale rollout of BharatQR — a common QR code developed by all major card payment companies to enable digital payments without card swiping machines — and UPI@PoS — or, point-of-sale machines configured to enable payment via UPI without swiping cards.


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Since the beginning of 2020 Tom Bisset, Superintendent Pharmacist at Ward Green Pharmacy has been working with the Cegedim pharmacy product team on the development of new Pharmacy Manager features.
Blog from Cegedim Healthcare Solutions
We are working together with you – pharmacy representatives, on this amazing journey to evolve Pharmacy Manager and create a solution that transforms day to day activity throughout pharmacy.
The importance of fast, accurate and trusted communication came into sharp focus during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Flu vaccinations have become an important service for pharmacies in recent years. See how Cegedim can help your pharmacy during this year flu campaign
In a post Covid-19 world, pharmacy has become ever more important. Read how Pharmacy Manager PMR has supported pharmacy in a dispersed, rural community.
With the launch in July, see how Pharmacy Manager PMR functionality has been updated
We’ve put together some top tips with our in-house experts to ensure you get the best from your PC
Continuous, incremental enhancements to Pharmacy Manager have delivered real benefits to Hodgson Pharmacy
To support our customers, we have launched our new Learning Zone initiative, free for all existing and new Pharmacy Manager users.
Shabbir Jafferali, owner of Wilmshurst Pharmacy has been using Nexphase for many years, he has recently made the move to Pharmacy Manager and is delighted.
Pharmacy teams have been at the centre of the NHS’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic. From me and everyone at Cegedim – THANK YOU.
Patients are depending on their community pharmacy and here are more examples of how we are supporting pharmacies during this pandemic


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This article is more than 1 year old
eBay wins partial victory over Craigslist
This was never going to end well
eBay has won a partial victory in its long-running court case against Craigslist - a Delaware court ruled in its favour over the dilution of its shares in the free ads firm but said it did not have a right to a seat on the board.
The case centred on eBay's right to elect a board member and the effective dilution of eBay's stake in the firm when it issued more shares in response to eBay starting a competing free online ads service - Kijiji.com. The two founders asked eBay to sell them back its shares when it moved into free ads.
When it refused they decided to issue more shares and act to keep eBay out of company board meetings.
The Delaware court yesterday ruled that this rights issue was illegal, and reinstated eBay's shareholding. But it ruled Craigslist's move to keep eBay off the board of directors, with access to confidential information, was fair.
Chancellor William Chandler said in his opinion that the two made a strange marriage. "The two companies are a study in contrasts, with different business strategies, different cultures, and different perspectives on what it means to run a successful business. It is curious these two companies ever formed a business relationship."
He noted that Craigslist employs just 34 staff and operates from a Victorian house in a residential area of San Francisco and has kept its community-service approach to business. eBay meanwhile employs 16,000 staff, has a formal management structure and "maintains a constant focus on monetization, turning online products into revenue streams".
The judge also summarised the internal row between Craigslist's three main shareholders, Jim Buckmaster, Craig Newmark and Phillip Knowlton. Knowlton began agitating to increase profits back in 2002.
Knowlton made clear if his demands were not met he would seek to sell his shares to an organisation which would aim to destroy Craigslist. Knowlton then began to punt his shares around several companies including Google, Warburg Pincus, Yahoo! and salon.com.
In 2004 eBay got involved and paid $32m for a 28.4 per cent stake - $16m to Knowlton and $8m each to Buckmaster and Newmark as compensation, and leaving them with 29 per cent and 42.6 per cent of the company respectively. The deal gave eBay the right to elect one of the three board members.
From the very start it seems the two were pulling in different directions - Craigslist expected eBay to stay out of free online advertising and respect its culture. eBay viewed its minority stake as merely a stepping stone to a full takeover of Craigslist which it believed had “tremendous untapped monetization potential”.
The falling out got worse - by 2008 eBay was buying craigslist as an AdWord on Google. But anyone clicking on the search result was sent to Kijiji.com.


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Mack Weldon continues to grow its assortment.
The men’s innerwear brand is launching the 1285 performance sock, named after its first New York office address, which was located inside a law firm.
“The lawyers surrounding us loved our socks, but often requested a version more appropriate for fine dress shoes and suits,” said Brian Berger, Mack Weldon’s chief executive officer and founder. “Socks are a core part of our assortment, including everyday and no show. So doing something in the dress category was a natural extension for our business.”
The sock, which retails for $24 and will be available on May 17, is made from a finer, 200 needle blend of Pima cotton and X Static Silver, an anti-microbial fiber that prevents odor and regulates heat. Mack Weldon also uses this fiber in its underwear and T-shirts. The socks will have a longer profile than the brand’s other options and a foot band to keep them in place.
According to Berger, the brand has already received interest in the new style with more than 1,000 preorders. “There is demand for this style across our customer base,” he said.


