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(NAPSI)—Millions of Americans have their wisdom teeth removed to prevent or address teeth crowding or pain, reports Nadia Fugate, DMD, a licensed dentist who serves as a Delta Dental of Washington dental consultant. Learn more at www.DeltaDentalWA.com/blog.
Warming ocean waters caused a drop in the brightness of the Earth, according to a new study in the AGU journal Geophysical Research Letters, which publishes high-impact, short-format reports with immediate implications spanning all Earth and space sciences. Learn more at www.news.agu.org.
A Harris Poll survey, commissioned by OfficeSpace Software, revealed half those who went into an office before the pandemic don’t want to any more. OfficeSpace, creator of better workplaces, commissioned the survey to better understand the sentiments and expectations of employed Americans. Learn more at www.officespacesoftware.com/hybrid-work-models/.
Finding a workout routine that works for you can improve mental health, mood, energy and combat disease. With tools such as the JRNY digital fitness platform, you can have 24/7 access to coaching and curated workout options. Learn more at www.bowflex.com.
Some Medicare Advantage health plans offer no-cost or low-cost fitness center memberships through programs such as the Silver&Fit® Healthy Aging and Exercise program. Key advantages include the option to choose from thousands of different types of fitness facilities. Learn more at www.silverandfit.com.
Sending gifts to friends and family and getting them there intact can be easy, if you heed the tips from the United States Postal Service available online and in “how to” guides on packing, addressing and shipping packages so they arrive safely. Learn more at https://www.youtube.com/c/usps.
You can get the royalty fan and history buff in your life (including yourself) the gift of hundreds of documentaries about royalty around the world this holiday season through the True Royalty TV special offer. Go to www.trueroyalty.tv for details and options.
To better handle increased holiday volume, the Postal Service has 112 new package sorters and more than 50 additional systems to sort larger packages and leasing more than 75 peak season annex facilities—plus more than 40 annexes on multi-year leases. Learn more at usps.com/holidaynews.
You can keep a variety of Seagram’s Escapes on hand this holiday season for a flavorful ready-to-drink beverage or to combine with a few other ingredients to create a unique, festive cocktail. Learn more by checking out some of these easy, holiday drink recipes at www.seagramsescapes.com/recipes.
A new approach to indoor ventilation called Air-Clenz has been developed that can significantly decrease the risk of COVID and influenza outbreaks in schools, offices and other indoor environments, and even speed a reduction in mask wear. Learn more at www.air-clenz.com.


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During the company's earnings call, Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly noted that the Apple Watch was seeing strong demand at the retailer, both in stores and online. While Best Buy had originally planned to sell the watch in 300 of its stores by the end of the year, Joly now says that they want to sell the device at all Best Buy locations by the end of September.
"Demand for Apple Watch has been so strong in the stores and online," Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly told Wall Street analysts on a conference call. The retailer expects to be selling the device, which hit the market in June, at all of its 1,050 big-box stores by the end of September, he added
While initially only available from Apple, first online in April, then in Apple Retail Stores in June, the Apple Watch made its way to Best Buy earlier this month.
In addition to expanding availability of the Apple Watch, Best Buy is in the midst of a redesign of its Apple mini-stores that reside in many of the company's retail locations. The revamp is planned for 740 stores in total, with the work already complete in 350 locations. In line with earlier reports, the retailer will also start selling AppleCare+ later this quarter, and 50 Best Buy stores will also test out being authorized service providers at some point soon.

domain: news


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Consumer spending rises in June despite falling incomes, surging virus cases
Consumer spending rose 5.6 percent in June despite declining personal incomes, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported Friday.
Personal consumption expenditures, which measures how much Americans spend on goods and services for their own use, rose by $737.7 billion in June as Americans continued to return to stores and businesses after months of coronavirus-driven lockdowns.
Consumer spending increased in June after a record 8.2 percent rise in May that followed record-breaking plunges in April and March. Even so, personal incomes decreased by $222.8 billion, a 1.1 percent decline, as the unprecedented fiscal stimulus measures enacted in March continued to wash out of the economy. Disposable income also declined by 1.4 percent in June.
Roughly 70 percent of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) is driven by consumer spending, which fell off a cliff in March (negative 6.6 percent) and April (negative 12.6 percent) as the onset of the coronavirus pandemic forced millions of Americans out of work and into lockdowns.
Economists fear that the surge of coronavirus cases that began in the second half of June, driven in part by the swift reopening of businesses in some states without proper precautions, may dent consumer spending again. There are more than 4 million confirmed U.S. cases and 150,000 confirmed domestic deaths due to COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University.
“During the lockdown when we got cases way down, you saw the economy reopening and you saw spending go up and hiring go up,” Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said during a Tuesday press conference. “Now that the cases have spiked again … the high frequency data suggest there’s a slowing pace of growth at least for now. We don’t know how deep or for how long it will be.”
The Trump administration and congressional leaders have spent weeks seeking a bipartisan deal on another stimulus package intended to help the U.S. economy recovery from the deep damage of the coronavirus recession. Those talks have yielded little progress, and the failure to strike a deal has allowed enhanced unemployment benefits and a federal foreclosure and eviction moratorium to expire without replacement.
–Updated at 8:56 a.m.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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Look for the green spanner at your local authorised Bridgestone Select Auto Service store.
Choose from the nearest stores or search by Suburb or Postcode to find a Bridgestone store.
With over 300 stores across Australia in Bridgestone’s retail network there’s sure to be a Bridgestone store near you.
Find your nearest Bridgestone dealer stocking Ironman 4x4 products.
Check out what our customers are saying about their Bridgestone experiences.
Our stores are as much a part of the community as the customers they serve.
Our mission, values and commitment to sustainability and innovation define who we are and drive us to be the global leader in technology.
We've done it again, seven years in a row for Bridgestone.
The market leading tyre company recognised around the world for its products and services.
Bridgestone Select Coffs Harbour has been honoured with the highest accolade at Bridgestone’s annual MasterClass awards for the second year in a row.
Presented at the recent Bridgestone Family Channel Conference in Fiji, the awards recognise outstanding achievement in the areas of customer service, operations and sales.
The coveted Chairman’s Club award is presented to the store that demonstrates the highest standard across all three of these categories.
Owner of Bridgestone Select Coffs Harbour, Ashley McDougall, said the win was a testament to the hard work and dedication of general manager James Walker and store manager Neil McAlpine.
“Neil runs the store in true textbook fashion and he is very proud of the outlet and its staff,” Ashley said.
“The Coffs Harbour team are passionate about achieving Gold Standard service across the board and we would like to thank them and congratulate them on all of their hard work.”
Mr McDougall has owned the Bridgestone Select outlet in Coffs Harbour for 16 years and said the store consistently received great feedback from customers because of its high service standards.
“We pride ourselves on providing outstanding customer service and it was great to have this recognised at a national level once again,” Ashley said.
Bridgestone’s Group General Manager Retail and Marketing, Heath Barclay, said the Coffs Harbour team were extremely worthy of receiving national recognition for the second year in a row.
“The MasterClass program is about setting and maintaining the highest standards for all Bridgestone outlets across Australia and rewarding the achievement of these standards,” Heath said.
“Ashley, James and the team at Bridgestone Select Coffs Harbour have excelled themselves once again and are to be congratulated on this outstanding back-to-back achievement.”
The celebrations continue at two other Bridgestone Select stores owned by Mr McDougall, with the Mayfield and Tuggerah outlets also recognised for their dedication to best practise at the annual awards.
Experience the Gold standard service for yourself at Bridgestone Select Coffs Harbour.
Congratulations to all MasterClass 2014 Winners
MasterClass Gold Winners 2014
Corporate Social Responsibility Award