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As the petrol scarcity across the country continues to linger, oil marketers have accused the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited of politicising the supply process and making vain promises.
The oil marketers under the aegis of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria said despite the assurances from the Managing Director of the NNPCL Retail, Hubb Stocksman, in December that they would receive direct product supply at the government-regulated price of N148/litre from this month.
“We have yet to see any product supply. Well, the man (Stockman) has been in Nigeria for some time now and is probably beating us to our game. He’s playing politics and we don’t see the situation abating soonest,” the Chairman of Satellite Depot, IPMAN, Akin Akinrinade, told The PUNCH.
The IPMAN official said this as fuel queues worsened on Wednesday.
Akinrinade added that marketers as of last Friday bought products from the depots at between N235-N240 per litre, saying there was no way they would sell products below N270/litre even within the Lagos metropolis.
On what could be the lasting solution to fuel scarcity, he advised the Federal Government to revive the refineries to enable local production.
“The lasting solution is for the refineries to start functioning and we begin local refining,” he said.
Also speaking, the National Operations Controller of IPMAN, Mike Osatuyi, told The PUNCH that the removal of fuel subsidy and deregulation was the key to resolving the fuel scarcity menace.
“The permanent solution is to deregulate and remove subsidies. Allow the market to be a free market, where marketers other than the NNPC will be able to bring in products. Since the government said the subsidy would be removed in June, let’s wait and see, but until then, we have to manage,” he told The PUNCH over the phone.
The Chairman of the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, Olumide Adeosun, also said the deregulation of the downstream sector would eradicate fuel scarcity.
“Having subsidised PMS for so long, Nigerian institutions now have a diminished capacity to deal with the current local energy crisis. A disruption in any part of the supply chain causes ripple effects and results in queues at stations. As a country, we must begin the process of price deregulation to reduce this inefficient subsidy,” he said.
According to him, if the country wishes to implement a subsidy, it must be in areas targeted to help those it should help such as in agriculture and transportation to reduce food inflation and generate more jobs for Nigerians.
He said, “We must find a way to liberalise supply. We must bring transparency and competition into supply to ensure steadier, more efficient supply at optimum prices. Imported products must compete with locally refined products to find a meeting point between the need for local refining and competitively low but cost-recovered prices for Nigerians for sustainability.
“The exploration, production, refining of crude oil and the distribution of refined products is an international business with ebbs and flows and has specific models, guidelines, rules, and norms designed to protect and sustain consumers of this type of energy and populations impacted by its supply chain. The government and the industry in Nigeria must demonstrably apply this accepted health, safety, environmental protection, and quality norms to be seen to care for its local populations. To cut corners would be irresponsible, unaccountable, and unsustainable.”
Long fuel queues were still seen across Lagos on Wednesday. Some motorists were seen queuing up for N170 per litre of fuel at stations belonging to MOMAN members, but stations belonging to IPMAN members rarely had customers, as those who could afford products sold for N250/litre and above, were seen freely driving in and out of their (IPMAN) stations.
Findings showed that while MOMAN members get fuel directly from NNPCL at a government-deregulated price of N148/litre, IPMAN members patronise private depots where prices are determined by market indices.
The Executive Secretary for the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria, Olufemi Adewole, had told The PUNCH that just like the NNPCL, its members were on a “recover all” regime, adding that its members faced high costs of renting vessels, illegal fees, lack of forex at Central Bank of Nigeria’s official rate among others, as reasons behind increasing prices of products.
The spokesperson for NNPCL, Garba Deen, could not be reached on his official line for his comment on the lingering fuel crises.


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Redundancies expected at JLG Maasmechelen
By Maria Hadlow28 January 2011
Continuing low demand in Europe could force JLG to cut the workforce at its Maasmechelen plant in Belgium by over a third. As many as 109 of the 279 current staff could lose their jobs.
At a meeting of the Works Council on 27 January the management of JLG Maasmechelen announced its intention to carry out redundancies at the facility.
JLG said that despite drastic cost cuts and the introduction of temporary unemployment in recent years, additional changes may be unavoidable. It said 101 blue collar and eight white collar jobs at Maasmechelen could be lost.
The plant assembles booms, scissors and telehandlers, including handlers produced for Caterpillar under the manufacturing alliance between JLG and Cat.
JLG's owner, Oshkosh, said in its latest quarterly results (see separate story) that it had made a US$11.3 million charge for planned cost cutting actions in the European access division.
The company said that although some economic recovery was expected in Europe, the access market has not yet rebounded and JLG Maasmechelen had a much lower sales order book than in previous years.
JLG has begun procedures under the so called 'Renault Act', starting with a consultation on collective dismissal plans followed by negotiations.
Robbert Monteban, JLG's director of marketing EAME (Europe, Africa and Middle East) said, "It goes without saying that during this consultation period we aim to operate as 'business as usual' and customers can rely upon [JLG's] superior service level."
JLG Maasmechelen is part of JLG Industries Inc, part of Oshkosh Corp.


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Congress is considering privacy legislation — be afraid
By Jeff Sovern
May 17, 2019
Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis called privacy the “right to be let alone.” Perhaps Congress should give states trying to protect consumer data the same right.
For years, a gridlocked Congress ignored privacy, apart from occasionally scolding companies such as Equifax and Marriott after their major data breaches. In its absence, states have taken the lead in experimenting with privacy-related laws.
[…] Read more


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Blackberry has officially unveiled its new all-touch smartphone as it ramps up attempts to claw back its share of the market.
Featuring BlackBerry 10 OS version 10.2, the new all-touch BlackBerry Z30 smartphone, comes with a 13cm display and the largest battery ever to be built into a BlackBerry smartphone.
It also boasts technology designed to boost connectivity in low-signal areas.
The BlackBerry Z30 features a 5″ AMOLED display with 720p resolution, faster chipset, more battery life (with a bigger battery and software enhancements in BB OS 10.2).
The Z30 also boasts a new antenna design and stereo speakers with Natural Sound tech.
The new OS version also has some enhancements to the already impressive messaging capabilities of BlackBerry OS 10. The Hub has grown a Priority section that learns who in your messaging history is important and collects priority messages from all accounts (email, social networking and other sources). BBM Now and Message Preview give you a peek at new messages without having to leave the app and you can even respond to BBM messages.
BlackBerry’s announcement comes two days before Apple’s new iPhone hits shelves on Friday.
Latest findings from market research firm Kantar Worldpanel ComTech show BlackBerry had been the third most popular operating system (OS) this time last year, but sales have tailed off – commanding just 3.5 per cent of the market share, down from 11 per cent in Britain a year ago.
Blackberry’s Carlo Chiarello said the new smartphone built on the solid foundation of the BlackBerry 10 platform with features like the BlackBerry Hub, the touchscreen keyboard and industry-leading browser.
“The smartphone rounds out the BlackBerry 10 portfolio and is designed for people looking for a smartphone that excels at communications, messaging and productivity,” she said.
The Z30 will be available from select carriers and retailers in the UK and Middle East from the beginning of next week, with availability being rolled out in all other regions going into the holiday season.
Queues of eager customers have already formed in readiness for Apple’s new 5S device, said to be twice as fast as its predecessor, which allows users to unlock their phone with the touch of a finger.