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HTA Educational Trust Fabric Bank 2020
Taking our iconic, handwoven cloth from the Outer Hebrides to the talented hands of upcoming Japanese designers. The HTA’s Educational Trust (HTAET) was delighted to support and donate Harris Tweed® cloth to the Department of International Fashion and Cultural Studies at Bunka Gakuen University, Tokyo earlier this year.
It was an enriched, cultural exchange which resulted in the creation of innovative designs of Harris Tweed® garments, created using the Harris Tweed® cloth donated by the HTAET. The garments were showcased at the students’ October fashion show and modelled by the designers themselves.
“The students and teaching faculty would like to truly thank the Harris Tweed Authority for their sponsorship and all the people involved who made this possible. Through your kindness and generosity, we truly appreciate your contribution to the learning outcomes of our students. ” – Professor Shibata of Bunka Gakuen University.
For the very first time, the October fashion show was held without an audience, due to Covid-19. So, the HTA was only delighted to receive a collection of images documenting the entire project from the initial design stage through to the runway show. It was a six month project with meticulous plans in place, well thought-out designs and final products created with Harris Tweed® cloth by the students themselves.
The International Fashion and Culture Studies Department consists of three programs: fashion styling and coordination, fashion event production and journalism, and stage and film costume design. The combined efforts and talents of the students come together to work in teams, each
pertaining of around 10-15 students, to design and create nine different and interesting collections to contribute to make one fashion show.
This year’s fashion show, named “Σ Sigma”, represented the individuality and different characteristics of each designer and the HTAET was proud to see such creations come out of the project, inspired by our islands’ handwoven Harris Tweed® fabric. The final designs came together as a unique Japanese take on a truly Scottish textile, incorporating various techniques of layering and pleating – paying a homage to the traditional Scottish Kilt and suiting techniques.
Students were ‘delighted to have the chance to work with such a high-quality Harris Tweed® textile’. Something they said is a ‘rare opportunity that most young designers don’t get.’
The Outer Hebrides – Designated World Craft City for Harris Tweed


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What’s next for Starling?
Latest Starling news (December 2017): Starling receives regulatory approval to become a marketplace banking app.
The full story
Starling Bank is an app-only, digital bank that has taken a unique approach throughout its development. Despite being founded in 2014 and receiving its banking licence in July 2016, the bank did not release any significant products until March 2017. The bank only made its app available once it was able to launch its current account, rather than build its customer base through a pre-paid debit card the way Monzo and Revolut have done. Anne Boden, Starling’s CEO told TechCrunch: ‘We decided to go straight to build the full current account rather than go on a side trip to build a pre-paid card first…We wanted to put all our energies and creativity into producing something that provides all the services you need, not just a card.’
Starling’s current account offers a host of features aimed at challenging traditional and old-fashioned current accounts from incumbents. Starling offers fully digital onboarding via ID scanning. The app lets you view and manage your financial status in real time, with push notifications deployed for each transaction, and a home screen feed called the Starling Pulse with all account activity displayed. Starling offers live chat functionality within the app as well as the ability to message or call an advisor for help and support. Qualifying customers receive an overdraft facility, and handily can control the overdraft amount and other settings from within the app.
Like Monzo, Starling is going after the ‘one-stop-shop’ position in your mobile banking life. By eventually offering a financial ‘marketplace’, where additional products from other FinTech startups can live, thanks to an API, they aim to become a hub where users connect all their financial information in one place. ‘There’s an ecosystem out there of innovative and creative FinTech organisations. We are going to be the centre of that ecosystem, linking customers to the right products from the right partners,’ said Boden.
Aggregation like this will not only (ideally) offer customers a holistic view of their financial health, it gives the hubs in question a chance to cross-sell new products in a smarter way than ever before- using broad data about the customer’s behaviour and spending/savings/browsing habits.
For Starling, the partnerships with TransferWise and Moneybox are sure to be the first of many, with mortgages, loans and other financial products likely to be promoted in the app. We have outlined the challenger bank’s main updates and developments over the past year in a handy timeline below.
Raises $70m in investment and received its banking license
In 2016 Starling secured $70m in investment and also received its banking license from the Financial Conduct Authority. Despite this strong position the bank did not rush into releasing a current account straight away. The bank used the investment to develop the app and the current account and waited until March 2017 to launch its first product.
Joined the Faster Payments Scheme
Starling was the first challenger to join the Faster Payments Service in January, despite not yet being available to the public. The scheme allows customers to see where their money is going in real-time, 24 hours a day, and was soon adopted by other challenger banks.
Launches iOS mobile app Beta
Starling finally launched its beta mobile app to people on the waiting list in March 2016. The app enabled customers to sign up for a current account using a fully digital onboarding process via ID scanning. Setting up an account through the app involves photographing your passport or driving licence to confirm your identity. After applying for a current account, customers are sent a MasterCard debit card and can use the app to service their account.
Partners with TransferWise
March also saw Starling partner with TransferWise. This partnership means that customers are able to transfer funds cheaply to foreign bank accounts in 35 currencies, using an API from TransferWise. This deal promises FX transfers to third party bank accounts at Reuter’s benchmark exchange rates, for an unspecified ‘small upfront fee’. The partnership with TransferWise (who also supports N26 in Germany) is sure to be the first of many, with mortgages, loans and other financial products likely to be promoted in the app’s ‘marketplace’.
Partnership with Moneybox
April saw Starling Bank announce its second third party partnership, this time with Moneybox, allowing customers to link their account to the Moneybox mobile app. It is the first UK challenger to do so. Moneybox has also made several recent updates to its app to include: Pay day boost- allowing users to set up lump sum deposits on their payday. Forecasting- this feature projects the value of investments if users deposit extra funds into their account. Super round ups- change is rounded up to the nearest pound from each card transaction is then doubled and invested. Starling’s partnership with two other FinTech firms within two months of launching its beta app is indicative of its focus on becoming a one-stop-shop aggregator platform with a wide range of services available.
Launch of the app and Starling Payment Services
The Starling app became available to download from the app store in May, and it announced the launch of a new service that will grant other leaders and FinTech companies’ access to Britain’s payment systems through its API-driven technology. Starling Payment Services will enable new market entrants to offer their customers real-time digital payments without having to rely on the established high-street lenders, ensuring payments are open and connected, and removing a real barrier to entry for budding payments providers. The service will offer sponsorship access to the UK’s major payment schemes, allowing other banks, payment service providers, and FinTechs to use real-time payments. Access to Faster Payments is included in the offering, which Starling says it aims to offer using its API-driven, real-time technology.
Expands to Ireland
June saw Starling receive a banking passport in Ireland. The bank said that this is ‘its first steps in its plans to provide services to European markets.’
Moneybox integrates Starling
Following the announcement of the partnership in April, Moneybox integrated Starling into its app in June. Moneybox customers were now able to connect their Starling accounts and use it for real time round-ups.
Launches on Apple Pay
Starling announced in July that it was allowing customers to add their card to the Apple wallet within the Starling Bank app.
July saw Starling roll out its referral marketing scheme ‘Starling Pass.’ Users were given codes which can be found under the ‘Invite to Starling’ tab that could then be sent to friends and family. The code allows customers to skip the queue and gives them instant access to a Starling account. This system is similar to Monzo’s highly successful ‘Golden Ticket’ referral marketing scheme and Starling will no doubt be attempting to emulate the rival digital bank’s word-of-mouth successes.
In July, Starling launched its online ‘Starling Community’. From this online platform, users are able to join the bank, follow its progress, share feedback, ideas and suggestions. Customer support is essential for any challenger bank to succeed and by involving users in an active way in the development of the bank, Starling can hope to foster brand loyalty and enthusiasm. During the early stages of a banks development, when there are bound to be teething problems, this loyalty and investment in the bank’s potential is extremely important in building a solid customer base. The Monzo Community has been extremely successful with users actively discussing potential new developments and features and engaging with Monzo’s staff. Challengers are largely positioning themselves as customer-focused banks and so developing these online communities is essential for their success.
Partners with Tail
July saw Starling partner with Tail, a London-based offers app. Tail was built on Starling and Monzo’s APIs and recommends food and drink offers in users’ local areas. In order to redeem offers, all customers need to do is use their Starling or Monzo cards in a participating retailer. The user then builds up cashback that is paid to customers on a weekly basis.
September saw the launch of Starling’s long-awaited Starling Marketplace, an innovation that has the potential to set the challenger bank apart from its rivals. While still in its early stages, Starling Marketplace will allow customers to view a list of third parties that will be accessible and serviceable from within the app using APIs.
The first third party to be integrated into Starling Marketplace is Flux. Flux is a receipt management startup, set up by former Revolut employees and originally launched with Monzo in a limited pilot. Flux allows customers to access much more detailed information about transactions carried out at retailers who partner with Flux, offering customers digital receipts, loyalty programmes and rewards. While Flux has only partnered with London-based eateries Eat and Bel-Air so far, we can expect this list to grow following its partnership with Starling.
After Starling’s late start, the launch of Starling Marketplace has finally provided observers with a view as to what the digital bank can offer that its rivals cannot. The Starling Marketplace is an innovation that Monzo and Revolut are sure to want to mirror in their own apps. However, with Monzo only now rolling out a limited version of its current account, it appears that it is now in the position of playing catch-up. While Starling may be making waves in terms of innovation, it still has a way to go if it wants to match Monzo’s cult-like following of dedicated users and so it will be interesting to see how effectively the Marketplace is integrated and who it partners with over the coming months.
Starling for Business
In October Starling announced that it is moving into business banking, with the launch of its new business accounts for small traders and SMEs.
Following in the footsteps of digital-only SME banking service, Tide, Starling is the latest challenger to move into the SME space. The bank states the new account can be opened within five minutes.
In addition, Starling’s newly launched API marketplace means that it will be able to provide access to a wide range of additional third party, business centric services from within its app. The challenger bank’s only currently integrated partner is digital receipt start-up Flux which aims to get rid of paper receipts by capturing a digital version of the receipt on the user’s device. Starling has promised its users that they will soon have access to invoicing and accounting services via the marketplace in addition to its native features, such as categorised transactions and international payments.
Starling has also launched a business banking specific forum on its website where users are able to contribute to its development. The topics allow users to suggest features and have wider discussions about digital business banking; allowing Starling to develop the app in a way that meets its users’ needs while engaging with the customer base.
Customers who are interested in Starling’s business account need to sign up to a waiting list on its website to join a closed pilot later this year. With similar services being launched by Starling’s rival challengers, Revolut and TransferWise, it will need to ensure that its business services are effective and that it partners with the right companies to ensure its marketplace is a useful tool for small businesses and sole traders.
When Starling asked its customers what feature they were most looking forward to seeing in the banking app, Savings Goals were at the top of the list. On 10 October, Starling Goals were introduced in the updated version of its app. Users can now create a goal, add a picture and set targets.
Connecting with FitBit Pay
Starling has become the first UK bank to connect with FitBit Pay. The fitness band provider recently launched its response to Apple Pay. FitBit Pay is available in the provider’s new wearable device, a smartwatch called Ionic. Rolled out a month after the Ionic went on sale, the payment technology will enable Starling customers to link their accounts to the smartwatch and make payments at any contactless payment terminal.
Receives regulatory approval for marketplace app
December saw Starling reach an important milestone in its mission to become the first, and best, marketplace digital bank. Starling officially received regulatory approval from the Prudential Regulatory Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority to offer a full range of banking products through its marketplace.
There has been a steady stream of partnerships announced over the past few months, with more expected in the new year. The latest start-up to partner with Starling is invoice and expense platform Albert, an invoice productivity app that allows freelancers to easily manage their finances. Users will be able to access Albert through the Starling marketplace once Starling’s business accounts launch in early 2018.
With business accounts, regulatory approval for its marketplace and an increasing number of partnerships, Starling’s development pace seems to be outstripping rivals Monzo and Revolut. Once PSD2 comes into action in January however, we can expect to see a wide range of open banking functionalities, partnerships and innovations across the board.
Starling has announced that they will be making SEPA payments available later in 2017, so providers will also be able to offer Euro payments. After Revolut recently introduced Euro current accounts, a clear benefit to challenger banks is their cross-border capabilities; this new feature will help expand Starling’s offerings and is a step towards it moving into the European market.
Digital Cards and Wallet
Starling is taking the step of introducing virtual cards, meaning customers will no longer have to wait for a physical card in order to start making purchases. The app will also soon support digital wallets, meaning users will be able to use their Starling accounts from their phones, making purchases quickly and simply through the likes of Touch ID.
Starling has promised a host of new features and updates over the next few months to keep pace with the last few months of development. The digital bank is planning on evolving their Starling Pulse feature to allow users a better view of their spending over time. The bank is also planning on introducing more security features which will offer greater control to the users. One of these features will be adding the ability to lock and unlock card transactions for different transaction types. For example, if you misplace your card you will be able to lock it for contactless and online transactions while keeping it active in the digital wallet. Users will also be able to lock their card by country when they are travelling, ensuring that they have total control over their finances.
Joint Accounts and Under-18s Accounts
Two developments that the bank has shown interest in developing are joint accounts and accounts for under-18s. These are two areas with great potential for the challenger bank. A Starling ‘connected account’ would let customers link their separate accounts with partners, friends and flatmates in order to help manage joint finances. This would provide a huge benefit to users who want the ability to manage finances together but don’t necessarily want to commit to a traditional joint current account.
Starling has also expressed an interest in providing accounts for under-18s which would let young people manage their finances and access the same budgeting tools found in the full account, while allowing parents control over their child’s finances. Providing accounts to under-18s is a no-brainer for digital banks as young people are generally more inclined to embrace new digital developments. The budgeting and money management tools are also extremely useful for young people learning about their finances for the first time. Starling plans to ensure that the under-18s account does not expire when the user turns 18, instead it will transition into a full current account, retaining historic transaction data and insights. This will harness brand loyalty from a young age and will potentially help the bank’s longevity. While these updates are potentially very promising, the bank has not committed to these features yet and is only just looking into them. It is very possible that Starling’s rivals, such as Revolut or Monzo, could release similar features before Starling.
The Starling Marketplace officially launched in September and is probably one of the most significant and innovative developments that we’re can expect to see evolve over the coming months. This is an important move towards building an effective aggregator platform that will allow users to manage all of their finances and accounts from within one app. The bank has promised a range of new partnerships over the next few months with products that will help with lifestyle, travel and fitness as well as finances. This is an important move for the digital bank, and if executed successfully, it could be the factor that sets the challenger apart from its rivals.
After only launching its app to the general public in May 2017, Starling has had a very busy few months. The challenger took the risky decision to not become available to customers until they were able to provide them with a full current account. Since March 2017, Starling has introduced a host of new features; however the app is still fairly basic in comparison to some of its competitors and although the bank has not released the number of active users it has, it is presumably well below that of Revolut and Monzo. With new functionalities, such as Apple Pay and partnerships with financial providers such as Moneybox, being added at a rapid pace, Starling has the potential to outstrip Monzo and Revolut in terms of capability. However, Starling’s ability to transfer these updates and functionalities into an active and enthusiastic user base remains to be seen. The next few months look extremely busy for the challenger bank, and while it has had a late start, if the bank manages to integrate the features it has promised and develop more partnerships, it could become one of the most comprehensive and innovative challenger banks on the market.


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Our First Look at the NEW Pokemon GO TCG Set! With Special Guest Mewisme700 - Shadowless Podcast EP#123
Dani, Jordan and Nate discuss the latest in Pokemon news! This week we had special guest Grace (Mewisme700) on the podcast to talk about her newly acquired Lugia car! We also talk a lot about the upcoming Pokemon GO TCG set, since the first few images were released featuring some of the new cards and products!
Dani, Nate and Jordan discuss the latest in Pokemon! And this week we talk about the soon to be released Scarlet & Violet Base Set (releasing this upcoming Friday, March 31st) and the next Pokemon Anime series titled "Pokemon Horizons: The Series!"
Nate and Jordan discuss the latest in Pokemon News! Including Scarlet & Violet TCG Pre-Releases starting up, Pokemon GO and Pokemon Unite related news, more information of the next Japanese TCG set and more!