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How One Tiny Manly Cafe Is Fighting Single-Use Waste, One Coffee Cup at a Time
Never mind a 50-cent incentive — this tiny Manly cafe will knock $1.50 off your coffee if you bring a reusable cup.
June 20, 2022
Situated a couple of streets back from surfer haven Manly Beach, Deus Ex Machina's tiny cafe-retail space doesn't look like much at first glance. It's a light-washed timber-filled corner, with expansive open windows that welcomes in morning sun. There's a smattering of outdoor stools where locals clutch bright red coffee cups, and most of the time, there is a four-legged friend peering over the coffee window, desperate to catch a glimpse (and a pat) from their favourite barista.
All of this is somewhat standard in Sydney's vibrant coffee scene. What is unusual about Deus is its commitment to reducing single-use waste, which has culminated in giving patrons $1.50 off coffee, as long as they bring a reusable cup.
Owner of Deus Manly, Roland Davies, has worked as a barista for over a decade and says the discount has seen an unprecedented number of BYO cups come through their doors.
"I've always had quite a hard time feeling responsible for the amount of single-use cups I'm sending out, standing on a coffee machine. Even though it's not me ordering them, and I can't force people to use reusable," Davies says.
Now, Davis estimates at least one in three coffees go into an environmentally-friendly cup. "Being able to run my own business, I could do exactly what I wanted to do which is really reward the people who bring their own cups," Davies explains.
Deus Manly also has their own collection of glass jars, which are wrapped in recycled neoprene sleeves. The makeshift KeepCups are ideal for keeping hot coffees warm, and the team will give the jars away if their regular caffeine-loving patrons forget their own BYO.
"If I see people who are coming in, and just don't know where to get one — we give a lot of those away. We distribute a lot of those cups, or if people forget their cups once in a blue moon," Davis says.
The issue of disposable coffee cups is no storm in a teacup either, with an estimated 1 billion coffee cups ending up in landfill across Australia every year. 300 million of those cups can be attributed to New South Wales alone.
There's been a push across New South Wales and Australia more broadly to reduce the amount of single-use plastics by 2025. Supermarkets were one of the first to implement charges for single-use plastic bags, and soon, thick plastic carriers will be phased out in order to make way for their environmentally-friendly, reusable counterparts.
When asked if he would consider charging customers for disposable coffee cups, Davis is firm: "I deeply, deeply disagree with this [idea]."
"I did think about this for a while — as far as charging for packaging instead of discounting for not using packaging, but this is hospitality after all. People don't want to be lectured, people don't want to be told what to do, or made to feel bad," Davis explains. "Going about it in a punitive way like that is not a sensible move in my opinion. There's so much psychological research to show that people's behaviour changes a lot more meaningfully after positive reinforcement than with negative reinforcement."
As for Deus Manly's generous $1.50 discount, Davis has no intention of dropping the incentive anytime soon. So the next time you're in Manly, or if you're a local looking to support a feel-good business doing the environment a solid, pop your head into Deus.
Deus Manly is located at 1/18 Raglan Street, Manly. They are open Monday–Saturday, from 6:30am—2pm.