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Fairfield Shopping Center, which was days from a foreclosure auction, is instead at the center of a bankruptcy.
Fairfield TIC LLC, the investor group that bought the shopping center in 2004 for $19.8 million and later refinanced for $30 million in 2007, filed for bankruptcy protection in the Eastern District Court of Virginia on Oct. 23. That halted an impending auction by the lender.
The group is led by Jon Wheeler, who was fired from his role of CEO at Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust last year. The group still owes $26.4 million on the loan that came due in 2017. There appear to be more than 70 investors in Fairfield TIC, according to the bankruptcy filing, including Wheeler.
The shopping center, at Providence and Kempsville roads, is nearly fully leased and includes a Food Lion grocery store. Rent payments were worth $3.1 million last year, down from $3.4 million in 2016 , according to the bankruptcy filing. The property has been assessed for $32.4 million.
Fairfield TIC owes Wheeler's former company $268,499 for property management fees, but the amount is in dispute, according to the filing.
Another company managed by Wheeler, Our Town Associates LLC, filed for bankruptcy in August. That bankruptcy involved a property at 971 N. Main St. in Mooresville, N.C., bought in 2007. Our Town owed $3.4 million to the lender, according to that filing.
Kimberly Pierceall, 757-446-2588, firstname.lastname@example.org


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An investment company that is one of the three firms traded in West Midlands stock exchange Investbx, has seen one of its investees raise more than £100,000 in equity.
Birmingham-based Early Equity, which is quoted on the PLUS Market as well as Investbx, announced its holding in digital advertising company Tangibal had raised in value significantly.
It also converted outstanding loans of £50,000 into shares and now holds 261,238 ordinary shares of 0.1p each in Tangibal, representing 13.9 per cent of the issued share capital. Early Equity’s shareholding, acquired at a cost of £75,000 is now valued at approximately £188,000.
Early Equity also announced Sir Bernard Zissman had resigned as chairman of the company to concentrate on other roles. Sir Bernard is chairman of Advantage Business Angels.
Rob Painting, the chief executive of Early Equity, said: “We thank Sir Bernard for his support and guidance to the company’s growth since its flotation. His experience and input have proved invaluable in the management of the business over its formative years and we hope to continue to work closely with Sir Bernard and the team at Advantage Business Angels to our mutual benefit.
“We see this latest round of funding positioning Tangibal for further growth. Tangibal is currently exploring the possibility of a European market listing which would enable it to access further funding as its business grows.”
Early Equity, which has an office in Victoria Square plus an admin centre in Halesowen, joined Investbx in March this year. It became the third company to be floated on the regional exchange.
It first invested in Tangibal in Ma.
Tangibal is a privately-held digital media business focusing largely on digital advertising in places like cinemas. It was founded in 2008 by Peter Evans and Dominic Berger, and advises companies looking to adopt or develop digital technologies on their business strategy, operations, financing requirements and commercialisation. Current clients include Dubai Pearl, National Geographic, Porsche, and Ridercam.
At the time of the purchase, Mr Painting said: “We are excited to have made an investment in Tangibal, which we believe will be at the forefront of developments in the interactive digital media space. We look forward to working closely with the management team and believe that Tangibal’s incubator clients may be a source of future investment opportunities for Early Equity”


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A recent report, “Financial Technology and Inclusion in ASEAN”, cites Ripple as a notable remittance provider. Research undertaken by ASEAN Global Connections and the University of Cambridge notes that the remittance industry has seen a digital shift with start-ups developing new cross-border payments and settlements. The report then cites Ripple as the most notable in cross-border payments, with Nium, also a Ripple partner.
This recent report “Financial Technology and
Cambridge’s Inclusion in ASEAN” links remittances to poverty reduction and specifically cites #Ripple as the most notable fintech, along with Nium, also a Ripple partner. https://t.co/23n15vKZm6 pic.twitter.com/96QclyCllm
— WrathofKahneman (@WKahneman) April 10, 2022
ASEAN refers to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, an international organization that brings together 10 Southeast Asian states – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore , Thailand and Vietnam – in one organization.
Countries in Asia and the Pacific have risen globally in terms of offering fast payments using digital banking systems. Their exploration and invention of alternative means of payment to better facilitate fast cross-border and domestic payments contribute to the region’s growing importance and leadership in the payments industry.
APAC has risen to dominance in the digital banking industry in recent years, accounting for 20% of the approximately 250 digital banks globally.
Singapore, which is one of the five most competitive financial centers in the world, has put in place clear and effective government legislation, as well as support for innovative payment technologies, which has led to a 58% growth in payments fast in 2021.
The Philippines is also financially competitive, where virtual currency transactions grew by 71% between 2020 and 2021, thanks to new solutions such as crypto-assisted remittances and digital payment options.
Updates in the Ripple-SEC case
In new updates to the Ripple-SEC case, the long-awaited individual defendant responses have been filed, setting the deadline for the SEC’s position on the additional discovery as April 15, 2022, and the deadline for the proposed joint programming order to April. 22, 2022.
The court is expected to rule on the SEC’s motion for partial reconsideration, the defendants’ motion to strike the supplemental expert report, the defendants’ motion to compel rotation of the Estabrook notes, and the SEC’s proposed deletions in the interval.


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Company's controversial ad targeting "toxic masculinity" while exhorting men to be their best versions resonated with younger consumers despite criticism from some conservatives.
Procter & Gamble said on Wednesday its controversial Gillette ad targeting "toxic masculinity" was resonating with younger consumers and producing solid sales despite criticism from some conservatives and calls for a boycott.
Chief Financial Officer Jon Moeller said the company was pleased at the attention surrounding the spot for the struggling shaving brand, which features images of men carousing and cat-calling at women, as well as examples of men reining in bullies and coaching children.
"We've received unprecedented levels of both media coverage and consumer engagement in that campaign," Moeller, said, adding that retail sales of Gillette had been stable since the ad was released January 14, while online sales had continued to grow.
"It's a part of our effort to connect more meaningfully with younger consumer groups. Early results when you look at the age group specifics both externally and internally reflect that we're accomplishing that objective."
The nearly two-minute ad, the latest by a big brand on a hot-button social issue, comes as the more than 100-year-old product continues to struggle amid meagre demand for shaving gear as more men grow beards and online competitors like Harry's contend for market share.
P&G's second-quarter earnings released Tuesday underscored these challenges, with grooming the weak link in otherwise good results that boosted shares.
Sales in P&G's grooming business fell nine percent compared with the year-ago period, by far the worst performance of the company's five divisions.
P&G — whose brands include Crest toothpaste, Tide detergent and Bounty paper towels — reported second-quarter profits of $3.2 billion, up 28 percent due to a one-time hit in the year-ago period from US tax reform.
Revenues were flat at $17.4 billion as the company boosted its full-year sales targets.
Shares finished up 4.9 percent at $94.84.
“Boys will be boys”? Isn’t it time we stopped excusing bad behavior? Re-think and take action by joining us at https://t.co/giHuGDEvlT. #TheBestMenCanBe pic.twitter.com/hhBL1XjFVo— Gillette (@Gillette) January 14, 2019
Moeller defended the company's actions to try to boost Gillette, which enacted price cuts in 2017 and new products prior to launching its Me Too ad, which went viral and did not require extra spending to be seen.
"As the CFO, I'm very interested in the financial effectiveness of the campaign," Moeller said.
"That campaign was aired once and has generated significant conversation and has generated a huge number of impressions."
The spot, "We Believe: The Best Men Can Be," has been viewed more than 25.2 million times on YouTube, with 693,00 giving it a thumbs-up and 1.2 million giving it a thumbs-down.
The campaign was mocked by Rush Limbaugh and other conservative commentators, with some consumers posting #BoycottGillette hashtag on Twitter and complaining they felt "too masculine" for Gillette and characterizing the spot as "anti-male."
The ad follows an attention-grabbing Nike spot last September featuring the American football player Colin Kaepernick, who has not been able to secure a contract to play on a team following his civil rights activism.
Other big brands have taken stances on gun control and immigration.
The Nike spot also generated plenty of criticism, but was generally seen as a winner by marketing experts because it strengthened the brand's connection to millennials, who prefer brands that are committed to social issues.
Kelly O'Keefe, a professor of brand strategy at Virginia Commonwealth University, praised the intent of the ad but said Gillette could have executed it more effectively.
For example, he said an image of a row of men next to barbecue grills doing nothing in response to bullying by kids, reinforced stereotypes and fed the impression that it was "an indictment of men in general" rather than of bullying.
But O'Keefe predicted the spot would overall be a winner for Gillette.
"This puts them back into a conversation with younger consumers who had started to tune them out or just not take notice of them," O'Keefe said.
"What we are seeing is if you are trying to become a better company, you will become a better brand."


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- Alexa Ace
- Homeland officials announced the company’s intent to open a full-service store of roughly 30,000 square feet in northeast OKC.
Northeast Oklahoma City has dealt with food insecurity for years, but a new grocery store and a potential rezoning could significantly improve access to fresh, quality food.
Since 1993, Ward 7 council representatives have tried to bring a full-service grocery store to northeast Oklahoma City. Those efforts, started by Willa Johnson and now primarily carried by councilwoman Nikki Nice, will culminate with a Homeland set to open in late 2020.
“Everyone’s picked up the baton and worked and carried it, and I’m just thankful, grateful and honored that I’m able to help it get where it needed to go,” Nice said. “This is a community effort, and this comes from the leadership that had been in this seat previously to even help us to get the tools that we needed in order to make this deal a success.”
Homeland officials announced they signed a letter of intent and plan to open a full-service grocery store with a pharmacy, a butcher shop, a bakery, a deli and fresh produce on NE 36th Street and Lincoln Boulevard. It is expected to be roughly 30,000 square feet and cater specifically to the surrounding community.
“We know that they are committed to be in our community, and that’s what we are most grateful for,” Nice said. “The impact is momentous. Unfortunately … we still have a wait. That’s the only down part, but the fact that we know something new is coming, something better is coming for our community, it means so much. And it’s time, it’s been long overdue.”
With the recent closure of Smart Saver, which was not even a full-service grocery store, the 73111 ZIP code area was left with zero grocery options in the area.
However, Homeland CEO Marc Jones said the announcement is not quite a response to the closure because officials have been in discussions with city leaders and The Alliance for Economic Development for years.
“It’s taken so long because there’s all sorts of different things to consider. It’s the location, and it's cost of real estate, and it’s traffic patterns, and it’s financing and it’s a lot of different pieces that have to come together,” he said. “We wouldn’t normally, quite honestly, announce at the letter of intent stage, but we thought it was important to let the community know what was going on … given some of the events of the last month or so. …
“It’s inspiring that it’s happened, but it’s happened not because it just kind of fell out of the sky. It happened because of a whole bunch of different people and different constituencies all kind of working hard and being creative and trying stuff that didn’t come to fruition and then finally figuring out the solution that works for everyone. It’s very inspiring when this sort of situation can happen. It’s this proverbial win-win-win. Our little employee-owned company wins. An underserved part of the city that we call home wins. The community wins. The city wins.”
Along with the grocery store, Homeland will also open new headquarters in the same area. Its current headquarters is already in northeast OKC, down the street from the future location.
The next steps are to sign a lease and finalize site layout and costs.
- Miguel Rios
- Ward 7 councilwoman Nikki Nice said a full-service grocery store in northeast OKC is long overdue.
“I think we all respect the Homeland brand. You know you’re going to get a quality product when you shop at Homeland,” she said. “And with their corporate headquarters, I don’t expect anything less. For them to commit their corporate headquarters in the same campus or the same area as the store, we know it’s going to be the best option for the community that’s going to be offered. We’re excited about that, and we deserve it. Everyone deserves better.”
Jones said Homeland intends to provide the “full portfolio” of what it has to offer while making sure the store reflects the needs of the community.
“We’ve got 74 grocery stores that we operate, so we think we bring a base of knowledge. But within that context, we can pick and choose,” he said. “Ultimately, we’re a business, and our business only succeeds if we give our customers what they want. So asking our potential customers before we open the store what they’re looking for just seems like a real logical move for us. … Our current office isn’t that far from the proposed site, so if anybody wanted to stop by and chat about it, we’d be happy to do it.”
The current headquarters employs members of the community, who Jones said have already started suggesting various things the store should offer.
“To me, that’s the fun thing, and another fun thing about retail is we can try a bunch of things,” he said. “Each of our stores is kind of its own — hopefully, if we do it right — community-focused grocery store. A big part of our process … is going to be talking to the neighbors and saying, ‘OK. Pharmacy, deli, bakery, meat, but what are you looking for? Within that, what are you looking for?’”
- Miguel Rios
- Homeland CEO Marc Jones is excited to work with the community to ensure the future grocery store reflects its needs.
At the Aug. 27 council meeting, officials passed a resolution to initiate a rezoning application to establish a Healthy Neighborhood Overlay District in the ZIP code.
“The goal, obviously, with the moratorium is to prevent a proliferation of those small box stores, so the [rezoning] allows for more and better and healthier options to come into the community,” Nice said. “We’re not saying [small box stores] can’t come, but we hope that if they do, they will help provide at least 500 square feet of dedicated fresh produce. … Because we want to decrease the health outcomes in our community. We want to address the concerns of infant mortality. We want to address the concerns of cancer morbidity. The rates are high in those ZIP codes, and it becomes prevalent when you don’t have access.”
The rezoning will now go through the planning phase, but Nice hopes it will go into effect by November.
“With that, we’ll have an overlay district — and, again, it’s just for one ZIP code,” Nice said. “It’s not the whole city, but it’s for us to address the health concerns that are within our community.”
Following Smart Saver’s closure, Nice created a task force to help connect northeast Oklahomans with food resources. Visit neokcfood.com.


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Chinese internet technology firm ByteDance, which owns popular short video sharing app Tiktok, is mulling to sale the India operations of TikTok to rival platform owner Glance, according to Bloomberg News. As per the report, the talks are in early stage and have been initiated by Japanese investment behemoth SoftBank which has shareholdings in Glance's parent company InMobi Pte as well as TikTok's parent, ByteDance.
Unicorn start-up InMobi owns short-video app Roposo that has gained popularity in India after central government banned TikTok in July last year. The popular video-sharing app, along with 58 other apps, was banned in India on June 29 over national security and data privacy concerns.
The ban on TikTok has resulted in home-grown video content platforms seeing a dramatic surge in their download numbers coupled with influencers trying newer apps to post the content. One of the biggest gainers from the ban move has been India's first unicorn start-up InMobi, whose Roposo video content platform has reached now over 100 million downloads with nearly 2 billion video views, according to the company.
Both the companies, however, have not come out with official statements on this so far. Before the ban in June, TikTok India had over 200 million subscribers and the company was valued at $3 billion.
ByteDance that is struggling to soothe the concerns amid anti-China sentiments in India, has reduced its 2,000-plus India team and said in a company memo that it's unsure of resuming operations in India.
Apart from India, TikTok is facing major operational issues in countries like the United States. However, in a major respite to Chinese-owned video app, the newly elected US President Joe Biden's administration has asked a US federal court to pause proceedings aimed at banning TikTok as sought by his predecessor Donald Trump.
Copyright©2023 Living Media India Limited. For reprint rights: Syndications Today