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How did we all miss this one!? We now know that a port of Sonic Generations, intended for Sony’s PSP handheld, was once in active development – thanks to a long-undiscovered Facebook post from a video game preservation group that claims to have a debug build of the game.Continue reading 2017 Facebook Post Detailing ‘Sonic Generations’ PSP Port Surfaces
A digital games curator at the Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, New York has unveiled details about a Sonic game for the PlayStation Portable that never made it past it’s initial pitch in 2005. “Sonic: The Shadow World” had an interesting, if not strange, premise that should undoubtedly raise some eyebrows!
UPDATE 2: Archie Sonic Comic #2 has been added to the PSP PlayStation Store at the usual £0.79.
Looks like DLC for Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing isn’t the only Sonic related content released on the PlayStation Store today as Archie have also released the first ever issue of their Sonic the Hedgehog comic book series for PSP’s Digital Comic’s reader. This has been released in Europe as well as the U.S. so for the first time ever European Sonic fans can now enjoy this series without importing the comic’s in for the low price of £0.79p rated 3+.
Today is the day for the Sonic themed LittleBigPlanet items you may remember we reported about last week. The items are out now in todays PlayStation Store update but that’s not all as a lot of other Sonic related goodies including a price drop on PSP title Sonic Rivals 2 from £11.99 to £6.29. Continue reading UPDATE: Sonic LBP DLC Out Now, Sonic PSN Price Reductions
For those not in the know Sony have released the latest model in the PSP family, the PSP Go today and to celebrate the launch SEGA have released a bunch of their classic PSP games on the PlayStation Store.
The U.S. store has received the following titles –
* Alien Syndrome ($15.99)
* Super Monkey Ball Adventure ($15.99)
* Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars ($15.99)
* Iron Man ($19.99)
* Sonic Rivals ($15.99)
* Sonic Rivals 2 ($29.99)
* Full Auto 2: Battlelines ($15.99)
* Sega Genesis Collection ($15.99)
* Crush ($15.99)
If you are after a classic Sonic fix on Sony’s handheld Sega Genesis Collection has Sonic 1 and 2 on it among all the classic Genesis titles also worth buying the collection for.
Europe has received only a few titles –
* Full Auto 2: Battlelines (£11.99)
* Crush (£11.99)
* Iron Man (£11.99)
No Sonic love for Europe but we’ll be checking next week’s PlayStation Store update so stay tuned to TSS!
Sony has announced that the second title in the PSP Sonic series Sonic Rivals will be one of a new group of games to enter their ‘Greatest Hits’ range in the U.S.
No this isn’t a brand of video game nostalgia music albums but a range of classic games released on Sony’s consoles. To enter the ‘Greatest Hits’ range a game has to have sold over 250,000 units and be out for 9 months. The game will now retail in the U.S. for $19.99 from April 5th.
The ‘Greatest Hits’ range is very similar to the ‘Platinum’ range Sony has over here in Europe where Sonic Rivals is already among titles in the range so should we expect to see Sonic Rivals 2 enter the ‘Platinum’ range soon? I’d say so, we shall let you know if it does. Until then you can pick the standard copy up pretty cheap in both the U.S. and Europe if you shop around. Go on, you know your PSP is begging for some Sonic.
Sonic Rivals 2 is already in the Platinum range in Europe. So, if you want a new Sonic game for your PSP on the cheap during the credit crunch go get it now! Thanks to BADavid in the comments section for the heads up.
I was bored one day and decided ‘Hey, why don’t I make the site somewhat accessible for people who like to browse stuff on their consoles?’ So, ignorant to the fact that it probably wasn’t worth my time to work on something like that for the kind of person who does that sort of thing (which includes, er, me), I’ve tweaked the design of The Sonic Stadium for Sony PlayStation Portable users.
Accessing the site is now a piece of piss, as I was made aware that it was bone-grindingly slow today. Upon recognising the PSP Browser, TSS auto-switches to a custom made theme that suits the 400-odd pixel wide screen. There’s no sidebar, and a lot of the heavy duty stuff is cut, but the exact same content and stuff is all there. So if you fancy a little fiddle, crack open that PSP and let us know what you think in the SSMB (although the forums are still PSP unfriendly at this time, so use your PC for that).
You can also sign up to the RSS on your Sony handheld too, by clicking the RSS link at the footer of the page. Swish.
While avid Sonic fans are entertaining themselves with their newly acquired games for both the PSP and XBox 360, SEGA has begun to step a bit further into comsumer space to advertise these games (Sonic the Hedgehog on XBox 360 and Sonic Rivals on PSP) to a more expansive audience via Microsoft’s own advertisement network.
On the fourth of December, an agreement was signed with Microsoft to launch a theme pack for Windows Live Messenger, that allows users to easily and effectively have their conversation windows remind them of the blue blur himself.
The Head of Marketing at SEGA UK, Tina Hicks, also had a comment regarding the newly signed agreement: “We have a wide audience to reach and converse with. The MSN theme pack enables users to interact with the Sonic brand in a way that is not possible with standard online advertising or rich media, which can be a far more passive way of talking to consumers.”
From the description of the theme pack given, it sounds as if it will feature a complete Live overhaul – this, of course, includes winks, emotions, and backgrounds. A release date for the theme pack and starting date for the advertising campaign has yet to be announced.
If you’ve been hanging around the Sonic Rivals board on the SSMB, you may have noticed this by now, but if you haven’t, well… pictures speak better than words, right?
Recently revealed in GameSpot’s screenshot section for the new PSP Sonic title Sonic Rivals are screenshots of the elusive mystery 5th character pictured on the character select screen in existing screenshots of the game. Well, that “mystery” character isn’t such a mystery anymore: Continue reading New Sonic tidbits galore!
Yep, that’s right! Sonic is not only on the PSP in the form of Sonic Rivals, the new upcoming 2D/3D hybrid multiplayer Sonic game set for release later this year on Sony’s portable system, but now Sonic is making another appearance on the PSP, in the form of Sega Genesis Collection.
The new collection game — a common practice by Sega, if you’ve been paying attention — will feature 30 classic Sega games featured on the Megadrive. Of course, what is a classic Sega collection without Sonic? Continue reading More Sonic on PSP?
A very nice read in store for you. SEGA have revealed some very interesting bits of information concerning the PSP title, Sonic rivals. They include some concept art, a insight into the storyline of the game and some fascinating looks into the characters that star in this amazing looking game.
First of all, the story that concerns Sonic the hedgehog involves Sonic going on a mission to save his good friends Amy Rose and Miles “Tails” Prower, who by some as of yet unconfirmed mysterious power/character have been turned into cards. The information points to the nefarious Dr Eggman being behind this deed but nothing more has been confirmed. Continue reading SEGA reveal new information about Sonic Rivals
The lead up to E3 never fails to disappoint us fans on the Sonic front, and it seems 2006 will be no exception. SEGA today announced what could be the first of more brand new Sonic titles, Sonic Rivals, for the Sony PSP. Much has been revealed in this first Sonic-related E3 2006 press release from SEGA, including game details, the story background and even some early screenshots. Continue reading E3 2006: SEGA announce Sonic Rivals for PSP
TSS and SONIC NEWS were contacted exclusively by ADV Films early last week for a sneak preview of the upcoming release of Sonic The Hedgehog: The Movie on UMD Video format. ADV confirm the UMD will be launched alongside some of their other popular Anime licenses in a test market, Australia. These UMD will be available down under before the end of the month with a RRP of AU$24.99 at all major PSP retailers. Continue reading AFD 2006: Sonic The Movie Goes Portable
As The Sonic Stadium is to be covering E3 2005 almost from the inside out, SONIC NEWS has made room for a TSS article to collate everything that’s already been said, what’s been confirmed, what’s been rumoured. E3 can be a very confusing and somewhat dangerous place for those who haven’t been catching up, so allow this article to hand you all the current information we have, so you get some background knowledge on what Sonic Team has and might be offering.
First of all, let’s base things on SEGA’s Official E3 Lineup. On the Sonic Team side, you have two titles; Phantasy Star Universe and Shadow the Hedgehog.
Phantasy Star Universe is, as the name suggests, the true sequel to Phantasy Star Online. It’s the “next generation” of PSO games. Sonic Team first revealed ‘PSU’ at E3 2004, but raised more questions than answers.
In a press release sent to us by SEGA, the house of Sonic is fast preparing its offering for the E3 2005 event. Most interesting of note is that two BRAND NEW Sonic the Hedgehog games are set to be announced.
“SEGA is also fully supporting PC, handheld, and current-generation users with AAA titles like Spartan: Total Warrior (PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube), Shadow The Hedgehog, Virtua Tennis: World Tour (PSP portable gaming system), and Phantasy Star Universe (PlayStation 2, PC). And on the first day of E3, SEGA will announce two new additions to the Sonic The Hedgehog franchise.“
Shadow the Hedgehog has already been mentioned on the SEGA Press Release list, so this opens up some doors. We already know that the Nintendo DS Sonic the Hedgehog game is to be revealed in a near final form, so this will no doubt be one of the two ‘new’ games announced.
The rumors and tidbits have been coming in fast this week with all kinds of pre E3 speculation and believed leaks. The newest obscurity to be found is a page on GameStop for an upcoming Sonic game on the PSP, with little details other than likely to be wrong release date and price. The speculated release date is the first of November this year, its accuracy is yet to proven however.
Interestingly enough, the game is listed as an Action/Adventure/Racing game, could the recent Sonic R Extreme rumors actually be true? We’ll let you decide on that one until further information is released.
Special thanks to Hogfather at SSMB for posting the link. Be sure to stay with SONIC NEWS for future developments in this story.