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Seymour in deal with internet firm
THERE was little festive cheer for Seymour Pierce shareholders when the investment bank revealed that it was effectively paying £50m for cash and investments worth £38.5m.
In its long-awaited deal with internet incubator Antfactory the broker will issue 380m shares to Antfactory's owners, which include a string of venture capitalists, at 13p each, totalling £49.4m. Seymour will also issue $72.5m (£50.3m) of loan notes.
But it will use much of the cash inherited from Antfactory to redeem the notes almost immediately, meaning that it will take £26m cash from the deal and investments valued at £12.5m by Antfactory.
Antfactory shareholders, who include CVC Capital Partners, Citicorp Venture Capital and Allianz Capital Partners, will emerge with 53% of Seymour. The complex deal raises the question of why Seymour did not raise the money on the stock market. Seymour said that the terms were more favourable than it could have achieved through a public offer. Chairman Keith Harris said the money would be used to increase Seymour's asset management business.
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Replace at five:15pm ET: Amazon now says it despatched the e-mail saying a TikTok ban by way of mistake, in step with The Verge. “This morning’s e mail to a few of our staff was once despatched in error,” an Amazon spokesperson mentioned, in step with the Verge article. “There is not any trade to our insurance policies at this time in regards to TikTok.” We are nonetheless ready to listen to again from Amazon.
Unique tale follows:
Amazon ordered staff to delete TikTok from their telephones lately, bringing up “safety dangers.”
Amazon’s e mail to staff didn’t specify what safety dangers the corporate is concerned about or whether or not TikTok has already led to a safety downside internally. Final month, we reported on analysis that discovered TikTok’s app was once ready to learn clipboard information on iOS gadgets. TikTok mentioned it is going to forestall having access to customers’ clipboards.
“Because of safety dangers, the TikTok app is not approved on cell gadgets that get entry to Amazon e mail,” a message from Amazon’s IT division to staff mentioned. “In case you have TikTok in your machine, you will have to take away it by way of 10-Jul to retain cell get entry to to Amazon e mail. Presently, the usage of TikTok out of your Amazon pc browser is permitted.”
Amazon possibly calls for device-management instrument on telephones that get entry to corporate e mail, giving the corporate the facility to put in force the no-TikTok coverage by way of disposing of get entry to to Amazon e mail accounts. A screenshot of the e-mail to Amazon staff was once posted on Twitter by way of New York Instances reporter Taylor Lorenz.
TikTok is a social video-sharing carrier owned by way of ByteDance, a Chinese language corporate. The Trump management is thinking about a ban on TikTok and different Chinese language social media apps, as reported previous this week. The US has been enforcing limits on different Chinese language tech firms corresponding to Huawei, arguing that Chinese language companies can also be pressured to assist the Chinese language executive with espionage. Individuals of Congress have additionally raised national-security considerations about TikTok.
TikTok was once already banned by way of India, and the app halted operations in Hong Kong because of a brand new safety regulation imposed by way of China.
TikTok seeks rationalization
Amazon didn’t provide an explanation for its reasoning to TikTok, a TikTok spokesperson instructed Ars.
“Whilst Amazon didn’t be in contact to us ahead of sending their e mail, and we nonetheless don’t perceive their considerations, we welcome a discussion so we will cope with any problems they will have and permit their staff to proceed collaborating in our neighborhood,” TikTok’s observation mentioned.
The observation additionally mentioned that “[u]ser safety is of the maximum significance to TikTok—we’re absolutely dedicated to respecting the privateness of our customers.” TikTok additional famous that its customers come with “lots of the Amazon staff and contractors who’ve been at the frontlines of this pandemic.”
We contacted Amazon about its TikTok ban lately and can replace this tale if we get any reaction.


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Since its October announcement, Kroger has explored different opportunities to sell its almost 800 convenience stores, reportedly worth $2 billion. Now, final offers are due in early February, and amongst those vying for the c-store chain is Casey’s General Stores Inc., which is working with an investment bank and submitted an initial bid, according to CNBC.
This takeover of Kroger’s approximately 784 stores—operating under the banners Kwik Shop, Turkey Hill, and Tom Thumb and making about $4 billion in annual sales—could possibly alleviate pressure from Casey’s activist investors JCP Investment Management, BLR Partners, and Joshua Schechter to find strategic alternatives, such as a potential sale, since stocks were undervalued, reported Reuters.
Sources on these reports requested anonymity, as no announcements have been released on the possible sale.
As of January 26th, Casey’s shares closed at 2.7 percent at $127.73, and Kroger’s closed at 2 percent at $30.88, reported Reuters. According to CNBC, Casey’s CEO Terry Handley explained that the company would “further augment unit growth with acquisition opportunities.”
For more on this developing story and more industry scoops, stick with us at Deli Market News!


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PHOTOS: 2014 First Hawaiian International Auto Show
The 2014 First Hawaiian Auto Show was held on March 14 through 16 at the Hawaii Convention Center.
If you missed the auto show, here are some pictures from the big event.
Copyright 2013 by KITV All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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The UK’s universal language of business, highly skilled employees and wealth of opportunities across many thriving industry sectors position it as a hotbed for foreign investment.
After opening our first office in London over 150 years ago, the UK has become home to the global headquarters of the HSBC Group, where an extensive branch network supports the needs of personal and business customers. The shape of this business in the UK continues to evolve, as our UK head office gets set to move to Birmingham in 2018.
With the world’s largest financial centre, a flexible market and a thriving entrepreneurial culture, the UK is a perfect location for businesses to explore their international potential. This, alongside a highly developed transportation network, enables the country to serve enterprises of all shapes and sizes.
As the UK prepares to leave the EU in 2019, we will keep you updated on what Brexit means for doing
business in the UK and what impact the departure from the EU will have on your industry sector.
Download the report HERE
Compliments of HSBC, a member of the EACCNY


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Hangover free beer has always been something people have been looking to invent however some really good news out of Australia might of be just what we were looking for. A team of researchers have created a beer that re-hydrates you as you drink it thanks to a good and healthy amount of electrolytes that has been infused in it. Think beer flavored 'Powerade' or 'Gatorade' but only a hell of a lot less disgusting.
The team of amazing guys behind is all are from the Griffith Health Institute in Queensland, and they state that they have actually "improved" beer with their new recipe. To test it all out and make sure they were on the right path they enhanced to different commercial beers one of which was a light beer the other a dark beer and gave them to test subjects who had just been exercising.
The clinical participants had to replace 150% of the body mass lost during the workout withing an hour by drinking one of four beers. Two of the beers were electrolyte-enhanced and the other two were regular beers. Now can you guess what happened? The results showed that the electrolyte-enhanced beer helped re-hydrate by way more then two thirds better
Now for the only negative part about all of this amazing news, its that this beer is not yet available to be sold on the market yet. Our weekly and even bi weekly hangovers are going to have to continue for just that much longer.
Source - cnet.com


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Blog: Brussels clears Cargill's ADM chocolate buy - with a condition
Dean Best | 20 July 2015
Cargill's move to buy Archer Daniels Midland's chocolate business has cleared its last regulatory hurdle after clearance from the European Commission. But Brussels has asked Cargill to offload part of the assets.
The companies announced a US$440m deal last September. In February, the Commission said it would launch an in-depth investigation in the deal after an initial look showed "potential" competition concerns in the supply of industrial chocolate in the UK and Germany.
Cargill and ADM were two of the three largest business-to-business chocolate suppliers in these markets, alongside Switzerland's Barry Callebaut
To address the Commission's concerns over the impact the deal could have on competition, Cargill has agreed to offload ADM's industrial chocolate production facility in Mannheim, Germany.
Cargill said the facility will be kept as a separate entity with its own interim management until an agreement with a prospective buyer has been made.
The company will keep two chocolate, compound and liquor production sites in the US, one in Canada, and two chocolate and compound production sites in Europe, one in the UK and the other in Belgium.
We hear a lot in the food industry about two interconnected trends: and social media and “foodie” culture....
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Nestle, set to welcome a new CEO on 1 January, has announced more changes to the make-up of its senior management team....
Blue Bell Creameries is trying to win back the trust of consumers after a fatal listeriosis outbreak last year was linked to its products - but in recent days the US ice cream maker has issued another...
The UK's competition regulator has given the all-clear to Hain Celestial's bid to buy UK food and beverage group Orchard House Foods, nine months after the US group announced the deal....
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Meghan Markle is proving that good fashion can be timeless by wearing some of her favourite pieces on tour in Africa. Earlier this week she recycled a shirt dress first worn in Tonga, and now she's pulled out one of our favourite dresses again.
The duchess rewore her stunning khaki striped maxi dress, which she wore for the first time during her official visit to Australia last year. The £1,080 dress, by Aussie designer Martin Grant, was styled with black heels this time around, though - as opposed to bare feet for her beach visit last year.
During the engagement she opened up about bringing baby Archie on tour. A guest told Hello! Meghan said she he enjoyed the flight over. “They said it was the longest flight they have taken with Archie," the source revealed.
“She slept with one eye open – but he was very good."
And the cuteness keeps on coming. During a visit to Waves for Change, a charity in South Africa, Meghan and Harry were asked to share their strengths. When Meghan hesitated, someone suggested dancing (lol). "Not that,” she laughed, before explaining that “parenting” was her biggest strength, adding that the couple were “learning and developing”.
She then called Harry “the best dad”, to which he replied with a heartfelt “ahhh”, labelling Meghan as “the best mum”.


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After a year’s break due to COVID-19, E3 is back – virtually at least. The beauty of this online show is that you can watch all the events for free, and without traveling to Los Angeles. This year, the show takes place from June 12 to June 15 and fans can register for free on the website to view the press conferences, showcases, live streams and special events. The biggest events will also be broadcast on E3’s Twitch, Twitter and YouTube pages.
While pre-events have already started, including Dice and EA’s preview of Battlefield 2042 on Wednesday and the Summer Game Fest today. The main events kick off on Saturday with a UbiSoft event that is due to showcase the latest Rainbow Six release, a look at Far Cry 6 as well as various updates and a chat about the Mythic Quest series.
The hosts for this year's events are Greg Miller from Kinda Funny, journalist and TV host Jacki Jing and pro eSports commentator Alex "Goldenboy" Mendez.
The show closes on Tuesday, June 15 with a press conference from Nintendo. This is due to cover a range of Switch titles but there are rumors that it could also be the first time we see the much-anticipated Nintendo Switch Pro. The final act of the day is the E3 awards show, which celebrates the best releases of the week (making it a great way to catch up on all the news).
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How can I watch E3?
Fans can visit the E3 2021 website and register for updates and access the fan portal from June 12. This will give you access to all the main events. You can also follow the coverage on Twitch, Twitter and YouTube. We will add a link to the shows below, as they go live.
Who will be at E3 2021?
Confirmed exhibitors include Nintendo, Xbox, UbiSoft, Square Enix, Verizon, T2, Razer, Capcom, Mythical, Freedom Games, Warner Bros, Bandai Namco Entertainment, Gearbox entertainment, Sega, NetEase Games, Binge, Yooreka, 24 Entertainment, Intellivision Amico, and many more.
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|101-year-old manufacturer moving from original location
Gage Bros Expansion
The Associated Press - December 29, 2016
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - A concrete products manufacturer with a deep history has plans to build a $19 million plant in Sioux Falls.
City documents say Gage Brothers Concrete Products plans to construct a 230,000-square-foot building to house manufacturing operations, a carpentry shop, administrative offices and employee spaces.
Gage Brothers makes precast concrete panels, monuments and other products. The Argus Leader says the company is currently located at the same location it was founded in 1915.
Childhood friends William Gage and Harold Gabel started the business by pouring concrete sidewalks.


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Birmingham's Bullring attempts to lure shoppers back after riot damage
Birmingham's Bullring, the city's biggest shopping centre, is to run an ad campaign ahead of the bank holiday to tell people it is open for business following the UK riots.
A fortnight ago, more than 200 looters broke into the Bullring with a number of businesses sustaining damage, including Jamie Oliver’s Jamie’s Italian restaurant.
The campaign, created by ad agency Isobel, will run in the local press and is a message from the Bullring to the people of Birmingham that life should go on despite the civil disturbances.
The copy is set is set against an impressionistic image and ends with the lines: "At Bullring everything is back to normal. As if Bullring could ever be normal".
Louise Hamer-Brown, head of marketing at the Bullring, said: "This advert offered a compassionate response to a challenging time for Birmingham, encouraging people to get back to normal and not be beaten by the incidents the city endured."
This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk
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Move over iPhones with Flappy Bird still installed, NFTs, and cryptocurrencies. There is now a newly sought-after item on the digital market that you might struggle to believe. For only $20,000, you too can purchase an official verified Twitter account, and if that sounds “too good to be true,” that’s because it is.
Washington Post tech journalist Taylor Lorenz reported that people are selling their Twitter accounts with the gray ‘official’ badges attached to their profiles. According to these sellers, Twitter’s blue checkmark is no longer valuable ever since Elon Musk rolled out the paid verification program recently, which allowed anyone to get the badge.
All buyers need to do is send $20,000 and provide their usernames and email as part of this proposed exchange. While they claimed that those details may come from any account, a lot of this has signs of it being a scam.
Ever since Musk announced the paid verification system, celebrities and other verified users have mocked the Twitter CEO by impersonating him. This led Musk to change the rules for “verified” impersonation accounts, saying that they need clearly indicate that they’re a “parody” or face suspension.
Musk admitted his mistakes recently after he told followers to expect Twitter to do “a lot of dumb things” in the coming months.
But rather than reverting to the old system, the “official” label was rolled out, only for it to be immediately removed. Twitter employee, Esther Crawford, clarified that the label is still there but it’s only going towards “government officials and commercial entities” before moving it to individuals.
There has always been a market to buy verified accounts or the digital status symbol. While most of these sellers were suspected to be scammers, some of them were official companies that claimed to know someone in Twitter HQ. The Atlantic reported in 2019 that these paid verification scams were on the rise due to people finding value in having that official social media status.
However, it has been confirmed multiple times that being verified brings nothing new to the table. It’s just a shiny new indicator in your profile that proves you’re legit.


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QR Code Purchasing Does Well in Pilot
While near field communication (NFC) still hasn’t made it to the latest iPhone, it is becoming prevalent on more and more devices. However, cashless purchasing via NFC technology has still not taken off. But, there is a method of cashless purchasing that is growing—QR codes.
Barclaycard US has recently noticed an increased amount of transactions on their QR code-based mobile payment app. The app, bPay, was launched last year and is available for both Android and iOS phones.
Barclaycard US worked with approximately 40 small merchants in Newark and Wilmington Delaware near the company’s headquarters in order to test the effectiveness of the app.
bPay allows users to both pay and redeem discounts and offers by scanning a QR coded with their smartphones. And credit and debit cards can be loaded into the bPay app for cloud-based transactions.
The pilot of the bPay app has been successful, but the demographics of Newark and Wilmington are generally a younger crowd due to the University. It would be interesting to see some data on who is using the bPay app—is it just college kids and recent graduates? Or has mobile payment via QR code truly become popular for the masses?