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The Dutchess County Sheriff’s Department and Chabad Dutchess teamed up on Wednesday to distribute some brand new shoes to families in need. One hundred pairs of new shoes were donated by high-end affordable handmade shoe company Jack Erwin.
The shoes were distributed at the Sheriff’s Department to families in Poughkeepsie. Sheriff Adrian Anderson, Undersheriff Kirk Imperati, Lt. Col. George Krom and Rabbi Hanoch Hecht coordinated the effort.
Photo: Provided By Chabad Dutchess


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Explaining Bajaj Auto’s tepid performance in the first quarter, the company’s chairman Rahul Bajaj said irrespective of “which government tells you what, the economy is in a bad shape”. Referring to the general slowdown in the two-wheeler segment, Rahul sought to highlight Bajaj Auto’s first-quarter performance against the broader economic backdrop. “Bajaj Auto grew its sales by 2% in the quarter. This is in an industry which is at a negative 7-8% growth,” he added, addressing shareholders at the company’s annual general meeting here on Friday.
Bajaj Auto MD Rajiv Bajaj said that these are tough times. “I don’t want to tell too much, but if we have to go through hell then we are going to go through this phase with the attitude that we own the place,” he said. On a shareholder’s question as to why Bajaj Group companies buy into each other so much and what was the purpose of separation, Rahul said, “This group doesn’t do anything illegal or immoral. Cross-holding is very much allowed.” He said that given the shape that other companies are in, Bajaj Group would rather invest in its own group companies. “Each company within the Bajaj Group, generally speaking, has benefited immensely from buying into each other. We have a lot more faith in our group companies that those of others.” “The only company that borrows is Bajaj Finance because of the nature of its business, all other companies are debt-free,” he added.