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These figures do not take into account the Gearbox and Aspyr Media projects, their latest acquisitions.
No one doubts the size it has Embracer Group. Few did it after that 12 companies bought suddenly a few months ago, and even less after acquiring the creators of Borderlands this same year. Not surprisingly, we are talking about the parent company of companies such as THQ Nordic, Koch Media and Saber Interactive, among many others. An immense portfolio of editors and studios that, apparently, has 150 games in development right now. And half of them will finish their development before March 2022.
Embracer has increased its workforce by 93%This is not speculation or hearsay: are data offered by Embracer herself. On the occasion of your last tax report, shared by IGN, the Swedish conglomerate confirms the volume of projects currently in hand. 150 games in development, and that not counting those with Gearbox, Aspyr Media or Easybrain, waiting to complete their acquisitions. This is how the company exposes it in the presentation of their results: “Looking ahead, we hope that next fiscal year ending in March 2022 be the most powerful in our historydriven by numerous major launches in the second half of the year. “
“Total, we hope to complete more than 70 projects of premium game development “in the next fiscal year, before March 2022, to which they add:” This excludes any additions to the purchases announced on February 3, with Gearbox, Aspyr and Easybrain. “Elsewhere in the report , and as we highlight in the headline, Embracer claims to have a total of 150 games in development; in addition to having increased the number of company employees by 93% over the previous year, to a total of 5,730 workers. Good example of the ambitions of this group for its future.
Valheim, Biomutant and MotoGP 21, the short term of Embracer
With the bulk of its developments planned for next fiscal year, which will begin on April 1, 2021, Embracer expects the current January-March quarter to be calmer in terms of revenue and results. Of course, they do not forget to highlight the success of Valheim. One of the biggest surprises so far this year, which “has sold about 3 million of copies “in just a few weeks, Embracer highlights, despite being an early access game.
Looking ahead to the next quarter, we have several major releases confirmed by Embracer Group companies. Titles like Biomutant, the long-awaited open world action RPG that has been in development for several years, and which will debut at the end of May through THQ. Or others like the just announced MotoGP 21, by the hand of Milestone (owned by Koch Media), which was presented yesterday with a trailer and its first details.


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Facebook has launched Horizon Workrooms, a new virtual-reality remote work app that allows people to use Oculus Quest 2 headsets to participate in company meetings. It’s one of a growing number of apps that aim to enable work collaboration using VR. Some experts say that VR could offer advantages to being physically present at work.
“VR provides the ability to create the perfect setting for any meeting whether it be a traditional boardroom, a theater, or standing on the surface of a distant planet,” Aaron Franko, vice president of immersive technology at software development company Saritasa, told Lifewire in an email interview. “There are also many powerful collaboration and presentation tools that are available that would be impractical in most physical environments.”
Facebook’s new Workrooms is a bold vision for the potential of VR as more than a gaming platform. You can join a meeting in VR as an avatar or dial into the virtual room from your computer by video call. There’s also a virtual whiteboard to sketch out ideas.


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As we enter 2023, it seems the year will not be any easier for South African retailers or consumers than 2021 and 2022.
Fitch forecasts that real household spending will decelerate in line with a wider economic slowdown, while higher inflation and interest rates will provide headwinds for the economy. Volatile exchange rates, continued electricity shortages and high unemployment will call the shots.
Yet there are plenty of opportunities for retailers that are innovative and agile enough to spot them and move fast to take advantage.
Amazon effect and Uber Eats revolution
Amazon is reportedly set to launch in South Africa 2023, an event that could make waves for brick-and-mortar and ecommerce retailers of all shapes and sizes. Uber Eats, meanwhile, has launched a ‘dark’ (or virtual) grocery store called Uber Eats Market for quick home deliveries. Brick-and-mortar businesses can compete against these new rivals by integrating their digital and physical experience with options such as collect in-store or browse in-store and order online.
Malls are buzzier and bigger than ever
Mall culture in South Africa was too big for the pandemic or ecommerce to kill. There is a flurry of investment underway in shopping centres ranging from the R1 billion mixed use, luxury development at new Oceans Mall in Umhlanga through to strip malls in rural areas and townships. But with consumers researching and even ordering online before they buy, physical and digital are no longer separate siloes.
Retailers should incorporate digital marketing into their customer journey to ensure they are not losing out. Touchpoints such as Google My Business (GMB) are especially important. GMB helps a business get discovered on Google Search and Maps, attracting foot traffic from people using their mobile phones to find nearby shops or restaurants.
Direct-to-consumer (DTC) competition grows
From electronics manufacturers like Apple to sportswear and apparel companies like Nike, more and more consumer brands are selling their products direct to consumers from their own websites and branded stores. Many retailers are finding themselves squeezed between the large general dealers that sell everything and the DTC players who are building direct customer relationships.
Specialist stores can differentiate themselves by offering brand-independent advice. They should also focus on using data-driven insights and digital channels like email and social media to build relationships with customers.
Consumers embrace a conscious lifestyle
Conscious consumption is a rising trend, especially among younger and more educated consumers, though not yet as big in South Africa as some other parts of the world. This is seen both in consumers holding brands to higher ethical standards in terms of social, environmental and governance standards as well as seeking to consume in healthier and more sustainable ways.
Reduced red meat eating for health and environmental reasons is an example of the trend in action. Retailers could consider expanding their plant-based, vegan and vegetarian lines to satisfy emerging consumer needs. They could also evaluate whether consumers would be interested in a wider choice of biodegradable cosmetics and toiletries.
White label brands keep winning
South African households are opting for retailer branded or less well known brands rather than premium brands to stretch their rand further. This is a trend that will prevail into 2023. Fitch predicts consumers will continue to prioritise essentials, with rising food, housing and transport costs weighing heavily on them.
Retailers will need to think about which product ranges can help them navigate the right path between affordability, margins and trust. Offering good deals on staples such as sunflower oil and washing powder is one way to attract foot traffic. It’s also a sound idea to offer consumers the option to buy cheaper or white label brands if they prefer.
Loyalty programmes go to the next level
Loyalty programmes such as Clicks ClubCard, Woolworths Everyday Reward and Pick n Pay smart shopper have millions of customers. For any retailer, they remain a key strategy for retaining customers and driving basket size. But these programmes are becoming undifferentiated and complex. Winning retailers will focus on making loyalty programmes more transparent and easier to understand. Offering instant gratification and tangible rewards is key.
Shoppers don’t just want to buy stuff when they hit the mall—they also want to be entertained. Shopper-tainment deepens engagement with customers across different touchpoints. Giving customers opportunities to get hands-on with products or hosting in-store or livestreamed demonstrations, tastings and workshops, are ways to go beyond a transactional relationship with the customer.
Never miss an opportunity with fast financing
“Fintech opportunity capital comes into the picture when retailers spot opportunities to diversify in response to trends and need quick, frictionless access to short-term funding,” says Steven Heilbron, CEO of Capital Connect. “Capital Connect offers growth capital with flexible and attractive terms. Retailers can benefit from unsecured capital of up to R5 million in 24 hours by simply logging into an app and applying.”
Gerhard le Roux is head of capital growth at Capital Connect, a fintech that offers fast and flexible business funding to South African retailers.


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How Free Is the Shanghai Free-Trade Zone?
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The U.S. shot down China’s attempt at a pan-Asia free trade zone in the run-up to the APEC summit in Beijing. WSJ’s Ramy Inocencio speaks with IHS’ Ra...
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«Asia Avto» in Kazakhstan delivered the first batch of 120 LADA 4x4 SUVs of Ust-Kamenogorsk production to the Chinese market. The railway delivery was preceded by two pilot truck shipments in January 2017.
About 800 cars will cross the border of China during the second quarter and «Asia Avto» estimates the total export potential to China in 2017 in 3500 cars.
According to the Union of Enterprises of Automobile Industry of Kazakhstan KazAvtoProm, in January 2017 a total of 2288 cars were sold in Kazakhstan, which is a 35.3% decrease on the last year.
The rating of the most popular brands in Kazakhstan in January 2017 was headed by Toyota with the figure of 393 sold cars.
According to Association of automakers of Ukraine «Ukravtoprom», in January 2017 sales of new cars in Ukraine increased by 51% and amounted to 4822 units. The leader in the Ukrainian market in January 2017 remained Toyota, which sold 495 cars – by 63% more than in the previous year.